Heard @ Headquarters 2003 Archive

General Handy praises SIU (3/27) (PDF)

The U.S. Maritime Administration reports that qualified merchant mariners serving on vessels under Department of Defense operational control in direct support of the United States Armed Forces have been determined by the IRS to be eligible for the benefits of section 7508 of the Internal Revenue Code. 26 U.S.C. §7508. This includes individuals, (including the spouse of such individuals) serving in the combat zone as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard Maritime Administration and Military Sealift Command owned or controlled vessels.

Section 7508(a)(1) permits the postponement of certain time-sensitive acts for individuals serving in support of the Armed Forces in a designated combat zone. In the event of service in a combat zone, a number of acts are postponed. Activities specifically mentioned include the filing of tax returns, the payment of income, estate, or gift taxes (except employment and withholding taxes), tax claims filings or bringing suits for credits or refunds, filing any petition with the U.S. Tax Court, making a qualified retirement contribution to an IRA, or performing any other act listed in Revenue Procedure 2002-71. No penalties or interest will be imposed for failure to file a return or pay taxes during the extension period. Detailed information can be obtained by consulting Publication 3 Armed Forces’ Tax Guide (2002 Returns). The Guide can be obtained by contacting the IRS or from the IRS website, www.irs.gov

This basic postponement period is for the period in the combat zone plus 180 days. If a person is injured from service in the combat zone, the deadline would be extended from the last day of any continuous qualified hospitalization, if that period is longer than the 180 day period in the preceding sentence. In addition to the 180 days, the deadline is extended by the number of days that were left to take action with the IRS when a person entered a combat zone. Mariners are advised to consult their tax professionals with respect to the impact of this relief with respect to their individual situations.

Only mariners serving in the combat zone are covered. At present, the combat zone for Operation Iraqi Freedom is defined as follows:

- Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Gulf of Oman;

- That portion of the Arabian Sea that lies north of 10 degrees north latitude and west of 68 degrees east longitude; and

- The total land area of Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Section 7508 only temporarily stays these activities; it does not terminate them, reduce statutory periods, or in any manner prejudice these actions after the postponement period is over. These benefits are afforded to the spouse of an individual qualified for the benefits without any requirement that the individual and spouse file a joint return.

Taxpayers within the United States may seek assistance by calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. Taxpayers outside the United States may call the IRS in Philadelphia, Pa., at (215) 516-2000 or via fax at (215) 516-2555 (these are not toll-free numbers).

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has issued an updated alert "for International Travelers Arriving in the United States From China, Vietnam, and Singapore."

The CDC requests that "cargo vessels that have traveled in these areas should distribute the Health Alert Notice to all crewmembers and individuals on board, be particularly alert for this illness, and refer suspect cases to the nearest health authority."

The updated notice is available on the CDC site
HERE

For additional information, try the following links:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars
www.cdc.gov/travel/

Graduating from the Paul Hall Center’s comprehensive unlicensed apprentice program is a laudable achievement under any circumstance, but for Eileen Lammers, the accomplishment is extra special.

Lammers, 19, completed the third and final phase of the curriculum in February. She is believed to be the first Alaskan Indian female to graduate from the program in Piney Point, Md.

“I take a lot of pride in this,” stated Lammers, a member of Class 630. “I am very into my culture, and to be the first is a very big honor and also shows the next generation that anything is possible. Not many Alaskan Indian females do what I’m doing right now.”

Lammers enrolled at Piney Point in May 2002, after learning about it through the non-profit recruiting and referral agency SEA Link Inc., based in Ketchikan, Alaska. Initially, she didn’t realize that no other Alaskan Indian female had gone through the trainee program. “But it’s a very big deal for my tribe and all the Indians in Alaska,” Lammers said. Her tribe, Haida and Nishga, lives mainly in southeast Alaska.

The program itself—including an initial 12 weeks at the Paul Hall Center covering the basics, a 90-day apprenticeship aboard an SIU-contracted ship, and more advanced training back at the school—proved challenging but worthwhile. “The first phase was hard, getting used to the different cultures, but it was a good learning experience,” said Lammers, who plans to sail in the steward department. “The second phase was really cool. I was on Alaska Tanker Company’s BT Alaska. I like the on-the-job training, seeing what every department was like.

“The crew was very good,” she continued. “They treated me like a crew member, not a trainee.”

Lammers concluded that she enthusiastically would advise other Alaskans to consider enrolling in the unlicensed apprentice program. “I would recommend it. Everyone needs to learn responsibilities, have stability,” she observed. “It’s a good opportunity for people my age to expand their horizons and figure out what they want in life.”

She added a word of praise for the instructors and staff at the Paul Hall Center, which opened in 1967. “People at school want to help. It’s tough love, but they really want us to succeed…. I also was surprised by how much there is to learn. I started college when I was 17, was going into accounting but didn’t like it, and figured this (Piney Point) would be a way to figure out what I want. I noticed a big difference right away. In college you’re in the books all the time. Here, if you need help, they take time out and show you how things are done. I see that with a lot of students here, including academics. In college, you’re on your own. Here, it’s more of a family organization. We help each other.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has issued an alert "for international travelers arriving in or returning to the USA from Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China, and Hanoi, Vietnem."

The CDC requests that "cargo vessels that have traveled in these areas should distribute the Health Alert Notice (reprinted below) to all crewmembers and individuals on board...."

The notice is available on the CDC site
HERE

For additional information, try the following links:
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars
www.cdc.gov/travel/

(Text of notice follows)
FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS ARRIVING IN OR RETURNING TO THE USA FROM HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG PROVINCE, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, AND HANOI, VIETNAM

TO THE TRAVELER: During your recent travel, you may have been exposed to cases of severe acute respiratory disease syndrome. You should monitor your health for at least 7 days. If you become ill with fever accompanied by cough or difficulty in breathing, you should consult a physician. To help your physician make a diagnosis, tell him or her about your recent travel to these regions and whether you were in contact with someone who had these symptoms. Please save this card and give it to your physician if you become ill.

TO THE PHYSICIAN: The patient presenting this card may have recently traveled to Hong Kong or Guangdong Province in People’s Republic of China or Hanoi, Vietnam, where cases of atypical pneumonia have been identified. If you suspect atypical pneumonia (also being called severe acute respiratory disease syndrome [SARS]), please contact the nearest local health officer and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emergency Operations Center (770-488-7100) for guidance.