USS Chosin (GC 65) guard Logistics Specialist Seaman Chris Mercy jumps past Electronics Technician 2nd Class Terrance Fields of USS Key West (SSN 722) Shellz for a lay-up in a season-opening Afloat Division intramural basketball game at Bloch Arena, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Jan. 28.

Sports Editor

Logistics Specialist 1st Class Charles Nieves sank a game-tying shot at the buzzer and a game-winning free throw with zero seconds on the clock to give USS Chosin (CG 65) a nail-biting 31-30 win over USS Key West (SSN 722) Shellz in a season-opening Afloat League intramural basketball game at Bloch Arena, Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam on Jan. 28.

Nieves, who missed a running one-hand shot in the lane with 9.6 seconds remaining in the game, got a second chance to tie the score with 5.8 ticks on the clock and he delivered.

The Chosin shooting guard got the ball on the left baseline and drove to the hoop before lofting a shot at the basket.

With the game clock winding down to zero, the ball bounced around the rim and then dropped through the net to tie the contest at 3030.

Nieves, who was fouled on the play, stepped up to the charity stripe with no time left, and completed the threepoint play by calmly sinking the shot to end the game.

“To be honest, we were just trying to get a score,” said Nieves about his shot to tie. “We knew that they were going to double team at the top, so coach said swing to the corner. As soon as I swung to the corner, I had the shot, but I wanted to take it to the basket and get the foul so we could win the game. When it left, it felt good, but I wasn’t sure it was going to go in. So when it went in, I was happy about that.”

Teammate, point guard Seaman Phillip Jones, said that while the team had other plays to run, getting the ball into the hands of Nieves was the right choice.

“Yes, we were looking for him, but we had other options, too,” Jones noted. “At the last moment, we were just looking for someone that was open to bail our team out. He (Nieves) took it and made the shot.”

Once the game was tied, Nieves, who led Chosin with 10 points, said he knew that he had to end it.

“Oh, there was pressure,” he admitted. “There were so many people, and team is counting on me to win the game, so I had to make it.”

The free throw ended a seesaw affair that had four lead changes during the game, before Nieves put it away for good.

Early on, it was the Shellz that got out to a fast start as two outside shots by forward Lt. Jake Jones and a threepoint splashdown from guard Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class Justin Cherry staked the team to a quick 9-6 advantage.

A shot by guard Logistics Specialist Seaman Chris Mercy with 8:10 on the clock in the first half, gave Chosin their first lead at 11-9 and led the team to a 17-16 advantage at halftime.

The lead, however, would change hands again, as Cherry deposited a putback at the 16:09 mark to put Key West back out in front at 1817. Shellz went on to build a modest 23-20 lead, but back came Chosin, as Jones tied the score on a three-point shot from well beyond the arch.

Key West went back out in front at 26-23, but Jones answered once again on another shot from downtown to knot it back up at 26-26 at the 4:07 mark.

With time running down, a basket by Jones gave Shellz a four-point cushion at 30-26, but Chosin narrowed the margin down to two before the final-second heroics by Nieves stole the game.

Jones, who scored eight points in the contest, said that while it was good to put away the first game of season with a win, the team has a lotofworktodo.

“We need to work together as a team,” he stated. “We didn’t have a lot of practice, so we’re still developing as a team.”

Nieves agreed with Jones and added that if Chosin puts in the time to get better, it should be a contender in the Afloat Division.

“If we can get everybody to practice and dedicate our time to play, we can probably win the tournament,” he said.

As part of the Armed Services Blood Program (ASBP), the official United States military blood program, a donation serves as a vital link to military service members and their families worldwide. The drives include:

* Feb. 15 at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) Hawaii.

* Feb. 16 at U.S. Coast Guard Sand Island.

* Feb. 22 at University of Hawaii ROTC Air Force.

* Feb. 27 at Naval Submarine Support Command (NSSC).

* Feb. 28 at Navy Exchange Hawaii (NEX)

* March 14 at the Federal Detention Center.

For more information, call 433-6699 or 433-6148 or email michelle.lele@amedd.army. mil

Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor’s Education Department has new student education and tour programs for 2012 and requests volunteers to help deliver these programs, plus develop additional ones, help manage events, process data entry, research, transcribe oral histories, and work on the museum’s successful outreach program to sixth graders, “Barnstorming.”

Other volunteers are need in all areas of museum operations as well, from docents delivering tours to mechanics helping restore historic aircraft in the restoration shop.

The education programs target preschool students through high school seniors and focus on math, science, social studies, technology and engineering connected to the principles of aviation and history of aviation in the Pacific. The opportunities are perfect for those retired from the fields of education. The museum will train, and a minimum of at least one day a month is required to be a volunteer.

Volunteers receive many benefits, They work hands-on with aircraft, meet and talk story with veterans and experienced pilots and mechanics, receive free admission to the museum and to the other Pearl Harbor historic sites, receive discounts at the museum gift shop, free admission to all hangar talks and lectures, an annual “volunteer appreciation” party and more.

Contact volunteer coordinator Loretta Fung for more information and a volunteer application at 441-1008 or email Loretta.Fung@PacificAviationMuseum.org.

Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age or partnered with a parent. The museum will provide documentation for service hours.

Airman 1st Class Christopher Austin, 8th Intelligence Squadron, muscles up 365 pounds in the bench press portion of the New Year's Weightlifting Competition at Hickman Fitness Center, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Jan. 28.

Sports Editor

The sound of clanging raw steel mixed with heavy doses of grunts and groans filled the confines of Hickam Fitness Center, as members of all military branches pushed and pulled their way through a series of lifts at the New Year’s Weightlifting Competition, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Jan. 28.

A total of 40 strength athletes, including eight women, competed in six weight classes that were divided into lightweight (150 and under for men, 125 and under for women), middleweight (151175 for men, 126-150 for women), light heavyweight (176-200 for men), heavyweight (201-225 for men, 151-175 for women), super heavyweight (226-250 for men, 176 and over for women), and masters weight (251 and above for men) categories.

All weight divisions were modeled directly from standards established by the United States Powerlifting Association.

“All these guys come here and they work really hard, so that’s why we worked to have a competition amongst the individuals that work out at the different military facilities,” said Hickam Fitness Director BJ Bentley, who helped coordinate the meet with Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Oliver and wants to make the meet an annual event. “This was a huge success. We were definitely overwhelmed by the 40 participants that we had today. And it was definitely well rounded between light, heavy, middleweight divisions. It’s not all stacked in one weight division.”

While each of the military services was well represented by members of their own branches, both Navy and Air Force lifters also moved some serious pounds throughout the competition.

Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Mac Cruickshank, Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303, strains to deadlift 600 pounds on his final attempt. The 20-year-old, 224pound Seabee totaled a competition best of 1,4 30 pounds.

The tournament was considered to be a raw event, as competitors were only allowed the use of knee and wrist wraps and a four-inch wide belt for support.

In the light heavyweight division, Airman 1st Class Christopher Austin, 8th Intelligence Squadron, at a bodyweight of 199 pounds, wowed the audience by crushing a 365-pound bench press in his opening attempt.

He went on to complete a division-best 385 in the bench and 500 pounds in the deadlift, while placing second overall with a three-lift total of 1,230 pounds.

Meanwhile, Construction Mechanic 3rd Class Mac Cruickshank, Construction Battalion Maintenance Unit 303, pulled an amazing 600 pounds to conquer the heavyweight division’s deadlift category with a lift that was a 100 pounds more than his closes competitor.

He also totaled 1,430 pounds to earn the meet’s Most Weight Lifted trophy.

Cruickshank, who is only 20 years old, said that while the sport is difficult on his body, he plans to continue powerlifting even though he will be changing duty stations in a few months.

“I think this was a pretty good event overall,” he said following the meet. “I’m leaving for California in March, but if I’m here during the week that it’s here, I’d definitely attend again. I had a great time.”

The meet even drew the husband and wife team of Army Staff Sgt. William Prince, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade, and his spouse Chelsea.

Prince, an active bodybuilder, said that with an upcoming physique contest only a few months away, he thought the event at Hickam would be a good way to get his competitive juices flowing.

For his efforts, Prince captured the light heavyweight division with a total of 1,295, while Chelsea won first place in the women’s middleweight division with 440 pounds.

Although Prince was beat out by Austin in two out of the three lifts, he pulled away from his Navy counterpart with a 475 squat, which was 130 pounds better than Austin.

Prince added that his dual-sport success is attributed to the support he gets from his wife and training partner Chelsea.

“It’s good because I come home and tell her what I lifted, she comes home and tells me what she lifted,” Prince said. “We give each other insight at the gym, and it helps with dieting. Also, our kids eat the proper diet and are active because we are always active.”

Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) guard Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) 2nd Class J'mese White takes the ball up for lay-up during a Blue Division intramural basketball game versus Pacific Command/Joint Intelligence Operation Center (PACOM/JIOC) at Bloch Arena, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Jan. 30.

Sports Editor

Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) shut down Pacific Command/Joint Intelligence Operation Center (PACOM/JIOC) with a suffocating twothree zone to earn a double-digit 39-29 victory in the marquee nightcap of a Blue Division intramural basketball quadrupleheader at Bloch Arena, Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam on Jan. 30.

Switching from a manto-man to the two-three defense early in the matchup, NIOC smothered the PACOM/JIOC twin towers of Navy Lt. Adam Hudson and Air Force Staff Sgt. Allen Birtcil to take a 21-11 lead at halftime en route to the impressive win.

In easily dispatching one of the divisional champs of last season, NIOC sent a strong message to the rest of the league.

“This team (PACOM/JIOC) was really good because they have good shooters and size,” said NIOC head coach Master Chief Yeoman Darrin Bobbitt. “They were bigger than us, as far as height, so this was an important game.”

Bobbitt said that he switched around his defense after seeing that PACOM/JIOC was more focused on establishing their perimeter game in the opening minutes of the contest.

“Me and my assistant coach Wynn (Chief Cryptologic Technician (Collection) Rasheem) noticed that they were collapsing on us and shooting the threes,” Bobbitt pointed out. “That’s why we went to the zone.”

The strategy paid off immediately as NIOC, which fell behind 3-0 on a three ball from PACOM/JIOC guard Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class Josh Kelly, used their defense to ignite a 9-0 run and take a six-point lead.

Although another threepoint basket from Kelly tied the score at 11-11 with 7:25 to go in the first half, a one-handed monster dunk from center Senior Airman Sean Caddell gave NIOC back the lead at 13-11 and led to a 10-run to close out the half.

In the second half, PACOM/JIOC post-player Hudson began to find his range and came up with back-to-back baskets inside the paint to close the gap to six at 21-15.

However, just a few minutes later, with the lead at seven, NIOC guard Cryptologic Technician (Maintenance) 3rd Class Michael Lyles turned red hot and scorched the nets with three big baskets to seal the game.

Lyles sank a shot to extend NIOC’s lead back to nine at the 6:38 mark, and then came back on the team’s next trip down court to stroke a trey and give NIOC their biggest lead of the game at 32-20 with 6:03 left on the clock.

At the 4:33 mark, Lyles completed a basket-andone to raise the advantage to 13 at 35-22.

“I wasn’t hitting anything in the first half,” said Lyles, who added that he needed to step up. “We felt really good. It’s just hard work and determination.”

For the game, Lyles chipped in 12 points, while teammate Caddell posted a game-high 13 points.

Kelly knocked down three shots from beyond the arch to lead PACOM/JIOC with nine points, while the usually potent duo of Hudson and Birtcil were held to a combined total of 10.

PACOM/JIOC also struggled from the charity stripe, where they missed their first eight shots and went on to sink only three out of 12.

“We’re not used to this,” said PACOM/JIOC head coach Senior Chief Logistics Specialist Latonya Veasley. “We’re going to work hard. We know what the goal is and we’re going to work hard to come together as a team. It’s early yet. It’s a learning experience, and we will learn from this. We’re going to see them again.”

Bobbitt praised his team for its solid effort and especially pointed to the hard work of his big men, who controlled the paint and boards.

Still, the NIOC head coach stated that with this game in the books, it’s now back to work.

“We got to work on our defense and work on our organization of moving the ball,” he said. “We got a couple of plays, but they kind of lost judgment on what they needed to do. We got to get that back into sync. We want to play fundamental, organized ball. Some guys want to just run up and down the court. We want to run onto that court with a purpose.”

Assistant Editor

Whether it’s bowling, swimming, running, dancing or dinner, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) features something for all lovers of Valentine’s Day.

For starters, from now through Feb. 12 at the Hickam Bowling Center and Naval Station Bowling Center, bowl for your chance to win a romantic dinner for two at Schooner’s Restaurant. Get one entry blank with every game bowled. A drawing will be held Feb. 13. The secondplace winner receives a box of chocolates. For more information, call 448-9959 or 473-2574.

A free preschool story time will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Feb. 8 at Hickam Library. Hear stories with the theme of “Valentines.” For more information, call 449-8299.

A sweetheart (couples) massage special will be held from Feb. 11 to 18 at the Hickam Fitness Center. The cost is $100 per couple for a one-hour session. Have your massage together. Different techniques can be requested (hot stone not available for this special.) For more information and to make your appointment, call 448-2214.

A free sweetheart 5K run will be held at 8 a.m. Feb. 11 at Hickam Fitness Center. The first couple to cross the finish line will receive a special prize. Awards will be given to first, second and third place finishers in men’s, women’s and kids’ (under 16) divisions. For more information, call 4482214.

A teen Valentine Dance will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Hickam Teen Center. The cost is $5 per youth ages 13-18. For more information, call 449-3354.

Dress to impress because there will be a free night of music inspired by Venus, the goddess of love, at cupid’s ball from 10 a.m. to midnight Feb. 11 at Brews and Cues. “Like” the event on Facebook for photos and to post Valentine messages. For more information, call 473-1743.

A Valentine’s red and white ball will be held Feb. 12 at J.R. Rockers. Dinner is at 5 p.m. and dancing starts at 9 p.m. There is no cover for the event. For more information, call 448-2271.

Join the sweetheart’s swim Feb. 13 and 14 at Scott, Richardson, Hickam pool one and Hickam pool two. The free event is for ages 16 and older. Come into any participating pool with your significant other and swim 500 yards each (1,000 yards total). Each couple that completes the swim will receive a prize. For more information, call 473-0394.

A free Valentine’s Day singles dinner with Liberty will be held Feb. 14. Depart Liberty Express at 5 p.m., Instant Liberty at 5:15 p.m., Beeman Center at 5:30 p.m. and Makai Rec Center at 6 p.m. This event is open to single active-duty service members only. For more information, call 473-2583.

A Valentine’s sweetheart’s dinner will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 14 in the Hickam Officer’s Club dining room. The cost is $89.95 per couple with a $10 members first discount. The event is open to all ranks. For more information and to make your reservations, call 448-4608.

Parkour Instructor Ozzi Quintero attempts to land on top of a wall as he jumps off from another. The founder of the Hawaii Parkour scene holds classes at Ala Moana Beach Park on weekdays from 6 p.m to 7:30 p.m.

Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs

KAPIOLANI, Hawaii Ozzi Quintero first cleared his mind before he took his jump. He knew he had bills to pay, a car to register, but he could not think about it then. The jump was only about five feet from ledge to ledge, but the drop was more than 20 feet deep. He emptied his mind, focusing on the patch of grass he needed to land on. He took a breath and jumped.

Ozzi, as he prefers to be called, is a 31-year-old Venezuelan who initially came to Hawaii to continue his desire to do break dancing. As a student of several different disciplines of movement, he soon learned about Parkour, the art of movement in both the natural and urban environments. The focus of Parkour is to move around obstacles with speed and efficiency.

For four years, Ozzi studied Parkour, and he learned that besides the workout, the ability to stay in shape and live a healthy lifestyle, Parkour is the ability to embrace obstacles and challenges.

“A lot of people would kind of run away from obstacles, the unknown, the challenges that life throws at us,” Ozzi said. “With the concept of Parkour, I’ve learned that with these challenges, these obstacles, we learn to grow whether you’re trying to broaden your jump distance or you’re trying to get a job.”

Today, Ozzi is A.D.A.P.T. (Art du Deplacement and Parkour Teaching) certified and the founder of Hawaii Parkour. He has since been a big influence on the development of Parkour in Hawaii, and he teaches Parkour to more than 20 students at a time at Ala Moana Beach in Honolulu.

“It’s super fun,” said Ozzi, “because not only am I teaching people to tune in to their body to get in shape, not only are they learning how to be mindful of their bodies, they are learning to accept difficulties in life and taking it as an opportunity to use it as a stepping stone for whatever next goal, whatever next life is going to throw at you.”

Sgt. Joe Perez, a Marine stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, has been deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. He asked Ozzi to help him improve his physical and mental conditioning before he headed back to Afghanistan.

“As infantrymen, we patrol through every terrain known to man, and we also go through or bypass obstacles,” Perez said. “Now with this training under our belts, obstacles are no match for our minds.”

Leanne Jenkins, a New Zealand native, was a former gymnast before she took an interest in Parkour.

“I did gymnastics for a long time when I was growing up,” Jenkins said. “I had the opportunity to learn Parkour, and it kind of looks scary, but I thought that I would try it. I discovered that I enjoyed it far more than I expected to.”

Jenkins is now a member of the New Zealand Parkour Association and has been coaching and instructing Parkour for female enthusiasts in Hawaii.

“For me, the biggest thing that has come out of it is challenging fears,” Jenkins said. “I find that I can do a lot more physically than mentally. So when I see a big jump, I have to overcome that mental challenge of doing it.”

Jenkins explained that sometimes even when she knows she can jump a particular distance with ease, adding more height to the same distance can be mentally intimidating.

“Now I find it easier to do more challenging things in life in general because I have Parkour,” Jenkins said. “I kind of practice overcoming that mental barrier. It definitely helped me with fear and overcoming fear.”

If anyone would like to try Parkour, Ozzi suggests trying to find somebody who is practicing.

“Try to find a community you can become a part of,” Ozzi said. “Communicate and try to do different things progressively. If you happen to have nobody around, it is a matter of playing, just go out there and discover what your body can do.

“The one thing I try to emphasize is Parkour is not about jumping off of things, but rather it’s to discover what your body can do and then from there, build up what you want it to do,” Ozzi continued.

When Ozzi landed safely from the five-foot ledge jump, he knew it was not simply a jump. It was something he had to build upon and improve. It is that training and repetition that allowed him to overcome the obstacle.

If you want to try out Parkour and see the different classes that are available, visit http://hawaiipk.com for more information.

Military members from all branches of service were honored by the National Football League with a “Salute to Service” program Jan. 26 to 29 with weeklong events held on Oahu, leading up to the Pro Bowl game.

The NFL’s “Salute to Service” program is part of the NFL’s ongoing effort to recognize military servicemembers.

The activities started Jan. 26 with practice sessions held at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for the first time where Pro Bowl players met with servicemembers, families and signed autographs after each practice.

“We were honored to be before you guys and for what you do on a day to day basis. We can never repay you,” said Montel Owens, running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Pro Bowl players also visited Schofield Barracks Jan. 27, where they met Soldiers from the Warrior Transition Battalion and donated NFL Play 60 equipment to the Bennett Youth Center.

The Pro Bowlers held their final practices at Aloha Stadium Jan. 28 as part of “Ohana Day,” which means “family” in Hawaiian.

The NFL brought out its best players, cheerleaders, and mascots for the leagues last practice before the game, said Maria Franklin, event director for the NFL. During Ohana Day more than 3,000 children from military bases were sponsored by the NFL and provided free transportation to experience activities at Aloha Stadium.

“It’s an absolute honor to be here before the military on behalf of the Cowboys and being able to perform and to give back to such a special crowd,” said Ally Traylor, Dallas Cowboy cheerleader.

The Pro Bowl game kicked off Jan. 29 with a coin toss and singing of the National Anthem by Air Force Tech Sgt. Richard Vasquez during the opening ceremony.

The Joint Service Color Guard presented colors as part of the pre-game ceremony.

Participating in the coin toss were Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Thomas L. Conant, U.S. Pacific Command deputy commander, Army Maj. Gen. Rodger Mathews, U.S. Army Pacific deputy commander, and Air Force Maj. Gen. Darryll Wong, Adjutant General of the Hawaii National Guard.

During the half-time show, the NFL showcased more than 1,000 military members on the field as part of the NFL’s “Salute to Service.” There were 200 Sailors and 200 Airmen who participated.

The U.S. Army Old Guard’s Silent Drill Team from Washington, D.C. also performed during the half-time show.

“This is probably the biggest venue that we’ve done in a long time and we were more excited than anything else to see all the fans and go out to put on a good show,” said Spc. Andres Ryan, a senior soloist in the U.S. Army Drill Team.

“The men and women in uniform and their families have given so much for us, it’s an honor to entertain them and try to give back to them,” Traylor said.

The advanced radar detection laboratory at Pacific Missile Range Facility was dedicated Jan. 25. (See additional photo on page A-5.) U.S. Navy photo by Jerry Lamar

Pacific Missile Range Facility Public Affairs

PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, Barking Sands, Kauai-A ribbon-cutting ceremony for an advanced radar detection laboratory (ARDEL) facility was held Jan. 25 at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Kauai, Hawaii.

The two-story ARDEL facility consists of a radar tower, mechanical and electrical rooms, radar chiller room, control rooms, equipment storage and loading areas, data processing room and other supporting spaces. The facility was originally designed and built to attain a “silver” designation of the Navy’s Leadership Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards. However, with additional sustainability and energy efficient design elements and other innovations the project moved toward LEED “gold.”

LEED is a certification system, developed by United States Green Building Council, for environmentally friendly construction, indicating the project meets or exceeds government mandates as well as industry standards. Buildings can achieve certified silver, gold or platinum designation of LEED compliance. Each level corresponds to the number of credits accrued in five “green” design categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality.

The Navy requires all construction and major renovation projects to be compliant to LEED silver standards or better. The final check for the facility certification will be done after the 100 percent construction completion.

According to the Department of the Navy’s environmental assessment of the project, the ARDEL facility will test and evaluate a new radar system planned for the next generation of surface combatant vessels. They strengthen the Navy’s ability to detect, track and provide information required to engage ballistic missiles at greater distances than current systems in use as well as more elusive long-range air threats. The advanced technologies of the new radar incorporate various aspects of ballistic missile defense, air defense and surface warfare.

“The program is a major milestone for ballistic missile defense,” said Capt. Nicholas Mongillo, commanding officer of PMRF. “ARDEL will benefit the Navy’s ability to make our nation and our allies safer while strengthening PMRF’s status as an invaluable training and test and evaluation resource for our country.”

The ARDEL facility will have six permanent staff that could be augmented to the projected peak number of 40 persons during radar testing. The facility would be manned 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year.

Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific awarded the $18.5 million, firmfixed price contract to Tomco Corp. of Honolulu for construction of the ARDEL facility.

Alexandra Marin Legal Assistance Attorney and Defense Attorney for JAG (left) and Capt. Lawrence Scruggs, chief staff officer, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) (right), join a volunteer of the tax center (middle) during the ribbon cutting of the Navy Tax Center on Jan. 30 as other center volunteers look on.

Contributing Writer

The Navy Tax Center held its ribbon cutting ceremony on Jan. 30. The center is a tax resource for all Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers and Marines, as well as retirees and dependents.

“My goal is that we get every Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine in here to do their taxes,” said Capt. Lawrence Scruggs, chief staff officer, Joint Base Pearl HarborHickam (JBPHH). “They should not have to pay someone to do their taxes.”

The center is a JBPHH operation and is run by nine full-time volunteers. The volunteers are trained by the IRS in specific military-related issues, so customers can receive help with any questions or problems they may have relating to service.

“Our amount of volunteers shows the dedication and commitment they have to staying through tax season [to help servicemembers],” said Legal Assistance Attorney and Defense Attorney for JAG Alexandra Marin. Marin is also the officer-in-charge for the tax center.

The key difference in the tax center compared to previous years is that it is now a walk-in and selfservice model. Customers sign in, and when a computer becomes available they log their taxes using an H&R Block program. Volunteers roam the room, helping with any tax-specific questions a customer may have.

“Tax laws have become very complicated,” Scruggs said. “They can take a few minutes off from work and receive extremely proficient and professional service here.”

The center is not limited to active-duty service members. Dependents and retirees are welcome to the tax center, and there are initiatives to work with Tripler and the Wounded Warrior program to help those who cannot physically make the trip to JBPHH.

“This is a direct reflection on how we take care of our own,” Scruggs said.

The Navy Tax Center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center is located in the Navy College building (building 679), room 11. The documents that are required for proper tax filing are a military ID, Social Security cards for all family members, last year’s tax returns, a copy of active duty orders for reservists, and any other available tax documentation such as a form 1098 or 1099. For more information, call 473-4112.