Taken from a Office of Personnel Management Retirement Readiness Now e-newsletter
We have come to the end of another year, we say “GOOD-BYE” to 2014 and “HELLO” to 2015!
It’s time to start thinking about completing your 2014 tax returns.
The IRS will begin accepting tax returns electronically on January 20. Paper tax returns will begin processing at the same time.
The decision follows Congress renewing a number of “extender” provisions of the tax law that expired at the end of 2013. These provisions were renewed by Congress through the end of 2014. The final legislation was signed into law December 19, 2014.
“We have reviewed the late tax law changes and determined there was nothing preventing us from continuing our updating and testing of our systems,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “Our employees will continue an aggressive schedule of testing and preparation of our systems during the next month to complete the final stages needed for the 2015 tax season.”
The IRS reminds taxpayers that filing electronically is the most accurate way to file a tax return and the fastest way to get a refund. There is no advantage to people filing tax returns on paper in early January instead of waiting for e-file to begin.
More information about IRS Free File and other information about the 2015 filing season will be available in January, the information can be found on the IRS website, http://www.irs.gov.
Daryle Lum, 46, of Ewa Beach, a retired Hawaii Air National Guard F22 crew chief, a Servco Lexus mechanic and nuclear electronics mechanic at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, passed away on December 6, 2014. He was born in Honolulu. He is survived by wife Jennifer, sons Justin and Jaden Lum-Osborn, mother Alice, brother Kevin and sister LeeAnn.
From the This Day in Aviation website
December 30, 1964: The United States Air Force accepted the last of 732 KC-135 Stratotankers built by Boeing, KC-135A serial number 64-14840. 50 years later, 414 of them are still in service. It is estimated that the fleet is 33% through their design lifetime limits.
Built as an aerial refueling tanker to support the U.S. Air Force fleet of B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers, an initial order for 24 tankers was soon increased to 250. Eventually 732 KC-135As were built by Boeing, and an additional 81 of other versions.
This YouTube video shows five new Airbus 350 XWBs flying together in flight formations.
View video here Family Flight
Mahalo to Gordon Lau for sharing this link. He lives in the Pacific Northwest and continues to contribute materials for publication in Retiree News.
Norton Security posted this on their website just days before the hacking of the Sony website
As tech evolves, so does cybercrime. The bad guys are constantly honing their skills and attacks, hoping to reap even bigger financial rewards. As a result, your computer is no longer the only device to make criminals gleefully rub their hands together in anticipation.
From tablets to smartphones and more, you’re no longer only surfing the Web from your PC. And since many don’t believe these other devices need online protection, they’re wide open to attack. Don’t inadvertently open your wallet to these crooks. Show them the door by following these security tips and caveats with this new technology.
Retired Hawaii Army National Guard member Harry Miller just retired from his Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) position. (Hawaii EMA formerly known as State Civil Defense)
Harry and his wife will be moving to Arizona in a few weeks. He was a member of the State Warning Point team at HI-EMA and did his usual outstanding job.
Happy Trails to Harry!
Air Force photo by A1C Alexander Guerrero
Eleven C-130H Hercules from various Air National Guard units and 13 C-130J Super Hercules from the 317th Airlift Group at Dyess AFB, Texas, prepare to take off from Dyess in support of the US Air Force Weapons School’s Joint Forcible Entry Exercise 14B on December 6, 2014.
Anyone who works/worked in aircraft maintenance knows how hard it is to launch 24 of any type of aircraft.
You can register to receive an email every time there is a new post. In the “Follow Blog via Email” section and press “Follow”. On the next screen, enter your email address and press ENTER. Shortly, you will receive a confirmation email to your address from WordPress.com. You acknowledge the email and you are a registered reader.
After you compete this short registration process, you get a notification email every time there is a new posting. The email has a quick teaser of the posting, along with tags that indicate how the posting relates to special topics/areas.
Thanks to these Retiree News readers who registered to “Follow Blog via Email”: Dexter Yuen, Ronald Ota
Bargain hunters can expect to find plenty of great deals during after-Christmas sales this year. In fact, many retailers will likely launch holiday clearance sales online on December 25, says shopping expert Brent Shelton of FatWallet.com. A few, including Amazon, will even start “after-Christmas” sales on December 23 or 24, according to DealNews.com. Here’s what you’ll find deeply discounted in the coming days and weeks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued new recommendations that people 65 and up should get two shots, spaced six to 12 months apart.
There are three key mistakes to avoid if you want to make the most out of the federal program. They are: signing up when you’re below full retirement age and still working, expecting more that the program will actually deliver, and worrying too much over whether your benefits will be taxed.
From the This Day in Aviation website
27 December 1935: When an eruption of the 13,679-foot (4,169-meter) shield volcano Mauna Loa, that had been ongoing since late November, threatened the town of Hilo, Hawaii, a decision was made to try to divert the flow of lava by aerial bombing. The U.S. Army Air Corps, 23d Bombardment Squadron, 5th Composite Group, based at Luke Field, on Ford Island, Oahu, Territory of Hawaii, sent three Keystone B-3A and two Keystone B-6A bombers. The five airplanes dropped twenty 600-pound (272.2 kilogram) Mark I demolition bombs, each containing 355 pounds (161 kilograms) of TNT, with 0.1-second delay fuses.
From the This Day in Aviation website
27 December 1951: The North American Aviation XFJ-2B Fury, Bu. No. 133756, made its first flight at Los Angeles International Airport with test pilot Robert A. Hoover at the controls. The XFJ-2B was a prototype aircraft carrier-based fighter for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. It was modified from a standard production U.S. Air Force F-86E-10-NA Sabre day fighter. The primary difference was the substitution of four 20 mm Colt Mark 12 autocannon for the six .50-caliber Browning M-3 machine guns of the F-86E. The aircraft was taken to the Naval Ordnance Test Station, Armitage Field, China Lake, California, for armament testing.
Master Sergeant Wayne Toshi Iha passed away on Christmas Eve. Wayne retired several years ago after serving 40 years in the Hawai‘i Army National Guard
Another HIARNG retiree, SSG Dennis Fujii reported the Wayne’s passing to Retiree News. Dennis served with Wayne in the 117th Public Affairs Detachment.
Dennis wrote:
“Sad news of this Christmas evening, a long time and dear friend, Wayne Iha, passed away in the VA Hospice facility at Tripler Army Medical Center. A retired State DOE classified personnel specialist and retried Army National Guard drill-status photo journalist with the 117th Public Affairs Detachment, he fought a gallant battle against a liver cancer. He was a neighbor, friend and fellow photographer, his friendship will be missed. RIP Wayne
Aloha Pumehana!
Retiree News will post more information about services when it becomes available. The obituary will include a detailed biography written by Stephen Lum, a good friend and member who served in the 117th Public Affairs Detachments for many years.
