ArmedForces.com

To the Airmen of The Unites States Air Force Honor Guard, a presidential inauguration is one of many high-profile, high-visibility events they will participate in during their careers. To many other Airmen in the National Capitol Region, however, participating in this year's inauguration is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Twelve members of the Joint Base Andrews Base Honor Guard fall into the latter category. They will integrate with U.S. Air Force Honor Guard for the 57th Presidential Inauguration on Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C.
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Please be advised that both the Community Activity Center (CAC) and East Fitness Center will be CLOSED through Jan. 23. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

DITCH YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTION and enjoy a $7.95 fried chicken salad lunch special at The Sports Page from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For details, call 301- 981-4638.

CASINO BUS MILITARY MONDAYS is offering a "Buddy Discount" for a limited time. Buy a ticket at full price, and get one half off! Special ends Feb. 28.  Purchase your ticket at ITT inside Outdoor Recreation. The casino bus departs every Monday from ODR to Charlestown, Atlantic City, NJ, Harrington, or Md. Live! Arundel Mills. Prices vary depending on location. Please visit facebook.com/AndrewsODR/events for upcoming trips! For more information please call 301-981-4109/5663.
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A selected few from the ranks of the Air Force, along with those selected by their sister services, will become a part of history on Jan. 21, when President Barack Obama takes his second oath of office during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. They came together on Sunday Jan. 13, to put months of practice to the test.

The U.S. Air Force Band, along with the Honor Guard, joined more than 1,000 Airmen in fields ranging from communications to logistics, medical, legal, command and control and contingency response to provide support for the inauguration.
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Two Imagine Andrews Public Charter School students stood at each open door of their newly-built school waiting to greet leaders and distinguished visitors from Joint Base Andrews and the surrounding community to the schools' grand-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony here, Jan. 14, 2013.

The partnership between Andrews and the surrounding community gives the unique blend of 65 percent military and 35 percent Prince George County, PGC, students the opportunity to learn military culture with traditional educational values.
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The D.C. National Guard joined hundreds of active-duty and Reserve military members and local D.C. and federal officials during a two-day inauguration rehearsal at the D.C. National Guard Armory yesterday and today. The purpose of the rehearsal was to align military and civilian resources supporting the 57th Presidential Inauguration and work to resolve issues as they are identified.

"This is a cooperative effort," said Maj. Gen. Errol Schwartz, commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard, during opening remarks at the rehearsal. "Interagency cooperation will be paramount to the success of the 2013 Presidential Inauguration."
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Apple Inc. released a cellphone application Monday designed by two airmen currently supporting Joint Task Force - National Capital Region Public Affairs.

The program, called "Inauguration," is a free, user-friendly app that compiles news and other material related to the 57th Presidential Inauguration from a variety of official websites.

"Inauguration," which was designed to distribute Department of Defense-released information on the inauguration, collects real time updates from websites linked to it, offering the latest press releases, videos and photographs covering the historic event and preparation for it. It contains a map of the inaugural parade route, complete with global positioning that automatically orients the map based on the user's location, and icons that pinpoint medical stations, and indicate road closures and walking routes.
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Air Force officials are encouraging active-duty Airmen who are eligible to reenlist, extend their current enlistment, retire or separate in March to complete these personnel actions through the myPers website and their base military personnel sections by Feb. 15 to avoid processing delays and military pay issues.

Airmen need to accomplish these actions because the Air Force is upgrading and transferring the Military Personnel Data System to the Defense Information Systems Agency's Defense Enterprise Computing Center in March. The upgrade project is scheduled to take about 23 days to complete, during which time, MilPDS will not be available.
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Flu activity is rising in the U.S., with most of the country now experiencing high levels of flu-like illnesses.

"We have had a 20-25 percent increase of patient encounters that are seeking treatment for flu-like symptoms," said Maj. Marlo Repeta, Malcolm Grow Medical Clinic Emergent Care Center flight commander.

While there are no guarantees, the best way to avoid the flu is to get the flu vaccine.

"Effectiveness depends on the person's age, health status, and the match between virus strains in the vaccine and those circulating in the community," said Maj. (Dr.) Troy Baker, 779th Medical Group's chief of allergy and immunizations clinic. "Research has shown last year's vaccine to be 60 percent effective for all age groups."
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As tax season approaches, the Joint Base Andrews Tax Center is slated to open Jan. 28, 2013, offering free tax assistance to active duty members, retirees, and military family dependents with a valid military or dependent ID card.

Operating out of suite 2550 of the William A. Jones III  Building, walk-in patrons will be welcomed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays.

Tax Center staff can prepare 1040s, 1040EZs, Schedules A, B, EIC, and R, along with myriad other forms and worksheets.  Last year, volunteers prepared over 2000 tax returns, saving clients an estimated $200,000 in tax preparation fees and recovering over $3 million in refunds. 
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Synergy is abundant here as the 11th Wing and mission partners rehearse their roles in support of the 57th Presidential Inauguration slated for Jan. 21 in nearby Washington, D.C. Airmen from every unit here are slated to join members of their sister services in the DOD rehearsal this Sunday.

Members of the United States Air Force Band and Honor Guard rehearsed at Joint Base Andrews January 10 and 11 as they perfected each note and step of their Inaugural Parade routine. These premier ceremonial units are no stranger to high-profile performances, and rehearsal is a daily task. Many members of the Band, for example, have participated in several inaugural events throughout their careers.
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Synergy is abundant here as the 11th Wing and mission partners rehearse their roles in support of the 57th Presidential Inauguration slated for Jan. 21 in nearby Washington, D.C. Airmen from every unit here are slated to join members of their sister services in the DOD rehearsal this Sunday.

Members of the United States Air Force Band and Honor Guard rehearsed at Joint Base Andrews January 10 and 11 as they perfected each note and step of their Inaugural Parade routine. These premier ceremonial units are no stranger to high-profile performances, and rehearsal is a daily task. Many members of the Band, for example, have participated in several inaugural events throughout their careers.
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The 11th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department will be conducting a controlled burn on the south end of the airfield beginning at 9 a.m. and will continue throughout the day Jan. 10.

Several areas of brush will be cleared during the burn in order to ensure maximum flight safety at Joint Base Andrews.  Smoke may be visable as it rises from the burn area through out the day.
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Get ready for a fantastic night of free entertainment. Tops in Blue, the premier entertainment showcase of the U. S. Air Force will perform at Joint Base Andrews Jan. 4th and 5th, at 6:30 p.m., in the Base Theater. Be a part of the dynamic rhythm of Tops in Blue as they invite the audience to "Listen"' to the music of life through the sounds we hear every day.

Bigger and better than ever, the 2012 Tops in Blue team is entertaining audiences worldwide, with music and fun for the entire family. Dazzling lights! Beautiful costumes! Precision choreography! These are the things that Tops in Blue is known for all over the world, and this year's show is no exception. "Listen" to the dynamic rhythms of The Doobie Brothers, Earth, Wind & Fire, Whitney Houston, and Maroon 5. This year's tour also showcases the great country music of Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, and The Zac Brown Band. Of course, no Tops in Blue show would be complete without the great patriotic music that honors our nation and its heroes. Once again, Tops in Blue shows us what has made their show a "must-see" event every year for over half a century.
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The Military and Family Support Center launched the new, five-day Transition Assistance Program Nov. 26 in the MFSC.

The TAP workshop is now a mandatory program for all Airmen transitioning from 180 days or more of active duty service, to include Reservist and Guardsmen who serve on active duty status.

The redesigned transition assistance program is in line with the Veteran's Opportunity to Work act, or the VOW act, passed by President Barrack Obama through Executive Order 13518 of 2011. Since then, several agencies have collaborated to redesign the TAP and embed career readiness standards as a central part of a successful transition.
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Blacked-out suits and weapons drawn, the Joint Base Andrews Emergency Services Team stormed the decommissioned Boeing 757 aircraft during a joint training exercise with the 811th Security Forces Raven team Nov. 9 at the Joint Training Facility at Baltimore Washington International Airport, Md.

"Hands on your face! Hands on your face!" team members shouted, commanding the attention of passengers and opposing forces.

The EST members swept the plane using what was called a tubular assault, controlling simulated rogue and frightened passengers and staff in random scenarios. Despite the distracting screams and firing of "dummy rounds", the team maintained control and demanded compliance.
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