AACC Army Education Center As an Option
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!"#&$"%%!´ THURSDAY, DEC. 1, 2016 |68th Ye ar Number 47 PUBLISHED IN THE INTEREST OF THE FORT MEADE COMMUNITY FTMEADE.ARMY.MIL FFuullll hhoouussee Freedom Inn Thanksgiving draws record cr crowd PG 10 PHOTO BY NATE PESCE (Clockwise from left:) Pfc. Justin Stannard, Pvt. Dylon Sheffer, Pvt. Michael Chol and Pvt. Robert Thompson, all of Army Student Detachment, 551st Signal Battalion, celebrate Thanksgiving at Freedom Inn. The feast was attended by 567 service members, retirees, civilian employees, family members and guests. CROSSING THE BRIDGE UPCOMING EVENTSGIVING BACK Five Cub Scouts Friday, 7-10 a.m.: Coffee with a Cop, Fort Meade Dunkin’ Donuts Deadline to donate Saturday, noon-4 p.m.: ESC Holiday Party, Pershing Hill Elementary become Boy Scouts Dec. 7, 7 p.m.: U.S. Army Field Band Holiday Concert, Meade High to CFC draws near PAGE 8 Dec. 9, 5-6:30 p.m.: Tree Lighting Ceremony, Main Post Chapel PAGE 6 2 NEWS THURSDAY, DEC. 1, 2016 |SOUNDOFF! COMMANDER’S COLUMN - GUEST !"#&$"%%!´ What vets need to know EDITORIAL STAFF Garrison Commander about VA home loans Col. Thomas S. Rickard Garrison Command Sergeant Major the required Certificate of Eligi- Rodwell L. Forbes ach year on Veterans Day, we show appreciation to bility — typically in a matter of Public Affairs Officer E those who have served seconds. Chad T. Jones 301-677-1301 with tributes, patriotic ceremo- Apriority for the VA is to [email protected] nies and special offers. protect qualifying home buyers Chief, Command Information But appreciation is not limited from purchasing a home they Larry Whitley Sr. 301-677-5602 to just one day in November for cannot afford. [email protected] service members seeking home By Lynn So all prospective home buyers Editor ownership or veterans in need of Nichols interested in a VA loan must also Ganesa R. Robinson 301-677-6806 an affordable home loan. meet basic credit and income About 72 years ago, Congress CHAIRPERSON, requirements. [email protected] www.ftmeade.army.mil MILITARY created the VA Home Loan Guar- Since a portion of the VA home Assistant Editor & Senior Writer or ftmeadesoundoff.com AFFAIRS antee program as part of the COMMITTEE, loan is guaranteed by the US Rona S. Hirsch 301-677-1438 JOIN THE CONVERSATION Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of WEST ANNE government and because this loan [email protected] 1944. The program was meant to ARUNDEL program is a benefit, the qualifica- COUNTY Staff Writer Like - facebook.com/ftmeade reduce “to the greatest extent tion standards can be more lenient Lisa R. Rhodes 301-677-1432 possible” the sociological and eco- CHAMBER OF than some other loan programs. COMMERCE [email protected] Follow - twitter.com/ftmeademd nomic problems of millions of For example, some loan pro- Staff Writer post-war men and women who grams require buyers to wait Maddie Ecker 301-677-5159 View - instagram.com/ftmeademedia had served in the U.S. Armed seven years after a bankruptcy to [email protected] Forces. obtain financing. But a VA loan requires a View - flickr.com/photos/ftmeade Today, the home loan program, regulated minimum of two years. Design Coordinator by the Department of Veterans Affairs, What are the benefits? Warren Walker301-677-1431 Watch - youtube.com/FortMeadeMD provides low-cost loans with no down The VA home loan benefit is one of the [email protected] payment to qualified applicants. few programs available that allow for 100 Supplemental photography provided Get text alerts from Fort Meade However, being a real estate agent, I see percent financing — no down-payment is by The Baltimore Sun Media Group by texting “Follow FtMeadeAlert” that the VA home loan is one of the most required. Mortgage insurance also is not to 40404 underutilized benefits for serving in the U.S. required. DEADLINES Armed Forces, whether one is on active In addition, VA rules regulate the amount ADVERTISING duty or a veteran. of fees a buyer can be charged, making this a Community notices So let’s touch on just some of the benefits lower-cost loan program. It allows for the Friday, noon General Inquiries 410-332-6300 associated with the VA loan. seller to pay for closing costs and up to an [email protected] [email protected] Who qualifies? additional 4 percent in seller concessions. Death Notices: 410-332-6781 Veterans, active-duty service members, The VA home loan benefit can be reused CIRCULATION [email protected] members of the National Guard or Reserve, under certain circumstances. and a military spouse all may be eligible to If a prospective buyer has already used If you would like information about receiving Soundoff! on Fort Meade or are experi- use the VA home loan benefit to purchase an the VA loan benefit in the past, there are encing distribution issues, call 877-886-1206 or e-mail [email protected]. owner-occupied home. circumstances that allow for its benefits to Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday through Sun- The length of service or service commit- be used again, even if there was a prior short day, 8 a.m. to noon. ment, duty status and character of service sale or foreclosure. Printed by offset method of reproduction as a civilian enterprise in the interest of the all determine eligibility. Also, if someone has a disability as a personnel at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, by The Baltimore Sun Media Group, 501 Aveteran with an honorable discharge or result of military service, there is no funding N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278, every Thursday except the last Thursday of the year an active-duty service member meets mini- fee charged on the loan to that individual. in conjunction with the Fort Meade Public Affairs Office. Requests for publication must mum requirements after 90 days of active Generous loan amounts are also available reach the Public Affairs Office no later than Friday before the desired publication date. service during a time of war or 181 to qualified buyers. Mailing address: Post Public Affairs Office, Soundoff! IMME-MEA-PA, Bldg. 4409, Fort consecutive days during peacetime. Typically, you can borrow up to $417,000 Meade, MD 20755-5025. Te lephone: 301-677-5602; DSN: 622-5602. Amember of the National Guard or with your VA loan. However, there are Everything advertised in this publication must be made available for purchase, use or Reserve with a minimum of six years of counties where you can finance higher patronage without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, marital status, handicap peacetime service or 90 days of active amounts. or sex of purchaser, user or patron. A confirmed violation or rejection of this policy of service is also generally eligible for this For example, Anne Arundel, Howard, equal opportunity by an advertiser will result in the refusal to print advertising from benefit. Baltimore and Harford counties allow for that source. Unmarried surviving spouses of service up to $517,500 for a one-unit property. Printed by The Baltimore Sun Co., LLC, a private firm, in no way connected with the members, who died in the line of duty or as Prince George’s County, however, allows Department of the Army. Opinions expressed by the publisher and writers herein are the result of a service-related disability, also $625,000 for a one-unit property. their own and are not to be considered an official expression by the Department of the may be eligible. See a VA home loan specialist. Army. The appearance of advertisers in the publication does not constitute an en- AVA-approved lender can help you For more information, call the Housing dorsement by the Department of the Army of the products or services advertised. determine if you are eligible by obtaining Services Office at 301-677-7748 or visit va.gov. Guaranteed circulation: 12,339 SOUNDOFF!|THURSDAY, DEC. 1, 2016 NEWS 3 PUBLIC NOTICE Army finishes 5-year Get a jump on taxes By Jane M. Winand qualifies as a combat zone for a deadline Legal Assistance Attorney extension. environmental review Those who are deployed or about to be s 2016 comes to a close, thoughts of deployed during tax season should ask their A the holidays may be dancing in our spouse or close family member to collect The U.S. Army has completed the first the environment because: heads. Nonetheless, it is wise to and organize pertinent papers and forms five-year review of environmental reme- ♦Land-use controls identified in the also begin thinking about tax season. during the deployment. Thus, when the dies undertaken at Installation Restoration record of decision were implemented and During block leave, while purchasing and service member returns home, the docu- Program and Military Munitions Re- are functioning as designed. wrapping presents and enjoying holiday ments are available to meet the extended sponse Program sites on Fort Meade. ♦Land uses are consistent with ob- meals, it is important for service members, tax filing deadline. The focus of this National Priorities List jectives identified in the record of decision. retirees and their family members to plan ♦IRS Form W2 documents income five-year review was a former mortar The five-year review also determined ahead for the upcoming tax season. received from an employer as well as range munitions response area that the former pesticide shop remedy is Consider the following: federal and state income tax withheld (FGGM-003-R-01and FGGM-003-R-02) protective of human health and the ♦Power of attorney and other payments. and a former pesticide shop (FGGM-13).