We want to make this a friendly and informative site for the family members and friends of the sailors aboard the USS CARL VINSON. We are still adding information and pages, and update information and events regularly. We hope that you will enjoy visiting often!

It's Tax time again, and we want to share some of the free tax resources available to military members and their families. VITA Tax will provide free military tax filing services again this year. Their services have changed this year. All on-base VITA Tax offices will now be self-service. When you visit one of their offices they will have computer stations set up where you can log onto the Military One Source website and file your taxes using the free H&R Block program. The benefit of visiting one of the VITA Tax locations is that someone will be available to help answer any tax questions you have. In order to speed up the process it is recommended that you log into Military One Source and create a user name and password prior to visiting a VITA Tax location. You will also need to bring any W-2s, 1099’s, interest statements, dividend statements, student loan statements. If you are itemizing your tax deductions, you will need to bring the corresponding receipts for any of those deductions (examples: child care expenses, health care expenses, car registration fees, etc.)
Another free tax filing option for you is to visit the Military One Source website and use the free H&R Block at home filing program.
You are welcome to use any tax service you choose, and there are many free ones out there. Just be sure to pay attention because many of these programs will allow you to file your federal taxes for free, and then will charge you to file your state tax return.

San Diego area Military VITA Tax locations: We will send updated location information as soon as it is released.
NBSD 32nd St., (Wetside) Bldg. 56, Ste. 2  (619) 556‐6848 Mon-Fri 0800-1500
Naval Medical Center Balboa* 34800 Bob Wilson Dr. Bldg. 26, 42B (next to pass and decal) (619) 531-1410, Mon-Fri 0730-1600 & Sat 0800-1500
MCAS Miramar Bldg. 6275 Location opens Feb. 7 and will be open Mon-Fri 0800-1600

Turbo Tax free filing event- February 7th, 10am to 7pm (Free for E-5 and below, discounted for E-6 and above)
Turbo Tax Military Edition Tax Filing Progam- (* for a limited time, Free for E-5 and below, discounted for E-6 and above)
IRS- Tax Information for members of the U.S Armed Forces
Armed Forces Legal Assistance Legal Services Locator- Visit the Legal Assistance Office at a military installation for more information about VITA.

If we can help answer any questions you have or provide you with any other resources and information, please feel free to contact either one of your USS Carl Vinson Ombudsman team!

We've received a lot of questions about what the procedure is when a mom goes into labor while the dad is out at sea. First, we want to encourage you to have a back up plan. It is not always possible for a Sailor to be flown off of the ship to be at the hospital. If you are due at anytime that the ship is scheduled to be gone, please encourage your Sailor to speak to his chain of command now to make them aware. Every situation is different and there are no guarantees that your Sailor will be here for your baby's birth. Talking with their chain of command and making plans in advance will give you a better idea of what to expect and what options are available. If you go into labor while your Sailor is gone, please feel free to call either of your Command Ombudsman. We will get a message to the ship. Once you have delivered, the hospital staff can assist you in sending a Red Cross Standard Birth Message to the ship with all of the birth details. A Red Cross Standard Birth Message typically is sent when a command is deployed or away on local operations. This message is also often used by commands as official verification and is often necessary to have when determining if it is possible to send a service member home.

Resources for Parents & Parents to be
NMCRS Budget for Baby Class- Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) - Everything you always wanted to know about how that new little person is going to affect your finances
NMCRS Budget for Baby Class- Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI)- Receive a layette and baby's first seabag when you attend any of the Budget for baby classes

Chaplain Duesenberry has created a "how to" Red Cross Information sheet that we would like to share with you. On it we have also included information about Red Cross Standard Birth Messages. If there is ever a situation that requires that a Red Cross Message be sent, we would also like to encourage you to contact one of your Ombudsman. In most cases we can contact the ship prior to them receiving the Red Cross Message and we are able to give a "heads up", and make contact with the Sailor even before the Red Cross Message is received.

As you probably know, the ships schedule is going to start to be very busy in the near future. With Fast Cruise, Sea Trials, and the many qualifications that need to be completed for the ship and for our Sailor's, it's going to feel a little bit like a deployment. For those of us who have been part of the Vinson for awhile, the upcoming schedule will be cake! For those spouses and family members who are new to military life, who have never been at a sea duty command, or who are coming from a shore command, you might feel a little anxious and you might also have a lot of questions. In this newsletter we are including a reminder of some of the steps that you can take to help make things less stressful while your Sailor is not home and to  help make things go smoother in the event that something does come up. We want you to know that your Ombudsman team are here for you. We are happy to help you with information, resources, and any questions you have, big or small. 

Another great resource for you is the Family Readiness Group (FRG). The FRG hosts a monthly meeting for all spouses, family, and loved ones who are here in the San Diego area. This is a great way for you to get out and meet other spouses, family and loved ones from the ship. FRG meetings are informative and fun, and we encourage you to attend as often as you are able. Free childcare is provided as long as you sign up before the childcare cutoff date.  The FRG also arranges social events and parties for our command familes.

If we can help answer any questions you have or provide you with any other resources and information, please feel free to contact either one of your USS Carl Vinson Ombudsman team!

• Know your Sailor’s rate/rank and Department/Division- This is important information to have if there is an emergency and you need to get a message to the ship. It is also necessary for simply mailing a care package or letter. Some examples: ABHAN, CSSN, AO3, AR, SA, FN, HM1, MM2.
   
• Know your Sailor’s CVN70 email address- often this email account is more accessible than other email accounts.
   
• Make sure you have any legal documents or paperwork you might need- Examples: Power of attorney, family care plan, military ID. 
   
• MyPay accounts- Sailor’s can add a user to their MyPay account. They can set up a separate log in and password that will allow a person they chose to log in and view only their LES and their W-2. Military members can establish a Limited Access Password and Login ID by clicking on the Personal Settings Page option on the main menu, then selecting the Limited Access option. You may delete users' Limited Access at any time. 
   
• Check the expiration date of your Military ID, Base decals, and car registration- If this is something that you will need to take care of, will you need a power of attorney? 
   
• OPSEC, OPSEC, OPSEC!!- even though the ship will not be deployed, the ship's schedule is still “need to know information”. You should not post any part of the ship's schedule, have countdowns on social media sites, or share the information with anyone you do not know personally or with anyone who does not absolutely “need to know” this information.  Figure out in advance a way to communicate any schedule changes that will not violate Operational Security (OPSEC). 
   
• Work out your financial plan- Talk about the budget, who will be using what bank accounts, what are the agreed upon spending limits, who will be taking care of the bills. Prevent any potential NSF fees by talking about these details before your Sailor leaves. 
   
• Family care plan- this is important to have in place NOW. If you, the spouse have an emergency, what plan is in place for the care of your children? Every family with children should have a care plan arranged for “just in case”. It is mandatory to have a legal Family Care Plan prepared if the Sailor is a single parent, if the parents are dual military, if the spouse is part of the EFMP, if the military member is responsible for an elderly parent/family member, or if a spouse has little or no command of the local language. The Family Care Plan Point of Contact (POC) onboard the ship is PS1 Joyce Assadiq in X-3/Personnel department. 
   
• Communication Plan- Decide what method of communication you will use, and how often you will talk to or email each other. Remember that cell phones do not work on the ship once the ship pulls away from the pier. Also there are times that the ship’s communication system will be up and down depending on the qualifications and drills being conducted at the time. There are a limited amount of computers and phones onboard available for personal use, and the lines can be long. Our Sailor’s are going to be BUSY. So don’t get discouraged if you don’t hear from them regularly. They love you, and you know where they are, so please don’t worry. 
   
• Know how to contact your Ombudsmen- We are a confidential resource for you. We are here to help  answer your questions. We provide information to and from the command. We can provide you with information and resources for many different types of programs and activities. We can also assist in contacting the command with specific issues and emergencies. If we are made aware of a reportable issue (known or suspected abuse, suicide, life threatening situations), we are obligated to report these issues to the command.

Useful links:
Information about Power of Attorneys (POA)

POA worksheet for use by your Sailor at the legal department on the ship

Developing your Family Care Plan

Resources for Family Care Planning

 
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact either of your USS CARL VINSON Command Ombudsmen.