The Foreign Service Journal, March 2008

66 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / MA R CH 2 0 0 8 A F S A N E W S AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Possible Movement on MOH Benefits This past fall, AFSA participated with Gays and Lesbians in Foreign Affairs Agencies and other groups in an informal coalition to help advance domestic partner benefits legislation. Senators Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore., are currently finalizing a draft bill to provide domestic partnership benefits to federal civilian employees and their same- sex partners on the same basis as spousal benefits. Twelve senators have already committed to helping advance this poten- tial legislation. GLIFAA and AFSA officers met with key staff from Senator Lieberman’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to advocate that any bill that is proposed on partnership benefits include the Foreign Service. While passage in the near future is not certain, AFSA continues to believe that our regular participation in these discussions is essential to ensure that the Foreign Service is not forgotten when it comes to federal employee benefits. Transportation Office Moves The Travel and Transportation Office has moved to the fifth floor of SA-3, an annex near the State Department. AFSA regrets the move. For months, AFSA and others, with the support of some in management, urged the department to keep the offices in the Truman Building to maintain the conve- nience of the onsite, one-corridor location of most travel and transportation services. The Travel and Transportation Office can now be found in Suite 5100 of SA-3 at 2121 Virginia Ave. Refunds for Credit Card Overcharges You may have seen media reporting about a class-action lawsuit on behalf of everyone who traveled abroad between Feb. 1, 1996, and Nov. 8, 2006, and used a Visa, MasterCard or Diners Club credit, debit or ATM card. The suit sought reimbursement for overcharges on foreign transaction fees. The bottom line is that anyone who used any of those cards abroad in recent years qualifies for a $25 refund (possibly more if you fill out a lot of paperwork). The $25 refund is easy to apply for online at www. ccfsettlement.com . The deadline for request- ing a refund is May 30. Tax Guide Correction There is an error in 2007 AFSA Tax Guide on page 45 of the February Journal , under “Personal Exemption.” The person- al exemption is correctly shown as being increased to $3,400. However, taxpayers should consult the 1040 instruction book- let for 2007 (p. 33) for details on how to calculate the personal exemption in their individual cases. Essentially, if your adjust- ed gross income is less than $156,400 for single filers, $234,000 for married filing jointly, $117,300 for married filing sepa- rately, or $195,500 for head of household, you multiply $3,400 by the number of exemptions claimed. If the AGI is more, then use the worksheet to calculate your personal exemption. Donations Fund Two New Scholarships In November 2007, Mrs. Elisa Freeman estab- lished a Financial Aid Scholarship in the name of her late husband, Anthony G. “Tony” Freeman. This scholarship will be awarded for the first time for the 2008-2009 academic year, and will be awarded in perpetuity. Mr. Freeman was the first deputy assistant secretary of State for international labor affairs in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. He was a passionate advocate for interna- tional worker rights and worked tirelessly against child labor. He passed away in May 2007 at his home in Bethesda, Md., and is survived by his wife, twin daughters and two grandchil- dren. In December 2007, Mr. Norton Bell established a perpetual Financial Aid Scholarship in his name. This scholarship is unique in that Mr. Bell has never been a member of the Foreign Service but has a keen interest in diplomacy. This gift was a tax-free distribution from his IRA, which he gave after attending an AFSA-sponsored Elderhostel (www.elderhostel.org) program inWashington, D.C. Mr. Bell has attended well over 40 Elderhostel programs and thought AFSA’s programwas one of the best. He served with the Navy inWorldWar II and is a graduate of the University of Illinois. He retired as an engineer fromHewlett Packard in 1986 and went on to become a transcontinental cyclist. AFSA is deeply grateful for his sup- port, and that of the Freeman family. Overseas Security Seminar Online The Foreign Service Institute has launched an online version of the required Advanced Security Overseas Seminar (www.state.gov/documents/organization/96014.pdf) . The course is mandatory for all foreign affairs personnel serving under chief of mission authority who have not had security awareness training during the past five years. Adult eligible family mem- bers from all foreign affairs agencies are strongly encouraged to take the online course. By offering ASOS online, department employees and EFMs will have access to the security training all year round. Further, once the course is completed they can refer back to the various modules at any time. Course objectives are to learn how safety and security trends confronting personnel abroad have changed during the past five years, discuss safety and security contingency planning, and identify safety and security personnel and resources available to members of the foreign affairs community.