Post Talk
NORTH BRANCH POST # 85
By Glenn Pierce, Adjutant

Membership Meeting June 8th 7 PM
Auxiliary Meeting June 8th 7:30 PM
SAL Meeting June 15th 6 PM

Rick Hals, Commander – Greetings to all. Midsummer is fast approaching and Carene has everything under control, she has 4 bands lined up and the tent has been ordered. Glenn has the gaming taken care of for under the tent (I hear he went purse shopping also). WE are in need of help starting on Monday the 14th to bring everything from storage about 8 AM. Wednesday the 16th we have to barrels to set up the tent. we will need help on Friday and Saturday nights with the gates and change runners. Monday, we get to take it all down and back to storage, actually all this on any one the days does not take more than 2 hours. By the time you will receive the Post Talk, Memorial Day will be behind us so I want to thank everyone who help with put it. The last thing I will mention is the upcoming meeting on June 8th. We are going to have a presentation on the Veterans Memorial a movie/slide presentation will be given by the North Branch Beautification group, I encourage everyone to come learn how it has progressed also there will be chance for everyone to talk about the 2 locations that are being discussed and take an informal vote on the locations. See you at 7 PM Monday June 8th.

Michelle Still, Auxiliary President – Again, it was a privilege to honor our veterans at six local cemeteries. Now it’s time to gear up for Midsummer!

Here is another great event that we can all participate in. We will have a team again this year for Relay for Life. The event is August 18th and it’s being held at the Chisago Lake Lutheran Church. If you are interested in joining us, please contact me at 651-295-7260.

Randy Koivisto, First Vice Commander – Our recent blood drive collected 30 units of blood, with the potential of saving 90 lives. All appointments were filled prior to the event. Be sure to get your reservation in early if you want to participate in our next drive to be held on August 20th, from 9am to 3pm. Thanks donors!

We had a crew installing the avenue of flags at our North Branch cemeteries on Friday, May 28th, in time for the holiday observance of Memorial Day. By the time you read this, they will have been taken down, but keep it in mind for next year. It’s an impressive sight when all of those flags are flying in the breeze!

Our newly minted 1st Vice-Commander, Mark Johnson, will be taking over membership duties starting in July. Many thanks to Mark for stepping up!

Glenn Pierce, Adjutant – The Minnesota Department of Revenue reminds Minnesota service members to take advantage of the refundable 2017 Credit for Military Service in a Combat Zone. The 2017 credit expires for most qualifying service members on October 15, 2021. You may qualify for $120 per month or partial month served. Service members have already claimed more than $705,000 in refunds for the 2017 credit, with an average refund of $664.

“Minnesota provides this important benefit for our military service members who served in a combat zone,” said Revenue Commissioner Robert Doty. “Minnesota service members earned this credit through their service. We want to do all we can to make sure they are aware of this benefit.”

Do I qualify for the credit?

You may qualify if all of these are true:

You served in a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area anytime since January 1, 2017. For details about combat zones and qualified hazardous duty areas, visit the IRS’s webpage on Combat Zones Approved for Tax Benefits.
You were a Minnesota resident during your time of service.
You received combat pay.

How do I claim the credit?

Submit Form M99 online, or mail Form M99, Credit for Military Service in a Combat Zone, for the years your served. For copies of Form M99, review our current and prior year forms. You will need these documents to file:

Corresponding Form DD-214 for each period of qualifying service
Leave and Earnings statements for each month of qualifying service

If you are filing a 2017 Form M99 by mail, your documents must be postmarked by October 15, 2021.

Can I claim the credit for other years?

You may also claim this credit for tax years 2018, 2019, and 2020. To apply for these credits, file Form M99 for the appropriate year.

Where can I find more information?

For details on this credit, review our Credit for Military Service in a Combat Zone page
For details on Minnesota’s other military tax benefits, review our Military Service Members page