SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO- Fort Buchanan and U.S. Coast Guard leaders met with Puerto Rico's Treasury Secretary, Ángel L. Pantoja Rodríguez, at the Treasury Department headquarters, June 16, to discuss ways to improve the services provided to the active-duty military personnel assigned to the island, specifically when receiving privately owned vehicles (POVs).
According to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), active-duty military personnel assigned to Puerto Rico are eligible to import one vehicle duty-free. However, the process is not always implemented consistently when service members arrive on the island.
From the Treasury department's team point of view, one of the main points of concern is how the military orders reflect the date eligible for return from overseas, so they can establish the length of the tax exemption.
"We can reach our human resources command and the other services on the installation as well, so we can communicate the need to have an ending date on our permanent change station orders," said Col. John D. Samples, Fort Buchanan commanding officer.
Meanwhile, Command Sgt. Maj Kimberly Bergman-Gándara, the installation command sergeant major, emphasized the need for a process.
"Not having a standard operating procedure that both your department and our service members can follow complicates things for everyone," said Bergman-Gándara.
Pantoja paid close attention to the situation brought by military leaders on the island and addressed the need to have a process in place.
"I believe that at the department level, we need to establish clear guidance that incorporates the military community's input, so our treasury department team can properly and consistently provide the service the members of the military assigned to the island deserve," said Pantoja.
During the conversation, Samples described his interaction with the treasury department team during his permanent change of station to the island.
"Based on experience, I can say that your team here in the department is very good. However, they are also looking for consistency in the process. Fixing this situation is critical because when a service member is unable to get their tax exemption paperwork on time, that prevents them from being focused on the mission somewhere in the world," said Samples, while highlighting the fact that there are Soldiers from Fort Buchanan deployed around the globe.
"If the treasury department could assign a liaison for military actions that could help provide consistency to the process," added Samples, to which the Secretary agreed.
At the end of the meeting, the members of the military and treasury departments agreed to follow up on the collaboration to establish a standard operating procedure governing the POV tax exemption on the island.
This encounter demonstrates how the Army's home in the Caribbean, along with the U.S. Coast Guard leaders, engages the community to enable the quality of life for its members.
With an annual budget of over $500 million, Fort Buchanan supports approximately 15,000 active-duty Reserve personnel, Puerto Rico National Guard members, Marine Corps Reserve members, and Navy Reserve personnel. The installation serves as a readiness enhancement platform, ensuring that military personnel are prepared for deployment at anytime and anywhere.
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