 Welcome to All Hands Update. I'm Petty Officer Jonathan Pankaw. These are your headlines from around the fleet. Senior Chiefs looking to make Master Chief are now required to complete the Senior Enlisted Academy course at the U.S. Naval War College. The update means approximately twice the number of E-8s will be going through the program. The inaugural course is scheduled to begin in March. For more information on this class, visit the Naval War College's website or refer to the NAV admin. The 2015 tax season is fast approaching and it's never too early to take advantage of programs designed to make it less stressful. Active duty sailors, their dependents and retirees can use the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or VITA program to get free help with filing their taxes. VITA volunteers are certified and offer free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing. To find a local VITA site near you or to find out how to be a volunteer, visit the IRS website.