News 6 Mashup: Nov. 1, 2021

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of Nov. 1, 2021, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Jolene McNutt:

Department of Defense Seeks Innovations

The Department of Defense has announced a sixth episode of a Shark Tank-style competition for service members to be held at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Dec. 6, 2021. The competition, dubbed Dragon’s Lair, is seeking innovations.

“Good ideas reside everywhere across the military,” said Army Col. Joe Buccino, producer of Dragon’s Lair. “Innovations are not limited to soldiers; service members across the force solve for inefficiencies in their daily lives. We want to uplift and resource those innovations.”

To submit an idea, those interested must “register on the Dragon’s Lair website, provide a description of their innovation, and explain the inefficiency that’s being addressed.” Applications are due Nov. 15, 2021, at noon. Service members whose ideas area accepted for implementation will be awarded an Army Meritorious Service Medal, a four-day pass, and a slot in the U.S. military school of their choice. 

Walmart Pharmacy Leaving TRICARE

TRICARE is shuffling its pharmacy program—again. According to Military.com, “Walmart is leaving TRICARE’s pharmacy network … and CVS will return to the TRICARE network.” Beginning Dec. 15, 2021, Walmart and Sam’s Club will no longer serve TRICARE beneficiaries. Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies will be considered non-network, and those filling prescriptions there will be required to pay the full cost of the medication up front. Beneficiaries can still file a claim with TRICARE for a partial reimbursement. 

IRS Sending Math Error Notices

“The Internal Revenue Service is sending out warning ‘math error’ notices to millions of Americans,” reported WBNS News from Columbus, Ohio. The error is called a CP12 Notice, which is a notification that the IRS corrected one or more mistakes in your tax return. The mistakes could lead to a different refund amount or an overpayment of what you thought was owed. If you don’t agree with the changes, you have 60 days to contact the IRS. Those receiving a refund can expect a check within four to six weeks.

This Week in History

On Nov. 4, 1979, 52 American diplomats and citizens were taken hostage in the Iran hostage crisis. The hostages were held captive for 444 days from Nov. 4, 1979, until January 20, 1982. In an attempt to rescue the Americans in April 1980, President Jimmy Carter authorized Operation Eagle Claw, a joint rescue mission. Unfortunately, the operation failed after facing multiple obstacles, including a sandstorm. The mission was aborted, and as the U.S. forces began to withdraw, one of the helicopters crashed into a transport aircraft killing eight servicemembers. Through this tragic loss, in which many issues stemmed from various military services being unable to effectively operate together, the United States Special Operations Command was born.

Photo by: Army Sgt. Marygian Barnes, Photo by: National Cancer Institute on Unsplash