It’s well-known advice: make time to get away from it all.

And thanks to New York State Department of Taxation and Finance volunteers and a non-profit organization, the practice of taking a mid-year break will include 25 wounded U.S. military veterans and their families this summer.

The severely injured former soldiers and their loved ones will be the guests of the Long Beach Waterfront Warriors (LBWW) in Long Beach, NY from July 25 to the 30^th.

Robert Michaelis is a Tax Department manager as well as a member of LBWW.

“LBWW picks up the entire cost of this vacation for the vets – and their families,” said Michaelis, who has been involved with the non-profit for six years. “It’s a week of entertainment and relaxation – our way of saying thanks for your service.”

Michaelis is no stranger to the culture of team work in order to produce results. The proof is in his current job title: he’s the acting chief of the Tax Department’s Cigarette Strike Force, a unit within the state agency’s Criminal Investigations Division (CID). In addition to several CID volunteers, he says other law enforcement agencies lending a helping hand in the week-long effort include the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the New York Port Authority, and the Long Beach Police Department. The New York Police and Fire Departments also will be represented.

“Rob Michaelis and his team are setting a wonderful example for all of us, and their efforts will be greatly appreciated by the veterans who are able to participate,” said Eric J. Hesse, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and now Director of the New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs. “For many of these veterans, this may be the only opportunity they get to have a real vacation, and I wish them a successful week.”

The “fun in the sun” kicks off today with the arrival of the vets at JFK airport; many of them will come directly from Walter Reed National Military Center in Bethesda, MD. A police escort is expected to accompany their caravan to Long Beach in Nassau County. They and their families will stay in the homes of LBWW volunteers, or at a local hotel.

The expenses, Michaelis said, are paid for through LBWW’s fundraising efforts.

“I commend Rob, his fellow CID volunteers, and all those who are helping these extraordinary service members,” said New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Thomas H. Mattox. “It’s an impressive undertaking, and a perfect example of the law enforcement community coming together for an incredibly worthy cause.”

Helpful tax-related veterans information

• Veterans Property Tax Exemption
• Sales and Use Tax Exemption for Military Service Flags and Prisoner of War Flags
• Governor Cuomo Holds First New York Veterans and Military Families Summit