DoD To Offer Tax-Saving Child Care Accounts, Other Benefits For Troops
Dependent care flexible spending accounts, which help defray the cost of child care by providing tax savings, are coming for active duty service members.
The VA Is Hiring At Record Numbers. A Federal Workers' Union Says It's Not Enough
The Department of Veterans Affairs has hired nearly 24,000 new employees this fiscal year, including 1,200 in the past two months to process claims filed under landmark toxic exposure legislation.
Department of the Air Force officials unveiled changes to the service's uniform rules but nothing regarding beards, one of the rank and file's most requested -- but controversial -- policy changes.
DOD Announces Six New Measures To Enhance The Well-Being Of Military Force And Their Families
By: U.S. Department Of Defense | Defense.Gov
Today, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III unveiled a comprehensive plan aimed at improving the lives of our dedicated military force and their families. The new plan consists of six additional actions that address essential needs in education, childcare, parental leave, and career advancement. The Department of Defense (DoD) is committed to working with Congress and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of these measures.
Secretary Austin is directing the implementation of the following:
Universal Prekindergarten at DoD Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools: The DoD is collaborating with Congress to secure funding for universal prekindergarten at DoDEA schools. The program is set to undergo a phased implementation over a five-year period, providing high-quality early education for military children.
Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for Service Members: To alleviate financial pressure on service members with dependents, the DoD will enable access to Dependent Care FSAs, allowing them to set aside up to $5,000 in pretax income through payroll deductions for eligible dependent care expenses.
New Military Parental Leave Benefits: The DoD is actively promoting new parental leave benefits that provide 12 weeks of paid, non-chargeable leave to service members welcoming a child into their family through birth, adoption, or long-term foster-care placement. This initiative supports the well-being and work-life balance of our military families.
Improvements to the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP): The DoD is committed to enhancing the EFMP to better support the unique needs of exceptional military families. Further improvements and streamlined processes will ensure that these families receive the necessary resources and assistance.
Expanded Spouse Eligibility for My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Financial Assistance: To support career advancement for military spouses, eligibility for MyCAA financial assistance will be expanded to E-6 and O-3 ranks. This program provides up to $4,000 in aid for obtaining a license, certificate, or associate degree.
Portability and Best Practices for Professional Licenses: The DoD will continue efforts to make professional licenses portable for military families, working with states to encourage sharing of licensure best practices and approval of occupational licensure compacts. This initiative aims to reduce barriers to employment for military spouses.
Secretary Austin is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for our military force and their families through these new measures. The DoD will collaborate with Congress and state partners to ensure the successful implementation and ongoing support of these initiatives.
The memorandum on Strengthening Our Support to Service Members and Their Families can be found here.
Several historic events occurred on Jan 3rd 2023, the first day the 118th Congress met. Despite being a long list, these legislation addresses a larger variety of public policy objectives that fall under the purview of the seven main emphasis groups of our legislative platform. The bills are currently being introduced, and AFSA is striving to provide more details on the following:
H.R.1282 - Major Richard Star Act, To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand eligibility to certain military retirees for concurrent receipt of veterans’ disability compensation and retired pay or combat-related special compensation, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis [R-FL-12]
Committees - House Armed Services, House Veterans' Affairs
S.344 -The Major Richard Star Act, to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for concurrent receipt of veterans’ disability compensation and retired pay for disabled retirees with fewer than 20 years of service and a combat-related disability, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Jon Tester [Sen-D-MT]
Committees - Senate Armed Services
H.R.254 – To amend title 10 United States Code, to improve the administration of the TRICARE program in Puerto Rico, and for other purposes.
H.R.236 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate a week as “Battle Buddy Check Week” for the purpose of outreach and education concerning peer wellness checks for veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sheila Lee Jackson [D-TX-18]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.234 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a burial allowance for certain veterans who die at home while in receipt of hospice care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Jack Bergman [R-MI-1]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.228 – To amend title 10, United States Code, to include a single comprehensive disability examination as part of the required Department of Defense physical examination for separating members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Robert J. Wittman [R-VA-1]
Committees – House Armed Services, House Veterans Affairs
H.R.226 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to promote and encourage collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs and nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher learning that provide administrative assistance to veterans.
Sponsor: Robert J. Wittman [R-VA-1]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.221 – To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand eligibility for participation in the Federal Pell Grant program to certain trade schools.
Sponsor: Robert J. Wittman [R-VA-1]
Committees – Education and Labor
H.R.214 – To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide eligibility for TRICARE selected for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Gregory W. Steube [R-FL-17]
Committees – House Armed Services, House Veterans Affairs
H.R.196 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modify the information technology systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the automatic processing of claims for certain temporary disability ratings, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Matthew M. Rosendale Sr. [R-MT-2]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.129 – To require the Secretary of Defense to ensure drop boxes are maintained on military installations for the deposit of unused prescription drugs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Vern Buchanan [R-FL-16]
Committees – House Armed Services
H.R.105 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Sponsor: Andy Biggs [R-AZ-5]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.104 – To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to formally recognize caregivers of veterans, notify veterans and caregivers of clinical determinations relating to eligibility for caregiver programs, temporarily extend benefits for veterans who are determined ineligible for the family caregiver program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Andy Biggs [R-AZ-5]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.41 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure the timely scheduling of appointments for health care at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: James R. Baird [R-IN-4]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
If you have any additional questions on this specific issue, please e-mail our Military and Government Relations team at milgov3@hqafsa.org.
This edition features Port Mortuary and America’s Missing Heroes, Living with Bipolar Disorder in the Military, Fly-By Wire Defense and AFSA’s American Award Recipient – Don Ward. Read, download, print and share: https://www.hqafsa.org/fallmagazine.html
Greetings AFSA Division and Chapter Leadership,
We are pleased to share the AFSA Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay procedures and marketing materials to help share the process with our members, your membership and potential new recruits.
The Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay program creates an opportunity to JOIN AFSA or RENEW a membership by making a $36 once-a-year/every-year auto payment, or a $4-each-month/every- month auto payment. The $36 once-a-year option is set at $36, and the $4-a-month option includes a bank processing fee of $1 each month.
Review the two ways to enroll, the benefits to using the auto-pay option, and the marketing materials to help share the details of this program and ensure its success.
For questions, please contact AFSAHQ Member & Field team at 800-638-0594 x 288.
Please Update Your Contact Information Today!
Dear Air Force Sergeants Association Member,
In order for the AFSA to effectively communicate with our members, it is essential to ensure we have your current and / or valid e-mail address. We are in the process of updating our records and need your help! Please take a moment to ensure that we have your most current mail and email address (no .mil's); and accurate membership listing information.
We've made it easy, as you can update your information in either one of three ways:
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We thank you in advance for your support and prompt updates.
In sum, the new perk is one of six initiatives that defense officials unveiled on Wednesday to meet service spouses' requirements for parental leave, child care, education, and professional promotion.
The popular My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) financial assistance program now accepts spouses of military members in paygrades E-6 and O-3, according to a memorandum issued by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Up until now, the spouses of soldiers in the paygrades E-1 to E-5, W-1 and W-2, and O-1 and O-2 were eligible for the program, which offers up to $4,000 for getting a professional license, certificate, or associate degree.
The Extraordinary Family Member Program must be improved by Austin within 90 days.
In addition, according to VA officials, the department is now on schedule to satisfy the health care and benefits requirements of a rising number of handicapped veterans. However, detractors claim that the organization still has thousands of open positions and that staff members are increasingly coordinating appointments and making referrals for private care rather than providing direct care for veterans.
Last week, VA officials reported that the Veterans Health Administration has employed more than 22,700 additional employees since October, nearly reaching its annual goal of 52,000 employees with six months remaining. In terms of hiring goals for the year, 16 out of 18 of its medical divisions, or Veterans Integrated Services Networks, have met or surpassed them.
More than 1,000 extra staff members have been hired for call centers at the Veterans Benefits Administration, which processes claims and is in charge of providing disability benefits and other benefits, in order to handle the surge of claims – 351,851 as of March 2 – made under the PACT Act.
And lastly, the revised guidelines, which were announced in a news release on Tuesday, modify a number of standards, from respecting politeness to allowing different colors for bags and additional wardrobe options for cold weather. The modifications to the uniform policy were authorized by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown and are scheduled to take effect on April 1.
The modifications, per the press release, are:
Authorize installation commanders to designate Child Development Centers as a "no-hat, no-salute zone" in which salutes are not required when either person is carrying children.
Allow service members to wear a cold-weather headband in addition to existing cold weather accessories, which include scarves, earmuffs, watch caps and gloves.
Grant a total of four badges on the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) uniform above the Air Force tape, up from the currently authorized two badges.
Add an Operational Camouflage Pattern patrol cap or tactical cap while in the Flight Duty Uniform (FDU).
Allow a "small logo" on purses and handbags not exceeding one inch in diameter.
Add olive drab green as an authorized backpack color -- in addition to the already permitted black, brown, gray and dark blue colors -- to wear with any uniform combination.
Allow a logo of any size on gym bags.
Expand the current regulation to allow cold-weather parkas to be commercially purchased, with certain exceptions. Parkas must be OCP pattern or Coyote Brown and have name tapes, service tape, rank and patches worn in the same authorized configuration.
Allow for Friday morale shirts with larger logos up to five inches in diameter, but the shirts must be Coyote Brown.
Authorize the wear of "heritage-like" morale patches on the Flight Duty Uniform.
And that's the way it is for Thursday, March 23, 2023.
Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guards and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!
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