The Protection Division and navy companies are making progress in one in every of Secretary of Protection Lloyd J. Austin III’s priorities — caring for service members and their households.
In a September memo, Austin laid out particular actions to enhance and improve assist to navy members and their households in a number of essential areas. Pentagon Press Secretary Air Pressure Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder detailed a few of DOD’s progress throughout a information convention immediately.
“The secretary has been crystal clear that caring for our service members and their households is a sacred obligation and a nationwide safety crucial,” Ryder mentioned.
In October, the division routinely elevated the fundamental allowance for housing charges in 28 areas the place hire has skyrocketed 20 % or extra, the press secretary mentioned. Whereas the rise will expire Dec. 31, the brand new BAH charges — that are an common of 12.1% increased — will kick off on Jan. 1.
“Additionally in January, we can pay a fundamental wants allowance to eligible service members,” Ryder mentioned. This help comes on prime of subsequent 12 months’s 4.6% pay elevate.
“Along with aiding with serving to service members and their households safe reasonably priced fundamental wants, we have additionally taken motion to make navy strikes simpler,” he mentioned.
In October, DOD completely elevated momentary lodging expense protection to provide households extra flexibility to seek for housing. The division additionally started paying dislocation allowance to all eligible service members.
Subsequent month, the dislocation allowance might be elevated for enlisted service members between the grades of E-1 to E-6 to assist offset private bills for everlasting adjustments of station Ryder mentioned.
DOD can be working to offer further assist for navy spouses. One program would develop partner employment, whereas one other appears to be like to reduce the roadblocks for spouses who’re relocating. “We all know that one-third of navy spouses should acquire new skilled licenses each time they transfer to a brand new state,” Ryder mentioned.
“To ease this burden, we have accelerated the event of seven extra interstate licensure compacts. We anticipate state approval beginning in 2023.” Ryder mentioned an important of those is the interstate trainer mobility compact, which is being launched in state legislatures throughout the nation subsequent month.
Additionally essential to DOD is the advance in childcare applications. “This previous fall, we expanded the Navy Childcare in Your Neighborhood-Plus program to extra states, which is able to enhance entry to high quality civilian childcare suppliers when on-base childcare is unavailable,” he mentioned.