You may have seen an ad for a deal on a new gym membership, gym equipment, or perhaps nutritional supplements in the last few weeks. January is the month of “new year, new you” themes, and many individuals see the start of the new year as the start of a unique opportunity. There is a simplicity to starting over in the new year – it’s a precise time marker, and it is easy to monitor the progress. However, starting a new movement in exercise is not easy to establish. It takes about two months to form a habit, with nearly half of the people who made resolutions usually quitting by the end of January, so there is not enough time to develop the habit of new exercise or movement. Adding exercise or movement into daily life is a way to get around fatigue. If it is part of the everyday life, it becomes a habit much easier. Add these activities to your life to impart and build healthy habits in the new year – no gym membership is required.

1. Walk in the evening instead of watching TV. With the boom of streaming, our shows are at our fingertips whenever you need them – no need to watch the show when the cable guide says it is on.
2. Squats while brushing teeth. This one may seem strange, but you have to brush your teeth each day, so do it while squatting for 20 seconds, and increase the time to eventually the full two minutes. Or do isometric squats while brushing your teeth.
3. Stretches when walking upstairs – take the stairs two at a time if you are physically capable. 
4. Take the stairs over the elevator – even if it is two flights. It may be cumbersome if you haven’t been physically active in the prior year, but it will become easier with time, and you may welcome the physical changes.
5. Park further away when driving to the store. This forces a longer walk, making it easier to get in some steps without much variation in what you are doing.
6. Walk to stores if possible. This isn’t always doable depending on where you live, but walking to the store is a two-fold activity – it allows for exercise and time to converse with family undistracted, but it also forces you to carry everything you purchase. Walking to the store can limit unnecessary purchases and provide little weight training.
7. Desk push-ups. Chances are that if you are working, you are working at a desk. Break up the monotony with desk push-ups. Stand a few feet away from your desk, place your hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the desk, and do push-ups. Aim for three sets of 10-15 push-ups. If you have had recent surgery or mobility issues, consult your medical provider before adding this to your daily routine.
8. Seated Leg Lifts – again, something to do while seated at work. While sitting at your desk or on a chair, lift one leg straight out in front of you and hold for a few seconds. Lower it back down and switch legs. Do three sets of 10 lifts on each leg. Set a timer or alarm (if your cell phone is allowed in your workspace) to do every hour or two, as your schedule allows.
9. Jumping Jacks – Waiting for the coffee to brew? Making some tea? Or perhaps warming up your lunch – add some jumping jacks! You may look silly to coworkers or inspire a movement of moving.
10. Planks – Another one you can add when waiting for the coffee to brew or tea to steep in the morning. It is probably not one to do at work unless you have the space to do it. Make it a challenge with a family member or coworker, depending on where you do it.

The point of daily movement is just that – moving daily. Find opportunities to add stretches, exercises, and movement into everyday life. Once you do this frequently, it will become a habit and won’t even feel like forced exercise. These little changes may open the path to doing more physical activity, which has improved mental function and strengthened bones and muscles, not to mention managing weight and reducing the risk of disease. Are you making changes in the new year?

Nineteen hundred and three soldiers were discharged from the Army for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and were not given an exemption. Those soldiers were discharged for “disobeying a lawful order,” as the order required all military personnel to get COVID-19 vaccinations unless exemptions were made. The exemptions included religious, administrative, and medical. Congress passed the NDAA in 2022 and repealed the mandatory COVID vaccination mandate. That meant anyone could refuse the COVID-19 vaccination, with or without an exemption. That didn’t help those who were already separated from service.

Army spokesman Bryce Dube stated in a NY Post article, “As part of the overall COVID mandate rescission process mandated by Congress, the Army this month mailed the letters to approximately 1,900 individuals who had previously been separated.” Within the letter, the soldiers were invited to return to an Army recruitment office to reapply for service. In addition, the letter provided information on how the soldier could have the previous discharge record corrected.

When the military members refused the vaccine and were classified as “disobeying the lawful order,” they were discharged with other than honorable or general discharge. These discharge classifications would not allow the use of benefits like the GI Bill if earned. The GI Bill benefit providing financial educational assistance is often a benefit that those who join for four years have specifically joined for. For those not wanting to return to service, the letter reminded discharged soldiers that they could have their records corrected. Per the Army Review Boards Agency, a correction can be made to records when the discharge was “an error or unjust.” Furthermore, “If the former Soldier can provide evidence that their discharge character or reason for discharge issued in the last 15 years is erroneous or unjust, the former Soldier can apply to the Army Discharge Review Board for a discharge review and request that their RE code be changed according to the correct reason for discharge.”

The letter is not a surprising move. By September 2023, the Army only brought in 55,000 new recruits – short of their 65,000-recruit goal for fiscal year 2023. While there are not 10,000 vaccine refusers, returning discharged soldiers may undoubtedly change the appeal of serving in the Army. In 2022, the Army’s recruitment goal included 60,000 recruits, bringing in 45,000. Per US Army Recruiting Command, the Army recruited 57,606 recruits, meeting its goal of 57,500. Per the Associated Press, 19 soldiers have returned to service in the Army of the 1900 sent letters, and the Army is expecting more to return. Despite COVID-19 vaccination changes, recruiting challenges remain for the all-volunteer military force, with 50% of youth knowing little to nothing about military service and a declining veteran population with only 1% of the American population serving. For the Army, almost 80% of those who join have a family member who served in military service, so the declining veteran population impacts their new recruits.

Time will tell what the impact of rescinding the COVID mandate for Army recruitment will have. In the meantime, the Army continues to address recruitment challenges with its rebranding and increase in recruitment efforts.

The Navy-Army football game is anticipated year-round by service members, their families, and avid college football fans alike. The game is likened to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; it is anticipated and watched worldwide during the holiday season. What started the annual game between West Point’s Black Nights and the Navy Midshipmen of the Naval Academy?

History of West Point

The United States Military Academy at West Point was first known as Fort Arnold. After Benedict Arnold’s famous betrayal during the Revolutionary War, the location became known as Fort Clinton. It officially became the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1802. West Point welcomes around 1200 new cadets each year and about 1,000 cadets graduate. Upon graduation, the cadets attend the Basic Officer Leader Course and then study their branch-specific material aligning with their occupational specialty.

History of the Naval Academy

Annapolis served as Army Post Fort Severn before Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft established the school on October 10, 1845. When the school opened, it hosted 50 students. Like West Point, about 1200 midshipmen are accepted into the U.S. Naval Academy each year, with approximately 1,000 graduating at the end of the four years. Unique to the Academy, midshipmen can choose between serving in the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Marines, as the Marines are a branch of the U.S. Navy in their last year at the Academy. After graduation, the Ensigns (USN) or 2nd Lieutenants (USMC) attend their military occupational specialty (MOS) school.

The Game

Since the game was first played in 1890, it has become a long-standing tradition at the end of the year. Since the end of World War II, the game has been televised. CBS has a broadcasting agreement with teams through 2028 to play the game on the second weekend in December.

The game itself is not like other football games. Everyone playing on the field is willing to serve their country outside the game field. In honor of that service, before the game, there are demonstrations by the Green Berets and Navy Seals and military flyovers showcasing the precision and might of the United States Military. As the Commander-in-Chief of the military, the president is invited to attend the game. Historically, ten U.S. Presidents have attended the game, including Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump.

The game is hosted in various locations, with most of the games hosted in Philadelphia as a halfway point between Annapolis and West Point. From 2023 to 2028, the game will rotate to five different cities – Foxborough, Massachusetts; Landover, Maryland; Baltimore, Maryland; East Rutherford, New Jersey; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

While only for some years, the game is used for each team to show off new uniforms in honor of events. For the 2023 game, the Army debuted jerseys and helmets explicitly designed to honor the “Iron Soldiers” of the 1st Armored Division as part of the 80th anniversary of Operation Torch, a critical Allied invasion of North Africa during World War II. At the same game, the Navy team honored the 54 Naval Academy grads who have become astronauts with a uniform born of the partnership between the Academy and NASA.

Of the 123 games, the Navy has won 62 times, and the Army has won 54 times. The U.S. Navy had the longest winning streak from 2002 to 2015.

Is it really a rivalry?

During the weeks up to the game, Soldiers hang “Go Army, Beat Navy” signs from their cars, residences, and businesses. The same goes for Sailors and Marines with their “Go Navy, Beat Army” signs. In the end, it is all in good fun and jest. The service members and retirees get together in homes, bars, and restaurants and at the game themselves to watch the fantastic skills of individuals who have committed to giving their all for their country. In the end, it’s a time when these two military academies are highlighted for their skills both on and off the football field. In the spirit of the game – Go Army, Go Navy!

When military families prepare for a move, a litany of paperwork is involved. One such notice from both the military moving office and the actual movers is that they will not move lithium batteries. This is aligned with the change in the shipping of lithium batteries. During a PCS move, the Army has announced guidance on moving with lithium batteries.

Army personnel are authorized a combined limit of 100 watts in their household goods shipments, and those who must leave products behind with unremovable batteries that exceed the 100-watt-hour threshold can receive reimbursement. The guidance remains that lithium batteries must be removed if they are removable, moved, or shipped by the military members themselves. However, if the battery is not removable and has to be left behind due to the lithium battery limitations, Army personnel can claim a loss of this item.

But what items have lithium batteries? Aside from computers, consider power tools, electric scooters, rechargeable camera batteries, medical equipment, and even electric toothbrushes.

Any batteries that cannot be shipped or moved with the military member should be disposed of by the proper channels. Battery recycling centers or specific areas at base recycling centers. Make sure to inquire at your recycling center on post to know where and when to turn in batteries if they are no longer needed.

The exception to the 100-watt rule is electric vehicles. Shipping of electric vehicles is through a different party and therefore, is not under the limitations of the household goods move.

Per moving experts, the Air Force is looking into a similar policy. The Navy, and therefore including the Marine Corps, is not looking to extend a similar policy currently.

Mold in the military barracks and military housing is not a new problem in the news. With the invention of social media, individuals share their concerns and frustrations with where they live – and that includes on military post. While Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, has closed some of its barracks down due to mold problems due to the age of the building (50+ years), Maj. Gen. James P. Isenhower III stated at the Association of the United States Army conference it wasn’t necessarily mold that was the problem. He said that soldiers needed to be better about “adulting.”

Maj. General Isenhower stated that the issue of mold growth is linked to humidity and discipline. “I’ve got it good at Fort Hood compared to Fort Stewart or Fort Liberty, where mold isn’t really a problem for us. I will tell senior leaders, ‘I don’t have a mold problem, I have a discipline problem,'” Isenhower said. “Because just the lack of humidity we’re not under the same conditions. We have had some mold problems, but that’s from some leaky pipes we didn’t discover until it was too late, and there’s a quick way to fix it. It’s acute. But at the end of the day, we still had young men and women who called the hotline and say, ‘I’ve got black mold in my shower, and it’s on the grout,’ because they haven’t cleaned it.”

Is It Really Just Humidity?

Blaming humidity and lack of cleaning isn’t a surprising response. In humid environments like Okinawa and the southeast of the United States, housing agencies and military unit leaders alike discuss that mold and mildew are commonplace, so watch out and prepare for it. In Okinawa, the market for dehumidifiers is strong – families often purchase one per floor of their home to combat the moisture levels. But the houses in Okinawa are also built with the local humid conditions in mind, with places in the economy with built-in drains in the bathroom so the dehumidifier could run continuously with a drainage tube down the drain. That is not to say the same exists in housing all across the southeast of the United States. For instance, the building company that built military housing in the Metro DC area, and California and Nevada utilized the same building strategies to build military housing communities in Tampa, Florida, and Albany, Georgia – but the environment is entirely different in these two areas, with family concerns of poor ventilation and humidity build-up leading to soft walls and flooring. The answer is to dehumidify, dehumidify, dehumidify – and wipe down moisture-prone areas like laundry rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms often to avoid the build-up of mildew and mold.

Not All Issues Are The Same

Black spots on grout in a shower are totally separate from black spots appearing on a soft wall or floor. When soft structures occur, it is most likely a pipe burst or water leak that needs to be addressed, not just the soft spots or black spots. The hotlines for barracks take all calls for mold issues or concerns. If the hotlines are inundated with calls for things like black spots on bathroom grout that can be wiped down, it delays the evaluation and addressing of serious problems.

How To Move Forward

Children learn primary education on cleanliness. They are learning to clean up after themselves, doing basic chores like washing dishes and folding laundry. These skills develop at home and in school. Living on your own in college or as a new recruit means all the cleaning falls on the individual. There are no maids cleaning individual spaces. Military leaders need to teach basic cleaning to avoid continued reports of mold and mildew or condensation leading to moist spots. The life skill and responsibility of cleaning these spaces provide better health and well-being for the individual, and thus, the unit is environmentally responsible and provokes self-sufficiency. These are skills learned in college or the military barracks after enlistment, and if they aren’t known, they can lead to health, career, and financial impacts in the future.

Basic skills like cleaning, cooking, and how to write a check have fallen out of favor, and busy parents working multiple jobs to keep up with inflation may need more time or ability to clean, outsourcing these jobs if possible. Perhaps if home economics wasn’t removed from the schools’ education repertoire? All things considered though, is this really just an “adulting” problem or a lack of accountability at the top? Tell us in the comments.

When a government shutdown looms, it can be a scary time for military families. Military service members and their families are in unique positions during government shutdowns. The military is considered essential, so service members will be required to work despite a shutdown, but as a government entity, services will be affected. For those service members who have been around for the last 10+ years, we have seen shutdowns occur more than once. If this is your first time, here is what to expect in the event of a government shutdown.

While a shutdown is a new experience for some, the key is not to panic. Know what to expect, and plan as much as you are able. Chances are that many military families near you have been through this before and are willing and able to help guide you through the expectations or what local resources are available to close the gap.

Paychecks

Military service is considered essential so that the work will continue. While work continues, paychecks may be delayed. The first paycheck will not typically be delayed since payment is paid in the arrears, but if the shutdown goes beyond two weeks, there will be a delay in the next paycheck.

Government Travel

The government fiscal year, or financial year, runs from October 1 to September 30. This means that if a budget is not passed, there is no line of accounting for government travel. PCS orders TAD orders are all paused during a shutdown. If your spouse was leaving mid-October and the shutdown begins and continues for several days, chances are they are not traveling. It doesn’t mean they won’t travel immediately once a budget is passed and the line of accounting is available. Semper gumby- always flexible!

Bills

If a shutdown occurs with a potential delay in the paycheck, start calling creditors about automatic payments. If you do not have the money in the account, and it is due to the shutdown, many creditors will hold off on pulling money out AND not charge a fee or interest.

Ask your bank to waive any overdraft fees that may occur due to the paycheck delay. Most military-affiliated banks already do this during a shutdown, fully recognizing that is something families cannot help.

Support Programs

Programs like WIC or food stamps are programs that rely on federal money. These programs could close, leaving families who rely on these programs without their expected groceries, formula, or food. WIC could close immediately with a shutdown, but programs like SNAP would remain open for at least the month of October as long as the shutdown doesn’t continue for several weeks.

This doesn’t end support programs run through churches or nonprofit organizations who typically step up to close the gap for these families. If you need assistance, ask on local social media pages or search the base installation page for non-profits hosting food pantries on and off base. Check with local churches for food pantries; many waive application periods during a shutdown.

On Base Programs

As with all government programming on base, base support services like DOD-run libraries or offices will close during the shutdown. Employees here are government civil servants, or GS, employees, who are furloughed during a shutdown as they are non-essential. If you want a bunch of movies, games, or books, it’s time to load up on them now! Most base services will post expectations for hours or have some leeway for volunteers to step in to keep things running, or there may be an ability to use a skeleton crew to keep things operational.

The commissary and exchange on post will not close in the event of a shutdown.

Military Treatment Facilities

The on-installation military clinics and hospitals should remain open. Military service members are still working, and contractors must continue to work if funding is assigned to their positions.  The pharmacy will remain open, appointments will continue, and Emergency Rooms at hospitals will remain operational. There may be smaller crews if GS employees are not deemed essential, but overall, healthcare is essential and should remain open as normal.

USPS

The USPS is a federal body but is funded by taxpayer dollars and sales of their products. The agency will continue to deliver mail as usual, even in the event of a shutdown. All your Amazon packages will continue to be delivered.

Passports

Passports will be delayed. If you are waiting for a government official passport for PCS orders, this may be delayed, but chances are you are waiting on funding for the PCS.

National Parks

While it may not be readily thought about, the National Parks are a government entity. In 2013, the parks closed due to the government shutdown. During the 2018-2019 government shutdown, the parks were staffed by a skeleton crew, meaning that bathrooms were closed, and waste was not picked up. What will happen in the event of this shutdown? It is yet to be seen if there will be skeleton crews or total closures. It may also depend on the expected length of the shutdown.

Smithsonian and National Zoo

All the Smithsonian museums would close during a shutdown, as well as the National Zoo. Federal funds support the museums and zoo, and, therefore, would not have funding assigned without a budget. In the 2018-2019 shutdown, even the panda cam was off.

The Marine Corps has always been known as the smallest and fiercest force, and with the promotions being held, it is now without its leading Marine. Commandant General David Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps, retired from military service. For the next Commandant to be able to move into that position, his promotion would need to be confirmed by a full Senate. This has not been done. General Eric Smith has been nominated for the job, but until the Senate confirms him, General Smith will continue as assistant commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The position of Commandant of the Marine Corps is a long-standing position since the birth of the Marine Corps. The first Commandant was Samuel Nicholas, who was officially appointed “Captain of Marines” in November of 1775 – his final rank as Commandant was a Major. Today, Commandants are Generals. To date, there have been 38 Commandants of the Marine Corps. As the highest ranking position within the Marine Corps, the commandant is nominated for appointment by the president and confirmed by Senate. The tenure of the position has been four years since 1944, unless there is a national emergency declared by Congress or during times of war. The longest-serving Commandant was General Archibald Henderson, who served for 38 years, and his name graces many halls and street names on Marine Corps bases.

The Commandant of the Marine Corps is not the only position that is awaiting Senate confirmation. Senate confirmation is required for senior-level officers, also called flag officers. These positions are Generals and Admirals among the military service branches and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff – the military leaders advising the President, Secretary of Defense, National Security Council and Homeland Security Council on all things Defense department related.

Within military unit history, many units have service members working in acting positions. This means they do not have the title of commander but are working in those positions. The reality is that the military service branch will continue to work, and the military mission will continue. However, an acting Commandant will have to form decision-making based on current policies, unable to change or shape what is needed based on the geopolitical need at the present time.

Approving military nominations and promotions has long been a bipartisan act within the Senate. At the time of this writing, Senator Tuberville states he will not move forward on nominations and promotions until the majority of Democrats allow a vote on the Pentagon policy allowing service members to travel to another state for an abortion if the state they are in does not provide it. Tuberville has asked that the Democrats introduce their own bill on the Pentagon policy, and put it up for a vote. The Democrats have stated that it is up to the Republicans to change Senator Tuberville’s mind on the continued hold.

But why is one person holding up nominations and promotions? In the Senate, the rules are that unanimous consent must be present to move forward with the nominations and promotions – it is not just a majority rule or vote. Before the August Recess, when the nominations have been called up, Senator Tuberville objected. Due to these rules, one who does not want to move forward can hold the vote for as long as they want. To get around the hold, roll call votes for each individual would have to be held – which has not been done, and with August recess in full session cannot be done until after everyone returns from recess. Per the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed, doing a roll call vote with the regular procedure would take over 80 days if the Senate worked 8-hour workdays.

This historical move will certainly go down in history books, and has led to conversation on how things operate in the Senate. Will it lead to change? Can it lead to change?

The family legacy of military service was common. With the drafts of World War I and II, children of these draftees in the 1980s were joining with several generations of service behind them. Perhaps some of that desire to serve was passed down. According to the Pew Research Center, 60% of veterans under 40 have an immediate family member who served, compared to 39% of civilians. Among new recruits, 21% have a parent in the military, whereas civilians reported that 9% of them had a child in the armed forces. Given that just 0.5% of the American population has served in the military in the last decade, this is quite the statistic. But will the military service legacy continue?

A separate poll was conducted among military families outside of the Pew Research Center. Among 50 military families polled, only two would encourage their children to join the service. None of the Marine Corps families polled would encourage their children to serve or would nudge them toward the Air Force. 

This directly reflects what two or more decades of service have done to Marine Corps families. Many surveyed stated toxic leaders, repeated deployments, and lack of consistent mental and physical health care led to the breakdown of their Marine Corps service members, leading to their lack of wanting their children to serve in that service branch. As one spouse put it, the Marine Corps gives lip service to family needs and tells the service member that she/he and their family should ‘buck up.’

A Gold Star spouse responded and stated that her children had seen the political fallout from military life after the loss of their father. The sacrifice and loss of their father seem to have been for nothing after the end of the Afghanistan war. She stated, “So many people in this country do not live a life worthy of their dad dying for them, and nor do they care [about the loss].” Further, the military seemed to abandon them after their required notification. She did say that the people they met through his military career were amazing, and it is not a reflection of the people. However, the bureaucracy and the government does not care about the individual, and she doesn’t want her children going into that.

Will there be a difference in career military families and those who have served less than ten years? All but one who responded had over 15 years of service and planned for a career in military service or had retired from military service. The person who responded with less than ten years of service chose to resign their commission to pursue other interests but shared that they would not recommend military service to their children for longer than a short period. Why? “It’s not worth it.” 

The Department of Defense’s pursuit is of the higher mission, and service members are either cogs in the wheel or an integral capability to accomplish this mission. The more cog-like the service, the less rewarding it is for the whole family. Each service branch differs in support opportunities for military service members and their families. The housing crisis and lack of affordable housing within a reasonable commute for many families is wearing down the service member and the family. There isn’t enough housing on military bases to account for the number of service members assigned to bases. The move to privatized housing for the military has not been without its troubles, as evidenced by lawsuits against Lincoln Military Housing (now Liberty Military Housing). Another high cost to military families is the drastic changes in car and rental insurance based on the area the military member is serving – sometimes leading to a jump in insurance of three times the previous cost – but this higher insurance cost isn’t reflected in pay for the service member. The lack of accessible medical care for service members and families is a big issue. Consolidating the Defense Health Agency (DHA) has led to less care for military families on military bases pushing even those with Tricare Prime out into already oversubscribed civilian healthcare. As healthcare recovers from the pandemic, civilian providers often have 6+ month long wait lists, and that’s just for primary care, as specialists can be longer based on the area. The support opportunities for military families with a working on-base pool, open and working movie theaters with cheap or free movies, art studios, and youth centers have waned in funding and, on some bases, have shut down. Add these civilian providers’ wait times to frequent moves and families are increasingly forced to forego care or pay out of pocket.

The Pew Research Center has yet to study if this shift is seen in a larger population. Wall Street Journal is reporting on this shift, stating specifically that veterans do not want their children to join, creating a military recruiting crisis. This is reflected in the lowered recruiting numbers. The services are expected to fall short of their recruitment goals, the Army by 15,000, the Navy by 10,000, and the Air Force by 3,000. The Marine Corps reported they met their recruiting goal in 2022 and expect to meet it in 2023.

What this will mean for the military will not be seen for several more years. Active duty and veteran children may not be of age for several more years. However, if the families remain adamant about not serving, this could mean a significant impact in the long term for the military service branches.

The year was 2011, and we were preparing to move overseas with our pet. We received orders to move overseas in April – with a timeline of arrival by the end of June. That did not happen, because overseas screening takes that amount of time to complete. While the orders report date was extended, there were still not spots on the military contract flight out of Seattle for us, or for our pet. We were given commercial tickets, and now we had two options – find someone in the states to take our pet, or pay for her spot ourselves. I made probably dozens of phone calls to the airlines to confirm pet space, and cost – including to all the connecting flights to make sure we knew total cost.

We were not alone. Many military families struggled with this debate. For those moving in the summer, there were restrictions on when pets could fly due to the outdoor temperatures. With the height of PCS in the season coinciding with the height of temperatures in the summer, many families had to leave their beloved pets with family members to send along later, alone. Or hire a service to fly with their pet overseas. This cost many families upwards of $5,000 for that one way trip. And that isn’t including a mandatory quarantine that is often required by countries that are rabies-free.

The Marine Corps has an answer to these soaring costs for military families. In MARADMIN 301/23, it expanded on the FY 2023 NDAA provision for pets. It stated that the new pet relocation reimbursement noted in the FY 2023 NDAA would not be in effect for the peak season of moving this summer of 2023, and was not expecting the Pet Transportation entitlement to go into effect until 1 January 2024.

Per section 624 of the bill, military members PCSing within the continental United States (CONUS) could receive up to $550 in reimbursement to cover costs for relocations. It further stated that for those military families moving OCONUS, outside the continental United States, could be reimbursed up to $4,000. These costs are included in the cost for the total budget for the DOD. The FY 2023 NDAA was signed into law in December by President Biden. There was no specific date listed within the bill for enacting the reimbursement. It is expected that more details and requirements will be released when the entitlement is available and may be service branch dependent.

The US Army stated in December that the pet reimbursement should take place in 180 days from signing, providing up to $2,000 for pet relocation. However, no updated publication was found at this writing detailing the reimbursement process.

Will this affect your family in the 2024 year? What have been your pet costs for shipping and moving with the military?

All monetary changes to the budget from the Department of Defense stem from Congress. Congress must debate, agree and sign the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) each year for the coming fiscal year – running from October to September. For example, the 2023 fiscal year begins October 2023 through September 2024. The FY23 NDAA was signed into law in December 2022. This month, the debates begin for the FY 24 NDAA. One can hope that the NDAA will be signed into law before the fiscal year begins, or multiple continuing resolutions will precede it.

One addition the U.S. House wants to add to the FY24 bill is a raise to military pay. The proposed 5.2% raise is the largest seen in over two decades. In the past, the military has not typically received a raise like its civilian counterparts. Federal estimates state that with this pay raise will match it to civilian wages. The U.S. inflation rate in 2021 was 7%, and 6.5% in 2022 with preceding inflation rates in the 1 and 2% for the previous five years.

Members of the House Armed Services Committee introduced the proposed pay raise. It would mean that those joining military service within that fiscal year would see an increase to about $15/hour wage. This hour wage does depend on hours worked, as the base pay does not change during deployment, but the hours worked do typically increase. Base pay is not the only thing troops receive for compensation. The benefit of accessible healthcare to active duty, housing and food stipends increases the overall compensation. In addition to the pay raise, those ranked E5 and below would see a general increase in their base pay.

Bipartisan support will be needed for the bill to pass. The FY23 NDAA did not pass before the fiscal year began, so if history should repeat itself, the FY24 NDAA will not pass before the fiscal year begins. In that case, continuing resolutions continue the functioning budget. Furthermore, the bill must go through the House and Senate. Typically, many items lead to debates that hold up passing the law. It is not necessarily the military pay or pay raise that is debated, but part of the bill cannot be passed without the whole.

It is unclear what the pay raise would cost. In 2022, there were 1.3 million active-duty members. Numbers in the budget are typically what lead to debates in Congress. If you are part of a military family, feeling the pinch of inflation and seeing the hours the military member works, this pay raise is well-deserved. Time will tell what happens to the bill and potentially to the pay raise for the all-volunteer military force.