US troops stationed overseas face cuts to cost-of-living allowance amid soaring inflation.

[Lee]

Quote

 

Service members at some of the most expensive duty assignments are set to receive a cut in a monthly allowance designed to offset high costs of living.

The Defense Department will make a second round of cuts to troops' overseas cost-of-living allowances (OCOLA) next month, with the final cut coming on Nov. 15 and effecting members' Dec. 1 paychecks, according to a report from Military.com

The final cuts come after nearly a year of delay, with lawmakers passing a restriction into last year's National Defense Authorization Act that limited decreases in the allowance to once every six months. The Defense Department announced the first cut to the OCOLA rates in May, with the final cuts now set to come next month.

The cuts will also impact troops stationed in areas outside the contiguous U.S. such as Alaska and Hawaii, two duty locations with notoriously high costs of living. 

According to the report, an E-4 with one dependent stationed in Alaska can expect to lose out on about $129 a month, while a major with four dependents will see a decrease of about $464.68 per month. Over 230,000 troops receive the OCOLA allowance.

The report notes that the cuts come as inflation has continued to drive prices higher in the continental U.S., a situation that has diminished the gap between the cost of living for troops in typically expensive locations and their counterparts serving in the contiguous 48 states. That shrinking gap as well as currency fluctuations necessitated the cut to the allowance, which is calculated by comparing the costs of goods and services overseas to U.S. prices.

Commanders at overseas duty locations have the ability to protest the changes in their areas, the report noted, but such protests must be accompanied by documentation of how the Pentagon's calculations do not match the realities troops face.

Senior defense officials have also pointed to this year's 4.6% pay raise in basic pay for troops, arguing the bump will help offset any reductions in the OCOLA allowance.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-troops-stationed-overseas-face-cuts-cost-living-allowance-soaring-inflation

In a related story.

Air Force cuts pay for toughest jobs, refuses to disclose details to spouses, public

 

Quote

 

The U.S. Air Force is cutting the list of jobs that qualify for its special bonus pay and has so far released few details about which jobs will fall victim.

An Air Force board, formed to review Special Duty Assignment Pay, reduced the number of jobs that qualify for the bonus money last month, slashing the number of jobs that qualify for the pay from 103 to 70 ahead of fiscal year 2024, and has refused to disclose which jobs will no longer qualify for the bonus, according to a report from Military.com.

Special Duty Assignment Pay can range anywhere from an extra $75 to $450 per month for service members taking on some of the service's toughest assignments, with many members choosing the assignments because of the extra money.

However, family members, who help plan monthly budgets, have been unable to access a list of which jobs will be cut from qualifying for the bonus pay. Instead, only those with access to an official Air Force portal will be able to see which jobs still qualify.

According to the Military.com report, multiple inquiries asking for details on the cuts have gone unanswered by the Air Force, something that has caused frustration for family and government watchdogs.

"The Air Force public affairs office is once again showing a reflexive secrecy, withholding unclassified information from the public without justification," Jason Paladino, a researcher at the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight, told Military.com. "U.S. taxpayers have a right to know how much they are paying members of the military."

An Air Force press release last month announced that the newly formed review board "focused on identifying personnel in extremely demanding positions with unusually challenging responsibilities based on a defendable scoring methodology, and decisions were made agnostic of budgetary funding," finding 70 jobs that should be eligible for Special Duty Assignment Pay.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/air-force-cuts-pay-toughest-jobs-refuses-disclose-details-spouses-public

 

[MotorSarge]

5 hours ago, Lee said:

In a related story.

Air Force cuts pay for toughest jobs, refuses to disclose details to spouses, public

 

Yeppers, but plenty of billions for the illegal aliens coming across the border daily & sleepy joes Ukrainian buddies..

[Kingpin]

28 minutes ago, MotorSarge said:

Yeppers, but plenty of billions for the illegal aliens coming across the border daily & sleepy joes Ukrainian buddies..

Don't forget Israel.

[MotorSarge]

4 hours ago, Kingpin said:

Don't forget Israel.

A few more sets of Air Force One steps and I see change coming..

[Old55]

5 hours ago, Kingpin said:

Don't forget Israel.

Kingpin & Motorsarge perhaps you guys could start a topic in chatterbox about US foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine? Maybe one for each or whatever? 

[hk blues]

8 hours ago, Old55 said:

Kingpin & Motorsarge perhaps you guys could start a topic in chatterbox about US foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine? Maybe one for each or whatever? 

Excellent idea.

I'm all for members discussing what's important to them, and understand politics comes into that.  I can simply ignore such topics/posts.  But,  when every frickin topic has politics shoehorned into it I'd be pretty much ignoring the whole forum these days. 

Come on guys,  it's supposed to be a forum about the Philippines  - surely we can at least stick even loosely to that.

[MotorSarge]

10 hours ago, hk blues said:

Excellent idea.

I'm all for members discussing what's important to them, and understand politics comes into that.  I can simply ignore such topics/posts.  But,  when every frickin topic has politics shoehorned into it I'd be pretty much ignoring the whole forum these days. 

Come on guys,  it's supposed to be a forum about the Philippines  - surely we can at least stick even loosely to that.

Guilty as charged, I'll curb my political thoughts and try to stay to the subject.

[Kingpin]

13 hours ago, hk blues said:

 it's supposed to be a forum about the Philippines 

You realize it's a post about US Troops in a Military And Veterans subforum, right?

[Joey G]

3 hours ago, Kingpin said:

You realize it's a post about US Troops in a Military And Veterans subforum, right?

You realize the the forum definition states "Information for Veteran affairs,Retired military general information,Pensions".... right? 

just sayin' 

[Mike J]

From the forum guidelines.

Topics not related to the Philippines can be discussed here except for religion and politics. These topics cause problems. Sex subjects are also not allowed here.