Secretary of Defense announces seven new initiatives to enhance well-being of military force and their families > United States Space Force > Article Display

Secretary of Protection Lloyd J. Austin III introduced seven initiatives to enhance the standard of life for service members and their households at this time. These actions construct on the in depth and unprecedented actions that Division of Protection leaders have taken over the previous 4 years as a part of Austin’s Taking Care of Individuals initiative. 

Secretary Austin directed the implementation of the next: 

Well being Care Versatile Spending Accounts for Service Members: To cut back out-of-pocket well being care prices for service members, the DoD will make HCFSAs obtainable to Service members for the primary time by a Particular Enrollment Interval in March 2025. HCFSAs are an elective profit that allow Service members to put aside as much as $3,200 in pretax earnings per Service member to pay for well being care prices, corresponding to co-payments, contact lenses, glasses, dental care, and annual deductibles. 

Entry to Wi-Fi Pilot: To cut back out-of-pocket bills and enhance high quality of life for junior enlisted Service members, the DoD is implementing a collection of pilot initiatives to offer high-speed Wi-Fi web entry for free of charge to Service members residing in unaccompanied housing, which is able to type the premise of a long-term plan to construct a Wi-Fi related pressure. 

Making Strikes Simpler: Constructing on earlier expansions of move-related funds to Service members, the DoD will improve Momentary Lodging Expense reimbursement to 21 days (up from 14 days) and permit Momentary Lodging Allowance to be licensed for as much as 60 days when it’s mandatory for a Service member or dependent to occupy short-term lodging instantly earlier than leaving a everlasting responsibility station outdoors the continental United States. The DoD will even provoke a examine to evaluation and consider growing the family items weight allowances for Service members. 

Additional Broaden Partner Eligibility for My Profession Development Account Monetary Help: To help profession development for army spouses, eligibility for MyCAA monetary help can be expanded to spouses of active-duty Service members and spouses of Nationwide Guard and reserve Service members on Title 10 orders within the E-7, E-8, E-9, and W-3 ranks. Monetary help could also be utilized to pursue a license, certification, or affiliate diploma in addition to testing for faculty credit score and persevering with training items. This initiative goals to scale back obstacles to employment for army spouses. 

Funding in Childcare Workforce: To enhance entry to childcare for army households, we should put money into our childcare workforce to make sure we are able to recruit and retain childcare suppliers. The DoD is working carefully with Congress to fund compensation will increase for childcare suppliers and so as to add key positions — lead educators and particular wants inclusion coordinators — that can improve the developmental and academic help offered to kids served by DoD little one growth facilities. 

High quality of Life at Distant and Remoted Installations Overview: The DoD will conduct a evaluation on threat and protecting components, and prevention capabilities of dangerous behaviors at three distant installations. The outcomes of the evaluation can be used to tell and enhance high quality of life at these places.

Uniform Prices Overview: The DoD will evaluation the standard of normal uniform clothes gadgets issued to the enlisted pressure and the enlisted financial uniform alternative allowance charges to make sure they’re ample. 

The Division continues to collaborate with Congress and state companions to make sure the profitable implementation and ongoing help of those initiatives. 

Discover the Secretary’s memorandum “Our Enduring Responsibility to America’s Service Members and Their Households” right here.