We are asking all AFSA Chapter 1328 members to send the letter (linked below) to their congressmen informing them of our current situation and requesting support. If you are unsure who your congress representative is click here and enter the zip code for the state where you have legal residency.
Let me provide some background for those who may be unfamiliar with this issue: In October 1999, the Edwards Air Force Base Treatment Facility changed from a hospital that provided specialized care to a clinic that outsourced all specialized care to local providers. As a result, personnel from Edwards must travel a minimum of 32 miles or as far 98 miles to receive specialized care. As per the Joint Federal Travel Regulation, reimbursement is provided for travel over 100 miles...we feel this is grossly inadequate and deserving of redress.
We greatly appreciate the efforts of all those who worked behind the scenes to make this possible and encourage each AFSA member along with those of the Edwards AFB community to participate in this campaign. For more information, please contact your Legislative Chairman, TSgt Maurice L. Osborne at 661-277-3776 or any AFSA Chapter 1328 member. Remember, by our numbers we succeed. If you are not currently an AFSA member, we encourage you to consider. Again, any AFSA Chapter 1328 member can assist you with the process.
"By Our Numbers We Succeed"
If you've been tracking the actions of the Spaceway Chapter in the last year, you'll know that we've been heavily interested in working to increase the amount of Cost of Living Allowance or COLA awarded here at Edwards Air Force Base. In the past few months, the chapter executive council decided to wait for the results of the COLA independent survey for 2009 in order to see if we would be awarded an increase in COLA before we took any actions to increase our rates. According to the Department of Defense Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Committee website, we found that the Edwards COLA was not increased and in fact, eliminated entirely.
Unexpectedly, the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for Edwards Air Force Base has decreased as well, but this change will not affect most of us.
Cost of Living Allowance (COLA)
According to the DoD website, COLA "compensates for a portion of excess costs for non-housing expenses incurred in areas that exceed costs in an average U.S. military location by more than 8%." For the past few years, Edwards has enjoyed a 1% index of COLA which for an E-6 with dependents amounted to $30 extra a month. Only about enough to fill a gas tank, but with the amount of distance traveled here, every little bit helps. Edwards COLA rate has been eliminated completely for 2009.
In comparison, the COLA rate for Los Angeles Air Force base has increased from a 6% index to a 7% index. For an E-6, that's an increase of $37 from $180 to $217 a month.
The Spaceway Chapter is dedicated to improving quality of life issues at Edwards Air Force Base and will be investigating this drop in income to determine if the elimination of our COLA was legitimate or unwarranted. If unwarranted, the Chapter will work to fix this issue.
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
BAH is the tax-free allowance that we in the military receive for living off base. It is intended to cover rent and utilities, although some members use it to purchase homes instead of renting. At Edwards, we've seen a steady increase in BAH since 1998 , with the levels taking a big jump in the middle of the decade due to the inclusion of Palmdale and Lancaster in the market survey. Previously, only Kern County rental units were surveyed and the change in survey area resulted in a BAH raise of more than $600 a month over two years for some pay grades.
The 2009 Edwards BAH rate has dropped for all ranks with a change of $1653 to $1622 a month for an E-6 with dependents and $1296 to $1226 for an E-6 with no dependents. This may sound alarming, but as service members, we’re granted Individual Rate Protection which, according to Department of Defense BAH Primer, "prevents decreases in housing allowances, as long as the status of a service member remains unchanged. This means that service members are entitled to the BAH rates published 1 January or the amount of housing allowance they received on 31 December, whichever is larger." The only way that your BAH rate will change is if you have a change in status such as a promotion or change in dependent status. Basically, if you were stationed here prior to the end of 2008, your BAH rate will remain the same. Good news for those of us with mortgages or leases!
If you'd like to educate yourself more on either of these subjects, please visit hereTSgt Casey Schoettmer
"Spaceway" Chapter 1328 President
