The deadline for enrolling for the plan each year is during the federal benefits open season, which generally runs from mid-November to mid-December. The 2024 benefit’s deadline was Dec. 11, 2023.

But beyond open enrollment season, many service members may have a qualifying life event, such as birth or adoption of a child, that will allow them to enroll or change their enrollment into the new account. Those entering the military during the year can also enroll.

If service members have enrolled for the new benefit, they are encouraged to stay on top of requirements for reimbursement, take full advantage of financial benefits, and avoid forfeiting money left in the account after the benefit period ends.

The new flexible spending account helps defray the cost of child care (up to age 13) and other dependent care by providing tax savings. Accounts are funded through pre-tax deductions from a service member’s paycheck. Documented claims can then be filed to receive reimbursement for eligible expenses.

Such costs include child or adult day care, preschool, summer day camps, and before- or after-school programs.

Families can contribute as much as $5,000 to the account in 2024. The Federal Flexible Spending Account Program, known as FSAFEDS, is sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management.

The Internal Revenue Service has final say in determining what counts as a qualifying event for making changes outside the open enrollment period. In addition to the birth or adoption of a child, or the death of a dependent, qualifying event examples include:

• Change in employment status for you, your spouse, or dependent
• Change in legal marital status
• Change in your dependent’s eligibility (e.g., your child reaches age 13 and is no longer eligible)

Complete information about filing a claim is available at fsafeds.com/file.

Be sure to mind the deadlines, however. The last day for incurring expenses for the 2024 claim year is March 15, 2025. The deadline to submit claims for the 2024 claim year is April 30, 2025. Any amount left over in one’s account after that is forfeited.

Military families also know that sometimes the best way to bring back the holiday spirit is to give to others. One sure-fire way is bringing gifts to children, whether it’s at holiday gatherings, “adopting” a family, or air-dropping packages to islands in the Pacific. Often, local military chaplains are involved in getting toys and food to military families in need during this season. Many in the military community are involved in the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation’s annual toy drive.

From Santa tracker to toxic Yule logs, agencies embrace the holidays

A number of organizations have programs for troops and military families throughout the year. These are just a few examples of what’s been happening.

Troops around the world still enjoy holiday meals

For those deployed to Northern Europe in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Defense Logistics Agency has sent at least 940 whole turkeys, 7,520 pounds of roast turkey, 16,435 pounds of beef, 9,738 pounds of ham, 228 pounds of shrimp, 161 cans of sweet potatoes and 11,539 pies and cakes.

For those deployed to Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait, 947 whole turkeys, 13,632 pounds of roast turkey, 27,602 pounds of beef, 7,401 pounds of ham, 8,467 pounds of shrimp, 1,110 cans of sweet potatoes, 14,253 cakes and pies, and 3,744 containers of eggnog were delivered to the region, officials said.

Planning for the worldwide holiday feeding of troops begins months in advance at the Defense Logistics Agency. At publication time, agency officials were still finalizing their numbers for the Christmas food poundage sent worldwide.

Troops and families all over the world participate in events in their communities

On Dec. 12 in Powidz, Poland, soldiers with the 3rd Division Sustainment Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division made Christmas tree decorations with students during a holiday party at the Powidz school. They learned about local holiday customs, played games, and enjoyed some traditional holiday treats with the school children.

“Drops” of toys and other gifts have been happening around the world, too

In early December, six C-130 aircraft lifted off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, in Operation Christmas Drop 2023, to deliver 210 parachuted bundles of donated items such as nonperishable food, toys, fishing supplies, schoolbooks and clothing to more than 42,000 islanders on 58 remote islands throughout Micronesia, covering about 1.8 million miles in six days. Pacific Air Forces, partner nations, and the University of Guam work together on the yearly event. Operation Christmas Drop’s first flight was in 1952, and it’s the Defense Department’s longest running humanitarian and disaster relief mission. Donations are collected on Guam and through the Operation Christmas Drop private organization.

Other toy missions have been happening with units based at installations such as Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and Fort Moore, Georgia.

Giveaways and charity events help provide enriching holiday experiences for service members and their families

More than 700 families of fallen military — to include 1,800 family members — spent five days the first week in December at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida, at a healing retreat. All their expenses are paid by the Gary Sinise Foundation, their partners and donations from the public. The families could participate in many workshops and activities, in addition to enjoying all four Walt Disney World theme parks. The Gary Sinise Foundation officially took over the Snowball Express program in 2017.

A number of efforts are focused on deployed service members too. More than 45,000 holiday stockings stuffed with various goodies were pledged this year in the nonprofit Soldiers’ Angels “Holiday Stockings for Heroes” campaign for deployed service members, hospitalized veterans, and National Guard and Reserve members around the country. In addition, through Soldiers’ Angels’ Adopt-A-Family program, donors adopted more than 2,000 military and veteran families and supported them with presents and grocery gift cards.

Operation Ride Home works with Jack Daniel’s partners with Armed Services YMCA to help active duty junior enlisted and their families travel home for the holidays. This year the program was slated to help more than 2,000 junior enlisted troops and family members make the trip home to see their loved ones. They provide subsidized plane tickets and prepaid gift cards for road travel to help offset expenses. Jack Daniel Distillery has donated $100,000 for this year’s trips, and the general public also donates. This marks the 13th year the distillery has offered the program.

Operation Homefront’s Holiday Toy Drive is designed to relieve financial stress for junior and mid-grade enlisted families, grades E1-E6. Toys and holiday meal kits are distributed at various events. Dollar Tree has helped collect toys in their stores for military children for 17 years; the program distributed about $6 million worth of toys to military families nationwide in 2022.

Armed Services YMCA also works to help financially strapped enlisted families with food and toys during the holidays and all year. Since 2004, through donations to Operation Holiday Joy, more than 320,000 toys and more than 25,000 baskets of food have been provided over Thanksgiving and Christmas for junior enlisted families in need. Many of their 12 branches around the country have participated in this program, and the events vary from branch to branch. Military parents can go in and “shop” for gifts for their children for the holidays.

The lower rates at military child development centers will especially benefit those in the lower income categories. As before, the fees are based on total family income, to include spouse income and other sources.

Some families will see a cut of more than 40% in their fees, according to Military Times’ calculations.

The bigger decreases are evident as families move into a lower fee category. Defense officials have collapsed the number of fee categories from 14 to 11, with higher income caps for each category. Officials are requiring the services to implement the new fees by January.

For those in the lowest income category outside high-cost areas, the weekly child care fee has decreased from $58 to $54. The income cap in that category, however, has increased from $30,810 to $45,000. More people will be in that lowest category, therefore, and eligible for lower fees.

Thus, a service member with a total family income of $45,000 will be paying $54 each week, significantly less than the $82 per week the family paid in 2023.

The changes impact the amount of money parents pay for full-time care in highly sought-after military child development centers, as well as other arrangements like fee-assistance child care programs in the civilian community.

Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said in October the fee changes will mean military families with incomes of less than $130,000 would see reductions in fees.

The highest income category is currently $160,001 and above. Those in this category will pay $215 per week, a 2% increase from the previous year. Changes, however, vary by family, and those in high-cost areas may pay more, as with all income categories.

The number of residents living at the Armed Forces Retirement Home system has declined in recent years, as has revenue, even as expenses continue to increase, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report on the program, known for short as AFRH.

The Armed Forces Retirement Home is the only federal retirement home of its kind. It consists of two campuses in Washington, D.C. and Gulfport, Mississippi. To be eligible, veterans must have spent more than half of their time in the service as an enlisted member, warrant officer, or limited-duty officer, among other criteria.

Its operations are financed by resident fees, deductions from the pay of currently serving enlisted troops, warrant officers and limited duty officers, fines and forfeitures from military personnel who have disciplinary violations, investment interest income on the trust fund, gifts and other sources.

Among other prescriptions, the GAO recommends that Congress require the Defense Department increase the monthly 50-cent deduction taken from the paychecks of all serving enlisted personnel to fund the homes.

The recommendations come as the retirement homes struggle to increase revenue on their own. In October, AFRH officials scrapped a plan that was designed to bring in more income.

That plan sought to partner with the private sector to develop AFRH’s Washington-based property to generate millions of dollars in income from underused grounds and facilities.

But the project faced tough economic conditions between rising interest rates, inflation, supply chain challenges, and a struggling office market in D.C., officials said.

“It was clear that the financial benefit to the Home was now significantly diminished and the terms of the long-term lease were riskier to AFRH,” John RisCassi, the Home’s Chief Operating Officer, said in an October statement.

AFRH remains open to future collaboration, officials said.

IG: Pentagon failed to address financial problems of Armed Forces Retirement Home

Continuing financial struggles

The GAO’s findings aren’t new, as the retirement homes have faced financial struggles for at least the past decade.

AFRH is financed through a dedicated trust fund, but the balance in that trust fund dropped from $186 million at the end of fiscal 2010, to $46 million at the end of fiscal 2015, with officials citing building repairs and improvements costs, increasing expenses and declining revenues.

By 2022, the trust fund balance had been built back up to $107 million, largely because of infusions of taxpayer dollars — starting with $20 million in fiscal 2016, increasing to $25 million of taxpayer funds in fiscal 2022.

But the GAO report warns the trust fund is on track to being exhausted within 20 years without a “significant effort to bolster it.”

Agency officials agreed that significant steps are needed to fortify the trust fund, and stated in their 13-page response to GAO that they are proud of accomplishments over the last few years, such as increasing operating efficiencies and some revenue initiatives, even in the midst of the pandemic.

GAO auditors recommended that AFRH develop and implement policies and procedures for making better financial projections, build a plan for increasing occupancy levels at both campuses, develop and implement policies for estimating the cost of deferred maintenance and update its financial management policy.

Officials have been updating their financial policies and procedures and have been updating their admissions procedures as well.

AFRH officials have requested $68 million for operating expenses for fiscal 2024, and $8.9 million for maintenance and improvements, according to their budget justification documents. Those combined amounts include a $25 million boost of taxpayer funds. AFRH has been averaging revenues of about $47 million a year.

Here's why the Armed Forces Retirement Home is slowing down its planned fee hikes

Declining numbers of residents

While AFRH costs are increasing, the two homes are being used less as well, according to the GAO.

The occupancy rate has declined by 40% at the two campuses combined, according to GAO, shrinking from 1,028 residents at the end of fiscal 2014 to 611 at the end of 2022. The two campuses have a combined capacity of 1,120.

During that period, the occupancy rate at the historic Washington campus decreased from 85% to 38% capacity. AFRH officials told the GAO that they had purposely kept occupancy low as they prepare for a major renovation of one of the residential buildings. And the outlook is improving, as the number of admissions have picked up this year over the two campuses, they said.

Officials noted that “herculean mitigation efforts” were undertaken during the COVID pandemic, resulting in no resident deaths directly related to the pandemic. But the pandemic also had a major impact on occupancy, with about one-fifth of the number of new residents admitted in the first year of the pandemic compared to prior years.

One action the new leadership took was to raise residents’ fees, as has been recommended in a number of studies.

AFRH residents pay fees based on their level of care, and as a percentage of their monthly income. Veterans generally must enter AFRH at the independent living level. At that level, they pay a fee of almost 47 percent of their income, which includes all the amenities provided, from their residential space to three meals a day, wellness and community services, and health care. Those in memory care, the highest level of care, pay 70% of their income in monthly fees.

GAO auditors noted that across all levels of care, the average overall residential fee at AFRH is less than $1,900 a month. In comparison, they cite American Council on Aging statistics of the nationwide average for all levels of care at a life plan community as being more than $7,300 per month. AFRH officials agreed that their resident fees are lower than market, but also note that comparisons often fail to take into account average resident incomes, which may be lower in the veteran community.

Married couples can now apply to live at the AFRH campuses, if they meet certain conditions. Spouses also pay fees based on their individual incomes.

DoD fires Armed Forces Retirement Home boss over refusal to enact new revenue plan

Deteriorating facilities

AFRH is also facing more financial risks from costly repairs needed for deteriorating facilities, GAO auditors stated. AFRH officials noted they have received $37 million in taxpayer dollars over the last three years to tackle critical deferred maintenance projects for electrical, water, roofing, elevators, heating and air conditioning and other infrastructure. They also received $77 million in taxpayer dollars to modernize and expand units at the Washington campus principal residential Sheridan Building, and designs have been finalized for that renovation.

But previous AFRH officials had determined that a number of buildings on the AFRH Washington property were no longer useful to AFRH, and they had been included in the redevelopment plan. A majority of buildings in the development area are slated for demolition.

“AFRH, with congressional and administration support, has been working to dig out of its deferred maintenance hole to keep electricity running and water flowing on our operating assets, much less nonoperating ones, while at the same time responding to a devastating pandemic, economic disruptions, and the too-common budgetary instability of volatile capital budgets, funding lapses, continuing resolutions, and government-wide threats of across-the-board cuts,” AFRH officials stated in their response to the GAO.

“It would be a waste of resources to conduct complete assessments and preventive maintenance on structures planned for demolition.”

The way forward

AFRH has worked on proposals to improve AFRH’s financial situation without cutting services to its residents, and Congress should consider these proposals, auditors stated.

According to the GAO, Congress should consider continued infusion of taxpayer dollars, which amounted to about $25 million in 2023.

Lawmakers should also consider legislation to require the Defense Department to increase the monthly 50-cent payroll deduction from all currently-serving enlisted members, and adjust it for inflation in the future. The Defense Department has the authority under law to raise the deduction to $1 a month, but defense and service officials have not done so. The amount hasn’t changed since 1977. Enlisted members pay this each month while serving, regardless of whether they ultimately live in the homes. Adding an extra 50 cent deduction could bring in an estimated $7 million in extra revenue a year, according to GAO.

Legislation authorizing similar withholdings from National Guard and Reserve members, who in 2021 became eligible for residence at AFRH, should also be considered, according to the GAO, which could bring in an extra $7 million annually. DOD hasn’t been given authorization to withhold money from these service members for deposit into the AFRH trust fund.

Congress might also authorize the AFRH to get reimbursement from sources such as Tricare, Medicare and Medicaid for health care. Nearly all AFRH residents are eligible for Tricare, but AFRH doesn’t have the authority by law to seek reimbursement from Tricare or other federal health insurance programs. This would bring in an estimated $1 million to $4 million extra a year. AFRH provides residents with routine health care, and bears the costs of these services as an operating expense. AFRH officials said they are putting new health record systems into place that will improve health care coordination for residents, and better facilitate reimbursement for medical care provided on site.

The new Basic Allowance for Housing rates take effect on Jan. 1. The military will be paying about $27.9 billion in BAH to roughly one million service members in 2024, according to defense officials.

The 5.4% is the average increase across the board, and doesn’t mean everyone will see that increase. Changes in BAH vary depending on the area, whether or not a service member has dependents, and pay grade.

For example, an E5 with dependents in the Fort Liberty/Pope, North Carolina ZIP codes of 28307 and 28310, will see an increase of about 9.2%. The monthly BAH, in that instance, increases from $1,572 to $1,716. For an E5 without dependents in the same area area, the increase is 7.1% and monthly BAH goes from $1,389 to $1,488.

There may be BAH decreases in some areas, but troops who continue to be stationed in those areas aren’t penalized — they’ll continue to receive the same amount they received in 2023.

Troops can look up their new BAH rates for 2024 by plugging in their ZIP code and rank in the Defense Department BAH tool.

Many service members have been hit hard over the last few years by the increased cost of housing. In 2023, BAH rates jumped by an average of 12.1%, the largest year-over-year percentage jump in the Basic Allowance for Housing in at least 15 years. It’s one of the steps defense officials have taken to ease the financial burdens on service members.

BAH rates go up or down based on rental housing cost data for various types of houses, collected each year for more than 300 military housing areas in the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii. The process for setting the BAH rates includes a variety of data sources, such as U.S. Census Bureau survey data, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, commercial subscription rental cost databases, industry-leading online rental listing websites, and input from the military services and local military installation housing offices. The BAH computations include the median current market rent and average utilities cost for six different types of housing units in each of the housing areas.

The Government Accountability Office has reported that DoD needs to improve the way it calculates troops’ housing allowances. Defense officials are in the process of reviewing those procedures.

For service members who live in privatized housing, their rent is equal to their BAH, so their privatized housing landlords will get the extra money.

This year’s BAH rates continue the cost-sharing element of 5% of the national average housing cost by pay grade, defense officials noted. These amounts also vary by pay grade, dependency status and range from $85 to $194 a month for the 2024 rates, officials said.

Lawmakers have been urging defense officials to have BAH cover 100% of troops’ housing costs, which DoD can do without legislation.

In 2015, defense officials reduced the amount of housing allowances they pay to military families from the full cost to 95% of their rental costs, as determined by the Basic Allowance for Housing formula. The cost-saving measure was authorized by Congress, but it wasn’t required.

11:59 p.m. Eastern Time tonight, Dec. 11, is the deadline for service members to enroll in the new Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account. It’s also the sign-up deadline for those eligible for dental and vision coverage under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP. Most retirees and their families are eligible for dental and vision coverage under FEDVIP. Families of currently serving members are eligible for the vision coverage under FEDVIP. These currently serving families are eligible for the Tricare Dental Program, which requires separate enrollment.

11:59 p.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, Dec. 12 is the deadline for enrolling in or making changes to your Tricare plan. If you don’t want to make changes, you don’t have to take any action.

The new Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account is available to active duty members, as well as members of the Active Guard Reserve on Title 10 orders. The flexible spending account helps defray the cost of child care and other dependent care by providing tax savings. It’s part of the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program, known as FSAFEDS, which is sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management.

Families can contribute as little as $100, and as much as $5,000 over the year to this account. Eligible expenses include child or adult day care, preschool, summer day camps, and before- or after-school programs.

“It’s safe to say the majority of shipments will remain under the [current system]” during next year’s peak season, said Andy Dawson, director of the Defense Personal Property Management Office at U.S. Transportation Command, during a media roundtable Thursday. The delays are technology-related, officials said.

Meanwhile, new statistics give more clarity on the extent of troops’ and families’ problems with the current system. More than 800 companies handle approximately 170,000 shipments a year; some service members may have more than one shipment.

During this year’s summer peak moving season, the customer satisfaction rate was 74%, Dawson said. Year to date, the satisfaction rate is 78%. “That’s tens of thousands of service members and families that aren’t satisfied with their relocation experience,” Dawson said. “We owe it to them within the context of the existing environment, with recruiting and retention challenges, and high op tempo, to do everything we can to improve the quality of life that our service members and families deserve.”

The customer satisfaction rates are at least 20 percentage points lower than the rates reported in past years — generally above 90%. But TRANSCOM has implemented new analytics. “Over the last few years we’ve implemented program changes that allowed us to see ourselves better and we have confidence in those statistics,” Dawson said. Moving companies are no longer allowed to handle or disseminate customer satisfaction surveys. Service members are told they will get an email directly from the government with the survey.

Another telling statistic, Dawson said, relates to household goods claims for loss and damage. This year, to date, there has been a claims satisfaction rate of 41%.

Mold, broken furniture … just a start to this family’s PCS nightmare

“We’ve shared those [statistics] with industry, and have been transparent that there’s drastic improvement needed,” Dawson said.

The contract is aimed at fixing military families’ long-standing problems with damaged household goods, and other frustrations with movers, and puts management of the moving process in the hands of HomeSafe, a consortium of private companies.

More testing will happen between now and the end of January. The new contractor, HomeSafe Alliance, will start moving a few service members in phases, but not until they’re satisfied with the interoperability between the Defense Department’s MilMove technology, and the contractor’s HomeSafe Connect technology.

Officials haven’t determined a date when the phased moves will start. “Our goal is to start shipments as soon as we meet the conditions required to successfully deliver and improve the experience of our service members and families,” Dawson said. Initially, the phased shipments were scheduled to start in September, then the timeline was moved to the end of the year, before this current delay.

“This next round of testing will allow us to have a better understanding of what additional work needs to be done to ensure interoperability between MilMove and HomeSafe Connect,” Dawson said.

Both systems are new technology. Service members will use MilMove to upload their Permanent Change of Station orders, share contact information and start the request for a new shipment. HomeSafe Connect will be used by service members, the government and industry to manage and track the shipment after it is sent from MilMove.

Because of the volume of moves during peak season — generally May through Labor Day — there are only eight months available for transformational changes, Dawson said.

“Moving in itself is stressful. We have to mitigate and lower the risk for service members,” he said. Behind the scenes the transition will continue, he said, “but customer-facing changes are tremendously hard to execute during that peak season period, so as a strategy to reduce the risk, we’ve taken that off the table.”

This new process consolidates all Defense Department household goods moves under a single contract, awarded to HomeSafe Alliance, a consortium of companies that will be the sole manager of household goods moves. The initial $6.2 billion contract is for three years, and the transition period has been extended.

The contract delay is not related to other aspects, such as the ability to get enough movers to sign on. There’s no target number for the number of companies, and officials said the contractor will bring in as many companies as needed. One member of that consortium is Sirva, which includes North American Van Lines and Allied Van Lines.

The current system is “highly inefficient,” Dawson said, and service members are primarily dependent on the internal processes of those 800 companies. HomeSafe will be fully responsible for these moves, bringing accountability to the program from the time a moving company is assigned, through the packing, hauling and unloading, and handling any claims for loss or damage. TRANSCOM is essentially outsourcing the management of the program through this contract, but will oversee the program.

When the phase-in of the new process begins, it will be limited to local shipments at a few locations — they’ll be tied to ZIP codes. For example, in the Norfolk area, they’ll be moving shipments within ZIP codes south of the Chesapeake Bay, not those on the peninsula.

The installations’ local transportation offices will continue to play a big role in this process, Dawson said, providing move counseling to service members, and performing other functions such as approving invoices.

The new “4 + 1 Commitment: The Formula for Military Spouse Success,” launched Dec. 6, would have provided Street, an Army spouse, with the opportunity for one or more of the jobs she’s had to be more portable, she said. “Sometimes it’s not so much the difficulties with finding a job as it is in keeping a job, due to frequent relocations,” she told Military Times.

A job’s flexibility, in terms of hours, remote work and other factors, can have lasting effects on a spouse’s career and the finances of the family, Street said. “We can start to see career progression. There’s such a disparity in career advancement for military spouses versus our service member counterparts,” she said.

Street, who now works for Blue Star Families, said she always wanted a career in financial wellness, but the demands of the military life meant it took longer to get her accreditation.

Spouse unemployment has remained stubbornly at above 20% for more than a decade, and the Defense Department and the military services, as well as a number of private organizations have worked to provide more opportunities for spouses.

The 4 + 1 Commitment was launched at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. as part of the Blue Star Families’ Do Your Part campaign, along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes. The effort is in partnership with the Defense Department’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership. Twelve companies have already signed on, agreeing to commit to at least one of four policy changes. The goal is to have 1,000 companies signed up by the end of 2024.

In addition to the job portability/transferability, the other military-spouse-friendly employment policy change commitments are:

*Offering remote or telework

*Offering flexible work hours

*Providing paid Permanent Change of Station leave.

The “+1″ commitment is to consider joining existing government spouse employment programs.

Katie McCarthy, a Navy spouse, said having that level of flexibility is significant, as well as other aspects such as the PCS leave. “That’s huge, “she said, because of responsibilities such as getting kids enrolled in school, packing and unpacking the house, finding child care, and host of other tasks.

“As individuals, as a woman, as a mom, we’re already faced with so many hurdles getting and keeping employment. Adding being a military spouse into the mix is an additional hurdle,” McCarthy said. So working for a company that can allow flexible work schedules, is a big plus, she said.

McCarthy and Street introduced the guest speaker for the event, first lady Jill Biden. She described the spouse story she has heard over and over: the young military wife juggling young children, holding it together while the husband is deployed, trying unsuccessfully to find a job.

“I meet her and spouses like her everywhere I go. Lawyers and lab techs, teachers and accountants. The husband who feels like he’s lost his purpose,” Biden said. “We don’t just need spouses to have jobs. We need them to be able to keep those jobs, and turn them into careers”

She challenged those in the room to talk to other companies and urged them to commit to this effort.

“Change isn’t easy. But neither is moving to a new military base, again and again. Neither is parenting while your partner is deployed. Neither is losing sleep, worrying that the person you love most in the world might not come home,” Biden said. “That’s what our military spouses do every do every day. They do it even when it’s hard. They do it for us. And we owe them the same devotion.”

Kathy Roth-Douquet, co-founder and CEO of Blue Star Families, described the commitment as an effort “to stave off a national security crisis,” adding that “it’s a crisis that snuck up on us.”

Traditional workplace conventions need to change, Roth-Douquet said. “One of the top reasons that people who are otherwise promotable say they’ll leave the military is because of spouse career challenges. And the top reasons for military families no longer recommending [military] service, is that military lifestyle challenges prevent a second income and lead to financial hardships.”

Military spouses “present an incredible workforce opportunity for American business,” said Eric Eversole, vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and president of Hiring Our Heroes. “They’re incredibly well educated, they’re resilient. They understand how to get the job done no matter what. Make no mistake about it. Hiring military spouses is not only a great business decision, but it’s also critical to our national security.”

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Ellyn Dunford, wife of retired Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the 19th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the world is different than when she married her husband in 1984, as fewer than 35% of spouses with children under age 6 worked at that time. She was an exception, she said, maintaining her career through many moves, while raising three children and volunteering at each duty station. “I loved being married to my Marine, and loved the friends I made. I loved the feeling that our whole family served,” she said.

She made enough money to improve their quality and life and put some money aside, but there were significant challenges with costs such as child care and professional licensing, she said.

“If I had said I was done with the many moves, and disruptions to my career and my children’s lives, and done with the long separations, Joe might have decided to leave the service,” Dunford said.

“Who will we lose if we can’t find flexible, professional employment for our spouses” and address the child care need, she added.

In a letter sent today to Austin, the senators outlined those concerns and asked for answers to 15 detailed questions by Jan. 2.

“We are concerned that as military families continue to experience exposure to lead, mold and other health risks from unsafe housing conditions, the private companies that provide on-base housing are disregarding their concerns,” wrote the senators, in their Dec. 6 letter. “The Department of Defense has a long way to go to fully implement reforms and restore military families’ confidence.”

Five years after problems with military family housing reached a boiling point, and laws were enacted to reform the way the Defense Department oversees family housing, senators still want to know what is being done to address these hazards, when the Pentagon will establish a public complaint database for privatized military housing, and what the military is doing to improve the dispute resolution process when families can’t get their problems fixed.

The letter was signed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s personnel subcommittee; and fellow subcommittee members Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington also signed the letter.

The senators said they are “alarmed” by reports that military families continue to struggle with mold in their privatized housing. They cited the 2022 Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey which found that 22% of active duty family members who responded to the online poll indicated their family had been exposed to environmental toxins in military housing.

The senators raised questions about the Defense Department’s implementation of reforms enacted into law over the last several years to fix problems in military family housing. Families said their complaints were falling on deaf ears, the repairs weren’t being made and their health was suffering as a result. And the military wasn’t stepping in to address problems with privatized housing companies.

Following Reuters and other media reports and congressional hearings in 2019, laws were enacted in late 2019 and late 2020 to address the problems and force defense and service officials to provide better oversight of privatized housing landlords, and to be more responsive to families frustrated by lack of action. Among other things, families asked that a process be put into place to withhold their rent from the companies until the problems were fixed.

A number of military families have sued their privatized housing landlords in different locations.

The Pentagon and the services have taken a number of actions to address these problems with privatized housing, such as increasing the number of personnel at housing offices to provide better oversight, and to act as liaisons with families and landlords.

'Poop falling from the ceiling' shows military housing issues persist

But the military hasn’t taken the reforms far enough, the senators said.

The fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act required the military to establish a formal dispute resolution process for families living in substandard housing, which can result in rent being held in escrow until the problem is fixed. But there have been reports, including reports from the Government Accountability Office, of a broad trend of confusion among both residents and military housing officials, about that process. Some military families have indicated their distrust and confusion about the process, the senators noted. Residents who wanted their rents withheld until the housing company addressed unresolved maintenance issues, told the GAO that their military service hadn’t provided a method for withholding the rent.

The GAO cited the Air Force’s own after-action review of its first formal resolution dispute, which confirmed the problems. Not only did residents lack general knowledge of the formal dispute process, but so did Air Force leadership, military housing office officials, private housing company officials, and resident advocates, GAO auditors found. The senators asked for detailed breakdowns of how many formal dispute resolution processes have been filed since that process began, and what guidance the service branches give to service members and their families on that formal dispute resolution process, as well as guidance given to military housing offices about the process.

Families have also raised concerns, the senators said, about confidentiality requirements of the dispute process, and whether or not the process tends to favor the privatized housing companies. The senators asked Austin for answers about why the military forces tenants to sign a lease that includes a confidentiality clause for a formal dispute resolution “before tenants even know if they use such a process.”

The senators also asked Austin what has impeded the Pentagon “from the timely development and implementation of the public complaint database for privatized military housing,” which was also a requirement of the 2020 law. This would allow potential residents to find information they need about the quality of their housing, and the records of the companies that operate the housing. Defense Department officials have told Military Times in the past that given budgetary, contract and Privacy Act issues, it will take time to implement the complaint database.

The senators asked what information the services provide to residents about exposure to these hazards, including the health risks, and what to look for in their housing units. Other questions included whether the military conducts surveys of service members to find out how often they have to deal with these hazards, and whether all the service branches have conducted audits or analyses, similar to the Army Audit Agency’s report on lead-based paint and asbestos in military housing.

The senators also request a briefing specifically on actions the Pentagon has taken to address asbestos, lead-based paint and mold in military housing, and the implementation of the formal dispute resolution process.

“This is a victory for all military spouses,” said Hannah Magee Portée, of Del Rio, Texas. “I hope it makes other spouses’ lives easier, and I hope they don’t have to go through what I did just to be able to work.”

Judge Robert Pitman ruled that Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, Texas Education Agency and the State Board for Educator Certification violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, when they refused to accept her school counseling licenses from Ohio and Missouri earlier this year when she moved to Texas. She and her husband, Air Force Capt. David Portée, moved on military orders to Laughlin Air Force Base.

Texas Education Agency officials hadn’t responded by press time to Military Times’ request for comment.

This sets a legal precedent that will benefit all military spouses, said Brandon Grable, Portée’s attorney. “This is not just a win for Hannah, but a win for military and their spouses across the country. Other courts can rely on it elsewhere in the event spouses are in the same situation.”

Until now, no court had interpreted the SCRA’s license portability provisions. The new provisions of the SCRA were signed into law on Jan. 5, requiring states to provide reciprocity in accepting valid occupational licenses from previous jurisdictions. The law also applies to service members.

The law broke new ground in the effort to help military spouses who face onerous and often expensive processes each time they move to get certified to continue their chosen career in a new location. Defense officials have calculated there are more than 132,000 active-duty spouses in occupations like nursing and realty that require licensing, representing about 39% of military spouses in the workforce.

The ruling in Portée’s case, issued Monday in U.S. District Court in Austin, found that the state violated federal law by requiring Portée to adhere to Texas requirements. Texas was requiring her to verify continuous use of her school counseling licenses for a two-year period before she moved to Texas with her husband, in order to qualify for a Texas educator certification based on her out-of-state licenses.

The ruling permanently stops Texas education officials from enforcing the Texas requirements in Portée’s case. The judge had issued a temporary injunction in July in her favor. That enabled Portée to get a temporary license, allowing her to work as a substitute counselor.

But the ruling comes too late for her for the current school year, she said. “I wasn’t able to secure a full-time position, just a long-term sub position,” with less pay and fewer benefits, she said. Her time as a substitute counselor won’t count toward retirement benefits in Texas, she said.

Her next step is to ask for that permanent license. “I want them to honor the judgment and give me the license I fought to have,” she said. Her husband is expected to receive orders in the spring after he finishes training, and they don’t know where they’ll be stationed next. But she’ll be able to transfer her Ohio and Missouri school counseling licenses, to another state, she said, because they’re valid for five years.

Portée had some extra firepower in her fight, as the Justice Department filed a statement of interest supporting her request, calling Texas’ actions a violation of the new provision of the SCRA.

Texas education officials never filed a response to Portée’s original complaint. But they did file a response to Portée’s request for a preliminary injunction in the summer, contending that Texas law and the relief act don’t conflict.

Judge Pitman conducted a full analysis of the case “out of an abundance of caution,” he noted, even though Texas education officials didn’t file a response or defend the case.

“The Court also notes that its conclusion would be the same if it did not consider any other filings in this case and only considered Portée’s motion and her complaint,” Pitman wrote.

The relief act requirement that the service member or spouse “has actively used [the professional license] during the two years immediately preceding the relocation” was a central point of the Texas officials’ argument against the preliminary injunction, according to a court document filed on July 7. They contended that Portée doesn’t qualify for relief act protection because she had been licensed as a school counselor for less than two years, and employed as a school counselor for only one year prior to the move.

It was helpful that the judge clarified that point, said Grable, Portée’s attorney. The context in which the word “during” is used “suggests that Congress intended it to mean ‘at a point in the course of,’” Judge Pitman stated. If Congress had required two years of continuous employment, it could have used the phrase “continuously used during,” he noted.

Grable said he hopes that state agencies across the country will look at their regulations, and make sure they’re aligned with the SCRA.

“First and foremost, the fact that a state agency has been found to violate federal law is going to cause other state agencies everywhere to take a closer look,” Grable said.

Pitman also ordered that Portée can recover reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs.

Kinderspot, which was the brainchild of Air Force Maj. Jacque Vasta, allows families who are enrolled at a participating Air Force child development center to offer their weeklong blocks of time to other families when they’re away from the child care center, while receiving a credit to their account when another family rents their spot.

It is currently available at 29 installations, including five that launched on Nov. 15: Beale Air Force Base and Vandenberg Space Force Base, California; Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington; Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; and Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.

As of November, the app had 6,200 users, and had facilitated the rental of nearly 3,700 short-term child care spots, according to Shannon Carabajal, a spokeswoman for the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center. The Air Force began field-testing the app in the summer of 2021.

So far, no other branches of the military have expressed interest in adopting Kinderspot, at least as far as the Air Force Services Center is aware, Carabajal said.

However, Kinderspot is available at Air Force-operated child development centers at five joint bases: Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.; Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; and Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

The next bases scheduled for the Kinderspot rollout in mid-December are Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming; Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas; Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

Defense and service officials have been working on various ideas to help meet the need for child care among military parents.

Child care fees plunge for many military families

Kinderspot fills a need for parents whose children are attending child development centers, as well as those who need short-term child care. Parents are required to pay for weeks that their children are away — such as when the family is on leave or when the service member is away on temporary duty. But by using this app, they can sublet their child’s vacant spot, and the family saves money because they won’t have to pay for the time their child is away. The amount is credited to their account.

Families without a child currently enrolled at a child development center must complete paperwork to become a verified renter at their center before booking available weeks through the app. The rental fees are paid directly to the center at the renter’s rate. That rate is based on the family’s total family income, not the total family income fee of the family who has the permanent child care space.

The Kinderspot app is available for download on Apple and Android devices. The participating centers validate all the users of the app to make sure they are eligible to offer a spot or to rent a spot.

The child subletting a child care slot must be in the same age group as the child who has the permanent spot in the child development center. The subletting families aren’t subject to the DoD priority system for child development centers because they aren’t holding full-time child care spaces, Carabajal said.

“As soon as my base adopted Kinderspot, I used the app and was able to sublet my child’s CDC spot for a week,” said Lt. Col. Kelly Atkinson, in an Air Force announcement about the expansion. “The program was easy to use, clear and intuitive. Best of all, Kinderspot not only helped my family save on child care costs but also ensured another military family had access to child care for that week,” said Atkinson, who is stationed at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.

And there’s a new benefit for military families this year, the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, which allows families to set aside money before taxes for dependent care expenses. Families sign up for this new benefit through the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program (FSAFEDS) during the federal benefits open season, which is now through Dec. 11.

The flexible spending account, announced by Department of Defense officials earlier this year, helps defray the cost of child care and other dependent care by providing tax savings. For help in determining whether to set up an account, and how much money to set aside, officials advise troops to take advantage of the Defense Department’s free counseling and advice from personal financial management counselors at many military installations, and tax counselors available all year through DoD’s Military OneSource.com. FSAFEDS also offers free benefits counseling.

The open season for Tricare beneficiaries runs through Dec. 12, a day longer than the federal benefits open season. Tricare open season applies to those enrolled in or eligible for Tricare Prime, including the U.S. Family Health Plan option, or Tricare Select. During this period, enrolled beneficiaries can make changes to their health coverage — such as switching from Tricare Prime to Tricare Select, or moving from individual to family enrollment. If you’re eligible for a Tricare plan but are not enrolled, now is the time to do it.

The changes you make during open season will take effect Jan. 1.

If you’re already enrolled in a Tricare plan and don’t want to make any changes, you don’t have to take any action; you’ll continue to stay enrolled in that plan. Even if you don’t want to change plans, you should still check to see if there are changes in Tricare costs that could affect you.

Generally, if you’ve been paying out-of-pocket for Tricare in 2023, you’ll pay extra in 2024, according to fee schedules released by the Defense Health Agency.

For those who make co-payments for covered services such as primary care visits, specialty care outpatient visits and urgent care, the co-pays will generally go up by $1 to $3 a visit. And those who pay annual enrollment fees will also see increases. Annual deductibles will increase for some, which means the families will pay more out of pocket before Tricare kicks in.

The only time you can enroll in or change your Tricare plan is during open season, or a qualifying life event such as moving, birth or adoption of a child, marriage, divorce, retirement from active duty, or a death in the family. Another example is losing or gaining other health insurance.

If you aren’t in a Tricare plan and don’t enroll during open season, the only care in the Military Health System for which you’d be eligible is at a military hospital or clinic — and only if space is available.

Open season doesn’t apply to active duty service members, who have full health coverage, or to those in Tricare for Life, which is automatic for those who have Medicare Part A and Part B. It also doesn’t apply to Tricare premium-based plans — Tricare Reserve Select, Tricare Retired Reserve and Tricare Young Adult — which can be purchased at any time during the year. But those in Tricare Young Adult with either the Prime or Select options can only change plans during open enrollment or a qualifying life event.

Tricare Prime is a health maintenance organization-style plan in which you get most of your care from a primary care manager, with referrals required for specialty care. There is no deductible. Active duty service members, their family members and transitional survivors don’t pay enrollment fees or out-of-pocket costs for covered services. Retirees, their families and all others pay enrollment fees and out-of-pocket costs for covered services except for preventive care.

Tricare Select is a preferred provider organization-style plan in which you choose your Tricare-authorized provider and don’t have to get referrals for most services. There are deductibles, co-payments and cost-shares.

For more information, visit the Tricare open season page.

Increased costs in premium-based Tricare plans

Military families who are enrolled in the Tricare premium plans for young adults, reservists and retired reservists, and separating service members will once again see hikes in their premiums, starting Jan. 1.

The Tricare Young Adult Prime and Select plans are available for purchase by qualified former dependent children up to age 26. The Tricare Young Adult programs must be at no cost to the government, under the rules set by Congress when it was implemented in 2013. So, the full cost of the program’s premiums is reflected in the fees charged to families. Defense officials look at the health care expenditures for the program for the previous year and calculate the costs.

Dental

Families of active duty, National Guard and reserve service members — as well as Guardsmen and reservists who aren’t on active duty — are eligible for the Tricare Dental Program, which requires separate enrollment.

Most retirees and their family members are eligible for dental and vision coverage under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP, which is administered by the Office of Personnel Management and also requires separate enrollment.

The open season for FEDVIP runs through Dec. 11, which is one day shorter than the Tricare open season.

The rates for FEDVIP will go up an average of 1.4% for dental in 2024, according to OPM.

Twelve dental carriers provide 23 dental plan options available across FEDVIP. Seven of those dental carriers offer a combined 14 nationwide dental plan options. The remaining five carriers offer regional coverage.

If you’re already enrolled in a FEDVIP dental and/or vision plan and don’t want to make a change, your enrollment will automatically continue.

Vision

Those in the military community must be enrolled in a Tricare health plan to be eligible for FEDVIP vision coverage. Those eligible include active duty family members, retirees and their eligible family members, and Selected Reserve members and their families.

The 2024 average premium for vision plans will increase by 1.1% over the 2023 rates, according to the Office of Personnel Management.

Five national providers offer 10 vision insurance plans available to all eligible for FEDVIP.

Visit www.benefeds.com to enroll in FEDVIP and to get more information.

Pharmacy costs increase

Tricare beneficiaries who get their prescriptions filled at a retail pharmacy or through the mail-order program will pay more for their prescription drugs in 2024, as increases set by a 2018 law go into effect.

There aren’t co-payments for prescriptions filled at military pharmacies.

♦$16 for a 30-day supply of a generic at a retail pharmacy, up from $14 in 2023.

♦$43 for a 30-day supply of a covered name-brand drug at a retail pharmacy, up from $38 in 2023.

♦$13 for a 90-day supply of a generic through the mail-order pharmacy, up from $12 in 2023.

♦$38 for a 90-day supply of a covered name-brand drug through mail-order, up from $34 in 2023.

♦$76 for a 90-day supply of a non-formulary prescription drug — not on the list of drugs that are covered by Tricare — up from $68 in 2023.

Military families and veterans know better than anyone that Veterans Day isn’t just about saving money. But as the cost of living continues to stretch wallets thin, this year’s discounts for the federal holiday could be a chance to snag a complimentary restaurant meal or a cheaper vacation without breaking the bank.

Our annual list of verified Veterans Day deals is here to help you navigate offers from restaurants, hotels, retail establishments and other businesses. If you plan wisely, you could fortify yourself with free breakfast, lunch and dinner while you head to stores with a trove of in-person and online markdowns.

But situations can vary and exclusions may apply: Call ahead to see whether restaurants and shops are open and whether they’re participating in a discount program. Check whether discounts apply to those currently in uniform as well as veterans, and if Guardsmen and Reservists can benefit, too. Ask if family members qualify for free meals as well. Perhaps most importantly, find out what proof of military service you need to provide.

Did we miss something? Email Senior Reporter Karen Jowers at kjowers@militarytimes.com with suggestions.

If you don’t see a favorite establishment on the list, ask them if they have a military discount (even if they don’t have a sign in the store). Just remember that companies aren’t required to offer discounts or deals.

And check out our “Before you go” section at the bottom of this article to save yourself some headaches.

Food and drink

Applebee’s: Offering a free meal for lunch or dinner, from a special menu of eight entrees, to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Dine in only; beverage and gratuity not included. Limit one free meal. Also receive a $5 “bounce-back card” for a future visit within a three-week redemption window. Must provide proof of service.

Black Rifle Coffee: Offering a free 16-oz. coffee beverage to veterans on Nov. 11 at participating Black Rifle Coffee Company stores. Also, participating stores are offering a 20% discount on retail merchandise, through Nov. 13.

Bob Evans: Offering a free meal, from a special menu of seven items, to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Dine in only; beverage and gratuity not included. Must provide proof of service.

Bombshells Restaurant & Bar: Offering free entrees for veterans (not active duty) at all 12 company-owned and franchised locations in Texas on Nov. 11. Other items will be discounted at 20% for active duty and veterans, and accompanying families will receive a 20% discount on entrees and other items. All other days of the year, active duty and other veterans can receive a 20% discount. Check beforehand what identification can be used for the discount.

California Pizza Kitchen: Offering a free nonalcoholic beverage and choice of one entree, from a special menu at participating locations, to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Dine-in only, gratuity and tax not included.

Cotton Patch Cafe: Offering a free Cotton Patch Cafe Chicken Fried Steak or Chicken Fried Chicken to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. This deal is available during store hours for dine-in only at all their locations. The stores are located in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma.

El Fenix: Offering a free meal with choice of Enchilada Plate or Taco Plate, to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Available at all the Texas chain’s restaurants. The deal is available with proof of service, and is dine-in only.

Golden Corral: Offering a free meal at all locations from 5 p.m. to close on Monday, Nov. 13, to all active duty and other veterans for Military Appreciation Night. For more information, visit www.goldencorral.com/military-appreciation.

Hooters: Offering a free dinner entree from the Veterans Day menu, with purchase of a beverage, to active duty and other veterans, on Nov. 11 at participating Hooters locations. Their Veterans Day menu includes five Hooters entrees. A military ID or other proof of service is required. The offer is for dine-in only.

IHOP: Offering free red, white and blueberry pancakes to active duty and other veterans from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 11 at participating locations. Proof of service required.

Kolache Factory: Offering one free kolache and one cup of coffee to active duty and other veterans, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 11. Government-issued military photo ID or DD 214 required.

Legal Sea Foods: Offering a complimentary cup of clam chowder to active duty and other veterans who dine in restaurant Nov. 11. Locations are in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Virginia. Must show proof of service.

Little Caesars: Offering free lunch combo at participating locations while supplies last, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Nov. 11, to active duty and other veterans. Features four slices deep dish pizza with pepperoni, and a 20-ounce Pepsi product. Proof of service required.

Peet’s Coffee: Offering a free small drip coffee or tea on Nov. 11 to active duty and other veterans at participating Peet’s retail coffeebar locations. Must show proof of valid ID showing active military or veteran status.

Red Lobster: Giving away free printed meal vouchers to active duty, veterans and reservists, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time on Saturday, Nov. 11. The vouchers, for Veterans Shrimp & Chips, can be redeemed beginning Monday, Nov. 13 through Sunday, Dec. 10 for dine-in only. A valid military or proof of service required to redeem the voucher.

Sheetz: Offering a free half turkey sub and a regular size fountain drink to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Sheetz is also offering a free car wash to active duty and veterans, using the $9 car wash option, and is only available at Sheetz stores that have a car wash. Proof of service required.

Shoney’s: Offering free “all you care to eat” breakfast bar, to active duty and other veterans, from opening until 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at participating locations. Beverage and gratuity not included. Proof of service required.

Sizzler: Offering a free lunch to active duty and other veterans, until 4 p.m. Nov. 11, from a choice of three menu entrees. All Sizzler locations are participating, except those in Utah, Idaho, and Puerto Rico., will be offering a free lunch to any active duty military or veteran until 4:00 p.m.

Smoothie King: The smoothie chain is offering a free 20-oz. red, white or blue smoothie to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11.

Snuffer’s: Offering one free burger or sandwich on Nov. 11, to active duty and other veterans who dine in at one of these Texas restaurants. Must provide proof of service.

Starbucks: Offering a free 12-oz. hot brewed coffee or iced coffee at participating stores to active duty, veterans and military spouses on Nov. 11. Available for café and drive-through orders only.

Tuscan Brands Restaurants: Offering a free family-style meal to veterans and their guest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 10, at their locations in Boston, Burlington and Newburyport, Massachusetts; and Salem and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. RSVP by calling the restaurant or online at tuscanbrands.com/veteransday. The restaurants include Tuscan Kitchen, Tuscan Sea Grill & Bar and Toscana Italian Chop House & Wine Bar.

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux: Offering a free Scholarship Burger to all active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11, with proof of service.

Wendy’s: Offering active duty and other veterans a free breakfast combo, at participating locations during breakfast hours, Nov. 11. Combo includes coffee or soft drink, breakfast sandwich and seasoned potatoes. Present military ID or Veterans Advantage card; veterans may also get the deal by showing their VetRewards card at the register.

White Castle: Offering a free individual combo meal or breakfast combo meal to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11 at participating restaurants. Proof of service is requested.

Recreation & travel

AmericanForcesTravel.com: This Defense Department site offers discounts year-round on airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises and event tickets for active duty, retirees, Guard and reserve, Coast Guard, veterans with service-connected disabilities, and other eligible Morale, Welfare and Recreation patrons.

Buena Park, California: The SoCal city has pulled together a number of discounts and deals from local businesses for currently serving and other veterans, for a trip that can be planned at any time through the end of the year, ranging from hotel deals, restaurant deals, and discounts at local attractions. For a full list of military deals, visit https://www.visitbuenapark.com/usmilitarydeals.

Margaritaville at Sea: Offering active duty and other veterans the new Heroes Pass, for $299, with unlimited cruises to the Bahamas from the Port of Palm Beach now through the end of 2024. Passholders and one guest can get unlimited, non-consecutive, sailings aboard the Margaritaville at Sea Paradise. Of note: Sailings booked with this pass can only be booked 24 to 72 hours in advance, so it’s best for those with flexible schedules. The short cruise itineraries make it possible to sail to the Bahamas multiple times a year without using up weeks of vacation time. Through the company’s partnership with GovX, qualifying guests can purchase the Heroes Pass online at margaritavilleatsea.com/current-offers/2024-heroes-pass while supplies last. Guests can also visit MargaritavilleatSea.com for more details and reservations. The price doesn’t include taxes, fees, and port expenses, which must be paid for each guest at time of booking. Limited quantities are available;. November and December 2023 sailings included. Limited blackout dates. 2024 passes expire 12/31/2024.

Mount Vernon: Offering free admission to active duty and other veterans on Nov. 11. Tickets may be picked up upon arrival. Free tickets do not extend to service members’ family members or guests. More information about this Virginia attraction is available at https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/mount-vernon-salutes-veterans/

National Parks: All national parks that charge an entrance fee will offer free admission to everyone on Veterans Day.

Vail Resorts: Current price of Epic Military Pass is $172 per person for the 2023/2024 season, and can be locked in until Nov. 19. This pass provides unlimited, unrestricted access to 41 resorts— including Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Park City, Whistler Blackcomb and Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis. The $172 applies to active duty and their dependents and retirees and their dependents. Veterans and their dependents pay $552 per person for the pass.

VetTix.org: Offers tickets year-round to all military and veterans, including immediate family of troops killed in action. Vet Tix secures tickets to sporting events, concerts, performing arts, educational and family activities across the nation. Tickets are free, with a small delivery fee.

World of Coca-Cola: Offering up to four general admission tickets at half-price to active duty and other veterans, through Sunday, Nov. 13. (The service members/veterans can visit the attraction free of charge year-round.) The discounted tickets must be purchased online in advance; use the promo code VETS2023 at checkout. You’ll be asked to show your military identification when you arrive at the attraction.

Retail

Academy Sports + Outdoors: Offering 10% discount to currently serving military and other veterans through Nov. 12. The discount is applied to the entire purchase, both in store and online. To use the discount online, verify your status with the id.me buttons on the shopping cart page, then copy and paste the promo code into the promo code section on the Shopping Cart page for single-use redemption.

Army & Air Force Exchange Service, or AAFES: Veterans Day savings in brick-and-mortar stores as well at ShopMyExchange.com, to include $300 savings on Samsung Crystal UHD Smart TVs, $900 savings on HP Omen Gaming laptops; $300 off Apple MacBook Air Models with M2 chip; 20% off select Yeti hard-side or soft-side coolers; $130 off Bissell Revolution Hydrosteam Pet Vacuum; additional 20% off on Levis, American Eagle and Lucky; all Bath and Body Works hand soaps for $3.50; $20 off 1.7 oz. Victoria’s Secret Eau de Parfum and $25 off 3.4 oz. bottle. Active duty service members and retirees and their families, veterans with service-connected disabilities and DoD civilians can shop at AAFES stores on base, as well as online. Honorably discharged veterans can shop online at ShopMyExchange.com as well as the other online exchanges, mynavyexchange.com and shopcgx.com.

Happiestbaby.com: Offering 20% military discount on purchase of SNOO bed. Military service is verified through SheerID.

Home Depot: Offering a 10% discount year-round to active duty and other veterans and their spouses. Available online, in the mobile app and in-store. Those eligible receive a maximum $400 maximum discount per year, which resets each calendar year. To enroll, visit homedepot.com/auth/view/signin or open the Home Depot mobile app. Login to your existing personal account or create a new account. Go to the Military Discount page, select “verify military status” and follow the on-screen instructions to complete military verification. Once you’ve successfully completed each step, your personal account on HomeDepot.com will reflect your verified military status. Home Depot uses Sheer ID to verify status.

Lowe’s: Offering a 10% discount year-round to active duty members, veterans and their spouses, with no limit on the maximum amount of discount on eligible items. Visit Lowes.com/military to enroll. Select Verify with ID.me and follow the on-screen instructions to complete military verification. After you’ve been verified, you’ll be asked to create a personal account on Lowes.com or log in to your existing personal account on Lowes.com and follow the on-screen instructions

Parsons Xtreme Golf: Offering 40% off apparel and accessories through Nov. 15 to military and veterans. Offers year-round discounts on select clubs and apparel. Verified online through ID.me.

Samsung: Through the Military Offers Program, active and veteran service members and their families can get up to 30% discount on phones, tablets, smartwatches and more when shopping on Samsung.com. This includes products such as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip5, Galaxy Z Fold5, Galaxy S23 series and Galaxy Tab S9 series. In addition, veterans can get up to 40% off Samsung products through Veterans Advantage. To get the discount, veterans must be enrolled in Veterans Advantage’s VetBenefits program.

Sleep Number: Offering 20% discount on most Sleep Number smart beds, bases, furniture, and bedding to military and veterans. Military service is verified through SheerID for promo code.

Staples: Offering a 25% discount on all in-store purchases through Nov. 11, to active duty and other veterans and their families. Some items are excluded from the discount. Valid military identification required. Present this coupon at checkout.

Target: Offering active duty and other veterans, as well as their spouses and children, a 10% discount on the full basket, which can be used twice through Nov. 11. Some exclusions apply. To redeem the offer, verify eligibility by registering at www.target.com/circle/military. Once verified, customers can also add veteran or dependent status as part of their Target customer profile, and be eligible for future offers for verified military and veteran guests through Target Circle.

Tractor Supply Co.: Offering a 15% discount in stores to active duty and other veterans and their dependents on Nov. 11 with valid military ID or proof of service.

Under Armour: Offering double its usual in-store military discount for active duty and other veterans, military spouses and family members, through Nov. 19. The discount is upped from 20% to 40% at all UA Brand Houses and online, and from 10% to 20% at all UA Factory Houses. Eligibility is verified through ID.me.

Walgreens: Offering 20% discount on regularly priced, eligible items in store from Nov. 10-Nov. 13 to active duty and other veterans and their dependents. Proof of service required. There are exclusions, such as prescriptions, alcohol, dairy, tobacco, gift cards and a number of other items.

Services

Goodyear Auto Service and Just Tires: Offering “Free Car Care Check for Vets,” for currently serving and other veterans from Nov. 10–Nov. 14. Includes free checks of tires, brakes, alignment, fuel system and fluid checks at their locations nationwide, plus an additional 10% off tires and services. Those who can’t get their car in by Nov. 14 can make an appointment by Nov. 14 and get the discount and free services before Nov. 19. Starting Nov. 10, visit goodyearautoservice.com or justtires.com for more information and to book an appointment. Proof of service required.

Great Clips: On Nov. 11, currently serving military and other veterans can get a free haircut or a free haircut card to use later, at any U.S. Great Clips salon. Also, non-military customers who get a haircut on Veterans Day at Great Clips can get a free haircut card to give to a service member or veteran. The cards can be redeemed from Nov. 12–Dec. 1 at any Great Clips salon in the U.S.

Before you go

• Check the fine print and call the participating organization to be sure the offer is available at the time you plan to arrive. That’s especially important in these times of supply chain issues and labor shortages.

• Let the host, cashier, attendant, reservation agent or other relevant employee know up front that you want the discount or deal.

• “Free” isn’t always completely free. A free meal doesn’t always come with a drink, for instance. Be prepared to pay for extras such as taxes (and tip). Most restaurants require patrons to dine in for the deal.

• Call ahead to local establishments to be sure they are aware of, and are participating in, national chain programs. Confirm availability and what type of ID is required.

• Not all offers apply to veterans of all stripes. Be sure you are eligible and you have the appropriate ID/paperwork.

• Not all discounts apply to the entire party. Be sure you’re clear whether family members or guests are covered in the discount.

• It doesn’t hurt to ask a company whether they offer a military discount before you book a reservation or order from your waitress. But don’t act like you expect it.

And there’s a new benefit for military families this year, the Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, which allows families to set aside money before taxes for dependent care expenses. Families sign up for this new benefit during the federal benefits open season.

For Tricare beneficiaries, the open season — from Nov. 13 through Dec. 12 — applies to those enrolled in or eligible for Tricare Prime, including the U.S. Family Health Plan option, or Tricare Select. During this period, enrolled beneficiaries can make changes to their health coverage — such as switching from Tricare Prime to Tricare Select, or moving from individual to family enrollment. If you’re eligible for a Tricare plan but are not enrolled, now is the time to do it.

If you’re already enrolled in a Tricare plan and don’t want to make any changes, you don’t have to take any action; you’ll continue to stay enrolled in that plan. Even if you don’t want to change plans, you should still check to see if there are changes in Tricare costs that could affect you.

The only time you can enroll in or change your Tricare plan is during open season, or a qualifying life event such as moving, birth or adoption of a child, marriage, divorce, retirement from active duty, or a death in the family. Another example is losing or gaining other health insurance.

If you aren’t in a Tricare plan and don’t enroll during open season, the only care in the Military Health System for which you’d be eligible is at a military hospital or clinic — and only if space is available.

Open season doesn’t apply to active duty service members, who have full health coverage, or to those in Tricare for Life, which is automatic for those who have Medicare Part A and Part B. It also doesn’t apply to Tricare premium-based plans — Tricare Reserve Select, Tricare Retired Reserve and Tricare Young Adult — which can be purchased at any time during the year. But those in Tricare Young Adult with either the Prime or Select options can only change plans during open enrollment or a qualifying life event.

Tricare Prime is a health maintenance organization-style plan in which you get most of your care from a primary care manager, with referrals required for specialty care. There is no deductible. Active duty service members, their family members and transitional survivors don’t pay enrollment fees or out-of-pocket costs for covered services. Retirees, their families and all others pay enrollment fees and out-of-pocket costs for covered services except for preventive care.

Tricare Select is a preferred provider organization-style plan in which you choose your Tricare-authorized provider and don’t have to get referrals for most services. There are deductibles, co-payments and cost-shares.

Information on Prime and Select cost changes for 2024 were not yet available at publication time. For more information, visit the Tricare open season page.

Increased costs in premium-based Tricare plans

Military families who are enrolled in the Tricare premium plans for young adults, reservists and retired reservists, and separating service members will once again see hikes in their premiums, starting Jan. 1.

The Tricare Young Adult Prime and Select plans are available for purchase by qualified former dependent children up to age 26. The Tricare Young Adult programs must be at no cost to the government, under the rules set by Congress when it was implemented in 2013. So, the full cost of the program’s premiums is reflected in the fees charged to families. Defense officials look at the health care expenditures for the program for the previous year and calculate the costs.

Pharmacy costs increase

Tricare beneficiaries who get their prescriptions filled at a retail pharmacy or through the mail-order program will pay more for their prescription drugs in 2024, as increases set by a 2018 law go into effect.

There aren’t co-payments for prescriptions filled at military pharmacies.

♦$16 for a 30-day supply of a generic at a retail pharmacy, up from $14 in 2023.

♦$43 for a 30-day supply of a covered name-brand drug at a retail pharmacy, up from $38 in 2023.

♦$13 for a 90-day supply of a generic through the mail-order pharmacy, up from $12 in 2023.

♦$38 for a 90-day supply of a covered name-brand drug through mail-order, up from $34 in 2023.

♦$76 for a 90-day supply of a non-formulary prescription drug — not on the list of drugs that are covered by Tricare — up from $68 in 2023.

Changes coming

Pending the outcome of a contract protest, a new generation of Tricare managed-care contracts will probably start in 2025. It takes about a year to transition to the new contracts, so for now, beneficiaries continue with the current contractors under the current system.

When the new contracts do kick in, about 1 million beneficiaries in six states will move from the East Region to the West Region. Those states are Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin. This is to more equally distribute the number of beneficiaries between the regions.

One thing the new contracts will do is require the contractors to do more rigorous checking of their provider network directories, to ensure those doctors and other providers are still accepting Tricare patients. But DoD health officials are working with current contractors to address that issue now, to improve access to health care for military families.

Some changes already implemented in 2023 include Tricare coverage for preconception and prenatal carrier screening tests for cystic fibrosis, spinal muscular atrophy, fragile X syndrome, Tay-Sachs disease, hemoglobinopathies, and conditions linked with Ashkenazi Jewish descent. Tricare also eliminated cost-sharing for female tubal sterilization as a preventive service, when performed by Tricare-authorized providers.

Dental

Families of active duty, National Guard and reserve service members — as well as guardsmen and reservists who aren’t on active duty — are eligible for the Tricare Dental Program, which requires separate enrollment.

Most retirees and their family members are eligible for dental and vision coverage under the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, or FEDVIP, which is administered by the Office of Personnel Management and also requires separate enrollment.

The open season for FEDVIP is Nov. 13 through Dec. 11, which is one day shorter than the Tricare open season.

The rates for FEDVIP will go up an average of 1.4% for dental in 2024, according to OPM

Twelve dental carriers provide 23 dental plan options available across FEDVIP. Seven of those dental carriers offer a combined 14 nationwide dental plan options. The remaining five carriers offer regional coverage.

If you’re already enrolled in a FEDVIP dental and/or vision plan and don’t want to make a change, your enrollment will automatically continue.

Vision

Those in the military community must be enrolled in a Tricare health plan to be eligible for FEDVIP vision coverage. Those eligible include active duty family members, retirees and their eligible family members, and Selected Reserve members and their families.

The 2024 average premium for vision plans will increase by 1.1% over the 2023 rates, according to the Office of Personnel Managment.

Five national providers offer 10 vision insurance plans available to all eligible for FEDVIP.

Visit www.benefeds.com to enroll in FEDVIP and to get more information.

The flexible spending account, announced by Department of Defense officials earlier this year, helps defray the cost of child care and other dependent care by providing tax savings. Many military families have long faced difficulties in finding affordable, quality child care, and the pandemic has exacerbated the problem, with lasting effects on availability.

Military Times has delved into details about the new benefit, how you enroll, how it works, and what you need to consider.

Service members can enroll in this benefit program through the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program, known as FSAFEDS, which is sponsored by the Office of Personnel Management. Enrollment happens during open season every year, and this year it’s Nov. 13 through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Dec. 11. FSAFEDS provides information for military members about the program in advance of the enrollment period.

The bottom line is the savings. With a $5,000 contribution, a family with an average federal income tax rate of 12% could potentially save about $600 by participating in the program, according to Jennifer Walker, DoD’s executive director for dependent care flexible spending accounts. That estimate is for general purposes, and Walker noted that it doesn’t take into account potential added savings from FICA and state income taxes.

In 2023, married couples with income from $22,000 to $89,450 are in the 12% tax rate bracket. The Internal Revenue Service adjusts these brackets annually for inflation, and is expected to announce the 2024 tax brackets within the next few weeks.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2021, about 43% of American workers had access to dependent care flexible accounts. For years, military family advocates have urged defense officials to offer this benefit to ease the cost of child care.

Families can contribute as little as $100, and as much as $5,000 over the year to this account. A $5,000 yearly contribution works out to about $417 a month from military pay. That amount is deducted from pay before taxes, so this reduces the amount of total income subject to taxes. Thus, a family with $60,000 in income who contributes $5,000 to their account would only be taxed on $55,000.

Common eligible expenses for flexible spending accounts include child care, preschool, before- and after-school care, day camps, and child or adult day care. Examples of expenses that are not eligible include elementary school tuition, overnight or sleepaway camps, nursing care, and activity lessons such as piano or karate lessons.

Starting in 2024, service members who have enrolled through FSAFEDS will submit substantiated claims for their dependent care expenses through FSAFEDS, to get reimbursed for their expenses.

Everyone’s situation is different, and Walker advised service members to estimate their expected dependent care expenses for 2024, to determine the amount they need to set aside in these accounts. She encouraged troops to take advantage of DoD’s free counseling and advice from personal financial management counselors at many military installations, and tax counselors available all year through DoD’s Military OneSource.com. FSAFEDS also offers free benefits counseling.

Who is eligible?

Active duty members and Active Guard Reserve members on Title 10 orders who pay for the care of an eligible dependent are eligible. Those are children under age 13, or dependents of any age if they are physically or mentally incapable of caring for themselves.

The dependent who receives the care must be claimed as a dependent on the federal tax return.

The care must be required to enable the service member and spouse, if married, to work, look for work or attend school full time.

Service members who use the DoD child care fee assistance program can also participate in the flexible spending accounts, based on the amount they’re paying out of pocket for child care.

While the enrollment period is generally limited to the federal benefits open season period, there may be exceptions made for qualifying life events, such as permanent change of station moves, deployments, birth of a child, or divorce. A service member can enroll, disenroll, or change their election amount when these events happen. But, as Walker noted, when such an event happens, the funds already contributed to the flex spending account will stay in the account, and can continue to be claimed for eligible expenses until the end of the calendar year. Funds that have already been contributed won’t be refunded if there’s a qualifying life event.

Tax implications

While the flexible spending account does offer tax savings to help reduce the bite of child care costs, there are some points to consider.

If you have more than $5,000 in dependent care expenses, you may still be able to take advantage of both the child and dependent care tax credit and the flexible spending account, Walker noted. But you can’t use the same expenses for both tax incentives. FSAFEDS provides a calculator to help you determine the best option between a flexible spending account and the child and dependent care tax credit.

If the non-military spouse of a service member has a flexible spending account through his or her employer, or if that spouse receives dependent care assistance through the employer, the combination of the dependent care flexible spending account and that employer’s fee assistance can’t exceed $5,000 per tax year.

Child care fees plunge for many military families

Getting ready

Walker advised service members to decide whether they want to enroll in the dependent care flexible spending account by estimating the amount of money they’re going to spend on child care in 2024. Remember that for many military families using DoD child care, the cost of child care will decrease in 2024, so you may not be spending as much money on child care as you are spending in 2023.

Additionally, any funds in your account that you don’t use within certain federal deadlines are forfeited. If you don’t use all the money you’ve contributed to your account by Dec. 31, 2024, you’ll have until March 15, 2025 to use the funds for qualified expenses. Claims must be submitted by April 30, 2025 for dependent care expenses.

Be aware that you won’t be reimbursed for expenses until there’s money in the account. So while you can file claims for expenses that start Jan. 1, 2024, reimbursements from FSAFEDS can’t be made until funds are available in the account. Service members’ contributions will first be available in early February, after the pay date at the end of January, Walker said.

Once January rolls around, don’t forget to save your receipts for dependent care. Claims have to be substantiated with receipts that include the dependent’s name, the provider’s name, date of service, a detailed description of the type of service, and the amount paid for the service.

Don’t forget to file claims for reimbursement, Walker said. You can submit the claims as you pay for the dependent care, or submit them periodically. You can file claims online, through the FSAFEDS app, or by fax or mail. By setting up an online account at FSAFEDS, you can check account balances, submit claims and review their status, and select your reimbursement preferences — by direct deposit or by check.

“In the last year, my rent has gone up and matched every single BAH increase so it’s made no difference to my yearly income,” said the soldier, based at Fort Carson, Colorado.

“Is there anything we’re going to put in place to protect service members so they [don’t have to] live paycheck to paycheck anymore?”

That housing allowance is a key financial component for military families, and over the last few years, service members have gotten boosts in pay and BAH to counter the increases in cost of living. “However, as soon as those pay increases are announced, the surrounding community increases the cost of living and the rent,” said the soldier.

The senior leaders discussed some of their efforts across a myriad of areas to improve the lives of soldiers and families, including some areas where they need to push for change at the national level. Troops and families laid out some of their concerns, like the rent increases, to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Randy George, and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer.

Information on military pay and BAH rates is public knowledge. The issue of how BAH rates affect the rental market in the local community has been brought up for decades, and has been periodically discussed by lawmakers and service officials, as well as how BAH rates are determined.

“We talk about this all the time,” said George, adding that he, too, has seen the lock-step increases happen in communities near installations. He added that the Army doesn’t control the landlords who provide housing in the civilian community, and “some of this is capitalism,” George said. “They’re facing inflation, too.” Officials have floated some ideas such as giving a tax break to landlords who rent to service members, to alleviate some of the effects.

“This is a little bit of the dark side of capitalism,” said Wormuth. “Landlords are doing what’s in their own interest. We, at our level nationally…need to talk to members of Congress to highlight this issue.” Garrison commanders also need to engage with their local community leaders and congressional representatives about the issue, she said.

When the Army is considering where to put soldiers when they’re increasing force structure, this could be a factor that could be considered. They do an analysis of a variety of factors in determining the best locations, including community support for service members and families. The Army could “put a little pressure on some of the property owners, to work with the business community and local authorities,” she said, “and say, ‘Hey, if you are constantly raising rates every time we raise BAH, that’s not supporting us. And frankly, it’s making it harder for everyone in Colorado Springs to be in an affordable place.”

Senior leaders will also weigh in on another nationwide issue — states’ implementation of a new law that requires them to allow military spouses to transfer professional licenses following a permanent change of station move. “We’ve seen uneven implementation of that,” Wormuth said. “So we need to continue working with governors across the country to get that law implemented.”

The law took effect in January, aimed at easing the strains on military spouses who face bureaucratic and expensive processes to transfer their license to a new location in order to work. It affects a variety of occupations ranging from nursing to cosmetology to teaching, for example.

It's official: Military spouses to get employment relief after moving

There’s a limited amount of money to address all quality of life issues immediately, and while leaders are pumping money into barracks and other needs, they’re also looking at some changes that could make a difference without funding, in regulations and policies, for example. Service officials have looked for a long time at what can be done to reduce the number of PCS moves, George said. And they’re looking at ways to get at the shortage of child care, especially trying to deal with the problems of recruiting staff for military child care centers.

A perennial problem is getting information to soldiers and families about the resources that are available.

But navigating those resources can be a problem, too, as one Army Reserve soldier said.

“My wife said she would rather deal with Comcast than try to find information from the Army,” he said. That comment got a reaction from the packed crowd at the popular forum.

George responded by bringing up the new Army app, MyArmyPost, which was introduced at the annual meeting. The information is individually tailored to the person using the app, with local real-time information about their installations, such as which gates are open, and where there are traffic backups, as well as details about resources, programs and services available. He wants feedback on the app, he said.

Information is a two-way street, and the leaders urged soldiers and families to communicate their concerns.

Enlisted leaders need to develop trust, be aware, and know about the problems of their troops, whether it’s conditions in the barracks, issues with family housing, or health care, said Weimer.

“We’re struggling on the health care piece. But the noncommissioned officer should probably be the first to know if someone is struggling with health care,” he said. “That’s being cohesive. That’s being a good team lead.”

When the audience was polled on their opinions of top quality of life issues where the Army should focus its efforts, at the top of the list were: health care, housing and barracks, PCS moves, child care and spouse employment.

“None of these surprise us today. We absolutely know they are important,” Weimer said. “We absolutely know these are priorities, and we’re taking a look at each and every one of them.

“They’re all difficult. They’re wicked hard problems. But I want to be sure you know we care about these things.”

They want to know, for example, how many military families have had to pay out of pocket for changes to their on-base housing — such as drop-down rails or ramps — in the past 10 years, and how many families have had to pay to undo the changes when they moved out of their homes.

“There is a clear need for additional actions by DoD, as well as oversight from Congress, in order to address concerns about the [Exceptional Family Member Program] raised by residents, surveys, Government Accountability Office reports, and congressional investigations and testimony,” wrote Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., in their Oct. 5 letter addressed to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Warren chairs the Senate Armed Services personnel subcommittee.

DoD’s Exceptional Family Member Program is designed to provide support to military families with a physical, emotional, developmental or intellectual disorder requiring specialized services. According to DoD, as of 2022, about 110,000 active duty members were in the program, which is mandatory for active duty personnel who have a family member with special medical or educational needs.

Military families have raised a variety of concerns about different aspects of EFMP over the years. In response, DoD took steps this year to standardize policies related to identification and enrollment in EFMP, assignment coordination, support for the families, disenrollment and respite care.

The senators’ questions are specifically about housing, following up on information they received from DoD last year, such as the availability and tracking of housing that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Defense officials didn’t respond to Military Times’ queries, saying they will respond directly to the senators, who have given them until Oct. 19 to provide the requested information.

According to a small, online survey by the Military Housing Advocacy Network, about 20% of respondents said they were forced to use their own money to pay for necessary ADA accommodations at their on-base housing, such as drop-down rails and ramps.

These problems were confirmed by DoD in its 2022 response. Tenants at several Army bases were required to pay for ADA accommodations, but not Navy and Marine Corps families. The Air Force didn’t collect the information. Without it, the Air Force can’t adequately oversee its EFMP and whether its providing comprehensive support, the senators said.

Some EFMP families have said the “outrageous” housing process requires an excessive amount of paperwork requiring “an uncomfortable amount of information” about their health status to get assigned to an ADA-compliant home. DoD didn’t respond to the senators’ previous questions about these concerns, and the senators are pressing for more information on what DoD is doing to protect families’ privacy.

The senators ask for specifics on a number of issues, such as:

• Housing waitlists for EFMP families;
• The number of ADA-compliant homes available at each installation;
• How many complaints have been received from EFMP families related to housing;
• What penalties housing companies face for not providing ADA-compliant housing; and
• How many penalties DoD has imposed over the past five years.

According to the department’s 2022 response, while privatized housing companies maintain waitlists of families who need accessible housing, some of the Army and Marine Corps’ on-base housing offices said they don’t have access to them. The Air Force said 28 out of 69 installations either didn’t maintain waitlists or the information was not available.

DoD must centralize and standardize housing waitlists and wait times to ensure military families can move in a timely manner and get appropriate housing, and that privatized housing companies are complying with disability laws, the senators wrote.

There are installations where the average amount of time a family spends on a waitlist isn’t tracked at all, but the information that is reported “is disturbing,” senators said. More than 10 bases reported wait times of more than 90 days in 2020. One Army base reported wait times had gotten worse, with an average of nine to 12 months in 2020, compared to two to six months in 2018.

DoD must accurately track the availability of ADA-compliant housing and any complaints related to it, the senators said. Even the services that do collect the number of requests for ADA housing don’t do it consistently. The Army and the Air Force EFMP offices don’t track request and complaint information at all. The Navy and Marine Corps EFMP offices do collect requests, but not complaints.

“The incremental improvements and continued oversight challenges make the lives of service members and their families difficult and raise questions about morale and readiness which also impact retention,” the senators wrote.

“Nothing will ever be the same for our family,” said Anne Surette, whose husband, Timothy, is a civilian employee of the Defense Intelligence Agency. “Everything has been a nightmare that will not go away.”

The Surette family boarded a Patriot Express flight, a commercial airliner contracted by Air Mobility Command, and left South Korea Aug. 17 during the first leg of their permanent change of station move to Washington, D.C. In the hold were the family’s two pets, she said,11-year-old Winter, an Olde English bullldog, and 5-year-old Soju, a French bulldog. Both were healthy before the flight, she said.

When the plane stopped for a scheduled layover at Misawa Air Base, Japan, they were able to take the dogs out to walk and feed them. Both dogs were okay at that point, she said.

But after the passengers reboarded the plane, they were told there would be a delay. As the plane sat on the tarmac, it lost power and the air conditioner quit working, Even so, for the next two hours, no one could leave the plane, including the dogs.

“It was hot in the cabin for us,” she said.

About 40 minutes into that delay, the flight attendant said they had checked on the dogs and given them water; later they said they opened the door to allow air flow for the dogs.

But when they arrived in Seattle, after an 8½-hour flight, they were informed their dogs didn’t make it, Surette said. The Surettes found that Winter’s water bottle had disappeared and Soju’s bottle was empty.

Ironically, the Surettes had decided to take that flight because it was supposed to be a temperature-controlled aircraft. Patriot Express flights can accept pets for transportation during a PCS move on a limited space-available basis. The rates vary from $125 to $375, depending on the weight of the pet.

“What happened that it was so hot for Winter and Soju to suffer and then [leave] us?” Surette wrote in a Facebook post that same day “Why didn’t they take the dogs out when we had to wait in the heat for almost two hours?”

She posted pictures of their deceased dogs and noted that both Soju and Winter looked like they were sleeping.

“Their bodies were stiff and hard,” she said.”

No other pets died on this flight, according to the Air Mobility Command.

The day after their flight, Aug. 18, two Air Force officers came to meet them at their hotel, Surette told Military Times. “They said they would be in touch with the command team in Japan and launch an investigation,” she said.

Air Mobility Command leaders “were able to meet with the family on Friday to express condolences, answer their questions and offer support,” said Air Force 1st Lt. James Stewart, in an Aug. 23 email response to questions. AMC officials have looked into the circumstances surrounding this mission, which involved a mix of military and contracted support, he said.

“Once passengers and pets were loaded onto the plane, the international charter service personnel take over the remainder of coordination for preparing the aircraft, passengers and pets for flight,” he said. “It is at this point that AMC personnel were no longer involved in the immediate decision-making and preparation of flight.

“However, AMC leadership and teams will continue to work on improving processes for our families and their pets,” he said.

“While we cannot change the outcome of this unfortunate situation, AMC leadership is analyzing the circumstances of this mission and are committed to doing all they can to reduce negative outcomes while still providing pet transport for our service members.”

The deaths of the two pet bulldogs comes just over a year after the four-star general in charge of Air Mobility Command apologized to military families for the deaths of three dogs during overseas moves during a two-week period in July 2022.

In a statement emailed to Military Times, Liz K. Hensel, CEO and founder of Leave No Paws Behind USA, said she is “disappointed and heartbroken for the family who lost their two dogs.” The organization’s mission is helping military families with their pet transportation costs when they move to and from overseas locations.

“Not only is this unacceptable but it could have been completely avoidable. Service members shouldn’t have to think, ‘Is my pet going to survive this flight?’ when PCSing,” Hensel said.

“Air Mobility Command needs to answer to this family. What are the contingency plans if there is another power loss and you have pets in cargo? Are there air conditioned rooms nearby for pets and families to wait in? This family will never be the same due to their negligence. This family and all the other families will never be the same.”

Until now, and “despite it being one of the hottest years on record, AMC had suffered one pet fatality this season,” Stewart said. He noted AMC has made a number of changes over the past year to improve pet safety, to include authorizing pets to stay in AMC terminals with their owners until boarding and loading pets as late as possible. The animals are also taken off the plane at transit locations and loaded as late as possible for the next flight segment, so they aren’t in the lower compartment for the full duration of the route.

“Ground air-conditioning units are also used to cool the lower compartment in the aircraft if and when available,” he said.

“We deeply regret the deaths of these pets,” Stewart said. “We take the movement of families and pets very seriously, and that’s why we’ve adjusted our procedures and have implemented changes to better serve customers. We continue to coordinate with air carriers to improve travel and we take pride and professionalism to ensure passengers, families and their pets receive the best service and care that we can offer.”

According to information provided to Military Times by Air Mobility Command in 2022, 16 animals had died between 2017, when AMC began transporting pets around the world, and 2022. In those five years, AMC had transported nearly 46,000 pets.

Fourteen of the pets that died were dogs of snub-nosed breeds, like bulldogs and pugs, whose shortened snouts make them more prone to respiratory problems.

Air Force general apologizes after 3 pets die in flight during moves

A number of airlines severely restrict or eliminate travel for certain breeds, health conditions and climates.

Stewart noted the trends of certain breeds, such as snub/short-nosed dogs, that are at greater risk for air transport. This is briefed to travelers before their travel, and they are required to acknowledge they’ve considered the risk, he said.

AMC officials advise travelers to follow their AMC travel page for the most up-to-date information, and to read the pet travel pamphlet that’s provided to everyone traveling on Patriot Express flights. Pet owners should also check with their veterinarian.

The American Veterinarian Medical Association notes that the U.S. Department of Transportation released statistics in 2010 showing that short-nosed breeds of dogs — such as pugs, Boston terriers, boxers, some mastiffs, Pekingese, Lhasa Apsos, Shih tzus and bulldogs — are more likely to die on airplanes than dogs with normal-length muzzles.

Because of these shortened muzzles, the organization states, “they don’t breathe as efficiently as dogs with normal-length snouts and can have difficulty cooling off when they’re playing or exercising, or if they’re stressed or overheated.”

But questions remain about what measures were taken in the extreme heat when the aircraft lost power.

Over the past few years, transportation of pets during PCS has become increasingly difficult and expensive for military families.

Under a new Defense Department policy that takes effect Jan. 1, troops on PCS orders may be reimbursed for the eligible costs of relocating one dog or one cat per move. The DoD policy allows reimbursement of up to $2,000 if the move is made to or from overseas.