Navy Nurse Uniform Anniversary
January 22nd, 2009
Navy Nurse Uniform authorized Jan 22, 1923
Well, of sorts. The white indoor duty uniform, authorized from 22 January 1923, has been modified quite a few times over the last 86 years. I think the only thing it may have in common with today’s uniform is the color.
One other important fact about 1923 was the beginning of a uniform allowance for Navy Nurses, six long years after the female Yeomen! Military pay and allowances were very different then than today.
The first uniform regulation (Read the rest of the story…)
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Hard EAOS and SRB
January 9th, 2009
NAVADMIN 006/09 was released today placing a re-enlistment requirement of 90 days from the end of your obligated service (EAOS) for getting your selective reenlistment bonus (SRB). At least one of the exceptions is Sailors who are eligible for combat zone tax exclusion (CZTE) or serving in a qualified hazardous duty area (HDA) and have a hard EAOS that falls in the most current fiscal year are not subject to the 90-day rolling window of eligibility and are authorized to reenlist anytime within the fiscal year. These Sailors, along with command career counselors must annotate in the remarks section of the pre-certification request whether they are currently CZTE eligible or serving in a qualified HDA. A condition of approval of this pre-certification request is that the Sailor’s reenlistment occurs in a month during which CZTE or HDA qualification applies. Here is the NAVADMIN in its entirety; (Read the rest of the story…)
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Happy New Year 2009
January 1st, 2009
Ahh, another year is upon us. 2009 should prove to be one of the more interesting years. The year will start by ushering in a new president, comparatively inexpensive gas prices, corporation bailouts and the potential for more stimulus programs.
I believe 2009 will end with a very interesting 2010 budget battle and the politics of earmarks and such. The subject most near and dear to my heart will concern the military benefits and pay issues. Now that the election is over… I wonder.
Over the last few years President Bush has used the Employment Cost Index (ECI) published by the Department of Labor to determine his proposals to congress for military pay raises. President-elect Obama has yet to demonstrate what his methodology may be. For the last few years, in an effort to close the gap with the private sector, congress has increased each proposal by .5% – but, with the tenuous economic situation in the United States, 2010 will be fascinating to watch. With companies like FEDEX having their employees take a 5% pay cut I wonder if this may be the year we see no raises at all…
I put together basic pay charts showing a 2.9% raise for 2010 based on the ECI. I will of (Read the rest of the story…)
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Housing Allowance Rates Up for 2009
December 15th, 2008
Basic allowance for housing (BAH) for the United States military went up an average of 6.9% for 2009 according to an article released today by the Armed Forces Press Service. BAH is a monthly amount paid in addition to (Read the rest of the story…)
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Military Retired Pay Cola Increase for 2009
October 16th, 2008
Navy Times reported today that our military retired pay cost of living increase will be 5.8% for 2009.
The Dec. 1 cost-of-living adjustment for military and federal civilian retirees, disabled veterans and survivors will be 5.8 percent, with the increase first appearing in Jan. 1 checks.
Every little bit helps 
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2009 Defense Bill is Law
October 14th, 2008
Today the President signed into law the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. This law approves the 3.9% military basic pay raise.
Along with the much needed pay raise and other defense related authorizations this years budget includes the authorization to the Department of Energy to receive $9,752,507,000 for the activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration in carrying out programs necessary for national security.
Oh, and my favorite amendment, Sec. 316 which is a comprehensive program for the eradication of the brown tree snake population from military facilities in Guam. So I guess all who voted for the bill are for the troops but against nature Gotta love politics! (Read the rest of the story…)
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More Admirals, Less Master Chiefs?
September 27th, 2008
In the 2009 defense bill, which is expected to be signed into law by 30 September, the Secretary of Defense will be authorized to designate up to 324 general and flag officer joint duty positions that will not count against service star-rank authorizations, and to take steps to improve the quality of officers in such positions. Also, the Army will be authorized five more general officers and the Marine Corps one more (from Star and Stripes).
The Navy will be reducing the end-strength in 2009 requiring the overall billets available for Senior and Master Chiefs to decrease due to the caps dictated by Title 10. The Flag Officer number (Read the rest of the story…)
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No Surprise – Senate Passes 2009 Defense Bill
September 17th, 2008
The bill passed by an 88-8 vote, and yes the additional $5 billion in pork made it in. Now the House reconciles their version with the Senates and will be presented to the President in short order.
Unlike last year the 2009 bill has a good chance of being signed in enough time to ensure the 3.9% pay raises will be see in the 15 January pay check. I guess that in itself is worth the $5 billion 
(Read the rest of the story…)
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Congressional Pawns
September 16th, 2008
Laurie Kellman of the Associated Press wrote today that the Senate did a test vote to see is the FY 2009 defense bill had a chance of passing if brought to a real vote… It did. The real vote is scheduled for 17 September in the PM.
Why was everyone concerned if it would pass? In the 2009 Defense bill an additional $5 Billion in pork spending, Senators “Pet projects”, has been added.
And with a politics as usual approach, if any Senator disagrees with the bill’s passage that Senator would be labeled as anti-troops. By voting against the bill the Senator would be voting against the pay raise – that is what some members of Congress want you to think.
Look, I am all for a pay raise, it should be much higher than the proposed 3.9% – Lord (Read the rest of the story…)
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09 Pay Raise is Getting Closer
September 8th, 2008
The FY 2009 defense authorization bill may be coming up for some real debate in the very near future. On the table among other very important issues is the 3.9% proposed raise in military pay. The 3.9% raise isn’t really in doubt but there has been recent rumblings an even higher raise could happen for 09 – this reporter will keep his ear to the tracks and give any warnings this may be true, stay tuned.
GOP To Drop Filibuster of Defense Authorization Bill
Senate Republicans were expected Monday to drop their filibuster of the defense authorization bill over unrelated energy issues, setting up what could be at least a week of debate on national security, a senior GOP aide said.
The Senate was expected to vote late Monday to limit debate on proceeding to the bill, which it eventually is expected to pass. In a July 31 vote, the Senate fell nine votes short of the 60 needed to limit debate on the motion to proceed, with most Republicans holding firm against moving forward.
There was no agreement yet to limit the number or kind of amendments that can be debated on the bill, the aide said.
Up to now, Republicans have resisted Democratic attempts to limit the debate to germane amendments. That formula would exclude non-defense proposals, such as GOP proposals to lift the ban on offshore oil drilling or Democratic favorites such as an amendment to define as hate crimes offenses motivated by bias based on gender, sexual orientation or disability.
The bill would authorize $612.5 billion for defense programs in the Defense and Energy departments for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. That sum includes $70 billion for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. All funds would have to be appropriated in separate bills.
Though Democrats are not expected to renew the debate about withdrawing troops from Iraq, they may try to add language to require that Congress approve any long-term security agreement between the United States and Iraq. The administration has threatened to veto the House version (HR 5658) of the bill over similar language.
That bill, which the House passed in May, drew veto threats over a wide range of provisions, some of which have counterparts in the Senate version. The White House has yet to weigh in on the Senate bill.
I hope in the end we don’t get into the same crap as last year. Congress, get it done now and (Read the rest of the story…)
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