Trump’s allegations involve the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, or UOCAVA, a law protecting the rights of such groups to vote in federal elections.

The Republican presidential nominee wrote on his Truth Social platform last week that Democrats are working to get millions of votes from overseas voters.

“Actually they are getting ready to CHEAT!” Trump wrote. “They are going to use UOCAVA to get ballots, a program that emails ballots overseas without any citizenship check or verification of identity whatsoever.”

Trump further alleged that Democrats “want to dilute the TRUE vote of our beautiful military and their families.”

Trump’s post comes amid Republican concerns that absentee voting allows the potential for greater voter fraud, and for ballots to be cast by noncitizens. Some critics have also questioned the verification process for absentee ballots.

No evidence has arisen of any widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, and some analysts warn that raising concerns about such systems without evidence decreases Americans’ trust in their elections.

When it comes to UOCAVA voters, experts say it would be practically impossible to alter the vote tally in any meaningful way.

While UOCAVA ensures the rights of overseas and military voters to cast their ballots, voter eligibility is determined by thousands of local election officials across the country who handle UOCAVA voter ballot requests and ballots separately.

A soldier with a home of record in Hennepin County, Minnesota, for example, must contact the Hennepin County election office to register and request a ballot. A sailor with a home of record in Cobb County, Georgia, must contact the Cobb County election officer to register and request a ballot.

As such, experts in the field say, any unified effort to steal or inflate the UOCAVA vote would be essentially impossible, given all the election offices involved.

“We’re talking about ballots that go through 7,500 jurisdictions, where election officials can pinpoint erratic patterns,” Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, president and CEO of the nonpartisan U.S. Vote Foundation, told Military Times. “To be a fraudulent UOCAVA voter, you’d have to come up with an identity of someone who lives in a certain place at a certain time, and had an address and their identification.”

Absentee voting deadlines loom for troops and their families

The system for overseas and military absentee voting is so diffuse that any large-scale fraud couldn’t conceivably happen, she said.

Dzieduszycka-Suinat has worked in the field of overseas voting for years, and said she had never heard of a case where a UOCAVA voter who didn’t have identification was allowed to vote.

Trump’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment this week regarding the Truth Social post.

Dzieduszycka-Suinat said there may be more attention on overseas voters this cycle because of the role UOCAVA ballots played in the close races in Arizona and Georgia in 2020.

On the same day that Trump posted about UOCAVA ballots, the Democratic Party arm for American expats noted that “votes from abroad ensured that both Arizona and Georgia went for Biden-Harris.”

Trump’s post is accurate in noting that Democrats have announced efforts to get out the overseas vote, saying there are 9 million eligible American citizen voters, far higher than government estimates of 2.9 million.

While there has been a significant rise in overseas citizen ballot requests for this election, Bob Carey, a retired Navy captain and former director of the government’s Federal Voting Assistance Program, or FVAP, said Democrats’ estimate of 9 million overseas voters is “unrealistically high.”

Carey, who has also worked on several Republican campaigns, said such an estimate makes it “understandable why people would be concerned.”

“But I still don’t think there will be widespread voting by noncitizens using UOCAVA,” he said.

Each local election jurisdiction has different requirements regarding what they will accept to determine an overseas or military voter’s eligibility and legitimacy.

“I think that election officials are exceedingly careful about who they approve when they come with the Federal Post Card Application, and they don’t give the voters an easy time,” Dzieduszycka-Suinat said. “They want to be sure it can stand up to scrutiny.”

“We’ve had situations lately where UOCAVA voters who didn’t have the requested ID are being turned down,” she added, pointing to three would-be UOCAVA Ohio voters and one Oregon voter who have recently been turned down because they didn’t have the requested ID, and Dzieduszycka-Suinat suspects there are probably more.

Amid the partisan rancor of American election season, Dzieduszycka-Suinat said she prefers to view Trump’s post as an indicator that the overseas vote is increasingly relevant to those back home.

“Maybe this informs people that they do have the right to vote and it’s all hogwash,” Dzieduszycka-Suinat said. “I can only assume the power of the overseas vote is growing. Why else would a candidate care?”

Deputy editor Leo Shane III contributed to this report

The Defense Commissary Agency has taken steps since August to lessen the impact of possible disruptions, said John E. Hall, director and CEO of the agency.

That includes increased grocery orders for commissaries in Europe and Puerto Rico, which would be affected by a port work stoppage. Officials are also working with the industry sealift carriers to make sure all booked containers clear the port of Norfolk, Virginia, before the end of September, he said.

If a strike does happen, Hall said, DeCA is preparing to be able to use military airlifts of priority products into Europe and Puerto Rico.

That includes fresh beef, items such as baby formula, baby food, bread, hot and cold cereal, cheese, eggs, frozen juice, milk, frozen vegetables and certain canned foods.

“If we have additional capacity, we will also include highly sensitive chilled products,” he said.

Those decisions about airlifts will be based on customer need, product shelf life, projected port deliveries, and availability of products from local and U.S. suppliers.

“DeCA can assure our customers that we diligently monitor inventory levels and maintain regular communications with our industry suppliers to support the grocery needs of our patrons,” Hall added.

The general consensus is that if the strike is goes on for more than a week, it would cause major disruptions. It could take five to six weeks to recover after even one week of a strike.

And other shipments in the military community could be affected, too, such as shipments to and from overseas of service members’ household goods and vehicles, which go on commercial carriers.

U.S. Transportation Command did not respond by Military Times’ deadline to questions about the potential effects on service members and families, and any actions being taken to plan to mitigate any problems.

The International Longshoremen’s Association’s six-year contract is set to expire on Monday, and the union says it will strike at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. A strike would shut down as many as 36 ports that handle nearly half of the cargo going in and out of the U.S. on ships, the AP noted.

If a strike does happen, it would be the first national work stoppage by the ILA since 1977, according to the AP. Even a brief strike would cause disruptions to the economy, and create a shipping backlog.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the U.S. Maritime Alliance, representing East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, posted a statement online Thursday that they’ve filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, asking that federal agency to require the Longshoremen’s union to resume bargaining.

It’s not clear how many aspects of the military community this would affect. ILA President Harold Daggett posted on the union’s Facebook page that their 85,000 members will continue to handle all military cargo, even if there is a strike. The union will also continue to work passenger cruise vessels, Daggett said.

Military stores scrambling to get baby formula -- what new parents need to know

Military exchanges

Exchange officials say they don’t expect stores to be affected by a short-time strike, but that will change if there is a prolonged strike, just as it will affect retail stores across the country.

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service and Navy Exchange Service Command have been increasing their stock over the last several weeks, and a short-term strike isn’t expected to affect customers..

AAFES’ logistics and merchandising teams are working to ensure exchange stores are prepared for possible broader challenges in the event of a longer shutdown of ports, said AAFES spokesman Chris Ward

In addition to increasing stock to bolster levels in overseas distribution centers, NEXCOM officials have put airfreight carriers on standby in case they need to ship merchandise by air, spokesperson Kristine Sturkie said.

“In the event of a prolonged strike, NEXCOM would pivot to shipping ocean containers from the West Coast and air freighting merchandise, as needed, to fill gaps in the pipeline,” she said. “Depending on the length of time of the potential strike, NEXCOM can move shipments from the West Coast to Europe, Bahrain and Djibouti, ensuring we have the merchandise our military members and families need on our shelves.”

Marine Corps exchange customers should see minimal impact as their exchanges don’t move products in or out of East Coast or Gulf Coast ports. Since all their overseas bases are in the Pacific, their direct operations are West Coast-focused, spokesperson Bryan Driver said.

But he noted that their vendors might be affected by the strikes, “with as-yet-undetermined future impact to our supply chain.”

The looming strike comes at a time when the military exchanges have been getting shipments of holiday items in preparation for the heavy Christmas shopping season. Officials don’t expect those shipments to be affected. Many of the Navy exchange holiday items have already shipped to the overseas stores, said NEXCOM’s Sturkie.

Household goods shipments

The moving industry is also unclear about which military cargo would be moved and whether it would include service members’ household goods in the event of strikes.

“We haven’t heard directly from the [International Longshoremen’s Association] on military cargo, or [household goods] specifically,” said Daniel Bradley, vice president of government and military relations for the International Association of Movers. “We hope to have more clarity with respect to what cargo may continue to be moved if a strike occurs.”

He said it’s not clear if dockworkers would know which shipments to move, “since outside of military-centered ports and obvious military cargo, most [household goods] shipments are containerized and not as obvious.”

If you’ve already registered to vote, requested your ballot and received your ballot, fill out that ballot and return it as soon as possible, said Scott Wiedmann, director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program, or FVAP. Give it plenty of time to get back to your local election officials.

About three-fourths of the 1.4 million active duty service members are eligible to vote by absentee ballot because they are stationed away from their voting residence, according to FVAP. In addition, their family members can vote by absentee ballot.

Over the years, FVAP, postal officials, lawmakers, local and state election officials and others have worked to shore up the processes for getting absentee ballots to local election officials in time to be counted.

Your voting residence is within your state of legal residence or domicile. For service members, it is typically the same address listed on your Leave and Earnings Statement.

Check the deadline for your returned ballot based on your state. According to FVAP.gov, the Military Postal Service Agency also has recommended mailing dates for the Nov. 5 election, although officials recommend returning the voted ballot as soon as you receive from you election officials.

Those recommended dates include:

From a ship at sea: Oct. 1.

From outside the United States: Oct. 24.

Stateside: Oct. 31.

And again this year, military members and eligible family members living overseas are able to use the free expedited mail service, using the Label 11-DoD at their military post office.

Military absentee voters, whether voting from overseas or from another location in the U.S. when they’re away from their voting residence, have certain protections under federal law. The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, commonly referred to as UOCAVA, applies to military members and their eligible family members who are away from their voting residence, as well as U.S. citizens living overseas. Among other things, UOCAVA requires states to transmit absentee ballots to UOCAVA voters who have requested them, no later than 45 days before a federal election.

Need to register to vote?

If you haven’t registered to vote, you still have time. The FVAP.gov site can help. Voting assistance offices at military installations can also provide specific information. The services also provide voting assistance officers at the unit level; if you can’t find assistance locally, you can contact your service branch voting action officer.

Military absentee voters can use the Federal Post Card Application, or FPCA, to both register to vote and to simultaneously request their absentee ballot from their local election jurisdiction. Some states allow voters to send their FPCA electronically. You can download the FCPA from the FVAP.gov site. Deadlines for requesting the ballot also vary depending on the state. Voters can find specifics on states’ deadlines on the FVAP site.

Don’t assume you’ll automatically receive an absentee ballot if you voted by absentee ballot in previous years. FVAP officials encourage military voters to send the FPCA every year and when they move.

Voters can also request absentee ballots through state applications.

However, officials encourage the use of the FPCA among military absentee voters and U.S. citizens living overseas. Returned ballots requested using the FPCA were counted by local election officials at a higher percentage than ballots requested through state applications, according to an analysis of the 2020 general election conducted by FVAP.

Tips to help your vote get counted

FVAP reminds absentee voters to provide a complete mailing address to their local election officials, whether they are overseas or stateside.

States have reported that common reasons for ballots to be rejected are missed deadlines for ballot returns, and missing signatures on their voted absentee ballot package, Weidmann said.

So FVAP encourages voters to stay up-to-date with their respective state’s deadlines, as well as the absentee voting requirements of their state.

What if you don’t receive your ballot in time?

If voters haven’t been able to receive their requested state ballot by mail or electronically, Weidmann said, they should download a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, or FWAB, from FVAP.gov and submit it. If the state absentee ballot arrives after the FWAB has been sent, voters can fill out and mail that state official ballot, too. Only one ballot will be counted. On average, the number of FWAB downloads have been about 50% below the numbers from 2020 at this point in the election cycle, he said.

More resources

-Check the status of your registration and ballot through your state site at https://www.fvap.gov/links#verification

-Check your state’s specific deadlines at https://www.fvap.gov/military-voter

-Add election dates and reminders to your mobile calendar at https://www.fvap.gov/calendar-alerts

-The non-partisan Overseas Vote Foundation also offers extensive information and assistance in the absentee voting process.

Turning those perceptions around — toward a more positive view of the military experience — could be key in addressing issues of military spouse unemployment and veteran unemployment, as well as larger issues around recruiting and retention, according to Kevin Schmiegel, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who is chief executive officer of ZeroMils, a social impact consulting firm.

“To us, painting a picture that veterans and spouses and our families are broken, are challenged, isn’t right,” Schmiegel said earlier this month at the Defense News Conference.

He and another Marine founded the consulting firm several years ago “in response to growing trends that we saw in the public, private and nonprofit sectors that painted a picture about veterans, military spouses and our families that we didn’t like,” Schmiegel said.

Changing that narrative will help move the needle on spouse and veteran unemployment, he said.

“It’s on us to change the narrative, veterans and military spouses, one at a time,” Schmiegel added

ZeroMils was founded “on the premise that we could work with multiple corporations, multiple nonprofits to change the narrative about how our community is seen and heard in the workplace and society.”

There are other big issues at stake, he said: military recruiting and retention. “The fact is, young people think veterans, military spouses and our families are challenged and broken,” Schmiegel said.

He cited a Defense Department statistic that 62% of young people think all veterans have a psychological disorder.

“That’s largely driven by a narrative from a host of nonprofits that paint a picture that we are broken, we are victims,” he said. If that narrative can change, Schmiegel thinks the numbers of young people with the propensity to join the military will increase.

Currently just about 9% of young people between the ages of 16 and 21 have the propensity to serve in the military, according to a 2022 survey by the National Military Family Association.

Too often, veterans and military spouses have the wrong approach in talking about their service, Schmiegel said. When it comes to hiring military spouses, sometimes employers think it’s a challenge.

“But the landscape has changed. Ten and a half million unfilled jobs in America is a lot of unfilled jobs. As a talent pool, as a resource, there is no better talent pool than veterans and military spouses. We have to start talking to employers that way. When we go into an interview and we’re looking for meaningful employment, I think we need to take the narrative back and talk about our service in a different way,” he said.

For companies and other organizations to say they are “military-friendly and military-ready” isn’t good enough, Schmiegel said.

“What does that mean? You’re doing us a favor by giving us a job? You’re being friendly to us? What are you doing to help us grow and thrive? Culturally, companies have to consider that this is not just about putting butts in seats,” he said. “If you have a skills gap of hundreds or thousands or tens of thousands, you have to build a culture that gives veterans and military spouses more than just a job…. What else are you doing to help them find purpose through continued service?”

Some employers might provide employee resource groups to help veterans and spouses connect with each other, share experiences, and focus on helping them take care of their physical and mental health. Employers need to create a culture for veterans and spouses that improves job satisfaction, performance and retention.

Veterans jobless rate drops to lowest average in more than 20 years

Inroads have been made in tackling the problems of veteran unemployment, thanks to efforts of government, companies and private organizations like Hiring Our Heroes. The unemployment rate for all veterans has dropped from 8.3% in 2011 to 3.4% in August, according to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But spouse unemployment has remained persistently above 21%, according to various surveys, although the Department of Labor doesn’t track spouse unemployment as it does veteran unemployment. A key difference between the two populations is that active duty spouses are likely to move every several years when their service member is transferred, which makes it difficult to find and maintain employment.

She began the fellowship in April 2023, a few months after the DOD launched the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot, or MSCAP, program, where spouses are matched with participating companies and DOD pays the salaries of the spouses during the 12 weeks.

The hope is that companies will hire them full-time as a result of the fellowship, but there’s no guarantee. This program is one of a number of DOD initiatives to tackle the issue of military spouse unemployment, exacerbated by a lifestyle that involves frequent moves. The military spouse unemployment rate has remained persistently above 20% for over a decade.

Bautista is one of 703 spouses who have completed fellowships under the pilot program. Of those, about 600 have received employment offers from their host employer, more than five times the number from a year ago.

The program first started accepting applications in December 2022.

Defense officials are pleased with the outcomes of the career accelerator program, said DOD spokeswoman Jade Fulce. However, she said, “we need to continue to grow the employer host pool.”

“The employment offer rate is proof in the value that military spouses bring to an organization, and can be a key recruiting tool for employers across industries,” Fulce said.

Employers can find information here.

The pool of employers hosting spouse fellows has nearly tripled over the last year, from 129 to 370. But the number of spouses who have completed applications has also tripled, going from 1,000 to over 3,000. Of those, 807 have been placed into fellowships.

The pilot is slated to continue through 2026, so officials encourage military spouses to continue to apply, Fulce said. MSCAP is open to spouses of currently serving members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, to include active, reserve and National Guard components.

MSCAP was expanded earlier this year to include “skills-based” fellowships with more entry-level positions, and 68 spouses have been placed into those fellowships. Spouses are identified as candidates for skills-based fellowships based on their education and experience, Fulce said. When MSCAP began, it was open to “career-ready” spouses.

To date, 643 spouses have completed their traditional fellowships, and 560 of them, or 87%, received employment offers from their employer hosts, Fulce said. Of the 60 spouses who have completed skills-based fellowships, 40 have received employment offers. The average annual salary offered to the traditional fellows is $68,000, and for skills-based fellows, $48,000.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes, through a contract with DOD, pairs applicants with fellowships that match their location, work experience and other factors. The number of fellowships available depends on what employers offer.

DOD pays spouse fellows’ salaries through the Chamber.

Applications are accepted throughout the year. Congress has appropriated $10 million for the MSCAP program to date, with the vast majority of funding going to the compensation for spouse fellows, Fulce said.

Spouses are in fellowships across multiple industries, such as information technology, project management, administration, human resources, and many other sectors, Fulce said. While 60% of the fellowship opportunities have been for remote work, spouses shouldn’t count on just remote work, she said. Spouses are participating in the program from more than 27 states.

Bautista is associate director of partnerships for ZeroMils, a social impact consulting firm, where she does strategic planning for fundraising for nonprofits, among other things.

She had been out of the work force for about two years when she started her fellowship, taking some time to adjust after her first permanent change of station move as a spouse, and to finish her master’s degree. As she was finishing, she began looking for remote positions in the nonprofit world. Over the course of four or five months, she said, “I had a couple of interviews throughout the process, but nothing really stuck.”

Then her husband, a Navy corpsman, read about the launch of the career accelerator program. Once she applied in February or March, 2023, she said, “The process was pretty quick.”

When ZeroMils hired Bautista, eight weeks into her fellowship, they paid her a signing bonus. It amounted to the difference between what she was being paid by DOD during the fellowship and what she could have been making at full salary during that time, said ZeroMils co-founder and CEO Kevin Schmiegel.

“She’s been with us ever since,” he said. The small but growing company has hired two spouses under the program, and they’re looking at hiring a third. Hiring military spouses “is not about what’s the right thing to do. Honestly this is so right for your business,” Schmiegel said.

One of the biggest benefits of the program was the networking opportunities it offers, Bautista said.

“I took that for granted,” she said. “I undervalued connections and networking in this space, and realized really quickly while I was going through the fellowship that that was going to be key, not just for my current fellowship and my potential employment with ZeroMils, but in the future.”

She said she appreciated getting to know other spouse fellows, and hearing about their experiences.

“Having all those connections and realizing we’re all in this together, and we’re probably in this together for a long time, is super valuable,” Bautista said.

“I’m still connected with them.”

Austin visited Maxwell Elementary Middle School last week along with first lady Jill Biden to highlight the launch of universal pre-kindergarten classes available to all 4-year-olds at 80 installations with elementary schools operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity.

“We heard loud and clear that families juggling work and raising kids need affordable child care and quality early childhood education,” Austin said, speaking to airmen, their families and school staff.

Austin highlighted the pre-kindergarten launch as one of the Defense Department’s efforts to make life easier for troops and their families.

DOD also announced seven new initiatives, including another effort to increase access to quality child care, with a $33.5 million budget request specifically for the child care workforce, to improve recruitment, retention and the work environments in DOD’s child development program. Like many civilian child care programs, the military has faced shortages of child care workers for years.

About 4,000 four-year-olds attend pre-K classes at the 80 schools where it’s being offered. Officials anticipate about 6,000 students will attend once the program is rolled out to all 90 elementary schools. Enrollment in the program is optional.

The remaining 10 elementary schools in the DODEA system will get pre-K over the next several years, pending construction and renovation.

The Department of Defense Education Activity, which manages schools on U.S. military bases around the world, launched its universal pre-K program in 2023 with a cohort of 65 4-year-olds at one school — M.C. Perry Primary School at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan.

US military to expand universal pre-K at dozens more bases this fall

It was a success, said Beth Schiavino-Narvaez, who became director of the defense school system June 1.

“The families there were so grateful and so excited, and just saw their children flourishing in the program,” Narvaez told Military Times in a recent interview. “That was a great indicator about how important this is. And for military commanders, they’ve asked us for nearly a decade, and told us how important this is for readiness. They’re so appreciative. "

Narvaez said universal pre-K is her top priority this school year.

The startup costs for universal pre-K this year are about $65 million, and total annual expenditures, including teachers’ salaries, are expected to be about $45 million, said DODEA spokesman Will Griffin.

Officials were able to accelerate the timeline for bringing pre-kindergarten to the schools this year because of the determination of local school officials. In 2023, defense school officials said they expected the program would be phased in gradually over a five year period. They were initially slated to start universal pre-kindergarten this year in 47 schools.

But school leaders wanted the programs to come to their schools sooner, and worked to make it happen.

“They did that on their own because they know how important this initiative is,” Narvaez said. “People were so excited and realized how important this was, that they walked their buildings, they looked to see if they had viable space, they worked with military commanders to find the space to do it… They looked in every nook and cranny to see if there’s appropriate space.”

The student/teacher ratio for pre-K is 18 to 1. Every pre-K classroom has a full-time, certified early childhood educator and a full-time educational aide.

Any child who will be age 4 on or before Sept. 1 of a coming school year may enroll.

Parents can register through the DODEA Student Information System, but there’s no registration deadline because military families move throughout the year. Parents can visit dodea.edu/upk for more information and to enroll their child.

The Defense Department operates about 160 schools around the world, with nearly 70,000 students. The vast majority of military children attend schools outside the gate.

Universal pre-kindergarten programs are a “defining issue” for the United States, first lady Biden told told an audience of service members at Maxwell AFB.

“What’s happening at Maxwell is part of the blueprint for making quality preschool available to every three- and four-year-old in America,” she said.

Service members will have the option to open health care flexible spending accounts for the first time during a special enrollment period in March 2025. They can contribute up to $3,200 a year in pretax earnings toward eligible out-of-pocket health care expenses, with a minimum contribution of $100 annually. The Internal Revenue Service determines eligible expenses and contribution limits, the latter of which may vary by tax year.

The benefit is one of seven initiatives announced Friday by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to improve the quality of life for service members and their families.

In essence, it’s a savings account that can be used to pay for items not covered by health or dental insurance. Such accounts have been available for years to employees of many federal agencies and private companies.

More than 300 IRS-approved health care expenses qualify, including copays and deductibles; out-of-pocket costs for braces; glasses and contact lenses; prescription drugs; over-the-counter medicines; and wellness treatments such as acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care.

A wide variety of other items are also eligible, such as hand sanitizer and menstrual care products.

Service members choose their contribution amount, which is automatically withdrawn from their paycheck over the course of the year and deposited into their FSA. Because FSA contributions aren’t subject to payroll taxes, participants can save an average of 30% on eligible health care expenses, according to the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program, or FSAFEDS. FSAFEDS, which will administer the program, offers a calculator to help determine potential annual savings.

FSAFEDS also administers DOD’s dependent care flexible spending account benefit, which became available to service members in 2024.

Pentagon to unveil new programs to boost quality of life for troops

Service members must submit receipts or other documentation with their claim form.

Once the enrollment period begins, service members can enroll online at fsafeds.gov. Service members must use and claim their FSA funds by the end of the plan year on Dec. 31. Service members can carry over up to $640 of unused funds into the next year if they reenroll.

Otherwise, it’s use or lose: Service members will lose any funds that aren’t used during the plan year.

If both spouses are eligible for a health care FSA, each earner can maintain a separate account, and, combined, can contribute between $200 and $6,400 total per year.

The Defense Department offers free assistance to service members deciding whether to use this benefit, through appointments with a personal finance or tax counselor via DOD’s Office of Financial Readiness and Military OneSource. More information, including financial and tax impacts, will be available on the DOD’s financial readiness site at a later date.

Meanwhile, troops can start gathering receipts and information about their out-of-pocket health expenses now to help decide whether to open a health care FSA in March and how much to contribute.

Effective Oct. 1, officials will expand eligibility for the My Career Advancement Account, or MyCAA, program to include spouses of service members in pay grades E-7, E-8, E-9 and W-3. That will make the benefit available to spouses of active duty members in the grades of E-1 to E-9, W-1 to W-3, and O-1 to O-3.

The expansion of the MyCAA program is part of a bevy of new initiatives Austin announced during his trip to Maxwell Air Force, Alabama.

Spouses can use the tuition assistance to pursue occupational licenses, certifications or associate degrees needed for employment. The program is open to those in any career field or occupation. Spouses may also use their MyCAA scholarship at an approved institution to help with the costs of national tests for course credits required for a degree approved under the MyCAA program. MyCAA doesn’t pay for course work in pursuit of a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degree.

Those eligible to register and apply for the scholarship include military spouses of active duty service members and spouses of National Guard and Reserve members on Title 10 orders.

Pentagon to unveil new programs to boost quality of life for troops

As before, there’s an annual fiscal year cap of $2,000 per spouse for the assistance and it’s a one-time benefit for spouses. The financial assistance is also limited to the amount of funding DOD has available.

In its 15 years of existence, the MyCAA program has gone through various changes. When it was first offered in 2009, it paid up to $6,000 in assistance to spouses of service members in all ranks, with no limits on the types of education or fields.

It was so popular and so many spouses applied that DOD had to abruptly shut it down in 2010 when funding was depleted. When DOD officials restarted the program later in 2010, they lowered the dollar limit of assistance, and limited the eligibility to spouses of those in junior ranks of officer and enlisted. Gradually officials have expanded that eligibility pool.

Rand researchers have found that MyCAA has had a positive impact on spouses’ ability to find employment with higher pay.

Officials said DOD will track the use of the benefit and the course completion rate of the expanded population to decide whether to expand it to more spouses in the future.

Statements from the airman — stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico — and many others came in response to Military Times’ call for comments on how inflation has impacted service members and their families.

Most responded with a common theme: Families are “cutting back” or “eliminating” everything from grocery shopping and driving to subscription services, vacations and eating out.

Consumer prices were up by 3% from June 2023 to June 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s on top of inflation over the previous several years.

“Literally turning a trip to McDonald’s into a big event. How sad is that?” wrote Airman 1st Class Onorio Franco Jr., stationed at Holloman AFB.

“A trip to McDonald’s for my wife, 1-year-old daughter and myself is upwards of $40. That’s just one meal,” he added. “For two 6-inch subs and two drinks from the commissary, it costs $20. ... Obviously on an E-3 pay we cannot afford to go out and enjoy that.”

An Air Force tech sergeant stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, said he and his wife are spending twice as much on groceries at their local grocery store as they were in 2021.

Once a week they’re spending an average of $200 to $210 — compared to $100 to $130 in 2021 — for their family of four children.

Melissa Godoy’s husband is an Army sergeant first class stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

“Even at his [E-7] pay, we are still barely able to stay afloat,” said Godoy, who also is a freelance grant writer with sporadic income. “We spend $800 to $900 a month on groceries now. Two adults, two kids. That’s almost twice as much as it was in 2019.

“Utilities are overwhelming. We are behind on electricity. Gas is $3.50 to $4.40 a gallon. You have to find the cheap gas stations. My husband drives 40 minutes to and from work every day. He spends $400 a month just for gas.”

They, too, are doing “a lot of eliminating, and that’s not fair for us. ... We can’t afford to live and save money. Something always breaks, a bill pops up and is due, something is always needed,” she said.

Housing costs remain an issue. A Navy E-6 wrote that the most recent increase in the Basic Allowance for Housing was “incredibly necessary.”

Her experience sharply illustrates the rising costs. She and her husband are preparing to move back to a previous duty station, where, just three years ago, the same two-bedroom apartment for which she once paid $1,400 a month now costs $2,100 a month, she wrote.

Military families are adjusting in a variety of ways. The Godoy family rarely eats out, Melissa Godoy said.

“We budget, and stay home as much as possible. Living a slow, boring life has allowed us to be able to make it from paycheck to paycheck.”

An Army sergeant first class stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, said his family of seven has been “exponentially” affected by inflation and has cut back on the amount and type of groceries they buy, with more raw products and less pre-made items.

“We have given up on indulgences by getting no name brands, cheaper cuts of meats, eating meat less,” he wrote.

They’ve also cut other items from their budget, such as streaming or subscription services, in order to afford groceries.

The E-7′s family now does more comparison shopping and drives to different stores, but buys in bulk to save money on gas by making fewer trips.

Vacations, meanwhile, have been drastically cut back if not eliminated altogether.

“We now only do vacations closer to home and only once a year,” wrote the Fort Campbell soldier.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous to think of planning a trip, going to an event, or even buying anything special when our strict budget still holds us down to under $200 at the end of months,” the airman first class said. “How are we supposed to save, buy toys for our daughter [or] go visit family to share these moments with her grandma and grandpa?”

Some military families have made other lifestyle changes.

“Our family has gone to great lengths to conserve financial resources and stretch every dollar,” said America Lunsford, who lives with her two children and husband, an Army staff sergeant.

Last year, they took advantage of the VA loan for their new home. Their homeschool curriculum includes a home garden for fresh vegetables that’s also the foundation of their ninth-grader’s farm-to-table bistro startup.

They’ve researched the best methods for food preservation to minimize waste, and have started a compost to provide nutrients to the garden. They use washable napkins, grow their own loofah sponges, and upcycle things like glass jars and mesh produce bags. Many other needs are met through community networking and local nonprofits.

“Sustainable giving/trading, repurposing items or shopping second hand is another way we practice sustainability and limit wasteful spending,” she said.

Their single-income, single-car household has also transitioned their medical care to providers that offer telehealth options in order to minimize gas and time.

They take advantage of rewards programs and memberships, but shop local when possible.

“We also review insurance policies yearly to adjust for price hikes and compare costs,” she said.

Help is out there

Inside and outside the military community, there are resources to help military families stretch their dollars.

Melissa Godoy administers a Facebook group in her local Joint Base Lewis-McChord area, called JBLM family resources, “where I direct families to food banks, diaper banks and free resources to be able to make it from day to day,” she said.

“Military families are in dire straits right now,” she added.

Military relief societies are longstanding resources available to help military families with emergency financial assistance.

Depending on the situation, Army Emergency Relief, Air Force Aid Society, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance provide grants service members don’t have to pay back, as well as zero-interest loans.

“The need is clearly there as requests hold steady with the economy affecting a large amount of active duty and retired populations,” said Sean Ryan, a retired Army colonel and spokesman for Army Emergency Relief.

This year, Army Emergency Relief has helped more than 13,800 active duty soldiers and families with nearly $27 million in financial assistance. Another 11,800 retired soldiers have received more than $26 million in aid.

“If a soldier is at a point where they need to visit a food bank, we urge them to come to AER for assistance immediately, and they don’t have to go through their chain of command,” Ryan added. “Supporting soldiers is the reason we exist and these are difficult times.”

Food insecurity normally ranks number 9 or 10 overall in assistance categories, but in the last two years it’s moved up to number 6, Ryan said.

“So, [it’s] definitely something we are paying attention to and looking for ways to provide more support.”

Many other organizations in and around the military community step up to help military families with financial assistance. The Military Family Advisory Network holds periodic food distribution and other events for military families; a number of food pantries near military bases work with local military families.

For example, the nonprofit Stronghold Food Pantry in Leavenworth, Kansas, provides needed items for military families via donations from groups and businesses, such as Armed Forces Bank.

“We see firsthand, they can’t keep up with the demand, whether it’s diapers or peanut butter,” said Tom McLean, senior vice president and military executive at Armed Forces Bank.

The bank currently has branches on 11 military installations around the country, one outside the gates at Fort Riley and one more in the vicinity of Fort Leavenworth.

Many organizations focus on assistance for junior enlisted families, such as Armed Services YMCA and Operation Homefront, which runs family-focused events like back-to-school drives, holiday meal distribution and baby showers. The organization is expecting to distribute 20,000 backpacks this summer.

But one particular measure Operation Homefront provides is a gauge of how inflation is affecting military families.

The organization’s Critical Financial Assistance program helps families with immediate needs, such as rent, utility and car payments, with its main focus toward recently separated personnel and wounded or ill service members.

“The number of Critical Financial Assistance requests have followed inflation’s trend, with housing, food, and utilities assistance being the most frequent types of needs we’re seeing,” said April Postell, the nonprofit’s senior director of the Critical Financial Assistance department.

Since the program’s 2012 launch, more than 57,000 requests have been filled, totaling $42.5 million in critical financial assistance, said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Bob Thomas, the nonprofit’s president.

“We had a pretty predictable demand until COVID, then the demand spiked. It moderated, but is still above what it once was,” he said.

Typical requests for assistance are about $880, he added. Each application has about three requests, with inflation cited in military families’ inability to save.

“A very high percentage of military families are living paycheck to paycheck,” he said. “A lot ... move every two to three years, and those moves are very expensive.”

“There are a lot of unique challenges the military go through,” Thomas added. “In the end, it means they’re very fragile financially” when they leave the service.

The first time something unexpected happens, such as an expensive car repair, it puts families in a vulnerable spot.

“Our mission is to build strong, stable and secure military families so they can thrive,” Thomas said.

“These families have been there for all of us in our nation’s time of need. We want to be there for them in their time of need.”

U.S. Transportation Command officials are adding 16 more installations for limited local household goods moves, in addition to the 15 bases where troops’ belongings have been moving locally under the new system since April, officials announced Tuesday.

Officials are also starting some interstate moves at a few locations as they roll out the new Global Household Goods Contract, which privatizes and centralizes household goods shipping under one manager.

As the program keeps ramping up, TRANSCOM expects to include all domestic shipments by next spring. International shipments under the Global Household Goods Contract will start no earlier than September 2025.

TRANSCOM began the effort to improve the moving experience for service members and their families in 2018 after a particularly brutal moving season. It aims to solve longstanding problems such as lost or damaged items, and an onerous claims system.

While just 94 shipments have been completed since April under the new contract, officials are satisfied with the results so far, Andy Dawson, director of the Defense Personal Property Management Office, said in the announcement.

Mold, broken furniture.... just a start to this family's PCS nightmare

That current sample size is too small to make early conclusions, but the office reports that nearly all of the 27 customers who submitted survey responses after moving their goods under the new contract rated their move experience as satisfied or better.

TRANSCOM awarded the $6.2 billion contract —worth potentially up to $17.9 billion over nine years —to HomeSafe Alliance, a consortium of companies. Work began in early 2023 after contract protests ended.

HomeSafe will be fully responsible for the shipments, bringing accountability to the program from the time a moving company is assigned, through packing, hauling and unloading, to handling any loss or damage claims. As before, the work is done by moving companies, but they sign up to do business with HomeSafe.

If service members qualify to be included in moves within the new system at this point, they will automatically be placed into it.

Some members of the moving industry have warned that HomeSafe is offering lower rates to moving companies under the new system, and that it will affect the quality of service members’ personal property moves, even forcing some companies out of business. TRANSCOM and HomeSafe officials have disputed the amount of rate cuts that have been cited by some industry members.

In an August op-ed, Jack Griffin, chairman and CEO of Atlas World Group, Inc, questioned the need for a sweeping system overhaul, and said the new contract could make the process of moving more strenuous for military families. He said the moving industry has made “significant improvements” in customer service in military moves over the last several years, with better communication and on-time deliveries, and reduction in lost or damaged property.

“There is no backup plan when this risky and unnecessary experiment fails,” Griffin wrote. “Military families will be left to move themselves, taking on the stress and logistical challenges of a change of station on top of all the other demands that come with being a military family.”

The good news for commissary customers, however, is it appears officials are trying to keep delivery costs as low as possible, according to contract solicitation documents on the government’s contracting website, sam.gov. Delivery costs and distances are still being determined, said Tressa Smith, spokeswoman for the Defense Commissary Agency, which operates the military’s grocery stores.

In March, commissary officials anticipated rolling out the doorstep delivery program in midsummer at stores in the western United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, before rolling out nationwide.

But that contract hasn’t yet been awarded, following several delays. The last amendment to the contract solicitation moved the deadline for contract bids to July 8.

“I believe the delay … has more to do with ensuring they set up a good program,” said Todd Waldemar, founder and chief executive officer of ChowCall, which has been delivering groceries for the commissary agency at eight pilot locations. Waldemar emphasized that’s his opinion and he doesn’t speak for the commissary agency.

ChowCall has agreed to a four-month contract extension through Nov. 30 to ensure deliveries will continue at the eight pilot locations until the new contracts are in place, Waldemar said. ChowCall has also submitted proposals for the three new contracts to operate the grocery delivery program in the three regions.

The eight pilot locations are Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Fort Liberty South, North Carolina; MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; Fort Belvoir and Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Naval Base San Diego in California.

Commissary officials aren’t considering doorstep delivery for overseas commissaries, Smith said, “due to the sensitive nature of overseas regulatory constraints.”

The commissary agency’s solicitation includes an option for bidders to include a “government supplemental payment” in their proposals, potentially as a subsidy to lower the delivery costs to customers

Based on the commissary agency’s market research, “any proposed delivery fee in excess of $10 for a delivery radius not to exceed 10 miles will be deemed unreasonable,” according to the solicitation. The commissary agency doesn’t identify a maximum amount of any government subsidy in the solicitation but states those evaluating the proposals will consider the fairness of pricing in the context of retail grocery delivery pricing. Bidders submitted prices for deliveries of up to 10 miles, as well as deliveries of up to 20 miles.

“In my opinion, once the CONUS contracts are in place, customers will likely see significantly lower delivery costs than what is being offered in the current delivery pilot,” Waldemar said.

When the commissary agency’s grocery delivery pilot began two years ago, two companies held contracts to ferry food and other goods from stores to customers’ homes, work and other locations. One of those companies, ChowCall, took over deliveries for all eight commissaries in March 2023.

When the pilot first launched in 2022, most delivery fees hovered around $4 per order. Customers paid the fee in addition to the cost of groceries, the 5% surcharge, and, if desired, a tip for the driver. But those low delivery fees made it financially difficult for the companies to cover operating costs like gas prices and drivers’ salaries.

When ChowCall took over all eight stores in the pilot program last year, commissary officials allowed them to increase the delivery fees, with fees based on a customer’s distance from the commissary. Delivery fees now range from $10.99 to $16.70 for a five-mile trip or less to $29.99 for a 16- to 20-mile trip.

“I believe (the commissary agency’s) intent is to lower the end delivery cost to the customer, which is in line with (its) mission of delivering the commissary benefit at significantly lower costs,” Waldemar said.

ChowCall has delivered more than 24,000 loads of groceries since beginning commissary deliveries in June 2022, Waldemar said.

Customers using the current delivery pilot program range from active-duty families to troops living in barracks, retirees and disabled veterans — and people who want to get a head start on shopping or grab a bite to eat while at work. The service can be especially helpful to young families of troops who are deployed, such as spouses with young children.

Those eligible for the commissary shopping benefit include active-duty, Guard and Reserve members, military retirees, Medal of Honor recipients and their authorized family members. Veterans with any Department of Veterans Affairs-documented, service-connected disability rating are now eligible for commissary shopping, as well as Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and individuals who have been approved and designated as the primary caregivers of eligible veterans by the VA.

All stateside commissaries, as well as those in Alaska and Hawaii, will hold these sales over a two- or three day period in September, generally over a weekend.

Two commissaries will hold their sales at the end of August: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii commissary Aug. 30 to Sept. 2; and Pittsburgh Area, Penn. Commissary, Aug. 29 to Aug. 31.

Customers should check the Defense Commissary Agency’s sidewalk sales page for specific sales dates for their local military grocery store, and check back with their store’s web site or store manager for any schedule changes.

These sales are traditionally held twice a year, in the spring and fall. While they are specific to U.S. stores, customers overseas should check with their commissaries to see if there might be some special deals.

More food options, better access coming for commissary customers

The sales come at a time when the big military moving season is over, and customers can stock up on items after their move. And with rising grocery prices, many customers look to make the most of their grocery dollars. Commissary officials typically hold the sales just outside their stores, weather permitting.

Discounts vary. Customers can expect to see additional savings of anywhere from 18% to 32% with local coupons and vendors’ sales price reductions, according to Tressa Smith, a spokeswoman for the Defense Commissary Agency.

That’s over and above the average 25% savings that customers see throughout the year, “saving a family of four up to $4,000 a year if they routinely use their benefit,” according to commissary director John Hall.

Commissaries will offer a variety of different products, from baby products to snacks, paper towels and canned goods.

And don’t forget your reusable bags, especially at the sidewalk sales in Hawaii, California and Washington, which have eliminated plastic and paper single-use bags.

Those eligible for the commissary shopping benefit include active duty, Guard and Reserve members, military retirees, Medal of Honor recipients, and their authorized family members.

Veterans with any Department of Veterans Affairs-documented, service-connected disability rating are now eligible for commissary shopping, as well as Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war, and individuals who have been approved and designated as the primary caregivers of eligible veterans by the VA.

In July, the General Services Administration, or GSA, awarded the contract to Cognosante, seemingly ending more than a decade of Military OneSource contracts with Carelon Behavioral Health.

However, Carelon and another unsuccessful bidder, Leidos, filed protests weeks later with the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, which adjudicates federal contracting disputes. Accenture Federal Services acquired Virginia-based Cognosante in May, a key issue in the contract review.

Military OneSource, a familiar resource to most service members and their families, is similar to a civilian employee assistance program, providing a wide range of information and referrals to military and civilian resources, as well as nonmedical counseling services, all at no cost. Benefits and services include financial counseling, educational assistance and benefits, relocation planning and quality-of-life programs. This central resource provides services 24/7 online, by phone, email, real-time messaging and, if requested, in-person counseling to about 4.7 million people.

GSA conducted the contract competition for the DOD’s Military Community and Family Policy Office.

Information wasn’t immediately available from defense officials or Carelon about any effects of the contract pullback on service members and families using Military OneSource. It’s also unclear whether the new contract will change any benefits offered to troops and families.

GAO dismissed the protests in early August after the General Services Administration advised the agency it was taking corrective action to address issues raised in them, according to Edward Goldstein, GAO’s managing associate general counsel for procurement law.

“Specifically, [GSA] advised that it was going to evaluate the impact of Accenture Federal Services’ acquisition of Cognosante, on Cognosante’s ability to perform the contract as proposed and, if necessary, reevaluate proposals and issue a new award determination,” Goldstein said.

“Because the agency was reconsidering the award to Cognosante, we dismissed the protests as academic,” he said.

New protests could be filed after the GSA has finalized its corrective action and the award decision, Goldstein added.

An Accenture Federal Services release described Cognosante as a provider of “digital transformation and cloud modernization solutions for federal health, defense, intelligence and civilian agencies.” Those include health care programs that support veterans, active-duty military, patients, beneficiaries, providers and payors. Among those agencies is the Defense Health Agency, according to Cognosante’s website.

The contract under reevaluation includes a one-year base period with four one-year options.

Tasks outlined in the contract solicitation include program management, call center operations and support, information technology operations management, child care support and counseling and coaching services.

In 2019, Carelon, then known as Beacon Health Options and ValueOptions, and its subsidiary, ValueOptions Federal Services, won the Military OneSource contract worth over $400 million.

A third of those surveyed indicated they were dissatisfied with the Exceptional Family Member Program, or EFMP.

At the same time, Navy and Marine Corps members reported more positive EFMP experiences than their Army brethren, according to the Pentagon.

EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program for service members who have a family member with any physical, emotional, developmental or intellectual disorder that requires special treatment, therapy, education, training or counseling. The EFMP works with both military and civilian agencies to provide a variety of support in housing, health care, educational or other personnel services.

This first-ever survey of service members enrolled in the program took place between November 2022 and March 2023, before the Pentagon made changes to beef up and standardize the program across the services, and before the Army made changes to improve their version of the program.

DoD aims for more consistent support for special needs families

For years, military families with special needs have detailed their problems with the availability and quality of medical care and special education. Following a February 2020 congressional hearing, lawmakers mandated EFMP standardization and improvements in the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.

But while DOD officials tout aspects of the survey results as indicative that the program is helping those who need it, some program families have questioned the validity of the survey results.

The survey analysis points to program areas that need improvement, as well as successes, according to Tomeshia Barnes, associate director of the Office of Special Needs in DOD’s Office of Military Family Readiness Policy.

One big area to tackle is the support families get when moving from one installation to another, and connecting them to critical services at the new location, Barnes told Military Times.

“Enhancing and improving the program is a priority for the department,” Barnes said, adding that “the voice of the families really matters” and the survey is one tool that helps DOD get data from families “and hear their voice and their lived experience with each component of the program.”

Defense officials sent surveys to all of the 100,000 service members enrolled in EFMP, and 13%, or 12,620, responded across the force.

The results appear to debunk a common misconception that enrolling in the EFMP would have a negative impact on the service member’s career, Barnes said, and it indicates that the majority of responding service members are satisfied with the support they’re getting at the local level from EFMP staff.

Families questioning the results

Some military families and others have questioned the results of this survey for a variety of reasons, including concerns about the way it was conducted — surveying service members, but not the spouses who generally shoulder most of the responsibility of coordinating services for the special needs family member.

“Who’s more knowledgeable, the service member of the spouse? We know it’s the spouse,” said Michelle Norman, executive director of Partners in Promise, a nonprofit advocacy organization whose mission is to protect the rights of military children in special education and disability communities. “It would have been smarter to send it to spouses of service members.”

“I feel they’ve missed a big opportunity to collect key data to improve the EFMP program,” she said.

Norman added that assessing the full report is difficult, as the publicly released 66-page analysis didn’t provide full data on the 79 questions asked of service members.

EFMP families experience the stresses of military life at a much higher level, Norman said.

“We were hopeful this would spotlight how all these quality of life issues impact our lives,” she said. “The goal for EFMP enrollment is to be a value add, not a burden. I don’t think we’re there yet. This survey kind of proves that point.”

About 46% of the service members who responded have a spouse enrolled in EFMP, but those spouses weren’t surveyed about their satisfaction with the program and its services. About 70% of respondents said their child is enrolled in EFMP.

There is an overlap, with some service members having both a child and spouse in EFMP, but defense officials haven’t delved into how many families have multiple dependents in EFMP.

That’s one of the things officials are looking at, Barnes said, as they progress in their oversight and data collection – assessing those with multiple dependents with an educational or medical need, “knowing that there could be heightened stress with that as well.”

Norman noted that there is satisfaction in some areas, such as in respite care, where 74% of those who used it were satisfied. However, only 8% of the service members who responded had used respite care services from their military family support program within the previous two years. Meanwhile, 35% of the service members responded that they were aware of the program, but didn’t use it.

Norman said when the survey was first launched, her organization heard that military families weren’t confident about the survey design and the way the questions were being asked.

“This is not surprising since DOD didn’t engage with family stakeholders back then to ask for their inputs,” she said. “We see that trend changing for the better.”

The vast majority of service members who responded — 83% — said their family members’ needs were met at least to some extent in the previous 12 months.

But there’s work to be done to provide better support when families are making the permanent change of station move from one installation to the next, DOD’s Barnes said. More than half of the service members who responded said the EFMP support hadn’t made their PCS move any smoother at all, a key element of the program.

Moves can be stressful enough for military families, but they can be more so for special needs families who are trying to make sure they’ll have the needed services and programs at their new location.

Among other things, EFMP staff can work to improve the “warm handoff” to the EFMP staff at the new location, to help families make a smoother transition, Barnes said. That requirement is part of the 2023 DOD instructions.

Of the service members who PCS’d since being enrolled in EFMP, 54% indicated the staff at their military treatment facility, or MTF, hadn’t helped them at all with coordinating medical services at their new location.

A higher percentage of soldiers — 63% —said their MTF staff hadn’t helped them at all. While military medical isn’t under the purview of EFMP, those officials do work with and coordinate with them and other military and civilian agencies.

These special needs are considered when deciding a service member’s next duty station, to ensure the family’s needs can be met there. The goal is to keep families together, and according to the survey results, more than three-fourths of service members said they had never made a PCS move without their family because of EFMP needs; 20% said they had done so one or two times.

Career perceptions

There has long been a perception among some service members that being enrolled in EFMP will have a negative impact on their career.

Officials were struck by survey results showing a larger percentage of respondents said EFMP has neither a negative nor a positive impact on their career, Barnes said.

There has been a perception that the program would restrict troops’ ability to move to certain duty stations, limiting career progression.

Lawmakers vow to fix DoD special needs program for military families

“EFMP enrollment … is not something that will absolutely have a negative impact on the career, and that is something that we think is very important,” she said.

Of those who responded, 47% said EFMP enrollment had neither a positive nor negative impact on their job/career options in the military; 22% said it had a positive effect, and 31%, a negative effect.

And 59% said the enrollment had neither a positive nor negative impact on their military career so far, with 20% saying the effect was positive, and another 20%, negative.

Soldiers’ experiences less positive

The survey was conducted before the Defense Department issued new rules in 2023 to provide more consistency to the program, which is administered by each of the services.

And the survey results brought into focus the need for that standardization, showing the differences in satisfaction between the service branches. The analysis showed soldiers’ experiences with EFMP were less positive than the other services.

For example:

- Of soldiers who had to relocate because of a PCS move since being enrolled in EFMP, 60% said EFMP support hadn’t made their move smoother at all; compared to 51% of participants overall.

- While 83% of service members said their family member’s needs had been met to some extent in the previous 12 months, 17% said their needs weren’t met at all. For soldiers, 21% stated their needs hadn’t been met at all.

- A quarter of service members overall said EFMP enrollment will have a positive impact on their decision to stay on active duty; 26% reported a negative impact, and 49% said it won’t have an impact. A higher percentage of sailors (35%) and Marines (32%) reported a positive impact, while more soldiers (29%) and airmen (30%) reported a negative impact.

- Thirty-seven percent said that based on the EFMP services they received, their families favor staying on active duty, while 25% favor leaving. A higher percentage of sailors (44%) and Marines (42%) favor staying. A higher percentage of soldiers, 28%, favor leaving.

- While half of service members responded that their leadership had always or often provided support to help with EFMP needs in the previous 12 months, 26% percent said they never had gotten support. For soldiers, the percentage of those who never had gotten support was highest, at 35%.

Earlier this year, the Army announced they are creating a central office to oversee implementation of the EFMP, coordinating health care services, PCS order processing and family support services, as well as special education services.

In 2022, the Army launched a new digital platform called the Enterprise Exceptional Family Member Program system, to automate the enrollment process and make it easier for families to access support services and resources, according to Army spokeswoman Heather J. Hagan.

Army creates office to better support families with special needs

The Army has also expanded their program of EFMP family support system navigators on their installations, providing military and community resources, EFMP respite care services and other support.

In putting together the new DOD rules for standardization, DOD’s Barnes said, officials looked at best practices that were being used to support military families. Going forward, officials have mechanisms in place to get feedback “so we can actually compare the results and see how we’re progressing,” she said.

While they intend to do the surveys on a regular basis, the timeline isn’t available, she said.

Meanwhile, officials are collecting data on the program, as a result of the new DOD rules, and will receive their first data report on the performance in the fall, to help them identify whether the standardization efforts are being met, Barnes said.

Defense officials announced the launch of the long-awaited DOD Housing Feedback System on Aug. 12. The publicly available database allows verified tenants to submit feedback about issues with their housing unit for inclusion in the database. Tenants’ personally identifiable information will be removed from the entry before it’s published in the database.

The public has access to and can search the new database.

“The searchability is a huge advantage for military families,” said Kelly Hruska, government relations director of the National Military Family Association. “The more information they can have on the housing at their new installation, the better off they are and the better choices they can make.”

Active-duty service members and their dependents currently living in privatized housing can submit feedback. Dependents are also allowed to submit feedback on behalf of service members who are deployed or on assignment. The website verifies occupancy and military status.

The database is an additional channel for those living in privatized housing to submit public feedback about their housing conditions and to receive feedback from their landlord, officials stated in an Aug. 12 announcement. The DOD Housing Feedback System doesn’t replace the existing processes for submitting maintenance work order requests. Residents should continue to use the channels for submitting these requests first through the community’s property manager or other regular channels to get the problems fixed.

The Defense Department “has a moral obligation to ensure that the spaces where our service members and their families live are healthy, functional, and resilient,” said Deborah G. Rosenblum, acting deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, in the announcement. “This new feedback system is a critical step to ensuring transparent and timely responses to occupants’ concerns.”

The database was one of the reforms to the Military Housing Privatization Initiative included in the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act to address problems such as black mold, rodents and other issues plaguing military privatized housing. Families were frustrated at the lack of response from some privatized housing landlords and military leaders. DOD and service officials have taken a number of steps to improve housing and their oversight.

The database’s searchable information includes service branch, installation, landlord and type of feedback, such as structural problems, mold/moisture/water intrusion, heating, air conditioning and ventilation and lead-based paint, among others. The public can also search within specific time frames. Information was not immediately available about whether the feedback will include positive comments.

Before the feedback is published, the local military housing office will review the information. Landlords can respond through the website, and their responses are also published after review, according to the database. Most landlords respond within 10 days, officials stated.

Military tenants were promised a database for housing complaints. They're still waiting.

For years, lawmakers have pressed defense officials to move more quickly to implement the database.

“It’s a database, a complaint database. This is not rocket science,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, during a Feb. 15, 2022, hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“We’re in year three of people who want to be able to tell you about things like rats and insects and black mold,” Warren said. “I would think that the military would want to know about this.”

At the time, a Pentagon spokesman told Military Times that officials were running into roadblocks establishing the database because of budgetary and federal Privacy Act issues.

Meanwhile, the Military Family Advisory Network is “seeing an increase of people wanting to live on base, and a big piece of that is the economy and the housing market,” said Shannon Razsadin, chief executive office for the organization. She said the database can be a potentially helpful tool for military families before they make a decision to live on base. As part of the reforms, military tenants are now given a seven-year work-order history of their housing unit once they are assigned to the unit.

“But this seems like a broader stroke, in advance of the housing assignment,” she said.

“I’ll be interested to see how this plays out,” Razsadin said. The Defense Department “has made strides in increasing the transparency” around housing issues, she said. But officials also need to get the word out so families are aware of the new tool, and how to use it, she added.

“We need to make sure the work that’s happening at the Pentagon level is reaching the people who need to get the word.”

Due to the lengthy military construction process, the center won’t be completed until the end of 2028. In the meantime, Army and Air Force officials are working on interim child care solutions.

For years, soldiers in the 7th Special Forces Group at Camp “Bull” Simons and their families, along with Navy and Air Force members in the area, have faced a child care shortage.

Special Forces soldiers in NW Florida still awaiting child care center

It’s a decision Army families have long anticipated — and fought for — but it’s not exactly the best solution for everyone, said Molly Tobin, the wife of an Army Special Forces officer. The center will be built about 20 minutes northeast of Camp “Bull” Simons in the Crestview civilian community, where 60% of the 7th SFG families live, but families have been fighting for it to be built on the actual compound.

Tobin, who was formerly the family readiness group leader for the 7th SFG’s 3rd Battalion, and her husband relocated to another base in Florida a year ago. Despite the move, she continues to advocate for families at Camp “Bull” Simons.

Families are worried about the security of children at an off-base location and the inconvenience for soldiers not living in Crestview. Although the Air Force will build the center to strict military construction guidelines, the absence of guards at an installation entrance raises questions about security. Information about specific plans for the security of the center wasn’t immediately available from Eglin Air Force Base.

“The Air Force plans to construct the Crestview CDC in accordance with DOD child care facility integrated base standards,” said Gabe Myers, spokesman for the 96th Test Wing at Eglin, in an email to Military Times. “Commanders and the Crestview CDC program coordinators will ensure it meets the emergency, operation, unit readiness, and training mission requirements.”

Air Force officials are working on the process to acquire land for the future center, and the funding for the center will be part of the fiscal 2026 budget request.

Camp “Bull” Simons, an Army installation that is technically part of Eglin Air Force Base, has faced disagreements between Army and Air Force officials over the construction of a child care center.

In October 2022, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth announced plans to build a child care center on the camp. Specifically, Army officials and 7th SFG families wanted the center near the chapel out of convenience for soldiers. Air Force officials, however, have raised safety concerns due to the post’s proximity to Eglin’s active bombing range.

The camp, which was carved out of a remote area of Eglin as part of the 2005 Base Closure and Realignment action, includes a chapel, troop clinic, barracks and an AAFES shopette but lacks family housing and a commissary. About 2,600 military and civilian workers live and work there.

Finding affordable, high-quality child care has long been a challenge for many military families, with issues varying by location. For the 7th SFG — one of the Army’s most elite units handling covert missions across Central and South America and the Caribbean — child care has been a persistent struggle since the group relocated from then-Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2011.

How bad is the child care shortage? Ask these Florida families

Aside from the 60% of families living in the Crestview community, many others reside south of Camp “Bull” Simons, meaning they would need to drive past the camp and then back south to drop off and pick up their children at a Crestview CDC, Tobin said.

“The convenience factor is gone for anyone outside Crestview,” Tobin said.

It’s uncertain what civilian housing availability in Crestview will be by 2028.

“Families are upset the center won’t be on the compound,” Tobin said. “There are parents who are very frustrated. It’s not the convenience we requested, the security we requested, the number of spaces we requested.”

The Air Force’s Crestview center will offer 250 spaces for military children, but, according to the most recent count, there are over 400 children of child care age in the 7th SFG alone. While not all need child care, the exact number is unclear because some families have given up on finding child care, Tobin said.

In the interim, other options

Meanwhile, most families with young children living there now will miss the chance to enroll their kids in the CDC, as their children will be too old by the time the center opens in 2028.

In response, Air Force and Army officials have explored other options to improve child care options in the area. Despite ongoing child care worker shortages, they increased staffing at the current Eglin CDC and opened two more classrooms. The Air Force is also restoring a CDC on Eglin to care for 118 children. While this will assist some families south of Camp “Bull” Simons, it still will require additional driving time, Tobin said.

The Air Force has doubled the number of Air Force-certified family child homes in the last year — to a total of 17 homes — with the capacity to provide care for up to 102 children. Another 13 homes are in the certification process.

The Army is initiating a one-year pilot program to provide hourly, part-time and intermittent child care support for up to 100 active-duty Army families beginning in the fall.

The Air Force and Army are also in contact with a local commercial child care provider that plans to open a new facility in the Crestview community by late 2025.

Still, Tobin said some families feel the solutions are falling short. She said one Army parent who attended a recent town hall detailing the decision told her, “The Air Force said they’d take care of us. They’re just trying to shut us up.”

“Once again, our child care has been pushed to the side,” said Tobin. “My 7th Group family lives there. Just because I moved doesn’t mean I don’t still have heartstrings back there. I have friends who are giving birth to babies. I have friends whose kids are 2, 3, 4 years old. They’re still hurting because there’s no child care,” she said, adding that inflation has made a dual income even more of a necessity.

“If you’re a service member who is concerned about the child care provided for the family … the mind is going to be somewhere else,” she said, rather than focused 100% on the mission.

7th SFG leaders understand that completely, and have been supportive of their soldiers and families, Tobin said.

“The 7th Group command team has excelled at that and advocated for families consistently, whether it’s [attending] meetings, surveys requested or any other hoops that the Air Force has thrown at them to slow processes of taking care of our families.”

Eight airlines, including German airline Lufthansa, had announced they would no longer allow dogs to fly in the cabin or cargo hold on the same flight as their owner due to new dog importing rules issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new CDC rules take effect Aug. 1, and many military families were left scrambling to find ways to transport their dogs, especially during the busy moving season. For some, this means using a pet shipper, a more expensive option than transporting the dog on the owner’s flight.

The policy was implemented to protect the U.S. from the reintroduction of dog rabies, which has been eliminated in the country since 2007. There are over 100 countries where the issue of dog rabies is not controlled, according to the CDC.

In an email response to Military Times on July 26, Lufthansa spokesman Joerg Waber noted that “existing bookings for the transportation of dogs remain unaffected, provided that all CDC requirements are met.”

That includes bookings previously made for flights scheduled for August or later. Many military families overseas book flights months in advance.

New Lufthansa bookings for dogs on or after Aug. 1 “will only be accepted for the airports in Washington, D.C., New York-JFK, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles and Philadelphia that provide the necessary infrastructure and meet criteria required by the CDC in case the animal is denied direct entry to the U.S.,” Waber added.

That infrastructure includes, for example, placement in a CDC-approved animal care facility, Waber said. If the CDC rules are not followed, the dog will not be allowed to enter the U.S.

The transportation of assistance dogs — and dogs separately shipped as air freight on their own tickets — to other U.S. airports, is still possible, as long as the owners meet the new CDC requirements, Waber said.

“They’re moving in the right direction,” said Liz Hensel, CEO of Leave No Paws Behind USA. But the Lufthansa website is not clear about what families should do, leaving travelers confused, she added.

“Families are under the impression they don’t have support,” said Hensel, a veteran who was named the 2024 Armed Forces Insurance Marine Corps Spouse of the Year.

As of July 26, Lufthansa had posted new information on its website, noting that already confirmed bookings will be honored after August 1, 2024, provided all CDC requirements can be fulfilled.

They’ll offer additional options if a dog’s booking was confirmed before July 3, 2024, including rebooking to a flight before Aug. 1; rebooking without the dog; and a refund of the ticket.

On July 22, the CDC loosened their new rules for importing dogs, announcing that through April 30, 2025, it won’t require veterinary documents for dogs that have spent the previous six months in rabies-free or low-risk countries. The only form needed is the CDC Dog Import Form, which can be completed online by the traveler or importer.

In addition to the dog import form, dogs coming from low-risk or no-risk countries for rabies:

• must appear healthy upon arrival.

• must be at least 6 months old at time of entry or return to the U.S.

• must have a identifying microchip that can be detected with a universal scanner.

Two versions of the CDC Dog Import Form exist: one for dogs coming from no-to-low risk countries for dog rabies, and the other for dogs coming from high-risk countries for dog rabies. Dogs coming from high-risk countries have more requirements, which can be assessed here.

How is this affecting Patriot Express flights?

Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., sent a letter on July 25 to the commander of Air Mobility Command, asking how the new CDC rules are impacting military families bringing dogs onto military-contracted Patriot Express flights. Patriot Express is a contracted commercial charter mission providing support for official duty travelers and their families to and from overseas areas.

“I am disturbed that the CDC’s rule … has already caused unnecessary confusion, with some airlines preventing dogs from onboarding with their families on international flights back home,” he wrote to Air Force Gen. Mike Minihan.

Waltz asked what assurances have been provided to service members and their families that AMC’s contracted airlines won’t issue blanket bans on dogs from onboarding; and what outreach AMC has done with the CDC for clarification and application of the rule to mitigate the negative impact on military families.

“At this time, the policy is so new [that] it is too soon to say how it is affecting Patriot Express flights enough to approach carriers about changes to the contract,” Scott Ross, spokesman for U.S. Transportation Command, told Military Times.

Military families overseas may get relief in dog travel rule fixes

The Patriot Express contract has a set number of pet spaces per flight, and those allocations can’t change without mutual agreement between the airline and the government.

Ross said current Patriot Express-contracted commercial airline carriers have requested — and some have received — their 90-day waivers from the CDC, which allows them to transport dogs without a document known as an air waybill.

Airlines can request waivers from CDC

New CDC rules require an air waybill for each dog beginning Aug. 1. Until now, air waybills have only been required if the dog was traveling separately as manifest cargo — essentially, on its own ticket on a separate flight from its owner.

The changes announced July 22 by CDC allow airlines to request a 90-day waiver if they are unable to create an air waybill for each dog transported to the U.S. This allows airlines to transport the dog in the cabin or as excess baggage in the cargo hold without an air waybill.

Lufthansa spokesman Joerg Waber confirmed that the airline has applied for and received the 90-day waiver.

None of the airlines are currently equipped for the process of receiving dogs as excess baggage or in the cabin with their own air waybill.

The passenger terminal, where pets arrive as excess baggage or to travel in the cabin, is not connected to the cargo facilities where air waybills are required for pets traveling as manifest cargo. So, airlines are not presently set up to clear a pet coming into the passenger terminal, according to Angela Passman, owner and president of World Pet Travel.

Those 90-day waivers, according to CDC, are provided within one business day of being requested by the airlines. The airlines can also request a waiver that can last nine months, which involves a longer approval process.

Airlines continue to be able to transport dogs if the dog is traveling separately as manifest cargo — on its own ticket, and as in the past, creating an air waybill for the dog.

Without being able to transport dogs on the same flights, many owners have no other option except to hire pet shipping companies accustomed to meeting rigid requirements.

That route, however, can cost anywhere from approximately $2,500 to over $4,000, depending on the dog. Hensel noted that bringing the dog on the same flight as the owner generally costs around $400.

The rules will still take effect Aug. 1 during the busy military moving season, and the impact of the changes is unclear. It remains to be seen whether overseas airlines will reverse their decisions to stop allowing overseas families to travel back to the U.S. with their dogs either in the cabin or as excess baggage on the plane.

The CDC rules prompted eight airlines to previously announce they will no longer fly the dogs with their owners, leaving many military families scrambling to find alternative transportation — with a number of departures scheduled in early August.

“CDC values the feedback received from various countries, industry partners, and the public,” officials stated Monday. “CDC simplified the process for meeting requirements for dogs arriving from rabies-free or low-risk countries.”

In easing some of the requirements, the CDC announced Monday that through April 30, 2025, it won’t require veterinary documents for dogs that have spent the previous six months in rabies-free or low-risk countries. The only form needed is the CDC Dog Import Form, which is completed online by the traveler or importer. This makes it easier for owners of dogs coming from low-risk countries.

There are two versions of the CDC Dog Import Form: one for dogs coming from no-to-low risk countries for dog rabies, and the other for dogs coming from high-risk countries for dog rabies. The list of high-risk countries is here. Dogs coming from those countries have more requirements, such as documentation and testing.

Military families overseas scrambling as U.S. dog travel rules change

The CDC requirements are aimed at preventing the introduction of dog rabies into the United States. While dog rabies was eliminated in the United States in 2007, there are over 100 countries where dog rabies isn’t controlled, according to the CDC.

Liz Hensel, a Marine Corps wife and CEO of Leave No Paws Behind USA, said she is hopeful the update will be helpful to military families. “It’s clear our voices are being heard,” said Hensel, who has been advocating for change in the rules to help military families.

However, she said, “There has to be communication between CDC and the airlines. The faster we can clarify, the better for our military families on standby for that Aug. 1 deadline.”

The CDC said it will also have a waiver process for airlines. Starting Aug. 1, airlines must create an air waybill document for each dog transported to the U.S. If they can’t create that air waybill, they can request a waiver. Unless the airlines create the air waybills or have a waiver, they can’t transport dogs as hand-carried or excess baggage to the U.S. If they are granted a provisional waiver for 90 days, they can transport dogs as hand-carried or excess baggage to the U.S. with an air waybill. They can also submit an application to apply for a longer-term waiver to last nine months.

Airlines continue to be able to transport dogs if the dog is traveling separately as manifest cargo — on its own ticket, and as in the past, creating an air waybill for the dog. But for dogs traveling as excess baggage or in the cabin with their owner, none of the airlines are currently equipped for the process of receiving dogs traveling as excess baggage or in the cabin with their own air waybill, according to Angela Passman, owner and president of World Pet Travel.

“The passenger terminal, where pets arrive as excess baggage or [to travel] in the cabin, is not connected to the cargo facilities, so they are unable to clear a pet coming into the passenger terminal,” Passman said. “They are simply not set up for this, and this is a requirement insisted upon by the CDC for bringing a pet into the continental U.S.”

If the CDC rules aren’t followed, the dog won’t be allowed to enter the U.S.

“If denied entry, your dog will be sent back to the last country of departure at your expense. Country of departure is where the last trip originated — not where the dog was born or where it lives,” officials state on the CDC’s website.

If families can’t travel with their dogs, they may be left with no alternative other than to use a pet shipper to navigate the complex requirements. While the cost for a dog to travel with the family has been around $400, it will now be more than $2,000, Hensel said, noting that the cost to ship a dog from overseas through a pet shipper could be anywhere from $2,500 to over $4,000, depending on the dog, location and other factors.

Lawmakers also urged the CDC to delay implementing the blanket requirements, as the rules affect low-risk dogs personally owned by various types of individuals.

Families are posting on Facebook about departure dates happening as soon as the first weeks of August — but now transportation is uncertain for their dogs due to new U.S. regulations and some airlines refusing to allow dogs to travel back to the states.

“Why do things always have to be so complicated for military families to bring our pet family members with us when we move?” one military wife asked on the platform. “As if moving far from home and family every few years isn’t stressful enough.”

The issue stems from new requirements from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that take effect Aug. 1, aimed at preventing the introduction of dog rabies into the United States. While dog rabies was eliminated in the United States in 2007, there are over 100 countries where dog rabies isn’t controlled, according to the CDC.

The new regulations will be cumbersome for some military families, and there’s some confusion. But the more immediate problem is that eight airlines will stop allowing dogs to travel back to the states with their families either in the cabin or as excess baggage in the cargo hold.

German airline Lufthansa is the most recent airline to make the announcement. “Due to new restrictions imposed by the U.S. authorities it is no longer possible to import dogs into the USA after 1 August 2024 until further notice,” the Lufthansa website states.

The abrupt policy changes have some military advocates baffled by it all.

“I 100% agree we have to protect the population from rabies,” said Liz Hensel, CEO of Leave No Paws Behind USA. “But there must be a better way than to leave hundreds of military families stranded in a situation where they have no idea what to do with their dogs,” she said.

There are more than 100,000 service members stationed in Europe alone, she noted. It remains to be seen how this will play out around the world.

“Our household pets really help with mental health not only for the men and women serving, but for the family dynamic as a whole,” said Hensel, a veteran who is also the 2024 Armed Forces Insurance Marine Corps Spouse of the Year.

The decision by Lufthansa is “heartbreaking,” as the airline has been one of the most pet friendly airlines for military families, Hensel said.

The new CDC requirements standardize the process for importing dogs, including standard requirements for the minimum age of imported dogs, microchips, the CDC Dog Import Form, and other documentation. This will “streamline the importation process and allow for safer and more efficient entry of dogs into the United States,” according to the CDC.

The rules require some documentation that generally only commercial pet shippers were required to do, and which could require extra steps such as translating the CDC form into the local language for host-nation veterinarians and their supervisors, Hensel said.

Hensel is advocating for urgent policy adjustments by the CDC, including exemptions for military families in recognition of their unique circumstances; increased quarantine and vaccination facilities; airline partnerships; and streamlined import processes with clear and consistent guidelines.

Lawmakers have stepped in to urge the CDC director to allow an 18-month delay in implementation of the blanket requirements, because the rules affect low-risk dogs personally owned by various types of individuals.

A July 8 letter from Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-N.Y., has been signed by six additional members of Congress. Among other things, the dog import form has caused concern because of its delayed public availability and potential concern among dog owners, Langworthy wrote.

Information was not immediately available from the CDC about whether any solutions are being considered for military families.

Hensel speculates that the airlines are backing away from transporting the pets with their families on the same flight because they don’t want to be held liable.

According to the CDC website, if their rules aren’t followed, the dog won’t be allowed to enter the U.S. “If denied entry, your dog will be sent back to the last country of departure at your expense. Country of departure is where the last trip originated—not where the dog was born or where it lives,” officials state.

Many military families will now be forced to use pet shippers, which can continue to ship on the airlines, Hensel said.

But the cost will be a great hardship for many families.

“What has been costing around $400 will now be over $2,000,” she said, noting that the cost to ship a dog overseas through a pet shipper could be anywhere from $2,500 to over $4,000, depending on the dog, location and other factors.

Hensel worked for four years to advocate for a law to allow service members to be reimbursed for up to $2,000 of pet transportation expenses to or from overseas during a PCS move, and up to $550 for pet transportation in a move within the continental U.S. DOD implemented that benefit Jan. 1.

“And now this?” she said.

Military issues new details on reimbursing pet travel costs

Limited spaces are available to transport dogs on military-contracted Patriot Express flights on PCS moves, although U.S. Transportation Command increased the cabin flight spaces from 10 to 20, in 2021.

TRANSCOM officials are aware of the issue, said spokesman Nate Allen.

“This is where the conversations between passengers and their local transportation management offices are crucial,” he said. “While there is no immediate plan to increase pet spaces, if presented with a significant increase in requirements, we have and will engage with commercial partners to increase capacity where possible.”

Passengers traveling on the Patriot Express flights will also be required to comply with the CDC’s new import requirements, Allen said.

One family posted that they are being relocated stateside for a humanitarian reassignment, which is already stressful.

“I literally don’t know how I’m going to get our dog home with us,” the military wife posted. “This is to the point I’m in tears. This is just another stressor military families don’t need.”

The Paris Olympics will take place from July 26 to Aug. 11, and authorized users can stream the action through their personal devices and computers through ShopMyExchange.com.

All service branches are eligible. Due to content rights restrictions, an active ShopMyExchange.com account is required. Online verification of your military or veteran status is required by law to establish a ShopMyExchange.com account. Veterans who have been honorably discharged have online exchange shopping benefits.

Coverage will include live competitions across all 39 sports and all 329 medal events, top stories and moments and livestreams of select practice and warmup sessions, according to a joint announcement by AAFES and NBCUniversal. There will also be video content such as event recaps, highlights, viral moments and interviews.

To watch, visit NBCOlympics.com on a computer or use the NBC Sports app (in the U.S. only) and choose the Exchange as the service provider.

Overseas viewers must be on a military location with internet service from an authorized provider to gain access.

Authorized providers that have worked with AAFES to allow streaming on U.S. military installations overseas include 101 GLOBAL, Allied Telesis, Americable, Babtel, Basefix, Boingo, DHI/TravelWifi, DSN, LG Uplus, Mediatti Broadband, Solutions by STC, Telecom Italia, TKS and US Wicom.

Find step-by-step instructions for accessing the livestream here.

“We value our relationship with Comcast NBCUniversal and are thrilled to once again be able to team with them to bring the Olympic Games to service members and their families, wherever they are called to serve,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Rich Martinez, AAFES’ senior enlisted adviser, in the announcement.

“It’s our privilege to provide unprecedented access to this historic event to U.S. military service members and veterans, where the world’s greatest athletes will compete against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful cities in the world,” said Mona Dexter, vice president of military and veteran affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal.

More information about watching NBCUniversal coverage of the Olympics is available here.

The Government Accountability Office concluded that around 8 in 10 of those listings could be incorrect after posing as Tricare beneficiaries on hundreds of covert calls to providers. The watchdog agency encountered a host of problems with the directories, from faulty contact information to incorrectly showing whether a provider is taking new Tricare patients.

Finding behavioral health care services to treat mental health conditions and substance use disorders is already difficult for military beneficiaries amid a nationwide shortage of therapists and psychiatrists. Flawed directories compound the unique challenges facing military families, who rely on the listings to find care and have long complained about directory shortcomings. Frequent moves exacerbate the problem.

To help remedy the issue, GAO recommended that the Defense Health Agency specifically monitor the accuracy of behavioral health listings in the Tricare network, in addition to the agency’s broader checks of the directory overall.

“Access to behavioral health care is paramount for Tricare beneficiaries, as demand for these services [has] increased among active duty service members and their families,” auditors said in the report.

More than 9 million Tricare beneficiaries receive care at military facilities, or through networks of civilian providers in two regions, Tricare East and West. Contractors in each region manage online provider directories spanning more than 1 million listings of health providers and specialists; the contractors are required to ensure listings are accurate and audit a portion of them each month. Defense health officials monitor the findings of those audits.

Congress mandated a GAO investigation in 2022 amid ongoing complaints about the quality of the directories. GAO dug into a fraction of the nearly 130,000 listings for behavioral health providers — with lackluster results.

The watchdog called a random sample of 342 behavioral health providers in the Tricare directories in July and August 2023, the report said. That was enough to estimate that 85% of nearly 61,000 such listings in Tricare East were inaccurate, and 79% of nearly 68,000 listings in Tricare West had errors, GAO said.

A listing was considered accurate if each of the elements required by the Pentagon were correct: a provider’s name, gender, specialty, sub-specialty, address, phone number and fax number. Auditors estimated that about 19% of all behavioral health listings in Tricare East, and about 22% of those listings in Tricare West, show a disconnected phone number or outdated address.

The study also considered whether providers were accepting new Tricare patients. Of the listings GAO contacted that advertised accepting new Tricare patients, the watchdog found that only a small percentage actually were — 34% of those in Tricare East; and 19% of those in Tricare West.

DHA and Tricare’s contractors have tried to encourage health providers to accept more Tricare patients. But providers can be reluctant to accept Tricare because they want to avoid the system’s low reimbursement rates for services provided, a lack of awareness of the Tricare system, a preference for private insurance or avoiding insurance altogether, or burnout.

As part of its research, GAO also met with organizations representing Tricare beneficiaries and behavioral health providers, and interviewed defense officials and representatives from the two regional contractors.

Health Net Federal Services, the Tricare West contractor, argues that more than 8 in 10 of its listings across all providers are accurate.

The contractor told Military Times it “proactively works with our network providers to obtain timely, accurate directory data.”

“HNFS conducts monthly audits on a randomly selected, statistically valid sample of provider records, including those for behavioral health providers,” the company said.

Health Net said GAO hasn’t provided details of which listings it audited so the company can try to replicate its findings.

Officials with Humana Government Business, the Tricare East contractor, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Karen Ruedisueli, director of government relations for health affairs for the Military Officers Association of America, said the advocacy group is “not at all surprised” by the findings.

“They validate beneficiary complaints we have heard for years about ‘ghost directories,’” Ruedisueli told Military Times. “Military families face so many challenges. Those reaching out for help should not have to slog through dozens of inaccurate listings to find a mental health provider.”

A recent survey conducted by the Military Family Advisory Network found that about 28% of actively serving families who sought out mental health care reported obstacles in getting appointments.

That comes amid a spike in the need for those services. Service members experienced a fourfold increase in mental health diagnoses from 2005 to 2021, according to the Defense Health Board, an independent committee that advises the defense secretary. Military children saw a sixfold increase in mental health diagnoses.

Struggles to keep provider directories accurate are not unique to the military health system; state and federal laws and regulations designed to curb the problem have fallen short of that goal.

The Defense Health Agency, which manages Tricare, said multiple factors likely cause listing inaccuracies. Behavioral health providers are more mobile than others, the agency said, and may lack the administrative staff to update those details. DHA added that provider availability can change daily, and that some don’t post phone numbers because they prefer patients contact them by email or text.

Responding to GAO’s findings, DHA said it would look into how feasible it may be to require Tricare contractors to audit behavioral health listings as well as the directories at large, and agreed to address what could be causing possibly significant differences in the accuracies of behavioral health listings compared to Tricare providers overall.

While GAO said the contractors contend their overall accuracy rate hovers around 82%, auditors estimate just 15% of behavioral health listings are right in Tricare East and 21% in Tricare West.

Defense Health Agency officials pushed back on the report’s recommendation to ensure those rates are consistent, pointing to differences in the providers’ resources and how they conduct business.

Defense officials also disagreed with the GAO recommendation that they periodically monitor the accuracy of the behavioral health provider listings in relation to the overall directory.

Tricare’s current contracts, as well as a new pair set to take effect in January, don’t require the network managers to audit individual specialties. Doing so would require more money, DHA Director Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland wrote in a response to GAO.

The agency itself also lacks the manpower to sufficiently pore over provider directories, Crosland said.

GAO maintains that the Pentagon should check Tricare’s behavioral health provider listings “to help ensure that beneficiaries have the best information available when they need to access behavioral health care.”

Have you had to cut back on the amount of groceries you’re buying? Are you giving up some previous indulgences or buying cheaper cuts of meat — or no meat? Scouring for coupons or doing more comparison shopping? Shopping at the commissary more often? Driving less or changing vacation plans? Diving into savings? Charging necessities on credit cards?

'Feeding our paycheck to the pump': Troops, families deal with inflation

If you’re making a permanent change of station move this summer, has inflation impacted that move, and in what way?

Have any steps taken by Congress and DOD over the last several years helped you financially, such as pay increases, housing allowance increases or the new Basic Needs Allowance?

Tell us about your experience, and include some of your advice and tips that we can share with others in the military community. Include your rank, branch of service, location and how many people are in your family.

Email your answers to reporter Karen Jowers at kjowers@militarytimes.com. Your response may be published online or in print. Let us know if it’s OK to use your name. Thanks for your help.

The lawmakers are concerned that the Defense Health Agency has decided to retain Express Scripts as the sole pharmacy benefit manager for Tricare, the military insurance system serving 9.6 million troops, retirees and their families.

Military pharmacies resume regular operations after cyberattack

In a letter sent Wednesday to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Lester Martinez-Lopez and DHA director Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, the lawmakers questioned whether Express Scripts may be using anticompetitive tactics to overcharge Tricare.

Express Scripts is the second-largest pharmacy benefit manager in the country. PBMs act as middlemen for pharmacies, drug companies and insurers and play a key role in negotiating drug prices between the various players, as well as helping to decide which medicines an insurer will cover.

Critics argue PBMs’ often secretive work has forced scores of Americans to overspend on medication or kept them from being able to access the medicine they need. PBM proponents argue they ultimately drive down costs in the medical system and ensure the prescription drug enterprise runs smoothly.

The letter, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., demands answers by July 2 from defense officials on how they monitor the Express Scripts contract, how robust the pharmacy network is, and whether DHA tracks Express Scripts’ denials for expensive specialty drugs requested by Tricare beneficiaries. Twenty additional members of Congress signed onto the letter.

At issue is the narrow set of companies through which troops and their families receive medicine under Tricare health plans.

Tricare members can obtain prescription drugs through two entities: Express Scripts, which handles nonspecialty medication, or Accredo, which handles specialty drugs for conditions like cancer and multiple sclerosis. Accredo has served as Tricare’s primary in-network specialty pharmacy since the beginning of 2023, though patients can buy specialty drugs through other pharmacies as well.

Both companies are Cigna subsidiaries. Lawmakers worry the arrangement makes Tricare customers vulnerable to higher drug prices, and may ultimately drive up the cost to taxpayers who cover government-provided health insurance.

“Because Cigna also owns Accredo, it can effectively keep much of its business in-house, using its [pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts] to steer patients to its own pharmacy while disadvantaging competitors,” the lawmakers wrote.

Lawmakers want to know whether DHA has compared the prices Express Scripts charges for specialty drugs through Accredo versus what it charges for the same drugs at independent pharmacies. They also ask how much Express Scripts charges for each of the 10 most frequently prescribed products purchased through Accredo, and how much it charges for the same prescriptions when they are purchased through independent pharmacies.

In a statement provided to Military Times, Express Scripts officials said Tricare beneficiaries aren’t required to fill the majority of specialty prescriptions through Accredo, “though many choose to because of the highly personalized support they receive from their pharmacists, nurses, clinicians, dietitians and social workers.”

Company officials said they provide Tricare beneficiaries “with high quality, affordable health care while achieving billions of dollars in savings for the government and taxpayers. Tricare beneficiaries have access to the full range of generic, brand, and specialty medications on the market today through our robust network of chain, independent, military, specialty and home delivery pharmacies.”

Tricare members have fewer independent and retail pharmacies to rely on than they did a few years ago. In 2022, 15,000 pharmacies left the Tricare network while refusing to accept the contract’s terms for reimbursement from Express Scripts. After public pressure, Express Scripts reopened its network, but fewer than 5,000 pharmacies rejoined.

“This exodus of independent and retail pharmacies can be catastrophic for Tricare beneficiaries, especially for those with complex medical conditions who are ill-served by mail-order pharmacies,” the lawmakers wrote.

There are currently more than 42,000 pharmacies, including nearly 12,000 independent pharmacies in the Tricare network. Ninety-eight percent of beneficiaries have a Tricare retail pharmacy within a 15-minute drive.

Lawmakers ask how the Defense Health Agency verifies that Express Scripts obeys patient access requirements, including that at least one in-network pharmacy is located within a 15-minute drive of 90% of Tricare beneficiaries.

They noted that the Defense Health Agency can revise the terms of the contract or leave the exclusive agreement with Express Scripts each year until the contract ends in December 2029.

A DHA spokesperson on Friday declined to comment on the letter: “It isn’t appropriate for us to comment on questions until we have responded formally to the members of Congress.”

The agency has previously told Military Times that the contract allows Express Scripts to use its own discretion in contracting with pharmacies to establish a competitively priced network that meets contract access standards, directly passing savings to the government.

A new report from a leading advocacy group argues it’s time to give the pace of those moves, known as permanent changes of station, a fresh look.

“We’re seeing PCS as being a big moment that puts people in a situation of vulnerability,” Shannon Razsadin, chief executive officer of the Military Family Advisory Network, told Military Times on Tuesday.

The group’s 2023 Military Family Support Programming Survey, released Wednesday, explored some of the perennial challenges that burden military families. The 109-page report questioned whether changing the frequent shuffle between bases — which military officials argue is necessary to meet operational requirements and fill empty jobs — could affect recurring issues related to financial stability, such as military spouse unemployment, and other concerns such as children’s education.

“Is there a capacity to expand telework to provide more stability?” the report asked. “There is an opportunity to explore the cost savings of less frequent moves, not just for military families, but also for taxpayers.”

The survey drilled into some of the second- and third-order effects of frequent moves, when people struggle with everything from the amount of time spent in temporary lodging to security deposits, extra rent and unreimbursed expenses.

“These things are adding up. When you move every two to three years, and layer on top of that potential gaps in employment, you have this ‘aha’ moment where it’s not surprising that people are having a hard time getting ahead,” Razsadin said.

More than half of the survey’s respondents made a PCS move in the previous two years, the advocacy group said. Those who did were more likely to report poor family well-being than those who hadn’t moved, at 25.7% and 20.3%, respectively, according to the survey.

About 4 in 10 respondents who PCSed in the past two years reported low or very low food security; around half reported it was “difficult or very difficult” to find a place to live.

The MFAN survey, conducted online from Oct. 2 to Dec. 10, 2023, sought to hear from current and former members of the military community. Of the 10,149 participants, 39% said they were active duty spouses, 19% were veterans, and 11% were active duty troops. Seventy-six percent of respondents identified themselves or their spouse as enlisted, whether active duty, retiree or veteran.

The survey isn’t a scientific poll because researchers did not verify the identity of respondents, or conduct a random sample, for instance. The 2023 report is the survey’s fifth iteration since it began in 2014.

Researchers measured family well-being using the Family Health Scale, a research tool of 10 questions that measure factors like relationships, health care, lifestyle, financial health and housing.

Other findings related to PCS moves include:

• Most respondents reported spending between $500 to $1,000 out of pocket on moving expenses that aren’t reimbursed by the military.
• 53% of active duty military family respondents say they are paying more than $251 out of pocket each month for rent/mortgage or utilities.
• 43% said the reimbursement process took one to two months after they moved.
• 29% reported staying in temporary lodging between 11 to 30 nights during their PCS move; another 21% reported staying in temporary lodging between 31 to 60 nights.
• 56% of respondents said their household goods were lost or damaged during their most recent move, including retirees and veterans. 70% filed a claim. “Respondents who filed a claim most commonly experienced a financial loss between $500 and $1,000 above the reimbursement for their claim,” according to the report.
• 46% of respondents said moving has the greatest impact on children and their education, social life, and adjustment to a new location. “It takes a great deal of work to support the children before, during and after a move. The ripple effect is large and long lasting,” said one active duty sailor who responded to the survey.
• 38% said that moving affects the entire family’s mental health and well-being, “oftentimes causing stress, sadness, depression, anxiety, loneliness, and even adjustment disorder,” according to the report.
• 30% cited the effects of PCS moves on military spouse employment; 36% of unemployed active duty spouses shared stories of challenges with frequent moves.
• 11% of respondents cited moving or PCS as a barrier to saving money.
• 30% of respondents said they had difficulty establishing mental health care in a new location.

“The journey of a military family like yours or mine comes with sacrifices,” said Christine Grady, wife of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Christopher Grady, during an event Wednesday announcing the results of the survey. “It comes with great rewards.”

Overall, military family well-being has declined since the last MFAN survey in 2021. In the past two years, those reporting poor family well-being increased from 14% in 2021 to 26.5% in 2023. Those who described their well-being as “excellent” fell from 41.3% in 2021 to 27.9% in 2023.

Enlisted families with children — one of the largest groups in the survey — were less likely to report excellent well-being, at 20%.

Razsadin said one of the more disheartening results is the uptick in loneliness reported among military and veteran families, which rose by 5 percentage points to 59% in 2023.

“I found it surprising,” she said. “The last time we fielded the survey was in 2021, in the pandemic. We have to figure out how we can create meaningful connections with people.”

Among the bright spots in the findings, said Gabby L’Esperance, MFAN’s insights director, was the increase in usage of mental health support. Nearly 60% of respondents sought out mental health services in the previous two years, up from 46% in 2021.

Survey results showed that families with poor or moderate well-being were less likely to recommend military life to others, as were enlisted families, veteran families, respondents with children under 18, and those who joined military life in the last 10 years.

Nearly 58% of those surveyed in 2023 would recommend a military career, a 5-percentage-point drop since 2021. Those who recommend military life to others has fallen steadily since 2019, when it stood at 74.5%.

Many said they would recommend military life with a healthy dose of caution, or as short-term service instead of a career.

The advocacy group warned that failing families can have wider repercussions for retention and recruitment — and in turn, military readiness — than on those households alone.

“Ensuring families can thrive in service isn’t just the right thing to do,” the report said. “There are long-term consequences if they don’t.”

While the Defense Department has worked to improve nutritious options at military dining facilities in an effort to retain a fit and healthy force, gaps continue to limit officials’ ability to manage and evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition programs, the Government Accountability Office said in a report published Monday.

More food options, better access coming for commissary customers

“Poor health and nutrition are growing challenges that threaten the department’s ability to recruit and retain a fit and healthy force,” according to the report.

Clear guidance from the top, crafted by a congressionally mandated board, is needed for effective implementation, oversight and evaluation of nutrition programs on military bases, auditors wrote. DOD has yet to establish that board.

Auditors also urged military officials to improve how food is labeled, in addition to expanding the availability of healthy options on base.

Defense Department officials did not weigh in on the report’s recommendations ahead of its release and did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Military Times.

The military services run more than 400 dining facilities around the world, most of which belong to the Army. But troops have long griped about the lack of healthy dining options on base, from limited operating hours to stingy portions doled out by food service workers to few sources of protein for those stuck at the end of the line.

To help service members find the healthiest choices in those dining halls, the military launched a color-coded nutrition-labeling program called “Go For Green,” or “Fueled to Fight” in the Marine Corps.

Green, yellow and red labels signify the proportion of saturated and total fats, fiber and sugar in a particular food, as well as how they were processed and prepared. Green means “eat often,” yellow is “eat occasionally” and red means “eat rarely.”

But some installations haven’t fully implemented the labeling program, auditors found. Beyond color-coding foods, bases are required to follow placement and promotion guidelines, like putting “green” foods first in the chow line; obey set minimums and maximums for the number of “green” and “red” items athat are available; and employ a certain number of workers who are trained on the program.

GAO auditors recommended that the services be required to establish guidance on what steps the dining facilities need to take to incorporate each of those required elements into their nutrition-labeling programs.

Stronger guidance could help ensure the food on troops’ plates meets minimum nutrition standards, and the labeling program’s requirements, so service members have an easier time making informed decisions about their diets, auditors said.

Inconsistencies can lead to “suboptimal food choices and service member confusion or distrust in the labeling programs,” auditors argued.

Troops in 4 of 5 of discussion groups run by GAO said they didn’t trust that nutrition labels were accurate and ignored them when choosing meals, according to the report.

Though the Defense Department promised to create a congressionally required “leadership cell for food transformation” by September 2022, that team hasn’t yet come to fruition.

Military health officials told GAO they have drafted a charter for what will be known as the “Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board,” tasked with developing policies and procedures to reform the military food enterprise.

But disagreements over who should lead the board have stopped the panel from starting its work.

While the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment was initially proposed to co-chair the board, that plan has fallen through amid the acquisition branch’s concerns that the panel would overlap with the Pentagon’s existing nutrition committee, GAO wrote. DOD health officials, on the other hand, argue that committee has “insufficient expertise and influence” on the military’s food operations, the report said.

In the meantime, the board’s delays “have prevented critical oversight of food transformation efforts,” auditors said. They recommend the defense secretary clarify or adjust responsibilities for the leadership of that board.

And while the services and DOD do collect some feedback on the food available on military installations, GAO suggested that a stronger set of goals and performance metrics would help track whether those options offer troops well-rounded meals.

Another major hurdle to healthy eating on base is the array of other venues — such as officer clubs, bowling centers, snack bars and commercial restaurants — that aren’t subject to the same nutritional requirements as taxpayer-funded dining facilities and are open longer. Those venues comprise at least three-quarters of on-base food vendors, according to DOD.

For instance, the report said, one large installation has 47 retail food venues that serve customers from 5 a.m. to midnight, compared to 14 military dining facilities, most of which close by 6 p.m.

Restaurants and other vendors that are part of a chain with at least 20 locations must publicly display calorie data on their menus. But that’s not enough, GAO said.

Auditors recommended that military health officials, along with the future Defense Feeding and Nutrition Board, develop a strategy for growing the number of healthy options at those retail establishments, and better define their role in providing nutritious food on military installations.