By Devon L. Suits October 24, 2017

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. -- Soldiers who receive a basic allowance for housing and have dependents are reminded to keep their records up to date to prevent any disruptions in their Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH, entitlements, according to experts within the Army's Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1.

To help ensure the overall readiness of the force, the Army G-1 has notified 65,000 Soldiers that they needed to provide proof of dependency to justify their housing rates, according to J.D. Riley, deputy chief of the compensation and entitlements division, G-1.

By C. Todd Lopez, Army News Service October 24, 2017

WASHINGTON -- The current Army Combat Uniform top weighs in at about 650 grams, or about 1.4 pounds. It's got a lot of pockets and multiple layers of fabric. When it gets wet, it tends to stay wet. And when it's hot out, it tends to keep Soldiers hot.

The Army has a solution for that: the Improved Hot Weather Army Combat Uniform that has a whole lot fewer pockets, layers of fabric and Velcro, as well as a new fabric that is actually lighter than the current ACU.

By Don WagnerOctober 27, 2017

WASHINGTON -- Research shows that when Families are connected to their unit, each other, and the community, Soldiers and Families are better able to meet the challenges of military life, according to Heather Leiby, school liaison transition specialist, U.S. Army Installation Management Command.

In the Military Family Forum II at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition, Leiby gave participants an overview of the new Readiness Essentials for Army Leaders, or R.E.A.L. training.

WASHINGTON — Today, the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the formation of the Joint Ginnie Mae – VA Refinance Loan Task Force.

The task force will focus on examining critical issues, important data and lender behaviors related to refinancing loans, and will determine what program and policy changes should be made by the agencies to ensure these loans do not pose an undue risk or burden to Veterans or the American taxpayer.
More specifically, the task force will examine aggressive and misleading refinancing propositions, as described by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and will address loan churning and repeated refinancing.

By Brad Nelson, Public Affairs Officer, Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center Iron Mountain, Michigan
Tuesday, October 3, 2017

The fastest growing population group in the military today is women who currently comprise 14.5 percent of active duty personnel and 18 percent of National Guard and Reserves.

The face of VA healthcare is changing. Younger female Veterans are using VA services more frequently, including for maternity care, and having service connected disabilities, while older Veterans are using VA services for menopausal needs, geriatric care, and extended inpatient stays.

By Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Navy announced Oct. 4 the rollout of the "OPNAV Uniform" app for iOS and Android mobile devices to provide information on how and when to wear the Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Type III.

The app covers the wear rules for NWU Type IIIs released Aug. 31 in NAVADMIN 214/17. It also provides photos illustrating the different uniform items and how to wear them.

DoD News, Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON October 29, 2015 -

Thirty-seven new companies and organizations were formally inducted into the Military Spouse Employment Partnership during a ceremony in Alexandria, Virginia, yesterday, bringing the total number of partners to 297.

The partners of the Military Spouse Employment Partnership are committed to recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining military spouses in portable careers. 

fm DOD News Release NR-411-15

The TRICARE Health Plan has announced the 2016 premiums for TRICARE Young Adult Prime and Standard options covering beneficiaries between 23 and 26 years old. These premiums are adjusted on an annual basis and go into effect Jan. 1, 2016.

Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

 "JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas" - Special duty assignment pay levels for a handful of career fields changed effective Oct. 1, following the most recent Air Force annual review resulting in 14 career fields or assignment areas being modified or added.

The annual review focused on identifying Airmen in extremely demanding positions with unusually challenging responsibilities that differ from their normal job demands. During the review, one Air Force specialty was evaluated for the first time and was added to the SDAP-eligible list.

DALLAS -  Military shoppers can fill their sleighs with the hottest toys for children of all ages this holiday season with help from the Army & Air Force Exchange Service's Toy Book, which features a selection of gifts both in-store and online.

The 32-page shopping guide, available Oct. 23 in the continental United States and Nov. 6 overseas, is packed with Military Brat-Approved toys, which were tested by military children. Shoppers will find the Military Brat-Approved seal of approval throughout the shopping guide highlighting the hottest kid-tested toys.