Marine Program Could Get More Troops Off the Battlefield Alive
Here’s a link to this article from the American Legion:
Marine Program Could Get More Troops Off the Battlefield Alive
Two MOAA Articles About the NDAA
Here are two articles about the FY20 NDAA:
Optional PRT Swimwear, Cold Weather Outerwear Lead List of 2019 Uniform Updates
From Chief of Naval Personnel Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy announced updates to uniform policy and uniform design improvement in NAVADMIN 282/19, Dec. 9.
Navy uniform policies are the result of fleet feedback, command sponsored requests and direction from Navy leadership. Navy uniform policy updates directly support Sailor 2025 goals of attracting and retaining the very best Sailors by finding greater flexibility in policies and practices. Uniform updates include:
Uniform item introductions:
Optional Physical Readiness Test (PRT) swimwear updates include twopiece swimwear that is now authorized for both male and female Sailors for their semi-annual PRT (full torso coverage required). Full body swimwear is also authorized for Sailors who elect to swim for their PRT.
The black neck gaiter is authorized during extreme cold weather conditions with the following cold weather outer garments only: cold weather parka, Navy working uniform type II/III parka, pea coat, reefer, and all weather coat.
The Gold Star Lapel Button (GSLB) and Next of Kin Lapel Button (NKLB) is now authorized for optional wear with service dress and full dress uniforms for eligible survivors of service members.
The acoustic technician chief warrant officer (CWO) insignia is authorized for wear by CWOs designated with a 728X designator.
New Uniform Design Improvements:
The summer white/service dress white maternity shirt is being redesigned to enhance appearance and functionality when worn. The new design improvements include princess seams, adjustable side tabs with three buttons, epaulettes, and two side seam hidden pockets. The improved design also removes chest pockets to align with the current style service khaki and Navy service uniform maternity shirt. A future NAVADMIN will announce projected availability for purchase and wear.
NWU and cold weather parka black fleece liner development efforts are underway to enhance the design of the black fleece to include weather resistant (rain and wind) outer fabric, attached rank tab and two side access pockets with zippered closures.
Navy Uniform Initiatives Update:
The OPNAV Uniform Regulations App was revised and renamed in July 2019 and is now the MyNavy UNIFORMS App. The latest revision includes the addition of Chapter 2 (Grooming Standards) and Chapter 5 (Identification Badges, Breast Insignia, Awards, Aiguillettes, Brassards, Buttons, Boatswains Pipe/Lanyard), as well as recently released uniform policy announcements. The MyNavy UNIFORMS app may be downloaded from www.applocker.navy.mil or your preferred app store.
Fleet testing of the IBoot 5 continues. Feedback from participants has been positive indicating the enhanced design features of the IBoot 5 are a major improvement to the standard Navy safety footwear in the terms of overall fit, comfort and performance. The evaluation will continue through the end of calendar year 2019 to facilitate wear during cold weather conditions. The completion of the IBoot 5 evaluation, participant survey and final report to Navy leadership with recommendation is expected to occur by the first quarter of calendar year 2020.
Mandatory uniform possession and wear dates remain as follows:
Female E-1 through E-6 jumper style service dress blue with enlisted white hat: 31 January 2020.
Female officer and chief petty officer service dress white coat (choker): 31 January 2020.
Black cold weather parka: 30 April 2021.
Navy fitness suit: 30 September 2021.
Male and female E-1 through E-6 service dress white with blue piping: 31 October 2021.
Feedback and recommendations regarding uniform policy, uniform components and uniform availability are welcome and can be provided via MyNavy Portal at https://www.mnp.navy.mil/, select Professional Resources, U.S. Navy Uniforms and *Ask The Chiefs.* Feedback can also be provided via the MyNavy UNIFORMS App.
Questions regarding this NAVADMIN should be addressed to the Navy Uniform Matters Office, OPNAV N13X, via e-mail to Mr. Robert Carroll, Head of Navy Uniform Matters Office, at robert.b.carroll(at)navy.mil; CMDCM(SW/AW/IW/EXW) Marisol Dumlao, Deputy Head of Navy Uniform Matters Office, at marisol.dumlao(at)navy.mil; or PSCS(SW/IW) Alexandre Adriano at alexandre.d.adriano(at)navy.mil.
These policy updates are in line with the #MyNAVYHR goals of manning the fleet and developing a 21st century fighting force that is focused on inclusion and Sailor readiness.
US News & World Report: Military Health System in the Crosshairs
Here’s a link to the article:
Are the Thrift Savings Plan Lifecycle Funds Too Conservative?
We’ve talked a lot about the Thrift Savings Plan and all of its investment options. The easy button is to just use a Lifecycle Fund or L Fund. Pick the approximate year you intend to retire, and use the L Fund with the year in its name that is closest to your retirement year.
For example, if you want to retire in 2038, you’d pick the L 2040 Fund because that is the one closest to 2038. Pretty simple.
Funds like the L Funds are called target date funds. Investopedia defines a target date fund as:
A target-date fund is a fund offered by an investment company that seeks to grow assets over a specified period of time for a targeted goal. Target-date funds are usually named by the year in which the investor plans to begin utilizing the assets. The funds are structured to address a capital need at some date in the future, such as retirement. The asset allocation of a target-date fund is therefore a function of the specified timeframe available to meet the targeted investment objective. A target-date fund’s risk tolerance become more conservative as it approaches its objective target date.
Target date funds have become super popular, but how do the TSP L Funds compare to other target date funds? In particular, how risky or conservative are they when it comes to their asset allocation? Let’s take a look and find out.
More Stocks = More Risk
The TSP L Funds only invest in two broad asset classes, stocks and bonds. The higher percentage of your portfolio you have allocated to stocks, the more risk you are taking.
How does the TSP L Fund stock allocation compare to similar funds at other investment companies? Here are the stock and bond allocation percentages for a few 2040 target date funds (rounded to the nearest whole percentage):
- TSP L 2040 = 72% stocks, 28% bonds
- Fidelity Freedom Fund 2040 (FFFFX) = 93% stocks, 7% bonds
- Schwab Target 2040 Index Fund (SWYGX) = 82% stocks, 18% bonds
- Vanguard Target Retirement 2040 (VFORX) – 83% stocks, 17% bonds
As you can see, the TSP L 2040 is by far the most conservative fund with only 72% stocks. The next closest is the Schwab fund at 82% stocks with Vanguard close behind at 83%. Fidelity wins the aggressiveness award for the 2040 target date.
Just Pick a Different Target Date?
If the conservative nature of the TSP L Funds bothers you, you can always dial up the risk by adjusting the target date you select. Just because you want to retire around the year 2040 doesn’t mean you can’t use the L 2050 fund. By picking it, you’d have a more aggressive asset allocation than the L 2040 but still get the benefits of a target date fund like automatic rebalancing and a gradually more conservative allocation as you age.
But if you look at the L 2050 fund, you’ll find its asset allocation to be 82% stocks and 18% bonds. In other words, the L 2050 is more conservative than two of the three 2040 funds listed above and the same as the one from Schwab. And since it is the most aggressive L Fund available in the TSP, it limits how aggressive you can get while using a Lifecycle Fund.
Why are L Funds so Conservative? Is it Appropriate?
The answer to the first question is because they are based on “based on professionally determined asset allocations.”
The answer to the second question, in my opinion, is probably not. While a conservative investor would have no issues with the L Fund asset allocations, a moderate or aggressive investor would, especially if they are staying in the military long enough to leave with a government guaranteed, inflation adjusted pension.
As we all know around here, that pension is extremely valuable. In addition, when viewed in the context of your entire portfolio, its safety could allow you to take more risk with the rest of your investments.
How Does This Affect You?
If you don’t use a L Fund, it doesn’t.
If you do use them, though, you should use them realizing that:
- Among target date funds, they are conservative.
- Even by picking the L Fund 2050, the most aggressive you can get your asset allocation will be 82% stocks and 18% bonds.
- Despite all of this, they are still the easiest way to invest for retirement in the TSP.
Acting SECNAV Modly Orders $100M Shifted Toward Navy Education Effort
Here’s a link to this article that perhaps will increase the opportunity to receive education like Joint Professional Military Education and the Naval Postgraduate School Executive MBA:
Acting SECNAV Modly Orders $100M Shifted Toward Navy Education Effort
2020 BAH/BAS/Basic Pay Rates and Finance Friday Articles
The DoD released the 2020 pay info:
Here are my favorite articles this week:
9 Practical Tips to Find Contentment
Overweighting REITs: Why Don’t More Experts Recommend It?
Riding Out Private Real Estate Deals
Here are the rest of this week’s articles:
10 Guiding Principles for Physician Debt Management
Durn Furriners – A Discussion of Foreign Stock Allocation
Owning Oddities – Factor Investing
Spend Money On Experiences… And Some Things, Too
Supersavers and the Roth vs Tax-deferred 401(k) Dilemma
WCI vs PoF: A Pro/Con on Donor Advised Funds
What’s the Best Age to Take Social Security?
While On International Travel, Always Transact In Local Currency
Summary of Changes to New Navy Fitrep Instruction
The Navy recently updated its fitrep instruction. Here it is:
BUPERSINST 1610.10E – NAVY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION SYSTEM
The changes are not very relevant to this audience unless you are a reporting senior, but for those that are here is the summary:
The updated instruction is attached. Below is the NAVADMIN but here is a summary of changes:
This revision incorporates policy guidance contained in NAVADMINs 141/17 (Physical Readiness Program Policy Changes), 304/17 (Physical Readiness Program Policy Change), and 193/19 (Active Component LDO and CWO Fitness Report Officer Summary Groups). In addition, the following new guidance applies with the updated instruction:
- Incorporating reference (a) guidance when a member willfully does not meet deployability standards and authorizing the submission of a Special Report when a member willfully does not meet deployability standards.
- Requiring reports for Navy reservists who perform active-duty periods that are greater than 90 days and prohibiting reports for Navy reservists who perform active-duty periods that are less than 90 days.
- Assigning September 30 as the periodic report date for Chief Warrant Officer-1.
- Prohibiting delegation of reports on members in the grades of E5 through E9, including members frocked to E5, below the grade of lieutenant designated department heads.
- Prohibiting reporting seniors, raters and senior raters from evaluating members who have filed an accusation of sexual misconduct against the reporting senior, rater or senior rater while an investigation is pending to reflect the requirements of reference (b).
- Incorporating changes to flag officer reporting requirements, including changes to blocks 14-15 (Period of Report Table 19-1), requiring submission 15 days sooner and changing the verbiage for blocks 10-13 (Occasion of Report) to read, Special Reports will be selected for Concurrent or Operational Commander report.
- Adding billet specific language to the instruction requiring reporting seniors evaluating Navy Installation Commanding Officers (CO) to document in block 41 (comments on performance) their performance in managing family and unaccompanied housing programs. Additionally, reporting seniors evaluating Naval Facilities Engineering Command COs are required to document in block 41 (comments on performance) their performance in facility management of family and unaccompanied housing and enforcement of Public Private Venture business agreements.
Throwback Thursday Classic Post – Deployment Gear Lists
The gear you need for a deployment will obviously depend on the type of deployment, but every time I deploy I take a look at the gear lists I have to see what I might need to bring that I’m forgetting. Some of the gear lists and deployment checklists I have are old and I don’t even know who created them, but I wanted to post them so people could use them if they so desired. Here they are:
CDR Temerlin’s Gear Organization
Recommended Blackhawk Stomp II Load
Thanks to Steve Temerlin and whoever else created these, and if you have any gear/deployment lists you’d like to share just use the Contact Me tab and you’ll then be able to send them to me over e-mail once I reply.
Army Surgeon General’s Leadership Lecture Series: HON McCaffery, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs
Here’s a link to a 1 hour video on leadership from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs:
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 