Official 2017 Military Pay Chart
Here is the official (meaning I got it from DFAS) military pay chart for 2017:
Military Officers Association of America Article – President Signs NDAA
There are many changes coming our way from the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. Here is a brief article that summarizes some of the changes:
The 2017 National Defense Authorization Act puts into law new requirements spanning many of DoD’s programs. Most notably, it will entail sweeping changes for the military health care system.
This newly signed legislation puts into law a number of MOAA’s priorities. Specifically, it:
- Secures a 2.1 percent military pay raise vs. the 1.6 percent pay raise proposed by the administration. The 2.1 percent pay raise matches the average American’s, as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Cost Index.
- Stops the force drawdown and actually increases manpower levels, especially for the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps.
- Requires an array of reforms to improve beneficiaries’ access to timely and high-quality health care.
- Protects currently serving and retired beneficiaries from a variety of steep TRICARE fee increases proposed in the administration’s budget.
- Rejects a Senate proposal to cut housing allowances by $10,000 to $30,000 a year for dual-military couples and other servicemembers who share housing.
- Provides needed survivor benefit improvements: (a) extending the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) until May 2018 at $310 per month, and (b) increasing Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for survivors of reservists who die during Inactive Duty Training, to match benefits provided for active duty deaths.
The long list of health care improvement requirements are aimed at addressing the systemic and chronic problems MOAA and others have highlighted with beneficiary access (appointments and referrals), quality of care, and safety and consistency of care.
They include changes in contracting, appointment and referral processes, and holding medical providers and commanders more accountable for productivity and consistency of beneficiary-centric care, especially in military facilities.
One major change affecting TRICARE Standard beneficiaries is that program will change, effective Jan. 1, 2018, to a preferred provider organization called TRICARE Select. Another big difference is all non-Medicare-eligible retired beneficiaries will be required to formally enroll every year in either TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select, starting in 2018. Previously, only TRICARE Prime required a formal enrollment.
The Prime option, though largely unchanged, will be modernized such that the majority of referrals to specialists from primary care managers will no longer be required to go through a cumbersome pre-authorization process. Pre-authorizations for urgent care will also no longer be required.
All in all, MOAA believes the healthcare reforms required in the new law are very positives steps toward our goal of improving beneficiaries’ access to quality health care and elimination of administrative hassles beneficiaries have experienced too often.
2016 on MCCareer.org – A Review
Thanks to all of you who have made 2016 a successful year for MCCareer.org. Here is a recap of 2016:
- Total Website Views – 43,673 (up from 10,870 in 2015)
- Total Visitors – 18,373 (up from 3,705 in 2015)
- Posts Published – 133 (up from 69 in 2015)
- Joel Schofer’s Promo Prep – 2,100 views
- Total Income – Negative $99 (the cost of the site for the year)
- Total Hours Spent On It – Hundreds!
Here are the top 5 posts that weren’t the announcement of a promotion list (which are always very popular):
- Consolidated Special Pays
- How Valuable is a Military Pension?
- Should You Send a Letter to the Promotion Board?
- LCDR Fitreps – Language for Writing Your Block 41
- Sailor of 2025 Talent Management Initiatives
Thanks for your support!
“Full” 2.1% Pay Raise in 2017
Here’s an article from Military Times about our pay raise and a PDF of the new pay table:
New in 2017: Expect rigorous debate over military pay and benefits
By: Leo Shane III, Military Times, December 27, 2016
For the first time since 2013, military personnel in January will see a “full” pay raise equal to the expected increase in private sector wages. But it remains unclear whether this is a sign of better benefits and compensation in years to come.
How Congress and the new president treat military pay and benefits will be an issue worth service members’ attention in the year ahead, since the moves will directly affect their families’ finances.
President-elect Donald Trump has already promised to boost military spending, including more personnel and equipment. He has also promised that the country will “take care of the military” better than under President Barack Obama.
Outside advocates hope this means protecting military compensation.
In recent years, Pentagon leaders trimmed expected increases for housing stipends and basic pay to instead redirect hundreds of millions of dollars to modernization and training efforts. Military officials have said it’s a distasteful but necessary tradeoff, given shortfalls in the defense budget.
But troops’ advocates and some lawmakers have said it needlessly burdens troops and their families. They successfully fought a lower pay raise proposal for 2017, and pushed back against plans for a complete overhaul of housing stipends which could have taken away thousands of dollars annually from some troops.
With the new administration they’ll push Trump’s Pentagon to hold personnel costs separate from major weapons purchases, and hope to recoup some of the lost trims in the years to come.
New Online Application Process for USUHS Faculty Appointments
The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) has a new process for applications for faculty appointments, summarized in this Powerpoint:
USUHS Faculty Appointment PPT Go-By
Here are some forms you’ll need:
Program Director & Command Endorsement Template Letter for USU Faculty Appointment
NAVADMIN – Applications for 2018 Navy Legislative Fellowship – O3-O5
NAVADMIN 265/16
SUBJ/2018 NAVY LEGISLATIVE FELLOWSHIP CALL FOR APPLICATIONS//
REF/A/DOC/BUPERS/12NOV10//
AMPN/REF A IS BUPERSINST 1560.21E, LEGISLATIVE FELLOWS PROGRAM.//
RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN solicits applications for the 2018 Navy Legislative
Fellows Program. The Legislative Fellows Program allows naval officers,
senior enlisted and Department of the Navy civilians to broaden their
understanding of the legislative process and the operation of the U.S.
Congress through a year-long full-time assignment to the office of a member
of the House of Representatives or the Senate. The Legislative Fellows
Program also enhances the ability of the Navy to fulfill its role in the
national policy development process.
2. This is a highly competitive program. Records must reflect sustained
superior performance and potential for future assignments in critical
billets. Upon completion of the program, officers earn an additional
legislative qualification designator. Additionally, there is an opportunity
to earn a legislative studies certificate through a sponsoring agency.
3. Military Applicants. Participation is open to all active-duty and Full-
Time Support unrestricted line officers, restricted line officers, and staff
corps officers in the permanent grades of O-3 through O-5. Enlisted
participation is open to all Navy occupational specialty codes in the
permanent grades of E-7 through E-9. The selection process will focus on
individual performance, promotion potential, academic and subspecialty
qualifications, needs of the Navy, and availability for follow-on assignment.
Officers with permanent change of station orders already issued will not be
considered.
a. Applications must be available for permanent change of station
assignment to Washington, DC, from November 2017 through December 2018.
During the fellowship, officers and senior enlisted Sailors will be assigned
to the Office of Legislative Affairs for administrative purposes. Upon
execution of orders, fellows agree to serve for three years following
completion or termination of the fellowship. A follow-on utilization tour in
legislative affairs is preferred (making career timing an important
consideration), but depends on community-specific billet requirements, needed
officer progression, and availability of legislative assignments. All
officer applicants must contact their detailers for counseling on the career
impact of participation in the Legislative Fellowship Program.
b. Submit applications via e-mail to the Office of Legislative Affairs
point of contact no later than 31 March 2017. Program information and
submission guidance are available on the Navy Legislative Affairs website at
http://www.navy.mil/local/ola/legislative_fellowship1.asp.
c. Points of contact are LCDR Nicole Williams, Navy Fellows Program
Manager at (703) 697-2885/DSN 227 or via e-mail at
nicole.williams3(at)navy.mil and LCDR Ian Lopez, Graduate Education
Placement, PERS-440, at (901) 874-4056/DSN 882 or via e-mail at
ian.lopez(at)navy.mil.
Promotion Zones Officially Released. Game On!
BLUF – If you are above zone, in zone, or below zone for a FY18 promotion board, it is time to download the Promo Prep Document, read it, and do what it says to make sure you’re ready for the board.
The FY18 promotion zones have been officially released:
NOTICE OF CONVENING FY-18 NAVY ACTIVE-DUTY PROMOTION SELECTION BOARDS
This message announces the promotion board dates:
- 7 FEB 2017 Staff Corps Captain (Board #170)
- 28 MAR 2017 – Staff Corps Commander (Board #265)
- 16 MAY 2017 – Staff Corps Lieutenant Commander (Board #300)
Here is what it says about the promotion zones:
The Secretary of the Navy has authorized the release of the following list indicating the names, Active-Duty List numbers and dates of rank of the Senior in-zone, Junior in-zone and Junior officer eligible for consideration for promotion in each competitive category as of the date of this NAVADMIN. In addition, those officers on the Active-Duty List and in the same competitive category who are senior to the Senior in-zone officer listed in their category are considered above-zone and are also eligible for consideration.
CAPT Staff Corps Zones for Board #170
Senior in-zone – CDR S. Ashby 022916-50 01 OCT 2011
Junior in-zone – CDR J. Miller 023124-00 01 SEP 2012
Junior eligible – CDR B. A. Waterman 023610-75 01 SEP 2014
CDR Staff Corps Zones for Board #265
Senior in-zone – LCDR A. J. Owings II 037432-50 01 OCT 2011
Junior in-zone – LCDR A. M. Dicarlomeacham 038187-50 01 SEP 2012
Junior eligible – LCDR J. M. Carness 040050-00 01 SEP 2014
LCDR Staff Corps Zones for Board #300
Senior in-zone LT S. M. Simmons 112278-00 26 OCT 2011
Junior in-zone – LT T. B. Kiner 117814-00 17 SEP 2012
Junior eligible LT J. D. Gutierrez 130542-00 11 AUG 2014
If you don’t understand how to figure out where you are in the zones, just download the Promo Prep document. It will tell you how to figure it out with your date of rank.
Also of note, BUPERS On-Line will be undergoing maintenance for the next two weeks.
2017 BAH Up an Average of 2.4%, BAS Unchanged
Here is my summary of an article from the Military Officers Association of America about 2017 allowances:
- Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will climb an average of 2.4 percent Jan. 1, or about $41 a month.
- Actual increases for individual BAH recipients will vary by Military Housing Area, pay grade, and dependency status. You can look up your BAH at this link.
- For a third straight year, BAH adjustments will not quite keep pace with the average rise in rent and utility costs, as the Department of Defense sticks to a five-year plan to trim the cost of stateside housing allowances gradually. The dampening of rates will continue until 2019, when recipients will be paying 5 percent of their off-base rental expenses out of pocket.
- Rates will fall in 82 housing areas, or 27 percent of the total. A rate protection provision, however, won’t allow BAH payments to fall for members already assigned to an area unless their pay grade is lowered or their dependency status changed.
- Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) rates will not change Jan. 1 because food prices were flat the past year. Monthly food allowances for officers will remain at $253.63 per month.
Director of Medical Services Position at NMC Portsmouth – O5/O6 Position
Director of Medical Services at NMC Portsmouth will be vacated in spring/summer 2017. To be eligible to apply, members must already be at NMCP or up for orders and must coordinate with their Detailer/Specialty Leader.
The qualified officer should be a CDR or CAPT, have senior leadership experience, and a keen understanding for the governance of hospital operations. Interested candidates should submit via e-mail a letter of intent, CV, BIO, PRIMS data, and their last three fitreps or letters of recommendation (no more than three total) no later than 1 FEB 2017 to Ms. Carley Schneider (e-mail address can be found in the global address book).
The position description is here:
PCS Orders Will Be Delayed Due to the Continuing Resolution
WASHINGTON (NNS) — The Navy announced today that Sailors should expect to receive orders with approximately two months lead time for permanent change of station (PCS) moves following passage of a second Continuing Resolution (CR) for Fiscal Year 17 that will fund the government through April 28, of next year.
“The Navy fully realizes that these shortened lead times limit Sailors’ time to prepare for moves, and burdens them and their families,” said Chief of Naval Personnel, Vice Adm. Robert Burke. “Going forward, we remain committed to providing Sailors with as much information and lead time as we can. Our goal remains to mitigate the CR’s impact on Sailors and their families, to the best of our ability. We ask for your patience as we work through the funding challenges.”
Due to the way resources are phased and allocated under a CR, the Navy currently does not have sufficient funds in our manpower accounts to allow for normal three to four month lead times for Sailors’ PCS orders.
While the Navy will make every effort to ensure that PCS orders are released in a timely manner, these fiscal challenges will result in compressed PCS timelines for Sailors. To date, NPC has received less funding than planned and the average lead time for PCS orders has decreased to approximately two months. Sailors who have not yet received orders will likely have less than two months lead time when the orders are released.
The Navy has utilized a prioritization strategy in previous PCS funding-constrained periods with the intent to minimize impact to Fleet readiness, career timing, and families. Emphasis will remain on global support assignment rotations, career milestone billets, critical readiness fills, minimizing gaps at sea for deployed units and those working up to deploy, and keeping the training pipelines moving. Those Sailors who are going to operational units about to deploy, numbered fleet staffs, overseas billets, individual augmentees or must-moves (safety, early return of dependents, humanitarian) will be issued their orders first.
Additionally, Navy Personnel Command will continue to issue letters of intent for overseas moves. That way, while orders may not be in hand, individuals can start the process of doing overseas and medical screenings, dependent entry approval, passport applications and security clearance requests.
We encourage all Sailors with projected rotation dates during this fiscal year to contact their detailers with questions and concerns with the understanding that there may be a delay as we work through Sailors’ issues.
Joel Schofer's Career Planning Blog 