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Defense Budget Warning From Joint Chiefs of Staff

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warns that PCS moves and military construction projects may be threatened if lawmakers in the House and Senate can’t agree to a full-year defense budget. The DoD would be nearly $6 billion short if a full-year Pentagon spending bill cannot be agreed to. A Brief History of… Read more »

Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) Open Season

The 2023 Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) Open Season is now closed. It ran until December 11, 2023, and after that date, the enrollment period was closed until the same time in the following year. What Is DCFSA Open Season? This is the period of time when you may set up a DCFSA to… Read more »

Air Force Switches to Digital Promotion Testing

The Air Force is going “green” with promotion testing, announcing all Air Force Bases are expected to be ready to switch to an all-digital testing format in early 2024. At press time many overseas bases have issued press releases announcing their readiness for the new testing season, and all bases are expected to administer digital… Read more »

More Delays to PCS Move Reform

Update 5/27/2025 The Defense Department has acknowledged serious problems with the HomeSafe Alliance household goods contract, and multiple sources report a scaling back of the types of PCS moves assigned to HomeSafe Alliance in the meantime. DoD officials have publicly stated that the problems are “getting worse.” According to Military Times, they have “directed U.S. Transportation… Read more »

Air Force Marijuana Pilot Program More Popular Than Expected

In 2022, the Air Force issued a press release announcing a “THC retest pilot program,” which allows applicants a second chance if they test positive for marijuana use as part of their inprocessing through a Military Entrance Processing Station or MEPS. When the program was first implemented, the Air Force wasn’t facing a recruiting shortage… Read more »

Does the Military Get Paid During a Government Shutdown?

Do military members continue to get paid during a government shutdown? The short answer is no, they do not. But that situation changes if Congress passes a funding resolution for military operations to keep money flowing to the Department of Defense even during a shutdown. It’s happened before and is likely (according to some) to… Read more »

What Happens if Congress Fails the Military and Forces a Government Shutdown?

On September 19, 2023, Stars and Stripes reported on a Pentagon statement about a potential government shutdown if the House and Senate cannot reach a deal to approve more money for the federal government by the September 30 deadline when the current fiscal year’s federal funding runs out.“ The U.S. military will keep active-duty troops and a limited number of civilian defense employees at their posts during a federal government shutdown,” Stripes.com reported, adding that troops may have to go without pay until lawmakers reach a deal to end such a shutdown. Learn more.