Tricare Costs to Stay Stable for Military Families for Upcoming Year
Items including pharmacy costs and deductibles will remain the relatively the same (with some exceptions) for service members and family members enrolled in the Defense Health Agency’s Tricare program, Military Times reports. An exception is a sharp monthly enrollment...
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In Our Communities [10/30/2020]
Starting next month, veterans and Gold Star families will be able to visit national parks and other public lands for free, under a new initiative from the Department of the Interior... Wright-Patterson AFB’s 88th Air Base Wing announced the base is working to develop...
Military Spouse Career Program Launches in Michigan
A new partnership between the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Flagstar Bank and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is set to create career opportunities for military spouses in Michigan. Approximately 25 percent of military spouses are unemployed...
California Military Spouse Licensing Update from CDCA
The following is an excerpt from the California Defense Communities Alliance's (CDCA) October Newsletter CDCA continues working on behalf of our California’s defense installations, military members and local communities in order to make progress on critical issues as...
OIG: Veteran Hotline ‘Remarkably Successful’ During Pandemic
A recent report by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General found the VA's Veterans Crisis Line performed very effectively during the coronavirus pandemic, Stars and Stripes reports. “The OIG was impressed with [Veterans Crisis Line] leaders’ and...
Fort Hunter Liggett Earns Recognition for Energy and Water Resilience
In FY19, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett produced nearly 22 percent of its electricity from renewable energy and reduced its potable water use intensity by 31 percent, DVIDs reports. According to the Army Reserve Sustainment and Resiliency Division (SRD), the...
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PAST STORIES
Texas A&M to lead DoD’s $100 Million Hypersonic Weapon Initiative
The Department of Defense announced Monday that Texas A&M University's Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) will establish and manage a University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH), a five-year $20 million effort to further the United State military's...
In Our Communities [10/28/2020]
The Military & Family Readiness Center at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is scheduled to re-open its doors, Nov. 2 for all services and programs... RFP: Mountainland Metropolitan Planning Organization (MMPO) is soliciting the services of qualified...
Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Discusses Climate Change, Quality of Life at ADC Summit
During the fifth installment of the Association of Defense Communities’ Keynote Series of its annual summit, the conversation focused on the future of national defense. To discuss this issue in depth, ADC invited Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Michèle...
President Trump Signs New Law for Suicide Prevention Among Veterans
The Vet Center Eligibility Expansion Act extends Department of Veterans Affairs counseling and related mental health services to National Guard and Reserve troops who did not deploy to combat areas, instead participating in drug interdiction or fighting national...
Overseas DoDEA Students to Receive Free Meals for Rest of School Year
A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program which subsidizes U.S. students with meals during the COVID-19 pandemic is being extended to those attending Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools abroad, Stars and Stripes reports. The program would be...
Report: San Diego Military Community Contributes $34 Billion to Local Economy
San Diego's defense sector supports 342,000 jobs to the local economy, according to a recent report by the The San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC). The defense sector provides $33.6 billion in direct spending to the San Diego economy, a 5.7% increase from...
McCarthy: DOD ‘Moving Ahead’ with Four Remaining Tenant Bill of Rights
Senior Army officials announced recently that progress is being made on the remaining four of 18 Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights signed by Secretary Mark Esper in February. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy says the service is in the process...
GAO Requests Further Review of $20 Billion TRANSCOM Contract
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has asked DOD to review a contract which would outsource U.S. Transportation Command's (TRANSCOM) management of military household good after two protesters raised concerns, Military Times reports. The proposed contract would...
In Our Communities [10/26/2020]
The U.S. Army unveiled plans to consolidate its munitions storage along the West Loch section of Pearl Harbor on Oahu... Fort Campbell school officials announced the closure of Barsanti Elementary School for two weeks due to COVID-19... After nearly 18 years,...
Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center’s Critical Role in Disaster Recovery
Not only do natural disaster threaten lives of service members, they also cause a significant economic toll in the short and long-term for installations. Supported by Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC), financial experts utilize requirement...
Army Announces Plans to Construct 65-Acre Firing Range on Fort Devens South Post
Work on the new site is expected to begin next spring and is scheduled to be completed by midsummer 2022, Harvard Press reports. South Post Reserve Forces Training Area in Lancaster, Massachusetts covers about 4,700 acres. Environmental groups are concerned that the...
In Our Communities [10/23/2020]
Sandy Person from Travis Air Force Base received the 2020 Tampa Bay Trophy, an award which recognizes lifetime achievement and distinguished service to the United States Air Force and Air Mobility Command... A building demolition and groundbreaking ceremony was held...
Key Takeaways from CMSI: Six Months in Review
The COVID-19 Military Support Initiative recently held a virtual event which brought together key leaders from government, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. After months of polling and town hall-style expert-driven meetings, the effort culminated in a series of...
Army Survey Seeks Feedback from Military Spouses
An Army survey aiming to improve military spouse employment opportunities was launched on Oct. 14. The purpose of the Army Civilian Military Spouse Employment Survey is to have Army civilian spouses “to share their insights and experiences regarding how they gained...
DoD to Extend Military Exchange Benefits to Civilian Employees
A policy change to allow civilian employees exchange benefits is in the final stage of the DoD approval process, Military Times reports. There are approximately 796,000 DoD civilian employees in the United States, officials say the policy change would bring about...
In Our Communities [10/21/2020]
A groundbreaking ceremony held on Oct. 15 officially began the first construction phase of the $2.3 billion Earthquake Recovery Program to restore full mission capability to NAWS China Lake and Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD)... Naval Facilities...
USACE Partners with University of Georgia to Strengthen Infrastructure Resilience
A partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the University of Georgia will establish a collaborative network of public-private partners to deliver nature-based solutions and natural infrastructure to strengthen community resilience, reports...
Ventura County, NBVC Sign IGSA to Support Road Maintenance
A recently signed intergovernmental support agreement (IGSA) between Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) and the County of Ventura is expected to save government spending, increase Navy operational efficiencies and enhance mission effectiveness, DVIDs reports. The IGSA...
NAS Whiting Field Earns Distinction for Program Excellence, Community Outreach
Naval Air Station Whiting Field is a nominee to compete at the Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC) level for the small shore Installation Excellence distinction, Crestview News Bulletin reports. NAS Whiting Field will go on to compete at the CNIC level against...
Maxwell-Gunter Officials Push for Quality Public Education
Service members are hesitant to move their families to the community surrounding Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base citing lack of quality public education, reports Al.com. “Without more options for quality public education, we risk Maxwell and Gunter missions being...
In Our Communities [10/19/2020]
Over 36,000 runners participated in the 36th annual Army Ten-Mile Race and Expo. This year the event went virtual with runners competing between Oct. 11-18 using an app... U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston hosted a...
DoDEA’s Virtual Education Deadline for 2nd Semester on Nov. 6
Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools will remain open the remainder of the school year, as well as offering a full-time virtual learning option to its K-12 students, the agency announced on Friday. The enrollment period for virtual education will...
Army to Invest $2.8 Billion into Base Housing Over Next Five Years
Although there are no additional details on which installations will benefit, the service announced plans to construct 3,800 new homes and renovate nearly 18,000 units at Army bases, Stars and Stripes reports. “We’ve still got a long way to go. We have energy and wind...
Army Drafting 15-year plan to Transform Organic Industrial Base
The Army has spent over $3 billion over the last decade to bring its facilities to modern standards, Federal News Network reports. Officials stated recently that the service will seek to transform its supply chain in order to become more resilient in the future, as...
In Our Communities [10/16/2020]
A cleanup of unexploded munitions, which covered nearly 500 acres at a former military barracks and training ground at Camp Bonneville in Clark County, WA is coming to an end... A runway renovation project at Fort Bliss is almost complete. The $50 million, multi-phase...