DefAuthAct - 20yr retirement gone, 1.3% raise, On-Base carry...more

[SittingElf]

Obama signed the Defense Authorization Act...without a Veto.

Highlights:

New retirement system in force as of 2018. AD with >12 years grandfathered in top-3. <12 years will have choice between two systems. New recruits will be in a hybrid 401K/Thrift Savings system.

Guantanimo to remain open

1.3% Pay raise in January. General and Flag Officers pay freeze

No BRAC actions allowed for two years.

SECDEF required to come up with plan by end of year for base commanders to allow on-base carry.

Retired Military Dog Adoptions to be allowed in CONUS

No Paid Patriotism for Sporting Events.

Develop gender-neutral standards for military jobs.

Sigh........

[blacksmoke]

My non-retirement benefit from 5 years of AD is the GI bill. I am glad that troops already in will have the option of the old plan, I only have about 7 years left. Don't see how this 401k nonsense is going to anything but "save money" for the gov't. Well....

[blacksmoke]

From Militarytimes:

"In addition to the automatic 1 percent government contribution, the government would provide matching contributions of up to 5 percent of military pay if troops make personal contributions to their accounts.

That means troops could see up to 11 percent of their annual pay flow into their retirement savings every year."

"However, money in these savings plan would not be available without tax penalties before age 59 and a half, a significant departure from the current system that begins payouts immediately upon retirement to troops as young as age 38.

Further, lawmakers will reduce the traditional payouts for individuals who serve 20 years by 20 percent to account for the investment contributions."



Does this mean that regardless, troops retiring after 20+ have to wait until 59 to get their pension?

[JJ_BPK]

IRA's can be very productive. I only had 6 yrs contribution when I retired. I retired at 47YO with 30yrs. Our plan was similar, with 12% + matching. I pushed the max into the plan contributions.

I put the money in 1/2 doz mutuals and reorganized yearly. Dropping the worst, keeping the best performers. After I retired I pushed the IRA into a Schwab account. With a little help from their on-line ed system,, it now is a self replenishing pile of money.

YMMV

[lindy]

Originally Posted by blacksmoke

Does this mean that regardless, troops retiring after 20+ have to wait until 59 to get their pension?

Sounds like Reserve retirement will be the norm now.

[Tree Potato]

Prediction: few, if any, installation commanders will authorized concealed carry.

The two reasons installation commanders will be allowed to authorize concealed carry are if they determine it is necessary for personal- or force-protection measures.

How often will an installation commander admit their police or security forces are not able to provide adequate installation security? It's not going to happen, so the force-protection measure option is nearly meaningless for the average CCW permit holder.

The personal-protection option is a little broader, but will likely be constrained similar to how some states issue CCW permits based on state determination of "need". Someone who has a civil restraining order or a military no-contact order with another person who has continuing valid access requirements to a base might be able to convince the installation commander to approve CCW. The average CCW permit holder, though, will likely face steep resistance convincing an installation commander that they "need" to carry on base for personal protection.

Until DoD is told that it will allow concealed carry with possibly only a very narrow option of times when a commander could prohibit carry, it's just not going to happen. People should be allowed to carry on base for the same reasons they carry off base: because the *might* need a weapon for self defense, not because they can demonstrate there's obvious necessity.

5 (a) PROCESS REQUIRED.—The Secretary of Defense,
6 taking into consideration the views of senior leadership of
7 military installations in the United States, shall establish
8 a process by which the commander of a military installa-
9 tion in the United States may authorize a member of the
10 Armed Forces who is assigned to duty at the installation
11 to carry a concealed personal firearm on the installation
12 if the commander determines it to be necessary as a
13 personal- or force-protection measure.

http://amendments-rules.house.gov/am...1237413741.pdf