HSL-48 FRG

This website was created for use of the Family Readiness Group of the HSL-48 Vipers.











The purpose of this website is to keep FRG Members updated on happenings around town, on base, and with our group. We also have some helpful links listed on the right panel and are constantly adding more. Please SUBSCRIBE to receive email feeds when we post.











Contact your FRG President (Kelly Morris), your Vice President (Bethany Stearns) or your HSL-48 Ombudsman, Mandy Dunn please click the appropriate name listed under "Contributors" on the right panel.







FRG Calendar

Friday, April 8, 2011

FYI

Just FYI -- hopefully we won't need it, but good to know:

Financial Difficulties Caused by the Disruption of Pay Due to the Federal Government Shutdown

"Under section 523 of title 50 App, United States Code (The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act), if a Servicemember on active duty is unable to perform an obligation arising under a contract (for example, cannot make an automobile, rent, or mortgage payment), and is charged a late fee or other similar penalty as a result, then a court may reduce or waive that fee if the ability to pay was materially affected by such military service.

"If a Servicemember misses a payment because of pay disruptions caused by the shutdown of the federal government, then this section should provide relief. Servicemembers should contact their lenders or the other party to their contract or obligation and request relief under this section.

"See your local legal assistance attorney if you cannot get the matter resolved. You can find the closest legal assistance office at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/content/locator.php ."
Armed Forces Legal Assistance (AFLA)
legalassistance.law.af.mil
legalassistance.law.af.mil

Government Shutdown – What Military Families Need to Know

We are hours away from a possible government shutdown which has created worry and stress for military families. Fiscal Year 2011 started on October 1, 2010, but Congress has yet to approve the needed funding bills to keep most of the government, including the Department of Defense running. Temporary spending bills—Continuing Resolutions—have provided short-term funding since October, but the latest expires this Friday, April 8. Some in Congress are trying to ensure service members get paid even if an agreement is not reached on a temporary measure or on the larger Omnibus Appropriations Act needed to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year. Military service members and their families are concerned about whether they will get paid on time and also whether essential services will be available.
The number one question we have heard from families is – will my service member be paid on the 15? Service members are exempt from furloughs, meaning they still have to work. Their work will be paid for, the question is when? Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Wednesday:
  • if the government shuts down on April 8 and goes for a week, service members would get half of a check on April 15 (pay from the April 1 – 8)
  • if the shutdown runs past April 15, service members would receive pay after the budget or a Continuing Resolution is passed.
Retirees will receive their retirement pay.

Where to go for Financial Help

Do not turn to payday lenders – your military community has the resources to provide assistance. If your family experiences a hardship due to a reduced paycheck, we urge you to seek assistance from a military aid organization or military bank or military credit union. Aid organizations and military banks and credit unions have short term loans available to help in this situation.
Aid organizations will remain open and are ready and willing to help service members and their families.
Air Force Aid Society (AFAS)    www.afas.org
Army Emergency Relief (AER)   www.aerhq.org
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)   www.cgmahq.org
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)   www.nmcrs.org
Reserve Aid   www.reserveaid.org

If you are not located to near an aid organization, you may seek financial assistance from the Red Cross or call 866-563-1376. Each aid organization has an agreement with the Red Cross to provide the same type of financial assistance to military families.
Our Association has contacted a sampling of military banks and credit unions. In the event of a government shutdown, some military banks and credit unions may waive fees associated with the possible shutdown. Others have stated they will consider permitting families to skip a loan or credit card payment. We urge military families to contact their bank to review their individual situation and the guidance established by their financial entity.
Military families who use automatic payments are encouraged to contact their bank and make alternative arrangements. For example, families may transfer money from a savings account to a checking account to cover the automatic payment.

What services will remain open during a potential shutdown?

The Department of Defense and Services are currently evaluating their essential personnel and support services. Service members are expected to report to work. However, Reserve component personnel should refer to their chain of command for specific information.
Open
  • Dining facilities, child care centers and other non-appropriated funds activities that do not operate on tax payer funds
  • Department of Defense Education Activity schools (DoDEA)
  • Military Exchanges
  • Military Treatment Facilities will be open, but may have limited services. See below.
Closed
  • Commissaries
  • Nonessential services
Overseas
Congress is working to provide funding for commissaries overseas to remain open during the shutdown. Overseas families are encouraged to contact their local commissary.
Even those services that will remain open may operate with reduced personnel. We encourage families to call ahead to determine if the service is open.
Health Care
If you normally get your health care in a military hospital or military clinic, you may find appointments may be cancelled or some medical, lab, or pharmacy services will not be available during a government shutdown.  Depending on each military hospital or military clinic’s staffing, there will probably be a different mix of available services. So, we advise families to call whatever phone number you would normally call for information or to make an appointment before you travel to your military hospital or military clinic for any reason.
As always, if you or a family member has an emergency medical situation, immediately go to the closest emergency room or dial 911. If the need is not an emergency, but you need urgent care and cannot get in touch with anyone at your military hospital or military clinic, we recommend that you call your TRICARE Regional contractor for information and instructions. Here is their contact information:

North: Health Net at 1.888.874.2273 www.healthnetfederalservices.com
South:  Humana at 1.800.444.5445 www.humana-military.com
West: TriWest at 1.888.874.9378 www.triwest.com
If you normally get your care from civilian health care providers, you should not notice a disruption in service due to the shutdown. TRICARE contractors will continue to provide all of their services and their call centers will be operational. They will still pay claims and their mental health services will be operational.
Want to ensure a steady supply of your medications during unexpected situations, like any future government shutdowns or environmental disaster, consider home delivery! Click here for more information.
We will continue to update this page as information becomes available.

Attention Vystar CU, NFCU, and USAA members

FYI to all military members who have Vystar CU... I just spoke with them and they are basiclly doing to the same thing NFCU and USAA are doing.. All military members who have direct deposit will receive their full paycheck on the 15th.. I will post more details as I get them.. :)


USAA
We are committed to being there for our members when they need us the most. USAA has several potential solutions in place that may assist members through the duration of a shutdown. These solutions will vary based upon individual member situations, but members could receive temporary assistance such as: payment deferrals, late fee waivers, flexible payment arrangements or term modifications.
 
The Navy Federal Credit Union, the country’s largest credit union, said Thursday it would cover the April 15 direct-deposit paychecks of its military customers even if there’s a government shutdown because of an impasse over spending between Democrats and Republicans.
“By covering the mid-month pay, come April 15 our active duty members will not see a difference in their direct deposit amount, as if there were no shutdown,” said Cutler Dawson, chief executive of Navy Federal.
It’s unclear how much such a move would cost the giant credit union, or even if it would be necessary.
How and when members of the military are paid has become a major flashpoint in the budget debate. Both Democrats and Republicans have blamed the other party for potentially forcing a shutdown after midnight Friday, possibly leaving service members – and their families – to miss paychecks.
Unlike many civilian employees, who would be furloughed and might not ever receive back pay, military service members would remain working but could see a lapse in their pay until Congress reaches a deal. But even having a delayed paycheck could create major headaches.
Defense  Secretary Robert Gates, on a trip to Iraq, Thursday assured troops they will be paid. Troops are typically paid twice a month, and Mr. Gates said that if a government shutdown began after Friday, troops would receive half a paycheck for the first two weeks of April. After that, troops wouldn’t be paid until a deal is reached in Washington to fund the government, although they would receive any back pay owed, he added.
UPDATE: The Navy Federal Credit Union said today that in the event of a shutdown, it would extend the advanced pay to civilian employees of the Defense Department whose pay is directly deposited with credit union.