Page 5 - Desert Lightning News, Nellis-Creech AFB Edition, October 1, 2021

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Some service members to get temporary increase in housing allowance Have an extended, expired ID card? Now is the time to renew

As house prices and rents increase temporarily increased 2021 BAH rates. by C. Todd Lopez Gloria Golden, mother of the late Air “Their health care is managed by the
nationwide, the Defense Department In other cases, the 2022 BAH rates may DOD News Force Capt. Jonathan Golden, 39th fact that they’re enrolled in DEERS, in
has authorized temporary increases be the same or may be less. BAH rate Airlift Squadron C-130J Super Hercules the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Re-
in the 2021 Basic Allowance for Hous- protection, which normally protects At the height of the COVID-19 pan- pilot, gets her picture taken for her porting System. That’s what determines
ing rates in 56 areas across the United members from decreases in housing demic, when almost all military instal- Defense Biometric Identification their eligibility for health care. So if
States. market costs, does not apply to tempo- lations were locked down, the Defense System ID card at Dyess Air Force Base, somebody’s ID card expires on Aug. 7,
The increases are 10, 15 and 20 per- rary rate increases. Therefore, members Department extended ID card expiration Texas, July 18, 2019. Golden received they don’t automatically lose their health
cent, depending on the area, and will should not assume these rate increases dates electronically. the ID card as a part of the Gold Star care because their card is expired.”
run Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2021. will continue into 2022. Now, the department wants as many Family Member program, which An additional change is that while
Service members in the Nellis Air The Department is committed to the as a half-million ID card holders to go allows beneficiaries base access and cards were previously issued to depen-
Force Base, Nev., and Las Vegas, Nev., preservation of a compensation and online now and make appointments to other privileges on any Department dents as young as 10 years old, going
military housing area will see a 10 benefit structure that provides members renew their IDs — many of which are Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Susan Roberts of Defense installation. forward, cards will only be issued to
percent increase in their BAH. with a suitable and secure standard of past the expiration dates printed on them. those dependents who are 14 or older.
The increased BAH rates apply to ac- living to sustain a trained, experienced, Last year when it became apparent that printed on them, and it’s time to go dents whose ID cards expired after July Wellock said the department is not
tive duty and full-time National Guard Courtesy photo and ready force now and in the future. COVID-19 was going to dramatically online and schedule an appointment to 31, 2021 — there is no extension. planning any further extensions on the
service members. The temporary BAH increase is a reflec- affect the ability of individuals to con- get those cards renewed, said Stephen “You have no extension, your ID card renewal of expired ID cards. He said
Rental housing market data col- moved quickly to assess market changes formation on how to apply for the higher tion of this commitment. gregate or wait in line at ID card offices, Wellock with the Defense Manpower is expired,” he said. “You need to get it cardholders should begin scheduling
lected by the Department of Defense across the U.S., develop a list of the rates with their Service. Additionally, The temporary BAH rates that will the Defense Department electronically Data Center. replaced, for both active duty, Guard and appointments now to get their cards
from March-August 2021 indicates most affected markets, and evaluate and each Service will publish information be in effect Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, extended the expiration dates for many Right now, the previously extended Reserve dependents, and for retirees. So, renewed. Appointments can be made
that the COVID-19 pandemic has had implement potential solutions. related to how to apply in administra- 2021, for active duty, and full-time ID cards for several months to allow ID cards for dependents of active duty if a service member’s dependent is out online to renew ID cards, he said, and

a significant impact on rental housing Service members who are receiving tive messages and other media channels. National Guard duty, members are cardholders a greater amount of time to service members, as well as Reserve there, and their ID card expired on Sept. cardholders don’t need to limit their
costs in the 56 affected markets. No- BAH in one of the affected 56 MHAs These higher BAH rates will be replaced located at https://www.defensetravel. get those cards renewed. and National Guard service members 7, they don’t have until October to get it appointment to the card office they typi-
tably, low availability and turnover of and have verifiable housing cost increas- by 2022 BAH rates on Jan. 1, 2022. dod.mil/Docs/BAH_Temporary_In- The extensions primarily benefited and their dependents, can be used until replaced; their ID card has expired, and cally visit — there are many locations
rental housing stock during the spring es may be eligible for the temporary Because not all segments of a hous- crease_Rates_Changes_Only.pdf. They the dependents of active-duty service Oct. 31, 2021. The cards of retirees and they need to make an appointment as that can handle renewals, and many
and summer months led to rental cost BAH rate increase, subject to Service ing market increase or decrease at the are shown for members with and with- members, Reserve and National Guard their dependents can be used until Jan. soon as possible.” provide a “walk-in” service capability.
increases in many locations. specific implementation guidelines and same rate, the BAH rates for calendar out dependents. service members and their dependents, 31, 2022. While some family members may have The DOD ID card facilities are managed
To help ease the financial burden approval of individual applications. year 2022 (effective as of the first of For more information on the Basic as well as retirees and their dependents. But Wellock also said some might not an expired ID card, Wellock said that just and operated by the local installations,

of rising housing costs facing Service Members who may be eligible for the January) may differ from the temporar- Allowance for Housing, visit https:// Currently, there’s a backlog of more have the time they think they have. because an ID card expires doesn’t mean so if service members are having diffi-
members moving to new duty stations higher BAH rates will receive an email ily increased 2021 rates. In some cases, www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bah. than a half-million people who have ID For those service members and their health benefits expire. Those benefits are culty making appointments, they should
or signing new leases, the Department in the coming days with additional in- 2022 BAH rates may be more than the cfm. cards that are past the expiration dates dependents and retirees and their depen- managed by a different system, he said. inform their chain of command.

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