Update: 100th ARW - government shutdown factsheet Published Oct. 15, 2013 By Staff Reports 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs RAF MILDENHALL, England -- (Editor's Note: This information is current as of Oct. 15, 2013. The updates from the previous version include changes to: Emergency Leave for Civilians, Early Return of Dependents and Expedited Transfers.) The following is a list of 100th Air Refueling Wing facilities, agencies, activities, etc. and how they are or are not impacted by the U.S. government shutdown. 1. Permanent Change of Station (October DEROS). 100th ARW members whose orders have been authenticated prior to the government shutdown are cleared to PCS. Members who do not have a Government Travel Card may have their travel impacted, so they need to immediately contact their unit first sergeant. Retirement and separation actions will continue as projected. The base is working with Air Force Personnel Center to adjust October DEROS changes if orders have been finalized. 2. PCS (November/December DEROS). All requests that have been completed with all required PCS documents for 100th ARW PCS orders for November and December have been processed by the Military Personnel Section. However, these orders are in the AFPC queue awaiting authentication. MPS will engage with AFPC as to how to proceed if the time comes and AFPC has not authenticated. 3. Housing. Members inbound, outbound and moving locally may be impacted by available services. Housing inspections and Furniture Management Office furnishings deliveries are on hold. The Housing Office may be able to help work with landlords for special circumstances. FMO appliance repairs are currently limited to emergencies only. Contact the RAF Lakenheath Housing Office for the latest information. 4. GTC. GTC use is required for all official travel. Members who do not have a GTC should contact their unit first sergeant. 5. Travel Management Office. Normal Air Force operational and rotational PCS moves are on hold. TMO is cleared to process applications for shipment/storage for PCS members with a Fiscal Year 2013 funding line. Fiscal Year 2014 moves must meet one of the "excepted" criteria. TMO counselors can provide further details on exceptions. 6. Passports. The RAF Mildenhall passport office is open. Applications are being sent to the U.S. Embassy in London or to the State Department in Washington, D.C. depending upon the type of application. Both agencies are operating. 7. Emergency Leave. Emergency leave is authorized for military members and their command-sponsored dependents. U.S. Air Forces in Europe Financial Management has requested further guidance from Air Staff on the status of emergency leave for our civilian workforce. 8. Emergency Leave for Civilians. Emergency family visitation leave for overseas U.S. civilian employees is authorized. 9. Early Return of Dependents. Early return of dependents is authorized. 10. Expedited Transfers. Expedited transfers (including PCS) under the Sexual Assault Prevention Program are authorized. 11. In Place Consecutive Overseas Tour and Student Travel. Packets for these travel options may be initiated and orders are being created. The orders will not be finalized until finance has been given the funding authorization to validate the orders. 12. Notification Reports of Individual Personnel and products with personnel actions. These items are not being sent to the corresponding office or unit. DEROS approval, Separation/Retirement approval, Allocation RIPs, Enlisted Performance Report/Officer Performance report shells, and Decoration RIPs have not been received. 13. Airman Leadership School. The next class is scheduled to start Oct. 30, 2013. TDY students will not be able to attend. 14. NCO Academy Class 2014-1 (Nov. 7 - Dec 19). This class is scheduled to proceed as planned. If there is no budget by then, TDY students will not be able to attend. 15. Senior NCO Academy. The Oct. 7th class has been rescheduled for Oct. 21 (tentative). Two RAF Mildenhall members are scheduled to attend. All affected NCOs were told to re-accomplish Defense Travel System paperwork and stand by to see if the class is cancelled. 16. Squadron Officer School. Class 14A is still on track for Oct. 28 through Dec. 3. Five captains from RAF Mildenhall are scheduled to attend. If funding is not available by Oct. 21, the class will be cancelled. 17. Professional Development Center and First Term Airman Course. No impact. 18. Weighted Airman Promotion System. WAPS testing was conducting out-of-cycle exams on Oct. 2, 2013. Testing continued because the 100th Force Support Squadron Commander appointed two officers and one chief master sergeant as WAPS test examiners in order to continue military testing. Training was provided on-time before the shutdown. 19. Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support/College-Level Examination Program. RAF Mildenhall does not have a national test center; therefore, all Airmen must go to RAF Lakenheath for DANTES examinations. However, DANTES instructed all Department of Defense members that they were unable to administer DANTES examinations free of charge until funding is received. 20. Education Center/Voluntary Test Center. The test examiner contract is awarded but unfunded due to the shutdown. This forced the Education Center to use their Academic Advisor to provide exams, which resulted in the Education Center only offering testing for Professional Military Education/Defense Language Proficiency Test one day per week. Testing has resumed on this one day per week schedule starting Thursday, Oct. 10, 2013. 21. Education Center - Advising. The Academic Advisor contract is awarded but unfunded due to the shutdown. The Education Center moved to appointment-only counseling sessions with the one advisor, as the advisor's duty is split between testing and advising. As of Oct. 10, 2013, we are waiting on an inbound Academic Advisor and only currently have one advisor. 22. Education Center - Military Tuition Assistance. TA is currently suspended. If a member applied for TA and was approved for a class with a start date of Oct. 1 or later, the member will either incur the cost of the class or he/she must find alternative ways to fund the class. 23. Base Training. There is no base training support for Air Force Training Record, Total Force Annual Training or Career Development Course testing. All CDC testing is on hold. 24. Library. The library is open during its normal hours. Juvenile programs that had been turned off due to lack of staff have been able to be accomplished as scheduled. Technical services functions have returned to normal. 25. Airman & Family Readiness Center. The A&FRC is back to normal. All services and programs are 100 percent operational. 26. Child Development Center. The CDC has not been negatively impacted by the government shutdown. Child care operations are functioning at 100 percent. 27. Youth Programs. The Youth Center is operating at full capacity in all areas. Due to the government shutdown, the Youth Sports Official contract is currently unfunded, and volunteer coaches are currently performing official/refereeing duties for our 9 & up youth sports leagues. 28. Teen Program. The Teen Program has not been negatively impacted by the government shutdown and is functioning at 100 percent. 29. Bowling Center. Back to normal operations. 30. Outdoor Recreation. Back to normal operations. 31. Information, Tickets and Travel office. Back to normal operations. 32. Arts & Crafts Center. Back to normal operations. 33. Dining Facility. The Dining Facility has not been negatively impacted by the government shutdown. 34. Fitness Centers. The Fitness Centers have not been negatively impacted by the government shutdown. (Note: the Northside Fitness Center is currently undergoing planned renovations.) 35. Lodging. Lodging has not been negatively impacted by the government shutdown. 36. Bob Hope Community Center. Back to normal operations. 37. Civilian Personnel Section. Back to normal operations. Appointments are recommended. Please call 01638-54-3540. 38. NAF Human Resources Office. Back to normal operations. 39. Manpower & Organization Section. Back to normal operations. Temporary Lodging Allowance Voucher Q&A (POCs: 48th Civil Engineer Squadron/Housing Office and 100th Comptroller Squadron) Q: What is the requirement for members residing in a temporary lodging facility to file interim vouchers? A: Joint Federal Travel Regulation requires members to check-in with the Housing Office every 15 or fewer days to report their progress in finding permanent quarters. However USAFE Instruction 65-104 and HQ USAFE/A7D Policy Letter dated June 29, 2009, requires members to check with the housing office and file interim vouchers every 10 days. This also allows Housing Personnel the chance to provide additional guidance as necessary to ensure the housing process is moving along as required. It is highly recommended members file their TLA voucher in conjunction with their housing office visit. Q: What is driving the 10-day requirement? A: USAFE policy requires military members to maintain a documented search for permanent housing. Within the first 10 days of arriving on station, a member should view a minimum of two houses. During subsequent 10-day increments, the service member should view at least an additional five houses. If permanent housing has not been secured, necessitating a third 10-day increment, the service member must meet with a housing specialist or the Housing Manager to justify additional TLA claims. Since members must already follow up with the Housing Office every 10 days, it is convenient for members to file their vouchers at the same time. Filing a voucher every 10 days provides several benefits: 1) It saves members time by accomplishing two tasks during the same appointment 2) It helps members periodically settle their lodging bills 3) It enables members to pay their GTC bills sooner, reducing the risk of overdue accounts. Q: I just moved into TLF. Will I receive TLA? A: Yes. The Defense Finance & Accounting Service resumed TLA processing Oct. 8, 2013. Please note, TLA payments disburse as part of military pay; therefore, members will receive reimbursement in either their mid-month or end-of-month pay (separate from PCS travel voucher). Military Pay Q&A (POC: 100th CPTS) Q: Will I get paid Oct. 15th? A: Yes, the Pay Our Military Act appropriated Fiscal Year 2014 dollars for military pay and allowances. Q: I just moved into off-base housing. Will I receive Overseas Housing Allowance, Cost Of Living Allowance, utilities and advances? A: It depends. DFAS resumed military pay processing Oct. 8, 2013. Your retroactive allowances will post to either your mid-month or end-of-month pay (depends on when you submitted the forms and whether or not DFAS approved them prior to cut-off). Please work with the Housing Office, your landlord and your squadron leadership to develop a game plan for fulfilling your financial requirements if your allowances do not start prior to end-of-month October. Again, all allowances are retroactive. You will not lose money as a result of the processing delay. Travel Pay Q&A (POC: 100th CPTS) Q: When will I receive my travel pay (PCS, Dislocation Lodging Allowance, and TDY)? A: The Air Force Financial Services Center is unable to reimburse travel claims in the absence of a continuing resolution or appropriation. As soon as the continuing resolution passes, the AFFSC will resume voucher-processing. Please be advised, their average processing time was two weeks prior to government shutdown. The shutdown could delay reimbursement for at least two additional weeks. If your travel was solely in Fiscal Year 2013, you do not require an amendment. However, if your travel crossed fiscal years and you do not have a Fiscal Year 2014 fund cite, you must request an amendment (normally via DTS). Q: I have a new Citibank balance. How will I pay it in the absence of my travel pay? A: If your Citibank GTC was in good standing prior to government shutdown, Citibank will automatically code your card as current. Therefore, you are not required to reimburse Citibank until your voucher is paid in full. In addition, your Agency Program Coordinator does not need to code you "mission critical." Q: My GTC was past due when the government shut down. Am I exempt as well? A: No. If you are past due on your GTC, your fees will compound until you pay your card in full. In addition, your non-payment could affect your personal credit. U.S. Civilian Pay Q&A (POC: 100th CPTS) Q: Will I get paid Oct. 11th? A: Yes. You will be paid for Sept. 22-30 on Oct. 11. We are aware that individuals who filed the exact same info in the Automated Time, Attendance And Production System were paid differently in several instances. As soon as Congress passes separate legislation required to retroactively pay our furloughed employees, we will unlock ATAAPS for the 21st pay period in order to facilitate corrections. In addition, we understand that individuals who were furloughed for more than 72 hours did not accrue leave. Once ATAAPS unlocks, you will annotate your furlough days as "KG" versus "KE." In other words, you will be considered "excepted" for the duration of the furlough and will be reimbursed. In the interim, please notify your leadership if you are unable to make ends meet. There are several financial programs available to you and your families. Local National Civilian Pay Q&A (POC: 100th CPTS) Q: Will I get paid at the end of October? A: Yes. You will be paid in full at the end of the month.