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CLICK ABOVE TO SEE THIS CALENDAR. IT SHOWS MILITARY CURRENT EVENTS AS WELL AS OTHER EVENTS...It is current as of January 2010, but the Military Report at http://www.military.com/military-report can give you more events, that the Army Connection Webmaster hasn't listed here.

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MILITARY PAY & BENEFITS

For the US Army*

P.O.C: YOUR RECRUITER or OTHER ARMY RECRUITING STATIONS

Note to all who visit this page and others on this website...Soldiers/Recruiters working in the United States, as well as the whole entire world, for the United States Army are here to serve you. They are interested in helping you...to meet your needs...when enlisting in the Army. You can depend on them to do our best for You (and Your Family) as you embark on Your Future as AN ARMY OF ONE. These pages are mostly created to be used as a resource. May they help you get what you want out of the US Army...whatever that end is. The Army Connection was started by SFC Willie Banks of the Kansas City Recruiting Batallion. He is terminal and retiring from the US Army within a family of four. Take Care in All of Your Endeavors. Best wishes to you and yours for a big and bright future!

Q.1: How are annual pay raises determined? A: ECI is the Employment Cost Index, which is a measure of the increase in private-sector wages and salaries. It is calculated by the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics and updated every three months. The ECI, reported each October, is used to determine the pay raise for the next fiscal year. The raise was set at ECI + 1/2% for 2000 through 2006. The FY2004 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) established that the military pay raise will be equal to ECI after 2006. Of course, Congress can enact raises that exceed these percentages as they did for 2008 and 2009. Q.2: Does this affect Federal civilians? A: The provision for military pay increases set to the ECI does not necessarily pertain to Federal civilian employees. The pay tables for Federal civilians may be seen at the Office of Personnel Management web site. Q.3: Do these future pay raises affect retirees? A: No. Retiree Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) are based on the increase of inflation, which is measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), not ECI. Retirees receive an annual Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). Q.4: What's the difference between CPI (used for retiree increases) and ECI (used for active duty raises)? A: CPI, Consumer Price Index, measures inflation. The purpose of using CPI is to generally preserve the purchasing power of retired pay. ECI, Employment Cost Index, measures private-sector wage increases. Q.5: What is the effect of the executive ceiling upon the pay raises? A: Pay is still capped for some individuals by law to certain executive pay levels. The cap for basic pay for O-7 to O-10 is limited to Level II of the Executive Schedule. Basic pay for O-6 and below is limited to Level V of the Executive Schedule. This web site is published by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Military Pay & Benefits is at http://www.defenselink.mil/militarypay/ or click on the 'Military Pay & Benefits' link on the right. Financial Literacy Maintaining financial fitness decreases stressors and ultimately contributes to mission readiness. We are excited about the many opportunities available to educate our Soldiers, Families, and military communities on financial literacy. During the first week of our all year round Military Saves Campaign, we received commitments from over 7,000 new Army savers. The month of April will be even more positive as we climb back into recovery. A variety of venues are available to assist us in reaching our financial goals and achieving financial freedom. At the request of the installation Army Community Service Center, Director, we are able to bring Financial Forums, Road shows, radio/and TV personalities, or design a special venue for your area all free of charge. Visit your local ACS Center and speak with the Financial Readiness Program Manager to see if the time is right for your community to get started.

YOUR FAMILY MIGHT BE TOO HOOAH IF:   •Your wife's two favorite shades of lipstick are light green and loam.   •You go to a barbecue and insist that your family feed in a tactical chow line at five meter intervals   •Before you hit the road on vacation you conduct rehearsals, backbriefs, PCI, and cover your convoy checklist.   •Your children clear their hand receipt and housing before they go to college.   •Your wife has more jumps than most LTs in the company.   •Your kids call the yard their MWR area.   •You require your mechanic to replace the sandbags in your floorboard as a part of a tune-up.   •Your station wagon is equipped without          lights, OVE, OVM, and has to be properly dispatched.   •Your kids call their mother "Household 6."   •Your kids use the "F" word at least five times in every sentence.   •Your kids volunteer to pull air guard on the school bus.   •Your doorbell sounds off with the current challenge and password.   •Your house has sector sketches posted by every window.   •You give the command "Fix Bayonets" at Thanksgiving Dinner.   •Your kids show their meal cards at the kitchen door, except the oldest, who is on separate rations.   •You make your daughter sign out on pass on Prom Night.   •Your kindergartner calls recess "smoke break."   •Your wife calls foreplay "prepping the objective."   •Your wife conducts an AAR after sex.   •Your wife "takes a knee" in the checkout line at the Food Lion.   •You do your "back to school" shopping at the U.S. Cavalry store.   •Your kids call the tooth fairy "Slicky Boy."   •Your son fails the third grade but tells everyone he was a "phase three recycle."   •Your kids salute their grandparents.   •Your wife's "high-n-tight" is more squared away than your commander's.   •Your kids get a LES for their allowance.   •Your grandmother won "All American Week" and "Best Ranger."   •All your kids have names that start with AR, FM, TM, or DA Form.   •Your pick-up has your name stenciled on the windshield.   •Your kids are hand-receipt holders.   •Your older kids call the youngest e "Cherry."   •Your kids recite their ABCs phonetically.   •Your wife keeps Mermites in the China cabinet.   •You DX'd your wife and then you held a "Change of Command" ceremony.   •You call your in-laws the "Slice Elements."   •Your dog's name "Ranger."   •All your possessions are military issue.   •Your kids call their sandbox "NTC or CMTC"   •You have pull-up bars outside the kitchen door.   •Your daughter's first haircut was a flattop.   •Your kids pull fireguard.   •Your newborn's first words were "all OK Jumpmaster."   •You "bum dips" from your four year old daughter.   •The only channels you get are CNN, and ESPN.

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Copyright 2010, The Army Connection. All Rights Reserved...updated 05 JAN 10 and Calendar was updated on 06 JAN 10 (evening hours)... There are current events on the Calendar... Let it be known...The United States Army May/May Not be supportive of the items featured on this or other pages connected to this one. This site was designed for a US Army Recruiting Station out of Kansas City, Missouri...under the leadership of SFC Willie Banks. It is managed by a civilian (Wendy Sebek), not the US Army. The information on this (and webpages connected to this one) are as current and accurate as possible as to what the United States Government publicizes on : www.army.mil, defenselink.mil, and other related sites dealing with the Public Affairs of the US Army. Also, all photos are courtesy of the U.S. Army. Please verify this information and let the webmaster know if there are any errors. By the way, The Army Connection webpages are not for profit...which means that Wendy is not getting paid for anything she puts on them. These pages are just a hobby of hers. Thank You.