Two top Air Force officials are leading a charge against a Senate proposal to reduce monthly housing allowance payments for some service members — those married to other service members; and those who are single and live with other service members to save money.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, in a commentary written for Air Force Times, said the proposal, included in the Senate's fiscal 2016 defense authorization bill, "could have a negative retention impact at a time when we need to retain our best people and grow our ranks modestly for the future."
Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody, in a Wednesday letter to congressional defense leaders, cites discussions with airmen worldwide showing the proposal is "already having a negative impact on morale."
Cody "has visited 10 bases over the past month and has held multiple All Calls and visited countless Airmen in their workcenters," his spokesman, Senior Master Sgt. Lee Hoover, said in an email. "Airmen have asked about the proposal to cut dual BAH at nearly every All Call, and it comes up often in one-on-one and group conversations. Many Airmen are concerned about the financial impact the cut would have on their family's income, now or in the future."
James' and Cody's statements come as House and Senate negotiators must resolve their differences on the defense policy bill. The House version does not contain any changes to BAH.
