In 2021, a bipartisan agreement listed the plan to rename bases across the military that were named after Confederate Generals, and a commission was formed. The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act outlined the commission’s goal to find new names for 10 Army bases. The list has now expanded in scope dramatically to potentially renaming 750 assets from street names to Naval vessels for Army and Navy assets around the world.

The Naming Commission is made up of eight individuals:

• Admiral Michelle Howard, USN, Retired
• Brigadier General Ty Seidule, USA, Retired
• Lt. General Thomas Bostick, USA, Retired
• Mr. Jerry Buchannan
• General Robert Neller, USMC, Retired
• Mr. Lawerence Romo
• Dr. Kori Schake
• U.S. Representative Austin Scott, Representative for Georgia

For instance, U.S. Army base Fort Gordon is being considered for name change in addition to their conference and catering center, bowling center, housing center and various signs, unit level signage and monuments within the cemetery on the installation. Fort Stewart also in Georgia has street names in reference to General Gordon, a general within the Confederate Army.

Beyond Army bases, the crest of the USS Shiloh and the USS Chancellorsville stationed out of Yokosuka are being assessed to rename as these vessels are named after Civil War battles. Both Maury Hall and Buchanan House at the U.S. Naval Academy are also being considered for renaming. Maury Hall is named after Commander Matthew Maury and Admiral Franklin Buchanan were in the Confederate Navy.

The Commission has been directed to provider their final report to Congress no later than October 1, 2022. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that there is an expectation that new names for current bases will be announced in 2023.

Read the entire list of 750 items here which includes the historical reference as to why the name is being considered for name change.  Check out more about the Congressional Commission at their website here.

Military uniform regulations have been present since the Revolutionary War. While the militia didn’t follow uniform regulations, the Continental Army did have specific uniform regulations. From the 1800s onward, as each service branch developed, military uniforms were made, and regulations became commonplace. As time moves forward, so do the uniform options and regulations.

Change in 2022 for the Navy

Facial Hair: Per NAVADMIN 0624/22, for those diagnosed with pseudofolliculitis barbae, beards may be outlined or edged, and a paper copy of the facial hair waiver treatment form is no longer required to be carried while in uniform.

Name Punctuation: Sailors whose legal names contain apostrophes, accent marks, tildes, and hyphens can be used in name tags or name tapes.

Heels: Uniform pumps are allowed up to 3 inches instead of the previous 2 and 5/8 inches.

Changes in 2022 for the Marine Corps

In March of 2022, MARDDMIN 134/22 was published and listed changes to uniform policy. It ranged from haircut changes to maternity uniform overhauls.

Manicures for Female Marines: in addition to clear and nude fingernail polish, French and ombre manicures are now authorized to wear with all uniforms.

Nametape Changes: Apostrophes, accent marks, tildes, and hyphens can now be included on the nametape as long as the space in the tape allows

Haircut changes: “edging up” undesirable hair that extends beyond the natural hairline is authorized as long as it provides a professional and natural appearance and the hair length has changed to 3 inches.

Boot socks: Both olive drab or black cushion socks may be worn with the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform in addition to brown socks.

Maternity Uniforms: The maternity tunic, maternity short, and long sleeve shirts have both tab and non-tab options. A maternity undershirt is now available for purchase, and those who receive a uniform allowance will receive a supplemental allowance from purchasing two shirts.

A nursing undershirt is now available. Maternity physical training shorts will tentatively be available in the fiscal year 2023.

As the year progresses, more changes could occur to the regulations. These are the updates as of this writing.

World History and the Captain America movie series share the World War II posters in common – specifically, the one with the picture of a ship and the phrase “Loose Lips Sink Ships” emblazoned underneath it. The idea behind this poster was if you talk about troop or ship movement, the enemy could get that information and use it. World War II occurred during the days of letters, phone calls, and telegrams – not the world with social media on everyone’s personal phones and computers. While the technology has changed, the main idea has remained the same – loose lips, sink ships – do not share personal or military movement publicly. This idea is called PERSEC and OPSEC.

PERSEC

PERSEC is Personal Security. This means a service member and family members keep themselves safe. This isn’t just about sharing when the service member is deployed or training, but also about sharing that the family may be home alone. Avoid posting a countdown clock on a social media profile. There are excel sheets entitled the “donut of misery” that you can edit on your computer, but this is not sharing the info publicly.

Avoid geo-tracking or “checking in” at certain locations on social media. Especially if you are leaving your home for an extended period of time. Yes, it is on-trend to share the comings and goings of your daily life, but digital information is still information.

Don’t share your or your children’s schools or activities – this creates a routine that others can follow you and make take advantage of that time and information.

OPSEC

OPSEC means Operation Security. This is self-explanatory – keeping the operation, the mission, safe and secure. This means not sharing when units deploy from a base or an area. This varies from branch to branch, and the local news may share when a ship leaves a port. It may feel like you can share if the news shares, but what they share is a little different when you share it on your personal profile. The news is sharing general information, and not specifying individuals or missions. When you personally share that the military member moved, you are sharing that your spouse or family member is on it and now you are home alone, or home without your spouse. It is smart to avoid sharing the 5 W’s of movement of military troops publicly– The Who, Where, When, What, and Why of movements. Avoid sharing what unit the military member is part of, where they are going. It may seem contrary to the sharing culture that social media has created, but sharing this information leaves the military member and you open and vulnerable.

It may feel counter-culture to not share daily while you are on vacation, or openly ask for prayers or help when your military spouse is deployed, but by not sharing those items you are using OPSEC and PERSEC. This doesn’t mean you can’t share. You can share homecoming photos after the military member has come home, you can share vacation photos after you are back. You can even share the burrito you ate if you want to without the geo-tag. It may take time to change previous habits, but operational and personal security is worth it.

There have been a lot of changes to the shopping world over the last decade. The move from in-store shopping to an online mega shopping experience has made automated shopping more ideal. The ability to shop using a device has made life more convenient, easier, and clear-cut. You know the prices, the calculator on the app tells you the expected shipping costs if any, and it makes shopping clear and concise.

Self-Check-out

Maybe the convenience to shoppers wasn’t the reason for self-check-out additions in the stores. Self-check-out allows for the store to have one or two employees watching over multiple check-out areas. Some big stores have also added the convenience of using their app to scan items while shopping and then using the scanner at self-check-out to complete the check-out process. This level of convenience for the customer with these additions helps lessen moving items in and out of the cart, in addition to fewer people handling items for those who are trying to limit that.

Why Receipt Checking?

With all of the technology for checking out with scales for measuring the weight of each item as you put it into a bag, cameras at self-check-out and all over the stores, and with the addition of apps for self-check-out convenience, why the receipt checking?  Big box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club have receipt check out on the way out whether there is a self-check-out or a traditional check-out. If those big box stores have this gap, it isn’t surprising that other stores have added this. But this adds another stop and another touchpoint for those who are trying to limit contact.

Company Policy

Per one store, the policy for checking every receipt is to catch and deter shoplifting, and they check every receipt on the way out and are not targeting any individuals.  Another store said the reason they check the receipts to make sure that people are not overcharged, not because they are worried about their customers stealing.

Self-check-out is a convenience they many enjoy. It is frustrating when the scales go off saying the item isn’t placed on it – come on machine, its toilet paper it isn’t heavy – and sometimes it is slower than the regular check out, but it is convenient. Will receipt checking prevent you from using self-check-out or using certain stores?

The Pentagon is reviewing the needs of military families, especially given the economic changes and difficulty after COVID-19. From the temporary BAH increase to cover the increasing rental costs across the country to the increase in 2021 BAH rates, the Pentagon is analyzing the needs of military families and responding to those needs. A November 17 memo from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated he wanted to address the challenges of “food insecurity, extended wait times for housing, drastically reduced housing inventories, and sudden, sharp increases in rental or purchase costs for housing.”

Fifty-six geographic areas were identified as areas with a high cost of living leading to the temporary BAH increase in those areas to help cover those costs. The temporary BAH increases are in place from September to December 2021. The rate increase required an application by the service member demonstrating the need and the rate increase is given as a lump sum payment on January 1, 2022.

An additional measure released by the Pentagon to help recently PCS-ed military families is the extension of temporary lodging reimbursement beyond 10 days in areas with housing shortages.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that he has asked the Army, Navy, and Air Force departments to come up with a strategy to address food insecurity. In a November press briefing, he gave the departments three months to find an “economic security toolkit” to identify military service members and families that have food insecurity and connect them with resources to address that.

Austin stated in a Pentagon press briefing, “Our men and women in uniform and their families have enough to worry about. Basic necessities like food and housing shouldn’t be among them.” One reason these measures are being made is that BAH is currently included as income for federal programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.  Consequently, non-taxable pay such as BAH and BAS can disqualify servicemembers from such federal programs despite the financial need.

The November 17^th memo from Austin also outlines increased stability for service members and families, when feasible, through extended tour length – beyond 36 months – for both CONUS and overseas tours at locations where the quality of life conditions are comparable to U.S. standards.  The memo also permits flexibility on CONUS assignment reports dates where housing wait times and reduced inventory are present.

The federal government announced on November 10^th that the inflation rate increased to 6.2% in the last year, which is an unprecedented increase since 1990. While the 2.7% pay raise and 2.9% BAH increase are less than inflation, the Pentagon is looking to support troop housing and economic stability through other measures including the temporary BAH increase and addressing food insecurity.

Here we are, preparing for a brand-new ball season. Time to pick out the duds to wear to the ball, hotel room, tickets, childcare…. Well, for some military families. With the pandemic still continuing, military balls are canceling across the U.S. With it being the second year of no military ball for some families, it’s time to mix it up (again) and celebrate the ball, your own way.

All You Need for A Military Ball, Your Way

Food

This is awesome. No need to worry about food allergies, you can choose food that is allergen-free! Make it at home, or splurge on your favorite restaurant. Or perhaps splurge on the new restaurant you have been wanting to try but haven’t due to time or cost. Well, you aren’t spending several hundred on ball tickets! Order food to go for a luxurious meal at home in celebration of the ball.

Don’t forget the cake!

No ball celebration is complete without cake. The typical offerings of sheet cake at a ball don’t have to happen this year if you don’t want them to. Get a slice of cake from a local bakery, or maybe try something a little different with cannoli or baklava. All the sweets are for the taking. If you are making it a family ball, consider a dessert bar, shakes or root beer floats. There are so many ways to fulfill that sweet tooth!

Dress up or down!

No dress code in your own home! If you want to wear yoga pants, do it. If you want to dress up, do it! Athletic pants and sweatshirts never felt so comfortable when you are celebrating the ball your own way at home.

Dance off!

Whether you are up-to-date on all the new dancing trends or not, get your dance on. Don’t be afraid to use YouTube University to learn dance moves, or ask your kids (they probably know!)

Baby, you’re a firework!

Add a little sparkle to the day with confetti poppers, sparklers, or fireworks. I mean, if they celebrate July 4th with a sparkle in the sky, who says you can’t do a little too for a military ball? Please check state regulations for what is legal before setting off fireworks.

Outdoor options.

If your unit ball is canceled but there is a group that desires to gather together, consider outdoor options. Get a tent for an outdoor covering, everyone brings tables, chairs, and food to celebrate together. Perhaps there is a dinner cruise in your area that your group could go to. You can get dressed up, enjoy the food and dance – all with your people.

Donate to a favorite organization.

In lieu of paying for ball tickets, hotel room, a new outfit for the ball, and childcare, consider donating to an organization that supports military families and veterans. Every little bit helps, and it stays within the military community.

Don’t go it alone.

Based on your level of comfort, consider asking close friends over to celebrate. Print up invitations with the details – including the date, time, and dress code. Make dinner potluck style so everyone can share their favorite dish.

Make it a staycation.

The ball is more than a celebration, it is time together as a family and friends reflecting on the year. Getting that hotel room as a break is sometimes just as much of the celebration as dressing up and getting down on the dance floor. Why not get a hotel room local to where you are? Dress up or down, but order room service or get food delivered for a treat. Want to bring the whole family? Why not! It’s your ball!

How are you celebrating the ball this year?

In August, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released a memo stating a mandatory vaccination against COVID-19 was necessary to keep “a healthy and ready force.” The Pfizer-BioNTech version of the COVID-19 vaccination was officially approved by the FDA, while it was previously under emergency-use authorization. With this change to official approval, the Department of Defense moved toward requiring vaccination. The Moderna and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccinations are still under emergency-use authorization and are therefore not included.

There is a long history of required vaccinations within the military. Vaccinations for Small Pox and Anthrax are required for deployment and readiness. According to AP News, the Navy and the Marine Corps stated they had zero religious exemption requests for other vaccines in recent years while the Air Force reported there were a few, and the Army did not have any data to share. When the COVID-19 vaccination approval was first announced, the vaccination was offered to military members, but not initially required.

On August 31, Vice Admiral W. R Merz, the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Plans and Strategy released NAVADMIN 190/21 which mandated that all Navy service members must be vaccinated for the COVID-19 vaccination.  All Navy personnel must be vaccinated by November 28^th, 2021 and reservists must be vaccinated by December 28, 2021. A message from Marine Corps Commandant General Berger stated that “All non-exempt active component personnel will achieve full vaccination no later than 90 days from the date of ALNAV 062/21, and all non-exempt reserve component personnel will achieve full vaccination no later than 120 days from the date. Vaccination could occur on installation or off, proof just needs to be provided to the active or reserve command for appropriate documentation. Exemptions for medical or administrative reasons can be requested through the Navy personnel or Marines command. Among the Marine Corps, a permanent medical exemption can be approved by the first O-5 or O-6 command surgeon in the member’s chain of command after the recommendation by a licensed healthcare provider working for the Department of Defense. Anyone who is not exempt who refuses the vaccination by the deadline will face adverse administrative action.

The Army released its plan for implementing the mandatory vaccination on September 14, 2021, stating that all active-duty units are expected to be vaccinated by December 15, 2021, and Reserve and National Guard units are expected to be vaccinated by June 30, 2022.  Furthermore, it stated that soldiers who refused the vaccine would be counseled through the chain of command and medical providers and that failure to comply could lead to administrative or non-judicial punishment. Soldiers would have the ability to request an exemption through medical, religious or administrative reasons as outlined by Army Regulation (AR) 600-20 and AR 40-562. While pending a request, no punitive actions would be given.

The Air Force released their COVID-19 implementation plan on September 03, 2021. It stated that all active-duty service members without an exemption are required to be fully vaccinated by November 2^nd and Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel are required to be fully vaccinated by December 2^nd, 2021. Service members can apply for medical or administrative exemption through AFI 48-119_IP and for religious accommodation through DAFI 52-201. Any refusal of the vaccination could lead to punitive actions.

New joins or recruits are required to have vaccination as well. The Navy stated that “new accessions will be fully vaccinated as soon as practicable following service entry” per a Navy message. The Marine Corps stated that “Marines in recruit training will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.”

All across the board – every service member is required to get the COVID-19 vaccination. Even if the service member had a COVID-19 infection previously, vaccination is required.  Any refusal of the vaccination without an exemption is punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ).

Per a Pentagon briefing on August 25^th, the current percent of service members who were fully vaccinated for each service was the following: Navy and Marine Corps: 73%, Air Force and Space Force 57%, Army: 40%.

With the commission to rename bases formed with the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, the goal of renaming 10 bases across the United States has moved forward. The Army bases named during World War II are getting a name change.  The commission is made up of  8 members – four that are selected by the Secretary of Defense, and four from within the House and Senate Armed Services Committee representing veterans and military communities.

Recently Fort Bragg has solicited feedback on renaming the base. Per the installation’s homepage, the criteria for selecting a new name have not been released. Generally, the ideals of the Army of courage, values, sacrifices, and diversity of the military community will be utilized for the name selection per the Army’s website. There is also a Google doc specifically for the Fort Brag renaming with 17 suggested names with the history of each name listed.

Will giving feedback make the difference? On the one hand, the Army wants to include the local community and military community in the name choice. This would help the community feel ownership of the new base. It may also ease the tension in renaming the base. There has been division in regards to the naming commission. Some people applaud the effort of renaming the bases noting that the name change doesn’t erase history but moves forward. Others see the name change as exactly that – an erasing of history and poor use of funds and time. While others still feel the name of the base does not matter – naming the base generic things like “the Fort” or “Basey McBase Base” does not change or devalue what work is done there.

The commission has stated that they will take feedback into consideration, and will release criteria for name considerations. The bases being renamed are Ft. Bragg in North Carolina; Camp Beauregard and Fort Polk in Louisiana; Fort Benning and Fort Gordon in Georgia; Fort A.P. Hill, Fort Lee and Fort Pickett in Virginia, Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Rucker in Alabama. 

Providing feedback for the installation you call home or have called home, is a great way to stay connected to your community, and be part of the history of the name change. It has certainly provided ample discussion on the history of military figures throughout America’s 250+ years.

The name change will not be immediate. Name recommendations were submitted to Congress by October 1, 2022.

This past summer’s PCS peak season was one for the record books. The lack of moving companies available for moving items and the short-staffed companies leaving families in the lurch to pack their own things or find a UHaul was compounded with an all-time housing price high. In response to the rising housing prices, a temporarily elevated BAH has been offered to 56 areas per the recently released memo from the Secretary of Defense.

The housing market around the United States has outpaced the previous housing price bubble. Both rental rates and purchase rates escalated in the spring of 2021, right in time for military movers. The demand for available homes slowly increased the already higher prices. Stories of military families standing in 10-people deep lines just to see rentals off base while waiting months in hotels because on-base housing was also not available were commonplace. Meanwhile, families were spending hundreds of dollars on rental applications to be one of 20+ families being considered. The demand for homes increased rental prices, forcing some families to spend hundreds of dollars above Basic Allowance For Housing (BAH) for a home.

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is designed to cover 95% of a service member’s housing costs – this includes housing rental and utility costs. The increase in rental and purchase prices has driven monthly rental and mortgage costs wildly higher than this. The several hundred dollars over BAH means families are paying over their allotment for the rental alone and does not account for utilities. In some areas like Southern California, electricity alone can cost several hundred dollars due to their tiered pricing by time. This means some families are spending $500-$1000 over their housing allowance.

To some, spending over the allowance isn’t a stretch, but to some it a financial strain. The financial strain may impact the service member and affect the mission. Per a press release by the DOD, the 5% expected as an out-of-pocket expense to service members was calculated to range from $70 to $158.  This is a bit different than what some families are facing for out-of-pocket costs now. In previous years, BAH was only meant to cover 80% of the average housing and utility costs, but this increased in 2005 to 100% with the slow re-integration of out-of-pocket costs since that time.

What areas are included in the BAH increase?

Each area has been given a percentage increase by locations from 10-20%.

20% Increase Authorized For:

• Twenty Nine Palms MCB, CA
• Eglin AFB, FL
• Boise, ID
• Mountain Home, AFB, ID
• Spokane, WA
• Lemoore NAS, CA

15% Increase Authorize For:

• Barstow/Fort Irwin, CA
• Beale AFB, CA
  Sacramento, CA
  Stockton, CA
• Riverside, CA
• Bridgeport, CA
• Fort Pierce, FL
• Helena, MT
• Lubbock, TX
• Hampton/Newport News, VA

10% Increase Authorized for:

• Phoenix, AZ
• Fort Huachuca, AZ
• Yuma, AZ
• Fresno, AZ
• San Bernadino, CA
• El Centro, CA
• Colorado Springs, CO
• New London, CT
• Hartford, CT
• Tampa, FL
• West Palm Beach, FL
• Ocala, FL
• Florida Keys, FL
• Savannah, GA
• Springfield/Decatur, IL
• Portland, ME
• Saginaw, MI
• Springfield, MO
• Malmstrom AFB/Great Fls, MT
• Morehead City/Cherry Point MCAS, NC
• Camp Lejeune, NC
• Wilmington, NC
• Ashville, NC
• Fort Monmouth/Earle NWS, NJ
• Trenton, NJ
• Albuquerque/Kirtland AFB, NM
• White Sands Mr/Las Cruces, NM
• Nellis AFB/Las Vegas, NV
• Reno/Carson City, NV
• Providence, RI
• Waco, TX
• Salt Lake City, UT
• Quantico/Woodbridge, VA
• Richmond/Fort Lee, VA
• Dahlgreen/Fort AP Hill, VA
• Bremerton, WA
• Port Angeles, WA

To receive the increased BAH, the service member must apply per their service branch’s application showing that their total housing costs of rent and utilities are over the current authorized BAH rate. The increase will be in effect from 1 October 2021 to 31 December 2021. If there is a dependency change during this time period, the service member must reapply to demonstrate that the authorized BAH rate does not cover their expenses.

It has not been announced that this temporary increase will continue beyond 31 December 2021 at this time. There are many areas on the list that are not named that still demonstrate high rental prices coupled with competition, like Southern California.

Is your area getting a BAH temporary increase?

The Marine Corps service branch is known for its physical fitness. In fact, Eleanor Roosevelt famously said about Marines that “The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!”

As other services update their physical fitness tests, it is now the Marine Corps turn. It’s change in the physical fitness test may surprise you.

The MARADMIN release in August of 2021 stated that planks will now be a mandatory component of the physical fitness test, replacing the old exercise of crunches. This replacement will be in full effect in 2023. The alternative of planks for crunches has been in place since 2019 when then Commandant Neller approved it to be so, although not many Marines have chosen this option over the crunches. Plank scoring adjustments will be made and go in effect in 2022. The minimum time to hold a plank will be one minute and 10 seconds, with the maximum points given for a plank held for 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

The reason for the change is simple – this is a move in injury reduction. While crunches are known to help develop a strong core (abdominal muscles), they are awful for the lower back often causing low back pain or increasing previously occurring low back pain. In addition, crunches require another person holding the feet down which can lead to potential injury to the lower leg. Maj. Lindsey Slyman, the programs and assessments section head, Human Performance Branch, Policy and Standards Division, Training and Education Command told a military newspaper that while there was no specific research on what the injury risk reduction would be “we do know that the crunches place stress on the spinal column, neck, and cervical spine due to the repetitive loading and increased use of hip flexors.”

Beyond risk reduction, the physiological evaluation of core strength is better tested with a plank than with crunches. The plank requires muscle activation of the lateral and central abdominal muscles, and given that they are required to be activated for a longer period of time, they provide a better test of endurance and strength of the core muscles.

For active Marines, getting ready for the plank addition to the PFT should happen now. Start slow and in small increments. Doing a plank for 30 seconds for a week straight will increase the strength and ability to increase the time the following week to maybe 45-60 seconds. If staying in a plank position is difficult, try alternating between elbows and up to hands to see if this will help pass the time in addition. The key with any plank is to keep the back flat to avoid any lumbar strain.  Check out YouTube if you need help determining how to maintain the appropriate posture, or ask your buddies at work.

Remember a Marine over the age of 60 held a plank long enough to break the Guinness World Record holding it for 8 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds. Three minutes should be a piece of cake in comparison!