USAWOA

1. USAWOA 37th AMMFocus Group #3 United States Army Warrant Officers Association

2. USAWOA Save BAH for Junior WO United States Army Warrant Officers Association

3. USAWOA • Discussion members: • GL CW4 Nicole Woodyard (ADW) • CW5 Rhea Pruett (ARNG) • CW5 Brian Peterson (ARNG) • CW5 Paul Merchant (ARNG) • CW4 Craig Stewart (ARNG) • CW5(R) Willie M. Dickens • CW4( R) Max Bennett • CW3 Ordia Brown (ADW) • CW3 Brian Cleven (ARNG) • WO1 LaKia Barcus (ADW) United States Army Warrant Officers Association

4. USAWOA References USC Title 37 2009 BAH With-Dependents – Adobe file 2009 BAH Without-Dependents – Adobe file United States Army Warrant Officers Association

5. USAWOA Background Information BAH for the WO1 is lower than the E-6 which is a requirement for many of the prerequisite WO MOS. This is detrimental to recruiting warrant officers at the minimum grade to allow them the maximum time as a warrant officer. The 2009 pay scale for “with dependants” for an E-6 is $872 while the WO1 is $837 (delta of $35 a month). The same information for the “without dependants” level is E-6 is $654 and the WO1 is $637 (delta of $17 a month). For very little cost the minimum that the WO1 BAH should be is that of the E-6 (preferably a little bit more). United States Army Warrant Officers Association

6. USAWOA Background Information (Con’t) When studying the BAH issue make sure you review whether or not some provision is already in place in Title 37 for save-pay which would make this issue OBE if there is. United States Army Warrant Officers Association

7. USAWOA Issues The BAH needs to be adjusted to better represent how the Army values the beginning phases of the warrant officer career. Nine different prerequisite WO MOS require the entry level to be a SSG. We need to do everything that we can to encourage young high quality NCOs to accept the challenge of becoming warrant officers. The annual cost is only $204 more for single Soldiers and $420 for those with dependants. United States Army Warrant Officers Association

8. USAWOA BAH Comparison 2009 BAH   With dependents    Without Dependents E-6        $ 872.00             $ 654.00 W-1  $ 837.00        $ 637.00 United States Army Warrant Officers Association

9. USAWOA BAH Comparison (Con’t) 2008 BAH for ZIP Code 23831 (Richmond, VA)   With dependents    Without Dependents E-6        $ 1292.00             $ 1063.00 W-1  $ 1292.00        $ 1081.00 2009 BAH for ZIP Code 23831 (Richmond, VA) With dependents Without Dependents E-6 $ 1415.00 $ 1172.00 W-1 $ 1416.00 $ 1200.00 United States Army Warrant Officers Association

10. USAWOA Discussion: How many are not becoming Warrant Officers because of the BAH differences? Is there a problem? Is this an extension of the overall pay problem? A Soldier should not lose money regardless of location, promotion, or appointment in pay and allowances. Confusion during a WO1 PCS. What is the current Save Pay Regulation? DoD Finance Regulation Vol 7 – nothing identified for save pay. What is the DFAS definition for entitlements and allowances? Problem of misinterpretation of the save pay at Military Finance Offices. Soldiers’ interpretation of BAH tables for potential pay. Educational process at all levels for save pay (school house, USAREC, AUSA, WOA, DFAS). United States Army Warrant Officers Association

11. USAWOA Conclusions or Recommendations Conclusion: OBE 37 USC 907. Enlisted members and warrant officers appointed as officers: pay and allowances stabilized An enlisted member who accepts an appointment as an officer shall, for service as an officer, be paid the greater of: (1) the pay and allowances to which the officer is entitled as an officer; or (2) the pay and allowances to which the officer would be entitled if the officer were in the last enlisted grade the officer held before the appointment as an officer. (b) A warrant officer who accepts an appointment as a commissioned officer in a pay grade above W–4 shall, for service as such a commissioned officer, be paid the greater of: (1) the pay and allowances to which the officer is entitled as such a commissioned officer; (2) the pay and allowances to which the officer would be entitled if the officer were in the last warrant officer grade the officer held before the appointment as such a commissioned officer; or (3) in the case of an officer who was formerly an enlisted member, the pay and allowances to which the officer would be entitled if the officer were in the last enlisted grade the officer held before the appointment as an officer. United States Army Warrant Officers Association

12. USAWOA GOOD NEWS SLIDE: During this Focus Group WO1 Barcus discovered she was receiving the incorrect BAH rate for her location. She received the save pay BAH rate as an E7 (higher rate at Fort Bragg) but once she PCS’d to Fort Sill her rate dropped as a WO1. She subsequently changed her children over to her husband’s BAH for the higher rate to avoid losing money. Today, during the focus group she recontacted her finance department who will correct the situation (approx. $500 of backpay) with current law in hand Title 37 (Jan 08). United States Army Warrant Officers Association