News 6 Mashup: October 10, 2022

Here is this week’s News 6 mashup of stories for the week of October 10, 2022, straight from AWN News 6 Correspondent, Emma Tighe.

US NAVY SUPERCARRIER READIES TO SET SAIL

 For the first time in forty years, the Navy is ready to launch a new type of craft on its maiden voyage. Super Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford sets to deploy from Virginia with a mission of training in mind. Her sailors will be joined by at least eight other countries as the US Military looks to strengthen bonds through training with our NATO Allies. Vice Admiral Daniel Dwyer told reporters: 

 “Not only is this a historic deployment for our first Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier,” but it also matters that “we are coming together with eight allied navies to operate together throughout the Atlantic.” 

 The Navy is also taking this time at sea to give the sailors a chance to get acquainted with a brand new type of ship, something that has not been necessary for the past forty years.

 Wishing fair winds and calm seas to the service members of the USS Ford and their families!  You can read more on this at Business Insider.

DOD Tackles Economic Insecurity for Service Members

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin the Third announced a plan to provide immediate and long term financial relief for members of the military. Some of these steps are an overhaul of BAH calculations to ensure that BAH reflects the historic fluctuations of the housing market 

• An automatic BAH increase for Military Housing Areas (or MHAs) that have experienced over 20 percent rise in average rental prices this year. 
• Fully funding the commissary with the goal of becoming 25 percent cheaper than its off post competitors. 
• Increasing Temporary Lodging Expenses (or TLE) from 10 days to 14, and 60 for members in MHAs with housing shortages.
• Easing the burden of childcare for service members by increasing benefits for child care providers in the hopes of enticing highly qualified employees and working with off post daycares to offer services at the on post rates. 
• Increase the number of partners in the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) by 10 percent.
• Launch a new career-accelerator pilot initiative that will match military spouses with paid private-sector fellowships in a variety of career paths.

These are only a few examples of the DODs plan and you can read the statement in its entirety here

A little financial relief in today’s economy is the kind of news I like to report! 

School Could Soon Be in Session for Pre K Military Kids

The DOD sure knows how to keep the ball going when they’re on a roll!

The Department of Defense is reportedly considering universal all day pre K for four years olds. 

This implementation could bring about more financial relief for dual military members as they could utilize the free all day school for their kiddos as opposed to continuing to pay for day care an extra year.

It also falls under the DODEA’s (Department of Defense Education Activity) mission to reach more military children in the following years.

Other efforts on the table include allowing off post military children to apply to DODEA schools and teens of service members in remote areas to attend A DODEA high school virtually. 

Thomas Brady, director of DODEA, told the Military Times that he is “ Very heartened by the fact that it’s gotten positive and thoughtful comments in the process as we have gone through the bureaucracy”.

Here’s to many friends, crafts, and circle time for our military preschoolers! 

Today in History 

For today’s tour through history we will have to take a pit stop that’s a little out of this world! 

On this day in 1967 the Outer Space Treaty was signed. This important treaty declared that all of space and its celestial bodies were gifts to mankind, not a specific country, and could not be claimed.

Guess I’ll have to get a timeshare in Myrtle Beach instead!  Find out more fun history facts at history.com

This is Emma Tighe for News 6 signing out!