Revalidating Dependents

All airmen must “revalidate” their dependents by Dec. 31 as the Air Force looks to become audit compliant. The one-time recertification process will validate airmen’s basic allowance for housing entitlements so USAF can ensure the $5.4 billion it spends on BAH each year is auditable, states a March 19 release. “When we say the Air Force is not audit compliant, that doesn’t mean that money is misspent or being misspent,” said Doug Bennett, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial operations. “Generally, it means that we lack the required documentation for our spending to be considered auditable.” Specifically, USAF is looking for airmen’s marriage certificates, birth certificates, and divorce decrees that require child support be paid, states the release. Airmen will have 30 days after notification to provide the necessary documentation. “Preparation for this important and legislatively mandated effort rests in the hands of every airman, not just the financial community,” said Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh in a recent memo. (See also Mid-Year Audit Decision Approaching for USAF.)