US military personnel will see their basic allowance for housing increase by an average of 3.8 percent in 2013, announced the Pentagon on Monday. For service members with dependents, average increases in BAH will be approximately $60 per month, states the Defense Department’s Dec. 17 release. A typical E-6 (e.g., technical sergeant) with dependents, for example, will find her BAH to be about $60 per month higher than in 2012, while an O-3 (e.g., captain) with dependents will see his BAH increase about $55 each month, according to the release. These changes take effect on Jan. 1. An estimated $20 billion will be paid in BAH to more than one million service members in 2013, states the release.
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.