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A HISTORY OF SUCCESS: Did you know that Airmen who served 25 years ago did not have annual basic military pay raises tied to the economy, a GI Bill even close to as generous as that enjoyed today, 100 percent Tuition Assistance, privacy in Dormitories, Child Development Centers, protected allowances for subsistence and housing, storage of POVs during PCS moves, leave for both Parents for Maternity, Adoption, and Rest and Recuperation, absentee Voting protection, significantly enhanced Guard and Reserve retirement, or annual automatic military retiree Cost-of Living Allowances? Over the past five decades, AFSA has built a reputation as a leading advocate for U.S. Air Force enlisted members and their families. Below you will find a detailed list of the results that AFSA delivers.
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Recent AFSA Legislative Accomplishments (2021-2024)
Passage of the Honoring our PACT Act:
This bill, signed into law in 2022, is a legislative milestone aimed at expanding healthcare benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances during military service, including those affected by burn pits and other environmental hazards.
Through its advocacy and partnership with other veterans' organizations, AFSA helped raise awareness of the long-term health impacts of such exposures, contributing to the bipartisan momentum behind the PACT Act. This law represents a key achievement in ensuring that veterans receive the care and compensation they deserve for service-related health conditions, aligning with AFSA’s mission to improve the quality of life for enlisted members and veterans.
Under the PACT Act, almost 6 million Toxic Exposure screenings have been conducted and more than 1.2 million claims have been approved.
Secured the following National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Provisions:
- Secure the largest pay raise in history at 5.2%
- Bolster the basic needs allowance and increase bah in highly affected areas to sustain financial readiness
- Modified the calculation of basic allowance for housing (BAH) rates with respect to junior enlisted members to ensure equitable housing rates can be calculated in markets with limited housing inventory.
- Reduce the cost of childcare for military families when they PCS to select installations
- Increase funding for Impact Aid($70 Million in just one year)
- Uplift VA medical standards to identify and treat cancer patients
- Keep disability compensation, clothing allowances, and dependency and indemnity compensation at pace with current inflation rates
- Cut costs and expedite the purchasing process of homes under the VA homes under loan program.
- Secured passage of the Military Spouse Employment Act
- Family separation allowance increase
- Provided Reserve and National Guard service members with incentive and special duty pays at the same rate as their active-duty counterparts.
- Established a basic needs allowance to ensure that all service members can meet the basic needs of their families.
- Establishment of the Military Family Readiness Working Group for Military Housing.
- Report language directing DoD to establish an appeals process, based on medical necessity, for TRICARE Pharmacy Tier 4/non-covered prescription drugs.
- Authorization of an increase in funding of $70 million for Defense-wide Operations & Maintenance, Department of Defense Education Activity, for Impact Aid, including $20 million for military children with severe disabilities.
- Secured major legal and policy changes that emphasize prevention of sexual assault and harassment and provide sweeping changes to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) on investigating and prosecuting these crimes.
- Expand parental leave for certain members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces.
- Independent evaluation of the TRICARE Autism Care Demonstration by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
- Created a new category of bereavement leave for military personnel that would permit service members to take up to two weeks of leave in connection with the death of a spouse or child.
- Increased parental leave to 12 weeks for all service members for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
- Establishment of an Exceptional Family Member Program Advisory Council to better support military families who have members with special needs
- Authorized reserve component members without dependents who would normally have to permanently change station for attendance at a school for a duration between 140 and 365 days to be paid basic allowance for housing at both the location of the school as well as their permanent residence if they are returning to that residence after completion of the training.
Passage of the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act (PAWS):
This act provides a pilot program to help Veterans with PTSD receive service dogs. Providing for a pathway to better the quality of life for many of our veterans. Veterans who participate in the program are authorized to adopt the dog they assisted in training if their health provider determines it is in the best interest of the veteran.
Passage of Veterans Benefits Continuity and Accountability Supplemental Appropriations Act (2024):
AFSA helped raise awareness and lobby congress to pass this emergency supplemental funding bill to prevent delays in Veterans receiving their benefits.
In part due to the success of the PACT Act, there were more veterans who are receiving PACT Act related benefits than initially anticipated. This stopgap measure covered the budget shortfall.
AFSA Legislative Accomplishments from 1992-present day -- Download printable PDF file here now.