AFSA Chapter 254

The professional military organization of choice for military members, veterans, retirees and families.

AFSA is your Air Force enlisted organization dedicated solely to the people behind the stripes. We are all enlisted grades of Air Force Active Duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve Command, retired, veteran and family members. We are the men and women who have a long and rich heritage of being the force behind the high-tech machinery, a well-educated decision-making force, people who make procurement recommendations, and we are those who work on systems and platforms and assist in research and development of America’s superb AIRPOWER. We are the people that have invested their lives in the cause of freedom.

11/03/2026

📋 ACTIVE NOW: VETERANS DAY • NOV 11

Veterans Day is coming up — and there are a few benefits worth using, not just on the day itself.

🌲 Free park entry on Veterans Day
Entrance fees are waived on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at National Park Service sites that charge them. In 2026, fee-free days apply to U.S. citizens and residents. Camping, tours, and reservation fees may still apply.

🎖️ Free passes all year
You don’t have to wait for Nov. 11:
• Current service members and dependents: free Military Annual Pass
• Veterans and Gold Star families: free Military Lifetime Pass
These cover entrance and standard day-use fees at national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other federal recreation lands.

🛍️ Exchange Salute to Service giveaways
For eligible shoppers with in-store shopping benefits, in-store only, while supplies last:
• Nov. 7: Veteran for Life keychains
• Nov. 11: Challenge coin (America 250 design)
• Nov. 20: Collectible service-specific penny POGS

Share this with a veteran, service member, or military family who could use it.

— AFSA Chapter 254 • Fort Meade

Sources:
Military.com — “Veterans Day at the National Parks”, https://www.military.com/veterans-day-at-the-national-parks
Army & Air Force Exchange Service / Soldier Systems Daily — “Salute to Service Month Returns with Giveaways”, https://soldiersystems.net/2026/11/01/army-air-force-exchange-services-salute-to-service-month-returns-with-giveaways-for-veterans-service-members/

11/02/2026

📋 ACTIVE NOW: VGLI PREMIUM HOLIDAY

Veterans with VGLI — check this one out.

VA has announced its first-ever Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) premium holiday:

• No VGLI premiums from Nov. 1, 2026 through Jan. 31, 2027
• Coverage continues during the holiday
• VA says the holiday will save veterans nearly $150 million

Who it affects: Veterans covered under VGLI. If you pay VGLI premiums, this is a temporary break — not a cancellation of coverage.

What to do: Share this with a veteran who has VGLI, and check VA’s FAQ for details on how it applies to your coverage.

— AFSA Chapter 254 • Fort Meade

Sources:
VA News — “VA announces insurance premium holiday that will save veterans nearly $150 million”, https://news.va.gov/press-room/va-announces-insurance-premium-holiday-that-will-save-veterans-nearly-150-million/
VA Benefits — VGLI Premium Holiday FAQs, https://www.benefits.va.gov/insurance/vgli_premium_holiday_faqs.asp

11/01/2026

📋 ACTIVE NOW: PCS CHILD CARE HELP

Moving is stressful enough — child care during a PCS shouldn’t break the budget.

The DoD has a pilot program to help with child care costs when you travel for a PCS move.

What it covers:
• Up to $500 for a CONUS PCS
• Up to $1,500 for an overseas PCS

Pilot period: Oct. 1, 2024 – Sept. 30, 2027

Who it affects: Service members with dependent children traveling for a PCS — check with your installation / finance office for eligibility, receipts, and how to claim, as pilot rules apply.

Know a family with a PCS coming up? Share this so they don’t miss it.

— AFSA Chapter 254 • Fort Meade

Sources:
Defense.gov — https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3920672/
MOAA — “Pilot Program Offers PCS Child Care Benefit”, https://www.moaa.org/content/publications-and-media/news-articles/2026-news-articles/family/pilot-program-offers-pcs-child-care-benefit/

10/31/2026

📋 ANNOUNCED — NOW ROLLING OUT: FREE DORM WI-FI FOR AIRMEN

Good news for Airmen in the dorms — and a quality-of-life win worth sharing.

The Air Force, through an Army & Air Force Exchange Service contract with Boingo Wireless, is rolling out free high-speed Wi-Fi for Airmen living in on-base dormitories.

What we know:
• Speeds of 100 Mbps or greater
• No cost, no equipment or installation required
• Live now at 28 initial locations, including the U.S. Air Force Academy and Air Education and Training Command installations
• More locations are being added — this is not yet at every base

Who it affects: Airmen in on-base dorms, especially those moving between bases who want a consistent connection to family and friends.

Know an Airman in the dorms? Share this with them — and check with your installation to see if your dorm is live yet.

— AFSA Chapter 254 • Fort Meade

Sources:
Business Wire / U.S. Air Force — “US Air Force Launches Free High-Speed Wi-Fi for Airmen through Boingo Wireless”, https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261029967555/en/
Reflector — “US Air Force Launches Free High-Speed Wi-Fi for Airmen through Boingo Wireless”, https://www.reflector.com/news/national/us-air-force-launches-free-high-speed-wi-fi-for-airmen-through-boingo-wireless/article_4f0d2b9a-9c7d-5ff2-8dde-294088b42ee0.html

10/30/2026

📋 ACTION REQUIRED — RAC DEADLINE NOV. 9, 2026

Reserve & Guard members — check your records before this deadline.

The Department of the Air Force is moving from legacy “Faith and Belief Codes” to standardized Religious Affiliation Codes (RACs). Starting Sept. 25, 2026, the Military Personnel Data System transitioned to the new list.

What to do:
1. Update your RAC in the Virtual Military Personnel Flight (vMPF)
2. Certify your Record of Emergency Data is accurate

Deadlines:
• Active duty: Oct. 16, 2026 — already passed
• Air Force Reserve & Air National Guard: Nov. 9, 2026

If you don’t update by your deadline, your record will be automatically realigned to the new list. Per the Department of the Air Force, the code change does not reduce or alter chaplain services or religious support.

Share this with a Reserve or Guard member who may have missed it.

— AFSA Chapter 254 • Fort Meade

AirForceReserve

Sources:
U.S. Space Force / Department of the Air Force — "“AF to adopt standardized Religious Affiliation Codes: Action required in vMPF"” https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/4611397/daf-to-adopt-standardized-religious-affiliation-codes-action-required-in-vmpf/
Air & Space Forces Magazine — "“irmen, Guardians Ordered to Select Religion Code from New List”, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/airmen-guardians-ordered-to-select-religion-from-new-dod-list/

10/29/2026

🗳️ MARYLAND VOTERS — MAKE YOUR PLAN TO VOTE

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Today, Thursday, October 29, is the LAST day of early voting in Maryland — early voting centers are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can vote at any early voting center in the county where you live.

Near Fort Meade / Anne Arundel County, early voting centers include:
• Odenton Volunteer Fire — 1425 Annapolis Road, Odenton
• Severn Center — 1160 Reece Road, Severn
• Crofton Library — 1681 Riedel Road, Crofton

Voting by mail?
• The deadline to request a ballot by mail or fax — October 27 — has passed.
• The deadline to request a print-at-home ballot online is Friday, October 30 — check promptly.
• A mail-in ballot must be postmarked by November 3, or placed in an official drop box / hand-delivered to your local board by 8 p.m. on November 3.

Not registered yet? You can still register and vote in person during early voting or on Election Day, with proof of where you live. Check your registration and polling place with Maryland’s Voter Lookup.

Make your plan, and share this with a fellow Maryland voter.

— AFSA Chapter 254 • Fort Meade

Sources:
Maryland State Board of Elections — 2026 Early Voting Centers,https://elections.maryland.gov/elections/2026/2026_Early_Voting_Centers-EN.pdf
Anne Arundel County — 2026 Early Voting Centers list,https://www.aacounty.org/sites/default/files/2026-04/2026-early-voting-centers-list.pdf
Maryland Voter Lookup — https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/VoterSearch

10/28/2026

📋 FY2027 RECRUITING GOALS — ANNOUNCED

Big goals ahead for the Department of the Air Force.

For fiscal year 2027, the announced recruiting goals are:
✈️ 36,300 new enlisted Airmen for the Air Force
🛰️ 1,402 new enlisted Guardians for the Space Force

That’s a step up from fiscal 2026, when the services met their goals with 31,950 Airmen and 730 Guardians enlisted — with 15,799 recruits also in the Delayed Entry Program waiting for Basic Military Training.

These are announced service goals, not a law change — and a strong recruiting year means a stronger force for all of us.

Know someone thinking about serving? Share this with them, and encourage them to talk with a recruiter about their options.

— AFSA Chapter 254 • Fort Meade

Sources:
Air & Space Forces Magazine — "“ir Force, Space Force Shoot for Historic Recruiting Goals in 2027”, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-space-force-historic-recruiting-goals-2027/

10/27/2026

📋 UPCOMING — TRICARE OPEN SEASON

Mark your calendar — TRICARE Open Season for 2027 coverage runs Monday, November 9 through Tuesday, December 8, 2026. Changes made then start January 1, 2027.

Who CAN use Open Season:
• Those enrolled in or eligible for TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select, or the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)

Who CANNOT use Open Season to change plans:
• Active-duty members
• TRICARE For Life beneficiaries
• Premium-based plans: TRICARE Reserve Select, TRICARE Retired Reserve, and TRICARE Young Adult

Outside this window, you generally need a qualifying life event to make a change.

🦷👓 Dental and vision are separate:
FEDVIP dental/vision open season runs November 9 – December 14, 2026, also for coverage starting January 1, 2027.

Share this with a family who should check their plan before December 8.

— AFSA Chapter 254, Fort Meade

Sources:
TRICARE Newsroom — TRICARE Open Season begins Monday, Nov. 9 (Oct. 20, 2026)
https://newsroom.tricare.mil/News/TRICARE-News/Article/4629121/tricare-open-season-begins-monday-nov-9
Military.com — FEDVIP Open Season for Military and Retiree Health Insurance
https://www.military.com/benefits/fedvip-open-enrollment-dental-vision.html

FortMeade

10/26/2026

💰 2027 PAY RAISE — AWAITING APPROVAL

Here’s what’s currently proposed for basic pay starting January 1, 2027:

• 7% for E-1 to E-5
• 6% for E-6 to O-3
• 5% for O-4 and above

Where it stands:
The President’s alternative pay plan from August 26 sets those tiers, and the House NDAA passed July 22 with the same tiers. The Senate committee version instead carries a flat 3.6% raise and has not had a floor vote.

Neither NDAA is enacted yet, so the final rate could still change — this is not signed law, and it’s separate from the 2027 COLA for retired pay.

Who it affects:
Active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members on basic pay — especially junior enlisted, who would see the largest percentage increase under this proposal.

Share this with someone wondering what 2027 pay could look like, and watch for the final NDAA.

— AFSA Chapter 254, Fort Meade

10/25/2026

📢 2027 COLA UPDATE: +3.6%

Military retired pay is set to rise 3.6% effective December 1, 2026 — that’s about $36 more per month for every $1,000 of retired pay.

Retirees on the REDUX / Career Status Bonus plan get 2.6% instead, or about $26 per $1,000.

⚠️ Important distinction for VA disability:
The VA disability increase is NOT final yet. The Veterans’ Compensation COLA Act of 2026 (H.R. 8552 / S. 4487) is still in committee, and VA has not published 2027 rate tables. So any VA dollar amount you see right now is an estimate only.

What to do:
✔️ Check your DFAS notice when it arrives
✔️ Share this with a retiree who should know the difference between retired pay and VA pay
✔️ Watch for Congress to act on the VA COLA bill

— AFSA Chapter 254, Fort Meade

FortMeade

Address

1
Argonne Hills, MD
20755

Website

https://join.slack.com/t/afsachapter254/shared_invite/zt-1ubo7hg5j-xuEqyfTGRrkoQp1~CC3HyQ

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when AFSA Chapter 254 posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.