Shutdown effects

[sushi]

So, what are people seeing and expecting?

I've heard commissaries are shut down, but I haven't confirmed this personally.

What about things like tricare referrals? I assume the referrals office is closed, so are you just SOL if you were waiting on one and it hadn't been processed yet?

As I said in the other thread, the appointment line was still taking calls.

H is out of town and technically should have his promotion (finally!) go through today. I'm expecting that to be effed up because I'm a pessimist. 

[pennylane]

The commissary here will be closed starting tomorrow. I guess it was a madhouse today...I was not interested in finding out first hand.

[meltoine]

Commissaries are closing tomorrow. They gave them a day to off load as any perishable items as possible.

The Tricare rep fighting for my reimbursement for DS2's birth is furloughed. I wonder if this affects the 90 days I have to dispute their denial.

[panicked]

Yup, commissary is closed after 8pm tonight. The line to get in stretched outside and along the building. I think it's a little ridiculous personally. We have three grocery stores within a five minute drive!

[sushi]

Our commissary is already insane. I might have considered going b/c I'm sure there were great prices, but I already hate going when it's crowded.

I do understand why people go here. Hawaii prices can be insane. Literally $10 for a gallon of milk if you're not shopping at Costco.

[G22]

Oct 1, 2013 19:24:44 GMT -5 pennylane said:

The commissary here will be closed starting tomorrow. I guess it was a madhouse today...I was not interested in finding out first hand.

This was exactly the case here and I chose to avoid it. There are grocery stores in town.

I've heard the clinic's answering service was down this morning, but I don't know if that will continue.

We don't live on base so most of what I have heard/seen is just hearsay on facebook. Supposedly the BX will stay open.

[sushi]

Why would ACA affect Tricare? None of my providers have mentioned anything to me about it, and we tend to talk a lot about healthcare policy.

[Dory1988]

I know that at the hospital here all the people who process referrals were furloughed so I know here it will be affected.

[Dumbledork]

Yesterday morning I got an email from my clinic saying they'd probably shutdown in the case of a gov't shutdown. I had an appointment that morning so I asked my nurse about it and she was all "Yes, all the military clinics will shutdown and everyone will be redirected to the hospital for care." This morning I got another email from them basically saying, "Yes, of course we're open today! Stop calling us."

It's the only military-related place I really deal with other than USAA so I haven't seen or heard much else.

I am wondering about DH's bonus. He re-upped for a few more years in September and it came with a small bonus. He's supposed to get it between Oct.2-15th but I'm not sure what will happen now. Technically, the paperwork for it was done in September with all the other re-up paperwork right? So, it should go through, right? But it wasn't on Sept. LES, so maybe it won't?

Oh. Also. He's supposed to come home from deployment soon. If this stretches out, will that impact his return date? He already has his window and everything. I didn't even think of this til just now. I just figured, they can't fuck with that, but I really have no clue on any of this.

[amaristella]

I never used to be a regular commissary shopper until I moved here and A)buying on the economy is so much more expensive and B)the two closest grocers to my house are both commissaries. I'm not excited to see how busy the next nearest food sources, Target and a smallish Safeway, will be within a day or two. I might actually have to *shock* plan my grocery outings more carefully. Logistically I don't expect the fun to end right when the shutdown is over because I've seen how long it takes for them to restock an item here after it runs out unexpectedly. It's definitely not the mainland timetable so I'm really kind of looking at DECA sideways right now wanting to know how Hawaii is suddenly falling under CONUS policy.

Medically I've noticed that although most of my care providers are active duty, the support staff are mostly civilian so I have no idea how this would potentially effect me. Thankfully I do not have any appointments until next week and since both are routine I wouldn't be horribly bothered by having to put them off or reschedule. I was going to try and get some blood work done before then, but we'll see.

[audette]

We're overseas, so our commissaries are staying open, which is nice, because it can be challenging to shop on the economy here (along with the fact that some items just aren't sold off base here). I do think it's crappy that Hawaii and Alaska are not being included with the overseas commissaries exception...

I'm hearing random things - AFN television is not broadcasting anything more than a single news station, apparently (which I think sucks, because people are paying for satellite dishes and receivers for AFN television here). We don't have AFN, so the only reason I know about it is due to folks posting about it on FB.

I just heard a rumour about our on-post gas station closing (as far as I can tell, it's a false rumour), but it has folks freaking out and there is a run on the base gas stations (there are two in our area, and gas off-post is about twice as expensive). I didn't think any AAFES locations were closing, so the whole rumour has me confused.

I _think_ some of the child/youth related stuff on base has been affected, but I can't be sure - I'm not a parent, so I haven't been paying close attention.


There are some budget-cut effects that would have happened without the shutdown - DH has to start taking his own towel to the gym. It sort of boggles the mind that they used to provide them, to be honest, but apparently they did until yesterday.


I'm sure I'll hear about more impacts over the next while.

[kpol]

Pretty much the same to report as audette.

The towel thing has people up in arms and fitness classes were suppose to start charging $3/class but enough people complained so that's being delayed. Every other fitness centers at previous duty stations charged so I don't get the outrage but some people here are straight up nuts.

The biggest thing I'm seeing is that the contractors have lost post access if their contract ran out. Tons of them were running on 30-day contracts that were renewed each month, but they didn't get renewed this time. It's causing issues with SOFA stamps, but I'm not sure if people can still stay in country passed their visa date.

The MWR put out a statement that all their facilities are currently staffed and fully operational.

[VillainV]

audette, it's true that AFN is not broadcasting anything except the news station. H couldn't watch SportsCenter this morning and was pretty bummed. But we get AFN for free, so it's not like we're out money. We had to pay for the dish installation, but we don't pay for the service. If everyone DID pay for the service, then they probably wouldn't have had to shut down.

Otherwise, I don't think there have been any big changes on our base. The schools are still teaching, the youth center is still open, hospital is still working (though probably without some civilian employees). H is still being called in to substitute teach.

[sushi]

I do feel Hawaii/Alaska is this weird in between. The military apparently agrees since we're oconus but get bah instead of oha.

Health wise, we,re covered locally, and tricare has said private care won't be affected. But cost of groceries is insane. However, we get a hefty cola so that offsets it.

[meltoine]

Oh, and janitorial services are suspended. Yuck.

The janitors at my job in Egypt went on strike once. We had to start bringing in our own toilet paper after day 2. I fully supported their strike, but damn did it get nasty fast.

[pennylane]

Oct 1, 2013 21:31:32 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Oh. Also. He's supposed to come home from deployment soon. If this stretches out, will that impact his return date? He already has his window and everything. I didn't even think of this til just now. I just figured, they can't fuck with that, but I really have no clue on any of this.

I thought about this too. My H's return isn't super soon, but I'm not optimistic that the government will get its shit together quickly. If they get stuck overseas, holy crap are the families here going to flip out.

[panicked]

Oct 1, 2013 21:31:32 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Yesterday morning I got an email from my clinic saying they'd probably shutdown in the case of a gov't shutdown. I had an appointment that morning so I asked my nurse about it and she was all "Yes, all the military clinics will shutdown and everyone will be redirected to the hospital for care." This morning I got another email from them basically saying, "Yes, of course we're open today! Stop calling us."

It's the only military-related place I really deal with other than USAA so I haven't seen or heard much else.

I am wondering about DH's bonus. He re-upped for a few more years in September and it came with a small bonus. He's supposed to get it between Oct.2-15th but I'm not sure what will happen now. Technically, the paperwork for it was done in September with all the other re-up paperwork right? So, it should go through, right? But it wasn't on Sept. LES, so maybe it won't?

Oh. Also. He's supposed to come home from deployment soon. If this stretches out, will that impact his return date? He already has his window and everything. I didn't even think of this til just now. I just figured, they can't fuck with that, but I really have no clue on any of this.

We're in the same situation. From what we've been hearing, it would cost more to keep them there and pay all the extra money (family sep/hazardous duty/etc...) than it would to put them on a flight home, so it's not being impacted. Hopefully that remains true; I'm not upping my countdown again!

[iluvmytxrgr]

Here, all TDY trips are cancelled to include my husband's SLC class. He was told all AMMED classes coming up are canceled. DEERS, Commissary, Vehicle Registration office are all closed. They had us down to one gate opened, but command from a number of units got together with Garrison and agreed to volunteer soldiers to work the gates to keep them all open. Everything else is open and running as normal at least until the end of the week. After that, it will able to re-evaluated to see if more needs to be cut.

[sushi]

If pass and registration is shut down will they still bitch at me that my stickers expire this month?

[pennylane]

Oct 2, 2013 13:26:20 GMT -5 sushi said:

If pass and registration is shut down will they still bitch at me that my stickers expire this month?

I thought they stopped requiring base stickers as of July 1. Mine have been expired for a couple months, and I've been on and off base a billion times and they've not said anything.

[sushi]

Oct 2, 2013 13:45:12 GMT -5 pennylane said:

Oct 2, 2013 13:26:20 GMT -5 sushi said:

If pass and registration is shut down will they still bitch at me that my stickers expire this month?

I thought they stopped requiring base stickers as of July 1. Mine have been expired for a couple months, and I've been on and off base a billion times and they've not said anything.

It's location specific. Years ago they weren't required at one location where I lived. They're still very much required here.

[pennylane]

Oct 2, 2013 13:50:20 GMT -5 sushi said:

Oct 2, 2013 13:45:12 GMT -5 pennylane said:

I thought they stopped requiring base stickers as of July 1. Mine have been expired for a couple months, and I've been on and off base a billion times and they've not said anything.

It's location specific. Years ago they weren't required at one location where I lived. They're still very much required here.

Bummer! I hope you don't have any issues.

[sushi]

Oct 2, 2013 13:51:28 GMT -5 pennylane said:

Oct 2, 2013 13:50:20 GMT -5 sushi said:

It's location specific. Years ago they weren't required at one location where I lived. They're still very much required here.

Bummer!

The process here is a bitch. The state requires an annual safety inspection. This is not necessarily the renewal month for registration. When getting base stickers, they look at which expires first between registration, safety, and ID card. The first to expire is the date for your stickers. So you could be renewing 4 things in a year for car access. The last time I registered my car I only got 4 months worth.

[pennylane]

Oct 2, 2013 13:57:29 GMT -5 sushi said:

The process here is a bitch. The state requires an annual safety inspection. This is not necessarily the renewal month for registration. When getting base stickers, they look at which expires first between registration, safety, and ID card. The first to expire is the date for your stickers. So you could be renewing 4 things in a year for car access. The last time I registered my car I only got 4 months worth.

What a mess.

[cattledogkisses]

Our FRG has sent out a dozen emails in the last 24 hours. Pertinent info seems to be the following:

Some ID card offices are remaining open, some are not. Seems like that varies locally.

This is what they had to say about Tricare:
"We know that those who rely on the Military Health System (MHS) are concerned about how the government shutdown might impact their health care. While we can't predict the exact consequences of a shutdown on every part of our MHS, we will likely see some impact on the delivery of health care services within our military hospitals and clinics. Inpatient, acute and emergency outpatient care in our medical and dental facilities will continue, as will private sector care under TRICARE."

Stateside commissaries are closed.

Tuition assistance is suspended.

In the event of delayed pay, USAA is offering no-interest loans (C&Ping again):
USAA Offers No-Interest Loan to Military Members if Government Delays Pay

***** Other banks may also offer similar assistance. Communicate with your bank and creditors! *****

Amid uncertainty about federal government funding, USAA is ready to offer a zero-interest payroll advance loan and other temporary solutions to affected members whose paychecks could be impacted.

Solutions From USAA

Potential Payroll Advance Loan

In the event of a government shutdown that threatens military pay, USAA is prepared to offer a zero-interest payroll advance loan to members of the military with existing direct deposit at USAA, including the National Guard and Reserves.1 The loan would be approximately equal to your expected direct deposit, or half of your expected direct deposit if you are paid monthly.

Other Options

USAA has a number of solutions to help members who receive a government paycheck and find themselves in financial distress because of sequestration.

These temporary solutions are available for affected members' existing products and include:
■Special payment arrangements, which could include payment deferral, on some bank products.2 ■Refunds of certain fees for credit cards and other USAA Bank products.
■Early withdrawal of funds from certificates of deposit without penalties.
■Billing arrangements for insurance products.


For those who are adversely impacted by sequestration, we encourage them to contact us so that we can identify solutions that help meet their particular need. Members should contact us for free financial advice at 800-531-USAA (8722).

USAA is prepared to offer the payroll advance loan to affected military members with existing direct deposit at USAA Bank if a government shutdown interrupts military pay. Likewise, members who have existing direct deposit arrangements at USAA Bank for their VA and Social Security checks would be eligible for the loan if their payments were interrupted due to a debt ceiling impasse.

If a loan offer becomes necessary, USAA will email those members and provide information in the "My Offers" section of usaa.com. We will also offer other solutions, including special payment arrangements to help USAA members who receive government payments and find themselves in financial distress because of a shutdown.

"We all hope that policymakers will reach a deal before military pay is threatened," says David Bohne, president of USAA Bank. "But we stand ready to help our members who would be impacted if that happens."

1 Must have current direct deposit of government payments with USAA Bank and at least two consecutive direct deposits in the past 60 days. Loan amount is based upon two weeks of normal direct deposit, and loan maximum is $6,000. Must be in good standing with USAA. The loan amount deposited into USAA account will be automatically debited at the next scheduled direct deposit. Loan will not be funded if government payment is not interrupted.

2 Interest continues to accrue during any deferment periods.

[Dumbledork]

Oct 2, 2013 9:59:50 GMT -5 panicked said:

Oct 1, 2013 21:31:32 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Oh. Also. He's supposed to come home from deployment soon. If this stretches out, will that impact his return date? He already has his window and everything. I didn't even think of this til just now. I just figured, they can't fuck with that, but I really have no clue on any of this.

We're in the same situation. From what we've been hearing, it would cost more to keep them there and pay all the extra money (family sep/hazardous duty/etc...) than it would to put them on a flight home, so it's not being impacted. Hopefully that remains true; I'm not upping my countdown again!

I just found this on a Military Times article. Excuse me while I go kick things.

"Deployments to Afghanistan will not be affected, but travel to return home from Afghanistan may be delayed unless commanders in theater determine it to be essential, Hale said."
www.militarytimes.com/article/20130927/NEWS05/309270021/DoD-comptroller-outlines-shutdown-plans-work-pay-travel

That article is from Sept 27th though. Maybe there's something more definitive out now.

[panicked]

Oct 2, 2013 15:32:38 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Oct 2, 2013 9:59:50 GMT -5 panicked said:

We're in the same situation. From what we've been hearing, it would cost more to keep them there and pay all the extra money (family sep/hazardous duty/etc...) than it would to put them on a flight home, so it's not being impacted. Hopefully that remains true; I'm not upping my countdown again!

I just found this on a Military Times article. Excuse me while I go kick things.

"Deployments to Afghanistan will not be affected, but travel to return home from Afghanistan may be delayed unless commanders in theater determine it to be essential, Hale said."
www.militarytimes.com/article/20130927/NEWS05/309270021/DoD-comptroller-outlines-shutdown-plans-work-pay-travel

That article is from Sept 27th though. Maybe there's something more definitive out now.

Mine isn't in Afghanistan, maybe that makes a difference? We got a statement from the FRG today saying that no return dates have been changed, nor do they expect it to change.

[panicked]

Oct 2, 2013 15:32:38 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Oct 2, 2013 9:59:50 GMT -5 panicked said:

We're in the same situation. From what we've been hearing, it would cost more to keep them there and pay all the extra money (family sep/hazardous duty/etc...) than it would to put them on a flight home, so it's not being impacted. Hopefully that remains true; I'm not upping my countdown again!

I just found this on a Military Times article. Excuse me while I go kick things.

"Deployments to Afghanistan will not be affected, but travel to return home from Afghanistan may be delayed unless commanders in theater determine it to be essential, Hale said."
www.militarytimes.com/article/20130927/NEWS05/309270021/DoD-comptroller-outlines-shutdown-plans-work-pay-travel

That article is from Sept 27th though. Maybe there's something more definitive out now.

Mine isn't in Afghanistan, maybe that makes a difference? We got a statement from the FRG today saying that no return dates have been changed, nor do they expect it to change.

[Dumbledork]

Oct 2, 2013 15:35:21 GMT -5 panicked said:

Oct 2, 2013 15:32:38 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

I just found this on a Military Times article. Excuse me while I go kick things.

"Deployments to Afghanistan will not be affected, but travel to return home from Afghanistan may be delayed unless commanders in theater determine it to be essential, Hale said."
www.militarytimes.com/article/20130927/NEWS05/309270021/DoD-comptroller-outlines-shutdown-plans-work-pay-travel

That article is from Sept 27th though. Maybe there's something more definitive out now.

Mine isn't in Afghanistan, maybe that makes a difference? We got a statement from the FRG today saying that no return dates have been changed, nor do they expect it to change.

I'm happy for you, but still anxious over here. I'm waiting to hear from DH, he usually has better information, and trying to remind myself that there are others suffering more from this shutdown.

[sushi]

H's training (it's local even!) will be canceled if they haven't reached a solution by Friday.

Does anyone know if the FRGs are still working? I'd like a definitive list on what locally is and isn't operational. Also, if this goes on more than a few days, I'd like to see if there's something we can do, like a food bank, for furloughed employees. Many who work here are paycheck to paycheck, and rent is crazy high. Local resources are generally tapped out at the best of times.