Airmen assigned to Misawa AB, Japan, who bring their families along now must live on base, as DOD tries to save up to $50 million annually in housing costs. However, since Misawa currently has some 280 of its 1,956 homes undergoing renovation, some folks may still wind up off base in the near-term. Meanwhile, the new policy allowing more family members to come to South Korea has run into a snag—too many takers. The March 1 rule change has prompted tremendous response from airmen on their way to Osan Air Base and necessitated creation of a waiting list, according to an Air Force Personnel Center release. The base is due for some infrastructure improvements, including for DOD schools and medical care, which officials believe will enable an increase in accompanied tours. (Misawa report by SrA. Stefanie Torres)
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.