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tem for new service entrants starting in 2018, and $2 to $4 increases for most prescription copayments in 2016 (the co- payment for mail-order generic drugs will stay at $0). Congress and the White House re-

solved their fiscal differences in the bud- get deal signed into law Nov. 2, 2015. But the budget agreement cut $5 billion from the FY 2016 defense budget. In deciding what to cut in order to

trim $5 billion, lawmakers spared per- sonnel and benefit programs. Over $1 billion in savings came from reduced fuel prices, $250 million from Army readi- ness, $192 million from Army National Guard readiness, $230 million from the Long Range Strike Bomber, and another $125 million from the program to train and equip Syrian rebels. “So what we have before us now is the same bill … with funding adjustments to reflect the [budget] bill we passed last week,” said House Armed Services Com- mittee Chair Rep. Mac Thornberry (R- Texas). “Otherwise, it’s the same bill.” The president signed the final defense

bill Nov. 25, 2015. Families Still

Struggling Survey highlights spouse employment obstacles.

lue Star Families released their 2015 Military Family Lifestyle Survey* in late October 2015. They

received over 6,000 responses from active duty servicemembers, military retirees, vet- erans, and family members. The survey asked for respondents’ views of service, benefits, transition, men- tal health, and PCS moves.

The results on military spouse employ- ment challenges echo what MOAA found in its 2014 Military Spouse Survey on Em- ployment with Syracuse University. Spouses continue to face unemploy- ment due to poor labor-market alignment, demands of unpredictable schedules, and demands on their servicemember spouse, as well as difficulty finding reli- able child care. Approximately half of military spouses seeking employment require a license or certification to work (e.g., nurses, teach- ers, lawyers) and have found it difficult to maneuver into new jobs after a PCS to another state with different require- ments. Military spouses continue to find lesser “work-around” jobs to remain em- ployed, causing them to lose income and promotion opportunities. These challenges affect the overall

well-being and readiness of our military families. Military spouse employment has a positive effect on financial readi- ness, mental health, and long-term family stability. While many programs either have been created or made more robust by research into military families, we have more work to do. MOAA supports legislative efforts to offset the costs of repeated licensing and testing after PCS, reduce barriers to em- ployment because of licensure require- ments, and provide more options for success in education and employment. Military families serve too, and they need better support in meeting the de- mands of our country.

— Contributors are Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF (Ret), director; Col. Mike Barron, USA (Ret); Col. Bob Norton, USA (Ret); Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret); Col. Phil Odom, USAF (Ret); Cmdr. René Campos, USN (Ret); Brooke Goldberg; Jamie Naughton; and Trina Fitzgerald, MOAA’s Govern- ment Relations Department. Visit www.moaa.org/ email to subscribe to MOAA’s Legislative Update.

*online: See the full results at www.bluestarfam.org/resources/military-family-lifestyle-survey. 50 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2016