Department of Defense to Resume Restructured Military Spouse Career Program

Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Koons | Petty Officer 3rd Class (AW/SW) Adam Ameel, aviation boatswain's mate (fuels), poses for pictures with his wife Kayla following USS Wasp's return to Norfolk, Va., from its fall 2009 underway period Dec. 22. Under the Department of Defense' restructured Military Spouse Career Advancement Account program, spouses of junior Sailors such as Kayla will be eligible to receive financial aid to further their education or pursue career advancement. Wasp is currently underway conducting routine flight operations.  

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES

07.26.2010

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Koons 

USS WASP (LHD 1)   

USS WASP, At Sea – For those Sailors who are married, having their spouse be successful in their careers or educational goals is often just as important as success in their own military careers. To this end, the Department of Defense announced July 20 the resumption of a restructured Military Spouse Career Advancement Account program following a comprehensive review.

The program will be available to spouses of service members in the pay grades of E1-E5, W1-W2 and O1-O2 beginning Oct. 25.

"The purpose of these changes is to give back to military spouses for all of the support they give to service members, " said Petty Officer 1st Class (AW/SW) Maques Pete, aviation boatswain’s mate (fuels), one of USS Wasp’s command career counselors. "It’s intended for junior service members’ spouses because they are the ones most in need of financial assistance and are usually still working on getting college degrees.”

Amongst these changes, eligible spouses will receive a total of $4,000 in DoD-funded financial aid, with an annual cap of $2,000 per fiscal year; funding must be used within a three-year time period from the start date of the first class; and must be used to obtain an associates' degree, licensure or certification.

A waiver may be granted when fees for licensure or certification require an up-front fee greater than $2,000 and up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000.

"The MyCAA program popularity grew beyond our expectations and became too expensive to continue. Therefore, we are returning to the original intent of the program in a way that is attainable and fiscally responsible for the Defense Department," said Clifford Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. "As we look to the future, we envision a program that is much broader than DoD's financial assistance component. Military spouses will be guided along a more holistic approach to career planning."

Under the long-term program guidelines, career counselors will continue to work with all military spouses to help develop career and education goals and plans and assist them in identifying and accessing available federal education benefits toward these goals.

"This program is a big thank you to spouses for all that they do when we are away, such as taking care of the household," said Pete. "Knowing that our loved ones are being well taken care of increases our happiness, and like they say, ‘a happy Sailor is a productive Sailor.’"

For some Wasp Sailors, the revised MyCAA program is an added incentive for their spouses to continue on the path of getting a college education.

“My wife is currently going to college and receiving financial aid, part of which we will have to pay back eventually,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Hilger, culinary specialist. “With this revised MyCAA program, she can receive aid that we won’t have to pay back.”

To learn more about MyCAA, go to www.militaryonesource.com.

• Date Taken: 07.26.2010
• Date Posted: 07.28.2010 19:45
• Story ID: 53582
• Location: NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US