Military Officer - December 2008 - (Page 31) washingtonscene Riding High The 2009 military retired pay COLA of 5.8 percent is the highest since 1982. Servicemembers who retired during 2008 will receive slightly less. L E G I S L AT I V E N E W S T H AT A F F E C T S Y O U I t’s official. The 2009 COLA for military retired pay, SBP annuities, Social Security checks, and VA disability and survivor benefits will be 5.8 percent, effective Dec. 1, 2008. It will appear in the January 2009 checks. Servicemembers who retired during calendar year 2008 will receive a somewhat smaller, partial COLA for this year only, because they already received a January military pay raise (which also raised their 2008 retired pay). If you retired in 2008, your COLA is calculated as follows: I Servicemembers who entered service before Sept. 8, 1980, and retired on or after Jan. 1, 2008, will receive a 5-percent COLA. I Servicemembers who entered service on or after Sept. 8, 1980 (whose retired pay is calculated on their highest 36 months’ basic pay rather than final basic pay), and retired between Jan. 1, 2008, and Sept. 30, 2008, will receive a partial COLA based on the calendar quarter in which they retired. January-March retirees will receive 5 percent; April-June retirees, 3.8 percent; and July-September retirees, 1.2 percent. Those who retire after Oct. 1, 2008, will see no COLA this year. I Servicemembers who retired during 2008 will receive COLAs in future years. Change in Inflation This shows the month-by-month change in inflation for FY 2008 versus FY 2007. With fuel prices continuing to drop dramatically into October, it’s possible the 2009 inflation track could look more like 2007’s. 6.0% 5.0% 4.0% 3.0% 2.0% 1.0% 0.0% -1.0% -2.0% I FY 2007 I FY 2008 Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. DECEMBER 2008 MILITARY OFFICER 31
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