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The 65th Comptroller Flight is conducting a Living Pattern Survey in mid-February, giving Lajes Field servicemembers the chance to make their voices heard when it comes to influencing Cost of Living Allowances. (U.S. Air Force graphic by Staff Sgt. Angelique N. Smythe)
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Airmen get opportunity to influence COLA in February
Posted 1/29/2013 Updated 1/29/2013
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by Staff Sgt. Angelique N. Smythe
65th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
1/29/2013 - LAJES FIELD, Azores -- The 65th Comptroller Flight is conducting a Living Pattern Survey in mid-February, giving Lajes Field servicemembers the chance to make their voices heard when it comes to influencing Cost of Living Allowances.
The Living Pattern Survey is a tool used in the Cost of Living Allowance decision-making process. It offsets the higher prices on the market for non-housing goods and services. The survey is computer-based and takes approximately 30-minutes.
Officials from the 65th Comptroller Flight said the survey helps balance higher costs often associated with living overseas.
"In order for people to buy the same types of goods they would get in the states, the Living Pattern Survey helps to offset the higher costs in other locations," said Tech. Sgt. Maria Hudgeons, 65th CPTF Financial Services Section chief. "This survey shows where people are actually spending their money and what are they purchasing."
Servicemembers can expect questions asking for the primary and secondary locations at which they spend money on things such as groceries, appliances, phone services, household goods, hair salons, daycare and restaurants.
Once they have completed the survey, 65th CPTF professionals then visit the shopping areas indicated to collect data and the prices of each item, producing a Retail Price Schedule.
"These surveys determine how much COLA we should get, so every year we compare it to what we documented the year before," said Hudgeons. "For example, if we bought the Green Giant green beans, we would need to compare it to the price in 2011 or 2012, then submit the data for it."
The information received from the Living Pattern Survey is then used by the Defense Travel Management Office, which manages the program, to create a cost of living index for Lajes Field.
"Here, locally, we just gather the data," said Master Sgt. Michelle Verica, 65th CPTF superintendent. "We don't make any recommendations; we don't control the findings; we just collect data. DTMO makes the final decisions."
While the retail price schedule is accomplished annually, the Living Pattern Survey is conducted every three years, so servicemembers are highly encouraged to participate this year.
"The Living Pattern Survey gathers the data of where people shop," said Verica. "Here on Lajes we don't have new supermarkets being built all the time. People are going to continuously shop at the base commissary or off-base at Modelo's, but the annual Retail Price Schedule shows how much things have cost in those places from year to year."
In February a link will be sent to the base populace from the 65th CPTF. Leaders are encouraged to reiterate the importance of this survey to their units.
At any time Airmen may visit the DTMO website to see COLA index changes at http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/.
For more information, contact the 65th CPTF at 535-CASH (2274). |
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