Lower COLA for Lakenheath Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Torri Ingalsbe
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Airmen stationed in the United Kingdom may have noticed a smaller paycheck at the beginning of October. 

Airmen will be receiving less cost of living allowance for the next two months due to overpayment for the months of August and September. 

Maj. Brian Kehl, United States Air Forces in Europe, Chief of accounting and finance branch explained Airmen have been receiving more money than what the exchange rate warranted. The lowering of the COLA was part of balancing the overpayment, he said. 

Throughout the year, the Per Diem Committee reviews the exchange rates from the overseas military banking facilities to determine if a change in COLA is needed. After monitoring, the committee meets every 15 days to determine which COLA locations need adjustments. If a location trips a predetermined plus or minus five percent threshold, the location will see a corresponding increase or decrease in COLA. 

The Per Diem Committee set the COLA rate at $2.14 Aug. 1. At the time, the military banking facilities' exchange rate was $2.08, which caused the beginning of the overpayment. The set exchange rate was never achieved in the two-month period and the decision was made to change the COLA to $2.03. 

Although Airmen will receive a lower COLA over the next few weeks, they will be granted a reprieve in the form of a COLA increase due to the fact that the exchange rate has gone up.