Entitlements on an LES--What are they? What do they mean?
The member's Leave & Earning statement (LES) shows entitlements, deductions, allotments, leave info, tax withholding info and TSP info. There is a lot on an LES to understand and we are going to explain what entitlements are and what they mean!
Entitlements are the section of the LES that shows everything that the member is being paid for-both pays and allowances.
It includes:
Basic Pay: the fundamental component of military pay. All members receive it and typically it is the largest component of a member's pay.
Special & Incentive Pay: given to qualified personnel who possess specific or unique skills. The Navy compensates individuals possessing special talents to retain them for specified period of time. Members are also compensated for circumstances such as separation from family, hazardous duty, or special duty.
Critical Skills Enlistment & Reenlistment Bonuses: when any critical skill becomes scarce, the DoD offers a financial incentive in the form of bonuses.
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH): an allowance to offset the cost of housing when you do not receive government-provided housing. BAH depends on location, pay grade and whether you have dependents.
Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS): is meant to offset costs for a member's meals.
Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA): is paid to service members who live in private housing at their overseas duty station.
Cost of Living Allowance (COLA): CONUS COLA is a taxable supplemental allowance designed to help offset higher prices in "high-cost" location in CONUS. Overseas COLA is a non-taxable allowance designed to offset the higher overseas prices of non-housing goods and services.
Clothing Allowances: Enlisted personnel are issued a complete wardrobe when they begin active duty. On each enlistment anniversary, a lump sum replacement/maintenance allowance is paid.
Family Separation Allowance (FSA): is paid at the rate of $250 per month or pro-rated to $8.33/day for periods less than a month. FSA provides compensation for added expenses incurred because of an enforce family separation due to an unaccompanied tour, deployment, etc longer than 30 days.
Dislocation Allowance (DLA): This is given to service members with PCS orders. The purpose of DLA is to partially reimburse a member for the expenses incurred in relocation the household.
The LES is a plethora of information! To learn more about the LES and how to read it, join one of our Virtual COMPASS classes near you!
Visit our website at: https://www.nsfamilyline.org/compass to register!