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File: 970207_aadcl_008.txtspecial pays paid to active duty medical officers. Congress passed a law in Nov 90 authorizing payment of medical special pays to physicians and dentists on a monthly basis. However this law did not include a provision ror payment on a monthly basis to nurse anesthetist. The ASD(HA) guidance was received in Dec 90. AFMPC/DPMM received numerous inquiries from mobilized officers concerning the status of the approved pay legislation. In Feb 91 members mobilized under 673b authority were extended to a call up of one year under 673 authority. Therefore, several issues arose concerning their eligibility for active duty special pays. Upon our involvement due to the change in call up authorities, we discovered HQ ARPC and DFAS had never implemented the law because they could not determine a way to identify eligibles, amounts, and were not familiar with the special pay programs. In Mar 91, upon our request, representatives from HQ USAF/SGHP and HQ AFMPC/DPMM visited DFAS to assist ARPC and DFAS in developing a system to pay mobilized officers. HQ AFMPC/DPMM volunteered to compute medical service pay dates, identify special pay eligibility, and became the special pay OPR for mobilized Guard/Reserve medical officers. AFMPC/DPMM expended numerous manhours: notifying the field of eligibility criteria; collecting professional data; coordinating with AFRES, NGB, ARPC, and DFAS; computing special pays; notifying DFAS to effect payment; and answering inquiries and complaints from mobilized medical officers. RECOMMENDATION: HQ USAF/SO, AFRES, NGB, and ARPC need to work together to develop a special pay program for mobilized reservists/guard medical officers called to active duty in support of a conflict. The program amounts should be based on specialty and total federal commissioned service date (TFCSD). The program should mirror the active duty program in total amounts only, however, should be simplified to one monthly amount per specialty. ASD(HA) should draft proposed legislation for Congress to pass. Once passed, ASD(HA) should revise specialty amounts every time they revise the amounts for active duty. This would allow DFAS to pay mobilized medical officers the special pays upon call up to active duty, based upon their AFSC and TFCSD, and therefore eliminating the bureaucratic process experienced during Desert Storm. 16. OBSERVATION: IMAs were called to active duty with disqualifying medical problems. DISCUSSION Individuals had various medical problems such as psychiatric, orthopedic, cardiac, etc. which required disability (MEB) processing usually at a medical center. This was costly and time consuming. Individuals were nonproductive and disgruntled. RECOMMENDATION: Need to insure the physical standards are rigorously applied by reserve/guard units during peacetime/prior to mobilization. 17. OBSERVATION: Active Duty members were mobilized in support of Operation Desert Storm by their commanders disregarding assignment rules for personnel on medical hold (C code). DISCOSSION: Many of these individuals were returned to CONUS as unfit for duty or because medical capability did not exist in the
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