Change log · 30 changes · verified October 16, 2026
What changed, and when.
Every dated change to the rates, tables and rules the calculators use, newest first: what changed in plain words, the agency’s own page, and the day it was verified. A change appears here only once a primary source confirms both the new value and its date.
Show changes for
Showing all 30 changes, newest first.
Coming up
VA compensation rates and the retired-pay COLA for December 1, 2026 (Social Security announced 3.6% on October 14, 2026; VA’s increase needs the VA COLA Act of 2026, not enacted as of October 16, and DoD and DFAS haven’t announced the retired-pay COLA)
First retired-pay payment at the December 1, 2026 rate (DFAS schedule; SBP annuitants January 4, 2027)
Abilene/Dyess (TX270) temporary BAH ends
2027 basic pay, BAS, BAH and DLA (the FY2027 NDAA isn’t enacted: 3.6% ECI figure vs the 7/6/5% proposal)
2027 TSP limits (IRS, usually November)
Army Combat Field Test for record
2027
Effective
announced
Retirement & TSP
BRS lump-sum discount rate for retired pay starting in 2027 set at 6.60% (2026: 6.46%).
6.46% → 6.60%
2026
Effective
announced
VA
Social Security announced a 3.6% COLA for 2027, effective with December 2026 benefits. It is not yet a VA or retired-pay rate: VA’s December 1, 2026 increase needs the VA COLA Act of 2026, and DoD and DFAS announce the retired-pay COLA.
2.8% (SSA, December 2025) → 3.6% (SSA, December 2026)
Effective
Pay & allowances
Hostile fire pay rose from $225 to $450 a month and imminent danger pay from $225 ($7.50 a day) to $275 ($9.16 a day); in a month with either, hardship duty pay – location is at most $100.
$225 / $225 ($7.50 a day) → $450 / $275 ($9.16 a day)
Effective
GI Bill®
MGIB-AD full-time rates rose to $2,601 (3+ year enlistment) and $2,110 (under 3 years).
$2,518 / $2,043 → $2,601 / $2,110
Effective
GI Bill®
Post-9/11 GI Bill private-school cap rose from $29,920.95 to $30,908.34; online-only housing from $1,169 to $1,198.
$29,920.95 / $1,169 → $30,908.34 / $1,198
Correction (October 13, 2026): This row said online-only housing rose to $1,261 (and foreign-school housing to $2,522). VA’s Post-9/11 rates page, updated October 13, 2026, lists $1,198 and $2,396 for August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2027; the GI Bill calculator uses the new figures for the whole school year.
Effective
Army fitness
Army Directive 2026-13 replaced height/weight and the tape test with waist-to-height (truncated to 3 decimals; 0.549 or less meets) and rescinded the 465/80 exemption.
tape test → WHtR ≤ 0.549
Effective
PCS
PCS mileage (MALT) rose from $0.205 to $0.235 a mile.
$0.205/mile → $0.235/mile
Effective
Air Force fitness
Air Force PFRA scores became official (diagnostic period ended).
diagnostic → official
Effective
Army fitness
The AFT combat standard became the record standard for the other Reserve Component Soldiers.
350 total
Effective
announced
Pay & allowances
Temporary BAH increase for Abilene/Dyess AFB (TX270) through December 31, 2026 (E‑5 with dependents $1,554 → $1,872).
$1,554 → $1,872
Effective
Army fitness
Army Directive 2026-07 made 12D, 89D and 89E combat specialties (24 in all).
21 specialties → 24 specialties
Effective
Air Force fitness
AFMAN 36-2905 (24 Mar 2026) superseded DAFMAN 36-2905 (2022).
DAFMAN 36-2905 (2022) → AFMAN 36-2905 (2026)
Effective
Air Force fitness
Air Force PFRA scoring charts took effect (diagnostic period March 1 – June 30, 2026).
charts cao 17 Mar 26
Effective
Army fitness
The AFT combat standard (60 per event, 350 total, M|C column) became the record standard for Active, AGR and RC on orders over 60 days.
350 total
Effective
Pay & allowances
2026 BAH rates took effect (average +4.2%).
+4.2% average
Effective
Pay & allowances
BAS rose to $476.95 enlisted and $328.48 officer.
$465.77 / $320.78 → $476.95 / $328.48
Effective
Pay & allowances
Basic pay rose 3.8% (E‑5 over 4: $3,946.80).
+3.8%
Effective
PCS
2026 DLA table took effect; partial DLA rose from $966.00 to $1,002.71.
$966.00 (partial) → $1,002.71 (partial)
Effective
PCS
PCS mileage (MALT) changed from $0.21 to $0.205 a mile.
$0.21/mile → $0.205/mile
Effective
Retirement & TSP
TSP limits rose: elective $23,500 → $24,500, catch-up $7,500 → $8,000, annual additions $70,000 → $72,000.
$23,500 / $7,500 / $70,000 → $24,500 / $8,000 / $72,000
Effective
Marine Corps fitness
Marines in combat-arms PMOSs are scored on the male PFT tables with a 210-point line (no adverse action until further guidance).
210 on male tables
Effective
Marine Corps fitness
The Marine Corps body-composition screen became waist-to-height ≤ 0.52.
WHtR ≤ 0.52
2025
Effective
Pay & allowances
Family separation allowance rose from $250 to $300 a month (37 USC 427 as amended by P.L. 119-60 §622, effective on enactment).
$250/month → $300/month
Effective
Retirement & TSP
Military retired pay and SBP rose 2.8% (COLA).
2.8%
Effective
announced
VA
VA disability compensation rose 2.8% (100% alone $3,831.30 → $3,938.58).
$3,831.30 → $3,938.58
Effective
Army fitness
The Army Fitness Test (AFT) replaced the ACFT, scored with the AFT_Scoring_Scales_250601 tables.
ACFT (tables 220323) → AFT (tables 250601)
How this log is kept
Each row is a change to a number or rule that one of the calculators uses: the date it takes effect (and the date it was announced, when different), what changed in plain words with the old and new values, the tools it affects, a link to the agency’s own page or document, and the date Rank and Pay verified it there.
Rates are stored with the dates they take effect, so the calculators switch on the right day — including changes announced in advance. A change reported elsewhere but not yet confirmed on the agency’s own pages stays out of this log and out of the tools. If a row turns out to be wrong, it is corrected on the row with a dated note. The Editorial Policy describes the checks.
Every dataset behind the tools — with its version, effective dates and the checksum of the source file — is listed on Data and sources.