National Guard members to benefit from changes to military pay system

Accessing individual military financial information has just gotten easier for Wisconsin Soldiers and Airmen.

The online pay account management system "myPay," operated by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service for all U.S. military personnel and many federal civilian employees, will launch enhancements Saturday, April 30.

Lt. Col. Rene Emond, a financial manager for Wisconsin's United States Property and Fiscal Office (USPFO), said changes to myPay can benefit every service member. "Customers can suggest improvements and it looks like DFAS has taken them up on that," Emond said. "Obviously it's a good thing."

myPay allows many of the six million payroll customers of DFAS to access pay information, retrieve tax forms and update such items as direct deposit account numbers, allotments and tax withholding amounts.

The new upgrade will reduce the number of steps required to login to myPay and make the virtual keyboard - a unique security feature designed to protect usernames and passwords - optional.

"The easier you can make the Soldier's process to access this information, the more frequently they will most likely use it," Emond said.

The new login procedures are similar to those of banks and other financial services. Users will simply enter their Login ID and password on the home page and click once to accept the user agreement for access to their accounts.

Though it is easier, the new login procedure still meets security requirements in private industry worldwide. Security features include encryption to protect sensitive information, firewalls, and intrusion detection software to block outsiders from accessing accounts.

For enhanced security, myPay users still have the option of using the virtual keyboard, which provides extra protection against identity thieves who may use keystroke-logging software. myPay will be unavailable from 7 a.m. to noon April 30 as the upgrades are implemented. Users should plan on accessing their Leave and Earning Statements prior to the upgrade period.

Prior to designing the upgrade, DFAS reviewed customer feedback received through phone calls, Facebook and e-mail. The upgrade is the first of a series of enhancements myPay is planning to make this year. All are based on customer feedback.

Emond summarized the significance of the changes for service members: "What's the two things you don't mess with? Their pay and their food."