New Standby Reserve role

WING Commander Amanda Leslie has been appointed to a new position – RAAF Standby Reserve Manager with DPR-AF.

Her role is to manage RAAF Standby Reserve (RAAFStR) personnel, including the Reserve Staff Group (RSG). She also assists in identifying suitable Reserve members to undertake RSG projects.

The RAAFStR manager’s role will not impinge on the role of Reserve squadrons’ COs acting on requests for Reserve assistance from units within their localities. Nor is it to take the place of the current practice of a member being identified by a sponsor as being suitable to undertake a RSG task.

Personnel seeking to employ a Reserve member on a RSG task, but who are unable to locate a suitable person, should complete the RSG Task Detail form and return it to WGCDR Leslie.

RAAFStR members who are members of the RSG or are eligible to join the RSG, and who would like to register their interest in completing RSG work, should complete the RSG Volunteer Member Information form and also return it to WGCDR Leslie.

Both forms are available on the DPR-AF web site (Standby Reserve page) at
http://intranet.defence.gov.au/raafweb/sites/DPRAF/ or from WGCDR Leslie.

Contact WGCDR Leslie by mail at R8-7-046, Russell Offices, Canberra, 2600, by fax on (02) 6265 2431, by email at amanda.leslie@defence.gov.au or by phone on (02) 6266 7716.

Super and allowances

DID you know that from August last year, the qualifications and skills element of flying allowance, specialist operations allowance, special action forces allowance and submarine service allowance was included in your salary for superannuation purposes?

This means personnel will have paid higher super contributions while receiving these allowances.

Personnel who are a member of the Defence Force Retirement and Death Benefit (DFRDB) scheme and lose their eligibilty for these allowances will have their super contributions drop immediately, based on their lower salary.

However, they have the option of maintaining their super contributions at the higher level they were paying.

Personnel who want to continue contributing at the higher level must advise the DFRDB Authority within 90 days of the change in salary.

A D7 form is required and this can be obtained at www.dfrdb.gov.au/forms/d7.pdf.

There are no similar provisions for the Military Superannuation and Benefits Scheme. Personnel who are paid one of the above allowances should seek advice from a licensed financial services provider and/or ComSuper to understand the full implications.

Visit www.comsuper.gov.au.

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