OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea — Senior Airman Kathleen Pruetz likes to keep an eye on her budget, and it always helps her to know in advance how much money will be in her next Air Force paycheck.
So about nine months ago she decided to quit getting her pay information by mail through the standard hard-copy leave and earning statement, or LES, a detailed breakdown of pay, allowances and leave.
Instead, she signed up for a system that lets servicemembers check pay and other financial information online, using a Defense Finance Accounting Service Web site called myPay, at https://mypay.dfas.mil.
That put her ahead of the curve, but the rest of the Air Force, at least in the Pacific theater, is just weeks from catching up.
Though myPay has been around since October, and is an option for all U.S. servicemembers, Gen. William Begert, Pacific Air Forces commander, has given Pacific airmen until Oct. 1 to sign up. Starting Jan. 1, myPay will become the only way LES information will be provided.
“I turned my hard copy off because I don’t really see the need to get a hard-copy LES when it’s the exact same one I can get online any time I want,” said Pruetz, who for the past five months has been a clerk with the 51st Comptroller Squadron here.
“The PACAF commander decided to make it mandatory after reviewing benefits, to include saving money,” said 1st Lt. Tom Montgomery, an Osan spokesman. The Air Force won’t have to mail hard-copy pay statements. It should save staff time because finance clerks should have to field far fewer pay queries from fellow airmen, said Staff Sgt. Charles Meyers, 51st Comptroller Squadron.
Servicemembers also should save time tracking their finances, he said. They can use the site to see, print and save their leave and earning statements, update bank accounts, make changes to federal and state tax information, edit addresses and tend to other financial matters, including Thrift Savings Plan enrollment.
“Ultimately, I think this would help our finance offices because then customers would not need to come into our office for simple LES inquiries,” Meyers said.
And the airmen are spared the time it would take to make the inquiry, especially with one of their most common queries — how much their mid-month or end-of- month pay amount will be, he said.
“You’d be surprised how many members would make the trip or hold on the phone a long time to find out what the pay will be. … With myPay you won’t have to make that trip,” he said.
“You can access it via any computer that is connected to the Internet,” Meyers said. “It does use the latest encryption technology.… So any information you provide to myPay will be secure. You don’t have to worry about an outsider accessing your information."
“I’m pleased with it,” Pruetz said. “I do most of my banking and bills online and I know exactly how much I’m going to get paid. … So I can work it all out even before payday.”
The Air Force said more information on myPay is available by calling DSN 784-1851.
