'myPay' provides online pay resources

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WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  A program designed to help Air Force people manage their pay more easily went online Oct. 15.

Formerly named the Employee/Member Self-Service program, myPay offers improved online services for active-duty, Guard and Reserve airmen, civilian employees, retirees and beneficiaries, said Bruce S. Lemkin, principal deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for financial management and co-chair of the Personnel Pay Council.

Among the many features available for airmen, he said, are the abilities to view, print and save leave and earning statements; change federal and state tax withholdings; update bank account and electronic funds transfer information; edit address information; and control Thrift Savings Plan enrollment.

Although many of the myPay features were available through E/MSS, this is just the first step in improving the service provided to customers, Lemkin said.

"Airmen will have the ability to view and print their W-2s this January and, by spring, they will also be able to start and stop allotments," he said. "In the future, we also hope to allow people to view and print their travel vouchers."

People can log into myPay immediately if they have a current E/MSS personal identification number. If they have forgotten their PIN or are a new user, they can request a PIN on the myPay Web site.

PINs will be sent to new users through the mail. In the near future, new users will be able to receive their PINs through e-mail.

Users of myPay need a Web browser with secure socket layers protocol with 128-bit encryption software to access their accounts. This combination prevents information from being retrieved by someone else while it is being transmitted.

The combination of 128-bit encryption and SSL technology with a user's Social Security number, PIN and a Department of Defense-specific telephone number makes using myPay as secure as using an automated teller machine at a bank, according to Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials.

This new program is the result of a collaborative effort between the Air Force, DFAS and DOD to improve customer service, Lemkin said.

"One of our goals is to allow customers to do online anything that they previously had to stand in line (at the finance office) to accomplish," said Tom Bloom, DFAS director.