Japan, Okinawa COLA rates rise 4 points

Japan, Okinawa COLA rates rise 4 points
By Bryce S. Dubee, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, December 8, 2007

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Servicemembers in Japan and on Okinawa got an early gift this holiday season with a boost in their cost of living allowance.

COLA rates at U.S. military installations in Japan and on Okinawa rose by four points. Rates for locations not on U.S. bases, including Tokyo, Kyoto, Gifu and Yokohama, rose by as much as six points.

The increase in COLA rates is caused by the current strength of the yen against the dollar, said Lt. Col. Loren Darmofal, a financial management officer for U.S. Forces Japan.

The dollar-to-yen exchange rate has dropped dramatically in the past few months. On Thursday a dollar bought 110.75 yen, up from 108.17 yen in late November, a 2½-year low.

The combination of low COLA rates and a strong yen affects how Chiquita Mack, a civilian employee at Yokota whose husband is in the military, does her shopping off base. She said that she buys most of her son’s diapers, baby wipes and other items off base because they are sold in bulk, and she can get more for her money.


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