We live in difficult times

We face economic issues we've never seen before. If you're like me, deficit reduction and military cuts issues leave you with questions such as how do we survive, keep America strong, continue to support our families and all the while have hope and maintain a positive attitude. More importantly, we are all asking, "What is my role in all of this?" The answers to these very difficult times and issues come from all of us individually. But, the solutions only come if we work together. Working together in Washington has been declining for some time due to the polarization on key hard issues.

Positive Thought

First, as many others have said, we have to think positively in our thoughts, words and actions. Just think about your combat, combat support, or preparations for combat experience. No matter what the setback, if you thought positively about the mission and people, somehow you and your team worked through any problems, threats, or situations. Positive thought breeds positive results, toxic people are losers. Negativism hammers away on things that cannot be done, focusing on the negatives instead of the positives. Instead of focusing on the solution, negative thought focuses on the problem. On the other hand, positive people are sometimes frustrated –– but maintain and nourish growth and solutions. You can feel the energy of positive people –– they do provide a path to solutions. Where has that gone in Washington? No one knows for sure. We are experiencing results of our individualism.

Great military commanders have this positive trait in common, and it is important for leaders to have a positive attitude. I have not seen an overall positive attitude in Washington in a long time. This does not mean we cannot think positively about our military and veterans. One of the best things about our military is that when the US Navy and the US Navy Reserve are given any task with what we have at the time, we seem to rise up and make the best out of bad situations. None of us are as good as we should be, so we constantly have to strive to improve and we can't achieve success unless we think positively. If we see a win or a better world for our Navy, we can get there through these difficult and challenging monetary times.

The power of many with a positive attitude cannot be beaten. This is what makes up the core of the Navy and the core of the military. I have seen it over and over, as the Marines and Special Forces live by and say often, "adapt and overcome."

The following are current positions that AUSN has sent to Congress. We ask that you embrace these and take action now. We have to be positive about where we are headed. This does not mean we give up or we accept less is better. If we choose to be positive, we can turn disappointments which will happen into strengths.

Earned Benefit: Health Care

The provision of health care for the retiree/veteran and his/her family is the most important benefit provided in exchange for a career in uniformed service. AUSN finds it inconceivable that the health care benefit earned by these career service members would be considered as a means to help meet budget reductions and a deficit not caused by the military. If such a plan were enacted, it would demonstrate that the promised earned benefits of a military career and the people are not viewed as a priority.

It is imperative that the Administration and Congress do the right thing. To break a promise on the commitment to provide adequate funding for benefits earned through a career in armed service would send the wrong signal to those who serve and have served in America's Armed Forces, especially in a time of war. AUSN is seriously concerned about the potential for a dramatic, negative effect on maintaining a skilled force in the event the promise of TRICARE is radically changed. AUSN urges Congressional personal commitment to the brave men and women who defend this great country.

Earned Benefit: Military Retirement

AUSN is also concerned about a rising chorus of calls for major changes in the military retirement system. These proposals suggest an end to a military 20-year retirement system and the establishment of a corporatestyle benefit program rather than payment of a future monthly retirement.

The military retirement system exists to help meet the national defense requirements with a ready force during both peace and conflict. There is no comparison between the military retirement system and other retirement programs. Military retired pay is, in fact, retainer pay. Military retirees are subject to involuntary recall. Contingency mobilization plans include the recall to active duty of between 22 and 86 percent of the military retired force. No less than 3,000 were recalled to active duty during Desert Storm. Additionally, we have recalled over 850,000 Guard and Reserve Component members in the last ten years that are under a similar military retainer system.

These alternate plans, devised mostly by civilian businessmen, would radically alter the military retirement system, scrapping the 20-year model and replacing it with a 401(k)-type account.

AUSN members believe that the real incentive will be to leave earlier rather than later. Past changes to the retirement system yielded unwanted loss in manpower.

AUSN is particularly concerned about the potential loss of quality and quantity of mid-level officers, chief petty officers and petty officers who are so critical to service leadership, experience, know-how and training so vital to our national maritime security posture. Why stay 20 or 30 years when you can leave at 5, 10, or 15 and still get some retirement as has been suggested?

It appears we have not learned the lessons of the past. In the most recent change in retirement, Congress passed in 1986, over the objection of the Department of Defense, the Military Retirement Reform Act of 1986 (known as the REDUX system). The enactment of REDUX adversely affected midcareer decisions and, effectively, undermined retention. Mid-level leadership departed the Navy. REDUX was repealed 12 years after its enactment.

Prior experience with radical reform of the retirement system is not an unknown. We have gone down this road before with the "peace dividend" after Desert Storm and several earlier experiences. We have asked Congress to give this important matter careful consideration on its potential for adverse effect on retention and on national security. You have to let Congress know your opinion.

Equipment: Reconstitution of the Navy and Navy Reserve

The data and studies show that the Navy is wearing out its equipment. During the long ten years of war, Navy has covered the oceans and contingencies, and maintained combat forces in Iraq and Afghanistan on the ground and in the air. Currently, ships, aircraft, and equipment are seriously needed to reset the force to meet the current challenges and future growing challenges. Our Navy and Navy Reserve must be ready for the next contingency operation while conducting global operations every day. While we strongly believe the acquisition system needs serious overhaul (something that seems to be expressed over and over), and efficiencies in acquisition are needed, this is not the time to cut the Navy forces. History shows that equipment is critical to conducting and projecting national power. The Navy has been, and always will be, a deployed force. At any given time, over 40 percent of the Navy is deployed. To maintain this rate, ready and cable equipment needs to be prepared to deploy instantly.

Cutting back on ships, aircraft, and critical equipment has created a hollow force in the past and will create another hollow force if we haphazardly cut equipment, people, and equipment acquisition.

Commissaries and Exchanges

Very likely, a DoD or Congressional proposal will be the consolidation of the military resale system and elimination of the federal subsidy for the Defense Commissary Agency. AUSN is very concerned that enactment of this proposal would curtail much needed and critical quality of life programs for military families. Quality of life does affect readiness.

While the Department spent $1.5 billion to support the commissaries and exchanges last year, the purpose of the commissaries and exchanges needs to be understood. These operations ensure that military families are cared for and have access to affordable food and quality basic goods, especially overseas.

For a family of four, shopping at the commissary means a market basket savings of $4,400 per year. And, the cost-efficiency of the exchange returned $300 million last year to help support morale, welfare and recreation programs for the services. AUSN would also point out that exchange consolidation was studied between 2003 and 2006 and $17 million was spent on that effort and related studies. Consistently, these studies have shown that consolidation is the wrong path. It is too costly and increases the costs of basic goods for service members and their families. Cooperation between the systems offers efficiencies and savings without the risks and enormous costs.

AUSN believes efficiencies can be achieved in a military resale system. We have asked Congress to reject any proposal that would end the appropriation for the commissary and exchange system or that mandates consolidation.

Debt Reduction Efforts

A debt ceiling deal that makes disastrous cuts in defense spending and defense benefit programs is a dangerous path to follow. The force is already shrinking, aging and strained. The quality of the individuals we were able to recruit is extremely important to our national security. As retention of quality people dissolves, our ability will disappear. The quality and sometimes quantity of equipment maintains a balance very important to our national security. Eighty percent of our national goods move by ocean. Navy must maintain those lines of communications while conducting contingency operations and war, and during peace.

It took more than 20 years to rebuild a quality allvolunteer force. AUSN is asking Congress to be very cautious and careful as these matters are addressed. The answer to "What is my role?" is to put pressure through calls, e-mails, and meetings on Congress to be cautious and positive about the US Navy and the Navy Reserve. If our nation should choose wrongly, we will endanger our national security.

We believe that efficiencies can be found in Defense –– but, the public suggestions of cutting the military (defense) by another $500-$600 billion are the wrong paths. If we maintain a positive attitude about all of this talk and need, we can find the right solution; but cutting the defense of our nation is a serious step we need to approach cautiously. Please see www.ausn.org, or ike.puzon@ausn.org for actions you can take.