November 2011 - Navy
By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret)
This Veterans Day of 2011 gives us a
lot to think about and consider. In
preparing this article, I had the privilege
to have dinner with a Medal of
Honor recipient, World War II Veteran, and a
great American statesman, Senator Dan
Inouye (D-HI). It was surreal to listen to the
Senator talk about changes in American politics,
Defense of our Nation, War, and the
challenges ahead. The key take away from his
short discussion was––we have so many new
pressures and challenges that we all have to get
engaged in the process, and let our positions
be known. We have passed the days where it
is easy to provide the right funding and programs
for service members and veterans.
I continually utilize education and message
alerts to stress the importance to our
AUSN membership and Friends of the Navy
of engaging in grassroots involvement, and
steady engagement of your Congressional
delegation, the White House, and, of course, the
Pentagon leadership. Recently, I sent out a Legislative
Alert about TRICARE for Life and pending Defense cuts.
This issue affects our veterans and future veterans greatly.
Over 2,000 of our AUSN members and Friends of the
Navy responded with over 12,000 letters, e-mails, and
calls. Many are still sending e-mails and letters to make
their positions known. AUSN appreciates all this involvement.
It is important. What is needed at this time is for a
major constant upheaval of support to get the attention
of all of Congress. This issue and veterans’ issues not
surprisingly fail to rise to the top of importance as they
should. During these budgetary crunch times, Defense
and Veterans issues lose!
Some of us never become veterans. Many others never
think about being a veteran until suddenly, one day, we
are one. Does that make it acceptable that we do not give
our total support to veterans’ issues? I would hope not.
These are the people who have served our Nation with
honor and dignity. Several veterans’ issues on legislation
are listed below which we believe are worth your active
support. We all need to get behind these issues and push
hard. Remember, if we don’t, no one else will. Congress
may not vote to support those who have given all to our
nation. Some specific Veterans Bills to support and watch:
(you can view these bills at https://thomas.loc.gov)
Veterans Bills in Congress
H.R. 238 – Military Health Care Relief Act of 2011
would amend IRS Code of 1986 to allow a refund credit
to military retirees for premiums paid for coverage
under Medicare Part B.
H.R. 23 – The Belated Thank You to
the Merchant Marines of World War II
Act of 2011 would direct VA to establish
the Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation
Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals
who served in the US Merchant Marine
during WW II.
H.R. 28 – To Improve the outreach to
veterans’ activities of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
H.R. 814 – The Medicare VA Reimbursement
Act of 2011 would provide
Medicare payments to Department of VA
medical facilities for items and service
provided to Medicare-eligible veterans for
non-service-connected conditions.
S. 491 – The Honor America’s Guard-
Reserve Retirees Act of 2011 would recognize
the service in the Reserve Components
of the Armed Forces by members who where never
activated for Federal Service during their careers, by
honoring them with status as veterans under the law.
S. 1359 – Honoring Service through National Park
Access Act would make National Parks and Federal
Recreational Lands passes available at a discounted
to members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
H.R. 1742 – The Jamey Ensminger Act would direct
VA to establish a presumption of service connection
for illnesses associate with contaminants in the water
supply at UCMC Base Camp Lejeune, NC and to provide
health care to family members of veterans who lived at
Camp Lejeune while the water was contaminated.
H.R. 120 – The Disabled Veterans’ Surviving
Spouses Home Loans Act would provide for eligibility
for housing loans guaranteed by VA for surviving spouses
of certain disabled veterans.
H.R. 178 – The Military Surviving Spouses Equity
Act would repeal the requirement for reduction of
survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan for
military surviving spouses to offset the receipt of
Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
H.R. 303/S 344 – The Retired Pay Restoration Act
would permit additional retired members of the Armed
Forces who have a service-connected disability to receive
both disability compensation from the VA for their
disability and either retired pay by reason of their years
of service or Combat-Related Special Compensation and
to eliminate the phase-in period under current law.
H.R. 181 – The National Guard and Reservists
Parity for Patriots Act would ensure members of the
reserve components who have served on active duty or
performed active service since September 11, 2011.
Agent Orange Issue – Vietnam Era
H.R. 812/S. 1629 – Agent Orange Equity Act of
2011.
H.R. 2634 – Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of
2011.
We receive many calls regarding ships on the Agent
Orange exposure list. The current list can be found at
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agent
orange/. As most know, the Blue Water Navy ships are
not yet included in the list, unless they made certain
port calls or actions inland. However, there are several
studies and legislation that indicates exposure to off
shore ships in the Vietnam War. AUSN is keeping a very
close watch on the updated list. You can see how to add
to the list on this website. Log books and records are
needed to add to the VA List.
Reserve Members Veterans Status
H.R. 1025 was passed in the House and is now awaiting
Senate approval. It was introduced by Congressman
Walz, (D-MN) and originally co-sponsored by Congressman
Latham (R-IA), to amend Title 38, United States
Code, to recognize the service in the Reserve Components
of certain persons by honoring them with status as
veterans under law.
S. 491 – Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees
Act of 2011, introduced by Senator Pryor (D-AR), is a
similar bill that needs your immediate support!
These bills honor Reserve Component members as
Veterans, including Navy Reserve members that have
served 20 years of honorable service, but are not receiving
retired pay. These bills do not provide for any new benefits
other than what they receive at age 60. It does honor
them as Veterans for having served at least 20 years.
Along with 35 other associations, AUSN has supported
passage of these bills for over six years. And as Co-Director
of National Military Veterans Alliance, and Co-Chair of
The Military Coalition Guard and Reserve Committee,
we have led the way in passage of these bills. AUSN
strongly supports this legislation, which would give the
men and women who choose to serve our nation in the
Reserve Component the recognition that their service
demands. Many who serve in the Guard and Reserve are
in positions that support the deployments of their active
duty comrades to make sure the unit is fully prepared
when called upon. Unfortunately, some of these men
and women serve 20 years and are entitled to retirement
pay, TRICARE, and other benefits, but are not considered
a veteran according to the letter of the law.
H.R. 1025 and S. 491 are about honor. Honor is
important to those who have volunteered to serve the
nation in uniform. By analogy, these bills would confer
honor and recognition but not trigger any new or
unearned veterans’ benefits. The bills are needed to
confirm and perfect the real and perceived status of
service men and women who have completed a full
service career, are military retirees and have earned
specific military and veterans’ benefits but technically
are not veterans under the law. Finally, for decades
Reserve service men and women have accomplished
“real world” military duties at home and overseas. But
because of funding categories and manpower accounting
mechanisms, they have performed such duties on nonactive
duty (Title 10) orders. Thus, their contributions
to the national security are devalued and dishonored
since they are regarded as non-veterans. These bills are
cost neutral!
While you are celebrating Veterans Day 2011 – think
about where our Nation would be if service members
and their families did not make a choice to sacrifice and
serve in the military for a full career or for any number
of years. It is a matter of constitutional mandate that
the Nation first provide for our national security. As we
move into November and December 2011, the real
potential exists for our Defense and Veterans populations
to be cut and hollowed out due to budgetary pressures
that where not created by Defense or anyone that ever
served in the military. Get engaged and let Congress
know, while we all want to get our financial house in
order, it should not be at the expense of those who
served honorably, were wounded, and died in some
cases, for our Nation. Go to www.ausn.org to engage
your Congressional delegation.
An issue to embrace: Clark Veterans Cemetery
Please write Congress to support making Clark
Veterans Cemetery a USG controlled cemetery again.
We are supporters and an Ally of an effort to bring
formerly Clark AFB cemetery back under the control of
the USG. Clark was closed due partly to Mt. Pinatubo
eruption in 1992. There are over 8,500 veterans buried
at this cemetery and through oversight –– the cemetery
was abandoned. See full details at www.cvcra.org or
www.ausn.org.