Ike Puzon posted on December 01, 2009 00:14
December 2009 Navy
by CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret)
While many of our members and friends of the Navy provide inputs to guide our legislative efforts in Congress, we are always seeking inputs. Nothing is more important at this time than to hear your inputs on what our legislative teams should be considering for our members and members of the United States Navy. Take a few seconds to review the major areas we worked on with Congress last year. Please provide inputs you believe are important as soon as possible: ike.puzon@ausn.org. As you know, Congress, at this writing, is focused on Health Care Reform. Many of you (over 2,000) used our legislative action center, http://ausn.org, to provide your Congressional delegation your opinion on safeguarding military and veteran health care benefits. With your strong level of support, we can move legislative agendas forward. A few of the areas we intend to address again this calendar year in the Second Session of the 111th Congress are below. Our entire list will be posted to www.ausn.org shortly.
Oppose TRICARE Enrollment Fees. In FY 2009, the Defense Department surprisingly raised some TRICARE fees – after DoD stated they would not! Additionally, DoD has not sufficiently investigated other options to make TRICARE more costefficient as alternatives to shifting costs for any TRICARE program and other health care benefits to retiree beneficiaries under age 65, veterans, or Reserve Component members. We oppose any increases to retiree beneficiaries, Active or Reserve.
Manpower/End-strength; Active Duty Personnel & Reserve Component End- Strengths. We will track manpower levels to lobby for adequate number of personnel available to meet the demands of operational requirements.
Navy and NGREA Equipment; Surface and Undersea platforms. At least $20 billion annually is needed for development and/or delivery of CVN-21, LPD-17, DDG-1000, LCS, CG(X), LHA-R, and SSN-774. We support modernization of our Aegis fleet assets. Aircraft: We support funding for aircraft to sustain at least 10 carrier air wings through multi-year procurement of F/A-18E/F, E-2C/D. P-8, and Joint Strike Fighter development. NGREA: Reserve Components are 40% of deployed forces in OIF/OE. To maintain an operational Reserve Component, training and readiness, we support C-40A, P-8A, EF/A-18 (Growler) for Reserve Component assignment and utilization as well as Navy Expeditionary Forces equipment.
Reserve Retirement Compensation under ‘Operational Reserve’ Policy. We must provide those Reserve Component members since 9-11 that have performed Active Duty this benefit. They have earned it with over 45% of those deployed coming from Reserve Components.
Wounded Warrior & Seamless Transition for Active Duty and Mobilized Reserve Component members/Their Families & Separating Active Duty members. Active Duty & Reserve members that mobilize, conduct IA deployments, or depart the service need transition assistance when they return to their home of record. We strongly encourage full funding for Beyond the Yellow Ribbon programs.
Support Funding for Defense Health Program. Continue working with Congress and DoD to ensure adequate funding for the Defense Health Program in order to meet readiness needs, fully fund TRICARE, and improve access for all beneficiaries.
Active Duty/Reserve Component Pay. Secure additional annual pay increases that are at least .05% above the Employment Cost Index (ECI), along with targeted increases.
Reserve Component Education Enhancements. Improve education benefits for survivors of disabled or deceased veterans who died of a service-connected disability or were killed on active duty including Reservists and family members. The new Post 9-11 GI Bill left many members behind. We will push for a Total Force approach and increased funding for the Montgomery GI Bill.
Commissaries/MWR. Oppose privatization and ensure adequate funding for the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to preserve the value of the current benefit.
Concurrent Receipt. The House-passed Sec. 121, of H.R. 2647, to phase out compensation penalties for thousands forced from service due to service-caused disabilities was eliminated; but it did not pass the conference on the NDAA this year. We will again lobby for passage in 2010.
Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) for Reserve Component Members. We urge Congress to update legislation to authorize JPME II credit awarded to Service members who have completed accredited service war college non-resident courses, retroactive to 1 January 2007.