Now Hear This - January 2011

January 2011 Navy

By CAPT Tom McAtee

Bronze Medallions for Privately Purchased Headstones

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) now has made available bronze medallions to be affixed to an existing privately purchased headstone or marker to indentify the deceased members status as a veteran. Eligibility for the medallion requires that the veteran died on or after 1 November 1990 and the grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker. The medallion is in lieu of a traditional government headstone or marker. The bronze medallion is available in three (3) sizes – 5 inch, 3 inch, or 1 inch. Each medallion is inscribed with the word “Veteran” across the top and service branch at the bottom. For family members of eligible veterans wanting to request the bronze medallion, instructions can be found on-line at www.cem.va.gov?hm_hm.asp. The Web site specifies that until a new form specifically for ordering the medallion is available, use VA Form 40-1330; Application for Standard Government Headstone or Marker. Fill the form out completely with the exception of blocks 11 (Type of Headstone or Marker Requested) and 27 (Remarks). Leave block 11 blank. In block 27, put the word “Medallion” followed by the size requested. For example; use “Medallion 5-inch” to request a 5-inch medallion.

Slight Rise in Petty Officer Advancement Opportunity Possible

After three straight cycles with drops in overall petty officer advancement opportunity, Navy officials say the chance to move up should start to improve slightly in the next year. This should be good news for the 77,707 Sailors who passed their fall cycle advancement exams but didn’t score high enough to get an advancement quota this cycle. Sailors in ratings where advancement is slow may want to convert to ratings with better opportunity. Enlisted advancement planners say the Navy’s record-breaking retention over the past few years is the main reason opportunity has slowed, but they see a gradual shift in the other direction in the near future.

The key, officials say, was to get a handle on retention behavior in the ranks. The Navy’s advancement system is geared to advancing to existing vacancies as much as two years in the future. For years, officials counted on a certain amount of attrition, a figure that accounts for those who leave either at the end of their enlistments or who are sent home early because of misconduct or for medical reasons. However, in the past few years, as the economy dropped, not only did more Sailors ask to re-enlist, but also fewer Sailors were kicked out for misconduct.

Gates Seeking to Contain Military Health Costs

Since health care premiums costs for employees in the private sector can run many times greater than TRICARE, nearly 2 million of the 4.5 million military retirees and their families stay on TRICARE. As the costs of private health care continue to climb, the numbers staying on TRICARE are only expected to grow.

Now, as part of a broad offensive to cut Pentagon spending, the cost of TRICARE is once again in the sights of Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. Gates is seriously considering whether to ask for TRICARE fee increases in next year’s budget. The battle over TRICARE fee increases pits the efforts of the Pentagon to contain the exploding cost of health care for nearly 10 million eligible beneficiaries against the pain and emotions of those who say they have already “paid up front” with service in uniform, particularly those who deployed to America’s two current wars. The 10 million figure includes active-duty personnel, retirees, members of the National Guard and Reserve and their families. The arguments reflect the broader debate over the huge Pentagon budget that will intensify next year when Mr. Gates, who says he will step down in 2011, continues his campaign to cut off what he calls the “gusher” of defense spending. Total health care costs for the Pentagon, which is the nation’s single largest employer, top $50 billion a year, a tenth of the DoD budget and about the same amount that it is spending this year on the war in Iraq. Ten years ago, health care cost the Pentagon $19 billion; five years from now it is projected to cost $65 billion. AUSN and other Veterans groups are lobbying against any fee increases. Defense officials point out that Mr. Gates is weighing only whether to increase the cost of health insurance for retirees and their families, not those on active duty, who receive TRICARE at no cost. Any fee increases would also not affect military retirees 65 and older, who use TRICARE for Life that supplements Medicare.