March 2011 Navy
By CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret)
For some time, we have heard from our elected and appointed officials about how the government has overspent and how we all have to cut spending. The November 2010 elections showed that America is tiring of big government and spending. It is time to balance the budget just the way we do in our own households. There are 12 Federal government executive departments that are spending your money.
National Security – the Defense appropriations is just one of those departments. The debate within our own association continues about defense cuts and balancing the budget, and the requirements of our Sailors and the Navy.
Earned benefits of veterans should not be up for discussion, but it is and most likely always will be. Requirements for our Navy are always debated due to how the system of acquisition programs works. There is never enough money for all requirements. And, we have proven recently that, today, war (and personal sacrifice) doesn’t change opinions with a large portion of our population.
The debate over military-veteran earned health care is actually somewhat bizarre. Any official that compares military health care with civilian health care has lost sight of our National Security and the people who serve. Those in the military join to serve. Those in the civilian world have the same opportunity to serve, receive less pay, deploy for 6-12 months, and miss special family events; but they don’t. A military members and their families go through a totally different progression of payment for benefits. They pay a high price up front for 20 to 30 years! Why have our officials chosen to say that military health care is breaking the bank? If it is, bring back the draft, or decide to gut the military again; the choice is there. The Department of Defense IG has stated that it is almost impossible to police the Department’s waste, fraud and abuse.1 So, why, then, is the Department ready to levy increases to those that have served same as “veterans” on their health care? One reason only – they can because we let them. The all-volunteer force is expensive but is necessary! Look at the world as it is. Efficiencies and waste still abound throughout the services and the Department of Defense.
Therefore, AUSN’s top 10 legislative goals are affordable when the waste in recent years is considered, and if you consider National Security (the people) important:
1. Navy Equipment – Surface and Undersea platforms – over 17 billion annually is needed for development and/ or delivery of CVN, LPD-17, 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 ten carrier air wings through multiyear procurement of F/A-18E/F, E- 2C/D, P-8, C-130J, HH-60, and Joint Strike Fighter development.
* We need the right balance of equipment and people. Real acquisition reform and cost cutting needs to be realized, but we are delaying reconstitution through the wrong pressures. Navy and Navy Reserve need equipment as much as any component due to being called on constantly in a worldwide operation and OIF/OEF! The next contingency is upon us.
* At this time, Navy has a serious shortage of tactical aircraft (estimated at 250). We support the continuous buy of F/A-18E/F to relieve this shortage, and the acquisition of the F-35.
2. Oppose TRICARE Enrollment Fee Increases – The Defense Department must sufficiently investigate and implement other options to make TRICARE more cost-efficient as alternatives to shifting costs to TRICARE beneficiaries. If there are increases, they should be tied to pay raise percentages, not an amount to make up for past inefficiencies of the Department.
3. Manpower/End-Strength Active Duty Personnel End-Strengths & Reserve Component – Ensure there are an appropriate number of personnel available to meet the demands of operational requirements, including current OIF/OEF and contingency operations. Navy and Navy Reserve have taken a host of personnel and end-strength cuts based solely on balancing the Navy TOA and Budget. We need people more than ever; the Navy and Navy Reserve mission has not declined, and cutting manpower to save money is not prudent during war time or expanded contingency operations.
4. Pay – Secure additional annual pay increases that are at least one-half percent (0.5%) above the Employment Cost Index (ECI) along with targeted increases for mid-career and senior enlisted personnel to help close the pay gap between active duty and private sector pay.
5. Agent Orange Disability Claims – Seek to reverse the VA’s policy that prevents “blue water” military retirees and veterans from claiming disability benefits for diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange.
6. SBP/DIC Offset – Support legislation to repeal the Survivors Benefit Plan/Dependency Indemnity Compensation (SBP/DIC) offset for surviving spouses of personnel who die of serviceconnected causes.
7. Single System Pay System for Navy Reserve and Navy – It is time to make a system work for all military members. Members lose money because the active and reserve systems do not cooperate.
8. Protect Military Retired Pay – Fight efforts to reduce military retired or retainer pay and ensure equitable cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for all military retirees commensurate with their service and sacrifices, and oppose efforts to civilianize the military retirement system.
9. Concurrent Receipt – Support legislation authorizing the immediate concurrent receipt of full military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation for all disabled retirees.
10. Reserve Retirement Age – Support extension of authority for early retirement (90 days active duty for three months reduction) for all Reservists who have served since 9/11/01, and the elimination of fiscal year-specific rules that penalize mobilized reserve members.
To achieve these goals, we will need our collective involvement when AUSN asks for your assistance in the following manner. Nothing will get done unless you engage your Congressional delegation by:
> e-mailing your Congressional delegation;
> meeting with your Congressional delegation in your state or district;
> calling your Congressional delegation; and, all important,
> attending any town-hall meetings.
Some bills already introduced in Congress address our legislative goals. We have worked with Congress to get these introduced. In the near future, we will meet with many Members and staff to push your legislative agenda.
“Bills to Watch” at http://thomas.loc.gov/.
HR 28 – Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2011 (http://bit.ly/gWRR3w)
Focuses on locations that have relatively large concentrations of veterans or are experiencing growth in veteran populations.
HR 117 – HELP Veterans Act of 2011 (http://bit.ly/gjTxKX)
Housing, Employment, and Living Programs for Veterans Act of 2011.
HR 120 – Disabled Veterans’ Surviving Spouses Home Loans Act (http://bit.ly/ hja3Qu)
Considers situations where a surviving spouse can qualify for continuing disability house loans after primary spouse’s death.
HR 159 – TBI Treatment Act (http://bit.ly/ g2cehB)
Five-year pilot plan to cover costs of TBI/PTSD injury treatment outside of military and/or VA treatment facilities. Requires development of a database from each patient who receives treatment in this way for potential future program development.
HR 178 – Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act (http://bit.ly/fxoRH6)
Repeals certain provisions that require repayment from certain SBP annuities for surviving spouse just because the deceased was only denied retirement pay because they were not age 60.
HR 179 – To amend Title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement that certain former members of the Reserve Components of the Armed Forces be at least 60 years of age in order to be eligible to receive health care benefits. (http://bit.ly/hedGcj)
Eliminates the requirement that a member or former member of the Armed Forces entitled to retired pay for nonregular (reserve) service be at least 60 years of age before being eligible for medical and dental care in a military health care facility.
HR 181 – National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act (http:// bit.ly/eTyI9U) Amends the NDAA for FY-08 to backdate to 11 September 2001.
HR 186 – To amend Title 10, United States Code, to expand the eligibility for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation to include all members of the uniformed services who are retired under chapter 61 of such title for disability, regardless of the members’ disability rating percentage. (http://bit.ly/g4S9Sw)
Extends eligibility of concurrent receipt of military retired pay/disability compensation through 2013.
HR 208 – To amend Title 10, United States Code, to authorize the reimbursement of mental health counselors under TRICARE, and for other purposes. (http://bit.ly/gknL5J)
Amends TRICARE to provide mental health counseling. Includes health care providers both in and out of DoD/VA network.
HR 238 – Military Retiree Health Care Relief Act of 2011 (http://bit.ly/fEwGRL)
Makes premiums paid under Medicare Part B refundable to some military retirees.
HR 240 (http://bit.ly/i5VUzn) – To amend Title 38, United States Code, to promote jobs for veterans through the use of sole source contracts by Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of meeting the contracting goals and preferences of the Department of Veterans Affairs for small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans.
HR 303 – Retired Pay Restoration Act (http://bit.ly/gCkQ6S) Allows additional retired members who have a serviceconnected disability to receive both disability compensation and retired pay.
HR 333 (http://bit.ly/gVQUMk) – To permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent to receive concurrent payment of both retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation, to eliminate the phase-in period for concurrent receipt, to extend eligibility for concurrent receipt to chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service, and for other purposes.