washingtonscene
volunteer force, but through most of the particularly compelling testimony on the
’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, tight budgets were unfairness of deducting VA survivor ben-
used as an excuse to cap military raises, efi ts from military SBP annuities.
and it caused serious retention problems “This issue has been before Congress for
each time. This subcommittee has worked years,” she said. “Congress has eliminated
hard every year since 1999 to incremental- other offsets to retired pay and survivor
ly reduce the pay comparability gap from benefi ts. Why does this offset remain? If
13.5 percent to 2.9 percent. This is no time our voice isn’t loud, it’s only because we
to abandon that goal. As for shared sacri- have been silenced by our grief. So, let me
fi ce, we must not forget that military peo- say … in the memory of those who have
ple have borne 100 percent of the nation’s fallen … and in the name of the families left
wartime sacrifi ce for nearly a decade.” behind, please right this wrong.”
TRICARE fees: “TRICARE costs are
infl ated by unique military requirements
and documented ineffi ciencies, and DoD Bill Stresses
has many options to cut costs without
passing benefi ciaries the bill,” Strobridge “Dwell Time”
said. “We think the Pentagon needs to
Limited time at home reveals
focus more on fi xing TRICARE and less
on trying to charge more for it.” When
the need for a bigger force.
asked if TMC would support a subcom-
Rep. Ellen
mittee effort to bar fee increases for FY OAA President Vice Adm.
Tauscher
2010, Strobridge answered, “Defi nitely.” Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.,
(D-Calif.)
REDUX retirement system: “We’re very Mjoined leaders of several other
concerned that REDUX and its so-called military and veterans’ associations at
$30,000 career status bonus entices un- a Feb. 12 press conference announcing
wary servicemembers to forfeit hundreds introduction of bipartisan legislation,
of thousands of dollars in future retired H.R. 1052, calling for more reasonable
pay. In fact, the bonus is a lifetime loan dwell time for military units between
against their retired pay, with a usurious combat deployments.
24-percent annual percentage rate for the Introduced by Rep. Ellen Tauscher
typical enlisted servicemember and 35 (D-Calif.) and supported by more than
percent for the typical offi cer. We’d like to a dozen other House members includ-
work with the subcommittee to better pro- ing Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), the bill
tect servicemembers against mortgaging would set a minimum standard that ac-
their fi nancial futures,” Strobridge said. tive duty units should be home for at
Psychological care: “DoD and the VA least the same duration as the previous
are working sincerely to improve access deployment before being deployed again.
to care for wounded warriors and their For Guard and Reserve units, the stan-
families, but most of those efforts will take dard dwell time would be three times the
years,” said Strobridge. “There are ever- length of the previous deployment.
growing numbers who need help right The bill establishes goals to increase
now, but many are being told they have to the dwell time to three times deployment
wait months for appointments. That’s just length for active duty units and fi ve years
not good enough.” for guardmembers and reservists.
Mrs. Maggie McCloud, widow of Lt. The bill would allow waivers for volun-
Col. Joseph McCloud, USMC (killed in teers and special operations forces and in
a 2006 helicopter crash in Iraq), offered times of emergency.
3 6 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R A P R I L 2 0 0 9
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