washingtonscene
and longer for wounded warriors or sur-
viving spouses and personnel affected
by BRAC.
Only those who purchased homes be-
fore July 1, 2006, are eligible.
Due to the $555 million funding limita-
tion, not all of the priority categories will be
reimbursed at the same rate. Losses for ser-
vicemembers who privately sell their homes
will be reimbursed at 95 percent of prior
fair market value for wounded warriors and
surviving spouses, while servicemembers
on normal PCS moves will be reimbursed at Government Relations Director Col.
90 percent. The prior fair market value will Steve Strobridge, USAF-Ret., defended
be the original purchase price of the home, MOAA’s priorities at a May 20 Senate
as HAP payments aren’t intended to protect Armed Services Committee hearing.
home appreciation after purchase.
Another HAP option allows the gov- Subcommittee Chair Ben Nelson (D-
ernment to purchase a home if an eli- Neb.) emphasized the panel’s great sensitiv-
gible servicemember can’t sell it. But ity to the stress of lengthy deployments on
reimbursement rates under that option military families, noting, “We have no high-
are lower (90 percent of the original er responsibility than caring for wounded,
price for wounded warriors and civilians ill, and injured servicemembers and their
and survivors and 75 percent for PCS families.” Nevertheless, he said national
moves) to incentivize individual sales economic problems create great pressures
and minimize the need for much more on the defense budget, even in wartime.
costly government acquisition. The panel’s ranking Republican, Sen.
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), observed, “In no
MOAA Cites
other war in American history have so few
done so much for so long.”
People Needs
The personnel panel chiefs testifi ed
that all services are meeting recruiting
Senate panel considers
and retention goals at present and that
Congress has provided them adequate
manpower benefi ts action.
tools to manage the force. Lt. Gen. Mike
Rochelle, USA, expressed the most
A
May 20 Senate Armed Servic- caution, saying, “The current force is
es Personnel Subcommittee strained and out-of-balance.”
hearing featured testimony by When asked if the Army would need
the service three-star personnel chiefs and to grow further, Rochelle indicated the
several representatives of The Military Army is exploring whether to ask for
Coalition (TMC), including MOAA Gov- a bigger force than now planned. “We
ernment Relations Director and Coalition fi rst have to know what the Army will be
Cochair Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF-Ret. asked to do and for how long,” he said.
The fi rst part of the hearing focused on “We’ve seen demand continually rise in
active duty issues, with the latter half ad- recent years … the current dwell time
dressing Guard and Reserve, retiree, and between one-year combat tours is only
survivor needs. 1.3 years. For the Guard and Reserve, it’s
PHOTO: COL. MARV HARRIS, USAF-RET. JULY 2009 MILITARY OFFICER 31
JJul_scene.indd
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