washingtonscene
about three years. Those are both unsus- since spent, and many now get less than
tainable, and it’s wearing on readiness.” $14,000 a year [from either DoD or the
Strobridge and TMC witnesses testi- VA]. You can add up how much that will
fi ed their support of further manpower eventually amount to over the rest of their
increases or anything else that would ease lives and make it look like a big number,
the stresses on troops and families and but it’s still only $14,000 a year.”
expressed support for an array of other im-
provements to help the military community.
Military pay raise: A 3.4-percent raise MOAA Talks
for 2010 instead of the 2.9 percent pro-
posed in the defense budget. Women Veteran
TRICARE: Strobridge expressed TMC’s
gratitude that the new defense budget Issues
COLA Creep
didn’t propose any TRICARE fee increases
Special hearing addresses
and urged the panel to include language
in this year’s defense bill to acknowledge
unique needs. ■ Inflation continued to
rise in April by 0.3 per-
cent. But inflation still is
that career servicemembers pay huge,
3.5 percent in the hole for
in-kind, and up-front premiums through ouse Veterans’ Affairs Commit-
the first seven months decades of service and sacrifi ce. He also tee Chair Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.)
of FY 2009. With each
urged action to improve health care ac- Hconvened a special roundtable dis-
passing month it’s look-
cess for all benefi ciaries — especially those cussion May 20 to examine how the VA is
ing more and more like
retirees won’t see any
with mental health needs. addressing the needs of women veterans.
COLA for 2010.
Concurrent receipt: Coalition witnesses MOAA Deputy Director of Government
expressed support for the president’s ini- Relations Cmdr. René Campos, USN-Ret.,
tiative to expand concurrent receipt, with joined representatives from other orga-
the ultimate goal of ending the disability nizations, DoD, and the VA to discuss
offset to retired pay. women’s experiences seeking medical and
Guard and Reserve: Priorities included mental health care from the VA.
authorizing reduced-retirement-age credit The population of women veterans in
for all active service since Sept. 11, 2001, and the system is expected to double because
extending premium-based TRICARE cov- of the rapidly growing number of women
erage to “gray-area” reservists under age 60. on active duty, and the VA is struggling to
Wounded warriors: Strobridge cited the accommodate their unique needs.
need to provide three years of active duty Women who have served in Iraq and
level TRICARE coverage for disability re- Afghanistan are using the VA health care
tirees and provide training and compensa- system at a higher rate. They are younger
tion for family-member caregivers. (often of child-bearing age) and generally
Survivor benefits: When one panelist have more physical and mental health is-
indicated military survivor benefi ts were sues than their male counterparts.
“very, very good … with the law as it is” The panelists highlighted the following:
(when considered with Social Security ■ gender differences in disability ratings
and lump-sum insurance and death gratu- (women’s tend to be lower);
ity payments), Strobridge took issue and ■ the VA’s reluctance to address issues of
asserted the need to end deduction of VA employment and family responsibilities,
benefi ts from Survivor Benefi t Plan annui- including child care and family support;
ties. Strobridge said, “Ninety-four percent ■ a lack of neonatal care for infants after
of the affected widows got only [minimal delivery;
lump-sum payments] that have been long ■ VA counselors’ inexperience working
32 MILITARY OFFICER JULY 2009
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