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MILITARY OFFICER
JANUARY 2011 $4.75 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MOAA | ONE POWERFUL VOICE®
WWW.MOAA.ORG a See page 38
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MOAA’s support for service personnel and retirees will be sorely needed during the upcoming budget wars.
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—Lt. Col. Henri C.T. Sahut, USAF-Ret.
” 12/9/10 8:17 AM
Addressing the Deficit The January 2011 issue addresses the dire financial issues confronting our na- tion. Unfortunately, while I see a lot of talk about possible cuts for the military, I see nothing suggesting how we might like to see the problems solved. Why don’t the military organizations, including MOAA, come up with some commonsense proposals indicating what sacrifices we are willing to make instead of simply attacking those who are trying to solve the problem? This would indicate to Congress and the administration we un- derstand the seriousness of the situation and are willing to help solve it. One of the easiest (and most cow-
ardly) things a president or member of Congress can do is offer more tax cuts. We need someone with the guts and backbone to say more taxes are neces- sary to meet this crisis. … Since 1980, we have not only seen an unending parade of tax cuts, [but] we have also seen a great expansion of tax loopholes. It’s time to have some honest talk about our income and our outgo and necessary sacrifices. —CWO4 Carl L. Hess, USA-Ret. Ozark, Ala.
MOAA’s support for service personnel and retirees will be sorely needed during the upcoming budget wars. MOAA will need to continue highlighting areas DoD wants to cut and counter with no cuts in benefits until DoD cleans up major defense program waste and mismanagement. This alone would cover current benefits shortfalls. … The slogan should be, “Cut waste first, then benefits if needed.” —Lt. Col. Henri C.T. Sahut, USAF-Ret. via e-mail
Permanent ID Cards As a retired officer, I very much appreci- ate all of the excellent work that [MOAA]
16 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2011
does on behalf of the military. My wife and I especially wish to thank you for your goal regarding permanent ID card reform, particularly as it pertains to dis- abled dependents [“2011 Goals,” Wash- ington Scene, January 2011]. We have (again) just completed the
paperwork for an ID card for our special- needs daughter (permanently disabled). I am 83 years old, and my wife is 76. Fulfilling the requirements was a major undertaking and very time-consuming, even though we had the cooperation of several people in the appropriate DoD offices. It is definitely not an easy task and becomes more difficult as the years take a toll on us. We were informed that the four-year rule applies. Four years from now, I will be 87. Diminished capacity is a real concern. Our daughter lives in a wonderful
state-sponsored group home, and she is provided for, but Social Security, Medi- care, and TRICARE will be essential in the future. When we die, it is doubtful that the financial support documents will be forthcoming from the state. (It is too complicated and would probably be forgotten.) Likely, our daughter will lose her coverage. I believe this will prove to be a commonality for permanently disabled dependents. Eventually age di- minishes capacity. It would be extremely unfortunate if this results in loss of eligi- bility for many disabled people. —Lt. Col. Robert Krueger, USAR-Ret. via e-mail
Stealth Fact-checking A significant error appears in the article titled “Stealth Fighters” [January 2011]. [The article says,] “Near the city of Metz on the Moselle River in Luxembourg, Patton paused …” Metz is indeed on the Moselle River. However, it is not in Luxembourg. Metz is
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