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to Walmart.” She pledged to stand with Wilson in fighting any proposed cuts in the belief that these programs are impor- tant to retaining military families. Commissary, exchange, and MWR
programs certainly are no strangers to budget threats. Commissary funding was regularly attacked in the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s, and previous budget cuts already have closed or curtailed services at many base libraries and recreation facilities. In November 2010, the cochairs of the
president’s National Commission on Fis- cal Responsibility and Reform proposed consolidating commissaries and ex- changes and raising prices to save money. MOAA and The Military Coalition
agree with Wilson and Davis and will work to protect these important programs.
Military Family
Caucus Meets Legislators discuss unique challenges families face.
T
he House Congressional Military Family Caucus held its kickoff event Feb. 17 for the
112th Congress. Established in 2009, the caucus’ goal is to educate members of Congress and their staffs on the unique challenges military families face. The cochairs of the caucus both have personal ties to the military family lifestyle. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) is the spouse of a retired naval aviator, and Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr.’s (D-Ga.) wife was raised as a military dependent. “Congress and the American people
must — and we will — meet our commit- ment to servicemembers and their fami- lies,” says Bishop. Dr. Karen Guice, executive director of the Federal Recovery Coordination Pro-
gram for the VA, addressed several areas where the VA is providing support to both veterans and their family members — such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the housing assis- tance program, and transition assistance. The VA also is focusing its resources on an integrated mental health care plan. Spouses of senior service leaders in atten- dance applauded the VA’s work to support caregivers of the most severely wounded servicemembers but also asked Congress for more support in ensuring caregiver needs are being met. Robert Gordon, deputy assistant sec-
retary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy, emphasized the mili- tary community is being redefined, with 70 percent of military families now living off base. After 10 years of war, families are struggling to adapt to too-short “dwell times” between deployments. MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan
Jr., USN-Ret., asked the caucus to consider two issues members of MOAA’s Currently Serving Spouse Advisory Council raised to him by — allowing flexible spending ac- counts for military families and including marital counseling for couples under TRI- CARE coverage. Other issues identified by participants
of the event included: • educating civilians on the life experienc- es of military children in public schools; • implementing nationalized individual education plans to assist dependent chil- dren with special needs who are frequent- ly changing schools; and • restructuring the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program to include the entire military spouse community.
MO
— Contributors are Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF- Ret., direc tor; Col. Mike Hayden, USAF-Ret.; Col. Bob Norton, USA-Ret.; Cmdr. René Campos, USN- Ret.; Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN-Ret.; Col. Phil Odom, USAF-Ret.; Kelly Cotton; Bret Shea; and Matt Mur- phy, MOAA’s Government Relations Department.
*on the web: Inim voluptat elit utpating ex etuerci eu feum eum aliquating ese feugait APRIL 2011 MILITARY OFFICER 41
Refer to “Hill Cham- pions Push FSAs“ on page 33 to learn about recently introduced legislation directing the Pentagon to implement flexible spending ac- counts for servicemem- bers and their families.
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