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• conduct periodic needs assessment sur- veys among beneficiaries to improve pro- grams and identify unmet needs.


Panetta, Dempsey on


O


serving personnel if reform took place. They further emphasized DoD is not sup- porting any specific plans at this point. Dempsey took exception with recent


Budget Cuts Defense leaders outline their priorities.


n Oct. 13, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin


Dempsey, USA, were star witnesses before the House Armed Services Committee. The hearing, billed as a first look at defense leaders’ plans to cut $350 billion from the DoD budget over 10 years per the Budget Control Act, proved pretty short on details but did give the witnesses an oppor- tunity to make a few important points. Panetta said military forces will un- doubtedly get smaller but must remain ca- pable of meeting national threats. He said his priorities are to: • maintain the best military in the world; • avoid creating a “hollow force”; • examine the entire spectrum of the DoD budget for reductions; and • avoid breaking faith with those who are currently serving. DoD is in the process of identifying possible reductions, but “no final deci- sions” have been made. He noted that if the super committee can’t agree on further cuts and ends up defaulting to a sequestration process that forces DoD into “mindless” arbitrary budget reductions, we risk “hollowing out the force.” The idea of military retirement reform


was discussed at length, and both Panetta and Dempsey assured committee members they would seek to grandfather currently


PHOTOS: NANCY WOODWORTH CARR


press descriptions of military retirement, saying, “I reject the characterization of our military retirement as … gilt-edged.” He asserted emphatically that military retire- ment can’t be compared to any civilian plan because of the radical differences between military service and a civilian career.


Coalition Honors


Hill Champions Minnesota legislator and staff members are recognized.


T


he Military Coalition (TMC) presented its highest awards Oct. 6 to Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) and


Brian Kessler, Walz’s legislative assistant, for their leadership in seeking quality-of- life improvements for servicemembers and veterans and their families and sur- vivors. Walz, a retired Army National Guard command sergeant major and an Iraq War veteran, was recognized for his leadership in pursuing legislation to authorize veter- an status for reserve-component retirees, improve veterans’ transition services, im- prove disability and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation programs, and protect ser- vicemembers from mortgage abuses. Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF-Ret., TMC cochair and MOAA Government Relations director, said, “Congressman Walz knows first-hand the sacrifices involved in a mili- tary career and has taken an active lead- ership role in ensuring America does the right thing by those who serve and have served. While he’s been particularly active on initiatives affecting the National Guard and Reserve, his determined and persis-


Rep. Tim Walz


(D-Minn.)


Brian Kessler legislative assistant


DECEMBER 2011 MILITARY OFFICER 39


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