washingtonscene
credit, denying eligibility for hundreds of thousands who served one or more com- bat tours between 2001 and 2008. Further, MOAA supports elimination of the current rule that bars credit for 90-day periods that span more than one fiscal year. Guard and Reserve families cannot be
burdened with irreconcilable tradeoffs between civilian employment, personal re- tirement planning, and family obligations. The 1940s reserve retirement system was based on activations as an exception, whereas it’s the norm for the 21st century force. Operational Reserve policy requires reservists to serve one of every five years on active duty, though many have already served multiple combat tours equal to ac- tive force deployment cycles. Regardless of reemployment protections, periodic long-term absences from the civilian workplace can only limit these service- members’ upward mobility and employ- ability, as well as their personal financial security. MOAA supports enactment of a comprehensive reserve retirement scheme based on an age-and-service formula.
Pay-raise comparability Over the past decade, Congress has made great progress toward restoring full mili- tary pay comparability with that of the private sector. For most of the 1980s and ’90s, the executive and legislative branch- es capped military pay raises below those of the private sector. As a result, the pay gap grew as large as 13.5 percent, causing a retention and readiness crisis. Subse- quently, executive and legislative branch leaders worked to improve military pay. MOAA remains cautious, though, as the administration has proposed a com- plete review of military compensation and retirement programs. We will strongly object to proposals that would renew the unwise pay-cap process that generated retention crises in the 1970s and ’90s. Sus-
46 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2012
taining pay comparability is essential to long-term retention and readiness.
Family support Preserve funding for family support; mo- rale, welfare, and recreation; exchange; commissary; and other critical support ser- vices and quality-of-life programs. Improve and enhance access to affordable quality child care. Promote and support programs to assist children dealing with deployment- related issues. MOAA recognizes the crucial importance of continued support for mili- tary family members bearing the brunt of a decade at war on the home front. MOAA will work with Congress, DoD, and oth- ers to ensure necessary family support and quality-of-life services across all compo- nents, installations, and communities.
Guard/Reserve employment Support nonemergency use of the Guard and Reserve in the operating force. Ensure robust financial, legal, and reemployment protections for activated servicemembers. MOAA supports tax and other incentives to help employers sustain business operations during call-ups. MOAA believes new DoD- employer partnership initiatives — such as authority for employer payment of employ- ees’ TRICARE Reserve Select premiums in lieu of other employer-provided coverage — will be essential to sustain employers’ will- ingness to hire and retain drilling members of the Guard and Reserve.
PCS reimbursements Continue pursuing permanent-change-of- station (PCS) reimbursement increases to offset expenses servicemembers incur in complying with government-ordered re- locations. PCS mileage rates are dramati- cally lower than the temporary duty rates, and servicemembers are denied funded house-hunting trips authorized for federal employees. Families are not allowed to
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