washingtonscene


Several lawmakers on Capitol Hill called for terminating OPM Director Katherine Archuleta. After the intense backlash, she tendered her resignation July 10. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chair


Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno


of the House Armed Services Commit- tee, said, “The breadth of the data breach at the Office of Personnel Management is staggering and unacceptable. We also have an obligation to ensure that those who serve the department, in or out of uniform, are able to do so securely.” The Senate now needs to appoint someone capable of handling a crisis of this magnitude and restore faith with the American people that their personal in- formation is secure. MOAA calls on Congress and the


administration to complete a thorough investigation into the data breach and im- plement necessary action to prevent fur- ther incidents like these from occurring.


Army Shake-up I


Cuts Thousands Plan cuts 40,000 soldiers.


n a move that is sending ripples throughout the military community, the Army announced it is cutting


40,000 troops. The drawdown, expected to take about two years, will have a dra- matic effect on military communities both domestically and abroad. The cuts will reduce Army end strength


to 450,000, a level not seen since before World War II. “For the most part, the military has been


able to reduce end strength by cutting the number of troops stationed abroad,” says Col. Mike Barron, USA (Ret), a MOAA deputy director of Government Relations. “With this announcement, you’re going to start seeing a lot of changes stateside.”


32 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2015 According to Army planning documents,


the reduction is a result of sequestration. If sequestration is allowed to continue, total Army end strength will decrease to 420,000 soldiers in 2018. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno


told lawmakers that at those levels, the Army would not be able to meet national security requirements. Lawmakers were quick to comment on


the cuts. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the planned reduction “a dangerous consequence of a budget driven-strategy.” Odierno emphasized the more problem- atic issue caused by the budget fights be- tween Congress and the White House is the uncertainty for military planners and troops and their families. “This isn’t just about troops,” Barron


says. “When you start talking about cuts like these, you’re disrupting local com- munities; you’re making dramatic chang- es to school systems.”


Affordable Care T


Act Ruling What does the Supreme Court decision mean for TRICARE?


he Supreme Court ruled, in a 6-3 decision, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) can continue to


provide subsidies for health insurance to qualifying individuals. The decision upheld a centerpiece of the ACA and na- tional health care reform. The issue before the court was whether individuals purchasing health care insur- ance through federally run exchange sys- tems, rather than state-run exchanges, are eligible to receive subsidies. Thirty-four states currently rely on the federal mar- ketplace for health insurance plans.


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