fromthepresident T Take Action Now
While the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act contains good news for servicemembers and their families and survivors, the threat of sequestration looms over DoD for 2018.
The new year ushered in big changes in the White House and on Capitol Hill. Congress successfully passed, and the president signed, the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, giving us predictability moving forward. MOAA is pleased with the negotiated compromises in what we consider one of the most favor- able defense bills in years. I’m gratifi ed the hard work by MOAA’s
Government Relations team with Armed Services committee legislators and staff - ers, backed by hundreds of thousands of your constituent inputs to Congress, had a signifi cant, positive infl uence on outcomes across a broad range of personnel and compensation issues. We recognize those successes would not be possible without the strong grass- roots eff orts of our members and the national network of MOAA state councils and chapters. Your willingness to take action by joining us to storm the Hill or contacting your elected offi cials is vital to our accomplishments. You open doors we simply cannot access by ourselves. But our work is not done. We know infl uence is about relation-
ship-building. That’s why MOAA has writ- ten congressional leaders to express our appreciation for their work in passing one of the most important and comprehensive defense bills in many years. We are pleased with their eff orts to
prevent disproportionate TRICARE fee hikes and housing allowance cuts and se-
cure a 2.1-percent military pay raise, force level increases for most services, reforms to improve military benefi ciaries’ access to timely and high-quality health care, and needed survivor benefi t improvements, among many other initiatives. Unfortunately, we know all too well potentially greater challenges lie ahead as we work to avert the threatened return of sequestration in FY 2018. If DoD is faced with $100 billion in automatic cuts over the next fi ve years, as sequestration man- dates, further and more severe proposals for cutbacks in force levels, pay raises, and benefi ts will be sure to come. Accordingly, I urge each of you to
sign, stamp, and mail the tear-out letters provided in this issue of Military Offi cer (see pages 30-31 and 40-41). The letters address two key issues we know must be addressed in 2017: repeal of sequestra- tion and easing the “widows tax” penalty imposed on survivors of members whose military service caused their death. Although we have support from the Armed Services committees on these is- sues, both fi xes will require the support of the top Republican and Democratic lead- ers of the House and Senate. We need your help to stack their offi ces with piles of letters they can’t ignore. This is one more important way to never stop serving.
— Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret)
online: Find MOAA at
moaa.org,
moaa.org/facebook, and
moaa.org/twitter. 8 MILITARY OFFICER FEBRUARY 2017
PHOTO: ROB CANNON
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