washingtonscene
Lt. Gen. Rex McMillian, USMCR, echoed, “The next fight is coming, and it’s sooner than you think.”
All the services emphasized the need
for a ready and capable reserve force that can provide strategic capabilities to the active duty component. Section 12304b of Title 10 allows the service secretaries to use selected reserve forces without the need for an emergency call-up by the president or secretary of defense. The or- ders give the services needed latitude but also create a problematic benefits gap. Reservists activated under 12304b
orders do not receive creditable service toward the Post-9/11 GI Bill or pre- deployment health care, benefits they otherwise would receive when called up under traditional orders. 12304b orders also require the servic- es to plan for their use years in advance. Such long-term planning significantly re- stricts the services’ capabilities to effec- tively use the authority, something that is not conducive to the current demands of Guard and Reserve forces. “12304b orders can be useful tools for
an operational reserve,” says Lt. Col. Anie- la Szymanski, USCMR, MOAA’s director of Government Relations for National Guard, Reserve, and Veterans Benefits, “but Con- gress needs to fix them so servicemembers get the benefits they deserve.”
Burn Pit Study
Released Report provides opportunity for health care experts.
A 38 MILITARY OFFICER MAY 2017
new study on burn pits, a joint effort between the VA and the National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine, highlights the need for more comprehensive data in vet-
erans’ health records. The study, required by a 2013 law, also established a registry for servicemembers exposed to toxic chemicals generated from open burn pits. To date, more than 64,000 veterans have joined the registry. During the wars in Iraq and Afghani-
stan, the military has relied on burn pits to incinerate waste. Batteries, tires, and human waste all have been set ablaze, often with gasoline or jet fuel, and usually within close proximity to bases. Long-term exposure to burn pits has been thought to coincide with higher rates of certain types of cancer, respira- tory diseases, and other illnesses. The VA continues to say enough research isn’t available to directly link any medical conditions with exposure to burn pits. For older veterans, burn pits bring up painful memories and comparisons to Agent Orange, the toxic effects of which went un- recognized officially for many years. DoD and the VA need to capture more information in military health records. By including information like dates of service and location tours, health care experts can use “big data” to find clearer linkages between military service and health conditions. “Ultimately, having more comprehen-
sive health records saves not only time and money, but also lives,” says Cmdr. René Campos, USN (Ret), MOAA’s direc- tor of Government Relations for Veterans, Wounded, Ill, and Injured Health Care.
MO
— Contributors are Col. Dan Merry, USAF (Ret), vice president; Cmdr. René Campos, USN (Ret); Col. Mike Barron, USA (Ret); Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret); Brooke Goldberg; Lt. Col. Aniela Szymanski, USMCR; Jamie Naughton; and Forrest Allen, MOAA’s Government Rela- tions Department; and Gina Harkins, senior staff writer. Visit
www.moaa.org/email to sign up for legislative news updates.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92