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Legislative/Chapter News>
AFSA Newsletter September 26th, 2008
September 29, 2008
Challenging and Troubling Times. Political posturing, rhetoric and discord captivated Washington, DC as the economy and current financial situation dominated discussions on Capitol Hill. AFSA is hopeful bi-partisanship can be achieved during these talks to produce reasonable and thoughtful action that sets this nation on a positive course. In the midst of all of this, Congress worked hard to hammer out defense-related authorization and appropriations bills.
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FY2009 NDAA Update--House-Senate Agree on Provisions. The House and Senate have agreed on provisions of S. 3001, the Fiscal Year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act. Important features include
• End Strengths by September 30, 2009:
o Active Duty Air Force: 317,050
o Air National Guard (ANG): 106,756
o Air Force Reserve (AFR): 67,400
o ANG on Active Duty in Support of Reserve Components: 14,360
o AFR on Active Duty in Support of Reserve Components: 2,733
o ANG Military Technicians (Dual Status): 22,452
o AFR Military Technicians (Dual Status): 10,003
• Authority of service secretaries to defer mandatory separation of military technicians (dual status) until age 60 (Section 511)
• Increase in maximum period of reenlistments from 6 to 8 years (531)
• 10 days paternity leave for service members mandated (532)
• Educational benefits (i.e., GI Bill) limited to those currently serving and who separated under honorable conditions (546)
• Impact Aid
o $30 M for heavily impacted school districts and 10 M for changes in enrollment due to base closures, force structure changes, and force relocations (551)
o $5 M for children with severe disabilities (552)
• One-time replacement of military decorations upon request (571)
• Medal of Honor authorized for CMSgt Richard L. Etchberger, USAF, Ret. (572)
• Burial Flag authorized for surviving spouse and each child of deceased service member (581)
• Authority for SECDEF to establish programs to facilitate active duty spouse education and credentialing opportunities (582)
• Active duty members not in uniform and veterans may render hand salute during playing of the National Anthem (595)
• 3.9 percent military pay raise, effective January 1, 2009 (601)
• Permanent prohibition of subsistence charges at military treatment facilities for members receiving continuous care (602)
• Maximum daily Temporary Lodging Expense allowance increased from $180 to $290 (603)
• Second (full) Family Separation Allowance for married military couples with dependents (604)
• Special 500-pound weight allowance for transportation of professional books and equipment for spouses during PCS moves (621)
• Extension of Special Survivors’ Indemnity Allowance for survivors of members who die on active duty for those affected by the SBP/DIC offset (631)
• Waiver authority against recoupment of bonuses paid to those who die on active duty or as a result of active duty injuries (651)
• Prohibition until 9/30/2009 against increases in TRICARE premiums, deductibles, and co-payments (701)
• Prohibition until 9/30/2009 against co-payment increases in the TRICARE pharmacy program (702)
• DoD directed to calculate beneficiary cost of TRICARE Reserve Select using 28 percent standard and actual cost of running the program (704)
• Expansion and Extension of various Wounded Warrior provisions for transition and health care (Subtitle C)
UPDATE: The full House passed this 392 - 39 on Sept 24, 2008. It is now awaiting Senate action and if it passes, it will be sent to the President for signature. We anticipate this to happen late by the end of September.
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No Medicare Part B Increase. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have announced there will be no increase in Part B monthly premiums and deductibles for 2009—the first time since 2000 that these have not increased. The 2009 Part B premium covering doctor and outpatient care: $96.40 per month for individuals with incomes under $85K per year and couples under $170K. About five percent of seniors with higher incomes will pay $134.90 to $308.30. The Part B deductible that recipients pay before coverage starts remains unchanged at $135. The freeze for Medicare Part B is good news for TRICARE for Life beneficiaries who must pay Part B to be eligible for the TRICARE Program.
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Appropriations Bill to Keep the Government Operating Passes House. H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, passed with amendment in the House 370-58 on Sept 24, 2008 and is awaiting action in the Senate. It would provide continuing appropriations for all agencies and activities covered by the regular fiscal year 2009 appropriations bills, until enactment of the applicable regular appropriations bill or until March 6, 2009, whichever occurs first. This includes $487.7 billion for the Department of Defense and $72.9 billion for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. There is strong support and AFSA is confident this legislation will pass before Congress recesses for the election.
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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
More documentation necessary to replace, renew ID cards. According to the Air Force Personnel Center, Homeland Security Directive 12 now requires retirees and family members seeking to renew or replace a military identification card to provide two types of ID--one of which must include a photo. To read a completed list of acceptable documents go to page 4 of the document you get when clicking HERE.
Before visiting a military ID card issuing facility, people may want to call first to determine what specific documents may be required, and to verify the process to renew or replace an ID card. For contact information and the location of the nearest ID card issuing facility, click HERE.
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AFSA Chapter 1657 (Expeditionary Chapter). AFSA Expeditionary Chapter 1657 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, sponsored a POW/MIA Ceremony on September 19. To read about this unique chapter and this important ceremony, click HERE.
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AFRC Role. Air Force Reserve Command Vice Commander Maj Gen Allan R. Poulin recently spoke about the role of the Air Force Reserve. In doing so, he pointed out AFRC is now the second largest of the major commands. To read more about the general’s comments, click HERE.
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The Work of JPAC. The Department of Defense continues to seek a full accounting of those service members who didn’t make it home from previous conflicts. The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) in Hawaii works tirelessly to get the job done by visiting probable sites, searching records, and working with foreign governments to locate and identify remains. To read more about JPAC and its important work, click HERE.
To read about a JPAC mission to Germany attempting to recover remains of Airmen who flew in WWII, click HERE.
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USMEPC SOA. The U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command uses a service-oriented architecture (SOA) which gets personal data on prospective recruits from the FBI, state motor vehicle departments, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Social Security Administration, and medical laboratories. To read about this program which is invaluable to recruiters, click HERE.
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DoD ESGR Awards. The Department of Defense has announce the recipients of this year’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Freedom Awards. To read more about these companies that provide extraordinary support to their employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve, click HERE.
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CSAF Team Excellence Awards. The Chief of Staff “Team Excellence Awards” recognize teams that used a systematic approach to enhance mission capability, improve operational performance, and create sustained results. To read more about this award and the Air Force teams who were cited, click HERE.
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Time of Remembrance. On September 21, The White House Commission on Remembrance sponsored a salute to military families during the third annual “A Time of Remembrance” on the grounds of the Washington Memorial on the mall in Washington, D.C. To read about this celebration of the lives of deceased service members and those who supported them, click HERE.
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LEGISLATION NEWS AND UPDATES
H.R. 4544, the Code Talkers Recognition Act of 2007, by Rep. Dan Boren, D-OK, would require medals be issued to recognize the dedication and valor of Native American code talkers. UPDATE: Passed by the House Sept 25, 2008 and sent to the Senate.
H.R. 6980, by Rep. Henry Brown Jr., R-SC, would amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that title by up to $1,000. UPDATE: Agreed to in by the House and sent to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on Sept 25, 2008.
H.R. 6897, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2008, by Rep. Bob Filner, would authorize" the Department of Veterans Affairs "to pay Filipino veterans a one-time sum of $9,000 for their service. Eligible persons who have become American citizens would receive $15,000." The legislation "is intended to right a 'breach of promise' by the federal government in which Filipino veterans who were assured medical, educational, burial and dependent benefits for their service saw those benefits reduced by laws in 1946 (PL 79-301, PL 79-391)." Update: Passed the House 392-23 and sent to the Senate on Sept 23, 2008.
H.R. 6980, by Rep. Henry Brown, R-SC, would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that title by up to $1,000.
H.R. 6985, by Rep. Joe Baca, D-CA, would require air carriers to waive certain baggage fees for members of the uniformed services traveling under orders.
H.R. 6989, by Rep. Steve Israel, D-NY, would authorize the burial in a national cemetery of a parent of a deceased veteran when there is no eligible spouse or dependent of the veteran.
H.R. 6998, by Rep. Timothy Mahoney, D-FL, would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to provide education and training to emergency response providers and community leaders relating to the mental health of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
H.R. 7003, by Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-TX, would prohibit discrimination and acts of reprisal against persons who receive treatment for illnesses, injuries, and disabilities incurred in or aggravated by service in the uniformed services.
H.R. 7011, by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-FL, would amend title 10, United States Code, to make a technical correction in the application of the special rules regarding the payment of combat-related special compensation to eligible combat-related disabled uniformed services retirees who are retired for disability under chapter 61 of such title.
H. Res. 1475, by Rep. Jim Marshall, D-GA, is a resolution recognizing the strategic success of the troop surge in Iraq and expressing gratitude to the members of the United States Armed Forces who made that success possible.
S. 2162, the Mental Health Improvements Act of 2007, by Sen Daniel Akaka, D-HI, would improve the treatment and services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders, and for other purposes. UPDATE: Passed as amended in the House and sent to the Senate for action on Sept 24, 2008.
S. 3023, the Veterans' Notice Clarification Act of 2008, by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-HI, would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to prescribe regulations specifying the contents of a currently-required notice to claimants of a complete or substantially complete application. UPDATE: Passed the House Sept 24, 2008 with an amendment and returned to the Senate for action.
S.3406, ADA Amendments Act of 2008, by Sen. Tom Harkin, D-IA, is intended to restore the intent and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. UPDATE: Became Public Law No: 110-325.
AFSA Staff Note: AFSA worked diligently with other Military Coalition partners to get this legislation passed, because of the positive effect it will have on Wounded Warriors as they recover and return to workplaces throughout America.
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GENERAL NEW
CMSAF Enlisted Perspective. In his latest “Perspective,” Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley examines how Airmen fighting the War on Terrorism must be prepared to fulfill both “conventional” Air Force taskings and those considered “unconventional.” To read the Chief’s full perspective, click HERE. ________________________________________
Airman’s Roll Call. It has been estimated that 20 percent of Airmen serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are exposed to conditions that could lead to post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). To read this week’s Roll Call which emphasizes the need to be aware of the symptoms of PTSD and how to get help, click HERE.
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Guardsmen “Safe Haven” Compensation. Members of the Guard who are displaced due to natural disasters may be eligible for “Safe Haven” compensation. To read more, click HERE.
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Iraqi, U.S. Airmen Keep Helicopters Flying. To read about a joint effort of developing the Iraqi Air Force and the important role played by America's Airmen, click HERE.
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Eglin Airmen Build Desks. To read about a group of Americans in Iraq who are working to provide Iraqi children with school desks, click HERE.
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Operation KUDOS at Tinker AFB. To read about a creative program sponsored by the Tinker AFB Airmen and Family Readiness Center, that familiarizes military children with the process their folks go through prior to deployment, click HERE.
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Heroes at Home Wish Registry. Those wishing to be listed on the SEARS “Heroes at Home Wish Registry” and those who want to purchase a Sears gift card to send to an American Hero a special Christmas gift may learn more by clicking HERE. ________________________________________
COMMENTARY
Send Me. A Tyndall AFB, Fla, commander comments on the need to establish priorities and be responsive to the need to change and adapt. To read this commander’s comments, click HERE.
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Reputation Takes Time, Can be Destroyed Quickly. To read a commentary of a staff judge advocate at Vance AFB, Okla, on building and maintaining a reputation by pursuing excellence and practicing integrity, click HERE.
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AFSA MEMBER SERVICES/BENEFITS
Your Air Force Sergeants Association has partnered with a wide range of service providers, retailers, and suppliers to create exclusive members-only specials and extended services. Take advantage of the benefits of your AFSA membership today! Log onto www.hqafsa.org for a complete list of "Exclusive Member Services."
AFSA 529 EDUCATION PLAN
Wachovia Securities, John Hancock and your AFSA have come together to create a one-of-a-kind 529 College Educational Plan for AFSA members only. A 529 Plan is an education savings plan operated by a state or educational institution designed to help families set aside funds for future college costs. It is named after Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code which created these types of savings plans in 1998. Now you can set-aside money for education for the special children in your life.
Please click HERE to review the "Frequently Asked Questions" and HERE for the “AFSA 529 Application."
For general information regarding 529 Plans and an up-to-date college education
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