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Legislative/Chapter News>
AFSA Newsletter October 17, 2008
October 23, 2008
Military Retiree/Social Security/VA COLA. The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its September Consumer Price Index figures used to calculate the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for federal annuitants and Social Security recipients. This COLA is also applied to veterans’ disability compensation, DIC, etc. According to BLS, the December 1, 2008, COLA (reflected in January 2009 checks) will be 5.8 percent, the largest increase since 1982.
President Signs FY 2009 NDAA. In a White House ceremony on Tuesday, October 14, President Bush signed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2009. As indicated earlier, among many other features, this Act includes a 3.9 percent January 1, 2009, military pay raise; authorizes continuation and expansion of several bonus programs; gives military spouses a professional book and equipment weight allowance during PCS moves; authorizes 10 days of paternity leave; increases the maximum reenlistment period from 6 years to 8 years; permanently bans charging hospitalized troops for meals; raises the maximum daily Temporary Lodging Allowance from $180 to $290; authorizes Family Separation Allowance payments to dual-military couples with dependents if both servicemembers are deployed simultaneously; prevents DoD from increasing TRICARE healthcare and pharmacy costs for military retirees this fiscal year; instructs DoD to base TRICARE Reserve Select premiums on the actual cost of the program; authorizes DoD funding to waive co-pays/deductibles for preventive screening procedures; includes survivors of servicemembers who die on active duty in the special survivor allowance program; enhances “Wounded Warrior” programs; allows military members and veterans not in uniform to salute during the playing of the national anthem; requires SecDef to replace decorations on a one-time basis upon the request of the recipient or next of kin; and authorizes the Medal of Honor for CMSgt (Ret.) Richard Etchberger.
AFSA commends the Congress and Administration for getting this bill enacted into law and will work with the 111th Congress to promote passage of other AFSA legislative platform items.
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Rumors grow stronger. The possibility of Congress returning to the Hill following the November elections is gaining momentum. At the top of the agenda appears to be another economic stimulus package. AFSA will keep you posted on what other important issues might be addressed during a ‘lame duck’ session should it happen.
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EOD SDAP Footnote. As reported in the AFNEWS and AFSA Newsletter last week, Airmen assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal career field are now eligible for Special Duty Assignment Pay. While there are certainly many people across DoD and the Air Force that deserve credit for getting this approved, this positive step is another example of your association working for you. During visits with senior AF officials earlier this year, President McCauslin discussed EOD SDAP and strenuously advocated why it was “absolutely the right thing to do.” Efforts on your behalf sometimes will be obvious and garner much attention. More often, they will be behind the scenes with little fanfare. Whatever the case, our effectiveness depends on trust—whether your elected AFSA officials or the lobbyists assigned to the Headquarters, we pledge to always remain worthy of the trust given by the members of this great association.
Happy 233rd Birthday Navy! "On 13 October 1775, the Continental Congress voted on a resolution to commission a swift sailing vessel with a crew of 80 men and ten carriage guns to embark on a three-month cruise intercepting transports carrying munitions and supplies to British troops in America. The resolution also called for a second vessel to be outfitted for the same purpose. The resolution passed, and the U.S. Navy was born.
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NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
President Visits Charleston AFB. President George W. Bush and his wife Laura recently stopped at Charleston AFB and visited with the Airmen of the 437th Airlift Wing.
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SECAF Visits Southwest Asia. In his first visit to Southwest Asia since his confirmation as Secretary of the Air Force, Michael B. Donley stressed the Air Force’s vital role in the War on Terrorism. He cited the incredible “air bridge” maintained by the United States Air Force.
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Special leave accrual available for deployed, nondeployed members in ‘use or lose’ status. Airmen who were recalled from or unable to take annual leave this past year for reasons such as support for contingency operations may be allowed to accumulate more than 75 days at the end of a fiscal year.
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Impact Aid and MISA. AFSA has worked closely with the Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA) for many years. They are the foremost association that coordinates and advocates Impact Aid support to school districts where a significant portion of their student population is military children. MISA recently noted Impact Aid is currently funded at 60 percent of actual need, and Impact Aid is the only education program not forward funded. Therefore, freezing funding levels through passage of a continuing resolution (such as the recently signed H.R. 2638), rather than actual program-management funding, is detrimental to this important program .
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Inauguration Support. As they have in the past, Airmen will play an important role in the January 20, 2009, Presidential Inauguration.
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DoD Recovery Plan. The Defense Department, in conjunction with the military services and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has created a framework to help wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers not only survive, but also thrive as they transition from military service back into their communities.
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VA Announces “In House” Option to Implement IT Aspects of New GI Bill. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will rely upon its own workforce to set up the information technology programs needed to implement the educational benefits of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Department’s announcement came after VA officials did not receive enough proposals from qualified private-sector contractors to create an information technology program that implements the new benefit. At no time did VA consider contracting out responsibility for actually administering this educational assistance.
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Air Force Recruiters Do it Again. For the ninth year in a row, Air Force recruiters met their active duty recruiting goal. From October 2007 through September 2008, 27,765 new enlistees and 83 prior-service Airmen joined the greatest Air Force on the planet. The recruiters now look to the 2009 mission, seeking to fill more than 140 enlisted career specialty areas with 31,780 new Airmen in 2009--an increase of 4,000 accessions from fiscal 2008. According to Air Force Recruiting Service, combat controllers, airborne linguists, ground linguists, and security forces were the most high-demand Air Force career fields in 2008. Combat controllers, pararescue, and security forces will continue to be top targets for the enlisted force in 2009.
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Military Recruiting Press Briefing. Dr. David Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, recently met with and briefed the recruiting chiefs of the Uniformed Services. Dr. Chu spoke of the challenges and opportunities in this arena during a critical time in this nation’s history.
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Red Cross Offers Course. The American Red Cross announced earlier this week a new course to be offered to military family members of active duty, Reserve, and National Guard forces as well as veterans and their families. “Coping With Deployments: Psychological First Aid for Military Families” is currently offered in 16 states, but will be available across the country by the summer of 2009.
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ART Spouse Employment. The spouses of Air Reserve Technicians are eligible for priority referral and subsequent hiring under the DoD Priority Placement Program. This program allows for the systematic referral of eligible DOD employees whose Air Force appropriated-fund civilian sponsor is involved in a permanent change of station. To be eligible, the government must pay the sponsors' travel expenses, and the spouse must be on the sponsor's travel orders.
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Red Ribbon Week. DoD’s Red Ribbon Week, October 23 to 31, encourages military service-coordinated programs across the country that have made an impact on their communities to combat drug, alcohol, and tobacco use. This year’s theme is “Ask me, See me, Be me. . .Heroes Remain Drug Free.”
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LEGISLATIVE UPDATES AND NEWS
S. 2162, the “Veterans’ Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008,” by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-HI, has been signed by the President as Public Law 110-387. Among other provisions, this new law sets minimum Veterans Administration (VA) care standards for substance use disorder, authorizes expanded PTSD research, improves treatment for multiple disorders, mandates a review of staffing at VA mental healthcare facilities, and allows provision of mental health services to veterans’ families. The bill also corrects procedures for VA reimbursement to community hospitals for emergency care provided to eligible veterans.
S. 3023, the “Veterans’ Benefits Improvements Act of 2008,” by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-HI, was signed into law by President Bush as Public Law 110-389. Among the provisions of this bill are direction for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modernize the disability benefits claims processing system, allowing temporary disability ratings for certain veterans, decreasing the equity requirement to finance a home loan, reforming the USERRA complaint process, and extending the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections to help servicemembers with deployment orders to more easily terminate or suspend cell phone contracts without fee or penalty.
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GENERAL NEWS
Airman’s Roll Call. “MyEDP,” which stands for My Enlisted Development Plan, is a valuable online tool available through the Air Force Portal Website. It is designed to guide Airmen through their own careers and allow them to track the careers of those they supervise or mentor.
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CSAF VECTOR: Political Activities. Gen Schwartz writes, “As the November elections approach, I encourage all Air Force personnel - active duty, National Guard, Reserve and civilian employees - to participate in our Nation's political process to the maximum permissible extent. It is important, however, that in doing so we all comply with the rules regulating the political activities of DoD personnel. These rules - rooted in U.S. law - are intended to strike the proper balance between a government employee's involvement in the political process while avoiding an improper appearance of official DoD endorsement of a particular political party, candidate, cause or issue.”
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AFMC Wins AF Marathon MAJCOM Challenge. Air Force Materiel Command is the 2008 winner of the Air Force Marathon Major Command Challenge Commander’s Trophy.
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PJ Rescue Mission. A team of pararescuemen from the 31st Rescue Squadron, Kadena AB, Japan, recently executed a nighttime rescue in the Pacific Ocean.
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Ensuring Safe FOB Supplies. Airmen working with soldiers, as part of the 495th Surface Military Cargo Team, must search all local vehicles delivering supplies to forward operating bases in Afghanistan.
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EC-130 Squadron Passes 10K Combat Hours. Flying EC-130H Compass Call missions, members of the 41st Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron surpassed 10,000 combat hours. ________________________________________
COMMENTARY
Empowerment and Discipline. A wing commander from Bolling AFB maintains that leadership, empowerment, and discipline keep the Air Force flying.
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Don’t Lose the Bubble. A support squadron commander from Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan, in noting that the Air Force always focuses on quality-of-life programs also stresses the importance of not “losing the bubble” in remembering why we serve
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CFC Makes a Difference. A security forces squadron commander deployed to Southwest Asia relates a personal story of the importance of contributions to the Combined Federal Campaign.
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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"
Employment/Career Opportunities: Landmark Infinity Co-brand Career Center Program
Landmark provides AFSA members with access to some of the best jobs, companies, transition advice, and content available. There are more than 141,000 jobs and access to more than 6,000 “Military Friendly” employers and 160+ franchisors available through our Career Center and web site. Visit www.destinygrp.com or www.hqafsa.org for additional details
Powerful Savings on Powerful Systems: Dell Computer Discounts for AFSA Members
Congratulations! The Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) and Dell have teamed up to offer you the benefit of participating in the Dell Employee Purchase Program. This is great news for you, since Dell EPP offers award-winning technology, flexible financing options, service and support, and much more. For additional information and to shop on-line visit the AFSA website www.hqafsa.org sign-in and click on "member services" To order by phone, call a Dell sales representative at 1-800-695-8133 to assist you with your purchase. If calling, please be sure to mention your Member ID: CS51720024 to ensure you get your special discount.
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