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EANGUS Members,
The
official publication of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the
United States.
Graham/Clinton
TRICARE Amendment for Guard and Reserve passed in Senate
On Thursday, July 21st, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senator
Hilary Clinton (D-NY) offered an amendment to provide full access to TRICARE
coverage for every member of the National Guard. Other Senators speaking on
behalf of the amendment were Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN), Senator Patrick
Leahy (D-VT), Senator George Allen (R-VA), and Senator John Thune (R-SD).
Also sharing his support for the amendment was Senator John Warner (R-VA),
Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, as well as Senator Carl
Levin (D-MI), ranking minority member.
The amendment was accepted by unanimous consent, and will now be part of the
Senate defense authorization bill.
Senate
NDAA Action Delayed
The Senate voted down the vote for cloture which would have limited
debate on consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2005 (S.
1042) last week. Subsequently, the bill was pulled from further consideration.
The full Senate will resume consideration of the NDAA in September.
This action will result in delays in reaching resolution on many issues,
including TRICARE. In addition to the Graham/Clinton amendment on TRICARE, an
amendment introduced by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) raises the military death
gratuity to $100,000 for survivors of all military members who die in the
line of duty, retroactive to October 7, 2001. The amendment will make the
change permanent and would apply to virtually all active duty deaths, other
than those that involve misconduct.
House
Armed Services Committee Holds Hearing on Recruiting and Retention Issues
Secretary Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of defense for reserve
affairs told members of the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, July
19th that the current recruiting environment remains challenging. DOD figures
indicate that in the first nine months of this fiscal year, four of the six
reserve components have fallen short of recruiting goals. The ARNG is having
the toughest time. They are currently at 77% of their recruiting goal.
Recently the ARNG added 1,900 ARNG recruiters.
Secretary Hall asked committee members to support DOD initiatives designed to
enhance recruiting. These include a proposed increase in hardship duty pay
for members of the National Guard and reserves and an increase in the
allowable amount offered under the selective re-enlistment bonus program.
Pentagon
Close to Issuing Rules on Open Season SBP
Under legislation enacted last year, Congress mandated changes to the
Survivor Benefit Program (SBP). There will be a year long open enrollment for
(SBP) for retirees who failed to sign up when they first became eligible. The
open season will run from October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2006. DOD officials
are close to completing details on how the open enrollment will work. Those
who enroll during the open season will have to pay all back premiums from the
date of their retirement, plus interest and other fees calculated by DOD.
For more information on rules for reserve SBP please visit the DoD website at
http://www.uscg.mil/HQ/PSC/Manuals-Pubs-Newsletters/RAS/RCSBP.pdf
http://www.uscg.mil/HQ/PSC/Manuals-Pubs-Newsletters/RAS/RCSBP.pdf
Veterans
Mental Health Concerns
The House Appropriations Committee stated in their report
accompanying the FY 2006 Veterans Appropriations bill (HR 2528) that the VA
should be spending more of its research budget on mental health diagnosis and
treatment. In 2005 just $56 million of the total $784 million available for
research was spent on mental health. The House report directs the VA to spend
20 percent of its research budget on mental health.
The Military Personnel Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee
held hearings on July 26, 3005 to receive testimony on mental health. Dr.
William Winkenwerder, Jr., assistant secretary of
defense for health affairs, Dr. Jonathan Perlin,
Undersecretary of Health for Department of Veterans’ Affairs and each of the
military Service surgeons general testified regarding the measures taken to
identify those who are experiencing trouble dealing with the mental stresses
resulting from deployment; eliminate the stigma associated with seeking out
care; and providing many avenues through which an individual can access
mental health care.
The House Veterans Committee held an oversight hearing on July 27, 2005 to
examine both the VA and DoD’s actions to: identify
and furnish outreach to currently deployed service members at risk for post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health services.
DoD to Notify Gulf War Vets on Latest Chemical Agents
Study
After an Institute of Medicine study concluded that veterans possibly
exposed to low levels of chemical agents contained in munitions destroyed at
a weapons depot in Khamisiyah, Iraq, in March 1991,
appear to have a higher risk for brain cancer death, DoD
announced it is sending letters to Gulf War veterans who were possibly
exposed. This letter is the third DoD is sending to
update Gulf War veterans whose units were in the possible hazardous area. The
letters are part of the Defense Department’s commitment to keeping veterans informed
about health issues related to their deployment.
Guard/Reserve
Mobilized as of July 27, 2005
This week the Army, Air Force announced an increase in the number of
members of the reserve component that have been mobilized to active duty.
The total number currently on active duty for the Army National Guard and
Army Reserves is 114,756, the number of Air National Guard and Air Force
Reserves is 9,695. The total of National Guard and Reserve personnel who have
been mobilized is 137,538.
A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are
currently mobilized, can be found at
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2005/d20050727.pdf
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2005/d20050727.0df
House
Votes on additional funds for VA budget for FY 2005
On July 28, 2005, the House of Representatives finally voted to
approve an additional $1.5 billion for veterans’ health care for the fiscal
year ending on September 30, 2005 in the FY 2006 Interior Appropriations bill
(H.R. 2361).
TRICARE
Reserve Select Update
As of July 29, 2005 a total of 8,546 service members have entered
agreements to purchaseTRS. There are currently over
2,000 TRS plans in effect.
The ARNG has designated a TRS Policy Coordinator for each state. Phone
numbers are available on the TRICARE website at
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/reserve/reserveselect/TRS-Poc.cfm
For members of the ANG, please contact your local unit or call 800-TO-GO-ANG
OR go on the website at http://www.goang.com.
We remain concerned that beneficiaries may be unable to access care in a
timely fashion. If anyone is having problems finding doctors who accept
TRICARE, or have any other questions or concerns about TRICARE please contact
Ann Yates at the EANGUS National Office.
For additional information on TRS, please visit the TRS website at
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/reserve/reserveselect/index.cfm
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/reserve/reserveselect/index.cfm
BRAC
News
House Armed Services Committee hearing on Future Total Force
The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the Air Force’s Future
Total Force Plan (FTF) on Wednesday, July 20th.
President Brown and the EANGUS leadership have issued a position paper on
BRAC. To read the position paper and other timely BRAC information, please
visit our website at http://www.eangus.org/publications/hot.asp
For more information on BRAC, please visit the BRAC website at
http:/www.brac.gov/
You may also write to the Commissioners at the following address:
2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission
2521 S. Clark St., Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22202
http://www.eangus.org/publications/hot.asp
NGB
Signs Memorandum of Understanding with USO and Disabled American Veterans
Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau signed a
memorandum of understanding with the United Service Organization and Disabled
American Veterans. The NGB Family Programs office and the USO will exchange
marketing materials to foster awareness of each other’s programs. In a news
release issued by NGB, Gen. Blum stated that the partnership with DAV will
allow the two groups to share informational materials, resources and work
together to build a stronger network of volunteers to meet the need of
military families. For more information, go to NGB family programs website at
http://www.guardfamily.org/
http://www.guardfamily.org/
In
Memoriam
Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Tricia L. Jameson, 34 of Omaha, Neb., died on July 14 in Trebil, Iraq. Jameson, a health care
specialist was responding to a casualty incident when a secondary improvised
explosive device detonated near her location. Jameson was assigned to 313th
Medical Company, Army National Guard, Lincoln, Neb.
Sgt. Travis S. Cooper, 24 of Macon, Miss., died on July 16, in Balad, Iraq,
from wounds sustained the previous day in Baghdad, Iraq,
when an improvised explosive device exploded near the vehicle he was
searching. Cooper was assigned to the Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion,
114th Field Artillery Regiment, Starkville,
Miss.
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