Topics in this Week's News Include:
1. What Do the Election Results Mean for Military Families?
2. TRICARE Website Gets A New Look
3. Navy Sets Up Hotline for Individual Augmentees and Families
4. Mental Health Task Force to Visit San Francisco Area
5. New Commission to Improve the Future of American Veterans
6. House Passes Veterans' Benefits Bill
7. A Win/Win for Military Students and Virginia Education
8. Indiana Governor Announces Initiatives to Support Veterans and Military Families
Here's the News!!
1. What Do the Election Results Mean for Military Families?
The November 7 mid-term Congressional elections results spell big
changes on Capitol Hill. The switch to Democratic control in both the
House and Senate for the 110th Congress means new personalities in
charge, new agendas, and new approaches to ongoing challenges. The
changes will not affect the issues NMFA brings to the Hill as it
champions military service members and their families. However, they
may affect how we focus on some of those issues, who we will work with,
the speed with which the new Congress addresses these concerns as it
works first to organize, and just how many issues will be left
incomplete by the lame duck 109th Congress. NMFA has always been
nonpartisan in its dealings with Congress and has built strong
relationships on both sides of the aisle. Our priorities early in the
1st Session of the new Congress will be to introduce NMFA and military
families to the many new Members, strengthen connections with key
Members and staff, and work to make support for military families a top
priority for the Congress.
NMFA has a long history of working effectively with the Senate and
House Armed Service Committees on issues that affect military service
members and their families, regardless of the party in control of the
House and/or Senate. These Committees have also enjoyed a long history
of collegiality between the Members from both parties and the Chairs
and Ranking Members of the Committees and their Subcommittees have
worked well with each other. Representative Ike Skelton (D-4th/MO) is
the current Ranking Minority for the House Armed Service Committee
(HASC) and is poised to take over as Chairman. On November 8,
Representative Skelton held a conference call to outline the House
Democrats' defense priorities, which will include: safety in the United
States with a strong defense; providing the troops with what they need;
oversight of the Executive Branch with the reinstatement of the
Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee; and ensuring military
readiness. Representative Skelton also called for an increase in
defense spending, improvements in health care, and a modernization of
the military. He pledged not to cut defense funding while service
members are deployed. He noted that an early focus of his Committee in
the 110th Congress will be to gather pertinent information on a wider
range of issues than they had received at hearings during the previous
Congress. Based on previous conversations with Representative Skelton,
NMFA will also be looking for an intensified interest by the Committee
regarding funding levels for basic quality of life and installation
support programs.
On the Senate side, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) is in line to become
Chairman of the Armed Services Committee (SASC). Senator Levin has
already announced he plans to make Iraq the focus of much of his
activity as Chairman. Both the HASC and SASC will focus on determining
and providing the tools the military needs to execute the mission. They
will probably hold more hearings to examine operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Look for them to continue the discussion on the proper
size of the force and the proper range of personnel benefits to recruit
and retain a quality force. The Committees must also address the issue
of rising Defense health care costs.
Changes in leadership on the Veterans Affairs Committees will
probably increase the focus on several issues important to military
families. House and Senate Democrats have already focused on ensuring
the Veterans Administration (VA) has the resources to deal with caring
for the increased number of wounded and injured service members. Look
for them to call for enhanced coordination between the DoD and VA to
ensure a smooth transition for all veterans, but especially for those
who have been injured. These Committees will probably also increase
visibility on issues related to care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury. NMFA's job will be to highlight that
care for the family is essential to ensuring quality care and a
recovery for the service member or veteran.
Like their counterparts on the HASC and SASC, the leaders of the
Appropriations Subcommittees dealing with Defense issues have a long
history of working well with each other on behalf of a strong military
and benefits for military personnel. Look for that working relationship
to continue even with leadership changes. One big issue for these
Subcommittees will be ensuring adequate quality of life funding for
installations experiencing growth due to Base Realignment and Closure
(BRAC) and Global Rebasing. Representative Chet Edwards (D-TX-17th),
the current Ranking Member of the House Military Quality of Life and
Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and in line to serve as
its Chair, has long emphasized the importance of providing for quality
of life programs and facilities and has voiced concern about DoD's
preparations for these large-scale movements of personnel and families.
He has also been an advocate for increased support for schools
educating military children.
For information about Congressional leadership changes as they occur
and what these changes mean to you, keep reading the weekly NMFA
Government and You E-News.
2. TRICARE Website Gets a New Look:
TRICARE beneficiaries now have a new, one-stop website that
incorporates both the TRICARE Online site and the old TRICARE.osd.mil
page. The new official website for all TRICARE information is now http://www.tricare.mil/.
TRICARE officials boast they have reorganized the website with
beneficiaries in mind. They can now go to one site to look up benefit
information, schedule an appointment at their military treatment
facilities, or track claims. Everything is in one place making the site
easier to use.
The new TRICARE.mil portal comprises five main content areas:
- My Health (TRICARE Online) - personal health information and online
appointment scheduling for TRICARE Prime enrollees enrolled at military
treatment facilities (check with your facility for instructions on how
to schedule online appointments using the TRICARE.mil website). - My Benefit - TRICARE benefit information
- MHS Staff - resources for Military Health System staff members
- TRICARE Providers - information for TRICARE network providers
- Pressroom - the latest news about TRICARE and the military health system
In the next phase of website improvements, beneficiaries will be
able to enter their profile and receive benefit information tailored to
them. TRICARE expects this feature to be available in the winter of
2007. NMFA encourages military families to explore the new site and let
us know what you think by e-mailing us at families@nmfa.org. (Source: http://tricare.osd.mil/news/news.aspx?fid=238)
3. Navy Sets Up Hotline for Individual Augmentees and Families:
The Navy is tasking more of its Sailors to deploy to hot spots around
the world on Individual Augmentee (IA) orders, asking them to support
other Services or deploy in smaller groups. Unlike a ship or squadron
deployment, an IA may come from an area without fleet concentration.
This could make it difficult for their families to find the resources
and information they need. In response to the challenges emerging from
these new types of Navy deployments, the Expeditionary Combat Readiness
Command (ECRC), headquartered at Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk,
Virginia, has established a hotline for active-duty and reserve
Sailor's families on Individual Augmentee (IA) orders. The toll free
phone number, 877-364-4302, provides IA family members a way to find
the information or resources they may need while their Sailors are
deployed.
The ECRC's hotline aims to alleviate the stress IA family members
may experience. It can serve as a conduit between the family and the
Navy, providing the means of helping families get in touch with
organizations that can provide the support they need. The ECRC also
plans to establish a website designed specifically for IAs and their
families. NMFA applauds the Navy's efforts to establish this hotline
and website. Families of service members deployed singly or in small
groups often tell us of the unique challenges they face in obtaining
information about their service member and support from both the
service member's original unit and the unit with which they are
deployed. (Source: http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=26475)
4. Mental Health Task Force to Visit San Francisco Area:
The Department of Defense (DoD) Task Force on Mental Health will host
an open meeting to hear concerns from San Francisco veterans, as well
as local National Guard and Reserve members and families on Tuesday,
November 21, from 1-5 p.m., at the Double Tree Hotel, 835 Airport
Blvd., Burlingame, California. The meeting is open to the public and
provides an opportunity for all beneficiaries of DoD mental health care
to share their experiences with Task Force members.
According to the Task Force co-chairs, members want to hear from
beneficiaries about all aspects of mental health care, including
access, quality, and even the stigma associated with seeking this care.
They are also interested in understanding how deployments impact
children and spouses, and about care received from civilian
practitioners.
Beneficiaries who may not wish to speak publicly or who are unable
to attend the meeting may send their testimony or comments directly to Cynthia.vaughan@us.army.mil.
Comments should include the name, phone number, address and e-mail
address of the writer. They will be forward directly to the Task Force
members.
The Task Force was established at the direction of Congress and will
submit a report to Secretary of Defense in May 2007 that will include
an assessment of, and recommendations for improving the effectiveness
of mental health services provided to service members. The Task Force
consists of seven DoD members and seven non-DoD members, including NMFA
volunteer Deb Fryar, who is serving as the active duty family member
representative. It is co-chaired by LTG Kevin Kiley, Army Surgeon
General, and Dr. Shelley M. MacDermid, Associate Professor in the
Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Purdue University
and the Co-Director for the Military Family Research Institute at
Purdue.
The San Francisco meeting will be the latest in a series of open
events the Task Force is sponsoring on its visits to numerous
installations, VA facilities, and communities worldwide. For more
information on the Task Force, go to: http://www.ha.osd.mil/afeb/mhtf/default.cfm.
5. New Commission to Improve the Future of American Veterans:
On September 11, 2006, a nonpartisan, independent Commission on the
Future for American's Veterans was created to develop a long-term plan
for veterans. The Commission is comprised of ten commissioners who were
chosen for their expertise and experience in healthcare and veterans
issues. The Honorary Harry N. Walters will reside over the Commission
as a nonvoting Managing Commissioner. Their inaugural meeting was held
in the House of Representative's Veteran's hearing room on November 9,
2006, which was attended by Barbara Cohoon, NMFA Deputy Director of
Government Relations.
The Commission on the Future for American's Veterans was the
inspiration of a newly-formed Veterans Coalition that was established
in June 2006. The Veterans Coalition is a nonprofit, private
organization, composed of five veterans service organizations (VSO):
the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), AMVETS,
Paralyzed Veterans of America (PAV), and the Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW). The Commission is unique because: Congress did not appoint it;
it is an autonomous body; and it is privately funded through various
grants, private partners, and the generosity of individuals and groups.
Staff members and the research firm, Altarum, will analyze trends and
data pertaining to the veterans' future.
The Commission will examine catastrophic lifetime disabilities,
modernization of benefits, the health care system's long-term
viability, and the changing role of the Reserve and the National Guard.
Its work will include examining where veterans programs and services
need to be in order to support today and tomorrow's American veterans.
It will complement and add to the body of knowledge being collected by
existing government agencies and advisory bodies, such as the Veterans
Disabilities Commission. Over the next eighteen months, the Commission
will hold a series of town hall meetings, gather and formulate
information from various resources, and present their findings in a
report to the American public by Memorial Day 2008. Additional
information on the Commission on the Future for America's Veterans can
be found at: http://www.futureforamericasveterans.org/.
6. House Passes Veterans' Benefits Bill:
One of the first orders of business for the "lame duck" House of
Representatives after its return to Washington this week was to pass a
stripped-down veterans' benefits bill. The bill, H.R. 6314, would
prevent the cutoff of some current programs and provide a new education
benefit to spouses of severely injured active-duty service members. The
bill was sponsored by Representative Steve Buyer (R-IN, 4th), the
current Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. It must now
be considered by the Senate. The bill, approved by the House on a 393-0
vote, prevents a cutoff of rehabilitation programs for homeless and
seriously mentally ill veterans as well as grants for veterans'
programs. It also extends the VA advisory committee on homeless
veterans and health care for veterans exposed to biological and
chemical testing under Projects SHAD and 112 in the 1960s and '70s.
There is one new benefit, which is built upon a current survivor
benefit: Spouses and children of service members who are permanently
and totally disabled from service-connected causes would be allowed to
use VA survivor education benefits while the member is still on active
duty. Under current law, that is allowed only after the disabled
service member is separated from active duty. NMFA has sent a letter of
thanks to Representative Buyer for including this provision in the
bill. (Source: http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2358012.php)
7. A Win/Win for Military Students and Virginia Education:
For many military families with school aged children, year end tests
taken in one state under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements
do not always count in the state of a new duty assignment. This issue
becomes increasingly frustrating for high schools students who must
pass certain exams in order to meet graduation requirements. Several
years ago, on behalf of the 68,000 military connected students in the
Hampton Roads area of Virginia, the Joint Military Services School
Liaison Committee (JMSSLC) initiated discussions with state
legislators, school district superintendents, and others, regarding
granting credit for year end tests taken in other states under the NCLB
requirements. The Virginia Board of Education and Virginia Department
of Education administrators were briefed on the need for granting
verified credits for high stakes testing reciprocity for mobile
(military) students. With the support of many parties and organizations
reciprocity is now a reality in Virginia. On May 24, 2006, the Virginia
Board of Education adopted revised Regulations Establishing Standards
for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia. This regulation became
effective September 7, 2006 and reads in part: "...to permit tests
administered as a part of another state's accountability program to be
approved as substitute tests..."
NMFA congratulates the Virginia Board of Education on their forward
and progressive thinking. This revised regulation will truly add to the
quality of life experienced by mobile military families and shows an
appreciation and understanding of the unique challenges such a
lifestyle poses. For a complete text of the revised regulation go to: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/suptsmemos/2006/inf180.html
8. Indiana Governor Announces Initiatives to Support Veterans and Military Families:
Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels chose the Veterans' Day holiday to
announce a set of initiatives designed to help the state's veterans and
military families as a part of his 2007 legislative agenda. The
governor's proposals include:
- Exempt all military pay earned while serving in combat theater from
Indiana state income tax for all active duty, National Guard, and
Reserve personnel who file Indiana tax returns. - Increase the
maximum allowable state income tax deductions on military pay
(including retirement pay and survivor's benefits) to $5,000 per year
for individuals and $10,000 for couples filing jointly. The current
allowable state income deduction on active or reserve military pay,
retirement pay, or survivor's benefits is capped at $2,000, or $4,000
for a couple filing jointly. - Provide state matching funds of
up to $350,000 annually for Indiana Military Families Relief Fund. This
will dedicate state funds of up to $350,000 to match all private
contributions to the Indiana Military Families Relief Fund as well as
revenue generated for the fund from the sale of Hoosier veteran
specialty plates. Senate Enrolled Act 75, part of the governor's 2006
legislative agenda, established the fund, which provides grants for the
families of Indiana Guard and Reserve members who have been called to
active duty since September 11, 2001. - Extend delayed high
school diploma program. Military veterans of the Korean and Vietnam
wars who left high school before graduation to perform military service
will now be eligible to receive a high school diploma. This program is
currently available to the state's veterans of World War II.
Two other initiatives in the governor's agenda were developed in
conjunction with the National Governor's Association and U.S.
Department of Defense to work toward consistent and uniform policies to
support members of the military and their families:
- Allow in-state tuition rates for out-of-state soldiers assigned to
Indiana. This would allow service members and families assigned to
Indiana to be immediately eligible for in-state tuition rates at state
colleges and universities, and would enable children enrolled in
Indiana institutions to continue paying in-state rates even if parents
are transferred elsewhere. - Establish a spouse employment
program. This program will work with relevant professional licensing
organizations to expedite the process through which military spouses
must go to more efficiently transfer professional licenses such as
teaching, nursing, real estate, and others to be recognized in Indiana
from their previous states of residence.
The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) estimates that
there are currently 546,000 veterans in Indiana. Approximately 16,000
Indiana residents are currently on active duty, with an additional
4,000 reservists. Nearly 10,000 members of the Indiana National Guard
have been deployed overseas since September 11, 2001, with an estimated
2,000 Guard members currently serving overseas.
Since 2005, the governor has spearheaded a number of initiatives
aimed to help Indiana's veterans and military families, including the
creation of two veterans' specialty plates, restoring a fee remission
program at state colleges and universities for disabled veterans,
regardless of the extent of their disability, and a ban on protests
within 200 yards of military funerals. (Source: http://www.in.gov/serv/presscal?PF=gov2&Clist=196&Elist=87655)
9. Happy Thanksgiving! We will not
be publishing an edition of the NMFA Government and You E-News next
week, and so we wish all military families and those who love them a
safe and happy Thanksgiving. We are thankful for the many ways military
families and their civilian supporters have enabled NMFA to do what
means most to us: be strong, effective advocates for military families.
Your encouragement, information, questions, and, of course,
contributions keep us focused on our mission. We are also thankful for
all the ways so many American citizens have reached out to support our
troops and their families. Families tell us often how critical this
support is to their morale and quality of life. On behalf of the
military families we serve, we thank you!
