[Senate Hearing 112-80, Part 6]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
S. Hrg. 112-80, Pt. 6
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR
2012 AND THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM
=======================================================================
HEARINGS
before the
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
S. 1253
TO AUTHORIZE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012 FOR MILITARY
ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND FOR MILITARY CONSTRUCTION,
TO PRESCRIBE MILITARY PERSONNEL STRENGTHS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
----------
PART 6
PERSONNEL
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APRIL 13; MAY 4, 11, 2011
Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR
2012 AND THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM--Part 6 PERSONNEL
S. Hrg. 112-80 Pt. 6
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR
2012 AND THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM
=======================================================================
HEARINGS
before the
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
S. 1253
TO AUTHORIZE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012 FOR MILITARY
ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND FOR MILITARY CONSTRUCTION,
TO PRESCRIBE MILITARY PERSONNEL STRENGTHS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2012, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
__________
PART 6
PERSONNEL
__________
APRIL 13; MAY 4, 11, 2011
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gov/
----------
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Washington, DC 20402-0001
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
CARL LEVIN, Michigan, Chairman
JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut JOHN McCAIN, Arizona
JACK REED, Rhode Island JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama
E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia
JIM WEBB, Virginia ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi
CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri SCOTT P. BROWN, Massachusetts
MARK UDALL, Colorado ROB PORTMAN, Ohio
KAY R. HAGAN, North Carolina KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire
MARK BEGICH, Alaska SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
JOE MANCHIN III, West Virginia LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina
JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire JOHN CORNYN, Texas
KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
Richard D. DeBobes, Staff Director
David M. Morriss, Minority Staff Director
______
Subcommittee on Personnel
JIM WEBB, Virginia, Chairman
JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia
CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri SCOTT P. BROWN, Massachusetts
KAY R. HAGAN, North Carolina KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire
MARK BEGICH, Alaska SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
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CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WITNESSES
Active, Guard, Reserve, and Civilian Personnel Programs
april 13, 2011
Page
Nelson, Hon. Bill, U.S. Senator from the State of Florida........ 3
Chandler, SGM Raymond F., III, Sergeant Major of the Army, USA... 6
Kent, Sgt. Maj. Carlton W., Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps,
USMC........................................................... 10
West, MCPON Rick D., Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, USN. 25
Roy, CMSAF James A., Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, USAF 33
Barnes, Master Chief Joseph L., USN (Ret.)....................... 68
Strobridge, Col. Steven P., USAF (Ret.), Director of Government
Relations, Military Officers Association of America............ 76
Moakler, Kathleen B., Government Relations Director, National
Military Family Association.................................... 106
Puzon, CAPT Ike, USN (Ret.)...................................... 132
Roth-Douquet, Kathy, Chairman, Blue Star Families................ 146
Continuation of Testimony on the Active, Guard, Reserve, and Civilian
Personnel Programs
may 4, 2011
Stanley, Hon. Clifford L. Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness........................................ 189
Hale, Hon. Robert F., Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller,
and Chief Financial Officer.................................... 225
McCarthy, Hon. Dennis M., Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Reserve Affairs................................................ 232
Woodson, Hon. Jonathan, M.D., Assistant Secretary of Defense for
Health Affairs, Director of TRICARE Management Activity........ 248
Continuation of Testimony on the Active, Guard, Reserve, and Civilian
Personnel Programs
may 11, 2011
Lamont, Hon. Thomas R., Assistant Secretary of the Army for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs................................... 308
Bostick, LTG Thomas P., USA, Deputy Chief of Staff G-1, U.S. Army 320
Garcia, Hon. Juan M., III, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs................................... 321
Ferguson, VADM Mark E., III, USN, Chief of Naval Personnel, U.S.
Navy........................................................... 345
Milstead, Lt. Gen. Robert E., Jr., USMC, Deputy Commandant for
Manpower and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Marine Corps................ 346
(iii)
Ginsberg, Hon. Daniel B., Assistant Secretary of the Air Force
for Manpower and Reserve Affairs............................... 347
Jones, Lt. Gen. Darrell D., USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for
Manpower, Personnel, and Services, U.S. Air Force.............. 355
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR
2012 AND THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM
----------
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on Personnel,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC.
ACTIVE, GUARD, RESERVE, AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL PROGRAMS
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 1:34 p.m. in
room SR-222, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Jim Webb
(chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Committee members present: Senators Webb, Blumenthal, and
Ayotte.
Majority staff members present: Jonathan D. Clark, counsel;
Gabriella E. Fahrer, counsel; and Gerald J. Leeling, counsel.
Minority staff members present: Diana G. Tabler,
professional staff member; and Richard F. Walsh, minority
counsel.
Staff assistants present: Jennifer R. Knowles and Christine
G. Lang.
Committee members' assistants present: Juliet Beyler and
Gordon Peterson, assistants to Senator Webb; Lindsay Kavanaugh,
assistant to Senator Begich; Jeremy Bratt, assistant to Senator
Blumenthal; Charles Prosch, assistant to Senator Brown; and
Brad Bowman, assistant to Senator Ayotte.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JIM WEBB, CHAIRMAN
Senator Webb. The subcommittee will come to order.
I would like to begin by saying we are awaiting the arrival
of Senator Nelson, who is scheduled to be the first witness,
but we're going to go ahead and proceed. If he has not arrived
by the time I finish with my opening statement, if he arrives
while you're testifying, then we will interrupt the testimony
and take his statement.
The subcommittee meets today to receive testimony on the
Active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian personnel programs in
review of the National Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal
Year 2012 and the Future Years Defense Program.
Today, we hear from the senior enlisted advisor of each
military Service, as well as representatives from
servicemember-oriented beneficiary groups.
The Committee on Armed Services is an authorizing committee
with the responsibility to examine and oversee all Department
of Defense (DOD) programs and budgets. The Subcommittee on
Personnel is responsible for oversight of all personnel
programs, to include military personnel policy, pay, and
benefits for Active Duty, Reserve, and retired military
personnel and their families, military healthcare, and civilian
personnel policy for DOD civilian employees.
I am delighted to be serving with Senator Graham, as the
ranking member, of this subcommittee. I don't believe he's
going to be able to make the hearing today. But, for the
record, and again, I'd point out that his experiences as a
member of this subcommittee and as an Air Force Reserve officer
adds a valuable perspective to our considerations. I've really
enjoyed working with Senator Graham during my first year as
chair of this subcommittee, and I know we're going to have that
same cooperation again.
I'd like to also welcome Senators Blumenthal and Ayotte to
the subcommittee. I think it's the first time we've met this
year. We have a really great group of people here on these
issues. I think we're very bipartisan in looking to the well-
being of our men and women in uniform.
In the event that the past few weeks and months have not
made it obvious, Congress is taking a very careful look at
budgets and spending levels; and DOD is not immune. Secretary
Gates has embarked on an ambitious effort to realize
efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars within the Department.
As Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mullen has said, the national
debt may be our biggest national security threat as we move
forward.
In this spirit during our hearings this year on this
subcommittee, I intend to take a closer look at department
programs, the justifications, what they cost, and whether they
are achieving their stated goals. To ensure that DOD obtains
the greatest return on investment for every dollar it spends,
Congress must do its part to make sure that funded programs are
effective and efficient. Those that are not should be
eliminated, and those that are should be sustained properly or
perhaps even expanded, if necessary. This approach is fully in
keeping with our roles as stewards of the public trust and
taxpayer dollars. It's also a practice that was in place in the
1980s, when I was Assistant Secretary of Defense and Secretary
of the Navy.
Our witnesses today do not have responsibility for
developing the Department's budget. What they do have,
collectively, is more than 120 years of military service among
them, an acute sense of the challenges that our soldiers,
sailors, airmen, marines, and their families face as we enter,
now, the 10th year of sustained combat operations. I will look
to each of our witnesses today, as the senior enlisted advisors
of their Services, to give their frank advice regarding the
health of the enlisted force, what programs and activities
work, and which of them might need to be eliminated, expanded,
or changed to ensure that we are properly attending to the
well-being of our enlisted servicemembers and their families.
In reading past testimony, it's clear that all of these
senior advisors rightly focus on quality of life in military
families. Our military families, while by and large handling
the stress of frequent and lengthy deployments, continue to
face serious challenges.
Having served in combat as a marine in Vietnam, I know what
it's like to be deployed. Having grown up in a military family,
I know what it's like to have a parent deployed. As a father
and father-in-law of enlisted infantry marines, I also know
what it's like to have a child deployed, although I don't think
either of those marines would appreciate the fact that I just
called them a ``child.'' [Laughter.]
Senator Webb. I am acutely mindful of our special
obligation to see to the needs of servicemembers and their
families and I take that responsibility very seriously.
In this regard, I have, in the past, declined to support
the administration's proposed fee increase for military
healthcare for certain military retirees. I think most of you
know that. I start from the presumption that lifetime
healthcare for career military personnel is part of a moral
contract between our government and those who step forward to
serve. In my view, they have earned this benefit through their
years of service, and it would be wrong to change that benefit
after they've held up their end of a moral contract. I'll keep
an open mind about discussion on this and other initiatives to
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our military
healthcare benefits. I'm interested in what our witnesses today
might have to say about these and other proposals.
Finally, I'd like to acknowledge the work done by the First
Lady, Michele Obama, and Dr. Jill Biden in support of military
families. Yesterday, they launched Joining Forces, a program
that seeks to bring together the private and public sectors to
ensure that military families have the support they need. I
know that Blue Star Families and the National Military Family
Association (NMFA), represented on the second panel, have
worked with the White House on this promising effort, and I
look forward to hearing more about it.
Before introducing our witnesses, I would like to welcome
Senator Bill Nelson to the hearing and back to the Armed
Services Committee, on which he spent many years. He has asked
to appear before us to deliver a statement, relative to a piece
of legislation that he has introduced--I believe he has
introduced it every year over the past decade--to repeal the
offset of the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) Annuity by Dependency
and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
Senator Nelson, welcome. We appreciate your presence today.
STATEMENT OF HON. BILL NELSON, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF
FLORIDA
Senator Nelson. Mr. Chairman, thank you for your long
service to the country and for your continued service. Even
though you've announced your retirement from the Senate, that
service that has been, as we say in the south, ``in your
bones,'' will continue, and we appreciate it very much.
I want to come and speak about this legislation, that you
accurately noted that we have filed every year, about the
inequity in the treatment of military survivors.
There's a longstanding problem in our military survivor
benefit system. The requirement for a dollar-for-dollar
reduction in the SBP annuity by the amount--and offset by the
amount of the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation received by
the Department of Veterans Affairs--it's that inequity that I
want to address and that I have addressed each year that I have
been here. Over the years, we have chipped away at it, but the
basic inequity is still there.
Obviously, we are in a tough fiscal environment, and
obviously, there are many worthy pieces of legislation to be
funded. I realize that, in this environment, we are going to
have to find an offset. What has typically happened, we always
pass this in the Senate and it goes to the conference. Because
of the cost of this legislation, it's dropped in the conference
or it is whittled away at in a minor way.
Interestingly, the cost is dropping. As the survivors
increasingly diminish in number, the cost of this, actuarially
projected, is dropping.
But, nevertheless, I am here to say to your subcommittee,
Mr. Chairman, that I am committed to finding an offset.
I don't want to tell you what the offset ought to be,
because what I learned from last week's experience is that you
can be very creative in finding offsets and new sources of
revenue, as we found in the negotiations that went on between
the President and the Majority Leader and the Speaker of the
House last week.
This benefit plan is an optional program for military
retirees, offered by DOD. The military retirees pay a premium
out of their retirement pay to ensure that their survivors will
have income, upon their death. It's reasonably priced
insurance. But, from the public marketplace, that's not
necessarily available, reasonably priced, usually because there
are service-connected disabilities and health issues. So, SBP
is a way for retirees to provide income insurance for their
survivors, their family, and it pays them 55 percent of their
retired pay. SBP is also paid to survivors when a servicemember
dies on Active Duty. So, it's an insurance program.
On the flipside, DIC is a survivor benefit administered by
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). When military service
caused the servicemember's death, either due to service-
connected disability or illness or Active-Duty death, survivors
are entitled to monthly compensation of just over $1,100 a
month from the VA.
Of the 270,000 survivors receiving SBP, about 54,000 of
them are subject to the offset. According to the Defense
actuary, for 31,000 survivors, SBP is completely offset by DIC;
meaning that the survivor receives no SBP and must live on that
$1,100, alone. Retirees bought into the Survivors Benefit Plan
in good faith, they paid good money. These military families
planned for the future, and the government offsets it.
There are other complications to the existing offset,
including a court decision, in 2009. It requires surviving
widows to remarry after age 57 in order to eliminate the
offset. I can't figure that one out, and obviously, this
shouldn't be tolerated.
Mr. Chairman, I had a little bit of experience in
insurance, before I came to the Senate, as the elected
insurance commissioner of Florida. This offset is troubling
when somebody buys an insurance policy and there's another
government program over here, called Disability Indemnity. I
know of no purchased annuity that would deny payment based on
the receipt of a different payment.
You are not only a student of history, Mr. Chairman, you
are a historian and you are a great writer. You certainly
recall those immortal words of President Lincoln, in his second
inaugural address, in which he said, ``Finish the work we are
in to bind up the Nation's wounds, to care for him who shall
have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan.'' That
encapsulates what I am trying to say here, and have been trying
to say for over a decade. To honor these servicemembers, the
government should take care of the veterans, their widows, and
their orphans.
Since 2005, the Senate has supported this almost every
year. Then we go, in the provision being offset when we get
into conference.
We made some steps in the right direction. I hope that we
can find mandatory spending offsets to pay for this
legislation, which is always the reason that is given to ax it.
The Congressional Budget Office informs me that it will
cost roughly $6.6 billion to completely eliminate the offset
over 10 years. When I started out on this, a decade ago, the
cost was upwards of $12- and $15 billion for a 10-year period.
I would ask you all, in this subcommittee, to consider that as
we put the legislation together for the authorization bill.
I would just conclude, Mr. Chairman, by saying that, as the
President, in his second inaugural address, in the midst of the
Civil War, said, ``To take care of him, his orphan, and his
widow is a cost of war,'' one of the costs of war is not only
what we buy in the way of equipment and salaries, but a cost of
war is taking care of our veterans and their survivors.
I humbly submit this to the committee for your
consideration.
Senator Webb. It's very compelling testimony. I thank the
Senator very much.
Senator Nelson. By the way, Mr. Chairman, there are several
members of this subcommittee that are cosponsors of the
legislation.
Senator Webb. Just as a matter of historical record, my
father paid into SBP from 1969 to 1997 in order to be able to
have my mother have an annuity when he passed away. When he
passed away, there was another problem in this program that
you're aware of, where they offset out of her Social Security
when she started receiving the SBP annuity in 1997.
So, this is a program that's had kind of a complicated
history, and we'll certainly take a strong consideration of
your legislation, as has been done in the past. We thank you
very much for your testimony today.
Senator Nelson. Thank you very much.
Senator Webb. I'd like to now welcome the first panel of
witnesses for this hearing: Sergeant Major of the Army, Raymond
Chandler III; Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Rick B.
West; Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Carlton W. Kent; and
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, James Roy.
We welcome all of you, look forward to hearing your frank
and candid testimony, which I have no doubt we will be
receiving.
I'll have to get advice from counsel, is there a protocol
done by Services? I'm a little partial to the Marine Corps.
[Laughter.]
Okay. We're going to start with the Army and move over to
the Air Force.
Sergeant Major Chandler, welcome.
STATEMENT OF SGM RAYMOND F. CHANDLER III, SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE
ARMY, USA
Sergeant Major Chandler. Good afternoon.
Senator Webb. I would ask that you summarize your
statements in 5 minutes, and your full statements will be
entered into the record as if read.
Sergeant Major Chandler. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Chairman Webb, members of this committee, thank you for
your invitation to testify today on our Army's quality of life.
I truly appreciate this committee's commitment to our 1.1
million soldiers, their families, and our Department of the
Army civilians.
I'm still relatively new to this job, but after being
around the Army for almost 30 years, I have seen first-hand the
important decisions this committee makes on behalf of our
military every day.
I pledge to always be a point of contact, should you ever
have any questions or comments about our soldiers, equipment,
training, or quality-of-life programs.
Our top priorities will be to continue to maintain our
combat edge while reconstituting our force and building
resilience in our soldiers and families. During the last
several years, we have made significant progress in restoring
balance to our four imperatives: sustain, prepare, reset, and
transform.
Increasing the dwell time between deployments is the single
most important component of restoring balance. Most of our
Active Duty soldiers deploying in October 2011 have the
expectation that, after 1 year of deployment, they will be able
to spend 2 years at home. Most of our Army National Guard and
Army Reserve soldiers will be home for 4 years before possibly
deploying again.
I truly appreciate all the work Congress has done for our
soldiers in the areas of behavioral health, wounded warrior
care, and TRICARE. With your help, we have provided our
soldiers, families, and civilians the best possible care,
support, and services.
Our focus continues to be improving access to, and
predictability for, our services. We continue to enhance
support for our wounded, families of our fallen, victims of
sexual assault, and those with behavioral health issues.
Our soldiers have also begun chain-teaching to prepare for
the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. We are currently
conducting chain-teaching classes, with a completion date of
mid- to late August.
One of the main reasons our soldiers are so successful
around the world is our diversity. The Army offers
opportunities to men and women of all backgrounds to be an
integral part of our All-Volunteer Force. In this time of
globalization, our Army needs diverse leaders in order to
successfully interact with different cultural groups.
The women of our Army continue to serve this Nation with
honor and distinction. The Army has reviewed our assignment
policies and regulations to ensure they are relevant and meet
the needs of current conditions and emerging requirements. This
ensures all soldiers, regardless of gender, are offered the
opportunity to reach their highest potential.
Financial responsibility is everyone's business. We must
serve as good stewards of the financial resources we receive
from our Nation. As part of our efficiencies review, we are
currently looking at removing redundant programs while
streamlining those that serve a vital purpose. I welcome your
ideas on this process.
In closing, I want to stress the amazing work done every
day by our Army team. As Sergeant Major of the Army, the best
part of my job is visiting our soldiers, families, and
civilians across the world. The professionalism, dedication,
and sacrifice they display every day is the reason our Army,
your Army, is the envy of every other in the world.
I appreciate this opportunity to speak before you today to
tell the Army's story. I welcome your questions at this time.
Thank you, and Army Strong.
[The prepared statement of Sergeant Major Chandler
follows:]
Prepared Statement by SGM Raymond F. Chandler III, USA
introduction
Chairman Webb, Senator Graham, and members of this subcommittee,
thank you for your invitation to testify today on our Army's quality of
life. I truly appreciate this committee's commitment to the 1.1 million
soldiers, their families, and the Department of Army civilians. I am
still relatively new in this job, but after being around the Army for
almost 30 years, I have seen first-hand the important decisions this
committee makes on behalf of our military every day.
This subcommittee has a tremendous responsibility, ensuring we have
the correct end strength and policies in place for our soldiers today
and in the foreseeable future. I pledge to always be a point of contact
should you ever have any questions or comments about our soldiers,
training, or quality of life programs.
The Army recognizes that it is our responsibility to serve as good
stewards of the financial resources we receive from our Nation. As part
of our efficiencies review, we are currently looking at removing
redundant or underperforming programs while streamlining those that
serve a vital purpose and we welcome your ideas on this process.
The Army continues to prevail against insurgents around the world
while protecting our country and the rights of our citizens. We have
completed combat operations in Iraq by transitioning to Operation New
Dawn, continuing to provide much needed support to the people and
government of Iraq. We have also surged soldiers into Afghanistan to
support a new strategic direction. We have reshaped our Army to better
align ourselves for the challenges of tomorrow. We have accomplished
much over the last year, but there is still much to do.
Our top priorities will be to continue to maintain our combat edge
while reconstituting our force and building resilience in our soldiers
and families. During the last several years, we have made significant
progress in restoring balance through our four imperatives: sustain,
prepare, reset, and transform.
Increasing the dwell time between deployments is the single most
important component of restoring balance. A recent study said that
soldiers require at least 2 to 3 years to fully recover mentally and
physically from the stresses of a 1-year deployment. As we continue to
draw down our forces in Iraq, we have been able to continually increase
our dwell time. Soldiers deploying in October 2011 have the expectation
that after 1 year of deployment they will be home for 2 years in the
Active component. After October, our Army National Guard (ARNG) and
U.S. Army Reserve (USAR)soldiers can expect to see 1 year deployed and
4 years at home.
In order to meet the demands of today's strategic environment, we
had to responsibly grow the Army, which we accomplished ahead of
schedule in 2009. But even with this growth, we were not able to meet
the high demands during this era of persistent conflict. As a result,
Congress and the Secretary of Defense approved an additional 22,000,
with the last 7,000 added during 2010. The Army's goal is to return to
our approved active strength of 547,400 by the end of fiscal year 2013.
It is imperative that as we begin to draw down, we do not sacrifice our
combat experience and unit cohesion by cutting large numbers of
soldiers. The Army is in the planning phase of this deliberate process.
I truly appreciate all the work Congress has done for our soldiers
in the areas of Behavioral Health, Wounded Warrior Care and TRICARE.
With your help, we have provided our soldiers, families, and civilians
the best possible care, support and services. Our focus continues to be
improving access to and predictability of services. We continue to
enhance support for our wounded, Families of our Fallen, victims of
sexual assault and those with mental health issues.
The Army continues to provide top care for our wounded warriors and
their families through 29 Warrior Transition Units (WTU) across the
United States and Europe. Currently, WTUs provide healing,
rehabilitation, and reintegration to more than 10,000 wounded, ill, or
injured soldiers, up about 11.5 percent from last year. In addition to
the WTUs, nine Community Based Warrior Transition Units allow
recuperating soldiers to utilize health care facilities in their home
communities, while working at local U.S. Army armories and Reserve
centers. To better support the housing of our wounded warriors, the
Army has completed 6 Warrior Transition Complexes with 18 currently
under construction.
Through the U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2), the most
severely wounded, ill, and injured soldiers receive personalized
support, regardless of location or length of care. More than just
medical care, AW2 advocates assist warriors and their families with
career and education opportunities, benefit information, and local
resources. There are more than 8,000 soldiers enrolled in the program,
up 24 percent from last year.
Our Army Medical Command continues to meet the increased behavioral
health demand of our soldiers and families. Even with the influx of
behavioral health providers, the Army has seen a range of operational-
related stress reactions including post-traumatic stress disorder,
depression, anxiety, alcohol and substance abuse, family and
relationship problems, increased risk taking behavior, compassion
fatigue and suicide behaviors.
Our soldiers receive top-notch behavioral health care, but access
to this care is impacted by shortages of behavioral health
professionals. Since 2005, the number of behavioral health visits has
doubled, from 900,000 to more than 1.8 million. We continue to maximize
the use of authorities that Congress has provided us to attract both
military and civilian behavioral health providers to the Army. We have
had some success hiring behavioral health professionals, increasing our
staff by 65 percent, but we are still about 400 professionals short of
our goal. Between fiscal year 2012-2017, we aim to hire 1,000
additional behavioral health care providers.
Finally, the Army has lacked a standardized resiliency promotion
program, which is a key component of psychological health. Through
three key plans, the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, the Army's Campaign
Plan for Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention, and
Warrior and Community resiliency training, the Army is closer than ever
to standardizing resiliency for soldiers from all three components.
Overall, the Army has implemented over 45 initiatives to fix or
change access to care, resiliency, quality of care and surveillance. We
have shifted our focus to providing care and support for those serving
in Operation Enduring Freedom and have expanded our telebehavioral
health and automated behavioral health clinics. We are working hard to
increase our behavioral health care providers for all components by
approximately 1,000 across all components between 2012 and 2017.
TRICARE is the health care program for active duty servicemembers,
ARNG, USAR, retirees, family members, survivors, and certain former
spouses worldwide. This program is a network of military and civilian
health care professionals working together to foster, protect, sustain,
and restore health for those entrusted to their care. Over the last
year, TRICARE has introduced several new programs to provide care to
those soldiers and families who need it most.
The TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) program continues to be a huge
success for our ARNG and USAR soldiers and families. TRS gives these
citizen-soldiers and their families access to an affordable benefit
while serving in part-time status. TRS offers a health care plan
similar to the TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra programs with a
monthly premium. These rates did rise a little for fiscal year 2011.
Single soldier rates increased from $49.62 to $53.16 and the family
rate from $197.65 to $197.76. In addition to the TRS program, eligible
ARNG and USAR soldiers and families can begin receiving TRICARE
benefits up to 180 days before activating for a contingency operation.
Under the Transitional Assistance Management Program, soldiers from all
three components can receive an extra 180 days of TRICARE health
benefits after separating from the Army.
The TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) is a premium-based, worldwide
health plan that provides care for USAR and USARNG soldiers and their
families who have retired but are not yet eligible for TRICARE for Life
coverage. TRR offers comprehensive health coverage from any TRICARE-
authorized provider. Costs for TRR Member-Only coverage is $408.01 and
TRR member and family coverage runs $1,020.05.
TRICARE plans to roll out its new Young Adult Program this spring
to extend parent's health care benefits to their children up to the age
of 26. This program is for young adults who do not have access to
employer-sponsored health care coverage. TRICARE is still working out
the details for the Young Adult program including eligibility, coverage
criteria, costs, etc.
We are in our final year of our 5-year effort to improve work and
training facilities for our soldiers and civilians, as well as new or
improved housing, medical, and child care facilities for our families.
Under the base realignment and closure program, we have disposed of
more than 24,000 acres and closed 3 Active installations and 5 U.S.
Army Reserve Centers. We are on track to complete BRAC in fiscal year
2011.
The Army's Child, Youth, and School Services program supports the
readiness and well-being of Army families by reducing the conflict
between on-the-job military missions and parental responsibilities.
Generally, Army families are younger than the average American family
and more geographically dispersed from extended families in their
hometown and communities.
The Army has added 128 child development centers and 24 youth
centers since fiscal year 2008. Last year, we were able to meet and
maintain the DOD standard of 80 percent of the child care demand and 35
percent of the youth program demand.
The modernization of Army Family Housing and Soldier Barracks is
critical to maintaining our All-Volunteer Force. The Army continues to
make huge strides for both, expanding housing services and creating a
secure and affordable environment for all of our soldiers and families.
As part of the fiscal year 2012 budget, the Army has asked for
$681.8 million for Army family housing. With this funding, the Army
hopes to eliminate all inadequate family housing worldwide by replacing
inadequate homes, improving existing homes and leasing where
appropriate. This funding will be used to construct 128 new homes,
renovate 276 homes, and operate and maintain the government-owned
homes.
We are on schedule to finish our barracks modernization plan for
the 35 percent of our single soldiers by the end of fiscal year 2013.
The Army is planning to fund 14 projects to construct 3,880 spaces at 9
garrison locations for fiscal year 2012.
The Army continues to fix and build all Army Initial Entry and
Advanced Individual Training Barracks by 2015. Many of our outdated
training barracks range in age from 40 to 100 years old. By the end of
fiscal year 2011, the Army will only have funded 55.2 percent of the
required spaces. During fiscal year 2012, we are planning to fund 3
military construction projects and 14 OMA funded modernization
projects. We also plan to allocate funding to eliminate inadequate
training barracks by fiscal year 2015 and complete new barracks by
fiscal year 2017. We ask for your continued support to help us complete
this important program.
One of the main reasons our soldiers are so successful around the
world is our diversity. The Army offers opportunities to men and women
of all backgrounds to be an integral part of our All-Volunteer Force.
In this time of globalization, our Army needs diverse leaders in order
to successfully interact with different cultural groups from across the
world.
Women in the Army continue to serve this Nation with honor and
distinction in the roles, positions, units, and specialties in which we
allow them to serve. Since 2002, more than 100 women have been killed
in combat due to enemy contact and more than 14,000 are currently
serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is no secret that women are an
integral part of our force. They are on the front line, engaging the
enemy, and making a difference.
The Army has reviewed our assignment policies and regulations to
ensure they are relevant and meet the needs of current conditions and
emerging requirements. This ensures all soldiers, regardless of gender,
are afforded the opportunity to reach their highest potential.
Our soldiers have also begun chain-teaching to prepare for the
repeal of ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell.''The Secretary of Defense has said
that certification and the repeal must be accomplished across the
entire Department at the same time. He added that this should be done
consistent with the standards of military readiness, military
effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention.
For the Army, the guiding principles for implementation are:
leadership matters most; minimize management; communicate and educate;
and implement consistent with Army Core values. These principles have
been instituted in our training and education efforts. The training and
education has been implemented in three tiers beginning last month with
Tier 1. We are currently conducting chain teaching classes with our
Tier 2 and Tier 3 soldiers. Our goal is to have all three tiers
complete by mid to late August.
In closing, I want to stress the amazing work being done every day
by our Army Team. As the Sergeant Major of the Army, the best part of
my job is visiting our soldiers, families, and civilians across the
world. The professionalism, dedication and sacrifice they display every
day is the reason our Army is the envy of every other in the world. Our
soldiers are the best trained, best manned, best equipped, and best led
force in our history. I appreciate this opportunity to speak before you
today to tell the Army story. I welcome your questions at this time.
Thank you and Army Strong.
Senator Webb. Thank you, Sergeant Major.
Sergeant Major Kent.
I should have pointed out earlier that I believe this would
be Sergeant Major Kent's final appearance before this
subcommittee before his retirement.
Sergeant Major Kent. Yes, sir.
Senator Webb. I'd like to add my own personal appreciation
for all your years of service, Sergeant Major, and for the
terrific job that you have done in your position as Sergeant
Major of the Marine Corps.
Sergeant Major Kent. Thank you, sir.
Senator Webb. Welcome.
STATEMENT OF SGT. MAJ. CARLTON W. KENT, SERGEANT MAJOR OF THE
MARINE CORPS, USMC
Sergeant Major Kent. Thank you, sir.
Thank you, Chairman Webb, members, for the opportunity to
testify for the last time as a United States marine on Active
Duty on the important issues that directly impact the quality
of life of our marines and families.
I am leaving the active ranks, but ``once a marine, always
a marine.'' So, these will continue to be important issues to
all marines who have served.
First of all, I'd like to report that your marines are
honored to serve this great Nation and happy to be doing what
marines do best, fighting and winning our Nation's battles.
They are truly living up to the great warfighting legacy of our
Corps that was founded in 1775. Your marines, including their
spouses and family members who support them, remain our most
valuable asset and our number one priority.
As our Commandant, General James F. Amos, has said, ``We
will keep faith with marines, sailors, and our families.'' I'm
proud to report to you that we're keeping the faith with all
marines, sailors, and their families. We invest in the marines,
sailors, and our family, to include housing, Bachelor Enlisted
Quarters (BEQs), wounded warriors, ill and injured, and also
families of our fallen warriors.
Both the Commandant and I receive feedback from our marines
and their families as we travel the globe and look them eye-to-
eye. They notice and they appreciate the much-needed
improvements in quality of life, but they also have no problem
looking us in the eye and telling us we have additional work to
do. As we move forward, we will continue to keep the faith with
marines, sailors, and families by assessing the effect of our
support services and demonstrating, through our direct actions
that we are committed to improving them.
We are grateful for the support of the Senate and the
American people who continue to provide for the men and women
who proudly wear our uniform. We're also grateful for the
increased attention placed on support for our families. It is
true that, while we recruit marines, we retain families. Their
readiness is directly linked to the readiness of our Corps.
Again, thank you very much for this opportunity to testify
for my last time. I am available for questions.
[The prepared statement of Sergeant Major Kent follows:]
Prepared Statement by SgtMaj Carlton W. Kent, USMC
introduction
Chairman Webb, Senator Graham, and distinguished members of the
subcommittee, as I finish my last tour of duty, I want to thank you for
this final opportunity to report to you on the state of your Marine
Corps and our families' personal and family readiness.
Throughout the last 10 years of war, our marines and their families
have faced many challenges and made great sacrifices. Their endurance
has been bolstered by your generous and sustained support which has
enabled our continued success, on the battlefield and at home, and
ensured our ability to maintain a high state of personal and family
readiness. As we continue to serve this great Nation, we are grateful
to you and the American people and thank you for your unwavering
support.
As our Commandant, General James F. Amos, has said, our marines and
their families are our greatest and most valuable assets and caring for
their welfare will be one of our top priorities. My testimony today
will outline the progress we have made as well as the actions we are
taking to fulfill that mandate.
your marine corps
Today, through your ongoing support and that of the American
people, your Marine Corps is a cohesive, total force of 202,100 Active
Duty marines; 39,600 Selected Reserve marines; and 25,000 civilian
marines. At any given time, approximately 30,000 marines are forward
deployed in ongoing global operations in support of our Nation's
defense. Your Marine Corps is also the youngest, most junior, and least
married of the four military Services.
Sixty-five percent of marines are 25 or younger;
Twenty-one percent of marines are not old enough to
legally consume alcohol;
Forty percent of marines are lance corporal or below
(other Services are between 20 to 24 percent);
Forty-nine percent of marines are married (next
closest is Navy at 54 percent); and
Has 1 officer per 8.3 marines (next closest is Navy
with 1 officer per 5.1 sailors).
In addition, the Marine Corps has approximately the same number of
active duty personnel as family members. There are 207,194 family
members: 90,566 spouses, 116,335 children, and 293 parents. This close
relationship, 49:51, is unique among the military Services. The active
duty to family member ratios of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are all
approximately 40 percent servicemembers to 60 percent family members.
personnel readiness
For our deployed and next-to-deploy forces, personnel readiness is
extremely high. We continue to source our best-trained and most ready
marines and sailors to meet geographic combatant commander requirements
in Afghanistan and around the globe. The Marine Corps is prepared to
sustain this for as long as the Nation requires.
operation iraqi freedom
This past year, we completed our mission in Iraq, effecting the
retrograde of more than 25,000 marines; 382,000 items of equipment;
10,800 short tons of aviation support equipment; and nearly 11,000
containers from al Anbar province via Jordan and Kuwait to the United
States and elsewhere. At present, approximately 100 marines remain in
Iraq serving in individual augment, transition team and other
miscellaneous billets.
operation enduring freedom
In Afghanistan, the mission has expanded. Over the past year, we
increased our force strength in Afghanistan from 10,600 in December
2009, to 20,700 in December 2010. We will continue to provide forces in
Afghanistan capable of full-spectrum, counterinsurgency operations
while balancing our capabilities to perform what the Nation will likely
ask of us in the future.
end strength
Current authorized end strength is 202,100 marines in the Active
component and 39,600 marines in the Selected Reserve. During fiscal
year 2012, the Marine Corps will concentrate on sustaining and shaping
the Active Force. Our success can be attributed to four factors:
quality recruiting, exceptional retention, reduced personnel attrition,
and a great young generation of Americans who want to serve their
country during wartime. Also, key to sustaining the force is an
effective Enlistment Bonus and Selective Reenlistment Bonus programs
which allow us to access and retain quality marines to sustain the
Active Force. The Marine Corps Reserve is a full partner of the Marine
Corps' Total Force. The Marine Corps Reserve continues to provide
critical support for overseas contingency operations and noncontingency
combatant commander requirements. At home, Marine Forces Reserve
maintains marines and assets prepositioned throughout the country who
are ready to assist with not only national defense missions, but also
civil-military missions such as providing disaster relief.
dwell time
In light of our operational demands, and through the support of
Congress in authorizing our end strength of 202,100 Active-Duty Forces,
our combat units are beginning to realize an approximate 1-to-2 dwell
time. Other units vary at more favorable dwell time levels depending on
their mission. We anticipate the 1:2 dwell ratio for combat units to
remain relatively stable provided current deployed force levels are not
increased; however, increased operational demands in Afghanistan or
elsewhere may result in dwell times inconsistent with fostering a
resilient Total Force. We are actively working to recruit, promote, and
retain the right number of marines in the right occupational
specialties to promote resiliency of our Total Force and reduce the
stress on our families.
keeping faith with marines, sailors, and families
Just as our marines are required to be in a constant state of
readiness, so must our families. Our Nation has been at war for a
decade, placing unprecedented burdens on marines, sailors, their
families, wounded warriors, and the dependents of the fallen. They have
all made tremendous sacrifices in the face of danger. We owe them all a
reciprocal level of loyalty.
Our approach to caring for their needs is based on the same
unwavering faithfulness they have demonstrated to the Marine Corps. We
will ensure their needs are met during times of deployment and in
garrison by providing the services, facilities, and programs to develop
the strength and skills to thrive on the challenges of operational
tempo. When needed, we will restore them to health. We will also
transition them back to civilian life, and in the cases of our fallen
marines, we will support and protect their surviving spouses and
dependents. We know that in order to develop, maintain, and sustain
their personal and family readiness and resiliency, we must provide
innovative programs and services that are timely and relevant. We will
do this by focusing on several key areas during this fiscal year.
In his 2010 Planning Guidance, our 35th Commandant directed us to
``look across the entire institution and identify areas that need
improvement and effect positive change.'' Specifically, he asked us to
evaluate all of our family readiness programs, to determine which
require enhancement and/or expansion and which can be streamlined to
reduce redundancy. This is not just about efficiencies; it is also
about effectiveness. As part of that mandate, we have been directed to
continue our behavioral health program integration; institutionalize
resiliency training; and reorganize our Transition Assistance
Management Program. My testimony today will outline the progress we
have made and the actions we are taking in these and other critical
areas.
family readiness
In 2010, the Marine Corps increased baseline funding for family
support programs by $110 million to ensure an appropriate wartime
footing. Programs benefitting from this measure include: Unit, Personal
and Family Readiness Program; Marine Corps Family Team Building
Program; Exceptional Family Member Program; School Liaison Program; and
other miscellaneous Marine Corps Community Services Programs supporting
remote and isolated commands, deployed marines, and independent duty
marines and families. As we continue the process of providing marines
and their families with the most effective and relevant services, we
are assessing all of our family support programs, identifying gaps and
overlapping or duplicative efforts, and looking for opportunities to
develop partnership programs and share resources with other agencies.
Some of our notable accomplishments include the following:
Established over 400 full-time civilian Family
Readiness Officers to facilitate family contact and provide
critical information and referral services to support the
resiliency needs of marines and their families.
Developed an inventory of Deployed Support and Life
Skills Education and Training courses that address the
challenges of military life, as well as personal and family
life.
Transformed the Exceptional Family Member Program to
ensure that enrolled family members are provided a continuum of
care, while providing the sponsor opportunity for a successful
career.
Established school liaisons who form strong
partnerships with schools and other supporting agencies to
improve access and availability to quality education.
Implemented program and infrastructure enhancements at
remote and isolated commands, including investments in child
care, single marine programming, fitness and recreation
centers, and recreational equipment to support deployed
marines.
Increased Marine Corps child care capability from 64
percent to 73 percent with projection to meet 80 percent of
potential need by fiscal year 2012.
deployed and warrior support
Deployed support is one of the most important services we provide.
Our Exchange; Recreation and Fitness; and Communication services not
only boost and maintain morale but also help to reduce mission-related
stress.
Exchange. Ongoing missions in Afghanistan include the
operation of two Direct Operation Exchanges at Camps
Leatherneck and Dwyer, and one Tactical Field Exchange at Camp
Delaram II.
Recreation and Fitness. We assist in providing sports,
recreational, and fitness equipment to units throughout Helmand
Province with the joint support of USFOR-AJI. This
transportable equipment includes sports/recreation cooler kits
filled with sports gear and board games, electronic game kits,
Theater-in-a-Box kits, and functional fitness equipment for use
in austere environments. Reading materials, both electronic and
paperback, are also distributed.
Communication. Morale satellite services are available
to forward operating bases, combat outposts, and other austere
locations. We have delivered 13 satellite communications
systems to units in Afghanistan. Each system has 2 phones that
provide 6,000 free minutes per month and 5 laptops that allow
internet browsing, social networking and chat/video
capabilities to deployed marines.
family care programs
Exceptional Family Member Program
The most tender of our families, those enrolled in the Marine Corps
Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), have strongly endorsed the
improvements made to their level of support and our focus on providing
a continuum of care. Year after year since our program expansion, we
have gained the trust of our families. This is demonstrated in our
increasing enrollments and reduction in issues experienced by families
relocating to new duty stations. I am proud to state that the
Department of Defense (DOD) and the other Services recognize our EFMP
as a premier, full-service program based on the quality and efficiency
of program operations.
Our EFMP sponsors will always be an advocate for their special
needs family member, but when they need legal help, our EFMP attorneys
are ready to assist families with obtaining benefits and services under
Federal and State education and disability laws, special needs trusts,
landlord-tenant issues and other legal areas.
In 2001, EFMP had only 4,500 enrolled family members. This number
has grown to over 9,850 today. In the past year, we have taken multiple
actions to transform the program, including:
Utilizing Family Case Workers, at ratio of 1 FCW: 225
sponsors, to support families during relocation, deployments,
and life events and assist families with gaining access to
medical, educational, and financial support services.
Establishing installation-level Training Education
Outreach specialists to provide training and support for
families and the programs that support them.
Utilizing a Continuation on Location policy that
ensures the assignment and relocation process is sensitive to
EFMP family needs and meets statutory stabilization
requirements.
In addition, the Marine Corps continues to underwrite the cost of
up to 40 hours of short-term respite care per month for EFMP enrolled
families. To date, we have provided more than 450,000 hours of respite
care. Since the cost is underwritten by the Marine Corps, families are
able to use their TRICARE Extended Care Health Option benefit for
needed therapies and equipment. Nevertheless, challenges remain, such
as:
the lack of portability of services for adults with
autism;
the inability of military families to gain access to
Medicaid; and
national economic impacts and subsequent State budget
cuts, particularly at local and State levels, which impede
school districts' abilities to provide special education
services and impact access and availability to critical
services.
To address some of the State access issues, we have partnered with
the National Council on Disabilities to study this problem. Results are
under review.
Children, Youth, and Teen Programs
Whether parents are working, experiencing family emergencies, or
needing respite from single parent responsibilities connected to
deployments, child care services remain a high priority quality of life
requirement. In 2010, we provided 13,431 child care spaces and met 73
percent of potential need requirements. Within these totals, we are
caring for approximately 2,500 special needs children.
The Marine Corps, with your support, is executing an aggressive
Military Construction program and is opening six Child Development
Centers in fiscal year 2011 and five more in fiscal year 2012.
Nevertheless, as you might expect, the demand for quality child care
on- and off-installation continues to grow and outweighs the
availability of resources. To address this growing demand and help
further define requirements, we have contracted for the development of
a Child Development Program and Facility Master Plan. Using market
assessments and analysis tools, the plan will evaluate on- and off-base
access, unmet need, and will provide prioritized recommendations for
meeting the need across the Marine Corps. We anticipate results this
summer.
In 2011, we will work with Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Corps
Recruiting Command to identify opportunities to enhance availability of
child care for Marines and their families serving on independent duty
and at locations that are separated from military bases and stations.
In addition, we are partnering with Boys & Girls Clubs of America for
developmental youth programs, and working to identify ways to better
support our youth and teens affected by a parent's deployment. We have
reviewed the results of the National Military Family Association and
RAND Study related to impacts on youth from deployments and are
considering ways to address this situation.
School Liaison Program
To help school-age children of marines flourish in new school
environments, our School Liaison Program partners with Local Education
Agencies (LEAs) to raise the educational capacity and standard of our
military children. Supporting more than 80 school districts surrounding
major Marine Corps installations, our school liaisons provide LEAs with
information on Marine Corps families' needs and access to beneficial
training and counseling services to support teachers and students.
Marine parents have the comfort of talking with and being supported by
a local education expert who provides meaningful insight and support to
new transfers and those with questions on local education policies. In
addition, school liaisons provide Marine parents with connections to
online curricular resources that are linked to State standards,
permanent change of station checklists to assist parents with pre-
relocation planning and registration in the receiving school districts,
on-line tutoring and other resources.
personal and professional development
Throughout the Nation, veterans aged 18-24 have experienced
traditionally higher unemployment rates than their non-veteran
counterparts. Our Commandant is focused on this problem and has
directed the Marine Corps to conduct a thorough ``bottom up''
assessment of our Transition Assistance Management Program to
revolutionize the process, embrace best practices, and ensure we are
providing the right educational and career assistance to marines
leaving the Corps. We believe transition assistance should be a process
not an event. We have established a goal to make the Marine Corps
Transition Assistance Management Program more value added for our
departing marines.
From 2009 to 2010, we conducted functionality assessments of the
Transition Assistance Management Program and the Lifelong Learning
Program and noted many deficiencies. In response, we established two
Transition Assistance Operational Planning Teams in 2010 to assess
existing programs. These teams identified issues, stakeholders and a
conceptual framework for improved services and ways in which we will
integrate Marine Corps Community Services transition assets. Key
stakeholders involved in this process include servicemember recruiters,
commanders, unit transition coordinators, and most importantly--our
marines and their family members.
With our predominately first-term force, we are committed to
reaching our marines at designated touch points, helping them develop
roadmaps that support their Marine careers, and better equipping them
to reintegrate back into civilian life upon leaving active duty
service. We have developed an ``end to end'' process improvement plan
that will begin at the point of initial accession into the Marine Corps
and continue through post separation.
Marines have expressed a desire for assistance navigating
Department of Veterans Affairs benefit processes such as in cases of
enrollment for and access to education benefits. We will modify
existing websites to improve access and enhance opportunity for
separating marines to speak directly to Marine Corps support personnel
who are trained to remove administrative benefit processing barriers.
In addition, we will adapt our current job fairs to support increased
networking opportunities that will allow marines to meet mentors and
employers and find meaningful employment.
Marines have also asked for an opportunity to connect with
employers and learn how to translate their intangible and tangible
attributes. Our transition workshops will be overhauled to address
these needs. Marines are also seeking help to simplify enrollment
processes for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and to gain access to academic
institutions that will provide the quality and level of business
education and skills private industry demands. We have initiated a
Leader-Scholar Program, which includes academic institutions who value
marines' service commitment and pledge special enrollment
consideration. While the support varies from school to school, we now
have 75 participating institutions with the goal of an additional 25 by
the end of this year. We are initiating actions and integrating
existing capabilities that will most directly improve the quality of
support provided to marines 6 months prior to separation as well as the
support provided to marines who have been separated at least 6 months.
Establishing formal processes to initiate periodic
lifecycle contact to offer education, career, and financial
advice/counseling to marines and their families.
Creating an Individual Development Plan for each
marine, with execution and delivery of required transition
services.
Improving the current Active-to-Reserve transition
process to better educate marines on Reserve opportunities to
retain the best talent. An enhanced, streamlined transition
process will increase the number of valuable, trained marines
who consciously choose to affiliate with the Reserves.
As we gain momentum, we will continue to change the transition
assistance program from its current event focus to that of a process
that reintegrates marines into the civilian sector with the knowledge,
skills, and abilities to leverage and communicate their Marine Corps
time and experience. We believe this effort will result in an
innovative program that addresses the Commandant's concerns, assists
our families with their education and career goals, and meets the needs
of our marines as they progress through their military life cycle,
whether a single enlistment or a lifetime of military service, and
transition to a successful post-military career.
behavioral health integration
Since September 11, behavioral health needs have become
increasingly complex with individuals often requiring assistance in a
number of areas at one time. Marines with three or more deployments
have been identified as particularly at risk. As a result of risk
factors, our Combat Operational Stress Control (COSC) Program is
currently developing a policy that will direct commanders to conduct
face-to-face interviews with marines who have had three or more
deployments. These commanders' interviews will identify marines at some
level of elevated risk; allow commanders to engage their marines (pre-
and-post-deployment); and provide an opportunity for intervention
(medical and non-medical).
As directed by the Commandant, we continue to move forward with the
integration of our prevention and intervention programs--Family
Advocacy, COSC, Suicide Prevention, Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response, and Substance Abuse--initiated in 2009. We have established a
new Behavioral Health Branch at our headquarters for Marine and Family
Programs, Manpower & Reserve Affairs which will assess common
behavioral health trends, risk factors, training needs, and protective
factors to ensure maximum use of resources and to enhance existing
prevention capabilities. We are also more fully utilizing the Institute
of Medicine's ``Behavioral Health Prevention Intervention Spectrum'',
which establishes common definitions, to focus our prevention efforts
on marines and families.
Through collaboration of services, we will deliver effective,
evidence-based practices and behavioral health programs that are
seamlessly woven into the larger support network of Marine Corps
command structures, health and human services, and are in concert with
building resilience and strengthening marines and their families.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Marine Corps leadership has initiated aggressive actions to elevate
and highlight the importance of the Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response (SAPR) Program and institutionalize a zero-tolerance policy.
SAPR is focused on several key initiatives:
Prevention: Commanders are accountable for creating a
climate of respect in which sexual assault will not be
tolerated and building trust within their units that enables
victims of sexual assault to report the crime. Bystander
intervention training has been identified as an evidence-based
best practice for engaging marines in their role in sexual
assault prevention. New video-based bystander intervention
training is in development with a completion date of April
2011.
Risk Reduction: Alcohol has a tremendous impact on the
prevalence of sexual assault. Research on best practices for
addressing risk reduction, consent, and raising awareness
within the Marine Corps is forthcoming in 2011.
Victim Advocacy: During 2010, SAPR Program Managers
were hired at 18 installations to heighten sexual assault
prevention efforts by serving as master trainers and reporting
coordinators. A 24/7 helpline was established across all
installations to provide victims with emotional support,
information on reporting options, and critical resources.
Offender Accountability: The Trial Counsel Assistance
Program (TCAP) and a Joint Mobile Training Team were
implemented in 2010 to provide training for 40 Marine Corps
investigators and prosecutors on best practices in handling sex
crimes. Following-up on the success of the Case Review Project
in 2009, the Judge Advocate Division Military Law Branch is
reviewing closed cases of sexual assault to develop lessons
learned. This information will be disseminated in the form of
training techniques for investigators and prosecutors.
Suicide Prevention
During calendar year 2010, we saw a nearly 30 percent decrease in
the number of suicides within our Total Force (52 in calendar year
2009; 37 in calendar year 2010). We are too early in our suicide
studies to identify what specific initiative(s) have resulted in this
dramatic turnaround. However, we have implemented a number of measures
on multiple fronts. Some of these include the following:
Evocative Peer-led Training Program: ``Never Leave a
Marine Behind'' suicide prevention program for noncommissioned
officers and Junior Marines. We are expanding this training to
include staff noncommissioned officers and commissioned
officers this year.
DSTRESS Line Pilot Program with TRICARE West: ``By
Marines--For Marines'' call center designed to assist with
problems at an early stage. The call center is staffed by
veteran marines, providing anonymous service to all current
marines, veteran marines, their families, and loved ones.
Combat and Operational Stress Control and Operational
Stress Control and Readiness Teams: Utilizing unique training
programs across the Total Force and ensuring the presence of
mental health professionals in front-line units as a primary
prevention tool to help marines identify and mitigate stress.
Marine Resilience Study to Assess Risk and Resilience:
We are participating in a longitudinal research study that will
examine risk across three domains: biological, psychological,
and social. The outcome of this study will inform our work in
the area of building and maintain resiliency across the Corps.
Unit-Level Prevention Officer Training: Working with
the American Association of Suicidology to develop effective
training programs for these officers.
We believe our training and other prevention efforts will help our
marines and their family members maintain readiness and win their
personal battles.
Combat and Operational Stress Control--Resiliency Training
Stress issues affect all marines and families regardless of
deployment. Assisting marines who show signs of stress and preventing
combat and operational stress is one of our highest leadership
priorities. To improve their resilience, we are working aggressively
and creatively to build a training continuum that better prepares them
for the inevitable stress of combat operations and to equip them with
the necessary skills required cope with the challenges of life as a
marine.
Instruction founded and focused on our core values helps provide
some of this resilience, especially in irregular warfare and complex
environments. A program combining the ''best practices'' of mental,
spiritual and physical fitness will best instill in our marines the
resiliency to endure the stressors of combat and enhance their ability
to perform effectively across the range of military operations.
Our COSC program's goal is to help Commanders and Marine leaders
maintain their warfighting capabilities and, with assistance from
medical personnel, reduce the impact of negative stress reactions. By
providing tools and resources to assist Marines with coping with the
challenges of combat and the rigor of life as a marine, our COSC
program implements activities focusing on force preservation and
readiness and the long-term health and well-being of our marines and
their families. COSC, with other behavioral health initiatives,
aggressively combats these problems by strengthening marines,
mitigating stress, identifying those who are at risk, and providing
treatment when necessary, with the goal of re-integrating marines back
into the force.
Our Operational Stress Control and Readiness Program (OSCAR) embeds
mental health professionals in operational units and provides training
that helps the OSCAR team identify and mitigate negative stress
reactions. The OSCAR team is comprised of 3 different groups: Providers
(mental health professionals), Extenders (other medical and religious
personnel), and Mentors (selected unit marines) who are trained to
quickly intervene when marines show signs of stress reactions
Currently, over 1,700 marines are trained as mentors.
In fiscal year 2011, COSC will sustain and improve the OSCAR
training by conducting a RAND evaluation, working with units who
utilized OSCAR training while in combat environments and providing
refresher training to OSCAR trainers. Extenders began receiving formal
OSCAR training at Field Medical Schools in January 2011, which also
supports institutionalizing OSCAR enhancing resiliency training.
Our COSC program continues to show positive results as indicated by
outside evaluations and assessments. The Joint Mental Health Advisory
Team-7 reports that marines surveyed in Afghanistan in July 2010 show
increased exposure to heavy combat. Marines also indicate increased
protective factors including unit resilience, small-unit cohesion,
perceived readiness, and improved climate in asking for help. This
assessment also shows increased training effectiveness in managing
combat/deployment stress and significant reduction in stigma associated
with seeking behavioral health treatment.
post-traumatic stress and brain injury
We will continue advocating to the medical community for better
diagnostic and increased treatment options for marines with severe
injuries including post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. In
collaboration with the other Services, we developed a set of events-
based parameters, mandating that our leaders search out marines who
have experienced a concussive event. This measure no longer relies on
identification of impacted servicemembers solely on their willingness
to seek help on their own initiative. These protocols are in place now
in Afghanistan, and we are already seeing a culture change in the
attitude of marines about being treated early for a traumatic brain
injury.
We have established an in-theater Restoration Center that brings
comprehensive concussion diagnosis and management as close to the front
lines as possible to ensure that appropriate care is available as
quickly as possible. We are currently developing policy and
applications to track traumatic brain injury from ``point of injury''
to ``return to full duty'' separately but in parallel with medical
documentation. These measures will empower commanders with the
information they need to monitor the health of a marine who has
suffered a concussive event and intervene appropriately for the
duration of a marine's career and long after the initial injury.
wounded warrior regiment
I am pleased to report on the progress of the Marine Corps' Wounded
Warrior Regiment (WWR) and the determined spirit of our Nation's
wounded warriors and their families. The WWR stood up in April 2007 and
was built on a compressed timetable--it was essentially built in
progress. Early efforts involved the identification of immediate
requirements and the design and sourcing of a scalable organization
that could expand or contract as needed. The initial focus was on a
Marine's and his or her family's immediate needs, construction
projects, basic administrative support, the stand-up of the Sergeant
Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center, and the establishment of the
Marine Corps' Recovery Coordination Program. When the WWR was
established, long recovery times were not expected and long-term
recovery support requirements were not anticipated. Since then, the WWR
has continually assessed changing requirements, its organizational
structure, and resourcing needs. We are now adjusting our structure
based upon confirmed requirements, sound assumptions, and findings in
warrior care that will allow for the enduring care of wounded, ill, and
injured (WII) marines and their families.
In his 2010 Planning Guidance, General Amos stated his commitment
to ``enhance the capabilities of the WWR to provide added care and
support to our wounded, ill, and injured.'' Moreover, he affirmed the
need to sustain the Regiment for the long term given the wounds of the
war and the fact that the WWR also provides care for our young Marines
who are not combat wounded, but are injured in training or other
accidents, suffer from diseases, and other tragedies.
The WWR will continue to meet the Commandant's intent by refining
our support capabilities and growing our care model to ensure we work
toward healing the ``whole'' marine. Through synchronization of our
programs and resources and external programs, the WWR is striving to
help each WII marine focus on their abilities to heal medically while
strengthening their mind, body, spirit, and family. The WWR works to
ensure marines' medical treatments are harmonized with non-medical
needs to optimize their recovery through their continuous engagement in
productive activities.
These activities include pursuing and reaching goals in areas that
will improve readiness for return to duty or reintegration to
communities, such as education, employment, physical fitness, and
building strong families. For WII marines who are unable to continue
their service, the Marine Corps has a moral obligation to them, their
families, and this country to help them live productive and fulfilling
lives and be good citizens.
WWR Programs and Services
The non-medical care needs of our WII marines and their families
can be extensive, and vary in type and intensity throughout the
recovery process. The WWR assists active duty, Reserve, retired, and
veteran WII marines and their families with their non-medical care
needs through all phases of care from recovery to rehabilitation and to
community reintegration. Each phase brings new challenges for the
marine, their family, and the support staff. The complexity of their
care does not allow for isolated decisionmaking and it requires a
heightened level of coordination between medical and non-medical care
providers. There is no ``one-size-fits-all'' approach to care. The WWR
has a cross-section of services and resources to ensure WII marines and
families are provided for.
Sergeant Merlin Gennan Wounded Warrior Call Center
Our call center extends support to marines and families through
advocacy, resource identification and referral, information
distribution, and care coordination. Located at the call center are
clinical services staff who provide immediate assistance and referral
for marines with psychological health issues and/or traumatic brain
injury. Outreach is an important aspect of the Regiment's non-medical
care delivery and management. The call center also conducts outreach
calls to offer assistance on a wide variety of issues, such as service
disability ratings, awards, employment, financial assistance,
education, and benevolent organizations.
Administrative Support
The WWR stresses at all levels that WII care is a relationship, not
just an administrative process. With this in mind, the WWR provides WII
marines and their families with one-on-one education on available
benefits and compensation.
WWR staff strives to proactively track the progress of
paperwork and keep marines and families informed on the status
of claims, reimbursements, and any changes in benefits.
A family member's funded travel to the bedside of
their wounded marine is of particular concern to the WWR. The
USMC issues Invitation Travel Orders (ITOs) that can authorize
up to three individuals designated by a very seriously or
seriously WII marine to travel to the medical facility
providing care.
When on ITOs, travel to and from the hospital, hotel
costs, meals, and incidental expenses are reimbursed by the
government.
Additionally, for WII marines who require extended,
outpatient care, the USMC may authorize Non Medical Attendant
(NMAs) Orders. One person is typically authorized NMA travel
entitlements similar to ITOs which provide per diem and lodging
costs.
The WWR works to ensure that these types of
entitlements are tracked and monitored so that reimbursements
or compensation are provided in a timely manner.
Family Support
The care needs of families of WII marines are of particular concern
to the WWR and the Marine Corps.
The WWR strives to proactively identify and solve the
often unique family support needs of our WII marines, their
families, and caregivers.
Families of WII marines have a heightened requirement
for communication, information, and referral services to help
them navigate through the various phases of recovery.
The WWR has family support staff in place at all
locations to address immediate needs, provide a one-on-one
orientation to the many resources available to support them,
and to serve as subject matter experts on family support
requirements for regimental staff.
Medical Cell
WWR headquarters has a Medical Section that advises the commanding
officer regarding medical issues and emerging technologies/treatments
impacting WII marines.
The section includes: a Regimental Surgeon, a Mental
Health Advisor, a Nurse Case Manager, a Psychological Health
Program Coordinator, a Traumatic Brain Injury Program
Coordinator, and Licensed Clinical Consultants.
Together, this team works with public and private
medical providers to ensure the best care for WII marines,
particularly in the areas of post-traumatic stress and
traumatic brain injury.
Recovery Care Coordinators
As WII marines transition through the phases of recovery, it is
important that they have a consistent contact in place to help them
navigate the system. The WWR has Recovery Care Coordinators who are
assigned to WII marines to help them and their families develop
Comprehensive Transition Plans to define and meet their individual
goals for recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
Warrior Athlete Reconditioning Program
Under this program, (which is mandatory for all marines joined to
the WWR, but tailored to accommodate their medical limitations),
marines engage in both physical and cognitive activities outside the
traditional therapy setting. Activities are individualized to the WII
marine's needs, and encompass over 18 areas--from aquatic training to
yoga. Supporting WII marines in individual or team settings, the
program greatly improves overall physical and mental fitness and helps
to improve their self-esteem.
Transition Support
Many WII marines will not return to duty and will pursue careers in
their communities. The WWR recognizes its commitment and moral
obligation to marines who are unable to continue their service to help
them live productive and fulfilling lives and understands the
challenges associated with reintegration and obtaining a rewarding
career. To enhance community reintegration, the WWR's Transition
Support Cell, manned by marines and representatives from the
Departments of Labor and Veterans Affairs, proactively reaches out to
identify employers and job training programs that help WII marines
obtain positions in which they are most likely to succeed and enjoy
promising and fulfilling careers.
District Injured Support Cells
District Injured Support Cells, consisting primarily of mobilized
Reserve marines, are located throughout the country to conduct face-to-
face visits and telephone outreach to WII marines and their families
within their assigned region. They maintain oversight of the welfare
and quality of life of all WII Reserve marines, Active Duty marines
convalescing at home, and all OEF/OIF WII marine veterans.
Reserve Support
The WWR makes a special effort to ensure that WII Reserve marines
do not fall through the cracks. The majority of the WWR's staff
consists of Reserve marines with a high level of subject matter
expertise that allows for heightened advocacy with regard to Reserve-
specific issues. Our staff is dedicated to supporting WII reservist
needs. The WWR's Reserve Medical Entitlements Determination Section
maintains oversight of all cases of reservists who require medical care
beyond their contract period for service-connected ailments. The
Regiment also has Reserve specific Recovery Care Coordinators who
provide the one-on-one support and resource identification needed to
support reservists who are often times residing in remote and isolated
locations away from base and station support.
Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) Support
The WWR has Regional Limited Duty Coordinators to help marines
processing through the IDES and Wounded Warrior Attorneys, to advise
and support WII marines through this process. The WWR also published a
pocket guide (via the web and hard copy) to help marines and families
understand the Disability Evaluation System.
Enduring Commitment to Wounded, Ill, and Injured Marines
The Marine Corps is committed to the long-term care of its wounded
warriors and their families. As warrior care evolves and innovates, the
WWR will continue to adjust to ensure we are providing the best support
possible. The WWR will continue to assess its current programs and
support structure to evolve to meet the long-term recovery requirements
of our WII marines and their families.
The USMC is proud to report that the results of our
assessments thus far are positive.
The assessments have substantiated that the creation
of the WWR has had a positive impact on the support offered WII
marines and families.
Additionally, our assessments have shown positive
satisfaction levels in important areas, such as our Recovery
Care Coordination Program (executed by the WWR's Recovery Care
Coordinators) and our family support staff.
Your WII marines are highly motivated, focused on their abilities,
and remain in the fight. The Marine Corps is grateful for the
exceptional support that you have provided to them and the families who
support them.
casualty assistance
The Marine Corps Casualty Assistance Program is committed to
ensuring that families of our fallen marines are always treated with
the utmost compassion, dignity, and honor. Our Casualty Assistance
Program actively seeks opportunities to improve survivor assistance and
has a demonstrated record of taking quick, effective action as needed.
The Headquarters Casualty Section is a 24-hour-per-day operation
manned by Marines trained in casualty reporting, notification, and
casualty assistance procedures. Next-of-kin (NOK) are notified in-
person by a marine in uniform--Casualty Assistance Calls Officer
(CACO)--and a chaplain whenever possible. Notifications are typically
completed within 4 hours of receipt of the casualty report. Marine
CACOs are there for the NOK--to assist with burial arrangements,
applications for benefits and entitlements, contact with benevolent and
philanthropic organizations, and obtaining reports of investigation.
Within days of the incident, families are connected to representatives
from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a nationally
recognized provider of comfort and care to those who have suffered the
loss of a military loved one and are experts at ``taking care of the
heart''. TAPS services are no cost and available 24/7. Approximately 60
days following the death, we reach out to the NOK to help resolve any
residual issues and let them know we are available to them for as long
as they need us.
infrastructure
The Marine Corps continues to strive for a prolonged commitment to
facilities and infrastructure that supports operations and quality of
life for our marines and their families.
The fiscal year 2012 budget request includes $4.6
billion (military construction, family housing construction and
operations, sustainment, base operating support, and
restoration and modernization) which continues our efforts to
operate, maintain, and improve our infrastructure. This funding
provides critical Military Construction and Facilities support
for our Active and Reserve Forces.
For many years, we have funded only our most critical
facility needs. As a result, our installations were in a poor
position to properly house and operate with the additional
forces required to meet our planned end strength increase.
In fiscal year 2007-2010, the Marine Corps received
$6.9 billion in new construction and design. With this funding,
we are providing new quality of life facilities, improved
operational and training facilities, and more up-to-date
utility infrastructure systems.
Your generous assistance in the past has provided
critical support that allows us to improve our installations.
However, it is critical that Congress provide necessary
legislative language in order to allow us to proceed with
approximately $2.9 billion of military construction and family
housing efforts in fiscal year 2011 to support the operational
and quality of life needs of our marines.
Plans for fiscal year 2011 include construction of
5,000 new barracks spaces, improvements to existing family
housing units, critical aviation facilities to support next
generation aircraft, improvement of Professional Military
Education, replacement of outdated and inadequate facilities,
other quality of life facilities, and correction of safety and
encroachment issues.
The USMC has four major funding areas where
recapitalization and modernization initiatives in
infrastructure and facilities are programmed: Bachelor and
Family Housing; Facility Sustainment, Restoration and
Modernization; Military Construction; and Military
Construction, Navy Reserve.
Bachelor Housing
Bachelor enlisted housing is the Commandant's top Military
Construction priority. The Marine Corps currently maintains over
100,000 bachelor enlisted housing spaces worldwide.
In fiscal year 2012, the Marine Corps is requesting
$58 million to support this program and we are working towards
constructing approximately 800 new barracks spaces.
This investment, along with nearly 25,000 new spaces
programmed since fiscal year 2008, will provide much needed
support to have all single marines adequately housed.
Barracks are a critical element in supporting our
warfighters. The Bachelor-Enlisted-Quarters initiative focuses
on our enlisted troops and their quality of life within our
barracks.
The USMC is the youngest, most junior, and least
married of the four military Services. Providing appropriate
and comfortable living spaces that positively impact the morale
and development of these young men and women makes sense.
We are also committed to funding whole room barracks
furnishings on a 7-year replacement cycle and prioritizing
barracks repair projects to preempt a backlog of repairs.
The Marine Corps' goal is to provide a 2+0 room
standard that allows two junior enlisted marines (E1-E3) to
share a room and bath. We believe that assigning two junior
marines to a room is the correct balance between the privacy
desired by the marines and the Marine Corps' goals of providing
companionship, camaraderie, and unit cohesion.
This balance provides the atmosphere we believe is
necessary to motivate, train, and develop marines, while
fostering unit integrity. Noncommissioned officers (E4 and E5)
are provided a private room with bath in a 2+0 room.
With your continued support, the Marine Corps is on
track to obtain our goal to achieve the 2+0 standard for all of
our marines by 2014.
Family Housing
Marine Corps families are an integral component of readiness. We
must always remember that marines and their families serve out of a
sense of duty and loyalty to our country and, as they do so, face the
difficulties of the military lifestyle--frequent relocations often far
from extended family and frequent deployments that separate families
for months at a time. We have a responsibility to provide adequate
family housing to our families.
We continue to increase both the quantity and quality
of our family housing inventory through public private ventures
(PPVs) and military construction where necessary.
In addition to PPV initiatives for family housing,
continued support for full funding of the Basic Allowance for
Housing (BAH) allows more families to access quality,
affordable housing in the local community. This is important
since more than two-thirds of servicemembers do not live on a
military installation.
However, many families continue to prefer to live in
military or PPV housing for a number of reasons, including
economics, safety, schools, and community support. PPVs,
combined with traditional military construction, will continue
to build and improve the homes necessary to supplement local
community housing.
We have over 24,000 owned, leased, or PPV family
housing units worldwide.
Thanks to your support over the last year, we were
able to award projects for additional privatized housing at
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC; Marine Corps Air Ground
Combat Center Twentynine Palms, CA; and at Marine Corps Base,
HI. We were also able to continue progress on our series of
planned renovations to our housing in Iwakuni, Japan.
In 2001, the Marine Corps had nearly 17,700 inadequate
housing units, with the majority of those units requiring
significant revitalization or replacement.
Based on contracts in place by the end of fiscal year
2007, the USMC has met DOD's goal to eliminate inadequate
housing by 2007 and will complete the build-out by 2014.
The funding provided by Congress in fiscal year 2010
provided almost $128 million for public private venture (PPV)
seed money, operations, maintenance, sustainment and
restoration for family housing. This request included $79
million for PPV seed money, $15 million for traditional
military construction, and $34 million for family housing
operations.
Your support for this request allowed us to continue
to address the requirement for additional family housing
resulting from Grow the Force increases and sustaining and
modernizing our remaining government-owned housing.
This PPV seed money will permit construction of
approximately 230 new units and a DOD Dependent school addition
at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC.
Our PPV program continues to allow the Marine Corps to
leverage private sector funds. In addition to government
financing, the private sector contributed development capital
for PPV projects in fiscal year 2010. We are using traditional
military construction to sustain and restore mid-rise units for
marines at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan and restore
the National Historic Landmark Home of the Commandants on the
Marine Barracks in Washington, DC.
Our fiscal year 2012 family housing budget request of
$53 million includes $26 million for improvements to 76 homes
at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan and for the operations, maintenance, and
leasing of 1,100 units located worldwide.
Public Private Ventures
We have privatized over 97 percent of our worldwide inventories to
date and continue to see success from our PPV projects across Marine
Corps installations in Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii,
Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North and South Carolina, and
Virginia. PPVs have not only improved the homes in which our families
live, they are also providing community support facilities such as
community centers, playgrounds, and greenscapes that help create
neighborhoods and a sense of community for our marines and their
families. Resident satisfaction with both the quality of their home and
the service provided continues to increase every year. With almost our
entire domestic inventory privatized, we will continue to build on our
prior successes and use PPVs to help us address most of our remaining
housing requirement.
Facility Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization
Facility sustainment funding is critical to keeping our buildings
ready to support the mission and provide an acceptable quality of life.
In the past, our infrastructure could not be replaced at an appropriate
rate, causing portions of it to deteriorate. As a consequence, the
Marine Corps has had to use an increasing percentage of its facility
sustainment funds to bind together old, inadequate buildings throughout
the course of their service life, rather than maintaining newer, more
economical structures resulting in significant numbers of facility
sustainment projects being deferred due to a lack of funds. This
directly impacted the living and working conditions in barracks, mess
halls, and other facilities, in highly visible and negative ways. In
addition, we suffered a ``quiet crisis'' with respect to less obvious
repairs to steam plants, airfields, sewer lines, and roads. These
requirements are no longer being ignored.
A few years ago, the Office of the Secretary of
Defense (OSD) developed a model to determine the amount of
funding we need to sustain our facilities. This model continues
to be refined and strengthened.
Since inception of the model, and because of the
funding standards put in place by OSD, we have done very well
in programming and execution of sustainment.
In fact, in fiscal years 2006, 2007, and 2008 our
sustainment rate is over 100 percent. In 2009 and out, however,
OSD set our programmed sustainment rate at 90 percent of the
model.
This equates to $592 million in fiscal year 2012. This
level allows for a slow degradation of our facilities and
allows the remaining 10 percent to move to meet more urgent
operational needs elsewhere.
This, along with low Operation and Maintenance (O&M)
recapitalization funding in fiscal year 2012 of $49 million,
over the next few years will take us back to where we were
prior to the implementation of the sustainment model.
However, since we now have metrics and tools that will
alert us to the coming degradation, corrections can be made
accordingly in future budgets.
Military Construction
For the fourth year in a row, the fiscal year 2010 funding provided
by Congress represented a significant increase from historical funding
levels. In 2010, over $2.7 billion in funding will provide facilities
that address longstanding requirements at our bases and stations and
support the increased end strength across the Marine Corps. It is
always a pleasure to visit our installations and hear young marines
talk about the work they perform in these new facilities.
Our fiscal year 2012 budget request of $1.4 billion
continues to support our marines. Funds are being requested to
support Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, Joint Strike Fighter and
MV-22 support facilities, quality of life improvements, such as
a child development center and fitness facility at Twentynine
Palms, utilities and infrastructure improvements, and training
and professional military education facility improvements.
Additionally, the fiscal year 2012 budget request
includes funding to support the relocation of marines to Guam.
Our Military Construction program is a key to success
in achieving and sustaining our new force structure and
maintaining the readiness of our marines.
Marine Corps Exclusive, Military Construction, Navy Reserve
The Marine Forces Reserve is an integral and vital portion of our
Marine Corps total force. Marine Forces Reserve is comprised of almost
39,600 Select Marine Corps Reserve personnel at approximately 183
sites, dispersed throughout 48 States, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico.
The Military Construction, Navy Reserve program for exclusive Marine
Corps construction must effectively allocate limited funding to address
at least $140 million in deferred construction projects. As these
numbers suggest, maintenance of adequate Marine Corps Reserve
facilities presents a considerable challenge:
Over 57 percent of the Reserve centers our marines
train in are more than 30 years old and of these, 44 percent
are more than 50 years old.
The equipment our marines use today is bigger,
heavier, wider, and longer, creating support requirements that
these antiquated facilities cannot meet.
The electrical demand on our facilities because of
modem equipment has increased significantly.
Appropriately constructed or modified maintenance
facilities, as well as adequate electrical power and other
support infrastructure upgrades, are necessary to maintain
combat readiness.
We still continue to use facilities built to
accommodate manual typewriters, M151 jeeps, and M-48 tanks.
To help us address these challenges, the fiscal year 2012 budget
request includes $8 million for Military Construction, Navy and Marine
Corps Reserves. This program addresses pressing requirements and will
provide a new Reserve Training Center and a vehicle maintenance
facility in Memphis, TN. Additionally, we and the Navy are working
together with the Army to fund a joint Reserve complex in Indianapolis,
IN.
conclusion
Whether serving in combat or in garrison, marines are guided by
honor, courage and commitment. These core values have been the compass
for every marine's service throughout our rich history. Leadership,
hard training, and a willingness to sacrifice have forged our Corps
into one of the most capable fighting forces the world has ever known.
Our Marine Corps has remained true to these values for 235 years. As we
continue to transition and align our programs and services to meet
current and future challenges, we will continue to be fiscally
responsible and frugal with taxpayers' dollars. As always, we are
grateful for your sustained support.
______
Executive Summary by SgtMaj Carlton W. Kent, USMC
Chairman Webb, Senator Graham, and distinguished members of the
subcommittee, as I finish my last tour of duty, I want to thank you for
the support you and the American people have given the men and women
who proudly serve and wear our uniform, especially over the last 10
years of war. Although I am leaving the active duty ranks, once a
Marine, always a Marine. The quality of life issues we discuss today
will continue to be important to all marines and their families.
I am pleased to report that your marines are honored to serve this
great Nation and are happy to be doing things that marines do best,
fighting and winning our Nation's battles. They are truly living up to
the great warfighting legacy that marines have built since 1775. Your
marines, including their spouses and family members who support them,
continue to remain a valuable asset and our number one priority.
Throughout the last 10 years of war, our marines and their families
have faced many challenges and made great sacrifices. Their endurance
has been bolstered by your generous and sustained support which has
enabled our continued success, on the battlefield and at home, and
ensured our ability to maintain a high state of personal and family
readiness. It is true, that while we recruit marines, we retain
families, and their readiness is directly linked to the readiness of
our Corps. As we continue to serve this great Nation, we are grateful
to you for the increased attention placed on the support of our
families.
As our Commandant, General James F. Amos has said, ``We will keep
faith with our marines, our sailors, and their families.'' I am proud
to report to you that we are keeping faith by providing the kinds of
programs and services that are critical to their quality of life and
overall well-being. Our approach to caring for their needs is based on
the same unwavering faithfulness they have demonstrated to the Marine
Corps. We will ensure their needs are met during times of deployment
and in garrison by providing the services, facilities, and programs to
develop the strength and skills to thrive in the challenges of
operational tempo. When needed, we will restore them to health. We will
also transition them back to civilian life, and in the cases of our
fallen heroes, we will support and protect their surviving spouses and
dependents. As both the Commandant and I travel the globe to visit our
marines and their families, they provide us valuable feedback and let
us know that they notice and appreciate the much improved quality of
life programs, such as transitioning our single marine and family
readiness programs from a peacetime model to a wartime footing;
expanding support to our wounded, ill, and injured marines; and
investing in our infrastructure such as housing and bachelor enlisted
quarters. However, our families also have no problem telling us that we
have additional work to do. We know that in order to develop, maintain,
and sustain their personal and family readiness and resiliency, we must
provide innovative programs and services that are timely and relevant.
We will do this by focusing on several key areas during this fiscal
year.
In his 2010 Planning Guidance, our 35th Commandant directed us to:
``Review and Improve Family Readiness--Evaluate all Marine Corps Family
Team Building Programs and make recommendations on optimum span of
control, where we require further assistance to our families, and where
we should streamline to erase redundancy.'' To respond to the
Commandant's concerns, we have developed a deliberate process and are
taking the following actions:
1. Launching a web-based Program Prioritization Tool that will be
sent, via email, to Active and Reserve Unit Commanders and Sergeants
Major to ask them to prioritize our Marine Corps Family Programs based
on the value to marines and their families.
2. Initiating Operational Planning Teams to review the structure
of the Unit, Personal and Family Readiness and Marine Corps Family Team
Building Programs to redefine staffing requirements.
3. Conducting focus groups with unit commanders, associated
sergeants major, and respective spouses to obtain their insights on the
effectiveness of Marine Corps Family programs; identify unmet needs of
marines and families; and acquire recommendations to fix identified
deficiencies.
Based on the feedback we receive, we will develop recommendations
for funding current and future programs. This is not just about
efficiencies; it is also about effectiveness. As part of that mandate,
we have been directed to continue our behavioral health program
integration; institutionalize resiliency training; and reorganize our
Transition Assistance Management Program.
As we move forward, we will continue to keep faith with our marines
and families by assessing the effectiveness of our support services,
transitioning and aligning our programs to meet their current and
future challenges, and demonstrating, through our direct actions, that
we are committed to improving them. As always, we will continue to be
fiscally responsible with taxpayers' dollars. My testimony today will
outline the progress we have made and the actions we are taking in
these and other critical areas. Thank you.
Senator Webb. Thank you, Sergeant Major.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Rick West.
Welcome, Master Chief.
STATEMENT OF MCPON RICK D. WEST, MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER OF
THE NAVY, USN
Master Chief Petty Officer West. Thank you very much, sir.
Mr. Chairman, distinguished members of the subcommittee, I
appreciate the opportunity to appear before you to discuss the
health of our Navy's enlisted force.
Your steadfast support of our men and women in uniform has
had a tremendous impact on their quality of life and quality of
work. Both are vital to operational readiness and mission
effectiveness.
As I speak today, approximately 60 percent of our ships are
underway, with 40 percent being on deployment worldwide. Other
than our global presence, traditional maritime operations, and
developing partnership capacity through worldwide engagement, a
snapshot across our global Navy would look like the following:
More than 14,000 sailors are on the ground and more than
14,000 sailors at sea in Central Command, supporting operations
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Our Navy is executing counterpiracy missions off the coast
of Africa.
As part of our global reach, we are at the forefront of
providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief support
to the victims of natural disasters, wherever they occur.
Our Navy, America's Navy, has no boundaries. We are a
global force for good.
In my travels this past year, I have enjoyed the visits
I've had with the sailors who defend America every day. In
these visits, I have taken a special note of the quality of
life and the many programs that support our sailors and their
families. Current operational demands and high operational
tempo have placed added stress on the force. Our many personnel
and family readiness programs remain one of our Navy's highest
priorities.
One area that has a recent significant impact on the
quality of life for our families that I feel a need to
highlight is the Continuing Resolution (CR) for 2011. Under the
CR, physical constraints, considerable delays, and permanent
change-of-station orders occurred, resulting in more than
20,000 sets of orders being deferred. For those transfers that
we were able to execute, we have reduced transfer times to 2
months or less. While relief is on the way, lingering effects
of the CR will continue to place emotional and economic strain
on our sailors and their families as they attempt to sell
homes, seek follow-on employment for family members, enroll
children in schools and complete necessary screening and
training requirements prior to transfer.
Though leadership has been resourceful in mitigating the
impact, the CR has also affected our ability to execute
contract for phased new construction and facility sustainment
in our barracks while, at the same time, forcing us to curtail
contracts for base operating support and delay necessary
civilian hiring.
Despite these challenges, our leadership remains focused on
providing support to our sailors and their families to foster
resiliency as well as family readiness.
Our Navy team will accomplish any mission or task we ask
them. They do this, knowing their families will be well
supported and cared for when we go over the horizon into harm's
way.
In closing, on behalf of our sailors and their families
serving throughout the world, thank you for your continued
support of our great Navy and the programs that support the
quality of life of all personnel. I look forward to your
questions, sir.
Hooyah Navy.
[The prepared statement of Master Chief Petty Officer West
follows:]
Prepared Statement by MCPON Rick D. West, USN
introduction
Chairman Webb, Ranking Member Graham, and distinguished members of
the Personnel Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Armed Services,
thank you for the opportunity to testify before you. As the Enlisted
representative of the Navy, I am honored and privileged to speak before
you on behalf of more than 430,000 Active and Reserve sailors who make
the finest Total Force in the history of our great Navy.
Last year, I visited many commands around the world and most
recently I traveled with our Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) to
Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Landstuhl, during which I was
impressed by the quality of sailors serving with such great enthusiasm
and devotion. I am constantly amazed and truly awed by the daily
sacrifices and outstanding capabilities and resiliency of our sailors
who serve with distinction on ships, squadrons, submarines and on land.
No matter where they are in the world or what they do for our great
Navy, everything they do is very important and it all plays part in our
Navy's Maritime Strategy. Our sailors are the best we have ever seen as
a Navy; they are performing their missions well and I am very proud of
what they do everyday.
Sailors in Action
America's Navy is a global force for good on station around the
world, around the clock building partnerships through maritime security
cooperation and spanning the core capabilities of our Maritime Strategy
of forward presence, deterrence, power projection, sea control,
maritime security, and humanitarian assistance, and disaster response.
Our Navy's responsibilities have increased because the challenges our
country faces are so unpredictable and diverse. We need to be ready to
confront these challenges, and we are.
In addition to our traditional maritime mission, below, on or above
our world's oceans, we are boots-on-ground alongside our brothers and
sisters in the Army and Marine Corps in places like Iraq and
Afghanistan. In fact today, we have the second largest force operating
in that Area of Responsibility (AOR).
The Navy's contribution in support of Overseas Contingency
Operations (OCO) has been a vital component of our national effort to
secure a safer world. At any given time, there are more than 15,000
sailors in the Individual Augmentee (IA) pipeline worldwide, either
with orders, in training, or deployed, filling almost 11,000 IA
requirements. The Navy has almost 25,000 Active and Reserve sailors on
the ground and at sea in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) AOR
supporting Navy, Joint Force, and combatant commander requirements in
support of OCO.
Using skills traditional to the Navy, our sailors continue to fill
combat support and combat service support missions. These missions
include medical support, Joint Task Force and headquarters staff, base
operating support, detainee operations, engineering, intelligence and
surveillance, embedded training teams and provincial reconstruction
teams.
To date, there have been more than 90,000 IAs in support of OCO
with more than two-thirds of these sailors mobilized from the Navy
Reserve. Most IAs are concentrated in the CENTCOM region, which
includes Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Bahrain. But there are also IAs
serving in other regions to include, but not limited to, Germany,
Philippines, Cuba, Horn of Africa, and Japan. I assure you that your
sailors are ready to take on any challenge necessary to protect our
great nation by providing a constant, well-trained forward presence
throughout the world.
With more than 40 percent of our ships deployed daily, America's
Navy is making the world a better place. Our Navy has conducted counter
piracy operations in the Indian Ocean and deployed ships to provide
proactive humanitarian assistance with global partners in missions such
as Pacific Partnership and Continuing Promise 2010 in the Caribbean.
Our sailors perform remarkable and selfless feats every day out of
devout patriotism and commitment to helping others. Last year, our
sailors responded compassionately while providing humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief following the earthquake in Haiti and
flood in Pakistan, and today they are providing assistance in strength
to the people of Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
With all the events and coverage by our Navy worldwide we conducted the
world's largest maritime exercise, which brought together 14 nations
and more than 20,000 military personnel, to improve coordination and
trust in multi-national operations in the Pacific. Our Nation's Navy
has a global presence and are the first responders when the Nation and
the world calls.
personnel readiness
We have been very successful in our recruiting and retention
efforts over the past 3 years. However, we are encountering challenges
in recruiting health professionals, nuclear operators and special
warfare operators in both the Active and Reserve components. To meet
increased demands for these skills, we maintained bonus levels for
nuclear officers and health professionals and continue to offer
enlisted accession bonuses to special warfare/special operations and
other critical ratings.
In fiscal year 2010, Navy recruiting achieved all enlisted goals,
including nuclear field, Naval Special Warfare/Special Operations and
all OCO ratings, as well as total female and women in nontraditional
ratings. We continue to exceed Department of Defense (DOD) quality
standards in all recruit categories. For new contract quality in fiscal
year 2010 we achieved 97.4 percent High School Diploma Graduates (HSDG)
and 83 percent scored 50 or higher on their ASVAB (Test Score Category
I-IIIA). We expect this trend to continue into fiscal year 2011.
America's Navy has transitioned from a posture of reducing end
strength to one of shaping the force. Our force shaping efforts remain
focused on maintaining a balanced force in terms of seniority,
experience and skills, while staying within our congressionally
authorized end strength limits. We are projected to meet our fiscal
year 2011 authorized Active end strength of 328,700 and Reserve end
strength of 65,500 by the end of the fiscal year.
We are training and retaining superb sailors who are dedicated to
serving our Nation. In particular, we remain focused on retaining
sailors with critical skills in high demand in civilian sector and
specialties that continue to experience high operation tempo in support
of OCO. Key to sustaining the force are effective Enlistment and
Selective Reenlistment Bonus programs which allow us to access and
retain quality sailors to sustain the Active Force.
We are finding ways to provide flexible service options and levels
of participation to maximize each individual sailor's ability to serve
in the Navy over the course of a lifetime.
Our Perform-to-Serve program which includes a Selected Reserve
option, gives us the opportunity to retain our fully-qualified sailors
within the Reserve component before they separate from active duty. We
recently incorporated a Fleet Rating Identification Engine (Fleet RIDE)
application with our Perform-To-Serve initiative. This tool provides a
comprehensive assessment of sailors' qualifications for alternate Navy
enlisted ratings so we can transition them to an undermanned technical
specialty. It further facilitates the Reserve affiliation process by
providing each Active component sailor with information about Reserve
opportunities and the ability to apply for a Reserve component quota.
The Continuum of Service concept looks to develop programs that
provide sailors with flexible career options within Navy's Total Force
construct. Our goal for the continuum of service initiative is to
achieve a seamless transition between the active and Reserve
components, and civilian work force, to meet mission requirements and
encourage a lifetime of service. Since the establishment of the Career
Transition Office (CTO) in May 2009, average transition time has
decreased from more than 30 days to 4 days. Transition from Active Duty
to Reserve creates a ``Recruit Once, Retain for Life'' culture. We view
a sailor's career similar to driving down a highway. Sailors need the
ability to make ``lane changes'' to meet life-work needs, and the CTO
is there to make the ``lane change'' as seamless as possible.
Existing transition assistance programs to facilitate sailors'
relocation to the civilian sector are robust but would benefit from
expansion. In the last 5 years, more than 300,000 sailors have
separated from Navy service while our end strength dropped by
approximately 35,000 personnel. Although we expect this rate to plateau
as we satisfy end strength requirements and shape our force, properly
preparing our sailors for this transition will remain critical so that
they are able to plan for and become equally productive citizens of
society.
navy reserve force
Since 1915, Navy reservists have played an integral part in service
to our Nation. From World War I to World War II, through Operation
Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, to September 11, and to
Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), Navy reservists have continually
stepped up, supported and defended our Nation against enemies, foreign
and domestic. Since September 11, our Navy Reserve has filled more than
63,000 mobilization requirements. As of October 2010, more than 7,000
reservists were mobilized to support of OCO. Our Navy Reserve makes up
slightly more than 50 percent of the IA force, with slightly less than
50 percent being Active component sailors. Our Navy Reserve warriors
continually prove they are more than capable of meeting any challenge
and conducting any mission, anytime, anywhere.
As I travel the world to meet and talk with sailors, I could not be
more proud of the day-to-day efforts and tenacity of our sailors. I'm
amazed at the integration that has taken shape over the years between
our Active and Navy Reserve. We are one Force working side-by-side in
all corners of the world; a Total Force integrated and executing the
Navy's mission wherever and whenever called.
Even though we have always had an operational Navy Reserve, since
the terrorist attacks on September 11 we have relied heavily on our
Strategic Reserve Force in order to meet various Naval and joint
military missions. Our Sailor's Creed begins with ``I am a United
States Sailor'' and that is exactly what I see when I travel throughout
our Navy; Active and Reserve sailors from all walks of life working
side-by-side as one team, one family and one Navy.
We ensure that billets are filled and missions are manned properly,
but our Navy families are top priority, and we remain committed to
balancing mission requirements with family needs.
sailor and family readiness
As our Navy evolves and we continue to have the most advanced
equipment, technology, weapons systems and platforms, one thing remains
the same: The engine that truly drives our Navy and the reason we are
the best is our people.
I greatly enjoy every opportunity I get to travel around the world
to meet and talk with sailors and their families. When I see our hard-
working, high-spirited and amazingly capable sailors, it makes me very
proud and humbled. Now, that I am toward the end of my career, I am
entering a new career field, that of being a Navy family member. My
oldest son, Zach, is a Navy Diver and my wife Bobbi and I know what it
is like to watch our son deploy in harm's way, waiting, wondering and
praying that everything will be alright and he will return home safely.
I also know what it feels like to be the spouse at home watching your
loved one deploy. I experienced this first-hand this past year when my
wife was deployed to Afghanistan with the Naval Criminal Investigative
Service. As we all know, we certainly could not do our jobs and
probably would not be where we are today without the love and support
from our families and spouses.
I could not be more proud of our Navy families for their remarkably
selfless dedication and steadfast support of our sailors. Our families
have sacrificed so much as they have supported their sailors and our
great Navy. We are the greatest Navy in the world and a big part of
that is our sailors being ready and able to focus on the mission and
their individual jobs because they have the confidence that our Navy is
taking care of their families.
Deployments are an integral part of Navy life. We have been
deploying our forces since we formed our great Navy during times of
both peace and conflict, but it is important not to underestimate or
take for granted the incredible strain that a long deployment imposes
on our sailors and their families. Multiple deployments, frequent
relocations and the stresses associated with being part of a military
family all impact the overall readiness of the unit, the readiness of
the individual sailor, and the readiness of their family.
Keeping our Navy families informed about resources available to
them to mitigate the strain of deployment and provide support is
instrumental to their peace of mind while waiting for their sailors to
return from year-long assignments in the Middle East or 6-month
deployments safeguarding our seas. Through resources such as `Navy for
Moms,' `Navy Dads,' Military OneSource, Navy.mil and various other web
sites, our sailors and their families are more informed today about the
resources available to them than they have ever been in the history of
our Navy. Another success in communication has been the use of smart
phone applications such as `Navy Life' and `Navy IA' as well as social
media web sites such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with sailors
and families. Both CNO and I are committed to using social media
because it is a great opportunity to remain connected with our sailors
Navy-wide and a great tool in our outreach efforts for getting
information out in a timely manner to our entire Navy family, which
includes Active and Reserve sailors, families, retirees, and Department
of the Navy civilians.
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs are also
instrumental in our commitment to addressing Sailor and Family
Readiness. The Navy has embraced a ``Culture of Fitness'' through
incorporation of programs such as the Navy Operational Fitness and
Fueling Series and Family Fitness Opportunities. We facilitate these
and other initiatives through access to modern facilities and evolving
approaches to holistic health. Sailors are required to meet physical
fitness and body composition standards that necessitate a regimented
approach regardless of environment, climate or other limitations.
Ashore, our sailors and families also rely on MWR to strike a balance
between the demands of military service and the importance of off-duty
pursuits with loved ones.
continuum of care
Health care is one of our top recruiting and retention tools for
our sailors, and I continuously hear just how important access to
health care is for them and their family members. Navy Medicine
continues to focus on developing an economic and quality-centric
strategy for the delivery of top-quality health care to our
beneficiaries, and the recruitment and retention of providers in
critical specialties allowing the fulfillment of the wartime mission,
while sustaining the benefit here at home.
Operational tempo of the force remains at very high levels. To
ensure the behavioral health needs of our sailors is met, we are
seeking ways to refine existing programs, as well as exploring new
opportunities to address future demands. In particular, our Navy's
Operational Stress Control Program, Navy Reserve Psychological Health
Outreach Program, Warrior Transition Program, Returning Warrior
Workshop, Navy Safe Harbor, and our Medical Home Port Program are
critical elements of our comprehensive continuum of care and we must
continue to support the expansion of these programs as the need
requires.
The Navy's Safe Harbor Program is the Navy's lead organization for
providing the highest quality non-medical care to all seriously
wounded, ill, and injured sailors, coastguardsmen, and their families.
Using a holistic approach, Navy Safe Harbor offers a lifetime of
individually tailored assistance designed to optimize the success of a
sailor's or coastguardsmen's recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration
activities. Since January 2008, Safe Harbor has grown from 9 personnel
supporting 145 sailors and families at 6 locations to serving a case
load of more than 1,200 wounded, ill, or injured servicemembers at 16
locations. Safe Harbor's goal is to return sailors and coastguardsmen
to duty and when not possible, work collaboratively with Federal and
nongovernmental agencies, including the Department of Veteran Affairs
and State and local organizations, to ensure their successful
reintegration back into their communities.
Through our Fleet and Family Support Centers we offer a number of
personnel and family support programs to reduce life stressors
including, but not limited to physical readiness, life skills
education, financial management, health promotion, and religious
ministries. Furthermore, our family readiness programs promote healthy
and resilient families, focusing on areas such as the prevention of
suicide and domestic violence, and providing developmental child care
and youth programs and services. We make every effort to reach
servicemembers and families no matter how remote their location through
webinars, monthly electronic newsletters and deployment preparedness
handbooks.
The Bureau of Medicine and Surgery implemented Medical Home Port
(MHP) throughout Navy Medicine in 2010 as a new model of healthcare
delivery in primary care. Care delivered in the MHP model includes, but
is not limited to, readiness, prevention, wellness, behavioral health,
and disease management. This model enables sailors to be treated in the
settings in which they feel most comfortable and reduces the stigma
associated with the care they receive. MHP increases access to care,
improves clinical quality and patient outcomes, enhances patient
satisfaction, promotes a healthier and fit force, and reduces
healthcare utilization, resulting in a reduction in overall healthcare
costs.
Combat casualty care is provided by Navy medical personnel assigned
to and serving with Marine Corps units, in Expeditionary Medical
Facilities, aboard casualty receiving/treatment ships and hospital
ships, and in military and Department of Veteran Affairs hospitals.
Recent advances in force protection, battlefield medicine, combat and
operation stress control, medical evacuation, and family support
programs have led to improved survival rates, healthier family
functioning and enhanced operational effectiveness.
The Navy continues to provide support to sailors and their families
through a variety of programs that increase medical and non-medical
assistance to wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers utilizing a
comprehensive approach designed to optimize their recovery,
rehabilitation and reintegration. Navy Case Management is the link that
connects resources and services which allow injured servicemembers to
reach their optimum goals in healthcare. Case Management provides the
critical support servicemembers need during this challenging time in
their lives. Case Management will continue to be at the forefront of
providing optimal care to our servicemembers with war-related injuries.
Navy Medicine has 192 Medical Case Managers providing service to our
wounded, ill, and injured sailors in Military Treatment Facilities and
ambulatory care clinics.
suicide and sexual assault prevention
We continue our suicide prevention efforts through a multi-faceted
system of communication, training and command support designed to
foster resilience and promote psychological health among sailors. In
calendar year 2010, the Navy had 38 sailor suicides compared to 46 in
2009.
The Navy continues to develop and enhance programs designed to
mitigate suicide risk factors and improve the resilience of the force.
These programs focus on substance abuse prevention, financial
management, positive family relationships, physical readiness, and
family support with the goal of reducing individual stress. We continue
to work toward a greater understanding of the issues surrounding
suicide to ensure that our policies, training programs, interventions,
and communication efforts are meeting their intended objectives.
More and more shipmates, leaders, and family members are noting
signs of concern and are reaching out to get sailors the help they
need. We recognize that long before thoughts of suicide occur, we have
opportunities to build resilience, intervene early when risk factors
are present, and create the connections that help sustain us in times
of challenge. Most of these efforts fall within our broader family
readiness and health promotion activities.
The Navy has expanded the surveillance and analysis system for Navy
active and Reserve suicide deaths and attempts; supported command
prevention and stress control programs with printed resource and
interactive training materials; provided training world-wide to suicide
prevention coordinators and first responders; and provided Navy
representation in DOD, VA, and other cooperative efforts.
For most sailors, suicide prevention is more than just a training
topic. About half have personally known someone in their lives who was
lost to suicide. Sailors and leaders genuinely care and have shown it
in the way they have engaged vigorously in focus groups, put forth
tremendous creativity in developing suicide prevention posters and
materials, and enthusiastically embraced new hands-on training
materials. Their caring shows in the dozens of times each month someone
assists a struggling shipmate to get some help. This past year, we
implemented programs such as the Coalition of Sailors Against
Destructive Decisions (CSADD) which is gaining momentum with our
younger sailors.
CSADD's mission is to provide military members of all branches with
the best prevention and intervention tools possible to deal with the
issues of drinking, reckless driving, and other destructive decisions
while maintaining good order and discipline, to assist sailors in
making life decisions that will maintain positive lifestyles in keeping
with the Navy's core values, to guide sailors away from making poor and
destructive decisions by providing them with positive and dynamic
training and to show sailors how to make quick positive decisions and
put their training to use in moments of high stress and peer pressure.
The Navy has a `zero' tolerance policy for sexual assault; it is a
criminal act. The majority of sexual assaults are servicemember-on-
servicemember and it is incomprehensible that a sailor would commit
such a horrible crime against another shipmate. It undermines teamwork,
morale, unit cohesion, and operational readiness.
At the close of calendar year 2010, reports of sexual assault
increased from 2009. This increase could be attributed to victims'
increased willingness to report the crime. This demonstrates that our
education and prevention efforts are showing progress, but we
acknowledge sexual assaults are still occurring in our Navy. The
highest risk group for victims over the past several years remains E-1
to E-4, ages 20 to 24, with most incidents occurring during the
weekends. In most sexual assault incidents, alcohol was a major factor
impairing the judgment of offenders, victims, and bystanders.
In order to remove sexual assault from our Navy, we are ensuring
commands have a strong partnership with Sexual Assault Response
Coordinators (SARCs) and a robust Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response (SAPR) Program which fosters an environment where `shipmates
help shipmates' by not allowing destructive behavior to occur.
The SAPR program, established in 2004, promotes training, builds
awareness and provides advocacy and supportive services for victims of
sexual assault. It is a victim-focused program that focuses on response
and offender accountability. The SAPR program is conducting a
comprehensive review of training curriculum for those entering the
Service ranks and attending professional military schools. The Navy
embraces bystander intervention as the core of our strategy to protect
sailors from sexual assault. Bystander intervention is key to
preventing sexual assaults before they occur. Our goals include
reducing the incidents of sexual assault, improving support for victims
of sexual assault, and building prevention based upon insights from
data-driven critical assessments. We will continue to revise and
improve the SAPR program to create an environment free of sexual
assault for all Navy personnel.
child care
In today's military, many of our sailors have working spouses or
have the responsibility of being single parents who depend heavily on
our military child and youth system of care, which includes Child
Development Centers (CDC), to provide quality child care. Due to
frequent relocations and the length of deployments, many of our sailors
do not have the option, like civilian families, to rely on family
members and friends to assist with taking care of their children when
they are away.
An important facet that stands out in the quality of our child care
programs is the continuity of service from location to location as we
operate a standardized worldwide program. Sailors and their children
can count on the same quality of care whether they are stationed in
Chinhae, Korea, or San Diego, CA. Additionally, our programs are among
the most affordable. Commercial programs charge parent fees based on
the age of the child while our programs base fees on total family
income. This model is critical to the economic viability of our
families. Children under the age of three are the most costly to care
for due to the lower child-to-staff ratios, and typically our most
junior enlisted families have children in this age group.
This fiscal year, we will complete an expansion of approximately
7,000 new child care spaces meeting the Office of the Secretary of
Defense guidance to provide 80 percent of potential need for child care
spaces (54,000 total spaces for children ages infant to 12th grade,
including 19,000 CDC spaces). With the construction of these spaces, we
will reduce the waiting time for child care to 3 months or less Navy-
wide with first priority given to single parents.
Our continuing expansion initiatives are not only meeting the needs
of our families living on or near our installations, but also those
living and working throughout the United States, including Reserve
members. Our contract programs ``Military Child Care in Your
Neighborhood'' and ``Mission Youth Outreach'' provide subsidized child
and youth services from commercial programs that meet community quality
standards. We continue to work with communities, assisting them with
raising the quality of their standards.
homeport ashore, bachelor and navy family housing
Thanks to the support of Congress, through military construction
and housing privatization, we have made significant strides in
improving the living conditions of our sailors and their families. Our
Homeport Ashore program continues to provide adequate off-ship quarters
to junior sailors who are not entitled to a Basic Allowance for Housing
and would normally live aboard ships. This effort marks the most
dramatic quality of life improvement initiative for our single sailors
that I have seen over the course of my career.
Still, one of my biggest quality of life concerns is that we have
approximately 5,400 single sailors, E-1 to E-4 with less than 4 years
of service living aboard ship while in their homeport. The Navy has
made considerable progress toward achieving the Homeport Ashore goal
through military construction, privatization, and intensified use of
existing barracks capacity (based on an interim assignment policy
standard 55 square feet of space per person). Moving our single sailors
off ships remains a priority and requires us to assign two or more
sailors per room. Although housing these sailors does not meet the DOD
requirement of 90 square feet per person, our sailors are very thankful
for this initiative and know that we will continue to work to meet this
requirement.
Our Bachelor Housing provides permanent party personnel, students,
and mobilized Sailors with suitable, affordable, and safe environments
in community, privatized, or Navy-owned housing. It supports
unaccompanied permanent party personnel, students, and mobilized units
worldwide. The fiscal year 2012 Bachelor Housing program is focused on
completing Homeport Ashore by 2016 and eliminating substandard Bachelor
Housing conditions. With respect to addressing the condition, the Navy
has increased its investment in the restoration and modernization of
bachelor housing across the Future Years Defense Program to bring 90
percent of the inventory to Q1/Q2 (or adequate) standards by 2022.
In fiscal year 2011, the Navy would begin this initiative through
the renovation of barracks in Milton, FL; Atsugi, Japan; Ventura,
Lemoore, and San Diego, CA; Whidbey Island and Bremerton, WA; and Pearl
Harbor, HI.
The Navy owns approximately 10,000 family housing units worldwide.
Based on revised Office of the Secretary of Defense criteria directing
the use of Q-ratings, the Navy has identified approximately 3,700 Navy-
owned homes as inadequate. The revised definition is based on the
physical condition of the home as a function of its replacement value.
The previous inadequate definition was identified as a building in need
of more than $50,000 of repairs. We have privatized approximately
40,000 homes in the CONUS and Hawaii inventory. The privatization of
the remaining 870 homes in the northwest is scheduled for the end of
2013. The privatization of the remaining 226 homes in the southwest is
under review. When the Public Private Venture (PPV) transition is
complete, the Navy will own less than 100 homes in CONUS and Hawaii,
but will retain ownership and management of all foreign assets.
Thanks to the support of this committee and Members of Congress, we
have improved the housing available to our sailors through PPV. Sailors
cite the PPV initiative as one of the most effective quality of life
improvements in recent years.
Quality of life does affect retention and recruiting. PPV and
Homeport Ashore are examples of initiatives that have had a direct
impact on the retention, morale and the quality of life of our men and
women. They are shining examples of our covenant with sailors to
recognize their service through tangible improvements to their welfare,
and represent ideal opportunities for expanded utilization.
conclusion
America's Navy is very much a global force for good on station
around the world and around the clock, deterring aggression, keeping
the sea lanes open for free trade, projecting power and maritime
security, and delivering humanitarian assistance and disaster response
where needed. Sailors are the key element in our Navy's future force.
Our Navy family members share our sacrifices while providing
support. They have courage, strength and deep devotion to our country.
Our Navy families endure the challenges of multiple deployments and
moves, spend holidays and life milestones apart, juggle everyday tasks
while a spouse, parent, son, or daughter is in harm's way, and honor
the service of their loved ones and memories of those lost.
We must continue to ask hard questions and make hard decisions that
will enable us to provide a quality of life commensurate to the
sacrifices our sailors and their families make. The Continuing
Resolution (CR) for 2011 has affected us in several areas including
various military construction projects that have been delayed and may
not be executed. But most of all, it has had a negative effect on our
ability to properly support quality of life for sailors and their
families.
Due to the way resources are phased and allocated under the CR, the
Navy does not have sufficient manpower funding to allow for normal lead
times for sailors to receive Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders
as funds must be allotted to cover pay and benefits. Average lead times
have been reduced from 4 to 6 months to approximately 2 months or less.
This places great emotional and economic stress on sailors and their
families. In today's economy, there is a great possibility that if they
own a house, they will not be able to sell it or have enough time for
the spouse to be able to find a job in the new location. Our Navy
families affected by these constraints are often forced to live apart.
The impact of Navy's PCS funding level is being felt across the force,
and will continue until funding is resolved.
On behalf of our sailors who sacrifice daily and their families who
faithfully support them, I want to extend my sincere appreciation for
your unwavering support for our U.S. Navy. Thank you.
Senator Webb. Thank you, Master Chief.
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, James Roy, welcome.
STATEMENT OF CMSAF JAMES A. ROY, CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT OF THE
AIR FORCE, USAF
Chief Master Sergeant Roy. Chairman Webb, members of the
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to tell you about
America's Air Force and our families.
It's an honor and a distinct privilege to join my fellow
senior enlisted advisors here today to represent one of the
finest air forces in the world and, of course, those young men
and women that make up our U.S. Air Force.
There are more than 702,000 who make up the total force
team: Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilians. Two members
of the total force team join me today: Chief Master Sergeant
Denise Jalinski-Hall, a senior enlisted leader for the National
Guard Bureau, and Chief Master Sergeant Chris Muncey, the
command Chief Master Sergeant for the Air National Guard.
We appreciate the unwavering support of the members here
and from the entire Senate, which is a vital part of our
success. We are greatly appreciative of your efforts, actions,
and legislation that have led to the expansion of
servicemembers' and veterans' pay and benefits. We also
appreciate the visits by the Senators to our servicemembers in
the field and to the wounded warriors in healthcare facilities.
To represent all the Air Force wounded warriors, I am
joined here today by Technical Sergeant Chris Frost, an
explosives ordinance disposal technician who lost both legs
below the knee when his vehicle struck a 700-pound improvised
explosive device in Iraq in 2008. The blast killed one soldier
and injured two others in his vehicle. Sergeant Frost has since
returned to duty, mentored other wounded warriors and cycled
3,500 miles across America. Sergeant Frost inspires all of us.
It is an absolute pleasure serving with him, and I salute his
resiliency.
Senator Webb. Sergeant, where are you? Thanks for what
you've been doing, and we are really proud of how you've come
back from your wounds. You bounced right out of that chair.
That's very impressive.
Chief Master Sergeant Roy. Our airmen are on our front
lines in a variety of theaters of operation, including
America's recent missions over Libya and on the ground for
humanitarian missions in Operation Tomodachi. They are also
providing airmanship skills to combatant commanders around the
world, and they are constantly deployed, leaving behind
families and friends.
We must ensure our airmen and their families are safe,
healthy, and resilient. Building resiliency among airmen and
their families is a key focus area. Our warriors have been in
Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly 10 years, and in the Middle
East for over 20 years.
We are deliberately increasing the focus on building
stronger, resilient families because of our continued high
operational tempo at home and abroad, as well as the unique
role of airmen, such as remotely piloted aircraft operators,
who affect the battlespace each and every day. Resilient airmen
are better equipped to withstand, recover, and continue to grow
in the face of stressors and the changing demands, while
continuously getting the job done.
It is my distinct honor to be with you here today and tell
you about America's Air Force and what we do on a daily basis.
Thank you again. I look forward to any questions.
[The prepared statement of Chief Master Sergeant Roy
follows:]
Prepared Statement by CMSAF James A. Roy, USAF
introduction
Chairman Webb, Senator Graham, members of the subcommittee, thank
you for this opportunity to share with you information important to
America's airmen, their families, and our U.S. Air Force. It is an
honor and distinct privilege for me to join my fellow Service Senior
Enlisted Advisors and represent our Nation's finest men and women.
This fiscal year, we have a programmed Total Force end strength of
702,367 which includes 332,200 active duty, 192,267 civilians, 71,200
Reserve, and 106,700 Air National Guard personnel. In the fiscal year
2012 budget, we have requested a Total Force end strength that will
decrease to 693,099. While active duty end strength will only increase
by 600 airmen to 332,800, our civilian end strength will decrease by
just over 10,000 to 182,199 civilians. We will also increase the
Reserve end strength by 200 to 71,400 while the Air National Guard
remains unchanged at 106,700.
force management
Fiscal constraints and 16-year record high retention rates compel
the Air Force to develop voluntary and involuntary programs to manage
our end strength levels. We must operate within our budget and we are
committed to meeting our end strength. To do so, we have made tough
decisions that will impact airmen across the 30-year continuum of
service. For new airmen who fail to complete their initial skills
training, we established a Limited Initial Skills Training process that
considers these airmen for either retention or separation based on the
needs of the Air Force. We encourage voluntary separations and
retirements for more seasoned airmen by offering both limited active
duty service commitment waivers and time-in-grade waivers. They may
also voluntarily apply to complete their service commitment in the Air
Reserve component through our Palace CHASE Program or continue service
in the Army through the Blue-to-Green Program.
In an effort to manage the enlisted force within authorized end
strength, we are continuing the Date of Separation (DOS) Rollback
Program. This initiative separates airmen early who have already chosen
to transition from the Air Force. It also provides an avenue to
accelerate the removal of airmen who possess negative quality force
indicators.
Our force management strategy is not a quick fix, but a tailored,
multi-year effect designed to manage the force along a 30-year
continuum of service.
accessions
We must protect accessions while taking care of our people as the
impact of under-accessing airmen is felt for the next 20 years. As
previously mentioned, our force management efforts include reducing
accessions. Although below desired sustainment levels, reductions are
manageable within the short- and long-term health of the force. For
fiscal year 2011, this included 2,135 enlisted accession reductions and
439 officer reductions. In fiscal year 2012, our reductions are deeper.
Enlisted accession reductions are set at 2,407 while officer reductions
are set at 639.
recruiting, retention, bonuses, and incentive pays
America deserves the very best Air Force in the world, and it takes
recruiting, developing, and retaining the highest quality airmen to
maintain that status. To do so, our fiscal year 2012 budget request
includes $30.5 billion in military personnel funding, to include a 1.6
percent pay increase. Although our recruiting quality and retention
levels are at the highest in 16 years, we are obligating $630 million
for bonuses to recruit the right skill sets and retain experienced
airmen for today's fight and the emerging missions of tomorrow. Without
these funds we will handicap our commanders in their ability to
efficiently and effectively carry out the full range of missions
America demands of its Air Force.
Air Force recruiting continues to need high quality recruits, even
during periods of high retention. Higher quality recruits increase the
probability of success during their initial training. Basic Military
Training attrition went from a high of 10.7 percent in fiscal year 2007
down to 6.8 percent in fiscal year 2010 due to higher caliber recruits.
Additionally, as a Service, we need a continuing flow of high quality
recruits to fill entry-level positions as current airmen progress into
advanced positions and eventually separate or retire. Continued support
for maintaining high quality now will allow the Air Force to compete
for the best and brightest along a broad spectrum, especially when
unemployment improves and current retention returns to normal levels.
The Air National Guard (ANG) is focusing its recruiting efforts on
precision recruiting to existing vacancies. The ANG is currently
projecting to be at or near its authorized end strength of 106,700 at
the end of fiscal year 2011.
The Air Force Reserve uses its bonus program to meet the demand for
critical skills deemed vital to Air Force Reserve mission. Its bonus
program has been pivotal to recruiting and retaining the right people
to meet combatant commander requirements. Development of these skills
usually requires long training courses. Members with these skills are
normally in high demand within the private sector. With continued
funding, the Reserve will be able to offer the appropriate combination
of bonuses for enlistment, reenlistment, affiliation and health
professionals. Current indications illustrate the bonus program is
positively benefitting recruiting and retention.
The Air Force has a relatively small budget for recruiting special
skills into the Service. On the enlisted side, these skills range from
ground and airborne cryptologic language analyst; combat control;
tactical air control party; survival, evasion, resistance, and escape;
pararescue; special operations weather; and explosive ordnance
disposal.
A 16-year high in active duty enlisted retention has necessitated
moderate reductions in accessions and additional force management
actions including rollbacks of Dates of Separation (DOS), separations
for initial skills training failures, waivers for active duty service
commitments, time-in-grade requirements and enlistment contracts which
will continue through fiscal year 2012. Without these actions in fiscal
year 2010, our overall retention would have exceeded the goal by more
than 4 percent. The Air Force finished fiscal year 2010 at 100 percent
of its retention goal in Zone A, 17 months through 6 years of service
(YOS), exceeded the goal in Zone B, 6 YOS through 10 YOS at 109
percent, and was under its retention goal in Zone C, 10 YOS through 14
YOS at 93 percent. Based on current economic forecasting, the Air Force
is expected to experience consistent retention rates over the next few
years.
Selective Reenlistment Bonuses (SRB) are our most effective,
responsive and measurable tool for targeted retention. The fiscal year
2012 budget for new SRB contracts does change from fiscal year 2011's
budget of $145.9 million as we expect to offer SRBs to fewer than 90
enlisted specialties in fiscal year 2012.
The Air Force uses Cumulative Continuation Rates (CCR) to track
retention by AFSC and by reenlistment zones. The CCR shows the expected
rate an airman is likely to remain in the Service from year-to-year or
zone-to-zone. SRBs are also an effective tool for addressing targeted
retention by AFSC and by zone. In fiscal year 2009, SRB costs were
$227.6 million of the total Air Force budget of which $70.4 million
were comprised of anniversary payments, $156 million in new bonuses,
and $1.2 million in accelerated payments. Conversely, in fiscal year
2010 funding for new bonuses fell from $156 million to $141 million and
fell even further in fiscal year 2011 and is now down to $129.9
million. Currently, 89 AFSCs are receiving SRBs in fiscal year 2011.
Our Service will continue to experience high retention through
fiscal year 2012 and likely into fiscal year 2013. However, we must
still overcome several skill imbalances as a result of previous actions
to reduce end strength by deliberately under-accessing in fiscal year
2005 and building larger AFSCs for new and emerging mission sets.
Additionally, the Air Force will continue using CSRBs and SRBs to
manage retention and address shortfalls in critical skills and levels
of skill in various AFSCs while also implementing force management
tools to target losses in overage skill sets as we appropriately shape
the force.
diversity
In a Nation where only 25 percent of our youth are eligible to
serve in an All-Volunteer Military, it is necessary to maintain a
diverse Air Force to overcome today's increasingly complex challenges.
In the fall of 2010, we published strategic guidance to include a
diversity policy directive and Diversity Roadmap, which provides
priorities, goals and specific actions for implementation of diversity
initiatives. Formalizing the Diversity Roadmap into an Air Force
Instruction will provide the Total Force its final piece of strategic
guidance. Woven into the instruction will be vetted recommendations of
the Military Leadership Diversity Commission. We anticipate completion
of the instruction by the end of September 2011.
We furthered the institutionalization of diversity by holding the
inaugural Diversity Senior Working Group in October 2010. Showcasing
senior leader commitment, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Secretary
and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, in addition to 60 senior leaders
from the major commands and the Pentagon participated. Participants
were challenged to promote diversity within their sphere of influence.
For example, leaders can make diversity a personal commitment by
participating in two outreach events per year, adding a diversity
message in speeches, identifying key positions and implementing hiring
practices with a diversity lens, analyzing mentoring programs and
determining how to resource diversity within the major commands and
wings.
human capital strategy
Deliberately developing airmen is a key focus area. Our airmen must
have the right mix of skills so the Air Force can continue providing
combat-ready, expeditionary forces to combatant commanders now and in
the future.
The Air Force is focused on providing the right expeditionary
combat skills needed for our airmen to fly, fight, and win. It is
critical that our airmen have the experience, education, and training
to think with a global perspective and operate in an expeditionary
environment.
Airmen must be specifically trained, educated, and experienced
through professional development initiatives designed to create the
capabilities and capture current and future mission demands. We
implemented several new initiatives to enhance the development of our
airmen focusing on their experience, education and training to ensure
they are prepared to fill current and future leadership positions.
Central to our efforts is the shift to assigning the most ``qualified''
airman versus the most ``eligible'' airman for our key billets.
Our new approach to managing enlisted talent gives us the
capability to evaluate Senior Noncommissioned Officers (SNCOs) and
select the right airmen for critical jobs, while also ensuring they are
vectored in the proper career sequence and that we are preparing them
for future leadership roles. This new approach, coupled with our new
special experience identifier tracking codes, give our assignment teams
the tools to identify airmen with the requisite training and experience
for key positions.
We start by focusing our attention on the Air Force's No. 1
priority--Nuclear Enterprise. Our 2W2 (Nuclear Weapons Maintenance) and
21M (Munitions, Missile Maintenance) career fields have developed
prioritization lists to ensure we assign the most qualified airmen to
positions by order of importance within the Nuclear Enterprise.
continue to strengthen the nuclear enterprise
The Air Force continues to strengthen the nuclear enterprise,
placing increased focus on ensuring the nuclear deterrence mission is
executed with precision and reliability every single day. Secretary of
the Air Force Michael B. Donley, Air Force Chief of Staff General
Norton A. Schwartz, and I have all visited the nuclear missile fields.
We had the opportunity to speak with the amazing airmen who provide the
same round-the-clock nuclear deterrence as their predecessors have for
over 50 years. These airmen are working diligently to achieve the
standard of perfection the nuclear mission demands and the American
public expects.
I'm happy to report that Air Force Global Strike Command reached
Full Operational Capable status in September 2010. This change provides
the needed oversight and advocacy of the Air Force's Intercontinental
Ballistic Missile (ICBM) and nuclear-capable bomber forces.
The demand of the nuclear mission requires discipline and
compliance with the highest standards. It is imperative that airmen at
every level are focused on upholding our core values of Integrity
First, Service Before Self and Excellence in All We Do.
airmen in the joint and coalition fight
More than 94,400 Total Force airmen are currently forward stationed
or deployed worldwide supporting combatant commanders. Another 133,000
provide daily strategic mobility, space and missile capabilities,
command and control, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
to joint warfighters. In all, 42 percent of the Total Force directly
supports combatant commander requirements every day.
Almost 29,000 airmen are deployed to the U.S. Central Command area
of operations, with more than 3,700 filling joint expeditionary
taskings. Airmen are on the frontlines with their fellow soldiers,
sailors, and marines in roles such as detainee operations, convoy
employment and protection, explosive ordnance disposal, police training
teams, military transition teams, civil engineering, security,
communications, fuels, medical services, logistics, intelligence, and
base operating support. They are part of the joint team, serving in
whatever capacity needed by the combatant commander. Together with our
sister services, we are training and augmenting both Iraqi and Afghan
security forces, rebuilding critical infrastructure, and providing
medical services to these war-torn countries.
Our remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) platforms continue to increase
the support to joint and coalition warfighters on the ground. Airmen
are finding, tracking, and attacking our enemies using Air Force
Predators, Reapers and Global Hawk RPA aircraft. Our Predator
operations alone have increased from 12 combat air patrols in 2007 to
48 today to support combatant commanders and warfighters. By growing
the number of RPA operators and increasing the number of combat air
patrols to 58 by the end of fiscal year 2012, we are protecting joint
and coalition interests around the globe from bases within the United
States.
deployments
As of 1 March 2011, we have more than 38,000 deployed personnel,
approximately 5,000 of which are fulfilling Joint Expeditionary
Taskings working with our sister Services. In order to meet the growing
demands of combatant commanders, Air Force 179-day tours increased from
12 percent of all deployments in calendar year 2004 to 60 percent
today. In October 2010, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force established
the Air Force's baseline deployment tour length to be 179-days,
normalizing this for all airmen by October 2012. Still, approximately
1,800 of our deployment requirements, or 7 percent of all deployments,
call for airmen to be deployed for 365 days.
Continuing to fill both the deployed and home-station mission
continues to take its toll on our units. The end-result of the new 179-
day deployment standard will keep airmen on typical deployments for an
additional 60 days but will also provide them and their families more
time at home between deployments. Additionally, the longer standard
deployment will reduce the amount of pre-deployment training required
over a career.
In total, more than 216,000 Total Force airmen support daily
combatant commander operations.
airman and family resilience
Building resiliency among airmen and their families is another key
focus area. Our warriors have been in Iraq and Afghanistan for nearly
10 years and in the Middle East for over 20 years. Continued high
operations tempo at home and abroad stress to us the need to
deliberately increase the focus on building strong, resilient families.
Resilient airmen are better equipped to withstand, recover and/or grow
in the face of stressors and changing demands, and continuously get the
job done. Many of our programs are designed to continue to build
resilient airmen and families.
We are committed to strengthening the resilience of our airmen and
their families. Our goal is to improve leadership commitment toward
building resilient airmen who have the ability to withstand, recover,
and grow in the face of stressors and changing demands--regardless of
time, challenge, or location.
exceptional family member program
The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) is how we assist
airmen and their families who have special needs, balancing mission
requirements with family care responsibilities. We continue to focus
attention this year on supporting our 17,000 airmen with exceptional
family members.
Two facets of EFMP are assignments, managed through the Air Force
Personnel Center and Special Needs Identification and Assignment
Coordination, administered by the Air Force Medical Service. We
recently added a third element, EFMP-Family Support, which provides
information and referral services available in the base and local
community.
These airmen and their families require more comprehensive support
beyond the identification and assignment process. To address this gap,
we have designated a staff member from the Airman and Family Readiness
Center at each installation to provide information, referral and
assistance to families with special needs. We have hired additional
staff at 35 installations with 175 or more special needs families to
provide targeted focus on family member support. Additionally, to
improve on the coordination of care for high-risk families, the Air
Force will add 36 active duty social work billets beginning in fiscal
year 2012. Furthermore, we have increased our communication and
marketing efforts at our Airman and Family Readiness Centers and
Medical Treatment Facilities to ensure airmen and families are aware of
the enhanced resources available to them.
quality of life
We thank Congress for its steadfast funding for quality of life
initiatives. We look forward to continued support to enable us to
retain skilled airmen and develop them into the leaders we need for the
future.
The quality of life airmen and their families receive is an
overwhelming factor in how long they will serve. During the Year of the
Air Force Family (YoAFF), we focused on four main pillars: health and
wellness; airmen and family support; education, development and
employment; and airmen and family housing. Among the many initiatives
resulting from the YoAFF, we implemented the Family Health Initiative
at 32 Medical Treatment Facilities, convened a Single Airman Summit in
April 2010, provided each installation funding to support spouse
employment programs, and developed the Building Thriving Housing
Communities Strategy.
Whether working on the installation or deployed fighting the
Nation's wars, our airmen deserve buildings and facilities of a high
standard commensurate with the outstanding service they provide their
country. Since 2000, and with the very generous support of Congress,
the Air Force funded many military construction projects for child
development centers, youth centers and fitness centers. While this
represents a significant investment by the Air Force, many requirements
remain.
Our fitness centers continue to be an important on-base facility
where airmen and their families gather to participate in numerous
activities that help to improve their overall heath and build strong,
resilient families. The Air Force has funded dozens of fitness center
projects over the last 10 years. These projects have included add-ons
to existing centers and replacing old and undersized facilities. With
your continued funding support, we hope to construct and expand our
facilities to meet the needs of our airmen and their families.
Last year, we transformed the way the Air Force delivers food
service. We focused on a campus-style food service for airmen and their
families while improving efficiency and providing significant savings.
Our food transformation initiative addresses changing lifestyles, needs
and preferences while improving program and facility standards. This
initiative offers a variety of healthy options while keeping our
warfighting capabilities at the forefront. The transformation was
implemented at six bases, where operating hours increased while costs
decreased an estimated 27 percent. Since the initiative began, the
customer count is up 22 percent and satisfaction has increased 8
percent.
wounded warrior and survivor care
We remain fully committed to caring for our brave airmen who are
wounded in battle, who contract serious illnesses or are injured while
defending the Nation's freedoms. We also recognize the importance of
family to the healing process and continue to embrace the families of
our brave men and women in uniform. The Air Force continues to provide
non-medical case management, support, and assistance through the Air
Force Survivor Assistance Program, the Recovery Care Program, and the
Air Force Wounded Warrior Program--and will do so for as long as needed
in partnership with our medical community. With your support, our
Warrior and Survivor Care programs continue to prosper. As of March 31,
2011, we have 1,008 Air Force members enrolled in the Air Force Wounded
Warrior Program. In keeping pace with our growing Wounded Warrior
population, the Air Force has hired 33 Recovery Care Coordinators to
support 31 locations across the Air Force. We have also increased our
Air Force Wounded Warrior Program consultants from 12 to 21 positions.
Our Family Liaison Officers, Recovery Care Coordinators, Air Force
Wounded Warrior Program consultants, and Community Readiness
Consultants provide immediate and direct care for our airmen and their
families through recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration. Our
partnerships with the Department of Defense and the Veteran Affairs are
improving opportunities for our airmen to continue as active duty
airmen or as civilians within the Air Force and Department of Defense.
These partnerships support education and employment opportunities
geared toward successful reintegration within the civilian communities.
Once again, we will celebrate the achievements of our Wounded
Warriors during the 2011 Warrior Games scheduled for May 17-21, 2011 at
the Olympic Training Center and U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado
Springs, CO. The Warrior Games provide a focal point for our recovering
airmen to incorporate athletics back into their day-to-day lives by
preparing them mentally and physically to get back to their military
service.
post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury
The Air Force has engaged an aggressive and proactive approach to
track airmen who may have post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms or a
traumatic brain injury (TBI). Airmen learn about PTS, TBI, and other
deployment-related health issues through education programs both before
and after they deploy.
In addition to training, airmen are also screened for TBI before
and after deployment. Airmen receive a computerized assessment that
measures cognitive abilities including reaction time and memory. The
member is reassessed in theater if they sustain a head injury. Scores
are compared with baseline in order to aid with return-to-duty
determinations, in conjunction with a clinical assessment.
Airmen who receive help for deployment-related stress also have the
option to receive treatment through primary care channels as the Air
Force increases the mental health presence within the primary care
setting. At this time, 57 percent of Air Force medical treatment
facilities have integrated behavioral health services into primary care
clinics. This program enables airmen to feel more comfortable seeking
behavioral health assistance.
Airmen with common symptoms including sleep, energy, mood, or
concentration difficulties simply see their primary care manager, just
as they would for any other treatment. The primary care manager then
refers the servicemember to the behavioral health consultant who can
provide screening, education and focused intervention in the primary
care clinic. This process helps to normalize minor behavioral health
treatment alongside other, more routine care. The goal is to reduce the
stigma behind seeing a provider for stress, helping airmen feel less
isolated and more willing to ask for help.
key spouse program
The Key Spouse Program is an effective way to communicate with
family members and is akin to the Navy Ombudsman Program and the Army
Family Readiness Group. We aim to bridge the gap between the military
spouse and the military chain of command to help build a greater sense
of community within units, especially where families are separated or
deployed.
Currently, 97 percent of units have trained key spouses, and we
have more than 4,121 trained volunteers. We hope increased emphasis and
continued standardization will make this program become even more
helpful.
spouse employment
Spouse employment in the military is a constant challenge for our
military families. Overall, 48 percent of Air Force spouses seek
employment with each military move. For our junior airmen, the added
income is often a large part of the quality of life their family
enjoys. Military spouses report that their work income constitutes
about 48 percent of total family income.
We appreciate your support and the administration's effort to
strengthen our military families by removing barriers that currently
prevent military spouses from maintaining a career or employment
because of relocation.
This support helps ensure our family members have access to careers
and are not adversely affected when our service calls upon us to
relocate.
unemployment compensation
When States support unemployment compensation, this also allows
spouses to take reasonable time to find suitable employment at the new
location as well as resources necessary to obtain any new licensing or
credential requirements. Currently, 38 States plus the District of
Columbia provide unemployment compensation to spouses who leave because
of a military move, nearly triple the number since 2004. We remain
hopeful the remaining States, despite the current challenging fiscal
environment, can provide similar compensation benefits to improve the
employment outlook of military spouses.
One of the greatest challenges facing our Nation right now is
unemployment and underemployment, and we remain especially concerned
about the challenges facing those in the Guard and Reserve or those
leaving active military service as they look for work.
Although the national unemployment rate was 8.9 percent in February
2011, the unemployment rate for the younger segments of the workforce,
which includes those veterans who joined the military after September
11, 2001, remains elevated. As a result, we are committed to assisting
our separating members in making a successful transition to employment
in the civilian workforce and in encouraging their continuing education
through the use of the post-9/11 GI Bill.
child care
Child care continues to be an important quality of life factor for
our airmen and their families. Quality child care facilities are a key
component in assuring airmen that their family is being cared for while
they defend our country. With your continued support, we are striving
to eliminate our shortfall in child development center spaces by the
end of fiscal year 2012. While we have addressed the facilities and
personnel needed, we are still trying to fund supplies and equipment.
Our child care programs also include reservists and Air National
Guardsmen by providing child care during scheduled drill weekends and a
child care subsidy when activated. While we face funding challenges in
meeting every child care requirement, we are striving to provide
quality child care options to all our airmen.
education for military children
Military life, frequent moves and extended separation during
deployments present a host of challenges for our families. Nearly half
of all servicemembers are married and have children. Consequently,
military families often weigh assignment decisions based on the quality
of education from the local school systems for their children.
Thirty-five States have passed legislation to establish an
Interstate Compact On Educational Opportunity For Military Children to
address educational solutions at the State, local, and school district
levels. These compact States are working to solve issues dealing with
class placement, records transfer, graduation requirements,
immunizations, exit testing and allowing late entry to extra-curricular
activities and sports teams. Another eight States (Montana, Wyoming,
Nebraska, Maryland, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New York, and West Virginia)
have proposed their respective bills, and the final six States and the
District of Columbia (Oregon, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Georgia, New
Hampshire, Maine, and the District of Columbiar) have indicated this
issue is a ``priority.'' The Interstate Compact ensures children in
military families are not penalized in school for their families'
service to the Nation.
We are making great strides in support for Air Force-connected
students attending public, private, DOD Dependent Schools, home and
virtual schools. Currently 84 Air Force bases have civilian school
liaison officer positions. In addition, staff in the Airman and Family
Readiness Centers provide school liaison support to leadership and
families. Major commands and installations continue to work creative
initiatives such as providing webcasts of graduations so parents can
share these occasions while deployed. Additionally, a senior military
officer or DOD civilian has been designated at each installation to
advocate with local and State school administration and school boards
for the interest of Air Force families.
airmen education opportunities
The U.S. Air Force enlisted force is highly educated. Since April
25, 1977, more than 303,500 airmen have earned a fully accredited
associate degree, corresponding to their career field, through the
Community College of the Air Force (CCAF). In fact, about 153,000 of
our enlisted airmen have at least 12 college credits; of that more than
51,500 have associates degrees, almost 18,000 have bachelor's degrees
or higher and 18 have earned their doctorate degrees.
The General Education Mobile program is making education more
accessible for our airmen. This program offers general education
courses required for a CCAF degree through distance learning courses.
This program is intended to attract those students who are struggling
to get their general education credits filled because of numerous
reasons, primarily the Air Force's high operations tempo. There are 26
participating schools offering 511 courses of which over 700 airmen are
enrolled.
Our Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative program is helping CCAF
graduates apply credits toward a bachelor's degree at military-friendly
schools. This program has grown to 44 civilian higher-education
institutions and offers 219 bachelor's degree programs. These
institutions take an airman's CCAF credits and apply them toward a
bachelor's degree. More than 17,000 airmen are participating in the
program, and since its inception in June 2007, 464 bachelor's degrees
have been awarded.
We've also had an overwhelming number of airmen who have
transferred their G.I. Bill benefits to their dependents. This benefit
helps families, and it also helps the Air Force retain our airmen
through the associated service commitment. We continue to recruit and
retain airmen who value educational opportunities for themselves and
their families.
CCAF also offers a Professional Manager Certification, a credential
award that formally recognizes an individual's advanced level of
education and experience in leadership and management, as well as
professional accomplishments. The program provides a structured
professional development track that supplements Enlisted Professional
Military Education and the Career Field Education and Training Plan.
sexual assault, prevention and response
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response remains a top priority as we
work toward providing safe environments for our airmen and families to
work and live. We are focused on instilling a prevention-based program
so these sexual offenses cannot and do not occur.
As part of our approach, consistent top-down messaging is critical.
These messages continue to emphasize Air Force Core Values and the need
for active wingmen watching out for one another. Likewise, we have
spent the last year building community empowerment through bystander
intervention education. We provide training that ensures airmen
understand when to act if they observe behaviors or actions that may
lead to sexual assault. An additional prevention effort includes the
development of a risk reduction guide which will be provided to senior
commanders by fall of this year to assist them in providing safe
environments.
As a Service, from our most senior leaders to our newest airmen, we
remain committed to a zero-tolerance standard of sexual assault.
conclusion
Our airmen are doing incredible work, ranging from providing
humanitarian aid to the Japan earthquake and tsunami victims for
Operation Tomodachi to supporting recent NATO operations in Libya and
daily U.S. Central Command missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than
two-thirds of airmen entered the Air Force after September 11, 2001,
which means the majority of our force has been at war their entire
careers. They deploy longer than ever before and some need a second
hand to count the number of combat tours they have been on. Despite
this pace, our airmen have shown amazing resiliency.
Finally, this is a team effort and the contributions of Air Force
families continue to be amazing. Our families are the ones who deal
with an empty seat at the dinner table when our warfighting mission
takes us away. They stand tall when extraordinary challenges attempt to
knock them down. They keep the faith and their support is critical to
airmen fulfilling their mission requirements.
Thank you again for your continued support of our brave airmen and
their supportive families.
Senator Webb. I thank all of you for your testimony. As I
said, your full statements will be entered into the record as
if read.
Let me make a comment and ask one question, then I know
Senator Blumenthal has another meeting he has to go to, and I'd
like to give Senator Blumenthal an opportunity to jump in,
here.
First, let me say, Sergeant Major Chandler, how comforting
it was to hear you talk about dwell time the way that you did.
When I got here to the Senate, in 2007, the dwell time was
0.75. When I was called, by the Chief of Staff of the Army,
when he told me that they were going to 15 month deployments
and 12 months at home, I could not believe what I was hearing,
as someone who's been around the military my entire life and as
someone who also worked on veterans programs in the House, as a
young committee counsel, after I finished law school, when I
left the Marine Corps. The downstream emotional price that a
lot of people have to pay for those types of deployments were
predictable.
I introduced legislation that would have required a minimum
one-to-one dwell time. Some people thought it was political at
the time. I said, basically, this is just a safety net. This is
something that Congress, as the stewards of the people who go
into the military, should be able to put into law. We had a big
debate up here. You may have seen something about it, because
people were saying that Congress wanted to get in the way of
the Commander in Chief's prerogative. But, there are many
different situations like this in history, where Congress has
weighed in, and we lost. We got 56 votes twice, but we did get
60 to break the filibuster on this.
But, I think we successfully caused people to really start
thinking seriously about the need to put a safety net under our
people. You step forward, you say you're going to serve your
country, and you're at the mercy of your leadership, quite
frankly.
The fact that we have gotten this thing to a point where
we're back to historical standards of two-to-one, really
gratifies me to hear you say that.
I would like to ask a question to all of you to give me
your thoughts on, and then I'm going to yield to Senator
Blumenthal.
One of the areas that I was not hearing very much about
when I first came to the Armed Services Committee this time was
our responsibility for non-career military members. We had lots
of testimony about, you recruit the individual, retain the
family, the retention issues, we got a career--we have an all
volunteer system. It took me a year of asking questions before
I got the data on this, but there are a lot of people who think
that, because we have an All-Volunteer Force, we have an all
career force. We don't.
The numbers that I got back after asking the questions
were: 75 percent of the Army, 70 percent of the Marine Corps,
and about half of the Navy and the Air Force were leaving the
military on or before the end of their first enlistment. Which
is healthy for the country; we're a citizen soldiery. But,
those people weren't getting the right kind of focus up here,
in terms of what happens when ones leave. I introduced the GI
Bill to try to give a first-class readjustment opportunity for
the people who were leaving at the end of their first
enlistment; come in, serve your country, go home.
But, I'm curious as to what other kind of transitional
programs you're working on, Service-by-Service, to make sure
that these people who step forward, they're not going to be
career military--but, the people who step forward have the
assistance they need to get back into their civilian
environment.
Sergeant Major Chandler. Senator, from the Army's
perspective, we have the Army Career and Alumni Program, which
you may be familiar with. That program helps to transition
soldiers out of the Service as they continue to look for other
opportunities in life. That program provides some resume-
building experience, some job interview experience. It
introduces them to some different Web sites that are out there,
whether you want to continue service in the government or if
you're going into the private sector.
General Chiarelli, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army,
directed the Army to take a comprehensive review of that
program to ensure that we are, in fact, meeting the needs of
transitioning soldiers. Not to say that we have a problem, but,
can we do better than we already are? That's our Army program,
sir.
Senator Webb. Thank you.
Sergeant Major?
Sergeant Major Kent. Sir. First of all, thank you for the
GI Bill, because we get a lot of positive feedback from the
marines that have transitioned out, and it is working, sir. So,
truly, thank you for that.
Our Commandant has tasked manpower to figure out how we can
have a one-stop shop, as far as marine transitioning. Sometimes
we can wait until the last few months and we'll send these
marines through a week of transitioning class, which don't mean
anything really, sir. They sit there and we lecture them,
instead of having a one-stop shop. We want to do it early, like
a year out. So, the Commandant said, ``This is what I want. I
want a one-stop shop where a marine can come to do this
transition course, and you can say, ``Door number one, would
you like to go to college? Door number two, what type of job?
Door number two, if you like that job, this is where we would
transition you to that job.''
So, he is revamping the whole transition program right now,
sir. It will work because the Commandant says it will work. So,
everybody's getting on board. [Laughter.]
Senator Webb. Master Chief?
Master Chief Petty Officer West. Sir, from the Navy
perspective, as well, I would like to say thank you very much
for that GI Bill. It is very well received, not only in the
fleet, but with many of the family members that are able to
take advantage of that.
Sir, also we have taken a look at many of our transition
programs--in particular, the Transition Assistance Program
(TAP), those type of programs for our sailors that are exiting
the Navy. Also, with that said, sir, our Fleet and Family
Support Centers have geared--similar to the--some of the same
things you've heard from my counterparts, to my right,
regarding the resumes and those type things. It's something we
keep an eye on. We have to continue to keep that at the
forefront, especially as all of the Services start about some
of the downsizing that we are going to be doing. The Navy, sir,
we've downsized, now, for the past approximately 5 to 6 years.
So, we had to have that at the front.
That's where we are, sir. I take a good hard look at that.
Matter of fact, my EA had just went through the transition
piece, as well, and he was very pleased with the process that
we have.
Chief Master Sergeant Roy. Again, Senator, I want to, just
like my peers, say how important the Post-9/11 GI Bill was; and
that transferability piece to it, as well, certainly has helped
both our airmen and their families.
One of the other items of note on the same theme is that of
education. One of the things that the U.S. Air Force has is a
Community College of the Air Force. As you said, we will retain
about 55 percent of first-term airmen. Which means that others
will transition out of the Air Force. I believe the educational
aspect and the push that we put behind education, really helps
these airmen in their transition, because there's an awful lot
of them that transition out of the Air Force with at least an
associate degree and then go on to bachelors and others.
Like others, we have an Airmen Family Readiness Center--
it's mandatory for our airmen to go to TAPs. Just like other
programs, resume-building, interviewing, along with other
areas, leads to different jobs, if you will. So, it really
helps. It's kind of an area of resources that our airmen and
their families can continue to use. It's one that I believe has
paid us very well.
Master Chief Petty Officer West. Sir, can I have a re-
attack?
Senator Webb. Yes, sure.
Master Chief Petty Officer West. Sir, just one thing I
would like to highlight, it wasn't brought up. Our Safe Harbor
Program--and I know many of the Wounded Warrior Programs are
geared and have put a big emphasis on this transition piece, as
well, for our folks. In particular, we partner with the Coast
Guard, as far as the Safe Harbor. We receive a lot of good
feedback from that, sir.
Senator Webb. Well, thank you for those observations.
You know that there are two great reasons for doing this.
One is, stewardship lasts a lifetime, when people step forward
and serve. The other is there's no better recruiter than a
veteran who goes back to his or her home community, and is
proud of what they did.
Senator Blumenthal.
Senator Blumenthal. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to join in, as Senator Nelson did, thanking
you for your service here and in the U.S. Marine Corps, and
also for your role on the GI Bill that's been mentioned.
I want to thank the leaders of our enlisted men and women
who are here today, for your service and for the extraordinary
sacrifice and service of the enlisted men and women around the
globe who serve in our U.S. military. I don't need to tell
anyone in this room, but I think the Nation needs reminding
that never in our history have so few borne so much of the
burden of war for so long. I think that's reflected in the
numbers that you've given us about dwell time, about the men
and women who have given so much so that we would be free and
safe and strong. So, thank you for your service, and thank you
for your testimony here today.
I want to say a particular thank you to Sergeant Major
Kent, and, regretfully, on the occasion of your last testimony
as an Active Duty Marine. But, I am hopeful that we'll see you
here in these halls in the future.
Sergeant Major Kent. Yes, sir, thank you.
Senator Blumenthal. Because, as you say, ``once a marine,
always a marine.'' We will really welcome your advice and
counsel as we go forward on this committee and in the U.S.
Congress.
I want to drill down a little bit on the excellent question
that the Chairman asked, and talk about this transition; in
particular, an area of injury that I think is extraordinarily
important, often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed: traumatic brain
injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and
mental health problems that may be even less visible. I know
that the statistics are that as much as 30 percent of all TBI
or PTSD may be completely missed or undiagnosed. If you could
tell us, because I know you care so much about the people who
serve with you, perhaps what is being done to improve the
diagnosis and treatment, and what you would recommend we do, if
you have those kinds of recommendations for us today.
Sergeant Major Chandler. Well, Senator, I'll start off.
I'll tell you, first of all, I sit before you as a person
who has participated in the Army's Behavioral Health Program.
For the last 2 years, I personally have been treated by
counselors, because of some behavioral health issues related to
my deployment. What you have done, by providing us the support,
has made a difference in the Army.
My job as a senior leader of the Army is to continue to
talk about it and reduce the stigma of coming forward and
saying, ``I need some help.'' It's made me a better man, a
better husband, a better father, and, at the end of the day, a
better soldier.
Within our force, we have soldiers, over 100,000, who have
been diagnosed with some TBI, and over 40,000 that have been
diagnosed with some PTSD. We know, based off of studies that
we've commissioned, that a soldier, in the first 6 years of his
career, will experience a lifetime of stress. We don't
completely know what that means. But, we do know that we have
to do a better job in diagnosis and treatment.
It first starts with saying and being observant, as a
leader and as your fellow soldier or battle buddy, that
something may not be right with Johnny or Jill. Then, as a
leader, what do you do about it? You act.
Now, for all of us, we are action-oriented people. So by
saying something about it and then getting that soldier to help
will make a difference for the Army.
Sergeant Major Kent. I'm on the same lines, sir. But, I'd
just like to add, no marine ever wants to get pulled out of
combat. They can get hit and they'll say, ``Nothing's wrong
with me,'' although the possibility that they were knocked out.
So, leadership is engaging, now, telling marines, ``Hey, it's
okay. We're going to take you out of the fight for about 24
hours, and we're just going to observe you. If you're okay,
we're going to put you back in the fight.'' But, we have to let
them know that we have to take care of them, also. So, if
they're hit and they're knocked out, it's our job, as leaders,
to pull them out of the fight, sir. We're doing a lot better in
that.
The Sergeant Major touched on it, sir. The stigma is where
we need to really push that down and say, ``It's okay to come
forward. We just need to get you fixed and get you in the
fight.'' I mean, any one of us up here that have been to
combat, we can have the same issues, sir. So, we need to tell
marines, ``Hey, even we can have issues, as senior leaders.'' I
think, as long as we tell them that, it will be okay.
Master Chief Petty Officer West. Sir, thank you very much
for the question and opportunity to comment on that.
I just got back recently from a trip with our Chief of
Naval Operations to Afghanistan. I have to tell you, you've
been at this a long time and from where we started to where we
are now, we have made absolutely huge gains. If I were to ask
anything of this panel it would be, we have to keep that
momentum. It's something that we haven't figured out yet,
completely, what we need to figure out, but we're getting there
every single day.
Not only have I walked it back, I went from the ``Role-3''
hospitals. What Sergeant Major Kent talks about, about taking
them offline; that is one of the things that we've been able to
do, out with our young corpsmen out in the field, and marines,
soldiers, and airmen. But, I walked it back through Landstuhl
and then over here to Bethesda. Some of the new facilities that
we've opened up, for example the TBI Clinics are absolutely
what we need to continue to do. We owe that to our men and
women that are out there.
We are aggressive in our training. Like everyone up here,
it's something that leadership not only has to take on, but
those young folks, as well. Those who are standing beside those
young sailors, who are out there, they need to be able to
recognize the signs and the symptoms of some of these things so
they can say, ``Hey, it's time out. It's okay.'' As leaders
come forward, and the more we talk about it the more it really
pushes out to those young sailors or those young people out
there, that are doing their country's work, that it's okay to
come forward. That is a huge step.
In my eyes, I think that, again, sir, we're making headway.
Are we where we need to be? No, sir. But, we sure do need you
in that area.
Chief Master Sergeant Roy. I'd just like to add just a few
other things. A couple of other things that I believe we're all
doing is pre- and post-assessments on all of our service men
and women, before they go and then after they come back.
Another thing you did, through the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) last year, was to bump up our mental
health technicians and our doctors within our forces. The Air
Force, the Army, and the Navy, we've bumped that up. That has
helped tremendously.
Though, there's a national shortage of that skill-set, and
we need to continue. We all have similar problems trying to
recruit those individuals with that skill-set, so it's a
challenge for us.
The other thing I would just add to that is, as we talked
about stigma, a couple of other things that it has helped us do
through the last NDAA is this idea of placing the mental health
doctors within the family practices, so it's not a separate
ward, it's within the family practice. That has helped us
tremendously.
Then one other thing that we have done, internally to the
Air Force, just like we've done with chaplains for years, is
placing a chaplain representative within each individual unit.
We've done similar to that with our mental health technicians
and our doctors inside our units so that it's easy for a
servicemember to access that particular skill, if you will,
when needed; so that they don't have to go to the clinic.
Senator Blumenthal. I want to thank each of the Services
for the great work you're doing on these issues and, Sergeant
Major Chandler, your frankness and candor in talking about your
own situation, because I think it takes a kind of courage that
will lead others to avoid the stigma, and eventually ease it or
remove it, which I think, as each of you have said, is
absolutely critical to addressing this problem effectively.
I apologize that I have another hearing that I have to
attend. I'm a little bit late getting to it. But, in terms of
continuing the momentum, as you put it, anything that I can do,
and that I can ask my colleagues to do, and any other
observations, I would be really honored to continue on this
work. I'm honored to be here today with you. I'm going to try
to get back after the next hearing. But, again, I really very
much thank you for this excellent testimony today.
Thank you, Senator.
Senator Webb. Thank you, Senator Blumenthal.
Thank all of you for the service that you're giving and for
the candid nature of your responses to this committee. It's
very, very valuable for people up here to hear the perspectives
that you have, and particularly the journeys that all of you
have had, literally, from the bottom up inside our military
system. So, we appreciate very much you coming and testifying
today.
Sergeant Major Kent, best of luck to you as you step
forward toward retirement.
Sergeant Major Kent. Thank you, sir.
Senator Webb. Thank you.
Our second panel, we have members of The Military Coalition
(TMC), a consortium of nationally prominent uniformed service
and veteran's organizations: Retired Master Chief Joseph
Barnes, the National Executive Director of the Fleet Reserve
Association (FRA); Ms. Kathleen Moakler, the Government
Relations Director for the NMFA; Retired Colonel Steven P.
Strobridge, the Director of Government Relations for the
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA); Retired
Captain Ike Puzon, the Director of Government Affairs and
Legislation of the Association of the U.S. Navy; and Ms. Kathy
Roth-Douquet, the Chairman of Blue Star Families.
We'd like to welcome all of you.
Before our panel begins its testimony, at this time,
without objection, I will enter into the record the witness
statement of Senator Graham, who, unfortunately, can't be here
today. We have also received statements for the record from the
Reserve Officers Association, the Gold Star Wives of America,
and the National Guard Association of the United States.
Without objection, they will be included in the record, as
well.
[The prepared statement of Senator Graham follows:]
Prepared Statement by Senator Lindsey Graham
Thank you, Senator Webb. I join you in welcoming Senator Ayotte and
Senator Blumenthal to the subcommittee. I look forward to working with
you in the 112th Congress and continuing the bipartisan approach that
this subcommittee has always employed on behalf of the men and women of
the Armed Forces. It's all about the men and women in uniform and their
families, and it's a privilege to serve with you on this subcommittee.
To the Senior Enlisted Advisors on the first panel, welcome, and
thank you for your service in these key leadership positions. Sergeant
Major Kent, I understand your relief has been named and you are nearing
the end of your active-duty service. All the best to you and your
family as you approach retirement.
The threat of a government shutdown last week and the effect it
would have had on military personnel was very unfortunate, but it's a
reflection of the difficult financial situation we are in right now as
a Nation.
I hope we will be able this week to wrap up funding the government
for the rest of fiscal year 2011 , and get on with legislation for
fiscal year 2012. It's pretty clear, however, that we have some
difficult issues to work through. I'm all for efficiencies when it
comes to saving taxpayer dollars and reducing the cost of government--
including the Department of Defense (DOD).
For example, according to the Congressional Budget Office, medical
care will consume nearly 16.5 percent of DOD's topline by the year 2028
based on recent trends. What that tells me is that unless we take steps
now to control the rate of growth, medical care costs will nearly
double as a percentage of the DOD top line in less than 20 years, and
that is not sustainable.
While we have troops deployed in harm's way, however, it has to be
our priority to make sure that military personnel and their families
get the support they need--including their pay on time.
I think we are all in agreement with respect to the goal of keeping
the National Guard and the Reserves as an Operational Reserve in the
future. Even before September 11, we were relying heavily on the
dedicated service of national guardsmen and reservists, but 10 years of
combat operations and the continuing need for strong Homeland Defense
have demonstrated both the essential capabilities or the Reserve
components and the imperative to provide the services, programs,
equipment, and training opportunities they require. I endorse the
Department's attention to enhancing the continuum of service--and I
look forward to hearing your ideas about how to make the best use of
our Reserve and Guard forces.
Again, I thank all our witnesses for their ideas and
recommendations, and I look forward to their testimony.
[The information referred to follows:]
Prepared Statement by the Reserve Officers Association of the United
States and Reserve Enlisted Association
introduction
On behalf of our members, the Reserve Officers Association (ROA)
and the Reserve Enlisted Association (REA) thank the committee for the
opportunity to submit testimony on military personnel issues. ROA and
REA applaud the ongoing efforts by Congress to address readiness,
recruiting and retention issues.
The amount of dollars being authorized to the Department of Defense
(DOD) has peaked. Included in the Budget release is a statement that
the president has moved $73 billion from the Overseas Contingency
Operations (OCO) to the base budget (pg. 61). While the budget at $553
billion appears as a gross increase of $22 billion above fiscal year
2010, this shift from OCO to the base budget is a de facto cut of $51
billion with spending on certain items being trimmed down below the
fiscal year 2010 base budget.
The Hon. Christine Fox, DOD Director of Cost Assessment and Program
Evaluation Office briefed that to sustain the current force structure
and need modernization requires a two to three percent real growth in
the Defense budget. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates department-wide
review was intended to provide a series of assessment initiatives to
improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Unfortunately, a lot of the needs and requirements of serving
members and their families were not included in these studies. Too
often, personnel costs are viewed as competing for resources for other
DOD programs.
The ROA and the REA will be doing a separate paper on additional
efficiencies.
executive summary
The Reserve Officers Association Calendar Year 2011 Legislative
Priorities are:
Recapitalize the Total force to include fully funding
equipment and training for the National Guard and Reserves.
Assure that the Reserve and National Guard continue in
a key national defense role, both at home and abroad.
Provide adequate resources and authorities to support
the current recruiting and retention requirements of the
Reserves and National Guard.
Support warriors, families, and survivors
Issues supported by the Reserve Officers and Reserve Enlisted
Associations are to:
Changes to retention policies:
Permit service beyond the current Reserve Officers
Personnel Management Act (ROPMA) limitations.
Support incentives for affiliation, reenlistment,
retention and continuation in the Reserve component.
Advocate against cuts in Reserve component; support
Reserve commissioning programs
Reauthorize yellow ribbon program to support
demobilized Guard and Reserve members.
Health Care:
See end of Executive Summary
Pay and Compensation:
Reimburse a Reserve component member for expenses
incurred in connection with round-trip travel in excess of 50
miles to an inactive training location, including mileage
traveled, lodging and subsistence.
Obtain professional pay for Reserve component medical
professionals, consistent with the Active component.
Eliminate the 1/30th rule for Aviation Career
Incentive Pay, Career Enlisted Flyers Incentive Pay, Diving
Special Duty Pay, and Hazardous Duty Incentive Pay.
Simplify the Reserve duty order system without
compromising drill compensation.
Reauthorize the Reserve Income Replacement Program for
mobilized Reserve components that expired in 2010.
Education:
Include Title 14 Coast Guard Reserve duty in
eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Exempt earned benefit from GI Bill from being
considered income in need based aid calculations.
Develop a standard nation-wide payment system for
private schools.
Re-examine qualification basis for yellow ribbon
program, rather than first come first serve.
Increase MGIB-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) to 47 percent
of MGIB-Active.
Include 4-year reenlistment contracts to qualify for
MGIB-SR.
Employee Support:
Permit delays or exemptions while mobilized of
regularly scheduled mandatory continuing education and
licensing/certification/promotion exams.
Continue to support a law center dedicated to USERRA/
SCRA problems of deployed Active and Reserve servicemembers.
Mobilization:
Oversee service sections' policies to reimburse
mobilized reservists on Temporary Duty Orders orders with
lengths over 179 days.
Provide differential pay for deployed Federal
employees permanently.
Spouse Support:
Expand eligibility of surviving spouses to receive
Survivor Benefit Plan-Dependency Indemnity Clause payments with
no offset.
Provide employment protection and provide family leave
for spouses and family care-givers of mobilized Guard and
Reserve for a period of time prior to or following the
deployment of the military member.
Deferred Benefits and Retirement:
Extend current early retirement legislation
retroactively to September 11, 2001.
Promote improved legislation on reducing the Reserve
component retirement age.
Permit mobilized retirees to earn additional
retirement points with less than 2 years of activated service,
and codify retirement credit for serving members over age 60.
Modify U.S. Code that requires repayment of separation
bonuses if an individual receives a Uniformed Service
retirement annuity.
Change U.S. Code to eliminate the fiscal year barrier
toward full credit toward early retirement.
Continue to protect and sustain existing retirement
benefits for currently retired.
Voting:
Ensure that every deployed servicemember has an
opportunity to vote by:
Working with the Federal Voting Assistance
Program.
Supporting electronic voting.
Ensure that every military absentee ballot is counted.
Health Care:
ROA and REA positions include that:
TRICARE Prime:
The proposed $30 increase for individuals and $60 for
families is a modest proposal.
If indexed, adjustments to the enrollment fee should
be population based rather than industry-based.
It is important to independently verify the current
total cost of DOD health care benefits. Such an audit will
permit Congress to validate proposals based on cost-sharing
percentages.
Annual increases should not be tied to the market-
driven Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan or a commercial
plan.
On Pharmacy Co-payments:
ROA and REA believe higher retail pharmacy co-payment
should not apply on initial prescriptions, but on maintenance
refills only.
ROA and REA support DOD efforts to enhance the mail-
order prescription benefit.
Sole Community Hospitals:
Fee adjustments must be approached with caution
because of inconvenience to beneficiaries.
U.S. Family Health Plan--Medicare coverage:
ROA and REA support continuation of the Medicare
coverage as part of the U.S. Family Health Plan.
To maintain the program, a mandatory Part ``B''
payment might be considered.
Reserve Health Care Initiatives:
Improve continuity of health care for all drilling
reservists and their families by:
GR members should qualify for Transitional
Assistance Management Program (TAMP) coverage when
separated from Active Duty.
Having Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Audit the assumptions used for TRICARE Retired Reserve
(TRR) premiums.
Creating a self plus one premium for TRR.
Providing Continuing Health Benefit Plan to
traditional Drilling reservists who are beneficiaries
of TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) but are separated from
the Selected Reserve to provide Consolidated Omnibus
Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) protections.
Permitting active members in the Individual
Ready Reserve (IRR) to buy-into TRS.
Allowing demobilized retirees and reservists
involuntarily returning to IRR to qualify for
subsidized TRS coverage.
Providing TRS coverage to mobilization ready
IRR members; levels of subsidy would vary for different
levels of readiness.
Improving post deployment medical and mental
health evaluations and access to care for returning
Reserve component members.
Providing an option for reservists where DOD
pays a stipend to employers.
Extend military coverage for restorative dental care
following deployment to 90 days.
Permit beneficiaries of Federal Employee Health
Benefit plan the option of subscribing to TRS.
readiness discussion
Operational versus strategic missions for the Reserve component
The Reserve Forces are no longer a part-time strategic force but
are an integral contributor to our Nation's operational ability to
defend our soil, assist other countries in maintaining global peace,
and fight in OCO.
National security demands both a strategic and an Operational
Reserve. The Operational Reserve requires a more significant investment
of training and equipment resources, and places greater demands on its
personnel as compared to the Strategic Reserve. Those serving in
Operational Reserve units must be fully aware of the commitment
required to maintain the expected level of readiness. A similar
awareness and commitment is necessary for those responsible for
providing resources to the Operational Reserve.
Planners also must recognize that few individuals can remain in the
Operational Reserve for an entire career. There will be times when
family, education, civilian career, and the other demands competing for
their time and talents take priority. Such an approach requires the
ability to move freely and without penalty between the operational and
strategic elements of the Reserve component as a continuum of service.
Each Service has its own force generation models and the Services
organize, train, and equip their Reserve components to a prescribed
level of readiness prior to mobilization to limit post-mobilization
training and to maximize operational deployment time. ROA and REA urge
Congress to continue to support and fund each Service's authority to
manage the readiness of its own Reserve Forces as one model does not
fit all.
In an era of constrained budgets, a capable and sustainable Reserve
and National Guard is a cost-effective element of national security.
Junior Officer and Enlisted Drain
As an initial obligated period draws to the end, many junior
officers and enlisted choose to leave, creating a critical shortage of
experienced young people in the leadership conduit.
Yet, as the Services face pending end strength reduction, they
approach this challenge with an inverse solution, by riffing out junior
people, as the Air Force and Marine Corps are doing. Cutting the most
junior people does not provide the same amount of savings in that it
creates an older top heavy organization and does not make room for the
newest generation of combat veterans. These cuts also reduce a fresh
prospective brought by younger members.
Another DOD solution to reduce the end strength is to slow down the
input into the system. Both ROA and REA are concerned that Reserve
Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) scholarships and commissioning are
being reduced. Last year, the Chief of Naval Operations announced a 30
percent reduction in Navy ROTC scholarships. The U.S. Air Force will be
screening this year's sophomore class, only allowing 60 percent of the
class to advance as juniors; next year only 45 percent will be allowed
to advance.
End Strength and Preparedness
Part of the President's budget includes planned reductions for both
the Army and Marine Corps, by 27,000 and 15,000, respectively. It
should be remembered that individuals cannot be brought quickly on to
active duty on a temporary basis, but it is an accumulation of
experience and training that is acquired over years that becomes an
asset for the military. Reducing the force will also foreshorten dwell
time.
Before cuts to the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps are made, ROA
and REA hope that Congress requests a report from Services and DOD on
the effect in the short and long term. These cuts need to be carefully
evaluated to ensure that it is not based on budgetary concerns, but on
capability.
Without external threats, the U.S. Army has traditionally reduced
the size of its Armed Forces. Since the 1990s, the Pentagon has
recommended proportional cuts be taken in the Reserve component when
taken in the Active Force. This reasoning fails in many ways. It
results in a hollowing out of the force and preparedness, undermines
morale, and undercuts retention. National security is put at risk.
Yet, it has been the Reserve component that has provided the
temporary surge to fill-in the active duty numbers. The end strengths
included in the President's budget appear to maintain current numbers.
As end strengths are cut, ROA and REA support transferring both
manpower and equipment into the National Guard and Reserve to provide
operational flexibility in the future.
ROA and REA are concerned that the ongoing cuts to the Navy's
Reserve will continue and this is a trend that needs to be reversed.
The reported end strength of the Navy Reserve is just above 64,000
members. A new manpower study needs to be done and published by the
Navy Reserve to calculate the actual manning level requirements: this
study should be driven by readiness and not budgetary requirements. In
the President's budget, the Navy Reserve will face another 2,900 cut.
proposed legislation
Retirement
Fixing early retirement--the concept whereby reservists and
guardsmen can subtract time from age 60 when they would otherwise begin
drawing their Reserve retirement--has been at the front of ROA's and
REA's advocacy agenda for a number of years.
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
established an early retirement reduction of 90 days for every
consecutive 90 day period of active duty. However, the one major flaw
in the law neglects the operational reservists who mobilized prior to
that date.
Newly acquired data supports backdating early retirement to 2001.
Those who served prior to 2008, when the law was established, faced
higher risks and took more casualties. Between 2001 and the date the
law took effect, 82 percent (926 deaths) of National Guard and Reserve
deaths had already occurred. Unfortunately, Congress overlooked this
early sacrifice by not yet correcting the early retirement statute to
include those who served between 2001 and 2008.
1. ROA and REA endorse a corrective measure to Section
12731(t)(2)(A) of title 10, U.S.C. Over 600,000 members were unfairly
excluded. We realize the expense of this corrective measure scored by
CBO is $1.3 billion over 10 years, but hope that offset dollars can be
found or the correction can be phased-in.
2. ROA and REA don't view this congressional solution as the final
retirement plan. The Commission on the National Guard and Reserve
recommends that Congress should amend laws to place the active and
Reserve components into the same retirement system. Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates refers to the Tenth Quadrennial Review of Military
Compensation's comprehensive review of the military retirement systems
for suggested reform. The latter report suggests a retirement pay equal
to 2.5 percent of basic pay multiplied by the number of years of
service.
ROA and REA agree that a retirement plan, at least for the
Reserve component, should be based on accruement of active and inactive
duty. Early retirement should not be based on the type of service, but
on the aggregation of duty. It shouldn't matter if a member's
contributions were paid or non-paid; inactive duty, active duty for
training, special works or for mobilization. Under a continuum of
service, this approach would provide both the Active or Reserve
component members with an element of personal control to determine when
they retire and will encourage increased frequency of service beyond 20
years within the Reserve.
3. Despite efforts by Congress, it appears that DOD will not be
altering how it credits days toward early retirement that overlap the
beginning of the new fiscal year. ROA and REA endorse no-cost
legislation introduced by Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), S.491, to correct
existing Section 12731(f)(2)(A) of title 10, U.S.C.
4. With an ongoing need for mid-grade officers Congress should
reexamine the DOPMA and ROPMA laws to:
a. Permit 0-3s without prior enlisted service to be able to
retire at 20 years of service. Many of badly needed skills that the
Services would like to retain, yet must be discharged if passed over
for promotion to often.
b. Allow 0-4 officers who, after a break in service from active
duty, return to the Reserve component to retire. After being encouraged
to return a number of officers find they are not eligible for non-
regular retirement. When reaching 20 years of commissioned service they
find they may have only 15 good Federal years.
Education
1. Montgomery ``GI'' Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR): To assist in
recruiting efforts for the Marine Corps Reserve and the other uniformed
services, ROA and REA urge Congress to reduce the obligation period to
qualify for MGID-SR (section 1606) from 6 years in the Selected Reserve
to 4 years in the Selected Reserve plus 4 years in the IRR, thereby
remaining a mobilization asset for 8 years.
2. Extending MGIB-SR eligibility beyond Selected Reserve Status:
Because of funding constraints, no Reserve component member will be
guaranteed a full career without some period in a non-pay status.
Whether attached to a volunteer unit or as an individual mobilization
augmentee (IMA), this status represents periods of drilling without
pay. MGIB-SR eligibility should extend for 10 years beyond separation
or transfer from a paid billet.
Leadership
ROA and REA urges Congress to change sections 5143 and 5144 of U.S.
Code Title 10 to only permit appointments from the Navy or Marine
Corps' Reserve component.
Both the Army and Air Force Reserve Chiefs may only be selected
from general officers from that component's reserve, yet the Navy and
the Marine Corps can select its Reserve leadership from either Active
or Reserve flag officers. The Reserve Chief of a Service's Reserve
needs to have an understanding of both the citizen warriors who are
reporting to him or her, and the system through which they report.
Draft legislation can be found at www.roa.orgldraftleg.
Military Voting
ROA and REA thank Congress for the improvements made to absentee
voting in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 10.
Military personnel, overseas citizens, and their families residing
outside their election districts deserve every reasonable opportunity
to participate in the electoral process. Yet, studies by Congressional
Research Service show that 25 percent of military member and family
votes were not counted in the 2008 election. During the 2010 elections
there were at least a dozen States that had one or more counties that
failed to comply with the MOVE Act.
ROA and REA urge Congress to direct the Government Accountability
Office to report further on the effectiveness of absentee voting
assistance to Military and Overseas Citizens for the 2010 General
Election and determine how Federal Voting Assistance Program's efforts
to facilitate absentee voting by military personnel and overseas
citizens differed between the 2008 and 2010 national elections.
ROA and REA hope that Congress encourages the Secretary of Defense,
in conjunction with States and local jurisdictions, to gather and
publish national data about the 2010 election by voting jurisdiction on
disqualified military and overseas absentee ballots and reasons for
disqualification.
health care discussion
Military Health Care--a shaky foundation
The global war on terror is a protracted engagement that will not
end with the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and will
continue, as will military response to crisis spots such a Libya. Yet,
there are members on both sides of the aisle that are saying if cuts
are made then Defense should not be exempt. Lawmakers are talking
openly about TRlCARE fees not having been increased since 1995.
For a number of years, the Pentagon has spoken out about the rising
costs of health care and the need for reform. This can be noted by
statements illustrating that military health costs have increased such
as ``DOD medical costs have shot up from $19 billion in fiscal year
2001 to $52.5 billion in fiscal year 2012,'' as made by Deputy
Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III at a Senate Budget hearing
last month.
Health care costs now consume 9 percent of the DOD budget. Yet
comparisons of health care costs are distorted by beginning with a
peacetime starting point followed by a decade of war. Many in the
Pentagon are attributing the increases in military health care to its
retirees, especially those working second careers.
Unfortunately, many retirees are blaming much of this additional
health care costs on National Guard and Reserve members for being
included under TRlCARE.
The Pentagon's public campaign for health care reform has undercut
its credence by serving members, retirees, and beneficiary associations
in what has been said, what has been budgeted, and what still might be
planned.
health care cost
The Reserve Officers Association and the Reserve Enlisted
Association are disappointed in how the DOD Health Affairs has in the
past attempted to address such an emotionally laden issue unilaterally.
While this year, the Pentagon has made efforts to meet with beneficiary
associations, these gatherings have been more briefings rather than
discussions to seek solutions. ROA and REA applaud the efforts by
Congress to address the issue of increasing DOD health care costs and
its interest to initiate dialogue and work with both the Pentagon and
the beneficiary associations to find the best solution. The time has
come to examine the cost of TRICARE and the level of beneficiary
contribution.
It is important to sustain the DOD health care as a deferred
benefit for our serving Active and Reserve component members and their
families. While retired, these beneficiaries have accepted risks and
made sacrifices in their earlier military careers that have not been
asked of the remaining 99 percent of the Nation's population. TRICARE
fulfills an ongoing promise by the government for continued health care
to those who have served or are serving.
ROA and REA are committed to our membership to sustain this health
care benefit. We fear that Congress will be unable to continue
prohibitions on health care fees. DOD, Congress, and the beneficiary
associations need to work together to find a fair and equitable
solution that protects our beneficiaries and ensures the financial
viability of the military health care system for the future. Some
associations seek to continue a freeze on premium fees permanently;
others are joining ROA and REA by admitting that some increases are
necessary.
Conversely, DOD and this Nation cannot afford to carry the full
burden of health care costs. The operational Active and Reserve Force
and their families deserve the best, both while serving and into
retirement. To preserve the top health care program in the Nation as a
DOD benefit, ROA and REA are open to discussions on cost-sharing.
Beneficiary medical expense totals have not yet been provided by
DOD. Congress should ask the Pentagon for a financial breakdown. An
independent audit by GAO or another agency would allow Congress an
opportunity to validate proposals based on financial benchmark.
ROA and REA agree that the proposed $30 increase for individuals
and $60 for families is a modest proposal, and can accept this as a
first step.
Of concern is a proposal to index future increases. Having some
formula in place seems appropriate, following a similar approach to
what was taken by Congress to calculate cost-of-living allowances for
social security and military retirement pay. But the challenge is, what
index to select?
ROA and REA agree with other beneficiary associations that it
should not be a Medicare Index, because a Medicare-based index
penalizes those retirees under age 65 who don't suffer from the same
ailments as retirees in the older age group. ROA also found that
contracted commercial indexes tend to maximize health care growth,
likely justifying the higher premium increases associated with
commercial health insurance and should not be used. Comparisons between
commercial and military health care plans are not justified. ROA is
continuing to explore indices, but the challenge is that even
government matrixes are based on an industry and not actual beneficiary
health care costs.
ROA and REA share the concern that any process used should be a
fair and equitable approach where retiree's won't be overburdened.
Should an index be agreed upon, it should be codified.
health care reform
The beneficiary associations were invited to the Pentagon for a
meeting with Dr. Clifford L. Stanley, Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness, about the health reform proposals. At this
meeting, it was stated that the fiscal year 2012 proposal was enough to
cover what was needed in the fiscal year 12 budget, and if more was
needed the next year, DOD would submit additional proposals. During the
first week of March, the Pentagon also announced that John Baldacci,
former Governor of Maine, has been hired into in a newly created
position to recommend to Dr. Stanley ``necessary reforms for the
military health care system.''
Statements like these combined with the DOD public relations health
care costs campaign makes both retirees and beneficiary associations
nervous.
In anticipation of less modest proposals in the future ROA and REA
include the following:
TRICARE:
Catastrophic Cap of $3,000 should not be changed, nor
indexed.
TRICARE Standard:
ROA and REA do not endorse an annual enrollment fee
for either DOD or VA beneficiaries.
Should DOD suggest increasing deductible levels, the
total cost of Standard needs to be evaluated, because . . .
Standard has large co-payments of 25 percent after the
deductible, and the cost of TRlCARE standard automatically
adjust to changes in medical costs.
For individuals or families relying on Standard for
medical treatment, it is a more expensive health plan than
TRlCARE Prime.
TRICARE Reserve Select
DOD should stop viewing TRS as a health insurance, but
as a health program.
TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR)
Premiums are too high, and for TRR to be viable,
premiums need to be reduced.
TRICARE for Life (TFL)
No enrollment or separate premium should be
introduced. Retirees over 65 are already paying more than
younger retirees.
reserve component health care
The Pentagon views TRlCARE as a health care plan, and Reserve
TRICARE as a health care insurance. Because words create paradigms,
Reserve health care is treated by DOD entirely different than active
duty health care. The differences are easily noted: Active duty members
enroll in a benefit with deductibles and co-payments; Guard and Reserve
members ``purchase'' a premium based health plan. The following are
suggested improvements.
1. ROA and REA hold concerns over premium rates for TRICARE for gray
area retirees.
Because DOD treated Reserve gray area retirees as a separate health
care risk group, health care premiums proved higher than expected.
Because of the expense, enrollment is low. It is likely just being used
by those with health care problems, who can't afford health care from
other sources. If the program is not changed it will have a similar
success to mobilization insurance.
ROA and REA hope that the committee will request a Government
Accountability Office review of the process that determined the
published premium levels.
2. Seamless Transition.
Servicemembers should not have to navigate through bureaucracy to
receive care or benefits. Every time a Reserve component member
transitions into a new category of health care, he or she is required
to reenroll in the new program. Even those who are beneficiaries of TRS
need to do an administrative transition between TRS, TRlCARE once
mobilized, into TAMP and back onto TRS. And once retired, there is
additional transition into TRlCARE Retired Reserve, and the latter
TRICARE retiree health care. Add to this the additional health care
provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs, and there are gaps in
health care as a Reserve component or family member moves between
programs.
3. Access to TAMP.
It has come to ROA's attention that some Guard and Reserve members
who have returned from deployment may not be provided TAMP coverage. In
a number of cases, individuals who were placed in a wounded warrior
company, after being found fit, were told that they would not qualify
for transitional health care upon discharge because TAMP coverage was
started upon the day they returned to the United States and they had
been in the wounded warrior program for over 180 days.
ROA and REA feel that TAMP should only begin upon separation from
Active duty.
4. Sustaining Reserve Health Care.
Continued Health Care Benefit Plan continues to be shown as only
allowing members of the Selected Reserve who have had a tour of active
duty within the previous 18 months by DOD. This is denying COBRA
protections for TRS beneficiaries who haven't been activated, and
doesn't support the Secretary of Defense's directive to mobilize
National Guard and Reserve members 1 year out of 6, which would be a
dwell time of 60 months. There is little cost as the beneficiary pays a
premium of 102 percent of TRlCARE cost.
As even discharged active servicemembers have the benefit of the
Continuing Health Care Benefit Plan, those Guard and Reserve members
who have signed up for TRlCARE Reserve Select need to have protections
when they leave the Selected Reserve.
ROA and REA encourage Congress to work with the Pentagon to open up
Reserve component member access to the Continued Health Care Benefit
Plan to any TRS beneficiary separating from the Selected Reserve under
conditions that are not punitive in nature.
5. Employer health care option.
DOD pays a stipend to employers of deployed Guard and Reserve
members to continue employer health care during deployment. G-R family
members are eligible for TRlCARE if the members' orders to Active Duty
are for more than 30 days; but some families would prefer to preserve
the continuity of their own health insurance. Being dropped from
private sector coverage adversely affects family morale and military
readiness and discourages some from reenlisting. Many G-R families live
in locations where it is difficult or impossible to find providers who
will accept new TRlCARE patients. This stipend would be equal to DOD's
contribution to Active Duty TRlCARE.
ROA and REA continue to support an option for individual reservists
where DOD pays a stipend to employers.
6. Dental Readiness.
Currently, dental readiness has one of the largest impacts on
mobilization. The action by Congress in the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2010
was a good step forward, but still more needs to be done.
The Services require a minimum of Class 2 (where treatment is
needed, however no dental emergency is likely within 6 months) for
deployment. Current policy relies on voluntary dental care by the Guard
or Reserve member. Once alerted, dental treatment can be done by the
military, but often there isn't adequate time for proper restorative
remedy. Reserve and Guard Dentists could support reducing costs.
ROA and REA continues to suggest that the services are responsible
to restore a demobilized Guard or Reserve member to a Class 2 status to
ensure the member maintains deployment eligibility.
Because there are inadequate dental assets at Military Treatment
Facilities for active members, active families, and reservists, ROA and
REA further recommend that dental restoration be included as part of
the 6 month TAMP period following demobilization. DOD should cover full
costs for restoration, but it could be tied into the TRICARE Dental
program for cost and quality assurance.
7. Utilization of TRS.
ROA and REA support efforts by the Pentagon to encourage enrollment
in TRS. We share a concern that the numbers being published by the
Pentagon understate the actual level of participation by Guard and
Reserve members who are eligible. A survey should be taken of TRICARE
contractors to compare their participation measures with those of DOD.
8. IRR Access to TRS.
Not everyone who drills is eligible for TRS. All Services offer
drilling for points without pay. These members are in the IRR. The Navy
has Voluntary Training Units. The Air Force and Army have non-paid IMA.
The Army also has a group within the IRR body that has agreed to
mobilization during their first 2 years.
The Army, the Marine Corps, and the Navy have mobilized reservists
out of the IRR. Under current law, unless these RC members are given an
opportunity to join the Selected Reserve, they are not eligible to
purchase TRS following their return.
ROA and REA feel that IRR members should be eligible for TRS. They
could qualify if they sign an agreement of continued service and
complete a satisfactory year of training and satisfy physical
standards. A satisfactory year could be defined either by points or by
training requirements, as defined by each Reserve Chief.
ROA and REA recommend legislation to allow IRR buy-in to TRS.
conclusion
ROA and REA reiterate our profound gratitude for the progress
achieved by this committee by providing parity on pay and compensation
between the Active and Reserve components, with the subcommittee also
understanding the difference in service between the two components.
ROA and REA look forward to working with the personnel subcommittee
where we can present solutions to these and other issues, and offers
our support in anyway.
______
Prepared Statement by the Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.
Chairman Webb, Ranking Member Graham, and members of this
committee, I am pleased to submit testimony on behalf of Gold Star
Wives on legislative issues pertinent to our Nation's military widows
and widowers. My name is Vivianne Wersel, Chair of the Gold Star Wives'
Government Relations Committee. I am the widow of Lt. Col. Richard
Wersel, Jr., USMC, who died suddenly on February 4, 2005, 1 week after
returning from his second tour of duty in Iraq.
Gold Star Wives of America, Incorporated (GSW), founded in 1945, is
a congressionally chartered organization of widows and widowers of
military members who died while serving on active duty or as a result
of a service-connected disability. GSW is an all-volunteer organization
encompassing approximately 10,000 members.
Our primary mission is to support gold star wives after the death
of their loved one and a place to connect with other widows. We also
provide information about military survivor benefits and assist widows
experiencing difficulties accessing their benefits. We strive to raise
the awareness of Congress, the public, the military community and Gold
Star Wives to the many inequities existing in our survivor programs and
benefits. Many of our members volunteer in Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics and also visit servicemembers
hospitalized at Department of Defense (DOD) medical treatment
facilities.
GSW's current members are widows and widowers of military members
who served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the
Gulf War, the conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and every period
in between. For this written testimony, we will refer to all of members
as widows.
I am honored to submit testimony for the record today, but am very
saddened my testimony will show no changes since last year. None of our
issues passed the last congressional session. GSW's most important
legislative issues that pertain to this committee are as follows:
i. elimination of the dependency and indemnity compensation (dic)
offset to the survivor benefit plan (sbp)
GSW strongly supports the complete elimination of the SBP/DIC
offset. We are grateful for the support of many Members of Congress,
including most of you here, as this issue has been brought before
Congress for 11 years. We are also grateful to Senator Bill Nelson his
sponsorship of S. 260 to remove the SBP/DIC offset. We respectfully
request Congress eliminate the SBP/DIC offset immediately.
Two Survivor Programs
Congress created two programs for survivors of our military
members. In 1956, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) was
established by the Servicemen's and Veteran's Survivor Benefit Act. The
purpose of DIC is an indemnity payable to survivors when a military
member dies as a result of a service-connected cause.
In 1972, Congress created the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). The
purpose of SBP is to insure that a portion of the military member's
retirement will be provided to the widow after the military member's
death.
Two different plans, two very different purposes, one paid by
retiree premiums or an active duty military member's life and the other
paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
GSW Membership and SBP/DIC OFFSET
GSW encompasses approximately 10,000 DIC recipients. Some of our
members are eligible for and receive SBP. For those surviving spouses
who receive SBP, either their retired military servicemember chose to
purchase SBP at their retirement or their military member died while on
active duty.
When a widow is eligible for both SBP and DIC, the widow becomes
subject to the ``widow's tax''--a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the
SBP by the amount of DIC received. Military members who died on active
duty did not pay premiums. (Prior to September 11, a servicemember who
died on active duty had to be retirement eligible for his survivor to
receive SBP without payment of premiums.) Their widows became eligible
for SBP on the date of their active duty death. Retired military
members chose to purchase SBP and pay premiums with hard-earned
retirement. Until 2005 and the implementation of concurrent receipt,
some disabled retirees received no retirement pay with which to pay
premiums. Many were forced to pay from disability compensation. The
offset, never mentioned to the military member, only becomes visible to
their widow once the military member has died. Including GSW members,
approximately 54,000 surviving spouses are eligible for both SBP and
DIC.
Widows who are impacted by the offset are quite often shocked to
learn they are subject to an offset. Completely unaware of the offset
and how it would affect them financially forces them to make many hard
adjustments in their day-to-day lives to accommodate the offset's
effects.
Band-Aid Fixes
Congress has chosen not to eliminate the offset for eleven years
for the small group of widows impacted by the offset. Instead, Congress
further divided and subdivided this small group with Band-Aid fixes for
the offset. Three of the Band-Aid fixes, also called options, create
even more confusion about benefits and who is eligible and often do
little to eliminate the financial distress initially. Even reporting
these options and their consequences to congressional members is
difficult as they do not understand the impact, ramifications and end-
result these options caused. The options are below.
First, the reassignment of a spouse's SBP to her children. In 2003,
a new law passed, P.L. 108-136, authorizing active duty widows to
assign the SBP annuity to their children, if any, permanently
forfeiting any right the widow had to SBP. This reassignment allows
full receipt of SBP by the child(ren) without offset until they reach
the age of majority, when the benefit terminates. The widow is forced
to make this decision very soon after notification of her spouse's
death and her decision then becomes irrevocable. Complications from
this new law often require that the widow be granted guardianship of
her own child(ren) by a court of law. A widow whose husband died in
retirement is not eligible for this option.
Second, remarriage. In August 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals in
the matter of Sharp, et.al. v. The United States, 82 Fed. Cl. 222
(2008), ruled that DIC payments may not be deducted from SBP annuities
if a person entitled to both benefits has remarried after age 57. It
does not make sense to have two separate standards in the law, one that
allows payment of full SBP and DIC for widows who remarry after age 57
and another forcing a dollar-for-dollar offset between the SBP and DIC
for all others. GSW is concerned that the Federal Government now
requires a remarriage in order for an annuity to be paid in full.
Third, Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA). The NDAA for
Fiscal Year 2008 established a Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance for
widows who are the beneficiary of the SBP annuity and their SBP annuity
is partially or fully offset by the DIC. The SSIA also applies to the
widows of members who died on active duty whose SBP annuity is
partially or fully offset by their DIC. SSIA began at $50 per month and
increases each fiscal year until 2017, when the SSIA terminates.
A GSW member inquired recently whether the SBP/DIC offset would be
removed within her lifetime. She is quite elderly and she stated that
the odds of her remarrying are not favorable. She knows there are band-
aid fixes, but stated she was from the old culture and married once for
a lifetime. For her, the thought of dating or remarrying at the age of
94 is completely out of the question. The only response we could give
her is to have faith and hope Congress will eliminate this offset soon.
Veterans Disability Benefits Commission and Concurrent Receipt
The Veterans Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC), created by
Congress in 2004 to review the benefits provided to the disabled and
their surviving spouses, recommended the elimination of the DIC offset
to SBP as one of their top priorities for Congress--and they referred
to this issue as ``survivor concurrent receipt.'' Six years ago,
concurrent receipt was applied to military members who are 100 percent
disabled, enabling them to receive both VA compensation and military
retirement pay in full. Logically, this should have applied to the
surviving spouse at the same time--death should have been included in
the 100 percent disabled category for survivor concurrent receipt as
well.
GSW understands that Congress does not permit the private sector or
other Federal benefit programs to reduce or terminate retired annuities
because the survivor is also eligible for DIC. So it begs to question,
how can the full receipt of SBP and DIC be considered double dipping
when in 2004 it was determined by Congress that the 100 percent
disabled would receive their full retirement and disability
compensation payments? Survivor compensation is provided to widows
based on the military member who is rated at 100 percent disabled.
There is no greater disability than death.
SBP/DIC Offset Conclusion
Senator Bill Nelson stated simply for the record before the Senate
Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Personnel Hearing on March 10,
2010, ``To truly honor our servicemembers, we all agree that the U.S.
Government must take care of our veterans, their widows and orphans. In
keeping with that moral principle, we must repeal the unjust offset
that denies widows and orphans the annuity their deceased loved ones
have earned on active duty or purchased for them. . . . Our efforts
have been important steps in the right direction, but they are not
enough. We must meet our obligation to the widow and orphan with this
same sense of honor as was the service their loved one had rendered. We
must completely eliminate the SBP/DIC offset.''
GSW is heartened by all the support and legislation introduced to
fix the ``widow's tax'' over the past 11 years; however, we are
perplexed that none of it has led to the necessary change--the complete
elimination of the SBP/DIC offset. Even the Veterans Disability
Benefits Commission, chartered by Congress, recommended the elimination
of the offset in its top six priorities for Congress. Military widows
have done all that is asked of them over the years and have worked
tirelessly to educate the government, the public and military
communities and new members to our own membership. They followed all
the advice provided by Congress to get the word out to the public,
garner support within Congress and have had numerous champions sponsor
legislation to end this offset but to no avail. Our champions retire,
widows die, and the offset still remains. We watch as other programs
are easily funded that do not impact the quality of life for their
recipients. We wait and wait. It is time to do the right thing,
eliminate the DIC offset to the SBP this session.
Gold Star Wives would like to thank Senator Bill Nelson for
introducing S. 260 and the 30 plus cosponsors supporting this effort to
eliminate the SBP/DIC Offset.
ii. education
GSW is greatly encouraged by the Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry
Scholarship Program and request this program be included in the Yellow
Ribbon Education Program. The Yellow Ribbon Education Program does not
currently apply to children of the fallen, yet it would help ensure
these children have a brighter future. We believe this was an oversight
when the Fry Scholarship was created with the intention of matching
education benefits to mirror the New GI Bill.
iii. tricare dental plan for children of active duty fallen
GSW is thankful for this needed piece of legislation for active
duty children to continue to receive dental care but we are perplexed
and concerned at the length of time which has passed without
implementation. Time is of the essence for many of these children who
are at an age when dental is pertinent for their optimal well-being.
Eighteen months is more than sufficient and should have been
implemented but has not.
iv. other issues
Caregiver/Family Support Services
While the TMC supports caregiver services, the surviving spouses
who provided care for their husbands 8 or more years have this
``caregiver'' allowance incorrectly included in the DIC check and
therefore additionally offset from their SBP.
TRICARE Premiums
Approximately 33,000 Surviving Spouses of Active Duty and Service
Connected deaths receive NO RETIRED SBP due to the offset with which to
pay any TRICARE Premiums.
v. recognizing gold star wives
Gold Star Wives thanks Senator Burr, NC, for sponsoring legislation
for a Gold Star Wives Day in April 5, 2011 and 2012. The recognition of
widows' service to our Nation was truly appreciated. These same widows
and widowers served beside their military member silently, determined
and unwavering despite hazardous duty, multiple deployments, numerous
family moves, serving as both parents to their children, and through
the loss of longevity in their own chosen careers. Many widows and
widowers were full-time caregivers for their military members. Often
back-breaking work and enduring financial hardships, these caregivers
saved the government untold hundreds of thousands of dollars in nursing
and hospital care, usually to the detriment of their own health. It is
a shame these same selfless widows and widowers rarely receive
accolades or honorable mentions in speeches or written statements made
by our political or military leaders. We ask that you include survivors
in your speeches, written statements and honorable mentions today and
into the future.
This testimony began with one of GSW's most critical issues--the
elimination of the SBP/DIC offset. Included are several other priority
issues for GSW that are not unfamiliar to Congress. We request your
support in caring for our widows and widowers as they look to GSW as
their support and their voice in Congress. We are the vanguards for
changing the inequities in military survivor benefits, educating the
public and military communities, as well as, educating Congress on the
needs of our members.
Our husbands would be appalled at the lack of action taken by
Congress to care for their widows and children. They would be shocked
to learn their wives and children had to walk the halls of Congress and
beg for the benefits they had worked so hard for on the battlefield. No
other group of widows and children are forced to be paraded for all to
see. These families should be heralded as heroes themselves for
surviving the life of a military family. I believe that you who serve
on this committee feel similarly. Let us work to make this statement
one of action and not just rhetoric.
I appreciate the opportunity to submit testimony for the record.
Thank you.
______
Prepared Statement by Peter J. Duffy of the National Guard Association
of the United States
Chairman Jim Webb, Ranking Member Lindsey Graham, and members of
the subcommittee: Thank you for the opportunity to present written
testimony on behalf of the National Guard Association of the United
States to address critical personnel issues facing members of the
National Guard and their families. This brief submission will provide
factual background, analysis, and corrective recommendations for the
committee to consider.
the unique citizen servicemember
The National Guard is unique among components of the Department of
Defense (DOD) in that it has the dual State and Federal mission. While
serving operationally overseas on Title 10 active duty status, National
Guard units are under the command and control of the President.
However, upon release from active duty, members of the National Guard
return to the far reaches of their states under the command and control
of their governors where as a special branch of the Selected Reserves
they train not just for their Federal missions but for their potential
state active duty missions such as protecting the border and airspace,
fire fighting, flood control, and providing assistance to civil
authorities in a variety of possible disaster scenarios.
Activation numbers for the National Guard as of April 5, 2011 are
as follows:
Guardsmen Currently Activated in Support of Operations Noble
Eagle/Enduring Freedom/New Dawn (as of April 5):
ARNG: 43,288
ANG: 5,637
Total Guardsmen Activated in Support of Operations Noble Eagle/
Enduring Freedom/New Dawn (Since September 11)
ARNG: 342,446
ANG: 87,103
While serving in their States, members are scattered geographically
with their families as they hold jobs, own businesses, pursue academic
programs and participate actively in their civilian communities.
Against this backdrop, members of the National Guard remain ready to
uproot from their families and civilian lives to serve their governor
domestically or their President in distance parts of the globe as duty
calls and to return to the same communities when their missions are
accomplished.
Military service in the National Guard is uniquely community based.
The culture of the National Guard remains little understood outside of
its own circles. When DOD testifies before Congress stating its
programmatic needs, it will likely recognize the indispensable role of
the National Guard as a vital operational force in the current wars but
it will say little and seek less to address the benefit disparities,
training challenges and unmet medical readiness issues that exist for
National Guard members and their families at the State level before,
during and after deployment. The National Guard Association of the
United States asks this subcommittee to please understand that the
personnel issues of the National Guard are different from those of the
Active Forces, and in some cases radically so. We ask that they be
given a fresh look with the best interests of the National Guard
members and their families in mind, in reviewing the recommendations
set forth below.
support for individual medical readiness needs
According to The Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care,
``Today's Operational Tempo raises the importance of all responsible
parties doing their part to ensure the Individual Medical Readiness
(IMR) requirements are satisfied to facilitate maximum deployability of
our forces.''
DOD requires all members of the National Guard to be medically
ready as a condition for deployment. IMR must address the medical and
dental needs of those members deploying for the first time as well as
those subject to redeployment whose mental health care needs arising
from prior service in OIF and OEF have become paramount. However, using
the National Guard as an operational force requires more accessible
health care particularly mental health care for members and their
families pre and post deployment in order to maintain the necessary
medical readiness required by deployment cycles. It cannot be a simple
post deployment send off by the active military of ``Good job. See you
in 3 years.''
DOD must do more to bring the National Guard to a constant state of
medical readiness to better support the short notice deployments that
occur regularly within the National Guard. For example, the Air
National Guard must maintain constant dental and medical readiness
because of the short notices they receive for deployments, which
sometimes can be as little as 72 hours. Short notice deployments also
occur regularly with cross leveled members who, with as little as 2 or
3 weeks notice, must fill in for members from other deploying units who
for various reasons become disqualified for deployment. Members in the
pool of Individual Mobilization Augmentees whose files are kept at the
Human Resources Command in St. Louis can also be assigned to fill
positions in deploying units on short notice without the benefit of the
premobilization preparations taking place in the deploying unit.
The Army National Guard currently has the highest suicide rate in
the military yet there remains no authority in Title 10 to authorize
the Service Secretaries to provide mental health care for our members
during dwell time to maintain readiness. In fact, outside of the
deployment windows which extend from the issuance of an alert order to
the close of the 6 month Transitional Assistance Management Program
(TAMP) period following deployment, there is no authority for the
Service Secretaries to provide any care beyond fixing dental readiness
issues identified in annual screenings.
Commanders currently lack the tools during dwell periods to fix
medical and behavioral readiness issues identified during annual
screenings identifies. The government pays good money to identify
treatable medical and behavioral readiness conditions but no money to
fix them during dwell time. This heightens the risks that members with
untreated conditions that otherwise could have been fixed will be
deployed only to be released from active duty at the mobilization
stations because of the untreated condition. This in turn sets into
motion the difficult cross leveling process with the unit losing key
personnel at the worst time and a surrogate stepping in on very short
notice at great hardship to the member and the member's family. This
problem is solvable but Congress must act by giving the Service
Secretaries discretionary authority to correct treatable medical and
behavioral readiness deficiencies discovered during dwell time
screenings. Members with conditions that cannot be corrected can be
separated or reassigned in a more timely manner outside of deployment
windows. This would allow for a more medically and dentally ready
deployable force even before the issuance of alert notices. This in
turn would help to limit the time diverted for treatment during the
training intensive alert periods.
Recommendation:
The National Guard Association of the United States recommends that
the National Guard Bureau, DOD, and the Congress of the United States
support authorization and appropriations for programs that will:
Amend 10 U.S.C. 1074 a(f)(l) to authorize Service
Secretaries provide the treatment needed to correct treatable
readiness deficiencies identified during dwell time screenings.
post-deployment health assessments and medical screenings at the home
station
It is imperative post deployment that our members while still on
active duty deployment orders be examined confidentially at the home
station by a qualified health care provider in order to address the
under reporting of physical and mental health conditions that is
occurring on the self-administered Post-Deployment Health Assessment
(PDHA). The PDHA is currently being completed by a homeward bound
member in theater or at the demobilization site often several States
away from home.
When the PDHA is completed, it is accompanied with the instruction
that the self-assessing member maybe medically held on active duty at
the demobilization site if he or she reports a medical condition
requiring that action. To avoid the risk of being held at the
demobilization site after a long deployment, members are simply not
fully reporting their physical and behavioral injuries. This
underreporting not only delays treatment but can prejudice later claims
with the VA for service connected disabilities arising from conditions
not previously reported on the PDHA.
What is needed forthwith is a free and confidential reporting of
physical and mental health conditions at the home station by all
members, stigma free, to a health care provider trained to elicit that
information and to screen for those conditions without the fear of
being medically held far from home. If medically holding the member is
advisable, it should be done as close to home as possible.
The irony in the current PDHA under reporting phenomenon is that a
medical hold is usually in the best interest of the member and his or
her family as it allows pay and benefits to continue during treatment
for a condition that may well render the member unemployable once
discharged. The medical hold should not cynically be administered as a
threat to discourage reporting of injuries when, if properly
administered in a friendly environment, it offers substantial benefits
to the members and his or her family.
The PDHA needs to be completed by returning members at home in the
presence of a trained health care professional who can screen, observe,
and ask with the skill necessary to elicit medical issues either
unknown to the self-reporting member or unreported for fear of being
retained at far removed demobilization site. Insurance companies in
performing their due diligence before the issuance of an insurance
policy do not allow individuals to self-assess their health. Neither
should the military. If geographical separation from families is
causing under reporting and non reporting of physical and psychological
combat injuries on the PDHA, then moving this process to the home
station would likely produce a better yield at a critical time when
this information needs to be captured in order for prompt and effective
treatment to be administered. If necessary and appropriate, the
examining health care provider in coordination with the National Guard
J-1 and State's Surgeon General can cause the member to be retained on
active duty locally for further treatment and evaluation.
This is especially critical in screening for behavioral conditions.
At all stages of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression,
treatment is time sensitive but this is particularly so after onset as
the illness could persist for a lifetime if not promptly and adequately
treated and could render the member permanently disabled. The effects
of this permanent disability on the member's entire family can be
devastating. It is absolutely imperative that members returning from
deployment be screened with full confidentiality at the home station
while still on active duty by trained and qualified mental health care
providers from VA staff and/or qualified health care providers from the
civilian community that could include primary care physicians,
physician assistants and nurse practitioners who have training in
assessing psychological health presentations. Prompt diagnosis and
treatment will help to mitigate the lasting effects of mental illness.
Please see the copy of a November 5, 2008, electronic message to
NGAUS from Dr. Dana Headapohl set forth in the Appendix which strongly
recommends a surveillance program for our members before they are
released from active duty. Dr. Headapohl opines the obvious in stating
that inadequate medical screening of our members before they are
released from active duty is ``unacceptable to a group that has been
asked to sacrifice for our country.'' (emphasis added)
Recommendation:
The National Guard Association of the United States recommends that
Congress support authorization and appropriations for programs that
will:
Require the PDHA for National Guard members to be
administered at the home station before releasing members from
active duty
Mandate medical and behavioral screening of all
National Guard members returning from deployment by health care
professionals at the home station before releasing the members
from active duty.
embed mental health care providers in armories and reserve centers
during drill
National Guard and Reserve suicides nearly doubled from 80 deaths
in 2009 to 145 deaths in 2010. This highest suicide rate in the
military underscores the need to provide the National Guard and Reserve
with convenient access to mental health care providers in a command
supported local setting.
Using the National Guard and Reserve as an operational force in the
current war requires a funded mental health readiness care program
during dwell time in order to maintain an important component of
medical readiness required by deployment cycles.
As our members reintegrate into their civilian communities or
prepare for future deployments, many show no signs of physical injury
but suffer from the psychological effects of traumatic stress requiring
treatment. These psychological effects may range in severity from
behavioral readjustment concerns to PTSD with some conditions not
manifesting themselves until months or even years after returning from
deployment. Early referral and treatment of behavioral and PTSD issues
are essential for positive outcomes.
DOD must provide better access for all National Guard and Reserve
members during duty hours to seek the assistance of mental health care
professionals in a convenient stigma free environment. Increased access
would more thoroughly and expeditiously identify members in need of
treatment.
Embedding mental health care providers in armories and Reserve
training centers during drill would enable on site self referrals or
mandatory unit wide referrals which would mitigate the perceived stigma
associated with National Guard members individually seeking mental
health counseling. This would also eliminate the need for our members
to take medical leave and drive potentially great distances to seek
similar services during the work week. As states with piloted programs
attest, the embedded mental health care provider program works.
Tri-West with its own funds has instituted a pilot program in
California that supports 27 mental health care providers as embedded
screeners with 40 California National Guard units to provide support
and referral assistance during drill weekends and family readiness
events. These providers can earn the trust of soldiers and build
relationships through regular contact in a familiar environment. For
those National Guard and Reserve members and their families who may not
have access to the support and resources more commonly found in active
duty military communities, this outreach is particularly important. The
pilot program offers soldiers a greater access to the type of care they
are most comfortable seeking.
S. 325, The Embedded Mental Health Providers for Reserves Act of
2011 introduced by Senators Patty Murray and Claire McCaskill, now
before the 112th Congress would require the Service Secretaries to
provide to any and all members of the Reserve components performing
inactive-duty unit training access to mental health assessments and
treatment with a licensed mental health professional who would be
available for referrals during duty hours on the premises of the
principal duty location of the member's unit.
The Congressional Budget Office has preliminarily estimated the 5
year outlay for S. 325 to be $109 million. Secretary Gates has
requested $677 million in the President's fiscal year 2012 budget for
treatment of PTSD and TBI. A fair allocation of this sum and future
requests should more than cover the cost of S. 325. In light of the
recent GAO castigation of the waste and lack of direction in the
Defense Center of Excellence, the embed program offers a bargain in
caring for the mental health needs of deserving members of the
military. Congress needs to require DOD to fairly share mental health
appropriations with the National Guard and Reserve who can apply those
funds efficiently with an embedded provider program.
Our young men and women deserve appropriate and timely mental
health care assessments and care as they attempt to reintegrate into
civilian life and maintain medical readiness for future deployments.
Recommendation:
Support the passage of S. 325.
equitably amend the 2008 national defense authorization act in reducing
the age for members of the reserve components to collect retirement pay
Having transitioned to an operational force, the National Guard of
the United States is spending more time on active duty as it shares
responsibility for the current wars.
More than 60 years ago, the Congress of the United States
established the age limit for receipt of retired pay by Reserve
component members. That law, most recently amended in the 2008 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), states that a retired Reserve
component member can begin to draw military retired pay upon reaching
60 years of age regardless of number of years served. A National Guard
member who enlists after high school at age 18 and retires after 20
years of service at age 48 must wait 22 years before drawing a
retirement check.
retroactivity
Led by the efforts of Senator Saxby Chambliss, the NDAA for Fiscal
Year 2008 reduced the 60 year eligibility age for retired members of
the Ready Reserve to collect retirement pay 3 months for each aggregate
of 90 days per fiscal year of active duty performed in Title 10 status
in support of a contingency operation or in Title 32 status in
responding to a national emergency. Unfortunately, these historic
provisions applied only to service after January 28, 2008, the date of
enactment of the 2008 NDAA. Making these changes fully retroactive to
September 11 is the number one benefit issue in the Guard and Reserve.
Since September 11, 2001 members of the Reserve component have
continued to serve as an ``operational'' force with their active
counterparts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other dangerous locations around
the globe. If active duty service of the Reserve components in wartime
and national emergencies after January 28, 2008 is now recognized in
reducing the age to collect military retirement pay, it is inequitable
to not credit retroactively all otherwise qualifying service performed
after September 11, 2001. Those members currently deployed who fought
in OIF/OEF before January 28, 2008 know painfully that their earlier
service is not truly respected. Our members who so bravely risked their
lives in service to our country deserve that respect.
The Congressional Budget Office last year estimated the cost of a
bill to provide retroactivity be 1.353 billion over 10 years. NGAUS
understands that Reserve retirement is considered mandatory spending
which would require passage of a retroactivity bill to have an offset
commensurate with its estimated cost.
In the event the Senate fields a bill this session that would
establish the subject retroactivity, NGAUS urges Congress to please
search for an offset to fund this necessary legislation, or in the
event a War Supplemental Bill should be introduced this session, to
fund such a bill as an emergency spending measure.
eliminating the fiscal year requirement for 90 days of qualifying
service
The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008 requires the aforementioned 90 days
of qualifying service to occur within a single fiscal year thereby
unfairly not crediting otherwise qualifying service spread over 2
fiscal years.
For example, if one served 90 days in OIF from September 1, 2008
through November 29, 2008, that service would not be credited in
reducing the retirement eligibility age. However, if the person served
90 days in OIF from October 1, 2008 through December 29, 2008, that
service would be fully credited. This distinction unfairly penalizes
those who serve bravely with orders spanning 2 fiscal years.
NGAUS urges Congress to correct this inequity by fully crediting
each aggregate of 90 days of qualifying service irrespective of the
fiscal year in which it is served.
Recommendation:
The National Guard Association of the United States recommends that
the Congress of the United States support legislation to make the
Reserve retirement law changes in the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008
retroactive to September 11 and to eliminate the fiscal year
requirement for the 90 days of qualifying service to reduce the
eligibility age.
space available travel priority on parity with the active force
A popular misconception on the Hill holds that Space Available
(Space A) aircraft travel is governed exclusively by DOD Joint Travel
Regulations (JTR). Although the JTRs establish the priority categories,
Congress does intervene with statutory corrections from time to time to
redirect the Secretary of Defense to reestablish equitable travel
priorities. Attached to this written testimony is a copy of 110 U.S.C.
Section 2641b which did just that relative to travel to receive
specialty care.
Another statutory change in Space Priorities is in order to bring
members of the National Guard and Reserve and their dependents on level
Space A priority with the Active Forces and their dependents. DOD would
still establish priority categories in the JTR but whatever priority
category assigned to the Active Forces on leave and their dependents
would by law apply to the National Guard and Reserve members and their
dependents.
The National Guard has established itself as an indispensable
operational force in defending our country in a most cost effective
manner. Serving shoulder to shoulder with the Active component
worldwide, members of the National Guard as citizen soldiers remain
ready to uproot from their families and civilian lives to serve their
governor domestically or their President in distant parts of the globe
as duty calls and to return to the same communities when their missions
are accomplished.
In recognition of this service, Congress has worked hard since
September 11, 2010 to establish Federal legislation to close the
benefit gap that exists for our deserving members and their families.
Expanding space-available travel for our members and gray area retirees
would be a significant step in that direction. It appears that the
bills would also be budget neutral.
S. 542 introduced by Senator Mark Begich would provide space-
available travel on defense department aircraft for members of the
Reserve components on the same basis as active members of the Armed
Forces; retired members of the Reserve component eligible to receive
retirement pay but for age on the same basis as retired members of the
Armed Forces entitled to receive retirement pay; widows of retired
members entitled or eligible to receive retirement pay; and the
accompanying dependents of these members, retired members or widows.
This legislation is likely budget neutral.
Recommendation:
Please support the passage of S. 542.
extend tamp coverage with tricare prime remote
Post-deployment care for members under the TAMP and their families
must be for a period equal to the period of deployment but not less
than 6 months. The TAMP program allows members to obtain at government
expense up to 6 months of TRICARE coverage that is similar, but not
identical, to the TRICARE Prime coverage they had been receiving on
active duty.
Effective TAMP coverage is a medical readiness issue for the
overwhelming majority of our returning members who are subject to
redeployment and must maintain their medical and dental readiness.
Unfortunately, many are slipping through the cracks post deployment
with undiagnosed medical conditions, particularly behavioral
conditions, which may not be reported by the returning members when
they self-assess their medical condition on the PDHA administered at
the demobilization site. Unreported conditions cannot be treated. As
these conditions become known over time, a reasonable period is needed
for proper treatment. The current 6 month TAMP period is proving to be
inadequate either because of other demands on the returning members'
time or the late disclosure of a service connected injury.
The coverage available under TAMP does not include access to the
provider network under TRICARE Prime Remote, the rural active duty
coverage available to family beneficiaries while the military sponsor
is deployed. This breaks provider continuity for rural beneficiaries
switching to TAMP post deployment who had been treating under the
TRICARE Prime Remote program while the military sponsor was deployed.
This requires many of our rural families who had been using TRICARE
Prime Remote during the deployment to search for a new provider and
hopefully find one. The TAMP program needs adjusting to expand its
provider network and to specifically allow rural beneficiaries to have
access to the same TRICARE Prime Remote providers they had been using.
Recommendation:
It is the recommendation of the National Guard Association of the
United States that the Congress of the United States support funding
and authority for:
Extending post-deployment TAMP coverage for a period
equal to the period of deployment but not less than 6 months.
To include access to the TRICARE Prime Remote provider
network as part of the TAMP coverage benefit.
To expand the TRICARE provider network.
conclusion
In conclusion, we at NGAUS hope that we have both reinforced and
amplified this subcommittee's understanding of personnel needs of the
National Guard. Thank you again for the opportunity to submit testimony
to this subcommittee and for all that you do for our Nation's
servicemembers.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Senator Webb. Having just gone through this on the last
hearing, I think we'll start from your right, and my left, and
move this way. If you could summarize your statements in 5
minutes, the full statements will be entered into the record as
read.
Mr. Barnes welcome.
STATEMENT OF MASTER CHIEF JOSEPH L. BARNES, USN (RET.)
Mr. Barnes. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity
to appear before you today.
My name is Joe Barnes, and I have the privilege of serving
as FRA's national executive director and also as cochair of
TMC. I'll be addressing several priority personnel issues. My
colleagues will do likewise in the areas of family and survivor
issues, healthcare, and Guard and Reserve issues.
Military service is unlike any other career or occupation.
Associated with this is ensuring adequate pay and benefits for
Active and Reserve personnel, and their families and survivors,
and fulfilling commitments to provide healthcare and other
benefits for career personnel after retirement.
Thanks to the strong support from this distinguished
subcommittee, there have been significant pay and benefits
improvements enacted since 2000.
The Coalition appreciates the exemption of military
personnel from the Federal pay freeze and strongly supports the
administration's proposed 1.6 percent 2012 Active Duty pay
adjustment, which is based on the employment cost index data
used in preparing the budget request.
Pay is a major concern for military personnel. If approved,
this would be the second smallest pay increase in nearly 50
years, behind the 1.4 percent pay increase this year.
Adequate end strengths are essential to maintaining
readiness, prosecuting war efforts, and supporting other
operations throughout the world, including the recent Libya
operations and disaster relief in Japan. End-strength levels
are also related to sufficient dwell time between deployments,
and debilitating stress on repeatedly deployed servicemembers
and their families. An article in this week's Navy Times cites
stresses on Navy personnel and references longer deployments,
shorter dwell times, and a 15 percent increase in underway days
over the past decade, with 10 percent fewer ships.
There are other troubling indicators of the impact of
stress on personnel and their families after 10 years of war
and other demanding operational requirements. These include
increased drug usage, alarming suicide rates, and divorces.
The Coalition strongly supports the military resale system
to ensure access to commissaries and exchanges for all
beneficiaries and provide important support for Morale,
Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs. The pending
implementation of the Tax Increase Prevention and
Reconciliation Act will require a 3-percent withholding on
payments to vendors, and likely result in higher costs being
passed on to beneficiaries, and reduced MWR program support.
Accordingly, TMC urges an exemption to the law for the military
resale system.
The Coalition supports legislation sponsored by Senator
Mark Begich that would authorize shipment of a second private-
owned vehicle to Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam, and increase certain
permanent change-of-station mileage reimbursement rates.
Finally, the Coalition supports authorization of full
concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability
compensation for all disabled retirees. This includes phasing
out the disability offset for all Chapter 61 retirees, as
previously endorsed by the President and this subcommittee. We
also urge support for Senator Reid's legislation on this issue.
Thank you again for the opportunity to present our views on
these issues.
[The prepared statement of Chief Barnes follows:]
Prepared Statement by The Fleet Reserve Association
the fleet reserve association
The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) is a leading advocate on
Capitol Hill for enlisted active duty, Reserve, retired and veterans of
the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. It is Congressionally
Chartered, recognized by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) as an
accrediting Veteran Service Organization (VSO) for claim representation
and entrusted to serve all veterans who seek its help. In 2007, FRA was
selected for full membership on the National Veterans' Day Committee.
FRA was established in 1924 and its name is derived from the Navy's
program for personnel transferring to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine
Corps Reserve after 20 or more years of active duty, but less than 30
years for retirement purposes. During the required period of service in
the Fleet Reserve, assigned personnel earn retainer pay and are subject
to recall by the Secretary of the Navy.
FRA's mission is to act as the premier ``watch dog'' organization
in maintaining and improving the quality of life for Sea Service
personnel and their families. The Association also sponsors a National
Americanism Essay Program and other recognition and relief programs. In
addition, the newly established FRA Education Foundation oversees the
Association's scholarship program that presented awards totaling nearly
$120,000 to deserving students last year.
The Association is also a founding member of The Military Coalition
(TMC), a 33-member consortium of military and veteran's organizations.
FRA hosts most TMC meetings and members of its staff serve in a number
of TMC leadership roles.
FRA's motto is: ``Loyalty, Protection, and Service.''
certification of non-receipt of federal funds
Pursuant to the requirements of House Rule XI, the Fleet Reserve
Association has not received any Federal grant or contract during the
current fiscal year or either of the 2 previous fiscal years.
overview
The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) is an active participant and
leading organization in TMC and strongly supports the extensive
recommendations addressed in the TMC testimony prepared for this
hearing. The intent of this statement is to address issues of
particular importance to FRA's membership and the Sea Services enlisted
communities.
introduction
Mr. Chairman, the FRA salutes you, members of the subcommittee, and
your staff for the strong and unwavering support of programs essential
to Active Duty, Reserve component, and retired members of the uniformed
services, their families, and survivors. The subcommittee's work has
greatly enhanced care and support for our wounded warriors, improved
military pay, eliminated out-of-pocket housing expenses, improved
health care, and enhanced other personnel, retirement and survivor
programs. This support is critical in maintaining readiness and is
invaluable to our Armed Forces engaged throughout the world fighting
the global War on Terror, supporting the NATO effort in Libya,
assisting Japan with recovery efforts, sustaining other operational
requirements and fulfilling commitments to those who've served in the
past.
A huge budget deficit, the reduction of troops in Iraq and a
planned drawdown in Afghanistan increases pressure to slash the defense
budget. But as the increased hostility on the Korean peninsula last
November and the recent political instability in the Middle East shows,
there are many potential conflicts around the world that requires the
military to be prepared not only in terms of new weapons systems but
also with adequate personnel strength that is well trained and not
stressed from continued deployments.
tricare
Ensuring adequate funding the Military Health System (MHS) and VA
health care is FRA's top legislative priority and important to every
segment of our membership, Auxiliary and widows. Our members appreciate
Chairman Webb's comments that the TRICARE fee increase proposal
``violates a moral contract that the government has with those who
served in the military.'' The importance of health care is reflected in
responses to the Association's 2011 online survey completed in
February, which revealed that over 90 percent of all Active Duty,
Reserve, retired, and veteran respondents cited health care access as a
critically important quality-of-life benefit associated with their
military service.
Higher health care costs are not unique to the military, and FRA
appreciates the subcommittee's opposition to past proposals to
drastically increase TRICARE fees and pharmacy co-pays. Our membership
believes there are management efficiencies and cost saving initiatives
that can significantly offset higher costs--something first referenced
in FRA's 2006 testimony on these issues before this distinguished
subcommittee. An example is the expanded use of the more economical
pharmacy home delivery option for prescriptions, which saved the
department over $30 million in 2010.
FRA also notes recommendations in recent Government Accountability
Office (GAO) testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform which identified Federal programs, agencies, offices
and initiatives that have duplicative goals or activities. Number two
on a list of 81 areas for consideration is realigning DOD's military
medical command structures and consolidating common functions to
increase efficiency which would result in projected savings of from
``$281 million to $460 million'' annually. In addition, GAO cites
opportunities for DOD and the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) to
jointly modernize their respective electronic health record systems,
and also control drug costs by increasing joint contracting.
Identifying a permanent solution to pending cuts in Medicare
physician reimbursement rates is integral to ensuring access to care
for all beneficiaries seeking care outside the MHS or under TRICARE for
Life. Congress has repeatedly punted on this matter and the latest
extension preventing cumulative reimbursement rate cuts now totaling
29.5 percent expires on December 31, 2011. The Association supports a
further 2-year extension included in the administration's 2012 budget,
however, a permanent fix is sorely needed.
health care fees proposal
Regarding the administration's 2012 health care fees proposal, the
Association believes first and foremost that military service is unlike
any other civilian career or occupation. Associated with this reality
and maintaining readiness, are commitments to provide health care and
other benefits for career personnel after their service careers. As
stated in the Senate testimony referenced above, ``Providing and
funding health care benefits for all beneficiaries is part of the cost
of defending our Nation.'' It's also important to remember that only
about 1 percent of the population is currently serving in the uniformed
services to defend our freedoms and prosecute the continuing war
efforts.
The Department of Defense's lax management of health care fees
since TRICARE was established in 1995 led to drastic fee hike proposals
from 2006 to 2008 including a TRICARE Standard enrollment fee which
would not enhance access to care for beneficiaries in that program.
Bipartisan legislation was subsequently introduced in successive
Congresses that would shift oversight responsibilities from DOD to
Congress (H.R. 1092 sponsored by Reps. Walter Jones and Dan Boren was
recently introduced in the 112th Congress), and a Senate bill in the
110th Congress (S.604 sponsored by Senators Lautenberg and Hagel). If
enacted, the Senate bill would have prohibited health care fee
adjustments from exceeding the annual Consumer Price Index (CPI), which
determines military retired pay adjustments and other Federal benefits
pegged to inflation. FRA supports (supported) these and related bills
in the current and previous Congresses.
Compared to past proposals, the 2012 TRICARE fee changes are more
reasonable--however, the 2012 adjustments characterized by DOD as
``modest'' are only part of the plan and the Association is very
concerned about the yet-to-determined annual adjustment index for
TRICARE Prime fees in 2013 and beyond.
FRA supports other aspects of the proposal including the
elimination of co-pays for generic drugs dispensed via TRICARE's Home
Delivery pharmacy program to encourage expanded use of this program--
and survivors and medically retired personnel are not impacted by the
proposal. There are also no active duty fee increases, no changes to
TRICARE Standard--and something especially important to Medicare
eligible retirees--no additional TRICARE for Life fees.
health care inflation
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the
basis for annual retired pay adjustments and absent a baseline
statutory measure for determining health care costs, this index is
integral to examining proposals to adjust TRICARE Prime enrollment and
other health care related fees.
DOD cites a 6.2 percent assumption with regard to adjustments for
2013 and beyond while acknowledging a number of health care inflation
indexes. FRA's research found that 1-year Standard & Poor's (S&P)
Healthcare Economic Indices through November 2010 ranged from 2.71
percent (S&P Healthcare Hospital Medicare Index) to 6.27 percent (S&P
Healthcare Economic Composite Index), to 9.04 percent (S&P Healthcare
Economic Commercial Index). A January 20, 2011 press release on this
data states that ``Average per capita cost of healthcare services
covered by commercial insurance and Medicare programs rose 6.27
(percent),'' which is perhaps the benchmark DOD actuaries used in
conjunction with projected multi-year savings associated with annual
health care fee adjustments for military retirees.
usfhp and community hospitals reimbursements
The plan also would require new Uniformed Services Family Health
Plan (USFHP) beneficiaries to enroll in Medicare Part B and shift to
Medicare as primary provider at age 65--a change that would impact
future enrollees to this highly regarded program which serves
approximately 115,000 beneficiaries in 6 areas throughout the United
States.
Although the FRA does not have expertise on the proposed adoption
of Medicare payment rules at over 400 Sole Community Hospitals over 4
years, we understand that perhaps 20 of the facilities are near
military bases and request consideration and/or analysis of the impact
of these changes with regard to ensuring future access to care for
TRICARE beneficiaries at these hospitals.
continued attention to improved service and cost efficiencies
FRA continues its strong advocacy regarding the need to improve
service, streamline operations and further identify and implement cost
saving measures within DOD, all of which are essential to maintaining
readiness and fulfilling commitments made to all beneficiaries. The
Association notes the elimination of 780 contract positions in
conjunction with streamlining TRICARE Management Activity functions
along with increasing inter-service cooperation and co-locating medical
headquarters operations.
wounded warrior care
FRA appreciates the extraordinary efforts by this subcommittee to
help our wounded warriors. Last year this subcommittee authorized a
monthly stipend under the DOD family caregiver program for
catastrophically injured or ill wounded warriors that is equal to the
caregiver stipend provided by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA).
Unfortunately, this program of which the Veterans' Affairs Committees
have jurisdiction has yet to be implemented.
A recent Navy Times survey on wounded warrior care (November 29,
2010) indicates that 77 percent of caregivers have no life of their
own; 72 percent feel isolated; and 63 percent suffer from depression.
The new program will help many caregivers, however, the enactment and
implementation of the legislation is only the first step and effective
oversight and sustained funding are also critical to ensuring future
support for these caregivers.
FRA supports additional changes detailed in the full TMC statement
which include establishing a permanent independent office for the DOD/
VA Interagency program with expanded authority to include oversight of
all components of achieving a true seamless transition; authorizing
active duty TRICARE benefits, regardless of accessibility of VA care,
for 3 years after medical retirement to help ease transition from DOD
to VA; and extending and making permanent the charter of the ``Special
Oversight Committee'' to ensure improved and enduring coordination with
DOD and VA initiatives to help wounded warriors.
des
In response to the Dole/Shalala Commission Report a pilot program
was created (NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008--Public Law 110-181) known as
the Disability Evaluation System (DES). The pilot provides a single
disability exam conducted to VA standards that will be used by both VA
and DOD and a single disability rating by VA that is binding upon both
Departments. The program, now called the Integrated Disability
Evaluation System (IDES) recently became permanent and is being
implemented at military medical facilities. This is a common-sense
approach that FRA believes will reduce bureaucratic red-tape and help
streamline the process throughout the entire disability rating system.
Despite jurisdictional concerns, the Association urges the subcommittee
to provide oversight as the IDES is implemented. According to a recent
GAO report the new system takes 10 months to traverse as compared to
the current system that on average takes about 18 months.
Achieving an effective delivery system between DOD and VA to
guarantee seamless transition and quality services for wounded
personnel, particularly those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress
(PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) is very important to our
membership. DOD should also make every effort to de-stigmatize mental
health conditions that should include outreach, counseling, and mental
health assessment for all servicemembers returning from the combat
zone.
suicide rates
FRA is deeply concerned about military suicide rates. Active duty
suicides have been reduced or at least leveled off, but suicides for
non-active duty Reserve component are increasing.
For example, the Marine Corps ended calendar year 2010 with
suicides at a 3-year low. The Service reported 37 confirmed or
suspected suicides in 2010 as compared to 52 in 2009, and 173 marines
attempted suicide in 2010, which is 9 more than the previous year. The
Navy reports a decline from 46 per 100,000 personnel in 2009 to 38 in
2010. Despite this, attempted suicides have increased since 2006.
Intervention has been helpful for active duty personnel but
suicides for the Reserve component (RC) not on active duty are
increasing. Regarding these, (all Services and Guard), 145 suicides
were reported for 2010 which reflects a significant increase from 80
suicides the previous year. A March 30, 2011 Fox News segment indicated
that Guard and Reserve suicides are increasing and that 85 percent of
those committing suicide in the Guard and Reserve had jobs. A common
theme also appears to be marriage problems (see USFSPA section below
for related information.) FRA supports legislation (H.R. 208) sponsored
by Rep. Thomas Rooney that authorizes reimbursement for mental health
counseling under TRICARE.
defense budget
FRA supports a defense budget of at least 5 percent of GDP that
will adequately fund both people and weapons programs. The current
level of defense spending (4.7 percent including supplemental spending
in fiscal year 2010) is significantly lower than past wartime periods
as a percentage of GDP and the Association is concerned that the
administration's 5-year spending plan of 1 percent above inflation may
not be adequate in maintaining readiness and associated support for
both people programs and weapon systems.
active duty pay
FRA appreciates that the military has been excluded from the pay
freeze for Federal employees announced by President Obama on November
29, 2010 and supports the proposed 1.6 percent pay increase that equals
the 2010 Employment Cost Index (ECI). The United States however, is in
the 10th year of war and there is no more compelling issue for our
current warriors than adequate pay.
A total of 92 percent of active duty personnel who responded to
FRA's recent quality of life issues survey consider pay as ``very
important,'' which was the highest rating. The Association appreciates
the strong support from this distinguished subcommittee in reducing the
13.5 percent pay gap to 2.4 percent since 1999 and reiterates the fact
that the ECI lags 15 months behind the effect date of pay adjustments
due to budget preparation and associated congressional action on annual
authorizing and appropriations legislation. The enacted fiscal year
2011 1.4 percent pay increase and proposed fiscal year 2012 adjustment
are equal the ECI, are the smallest pay increases in recent memory, and
do not further reduce the pay gap.
The Association recommends that this distinguished subcommittee
authorize an active duty pay increase at least equal to the ECI so as
not to increase the pay gap between civilian and military pay.
end strengths
Sufficient military end strengths are vital for success in
Afghanistan and to sustaining other operations vital to our national
security. FRA is concerned about calls for reducing end strength in the
out years to save money on the Defense budget while we're still engaged
in war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The strain of repeated deployments
continues and is reflected in troubling stress-related statistics that
include alarming suicide rates, prescription drug abuse, alcohol use,
and military divorce rates. These are also related to the adequacy of
end strengths and the need for adequate dwell time between
deployments--issues that have been repeatedly addressed in
congressional oversight hearings.
concurrent receipt
FRA's recent survey indicates that nearly 70 percent of military
retirees cite concurrent receipt as ``very important.'' The Association
supports Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid's ``Retired Pay Restoration
Act'' (S. 344) and Rep. Sanford Bishop's ``Disabled Veterans Tax
Termination Act'' (H.R. 333). Both proposals would authorize
comprehensive concurrent receipt reform, and Rep. Gus Bilirakis'
``Retired Pay Restoration Act'' (H.R. 303) would authorize current
receipt for retirees receiving CRDP with a disability rating of 50
percent or less.
The Association is disappointed that the administration failed to
address concurrent receipt reform in its budget request as it has for
the last 2 years, but strongly supports House Personnel Subcommittee
Chairman Joe Wilson's bill (H.R. 186), that expands concurrent receipt
for servicemembers who were medically retired with less than 20 years
of service (Chapter 61 retirees) and would be phased-in over 5 years.
This proposal mirrors the administration's proposal from the 110th
Congress. In 2008, Congress voted to expand eligibility for Combat-
Related Special Compensation (CRSC) coverage to Chapter 61 retirees and
the proposed legislation would, in effect, extend eligibility for
Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) to all Chapter 61
retirees over 5 years.
usfspa
FRA again urges Congress to take a serious look at the Uniformed
Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA) with a goal of
addressing inequities in the law and amending language therein to
ensure that the Federal Government is adequately protecting
servicemembers against State courts that ignore provisions of poorly
written law. As noted above, marriage problems may also be associated
with suicide rates.
The USFSPA was enacted 29 years ago, the result of congressional
maneuvering that denied the opposition an opportunity to express its
views in open public hearings. The last hearing, in 1999, was conducted
by the House Veterans' Affairs Committee rather than the Armed Services
Committee which has oversight authority for amending the law.
Few provisions of the USFSPA protect the rights of the
servicemember, and none are enforceable by the Department of Justice or
DOD. If a State court violates the right of the servicemember under the
provisions of USFSPA, the Solicitor General will make no move to
reverse the error. Why? Because the act fails to have the enforceable
language required for Justice or the Defense Department to react. The
only recourse is for the servicemember to appeal to the court, which in
many cases gives that court jurisdiction over the member. Some State
courts also award a percentage of veterans' compensation to ex-spouses,
a clear violation of U.S. law; yet, the Federal Government does nothing
to stop this.
Other provisions weigh heavily in favor of former spouses including
divorce decrees in which the former spouse is awarded a percentage of
the servicemember's retired pay which should be based on the member's
pay grade at the time of the divorce--not at a higher grade that may be
held upon retirement.
FRA believes that the Pentagon USFSPA study recommendations strike
a balance providing needed improvements for the former spouse and
servicemember and are a reasonable starting point for reform.
reserve early retirement
The Reserve retirement age provision in the NDAA for Fiscal Year
2008 reduces the age requirement by 3 months for each cumulative 90-
days ordered to active duty is effective upon the enactment of the
legislation (January 28, 2008) and NOT retroactive to October 7, 2001.
Accordingly the Association supports ``The National Guardsmen and
Reservists Parity for Patriots Act '' (H.R. 181) sponsored by Chairman
Wilson, to authorize reservists mobilized since October 7, 2001, to
receive credit in determining eligibility for receipt of early retired
pay. Since September 11, 2001 the Reserve component has changed from a
Strategic Reserve to an Operational Reserve and the Association urges
the subcommittee to support this important legislation.
retention of final full month's retired pay
FRA urges the subcommittee to authorize the retention of the full
final month's retired pay by the surviving spouse (or other designated
survivor) of a military retiree for the month in which the member was
alive for at least 24 hours. FRA strongly supports ``The Military
Retiree Survivor Comfort Act'' (H.R. 493), introduced by Rep. Walter
Jones.
Current regulations require survivors of deceased Armed Forces
retirees to return any retirement payment received in the month the
retiree passes away or any subsequent month thereafter. Upon the demise
of a retired servicemember in receipt of military retired pay the
surviving spouse is to notify the department of the death. Without
consideration of the survivor's financial status, the Defense Finance
and Accounting Service (DFAS) then stops payment on the retirement
account, recalculates the final payment to cover only the days in the
month the retiree was alive, forwards a check for those days to the
surviving spouse (beneficiary) and, if not reported in a timely manner,
recoups any payment(s) made covering periods subsequent to the
retiree's death.
The measure is related to a similar Department of Veterans' Affairs
pay policy enacted in 1996 that allows a surviving spouse to retain the
veteran's disability and VA pension payments issued for the month of
the veteran's death. FRA believes military retired pay should be no
different.
military resale system
FRA strongly supports adequate funding for the Defense Commissary
Agency (DeCA) to ensure access to the commissary benefit for all
beneficiaries. As noted by Thomas T. Gordy, President of the Armed
Forces Marketing Council, at a recent oversight hearing by the House
Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, ``Since 2000, DeCA's budget has
remained flat in real dollars, meaning they have done more with less
for the past 11 years.'' He also reported that ``With the $1.31 billion
DeCA received in 2010, it generated savings to military families in the
amount of $2.69 billion.''
The Association also strongly supports the military exchange
systems (AAFES, NEXCOM, and MCX), and urges against revisiting the
concept of consolidation. FRA instead urges a thorough review of the
findings of an extensive and costly ($17 million) multi-year study
which found that this is not a cost-effective approach to running these
important systems.
Our members are also concerned about the impact of the ``Tax
Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act'' (P.L. 109-222) on the
Military Resale System. Withholding 3 percent on payments to vendors
that provide products sold in exchanges and commissaries will result in
part to higher costs being passed on to beneficiaries and reduce
resources to support MWR programs. Accordingly, FRA asks for support to
exempt the Military Resale System from the law which becomes effective
on January 1, 2012.
fit but not deployable
FRA appreciates the inclusion of Section 571 in the National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 which addresses the
discredited practice of finding a servicemember fit but nondeployable
who is then given an administrative discharge without benefits. This
provision requires approval by a Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) and
requires the Secretary of Defense to make the final adjudication. The
Association urges this subcommittee to provide continued oversight to
ensure disabled servicemembers are adequately compensated for their
injuries and illnesses incurred while serving our country.
pcs reform
A recent Navy Times poll indicates that nearly 41 percent of
servicemembers had more than one problem with their most recent
permanent change of station move (PCS). FRA supports legislation
sponsored by Sen. Mark Begich entitled ``The Servicemembers Permanent
Change of Station Relief Act'' (S. 472) which would authorize
reimbursement for shipping a second POV to Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam;
and increase PCS mileage rates from 24 to 51 cents per mile.
travel cost reimbursement
FRA appreciates the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008 provision (section
631) that permits travel reimbursement for reservist's weekend drills,
not to exceed $300, if the commute is outside the normal commuting
distance. The Association urges the subcommittee to make this a
mandatory provision. This is a priority issue for many enlisted
reservists who must travel long distances to participate in weekend
drills without reimbursement for travel costs. Providing this travel
reimbursement would assist with retention and recruitment of
reservists--particularly during the current period of increased
reliance on these personnel to sustain the war effort and other
operational commitments.
flexible spending accounts
Many military families need flexible spending accounts that are
available to most civilian employees and to Federal civilian workers.
The accounts allow servicemembers to invest their earnings that are
matched dollar-for-dollar by the Federal Government up to a specific
amount. DOD has authority to implement flexible spending accounts but
has elected not to do so which is why FRA supports legislation (S. 387)
sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer, Richard Burr, and Kristin Gillibrand,
and legislation (H.R. 791) sponsored by Rep. Loretta Sanchez. These
proposals would mandate that DOD set up flexible spending accounts
within 6 months after enactment and would require the Pentagon to study
the feasibility of flexible spending accounts for the Reserve
component.
conclusion
FRA is grateful for the opportunity to present these
recommendations to this distinguished subcommittee.
Senator Webb. Thank you very much, Master Chief Barnes.
Colonel Strobridge, welcome.
STATEMENT OF COL. STEVEN P. STROBRIDGE, USAF (RET.), DIRECTOR
OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF
AMERICA
Mr. Strobridge. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
We very much appreciate this opportunity to present our
views. My portion of the Coalition's testimony will cover
healthcare issues.
Our primary concern is protection of military beneficiaries
against dramatic budget-driven fluctuations in this vital
element, a servicemember's career compensation package. One
example is the Deficit Commission's proposal to reduce the
value of TRICARE for Life by $3,000 per year for a retiree,
$6,000 for a couple, for older and disabled beneficiaries,
through deductible and copayment increases. That would be a
major about-face from what Congress saw as ``earned coverage''
when TRICARE for Life was enacted 10 years ago. We hope the
subcommittee would oppose inclusion of any such change in the
budget resolution.
We also urge the subcommittee to continue its oversight of
wounded warrior and caregiver issues. Although we believe both
DOD and VA are pursuing seamless transition initiatives in good
faith, we urge joint hearings by the Armed Services and
Veterans' Affairs Committees to track progress and any
stumbling blocks on a wide variety of ongoing issues.
The Coalition continues to be concerned about the adequacy
of provider participation in TRICARE, especially for TRICARE
Standard beneficiaries. We're grateful to the subcommittee for
establishing statutory surveys of participation adequacy, but
that requirement expires this year. We hope you'll renew the
requirement and establish more specific actions to ensure
compliance with participation standards.
On the issue of TRICARE fees, the Coalition has a diversity
of views, but believes strongly that the DOD proposed indexing
methodology is inappropriate. Speaking for MOAA and the 13
other associations that endorsed our statement, we haven't
taken the position that TRICARE fees should never rise, but
that Congress should establish principles in that regard to
explicitly recognize that the bulk of what military people pay
for their healthcare isn't paid in cash, but is paid upfront
through decades of service and sacrifice. We're encouraged that
the new DOD proposal does a far better job of acknowledging
that than did those of several years ago.
Our principal objection is to DOD's plan to index future
TRICARE prime increases to some undetermined healthcare index
they project to rise at 6.2 percent per year. In our view, the
main problem is that current law leaves much of the fee-setting
process to the Secretary's discretion. DOD went years proposing
no changes, making beneficiaries believe there wouldn't be any.
Then a new Secretary with a new budget situation proposed
tripling fees, which upset beneficiaries and implied they
hadn't earned their healthcare.
We have statutory guidelines for setting and adjusting
basic pay, retired pay, survivor benefits, and most other
military compensation elements. We believe strongly that the
law should specify several principles on military healthcare.
First, it should acknowledge, if only as a Sense of
Congress, that the military retirement and healthcare package
is the primary offset for the extraordinary demands and
sacrifices inherent in a multidecades military career.
Second, it should acknowledge that those decades of service
and sacrifice constitute a very large prepaid premium for their
healthcare and retirement, over and above what they pay in
cash. Finally, it should explicitly acknowledge that
extraordinary upfront premium in the adjustment process by
limiting the percentage growth in TRICARE fees in any year to
the percentage growth in military retired pay.
In the meantime, MOAA and TMC pledge our support to work
with DOD and the subcommittee to find other ways to hold down
military healthcare cost growth. We believe much more can be
done to encourage voluntary use of the mail-order pharmacy
system, reduce costs of chronic conditions, reduce systemic
duplications, and cut contract and procurement costs, to name a
few.
Thank you. That concludes my portion of the statement.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Strobridge follows:]
Prepared Statement by The Military Coalition
Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the subcommittee, on
behalf of The Military Coalition (TMC), a consortium of nationally
prominent uniformed services and veterans' organizations, we are
grateful to the committee for this opportunity to express our views
concerning issues affecting the uniformed services community. This
testimony provides the collective views of the following military and
veterans' organizations, which represent approximately 5.5 million
current and former members of the 7 uniformed services, plus their
families and survivors:
Air Force Association
Air Force Sergeants Association
Air Force Women Officers Associated
AMVETS (American Veterans)
Army Aviation Association of America
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
Association of the U.S. Army
Association of the U.S. Navy
Chief Warrant Officer and Warrant Officer Association,
U.S. Coast Guard
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public
Health Service, Inc.
Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the
United States
Fleet Reserve Association
Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
Marine Corps League
Marine Corps Reserve Association
Military Chaplains Association of the United States of
America
Military Officers Association of America
Military Order of the Purple Heart
National Association for Uniformed Services
National Guard Association of the United States
National Military Family Association
Naval Enlisted Reserve Association
Noncommissioned Officers Association
Reserve Enlisted Association
Reserve Officers Association
Society of Medical Consultants to the Armed Forces
The Retired Enlisted Association
U.S. Army Warrant Officers Association
U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association
Vietnam Veterans of America
The Military Coalition, Inc. does not receive any grants or
contracts from the Federal Government.
executive summary
Deficit Reduction Proposals
Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs)
A top Coalition priority is to guard against any discriminatory
treatment of retired members of the uniformed services compared to
other Federal COLA-eligibles and to ensure continued fulfillment of
congressional COLA intent ``to provide every military retired member
the same purchasing power of the retired pay to which he was entitled
at the time of retirement [and ensure it is] not, at any time in the
future . . . eroded by subsequent increases in consumer prices.''
Military Pay
The Coalition urges against short-sighted proposals to freeze or
cap uniformed services pay raises below private sector pay growth, and
recommends a 2012 raise of at least 1.6 percent to match Employment
Cost Index (ECI) growth.
Health Care Fees
Coalition member associations hold a diversity of views concerning
the Department of Defense (DOD)-proposed TRICARE fee adjustments for
fiscal year 2012.
However, the Coalition strongly objects to the DOD-proposed
adjustment methodology that would tie TRICARE Prime fee increases for
nondisabled military beneficiaries aged 38 to 64 in future years to an
as-yet-unspecified measure of health cost growth for the broader
population that DOD actuaries assume would grow at an average of 6.2
percent per year.
The Coalition believes that military beneficiaries from whom
America has demanded decades of extraordinary service and sacrifice
have earned coverage that is the best America has to offer, consistent
with their extraordinarily high pre-paid premiums of decades of service
and sacrifice.
Congress needs to protect military beneficiaries against dramatic
budget-driven fluctuations in this vital element of servicemembers'
career compensation incentive package.
Reducing the value of TRICARE for Life by $3,000 per year ($6,000
for a couple) as recommended by the Deficit Commission would be
inconsistent with military beneficiaries' sacrifices and would
undermine Congress' intent when it authorized TFL in 2001--less than 10
years ago.
Reducing military retirement benefits would be particularly ill-
advised when an overstressed force already is at increasing retention
risk despite the current downturn of the economy and current recruiting
successes.
TMC believes:
All retired servicemembers earned equal health care
coverage by virtue of their service.
Means-testing has no place in setting military health
fees.
Congress should direct DOD to pursue any and all
options to constrain the growth of health care spending in ways
that do not disadvantage beneficiaries.
TRICARE Prime enrollment fees for nondisabled retirees
under 65 should not be adjusted based on health cost increases
for the broader population, as proposed by DOD.
It should be Congress' responsibility, not the Defense
Secretary's, to establish appropriate and stable parameters
governing crucial career retention programs such as the
healthcare package for currently serving and retired military
members and their families and survivors.
Military Retirement
The Coalition strongly opposes initiatives that would
``civilianize'' the military retirement system and inadequately
recognize the unique and extraordinary demands and sacrifices inherent
in a military career.
Reducing incentives for serving arduous careers of 20 years or more
can only undermine long-term retention and readiness, with particularly
adverse effects in times of war. Simultaneously increasing compensation
for those who leave short of fulfilling a career would only compound
those adverse effects.
DOD Schools
The Coalition opposes closing or curtailing DOD dependent schools
based primarily on budget concerns. The need for the schools should
continue to be evaluated based on the capacity of local school
districts to provide quality educational opportunities for military
students.
Consolidation of DOD Retail Operations
The Coalition supports continuing efforts to improve commissary and
exchange program efficiency, but objects to initiatives that reduce
benefit value for patrons and the associated retention value for the
uniformed services.
Wounded Warrior Care
Institutional Oversight
The Coalition urges joint hearings by the Armed Services and
Veterans Affairs Committees to assess the effectiveness of current
seamless transition oversight efforts and systems and to solicit views
and recommendations from DOD, VA, the military Services, and
nongovernmental organizations concerning how joint communication,
cooperation, and oversight could be improved. In addition, the hearings
should focus on implementation progress concerning:
Single separation physical;
Single disability evaluation system;
Bidirectional electronic medical and personnel records
data transfer;
Medical centers of excellence operations and research
projects;
Coordination of care and treatment, including DOD-VA
Federal/recovery care coordinator clinical and non-clinical
services and case management programs; and
Consolidated government agency support services,
programs, and benefits.
Continuity of Health Care
The Coalition recommends:
Authorizing service-disabled members and their
families to receive active-duty-level TRICARE benefits,
independent of availability of VA care for 3 years after
medical retirement to help ease their transition from DOD to
VA.
Ensuring Guard and Reserve members have adequate
access and treatment in the DOD and VA health systems for Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury following
separation from active duty service in a theatre of operations.
Caregiver/Family Support Services
The Coalition recommends:
Providing enhanced training of DOD and VA medical and
support staff on the vital importance of involving and
informing designated caregivers in treatment of and
communication with severely ill and injured personnel.
Providing health and respite care for non-dependent
caregivers (e.g., parents and siblings) who have had to
sacrifice their own employment and health coverage while the
injured member remains on active duty, commensurate with what
the VA authorizes for medically retired or separated members'
caregivers.
Authorizing up to 1 year of continued residence in on-
base housing facilities for medically retired, severely
wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers and their families.
Active Forces and Their Families
End Strength
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to:
Sustain or increase end strength as needed to sustain
the war and other operational requirements and enhance dwell
time for servicemembers and families; and
Sustain adequate recruiting and retention resources to
enable the uniformed services to achieve required optimum-
quality personnel strength.
Family Readiness and Support
The Coalition recommends that the subcommittee:
Encourage DOD to assess the effectiveness of programs
and support mechanisms designed to assist military members and
their families with deployment readiness, responsiveness, and
reintegration.
Fully fund effective programs and ensure their costs
are included in the annual budget process.
Expand child care availability and funding to meet the
needs of the total force uniformed services community.
Monitor and continue to expand family access to mental
health counseling.
Promote expanded opportunities for military spouses to
further educational and career goals, such as the My Career
Advancement Account (MyCAA) program.
Promote implementation of flexible spending accounts
to enable military families to pay health care and child care
expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Permanent Change-of-Station (PCS) Allowances
The Coalition recommends the subcommittee:
Authorize shipment of a second privately-owned vehicle
at government expense to Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories.
Authorize reimbursement of house-hunting expenses, as
is done for Federal civilians.
Authorize payment of a dislocation allowance to
servicemembers making their final change of station upon
retirement from the uniformed services.
Increase PCS mileage rates to more accurately reflect
actual transportation costs.
Further modify the PCS weight allowance tables for
personnel in pay grades E-7, E-8, and E-9 to coincide with
allowances for officers in grades O-4, O-5, and O-6
respectively. The allowance for a senior E-9 enlisted leader
without dependents remains the same as for a single O-3,
despite the normal accumulation of household goods over the
course of a career.
National Guard and Reserve
Operational Reserve Retention and Retirement Reform
TMC recommends:
Authorizing early retirement credit to all Guard and
Reserve members who have served active duty tours of at least
90 days, retroactive to September 11, 2001.
Eliminating the fiscal year limitation which
effectively denies full early retirement credit for active duty
tours that span the October 1 start date of a fiscal year.
Modernizing the Reserve retirement system to
incentivize continued service beyond 20 years and provide fair
recognition of increased requirements for active duty service.
Health Care Access Options
The Coalition recommends:
Requiring DOD to justify the seven-fold increase in
TRICARE rates for individual TRR premiums for reservists who
immediately enroll in TRR upon retirement from the Selected
Reserve and have TRS coverage until separation.
Authorizing TRICARE for early Reserve retirees who are
in receipt of retired pay prior to age 60
Permitting employers to pay TRS premiums for
reservist-employees as a bottom-line incentive for hiring and
retaining them.
Authorizing an option for the government to subsidize
continuation of a civilian employer's family coverage during
periods of activation, similar to FEHBP coverage for activated
Guard-Reserve employees of Federal agencies.
Extending corrective dental care following return from
a call-up to ensure G-R members meet dental readiness
standards.
Allowing eligibility in Continued Health Care Benefits
Program (CHCBP) for Selected reservists who are voluntarily
separating and subject to disenrollment from TRS.
Allowing beneficiaries of the FEHBP who are selected
reservists the option of participating in TRICARE Reserve
Select.
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
The Military Coalition urges the subcommittee to hold oversight
hearings and direct additional improvements in coordination,
collaboration, and consistency of Yellow Ribbon services between
States.
Reserve Compensation System
TMC recommends:
Crediting all inactive duty training points earned
annually toward Reserve retirement.
Parity in special incentive pay for career enlisted/
officer special aviation incentive pay, diving special duty
pay, and pro-pay for Reserve component medical professionals.
Authorizing recalculation of retirement points after 1
year of mobilization. A recent law change allowed certain flag
and general officers to recalculate retirement pay after 1 year
of mobilization. TMC believes this opportunity should be made
available to all ranks.
Guard/Reserve GI Bill
TMC recommends:
Restoring basic Reserve MGIB benefits for initially
joining the Selected Reserve to the historic benchmark of 47-50
percent of active duty benefits.
Integrating Reserve and active duty MGIB laws in Title
38.
Enacting academic protections for mobilized Guard and
Reserve students including refund guarantees and exemption of
Federal student loan payments during activation.
Family Support Programs
TMC recommends:
Ensuring programs are in place to meet the special
information and support needs of families of individual
augmentees or those who are geographically dispersed.
Funding joint programs among military and community
leaders to support servicemembers and families during all
phases of deployments.
Providing preventive counseling services for
servicemembers and families and training so they know when to
seek professional help related to their circumstances.
Authorizing and funding child care, including respite
care, family readiness group meetings and drill time.
Improving the joint family readiness program to
facilitate understanding and sharing of information between all
family members.
Health Care
TRICARE Reimbursement Rates
TMC urges reversal of the 30 percent cut in Medicare/TRICARE
payments to doctors scheduled for January 2012 and a permanent fix for
the flawed formula that mandates these recurring annual threats to
seniors' and military beneficiaries' health care access.
TRICARE Cost Efficiency Options
TMC continues to believe strongly that DOD has not sufficiently
investigated options to make TRICARE more cost-efficient without
shifting costs to beneficiaries.
TRICARE Prime
The Military Coalition urges the subcommittee to:
Require reports from DOD and the managed care support
contractors on actions being taken to improve Prime patient
satisfaction, provide assured appointments within Prime access
standards, reduce delays in preauthorization and referral
appointments, and provide quality information to assist
beneficiaries in making informed decisions.
Require increased DOD efforts to ensure consistency
between the MTF and purchased care sectors in meeting Prime
access standards.
Ensure timely notification of and support for
beneficiaries affected by elimination of Prime service areas
under the new TRICARE contracts.
TRICARE Standard
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to:
Insist on immediate delivery of an adequacy threshold
for provider participation, below which additional action is
required to improve such participation.
Require a specific report on participation adequacy in
the localities where Prime Service Areas will be discontinued
under the new TRICARE contracts.
Oppose establishment of a TRICARE Standard enrollment
fee, since Standard does not entail any guaranteed access to
care.
Increase locator support to beneficiaries seeking
providers who will accept new Standard patients, particularly
for mental health specialties.
Seek legislation to eliminate the limit when TRICARE
Standard is second payer to other health insurance (OHI): e.g.,
return to the policy where TRICARE pays up to the amount it
would have paid, had there been no OHI.
Bar any further increase in the TRICARE Standard
inpatient copay for the foreseeable future.
TRICARE For Life
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to:
Resist initiatives to establish an enrollment fee for
TFL, as many beneficiaries already experience difficulties
finding providers who will accept Medicare patients.
Seek ways to include TFL beneficiaries in DOD programs
to incentivize compliance with preventive care and healthy
lifestyles.
Resolve the discrepancy between TRICARE and Medicare
treatment of the shingles vaccine.
Survivors' Coverage
The Coalition recommends restoration of TRICARE benefits to
previously eligible survivors whose second or subsequent marriage ends
in death or divorce.
Pharmacy
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to:
