Military Officer - January 2007 - (Page 39)

washingtonscene beneﬁciaries whose capacity to comply with administrative requirements has diminished. MOAA supports expansion of eligibility to include all Medicare-eligible and permanently disabled beneﬁciaries of retired servicemembers. rity, Medicare reform initiatives, and other proposals to guard against discriminatory treatment of members of the uniformed services community and their families. Benefits protection Oppose any attempts to degrade retiree and survivor beneﬁts, including military commissaries; exchange facilities; family support services; and morale, welfare, and recreation activities, particularly with regard to effects from base realignment and closure and other re-basing/ transformation initiatives. Final retired pay for survivors Authorize payment of a full month of retired pay for the month in which the servicemember passes away. Under current law, a prorated portion of the ﬁnal month’s retired pay (based on the servicemember’s date of death) is summarily recouped from the survivor. MOAA thinks such ﬁnancial trauma should not be imposed on survivors during a trying time in which many already face ﬁnancial hardship. Active and reserve force issues Operations and manpower Structure military manpower levels to match their missions; ease deployment rates; and improve quality of life, retention, and readiness. Military forces have been overstressed as manpower levels have been capped below mission requirements. Current operating tempos are far more severe than in previous years and will have adverse consequences on retention and readiness unless relieved very soon. Congress approved an end-strength increase for the Army and Marine Corps for FY 2007, but the retention outlook remains ominous in light of unrelieved family separations. MOAA is very concerned about continued budget-driven reductions to the Air Force and Navy end strengths without a signiﬁcant reduction in mission requirements. Additional strength increases and more resources for recruiting, retention, training, and family support are needed. Budget Crunch Ahead? ■ As deficits rise and budgets tighten, “budget hawks” have greater incentives to seek benefit cutbacks. As we seek continued progress, we also must be on the alert to protect the major improvements we have won in recent years. DIC continuation Lower the age at which survivors receiving DIC retain this beneﬁt upon remarriage. Legislation passed in 2003 authorized retention of DIC for those who remarry at age 57 or older. Continuation of beneﬁts upon remarriage at age 55 is authorized for all other federal survivor programs, including SBP. Widows receiving DIC deserve equal treatment. WEP and GPO Repeal or reform the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) Social Security penalties for federal civilian retirees and spouses who retired under the Civil Service Retirement System and certain state retirement systems. WEP reduces Social Security beneﬁts earned by these servicemembers and their spouses from military service or other employment. The GPO reduces or eliminates the Social Security survivor annuity when the surviving spouse retired under one of the programs mentioned above. Guard/Reserve compensation Upgrade the reserve retirement system to offset government-imposed effects on reservists’ civilian retirement and sustain long-term retention and readiness. The 1948-vintage Reserve retirement system (retired pay eligibility at age 60) JANUARY 2007 Budget vigilance Monitor action on the budget resolution, omnibus budget reconciliation, Social Secu- MILITARY OFFICER 39

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - January 2007

Military Officer - January 2007 Contents From the Editor From the Chairman Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: Osprey Rising? Battlefields of the Great War I Resolve ... New Mission Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Member Services MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Member Books Encore

Military Officer - January 2007

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