Military Officer - January 2008 - (Page 45) washingtonscene vehicles to non-foreign duty locations outside of the continental United States. and promote in-state tuition eligibility. Seek expansion of spousal employment opportunities, to include preference or incentives for employers and contractors to hire military spouses, tax credit for military spouses to offset expenses to obtain professional or trade license or certification, and eligibility for unemployment compensation when relocating because of a military-directed move. CRSC/CRDP Open Season ■ If you’re eligible for both concurrent retired disability pay (CRDP) and combat-related special compensation (CRSC), January is the month to choose the benefit most advantageous for you for 2008 (you can’t draw both). You should receive a notice from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service detailing exactly what you are entitled to. GI Bill benefits Tie active duty benefits to the cost of a four-year public college education and reconcile benefit levels for Guard and Reserve servicemembers with service performed. Today, the reserve component Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) only pays about 29 percent of the active duty program (versus nearly 50 percent when first enacted), and benefits can be used only during continued service — even though frequent activations often preclude student-reservists from using them. Unlike their regular counterparts, Guard and Reserve members returning from deployment and completing their service obligations lose all MGIB entitlements once they leave service. MGIB coverage must be upgraded to fulfill intended recruiting, retention, and readjustment purposes. Additional issues Veterans’ claims Veterans of the war on terrorism are adding to the backlog of VA disability claims. Other underlying problems are causing the VA claims system to again spiral out of control, including inadequate resources, inconsistencies between VA networks, and botched claims. MOAA supports a major infusion of resources and improvements in training, quality control, and information management to put the VA claims system on firm footing during a time of war. Commissary benefits Protect against privatization efforts or reductions in commissary funding support to guard against diminution of this benefit for active, reserve, and retired servicemembers; their families; and their survivors. Flag amendment Support passage of a constitutional amendment allowing Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the U.S. flag. MOAA thinks Congress should pass this amendment so it can be referred to the states, where the people can decide the issue. (It requires ratification by 38 states.) Adoption policies Expand reimbursable adoption expenses and leave to ease the burden military people face when adopting children, including extension of duty assignment to allow sufficient time to complete the adoption process if within 90 days of completion. Social Security and Medicare reform Resist initiatives that impose disproportionate penalties on particular segments of the beneficiary or taxpayer population or fail to protect long-lived beneficiaries’ income from the ravages of inflation. MO — Contributors are Col. Steve Strobridge, USAFRet., director; Col. Mike Hayden, USAF-Ret.; Col. Bob Norton, USA-Ret.; Cmdr. René Campos, USNRet.; Cmdr. John Class, USN-Ret.; Col. Phil Odom, USAF-Ret.; Joy Dunlap; Cass Vreeland; and Bret Shea, MOAA’s Government Relations Department. JANUARY 2008 Education and spousal employment Seek legislative and policy changes to enhance education and spouse employment opportunities for military family members. Protect DoD dependent schools, sustain Impact Aid funding for public schools attended by military children, promote reciprocity for graduation and transfer of credit requirements for military children, MILITARY OFFICER 45
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