Military Officer - February 2008 - (Page 38) washingtonscene ness employers of mobilized reservists. Among other things, it would let disabled retirees who suffer delays in the VA claims process file for refunds of up to five years of back taxes (versus three years under current law). It would let military widows put their death gratuity amounts (now up to $100,000) into tax-deferred IRAs and let employers make deposits in 401(k)s for employees who are deployed to combat zones with the National Guard or Reserve. We’ve given kudos to Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and House Ways and Means Committee Chair Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for championing various provisions of the bill. So it’s sad to say that Senate-versusHouse quibbling over a few final details derailed the whole bill, virtually on Christmas Eve. MOAA certainly hopes the parties can reconcile their differences and get this worthwhile legislation passed when they return to work in January. professionals, researchers, families, veterans’ groups, and legislators urged more open discussion and destigmatization of mental health issues. They urged recognizing PTSD as an injury, as we do visible combat wounds, rather than as a “disease” or “disorder.” Troops and their families must have confidence that seeking care for this injury won’t hurt their careers. Families and the committee expressed dismay that the reaction of VA officials focused more on critiquing CBS’ findings than on viewing them as a wake-up call. HVAC chair Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) closed the hearing upset with what he called the VA’s “analysis paralysis” and vowed to take up these issues early next year when the new VA Secretary, former Army Surgeon Gen. James Peake, is on board. The same day, the House Veterans’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation took up the issue of outpatient waiting times in the VA, expressing frustration that no solution seems imminent to control wait times and improve access to services. Subcommittee members expressed frustration with the lack of a common VA definition of ‘waiting time’ or scheduling process, noting that the new system set to roll out in 2011 will have taken 10 years to build. One member expressed frustration that some veterans’ organizations are adamantly opposed to contracting health care outside the VA system, saying, “If you can’t get timely care in the VA, you’re not getting good care.” New provisions in the FY 2008 Defense Authorization Act offer a start on some improvements for veterans and families struggling with the wounds of war. MOAA remains committed to pursuing the full support and care they deserve. 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. Hill Struggles to Address Wounded Filner: VA has “analysis paralysis” O n Dec. 12, 2007, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) held a hearing on military and veteran suicide rates in the wake of a CBS report that veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as non-veterans, with recent war veterans in their early 20s at even greater risk. Parents of a National Guard soldier told the committee of their son’s struggle with PTSD and a seemingly insensitive veterans’ system before taking his life on Thanksgiving Day in 2005. A series of mental health 38 MILITARY OFFICER FEBRUARY 2008
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