Military Officer - March 2007 - (Page 42)

washingtonscene ■ The services must develop a standard- ized combat stress education program that begins during entry-level training and is reinforced throughout an individual’s military career. The goal is to increase awareness and destigmatize the problem. Servicemembers and their families must better recognize when they need assistance and where to get it, and supervisors and commanders must strongly support the programs. From the most junior servicemember to the most senior leader, all must recognize that denying or ignoring the serious effects of combat stress inevitably hurts people and undermines readiness in the long run. While we’re troubled by the seriousness of this condition that poses such great risks for military families, MOAA is encouraged that — unlike the situation in previous conﬂicts — the government at last is making serious efforts to identify and address the debilitating effects of combat stress. ing the full cost of college tuition plus a $1,000-a-month stipend for personal expenses for servicemembers who serve after Sept. 11, 2001. ■ H.R. 92 — Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.): Would establish a 30-day access standard for veterans seeking health care from the VA and would allow referral to civilian care in cases where the standard is not met. It also would require the VA to annually report its performance in meeting those access standards. ■ S. 225 — Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho): Would expand retroactive payments of traumatic injury insurance to servicemembers injured outside a combat area between Oct. 10, 2001, and Dec. 1, 2005. Currently, servicemembers injured during that time are eligible only if their injury occurred in a combat zone. Servicemembers injured after Dec. 1, 2005, are covered regardless of where their injury occurred. Survivors ■ H.R. 156 — Rep. Tim Holden (D-Pa.): Would provide dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) to survivors of former POWs who died on or before Sept. 30, 1999. Currently, only survivors of servicemembers who die after Sept. 30, 1999, are DIC-eligible. New Bills Flood In A new Congress means new legislation to help the military community. Active force issues ■ H.R. 22 and S. 113 — Rep. Tom Cole (ROkla.) and Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.): Would provide appropriations for military construction, family housing, child care centers, and base realignment and closure initiatives for DoD in FY 2008. Congress failed to complete action on the FY 2007 VA/Quality of Life spending bill, leaving the services operating under a continuing resolution at 2006 funding levels. MO A s this article was being written, senators and representatives already had introduced hundreds of new bills in ﬁrst few weeks of the new 110th Congress, including many affecting the military community. Here’s a brief synopsis of selected bills of interest to MOAA members: Concurrent receipt (See article, page 32.) ■ H.R. 89 and H.R. 303 — Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) ■ H.R. 333 — Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) Veterans’ issues ■ S. 22 — Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.): Would establish World War II-style GI Bill, pay- — Contributors are Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF-Ret., director; Col. Mike Hayden, USAFRet.; Col. Bob Norton, USA-Ret.; Cmdr. René Campos, USN-Ret.; Cmdr. John Class, USN-Ret.; Col. Ana Smythe, USMC-Ret.; Cass Vreeland; and Bret Shea, MOAA’s Government Relations Department. 42 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2007

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Military Officer - March 2007

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