Military Officer - April 2006 - (Page 34)

washingtonscene COLA Watch: CPI Rise Stops Decline ■ The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which sets the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for military retired pay, rose 0.8 percent in January, reversing a two-month decline. That left the CPI up a net 0.7 percent for FY 2006 so far. Change in Inﬂation Percentage (from FY 2005 COLA base) 1.30 .40 -.10 .70 Oct. 05 Nov. 05 Dec. 05 Jan. 06 At the time, MOAA expressed doubt that become budget-driven, and we can’t allow that to happen. The one thing we don’t the all-volunteer force could handle such want to see … is a competition between long-term sacriﬁces. Congress shared our end strength and modernization.” concern and added 20,000 troops to the MOAA agrees. Congress must act to fund Army’s strength in FY 2005 and another what the nation needs to win the war on 10,000 in FY 2006 — over Pentagon objecterrorism and provide for homeland secutions. Now, Army and DoD leaders say the rity — a vital National Guard mission — and Army only needs 70 combat brigades. At two congressional hearings in Febru- not cut our military forces to ﬁt under some arbitrary budget cap. Hunter also argues ary, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoothat the nation should commit a larger maker ﬁelded several heated questions share of its GDP to defense, up from the 4.0 about the highly publicized plan to reduce percent envisioned in the FY 2007 budget, National Guard end strength. Schoomaker to free up enough resources for both maninsisted that while the FY 2007 budget power and weapons. request provides funding for only 330,000 With recruiting already in trouble and personnel instead of the 350,000 authoa level of strain on the troops that has to rized by Congress, the Army would inraise concerns for future retention, the crease funding if the Guard recruits more Army already has pulled out than 330,000. That exvirtually every other available planation didn’t satisfy manpower stop: paying evercommittee members, “We don’t who cited feedback from want to see larger recruiting and retention bonuses, lowering enlistment overstressed military … a [fight] standards, and raising the families and said a smallbetween maximum age for enlistment. er force will only make Now DoD leaders want to cut the situation worse. end planned force levels? It didn’t help when strength The National Guard has DoD ofﬁcials couldn’t and modbeen vital in sustaining unprecsay where they’d ﬁnd ernization.” edented combat operations, the money to pay for any — Rep. Duncan and those servicemembers and additional troops above Hunter (R-Calif.) families are feeling stresses as 330,000. The commitwell. And that’s not their only tee’s concern (and critical mission. The 50,000MOAA’s) is that such a plan would “rob Peter to pay Paul” and cut Guard-troop call-up in the wake of Hurricane Katrina wouldn’t have been possible other readiness needs rather than obtain if the proposed cuts had been in effect. extra money from Congress. These budget-driven force cuts ﬂy in Republican and Democratic leaders the face of reality. We applaud Hunter and have had the same reaction to this numother congressional leaders for standing ber-jimmying: It’s all about cutting people up to sustain needed force levels. MO to pay for weapons. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist — Contributors are Col. Steve Strobridge, (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (RUSAF-Ret., director; Col. Mike Hayden, USAFTenn.) cosponsored a resolution to reject Ret.; Col. Lee Lange, USMC-Ret.; Col. Bob Norton, the cuts, which the Senate passed unaniUSA-Ret.; Col. Jim Young, USAF-Ret.; Cmdr. mously. House Armed Services CommitRené Campos, USN-Ret.; Cmdr. John Class, USNtee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) Ret.; Cynthia Thompson; and Cass Vreeland, MOAA’s Government Relations Department. says, “The [defense planning process] has APRIL 2006 34 MILITARY OFFICER

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - April 2006

Military Officer - April 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Lap of Luxury Magic Carpet of the Rails Blue Ridge Wonderland Salud, Santé, Cin Cin! Cover Story: Wounded Warriors On Duty MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Member Services Pages of History Information Exchange Member Books MOAA Calendar Advertising Index Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - April 2006

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