Military Officer - August 2008 - (Page 39)

washingtonscene by drilling reservists. Under current rules, the gray-area premiums would be about $289 a month for a single person and $975 a month for a family. However, a recent GAO report concluded that current TRS premiums are 45 percent to 75 percent too high. Both the House and Senate versions of the FY 2009 Defense Authorization Bill direct the Pentagon to recompute and reduce the premiums. Other topics covered at the well-received symposium included building a better military marriage, ﬁnancial management options, and family support and employment. DoD Halts Air Force Personnel Cuts ■ The Pentagon announced in June an “immediate” end to Air Force personnel cuts. In February, the Pentagon proposed cutting Air Force manpower by about 13,000 for 2009, and both Armed Services committees already signed off on that. MOAA is pleased with the reversal, but now Congress has to find the money to fund more Air Force people. Judge: Pay Widows DoD will appeal SBP/DIC case. Program for Spouses a Hit Aim is to spark legislative activitism among families. C L egislative action was one of the key issues discussed at MOAA’s second annual Spouse Symposium in Virginia Beach, Va., June 19, attended by more than a hundred active duty, Guard, Reserve, and retired military spouses. The main session and breakout sessions addressed the how and why of getting involved in advocating legislative issues that affect military families. MOAA deputy director for Government Relations Cmdr. René Campos, USN-Ret., joined staff experts from the Senate, DoD, and other distinguished spouse advocates to provide the inside story about how Congress, state legislatures, and associations work to improve quality-of-life issues. MOAA deputy director for Government Relations Joy Dunlap, the spouse of an active duty servicemember, moderated the panel. Attendees learned methods that are most (and least) effective in legislative advocacy. They also received up-to-theminute status information on the GI bill, education and employment initiatives, a proposed spouse and family monument, in-state tuition eligibility, the military children’s educational compact, and a variety of other personnel and beneﬁts initiatives. ongress changed the law several years ago to restore VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments to previously eligible widows who remarried after age 57. Several of those widows who also were eligible for Survivor Beneﬁt Plan (SBP) annuities sued the government to claim that the speciﬁc wording of the law required continuation of their SBP in addition to DIC, without the normal dollarfor-dollar offset. The judge in the case seemed sympathetic and ordered DoD to show why he shouldn’t rule in their favor. But Pentagon lawyers didn’t reply. On June 12, the judge directed DoD to restore the widows’ SBP annuities. But DoD lawyers aren’t ﬁnished and are expected to appeal the decision, in hopes that the appeals court judge will be more sympathetic to the government. DoD won’t have to restore the SBP annuities until the appeal is heard by the higher court. MOAA commends the tenacity of these widows in bringing the suit and is encouraged by the court’s reasoning. But anything can happen in the appeals process, so widows aren’t out of the woods yet. 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. AUGUST 2008 MILITARY OFFICER 39

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - August 2008

Military Officer - August 2008 Contents MOAA Online From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Chapters in Action Financial Forum Ask the Doctor MOAA Member Services Cover Story: A Stronger Voice Virtual Combat Mental Floss Steady as She Goes Pages of History Faces of MOAA Member Books Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Scholarship Donors Encore

Military Officer - August 2008

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