Military Officer - December 2007 - (Page 30) washingtonscene raises one-half percentage point above private-sector pay growth each year for the next five years. Restoring pay comparability is fundamental to the all-volunteer force and will send a much-needed message to overburdened troops and families. Guard and Reserve retirement. Reduce the reserve retirement age by three months for each cumulative 90 days’ active duty service since Oct. 7, 2001. Credit up to 130 retirement points per year. The government has changed the rules to require dramatically increased service from selected reserve personnel. These changes will help offset civilian retirement losses and encourage continued service. Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB). Consolidate all MGIB authorities and authorize 10 years of post-service used by selected reserve servicemembers. It’s wrong that all participating active duty servicemembers enjoy that right, but Guard and Reserve servicemembers — many whom have had multiple tours in Iraq — don’t. Support for military families. Consolidate various House- and Senate-passed provisions in a comprehensive package addressing family readiness, access to counseling and mental health services, and support through all cycles from pre-deployment to reintegration. Update the Family and Medical Leave Act to protect employment rights of family caregivers. Ensure all facilities and family support services are fully in place to meet base realignment and closure and rebasing timelines. The coalition letter enclosed an extensive matrix providing specific recommendations to resolve a large number of differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions of the defense bill. As this article was being written, Armed Services committee leaders were hoping to reach agreement on a compromise bill by early November, but the history of contentious negotiations in previous years cast some doubt on whether that goal would prove achievable. 30 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2007 See the chart on pages 38 and 39 for a comparison of selected provisions in the House- versus Senate-passed bills, along with MOAA’s position on these important issues. Debate on Disability Fixes Groups claim combat focus is too narrow. O n Oct. 17, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee convened a special hearing to consider input from MOAA and a number of other groups regarding proposals to improve health care, compensation, and rehabilitation benefits for disabled servicemembers and their families, with particular emphasis on problems encountered by those wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Witnesses included former Sen. Bob Dole and former Clinton cabinet member Donna Shalala, who cochaired the President’s Commission on Wounded Warriors; Independent Review Group Cochair (and former Army and VA secretary) Togo West; VDBC Chair Lt. Gen. James Terry Scott, USA-Ret.; and MOAA Government Relations Director Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF-Ret. While sorting through the various recommendations of the review panels, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Ranking Minority Member Sen. Richard Burr (RN.C.) searched for common themes. Akaka was asked whether there should be a distinction between benefits for the combat-wounded versus those disabled by other causes. The consensus was there should not be. “When you join the military, you’re preparing for combat,” said Dole. Strobridge argued, “Once you’re a paraplegic, the impact on your life is the same whether your injury was caused by
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