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MEET THE CHALLENGE Join the PFC Ryan Jerabek USMC Challenge Run
The intention of this non-profit event is to honor and thank our veterans, all of our servicemen and women, and to Honor and Remember our Fallen Heroes.
The inspiration and driving force behind this event came from Ryan himself. In his senior year at Pulaski High School, he gave a speech about the Marine Corps. At the end of the speech, he implored his fellow students with the following:
"I'd like to ask of you to thank those who fought and are fighting in the battles to keep this country at the pinnacle of Freedom."
Ryan Jerabek 2 Dec 2002
This event is one way that we can honor Ryan's request.
For more information visit the PFC Ryan Jerabek Challenge Run Web site.
- www.jerabekchallenge.us
Please Help Us
The Association lost many records in the fiasco of the Virginia Beach office. Several recipients of the Non Sibi, Sed Patriae award have expressed an interest on forming a Non Sibi, Sed Patriae Society as a part of the Association. Unfortunately we no longer have the records of who has received the award. We ask the membership to help us out in this matter.
 The e-WORD March 2009 |
As you may know MCRA holds a congressional reception annually to present the Frank Tejeda Leadership Award to a
member of Congress who has supported the Total Force Marine Corps and National Security. This event is held on
Capitol Hill and attended by Members of Congress and their staffs, General Officers, and defense industry representatives.
The Commandant of the Marine Corps has personally presented the award in past years. This event also affords the
Corporate Sponsor the opportunity to be recognized for their contribution to National Security.
On March 19, 2009 the Guest of Honor for this congressional reception was the Honorable Gene Taylor of Mississippi.
Invited star studded guests list this year included Tom Hall, Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs); H. C.
"Barney" Barnum, Jr., Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) and Medal of Honor
recepient; General James Conway, CMC; General James Amos, ACMC; Lieutenant General Jack Bergman,
Commander, Marine Forces Reserve;
Lieutenant General Richard Kamlich, Director, Marine Corps Staff; Lieutenant General Duane Thiessen, Deputy
Commandant for Programs and Resources; and Major General (Select) Michael Regner, Legislative Assistant to the
Commandant. Guests also included representatives from The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman,
and Sikorsky, as well as representatives of various organizations making up The Military Coalition (TMC).
Association President Bob Donaghue was Master of Ceremonies for the formal presentation of the evening. Ceremonies
started with marching on the colors and the playing of the National Anthem by a quintet from the President's Own.
Following the retirement of the colors, Colonel Donaghue recognized our co-host organizations, the Reserve Officers
Association represented by Lieutenant General Dennis McCarthy (retired), and the Marine Corps League represented by
Mr. Mike Blum. Colonel Donaghue also recognized the corporations that sponsored the events (See the corporate
sponsor recognition on the right side of this page).
Colonel Donaghue made a particular point of introducing two outstanding individuals who have served and continue
to serve our great nation. The first of these was the Assistent Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, the Honorable
Thomas Hall, followed by the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, the Honorable
Harvey C. "Barney" Barnum, Jr.
Colonel Donaghue also commented on the efforts of those members of the Association who refused to give up on the
Association and whose dedicated efforts have enabled us to appear in Washington to recognize the Honorable Gene
Taylor of Mississippi for his efforts. As a side comment he added that in spite of our past financial problems, MCRA
was not here to seek a bailout.
Completing his opening remarks, the Colonel introduced the Commander, Marine Forces Reserve, Lieutenant General
Jack Bergman, who in turn introduced the Commandant of the Marine Corps for his remarks and the award presentation.
At the time of this posting of the e-WORD, the Commandant's remarks were not yet available for publication.TO BE CONTINUED NEXT MONTH. LPM Washington Under strong protests earlier this month by members of The Military Coalition, the President was forced to withdraw a plan in the upcoming budget to have the Department of Veterans Affairs bill veterans own private insurance for the cost of Veterans Administration treatment of service connected medical conditions. The proposal to make the Veterans Administration second payor after other insurance had veterans as well as non-veterans going through the roof. The idea that the Veterans Administration would charge civilian insurance companies to treat veterans who have sacrificed so much serving our country is just incredible. Why should a veteran's employer or a spouse's employer be required to pay for the treatment of injuries incurred in combat while serving our country? David W. Gorman, executive director of Disabled American Veterans was quoted as saying, "The issue should never have come up--he got a black eye out of it." After a meeting by the President with members of The Military Coalition (TMC), Gorman was very pleased with the outcome of the meeting because of the promise to withdraw the proposed change in policy. Note for MCRA members: MCRA is a member of TMC. While our purpose is to serve the Marine Corps Reserve as well as the Marine Corps as a whole, it is also important for us to join in with other military organizations so that we can speak with a united voice on matters that affect ALL services and veterans who have served our country, especially those who have sustained injury as a result of their service. The following is published at the request of the Wounded Warrior Regiment. The Marine Corps’ greatest assets are our Marines. Since 1775, the Marine Corps has been taking care of its own. As such, taking care of our wounded, ill, and injured Marines and their families is a responsibility the Corps takes seriously. In his 2006 Planning Guidance, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James T. Conway, highlighted his vision of taking care of wounded warriors and their families. In April 2007, that vision was realized with the establishment of the Wounded Warrior Regiment at Marine Corps Base Quantico. Wounded Warrior Battalions were subsequently stood up at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Both East and West Battalions provide on-site barracks designed as healing centers for outpatient care, allowing wounded warriors to recover in a supportive on-base environment. The Wounded Warrior Regiment provides and facilitates assistance to the wounded, ill, and injured Marines and Sailors attached to or in direct support of Marine units and their family members throughout the phases of recovery. This assistance is not a process, it is a personal relationship. The Regiment ensures Marines receive proper and timely medical care and specifically oversees non-medical care management to help Marines and families throughout the recovery process. Examples of help include:
Sgt. Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center Phone: 1-877-487-6299 Wounded Warrior Regiment Website www.woundedwarriorregiment.org Several bills of note for our membership have been introduced in Congress this month. Of particular note is S. 644 which was introduced to correct the inequity of the current law which only allows reservists serving on active duty after January 28, 2008, to receive retired pay three months earlier for every 90 days on active duty. This proposed legislation will move the eligibility date for early receipt of retired pay to the 9/11 attack. Another important piece of legislation is H.R. 1544. This legislation is intended to stop the Veterans Administration from imposing a five year window in which veterans must seek treatment for mental health as a result of duty with OEF and/or OIF. Unfortunately many victims of PTSD do not show symptoms of the disorder immediately after returning stateside and in some cases refuse to seek help because they don't recognize the symptoms of the disorder. In some cases symptoms of the disorder are not recognized until years after the causal event. Adding to the problem is the persistant attitude in some military circles that PTSD is a sign of weakness. Fortunately for Marines, the Commandant has openly proclaimed that such an attitude is not consistent with Marine Corps tradition and that PTDS victims have earned a badge of honor for having endured traumatic encounters during combat duty. Recent research shows that the brains of PTSD victims are altered by the events experienced, changing the way in which they process sensory information. Among the many symptoms of the disorder is hyperawareness and an increased startle reaction, which may be useful in combat, but harmful in ordinary life back home because victims no longer process information in the proper part of the brain. S. 644 was introduced on March 19, 2009 by Senator Saxby Chamblis (R-GA). Title: A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay. Latest Major Action: Referred to the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Suggested letter to your Representative and Senators. S. 581 was introduced on March 12, 2009 by Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO). Title: A bill to amend the Richard B. Russell National School lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to require the exclusion of combat pay from income for purposes of determining eligibility for child nutrition programs and the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children. Latest Major Action: Referred to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. H.R. 972 was introduced on February 10 by Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC). Title: A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement that certain former members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces be at least 60 years of age in order to be eligibl to receive health care benefits. Latest Major Action: March 17, 2009, referred to the House Subcommitte on Military Personnel. H.R. 809 was introduced on February 3, 2009 by Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). Title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce from age 57 to age 55 the age after which the remarriage of the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran shall not result in termination of dependency and indemnity compensation otherwise payable to that surviving spouse. Latest Major Action: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. H.R. 1544 was introduced on March 17, 2009 by Representative Steve Driehaus (D-OH). Title: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited eligibility for health care for mental illness for veterans of combat service during certain periods of hostilities and war. Latest Major Action: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. The following letter is published at the request of Representative Steve Driehaus: Cosponsor the Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act, H,R, 1544 March 26, 2009 Dear Friend, Sixty years after the establishment of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), we must renew our commitment to provide the men and women who have served our country in uniform with the healthcare services they have earned. I encourage you to protect veterans' right to mental healthcare treatment and services by supporting the Veterans Mental Healthcare Accessibility Act, H.R.1544. The VA offers healthcare treatment and services to our nation's veterans who suffer from service-related physical or mental disabilities. While the diagnosis of physical injuries typically is made shortly before or after separation from the military, mental illnesses may not manifest themselves until years later. As the United States military and the VA continue to improve treatment for those who have served, there remains a gap for veterans struggling with mental illness. The frequency of possible diagnosis for mental health disorders is estimated at 43.7 percent (162,044) of the 371,123 Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans who have received Veterans Administration treatment. Based on these statistics, it is clear that a large number of veterans fromearlier military operations may be struggling with mental illness. Currently, OEFand OIF veterans face a five year window in which thay must seek treatment for mental illness before losing their higher priority status. Veterans from previous wars face harsher bureaucratic obstacles. This bill would eliminate the five year window and allow veterans who served in combat from all military operation to seek treatment for service-connected mental illness, regardless of when their conditions manifest themselves. The Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act would make the services and treatments that are available to OEF and OIF veterans available to all veterans who have served in combat in previous military operations such as the Second World War, the Korean War, and Vietnam. This bill maintains the role of the VA to treat only service-related disorders ans allows its healthcare professionals to diagnose mental disorders and illnesses according to established procedures. I invite you to join me and help ensure that the veterans living in your district and the veterans across America enjoy access to the healthcare benefits they have earned. Sincerely, Steve Driehaus H.R. 1592 was introduced on March 18, 2009 by Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL). Title: A bill to amend title 37, United States Code, to guarantee a pay increase for members of the uniformed services for fiscal years 2011 through 2014 of one-half of one percentage point higher than the Employment Cost Index. Latest Major Action: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services. Background: The purpose of this bill is to continue reducing the current 2.9% pay gap between military and private sector wages by a half-percentage point each year. |
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