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I find it necessary to apologize for the fact that I have been unable to find the time to prepare
the e-WORD on a monthly basis as I had planned to do. I also ran into some technical problems
trying to send out the MCRA e-Newsletter to those of you who have provided e-mail addresses.
Hopefully the new year will find the Association in better shape to continue on with the mission
and bring members more information and to work on behalf of the membership as well as the Marine
Corps Reserve and the Marine Corps as a whole. As we struggle to recover from the financial
disaster of Virginia Beach, we continue as best we can to carry-out the essential functions of
the Association. I'm sure many of you would like to know the details of the Virginia Beach fiasco,
but at this time we are working with the Virginia Beach police and we find it to be in the best
interests of the Association to refrain from commenting on the situation at this time.
For well more than a year Tom Green has been working on recovering our database, but through no
fault of the good Gunny, most of his efforts brought us no closer to an operational database for
the Association than we were two years ago. Several months ago the Board of Directors appointed
Tom and myself to the task of creating a database which we could have under our own control and
not be dependent on an outside provider. Tom and I have researched the problem with some
assistance from the Marine Heritage Foundation. In November we agreed on a package and presented
our opinion to the Board. With the Board's approval, we began to to work on recreating the
database from available records, some of which are old, making it difficult to track down some
people. One of the reasons I haven't put time into publishing the e-WORD is that I have been
spending beaucoup hours trying to "sanitize" the records we have. Considering the size of the
problem, we have also enlisted the services of Gary Schroeder to help resolve some of the problems
we have with duplicate records (members with two or more addresses on record).
Your Board of Directors has also been working on other matters of running the Association. We have
scheduled an Association Annual Meeting for the first week-end in February. This will include a vote
on proposed changes to the Association by-laws, and an election of officers. I will be putting a
proxy statement on the Web as soon as a slate of nominees is finalized. Members who are unable to
attend the meeting in person are strongly encouraged to vote using the form provided on the Web site.
The LPM
THE MILITARY COALITION
GUARD and RESERVE COMMITTEE
Legislative Goals For 2010
One of the activities of your Association is to work with "The Military Coalition" on behalf of our
entire military community. The following is a list of the legislative goals of "The Military Coalition."
Reserve Retirement Under 'Operational Reserve' Policy – TMC deeply appreciates Congress’ passage
of prospective early retirement for certain activated members of the Guard and Reserve, effective 28
January 2008. However, in recognition of the continuing service and sacrifice of Reserve Component
members and as an inducement to longer service and to maintain the Operational Reserve Force, more must
be done.
TMC strongly urges further progress in revamping the reserve retirement system in recognition of increased
service and sacrifice of Reserve Component members, including at a minimum, extending the new authority
for a 90 day retirement reduction for the initial, three months and each succeeding month to all Guard
and Reserve members who have served since 9/11 following commencement of orders.
The TMC further believes as the nation is committed to increase utilization of Reserve Components and
to maintain and retain a viable Operational Reserve Force we must move forward to provide a reduced
retirement pay age entitlement for all Reserve Component members, that is an age / service formula or
outright retirement at age 55 to include provisions for 'gray area' retirees, and to include TRICARE
access.
Reserve mission increases and a smaller force mean Guard-Reserve members must devote far more of their
working lives to military service than envisioned in 1948. Repeated, extended activations make it more
difficult to sustain a full civilian career and will impede Reservists' ability to build a full civilian
retirement, 401(k), etc. Regardless of statutory protections, periodic long-term absences from the
civilian workplace can only limit Guard-Reserve members' upward mobility, employability and financial
security. Further, strengthening the reserve retirement system will serve as an incentive to retaining
critical mid-career officers and NCOs for continued service and thereby enhance readiness. Recent
improvements in the Reserve Retirement system excluded those that have already given tremendous sacrifices.
The country can ill afford to treat service members, their families, and their employers in this manner.
- TMC most strongly urges Congress to authorize early retirement credit to all Guard and Reserve
members who have served on active duty tours of at least 90 days retroactive to September 11, 2001.
Ultimately, TMC supports modernizing the reserve retirement system to reflect the increased service and
sacrifice of operational reservists including appropriate credit for active and inactive duty service.
Wounded Warrior and Seamless Transition for Activated Guard and Reserve and Their Families - Over
725,000 members of the Guard and Reserve have been activated since 9/11. Congressional hearings
and media reports have documented the fact that at separation, many of these service members do not
receive the transition services they and their families need to make a successful readjustment to civilian
status. TMC goals:
- Fund and field “yellow ribbon reintegration” programs by modeling best practices in states
like Maryland and Minnesota and ensure that Federal Reserve veterans have access to services and support
that are available to National Guard veterans.
- Implement GAO recommendations (GAO Rpt. 08-901) for the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)
program.
- Speed development and implementation of bi-directional, standards-based electronic medical
records between DoD-VA systems.
- Oppose distinguishing between disabilities incurred in combat versus non-combat in determining
military and veterans’ disability compensation.
- Authorize "Flexible Spending Account" claims filing for a prior reporting year after return
from active duty for mobilized Guard and Reserve members.
- Authorize employers and employees to contribute to 401(k) and 403(b) accounts during active duty
service of at least 90 days.
- Permit waivers on scheduled licensing / certification / promotion exams scheduled during a
mobilization.
Full Veteran Status For Certain Guard/Reserve Retirees
Some Guard and Reserve servicemembers complete 20 years of qualifying service for retirement without
having been called to active duty service during their careers. At age 60, they are entitled to reserve
military retired pay, government health care and other benefits of service including some veterans’
benefits. However, current statute denies them full standing as a “veteran” of the armed forces. TMC
goal:
Amend Title 38 to include in the definition(s) of 'veteran' retirees of the Guard / Reserve components
who have completed 20 or more years of service, but are not considered to be veterans under the current
statutory definitions.
Continuum of Health Care Insurance Options – TMC is very grateful for passage of TRICARE Standard
coverage for “Gray Area” reservists in the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act. Earlier
Congressional upgrades for G-R health care include: TRICARE Reserve Select; P.L.109-233 that requires
reinstatement protection of any employment-based civilian health insurance for certain activated G-R
members released from their orders prior to a scheduled reporting date. These improvements point to
Congressional recognition that Guard and Reserve health care access must be commensurate with their
increased responsibilities.
TMC notes that DoD complied with direction from Congress to reduce TRS premiums to the actual cost of
coverage. For 2009, monthly TRS premiums have been reduced to $47.51 (vs. $81) for member-only coverage
and to $180.17 (vs. $253) for family coverage. TMC believes a review of the current statutory methodology
for adjusting premiums based on program costs should be conducted to assess whether any of the costs
currently included are in fact costs of maintaining readiness or “costs of doing business” for the Defense
Department that don’t contribute to delivering benefit value to beneficiaries (and therefore should be
excluded, with the result that premiums would go down).
TMC also notes that the federal government pays the family premium for the Federal Employee Health
Benefit (FEHB) program during a period of active duty service performed by Guard or Reserve servicemembers
who are Federal workers. From TMC’s perspective, a similar government commitment should be extended as
an option to reservists who wish to keep family coverage under existing employer or private health plans.
The lack of a comprehensive dental care program continues to seriously inhibit readiness and deployability
of G-R formations and individuals. TMC calls upon Congress to ensure that dental health care resources and
policies undergird reserve component service. TMC goals:
- In principle, TMC believes Congress should establish a moratorium on TRS premium increases and
direct DoD to make a determined effort for the most efficient use of resources allocated and to cut waste
prior to the consideration of any adjustment in such premiums. TRS is an earned benefit and TMC believes
the regulation governing TRS premiums should align with any adjustment applied to covered services for the
overall TRICARE population.
- Seek to make DoD fiscally responsible for medical and dental care to Reservists beginning with
the issuance of an alert order and 180 days post mobilization to ensure service members meet readiness
standards when DoD facilities are not available within a 50 mile radius of a member's home.
- Ensure Guard and Reserve members have adequate access and treatment in the DoD and VA health
systems for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury following separation from active
duty service in a theatre of operations.
- Allow the option of an equivalent offset to civilian plan premiums during activation - similar
to the provision of up to 24 months of FEHB premium coverage for mobilized federal workers.
- Allow eligibility in Continued Health Care Benefits Program (CHCBP) for Selected Reservists who
are voluntarily separating and subject to disenrollment from TRS.
- Change Gray Area TRICARE item: Permit members of the IRR who qualify for a reserve retirement
at age 60 to participate in Gray Area TRICARE Standard as an incentive for their continued service
(and higher liability for recall to active duty).
- Oversee the implementation of Gray Area retiree access to TRICARE Reserve Select to ensure the
program is implemented in a timely manner and that this population is not charged above a 100 percent
premium level when compared to serving Guard and Reserve members.
- Allow beneficiaries of the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan who are Selected Reservists
the option of participating in TRICARE Reserve Select.
GI Bill – Selected Reservists Left Behind. TMC is most grateful to Congress for passage of the Post-9/11
GI Bill. The Post 9-11 GI Bill incorporates a number of major TMC goals for the GI Bill including benefits
that match the cost of education, extension of the post-service usage period to 15 years, and cumulative
credit for G-R service on active duty. However, volunteers who join the Selected Reserve were left behind
in this legislation. Benefits for joining the Selected Reserve were not upgraded or integrated in the
Post-9/11 GI Bill as TMC has long recommended. Today, the ratio between these benefits and active duty
Montgomery GI Bill benefits has plunged to 24.9% against a historical ratio of 47-50%. Moreover, these
benefits are not just about the principle of “proportional equity” but also are essential to successful
recruitment programs for the Guard and Reserve. TMC goals:
- Restore basic reserve MGIB benefits for initially joining the Selected Reserve to the historic
benchmark of 47-50% of active duty benefits. That would raise current rates under Chap. 1606, 10 USC
from $329 per month to between $621 - $660 for full time study.
- Include Title 32 Active Guard Reserve duty toward eligibility for the Post 9/11 GI Bill which
will affect about 30,000 full time Guardsmen currently excluded.
- Ensure all reserve members utilized in post 9-11 in support of contingency operations on active
duty orders or transferred out of Selected Reserve status due to loss of their billets in response to
downsizing or force structure changes in response to BRAC are afforded opportunity to participate in
the GI Bill improvements.
- Integrate reserve and active duty MGIB laws in Title 38.
- Enact academic protections for mobilized Guard and Reserve students including: refund guarantees;
and, exemption of Federal student loan payments during activation.
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) Protections
Activated members often find it difficult to meet their personal financial and legal obligations as a
result of military orders. The SCRA was created to ease this burden. The changing nature of civil law and
the conditions of service today indicate that the SCRA must be continuously reviewed to protect service
families. TMC appreciates passage in 2008 of a change to the SCRA that permits servicemembers facing
deployment or PCS to terminate cell phone contracts without financial penalty. TMC goals:
Require institutions of higher education to refund to activated members of the National Guard or Reserve
tuition and other fees paid for the program of education the member did not receive academic credit for
as a result of a call-up.
- Permit employers and employees to contribute to defined contribution retirement plans
(401(k) – 403(b)) during a period of active duty service performed by Guard and Reserve servicemembers.
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
TMC is grateful for passage in 2008 of USERRA amendments that require faster complaint resolution and more
stringent reporting requirements by Federal agencies involved in compliance with the law. Reemployment
protections for our nation’s “operational reserve” warriors cannot be over-emphasized. At the same time,
TMC sees a need to expand employer incentives – enacted in 2008 -- for retaining Guard-Reserve employees.
TMC goals:
- Extension of USERRA protections to servicemembers working in domestic response operations, such
as hurricane or wildfire missions.
- Clarify that USERRA disputes are not subject to employer-employee binding arbitration agreements
- Require that States which accept federal funds for any state programs or activities must waive
their sovereign immunity in cases of USERRA actions.
- Give reservists the right to bring their cases against either a State or private employer in their
choice of State or US district court. Require courts to act to prevent discriminatory firings.
- Provide punitive damages in the worst cases of reemployment discrimination.
- Amend USERRA to require documentation, confirming military service during a period of absence.
- Make a single entity accountable for overseeing USERRA complaint resolution process.
- Amend USERRA to preclude an exclusion or waiting period for reinstatement of employer health care.
- Extend reemployment rights to military spouses who must suspend employment to care for dependent
children due to a military sponsor’s deployment.
- Require the DoL Office of Special Counsel to enforce USERRA for Federal Agencies.
Family Support Programs to Meet the Unique Needs of Guard and Reserve Families. TMC notes considerable
progress in outreach and services for returning G-R warriors and their families. But much more needs to
be done. Family support programs promote better communication with service members, specialized support
for geographically separated Guard and Reserve families and training and back-up for family readiness
volunteers. TMC goals:
- Authorized Travel and Transportation Allowances for a family member or designated representative
at Yellow Ribbon Events.
- Ensure that programs are in place to meet the special information and support needs of families
of individual augmentees or those who are geographically dispersed
- Fund programs between military and community leaders to support service members and families
during all phases of deployments
- Provide robust preventive counseling services for service members and families and training so
they know when to seek professional help related to their circumstances
- Enhance education for Guard and Reserve family members about their rights and benefits.
- Authorize and fund occasional child care, including preventive respite care, family readiness
group meetings and drill time
- Improve the joint family readiness program to facilitate understanding and sharing of information
between all family members
Guard-Reserve Readiness - DoD and the military services have stated the level of Reserve component
contributions to the total force will continue at the same pace for many years. Currently, over 725,000
Guard and Reserve members have been mobilized. Yet, the FY 2007, FY 2009, FY 2010 National Defense
Authorization Acts authorized cuts in the Navy Reserve, Air Reserve, or the Army Reserve based only
on projected budgets, not mission contribution. The current and projected use of these forces and
growing shortages of equipment for training and deployment are causing enormous strains on readiness
in the Guard-Reserve. High utilization and turnover and loss of equipment greatly affect retention
and recruiting for the Guard and Reserve.
- We strongly urge Congress to maintain and increase Guard and Reserve force end-strengths across
all services, and provide proper funding for their equipment and training.
- We strongly urge Congress to properly fund NGREA accounts for each service to ensure that an
Operational Reserve Component can maintain deployment cycles
Out-of-Pocket Travel Expenses of National Guard and Reserve Members - Restoration of full
tax-deductibility of non-reimbursable expenses related to military training was accomplished by the
FY04 NDAA using a distance of 100 miles. As other government agencies use a 50-mile minimum for travel
compensation, Title 10 should be revised so that "the deductions allowed…for any period during which
such individual is more than 50 miles away from home in connection with such services."
Expand Tax Credits for Employers of the Guard and Reserve – TMC is very grateful to Congress for
passage in 2008 of a first-ever tax credit for certain small businesses that pay a wage differential
to G-R members called to active duty (P.L. 110-245). The new authority expires on 31 December 2009.
TMC is pleased to note that this employer benefit recognizes the enormous burdens that America’s
employers bear under operational reserve policy. Today's increased OPTEMPO makes employer support more
important than ever. Employer pressure is listed as one of the top reasons members of the Guard and
Reserve quit. TMC goal:
- Congress should make permanent and expand employer tax credits as a means to help offset
costs associated with employees' Guard or Reserve activities and reinforce employer support.
Reserve Compensation System - Increasing demands of qualifications, mental skills, physical fitness,
and training readiness on the Guard and Reserve to perform national security missions at home and abroad
and increased training requirements indicate that the compensation system needs to be improved to
attract and retain individuals into the Guard/Reserve. The added responsibility and the reality of
returning to active duty multiple times over the course of a reserve career require improvements to
the compensation package and to make it more equitable with the active component.
- Allow full-retirement credits for all inactive duty training points earned annually (annual
IDT points are capped at 130 presently)
- Provide parity in special incentive pay:
o Career enlisted/officer special aviation incentive pay
o Diving special duty pay
o Special duty assignment pay
- Pro-pay for reserve component medical professional
- Eliminate BAH II, and full BAH for any active duty service
- Improve Space-A Travel policy for Guard and Reserve member and their spouse
- Recalculation of Retirement Points After 1 Year Mobilization. Certain recent provisions allow
flag and general officers to recalculate retirement pay after one year of mobilizations. TMC believes
this opportunity should be made available to ranks.
o Change USC to permit all ranks, officer and enlisted who are recalled from retirement to have
their retired pay recomputed after one year of mobilized – recalled active duty.
- Improve Reserve Income Replacement program for mobilized reserve components. Sustained
and continuous long term activations of Operational Reservists make a civilian income replacement
insurance or tax incentive program necessary to maintain readiness and retention
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SPONSORS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL RECEPTION 2009
MEET THE CHALLENGE
Join the PFC Ryan Jerabek USMC Challenge Run on 14 August 2010
Ryan Jerabek, an 18 year old Hobart, Wisconsin, native had served our Nation in the United States
Marine Corps with Honor, Courage, and Commitment. Ryan was assigned to the 1st Marine
Expeditionary Force, 2nd Battalion, 4th Regiment, ECHO Co. Weapons Platoon. (2/4 Second to None)
He gave his life for the cause of Freedom on 6 April, 2004 in Ramadi, Iraq during Operation Iraqi
Freedom. Ryan was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V for extraordinary heroism. He also
received the Purple Heart. This event is planned to take place on the roads that Ryan ran to
prepare himself for his service in the Marine Corps.
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
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