GOALS OF TMC's MILITARY PERSONAL / COMPENSATION / COMMISSARIES COMMITTEE FOR 2007

Committee Goals

The Military Coalition’s Committee on Military Personnel/Compensation/Commissaries Legislative Goals For 2009 (Approved 6 November 2009)

The Committee is committed to ensuring that pay and allowance programs are equitably applied to the seven Uniformed Services. Use of the term "Uniformed Services" ensures that program enhancements are extended to the Coast Guard, NOAA Corps and Public Health Service." Note the inclusion of recommendations to further enhance services for wounded warriors and their families.

Ensure adequate personnel strengths and associated funding in order to meet national security strategy requirements. Inadequate end strengths and greater than anticipated requirements and resources to support the war effort and other operational requirements results in a negative impact on the quality of life of uniformed services personnel and can impact recruiting and retention. While Army, Marine Corps and Air Force authorized end strengths have increased per the FY 2009 NDAA, TMC is concerned about whether these increases are sufficient to significantly ease the steady-state rotation burdens faced by ground forces for the foreseeable future. TMC is also concerned about the stalled transformation of the PHS Commissioned Corps, and the scope and associated impacts of Navy active and reserve personnel reductions over several years particularly with 14,000 Individual Augmentees (IAs) serving in Afghanistan, Iraq, Djibouti and the Horn of Africa. Cost-savings rather than operational requirements may be the driving end strength requests. In 2009, TMC will:

Strongly support adequate recruiting and retention resources to enable the uniformed services to achieve required optimum-quality personnel strengths.
Support a defense budget of at least 5% of GDP to fund both people and weapons needs.
Advocate for the development and implementation of a billet-based force management system enabling the PHS Commissioned Corps to define annual end strength requirements, and the centralization of the Corps' organization, policy development, billets and operations under the Office of the Surgeon General, especially for crisis response functions.
Advocate for uniform personnel management tools throughout the services commensurate with the war effort, as well as necessary training and skill mixes.
Monitor implementation and maintenance of Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force end strength increases in relation to personnel requirements to sustain the war and other operational commitments, while tracking Navy reductions and their impact on retention and military readiness.
Monitor imposition of stop-loss and extended deployments and recalls of significant numbers of the National Guard and Reserve personnel needed to sustain the war effort and other operations particularly with regard to high demand skills/occupations and the health of the entire force. IRR activations indicate the inadequacy of end strengths and personnel policy management.

Compensation and Special Incentive Pays. The Coalition asserts that service members deserve a comprehensive compensation and benefit package consistent with the extraordinary demands of military service. This package must continually be evaluated to ensure changing circumstances do not diminish the value of that package and thus threaten the retention of a quality force. In 2009, TMC will:

Advocate for annual military pay raises pegged at least to the Employment Cost Index (ECI)+.5% each year until comparability to the private sector workers is restored. Sustaining pay comparability is essential to maintaining the all-volunteer military. Despite the 3.9% FY 2009 military pay increase, a pay gap of 2.9% remains. TMC fully supports the House-passed provision in its version of the FY 2009 NDAA that would re-establish the ECI plus .5% adjustment and return to the ECI plus .5% formula as the base line for annual pay adjustments through 2013 - especially in light of the 15-month lag between the compilation of pay data and the effective date.
Support additional targeted pay increases for all military personnel as needed to sustain the 70th percentile floor for each pay/longevity cell.
Oppose initiatives to "civilianize" the military pay and retirement system in ways that reduce the value of the current military compensation system and undermine long-term retention especially in light of the 10th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation recommendations.
Support enhancements in National Guard and Reserve incentive and special pays in recognition of increased reliance on Guard/Reserve forces to prosecute the war effort and other operational commitments.
Raise awareness that enhanced financial education is essential from objective sources for service members and their families, to include awareness of the long-term financial consequences of Redux-eligible service members electing to accept the $30,000 career retention bonus, instead of continuing under the High-3 retirement program.
Advocate continued fixes to the billing system for official travel credit cards that holds service members responsible for paying these bills, plus interest when the finance center fails to make timely payments or the member is deployed on contingency operations.

Wounded Warrior Enhancements. In 2007, several commissions and task forces were created to address poor administrative and bureaucratic practices with regard to care for wounded warriors as they transitioned from in-patient to out-patient status. Specifically, the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC) completed a three-year study that included 113 recommendations and the Dole/Shalala Commission provides several key recommendations. The Coalition views support for wounded service members and their families as a significant personnel issue. Several of the recommendations made by the commissions and task forces were addressed in both the FY 2008 and 2009 National Defense Authorization Acts; however, more needs to be done. The Coalition will:

Work with DoD and VA to enhance "seamless transition" between DoD, VA, and partnered providers by establishing, as a minimum, a joint single-separation physical and bi-directional electronic medical record, and monitor the establishment of the Wounded Warrior Resource Center and other initiatives
Work to ensure any restructure of the DoD and VA disability and compensation systems does not inadvertently reduce compensation levels for disabled service members.
Fully support the VDBC's recommendations that endorse full concurrent receipt and the elimination of the SBP/DIC offset.
Seek permanent legislation to allow severely injured service members to receive both active-duty-level TRICARE and VA medical benefits for three years to help ease their transition from DoD to VA.
Advocate for strengthened support for families, to include the authorization of compensation/support for family member caregivers of severely injured.
Fully support compensation for loss of member's quality of life and to assist in transition from DoD to VA.
Monitor implementation of new rating criteria and improved care and treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Monitor establishment of a comprehensive policy and associated oversight/coordination for multi-departmental efforts on destigmatization/identification/treatment/counseling for Combat Stress Injuries.
Monitor the implementation of the Dole/Shalala-recommended recovery coordinator program.
Seek to eliminate the service member's payment of the Traumatic Servicemember Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) premium.
Oppose distinguishing between disabilities incurred in combat vice non-combat when determining benefits eligibility for retirement.
Extend the combat-related definition used to qualify for Combat-Related Special Compensation to qualify for Enhanced Disability Severance Pay
Monitor pilot program and other DoD disability retirement system reform initiatives to ensure inclusion of all unfitting conditions and DoD acceptance of the VA ratings for those conditions.
Monitor enhanced partnerships between DoD, VA and civilian mental health providers to expand mental health access and treatment for treating military/veteran patients and their family members.
Support extending housing on on-base facilities for up to one year to medically retired, severely wounded service members and their families.
Support extending a Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) or apply a HAP-like program to disability retiree homeowners who need to relocate upon medical retirement and have difficulty selling their home.

Maintain a Well-funded Family Readiness and Support Structure. TMC will:

Encourage Congress to direct DoD to assess effectiveness by comparing programs and support mechanisms designed to assist military members and their families with readiness, responsiveness, and reintegration related to deployments. Ensure the effective programs are fully funded and their costs are included in the annual budget process.
Champion education and outreach to all Uniformed Services service members and families about benefits and services to which they are entitled. This outreach should include programs addressing the unique needs of National Guard and Reserve families as they transition to and from active duty, and meeting the needs of Public Health Service families.
Demand the full funding needed to meet the child care needs of the total force uniformed services community.
Advocate for the expansion of family access to mental health counseling and other support programs.
Promote the expansion of opportunities for military spouses to further educational and career goals.
Promote authorization of flexible spending accounts to enable military families to pay health care and child care expenses with pre-tax dollars. (Joint goals with TMC Health Care and Tax Committees.)
Monitor new DoD “Financial Readiness Challenge” events and encourage the widest dissemination of this information to all installations.

Enhance Service Members' Access to Quality Housing. The Coalition will:

Advocate revisions to DoD housing standards on which BAH for each grade is based to make them more realistic and appropriate for each pay grade. (For example, enlisted members under the current standards are not authorized to receive BAH for a 3-bedroom single-family detached house until achieving the rank of E-9).
Work to ensure that BAH rates keep pace with housing costs, especially in communities experiencing significant growth, which may result in longer commutes to an installation.
Increase oversight of housing privatizing to ensure quality housing and service is provided to military families. This includes review of the waterfall process (priority policy/selection process), housing wait lists, utility policies, treatment of wounded warriors, command involvement, communication with residents, etc.

Reform the Permanent Change of Station ( PCS) Process. The percentage of active duty forces with dependents is significant and research indicates that moving is very stressful for service members and their families. PCS enhancements have helped to ameliorate stress and ease the financial burden that is particularly difficult for junior enlisted personnel. Despite improvements, service members still incur out-of-pocket costs for military-ordered moves. TMC will:

Press for full implementation of the Families First Program, full replacement value reimbursement, and new claims procedures.
Seek legislation to:
**Further modify the PCS weight allowance tables for personnel in pay grades E-7, E-8, and E-9 to coincide with allowances for officers in grades O-4, O-5, and O-6 respectively. While these allowances were increased slightly in the FY 2006 NDAA, the personal property weight for a senior E-9 enlisted leader without dependents remains the same as for a single O-3, despite the normal accumulation of household goods over the course of a career.
**Authorize shipment of a second privately-owned vehicle at government expense to Alaska, Hawaii, and other overseas accompanied assignments.
**Authorize reimbursement of house-hunting expenses commensurate with programs now supporting federal civilian personnel.
**Authorize payment of a dislocation allowance to service members making their final change of station upon retirement from the uniformed services.
**Increase PCS mileage to reflect inflation in the many years since the last adjustments.
Promote federal and state coordination to provide unemployment compensation equity for military spouses as a result of PCS orders. Provide reciprocity for professional licensure and certification requirements

Education Enhancements. The Coalition will:

Support legislation that extends the new 9-11 GI Bill eligibility to USPHS and NOAA officers and monitor timely implementation of the program.
Advocate legislation to ensure adequate funding of Impact Aid through the Department of Education plus continued DoD supplemental funding for highly-impacted military schools.
Support funding and policy changes, if necessary, to mitigate the impact of Service transformation, overseas rebasing initiatives, housing privatization and Base Realignment on school facility needs and educational programs affecting military children.

Protect Access to the Commissary Benefit. TMC will:

Educate the new Administration on the importance and value of the benefit to all beneficiaries and their families.
Support funding levels for the commissary benefit to increase its value.
Promote increased outreach by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) to increase patronage and enhance access to the commissary benefit for all beneficiaries - especially National Guard and Reserve members and their families.
Monitor store closures to ensure that closure criteria are appropriately and consistently applied. TMC stresses the importance of evaluating the impact on all customers (beneficiaries) of BRAC actions and other closures.
Monitor customer satisfaction survey data and encourage DeCA initiatives to enhance customer service.
Closely monitor and evaluate initiatives to combine Commissaries and Exchanges (MWR Committee verbiage?)

Guarantee Voting Rights of Uniformed Service Members and Their Families. Service members must not be denied every citizen's right to vote for the candidates of their choice in state and local elections. Absentee voting must be administered equitably to ensure that all ballots are certified and counted. TMC supports DoD initiatives and the PEW Make Voting Work project to provide access for online voting, faxing ballots if necessary and expediting mail processing of ballots to ensure maximum participation by service members and their families. The Coalition will also monitor reporting requirements per the FY 2007 NDAA on plans for expanding the use of electronic voting technology for individuals covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Absentee Voting Act.

ID Card Reform/Identity Theft. The TMC will seek legislation authorizing ID cards for unmarried adult children who revert to dependent status due to disability (Such as a 24-year old unmarried child who becomes a paraplegic in a car accident.) The TMC also will support DoD programs to enhance the security and access of personnel data including Social Security numbers.

Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI). The Coalition will support initiatives to increase the value of the family member SGLI, to include increasing the coverage provided to children.