Senate Limits Tricare Fee Hikes

In July, the Senate Armed Services Committee rejected a Pentagon proposal to increase Tricare fees and perscription co-payments. The Committee did not include the Pentagon proposal in its version of the 2014 Defense Authorization bill (Senate 1197). Therefore, increases to Tricare Prime enrollment fees and pharmacy co-pays are restricted to no more than 1.7%, the 2013 federal cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). According to Military Times, since the 2013 COLA increase would not boost pharmacy co-pays by more than a dollar, the co-pays would most likely remain at their same amount.

Sequestration Crippling Armed Forces at a Critcal Time

Let me summarize the recent Legislative Update from AUSA. The ongoing budget uncertainty and sequestration is wreaking havoc on the Defense Department at a time when the world is not getting any safer. The news this weekend was stark: Officials ordered the temporary closure of over two dozen U.S. diplomatic posts, issued a global travel warning to Americans because of a terrorist threat, and are evacuating the U.S. Embassy in Yemen
As sequestration continues the Strategic Choices and Management Review presented Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel with two approaches to reduce force structure and force modernization. The first approach would trade away size for high-end capability. This would further shrink the active Army to between 380,000 to 450,000 troops, reduce the number of carrier strike groups from 11 to 8, draw down the Marine Corps from 182,000 to between 150,000 and 175,000, and retire older Air Force bombers. This choice would result in a force that would be technologically superior, but would be much smaller and less robust, especially if threats occurred in different regions of the world.
The second approach would trade away high-end capability for size. Limited cuts would be made to ground forces, ships, and aircraft, but modernization programs would be curtailed, cyber enhancements would be slowed, and special operations forces would be reduced. Either approach would stifle our ability to provide and sustain modern equipment to troops all over the world and damage the viability of America’s private-sector industrial base.
AUSA President Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, USA, Ret., is shocked that Congress continues to leave sequestration in place. In a letter to House and Senate leadership last week he said that, “The effects of continuing to impose the costs of sequestration on the Department of Defense will cause the Army to loose effectiveness at all levels. The sad legacy of the sequestration cuts will be a, “hollow Army” with furloughed civilians, tiered levels of unit readiness, reduced flying hours, deferred battle loss replacement, and cancelled Soldier training; all that lower professional leader development and unit readiness.”
Worse, President Obama told congressional Democrats that the Pentagon should get no more attention than many other areas of the budget with respect to sequestration. Even the Washington Post was alarmed by his message; stating in an editorial that the President “cannot act as though the Defense Department’s sequester cuts are equivalent in consequence to every other item in the budget. The country’s defense is a core responsibility of the federal government, and its armed forces are critical to the nation’s ability to exert leadership, maintain alliances, and preserve the nation’s safety.”
Please join us and contact your members of Congress to urge them to pass legislation that will end sequestration. Visit the Legislative Agenda page on AUSA’s website http://www.ausa.org. Click on the “Contact Congress” link and then on the prepared letter “Stop Sequestration Now” to let your Representative and Senators know that it is time to act.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Informational Meeting and Discussion July 10th

The Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs, The Brain Injury Association of Delaware, and the Vietnam Veterans of America – Delaware State Council,  invites Veterans, Family Members , and all interested  Delawareans to an Informational Meeting & Discussion TBI Traumatic Brain Injury – the SIGNATURE WOUND of the Iraq/ Afghanistan War.  Date: 10 July 2013, Time: 1PM – 3PM, Location:  Easter Seals Building, 22317 Du Pont Highway, Georgetown, Delaware 19947.  Info contact: ROBERT CORSA, 302 933 0119, USMC TBI SURVIVOR

An End to the Doc Fix for Medicare and TRICARE?

Working with the House Committee on Ways and Means, leaders from the House Energy and Commerce Committee have unveiled draft legislation that would repeal the current Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) system and replace it with a fair and stable system of physician payments in the Medicare program.  Enacted in 1997 as part of the “Balanced Budget Act,” the SGR is a continued concern for physicians who serve Medicare beneficiaries and for the beneficiaries themselves.  Because payments to doctors who treat TRICARE beneficiaries are tied to Medicare, it also affects active duty, reserve, and retired military personnel and their families.  Congress had implemented a temporary “doc fix” to prevent substantial Medicare reimbursement rate cuts, which could result in fewer physicians willing to serve Medicare/TRICARE patients.  This draft legislation would replace the current SGR with an enhanced fee-for-service.  Although the draft legislation provides a clearer picture of the proposed new payment system, it does not address how to pay for the cost of repealing the current payment system.  What’s next:  Health Subcommittee Chairman Joe Pitts, R-Penn., plans to hold a markup of the legislation next month.

Army Announces Restructure of the Force

After the Army announced that it is reducing end-strength and reorganizing brigade combat teams, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., said, “As damaging as they are, these cuts don’t begin to reflect the crippling damage sequestration will do to our Armed Forces and National Security.  The Committee will carefully examine the implications of this initial restructuring, but we all must understand that this is only the tip of the iceberg, much deeper cuts are still to come.  America learned the hard way that our pre- 9/11 military was too small.  Now, even before sequestration, we are reducing the force to that same size and foolishly expecting history to teach us a different lesson.  What lessons will we learn when sequester doubles these cuts in just a few months’ time?”

The Army plans to reduce the authorized end-strength of the Active Army from 570,000 to 490,000 and the Army National Guard from 358,000 to 350,000 and will inactivate a total of 12 BCTs.  In a press conference last week, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno said, “The reduction of 80,000 Soldiers or 14% from the Active Component will be completed by the end of fiscal year 2017.  Let me be clear, we are taking these actions as a result of the Budget Control Act of 2011.  This end-strength and force structure reduction predates sequestration.  If sequestration continues into Fiscal Year 2014, Army reductions to end-strength, force structure and basing announced today will be only the first step.”  Later in the press conference, Odierno reiterated, “I want to emphasize that these reductions do not reflect reductions due to sequestration.  Full sequestration could require another significant reduction in Active, Guard, and Reserve force structure as much as 100,000 combined.”

AUSA President Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan said that “Congress must quickly find an alternative to sequestration.  Everyone needs to be reminded of history’s lessons, of the dangers of a hollow Army that is called to fight the first battle of the next war – but without enough manpower, training or weaponry to do the job – of an Army which then pays the price in the blood of too many Soldiers killed or wounded while they train the hard way – during war, not before it.”

2013 AUSA Annual Meeting and Military Family Forum Registration Open

Registration is now open for the 2013 AUSA Annual Meeting, October 21-23, along with the Military Family Forums.  The AUSA Annual Meeting is the largest land power exposition and professional development forum in North America. The Annual Meeting consists of informative presentations, panel discussions on pertinent military and national security subjects, workshops and important AUSA business meetings.

The Family forums within the Annual Meeting are designed to engage and inform both the military community and the greater civilian community around them.  AUSA Family Programs staff are excited to connect with military families, share resources, and gain insight from their scheduled speakers and panelists. The forums this year will feature the Army’s top leaders and in-depth discussions about holistic approaches to self-care and the growing variety of community resources.  Register today!

Second Annual Our Community Salutes event!

PRESS RELEASE

“Our Community Salutes” (OCS)

Second annual ceremony recognizes and honors military-bound high school seniors in Delaware – May1, 2013 – New Castle, DE

Delaware Chapter, Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) and Wilmington University (WU) conducted the second annual ‘Our Community Salutes’ event at Wilmington University’s New Castle, DE campus on May 1st from 6-8pm, to recognize and honor the Delaware high school seniors (and their parents) who have chosen to enlist into the military after graduation this spring.

Over 140 people attended the event, including local celebrities, area college officials, representatives from ESGR, Red Cross, Military OneSource, the Blue Star Mothers, and the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation.  Sponsors included Navy Federal Credit Union, Summit Aviation, AAA MidAtlantic, and Delaware City Refining Co.  Several high ranking military officers attended, and the Delaware Military Academy provided a color guard and an exhibition drill team.  29 high school seniors from all over Delaware attended with friends and family.

The event was headlined by Tim Furlong, NBC News Philadelphia, as the emcee.  Featured speakers included Brigadier General Carol Timmons (Assistant Adjutant General – Air, Delaware National Guard), Brigadier General (Retired) Terry L. Wiley, and Command Chief Master Sergeant James M. Smith (436th Airlift Wing, Dover Air Force Base).  Student enlistees received Letters of Appreciation from U.S. Senator Tom Carper, U.S. Representative John Carney, and from the State of Delaware House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees.