FRA NEWS-BYTES
23 JULY 2010
This week in NewsBytes:
FRA Speaks Out on Veterans' Issues
Concurrent Receipt Pulled from Jobless Benefit Bill
DoD Restructures Military Spouse Career Program
FRA Salutes Navy's 2009 Sailors of the Year
Amos Nominated as 35th USMC Commandant
FRA Speaks Out on Veterans' Issues
FRA National President Gary Blackburn met with the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee this week during a round-table discussion on veteran's issues. Senators in attendance included Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.), Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (Mich.), and Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (Hawaii). NP Blackburn, a "brown water" Vietnam veteran, stressed the need to reverse the VA's policy that prevents "blue water" Vietnam veterans and military retirees (those who served off-shore) from claiming disability benefits for diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange.
Other priority issues discussed include:
Adequate funding for VA health care and support for wounded warriors;
Improving the VA's claims processing to eliminate the claims backlog;
Improving the Post 9/11 GI Bill (read the 7-22-10 edition of Military Update at www.fra.org for more information); and
Funding of the overall VA budget.
Concurrent Receipt Pulled from Jobless Benefit Bill
To ensure passage of extended unemployment benefits, all other provisions were pulled from the so-called Tax Extenders bill (H.R. 4213) this week, including FRA-supported language that allows the concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans' disability benefits for some retirees. The stripped-down version of the bill passed the House and Senate, and goes to the White House for President Obama's signature.
FRA will be pressing for opportunities to include the concurrent receipt provisions onto another bill. A likely target is the Senate Defense Authorization bill (S. 3454) that has cleared the Senate Armed Services Committee and is awaiting Senate floor action.
DoD Restructures Military Spouse Career Program
Following a comprehensive review, the Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced it would resume a restructured version of the Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program for military spouses. The program, which offers financial assistance to eligible spouses pursuing education and training in portable career fields, will be available to spouses of service members in the pay grades of E1-E5, W1-W2 and O1-O2, beginning October 25, 2010.
The revised program allows eligible spouses to receive a total of $4,000 in DoD-funded financial aid, with an annual cap of $2,000 per fiscal year. Funding must be used within a three-year time period from the start date of the first class and must be used to obtain an associates' degree, licensure or certification. A waiver may be granted when fees for licensure or certification require an up-front fee greater than $2,000 and up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000. More information can be found on the MyCAA Web site: https://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/FindInformation/Category/MilitarySpouseCareerAdvancementAccounts.aspx.
Funding challenges forced DoD to unexpectedly announce a temporary halt to the MyCAA program in March of this year. The program resumed shortly thereafter.
FRA Salutes Navy's 2009 Sailors of the Year
Sailors of the Year (SOY) Ingrid Cortez (US Fleet Forces), Samira McBride (COMPAC fleet), Cassandra Foote (CNO Shore), and Shalanda Brewer (Navy Reserve) were meritoriously advanced to chief petty officer this week as part of the Navy's SOY Week in Washington, D.C. This is the first time in history that all four SOYs are women.
During the weeklong festivities, FRA continued its long-standing tradition of honoring outstanding performance by hosting a tour of the U.S. Capitol and a Capitol Hill luncheon for the SOYs and their families. Additionally, FRA presented each honoree with a VISA gift card to help defray expenses for their families' travel to D.C. for the ceremonies.
Amos Nominated as 35th USMC Commandant
On the recommendation of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, President Obama nominated General Jim Amos to succeed General James Conway as the next Commandant of the Marine Corps. Amos, a career pilot who is currently the assistant commandant, will undergo Senate confirmation hearings, which have not yet been scheduled.