NGAI

NGAUS Legislative Alert #12-9; 14 May 2012

moose — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:45:48 +0000

The Issue: Examining the award of the TRICARE Western Region contract to the higher bidder.

Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and Representative and ask them to examine the Department of Defense process that awarded the TRICARE Western Region contract to the higher bidder and its possible consequences.

NGAUS asks you to contact your senators and representative to urge them to examine both the Department of Defense bidding process that awarded the TRICARE Western Region contract to the higher bidder and the possible consequences of that action on beneficiaries.

Earlier this year, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced the award of the contract for the TRICARE Western Region to United Health over its competitor and lower bidder, TriWest.

TriWest has protested the award to Government Accontability Office (GAO), which will be conducting its review of the award process in the coming weeks before making its recommendation to DoD, the final decision-making authority in the matter.

There is concern among our TRICARE beneficiaries in the Western Region about whether the bid evaluation process fully weighed the bidders’ comparative cost and performance qualifications or the consequences of a possible transition to a new network of providers that will be critical for the continued delivery of services in a largely rural region.

Anticipating that the DoD will soon be deciding the matter, NGAUS is asking you to ask your senators and representative to pose to the secretary of defense the questions in the attached draft letter with the goal that the answers will confirm that the process was indeed fair and complete with the best interests of our military families fully taken into account.

Thank you for this effort and for your ongoing support of our citizen-soldiers.

TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:
By using the Write to Congress feature on the NGAUS website at www.ngaus.org, you can IMMEDIATELY e-mail your elected representatives. A sample letter is included in our Write to Congress feature. You can e-mail the prewritten message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to use Write to Congress as well. For further information and background, visit our website at www.ngaus.org. Please direct any questions concerning this issue to Pete Duffy, NGAUS acting legislative director, at 202-454-5307 or via email at pete.duffy@ngaus.org.

The CALL #12-3; 14 May 2012 Restoring PDMRA Leave

moose — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:51:20 +0000

Restoring PDMRA Leave Promised to Deployed Troops to be voted on THIS WEEK

Recently, EANGUS issued a Call to Action regarding PDMRA leave that was promised to our National Guard soldiers and airmen. Congress heard our call and will be voting on this legislation Tuesday, May 15, 2012.

Currently, National Guard soldiers and airmen who have been serving as operation force in the Middle East are often times deployed in excess of the DoD rotational frequency policy of one year mobilized and five years demobilized.

On January 19, 2007, DoD established the PDMRA program to give post-deployment leave time for reintegration for soldiers who serve multiple deployments to the Middle East within a 72 month period. DoD implemented a policy change effective October 1, 2011 which reduced the leave for deployed members that was promised to them under the policy in effect when they began their deployments. Some Guardsmen currently serving could lose up to up 24 days of leave - a month’s pay - that was promised to them when they deployed.

Please Take the Following Action:
EANGUS requests all members immediately contact your member of Congress asking them to vote in favor of H.R. 4045 introduced by Rep. John Kline (R-MN) and to co-sponsor S. 2121, introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

By using the "Write to Congress" feature on the EANGUS Web site at www.eangus.org, you can IMMEDIATELY write or e-mail your elected officials. A sample letter is included in our "Write to Congress" feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to "Write to Congress" as well. For more in-depth information and background visit our web site at www.eangus.org.

NGAUS Legislative Alert #12-8; 19 April 2012

moose — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 02:57:49 +0000

The Issue: Support legislative proposals to halt the disproportional cuts to the ANG in the Air Force's FY13 budget

Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to support proposals to halt the disproportional cuts to the ANG in the Air Force's FY13 budget

NGAUS needs you to contact your Senators and Representatives to urge them to support legislative proposals to halt the disproportional cuts to the Air National Guard in the Air Force’s FY13 budget.

A key issue in the coming weeks before the Senate and House Armed Services Committees will be proposals in the Air Force’s FY13 budget that reduces defense spending through disproportional cuts to the Air National Guard (ANG). The ANG is the finest Air Force in the world with unmatched piloting and maintenance capabilities that ensures full time readiness at part-time costs. The ANG provides 35% of the capabilities in the United States Air Force (USAF) at 6 % of USAF’s budget. Over 30% of all deployed Air Force aircraft needs are provided by the ANG, with 70% of all deployments filled with volunteers. The ANG operates 90% of the nation’s air defense alert sites in dispersed smaller bases, and 75% of ANG facilities operate in dual use with civilian airfields providing valuable air traffic control and communications capabilities to the region. With its community basing, the Air National Guard provides critical homeland defense at substantial costs savings.

Without Congressional action, the Air Force’s final Force Structure decision will result in 5,500 manpower cuts to the ANG and the retirement, transfer or cancellation of 191 ANG aircraft. Based on the USAF’s budget, the ANG will shrink by 5,100 in FY13 and an additional 400 over the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP). This means the ANG will bear 59% of the aircraft cuts and 6 times the number of personnel cuts, of which 93% are in the first year.

After 10 years of war and numerous domestic operations, today’s National Guard is a modern, accessible military force that trains and performs to the same standards as their active duty counterparts. A 2011 Pentagon study conclusively stated that even when mobilized, Reserve Component units are far less expensive than their peer units in the Active Component. In this cost-conscious budgetary environment, the answer to an affordable defense force lies not in cutting the reserve, but in a return to our roots, a well trained and equipped, community-based, force.

Please contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to stand up for the brave men and women who volunteered to serve our country and halt the disproportional cuts to our Air National Guard.

TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:
By using the “Write to Congress” feature on the NGAUS website at www.ngaus.org, you can IMMEDIATELY e-mail your elected representatives. A sample letter is included in our “Write to Congress” feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to use Write to Congress as well.

For further information and background visit our web site at www.ngaus.org. Please direct any questions concerning this issue to Emily Sass, NGAUS Senior Legislative Affairs Manager for Air Programs, at 202-408-5893 or via email at emily.sass@ngaus.org.

NGAUS Legislative Alert 12-7; 16 Apr 2012

moose — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:56:41 +0000

The Issue: Opposing the increases in TRICARE fees and pharmaceutical co-pays proposed in the President’s FY13 Budget

Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to oppose the increases TRICARE fees and pharmaceutical co-pays proposed in the President’s FY13 Budget.

NGAUS needs you to contact your Senators and Representatives to urge them to strongly oppose the increases in TRICARE fees and pharmaceutical co-pays proposed in the President’s FY13 Budget.

A key issue in the coming weeks before the House and Senate Armed Services Committees will be the proposal in the President’s FY13 Budget (PB) that seeks to increase annual enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime; initiate enrollment fees for TRICARE for Life (TFL) to be phased in over 4 years; initiate enrollment fees and raise the deductibles for TRICARE Standard and Extra with both to be phased in over 5 years; and increase the co-pays for pharmaceuticals.

These proposed fee increases would be indexed to medical inflation rates established by the National Health Expenditures (NHE) Index irrespective of any cost-of-living pay increases for serving or retired members. The Office of the Actuary, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services projects National Health Expenditures to increase an average of 6.1 percent a year through 2019 with projected annual national medical expenditures to increase from $2.7 trillion in 2011 to $4.6 trillion in 2020.

The proposed increases would impose costs for medical care promised by the government to our retired members when they joined, and that care has long since been paid for in full by their service. Imposing these costs amounts to reneging on a bargain by altering agreed upon payment terms for services already rendered. Our retirees and their families living on reduced incomes with health issues are particularly vulnerable to any increased costs for medical care.

Defense budget problems associated with medical inflation and war-generated medical costs should not be corrected on the backs of our men and women who have bravely served and continue to serve our nation. They richly deserve the medical care that they have fully earned with their service and sacrifice.

You have friends in Congress who will listen to you if you let them know that it is critical for them to oppose these planned increases in TRICARE fees and pharmaceutical co-pays.

TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:
By using the “Write to Congress” feature on the NGAUS Web site at you can IMMEDIATELY e-mail your elected representatives. A sample letter is included in our “Write to Congress” feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress.

Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to use Write to Congress as well. Please direct any questions concerning this issue to Pete Duffy, NGAUS Acting Legislative Director, at 202-454-5307 or via e-mail at pete.duffy@ngaus.org.

The Call #12-2; 29 Mar 2012

moose — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:01:19 +0000

The Call: 12-02 Recognizing Salem Massachusetts as the Birthplace of the National Guard

This afternoon, March 28, 2012, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1339, legislation intended to recognize Salem, Massachusetts, as the birthplace of the National Guard of the United States. H.R. 1339 was sponsored by Representative John Tierney (D-MA-06). Companion legislation, S. 2013, was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Senator John Kerry (D-MA).

BACKGROUND:
America's National Guard is celebrating its 375th birthday this year, and traces its origins to the Massachusetts Bay Colony Charter, dated December 13, 1636. While colonies at Jamestown and Plymouth had earlier militias, the Massachusetts Bay Colony issued the first official governing document to order the mustering of a militia. Passage of this bill would highlight the rich 375-year heritage of America's National Guard and our militia forebears.

Please take the Following Action: EANGUS requests that all members please CLICK HERE to contact your U.S. Senators encouraging them to co-sponsor and pass S. 2013. Which has not been acted upon at the present time.

NGAUS Legislative Alert #12-6; 23 Mar 2012

moose — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:53:07 +0000

The Issue: Army National Guard Black Hawk Modernization

Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and Representative and urge them to request additional funding for the National Guard to help modernize the National Guard H-60 Black Hawk fleet.

The past 10 years has marked the highest operations tempo for the Army National Guard Black Hawk fleet, which carries out a unique dual-mission set not only supporting deployments and other traditional Army missions but also emergency response missions including search and rescue, fire fighting, medical evacuation and disaster relief here at home. The result of these sustained operations is wearing out the National Guard H-60 Black Hawk Helicopter fleet much faster than planned.

The Army National Guard operates more than 815 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. More than 500 of these are older “A” models, and the majority of these are more than 30 years old and are nearing the end of their useful life.

However, Black Hawk fleet modernization, including the UH-60 A-to-L conversion and the procurement of new “M” models, has slowed to the point that it is not keeping up with the aging fleet. Also, UH-60M procurement rates have dropped 17%, and the fielding date for “M” models has also been delayed two years, which exclusively affects the Army National Guard.

At the currently funded rates, the last Army National Guard UH-60A will not be retired until FY2027 and will be more than 37 years old. Over the past 10 years, Army National Guard aviation has demonstrated that they can successfully execute missions on par with the Active Army. They deserve the same modernized equipment to enable them to continue to perform the mission.

Please write your Senators and Representative and urge them to support accelerating the modernization of the Army National Guard Black Hawk fleet. Specifically, we are seeking funds for an additional 10 UH-60M Black Hawk Utility helicopters ($179.0M) and 15 UH-60A-A to UH-60L conversions ($20.0M).

TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:
By using the “Write to Congress” feature on the NGAUS Web site at www.ngaus.org, you can immediately e-mail your Senators or Representative. A sample letter is included in our “Write to Congress” feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to "Write to Congress" as well.

For more in-depth information and background visit our web site at: www.ngaus.org. Please direct any questions concerning this issue to Kevin McColaugh, NGAUS Army Programs Manager at 202-408-5899 or via email: kevin.mccolaugh@ngaus.org.

EANGUS The Call #12-01; 21 Mar 2012

moose — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:34:15 +0000

The Call 12-01 - Restoring PDMRA Leave Promised to Deployed Troops

Currently, National Guard soldiers and airmen who have been serving as operation force in the Middle East are often times deployed in excess of the DoD rotational frequency policy of one year mobilized and five years demobilized.

On January 19, 2007, DoD established the PDMRA program to give post-deployment leave time for reintegration for soldiers who serve multiple deployments to the Middle East within a 72 month period. DoD implemented a policy change effective October 1, 2011 which reduced the leave for deployed members that was promised to them under the policy in effect when they began their deployments. Some Guardsmen currently serving could lose up to up 24 days of leave - a month’s pay - that was promised to them when they deployed.

Please Take the Following Action:
EANGUS requests all members immediately contact your member of Congress asking them to support S. 2121, introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and H.R. 4045 introduced by Rep. John Kline (R-MN).

By using the "Write to Congress" feature on the EANGUS Web site at www.eangus.org, you can IMMEDIATELY write or e-mail your elected officials. A sample letter is included in our "Write to Congress" feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to "Write to Congress" as well. For more in-depth information and background visit our web site at www.eangus.org.

NGAI Legislative Update; 19 Mar 2012

moose — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:24:56 +0000

This is a summary of the 2012 Indiana General Assembly actions that effect our military or veterans benefits.

March 14, 2012 Governor Daniels signed HB 1059. Extends the eligibility time for the Military Family Relief Fund from one year to three years, enabling service members to receive grants of up to $5,000 a year for as many as three years after the end of their deployment orders. Also added State Active Duty as qualifying service. The Director of IDVA must annually report on the status of the fund. (IC 10-17-12-8) Effective July 1, 2012

March 14, 2012 Governor Daniels signed HB 1065 (IC 31-14-13-6.1 and 6.2): Military custody and parenting time matters. Requires a court, upon motion by a parent who has received military temporary duty, deployment, or mobilization orders: (1) to hold an expedited hearing to determine or modify custody or parenting time; and (2) to allow, with reasonable notice, a parent to present testimony and evidence by certain electronic means in a custody or parenting time proceeding; if the military duties of a parent have a material effect on the parent's ability to appear in person at a regularly scheduled hearing concerning custody or parenting time. Allows a court, upon motion by a parent who has received military deployment orders, to delegate the parent's parenting time, or a part of the parent's parenting time, during the time that the parent is deployed to a person who has a close and substantial relationship with the parent's child, if the court determines delegating the time is in the best interests of the child. Provides that an order delegating parenting time automatically terminates after the parent returns from deployment. Allows the court to terminate an order delegating parenting time if the court determines that the delegated parenting time is no longer in the best interests of the child. IC 31-17-2-21.1 and 21.2. Effective July 1, 2012.

March 14, 2012 Governor Daniels signed HB 1116 (IC 21-42-7) (IC 25-1-17) Military education and training. Requires a state educational institution to adopt a policy to award educational credit to an individual who is enrolled in a state educational institution and successfully completes courses that: (1) are part of the individual's military service; (2) meet the standards of the American Council on Education for awarding academic credit; and (3) meet the state educational institution's role, scope, and mission. Requires that the commission for higher education must adopt rules that establish uniform guidelines for state educational institutions to follow when implementing the requirements. Provides that an occupational or professional licensure board shall issue a license, certificate, registration, or permit to a military service applicant or military spouse who meets certain requirements. Allows a board to issue a temporary practice permit or provisional license while the military service applicant or military spouse is satisfying certain requirements as determined by the board. Effective July 1, 2012

NGAUS Legislative Alert #12-5; 20 Mar 2012

moose — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:47:58 +0000

The Issue: Restoring promised PDMRA leave to our deployed soldiers

Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and representatives and ask them to support S.2121 , introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and H.R. 4045 introduced by Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), that would restore the PDMRA leave promised to our members with deployments overlapping Oct. 1, 2011, when the Defense Department changed the policy to reduce their leave under the PDMRA program.

NGAUS needs you to urge your Senators and representatives to support the companion bills S. 2121, introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and H.R. 4045, introduced by Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.).

National Guard members who have been serving as an operational force in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan are often deployed in excess of the rotational frequency of one year mobilized to five years demobilized established by Defense Department policy.
On Jan. 19, 2007, DoD established the Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence (PDMRA) program to allow more post-deployment leave time for reintegration for soldiers who serve multiple deployments to Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan within a 72-month period. However, DoD implemented a change in policy effective Oct. 1, 2011 which reduced the leave for deployed members that was promised to them under the policy in effect when they began their deployments. In some cases, members may lose 24 days of leave promised them under the original policy.

NGAUS strongly supports S. 2121 and H.R. 4045 now before the 112th Congress, which would grandfather units mobilized and deployed under the old policy in order to allow them to return home with the amount of leave originally promised them.
Our men and women serving in excess of rotational frequency policies deserve the reintegration leave promised to them before they deployed.

Please urge your Senators and representatives to support S. 2121and H.R. 4045.

TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:
By using the Write to Congress feature on the NGAUS website at www.ngaus.org, you can immediately e-mail your elected representatives. A sample letter is included in Write to Congress. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to use Write to Congress as well. For further information and background visit our website at www.ngaus.org. Please direct any questions concerning this issue to Pete Duffy, the NGAUS acting legislative director, at 202-454-5307 or via e-mail at pete.duffy@ngaus.org.

NGAUS Legislative Alert #12-4; 14 Mar 2012

moose — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:42:01 +0000

The Issue: Authorizing Full Space Available Travel Eligibility on Department of Defense Aircraft for National Guard and Reserve Members and Gray Area Retirees.

Immediate Action Required: Contact your Senators and Representatives and ask them to support S. 2112, introduced by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), and H.R. 4164, introduced by Congressman Don Young (R-AK), that would authorize full space available travel eligibility on Department of Defense aircraft for National Guard and Reserve members, Gray Area retirees, widows of retired members entitled or eligible to receive retired pay, and accompanying dependents.

NGAUS needs you to actively contact your Senators and Representatives to urge them to support the companion bills S. 2112, introduced by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK), and H.R. 4164, introduced by Congressman Don Young (R-AK). The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has scored both bills as budget neutral.

These bills would expand space-available travel eligibility for members of the Selected Reserve, reserve members eligible for retirement pay but for age (gray area retirees), widows and widowers of retired members, and their accompanying dependents. This is a benefit that has been long sought by National Guard members. The travel would be subject to regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of Defense that would establish priority categories.

Congress has worked hard since September 11, 2001 to establish federal legislation to close the benefit gap that exists for our deserving members and their families. Expanding space-available travel for our members and gray area retirees would be a significant step in that direction.

NGAUS has helped to write and strongly supports S. 2112 and HR 4164. These bills offer an excellent cost-free opportunity in a challenged budget environment for a divided Congress to join in their support of the National Guard and Reserve communities.
Our men and women who bravely serve and have served our nation and our retirees’ widows and widowers richly deserve the recognition and benefit that this legislation would provide.

TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION:
By using the “Write to Congress” feature on the NGAUS Web site at www.ngaus.org, you can IMMEDIATELY e-mail your elected representatives. A sample letter is included in our “Write to Congress” feature. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge them to use Write to Congress as well. For further information and background visit our web site at www.ngaus.org. Please direct any questions concerning this issue to Pete Duffy, NGAUS Acting Legislative Director, at 202-454-5307 or via email at pete.duffy@ngaus.org.