[Senate Hearing 111-100, Part 6]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 111-100 Pt. 6
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR
2010
=======================================================================
HEARINGS
before the
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
S. 1390
TO AUTHORIZE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010 FOR MILITARY
ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, FOR MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, AND
FOR DEFENSE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, TO PRESCRIBE
PERSONNEL STRENGTHS FOR SUCH FISCAL YEAR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
__________
PART 6
PERSONNEL
__________
MAY 20 AND JUNE 3, 2009
Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services
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COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
CARL LEVIN, Michigan, Chairman
EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts JOHN McCAIN, Arizona
ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama
JACK REED, Rhode Island SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina
BILL NELSON, Florida JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska MEL MARTINEZ, Florida
EVAN BAYH, Indiana ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi
JIM WEBB, Virginia RICHARD BURR, North Carolina
CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
MARK UDALL, Colorado SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
KAY R. HAGAN, North Carolina
MARK BEGICH, Alaska
ROLAND W. BURRIS, Illinois
Richard D. DeBobes, Staff Director
Joseph W. Bowab, Republican Staff Director
______
Subcommittee on Personnel
E. BENJAMIN NELSON, Nebraska, Chairman
EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina
JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut SAXBY CHAMBLISS, Georgia
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii JOHN THUNE, South Dakota
JIM WEBB, Virginia MEL MARTINEZ, Florida
CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi
KAY R. HAGAN, North Carolina DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
MARK BEGICH, Alaska SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
ROLAND W. BURRIS, Illinois
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
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CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WITNESSES
Active Component, Reserve Component, and Civilian Personnel Programs
may 20, 2009
Page
Rochelle, LTG Michael D., USA, Deputy Chief of Staff G-1, United
States Army.................................................... 15
Ferguson, VADM Mark E., III, USN, Chief of Naval Personnel,
Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel,
Training, and Education), United States Navy................... 22
Newton, Lt. Gen. Richard Y., III, USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff for
Manpower and Personnel, United States Air Force................ 31
Coleman, Lt. Gen. Ronald S., USMC, Deputy Commandant for Manpower
and Reserve Affairs, United States Marine Corps................ 36
Barnes, Master Chief Joseph L., USN (Ret.), National Executive
Director, Fleet Reserve Association; and Co-Chair, The Military
Coalition...................................................... 59
Puzon, Captain Ike, USNR (Ret.), Director of Legislation, Naval
Reserve Association; and Co-Chair, Guard/Reserve Committee, The
Military Coalition............................................. 95
Holleman, Deirdre Parke, Executive Director, The Retired Enlisted
Association; and Co-Chair, Survivor Committee, The Military
Coalition...................................................... 96
Strobridge, Col. Steven P., USAF (Ret.), Director, Government
Relations, Military Officers Association of America; and Co-
Chair, The Military Coalition.................................. 98
Snyder, Captain Bradley J., USA (Ret.), Past President, Armed
Forces Services Corporation.................................... 99
Support for Military Family Programs, Policies, and Initiatives
june 3, 2009
Casey, Sheila L., Wife of General George W. Casey, Jr., USA,
Chief of Staff, United States Army............................. 116
Mancini, Jennifer A., Wife of Chief Petty Officer Steven F.
Mancini, USN................................................... 118
Smith, Colleen K., Wife of Colonel Andrew H. Smith, USMC,
Commanding Officer, Marine Barracks, Washington, DC............ 119
Davis, Patricia, Wife of Chief Master Sergeant James E. Davis,
USAF, Command Master Chief Sergeant, 316th Wing, Andrews Air
Force Base..................................................... 122
Moakler, Kathleen B., Director, Government Relations, National
Military Family Association.................................... 123
Myers, Arthur J., Principal Director and Acting Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy,
Department of Defense.......................................... 152
Marin, Kathleen, Director, Installation Services, Office of the
Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management, United
States Army.................................................... 161
Rau, Terri J., Ph.D., Deputy Director for Research and
Development and Performance Measurement, Navy Installations
Command, United States Navy.................................... 169
(iii)
Larsen, Maj. Gen. Timothy R. USMC (Ret.), Director, Personal and
Family Readiness Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs
Department, United States Marine Corps......................... 174
Nesmith, Eliza G., Chief, Airman and Family Services Division,
United States Air Force........................................ 180
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR
2010
----------
WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2009
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on Personnel,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC.
ACTIVE COMPONENT, RESERVE COMPONENT, AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL PROGRAMS
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:32 p.m. in
room SR-222, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator E.
Benjamin Nelson (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Committee members present: Senators E. Benjamin Nelson,
Begich, Burris, Graham, and Thune.
Majority staff members present: Jonathan D. Clark, counsel;
Gabriella Eisen, counsel; and Gerald J. Leeling, counsel.
Minority staff members present: Diana G. Tabler,
professional staff member; and Richard F. Walsh, minority
counsel.
Staff assistants present: Mary C. Holloway and Jessica L.
Kingston.
Committee members' assistants present: Ann Premer,
assistant to Senator Ben Nelson; Gordon I. Peterson, assistant
to Senator Webb; David Ramseur, assistant to Senator Begich;
Gerald Thomas, assistant to Senator Burris; Adam G. Brake,
assistant to Senator Graham; and Jason Van Beek, assistant to
Senator Thune.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR E. BENJAMIN NELSON, CHAIRMAN
Senator Ben Nelson. The subcommittee meets today to receive
testimony on the Active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian personnel
programs in review of the National Defense Authorization
Request for Fiscal Year 2010 and the Future Years Defense
Program. We call the subcommittee to order.
We will have two panels today. The first panel will consist
of the personnel chiefs of the Services. I welcome Lieutenant
General Michael Rochelle, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army, G-
1. I want to thank him for his terrific service, many years of
duty, and for his constant concern for the men and women in the
Army.
Vice Admiral Mark E. Ferguson III, the Chief of Naval
Personnel. We appreciate you being here, too. Having worked
with you on other occasions in different responsibilities, it
is great to see you again.
Also here today are Lieutenant General Richard Y. Newton
III, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force for Manpower and
Personnel; and Lieutenant General Ronald S. Coleman, Deputy
Commandant of the Marine Corps for Manpower and Reserve
Affairs.
I never want to say it is the final hearing, but it may be
the final hearing for General Rochelle and General Coleman. I
appreciate so much both of you finishing up decorated careers.
I want to thank you and especially your families for your
service. You have both overseen significant growth in your
respective Services in the past 2 years, and you leave them
stronger today than they were when you assumed your duties.
I thank you for your service and we wish you the best in
your future.
Our second panel will consist of representatives from
associations that represent and advance the interests of Active
Duty, Reserve, and retired servicemembers, and I will introduce
our witnesses on the second panel when it convenes.
This hearing, which we hold every year, is an opportunity
to explore the state of our military personnel. This year, more
than ever, we are seeing the stress that repeated and lengthy
deployments are having on the force and on families. As we
begin the process of rotating our troops from Iraq to
Afghanistan, the demand for our forces will not lessen in 2010.
The suicide rates in all the Services have risen steadily
over the past several years and the numbers this year for the
Army are already particularly high. Even though the Army and
Marine Corps have grown significantly over the past 2 years, we
still cannot provide sufficient dwell time for our
servicemembers between deployments, either for the Active Duty
or Reserve components.
Secretary Gates testified last week that it would be
several years before dwell time goals can be reached. This
causes stress not just on servicemembers, but on their families
as well.
Moreover, the Army is ending its use of stop-loss in the
coming months, and even though we applaud that decision, it is
not without its cost. Stop-loss is a cross-leveling tool that
ensures unit stability while in the deployment and pre-
deployment process. Without stop-loss, dwell times may be
pressured even more.
One obvious solution to easing the stress on the force is
more end strength. Simply stated, more people equals less
deployed time per person, but end strength cannot be viewed in
a vacuum. The country is experiencing its worst economic
downturn since the Great Depression, and while that has
actually helped our recruiting and retention, declining Federal
revenues put pressure on all areas of the Federal budget,
including defense.
As Secretary Gates testified last week, it is unclear
whether increasing end strength beyond current levels is
sustainable into the future. Personnel and personnel-related
costs, such as the cost of military healthcare, survivor
benefits, and retired benefits, continue to soar. People have
become the most expensive weapon system in the arsenal.
Nevertheless, as Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen have
said, our people are our most important strategic asset. We
will continue to ensure that we have the highest-quality, All-
Volunteer Force that is equipped, trained, and ready while
caring for the families and the wounded. We will continue to
look for ways to ease the stress on the force while remaining
prudent stewards of the taxpayer's dollar.
Finally, we must never lose sight of our responsibility to
provide robust family support programs and to continue to
improve the care coordination and transition support for our
wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers. There is no higher
responsibility than that.
I look forward to hearing your testimony today and your
thoughts and insights on these challenges.
Now I would like to welcome our ranking member, Senator
Graham. As always, we are delighted to have you here with us
today as we continue to work together. We have exchanged this
position a time or two.
Senator Graham. That is right.
Senator Ben Nelson. We have continued to work well, no
matter who is banging the gavel. With that, would you like to
make an opening statement?
STATEMENT OF SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM
Senator Graham. Yes, Mr. Chairman, very briefly.
I would like to echo the statement you just made. It is a
joy being on this committee. I think all members work in a
bipartisan fashion, but no one has been easier to get along
with than Senator Nelson, and he really does put the men and
women in uniform ahead of politics. That is what this is
about--those who serve, not politics.
To the panel, welcome. To those retiring, congratulations,
if it is true. I think we have money to pay you, and I know you
have earned it. [Laughter.]
I look forward to hearing from both panels, particularly
the second one, about how our men and women are faring out
there. To all of you testifying, thank you.
As Senator Nelson indicated, we have been on a wartime
footing for 8 years now. This September will be 8 years since
we were attacked on September 11, 2001. It has been a tough 8
years. Our men and women in uniform and their civilian
counterparts being deployed overseas and their families have
really borne a heavy burden.
I don't think in any other war in American history have so
few done so much for so long, and it is not lost upon us. All
we can do is say ``thank you, well done'' and come to your aid
when we can when it comes to benefits and programs that serve.
The Army Secretary and General Casey, the Chief of Staff of
the Army, testified yesterday that dwell time continues to be
insufficient, and the goal of 2 years home for every year
deployed will be difficult to realize. They let us know that
the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marine, Coast Guard members, and
everybody involved are very resilient. But we have to
understand they are people, too. They have families to raise,
and we are just going to have to, as Senator Nelson said,
increase the number of people in the military.
There are a lot of costs associated with the Government,
but none more important than defending the Nation. I think most
Americans are pretty upset with us at times about the way we
spend our money, but very few have any problem helping the men
and women who serve and making sure they are well taken care
of.
Our noncommissioned officers (NCOs), who are the backbone
of every military organization, we have to do more to recruit
them. We have healthcare professionals, special forces,
nuclear-qualified personnel, Explosive Ordinance Disposal
units, you name it, a lot of specialties in the military that
are under a lot of stress, and bonus programs have really
helped.
The supplemental is going to help in the short term. But at
the end of the day, we need to look at the overall end
strength, and I think the Commander in Chief's top priority
must be national security. The intelligence reports we receive,
Mr. Chairman, show a growing threat from Iran, a tougher fight
in Afghanistan. Iraq is not done yet. Who knows what North
Korea is up to? It will be a long time before we receive a
peace dividend.
The budget that was proposed by the administration had a 3
percent gross domestic product spending on defense in 2019. I
think that is woefully inadequate. Having said that, I would
like to work with the administration and Secretary Gates to
make the military--Department of Defense (DOD)--more efficient.
At the end of the day, if you increase the size of the
military, the largest expense in the DOD's budget is personnel
cost. If you don't increase the overall pie, there is going to
be less money to modernize our weapons and do the things that
give us an edge in battle.
I will look forward to working with you, Senator Nelson,
Mr. Chairman, to make sure that the defense budget not only
grows the number of people, but it also gives them the
equipment they will need to win the war. This choice between
guns and butter, I know we need both. But if you are not well
defended, the butter problems are not nearly as important.
Tomorrow, we have to realize that we could wake up and the
enemy could hit us again. They are doing everything they can to
come back our way, and the reason they haven't is because our
men and women in uniform, the Central Intelligence Agency, and
other groups have taken the fight overseas to this enemy, and
it has made it safer here at home.
I look forward to working with you, Senator Nelson, to get
a budget that we can all be proud of.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Senator Graham.
Senator Begich is here. Are there any opening remarks that
you might like to make?
Senator Begich. No, Mr. Chairman. I am anxious for their
presentations.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
Without objection, all witness testimony submitted for
today's hearing will be included in the record.
Additionally, we have received a statement from the Reserve
Officers Association, and without objection, it will be
included in the record of this hearing.
[The information referred to follows:]
Senator Ben Nelson. We will now hear from our witnesses. We
will start with you, General Rochelle.
STATEMENT OF LTG MICHAEL D. ROCHELLE, USA, DEPUTY CHIEF OF
STAFF G-1, UNITED STATES ARMY
General Rochelle. Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham,
distinguished members of the committee, thank you very much for
this opportunity and thank you for your very kind and gracious
comments regarding my service. Much appreciated and certainly
so on the part of my family, as with all Army families.
I appear before you today on behalf of the 1.1 million men
and women serving here and abroad in peace as well as in
hostile environments. This combat-seasoned force is resilient
and professional, yet strained and out of balance.
More than 1 million of this Nation's finest citizens have
deployed over the past 7 years into harm's way. We realize very
well that there are costs and effects associated with this
conflict, both visible and invisible effects. Our current
programs to relieve stress on the force are critical to
maintain a healthy, balanced, and prepared force.
These programs help us defend our country against some of
the most persistent and wide-ranging threats in our history.
The success of these programs, many of which you are
responsible for in large part due to your support, give us the
numerous programs that are required to support this great force
well into now, as well as 7-plus years of war, as you have
noted, Mr. Chairman, as with Senator Graham.
First and foremost, you have given us the means to recruit
and retain an agile Army. As a result of the past 2 years, we
have met or exceeded our recruiting and retention goals for the
Total Force. This is a step in the right direction toward
restoring balance.
We continue to transform our force into one Army that
consistently uses the talents of our Active, Reserve, and
National Guard soldiers as well as our civilian workforce and
teammates. This Total Force approach is key to restoring
balance within our ranks and our homes.
This Congress, and most especially this committee, has
embraced our needs, and we are very grateful. You have given us
the means to improve the quality of life for our soldiers and
their families. Soldiers are remaining in the Army because they
see it is a good environment in which to raise a family, thus
making us the employer of choice.
The Army continues to face challenges, which will be
directly in front of us for the next several years. Armed with
lessons learned, it is our intent to stay in front of these
challenges, anticipate them, develop strategies and programs,
and keep them from becoming problems in the future.
One of our latest challenges is that of the eligible
population to serve in the Armed Forces, which continues to
drop, thus creating a national dilemma. The Army will continue
to work hard to attract and retain the best, but we need your
help in taking on this larger national issue.
The challenging environment that our soldiers serve in
demands that we maintain the standards as set, and we must
remain ever vigilant that our force is manned with both
physically and mentally qualified and fit soldiers, as it is
today.
I have described a challenging environment to you here
today. I am confident, however, that with the operational and
institutional agility this Army has developed over the past 8
years, we will meet all of the challenges that confront us.
It is always easier to commit to a plan of action when we
know that Congress supports us. Your leadership and your
support have been unwavering, and I have appreciated the
discussions we have had over the years concerning the health of
the Army, and I look forward to your questions today.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of General Rochelle follows:]
Prepared Statement by LTG Michael D. Rochelle, USA
introduction
Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham, and distinguished members of this
committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you on behalf
of America's Army. Our greatest heroes are America's most precious
resource--our soldiers. These soldiers and their families, backed by
our civilian workforce, represent the very best of America's values and
ideals. Your continued support of our personnel initiatives provides
the tools we need to ensure the growth, sustainment, and well-being of
our All-Volunteer Force. This fighting force of 1.1 million soldiers is
continually tested at home and abroad. Repeatedly our Nation's young
men and women step forward and pledge to serve. They recognize the
challenges facing our Nation, answer the call, and become part of
something larger than them. Their dedicated service and sacrifice are
deserving of the very best services, programs, equipment, training,
benefits, life-style, and leadership available. Our focus this year
centers on the growth in volume and talent, sustainment of the force,
our ability to meet the national challenges, and the importance of
maintaining this strength to meet the demands now and for the future.
strategic overview
America's Army, strained by persistent conflict, remains a
resilient and professional force. More than 1 million of our country's
men and women have deployed to combat; more than 4,500 have sacrificed
their lives, and more than 31,000 have been wounded. After 7 years of
continuous combat our Army--particularly our people--remains out of
balance. We have several challenging years ahead and must remain
vigilant and proactive to the needs of our people and maintain the
programs and policies in support of them. The current conditions of
supply and demand most change in order to restore balance in our force.
We remain cautiously optimistic that we will achieve balance by fiscal
year 2011.
end strength
As part of the overarching goal of restoring balance, the Army met
the ``Grow the Army'' end strength goal ahead of schedule, resulting in
an end strength of 543,645 for fiscal year 2008. The Army met the
fiscal year 2010 end strength goal of 547,400 in January 2009. This
success is based largely on the Army's recruiting and retention
programs. Since attaining the authorized strength, the Army has taken
actions to ensure that Army end strength in fiscal year 2009 remains
at, but does not exceed, the authorized level of 547,400. These actions
included reducing the recruiting and retention missions and policy
changes to manage losses.
Because the Army was able to meet the ``Grow the Army'' end
strength early, we have sufficient enlisted soldiers to meet all the
current authorizations. This will help mitigate some of the stress of
the ongoing high operational pace; however, there are still many
stressors overwhelming the force. In spite of the Army's strength,
however, the Army cannot meet the 1:2 Boots on the Ground dwell time
goal due to the cumulative effects of the planned deployment schedule,
the elimination of Stop Loss, and the continuing demands of training
soldiers and caring for the wounded warriors.
recruiting and retention (officer and enlisted)
Once again, despite the challenges of a protracted conflict in
fiscal year 2008. the Army exceeded its enlisted recruiting and
retention missions for the first time since fiscal year 2002 and is
confident it will meet its goals for fiscal year 2009. Meeting these
critical benchmarks moves us closer to restoring balance, but much more
needs to occur. As a result of a dynamic environment, we have adjusted
our recruiting and retention objectives mid-year. We will continue to
monitor the trends and make adjustments as required.
In fiscal year 2008, with congressional support, the total Army
spent $4.2 billion on recruiting and retention. In fiscal year 2009,
these programs received $3.8 billion and requested an additional $1.1
billion in supplemental funding. The requested increase of $0.7 billion
was the result of a large residual and anniversary payments initiated
in fiscal year 2008 and coming due in fiscal year 2009. We intend to
decrease our fiscal year 2010 budget by 6 percent over fiscal year 2009
to $4.6 billion due to a more favorable recruiting and retention
environment. The amount budgeted for anniversary payments will continue
to increase through fiscal year 2011 but is anticipated to decrease in
fiscal year 2012 in subsequent years.
The cumulative effects of this funding is a quality All-Volunteer
Force and a proven model to sustain personnel levels as required. For
example, the Army's percentage of new enlisted soldiers considered
``high quality'' with high school diploma increased by 2.1 percent in
2008. Additionally, recruits scoring in the upper range (50-99 percent)
on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) increased 1.6 percent;
and recruits who scored poorly (30 percent and below) on the AFQT
decreased 1.2 percent.
The Army must remain adaptive to the recruiting environment. As an
example, a recently developed program to assist the Army in meeting
critical skills is the Military Accessions Vital to the National
Interest (MAVNI). The Army launched this pilot program on February 23,
2009, to attract high quality individuals with exceptional skills in
health care professions or 1 or more of 35 languages. MAVNI recruits
are non-U.S. citizens who have been legally present in the United
States for 2 or more years and speak a designated and critically needed
language or are licensed health care professionals, but who do not have
permanent residency (i.e. Green Card). Additionally, the Army continues
to utilize the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 09L Program. The
Army has recruited more than 1,500 soldiers as military interpreters
and translators under this program.
The Army retention mission is also on track to meet the goals set
for fiscal year 2009. In all components, the Army is currently above
mission and expects to finish successfully in every category. The Army
reduced the overall Active component mission in the second quarter from
65,000 soldiers to 55,000 soldiers due to meeting the overall ``Grow
the Army'' objective. Retention of combat experienced veterans remains
critical to current and future readiness. As a result of this
successful program, 45.1 percent of all reenlistments occur in theater
currently. Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF)
areas of operations have achieved reenlistment rates of 135 percent
against their annual goals.
Shortages remain within our officer corps due to overall structural
growth of the Army. To correct this, the Army initiated the Captains'
Retention Incentive Menu in September 2007. The Army spent $443.6
million from fiscal year 2007 to present on this incentive program. The
goal of the program was to recruit, retain, and manage critical skills
in officers to increase the retention of lieutenants and captains for 3
years. The Captains' Retention Incentives Menu program included a cash
option based on the officer's accessed branch, resident graduate school
attendance for up to 18 months, or attendance at the year long Defense
Language Institute in exchange for a 3 year additional active duty
service obligation. As a result, the captain retention increased in
fiscal year 2008 to 89.1 percent over the 10 year average of 88
percent. The program guaranteed retention through fiscal year 2011 for
over 16,000 of the 23,000 captains who were eligible to participate.
The timing of our Captains' Retention Incentives Menu program,
concurrent with the dramatic downturn of the economy and job market,
helped support our retention goals. The cash and Defense Language
Institute options ended in November 2008. The remaining retention
incentive, the Expanded Graduate School Program, has been funded at
$7.5 million in fiscal year 2010. Overall, the single most effective
retention incentive for junior officers was the cash bonus. Over 94
percent of the more than 16,000 officers who took incentives in fiscal
year 2008 elected to take the cash bonus. Department of Defense survey
data analysis showed that most officers who intended to separate or
were uncertain about staying in took the incentive and committed to
further obligated Army service.
The Officer Accession Pilot Program (OAPP), launched under
authority of the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),
allowed us to offer cash incentives to students who graduate from the
Leader Training Course (LTC) and contract as a 2 year ROTC cadet. As a
result, the fiscal year 2008 contract rate for graduates from the LTC
increased from 65 percent to 70 percent. That is a 5 percent increase
from the contract rate average the previous 4 years. This authorization
further allowed us to incentivize language training focused on the
Critical Language List. At a cost of $68,250, the program had 127
participants as of January 2009. Finally, the new authority gives us
needed tools to assess much needed chaplains and medical professionals.
The United States Military Academy (USMA) and ROTC both offer Pre-
Commissioning incentives. These consist of offering new officer's their
Post or Branch of Choice or Graduate Schooling. In fiscal year 2006 and
fiscal year 2008 there were 4,500 participants.
These incentives have increased longevity by 40 percent for newly-
commissioned, high-performing USMA and ROTC officers.
In spite of a dramatically changed recruiting climate, based on the
economy, our message to our soldiers and their families must resound
with assurance that they will be cared for in a manner commensurate
with their service and sacrifice. Incentives, bonuses and pay are only
part of the equation in creating balance in our soldiers and families
lives. In the event of a life changing injury or the loss of life, our
soldiers are assured that their families will receive financial and
programmatic support for their loss and sacrifice. This support
includes full-earned benefits and disability compensation. The Army is
working closely and aggressively with soldiers and their families to
streamline access to assistance from other Federal agencies, such as
the Social Security Administration, Department of Labor, and Department
of Veterans Affairs.
Overall, the Army's programs are effective in recruiting and
retaining both officers and enlisted soldiers with critical skills. For
enlisted soldiers, the Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) and Critical
Skills Retention Bonus (CSRB) remain proven as effective tools for
filling critical skills. The Army carefully manages its resources,
reviewing and adjusting incentives at least quarterly to ensure we
attract and retain quality individuals in needed occupations, while
remaining fiscally responsible to avoid excessive payments. The
economic environment allows us to reduce incentive levels amounts and
the number of occupations offered bonuses. However, we must retain the
flexibility to apply incentives as necessary to attract and retain
mission critical talent in shortage MOS, and reshape the force as QDR
and other factors warrant. The continued authorities and funding of
these programs by Congress remains critical to the Army.
stop loss
A friction point that the Army intends to alleviate is the use of
stop loss. The Army's current use of stop loss is based solely on
mission demands. In accordance with the March 18, 2009, announcement
from Secretary of Defense Gates, the Army will phase out the use of the
stop loss program between now and January 2010. By August 2009, the
U.S. Army Reserve will no longer mobilize units under stop loss and the
Army National Guard will stop doing so in September 2009.
individual ready reserve mobilization
The Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) is a critical element that
assists the Army in meeting unit readiness. There are 59,146 in the IRR
as of May 11, 2009. A total of 13,560 have received mobilization orders
since September 11, 2001, of which 10,841 soldiers have reported as
ordered and 9,012 soldiers have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan at
least once. The Army has a tiered systemic approach to mobilization to
ensure we input equity into the IRR mobilization process. An effective
IRR program is based on several factors, including the soldiers'
understanding of their obligations, access to benefits and support, and
time to adjust personal affairs prior to mobilizations.
To improve readiness of the IRR, the Army instituted an innovative
IRR muster program. Approximately 5 months after entering the IRR, a
soldier will be ordered to muster duty. During fiscal year 2008, the
Army Reserve spent approximately $7.4 million to muster 11,600 IRR
soldiers and the Army plans to muster 14,000 IRR soldiers at an
estimated cost $7.9 million in fiscal year 2009. Soldiers may be
required to muster each year they remain in the IRR. Once mobilized,
soldiers in the IRR receive 10 days of Individual Soldier Training upon
arriving at the mobilization station. These soldiers also receive
refresher training in their MOS which lasts between 2 to 4 weeks
depending on their specific skill. This program contributes to our
goals of an Operational Reserve as well as a continuum service.
civilian personnel
Department of the Army Civilian employees provide vital support to
soldiers and families in this era of persistent conflict. They share
responsibility for mission accomplishment by delivering combat support
and combat service support--at home and abroad. More than ever, Army
Civilians are an absolutely essential component of readiness and a key
element in restoring balance. Today, the Army Civilian Corps is over
287,000 strong with 4,676 currently serving in harm's way in the U.S.
Central Command area of operations. The new Department of Defense
Civilian Expeditionary Workforce supports humanitarian, reconstruction,
combat-support, and other missions. As a key part of the Army Civilian
Corps, the civilian expeditionary workforce maximizes the use of
civilian employee volunteers in support positions, freeing up military
personnel for operational requirements. These civilian employees train,
equip, and prepare to mobilize and respond urgently to expeditionary
requirements.
While we have successfully grown the Army's civilian workforce over
the last few years, we will significantly stress our capability to meet
known and projected hiring requirements over the next few years. The
Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) of 2005 require the movement of
over 23,000 civilian employee positions to different geographical
areas. In fiscal year 2007-2008, Army obligated over $35 million for
civilian Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves associated with BRAC.
For fiscal year 2009, Army has budgeted $150 million to cover the
increases in projected BRAC PCS moves. Our analysis of past BRAC
implementation indicates that traditionally only 30 percent of the
civilian work force will move with their current organization although
that percentage may increase because of the current economy. We project
that over 56,000 more BRAC recruitment actions must be completed
between now and the end of fiscal year 2011 to provide commanders the
talent needed to meet critical missions. This is in addition to the
120,000 recruitment actions needed annually to sustain current
operations. Additionally, the Army anticipates hiring up to 4,000
employees as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, as
well as a significant number of new civilians as part of current
insourcing initiatives.
To protect the public interest and maintain core competencies, we
ensure that inherently governmental functions and requirements are
performed by government employees. The civilian workforce provides us
with an opportunity to save vital resources by bringing relatively
expensive contracted services back into the government through the
insourcing process. The initial results of our efforts are promising,
saving an average of $46,000 per insourced position. We have insourced
1,164 positions to date.
army equal opportunity (eo) policy
The Army leads the Nation in Equal Opportunity using education,
preventative training, and cultural awareness of discrimination.
Commanders at all levels are responsible for sustaining positive equal
opportunity climates within their organizations. Remaining applicable
and relevant within the environment that we operate, the Army is
transforming EO policy through innovative equal opportunity techniques,
tactics, and procedures based on the full spectrum of Army Operations,
Institutions, and Training. This effort will strengthen the foundation
of the Army's overall Human Relations program. One area the Army is
currently upgrading is the Equal Opportunity Reporting System (EORS).
The EORS tracks complaint data and trends to give senior leaders
critical information about the EO climate in their organizations and
across the Army and it will soon provide a variety of automated
reports. Additionally, the Army is preparing to implement the Defense
Equal Opportunity Management Institute Organizational Climate Survey as
its official command climate survey for the Army. To date, the Army has
invested $2 million ($1.1 million in fiscal year 2008 plus $0.9 million
so far in fiscal year 2009) and expects to invest another $0.8 million
in fiscal year 2010 for EO personnel and services support, database and
survey systems, outreach support, and training contracts.
sexual assault prevention
The Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff remain personally
involved in reinforcing to all soldiers and leaders the importance of
preventing sexual assault. Under their guidance and leadership, the
Army launched a new comprehensive sexual assault prevention campaign in
2008. The campaign centers on leaders establishing a positive command
climate where sexual assault is clearly not acceptable. The campaign
further encourages soldiers to execute peer-to-peer intervention
personally, and to not tolerate behavior that, if left unchecked, may
lead to sexual assault.
The cornerstone of the Army's prevention campaign is the ``I. A.M.
Strong'' program, where the letters I, A, and M stand for Intervene-
Act-Motivate. The ``I.A.M. Strong'' program features soldiers as
influential role models and provides peer-to-peer messages outlining
the Army's intent for all its members to personally take action in the
effort to protect our communities. Leaders have embraced ``I. A.M.
Strong'' initiatives and are motivating soldiers to engage proactively
and prevent sexual assault. The Secretary of the Army helped kick off
Phase II of the ``I. A.M. Strong'' campaign last month at our second
annual Sexual Assault Prevention Summit. Our campaign extends through
2013 as we work to be the Nation's leader in sexual harassment and
sexual assault prevention.
Our strategy culminates with the Army recognized as the Nation's
leader when it comes to investigating and prosecuting sexual assault
cases. The Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and the Judge Advocate
General's Corps (JAGC) are in the process of adding investigators and
prosecutors at our busiest jurisdictions. The intent of this initiative
is to create a capability similar to civilian Special Victim Units. The
CID and JAGC are also hiring nationally recognized subject matter
experts in the field of sexual assault as consultants, advisors, and
trainers.
The Army expended over $20 million in fiscal year 2008 for our
sexual assault prevention campaign; we are projected to expend over $42
million in fiscal year 2009; and we expect to allocate approximately
$67 million in fiscal year 2010. To date, our prevention campaign is
successfully leading cultural change and establishing the Army as the
blueprint for the Nation on sexual assault prevention.
suicide prevention program
The loss of any soldier is a tragedy, particularly when it could
have been prevented. Over the past several years, suicides among
soldiers have increased. Army leaders are greatly concerned with the
significant increase in the number of suicide cases. The Army
leadership prioritized efforts and directed resources toward suicide
prevention awareness, suicide intervention actions, and post-
intervention grief and bereavement support.
As part of the Army's continuing response to suicide, Army Vice
Chief of Staff, General Peter W. Chiarelli, issued a comprehensive,
multi-disciplinary Army Campaign Plan for Health Promotion, Risk
Reduction, and Suicide Prevention. The plan, run by both the Army's
Suicide Prevention Task Force and the Vice Chief chartered Suicide
Prevention Council, recognizes the inter-connectedness of the physical,
spiritual, and mental health of soldiers and their families in
preventing the full range of at risk behaviors including suicide.
Senior leaders are implementing this plan at all installations.
The Army Campaign Plan will promote better health, reduce risk in
the Force and prevent suicide by leveraging the total assets of the
institution and our partners across the domains of Doctrine,
Organization, Training, Materiel, Leaders, Personnel, Facilities and
Resources (DOTMLPF-R). To date, the Vice Chief of Staff through the
Task Force and the Council directed more than 250 action items and
action plans. New tasks emerge almost daily as the Task Force and
Council continue their work. Special emphasis is directed toward
reducing stigma associated with seeking behavioral health and substance
abuse treatment.
On February 10, 2009, the Army ordered a ``Stand Down'' and a
three-phase program focused on suicide prevention. During this program,
commanders and first line supervisors trained their soldiers and
civilians to understand the individual suicide risk factors and warning
signs and educated them regarding how to take action to intervene. The
centerpiece of Phase I was an interactive video called ``Beyond the
Front.'' Between February 15 and March 15, 2009, all Army personnel--
soldiers and civilians--watched the video in small groups and made
decisions on how to react to the video's vignettes. Phase I also
featured the ACE (Ask, Care, Escort) intervention card, used to explain
how to help a ``buddy'' who may be exhibiting warning signs of suicidal
behavior. Phase II, a chain teaching phase occurring between March 15
and July 15, 2009, again employs a video and vignettes based on various
phases of the deployment cycle. This phase focuses on improving
recognition of warning signs and reinforcing ways to intervene. Phase
III, sustainment, will continue indefinitely through annual training
requirements.
The Army recently entered into an agreement with the National
Institute of Mental Heath for a 5-year longitudinal study of suicide.
The Army will assess factors affecting suicide, training efforts for
reduction of suicide and other associated mitigation efforts. We also,
continue to meet regularly with external agencies, such as the
Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health and Human
Services (including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in a
collaborative effort to exchange information and strategies designed to
reduce suicide.
army substance abuse program
The persistent conflict has created symptoms of stress including
increased alcohol and drug abuse. This commander's program uses
prevention, education, deterrence, detection, and rehabilitation to
reduce and eliminate alcohol and drug abuse. It is based on the
expectations of readiness and personal responsibility.
A team recently returned from deployment to U.S. Army Forces. U.S.
Central Command. While there, they determined effective methods to
deliver substance abuse services in theater. To support our commanders,
a clear and executable policy for random drug testing in theater is
under development. Another area under development is the review of
portable prevention education packages for deployed soldiers. Soldiers
at home, and soldiers in the Reserve component. Additionally, the Army
is preparing to execute a pilot program that will provide confidential
education and treatment to soldiers who wish to self-refer into the
ASAP and retain their confidentiality. In addition to the pilot
program, we are conducting a broader, more detailed study to determine
the exact nature and extent of any stigma in the Army associated with
substance abuse treatment. This study will run concurrently with the
pilot program. We want to ensure that all soldiers who may need
assistance can get assistance without the barrier of stigma.
army human capital strategy
Providing Forces to combatant commanders to meet current and future
challenges will continue to be our top priority. The agile Army Human
Capital Strategy (AHCS) addresses these challenges by creating a
roadmap to restore balance to the Force by fiscal year 2011 and by
continuing to develop a structured force through 2024. The objective of
the AHCS is to secure and sustain the All-Volunteer Total Army,
resourced through efficient and cost-conscious practices. The AHCS
strategy is based on principles that assure a higher quality and a more
diverse ready Total Army, enabled by effective Human Resource systems
and agile policies and programs.
business transformation
The Army G-1 implemented a Lean Six Sigma Program to provide for
continuous process improvement. We have developed a list of Army
processes that we believe can be performed more efficiently and for
less cost. Trained professionals work with the employees and soldiers
who are actually involved with the processes in a deliberate procedure
to identify parts of the processes that lack value. The process is then
re-engineered for greater efficiency. Using this procedure, we
completed projects that provided over $40 million of financial benefit
in fiscal year 2008. We are expecting to realize an additional $60
million in financial benefit in fiscal year 2009. Successful projects
include a redesign of the system that provides R&R flights to soldiers
from OEF and OIF and a project that improved the Wounded Soldier Family
Hotline. So far in the program, our return on investment is about 10
times what we have invested.
congressional assistance
Recruiting, retention, and providing for the well-being of the best
Army in the world requires a significant commitment by the American
people. The Army is grateful for the continued support of Congress for
competitive military benefits and compensation, along with incentives
and bonuses for soldiers and their families and for the civilian
workforce. These are critical in helping the Army be the employer of
choice.
conclusion
We must maintain an appropriate level of investment to ensure a
robust and high-quality force. The well-being and balance of our force
is absolutely dependent upon your tremendous support. The Army is
growing and transforming in a period of persistent conflict. We will do
so with young men and women of the highest caliber whose willingness to
serve, is a credit to this great Nation.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, General.
Admiral Ferguson?
STATEMENT OF VADM MARK E. FERGUSON III, USN, CHIEF OF NAVAL
PERSONNEL, DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (MANPOWER,
PERSONNEL, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION), UNITED STATES NAVY
Admiral Ferguson. Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham, and
distinguished members of the committee, thank you for this
opportunity to appear before you to review our fiscal year 2010
budget request on behalf of the Navy Total Force and their
families.
We believe this request supports our ability to attract,
recruit, and retain a highly skilled naval force in support of
our maritime strategy. We remain today a global Navy, a Total
Force of Active and Reserve sailors and Navy civilians, united
in service to the Nation. Over 40 percent of our ships are
underway or deployed.
This budget request also supports new mission areas, as
well as joint operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and across the
globe where approximately 14,000 sailors are serving as
individual augmentees. With this high operational tempo
(OPTEMPO), we remain vigilant concerning stress on our sailors
and their families. We ensure that sailors have adequate
opportunity to rest and spend time at home between deployments.
The tone of the force is positive. Sailors and their
families continue to express satisfaction with their morale and
the leadership at their commands, their healthcare, their
benefits, and their compensation. Our budget request reflects
this commitment to supporting sailors and their families. We
are focusing our efforts on building resiliency and fostering a
culture that encourages sailors to seek help in response to
stress that they encounter in the field.
Over the past year, we have been very successful in
recruiting and retaining high-quality sailors. In 2008, we
achieved our enlisted and officer goals across both the Active
and Reserve components, while exceeding DOD quality standards
in all recruit categories.
For the first time in 5 years, we achieved overall Active
and Reserve medical officer recruiting goals. This year, we
achieved our nuclear operator Zone A goals for the first time
in over 30 years through targeted use of selective reenlistment
bonuses.
Beginning in 2008 and continuing into this year, the
comprehensive benefits provided by Congress for our
servicemembers, combined with the current economic conditions
in the country, have resulted in significantly increased
retention and lower attrition across the force.
To ensure the long-term health of the force, we are
transitioning from a posture of reducing end strength to one we
term stabilizing the force. To meet global demands and minimize
stress on the force, Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter
used his end strength waiver authority for both 2008 and 2009.
We project to finish this fiscal year within 2 percent above
our statutory end strength limit of 326,323.
Our stabilization efforts have been directed at sustaining
a high-quality force able to respond to new mission areas
within our fiscal authorities, and we are guided by the
following principles: to continue to attract and recruit our
Nation's best and brightest; retain the best sailors and target
our incentives to retain those with critical skills; balance
the force in terms of seniority, experience, and skills matched
to projected requirements; continue to safeguard the careers of
our top performers; and provide the fleet and joint force
stable and predictable manning.
Our fiscal year 2010 budget request includes an Active
component end strength of 328,800, which is comprised of a
baseline request of approximately 324,400 and supplemental
funding for 4,400 additional sailors to serve as joint force
enablers in support of overseas contingency operation. This
budget also requests a Reserve component end strength of
65,500. We believe this is adequate going forward to meet the
demands of the fleet as well as the joint force.
Education and training are strategic investments in our
future, and we remain committed to supporting the personal and
professional development of our sailors across their careers.
We feel the budget request balances our education and training
requirements and includes growth in important new mission
areas, such as cyber warfare, language, and culture.
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit our naval
personnel overseas in the Middle East and in Europe. Your
sailors are positive, enthusiastic, and performing
extraordinarily well in meeting the demands of the joint force.
I could not be prouder of the extraordinary job that they do
every day in service to the Nation.
On behalf of the men and women in uniform who sacrifice
daily, and their families, I wish to extend my appreciation to
the committee and Congress for your unwavering support of our
Navy.
Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Admiral Ferguson follows:]
Prepared Statement by VADM Mark E. Ferguson III, USN
introduction
Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham, and distinguished members of the
Senate Armed Services Committee, it is a pleasure to have the
opportunity to review our fiscal year 2010 Active and Reserve budget
requests for Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education (MPTE)
programs in support of our Navy Total Force and their families.
Navy continues to experience success in recruiting and retention
and we expect that success to continue. The tone of the force remains
positive. Sailors and their families continue to express satisfaction
with the quality of their service, education benefits, health care, and
compensation. Our sailors and Navy civilians are the critical component
to the Navy's Maritime Strategy. To support the Fleet and the joint
force, we are committed to providing the right person with the right
skills, at the right time, and at the best value while ensuring the
welfare of our sailors and their families. To meet this commitment, our
efforts must enable us to be:
Competitive for the best talent in the Nation
Diverse
Responsive to the joint warfighter
A learning organization
A leader in human resource solutions for the Navy
Since 2003, Navy's Active component (AC) end strength has declined
by approximately 10,000 per year. While end strength declined, we have
increased operational availability through the Fleet Response Plan,
supported new missions for the joint force, and introduced the Maritime
Strategy. This increased demand includes maritime interdiction,
riverine warfare, irregular and cyber warfare, humanitarian and
disaster relief, an enduring individual augmentee mission in support of
overseas contingency operations (OCO), and now, counterpiracy.
The Navy Reserve has also experienced reductions in end strength by
approximately 3,500 per year since 2003, most of which were realized
between fiscal year 2004 and fiscal year 2006 as a result of an
extensive Zero Based Review as part of Active Reserve Integration. The
Selected Reserve (SELRES) continues to deliver operational support
capabilities and is an integral part of the Total Force, supporting the
immediate mobilization manpower requirements for critical OCO missions
and providing the strategic depth required to sustain the joint
warfighting needs of the combatant commanders.
To meet increased demands, maintain required Fleet manning levels
with acceptable risk, and minimize stress on the force, we have
transitioned from a posture of reducing end strength to one of
``stabilizing the force.'' This transition was supported by the
Secretary of the Navy with authorization to over-execute end strength
in fiscal year 2009 within 2 percent above our authorized level of
326,323. This over-execution created a fiscal shortfall that is being
internally mitigated through a number of measures. We continue to
assess options to restore funding, and should funding become available,
we will restore these programs to the greatest extent possible.
Our fiscal year 2010 Active and Reserve budget requests provide the
foundation to continue to attract, recruit, develop, assign, and retain
a highly-skilled workforce for today and the future. Our active budget
request of $27.1 billion consists of $25.5 billion for Manpower
Personnel Navy (MPN) and $1.6 billion in related OMN. This reflects a
$1.4 billion increase in MPN and a $103.2 million decrease of
associated MPTE OMN as compared to last fiscal year. Our Reserve budget
request consists of $1.9 billion for Reserve Personnel Navy (RPN) and
$7.3 million in related Operations and Maintenance Navy Reserve (OMNR).
This reflects an $82 million increase in RPN and a $1.2 million
decrease of associated MPTE OMNR compared to last fiscal year.
Additionally, we are seeking congressional support for funding to
support OCO. We will continue to stabilize the force with respect to
end strength while balancing seniority, skills, and experience to meet
Fleet and joint requirements and develop our capabilities to respond to
emerging mission areas, such as cyber warfare and missile defense
within our fiscal authorities. Our budget request represents a balanced
approach to supporting our sailors and their families, while sustaining
Fleet readiness.
end strength
Our fiscal year 2010 active budget request supports an end strength
of 328,800. This includes $25.5 billion in the baseline budget for
324,400 to support Fleet requirements, OCO core and adaptive core
missions, and the initial restoration of the Defense Health Program
military-to-civilian conversions. Included in our OCO funding request
is $364 million for 4,400 sailors in training and as direct enablers
supporting the joint force in nontraditional missions such as detainee
operations, civil affairs, provincial reconstruction, and customs
inspection. Our fiscal year 2010 Reserve budget request supports an end
strength of 65,500. This includes $1.9 billion in the baseline budget
and a fiscal year 2010 OCO funding request of $39 million. We request
your support for the resources to meet this operational demand.
recruiting and retention
Navy has been successful in attracting, recruiting, and retaining a
diverse and technical workforce in both the officer and enlisted force.
The fiscal year 2010 active budget of $829.2 million and Reserve budget
of $148.8 million position us to continue that success through fiscal
year 2010 with targeted investments in critical skill areas.
Recruiting
Navy has met its enlisted Active and Reserve recruiting goals for
24 straight months through January 2009. This fiscal year, we have met
our Active and Reserve goals each month, and our Delayed Entry Program
is 99.5 percent full as of 1 April 2009. We are exceeding Department of
Defense (DOD) quality standards in all recruit categories as shown in
the following table:
My top enlisted recruiting priorities for this fiscal year are:
Nuclear Ratings
During fiscal year 2008, Navy met its recruiting goals for enlisted
nuclear ratings, achieving 100.6 percent of goal. This fiscal year we
have met all monthly nuclear rating recruiting goals and are on track
to achieve this year's target. We continue to rely on the enlistment
bonus as the primary incentive to meet our nuclear accession targets.
Special Warfare/Special Operations
We achieved Naval Special Warfare/Special Operations aggregate and
individual goals (Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Diver, Special Operator,
Special Boat Crewman) for the first time in fiscal year 2008. We have
continued that success, attaining 100 percent of all four ratings each
month this fiscal year. We have established special recruiting programs
and an introductory physical conditioning course in our recruit
training center to improve our success rate at Basic Underwater
Demolition/SEAL training. We are seeing positive results from these
efforts.
In fiscal year 2008, Navy attained 104 percent of AC general
officer (Officer Candidate School) goal, which included a mission
increase of 40 percent over the fiscal year 2007 target. Reserve
component (RC) general officer programs also saw significant
improvement, finishing fiscal year 2008 at 105 percent versus 51
percent in fiscal year 2007. While we achieved overall Active and
Reserve medical officer recruiting goals for the first time in 5 years,
we did not reach our goals for Dental Corps officers (89 percent).
My priorities for officer recruiting are:
Health Professionals
To support the increased demand for health professionals in support
of combat operations, accession goals across all of the medical
communities were increased in fiscal year 2009. We have implemented a
multi-faceted approach to reach these raised goals to include:
Increasing Critical Wartime Skills Accessions Bonus
(CWSAB) and allowing multi-year payouts
Increasing incentive and retention pays for critical
healthcare specialties
Increasing the monthly stipend for medical and dental
Health Professions Scholarship Program recipients
Exploring a 1-year pilot program to access qualified
legal non-citizens
Offering the Health Professions Loan Repayment plan
for critical medical specialties.
As of 1 April 2009, we have attained 63 percent of the fiscal year
2009 Active medical officer recruiting goal and 58 percent of the
Reserve goal.
As demand for a professional and technically-trained workforce
increases in the private sector, Navy must remain competitive in
attracting and recruiting the Nation's best talent to remain responsive
to the joint force. The fiscal year 2010 active budget requests $394
million, which includes accession incentives, advertising, and
recruiting support for 5,413 AC and RC recruiters at over 1,468
stations across the country. In response to the current recruiting
environment, the advertising budget was reduced by over $14 million,
while growth of $7.6 million occurred in accession incentives for
critical skills that have remained relatively insulated from current
economic conditions, resulting in a net reduction of $6.4 million. This
budget supports continuing efforts to implement innovative programs,
policies, and incentives that target critical skills and maintain our
position as an employer of choice.
Health professionals, nuclear operators, and special warfare remain
my recruiting priorities through this fiscal year. The budget request
of $394 million includes $141.5 million in bonuses, special pays, and
incentives to ensure we remain successful in meeting our overall goals
and in particular, these critical skill areas. This amount includes
$5.4 million in nuclear accession bonuses (officer and enlisted),
representing an increase of $60,000 from fiscal year 2009. Overall
enlistment bonuses will remain steady at $106 million in response to
the current economic conditions. Additionally, the budget requests $8.6
million for medical community bonuses, special pays, and incentives
(including $950,000 for dentists), representing an increase of $2.7
million from fiscal year 2009.
The fiscal year 2010 Reserve budget requests $99.4 million for
recruiting incentives, including $60.9 million for enlistment bonuses
and $49.4 million for medical recruiting programs. The $49.4 million
for medical recruiting programs includes $43.7 million for the Armed
Forces Health Professions Scholarship Program, $4 million for the
medical Financial Assistance Program, and $1.7 million for the Nurse
Candidate Program. These amounts represent an $8 million decrease in
Reserve incentives and a $10.7 million increase in medical recruiting
programs from fiscal year 2009.
The Active and Reserve budgets support our recruiting force in
meeting our overall enlisted and officer goals in fiscal year 2010.
Retention
The comprehensive benefits provided to our servicemembers, combined
with the current economic conditions, have resulted in higher retention
and lower attrition.
In fiscal year 2008, Active enlisted retention was approximately 1
percent above projections and there were 4,221 (14 percent) fewer
enlisted attrition losses than anticipated. These patterns have
accelerated into this fiscal year. As shown in the table below, for
sailors with 10 years of service, reenlistment rates are 9.9 percent
higher than the previous 2 years. Among those sailors with 10 to 14
years of service, we are experiencing a retention rate that is
approximately 2.4 percent higher.
Overall attrition, defined as sailors who are discharged prior to
the end of their contract, has declined approximately 22 percent from
the previous year. Specifically, we have seen declines in misconduct
related discharges by 24 percent, medical/physical discharges by 16
percent, and training-related discharges by 13 percent. The net effect
is over-manning in some specialties in certain year groups. To maintain
the force balance in terms of seniority, experience, and skills, we
have taken, or will take, the following actions:
Reduce fiscal year 2009 enlisted accessions by 4,000
Decrease or eliminate Selective Reenlistment Bonus
(SRB) levels and review all other bonus programs
Execute ``High-Year Tenure'' milestone for the
enlisted force of 14 years of service for those sailors who
have not advanced beyond E-5
Expand ``Perform-to-Serve,'' a reenlistment review
process used in Zone A (0-6 years), to Zone B (6-10 years) and
Zone C (10-14 years) in select overmanned ratings forcing
conversion to undermanned specialties or separation
Institute an annual performance-based continuation
board for E7-E9 with over 20 years of service.
Allow 1 year time-in-grade retirement waivers for
select senior enlisted in pay grades E-7 to E-9.
Though AC officer retention rates have generally increased, there
remain select shortfalls in the control grades (O4-O6). Commander (O-5)
and lieutenant commander (O-4) inventories are below requirements;
though, for the first time in many years, Unrestricted Line (URL)
captain inventory exceeds officer programmed authorizations (OPA).
Special and incentive pays and quality of life initiatives remain the
primary tools to reduce these shortfalls.
Medical community loss rate trends, as shown in the following
table, improved in fiscal year 2008 and are continuing to improve in
fiscal year 2009. While incentives and bonuses have contributed to
reduced loss trends, select subspecialties continue to require
attention. These include: dentistry, clinical psychology, social work,
psychiatry, general surgery, and perioperative nursing. Special and
incentive pays are critical to retaining these professionals.
We are on track to meet our fiscal year 2009 overall officer and
enlisted retention goals, and we expect this success to continue
through fiscal year 2010. We remain focused on retaining high-
performing sailors in critical skill areas. Our fiscal year 2010 active
budget requests $435.2 million, an increase of $7.9 million, to support
targeted investments in incentives, bonuses, and special pays for both
enlisted and officers. This request includes $170 million for new
Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) contracts, the same level as fiscal
year 2009.
Additionally, this request includes $67.0 million, an increase of
$1.5 million, for special and incentive pays to retain health
professionals. Medical community retention continues to improve,
largely due to competitive incentives and bonuses. However, given their
high demand in the civilian sector, select subspecialties continue to
require attention to enable us to meet our goals in fiscal year 2010.
These include: dentistry, clinical psychology, social work, psychiatry,
general surgery, and perioperative nursing.
RC retention rates among both officer and enlisted remain high,
while attrition rates remain at historic lows. In fiscal year 2008, and
continuing into fiscal year 2009, RC attrition rates were approximately
25 percent for enlisted and 15 percent for officers, contrasted with
historical averages of approximately 29 percent and 19 percent,
respectively. We continue to focus our efforts on retaining high-
performing Reserve sailors, especially those in critical skill areas.
The fiscal year 2010 Reserve budget requests $15.7 million for
retention incentives, which include a SELRES Reenlistment Bonus and an
Officer Retention Bonus. The SELRES Reenlistment Bonus of $12.3 million
has decreased $1.2 million from the fiscal year 2009 amount. The
Officer Retention Bonus of $3.4 million is new in fiscal year 2010 and
will target our high OCO demand skillsets.
Our budget requests will enable us to meet our retention goals and
position us for success in future years as the economy improves. We
will continue to monitor retention and will adjust monetary incentives,
as necessary, to match observed retention behavior.
learning and development
Education and training are strategic investments in Navy's Total
Force, enabling us to retain our asymmetric advantage by developing a
highly-skilled, combat-ready force to meet the demands of the Maritime
Strategy and the joint force. In 2008, our 13 learning centers around
the country provided exceptional training to more than 580,000 sailors
and officers. Additionally, Navy offers several college-focused
incentives, including tuition assistance, the Navy College Fund, and
the Navy College Program Afloat College Education. Officers are
afforded the opportunity to pursue advanced education through the Naval
Postgraduate School (NPS), the Naval War College (NWC), and several
Navy fellowship programs. For the 2008-2009 academic year, more than
900 officers (resident and non-resident) are enrolled in NPS, including
216 international students from 42 countries. We expect that
approximately 500 officers will receive in-resident instruction at NWC
in 2009.
The Navy Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL) program matches
rate training and experience with civilian credentials and funds the
costs of credentialing and licensing exams. As of the end of March
2009, there have been more than 35 million visits to the COOL web site,
with more than 13,000 certification exams funded and approximately
8,500 civilian certifications attained. In 2009, COOL was nationally
recognized with the ``Excellence in Practice'' award by the American
Society for Training and Development.
The fiscal year 2010 active education and training budget of $1.2
billion represents an overall reduction of $90.3 million. A significant
portion of this reduction ($86.9 million) comes from specialized skills
training, primarily within our learning centers. We remain committed to
supporting the ongoing professional development of our sailors and
officers with high-quality education and training programs. We must
balance existing education and training requirements with growth in
important mission areas such as cyber warfare, missile defense, and
anti-submarine warfare.
Cultural, historical, and linguistic expertise and Joint
Professional Military Education remain essential to fostering
relationships with our global partners and enhancing our ability to
effectively execute missions in multi-service, multi-agency, and
multinational environments. The fiscal year 2010 Active and Reserve
budgets support ongoing efforts to integrate Language, Regional
Expertise, and Culture across the force.
Navy draws its strength and innovation from the diversity of the
Nation. Through our outreach efforts, we have observed an increase in
Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) applications and have
increased diverse NROTC scholarship offers by 28 percent. The NROTC
class of 2012 is the most diverse class in history and, with your help
through nominations, the U.S. Naval Academy class of 2012 is the
Academy's most diverse class in history. Increasing accessibility to
emerging talent markets will be a key determinant of our ability to
remain effective, relevant, and competitive in an increasingly
challenging environment.
sailor and family support
Our fiscal year 2010 active budget request of $148.4 million for
sailor and family support is an increase of $9.2 million from last
year. This reflects our enduring commitment to support sailors and
their families, enhance career flexibility, and improve overall life-
work integration. Additionally, we will continue our efforts to support
the force through a comprehensive ``continuum of care'' that addresses
all aspects of individual, medical, physical, psychological, and family
readiness.
Tone of the Force
The tone of the force is positive. We poll extensively and track
statistics on personal and family-related indicators such as stress,
financial health, and command climate, as well as sailor and family
satisfaction with the Navy. The results indicate that sailors are
satisfied with the morale of their command, leadership, education
benefits, health care, and compensation. Despite the current economic
situation, the majority of our sailors are not experiencing severe
financial stress. Results of our January 2009 Financial Health Quick
Poll reveal that 82 percent of officer and 54 percent of enlisted rate
their personal financial situation as ``excellent'' or ``good,''
compared to 41 percent in the U.S. population.\1\ For those who
reported experiencing financial stress, housing-related expenses were
the primary concern.
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\1\ October 15, 2008 Pew Research Center for the People and the
Press Survey Report (p.2).
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Suicide Prevention
We continue our efforts at suicide prevention through a multi-
faceted system of communication, training, and command support. Our
approach is to foster resilience among sailors; identify and mitigate
stress reactions that can lead to increased potential for suicide; and
create an environment supportive of good psychological health, in which
stress and other suicide related factors can be more openly recognized,
discussed, and addressed.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the Navy after
accidents and natural causes. In calendar year 2008, Navy's suicide
rate increased slightly over the previous year to 11.6 per 100,000
sailors. This number represents a total of 41 suicides. The rates for
accidents and natural causes per 100,000 sailors were 26.3 and 12.7,
respectively.\2\ Since formal suicide prevention programs began in
1998, Navy has averaged 10.7 suicides per 100,000 sailors. While
significantly lower than the national rate of 18.8 per 100,000
individuals,\3\ for the same age and gender demographic, we remain
vigilant on this critical issue with a primary focus on prevention.
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\2\ Data pulled from the Defense Casualty Information Processing
System (DCIPS).
\3\ Data based on the Center for Disease Control's National Vital
Statistics Report ``Deaths: Final Data for 2005.'' Normalized rate
calculated by the Navy Health Research Command.
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Navy continues to develop and enhance programs designed to improve
the resilience of the force. We encourage sailors to seek help. We also
focus our programs on substance abuse prevention, personal financial
management, positive family relationships, physical readiness, and
family support with the aim of reducing individual stress. We continue
to work to address and minimize potential adverse effects of suicide
risk factors and to strengthen associative protective factors through
training, intervention, response, and reporting. We believe suicide
prevention is an all-hands effort, spanning the continuum of our Total
Force, from the most senior Navy leadership to our newest recruits.
Life-Work Integration
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2009
authorized 10 days of non-chargeable paternity leave for married
servicemembers whose wives give birth to a child on or after October
14, 2008. We are appreciative of congressional support for this
legislation and anticipate over 15,000 sailors will benefit from this
entitlement each year.
The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2009 also provides Service Secretaries the
authority to test the effectiveness of an alternative career retention
option in fields where monetary incentives alone have not produced the
desired retention results. We have learned that flexibility is one of
the keys to retaining our younger sailors. In an effort to enhance
career flexibility, Navy is piloting a Career Intermission Program,
allowing 20 officers and 20 enlisted members annually the opportunity
to transfer from active duty to the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) for
up to 3 years. Participants maintain medical and dental benefits, along
with a small stipend, in exchange for a return to service for an
obligated amount of time. Additional initiatives we are incorporating
into the force include telework, compressed work schedules, and a
virtual command pilot program, which provides an opportunity for a
small initial group of officers to fill career-enhancing positions
while maintaining geographic stability. We believe that innovative,
flexible career paths will provide increased retention by complementing
monetary incentives.
Individual Augmentation (IA)/GWOT Support Assignment (GSA) Detailing
Significant progress has been made in filling IA requirements,
particularly for high-demand skill sets. In many cases, using a Total
Force approach, Navy has fulfilled these requirements with qualified
individuals from lesser-stressed communities. This flexible response,
coupled with effective strategic communications to the Fleet, reduced
some of the uncertainty associated with repeat IA deployments and
helped provide predictability and stability for sailors and their
families while improving Navy's responsiveness to the combatant
commanders.
Our assignment policies are designed to minimize disruption in the
lives of sailors and their families through assignment to IA tours
between permanent duty stations. This approach affords sailors
increased influence over the timing of their IA assignments, improves
individual career management, and offers longer lead-times; thereby,
improving sailor readiness and family preparedness for prolonged
deployments. Initial Fleet response to GSA Detailing has been positive.
Continuum of Care
Navy's ``continuum of care'' is a network of services and
caregivers that ensures sailors, whether they are healthy or become
wounded, ill, or injured, receive the highest quality care. We
continuously evaluate and improve policies and programs associated with
the continuum of care to be certain they are meeting their intended
objectives. Our continuum of care spans all aspects of individual
medical, physical, psychological, and family readiness. Navy Safe
Harbor, Navy's Operational Stress Control Program, the Warrior
Transition Program, the Returning Warrior Workshop, and Deployment
Health Assessments are critical elements of this continuum.
Over the past year, Navy Safe Harbor has expanded its mission to
nonmedical support for all seriously wounded, ill, and injured sailors,
coastguardsmen, and their families, increasing its capabilities with
the establishment of a headquarters element to support Recovery Care
Coordinators and Non-medical Care Managers covering 15 locations. With
these changes, Safe Harbor's enrolled population has increased from 145
to 387. The fiscal year 2010 budget supports our continuing efforts to
provide a lifetime of exceptional, individually tailored assistance to
our wounded, ill, and injured, optimizing the success of their
recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration activities.
Recognizing the unique medical and administrative challenges faced
by our Reserve wounded sailors when they return from deployment, we
established two Medical Hold (MEDHOLD) Units responsible for managing
all aspects of care for Reserve sailors in a MEDHOLD status. Colocated
with military treatment facilities in Norfolk and San Diego, these
units are led by line officers with senior medical officers supporting
them for medical issues. Under their leadership, case managers serve as
advocates who proactively handle each sailor's individualized plan of
care until all medical and non-medical issues are resolved. Through
this centralized process, we have reduced the numbers of sailors in the
MEDHOLD process and the length of time required to resolve their cases.
The RC MEDHOLD program has become the single, overarching program for
providing prompt, appropriate care for our Reserve wounded sailors.
Additionally, the Psychological Health Outreach program, implemented in
July 2008, targets RC sailors returning from deployment who face unique
reintegration challenges which can exacerbate deployment-related
psychological injuries. The program serves as a ``safety net'' for RC
sailors and their families who are at risk for not having their stress
injuries identified and treated in an expeditious manner.
Navy's Operational Stress Control (OSC) program provides a
comprehensive approach designed to address the psychological health
needs of sailors and their families throughout a career. It is a
program that is supported by Navy Medicine and promotes psychological
health while reducing the stigma associated with requesting help. To
date, Basic OSC Awareness Training has been provided to over 16,000
sailors at various locations across the country. The fiscal year 2010
active budget supports efforts to fully institutionalize the OSC
program, including the development and delivery of formal curriculum at
key nodes of training throughout the career of a sailor, from accession
to flag officer.
The Warrior Transition Program (WTP) was established in Kuwait and
provides a place and time for individual augmentees (IA) to decompress
and transition from a war zone to life back home. The WTP includes
small group discussion facilitated by accredited professionals and
focuses on combat and operational stress, gear return, and fleet and
family support center briefings. Trained providers include two
chaplains and two psychiatric registered nurses. Since January 2008,
417 workshops with over 8,500 returning IAs have taken place.
Additional Mobile Care Teams are being developed to deploy to Iraq and
Afghanistan to provide a means of reaching out to IAs during mid-tour.
The Returning Warrior Workshop (RWW) is a vital reintegration event
that provides support for both Active and Reserve sailors and their
families. The RWW is designed to identify problems, encourage members
to talk about their experiences, direct family members to resources,
improve the mobilization/demobilization process, and honor the
sacrifices of sailors and their families. The RWW is an important first
step in the demobilization and reintegration process for the Total
Force and their families. Since January 2007, over 1,500 servicemembers
and 1,000 family members have attended one of 22 RWWs throughout the
country. An additional 28 RWWs are scheduled through July 2010.
In addition to these programs, we have been aggressively monitoring
compliance with the new Deployment Health Assessment (DHA). DHA is a
DOD-mandated instrument used to screen sailors prior to deployment and
to identify health concerns after deployment with Post-Deployment
Health Assessments (PDHA) and Re-assessments (PDHRA). We have enhanced
policy oversight on DHA to include monthly reports to Navy leadership
and a Navy-wide review of records to validate compliance is underway.
conclusion
Our mission remains to attract, recruit, develop, assign, and
retain a highly-skilled workforce for the Navy. We continue to:
Align the personal and professional goals of our
workforce with the needs of the joint force, while ensuring the
welfare of our sailors and their families
Deliver a high-performing, competency-based, and
mission-focused force to meet the full spectrum of Joint
operations
Provide the right person with the right skills at the
right time at the best value to the joint force.
Our fiscal year 2010 Active and Reserve budget requests support the
critical programs that will ensure continued success in delivering the
human component of the Maritime Strategy and key capabilities for the
joint force. On behalf of all the men and women in uniform who
sacrifice daily and their families who faithfully support them, I want
to extend my sincere appreciation for your unwavering support for our
United States Navy. Thank you.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Admiral.
General Newton?
STATEMENT OF LT. GEN. RICHARD Y. NEWTON III, USAF, DEPUTY CHIEF
OF STAFF FOR MANPOWER AND PERSONNEL, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
General Newton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member
Graham and distinguished members of the committee.
I also want to thank you for this opportunity to discuss
our efforts as they relate to the fiscal year 2010 budget to
ensure we attract, recruit, develop, and retain a high-quality
and diverse fighting force.
Airmen are the focal point for providing the critical
capabilities that the Air Force contributes to winning today's
fight. While the Air Force has innovative technologies and
equipment, it is the hard work of our dedicated men and women
in uniform and our civilians that underscores our success.
Without a doubt, the tremendous talent of our total force
airmen and civilians is the backbone of the United States Air
Force, and our budget proposal recognizes that fact. These
dedicated volunteer servants are our most important asset.
Without them, our organizations and equipment simply would not
function. Our operations would grind to a halt.
Therefore, we must ensure we have the proper end strength
to meet current, new, and emerging missions. For fiscal year
2010, our Active Duty end strength will be 331,700 airmen, with
69,500 airmen in the Air Force Reserve and 106,700 airmen in
the Air National Guard. This stops previously planned total
force end strength reductions.
We will also grow our civilian population to a little over
179,000, which includes 4,200 contractor-to-civilian
conversions. Simultaneously, we will continue to reshape the
skill sets of our workforce, with particular emphasis on
stressed career fields and mission areas that need our
attention, such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance,
aircraft maintenance, acquisition, cyber operations, and
nuclear deterrence operations and sustainment. For instance, in
fiscal year 2010, our manpower investment includes increasing
our nuclear-related personnel by 2,500 and adding 200
acquisition professionals.
The growth in end strength goes hand-in-hand with an
increase in our recruiting efforts, and it goes beyond just
finding the right numbers. We must also ensure that the right
quality and the right skills are present in potential
candidates. Despite the weak economy, we expect fiscal year
2010 to be a critical retention environment for several
reasons--an increased need to retain specific skill sets in
certain specialties, previous end strength decreases and
corresponding decreases in accessions, increased operational
demands in new and emerging missions.
Our commitment includes continued support for special pay
and allowances to address recruiting and retention concerns in
our health professional skills and our most critical
warfighting skills, such as pararescue, combat control,
tactical air control party, and explosive ordnance disposal.
Finally, we are committed to taking care of airmen and
their families, including our wounded warriors to whom we have
a never-ending obligation. Over the past year, we have tackled
important issues for Air Force families, such as expanding
childcare capacity, increasing childcare support for our Guard
and Reserve families, improving financial readiness, and
providing opportunities for children of airmen, whether they
reside on military installations or in our civilian communities
throughout the United States.
The Air Force is leaning forward to be all-in. Your
continued support of our initiatives to attract, develop, and
sustain talented and diverse airmen and their families is
mission essential and is most appreciated. Our efforts to
effectively manage end strength, to recruit and retain, to
train, develop, and care for airmen and their families will
enable our Air Force to continue to fly, fight, and win in air,
space, and cyberspace.
Thank you for your unfailing support to the men and women
and the families of our Air Force, and I look forward to your
questions.
[The prepared statement of General Newton follows:]
Prepared Statement by Lt. Gen. Richard Y. Newton III, USAF
introduction
Today's strategic environment features a complex landscape of
global actors and events that have far reaching implications. Within
this landscape, our Air Force is answering those challenges and
opportunities through our ability to think and act globally; providing
unrivaled global positioning, navigation and timing through advanced
space infrastructure; streaming video of the battleground to troops on
the ground through intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
assets; and, many more capabilities as part of the joint team. Airmen
are our focal point for providing the critical capabilities that the
Air Force contributes for winning today's fight. While the Air Force
has innovative technologies and equipment, it is the hard work of our
dedicated men and women in uniform and civilians that underscores our
success.
The Air Force is focused on five priorities: reinvigorating the Air
Force nuclear enterprise; partnering with the joint and coalition teams
to win today's fight; developing and caring for airmen and their
families; modernizing our air and space inventories, organizations, and
training; and recapturing acquisition excellence. Airmen are
prominently featured in each priority; our proposed end strength,
recruiting and retention efforts, force development, initiatives to
care for airmen and their families; and strategic roadmap is focused
toward these priorities. Our airmen are critical to mission success.
end strength
In the fiscal year 2010 President's budget, our programmed Active
Duty end strength is 331,700 starting in fiscal year 2010 and
increasing to 332,800 from fiscal year 2012 through fiscal year 2015.
Our programmed civilian end strength is 179,152 starting in fiscal year
2010, growing to 193,840 by fiscal year 2015. Programmed Air Force
Reserve end strength is 69,500 in fiscal year 2010, increasing to
72,100 in fiscal year 2013 through fiscal year 2015, while Air National
Guard end strength is 106,700 in fiscal year 2010 through fiscal year
2015. Increases in Air Force Active Duty, civilian and Reserve end
strength are due to both new and emerging missions, as well as the need
to robust existing missions.
In the fiscal year 2010 President's budget, the Air Force funded
2,500 military positions to establish an Air Force Global Strike
Command and support Nuclear Enterprise capabilities, as well as 400
military positions to establish a Cyber Numbered Air Force. We also
funded 1,000 military positions to operate Project Liberty and 600
military and civilian positions starting in fiscal year 2010,
increasing to 1,000 positions by fiscal year 2013 through fiscal year
2015 to support enhanced Irregular Warfare capabilities. To support new
and emerging missions for Air Force Special Operations Command, Air
Force funded 500 military positions starting in fiscal year 2010,
growing to 2,200 by fiscal year 2015. To increase MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9
Reaper, and Distributed Common Ground Systems operational capability to
50 Combat Air Patrols, we funded 4,100 military positions. The fiscal
year 2010 budget also funds 2,700 military positions to support
aircraft maintenance capability. In efforts to achieve Acquisition
Excellence, we funded 500 military and civilian positions starting in
fiscal year 2010, increasing to 2,100 positions by fiscal year 2013
through fiscal year 2015. The Air Force increased Defense Health
Program military positions by 1,700 starting in fiscal year 2010,
growing to 2,800 positions by fiscal year 2012 through fiscal year 2015
to reverse planned medical service military-to-civilian conversions.
Additionally, we funded 1,200 civilian administrators for Squadron
Commanders' Support Staff. Finally, the fiscal year 2010 budget
includes 2,500 civilian positions starting in fiscal year 2010,
increasing to approximately 14,000 positions from fiscal year 2013
through fiscal year 2015 to conduct contractor-to-civilian in-sourcing.
recruiting
The growth in end strength goes hand-in-hand with an increase in
our recruiting efforts . . . and it goes beyond finding the right
numbers. We must also ensure the right quality and right skills are
present in potential candidates so they can effectively perform and
support the Air Force's diverse and essential missions.
One factor that can positively or negatively impact recruiting is
the economy. Although the worsening economy has increased the number of
walk-in prospects, there continues to be a national decline in the
quality of the target demographic. Today, only 27 percent of the
American youth population between the ages of 17 and 24 are qualified
for military Service (Woods & Pooles, 2006). Consequentially, we must
apply a rigorous selection criteria to potential recruits in order to
effectively match future airman skills and attributes with our
essential combat requirements.
Our recruiting force continues to achieve the enlisted accession
mission admirably despite the challenges which include increasing the
number of recruits, the decline in eligible population, and a decline
in the number of recruiters and recruiting resources. Since 2000, the
Air Force enlisted 288,583 airmen towards a goal of 285,059 for 101
percent mission accomplishment. To date in fiscal year 2009, we are on
track to meeting our Total Force (Active, Guard, and Reserve) enlisted
accession goals.
The Air Force Recruiting Service has also had 100 percent success
at filling every enlisted recruit requirement for physically demanding
and highly skilled ``hard-to-fill'' jobs since 2001. Congressional
assistance, coupled with recruiters' hard work, allowed us to continue
to meet all requirements for Combat Controller; Para-rescue; Tactical
Air Control Party; Explosive Ordnance Disposal; Security Forces;
Linguist; and Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape instructors.
Recruits who choose to enter these career fields are offered an Initial
Enlistment Bonus ranging from $2,000 to $13,000, depending on the
career specialty and term of enlistment. These are the only fields
offering enlistment bonuses for fiscal year 2009.
We achieved mission goals in our line officer accession programs,
but we continue to struggle in the area of health professions. For
fiscal year 2009, the line officer active-duty requirement is 3,459,
which we are on track to achieve. In the health professions, we
recruited 15 doctors for fiscal year 2009 (12.7 percent of
requirement), 14 dentists (66.7 percent), 136 nurses (49.5 percent), 65
biomedical scientists (19 percent), and 35 medical administrators (100
percent). Considerable challenges exist for attracting candidates from
the private sector. Therefore, we've implemented a long-term ``grow our
own'' strategy by offering more medical school scholarships in student-
based markets. We have 449 available scholarships with 203 are already
committed (45.2 percent). With Spring medical school acceptance letters
yet to be released from most institutions, we are on target for this
year.
retention
We are also on track toward meeting our priorities because we
continue to invest in retaining the high caliber men and women who we
recruited, trained, and developed. While the Active Duty enlisted
retention rate finished below our fiscal year 2008 goal, we achieved
success in all other sectors of retention, meeting or exceeding
aggregate retention goals in our Active Duty officer corps and in our
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Forces. This positive trend
has continued into fiscal year 2009. At the end of the second quarter,
all components were trending to meet or exceed goals. However, this
slight upward trend masks retention concerns with some of our stressed
specialties that continue to experience significant shortfalls. We will
continue to rely heavily on bonuses and quality of life initiatives to
resolve these shortages.
While retention is strong among the officer corps, we continue to
monitor specific areas of concern among the Health Professionals,
Control & Recovery, and Contracting fields, and have implemented action
plans to meet retention goals. An additional $65 million in medical
bonuses (targeted to physicians, nurses, dentists and biomedical
specialists) and a new Control & Recovery Critical Skills Retention
Bonus (CSRB) was approved to address fiscal year 2009 challenges. A
similar CSRB for contracting officers is in coordination.
The Air Force's ability to retain experienced healthcare personnel
past their initial commitment has declined, compounding our recruiting
challenges. Retention at the 10-year point is 27 percent for
physicians, 40 percent for dentists, 31 percent for nurses, 33 percent
for biomedical sciences officers and 64 percent for administrators. Air
Force continues to develop accession and retention incentives to ensure
the right mix of health professionals.
After finishing below fiscal year 2008 goals for the enlisted
force, we began showing positive retention trends across all three
zones. We are, however, still slightly below goal in Zones A (17 months
through 6 years of service (YOS)) and C (10 through 14 YOS). The
Selective Reenlistment Bonus (SRB) continues to be our most effective
monetary retention tool, an avenue made possible by the strong support
of Congress. SRB funding budgeted for fiscal year 2009 and requested
for inclusion in fiscal year 2010 through fiscal year 2015 budgets is
sufficient to address current retention concerns, and grade and skill
imbalances. Through that funding, the Air Force is well-positioned to
meet fiscal year 2009 retention goals and ensure we retain the right
airmen, with the right skills, at the right time to meet our
expeditionary requirements.
force development
The Air Force's commitment to developing our people is an important
non-monetary retention tool that pays dividends not only for airmen,
but for the Air Force's ability to manage its Human Capital and meet
the needs of the Joint environment. Force Development (FD) has evolved
from a concept, to the way we grow airmen using a set of educational,
training, and experiential development tools.
Our newest efforts have been to establish processes for continually
ensuring FD meets current and future mission requirements. This year,
we chartered FD panels, comprised of senior leaders, to review our
developmental processes to ensure they describe requirements, align
programs, and link investments with outcomes. We also established two
panels to synchronize force development: the Air Force Learning
Committee and Expeditionary Skills Senior Review Group. These groups
serve as forums to vet potential changes to our institutional
development programs, such as the requirement to increase nuclear
content within professional military education forums.
We are working to holistically review officer, enlisted and
civilian developmental education programs to ensure a logical,
efficient and effective continuum to build Air Force, Joint leaders now
and for the future. Specifically, we're focused on invigorating Air
Force mission areas such as cyber, nuclear and acquisitions through
institutional education programs such as professional military
education, fellowships, internships and advanced academic degrees.
Finally, we recognize our Total Force airmen must be cross-
culturally competent and capable of employing cultural, regional,
foreign language, and negotiation skills sets anywhere in the world. To
this end, the CSAF recently approved the Culture, Region, and Language
Flight Plan, providing a framework to expand and employ cross-cultural
capacity within the Air Force.
caring for airmen
Airmen can focus on the mission when they have positive ways to
rejuvenate from stress and know their families are safe and secure. We
are indeed committed to taking care of airmen and their families.
We have a solemn obligation to provide care and assistance for
seriously wounded, injured, or ill airmen. The Air Force Mortuary
Affairs Operation at Dover Air Force Base was activated as part of our
expanded Warrior and Survivor Care program. This organization combines
all Air Force Services Agency mortuary capabilities with Dover Port
Mortuary to enhance shared expertise and information and provide
effective and efficient services to families of our fallen members.
The Family Liaison Officers extend support to families of the
fallen and combat-wounded airmen, as well as to families of all
seriously-injured airmen who are receiving medical treatment away from
their home unit. Family liaison officers provide a wide variety of
assistance including local transportation, lodging arrangements,
assistance with benefits, and referral to various agencies available to
assist wounded, ill, and injured members, their families, and families
of the fallen.
Last year, we began the Air Force Recovery Care Coordinator program
to be the single point of contact to assist seriously injured, ill, and
wounded airmen through the nonclinical aspects of their recovery. Our
Recovery Care Coordinators work directly with hospitalized airmen to
develop individualized recovery plans that contain goals and a record
of nonclinical assistance provided to our airmen.
Our Air Force Wounded Warrior Program staff keeps in contact with
our medically-retired wounded airmen for a minimum of 5 years and
provides a wide-range of assistance, including employment and benefits
counseling and referral to a variety of agencies designed to assist
wounded veterans. New Air Force policies offer opportunities for them
to regain a career path with the Air Force, compete for promotions, and
receive priority retraining opportunities if they are no longer
qualified in their Air Force Specialty Code. For wounded airmen with
disability ratings of 30 percent or greater and who elect medical
retirement or can no longer stay because of their wounds, the Air Force
will facilitate offers of civil service positions.
caring for families
Air Force families lead challenging lives that include multiple
deployments and frequent relocations, in addition to normal life
stressors. Readily available, quality and affordable child care and
youth programs continue to be a workforce issue with direct impact on
mission readiness.
Over the past year, we tackled important issues for Air Force
families, including expanding child care capacity, increasing child
care support for Guard and Reserve families, improving financial
readiness, and providing opportunities for children of airmen whether
they reside on military installations or in civilian communities
throughout the United States.
We continued to increase available, affordable, quality child care
spaces for airmen. Thanks to the temporary legislative authority for
child care projects, the ``Growing Child Care Spaces'' initiative
funded 18 minor construction projects to increase available child care
by 1,242 spaces. Seven additional Military Construction projects were
approved, which will further increase child care spaces by 1,718. We
funded 7 additional facilities through the economic stimulus package
and will produce 836 more spaces as a result. When all funded
construction is complete, our known child care space deficit will be
eliminated. Our next challenge will be to renovate or replace the aging
infrastructure at child development and youth centers.
The Air Force leans forward to assist airmen who need additional
child care during changing shifts or extended duty days. The Air Force
Expanded Child Care program provides 16,000 hours of child care each
month during nontraditional hours at no cost to the military member.
During 2008, we expanded the Air Force Home Community Care program
to provide free in-home quality child care during scheduled drill
weekends, which reduced out-of-pocket expenses for Air Reserve and Air
National Guard members. This program offers the same level of quality
child care as is available on military installations. The program
includes 43 participating family child care homes in 36 locations
typically isolated from active duty bases.
strategic initiatives
There are several strategic initiatives on the horizon to increase
the Air Force's ability to develop and care for airmen and provide
increased fiscal stewardship. We are completing a comprehensive review
of our Voluntary Education Program, includes Military Tuition
Assistance (Mil TA) policy, to ensure we have a strategic vision that
links voluntary education with the Air Force's overarching Force
Development (FD) construct. We are partnering with the Office of the
Secretary of Defense and other Services to ensure Mil TA policy is
consistently applied, ultimately ensuring appropriate stewardship of
limited Mil TA funds.
We are leveraging information technology to enhance and standardize
Air Force-wide Force Development. Our ``next big thing'' is to ensure
our information technology (IT) tools continuously assess and close the
gap between today's, and tomorrow's, human capital inventory and our
mission requirements. We owe airmen, supervisors, mentors, career field
managers, and development teams an integrated suite of FD IT tools that
provides them with actionable information. In place of static career
pyramids or planning diagrams, we are moving towards a dynamic, web-
based career path tool. Online forums for mentoring and sharing career
field updates are gaining momentum, and officer and civilian modules
are already in development. Our officer development teams are using
more precise tools for vectoring and making school selections.
We recently completed a groundbreaking research project to measure
performance of services-specific programs and activities and gain
insight into how airmen define quality of life and their perceptions
regarding overall wellness as it relates to their jobs, compensation,
family, and leisure activities. While the research findings confirmed
we are doing a good job of taking care of airmen, the food service
programs were considered our weakest area. This validated our earlier
selection of food service transformation as an important strategic
initiative, which will take advantage of cutting-edge models of leading
college, university, and corporate campuses to improve food quality,
variety, and nutritious value; increase efficiency; maintain our
organic warfighting food service capability; and save money.
conclusion
The Air Force is leaning forward and focused on our top five
priorities. Airmen are critical to successful operations at home-
station and in executing joint and coalition missions around the world.
Congress' continued support of our initiatives to attract, develop and
sustain talented and diverse airmen and their families is mission-
essential. Our efforts to effectively manage end strength, and to
recruit and retain, train, develop and care for airmen and their
families will enable our Air Force to ``fly, fight, and win . . in
air, space, and cyberspace.'' We greatly appreciate your unfailing
support to the men and women of our great Air Force.
Thank you. I look forward to your questions.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, General.
General Coleman?
STATEMENT OF LT. GEN. RONALD S. COLEMAN, USMC, DEPUTY
COMMANDANT FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS, UNITED STATES
MARINE CORPS
General Coleman. Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham,
distinguished members of the committee, it is a privilege to
appear before you today to discuss Marine Corps personnel.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to personally thank you for your
very kind words about me and my military service. I would also
like to say it has been a privilege and an honor to serve this
country in uniform for over 41 years.
I would like to make a few key points. First, in regard to
our end strength growth, the Marine Corps is now building on
our success in fiscal year 2008, and we will reach our 202,000
goal this fiscal year, 2 years ahead of schedule. We owe this
success in large part to our recruiters, who continue to meet
all accession goals while maintaining the highest quality
standards.
Thank you for your continued support of our enlistment
incentives, which help make this achievement possible.
Second, our Active component retention continues to be
successful. In fiscal year 2008, first-term retention was an
unprecedented 36 percent. We are building on that success in
fiscal year 2009, having already achieved our fiscal year
mission.
We thank you for your support of our selective reenlistment
bonus program. It will remain the foundation of retention
efforts as we move from growing our force to shaping it so that
we maintain vital Marine Corps leadership and critical skills.
Third, I want to reiterate that a top priority of the
Commandant of the Marine Corps is care for our wounded marines
and for the families of all our marines. Our wounded warrior
regiment is diligently at work implementing a comprehensive
approach to wounded warrior care, which makes thriving, not
just surviving, the expectation of our wounded marines.
Likewise, our family readiness programs have undergone a
host of significant improvements, which continue to this day.
They are made possible in large part due to the generous
funding you have provided.
In closing, I want to thank you and the other Members of
Congress for your support and partnership. They have been
central to the strength that your Marine Corps enjoys today.
They will continue to be essential as we work to shape the
Marine Corps for the future so that we will always remain the
most ready when the Nation is least ready.
I look forward to answering your questions.
[The prepared statement of General Coleman follows:]
Prepared Statement by Lt. Gen. Ronald S. Coleman, USMC
Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham, and distinguished members of the
subcommittee, it is my privilege to appear before you today to provide
an overview on Marine Corps personnel.
introduction
We remain a Corps of Marines at war with over 25,000 marines
deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation
Enduring Freedom (OEF). The young men and women who fill our ranks
today recognize the global, protracted, and lethal nature of the
challenges facing our Nation, and their dedicated service and sacrifice
rival that of any generation preceding them. The individual marine is
our Corps' most sacred resource.
Over the past several years, sustained deployments in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and across the globe have kept many marines in the
operating forces deployed as much as they have been home. They have
shouldered our Nation's burden and done so with amazing resiliency.
Marines understand what is required of the Nation's elite warrior
class--to stand up and be counted when the Nation needs them the most.
For this, we owe them our unending gratitude.
Marines and their families know that their sacrifices are making a
difference, that they are part of something much larger than
themselves, and that their Nation stands behind them. Thanks to your
continued support, your marines will stay resolved to fight and defeat
any foe today or in the future.
ii. end strength
Active Component End Strength
The Marine Corps grew by over 12,000 marines in fiscal year 2008
and currently stands at over 201,000. We are on pace to reach an active
duty end strength of 202,000 by the end of fiscal year 2009--2 years
ahead of schedule. This historic growth can be attributed to three
factors: quality recruiting, historic retention levels, and reduced
attrition. Based on building a robust Delayed Entry Pool Program, we
expect these trends to continue into fiscal year 2010 allowing us to
sustain a 202,000 end strength. While the state of the Nation's economy
is a concern for all of us, we expect that it will positively impact
both recruiting and retention this year.
We have met our fiscal year 2009 aggregate goals for both First
Term and Career reenlistments and will meet our accession mission.
Attrition levels are projected to remain at or below fiscal year 2008
rates. Sustaining the 202,000 end strength will enable your Corps to
train to the full spectrum of military operations and improve our
ability to address future challenges. This end strength will also
enable us to increase the dwell time of our marines so that they are
able to operate at a ``sustained rate of fire.'' Our goal is to achieve
a 1:2 deployment-to-dwell ratio for all of our Active Forces--for every
7 months a marine is deployed, he or she will be back at home station
for 14 months.
Funding
The Marine Corps greatly appreciates the increase in authorized end
strength to 194,000 passed in the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2009. In fiscal year 2009, we are funding the end
strength in excess of 194,000 through supplemental appropriations. The
vast majority of our personnel budget is spent on entitlements
including compensation, which is a double-edged sword.
Compensation is a principal factor for marines when deciding
whether to reenlist. Private sector competition will always seek to
capitalize on the military training and education provided to our
marines. Marines are a highly desirable labor resource for private
sector organizations. Competitive and flexible compensation authorities
aid the Marine Corps in targeting specific areas and provide the
capability to access, retain, and separate as needed. Your support for
our Enlistment Bonus and Selective Reenlistment Bonus programs has made
a difference and will continue to be a key to sustaining our end
strength and ensuring the right mix, right grades, and overall
effectiveness of our Total Force. We appreciate the continued support
of Congress in the creation of flexible compensation authorities that
allow the Marine Corps to shape your Corps for the 21st century.
Reserve Component End Strength
Our Reserves continue to make essential contributions to our Total
Force efforts in Overseas Contingency Operations, particularly in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
As we accelerated our build to 202,000 Active component marines
during the past fiscal years, we understood that we would take some
risk with regard to obtaining our Reserve component end strength of
39,600. The result has been that the Marine Corps Reserve has seen a
continued decline in end strength since fiscal year 2007 when we were
1,044 (2.6 percent) below our authorized end strength. That same year,
in keeping with our strategic perspective regarding the role of the
Reserves, we deliberately targeted 883 experienced and combat-tested
marines to return to the Active component in support of the 202,000
plan. In fiscal year 2008, another 872 Reserve marines returned to the
Active component, contributing to a shortfall of 2,077 (5.2 percent)
below our authorization. In fiscal year 2009, another 197 have returned
or are pending return to active duty and we are predicting an end
strength of 36,986 (6.6 percent below authorization).
However, we have now refocused our recruiting and retention efforts
toward achieving our authorized Reserve component end strength. These
efforts include increasing our Reserve Non-Prior service recruiting
mission, lowering our attrition, doubling our incentives budget from
$12 million to $24 million, and expanding the population eligible to
receive incentives. I am confident that these efforts will set us on
the right course to recover our authorized end strength of 39,600. We
believe that number is appropriate and provides us with the marines we
require to support the force and achieve our goal of 1:5 deployment-to-
dwell ratio. The bonus and incentives provided by Congress,
specifically the authorization to reimburse travel expenses to select
members attending drill, will be key tools in helping achieve this
goal.
iii. recruiting
Our recruiters continue to make their recruiting goals in all areas
in support of our Total Force recruiting mission. Our focus in fiscal
year 2009 will be to continue to recruit quality men and women with the
right character, commitment, and drive into our Corps. To meet the
challenges in today's recruiting environment, it is imperative that we
maintain our high standards both for our recruiters and those who
volunteer to serve in our Corps. The Corps must continue to be
comprised of the best and brightest of America's youth. We must also
remain mindful that the Marine Corps needs to reflect the face of the
Nation and be representative of those we serve. Our image of a smart,
tough, elite warrior continues to resonate with young people seeking to
become marines.
The Marine Corps is unique in that all recruiting efforts (officer,
enlisted, regular, Reserve, and prior-service) fall under the direction
of the Marine Corps Recruiting Command. Operationally, this provides us
with tremendous flexibility and unity of command in order to annually
meet our objectives. In fiscal year 2008, the Marine Corps achieved 100
percent of the enlisted (regular and Reserve) ship mission
(accessions). In terms of quality, Marine Corps Recruiting Command
accessed over 96 percent Tier 1 high school diploma graduates and over
66 percent in the upper Mental Groups of I-IIIAs. In short, we
accomplished our recruiting mission, achieved the Commandant's quality
standards, and exceeded Department of Defense quality standards.
In fiscal year 2009, the Total Force accessions mission is 39,296
and, as of 1 May 2009, we have shipped (accessed) 19,094 applicants,
representing over 104 percent of our Total Force mission fiscal year to
date. Although recruiting is highly dynamic and fluid, we expect to
meet our annual recruiting mission this fiscal year, to include all
quality goals. Additionally, we continue to exceed our contracting
goals for this fiscal year which ensures we have a population of
qualified individuals ready to ship to recruit training as we enter
fiscal year 2010. Achieving this success, as always, is dependent on
your support for our enlistment incentives. We thank you for this
support both now and in the future.
Our Officer Selection Teams were also successful in fiscal year
2008, accessing 1,900 second lieutenants for 100 percent of their
assigned mission. In fiscal year 2009, we are experiencing great
success in our efforts to attract officer candidates and commission
second lieutenants commensurate with our end strength requirements.
For the Reserve component, the Marine Corps achieved its fiscal
year 2008 Reserve enlisted recruiting goals with the accession of 4,235
non-prior Service marines and 4,501 prior Service marines. As of 1 May
2009, we have accessed 2,696 non-prior Service and 1,901 enlisted prior
Service marines, which reflects 60 percent of our annual enlisted
mission. Again, we expect to meet our Reserve recruiting goals this
year.
Officer recruiting for our Selected Marine Corps Reserve units is
traditionally our greatest challenge. To date, the Officer Candidate
Course--Reserve has proven to be the most successful of our Reserve
officer recruiting programs, specifically focusing on ground-related
billets tied to the Force Generation Model. Under this program,
individuals attend Officer Candidates School, The Basic School, a
Military Occupational Specialty school, and return to a Reserve unit to
serve. We commissioned 56 second lieutenants in the Reserve in fiscal
year 2008, and we anticipate commissioning between 50 and 75 more this
fiscal year.
iv. retention
Retention complements recruiting as one of the vital elements of
building and sustaining the Marine Corps. For enlisted retention, we
seek to retain the best and brightest marines in both our First Term
and Career Force to provide the proven technical skills, experience,
and noncommissioned officer and staff noncommissioned officer
leadership needed to meet our demanding mission. In fiscal year 2008,
the Marine Corps reenlisted 16,696 marines including an unprecedented
8,243 first-term marines. This achievement represented the highest
retention rate ever, almost 36 percent, among the eligible first term
population compared to 31 percent in fiscal year 2007 and 22 percent in
fiscal year 2006. Similarly, the Marine Corps achieved a remarkable 77
percent retention rate among the eligible career force compared with 70
percent in fiscal year 2007 and 65 percent in fiscal year 2006. This
achievement contributed to exceeding the annual milestone in our end
strength increase plan while maintaining all quality standards.
For fiscal year 2009, retention achievement remains exceptionally
strong. As of 5 May 2009, we have achieved 7,657 First Term Alignment
Plan reenlistments, 104.4 percent of the 7,334 goal. Equally
impressive, we have achieved 7,538 Subsequent Term Alignment Plan
reenlistments, 101 percent of the 7,464 goal. Altogether, we have
achieved 15,195 total reenlistments, or nearly 103 percent of the
combined goals. Our continuing retention success remains largely
attributable to two important, enduring themes. First, marines are
truly motivated to ``stay Marine'' because they are doing what they
signed up to do--fighting for and protecting our Nation. Second, they
understand our service culture is one that rewards proven performance
and takes care of its own.
In regard to the Reserves, officer retention is above historical
norms. Enlisted retention, however, remains below historical norms in
part due to the priority of building an Active component end strength
of 202,000. For fiscal year 2009, we foresee continued higher retention
in the Active component, which will impact the number of marines
transitioning into the Reserves. However, as stated above, we are no
longer making a concerted effort to draw personnel from the Reserves to
increase our Active Forces and are refocusing our efforts on increasing
Reserve end strength.
v. marine corps reserve
With the achievement of the 202,000 Active-Duty Force, we will
refocus our recruiting and retention efforts toward achieving our
authorized Reserve component end strength. One of the key recruiting
elements and a focus is our Reserve junior officers and meeting our
company grade officer shortfalls. As previously noted, the Officer
Candidate Course--Reserve has proven to be the most successful of our
Reserve officer recruiting programs. Our continued success in this area
is a notable enhancement to the continuum of service for us and
furthers the operational nature of our Reserve Forces.
The departments within Headquarters, Marine Corps continue to work
with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Navy
to develop implementation plans on the recommendations from the report
of the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves. We were
represented in all working groups reporting to the Commission's
Steering Committee and have participated in all aspects of developing
the Department of Defense response to the recommendations. We believe
the spirit and intent of the Commission was very helpful in identifying
avenues to strengthen and improve the Total Force.
vi. civilian marines
Civilian marines continue to provide an invaluable service to the
Corps as an integral component of our Total Force. With a population of
over 33,000 appropriated and non-appropriated funded employees and
foreign nationals, civilian marines work in true partnership with the
active duty and play an important role in supporting the mission of the
Marine Corps and Overseas Contingency Operations. Our vision for the
future not only defines what the Marine Corps will offer to, but what
it expects from, our civilian marines. The Marine Corps is committed to
improving their leadership skills and opportunities for training and
education.
Civilian employees are afforded the opportunity to advance their
career development through centrally-managed programs administered
through Headquarters, United States Marine Corps. For example, the
Marine Corps Acculturation Program provides our civilians with the
opportunity to understand their roles in supporting the mission of the
Marine Corps--specifically, learning the Marine Corps' culture and
history while also concentrating on the strategic mission of local
commands. The Civilian Marine Mentoring Program is part of the Civilian
Career and Leadership Development program, which helps transform our
civilian workforce to face the challenges of the future. A web-based
Civilian Workforce Development Application was designed to assist the
Marine Corps with managing our civilian workforce development
activities.
The marine has implemented the National Security Personnel System
along with other Department of Defense and Department of Navy agencies.
Since January 2007, the Marine Corps has converted 6,400 employees to
the National Security Personnel System across all Marine Corps
organizations including overseas and field activities. Through this new
pay-for-performance system, employees are able to align job objectives
to mission. Ongoing performance feedback, both formal and informal, is
an important component of the system and is essential to increase
employee engagement and foster a high performance culture.
vii. information technology
Ensuring accurate, timely pay is supported by our continued efforts
to transform our manpower processes by leveraging the benefits of the
Marine Corps Total Force System (MCTFS), the Department of Defense's
only fully integrated personnel, pay, and manpower system. MCTFS
seamlessly serves our Active, Reserve, and retired members, provides
total visibility of the mobilization and demobilization of our Reserve
marines, and ensures proper and timely payments are made throughout the
process. MCTFS provides one system, one record, regardless of an
individual's duty status. According to the most recent Defense Finance
and Accounting Service's ``Bare Facts'' report, MCTFS continues to
achieve a pay accuracy rate of over 99 percent for both our Active and
Reserve components. MCTFS has enabled the Marine Corps to move its pay
and personnel administration to a predominately self-service, virtually
paperless, secure, web-based environment. In fiscal year 2008,
individual marines and their leaders leveraged MCTFS' capabilities to
process more than 24 million transactions.
viii. taking care of our marines and our families
While the ideals of service to Corps and Country have not changed,
the conditions of service are constantly changing, as are the needs of
our marines and their families. Marines have reasonable expectations
regarding housing, schools, and family support, and it is incumbent
upon us to support them in these key areas. Marines make an enduring
commitment to the Corps when they earn the title marine. The Commandant
has made it clear that the Corps, in turn, must, and will, continue to
make an enduring commitment to every marine and his or her family.
Transitioning Marine and Family Support Programs To A Wartime Footing
Over the past year, the Marine Corps initiated a multi-year
strategy to transition family support programs to a wartime footing. To
achieve this, we conducted a series of assessments for the purpose of
documenting service levels and evaluating the current state and
efficiency of Corps-wide marine and family support programs and
services. We discovered that our commanders needed more specific
guidance and resources from us to appropriately take care of their
marines and families or to refer them to available internal or external
support services. We also heard the concerns of our marines and their
families and implemented key reforms at every level of command and
aboard each installation.
Family Support Programs
The Marine Corps Family Team Building (MCFTB) Program provides a
strong support arm to the Unit Family Readiness Program and high-
quality training that supports the marine and family through mission,
career and life events. We have expanded and enhanced our pre-, during,
and post-deployment training to address the increased demands and
potential impacts of multiple, sustained deployments on marines and
their families. We have developed an inventory of lifeskills training
courses that specifically address challenges of military life, both
personal and family. Acknowledging the role extended family members
play in fostering personal and family readiness, we have expanded our
family readiness support to include parents of single marines. Finally,
our MCFTB staff provides unit command teams training on the roles,
responsibilities and supporting tools that are available to foster
personal and family readiness.
Central to our transformation efforts, we have expanded the depth
and breadth of our family readiness training programs and established
full-time family readiness officer billets in more than 400 units, who
serve as the focal point for families of our marines. As of May 1,
2009, we have filled 365 of the 415 available positions and will
continue to monitor our staffing needs. The family readiness officers
will use the mass communication tool, which enables simultaneous
broadcast of communication via email, text messaging, or phone, and
other technology enhancements to expand communications between marines
and their families.
We have completed assessments at our remote and isolated commands
and initiated substantial improvements to infrastructure and quality of
life programming with upgraded child care availability and support,
playground equipment, youth sports equipment, fitness center equipment,
bike paths, and facility improvements. These enhancements will further
promote the sense of community required to form strong bonds among our
marine families that contribute so greatly to readiness.
We learned that effective communications with family members is of
paramount importance and, for our families with deployed marines, a
critical quality of life requirement. In addition to the mass
communications tool described above, we have addressed this issue in a
number of ways.
To enhance our morale and recreation capability on installations as
well as to better connect marines and their families, the Marine Corps
is installing wireless networks and access points at over 230
facilities across the Marine Corps. We are also testing a Morale-
Portable Satellite Communications Suite that provides an internet and
web-cam capability to Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Afghanistan
where traditional ``Internet Cafes'' are unavailable. This not only
provides marines with an opportunity to connect with their families,
but also provides a recreation outlet at these remote locations. Two
systems were delivered to our forces in Afghanistan in December 2008,
and initial capability tests in the FOBs have been very encouraging. We
will continue testing the fielded units and expect to begin to ramp up
full capability by the end of fiscal year 2009.
These initiatives and others not only demonstrate the commitment of
the Marine Corps to our marines and their families, but also underscore
the significance of marine and family support to mission readiness. We
have advanced the implementation of these initiatives through the use
of much-appreciated supplemental funding in fiscal years 2008 and 2009.
Beginning in fiscal year 2010, the Marine Corps intends to sustain
funding for these critical program enhancements in our baseline budget,
not through supplementals.
Exceptional Family Member Program and Respite Care Program.
Last year, I reported on our mission to establish a continuum of
care for our Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) families.
Recommendations from a rigorous internal functionality assessment have
been implemented and we are actively helping nearly 6,500 families gain
access to medical, educational, and financial services that may be
limited or restricted at certain duty stations. The program is now
fully staffed at both the installation and headquarters levels. A new
Case Management System is online and allows the exchange of necessary
information and provides a robust reporting capability to program
managers.
A Respite Care Program funded by the Marine Corps provides up to 40
hours of care per month to all enrolled families, and can be used in
conjunction with the TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)
benefit. We are obtaining the help of the Bureau of Medicine & Surgery
and TRICARE to resolve health care access and availability concerns at
several bases, and legal counsel is now on staff to advise our
exceptional family members on State and Federal entitlements and
processes. Since expansion of the program, our EFMP families have
frequently expressed their appreciation for the support provided by our
case managers, who have helped them navigate the paths and nodes to
obtain services.
Gaining access to Services can be most challenging to families who
have members diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. We sincerely
appreciate the increased reimbursement rate for Applied Behavioral
Analysis therapy that Congress approved for fiscal year 2009. More
families will now be able to exercise their option to use the TRICARE
ECHO program. However, the highly specialized services these families
require are not always available. Additionally, we are evaluating how
the Marine Corps can partner with other organizations to increase the
availability of these specialized services in geographic areas where
they are currently lacking.
School Liaison
The education of over 52,000 school-aged children of Marine Corps
parents directly contributes to the overall state of family readiness
within our Corps. We recognize that our children, who must often be as
mobile as their military parents, face additional challenges associated
with frequent moves between schools and educational systems of
differing quality and standards. To address these challenges, we
established School Liaison billets and are now fully staffed at each of
our installations to help parents and commanders interact with local
schools and districts.
The School Liaisons advocate for our school-aged children and form
partnerships with schools and other agencies in an effort to improve
access and availability to quality education and to mitigate education
transition issues. School Liaisons are actively involved in efforts to
assist school districts in applying for available grants that focus on
military school-aged children issues. Complimenting these efforts, the
Marine Corps is working with the Department of Defense to develop an
``Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children''
to enable reciprocal state acceptance of entrance, subject, testing,
and graduation requirements. As of April 30, 2009, 15 States have
passed the Interstate Compact, and others are in some stage of the
legislative process.
Child Development Program and Meeting Potential Need
To ensure children, youth, and teen programs continue to transition
to meet the needs of our families, a functionality assessment was
conducted in June 2008 to identify program improvements, such as the
development of staffing models to improve service delivery. This year,
we are pursuing initiatives in these programs to improve the quality of
life for the children of our marines.
To address a wide variety of identified needs, we are using
multiple strategies to increase our child care capacity, such as
expanded hours, partnerships, on- and off-base family child care, and
Child Development Group Home spaces. We are now providing 16 hours of
reimbursed respite care per month for families with a deployed marine,
and intend to increase respite care availability aboard our
installations. In addition, the Marine Corps has expanded partnerships
that provide long and short-term support for marines and their families
who are not located near our major installations. Through our
partnership with the National Association of Child Care Resource &
Referral Agencies, we have been able to provide an additional 798 child
care spaces to geographically dispersed, deployed and severely injured
servicemembers' children.
We are currently providing 11,757 child care spaces and meeting
63.6 percent of the calculated total need. It is important to note that
the Marine Corps has initiated rigorous data collection and analysis
improvements. As a result, it will be necessary to correct the 2007
annual summary due to identified reporting errors. Our reported rate of
71 percent of calculated total need last year is more accurately stated
as 59.1 percent. To meet the Department of Defense standard of 80
percent of potential need, we would require slightly over 3,000
additional spaces. To address this requirement, Congress has funded 915
additional spaces in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. The American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act and 2009 Overseas Contingency Operations request
will provide an additional 1,700 spaces. We are also considering
additional modular child development centers, subject to more detailed
planning and availability of funds. Continued congressional support
will help us provide these needed facilities. As the needs of our
families change, our program is committed to grow and adapt to meet
these needs.
Combat Operational Stress Control
Marine Corps commanders are fully engaged in promoting the
psychological health of our marines, sailors, and their families. To
enable leaders, individuals, and families to prepare for and manage the
stress of operational deployment cycles, the Combat and Operational
Stress Control (COSC) Program encompasses a set of policies, training,
and tools to recognize stress reactions early on and to manage them
more effectively within operational units.
Marine leaders are trained by mental health care professionals,
with assistance from chaplains in the operating forces, to detect
stress problems in warfighters as early as possible, and are provided
the resources to effectively manage these stress problems in theater or
at home base. This training is also being incorporated into formal
Professional Military Education schools for both officers and senior
noncommissioned officers, such as the Expeditionary Warfare School and
the Staff Noncommissioned Officer Advanced Course. Additionally,
enhanced training tools, such as hyper-realistic combat training in
environments engineered to simulate the sights, sounds, and smells of
combat, seek to increase marine and sailor resiliency to combat stress.
We have staffed full-time COSC training coordinators at each of our
Marine Expeditionary Force headquarters. To assist with prevention,
rapid identification, and effective treatment of combat operational
stress, we are expanding our program of embedding mental health
professionals in operational units--the Operational Stress Control
Readiness (OSCAR) Program--to directly support all Active and Reserve
ground combat elements and eventually all deployed elements of the
Marine Air-Ground Task Force. This year, we begin to formalize the
OSCAR program by making mental health professionals organic to the
divisions and Marine Forces Reserve. By fiscal year 2011, full OSCAR
teams will be fielded to the Infantry Regiment level.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
The science of diagnosing and treating post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) continues to evolve. Research studies are underway to
identify risk and protective factors to prevent PTSD and other stress-
related illnesses such as anxiety disorder or depression. Better
screening and referral of at-risk marines is underway via the OSCAR
program and standardized pre- and post-deployment health assessments.
This will improve access to care and reduce stigma associated with
PTSD. The Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense have
collaboratively established comprehensive guidelines, which are
available to all services, for managing post-traumatic stress.
Traumatic Brain Injury
We continue to see Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as a significant
challenge, one we are meeting in coordination with the Department of
Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Many new cases represent
older injuries that are just now being diagnosed and our expectation is
that, with the institution of the Automated Neuropsychological
Assessment Metrics for all marines, we will discover mild TBIs more
promptly post-deployment.
While the Marine Corps is providing leadership and resources to
deal with this problem, we cannot solve all the issues on our own. The
Marine Corps continues to work closely with the newly established
Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic
Brain Injury to advance our understanding of PTSD and TBI, and to
improve the care of all marines. We are gratified by your continued
support in this arena through funding of several research initiatives
that explore ways to better treat our injured marines.
Suicide Prevention
The loss of any marine is a tragedy both for the family and for our
Corps. We are actively engaged in prevention and early identification
of problems that may increase the risk of suicide. Leaders at all
levels are concerned about the increase in the number of suicides, up
from 25 in 2006, 33 in 2007, to 42 incidents in 2008. Understanding
that there is no single suicide prevention solution, we are committed
to having an effect on the individual marine through leadership and
command involvement at all levels. As noted earlier regarding PTSD, we
must reduce the stigma sometimes associated with seeking help. The
Commandant and Marine Corps leadership are taking proactive action to
address this issue. A senior enlisted Marine leader has been hand-
selected by the sergeant major of the Marine Corps to add unique
insight to our efforts in suicide prevention, and the Assistant
Commandant (ACMC), through the Executive Safety Board, is directing a
series of initiatives which are currently in accelerated development:
NCO/FMF Sailor Leadership Suicide Prevention
Training--A half-day, high impact, relevant workshop has been
designed to reach the NCO/FMF sailor community and facilitate
their work with junior enlisted marines. In the past, 90
percent of suicides were accounted for by E1-E5 marines. This
training should be ready by this summer. In the interim, an
all-hands training on suicide prevention, directed by the ACMC,
was conducted last month.
Leadership Suicide Prevention Video Messages--All 0-6
and higher commands are producing videos focusing on leadership
and suicide prevention to set the climate for stigma reduction
and an imperative of prevention.
Integration of Suicide Prevention and Marine Corps
Martial Arts Program--A prevention message will be incorporated
in the MCMAP in a manner appropriate and engaging to reach all
marines.
Relationship Distress Hotline--relationship problems,
both romantic and marital, remain the number one associated
stressor related to suicidal behavior. Suicide is complex and
while this is not the only problem, it is the most common. A
hotline by phone, email and live internet chat that is marketed
specifically to assist with relationship distress and questions
may reduce risk of suicide related behaviors that result from
this type of stress.
The Marine Corps will continue to aggressively pursue suicide
prevention initiatives; reevaluate existing programs designed to reduce
the stressors most correlated with suicidal behavior; develop and
distribute new prevention programs; and refresh and expand training
materials.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Sexual assault is a crime and we take every reported incident very
seriously. In addition to the impact on its victims, the corrosive
effect on unit and individual readiness is a matter of great concern.
The Marine Corps has adopted policy and, in accordance with the
Department of Defense's Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR)
Program, issued guidance designed to prevent sexual assaults within the
Marine Corps and to assist those marines and sailors assigned to Marine
Corps units affected by sexual assault.
A 2008 Government Accountability Office study reported several
shortcomings in our sexual assault prevention program. To address these
findings, we are refreshing our training program and have committed to
hire four full-time regional SAPR Program coordinators. We have trained
more than 3,000 victim advocates to provide assistance. All marines
receive sexual assault prevention and awareness training upon entry and
are required to receive refresher training at least annually. The issue
is also incorporated into officer and noncommissioned officer
professional development courses and key senior leader conferences and
working groups. At the request of our field commanders, we have also
increased the number of Marine Corps judge advocates who attend
specialized training on prosecution of these crimes and have assembled
a mobile training team to teach our prosecutors how to better manage
these cases. Last month, the Marine Corps recognized the ``April is
Sexual Assault Awareness Month'' campaign with a number of events
throughout the country designed to focus attention on the issue and the
need to continue our prevention and response efforts.
Personal Financial Management
In difficult economic times, our marines and their families face
challenges that are no different from the American population in
general, such as taking on too much debt, incurring expenses of a new
child, and increased housing costs. Our marines also confront unique
challenges because of their service, such as unexpected or short notice
deployments, extended separations, and directed permanent
reassignments, all of which can compound existing financial
difficulties.
Last summer, we conducted a financial quick poll to help determine
the level of financial stress on Active Duty marines and their families
as a result of the downturn in the economy. Of the over 9,000 Active
Duty marines who responded to the survey, 15 percent of enlisted
marines and 5 percent of officers classified themselves as being in
financial distress. Respondents reported that the most frequent
financial problems experienced within the past year were increases in
utility, rent and insurance costs, and taking on excessive debt.
We appreciate the efforts of Congress to address the payday lending
problem. Following up on that positive legislation, we worked with the
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society to establish a quick assist loan
program that offers a $300 interest-free loan for emergency basic
living needs. We also conducted a functionality assessment of our
Personal and Financial Management Program in October 2008, and found
deficiencies and opportunities for improvement that we are pursuing
this year. Anticipating that economic impacts may have become more
pronounced, we intend to conduct another survey this year and will
continue to monitor the Corps' financial health and the success of our
efforts to improve the program.
Casualty Assistance
Our casualty assistance program is committed to ensuring that
families of our fallen marines are treated with the utmost compassion,
dignity and honor. We have taken steps to correct unacceptable
deficiencies in our casualty reporting process that were identified in
congressional hearings and subsequent internal reviews. Marine Corps
commands now report the initiation, status, and findings of casualty
investigations to the Headquarters Casualty Section, which has the
responsibility to ensure the next of kin, receive timely notification
of these investigations from their assigned Casualty Assistance Calls
Officer. The Headquarters Casualty Section is a 24-hour-per-day
operation manned by marines trained in casualty reporting,
notification, and casualty assistance procedures. These marines have
also taken on the additional responsibility of notifying the next of
kin of wounded, injured, and ill marines. In October 2008, we
implemented a mandatory training program for Casualty Assistance Calls
Officers that includes a Web-based capability to expand the reach of
the course. This training covers notification procedures, benefits and
entitlements, mortuary affairs, and grief and bereavement issues. We
will continue to monitor the effectiveness of these changes and make
adjustments where warranted.
Recreation for the Recovering Marine
Recognizing the importance of providing recreational opportunities
for our wounded, the Marine Corps has partnered with Pennsylvania State
University to train recreation professionals on Inclusive Recreation
for Wounded Warriors. This state-of-the-art training program for
military recreation managers ensures that marines and their families
can create a ``new normal'' as soon as possible. Some of the best
practices in place at our installations include bowling, golf, expanded
personal fitness training, and a host of alternative activities for
those who have been diagnosed with TBI, such as yoga, meditation, deep
and shallow aquatic classes, personalized swim coaches, wall climbing,
nutritional counseling, and referral to the ``Back on Track'' program.
Obtaining Quality of Life Feedback
The Commandant of the Marine Corps regularly conducts town hall
meetings at our installations to hear the concerns of our marines and
their spouses. This provides him an opportunity to address individual
concerns and issues, as well as helps our program managers identify
systemic concerns. Having had the opportunity to participate in some of
these town halls, I am encouraged by the progress we are making in
identifying and addressing real quality-of-life concerns. As an
example, we are participating in a working group with the Navy Bureau
of Medicine & Surgery and TRICARE to resolve health care access and
availability issues identified at several bases.
In late 2007, the Marine Corps conducted its fourth Quality of Life
in the Marine Corps Study (prior studies were conducted in 1993, 1998,
2002). This is the first study conducted since the start of OIF/OEF,
and it measured marines and their spouses' perceptions and satisfaction
with the quality of life across a wide range of issues. As a statement
of the morale and character of today's marine, this most recent study
found that, despite the Overseas Contingency Operations and the high
operational tempo, marines and family members are generally satisfied
with their mission and the support provided to them by the Marine
Corps. The most significant finding was that marines with a recent
deployment history actually have a slightly higher overall quality-of-
life score than those without a deployment history.
The study also found that there was an increase in overall and
specific satisfaction across the board for spouses when compared with
the results from the 2002 study. In fact, the overall Quality of Life
score for the spouses was the highest seen for any of the respondent
groups (marines assigned to an installation, independent marines, and
recruiters) considered in this study. Spouses greatly appreciate the
health care benefits provided by the Marine Corps, the quality of
professional child care they receive, and the educational opportunities
for their children. These factors and others had a positive impact on
the family decision to remain part of the Marine Corps.
We will continue to evaluate the findings from this important study
in an effort to sustain the many quality-of-life improvements and
transformation efforts outlined in my statement.
ix. wounded warrior regiment
The Marine Corps is proud of the positive and meaningful impact
that the Wounded Warrior Regiment is having on wounded, ill, and
injured marines, sailors, and their families. Less than 2 years ago, we
instituted a comprehensive and integrated approach to Wounded Warrior
care and unified it under one command. The establishment of the Wounded
Warrior Regiment reflects our deep commitment to the welfare of our
wounded, ill, and injured, and their families throughout all phases of
recovery. Our single activity provides Active Duty, Reserve, and
separated marines with non-medical case management, benefit information
and assistance, resources and referrals, and transition support. The
nerve center of our Wounded Warrior Regiment is our Wounded Warrior
Operations Center, where no marine or family member is turned away.
The Regiment strives to ensure programs and processes adequately
meet the needs of our wounded, ill, and injured and that they remain
flexible to preclude a one-size-fits-all approach to that care. For
example, we have transferred the pay and entitlements auditing
authority from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Kansas
City directly to the Wounded Warrior Regiment, where there is a
comprehensive awareness of each wounded marine's individual situation.
We have also designed and implemented a Marine Corps Wounded, Ill, and
Injured Tracking System to maintain accountability and will eventually
be used to facilitate case management for the Wounded Warrior Regiment
Comprehensive Transition Plan. To ensure effective family advocacy, we
have added family readiness officers at the Regiment and our two
battalions to support the families of our wounded, ill, and injured
marines.
To enhance reintegration, our Job Transition Cell, manned by
marines and representatives of the Departments of Labor and Veterans'
Affairs, has been proactively reaching out to identify and coordinate
with employers and job training programs to help our wounded warriors
obtain positions in which they are most likely to succeed and enjoy
promising careers. One example is our collaboration with the U.S. House
of Representatives to establish their Wounded Warrior Fellowship
Program hiring disabled veterans to work in congressional offices.
The Marine Corps also recognizes that the needs of our wounded,
ill, and injured marines and their families are constantly evolving. We
must ensure that they are equipped for success in today's environment
and in the future. In May 2008, the Regiment stood up the Future
Initiatives and Transformation Team to assess current capabilities and
develop future programs to ensure the Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR)
anticipates and meets emerging requirements. The Regiment has also
stood up an Assessment Cell as part of the Future Initiatives and
Transformation Team to conduct assessments of WWR programs and services
to obtain actionable data for comprehensive program adjustment and
improvement.
One of the Regiment's most effective accomplishments thus far is
the ``Sergeant Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center.'' Established
in December 2007, the Call Center is available 24/7 for marines and
marine veterans for assistance with benefit information and assistance,
resources and referrals, and community reintegration needs. Our Wounded
Warrior Call Center not only receives calls from active duty and former
marines but also conducts important outreach calls. Since December
2007, we have contacted over 9,800 marines and marine veterans wounded,
ill, or injured since September 2001 to assess how they are doing and
to offer our assistance. Our call center has been critical to our
success in helping wounded, ill, and injured marines and in averting
potentially tragic circumstances. Our trained call center staff is
primarily former and retired marines or family members of marines.
These dedicated individuals are not only skilled at providing help, but
they also share a common bond with those they serve. This bond brings a
sense of familiarity that enhances the help process. Our resident call
center capability also gives the Marine Corps the flexibility to make
outreach calls that target specific populations thought to be at higher
risk for problems or requiring specific information. One example of
this was our outreach to the marines assigned to the Personnel Recovery
Platoons whose mission is to recover the remains of fallen marines and
who have experienced the trauma of the battlefield to a degree and
frequency that few others encounter. Additionally, we use our call
center to keep wounded warrior marines and families informed about
benefits changes or other changes in laws or policies that will impact
them. Now that the new Servicemembers' Traumatic Group Life Insurance
policy changes have been implemented, we are using our call center to
contact wounded and injured marines and marine veterans to advise them
of the enhanced benefits and relay to them the procedures for applying
for the benefits. Our commitment to gaining and maintaining contact
with all our wounded, ill, and injured marines, including those that
have returned to full duty, has prompted us to increase our call center
capability by adding call centers at each of our battalions located at
Camp Lejeune, NC and Camp Pendleton, CA. ``Once a Marine, Always a
Marine'' is not a recruiting slogan. It is the philosophy that it is at
the heart of our brotherhood and guides our efforts to care for wounded
warriors.
It is this same philosophy that is behind our reinvigoration of the
Marine For Life mission, which assists the 27,000 marines each year who
leave active duty. This separate program falls under the Wounded
Warrior Regiment and assists in the transition by connecting these
marines with ``marine friendly'' employers and mentorship opportunities
and providing educational assistance by utilizing Marine For Life
HomeTown Links who are strategically located and working in communities
throughout the United States.
The Wounded Warrior Regiment has made great strides in achieving a
holistic approach to wounded warrior care. We are particularly
dedicated to ensuring our marines not only survive, but that they
thrive--whether they return to duty or reintegrate to their
communities. Supported by the passage of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, the Marine Corps is
aggressively moving forward in our efforts to institute improvements to
the care, management, and transition of recovering marines and their
families. Recovery care coordinators have been hired, trained, and
detailed to support our wounded, ill, and injured. Working with others
currently providing care support and services they will oversee the
development of the Wounded Warrior Regiment Comprehensive Transition
Plan for each wounded, ill, or injured marine that will serve as their
individual roadmap whether they are focused toward a return to duty
status or separation and community reintegration. These caring and
dedicated professionals monitor the execution of services across the
continuum of care from recovery through rehabilitation to
reintegration.
The network of support provided by the Wounded Warrior Regiment
will continue to the marine's hometown via our District Injured Support
Cells. Manned by Active Duty marines, these cells are established
throughout the country to conduct face-to-face visits and telephone
outreach to Reserve and veteran, wounded, ill, and injured marines. The
Wounded Warrior Regiment will continue to develop those relationships
that allow us to care for and advocate for our marines and marine
veterans. Our Nation has a reasonable expectation that her marines will
receive the care and support they need and deserve, whether this
support is provided by the Marine Corps, the Department of Veterans
Affairs, Veterans Service Organizations, or the many local and State
governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
As we continue to improve the care and management of our Nation's
wounded, the Marine Corps is grateful to have the support of Congress.
In addition to the support provided in the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, I would like to thank you for
your personal visits to our wounded warriors in the hospital wards
where they are recovering and on the bases where they live. The Marine
Corps looks forward to continuing to work with Congress in ensuring
that our wounded, ill, and injured marines receive the best care,
resources, and opportunities possible.
x. conclusion
As we continue to fight Overseas Contingency Operations, the Marine
Corps will be required to meet many commitments, both at home and
abroad. While we have, to date, made impressive strides toward our
fiscal year recruiting, retention, and end strength goals, we must
remember that this is a Total Force effort. It is individual marines
who are our most precious asset, and we must continue to attract and
retain the best and brightest into our ranks.
Marines are proud of what they do. They are proud of the ``Eagle,
Globe, and Anchor'' and what it represents to our country. With your
support, a vibrant Marine Corps will continue to meet our Nation's
call.
Thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, General.
I think we will do a first round of 5 minutes.
First, just a general question to all of you. Do you need
any legislative authority to initiate or improve military
personnel or family programs not otherwise discussed today? Do
you need any authority to initiate or improve what you may not
have talked about today?
General Rochelle. If I may start, sir?
Senator Ben Nelson. Yes, General?
General Rochelle. Thanks to this committee and Congress, we
have all of the authorities we need.
Thank you.
Senator Ben Nelson. Admiral?
Admiral Ferguson. I would concur in that assessment. We
feel we have all the authorities that we require.
Senator Ben Nelson. General Newton?
General Newton. I would also concur with that and I
appreciate greatly the authorities that you have provided that
we can carry forward with.
Senator Ben Nelson. All right. General Coleman?
General Coleman. Same thing. Thank you, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. Great. There has been a lot of
discussion about end strength in the Army for some period of
time, and 2 years ago, Secretary Gates announced that the Army
would increase its permanent Active Duty end strength to
547,400. Today, the Army finds itself with an active end
strength of about 549,000 3 years ahead of schedule, as
indicated.
Do you believe, General Rochelle, that the Army should grow
beyond the 547,400 in 2009 or 2010?
General Rochelle. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I support the
President's budget, as does the United States Army. Your
question, though, begs a little bit of explanation about the
relationship between end strength and demand.
As you said in your opening statement, end strength cannot
be viewed in a vacuum, and you are precisely correct, sir. In
order to understand the required end strength, one has to ask
the question what is it we want the Army to do and for how
long?
Demand, that is the one aspect that we do not control. In
my experience of soon to be 3 years as the G-1 of the United
States Army, I have seen demand consistently rise. We are
hopeful that in the future, with responsible drawdown in Iraq,
that will change. But as the Army looks to the next 12 to
perhaps 18 months, we see an increase in demand before
responsible drawdown can offer us the prospect of reduced
demand in the overall.
We are actively considering and discussing--and I believe
my vice chief has testified to this. We are actively exploring
whether or not we should return to DOD, this is an internal
building discussion at this point, and seek authority
temporarily to exceed that.
I hope I have answered your question, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. The purpose of the request for
temporary increase in end strength is because of the increased
OPTEMPO or the fact that we are not going to get the dwell time
that we had hoped by shifting down from Iraq into Afghanistan?
General Rochelle. Let me answer your question this way, Mr.
Chairman. The current dwell time for the Active Army is 1 year
deployed for every 1.3 years at home. It is unsustainable,
absolutely unsustainable.
For the Army Reserve, it is just below 1 year deployed for
every 3 years home. Even though they are an Operational Reserve
and not a Strategic Reserve, I submit to you that that pace is
equally unsustainable.
In addition to that, the cumulative effect, which I
attempted to speak to in my opening statement, of repeated
deployments, and most especially the surge, is, in fact,
wearing on readiness, and it is wearing on the number of
soldiers in our formations who are available to deploy, whether
for permanent medical conditions or just the wear and tear of
the 7-plus years of combat.
One more point, if I may? When we looked at our last 10
brigade combat teams, and we, of course, looked at the other
formations as well, but when we looked at our last 10 deployed
brigade combat teams, the average nondeployable inside those
formations was 11 percent. When we took a look at the last five
brigade combat teams to deploy, we noted that that had
increased to 12 percent.
We think we may have plateaued, but I believe those data
points give you a pretty good impression of where we are and
addresses your question of why.
Senator Ben Nelson. Once you have the discussions on the
inside of DOD, would you then be prepared to come forward, or
would the chief of staff or Secretary of the Army come forward
with that kind of a recommendation? Is that your anticipation?
Or would it go through the ordinary channels, let us say,
back to the Secretary of Defense, back to the White House as
part of a future budget request?
General Rochelle. I am certain that it would include
discussions with the Secretary of the Army, the Chief of Staff
of the Army, and the Secretary of Defense. Beyond that, I
wouldn't speculate, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Ben Nelson. Okay. Thank you.
Senator Graham. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I think I will just pick up where you left off. I have been
told there are 20,000 soldiers on Active Duty who are
nondeployable due to medical reasons. Is that right, General
Rochelle?
General Rochelle. That is correct, sir.
Senator Graham. Any idea of how many of those 20,000 will
be able to come back to deployable status?
General Rochelle. Statistically, the majority of them,
between 60 and maybe even as many as 70 percent will be able to
come back over time. We have seen that both with the warrior
transition unit, and we typically see that inside brigade
combat teams.
Senator Graham. So when you look at 547,000, it is really
not 547,000 right now in terms of being able to be deployed. Is
that correct?
General Rochelle. In terms of available soldiers, it is not
547,000, sir.
Senator Graham. If we are going to err, it is my view that
I would rather have more soldiers than you need than not
enough. The goal is to have the right amount. I share Senator
Nelson's concern that we need to look at maybe bumping that up
because in the short term, not only are you going to probably
be more in the fight in Afghanistan, but this 20,000 number in
the short term is not going to change.
General Rochelle. Sir, I would simply add if the past is,
indeed, prologue, I do not expect to see demand come down for
between 12 to the next 18 months.
Senator Graham. I have been told Secretary Geren and
General Casey acknowledged there was a $2 billion shortfall in
terms of paying personnel bills in the Army. Does every Service
have a shortfall for 2009?
Admiral Ferguson. Senator Graham, for the Navy, that
shortfall is roughly $300 million in execution this year.
Senator Graham. What about the Air Force?
General Newton. Sir, we have a shortfall. I don't have a
specific number. I can get back to you on that.
[The information referred to follows:]
At the time of this testimony, the Air Force had a Total Force
shortfall of $165 million in fiscal year 2009 Military Personnel
Appropriations (Active, Guard, and Reserve). The supplemental, combined
with Omnibus reprogramming action, has eliminated the shortfall.
Senator Graham. What about the Marine Corps?
General Coleman. Yes, sir. We do have a shortfall, but I
take for the record the exact amount.
[The information referred to follows:]
At the time of this testimony, the Marine Corps had a $157 million
shortfall. Subsequent to this testimony, the shortfall was reduced to
$105 million and an appeal was submitted to the House Appropriations
Committee-Defense and the Senate Appropriations Committee-Defense for
consideration during the fiscal year 2009 Overseas Contingency
Operations (OCO) conference markup. Upon passage of the fiscal year
2009 OCO, Congress appropriated the $105 million shortfall; therefore
one no longer exists for the Marine Corps.
Senator Graham. Okay. How are we going to make that up?
General Rochelle. I am expecting that the Overseas
Contingency Operations (OCO) request, which is currently
pending on Capitol Hill, will give us a substantial amount of
relief. For the record, the number for the Army is $1.8
billion, sir.
Senator Graham. This request on Capitol Hill would make it
up for the Army?
General Rochelle. Yes, sir. It would give us the ability
largely to eradicate that shortfall.
Senator Graham. Is that the same for the other Services, I
hope?
Admiral Ferguson. In the Navy's case, the House
Appropriations Committee mark that they did will cover the Navy
shortfall.
Senator Graham. Same for the Air Force, Marines? Okay.
To a more parochial interest of mine, Lieutenant General
Coleman, I have been told that we are going to increase to
27,000 Active-Duty marines, but this does not include any
increase in the number of Marine Judge Advocates General (JAG).
I don't know if this is true or not. I have been told that
sometimes when Marine units deploy, that they don't have enough
Marine JAGs to fill the needs of the commanders, and we are
using some Navy JAGs. Are you familiar with that?
General Coleman. No, sir. Not at all. Not that in the
deployment stage, taking Navy JAGs instead of Marines. I am not
aware of that.
Senator Graham. If you could look into it and get back with
me, I would appreciate it.
General Coleman. Yes, sir.
[The information referred to follows:]
Senator Graham inquired as to Navy Judge Advocates General's (JAG)
being utilized by and deploying with Marine Corps units in order to
satisfy personnel shortfalls. At the time of his testimony, Lieutenant
General Coleman stated that he was unaware of this practice. Upon
further review, his testimony was accurate--no Navy JAGs are deploying
with Marine Corps units to cover personnel shortfalls within the Marine
Corps JAG occupational field.
Senator Graham. From the Navy point of view, Admiral
Ferguson, I have been told that the Navy is short 191 JAGs and
63 enlisted personnel. What is the plan there?
Admiral Ferguson. For this budget request, we recently
approved a partial increase in the JAG corps, and then we are
looking at that study that you cite to see what we can phase in
over time.
Senator Graham. Okay. I have to go to another hearing, but
I will be back, Mr. Chairman. Finally, this idea of retaining
folks that are in specialties, do you feel that the committee
has been responsive to your needs to give you the money and the
flexibility to go to the health care professionals and a
variety of specialties in the military?
From the nuclear Navy's point of view, if we build more
nuclear reactors on the civilian side, like I hope we will, Mr.
Chairman--I know you support that--there is going to be
competition for people who are conversant in nuclear power
matters. Is there anything more we could do to help any of the
Services to give you the flexibility and money you need to
retain key people?
Let's start with the Army.
General Rochelle. In point of fact, the committee and
Congress have given us extraordinary authority to be able to
attract the critical skills that we need. Unfortunately, those
authorities do not address the larger strategic issue, which
is, as in the case of behavioral specialists and medical
professionals, we simply aren't creating enough in America to
address both civilian needs as well as DOD's needs.
Senator Graham. Has there been any thought of expanding the
Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences?
General Rochelle. Sir, there has. There have been
discussions inside the Army of, for example, returning at some
point to a program that used to be called the RAIN program,
where the Army grew its own nurses simply because----
Senator Graham. We could do that with health care
professionals and mental health professionals?
General Rochelle. We possibly could. I have not had active
discussions about that, sir.
Senator Graham. Okay, could you work that through the
system? Because I think there are a lot of people on Active
Duty that might move to that career choice.
General Rochelle. Yes, sir.
Admiral Ferguson. Senator, with regard to the reenlistment
bonuses and enlistment bonuses, we feel that we have received
all the authorities that we need and that the funding we have
requested will be adequate to support us going forward into
2010. We have had great success this year.
General Newton. I would say that is consistent with the Air
Force. To echo perhaps what General Rochelle was talking about,
the challenge that we have with this, what we call a war for
talent, out there in the commercial sector and across America
is significant, be it just trying to go for America's youth in
terms of those who are obviously capable to join the ranks of
the military, as well as within the health professional
communities and so forth.
But I do feel that the committee has been very forthright
and supportive of authorities to pursue.
General Coleman. Sir, I feel Congress has gone above and
beyond and would not venture to go any further. I would say, as
we grow to our 202,000, that we would ask that because we are
about to reach 202,000 that you not take too much away because
we are there. We still have to shape our force.
But as far as what we are getting for reenlistments, I
think we are spot on, sir. Thank you.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Senator Graham.
Over the last several years, we have found that each and
every Service is having difficulty recruiting and retaining
medical professionals. It is my understanding from what Admiral
Ferguson said that maybe meeting some of those goals has been
easier.
But Congress has authorized large bonuses for critically
short specialties, as much as $400,000 for 4 years of service
in some cases. Starting with you, General Rochelle, what are
your thoughts about what more we could do to recruit more
physicians and other health care providers, including dentists
and nurses, into the military and retain them?
General Rochelle. If I may make one slight preamble to your
question, Mr. Chairman? We are realizing after 7 years of war
that our base authorizations for medical professionals are
inadequate to address the growing need.
I spoke earlier to the challenges of the cumulative effect
of deployments and the cumulative effects of 7-plus years of
combat. With that having been stated, I don't believe the
solution lies in additional monies that we may offer to attract
this talent. I really don't.
I think what we have to do is explore ways of allowing
individuals to serve more shorter terms, if you will, as
opposed to signing up for a full 7-year or 8-year military
service obligation. You have given us some authorities there. I
think we have to explore creative and inventive ways to reach
outside the normal pool of talent, and I think the Military
Accessions Vital to the National Interest programs opens a door
there, sir.
Admiral Ferguson. Mr. Chairman, I would offer that in our
successes this year, we found that partnering medical
professionals with recruiters in the field in the outreach
effort, and reaching into new populations gave us the greatest
benefit.
The authorities and the bonuses you have given us and some
modifications that we have made in some of the programs and
stipends have paid off. But it is that partnership and reaching
into new areas which is so important to us.
Senator Ben Nelson. General Newton?
General Newton. Sir, I would add that from our perspective,
it is also how we go about growing our own with regard to the
authorities that you provided, the Health Professions
Scholarship Program and so forth. We are also taking a look--
and candidly, when our end strength reduction, when we went
down to 316,000 and we were headed down to 316,000 of our
Active Duty end strength, and now that we are going to be
leveling off above 330,000, we took a pretty hard swipe at our
recruiters.
General Roudebush, the Surgeon General of the Air Force,
and I, we are looking to partner in terms of how we can get our
medical folks back into the recruiting business as well so that
we can follow up. But again, we have the authorities, and I
believe it is men, like General Rochelle was talking about,
that limited pool of talent there.
Senator Ben Nelson. You don't necessarily need more bonus
money or other programs? You could always use more, I am sure,
but do you necessarily think you need it?
General Newton. Sir, it is as much recruiting, but also for
consideration with regard to retention as well. It is giving
them the opportunities, as General Rochelle alluded to, maybe
you look at the length in terms of reenlistment and so forth,
or retaining in the Service. But again, it is a matter of us
acting on the authorities that you provided and that we go
forth.
Senator Ben Nelson. General?
General Coleman. Sir, we get all our medical from the Navy,
sir. So we are good.
Senator Ben Nelson. Yes.
General Coleman. So give them all they want, please.
[Laughter.]
Senator Ben Nelson. Good partnership.
In terms of mental health, at a press conference last week,
Admiral Mullen said that the recent shooting of five
servicemembers at a stress control clinic by a troubled Army
sergeant speaks to ``the need to redouble our efforts'' and the
issue of multiple deployments and increasing dwell time ``to
try to improve to relieve that stress.''
As we have looked at that tragic event, the rates in every
Service are clear reminders that servicemembers, particularly
those who have been deployed on multiple occasions are under
tremendous stress, and they do need access to mental health
care. Are there any feasible actions that we could take in the
short term here to help decrease the stress on the force or
have additional health care available to them to deal with the
mental challenges that so many seem to be facing?
General Rochelle. Sir, I would offer all of the above. All
of the above. The most critical factor, as the Secretary of the
Army, the Honorable Pete Geren, has testified, is dwell time to
be with family members, time to be with loved ones. As I have
very clearly stated, 1 year deployed for every 1.3 years of
dwell is completely inadequate, and it is unsustainable.
I also mentioned the fact that we are seeing that our base
authorizations after 7-plus years of war for mental health
providers, social workers, et cetera, are completely inadequate
to address the need. We are growing that capability, both on
the military side as well as on the civilian side.
My final comment would be we are taking every measure
feasible right now under the direction of the Vice Chief of
Staff, who is himself heading a task force that looks monthly
worldwide--in fact, I participated in I think it is the third
or fourth, my third or fourth, and I have not missed one--
worldwide video teleconference review with field commanders at
the three- and four-star level, as well as two-star, looking at
the details and the connective tissue, if I may use that term,
between incidents.
How do we connect the dots so that we can be preventive?
The month of April, I would offer, begins to show a glimmer of
hope that we are being successful.
Senator Ben Nelson. General Newton?
General Newton. Sir, if I may add? I think, to perhaps add
on to what General Rochelle was discussing in terms of
connecting the dots, we have to look at balance, not only for
the men and women in uniform, but also for the family members
as well because the stress on the force impacts, of course,
those who serve, the principal members, but also the family
members.
I know we are taking a hard look at it in terms of how we
balance our approach in terms of taking care of our Air Force
with regard to stresses on the family members as well, which I
know Admiral Ferguson just said he came out of the area of
responsibility (AOR). I just was there myself, and enough
challenges that we have on our airmen at deployed locations is,
are their families being taken care of and so forth?
We are looking at it from a holistic approach, but it is--I
know all the Services are taking a hard look at that, and we
are also looking at each other's programs as well to make sure
that we take advantage of lessons learned and so forth.
Senator Ben Nelson. In that regard, are you trying to
establish what you would consider a best practices sharing of
programs back and forth with one another?
General Newton. I know we have, for instance, with the
suicide program, I enlisted the support of General Rochelle,
when he was starting to put together a major effort several
months ago, to emulate what the Army has done to date.
General Coleman. I think we all have, sir. I would say that
the Army has done a superb job recently in the planning for
this, and we, the Marine Corps, have also partnered up with the
Army.
I would also like to say that this has the attention of all
the leadership of the Marine Corps. We look at it as a small,
small unit leadership task that I think, in my opinion, is the
most important part, that the young sergeant who knows a young
lance corporal can see something in him or her that shouldn't
be there. We have stressed small unit leadership amongst our
NCOs and that sort.
The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps has also come
out with a study for us. Each 06 and higher commander has to
produce a video and show it to every one of his marines and
sailors. I think we are on, and I would like to be like General
Rochelle and say we see a glimmer of hope. I think we are
really attacking it, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. We continue to hear about sexual
assault in deployed areas. Can you describe some of the
programs that you might have in place to try to minimize and
eliminate those assaults?
General Coleman. Sir, I think that is a major problem, and
it is not only in deployed units. For the Marine Corps, it is
Marine Corps wide. We found, what we are doing again is small
unit leadership, but in over 95 percent of the cases, either
the victim or their assailant has had too much alcohol.
We are looking at it that way. In over 90 percent of the
cases, alcohol is involved. So small unit leadership is where
we think we can stop the problem, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. Anyone else? General Rochelle?
General Rochelle. Yes, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.
The Army has launched what I consider to be the premier
sexual assault prevention strategy and program. Secretary Geren
has spoken of it in his testimony. General Casey has also
spoken of it.
Just to give you some concept of scale. Last year, we spent
$20 million in sexual assault prevention. This year, we plan to
spend $42 million in sexual assault prevention, executing and
implementing a very comprehensive strategy. The elements of the
strategy are essentially to empower every young soldier not
only to recognize an instance or an incident in which a fellow
soldier may be setting himself or herself up to become a victim
and then to intervene effectively in order to prevent it.
We are beginning to see and our strategy did predict that
within the first 18 months of the strategy, based upon
additional awareness and additional empowerment and the
leadership empowering and encouraging individuals to come
forward, we would see a spike in the number of reported
incidents, both restricted and unrestricted. Indeed, we have.
As we go forward, we expect that number to come down, and
we have a benchmark in the strategy that we are shooting for.
Senator Ben Nelson. The increase in numbers would be the
increase in reporting?
General Rochelle. Correct, sir. Yes, sir.
As you may know, Mr. Chairman, I am sure you do, sexual
assault is the most underreported crime in America and perhaps
the world.
Senator Ben Nelson. Senator Graham.
Senator Graham. Thank you.
Very quickly, I know we want to get to the next panel. Just
pick up on that line of questioning, General Coleman, you said
that most sexual assaults were related to alcohol abuse. Is
that correct?
General Coleman. That is correct, sir.
Senator Graham. In the deployed areas, you are not supposed
to drink. Is that a problem over there?
General Coleman. In deployed units, that is an exception,
sir, because there is no drinking there.
Senator Graham. In the deployed, in the theater, is there a
difference between the number of sexual assaults reported in
deployed areas versus at home bases?
General Coleman. Yes, sir. It is much smaller in deployed
units.
Senator Graham. Is that true in the Army?
General Rochelle. That is true for the Army, sir.
Senator Graham. Okay.
General Rochelle. A fraction.
Senator Graham. Anything from the Air Force and the Navy?
General Newton. Sir, if I may, though? If I could just tag
on to a couple other comments? Again, it is a matter of, and I
am sure all the Services feel this way, but zero tolerance is
number one. We are trying to emulate whatever we do in
garrison, but also as a deployed location as well.
Senator Graham. Disciplinary action is quick to follow,
right?
General Newton. Yes, sir.
Senator Graham. Court-martials and Article 15?
General Newton. Certain follow-up in that the command
climate is as important in this as anything in terms of
establishing that and being effective.
Senator Graham. What about the Navy?
Admiral Ferguson. I would echo those comments. It is a
primary leadership responsibility that involves support for the
victim, education, as well as taking appropriate action, as you
mentioned, against the perpetrator.
Senator Graham. That takes me to the last question I have,
and that is the contract force. Mr. Chairman, as you well
realize, we are taking more civilians to war in this war than
any war in the history of America. Quite frankly, you couldn't
conduct the war without civilian contractors. We have had them
play a very important part.
I want to congratulate those who sign up and serve in that
capacity, but we have had problems with a basically two-tiered
system where the contractor would be allowed to use alcohol in
theater, and that the problem or concern I have had is to give
the commander the disciplinary authority over the entire force.
A contractor can create as much problems for our Nation as
someone in uniform when they act inappropriately.
I, along with Senator Kerry, authored legislation that
would allow, for the first time, contractors accompanying the
force in combat theaters to be court-martialed. I know we have
had one or two cases.
I just would like your view as to are there any contractor
requirements needing to be changed? Should the military take
over some of these jobs? What is best for the force in the
future? Do we need more contractors? Do you have the tools
necessary to integrate the contractor force with the Active
Duty, Reserve component?
Starting with the Army.
General Rochelle. Sir, I think we have all the authorities
that are required. As you have correctly stated, we cannot wage
war, certainly not one of this duration and perhaps longer,
without relying not only on contractors but, I might add, our
civilian teammates as well.
If there is anything, and the question, do we need more? We
probably do need more contractors, and we probably need more of
our great civilians.
Senator Graham. Interpreters, linguists, I know you need
more of those.
General Rochelle. Yes, sir. Exactly. In those critical
skills which we simply can't maintain an adequate supply in the
force.
Senator Graham. That comes out of your personnel budget?
General Rochelle. It comes out of operations and
maintenance (O&M), sir.
Senator Graham. O&M, not personnel?
General Rochelle. A different account, and I think we have
the tools we need.
Senator Graham. The Navy?
Admiral Ferguson. Senator, I would echo we have the tools.
In the Navy's case, unlike the Army that may use more
contractors forward, ours primarily are in acquisition and in
support of procurement programs and other support in contiguous
United States.
General Newton. Sir, that is consistent with the United
States Air Force as well, down range particularly.
General Coleman. Sir, I concur with General Rochelle, sir.
Senator Graham. Okay. Finally, do you have the tools
necessary to make sure that civilians and contractors within
operational theaters follow the rules and make sure that there
are not things that go unpunished and don't work? A U.S.
attorney maybe back in Virginia won't take a case, and do you
feel a need to make sure commanders have disciplinary tools for
the entire force?
General Rochelle. Sir, I am going out on a limb here, and I
am doing it in front of a lawyer.
Senator Graham. Don't worry about it.
General Rochelle. Let me respond this way. It is my
understanding, and I have done some research on this, that the
combatant commander has the jurisdiction and the authority to
execute, as you said, the legislation that you cosponsored,
coauthored within theater. My answer is it is not a title 10
service issue.
Senator Graham. Okay. That is fine.
Thank you all very much.
General Rochelle. Thank you, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. One final question I might ask, or are
you finished?
Senator Graham. Yes, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. We are aware that the personnel, the
health care, and entitlement costs continue to soar, and
personnel costs, including the cost of military health care.
The Department spent $162.4 billion in 2008, anticipates
spending $170.5 billion in 2009, and has requested $178.7
billion in 2010. You have already indicated that is the largest
part, Senator Graham, of the budget.
Looking at these rising costs, short of cutting back on
personnel, are there any steps that could be taken to reduce
personnel costs?
Senator Graham. If I could just interject, it is my
understanding that 14 percent of the entire DOD budget will be
military health care cost. Is that right? Down the road.
General Rochelle. I can't answer that percentage, sir. I am
sorry. That is for DOD.
Senator Ben Nelson. Is there something we can do, if we
could increase the quality of health care and decrease the
quantity in some respect, would there be a savings? Is there
anything like that that you are all looking at within your own
branch to try to economize on personnel costs, including the
benefits? Not taking things away, but trying to do things more
efficiently, effectively, and getting better results?
General Rochelle. The Chairman addressed this in his recent
testimony, and I believe if there were simple, low-hanging
fruit options that one could employ, we would have all taken
those actions already. It is a very complex issue, Mr.
Chairman.
Senator Ben Nelson. Well, would the Secretary of Defense
get you a higher ladder or---- [Laughter.]
General Rochelle. We would all need one. One way in which
we could, I think, come at it is on the prevention side. Not
coincidental, but concurrent with our work on suicide, the Army
is launching a health, fitness, and promotion program that is
designed to build resiliency in much the same way that we have
over the decades, the decades of my service and well beyond,
built physical stamina and physical fitness.
Not an adequate answer to your excellent question, but I
think prevention offers us a clue in which there may be
savings.
Senator Ben Nelson. Part of the prevention, first of all,
you don't typically have an aging population in the military to
begin with. But part of the area of prevention is early
detection, because not every use of the military health care
system is going to be as a result of combat. A lot of it is
just general health conditions.
Could you explore ways of not only healthier lifestyles,
but also early detection with the kind of preventive care that
you can get from upfront health care costs that save you on the
backend with healthier life expectancies? Anybody else want to
take a crack at that?
General Rochelle. No question, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Ben Nelson. I am not going to ask General Coleman
because he is going to refer to the Admiral.
General Coleman. Sir, I think we are doing an excellent job
of trying not only the prevention, but also cutting back.
I personally sit down with our folks when they are looking
at the reenlistment bonuses, and this was last year when
Congress was really giving us all we wanted. I was surprised at
our folks who said, we don't need to give the great big bonuses
to everybody, and we need to judiciously look at the money
because it is all coming out of the same pot.
I think we are doing a very good job of not trying to waste
the taxpayers' money, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. That is a good point.
General Newton?
General Newton. Mr. Chairman, if I may just add again, this
notion of us being more effective in our ``fit to fight,'' what
we call it, we are taking a hard look inside the United States
Air Force. It is really not trivial, and I am not saying we are
making it trivial, but this notion of preventive access and
care, and also having access to fitness centers and again at a
high OPTEMPO. Not only, again, having just come out of the AOR,
we focus on fitness as much in the AOR as we try to do back
home as well.
Really, it is a new generation. It is a higher OPTEMPO Air
Force, and certainly for the other Services. How we are fit to
fight really more effectively can then, I believe, in the long
haul make a more healthy force and, therefore, could obviously
trim down costs, long-term costs.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, and thank you for your
participation.
Thank you, General Rochelle, once again for your service,
and General Coleman, of course. We thank the others as well. We
know we will see you again.
Thank you. [Pause.]
We now welcome our second panel, and we have outside
representatives from servicemember-oriented associations.
Colonel Steven P. Strobridge (Ret.) is the Director of
Government Relations, Military Officers Association of America,
and Co-chair of The Military Coalition.
We are glad to have you, Colonel Strobridge.
Master Chief Joseph L. Barnes (Ret.), is the National
Executive Director, Fleet Reserve Association, and Co-chair,
The Military Coalition.
Ms. Deirdre Parke Holleman is the Executive Director of the
Retired Enlisted Association and Co-chair of the Survivor
Committee of The Military Coalition.
Captain Ike Puzon (Ret.) is the Director of Legislation,
Naval Reserve Association, and Co-chair of the Guard and
Reserve Committee of The Military Coalition.
Captain Bradley Snyder (Ret.) is the past President of
Armed Forces Services Corporation, a shorter title. Thank you
very much, Captain. [Laughter.]
Less chance of messing it up.
If you would, Mr. Barnes, would you share your thoughts on
the personnel issues that you think can be reflected in this
year's budget?
STATEMENT OF MASTER CHIEF JOSEPH L. BARNES, USN (RET.),
NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FLEET RESERVE ASSOCIATION; AND CO-
CHAIR, THE MILITARY COALITION
Mr. Barnes. Certainly, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the
opportunity to be here today and appear before this
distinguished subcommittee.
The Military Coalition's (TMC) statement reflects the
consensus of 34 TMC organizations and extensive work by the
Coalition's 8 legislative committees. We understand that at
least one coalition organization witness has been invited to
testify at a separate family readiness hearing, and for that
reason, the Coalition panelists will not address family matters
today, and each will focus on other issues.
Before proceeding, I wish to thank you and the entire
subcommittee and your staff personnel for effective leadership,
a strong commitment, and support for military personnel,
retirees, veterans, their families, and survivors, and
particularly for our wounded warriors and their families.
Adequate service end strengths are essential to success in
the war efforts and other demanding operational commitments
vital to our national security, and the Coalition strongly
supports proposed end strength increases in 2010.
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
recently testified about the strain of repeated deployments--
and we also heard reference to this in the first panel--and the
limited dwell time for many servicemembers that will continue
at least through 2010 due to current end strengths and
demanding operational requirements. The related stress on
servicemembers and their families is a serious concern and can
lead to significant morale, readiness, and retention
challenges.
Unfortunately, the proposed increases will only get the
Army to 15 months of dwell time, which is still grossly
inadequate. We understand some on the committee may support
further end strength increases, and the Coalition would
strongly support this and any initiative to further enhance
essential dwell time.
We also note the Navy's and the Air Force's reductions in
force in recent years, and we also note that the Navy continues
to provide individual augmentees supporting overseas
contingency operations. Associated with all this is maintaining
adequate end strength and a sustained and adequate funding for
military recruiting efforts.
Pay comparability remains a top priority, and the Coalition
strongly supports authorization of a 3.4 percent 2010 Active
Duty pay hike. We appreciate your past support for higher than
employment cost index pay increases, which have reduced the pay
gap to 2.9 percent.
Housing standards determine local housing allowance rates,
which need to be revised to more closely reflect where service
personnel are actually living. For example, only E-9s, which
comprise 1.25 percent of the enlisted force, are eligible for
basic allowance for housing for single-family detached homes.
TMC appreciates enactment of the post-September 11 GI bill,
and DOD's policies on transferability options for personnel
nearing retirement. However, technical corrections are needed
to extend transferability to members of the U.S. Public Health
Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
corps.
Finally, the Coalition remains committed to adequate
funding to ensure access to the commissary benefit for all
beneficiaries and to support important morale, welfare, and
recreation (MWR) programs. These various programs, facilities,
and support services for personnel impacted by base realignment
and closure actions, rebasing, and global repositioning are
very important, particularly during wartime, which alone
results in significant stress on servicemembers and their
families.
Thank you again for the opportunity to present our
recommendations today.
[The prepared statement of The Military Coalition follows:]
Prepared Statement by The Military Coalition (TMC)
Mr. Chairman and distinguished members of the subcommittee. On
behalf of The Military Coalition (TMC), a consortium of nationally
prominent uniformed services and veterans' organizations, we are
grateful to the committee for this opportunity to express our views
concerning issues affecting the uniformed services community. This
testimony provides the collective views of the following military and
veterans' organizations, which represent approximately 5.5 million
current and former members of the seven uniformed services, plus their
families and survivors.
Air Force Association
Air Force Sergeants Association
Air Force Women Officers Associated
American Logistics Association
AMVETS (American Veterans)
Army Aviation Association of America
Association of Military Surgeons of the United States
Association of the United States Army
Association of the United States Navy/Naval Reserve
Association
Chief Warrant Officer and Warrant Officer Association, U.S.
Coast Guard
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health
Service, Inc.
Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United
States
Fleet Reserve Association
Gold Star Wives of America, Inc.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
Marine Corps League
Marine Corps Reserve Association
Military Chaplains Association of the United States of
America
Military Officers Association of America
Military Order of the Purple Heart
National Association for Uniformed Services
National Military Family Association
National Order of Battlefield Commissions
Naval Enlisted Reserve Association
Noncommissioned Officers Association
Reserve Enlisted Association
Reserve Officers Association \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ The Reserve Officers Association supports the nonhealth care
portion of the testimony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Society of Medical Consultants to the Armed Forces
The Retired Enlisted Association
United States Army Warrant Officers Association
United States Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
The Military Coalition, Inc., does not receive any grants or
contracts from the Federal Government.
executive summary
Wounded Warrior Care
DOD-VA Seamless Transition Oversight--It is of overriding
importance to establish a permanent Joint Seamless Transition Office,
responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, and reporting to
senior DOD, VA and congressional leaders on all aspects of the seamless
transition process including, but not limited to:
Joint, single separation physical for Active, Guard,
and Reserve Forces;
Consistent DOD/VA disability evaluation system;
Bi-directional electronic medical and personnel
records data transfer;
Medical centers of excellence and operations/research
projects; and
Coordination of care, treatment, and information,
including DOD-VA Federal/recovery coordinator clinical and non-
clinical services and case management programs
Disability Evaluation System (DES)
Bar ``pre-existing condition'' determinations for any
member who has been deployed to a combat zone;
Retain the 30-percent disability threshold for award
of disability retired pay and lifetime family TRICARE coverage
Ensure that any adjustment to the disability
retirement system does not result in a member receiving less
disability retired pay than he or she would receive under the
current system; and
Ensure that members electing accelerated disability
retirement/separation are fully counseled on all possible
negative changes in compensation, health care and other
benefits, and give consideration to allowing a limited time to
reverse a regrettable decision.
Continuity of Health Care Coverage
Authorize all medically retired members with a severe
service-caused disability to retain active-duty-level TRICARE
eligibility for themselves and their eligible family members
for at least 3 years to protect against ``falling through the
cracks'' of unforeseen coverage changes upon conversion to
retired/veteran status;
Establish common DOD and VA protocols for diagnosis,
treatment, and rehabilitation for TBI conditions;
Either exempt severely wounded, ill, or injured
members who must be medically retired from paying Medicare Part
B premiums until age 65 or authorize a special DOD allowance to
reimburse them for the cost of such premiums; and
Waive DOD preauthorization/referral requirements for
Active Duty/Guard/Reserve members referred to VA polytrauma
facilities for care.
Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)--TMC
recommends:
Priority efforts to deliver information on-line and by
other means to servicemembers and family members concerning
availability of providers, confidential options for counseling,
and virtual counseling/advice;
Special outreach efforts to provide such services and
resources, including through VA facilities, to Guard and
Reserve members and families who don't live near military
facilities;
Priority efforts to educate private sector providers
on the unique needs of military and veteran patients and family
members, and deliver needed information to them online,
including contact points for discussion/consultation with
military/VA providers;
Consistent implementation of pre- and post-deployment
screenings, particularly for Guard and Reserve members who may
be leaving active duty;
Increased research on the impact of combat stress and
TBI on family members, particularly children;
Increasing destigmatization efforts, with emphasis at
unit levels to actively encourage affected servicemembers,
veterans, and family members to seek help, and thus increase
effectiveness and military readiness;
Increasing availability and outreach on substance
abuse counseling options;
Pursuing aggressive medication reconciliation and
management programs to protect against inadvertent
overmedication and adverse reactions;
Requiring TBI and psychological health assessments for
members who have been deployed to a combat zone as part of any
disciplinary process prior to a decision concerning non-medical
separation; and
Developing a partnership between DOD, VA, and other
governmental and nongovernmental agencies and civilian health
care systems to improve access to treatment for PTSD, TBI,
depression and other combat-related stress conditions for
servicemembers and their families.
Caregiver and Family Support Services for Active, Guard, and
Reserve
Authorize compensation, training and certification,
and respite care for family members required to serve as full-
time caregivers, whether the member is in active duty or
retired status;
Authorize health care coverage for full-time
caregivers and their families; and
Extend on-base housing eligibility for up to 1 year to
medically retired, severely injured servicemembers, and their
families.
Active Forces
End Strength
Sustain planned Army and Marine Corps end strength
growth as a top priority;
Resist budget-driven (rather than requirements-driven)
manpower reductions for the Air Force and Navy and Guard/
Reserve components; and
Seek a 2010 defense budget of at least 5 percent of
Gross Domestic Product.
Military Pay Comparability--Sustain military raises of at least .5
percent above the Employment Cost Index (ECI) until the current 2.9
percent shortfall is eliminated.
Military vs. Civilian Total Compensation Comparisons--Reject
proposals to ``civilianize'' military comparisons that, by their
nature, cannot similarly calculate the dramatic differentials in
military vs. civilian working conditions.
REDUX and the 15-Year Career Status Bonus--The Coalition believes
the REDUX/Career Bonus authority should be repealed. For the shorter
term, recognizing the significant budget hurdles to that objective, the
coalition urges the subcommittee to require the Services to exert more
effort to educate members on size of the future retired pay loss
incurred in choosing that option.
Family Readiness and Support--
Accelerate increases in availability of child care to
meet Active and Reserve component requirements;
Direct DOD to report on the extent of reallocation of
approved funding for support programs and the attendant impact
on military families; and
Continue pressing the Defense Department to implement
flexible spending accounts to enable active duty and Selected
Reserve families to pay out-of-pocket dependent care and health
care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Correct the new paternity leave authority to cover all
seven ``uniformed services''
Access to Quality Housing--Continue efforts to extend the single-
family detached house standard to members in grade E-8 and subsequently
to grade E-7 and below over several years as resources allow.
Post-September 11 GI Bill--Support a technical correction to ensure
uniform applicability to all seven uniformed services.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Allowances--Continue efforts to
upgrade permanent change-of-station allowances to better reflect
expenses imposed on servicemembers, with priority on shipping a second
vehicle on overseas accompanied assignments and authorizing at least
some reimbursement for house-hunting trip expenses.
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs--
Oppose any initiative to withhold or reduce MWR
appropriated support for Category A and B programs or reduce
the exchange dividend derived; and
Ensure needed access to exchange, commissary, family
support, and other quality of life programs at gaining and
losing installations involved in BRAC/rebasing.
National Guard & Reserve Forces
Retirement Age Credit--
For the near term, the coalition places particular
priority on authorizing early retirement credit for all
qualifying post-September 11 active duty service performed by
Guard/Reserve servicemembers and eliminating the fiscal-year-
specific accumulator that bars equal credit for members
deploying for equal periods during different months of the
year;
Ultimately, there should be a reduced age entitlement
for retired pay and health coverage for all Reserve component
members--that is, an age/service formula or outright
eligibility at age 55; and
Repeal the annual cap of 130 days of inactive duty
training points that may be credited towards a Reserve
retirement.
Seamless Transition for Activated Guard and Reserve and Their
Families--
Fully fund and field ``yellow ribbon reintegration''
programs by modeling best practices
Implement GAO recommendations (GAO Rpt. 08-901) for
the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program
Guard/Reserve GI Bill--
Restore basic Reserve MGIB benefits for initially
joining the Selected Reserve to the historic benchmark of 47-50
percent of active duty benefits;
Integrate Reserve and active duty MGIB laws in Title
38 to ensure proportionality is maintained in any future
benefit changes; and
Providing full academic protection, including
guaranteed enrollment, for mobilized Guard and Reserve
students.
Special and Incentive Pays--Ensure equitable treatment of Guard and
Reserve vs. active duty members for the full range of special and
incentive pays.
Retiree Issues
Concurrent Receipt--The Coalition's continuing goal is to eliminate
the deduction of VA disability compensation from earned military
retired pay for all disabled retirees. In pursuit of that goal, the
Coalition's immediate priorities include:
Correcting the statutory Combat-Related Special
Compensation (CRSC) formula to ensure the intended compensation
is delivered; and
Expanding current authority for Concurrent Retired
Disability Pay to members forced into medical retirement before
attaining 20 years of service.
Proposed Military Retirement Changes--Reject retirement plan
changes such as those proposed by the 10th Quadrennial Review of
Military Compensation that would ``civilianize'' the military system
without adequate consideration of the extraordinary demands and
sacrifices inherent in a military vs. a civilian career.
Disability Severance Pay--Amend the eligibility rules to include
all combat- or operations-related injuries, using same definition as
CRSC. For the longer term, the Coalition believes the offset should be
ended for all members separated for service-caused disabilities.
Survivor Issues
SBP-DIC Offset--Repeal the SBP-DIC offset and:
Authorize payment of SBP annuities for disabled
survivors into a Special Needs Trust;
Allow SBP eligibility to switch to children if a
surviving spouse is convicted of complicity in the member's
death;
Reinstate SBP for survivors who previously transferred
payments to their children at such time as the children attain
majority, or upon termination of a second or subsequent
marriage.
Final Retired Paycheck--Authorize survivors of retired members to
retain the final month's retired pay for the month in which the retiree
dies.
Health Care Issues
Full Funding for the Defense Health Program--Ensure full funding
for Defense Health Program needs.
Protecting Beneficiaries Against Cost-Shifting--Require DOD to
pursue greater efforts to improve TRICARE and find more effective and
appropriate ways to make TRICARE more cost-efficient without seeking to
``tax'' beneficiaries and make unrealistic budget assumptions.
TMC Healthcare Cost Principles--The Coalition most strongly
recommends Representative Chet Edwards' and Representative Walter
Jones' H.R. 816 as a model to establish statutory findings, a sense of
Congress on the purpose and principles of military health care
benefits, and guidelines on the benefit levels earned by a career of
uniformed service.
Active duty members and families should be charged no
fees except retail pharmacy co-payments, except to the extent
they make the choice to participate in TRICARE Standard or use
out-of-network providers under TRICARE Prime.
The TRICARE Standard inpatient copay should not be
increased further for the foreseeable future. At $535 per day,
it already far exceeds inpatient copays for virtually any
private sector health plan.
There should be no enrollment fee for TRICARE Standard
or TRICARE For Life (TFL), since neither offers assured access
to TRICARE-participating providers. An enrollment fee implies
enrollees will receive additional services, as Prime enrollees
are guaranteed access to participating providers in return for
their fee. Congress already has required TFL beneficiaries to
pay substantial Medicare Part B fees to gain TFL coverage.
There should be one TRICARE fee schedule for all
retired beneficiaries, just as all legislators, Defense leaders
and other Federal civilian grades have the same health fee
schedule. The current TRICARE schedule is significantly lower
than the lowest tier recommended by the Defense Department,
recognizing that all retired servicemembers paid large upfront
premiums for their coverage through decades of arduous service
and sacrifice.
TRICARE Prime--Require a DOD report, including reports from managed
care support contractors, on actions being taken to improve Prime
patient satisfaction, provide appointments within Prime access
standards, reduce delays in obtaining pre-authorizations and referrals,
and provide quality information to assist beneficiaries in making
informed decisions.
TRICARE Standard Enrollment--Oppose establishment of any TRICARE
Standard enrollment system; to the extent enrollment may be required,
any beneficiary filing a claim should be enrolled automatically,
without denying the claim. No enrollment fee should be charged for
TRICARE Standard until and unless the program offers guaranteed access
to a participating provider.
TRICARE Standard Provider Participation Adequacy--Continue
monitoring DOD and GAO reporting on provider participation to ensure
proper follow-on action.
Administrative Deterrents to Provider Participation--Continue
efforts to reduce administrative impediments that deter health care
providers from accepting TRICARE patients.
TRICARE Reimbursement Rates--To the extent the Medicare rate freeze
continues, encourage DOD to use rate adjustment authority as needed to
sustain provider acceptance. Require a Comptroller General report on
the relative propensity of physicians to participate in Medicare vs.
TRICARE.
Active Duty Dependent Dental Plan--Increase the DOD subsidy for the
active Duty Dependent Dental Plan to 72 percent and increase the cap on
orthodontia payments to $2,000.
TRICARE Dependent Dental Coverage for Surviving Children--Authorize
children of members who die on active duty to retain coverage under the
Active Duty Dependent Dental Plan until they reach 21 or 23 if enrolled
in college.
TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) Access--Require a DOD report on
options to assure TRS enrollees' access to TRICARE-participating
providers.
TRS Alternative Option--Authorize an option to have DOD subsidize
premiums for continuation of a member's civilian family health
insurance during activation periods.
Reserve Separatee TRS/CHCBP Coverage--Authorize 1 year of post-
Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) TRS coverage for
every 90 days deployed for returning IRR or involuntary separatees from
the Selected Reserve. Authorize Continued Health Care Benefits Program
(CHCBP) coverage for voluntarily separating reservists subject to TRS
disenrollment.
Gray Area Reserve Coverage--Authorize an additional premium-based
TRS option for Guard/Reserve members to avoid losing health coverage
upon entering ``gray area.''
Guard/Reserve Dental Coverage--Provide coverage for reservists once
an alert order is issued and for 180 days post-mobilization (during
TAMP), unless dental readiness is restored to T-2 condition before
demobilization.
Guard/Reserve Mental Health--Guard and Reserve members and their
families should have equal access to evidence-based treatment for post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI),
depression, and other combat-related stress conditions. Post-deployment
health examinations should be offered at the member's home station.
Guard/Reserve Health Information--Improve electronic capture of
non-military health information in the servicemember's medical record.
TRICARE For Life--Oppose any TFL enrollment fee and seek equal
coverage of TFL beneficiaries under TRICARE and Medicare preventive
care initiatives.
Restoration of Survivor Coverage--Restore TRICARE benefits to
previously eligible survivors whose second or subsequent marriage ends
in death or divorce.
BRAC and Rebasing--Require an annual DOD report on the adequacy of
health resources, services, quality and access to care for
beneficiaries affected by BRAC/rebasing.
overview
Mr. Chairman, The Military Coalition extends our thanks to you and
the entire subcommittee for your steadfast support of our active duty,
Guard, Reserve, retired members, and veterans of the uniformed services
and their families and survivors.
Over the past 2 years, the subcommittee provided major increases in
military end strength for the Army and Marine Corps; improved pay
raises; precedent-setting advancements in survivor benefits and
disabled retiree programs; significant improvements in wounded warrior
benefits, care, and treatment; and upgrades to Guard/Reserve health
care. The subcommittee also worked hard to resist initiatives that
would have imposed disproportional increases in TRICARE fees. Your
efforts made a huge, positive difference in the lives of the entire
uniformed services community--Active, Guard, and Reserve personnel,
veterans, retirees, survivors, and families.
Despite these many advancements, the Services continue to report
that they are wearing out both equipment and personnel. As our men and
women in uniform prosecute wars on two fronts, the Coalition believes
it is critical that the Nation continue to support military people
programs with the appropriate resources.
The Army attempted last fall to ease the strain of operations tempo
by reducing deployment time from 15 to 12 months, yet prolonged,
repeated separations and the attendant stress on our troops and their
families continue to put longer-term readiness at risk.
Men and women in uniform are still answering the call--but only at
the cost of ever-greater sacrifices. They, with the support of their
families, continue to endure the mounting stresses brought about by
repeated deployments, ever-increasing workloads, and the strain of
knowing (as documented by Rand Corp.'s study) that with each successive
deployment, the likelihood increases that they won't return home as the
same person.
We have been encouraged that the Nation seems to recognize that the
only way to ease these burdens is through significant increases to end
strength that will allow more dwell time between deployments in today's
high-threat environment that will continue for the foreseeable future.
The Coalition hopes that, in these times of growing political and
economic pressures, Congress won't lose sight of that fundamental
priority, or be persuaded to make a false choice between end strength
increases and weapons needs, when both are vital to the Nation's
strength.
In this testimony, The Coalition offers its collective
recommendations on what needs to be done to address important
personnel-related issues in order to sustain long-term personnel
readiness.
Wounded Warrior Care
In 2007, The Washington Post reported deplorable conditions and
poor oversight at Walter Reed Medical Center for wounded servicemembers
transitioning from in-patient to out-patient status.
Congress, DOD, and VA acted quickly to improve wounded care based
on the findings and recommendations of several commissions and task
forces. Some of the recommendations were addressed in the National
Defense Authorization Acts (NDAAs) for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009, but
these were just initial steps, and much more remains to be done if we
are to do the right thing by those who have suffered physical and
psychological harm in the Nation's defense.
TMC offers recommendations in five major areas of concern: DOD-VA
seamless transition oversight; the disability evaluation system;
continuity of health care coverage; mental health/traumatic brain
injury (TBI) needs; and support services for families and caregivers.
DOD-VA Seamless Transition Oversight--The Coalition believes
strongly that seamless transition goals will never be realized without
the vigilant oversight of a permanent, jointly-staffed DOD-VA oversight
agency. Part-time oversight by joint committees that meet periodically
have never been and never will be adequate to meet that need.
Success will require aggressive personal involvement and
accountability from the most senior leaders of both Departments. But
nothing can replace the leadership accountability of a single-mission,
joint office in which representatives of the two agencies are assigned
full-time responsibility, authority, and resources to provide
meaningful oversight, with regular reporting responsibilities to the
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the
Committees on Armed Services and Veterans Affairs.
We note, for example, a January 2009 GAO report which found that
DOD and VA lack results-oriented performance goals and measures for
establishing a joint electronic health record, and that they have not
fully executed the statutorily required Joint Interagency Office, which
at that time of GAO's evaluation had no director, deputy, or staff.
We're grateful that Congress extended the statutory authority for
the DOD-VA Senior Oversight Committee through the end of 2009 rather
than allowing it to expire, but the very transience of this authority
significantly undermines the Committee's effectiveness. SOC incumbents
are understandably distracted by the uncertainty of their own futures
and dealing with other governmental priorities, and program
administrators being overseen are more than aware that their overseers
may not be around very long.
The Coalition believes it is of overriding importance to establish
a permanent Joint Seamless Transition Office, responsible for managing,
implementing, monitoring and reporting to senior DOD, VA and
congressional leaders on all aspects of the seamless transition process
including, but not limited to:
Joint, single separation physical;
Consistent DOD/VA disability evaluation system;
Bidirectional electronic medical and personnel records
data transfer;
Medical centers of excellence and operations/research
projects; and
Coordination of care, treatment, and information,
including DOD-VA Federal/recovery coordinator clinical and non-
clinical services and case management programs.
Disability Evaluation System (DES)--The DES pilot has shown that
DOD and VA have the capability to standardize, rationalize, and
streamline the complex disability rating process as a servicemember
transitions from active duty into the VA system. But several challenges
remain.
Pre-existing conditions. We fully agree with the subcommittee's
efforts to limit past practices under which some services have
characterized returning warriors' disabilities as existing prior to
service entry. The Coalition believes strongly that such
characterization should not be an option if a member has been deployed
to a combat zone, regardless of his/her length of service.
Disability retirement threshold. The Coalition believes strongly
that members determined by the parent service to be 30 percent or more
disabled should continue to be eligible for a military disability
retirement with all attendant benefits, including lifetime TRICARE
eligibility for the member and his/her family. We do not support
efforts to disconnect health care eligibility from disability retired
pay eligibility. The Coalition also agrees with the opinion expressed
by Secretary Gates that a member forced from service for wartime
injuries should not be separated, but awarded a high enough rating to
be retired for disability.
Disability retired pay calculation. We also do not support simply
turning all responsibility for disability payments to the VA, as some
have proposed, with DOD only responsible for ``vesting'' service-based
retired pay at 2.5 percent of pay times years of service. This would
significantly disadvantage many severely wounded, ill or injured
members from a compensation standpoint. The Coalition does not believe
that reforms intended to help wounded warriors should cause them to
receive less compensation than is provided by the current system. Under
any reform methodology, the member should receive the higher of the two
compensation amounts, just as disability retirees with more than 20
years of service currently are awarded the higher amount of either 2.5
percent of pay times years of service or their disability percentage
times their pay.
Accelerated disability-retirement determinations. The Coalition
does not object to current efforts to allow disabled members to accept
accelerated processing of their disability retirements. However, we are
concerned whether members facing such decisions are receiving complete
counseling on the potential impacts of their decision on their
compensation, rehabilitation program availability, health coverage and
other benefits. All of these things can change dramatically once a
person leaves active duty--and in most cases not for the better. For
example, per diem for family member caregivers will terminate and
members with TBI can lose eligibility for cognitive therapy. The
Coalition believes the government has an obligation to ensure that
members making such decisions are fully aware of all implications that
could affect them, and that consideration should be given to allowing
them at least some period of time in which they are able to reverse a
decision that proves to have unexpected adverse consequences.
The Coalition recommends:
Barring ``pre-existing condition'' determinations for
any member who has been deployed to a combat zone;
Retaining the 30 percent disability threshold for
award of disability retired pay and lifetime family TRICARE
coverage;
Ensuring that any adjustment to the disability
retirement system does not result in a member receiving less
disability retired pay than he or she would receive under the
current system; and
Ensuring that members electing accelerated disability
retirement/separation are fully counseled on all possible
negative changes in compensation, health care and other
benefits, with consideration to allowing a limited time to
reverse a regrettable decision.
Continuity of Health Care Coverage--Transitioning out of the
military is always a difficult time for servicemembers and their
families, and it can even be more frightening and uncertain for those
who are disabled because of their service.
A major consideration is that there are significant differences
between active-duty and retired military health care coverage, and even
greater differences between active duty TRICARE and VA health coverage.
When a member is killed in the line of duty, the member's spouse is
authorized 3 years of continued active-duty-level coverage, and the
children are authorized continued active-duty-level coverage until they
attain majority.
The Coalition believes that, when a member suffers injuries or
illness on active duty, especially in combat, that are severe enough to
force him or her into disability retirement, the member and the family
deserve similar treatment. Three years of continued active-duty-level
coverage would provide the necessary transitional protection to ensure
they are not faced with abrupt and unforeseen changes in their
eligibility or expense for any type of care solely because of the
service-caused injury.
Cognitive therapy. This poses potentially serious implications for
members who may need years of continuing rehabilitation/therapy after
leaving active duty.
A particularly important example concerns cognitive rehabilitation
therapy for members with TBI. Active duty members must be approved
under a special TRICARE Supplemental Health Care Program for cognitive
rehabilitation therapy. Since the therapy is not a covered benefit
under TRICARE, members may not automatically receive the treatment and
services, and eligibility for the Supplemental Health Care Program
terminates once the member is retired. While DOD does provide some
rehabilitation services accepted and covered under TRICARE for TBI,
cognitive rehabilitation therapy is not covered as a distinct and
separate service because DOD believes there is no evidence on the
efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation as a therapy. The VA, on the other
hand, offers cognitive therapy coverage, but like TRICARE, treatment
and services are limited to specific locations where capacity and
demand exist.
Congress made some effort to mitigate such potential transition
problems with a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for
Fiscal Year 2008 that authorized continuity of active duty-level
TRICARE benefits for a disabled retiree to the extent that VA care is
not available.
But this is of limited value when the services and VA each think
the other should be making the availability determination, when the
availability of VA care is in the eye of the beholder, and when that
care is substantively different than the therapy the member was
receiving while on active duty. Even this modest protection only
applies to the member, not to family members.
Medicare Part B requirement. A major issue faced by many members
forced from active duty by severe service-caused disabilities is that
the severity of their disability qualifies them for Medicare. In such
cases, TRICARE is second-payer to Medicare.
But under laws that were designed for elderly retirees but apply
equally to all Medicare-eligible military beneficiaries, these younger
disabled warriors must pay Medicare Part B premiums ($96.40 per month
in 2009) to retain any coverage under TRICARE. Unfortunately, many
weren't well-informed on the requirement to enroll in Medicare and
subsequently were denied TRICARE eligibility.
The Coalition believes it's wrong that members whose service caused
them to become severely wounded, ill or injured should have to pay
extra for their care, and believes they should either be exempt from
paying the Part B premium until age 65 or DOD should reimburse them for
such payments.
DOD-VA Waiver of Pre-authorizations/Referrals. Doctors at VA
polytrauma centers indicate that one of their biggest problems is the
requirement to get multiple authorizations from DOD to provide a
variety of specialty care for active duty members with multiple medical
problems.
It is grossly inappropriate that bureaucratic requirements are
impeding the delivery of urgent and essential care for members who have
suffered most severely for their country.
When an active duty member is referred to VA facility for care, DOD
should grant an automatic waiver of preauthorization/referral
requirements to allow the VA providers to deliver needed care without
bureaucratic delays.
The Coalition strongly recommends:
Authorizing medically retired members with a severe
service-caused disability to retain active-duty-level TRICARE
eligibility for themselves and their eligible family members
for at least 3 years to protect against ``falling through the
cracks'' of unforeseen coverage changes upon conversion to
retired/veteran status;
Establishing common DOD and VA protocols for
diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation for TBI conditions;
Either exempting severely disabled military retirees
from paying Medicare Part B premiums until age 65 or
authorizing a special DOD allowance to reimburse them for the
cost of such premiums; and
Waiving TRICARE Prime preauthorization/referral
requirements for Active Duty/Guard/Reserve members referred to
VA polytrauma facilities for care.
Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)--Last year's
RAND study documented that about one in five OEF/OIF veterans suffer
from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or major depression and
another 10 percent experience some level of TBI.
The report stressed that if the government fails to invest in
needed immediate treatment, it will face very large alternative costs
in the years ahead as a result of homelessness, unemployment/
underemployment and lost tax revenue.
Congress has done the right thing by establishing the Center of
Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, and the
Coalition is encouraged by service leaders' cooperation in working with
the Center. Further, DOD and the VA are pursuing serious efforts to add
qualified mental health providers to meet the explosive growth in
requirements.
But the Coalition is concerned that it will take years to change
thinking, add resources, and implement processes necessary to achieve
the kind of results that all interested parties hope for.
In the meantime, thousands of affected members and their family
members have gone unidentified, continue to feel deterred from seeking
needed care, or are having difficulty accessing needed care.
In many cases, they may be resistant to acknowledging their
condition because of fear for the possible impact on their careers or
the perceptions of their leaders and peers (in many cases, with good
cause), or may seek independent counseling/care from outside providers
in efforts to protect their anonymity.
TMC recommends:
Priority efforts to deliver information on-line and by
other means to servicemembers and family members concerning
availability of providers, confidential options for counseling,
and virtual counseling/advice;
Special outreach efforts to provide such services and
resources to Guard and Reserve members and families who don't
live near military facilities;
Priority efforts to educate private sector providers
on the unique needs of military and veteran patients and family
members, and deliver needed information to them on-line,
including contact points for discussion/consultation with
military/VA providers;
Consistent implementation of pre- and post-deployment
evaluations, particularly for Guard and Reserve members who may
be leaving active duty;
Increased research on the impact of combat stress and
TBI on family members, particularly children;
Continuing destigmatization efforts with emphasis at
unit levels to actively encourage affected servicemembers,
veterans, and family members to seek help, and thus increase
effectiveness and military readiness;
Increasing availability and outreach on substance
abuse counseling options;
Pursuing aggressive medication reconciliation and
management programs to protect against inadvertent
overmedication and adverse reactions;
Requiring TBI and psychological health assessments for
members who have been deployed to a combat zone as part of any
disciplinary process prior to a decision concerning nonmedical
separation; and
Developing a partnership between DOD, VA, and other
governmental and nongovernmental agencies and civilian health
care systems to improve access to treatment for PTSD, TBI,
depression and other combat-related stress conditions for
servicemembers and their families.
Caregiver and Family Support Services--Recent statutory changes
authorized a number of support services, but more needs to be done to
assist full-time caregivers and family members who also have
significant additional needs.
The sad reality is that, for the most severely injured
servicemembers, family members or other loved ones are often required
to become full-time caregivers. Many have lost their jobs, homes, and
savings.
Under current law, TSGLI can provide some offset for immediate
expenses for some wounded warriors with qualifying TSGLI wounds/
injuries, and authorized caregivers are provided per diem payments
while the member remains on active duty. But those payments stop when
the member leaves active duty status. While the VA provides severely
disabled veterans a modest allowance for aid and attendance, it is
payable to the veteran, not to the caregiver. Further, it is authorized
only for spouses, but caregivers are often parents, siblings or other
loved ones.
The Coalition believes the government has an obligation to provide
reasonable compensation and training for such caregivers, who never
dreamed that their own well-being, careers, and futures would be
devastated by military-caused injuries to their servicemembers.
In addition, Congress should authorize health coverage and
reasonable respite care for full-time caregivers and their family
members, recognizing that they often have no other options for care and
need periodic relief from their arduous and stressful duties.
In the same vein as the continuity of health care addressed above,
many members have difficulty transitioning to medical retirement
status. To assist in this process, consideration should be given to
authorizing medically retired members and their families to remain in
on-base housing for up to 1 year after retirement, in the same way that
families are allowed to do so when a member dies on active duty.
The Coalition recommends:
Authorizing compensation, training and certification,
and respite care for family members required to serve as full-
time caregivers, whether the member is in active duty or
retired status;
Authorizing health care eligibility for full-time
caregivers and their families; and
Extending on-base housing eligibility for up to 1 year
to medically retired, severely injured servicemembers and their
families.
Active Forces and Their Families
The Coalition is concerned over the rhetoric that military
personnel costs are skyrocketing and hopes the subcommittee will be
able to fend off those who wish to reduce costs by cutting back on
needed personnel growth and quality of life programs.
Backtracking on planned--and badly needed--end strength increases
will only aggravate the unfair abuses already imposed on military
people and families with the imposition of repeated, long-term
deployments on a too-small force.
BRAC actions pose an additional concern, as DOD is struggling to
meet the 2011 deadline at many BRAC locations. The Coalition is very
concerned whether needed infrastructure and support programs will be in
place in time to meet families' needs.
Military End Strength--Inadequate end strengths and greater-than-
anticipated requirements and resources to support the war effort and
other operational requirements have taken a terrible toll on the
quality of life of military families. This has been reflected in
recruiting in recent years and poses a serious and too-often
underestimated threat to retention and readiness.
While the subcommittee succeeded in increasing Army and Marine
Corps end strengths last year, those must continue to have any
significant prospect of easing rotation burdens.
The Coalition appreciates the Armed Services Committee leadership's
support for additional end strength as outlined in their budget
resolution recommendation letter; however, we remain greatly disturbed
at calls by some influential legislators to reduce planned force growth
as a means of funding weapons requirements. In some cases, this is
justified by rhetoric about leveraging technology to replace people.
The past 7 years of war have shown that there is no substitute for
boots on the ground in the current conflict. It has been widely
acknowledged that any drawdown in Iraq will be offset by increased
deployments to Afghanistan.
The Coalition is very concerned that some national leaders seem to
have become desensitized to the truly terrible sacrifices that the
current mismatch between missions and force levels has already imposed
on those in uniform.
If force planners had been told before September 11 that our Armed
Forces would face the deployment tempo that they have over the past 8
years, every one of them would have predicted that the services would
be in a state of retention disaster by now.
We all stand in awe of the level of sacrifice our troops and
families have already borne on the Nation's behalf.
But we fear that some seem to have gotten the impression that,
because they have endured far more than the Nation has had any right to
expect, that we can continue demanding--or increasing--that level of
sacrifice. Let us not delude ourselves into thinking such a thing.
There are thousands among this new ``Greatest Generation'' who are
saying ``enough is enough'' and questioning their families can afford
to continue accepting such disproportional burdens with little prospect
of real relief in sight.
There is no avoiding the reality that years of war have worn out
weapons and equipment that must now be replaced and modernized. These
and other military requirements will take a great deal of money.
But pretending that the Nation can cut one essential readiness
component (personnel) to fund another--especially in wartime--would
entail a conscious decision to increase the already intolerable burdens
imposed on military families. Such gross insensitivity to their
sacrifices can only undermine retention and readiness, when they
already are at such grave risk.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to:
Sustain planned Army and Marine Corps end strength
growth as a top priority;
Resist budget-driven (rather than requirements-driven)
manpower reductions for the Air Force and Navy; and
Seek a 2010 defense budget of at least 5 percent of
Gross Domestic Product.
Military Pay Raise Comparability--The Coalition thanks the
subcommittee for its sustained commitment to restoring full military
pay comparability--a fundamental underpinning of the All-Volunteer
Force--and we are grateful for the committee's support for an
additional .5 percent pay raise above the administration's 2.9 percent
military pay raise as outlined in the budget resolution
recommendations.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, our Nation didn't adhere to that
principle, regularly capping military pay raises below the average
American's to the extent that the ``pay comparability gap'' reached
13.5 percent in 1998-1999, and contributed significantly to serious
retention problems.
Since then, the subcommittee has acted to pare the gap by approving
military raises that have been at least .5 percent above private sector
pay growth each year (as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics'
Employment Cost Index (ECI).
Now that significant progress has been made and the ``erosion of
pay and benefits'' retention-related problems have abated, some have
renewed the call to cut back on military raises, create a new
comparability standard, or substitute more bonuses for pay raises in
the interests of ``efficiency''.
The Defense Department, for example, wishes to establish a new
comparability standard under which each pay and longevity cell would
represent the 70th percentile of compensation for similarly-educated
civilians.
The Coalition believes that methodology is appropriate to establish
a floor to ensure the pay table properly addresses specific changes in
force composition (e.g., more highly-educated and technologically
sophisticated NCOs and warrant officers).
But it is a bad standard for the overall pay raise, precisely
because it is not transparent to anyone but the Pentagon analyst who
does the calculation and is highly susceptible to manipulation--as
various Defense leaders have sought to do in the past.
The Coalition agrees with the approach the subcommittee has taken--
that the best comparability measure is a comparison of the overall
military pay raise percentage (proportionally adjusted for any grade/
longevity tweaks such as those undertaken earlier in this decade) with
the percentage growth in the ECI.
The ECI is what the government uses for every other measure of
private pay growth, and it's very transparent to government leaders and
servicemembers alike.
As of 2009, the comparability gap stands a 2.9 percent.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to continue sustaining
military raises of at least .5 percent above the ECI until the current
2.9 percent shortfall is eliminated.
Military vs. Civilian Total Compensation Comparisons--The 10th
Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation recommended what several
studies have recommended in the past--building a ``Military Annual
Compensation'' measure that includes not only pay and housing/food
allowances and their associated tax advantages, but also the value of
military-unique medical and retirement benefits. This would be used to
compare military vs. civilian ``total compensation''.
The Coalition believes such methodologies are grossly inappropriate
for comparison purposes, because they fail utterly to acknowledge the
unique and arduous conditions of military service that necessitate
providing military-unique career benefits.
We acknowledge that it's appropriate to educate servicemembers on
the value of their total benefit package (which the services already do
by providing each member an annual statement itemizing the value of
each military compensation element). But even these often draw negative
member reactions, such as ``Where does this statement show the negative
value of having spent 3 of the last 6 years away from my family?''
In the context of the incalculable differential in working
conditions and demands and sacrifices expected of the two groups, any
attempt to monetize the total compensation differential is meaningless.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to continue to reject
proposals to ``civilianize'' military comparisons that, by their
nature, cannot similarly calculate the dramatic differentials in
military vs. civilian working conditions.
REDUX and the 15-Year Career Status Bonus--The Coalition is very
concerned that the Defense Department and the Services are not doing
enough to educate military people on protecting their long-term
financial interests concerning the choice each member faces at the 15-
year point between retaining the regular military retirement system or
accepting a $30,000 ``career status bonus'' and the far-less-
advantageous REDUX retirement system.
The Coalition believes that selecting the $30,000 bonus/REDUX is a
demonstrably bad financial choice for nearly all servicemembers.
A typical enlisted member who accepts the REDUX ``bonus'' and
subsequently retires as an E-7 with 20 years of service will have
forfeited $300,000 of lifetime retired pay (in 2009 dollars) for the
$30,000 bonus.
Yet one-quarter to one-half of enlisted members, depending on
service, opt to take the bonus.
Thinking about this another way, accepting the REDUX bonus is
equivalent to taking out a 24 percent APR mortgage on the retired pay
differential. For an officer, who receives the same $30,000 bonus but
sacrifices far more retired pay, it's equivalent to a 35 percent APR
mortgage.
The Coalition believes strongly, from this context, calling the
$30,000 a ``bonus'' is false advertising.
The Coalition believes that the REDUX/Career Status Bonus option
should be repealed. For the shorter term, recognizing the significant
budget hurdles to that objective, the Coalition urges the subcommittee
to require the services to exert more effort to educate members on the
size of the future retired pay loss incurred in choosing that option.
Family Readiness and Support--A fully funded, robust family
readiness program continues to be crucial to overall readiness of our
military, especially with the demands of frequent and extended
deployments.
Resource issues continue to plague basic installation support
programs. At a time when families are dealing with increased
deployments, they often are being asked to do without in other
important areas.
Availability of child care is a particular problem when so much of
the force is deployed.
The Coalition recommends that the subcommittee:
Provide authorization and funding to accelerate
increases in availability of child care to meet both Active and
Reserve component requirements;
Direct DOD to report on the extent of reallocation of
approved funding for support programs and the attendant impact
on military families; and
Continue pressing the Defense Department to implement
flexible spending accounts to enable active duty and Selected
Reserve families to pay out-of-pocket dependent care and health
care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Access to Quality Housing--Today's housing allowances come much
closer to meeting military members' and families' housing needs than in
the past, thanks to the conscientious efforts of the subcommittee in
recent years.
But the Coalition believes it's important to understand that some
fundamental flaws in the standards used to set those allowances remain
to be corrected, especially for enlisted members.
The Coalition supports revised housing standards that are more
realistic and appropriate for each pay grade. For example, only 1.25
percent of the enlisted force (E-9) is eligible for BAH sufficient to
pay for a three-bedroom single-family detached house, even though
thousands of more junior enlisted members do, in fact, reside in
detached homes.
We appreciate the subcommittee's effort to extend the single-family
home standard to E-8s in its markup last year, and regret that this
measure was not sustained in conference action.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to continue its efforts to
extend the single-family detached house standard to members in grade E-
8 and subsequently to grade E-7 and below over several years as
resources allow.
Post-September 11 GI Bill--Congress' action last year in approving
the post-September 11 GI Bill was a truly historic achievement that
will provide major long-term benefits for military people and for
America.
However, the Coalition is sensitive that, unlike every other GI
Bill program since World War II, eligibility was restricted to members
of the ``Armed Forces'' rather than ``uniformed services''. This had
the very serious effect of excluding eligibility for commissioned
officers of the U.S. Public Health Service and NOAA Corps.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee's support for a technical
correction to the post-September 11 GI Bill statute to ensure uniform
applicability to all seven uniformed services.
Paternity Leave--The Coalition is grateful for Congress' action
last year to provide 10 days of paternity leave to servicemembers who
have or adopt a child. However, eligibility was restricted to members
of the ``Armed Forces'' rather than ``uniformed services''. This had
the effect of excluding eligibility for commissioned officers of the
U.S. Public Health Service and NOAA Corps.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee's support for a technical
correction to the paternity leave statute to ensure uniform
applicability to all seven uniformed services.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Allowances--The Coalition is
grateful for the subcommittee's successful initiative last year to
raise the maximum daily Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE) allowance from
$180 to $290 and authorize certain increases in PCS weight allowances.
But it's an unfortunate fact that servicemembers and their families
are forced to incur other significant out-of-pocket expenses when
complying with government-directed moves.
For example, PCS mileage rates still have not been adjusted since
1985. The current rates range from 15 to 20 cents per mile--an ever-
shrinking fraction of the 48.5 cents per mile authorized for temporary
duty travel. Also, military members must make any advance house-hunting
trips at personal expense, without any government reimbursement such as
Federal civilians receive.
Additionally, the overwhelming majority of service families consist
of two working spouses, making two privately-owned vehicles a
necessity. Yet the military pays for shipment of only one vehicle on
overseas moves, including moves to Hawaii and Alaska. This forces
relocating families into large out-of-pocket expenses, either by
shipping a second vehicle at their own expense or selling one car
before leaving the States and buying another upon arrival.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to continue its efforts to
upgrade permanent change-of-station allowances to better reflect
expenses imposed on servicemembers, with priority on shipping a second
vehicle on overseas accompanied assignments and authorizing at least
some reimbursement for house-hunting trip expenses.
Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Programs--The availability of
appropriated funds to support MWR activities is an area of continuing
concern.
Servicemembers and their families are reaching the breaking point
as a result of extended deployments and the constant changes going on
in the force. It is unacceptable to have troops and families continue
to take on more responsibilities and sacrifices and not give them the
support and resources to do the job and to take care of the needs of
their families. TMC is particularly concerned that additional
reductions in funding or support services may occur because of the U.S.
economic crisis and budget shortfalls across the Defense Department.
TMC urges the subcommittee to:
Oppose any initiative to withhold or reduce MWR
appropriated support for Category A and B programs or reduce
the exchange dividend derived; and
Ensure needed access to exchange, commissary and
TRICARE programs at gaining and losing installations involved
in BRAC/rebasing.
Guard and Reserve Forces and Their Families
Since September 11, 2001, more than 690,000 Guard and Reserve
service men and women have been called to Active Federal service. More
than 190,000 have served multiple deployments. In this regard, they are
experiencing virtually the same sacrifices as active duty members and
families--on a level never envisioned by the architects of Guard and
Reserve personnel and compensation systems.
However, readjusting to home life, returning to civilian jobs and
the communities and families they left behind pose unique problems and
added stress for Reserve component members.
Unlike active duty personnel, whose combat experience enhances
their careers, many Guard and Reserve members return to employers who
are unhappy about their active duty service and find that their
civilian careers have been inhibited by their prolonged absences.
In many cases, those returning with various degrees of combat-
related injuries and stress disorders encounter additional difficulties
after they return that also can cost them their jobs and careers.
This is compounded by the reality that, despite the continuing
efforts of the subcommittee, most Guard and Reserve families do not
have access to the same level of counseling and support services that
the active duty members have.
In short, the Reserve components face increasing challenges
virtually across the board, including major equipment shortages, end-
strength requirements, wounded-warrior health care, and pre- and post-
deployment assistance and counseling.
Reserve Retirement Age Credit--TMC deeply appreciates Congress'
authorization of early retirement for certain members of the Guard and
Reserve activated since January 28, 2008. However, in recognition of
the continuing service and sacrifice of Reserve Components members and
as an inducement to longer service and to maintain the Operational
Reserve Force, more must be done.
Guard/Reserve mission increases and a smaller Active-Duty Force
mean Guard/Reserve members must devote far more of their working lives
to military service than envisioned when the current retirement system
was developed 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.
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--3 month reduction to all Guard and Reserve
members who have served since September 11.
TMC also urges amending the statute to eliminate the inequity
inherent in the current fiscal year calculation, which only credits 90
days of active service for early retirement purposes if it occurs
within the same fiscal year.
This has the effect of significantly penalizing members who deploy
in July or August vs. those deploying earlier in the fiscal year.
It is patently unfair, as the current law requires, to give 3
months' retirement age credit for a 90-day tour served from January
through March, but no credit at all for a 120-day tour served from
August through November (because the latter covers 60 days in each of 2
fiscal years).
For the near term, the Coalition places particular priority on
authorizing early retirement credit for all qualifying post-September
11 active duty service performed by Guard/Reserve servicemembers and
eliminating the fiscal-year-specific accumulator that bars equal credit
for members deploying for equal periods during different months of the
year.
Ultimately, TMC believes we must move forward to provide a reduced
age entitlement for retired pay and health coverage for all Reserve
component members--that is, an age/service formula or outright
eligibility at age 55.
Further, TMC urges repeal of the annual cap of 130 days of inactive
duty training points that may be credited towards a Reserve retirement.
Guard/Reserve Support--Additional initiatives are essential to
address unique difficulties encountered by Guard and Reserve members
and families in accommodating demands for additional active duty
service.
TMC urges the subcommittee to:
Fully fund and field ``yellow ribbon reintegration''
programs by modeling best practices
Implement GAO recommendations (GAO Rpt. 08-901) for
the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program
Ensure Federal Reserve veterans have equal access to
services and support available to National Guard veterans;
Secure waivers for scheduled licensing/certification/
promotion exams scheduled during a mobilization; and
Establish reemployment rights for Guard and Reserve
spouses who must suspend employment to care for children during
mobilization.
Guard/Reserve GI Bill--TMC is most grateful to Congress for passage
of the post-September 11 GI Bill, which authorizes cumulative credit
for Guard/Reserve service on active duty.
However, benefits for joining the Selected Reserve were not
upgraded or integrated in the post-September 11 GI Bill as TMC has long
recommended.
Today, Reserve Montgomery GI Bill benefits offer only 25 percent of
active duty benefits, compared to the originally intended 47-50
percent. That would require raising the current Reserve rate from $329
per month to roughly $650 for full time study.
This is not simply a matter of ``proportional equity.'' Restoring
the relative ratio between the two programs' benefits is essential to
long-term success of Guard and Reserve recruiting programs.
TMC strongly urges:
Restoring basic Reserve MGIB benefits for initially
joining the Selected Reserve to the historic benchmark of 47-50
percent of active duty benefits;
Integrating Reserve and active duty MGIB laws in Title
38 to ensure proportionality is maintained in any future
benefit changes; and
Providing full academic protection, including
guaranteed enrollment, for mobilized Guard and Reserve
students.
Special and Incentive Pays--Increased reliance on Guard and Reserve
Forces to perform active duty missions have highlighted differentials
and inconsistencies between treatment of active duty vs. Guard/Reserve
members on a range of special and incentive pays. Congress has acted to
address some of these disparities, but more work is needed.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to ensure equitable treatment
of Guard and Reserve vs. active duty members for the full range of
special and incentive pays.
Retiree Issues
The Military Coalition is extremely grateful to the subcommittee
for its support of maintaining a strong military retirement system to
help offset the extraordinary demands and sacrifices inherent in a
career of uniformed service.
Concurrent Receipt--In the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2004, Congress
acknowledged the inequity of the disability offset to earned retired
pay and established a process to end or phase out the offset for all
members with at least 20 years of service and at least a 50 percent
disability rating.
Congress further directed establishment of a Veterans Disability
Benefits Commission (VDBC) to assess whether changes to the disability
offset law are warranted for the remaining categories of disabled
retirees.
In its final report, the VDBC validated the long-standing Coalition
assertion that the deduction of VA disability compensation from earned
military retired pay is inappropriate and should be ended for all
categories of disabled retirees.
The Coalition is grateful that the subcommittee has continued its
efforts to make progress in easing the adverse effects of the offset--
most recently by extending eligibility for Combat-Related Special
Compensation (CRSC) to disabled retirees forced into medical retirement
by operations-related injuries before attaining 20 years of service.
The Coalition believes strongly that the same logic--that such
members should at least be ``vested'' in their service-earned retired
pay at 2.5 percent of pay times years of service--applies to those
forced into early medical retirement for service-caused conditions that
aren't related to combat. In this regard, the affect on the member's
quality of life and future earning power is the same, regardless of
whether the disability was caused by a bullet or some other service-
caused circumstance.
It is simply inappropriate that current law forces thousands of
severely injured members with as much as 19 years and 11 months of
service to forfeit most or all of their earned retired pay.
Similarly, the Coalition believes that, if the offset is
inappropriate for a member with a 50 percent or greater service-
connected disability, as Congress already has acknowledged in current
statute, it is no less appropriate for a member with a 40 percent
service-caused disability, etc.
The issue is whether a military retiree earned his or her retired
pay, independent of incurring a disability. Clearly, that answer is
``yes''. It follows logically that, if a member also has the misfortune
to incur a disability as a direct result of that service, the
disability compensation received from the VA should be added to the
member's earned retired pay, not subtracted from it.
The Coalition is grateful that the administration's budget
resolution outlines further concurrent receipt progress for disabled
servicemembers and we remain optimistic that this progress will be
incorporated in the defense bill.
Finally, the Coalition has learned of an inadvertent problem in the
statutory CRSC computation formula that causes many seriously disabled
and clearly eligible members to receive little or nothing in the way of
CRSC. The Defense Department has acknowledged the problem in
discussions with the subcommittee staff.
The Coalition's continuing goal is to eliminate the deduction of VA
disability compensation for from earned military retired pay for all
disabled retirees. In pursuit of that goal, the Coalition's immediate
priorities include:
Correcting the Combat-Related Special Compensation
formula to ensure the intended compensation is delivered; and
Expanding current authority for Concurrent Retired
Disability Pay to members forced into medical retirement before
attaining 20 years of service.
Proposed Military Retirement Changes--The Coalition has reviewed
the results of the 10th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation
(QRMC) and does not support its recommendation to modify the military
retirement system to more closely reflect civilian practices.
Specifically, the QRMC proposed:
Converting the military retirement system to a
civilian-style plan under which full retired pay wouldn't be
paid until age 57-60;
Vesting retirement benefits after 10 years of service;
and
Authorizing the services to pay flexible ``gate pays''
and separation pay at certain points of service to encourage
continued service in certain age groups or skills and encourage
others to leave, depending on the services needs for certain
kinds of people at the time.
The Coalition is very concerned that this proposal is so
complicated that people evaluating career decisions at the 4-to-10 year
point would have no way to project their future military retirement
benefits. Gate pays available at the beginning of a career could be cut
back radically if the force happened to be undergoing a strength
reduction later in a member's career.
Under today's system, it's very clear from the pay table what level
of retired pay would be payable, depending how long one served and how
well one progressed in grade.
From a broader force-planning standpoint, one thing history shows
is that no one is able to accurately project force requirements 10
years downstream. World events and economic situations have driven
dramatic force size changes within relatively short periods. The
sustained drawing power of the 20-year retirement system provides an
essential long-term moderating influence that keeps force managers from
over-reacting to short-term circumstances. Had force planners had such
a system in effect during the drawdown-oriented 1990s, the services
would have been far less prepared for the post-September 11 wartime
environment.
Of equal or greater concern, this plan would effectively take money
from people who serve a career (by deferring receipt of full retired
pay until age 57-60) in order to fund vesting of retirement benefits
for people who separate early. The Coalition believes pursuing that
course would pose a significant threat to long-term retention and
readiness.
The Coalition believes that the strong career pull of the 20-year
retirement system has been the principal bulwark against a retention
disaster in the current overstressed wartime environment.
A civilian-style retirement plan with receipt of retired pay
deferred until a later age would be appropriate for the military only
if military service conditions were similar to civilian working
conditions--which they most decidedly are not--and if historical
experience had not shown that the military depends on a maintaining a
relatively young and healthy force.
The Coalition believes strongly that, if such a system as
recommended by the QRMC existed for today's force under today's service
conditions, the military services would already be mired in a deep and
traumatic retention crisis.
Many such proposals have been offered in the past, and have been
discarded for good reasons. The only initiative to substantially
curtail/delay military retired pay that was enacted--the 1986 REDUX
plan--had to be scrapped 13 years later after it began inhibiting
retention. The reality is that unique military service conditions
demand a unique retirement system. Surveys consistently show that the
military retirement system is the single most powerful incentive to
serve a full career under conditions few civilians would be willing to
endure for even 1 year, much less 20 or 30.
TMC urges the subcommittee to reject retirement plan changes such
as those proposed by the 10th Quadrennial Review of Military
Compensation that would ``civilianize'' the military system without
adequate consideration of the extraordinary demands and sacrifices
inherent in a military vs. a civilian career.
Disability Severance Pay--The Coalition is grateful for the
subcommittee's inclusion of a provision in the NDAA for Fiscal Year
2008 that ended the VA compensation offset of a servicemember's
disability severance for people injured in the combat zone.
However, we are concerned that the language of this provision
imposes much stricter eligibility than that used for Combat-Related
Special Compensation.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to amend the eligibility rules
for disability severance pay to include all combat- or operations-
related injuries, using same definition as CRSC. For the longer term,
the Coalition believes the offset should be ended for all members
separated for service-caused disabilities.
survivor issues
The Coalition is grateful to the subcommittee for its significant
efforts in recent years to improve the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). We
particularly note that, as of this past April, thanks to the
subcommittee's efforts, the Social Security offset ended and SBP
beneficiaries, regardless of age, receive 55 percent of covered retired
pay.
We also appreciate the subcommittee's initiative in the fiscal year
2008 defense bill that establishes a special survivor indemnity
allowance. This is the first step in a longer-term effort to phase out
the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset to SBP when the
member died of a service-caused condition.
Additionally, we are pleased that the subcommittee and Congress
extended the indemnity allowance to survivors of members who died while
on active duty in the fiscal year 2009 defense bill.
SBP-DIC Offset--The Coalition believes strongly that current law is
unfair in reducing military SBP annuities by the amount of any survivor
benefits payable from the DIC program.
If the surviving spouse of a retiree who dies of a service-
connected cause is entitled to DIC from the Department of Veterans
Affairs and if the retiree was also enrolled in SBP, the surviving
spouse's SBP benefits are reduced by the amount of DIC. A pro-rata
share of SBP premiums is refunded to the widow upon the member's death
in a lump sum, but with no interest. This offset also affects all
survivors of members who are killed on active duty.
The Coalition believes SBP and DIC payments are paid for different
reasons. SBP is purchased by the retiree and is intended to provide a
portion of retired pay to the survivor. DIC is a special indemnity
compensation paid to the survivor when a member's service causes his or
her premature death. In such cases, the VA indemnity compensation
should be added to the SBP the retiree paid for, not substituted for
it.
It should be noted as a matter of equity that surviving spouses of
Federal civilian retirees who are disabled veterans and die of
military-service-connected causes can receive DIC without losing any of
their Federal civilian SBP benefits.
The reality is that, in every SBP-DIC case, active duty or retired,
the true premium extracted by the service from both the member and the
survivor was the ultimate one--the very life of the member--and that
all such deaths are officially acknowledged as having been caused by
military service.
The Veterans Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC) was tasked to
review the SBP-DIC issue, among other DOD/VA benefit topics. The VDBC's
final report to Congress agreed with the Coalition in finding that the
offset is inappropriate and should be eliminated.
Speaker Pelosi and all House leaders made repeal of the SBP-DIC
offset a centerpiece of their GI Bill of Rights for the 21st century.
Leadership has made great progress in delivering on other elements of
that plan, but the only progress to date on the SBP-DIC offset has been
the offer of a scant $50 per month (growing to $100 a month over 5
years) Supplemental Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA).
We appreciate that the subcommittee understands the military
community's (and especially the SBP-DIC widows') view that the new
allowance is grossly inadequate. We also appreciate the courage of the
subcommittee in its determination to authorize at least this small
amount as a token of good faith, when it could have elected to do
nothing.
The Coalition urges repeal of the SBP-DIC offset. The Coalition
further recommends:
Authorizing payment of SBP annuities for disabled
survivors into a Special Needs Trust.
Certain permanently disabled survivors can lose
eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid
and access to means-tested State programs because of receipt of
SBP. This initiative is essential to put disabled SBP
annuitants on an equal footing with other SSI/Medicaid-
eligibles who have use of special needs trusts.
Allowing SBP eligibility to switch to children if a
surviving spouse is convicted of complicity in the member's
death; and
Reinstating SBP for survivors who previously
transferred payments to their children at such time as the
children majority, or upon termination of a second or
subsequent marriage.
Final Retired Paycheck--Under current law, DFAS recoups from
military widows' bank accounts all retired pay for the month in which a
retiree dies. Subsequently, DFAS pays the survivor a pro-rated amount
for the number of days of that month in which the retiree was alive.
This often creates hardships for survivors who have already spent that
pay on rent, food, etc., and who routinely are required to wait several
months for DFAS to start paying SBP benefits.
The Coalition believes this is an extremely insensitive policy
imposed by the government at the most traumatic time for a deceased
member's next of kin. Unlike his or her active duty counterpart, a
retiree's survivor receives no death gratuity. Many older retirees do
not have adequate insurance to provide even a moderate financial
cushion for surviving spouses.
Recent media coverage highlighted the VA's failure to implement a
decade-old law change that required the VA to make full payment of the
final month's VA disability compensation to the survivor of a disabled
veteran.
The disparity between DOD and VA policy on this matter is
indefensible. Congress should do for retirees' widows the same thing it
did 10 years ago to protect veterans' widows.
TMC urges the subcommittee to authorize survivors of retired
members to retain the final month's retired pay for the month in which
the retiree dies.
health care issues
The Coalition appreciates the subcommittee's strong and continuing
interest in keeping health care commitments to military beneficiaries.
We are particularly grateful for your support for the last few years in
refusing to allow the Department of Defense to implement beneficiary
health care fee increases. We are encouraged by the full funding of
TRICARE included in the President's budget.
Prior to the past several years, the Coalition and the Defense
Department have had regular and substantive dialogues that proved very
productive in facilitating reasonably smooth implementation of such
major program changes as TRICARE Prime and TRICARE for Life.
It is a great source of regret to the Coalition that there has been
substantively less dialogue on the recent fee increase initiatives. In
recent years, DOD's main concern has been to extract a specified amount
of budget savings from beneficiaries, primarily by driving
beneficiaries away from using their earned TRICARE coverage.
The unique package of military retirement benefits--of which a key
component is a top-of-the-line health care benefit--is the primary
offset afforded uniformed servicemembers for enduring a career of
unique and extraordinary sacrifices that few Americans are willing to
accept for 1 year, let alone 20 or 30. It is an unusual, and essential,
compensation package that a grateful Nation provides for the miniscule
fraction of the US population who agree to subordinate their personal
and family lives to protecting our national interests for so many
years. This sacrifice, in a very real sense, constitutes a pre-paid
premium for their future healthcare.
Full Funding for the Defense Health Program--The Coalition is
grateful for the subcommittee's support for maintaining--and expanding
where needed--the healthcare benefit for all military beneficiaries,
consistent with the demands imposed upon them.
To a large extent, military health care cost growth is a reflection
of private sector trends. But those who measure cost growth since 1999
or 2000 start from an erroneous benchmark. At that time, military
health care delivery was at its bottom point, with most Medicare-
eligibles having been driven entirely out of military health care
coverage by the closure and downsizing of military health facilities
(MTF).
The resultant bad publicity was hurting retention, and that's a
major reason why Congress enacted TRICARE For Life to restore lost
benefits to military Medicare-eligibles. Congress knew from the start
and fully intended that restoring medical and pharmacy coverage for
beneficiaries over age 65 would substantially increase military health
care outlays.
It's true that many private sector employers are choosing to shift
an ever-greater share of health care costs to their employees and
retirees, and that's causing many still-working military retirees to
fall back on their service-earned TRICARE coverage.
In the bottom-line-oriented corporate world, many firms see their
employees as another form of capital, from which maximum utility is to
be extracted at minimum cost, and those who quit are replaceable by
similarly experienced new hires. But that can't be the culture in the
military's closed, all-volunteer personnel system, whose long-term
effectiveness is dependent on establishing a sense of mutual, long-term
commitment between the servicemember and his/her country.
The Coalition believes it's essential to bear other considerations
in mind when considering the extent to which military beneficiaries
should share in military health care costs.
First and foremost, the military health care system is not built
for the beneficiary, but to sustain military readiness. Each Service
maintains its unique facilities and systems to meet its unique needs,
and its primary mission is to sustain readiness by keeping a healthy
force and to be able to treat casualties from military actions. To
reiterate, that model is not built for cost efficiency or beneficiary
welfare. It's built for military readiness requirements.
Similarly, when military forces deploy, the military medical force
goes with them, and that forces families, retirees and survivors to use
the more expensive civilian health care system in the absence of so
many uniformed health care providers.
These are readiness costs incurred for the convenience of the
military, not for any beneficiary consideration, and beneficiaries
should not be expected to bear any share of that cost--particularly in
wartime.
The Coalition is uncertain whether the new administration will
again propose some reduction to the defense health care budget based on
the assumption that Congress will approve beneficiary fee increases for
fiscal year 2010. But the Coalition would object strongly to any such
reduction.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to take all possible steps to
ensure continued full funding for Defense Health Program needs.
Protecting Beneficiaries Against Cost-Shifting
The Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care had a great
opportunity for objective evaluation of the larger health care issues.
Unfortunately, the Coalition believes the Task Force missed that mark
by a substantial margin.
The bulk of its report cites statistics provided by the Defense
Department and focuses discussions of cost-sharing almost solely on
government costs, while devoting hardly a sentence to what the
Coalition views as an equally fundamental issue--the level of health
care coverage that servicemembers earn by their arduous career service,
the value of that service as an in-kind, upfront premium pre-payment,
and the role of lifetime health care coverage as an important offset to
the unique conditions of military service.
The Task Force gave short shrift to what the Coalition sees as a
fundamental point--that generations of military people have been told
by their leaders that their service earned them their health care
benefit, and DOD and Congress reinforced that perception by sustaining
flat, modest TRICARE fees over long periods of time. But now the
Department and the Task Force imply that the military retirement health
care benefit is no longer earned by service. They now say beneficiary
costs should be ``restored'' to some fixed share of Defense Department
costs, even though no such relationship was ever stated or intended in
the past.
The Task Force report acknowledged that DOD cost increases over the
intervening years have been inflated by military/wartime requirements,
inefficiency, lack of effective oversight, structural dysfunction, or
conscious political decisions by the administration and Congress. They
acknowledged GAO findings that DOD financial statements and cost
accounting are not auditable because of system problems, inadequate
business processes and internal controls. Yet the Task Force accepted
DOD-prepared cost data from 1996 and subsequent years, and said the
government should foist a fixed share of those costs on beneficiaries
anyway. The Coalition has requested information concerning the 1996
costing calculation and has never received an adequate accounting as to
what was included in the calculation.
The following charts illustrate the annual cost increase the Task
Force plan would impose various categories of military families.
The Tenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation (QRMC)
offered somewhat different recommendations, but also took a budget-
centric approach that failed to explicitly address what level of health
care benefit should be considered earned by a career of military
service and sacrifice.
The Coalition agrees with QRMC recommendations to:
Eliminate copays and deductibles for preventive
services . . . immunizations, mammograms, colonoscopies,
medications for chronic conditions like diabetes to incentivize
people to take medications and get tests that have been proven
to reduce longer-term health care costs
Pursue a wide range of initiatives to improve
recruiting and retention of military health care professionals.
But we cannot agree with the QRMC proposals to:
Establish premiums for retirees under 65 that are 40
percent of the Medicare Part B premium for those in Prime and
15 percent of the Medicare Part B premium for those in
Standard.
Means-test retiree premiums based on adjusted gross
income.
Fund care for beneficiaries under 65 on an accrual
basis, which would convert it to mandatory spending and make it
extremely difficult to execute needed improvements.
Roughly double retail pharmacy copays.
The Coalition believes it would be wrong to base premiums for
beneficiaries in their 40s and 50s on the cost of providing health care
to the elderly and disabled, whose health care needs are so much
different.
Similarly, means-testing has no place in setting military health
fees. Less than 1 percent of employer-provided plans in the U.S. are
income-based. It's one thing to do that for Medicare, which is social
insurance provided by the government to every American. It's quite
another to apply it to an employer-sponsored program that was earned by
decades of service to the government.
The Coalition opposes any enrollment fee for TRICARE Standard,
which doesn't guarantee access to a provider.
We continue to believe that the proper course of action is to
establish principles and standards in law concerning the specific
health benefits military people earn in return for a career in uniform,
just as Congress has done for other major compensation elements. Absent
such principles and standards, these critically important benefits are
left subject to the annual uncertainty of ever-changing administration
budget proposals.
People vs. Weapons--Defense officials have provided briefs to
Congress indicating that the rising military health care costs are
``impinging on other service programs.'' Other reports indicate that
DOD leaders and others seek to free up funding for weapons programs by
reducing spending on military personnel and health care.
The Military Coalition continues to assert that such budget-driven
trade-offs are misguided and inappropriate. Cutting people programs to
fund weapons ignores the much larger funding problem, and only makes it
worse.
The Coalition believes strongly that the proposed defense budget is
too small to meet national defense needs. Today's defense budget (in
wartime) is only about 4 percent of GDP, well short of the 6.5 percent
average for the peacetime years since WWII.
The Coalition believes strongly that America can afford to and must
pay for both weapons and military health care.
Military vs. Civilian Cost-Sharing Measurement--Defense leaders
assert that substantial military fee increases are needed to bring
military beneficiary health care costs more in line with civilian
practices. But merely contrasting military vs. civilian cash cost-
shares is a grossly misleading, ``apple-to-orange'' comparison.
For all practical purposes, those who wear the uniform of their
country are enrolled in a 20- to 30-year pre-payment plan that they
must complete to earn lifetime health coverage. In this regard,
military retirees and their families paid enormous ``upfront'' premiums
for that coverage through their decades of service and sacrifice. Once
that pre-payment is already rendered, the government cannot simply
pretend it was never paid, and focus only on post-service cash
payments.
The Department of Defense and the Nation--as good-faith employers
of the trusting members from whom they demand such extraordinary
commitment and sacrifice--have a reciprocal health care obligation to
retired servicemembers and their families and survivors that far
exceeds any civilian employer's to its workers and retirees.
The Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care acknowledges
that its recommendations for beneficiary fee increases, if enacted,
would leave military beneficiaries with a lesser benefit than 20-25
percent of America's corporate employees. The pharmacy copayment
schedule they proposed for military beneficiaries is almost the same--
and not as robust in some cases--as the better civilian programs they
reviewed.
The Coalition believes that military beneficiaries from whom
America has demanded decades of extraordinary service and sacrifice
have earned coverage that is the best America has to offer--not
coverage that's worse than 25 percent of corporate plans.
Large Retiree Fee Increases Can Only Hurt Retention--The reciprocal
obligation of the government to maintain an extraordinary benefit
package to offset the extraordinary sacrifices of career military
servicemembers is a practical as well as moral obligation. Mid-career
military losses can't be replaced like civilians can.
Eroding benefits for career service can only undermine long-term
retention/readiness. Today's servicemembers are very conscious of
Congress' actions toward those who preceded them in service. One reason
Congress enacted TRICARE For Life in 2000 is because the Joint Chiefs
of Staff at that time said inadequate retiree health care was affecting
attitudes among active duty servicemembers.
This is reinforced by a quote from then Chief of Naval Operations
and now Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, in a 2006 Navy Times
article:
``More and more sailors are coming in married. They talk to
me more about medical benefits than I ever thought to when I
was in my mid-20s. I believe we have the gold standard . . .
for medical care right now, and that's a recruiting issue, a
recruiting strength, and it's a retention strength.''
That's more than backed up by two independent Coalition surveys. A
2006 Military Officers Association of America survey drew 40,000
responses, including more than 6,500 from active duty servicemembers.
Over 92 percent in all categories of respondents opposed the DOD-
proposed fee hikes. There was virtually no difference between the
responses of active duty servicemembers (96 percent opposed) and
retirees under 65 (97 percent opposed). A Fleet Reserve Association
survey showed similar results.
Reducing military retirement benefits would be particularly ill-
advised when an overstressed force already is at increasing retention
risk.
Pharmacy Copay Proposals Out of Step With Current Trends--Last
year's DOD proposal, based on Task Force recommendations, would have
increased retail pharmacy copays from $3 (generic), $9 (brand), and $22
(nonformulary) to $15, $25, and $45, respectively. Those represent
increases of 400 percent, 178 percent, and 100 percent, respectively.
The QRMC recommended increases to $7, $17, and $29--increases of
133 percent, 89 percent, and 32 percent.
Despite citing experience in civilian firms that beneficiary use of
preferred drugs increased when their copays were reduced or eliminated,
DOD and the QRMC proposed the highest percentage copay increases for
the medications TRICARE most wants beneficiaries to use.
Further, the large increase for retail generics flies in the face
of recent commercial initiatives by Wal-Mart and a number of other
civilian pharmacies to offer hundreds of generics to the general public
for a $4 copay or less.
If the purpose of these proposals is to push military beneficiaries
to use Wal-Mart instead of TRICARE, it might indeed save the government
some money on those medications. But it won't make military
beneficiaries feel very good about their military pharmacy benefit. It
shouldn't make Congress feel good about it, either.
The Coalition particularly questions the need for pharmacy copay
increases now that Congress has approved Federal pricing for the
TRICARE retail pharmacy system. The Coalition notes that Federal
pricing still has not been implemented by the Executive Branch, and
this failure is costing DOD tens of millions of dollars with every
passing month. This is an excellent example of why the Coalition
objects to basing beneficiary fees on a percentage of DOD costs--
because DOD all-too-frequently does not act, or is not allowed to act,
in a prudent way to hold costs down.
Retirees Under 65 ``Already Gave'' 10 percent of Retired Pay--Large
proposed health care fee increases would impose a financial ``double
whammy'' on retirees and survivors under age 65.
Any assertion that military retirees have been getting some kind of
``free ride'' because TRICARE fees have not been increased in recent
years conveniently overlooks past government actions that have
inflicted far larger financial penalties on every retiree and survivor
under 65--penalties that will grow every year for the rest of their
lives.
That's because decades of past budget caps already depressed
lifetime retired pay by an average of almost 10 percent for
servicemembers who retired between 1984 and 2008. For most of the 1980s
and 1990s, military pay raises were capped below private sector pay
growth, accumulating a 13.5 percent ``pay gap'' by 1998-99--a gap which
has been moderated since then but persists at 2.9 percent today.
Every servicemember who has retired since 1984--exactly the same
under-65 retiree population targeted by the proposed TRICARE fee
increases--has had his or her retired pay depressed by a percentage
equal to the pay gap at the time of retirement. That depressed pay will
persist for the rest of their lives, with a proportional depression of
Survivor Benefit Plan annuities for their survivors.
A servicemember who retired in 1993--when the pay gap was 11.5
percent--continues to suffer an 11.5 percent retired pay loss today.
For an E-7 who retired in 1993 with 20 years of service, that means a
loss of $2,100 this year and every year because the government capped
his military pay below the average American's. An O-5 with 20 years of
service loses more than $4,400 a year.
The government has spent almost a decade making incremental
reductions in the pay gap for currently serving members, but it still
hasn't made up the whole gap--and the government certainly hasn't
offered to make up those huge losses suffered by members already
retired. Under such circumstances, it strikes the Coalition as ironic
when defense officials propose, in effect, billing those same retirees
for ``back TRICARE fee increases''.
Fee-Tiering Scheme Is Inappropriate--The Defense Department, the
Task Force and the QRMC all have proposed multi-tiered schemes for
proposed beneficiary fee increases, with the administration's based on
retired pay grade, the Task Force's based on retired pay amount, and
the QRMC's based on family taxable income. The intent of the plan is to
ease opposition to the fee increases by introducing a means-testing
initiative that penalizes some groups less than others.
The Coalition rejects such efforts to mask a fundamental inequity
by trying to convince some groups that the inequity being imposed on
them is somehow more acceptable because even greater penalties would be
imposed on other groups.
Any such argument is fundamentally deceptive, especially since the
administration and Task Force plans envisioned adjusting fee levels by
medical inflation (7-8 percent a year), while retired pay thresholds
would be adjusted by retiree COLAs (2 percent-3 percent a year). That
would guarantee ``tier creep''--shifting ever greater numbers of
beneficiaries into the top tier every year.
Surveys of public and private sector health care coverage indicate
that less than 1 percent of plans differentiate by salary. No other
Federal plan does so. The Secretary of Defense has the same coverage
and pays the same premium as any GS employee, and the Speaker of the
House has the same coverage and premium payments as any
Representative's lowest-paid staff member.
The Coalition believes strongly that all military retirees earned
equal health benefits by virtue of their career service, and that the
lowest fee tier proposed so far would be an excessive increase for any
military beneficiary.
Alternative Options to Make TRICARE More Cost-Efficient--The
Coalition continues to believe strongly that the Defense Department has
not sufficiently investigated other options to make TRICARE more cost-
efficient without shifting costs to beneficiaries. The Coalition has
offered a long list of alternative cost-saving possibilities,
including:
Positive incentives to encourage beneficiaries to seek
care in the most appropriate and cost effective venue;
Encouraging improved collaboration between the direct
and purchased care systems and implementing best business
practices;
Focusing the military health system (MHS), health care
providers, and beneficiaries on quality measured outcomes;
Improving MHS financial controls and avoiding overseas
fraud by establishing TRICARE networks in areas fraught with
fraud;
Establishing TRICARE networks in areas of high TRICARE
Standard utilization to take full advantage of network
discounts.
Promoting retention of other health insurance by
making TRICARE a true second-payer to other insurance (far
cheaper to pay another insurance's copay than have the
beneficiary migrate to TRICARE).
Changing the electronic claim system to scan for
common errors and prompt corrections in real time to help
providers submit ``clean'' claims and reduce delays/multiple
submissions.
Size and staff military treatment facilities to reduce
reliance on non-MTF civilian providers.
Reducing long-term TRICARE Reserve Select costs by
allowing servicemembers the option of a government subsidy of
civilian employer premiums during periods of mobilization.
Doing far more to promote use of mail-order pharmacy
system via mailings to users of maintenance medications,
highlighting the convenience and individual expected cost
savings
Encouraging retirees to use lowest-cost-venue military
pharmacies at no charge, rather than discouraging such use by
limiting formularies, curtailing courier initiatives, etc.
The Coalition is pleased that DOD has begun to implement at least
some of our past suggestions, and stands ready to partner with DOD to
investigate and jointly pursue these or other options that offer
potential for reducing costs.
TRICARE Still Has Significant Shortcomings--While DOD focuses on
the cost of the TRICARE program to the government, surveys show
increasing dissatisfaction among active duty, Guard/Reserve and retired
beneficiaries who continue to experience significant problems with
TRICARE. Beneficiaries at many locations, particularly those lacking
large military populations, report difficulty in finding health care
providers willing to participate in the program. Doctors complain about
the program's low payments and administrative hassles. Withdrawal of
providers from TRICARE networks at several locations has generated
national publicity.
A 2007 GAO survey of National Guard and Reserve personnel said
almost one-third of respondents reported having difficulty obtaining
assistance from TRICARE, and more than one-fourth reported difficulty
in finding a TRICARE-participating provider.
That problem is getting worse rather than better. The Task Force
report said all military beneficiary categories report more difficulty
than civilians in accessing health care, and that military
beneficiaries' reported satisfaction with access to care declined from
2004 to 2006. A 2008 survey showed a significant further decline.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to require DOD to pursue
greater efforts to improve TRICARE and find more effective and
appropriate ways to make TRICARE more cost-efficient without seeking to
``tax'' beneficiaries and make unrealistic budget assumptions.
TMC Healthcare Cost Principles--The Military Coalition believes
strongly that the current fee controversy is caused in part by the lack
of any statutory record of the purpose of military health care benefits
and the specific benefit levels earned by a career of service in
uniform. Under current law, the Secretary of Defense has broad latitude
to make administrative adjustments to fees for TRICARE Prime and the
pharmacy systems. Absent congressional intervention, the Secretary can
choose not to increase fees for years at a time or can choose to
quadruple fees in 1 year.
Until recently, this was not a particular matter of concern, as no
Secretary had previously proposed dramatic fee increases. Given recent
years' unsettling experience, the Coalition believes strongly that the
subcommittee needs to establish more specific and permanent principles,
guidelines, and prohibitions to protect against dramatic budget-driven
fluctuations in this most vital element of servicemembers' career
compensation incentive package.
Other major elements of the military compensation package have much
more specific standards in permanent law. There is a formula for the
initial amount of retired pay and for subsequent annual adjustments.
Basic pay raises are tied to the Employment Cost Index, and housing and
food allowances are tied to specific standards as well.
The Coalition most strongly recommends that Congress establish
statutory findings, a sense of Congress on the purpose and principles
of military health care benefits, and the specific benefit levels
earned by a career of uniformed service.
Active duty members and families should be charged no
fees except retail pharmacy co-payments, except to the extent
they make the choice to participate in TRICARE Standard or use
out-of-network providers under TRICARE Prime.
The TRICARE Standard inpatient copay should not be
increased further for the foreseeable future. At $535 per day,
it already far exceeds inpatient copays for virtually any
private sector health plan.
There should be no enrollment fee for TRICARE Standard
or TRICARE For Life (TFL), since neither offers assured access
to TRICARE-participating providers. An enrollment fee implies
enrollees will receive additional services, as Prime enrollees
are guaranteed access to participating providers in return for
their fee. Congress already has required TFL beneficiaries to
pay substantial Medicare Part B fees to gain TFL coverage.
There should be one TRICARE fee schedule for all
retired beneficiaries, just as all legislators, Defense leaders
and other Federal civilian grades have the same health fee
schedule. The current TRICARE schedule is significantly lower
than the lowest tier recommended by the Defense Department,
recognizing that all retired servicemembers paid large upfront
premiums for their coverage through decades of arduous service
and sacrifice.
TRICARE Prime
TRICARE Prime--The Coalition is very concerned about growing
dissatisfaction among TRICARE Prime enrollees--which is actually higher
among active duty families than among retired families.
The dissatisfaction arises from increasing difficulties experienced
by beneficiaries in getting appointments, referrals to specialists, and
sustaining continuity of care from specific providers.
Increasingly, beneficiaries with a primary care manager in a
military treatment facility find themselves unable to get appointments
because so many providers have deployed, PCSed, or are otherwise
understaffed/unavailable.
Instead of offering beneficiaries appointments with civilian
network providers, many appointment administrators are simply telling
the beneficiary that no appointments are available and to try back
later. This is contrary to the best interests of the beneficiary,
violates clear TRICARE Prime standards for timely access to care, makes
beneficiaries see the military as insensitive to their vital family
needs, and undermines long-term retention and readiness.
This problem disproportionally affects active duty families who are
given priority over retirees for military PCMs. Because most active
duty family members are used to getting care in the military facility,
they often don't know to demand an appointment with a civilian provider
if a military appointment isn't available.
The problem is compounded by Prime's continuing makeshift system
for referrals to specialists and by beneficiary confusion over whom to
call to authorize needed care while traveling away from their home
station.
The Military Coalition urges the subcommittee to require a DOD
report, including reports from the managed care support contractors, on
actions being taken to improve Prime patient satisfaction, provide
assured appointments within Prime access standards, reduce delays in
preauthorization and referral appointments, and provide quality
information to assist beneficiaries in making informed decisions.
TRICARE Standard
TRICARE Standard Enrollment--The Department of Defense has proposed
various options to require TRICARE Standard beneficiaries to sign an
explicit statement of enrollment in Standard and pay either a one-time
or an annual enrollment fee. The Task Force and the QRMC also proposed
annual enrollment fees for TRICARE Standard.
The proposals are based on three main arguments:
Enrollment is needed to define the population that
will actually use the program.
Enrollment would allow more accurate budgeting for
program needs.
The fee would help offset DOD's cost of having the
enrollment system (DOD rationale) or ``impose some personal
accountability for health care costs'' (Task Force rationale).
The Coalition believes none of these arguments stands up to
scrutiny.
Department officials already know exactly which beneficiaries use
TRICARE Standard. They have exhaustive records on what doctors they've
seen and what medications they've used when and for what. They already
assess usage trends and project trends for current and future years--
such as the effect of private employer changes on beneficiaries' return
to the TRICARE system.
DOD does not have a good record on communicating policy changes to
Standard beneficiaries. That means large numbers of beneficiaries won't
get the word, or appreciate the impact if they do. They have always
been told that their eligibility is based on the Defense Enrollment
Eligibility Reporting System.
Thousands of beneficiaries would learn of the requirement only when
their TRICARE Standard claims are rejected for failure to enroll. Some
would involve claims for cancer, auto accidents and other situations in
which it would be unacceptable to deny claims because the beneficiary
didn't understand an administrative rule change. DOD administrators who
dismiss this argument as involving a minority of people would see the
situation differently if it were their family being affected--as
hundreds or thousands of military families certainly would be.
Inevitably, most beneficiaries who do receive and understand the
implications would enroll simply ``to be safe'', even if they intended
to use mainly VA or employer-provided coverage--thus undercutting the
argument that enrollment would increase accuracy of usage projections.
Further, it would be inappropriate to make beneficiaries pay a fee
to cover the cost of an enrollment system established solely for the
government's benefit and convenience, with no benefit for the
beneficiary. One who pays an enrollment fee expects something extra in
return for the fee. An enrollment fee for TRICARE Prime is reasonable,
because it buys the beneficiary guaranteed access to a participating
provider. TRICARE Standard provides no such guarantee, and in some
locations it's very difficult for beneficiaries to find a TRICARE
provider.
To the extent any enrollment requirement may still be considered
for TRICARE Standard, such enrollment should be automatic for any
beneficiary who files a TRICARE claim. Establishing an enrollment
requirement must not be allowed to become an excuse to deny claims for
members who are unaware of the enrollment requirement.
The Coalition strongly recommends against establishment of any
TRICARE Standard enrollment system; to the extent enrollment may be
required, any beneficiary filing a claim should be enrolled
automatically, without denying the claim. No enrollment fee should be
charged for TRICARE Standard until and unless the program offers
guaranteed access to a participating provider.
TRICARE Standard Provider Participation--The Coalition appreciates
the subcommittee's continuing interest in the specific problems unique
to TRICARE Standard beneficiaries. TRICARE Standard beneficiaries need
assistance in finding participating providers within a reasonable time
and distance from their home. This is particularly important with the
expansion of TRICARE Reserve Select, as many of those enrollees don't
live in Prime Service Areas.
The Coalition is concerned that DOD has not yet established any
standard for the adequacy of provider participation. Participation by
half of the providers in a locality may suffice if there is not a large
Standard beneficiary population. The Coalition hopes to see an
objective participation standard (perhaps number of beneficiaries per
provider) that would help shed more light on which locations have
participation shortfalls of Primary Care Managers and Specialists that
require positive action.
The Coalition is grateful to the subcommittee for its past efforts
that will require DOD to establish benchmarks for participation
adequacy and follow-up reports on actions taken.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to continue monitoring DOD and
GAO reporting on provider participation to ensure proper follow-on
action.
Administrative Deterrents to Provider Participation--Feedback from
providers indicates TRICARE imposes additional administrative
requirements on providers that are not required by Medicare or other
insurance plans. On the average, about 50 percent of a provider's panel
is Medicare patients, whereas only 2 percent are TRICARE beneficiaries.
Providers are unwilling to incur additional administrative expenses
that affect only a small number of patients. Thus, many providers are
prone to non-participation in TRICARE.
TRICARE Standard still requires submission of a paper claim to
determine medical necessity on a wide variety of claims. This thwarts
efforts to encourage electronic claim submission and increases provider
administrative expenses and payment delays. Examples include speech
therapy, occupational/physical therapy, land or air ambulance service,
use of an assistant surgeon, nutritional therapy, transplants, durable
medical equipment, and pastoral counseling.
Another source of claims hassles and payment delays involve cases
of third party liability (e.g., auto insurance health coverage for
injuries incurred in auto accidents). TRICARE requires claims to be
delayed pending receipt of a third-party-liability form from the
beneficiary. This often delays payments for weeks and can result in
denial and non-payment to the provider if the beneficiary doesn't get
the form in on time. Recently, a major TRICARE claims processing
contractor recommended that these claims should be processed regardless
of diagnosis and that the third-party-liability questionnaire should be
sent out after the claim is processed to eliminate protracted
inconvenience to the provider of service.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to continue its efforts to
reduce administrative impediments that deter providers from accepting
TRICARE patients.
TRICARE Reimbursement Rates--Physicians consistently report that
TRICARE is virtually the lowest-paying insurance plan in America. Other
national plans typically pay providers 25-33 percent more. In some
cases the difference is even higher.
While TRICARE rates are tied to Medicare rates, TRICARE Managed
Care Support Contractors make concerted efforts to persuade providers
to participate in TRICARE Prime networks at a further discounted rate.
Since this is the only information providers receive about TRICARE,
they see TRICARE as even lower-paying than Medicare.
This is exacerbated by annual threats of further reductions in
TRICARE rates due to the statutory Medicare rate-setting formula.
Physicians may not be able to afford turning away Medicare patients,
but many are willing to turn away a small number of patients who have
low-paying, high-administrative-hassle TRICARE coverage.
The TRICARE Management Activity has the authority to increase the
reimbursement rates when there is a provider shortage or extremely low
reimbursement rate for a specialty in a certain area and providers are
not willing to accept the low rates. In some cases, a State Medicaid
reimbursement for a similar service is higher than that of TRICARE. But
the Department has been reluctant to establish a standard for adequacy
of participation to trigger higher payments.
To the extent the Medicare rate freeze continues, we urge the
subcommittee to encourage the Defense Department to use its
reimbursement rate adjustment authority as needed to sustain provider
acceptance.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to require a Comptroller
General report on the relative propensity of physicians to participate
in Medicare vs. TRICARE, and the likely effect on such relative
participation of a further freeze in Medicare/TRICARE physician
payments along with the affect of an absence of bonus payments.
Dental Care
Active Duty Dependent Dental Plan--The Coalition is sensitive to
beneficiary concerns that Active Duty Dental Plan coverage for
orthodontia has been eroded by inflation over a number of years.
The current orthodontia payment cap is $1,500, which has not been
changed since 2001. In the intervening years, the cost of orthodontia
has risen from an average of $4,000 to more than $5,000.
The Coalition understands that, under current law, increasing this
benefit could require a reduction in some other portion of the benefit,
which we do not support.
The Coalition notes that current law assumes a 60 percent DOD
subsidy for the active duty dental plan, whereas other Federal health
programs (e.g., FEHBP and TRS) are subsidized at 72 percent.
The Coalition recommends increasing the DOD subsidy for the active
Duty Dependent Dental Plan to 72 percent and increasing the cap on
orthodontia payments to $2,000.
TRICARE Dental Benefit for Surviving Children--In recent years, the
subcommittee acted appropriately to continue active-duty-level TRICARE
Prime coverage for children of members who die on active duty for as
long as they retain dependent status--until age 21 or 23 if enrolled in
college. But dental coverage was not adjusted from the previous law,
which authorized only 3 years of continued active-duty-level benefits
in such cases.
The Coalition recommends authorizing children of members who die on
active duty to retain coverage under the active Duty Dependent Dental
Plan until they reach 21 or 23 if enrolled in college.
National Guard and Reserve Health Care
The Coalition is grateful to the subcommittee for its leadership in
reducing TRICARE Reserve Select Premiums and ensuring DOD does not
overcharge servicemembers for coverage.
While the subcommittee has worked hard to address the primary
health care hurdle, there are still some areas that warrant attention.
TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) Access--The Coalition is concerned
that members and families enrolled in TRS are not guaranteed access to
TRICARE-participating providers and are finding it difficult to locate
providers willing to take TRICARE. As indicated earlier in this
testimony, the Coalition believes that members who are charged a fee
for their health coverage should be able to expect assured access, and
hopes the subcommittee will explore options for assuring such access
for TRS enrollees.
The Coalition recommends that the subcommittee require a report
from the Department of Defense on options to assure TRS enrollees'
access to TRICARE-participating providers.
Private Insurance Premium Option--The Coalition believes Congress
is missing an opportunity to reduce long-term health care costs by
authorizing eligible members the option of electing a DOD subsidy of
their civilian insurance premiums during periods of activation.
Current law already authorizes payment of up to 24 months of FEHBP
premiums for activated members who are civilian employees of the
Defense Department. The Coalition believes all members of the Selected
Reserve should have a similar option to have continuity of their
civilian family coverage.
Over the long term, when Guard and Reserve activations can be
expected at a reduced pace, this option would offer considerable
savings opportunity relative to funding permanent, year-round TRICARE
coverage.
The Department could calculate a maximum monthly subsidy level that
would represent a cost savings to the government, so that each member
who elected that option would reduce TRICARE costs.
The Coalition recommends developing a cost-effective option to have
DOD subsidize premiums for continuation of a Reserve employer's private
family health insurance during periods of deployment as an alternative
to ongoing TRICARE Reserve Select coverage.
Involuntary Separatees--The Coalition believes it is unfair to deny
TRS coverage for Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) members who have
returned from deployment or terminate coverage for returning members
who are involuntarily separated from the Selected Reserve (other than
for cause).
The Coalition recommends authorizing 1 year of post-Transitional
Assistance Management Program (TAMP) TRS coverage for every 90 days
deployed in the case of returning members of the IRR or members who are
involuntarily separated from the Selected Reserve. The Coalition
further recommends that voluntarily separating reservists subject to
disenrollment from TRS should be eligible for participation in the
Continued Health Care Benefits Program (CHCBP).
Gray Area reservists--The Coalition is sensitive that Selected
Reserve members and families have one remaining ``hole'' in their
military health coverage. They are eligible for TRS while currently
serving in the Selected Reserve, then lose coverage while in ``Gray
area'' retiree status, then regain full TRICARE eligibility at age 60.
The Coalition supports the provisions contained in S. 731 introduced by
Senator Ben Nelson.
The Coalition believes some provisions should be made to allow such
members to continue their TRICARE coverage in gray area status.
Otherwise, we place some members at risk of losing family health
coverage entirely when they retire from the Selected Reserve. We
understand that such coverage likely would have to come with a higher
premium.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to authorize an additional
premium-based TRS option under which members entering ``gray area''
retiree status would be able to avoid losing health coverage.
Guard and Reserve Dental Coverage--The Coalition remains concerned
about the dental readiness of the Reserve Forces. DOD should be
fiscally responsible for medical and dental care to reservists
beginning with the issuance of an alert order and 180 days post
mobilization to ensure servicemembers meet readiness standards when DOD
facilities are not available within a 50 mile radius of the member's
home.
The Coalition supports providing dental coverage to reservists once
an alert order is issued and 180 days post-mobilization (during TAMP),
unless the individual's dental readiness is restored to T-2 condition
before demobilization.
Guard and Reserve Mental Health--Reserve members deserve the
highest levels of care once they demobilize. The Coalition is concerned
that there is too much variation in the diagnosis and treatment of post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI),
depression, and other combat-related stress conditions. The current
post deployment health self assessment program at demobilization sites
is inadequate. The Coalition believes that post deployment examination
of members should occur while still on active duty deployment orders at
their home station. This is necessary to expedite diagnosis, reporting
and treatment of physical and mental injuries; to help perfect
potential service connected disability claims with the VA; and to help
correct the non-reporting of injuries at the demobilization site
arising from members' concerns of being medically held away from the
home State.
The Coalition believes that Guard and Reserve members and their
families should have access to an evidence-based treatment for PTSD,
TBI, depression, and other combat-related stress conditions. Further,
Post Deployment Health examinations should be offered at the member's
home station.
Guard and Reserve Health Information--The Coalition is concerned
that the current health records for many Guard and Reserve members do
not contain treatment information that could be vital for diagnosis and
treatment of a condition while on active duty. The capture of non-
military treatment is an integral part of the members overall health
status.
The Coalition believes there should be an effort to improve the
electronic capture of non military health information into the
servicemember's medical record.
TRICARE For Life
When Congress enacted TRICARE For Life (TFL) in 2000, it explicitly
recognized that this coverage was fully earned by career
servicemembers' decades of sacrifice, and that the Medicare Part B
premium would serve as the cash portion of the beneficiary premium
payment.
TFL Enrollment Fee is Inappropriate--The Coalition disagrees
strongly with the Task Force and QRMC recommendations to impose an
annual enrollment fee for each TFL beneficiary. The reports
acknowledged that this would be little more than a ``nuisance fee'' and
would be contrary to Congress' intent in authorizing TFL.
When the previous administration came to office in 2001, military
and civilian Defense leaders praised TRICARE For Life, as enacted, as
an appropriate benefit that retirees had earned and deserved for their
career service. But in recent years, those same leaders' concerns about
rising health costs have focused disproportionally on the (fully
predictable) cost growth attributable to TFL.
For those who now advocate charging older beneficiaries a TFL
enrollment fee, the Coalition asks, ``What has changed in the
intervening years of war that has somehow made their service less
meritorious?''
Inclusion of TFL-Eligibles in Preventive Care Programs--The
Coalition is aware of the challenges imposed by Congress' mandatory
spending rules, and appreciates the subcommittee's efforts to include
TFL-eligibles in the preventive care pilot programs included in the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009. We believe
their inclusion would, in fact, save the government money and hope the
subcommittee will be able to find a more certain way to include them
than the current discretionary authority.
The Coalition also hopes the subcommittee can find a way to resolve
the discrepancy between Medicare and TRICARE treatment of medications
such as the shingles vaccine, which Medicare covers under pharmacy
benefits and TRICARE covers under doctor visits. This mismatch, which
requires TFL patients to absorb the cost in a TRICARE deductible or
purchase duplicative Part D coverage, deters beneficiaries from seeking
this preventive medication.
The Coalition urges the subcommittee to oppose any TFL enrollment
fee and seek equal coverage of TFL beneficiaries under TRICARE and
Medicare preventive care initiatives.
Restoration of Survivors' TRICARE Coverage--When a TRICARE-eligible
widow/widower remarries, he/she loses TRICARE benefits. When that
individual's second marriage ends in death or divorce, the individual
has eligibility restored for military ID card benefits, including SBP
coverage, commissary/exchange privileges, etc.--with the sole exception
that TRICARE eligibility is not restored.
This is out of line with other Federal health program practices,
such as the restoration of CHAMPVA eligibility for survivors of
veterans who died of service-connected causes. In those cases, VA
survivor benefits and health care are restored upon termination of the
remarriage. Remarried surviving spouses deserve equal treatment.
The Coalition recommends restoration of TRICARE benefits to
previously eligible survivors whose second or subsequent marriage ends
in death or divorce.
BRAC and Rebasing--Relocation from one geographic region to another
and base closures brings multiple problems. A smooth health care
transition is crucial to the success of DOD and Service plans to
transform the force. That means ensuring a robust provider network and
capacity is available to all beneficiary populations, to include active
and Reserve Component and retirees and their family members, and
survivors at both closing and gaining installations. It is incumbent
upon the Department and its Managed Care Support Contractors to ensure
smooth beneficiary transition from one geographic area to another. We
stress the importance of coordination of construction and funding in
order to maintain access and operations while the process takes place.
The Coalition recommends requiring an annual DOD report on the
adequacy of health resources, services, quality and access to care for
beneficiaries affected by BRAC/rebasing.
[The prepared statement of the Fleet Reserve Association
follows:]
Prepared Statement by Master Chief Joseph L. Barnes, USN (Ret.)
the fleet reserve association
The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) is the oldest and largest
enlisted organization serving active duty, Reserves, retired and
veterans of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. It is
Congressionally Chartered, recognized by the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) as an accrediting Veteran Service Organization (VSO) for
claim representation and entrusted to serve all veterans who seek its
help. In 2007, FRA was selected for full membership on the National
Veterans' Day Committee.
FRA was established in 1924 and its name is derived from the Navy's
program for personnel transferring to the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine
Corps Reserve after 20 or more years of active duty, but less than 30
years for retirement purposes. During the required period of service in
the Fleet Reserve, assigned personnel earn retainer pay and are subject
to recall by the Secretary of the Navy.
FRA's mission is to act as the premier ``watch dog'' organization
on Capitol Hill focused on maintaining and improving benefits and the
quality of life for Sea Service personnel and their families. The
Association also sponsors a National Americanism Essay Program, awards
over $100,000 in scholarships annually and provides disaster and/or
relief to shipmates and others in distress.
The Association is also a founding member of The Military Coalition
(TMC), a 34-member consortium of military and veteran's organizations.
FRA hosts most TMC meetings and members of its staff serve in a number
of TMC leadership roles.
FRA celebrated 84 years of service in November 2008. For over eight
decades, dedication to its members has resulted in legislation
enhancing quality of life programs for Sea Services personnel, other
members of the Uniformed Services plus their families and survivors,
while protecting their rights and privileges. CHAMPUS, now TRICARE, was
an initiative of FRA, as was the Uniformed Services Survivor Benefit
Plan (USSBP). More recently, FRA led the way in reforming the REDUX
Retirement Plan, obtaining targeted pay increases for mid-level
enlisted personnel, and sea pay for junior enlisted sailors. FRA also
played a leading role in advocating recently enacted predatory lending
protections for servicemembers and their dependents.
FRA's motto is: ``Loyalty, Protection, and Service.''
certification of non-receipt of federal funds
Pursuant to the requirements of House Rule XI, the FRA has not
received any Federal grant or contract during the current fiscal year
or either of the 2 previous fiscal years.
synopsis
As a leader in the Military Coalition (TMC), the FRA strongly
supports the extensive recommendations addressed in the TMC testimony
prepared for this hearing. The intent of this statement is to address
other issues of particular importance to FRA's membership and the Sea
Services enlisted communities.
introduction
Mr. Chairman, the FRA salutes you, members of the subcommittee, and
your staff for the strong and unwavering support of programs essential
to active duty, Reserve component, and retired members of the uniformed
services, their families, and survivors. The subcommittee's work has
greatly enhanced care and support for our wounded warriors, improved
military pay, eliminated out-of-pocket housing expenses, improved
health care, and enhanced other personnel, retirement and survivor
programs. This support is critical in maintaining readiness and is
invaluable to our Uniformed Services engaged throughout the world
fighting the Global War on Terror, sustaining other operational
requirements and fulfilling commitments to those who've served in the
past.
FRA's 2009 priorities include continued oversight of the Wounded
Warrior improvements, opposition to excessive TRICARE fee increases,
full funding for DOD and VA health care, annual active duty pay
increases that are at least a half percent above the Employment Cost
Index (ECI), to help close the pay gap between active duty and private
sector pay, full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA
disability compensation, adequate end strength, family readiness, and
reducing the retirement age for reservists who have been mobilized
since October 7, 2001.
Additional issues include the introduction and enactment of
legislation to eliminate inequities in the Uniformed Services Former
Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA), authorizing retention of the full
final month's retired pay by the surviving spouse (or other designated
survivor) for the month in which the member was alive for at least 24
hours, repealing REDUX, streamlining the voting process for overseas
military personnel, and reducing the SBP paid-up age to 67 to allow
those who joined the service at age 17 or 18 to be required to only pay
30 years to obtain paid-up status.
The Association appreciates inclusion in the recently enacted
economic stimulus package of money for military construction and VA
hospitals, and supports a DOD fiscal year 2010 budget floor of at least
5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Excluding supplemental
appropriations, the United States spent less than four percent of its
GDP on national defense in 2008. From 1961-1963, the military consumed
9.1 percent of GDP annually. The active-duty military has been
stretched to the limit since September 11, 2001, and FRA appreciates
the fiscal year 2009 increases to service end strengths. FRA strongly
supports funding to support the anticipated increased end strengths in
fiscal year 2010 and beyond since current end strength is not adequate
to meet the demands of fighting current wars and sustaining other
operational commitments throughout the world.
dod fiscal year 2010 proposed budget
The DOD request totals $663.8 billion for fiscal year 2010, which
represents a 4-percent increase over fiscal year 2009. It is noteworthy
that for the first time in 4 years the budget fully funds military
health care programs without calling for a TRICARE fee increase. FRA
wants to thank the Obama administration for resisting efforts to shift
health care costs to beneficiaries. The budget also calls for a 2.9-
percent active duty pay increase that equals the Employment Cost Index
(ECI), $1.1 billion to fund military housing and support programs for
servicemembers and their families, and $3.3 billion to support injured
servicemembers in their recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
Over the past several years, the Pentagon budget requests have been
constrained despite rising personnel costs, aging weapon systems, worn
out equipment, and dilapidated facilities.
As Operation Iraqi Freedom ends and troops depart from Iraq, some
will be urging reductions in end strength and spending, despite the
need to bolster personnel and efforts in Afghanistan and other areas
around the world. FRA understands the budgetary concerns associated
with the current recession but believes that cutting the DOD budget
during the continuing Global War on Terror would be short sighted and
that America needs a defense budget that will support both ``benefits
and bullets.''
This statement lists the concerns of our members, keeping in mind
that the Association's primary goal is to endorse any positive safety
programs, rewards, quality of life improvements that support members of
the Uniformed Services, particularly those serving in hostile areas,
and their families and survivors.
wounded warriors improvements
FRA is especially grateful for the inclusion of the Wounded Warrior
assistance provisions as part of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008, and for the congressional oversight and funding
to ensure prompt implementation. The Association concurs with the
recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report recommendations
that:
DOD and VA must establish criteria for evaluating
their joint pilot disability evaluation system and determine if
it should be widely implemented (GAO-08-1137);
DOD and VA should give priority to fully establish the
Joint Interagency Program to implement electronic medical
records; (GAO-08-1158T); and
DOD should explore options for improving its
disability evaluation process (GAO-08-1137).
Maintaining an effective support system between DOD and VA to
ensure seamless transition and quality services for wounded personnel,
particularly those suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) is important to our membership. De-
stigmatizing these and other mental health conditions is part of this
and key initiatives should include mental health assessment for all
servicemembers returning from the combat zone, outreach and family
support efforts and counseling.
FRA recommends that this distinguished subcommittee continue
monitoring the implementation of the wounded warrior programs to
include periodic oversight hearings to ensure the creation and full
implementation of a joint electronic health record that will help
ensure a seamless transition from DOD to VA for wounded warriors, and
operation of the Wounded Warriors Resource Center as a single point of
contact for servicemembers, their family members, and primary care
givers.
health care
Adequately funding health care benefits for all beneficiaries is
part of the cost of defending our Nation and a recent FRA survey
indicates that more than 90 percent of all active duty, retired, and
veteran respondents and most Reserve participants cited health care as
their top quality-of-life benefit. Accordingly, protecting and/or
enhancing health care access for all beneficiaries is FRA's top 2009
legislative priority.
Health care costs both in the military and throughout society have
continued to increase faster than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) making
this a prime target for those wanting to cut the DOD budget. Many
beneficiaries targeted in recent proposals to drastically increase
health care fees are those who served prior to enactment of the recent
pay and benefit enhancements and receive significantly less in retired
pay than those serving and retiring in the same pay grade with the same
years of service today. They clearly recall promises made to them about
the benefit of health care for life in return for a career, and many
believe they are entitled to ``free'' health care for life based on the
government's past commitments.
For these reasons, FRA strongly supports ``The Military Retirees'
Health Care Protection Act'' (H.R. 816) sponsored by Representatives
Chet Edwards (TX) and Walter Jones (NC). The legislation would prohibit
DOD from increasing TRICARE fees, specifying that the authority to
increase TRICARE fees exists only in Congress.
DOD must continue to investigate and implement other TRICARE cost-
saving options as an alternative to shifting costs to retiree
beneficiaries. FRA notes progress in this area in expanding use of the
mail order pharmacy program, Federal pricing for prescription drugs and
a pilot program of preventative care for TRICARE beneficiaries under
age 65, and elimination of co-pays for certain preventative services.
Imposing higher health care costs especially during war time, would
send a powerful negative message not only to retirees, but to those
currently serving about the value of their service. The prospect of
drastically higher health care fees for retirees is also a morale issue
with the senior enlisted communities who view this as an erosion of
their career benefits. Unlike private sector employees, military
retirees have answered the call to serve, and most have done so under
extremely difficult circumstances while separated from their families
to defend the freedoms we enjoy today.
FRA appreciates this subcommittee's attention to addressing the
excessively high premiums charged for the TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS)
program
concurrent receipt
The FRA survey referenced above also indicates that more than 70
percent of military retirees cite concurrent receipt of military pay
and VA disability benefits among their top priorities. The Association
continues its unwavering support for the full concurrent receipt of
military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation for all
disabled retirees. Provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2008 reflect continued progress toward this goal and
FRA appreciates the support of this distinguished subcommittee on this
issue.
active duty pay
A top quality of life issue for active duty servicemembers is
adequate pay and this is reflected in the fact that more than 93
percent (93.3 percent) of active duty respondents to FRA's on line
survey (highest rating) labeled pay as ``very important.'' From fiscal
year 1999-fiscal year 2006, Congress provided pay increases 0.5 percent
above the ECI to close the gap (13.5 percent in 1999) between civilian
and military pay. In fiscal year 2007 the pay increase was equal to the
ECI (2.2 percent which was the lowest increase since 1994), and the
last 2 years this subcommittee provided ECI plus 0.5 percent annual pay
increases. FRA urges the subcommittee to continue the increases above
the ECI until the remaining 2.9 percent pay gap is eliminated.
bah improvements
A significant number of enlisted active duty respondents to FRA's
survey (93.3 percent) indicate that adequate Basic Allowance for
Housing (BAH) rates are ``very important.'' In addition, housing
allowances tie with pay as their most important quality of life
programs.
Related to this is the need to update the housing standards used to
establish BAH rates since only married E-9s now qualify for BAH based
on single family housing costs. The Association notes the proposed BAH
increase in the fiscal year 2010 budget and continues to advocate for
legislation authorizing more realistic housing standards, particularly
for career senior enlisted personnel. As the inventory of military
housing declines, private contractors are building or refurbishing
units for occupancy of military personnel and their families. The
result is a dwindling population living in base housing and a rising
population who qualify for BAH.
adequate end strength
Prosecuting the war efforts has caused an enormous strain on active
duty personnel and the Reserve component. Repeated and extended
deployments are taking a toll on servicemembers and their families and
the solution to this problem is to ensure adequate end strengths. FRA
continues to advocate for increased end strengths to meet the demands
of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and
other operational requirements.
repeal redux
Ten years ago FRA led efforts to repeal the 1986 REDUX retirement
program formula which led to enactment of legislation authorizing
personnel choosing that retirement program the option to receive a
$30,000 career status bonus at the 15-year career mark. Since then many
enlisted personnel have chosen this option and accepted future capped
retired pay cost of living adjustments and today average take rate
among the services is approximately 25 percent. While each individual's
career situation is unique and servicemembers are certainly entitled to
make this choice, it's important to note that for most this is probably
a very bad financial decision since the value of the $30,000 bonus is
significantly less than it was at the time of enactment. In most
instances individuals selecting this option are in fact forfeiting
significant sums of potential retired pay over their lifetimes. FRA
therefore believes that it's time to repeal the REDUX retirement
program.
transferability and the post-september 11 gi bill
FRA strongly supported the enactment of post-September 11 GI Bill
last year and appreciates the breadth and scope of the generous new
education benefits authorized under that program. The Association
appreciates the recently announced temporary DOD policy exceptions for
career personnel who will not have the required service time remaining
to technically quality for transferability options under the new
program which are designed as career retention incentives. Particularly
associated with the later transferability options, it's important to
note the frustration of career servicemembers who recently retired or
will do so in the coming months who are unable to transfer unused
benefits to family members. In conjunction with this, FRA believes some
consideration should be given to these personnel and their families and
has written to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, requesting
consideration of a policy to also allow the transferability of at least
some unused benefits under previously authorized provisions of the
Montgomery GI Bill in recognition of their 20 or more years of service.
reserve component education benefits
The Association is grateful for the enactment of the post-September
11, 2001 GI Bill last year, however benefits authorized under the
separate Reserve Montgomery GI Bill program are only 25 percent of the
benefits provided for active duty participants despite the intended 47
percent to 50 percent level of benefits. FRA urges attention to this
inequity by authorizing a restoration of the benefits for Selected
Reserve personnel.
paid-up sbp
Under current law, retirees are no longer required to pay SBP
premiums after they have paid for 30 years and reach age 70. This
punishes those who may have entered the service at age 17 or 18 and
will be required to pay for 33 or 32 years respectively until attaining
paid-up SBP status. Therefore, FRA supports changing the minimum age
for paid-up SBP from age 70 to age 67 to ensure that those who joined
the military at age 17, 18, or 19 and serve 20 years will only have to
pay SBP premiums for 30 years.
retention of final full month's retired pay
FRA urges the subcommittee to authorize the retention of the full
final month's retired pay by the surviving spouse (or other designated
survivor) of a military retiree for the month in which the member was
alive for at least 24 hours. FRA strongly supports ``The Military
Retiree Survivor Comfort Act'' (H.R. 613), introduced by Rep. Walter
Jones (NC) which addresses this issue.
Current regulations require survivors of deceased military retirees
to return any retirement payment received in the month the retiree
passes away or any subsequent month thereafter. Upon the demise of a
retiree the surviving spouse is required to notify the Defense Finance
and Accounting Service (DFAS) of the death. DFAS then stops payment on
the retirement account, recalculates the final payment to cover only
the days in the month the retiree was alive, forwards a check for those
days to the surviving spouse (beneficiary) and, if not reported in a
timely manner, recoups any payment(s) made covering periods subsequent
to the retiree's death.
The measure is related to a similar pay policy enacted by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Congress passed a law in 1996 that
allows a surviving spouse to retain the veteran's disability and VA
pension payments issued for the month of the veteran's death. FRA
believes military retired pay should be no different. This proposal is
also in response to complaints from surviving spouses who were unaware
of the notification requirement and those with joint bank accounts, in
which retirement payments were made electronically, who gave little if
any thought that DFAS could swoop down on the joint account and recoup
any overpayments of retirement pay. This action could easily clear the
account of any funds remaining whether they were retirement payments or
money from other sources.
To offset some of the costs, if the spouse is entitled to survivor
benefit annuities (SBP) on the retiree's death, there will be no
payment of the annuity for the month the retirement payment is provided
the surviving spouse.
voting
The Overseas Vote Foundation released the results of its 2008 Post
Election UOCAVA (Uniform Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act) Voter
Survey that indicates that 31 percent of experienced overseas voters
continue to have questions or problems with voting; and that 39 percent
of overseas voters did not get their ballot until mid-October or later;
Despite efforts to remedy past problems, voting from overseas is a
long and cumbersome process and paper ballots from military personnel
are frequently contested because they arrive late and often without
postage or a postmark date. The 1986 UOCAVA law and the Help America
Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 address voting rights of active duty military
personnel and all citizens that are outside the country during an
election. Despite these efforts serious challenges still exist that
include interfacing and lack of uniformity with State and local
election officials.
Electronic communications are secure enough for our Nation's most
sensitive secrets and for transferring huge sums of money, and FRA
questions why is it not possible to develop and implement a system for
the military and overseas Federal employees to vote by secure
electronic means?
FRA believes legislation could streamline the current process by
allowing servicemembers to request and receive an absentee ballot
electronically but continue to return the signed completed ballot by
regular mail as is done now. The legislation should also require States
to identify one State official to administer absentee ballots from
overseas military rather than county clerks and other local officials;
limit participation only to military personnel and Federal employees
overseas; and shift Federal responsibility away from DOD to another
agency such as the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
In recent years, Congress has recognized the need for electronic
voting for servicemembers who are deployed overseas, and has mandated
the DOD Federal Voting Assistance Program to administer a pilot program
for internet voting since 2000. Unfortunately there were technical and
security challenges and many States and local election jurisdictions
refused to participate. The Association appreciates the Senate Rules
and Administration Committee's recent hearing on this issue and seeks
support for improved active duty voter participation in Federal
elections and to expedite the military mail processing of overseas
ballots.
usfspa
FRA continues to advocate for hearings and the introduction of
legislation addressing the inequities of the Uniformed Service Former
Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA). The Association believes that USFSPA
should be more balanced in its protection for both the servicemember
and the former spouse and that Congress needs to review and amend it so
that the Federal Government is required to protect its servicemembers
against State courts that ignore its provisions.
FRA has long supported several recommendations in the Department of
Defense's September 2001 report, which assessed USFSPA inequities and
offered recommendations for improvement. Last year, the Department sent
a more extensive list of recommendations to staff of the House and
Senate Armed Services Committees regarding amending the USFSPA that
include the following FRA supported provision:
Base former spouse award amount on member's grade/
years of service at the time of divorce (and not retirement)
Prohibit award of imputed income while still on active
duty
Permit designation of multiple SBP beneficiaries
Permit SBP premiums to be withheld from former
spouse's share of retired pay if directed by the court
Few provisions of the USFSPA protect the rights of the
servicemember, and none are enforceable by the Department of Justice or
DOD. If a State court violates the right of the servicemember under the
provisions of USFSPA, the Solicitor General will make no move to
reverse the error. Why? Because the act does not have the enforceable
language required for Justice or the Defense Department to react. The
only recourse is for the servicemember to appeal to the court, which in
many cases gives that court jurisdiction over the member. Some State
courts also award a percentage of veterans' compensation to ex-spouses,
a clear violation of U.S. law, yet nothing has been done to stop this
transgression.
FRA believes Congress needs to take a hard look at the USFSPA with
the intent to amend it so that the Federal Government is required to
protect its servicemembers against State courts that ignore provisions
of the act.
reserve early retirement
FRA believes that the effective date of the early Reserve
retirement age provision of the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008 should be
changed to 7 October 2001. The legislation authorizes a retirement date
reduction of 3 months for each cumulative 90-days ordered to active
duty. The FRA supports ``The National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay
Equity Act'' (S. 644) sponsored by Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA) and
``The National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act'' (S. 831)
sponsored by Senator John Kerry (Mass.) to allow reservists mobilized
since 7 October, 2001, to receive credit in determining eligibility for
receipt of early retired pay.
Reserve component deployments since September 11, 2001, reflect the
change from a Strategic Reserve to an Operational Reserve that now
plays a vital role in the global war on terror. This has resulted in
more frequent and longer deployments which have had a significant
impact on individual careers and changing the effective date of the
Reserve early retirement would help partially offset lost salary
increases, promotions, 401K, and other benefit contributions. The
Association urges the subcommittee to make the provision retroactive to
7 October 2001.
mandate travel cost reimbursement
FRA appreciates the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008 provision (section
631) that permits travel reimbursement for weekend drills, not to
exceed $300, if the commute is outside the normal commuting distance.
However, the Association urges the subcommittee to make this a
mandatory provision due to the importance of this issue with many
enlisted reservists who are forced to travel lengthy distances to
participate in weekend drill without any reimbursement for travel
costs. This is a retention and recruitment issue for the Reserves and
directly related to increased reliance on these personnel in order to
sustain our war and other operational commitments.
conclusion
FRA is grateful for the opportunity to present these
recommendations to this distinguished subcommittee. The Association
reiterates its profound gratitude for the extraordinary progress this
subcommittee has made in advancing a wide range of military personnel
benefits and quality-of-life programs for all uniformed services
personnel and their families and survivors. Thank you again for the
opportunity to submit the FRA' views on these critically important
topics.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
Captain Puzon? I hope I am saying that right.
STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN IKE PUZON, USNR (RET.), DIRECTOR OF
LEGISLATION, NAVAL RESERVE ASSOCIATION; AND CO-CHAIR, GUARD/
RESERVE COMMITTEE, THE MILITARY COALITION
Captain Puzon. Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee
and staff members, I am honored to be here. We are pleased with
the Guard and Reserve improvements that you have made in the
past since September 11, 2001. I will focus on needed
enhancements and improvements in early retirement, health care
benefits for Guard and Reserve, and the Montgomery GI Bill
(MGIB) for Reserve members.
For early retirement, our number-one goal for Guard and
Reserve is the passage of legislation establishing September
11, 2001, as the eligibility start date for Guard and Reserve
early retirement, as authorized in the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2008.
We call upon you to expand the program to include all those
who have sacrificed for our Nation following the tragedy of
September 11. More than 710,000 men and women have answered the
call to Active Duty, protecting our way of life, and are
serving more than 190,000 multiple tours of duty.
Unfortunately, most of these tours won't count toward early
retirement unless Congress authorizes retroactive credit for
the activations. Ultimately, we need to show commitment to them
for their increased utilization by addressing the Reserve
retirement system.
For health care benefits, to maintain and retain a viable
operational Reserve Force, health care access for Guard and
Reserve must match their increased role in the Nation's
defense. We urge Congress to establish a moratorium on TRICARE
and TRICARE Reserve Select premium increases. We urge you to
establish medical and dental care for Guard and Reserve
members, beginning with the issuance of an alert order and post
deployment for 180 days.
We also ask that you review the wounded warrior transition
assistance and to fully fund the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration
Programs for post deployment to ensure Guard and Reserve
members and recently released Active Duty have adequate access
and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic
brain injury following separation from Active Duty.
We believe there should be a close evaluation of the care
in remote areas. We ask Congress to pass pending legislation to
allow gray area reservists to purchase TRICARE standard health
care coverage.
Regarding the MGIB benefit, we ask that Congress upgrade
the MGIB to provide increased benefits to Selected reservists.
We are most grateful to Congress for passage of the post-
September 11 GI bill benefits. However, the MGIB benefits for
joining the Selected Reserves were not upgraded or integrated.
We would ask that you restore the basic Reserve MGIB for
initially joining the Selected Reserves to the benchmark of
approximately 50 percent of the Active Duty benefit.
Mr. Chairman, I thank you for the opportunity to present
the views of TMC and the Association of the United States Navy.
I will be happy to answer any questions.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Captain.
Ms. Holleman?
STATEMENT OF DEIRDRE PARKE HOLLEMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE
RETIRED ENLISTED ASSOCIATION; AND CO-CHAIR, SURVIVOR COMMITTEE,
THE MILITARY COALITION
Ms. Holleman. Mr. Chairman, thank you so much for the honor
of speaking before you on behalf of the survivors of those who
protected our Nation in the military.
In the last several years, Congress has made great strides
in improving the lives of the women, men, and children who were
left behind and alone when their loved ones died because they
had served America in uniform. TMC wishes to thank you for all
you have done, but to urge you to take several more necessary
steps forward.
One of TMC's highest legislative goals is to end the SBP-
DIC offset. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida has been the
champion of this goal in your chamber. In this session of
Congress, S. 535 already has 45 cosponsors. In the House,
Representative Ortiz's companion, H.R. 775, has 229 cosponsors.
We hope that these dramatic numbers indicate that this is the
year that this unwise benefit structure will be abolished.
The great majority of the widows who are affected by this
offset had spouses who served a career in the uniformed
services and purchased Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) when they
retired. They paid a substantial portion of their retired pay
to assure that if their wives survived them, they would be
provided for. This is the type of responsible behavior that we
wish to encourage.
Clearly, SBP is a deferred employee benefit. But since the
retiree died of a service-connected disability, something he
could not responsibly rely would happen, the survivor is also
entitled to the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Dependency
and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
The other small group of widows who are affected by this
offset are recent widows whose husbands died on Active Duty
after Congress created Active Duty SBP. These servicemembers
qualified for SBP protection by sacrificing their lives.
For both groups of survivors, one SBP dollar is offset for
every dollar paid by DIC. The DIC payment this year is $1,154 a
month. Due to the offset, a survivor will be living on a
payment of just under $14,000 a year, plus whatever amount, if
any, remains in SBP for higher rank retirement payments. That
is not enough to live on or to acknowledge the service and
sacrifice rendered.
Congress has, over the last several years, been moving
toward ending the offset between military retired pay and
service-connected disability pay. This similar offset should
also be ended.
We would briefly like to highlight two additional
improvements that we urge you to include in the NDAA for Fiscal
Year 2010. TMC asks that you support H.R. 613, the Military
Retiree Survivor Comfort Act. This bill would allow a military
retiree's widow or widower to retain the full retired payment
for the month in which a member died.
Now the law requires DOD to immediately remove the full
month's payment from the couple's shared checking account where
the payment was electronically deposited and then, at a later
date, give a prorated payment reflecting how many days the
member lived in his or her last month. This procedure often
means that in a most trying month, a widow may unknowingly
bounce checks or may be unable to pay ongoing bills.
Changing this would make a terrible time for a survivor
easier. A statute already requires the VA to allow a widow to
retain the full last month's service-connected disability
payment. DOD should do the same for military retirees.
Finally, we urge you to create an SBP special needs trust.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is not
presently allowed to issue SBP checks to a trust, only a living
person. Allowing SBP payments to be deposited in a special
needs trust would help protect seriously disabled children who
qualify for SBP payments.
The recently introduced H.R. 2059 would allow the
approximately 1,500 children who presently qualify for an SBP
annuity and who are incapable of self support because of mental
or physical incapacity to make use of this helpful legal tool.
We hope this committee will include this improvement in next
year's NDAA.
Again, thank you so much for allowing me to address you on
these important matters. I would be very happy to attempt to
answer any questions you may have.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Ms. Holleman.
Colonel Strobridge?
STATEMENT OF COL. STEVEN P. STROBRIDGE, USAF (RET.), DIRECTOR,
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA;
AND CO-CHAIR, THE MILITARY COALITION
Colonel Strobridge. Mr. Chairman, my portion of the
Coalition testimony will focus on health care and retirement
issues.
For wounded warriors, we urge the committee to consider
permanent authority for the Senior Oversight Committee, whose
authority will expire at the end of this year. We are also very
concerned that the transition from Active Duty to retiree
TRICARE or to VA coverage catches many wounded warriors and
their families unaware. They need the same protections that we
provide when someone dies on Active Duty--3 years of continued
Active Duty level coverage to ensure a smooth transition.
We urge a consistent package of training and compensation
for wounded warriors' full-time caregivers. The Services have
separate programs in this area. The VA offers very little, and
caregivers lose virtually all support when the member is
retired for disability. We owe them a fairer deal.
Regarding psychological health and traumatic brain injury
(TBI), DOD and VA are moving out, but most of those efforts
will take time. In the meantime, we have overwhelming numbers
who need help now, as we heard earlier on the panel. But many
still have to wait months for appointments. To us, that is not
good enough. You asked the right question, what can we do to
ease this? The answer, I think General Rochelle gave the right
answer, all of the above, part of which is expanding capacity
to deliver care.
On TRICARE fees, we are grateful that the administration
discontinued the past trend and didn't propose the kind of
significant fee increases in the fiscal year 2010 budget that
we have seen in past years. TRICARE costs are inflated by
unique military requirements and inefficiencies, and DOD has
lots of options to cut costs without imposing large fee hikes
on beneficiaries.
We ask you to put language in this year's NDAA expressing a
specific sense of Congress that military people pay huge
upfront premiums through decades of service and sacrifice over
and above their cash fees. That is something that is not
acknowledged now, and to us, that is one of the big problems.
People want to just compare money to money, and they don't
realize that most of military premiums are paid upfront and
they are very heavy, indeed.
DOD surveys show that military beneficiaries are less
satisfied with their health care than most civilians are. We
think the Pentagon needs to focus more on fixing TRICARE and
less on trying to charge more for it.
On concurrent receipt, we believe military retired pay is
earned by service and should not be reduced because the
servicemember happens to also incur a service-caused
disability. We strongly support the new initiative in the
President's fiscal year 2010 budget, and we hope as well that
you will be able to fix the glitch in the Combat-Related
Special Compensation (CRSC) law that causes some to lose the
pay that Congress meant for them.
We are also very concerned about the REDUX retirement
system and the so-called $30,000 career status bonus that
entices thousands of unwary members each year to forfeit
hundreds of thousands of dollars in future retired pay. This
so-called bonus is tantamount to a lifetime loan against future
retired pay where the usury is 24 percent annual percentage
rate for the typical enlisted member and a 35 percent rate for
the typical officer.
We would be pleased to explore options with the
subcommittee staff to better protect servicemembers against
mortgaging their financial futures.
Finally, we hope the subcommittee will not support the 10th
Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation's military
retirement proposal, which would defer receipt of full retired
pay until age 58 or later and authorize vesting at 10 years of
service.
We believe this civilian-style plan is inappropriate for
military service conditions. It would take money from people
who serve a career to pay people who leave early. We think it
would undermine long-term retention and readiness and prove
disastrous in a wartime environment like today's when we are so
desperate to encourage longer service.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my remarks and TMC's remarks.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Colonel.
Captain Snyder?
STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN BRADLEY J. SNYDER, USA (RET.), PAST
PRESIDENT, ARMED FORCES SERVICES CORPORATION
Captain Snyder. Mr. Chairman, not only do I have the
shortest title, I have a different hat that I am wearing today.
I am honored to be asked by the staff to come in as an
unofficial ``official expert'' on helping families over 43
years since my retirement from my wounds in Vietnam. We have
had the privilege of being with members of the Active Duty,
retired, Guard, Reserve, and being able to try to educate them
on the benefits they have. Then when they transition into
retirement to help them understand not what they don't have,
but what they do have.
The biggest problem, Mr. Chairman, is education. The
benefits don't come in individual packets. They come in a
group. Social Security, VA, and SBP are all linked together.
They have been that way ever since the inception.
We were privileged to work with the families of the Gander
air crash, of the Airborne Warning and Control System crash,
and, of course, the 31 days we spent with the families in the
Pentagon after the attack on the Pentagon. The understanding of
benefits by the members of the Armed Forces is very, very
difficult because of their complexity of the three
bureaucracies that I just mentioned.
We have presented a computer program that gives each
individual family their benefits for the rest of their life if
their spouse dies. I was very privileged in helping put this
together. Right now, as far as Active Duty, the Army G-1,
General Rochelle, has contracted that every single person on
Active Duty in the Army, Active Duty Army, has their benefits
up to date every single day.
They can go online at myarmybenefits, and they can see
their individual family benefits from Social Security, VA, and
SBP tied together for them and where they can discuss that with
their family if they are going to be deployed or if they are
going to retire. They can ``what if'' if they get promoted,
``what if'' if they have a child, ``what if'' if they get
married. How do these benefits all change?
It is very high tech. It is connected to the Defense
Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, so the individual
doesn't even have to remember all his data. We are very proud
of that. It is helping, Mr. Chairman, in the education so that
people understand their benefits and don't get the idea that
the benefits aren't that good because Congress has been very
good with the benefits.
Just to give an example, I have an E-4 that I just helped
the family with one child. The veteran that was killed was 20
years old. His spouse is 20 years old. The child is 1 year old.
When I put all the benefits together and put a stream of
benefits out to the mortality date of that 20-year-old spouse,
which means that the assumption is that she lives to receive
the benefits at 3 percent inflation, the value of the
collective benefits for her and the child are $2.7 million,
with a present value of $1.8 million.
That is not to mention the $500,000 from the
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and the death
gratuity and also the $41,000 for education benefits from the
VA. All benefits can always be improved for our families, but
the basis that is existing now is a very, very good base with
the law as it is.
I hope that if my expertise would be able to help answer
any questions, I am just very honored to be here to try to help
with that particular task.
Thank you, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, and thank you for that
example.
We will do 5 minute rounds here.
You gave us an example of the full range of benefits. How
does this compare to what might be available in the civilian
sector? Do you have any comparative information, or would
anybody else have some comparative information about how the
benefits that you have just described might compare to the
civilian industry?
Captain Snyder. Sir, I don't have any particular knowledge
on the individual IBMs, General Motors, and all. I can tell you
that for someone in this category of this rank and capability
and job description, the benefits would be nowhere near. I know
officers of corporations that don't have $500,000 worth of
insurance and things.
But it is for a different thing. We are here to take care
of those survivors of those that served, and it is doing a good
job. Overall, I believe that the military benefits are better
because they are controlled by the Continuous Process
Improvement. They increase with inflation, as I said in the
example I gave of 3 percent inflation.
Most benefits on the outside, even in my own company, we
don't have cost of living adjustments. We can't afford it.
Senator Ben Nelson. That is what I was trying to get
across. I don't think that this level of benefit is available
outside at the level you are talking about.
Colonel Strobridge. Sir, we have done some research on
this. We think the most comparable group are police and
firefighters. In large cities with police and firefighters, our
experience is most of those folks, if a member is killed in the
line of duty, the survivor gets 100 percent of pay for life.
Senator Ben Nelson. One hundred percent of pay for life?
Colonel Strobridge. Yes, sir. I think I would have a little
bit different opinion. One of the concerns is, and particularly
when we are talking about the SBP-DIC issue, 94 percent of
those widows did not get the big cash payments we are talking
about. They got death gratuities of $3,000.
They get SGLIs of $50,000, which the member paid for, by
the way. That is not a gift from the government. The member
paid a premium for it. That money is long since gone, and these
widows are living on basically $14,000 a year.
You can extrapolate that for X number of years in the
future, and it looks like a big number. That doesn't change the
fact that it is $14,000 a year. I think everybody in here would
have a little problem living on that.
Senator Ben Nelson. Would the benefits, Captain Snyder, for
the spouse be discontinued upon remarriage?
Captain Snyder. They are discontinued if remarriage is
before a certain age. For the VA, it is 57. For the SBP, it is
55, and for Social Security, it is age 60. But all start back
up again if that spouse's second marriage terminates for death,
divorce, or annulment. So that is another feature in there.
The DIC-SBP is a very emotional issue, and the programs
were never meant to be individual and draw both. They were
never meant that way. The costing is based on that. If anything
can be improved, it is better. But there is a tremendous value
to each of the benefits that are there now.
Senator Ben Nelson. Ms. Holleman, could you give us your
thoughts on the progress we have made, but the progress that
remains to be made on concurrent receipt? Is that one of the
areas that you are interested in?
Ms. Holleman. We are all interested in it.
Senator Ben Nelson. I know you all are, but I want to make
sure.
Ms. Holleman. That was not what I focused on, but I would
certainly be happy to discuss that. Obviously, we have been
pushing and everyone here has been hoping that Congress would
make continued steps, as they have, to end this offset. There
have been, as this town loves steps, and we have had several
steps. As Colonel Strobridge said, we were very pleased at the
administration's proposal concerning Chapter 61 retirees being
included in concurrent receipt, and that is yet another step.
We hope that will appear in the NDAA this coming year.
We hope, indeed, that the final step, which are the people
at 10 to 40 percent, longevity retirees be included in the
administration proposal. It is clear that the 10 to 40 percent
Chapter 61s will, in years 4 and 5, be included. Then the only
people left out of getting the two appropriate pays would be
the 10 to 40 percent longevity retirees. It is only honest to
tell you, I will be back asking for that as well.
Mr. Barnes. Mr. Chairman?
Senator Ben Nelson. Yes.
Mr. Barnes. If I could just clarify, the Fleet Reserve
Association, as with TMC, has a longstanding objective of full
concurrent receipt for all disabled military personnel. Retired
pay and disability pay are paid for different reasons. Retired
pay for service, disability pay for the physical impact of
that. That is part and parcel to that policy or our objective
of full concurrent receipt for all disabled military retirees.
I appreciate your attention to this and the progress that
has been made on this issue, and I also concur with Deirdre's
comments.
Senator Ben Nelson. I must admit, as we have attempted to
make the progress and have, it has been much more difficult
than I think many might assume going into it. But we believe
that we need to continue to try to make that sort of progress.
Ms. Holleman. May I add, as Joe has said, both retired pay
and disability pay are two different payments for two different
services or events or losses. The same thing is true with SBP
and DIC.
Senator Ben Nelson. Senator Graham.
Senator Graham. Thank you.
Along those lines, the dilemma we have is that, yes, they
are two different events. I totally agree with that, but it is
coming out of one basic pocket here, and that pocket is not
large enough, in my opinion, to meet all the needs of the
Active-Duty Forces. It is not sufficient enough to meet growing
personnel costs from the Active-Duty Reserve side. It is not
sufficient enough to meet weapons modernization.
We have a real dilemma as a Nation here. Secretary Gates
said about curbing the growth of the health care budget in the
future, he has described it as ``eating the Department alive.''
Twelve percent of the entire DOD's budget in 2015 is going to
be health care costs.
I have two questions. One is on the quality side, and the
other is the cost side. We have a TRICARE system, which you are
all intimately familiar with, and we get conflicting reports
about the quality of TRICARE. I guess it depends who you ask. I
thought I would ask you all, the people who use it, how would
you rate this system? What could we do to improve quality and
access?
Then I will ask you a question about cost. How we come to
grips with this dilemma that the military budget, DOD's
budget--something has to give here. We either have to get more
money or do something differently.
On the quality of TRICARE, from an A to an F, give me your
thoughts and a short comment as to why you picked whatever you
did.
Colonel Strobridge. Yes, sir. I can start since I covered
health care. I think I would give it a solid C.
Senator Graham. It got me through school, but I wouldn't
recommend that. [Laughter.]
Colonel Strobridge. Yes, sir. You are absolutely right that
the assessment depends on who you talk to. I think the
Secretary of Defense himself said, in looking at a recent set
of surveys that said military people are less satisfied with
their health care than private sector citizens.
Senator Graham. Briefly, could you tell me what are the
major deficiencies you think?
Colonel Strobridge. I think the primary one, sir, is
access. There are many people who have great difficulty finding
a doctor who will accept TRICARE.
Senator Graham. Is that because of reimbursements?
Colonel Strobridge. Yes, sir. That is a large part of it.
There are two reasons. One is the cost of reimbursements. One
is the administrative hassle associated with TRICARE that
doctors don't get from other health care systems. Those are the
two primary things.
Senator Graham. Anybody else who would like to weigh in
here?
Captain Puzon. Yes, sir. From the Guard and Reserve
perspective, and a personal level. Let me do the Guard and
Reserve first. The further you get away from the military
treatment facility, the less they know what TRICARE is and the
less it is accessed.
Senator Graham. We provided TRICARE eligibility to Guard
and reservists years ago.
Captain Puzon. Right.
Senator Graham. Has that been helpful to the force?
Captain Puzon. Oh, yes, sir. Thank you very much for that.
On a personal level, I would say that I would give it a B
plus. But again, it comes back to access, people wanting to
actually take it.
Senator Graham. Gotcha.
Mr. Barnes. Senator, I would just add, I concur with the
comments about access. We hear this, and we are surprised in
our interactions with Active Duty personnel that they have
challenges with access, particularly with regard to dependents
and spouses, and that varies in different places around the
country.
I also concur with the reimbursement issues that were
mentioned here. Overall, I would give it a B to a B minus.
Senator Graham. Captain Snyder? Ms. Holleman?
Ms. Holleman. Yes, I agree. I would say B once you get it.
Again, it is an access question, and it is a complicated
question. It is a complicated exotic system, and particularly
for family members. Their dismay is often not about the care
itself, but all the problems and the hoops to get through and
understand, and then they move and they have to learn them all
over again. I think that is a great deal of the difficulty.
Senator Graham. Captain Snyder?
Captain Snyder. Sir, I agree with the access problem, but
personally, I think in a bigger picture, at sometime we are
going to have to deal with the number of entitlements for
health care. In this area, I have been very blessed for 43
years since I retired out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center
(WRAMC). But I can go to WRAMC. I can go to the VA. I can use
my TRICARE, which I did. Now I can use Medicare. All those
programs are operating at the same time.
I don't know what the answer is. I just know that the
problems that get rooted into one of the systems like access to
military treatment facilities once you retire--now I retired
with a combat disability. So I can always go to WRAMC for those
areas that I need treatment----
Senator Graham. But a Category 8 veteran will have a hard
time doing that, right?
Captain Snyder. Right. Those other hospitals are there for
them, but the cost compounds by just having start-up costs for
all the ones that have to be operated. I am just throwing that
out as a futuristic thing because I think it is going to come
around.
Senator Graham. I have been thinking for a long time that
when you retire from the military, maybe you should go into a
VA system that could accommodate more patients and offer more
services, and it is taking up the military's budget when you
are talking about down the road, just sort of limit the
military health care footprint to the Active-Duty Forces and
their families.
I don't know if that is the smart thing to do, but you have
nailed it right there. You have nailed it. Yes?
Colonel Strobridge. Yes, sir. That is something TMC has
addressed specifically, and we see great difficulties with
that.
Senator Graham. In the current system, it would be almost
impossible. But somebody has to get a grip on this.
One last thing, and then I have to go. They tell me that in
1995, the TRICARE beneficiaries, DOD health care beneficiaries,
paid 27 percent of their health care cost. Today, it is 12
percent, and that is what you were getting to, Mr. Chairman.
The Bush administration had some pretty draconian premium
increases that were just too much too quick.
This committee has been working with your groups and others
to find ways to make health care more efficient. What can we do
to improve the quality of care? More preventive medicine.
Before we ask for more money, we have to find savings first.
Last question, have we accomplished anything on
streamlining the savings part, and what do we do long term
about the ever-increasing amount of health care that is coming
through DOD's budget?
We have to somehow get ahead of this. I don't know if we
can maintain 12 percent forever. That is just something that
has to give eventually, and I want a rational way to get there,
not putting people at risk or asking more than they can give
all at one time. What is your view of our reform efforts here?
Colonel Strobridge. Frankly, sir, I think most of the
savings efforts have been due to the efforts of this committee.
Senator Graham. Yes, we have pushed the system. Has it
worked, I guess, is what I am saying?
Colonel Strobridge. Some of it has. Certainly the Federal
pricing for the retail pharmacy, although I am not even sure
that has been implemented yet. But that will generate big
savings. That was something, unfortunately, we had to push and
you had to push to get it done.
Senator Graham. Yes, and I want to go to the systems and
say you have to give some before we ask from others.
Colonel Strobridge. Yes, sir. Getting back to your point
about the 27 percent, we had a meeting with you 3 years ago.
Senator Graham. Right.
Colonel Strobridge. One of the points you made was why
don't you all get together and talk about the numbers? We have
been trying ever since. We have never gotten an explanation of
what went into that 27 percent. We have some difficulties.
Senator Graham. Mr. Chairman, my time is up. I think this
is a good area for the committee to keep pushing. To make sure
that they give us an accounting of this 27 percent and these
reforms that you gave us that from a user's point of view would
make this system more efficient. We need to have another
meeting with DOD officials about cleaning up the program,
making it more efficient.
Then, quite frankly, as I told you 3 years ago, there is
going to come a day when we are going to have to look at the
population and say, based on the ability to pay, we are going
to have to pay more down the road.
Colonel Strobridge. Yes, sir. We have had several of those.
You remember the list that we gave you. We provided those to a
bunch of different folks in DOD. Usually they say, ``gee, there
are some good ideas in here,'' and we don't hear that much. In
fairness, there have been a couple of them that have been
implemented.
Senator Graham. Mr. Chairman, let us reinstitute that whole
inquiry.
Colonel Strobridge. Yes, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. I might add that when these, as you
say, draconian increases were being discussed, poor Secretary
Chu had to engage with us with an awful lot of discussion about
the absence of strong actuarial morbidity studies to establish
either the amount of the increase as being actuarially sound or
what the true actuarial cost should be.
I do think the whole area needs to be evaluated and
studied, and there clearly is something wrong if we are moving
down to a lower--if it is true that we are, that the individual
is paying less premium percentage for the cost, trending
downwards, that isn't sustainable. But we need to know whether
that is the case or not.
Being told that is one thing. Having actuaries come in and
establish true what the loss costs are, I think, would be very
helpful.
Senator Graham. Thank you for your testimony.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
Ms. Holleman, the use of this trust fund that you made
reference to, you say something like 1,500?
Ms. Holleman. That is it. Only 1,500.
Senator Ben Nelson. Fifteen hundred children. These are
special needs children of a deceased member, or what do they
consist of?
Ms. Holleman. Yes. Usually, that is what it is. The special
needs trust is a creation really of the Federal Government, but
then implemented by State governments and the appropriate
court. You can establish a special needs trust. It protects,
when I say ``children,'' many of these children are adults. But
they were children of the servicemember, and they are severely
disabled.
The special needs trust protects them in many ways,
including having the qualification for other programs and care
that TRICARE does not cover, but that they would be
disqualified by getting the direct payment or having an
individual get the direct payment. But they are covered and
protected.
Senator Ben Nelson. Would this be for health care, or would
it be for continuing life care, living expenses?
Ms. Holleman. Both. But often, for instance, if this is
somebody who should live in a group home, that is not exactly
health care.
Senator Ben Nelson. Living expenses would be, yes.
Ms. Holleman. Living expenses, certain psychological and
other programs that are provided that are often means tested by
the States. The reason that the special needs trust was created
was to protect that and to allow them to have the benefit of
the State as well.
But at this point in time, DFAS just cannot pay to a trust.
It is not expensive, but it will make huge differences to these
children.
Senator Ben Nelson. It doesn't increase the cost. It just
directs where the expenditure could be made?
Ms. Holleman. The only increase I could see is that there
was a Congressional Budget Office report that said it would be
$88 million in 10 years, and the cost would be, I never get an
explanation of what Medicaid--I think what the cost would be,
would be Medicaid.
Senator Ben Nelson. Oh, I see.
Ms. Holleman. That, in fact, is what one of the things
special needs trust is created to allow people to use.
Senator Ben Nelson. Something I need to learn a little bit
more about.
Yes, Captain Snyder?
Captain Snyder. Sir, I might comment on that because I have
helped a lot of families with this, and there is the payment of
a Government entitlement that has to go to an individual. It
can be deposited into a special needs trust, but the individual
is going to get the 1099 because it has to go to a human being.
That is the problem.
Ms. Holleman. Right.
Captain Snyder. The other problem is it is not just SBP. It
is Social Security. Social Security will cause the same
problem. So if you fix the SBP that it is not part of income to
go in for this, and then Social Security comes in because the
child, upon the death of the father, will receive 75 percent of
the father's benefit, which is greater than his Supplemental
Security Income benefit. Before we had the SBP law in 1972,
there was a similar problem with Social Security.
If you disconnect these three things that are always
operating on the benefits and you fix one, there is the domino
theory.
Senator Ben Nelson. That is something new to me that I know
about the trust, but I didn't realize that the Government can't
make that payment directly. So, some authorization?
Captain Snyder. I think it has been explained to me as the
legal problem is the trust can change. The human being can't
change. I mean, unless it dies, that child is going to get the
benefit.
I have a 51-year-old right now that his father died, the
mother had SBP for herself and the child, no problem. The child
was getting it. Now the mother died in January, so the child is
getting the SBP, the father's Social Security, and the VA,
because his death was service-connected of Agent Orange, that
child is getting about $7,000 a month, and it is too much money
to have it get into the other benefits.
But that much from all three of the benefits again is
paying his costs almost better than Medicaid, but there are
some things like private picking up, bus transportation, or
wheelchairs. But the brothers now are saying they have enough
money to take care of him on their own.
It is not an easy issue when a Government entitlement is
trying to go to a nonhuman being.
Colonel Strobridge. The specific problem with the law, sir,
is the SBP law explicitly states that SBP can only be paid to a
natural person. The legislation at hand would add another
subparagraph that said it could be paid to a special needs
trust.
Ms. Holleman. Of course, the special needs trusts are
watched and administered and protected by the court, the
surrogate court or the probate court or whatever court the
State has that handles such things and are very expert in
handling those matters.
Senator Ben Nelson. The potential recipient, the
beneficiary doesn't have the capacity to direct, to sign away
or authorize the assignment to that trust because they don't
have the capacity----
Colonel Strobridge. It is illegal.
Senator Ben Nelson. --and it is illegal.
Ms. Holleman. Yes. It is illegal, even if they did.
Captain Snyder. It is the income of the person that causes
the problem, and that has to be reported. VA does not count it.
But Social Security and SBP do, and that is where, again, the
deposit can go to the trust account. There is no problem with
getting the money in the trust account. But the 1099 is going
to go to the human being and not to the trust.
Senator Ben Nelson. Colonel Strobridge, you may not agree?
Colonel Strobridge. The DFAS has sent letters to these
folks----
Captain Snyder. They can't.
Colonel Strobridge. --sir, that says they will not deposit
it in a special needs trust.
Ms. Holleman. Right.
Colonel Strobridge. It is illegal. I have a letter,
multiple letters that say that.
Senator Ben Nelson. I think that is something we ought to
take a look at. Certainly, we don't want to see money sent off
into eight different directions without adequate controls. But
it does seem that that is a bit behind the times that you can't
do that.
Obviously, there are good reasons for it to be directed
into an account like that, particularly probably less chance of
somebody intercepting the money. All kinds of other hazards
that are out there that at least this would be direct deposit,
and that is a fairly common thing today. It wasn't common maybe
so many years ago when this was put together.
We can take a look at that as well, see what we can do to
at least create the authorization so it is not illegal.
This is just generally to the panel. What priorities have
we not raised that you think we should raise? What are we not
doing that you individually think we should be looking at or
doing? Quickly, if you could.
Mr. Barnes. Mr. Chairman, I will lead off here. One of two
issues that are addressed in the Fleet Reserve Association's
statement is the voting issue, which is very important. There
have been some hearings on Capitol Hill with regard to absentee
ballots.
Senator Ben Nelson. Oh, yes. I am on that committee.
Mr. Barnes. That is a very challenging issue. Anyway, that
is one issue.
The other issue is reform, needed reform of the Uniformed
Services Former Spouses Protection Act.
Thank you for asking.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
Captain Puzon. Yes, sir. I mentioned it, but I want to do
it again. It is dental coverage for our Guard and reservists
before they go, mobilize, and afterwards. That is a big issue
for the Guard and Reserve.
Colonel Strobridge. One that I would like to add, sir, that
we have discussed with your staff as a possibility is the
Active Duty dependent dental plan. That coverage for
orthodontia has not changed since 2001 or 2002. Obviously, the
cost of braces are going up. Something to provide for the
Active Duty families to allow that adjustment would be very
helpful.
Captain Snyder. Sir, I think one thing that would help
surviving children is to release them from the alternative
minimum tax on the SBP that they get. That is causing dollars
to not be able to be used for the children. We are trying to
give money to the children. This was a different type of child,
although the children do have the money, and they should report
it for taxation, but not the alternative minimum tax. I think
that would help them a great deal.
Senator Ben Nelson. Good point.
Ms. Holleman, we will let you wrap it up.
Ms. Holleman. I was going to say, but Captain Snyder said
it much better than I.
We are talking about dental. I will throw out the last part
of the dental. The retiree dental plan, which has been improved
in the last several years, and we are grateful for it, is still
completely paid by the members. Any support that could be given
by the Federal Government would be a great help.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you. You have been very helpful,
and we appreciate not only the information you have given to us
here and continue to provide us, but what you do for the men
and women in uniform and those who have hung up those uniforms.
We thank you so much for your participation. We appreciate
it. Thank you.
The hearing is adjourned.
[Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]
Question Submitted by Senator Roland W. Burris
dislocation allowance
1. Senator Burris. General Rochelle, Admiral Ferguson, General
Newton, and General Coleman, please clarify your policy regarding
servicemembers receiving dislocation allowance (DLA) entitlement during
their final permanent change of station (PCS) move on the occasion of
their retirement. Why isn't this entitlement extended to servicemembers
in this category?
General Rochelle. DLA partially reimburses a member, with or
without dependents, for the moving in and out expenses incurred when a
member relocates during a Government-directed PCS move, a move ordered
at the convenience of the Government, or movement incident to an
evacuation. Retirement is not a PCS reassignment enforced by the
Government. The member selects the location prior to retirement and it
may or may not result in a final move. The retiree is authorized a
fully funded Government home of selection move to most places in the
world. Since retirement is not unforeseen nor Government directed, the
expenses incurred with the setting up of the member's retirement
location is borne by the member. Therefore, the Army, in accordance
with the statute, does not authorize DLA to members for their
retirement move.
Admiral Ferguson. Consistent with 37 U.S.C. Sec. 407(e), and
chapter 5 of the Joint Federal Travel Regulations, members are not
entitled to payment of DLA when ordered from home to the member's first
duty station, or from the last duty station to the member's home.
General Newton. Statute prohibits retiring servicemembers from
receiving a DLA during their final PCS. Specifically, title 37, U.S.C.,
section 407(e) states: ``[a] member is not entitled to payment of a DLA
. . . from the member's last duty station to the member's home.''
General Coleman. This entitlement is not extended to servicemembers
incident to their retirement because, per the law (title 37, section
407(e)), it is specifically prohibited. It is also not authorized for
servicemembers who separate. The Marine Corps and the Department of
Defense (DOD) considered changing the law to allow such an entitlement
for servicemembers incident to their retirement in the fiscal year 2004
and fiscal year 2005 Unified Legislative Budget cycles. The Marine
Corps and DOD decided to not support any such change for the following
reasons: the high cost to taxpayers with no service return on
investment, no apparent need, and the inequity it would create unless
it was implemented so as to also apply to servicemembers who separate
(who experience similar relocation expenses). The purpose of DLA is to
partially reimburse servicemembers the expenses they incur in
relocating their household incident to PCS orders. By partially
reimbursing a servicemember such expenses, it reduces the
servicemember's financial burden of a PCS, increases their satisfaction
with PCS orders, makes them more amenable to PCS orders in the future,
increases their quality of life, and positively affects retention. No
such service return on investment is gained for servicemembers who
retire or separate.
______
Questions Submitted by Senator Roger F. Wicker
permanent change of station
2. Senator Wicker. Admiral Ferguson, the Navy recently announced a
hold for the remainder of this fiscal year on PCS moves for 14,000
sailors who have yet to receive official orders. It is my understanding
that this is an extremely large quality of life issue as most families
move over the summer, in between school years, and that the halt in
duty station changes now means some children will be changing schools
mid-year.
During your testimony, you stated that if the House version of the
fiscal year 2009 supplemental were passed with funding for manpower
that it would ``cover the Navy's shortfall.'' Does this mean that the
supplemental will allow the Navy to remove its freeze on PCS moves?
Admiral Ferguson. Yes. Should funding become available, we will
immediately restore the full execution of planned PCS moves to the
greatest extent possible.
3. Senator Wicker. Admiral Ferguson, looking forward, it is my
understanding that the PCS freeze was instituted when the Office of the
Chief of Naval Operations reduced the PCS budget by $92 million and
applied this funding to the shortfall in the ship repair budget. It is
also my understanding that all the PCS moves that would have occurred
this summer are now being postponed until next fiscal year. I find this
troubling as we have already seen next year's budget and the money
requested for PCS in fiscal year 2010 is $14 million less than that
appropriated for fiscal year 2009 ($854 million vs. $868 million) and
it seems as though we will start fiscal year 2010 with $92 million
worth of fiscal year 2009 PCS moves to execute. Additionally, the only
thing listed on the Navy's fiscal year 2010 unfunded list is $395
million worth of unfunded ship and aviation maintenance. Is the Navy
going to run into the same shortfall for personnel funding in fiscal
year 2010?
Admiral Ferguson. The decision to delay PCS moves was to mitigate a
shortfall within the Military Personnel, Navy (MP,N) account. This
shortage was not applied to the shortfall in the ship repair budget.
This mitigation action was necessary due to end strength over-execution
caused by higher than anticipated retention and lower than anticipated
attrition, driven largely by current economic conditions. The PCS delay
impacts only certain moves. We continue to execute individual augmentee
moves, accession, and separation moves, selected joint and graduate
education moves, organizational moves, and other high priority
readiness moves.
Should funding become available through the supplemental, we will
immediately restore the PCS program to the greatest extent possible,
which would minimize any carry-over unplanned moves for fiscal year
2010 and reduce the risk of carrying over a funding shortfall.
4. Senator Wicker. Admiral Ferguson, please explain in detail how
the Navy plans to prevent this from happening in 2010 and beyond.
Admiral Ferguson. Navy allocates resources within the MP,N
appropriation using well-established programming and budgeting
practices and based upon the best projections and estimates available
at the time the program and budget are developed. The MP,N program
supports an executable fiscal year 2010 manpower strategy with the
necessary funds for ongoing program requirements. However, with 5
percent of the MP,N account in discretionary funding, Navy has limited
flexibility to address execution-year adjustments such as our recent
experience with end strength over-execution caused by higher than
anticipated retention and lower than anticipated attrition. Given that
the nature of the MP,N account is to resource people programs,
execution-year adjustments inevitably impact sailors, their families,
and the programs that support them. Nonetheless, such adjustments are
made reluctantly and only after all alternatives for maintaining
optimum military personnel readiness are carefully evaluated.
[Whereupon, at 4:27 p.m., the subcommittee adjourned.]
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION FOR APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR
2010
----------
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2009
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on Personnel,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC.
SUPPORT FOR MILITARY FAMILY PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND INITIATIVES
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:31 p.m. in
room SR-222, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator E.
Benjamin Nelson (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Committee members present: Senators E. Benjamin Nelson,
Akaka, Burris, Graham, Chambliss, and Thune.
Majority staff member present: Gabriella Eisen, counsel.
Minority staff members present: Diana G. Tabler,
professional staff member; and Richard F. Walsh, minority
counsel.
Staff assistants present: Mary C. Holloway and Brian F.
Sebold.
Committee members' assistants present: Ann Premer,
assistant to Senator Ben Nelson; Nathan Davern, assistant to
Senator Burris; Adam G. Brake, assistant to Senator Graham; and
Clyde A. Taylor IV, assistant to Senator Chambliss.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR E. BENJAMIN NELSON, CHAIRMAN
Senator Ben Nelson. Good afternoon. I am going to call this
hearing to order.
The subcommittee meets today to discuss support for
military family programs, policies, and initiatives in review
of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2010 and
the Future Years Defense Program.
More than 1.8 million family members of Active Duty
servicemembers and 1.1 million dependents of Reserve component
members make sacrifices each and every day, along with their
servicemembers. These family members are an integral part of
the force, and stress on the force affects the overall
readiness of our Armed Forces.
Military families often face unique challenges and
difficulties throughout their loved one's career, including
frequent relocations and reassignments to bases across the
country and overseas, as well as the various demands stemming
from continued deployment of members from every Service.
The life of a military family member has never been an easy
one. But in our eighth year of war, families are facing even
more hardships, and it is clear that they play a very
significant role in serving our country. Deployments are an
undeniable strain on families. While a servicemember is away,
spouses are often forced into the role of a single parent,
juggling employment, childcare, and household duties each and
every day, all the while living with the pressure of having a
family member deployed to a combat zone.
Deployed servicemembers must be completely focused in
theater, and they will experience less stress in the field if
they are assured their families are being well taken care of
back home.
It is imperative that families remain as resilient as
possible in order to provide a stable environment for loved
ones when they return home from those deployments. Families are
often the first line of defense against Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) and suicide, but may be experiencing similar
feelings themselves.
We must ensure that families and servicemembers have timely
access to mental health resources and programs. We must make
every dependent aware of the resources available to them to
assist in everything from financial counseling to job placement
to accessing quality healthcare and childcare.
Not only do we need to provide the resources, but we must
also actively reach out to these families. Even when there are
programs established, many times people are not able to reach
out for themselves. In talking with spouses from my home State
of Nebraska, I know how important it is to them that they have
base and community support and they are contacted before,
during, and after a servicemember's deployment. Just a phone
call or a note to check in is meaningful, and we must encourage
and support groups that take this sort of initiative.
In my mind, this outreach provides the kind of family
support friends or a neighbor would offer. Oftentimes, these
crucial support networks are missing for military families
because they are stationed far away from family and friends.
Of course, deployments are not the only cause for stress
for military families. Routine training exercise and
deployments may take airmen and women away from their families
for flight training and sailors away from their families to be
aboard ship. Perhaps the biggest nondeployment issue facing
military families is permanent changes of station.
Most servicemembers are moved from post to post every few
years, and some may have to move even more often than that.
Active duty families know to expect this, but that doesn't
necessarily make the transition easier. Each time a family
moves, they must once again arrange for childcare, assist their
children in transition to a new school, and new healthcare
providers, and searches for new jobs.
Additionally, we must not forget our single servicemembers.
Their needs may be different, but their mothers, fathers,
sisters, brothers, and children still require support.
Thousands of military families have taken it upon
themselves to confront these challenges by volunteering to
provide critical assistance during deployments to
servicemembers, their spouses, and children, as well as giving
vital support to families relocating to a new area. We are very
lucky to have some of these volunteers with us here today.
Sadly, many families have made the ultimate sacrifice in
the loss of a servicemember who proudly defended our Nation,
and we must think of them as well.
We in Congress have tried to do our part to help, and have
made family support programs and initiatives a high priority.
In recent bills, we have called for the establishment of a
Department of Defense (DOD) Military Family Readiness Council,
education, training, and tuition assistance to help spouses
maintain careers, respite care for parents caring for children
on their own due to deployment, additional time off for family
members to prepare for deployment, authorized increased levels
of Impact Aid for military dependents' education, and
established and supported the nationwide expansion of the DOD's
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, which is aimed at helping
members and families of the Guard and Reserve.
Just this week, Senators Levin, McCain, Graham, and I
introduced a Senate resolution, which passed unanimously
yesterday encouraging the recognition of 2009 as the ``Year of
the Military Family''. It is my hope that this resolution
increases awareness of the great sacrifices military families
make and inspire Americans everywhere to express our
appreciation.
But there is still more to do. We have always supported our
military families, but they need our Nation's support now more
than ever. I commend the Department and each of the Services
for placing the support of our military families among their
top budget priorities this year.
We look forward to hearing how each Service and DOD plan to
sustain family readiness and improve support for these military
family members who bravely serve this Nation alongside their
servicemembers and what Congress can do to help.
Now I would like to welcome our ranking member, my good
friend Senator Lindsey Graham. As always, we are delighted to
have you here with us today to discuss these critical issues.
Whether you have been the chair or I have been the chair, we
have always been able to work together to make this a
bipartisan subcommittee. It is my pleasure to turn it over to
you for any opening statements you may want to make.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM
Senator Graham. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
One of the joys of being in the Senate is serving on this
subcommittee. We have Senator Thune here and Senator Akaka, and
this Personnel Subcommittee is one of the most bipartisan
places in the Senate. You have done a great job as chairman,
and I have enjoyed working with you.
From the family perspective, there is a military saying,
``One team, one fight.'' You are definitely part of the team,
and you are definitely in this fight. The families are, in many
ways, the unsung heroes of this war.
There are 40,000 Active Duty military personnel, 28,000
Reserve personnel, and their families in 7 military
installations throughout South Carolina. I am sure that is true
of Hawaii, South Dakota, Nebraska. Our National Guard has been
utilized unlike any time since World War II. Sixty percent of
our active forces have been deployed, and 46 percent of our
Reserves have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. That is a
phenomenal number.
As the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines leave, family
members go to the fight, but just in a different way. In some
ways, it is harder because they know what is going on with
them, you don't. That creates its own kind of stress.
One of the things that I am proud of, working with Senator
McCain and the chairman here, the GI bill of rights, for the
first time, is more robust. But for the first time, a career
member can transfer their benefits to their families. There are
going to be some family members, sons and daughters of Active
Duty military members and reservists, that will be able to go
to college on the military members GI bill of rights. I think
that really helps families and leverages retired pay.
Our subcommittee has increased military pay 35 percent
since 2000. I wish we could have done more, but I think that is
a recognition that you mean a lot to us. Now you have TRICARE
for Guard and Reserve families, a real advancement. We have
improved survivor benefits, increased authorization for
childcare, reintegration programs for the Guard and Reserve,
the Wounded Warrior program. A DOD family readiness council has
been created.
I appreciate what the President has done in the budget.
There is some good news in his budget that we have increased
money available to families. Childcare and family counseling
has doubled since 2001. Nearly 105,000 members of the Reserve
and Guard and their families have healthcare coverage through
TRICARE. The administration has increased family benefits at a
time when we need it.
I look forward to hearing from you about what we can do
better, what we need to do more of, but if nothing else, just
to say thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Senator Graham.
Senator Thune, do you have any opening comments you might
like to make?
Senator Thune. Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this
hearing and thanks to our panelists, the spouses of our
military leaders in this country, for being here today and for
the sacrifices you all make every day.
There isn't any issue, as Senator Graham mentioned, that we
deal with that is more important. This is a team fight, and
there have been a number of things, hopefully, policies, we
have put in place that have improved just the way in which we
deal with military families and the way that we value the
contributions that they make.
But there is an old saying that the biggest room in the
house is the room for improvement, and we are always looking
for things that we can do better to better serve the men and
women who wear the uniform and defend and protect us.
I can't tell you how much we appreciate the incredible
sacrifices that our families make. Thank you for being here
today.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding what is a very
important hearing. Thanks.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
Senator Akaka, any opening remarks you might like to make?
Senator Akaka. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you
for your leadership and your emphasis on families.
I would like to say aloha and welcome to our spouses that
are here today on this panel. Along with your husbands, you are
also military heroes, heroes for the selfless service that you
provide and contribute to this great Nation.
The families, I think, have not been given the focus that
you should have because you are the ones that really support
those on the front line and help them in their readiness for
whatever activity they are facing.
I would also like to offer my gratitude and thanks to the
National Military Family Association (NMFA). For over 40 years,
they have remained committed to supporting and improving the
lives of our military families. I am so glad you are here. I am
glad to be here to ask you some questions, and I look forward
to your testimony.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Senator Akaka.
Without objection, all witness written testimony submitted
for today's hearing will be included in the record.
Additionally, we have received statements from the Fleet
Reserve Association; Ms. Kristina Kaufman Turner, an Army wife
and military advocate; Ms. Stacy Bannerman, an Army National
Guard Blue Star wife; and members of the group Military
Families Speak Out. Without objection, all of these statements
will be included in the record of this hearing.
Now it is my pleasure to introduce our first panel. We have
with us Ms. Sheila L. Casey, wife of General George W. Casey,
Chief of Staff of our United States Army. It is good to see you
again, Ms. Casey.
Ms. Jennifer A. Mancini, wife of Chief Petty Officer Steven
F. Mancini, United States Navy.
Ms. Colleen K. Smith, wife of Colonel Andrew H. Smith,
Commanding Officer, Marine Barracks, Washington, DC, United
States Marine Corps.
Ms. Patricia Davis, wife of Chief Master Sergeant James E.
Davis, the Command Master Chief Sergeant of the 316th Wing at
Andrews Air Force Base.
Ms. Kathleen Moakler, Director of Government Relations for
the NMFA and an Army spouse and mother. We are glad to have you
back, Ms. Moakler. Nice to see you again.
First, I want to express our gratitude to each of you and
each of your spouses because, together, you have proudly served
our country together, and I express my deep appreciation to all
of you for taking the time to be here. We look forward to
hearing from you. There are many issues that are facing
military families today, and we welcome your very frank
assessments of the strengths and the weaknesses of the systems
that are supporting the military families, as well as,
obviously, any recommendations that you might make to help us.
We will begin by hearing the opening statements. Following
that, there will be some questions.
Ms. Casey, again, thank you for being here, and we will be
honored to have you start us off this afternoon.
STATEMENT OF SHEILA L. CASEY, WIFE OF GENERAL GEORGE W. CASEY,
JR., USA, CHIEF OF STAFF, UNITED STATES ARMY
Ms. Casey. Mr. Chairman, Senator Graham, and distinguished
members of this subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to
share with you my perspectives and my personal experience as an
Army spouse for almost 4 decades. I am also the mother of a
soldier and a long-time Army volunteer.
I began my Army experience when I married George 39 years
ago, and like all other Army spouses, I have experienced the
ups and downs of military life. I have moved quite a bit--23
times, in fact--and I have seen my husband deploy overseas
several times, once for 32 months to Iraq. All the while I have
balanced raising two sons and also having a career of my own.
Over the last 2 years, I have had the opportunity and
privilege of traveling with George all over with the United
States Army, meeting with family members, soldiers, wounded
warriors, parents, surviving spouses, and their families and
children.
I am amazed at what military families and spouses are doing
on a daily basis. Their self-sacrifice and their dedication are
awe-inspiring. But I will tell you that in talking with them, I
have grown increasingly concerned. Army families are stretched,
and they are stressed. I have often referred to them as the
most brittle part of the force.
What I am starting to see as I go around speaking with them
is that families are so stressed that everything is becoming an
issue. Things that never seemed to be an issue before are now
becoming a big deal.
I am also seeing signs of a force under immense strain, and
this concerns me greatly. These signs, these indicators include
cases of domestic violence, child neglect, as well as increases
in suicides, alcohol abuse, and cases of PTSD.
We are also seeing slight upticks in our divorce rates, and
I say slight because what I hear from people is they don't have
time to get divorced.
I am also concerned about the family unit, specifically
keeping them together. I am worried especially about our young,
newly married Army families. Because with repeated deployments
bearing down on them, these young families don't have enough
time together to build strong bonds. They are particularly
vulnerable to being stressed by the war.
Actually, what really keeps me awake at night are our
children. The cumulative effects of repeated deployments by
their parents, coupled with the stress of daily life in a
military family, is having an effect on them. That worries me.
I was up at Fort Drum, and I will never forget this young
woman who stood, and through her sobs, she talked about her
fears that her two small children would not know their father,
who spent so much time deployed. She was particularly concerned
about the inability for them to attach to him emotionally with
his military service that keeps him in and out of their lives.
Quite frankly, the only thing I could do was hold her as she
cried.
It is important to recognize that what families are dealing
with are the cumulative effects of nearly 8 years of war.
Because it is cumulative, the negative effects are not easily
reversed. My concern is that we are going to see these things
appear again later, when families have the time to really
reintegrate.
My sense is that more services and support will be needed
as dwell time increases. We need to be ready for it because if
we don't stay ahead and in front of these indicators, we won't
be able to react fast enough.
I would also like to share with you the three things that I
hear from Army families everywhere I go. The first is the lack
of access to quality medical care and mental healthcare. The
lack of the ability to get appointments, concerns from
providers who, because of the cost-prohibitive reimbursement
rates, are not taking TRICARE patients.
There is a lack of mental healthcare professionals in on-
post facilities, but also in the outlying communities. Many
have to drive distances to find care, and waiting periods for
appointments are long.
Second, there is a widespread concern about the access to
quality education for our children and our spouses. Initiatives
like the Interstate Compact, which is signed by many of the
States that you represent here, and the post-September 11 GI
bill are helping improve access to education. But there are
still concerns out there about many of the school districts
that Army families live in and the problems faced by our high
school students as they transfer from school to school.
Third is the issue of spouse employment. Some Army spouses
are having difficulty finding jobs. Some others find it a
challenge to transfer their jobs as they move from post to
post. Those in professions requiring licensing are faced with
certification tests and fees each time they move. It is an
added stressor on the family unit.
Mr. Chairman, the Army has certainly come a long way over
the years in the level and quality of family support. Over the
last 4 decades, I have seen family support evolve from a sort
of informal alliance of spouses helping other spouses to a
fully-regulated support network made up of family readiness
groups, family readiness support assistance, and soldier and
family assistance centers.
When George and I came into the Army, childcare centers
were nurseries. Now we have state-of-the-art childcare centers.
Army community services in the 1970s was nothing more than a
lending closet. Now it is a full-service organization that
deals with family advocacy issues, financial readiness support,
pre- and post-deployment programs, as well as a myriad of
educational programs that help families acclimate to Army life.
I have witnessed a culture change with regard to spouses
working outside of the home. While I have managed to maintain
my career during most of George's time in the Army, it has not
always been easy. In the early days, spouses were highly
discouraged from working outside of the home.
Mr. Chairman, when George was a youngster and moving from
post to post with his brothers and sisters, they would throw
the five of them in the back of the station wagon and move to
another post. They would be complaining about not wanting to
leave where they have been. His mother would say to them,
``Make the best of it.'' Today, Army families are sacrificing
too much. We can no longer ask them to just make the best of
it.
The continued commitment to this All-Volunteer Force is
just too important to our Nation to leave it to that. It is
important that we continue our investment in our military
families.
Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, thank you very
much, and thank you for your continued support to the Army and
especially to our Army families.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Ms. Casey.
Ms. Mancini?
STATEMENT OF JENNIFER A. MANCINI, WIFE OF CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
STEVEN F. MANCINI, USN
Ms. Mancini. Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham, and members
of the subcommittee, thank you for this great honor and
opportunity to talk about Navy family issues close to my heart.
My name is Jennifer Mancini. I have stood by my husband for
17 years with three children, proudly watching him rise through
the ranks, becoming a Chief Petty Officer, supporting him as he
pulled away from the pier time and time again on amphibious
ships and an aircraft carrier, presenting him his newborn
babies at his homecomings and seeing the pride beam across his
face, and praying for his safe return from his deployment where
he patrolled the waterways in Iraq.
It has been my privilege to serve as an ombudsman for 7
years with fleet Navy commands and 3 years with expeditionary
commands. Currently, I serve as force ombudsman for 32,000
naval expeditionary combat sailors and their families.
Navy expeditionary warriors stand shoulder-to-shoulder with
Army, Marines, and National Guard serving in Iraq and
Afghanistan at the tip of the spear. We face enduring stressful
operations, fatigue, lack of decompression, and hyper-
vigilance. Some sailors return home with physical wounds. Some
sailors return home with invisible wounds, and some don't
return at all.
Our commands deserve funding for combat-focused family
readiness programs, including paid positions for our burned-out
ombudsmen, for embedded mental health professionals, and for
Navy Fleet and Family Support Programs designed specifically to
address multiple deployments. This funding will maintain and
enhance an already extraordinary force.
Families tell me they are frustrated and concerned with
budget cutbacks. They wonder if their sailor will receive
adequate training and supplies required to support the mission.
Ombudsmen serve 10 to 20 hours a week, not a month, and
sometimes more. We are tired and need relief and funding for
paid positions. These concerns directly impact whether a spouse
will encourage his or her sailor to reenlist.
As the first ombudsman for Riverine Squadron One, I
experienced an incredible lack of training and support from
fleet Navy, due to their lack of understanding for brown water
sailors and expeditionary capabilities. Our families were
shocked to see battle gear coming home to their living rooms.
The unknown was daunting because our sailors were not on ships,
did not have the same operational tempo (OPTEMPO), and our
deployments were on land.
Spouses of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) sailors also
experience unique stress. A group of EOD ombudsmen and I
recently created the EOD mobile dive and salvage unit ``battle
book'' to specifically address how to support and empower EOD
families. This is a living document that will be passed forward
with lessons learned from ombudsman to ombudsman.
In closing, I offer this quote from one of our spouses.
After the loss of several of her husband's friends, he called
her from Iraq stating, ``I am alone and unafraid.'' After the
call, she thought, ``I am alone and very afraid.'' This
emphasizes what my testimony is about and why I am here.
Thank you for this incredible opportunity to speak with you
about my Navy career and subjects close to my heart. I look
forward to your questions.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Ms. Mancini. Thank you very
much.
Ms. Smith?
STATEMENT OF COLLEEN K. SMITH, WIFE OF COLONEL ANDREW H. SMITH,
USMC, COMMANDING OFFICER, MARINE BARRACKS, WASHINGTON, DC
Ms. Smith. Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham, and
distinguished members of the subcommittee, it is my pleasure to
appear before you today to discuss issues that are near and
dear to me, the families of our brave men and women in uniform.
By way of introduction, I am Colleen Smith, wife of Colonel
Andrew Smith, United States Marine Corps.
Today, I would like to talk to you about several issues
that are important to me--one, maintaining a healthy family
life for our spouses and our children while our Marines are
deployed; two, access to quality medical care; and three, the
vital importance of on-base housing.
Drew and I have been married for 14 years. In that time he
has deployed numerous times, and I have lived in 10 different
homes. Our four children, ranging from ages 13 to 7, have all
attended multiple schools. Our oldest, Victoria, who is in
seventh grade, has already attended five different schools.
At one point, Drew missed three Christmases in 4 years and
all of our birthdays and anniversaries in that time period.
Through these experiences, I feel confident that I can speak
with you today about the needs of our Marine Corps families.
The frequent overseas deployments that we have all
experienced since 2001 seem to have become routine. What is not
routine, however, are the challenges faced by the spouse and
children who remain behind. As I mentioned, Drew spent
considerable time deployed in recent years, as well as 3 years
on recruiting. This has had a huge impact on our children.
However, answering questions like, ``What will we do if
something happens to Dad?'' will never become routine. Nor is
it routine to watch your children cry and fight not to let go
of their father as he prepares to deploy. While I have been
through this multiple times, I am not a professional child
psychologist. I am just trying to be the best mom I can be.
Access to professional counselors through the DOD
healthcare system is a necessity for our children and our
spouses. Dealing with the emotional toll of this ongoing
conflict is essential if we are going to maintain healthy
families.
It is important to note that it is not just our children
that need this kind of quality counseling. I wrote a note of
condolence to a friend whose husband was killed by a suicide
improvised explosive device. The sudden loss of her husband
left her with the reality that is often thought about, but
rarely discussed, ``the death of my spouse.''
In this case, my friend was left with her four children,
the same ages as mine. It is difficult to think that, at one
point, it could have just as easily been my husband. Despite my
sadness for her loss, I still needed to maintain my composure
for my children.
This scenario highlights the need for greater access to
counseling services for spouses as well. We all know how nice
it is to hear ``it is going to be all right'' at the end of a
long day. However, we often don't have someone there to tell us
that. Only if we are in a healthy state of mind ourselves can
we ensure a healthy, normal outlook for our children.
Additionally, this kind of counseling needs to be available
for the spouses and children of our wounded marines as well as
the ones we have lost. We have done a great job as a Nation in
reaching out to our servicemembers to increase awareness of
PTSD, depression, or other conditions. Now is the time to
expand this benefit to our family members as well.
We need to establish a program making counseling available
outside of base hospitals. We envision qualified personnel on
our base or duty station who you could call and simply say,
``My son is having nightmares since his dad is deployed,'' and
they would see him without having to go through multiple layers
of medical referrals.
To that end, childcare is a significant issue for the
mental health of the parent who remains behind. More childcare
should be available and at low or no cost to our families. A
respite care type program for a spouse whose marine is deployed
and has no one around to help would be a tremendous benefit.
As an example, free childcare at base gyms and fitness
centers with the idea that exercise can improve attitude,
increases well-being, and offers socialization. Many spouses
would like to participate in fitness classes or other
activities, but do not due to the lack of availability, cost,
and limitations associated with childcare.
Hand-in-hand with access to quality counseling for our
children and spouses is the ever-pressing need for quality
healthcare. While we appreciate the urgent needs of our
deployed forces, we, too, have pressing healthcare needs at
home.
As you can imagine, with four children, I have made my fair
share of doctors' visits. As those of you with children
understand, it isn't always for a single problem. Yet I have
seen signs in providers' offices that state ``15 minutes per
appointment'' or ``only one issue will be discussed per
appointment.''
It is unacceptable to think that a mother would have to
bring her child back to a second appointment should they have a
sore knee and a fever on the same day. It is unacceptable that
mothers are resorting to emergency room appointments for simple
matters such as strep throat or an ear infection due to limited
availability of the same-day appointments.
The system needs to be more in-tune with the competing
demands on the time of the spouse who is forced to be a single
parent while their loved one is deployed.
Lastly, I would like to touch on the importance of on-base
housing. Ample and quality housing must be available for
marines of all ranks. While it is understood that the military
bases will not have the housing capacity to support all
personnel assigned, having the opportunity to live on base is
important and for my family has been the desired option.
On-base housing affords a degree of security, comfort, and
stability that cannot be replicated in the civilian market.
Simply stated, the community of military families cannot be
underestimated. Regardless of whether one is a junior enlisted
marine or a field grade officer, I believe servicemembers and
their families are better able to handle the rigor of military
life because of the shared bond and network of support.
Allow me to emphasize one point. The support a spouse
receives from other spouses is, in a word, invaluable. Whether
it is a hug when you know your friend's husband is in a hotspot
and marines are being wounded or killed, or sitting in the
emergency room with them when their children are sick or
injured, or watching their children while they are attending to
other spouses and family members within their unit. This shared
bond and support network is the foundation upon which military
spouses build and sustain their service.
The spirit of mutual support, of shared burden, of
affection and commitment for a fellow spouse is something that
is woven throughout each day, each separation, each social
gathering, each hardship, and each triumph. Living in base
housing gives us a sense of normalcy, a place where our
children grow up around other children going through similar
difficulties with multiple deployments, injuries to their
friends' fathers, and the like. It is a trusted community where
we have access to childcare centers, schools, libraries, and
playgrounds in an enclosed neighborhood.
In closing, I would like to reiterate that these are just
three examples of areas where we can work to improve the health
of our Marine Corps families. In the past 14 years, I have seen
significant improvements in many of these areas, such as
improved base housing, the establishment of the Professional
Family Readiness Officer Program in every Marine Corps unit,
and the ever-increasing awareness of the toll frequent
deployments have on our families.
However, I firmly believe more can be done, and I ask for
your kind consideration to the thoughts I have presented before
you today.
Thank you.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
Ms. Davis?
STATEMENT OF PATRICIA DAVIS, WIFE OF CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT
JAMES E. DAVIS, USAF, COMMAND MASTER CHIEF SERGEANT, 316TH
WING, ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE
Ms. Davis. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Graham, members of
the subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to come before
you on behalf of Air Force spouses whose loved ones faithfully
and unselfishly serve our Nation.
My name is Patricia Davis. I am the spouse of an Active
Duty member, a mother of two young boys, and a retired Air
Force veteran of 22 years of service. As such, I am in a unique
position of having experienced both sides of the military
family dynamic.
I recognize the strides that have been made to support the
military family. However, I find that there are many spouses
who seem unaware of what support programs are available during
their spouse's deployment and unaware of where to turn when in
need of such assistance.
Direct communication with civilian spouses prior to
deployment is necessary. Currently, family member's attendance
at predeployment briefings is optional, and in most cases,
spouses do not attend. I believe if spouses are put in touch
with those who provide firsthand support to them before the
member departs, they are less likely to feel isolated and more
inclined to seek support and counseling during the deployment
when it is needed.
I know support for the military working spouse can be
challenging. Obtaining reliable and affordable childcare for
children under 5 years of age is an obstacle for many. Junior
enlisted spouses are more likely than any other group to be
unable to work due to this reason. Many spouses who do work
cannot utilize family support services because they are offered
during the hours that they work. Flexibility in these support
programs is key.
According to the January 2009 Quadrennial Quality of Life
Review, 59 percent of military spouses are employed or are
seeking employment. Finding employment after a military move is
very difficult. Many times military spouses are denied
employment benefits because they voluntarily left their
previous job due to military orders.
There is no standard or State policy, so ability to receive
unemployment benefits vary depending on the State. I believe a
military spouse's clause should be added to each State's
unemployment guidelines to ensure military spouses who leave
their job because of military orders should be allowed to
receive the unemployment benefits they are entitled to. So many
military families rely on two incomes, and in a time of
transition, such as permanent change of station (PCS) moves,
withholding monetary benefits isn't the best way to serve our
military families.
As a mother, I am deeply concerned about the quality of
education my children receive. Military moves are especially
stressful times for the family, and moving to new schools can
be very difficult for our children.
This past school year, my children were in the third and
fifth grade. This is the third school they have attended since
beginning their academic careers. Increasingly, I see military
families paying to send their children to private schools due
to the lack of quality education in the area they are assigned
to, or they are deciding to home school instead.
To have our children in one area with quality blue ribbon
schools and then be reassigned to a location where the schools
are rated below average is distressing to families. Our kids'
education should not have to suffer because of military
obligations. The creation of a school voucher program should be
considered.
Also, a school liaison office should be available at every
Air Force installation if not already available. The school
liaison office would be an advocate for military children and a
bridge between the military family and local schools.
I applaud the Air Force for its commitment to finding new
ways to support our military families. There are so many
programs that are working and working well. The military family
is truly the backbone of the Air Force. I am proud to say I
served 22 years in the Air Force, and I am just as proud to say
that I know the Air Force is committed to creating and
sustaining healthy, well adjusted, and successful families. Go,
Air Force.
Thank you.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Ms. Davis.
Ms. Moakler, it is good to have you back. We appreciate
your being here.
STATEMENT OF KATHLEEN B. MOAKLER, DIRECTOR, GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS, NATIONAL MILITARY FAMILY ASSOCIATION
Ms. Moakler. Thank you, Senator Nelson.
Good afternoon, Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham, and other
distinguished members of the subcommittee.
I would like to take this time to thank you for introducing
and supporting the resolution that makes 2009 the Year of the
Military Family. We really, really appreciate that.
Senator Akaka, thank you for your kind words on the 40th
birthday of the NMFA.
Today, I will talk with you about military families, our
Nation's families. These families serve and sacrifice alongside
their servicemembers. Some families are experiencing third or
fourth deployments. Children are growing up with a parent who
has been in and out of their lives to Iraq, Afghanistan, and
numerous training locations for months at a time.
They may spend time in the local child development center
or youth program. They may have had a chance to talk to a
Military OneSource counselor if they are having trouble dealing
with deployment. They could even have attended one of our
Operation Purple camps. We need to know how our military
children are handling deployment and what lies ahead for them.
Our seasoned military spouses have been there, done that.
They think they know the drill, but each deployment is
different--a new baby, a difficult adolescent, a sick parent.
Maybe they find they are just not as resilient as before. Our
spouses need to know about different resources or programs with
each deployment.
While once they could juggle it all, they now realize that
talking to a counselor may help. Will they be able to find that
counselor when they need one?
Some families are new to the military. Fresh from basic
training, they need to find out about resources and programs
that are available to them in language they understand, be it
Spanish or Twitter. Financial training programs can teach them
why shopping at the commissary can make their paychecks go
further, and why payday lenders can stop their career in its
tracks.
Spouse career advancement programs can provide training and
skills to help a new spouse find a portable career. Engage
these young families, and they will become active members of
our military community.
Some families support deployed members of the Guard and
Reserve. They depend on the support services that you have
provided and they have come to expect through their States and
regions. The joint family assistance centers, subsidized
childcare during deployments, access to TRICARE providers and
mental health counselors when they are far from the flagpole.
Greater access for families to the Yellow Ribbon program could
help them learn how to bring their servicemember all the way
home from the horrors of war and become a whole family again.
Some families have had to change their plans. When their
servicemember is severely wounded, ill, or injured, many of
them have to quit their jobs to journey to the side of their
loved one to become part of the care team. How can we support
these caregivers so they can support their servicemember? How
do we help these families transition to a life that wasn't in
their plans?
Some families lose a family member forever. How do we help
them with their grief? What else can we do to help ensure their
financial well-being for the long term?
Some families have children affected by disabilities. How
can we best support them? How can we help them transition as
they move from installation to installation, from Active Duty
to retirement?
Our association recognizes and appreciates the many
resources and programs that support our military families
during this time of war. The need will not go away the day the
war ends. We believe that it is imperative that these programs
be included in the regular budget process.
We hope the Military Family Readiness Council mandated by
this body 2 years ago will help identify best practices and
programs and help eliminate overlapping or redundant programs.
In our written statement, we have identified other ways to
assist military families, and I will be glad to expand on those
suggestions should you have questions.
In military families, one size does not fit all, but they
are united in their sacrifices and support of their
servicemembers and our Nation. We ask you to help the Nation
sustain and support them.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Moakler follows:]
Prepared Statement by Kathleen B. Moakler
Chairman Nelson and distinguished members of this subcommittee, the
National Military Family Association would like to thank you for the
opportunity to present testimony on the quality of life of military
families--the Nation's families. You recognize the sacrifices made by
today's servicemembers and their families by focusing on the many
elements of their quality of life package: access to quality health
care, robust military pay and benefits, support for families dealing
with deployment, and special care for the families of the wounded, ill,
and injured and those who have made the greatest sacrifice.
We endorse the recommendations contained in the statement
previously submitted to this subcommittee by The Military Coalition. In
this statement, our Association will expand on several issues of
importance to military families:
I. Family Readiness
II. Family Health
III. Family Transitions
i. family readiness
The National Military Family Association believes policies and
programs should provide a firm foundation for families buffeted by the
uncertainties of deployment and transformation. It is imperative full
funding for these programs be included in the regular budget process
and not merely added on as part of supplemental funding. We promote
programs that expand and grow to adapt to the changing needs of
servicemembers and families as they cope with multiple deployments and
react to separations, reintegration, and the situation of those
returning with both visible and invisible wounds. Standardization in
delivery, accessibility, and funding are essential. Programs should
provide for families in all stages of deployment and reach out to them
in all geographic locations. Families should be given the tools to take
greater responsibility for their own readiness.
We appreciate provisions in the National Defense Authorization Acts
(NDAAs) of the past several years that recognized many of these
important issues. The increased access to resources and programs
provided by the Joint Family Support Assistance Program, now offered in
all states and territories, allows families to receive added help when
they need it during all cycles of deployment. The Military Family
Readiness Council held its first informal meeting in December. We feel
this will be an effective tool in identifying programs that work and in
helping to eliminate overlapping or redundant programs as the Council
reviews existing resources for military families. Our Association is
proud to represent military families as a member of the Council.
Child Care
The Services--and families--continue to tell us more child care is
needed to fill the ever growing demand, including hourly, drop-in,
respite, and after-hour child care. We've heard stories like this:
Child care facilities on base are beyond compare--for spouses
and military members who work nine to five. In our increasingly
service-oriented economy, the job I have has me working until
at least seven most days, and usually as late as midnight 1 to
2 days a week. When my husband deploys or has a stint on second
shift, I run out of options quickly. I have been unable to get
another, more conventional job in the 2 years I have been in
this area . . . there are minimum requirements as to what
shifts I need to work to maintain full-time employment at my
current workplace, and I cannot have those waived for an entire
deployment.
Innovative strategies are needed to address the non-availability of
after-hour child care (before 6 a.m. and after 6 p.m.) and respite
care. We applaud the partnership between the Services and the National
Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies that provides
subsidized childcare to families who cannot access installation based
child development centers. Families often find it difficult to obtain
affordable, quality care especially during hard-to-fill hours and on
weekends. Both the Navy and the Air Force have programs that provide
24/7 care. These innovative programs must be expanded to provide care
to more families at the same high standard as the Services' traditional
child development programs. The Army, as part of the funding attached
to its Army Family Covenant, has rolled out more space for respite care
for families of deployed soldiers. Respite care is needed across the
board for the families of the deployed and the wounded, ill, and
injured. We are pleased that the Services have rolled out more respite
care for special needs families, but since the programs are new we are
unsure of the impact it will have on families.
At our Operation Purple Healing Adventures camp for families of the
wounded, ill and injured, we were told there is a tremendous need for
access to adequate child care on or near military treatment facilities.
Families need the availability of child care in order to attend medical
appointments, especially mental health appointments. Our Association
encourages the creation of drop-in child care for medical appointments
on the Department of Defense (DOD) or Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) premises or partnerships with other organizations to provide this
valuable service.
Our Association urges Congress to ensure resources are available to
meet the child care needs of military families to include hourly, drop-
in and increased respite care for families of deployed servicemembers
and the wounded, ill, and injured.
Working with Youth
Older children and teens must not be overlooked. School personnel
need to be educated on issues affecting military students and be
sensitive to their needs. To achieve this goal, schools need tools.
Parents need tools, too. Military parents constantly seek more
resources to assist their children in coping with military life,
especially the challenges and stress of frequent deployments. Parents
tell us repeatedly they want resources to ``help them help their
children.'' Support for parents in their efforts to help children of
all ages is increasing, but continues to be fragmented. New Federal,
public-private initiatives, increased awareness, and support by DOD and
civilian schools educating military children have been developed.
However, many military parents are either not aware such programs exist
or find the programs do not always meet their needs.
Our Association is working to meet this pressing need through our
Operation Purple summer camps. Unique in its ability to reach out and
gather military children of different age groups, Services, and
components, Operation Purple provides a safe and fun environment in
which military children feel immediately supported and understood. Last
year, with the support of private donors, we achieved our goal of
sending 10,000 military children to camp. We also were successful in
expanding the camp experience to families of the wounded and bereaved.
This year, we expect to maintain those numbers by offering 95 weeks of
camp in 37 States and territories, as well as conducting several pilot
family reintegration retreats in the National Parks.
Through our Operation Purple camps, our Association has begun to
identify the cumulative effects multiple deployments are having on the
emotional growth and well being of military children and the challenges
posed to the relationship between deployed parent, caregiver, and
children in this stressful environment. Understanding a need for
qualitative analysis of this information, we contracted with the RAND
Corporation in 2007 to conduct a pilot study aimed at the current
functioning and wellness of military children attending Operation
Purple camps and assessing the potential benefits of the OPC program in
this environment of multiple and extended deployments. The results of
the pilot study were published last spring and confirmed much of what
we have heard from individual families. They also highlighted gaps in
our current knowledge, including how family relationships are affected
by deployment and reintegration. The study looked at differences in
child and caregiver experiences based on Service component, such as how
life is different during deployment for families from the Active
component compared to those in the Guard or Reserve.
In May 2008, we embarked on phase two of the project--a
longitudinal study on the experience of 1,507 families, which is a much
larger and more diverse sample than included in our pilot study. RAND
is following these families for 1 year, and interviewing the
nondeployed caregiver/parent and one child per family between 11 and 17
years of age at three time points over that year. Recruitment of
participants has been extremely successful because families are eager
to share their experiences. RAND is currently gathering information
from these families for the 6 month follow-up survey. Preliminary
findings from the first round of surveys provide additional support for
the pilot study results and identify new areas to investigate. This
includes examining the relationship between the total months of
deployment that a family experiences and its association with non-
deployed caregiver's mental health and child's well-being at school and
at home. In addition, RAND is assessing the impact of reintegration on
the families and how this varies by a servicemember's rank and Service
component.
This study will provide valuable data to inform the future creation
and implementation of services for children and families. More
specifically, we hope this study will provide more detailed and clearer
understanding of the impact of multiple and extended deployments on
military children and their families. We expect to present the final
study results in spring 2010.
Dwell Time
Reintegrating the servicemember back into the family is a critical
transition for many military families. Unfortunately, high operation
tempo and multiple training assignments have prevented many
servicemembers from this needed ``dwell time''. Military families tell
us they do not have enough time to fully reintegrate as a family before
the servicemember redeploys. We also hear from family members about
their frustration of sending their servicemembers back into theater
when they haven't had enough time to recover mentally or physically
from the previous deployment.
Legislation so far introduced to address this issue would track
dwell time at the unit level, not by servicemember. To preserve the
physical and mental well-being of the military family unit, all
servicemembers need time at home.
Military Expansion of FMLA
Our Association appreciates the work that the Department of Labor
did on behalf of military families when they crafted the regulations
for the expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act included in the
2008 NDAA. However, we were disappointed that leave allowing family
members to take care of issues arising out of the deployment was not
extended to Active Duty families. Active Duty families are struggling
with the same deployment issues that their Reserve component
counterparts are--the law should reflect that.
National Guard and Reserve
Our Association would like to thank Congress for authorizing many
provisions that affect our Reserve component families, who have
sacrificed greatly in support of our Nation. We continue to ask
Congress to fully fund these programs so vital to the quality of life
of our National Guard and Reserve families.
The National Military Family Association has long realized the
unique challenges our Reserve component families face and their need
for additional support. This need was highlighted in the final report
from the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves, which confirmed
what we had always asserted: ``Reserve component family members face
special challenges because they are often at a considerable distance
from military facilities and lack the on-base infrastructure and
assistance available to Active Duty families.'' While citing a robust
volunteer network as crucial, the report also stated that family
readiness suffers when there are too few paid staff professionals
supporting the volunteers.
Our Association would also like to thank Congress for the
provisions which allowed for the implementation of the Yellow Ribbon
Reintegration program which is so crucial to the well-being of our
Reserve component families. We urge Congress to make the funding for
this program permanent. We also believe that family members should be
paid a travel allowance to attend these important reintegration
programs. Furthermore, DOD and service providers need to move away from
the one-size-fits-all approach to reintegration which does not work for
all the Reserve components due to the specific nature of each mission
and the varying length of deployments.
Our Association asks Congress to fully fund the Yellow Ribbon
Reintegration program and other provisions affecting our Reserve
component families and to move away from the one-size-fits-all approach
to reintegration.
Military Housing
Privatized housing is a welcome change for military families and we
are pleased the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2009 called for an annual report
that addresses the best practices for executing privatized housing
contracts. With our depressed economy, increased oversight is critical
to ensure timely completion of these important projects. Project delays
negatively impact the quality of life of our families.
Commanders must be held accountable for the quality of housing and
customer service in privatized communities. Housing areas remain the
responsibility of the installation commander even when managed by a
private company. Services members who are wounded and must move to a
handicap accessible home or break their lease provisions due to short-
notice PCS orders should not be penalized. Servicemembers should not
languish on wait lists while civilians occupy housing. While
privatization contracts permit other nonmilitary occupants for vacant
units, commanders must ensure that privatized housing is first and
foremost meeting the needs of the Active Duty population of the
installation. In some cases, this will require modification or
renegotiation of contracts. On an aesthetic and health care note, our
Association asks that a minimum number of nonsmoking quarters be
designated at each installation. Nonsmokers, especially in multi-family
dwellings, are being forced to live with second-hand smoke in far too
many cases. Our Association has received complaints from families who
are suffering health consequences of living with a neighbor's smoking
habit. This is unacceptable.
Our Association feels there needs to be a review of BAH standards.
While families who live on the installation are better off, families
living off the installation are forced to absorb more out-of-pocket
expenses in order to live in a home that will meet their needs. BAH
standards are based on an outdated concept of what would constitute a
reasonable dwelling. For example, in order to receive BAH for a single
family dwelling a servicemember must be an E9. However, if that same
servicemember lived in military housing, he or she would likely have a
single family home at the rank of E6 or E7. BAH standards should mirror
the type of dwelling a servicemember would occupy if government
quarters were available.
Commissaries and Exchanges
The commissary is a key element of the total compensation package
for servicemembers and retirees and is valued by them, their families,
and survivors. Not only do our surveys indicate that military families
consider the commissary one of their most important benefits, during
this economic downturn, many families are returning to the commissary
to help them reduce their grocery budget. In addition to providing
average savings of more than 30 percent over local supermarkets,
commissaries provide an important tie to the military community.
Commissary shoppers get more than groceries at the commissary. They
gain an opportunity to connect with other military family members and
to get information on installation programs and activities through
bulletin boards and installation publications. Finally, commissary
shoppers receive nutrition information and education through commissary
promotions and educational campaigns contributing to the overall health
of the entire beneficiary population.
Our Association appreciates the provision included in the NDAA for
Fiscal Year 2009 allowing the use of proceeds from surcharges collected
at remote case lot sales for Reserve component members to help defray
the cost of those case lot sales. This inclusion helps family members,
not located near an installation partake in the valuable commissary
benefit.
Our Association is concerned there will not be enough commissaries
to serve areas experiencing substantial growth, including those
locations with servicemembers and families relocated by BRAC. The
surcharge was never intended to pay for DOD and Service transformation.
Additional funding is needed to ensure commissaries are built or
expanded in areas that are gaining personnel as a result of these
programs.
The military exchange system serves as a community hub, in addition
to providing valuable cost savings to members of the military
community. Equally important is the fact that exchange system profits
are reinvested in important Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR)
programs, resulting in quality of life improvements for the entire
community. We believe that every effort must be made to ensure that
this important benefit and the MWR revenue is preserved, especially as
facilities are down-sized or closed overseas. Exchanges must also
continue to be responsive to the needs of deployed servicemembers in
combat zones and have the right mix of goods at the right prices for
the full range of beneficiaries.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible Spending Accounts have done a great deal to help Federal
employees and corporate civilian employees defray out-of-pocket costs
for both their health care and dependent care needs. Our Association
believes this important program should be extended to military
servicemembers, and urges Congress to work with DOD to accomplish this
much needed change. It is imperative that we include Active Duty and
Selected Reserve members in this cost saving benefit. This benefit
would put more money into our families' pockets and help defray rising
health care and child care costs.
Our Association requests that a flexible spending account benefit
be extended to military servicemembers.
Financial Readiness
Financial readiness is a critical component of family readiness.
Our Association applauds DOD for tackling financial literacy head-on
with their Financial Readiness Campaign. Financial literacy and
education must continue to be on the forefront. We are strong
supporters of the Military Lending Act (MLA). With the depressed
economy, many families may turn to payday lenders. DOD must continue to
monitor the MLA and its effectiveness of derailing payday lenders.
Military banks and credit unions must continue to develop
alternatives to payday loans. Small dollar, short-term loan products
through reputable lenders are needed to pull families away from
predatory lenders. We encourage DOD to continue to educate military
servicemembers and their families aware of the need to improve their
money management skills and avoid high cost credit cards and other
lenders. DOD must continue to monitor high cost, low value financial
products targeted at military families.
Family Care Plans and Custody Concerns
As the war has progressed, we hear from servicemembers about
custody concerns. A frequent scenario is that the servicemember, as
part of his/her family care plan, places his/her children in the care
of a noncustodial parent or other family member. The noncustodial
parent chooses the time of deployment as a time to sue for a change in
custodial status, often citing abandonment by the servicemember as a
reason for change. We know that protections for the custodial parent
can be improved by changes to the Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act, but
wonder if there is any other relief that might come under the
jurisdiction of this subcommittee to address the needs of these
servicemembers. The American Bar Association is trying to address this
problem as well and is tracking the state initiatives that are
addressing this issue. We are unsure if better education of the
servicemember on protecting his/her custodial rights might be the
answer or if it falls completely in the realm of a state issue. We
suggest you consider directing DOD to conduct a study on how prevalent
this problem is for servicemembers and what solutions might be
implemented.
We have heard from single parent and dual military families about
the expenses incurred when they have to relocate their children to
another location when they are activated for deployment. This issue was
raised within the Army Family Action Plan process. Servicemembers
requiring activation of Family Care Plans are not compensated for the
travel of dependents and shipment of the dependent's household goods.
Some items such as infant equipment, computers and toys are necessary
for the emotional and physical well-being of the children in their new
environment during an already stressful time. Implementation of the
Family Care Plan should not create additional financial hardship and
emotional stress on the servicemember and family.
We recommend that DOD conduct a study on how the deployment affects
custody arrangements for servicemembers and how these arrangements can
be protected. We also recommend that changes be made to the DOD Joint
Travel Regulations to provide for travel and shipment of household
goods to fulfill the needs of a deploying servicemember's Family Care
Plan.
ii. family health
Family readiness calls for access to quality health care and mental
health services. Families need to know the various elements of their
military health system (MHS) are coordinated and working as a
synergistic system. Our Association is concerned the DOD military
health care system may not have all the resources it needs to meet both
the military medical readiness mission and provide access to health
care for all beneficiaries. It must be funded sufficiently, so the
direct care system of military treatment facilities (MTF) and the
purchased care segment of civilian providers can work in tandem to meet
the responsibilities given under the TRICARE contracts, meet readiness
needs, and ensure access for all military beneficiaries.
Military Health System
Improving Access to Care
In an interview with syndicated Military Update columnist Tom
Philpott in December 2008, MG (Dr.) Elder Granger, deputy director of
TRICARE, gave the MHS an overall grade of ``C-plus or B-minus''. His
discussion focused on access issues in the direct care system--our
military hospitals and clinics--reinforcing what our Association has
observed for years. We have consistently heard from families that their
greatest health care challenge has been getting timely care from their
local military hospital or clinic. In previous testimony before this
subcommittee we have noted the failure of MTFs to meet TRICARE Prime
access standards and to be held accountable in the same way as the
TRICARE contractors are for meeting those standards in the purchased
care arena.
In discussions with families the main issues are: access to their
Primary Care Managers (PCM); getting appointments; getting someone to
answer the phone at central appointments; having appointments available
when they finally got through to central appointments; after hours
care; getting a referral for specialty care; being able to see the same
provider or PCM; and having appointments available 60, 90, and 120 days
out in our MTFs. Families familiar with how the MHS referral system
works seem better able to navigate the system. Those families who are
unfamiliar experienced delays in receiving treatment or decide to give
up on the referral process and never obtain a specialty appointment.
Case management for military beneficiaries with special needs is
not consistent across the MHS, whether within the MTFs or in the
purchased care arena. Thus, military families end up managing their own
care. The shortage of available health care providers only adds to the
dilemma. Beneficiaries try to obtain an appointment and then find
themselves getting partial health care within the MTF, while other
health care is referred out into the purchased care network. Meanwhile,
the coordination of the military family's care is being done by a non-
synergistic health care system. Incongruence in the case management
process becomes more apparent when military family members transfer
from one TRICARE region to another and is further exasperated when a
special needs family member is involved. Each TRICARE Managed Care
Contractor has created different case management processes. There needs
to be a seamless transition and a warm handoff between TRICARE regions
for these families and the establishment of a universal case management
process across the MHS.
Our wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers, veterans, and their
families are assigned case managers. In fact, there are many different
case managers: Federal Recovery Coordinators (FRC), Recovery Care
Coordinators, each branch of Service, TBI care coordinators, VA
liaisons, etc. The goal is for a seamless transition of care between
and within the two governmental agencies: DOD and the VA. However, with
so many to choose from, families often wonder which one is the
``right'' case manager. We often hear from families, some who have long
since been medically retired with a 100 percent disability rating or
others with less than 1 year out from date-of-injury, who have not yet
been assigned a FRC. We need to look at whether the multiple, layered
case managers have streamlined the process, or have only aggravated it.
Our Association still finds these families alone trying to navigate a
variety of complex health care systems trying to find the right
combination of care. Many qualify for and use Medicare, VA, DOD's
TRICARE direct and purchased care, private health insurance, and State
agencies. Does this population really need all of these different
systems of receiving health care? Why can't the process be streamlined?
TRICARE
While Congress temporarily forestalled increases over the past 2
years, we believe DOD officials will continue to support large
increased retiree enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime combined with a
tiered system of enrollment fees, the institution of a TRICARE standard
enrollment fee and increased TRICARE Standard deductibles. Two reports,
the Task Force on the Future of the Military Health Care and The Tenth
Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation Volume II, recently
recommended the same.
We acknowledge the annual Prime enrollment fee has not increased in
more than 10 years and that it may be reasonable to have a mechanism to
increase fees. With this in mind, we have presented an alternative to
DOD's proposal should Congress deem some cost increase necessary. The
most important feature of our proposal is that any fee increase be no
greater than the percentage increase in the retiree cost-of-living
adjustment (COLA). If DOD thought $230/$460 was a fair fee for all in
1995, then it would appear that raising the fees simply by the
percentage increase in retiree pay is also fair. We also suggest it
would be reasonable to adjust the TRICARE Standard deductibles by tying
increases to the percentage of the retiree annual COLA. We stand ready
to provide more information on this issue if needed.
Support for Special Needs Families
We applaud Congress and DOD's desire to create a robust health care
and educational service for special needs children. But, these robust
services do not follow them when they retire. We encourage the Services
to allow these military families the opportunity to have their final
duty station be in an area of their choice. We suggest the Extended
Care Health Option (ECHO) be extended for 1 year after retirement for
those already enrolled in ECHO prior to retirement.
There was discussion last year by Congress and military families
regarding the ECHO program. The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2009 included a
provision to increase the cap on certain benefits under the ECHO
program to $36,000 per year for training, rehabilitation, special
education, assistive technology devices, institutional care and under
certain circumstances, transportation to and from institutions or
facilities, because certain beneficiaries bump up against it. The ECHO
program was originally designed to allow military families with special
needs to receive additional services to offset their lack of
eligibility for State or federally provided services impacted by
frequent moves. We suggest that before making any more adjustments to
the ECHO program, Congress should direct DOD to certify if the ECHO
program is working as it was originally designed and has been effective
in addressing the needs of this population. We need to make the right
fixes so we can be assured we apply the correct solutions.
National Guard and Reserve Member Family Health Care
National Guard and Reserve families need increased education about
their health care benefits. We also believe that paying a stipend to a
mobilized National Guard or Reserve member for their family's coverage
under their employer-sponsored insurance plan may prove to be more
cost-effective for the government than subsidizing 72 percent of the
costs of TRICARE Reserve Select for National Guard or Reserve members
not on active duty.
TRICARE Reimbursement
Our Association is concerned that continuing pressure to lower
Medicare reimbursement rates will create a hollow benefit for TRICARE
beneficiaries. As the 111th Congress takes up Medicare legislation, we
request consideration of how this legislation will impact military
families' health care, especially access to mental health services.
National provider shortages in the psychological health field,
especially in child and adolescent psychology, are exacerbated in many
cases by low TRICARE reimbursement rates, TRICARE rules, or military-
unique geographic challenges--for example large populations in rural or
traditionally underserved areas. Many psychological health providers
are willing to see military beneficiaries on a voluntary status.
However, these providers often tell us they will not participate in
TRICARE because of what they believe are time-consuming requirements
and low reimbursement rates. More must be done to persuade these
providers to participate in TRICARE and become a resource for the
entire system, even if that means DOD must raise reimbursement rates.
We have heard the main reason for the VA not providing health care
and psychological health care services is because they cannot be
reimbursed for care rendered to a family member. However, the VA is a
qualified TRICARE provider. This allows the VA to bill for services
rendered in their facilities to a TRICARE beneficiary. There may be a
way to bill other health insurance companies as well. The VA needs to
look at the possibility for other methods of payments.
Pharmacy
We caution DOD about generalizing findings of certain beneficiary
pharmacy behaviors and automatically applying them to our Nation's
unique military population. We encourage Congress to require DOD to
utilize peer-reviewed research involving beneficiaries and prescription
drug benefit options, along with performing additional research
involving military beneficiaries, before making any recommendations on
prescription drug benefit changes, such as co-payment and tier
structure changes for military servicemembers, retirees, their
families, and survivors.
We appreciate the inclusion of Federal pricing for the TRICARE
retail pharmacies in the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008. However, we need to
examine its effect on the cost of medications for both beneficiaries
and DOD. Also, we will need to see how this potentially impacts the
overall negotiation of future drug prices by Medicare and civilian
private insurance programs.
We believe it is imperative that all medications available through
TRICARE Retail Pharmacy (TRRx) should also be available through TRICARE
Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP). Medications treating chronic conditions,
such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension should be made available at
the lowest level of co-payment regardless of brand or generic status.
We agree with the recommendations of The Task Force on the Future of
Military Health Care that over-the-counter drugs be a covered pharmacy
benefit and there be a zero co-pay for TMOP Tier 1 medications.
National Health Care Proposal
Our Association is cautious about current rhetoric by the
administration and Congress regarding the establishment of a national
health care insurance program. As the 111th Congress takes up a
national health care insurance proposal, we request consideration of
how this legislation will also impact TRICARE, military families'
access to health care, and especially recruitment and retention of our
servicemembers at a time of war.
DOD Must Look for Savings
We ask Congress to establish better oversight for DOD's
accountability in becoming more cost-efficient. We recommend:
requiring the Comptroller General to audit MTFs on a
random basis until all have been examined for their ability to
provide quality health care in a cost-effective manner;
creating an oversight committee, similar in nature to
the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, which provides
oversight to the Medicare program and makes annual
recommendations to Congress. The Task Force on the Future of
Military Health Care often stated it was unable to address
certain issues not within their charter or the timeframe in
which they were commissioned to examine the issues. This
Commission would have the time to examine every issue in an
unbiased manner; and
establishing a Unified ``Joint'' Medical Command
structure, which was recommended by the Defense Health Board in
2006.
Our Association does not support the recommendation of the Task
Force on the Future of Military Health Care to carve out one regional
TRICARE contractor to provide both the pharmacy and health care
benefit. We agree a link between pharmacy and disease management is
necessary, but feel this pilot would only further erode DOD's ability
to maximize potential savings through TMOP. We were also disappointed
to find no mention of disease management or a requirement for
coordination between the pharmacy contractor and Managed Care Support
Contractors in the Request for Proposals for the new TRICARE pharmacy
contract. The ability certainly exists for them to share information
bidirectionally and should be established.
Our Association believes optimizing the capabilities of the
facilities of the direct care system through timely replacement of
facilities, increased funding allocations, and innovative staffing
would allow more beneficiaries to be cared for in the MTFs, which DOD
asserts is the most cost effective. The Task Force made recommendations
to make the DOD MHS more cost-efficient which we support. They conclude
the MHS must be appropriately sized, resourced, and stabilized; and
make changes in its business and health care practices.
Our Association suggests this subcommittee DOD reassess the
resource sharing program used prior to the implementation of the T-Nex
contracts and take the steps necessary to ensure Military Treatment
Facilities (MTF) meet access standards with high quality health care
providers.
We also suggest this subcommittee direct the Department to make
case management services more consistent across the direct and
purchased care segments of the MHS.
Our Association recommends a 1 year transitional Active Duty ECHO
benefit for the family members of servicemembers who retire.
We believe tying increases in TRICARE enrollment fees to the
percentage increase in the Retiree COLA is a fair way to increase
beneficiary cost shares should Congress deem an increase necessary.
We oppose DOD's proposal to institute a TRICARE Standard enrollment
fee and believe Congress should reject this proposal because it changes
beneficiaries' entitlement to health care under TRICARE Standard to
just another insurance plan.
Our Association strongly believes an enrollment fee for TFL is not
appropriate.
We believe that Reserve component families should be given the
choice of a stipend to continue their employer provided care during
deployment.
Behavioral Health Care
Our Nation must help returning servicemembers and their families
cope with the aftermaths of war. DOD, VA, and State agencies must
partner in order to address behavioral health issues early in the
process and provide transitional mental health programs. Partnering
will also capture the National Guard and Reserve member population, who
often straddle these agencies' health care systems.
Full Spectrum of Care
As the war continues, families' need for a full spectrum of
behavioral health services--from preventative care to stress reduction
techniques, to individual or family counseling, to medical mental
health services--continues to grow. The military offers a variety of
psychological health services, both preventative and treatment, across
many agencies and programs. However, as servicemembers and families
experience numerous lengthy and dangerous deployments, we believe the
need for confidential, preventative psychological health services will
continue to rise. It will also remain high for some time even after
military operations scale down.
Access to Behavioral Health Care
Our Association is concerned about the overall shortage of
psychological health providers in TRICARE's direct and purchased care
network. DOD's Task Force on Mental Health stated timely access to the
proper psychological health provider remains one of the greatest
barriers to quality mental health services for servicemembers and their
families. While families are pleased more psychological health
providers are available in theater to assist their servicemembers, they
are disappointed with the resulting limited access to providers at
home. Families are reporting increased difficulty in obtaining
appointments with social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists at
their MTFs and clinics. The military fuels the shortage by deploying
some of its child and adolescent psychology providers to combat zones.
Providers remaining at home report they are overwhelmed by treating
Active Duty members and are unable to fit family members into their
schedules. This can lead to compassion fatigue, creating burnout and
exacerbating the provider shortage problem.
We have seen an increase in the number of psychological health
providers joining the purchased care side of the TRICARE network.
However, the access standard is 7 days. We hear from military families
after accessing the psychological health provider list on the
contractor's Web sites that the provider is full and no longer taking
patients. The list must be up-to-date in order to handle real time
demands by families. We need to continue to recruit more psychological
health providers to join the TRICARE network and we need to make sure
we specifically add those in specialty behavioral health care areas,
such as child and adolescence psychology and psychiatrists.
Families must be included in mental health counseling and treatment
programs for servicemembers. Family members are a key component to a
servicemember's psychological well-being. We recommend an extended
outreach program to servicemembers, veterans, and their families of
available psychological health resources, such as DOD, VA, and State
agencies. Families want to be able to access care with a psychological
health provider who understands or is sympathetic to the issues they
face.
Frequent and lengthy deployments create a sharp need in
psychological health services by family members and servicemembers as
they get ready to deploy and after their return. There is also an
increase in demand in the wake of natural disasters, such as hurricanes
and fires. We need to maintain a flexible pool of psychological health
providers who can increase or decrease rapidly in numbers depending on
demand on the MHS side. Currently, Military Family Life Consultants and
Military OneSource counseling are providing this type of service for
military families on the family support side. We need to make the
Services, along with military family members, more aware of resources
along the continuum. We need the flexibility of support in both the MHS
and family support arenas.
Availability of Treatment
Do DOD, VA, and State agencies have adequate psychological health
providers, programs, outreach, and funding? Better yet, where will the
veteran's spouse and children go for help? Many will be left alone to
care for their loved one's invisible wounds resulting from frequent and
long combat deployments. Who will care for them when they are no longer
part of the DOD health care system?
The Army's Mental Health Advisory Team (MHAT) IV report links
reducing family issues to reducing stress on deployed servicemembers.
The team found the top non-combat stressors were deployment length and
family separation. They noted soldiers serving a repeat deployment
reported higher acute stress than those on their first deployment and
the level of combat was the major contribution for their psychological
health status upon return. These reports demonstrate the amount of
stress being placed on our troops and their families.
Our Association is especially concerned with the scarcity of
services available to the families as they leave the military following
the end of their activation or enlistment. Due to the servicemember's
separation, the families find themselves ineligible for TRICARE, and
are very rarely eligible for healthcare through the VA. Many will
choose to locate in rural areas lacking available psychological health
providers. We need to address the distance issues families face in
finding psychological health resources and obtaining appropriate care.
Isolated servicemembers, veterans, and their families do not have the
benefit of the safety net of services and programs provided by MTFs, VA
facilities, Community-Based Outpatient Centers and Vet Centers. We
recommend:
using alternative treatment methods, such as
telemental health;
modifying licensing requirements in order to remove
geographic practice barriers that prevent psychological health
providers from participating in telemental health services
outside of a VA facility; and
educating civilian network psychological health
providers about our military culture as the VA incorporates
Project Hero.
National Guard and Reserve Members
The National Military Family Association is especially concerned
about fewer mental health care services available for the families of
returning National Guard and Reserve members as well as servicemembers
who leave the military following the end of their enlistment. They are
eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select, but as we know, National Guard and
Reserve members are often located in rural areas where there may be no
mental health providers available. Policy makers need to address the
distance issues that families face in linking with military mental
health resources and obtaining appropriate care. Isolated National
Guard and Reserve families do not have the benefit of the safety net of
services provided by MTFs and installation family support programs.
Families want to be able to access care with a provider who understands
or is sympathetic to the issues they face. We recommend the use of
alternative treatment methods, such as telemental health; increasing
mental health reimbursement rates for rural areas; modifying licensing
requirements in order to remove geographic practice barriers that
prevent mental health providers from participating in telemental health
services; and educating civilian network mental health providers about
our military culture.
Wounded, Ill, and Injured Families
When designing support for the wounded, ill, and injured in today's
conflict, our Association believes the government, especially DOD, VA,
and State agencies, must take a more inclusive view of military and
veterans' families. Those who have the responsibility to care for the
wounded servicemember must also consider the needs of the spouse,
children, parents of single servicemembers, siblings, and other
caregivers. Family members are an integral part of the health care team
and recovery process.
Caregivers need to be recognized for the important role they play
in the care of their loved one. Without them, the quality of life of
the wounded servicemembers and veterans, such as physical, psycho-
social, and mental health, would be significantly compromised. They are
viewed as an invaluable resource to DOD and VA health care providers
because they tend to the needs of the servicemembers and the veterans
on a regular basis. Their daily involvement saves DOD, VA, and State
agency health care dollars in the long run. Their long-term
psychological care needs must be addressed. Caregivers of the severely
wounded, ill, and injured services members who are now veterans have a
long road ahead of them. In order to perform their job well, they will
require access to mental health services.
The Vet Centers are an available resource for veterans' families
providing adjustment, vocational, and family and marriage counseling.
The VA health care facilities and the community-based outpatient
clinics (CBOCs) have a ready supply of mental health providers, yet
regulations restrict their ability to provide mental health care to
veterans' families unless they meet strict standards. Unfortunately,
this provision hits the veteran's caregiver the hardest. We recommend
DOD partner with the VA to allow military families access to mental
health services. We also believe Congress should require the VA,
through its Vet Centers and health care facilities to develop a
holistic approach to care by including families when providing mental
health counseling and programs to the wounded, ill, or injured
servicemember or veteran.
The Defense Health Board has recommended DOD include military
families in its mental health studies. We agree. We encourage Congress
to direct DOD to include families in its Psychological Health Support
survey; perform a pre and post-deployment mental health screening on
family members (similar to the PDHA and PDHRA currently being done for
servicemembers); and sponsor a longitudinal study, similar to DOD's
Millennium Cohort Study, in order to get a better understanding of the
long-term effects of war on our military families.
Children
Our Association is concerned about the impact deployment and/or the
injury of the servicemember is having on our most vulnerable
population, children of our military and veterans. Multiple deployments
are creating layers of stressors, which families are experiencing at
different stages. Teens especially carry a burden of care they are
reluctant to share with the non-deployed parent in order to not ``rock
the boat.'' They are often encumbered by the feeling of trying to keep
the family going, along with anger over changes in their schedules,
increased responsibility, and fear for their deployed parent. Children
of the National Guard and Reserve members face unique challenges since
there are no military installations for them to utilize. They find
themselves ``suddenly military'' without resources to support them.
School systems are generally unaware of this change in focus within
these family units and are ill prepared to lookout for potential
problems caused by these deployments or when an injury occurs. Also
vulnerable, are children who have disabilities that are further
complicated by deployment and subsequent injury of the servicemembers.
Their families find stress can be overwhelming, but are afraid to reach
out for assistance for fear of retribution to the servicemember's
career. They often choose not to seek care for themselves or their
families.
The impact of the wounded, ill, and injured on children is often
overlooked and underestimated. Military children experience a
metaphorical death of the parent they once knew and must make many
adjustments as their parent recovers. Many families relocate to be near
the treating Military Treatment Facility (MTF) or the VA Polytrauma
Center in order to make the rehabilitation process more successful. As
the spouse focuses on the rehabilitation and recovery, older children
take on new roles. They may become the caregivers for other siblings,
as well as for the wounded parent. Many spouses send their children to
stay with neighbors or extended family members, as they tend to their
wounded, ill, and injured spouse. Children get shuffled from place to
place until they can be reunited with their parents. Once reunited,
they must adapt to the parent's new injury and living with the ``new
normal.''
We encourage partnerships between government agencies, DOD, VA, and
State agencies and recommend they reach out to those private and
nongovernmental organizations who are experts on children and
adolescents. They could identify and incorporate best practices in the
prevention and treatment of mental health issues affecting our military
children. We must remember to focus on preventative care upstream,
while still in the Active Duty phase, in order to have a solid family
unit as they head into the veteran phase of their lives. School systems
must become more involved in establishing and providing supportive
services for our Nation's children.
Caregivers
In the seventh year of the global war on terror, care for the
caregivers must become a priority. Our Association hears from the
senior officer and enlisted spouses who are so often called upon to be
the strength for others. We hear from the health care providers,
educators, rear detachment staff, chaplains, and counselors who are
working long hours to assist servicemembers and their families. They
tell us they are overburdened, burnt out, and need time to recharge so
they can continue to serve these families. These caregivers must be
afforded respite care; given emotional support through their command
structure; and, be provided effective family programs.
Education
The DOD, VA, and State agencies must educate their health care and
mental health professionals of the effects of mild Traumatic Brain
Injury (mTBI) in order to help accurately diagnose and treat the
servicemember's condition. They must be able to deal with polytrauma--
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in combination with multiple
physical injuries. We need more education for civilian health care
providers on how to identify signs and symptoms of mTBI and PTSD.
The families of servicemembers and veterans must be educated about
the effects of mTBI and PTSD in order to help accurately diagnose and
treat the servicemember/veteran's condition. These families are on the
``sharp end of the spear'' and are more likely to pick up on changes
attributed to either condition and relay this information to their
health care providers.
Reintegration programs
Reintegration programs become a key ingredient in the family's
success. Our Association believes we need to focus on treating the
whole family with programs offering readjustment information; education
on identifying mental health, substance abuse, suicide, and traumatic
brain injury; and encouraging them to seek assistance when having
financial, relationship, legal, and occupational difficulties.
Successful return and reunion programs will require attention over
the long term, as well as a strong partnership at all levels between
the various mental health arms of DOD, VA, and State agencies.
DOD and VA need to provide family and individual counseling to
address these unique issues. Opportunities for the entire family and
for the couple to reconnect and bond must also be provided. Our
Association has recognized this need and is piloting two family
retreats in the National Parks to promote family reintegration
following deployment.
We recommend an extended outreach program to servicemembers,
veterans, and their families of available psychological health
resources, such as DOD, VA, and State agencies.
We encourage Congress to request DOD to include families in its
Psychological Health Support survey; perform a pre and post-deployment
mental health screening on family members (similar to the PDHA and
PDHRA currently being done for servicemembers); and sponsor a
longitudinal study, similar to DOD's Millennium Cohort Study, in order
to get a better understanding of the long-term effects of war on our
military families.
We recommend the use of alternative treatment methods, such as
telemental health; increasing mental health reimbursement rates for
rural areas; modifying licensing requirements in order to remove
geographic practice barriers that prevent mental health providers from
participating in telemental health services; and educating civilian
network mental health providers about our military culture.
Caregivers must be afforded respite care; given emotional support
through their command structure; and, be provided effective family
programs.
Wounded Servicemembers Have Wounded Families
Our Association asserts that behind every wounded servicemember and
veteran is a wounded family. It is our belief the government,
especially the DOD and VA, must take a more inclusive view of military
and veterans' families. Those who have the responsibility to care for
the wounded, ill, and injured servicemember must also consider the
needs of the spouse, children, parents of single servicemembers and
their siblings, and the caregivers. We appreciate the inclusion in the
NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008 Wounded Warrior provision for health care
services to be provided by the DOD and VA for family members. DOD and
VA need to think proactively as a team and one system, rather than
separately; and addressing problems and implementing initiatives
upstream while the servicemember is still on Active Duty status.
Reintegration programs become a key ingredient in the family's
success. In the spring of 2008, our Association held a focus group
composed of wounded servicemembers and their families to learn more
about issues affecting them. Families find themselves having to
redefine their roles following the injury of the servicemember. They
must learn how to parent and become a spouse/lover with an injury. Each
member needs to understand the unique aspects the injury brings to the
family unit. Parenting from a wheelchair brings a whole new challenge,
especially when dealing with teenagers. Parents need opportunities to
get together with other parents who are in similar situations and share
their experiences and successful coping methods. Our Association
believes we need to focus on treating the whole family with programs
offering skill based training for coping, intervention, resiliency, and
overcoming adversities. Injury interrupts the normal cycle of
deployment and the reintegration process. We must provide opportunities
for the entire family and for the couple to reconnect and bond,
especially during the rehabilitation and recovery phases. We piloted a
Operation Purple Healing Adventures camp to help wounded servicemembers
and their families learn to play again as a family and plan one more in
the summer of 2009.
Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) has recognized a need to support
these families by expanding in terms of guesthouses co-located within
the hospital grounds and a family reintegration program for their
Warrior Transition Unit. The on-base school system is also sensitive to
issues surrounding these children. A warm, welcoming family support
center located in guest housing serves as a sanctuary for family
members. The DOD and VA could benefit from looking at successful
programs like BAMC's which has found a way to embrace the family unit
during this difficult time.
Transitioning for the Wounded and Their Families
Transitions can be especially problematic for wounded, ill, and
injured servicemembers, veterans, and their families. The DOD and the
VA health care systems, along with State agency involvement, should
alleviate, not heighten these concerns. They should provide for
coordination of care, starting when the family is notified that the
servicemember has been wounded and ending with the DOD, VA, and State
agencies working together, creating a seamless transition, as the
wounded servicemember transfers between the two agencies' health care
systems and, eventually, from Active Duty status to veteran status.
Transition of health care coverage for our wounded, ill, and
injured and their family members is a concern of our Association. These
servicemembers and families desperately need a health care bridge as
they deal with the after effects of the injury and possible reduction
in their family income. We have created two proposals. Servicemembers
who are medically retired and their families should be treated as
active duty for TRICARE fee and eligibility purposes for 3 years
following medical retirement. This proposal will allow the family not
to pay premiums and be eligible for certain programs offered to active
duty, such as ECHO for 3 years. Following that period, they would pay
TRICARE premiums at the rate for retirees. Servicemembers medically
discharged from Service and their family members should be allowed to
continue for 1 year as active duty for TRICARE and then start the
Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP) if needed.
Caregivers
Caregivers need to be recognized for the important role they play
in the care of their loved one. The VA has made a strong effort in
supporting veterans' caregivers. The DOD should follow suit and expand
their definition. Caregivers of the severely wounded, ill, and injured
services members have a long road ahead of them. In order to perform
their job well, they must be given the skills to be successful. This
will require the caregiver to be trained through a standardized,
certified program, and appropriately compensated for the care they
provide. The time to implement these programs is while the
servicemember is still on Active Duty status.
Our Association proposes that new types of financial compensation
be established for caregivers of injured servicemembers and veterans
that could begin while the hospitalized servicemember is still on
active duty and continue throughout the transition to care under the
VA. This compensation should recognize the types of medical and non-
medical care services provided by the caregiver, travel to appointments
and coordinating with providers, and the severity of injury. It should
also take into account the changing levels of service provided by the
caregiver as the veteran's condition improves or diminishes or needs
for medical treatment changes. These needs would have to be assessed
quickly with little time delay in order to provide the correct amount
of compensation. The caregiver should be paid directly for their
services, but the compensation should be linked to training and
certification paid for by the VA and transferrable to employment in the
civilian sector if the care is no longer needed by the servicemember.
Our Association looks forward to discussing details of implementing
such a plan with members of this subcommittee.
Consideration should also be given to creating innovative ways to
meet the health care and insurance needs of the caregiver, with an
option to include their family. Perhaps, caregivers of severely injured
servicemembers or veterans can be given the option of buying health
insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program or
through enrollment in CHAMPVA. A mechanism should also be established
to assist caregivers who are forced out of the work force to save for
their retirements, for example, through the Federal Thrift Savings
Plan.
There must be a provision for transition for the caregiver if the
caregiver's services are no longer needed, chooses to no longer
participate, or is asked by the veteran to no longer provide services.
The caregiver should still be able to maintain health care coverage for
1 year. Compensation would discontinue following the end of services/
care provided by the caregiver.
The VA currently has eight caregiver assistance pilot programs to
expand and improve health care education and provide needed training
and resources for caregivers who assist disabled and aging veterans in
their homes. DOD should evaluate these pilot programs to determine
whether to adopt them for themselves. Caregivers' responsibilities
start while the servicemember is still on active duty.
Relocation Allowance
Active Duty servicemembers and their spouses qualify through the
DOD for military orders to move their household goods (known as a
Permanent Change of Station (PCS)) when they leave the military
Service. Medically retired servicemembers are given a final PCS move.
Medically retired married servicemembers are allowed to move their
family; however, medically retired single servicemembers only qualify
for moving their own personal goods.
The National Military Family Association is requesting the ability
for medically retired single servicemembers to be allowed the
opportunity to have their caregiver's household goods moved as a part
of the medical retired single servicemember's PCS move. This should be
allowed for the qualified caregiver of the wounded servicemember and
the caregiver's family (if warranted), such as a sibling who is married
with children or mom and dad. This would allow for the entire
caregiver's family to move, not just the caregiver. The reason for the
move is to allow the medically retired single servicemember the
opportunity to relocate with their caregiver to an area offering the
best medical care, rather than the current option that only allows for
the medically retired single servicemember to move their belongings to
where the caregiver currently resides. The current option may not be
ideal because the area in which the caregiver lives may not be able to
provide all the health care services required for treating and caring
for the medically retired servicemember. Instead of trying to create
the services in the area, a better solution may be to allow the
medically retired servicemember, their caregiver, and the caregiver's
family to relocate to an area where services already exist.
The decision on where to relocate for optimum care should be made
with the FRC (case manager), the servicemember's medical physician, the
servicemember, and the caregiver. All aspects of care for the medically
retired servicemember and their caregiver shall be considered. These
include a holistic examination of the medically retired servicemember,
the caregiver, and the caregiver's family for, but not limited to,
their needs and opportunities for health care, employment,
transportation, and education. The priority for the relocation should
be where the best quality of services is readily available for the
medically retired servicemember and his/her caregiver.
The consideration for a temporary partial shipment of caregiver's
household goods may also be allowed, if deemed necessary by the case
management team.
Medical Power of Attorney
We have heard from caregivers of the difficult decisions they have
to make over their loved one's bedside following an injury. We support
the Traumatic Brain Injury Task Force recommendation for DOD to require
each deploying servicemember to execute a Medical Power of Attorney and
a Living Will.
Provide transitioning wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers and
their families a bridge of extended Active Duty TRICARE eligibility for
3 years, comparable to the benefit for surviving spouses.
Caregivers of the wounded, ill, and injured must be provided with
opportunities for training, compensation, and other support programs
because of the important role they play in the successful
rehabilitation and care of the servicemember.
DOD should require each deploying servicemember to execute a
Medical Power of Attorney and a Living Will.
Servicemembers medically discharged from service and their family
members shall be allowed to continue for 1 year as Active Duty for
TRICARE and then start the Continued Health Care Benefit Program
(CHCBP) if needed.
Senior Oversight Committee
Our Association is appreciative of the provision in the NDAA for
Fiscal Year 2009 continuing the DOD/VA Senior Oversight Committee (SOC)
for an additional year. We understand a permanent structure is in the
process of being established and manned. We urge Congress to put a
mechanism in place to continue to monitor DOD and VA's partnership
initiatives for our wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers and their
families, while this organization is being created.
The National Military Family Association encourages the Armed
Services Committee along with the Veterans' Affairs Committee to talk
on these important issues. We can no longer be content on focusing on
each agency separately because this population moves too frequently
between the two agencies, especially our wounded, ill, and injured
servicemembers and their families.
We would like to thank you again for the opportunity to provide
information on the health care needs for the servicemembers, veterans,
and their families. Military families support the Nation's military
missions. The least their country can do is make sure servicemembers,
veterans, and their families have consistent access to high quality
mental health care in the DOD, VA, and within network civilian health
care systems. Wounded servicemembers and veterans have wounded
families. The caregiver must be supported by providing access to
quality health care and mental health services, and assistance in
navigating the health care systems. The system should provide
coordination of care with DOD, VA, and State agencies working together
to create a seamless transition. We ask Congress to assist in meeting
that responsibility.
iii. family transitions
Our Association will promote policies and access to programs
providing training and support for families during the many transitions
they experience.
Survivors
In the past year, the Services have been focusing on outreach to
surviving families. In particular, the Army's SOS (Survivor Outreach
Services) program makes an effort to remind these families that they
are not forgotten. DOD and the VA must work together to ensure
surviving spouses and their children can receive the mental health
services they need, through all of VA's venues. New legislative
language governing the TRICARE behavioral health benefit may also be
needed to allow TRICARE coverage of bereavement or grief counseling.
The goal is the right care at the right time for optimum treatment
effect. DOD and the VA need to better coordinate their mental health
services for survivors and their children.
We ask that the Active Duty TRICARE dental benefit be extended to
surviving children to mirror the Active Duty TRICARE medical benefit to
which they are now eligible. We also ask that eligibility be expanded
to those Reserve component family members who had not been enrolled in
the Active Duty TRICARE dental benefit prior to the servicemember's
death.
Our Association recommends that surviving children be allowed to
remain in the TRICARE dental program until they age out of TRICARE
eligibility and that eligibility be expanded to those Reserve component
survivors who had not been enrolled prior to the servicemember's
death.. We also recommend that grief counseling be more readily
available to survivors.
Our Association still believes the benefit change that will provide
the most significant long-term advantage to the financial security of
all surviving families would be to end the Dependency and Indemnity
Compensation (DIC) offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). Ending
this offset would correct an inequity that has existed for many years.
Each payment serves a different purpose. The DIC is a special indemnity
(compensation or insurance) payment paid by the VA to the survivor when
the servicemember's service causes his or her death. The SBP annuity,
paid by DOD, reflects the longevity of the service of the military
member. It is ordinarily calculated at 55 percent of retired pay.
Military retirees who elect SBP pay a portion of their retired pay to
ensure that their family has a guaranteed income should the retiree
die. If that retiree dies due to a service connected disability, their
survivor becomes eligible for DIC.
Surviving Active Duty spouses can make several choices, dependent
upon their circumstances and the ages of their children. Because SBP is
offset by the DIC payment, the spouse may choose to waive this benefit
and select the ``child only'' option. In this scenario, the spouse
would receive the DIC payment and the children would receive the full
SBP amount until each child turns 18 (23 if in college), as well as the
individual child DIC until each child turns 18 (23 if in college). Once
the children have left the house, this choice currently leaves the
spouse with an annual income of $13,848, a significant drop in income
from what the family had been earning while the servicemember was alive
and on active duty. The percentage of loss is even greater for
survivors whose servicemembers served longer. Those who give their
lives for their country deserve more fair compensation for their
surviving spouses.
We appreciate the establishment of a special survivor indemnity
allowance as a first step in the process to eliminate the DIC offset to
SBP.
We believe several other adjustments could be made to the Survivor
Benefit Plan. Allowing payment of the SBP benefits into a Special Needs
Trust in cases of disabled beneficiaries will preserve their
eligibility for income based support programs. The government should be
able to switch SBP payments to children if a surviving spouse is
convicted of complicity in the member's death.
We ask the DIC offset to SBP be eliminated to recognize the length
of commitment and service of the career servicemember and spouse. We
also request that SBP benefits be allowed to be paid to a Special Needs
Trust in cases of disabled family members.
Spouse Employment, Unemployment
Our Association appreciates the expansion of the Military Spouse
Career Advancement Accounts. We look forward to the rollout and full
implementation of the expanded program and hope that the definition of
``portable careers'' is broad enough to support the diverse military
spouse population. To further spouse employment opportunities, we
recommend an expansion to the Workforce Opportunity Tax Credit for
employers who hire spouses of Active Duty and Reserve component
servicemembers, and to provide tax credits to military spouses to
offset the expense in obtaining career licenses and certifications when
servicemembers are relocated to a new duty station within a different
state.
Our Association appreciates the 2008 Executive Order of
Noncompetitive Appointment of Certain Military Spouses, but we are
concerned that this will only assist a limited number of military
spouses. We are also concerned this Executive Order has not yet been
made effective. Many noncompetitive positions are temporary or term
positions that will not afford the military spouse the opportunity to
continue in Federal service when they move to a new duty station.
Military spouses seek Federal employment due to the job stability and
opportunities for employment as they move from one location to another.
Our Association urges Congress recognize the value of military
spouses by expanding the military spouse hiring preference beyond the
DOD to the entire Federal Government.
Families on the Move
Our Association is concerned about the timely implementation of the
Defense Personal Property Program, formerly titled ``Families First.''
Worldwide rollout is still incomplete and it is unclear if customer
satisfaction surveys are incorporated into the carrier ranking process.
Full Replacement Value has been rolled out, but is handled differently
by each carrier. Families are confused about how and where to file
claims. Congressional oversight is needed to press for implementation
of this program and deliver the best possible service to our families.
Our Association is grateful for the addition of the weight
allowance for spousal professional materials. We ask that Congress
broaden the language to require the Service Secretaries to implement
this much needed benefit.
A PCS move to an overseas location can be especially stressful.
Military families are faced with the prospect of being thousands of
miles from extended family and living in a foreign culture. At many
overseas locations, there are insufficient numbers of government
quarters resulting in the requirement to live on the local economy away
from the installation. Family members in these situations can feel
extremely isolated; for some the only connection to anything familiar
is the local military installation. Unfortunately, current law permits
the shipment of only one vehicle to an overseas location, including
Alaska and Hawaii. Since most families today have two vehicles, they
sell one of the vehicles.
Upon arriving at the new duty station, the servicemember requires
transportation to and from the place of duty leaving the military
spouse and family members at home without transportation. This lack of
transportation limits the ability of spouses to secure employment and
the ability of children to participate in extra curricular activities.
While the purchase of a second vehicle alleviates these issues, it also
results in significant expense while the family is already absorbing
other costs associated with a move. Simply permitting the shipment of a
second vehicle at government expense could alleviate this expense and
acknowledge the needs of today's military family.
Our Association requests that Congress ease the burden of military
PCS moves on military families by pressing for the full implementation
of the Defense Personal Property Program and by authorizing the
shipment of a second vehicle for families assigned to an overseas
location on accompanied tours.
Education of Military Children
While our Association remains appreciative for the additional
funding you provide to civilian school districts educating large
numbers of military children, DOD Impact Aid still remains underfunded.
We urge Congress to increase funding for schools educating large
numbers of military children to $60 million for fiscal year 2010. We
also encourage you to make the additional funding for school districts
experiencing growth available to all school districts experiencing
significant enrollment increases and not just to those districts
meeting the current 20 percent enrollment threshold. The arrival of
several hundred military students can be financially devastating to any
school district, regardless of how many of those students the district
already serves. This supplement to Impact Aid is vital to school
districts that have shouldered the burden of ensuring military children
receive a quality education despite the stresses of military life.
As increased numbers of military families move into new communities
due to Global Rebasing and BRAC, their housing needs are being met
further and further away from the installation. Thus, military children
may be attending school in districts whose familiarity with the
military lifestyle may be limited. Educating large numbers of military
children will put an added burden on schools already hard-pressed to
meet the needs of their current populations. With over 70,000 military
families returning to the United States, at the same time the Army is
moving over one third of its soldiers within the U.S., we urge Congress
to authorize an increase in this level of funding until BRAC and Global
Rebasing moves are completed.
Although it does not fall under the purview of this Subcommittee,
we thank Congress for passing the Higher Education Opportunity Act of
2008, which contained many new provisions affecting military families.
Chief among them was a provision to expand in-State tuition eligibility
for military servicemembers and their families. Under this provision,
colleges and universities receiving Federal funding under the act will
be required to offer in-State tuition rates for Active Duty
servicemembers and their families and provide continuity of in-State
rates if the servicemember receives orders for an assignment out of
state. However, family members have to be currently enrolled in order
to be eligible for continuity of in-State tuition. Our Association is
concerned that this would preclude a senior in high school from
receiving in-State tuition rates if his or her family PCS's prior to
matriculation. We urge Congress to amend this provision.
Our Association congratulates the DOD Office of Personnel and
Readiness and the Council of State Governments (CSG) for drafting the
Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and
for spearheading the adoption of this important legislation. Designed
to alleviate many of the transition issues facing military children,
the Compact has now been adopted in 20 States. In addition, Hawaii has
a Compact bill awaiting their Governor's signature, and 11 other States
are working active legislation this year. With 10 States needed to
enact the Compact, the first meeting of the Interstate Commission on
Educational Opportunity for Military Children met in October 2008. Our
Association is pleased to have been a member of both the Advisory Group
and Drafting Team, and has been working actively to support the
adoption of this Compact, which will greatly enhance the quality of
life of our military children and families.
We ask Congress to increase the DOD supplement to Impact Aid to $60
million to help districts better meet the additional demands caused by
large numbers of military children, deployment-related issues, and the
effects of military programs and policies. We also ask Congress to
allow all school districts experiencing a significant growth in their
military student population due to BRAC, Global Rebasing, or
installation housing changes to be eligible for the additional funding
currently available only to districts with an enrollment of at least 20
percent military children.
Spouse Education
Since 2004, our Association has been fortunate to sponsor our
Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program, with the
generosity of donors who wish to help military families. In 2007, we
published Education and the Military Spouse: The Long Road to Success,
based on spouse scholarship applicant survey responses, identifying
education issues and barriers specific to military spouses. The entire
report may be found at www.nmfa.org/education.
The survey found military spouses, like their servicemembers and
the military as a whole, value education and set education goals for
themselves. Yet, military spouses often feel their options are limited.
Deployments, the shortage of affordable and quality child care,
frequent moves, the lack of educational benefits and tuition assistance
for tuition are discouraging. For military spouses, the total cost of
obtaining a degree can be significantly higher than the cost for
civilian students. The unique circumstances that accompany the military
lifestyle have significant negative impacts upon a spouse's ability to
remain continuously enrolled in an educational program. Military
spouses often take longer than the expected time to complete their
degrees. More than one-third of those surveyed have been working toward
their goal for 5 years or more. The report offers recommendations for
solutions that Congress could provide:
Ensuring installation education centers have the
funding necessary to support spouse education programs and
initiatives,
Providing additional child care funding to support
child care needs of military spouse-scholars,
Helping to defray additional costs incurred by
military spouses who ultimately spend more than civilian
counterparts to obtain a degree.
Our Association wishes to thank Congress for passing the Post-
September 11 G.I. Bill for servicemembers and for including
transferability of the benefit to spouses and children. We will
continue to monitor the implementation of this benefit, and hope to see
the regulations posted soon.
Military Families--Our Nation's Families
We thank you for your support of our servicemembers and their
families and we urge you to remember their service as you work to
resolve the many issues facing our country. Military families are our
Nation's families. They serve with pride, honor, and quiet dedication.
Since the beginning of the war, government agencies, concerned citizens
and private organizations have stepped in to help. This increased
support has made a difference for many servicemembers and families,
yet, some of these efforts overlap while others are ineffective. In our
testimony, we believe we have identified improvements and additions
that can be made to already successful programs while introducing
policy or legislative changes that address the ever changing needs of
our military population. Working together, we can improve the quality
of life for all these families.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Ms. Moakler.
We will do a 5-minute question round. Ranking Member Graham
has another engagement in a little bit so we will ask him to go
first.
Senator Graham. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate that
courtesy.
Starting with Ms. Casey and going across the panel, give a
grade to TRICARE from an A to an F.
Ms. Casey. Boy, that is a tough one. I would say C minus.
Senator Graham. Ma'am?
Ms. Mancini. From my personal experience, a B.
Ms. Smith. I would have to agree with Ms. Casey--C, C
minus.
Ms. Davis. I would have to say B.
Ms. Moakler. I have a two-parter. Quality of care, B.
Access to care, C minus.
Senator Graham. That is great. Everybody kind of agreed on
that?
We are trying to get more providers. But the cost of
military healthcare in the budget is exploding like it is
throughout the private sector, and we are just going to have to
get our hands around this and find a system that can provide
better quality and have more providers. That is tough because
of the reimbursements. We will just keep doing the best we can.
The voucher idea, that is the first I have heard of that,
actually. Ms. Davis, that was the vouchers when you move from
one school. Starting with Ms. Casey, do you agree that would be
a good idea?
Ms. Casey. Yes, actually, I hear that a lot when I go
because people are concerned about the quality of the schools,
where they are necessarily bused off base to outlying schools,
what ones they end up in. I have been asked that question also,
if we couldn't have vouchers where then you would have a
choice.
Senator Graham. Ms. Mancini?
Ms. Mancini. Yes. I agree completely. I think that would be
a great idea to be able to allow these families to have an
adequate school for their children.
Senator Graham. Ms. Smith?
Ms. Smith. I agree. Our children, we live here on Capitol
Hill, and our four children go to a private school.
Senator Graham. On the mental health side, we got the
message. It is just a capacity problem. We are trying. There
are just not that many people available. It is a problem. The
ones in the mental health professions in the military are being
worn out. They deploy, too.
We are going to try to come up with a new program to home
grow some mental health professionals, to get some people who
are in the military to make a career change. We got the
message. It is just a capacity problem, and it is just hard to
fill these slots.
I want you to know that the committee is working on that.
Through the Wounded Warrior program, we have learned, that is a
big problem, providing mental health services, and now to the
families themselves.
Ms. Casey, you mentioned something about spouses who are
licensed professionals or needing licensing to work. Is there
any reciprocity program that DOD has if you move from one State
to the other because you are a DOD family member you can get
reciprocity?
Ms. Casey. No. But I do know that the Department of Labor
has a pilot program going right now where up to $3,000 can be
covered. We found we have that with lawyers, with some
teachers, with some----
Senator Graham. Nurses.
Ms. Casey.--medical personnel that when they move, and some
of them, they have to take tests.
Senator Graham. Mr. Chairman, that is something maybe the
committee could look at. It would make it easier for spouses
who move to get jobs not to have to go through the
qualifications as long as they are overall qualified.
Thank you for your service. We got the message. On-base
housing, we are looking at privatizing housing because of
money. I do understand the value of on-base housing. You have
Guard and Reserve members who are far away from a military
base, and trying to get them services is its own unique
challenge.
Thank you very much. It has been very helpful, very
educational, and the committee will, from your testimony, I
think, look at some new idea that would not have come about if
you hadn't been here.
Thanks.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Mr. Graham.
There was a recent op-ed piece in the Washington Post where
the wife of an Army officer wrote, ``Too many military families
are quietly coming apart at the seams.'' That seems to be
consistent with what you all are saying today, that the stress
that your families are feeling is, in fact, adversely affecting
the families.
No matter what we try to do, it is not enough. You need
more support, particularly in the area of mental healthcare
providers, both for the military members as well as for the
family members. As Senator Graham indicated, trying to get
those skilled, trained individuals is a challenge for us, and
we are working at it.
Do you think that, overall, the military is listening? When
you have the support groups come and talk to you, do you have a
feeling that you are being listened to? Hopefully, you feel
like you are being listened to here, but do you feel like you
are being listened to internally within the military?
Ms. Casey, you have a direct line to the chief.
Ms. Casey. Yes, part of the problem is they are talking to
me. I have to tell you that when I meet with these families,
they are very candid. They tell you exactly what is on their
mind and exactly what they need. Quite frankly, we are pedaling
as fast as we can.
Some of these things can be dealt with more quickly than
others. We are very grateful for the amount of money that has
been given to us for family programs. Now we just need to make
sure it is all out of the supplemental and into the base budget
so we can continue with these programs.
But some of them take time, and they not only take time,
but some of the things we are doing now have to be evaluated
and we need to make sure that they are hitting the right people
they are supposed to be hitting. There is a lot of work to be
done.
Senator Ben Nelson. Do the rest of you feel that your
concerns are being listened to and hopefully responded to, even
maybe inadequately, but you feel that they are being responded
to?
Ms. Smith. I feel that establishment of the Professional
Family Readiness Officer Program at each base has helped
tremendously.
Senator Ben Nelson. Do others feel the same way?
Ms. Davis. It is definitely helping, but I think there is
more need for more family-type counseling, not just for the
military member because as we are seeing the suicide rates
rise, and it is not always so much what happened in the area of
deployment. It is when you come home and have the stresses that
the family went through while you were gone and then the added
stress the wife is adding that she has been stressed.
I think there should definitely be family counseling, and I
think the availability of that and, to take the stigma out of
the word ``counseling'' because military personnel family know
that sometimes if a military member is in counseling, that can
affect job opportunities and continual stigmas that go along
with that.
I definitely think counseling, but it should be more along
the lines of family, especially including the children, because
our children are the ones that we are really missing sometimes
with this counseling.
Senator Ben Nelson. There is no question about that. It
sort of leads me to the next question where families are often
the first line of defense to recognize or deal with potential
suicide or PTSD. Do you get any help to be able to detect that
condition when reuniting with your servicemember, your family
member when he comes home?
Ms. Smith. I know the Marine Corps, under homecoming brief,
will give you information on signs and warnings.
Ms. Davis. Absolutely. There are reintegration briefings.
Again, but my concern is that the spouses aren't always
attending those.
Senator Ben Nelson. On the other side as well. I understand
both sides.
Ms. Davis. Yes. Yes. I think our family support centers are
doing a wonderful job of having programs available to spouses,
letting them know what to expect when the member comes back. We
all go through the honeymoon period, and then life sets in.
Yes, I think that there is support there for them.
Senator Ben Nelson. Good. That is critically important. I
am glad that you are getting some help in that area.
In your experience about military dependents, you said that
you thought the quality of care was a B, access was, am I
right, a C and a C minus. Is that true for you individually as
the spouse, or does that apply to your children, your family
members? Or is there any difference between the quality of care
that you might get and your family might get?
Ms. Casey. I don't see a difference in that. I mean, we
have always said that once you get past the gatekeeper and you
can get into the system, the quality of care is wonderful. It
is getting in there that is the issue.
Senator Ben Nelson. Is the access a problem for the spouse
as well as the children or more so for the children or the
spouse?
Ms. Casey. It is worse--at least in the Army. It is worse
for the family members than it is for the Active Duty personnel
because we also have doctors who are deployed. You don't have
full staffs necessarily at hospitals. They are doing the best
they can. So people are being forced to go outside.
Some of the major hospitals don't have the personnel to
even see family members.
Ms. Moakler. Senator Nelson?
Senator Ben Nelson. Yes.
Ms. Moakler. We find that sometimes the military treatment
facilities are rationing care because it is more expensive for
them to send families out into the network. That is what we
hear from families, that it is harder for them to sometimes get
appointments. They would call and say there wouldn't be another
appointment available until 2 weeks from now, but they never
offer the family member the choice of going to one of the
network providers where they could get an appointment sooner.
Senator Ben Nelson. I see.
Ms. Moakler. There is an education piece to our families.
It shouldn't be, but they need to know to ask the right
questions about what the access standards are.
Senator Ben Nelson. I understand.
Senator Chambliss.
Senator Chambliss. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Let me say to all of you, first of all, how much we
appreciate your service. We understand that a commitment to the
military is a family commitment, and without great support from
spouses, as well as children, our men and women would not be
able to do the great job they do. We just say thank you for
what you do.
I have had the privilege of meeting with spouses at our
installations both within Georgia as well as overseas on a
number of occasions. It is kind of interesting to occasionally
have a male show up at a spouses meeting, but it is important
that we don't forget that there are a lot of females out there
in service, too.
Ms. Davis, you obviously have been there. Your idea about a
voucher program I think is unique. There is no reason, Ms.
Smith, you ought to be required to fund private school for your
children because schools in Washington, DC are inadequate. Yet
I think it is pretty generally known that that is the case, and
I think, Mr. Chairman, we might ought to look at some sort of
pilot program for the military.
Perhaps Washington, DC where we have some experience
already with a voucher program, and we have a school system
that has actually promoted that, that might be a good place to
start.
But before we really move on to new programs, we always
like to make sure that the things that we have done are working
and that we are seeing some real progress in certain areas.
That is why I appreciate Senator Graham's comment about
TRICARE, and your responses are pretty interesting.
I will have to say that seems to be an improvement over
what I have heard in years past. So I hope that is the case.
Let me ask you about another program that is kind of
different from different States. But we have 13 installations
in my State, and we have a program that provides reciprocity
with other States regarding high school graduates and whether
or not they have to take the Georgia history exam, which has
been a problem. But I think we are working through that.
The other thing that we have done is we grant exemption
from out-of-State tuition to all military children who graduate
from State high schools. Can you all tell me how that is
working across the country?
Ms. Casey, you first.
Ms. Casey. I am not sure how many States have actually
signed on to that. But one of the things that has occurred over
time is the fact that if you, like my husband, had been in four
different high schools, you would have needed four different
State history classes. A lot of States have gotten away from
doing that. If you have had it in one, you don't have to do it.
The Military Child Education Coalition has done great work
with that as well, helping children transfer and transfer
credits. We are finding great success with the in-State tuition
with colleges for spouses and for family members. In some
States, that if the servicemember leaves that State and you are
in the middle of college in that State, sometimes then all of a
sudden you become an out-of-State resident. Not all States have
done that, but I think a good number of them have.
Kathy, do you have the stats on that?
Ms. Moakler. With recent legislation within the past 2
years, it required State universities that accepted Federal
funds to provide in-State tuition for military servicemembers
and their family members. So that has taken care of the problem
at State institutions for our military families.
The Interstate Compact, which addresses transitioning needs
of our children, such as the need to take State history in each
high school that they attend, availability of spaces on the
yearbook staff or on sports teams, or availability for special
classes, beginning age for kindergarten enrollment or first
grade enrollment, all of these things are being addressed in
the Interstate Compact.
Last year, it was approved by 10 States. Now we are up to
about 20 States or so. There will be a commission that will be
looking at reciprocities between the States on how they can
handle these things, and the States that have already joined
the compact will be able to take part in how those things are
agreed upon.
Senator Chambliss. If there is something with respect to
those Interstate Compacts that you think we need to deal with
legislatively, I wish you would give us some recommendations
there.
Because I know it is a problem in my State.
Ms. Moakler. It is up to the States right now, and DOD has
a State liaison office that is working with all the different
States as the legislation comes up before their State
legislatures. We have been working with them, and other
agencies have been testifying before the State legislatures
when these come up.
Senator Chambliss. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Ben Nelson. Senator Chambliss, one thought occurred
to me. We always want to be careful about a lot of preemption
coming from Washington on State laws. But what about a sense of
the Senate resolution urging the States to take this up, and
maybe that will be more than a subtle nudge to the States to
consider this within their own State borders and their own
State schools.
Would that be helpful?
Ms. Moakler. That would be very helpful.
Senator Ben Nelson. Well, let us consider that.
Senator Chambliss. Sign me up.
Senator Ben Nelson. Okay. Thank you.
Senator Akaka.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
I look upon all of you on this panel as a tremendous source
of strength of our military leaders. I want to thank you very
much for what you have done for military families over the
years. I am sure each of you bring different experiences, but
they are all built upon the foundation of caring for our
military families.
As military spouses and advocates in the military
community, I would like to ask each of you the following
question. In your opinion, what is the number-one issue or area
of concern for our military families? Ms. Casey?
Ms. Casey. I think I have to stick with medical, both
medical care and mental healthcare. As our families are quietly
or not so quietly coming apart at the seams, the mental
healthcare piece is very, very important right now.
I think it is probably so important, because we realize,
the Services realize that there is a lack of mental healthcare
professionals in the United States, not just within the
military, which makes this job of finding that much harder, I
would probably say that I hear that everywhere.
Senator Akaka. Ms. Mancini?
Ms. Mancini. In my experience, it would have to be OPTEMPO,
along with the mental health. Several of our sailors come home,
and they go straight to training. The downtime is very minimal.
They don't have enough time to even reconnect, reintegrate with
their family, much less take off their boots, and they are
going again.
Mental health would definitely benefit us. It would benefit
our families, our spouses, and to take that stigma off of it.
Maybe it could be offered continually pre-, post-, and during
deployment. Take the stigma away and have everyone go see a
mental healthcare provider so that you can't pinpoint someone
and then there are no repercussions from that.
Senator Akaka. Thank you.
Ms. Smith?
Ms. Smith. I agree. I think OPTEMPO right now is so high. I
know in my personal situation, my husband had come home. That
day, we were excited, his homecoming, and found out that same
day he was turning around and leaving again in just a few short
months.
Our families are tired. I think that counseling would help
tremendously.
Senator Akaka. Ms. Davis?
Ms. Davis. Yes, I agree. OPTEMPO definitely is the number-
one area of concern, and a big one from what I am seeing--
again, I have younger children as well--is education. Education
is huge because, again, like Ms. Smith, I have been funding
education for our two children as well. Whereas, if I go to
another base, I may not need to because we came from locations
where there were blue ribbon schools. We are in a location now
where the schools are not really rated very high.
We are up and down with funding, and of course, that
affects families' incomes. You are funding school for your
children in one location, but in another location you are not.
OPTEMPO, by far, is the number one, but I think education is
creeping up there as well because of the amount of PCS moves.
Senator Akaka. Yes, Ms. Moakler?
Ms. Moakler. I think that something that touches on
everything that the spouses said at this panel, sustained
funding and support for our programs and resources that are out
there. So we can keep supporting our families.
Senator Akaka. Ms. Moakler, many military families in
Hawaii have benefited from the ongoing privatized housing
efforts at our installations. I believe military housing
directly impacts the quality of life of our military families.
Therefore, we must closely monitor the implementation and
operation of privatized housing.
What is your assessment, Ms. Moakler, of the overall impact
of privatized housing on the quality of life for our military
families?
Ms. Moakler. As someone who in 28 years of my husband's
service in the Army lived in quarters, as we say, for 24 of
those years, I understand how important housing on the
installation is to our military families, to their morale and
to their spirit.
We hear from families in our association how pleased they
are with the privatized housing, where there is the
availability of more new housing, where existing housing has
been rehabbed to bring it up from a 1950s-style house to
something in the 21st century, with new appliances, outlets
where you can plug in your computers and your TVs without
having to worry if everything is going to blow up.
There have been great, great strides. That said, there are
some installations where we are not moving quite as quickly as
we might in bringing all the housing up to that standard. We
would also like to see a greater involvement of the
installation commander with the privatized housing contractor
when military families can't get problems resolved with the
contractor.
Senator Akaka. Before my time expires, I would like to ask
this question, Ms. Moakler. I am a strong advocate for
financial literacy. I sponsor annual legislation designating
April as financial literary month to highlight the need for
increased financial literacy.
Financial education helps our military families be better
able to make informed financial decisions and deal more
effectively with difficult financial situations. DOD has
several programs in place to support financial readiness. How
would you assess the success of DOD's financial readiness
efforts?
Ms. Moakler. I think that the many prongs that they have
been following to help military families, both with supporting
the elimination of payday lenders, which was huge and, more
importantly, making more opportunities for military families to
learn how to be better financial managers through the
availability and the support centers of financial counselors.
The financial counselors can also be made available through the
defense credit unions and military banks and the Military Saves
program.
It all encourages families to be more aware of their
financial responsibilities, and this is directly tied to
readiness because when a family feels more financially secure,
then the servicemember can go off and serve in a combat area
without worry.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. My time
has expired.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Senator Akaka.
Senator Burris.
Senator Burris. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to also add my comments to these distinguished
family members whose spouses and Ms. Davis have served our
country so valiantly and so gallantly. I think Admiral Mullen
had it very right when, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, he said, ``Our future is guaranteed from a national
standpoint if we take care of our people.''
I agree with the Admiral. I can think of no more important
issue facing the Services than taking care of our families.
With that in mind, Ms. Casey, I just heard you say that if you
take your children to the doctor--or was it Ms. Mancini, that
you can only get one appointment?
Oh, it was Ms. Smith. You said it. If your child has some
other type of illness, the doctor is only going to see one
illness? Why is that?
Ms. Smith. Because they say there is not enough time to
discuss more than one issue at a time.
Senator Burris. Is there a specific base or city where this
is taking place?
Ms. Smith. You see the signs up in hospitals--or doctors'
offices throughout the military.
Ms. Mancini. For the Navy, in Norfolk, when you call, they
tell you that. ``What is your symptom?''
Senator Burris. If you have a sick child, you probably
don't even know what the symptom is. I mean, I have two
grandchildren, and one is 1 year old, and the other is 4 years
old. You can't tell what is wrong with them sometimes.
You have some young children. One of you all has young
children. I think you, Ms. Davis?
Ms. Davis. Yes.
Senator Burris. Ms. Davis, let me ask you this. I notice,
and I don't want to sound like I am sexist on this, but your
husband also is in the military, right?
Ms. Davis. Yes. Yes, he is.
Senator Burris. Were any of you other ladies in the
military yourselves? Now, do you think if a male were here
testifying that he is the home person and the female is
deployed, is he experiencing the same thing that you all would
be experiencing? Since we have now got so many females in the
military, I mean, I would assume that that is also taking
place.
But, have you heard any comments from males who stayed back
as to how are they coping because you have this situation where
the mother can better cope with the children than the father
can. Have we heard anything in that regard?
Ms. Casey. I think it varies on individuals and their
coping mechanisms.
Senator Burris. Have you heard of any experience like that
from a male? How would your husband--were you ever deployed,
Ms. Davis?
Ms. Davis. I have not been deployed. My husband has taken
care of the children when I have been on temporary duty (TDY).
I had to go TDY for 6 weeks, and I had a 4-month old and a 2-
year old, and my husband obviously was left with two very young
children.
Again, coping mechanisms are the key because in my house,
and I am sure every other house, I am not a single parent in my
house. There are two parents. Obviously, he was very active in
child rearing, and I wouldn't say he had any issues other than
issues I would have had, other than trying to understand how a
female does it all. [Laughter.]
Senator Burris. That is a major issue. That is where I am
going.
Ms. Davis. Right.
Senator Burris. You all have that natural ability--am I
wrong? An instinct that is sort of inherent. I think about my
trying to handle my two children, I couldn't do it the way my
wife did. No way I could have done that.
Ms. Davis. I do feel, though, the issues and concerns we
have brought forth today would be the exact same issues because
they have to deal with the exact same offices. They have
TRICARE issues. Any need that I have as an Active Duty spouse
or a dependent spouse, so to speak, my husband as a dependent
would have the same issue.
We would have to call and make an appointment and be told,
``I am sorry there are no appointments for 2 weeks.'' Or ``I am
sorry we can only see this one issue because we have five
doctors deployed.''
I can't imagine any issues being any different other than
the standpoint it is a male you are speaking to, and I couldn't
obviously give you a male perspective.
Senator Burris. Now, Ms. Davis, were you ever stationed at
Scott Air Force Base?
Ms. Davis. No, I have not. But I have been at Offutt. I was
at Offutt for almost 11 years.
Senator Burris. I was at Scott Air Force Base a few weeks
back, and they had the dedication of a high school, and the
military was very involved. Scott is a major command Air Force
center, and they were building a new high school. There was,
naturally, Federal Impact Aid funds that come to those schools
because of the military families that are stationed there.
Ms. Davis. Absolutely.
Senator Burris. Now you mentioned the fact of vouchers that
would be an answer to that.
Ms. Davis. Yes.
Senator Burris. I am trying to reconcile the voucher
situation with a situation where there are Impact Aid Funds
being paid to a school district because of the military
children that are attending those schools. How would you
reconcile that?
Ms. Davis. In my particular situation because of where we
are currently assigned, the local schools are not rated very
highly. A big portion of the military personnel either home
school or they are actually paying to send their children to
school.
If I am living in whatever county as an Active Duty member
and the schools in that particular county are not very adequate
to the standards I would like for my child, I believe that a
voucher program would allow me to be able to take my children
outside of that district because schools are districted of some
sort.
But I can't, as far as the impact on the schools and
funding----
Senator Burris. Now are you in a military environment?
Ms. Davis. Yes.
Senator Burris. So, therefore, the other military students
are going to that same school?
Ms. Davis. Yes. Obviously, yes.
Senator Burris. There are some Impact Aid Funds coming in
for that school?
Ms. Davis. Absolutely, yes.
Senator Burris. So you are saying Impact Aid Funds along
with the voucher funds?
Ms. Moakler. If I could address this, Senator Burris,
please? Taking the voucher program separately because there is
an installation in that area, a military installation that
impacts that school district's ability to raise taxes, they,
along with other schools that have military children in them or
other schools that are near a military installation, other
school districts that might have an Indian reservation in them,
other schools that might have some other kind of Federal entity
within that school district are eligible for what is known as
``Impact Aid.''
It comes from the Department of Education, and it is
dependent upon how many children are supported by that Federal
installation, be they military, be they Indians on the
reservation, be they children of those Federal employees, that
school district then receives a certain amount of money for
those children. It is a fairly involved process.
Senator Burris. I am familiar with the process. I am trying
to get a comparison here whether or not we would be also, if
you are in that environment where Impact Aid is received
because there are military children and then you are also
asking for vouchers not to send your child to that school, but
you want to send your child to another school, I am trying to
figure out how you reconcile that?
Ms. Moakler. Well, traditionally, we have not equated
Impact Aid with tuition. Impact Aid is not tuition.
Senator Burris. No, because what you are saying is you want
to send your child to a religious school or some other type of
special school, and not send them to the school where the
Impact Aid is supposed to be calculated based on so many
military families being in that community.
Ms. Moakler. But it is to offset the taxes that they are--
--
Senator Burris. Yes, I know what it is for.
Ms. Moakler. I know what you are asking. I mean, I don't
know what the answer to that question is, but I know exactly
what you are asking. What happens if we then give vouchers,
what happens to that Impact Aid money?
Senator Burris. That is correct, yes.
Ms. Moakler. I don't know the answer to that.
Senator Burris. Mr. Chairman, that is an issue that----
Senator Ben Nelson. Senator Burris, I think that is
something maybe we can talk about within the committee and see
if we can come to a resolution because you raise an interesting
question.
Senator Burris. Mr. Chairman, I do have to go to preside
over the Senate. So I take leave.
Senator Ben Nelson. I appreciate it. Thank you.
I have to ask Ms. Davis, what years were you at Offutt?
Ms. Davis. I am going to tell my age. Let us see, I was
there from 1988 to 1999.
Senator Ben Nelson. 1999. Well, I was Governor during most
of that time.
Ms. Davis. Yes, you were. Yes, you were.
Senator Ben Nelson. I hope you were able to have good
schools within that district.
Ms. Davis. I did not have any children, sir. I did not. But
actually, there were some awesome schools in Offutt. So, yes,
there was.
Senator Ben Nelson. All right. I thank you. I want the
record to reflect they have good schools. [Laughter.]
Thank you. Thank you all for coming here today and
expressing very sincerely and openly your concerns and
experiences. It is essentially what we have to have in order to
be able to try to help in areas where help is required.
It is encouraging to know that some things are working, but
discouraging that some things aren't working as well as we
would like them to. But at least we are aware and we will do
what we can to try to rectify some of these challenges.
The OPTEMPO is something that we have always hoped would
take care of itself. It hasn't to date. But I know there are
efforts underway to try to get more dwell time, and we are
going to continue to work, to do everything we possibly can,
including expanding end strength, to try to get to that.
Thank you very, very much. We appreciate it. God bless you,
and God bless your families. [Pause.]
For our second panel, we are pleased to have Arthur J.
Myers, the Principal Director and the acting Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy.
Kathleen Marin, Director, Installation Services, Office of
the Assistant Chief of Staff for Installation Management,
United States Army.
Terri J. Rau, Ph.D., Deputy Director for Research,
Development, and Performance Measurement, Navy Installations
Command, United States Navy.
Major General Timothy R. Larsen, USMC (Ret.), Director of
Personnel, Family Readiness Division, Manpower and Reserve
Affairs Department, United States Marine Corps.
Eliza G. Nesmith, Chief Airman and Family Services
Division, United States Air Force.
We are eager to hear the various departments' and services'
family support programs and initiatives, including how each
plans to resource these programs.
With that, let me first call on Mr. Myers to begin the
panel's opening statements.
STATEMENT OF ARTHUR J. MYERS, PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR AND ACTING
DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR MILITARY COMMUNITY AND
FAMILY POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Mr. Myers. Thank you, sir.
Chairman Nelson, the Secretary of Defense and all the men
and women of the Armed Forces, as well as their families, thank
you for your support.
We are very appreciative that you are holding this hearing
on family support issues. It is our opportunity to tell you
about our many initiatives and validate our need for continued
authorization of funds.
One of our biggest successes is Military OneSource. This
service is well known for its individually tailored services
and its availability any time, any place, which is particularly
helpful for those who are geographically isolated from
installation support.
As a result of the Senate's insight into the special needs
of this population who are separated from installation support,
we established a joint family assistance program in 15 States
and then extended the service to all States and territories. We
have also implemented a program of face-to-face nonmedical
counseling for military families experiencing normal stress of
multiple deployments and reunions.
Additionally, we have placed military family life
consultants in schools selected by the military departments to
provide consultation, education, training and workshops to
faculty, parents, and children to help cope with deployments.
This pilot program was offered at six schools in Europe and at
Fort Hood and at Fort Campbell in the United States.
We are also assisting spouses to develop portable careers
by offering Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts. A
total of up to $6,000 per spouse is available for credentialing
and licensure. This initiative began in March, and already
15,000 military spouse profiles have been received. About 45
percent of those spouses are seeking careers in health
professions.
Our financial readiness campaign focuses on empowering
servicemembers and their families with the tools and
information they need to meet their financial goals. We want to
place them on the path to financial freedom. Also, our youth
program and DOD schools encourage financial literacy at a very
early age.
We are ready to accept the challenge to meet the emerging
needs of our military members and their families. We know there
is always more to be done to meet their many requirements. I
would like to highlight some areas for your consideration.
Several years ago, Congress granted temporary authority for
minor military construction of child development centers that
allowed us to accelerate childcare capacity and increase spaces
by 15,000 on a rapid basis. To meet our goals for childcare and
to keep our members fit to fight and win, we require similar
authority for fitness centers and family centers and for
childcare for children through 12 years of age.
We need to extend the authority, which ends this fiscal
year, through fiscal year 2012 and also increase the projected
threshold to $15 million. In addition, we need to eliminate
barriers to our partnerships with military providers of
childcare, such as relief from the Service Contract Act.
Thank you again for your strong support of the military
members and their families. I will be happy to respond to any
of your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Myers follows:]
Prepared Statement by Arthur J. Myers
The Department of Defense (DOD) has made family support a high
priority in recognition of the crucial role families play in supporting
servicemembers on the battlefield, a concept that has resounded during
these times of multiple deployments. To ensure continuity in program
delivery, the Department increased the fiscal year 2010 Defense-wide
baseline by shifting $234 million from the Overseas Contingency
Operations funding to the baseline. The total fiscal year 2010 Defense-
wide Family Assistance budget request is $472 million to fund programs
such as child care expansion, outreach to Guard and Reserve, non-
medical counseling, financial education and training and access to
training and certification opportunities for spouses. These programs
are lifelines of support for military members and their families who
are stationed around the globe. The purpose of my statement today is to
describe our many successes and build a record that supports
authorization of funds and programs needed for family support. Our
military leaders stand with me in this important endeavor to reiterate
the inextricable link between investments in quality of life programs
and readiness of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. It is clear,
at a time of increased deployment and demand on our servicemembers and
their families, there is need for consistent, commensurate family
support.
Improvements to military quality of life are framed by the past
with a view toward the future. Today, the Department has a wide range
of quality of life policies, services and programs to address personal
and family issues. Initiatives address the nexus of work life and
personal/family life; all are concerned with key organizational goals
related to recruitment, retention, morale and mission readiness.
child care
The Department considers care for children of military members to
be a key work force issue with a direct impact on the effectiveness and
readiness of the force. Though the Department has a strong commitment
to child care and youth programs, some components still have unmet
demand for child care. Efforts are ongoing to address an estimated
shortage of approximately 37,000 child care spaces needed for Active
Duty, Guard, and Reserve families. The fiscal year 2010 Defense-wide
budget includes $60 million to expand child care in civilian
communities for public-private ventures. Plans to build this capacity
involve utilizing a myriad of delivery systems to include existing
child care facilities, schools, recreation and after-school programs,
and home-based care programs. We will aid in the recruitment of private
sector licensed child care providers at locations where child care
needs are identified, such as locations from which Guard or Reserve
units are being deployed. The Department will ensure the level of
quality is comparable to that offered on-installation by implementing
an assistance plan geared to the specific needs of the community. We
will utilize existing State and local resources, supplementing when
needed, to raise the quality of care.
Increased child care capacity requires a high-quality, well-trained
workforce. We need to eliminate barriers to hiring practices key to
expanding our partnerships with community providers of child care. The
Department has exercised a robust construction program to accelerate
child care capacity and increase spaces by over 15,000 on a rapid
basis. The temporary program to use minor military construction
(MILCON) authority for the construction of child development centers
provided a means to increase the availability of quality, affordable
child care for servicemembers and their families. I thank you for your
strong support.
The Department has initiated outreach to universities and
nonprofits for the purpose of developing recruitment and retention
programs and to strengthen existing partnerships. These strategic
efforts will enhance DOD's capacity to recruit and retain talented
professionals in Child Development, Youth Development, Counseling,
Family Support, & Financial Management. In addition, outreach efforts
designed to increase the number of students completing internships and
pursuing professional careers are also under development. The
Department is working with campus-based partnerships to identify
promising or best practices, develop training programs, create campus-
based seminars, colloquia, workshops, and distance learning and to
provide research on the impact and quality of programs.
The Department continues to lead the Nation with 98 percent of DOD
Child Development Centers accredited by the National Academy of Early
Childhood Programs, as compared to 8-10 percent of civilian child care
centers. To be accredited, early childhood programs voluntarily undergo
a comprehensive self-study and an external, professional review.
Criteria are aimed at providing a safe and nurturing environment while
promoting the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development
of young children. Additionally, a report released by the National
Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies in March 2009
rated the DOD child care system oversight and standards as the top
ranking among all 50 states and the District of Columbia with a score
of 131 out of 150 points, 20 points ahead of its nearest competitors
(District of Columbia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee).
youth programs
DOD promotes positive youth development by designing programs to
recognize the achievements of youth and by developing partnerships with
other youth-serving organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of
America and 4-H that offer a variety of resources. Programs prepare
pre-teens and teenagers to meet the challenges of military life,
adolescence, and adulthood. Recognizing that developing good financial
habits needs to start earlier, we launched the Military Youth Financial
Readiness Campaign as part of the Military Saves Week in 2008. In 2008,
we had over 5,000 youth participants and this year that number grew to
more than 7,000.
This month, DOD launched a new Web site, Military Youth on the
Move, http://apps.mhf.dod.mil/myom, to replace Military Teens on the
Move. This site is an easy to use resource that reaches out to youth
with creative ways to cope with issues that arise in the face of a
move, such as transitioning to a new school, saying goodbye to friends,
and getting involved in a new community. The Web site is divided into
three target audiences: elementary school, middle school, and high
school. Users simply click on their age group to get started. Once
inside the site, users search different topics that pertain to both
military youth in particular and youth in general. Moving once or
repeatedly has a significant impact on our youth. Military Youth on the
Move helps to make the transition as smooth as possible by giving them
a safe place for information and advice.
To support military youth impacted by deployment, Operation:
Military Kids (OMK), collaborated with the Joint Family Support
Assistance Program in 15 pilot States. 4-H/Army Youth Development
Project Youth Program Specialist staff assigned to support OMK trained
26,543 community members at Ready, Set, Go community events, informed
16, 267 partners and decisionmakers at Informational Briefings, trained
1,270 youth at Speak Out for Military Kids events, presented 2,264 Hero
Packs to military youth, engaged 289 nonmilitary youth, involved 1,946
military youth and 399 nonmilitary youth, 1,835 family members and 387
community members at Mobile Technology Lab events, and involved 7,872
military youth in other youth program events.
DOD provided funds to OMK states for the expansion of OMK camping
opportunities that advance the accomplishment of national OMK goals,
support the Joint Family Support Assistance Program and enhance the
effective implementation of OMK elements to reach more military youth.
Thirty eight states with current OMK grants and the District of
Columbia will be eligible to apply for supplemental OMK Camp funding in
the amount of $50,000. Because of larger military populations, the
following 10 States will be eligible for an additional $35,000 (total
of $85,000): California, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia,
Florida, Washington, South Carolina, Hawaii, and Kentucky. Summer Camps
are defined as weekend events, special focus camps (computer,
conservation, leadership, etc.), day camps, school break retreats, or
residential experiences of varying lengths organized and operated by
OMK. The outcomes for military youth include opportunities, in a camp
setting, to ease the stress associated with the deployment of a parent
and to form a support network of military peers. The outcomes for
parents include opportunities for youth to attend a no cost camping
experience with other military youth impacted by deployment throughout
their State and/or neighboring States.
department of defense education activity
A key quality of life issue is the education of military children.
servicemembers often make decisions about assignments based on the
availability of quality educational opportunities for their children.
The Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) provides quality
pre-kindergarten through 12th grade educational opportunities and
services to military dependents around the globe, who would otherwise
not have access to U.S.-accredited public education. Of the
approximately 1.2 million military school-age children, DODEA educates
nearly 85,000 in 192 schools in 12 foreign countries, 7 States, Guam,
and Puerto Rico with 8,700 educators. The excellent ratio of educators
to students (1:10 overall) contributes to the quality individual
attention and education afforded throughout the DODEA system. DODEA
also operates a tuition reimbursement program for military assigned
overseas without a DODEA school. Through the Educational Partnership
Initiative and new technologies, DODEA can expand its reach to the
approximately 92 percent of military students who do not attend DODEA
Schools.
The ongoing relocation of thousands of military students through
force structure changes has created an urgent need and responsibility
to enrich and expand partnerships with military-connected communities
to ensure the best possible educational opportunities for military
children. DODEA works collaboratively with the Secretary of Education
to ease the transition of military students, to use DODEA funds to
share experience with local educational agencies (LEAs) who educate
military students, and to provide programs such as distance learning
and teacher training to LEAs with military students undergoing
transition from force structure changes. DODEA is developing a new
approach to provide a fully accredited virtual school program for
grades 9-12 for eligible students. Beginning in school year 2009-2010,
DODEA plans to increase course offerings within the existing distance
learning program to implement a comprehensive accredited virtual high
school by school year 2010-2011. A middle and upper elementary program
is also planned for delivery in subsequent years.
Many of the school facilities within DODEA have exceeded the life
expectancy and do not meet today's educational standards. Schools are
currently operating within structures that were erected in the 1930s
through the 1960s. These aged buildings were either built for other
purposes (i.e., barracks, administration buildings) or were constructed
prior to major technological advances for the kindergarten to high
school learning environment. Independent condition assessments indicate
that it is more cost effective to replace these buildings than to
upgrade or modernize them. Many are due for replacement in the next 10
years. Continued support of the DODEA effort is needed and appreciated.
This supports the Department's force management quality of life and
retention goals of attracting and retaining the highest quality
personnel.
DODEA continues to make significant improvements to facilities due
to gains in the facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization
(FSRM) budget. In fiscal year 2009 DODEA, will meet the Department
standard for FSRM with obligations of $86 million; of this amount
sustainment funding is $72.6 million. The fiscal year 2010 DODEA FSRM
budget is currently $93.7 million with $73.8 million allocated to
sustainment. Both these figures are vast improvements over fiscal year
2008 and previous years. In fiscal year 2008 the sustainment budget was
$55.8 million. The current and projected budget will allow DODEA to
target high-cost, priority repairs on roofs; heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning; other critical systems that may be failing; and
improvements to support technology requirements in the classrooms.
Complimenting the O&M increase in FSRM is the increase to the DODEA
MILCON program. The fiscal year 2009 DODEA MILCON budget is $102
million and the fiscal year 2010 budget is programmed for $208 million,
a major increase from the previous DODEA MILCON budgets of
approximately $45 million a year. This increase is attributed to
Department recognition and support of DODEA requirements. In the
future, DODEA plans to replace three to four schools a year as a well
as meet new requirements.
New information today can make educational programs that were
developed and implemented yesterday obsolete. To that end, DODEA is
conducting a multi-phased comprehensive program evaluation process to
review the current status of its educational programs to develop
recommendations to increase the impact of those programs as well as
increase accountability and student achievement. Some programs can be
modified to make them more effective, while others may have to be
discontinued. The entire DODEA staff will continually assess data and
review research to meet the needs of students to show continuous gains
in student achievement.
The process of program evaluation follows the steps of planning,
implementing, evaluating, reviewing, and refining. We look to you for
your support in continuing this effort. This effort includes an
assessment program that will align DODEA's assessment of student
achievement in accordance with state; administrative and teacher
professional development programs to support data-driven differentiated
instruction; and a comprehensive grade 9-12 Virtual School program by
school year 2010/2011. This is a significant commitment to ensure the
children of our uniformed servicemembers are receiving the best
education possible.
Many military installations have school liaison officers to advise
military parents of school-aged children on educational issues and
needs and to assist in solving education-related problems. School
liaison officers are helping to identify barriers to academic success
and develop solutions, promote parental involvement, develop and
coordinate partnerships in education and provide parents with the tools
they need to overcome obstacles to education that stem from the
military lifestyle. The School liaison officer acts as an advocate and
communication link between the installation and the surrounding school
districts to ``level the playing field'' for transitioning military
children and youth. The purpose of the program is to provide a link
between military families on- and off-installation schools to assist
them with those unique problems facing military children, i.e., PCS
moves, deployments, varying graduation and records transfer
requirements, differences in curriculum and schedules between stateside
and overseas schools, and DOD schools and civilian schools. Their
mission is to mobilize and utilize community resources to reduce the
impact of the mobile military lifestyle on children/youth, implement
predictable support services that assist children/youth with
relocations, life transitions and achievement of academic success, and
provide access for parents, children, youth, schools, commanders, and
communities to a wide range of resources to facilitate school
transitions.
exceptional family member program
Through the military medical departments, at no charge to families,
DOD provides early intervention services, from birth until 3 years of
age, to infants and toddlers who are developmentally delayed or at high
risk for a developmental delay and who (but for age) are eligible to
attend a DOD school. The DOD schools provide specially designed
instruction, support, and services to children with educational
disabilities, who are 3 years of age and until they are 21 years of
age. The DOD schools provide a full continuum of programs to meet the
needs of children with disabilities in our military families. During
the last 6 years, the DOD schools have focused on children with
moderate to severe disabilities by purchasing new equipment and
assistive technology devices and providing professional development for
all special education personnel. The intent is for consistency in
curriculum and instruction as families move from one DOD school to
another. In response to the increased incidence of children with autism
in our DOD schools, the DOD school system hired autism consultants to
help design the curriculum and interventions for students with autism.
The Department publishes an annual directory to assist the medical
and educational assignment coordinators to identify those military
communities outside the continental United States with pre-established
programs or services for children with special needs, including those
with more serious needs, such as those with intellectual impairments,
autism or physical disabilities such as blindness.
Recently, the Department embarked on a joint Service campaign to
raise awareness of the Exceptional Family Member Program, the issues
that these families face, and the resources available to address their
needs.
interstate compact
The mobile military lifestyle creates tough challenges for children
who attend, on average, six to nine different school systems from
kindergarten to 12th grade. To help overcome these issues, the
Department is working with the states to implement the Interstate
Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. A variety of
Federal, State, and local officials as well as national stakeholder
organizations helped develop this interstate agreement whose goal is to
replace the widely varying treatment of transitioning military students
with a comprehensive approach that provides a uniform policy on
eligibility, enrollment, placement, and graduation in every State that
chooses to join.
Eleven States--Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida,
Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, and Oklahoma--
adopted the compact in 2008. This was sufficient to activate the
Compact and establish the Commission to finalize implementing rules and
provide operational oversight. Although it is still fairly early in
2009, Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Texas,
Virginia, and Washington have joined the Compact bringing the total
number of member States to 20 and covering approximately 64 percent of
military children. In addition, legislation is being actively
considered in 12 States.
voluntary education: the first joint service graduation ceremony in
iraq
Personal development is so ingrained in our culture that, even in a
war zone, military personnel strive to continue their educational
pursuits and personal improvement. To meet those needs, there are two
full service Joint Education Centers operating in Iraq at Camp Victory
and Camp Balad, with plans to open six more in the near future. Seven
days a week, servicemembers may participate in traditional (instructor-
led) on-the-ground classes, through Central Texas College, University
of Maryland University College and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical, or via
distance learning education. The centers also provide an extensive
testing program, improvement courses, and Leader Skill Enhancement
Instruction Courses.
On 17 May 2009, beneath the United States flag in the rotunda of
the Al Faw Palace in Baghdad, a Graduation Commencement Ceremony was
conducted in Iraq--a first for any combat zone. This was the conclusion
of a long journey for many of the servicemembers pursuing their
educational goals. The degrees conferred represented all levels of
mastery--associate, baccalaureate, and masters.
All servicemembers deployed to Iraq who graduated in the 2008-2009
college year were invited to participate. Of the 130 identified as
graduates, only 79 could participate in the ceremony due to operational
reasons.
A tangible demonstration of the importance the military places on
education, the graduation ceremony epitomized self improvement as a
critical component of the warrior ethos. The warrior-scholars
demonstrated their desire to pursue intellectual knowledge that will be
applied in their job and to the military mission in Iraq.
fitness
All of the military Services continue to expand and provide
innovative fitness programs that sustain a physically fit, healthy
force in our military communities and for deployed men and women around
the world. Long-term plans will modernize the fitness infrastructure
beginning with the Services' request for 10 fitness center MILCON
projects in fiscal year 2009 and another 71 fitness centers programmed
through fiscal year 2014. The inclusion of fitness facilities in the
minor MILCON authority would serve as a boost to facilitate future
construction. Installation fitness facilities are one of the most
important facilities on base for troops to release stress after
returning from combat, combat obesity, and remain physically and
mentally fit. Also, more and more, our installation fitness centers are
becoming ``family friendly.'' Many installation fitness centers are
carving out space for supervised child care to assist parents who
otherwise could not work out because of lack of available child care.
Programming is being expanded to include older children/youth in
classes to help foster a healthier lifestyle and combat obesity. The
key initiative is ensuring our military members and their families are
fit!
mwr outreach
To promote a healthy lifestyle and expand the military MWR benefit
to Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve and their families who do not have
access to installation MWR programs, we have contracted with the Armed
Services YMCA to offer free YMCA family memberships at local,
participating YMCAs to families of deployed Guard and Reserve
Personnel, Active Duty servicemembers and their families assigned to
Independent Duty locations, any relocated spouse of a deployed Active
Duty servicemember and a limited number of families assigned to the
Joint Base locations. In just 7 months we funded over 15,000
memberships which include over 27,000 family members. Feedback has been
overwhelmingly positive with comments such as ``with four children in
tow, exercise would be impossible without child watch at the YMCA--
thank you for finding military spouses/families worth it to use funds
in this way'' and ``I have lost 30 pounds in just a couple of months
since coming to the YMCA; I absolutely love it!'' We are expanding our
marketing efforts to reach more families who meet the eligibility
requirements.
We also created a DOD MWR Online Library with library resources in
print, electronic and downloadable format for entertainment, learning
or solace, available for free from Military OneSource, virtually
anytime, anywhere. Resources include auto, home and small engine
repair, Career Library, Peterson's Life Long learning, Tumblebooks for
kids, NetLibrary audio and e-books just to name a few. The online
library is also available through the Military Services Portal. Again
customer feedback has been excellent with comments such ``You guys hit
a home run with offering these books--great for the long plane rides to
and from deployment--thank you for the great benefit!'' and ``Great
job--love the free stuff.'' Supplemental funding has allowed us to
renew these on-line resources for another year.
communication services in combat areas
The ability to communicate with family and friends is the number
one factor in being able to cope with longer and more frequent
deployments. Servicemembers have free access to the non-secure military
Internet by using their military e-mail address, including aboard
ships. They also have free Internet access at 794 MWR Internet Cafes in
Iraq and Afghanistan with 9,107 computers and 4,015 VOIP phones (with
call rates of less than 4 cents a minute). To enhance MWR provided
services, the Exchanges provide personal information services for a
usage fee for this customer convenience. Back home, computers and
Internet service located in our family support centers, recreation
centers, libraries, and youth centers help ensure families can connect.
Additionally, the Exchanges contract for telephone services in
combat zones, operating 72 calling centers with 1,536 phones in Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Kuwait, plus calling centers on-board ships in
theater. Rates are 45 cents per minute afloat and 15 cents per minute
ashore. The Exchanges are in compliance with the DOD policy and the
law, which require that contracts for telephone service be awarded
through competitive procedures and include options to minimize costs to
individual users. Where feasible, the contracts provide the flexibility
to use a variety of phone cards.
MilitaryHOMEFRONT (www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil) is the DOD
library of official information about quality of life programs for
helping professionals and military families. The Homefront provides
access to information about benefits, entitlements and programs
available to military members and their families including policies,
reports, and directives on topics from child care to relocation,
special needs to voluntary education, morale welfare and recreation to
combat stress. MilitaryHOMEFRONT provides a searchable directory of
educational programs and services and state-specific resources as well
as hundreds of Autism and general disability resources. Parents who
have children with autism can communicate directly with each other
using HOMEFRONTConnections, a DOD social networking site available on
MilitaryHOMEFRONT.
Further, DOD uses MilitaryHOMEFRONT to develop tools, accessible
through both the Military OneSource and MilitaryHOMEFRONT Web sites, to
assist families--including the very popular ``Plan My Move'' and
``Military Installations.'' Military Installations, an on-line
directory within the Web site, provides access to points of contact for
56 activities on installations worldwide, including the commissary,
exchanges, MWR programs, child development centers and the military
health care facilities.
military onesource outreach center
Six years of deployments and multiple deployments have prompted DOD
to rethink methods and strategies to deliver family support. Two major
issues drove the development of the new delivery system: 1) how do we
meet the needs of the National Guard and Reserve families and those
geographically dispersed, and 2) how can we meet the needs of
commanders for surge support surrounding deployments.
Primary among those responses was the opening of the Military
OneSource Center, designed to provide Active Duty and Guard and Reserve
Commanders the vehicles for surge support during deployments. The
Military OneSource Center, along with the Military OneSource 24/7/365
call center and web-site, provide the scaffolding for our outreach and
support.
1. Military OneSource.com and Call Center
Launched in 2002, Military OneSource provides support services 24/
7/365 to Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve component
servicemembers and their families worldwide. This backbone of the
Military OneSource Center provides toll-free confidential telephonic
support and a Web site that provide interactive tools, educational
materials, discussion boards, links to military and community
resources, and tax filing services, among other services. Testimony to
its usefulness is the fact that over 600,000 tax returns were prepared
through Military OneSource this tax season, at no charge to
servicemembers.
2. Outreach Counseling
Outreach Counseling offers servicemembers and families with
confidential, short term, situational, problem-solving assistance,
instrumental for coping with normal reactions to the stressful
situations created by deployments, family separations and
reintegration.
Military OneSource offers confidential face-to-face, telephonic,
and on-line counseling up to twelve sessions. Telephonic and on-line
counseling sessions are new and beginning to grow.
The Military and Family Life Consultant (MFLC) program provides
professional, confidential, and flexible service delivery on a 30- to
90-day rotational basis on military installations to meet surge support
requirements and to support Guard and Reserve events.
3. Financial Counseling
Additionally, financial counseling is available, through both
Military OneSource and the MFLC program, to assist with the financial
concerns of military members and their families during all stages of
the deployment cycle. The Military OneSource Center has been highly
successful in making these services available worldwide.
Financial Readiness Installation Roadshows: Installation workshops
are delivered on demand that include information about budgeting,
mortgage and foreclosure, debt reduction, saving and investing,
identity theft and retirement planning.
Twenty-three road shows have been conducted since November 2008;
over 20 additional events are scheduled in 2009.
4. Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts
To jump start portable careers in health services, education,
information technology, and financial services, DOD will provide up to
$6,000 per spouse to assist spouses in developing portable careers in
fields such as nursing, teaching, real estate, and banking. This, in
turn, supports families in attaining their aspirations and goals that
may be interrupted as a result of the mobile military lifestyle.
5. Outreach support to the National Guard and Reserve--Joint Family
Support Assistance Program
A continuum of support and services for National Guard and Reserve
members and their families during pre-deployment, deployment, post-
deployment, reunion and reintegration. Services have reached 364,000
servicemembers and families over the last year. It is a support service
multiplier by broadening the network of resources beyond those that
exist on installations. This program also supports the Yellow Ribbon
Reintegration Program 30-60-90 day events during post-deployment.
6. Wounded Warrior Resource Call Center
Embedded in the Military OneSource Call Center, this feature
provides servicemembers who have become wounded, ill, or injured, as
well as their families and their primary caregivers, with a single
point of contact for referral to Services' resources. Assistance is
provided with reporting deficiencies in covered military facilities,
obtaining health care services, receiving benefits information and any
other difficulties encountered.
commissaries and exchanges
The commissary and exchange programs are vital to mission
accomplishment and, as components of the military compensation system,
are important contributors to morale and readiness. The Defense
Commissary Agency (DeCA) operates 254 commissaries around the world
providing groceries and household products to military personnel,
retirees, and their families at cost plus a 5 percent surcharge to fund
commissary construction and equipment. Savings exceed 30 percent
compared to commercial prices; savings that contribute nearly $3,400
per year in disposable income for a family of four that does all of its
grocery shopping at the commissary. Sales exceed $5.8 billion;
operations are funded by appropriations of $1.3 billion. DeCA met or
exceeded all performance goals in fiscal year 2008 and is performing
equally well in 2009, with year-to-date sales above target. DeCA is
bringing the commissary benefit to Guard and Reserve personnel who
don't live near a commissary through their 208 on-site sales at Guard
and Reserve locations. The three exchange systems--the Army and Air
Force Exchange System (AAFES), the Navy Exchange System Command and the
Marine Corps Exchange--operate over 3,700 retail outlets at 300
military installations, in 89 contingency operations, and aboard 161
ships. The exchanges sell a wide range of goods and services and
distribute about 70 percent of their profits to support MWR programs.
Savings exceed 20 percent, not including sales tax savings. Soon, AAFES
will deploy new mobile exchanges specially outfitted to serve Guard and
Reserve units together with DeCA. In combat areas, the exchanges
provide 129 retail operations ranging from exchanges to imprest funds,
228 name brand fast food outlets, 600 service concessions, and
telephone services that minimize costs for deployed members to call
home. The exchanges had sales of $11.9 billion in fiscal year 2008 with
profits of $523 million and project sales of $13 billion in fiscal year
2009.
The Department will continue to make family support a high
priority. As the needs of servicemembers and their families evolve, the
Department stands ready to improve the quality of life of its greatest
resource--people.
In conclusion, thank you for your support of the dedicated men and
women who chose the highest calling of public service in defense of our
Nation. We share a passion for improving the quality of life of our
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines and their families.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, Mr. Myers.
Ms. Marin?
STATEMENT OF KATHLEEN MARIN, DIRECTOR, INSTALLATION SERVICES,
OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF FOR INSTALLATION
MANAGEMENT, UNITED STATES ARMY
Ms. Marin. Mr. Chairman, I am honored to appear here today
to share how the Army is enhancing programs to restore our
soldiers' and families' sense of balance.
Never before in history have we asked so much of our Army
families. They make incredible sacrifices, as we have heard
here today. They remain steadfast in support of their soldiers,
but families are showing the stress of nearly 8 years at war.
The Army recognizes that soldier readiness and family
readiness are inextricably linked, and that is why we have
doubled our investment in base funding for family programs from
2007 to 2010. The Army's request for fiscal year 2010 soldier
and family programs is $1.726 billion. Continuing predictable
funding is crucial to sustain and preserve the All-Volunteer
Force.
We are investing the Nation's resources wisely. We are
focusing on areas to promote readiness and resilience, reducing
the turbulence and stress that comes with military life. Our
primary focus areas have been to standardize services across
the Army, close gaps in underfunded programs, and to enhance
and adapt services to meet the constantly evolving requirements
associated with multiple deployments and frequent relocations.
For example, we are augmenting the Office of the Secretary
of Defense program of military family life consultants due to
such a high demand. As a way to reach out to geographically
dispersed soldiers and families, we have expanded the National
Guard's model Yellow Ribbon Reintegration program, and we have
established our own Army OneSource.
We are expanding education and employment opportunities for
family members and better serving the unique needs of the
families of our fallen and wounded. We have provided them
places to connect and be connected with others going through
the same experiences. We are providing for the fundamental
safety and security of our military children by building more
child and youth centers, increasing available hours, as well as
offering specialized activities to combat stress, isolation,
and loneliness.
We have reduced program fees, provide free childcare for
spouses who must now fill both parenting roles, and we provide
support to those in geographically dispersed locations by
subsidizing high-quality local childcare. We are continuing to
fund respite care for those with exceptional family members,
and we are easing the burdens created by frequent military
moves, ensuring our youth receive credit for academic
achievement from school to school and State to State.
We are keenly aware of the unique stressors facing our
soldiers and their families today. In fact, new challenges are
constantly emerging. While we don't have all the answers, we
are working on how to assess the relevance and the impact of
the full spectrum of our programs.
One way we measure effectiveness is by surveying on a
regular basis to seek the opinions of our soldiers and families
and assess their satisfaction and, most importantly, to monitor
their adaptation to the unique challenges of Army life. These
measurements assist us in matching the capabilities of our
programs to the expectations of our soldiers and families,
keeping the Army strong, ready, and resilient.
Thank you, sir, for the opportunity to speak to you today,
and thank you for all you do for our soldiers and families. I
stand ready to answer your questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Marin follows:]
Prepared Statement by Kathleen Marin
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I am honored to
appear before you to share the progress we are making in the mission of
providing our soldiers and their families a quality-of-life
commensurate with the quality of their service. Never before in the
history of our Army have we asked so much of our families. They make
incredible sacrifices, and while remaining steadfast in support of
their soldiers, families are showing the stress of 7 years at war. In
response, the Army continues to enhance programs and services to enable
soldiers and families to become resilient and ready to address the
challenges of deployment and separation.
As Director of Installation Services, I am responsible for Army
housing, environmental programs, privatization initiatives, and support
to soldiers and families. I feel particularly privileged to be
entrusted with guiding and overseeing the Soldier Family Action Plan,
which brings to life the Army's deep, authentic commitment to provide a
supportive environment for those who are sacrificing so greatly for our
Nation.
In her ``First Lady's Message to Families,'' commenting on the
people she had met on the campaign trail, Michelle Obama remarked, ``I
particularly cherished my visits with military families all across the
country . . . and if there's one thing I learned, it's that when our
service men and women go to war, their families go with them.'' She has
learned what this subcommittee and the Army have known for a very long
time. They are serving side by side with our soldiers, enduring their
hardships, and providing the unconditional love and support that truly
make our Army strong.
My statement focuses on a few of the programs we have in place for
Active and Reserve component soldiers and families in the arenas of
Support to Families, Child, Youth & School Services, Community Support,
Support for Single Soldiers, Recreation Programs, Support to Deployed
Soldiers, and Measuring Success.
support to families
In a February 27, 2009, speech to marines at Camp Lejeune,
President Obama referenced his wife's commitment to military families:
``My wife Michelle has learned firsthand about the unique burden that
your families endure every day. I want you to know this: military
families are a top priority for Michelle and me, and they will be a top
priority for my administration.'' Families have been, and will continue
to be, a top priority for the Army.
Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request
The Army has doubled its investment in base funding from fiscal
year 2007 to 2010. The Army's request for fiscal year 2010 soldier and
family programs is $1.726 billion. This increase will sustain funding
for the family programs in the out years.
From fiscal year 2009 to 2010, the funding for Family Programs
increased by $168 million. This funding does not include Overseas
Contingency Operations funds. The Army leadership is committed to
enhancing quality of support to soldiers and families across the Army
and has funded enduring requirements in the Base Budget. This funding
provides programs and services to Reserve component soldiers and
families 24/7; resources the Reserve Component Yellow Ribbon program;
resources child care services and youth development programs to the DOD
standard of 80 percent and 35 percent of demand, respectively; and
funds Survivors Outreach Services, a standardized program for family
members of the fallen for all components that includes benefits
advisors, additional financial counselors, and support coordinators to
provide specialized services to survivors for as long as they need
them. Additionally, the funding also supports Family Readiness Support
Assistants to support the volunteer Family Readiness Group (FRG)
leaders down to the battalion level in fiscal year 2010 and out as well
as voluntary education and tuition assistance.
The Army Family Covenant
Recognizing that the strength of our Army comes from the strength
of our Army families, the Army leadership unveiled the Army Family
Covenant in October 2007. The Covenant institutionalizes the Army's
commitment to provide soldiers and families--Active, Guard, and
Reserve--a quality of life equal to their level of commitment and
service and recognizes the important sacrifices they make every day to
defend the Nation. The Covenant compels the Army to improve soldier and
family readiness by standardizing soldier and family programs and
services, increasing accessibility to health care, improving soldier
and family housing, ensuring excellence in schools and child and youth
services, and expanding education and employment opportunities for
family members.
The Army Family Covenant is in its second year, and the commitment
is enduring. The Soldier and Family Action Plan provides the roadmap to
review and strengthen existing programs and services. Although there is
much work to do, the Army has made significant progress in improving
soldier and family programs; health care; housing; child, youth, and
school services; recreation; education; and employment opportunities.
We have closed the staffing gaps in Army Community Service, and we are
systematically evaluating family programs through surveys, feedback,
and focus groups in order to calibrate services to address customer
needs.
The Army Family Covenant continues a legacy of service and support
to soldiers and families. It reflects a continuum of Army dedication to
sustain and partner with soldiers and their families to build an
environment where they can prosper and realize their potential, all
essential in sustaining an All-Volunteer Force.
The Army Family Action Plan
The Army recently celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the creation
of the Army Family Action Plan (AFAP). On August 15, 1983, Army Chief
of Staff General John A. Wickham published a groundbreaking white paper
The Army Family, which identified the need for the Army to increase
support to its Families. General Wickham asserted that a healthy family
environment allows soldiers to concentrate more fully on their mission.
The Army was in transition in 1983, moving its programs from those
which supported an organization composed mostly of draftees and short-
term enlistees, to an all-volunteer, professional force, more than half
of which is married. General Wickham set a new vision and course for
Army Families that carries on to this day.
Created in 1980 through focus groups, AFAP was fully developed with
the first official AFAP Conference in July 1983. Its mission is to help
Army leaders address the needs and concerns of the Army Family from a
grass roots perspective. The program uses Army family representatives
from around the world to identify issues that will improve the standard
of living for soldiers and families. This feedback to leaders provides
a way for policy change to become a tangible end-product for the Army
family. It addresses quality-of-life issues for soldiers, retirees,
Department of Army civilian employees, and their family members, and
now includes Warriors in Transition (WT) and Survivors of Fallen
Soldiers. The Army remains committed to AFAP as a means for soldiers
and families to let the Army know what works, what doesn't, and what
they think will fix it.
During AFAP's 25 years, 651 issues have been worked by the Army. Of
those: 84 are active, 5 have been combined with other active issues;
442 have been completed; and 120 have been determined to be
unattainable. AFAP issues have resulted in 110 legislative changes, 155
changes to Department of Defense (DOD) or Army policies; and 177 new or
improved programs or services. Over 60 percent of AFAP issues impact
all Services. The majority AFAP issues are related to force support (32
percent), followed by medical (21 percent), relocation (20 percent),
family support (17 percent), and youth (10 percent).
As a result of congressional legislation passed in 2008, three of
the most critical active AFAP issues were successfully resolved:
Distribution of the Montgomery G.I. Bill Benefits to Family Members,
Paternity Permissive Temporary Duty, and In-State College Tuition.
Thank you for hearing and supporting our families' issues by passing
this legislation.
Quality of life and support to soldiers and families will remain a
primary focus through AFAP and the Army Family Covenant. AFAP will
continue to support the Army family as emerging quality-of-life issues
are brought to the Army leadership for resolution. AFAP will continue
to be the ``Voice of the Army Family,'' taking on issues such as
increasing support for Warriors in Transition and Survivors of the
Fallen, refining Soldier Family Action Plan (SFAP) tasks, and reaching
out to geographically dispersed soldiers and families.
Army OneSource
Army OneSource (AOS) is the centerpiece of the Army's efforts to
integrate family programs and services. It is the Army's outreach to
geographically dispersed soldiers and families through technology and
people (Community Support Coordinators). The web portal technology
brings the latest information to soldiers and families, wherever they
reside. It establishes a comprehensive multi-component approach for
community support and services for Active, Guard, and Reserve soldiers,
families, and employers throughout the entire deployment cycle.
Soldiers and families can connect to support services by personal touch
(telephone or office visit) and the World Wide Web
(www.armyonesource.com).
AOS is an Army asset integrator. It ensures families--regardless of
where they live or how they are related to soldiers--have access to
support before, during, and after deployment.
Survivor Outreach Services
Survivor Outreach Services (SOS) provides a standardized, multi-
agency, decentralized approach to improving support for Survivors of
Fallen Soldiers in communities closest to where families live. The
program standardizes services for survivors and provides trained
experts in benefits counseling, financial counseling, grief counseling,
and casualty assistance. The SOS process also places emphasis on the
soldier's responsibility to prepare, prior to deployment, for the
possibility of death. This preparation involves the soldier, the
soldier's spouse, children, and extended family. The loss of life in
combat operations is a reality we must address because readiness
includes being prepared for that possibility. SOS supports soldier and
family readiness during and after the painful and devastating
experience of the loss of a loved one.
SOS provides support to Casualty Assistance Officers to ensure
families receive the most current information on benefits and
entitlements and have access to long-term financial and emotional
support. Legal support for survivors includes estate planning, will
preparation, probate planning, and assistance in preparing estate-
related tax documents.
Service delivery strategies include a variety of modalities such as
Web-based accessibility, outreach, face-to-face, and group services.
SOS is available 24/7 with foreign language and special needs
accommodation capabilities. Services are offered at stateside,
overseas, and geographically dispersed locations.
Family Readiness Groups and Family Readiness Support Assistants:
The Family Readiness Group (FRG) is a commander's program that
includes unit soldiers, civilian employees, family members (immediate
and extended), and volunteers. FRGs are critical to maintaining the
strength, morale, and information chain for soldiers, families, and
commands, and are vital to the morale and support of soldiers and
families before, during, and after deployments.
FRGs provide mutual support and assistance and function as
communication mechanisms, bringing accurate information to families
from commands, and serving as an informal chain of concern to bring
issues back up to commands. Structured by the needs of the unit, some
FRGs are large, active, and all encompassing, while others are small,
tailored only to the immediate requirements of a nondeployed unit.
We recognized volunteer FRG leaders were overwhelmed with
responsibilities. The Family Readiness Support Assistants (FRSA) are
one way to mitigate the stress. FRSAs provide administrative and
logistical support to volunteer FRG leaders and lend consistency to the
unit FRG and rear detachment team. Primary missions of FRSAs are
coordination of training for rear detachment commanders (RDC) and FRG
leaders, maintaining the critical communication link between RDCs and
FRG leaders, and ensuring the responsiveness of established community
resources. The FRSA position is primarily designed to relieve the
administrative burden placed on the volunteer FRG leaders.
There are 1,029 FRSAs--located in deployable Active, Guard, and
Reserve battalions--who are paid employees and components of the
commander's Unit Family Readiness Program. As members of the brigade or
battalion commander's staff, FRSAs coordinate FRG activities within
units and update commanders on program status and services available to
soldiers and their families. FRSAs link family members with other Army
support agencies and programs.
FRSAs assist with the preparation of pre-deployment and
redeployment activities, schedule, and coordinate family readiness or
unit-sponsored training, assist in development and distribution of unit
newsletters, coordinate video teleconferences for families and deployed
soldiers, and serve as links between garrison community agencies and
units. FRSAs utilize AOS to gather information of value to the FRG
leaders. The FRSA position remains in place even when the unit is not
deployed, providing continuity in a world climate that requires units
to participate in multiple deployments.
Virtual Family Readiness Groups
The Virtual Family Readiness Groups (vFRGs) provide all of the
functionality of traditional FRGs in an ad hoc, online setting to meet
the needs of geographically dispersed families. The vFRG is a web-based
system to conduct two-way communication between units, family members,
and soldiers in theater.
The vFRG links the deployed soldier, family, FRG leader, unit and
RDCs, and other family readiness personnel on their own controlled-
access web portal to facilitate the exchange of information and provide
a sense of community, using technology to automate manual processes and
provide enhanced services and communications. Unit commanders are
responsible for maintaining vFRG content and user access. A new and
innovative component of AOS is the eArmy Family Messaging System. The
messaging system is a state-of-the-art multimedia tool for commanders
to instantaneously communicate with soldiers and families by
broadcasting a message through various communication devices to help
fulfill their family readiness mission. To date, the Army has
established approximately 2,000 vFRGs.
Soldier and Family Assistance Centers
The Army developed Soldier and Family Assistance Centers (SFACs) at
installations with Warrior Transition Units (WTUs). Centers provide a
safe haven where Warriors in Transition and DOD civilians and their
families can gather for mutual support and camaraderie to aid physical,
spiritual, and mental healing. Services include transition support,
financial counseling, child care and education counseling. SFACs act as
a conduit for other Federal, State, local, and nongovernmental
agencies.
child, youth, and school services
Our Child, Youth, and School (CYS) programs are a key component of
the Army Family Covenant because they reduce the conflict between
mission readiness and parental responsibility.
Garrison Child Development Centers and Family Child Care Homes have
extended their operating hours to better accommodate the current high
operating tempo. We have extended hours to cover weekends, evenings,
and even 24/7 services and crisis care where necessary.
Soldiers who work an extended duty day are not charged for the
extra child care hours. Families of deployed soldiers receive child
care discounts and 16 hours of free respite child care per month per
child. The respite care is also available for FRG and FRSA personnel,
Families of deployed, Exceptional Family Members, Warriors in
Transition Families, and Survivor Families. This respite gives parents
time to tend to personal needs or take breaks from the everyday
stresses of parenting. Our families are grateful for this well-deserved
service.
Families of our Warriors in Transition are especially vulnerable
and we provide child care for them during medical appointments and
support group meetings. Army Families of Fallen Soldiers receive child
care during the bereavement period and special consideration
thereafter.
When soldier parents are absent, many children no longer have
transportation that allows them to participate in after school programs
and sports. The Army Family Covenant has enabled us to add more bus
routes and transportation options to assist children in accessing these
vital activities.
We are grateful for your support of our Child and Youth
Construction Program which will significantly reduce our child care
shortfall. Our Military Construction Program reflects this commitment:
42 Child Care Centers funded in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 with an
additional 11 centers programmed for fiscal years 2010 through 2014. In
addition, we have used the temporary authority provided under the
National Defense Authorization Act for 44 Child Care Centers in fiscal
year 2008 and 4 in fiscal year 2009 with Operations and Maintenance
dollars. Thank you for your support that enables the Army to rapidly
meet installation child care requirements.
We are attentive to the need to ensure the health, safety, and
well-being of the children in our care and take great pride in the fact
that in fiscal year 2008 all of our eligible Child Development Centers
and Army School Age Programs were nationally accredited. This is a
milestone representing the culmination of years of hard work which
addresses quality as well as quantity.
Initiatives used to transform the military child care system into a
model for the Nation can be implemented in civilian communities to
improve the quality of care for all children. In a report released on
November 24, 2008, ``Making Quality Child Care Possible: Lessons
Learned,'' from the National Association of Child Care Resource and
Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) military partnerships examined lessons
learned from the military child care system that could be applied in
the private sector. The report concludes that many of the basic
initiatives implemented by the military can significantly improve the
quality of child care in civilian communities across the Nation. These
initiatives include establishment of basic child care health and safety
standards, routine inspections and oversight, and training and
incentives for child caregivers.
Longer and multiple deployments are increasing the stress on our
families, and the support they need includes strengthening the
connection with folks who teach and monitor our children every day in
school settings. In the last year, we have added 40 more school liaison
officers, which now total 140 throughout the Army, and increased the
number of school districts to 380 that have signed a memorandum of
understanding to help minimize academic disruptions for transferring
military students. We have also expanded training to help school
officials understand challenges faced by military students.
The Army is partnering with outside agencies on the following
initiatives:
DOD Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for
Military Children (effective 2008) addresses the educational
transition issues of children of military families. The purpose
of the Compact is to remove barriers to educational success
imposed on children of military families because of frequent
moves and deployment of their parents.
DOD and Department of Education Memorandum of
Agreement (signed June 2008) creates a formal partnership
between the two Departments to provide a comprehensive and
cohesive structure for collaboration between two Federal
agencies as well as with local, State, and other relevant
entities.
DOD Education Activity Partnership Branch initiative
is dedicated to promoting quality education for every military
child regardless of their location or how often their family
moves.
I would like to emphasize that our CYS Services is a force
multiplier that helps reduce lost duty time, impacts soldiers'
decisions to remain in the Army, and sends a message that we care about
our families. The Army considers these programs critical to mission
readiness--our investment contributes to productivity and retention
today as well as productive citizens in the future.
community support
The Army Community Covenant: soldiers and families are integral
members of the communities in which they live. The Army Community
Covenant, a companion initiative of the Army Family Covenant, is a
commitment of support at the state and local level by individuals,
organizations, and government agencies to Active, Guard, and Reserve
soldiers and families. It is designed to develop and foster effective
state and community partnerships with the Army to sustain and improve
soldier and family quality of life.
There are many communities, organizations, and civic and business
leaders across the country already supporting soldiers and families
through a number of programs and initiatives. The Community Covenant
recognizes that effort and advances initiatives like the Interstate
Compact on Education Opportunity for Military Children, which replaces
inconsistent treatment of transitioning military students with a
unified, comprehensive approach that provides consistent policy in
every State. Homes for Our Troops builds new homes or adapts existing
homes to meet handicapped accessibility requirements for Warriors in
Transition. These are just two of over 1,500 best practices highlighted
on the Army Community Covenant Web site
(www.communitycovenant.army.mil).
Since the Community Covenant's inception on April 17, 2008, there
have been 102 covenant signing ceremonies in 37 States that included 22
Governors, 39 Members of Congress, 103 State legislators, and 269
Mayors.
support for single soldiers
While steadily increasing focus on family issues in recent years,
the Army has not lost sight of the 44 percent of the force that is not
married--our single soldiers.
Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers
The mission of the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS)
program is to enhance the morale and welfare of single soldiers,
increase retention, and sustain combat readiness. BOSS is the
collective voice of single soldiers through the chain of command. The
program also serves as a tool for commanders to gauge the morale of
single soldiers regarding quality-of-life issues. BOSS also sponsors a
variety of activities before, during, and after deployment to maintain
the morale of single soldiers affected by increased operational tempo
and deployment stress.
The BOSS program is facilitated through its three core components
aimed at maintaining a balanced life: leisure and recreation, community
service, and quality of life. BOSS affords soldiers the opportunity to
assist in planning and execution of recreational activities for single
soldiers and provides direction for soldiers interested in performing
military and civilian community service-related projects. Community
service projects provide soldiers valuable experience, skills, and a
sense of community pride and ownership. In fiscal year 2007, 22
garrison BOSS programs received the President's Volunteer Service Award
for efforts representing over 150,574 volunteer hours.
The BOSS program also serves as a tool to address many of the
issues and concerns that our Army faces today. The program gives the
Army the ability to tackle tough issues through peer-to-peer
leadership. Single soldiers assist the chain of command in dealing with
suicide prevention, sexual assault, and sexual harassment issues that
single soldiers living in barracks might experience.
recreation programs
Soldier and Community Recreation dramatically improved service to
soldiers and their families by standardizing and increasing the quality
of fitness center equipment and Wounded Warriors sports programs, for
both garrisons and deployed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Warrior Adventure Quest
The Warrior Adventure Quest (WAQ) delivers high adventure
recreation activities to help soldiers transition to ``new normal'' and
reduce the potential for high risk behaviors that are counterproductive
to unit cohesion. It combines existing high adventure, high adrenaline
activities with battlemind to assist in mitigating the cumulative
effects of sustained operations while mentally preparing soldiers to
reintegrate and begin focused training for the next requirement. This
integrated process involves Office of the Surgeon General, the
Substance Abuse Program, Suicide Prevention, Combat Readiness Center,
Chaplains, the National Guard, Reserves, and Morale, Welfare and
Recreation (MWR).
Warrior in Transition Sports Program
The Warrior in Transition Sports Program provides active-duty
soldiers who have life-altering injuries an opportunity to compete in
state and national level sporting events by paying for their athletic
attire, registration fees, transportation, lodging, and per diem.
Physically impaired soldiers can to apply for select competitions at
which they believe they would be competitive. Selection is based on the
soldier's prior experience and participation at local and regional
competitions. Soldiers must qualify to compete in a State or national
level sport competition for permanently physically impaired athletes.
Inclusive Recreation for Warrior in Transition Training
We have partnered with DOD, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania
State University Outreach Programs, to provide 12 ``Inclusive
Recreation for Wounded Warrior'' training sessions over the next 3
years. This training is a 4-day course designed to train staff who are
recreation programmers/managers to successfully integrate Active Duty
Warrior in Transition (WT) into existing MWR Recreation programs and
services. This involves the ability to recognize the unique needs and
characteristics of WT who have sustained war-related injuries and be
able to respond to their needs. Students will also develop an
``Inclusion Action Plan'' to implement upon return to their
installations and will be able to apply the knowledge learned in this
course to successfully meet the recreational needs of Active Duty WT. A
byproduct of this course is the ability to integrate retirees and
exceptional family members who may also have a disability. A total of
60 recreation staff from all Services (20 from Army) has been trained
since the program's inception in January 2009.
To support the Army Family Covenant, recreation programs such as
bowling, golf, and libraries continue to offer opportunities to
soldiers and their families. Army bowling centers are soldier and
family entertainment centers, which offer a multitude of amusement
options including glow bowling, party rooms, video arcades, billiards,
and Strike Zone snack bar operations. Bowling centers provide discount
bowling to soldiers and families affected by extended deployments.
Bowling managers are being trained to coach adaptive needs bowling to
better serve Warriors in Transition and others with adaptive needs. The
Army Golf Program provides high quality sports and leisure activities
for the soldiers and families and supports the MWR ``First Choice''
service standard.
support to deployed soldiers
MWR supports America's Army wherever it serves. We maintain MWR
facilities at 58 sites in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Bosnia. Tens
of thousands of deployed soldiers have received portable pocket fitness
kits that can be used at any time and any place. Popular with soldiers,
these kits contribute to their overall well-being as well as to the
Army's warfighting capability.
Recreation facilities include theaters, electronic games stations,
traditional board games, ping-pong, and paperback book libraries that
also offer preloaded audio books. Fitness facilities include pools,
self-powered aerobic machines, cardiovascular and strength training
equipment, and assorted free weight equipment.
MWR programs help soldiers maintain physical fitness, alleviate
combat stress, and foster readiness, as mission accomplishment is
directly linked to soldiers' confidence that their families are safe
and capable of carrying on during their absence until they return home
from deployment.
Soldiers can take advantage of rest and recuperation programs
offered at the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, Hale Koa Hotel, and Shades
of Green, which provide discounted guest room and food and beverage
packages for servicemembers and their sponsored guests during mid-tour
leave or upon return from either Afghanistan or Iraq.
measuring success
We listened to our customers when they told us in 2007 that they
did not necessarily want more programs, they wanted standardized
programs that they could count on regardless of where they lived.
Utilizing that feedback, SFAP to support family programs and services,
health care, housing CYS Services, education, and employment
opportunities.
While we have come a long way in designing the future of family
programs, we fully appreciate and recognize that we still have much to
do. In response to customer feedback, we are evaluating our programs
and services utilizing a standardized disciplined methodology for
capturing customer comments and using those responses to recalibrate
and refine both the delivery and receipt of programs and services.
Through a three-tiered feedback process, we gather the individual,
constituent group, and corporate input to implement recommendations.
Feedback on SFAP outcomes are collected through forums such as the
aforementioned AFAP. The SFAP Senior Review Group and the Soldier
Family Readiness Board of Directors, co-chaired by the Secretary of the
Army and Chief of Staff of the Army, provide senior leader guidance and
direction for SFAP implementation. We are also closely monitoring
results from several soldier and family surveys to determine the
effectiveness of the Army Family Covenant. We are particularly
interested in soldier and family satisfaction with the military way of
life and their adaptation strategies to the challenges of Army life.
conclusion
Under the Army Family Covenant, the Army is implementing aggressive
improvements to a broad range of family-oriented, quality of life
programs and services to address the dynamic needs of soldiers and
their families. These improvements are focused on improving post-combat
support to mitigate the accumulated effects of conflict and to equip
and empower the soldiers and families of our expeditionary Army . . .
the strength of the Nation.
We have invested the Nation's resources wisely, focusing on our
soldiers and families in areas that enable readiness and resilience,
while reducing the turbulence and stress that come with military life.
Continuing predictable funding is crucial to sustain and preserve the
All-Volunteer Force.
While we are moving in the right direction with the Army Family
Covenant, we know there is much more to achieve. The Army remains
determined to provide a strong, supportive environment where soldiers
and their families can thrive. With your support of our fiscal year
2010 budget request, we will move closer to fulfilling our commitment
to provide soldiers and families a quality of life commensurate with
their level of service and sacrifice to the Nation.
Thank you for the privilege of appearing before you today. I look
forward to your questions.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you very much.
Dr. Rau?
STATEMENT OF TERRI J. RAU, PH.D., DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT, NAVY INSTALLATIONS
COMMAND, UNITED STATES NAVY
Dr. Rau. Chairman Nelson, it is my honor to testify today
on Navy family readiness programs and initiatives. Thank you
for your leadership and attention to this vital issue and for
your continued support to our sailors and families.
Navy family readiness programs include Navy fleet and
family support programs, child and youth programs, and
emergency preparedness and community alliance. Navy family
readiness has been afforded the highest visibility, advocacy,
and priority in recent years.
The Navy's commitment to family readiness has resulted in
increased capability for both Navy fleet and family support
programs and child and youth programs. In practical terms, this
has resulted in increased individual and group services for
family members, including clinical counseling services,
proactive outreach, and increased childcare capacity.
Emergency preparedness and community alliance provides
preparedness and coordinated family support during natural or
manmade emergencies or noncombatant evacuation and repatriation
events.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment
of Navy Fleet and Family Support Centers. We support individual
and family resiliency and adaptation to military life by
providing 12 core programs and services in 3 functional areas--
deployment readiness, career support and retention, and crisis
response.
As we have increased capability, we have become
increasingly focused on prevention and, when necessary, early
identification and assistance before more significant problems
develop that require command, medical, or legal intervention.
Services are delivered from 81 sites worldwide.
Child development and youth programs help families balance
the competing demands of mission readiness and family
responsibilities. The Navy provides high-quality childcare,
youth development, and school transition for 120,000 children
from 4 weeks to 18 years of age.
Our current capacity meets 72 percent of potential need,
with a 6-month placement time, except in fleet concentration
areas where placement times can be longer. To attain the DOD
capacity goal of 80 percent of potential need, the Navy's
expansion plan is adding approximately 7,000 new childcare
spaces through several initiatives.
Increasing our response capability to reach geographically
dispersed family members of our active and Reserve component
remains on the forefront of our efforts. Our primary focus
remains to deliver the highest quality services at the right
time and in the right place.
Thank you for this opportunity and for your leadership and
focus on this important issue.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Rau follows:]
Prepared Statement by Terri J. Rau, Ph.D.
Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham and distinguished members of the
committee, it is my distinct honor to appear before you and I welcome
the opportunity to testify today on Navy family readiness programs and
initiatives. I thank you for your leadership and attention to this
vital issue and for your continued support to our sailors and families.
I am a clinical psychologist by training and have worked for the
past 20 years providing assistance to individuals and families. I have
had the privilege of working for Navy Fleet and Family Support Programs
(FFSPs) since 1997.
background
Since 2005, Navy Family Readiness program management,
implementation, execution and programming have been aligned within
Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC). This alignment has
resulted in increased effectiveness, flexibility and responsiveness in
program management and service delivery from the headquarters to the
installation level and has ensured that program development, and
resourcing decisions are not divorced from the practical realities of
delivering ground-level support and responding to the challenges faced
by Navy families who are coping with increased operational tempo,
nontraditional duty assignments, and sustained overseas contingency
operations.
Within CNIC, Navy Family Readiness programs consist of Navy FFSPs,
Child and Youth Programs and Emergency Preparedness and Community
Alliance Programs, the latter of which provides preparedness and
coordinated family support during natural or manmade emergencies or
noncombatant evacuation and repatriation events. Our preparedness and
ability to respond to Navy families during emergencies through our
support to Family Assistance Centers and focused assessment and case
management has increased significantly since the Gulf Coast hurricanes
in 2005.
Since the establishment of CNIC in the fall of 2003, Navy Family
Readiness programs have been afforded the highest visibility, advocacy
and priority. In fact, the Navy's commitment to family readiness has
resulted in increased capability for both Navy FFSPs and Child
Development and Youth Programs. In practical terms, this has resulted
in increased services to family members, increased individual
assistance and consultation, more varied educational programs, more
proactive outreach, delivery of family support services in locations
most conducive to family member engagement and increased child care
capacity.
fleet and family support programs
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Navy
Family Service Centers (now called Fleet and Family Support Centers).
FFSPs support individual and family readiness and adaptation to life in
the Navy and include emergency preparedness and response, crisis
intervention and response, personal and family wellness education and
counseling, military and personal career development, financial
education and counseling, spouse employment, and deployment support for
sailors and their family members. Programs and services are currently
delivered from 81 sites worldwide, with 58 of those sites delivering a
full portfolio of programs and services.
Navy FFSP is organized into three subfunctional areas: Deployment
Readiness, Career Support and Retention, and Crisis Response. Across
all three subfunctions, services include information and referral,
individual clinical and nonclinical consultation and educational
classes and workshops.
Deployment Readiness includes services provided in the areas of
deployment support, ombudsmen coordination, relocation assistance, and
life skills education. Deployment Readiness has always been and remains
the area of highest priority for Navy family support. Deployment
support focuses on practical preparation, emotional aspects of
separation, supporting children during deployment, maintaining
communication and closeness during deployment, and homecoming and
successful reintegration of the sailor into the family and community.
Planned for 2010 is development and delivery of an electronic
deployment toolkit/sea bag for school administrators and staff to
better equip them in working with children of deployed sailors.
As the nature of Navy deployment has changed, so have our
deployment support services. We now understand that family deployment
preparedness is not a predictable, cyclical process but a daily state
to be maintained. For example, Fleet and Family Support Centers now
provide outreach calls, assessment and recurring support to families of
sailors on Individual Augmentee (IA) and Global War on Terror Support
Assignments (GSA) serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations in
support of Overseas Contingency Operations. Efforts to better reach
remotely located families impacted by these nontraditional duty
assignments have included use of information technology to provide
virtual family discussion groups and workshops, publication of a
monthly electronic newsletter and of Family, Sailor and Command IA
Handbooks.
Command Ombudsmen are trained volunteers who serve as a vital two-
way communication link between command leadership and family members.
Ombudsmen provide personalized support and guidance to families in
adapting to the challenges of a mobile military lifestyle and extended
operations necessary to meet the Navy's maritime strategy. There are
currently over 2,200 registered Navy Family Ombudsmen. Fleet and Family
Support Centers provide training, consultation, coordination and
support to Ombudsmen.
Navy Fleet and Family Support Centers also support the development
and sustainment of Family Readiness Groups. These groups enhance
preparedness by providing an informal and less structured opportunity
for family members to meet on a regular basis for camaraderie,
companionship and support. They plan family activities during
deployments, mentor new family members and assist families in times of
crisis.
Career Support and Retention includes services provided in the
areas of Personal Financial Management, Transition Assistance, and
Family Employment Readiness. Managing money in today's economy can be
challenging. The Navy's Personal Financial Management (PFM) program
provides a collaborative and comprehensive approach to education and
counseling that emphasizes a proactive, career lifecycle approach to
behavior modification. Services include individualized assistance that
fosters financial responsibility and accountability with primary
emphasis on financial independence, sound money management, debt
avoidance, and long-term financial stability. Personal financial
fitness services are delivered by a network of Accredited Financial
Counselors and educators at the Fleet and Family Support Centers, and
Command Financial Specialists, with collaboration from partner
organizations. Increased partnerships between Fleet and Family Support
Centers and Child Development and Youth Programs at the installation
level have increased youth education regarding financial fitness. The
Navy PFM program was recognized as a Financial Education Program of the
Year by the Association of Financial Counseling, Planning, and
Education in 2006, and received recognition as an Exemplary Employer
Initiative by the Personal Finance Employee Education Foundation in
2008. More than 9,996 family members received financial education
services during 2008, which represented a 100 percent increase over
2007.
Leaving the Navy is not just a matter of changing jobs; it's a
total lifestyle change. Civilian life and the military life can seem
like two different worlds, especially if a sailor's entire working
career has been in the Navy. Fleet and Family Support Centers host the
U.S. Department of Labor sponsored Transition Assistance Program (TAP)
Employment Workshop. Sailors who are planning to leave the Navy or
retire are encouraged to take advantage of all the services offered
through the Centers at no cost. Similar services in the private sector
would cost hundreds of dollars. TAP employment workshops are designed
to provide sailors with the basic knowledge and skills necessary to
plan and execute a successful job search. Department of Labor
instructors conduct the 3-day TAP workshops, focusing on subjects such
as skills identification, post-military goals and ambitions, conducting
job searches, writing a resume, preparing for an interview and dressing
for success in a new career. The core TAP curriculum also includes
presentations by the Department of Veterans Affairs on VA benefits and
information on disability transition assistance.
Local FFSP professionals provide additional employment assistance
and resources. These services often include individual counseling; job
fairs, search libraries and access to employment listings; automated
tools and personal assistance for preparing resumes, cover letters and
Federal job applications; and guidance in preparing for interviews.
The Navy recognizes that moving every few years creates career
challenges for military spouses. The Family Employment Readiness
Program addresses those challenges in workshops and through
individualized assistance. We provide assistance with self-directed job
search through an employment resource center, information and referral
services, career development and coaching, staff assisted job search,
and much more. Workshops and seminars are routinely provided and create
a framework for further educational exploration in areas such as:
Resume Writing, Effective Job Search Strategies, Interviewing
Techniques, Federal Employment Opportunities, Entrepreneur Business
Opportunities, Personal Skills Assessment, and Financing Career Change.
During 2008, nearly 2,900 Navy spouses were awarded scholarships at 6
Navy pilot locations through joint Department of Defense (DOD)/
Department of Labor Career Advancement Account (CAA) partnerships. The
CAA program has now been expanded worldwide. Our staff conducted over
3,000 employer education events to market military spouses as solutions
to hiring needs. Notably, 49 percent of our Navy Child and Youth
Programs professional workforce are military spouses, which affords
them mobile career opportunities. More than 2,490 spouses voluntarily
reported securing employment as a result of program efforts.
Crisis Response includes programs and services provided in the
areas of clinical counseling, family violence prevention, case
management and victim advocacy, new parent support and sexual assault
prevention and response.
From the beginning, Fleet and Family Support Centers have offered
clinical counseling services, which is unique to the Department of the
Navy. Clinical counseling is provided by independently licensed mental
health professionals, some of whom have additional training and
experience providing counseling services to children. Counseling
services are brief and solution-focused in response to commonly
occurring life experiences such as marital discord, parent-child
conflict, or occupational/school issues. The intent of these services
is early identification and prevention of more significant conditions
or problems, thereby promoting improved quality of life and increased
resilience in individuals and families.
Navy Fleet and Family Support Centers are also actively engaged in
support of Navy Operational Stress Control (OSC) initiatives. OSC is a
line owned and led program supported by Navy medicine. The goal of OSC
is to promote psychological health, reduce stigma associated with
seeking psychological services and improve overall resilience in our
sailors and their families. OSC provides practical decisionmaking tools
for sailors, leaders, and families so they can identify stress
responses and mitigate problems before they become disruptive. In
collaboration with the Navy line and medicine, we have launched a
family awareness effort by incorporating OSC concepts into existing
family support programs and services whenever possible. We are also
working with Chaplains delivering OSC briefs to sailors awaiting IA/GSA
deployments and are participating in the development of formal OSC
curriculum to be delivered at key nodes of training throughout the
sailor's career.
FFSP facilitates Navy suicide prevention initiatives by
coordinating with Chaplains to provide annual suicide prevention
training to sailors and by providing suicide awareness and prevention
programs to families and communities. When someone seeking counseling
at the Fleet and Family Support Center is assessed to be clinically
depressed or suicidal, they are referred to the local Medical Treatment
Facility or to community mental health providers through TRICARE.
The Family Advocacy Program (FAP) provides safety assessment and
planning, clinical assessment, case management, victim advocacy, and
intervention to military families referred for alleged child abuse/
neglect or domestic abuse. The primary goals of FAP are prevention,
victim safety and support, rehabilitative intervention, offender
accountability and provision of a consistent and appropriate response
to allegations of family maltreatment. The location of FAP prevention
and intervention services within Navy Fleet and Family Support Centers
is unique to the Department of the Navy and provides an effective
continuum of care whereby common stresses associated with family
violence risk can be identified and addressed in a more holistic, less
stigmatizing manner. Maintaining abuse-free and adaptive family
relationships is critical to Navy mission readiness, maintenance of
good order and discipline, and quality of service for our sailors and
their families.
The New Parent Support Home Visitation Program provides voluntary
home visitation services for over-burdened expectant and new parents.
Home visiting services are available for new parents of children age 0
to 3. Single parents and parents with a deployed member are
automatically screened as eligible for home visitation. The New Parent
Support Program has a demonstrated, positive impact in the prevention
of child maltreatment. New Parent Support personnel also coordinate
closely with Navy medicine in delivery of special primary prevention
initiatives such as reducing infant deaths from shaking and unsafe
sleeping practices.
Navy FFSPs work in collaboration with the Navy Safe Harbor Program
to support family members of the wounded, ill, and injured. We provide
information, resources and referral, relocation assistance, financial
counseling, clinical counseling, and transition assistance.
We work closely with the Navy Reserve Forces Family Support
Coordinator and the five regional Family Support Administrators.
Together we facilitate the connection of Reserve families to each
other, to supportive military and community resources, and we improve
community awareness of military families' experiences and needs. The
primary focus of our efforts supports families living apart from
military installations. The Family Support Administrators liaison with
their assigned Navy Operational Support Center staffs to ensure
families are supported by Navy and other services' family support
programs, including the Joint Family Support Assistance Programs.
child development and youth programs
The Child Development and Youth Programs help families balance the
competing demands of mission readiness and family responsibilities. The
Navy provides high quality child care, youth development, and school
transition services for 120,780 children from 4 weeks to 18 years of
age. We currently operate 128 Child Development Centers, 3,000 Child
Development Homes, 86 School-Age Care programs, and 103 Youth Centers.
Our programs continue to be ranked amongst the highest in the Nation
for quality and oversight.
The DOD goal is to achieve child care capacity for 80 percent of
potential need which is sufficient capacity to place children from
waiting lists within 3 months after care is requested. Our current
capacity meets 72 percent of the potential need with a 6-month
placement time, except in fleet concentration areas where placement
time can be longer.
The availability of child care remains a top issue among our single
parents and dual-career families. To attain the DOD goal, the Navy's
expansion plan is adding approximately 7,000 new child care spaces.
This expansion includes construction of 26 new child development
centers (including facilities open 24/7), the conversion of existing
pre-school age spaces into infant spaces to meet the greatest demand,
commercial contracts in communities throughout the United States, and
expanding military certified home care. Combined, these initiatives
will reduce the waiting time for child care to 3 months or less Navy-
wide with first priority given to single parents.
Several of these expansion projects have utilized the temporary
National Defense Authorization Act authority that increased the
Department's minor construction threshold authority for child
development centers.
Our continuing expansion initiatives are not only meeting the needs
of our families living on or near our installations but also those
living and working throughout the United States, including Reserve
members. Our contract programs ``Military Child Care in Your
Neighborhood'' and ``Mission Youth Outreach'' provide subsidized child
and youth services from commercial programs that meet community quality
standards. We continue to work with communities, assisting them with
raising the quality of their standards.
Another area of expansion is our new contract program that provides
subsidized, quality respite care to our families with severe special
needs. This new program certifies qualified community and military
providers to care for children that are not easily accommodated within
existing programs.
Support to our children with deployed members continues and
includes our new ``Give Parents a Break'' program and the use of Child
and Youth Behavior Consultants imbedded in our programs. These
consultants provide a resource to observe and train our professionals
on interventions to assist children and their families having
challenges during deployments.
We have also launched a new Navy-wide School Liaison Officer
program which is designed to assist Navy families and local school
districts with the dependent education issues arising from frequent
moves and deployments.
summary and conclusion
Increasing our response capability to reach geographically
dispersed family members of our Active and Reserve components remain at
the forefront of our efforts. We will continue our efforts, within our
budgetary constraints, to provide resources and services to IA/GSA
families, families of wounded, ill, or injured, and our ombudsmen
network that supports them. We will continue to explore creative
solutions to overcome impediments to full utilization of technology
solutions that equip us to maintain unfettered communications with
families. Our primary focus remains on delivering the best services at
the right time and in the right place.
As we continue to address the needs of sailors and their families,
our guiding principles continue to:
Target our resources to the most critical
requirements, focusing on our fleet and family readiness,
resilience, and quality of life;
Aggressively identify opportunities to eliminate
redundancies, under-utilized services, and outdated standards
of practice;
Ensure consistent quality of service and performance
standards across all of our installations; and
Refine, strengthen, align, and integrate our family
support planning capabilities and processes to ensure optimized
results.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
General Larsen?
STATEMENT OF MAJ. GEN. TIMOTHY R. LARSEN, USMC (RET.),
DIRECTOR, PERSONAL AND FAMILY READINESS DIVISION, MANPOWER AND
RESERVE AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
General Larsen. Senator Nelson, thank you very much for the
opportunity today to come and appear before the subcommittee
and report on family support programs within the Marine Corps.
It is really a great opportunity. Also, it helps us focus on
the things we need to do and highlight some of the gaps that we
have or areas where we need to refocus ourselves.
First, I would like to say thanks to the panel that spoke
before us. They did a great job, and it is really eye opening
to listen to their feedback on the services and the programs
that we provide. I think that they did a tremendous job, and it
will help us very much.
As far as the Marine Corps is concerned, we are in the
second year of a multi-year program to change our programs and
to reshape them and recast them. We did that at the guidance of
the Commandant of the Marine Corps. At his direction, we did a
series of functionality assessments to assess where we are on
the programs, and then we went out and conducted a series of
surveys across the Marine Corps and asked them what they
thought about the programs that we had.
We found out in a lot of cases we are missing the target.
The things that we thought we were doing or the programs that
we had in place sometimes weren't meeting the needs of the
people that we are trying to help.
The changes that we have put in place have been well
received. There is a lot more work to do, and we have to get
started on it. Basically, this past year, we have completely
changed four of the fundamental programs we have for family
support: the Marine Corps family teambuilding, unit family
readiness, the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), and
the School Liaison Program.
This year, we are going to first do a baseline assessment
of all of our current programs and how they are being funded
and what we think they need as we go forward so we can
determine where we are, and then we are going to do a needs
assessment of those programs and other programs at the
installations to see where we go and what we need to do.
We have found out that a lot of the things that we have
done in the past have been focused on the installations. An
installation-based program is not necessarily what we need to
do as we go forward. We need more community-based programs to
get those people that are not assigned to installations that
are across the country in a lot of different locations.
We also want to make sure that the programs that we have
support the operational commander and meet the needs of the
marines and their families. We are doing this largely because
there is an expectation not only on the part of the leadership
of the Marine Corps, but on the part of the individual marine
and his family that they deserve a quality of life that
supports their commitment to the country and their commitment
to the Marine Corps and the mission that they are undergoing.
We feel that we are obligated from our perspective to make
sure that those families, their needs are taken care of. I wish
I could have had the opportunity to answer a lot of the
questions that were asked before. I am sure we will. Thank you
very much.
[The prepared statement of General Larsen follows:]
Prepared Statement by Maj. Gen. Timothy R. Larsen, USMC, (Ret.)
Chairman Nelson, Ranking Member Graham, and distinguished members
of the Personnel Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to report
on the quality of life and well-being of our marines and their families
and the status of our family support programs offered through Marine
Corps Community Services (MCCS).
marine corps family
Today, the Marine Corps Family is comprised of many elements in and
outside the traditional nuclear family definition. The expanded nature
of family today means that they are often greatly dispersed from
military installations and support mechanisms. The family is more than
those who hold dependent identification cards. The parents of our
marines--particularly those under the age of 30 and part of the
Millennial Generation have joined our definition of family and within
our commitment of care.
For Active Duty families within the nuclear definition, we have
just over 94,000 spouses and 110,077 children. Marines are also caring
for parents and other dependents totaling over 500, bringing our entire
family population to nearly 205,000. This does not include the over
100,000 retired marines and their families we support. We should also
note that the Marine Corps has experienced a baby boom with a 12
percent increase in infants, pre-toddlers, and toddlers since 2007. Our
parental unit--Mother and Father--experience multiple deployment
separations and increased operational tempo (OPTEMPO) which directly
impact the time available with their family. Concerns of danger and
worry over family conditions are mutually shared by the warfighter,
their spouses, children and parents/grandparents. The Marine Corps has
the youngest fighting force and youngest family. These young families
are required to mature rapidly and are those at the greatest risk for
set back. As an unfortunate result, our divorce rates have increased
for the first time in many years, particularly for women marines and
enlisted.
Our Marine families, including activated Reserves and independent
duty marines, are dispersed and no longer living solely on or around
Marine Corps or other military installations. For example, our
activated Reserve families are more likely to remain in hometowns
scattered across every State. While civilians greatly respect and
admire the commitment and contribution of our marines, they often do
not understand the role and commitment of our families. The civilian
communities are often not equipped to help these families navigate the
challenges of the military lifestyle, particularly the impacts
associated with deployments and the wartime environment.
From our Quality of Life in the Marine Corps Study, we know that
Marine Corps families are proud of their marines and believe that his
or her commitment to the Nation to protect and defend is a worthy
mission. So worthy, that they agree to sacrifice and make a commitment
to the Marine Corps and Nation that is recognized as stressful to
family well-being. The military lifestyle and expeditionary nature of
the Marine Corps challenge the strengths and character of our families.
We believe that when marines make the commitment to our Corps and
Country, we owe them and their families an appropriate quality of life.
We know that Congress equally believes this and we appreciate your
steadfast support to the family today and into the future.
determining family member needs--we hear you
In 2006, the Commandant of the Marine Corps challenged our family
support program management team to consider the needs of families in
view of wartime requirements and future sustainment. He asked two
additional questions that gave us pause. He asked --``Do we really know
the needs of our marines and their families?'' and ``Are we providing
our commanders good guidance and have open communication lines to
receive their execution feedback?'' For program managers in the fight--
meeting tempo and delivering programs--we had to acknowledge that we
perhaps were missing the big picture (mission requirements of the
Marine Corps). It was also time to assess the needs of marines and
families and evaluate the capabilities of our programs.
In the ensuing time, we have conducted extensive program and
customer research, including the previously noted Quality of Life in
the Marine Corps Study, functionality assessments on four major family
support programs, and a recent effort to look at the communication
needs of our marines and families. In the four areas of Unit Personal
and Family Readiness, Exceptional Family Member, Marine Corps Family
Team Building (MCFTB), and School Liaison Programs, we have
fundamentally changed the way we view family support and our supported/
supporting relationships. Eliminating variation, giving good guidance
to commanders and refreshing program support to meet the current and
future needs of families has been our underlying basis of improvement.
We developed extensive transition plans and received the Commandant's
support for funding and immediate execution. A brief summary of our
progress to date follows.
unit personal and family readiness program and supporting role of
marine corps community services
Unit commanders are accountable for their unit's readiness and
helping their marines and families achieve a high state of personal and
family readiness. In discharging these duties, the commander typically
called upon volunteers who utilized spouse-to-spouse connections and
processes to contact and inform family members. Wartime operations and
ensuing deployments overburdened our volunteer network due to
increasing family contact and increased information requirements. This
phenomenon occurred in the Reserve component as well as the Active
component. While MCCS, the primary community services support arm of
the Marine Corps, was capable of flexing to support deployments,
sustained deployments stressed our service delivery model. Finally,
making positive contact with marines and families regarding their MCCS
benefits and programs proved even more challenging. We have taken
specific action to enhance the unit commander's capability by
increasing staffing and procurement of a technology suite. Over 400
full-time primary duty civilian Family Readiness Officers (FROs) are
now on duty throughout the Marine Corps serving as part of the unit
commanders' Unit and Personal Family Readiness Command Team. There are
64 FROs and 150 Deputy FROs serving in the Reserve Component alone. The
FRO, as a special staff officer, makes direct contact with unit marines
and families to convey official command communication, arrange required
deployment or readiness training, and conduct information and referral
services. Our volunteers are still in strong support of our unit
programs, but we have been able to significantly reduce the burden of
their extended volunteer service hours. Finally, we have staffed MCCS
Coordinators at major camps to help the commander plan and conduct unit
support or socialization events and have increased their discretionary
nonappropriated unit fund allocations.
Understanding that communication is a key quality of life issue
important to our marines and their families, we conducted research and
analysis to assess the effectiveness of current communication methods,
identify communication needs of marines and their families, and develop
a formal organizational communication system that will facilitate
three-way communication: commands to marines and families; marines and
families to commands; and marines and families to each other. Three
tools of that communication system have been developed and implemented:
the Mass Communication Tool enables simultaneous broadcast of official
communication via email, text messaging, or phone, and other technology
enhancements to expand communications between the unit and marines and
their families regarding official communication or important unit
training events; the Volunteer Tracking Tool is a web-based tool that
allows marines and families to track their volunteer hours and search
for volunteer opportunities anywhere in the world; the Family Readiness
Assessment Tool enables a commander to take a pulse on the health of
his or her personal and family readiness program. All three of these
tools are available to the Reserve component as well as the Active
component.
The Unit Personal and Family Readiness Program (UPFRP) is supported
by the MCCS MCFTB Program, which provides high-quality training to
support the life cycle of the marine and family through mission, career
and life events. The UPFRP and MCFTB are enmeshed and that strong
supported/supporting relationship is critical to ensuring personal and
family readiness. We have expanded and enhanced our pre-, during, and
post-deployment training to address the increased demands and potential
impact of multiple, sustained deployments on marines and their
families, including the Reserve component through the Yellow Ribbon
Reintegration Program. We have developed an inventory of LifeSkills
training courses that specifically address challenges of military life,
but also personal and family life. Acknowledging the role extended
family members play in fostering personal and family readiness, we have
extended our family readiness support to embrace parents and extended
family members of marines. We have incorporated Combat and Operational
Stress Control and Suicide Prevention programs into our deployment
training cycles. Finally, our MCFTB staff provides all Unit Command
Teams training on the roles, responsibilities and supporting tools that
are available to foster personal and family readiness.
One of the most beneficial results of these investments is having
the FRO as a unit level representative trained and aware of the
multitude of MCCS, local community and Department of Defense (DOD)
family support programs and capabilities. As a trusted agent of the
commander and having direct access to unit marines and families, the
FRO introduces these capabilities and resources as a positive force
multiplier. The partnership of unit commanders, MCCS and the local
community will continue to pay dividends for years to come.
exceptional family member program and respite care program
Today, we are actively helping over 6,500 families gain access to
medical, educational, and financial services that may be limited or
restricted at certain duty stations. Marines and their families
enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) are now
receiving case management services aimed at providing a continuum of
care to facilitate a seamless transition from installation to
installation. We are providing 40 hours of Marine Corps-funded respite
care per month to all enrolled families. The EFMP Respite Care program
is intended to reduce stress on Marine families who are caring for one
or more family members with special needs, as well as handling the
deployment cycle of one of the parents. This program, funded by the
Marine Corps, may be used in conjunction with the TRICARE Extended Care
Health Option (ECHO) respite care benefit.
Gaining access to services can be most challenging to families who
have members diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Marine
Corps supports legislation, introduced in the House earlier this year,
which would define ASD as a medical condition and authorize treatment
if a health care professional determines that treatment is medically
necessary.
We sincerely appreciate the increased Government limit that
Congress approved for fiscal year 2009 for certain benefits available
through ECHO, in particular, the Special Education benefit. When fully
implemented, this increase will provide a more robust level of Early
Intervention Services, especially Applied Behavior Analysts, to
beneficiaries with ASD.
school liaison program
The education of over 52,000 school-aged children of Marine Corps
parents directly contributes to the overall state of family readiness
within our Corps. We recognize that our children, who are often as
mobile as their military parents, face additional challenges associated
with frequent moves between schools and educational systems of
differing quality and standards. Some of these restrictive practices
involve the transfer of records; course sequencing; graduation
requirements; exclusion from extra-curricular activities; redundant or
missed entrance and/or exit testing; kindergarten and first grade
entrance age variations; and the power of custodial parents while
parents are deployed. To address these challenges, we established
School Liaison positions at each of our installations to help parents
and commanders interact with local schools and districts. Installation
School Liaisons work at local and district levels, while Regional
School Liaisons work state issues. The national level School Liaison
appropriately addresses Federal level issues and coordinates state
agendas as necessary. Specifically, the School Liaisons advocate for
school-aged children and form partnerships with schools and other
agencies to improve access and availability to quality education as
well as to mitigate education transition issues. School Liaisons are
actively involved in efforts to assist school districts in applying for
available competitive and noncompetitive grants focusing on issues
arising with military school-aged children. Complimenting these
efforts, the Marine Corps strongly supports the work of the Office of
the Secretary of Defense (OSD) with respect to gaining the support of
more states as signatories to the ``Interstate Compact on Educational
Opportunity for Military Children'' to enable reciprocal acceptance of
enrollment, eligibility, placement, and graduation requirements. To
date, 20 States have passed the Compact. We are very appreciative of
the actions taken by those states to approve the compact and we are
hopeful that the remaining States in session will take similar action
to approve it and join this year.
With every step we take in our family support transition plan, we
have been careful to let our families know that ``we hear you'' and are
taking action to improve our support capabilities. Their requests are
reasonable and the Marine Corps is committed to response. While so much
progress has been made through our listening, learning, and responding
actions, we have so much more to do. As we have sought feedback and let
families know that we hear their needs, they are overwhelming satisfied
and grateful for the refreshed or expanded programs. But, there is
still more that we can do to ease their burdens and provide appropriate
quality of life support.
identifying and resolving program gaps
A recent study into the communication needs and styles of our
marines and their families conducted by J. Walter Thompson provided
some interesting insights into the Marine Corps family, particularly
our Millennial families. As an example, we learned that a Marine Corps
installation is the loneliest place on earth for a young spouse--
particularly those that are pregnant. Many junior marines arrive in the
Corps missing basic life skills that prior generations might assume or
take for granted (e.g., managing finances, living independently from
parents). While the Marine Corps has dozens of resources available for
families, they are generally used after problems escalate and not at
the critical time of transition from civilian to military life. We have
also learned that our Millennials are digital natives who prefer to use
social networking systems and peer to peer connections for their
information sources. While we believe that our FROs will pay great
dividends in connecting families to assistance, the challenge of
effective and pointed communication is a gap that must be attacked
through an organizational communication system that ensures information
passed is of the ``news you can use'' variety.
Beyond the significant challenge of improving our communication
effectiveness, there are other gaps noted below that need further
research and problem resolution. We believe that critical coordination
with sister Services and OSD will help us in this regard.
Installation vs. Community-Based Programming
Military installations have served as the hub of our service
delivery model for decades. Our program managers are naturally geared
to development of programs and services that fit an installation
delivery model--even when the customer resides off base. Our Marine
Corps Reserve families are not well supported by installation-based
programming and would be better served by community-based programming
that utilizes and maximizes other Federal and State service platforms.
Additionally, while we have significantly assessed our wartime footing
requirements on installations, we have not considered fully the changes
necessary to support the wartime ``citizen soldier''. We have recently
engaged in discussion with OSD and sister Services on this topic.
Remote and Isolated Command Support and other Hot Spots
Many Marine Corps installations are located in remote areas or
around local counties or cities whose community services infrastructure
is not robust or capable of supporting marines and their families. In
these instances, it is necessary for the Marine Corps to increase
capabilities aboard the base. We have conducted initial assessments at
remote and isolated commands and are continuing our analysis and
requirements definition.
Long-Term Care of Survivors and Caring for the Caregivers of Injured/
Ill
The families of our survivors and those of injured/ill often have
individualized care requirements that present unique challenges. These
family members--particularly surviving spouses--are not typically
located around Marine Corps installation support systems. As noted
above, a community-based programming approach is required. We have
initiated action to explore partnerships with sister Services, State
and local agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
Access and Availability to Health Care
Over the past year, we have initiated town hall meetings through
our Deputy Commandant for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, for the purpose
of gathering customer feedback on health care concerns of our marines
and families. Following these meetings, we act to address and resolve
local and systemic issues. We are joined at these town halls by the
Navy Surgeon General and TRICARE Management Activity (TMA). From a
system-wide perspective, once in the system, marines and their families
are traditionally satisfied, but there are some specific challenges
with gaining access to care, availability of specialty care, and
reimbursement for mileage to long distance medical appointments. We are
working directly with Navy Medicine and TMA to resolve these concerns.
Behavioral Health
Across the board, we are experiencing up ticks in suicides,
domestic violence, substance abuse, and sexual assault. While we
maintain our cautious concern, we must also directly assess the quality
and effectiveness of our prevention and intervention programs. Since
January, we have had teams of program analysts assessing our
installation program operations. From these assessments, we believe
that improved prevention efforts and corrective policies and procedures
are warranted.
Availability of Child Care
Per our annual report, we are providing 11,757 child care spaces
and meeting 63.6 percent of the calculated total potential need. It is
important to note that the Marine Corps has initiated rigorous data
collection and analysis improvements. As a result, it will be necessary
to correct the 2007 annual summary due to identified reporting errors.
Our reported rate of 71 percent of calculated total potential need for
2007 is more accurately stated as 59.1 percent. To meet the DOD
standard of 80 percent of potential need, we would require slightly
over 3,000 additional spaces. It is important to note that the
potential need data is not static and fluctuates. To address child care
requirements, Congress has funded 915 spaces in fiscal year 2008/2009.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and 2009 Overseas
Contingency Operation projects provide 1,700 spaces. Based on
forecasted data in 2010, we project an increase in our total potential
need of approximately 500 additional spaces. The Marine Corps continues
to assess requirements for infants and children through 12 years of age
using multiple strategies and partnerships.
Family Member Employment Education and Training Assistance
An important quality of life concern for our marines and their
families is the ability of the spouse to establish and maintain a
career regardless of the sponsor's duty station. As previously stated,
the marine makes the commitment to serve, but the family also serves.
Independent needs, goals, and desires for the family or sponsor are
often sacrificed or constrained due to frequent relocations and
responsibilities of single parenting upon deployment or during high
OPTEMPO periods. While initiatives have been instituted to provide
portable careers and education funding, we have more to do in
documenting need and developing comprehensive and integrated strategies
to support employment, training, and educational requirements of
spouses.
Transition Assistance
The final program contact that we have with marines and their
families is through our Transition Assistance Management Program. It is
critical that we ensure that this contact produces the kind of support
that enables the return of responsible citizens to the civilian
population who are accepted and productive in their new direction and
life change. We are currently exploring opportunities to maximize our
support by providing ways to more directly connect marines and their
families to education, training, or jobs as they exit the Marine Corps.
Impact of the Economy
As with all Americans, the marines and their families are not
exempt from financial challenges. As noted previously, many of our
junior marines lack basic financial management skills. We also have
programs and services, such as our Marine Corps Exchange and Marine
Marts, whose mission is to provide high value goods and merchandise. In
our Exchange and Marine Marts, we have implemented value programs and
pricing strategies specifically targeted to our at-risk populations. We
have additionally conducted a functionality assessment on our Personal
Financial Management Program and believe that opportunity exists to
enhance our support.
Deployments and Impact on the Parental Unit
Every marine is responsible for their family readiness. Family
readiness means that they are self sufficient and resilient. It must be
recognized, however, that when the marine deploys, the parental unit is
diminished with the absence of the deployed parent. Providing respite
care, tutoring services and other parent support tools helps the family
successfully navigate the deployment and gain confidence. We must
continue to explore Parental Unit impacts associated with OPTEMPO and
deployments to ensure that we help marine families succeed.
resourcing our programs and requirements
We are grateful to Congress for providing supplemental funding
during fiscal years 2008 and 2009 that enabled the initial start-up of
our improved family readiness program. The Marine Corps' fiscal year
2010 Quality of Life Activities (OP-34) baseline direct support
operation and maintenance (O&M) budget request is $378 million and
sustains many of the family support requirements previously funded with
supplemental appropriations. When including the important $26 million
of OSD-provided funding expected for the Family Advocacy, Transition
and Relocation Assistance, and Drug Demand Reduction Programs, the
Marine Corps' MCCS baseline O&M budget increases by $119 million from
originally budgeted fiscal year 2009 to fiscal year 2010. This enduring
commitment across the spectrum of programs operationalizes the
Commandant of the Marine Corps' Guidance to ``Improve the quality of
life for our marines and our families,'' with the specific goal to
``Ensure our Family and Single Marine Programs have fully transitioned
to a wartime footing in order to fulfill the promises made to our
families.''
warfighter and family services as category a mwr activities
The Marine Corps intends to fully implement the recent OSD policy
change that allows Warfighter and Family Services (WFS) programs to be
treated as MWR Category A activities. This welcome change will greatly
improve how we provide WFS programs to marines and their families. This
change will allow us to use nonappropriated fund (NAF) support
practices, such as NAF human resource and procurement practices. MWR
and WFS programs are both vital to building the social fabric of the
military community, and directly impact readiness and retention.
Operating them via the same NAF mechanisms will offer a more integrated
approach to providing service for marines and families, and mission
support for commanders.
conclusion
Going forward, we are committed to continuing improvements to our
family readiness programs and equipping our families with the knowledge
and skills to meet and surmount the challenges of a wartime military
lifestyle. Our programs must contribute to the Marine Corps goals for
recruitment, retention and readiness, while they address the varying
needs of our ``generations'' of marines and families. Ongoing
assessments, surveys and program evaluations will be instrumental in
determining program effectiveness and further identifying service gaps
and program requirements to be elevated to Marine Corps leadership. We
recognize that more work needs to be done to deliver programs and
services which meet reasonable quality of life expectations of our
marines and their families. On behalf of the Marine Corps and Marine
Corps families, I thank the committee for your continued advocacy and
attention to the well-being of all America's servicemembers and their
families. It is most sincerely appreciated.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you, General.
Ms. Nesmith?
STATEMENT OF ELIZA G. NESMITH, CHIEF, AIRMAN AND FAMILY
SERVICES DIVISION, UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
Ms. Nesmith. Chairman Nelson, Senator Graham, thank you for
your service to this country and for the invitation to come to
speak today on behalf of Air Force family support programs.
Our Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz, recognizes the
importance of families and has made developing and care for
airmen and their families one of the top five Air Force
priorities. I am honored to share with you today some of the
programs supporting that objective.
We take care of our airmen and their families through a
variety of services, including child and youth development
programs, airmen and family readiness, morale, welfare, and
recreation programs, including libraries, fitness centers,
outdoor recreation, and community centers.
With high OPTEMPO, increased mobilization, and longer
periods of time away from home, these programs help our airmen
focus on the mission while we take care of the families. These
programs and services make the Air Force a good place to live
and work and to raise a family.
You have my written statement, but I would like to
highlight two key areas. The Air Force has always placed a high
priority on families, and we are particularly proud of our
child and youth development programs. We know that quality,
affordable, and available childcare is a workforce issue that
has a direct impact on mission readiness.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Military
Childcare Act of 1989. With your support, this act allowed
military childcare to become a model for the Nation. We share
this honor with DOD and the other services. Because of the
quality associated with this program, our airmen and their
families have come to rely on this benefit as a part of the
daily fabric of being in the Air Force.
One area where more support is needed is the EFMP. Our Air
Force does a good job arranging assignments for over 14,000 Air
Force families with special needs. However, we know we need to
do more for these families once they reach those assignments.
While some families may not need assistance, many of them do
need help to navigate the school systems, find childcare, and
balance their parental responsibilities with their duty
demands.
As this example shows, we continually assess our programs
in light of the emerging needs of our airmen and their
families. We employ a wide variety of techniques, including
surveys, assessments, focus groups, online customer
satisfaction polls, and just talking to people. We strive to
close any gaps in service by identifying the requirements and
seeking resources through our Air Force corporate structure.
Your continued support will allow us to do even better in
this area. Thank you again so much for this opportunity, and I
will look forward to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Nesmith follows:]
Prepared Statement by Eliza G. Nesmith
introduction
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Graham, and members of the
Personnel Subcommittee, for the chance to appear before you today to
highlight some of our Air Force initiatives we have implemented to
support our most valued resource. Our airmen are committed to serving
their country and do so around the world every day. Their
accomplishments are a source of pride for Air Force leadership and our
Nation. Airmen make a decision to stay in the Air Force based on many
factors, one of which is the quality of support they and their families
receive. Caring for families has a direct impact on mission readiness;
when we take care of Air Force families, airmen are free from
distractions and better able to focus on the mission. Our Chief of
Staff has made developing and caring for airmen and their families a
top priority for the United States Air Force.
deployment support
We tailor programs on both the homefront and the frontline to meet
the needs of single and married members and their families who are
impacted by deployments. We offer programs and services across the
three phases of the deployment cycle: predeployment, deployment or
sustainment, and reintegration or reunion. These programs help airmen
and families identify and resolve concerns related to deployment.
At home-station, we offer information and referral services
directly to spouses and families. This past year, our predeployment
briefings armed 100,000 members and families with information and
resources to help them prepare for extended separations, with special
emphasis on personal, professional, and legal matters. During
deployment, free morale calls help airmen and families stay connected,
thereby increasing communication and decreasing the sense of isolation.
During the sustainment phase, our Airman and Family Readiness Centers
conduct workshops and activities which help family members address
issues such as financial stability, parenting, and stress. Our
reintegration briefings helped 22,000 spouses this year understand
changes which their loved one may have experienced during deployment,
and offered them ways to address those changes and improve the quality
of the reunion. Over 15,000 family members attended our communication
and life skills workshops, and 24,000 requested and received financial
counseling. We also provided employment assistance to prepare 40,000
spouses for portable careers. Although stressors associated with longer
and multiple deployments may begin to wear on Air Force families, we
ensure there are services and resources at their disposal to help
address their concerns.
On the frontline, our Deployed Airman and Family Readiness Center
in Al Udeid provided over 8,100 consultations last year. Keeping single
and married deployed airmen in touch with their families provides an
emotional link to family and friends back home. Some of the most
requested services by deployed members were financial management,
family reintegration, and personal and work-life issues. Accessibility
to morale phones, computers, and faxes allows deployed airmen to make
frequent contact with families and friends.
military child education
Air Force families include 145,000 children ages 6-18; these
children typically move six to nine times during their school years.
Academic standards, promotion and graduation requirements, services for
children with special needs, eligibility for sports and other
activities, and transfer and acceptance for records vary greatly from
State to State and district to district. While these are not new
issues, national emphasis on quality education and higher standards for
admission to post high school education and training institutions
increases the stakes for military children. Additionally, the added
stress of family separation due to deployments combines with transition
issues to increase the need for information and support to these
families.
Our new family structure enabled us to make great progress in
institutionalizing support for Air Force-connected students attending
public, private, Department of Defense Dependent Schools, and home and
cyber schools. Overseas Air Force bases and 12 Stateside installations
locally fund school liaisons; other Air Force bases use their Airman
and Family Readiness Center staff to provide school liaison support as
a collateral duty with other family support services. Also, a senior
military officer or Department of Defense (DOD) civilian is designated
to attend local school board meetings to advocate for the interests of
Air Force families. Despite limited funding, major commands and
installations employ creative initiatives such as providing webcasts of
graduations so deployed parents can share in these occasions. We
sponsor training in conjunction with the Military Child Education
Coalition for staff working education issues, and partner with Army and
Navy to offer training to schools located near installations. The Air
Force continues to strengthen its partnerships with the National
Military Family Association, Military Impacted Schools Association,
Military Child Education Coalition, Department of Defense Education
Agency, the other Services, and the U.S. Department of Education in a
concentrated effort to ease the tough challenges that military students
and their families face.
support for working spouses
Today, more and more spouses seek the personal fulfillment of a
full professional career and many families need two incomes. As a
result, spouse employment and career development opportunities are
crucial for recruitment and retention. Studies show over 50 percent of
Air Force spouses currently work outside the home, and 77 percent wish
to work outside the home. Typically, military spouses earn less than
their civilian counterparts, even though 7 of 10 have some college
education.
Our Air Force programs provide spouses with the knowledge and
skills they need to develop and maintain a successful career within the
framework of the mobile military lifestyle. Installation-level staff
members interface with employers in the community to raise awareness of
the value of hiring military spouses. Airman and Family Readiness
Centers provide classes and individual consultation on career planning
and all phases of the job search, as well as assistance with on-line
resources and access to computers. One Air Force spouse arrived at an
Air Force base last year with a long and daunting to-do list, but said
the one thing she didn't have to worry about was where to look for
career and employment assistance: ``It was comforting to have one
centralized area I could go to and find the resources I needed.''
The Air Force is also working with DOD to support spouse employment
initiatives through programs such as ``Spouses to Teachers'' and ``My
Career Advancement Account,'' which provides up to $6,000 for
education, licensure, certification, and continuing education for a
portable career.
The Air Force Aid Society sponsors a Spouse Tuition Assistance
Program which grants up to $1,500 to a spouse stationed overseas to
defer the cost of college tuition, and the Spouse Employment Training
Program which funds up to $10,000 for Airman and Family Readiness
Center programs that assist spouses with requirements for portable
careers. In 2009, 32 grant proposals were approved across the Air
Force. Participants will train in medical transcription, pharmacy
technology, computers, nursing assistance, and special needs education.
child and youth programs
We made significant progress this year helping airmen and their
families balance the competing demands of parenting and military
service. Readily available, quality and affordable child care and youth
programs continue to be a workforce issue with direct impact on mission
readiness. The challenging military environment includes higher
operations tempo, increased mobilization, and longer periods of time
away from home. Our challenge over the past several years has been to
expand access to child care. With your support, and the assistance of
the Department of Defense, we continue to increase child care spaces
for airmen.
Thanks to the temporary legislative authority for child care
projects, the ``Growing Child Care Spaces'' initiative funded 18 minor
construction projects. Congress also funded 8 military construction
projects, plus 7 others in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
This construction boom is expected to significantly reduce the known
Air Force child care space shortfall from 6,400 child care spaces to
zero by the time all funded construction is complete. Our next
challenge will be to renovate or replace the aging infrastructure at
child development and youth centers.
The ``Expanded Child Care'' program provides 16,000 hours of child
care each month to assist airmen who require additional child care
support during shifts, deployments, or when they work in excess of a
normal duty day. The ``Returning Home Care'' program supports airmen
returning or on leave from 30 days or more deployment in support of
contingency operations with 16 hours of free child care. To ensure
child care is affordable when a space is unavailable at the child
development center or school age program, the ``Family Child Care
Subsidy'' program provides an average subsidy of $142 per child per
month in Air Force Family Child Care homes. Our partnership with the
Air Force Aid Society in the ``Give Parents a Break program'' provides
several hours of free child care each month to parents who are dealing
with challenges inherent to military life, including deployments,
remote tours of duty, and extended hours.
We continue to expand the ``Home Community Care'' program, which
reduces out-of-pocket expenses for Air Reserve component members by
providing free in-home quality child care during drill weekends. We
significantly expanded the program to new locations this past year,
with a total of 43 participating family child care homes in 37
locations in 26 States typically not near Active Duty bases. The
program offered over 57,000 hours of child care last year, with 24,000
hours provided in off-base, civilian contracted homes during Unit
Training Assembly weekends. We expect the amount of off-base care to
increase to 36,000 hours during 2009.
We capitalize on our relationships with national family service
organizations to expand child and youth programs. Our partnership with
the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
provides child care in off-base areas where on-base child care is not
available. We will expand this relationship to include respite child
care over the coming months.
We continue to provide outstanding youth development opportunities
for Air Force children, from elementary school through high school.
Providing support for geographically-separated families has been an
area of our focus this year, and partnership opportunities have allowed
us to reach additional families living in civilian communities and on
active installations.
We also partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to offer a 1-
year free membership in a local Boys & Girls Club. This allows us to
reach Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve families who do not live near a
military installation, and provides their children with a safe and
positive place to spend out-of-school time. Our partnership with United
States Department of Agriculture/4-H and our sister Services fosters
the development of 4-H clubs on Air Force bases and provides
opportunities for military youth to participate in 4-H programs in
every county in the United States, and in our overseas locations.
The Air Force offers a variety of residential, specialty, and other
base-specific camp opportunities. The ``Air National Guard and Air
Force Reserve Teen Leadership Summits'' are no-cost summer camps for
Reserve and Guard teens ages 15-18 years. We partner with Air Force
Reserve and the University of Georgia 4-H to provide these camps in
2009 for more than 150 youth. We also partner with the National
Military Family Association to host seven Operation Purple camps on Air
Force installations; these camps are geared toward teenagers who have
experienced their parents' deployments and may not have a local support
system that understands their unique issues. The European Keystone
Summit, and camps developed in partnership with the National Military
Family Association, provides residential youth camps during the summer.
Over 25,000 Air Force youth participate in camps designed to help them
achieve their potential, develop their self-esteem, and build their
resistance to negative pressures.
We focus on fitness through ``Air Force FitFactor,'' which
encourages physical activity and healthy eating selections for youth
ages 6-18 years. This successful program reaches over 15,000 youth each
year. Our new Air Force FitFamily initiative will roll out in 2010 and
allow families to register as a team to enhance family fitness and
wellness.
Additionally, the Air Force has made great efforts to expand or
create fitness programs for parents and families. Most fitness centers
have a family-oriented fitness room and programs that allow parents to
work out with their children. For example, our fitness professionals
created and supported programs such as Mommy and Me, Yoga for Kids, and
Strollerrobics. Our programs and services allow families to participate
in outdoor adventure activities, libraries, clubs, and community
centers provide an outlet for families experiencing stressors. The rich
variety of programs helps families connect with the larger Air Force
Family, and others who are experiencing similar challenges.
exceptional family members and special needs
To identify gaps in services, our recent Caring for People forum
brought together more than 200 Air Force behavioral specialists,
chaplains, family advocacy personnel and other family support
professionals. The Forum focused on issues on deployment, families,
schools, special needs, Guard and Reserve families, and single airmen.
The resultant top 11 initiatives included development of a special
needs family support program, a social networking plan for military
families similar to Facebook, expansion of family support resources for
Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, expansion of schools support
functions, and a focus on single airmen.
The Air Force identified an emerging need to standardize support
and advocacy for families enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member
Program. We have a longstanding and successful process for identifying
families with special needs and facilitating personnel moves and
assignments based on the families' requirements. However, we also
determined there is need for a companion program to provide families
with continuing support as they move from location to location. Over
14,000 families have Exceptional Family Members, and it is important to
minimize the adverse effects of these moves on the family or member's
career. As such, we are actively engaged in creating a comprehensive
program that offers these families consistent support and reassurance
throughout their moves, extended or repeated deployments, and military
career.
Thank you for the opportunity to address these issues today for Air
Force families. We look forward to working with you as we continue to
enhance our support to the men and women of the United States Air Force
and their families.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
Since you mentioned it, Ms. Nesmith, in terms of getting
surveys and responses back from the members and families, do
those result in a study, per se, or is that just to give you an
idea of what the reaction is to the programs?
Ms. Nesmith. One of the primary surveys that we use in the
Air Force we call a community assessment, and we are going into
about the 20th year of doing that every 2 years. We have a
multifunctional cross-agency group, which we call a community
action information board, made up of mental health
professionals, family support professionals, chaplains, sexual
assault resource people, and all of those people who come
together to make the community decisions.
We take that data at every level, installation, major
command, and headquarters level, and we focus on an area of a
year. Then we develop programs, if needed, to address the
issues that have come up as a result of that.
I will just give one example. From 2000, we recognized that
we were providing childcare within the gates, and we needed to
provide nights, weekends, for us people who were working in
missiles 24 hours. At that time we started a program, and
today, we provide about 18,000 hours a month of childcare
through those programs--that is one example where we used that
community assessment very gingerly.
Senator Ben Nelson. One of the things that was very clear
from the first panel, we are all concerned about the stress on
the children of our military personnel, frequent and lengthy
deployments and dangerous missions and the absence of a parent
in the home.
This question is for everyone. Is there any ongoing or are
you aware of any ongoing or completed studies of the impact of
this OPTEMPO on children or family personnel? Do we have a
study that has gone through and established from reviews of
scientific data and medical information, mental health
information, a study that would establish that as an impact?
Mr. Myers. I believe that data is gathered from all of the
services and put together. In fact, yesterday, they had a
briefing just going over all of that data.
But with the force today, it is a young force. The issues
are a lot different. For instance, at our Military OneSource
center, we have a program to provide assistance. A lot of
people didn't want to come up and ask for assistance and so
forth. Our Military OneSource started a program where any
family member or military member can get help either online, on
the telephone, or, if they want, face to face. A lot of these
issues with children are discussed.
On the divorce rate, they talked about earlier in the
session. The divorce rate has increased in the military. What
we find out on this Military OneSource, many of the issues that
are brought up is communication and relationships. You can see
the war is taking a toll on the families. The families are
trying to stick together.
But all of these studies put together is the result. That
is why we put these various programs in, and as the first group
said, access to medical care is a key issue and mental health.
Senator Ben Nelson. But do we have the opportunity to focus
primarily, let us say, on children to see what the impact is? I
think we know, but we need sometimes verification and concrete
evidence of it to where we could focus on that, family as well,
but on the children?
Ms. Marin. Sir, in the Army, we have two ongoing studies
right now. One is an academic study for the effects of multiple
deployments on school-aged children, and we are to get the
final results of that in the next several months. We have also
kicked off a major study partnering with the Military Child
Education Coalition, and they are going into districts, and
they are partnering, going out into the schools--not just on
post schools--and exploring the effects of multiple deployments
on children.
Senator Ben Nelson. Excuse me. On their academic and on
their social performance?
Ms. Marin. Yes, sir, both. We are going to be having those
benefits, and we will be able to do an analysis and do
programmatic adjustments based upon that information. That
information is going to be available to us by the end of this
summer and on into the next year.
Senator Ben Nelson. That base of information may be very
helpful in determining what we are doing and whether it is
really reaching far enough into it or whether there ought to be
some other approaches.
Ms. Marin. Absolutely, sir.
General Larsen. Sir?
Senator Ben Nelson. General?
General Larsen. The Marine Corps, through the Center of
Naval Analysis and some other things that we have done, we have
looked at parts of the issue. We have looked at it from a
small, narrow perspective on some of the questions that we have
asked, particularly dealing with wounded warriors and others
and the impacts on their families.
We would welcome some kind of a congressional study or some
effort to look at the whole problem of the impact of stress on
the families. But there is a lot of stuff that has been done on
stress on the force. There is not a lot of stuff that has been
done on stress on the family.
I mean, if that is an opportunity, we would welcome that
and we would welcome to participate in that program.
Senator Ben Nelson. Make it DOD-wide on all the branches so
that there may be some distinctions between some of the
branches. I rather doubt it, but there could be.
Dr. Rau. Senator Nelson, it is interesting that you ask
that question. My staff and I have just been reviewing the
scientific literature on that question in relation to
supporting a three-star board that we have in the Navy called
the Navy Preparedness Alliance. They have asked the question
about the impact of deployment on children, specifically
individual deployers within the Navy, which is a relatively new
phenomenon.
A review of that literature really suggests that there is a
fair amount of literature, but it focuses a lot on teenagers
and less on school age and even less on preschool. It is a 20-
year piece of literature. The body of literature that is more
recent is less than the body of literature that is older. The
issues are different now than they were 20 years ago when we
were researching this question.
But the results are what you would expect, that children of
deployers are having more difficulties, and that is for young
children as well as teenagers and school age.
Senator Ben Nelson. It is unfortunate that we have 8 years
of experience, but we do have 8 years of experience that we
ought to capitalize on to know about the effects to help us
understand what the current situation is. Not only how we can
deal with it, but also with some idea of preparation for the
future in the event that history repeats itself in a timely
fashion. We hope it doesn't, but being prepared is certainly
part of our response to the families.
Thank you.
Senator Graham.
Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, preference for military spouse
hiring. Where are we?
Mr. Myers. Right now, spouses do have preference for hiring
within the military. One of the problems I know they are
working on, we have had cases where a spouse is offered a job,
but doesn't want to take that job because they don't want to
use their authorization. They want to work for a better job.
Working through personnel, they are looking at that to try to
fix that.
Senator Graham. Anything the committee could do to help?
Mr. Myers. I will take that for the record and talk to our
personnel folks.
[The information referred to follows:]
Military spouses are only offered positions they voluntarily apply
for or which they register for consideration through the Department of
Defense (DOD) Priority Placement Program. They are counseled and
advised they will be referred using their preference until they accept
or decline a continuing position. While a spouse occasionally may later
express remorse over his or her decision, this is generally not the
case. Most understand their preference is to help them find continuing
employment at their sponsors' new duty location; it was never intended
to allow job shopping.
Of greater concern to many military spouses is they are not
eligible for noncompetitive Civil Service appointments. However, on
September 25, 2008, President Bush signed Executive Order 13473
allowing agencies to make noncompetitive appointments of spouses of
certain members of the armed services. The Office of Personnel
Management is currently coordinating proposed final regulations with
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
It is our understanding OMB will be publishing the final
regulations via a Federal Register Notice in August 2009. While these
new regulations will not provide a hiring or selection preference for
eligible military spouses, it will certainly facilitate their entry
into Civil Service jobs. In addition, military spouses who become
eligible for this appointing authority by virtue of relocating with
their military sponsors will also be afforded, under separate
authority, military spouse preference in DOD.
Senator Graham. Great.
Mr. Myers. We appreciate that offer.
Senator Graham. Okay. Good.
The idea of vouchers available to military families as they
move from school district to school district, starting with Ms.
Nesmith and working down, how do you feel about that?
Ms. Nesmith. The issue of vouchers is certainly something
that has come up in the public over the years. Just in my
experience looking at it is that the possibility of adding it
to the tax burden that a military member would realize, that
this voucher would add into their income and thereby raise
their tax implication.
Senator Graham. What if we made it income free?
Ms. Nesmith. If you made it income free, it would certainly
give some opportunities, as the panel mentioned, for parents to
be able to seek out education that they desired for their
children.
Senator Graham. General Larsen, what is your view?
General Larsen. Sir, one of the issues that we are working
right now with the Council on Disabilities is the possibility
of developing a voucher-type program, particularly for our
EFMP.
Senator Graham. Right. Right, absolutely.
General Larsen. What I think we need to do, if you go
across the Marine Corps and talk to people, education is one of
our biggest issues.
Senator Graham. Right.
General Larsen. It is the reason people decide to become
geographic bachelors and leave their family in one location and
go to another location. It is because for a lot of reasons
people decide that the education either where they are is what
they are looking for or where they are going is not what they
are looking for.
A voucher program would help us a lot. I think it is a
great idea, and there are a lot of opportunities for this.
Senator Graham. What you are saying, General, is a lot of
time when it comes to assignment rotation time, the families
will stay in what they think to be the better school, and the
military member will go unaccompanied?
General Larsen. Exactly. That is one of the primary sources
we have for geographic bachelors.
We have schools in certain locations where the school that
is adjacent to the installation is not necessarily a good
school. It is not one of the schools that people want to have
their children go, but they are prevented from going to the
other schools in the public school system.
Senator Graham. Gotcha. School choice within a public
school setting.
Dr. Rau?
Dr. Rau. We would support anything or efforts that ease the
transition of military families from one school system to
another, and there might be a variety of options that would do
that.
Senator Graham. Okay. Ms. Marin?
Ms. Marin. Yes, as the panel expressed earlier, the robust
discussion, I think that is something we really want to look
at. In the Army, we have school liaison officers on all of our
installations. We already have a robust amount of information
on the individual perceptions of the soldiers and families of
the schools.
We know that there have been a lot of requests for public
school of choice, what you just talked about. We would like to
look more into the school voucher issue and also how it would
interplay with Impact Aid, which was a discussion earlier.
General Larsen. Can I make a comment on Impact Aid? Impact
Aid lags. It is a year after. The school system has to put in
the request a year later to get Impact Aid. Impact Aid, like a
voucher system, should follow the student. It shouldn't go to
the school district. It ought to go to the school where the kid
is attending.
Senator Graham. Gotcha. Okay. Mr. Myers?
Mr. Myers. I think a voucher program is very good.
In the Washington, DC area there are several bases. On one
base, over 90 percent of the children are being home schooled.
Senator Graham, as you said, there are people that opt out of
the Service or don't want the assignment because of education
for the children. So that is a key issue with our military
personnel.
Senator Graham, I forgot to mention the Defense Center of
Excellence for Psychological Health is sponsoring research on
children. I think that will encompass all and be a good basis
for us to look at how it affects children.
Senator Graham. One last comment. This reciprocity issue of
making sure that people who are licensed professionals in DOD
families, when they move from State to State, that maybe we
could do something to help them maintain their practices or
their profession. That is something I am interested in. I
really hadn't thought about that until the other panel spoke.
The last comment is TRICARE. At the end of the day, you
have just got to get doctors and providers into the system to
make this thing work. I am going to ask you what I asked the
first panel. From your perspective, from what you hear and what
you know, Ms. Nesmith, rate TRICARE from A to F.
Ms. Nesmith. Certainly I would concur with what I have
heard. I am not a user of TRICARE myself. But from what I have
heard, I would have to give B for access.
General Larsen. I would like to give a longer answer, but
the short answer is I would give it at best a D. In the last
panel, we were mixing up the military treatment facilities and
TRICARE. There are two separate problems, and there are two
separate sets of issues that need to be discussed.
Senator Graham. Gotcha.
General Larsen. But I would say access to care and because
of some of the problems that our people experienced, I would
say a D.
Senator Graham. Dr. Rau?
Dr. Rau. Senator Graham, military medicine doesn't fall
under my purview, and so I would really rather not give it a
grade.
Senator Graham. Fair enough.
Dr. Rau. I don't have a lot of experience.
Senator Graham. Sure. Good answer.
Dr. Rau. Professionally or otherwise. I would defer to Ms.
Mancini, who has the grassroots experience.
Senator Graham. Ms. Marin?
Ms. Marin. Sir, based upon what we are getting from our
Family Readiness Group leaders and other inputs, I would echo
Ms. Casey in that quality of care is rated very high. Access to
care is lower.
Senator Graham. Mr. Myers?
Mr. Myers. What we hear when we go out, is that access to
care is an issue.
Senator Graham. Okay. Thank you all.
Mr. Myers. Senator Graham, one other thing, we do have this
Military Spouse Career Advancement Account, which gives up to
$6,000 per spouse for credentialing and relicensing. If you
have to get recertified, they can now use that money to get
that done.
Senator Graham. Okay.
Dr. Rau. Senator Graham, I can also add that with regard to
mental health professional licensing, there is reciprocity
within the Federal system. If you work anywhere within the
Federal system, you can practice within the Federal system,
licensed in any State or U.S. territory.
Senator Graham. Yes, that is what I am thinking about. That
is good to know. But let us say for a nurse or a lawyer, how
could we make it easier when they move?
Thank you all.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Ben Nelson. Thank you.
The EFMP was established to assist Active Duty
servicemembers in providing for the special needs of family
members before, during, and after relocation required by a
change of duty assignment to a new location. I understand that
implementation of this program varies between the Services.
Would any of you be able to explain or wish to explain how your
organization reaches out to servicemembers who have dependents
with special medical and/or educational needs?
General Larsen. I can start.
Senator Ben Nelson. Sure. General?
General Larsen. In the Marine Corps this last year, we
established EFMP. Prior to that, we had a program that was
basically an assignment program where we would make sure that
the people, as they were moving from one location to another,
had the type of care they needed for their family member in
that location. It was basically an assignment policy for the
Marine Corps.
What we have established is a series of caseworkers and
some legal assistance at locations across the Marine Corps that
helps the family that has an exceptional family member in it do
the things they need to do to get access to healthcare, to get
some financial issues and educational issues addressed.
We have done that by going from actually nothing a year ago
to where we have about 6,500 people that are currently enrolled
in the program, 6,500 families. We have 1 caseworker for 225
families. We have spread that across the Marine Corps. They are
in the major geographic areas or the major locations where we
have a high concentration of services that are available.
So southern California or areas like the area here in
northern Virginia, where they might have services available, is
where those families get assigned. We have a policy in place
now to stabilize the family in that location so that they don't
get moved from place to place every couple of years.
The servicemember can go and do his or her overseas
assignment or the things they need to do, but then they can
come back to the place where their family is being stabilized
in order to get into the system and get the care they need.
Because often when we move them from one location to another,
they get to the new location and they start over.
That is another issue of reciprocity, where if they didn't
have to start over, as we move them from California to North
Carolina, then it would be better on the family. They would be
more able to move from these different locations. That is kind
of what we have done the last several months.
Senator Ben Nelson. Any other comments regarding EFMP?
Ms. Marin. Yes, sir. In the Army, about 10 percent of our
active duty are registered in the EFMP. So that is about over
51,000 soldiers who have exceptional family members, somewhat
over 67,000 exceptional family members. It is mandatory to
enroll.
We have an exceptional family member coordinator on every
installation, and they deal with what might be special needs
for housing, for medical, and for education. We offer benefits
such as 40 hours of respite care free per month for the primary
caregiver for families with exceptional family members.
Always, we are tweaking the nuances of this program. Just
recently, it came up as an issue in our Army Family Action
Plan, which is a yearly forum for improving policies, is that
when a family is deploying overseas, even before the orders are
cut, there needs to be an analysis of where they are going and
what medical and housing and education is available for them.
We have changed our policy so that is happening now. We are
consistently looking at those and improving them.
Senator Ben Nelson. Okay. Thank you.
Building child development centers has really increased
rapidly most recently, thanks in part, I hope, to the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act. What efforts are being made to
increase access to childcare services by contracting out with
child development centers that are off base if there isn't an
adequate facility on base?
I heard something about waiting lists a little bit ago, and
does that continue to be an issue?
Mr. Myers. Yes, sir. There are about 37,000 children on the
waiting list, and we have seen a baby boom in the military in
the last several years. We were able to build over 15,000
spaces because we had that authority that we could build child
development centers up to around $7 million or $8 million,
which is going to expire this year. We need an extension on
that.
But we also need child development centers outside the
gate. We have funds to work with child development centers
outside the gate, Boys & Girls Clubs to get care providers,
bring them up to standards. It will help those people out in
the community. We think that will be another way of providing
this effort.
But childcare, the senior enlisted advisers tell me that is
the number-one issue amongst our military families.
Senator Ben Nelson. Ms. Davis, you left Offutt just too
soon because we have a brand-new facility out there. It is
state-of-the-art. Even though you didn't need it when you were
there, if you decide to come back, it will fit and suit your
needs.
Were you part of the 55th Wing?
Ms. Davis. Yes, sir.
Senator Ben Nelson. Okay. Thank you.
Thank you, everybody. It is great to have had the input
from both panels. We thank the second panel in particular now
for your input. It is helpful to us to understand what is
happening in the real world and give us some idea of where we
could be helpful to provide even more support for our military
families.
Thank you all, and this hearing is adjourned.
[Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]
Questions Submitted by Senator E. Benjamin Nelson
financial literacy education programs
1. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General
Larsen, and Ms. Nesmith, in the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA), Congress passed tough restrictions on the terms of certain
credit extended to servicemembers and their dependents. This was an
effort to help the Department of Defense (DOD) fight predatory lending
practices in and around military installations. The predatory lending
issue highlighted the financial practices of some servicemembers,
especially, and most painfully, some of the most junior, and called for
greater financial education for servicemembers. What financial literacy
education programs are in place now to help servicemembers better
manage their money and plan for life events such as college and
retirement?
Mr. Myers. The predatory lending regulation, which placed limits on
the three types of loans identified as being particularly predatory on
our troops and families--payday loans, vehicle title loans, and tax
refund anticipation loans, was a key effort of the Department's
Financial Readiness Campaign, which began in May 2003. The Campaign's
focus is to reduce the stressors associated with financial issues by
providing servicemembers and their families with educational resources,
counseling, programs, and protections to help them onto the path of
financial freedom. In empowering our troops and families with the tools
to promote financial readiness, we will have certainly supported
mission readiness.
One key aspect of the Financial Readiness Campaign has been our
official partnerships with over 20 nonprofit organizations and Federal
agencies. Each partner has offered forms of assistance to our troops
and families, either through financial educational programs or other
key financial resources. Together with our partners and fellow members
of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission, we are working to
change the financial culture of the military. This cultural shift
begins with focusing on the education, awareness, counseling, and
resources to enhance financial literacy, which we have embodied in the
Campaign's eight ``Pillars of Financial Readiness,'' which essentially
represent the campaign's platform:
Maintaining Good Credit
Achieving Financial Stability
Establishing Routine Savings
Participating in Military Benefits: Thrift Savings Plan and
Savings Deposit Program
Not opting out of Servicemember's Group Life Insurance and
securing other appropriate insurance
Encouraging low-cost loan products as an alternative to
predatory loans
Using low-cost Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs
Preserving Security Clearances
Regarding financial literacy resources and programs, servicemembers
and their families have always had access to personal financial
information and counseling through Military OneSource
(www.militaryonesource.com and 1-800-342-9647). Military OneSource, a
free 24/7-365 resource, provides support services for all
servicemembers and their families, including the National Guard and
Reserve, regardless of duty status. This service offers personalized
and confidential financial counseling and planning consultations at no-
cost. Military OneSource is especially beneficial to those
geographically separated from installation services and augments
services provided at installation family centers.
We have also implemented other distinct programs which promote
financial literacy across the military: Financial Readiness Roadshow
events, Rotational Personal Financial Counselors (PFCs), and on-demand
financial support.
Financial Roadshows augment the Military Services' existing
financial readiness programs and initiatives. An installation commander
can request a Roadshow at their installation and tailor the event to
address that installation's particular financial challenges. Once the
agenda is set, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) facilitates
financial guest speakers and specific workshops (which in the past have
included the topics of retirement and saving for college). Specialized
workshops for children and youth, delivered by certified and
credentialed financial experts are also avialable. Throughout the
event, one-on-one financial counseling is available from PFCs, who can
remain assigned to the location, as needed, to support the
installation. To date, OSD has facilitated, in partnership with the
Military Services, 27 Financial Roadshow events across the country.
In addition to PFC support provided at the Roadshows, installation
Personal Financial Managers (PFM) can also request a PFC for rotational
or surge support to help address financial challenges. PFC rotational
assignments are available in 30, 60, or 90 day increments, and while
assigned to an installation, a PFC can teach financial classes, conduct
individual counseling, or support the PFM and family center as needed.
On-demand financial support, primarily designed to serve the
Reserve component due to their geographic dispersion and separation
from military installations, focuses on providing financial educational
resources to Guard and Reserve members and families in the form of
briefings, financial training workshops, one-on-one counseling, and
resource booths. Since August 2008, we have supported over 700 on-
demand requests for financial support, where 15,000 Guard and Reserve
members and their families have participated.
An important aspect of our Financial Readiness Campaign involves
providing financial education that specifically serves our children and
youth, since studies have shown that nearly 50 percent of our children
and youth will join, or seriously consider joining, the military.
During Military Saves Week 2008, a program the Department sponsors in
partnership with the Consumer Federation of America to encourage the
military to save for the future, we successfully launched the first
ever Military Youth Saves pilot. Military Youth Saves focuses on the
importance of starting early to save for the future and helps develop
self confidence and personal skills needed to manage money effectively.
Since 2008, over 12,000 children and youth have participated in various
military financial programs.
Finally, there are indicators that changes in the financial
behavior of our uniformed men and women are taking place. The recent
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Military Financial Confidence
Survey, released in February 2009, found servicemembers are more likely
to take an active role in financial planning, have a more realistic
view than the average American worker of the financial requirements to
retire, and most noteworthy, military financial education programs and
services are positively influencing financial behavior. The
Department's role is to work with the Military Services to continue
providing the education and resources necessary to support personal
financial readiness, especially since our members understand the
importance of taking charge of their financial future.
Ms. Marin. Army Community Service provides soldiers and families
with comprehensive life-cycle (entry to retirement) personal financial
education and counseling programs. Financial Readiness Training is
mandatory for all soldiers during Basic Training, Advanced Individual
Training, and their first duty assignment. In classrooms and individual
counseling sessions, soldiers are taught how to handle their money,
establish savings goals, and set money aside for emergencies. Soldiers
are also are informed on payday lending practices, predatory lending
issues, and protections in payday lending laws.
Financial Readiness program managers are located at 87
installations and are certified by the Association for Financial
Counseling and Planning Education. In 2008, the program conducted over
16,000 classes with more than 303,000 attendees and provided financial
counseling for over 59,000 clients. Other online financial and consumer
education, tools, and links are available at Army OneSource
(www.armyonesource.com).
Dr. Rau. The Navy's PFM program takes a collaborative and
comprehensive approach to education and counseling. The Navy PFM
program emphasizes proactive, career lifecycle instruction commencing
with entry into the Delayed Entry Program through to retirement and
transition to civilian life. Also provided is consultation to best
facilitate behavior modification. Services include information
distribution, individual consultation with financial counselors and
educational classes and workshops. Services are designed to foster
financial responsibility and accountability with primary emphasis on
financial independence, sound money management, debt avoidance, and
long-term financial stability.
Personal financial fitness services are delivered by a
collaborative effort made up of Accredited Financial Counselors and
Educators at the Fleet and Family Support Centers (FFSCs), trained
servicemembers designated as Command Financial Specialists, and also
with assistance from partner organizations. For example, partnerships
between FFSCs and Child Development and Youth Programs at the
installation level have increased youth education regarding financial
fitness.
Statistics show that awareness and utilization of the Navy PFM
program by servicemembers has increased. During 2008, staff provided
individual consultation and education to more than 12,000 individuals,
with classes and workshops provided to almost 175,000 military and
family members. More than 9,996 family members received financial
education services during 2008, which represents a 100 percent increase
over 2007.
The Association of Financial Counseling, Planning and Education
recognized the Navy PFM program as the Financial Education Program of
the Year in 2006. Additionally, the Navy PFM program received
recognition as an Exemplary Employer Initiative by the Personal Finance
Employee Education Foundation in 2008.
General Larsen. The PFM Program offers personal financial
management services to servicemembers and their spouses to equip them
with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to successfully manage
their personal finances. PFM Program Specialists provide classes,
workshops, and extensive one-on-one assistance in the following core
areas: military pay issues; banking and financial services; developing
a spending plan; credit management; car buying strategies; housing and
home buying; insurance and risk management; financial planning for
deployment; saving and investing; and retirement, estate, and tax
planning. In addition, DOD has a marketing campaign, ``Military
Saves'', designed to encourage military families to improve personal
saving. Personal financial management services are provided by
certified financial counselor at all 18 major U.S. Marine Corps
installations.
Ms. Nesmith. Financial Literacy programs are available throughout
the tenure of a every airman. This includes mandatory training at
various career intervals and supplemental financial education that is
available and voluntary. Mandatory training at basic courses, prior to
deployment and in supervisor training, focuses on the basic pillars of
financial education, such as checkbook management, debt management, car
buying, creating a spend plan, saving for retirement and maintaining
emergency savings. Supplemental education may include the Savings
Deposit Program which encourages saving during deployment, basic
investing, and foreclosure avoidance. Training is typically provided in
group settings and individualized counsel is available through the
Accredited Financial Counselors located in Airman and Family Readiness
Centers worldwide. Supplemental training topics may be added on a
situational basis due to major life changes or emerging trends, such as
foreclosure avoidance in locations where national foreclosure rates are
elevated.
suicides and post traumatic stress
2. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General
Larsen, and Ms. Nesmith, families are often the first line of defense
against suicide and post traumatic stress, and play a significant role
in identifying and helping servicemembers cope with deployment-related
issues. Additionally, the stresses of deployment can affect the mental
well-being of spouses and children. What training is given to families
to identify possible symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other
psychological health issues, and when is it provided?
Mr. Myers. The individual Services drive the programs to provide
information and guidance at individual military installations at the
request of the servicemembers' family members. The support structure at
military religious facilities from military chaplains is also a direct
connection with families of servicemembers in dealing with deployment-
related issues.
Ms. Marin. The Army offers numerous sources of training for
families on symptoms of depression, anxiety and other psychological
health issues. The Army recognizes that we are not in a ``business as
usual'' environment and that repeated deployments lead to increased
distress, anxiety, and in some cases, suicide. Deployments, war, and
psychological problems impact soldiers and families, and the result is
a higher demand for behavioral health services. We are responding to
that demand by making a concerted effort to provide training and
support to soldiers, families, and leadership in the early detection of
psychological problems and suicide prevention.
Families are one of our biggest assets in suicide prevention, and
multiple programs and services have been developed with this
understanding. Programs include an extensive array of behavioral health
services to address deployment strain. A summary of programs and
products is at http://www.behavioralhealth.army.mil/. Programs that
provide training to assist families with identification of symptoms
include Army Community Service, Battlemind, the Military Child and
Adolescent Center of Excellence, Family Assistance for Maintaining
Excellence, Military One Source, Psychological Health in Schools
Programs, and the Warrior Resiliency Program.
Recent efforts focus on the expansion of population-specific
training materials available to military families through Battlemind, a
preventive training program intended to strengthen individual
servicemembers, families, units, communities, and enhance the ability
to cope with stress. Battlemind offers online training for spouses and
couples. Through online training at [email protected], spouses
and couples can find brochures and training to prepare them for pre-
deployment and post-deployment. Battlemind also offers training and
videos for pre-school and adolescent children.
The Army is also expanding services to children of military
families to promote child and adolescent wellness through school-based
behavioral health services. The Military Child and Adolescent Center of
Excellence at Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, WA, is
standardizing and packaging the best elements of these programs for
export to additional sites. School-based mental health services aimed
at youth and families will include: (1) evidence-based classroom
training such as building resilience and dealing with the anxiety and
stresses of being an Army youth; (2) student evaluation and treatment
using the modalities of individual therapy, group therapy, family
therapy, psychopharmacology, and classroom interventions; (3) parent
and school education on the effects of deployment and reunion on
families, handling rumors, crisis interventions, and resilience
training; and (4) coordination and integration of services in military
and civilian communities using resources like installation and
community youth programs, sports organizations, and community service
groups.
The Army also employs multimedia to reach out to families and
provide information and resources on the detection of psychological
problems. Advertisements on commissary bags and posters are
disseminated throughout installations, post exchanges, and military
treatment facilities. The Army is also conducting a study of family
readiness through the RAND Corporation that will assist in developing
future initiatives to support soldiers and families. Results from the
study are expected in September 2011.
Dr. Rau. Operational Stress Control (OSC) is the Navy's
comprehensive prevention and awareness initiative to address the
psychological health needs of sailors and their families and reduce the
stigma associated with seeking assistance. The initiative is led by
operational leadership and supported by Navy medicine. OSC provides
practical decision-making tools for sailors, leaders, and families to
identify stress responses and mitigate problematic tension. The Stress
Continuum is an evidence-informed model that highlights shared
responsibility by sailors, family members, and Navy leadership for
maintaining optimum psychological health. The model is used to
recognize and intervene early, when indicators of stress reactions or
injuries are present, before an individual develops a serious stress
illness, such as PTSD or depression.
Working in collaboration with Navy medicine, Fleet and Family
Support Programs (FFSP) have launched an OSC awareness effort focusing
on family members. OSC concepts are being incorporated into existing,
regularly scheduled family support services such as pre-deployment and
stress management workshops, Family Readiness Groups, Ombudsmen
training, transition assistance workshops, parenting classes, and
clinical counseling sessions, to familiarize family members with the
concepts and stress continuum language. This information provides
family members a framework from which they can identify behaviors/
symptoms early and speak to someone about obtaining help for
themselves, their children or their military loved one.
Project FOCUS is a Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery program
currently implemented at 9 Navy and Marine Corps locations, expanding
to 14. Project FOCUS addresses difficulties that children and families
face in relation to multiple deployments and parental operational
stress and helps children and parents develop critical skills related
to emotional regulation, problem-solving, communication, and building
social support.
Brief, solution-focused clinical counseling provided in FFSC is
another avenue where military and family members can seek consultation
and assistance from licensed mental health professionals for commonly
occurring situations and adjustment issues before more significant
problems develop that require medical or psychiatric intervention.
Placement of clinical counselors for children in FFSCs and Behavioral
Health Consultants in Child Development Centers help identify and
provide assistance to children who are adversely impacted by their
parent's deployment.
General Larsen. The Marine Corps has a family component of its
Marine Operational Stress Training (MOST) Program which provides
information to families on prevention and early identification of
stress problems before deployment, during deployment, at the end of
deployment, and 60-120 days after deployment. The information is
tailored to the needs of the families at each point in the deployment
cycle, and addresses stress problems in both the servicemember and
family members.
Ms. Nesmith. Workshops and training are offered for the spouses
through the Airman and Family Readiness Centers. Sessions are designed
to offer vital information on topics such as balancing family and work
life, managing separations, and establishing connections with community
support agencies. Through these interactions, spouses are able to learn
to identify behaviors that may be out of the normal.
DOD provides an ongoing program of counseling and training through
the Military and Family Life Consultant (MFLC) program. The Air Force
has fully embraced the MFLC program and found it particularly effective
in addressing issues centered around family dynamics, job stress and
marital relationships. Currently there are 94 adult MFLCs in 89 Airman
and Family Readiness Centers and 98 Child and Youth Behavioral MFCLs at
80 Air Force installations. Testimonials from staff and family members
indicate the MFLCs are providing much needed non-medical counseling
services to our airmen and their families at critical times.
3. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General
Larsen, and Ms. Nesmith, is such training also available for families
of Guard and Reserve members, as well as for parents or siblings of
unmarried servicemembers?
Mr. Myers. As is the case for Active Duty servicemembers, the
individual Services develop information providing services for Reserve
component and unmarried servicemembers' families.
Ms. Marin. National Guard and Army Reserve members may use all of
the training opportunities described in the answer to the previous
question. There are also a number of training events specifically for
Guard and Reserve members. In 2008, the Minnesota National Guard
pioneered a program to improve how soldiers and airmen are reintegrated
back into their communities. Called ``Beyond the Yellow Ribbon,'' the
name is a reminder that support of soldiers cannot end when they return
from deployment. For National Guard and Reserve members and their
families, the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program provides deployment
support and reintegration programs in all phases of deployment,
including but not limited to pre-deployment, deployment,
demobilization, and post-deployment and reconstitution phases.
Yellow Ribbon pre-deployment activities and events focus on
providing education and ensuring the readiness of unit members, their
families, employers, and affected communities. Deployment services and
events focus on family separation challenges and stressors, especially
for those serving in a combat zone. Demobilization reintegration
activities provide information about resources available to transition
soldiers back to garrison or civilian life and how to connect with
providers to assist in overcoming the challenges of reintegration.
Post-deployment or reconstitution provides reintegration activities at
approximately 30-, 60-, and 90-day intervals.
The spring 2009 issue of Family Strong: Army Reserve Family
Programs contains information on suicide prevention, with a message
from Laura Stultz, wife of Lieutenant General Jack C. Stultz, and a
pullout card listing risk factors and warning signs of suicide. Toll-
free lifeline numbers are also listed. On October 1, 2008, the Army
Reserve established a Warrior and Family Assistance Center with the
slogan, ``Soldiers First, Families Always.''
Dr. Rau. The Navy Reserve Psychological Health Outreach Program
provides 2 Outreach Coordinators and 3 Outreach team members to each
Reserve Region (for a total of 25) deployed into the field to provide
outreach, support, and intervention to returning Individual Augmentees
and other reservists to mitigate existing reservist stressors and
address future concerns. They are key components in our effort to build
resilient Navy Reserve families. The Returning Warrior Workshop (RWW)
is conducted on weekends and attended by up to 200 military members and
other family members including parents or siblings and spouses. It is
the signature event of the Navy Reserve Reintegration program.
Attending participants have the opportunity to address personal, family
or professional situations experienced during deployment and receive
readjustment and reintegration support from a network of counselors,
psychological health outreach coordinators, chaplains and FFSC
representatives. Throughout the weekend, participants benefit from
considerable counseling opportunities to educate and support the Navy
family and to assist sailors re-acclimating to their families and
civilian lives. During this fiscal year, 16 RWWs have been conducted
that were attended by 2092 military personnel and their guests.
Navy family readiness works closely with the Reserve Forces Family
Support Coordinator and the five regional Family Support Administrators
to facilitate connection of Reserve families to each other, to
supportive community and family resources, and to improve community
awareness of Reserve military families' experiences and needs. Family
Support Administrators liaise with their assigned Navy Operational
Support Center (NOSC) staffs to ensure Reserve families are supported
by Navy and other military family support initiatives, such as Military
OneSource, Joint Family Support Assistance Programs (JFSAP) and State
National Guard Family Programs. Parents or siblings identified as the
preferred point of contact for single Reserve component sailors on
Individual Augmentee assignment are provided aggressive outreach,
assessment of needs and referral to available family support services
by their assigned Individual Deployment Support Specialist.
General Larsen. The family training in the USMC MOST Program,
above, is provided to spouses and children of both the active and
Reserve servicemembers. Extended family members are welcome to attend
as well.
Ms. Nesmith. Yes. DOD provides an ongoing program of counseling and
training through the MFLC program. The Air Force has fully embraced the
MFLC program and found it to be particularly effective in addressing
issues centered around family dynamics, job stress and marital
relationships. Currently there are 94 adult MFLCs in 89 Airmen and
Family Readiness Centers and 98 Child and Youth Behavioral MFCLs at 80
Air Force installations. Testimonials from staff and family members
indicate the MFLCs are providing much needed non-medical counseling
services to our airmen and their families at a critical time.
The MFLC program is available to Guard and Reserve families as
requested in support of family day events, reintegration events, and
other gatherings.
military family readiness council
4. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, in the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2008,
Congress required the establishment of a DOD Military Family Readiness
Council, to include representatives from each of the Services and
military family organizations, to review and make recommendations on
and monitor DOD policy requirements for the support of military family
readiness, and to evaluate and assess the effectiveness of military
family readiness programs. According to DOD, the Council has so far
conducted only one informal meeting, late last year. Have any members
been formally appointed to the Council?
Mr. Myers. We have vetted the nominees with the Pentagon's White
House Liaison Office. Final appointment will follow after completing
the required security, ethics, and administrative screenings required.
We anticipate being able to complete this process prior to the
Council's first formal meeting in August or September.
5. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, has the Council identified any
priority issues on which to focus in the coming year?
Mr. Myers. We intend to convene the Council in August or September
this year, at which it will decide its areas of focus.
health care for military families
6. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, according to the DOD, TRICARE
beneficiary surveys reflect great satisfaction with the health care
program for military families, but at this hearing the first panel of
witnesses, military spouses, and a representative from the National
Military Family Association, all stated that health care, and
specifically access to care, including mental health care, is among
military families' top issues. How well does TRICARE meet the medical
needs of military families?
Mr. Myers. The Department feels TRICARE greatly meets the medical
needs of the military family. TRICARE is a robust Health Maintenance
Organization health plan for our eligible beneficiaries that augment
the direct care system by providing health care services through a
large network of primary care and specialty providers. The cost for
beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Prime is low in comparison to
civilian health plans. Whereas, Active Duty servicemembers and their
family members do not pay a premium or co-pay; all other beneficiaries
pay a low premium and co-pay for the care they seek through our network
providers.
Since its inception, TRICARE Prime has grown significantly, mostly
in response to the guaranteed quality and access it provides. Our
access to care standards are monitored closely to ensure beneficiaries
are seen in a timely manner. For example, in the Direct Care System, if
a patient is referred for specialty care not available at a military
treatment facility, the patient is referred to one of our network
providers. In the past 2 years, we have placed 1,700 mental health
professionals in primary care clinics to increase access and reduce the
stigma associated with visiting a mental health facility. In addition,
the TRICARE Network has added 10,000 mental health providers, including
child psychiatrists and psychologists.
In the quarterly Health Care Survey of DOD Beneficiaries, the
Department compares performance of the TRICARE Health Plan with
benchmark metrics from the National Consumer Assessment of Healthcare
Providers and Systems Benchmarking Database (NCBD), which contains
results from surveys given to beneficiaries by civilian health plans.
For the NCBD metric category of ``Getting Care Quickly,'' a measure of
ease in gaining access to care, TRICARE Prime beneficiaries enrolled to
the purchased care network have consistently reported average
satisfaction levels at or above the NCBD benchmark value. Additionally,
our inpatient, outpatient, and population based surveys show our
beneficiaries generally indicate favorable experience with access to
and satisfaction with the Military Health System.
Beneficiaries have the option not to enroll in TRICARE Prime and
utilize our TRICARE Standard or Extra plans. TRICARE Standard or Extra
allow the most flexibility in selection of care from any TRICARE
authorized provider. Referrals are not required, but some care may
require prior authorization. The beneficiary can also receive care in a
military treatment facility on a space-available basis.
TRICARE continues to be one of the best health care plans in the
world.
7. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, do you have any specific
recommendations for improving the military health care system?
Mr. Myers. The Military Health System provides all beneficiaries
with the greatest compassion and care, the benefits of the best
available science, and treatment and support that makes servicemembers
and their families partners in their own healing. TRICARE managed care
has improved portability, claims processing, and access to quality
care. The Department has streamlined its regional contracts, resulting
in fewer administrative hurdles for beneficiaries and is playing a key
role in decreasing the stigma of seeking mental health care. We
anticipate the roll-out of the cutting-edge operation of the TRICARE
Pharmacy Program, which will simplify the pharmacy benefit by
consolidating retail and mail order operations this fall. And, we
applaud the launching of the Defense Centers of Excellence--a
collaborative global network that promotes resilience, recovery, and
reintegration for psychological health and traumatic brain injury.
dependents education
8. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, quality education for children is
a very high priority for military families. Congress has long supported
supplemental Impact Aid to assist local public schools with large
numbers of military children and DOD schools for military children. How
does the DOD allocate the funding authorized by Congress each year for
supplemental Impact Aid to local educational agencies with high numbers
of military dependents?
Mr. Myers. The DOD Supplement to Impact Aid Program provides
financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) heavily
impacted by the presence of military dependent students. This program
does not fund DOD schools. LEAs with at least 20 percent average daily
attendance of military dependent students in the preceding year, as
counted on their Federal Impact Aid application, are eligible to
receive funding on an annual basis, when appropriated by Congress.
The U.S. Department of Education provides the data used to
determine LEA eligibility for the DOD Supplement Impact Aid Program.
Funds provided by the DOD Supplement to Impact Aid Program are
reimbursable in nature; therefore, they may be used by the LEA without
restriction.
In fiscal year 2009, 110 LEAs qualified and received Supplemental
Impact Aid.
In fiscal year 2008, 114 LEAs qualified and received Supplemental
Impact Aid.
9. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, when is this funding provided to
schools enough and, in your view, is it enough?
Mr. Myers. Impact Aid is a Department of Education program which
provides funding for a portion of the educational costs of federally-
connected students. Impact Aid is the only Federal education program
where funds are sent directly to the LEA. The funds, however, are not
designated for individual children nor earmarked for any specific
school, but support the eligible district as a whole.
The Department of Education Impact Aid program has been underfunded
for years and is a continual source of concern for local school
districts and military families. Currently the program is 60 percent
underfunded. Funding has not kept pace with the Consumer Price Index
which has risen over 70 percent since 1970, while the cost of education
has escalated more than 100 percent.
Annual Impact Aid payments vary widely, from less than $50 per
child to over $4,000 per child in several school districts with very
high concentration of military connected children residing on a
military installation.
The DOD Supplement to Impact Aid Program provides financial
assistance to LEAs heavily impacted by the presence of military
dependent students. LEAs with at least 20 percent average daily
attendance of military dependent students in the preceding year, as
counted on their Federal Impact Aid application, are eligible to
receive funding on an annual basis, when appropriated by Congress.
DOD supports full funding of Impact Aid by the Department of
Education for all categories of Federal students.
support for individuals who deploy
10. Senator Ben Nelson. Dr. Rau and Ms. Nesmith, while Army and
Marine Corps servicemembers usually deploy in units, this is not always
the case, and is more rarely the case for Navy and Air Force
servicemembers. What support services are made available to Navy and
Air Force families who have a servicemember deployed as an Individual
Augmentee or who are serving an ``in lieu of'' mission?
Dr. Rau. Support includes contact by the FFSC, either by phone or
in person, assessment of family needs, discussion of available family
support programs and services nearest to the family, facilitated
referral to nearby services if requested, and mailing of Individual
Augmentee (IA) information and materials. An Individual Deployment
Support Specialist from the FFSC must initiate initial contact within
10 business days of receipt of a new Individual Augmentee Sailor File.
The program begins 60 days prior to deployment and ends 180 days post
deployment. Recurring contact, assessment and support at an interval
requested by the family is also provided by either a counselor or
Command representative. Efforts to better reach remotely located
families impacted by these nontraditional duty assignments have
included use of information technology to provide virtual family
discussion groups and workshops, publication of a monthly electronic
newsletter and of family, sailor, and command IA handbooks. Where
practicable, deployment support programs and services have been adapted
and provided specifically for family members of individual deployers.
To date, FFSC Individual Deployment Support Specialists have served
over 28,000 families of individual deployers.
Command Ombudsmen are trained volunteers who serve as a vital two-
way communication link between command leadership and family members.
Ombudsmen provide personalized support and guidance to families in
adapting to the challenges of a mobile military lifestyle and extended
operations necessary to meet the Navy's maritime strategy. There are
currently over 2,200 registered Navy Family Ombudsmen. FFSCs provide
training, consultation, coordination and support to Ombudsmen. Command
Ombudsmen training includes information on the unique challenges and
issues faced by families of IAs.
Ms. Nesmith. Air Force provides one-on-one pre-deployment briefings
to airmen who deploy as Individual Augmentees or in support of Joint
Expeditionary Taskings. Spouses are encouraged to attend these sessions
where they learn what services are available to them throughout the
deployment period and into reintegration. If the spouse cannot attend,
contact information is requested and the spouse will receive either
telephone or e-mail with information on available services. Although
some support services are unit-based, Airman and Family Readiness
Centers offer parallel services to families of any airman who is
deployed. Called Hearts Apart, these services include morale calls,
video and e-mail connectivity, regular get-togethers with other spouses
and families of deployed members (coffees, dinners, other family-
centered events), and electronic newsletters to ensure continued
connection between the family and installation support agencies.
11. Senator Ben Nelson. Dr. Rau and Ms. Nesmith, what follow-up is
conducted once the individual returns back to his or her unit,
especially with regard to ensuring access to mental health care and
assistance in reintegration?
Dr. Rau. The Navy has a continuum in place to assist the
redeploying sailor, serving as an Individual Augmentee, with return,
reunion, and reintegration. This process begins in Kuwait during the
Warrior Transition Program (WTP) where the returning sailor attends a 3
day program which allows for decompression and transition from the war
zone to life back in contiguous United States in a nonthreatening
environment. Small group discussions are facilitated by accredited
professionals and focus on topics that include combat and operational
stress, gear return, and FFSC briefings.
The next step in this continuum is the completion of the Post-
Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) and Post-Deployment Health
Reassessment (PDHRA). The PDHA is either completed at WTP Kuwait or the
Navy Mobilization Processing Site back in the United States through
which the sailor will transition home. The PDHRA is conducted at the
sailor's permanent duty station for active duty or the NOSC for Reserve
sailors at the 90-180 day point after return from deployment. Both the
PDHA and PDHRA allow the sailor to report any physical or psychosocial
concerns that he or she may be having to a health care provider, who
then ensures the sailor gets the help required.
The last step in the post-deployment continuum is the RWW. The RWW
was established to educate and support families and assist sailors' re-
acclimation after deployment. The program consists of various briefings
and small group discussions facilitated by professionals, including
chaplains and mental health providers. These workshops have proven to
be an important step in the demobilization and reintegration process
for the Total Force and their families. At the RWW, members are
encouraged to discuss their experiences, family members are directed to
resources, feedback on the mobilization/demobilization process is
provided, and attendees are honored for their sacrifices.
The Navy has provided an additional resource for the Reserve
Component by establishing the Navy Reserve Psychological Health
Outreach program. Established in 2008, the program provides early
identification and clinical assessment of Navy reservists returning
from deployment who are at risk for stress reactions and injuries. A
team of five social workers in each of the five Navy Reserve Regions
provides outreach and educational activities to improve the overall
psychological health and resiliency of Navy reservists. The social
workers also serve to identify long-term strategies to improve
psychological health support services for the Navy Reserve community.
Ms. Nesmith. During redeployment processing, airmen must complete
the PDHA, which is a medical self-assessment tool used to review the
redeploying member's current health and/or mental health, as well as
provide an opportunity for them to discuss any deployment-related
health concerns with a medical provider.
The PDHA self-assessment is completed in theater within 30 days of
redeployment or not later than 30 days after returning to home station.
In accordance with DOD requirements, all redeploying personnel must
have a face-to-face health assessment with a trained health care
provider, such as a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner,
or independent duty medical technician. This face-to-face encounter is
required regardless of the individual's self-assessment responses.
Positive responses (physical/mental health related) or any other
concerns are addressed during this face-to-face encounter.
Every effort is made to ensure outstanding referrals are
appropriately identified, addressed, and followed up by the member's
primary care manager or mental health professionals at home station.
spouse employment
12. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General
Larsen, and Ms. Nesmith, employment opportunities for spouses can be
constrained by the lack of availability of jobs on base and the
requirements for relicensing in certain professions when moving to
different States. What services are available to spouses to help in
searching for jobs when they arrive at a new base, or to help defray
costs associated with education or training to increase the number of
employment opportunities open to spouses?
Mr. Myers. Last year, Congress authorized the Department to assist
spouses of Active Duty servicemembers in receiving education and
training required for a degree, credential, or professional licensure
in order to expand employment and portable career opportunities.
The Department has implemented the Career Advancement Account
program to provide spouses up to $6,000 to pay for training,
professional licensure, or certification programs. To date over 30,000
spouses have established a Career Advancement Account and over 10,000
have started their training program, with over 42 percent studying and
beginning to work in the healthcare field.
The Career Advancement Account is designed specifically to assist
spouses as they relocate. If relicensing is necessary, a spouse can
sign up for a Career Advancement Account and receive up to $6,000 to
pay the fees associated with the relicensing.
Once spouses complete training, they are moved into the Career
Advancement Account placement process for assistance as they move from
one installation to the next.
Along with employment assistance, the Department has established
MilitaryINSTALLATIONS (MI) and Plan My Move (PMM) as companion
applications sharing one database to provide information on over 360
large and small installations worldwide and in all States for
geographically separated families.
The goal is to educate family members about their new location,
help them make informed decisions, and get settled quickly, preventing
stressors on the family and increasing productivity. Relocation is an
encompassing program that crosses multiple facets of Military Community
and Family Policy to include financial, special needs, child care,
spouse employment, education and family advocacy.
Ms. Marin. The Army Employment Readiness Program provides job
search assistance, job skills training, and information and referral
services for soldiers, family members, and eligible military ID card
holders. The Army Spouse Employment Partnership (ASEP) is a component
of the Employment Readiness Program and provides Army spouses an
opportunity to attain financial security and achieve their employment
goals while helping spouses locate jobs in their communities. The Army
signed a Statement of Support with 31 Fortune 500 companies and
military agencies who pledged their best effort to increase employment
and career opportunities for Army spouses. The Web site, www.msjs.org,
was launched as a portal for military spouse resumes and a place for
ASEP partners and registered military spouse-friendly employers to post
their job vacancies.
The DOD Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)
initiative provides education, training, certification, and licensing
for military spouses to pursue careers in high-demand, high-growth
portable career fields such as education, health care, financial
services, homeland security, information technology, hospitality
industry, business management, and other similar fields. MyCAA, located
on the MilitaryOneSource Web site, provides up to $6,000 of financial
assistance for related training, education, licenses, and/or
credentials. DOD is expanding the MyCAA initiative.
Dr. Rau. In a 2006 survey of Navy spouses, almost half were
employed and a majority of spouses of both officer and enlisted worked
in their chosen career field. A majority of employed spouses were able
to continue with career progression when relocated. Of the remaining 50
percent of Navy spouses, over four-fifths of those were not currently
seeking employment. The Navy spouse survey was replicated this year,
with the results expected this summer.
For military family members seeking employment, the Family
Employment Readiness Program addresses those challenges through
individualized assistance and educational classes and workshops. We
provide assistance such as self-directed or staff assisted job search
in employment resource centers, information and referral services,
career development and coaching. Workshops and seminars are routinely
provided and create a framework for further educational exploration in
areas such as: Resume Writing, Effective Job Search Strategies,
Interviewing Techniques, Federal Employment Opportunities, Entrepreneur
Business Opportunities, Personal Skills Assessment, and Financing
Career Change.
During 2008, nearly 2,900 Navy spouses were awarded scholarships at
six Navy pilot locations through joint DOD/DoL Career Advancement
Account (CAA) partnerships. The CAA program has now been expanded
world-wide. Fleet and Family Support Program staff conducted over 3,000
employer education events to market military spouses as solutions to
hiring needs. Over 11,000 family members were provided individual
assistance in 2008, while over 12,000 were provided educational classes
and workshops. Notably, 49 percent of our Navy Child and Youth Programs
professional workforce are military spouses, which affords them mobile
career opportunities. More than 2,490 spouses voluntarily reported
securing employment as a result of Navy wide family support program
efforts during 2008.
General Larsen. The Family Member Employment Assistance Program
(FMEAP) provides free employment assistance for Active Duty, Reserves,
and Retiree family members (depending on space availability).
Employment assistance, provided by Certified Workforce Development
Professionals at all 18 major USMC installations, focuses on career-
coaching to prepare family members to enter, maintain, and sustain
employment and career growth. In addition, FMEAP provides workshops and
extensive one-on-one assistance on resume and cover letter writing;
using internet access and electronic job banks; the Federal employment;
self-assessments; interview dress and etiquette; employment counseling,
job search processes, employment networking and referrals; information
on the current labor market, average salaries and wage trends in their
area; and government partnerships for employment & training. We have
completed a Functionality Assessment of our FMEAP Program and have
identified several promising areas that would expand and improve the
program, such as engaging family members earlier in the employment
search; increasing job referrals through partnerships with local and
national companies; providing follow up assistance after services are
received; and improving program visibility.
Ms. Nesmith. Our Air Force programs provide spouses with knowledge
and skills they can use to develop and maintain a successful career
within the framework of the mobile military lifestyle. Installation-
level staff works with employers in the community to raise awareness of
the value of hiring military spouses. Airman and Family Readiness
Centers provide classes and individual consultation on career planning
and all phases of the job search, as well as assistance with on-line
resources and access to computers.
We are partnering with DOD to support spouse employment initiatives
through programs such as Spouses to Teachers and My Career Advancement
Account, which provides up to $6,000 for education, licensure,
certification, and continuing education for a portable career. We also
partner with the Air Force Aid Society, who sponsors a Spouse Tuition
Assistance Program which grants up to $1,500 to a spouse stationed
overseas to defer the cost of college tuition, and the Spouse
Employment Training Program which funds up to $10,000 for Airman and
Family Readiness Center programs that assist spouses with requirements
for portable careers. In 2009, 32 grant proposals were approved across
the Air Force. Participants will train in medical transcription,
pharmacy technology, computers, nursing assistance, and special needs
education.
support for single servicemembers
13. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General
Larsen, and Ms. Nesmith, a great deal of attention has been paid to
military families, and rightly so. Many family support programs target
the spouses and dependents of servicemembers, but a large portion of
the military is single. What family members do DOD and the Services
target for single servicemembers?
Mr. Myers. The traditional ``Family Support'' programs are now
called ``Warfighter and Family Services'' (WFS) to emphasize these
programs are also for non-married personnel. WFS helps single
servicemembers develop life skills and pursue career opportunities and
financial stability, and assist during times of personal trauma and
stress, including natural disasters and with the transition to civilian
life.
Single servicemember programs address single's quality of life
issues and initiatives and support commanders by providing the forum
through which single's concerns are identified and recommendations for
improvement are made. Additionally, numerous Morale, Welfare and
Recreation (MWR) programs specifically target single personnel. These
include physical fitness and sports facilities and intramural sports,
free Internet and gaming cafes, libraries--both facility based and on-
line, recreation centers just for active duty, discount ticket and
travel opportunities, high adventure outdoor recreation programs, auto
hobby shops, skill development programs, bowling, concerts and other
entertainment, membership clubs that foster esprit de corps, marinas,
theaters, golf, and special interest programs such as flying, sky
diving, rod and gun areas, horseback riding, scuba, and diving.
The department also provides extensive MWR support for deployed
personnel including free Internet Cafes, professional entertainment,
special events, mobile canteens, fitness and sports facilities and
equipment, and various deployable kits such as ``Recreation in a Box,''
``Theater in a Box,'' ``Electronic Games in a Box,'' and ``Library in a
Box.'' The Military Exchanges operate stores in deployed areas and
provide phone cards and additional Internet services. There is also
strong grass roots support from the general public and nonprofits who
provide large numbers of ``care packages'' for that taste of home.
The military Services all have extensive renovation plans for
barracks to ensure adequate living conditions and QOL amenities are
available for single personnel.
Ms. Marin. Single soldiers are not overlooked in our morale,
welfare, and recreation programs. The Army provides a comprehensive
Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) program to facilitate
leisure and recreation, community service, and quality of life
opportunities for its single soldiers.
BOSS is designed to be the collective voice for single soldiers
through the chain of command and serves as a tool for commanders to
gauge the morale of single soldiers. Through BOSS, single soldiers plan
and participate in recreational activities and community service
projects that provide soldiers with valuable experience, skills, and a
sense of community pride and ownership. BOSS activities such as
whitewater rafting, talent competitions, computer classes, and tours
are available before, during, and after deployment.
Dr. Rau. With respect to family members of single sailors, we
engage a single sailor's preferred point of contact during IA
assignment or the designated caregivers of seriously wounded, ill and
injured single sailors. We otherwise provide information to family
members of single sailors through our family support Web site, command
ombudsman program, and recently launched Fleet and Family Support
Programs Facebook page. Military OneSource and MilitaryHOMEFRONT Web
sites, as well as the Joint Family Support Program, provide resources
and information which are beneficial for family members of single
servicemembers.
All sailors, to include single sailors, have access to services
provided at FFSCs to include deployment support, relocation assistance,
clinical counseling, sexual assault and domestic abuse victim advocacy,
personal financial management, life skills education and transition
assistance.
General Larsen. The Marine Corps recognizes that there is a family
you are born into as well as one you marry into. Our family programs
are expanding to include the extended family of parents for both single
and married marines. Our Family Readiness Officers provide accurate
information to both immediate and extended family members as authorized
by the individual marine.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force offers a myriad of activities and
programs available to all authorized patrons to include single
servicemembers; for example, Tops In Blue, Base Level Talent Contest,
Four Seasons Outdoor Recreation, Hook Up to Bowling, Link Up to Golf,
Football Frenzy, Air Force Hoops, Intramural Sports, Air Force Chess,
Live Green, and the Air Force Gallery Showcase for Artists, Craftsmen,
and Photographers. In addition, each Air Force installation conducts
numerous local programs specifically targeted to single airmen as
dictated by their single servicemember needs.
14. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General
Larsen, and Ms. Nesmith, are mothers, fathers, siblings, or friends
made aware of resources that may be available to them, as well as their
loved ones, upon return from a deployment, to better cope with any
issues that may arise?
Mr. Myers. The Military Services offer information and referral to
resources available to family members including parents and siblings
before, during and after return of a member from deployment.
Information about the resources is provided during pre-deployment
workshops and mailings; through command newsletters and outreach from
rear detachment unit staff and/or family program staff during
deployment; and during reintegration and post-deployment workshops and
training. Additionally, parents of servicemembers are eligible for
information and referral through Military OneSource, 24/7, 365 days a
year.
Ms. Marin. The Army uses many service delivery mechanisms to inform
soldiers and immediate or extended families on available services and
programs. Army OneSource (www.armyonesource.com) is a focal point for
information delivery, which provides accurate, up-to-date information
on a variety of topics for Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve soldiers and
family members. In fiscal year 2008, Army OneSource had more than 20
million hits per month. A monthly update of topics related to family
readiness, the Family Program Newsletter, is currently e-mailed to more
than 75,000 subscribers who sign up on the Army OneSource Web site.
Family Readiness Groups (FRGs) also provide a critical link between
extended families, soldiers, and units before, during, and after
deployments. FRGs membership is open to soldiers, civilian employees,
and immediate and extended family members (parents, siblings, fiancee,
and other loved ones designated by the soldier). Virtual FRGs provide
all the functionality of an FRG in an ad-hoc, online setting to meet
the needs of geographically dispersed units and families. The eArmy
Family Messaging System is another tool for commanders to deliver
messages through multiple devices such as phone, cell, text, PDA, and
fax.
On installations, MFLCs provide informal support to soldiers and
families to supplement resident counseling services. The MFLCs work
directly with Army Community Service, Guard Headquarters, and Reserve
Regional Commands to provide deployment and reintegration support to
soldiers and their families. Consultants with special skill sets, such
as financial or child and youth needs, are also available. The goal of
MFLCs is to prevent family distress by providing education and
information on family dynamics, parent education, available support
services, and the effects of stress and positive coping mechanisms.
Dr. Rau. Outreach efforts in the Navy include informing extended
family members of programs and services available within the military
and civilian community when designated by Individual Augmentee Sailors
as their preferred point of contact. These extended family members
receive information on deployment support services available through
interactions with Individual Deployment Support Specialists. OSC
information is provided to help family members cope and identify any
stress reactions related to the IA deployment and reintegration
process. Depending on geographic location, extended family members are
invited to attend IA family day events, deployment briefings, family
readiness group events, and RWWs, a signature event of the Navy Reserve
Reintegration program.
General Larsen. Extended family members are invited to participate
in pre-, during- and post-deployment training. Recognizing that many
are not located near our bases, we are attempting to provide that
information in an exportable form that is useful to these key
influencers of our marines.
Ms. Nesmith. Yes. During the mandatory predeployment briefing, all
airmen are asked by Airman and Family Readiness Center personnel to
identify family members or significant others who may require
assistance during a deployment. Our Airman and Family Readiness Center
staff maintain monthly contact with family members or significant
others through a variety of means, including face-to face contact at
community events specially designed for families of deployed members,
telephone calls, email, and newsletters.
Reintegration support is an extension of this service; Air Force
helping agencies host preparing-for-return workshops to advise family
members and significant others of expectations and potential behaviors
when the airman returns. By establishing relationships with families
and airmen prior to deployment and maintaining contact throughout,
airmen and families are more aware of the services and agencies
available to them and are more likely to seek assistance when issues
arise.
exceptional family member program
15. Senator Ben Nelson. Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen, and Ms.
Nesmith, the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) was established
to assist Active Duty servicemembers in providing for the special needs
of family members before, during, and after relocation required by a
change of duty assignment to a new location. Implementation of this
program, however, varies between Services. How does your organization
reach out to servicemembers who have dependents with special medical
and educational needs?
Ms. Marin. The Army EFMP is a mandatory enrollment program based on
public law and DOD mandates. Soldiers enroll in the program so special
needs can be considered in the military personnel assignment process.
The program works with other military and civilian agencies to provide
comprehensive and coordinated community support, housing, educational,
medical, and personnel services to families with special needs.
Each installation has an EFMP manager who coordinates all
components of the program for the garrison commander. The manager
ensures parents are linked with appropriate special education school
officials. Additional community support services include: information
and referral; advocacy (support groups and rights and responsibilities
under local, State and Federal laws); transition support for families
with school-age children; family-find activities; respite care; and
provision of recreational and cultural programs.
In February 2009, the Army Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation
Command convened an EFMP Summit to develop a plan to improve services
and support for Army exceptional family members in the following areas:
assignment process, case management, relocation and transition
services; access to support services; and availability of external
support. Implementation of the EFMP Action Plan will be monitored by a
Department of Army EFMP Committee.
Dr. Rau. The Navy utilizes a variety of means to develop and
implement comprehensive outreach to servicemembers who have dependents
with special needs.
Eligible Service and family members with special needs are
identified and enrolled during routine medical care and
suitability screening. At each Military Treatment Facility an
Exceptional Family Member Coordinator (EFMC) oversees the EFMP
enrollment, assists current and prospective Exceptional Family
Member (EFM) families; and provides marketing and training for
the EFMP.
Each FFSC assists families in finding the resources to meet
their specific family need.
Military OneSource offers 24/7/365 consultation. Navy
families can call and request information and available
medical/educational resources from specialty consultants within
their community.
Navy hosts regional training activities and education and
awareness campaigns to provide information regarding EFMP
policies, procedures, and other program related resources to
servicemembers.
EFMP resource materials are developed that include Navy
manuals, quick guides, and brochures, distributed to FFSCs and
Navy Medical Treatment Facilities to increase education and
awareness.
The Navy EFMP webpage provides current policy and referral
information as well as links to other Web sites that provide
additional resource information for meeting specific needs of
the exceptional family member.
Navy Child and Youth Programs provides contracted respite
care through the National Association of Child Care Resource
and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) for families of EFM identified
children with highly specialized medical or educational needs.
General Larsen. By requiring mandatory enrollment for marines with
exceptional family members, our program is aimed at reaching those
families who need the support and services of the EFMP and providing a
continuum of care. First, sponsors with EFMs are assigned to locations
where services exist to support the family and, thereby, improve their
overall quality of life. Second, a Marine Corps installation EFMP
Family Case Worker (FCW) provides direct family case management for the
sponsor and /or family to provide a continuum of care and to develop
each families' ability to advocate for their EFM. The Family Case
Worker is required to contact families who are stabilized, at least
quarterly, and families who are in a critical phase as much as
necessary. In addition, family case management and outreach, our EFMP
program provides family training, a special needs forum, family support
groups, as making the family aware of local resources.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force's processes to identify families with
special needs and match assignments accordingly are good, but we are
focused on providing additional support for the families once they
arrive at the new duty locations.
support for reserve component families
16. Senator Ben Nelson. Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen, and Ms.
Nesmith, while family support services seem to exist at most, if not
all, military installations, they are of minimal help to those Guard,
Reserve, and Active Duty families who do not live near a major
installation. What programs has each Service tailored to the specific
needs of Guard and Reserve families and Active Duty families in more
remote locations, and how does each Service reach out to those families
to make them aware of available resources?
Ms. Marin. Army OneSource (AOS) is the centerpiece of the Army's
efforts to reach out to families in remote locations. AOS establishes a
comprehensive, multi-component approach for community support for
Active, Guard, and Reserve soldiers, families, and employers through
the entire deployment cycle. AOS includes several delivery options to
meet the diverse needs of soldiers and families, regardless of where
they reside, through personal (office visit, telephone) and internet
services (www.armyonesource.com).
The AOS portal compiles up-to-date information in a single location
for soldiers and families to access any time of day, regardless of
component or physical location. AOS organizes articles, videos, and
resources in major categories: Family Programs and Services;
Healthcare; Soldier and Family Housing; Child, Youth and School
Services; Education, Careers and Libraries; Recreation, Travel and
BOSS; and Communities and Marketplace. Targeting the geographically
dispersed, the site heightens awareness of existing programs and
services, and expands the Army's ability to reach and interact with
soldiers and families.
To help establish and strengthen partnerships within local
communities, this initiative placed AOS Community Support Coordinators
(CSCs) at 44 locations, to date. CSC's focus is on behavioral health,
financial, legal, and faith-based community resources in support of the
geographically dispersed.
Other outreach efforts include the Army Spouse Employment
Partnership (ASEP) and MFLCs. The ASEP State and local initiative for
fiscal year 2010 is to work with CSCs and soldier and family services
to ensure that Guard and Reserve spouses find employment opportunities
in outlying areas with our corporate partners. MFLCs support more than
700 on-demand events for the Guard and Reserve on issues that soldiers
and families face before and after deployment.
Dr. Rau. The Navy Reserve Psychological Health Outreach Program
provides two Outreach Coordinators and three Outreach team members to
each Reserve Region (for a total of 25). These coordinators and team
members provide outreach, support, and intervention to returning
reservists and their family members to mitigate existing stressors and
to address future concerns. The newly established DOD Yellow Ribbon
Reintegration Program provides Reserve Component (RC) servicemembers
and their families support through all phases of the deployment cycle.
The military services are sharing information regarding their
deployment support programs so that RC personnel and families can
attend events as close to their residence as possible. We are also
using resources provided by Military OneSource, Joint Family Support
and Assistance Programs, and the State National Guard Family Program
Offices to deliver this critical information to our remotely located
families. The Reserve Forces Family Support Coordinator and the five
regional Family Support Administrators work closely and support RC
command ombudsmen to ensure good two-way communication between commands
and families so that the needs of RC families are identified and
addressed.
With regard to the Active component, outreach to remotely located
family members includes command ombudsmen ensuring two-way
communication between commands and families so that the needs of AC
families are identified and addressed. Additionally, technology is
leveraged to provide virtual family discussion groups, regular updating
of family support information and tools on family readiness Web sites
and Facebook pages, and use of the Navy Family Accountability and
Assessment System as a mechanism to provide aggressive outreach,
recurring assessment and support to remotely located family members of
individual deployers.
General Larsen. The Marine Corps' remote and isolated populations
are primarily a result of either an Active Duty assignment to a remote
installation (e.g. Barstow, CA, MWTC Bridgeport, CA) or Recruiting
Substation (RSS), or as a member of the Reserves, whether the Select
Marine Corps Reserve (SMCR) or Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). In order
to ensure these family's are afforded the same family programs and
services on par with those who live aboard or in close proximity to a
major installation, the Marine Corps has expanded its family readiness
programs, services and personnel, to include full-time civilian Family
Readiness Officers (FROs), within various command staffs either aboard
the remote installations or within the command hierarchy of the Marine
Forces Reserve component. As part of the Marine Corps' newly-
established Unit, Personal & Family Readiness Program (UPFRP), the
FRO's primary purpose is to consistently and effectively communicate
with marines, spouses, and designated family members on matters
relating to family readiness, which may include but not be limited to,
readiness and deployment; information and referral to DOD, local,
State, and Federal family support programs and services; and how to
access funding in support of family events and/or training. The FRO
essentially oversees the execution of the commander's family readiness
strategy to ensure that regardless of location, every family has the
knowledge and resources to provide for their resiliency within the
Marine Corps lifestyle. Further, in fiscal year 2009, DOD launched the
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program specifically tailored to ensure
reservists from all services receive the same family readiness
preparedness training and support as their Active Duty counterparts.
The Marine Corps issued MARADMIN 0126/09 to establish the
implementation and reporting guidance in support of this DOD
requirement. The Marine Corps EFMP provides a full continuum of
services for our mobilized marine reservists and family members located
in remote locations. The two regional EFMP offices located at MCB Camp
Pendleton and MCB Quantico have been established to meet the needs of
our families in remote locations.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force provides child care support to Guard and
Reserve members during drill weekends. The Home Community Care child
care program is provided at 43 locations throughout the United States,
and provides 57,000 hours of child care each year in support of
training. Additionally, working through a national partnership with the
Boys & Girls Clubs of America, children of Guard, Reserve, and other
geographically-dispersed airmen can receive child and youth services in
local clubs at no cost. Air Force regularly meets with program managers
from Guard and Reserve to identify gaps in service, and then actively
works to fill those gaps.
Airman and Family Readiness Centers reach out to communities to
serve Guard and Reserve airmen and their families. Our staff attends
drill weekends, annual training events, and other activities to connect
with Guard and Reserve families. We also meet with community
organizations to identify and address how best to support our Guard and
Reserve population, including the State Joint Force Headquarters
Integrated Network and the Inter-Service Family Assistance Committee.
Additionally, the on-demand MFLCs provide non-medical counseling
support and presentations on a variety of topics focused on deployment
and reintegration, communication, and grief and loss during drill
weekends, and family events.
uniformity of family support services
17. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, General Larsen, and
Ms. Nesmith, spouses have said that service family support programs are
fragmented and vary greatly by installation. The extent of family
support given to a unit is largely at the unit commander's discretion.
What are the DOD and the Services doing to ensure the uniformity of
services offered across each Service, so that families have access to
the same support and transition services when they relocate?
Mr. Myers. To ensure uniformity of family support services offered
across the military Services, the Department and Services have worked
to develop Common Output Levels of Support (COLS). These form the
baseline of service that must be available at each installation. Public
Law, DOD, and Service policies establish specific requirements to
assist families with relocation. Each Service has the discretion to
implement these requirements according to their customs and traditions.
While outstanding support is provided, the Department knows more needs
to be done to reduce perceived inequity and fragmentation of services.
Additionally, the Department augments all military Services by
providing support which can surge as needed, such as Military OneSource
and its broad range of services. The Department's Military HOMEFRONT
offers Plan My Move, a Web site designed to assist families as they
transition from one installation to another. Military Installations and
Military Youth on the Move assist school aged youth with issues they
may face as they transition from one community and school to another.
Ms. Marin. Relocation Readiness is critical to managing the
challenges of the mobile military lifestyle. The Army's Relocation
Readiness Program provides services necessary to support soldiers and
families during military transitions. Army Community Services provides
relocation information, guidance, counseling, education, and training.
Services include access to several online databases that contain
military installation information, telephone numbers, photos, housing
floor plans and maps, and calendars to help plan pre- and post-move
tasks. Individual or group counseling is also available to inbound and
outbound transferees who require extensive preparation and planning
before, during, or after moves. Additional education and training
provides mandatory overseas orientations, re-entry workshops, pre-
arrival information, destination services, lending closets of household
items, post-move newcomers orientations, services to multicultural
families, outreach services (identification, counseling, advocacy) for
waiting families, unit sponsorship training, youth sponsorship, and ACS
liaison to Citizen Immigration Services.
The Army, working with our sister Services and DOD, created common
output level standards (COLS) which standardized installation support
across joint bases. The COLS are the first building block of DOD's
common delivery of installation support (CDIS) framework which seeks to
standardize installation support across all Services. The COLS seek to
ensure that although each Service is uniquely organized, soldiers and
families will receive the same world-class support at any joint base.
General Larsen. The Marine Corps conducts Functionality Assessments
to evaluate family support functions that cross installation
boundaries. The results of the assessments are used to develop
standards and performance measures, and to develop good guidance for
commanders. Through our on-going program assessments and evaluations,
the Marine Corps is committed to ensuring an equitable delivery of
service, regardless of duty station/assignment. This includes the
expansion of community-based support to our marines and families not
stationed on or near DOD installations.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force has leaned forward to standardize our
programs across the force. We recently revised our Key Spouse Program,
which provides unit-based support to families when airmen are deployed.
A key focus was to standardize the program to ensure consistency of
services at our installations. This standardization is being applied to
other areas such as Personal and Work Life Education, Personnel
Financial Management, and Spouse Employment and Transition Assistance.
The Air Force regularly participates in DOD program manager
meetings with all of the services, as well as quarterly helping
professional seminars and other concerted efforts to implement common
output level standards which facilitate uniformity of our programs.
department of defense education activity schools
18. Senator Ben Nelson. Mr. Myers, many of the school facilities
within the DOD Education Activity (DODEA) have exceeded their life
expectancy and do not meet today's educational standards. Some of the
deficiencies include roofs in need of repair; heating, ventilation, and
air conditioning; and needed improvements to support classroom
technology requirements. What is DOD doing to address the inadequacy of
its DODEA education facilities?
Mr. Myers. DODEA is on track in fiscal year 2009 to fund the
facilities sustainment at the Department's target level of 90 percent,
in-line with the military services and other DOD agencies. This
commitment will continue in fiscal year 2010. This is a significant
increase from the previous years' actual obligation of approximately 70
percent. Through this commitment, several major roof and HVAC projects
have been completed. With the additional sustainment funds, DODEA has
also been able to improve the preventive maintenance support, providing
a process that will allow more of the major infrastructure building
systems to meet their designed life expectancy.
Supplemental Military Construction (MILCON) funds have been
provided to DODEA to help replace the older, more critically deficient
facilities. A cost analysis from an independent architectural/
engineering firm indicates these facilities are more cost effective to
construct new than modernize and maintain. The available MILCON funding
in fiscal year 2010 increased from $40 million to $195 million,
allowing two of DODEA's most urgent projects (Kaiserslautern and SHAPE)
to be included in the fiscal year 2010 MILCON submission.
DODEA has developed a Facilities Education Specification and
started the process to standardized designs of schools and educational
facilities used worldwide. This standardization will maximize the
limited design funding and save critical time in the design and
construction process. All future O&M and MILCON projects will
incorporate these standards.
______
Questions Submitted by Senator Lindsey Graham
military spouses
19. Senator Graham. Ms. Casey, Ms. Mancini, Ms. Smith, Ms. Davis,
and Ms. Moakler, what are the characteristics of command support and
military environment that cause some families to succeed and others to
struggle?
Ms. Casey. My sense is that the following circumstances all
contribute to some families being able to cope with the current
operating environment better than others:
Our 1.1 million person Army is made up of diverse
people who come from various backgrounds (with various pre-
existing issues and different coping mechanisms).
Depending on where they are located, some military
families have more consistent access to military facilities and
family support programs.
In commands where families are more strongly
emphasized, there tends to be more success.
And, some families simply opt out, preferring not to
be contacted or included.
The Army--supported by Congress and others--must continue to assist
our Army families that are stretched and stressed from 8 years of war.
We've made progress through the Army Family Covenant and Community
Covenant--two programs that formalize support to soldiers and their
families who sacrifice daily. We're also focusing on helping soldiers
and families become more ``resilient'' in the face of adversity. This
new resiliency program is called Comprehensive Soldier Fitness.
Ms. Mancini. Creating a community atmosphere, by building a sense
of pride, offering relative programs, and listening to the needs of
your servicemembers and families. NECC (Navy Expeditionary Combat
Command) realized the need to integrate Family Readiness in to the
units Fleet Training Readiness Program (FRTP).
A struggle NECC has discovered in many of our commands is the
relationship between the command and FFSC (Fleet and Family Service
Center). It is not institutionalized, rather dependent on the
personalities of the Command Staff, Ombudsman and FRG Leaders.
Another struggle NECC experiences is the fact that our commands and
families are so dispersed geographically, especially for our Reserve
Units, in order to stay connected often depends on command leadership,
Ombudsman and family readiness volunteers to reach out and use
innovative thinking.
Ms. Smith. [Ms. Smith declined to answer.]
Ms. Davis. Spousal involvement with military affiliated support
programs and activities is the key. Getting our young families ``tuned
in'' and actively engaged in the military way of life is crucial.
Ms. Moakler. When commanders recognize that family readiness is
important to mission readiness, families are more involved and feel
valued. communicating this to the families is key. Committing the chain
of command to this process is equally important. If the commander
supports family readiness but platoon level command doesn't buy into
it, they all is lost.
financial well-being of military families
20. Senator Graham. Ms. Casey, Ms. Mancini, Ms. Smith, Ms. Davis,
and Ms. Moakler, DOD and Congress have cooperated in recent years in
efforts to improve the financial I.Q. and decisionmaking of military
members, including their spouses. How would you evaluate the success of
these efforts to date?
Ms. Casey. The support from Congress in this area has been much
appreciated. While I don't have specific metrics, my sense is that the
cooperative focus on financial readiness training has helped the
financial I.Q. and decisionmaking of our military members and their
spouses. We need to maintain informative training and assistance
because-when military members make themselves available for it--the
training and assistance works.
This issue is certainly one I can evaluate in my future travel and
dialogue with family members throughout the Army.
Ms. Mancini. The training is out there, but families must seek it
out; the need to have info pushed through marketing and command
leadership training is vital.
There is a need and want by many, but day care and babysitting is
not always convenient or even available. If we want these programs to
be successful we need to pay attention to the lifestyle the majority of
our servicemembers and families live day to day and accommodate as
necessary. We need to ask them what their needs are and listen to what
they say.
Ms. Smith. [Ms. Smith declined to answer.]
Ms. Davis. I believe the many classes offered and the availability
of financial counseling is having a positive impact. In light of the
current economy it appears many Active Duty members are seeking
financial counseling. Teaching good money making decisions to our
younger troops as part of their training is being proactive. The
biggest problem, however, is that our younger troops are entering the
military already in debt.
Ms. Moakler. The National Military Family Association has been at
the forefront of promoting financial education for our military
families through various publications such as ``Military Money'' and
programs such as ``Military Saves.'' We think that there is an
increased awareness of the importance of having a financial plan for
our military families. We applaud the innovative program that will add
additional financial counselors through the Military Family Life
Consultants and that many of these counselors will be military spouses.
Increasing availability, removing stigma and promoting the importance
of these programs for military families can go a long way in improving
their financial well-being.
21. Senator Graham. Ms. Casey, Ms. Mancini, Ms. Smith, Ms. Davis,
and Ms. Moakler, do you think the influence of predatory lenders has
diminished, or are the unscrupulous practices we have seen in the past
still a problem for military commanders and their personnel?
Ms. Casey. I am aware of predatory lending issues, but it has not
been an issue voiced in my meetings with military families.
In partnership with Congress, the Better Business Bureau, and
others, we must remain vigilant in countering the influence of
predatory lenders.
Ms. Mancini. The lenders in military areas have not diminished; we
are still seeing E1 friendly companies take advantage of our most
vulnerable sailors. They prey on our commands returning from
deployment; the overall perception is they are target military
families, specifically.
Ms. Smith. [Ms. Smith declined to answer.]
Ms. Davis. I think the influence of predatory lenders has
diminished, however their practices are still widely available and
utilized by our younger military members. Though these businesses may
not be located as near military installations as they once were; they
are reaching our personnel and are still a problem.
Ms. Moakler. Recent Federal legislation has offered protections for
military servicemembers and their families as well as creating an
awareness of the dangers of predatory lenders. The increase in programs
offered through the military banks and defense credit unions as well as
some commercial lenders who work with the military has helped to
diminish the influence of these predatory lenders.
coordination of services
22. Senator Graham. Ms. Casey, Ms. Mancini, Ms. Smith, Ms. Davis,
and Ms. Moakler, it strikes me that one characteristic of the military
is that multiple and overlapping services for families now exist--but
that can be a minus as well as a plus. What can DOD do to do a better
job of coordinating these services?
Ms. Casey. DOD does a good job of taking the best practices from
individual Services and ``making them applicable to all.'' For example,
when DOD identified successful Army programs such as Army OneSource and
the Military Family Life Consultant Program, it took ownership of them
to eliminate Service duplication.
My sense is that we need to be cautious of a ``one-size-fits-all''
approach. There are some family programs that should remain Service-
specific since the needs of each Service population vary. The Army's
``Family Team Building'' program is one example; it's a program
uniquely tailored to teach spouses about the Army.
Ms. Mancini. The continuation of DOD conferences is important for
voices to be heard. Encouraging more cross-pollination among the
Service branches will also prevent overlapping or copy cat programs.
Once again, surveying the servicemembers and families; are FFSC
services being used, or are they even needed? These surveys need to be
targeted to the deck plate sailor or lower enlisted servicemembers.
Ms. Smith. [Ms. Smith declined to answer.]
Ms. Davis. Communicating and coordinating between support programs
could alleviate much of this. Now that we have several joint bases it's
actually creating a myriad of services that can be confusing to
military families. Each Service does things their way, inter-service
training and coordination of support program providers is crucial.
Ms. Moakler. Our association as long been a proponent of Joint or
Purple programs. We are seeing the results of this in programs like the
Yellow Ribbon Reintegration program that goes across Services and
components. Our joint bases are also having to deal with coordination
of services.
We hope that the Military Family Readiness Council and the recent
report that DOD had to do will look at what programs are successful and
which are redundant. We do feel that local commanders should be able to
have some leeway in using the programs that are found most successful
in their areas.
support for adolescents
23. Senator Graham. Ms. Casey, Ms. Mancini, Ms. Smith, Ms. Davis,
and Ms. Moakler, we have a generation of military children who have
known 8 years of war and repeated deployments--and it's not over yet.
What do we know about the effect of these years on children as they
grow into adolescence?
Ms. Casey. We know very little at this point. We do know, though,
that military children exposed to multiple deployments by their parents
are coping with increased levels of stress. But, the cumulative effect
on our military children and adolescents of 8 years of war and repeated
deployments remains to be seen.
My sense is that the issues we are seeing today with our military
children are merely lagging indicators of what we will likely face in
the future. My biggest concern is that the most challenging issues will
surface later when families have more time to really reintegrate as
``dwell time'' increases. Critical, in this regard, will be the
continuation of support services long after the current operations
tempo has abated.
We as a Nation need to be ready to handle these issues because if
we don't stay out in front of them, we won't be able to react fast
enough. This means, in part, supporting ongoing independent studies on
this topic--and even commissioning new ones--so that we can use their
results to shape future policy programs.
Ms. Mancini. We don't know yet, but encourage that this topic stay
in the forefront of mental health professionals and encourage there be
further and ongoing investigations.
Ms. Smith. [Ms. Smith declined to answer.]
Ms. Davis. I don't have any information to answer this question.
Ms. Moakler. The National Military Family Association is presently
conducting a study with the RAND Corporation on the effects of
deployment on children. This study is unique in that it asks both the
caregiver and the child about their deployment experiences. We hope to
have final results of the study in the Spring.
24. Senator Graham. Ms. Casey, Ms. Mancini, Ms. Smith, Ms. Davis,
and Ms. Moakler, what more can we do?
Ms. Casey. We--as a Nation--owe it to our military children to
provide the best possible environment for them to grow and thrive. This
environment must include facilities and services that can help them
deal effectively with the cumulative effects of 8 years of war--to
include the stress of a repeatedly deployed parent. This environment
must also include mental health services and resiliency training for
our children and their parents. It must include teachers, counselors,
and mentors who have been specifically educated about the unique
challenges children in the military face. This last point is
particularly important because many of our children--especially those
in Guard and Reserve families--are in schools that, traditionally, do
not have military children as students, so educating school staff about
the military and what our children are going through is essential.
Ms. Mancini. Make an effort to talk to deck plate sailors'
families; talk with military constituents; budget and fund relevant
family service programs; discard unused or wasteful programs; and fund
these programs for day care, babysitting, et cetera.
Ms. Smith. [Ms. Smith declined to answer.]
Ms. Davis. Create a school voucher program for military children.
Many families are forced to home school or pay for private school out
of necessity not choice.
Ms. Moakler. We can make sure that existing programs continue to be
funded across all components and that programs that are provided in
cooperation with community resources are continued and that new
partnerships are encouraged. The Services are all making use of the
internet and social networking in an effort to reach out to
adolescents. We have heard from the children attending our Operation
Purple camps that the opportunity to interact with other children like
themselves and creating relationships really helps them through the
tough times of deployment.
spouse employment
25. Senator Graham. Ms. Casey, Ms. Mancini, Ms. Smith, Ms. Davis,
and Ms. Moakler, what are military spouses telling you about what they
need in order to achieve their own educational and career goals?
Ms. Casey. Army spouses continue to face challenges in reaching
their educational and career goals. And, the tough economy is only
making these challenges greater.
The Army continues to take steps to help mitigate these challenges.
Army spouses often tell me that programs like the Employment Readiness
Program, the post-September 11 GI Bill benefits transferability, and
the ``My Career Advancement Account'' are invaluable.
There is still more work to be done, though. As I travel around the
Army to talk with spouses, I hear concerns about confusing language/
eligibility rules for new educational and career programs. One example
is the confusion-both in military families and in the public
educational institutions themselves--about a new law mandating in-State
tuition and its transferability. Another example involves Executive
Order 13473, which authorizes noncompetitive appointments in the Civil
Service for spouses of certain members of the Armed Forces. This
Executive order has regulatory guidance attached to it by the Office of
Personnel Management that narrows the eligible pool, which, in
turn,disappoints and frustrates non-eligible spouses.
There are so many wonderful education and career programs out
there. We just need to focus on how we talk about them, which includes
simplifying the language.
Ms. Mancini. Moving from place to place makes it difficult to
continue a career, especially when we are transferred or relocated
every 2-4 years. While the Spouse Relocation initiative is a good
start, during deployments our spouses are single parents and find it
difficult to pursue their education due to lack of funding for
childcare and tuitions assistance. Marketing the programs offered at
FFSC and encouraging them to utilize the self help classes, while
making it more appealing and accessible by assisting these `single'
spouses with childcare, et cetera.
Our spouses are the backbone of our commands; they volunteer to
support their servicemembers and their families, sometimes for years
and years at a time. College credits for volunteer time could be the
accelerant needed to encourage them to seek a higher education.
Encouraging colleges to have accelerated programs for military
spouses, 0-Bachelor's Degree in 2\1/2\ years.
Ms. Smith. [Ms. Smith declined to answer.]
Ms. Davis. Most spouses I speak with find it easier to complete
their educational goals via online courses. The introduction of the
Military Spouse Career Advancement Account is assisting many spouses
complete their career goals in many portable career fields. The key is
getting the word out and having the program available everywhere.
Ms. Moakler. Military spouses tell us they need assistance
transferring their license or certification as they move with their
servicemember. Many professions are regulated and the receiving State
often does not accept the sending State's license or certification.
Military spouses may spend several months becoming recertified,
licensed or taking more classes before they can even begin to work in
their new State. In a dual-income society, this is a significant
financial strain to the family. The DOD State Liaison Office will work
on tackling this issue next year but it is unclear what types of
professionals a broad-based piece of legislation will impact. We do
recognize that the new Career Advancement Accounts help with the cost
of this certification but it still impacts employment and lost income.
family member dental care
26. Senator Graham. Ms. Casey, Ms. Mancini, Ms. Smith, Ms. Davis,
and Ms. Moakler, some military families feel that coverage under the
family dental insurance plan is too limited and restorations cost too
much. Do you think that military families would be willing to pay an
increase in premiums in return for broader coverage?
Ms. Casey. I don't know, as it may vary by family. I will tell you,
though, that Army families usually prefer flexibility. So, perhaps the
best approach is to have two tiered option.
Ms. Mancini. This really depends on how much the increase would be
and what it would include. It also depends upon what pay grade of
member you are considering. This doesn't seem feasible for our lower
enlisted servicemembers and may not benefit them. If they have to
choose food over dentist premium they will and must choose food. This
could prove to be irresponsible on the leadership's behalf.
Once again, surveying the servicemembers and families would give
you a great start.
The issue of continuity of dental care, especially orthodontia,
needs to be looked at. Typically when a family moves the have to start
over with orthodontic care, which can be extremely costly and
unnecessary.
Ms. Smith. [Ms. Smith declined to answer.]
Ms. Davis. Yes, I believe military families would be willing to pay
a little more for increased dental services. Some type of optional plan
should be offered. Those who want to participate can and those who
don't want to pay for the increased services can opt out.
Ms. Moakler. I do not believe that military families would be
willing to pay more. While we know the TRICARE Family Member Dental
Program provides greater access to care, given scarce dental resources,
many families do not want to pay anything at all since they believe
that dental care is a benefit.
family support programs
27. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, how are you systematically evaluating family support
programs to make sure they are meeting their intended goals?
Mr. Myers. The Department values ongoing, systematic servicemember
and family research and evaluation to help guide us in best serving
families. Along with social science research on families and quality of
life issues, we have relied on three major sources of data over the
past several years to help us understand the needs of families.
(1) Active Duty Spouse Surveys (2006 and 2008) covered a wide
range of quality of life issues, including financial well-
being, effects of deployments on children, spouse employment
and education, and feeling about military life. The surveys
included spouses from all services and provide the richest
source of data we have to date about how families are faring
across all the services.
(2) Three Status of the Forces Surveys a year poll Active Duty
servicemembers on their overall satisfaction with the military,
retention intentions, perceived readiness, stress, tempo and
permanent change of station moves. Two surveys of the Reserve
Components are also conducted each year. These surveys allow us
to track trends and changes in the quality of life of
servicemembers and their families. A rotating set of questions
cover quality of life issues, including financial well-being,
impact of deployments on children, use of services and programs
like Military OneSource and Morale, Welfare and Recreation and
family support.
(3) In May 2000, the Department funded the Military Family
Research Institute at Purdue University to conduct basic
research on quality of life in military families, with
particular emphasis on implication for job satisfaction,
performance and retention.
Our next step is to provide Congress a report on military family
readiness policies and plans per section 581 of NDAA 08, which we
anticipate submitting by the end of July 2009. This report will detail
DOD-wide goals and measurement systems associated with family support
programs.
In recognition of the increased burden placed on servicemembers and
families during the Overseas Contingency Operation, the Department has
made family readiness a high priority and has redesigned and boosted
family support. Usage of support programs has expanded as the programs
respond to the needs of our military families. The upcoming report to
Congress details, wherever possible, the outcome data on our programs.
Collection and evaluation of outcome data continues to evolve as we
build our programs to best serve military members and their families.
Developing outcome measures remains a work in progress due to the
difficulties in applying meaningful measures to a military family's
readiness. In many areas, insufficient data exists to directly link
program benefits to outcomes for military families. For example,
outcome data on the various service programs that assist military
spouses with employment goals has been difficult to systematically
collect as the services have different delivery systems and different
data collection methods. Standardizing and collecting program outcome
measures will be a priority of research in coming years.
Ms. Marin. In October 2007, the Army unveiled the Army Family
Covenant (AFC) as their commitment to provide soldiers and their
families--Active, Guard, and Reserve--with a quality of life
commensurate with their level of service and sacrifice to the Nation.
The Army has aggressively improved a broad range of family-oriented,
quality of life programs to standardize services, increase
accessibility to health care, improve soldier and family housing,
ensure excellence in schools, youth and child services, and expand
education and employment opportunities for families. The Army has made
significant progress, but there is still much to do.
As the Army Family Covenant nears its second anniversary, senior
leaders want to know if improvements and investments in programs and
services meet the needs of soldiers and families. We are planning a
series of town hall meetings at seven of our largest installations to
meet with Family Readiness Group leaders and members to gather first-
hand information from those most affected by deployments about how well
the Covenant is meeting its commitments. Results from the town halls
will guide further program and service improvement strategies.
We also measure the effectiveness of Army support programs by
regularly surveying soldiers and families to seek opinions, assess
satisfaction, and most importantly, monitor adaptation to the unique
challenges of Army life. These trends help us match the capabilities of
Army programs to the expectations of our soldiers and families--keeping
the Army strong, ready, and resilient.
Dr. Rau. Navy family readiness programs and services are
systematically evaluated through several mechanisms. To meet the DOD
requirement for triennial inspection of all military family centers,
Navy Fleet and Family Support Programs (FFSP) implemented an
Accreditation Program. Accreditation provides detailed analysis of
program operation, to include identification of strengths and areas for
improvement. It also provides an external, objective marker that the
program meets accepted standards for organizational function and
quality of service and ensures regulatory requirements are met in each
management function and program area offered. Navy Child and Youth
Programs (CYP) also conducts a program of unannounced annual inspection
by qualified Navy child development specialists and accreditation by
the National Association for the Education of Young Children for Child
Development Centers and the National Afterschool Alliance for school
aged care.
In addition to Navy accreditation processes, FFSC survey customers
at least twice a year to ensure effective customer service and validate
that services are useful for participants.
General Larsen. The Marine Corps evaluates family support programs
through ongoing assessments, surveys and program evaluations. These
tools are used to determine program effectiveness and to further
identify service gaps and program requirements to be elevated to Marine
Corps leadership.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force uses a multi-layered system to evaluate
our programs and support network for families. We conduct a biennial
Community Assessment to gauge awareness and gain feedback regarding
family support programs. The Community Assessment is reviewed by the
Air Force Integrated Delivery System, which is comprised of all helping
agencies to assess and ensure the needs of the community are met
without duplication of services. Next, input from the Integrated
Delivery System member agencies and emerging trends from the Community
Assessment are given priority for review and implementation through the
Community Action Information Board, which is made up of senior Air
Force leaders. Of note, the Community Action Information Board and
Integrated Delivery System are unique to the Air Force.
We also obtain valuable customer feedback through in-person and
virtual focus groups as well as the Personal Readiness Inventory, which
provides information on whether airmen consider themselves to be
supported by the community and leadership. All of these methods provide
useful information for us to enhance our programs and assistance, such
as in the areas of personal finance and couples communication.
28. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, what have families told you about what works and what
does not work?
Mr. Myers. We recognize military families, youth, and communities
face increasing challenges and obstacles. The Department's ongoing
systematic servicemember and family research pulses the military
community and, in turn, proven programs that address the real needs of
families are offered. The Active Duty Spouse Surveys (conducted in 2006
and 2008 and every 2 years henceforth), the three annual Status of the
Forces Surveys for Active Duty members, the two annual Status of the
Forces Surveys for Reserve component members and targeted research
projects provide detailed data on what is working for the military
populace.
To enhance the established methods for collecting information from
families, OSD is planning a series of Listening Sessions across the
Nation and military installations worldwide to gather input from
military families regarding the status of military family support
programs. These Listening Sessions will culminate in a national Family
Summit focused on future military family support and readiness
programs.
In collaboration with the Land-Grant Universities (LGU) and their
Cooperative Extension System (CES), OSD will ask military families how
family support and readiness programs are working and how they can be
made better. These ``Voices from Military Families'' community
listening sessions will allow elected officials, military personnel,
Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, and
Cooperative Extension staff the opportunity to hear directly from
America's military families.
The 106 Land-Grant Universities and their Cooperative Extension
System (CES) which is based at the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) reaches into each of the nearly 3,100 counties/
parishes across the United States, territories, and military
installations worldwide. For nearly 100 years, CES has mobilized
members of communities to identify strengths of current programs,
current needs, and future opportunities to strengthen families and
communities.
CES faculty and staff will serve as facilitators to lead
discussions both face-to-face and virtually with military families
throughout 2009. The primary topics addressed at the sessions will
reflect various concerns affecting military families. Military families
will also be encouraged to submit their comments via an online
community Web site. Potential questions to be asked of the participants
include the following, as well as specific policy related issues to
better determine their effectiveness for supporting military families.
Topics to explore with family members:
1. What current services are you receiving that are
beneficial to you and your family?
2. How are civilian communities meeting your needs?
3. What needs do you have that are not being met by the
military?
4. Are the people that are providing support able to help
you?
5. What could civilian communities do better to support
military families?
6. What barriers are limiting your ability to access
resources?
7. What are the challenges that your children face in your
community?
The following questions are for families who are geographically
isolated from installation support:
1. The Yellow Ribbon law is intended to provide National
Guard and Reserve members and their families with sufficient
information and opportunities throughout the entire deployment
cycle, is it meeting those goals?
2. The JFSAP authorized by the NDAA of 2007 intended to
augment the activities of family support centers with outreach,
mobile support services, and coordination of other
organizations and activities, is it meeting your needs?
The input provided during these listening sessions will be
incorporated into a National Summit on Military Families, November 9-
10, 2009 and the creation of an OSD Military Family Action Plan to
inform policies and programs.
Ms. Marin. The Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) is the Army's
longstanding grassroots mechanism to raise issues from installations to
Army Senior Leaders. The AFAP is a formal process where the people that
comprise the Army can inform Army leadership what works, what does not,
potential solutions to problem areas, and new proposals. AFAP
encourages soldiers and families to become involved in improving their
quality of life. For Army Senior Leaders, the AFAP provides real-time
information and enables commanders to respond rapidly to resolve
problems and implement good ideas.
To date, as AFAP celebrates its 25th anniversary, the program has
achieved 110 legislative changes, 155 DOD or Army policy changes, and
117 improvements in programs and services. While the AFAP process is
unique to the Army, it benefits the entire DOD--61 percent of active
issues impact all military services.
The top five ``most critical'' active AFAP issues are: Distribution
of Montgomery GI Bill benefits to family members; Paternity Permissive
Temporary Duty; In-State College Tuition; Better Opportunities for
Single Soldiers (BOSS) Staffing at Garrisons; Military Spouse
Unemployment Compensation; and the Federal Hiring Process for Wounded
Warriors. The first three issues have been legislated and are in the
process of being implemented--bringing the grassroots process full
cycle from installation identification of a problem to Congressional
remedy.
Dr. Rau. Sailor, family members, and command participants are
surveyed on a recurring basis by installation Fleet and Family Support
Program (FFSP) personnel to determine the effectiveness and quality of
services offered. Programs are adapted accordingly in response to
feedback about what does and doesn't work for family members. At the
enterprise level, we have learned that aggressive outreach, targeted
marketing, and providing services at times and locations that are
flexible and convenient increase family member utilization. Family
members of Individual Augmentees have also told us that deployment
support services must be adapted to address the unique schedules of
nontraditional deployment. Navy utilization data and feedback on
behavioral health services has shown that providing brief, solution-
focused clinical assessment and counseling in FFSP addresses a need
that is not easily met in the military or civilian sector. Outcome
indices in the areas of personal financial management and new parent
home visitation have shown that efforts in these areas are associated
with the desired behavioral outcomes. The use of technology to provide
support group discussion to remotely located family members is an
effective way to assist them.
General Larsen. Feedback from marines and their families has been
instrumental in identifying services gaps and areas for improvement.
Our biggest challenge was the recognition that many of our family
support programs were built on a peacetime model and not conducive to
the wartime footing and operational tempo of the Corps. Their direct
feedback was used to develop transition plans, which resulted in the
Commandant's support for both funding and execution of plans. Major
program reforms are underway in the areas of Unit Personal and Family
Readiness, Exceptional Family Member, Marine Corps Family Team
Building, and School Liaison Programs. We continue to receive positive
customer feedback regarding our Marine Corps Exchange support to
marines and families, as assessed by annual customer satisfaction
surveys. Additionally, the 2007 Quality of Life in the Marine Corps
Study, the fourth iteration of this important research, revealed that
marines and their family members were satisfied with their mission the
support provided by the Marine Corps. On a positive note, quality of
life satisfaction did not decrease since the 2002 study and has
improved in some aspects.
Ms. Nesmith. Through our biennial Community Assessment and focus
groups, families expressed satisfaction of our standardization of
programs and services across Air Force bases. Standardization enhances
their understanding of programs and services available at all Air Force
installations and reduces stress associated with relocating to a new
duty station. Additionally, we have responded to airmen and families'
request for programs and services tailored to meet the needs of a
specific duty station or mission, as well as for additional support
services to families with special needs.
training for military commanders
29. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, in a military environment, commanders and military
leaders set the tone for every aspect of mission accomplishment--and
protecting our families is part of our mission. Are commanders
receiving training on family support needs, especially those stemming
from multiple deployments? If not, what do you recommend?
Mr. Myers. Military and family readiness are of key importance to
commanders. Military family programs partner with commanders to ensure
members and families are resilient and well prepared for deployment and
other challenges of military lifestyle. Family programs staff
understand the military lifestyle, including mission requirements. They
also understand the quality of life needs of members and families. The
role of military family programs is to enhance the fit between members
and their families and the demands of the military mission. Family
programs staff provide comprehensive, systemic training for commanders
on family support needs, including those resulting from multiple
deployments.
To assist family programs and commanders to address member and
family quality of life needs resulting from multiple deployments, the
Department provides on-demand, ``surge'' resources during all phases of
the deployment cycle (pre-, during, and post). Those resources include
Military OneSource; MFLCs; and PFCs. Upon request from units, they
provide consultation, briefings, trainings, and counseling for
commanders and members and families. MFLCs and PFCs are also assigned
to installations on 30, 60, and/or 90-day rotations to augment
installation family programs and medical staffs. MFLCs who specialize
in children and youth issues work in child development centers and
children and youth camps.
In 2007, the Department provided Military OneSource consultants and
MFLCs to State National Guard Joint Force Headquarters' family programs
to provide services to members and families who are geographically
separated from installations. They also provide consultation to
commands on member and family quality of life needs and resources.
Ms. Marin. Operation READY (Resources for Educating About
Deployment and You) is the Army's standard curriculum used by garrison
Army Community Service (ACS) staff to train members of the Soldier and
Family Readiness System on roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
Operation READY provides soldiers, families, and civilians an
understanding of what deployment resources are available to help them
cope with the personal, family, and financial demands of deployment.
Operation READY also includes a comprehensive training program for
commanders to help them prepare their soldiers, families, rear
detachment commanders, and Family Readiness Group leaders for
deployments and reunions. Operation READY materials include Pre-
Deployment Facilitator's Guide; Deployment Cycle Readiness; Soldiers
and Family Member's Handbook; Rear Detachment Commander's Handbook;
Family Readiness Group Leader's Handbook; Trauma in the Unit Leader's
Handbook; Care Team Handbook; Deployment Support Handbook for Children
and Youth and Facilitator's Guide; Family Readiness Support Assistance
(FRSA) Handbook and Facilitator's Guide; Family Assistance Center's
Guide and Reintegration Facilitator's Guide. Training resources and a
Smart Book are also available on compact disk.
The Army has also developed a Program of Instruction (POI)
incorporating key Family Readiness tasks in support of the Army Force
Generation model. This POI is taught at the Army Training and Doctrine
Command Battalion and Brigade Pre-Command Courses. The intent is to
prepare leaders for successful management of Family Readiness Programs.
This training is also delivered at the Garrison Commander's Course, and
a similar POI is being developed for Garrison Commander spouses.
Dr. Rau. The Navy provides life skills training by FFSC personnel
that is tailored to different levels of command leadership on
responding to financial issues, sexual assault and domestic violence.
Other leadership forums are routinely conducted by installation FFSC
professionals to focus attention on key issues affecting mission
readiness and family resiliency, including how leaders can best support
effective preparation and reintegration following deployment. A robust
offering of town hall meetings hosted by senior Navy officials
identifies emerging family support needs and response requirements.
Senior shore station leaders receive training and briefings on a wide
array of family readiness issues, initiatives, and trends during an
intensive 2-week training before assuming command of Navy
installations.
The Navy's OSC program has specifically been developed to provide
sailors, leaders, and families with the skills, tools and resources to
build resilience and promote a culture that encourages seeking help for
stress-related problems early. A further objective of the program is to
decrease the stigma associated with seeking psychological help. A
formal educational program is being developed that will provide
training to sailors and families throughout their Navy career. This
curriculum, with the first course coming out at the end of this month,
will have instructor facilitated and web-based training modules
beginning with accessions and going through flag officer training;
corresponding family modules are also under development.
Realizing that culture change begins with leadership, OSC Awareness
training was instituted at Navy Command Leadership School and the
Senior Enlisted Academy in the summer of 2008. Over 1,700 prospective
Commanding Officers, Executive Officers, Command Master Chiefs and
Senior Enlisted Advisors, including 180 spouses, have received OSC
training to date. Awareness training has also been provided to over
1,200 sailors and their families at Returning Warrior Weekends and at
FFSCs.
General Larsen. Unit commanders receive Family Readiness Command
Team Training that educates the commander on the network of supporting
capabilities and how to leverage those capabilities should a specific
need or needs be identified. Additionally, they receive training on the
established policies and parameters to ensure their unit program is
providing consistent training and education to their marines and
families. Unit commanders are accountable for the implementation of a
robust, applicable and accessible family readiness program. They are
empowered to identify specific needs of their marines and spouses
through the Family Readiness Assessment Tool. The data from the
assessment is compiled from marines and spouses experiences and assists
the commander with identifying potential family readiness gaps unique
to his or her command. Once the gaps are identified, then the commander
can leverage the training received and all available supporting
entities.
Ms. Nesmith. Yes, our Airman and Family Readiness Center
professionals train commanders on family support needs, to include
those stemming from multiple deployments. Initial training for
commanders addresses each phase of the deployment cycle and the
programs and services available to airmen--this training must be
completed within 90 days of assuming command.
The training is also customized to address unique aspects of the
unit's mission, such as rates of deployment and members' personal
readiness. For sustainment, Airman and Family Readiness consultants,
assigned to and embedded in a specific unit, partner with the commander
to identify potential issues and develop appropriate plans of action.
casualty assistance
30. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, benefits for survivors of military personnel who die
while serving on active duty have been significantly enhanced in recent
years. At the same time, there have been concerns about the counseling
and ongoing support provided to widows/widowers who are coping with
grief and the day-to-day problems of managing their money, accessing
benefits, and so on. What role is OSD playing today in ensuring that
the policies in place for support to survivors are adequate and that
standards of uniformity are achieved?
Mr. Myers. The primary role of OSD continues to be the overall
development and issuance of policies and procedures for those programs
affecting our servicemembers and their families. To ensure these
policies are adequate, uniform, and meeting the needs of our members,
greater emphasis has been placed on our oversight role to ensure
policies are properly implemented, remain current, focused, and
flexible to adjust to changing needs. A summary of recent changes
include:
The Department revised its Instruction on casualty matters,
DOD Instruction 1300.18, ``DOD Personnel Casualty Matters,
Policies and Procedures'' on January 8, 2008. The first policy
statement contained in the revised Instruction says ``Casualty
procedures shall be uniform across the Military Departments
except to the extent necessary to reflect the traditional
practices or customs of a particular Military Department''. A
summary of the more significant changes in this updated
Instruction includes:
The requirement for the Services to develop
centralized short and long-term case management
programs;
The development of core standards for the
assignment, training and duties of casualty assistance
personnel;
The development of common feedback mechanisms for
casualty assistance officers and the primary next of
kin (PNOK);
The casualty officer report doubles as a
checklist for required actions and allows for
the development of various metrics to measure
the effectiveness of assistance officer
training and the timely provision of all things
necessary in the assistance process; and
The PNOK survey will measure the
effectiveness and the quality of the assistance
provided
Highlights the increased level and priority of
support to surviving family members including: legal
assistance, transportation support, information on
investigations and the availability of grief,
bereavement, and financial counseling; and
The Inspectors General of the Military Departments
conduct inspections of the casualty assistance programs
to ensure compliance with the policies, procedures, and
standards of this Instruction.
The Department developed the Defense Casualty Information
Processing System (DCIPS). DCIPS is the Department's functional
information system for casualty and mortuary business
information processes and is the single standard system
supporting uniform procedures, accounting and accurate
reporting of casualties, ensuring support of family members,
benefits tracking, coordinating mortuary affairs, and the
return of personal effects and human remains.
Each military Service assigns an assistance officer to the
PNOK to assist them until all benefits and entitlements have
been applied for and received or until the PNOK determines that
assistance is no longer needed. When assistance is no longer
needed, the PNOK is provided a contact number and mailing
address that they can call or write anytime in the future for
additional assistance or to provide comments on the quality of
the assistance provided.
The Department, in collaboration with the Military Services,
developed a Survivor's Guide, ``DOD Survivor's Guide to
Benefits--Taking Care of Our Own'' which is provided to the
PNOK during the assistance process (copy attached). This Guide
reinforces information provided to the family by their
assistance officer and provides additional resources for their
consideration. A copy is attached.
To ensure the Department policies and procedures remain current,
focused, and meeting the needs of our servicemembers and their
families, we established the DOD Casualty Advisory Board (CAB). The CAB
is made up of subject matter experts from each of the military
Services, including the Coast Guard, Joint Staff, and several
directorates within OSD. A Department of Veterans Affairs
representative is also a permanent member of the CAB. The CAB is
responsible for developing and recommending broad policy guidance,
proposing goals for the military Services to ensure uniform policy
regarding the care of military members and their families, and ensure
accurate reporting and accounting for the status of military members
and applicable civilian personnel. The Board also recommends policy
during joint operations to ensure uniform and equitable treatment of
all military members and their families and uniform procedures are
used. The CAB meets minimum of three times per year and invites
representatives from other Federal agencies such as the Social Security
Administration, Department of Education, and non-profit organizations
who provide care and assistance to our servicemembers and their
families. More importantly, surviving family members are also invited
to attend the CAB and provide information first-hand on the quality of
services received. Their input has proved invaluable as we shape DOD
policy to address new and emerging needs.
The Department co-chairs with the Department of Veterans Affairs a
Joint Survivors Forum which meets three or more times per year.
Represented at this meeting are the military Service long-term case
management program managers, non-profit organizations, Service Relief
Societies, Veterans Service Organizations, and surviving family
members. Among other issues, this forum serves as an opportunity to
socialize new initiatives, listen to survivors on their experiences and
concerns, and address pending legislation or develop a framework to
initiate legislation.
Ms. Marin. The Army supports OSD policies and programs for
survivors of military personnel who die while serving on Active Duty.
Dr. Rau. Through DOD Instruction 1300.18, OSD provides uniform
policy, guidance and procedures to the Military Departments and
Military Services on reporting and recording of personnel casualties
and notification and assistance to next of kin and beneficiaries/
recipients of survivor benefits. These responsibilities are applicable
not only to uniformed personnel of the military services, but to
certain DOD civilian personnel, eligible contractors and other
designated or covered personnel.
The instruction establishes a DOD CAB, a central repository for
casualty information and uniform guidelines for obtaining and
maintaining emergency notification information, as well as provides
uniform official casualty terms and definitions.
The CAB is a permanent body, responsible for developing and
recommending broad policy guidance, proposing goals for the Military
Services to ensure uniform policy regarding the care of military
members and their families, and to ensure accurate reporting and
accounting for the status of military members and applicable civilian
personnel. The Board recommends policy during joint operations to
ensure uniform and equitable treatment of all military members and
their families and ensures uniform procedures are used.
OSD tracks the reporting of individual Service casualty information
through the Defense Casualty Information Processing System (DCIPS), an
event driven system for the reporting and recording of personnel
casualty information and the notification and assistance to the next of
kin through delivery of all survivor benefits, or until the family no
longer desires or requires further casualty assistance support.
General Larsen. OSD works closely with all the Service Casualty
Offices. They have been listened to the concerns of the Service
Casualty Offices and families and have implemented policy that remains
current, focused, and flexible to adjust to changing needs of the
survivors. The working relationship between OSD and the Service
Casualty Offices has been outstanding. It is through this cooperation
that changes, like the following, have been successfully implemented
over the past year:
DOD revised its Instruction 1300.18, ``DOD Personnel
Casualty Matters, Policies and Procedures'' last year;
DODI established the CAB that brings together subject
matters experts from all the Services, and other Departments
within DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop
and recommend broad, uniform policy guidance, across all
Services regarding the care of military members and their
families, and to ensure accurate reporting and accounting for
the status of military members and applicable civilian
personnel. The CAB meets at a minimum of three times per year.
The members discuss new initiatives that can better serve our
families. The CAB routinely invites surviving family members to
attend the CAB and provide information first-hand on the
quality of services received. Their input has proved invaluable
as policy is implemented to address new and emerging needs;
Developed a Casualty Assistance Report that serves as a
checklist for the assigned Assistance Officer and provides the
Services data elements that can be used to develop metrics to
measure policy effectiveness;
Standardized the required core training topics for all
assigned Casualty Assistance Officers;
Developed the new Survivor's Guide, ``DOD Survivor's Guide
to Benefits--Taking Care of Our Own'' which is provided to the
primary next of kin during the assistance process. The Guide
reinforces information provided to the family by their
assistance officer and provides additional resources for their
consideration.
Enabled the Department of Veteran's Affairs Survivor's Forum
which Service Casualty Offices and OSD attend, on a quarterly
basis. The forum allows family members to discuss their needs
with DOVA, OSD, and the Service Casualty Offices, and ensures
that the needs of our surviving families are heard and that
effective policy is implemented to support them.
Ms. Nesmith. OSD has taken a very active role in educating the
Services about changes to benefits and entitlements to survivors or
servicemembers. The OSD CAB meets quarterly and is one of the best
forums available to evaluate, revise, and standardize policies and
benefits. OSD also developed a web-based survivor guide which provides
an avenue for the Services to get current information to the field.
In partnership with the Department of Veterans' Affairs, OSD
spearheaded the Survivors' Forum which consists of Casualty
representatives from each branch of service, Veterans' Affairs
representatives, and surviving family members. The Survivors' Forum
provides an avenue to disseminate policy changes through non-profit
organizations such as Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
and the Gold Star Congressional Wives.
31. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, for each Service, describe the resources, including
the number of dedicated employees on the payroll, whose job it is to
assist survivors 1, 3, or even 5 years after the member's death?
Mr. Myers. The Department has a single casualty program manager at
the YA-03/GS-15 level to manage its casualty affairs program. This
individual, working in collaboration with the individual Service
program managers, ensures the Department's policies remain current,
focused, and flexible enough to adjust to current needs. The individual
Military Services conduct the day-to-day and long-term case management
responsibilities with survivors.
The Department publishes, twice a year, A Survivor's Guide to
Benefits--Taking Care of Our Own, which is provided to all primary next
of kin during the assistance process. This Guide makes it clear to
survivors that assistance, long after the initial assistance has ended,
is still just a phone call away and casualty assistance is an open-
ended.
The resources available to the DOD Program Manager are many and
encompass all family, compensation, health, travel and transportation,
and mortuary affairs program offices that establish policies and
procedures directly impacting survivors. The DOD Program Manager also
serves as a direct point of contact with other Federal Agencies, non-
profit organizations, relief societies, veteran's service organizations
and others who's mission or program supports families of the fallen.
Ms. Marin. The Army recognizes that our fallen warriors have paid
the ultimate sacrifice and that we have a commitment to their families.
The Survivor Outreach Services (SOS) program delivers on that
commitment by providing access to short- and long-term support and
information and services closest to where the Survivor resides. SOS
staff support local Casualty Assistance Officers to ensure that
families receive the most current information on benefits and
entitlements and have access to long-term financial and emotional
support. SOS provides information and referrals, and links Survivors to
financial assistance, legal, spiritual, and clinical intervention, as
needed. SOS support coordinators provide surviving spouses with
lifetime support and a network of resources for as long as the Survivor
desires.
To support Survivors of the Fallen, 100 support coordinators and
financial counselors will be placed at Army Community Service Centers;
65 benefit coordinators and trainer staff will be placed at Casualty
Assistance Centers; 108 support coordinators/benefit counselors will be
placed at the Army National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters and Family
Assistance Centers; and 8 support coordinators will be placed at the
Reserve Regional Readiness Commands. Services will also be augmented
through partnerships with the civilian sector.
An SOS web page provides additional information, resources,
legislative updates, forums, and other valuable information for
Survivors. An SOS Virtual World Survivor Community is also in
development which will provide real-time access to resources for
Survivors in remote areas and reach out to our younger survivor
population.
Dr. Rau. The Navy Casualty Assistance Division employs a seasoned
and highly trained team in Millington, Tennessee billeted for thirty-
six military and civil service casualty assistance experts, equipped
with the latest information technology, to promptly respond to survivor
concerns.
Within the Navy's Casualty assistance structure, 3 branches,
billeted for an aggregate of 21 staff members, provide expertise most
closely related to direct survivor assistance. Casualty Operations is
responsible for oversight of next-of-kin notification, data entry and
reporting; benefits and entitlements is responsible for the rapid and
accurate processing and certification of monies owed to designated
beneficiaries; Navy-Marine Corps Mortuary is responsible for primary
and secondary coordination efforts and payment for mortuary services.
Depending upon the exact nature of the assistance required, select
staff members will assist the survivor.
Service delivery during the first several months following a death
is provided by a uniformed, Casualty Assistance Calls Officer who is
the direct family liaison. The assigned Casualty Assistance Calls
Officer is supported by local personnel, as well as regional and
national staffs. Survivors are provided various bulletins, pamphlets
and booklets along with referral information and contact points for
assistance. Survivors are encouraged to contact a specific 1-800 number
answered by the Navy's Casualty Assistance staff to resolve any issues
or concerns.
Navy designed, developed and implemented a standardized scientific
survey instrument 4 years ago to measure the level of support and
assistance provided to survivors. The Navy's casualty assistance
program routinely receives superior critiques. This particular survey
had been adopted by DOD for future use by all Services.
General Larsen. The Marine Corps recognized the need for and
implemented its Long-Term Assistance Program (LTAP) in 2005. The LTAP
is currently staffed with two full-time civil service employees whose
mission it is to identify and resolve residual issues with the next of
kin of deceased marines. New proactive outreach methodologies were
recently implemented to identify trends and shore-up resources
available through both military and municipal support agencies for the
next of kin. The LTAP has expanded relationships with TAPS and Military
OneSource to directly connect survivors with qualified bereavement/peer
counseling resources. LTAP representatives are available to NOK on an
indefinite basis. Plans to hire additional staff are currently ongoing
to ensure we are prepared to meet projected long term requirements.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force's casualty and mortuary assistance team
includes:
Casualty Affairs Representatives--86 primary full-time
civilian employees with alternates; the alternates may be
filled by military members
Air Force Casualty Services Branch--13 military members and
civilian employees
Air Force Warrior and Survivor Care Office--1 civilian
employee and 2 military members
Air Force Mortuary Officers--95; usually the Force Support
Squadron Commander or Deputy
Air Force Family Liaison Officers--At least one per family
who has experienced a death
Air Force Mortuary Operations Center--13 full-time civilian
employees
The Air Force Resources employs a full-time and trained Casualty
Assistance Representatives (CAR) at each base who is responsible for
casualty notification, counseling and administrative processes. Our
CARs are engaged in the process from start to finish, keeping in
contact with the families of our deceased members for as long as they
need our assistance. There is no specified time limit.
The Air Force Personnel Center Casualty Services Branch at Randolph
Air Force Base, TX, assists CARs to transfer cases to CARs at bases
closest locations the beneficiary family may choose to move. This
ensures assistance is available for as long as it is needed.
Our Family Liaison Officers (FLOs) also provide close, personalized
support to families of fallen airmen. FLOs are Active Duty military
personnel who are appointed on an as-needed basis, but serve full-time
until their assistance is no longer needed by the family. FLOs are
trained by the Force Support Squadrons and partner with the Air Force
Warrior and Survivor Care office to provide much needed assistance to
the family.
We also operate 24-hour help lines to assist families regardless of
how long ago the death occurred. Further, a mortuary officer is
assigned to each base who partners with the Air Force Mortuary
Operations Center to assist with mortuary benefits.
support for school-aged children
32. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, more than 90 percent of military dependent school-aged
children attend local public schools. What are OSD and the Services
doing to provide assistance to local school districts in areas heavily
impacted by the presence of military family members?
Mr. Myers. OSD has fully recognized the importance of providing
support to local education agencies (LEAs) in providing education to
school-aged children in military families.
The Duncan Hunter NDAA for Fiscal Year 2009 (section 553),
authorized the DOD Education Activity (DODEA) to use its funds to share
experience and provide programs for LEAs who educate military students.
We have used this opportunity to establish a competitive grant
program which will award 35 grants to LEAs in fiscal year 2009 for
amounts between $300,000 and $2 million. As of July 1, 2009 thirty one
grant awards have been approved totaling $36,907,000. In addition we
have used this authority to establish an invitational grant program to
focus on school districts where there are frequent and/or sustained
deployments, or that are serving children of servicemembers who have
been wounded, or where school quality is a concern of the local
military command. In fiscal year 2009 DODEA will award ten grants with
awards between $300,000 and $2.5 million. We anticipate providing
$15,458,000 under this program and are currently reviewing requests
from eight LEAs.
In addition to providing money in support of this outreach effort,
the Department is making its MFLC Program available to LEAs to provide
non-medical, short term, situational, problem-solving counseling
services. DODEA's Educational Partnership coordinated with DOD and the
Military Services extends the program to provide professional, licensed
and credentialed counselors to support and augment over 100 military
connected LEAs in SY 2009/10.
The Department is also partnering with Federal and State agencies
to support the needs of military children in public schools. In June
2008, the Deputy Secretaries of Defense and Education signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a formal partnership
between the two departments to support the education of military
students. The MOU provides a comprehensive and cohesive structure for
collaboration between the two Federal agencies as well as with local,
State, and other relevant entities. Through the MOU, the agencies can
now leverage their coordinated strengths to improve the educational
opportunities of military connected students.
The Department, in collaboration with the Council of State
Governments, has established the Interstate Compact on Educational
Opportunity for Military Children to resolve many of the school
transition issues experienced by school-aged children in military
families. This Compact between States covers key issues encountered by
military families in four broad categories: eligibility, enrollment,
placement, and graduation. Examples of these issues include class
placement, records transfer, immunization requirements, course
placement, graduation requirements, exit testing, and extra-curricular
opportunities. The Compact was activated in 2008 when the initial 10
States adopted it and currently has the approval of 24 States, which
covers 70 percent of military children in Active Duty families (5-18
years old). The Department is continuing to work with the remaining
States and expect most will adopt the Compact within the next few
years.
Ms. Marin. The Army is working with DOD, Department of Education,
and local education agencies to address school transition issues and
provide assistance to local school districts in areas heavily impacted
by the presence of military-affiliated school-age children.
Army School Support Services staff at garrisons provide training to
parents, students and school personnel, transition assistance for
mobile military students, and advocacy to promote issues of military
students. The Army has 144 School Liaison officers serving garrisons,
local school districts, and Army families.
Today, more than 385 school districts are signatories to the
Secondary Education Transition Study Memorandum of Agreement. Twenty-
four States have adopted the DOD Interstate Compact on Educational
Opportunity for Military Children that promotes reciprocal practices
such as credit transfer, opportunities to try out for sports teams, and
graduation requirements so that military students are not negatively
impacted as they move.
The Army School Strategy incorporates research-based goals
developed as a result of current issues and trends in education. The
strategy employs a multidisciplinary partnership with local public
school districts for measuring academic, social and emotional support
for Army children from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The
strategy also addresses processes for equitable educational experiences
for all military children, inclusive of special-needs, geographically
diverse, homeschooled, and gifted and talented students.
Dr. Rau. Navy commanders use School Liaison Officers (SLO's) under
Child and Youth Education Services to work with local school districts
to ensure school personnel are aware of the stressors on military
families associated with frequent moves and extended deployments. Navy
School Liaison Officers (SLO) are the primary liaison between community
schools, commanders, and military parents and are located on all major
Navy installations. Navy SLO's provide school transition services,
deployment support, home school linkage, facilitate collaboration and
communication, and support partnerships in education, and post
secondary preparations. Delivery of an electronic deployment toolkit or
``seabag'' for school administrators and staff is scheduled for 2010 to
better equip them for working with children of deployed sailors.
General Larsen. DODEA has initiated both invitational and
competitive grants which will enhance student learning opportunities,
student achievement, and educator professional development at military-
connected schools experiencing significant military growth between 2007
and 2009. Approximately $30 million will be awarded. Awards will be
based on military student enrollment and will range in size from
$300,000 to $2,000,000, depending on the number of military students at
the target schools to enhance the education of military students, but
funds may be used to raise student achievement for all students at the
target school. USMC's Senior School Liaison participated in DODEA's
Educational Partnership both as a K-12 Partnership member and as a
grant reviewer.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force works closely with the DOD Education
Activity (DODEA) Partnership Branch, which supports local education
agencies (LEAs) that serve military children. The Partnership Branch is
charged with advancing the quality of educational programs for the
school-age children of military families who live inside and outside
the gate, and easing the transition of military dependents from
military to civilian schools.
The Air Force, along with the other services, regularly provide
DODEA with data on significant changes in military student
demographics. This information allows DODEA to target their
consultative services, professional development programs, and grant
authority to appropriate locations. Additionally, the Air Force
increased its support of military child education initiatives. School
liaisons and staff in Airman and Family Readiness Centers and Child and
Youth Centers provide information and referral services for parents and
children. As a corporate member, we interface with the Military
Impacted Schools Association, the Military Child Education Association,
and National Military Family Association. Also, a senior officer and/or
civilian employee is appointed at each installation with responsibility
to attend school board and other LEA meetings and to advocate for the
needs of military children.
flexible spending accounts
33. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, for several years, this committee has encouraged the
DOD to set up flexible spending accounts for military families--these
accounts allow employees to set aside a portion of their earned income
for certain expenses, such as braces for the kids or child care, with
favorable tax treatment. Why don't military families have the same
opportunity?
Mr. Myers. The Department does not plan to implement flexible
spending accounts at this time. There are several new provisions in the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 directed at
curtailing fees, copayments, and deductibles for servicemembers and
their families.
Ms. Marin. The Army supports DOD policies and programs for flexible
spending accounts for military families.
Dr. Rau. There is a need for a more thorough assessment of the
subject before FSAs could be applied in a military setting. Some of the
issues such an assessment may need to address are:
FSA benefits and risks for military members, particularly
the risk of forfeiture of FSA contributions, and limitations on
enrollment periods, both of which would more likely impact
military families given that they, unlike their civilian
counterparts, often face frequent changes in their employment
circumstances outside their control such as change of station
moves and lengthy deployments.
Needs of military families that could be positively effected
by an FSA program, such as improving their childcare options
given current constraints on DOD-sponsored child care.
Statutory or regulatory requirements which impede the
Department's ability to apply the existing Federal FSA benefit
program to the uniformed services. For example, under current
OPM regulations, uniformed servicemembers are not eligible to
participate in the program because they are not employees as
defined in section 8901 (and by reference, section 2105) of
title 5, U.S.C.
Quantitative analysis of the estimated effectiveness of FSAs
as military compensation tools, especially their potential
impact on recruiting, retention, and readiness.
Life-cycle costs associated with implementing an FSA
program, including investments that may be required to adjust
current policies/business practices to accommodate
participation by uniformed servicemembers (e.g., current
practice requires employees to submit signed claims for
reimbursement, this may not be possible for military members
when deployed).
Challenges in resourcing the program given the President's
recently announced commitment to reenact ``pay-as-you-go'' or
PayGo scoring and his stated objective of pursuing revenue
neutral new programs or legislation.
Completing a thorough assessment is a necessary precursor to FSA
implementation to ensure the DOD is able to more efficiently and
effectively allocate resources devoted to quality of life programs--to
make investments that are based on the actual needs of military
families and focused on areas of greatest return to the Services.
General Larsen. The Marine Corps feels that this is a question best
answered by the DOD.
Ms. Nesmith. Currently military families are not eligible to
participate in Federal flexible spending account (FSA) programs.
Legislation would be required for Service participation.
The commission for the Tenth Quadrennial Review of Military
Compensation (July 2008), recommended adoption of health care and
dependent care FSAs for the military. However, there are disadvantages.
For example, the account funds are ``use it or lose it'' which means
unused funds are forfeited by the member. If FSAs were to be developed
for military members, then further study would be necessary to assess
how modifications to the current structure could avoid such affects,
especially in cases of deployment or assignment relocation.
support for spouse employment
34. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, I am told that the Federal hiring
preference for military spouses which was proposed by the previous
administration has not been implemented, is that correct? Last year,
Senator Nelson and I proposed a legislative solution to this. Do we
need to propose legislation again this year?
Mr. Myers. On September 25, 2008, President Bush signed Executive
Order (EO) 13473 allowing agencies to make noncompetitive appointments
of spouses of certain members of the armed services. This is an
appointing authority; it does not grant preference.
OMB recently released the final implementing regulations for the
EO. We expect them to be published this week with an effective date of
September 14, 2009. The Department does not believe we need preference
and is happy with the noncompetitive appointing authority, as it will
facilitate spouses entry into Civil Service jobs. The EO by its nature
is temporary subject to the program goals of the administration.
Legislation would make this authority permanent and thus would be more
desirable.
35. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, what can Congress do to assist military spouses in
achieving their educational and career goals?
Mr. Myers. Last year, Congress authorized the Department to assist
spouses of Active Duty servicemembers in receiving education and
training required for a degree, credential, or professional licensure
in order to expand employment and portable career opportunities for
spouses.
The Department has implemented the Career Advancement Account
program to provide spouses up to $6,000 to pay for training,
professional licensure or certification programs. To date over 30,000
spouses have established a Career Advancement Account and over 10,000
have started their training program, with over 42 percent studying and
beginning to work in the HealthCare field.
Once spouses complete training, they are moved into the Career
Advancement Account placement process for assistance as they move from
one installation to the next.
The Department would ask Congress to continue supporting this
important program. The Career Advancement Account provides
opportunities for military spouses to build a career.
Ms. Marin. Continued congressional support of the President's
request for Army spouse educational and career initiatives will ensure
success of our programs.
Another program where continued support is essential is the DOD
Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) initiative. MyCAA
provides education, training, certification and licensing for military
spouses to pursue careers in high-demand, high-growth portable career
fields such as education, health care, financial services, homeland
security, information technology, hospitality industry, business
management and other fields. MyCAA provides up to $6,000 of Financial
Assistance for related training, education, licenses and/or
credentials. DOD is working to expand the MyCAA initiative.
Dr. Rau. State and congressional support our military spouses
through alternative certifications; reciprocal licensing agreements;
out-of-state license recognition; education and training opportunities;
and nationally recognized standards or exams for licensure in portable
careers such as health services, education and financial services.
Eight States now authorize the American Board for Certification of
Teacher Excellence program, while 23 States have adopted the Nurse
Licensure Compact or made similar provision for transferring nurses.
Efforts to address other opportunities for streamlining certification
and licensure in health services, education, financial services and
potentially other occupational areas that military spouses are being
explored. Opportunities to market military spouses to nationwide
employers within Congressional districts could also provide local
solutions to corporate hiring needs.
General Larsen. A study conducted by the National Military Family
Association in 2007 revealed several limitations that military spouses
encounter in attempting to achieve their educational and career goals.
Obstacles included: balancing education, work and family; the high cost
of education; frequent moves, deployments; and lack of access or
understanding of available support resources. We recommend the
following solutions, based on the results of this study:
1. Ensure installation education centers have the funding
necessary to support spouse education programs and initiatives.
2. Provide additional child care funding to support child
care needs of military spouse-scholars.
3. Remove housing allowances from FAFSA calculations to allow
more spouses to qualify for need based financial aid programs.
4. Provide tuition assistance to spouses.
5. Provide an additional education tax credit to military
spouses.
6. Increase funding for DOD and Department of Labor (DoL)
Military Spouse Career Advance Accounts (CAA) and expand CAA
services to include on-site counseling at the military
installation Family Support Centers and/or Voluntary Education
centers.
Ms. Nesmith. To assist military spouses in achieving their
educational and career goals, Congress can consider continuing and
increasing funding for the MyCAA program that provides up to $6,000 for
spouses to train or retrain for portable careers; supporting
legislation that will allow a spouse leaving a job due to military
reassignment to qualify for unemployment compensation in any of the
States; passing and publicizing a non-binding resolution that strongly
encourages professional and State licensing and certification bodies to
extend reciprocity to professionals holding credentials from other
States; and passing legislation or supporting policy that allows for
expedited recruitment and selection of spouses of members of the
military forces for appointment to positions (for which they are fully
qualified) in the competitive service of the Federal civil service.
key indicators of families in duress--divorce
36. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, I'm one of those people who think it takes a family to
raise a child, and we need to do everything possible to keep families
together. What are the divorce rates among military families? Are they
increasing?
Mr. Myers. Divorce rates among military families increased from 2.6
percent in 2001 to 3.4 percent in 2008. The largest increase is in the
Army (from 2.17 percent in 2001 to 3.55 percent in 2008). The highest
rate of divorce is in the Marine Corps (3.66 percent in 2008). Divorce
rates are higher for female (7.4 percent in 2008) than for male
servicemembers (2.9 percent in 2008).
The divorce rates, as reflected above, are the percentage of
personnel who were married at the beginning of a fiscal year but were
divorced at the end of that fiscal year.
Ms. Marin. Army families remain strong and resilient in the face of
demands they confront as we continue to be a nation at war. The Army is
committed to resourcing programs that support our soldiers and families
throughout the deployment cycle.
The Army has expanded the Strong Bonds program, a commander-
initiated, chaplain-led program that helps Active and Reserve component
soldiers and families build effective relationship skills. The
program's mission is to build soldier and family readiness by
strengthening Army marriages and relationships. It targets not only
couples and family members, but also single soldiers.
There are a number of family service programs designed to help
families cope with long separation, frequent moves, and the dangers of
loved ones being placed in harm's way. These programs include
counseling by chaplains, youth services, Army family team building,
behavioral health, and recreation centers; an Army culture that
encourages families to care for one another during deployment and
stressful times; and active involvement and oversight of commanders to
ensure that soldiers support their families, both financially and
emotionally.
Divorce rates for Army enlisted soldiers have increased slightly
since fiscal year 2002 (3.0 percent to 3.7 percent in fiscal year
2008), but are fairly constant for Army Officers (1.9 percent in fiscal
year 2002 to 2.2 percent in fiscal year 2008). However, when divorce
rates are calculated by gender, we see a considerably different
picture. Females, especially enlisted females, have reported the
highest level of divorce over the past several years with an increase
from 6.7 percent in fiscal year 2002 to the current high of 9.1 percent
in fiscal year 2008. The Office of the Chief of Chaplains is currently
funding a survey project that is intended to identify stress indicators
among enlisted females with the objective of providing more focused
support programs.
Dr. Rau. The divorce rate for Navy has remained relatively constant
from Calendar Year 2004 through Calendar Year 2008 averaging from 3.5
percent to 3.0 percent. The divorce rate for Calendar Year 2009 is 3.2
percent when extrapolated with current data.
The following table reflects the divorce rate for Navy:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number Number Divorce Rate
Calendar Year Married Divorces (Percentage)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2004............................ 191,756 6,643 3.5
2005............................ 192,218 6,382 3.3
2006............................ 190,203 6,638 3.5
2007............................ 184,094 6,070 3.3
2008............................ 177,510 5,357 3.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------
This data is provided from Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) and
is pulled from Defense Enrollment Eligibility System (DEERS). The
number is determined by calculating the number of changes in marital
status from married to unmarried. The number of divorces is calculated
monthly. The Navy divorce rate is calculated by dividing the total
number of divorces by the average monthly married population in the
Navy.
General Larsen. The divorce rates for 2008 were 3.7 percent and
have been slowly rising over the last 3 years. In 2006, the rate of
divorce was 3.1 percent and was 3.3 percent in 2007.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force divorce rate has ranged from 2.4 to 3.0
divorces per every 100 marriages from 1990-2006, but increased to 3.3
in 2007 and 3.4 in 2008.
37. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, what do we need to do to support families and help
them work through problems and hopefully become stronger as a result?
Mr. Myers.
Military Chaplains
As a member of the commander's staff, chaplains serve as moral,
ethical, and spiritual advisers to their commanders. Much of the work
they do is one-on-one with the servicemembers and their families and
one of their primary responsibilities is to provide marriage counseling
and marriage enrichment seminars.
Family Support Programs
Each Service branch sponsors information and support programs for
servicemembers and their families. You can call or visit any
installation Army Community Service Center, Marine Corps Community
Services (MCCS), FFSC, or Airman and Family Readiness Center regardless
of your branch affiliation. In addition to the support offered on the
installation, DOD provides non-medical, life coaching through MFLC and
Military OneSource. MFLCs are Masters or Ph.D. level, licensed, and
credentialed clinical providers that offer intervention and support to
military members and their families. Like Military OneSource, they
provide short-term counseling for every day issues, such as anger
management, stress, parenting, communication, family relationships,
deployment, and other military-related topics. The goal of the program
is to support operational readiness and family readiness. Situations
requiring mental health treatment are referred to behavioral health
agencies that treat these conditions.
With the success of the first phase of the contract, the MFLC
Program has grown to include additional services and outreach
capabilities: JFSAP, the Personal Financial Counseling (PFC) Program,
the IRR Marine Outreach Program, Child & Youth Services Program and
Victim Advocacy (VA) Services. By expanding to include these programs,
MFLC consultants provide a comprehensive spectrum of behavioral health
support to military servicemembers and their families.
Ms. Marin. A prepared family is better able to manage deployment
and long-term separations, allowing the soldier to stay focused on the
mission. A family that receives training and support through Army
support systems is more likely to prove resilient to the stresses of a
military lifestyle as they gain skills and understanding needed to
access Army resources and services.
Services that help families become stronger include MFLC and
Military OneSource. MFLCs provide problem-solving and nonmedical
counseling such as anger management, conflict resolution, parent/child
communication, relationship issues, deployment stress, reintegration,
relocation adjustment, and grief and financial counseling. MFLCs help
servicemembers and families cope with reactions to stressful/adverse
situations created by deployments and reintegration. MFLCs work
directly with Army Community Service, Guard Headquarters and Reserve
Regional Commands. Military OneSource provides private, face-to-face,
non-medical counseling for short-term problems in neighborhoods
throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Military OneSource also provides short-term solution-focused telephone
consultation services as an alternative to face-to-face counseling.
Both programs offer up to 12 counseling sessions per issue at no cost
to users.
Chaplains and chaplain assistants provide support to all Army
installations. Their mission includes pastoral care and counseling to
families under duress and facing problems with marriages and
relationships. Chaplains are trained in counseling and a number of
relationship strengthening programs that can be used with singles,
couples, and families, or retreats focused on relationship building.
Soldiers and families may also find relationship support in chaplain-
lead religious community worship, religious education, and other
activities that make up the diverse full-spectrum of services available
through chaplains. The availability of unit ministry teams in the
soldier's unit and in the community eliminates barriers to care and
makes it easy for soldiers and families to initiate casual
conversations to broach sensitive topics and find the help they need,
whether provided by the chaplain or available elsewhere in the
community. Family Life Chaplains have additional marriage and family
counseling skills and training and are available to equip other
chaplains or counsel with them to provide marriage enrichment
counseling, crisis counseling, divorce counseling, and family
counseling to mitigate the challenges of divorce.
Dr. Rau. We currently have a very effective support network,
through Navy FFSCs, which provides a wide-array of life skills
workshops, such as parenting training, stress management, anger
management, and couples communication.
Home visitation services are provided for over-burdened expectant
mothers and new parents of children, through age three. In the case of
married parents, one of whom, is a deployed member, and single parents,
we offer voluntary home visitation services. Licensed mental health
professionals also provide brief, solution-focused, clinical counseling
to sailors and family members to address commonly occurring issues such
as marital discord, parent-child conflict and school/occupational
issues, which impact family functioning. Further, we provide clinical
services to individuals, couples and families to identify and resolve
issues before more significant problems develop. When necessary, our
Family Advocacy Program provides safety assessment and planning,
clinical assessment and case management, victim advocacy and
rehabilitative intervention to military families referred for alleged
child abuse/neglect or domestic abuse.
General Larsen. We offer a variety of programs and Counseling
Services to support families and help them work through problems to
become stronger. MCCS FAP and the General Counseling Program offers
classes and services to help individuals, couples and families to
enrich their relationships. Key concepts covered in these classes
include danger signs and hidden issues in relationship; using the
speaker-listener technique to communicate with each other; exploring
expectations and core beliefs; problem-solving; commitment and
friendship, fair fighting; conflict resolution; boundary definitions;
trust and intimacy; anger management, stress management; and the
prevention of domestic violence and child abuse. Other MCCS programs
also offer classes/courses and life skills training such as financial
management, family member employment; educational assistance and
parenting practices, Pre-Deployment briefs to prepare for family
separations and Post Deployment briefs to prepare for reintegration to
family life, all of which affects martial and family relationships.
Additional counseling services are available to families through
Military OneSource, TRICARE and Chaplains.
Ms. Nesmith. The Air Force recognizes each of the three phases of
deployment (pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment) generates
specific issues for military families. Educating families on the
changing military environment is essential to how well our families
adapt to deployments and the military lifestyle.
To help families work through problems, we offer full-spectrum
support before, during and after deployments. Focusing on family member
needs before deployment can strengthen families' abilities to cope with
stresses of deployment. The Air Force does this by conducting self-
improvement and development workshops using a variety of means to
connect with family members. We leverage technology to provide online
support groups, social networks, and other informal events to reach
family members who prefer alternative settings or do not live near the
installation.
We also educate community agencies on the changing demands of the
military and its effect on families so they can enhance their service
to our families. For example, families who attend religious
institutions off base will often seek counseling from that institution.
Training and educating local clergy on aspects of military life,
including deployment and long-term separations, will assist them when
counseling military families.
We welcome your continued interest in our Family Support
infrastructure, initiatives, outreach efforts, staffing and technology.
38. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, I know we are short of mental health professionals. Do
we have enough chaplains?
Mr. Myers. Currently, there are some shortages across the different
branches of our Armed Forces. Chaplains are doing their best to help
facilitate the free exercise of religion for all of our uniformed
personnel during the rigors of a long war.
Ms. Marin. Currently, chaplain positions are filled to funded
authorizations in the Active component. At the same time, chaplains
have never been busier with the persistent conflict, multiple tours in
combat, high stress in the chaplains and the force, frequent
relocations, and high demands even when not deployed. There are a
number of initiatives to fund and fill all chaplain and chaplain
assistant requirements--a shortfall of 122 in the Active component, 22
in the National Guard, and 10 in the Army Reserve.
Dr. Rau. Navy Chaplain Corps manning is currently at 94 percent,
with specific shortfalls at the O-2/O-3 level, which is manned at 92
percent. Inventory shortfalls are largely attributable to historical
challenges in recruiting sufficient numbers of chaplains to meet
requirements.
The Navy Chaplain Corps, in collaboration with all Enterprises
across the Navy and with U.S. Marine Corps and U.S Coast Guard, is
currently conducting a detailed requirements assessment to determine
the true requirements for religious ministry across the Sea Services.
Based on analysis completed to date, the President's fiscal year 2010
budget submission includes an increase in authorizations for 43
additional chaplains. Completion of the assessment is anticipated by
the end of fiscal year 2010, the results of which are expected to
inform future decisions on the size and composition of the Navy
Chaplain Corps based on validated requirements.
General Larsen. The Chaplain Corps resides within the Navy. The
Marine Corps is unaware of any shortfalls within the Chaplain Corps.
Ms. Nesmith. While not all chaplain positions are fully funded or
filled, the Air Force Chaplain mission is being effectively
accomplished. As with other career fields, our Chaplain career field is
impacted by the strain associated with sustained deployments. We also
feel the impact of the chronic shortage of Catholic priests, an issue
that transcends the military Services.
key indicators of families in duress--child abuse
39. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, are we seeing any increase in child abuse among
military families? If so, what are we doing to intervene and prevent
it?
Mr. Myers. DOD-wide rates of child abuse and neglect in Active Duty
families have not increased. In fiscal year 2004 the joint-Service rate
of reported incidents per 1,000 children substantiated by the DOD
Family Advocacy Program (FAP) had increased slightly. Since fiscal year
2004 both OSD and the Services have expanded and enhanced outreach and
prevention programs targeting vulnerable families, including a campaign
to prevent shaken baby syndrome, and the use of MFLCs. By fiscal year
2008 the joint-Service rate of substantiated child abuse and neglect
incidents per 1,000 children had decreased 27.2 percent since fiscal
year 2000.
Overall, the DOD rate of substantiated child abuse and neglect is
consistently less than half of their counterpart rates in the U.S.
civilian population as compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS).
DOD FAP does not collect information on child abuse and neglect
reports in the Reserve component. The State child protective services
agencies retain the responsibility for receiving reports involving non-
Active Duty component families in the civilian community, and
aggregating the data. DOD FAP is working with HHS to improve such data
collection.
Ms. Marin. The Army's rate of substantiated child abuse decreased
from 6.6 per 1,000 in fiscal year 1998 to 5.5 per 1,000 in fiscal year
2008--substantially less than the civilian rate of 12.4 per 1,000
reported by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The total number of fiscal year 2008 reported child abuse cases was
6,296. Of these, 2,596 were substantiated cases. However, preliminary
second quarter fiscal year 2009 data (690) show an increase in
substantiated cases over first quarter fiscal year 2009 (662), but are
lower than cases reported in second quarter fiscal year 2008 (712).
The Army is committed to preventing domestic violence and child
abuse and neglect by providing a variety of services to strengthen Army
families and enhance resiliency. The Army's Family Advocacy Program
(FAP) provides resources to commanders and families to prevent and
treat family violence. Prevention education is a priority, especially
for high-risk populations such as single parents, new parents, and
first-term families. Prevention education includes stress and anger
management classes, parent support and skills classes, emergency
placement care, and victim advocacy. If needed, installation victim
advocates are on call 24/7 to support both victims of domestic violence
and sexual assault.
Dr. Rau. Navy data indicates generally decreasing rates of both
alleged and substantiated child abuse since 2000. The Navy fully
supports efforts to prevent child maltreatment and domestic abuse in
military families. FFSCs provide life skills workshops such as
parenting training, stress management, anger management, and couples
communication. Home visitation services are provided to over-burdened
expectant and new parents of children up to age 3. Single parents and
parents with a deployed member are automatically screened as eligible
for these voluntary home visitation services. The Navy New Parent
Support Program uses an evidence-informed home visitation curriculum
demonstrated to decrease child abuse risk. In 2008, 95 percent of high
risk families remained abuse-free for 12 months after receiving six
months of Navy home visitation services. Based on recommendations made
by the Department of the Navy Fatality Review Team, the Navy has
implemented primary prevention efforts to reduce child deaths due to
shaking and the use of unsafe sleeping practices. Licensed mental
health professionals also provide brief, solution-focused clinical
counseling to sailors and family members for commonly occurring issues
such as marital discord, parent-child conflict, or school/occupational
issues all of which can adversely impact parenting practices.
General Larsen. Obtaining consistent and quality data from the
field has been problematic for a number of years. The Personal and
Family Readiness Division has been inspecting fiscal year 2007 and
fiscal year 2008 reports of abuse and counseling files aboard Camp
Pendleton and Camp Lejeune to assure data integrity and to define
process improvement opportunities. This effort will result in
standardizing nomenclature, abuse definitions, and reporting
requirements. Correction of the database and improved, factual
statistics will additionally ensue from this effort. Although the data
indicates a decline in substantiated domestic abuse incidents, down
from 821 in fiscal year 2001 to 397 in fiscal year 2007, there was a
notable increase in fiscal year 2008--to 505--and early indications
show the potential for a slight increase in fiscal year 2009.
Because we know that the military lifestyle is challenging, each
installation offers unique resources to support the needs of parents
and children. To prevent child abuse and foster the development and
sustainment of healthy families MCCS provides a variety of prevention
and education services, New Parent Support Program (NPSP), and
encourages families to seek early intervention. The Family Advocacy
Council (FAC) addresses child abuse issues at each installation.
Prevention programs are offered through a coordinated community
response effort with the base and civilian communities. The New Parent
Support Program offers home based parent education services and
psychoeducational parenting and play groups. Spouse support groups are
additionally offered through the Family Team Building. Additional
counseling services are available to families through Military
OneSource, TRICARE and Chaplains. The Marine Corps is also partnering
with UCLA to provide ``''resiliency training'' to families and children
of marines who are facing the challenges and stress of having a loved
one at war. This program, ``Families OverComing Under Stress'' (FOCUS)
is operational at nine Navy and Marine Corps bases, including three in
California.
Ms. Nesmith. The DOD has seen a steady decline in family
maltreatment referrals for the past 10 years; the decrease in the Air
Force has been significant as well. For example, the total number of
referrals fell from 8,170 in fiscal year 2005 to 6,335 in fiscal year
2008. However, there is evidence that child neglect increases during
deployments, and there is a small increase in child abuse among
frequent deployers. Our Air Force Family Advocacy Program teammates are
already training our staffs worldwide on these trends and bolstering
family maltreatment prevention and intervention measures.
dod child care centers
40. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Marin, Dr. Rau, General Larsen,
and Ms. Nesmith, Mr. Myers has testified that there is a shortage of
37,000 child care spaces throughout DOD. If all of the dollars and
programs in the 2010 request are authorized and appropriated, what
becomes of that 37,000-space shortfall?
Mr. Myers. If all of the funding and programs in the 2010 request
are authorized and appropriated, including the funding in the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the 37,000 shortage will be reduced by
approximately 4,600 spaces. This still leaves a significant shortage of
child care spaces.
With congressional support over the past several years, the
Department has reduced the shortage (at one time as high as 58,000
child care spaces) as a result of an accelerated MILCON program and
legislative initiatives. The Department will continue to rely on the
MILCON program; however, the greatest success in increasing child care
capacity (over 10,000 spaces) has occurred as a result of projects
funded under the authority granted in section 2810(d), NDAA for Fiscal
Year 2006 and renewed under section 2809 of the NDAA 2008. This
legislation authorized the use of minor MILCON for Child Development
Centers with life-threatening, health threatening or safety threatening
deficiencies. The Department has utilized the flexibility this
authority allowed to increase spaces on a rapid basis. By supporting
DOD families' need for child care, the Department contributes to the
efficiency, readiness, and retention of the total force and alleviate
stress on families.
The Department must also begin to turn its attention to
recapitalizing the investment. The modular facilities constructed under
the expanded authority have a 50 year life-span; however, many child
care facilities are in need of renovations and repairs to ensure
continued functionality. In order to maintain an adequate facility
sustainment program for a large child care system, the Department
estimates the need for 18--20 centers per year to meet the
recapitalization goals. The Department requests your continued support
of MILCON funding to ensure the viability of the child development
program.
Ms. Marin. The Army's Child Development Center construction program
constitutes a critical aspect of supporting families with facilities
needed to meet child care demand. Child care programs are a top quality
of life issue essential to readiness, morale, and retention of the
force.
The Army has a requirement for 358 spaces to be provided through
MILCON projects after fiscal year 2010 in addition to 1,878 spaces
which are candidates for Operation and Maintenance Construction funding
to meet its end-state capability. The Army anticipates having child
care construction requirements in the future to provide replacement and
renovations of existing facilities or to address emerging requirements
(e.g., tour normalization in Korea).
Dr. Rau. The Navy's share of the 37,000 shortfall is 3,500. The
fiscal year 2010 requested increase of $7.7 million will satisfy 100
percent of the shortfall once construction is completed.
General Larsen. Based on the fiscal year 2010 funding request and
the ARRA funding, there would be a net increase of 2,100 spaces in
permanent construction over the next several years.
Ms. Nesmith. Based on today's known demand, we are on track to
bring the deficit in Air Force programs from 6,400 spaces to 0 by
fiscal year 2011.
commissaries
41. Senator Graham. Mr. Myers, Ms. Moakler from the National
Military Family Association tells us that families consider the
commissary one of their most important benefits. The savings that you
reference in your statement will not be achieved if the commissaries
are not a desirable place to shop. Is there sufficient funding to
replace and renovate military commissaries?
Mr. Myers. No. While the Department's policy, that appropriated
funding pays for commissary construction required by strategic military
decisions, helped reduce the shortfall in construction funding, the
shortfall continues to exist. As reported to Congress in January 2009,
Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) identified a $549.5 million shortfall
of commissary surcharge funding. To alleviate the shortfall, DeCA
identified options for sharing revenue from the sale of exchange items
in commissaries, seeking alternative funding similar to public-private
housing initiatives, and alternative funding sources to cover costs of
anti-terrorism and force protection measures. DeCA continues to explore
options to reduce the shortfall before consideration will be given to
increasing the surcharge rate. Those options are being reviewed during
the development of the fiscal year 2011 budget request.
[Whereupon, at 4:32 p.m., the subcommittee adjourned.]