What Do You Think? Senate Seeks Commission on Retiree Benefits

As part of the VFW's ongoing work protecting the Department of Defense from sequestration and other budget cuts affecting those who volunteer to serve today or may volunteer to serve in the future, we watch and listen very closely for clues about changes to military pay, military quality-of-life programs, and the military retirement system.

As the full Senate prepares to debate the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the VFW must highlight a controversial provision in the committee-passed version of the bill that we believe would jeopardize the military retirement benefit. Title XVI of the bill (S. 3254) would establish an advisory committee known as the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission. The stated purpose of the Commission is to achieve fiscal sustainability for the military compensation and retirement systems, and the Commission's recommendations would then be accepted by strictly an up or down vote, without the opportunity to debate or amend.

This stated purpose not only implies that the current system is unsustainable, but it also assumes that the cost is not worth the expense. As you have read before on this blog, the VFW vehemently disagrees. As we read the fine print of the language establishing this Commission, we were disturbed to find that the provisions would prevent anyone who works for a Veteran or Military Service Organization to sit on the Commission, and would further prevent anyone from serving on the Commission who had worked for a VSO or MSO within the last year. In other words, the VFW and other groups who advocate for you have no voice – meaning the voices of our more than two million members and advocates would be effectively silenced.

As if this wasn't bad enough, the Commission's final recommendations on changing the retirement system would then be put strictly to an up-or-down vote in Congress, meaning the VFW and other advocates would never have an opportunity to evaluate the Commission's report or make recommendations that represent the best interest of our veterans.

We believe that stacking the deck against service members and shutting veterans out of a discussion on the future of the military compensation and retirement system is totally unconscionable, and that this Commission must be stopped before it’s too late. The provisions establishing this Commission are not in the House-passed version of the NDAA, and there’s still time for you to contact your Senators to express your opposition to establishing this Commission before the bill comes to the floor.

Over the last few months, thousands of VFW members and advocates, like retired Petty Officer Hal Cleveland, mobilized to fight TRICARE premium increases, increases that Congress ultimately eliminated from the NDAA. Congress listened to our voice before; we can make them listen again. To learn how you can contact your representatives and tell them to oppose the Commission, click here.

Finally, let us know what you think about the potential establishment of this Commission by taking our short poll, and don't forget to leave your comments below.

Do you think this Commission would have the best interest of service members and retirees in mind?

Yes No

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If this Commission drastically changed military retirement benefits, would you continue to serve or encourage others to serve a full career?

Yes No

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Would your Senator's stance on this issue weigh into your decision on election day?

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Watch: VFW Testifies on Veterans’ Assistance Bills

*Update: The archived webcast of yesterday's hearing is now available online by clicking here. 

Yesterday afternoon the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs hosted a hearing on pending legislation, and VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley shared VFW’s thoughts with the subcommittee on each bill under consideration.

The hearing came to order at 2 p.m. in the committee’s chambers, room 334 of the Cannon House Office building on Capitol Hill. To view a full list of the bills under consideration, a full list of witnesses, and to read their prepared remarks, click here.

During his remarks, Kelley voiced the VFW’s support for bills ranging from properly honoring fragmented remains of our nation’s fallen heroes to extending critical benefit-delivery programs for veterans, such as the authority of VA to contract with non-VA doctors to perform examinations and the authority of VA to offer adaptive housing accommodations for veterans under the care of family members.

Kelley also expressed cautious support to a proposal that would allow congressional staffers and local government officials to access veteran-specific information on pending VA disability claims, calling for provisions in the bill to ensure information privacy and proper oversight on access.

Texas VFW District 4 Senior Vice Commander Jay Sanders also testified on the Houston VA Cemetery controversy and proposed legislation designed to clarify veterans’ burial rights. Sanders was on hand to offer his local perspective on the issue.

(Images: Top: House VA Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Chairman John Runyan, R-N.J., delivers his opening remarks during yesterday's legislative hearing. Bottom: VFW National Legislative Director Ray Kelley, left, shares the VFW's thoughts on each bill under consideration during yesterday's hearing. Photos by Chase Collram.)

Field Report: North Dakota VFW Calls on Congress to Stop Benefit Cuts

During the Easter congressional recess, leaders from the VFW Department of North Dakota participated in a roundtable discussion on veterans’ issues with Rep. Rick Berg, R-N.D., and staff members for Sens. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., and John Hoeven, R-N.D.

John Hanson, a past VFW state commander and current member of the VFW National Legislative Committee, discussed VFW’s “10 for 10” list of military benefits and quality-of-life programs that the Administration and Congress have put on the chopping block, explaining why the budget cuts cannot happen. He called on the North Dakota congressional delegation to offer a united voice in support of veterans and the military community when they return to Washington.

During the roundtable, participants also discussed rural health for veterans, funding for post-traumatic stress, support for the children and families of deployed service members, the deep VA disability claims backlog, veterans’ homelessness, and funding for veterans’ outreach.

Congressman Berg said that the U.S. House of Representatives this year has passed 13 pieces of legislation, four of which have been signed into law. Berg also said that North Dakota is home to thousands of veterans who he is proud to represent. He explained that the VA needs to be able to meet the medical and mental healthcare needs of all returning service members, and that they cannot waiver in their support to properly care for veterans.

Hanson said he and the North Dakota VFW will continue to work with their congressman and senators to meet the needs of service members, veterans and their families.

To submit your Field Reports for consideration on the VFW’s Capitol Hill blog, simply fill out our online form here, or send photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org. Information for this story was provided by VFW National Legislative Committee member John Hanson.

VFW Commander To Join in National Memorial Day Observances

This afternoon VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard L. DeNoyer will touch down in Washington, D.C., for Memorial Day weekend events.

Every year, VFW leaders converge on the Nation's Capitol for a series of events across the region to honor the brave American men and women who gave their lives on the battlefield to defend our great nation. This year, DeNoyer, VFW National Chief of Staff Walter Gansenberg, and VFW Washington staff are scheduled to participate in nearly a dozen events around Washington to honor America's fallen heroes.

The VFW national commander's weekend starts tonight, when he joins fellow Marines at the Eighth and I Marine Corps Barracks for the evening parade.

On Saturday, VFW National Veterans Service staff begin manning a tent near the Vietnam War Memorial so that visiting veterans can learn about their earned VA benefits and speak with trained VFW service officers on how to navigate the complex VA claims process. VFW staff will man the tent on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

On Sunday night, DeNoyer and other key VFW leaders will join members of Congress and their professional staff at the U.S. Capitol for the National Memorial Day Concert.

On Monday morning, DeNoyer will begin observing Memorial Day by joining the president and the first lady at the White House for a breakfast to honor America's Gold Star Families.

Afterwards, DeNoyer and other VFW officials will gather at Arlington National Cemetery for the 114th National Memorial Day Observance, immediately followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns.

The VFW national commander will close out Memorial Day alongside his fellow Vietnam veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial for the 30th Annual Memorial Day Wall Ceremony, which this year includes the National Commemoration of the Vietnam War's 50th Anniversary.

In addition to the national Memorial Day events hosted in Washington, VFW members and advocates will gather from coast to coast to honor the sacrifices of America's fallen war heroes. Next week we will bring you highlights from DeNoyer's Memorial Day observances, but we also want to share you stories on this blog. To learn how, click here, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org.

(Images: Top: VFW Commander-in-Chief Richard L. DeNoyer lays a memorial wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery during last fall's Veterans Day observances in Washington, D.C. Bottom: DeNoyer, center, visits with VFW National Veterans Service staff manning an informational booth near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial over Veterans Day weekend last fall. Photos by Joe Davis.)

Field Report: VFW Helps Colorado Veterans’ Forum Develop Solutions

Last year Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., put together a state veterans’ forum, comprised of veterans’ advocates and leaders across Colorado in an effort to better serve the state’s veterans. In January, a forum subcommittee, chaired by VFW Post 1 Commander Izzy Abbass came together to address a series of veterans’ issues under the title “Better Serving Those Who Have Served.”

Abbass’ subcommittee included advocates from across Colorado who interacted with the veterans’ community in a variety of ways such as workforce investment, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, military family policy, academia, and veterans’ services on both the state and national level. Major veterans’ service organizations like the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Military Officers Association of America, and Paralyzed Veterans of America also participated in the discussion.

The forum produced a report on six specific areas, outlining ways to improve support services for service members, veterans and their families in Colorado.

“We are unified in our belief that we must do a better job addressing [these] challenges if Colorado is going to become the best place for veterans to live and work,” said Abbass. “ This report is an initial step in continuing to build consensus and strategize how to implement reforms to better meet the needs of military families and veterans.”

The six areas and the panel’s recommendations are:

• Improving community collaboration: Thousands of public and private programs exist to serve veterans, but despite the quantity of programs focused on veterans, critical gaps in services remain. Those working for veterans do not communicate with one other and it is often difficult for veterans to pinpoint which of the multitude of service providers is most relevant to their needs and accessible to them geographically. This country needs a central place where public and private organizations committed to serving veterans can go to learn about each other and work together, and where veterans can go to connect to the services they need.

• Putting our warriors back to work: Although veterans are some of the most highly-skilled workers in the country, they often face unique challenges that can make finding employment after military service difficult. Some of the challenges faced by transitioning service members include translating their unique skills into civilian occupations and overcoming employers’ misunderstanding of the injuries associated with combat. We should work together to find a way to make the transition from warfighter to civilian employee easier.

• Providing easy and efficient access to earned benefits: Bureaucratic overload, inefficiency and inaccuracy continues to cause the backlog of claims at the Veterans Benefits Administration. These delays are an unnecessary burden on veterans who are entitled to the benefits earned through their service. In addition, improvements can be made to the G.I. Bill education benefit to make sure returning veterans get the most out of their education.

• Ending homelessness and addressing foreclosure: Veterans are more likely to become homeless than their non-veteran counterparts, and service members continue to face foreclosure and other financial challenges due, in part, to their mobility. We have a responsibility to make sure veterans are not placed at a disadvantage because of their service to our country.

• Improving awareness and addressing the mental scars from combat: The long-term mental health and cognitive implications of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury are not fully known. Some medical experts believe that the injuries could be contributing factors in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. We need to start planning now for the potential wave of cognitive and mental health issues that may develop in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the decades to come.

• Raising national awareness about the unique challenges faced by military families and veterans: Our goal should not just be to simply reintegrate the service member into civilian society, but should also be to educate communities about the challenges facing those who have served.

From this report, Abbass’ subcommittee will now focus its efforts on three specific areas: Licensing and education, local VA support, and employment.

Abbass said each subcommittee in the state veterans’ forum is now working toward developing action items for the next full committee meeting, which takes places on March 30 in Denver.

To submit your Field Reports for consideration on the VFW’s Capitol Hill blog, simply fill out our online form here, or send photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org. Information for this story was provided by Colorado VFW Post 1 Commander Izzy Abbass. 

Thanks to Our Readers, VFW Blog Sets Traffic Record

In February -- the shortest month of the year -- the VFW Capitol Hill blog shattered its monthly traffic record with more than 11,000 visitors reading stories and posting comments. The staff of the VFW Washington office wants to thank our readers and supporters for joining the conversation.

We hope you have enjoyed receiving timely and accurate information directly from our office about our day-to-day work here in Washington, and we sincerely appreciate the kind of feedback we've received. Your feedback has helped to inform our decision-making on issues like proposed changes to military benefits and retirement compensation, veterans' health care, and unemployment.

Since Kansas City gave us our own blog, we've seen traffic continue to grow precipitously each month. We know the best is yet to come, which is why we hope you will continue to read and share our stories, and submit stories of your own. After all, members of Congress only listen to us because of the work the VFW does in their home districts.

This month, we received several submissions from advocates coming to Washington for the 2012 VFW Legislative Conference, which you can read on the blog now. We love receiving these kinds of personal stories, and we hope to host more content like this moving forward.

If you have stories or photos of your own veterans' advocacy work you would like us to consider, send them in an email to vfwac@vfw.org. If you want to know the kinds of information we're looking for, we will soon offer an easy "After Action Report" worksheet on the VFW in DC homepage where you simply have to fill in the blanks, and we'll take care of the rest. Once it's live, we'll also post it on this blog.

The voice of our 2 million members truly resonates in Washington. This is why veterans' employment legislation was the only American jobs bill signed into law last year. This is why Congressmen flood the hopper with bills on veterans' issues each election cycle. Let's show them what the VFW is capable of.

In the coming months, we plan to introduce some new interactive features on the blog, like interactive live webchats on veterans' issues and quick videos explaining bills critical to the VFW.

Thank you, again, for making our blog a success. Keep reading and we'll keep working to ensure veterans' issues are a top priority in Washington.

VFW Denounces Survey on Military Benefits; What do You Think?

This week Stars & Stripes reported that a defense think tank, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, was looking to conduct a survey of current and former military service members to gather data on which benefits remain top priorities for those who volunteer to serve. The survey comes in the wake of announcements from Department of Defense officials that personnel benefits and programs – particularly retirement pensions and health care – could face potential cuts in the coming years. The VFW has vowed to fight these potential cuts at all costs.

After reading through the CSBA survey, VFW leaders balked at the tone of the questions, which asked participants to rate certain military benefits over others, and then determine the kinds of benefit packages that would be preferable to service members in the future. The survey also asked for pointed demographic information such as service branch, years active, overseas deployments, and age. The VFW is discouraging its members from participating in the survey, since the data will likely be used as an endorsement of certain benefit cuts by service members, themselves.

“Our military men and women have earned these benefits through their honorable wartime service over the last decade, and the VFW is insulted that these same men and women would now be asked to put their heads in a noose by tacitly admitting cuts to their earned benefits are somehow acceptable,” said VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley. “The VFW does not accept the notion that cuts to personnel programs and benefits are the only viable solution. We have an obligation to provide for our war-fighters and their loved ones, and the VFW will not let Congress or the Pentagon shirk that obligation.”

Kelley went on to say that the survey’s pointed questions on specific cuts and proposed changes actually pit different demographic groups of service members and veterans against each other – enlisted versus officer, retiree versus separated service member, or even young versus old – by asking questions like whether a one-time pay raise would be worth deferring all retiree benefits until 65.

“These kinds of questions are loaded from the beginning,” said Kelley. “Since 92 percent of military men and women choose to leave before retirement, the likely answer will favor a pay raise, which would essentially endorse cutting benefits for those who choose career military service. We shouldn't be asked to choose one over the other.”

At first glance, the survey looks like it offers service members and veterans a voice in the debate on potential cuts to the DoD budget. However, the VFW believes that the CSBA has already made up its mind that quality-of-life cuts are on the way, and data compiled from the survey will offer a military endorsement to move forward with specific recommendations.

In testimony before the House Budget Committee in 2010, CSBA equated military personnel benefit costs to pension costs for companies like General Motors. Though the testimony did not recommend specifics, the tone implied that providing for the needs of war-fighters was a wasteful venture for the Pentagon.

The VFW was the first major veterans organization to see these kinds of cuts on the horizon as part of last summer’s “10 for 10” campaign. Since the program’s roll-out, VFW leaders have consistently sought input from VFW members and veterans around the country, calling to preserve earned military and veterans’ benefits.

"Service members and veterans already have a voice in this debate, and they've consistently used that voice to say 'no' to proposed benefit cuts through advocates like the VFW and through direct outreach to Congressional offices," said Kelley. "We’ll do everything in our power to make sure their voices continue to be heard over the voices of those looking for a quick fix."

VFW is in the process of assessing the military retirement system and plans to make recommendations that can start a conversation on cost savings while maintaining the integrity of the system. The VFW wants to demonstrate that the Pentagon may actually be able to offer improved benefits for military personnel and at the same time save money simply by implementing smarter business practices. Be on the look-out for these specific recommendations in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, we want to know what you think about proposed changes to military benefits and which courses of action would be the most responsible. Take our short poll and please leave your comments below.

What should Congress do about military retirement benefits?

Keep earned benefits the same. Find savings elsewhere.Keep benefits the same, but defer all pensions to 65Keep the 20-year system, but offer some benefits for non-career serviceChange over to a 401(k)-style system for allIncrease pay, but cut all benefitsOther (details in comments)

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