House Armed Services Vice Chairman Supports HR 783

Washington, D.C. - (6/12/2006)  A significant co-sponsor has lent their name to HR 783 (Reduces age of retirement pay for reservists to age 55). Representative Curt Weldon, 58 of Pennsylvania's 7 House District.

He is senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, and currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the full Committee as well as Chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee.

"As Vice-Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, I am committed to insuring that the men and women in our military have the necessary resources to protect our nation."

Weldon served six years as the Chairman of the Military Research and Development Subcommittee, overseeing the development and testing of key military systems, weapons programs, and technologies that fulfill military needs. 

He is perhaps nationally best known for his elevating the view of the work by Able-Danger. That was a project that had identified several of the 9/11 terrorists prior to 9/11/2001! His testimony to the Senate Judiciary committee is available at:

http://curtweldon.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=36967

Regarding the recent New York Times becoming a display panel for top secrets and endangering our efforts to combat terror:

"As the vice chairman of both the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, I'm given access to almost any level of intelligence I want. Do I then have the power and the authority to determine in my own mind what I would or would not release? That's not what my job is; I swore and took an oath not to do that," he told PBS.

"And the people that these papers are dealing with took the same oath. I'm really outraged and incensed at both the paper, but also at these Americans who work for our system who, even though they took an oath, have selectively determined what they will declassify."

This is not an insignificant player who has declared himself a co-sponsor of this Reserve Retirement reform. If you're a consituent or not, you may wish to send your 'thanks' via http://curtweldon.house.gov/Contact/ .

Space-A for DAVs & Gray Retirees:

Mystery Study Group in Hiding

Some people believe in conspiracies, groups meeting in the middle of the night, plotting control of the universe!  I think I am fast becoming one of them. 

Particularly in regards to the study mandated by Public Law 109-163 - a feasibility study for expansion of space available travel on military aircraft to 50% disabled American Veterans, and to Reservists retired with over 20 good years, under 60, but eligible for pay at 60 years of age.

Where are they!?!  What are they doing?  Who are they?  Coming up with blanks is very unsatisfying - especially when in the back of the mind I have pictures of the agencies doing the study.  The Department of Defense has always hated the idea of ANY expansion - and they are on the study. 

In conjunction with them on this study is to be the Veterans Administration.  That agency probably could care less about these issues as they struggel to meet increasing needs of vets with decreasing resources.

So do you understand my concern?  This has all the ear marks for a rote "who's got the boiler plate text, we'll use it" study.

And that would be a tragedy.  That would be the exact opposite of Congressional intent who actually - I suspect - want a credible and authoritative answer and a product that is the result of serious study.

All I can say is:  Write your Congressional delgation (Senators and House Rep) and ask them to check on this study's progress.  Where can we input to it?  Good questions for you, the reader, to ask!

"Army Knowledge Online" Collaboration Group Opens Shop on Space-A for Returning Reservists

An "Army Knowledge Online" (AKO) collaboration group has been formed, based on and pointed at resolving this issue. Personnel administration groups already existing within AKO have been invited to participate and to seek establishment of procedures that will facilitate returning Reservists in using this wonderful privilege. Creator of that group is the UTMC editor.

"I wanted to see if AKO can do as it intended to do, strengthen and facilitate full utilization of Army resources with such a collaboration, and in this case by bettering the experiences of returning Reservists from Iraq and Afghanistan and other deployments," writes Mike Mitchell.

Rumsfeld group shoved to the side

Congressional Panel on National Guard Reserve Spotlighted

"The independent Commission on the National Guard and Reserves is charged by Congress to recommend any needed changes in law and policy to ensure that the Guard and Reserves are organized, trained, equipped, compensated, and supported to best meet the national security requirements of the United States. The Commission was established by the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005."  From the CNGR web site introduction at http://www.cngr.gov

The commission is taking testimony and conducting a study that must report with preliminary findings by June to the Armed Services committees of both houses.  A full report is due in one year from convening.

One Lady's Opinion

- by Ann Caddell Crawford,  Publisher, Military Living Publications

Having been a part of the military family for over 51 years, and the Publisher of Military Living for 38 years, I am keenly aware of bennies for the military and their families. Granted, there have been thousands of morale-boosting changes over the years. Many of them have been very expensive.

Here's my idea on boosting Guard and Reserve and their military family members (dependents) MORALE - because it is something that would not cost very many $$$s to implement.

I am concerned that these members are called on to serve our country over and over again; many have died in battle. I'm told that some have lost their small businesses, farms, medical and dental practices and more.

Commission on National Guard and Reserve (CNGR) Considers Compensation Changes

The age 55 receipt of retire pay concept seems clearly tossed out by the Military Compensation Panel's recommendations. Is it dead? Advocates must realize that panel doesn't have the final say on its fate.

A new commission, empanelled by Congress may be the final hope for this particular proposal – or one at least equal or better in retaining Reservists for 20-year careers.

That commission, needs a demonstration of strong support by Reservists themselves to demonstrate retirement pay at 55 is their preferred reform. The commission's web site is at http://www.cngr.gov

Indisputably it is, given that the much more costly immediate annuity after 20 years that their Active Component counterparts enjoy would cost quite a bit more. The age 55 receipt of retire pay was viewed as "compromise" at its birth.

An anti-Reservist/Guard bias is clearly present in the Bush Administration and it's Department of Defense.

This time the manifestation of it comes in the way of National Guard and Reserve troop reductions. The reductions echoes a continuingly present Bush DoD theme:

Sacrifice the Reserves at every opportunity. Today they comprise 40% of the force in Iraq and have for some time.

They have been allowed to wither via the demands of that service, as its equipment is drained from them and their personnel given little incentive other than patriotism to remain in the Guard/Reserves (or recruit their neighbor or family members) once demobilized.

As fine a sentiment as patriotism is, and as generously displayed as it has been in the ranks Reserve and Guard personnel, they should not be exploited because of its very clear existance in their hearts and souls.

But steps are constantly rejected by the Bush Department of Defense to enable service in the Guard and Reserve.