2012 Legislative Goals Gunnery Sergeant Laweryson, Many challenges lie ahead for the military community in 2012. Here’s a one-page summary of selected legislative goals for 2012. For a more detailed discussion of MOAA’s 2012 goals, see page 40 of the January Military Officer magazine.

In This Issue

Troops-Pay-Healthcare Cuts Coming

The President and SecDef outlined a plan this week to cut $450 billion in defense spending over the next decade. No specifics were provided, but troop strength, pay, and health care cuts will certainly be key pieces of the "plan ahead."

Know a Medically Separated Vet?

The Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) provides veterans who were medically separated from military service between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2009, with the opportunity for review of their disability ratings to ensure fairness, consistency and accuracy. Only 3,000 out of 75,000 eligible have applied – help us get out the word.

Troops-Pay-Healthcare Cuts Coming

On Thursday, President Obama and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta presented an outline that shifts greater attention to the Pacific theater while reshaping the uniformed services to become smaller, more agile, and cheaper in the years ahead.

The eight page report, Sustaining U.S. Global Leadership: Priorities for the 21st Century, was short on specifics of just how the defense department would carry out the $450 billion in cuts over the next 10 years (and potentially another half trillion dollars under sequestration) and neither the President nor the Secretary were willing to provide any real details.

Panetta outlined that the cuts would be made in a way that would follow four overarching principles:

• Maintain the world's finest military;

• Avoid hollowing out the force;

• Generate savings in a balanced manner with everything on the table, including politically sensitive areas; and,

• Preserve a high quality All-Volunteer Force and not breaking faith with our men and women in uniform or their families.

Panetta went on, stating the "country is at a strategic turning point after a decade of war and, therefore we are shaping a joint force for the future that will be smaller and leaner, but will be agile, flexible, ready, and technologically advanced."

The specifics of their proposal likely won't be known until the President submits his budget request in mid-February.

But it was abundantly clear that there would be major changes to nearly all facets of defense programs and forces – including end strength and personnel costs.

A considerable force drawdown is certain over the next decade – particularly for the Army and the Marines.

Pay and health care cuts are also likely part of the plan as the report calls for "reducing the growth of compensation and health care costs." It's safe to assume that some sort of pay freeze or reduced annual pay raises and health care fee increases will make its way into February proposal.

Panetta acknowledged in his opening statement that "savings...will likely provoke opposition from parts of Congress, industry, and advocacy groups."

And he's correct.

There's no doubt that government spending needs to be curbed to reduce our nation's debt, but MOAA is concerned that these cuts, coupled with sequestration, will put a disproportionate burden on those who have already sacrificed so much in service to our nation.

Additionally, MOAA believes the Pentagon plan has their priorities reversed. The new strategy garners big savings from personnel programs and troop cuts, yet is relatively silent on any savings from eliminating redundant programs or improving management and cost overruns of high-profile programs.

Hopefully, the President's Budget submission will contain such improvements – but we're not holding our breath. We'll provide more details when they become available.

Know a Medically Separated Vet?

If you know of any veterans who were medically separated from military service between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2009, please let them know they have some recourse if they feel they unfairly received a too-low disability rating from the military.

The Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) will reassess the accuracy and fairness of the combined disability ratings assigned to servicemembers who were discharged as unfit for continued military service by the military departments with a combined disability rating of 20 percent or less.

Once a review is complete, the PDBR forwards their recommendation to the respective Service Secretary where it is up to the individual service branch to make the final determination on whether to change the original disability determination.

The board outcomes of those who have applied have been very favorable. Nearly half of the applicants have received upgrades to 30% or more, which would make them eligible for a military medical retirement, retiree pay, access to military healthcare and other benefits.

Since the PDBR began reviewing its first cases in June 2009, only 3,000 veterans have applied of the roughly 75,000 eligible veterans.

To encourage greater applications, later this month the VA and the Pentagon plan to begin sending letters to thousands of Post-9/11 eligible veterans.

Help us spread the word...most of these wounded warriors won't otherwise know about this important option to correct a possible wrong that were exposed to several years ago during their medical evaluation process.

If you know someone who was medically separated from service since 9-11, they can find out more information on how to apply at: www.health.mil/pdbr.