VFW Testifies on In-State Tuition; Pending Benefits Legislation

This morning the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hosted a hearing to discuss more than 35 veterans’ benefits bills on issues like employment, education, the VA disability claims backlog, and others. VFW Deputy Legislative Director Ryan Gallucci testified on behalf of the VFW, focusing specifically on bills designed to protect student-veterans.

Student Veterans of America reported recently that only one in four veterans attending a public college can attend at the in-state rate; and in many cases, past military service prevented student-veterans from qualifying. As a result of this disparity, the VFW has been strongly advocating to allow veterans attending public colleges and universities on the GI Bill to attend at the in-state tuition rate, and the committee is currently considering three specific bills to address the issue: S. 257, S. 262, and S. 944.

Active duty service members are already offered in-state tuition because of their unique circumstances, but once the uniform comes off, the protection goes away and many veterans are left stateless for tuition purposes.

In his remarks, Gallucci made the case for why veterans should receive in-state tuition accommodations, and why the VFW prefers legislation that not only protects current and future enrolled student-veterans, but also ensures schools can reasonably comply with new policies. Gallucci also took the opportunity to commend Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, for his work protecting veterans’ cost-of-living adjustments

During question-and-answer, Gallucci outlined ways VA could improve its transparency in resolving the disability claims backlog by 2015 and explained how the VFW would like to see the committee address persistent veterans’ unemployment issues.

To read the VFW’s full remarks on all 38 bills under consideration and to view an archived webcast of the hearing, click here. VFW’s testimony starts at 1:56:16.

Your VFW will continue to follow each of these bills closely, making recommendations to the committee prior to mark-up in the coming months. Check back regularly for updates.

(Image: VFW Deputy Legislative Director Ryan Gallucci testifies before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee this morning. Photo by Aleks Morosky.)

Defending Military Commissaries…Again

Earlier this week, the Washington Post published a scathing story defending critics of military commissaries and decrying the way groups like the VFW work to save such “wasteful” military programs. After the military community let out an exhausted groan over the story, we are once again forced to defend the meager benefits system that keeps many enlisted families just hovering above the poverty line.

The VFW first called attention to proposals to gut the commissary system as part of our “10 for 10” campaign in 2011, where we identified 10 specific military personnel benefits deficit hawks in Washington sought to cut to now pay for 10 years of war. Sadly, these 10 specific cuts keep popping up!

We certainly made a legitimate case for maintaining the already efficient commissary system back in 2011, and our talking points on the issue haven’t changed. Instead, now the opposition is coming after “special interest” groups like the VFW.

We won’t apologize for defending the common enlisted troops and their families. That’s why our organization exists. As a young junior enlisted soldier, my buddies and I would joke about the “Spec-4 Mafia” (“Lance Corporal Underground” for you Marines) and the way that we were the ones who really ran the Army. Now that I work in veterans’ advocacy, this joke has taken on a different meaning. Our community of veterans, many of whom served in the lowest ranks doing the worst jobs in the military, give a critical voice to the little guy. The Beltway bean-counters seem to hate that. They would prefer that the condescending narrative portraying our troops as entitled freeloaders, like the Post article did, prevail in a public already divorced from its military.

In an all-volunteer force, we rely on bright, young Americans who choose to enlist in lieu of other beneficial life opportunities, like not getting shot at. These young men and women who may only serve for a few years for very little pay are the backbone of the military. We pull the triggers; we drive the trucks; we program the radios; and we absorb the blasts. It doesn’t matter what kind of fancy new weapons system the military purchases, if nobody can operate it, it’s useless. The VFW understands that the military is a people-centric organization, which is why we work to protect personnel programs and benefits at all costs.

We acknowledge that cuts have to come somewhere in tough times, but the Pentagon makes a bad case for gutting its personnel programs. They present raw number increases as evidence that personnel costs are going up. However, they neglect to mention that as a percentage of the military budget, personnel costs have remained steadily near 20 percent for more than a decade. Their fuzzy math also warns that health care costs will cripple the military budget, but they then approach Congress to reprogram nearly $1 billion in health care funding for ambiguous “other projects” every year.

We’ll give DoD some credit, though, the offer for chains like Wal-Mart to reduce prices for service members and retirees on groceries is an admirable plan worth exploring, but Wal-Mart needs to put its money where its mouth is. If you think you can offer a better service that will shutter the commissaries and boost business for Wal-Mart, then what are you waiting for? Do it already! If private industry can truly fill this void and provide better service for military families, then the so-called commissary problem will resolve itself in the marketplace. But I think we all know that this won’t happen.

Plus, what happens after we shutter the commissaries, when Wal-Mart and any other benevolent partners decide to slowly whittle away at the benefit? They know that the customer has nowhere else to go, and that a subtle, long-term change will muster little ire from those affected. That’s a sour deal for military families.

It’s a sad state that these proposals are given such serious merit even before the wars have drawn to a close. We lost seven more Americans on the battlefield in Afghanistan this week. Our country usually waits for the bullets to stop flying before we start treating Tommy like a brute. If our country truly believes that we have an obligation to care for the men and women who keep us safe, we have to continue making reasonable investments in their health and welfare. We risk our military readiness and we risk the all-volunteer force if we treat our military men and women as second-class citizens.

You can rest assured that the VFW will keep close watch on this and other proposed military personnel program cuts. In the meantime, let us know what you think, and check back regularly for updates.

Senate Discusses Sexual Assault in the Military

Tuesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to discuss pending legislation regarding sexual assaults in the military. VFW Commander-in-Chief John Hamilton recently issued a strong statement, saying that sexual assault had no place in the military, and your VFW Washington staff was on hand for the day-long hearing to hear from each of the witnesses.

Committee members heard from three panels of witnesses including Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, his service chiefs, their judge advocates, line commanders, and victims’ advocates. The committee grilled military leaders about current reporting mechanisms, commander responsibility, and how each service’s justice system functions when dealing with sexual assaults.

Tuesday’s hearing marked the first time that each service chief answered specific questions on sexual misconduct in the military, and the committee took advantage of the opportunity to speak at length with all stakeholders in a hearing that lasted nearly eight hours. To view an archived webcast of the Senate oversight hearing, click here.

Members of the committee have introduced several bills that would make changes to the military justice system, to include removing the decision to prosecute certain felony-level offenses like sexual assault from of the chain of command, and preventing commanders from overturning convictions or reducing punishments for major offenses like sexual assault. The VFW has expressed support for the intent of this legislation, the Military Justice Improvement Act, or S. 967, introduced by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, but does hold reservations about diminishing a commander’s authority to command.

Other legislative proposals include naming special victims’ counsels for each service to offer legal advice and counsel victims on all criminal and civil legal matters. The Air Force currently has a pilot program that has had success in giving the victim a voice.

Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said good order and discipline within the military demands a positive command climate predicated on trust and accountability at every level. He believes that only the chain of command can establish a “zero tolerance” policy for sexual offense, and that only the chain of command has the authority to address cultural problems within units. Other committee members asked if the military had the tools necessary to address these types of crimes, or if there was a need for more checks and balances within the justice system.

Judge advocates expressed concern that removing prosecution for certain felonies like sexual violence would only exacerbate the problems with reporting and punishment, pointing out that the military already far outpaces the civilian sector in sexual assault reporting, and the military justice system already offers more protections for victims when policies are implemented correctly. The challenge, however, is ensuring that commanders at all levels adhere to the policies.

The Committee is expected to include specific language on combatting sexual assault in their version of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, which is scheduled for mark-up next week. The House included some of the provisions discussed today in its version of the NDAA, H.R. 1960, to include barring commanders from dismissing all but minor sexual offenses from a court martial, and prohibiting commanders from reducing a guilty finding in a sexual assault case to a lesser offense. It also calls for victims’ counsels in each of the services.

The VFW has consistently advocated for improved reporting mechanisms and recourse for victims of sexual assault in the military, as well as streamlining the path to necessary health care and benefits for victims. Yesterday, the VFW-supported Ruth Moore Act, which helps victims of sexual assault in the military receive care and compensation, passed the House. Your VFW is scheduled to testify on the Senate version of the Ruth Moore Act next week. Check back regularly for updates as the VFW keeps up the pressure on this critical issue.

House Hosts Hearing on Veterans’ Health Care Legislation

On Tuesday, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health hosted a hearing to discuss pending veterans’ health care legislation. Your VFW was on hand and provided written testimony offering comments on bills dealing with issues like VA travel benefits, CHAMPVA regulations, and medical research.

One of the bills discussed was H.R. 1284, which would expand travel reimbursements to veterans who require inpatient rehabilitation as a result of spinal cord injuries, amputation or blindness. These programs are only located at a few VA facilities, and often veterans cannot afford the cost of traveling great distances to receive the care they need. The VFW feels that all severely disabled veterans should have access to the rehabilitation they need from VA, and should never forgo care because of restrictions based on income or level of service connection, which is why the VFW supports this bill.

H.R. 288 would allow dependent children to remain under CHAMPVA coverage until the age of 26. CHAMPVA is the only federal health care program that still does not offer coverage to that group, in accordance with the national standard established by the Affordable Care Act in 2010. The VFW strongly supports this legislation.

Another bill which the VFW strongly supported was H.R. 984, which would establish an interagency task force on genitourinary organ trauma, or urotrauma – the technical terms for the loss or damage to reproductive organs. A recent study shows that 5 to 10 percent of battlefield injuries involve urotrauma, and that these injuries have been on the rise since dismounted patrols increased in Afghanistan. The task force, which would be comprised of doctors from VA, each service branch, and the Department of Health and Human Services would work to advance the care and treatment of these physically and emotionally devastating wounds.

These bills will now move to the markup phase where the VFW anticipates full committee approval and advancement. To learn about the morning’s witnesses, read prepared remarks and to view an archived webcast of the hearing, click here.

To read the VFW’s prepared testimony in its entirety, click here.

VFW Joins Military Credentialing Discussion

Yesterday your VFW joined Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine and Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth for a discussion on professional credentialing for military training.

Kaine and Duckworth spoke to dozens of veterans, veterans’ advocates, industry leaders, and local officials about the importance of military skills translation and the cultivation of a career-ready military force.

Duckworth, a combat-wounded Army helicopter pilot, explained that service members sign their work with their lives in the military – a level of dedication that many in private industry cannot comprehend. However, she went on to say that while the military prepares its officers well for careers after military service, enlisted personnel in similar military jobs often do not have the same kinds of professional development opportunities.

Kaine, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that he believed military professional training is an enormous public investment with the potential to benefit all of society.

Kaine and Duckworth are the sponsors of the Troop Talent Act of 2013, a companion bill in the Senate and House that would improve the path to civilian professional credentials for service members trained by the military, ensure credentials are relevant to civilian industries, and increase access to high-demand industries for service members.

The VFW proudly supported the Troop Talent Act when it was introduced in early April, and will continue to monitor it as it moves through the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Check back regularly for updates.

(Image: Sen. Kaine discusses how the Troop Talent Act will help make service members career-ready upon leaving the military. Photo by Ryan Gallucci.)