1.     Senate Authorization//House Authorization:  Graham-Clinton Amendment; and -- TRICARE Select
2.     BRAC Recommendations input - Thune Amendment,
3.     Commission on Guard and Reserve
4.     Hope at Home Act – HR 558
5.     Other issues of importance
6.     Write/e-mail Congress

Details:

1.  Legislative Goals/Issues:  The Senate leadership pulled the FY 06 NDAA (Authorization) from consideration on July 27^th.   Several pending amendments were the reasons for the Senate Authorization bill to be pulled from consideration.  It will come back for consideration after the Congressional August recess.   The following Amendment is important and you should consider weighing in on during the August recess; through your Senator’s district office, or through their Washington office.  The GRAHAM-Clinton Amendment, SA 1363, proposed to the bill S. 1042, as follows.  The Amendment would EXPAND ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERS OF THE SELECTED RESERVE UNDER THE TRICARE PROGRAM.   

a.       TRICARE Reserve Select:  This issue which affords all Selected Reservists permanent access to TRICARE was in the House Authorization Bill, but was stripped out due to a technical issue.  Senator Graham (SC) offered this provision in an amendment in the Senate.  We urge you to write your Senators on making this a permanent provision.  Several improvements to TRICARE Reserve Select will be made; however, the provision of making this a permanent benefit is needed for our Guard and Reserve members. 

2.       BRAC Recommendations.  The Thune Amendment on the Senate FY 06 NDAA would have delayed implementation of BRAC 2005 recommendations.  S 1042; S. AMD 1389.  There is time to make your position known on the BRAC recommendations, and this Amendment.  Several Reserve components are concerned about a number of the actions suggested.  As we have provided before, if the offices do not hear from you – they assume you have nothing to say about the issues.  Your comments can make a difference: Write your Senator with your positions:  

a.       Write the SASC with your positions: 

b.       Write or email to the BRAC Commissioners (all of them);

2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission
2521 S. Clark St., Ste. 600
Arlington, VA 22202

3.       Commission on Guard and Reserve.  This is still stalled because certain members in the Senate have not come forward with their nominations.  We ask that you write to Congress, to seek the appointment of the members, and that work begin to address the issues that are important to our Guard and Reserve.  We need to get the word to Congress by sending e-mails, and letters.  ACT NOW on this issue, Reserve component issues will get addressed by this commission.  

4.       Hope at Home ACT – HR 838.  This bill would allow employers a credit against income tax for members of the National Guard and Reserve. The legislation also would allow a comparable credit for participating self-employed individuals. Increased full-time responsibility for call up and added training demands are placing pressures on some reservists to reconsider their commitment to voluntary service. Incentives are needed to offer employers tangible support for the inconveniences often associated with having Reserve and Guard employees. 

5.       Other issues of importance:

a.       Eligibility to purchase TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) coverage is determined by the Reserve Component member's Service/Reserve Component office. To qualify, members must have served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001, for 90 consecutive days or more in support of a contingency operation and enter into an agreement with their Reserve Component to serve in the Selected Reserve for one or more years prior to leaving active duty. For Reserve Component members who are eligible and have already left active duty, they have until October 28, 2005, to complete their service agreement. Details about completing Service agreements and enrollment process for TRS are available on the TRICARE Web site at.  Links to important TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) information:  Am I Eligible?   

b.       This comes to us from one of our members:  We have breaking news for federal employees who took military leave from at least 1994 to 2000.  Despite OPM guidance to federal agencies that suggested employees could only recover leave for the past six years (which limited recovery to only years 1999 and 2000), the Merit Systems Protection Board ruled recently that clients can seek compensation for improperly charged leave from AT LEAST 1994 (and left the possibility for claims to go back as far as 1980).  The Board's ruling may allow them to receive as much as four (4) times the amount of compensation allowable under the current OPM guidance.  See the following site: If you need more information go to:  website: for more information. 

c.       The National Personnel Records Center is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files.  Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents.  Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180 which can be downloaded from the online web site.
 
The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing time.  Also, because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized.

This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes. Please see the details below.  

6.       E-mail or write your opinions on these issues to your Senators and Congressman, IF they do not hear from you they assume you have no issue with what they decide!

v      For your Senators: then select your state.  Each Senator has a link to send them an e-mail, this is the most effective way to contact them at this time.  

v      For your House of Representative members: then put in your zip code, and the link will take you to correct site.

See the below list of Congressional Members & Professional Staff Members that work the issues important to you, and do not forget to contact the Appropriations committees 

Senate Armed Services:                                        Senate Appropriations - Defense

Chair: John Warner                                                  Chair: Ted Stevens

SR 228 Russell                                                          SD-119 Dirksen

Washington, DC 20510-0650                                  Washington, DC 20510

Ranking Member: Carl Levin                                     Ranking Member: Daniel Inouye

SR 228 Russell                                                          SD-119 Dirksen

Washington, DC 20510-0650                                   Washington, DC 20510

House Armed Services Committee                         House Armed Service – Military Personnel

Chair: Duncan Hunter (CA)                                       Chair: John McHugh (NY)                                

Ranking Member: Ike Skelton (MO)                          Ranking Member: Vic Synder (AR)

2120 Rayburn House Office Building                       2120 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515                                           Washington, DC 20515

Feel free to forward this e-mail.  For those of you who receive this and you are not already a member, please consider joining the Naval Reserve Association.  Check us out at: www.ausn.org  or call on our toll free number 866-672-4968.