National Association For Uniformed Services

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR UNIFORMED SERVICESNAUS Weekly Update for April 13, 2007www.naus.org"Posterity-you will never know how much it has cost my generation topreserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it."~ John Quincy Adams ~WASHINGTON REPORTImportant Hearing on Veterans Disabilities On Thursday, NAUS President MG Matz attended a rare joint Senate ArmedServices and Veterans Affairs hearing on Capitol Hill. The purpose ofthe hearing was to hear testimony on the Departments of Defense andVeterans Affairs disability rating systems and the transition of servicemembers from the Department of Defense to the Department ofVeterans Affairs. MG Matz and several other members of the Veterans Disability BenefitsCommission (VDBC) attended in order to listen to the testimony of Lt.Gen. Terry Scott, Chairman of the VDBC. Lt. Gen. Scott pointed out somepreliminary data that the VDBC has received which indicates that thereis a very large gap in what the DoD awards in disability to servicemembers deemed to be unable to continue their military service and whatthe VA awards. He pointed out that since the year 2000 the Army haddischarged 13,000 members who by Army standards did not qualify for evena 10 percent disability rating but when these same members went to theVA for adjudication they were awarded an average of 56 percentdisabilities. One suggestion that Lt. Gen. Scott made was that the services remainresponsible for determination of fitness for duty but that after thatthe VA would give the medical exam and award any percentages that aredetermined. This suggestion was quickly picked up by one of theCo-Chairs, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Senate Armed Forces CommitteeChairman who asked DoD Deputy Secretary Gordon England to provide theDepartment's comments on this suggestion within two weeks.Additionally Lt. Gen. Scott pointed out the failures of the DoD and VAto come up with a viable solution to the problem of electronic transferof medical records. Another committee member Sen. Hilary Clinton (D-NY)questioned why an entirely new system needed to be developed when onesystem, the VA's VISTA system, was up and running very well and in factwas consistently winning awards from groups outside of the government.She further stated a NAUS-endorsed view that DoD should quickly developwhat it needs in the way of "battlefield" applications and work with theVA to make sure it integrates well with the existing system.NAUS Comment: We applaud the Senate for holding this joint hearing.Many of the issues presented support what NAUS has been consistentlysaying for a long time. We also recommend that you check out the VDBCdata contained in Lt. Gen. Scott's "statement for the record" assubmitted. It contains some very good data. The link is: http://armed- services. senate.gov/ statemnt/ 2007/April/ Scott%2004- 12-07.pdf NAUS President MG Matz Attends Fort Myers Change of ResponsibilityCeremony NAUS President MG Matz attended the Fort Myers Change of Responsibilityceremony for Gen. George W. Casey Jr. to become the 36th chief of staffof the Army, assuming the position from Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker.Gen. Casey was the first commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq, acoalition of more than 30 countries, until February. He had served asGen. Schoomaker's vice chief of staff before deploying to Iraq in 2003to assume command of the coalition.During the ceremony, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Acting Secretaryof the Army Pete Geren praised the outgoing COS Gen. Schoomaker as agreat soldier and honored him for his nearly four decades of activeservice characterized by sacrifice, courage and devotion to duty. In his parting words, Gen. Schoomaker reaffirmed that today's soldiersare still the Army's greatest strength. Gen. Schoomaker said. "I havelooked into the eyes of today's warriors, and I am proud to report theycontinue to exceed every expectation for courage, dedication andselfless service - they are the heart of all we do, they are our future,and they demonstrate strength, compassion and warrior ethos."On assuming command, Gen. Casey said, "I have watched the men and womenof our Army in action in the most demanding combat environment. Theyepitomize what is best about America ... their willingness to sacrificeto build a better future for others and to preserve our way of life is agreat strength for our nation ... I could not be more proud today to bea soldier and to stand shoulder-to- shoulder during this time of dangerand uncertainty. "Press Gives "New" Height to IrrelevancyLast Sunday during a "60 Minutes" interview, CBS reporter Scott Pelleyasked Sen. John McCain the following question: "We've talked about themajority of Americans wanting out of Iraq at this point. I wonder atwhat point do you stop doing what you think is right and you start doingwhat the majority of the American people want?" NAUS asks Mr. Pelley,"Is liberty to be tied to the most recent poll?"HEALTH CARE NEWSArmy Bases First to Give New VaccineThe Stars and Stripes newspaper reports that dependents at U.S. Armybases in the Pacific are among the first in the region to have theoption of getting the human papilloma virus vaccine (HPV) againstcervical cancer. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends thevaccine for 11- to 12-year-old girls. A catch-up vaccination isrecommended for females ages 13 to 26 who have not been vaccinatedpreviously or who have not completed the full vaccine series. HPVvaccination is a TRICARE-covered benefit for active-duty personnel andtheir dependents. For more information on the vaccine, visit the CDC'sHuman Papilloma Virus Vaccine (HPV) webpage.TRICARE Retiree Dental ProgramThe TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) a comprehensive dental benefitprogram to Uniformed Services retirees, including members of theNational Guard and Reserve who, regardless of their age, havetransferred to Retired Reserve status. Enrollees may seek care from anylicensed dentist within the TRDP service area. Eligible retirees andtheir family members can find answers to their questions about theprogram, as well as enroll, on the TRDP website. Prospective enrolleescan also call Delta Dental's toll-free number for the TRDP, (888)838-8737, for program details.ACTIVE DUTY NEWSFree Retreat For Wounded WarriorsOur friends at the National Military Family Association are offering afree retreat for wounded warriors called "Destination R&R."This pilot event sponsored by The Blewitt Foundation's is their firstinitiative to support military families experiencing the severe injuryor illness of their service member. Destination R&R is a unique programthat serves the family as a group at no cost. All expenses, includingtravel will be paid for the selected participants. This retreat is offered to service members of the Army, Navy, MarineCorps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, as well as members of theCommissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service and the NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who were wounded or experiencedemotional trauma or illness related to their service in the Global Waron Terror. Members of the National Guard and Reserve may be in eitheractivated or drilling status, provided their injury was sustained whileon active duty or training.For additional information about the Destination R&R retreat, go to theprogram FAQshttp://www.nmfa. org/site/ PageServer? pagename= destination_ rr_faqs . TheBlewitt Foundation's website, http://www.theblewi ttfoundation. org/, willgive you more background and details on its mission, partners andprograms. Cost-of-Living Adjustments Coming in EuropeUnited States Army Europe (USAREUR) Soldiers will see adjustments totheir Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) beginning in May 2007 as a resultof a new baseline index. The COLA will adjust downward by four pointsin Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Soldiers can look up theirCOLA rate at the Overseas COLA Query webpagehttps://secureapp2. hqda.pentagon. mil/perdiem/ ocform.html . For moreinformation on COLA and other financial issues, click on the 266thFinance Command website http://266fincom1. hqusareur. army.mil/.Imminent Danger, Hardship Pay ChangesThe Department of Defense has announced that the following locationswill no longer be classified imminent danger pay zones: Angola, Georgia,Sierra Leone, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Macedonia. To ensuremembers in these areas are compensated appropriately, increases tohardship duty-location (HDP-L) will occur in the following areas:Angola, Georgia, and Sierra Leone are increased from $100 to $150 amonth; Macedonia is increased from $0 to $100 a month. All of the abovechanges are effective Nov. 1, 2007.Navy Warns About Education FraudThe Navy Legal Service Office is warning servicemembers about a scaminvolving fraudulent sales of materials for the Defense Activity forNon-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) and College Level ExamProgram (CLEP). No servicemembers should have to pay for a DANTES orCLEP exam. CLEP study materials are available at the Navy Colleges onbase and the Navy Knowledge On-Line (NKO) website. A victim of theeducation scam can contact the local Naval Legal Service Office or filea complaint at www.ftc.gov. VETERANS NEWSFlorida Vets clinic to move into new facilityThe Department of Veterans Affairs Tuesday announced plans to move theVeterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, into a newfacility located in nearby Shands in Jacksonville. The present clinicis located at 1833 Boulevard.According to VA, the new facility would expand outpatient services forNortheast Florida's 189,000 veterans. Construction is projected forcompletion in 2010.Free Canes For VeteransCan-Am Care, LLC, announced this week the "HUGO Salutes Our Veterans"program to provide free folding canes to World War II and Korean WarVeterans. The HUGO Folding Canes with Interchangeable Handles will beprovided at no charge to Veterans who may be in need of mobilityassistance. According to Can-Am Care, the program is instituted torecognize the support and efforts members of the United States ArmedForces made for our country during World War II and the Korean War.Can-Am manufactures the HUGO Folding Cane and a number of relatedmobility assistance products. Veterans are encouraged to contact Can-Am Care toll-free at1-888-412-4992 Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm EST or www.HUGOSalutes. com. Proofof service may be required.New VA Polytrauma WebsiteVA's Polytrauma System of Care has a new website -www.polytrauma. va.gov. This site contains general information aboutPolytrauma and is home to a page for each of 21 facilities - fourPolytrauma Rehabilitation Centers and 17 additional Polytrauma NetworkSites (the Rehabilitation Centers are considered Network Sites as well).Additionally, there are Polytrauma Support Clinic Teams - current plansestimate the final number of these teams will be near 75. There are current fact sheets available for both Traumatic Brain Injuryand Polytrauma. These are available on the VA Communications ManagementIntranet site: http://vaww. va.gov/webcom/ guidance0307. asp. The filesare titled, "Polytrauma Fact Sheet," "TBI Talking Points," and "TBI NewsRelease."NAUS NEWSEstate Planning Seminar NAUS is sponsoring a free seminar in the Capitol area for NAUS memberscalled Estate and Survivorship Planning Seminar for the Military Familyon Thursday, April 26, 2007. Presented by The Collins Firm, there will be sessions at 1:30pm and 7pmat the Army Navy Country Club, 2400 South 18th St., Arlington, Virginia.To reserve your seat call 1-877-752-6669.NAUS On the Road NAUS President Matz will be the keynote speaker at the Patrick, AFB,Florida Retiree Appreciation Day on April 21. MG Matz and his wifeLinda look forward to seeing many NAUS members.NAUS Director of Chapter Management Hal Grant will join the members ofthe Emerald Coast Chapter, FL-10, at their meeting on April 28, 2007, atthe Best Western Crossroads Inn, 2343 Freeport Road, De Funiak Springs,Florida. Others joining Chapter President Bob Thompson are expected tobe former Congressman Ronnie Shows, Lynn Bannister of Sen. Bill Nelson'slocal staff; Kris Tande from Sen. Martinez's office; Lonnie Hawkins ofCongressman Jeff Miller's office; Jerry Smithwick of Rep. Allen Boyd'soffice; and Harry Riley. If you are staying overnight, make yourreservations at the Crossroads Inn at (850) 892-5111. For moreinformation, call Bob Thompson at (850) 871-0988 or by email atrobert0931@comcast. net. Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen stand inharm's way around the globe to defend our nation and our cherishedliberties. NAUS asks you to please pray for their continued strengthand protection-and pray as well for their families, who daily stand insupport of their spouses, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, andtheir brothers and sisters.GOD BLESS AMERICAE-mail your comments to: mplumer@naus. orgInclude your full name and mailing address in the body of your messageMembers: To subscribe/unsubscri be e-mail to: taboone@naus. orgNon-Members: www.naus.org, click on Free Weekly Update, fill out shortform and send backThanks Charlie !