Government and You E-News for December 4, 2007

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December 4, 2007

To view the complete December 4, 2007 Government and You E-News click here.
Please feel free to forward this news to others who might be interested. Encourage them to sign up to receive the Government and You E-News at the NMFA website www.nmfa.org/ enewssignup.
Questions regarding the content in this newsletter should be sent to: families@nmfa. org.
Thank you for your interest in military families.
Topics in this Week’s News Include:

1. 110th Congress Report Card on Legislative Initiatives for Veterans and Troops: Congress returns from its Thanksgiving recess this week with many issues affecting our military, veterans, and their families unresolved. The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (NDAA FY08) and the Military Construction/ Military Quality of Life & VA Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 are both still in conference.<<more>>
2. NMFA 2008 Issues and Actions Published: On November 14, the National Military Family Association Board of Governors voted to approve the Association’s 2008 Government Relations Issues and Actions. This annual document outlines the legislative and policy priorities for NMFA in the coming year. <<more>>
3. Single Disability Examination Piloted for Wounded Service Members: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) along with the Department of Defense (DoD) announced the start of a pilot program for wounded service members. The program is designed to test a new single disability evaluation system (DES) for wounded service members at three major Military Treatment Facilities and at VA center in the Washington, DC area. <<more>>
4. TRICARE Expands Retiree Dental Program Overseas: The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the expansion of the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) which increases the geographic scope of TRDP to overseas locations that are not currently covered. While providing the same benefits to overseas’ enrollees as those who reside in the continental U.S., availability and capability for these dental services may vary across overseas locations. <<more>>
5. Shingles Vaccine for TRICARE-For- Life Beneficiaries: In the November 15th Government & You E-News, NMFA included information on the Herpes Zoster Vaccine, known more commonly as the Shingles vaccine. After fielding several questions regarding what TRICARE would cover for TRICARE-For- Life beneficiaries, NMFA believes further clarification is needed. <<more>>
6. Wreaths Across America: The Department of Veterans Affairs’ national cemeteries will again participate in this year’s annual Wreaths Across America initiative scheduled to take place at noon on Saturday, December 15, 2007. This year marks the 16th anniversary of the Maine wreaths being donated to decorate the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. <<more>>
7. Snowball Express Takes Off: The Snowball Express, a California-based 501(c)3 organization, hosted 1,200 family members of military members who have died since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks this weekend in Orange County, California. <<more>>
8. Nominations Now Open for 2008 Military Fatherhood Award: The National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) is seeking nominations of outstanding military fathers, to be considered for the 2008 NFI Lockheed Martin Military Fatherhood Award™. The Awardee and his family will be honored at the 2008 NFI Fatherhood Awards™ Gala, to be held in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, April 29, 2008. <<more>>
9. Snohomish County Washington Expands Spouse Employment Program: Over the past few months Snohomish County has been working to encourage employers to hire military spouses. The program kicked off in September with a push to hire military spouses for County government positions. The latest initiative allows businesses to register as Military Family Friendly Employers. <<more>>
10. It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s a…Christmas Tree! Heavy lift planes carrying Christmas trees for service members are en route to their final destinations. Since 2005 Trees for Troops, a non-profit organization, has been supplying Christmas trees to military members and their families. <<more>>

Serving the Families of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and the Commissioned Corps of the

Public Health Service and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

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2500 North Van Dorn Street., Suite 102, Alexandria, VA 22302-1601
p: 800.260.0218 | f: 703.931.4600

-- America is not at war.The military is at war.America is at the mall.Congress is out of touch.We voted change in 2006,We must vote for change in 2008!

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Remind your Representatives and Senators of the following
failures of the 2006 & 2007 National Defense Authorization Acts
-375,000 retirees with less than 50% disability denied CRDP
-327,000 retirees age 70 & 30 years still paying SBP premiums
-188,000 Chapter 61 with less than 20 years denied CRDP
- 55,000 widows denied relief from SBP/DIC
- 28,000 IU denied 100% benefit under CRDP
- 17,000 POW who died in captivity denied the Purple Heart
All of this legislation has bills held hostage in committee.

Visit http://usdr.org
USDR Action Alerts http://capwiz.com/usdr/

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