Volume 9 • Number 2 March - April 2013

In our last issue of the Alliance we told you an agreement had been reached on the National Defense

Authorization Act for FY2013 but we didn’t have the final details. The bill has now been signed into law and since there were a number of measures that are important to military people we want to highlight the things in the bill that you might want to know about.

Military pay raise. All currently serving troops will see a 1.7% raise. (Note: this is the same as the COLA that military retirees began receiving as of December 1, 2012.)

Force reduction limits. The legislation caps force cuts at 15,000 a year for Army and 5,000 a year for the Marine Corps to ensure that the drawdown doesn’t negatively impact

dwell time between deployments for remaining troops.

Space-available travel.The new law authorizes (but does not require) the Secretary of Defense to expand eligibility to “gray area” Guard/Reserve retirees under age 60 and to other categories of individuals the Secretary deems appropriate. The Secretary has authority to establish relative travel priorities among eligible groups.

TRICARE pharmacy copays. The bill includes an alternative to the dramatic DoD-proposed copay hikes:

• Brand-name retail meds: Instead of raising the current $12 copay to $26 and then to $34 over the next four years, the defense bill caps it at $17 for 2013, and limits future annual increases to the percentage increase in military retired pay. For example, if the retiree COLA for 2014 is 3%, that would translate to a 51-cent copay increase. But the new law bars any copay hike until the accumulated COLA-based increase is at least $1, so (assum-ing the COLA for 2015 is also

3%), the copay would stay at $17 for 2014 and rise to $18 in 2015.

• Non-formulary retail meds: DoD proposed to eliminate these medi-cations (currently available for $25 copay) through retail pharmacy. The new law still keeps them avail-able through retail for $44 copay. Expensive, but better than not having them available at all.

• Generic retail meds: DoD proposed raising the current $5 copay by $1 a year, starting in 2014. The new law keeps it at $5 for 2013, and applies the COLA cap for future annual adjustments. Barring large increases in future retired pay COLAs, it will likely be several years before we see an increase to $6.

• Mail-order generic copays: Instead of the DoD proposal to reinstate a $9 copay for generics in 2017, the new law retains the current zero copay.

• Mail-order brand-name copays: Instead of the DoD plan to raise the

Sequestration and the Affect on Military Families

Early this year, Americans breathed a collec-tive sigh of relief that we avoided the tumble off the dreaded “Fiscal Cliff ” -- a combination

of tax increases, mandatory spending cuts, and lower reimbursements to Medicare providers. Unfortunately, the Fiscal Cliff “fix” agreed to by Congress and the Administration in January only kicked the spending cut can down the road. Sequestration, the mandatory spend-ing cuts inserted into the 2011 Budget Control Act as a way to force deficit reduction over the next 10 years, takes effect on March 1 and no one seems to be doing anything to prevent it.

As this issue of the Alliance goes to press, we are four days away from the start of massive budget cuts that

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As this issue of the Alliance goes to press it is clear federal “sequestration” budget cuts

will take place. Government agencies will now start the process of cutting a total of $85 billion from their budgets between now and the end of September -- with about $46 billion coming from Defense accounts. The Department of Veterans Affairs will be protected from the budget cuts . . . but veterans will not. Despite assurances that veterans’ benefits and services will be exempt from the sequestration budget cuts, veterans and their families will share the suffering along with military counterparts. The result could mean more homeless veter-ans, less help for those looking for work, and tens of thou-sands of furloughed veterans struggling to make ends meet. About 350,000 veterans work for the Defense Depart-ment, comprising about 44 percent of the civilian work-force. Nearly all of them will face once-a-week furloughs starting in late April, as the Pentagon tries to make up a multibillion-dollar shortfall in funding between March and October. The weekly furloughs represent a 20 percent loss in pay for veterans, many of whom re-entered the federal workforce assuming their paychecks and job stability were guarantees. Tens of thousands of veterans working in other state and federal agencies could face pay cuts as well. The Transition Assistance Program -- which includes Labor and DOD funds -- will have to reduce operations,

leaving soon-to-be veterans underprepared for a return to civilian life. The Veterans Employment and Train-ing program will lose about $4 million over the next six months, and state grants for veterans’ jobs programs will also be reduced. VA hospitals and physicians won’t be affected, but military doctors will. For tens of thousands of veterans still receiving health care through TRICARE retiree offerings, that will mean the same longer waits for appointments and reduced care that is facing military members. Ultimately, that could end up forcing more veterans into the VA health care system, adding pressure to the taxed system. Although Medicare itself will not be cut, payments to providers will shrink by about two percent, which will most likely indirectly impact TRICARE for Life beneficiaries. While the effects of across-the-board spending cuts might not be immediately obvious, within a few months the military’s ability to respond quickly to unforeseen events will be severely and irrevocably harmed. Readiness will definitely be impacted, and in relative terms I would say it will be immediate and it will be severe and it will be longer-lasting than you might expect. ✿

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Report from the Hill

current $9 copay to $26 for 2013 and to $34 over the next four years, the new law caps the 2013 copay at $13, and applies the COLA cap for future years (at 3% per year, it would stay at $13 for 2014 and 2015, then rise to $14 for 2016).

• Mail-order non-formulary copays: Instead of the DoD plan to raise the current $25 copay to $51 for 2013 and to $66 over the next four years, the new law caps the 2013 copay at $44 and applies the COLA cap for future years (meaning an additional $1 increase for 2014 if there’s a 3% COLA).

Mail-order/military pharmacy refills. To make up the lost revenue from capping copays at lower rates, the new law requires TRICARE-for-Life eligible beneficiaries to try using either military pharmacies or the mail-order system for refills of mainte-nance medications for at least one year. After a year, they can opt out and go back to using the retail system for all refills if they choose. This new require-ment likely will take effect sometime in March 2013. The law establishes requirements to ensure no one is turned away at retail pharmacies without enough medication to last until a mail-order account is established for them. It also gives DoD authority to waive the requirement for selected medica-tions (e.g., many generics likely will be exempted, because they cost no more in retail pharmacies) or beneficiaries (e.g., nursing home patients).

Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission. As proposed by the Administration and approved by the Senate, the members of this commis-sion would all be appointed by the Administration, and its recommenda-tions would have to be considered by Congress under expedited, BRAC-type rules that would have barred any amendments and required a “yes or no” Congressional vote, with only limited time for review and debate. To protect

against packing the panel with Admin-istration “yes-people”, it allows the president to appoint one commissioner, with two each to be appointed by the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, in consulta-tion with Armed Services Commit-tee leaders. Most important, the final law also drops any requirement for a congressional vote, let alone under BRAC-style rules.

Survivor Benefit Plan. Repeals requirement for payment of SBP premiums when a retired service member employed as a federal civilian waives military retired pay to provide a survivor annuity under the Federal Retirement System. No military SBP annuity will be paid in that case.

Mental Health Counselors. Directs the VA and DoD to recruit more mental health professionals to provide service to veterans and servicemembers.

Hunter drafts bill to protect military paychecks.Although a last-minute agreement was reached by Congress and the President at the end of last year to avoid the “fiscal cliff ” as of January 1, the need for decisions about spending issues were not settled -- they were only delayed until March 1.

In addressing the need to deal with the nation’s debt ceiling, the President in January told the nation that, “If congressional Republicans refuse to pay Americans bills on time, Social Security benefits and veterans’ checks will be delayed,” he said. “We might not be able to pay our troops or honor our contracts with small business owners.”

In light of the President’s statement suggesting that “we might not be able to pay our troops,” U.S. Representa-tive Duncan Hunter, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has introduced legislation to ensure mili-tary paychecks are not interrupted. AFTEA strongly supports this bill.

The legislation will guarantee that all military personnel, in addition to support personnel serving in combat

zones, receive a paycheck in the event the debt ceiling is reached or there is a lapse in federal appropriations.

“America’s military men and women fight to defend our freedom without asking for much in return,” said Hunter, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Whether they are fighting in Afghanistan or supporting operations elsewhere, servicemembers deserve assurance that they will not be denied a paycheck. And if paychecks are withheld, it’s because the President, as commander in chief, made a deci-sion not to pay them.

“Especially for those who are serving overseas while their fami-lies are at home, the threat of not getting paid can create unnecessary distractions. Removing the threat that paychecks might be withheld or delayed will provide a sense of relief and allow our servicemembers to stay focused on their duties.”

Similar legislation was introduced last year but was not enacted into law. Whether it becomes law this year is anyone’s guess. However, there is no doubt that the legislation is needed because of the major issues facing Congress and the President and their continued inability to reach some kind of compromise agreement.

That’s because the military commu-nity and the nation face four new and likely even more threatening fiscal confrontation deadlines:

1. By the time you read this the Presi-dent will have sent Congress his FY 2014 budget submission -- we don’t know what to expect, but it could include proposals for signifi-cant new troop, pay, and benefit cutbacks.

2. In addition, the country has hit the statutory ceiling on the size of the national debt. Many in Congress adamantly oppose an increase, but absent a deal to raise it, America would default on its debts; the last time Congress had a debt ceiling fight, America’s credit rating was

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Sequestration and the Affect on Military Families

will result from the Budget Control Act of 2011, approved and signed into law by President Obama in August 2011. With the Republicans calling for less spending, the President and his Democratic party calling for more taxes, and neither party yielding an inch, it is now probable that the sequester cuts may well take place. Mandatory sequestration will cut about $85 billion this year from the $3.6 trillion federal budget. That amounts to about 2.4 percent. However, about half of the $85 billion will come out of defense coffers that already are programmed to cut $487 billion over the next 10 years -- cuts set in motion by the President and former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

Under current rules, Social Security and Medicaid will not be directly affected by the sequester cuts, but Medicare cuts would total about $11 billion in FY2013. In fact, with seven months left in the fiscal year, about $70 billion in cuts will be applied to the two-fifths of the budget that accounts for discretionary spending. This includes Defense, education programs, and other areas of the budget.

The Department of Defense (DoD) -- which is already facing $487 billion in cuts and is operating under a continu-ing resolution -- will take the worst hit. It is ironic, and perhaps unconscionable, that we are fighting two wars and are dealing with major geopolitical challenges, yet our top leaders are looking to allow major cuts in the military. And DoD has already announced that, if no solution is found, beginning in April DoD will start imposing furloughs on its 800,000-member civilian workforce.

Questions and rumors about what might happen as a result of sequestration are making military families uneasy, angry, and looking for someone to do something. So, what will happen after March 1 if an agreement isn’t reached?

1) Will military pay and allowances be cut? No.

Military pay and allowances are protected. Paychecks will be paid on time and basic allowance for housing and other pays will continue. Retirees and survivors will continue to receive their payments and annuities.

2) Will deployed troops be coming home due to cutbacks? No.

DoD is protecting funding for operations in Afghanistan. The bad news is that no one knows where the funding is coming from and cuts to training accounts could delay the preparation of replacements for service members currently deployed.

3) Will sequestration cause a government shutdown? No.

While DoD will immediately have more than $40 billion less to fund its operations after March 1, the effects of the cuts will occur over the next several months. Information

from the Services suggests that the effects will be more severe after April and especially this summer. Child care centers will operate and schools and commissaries will remain open, but services will diminish and many programs and agencies will cut their hours. The greatest effects will be seen in military readiness, as it declines over the next year, but this is not a shutdown.

4) Will wounded warrior programs be in jeop-ardy? No -- Maybe

DoD says wounded warrior programs are protected. But, support for wounded warriors and their families is provided through several different programs, including military health care, the Army Wounded Warrior Program, Marine for Life, and Navy Safe Harbor. Many of these programs are staffed by civilians who might be furloughed. More details are needed to determine just how total support for wounded warriors and their families will be affected.

5) Will only non-essential DOD civilians be furloughed for up to 22 days? No.

Most of the 800,000 DOD civilians around the world could be furloughed for up to 22 days beginning April 25. The once-a-week furlough day would result in a 20 percent cut in their pay. All parts of the country and military communities overseas will be affected. Eighty percent of these workers work outside of the National Capital region. This furlough will affect all civilians equally, but DoD has identified only limited exceptions to the furloughs, includ-ing civilians in war zones, foreign workers overseas, and political appointees.

6) Will military family health care be affected with longer wait times and less access? Yes.

The military health system is NOT exempt and will be cut by $3 billion. DoD civilians, who will be subject to furlough, make up 40 percent of the total workforce in mili-tary hospitals and clinics. This could result in reductions in clinic hours and care. Referrals for “elective” care might be delayed or frozen. If sequestration drags on, DoD may delay payment to civilian doctors who see TRICARE patients.

7) Is TRICARE for Life protected from seques-tration? Yes -- But.

Funding for TRICARE for Life and Medicare is protected, except that Medicare payments to doctors will be cut by 2 percent under sequestration. So, Medicare-eligible TRICARE beneficiaries can continue to visit their civilian doctors and have their medical claims paid. TRICARE for Life beneficiaries who receive care in military hospitals and clinics may find it more difficult to get an appoint-ment because of civilian furloughs. They may also find that the military pharmacy is trying to save money by

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downgraded, which tightened credit limits for indi-viduals and companies. Any deal almost certainly will require more spending (including defense) cuts. Repub-licans in the House have seemed to indicate they will allow an increase in the debt ceiling for three months at a time in hopes of forcing the President to reach an agreement with them on cutting federal spending.

3. March 1: Sequestration (a $1 trillion, 10-year, across-the-board budget-cut) will go into effect unless Congress adopts an alternative for spending cuts and/or revenue increases. DoD would be required to absorb $41 billion in cuts before the end of October (a devastating cut in so short a time) and $450 billion more over the next 9 years.

4. March 27: The continuing resolution under which the federal government now is operating expires. Without an extension, the government will shut down. Here again, many legislators are talking about accepting a shutdown unless major spending cuts occur.

Any one of these problems would be a challenge for our

rancorous Congress to address, but combine all four events converging in such a small amount of time, and it greatly increases the likelihood Congress and the administration will fail to reach agreements to successfully navigate all of these major pitfalls.

The consequences could be dire. Default on our debt, a government shutdown, or massive and immediate defense spending cuts could have a prolonged and negative effect -- not just for currently serving and retired servicemembers and federal civilians -- but also for America as a whole. ✿

Sequestration and the Affect on Military Families

no longer stocking some medications or filling prescriptions for a smaller number of days than usual. Pharmacy civilian staff will also be furloughed and so wait times at the pharmacies may climb.

8) Will community support services cease to exist? No.

Offices that service military fami-lies -- Army Community Service, Fleet and Family Support Centers, Airman and Family Service Centers, Marine Corps Community Services -- could have to adjust hours and services due to the civilian furloughs. They are also subject to hiring freezes. Smaller staffs will result in longer waits for fami-lies needing services such as coun-seling, financial advice, new parent support programs, survivor outreach, and victim advocates.

9) Will only military children in DoD schools be affected by sequestration? No.

While DOD schools are NOT exempt from civilian furloughs, DoD insists they will work to provide

school children with a full year of quality education and ensure each school maintains its accreditation. It’s important to remember that military families will also be hurt by cuts to civilian programs. Federal education programs face cuts of $106 million in Impact Aid money that supports civil-ian schools educating military kids; $1 billion in special education programs; $140 million in student financial aid; and $1.3 billion in Title I funding that helps many schools attended by mili-tary children.

10) Will commissaries go away? No.

Commissaries and its headquarters will be closed on Wednesdays, in addi-tion to any days the commissaries are currently closed.

11) Will base exchanges have to cut hours? No.

Military exchanges (AAFES, NEXCom, Marine Corps Exchange) do not receive appropriated funding (other than some support for shipping goods overseas) and so will not have to

adjust hours because of sequestration.

12) Will PCS orders be affected? Unknown.

What will happen to Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves is unclear. Funds for dislocation allow-ances tied to PCS moves will be avail-able, but transportation offices will be short-staffed because of civilian furloughs.

We’ll provide updates and addi-tional information from the military services on how they will implement the sequestration cuts as we receive them. ✿

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Report from the Hill(con't from page 3)

National Board of Directors Meeting

The National Board of Directors will conduct a teleconference meeting on

June 19, 2013 at 834 Emory Circle, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The meeting will begin at 9:00 A.M.(MST). Members are welcome to attend and ask ques-tions. ✿

The Great Sergeants Major Reunion is holding its annual event June 20 – 23, 2013 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National

Harbor, Maryland. Hosted by the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy

Alumnus, all Armed Forces E9s and their guests are invited to attend: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.

For information, write: Great Sergeants Major Reunion, P.O. Box 7074, Woodbridge, VA 22195

Battaglia: Leaders Will Keep Faith With Troops, Families

DOD Focuses on Financial Health of Military Families

Service members should know that, despite ongoing fiscal challenges, their families are cared for, the senior enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint

Chiefs of Staff told an audience of soldiers, sailors and airmen in Gulfport, Mississippi recently.

Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia said Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey’s promise to keep faith with the military family gives him confidence that his family is taken care of, even while he is away from home.

Speaking at the home of the Atlantic Fleet Seabees and more than 45 tenant units, including several service schools, the sergeant major said taking care of families is just one part of the chairman’s promise.

“There’s another side to that as well -- keeping faith with you, his uniformed family,” he said. That includes making sure service members are properly trained and educated, he explained.

In return, Battaglia said, service members should peri-odically renew their commitment to the military profession, noting that he uses the oath of enlistment to remind himself of his military obligations.

“It’s such a powerful paragraph,” he said. “I’m so passionate about the oath of enlistment that I think every

enlisted service member in the entire military should know the enlistment oath by heart.”

Service members already have demonstrated the quality of their character by enlisting while the country was engaged in armed conflict, Battaglia said. They each may have joined for different reasons, but the oath serves as a common thread linking enlisted service members, regard-less of branch, he added.

Linking services and their capabilities helps to make the joint force a multiplier, he said, adding that he includes coalition forces as part of the joint force.

“I don’t think we’ll ever fight a solely conventional war again,” Battaglia said. The first goal of the military is to prevent and deter, he added, and one way to do that is to build capacity in partner nations.

“We can expect to see … continued joint training, from the combatant command level down to the individual service school level,” he said.

The service branches are stronger when they work together, the sergeant major said. “The last thing we ever need to do is return to our four corners,” he said. “That would be a setback to our military after all these years working together.” ✿

Since it can directly affect force readiness, the financial health of service members and their families is a high priority for the Defense Department, and a senior

DOD official emphasized that January is a great time for military families to take stock of their financial situation.

As part of a Department-wide effort to encourage mili-tary families to avoid debt by creating a workable spending plan, Barbara Thompson, director of the Pentagon’s office of Family Policy/Children and Youth outlined steps families can take and the resources that are available to them for achieving financial stability.

“The first step in attaining financial security is making a commitment to changing personal spending and savings habits,” Thompson recently told American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel. It’s important, she said, that military families manage their income to meet financial obligations and achieve long term goals.

“When you map your money coming in against your money going out, you are one step closer to paying off debt, building savings and feeling confident about your financial status,” Thompson said. Eliminating debt is the key, but Thompson stressed not all debt is created equal. High-interest credit card debt, she said, should be paid off first.

“We know when we go through financial planning that it is important to look at our credit cards … and if we don’t pay off those credit cards every month it’s important to find out how much interest is being charged,” Thompson said. “If you overdid holiday spending,” she added, “take some

time to make a plan for paying off your debt and planning for next year’s gifts.”

Establishing an emergency fund is necessary to achiev-ing financial stability, said Thompson, who recommended military families put a minimum of $500 aside for unex-pected expenses. There are a range of tools and services available to military personnel and their families to help them create a spending plan and remain financially stable, Thompson said. The service branches provide financial counselors at military bases, she said, and personal financial management assistance programs to help military families successfully plan for the future.

Thompson recommends military families visit the website, militaryonesource.mil, to access money manage-ment tips and tools. “There are all these different financial calculators and tips and tools to help you understand how you can meet your savings goals,” she said.

Financial readiness is a priority for the Pentagon, Thompson said, because it can have a direct effect on mission and force readiness. “When service members feel confident that their financial affairs are secure, they can focus on their mission without worrying about things at home,” she said.

DOD officials also note that financial security is a force readiness issue in another key respect: falling into debt can jeopardize the ability of service members to maintain the security clearances they need to do their jobs. ✿

Officers & Directors

Bernd Dela Cruz, CSM USA (Ret)National President

Roger J. Ehrke, CSM USA (Ret)Vice President

Marion O. Walley, CSM USA (Ret)Vice President

Charles Richardson, CMSgt USAF (Ret)Secretary

Oscar R. Hinson, SGM USA (Ret)Treasurer

John C.T. Meyer, MCPO USN (Ret)Director

Mark K. Weeks, CMSgt USAF (Ret)Director

Vincent W. Patton III, MCPOCG, USCG (Ret)Advisor for Sea Services

is published bi-monthly by the Armed Forces Top Enlisted

Association 1 (800) 808-4517

Publisher Bernd Dela CruzCSM USA (Ret)

Executive Editor Catherine Tavarozzo

Managing Editor/Designer Sue Boyles

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Sequestration and the Affect on Military Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 1

Report from the Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 1

President's Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2

Liberty Mutual Home Gallery™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2

National Board of Directors Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5

Battaglia: Leaders Will Keep Faith With Troops, Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6

DOD Focuses on Financial Health of Military Families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6