RAO BULLETIN

15 August 2010

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

== Tricare User Fee [51] ------------- (Secretary Robert Gates Plan)

== TSP [15] -------------------------- (Automatic Enrollment Begins)

== Agent Orange & Graves Disease ------------------- (Link Found)

== Agent Orange Stateside Use [02] ------------- (Fort Detrick MD)

== North Carolina Vet Child Scholarship ------------------- (4 year)

== Pennsylvania Veterans' Homes [03] ------------ (Seizing Assets)

== VA Prostate Cancer Program [08] --------- (Proscar Treatment)

== VA EDPI --------------------------- (Standard Identifier Adopted)

== Mobilized Reserve 10 AUG 2010 ---------------- (394 Increase)

== ALS [08] --------------------------- (QOL Notable Improvement)

== DoD Benefit Cuts [02] ----------------- (Benefits Unsustainable)

== Military Golf Courses [01] --------------------- (San Diego Area)

== GI Bill [82] --------------------------------- (S.3447 Passes SVAC)

== Military Death Benefits -------------------------------- (H.R.5921)

== Tricare Retired Reserve [02] ------------------- (Rates Published)

== Army Retiree Council [03] ---------- (2010 Recommendations)

== RSO Locations [01] ------------------------------------ (Aug 2010)

== Military Stolen Valor [21] ----------------------- (Michael Frisoli)

== Military Stolen Valor [22] ----- (Second Lt. Douglas Sofranko)

== Vet Insurance ~ Life [01] -------- (Federal Regulation Lacking)

== Vet Insurance ~ Life [02] ------------ (Prudential Inquiry Letter)

== Vet Insurance ~ Life [03] ---- (Mandated Lump Sum Payment)

== Military Compensation Review [07] - (Personnel Commission)

== Congressional Spending ------------------------- (YouCut Project)

== Military Golf Courses [01] ---------------------------- (San Diego)

== VA Claims Backlog [43] ----- (Online Signature Requirement)

== NDAA 2011 [05] ------------------------ (Summer Recess Delay)

== SVAC [05] --------------------------- (Committee Action 5 AUG)

== VA Budget 2010 [06] -------- (Recovery Act Funds Expended)

== Nevada Vet Cemetery ---------------------------------- (Overview)

== VA Burial ~ Gravesite Locator ----------------------- (Overview)

== Prescription Drug Disposal [01] -------------------- (What to do)

== VAT Tax [01] ----------------------------------- (European Rates)

== Tricare Breast Cancer MRI's [01] ------------------- (Locations)

== IRS Tax Brackets ----------------------------- (Proposed Change)

== Military Discounts [04] -------------------------------- (Groceries)

== Gout ------------------------------------------------------ (Overview)

== VA Presumptive VN Vet Diseases [09] - (60 day Countdown)

== Cantaloupes -------------------------------------- (How to Choose)

== COLA 2011 [04] ------------------ (CBO S.3018 Cost Estimate)

== Communicating with Congress [03] --------------- (Fewer Vets)

== Veteran Charities [13] ------- (U.S. Fallen Heroes Foundation)

== Veteran Charities [14] -------------------------------- (Scammers)

== VA Care ~ Sleep Apnea ------------------- (Sharp Rise in Cases)

== DFAS AOP ------------------------------ (Retiree Arrears of Pay)

== Thrift Savings Plan YTD 2010 ------------- (July Bounce Back)

== VA Performance [02] -------- (Vet Care Obama Commitment)

== VA HIV Testing [02] ------------- (Positive Results Treatment)

== Flag Presentation [05] ---------------- (Indoor/Outdoor Display)

== Medicare Fraud ZPICs -------------- (Performance Questioned)

== Medicare Fraud [46] ---------------------------- (1-15 Aug 2010)

== Medicad Fraud [19] ----------------------------- (1-15 Aug 2010)

== State Veteran's Benefits ------------------------------- (California)

== Military History ------------------------------------- (Purple Heart)

== Military History Anniversaries --------- (Aug 16-31 Summary)

== Military Trivia 10------------------------------------- (Number 10)

== Tax Burden for North Dakota Retirees -----..------------- (2009)

== Congressional Alphalist ---------------------------- (Index F & G)

== Veteran Legislation Status 13 Aug 2010 ---- (Where we stand)

== Have You Heard? -------- (Bumper Stickers on Military Bases)

Attachment - House Veteran Legislation

Attachment - Senate Veteran Legislation

Attachment - California State Veteran's Benefits

Ant

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Tricare User Fee Update 51: On 9 AUG, Defense Secretary Robert Gates held a press conference to

announce a series of initiatives to cut defense spending and state his intent to increase Tricare fees. Asked by a

reporter when it would be time to control rising health care costs, either through Tricare premium increases or

reducing plan coverage, Secretary Gates said, "Yesterday." Gates went on to say, "There are no sacred cows, and

health care cannot be excepted." With billions of dollars being spent on tens-of-thousands of federal pork projects

and numerous supplemental funding bills, the Secretary focused on reducing earned benefits to offset the costs of

national security. For the past several months Gates has been working on a plan to cut $100 billion in defense

spending over the next five years. While there are many aspects of his plan that deserve close review, it is clear that

shifting the cost of earned healthcare benefits from DoD to the retiree is a key component of the Secretary's plan.

[NAUS Weekly Update 13 Aug 2010 ++]

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TSP Update 15: As of 1 AUG all civilian federal employees – including those working with the Defense

Department – are automatically being enrolled into the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), the government-sponsored, tax-

deferred retirement and savings program that compares with the private sector‘s 401(k) plans. Under the automatic

enrollment, 3% of civilian employees‘ base pay will be deposited into their TSP accounts. The government will

match that initial three percent dollar-for-dollar; the next 2% will be matched at 50 cents on the dollar. To learn

more, or to make changes to accounts, refer to https://www/tsp.gov/index.shtml. [Source: Armed Forces News 13

Aug 2010 ++]

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Agent Orange & Graves Disease: Medical researchers have long realized that severe long-term

health effects were caused by the U.S. military's use of Agent Orange chemical defoliant during the Vietnam War,

both within the Vietnamese civilian population as well as among American veterans. However, research announced

in 2010 added one more item to the list: exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam also seems to have increased

veterans' (and presumably civilians') risk of contracting a thyroid condition called Graves' disease. A State

University of New York at Buffalo study found in 2010 that Agent Orange was linked to an increased risk of

Graves' disease. The research indicates that one of the chemicals found in the Agent Orange defoliant binds with

cells in the body's immune system and may cause abnormal growth there. Overall, American veterans of the

Vietnam War who were exposed to Agent Orange were three times more likely to develop Graves' disease than the

general population.

Graves' disease is an autoimmune condition caused by overproduction of hormones in the thyroid. Normally it is

an inherited condition, and is several times more likely among women than men. Untreated, it leads to a wide range

of serious complications in the body, including weakened bones, heart damage, eye problems, and thyroid storms (a

rare condition in which the thyroid becomes so overactive that the effects become life-threatening and require urgent

treatment). Neurological symptoms are also common, including serious mood swings. Proper therapy can reduce the

symptoms, depending upon how far the disease has progressed, but the most effective option available to today's

medicine may be surgery to remove part of the thyroid gland (a thyroidectomy). [Source: Helium health & fitness D.

Vogt article Aug 2010 ++]

===============================

Agent Orange Stateside Use Update 02: A West Virginia man, who never set foot in Vietnam, is

receiving compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for exposure to Agent Orange during military

service at Maryland's Fort Detrick from NOV 62 to 1964. Sixty-eight-year-old Gary Abram filed with the VA for

compensation in 2007. Abram says he received a letter from the VA in AUG 08 that acknowledged his presence at

Fort Detrick during a time when the Department of Defense told the VA it spray-tested 1,410 compounds at Fort

Detrick greenhouses, including Agent Orange. 'Because you were stationed at Fort Detrick during the spraying of

these compounds, we conclude the likelihood of exposure to Agent Orange,' the letter from the VA states." Agent

Orange is the nickname for a blend of herbicides the U.S. military sprayed during the Vietnam War to remove plants

and leaves that provided enemy cover. The VA has recognized certain cancers and diseases associated with Agent

Orange exposure. Abram was treated for lymphoma, has diabetes and has had thyroid problems since the 1970s.

[Source: Roanoke VA WSLS 10 AP Exchange article 7 Aug 2010 ++]

===============================

North Carolina Vet Child Scholarship: The North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs offers

scholarships to children of certain disabled, deceased or POW/MIA veterans. The scholarships may be used at

schools in North Carolina that are state-owned institutions of higher education, community colleges and technical

institutions; or privately owned, nonprofit colleges and universities. Scholarships, with one exception, provide free

tuition, certain fees, and a reasonable room and board allowance in state-owned institutions, and $4,500 per

academic year in private institutions. All awards are for four academic years. Interested individuals can call (910)

251-5704. The office is located at 3240 Burnt Mill Drive, Suite 2, Wilmington NC. [Source: Star News article 6 Aug

2010 ++]

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Pennsylvania Veterans' Homes Update 03: When Rosella Stitzell checked into the state-run

Southwestern Veterans Center in 2002, the WWII veteran was told 80% of her monthly pension would pay for her

stay. Twenty percent would go into a personal savings account maintained by the home in Lincoln-Lemington. Over

the next seven years, the savings account grew, eventually topping $20,000. But when Stitzell, 97, checked out late

last year, she and her three children got a surprise. Not only did the state Department of Military and Veterans

Affairs refuse to let her have the $20,000, the family learned she owed more than $200,000 for her stay. The

Stitzells had run headlong into a little-known knot of state bureaucracy, a knot that grabbed up the savings of dozens

of deceased veterans, including homes and a coin collection. What's more, some relatives must go to court to fight

the state for money to bury their kin. A review of court records across the state and interviews with family members

show many were unaware they would be billed for thousands of dollars after their loved ones died. State officials

say the practices are fair and legal.

Attorneys say the policies appear contradictory. Some question whether veterans and their loved ones realize

when they sign key documents what it will mean. "I can't believe that people believe they are signing away their

rights to access their own funds. It does seem pernicious," said Kyle Fisher of the Pennsylvania Health Law Project.

Attorney Carol Sikov, who specializes in elder law and represented two veterans' families, said the restrictions

placed on the savings accounts of veterans exceed those imposed on the personal-needs money provided to nursing

home patients under the state and federally funded Medicaid program. Rep. Russell Fairchild, minority chairman of

the House Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, said he was not aware of the policy but planned to look into

it. "It needs to be clarified," said Fairchild, R-Snyder County. Dennis Guise, chief counsel for the state Department

of Military and Veterans Affairs, said patients and their families are supposed to be informed upon admission that

they ultimately are responsible for the full cost of care. The homes charge veterans at a rate equal to 80% of their

monthly retirement incomes, he said. The state computes the actual costs annually and seeks to recover the

difference between the amount paid and the actual cost under its Estate Recovery Program after a patient dies. He

said the repayment policy typically is waived when there is a surviving spouse, though that is relatively rare.

Collections from former patients' estates total about $3 million per year, which goes toward the $172 million

annual funding for the six-home system. Interviews with dozens of family members reveal that although patients are

encouraged to use savings accounts at the veterans homes, the state sharply restricts use of the money. Most families

said they decided not to contest the state's efforts to seize savings accounts and other assets. Sikov, who represented

survivors of two veterans who died at Southwestern, said she recovered some money to at least cover administrative

and funeral expenses. "What they do is send out a letter stating that they are holding this money but there are

financial obligations that have to be addressed. It's really frightening. People think that if they say something, they'll

have to pay the whole bill," she said. Guise said the department put annual limits on withdrawals from savings

accounts in 2004 to prevent abuses and protect patients' assets. "It was not designed to prevent people from getting

their own money," he said. Sikov said the system effectively forces families of deceased veterans to hire lawyers to

protect their rights, a step which can be expensive and that many are either afraid or unwilling to take. She noted that

Medicaid patients in private nursing homes get $45 a month in personal needs money that they can spend any way

they want. Giving the veterans money and then not allowing them to spend it "doesn't make sense," she said. Guise

said the 2004 memo could be revised as part of an effort to qualify some patients for the federally funded Medicaid

program. "We are now looking at this policy as part of that process," Guise said. [Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-

Review Walter F. Roche article 9 Aug 2010 ++]

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VA Prostate Cancer Program Update 08: Researchers urged doctors to discuss with patients

the benefits of Merck & Co.‘s Proscar for preventing prostate cancer, after a study found that prescribing of the

product didn‘t increase when a 2003 trial showed the medicine wards off tumors. The drug, also sold generically as

finasteride, was shown to reduce some men‘s risk of developing prostate cancer by 18% from 24%, in a trial

described in the New England Journal of Medicine in JUL 03. Over the next two years, there was no increase in

finasteride prescriptions aimed at preventing that disease, according to a 10 AUG report in the journal Cancer

Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Doctors‘ failure to prescribe more of the medicine may have resulted in

more cases of prostate cancer, said Ian M. Thompson, lead author of the 2003 study and chairman of the department

of urology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, in San Antonio. If men over the age of 55 with certain

risk factors were given finasteride, diagnoses of prostate cancer in the U.S. would shrink by 40,000 to 60,000 a year,

he said. .There are no other proven ways of reducing your risk of prostate cancer -- this is the only one,. said

Thompson, who wasn‘t involved in the study released today. If people at risk took the medicine, .tens of thousands

wouldn‘t be diagnosed. or get sick, he said in a telephone interview yesterday. Risk factors include being black,

having a family history, being over the age of 65, or showing elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA,

according to today‘s study.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that 217,730 men in the U.S. will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this

year and that about 32,000 will die of it. The disease is the second- leading cause of cancer death in American men,

after lung cancer, according to the American Cancer Society, based in Atlanta. The new study, by doctors at the

Veterans Health Association in Durham, North Carolina; Duke University School of Medicine in Durham; and the

University of Toronto offers several explanations why physicians seven years ago didn‘t act on the data on

finasteride. The research was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department.

. Tumors. While the results, which were based on a study called the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial,

showed reduced risk for the disease overall, there was also evidence that finasteride might raise the some

men‘s likelihood of developing aggressive tumors. Subsequent research showed these worries were

overstated, according to the new study. Three articles published since 2003 .suggest finasteride does not

increase the risk of high-grade disease,. the authors wrote. .The rate of true high-grade disease may have

been lower. among men taking finasteride.

. Chemoprevention. Concerns about aggressive tumors weren‘t the only reason physicians failed to

prescribe the drug more. Doctors and patients at that time weren‘t familiar with the idea of

.chemoprevention,. or the use of drugs to stave off cancer, said Linda Kinsinger, one of the new study‘s

authors and chief consultant for preventive medicine at the VHA. .It‘s not surprising that doctors didn‘t all

jump on the bandwagon to prescribe finasteride because it is unclear to what extent we are ready for

preventive medications,. Kinsinger said in a telephone interview yesterday. .We don‘t yet have the tools to

predict very well who will develop cancer. There should be more discussion between patients and doctors

about potential benefits and downsides of the drug. Prevention is not reimbursed very well in medicine and

doctors are paid basically to treat cancer, but we are seeing a gradual increase in interest,. Thompson said.

. Hair Growth. Finasteride, which is most commonly prescribed to shrink an enlarged prostate and to

facilitate urination, is also the active ingredient in Propecia, a hair-growth product sold by Whitehouse

Station, New Jersey-based Merck. The dose for prostate treatment is 5 milligrams, compared with 1

milligram for hair growth.

Finasteride prescriptions in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) increased between 2000 and 2005, but the

increase probably was not due to doctors prescribing it for prostate cancer chemoprevention, according to the

published research. ales for Proscar were about $291 million in 2009, and sales of Propecia that year came to about

$440 million, according to the company‘s annual filing. For the six months ended 30 JUN, sales for Proscar fell 25%

from a year earlier to $114.1 million, according a company filing. The drug is also widely available in generic form.

Sales of the generic finasteride were $186 million and 5.1 million prescriptions of the drug were filled in 2009,

according to data compiled for Bloomberg by IMS Health Inc., of Norwalk, Connecticut. .We don‘t know if the 1

milligram dosage reduces the risk, but my gut feeling says that there would be some reduction,. Thompson said.

Taking a higher dosage wouldn‘t increase hair growth, he said. The study released today asked 325 urologists and

1,200 general physicians who prescribed Finasteride in 2006 whether they gave patients the drug for

chemoprevention. Some 64% of the urologists and 80% of the general physicians didn‘t prescribe for that purpose,

according to the study. Neither physicians nor patients appear to be worried about side effects from finasteride,

Thompson said. .The worst side effect of finasteride is growing more hair,. he said. [Source: Bloomberg Arielle

Fridson article 10 Aug 2010 ++]

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VA EDPI: The Veterans Affairs Department has adopted a standard identifier for all veterans to use in all its

systems, including one to build electronic health records that will follow them from enlistment to death, VA's chief

information officer said on Wednesday. The identifier will apply to the department's entire universe of beneficiaries

and will support data exchange for a joint project with the Defense Department called the Virtual Lifetime

Electronic Record for active-duty military personnel and veterans, which President Obama announced in April 2009,

CIO Roger Baker said during a press briefing. The standard is based on a 2004 presidential directive that established

common identification standards for all federal employees and contractors. Baker said VA uses the Electronic Data

Interchange Personal Identifier (EDPI) , which the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)

employs to identify military personnel and contractors, to assign the universal identifiers to veterans in its health

care and benefits information systems. The 10-digit EDPI is part of a unique identification system for federal

employees mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 and appears on a bar code on the Common

Access Card (CAC) that Defense employees use to access military computer systems.

VA adopted the EDPI standard six weeks ago and Baker said it is a critical and "exciting" component for

development of the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record. The move is "a great first step along the road to dealing with

the many issues that have been practical barriers to reaching what everyone really wants for our servicemen and

veterans: development of a lifetime electronic medical record," said Ed Meagher, director of health care strategic

initiatives at SRA International and a former deputy CIO at VA. Baker emphasized EDPI will be used internally in

VA information technology systems, and the department will pair it with an existing identifier in its health care

systems to identify patients. A congressional source said the idea to use HSPD-12 and EDPI standards was

originally included in the 2006 Veterans Identity and Credit Security Act, which Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN)

introduced. But the House Armed Services Committee and the Office of Management and Budget had the language

removed.

DEERS, the central repository for military personnel data, uses EDPI as the primary identifier for everyone in the

Defense Department, according to a 8 MAR 08, memo from David S.C. Chu, who at the time was the Defense

undersecretary for personnel and readiness. Chu said Defense uses EDPI only for machine-to-machine transactions

and the identifier "is not a number that is known to the individuals, and it is never intended that the EDPI be used

outside of machine-to-machine transactions." The Military Health System uses EDPI as a patient identifier for more

than 9 million service health care beneficiaries, according to a presentation by Mary Dixon, director of the Defense

Manpower Data Center (DMDC), and Janine Groth, chief of the DEERS division, which is part of the DMDC. They

spoke at an MHS conference in January. Dixon and Groth said unique identifiers can never be changed or reissued,

and can be cross-referenced to other identifiers such as Social Security numbers and Medicare identifiers. They said

EDPI can be used to unite information across a variety of Defense and VA systems, including joint indemnity

repositories, the VA master patient index, the Defense clinical data repository and the AHLTA electronic health

record system. [Source: NextGov Bob Brewin article 11 Aug 2010 ++]

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Mobilized Reserve 10 AUG 2010: The Department of Defense announced the current number of

reservists on active duty as of 10 AUG 2010. The net collective result is 394 more reservists mobilized than last

reported in the 1 AUG 2010 RAO Bulletin. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals

while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number

currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 76,357; Navy Reserve, 6,519; Air

National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 15,201; Marine Corps Reserve, 4,459; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 787.

This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 103,413 including both units

and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently

activated may be found at http://www.defense.gov/news/d20100810ngr.pdf. [Source: DoD News Release No. 715-

10 dtd 11 AUG 2010 ++]

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ALS Update 08: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig‘s disease,

is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As the motor neurons

degenerate, they no longer can send pulses to the muscle fibers, resulting in muscle weakness. Arms and legs,

speech, swallowing, and breathing most commonly are affected. ALS afflicts an estimated 30,000 Americans, most

of whom are white males over the age of 40. Half of those afflicted live at least three years after diagnosis. Twenty

percent live five or more years, and up to 10 percent live more than 10 years. In recent months, ALS has become an

issue of special concern for DoD and the VA because of an Institute of Medicine report that supports a frightening

link between military service and the later development of ALS. How strong a link? Studies have found veterans

deployed in the first Gulf War are twice as likely as the civilian population to develop the usually fatal condition.

The ALS Association has worked with Congress and the VA to increase funding for ALS research, including

looking into why veterans appear to be at greater risk for developing the disease. When the first studies were

published that found a link between ALS and service in the Gulf War, the ALS Association strongly supported

former Secretary of the VA Anthony Principi‘s policy of providing aid to Gulf War veterans with ALS. Under the

policy, the disease is considered a service-related condition for veterans who served in the Gulf War between Aug.

2, 1990, and July 31, 1991.

Other veterans diagnosed with ALS, however, currently are left in the cold, despite research that has

demonstrated elevated levels of the disease in all veterans, regardless of which war they served in. .The Institute of

Medicine‘s conclusion helps to validate what the ALS community knows all too well — that if you served in the

military, you are more likely to die from ALS,. says Steve Gibson, vice president of Government Relations and

Public Affairs for the ALS Association. .We strongly support calls for expanding ALS research at both the

Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense.. DoD has listened. It recently funded a currently

ongoing study at Duke University‘s Human Center for Genetics in Durham, N.C., that is looking at possible gene-

environment interaction in the veteran population that could explain the mysterious increase in incidence. However,

it likely will take years before the study‘s findings are published. In the meantime, a growing number of ALS

patients are finding a notable improvement in their quality of life via participation in an ALS management program

at the Duke University Health Center Neurology Clinic, also in Durham.

The facility opened in 2001 and now has three satellite branches in the state. More than 300 ALS patients from

throughout the eastern U.S. are enrolled in the program, which sees an average of three new patients a week. Twenty

percent of the program‘s patients are veterans. The clinic‘s multidisciplinary approach uses a team of health care

professionals, including a physician, a nurse practitioner, a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech

therapist, a nutritionist, a social worker, a respiratory therapist, an assistive technologist, a nurse psychologist, and a

representative from the ALS Association. During a typical visit, which can last four to five hours, a patient sees each

team member for a thorough evaluation of the effects of ALS. The team members address issues and specific

problems, determine the need for specialty equipment, and educate the patient and his or her caregiver about the

disease and the team‘s recommendations. Referrals are made for supplies, additional support services, and treatment

in the patient‘s home. .We develop close relationships with our patients,. says Social Worker Stacey Asnani, the

clinic coordinator. .We are like one big family here.. The results of the program can be dramatic. .What we didn‘t

know when we started nine years ago is people who come to a comprehensive clinic like this one live longer,. says

Dr. Rick Bedlack, director of the clinic. .They live up to nine months longer and have a better quality of life

throughout their whole disease..

A unique feature of the Duke Neurology clinic is its relationship with the nearby Durham VA Medical Center.

Veterans are able to receive all of their necessary medical equipment such as specialty wheelchairs, walkers, limb

supports, and computers on-site. The Duke Neurology Clinic also is involved deeply in ALS research. A study

launched this summer will evaluate a brain-computer interface device for veterans with ALS who are unable to

move or communicate. The device consists of a cap with electrodes that connect to a laptop. Users are taught to

communicate by spelling in their mind the words they want to speak. The cap‘s electrodes sense the resulting brain

waves and send the data to the computer, which spells and speaks the words. ALS still is an incurable disease, and

for now, the focus remains on improving quality of life for those afflicted. For most, the team approach established

at the Duke Neurology Clinic appears to be the way to go. .In 100 years of research,. says Bedlack, .We have never

come close with any drug to doing what we have been able to do with this multidisciplinary model when it comes to

prolonging a life and improving quality of life.. The American Association of Neurology appears to agree: It

recently changed its treatment guidelines for ALS to advocate the use of a multidisciplinary team approach.

[Source: MOAA News Exchange Nanette Lavoie-Vaughan article 11 Aug 2010 ++]

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DoD Benefit Cuts Update 02: A consensus is building among current and former military leaders

and defense industry executives that rising military personnel costs threaten the viability of the all-volunteer force.

In July, two separate advisory groups reached the same general conclusions regarding what needs to be done to

sustain the force. In the nearer term, they say, one step that must be taken is to make military retirees pay more out

of pocket for their health care benefit. "Unless retirees contribute more for their Tricare insurance, medical costs will

not be brought under control and the national defense they served, and for which they fought and sacrificed, will be

harmed," says the final Hadley-Perry panel report of the Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel. Longer

term, and for the future force, panelists say, work must begin on designing new retirement, compensation and

promotion systems to replace inefficient and rigid systems adopted after World War II. The situation is so critical

that the panel asks Congress to establish a new National Commission on Military Personnel to lead the reform effort.

Arnold Punaro, a defense industry executive and retired Marine Corps Reserve major general, chairs a task force for

the Defense Business Board that will deliver its final report to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in October. This Task

force's initial observations for cutting defense costs through best business practices, briefed to the board 22 JUL,

reinforces the notion that personnel accounts must be brought under control by modernizing retirement, pay, health

benefits and the "up-or-out" promotion systems.

Both studies deal with a far wider range of initiatives to restructure forces and streamline organizations. The

Hadley-Perry report can be read online at http://www.usip.org/files/qdr/qdrreport.pdf, and task force observations

are at http://dbb.defense.gov/meetings.html. What both conclude on the need to control health costs and modernize

compensation systems, Punaro said, is consistent with findings of the 10th Quadrennial Review of Military

Compensation and the 2006 Defense Advisory Commission on Military Compensation. But now, with Defense

Secretary Gates' leadership and a new awareness among military leaders to the burden of mounting personnel costs,

there's a fresh groundswell for change, he said. "I've heard a four-star military leader comment that DoD is turning

into a benefits company that will occasionally kill a terrorist," Punaro said in a phone interview 3 AUG. The remark

plays off a popular critique of General Motors before its recent bail out, that union contracts had transformed it into

a health care company that occasionally built a car. Both the business board task force and the Hadley-Perry panel

agree that the current force must be protected from the changes to retirement, pay or promotion policies needed to

create a more efficient future force.

"Updating military compensation and redesigning some benefits does not necessitate cuts in pay or benefits for

current service members," said the Hadley-Perry report. "These are areas where any adjustment you make will take

decades to change," Punaro said. "With something like military retirement, you are not going to break faith with

people who joined expecting a certain benefit, even though only 20% stay long enough to earn a retirement." But

rapid expansion of military entitlements has become part of "the nation's mandatory spending problems," the task

force found. Among "significant unsustainable trends" that the task force listed is paying military retirees and their

families "for 60 years after they have served only 20." Another task force slide give details of how military

entitlements have expanded "rapidly" over the last decade with Congress passing Tricare for Life, a more robust

pharmacy benefit, concurrent receipt for disabled retirees, extra-size active duty pay raises, an improved survivor

benefit plan, sharp growth in housing allowances, a bigger death gratuity and more. Punaro declined to criticize any

specific initiative. But he said nobody ever sat down and said, "What's the cumulative effect of all this?" The

Hadley-Perry report says the effect is personnel costs have grown drastically on a per capita basis.

As the economy recovers and the job market rebounds, Punaro said, the cost of sustaining the military will

accelerate even more. He noted that much of the recent entitlement growth has helped only retirees and their

families, a population that now outnumbers the active duty community. "Tricare for Life, the largest new benefit

ever passed, was not subject to any kind of serious review or debate, as best as I can tell. Is that the way to pass

something like that? And, okay, just because you passed it, does it have to be in existence for 100 years? Bob Gates

makes a pretty compelling argument that 'health care costs are eating us alive'." Punaro criticized military

associations that, he said, push continually for benefits with little heed to more pressing defense priorities. Military

leaders and lawmakers this decade have been complicit, he suggested. "It doesn't take a profile in courage to stand

up and be for every benefit that anybody has ever dreamed up. That's easy. It takes a lot of courage to be

responsible...It looks to some of us that we've changed the slogan 'Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition' to

'Praise the Lord and pass the benefit.' I remember working with military associations when their number one goal

was a strong national defense, not more benefits." [Source: Military.com Tom Philpott article 5 Aug 2010 ++]

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Military Golf Courses Update 01: San Diego is home to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet and large

military bases throughout the city. The North Island Naval Air Station (NASNI) in Coronado, CA, the Miramar

Marine Corps Air Station off of I-15 in San Diego, the Camp Pendleton Marine Corp Base just North of San Diego

in Oceanside, CA, the Naval Submarine Base at Pt. Loma and San Diego Naval Station 32nd St. are the largest of

many other smaller Naval and Marine Corps bases and facilities located in San Diego, CA. What all these large

bases have in common is...they all support very nice and affordable Military Golf Courses for active duty military,

retirees and their civilian guests. Choose from these varied and challenging courses: Admiral Baker Golf Course

(two 18 Hole Championship Golf Courses), Miramar Memorial Golf Course, Pendleton Marine Memorial Golf

Course, Marine Corp Recruiting Depot (MCRD) and the San Diego Naval Station Executive Golf Course. Lastly,

the Sea n' Air Golf Course on the North Island Naval Air Station in Coronado is the only golf course in San Diego

besides Torrey Pines Golf Course that sits right on the Pacific Ocean. In fact, it distinguishes itself from Torrey

Pines Golf Course in that it not only has fabulous Pacific Ocean views like Torrey Pines, but unlike Torrey Pines, a

few of the holes actually play "at sea level" right along the beach and Pacific Ocean. Civilians can play as

accompanied guests of active duty and retired military. For a complete rundown on each course's amenities, green

and cart fees, location, reservation and contact info refer to www.golfsd.com/sd_milit_courses.html. [Source:

www.golfsd.com Aug 2010 ++]

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GI Bill Update 82: A Senate committee has taken a first step toward what veterans groups are calling .GI

Bill 2.0. a revised version of the year-old Post-9/11 GI Bill that attempts to simplify and clarify the education

benefits program. If finally approved, the revised GI Bill would boost tuition payments, book allowances and living

stipends for tens of thousands, as well as improve other benefits. Supporters of the changes say S.3447, the Post-

9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act, passed 5 AUG by the Senate Veterans‘ Affairs Committee, could become

law later this year, though many changes would not take effect until the fall 2011 school term. .This is a very good

bill, and fixes many flaws. We are on our way to getting the GI Bill 2.0,. said Tim Embree of Iraq and Afghanistan

Veterans of America, who predicted the bill could become law before Election Day on 2 NOV. Eric Hilleman of

Veterans of Foreign Wars was equally supportive, if a bit less optimistic about quick enactment. .We do not yet

know the full cost of these improvements, and that would be a factor in whether there are enough votes to pass it,.

he said.

The Senate bill, a compromise between veterans groups and the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments, has

two big things going for it, Hilleman said: It includes many changes that fix problems in the program — so there is a

strong case for pushing ahead quickly — and the measure has the support of the chairmen of the House and Senate

Veterans‘ Affairs committees. In most cases, the bill would make a generous program even more so. But it would

trim some benefits. For example, active-duty members attending private schools, who now have their full tuition and

fees paid, would have their reimbursements capped at $20,000 a year. Living stipends for people attending school

less than full time also could decrease for some students. Instead of providing a full stipend for eligible students who

attend school more than halftime, stipends would be paid to those who attend classes half-time or more - a slight

expansion of eligibility - but payments would be adjusted for the number of credits taken. The bill also would open

up the possibility that the Pentagon might limit which service members may share their GI Bill benefits with family

members, a right currently extended to almost all of the career force. While the bill would not block transfer rights,

it has language clarifying that the purpose of transferability of benefits is to promote recruiting and retention, not to

create a new military wide benefit.

Sponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Senate Veterans‘ Affairs Committee chairman, the bill is similar to

H.R.5933, introduced 29 JUL by Rep. Walt Minnick, D-Idaho, and co-sponsored by Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) House

Veterans‘ Affairs Committee chairman. Under this bill:

. Stipends would be available to those attending classes as more than half-time students, but payments would

be prorated for those who are less than full-time students. For many, this would be less than the full stipend

now paid to all students who are more than half-time.

. Distance-learning students would get reduced payments. Living stipends would be paid to students taking

solely distance-learning classes, but they would get half the rate given to those attending so-called brick-

and-mortar institutions.

. Annual adjustments would happen 1 AUG, to reflect changes made the previous 1 JAN in the military

housing allowances on which stipends are based. Current law requires stipends to match military

allowances without clearly stating when the stipends should be adjusted.

. Vocational and nondegree classes. On-the-job training and apprenticeships would become covered by the

Post-9/11 GI Bill, with participants eligible to receive living stipends based on the location of their

employers. They also would be eligible for the book allowance.

. Licensing and certification. The $2,000 benefit for these types of courses no longer would be a one-time

benefit. Multiple courses or tests would be reimbursed as long as total reimbursement does not top $2,000.

[Source: NavyTimes Rick Maze article 9 Aug 2010 ++]

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Military Death Benefits: A California lawmaker wants to refund Social Security taxes when a service

member dies in the line of duty. In what he says would be a new death benefit for survivors, Rep. Jerry McNerney

(D-CA) wants to return to the family any Social Security payroll deductions ever paid by a service member, includ-

ing self-employment taxes. He would make the payments retroactive to cover deaths in the line of duty since Sept.

11, 2001. Line-of-duty deaths would include any member of the armed forces killed as the direct result of armed

conflict or while in other hazardous service, or while training under combat conditions or using combat equipment.

The amount of the payment would depend on a person‘s age and income, but it would equal roughly 6.2% of gross

income for most service members. For example, an E-5 with six years of service will have paid about $5,500 in

Social Security payroll taxes, officially called the Federal Insurance Contributions Act, or FICA, Tax. For someone

who has been working longer, such as a self-employed National Guard member with 20 or more years of service, the

tax refund could be more than $150,000. Technically, payments would not be refunds. The bill is written so that

survivors would be paid an additional death benefit calculated to match Social Security payments made by a

member before and during service. Funding for the new benefit would come from the Old-Age and Survivors

Insurance Trust Fund, the U.S. Treasury account where payroll taxes are deposited.

Dipping into the Social Security trust fund to provide a death benefit makes McNerney‘s bill a controversial idea

that is unlikely to pass until lawmakers are able to study a report coming in December from the independent Com-

mission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, known as the .debt commission.. That report might recommend an

overhaul of Social Security benefits and other federal entitlements, according to congressional aides who work on

military benefits. McNerney‘s bill, the Support for Families of the Fallen Act (H.R.5921), was referred to the House

Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for Social Security, and to the House Armed Services

Committee, which oversees military death benefits. In a statement, McNerney said the bill grew out of his meetings

with military survivors. .One of my most somber responsibilities is to visit with families who have recently lost a

loved one fighting overseas,. he said. .I‘ve seen their grief, and I believe that providing extra help to these families

is the right thing to do.. [Source: NavyTimes Rick Maze article 9 Aug 2010 ++]

===============================

Tricare Retired Reserve Update 02: The Department of Defense on 6 AUG 2010, through its

Tricare Management Activity (TMA), published the long awaited premium rates for the new Tricare coverage

available to Gray Area retirees; those retired members of the Reserve under the age of 60 who are eligible to collect

Reserve retirement pay at age 60. The monthly premium rates for members only will be $388.31 in 2010 and

$408.01 in 2011. However, the monthly rate for member and family will be $976.41 in 2010 and $1,020.60 in 2011.

These premium rates are significantly greater than anticipated. The new program will bear the name Tricare Retired

Reserve (TRR), but it is not to be confused with the full Tricare benefit eligible retired Reserve members will

receive at age 60, which is provided at no cost. The TMA announcement marks the first published details of the long

awaited implementation of the breakthrough legislation signed into law on 28OCT 09 in section 705 of the FY2010

National Defense authorization Act (NDAA) which authorized Tricare Standard eligibility for Gray Area retires at

full premium cost to DoD. With respect to the premium to be charged for the coverage, the law provides: The

monthly amount of the premium in effect for a month for Tricare Standard coverage under this section shall be the

amount equal to the cost of coverage that the Secretary determines on an appropriate actuarial basis. See 10 USC

1076 e (d)(3).

The National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) NGAUS has known that the premium for the

coverage would be the full cost to the government, but was led to believe by TMA in earlier meetings that the cost

would be $169.68 for an individual member and $643.46 for a family, which would reflect the actual cost to the

government in providing Tricare Standard under the Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) program. TRS beneficiaries pay

only 28% of the full TRS cost of coverage to the government. The current TRS rates of $47.51 for member only and

$180.17 for member and family are 28% of the full government coverage costs which are $169.68 for an individual

member and $643.46 for a family. Unfortunately the TRR indicated rates reflect a coverage cost determination that

is nearly double the costs of the Tricare Standard coverage that DoD is providing an individual member under the

TRS program, and 50% greater than the cost of family coverage under TRS.

If the proposed premium costs hold, this will render the program too costly for many of the deserving

beneficiaries. NGAUS is asking reservists to contact their Representative and/or Senators to urge them to ask the

Government Accounting Office (GAO) to review the accuracy of the premium rates published by the Department of

Defense for Tricare Gray Area retirees. One quick and effective method of expressing your views to Congress is to

use the .Write to Congress. feature on the NGAUS Web site at www.ngaus.org/writetocongress where you can

immediately e-mail your elected representatives. It allows you to compose your own message or use one of their

preformatted messages on this and other areas of concern to the Reserve retired community. [Source: NGAUS Leg

Up 9 Aug 2010 ++]

===============================

Army Retiree Council Update 03: The CSA Retiree Council marked its 50th meeting 26-30 APR

2010, in the Pentagon. They reviewed 32 issues submitted by installation Retiree councils. Subsequently, they made

their 15th CSA report to the Army's Chief of Staff. Briefings from DoD, Army and other leaders, along with pre-

meeting research are the tools the Council uses when preparing its report. Health care continues to be the highest

priority issue for both current and future Retired Soldiers. Their report raised ongoing health care initiatives

including preventive health care, case management, quality outcomes and consistent communication, saying they

would enhance health care for all Retirees and their Families. It stated that attempts to reduce the level of benefits

of the Military Health Care System raise concerns that the earned entitlement will be eroded based strictly on

budgetary constraints. The report contained a number of recommendations.

In the area of health care the Council recommended that the Army:

. Sustain the viability of the military health care program by fully resourcing DoD health programs.

. If Tricare fees must be increased, limit any increase in those fees to the annual future rate of growth in

retired pay, with special consideration to not overburdening Retired NCOs, E-7 and below.

. Raise the Tricare provider reimbursement levels to create the physician network needed to make care

accessible for all beneficiaries.

. Support legislation to authorize pretax payment of Tricare Prime enrollment fees and premiums for Tricare

supplemental, long-term care, and Tricare Retiree Dental Insurance.

. Provide Retirees with a choice of eyeglass frames through a self-funded voluntary Optical Insurance Plan

similar to the Retiree Dental Insurance Program. Retirees have long advocated a low-cost option that

allows them more choices than the standard brown Army frames currently available at Medical Treatment

Facilities.

. Encourage use of the Tricare Mail Order Pharmacy by eliminating copayments for generic and chronic care

drugs.

. Continue to support ongoing efforts between DoD and the VA to improve the compatibility of the two

health care systems and preserve the benefits for all beneficiary groups.

In the area of communication the Council recommended that the Army:

. Increase the understanding of Soldiers and their spouses of their entitlements and benefits throughout their

careers. The Council recommended adding retirement modules to courses for mid-grade and senior grade

officers and NCOs and to courses preparing Soldiers for command. They suggested that spouses receive

similar instruction in Family Readiness Groups and through Army Community Services.

. Continue to fund three hardcopy issues a year of Army Echoes, the bulletin for Retired Soldiers and

Families, while encouraging, but not forcing, recipients to switch from the paper to the e-mail copy.

. Enhance retirement services available to retiring and Retired Soldiers by raising the level of funding for

Pre-Transition Services and Post-Transition Services for all installations/garrisons worldwide.

. Ensure that fiscal requirements are part of the annual budget process and that funding for Retirement

Services, including Retiree Appreciation Days, is protected in the budget.

. • Through IMCOM, complete the establishment of RSO positions in accordance with the already approved

. IMCOM Standard Garrison Organization at the target grade by the end of FY10 or the completion of the

established contracted service support.

. Complete the establishment of Retirement Services Offices at major Army Reserve and Army National

Guard commands to ensure all retiring and Retired Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, their

Families and survivors are properly informed about retirement-related benefits and entitlements.

. Support a test program under which Retired Soldiers who are supported by APOs in Germany would be

allowed to send and receive parcels weighing up to five pounds, to quantify the impact on postal workload,

service and costs.

. Recognize the contributions of Surviving Spouses by authorizing space-available air travel. As a lower

priority category than active duty Soldiers, Surviving Spouses would not burden the stand-by system.

In the area of benefits, the Council recommended that the Army:

. Take care of Surviving Spouses by supporting efforts to eliminate the Dependency and Indemnity

Compensation offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity.

. Recognize the extraordinary service and sacrifice of Army Reserve and Army National Guard Soldiers by

including mobilization periods in support of contingency operations on or after Sept. 11, 2001 when

determining the eligibility date for retired pay (instead of the current effective date of Jan. 28, 2008) and by

providing medical benefits concurrently with the start of retired pay.

. Support efforts to provide full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation to all

eligible military Retirees regardless of disability rating or years of service.

. Support the DFAS initiative to forgive any overpayment of retired pay for any period after the date of death

of a Retiree through the last day of the month in which death occurs.

. Acknowledge their long-term commitment to the Army by issuing eligible Surviving Spouses an indefinite

ID card at age 65.

[Source: Army Echoes May-Aug Issue 2010 ++]

===============================

RSO Locations Update 01: Army Retirement Services Officers are available to answer questions and

assist retirees dependents, and survivors from all service branches as needed on benefits, SBP, Retiree Appreciation

Days or anything else retirement-related,. To contact the RSO nearest to you, refer to the following or go to the

Army Retirement Services website http://www.armyg1.army.mil/retire:

ALABAMA:

• Redstone Arsenal (256) 876-2022 cynthia.anderson1@redstone.army.mil

• Ft Rucker (334) 255-9124 ruck.retirees@conus.army.mil

ALASKA:

• Ft Richardson 1-800-478-7384 or AK only(907) 384-3500 rso@richardson.army.mil

• Ft Wainwright (907) 353-2102 fwarso@wainwright.army.mil

ARIZONA: Ft Huachuca (520) 533-5733 FtHuachucaRSO@hua.army.mil

ARKANSAS: Ft Sill, OK

CALIFORNIA: Presidio of Monterey 1-877-354-2634 pres-dhr-rso@conus.army.mil

COLORADO: Ft Carson (719) 526-2840 retirement-services@carson.army.mil

CONNECTICUT: West Point, NY

DELAWARE: Ft Meade, MD

D.C: Ft Myer, VA

FLORIDA:

• Central & West - MacDill AFB (813) 828-0163 army.rso@macdill.af.mil

• Rest of FL Ft Stewart, GA

GEORGIA:

• Ft Benning (706) 545-1805 benn.g1hrd.rso@benning.army.mil

• Ft Gordon (706) 791-2654 tim.a.wilson@us.army.mil

• Ft McPherson (404) 464-3219 rso.mcpherson-A@conus.army.mil

• Ft Stewart (912) 767-5013 rso@stewart.army.mil

HAWAII: Schofield Barracks (808) 655-1514 rso@schofield.army.mil

IDAHO: Ft Carson, CO, or Ft Lewis, WA

ILLINOIS: Ft L.Wood, MO; Ft McCoy, WI; Ft Knox, KY

INDIANA: Ft Knox, KY

IOWA: Ft McCoy, WI

KANSAS:

• Ft Leavenworth (913) 684-2425 Leav-RSO@conus.army.mil

• Ft Riley (785) 239-3320 rso@riley.army.mil

KENTUCKY:

• Ft Campbell (270) 798-5280 camp.retire@conus.army.mil

• Ft Knox (502) 624-1765 knox.rso@conus.army.mil

LOUISIANA: Ft Polk (337) 531-0363 polk_rso@conus.army.mil

MAINE: Ft Drum, NY

MARYLAND:

•Aberdeen Pr. Grd. (410) 306-2320 imneapghr@conus.army.mil

• Ft Meade (301) 677-9603 mderso@conus.army.mil

MASSACHUSETTS: West Point, NY

MICHIGAN:

• Ft McCoy, WI

• Lower MI – Selfridge ANGB (586) 239-5580 (or Ft McCoy)

MINNESOTA: Ft McCoy, WI

MISSISSIPPI: Ft Rucker, AL

MISSOURI: Ft Leonard Wood (573) 596-0947 leon.agretsvcs@conus.army.mil

MONTANA: Ft Lewis, WA

NEBRASKA: Ft Riley, KS

NEVADA: Presidio of Monterey, CA

NEW HAMP: Ft Drum, NY

NEW JERSEY:

• ASA Dix (609) 562-2666 rsodix@conus.army.mil

• Ft Monmouth (732) 532-4673 jacqueline.moura@us.army.mil

NEW MEXICO: Ft Bliss, TX

NEW YORK:

• Ft Drum (315) 772-6434 drum.rso@conus.army.mil

• Ft Hamilton (718) 630-4552 hamilton.rso@conus.army.mil

•Watervliet-Wed/Thurs (518) 266-5810 wvarso@gmail.com

• West Point (845) 938-4217 rso@usma.army.mil

NO. CAROLINA: Ft Bragg (910) 396-5304 braggrso@conus.army.mil

NO. DAKOTA: Ft Riley, KS

OHIO: Ft Knox, KY

OKLAHOMA: Ft Sill (580) 442-2645 rso.sill@conus.army.mil

OREGON: Ft Lewis, WA

PENNSYLVANIA:

• Carlisle Barracks (717) 245-4501 carl_rso@conus.army.mil

• Tobyhanna Army Depot (Tues/Wed/Thurs) (570) 615-7409 danielle.dematteo@us.army.mil

RHODE ISLAND: West Point, NY

SO. CAROLINA: Ft Jackson (803) 751-6715 FJrso@conus.army.mil

SO. DAKOTA: Ft Riley, KS

TENNESSEE: Ft Campbell, KY

TEXAS:

• Ft Bliss (915) 568-5204 BlissRSO@conus.army.mil

• Ft Hood (254) 287-5210 hood.dhr.iag.retsvcs@conus.army.mil

• Ft Sam Houston (210) 221-9004 rso@samhouston.army.mil

UTAH: Ft Carson, CO

VERMONT: Ft Drum, NY

VIRGINIA:

• Ft Belvoir (703) 805-2675 gwendolyn.lott@conus.army.mil

• Ft Eustis (757) 878-3648 eustis.rso@conus.army.mil

• Ft Lee (804) 734-6555 leeeimarso@conus.army.mil

• Ft Monroe (757) 788-2093 monr.fmretsvcoff@conus.army.mil

• Ft Myer (703) 696-5948 fmmc-rso@conus.army.mil

W. VIRGINIA: Ft Knox, KY

WASHINGTON: Joint Base Lewis-McChord (253) 966-5884 lewisrso@conusarmy.mil

WISCONSIN: Ft McCoy 1-800-452-0923 bill.g.walters@us.army.mil

WYOMING: Ft Carson, CO

PUERTO RICO: Ft Buchanan (787) 707-3842 santiago.santiago@conus.army.mil

Overseas RSOs

Europe: 06202-80-6029 RSOAE@eur.army.mil

Germany:

. Ansbach 0981-183-3301 RSOAnsbach@eur.army.mil

. Bamberg 0951-300-9181 RSOBamberg@eur.army.mil

. Baumholder 06783-6-6080 RSOBaumholder@eur.army.mil

. Grafenwoehr 09641-83-8814 @eur.army.mil

. Heidelberg 06221-57-8399 RSOHD@eur.army.mil

. Kaiserslautern 0631-411-7333 RSOKL@eur.army.mil

. Mannheim 0621-730-3371 RSOMA@eur.army.mil

. Schweinfurt 09721-96-8812 RSO.Schweinfurt@eur.army.mil

. Stuttgart 07031-15-3442 usag-s.rso@eur.army.mil

. Wiesbaden 0611-705-5338 RSOWiesbaden@eur.army.mil

Belgium: 0032-65-44-6238 RSO.usagbenelux@eur.army.mil

England: see Kaiserslautern

Italy/So. Europe/Africa/Mid-East: Vicenza 0444-71-7262 RSOVicenza@eur.army.mil

Netherlands: 0031-46-443-7320 RSO.Schinnen@eur.army.mil

Japan: 046-407-3940 RSO@zama.army.mil

Okinawa: 06117-44-4186 RSO@okinawa.army.mil

Korea: 0505-730-4133 RSO@korea.army.mil

Guard And Reserve RSO: Human Resources Command, St Louis, MO, office serving all Guard and Reserve

Retired Soldiers and their Families. 1-800-318-5298 ext 4 or (314) 592-0123 sheila.Dorsey@us.army.mil or

Stephen.welch@us.army.mil

[Source: Army Echoes May-Aug 2010 ++]

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Military Stolen Valor Update 21: A Marine Corps veteran, who faked a chestful of medals, posed

with Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and accepted an award from Toys for Tots soon may be changing bedpans at a

veterans hospital to pay society back for the shameful charade after he was sentenced 4 AUG in federal court. .I

accept full responsibility for my actions,. Michael Frisoli, 46, told a U.S. District Court judge in Boston during

sentencing. .I‘d like to put this behind me and do what I can for my boys.. Prosecutors said Frisoli, 46, of Millbury

posed for pictures and accepted awards dressed as a first sergeant pinned with the Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, Navy

Commendation and Army Commendation - all with Vs for valor. He also gussied up a Navy/Marine Corps Combat

Action Ribbon with two gold stars. Prosecutor Anthony Fuller - who asked Judge Timothy Hilman to sentence

Frisoli to four months in jail - recommended that Frisoli, .clean bed pans at the VA hospital.. Such service to

disabled vets would, Fuller said, .force him to confront the people who are earning these medals..

Frisoli - who passed himself off as a gunnery sergeant at a 2001 Toys for Tots event, but by May 08 had promoted

himself to first sergeant at an event with Menino - served two stints in the Reserves in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. He

earned a single good conduct medal. Fuller said he requested jail time because while Frisoli was on pretrial release,

he was arrested in Millbury for dealing heroin out of his home. He is due in court for that charge later this month.

Frisoli‘s lawyer, William Fick, said his client supports a 19-year-old son and two younger boys, ages 4 and 5, by

working at auto dealerships. .There‘s no question that this conduct is deeply offensive and triggers incredible

currents of anger, and rightly so,. Fick said. In addition to three years probation, Frisoli must also complete 200

hours of community service, seek therapy and abide by the therapist‘s recommendations. [Source: Boston Herald

O'Ryan Johnson article 5 Aug 23010 ++]

===============================

Military Stolen Valor Update 22: Second Lt. Douglas Sofranko has spent the last year impressing

his fellow soldiers in the Florida Army National Guard with stories of his days as a Navy SEAL, while proudly

wearing the distinctive Trident insignia on his Army uniform. He even had the SEAL Creed hung on the wall of his

office. The problem is, it was all a lie. The 33-year-old Army officer and former enlisted sailor, who works at the

Ballard Armory in Miami as rear support for the Guard‘s 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry, did attend Basic Underwater

Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., in 1996. But according to Naval Special Warfare Command, he

washed out of training. His class graduated without him in FEB 07. .He did not complete training, and he is not

authorized to wear the Trident insignia,. said Lt. Cate Wallace, spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare Command.

Sofranko has lived his SEAL lie for much of the last year, sources with his Army unit said. Recently, unit members

became suspicious of his claims and started making inquiries.

According to his Navy records, after washing out of BUD/S, Sofranko (then a radioman) spent three years at a

radio station in Hawaii and was discharged in 24 OCT 99 as an RM3. In JUN 2000, he enlisted in the Pennsylvania

National Guard and was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Infantry. Two years later, he

received a general discharge under honorable conditions for unsatisfactory participation, meaning he missed too

many drills and other training periods. "He was basically AWOL from the time he joined," said Sgt. Matt Jones, a

spokesman for the Pennsylvania National Guard. "He never made an annual training period that we can see, and he

was discharged as an E-3." But Sofranko was given another chance. In APR 07, he got a waiver from the Florida

National Guard despite his poor Pennsylvania service and was allowed to join in Florida as an E-4. Artley said

waivers like this are common in the Guard and are based on a review of the member's service record and personal

interviews. A year later, Sofranko entered the Florida National Guard Officer Candidate Program, graduating one

year ago.

Sofranko admitted he never graduated from BUD/S training and, when asked why he would wear a badge he did

not rate, he answered: .No excuse, really. Just poor, poor judgment.. He refuted co-workers‘ claims that he told

them he was a SEAL. .I stated that I had been to the training,. he said. According to the Florida National Guard,

Sofranko could face disciplinary action if found guilty of wearing the Trident. Though Guardsmen on state duty

aren‘t subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, they do fall under their state‘s military codes, according to

A.J. Artley, spokesman for the Florida National Guard. Under Florida code, .Wearing an unauthorized award or

insignia is a prohibited act ... If he is found guilty of misconduct, the unit commander would be the one to determine

punishment. Punishment could range from making sure Sofranko doesn‘t wear the award again and a written

reprimand, to fines or any number of punishments.. [Source: NavyTimes Mark D. Faram article 9 Aug 2010 ++]

===============================

Vet Insurance ~ Life Update 01: Veterans for Common Sense Executive Director Paul Sullivan

"said in an e-mail" that his organization is "disappointed so many administration officials appear to have been asleep

at the wheel while Prudential," which, according to Bloomberg News, is the "sole provider of life insurance for 6

million US military personnel" and veterans, "stole hundreds of millions of dollars in secret profits from grieving

families." Sullivan's comment referred to the fact that in NOV 09, when the Advisory Council on Servicemembers'

Group Life Insurance last met, none of the "half-dozen members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet" sitting on

the council attended. John Gingrich, chief of staff for US Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, said that it is

customary for department heads to send expert representatives to Federal government advisory council meetings and

that "VA -- all of us -- remain committed to having the most knowledgeable people serving" on the Advisory

Council on Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance. "'The advisory council gets briefed on what's going on, how

much money is going out, how many death benefits,' says...Gingrich." While Shinseki and other Cabinet members

have joined a growing number of lawmakers calling for an overhaul of insurer practice, Prudential has defended

retained-asset accounts as helpful to survivors, especially the loved ones of soldiers. 'For some families, the account

is the difference between earning interest on a large amount of money and letting it sit idle,' company spokesman

Bob DeFillippo told Bloomberg."

During an appearance on Fox News' Fox And Friends 5 AUG Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson, Jr., said that

while "Missouri and Kansas and other state insurance regulators" are looking at the practice of companies retaining

death benefits, there is no Federal regulation against it. Johnson argued that VA needs to "look at this issue

immediately." On 4 AUG, the "National Conference of Insurance Legislators called for a 'beneficiaries bill of rights'

to protect consumers against abuse by carriers that, for decades, have earned income by retaining death benefits."

The group plans to develop a model bill that lawmakers can introduce in state legislatures to protect customers.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, meanwhile, has pledged to help the US Department of Veterans Affairs investigate

the practice of companies retaining death benefits, a practice that has been criticized by US Sens. Charles Schumer

(D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ), as well as US Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL), who "introduced legislation last

week requiring profit disclosure." [Source: Bloomberg News Evans Capaccio article 5 Aug 2010 ++]

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Vet Insurance ~ Life Update 02: The company responsible for providing life insurance benefits to

the families of fallen soldiers hasn't handled payouts properly and has failed to provide beneficiaries automatic cash

payments, a Democratic lawmaker said on Tuesday. In an 10 AUG letter to Prudential Chairman and Chief

Executive Officer John Strangfeld, Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) expressed concern that families of participants in

the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) program

are not fully informed about the procedures for receiving benefits. "I am particularly concerned that some families of

soldiers killed while serving their country may not understand that they have the right to this money upfront," the

chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said in a statement. "It seems unjust that the

insurance company can take control of this money without first being granted permission from those it belongs to."

The SGLI and VGLI programs feature retained-asset accounts, in which insurance benefits are paid not as a lump

sum, but are held in an account from which beneficiaries can withdraw funds using what appear to be checks. The

funds are not protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and a financial institution must cash the

checks. The account management firm controls the money until beneficiaries cash out the accounts in full. Towns

also noted that Prudential receives 4% interest on these accounts, but pays beneficiaries much less. Though the funds

earn more, Prudential pays beneficiaries 0.5% interest on deposits, a rate that is "commensurate and competitive" for

this type of account, said Prudential spokesman Bob DeFillippo. Participants in the Federal Employees' Group Life

Insurance program also are paid through retained-asset accounts. In the letter, Towns requested more information

about Prudential's management of the insurance programs, including details on account security, checks provided to

beneficiaries, investment decisions and interest rates. He also expressed interest in whether families were fully

informed of their options, the money was adequately guaranteed and the interest paid was adequate. The letter

requested a response by24 AUG.

DeFillippo on 11 AUG confirmed the company had received the letter. "We're going to cooperate fully with the

inquiry and welcome the opportunity to assure everyone that the insurance program for the military is being well-

managed and is in the best interest of the beneficiaries," he said. Prudential in July announced that it was in

discussions with the Veterans Affairs Department to address concerns raised about the SGLI program. [Source:

GovExec.com Emily Long article 11 Aug 2010 ++]

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Vet Insurance ~ Life Update 03: Comparable bills pending before both the House and Senate

would require contractor insurance companies to change the way they handle the Servicemembers Group Life

Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) policies they underwrite. The Senate bill would make

the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) tell insurers to offer lump-

sum payouts of government-sponsored death benefits to beneficiaries of service members and federal workers as

defaults, rather than options. The measure would end contractor insurance companies‘ practice of offering so-called

"retained asset accounts," under which the companies collect as much as 4% interest on money intended for

beneficiaries, and hold it in corporate accounts. The money, as such, is earning interest for the companies rather than

beneficiaries, says Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), sponsor of the bill. "It‘s deeply troubling that insurance

companies would promote these accounts as if they were run-of-the-mill checking accounts, yet the insurance

companies profit from the interest and provide no FDIC guarantee that the money itself is insured," Schumer said.

The House bill, H.R.5993, would require the VA to make contractor insurance companies provide full counseling

and disclosure regarding insurance benefits to families of fallen service members. "This legislation will ensure these

policies are transparent and life insurance companies are held accountable," said Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL) who

sponsored the measure. [Source: Armed Forces News 13 Aug 2010 ++]

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Military Compensation Review Update 07: On 3 AUG the Senate Armed Services Committee

heard testimony from former Secretary of Defense William Perry and former National Security Adviser Stephen

Hadley, chairmen of the Quadrennial Defense Review Independent Panel. Congress created the panel last year to

provide a bipartisan assessment of the Pentagon's 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). Overall, the panel's

findings call for an increase in defense spending. It concludes that the military currently does not possess enough

capabilities to meet national strategic goals. The Panel also concluded that "while the volunteer military has been an

unqualified success, there are trends that threaten its sustainability" citing "recent and dramatic growth in cost". The

Panel recommends establishing a National Commission on Military Personnel, similar to the 1970 Gates

Commission, which proposed the all-volunteer force, to map out compensation and retirement benefit reforms. The

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) acknowledges the need to control costs, but take's exception to

some of the panel's claims. Once again the late 90's were used as a base to project personnel cost growth. This

baseline is disingenuous at best. Personnel spending hit rock bottom in the late 90's before a recruiting and retention

crisis prompted Congress to plus up personnel spending (including the creation of Tricare For Life). MOAA firmly

believes the period of rapid growth on personnel spending is behind us. Congress must remain prudent when

considering compensation and benefit reform. The all-volunteer force has remained resilient in the midst of almost

10 years of war, and defense reforms must preserve the most precious resource in our nation‘s arsenal, its people in

uniform. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 6 Aug 2010 ++]

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Congressional Spending: Tired of standing by while our government puts us deeper in debt. In

addition to contacting your legislators there is now an alternative means of expressing your concerns through

YouCut. This is a Republican party initiative designed to defeat the permissive culture of runaway spending in

Congress. It allows taxpayers to vote, both online and on their cell phones, on spending cuts that they want to see the

House enact. Weekly it provides a number issues, along with a short explanation of each and the savings that would

be accrued on how government can save money or eliminate fraud/waste/abuse through legislation. At

http://republicanwhip.house.gov/YouCut/ you can vote on weekly choices for your priorities for reducing federal

government spending. After you vote on the current week's choices, the site offers you a means to submit your

ideas on program and spending cuts that you feel should be featured on the website in the following weeks. An

example of choices for spending cut priorities offered for the week of 2 thru 8 AUG is:

. Prohibit Mandated Project Labor Union Agreements That Increase Government Construction Costs. Saves:

10 to 20 percent per construction project, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars

. Suspend Federal Land Purchases. Saves $266 million next year and $2.66 billion over ten years

. Require Collection of Unpaid Taxes From Federal Employees. Savings of potentially $1 billion

. Prohibit Taxpayer Funding for Campaigns in Foreign Countries and Recoup the Misspent Funds. Saves $23

million

. Eliminate the "Dodd Clinic" Earmark From Obamacare. Savings of $100 million over ten years

[Source: Rep. Darrell E. Issa (R-49-CA) Ltr dtd 3 Aug 2010 ++]