HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Instrumental in adoption of milestone Reserve Forces Bill of Rights and Vitalization Act, which established a Selected Reserve in each service, provided adequate fiscal and equipment support for Selected Reserve, and established Assistant Secretaries for Reserve Affairs and Reserve service Chiefs for each service.
• Championed the creation of ROTC.
• Integral to the passage of the Armed Forces Reserve Act establishing the Ready Reserve.
• Led the charge to retain threatened Coast Guard and Air Force Reserves, NOAA Corps, and also helped save the Navy Reserve’s air arm.
• Helped muster a Reserve officers corps of 115,000 by the outbreak of WWII.
• Convinced Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt to allocate $1 million to pay reservists in training.
• Instrumental in adoption of legislation that precluded the merger of the Army Reserve and National Guard, and set mandatory strength levels in the Reserve components.
• Prevented the Army from conducting individual call-ups during the Korean Conflict that would have decimated the Reserve structure.
• Instrumental in achieving Reserve retirement for age and service, 20-year retirement for active duty regular and Reserve officers.
• Contributed to the adoption of the Armed Forces Reserve Act which reorganized and modernized Reserve forces of all services to increase readiness for limited or full mobilization.
• Precluded large, DoD proposed, across-the-board reductions in the Reserve force structure.
• Forcefully supported appropriation of $25 million for the Selective Service System, defeating a House effort to eliminate the Selective Service System.
• Ensured citizen warriors are treated fairly by the Veterans Benefits Administration.
• Advocated annual pay raises for Reserve component members.
• Spearheaded legislative efforts that established separate Reserve commands, commanded by chiefs of the Reserve components of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
• Led the effort that created an Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.
• Played a pivotal role in the enactment of the Reserve Officer Personnel Management Act (ROPMA), the long-awaited legislation regularizing officer personnel management in the Reserve components.
• Highlighted the need for a Survivor Benefit provision whereby earned retirement pay could pass to a family member.
• Fought to increase the limit of inactive duty days from 60 to 130.
• Led efforts to activate military reserves for the 1991 Gulf War and improved post-war benefits.
• Established the basis and took up the cause to promote Reserve Chiefs to O-9s.
• Educated parties to expand and enhance the role of the Public Health Service.
• Got Congress to extend VA home loan program parity to the Reserve components.
• Ensured full commissary and exchange privileges for reservists not on duty.
• Led in causing the Congress to direct DoD to conduct a Total Force Policy Study.
• Contributed in adding billions in appropriations for the procurement of Guard and Reserve equipment and military construction.
• Played a key role in the adoption of legislation that establishes two two-star assistants to advise the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Guard and Reserve matters.
• Helped Congress establish drill pay for inactive/weekend duty training.
• Helped establish Reserve retirement pay at age 60.
• Protected the military member’s right to vote.

TODAY’S TRIUMPHS:

• Educated Congress, the President and the American people through the Defense Education Forum with premier national security forums that have had significant effects on policy.
• Established our law center as the definitive resource on the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act (SCRA) and military voting.
• Helped protect the establishment of a National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation.
• Highlighted the need to provide employment protection and family leave for spouses and family care-givers of mobilized Guard and Reserve members.
• Helped extend TRICARE to all serving reservists, reduce TRICARE Reserve Select premiums, and create gray-area retiree access for a full continuum of care.
• Promoted a Post 9/11 GI Bill for the 21^st Century.
• Advocated for improvements in voting procedures for absentee uniformed services and overseas voters, so they may request that states send voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications by mail and electronically.
• Influenced the requirement for states to have ballots printed 45 days prior to elections.
• Instrumental in continuation of the Reserve Forces Policy Board with substantial Reserve component representation.
• Got Congress to extend the amount of time reservists are eligible to use the MGIB-SR to 14 years from date of first eligibility.
• Pushed Congress to double basic allowance for housing to Reserve component members called up in support of contingency operations.
• Highlighted health-care delivery gaps in coverage and continuity of care by DoD and Veterans Affairs.
• Pushed legislation authorizing travel reimbursements for monthly training.
• Led implementation of studies, conducted by the Comptroller General and Secretary of Defense, to determine whether the Reserve Compensation System and Reserve Retirement have kept pace with the increased Total Force responsibilities and contributions of the Reserve components.
• Influenced improvement of mental health care access by requiring guidance on person-to-person mental health assessments related to contingency operations, which will help Reserve Component members who return home and aren't directly supported by military facilities.
• Advocated expanding TRICARE coverage from 90 to 180 days to Reservists and their families prior to mobilization
• Helped assist Selected Reserve (SELRES) by advocating for their pending COBRA plan on TRICARE Reserve Select
• Significantly contributed to the attainment of legislation for earlier retirement for those who served after 2008
• Influenced the adoption of concurrent and proportional delivery of the F-35 joint strike fighter to Guard and Reserve units
• Helped achieve billions in funding for the National Guard and Reserve Equipment allowance over the years.
• Identified the need and advocated to replace lost civilian income for reservists on extended or frequent mobilization beyond 18 months or more than 24 out of 60 months.
• Advocated 180 day Transitional Assistant Management Program (TAMP).
• Instrumental in enhancement of transitional dental care for Reserve Component members separated from active duty.
• Extended the Thrift Savings Plan to reservists.
• Lobbied for $25 billion in funding for additional C-17 cargo transports, ultimately protecting the Reserve/Guard mobility mission and its equipment.