ROA - Position Papers 2013 - Reserve Officers Association

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The Officer Online
July/August Issue

ROA POSITION PAPERS

ROA provides the following position papers for you to use when meeting with your
Senator, Representative and Congressional Staff.

INDEX

2013 Position Papers
2012 Position Papers
2011 Position Papers

2013 POSITION PAPERS

1301: Ensuring an Adequate Defense
ROA questions the current spending priorities which place more importance on the immediate future rather than first doing a short and long term threat analysis.

1302:Simplify Reserve Order System
ROA supports simplifying the Reserve and National Guard duty order system without compromising individual drill training compensation.

1303:Employment Challenges
ROA Veteran Unemployment: The impact on the Reserve and National Guard.

1304:Employer Incentives
ROA urges Congress to support employer tax credits and other positive incentives as means to help offset costs associated with employees’ Reserve Component activities, and to support extending credits beyond 2013 for hiring or employing a military Reservist.

1305:Reset, Replace, Reconfigure RC Equipment
ROA is concerned about the lack of discussion on Reserve Component equipment requirements, particularly during times of continual debate of defense cuts.

1306:Military Construction (MILCON)
ROA urges Congress to continue appropriating funds for Military Construction [MILCON] budgets for the Reserve and National Guard.

1307:National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation (NGREA)
ROA urges Congress to continue the authorization and appropriate for a modern equipment account proportional to the missions being performed, which will enable the Reserve Component to meet its readiness requirements.

1308:Rebalancing the Force
ROA urges Congress to review the impact of Active duty changes and how they will affect the Reserve Components.

1309:Earlier Retirement
ROA endorses further adjusting early retirement for the Reserve Components.

1310:Service Members Law Center
ROA established the Service Members Law Center as a center of excellence in the areas of employment and consumer law for Active, Reserve and National Guard personnel, during the summer of 2009.

1311:USERRA
ROA encourages Congress to support amendments to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act that will protect the civilian jobs of Reserve Component members and encourage compliance by employers.

1312:THE SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF ACT (SCRA) PROTECTIONS
ROA encourages Congress to support improved provisions to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 U.S.C. App. 501-596, that will protect the financial interests of all serving members of the uniformed services.

1313:Spouse Support
ROA urges Congress to repeal the law that reduces military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities by the amount paid survivors under the VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program.

1314:GI BILL AND ACCESS TO FUTURE EDUCATION
ROA urges Congress to continue its support of the Post 9/11 GI Bill enhancements and Tuition Assistance.

1315:MONTGOMERY GI BILL (MGIB-SR)SELECTED RESERVE ENHANCEMENTS
ROA urges Congress to support Selected Reserve education reforms for all Reserve Component personnel.

1316:CONTINUITY OF HEALTH CARE: TRICARE FOR RESERVISTS
ROA supports improving health care continuity to all drilling Reservists and their families.

1317:FIXING TRICARE RETIRED RESERVE HEALTH CARE PROGRAM
ROA requests that Congress requests a GAO audit on the implementation of TRR, premiums rates, and enrollment methods to ensure the program is acceptably implemented for this population.

1318:DENTAL READINESS
ROA supports specific funding for restorative dental care prior to deployment. It is important that the members of the Reserve component not only be prepared through training, but in health, to serve on deployments needed in the post-9/11 military operations.

2012 POSITION PAPERS

1201: Provide and Execute an Adequate National Security
ROA questions the current spending priorities which place more importance on the immediate future rather than first doing a short and long term threat analysis.

1202: Veteran Unemployment -The Impact On Reserve And National Guard
ROA sees the trend of Reserve and National Guard unemployment as an ongoing problem as it is higher than the national average.

1203: Tax Credit Incentives for Employers

Support employer tax credits and other positive incentives as means to help offset costs associated with employees' Reserve Component activities.

1204: Reset, Replace, Reconfigure Equipment for the Reserve Component

Support the authorization and appropriation for procurement of modern equipment for the Reserves and National Guard.

1205: Fund Miliatry Construction (MILCON)
Military construction program is one of the most visible means of improving Reserve Component working conditions, recruiting and retention.

1206: National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriations.
Continue the authorization and appropriate for a modern equipment account that enable the Reserve and National Guard to meet mission readiness.

1207: Earlier Retirement for Reserve and Guard Members.
ROA endorses further adjusting early retirement for the Reserve Components by:correcting existing early retirement provisions to include all Reserveand Guard members who have served since 9/11/2001 and by seriously considering other earlier retirement options.

1208: Servicemembers Law Center.

High unemployment of veterans continues as a challenge, especially for members of the Reserve and National Guard. This law center answers legal questions about USERRA and SCRA for Active and Reserve veterans.

1209: Updates to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Act (USERRA).
No cost improvements to USERRA that will help both Active and Reserve veterans to return to former employment.

1210: Updates to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)

Improvements to protect the financial interests of all serving members of the uniform services.

1211: Spouse Support.
Military spouse are part of the Total Force. Several legislative actions to better support the military spouse and family.

1212: Educuation and GI Bill Improvements

Suggested student protections to ensure a accredited education, and improvements to the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

1213: Improving the Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reservists (MGIB-SR)
The MGIB-SR benefits have lagged behind those of active duty, requiring badly needed updates.

1214: Continuity of Health Care for Guard & Reservists in various categories

TRICARE Reserve Select is only available to Selective Reservists. Other categories are serving w/o health coverage.

1215: Examine the Cost Basis of TRICARE Retired Reserve.

Created under a faulty premise, premiums are too high for a successful health plan. The size of the risk pool and premium levels need to be re-examined to increase participation.

1216: Dental Readiness

Members in the Guard and Reserve returning from deployments are facing dental challenges. Their teeth and gums need to be restored to a dental tier 2 to enable them to maintain their readiness.

2011 POSITION PAPERS

1101: Earlier Retirement as an Incentive and as a Reserve Component Force Management Tool
Provide an even better option for RC members to receive earlier military retired pay for non-regular service of less than age 60 whereby Guardsmen and Reservists can qualify down to age 55 through added service and longevity.

1102: Service Members Law Center
Recruiting of prior service members into the Reserve Component is on the decline because service members leaving active duty fear ramification of ongoing deployments on new civilian careers. A proposal seeking public and private financial support for an ROA legal center.

1103: Continuity of Health Care: TRICARE for Reservists
Suggested improvements in TRICARE coverage to those who are separating from the Selected Reserve or recalled to active duty from retired or IRR status.

1104: Tax Credits as Incentives for Employers of Reservists
Support of employer tax credits as a means to help offset costs associated with employees’ Reserve activities.

1105: Resetting and Re-Equipping the Reserve Components
Authorize and appropriate modern equipment account that will enable the Reserve Component to meet its mission and readiness requirements for current and after overseas contingency operations.

1106: Replenish Military Construction (MILCON)
Increase funding appropriations levels for FY2011 and 2012's military construction to cover backlogged requirements.

1107: National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation
Continue the authorization and appropriate for a modern equipment account that will enable the Reserve Component to meet its mission and readiness requirements.

1108: The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA)
ROA encourages Congress to support USERRA provisions that will protect employment of the Reserve Component and encourages compliance by employers.

1109: The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
Improve SCRA provisions that will protect the financial interests of all serving members of the uniform services.

1110: Spouse Support
Enact several legislative actions to better support the military spouse and family.

1111: Post 9/11 GI Bill
Supporting further Post 9/11 GI Bill enhancements and better implementation mechanisms.

1112: Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB-SR) Selected Reserve Enhancements
Supporting Selected Reserve education reforms for all Reserve Component personnel

1113: TRR Fix - Need for a GAO Audit
The TRICARE Retired Reserve program, while implemented is based on commercial levels for TRICARE premiums. A financial review is needed.

1114: Revise Criteria for Establishing the Service Requirement for a Satisfactory Year of Service for Non-Regular Retirement
Remove the artificial requirement of actively maintaining an anniversary year throughout the course of one’s career, and align accounting year with fiscal year.