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HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
- Spearheaded passage of "The Reserve Bill of Rights and Vitalization Act," establishing the reserves as separate components from active forces.
- Established drill pay for inactive duty training
- Established reserve retirement pay at age 60
- Mustered a reserve officers corps of 115,000 by the outbreak of WWII
- Prevented the Army from conducting individual call-ups during the Korean Conflict that would have decimated the Reserve structure
- Led the charge to retain a threatened Coast Guard and Air Force Reserve and saved the Navy Reserve's air arm
- Protected the military member's right to vote.
- Convinced Pres. Roosevelt to allocate $1 million to pay Reservists in training
- Increased the threshold of inactive duty days from 60 to 130 over the years
- Led efforts to activate military reserves for the 1991 Gulf War and improved post-war benefits
- Ensured Annual Pay Raises for Reserve Component members
- Saved the Army Reserve from being merged with the Army National Guard
- Established the Reserve Chiefs as O-9s
- Advocated a Survivor Benefit provision whereby earned retirement pay could pass to a family member
- Ensured citizen warriors are treated fairly by the Veterans Benefits Administration
- Protected funding for critical equipment in the reserve
- Expanded and enhanced the role of the public health service
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TODAY'S TRIUMPHS:
- Attained earlier retirement for those who served after 2008
- Established Tricare Reserve Select
- Established the definitive resource on the Uniformed Serviced Employment and Reemployment Rights Act and Servicemembers' Civil Relief Act
- Protected the establishment of a National Guard and Reserve Equipment Appropriation.
- Implemented a GI Bill for the 21st Century
- Improved the Montgomery GI Bill for selected reservists
- Doubled basic allowance for housing to reserve component members called up in support of a contingency operations
- Ensured proper funding for equipment and training
- Highlighted health-care delivery gaps in coverage and continuity of care by DoD and Veterans Affairs
- Got gray-area retiree access to Tricare.
- Obtained travel reimbursements for monthly training
- Helped improve the partnerships with civilian employers
- Substantially affected outcome of The Commission on the National Guard and Reserve final report recommendations implemented by DoD
- Protected Tricare Reserve Select premiums
- Extended VA home loan program to reservists
- Established full commissary and exchange privileges for reservists
- Extended the Thrift Savings Plan to reservists
- Ensured pharmacy benefits and dental readiness for Reservists
- Educated Congress, the President and the American people through the Defense Education Forum with premier national security
- forums that have significantly affected policy.
- Instrumental in continuation of the Reserve Forces Policy Board with substantial reserve component representation.
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