Whereas, the Constitution of the United States is the foundation of the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans and the document that all officers have solemnly sworn to uphold, and
Whereas, the Constitution establishes the principles that have provided for the defense of the Nation, and under which the Nation has enjoyed a peaceful and democratic succession of leadership for more than two centuries – a success unmatched in the history of the world, and
Whereas, the Flag of the United States is the symbol of our great Nation, whose very colors represent the blood shed by the first defenders of our country to ensure continued freedom for their descendants, and
Whereas, subsequent generations of members of the uniformed services of the United States have continued to draw inspiration from the Flag in performing selfless acts of valor and sacrifice to carry on that heroic legacy, and
Whereas, for years it was against Federal law to desecrate the Flag, and
Whereas, the United States Supreme Court overturned that long-standing Federal law, and
Whereas, Congress has under consideration a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would enable the United States Congress, in concert with the President, to enact laws to prohibit desecration of the Flag of the United States, and
Whereas, such an amendment would require ratification by three-fourths of the States, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) direct its efforts to inculcating and stimulating respect and love for the Constitution and the Flag of the United States, and to promoting wider understanding of their symbolic and inspirational aspects and of the gallantry and sacrifice of generations of members of the uniformed services of the United States who have upheld the principles for which these symbols stand, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support congressional action to pass the proposed amendment so that the issue may be referred to the fifty States where the people may exercise their will, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA, through its chapters, sponsor efforts to educate America’s school children on the origin and meaning of the Flag, the importance of patriotism and proper respect for the Flag, and the protocols for its display and disposal.
Whereas, providing for the common defense, as mandated by the Constitution of the United States, requires a combat-ready armed force capable of immediate action to deter and, if necessary, decisively defeat threats to our vital national interests and security, and
Whereas, the direct attack on our homeland on September 11, 2001, requires greater response to and preparation for domestic and foreign threats, and
Whereas, the world remains a volatile and dangerous place, with threats that pose continual challenges to our international relationships, and
Whereas, the United States continues to be the leader of the free world, with the resources, including military forces, to help preserve peace and promote freedom, and
Whereas, recruiting shortfalls already have led to easing of enlistment standards, and
Whereas, today’s already overtaxed military forces are being strained even further to meet increasing mission requirements since September 11th, with significant adverse impacts on the quality of life of servicemembers and their families and with serious implications for retention and readiness, and
Whereas, service families are often left without their sponsors, adequate and timely institutional support for these families (e.g., medical, commissaries, exchanges, MWR) is critical to morale and retention, and
Whereas, current force levels have proven insufficient to meet the needs of sustained warfare and must be increased significantly to be prepared to meet any future contingency requirements, and
Whereas, aging weapon systems must be replaced with next-generation systems, and
Whereas, the defense budget continues to be at a historic low share of the national economy and projected to decline further,
Whereas, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) has stated that the defense budget needs to be at least 4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the foreseeable future, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) continue to support a strong national defense capability, with careful attention to the changing world scene and threats to United States interests and security, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA continue to encourage service in the uniformed services in the interests of ensuring a strong national defense capability, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support the CJCS recommendation of sustaining a defense budget of at least 4% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the foreseeable future and implementing defense policies that will provide for:
- A combat-ready total force – active duty, National Guard, and Reserve – that is well-trained and equipped, properly resourced, and mission-ready for sustained combat.
- Quality personnel, with the training, leadership and integrity needed to sustain a volunteer, professional career force,
- A credible deterrent force with the capability of decisively defeating any threat, foreign or domestic,
- Personnel and medical end strengths and budgets that fully recognize and support mission and readiness requirements, including critical family support and quality of life programs, and
- Medical programs and infrastructure that will enable the nation to honor the lifetime health care commitment to those who served.
Whereas, the uniformed services of the United States employ well-trained and highly skilled volunteers who are retained for careers in uniform through a combination of patriotism, equitable compensation, and service in a dynamic and respected force, and
Whereas, successful career programs must provide retirement opportunities which serve as incentives for servicemembers to complete a full career and thus generate force stability and professionalism, and
Whereas, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and victory in the Cold War have led to reduced size and structure of active, National Guard and Reserve forces, and
Whereas, budget pressures have generated a variety of proposals to modify the retirement system of the uniformed services, and
Whereas, the statutory prohibition of concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation remains for thousands of long-serving retirees, and
Whereas, the past drawdown of overall force strength, combined with continuing and ever-increasing contingency requirements at home and around the globe, has increased the stressors on the force and will make it more important than ever to retain and sustain an all-volunteer, career force of high-quality and professional active, National Guard and Reserve personnel, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) monitor
- Proposed changes to uniformed service force levels and structure; and
- Proposed changes in the retirement system to assess their potential impacts on the retirement system's utility as a force management tool and the potential impact of such changes on cur-rent and future active, Reserve, National Guard and retired members and their families; and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA direct its efforts toward
- Ensuring no changes are enacted that would jeopardize the current and future maintenance of a capable and high-quality career total force (active duty, National Guard, and Reserve);
- Ensuring such changes as may be enacted do not break previous commitments, whether they be moral or contractual, to members of the uniformed services and their families; and
- Completely eliminating the veterans’ disability compensation offset to uniformed service retired pay.
Whereas, the national debt poses a serious burden to current taxpayers and future generations, and
Whereas, pressures continue to reduce government spending, particularly in the area of so-called “entitlement” programs, and
Whereas, retirement system changes already enacted over the last three decades have generated substantial monetary savings to the government, and
Whereas, the value of uniformed services retired pay already has been depressed by years of caps on active duty pay growth, and
Whereas, various proposals aimed at curtailing “entitlement” spending have threatened to impose on retired members of the uniformed services and their survivors an even further disproportionate share of the deficit reduction burden, and
Whereas, eliminating or reducing COLAs, or applying means tests to COLAs on earned service retired pay constitutes an inequity and a breach of faith by our government which has a special employer’s responsibility to those who served an arduous career in uniform, as well as to those who still serve with the full expectation that the value of retired pay will be maintained in the future, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) support the principle of full COLAs and that the retirement system under which a servicemember serves and retires is a good faith contract, and its effective value to “each individual retired member” should not be diminished for any reason, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support efforts to ensure responsible budgets and federal spending levels while working to ensure that those who have served the United States as career members of its uniformed services are not singled out to bear a disproportionate share of the burden, and be it further
Resolved, that any changes to the inflation-based COLA process, including changes to the Con-sumer Price Index, should be based on an objective, statistically reproducible methodology, and not be subjected to arbitrary legislative mechanisms or the subjective judgments of politically appointed oversight boards.
Whereas, with enactment of TRICARE For Life (TFL) and the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy (TSRx) programs, Congress has acknowledged the Nation’s long-standing promises to provide Defense-sponsored health care for life as part of a package of incentives for those who endure the extraordinary demands and sacrifices inherent in careers in uniform, and
Whereas, uniformed services members and retirees have never equivocated when called upon to protect this Nation’s interests and have earned the access to a full range of quality health care, and
Whereas, National Guard and Reserve members are far more subject to mobilization since the end of the Cold War, and their medical readiness affects military readiness, and
Whereas, Guard and Reserve members subject to frequent mobilization need and deserve continuity of health coverage for themselves and their families, including an option for subsidized continuation of civilian-employer family coverage when mobilized, and
Whereas, military health care budgets have experienced chronic under funding for both military treatment facilities and contracted health care that significantly hampered delivery of care to eligible beneficiaries, and
Whereas, beneficiaries under 65 who rely on TRICARE Standard increasingly are experiencing difficulty in finding a civilian provider who will participate in TRICARE because of low reim-bursement rates and frustrating administrative requirements, and
Whereas, some beneficiaries eligible for TFL experience great difficulty in finding physicians who will accept Medicare assignment, and
Whereas, military members, retirees and survivors are not eligible for pre-tax payment of health care premiums, as are most civilian employees, and
Whereas, the Department of Defense has proposed large and disproportional increases in TRICARE Prime and Standard enrollment fees, deductibles and pharmacy copayments, and
Whereas, Congress has repeatedly rejected much smaller increases in fees for nondisabled veterans who served as few as two years in uniform, and
Whereas, the current statutory formula that necessitates annual legislative changes to avoid large annual cuts in provider payment rates for Medicare and TRICARE has been acknowledged by all government officials as inappropriate and counterproductive, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) support a comprehensive health care benefit for all eligible uniformed services beneficiaries – active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retirees, eligible family members, and survivors – and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA continue to press for full funding of the Defense Health Program to ensure all beneficiaries have access to military treatment facilities and contracted civilian health care services that are authorized under TRICARE, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA continue to monitor TFL, TSRx, TRICARE Plus, the Military Medicare-eligible Retiree Health Care Trust Fund, the retiree dental program, and the federal long-term care insurance plan to identify policy and statutory changes needed to ensure delivery of needed care and coverage to eligible beneficiaries, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA continue to work aggressively to promote initiatives to improve provider participation in TRICARE and Medicare by establishing a more appropriate statutory formula for determining provider reimbursement rates, speeding TRICARE claims processing and reducing administrative impediments for providers and beneficiaries, and establishing an aggressive TRICARE Standard provider education program, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA expend every effort to ensure the Department of Defense pursues all reasonable efforts to reduce military health costs before imposing fee increases on military beneficiaries, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA will seek to establish statutory acknowledgement that retirement and health benefits are the primary offset to the extraordinary demands and sacrifices inherent in a military career and that such sacrifices constitute an upfront, in-kind premium far greater than those paid by any civilian, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA shall seek to ensure that, if any fee increases are to be considered, that such increases shall not exceed increases in beneficiaries’ military compensation, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support statutory changes to authorize active and retired uniformed services taxpayers to exempt their health, dental and long-term care insurance premium payments from taxable income, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support enactment of legislation to provide permanent and more equitable cost-share access to TRICARE for National Guard and Reserve members subject to recall, including the option of government payment of civilian health insurance premiums during mobilization, as well as no-cost coverage under TRICARE during pre- and post-deployment periods.
Whereas, more than 615,000 members of the National Guard and Reserve forces have been called to active duty since September 11, 2001, and
Whereas, DoD policy requires reservists to be activated for up to 25% of their prime civilian working years, and
Whereas, DoD policy also requires the elimination of “all residual barriers – structural and cultural—for effective joint integration within the Total Force,” and
Whereas, reserve component manpower constitutes about half of the total available military manpower, and the Selected Reserve constitutes almost 40% of the total force structure available for operational missions, and
Whereas, the National Guard is “dual-hatted” with the mission of protecting and defending the Homeland at the call of state governors and is subject to mobilization for federal missions by the Commander-in-Chief or in times of war or national emergency, and
Whereas, National Guard and Reserve personnel cannot be expected to sustain high personnel and operating tempos indefinitely without adverse consequences to their civilian careers, family life, and support of their employers, and
Whereas, the reserve retirement system established in 1948 was designed to supplement a normal civilian retirement program in exchange for the unlikely event of total war, as opposed to DoD’s policy of the routine augmentation of the regular armed forces by the reserve forces, and
Whereas, an adequate compensation and benefits package, and employer support incentives are essential to maintaining recruiting, readiness and career retention in the reserve forces, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) support lowering the reserve retirement age, especially for members who have been activated or called to active duty service, and other upgrades to reserve compensation reflective of the impact of multiple, lengthy call-ups on members’ ability to build a normal civilian retirement, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support consistent and improved benefits for National Guard and Reserve personnel reflecting the increased risks and responsibilities, and sacrifices of their service and the sacrifices made by their families, including but not limited to, economic incentives for employers, improved educational benefits, and stronger financial and reemployment rights protections for these servicemembers, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support statutory changes to authorize Guard and Reserve taxpayers to exempt their dependent/child care expenses and health care and dental insurance premiums from taxable income through Flexible Spending (FSAs) and premium conversion accounts.
Whereas, Congress has enacted laws to provide for the future security of survivors of members of the uniformed services, and
Whereas, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) paid by the Veterans Administration to survivors of servicemembers who die of service-connected causes offsets, dollar for dollar, Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities paid for by retired servicemembers, and
Whereas, recent statutory establishment of a small allowance for some SBP-DIC survivors falls far short of needed corrective action, and
Whereas, DIC widows suffer discrimination in that their DIC payments are terminated if they remarry before age 57 (vs. age 55 for all other federal survivor programs), therefore be it
Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) support legislation to repeal the unfair dollar for dollar reduction of SBP benefits by DIC entitlements for all SBP-DIC survivors, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support legislation to reduce the age of non-revocable DIC eligibility to age 55, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA monitor all proposed SBP and DIC legislation and direct its efforts to ensure that such legislation as may be enacted does not break previous commitments to SBP and DIC annuitants.
Whereas, a career in the uniformed services of the United States entails extraordinary demands and sacrifices not experienced in civilian careers, including hazardous duty, frequent relocations, overseas service, protracted family separations, long duty hours without extra pay, forced retirement, mid-life career changes, inhibited spousal career opportunities, and forfeiture of many personal freedoms taken for granted by other Americans, and
Whereas, the vast majority of Americans find such demands and sacrifices unacceptable, and decline to pursue a service career, and
Whereas, the government of the United States, to help offset these unique demands and sacrifices, has found it appropriate to authorize (in addition to pay levels commensurate with those payable to private sector workers) a unique system of institutional compensation and benefits designed to attract and retain high-quality personnel for careers in uniformed service despite the arduous service conditions, and
Whereas, this system includes, among others, such elements as retirement; medical care; commissaries and exchanges; morale, welfare and recreation activities; other traditional family support and quality of life programs; and disability and survivor benefits, and
Whereas, the uniformed services, at the direction of the Legislative and Executive Branches, have advertised the positive aspects of this institutional compensation and benefits package, orally and in writing, to prospective entrants and careerists for decades as an inducement to career service, and
Whereas, the level of sacrifice experienced by servicemembers and their families has only in-creased as smaller remaining forces strain to fulfill increasing mission requirements, both at home and abroad, therefore be it
Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) support legislation to progressively eliminate the current accumulated military pay raise shortfall and, over the long term, provide annual uniformed service pay raises at least comparable to the average American’s and provide allowances (e.g., housing, subsistence, permanent change of station, cost of living) sufficient to offset the expenses they are intended to reimburse, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA monitor proposed changes in compensation and benefits for members of the uniformed services to assess their potential impacts on long-term service accession and retention needs, the extent to which they comply with previous government commitments to current members of the uniformed services, and recognition of the unique conditions of military service, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA direct its efforts to ensuring:
- No changes are enacted that would jeopardize the maintenance of a capable, high-quality and combat-ready career force, and
- Such changes as may be enacted do not break previous commitments, or implied or moral contracts, to active, National Guard, Reserve and retired personnel and their families and survivors, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support statutory changes to authorize active duty and selected reserve taxpayers to exempt their dependent/child care expenses and health care and dental insurance premiums from taxable income through Flexible Spending (FSAs) and premium conversion accounts.
Whereas, Congress established a system to ensure priority access to VA health care for honorably separated or retired veterans who meet criteria for enrollment according to their service-connected disabilities, income level, or other conditions set in law, and
Whereas, the VA operates the nation’s largest integrated health care system with 153 hospitals, 731 community-based outpatient clinics, and 209 veteran centers; conducts research on veterans' health; provides clinical experience to more than half the physicians trained in the U.S.; and is the backup to DoD for the treatment of wartime casualties, and
Whereas, the VA provides a full-range of preventive, wellness, diagnostic and treatment services, as well as pharmaceuticals to all enrolled veterans, in addition to treatment for service-connected disabilities, and
Whereas, seven million veterans are enrolled in the VA health care system – including almost one million military retirees – and are assigned an enrollment priority according to their rated disability, income and other criteria defined in law, and
Whereas, the VA’s capacity to secure funding and deliver care has consistently fallen far short of the demand for care among eligible veterans, leading to unacceptably long waiting times for care in recent years, and
Whereas, DoD and DVA have extensive TRICARE sharing agreements and "joint ventures" to promote collaboration and efficiencies between the two systems, and
Whereas, it is the longstanding position of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) that the DoD and VA health care systems have distinct missions and objectives and both are needed to meet the needs of the uniformed services’ and veterans’ communities, and
Whereas, veterans are eligible for VA disability compensation, education benefits, vocational training, VA home loans, military funeral honors, survivor benefits, veterans group life insurance, and
Whereas, the VA continues to experience an unacceptably large backlog of veterans’ disability claims, and
Whereas, there are insufficient numbers of highly trained claims workers and highly trained benefits case workers to replace senior workers expected to retire, and
Whereas, the value of the Montgomery Bill (MGIB) still lags well behind actual education costs, and
Whereas, the separation of active duty and Reserve MGIB authorities under different statutes, under the purview of different committees, has contributed to stagnation of Reserve benefit levels despite significant increases in active duty MGIB benefits, and
Whereas, many career servicemembers do not have access to the MGIB, therefore be it
Resolved, that MOAA support protection of military retirees’ entitlement to TRICARE benefits and eligibility for care from the VA health care system, without being forced to choose between them, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support enrollment eligibility rules as set out in public law, with priority access for disabled and indigent veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former POWs, and veterans exposed to toxic substances, until funding is provided and reasonable access standards can be met for all other enrolled veterans, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA oppose consolidation of the DoD and VA health care systems into a single system, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA promote “seamless transition” and encourage more joint planning, data and equipment sharing, cost-sharing and research between the DoD and VA health care systems as measured by enhanced access to high-quality care for eligible beneficiaries, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support resource increases to support VA polytrauma centers, care for mental illness and PTSD, and long term care, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support initiatives to upgrade the veterans' claims processing system, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support enactment of a “total force” MGIB that matches benefits to service performed, ties rates to the average cost of a four-year public college education and offers a MGIB enrollment option for career servicemembers who declined to enroll in ‘VEAP’; consolidation of all MGIB programs under title 38, with benefits proportional to service; and extension of an option to enroll in the MGIB to active duty members who have no educational benefits, and be it further
Resolved, that MOAA support codification of the rules governing interment in Arlington National Cemetery, including eligibility for “gray area” reserve retirees and reservists who die dur-ing inactive duty training.
Whereas, large numbers of older Americans have come to depend on Medicare and Social Security as old-age insurance programs for which they have paid decades of payroll taxes and premiums in good faith, and
Whereas, the bankruptcy of either or both of these programs would be so devastating to older Americans that it cannot be allowed to occur, and
Whereas, an audit of the Medicare program by the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services indicated that Medicare loses billions of dollars per year due to fraud, waste and abuse, and
Whereas, news accounts of the future financial viability of the Social Security and Medicare programs often portray the situation as one which will require either disproportionate benefit reductions or disproportionate tax increases for future generations, and
Whereas, members of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) have parents, children and grandchildren and want to protect the interests of all of those groups in the fairest possible manner, and
Whereas, Medicare and Social Security changes have significant implications for uniformed services health care, retirement, and other programs, therefore be it
Resolved, that MOAA consider it essential that any restructuring of Medicare and Social Secu