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Friday, May 09, 2008
1. Senate Panel OKs 3.9 Percent Pay Raise
Service members would receive a 3.9 percent pay raise – a half-percent more than the Bush administration asked for – under the version of the 2009 Defense Bill as marked up by the Senate Armed Services Committee on May 1.The bill still must clear the full Senate, and the House must act on its own version; the personnel subcommittee there also advocates 3.9 percent. Then, leaders from the two chambers will meet to resolve their differences before submitting a final measure to President Bush. Other personnel-related provisions of the Senate bill would:
Increase the numbers of active-duty soldiers by 7,000 to 532,400, and Marines by 5,000 to 194,000, by October 2009;
Increase Army National Guard and Reserve strength by 3,371:
Provide the Defense Department with $125 billion to cover costs of pay, allowances, bonuses, death benefits, and permanent-change-of-station moves, and
Provides $26.1 billion to the Defense Health Program.
2. Security Clearance Questionnaire Revised
Service members who apply for government security clearances can no longer automatically be turned down because they have sought help for mental and emotional health issues. In the newly revised form SF86, applicants still must disclose any mental health treatment they have received within the past seven years. But the question states, “Mental health counseling in and of itself is not a reason to revoke or deny a clearance.” The change comes as DoD leaders are encouraging combat veterans in particular to seek help if they have trouble coping with events they saw or took part in during the war on terror. “Our people deserve the best mental health care we can provide without the fear of hurting their career in the long run,” said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen. “The act of reaching out for help is one of the most courageous acts – and one of the first steps – to reclaiming your career and future,” Mullen said. To view the revised question, visit www.defenselink.mil/news/May2008/revisedquestion21.pdf.
3. OMB Urges Congress To Approve Supplemental Funding
The Defense Department will have to furlough civilian employees if Congress fails to approve a White House request for an additional $102 billion by Memorial Day to pay for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Office of Management and Budget said in a May 5 statement. The money would sustain efforts in the war on terror through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. The Bush administration submitted the request for the additional funds on May 2. While most of the $70 billion would go to DoD, the State Department and other international operations would receive $4 billion. A day after the OMB comments, Capitol Hill lawmakers informed Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that they intended to act on the request before they begin their Memorial Day recess.
4. SecDef: PTSD May Warrant Purple Heart
Combat veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may someday qualify for the Purple Heart medal. Speaking at Red River Army Depot, Texas, on May 5, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said that such recognition of PTSD is “an interesting idea.” A day earlier, Gates visited a clinic at Fort Hood, Texas, where PTSD-afflicted soldiers were undergoing holistic treatment for their condition. Presently, the Army regards PTSD as an illness rather than a condition. As such, it does not meet criteria to justify a Purple Heart.
5. AF: Unmanned Aircraft Patrols Double in a Year
The Air Force is relying increasingly on the unmanned MQ-1 Predator aircraft to conduct combat air patrols in Iraq and Afghanistan. Predators now provide more than 13,400 hours of video, with the capability of hitting enemy targets with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles – doubling the workload they carried in May 2007. The aircraft are launched by crews at CENTCOM bases in the combat theaters, and operated by other crews at bases in the U.S. The Air Force plans to expand Predator training and stand a second squadron early next year.
6. AF Announces O-3 Promotions
The Air Force released the names of the first lieutenants in the biomedical services, chaplain, judge advocate general, nurse and medical service corps who were tapped for promotion to captain this year. To view the list, visit the Air Force Personnel Center Web site at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=12322
7. TRICARE Increases Access to O’seas Urgent Care
Service members stationed overseas who need immediate urgent medical care have greater flexibility. TRICARE, the health-care program for service members, their families, and retirees, has authorized its overseas contractor, International SOS, to help service members get urgent care at its civilian facilities. Before the new policy, service members who were within 40 miles or one hour’s drive of a military treatment facility had to use that facility to receive urgent (defined as serious but not necessarily life- or limb-threatening) care. For more information, visit TRICARE’s Web site at http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/.
8. Army Announces CWO Promotions
The Army has released the names of soldiers selected for promotion to Chief Warrant Officer 3, Chief Warrant Officer 4, and Chief Warrant Officer 5 in the technician and aviation career fields. To view the lists, visit https://www.hrc.army.mil/site/Active/Headlines/WhatsNew.htm on the Army Human Resources Command Web site.
9. More Work Likely Needed on Guam
The Defense Department must make several key decisions if Guam is to absorb and accommodate the planned influx from bases in Japan of 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents by 2014 smoothly, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated in a May 1 report. The planning for the transition, now in its early stages, should take into account exactly how many troops will move to the island from Japan, the GAO report stated. Then, DoD and local Guam officials should ensure that the island’s infrastructure of roads, power grids, and waste facilities can handle the additional population. Environmental issues should be addressed as well, the report stated. The GAO stopped short of making specific recommendations, in recognition that the planning phase is still a work in progress. DoD will formally request funding for the Guam expansion in 2010.
