Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel Hearing
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The Active, Guard, Reserve, and civilian personnel programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2015 and the Future Years Defense Program.
Chairperson Gillibrand, Ranking Member Graham, and Distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, the
We also appreciate the creation by
We endorse the recommendations contained in the statement submitted by
Executive Summary
We ask
Let the
As you evaluate the proposals submitted by DoD, we ask you to consider the cumulative impact on military families' purchasing power and financial well-being, as well as their effects on the morale and readiness of the all volunteer force now and in the future. We ask you to:
* reject budget proposals that threaten military family financial well-being as a way to save money for the government.
* keep military pay commensurate with service and aligned with private sector wages.
* oppose shifting health care costs to active duty family members. We especially ask you to oppose any
* protect the 30 percent savings military families receive when shopping at the commissary by continuing the annual appropriation to support the system at its current level. Commissaries are part of compensation and provide important savings for military families.
* ask DoD how the reduction in BAH payments will impact the contracts that have been negotiated with the privatized housing contractors. Will this result in fewer services, reduced maintenance or families paying over and above their BAH for their privatized housing?
We especially ask
We have addressed the immediate and long term impacts of the proposed FY15 budget on military families. Our Association also asks
* Provide oversight to ensure DoD and the individual Services are supporting families of all components by meeting the standards for deployment support, reintegration, financial readiness, and family health in
* Join with DoD to help civilian communities realize their role in supporting service members and families is ongoing, even as service members transition to veteran status.
* Continue funding the Yellow Ribbon program and stress the need for greater coordination of resources supporting Reserve Component families.
* Ensure families of all seven Uniformed Services have timely access to high quality, affordable health care and a robust
* Instruct DoD to ensure future
* Ensure military families' access to the medical and non-medical counseling they need to recover from the stress of long years of war.
* Ensure TRICARE makes the process for accessing specialty care more flexible and streamlined to address the unique aspects of military life without having families pay more out-of-pocket.
* Instruct TRICARE to enhance the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) program's utility to military families by ensuring it covers the products and services families need. Extend ECHO eligibility for one year following separation to provide more time for families to obtain services in their communities or through employer-sponsored insurance.
* Continue funding DoD's Spouse Education & Career Opportunities (SECO) programs. Make military spouse preferences and hiring authorities non-discretionary. Expand outreach and eligibility for the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) to spouses of all of the Uniformed Services to facilitate better utilization and access.
* Ensure adequate funding for military child care programs, including child care fee assistance programs.
* Ensure appropriate and timely funding of Impact Aid through the
* Continue to authorize DoD Impact Aid for schools educating large numbers of military children and restore full funding to
* Help families in crisis by funding ongoing tracking of military family suicides. Ensure Family Advocacy programs are funded and resourced appropriately to help families heal and aid in the prevention of child and domestic abuse.
* Correct inequities in Survivor benefits by eliminating the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP); allowing payment of the SBP annuity into a
* Ensure better cooperation and accountability between DoD and the
* Exempt the Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of
* Encourage DoD and the VA to develop a solution to continue in vitro fertilization (IVF) coverag for veterans and military retirees facing service connected infertility.
* Require DoD and VA to regularly assess the unmet needs of caregivers and develop programs address their evolving requirements.
Keeping the
America's all volunteer force is the most capable fighting force in the world. Over more than a decade of war, service members and their families have heroically answered our nation's call to serve. Their sacrifice - of life, limb, and family -- is offered selflessly, trusting in the steadfastness of our government to provide for their readiness and the needs of their families.Many military families feel their sacrifices go unnoticed by civilian society, which is consumed with domestic concerns such as the economy and unemployment. Military families share those concerns. But they also feel the Nation is forgetting the price they alone have paid in 13 long years of war.
Trust in government is essential to the long term viability of the all volunteer force. That trust is reinforced through the predictability, efficiency and fairness of compensation and benefits. Since 2006, throughout the wars in
Moreover, the Administration's proposals to cut pay increases, reduce housing allowances, eliminate commissary savings, and increase health care costs pose significant risk to the financial well-being of military families.
The forthcoming report of the
"The all-volunteer force is comprised of people who trust -- they trust that we will treat them with dignity, respect, and due regard for their overall well-being. This trust is priceless. This trust puts in place the greatest weapons system we can provide the sailors of the
The Administration Budget Proposal: A Disaster for Military Family Pocketbooks
The Administration's budget proposal has only added to the growing sense of frustration in the military community. Military families are financially savvy. They are doing the math and feel they are shouldering the burden for balancing the budget when they've shouldered the entire burden of the last 13 years of war.
Pay Raise
For the second year in a row, the Administration is proposing a pay increase of only 1 percent, below the level of private sector wage increases. The Employment Cost Index (ECI) was chosen as the standard for active duty pay raises in order to recruit and retain the quality of service members needed to sustain the all-volunteer force. What's changed?
We ask
Basic Allowance for Housing
Under the Administration proposal, service members will receive 95 percent of the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for their rank and location resulting in greater out of pocket housing costs. This "slowed growth" of the BAH will affect families whether they rent or own their own home. We appreciate the lower BAH will not affect a military family until their next duty assignment, but are concerned about the long-term impact on families' ability to find and pay for appropriate housing.
BAH is paid at a with-dependent or without-dependent rate and varies based on the service member's rank and the rental and utility costs for housing within a reasonable commuting distance of where the service member is assigned.
What will be the effects of lower BAH rates on privatized housing? Right now, the rent for privatized housing is tied to the BAH rate for each rank. Privatized housing has been a good deal for the government and for military families. If the amount paid to the contractors is reduced, what will that mean in terms of maintenance and renovation down the road? Would military families be responsible to pay the difference between rent and BAH?
Please ask the
Commissaries
Our Association believes that the 30 percent savings available to military families who regularly shop at the commissary is an important part of compensation. Re-engineering the way the commissary does business by reducing the appropriation and thus raising prices wreaks havoc with a system that has been recognized as a model of efficiency. In 2011, the commissary saved customers more than
Military families appreciate that efficiencies must be found, especially to preserve readiness. However, the commissary is not just a quality of life program that can be downsized. It, too, is intended "to support military readiness, recruitment, and retention" (10 U.S.C. [Sec.]2481). While other readiness programs have had to grow in cost to support growing numbers of service members and patrons, the government contribution for the commissary has stayed relatively level.
DoD proposes commissaries take on a business model closer to that used by the exchanges. The exchanges operate on a for-profit model that allows them to set prices above cost, currently prohibited by law to the commissary. Furthermore, the exchanges and commissaries carry few of the same products and serve entirely different purposes. Profits from the exchange are used for operations and help fund Morale,
Out of all of the cuts in the FY15 budget proposal, many families tell us the reduction in commissary savings is what will prove most detrimental to their financial well-being. Even with the 10 percent savings proposed by DoD, a family of four that shops regularly at the commissary would lose at least
I think it's personally ridiculous that we're going to go after something that saves some... young lance corporal,...
Military families tell us they rely heavily on the commissary savings and appreciate the good deal they get. Some tell us they don't use the commissary often due to distance, unfamiliarity, or inconvenience and they may not realize the overall savings they can achieve. For service members who qualify for the
Anyone who says the commissary is unnecessary has never tried raising a family on
Senior leaders tell us they will not close commissary stores as part of this proposal. But when military families lose their savings at the commissary, they will stop shopping there. Fewer patrons will reduce the ability of the commissary system to leverage economies of scale - the revenues generated at the larger commissaries such as
Protect commissary savings by continuing the annual appropriation to support the system at its current level. Commissaries are part of compensation and provide important savings for military families.
Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan
Our Association opposes shifting health care costs to active duty family members. We are particularly troubled the Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan proposal does not spread these costs evenly among all beneficiaries. Rather, the additional out of pocket expenses will be concentrated among those who cannot receive care at a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) and special needs families who require extensive specialty care. Even though the Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan proposal suggests the impact on families will be modest, we believe the proposed plan will have a significant negative impact on those populations mentioned above. We also firmly oppose any policy that will create a barrier to military families' access to behavioral health care. The Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan raises many unanswered questions and significant concerns that it will ultimately result in diminished access to care for military families.
The Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan proposed in the FY15 budget would eliminate the current
Active Duty Family Member Outpatient Cost Sharing for Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan effective
MTF Co-Pays TRICARE Network Co-Pays Out-of-Network Cost Sharea
Services E4 & below E5 & Above E4 & below E5 & Above All ADFMsb
Clinical Preventative Services
Primary Care Visit
Specialty Care Visitc
Emergency Dept
Ambulance
Ambulatory Surgery
a. Out of Network Cost Share = Percentage of
b. ADFM = Active Duty Family Members
c. Specialty Care Visits include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral health
d. Cost sharing is higher for retirees and their families
e. Service members will still pay no out-of-pocket costs deductible is met ealth
Currently, the 79 percent of active duty family members enrolled in Prime n4 pay no cost shares for treatment received at an MTF or from civilian providers in the
The current TRICARE Prime referral and authorization process can be cumbersome and sometimes prevents timely access to specialty care. While we appreciate that the Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan proposal provides beneficiaries with open access to providers of specialty care, we are concerned cost will become the new barrier to accessing health care. Proposed cost shares are the lowest in MTFs, higher in the network, and highest out of network. While we understand this cost structure is designed to encourage use of military clinics and hospitals, thereby improving efficiency of the
Some service members, for instance those in recruiting positions, are stationed far from the nearest MTF. Others are at installations where the MTF is at capacity and family members are routinely referred to the network for most or all of their care. Still other military families are at installations with limited direct care resources. For instance, when the
DHA has characterized the proposed cost shares as modest. However, the relatively low "per family" dollar impact the DHA presents n6 is an average assuming cost shares are spread evenly across the beneficiary population. In reality, costs shares will be borne disproportionately by families without MTF access, those who need specialty care, and those with special needs family members. We fear that, for these families, co-pays will become a barrier to accessing necessary medical care.
While cost shares will disproportionately impact all families without MTF access, junior enlisted families will be particularly vulnerable. With their relatively lower incomes, cost shares ranging from
Due to their greater requirements for specialty care, the Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan will also have a pronounced effect on special needs families. Many special needs families require medical care that is not typically delivered at MTFs. While special needs families enrolled in TRICARE Prime can now seek specialty care in the network at no cost, the new proposal will result in cost shares for each network appointment. Given the number of specialty appointments many of these families require, we fully expect their expenses to reach the catastrophic cap:
Our Association finds the behavioral health care co-pays in the Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan absolutely unacceptable. Network behavioral health appointments are treated the same as any other specialty care with co-pays of
Recognizing that 13 years of war has taken a toll on our community,
Our Association believes it is imperative that behavioral health care, whether it is delivered in the Military Treatment Facility (MTF) or in the network, continues with no out of pocket costs for active duty military families.
The Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan is designed to increase demand for MTF health care. We are concerned about how this increased demand will be managed. How will active duty families be prioritized within the MTF? Will they face longer waits for appointments? Will acute care be available when needed? We fear military families' access to care will be hampered by the increased demands placed on the MTFs.
In addition to the concerns outlined above, our Association has many unanswered questions about the proposed TRICARE Consolidated Health Plan and its potential impact on military families, including: * What modifications will be needed to the current TRICARE Managed Care Support Contracts to implement these changes? Will there be changes in requirements for the contractors to build and maintain networks and to keep accurate listings of which providers are in the network?
* What resources will remain in place for the management of complex illnesses or conditions where coordinated care is needed? Where will that responsibility reside, with the MTF or the
* Will military retirees and their family members with
* Will there be changes in how network maternity care will be reimbursed? Maternity is generally a bundled benefit with different cost sharing. For example, instead of paying a co-pay for each doctor's visit, the doctor accepts a flat amount, regardless of the number of visits and the mom pays a percentage of the fee. Also, maternity hospitalization has a different rate for mom and then for baby, generally less than traditional hospitalization. How will this be handled?
* What will be the cost to the Services/MTFs to create systems to process co-payments by retirees and their families?
* How much savings will the Consolidated TRICARE Health Plan provide to DoD?
Transition Challenges During Downsizing
Downsizing of the force has already begun as a result of sequestration. The FY15 budget calls for a greater decrease especially in the
A national debate is needed now on how veterans' families will be supported once they leave the safety net of support they had while the service member was on active duty. What can the VA do to help families as well as veterans ease into civilian life and recover from multiple wartime deployments? What help will communities need to support these families?
A Holistic Approach Is Needed
We firmly believe the Administration's FY15 budget proposal did not consider the cumulative effects of a reduced pay raise combined with lower BAH payments, loss of commissary savings, and possible out-of-pocket health care costs on the purchasing power of service members and their families. This budget proposal would reduce cash in a service member's pocket!
We ask
Let the
Sequestration: An Ongoing Threat to Family Readiness
The effects of sequestration have already resulted in cuts to benefits and programs that military families have come to rely on. Much of the funding for these programs is embedded in the Service Operations and Maintenance Accounts, which have been the hardest-hit by sequestration. Understanding what is affected by sequestration has been confusing for families. Our Association used social media to help military families tell truth from fiction and to keep them up to date on how sequestration would affect them. Our families used social media to voice their frustration about sequestration's effects on their service members' ability to do their jobs and on the damage caused to the military community n8. Military families were impacted by sequestration with cuts to services and the threat of closure of DoD schools when civilian workers were furloughed and hiring was frozen. Sequestration limited the availability of health care appointments because furloughs of civilian medical staff resulted in reduced hours of operation at military hospitals and clinics. Military families reported longer wait times for appointments and delays in obtaining treatment. Some were told to go to the emergency room for acute care that would normally be handled at the MTF.
When we speak to military families about sequestration, one of their major areas of concern is child care. Service members who rely on installation child care centers worry centers will reduce their operating hours or turn more families away. Families who use the fee assistance program wonder if those funds will still be available. We have already heard from families that child care respite programs for families of deployed service members are being phased out. Other locations have curtailed or eliminated hourly or drop-in care. Losing these services is a particular hardship to families overseas or in remote locations, who may have few child care alternatives.
Impact Aid was one of the first casualties of sequestration cuts, because unlike other education programs, Impact Aid is current-year funded. Over the course of the past year, we heard reports from school districts facing significant funding cuts due to sequestration. For example, the
While the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 provided some relief, we know that with future cuts required down the road, military families will continue to see cuts and threats to the programs and resources they require for readiness.
We ask
Keeping Military Families Ready: What do Military Families Require?
We have addressed the immediate and long-term impacts of the proposed FY15 budget on military families. But we ask you not to forget that military families depend on a variety of programs and resources that must be sustained and, in some cases, improved.
The
Our Association believes full implementation of
Deployment and Reintegration Support
Military families have been living a revolving door existence since the beginning of the wars in
Despite the drawdown in the
"With guys doing multiple deployments, they're getting a tough 9 to 10 deployments over a 12-year period, the impact on families is going to be noticeable. Anything that can cut down and make the deployments less vigorous in terms of operation tempo is going to be a better thing". Rear Admiral
Reintegration programs, along with deployment support, are key ingredients in the family's success. Our Association believes we need to focus on treating the whole family with programs offering readjustment information; education on identifying stress, substance abuse, suicide, and traumatic brain injury; and encouragement to seek assistance when having financial, relationship, legal, and occupational difficulties. DoDI 1342.22 calls for this support to promote positive adjustment to deployment, family separation, and family reunion.
Successful reintegration programs will require attention over the long term, as well as a strong partnership at all levels between the various mental health arms of DoD, VA, and state agencies. DoD and VA need to provide family and individual counseling to address these unique issues. Opportunities for the entire family and for the couple to reconnect and bond must also be provided. Our Association has recognized this need and established family retreats in National Parks under our Operation Purple[TM] program, promoting family reintegration following deployment.
During the past 13 years of war, our Nation has relied on the services of the
We have been in touch with the staff of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) and are pleased they have developed a way ahead for the Yellow Ribbon program as a best practice for continued Reserve Component family readiness. The Reserve Components will continue, for the foreseeable future, to execute operational missions globally in response to our nation's security needs. As the operating environment evolves, YRRP will be there to provide vital information and resources to Service members and families throughout and beyond deployment periods. It will remain an enduring component of unit and individual readiness and reintegration challenges. More about the program and the resources can be found at www.yellowribbon.mil. Additionally, the YRRP has been working with
Provide oversight to ensure the
Continue funding the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) and stress the need for greater coordination of resources supporting Reserve Component families.
Support for Transitioning Families
Transitioning due to downsizing affects the whole family. In addition to the transition assistance program available to service members, resources need to be identified that is pertinent to the family members that would also be transitioning. Training on issues like health care coverage for dependents including information on the Affordable Care Act, how to find community resources to replace DoD programs and general inclusion of the military spouses role in the long term care of the family as a whole aren't really covered in the transition classes.
We are developing a transition program specific to spouses. We will highlight the programs available through the DoD and develop a framework of best practices for family transition. Military spouses are a critical component in familial stability, often leading issues in health care and finances in the home. Their role in transition is equally critical to the success of the entire family in the move to civilian life.
Expand the opportunity for spouses to attend transition classes with service members. Through other military information portals tailor other information to address family transition issues.
We encourage
Military Health Care
Affordable and timely access to health care is important to all families, but it is vital for military families. Repeated deployments, caring for the wounded, ill, and injured, the stress and uncertainty of military life, and the ability to maintain family readiness, demand quality, and readily available health care. A robust and reliable health care benefit allows families to focus on managing the many challenges associated with military life versus worrying about how they are going to access and pay for essential health care. Any changes to the military health care benefit must recognize the unique conditions of service and the extraordinary sacrifices demanded of service members and their families.
Likewise, the health care costs associated with wartime operations or the care of wounded, ill, and injured service members should not be included as part of the cost of providing a health care benefit to the children, spouses, and surviving family members of service members and retirees. Our Association believes DoD, in its statements about the rising costs of the military health care benefit, has not effectively differentiated health care readiness costs from the costs of providing the earned health care benefit. This failure, we believe, puts both the readiness function and access to care for family members and retirees at risk.
The military health care system--because of its dual readiness and benefit provision missions--does not function like civilian plans. The
Access to care is also impacted by
Ensure families of all seven Uniformed Services have timely access to high quality, affordable health care and a robust
In the past year, military families have faced several reimbursement policy decisions that made
* Changes to the referral and authorization requirements for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) created significant barriers to military families accessing this therapy. These changes were later reversed for the TRICARE Basic and Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) Demonstration programs and were applied only to the ABA Pilot.
* Compound prescription coverage changes. In June,
* Laboratory Developed Tests coverage denials. In January, 2013,
Reimbursement denials for diagnostic genetic tests have significant implications for military families. An active duty
Arbitrary reimbursement policy changes create confusion and uncertainty among military families. We request that DoD ensure future policy changes are thoroughly analyzed before being implemented. The impact on beneficiary access to the medical standard of care should be a top consideration. Should reimbursement policy changes be made, we request that
The
We remain especially concerned about access to care for
Pay a stipend to a mobilized
We appreciate the inclusion in the FY13 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for a report to comprehensively review
Research validates the high level of stress and mental strain military families are experiencing.
* A recent study published by the
* Another study, Wartime Military Deployment and Increased Pediatric Mental and Behavioral Health Complaints, found an 11 percent increase in outpatient behavioral health visits for military children from the ages of 3-8 during 2006-2007. Researchers found an 18 percent increase in pediatric behavioral health visits and a 19 percent increase in stress disorders when a parent was deployed. n13
* Additional research found an increase in mental health care use by spouses during their service members' deployments. A study of
* In the research they conducted for our Association, RAND found military children reported higher anxiety signs and symptoms than their civilian counterparts. Our research also found the mental health of the caregiver directly affects the overall well-being of the children. n15 Therefore, we need to treat family members as a unit as well as individuals.
The body of research focusing on the increased levels of anxiety and utilization of mental health services causes our Association concern about the overall shortage of mental health providers in
It is also critical that
Families tell us they appreciate the access to non-medical counseling through Military OneSource and the Military Family Life Counselors (MFLC). DoD implemented these resources to help service members and their families access counselors where they work and where they live with a certain degree of anonymity. MFLCs have also been used effectively in training local educators on techniques to help their military students cope with deployment and in supporting
It is a moral imperative to provide military service members and their families with the help they need after years of enduring repeated combat deployments and to meet the challenges of the future.
Ensure military families' access to the medical and non-medical counseling they need to recover from the stress of long years of war.
Access to Health Care for Military Special Needs Families
Caring for a special needs family member can be difficult and draining for any family. However, the impact for military families is magnified by the unique challenges associated with military service. Frequent geographic relocations are a fact of life for military families. A geographic relocation will, by definition, disrupt the continuity of care that is so important in managing complex medical conditions. After every move, special needs military families must begin a lengthy cycle of referrals, authorizations and waitlists at each new duty station, resulting in repeated gaps in care. A nationwide shortage in pediatric specialists means even when families have successfully navigated the authorization and referral process at their new location, they may face a delay of weeks or even months before treatment can restart. Military families fear these repeated treatment delays have a cumulative and permanent negative effect on their special needs family members.
It is frustrating for military parents to know these treatment delays could be mitigated if the process for accessing specialty care were more flexible and streamlined to address the unique aspects of military life. Unfortunately,
For special needs military families, frequent relocation presents another obstacle: the inability to qualify for services through
This reality was reflected in
When families do manage to navigate the process of applying for benefits through ECHO, they often find that it does not pay for the products and services they actually need. For example, many families need larger than normal diapers for their disabled children. ECHO deems this a convenience item and will not pay for it, although incontinence supplies are regularly paid for by state
Another service much in demand by families is respite care. For families with special needs children, the time away afforded by respite care is vital. Access to quality respite care allows families to run errands, spend time with other children, and simply recharge. Studies even show that parents of special needs children have healthier marriages when they are able to access regular respite care. Thus, access to respite care can be seen as an important element in military family readiness. Respite care is ostensibly available through the ECHO program, but
Our Association has suggested a DoD pilot study to identify what products and services special needs families need to enhance their quality of life. We recommend that families in the pilot receive
The transition out of the military and into civilian life is difficult for many families but especially so for special needs families, who immediately lose access to ECHO benefits. Families may still face long waits before being eligible for care through
We ask
Additional Support for Special Needs Families
The main vehicle through which DoD provides support to special needs military families is the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP). The EFMP is intended to perform three interrelated functions: identify and enroll eligible family members; coordinate the assignment process to ensure special needs families are not sent to locations that lack adequate resources; and provide families with information about and referral to local resources.
To be successful, the EFMP requires smooth communication and coordination. The offices responsible for assigning families to new duty locations must work with installation medical personnel and service providers to ensure that families are assigned appropriately. EFMP personnel at sending and receiving installations must coordinate to make sure that families receive information about programs available at the new installation to avoid interruption in services and ensure a smooth transition. Too often, however, this communication does not occur. In the worst case scenario, families may find themselves assigned to locations without appropriate medical or educational services for their special needs family member. Other families tell us about delays in receiving services at their new installations because of a lack of communication between EFMP Coordinators at the old and new locations.
This problem is exacerbated when families move to an installation operated by a different Service. Currently communication and coordination among the different Services' medical, personnel, and family support components is extremely limited. This lack of coordination adds to the stress of families who are already coping with the difficulty of moving with a special needs family member. Families need the reassurance that they will have continuity of care and a warm hand-off as they move from installation to installation.
We ask the
Financial Readiness
While military families are shown to have better financial literacy rates than their civilian counterparts, their military commitments often make it difficult to grow their investments over the long term. n16 Frequent moves and deployments can be a barrier to home ownership or force families in and out of lease agreements. Spouses have reduced earning power, yet many military families are paying on one or more student loans. Frequent moves make spouses ineligible for public service loan forgiveness programs.
Some elements of the military compensation package are meant to take the sting out of those losses. However, as sequestration continues and budgets are cut, military families will face more and more disadvantages compared to their civilian counterparts. We ask
Support for Spouse Education and Employment
Every time a permanent change of station (PCS) occurs, a working military spouse, or one who would like to be employed, has to start from scratch. Lack of longevity in any one location or job position negatively affects career trajectory and earning power. Frequent moves disrupt educational goals. State licensing requirements and industry tenure restrict employment opportunities for military spouses. Military spouse unemployment or underemployment affects the total earning power of the military family. The First Lady and Dr. Biden initiated Joining Forces in 2011 to help address these issues, and we have seen progress, but military spouses continue to face significantly lower earnings, higher unemployment and underemployment than their civilian counterparts. n17
DoD has realized spouse education and employment opportunities are linked. DoD provides the Spouse Education & Career Opportunities (SECO) program, which oversees the
We ask
Military spouse preferences and non-competitive hiring authority for military spouses have been expanded over the years, but implementation is onerous and complex. The process for using these options must be simplified for the job seeker and non-discretionary for the hiring agency in order to serve the purpose intended; aiding military spouses seeking federal employment.
We ask
Since 2004, our Association has been fortunate to sponsor our Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program. Of particular interest, of nearly 7,000 applicants from our 2013 scholarship applicant pool, more than 50 percent were not eligible for the MyCAA program because of rank or service ineligibility. We ask
We ask
Quality, Affordable Child Care
Media reports about military compensation often refer to subsidized child care as one of many "benefits" provided to military families. To our Association, this view is a mischaracterization of the role and importance of child care to the military and military families. Access to quality, affordable child care is not just a "nice-to-have" part of a benefit package. Rather, it is central to service member and family readiness.
More than 40 percent of service members have children, and the largest cohort of military children is under age five. n19 Service members face the same challenges as all working parents. If child care arrangements fall through or the babysitter gets sick, a parent may find himself forced to miss work. When the parent who must miss work is in the military, his or her absence may threaten the readiness of an entire unit.
Quality child care is also essential to military family financial stability. Like most families, many military families rely on having two paychecks in order to make ends meet. However, military spouses face many barriers to employment, including distance from extended family who might otherwise be available to assist with child care. Quality, accessible child care is inextricably linked to spouse employment and thus to military family financial readiness.
We appreciate that
While installation CDCs are the preferred option for many families, they are not always a viable choice, either because of long waiting lists or because the family lives far from the installation. However, particularly in high cost areas, quality child care is often unaffordable for military families. Recognizing this need, DoD established a program to provide fee assistance to families without access to on installation child care centers. This program, operated through a partnership with Child Care Aware, has proven to be popular with families and an effective means of ensuring that families can afford quality care. Because this partnership has been so successful, we are concerned about the
Ensure adequate funding for military child care programs, including child care fee assistance programs.
Support for Military Children
The military lifestyle includes inevitable challenges for children, who must cope with repeated moves and frequent separation from their service member parent. Parents worry about the effect of these disruptions on their children's emotional well-being and academic achievement. Ensuring that military children receive a quality education as well as emotional support is both a moral imperative for our Nation and essential to military family retention and readiness.
Education of Military Children
The task of educating military-connected children falls largely to the Nation's local public schools, where more than three-quarters of school-aged military children are enrolled.
Although most communities welcome military children and families, the fact remains that an influx of children connected to a military installation presents increased costs to a school district. At the same time, the presence of a military installation or other federal property in a school district reduces its tax base and thus its available funding level. Most school districts receive the majority of their operating funds through local property taxes. Since federal land--including military installations--is not subject to local property tax, school districts with large numbers of military connected children often have few sources of revenue.
We also note for the third year in a row the Administration has proposed the elimination of the Impact Aid category covering federal properties. Eliminating this funding would affect more than 50 military-impacted school districts in 19 states. We thank
While we understand this Committee does not have jurisdiction over this program, we ask you to work with your colleagues to ensure appropriate and timely funding of Impact Aid through DoEd and restore funds to the Impact Aid federal properties program as essential to meeting the needs of military families,
We strongly urge
We appreciate the inclusion of
Continue to authorize
In 2007, the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act established a grant program to directly support public schools educating large numbers of military-connected children. These grants, which are managed by the
Restore funding for the
More than 80,000 military children in grades pre-K through 12 are enrolled in schools operated by the DoDEA. The agency operates schools both at overseas locations and at 15 installations in
In late 2013, DoD announced the launch of the CONUS Education Options Assessment (CEOA), which will analyze the operations of the
Restore full funding to
Military Families in Crisis
Even though the war in
Suicide
Earlier this year, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) released a report outlining an approach for tracking military family member suicides. The report, Suicide and Military Families: A Report on the Feasibility of Tracking Deaths by Suicide among Military Family Members, was requested by the
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect, and Domestic Violence
Research commissioned by our Association n20 and others during the past decade documents the toll of multiple deployments on children and families, the difficulties many families face on the service member's return, and the added strain a service member's physical and invisible wounds can place on a family. These stressors put military families at risk for marital/relationship problems and compromised parenting that must be addressed with preventative programs.
Current research validates families will experience the effects of war long after deployments end. A recent study highlighted parenting challenges fathers face following deployment. The study found that while deployment is a time of great stress for families, the need for support and a strong community continues during the extended period of reintegration after the service member returns. This need is particularly pronounced when the returning service member is father to a young child, and he faces the core challenge of reconnecting with a child who has undergone significant developmental changes while he was away. n21 A 2013 research brief issued by Child Trends, Home Front Alert: The Risks Facing Young Children in Military Families, n22 concluded many children negatively impacted by a parent's repeated combat deployments will continue to have exceptional needs as they grow older.
As the war winds down in
We are encouraged that the Family Advocacy Program, a congressionally mandated DoD program designed to prevent and respond to child abuse/neglect and domestic abuse in military families, has redoubled its focus on prevention programs. Their efforts to repair relationships and strengthen family function will be essential.
We thank
We encourage
Military Sexual Trauma
Our Association appreciates the legislation included in the FY13 NDAA concerning Military Sexual Trauma (MST) and the further legislation that was passed this year. We believe these changes will enhance trust in the system among both victims and their loved ones. However, we feel the impact of MST on both the families of victims and perpetrators has been overlooked.
Our research indicates civilian organizations supporting sexual assault survivors recognize both the importance of family support for the victim and the difficulties family members face following their loved one's assault. Some of these civilian resources offer guidance on how to help the sexual assault survivor through the recovery process. They also provide tips to help family members cope with their own emotions, including shock, anger, sadness, anxiety and fear, so they are better equipped to help the sexual assault victim. Perpetrators' families are not addressed by these resources or any others we could find. They could also be invisible victims.
It appears there are limited resources specific to MST victims' families. Although the DoD Safe Helpline website (operated by RAINN - Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), has a section called What to Do if You or Someone You Know has been Sexually Assaulted, we feel more needs to be done to support family members of MST victims and perpetrators.
We request DoD conduct a needs assessment among family members of MST victims to determine the ways in which they are struggling to support their service members and deal with their own emotions. Together with an environmental scan to determine currently available resources, this will provide a foundation for developing a family support strategy. Directing MST victims' families to existing civilian resources may be part of the solution.
We encourage those supporting victims of sexual assault to remember to share resources and support with the families of the victims and the families of the perpetrators.
Survivors
The Services continue to improve their outreach to surviving families. We appreciate the special consideration, sensitivity, and outreach to the families whose service members have committed suicide. We do have some concerns about the effect federal civilian employee downsizing or hiring freezes will have on programs when certain expectations for survivors have been established. DoD and the VA must work together to ensure surviving spouses and their children can receive the mental health services they need.
Our Association still believes the benefit change that will provide the most significant long-term advantage to the financial security of all surviving families would be to end the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). Although we know there is a significant price tag associated with this change, ending this offset would correct an inequity that has existed for many years.
Eliminate the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) to recognize the length of commitment and service of the career service member and spouse. We support H.R. 32, which provides for that elimination.
We believe several other adjustments could be made to the Survivor Benefit Plan. Allowing payment of the SBP benefits into a
Allow payment of the Survivor Benefit Plan annuity into a
The Eleventh Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation released in June, 2012 recognized the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity for reserve component personnel who die while performing inactive duty is significantly less than the benefit available to survivors of active duty members and reserve members who die on active duty. Despite their inactive status, these reservists are still performing military duties at the time of their death. The review report recommends calculating SBP benefits for a reservist who dies while performing active duty training using the same criteria as for a member who dies while on active duty.
Calculate Survivor Benefit Program annuities for a reservist who dies while performing active duty training using the same criteria as for a member who dies while on active duty.
Wounded Service Members Have Wounded Families
Our Association asserts that behind every wounded service member and veteran is a wounded family. It is our belief the government, especially DoD and the VA, must take a more inclusive view of military and veterans' families. Those who have the responsibility to care for the wounded, ill, and injured service member must also consider the needs of the spouse, children, parents of single service members and their siblings, and the caregivers. DoD and VA need to think proactively as a team and one system, rather than separately, and address problems and implement initiatives upstream while the service member is still on active duty status.
Reintegration programs become a key ingredient in the family's success. For the past five years, we have held our Operation Purple[TM] Healing Adventures camp to help wounded, ill, and injured service members and their families learn to play again as a family. We hear from the families who participate that many issues still create difficulties for them well into the recovery period. Our Association believes everyone must focus on treating the whole family, with DoD and VA programs offering skill based training for coping, intervention, resiliency, and overcoming adversities. DoD, the VA, and nongovernmental organizations must provide opportunities for the entire family and for the couple to reconnect and bond, especially during the rehabilitation and recovery phases.
Ensure better cooperation and accountability between the Departments of Defense (DoD) and
Caregiver Support
Service members and their families must be assured that our nation will provide unwavering support to the wounded, ill and injured. This support must extend beyond the recovering warrior's medical and vocational rehabilitation. It must also include programs and services that help military caregivers, typically spouses or parents, successfully navigate their new role. The VA acknowledges that: "Caregivers provide crucial support in caring for veterans." However, providing this support often has an enormous personal impact on caregivers. The time required can result in lost jobs or lost wages. n23
Our Association appreciates the strides DoD has made in providing monetary compensation to caregivers of catastrophically wounded, ill, and injured service members. The Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of
Exempt SCAADL from income taxes, enhance marketing to the eligible population, and add an electronic application process to reduce the burden of completing SCAADL paperwork.
One of our legislative priorities is to help wounded warrior families become whole again, including addressing service-connected infertility. Combat injuries involving pelvic, abdominal, or urogenital wounds have led to an increase in the number of service members and veterans facing infertility. DoD has authorized assisted reproductive services, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), for severely or seriously injured active duty service members. Unfortunately, once wounded warriors leave active duty, they are no longer covered for IVF by
We urge the Departments of Defense (DoD) and
Thanks to a grant from the
We believe that DoD and VA must regularly assess the unmet needs of caregivers and develop programs to address their evolving requirements. These programs not only enable our military caregivers to provide essential support to recovering warriors, they also signal a commitment to all service members and their families. These assurances allow military families to more willingly accept the risks inherent military service resulting in enhanced family readiness.
Require the Departments of Defense (DoD) and
Military Families - Maintaining Their Readiness
We have made many recommendations in our statement today all in the name of supporting the readiness of military families. Recent national fiscal challenges have left military families confused and concerned about whether the programs, resources, and benefits contributing to their strength, resilience, and readiness will remain available to support them and be flexible enough to address emerging needs. Our Association believes the
Service members and their families have kept trust with America, through over 13 years of war, with multiple deployments and separations. We ask the Nation to keep the trust with military families and not try to balance budget shortfalls from the pockets of those who serve.
Bringing the troops home does not end our military's mission or the necessity to support military families, dealing with the long-term effects of more than a decade at war. The government should ensure military families have the tools to remain ready and to provide for the readiness of their service members. Effective support for military families must involve a broad network of government agencies, community groups, businesses, and concerned citizens.
n1 http://www.commissaries.com/press_room/press_release/2012/DeCA_28_12.cfm
n2 http://www.commissaries.com/press_room/press_release/2014/DeCA_01_14.cfm
n3 Current estimations show that a military family of four shopping regularly/exclusively at the commissary saves
n4 Evaluation of the TRICARE Program: Access, Cost, and Quality, Fiscal Year 2013 Report to
n5 Defense Communities 360: Community Network Provides Inpatient, Specialty Care for Fort Drum Personnel,
n6
n7 TRICARE Behavioral Health Care Resources Fact Sheet
n8 http://www.militaryfamily.org/assets/pdf/Sequestration-Photo-Book_final_web.pdf
n9 http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134222p.pdf
n10 Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/11/special-ops-forces-wearing-thin-from-high-demand/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS#ixzz2wKdtGFPy
n11
n12
n13
n14
n15
n16 http://www.usfinancialcapability.org/downloads/NFCS_2012_Report_Military_Findings.pdf
n17 Http://vets.syr.edu//reserach-highlights/milspouse-survey
n18 Http://vets.syr.edu//reserach-highlights/milspouse-survey
n19 2012 Demographics: Profile of the
n20
n21
n22 "Home Front Alert: The Risks Facing Young Children in Military Families", Child Trends,
n23
n24 http://www.militaryfamily.org/get-info/caregiver/care-for-the-caregiver/tips-from-caregivers.html
Read this original document at: http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/download/?id=b58864da-8f85-4813-b9fe-cdbc28834779&download=1
| Copyright: | (c) 2010 Federal Information & News Dispatch, Inc. |
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