Some of the following items may have been extracted from the "AFSA ON CALL" news which you can sign up for at www.hqafsa.org or sign up for a twitter account at http://twitter.com/#!/afsahq .

The Department of Defense (DoD) and the military services do not initiate quality-of-life programs. In fact, DoD rarely even addresses such programs except to implement them or to seek to cut their funding (which DoD often does). Congressional legislation is required, and Congress‘ predominant source of quality-of-life data and requests come from associations like AFSA working and lobbying on the Hill on a day-to-day basis.

Less than one-quarter of those serving in the House and Senate have military experience. Therefore, one of AFSA‘s vital missions has been to educate elected officials on enlisted needs and challenges.

After the start of the all-volunteer force in 1973, the military had very poor housing and dorms, very low pay, few additional allowances, and few enlisted benefits. DoD felt its obligation was to basically provide minimal pay, food, and ―acceptable‖ on-base housing, and a low level of supplemental housing pay.

Thanks to AFSA, today Airmen see significantly increased pay; outstanding educational benefits; greatly improved dormitories, housing, and housing allowances; cost-of-living adjustments for specific areas; greatly improved health care; and expanded retiree, veteran, and survivor benefits—just to name a few.

While the federal government has raised it‘s request for a reduction in military spending from $350B over a decade to $900+B, it is easy to see that literally nothing can be off the table. From many points of view, they want military spending to get seriously thinner. Frankly, this is understandable as we have entered an age of delayed researched projects, fighting two wars, uprisings all around the globe, and an entrenching deficit. Facts are that we can‘t afford what we want, but we can afford what we need.

Throughout the military it has been said that we are going through a time of transition. Nothing is off the table as far as restructuring anything and everything to save money. The military has asked members to separate, they have reduced programs, and they have contracted out to the Defense Business Board to look into all aspects of cutting budgets.

There are groups that fight for military rights in Washington D.C. and around the country and AFSA is one of them. They aren‘t ready to lose a fight that affects everyone. We are among extremely powerful organizations that have members that are serving or did serve in the past. Have faith in and support your lobbyists!

expire. Yes, it is possible the terms could be renegotiated for a new contract though. Current contract holders (enlisted and officer) have the right to those terms and it is legally binding and enforceable. The military has enormous legs to stand on when it comes to their benefits. We will overcome some of these ridiculous notions of removing retirements, healthcare, educational benefits and a revolution would happen before the United States let their military change so much as these potential cuts would change it. There are hundreds of reasons the retirement system is not changing tomorrow. I firmly believe we are safe from losing our vested futures; however, having a voice on Capitol Hill is paramount to protecting all our futures.

―Any recommendation to change the military retirement system must be approached with thoughtful analysis, to include considerations of impacts to recruiting and retention,‖ Eileen Lainez said. ―While the military retirement system, as with all other compensation, is a fair subject of review for effectiveness and efficiency, no changes to the current retirement system have been approved, and no changes will be made without careful consideration for both the current force and the future force.‖

Reserve/Guard Tricare Update:

TRICARE‗s commitment to providing quality medical care to beneficiaries affiliated with the uniformed services includes National Guard and Reserve members and retirees. Several health care options are available to reservists and their families. But their eligibility for certain plans is determined by the sponsor‗s status.

 Deactivated or less than 30 days. National Guard and Reserve members who are deactivated or serving on active duty for 30 days or less are covered for any injury, illness or disease sustained in the line of duty, including conditions incurred or aggravated while traveling directly to and from their place of duty. In order to receive coverage for such injuries, guard and reserve members must obtain a Line of Duty Determination/Notice of Eligibility (LOD/NOE) from their respective service component. Line of duty coverage is separate from customary TRICARE health plans and does not apply to family members.

 TAMP. The duty status of reservists can change quite often. The Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) provides temporary health care coverage to National Guard and Reserve members and their families. TAMP covers uniformed service members and their eligible family members for 180 days beginning the day after the sponsor separates from active duty, giving beneficiaries some time to make arrangements regarding their ongoing health insurance. To become eligible, National Guard and Reserve members must have separated from an active duty stint that was more than 30 consecutive days and conducted in support of a named contingency operation. While sponsors and family members covered by TAMP are assigned TRICARE Standard and Extra or TOP Standard options, they may enroll in TRICARE Prime or TOP Prime where available.

 CHCBP. Reservists who are deactivated under other than adverse conditions and do not qualify for TAMP or TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) may be able to purchase premium-based health coverage under the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP), which provides temporary coverage starting the day after TAMP and other military health care benefits expire. If eligible, Reserve component (RC) members can purchase CHCBP within 60 days of losing their regular TRICARE or TAMP benefits. Coverage is limited to 18 months for former active duty service members who are deactivated under other than adverse conditions and their eligible family members. CHCBP coverage is limited to 36 months for eligible unmarried former spouses, children who no longer qualify for TRICARE benefits as an eligible family member and certain unmarried children by adoption or legal custody. RC members must verify their eligibility for transitional health care benefits by contacting their nearest military personnel office or Real - Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) identification (ID) card-issuing facility. To find the nearest ID card office, visit the Rapids Site Locator website at www.dmdc.mil/rsl/owa.

As always, beneficiaries must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) in order to remain eligible for TRICARE programs. Visit http://www.tricare.mil/deers for more information about updating your DEERS records. Additional information about TRICARE eligibility can be foundat http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/home. [Source: Tricare News Release 21 Jul 2011 ++]

The August recess has begun now that the debt limit debate is over. The Senate is scheduled to return on 6 SEP. The House is scheduled to return on 7 SEP. For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community introduced in the 112th Congress refer to the Bulletin‘s House & Senate Veteran Legislation attachment. Support of these bills through co-sponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill‘s content, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or co-sponsor of it. To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html.

Grassroots lobbying is perhaps the most effective way to let your Representative and Senators know your opinion. Whether you are calling into a local or Washington, D.C. office; sending a letter or e-mail; signing a petition; or making a personal visit, Members

of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing co-sponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of veteran‘s feelings on issues. You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views. Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov your legislator‘s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making. Refer to http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf.

One of the most frequently mentioned options by most parties at the deficit-cutting table is a "technical correction" to the CPI called the "chained CPI." It‘s gone under the radar for the most part. If implemented, it could affect the lives of almost all Americans; especially service members, federal civilian employees, Social Security recipients, and other retirees and survivors. This isn‘t a new idea as it has been pushed for years by some economists who believe the CPI overstates inflation by failing to adequately recognize that consumers change their behavior when prices of some products and services rise sharply. When that happens, economists say, people simply buy cheaper substitute products — carrots instead of peas or tea instead of coffee. While coffee drinkers might rebel at that, the case gets even stickier with other substitutions. Is hamburger a reasonable substitute for steak? Is a compact car a reasonable substitute for a full-size one? Is pasta a reasonable substitute for fish? Is shopping at a discount store a reasonable substitute for shopping at a high-end department store?

We are not just talking about price substitution here. It‘s also about quality-of-life substitution, and that‘s where the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) thinks a line must be drawn. Over time, this mentality leads to substantial changes in living patterns — from steak to hamburger to hot dogs to …let‘s not go there. While critics might argue this wouldn‘t actually happen, there‘s no practical safeguard to prevent it. If A can be substituted for B, then B later can be substituted for C, once you‘ve accepted the substitution philosophy. Let‘s lo ok beyond the philosophy to the bottom line. The chained CPI would reduce retired pay and other COLAs by about one -quarter of a percentage point each year. That doesn‘t sound like much, until you see how that would compound over a retiree‘s lifetime. Military retirees and the disabled particularly would be affected because they start drawing inflation-adjusted pay at relatively younger ages. For a military retiree, switching to a chained CPI COLA would reduce total lifetime retired pay by about 6 percent. That‘s about $100,000 for an E-7 retiring today with 20 years of service. A newly retiring O-5 with 20 years of service would lose double that amount. And that‘s for someone living an average lifespan (early 80s). Half will live longer, and expected longevity is rising every year. Three other factors are relevant here, as well.

Tuition and Fees Changes - Tuition and fee rates for those attending a public school will have all public school tuition and fees covered at the in-state (or resident) rate. Tuition and fee rates for those attending private and foreign school will have the tuition and fee payments capped at $17,500 annually. Note: The Yellow Ribbon Program still exists for out-of-state fees and costs (non-resident) above the cap.

Monthly Kicker Payments - The VA will pay MGIB (chapter 30) and MGIB-SR (chapter 1606) =kickers‗or Army/Navy College Fund payments, on a monthly basis instead of a lump sum at the beginning of the term. - Effective August 1, 2011.

Prorated Housing Stipend - Students enrolled at more than half-time but less than full-time will begin having their housing allowance prorated based on the number of classes they are taking (also called rate of pursuit). This amount will be rounded to the nearest tenth. For example a student enrolled with a rate of pursuit 75% would receive 80% of the BAH rate. - Effective August 1, 2011.

End of Payments During School Breaks – The VA will no longer pay benefits during breaks – like spring or winter break. The end to ―nterval pay‖applies to all VA education benefit programs unless under an Executive Order of the President or due to an emergency, such as a natural disaster or strike.

1. This means that when your semester ends (e.g. December 15th), your housing allowance is paid for the first 15 days of December only and begins again when your next semester begins (e.g. January 10th) and is paid for the remaining days of January.

2. Students using other VA education programs are included in this change. Monthly benefits will be pro-rated in the same manner.

Multiple Licensing, Certification and National Placement Exams – Reimbursement for more than one ―icense or certification‖test will be possible. In addition to reimbursement of fees paid to take national exams used for admission to an institution of higher learning (e.g., SAT, ACT, GMAT, LSAT). – Effective August 1, 2011.

Expanded Vocation Training Opportunities – Veterans will be eligible to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to cover the following:

1. Non-college degree (NCD) programs: Pays actual net cost for in-state tuition and fees at public NCD institutions. At private and foreign institutions, pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees or $17,500, whichever is less. Also pays up to $83 per month for books and supplies.

2. On-the-job and apprenticeship training: Pays a monthly benefit amount prorated based on time in program and up to $83 per month for books and supplies. Learn more about OJT and Apprenticeship.

3. Flight programs: Per academic year, pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the school or $10,000, whichever is less.

New Voc-Rehab Stipend Options - Vocational Rehabilitation participants may now elect the higher housing allowance offered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill if otherwise eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. - Effective August 1, 2011

On 21 JUL the Restoring G.I. Bill Fairness Act (H.R.1383) sailed through the Senate with unanimous support. Following a 424-0 vote in the House the bill heads to the President‗ office later this week. "Today, we kept our promise to America's student veterans. Together with our colleagues in the Senate, Congress is sending a bill to the President that keeps the original intent of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill intact, said Rep. Jeff Miller [R-FL] who sponsored the House version of the bill. Our veterans who have returned home and are in the process of getting an education at the school of their choice should not have been penalized for choosing one school over another, only to then find out Congress changed the rules on them midstream.? Miller‗ legislation in the House mirrored a nearly identical version in the Senate, which was sponsored by Sen. Charles E. Schumer [D - NY]. Schumer said in a statement that he was ―confident the president will quickly sign this bipartisan bill.‖

Since going into effect nearly two years ago, the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill has provided educational assistance to veterans returning home from war. It entitled a veteran who served for a minimum of three years after 9/11 to a full tuition subsidy at a public college. An additional provision called the Yellow Ribbon Program enabled thousands more veterans at private schools to attend college free of cost. But at the end of last year, Congress voted to change those rules by capping tuition assistance at in-state public rates for out-of-state veterans attending public colleges and, beginning in AUG , limiting tuition assistance to $17,500 per year for veterans in private schools. H.R.1383 will temporarily preserve higher rates for tuition and fees for programs of education at non-public institutions of higher learning pursued by individuals enrolled in the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs before the enactment of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010. [Source: Huff Post college Amanda M. Fairbanks article 26 Jul 2011 ++

The number of homeless veterans on any given night has dropped by over 55,000, the Department of Veterans Affairs said on 15 JUL, due in part to programs like the $46.2 million announced 14 JUL to provide permanent housing for 6,790 homeless veterans. Despite a still-stagnant economy and increased troop drawdowns leading to potentially higher numbers of homeless veterans, VA Deputy Press Secretary Drew Brookie said the number of veterans that are homeless each night has dropped from an estimated 131,000 in 2009 to 75,700 as of June this year. But continued pressure on this targeted group makes funding fundamental to the Obama Administration's goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015,

according to Anne Oliva, director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's homeless office. "It's a critical time," Oliva told Reuters. "We have veterans that are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan that are potentially becoming homeless in higher numbers than they have in the past. This new influx of people ... we want to try and get in front of it." The $46.2 million will go to public housing agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. "We're reducing the time it takes to get veterans into homes," Brookie told Reuters.

The funding is part of the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced the grants Thursday morning. They are the first of two rounds of funding that will allocate the $50 million appropriated to fight veteran homelessness in Fiscal Year 2011. Participating veterans in the HUD-VASH program generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rental of privately owned housing, according to the HUD. The program is coordinated by HUD, the VA and local housing authorities. "Now we know what works," Oliva said. "This is the time; we have the resources ... having one veteran homeless is too many." [Source: Reuters Molly O'Toole article 15 Jul 2011 ++

By Sharon Foster

TRICARE Management Activity

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFRNS) -- A 64-year-old beneficiary is currently receiving TRICARE benefits. When he turns 65, does he need Medicare if he already has TRICARE? Will he personally have to sign-up for Medicare or will TRICARE do this for him? Questions like these are normal for some beneficiaries not sure of their options when turning 65.

TRICARE and Medicare are separate programs. Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older, as well as for people under age 65 who have qualified for Social Security disability insurance.

TRICARE For Life is TRICARE's Medicare-wraparound coverage available to all Medicare-eligible TRICARE beneficiaries, regardless of age or place of residence, provided they have Medicare Parts A and B. There is no paperwork associated with TFL. Beneficiaries automatically gain coverage when they meet the requirements.

Beneficiaries must sign up for Medicare as soon as they become eligible to ensure that they continue to get benefits under TRICARE. Beneficiaries turning 65 receive reminder letters from the Defense Manpower Data Center. For more information regarding Medicare sign-up, beneficiaries can call at 800-633-4227 or go to www.medicare.gov.

Beneficiaries are ineligible for TRICARE benefits for any period of time that they have Medicare Part A but not Part B, with several exceptions. For information on these exceptions,

beneficiaries can go to www.tricare.mil/factsheets/Medicare or talk with their regional health care contractor.

While Medicare is the primary insurance when a beneficiary turns 65, TRICARE acts as the secondary insurance, minimizing out-of-pocket expenses. TRICARE covers Medicare's co-insurance and deductible. After Medicare pays its part of the claim, TRICARE pays the remaining amount for any TRICARE covered services and the beneficiary pays nothing. As the primary payer, Medicare approves health care services for payment.

If a beneficiary has other health insurance, Medicare forwards their claim to that company. The beneficiary must then file a paper claim with their TRICARE contractor. If the beneficiary has employer group health plan coverage based on current employment, the employer group pays first, Medicare pays second and TRICARE pays last.

Medicare does not provide coverage outside of the United States and U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). TRICARE is the primary payer for health care received overseas (except U.S. territories), unless the beneficiary has other health insurance. Overseas, TFL provides the same coverage as TRICARE Standard and has the same cost-shares and deductibles. When seeking care from a host-nation provider, beneficiaries should be prepared to pay up front for services and submit a claim to the overseas claims processor.

Beneficiaries who have further questions about TRICARE and Medicare coverage can go to www.tricare.mil, or call Wisconsin Physicians Service at 866-773-0404.

For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community introduced in the 112th Congress refer to the Bulletin‘s "House & Senate Veteran Legislation" attachment. Support of these bills through co-sponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill‘s content, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html.

Grassroots lobbying is perhaps the most effective way to let your Representative and Senators know your opinion. Whether you are calling into a local or Washington, D.C. office; sending a letter or e-mail; signing a petition; or making a personal visit, Members of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing co-sponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of

veteran‘s feelings on issues. You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views. Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov your legislator‘s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making.

Refer to http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf.

New GI Bill Legislation:

Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) has introduced Legislation that would allow the surviving spouse of a deceased service member to use that member‗ Post 9/11 GI Bill benefit. Current law allows the spouse of a deceased military member to receive education benefits through the Survivors and Dependents Education Assistance program. But the benefit is less than under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. ―The Spouses of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act is an important step for meeting the needs of military families,‖Boren said in a statement. ―We must do everything within our means to care for our nation‗ surviving spouses.‖[Source: NGAUS Washington Report 19 Jul 2011 ++]

http://dbb.defense.gov/pdf/DBB_Military_Retirement_Final_Presentationpdf.pdf

AFSA has been doing this for more than 50 years with a terrific track record of protecting and improving all of the ―uality-of-life‖benefits earned by our Air Force men and women and their families.

Conference attendees were honored to have SECAF Donley and AFCS Schwartz address more than 1200 attendees at the Honors Banquet.

Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz capped the 2011 Air Force Sergeants Association Professional Airmen's Conference with remarks at an awards banquet here July 27. Donley congratulated AFSA on its 50 years of dedicated service to enlisted Airmen. He also applauded the AFSA and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Award winners, and commended Airmen for their continued professionalism and dedication.