LEGISLATIVE DIVISION UPDATE
Congress returned to our nation’s capital to commence the First Session of the 114 th
Congress on Tuesday, January 6. The day’s activities included the swearing in of all
members of the House and the newly-elected members of the Senate. Election for the
Speaker of the House was also held. The next major event for the new Congress will be
the President’s annual State of the Union address scheduled for January 20.
CONGRESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
“Hire More Heroes Act” Passes House
In its first action of the session, the House of Representatives passed the “Hire More
Heroes Act of 2015” (H.R. 22), a measure aimed at encouraging companies to hire
more American veterans by allowing veterans who are covered by VA healthcare or
TRICARE to not be counted as employees for the purpose of triggering the so-called
“employer mandate”. The Affordable Care Act mandates that employers who employ 50
full-time workers must provide healthcare, a provision that many view as overly
burdensome for small businesses. This law would encourage small businesses to hire
veterans by allowing veterans who are otherwise covered to not count toward the
numbers for the purposes of the mandate. Senator Roy Blunt (MO) has introduced the
measure in the Senate, and it is expected to be brought to the floor quickly.
Other Activities
President Signs into Law Three Bills of Interest to the Legion
On December 16, President Barack Obama signed Public Law (P.L.) 113-235, the
Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, which provides
appropriations for the federal government (including $554 billion for the Department of
Defense and $160 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs) through September 30,
2015, except for the Department of Homeland Security whose appropriations expire on
February 27, 2015.
On December 19, the president signed into law P.L. 113-291, the Carl Levin and
Howard P. 'Buck' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015
which authorizes the fiscal year spending for national security programs for the
Departments of Defense and Energy.
Also on that day the president signed into law P.L. 113-295, the Tax Prevention
Increase Act of 2014, which, among other things, extends for one year the Work
Opportunity Tax Credit for employers who hire veterans.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel Authorizes Up to 1,300 More Troops to Iraq
On December 19, Secretary Hagel announced that in January up to 1,300 U.S. troops,
including 1,000 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, will deploy to Iraq.
Their mission will be to train, advise, and assist Iraqi security forces. The remaining 300
troops who are deploying with the 82nd Airborne will be from multiple services.
The advising teams will operate in the Anbar area and north of Baghdad. When making
this announcement the Department of Defense emphasized interactions with Iraqi
forces will be occurring in a training environment and not in the field. The overall
mission is designed around training 12 Iraqi brigades, including nine from the Iraqi
security force and three from the Peshmerga.
Army Corrects Retirement Inequity
On December 18, Secretary of the Army John McHugh announced he has taken action
to allow 160 officers selected for separation from the Army to remain on active duty or
retire with full benefits.
Because of a requirement to reduce end strength, the Army conducted both involuntary
separation and early retirement boards to reduce its officer corps. Among the
requirements for separating officers, the Army must consider both the soldier's active
duty service and active commissioned service. However, in considering more than
19,000 potential officer candidates for involuntary dismissal from the Army, the Army
failed to consider both requirement and, instead, made its determination based solely
on active duty service and not active commissioned service, meaning that one major
and several captains were improperly considered for separation. "Under the criteria for
officer separations, these soldiers should not have been considered," McHugh said.
A total of 44 officers - all of whom began their service in the enlisted ranks - were
selected for early retirement even though they did not meet the minimum commissioned
service threshold. McHugh voided their separations from service and those officers
have been notified they may remain in the Army. They may still submit a voluntary
request to retire at their previously held enlisted grade or they may wait until they have
the necessary years of active commissioned service required to retire as officers."
These soldiers have served their country honorably both as enlisted soldiers and, now,
as officers. We owe them nothing less," McHugh stated.
Another 120 soldiers were properly considered by the separation boards; however, they
would not have the required years of active commissioned service needed to retire as
an officer upon their mandatory retirement date. McHugh exercised his legal authority to
suspend the eight year requirement for active commissioned service, allowing all - who
are retirement eligible - to retire as officers.
The Army was alerted to the matter because of a Congressional inquiry.
Afghanistan War Officially Ended on December 28, 2014
On December 28, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), the worldwide combat mission
launched shortly after terrorist attacks conducted on September 11, 2001, officially
ended. The mission took the lives of 2,356 United States servicemembers. (The early
years of OEF encompassed missions around the world. Many US troops supporting the
invasion of Iraq in 2003 were technically deployed under OEF orders. And it also
included counterterrorism operations in Southeast Asia, North Africa, and elsewhere.)
Up to 10,800 US troops will remain in Afghanistan in 2015. The new mission will be
named "Operation Freedom's Sentinel." This operation will be a narrowly defined twoprong mission: advising the Afghan army and continuing to mount counterterrorism
operations against the Taliban and other insurgents who may pose a threat to the
United States or Afghan governments. President Obama's strategy calls for further
reducing US forces to 5,000 in 2016 until a complete end of the military mission there
before he leaves the presidency in 2017.
The State of the Union Address to be Delivered on January 20, 2015
President Barack Obama accepted an invitation to deliver the 2015 State of the Union
on January 20. The date was suggested in a letter sent by Speaker of the House John
A. Boehner (OH). The text of the letter from the Speaker:
Dear Mr. President:
The new year will bring a new American Congress, and with it, the opportunity to continue our work to
build a stronger economy and secure a better future for our country. In that spirit, it is my honor to invite
you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 so that you may fulfill your
duty under the Constitution to report on the state of the union and recommend measures for our
consideration. Your report will inform our efforts to address the people’s priorities.
I look forward to your response, and Merry Christmas.
Sincerely,
John A. Boehner
Speaker
Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission Update
The congressionally-appointed commission studying military pay and compensation
reform is preparing to submit its recommendations to the President, Congress, and the
public no later than February 1. The commission's final report will include
recommendations and how they would be implemented, a discussion of the costs of
each recommendation, and draft legislation. The president will have 60 days to evaluate
the commission’s recommendations, or ask for more information.
Although due about the same time in February, President Obama is scheduled to
submit his Fiscal Year 2016 budget request to Congress in March, about 30 days after
the commission report submission, so it is not known at this time if any of the
commission’s recommendations will be proposed in his 2016 budget. However, it is
expected the president will be proposing further cuts to military benefits as he proposed
in his Fiscal Year 2015 budget.
New Health Care Premiums for Certain Retired Reservists Take Effect
The Department of Defense (DOD) announced the 2015 TRICARE Retired Reserve
(TRR) premium rates on January 1. The 2015 TRR monthly premiums are $390.89 for
self-only coverage and $961.35 for family coverage. TRICARE Retired Reserve allows
members of the retired reserve eligible for non-regular retirement and younger than 60
years of age, as well as certain family members and survivors, to buy health insurance
equivalent to TRICARE Standard and Extra, unless they are eligible for a health
benefits plan under Chapter 89 of Title 5 in the U.S. Code (includes the Federal
Employees Health Benefits Program).
DOD also published its final rule on TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) on December 31
(the program has been available to eligible reservists and their family members since
2010 after Congress created the health insurance option in the Fiscal Year 2010
National Defense Authorization Act). The final rule, which takes effect on January 30,
addressed the cost of premiums. Many reserve retirees have complained their premium
rates are too high. DOD acknowledged premiums were much higher than many
expected, but it said that “in fulfillment of law, TRR premiums represent the full cost of
delivering the benefit without the Department of Defense absorbing any of the cost. In
other words, the department cannot cover or share any of the cost of the premiums by
law; TRR members pay full-cost premiums.”
DOD Announces European Base/Infrastructure Consolidation Actions and F-35 Basing
in Europe
On January 8, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced the consolidation of some
US bases in Europe, including the return of 15 sites to their host nations. These actions,
taken as part of the European Infrastructure Consolidation (EIC) process, will save $500
million annually. DOD also announced the first F-35 basing in Europe at RAF
Lakenheath, United Kingdom (UK), which will bring new opportunities for collaboration
between the US and UK air forces. These actions will result in a decrease in US force
levels.
Last year Congress provided DOD $985 million for the European Reassurance Initiative
(ERI). ERI will enhance a US rotational presence in Europe for training, exercises, and
other NATO activities; implement infrastructure improvement projects to support the
increased military presence by the US and other allies in eastern Europe; pre-position
US assets in Europe; and enable the US to build the capacity of newer allies as well as
Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
The Air Force will base the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in Europe. After a deliberative
process, RAF Lakenheath, UK, was selected as the first location in Europe to host the
F-35. This decision reflects the closeness of the US-UK defense relationship and the
military value of basing in the UK. The first aircraft are scheduled to arrive at RAF
Lakenheath in 2020. The 2014 National Defense Authorization Act required DOD to use
the EIC process. The EIC and F-35 basing decisions will result in a decrease of 2,000
US military and civilian personnel in the UK over the next several years. This loss is
primarily due to the removal of about 3,200 US personnel from RAF Mildenhall, which
will be offset by the addition of 1,200 US military personnel who will be permanently
stationed alongside the two F-35 squadrons going to RAF Lakenheath.
In Germany, various US units will come and go during the next several years, with a
final anticipated increase of several hundred US military personnel assigned there, as
DOD consolidate forces so they are best positioned for future needs. In Italy, DOD will
add 200 military positions, after the 606th Air Control Squadron relocates there from
Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. In Portugal, there will be a decrease of 500 US
military and civilian personnel at Lajes Field in the Azores, necessary for our
consolidation efforts in Europe.
The 15 site returns are part of US European Command’s (EUCOM) effort to remove
non-enduring sites from its real-property inventory, and allow resources to be focused
on other U.S. European Command mission requirements. These infrastructure
adjustments represent the culmination of the EIC review. Based on the EIC conclusions,
the following sites are scheduled to be consolidated or returned to the host nation over
the next several years:
United Kingdom
• Divest RAF Mildenhall - Returns the installation and four supported sites to the
UK. DOD intends to relocate the operational units at RAF Mildenhall within
Europe - the KC-135s and the 352nd Special Operations Wing to Germany, and
the RC-135s within the UK. This consolidation paves the way for the stationing of
two squadrons of F-35s at RAF Lakenheath, starting in 2020.
• Divest RAF Alconbury/RAF Molesworth – Consolidation of missions allows the
permanent return of RAF Alconbury, RAF Molesworth and supporting sites to the
UK. The majority of US personnel, and many of the US-funded host nation
positions assigned to these bases will be transferred to RAF Croughton.
Germany
• Close Mainz Kastel Station – returns site to Germany.
• Close Barton Barracks – returns site to Germany and relocates the DOD
Dependents Schools district office to Sembach.
• Partially close Pulaski Barracks in the Kaiserslautern area and return part of the
site to Germany.
• Close Weilimdorf Warehouse Site – returns site to Germany.
• Close two Baumholder Waterworks – returns control to Germany.
• Relocate HQs DISA-Europe from Stuttgart to Kaiserslautern.
• Close Amelia Earhart hotel in Wiesbaden.
• Partially close Artillery Kaserne in Garmisch and returns two-thirds of the site to
Germany.
• Restructure the Army Air Force Exchange Services bakery and water distribution
operation at Gruenstadt.
• Close Husterhoeh Kaserne in Pirmasens and return site to Germany.
• Relocate mail sorting/distribution from German Aerial Mail Terminal in Frankfurt
to Germersheim Army Depot - personnel moves only.
• Create a distribution center at Germersheim Army Depot.
• Consolidate various communication data centers across EUCOM.
• Close commissaries at Illesheim and Sembach, and four commissaries in
Stuttgart at Kelley Barracks, Patch Barracks, Panzer Barracks, and Robinson
Barracks, once a new replacement store on Panzer is constructed.
• Consolidate Defense Media Activity operations across Europe.
•
Consolidate communications, postal services, and personnel management that
support the US mission to NATO and the US military delegation to the NATO
Military Committee.
Belgium
• Divest Leased Site in Brussels and consolidation of US facilities in Brussels to
Sterrebeek.
The Netherlands
• Divest Shinnen Emma Mine Leased Site, Netherlands, and consolidate US
facilities at Brunssum.
Italy
•
•
•
Place a portion of the Pisa Ammo Storage Area, near Livorno, into caretaker
status.
Partially close Camp Darby near Livorno and return half of the installation to Italy.
Convert the Vicenza Health Center to outpatient and specialty care only.
Portugal
• Streamline operations and property at Lajes Field which reduces active duty,
civilian personnel, and contract providers by two-thirds. A number of buildings at
Lajes will be returned to Portugal.
Ian de Planque, Director
The American Legion Legislative Division
[email protected]
(202) 861-2700
For Week Ending 01-09-2015