February 24 2017

In this issue:
Senate Agent Orange Bill Introduced
Help for Veteran Entrepreneurs
Base Realignment and Closure
Happy Birthday Coast Guard Reserve

Senate Agent Orange Bill Introduced

U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Steve Daines (Mont.) recently reintroduced the "Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act" (S. 422), legislation to ensure that thousands of Navy veterans, known as "Blue Water" veterans, are able to receive the disability and health care benefits they earned after exposure to Agent Orange while fighting in the Vietnam Conflict.

During the Vietnam Conflict, the U.S. military sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange to remove jungle foliage. This toxic chemical had devastating health effects on millions who served in Vietnam. Congress passed a law in 1991 requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide presumptive coverage to Vietnam veterans with illnesses that the Institute of Medicine has directly linked to Agent Orange exposure. However, in 2002, the VA decided that it would only cover Veterans who could prove they had orders for "boots on the ground" during the Vietnam Conflict. This exclusion prevents thousands of sailors from receiving benefits even though they had significant exposure to Agent Orange from drinking and bathing in contaminated water while being offshore.

"Thousands of Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange are now suffering from severe health problems, yet the VA is continuing to deny health coverage to many of them because of an arbitrary rule that says veterans who served on boats off of Vietnam's coast are not entitled to this coverage," said Senator Gillibrand. "The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act" would correct this problem for our Blue Water veterans, and would require the VA to treat all Vietnam veterans who came into contact with Agent Orange, regardless of where it happened. This bipartisan legislation is long overdue, and I will do everything I can to give our Blue Water veterans the treatment they deserve and desperately need."

"Blue Water veterans are true heroes to our nation who have not been given the care and treatment they deserve," Senator Daines stated. "I've been working with my colleagues across the aisle to gain care for veterans exposed to toxic substances and we will never stop pushing this fight. This issue is not about politics. It's about doing what's right."

"The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) once again, thanks Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Steve Daines for re-introducing the 'Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act' in the Senate in support of the sailors, marines and coast guardsmen who served off the territorial waters of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam Conflict. Congress must pass these bills, and the VA must take aggressive actions to ensure benefit payments and treatment are provided, while there is time left.  We thank the senator's continued support for these veterans and their caregivers, and look forward to a strong push to its passage," said Thomas J. Snee, FRA National Executive Director.

Senators Gillibrand and Daines have been pushing for the passage of this legislation alongside a bipartisan coalition in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation would clarify the existing law so Blue Water veterans would be covered by the VA if they served within "territorial seas," or approximately 12 miles offshore of Vietnam. This bill would make it easier for the VA to process Vietnam War veterans' claims for service-connected health conditions and alleviate a portion of the VA's backlog by extending presumptive coverage of Agent Orange benefits to these veterans.

Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center to ask their legislators to support this bill.

Help for Veteran Entrepreneurs

Bunker Labs DC, a 501(c) 3 organization committed to veteran entrepreneurship, hosted the "Muster DC," to showcase and empower local veteran entrepreneurs. The experience, part of the Muster Across America Tour sponsored by JPMorgan Chase & Co., is designed to connect veterans in business, and foster growth, knowledge and success for veteran entrepreneurs.

The event, attended by FRA staff ADVP Brian Condon, featured expert talks and panel discussions, a pitch stage where veteran entrepreneurs can compete for the title of "top startup," and a post-event networking reception. Bunker Labs DC Executive Director Emily McMahan remarked, "We know this experience will be a great opportunity to gather our local veteran entrepreneur community for one day to connect and share their ideas, experiences, and to also showcase Bunker Labs DC as a great resource."

In partnership with JPMorgan Chase, the "Muster Builds America Tour" will travel to 14 cities across the country to showcase veteran entrepreneurs, empower local entrepreneurial ecosystems with large-scale events, and serve as the launching point for local Bunker Labs chapters. The tour began with the "DC Muster" event in Washington DC and concludes with the 14th and final  event, October 26, 2017.  For more information about dates and locations of future events please go to the  Bunkers Lab website.

Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)

The Department of Defense (DoD) released a report this past March, that was required by the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This report stated the DoD has 22 percent excess infrastructure. The Defense FY 2017 budget requested $4 million to begin the planning for another round of BRAC in 2019, which Congress denied. Closing bases always meets resistance on Capitol Hill because lawmakers want to protect jobs in their districts. Some members of Congress have also expressed concerns that a new round of base closures would face similar problems as the one in 2005, which saw costs to close facilities increase so much that any actual savings may have been eliminated.   

Happy Birthday Coast Guard Reserve

This week (February 19) the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve celebrated its 76th birthday. The U.S. Coast Guard Reserve began with the passage of the Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary Act on 19 February 1941. Coast Guard reservist normally train two days a month and may perform up to 15 days of Active Duty for Training a year. The Coast Guard Reserve has about 8,000 men and women in service, most of them integrated directly with regular Coast Guard units. The Coast Guard Reserve has been a flexible, responsive and cost-effective workforce that has maintained its primary purpose of providing surge capacity when needed for Coast Guard missions.

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