February 3 2017
In this issue:
FRA Recognizes Outstanding USN Performers
SVAC Hearing for VA Secretary Nominee
Some VA Positions Exempt from Federal Civilian Hiring Freeze
Commissaries Begin Measuring Regional Savings
FRA Recognizes Outstanding USN Performers
FRA continued its long-standing tradition of recognizing superior performance by honoring Navy and Marine Corps personnel who are standouts in their respective fields. FRA’s National President (NP) Donald J Larson, National Executive Director Tom Snee, and members of FRA’s Headquarters staff participated in several events honoring the Navy’s 2016 Recruiters of the Year (ROYs) including a special ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial, hosting a luncheon on Capitol Hill, and coordinating a tour of the Capital. Congratulations to the following outstanding recruiters:
Enlisted Recruiter of the Year (Active)
HM1 Robert Steele, NRD Ohio
Enlisted Recruiter of the Year (Reserve)
BM1 Angel Davis, NRD Jacksonville, Fla.
Officer Recruiter of the Year (Active)
LS1 Cameron Garret, NTAF Mid-South
Officer Recruiter of the Year (Reserve)
LTJG Massimo Ongaro, NRD Houston, Texas
Nuclear Field Coordinator of the Year
MMN1 Luis Saucedo, NRD Phoenix, Ariz.
Station Leading Petty Officer of the Year
OS1 Jeremy Peterson, NRD Denver, Col.
Classifier of the Year
PS1 Travis Lewis, NRD Jacksonville, Fla.
Division Leading Chief Petty Officer of the Year
NCC David Runyon, NRD Miami, Fla.
Diversity Enlisted Recruiter of the Year
MM1 Fang Chen, NRD Los Angeles, Calif.
Diversity Officer Recruiter of the Year
LT Lennox Smith, NRD Philadelphia, Pa.
Medical Officer Recruiter of the Year
IS1 Shelbie Cain, NRD Phoenix, Ariz.
Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Officer Recruiter of the Year
LT Siamack Jamshidipour, NRD San Francisco, Calif.
Naval Special Warfare/Naval Special Operations
Recruiter of the Year, AO2 Nicholas Clark, NRD San Diego, Calif.
Support Person of the Year
YN1 Kevin Capelety, NRD Minneapolis, Minn.
The Association has been a supporter of this recognition program since its inception and is proud to continue the tradition of acknowledging excellence.
SVAC Hearing for VA Secretary Nominee
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee (SVAC) recently held a confirmation hearing for the president’s nominee for Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Dr. David J. Shulkin, the current VA Under Secretary for Health. During the hearing he said, “Creating a seamless experience for veterans, accessing benefits and services is critical to fulfilling our mission…. the VA is a unique national resource that is worth saving, and I am committed (to) doing just that. One thing I want to be especially clear on is that the VA has many dedicated employees across the country, and our veterans tell us just that every day.”
He went on to say “If confirmed, I intend to build a system that puts veterans first, and allows them to get the best possible health care and services wherever they may be, in the VA or in the community. I’ve demonstrated my commitment to moving care into the community where it makes sense for the veteran. We will work closely together to extend and reform the Choice Program to ensure veterans are able to seek the care in the community they need.” FRA supports the VA Choice program that provides funding to pay for non-VA care for veterans who live 40 or more miles from a VA facility or have been experiencing wait times for care of more than 30 days.
He went on to state, “We need legislation to allow us to reform the outdated appeals process. We must continue the progress we made in reducing veterans homelessness and modernize our IT systems to improve our services and efficiencies. We have to address infrastructure issues and take a closer look at facilities that no longer serve a useful purpose. We must explore expansion of public-private partnerships, rather than continue to build medical centers that have large cost overruns and take too long to build.” FRA supports efforts to eliminate the backlog of claims at the VA and supports reform of the antiquated Veterans’ Benefits Administration (VBA) claims system. SVAC has scheduled a vote on the nomination for February 7, 2017.
Some VA Positions Exempt from Federal Civilian Hiring Freeze
President Trump recently announced a hiring freeze that prevents any new civilian government hires who did not receive a job offer before January 22, 2017. Military members are excluded, as are positions “necessary to meet national security or public safety responsibilities.” Acting Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Snyder released a statement saying the VA would, “Exempt anyone it deems necessary for public safety, including frontline caregivers,” in keeping with the president’s order.
Commissaries Begin Measuring Regional Savings
The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) has recently announced, “Savings for Commissary shoppers will be reported more often and better reflect the cost of living where patrons shop,” said Joseph H. Jeu, Director and CEO of the DeCA. “We have updated how we measure patron savings at the commissary. This enhanced way of calculating savings doesn’t change the actual dollars that patrons save, but it will give patrons a better understanding of price comparisons in their local area.”
Historically, DeCA measured savings globally by comparing national prices at commissaries against average market prices for the entire country. Shoppers save 23.7 percent by using commissaries instead of civilian grocery stores, lower than the 30 percent savings claimed for years. The drop isn’t a result of price increases, at least not directly. It’s a change in how DeCA tracks the savings, moving from a solely national model to one that includes a regional comparison of commissary prices with those at nearby stores.
However, the cost of living varies by region. To account for these geographic differences, Congress now requires DeCA to report on savings regionally, comparing prices with two or three commercial grocers, including super centers, in the local area of each commissary in the United States.
Through this updated measurement, DeCA is also expanding the range of items on which it measures savings. Besides continuing to compare approximately 38,000 branded items at a national level, DeCA will also be comparing local prices on approximately 1,000 products, which are representative of a shopper’s typical market basket.
Since the savings rate is calculated from local price comparisons, it will vary by region due to differences in the cost of living, even when commissary prices remain uniform and constant. For example, if the price of macaroni is $1.25 at all commissaries, but the comparison price at local commercial retailers varies by region. In Hawaii, where the cost of living is higher, the price of macaroni in commercial retailers is $2.00, but in Georgia, where the cost of living is lower, the price outside the gate is $1.50. This would mean even though customers pay $1.25 for macaroni at commissaries worldwide, customers in Hawaii save 37.5 percent by using their commissary benefit, whereas customers in Georgia save 16.7 percent.
Congress requires DeCA maintain savings at current levels, even as the commissary system transforms its business operations and improves the shopping experience. The new savings rate provides an accurate baseline that will allow DeCA and Congress to monitor and protect patron savings.
For information on savings by region, see the table below:
For more details on the commissary’s new business model, visit the transformation page on DeCA’s FAQ website: www.commissaries.com.
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