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Atomic Veterans Need Health Care
Representative Grace Meng (N.Y.) and Senator Al Franken (Minn.) have introduced legislation (H.R. 632 & S. 283 respectively) to bring important health care benefits to "Atomic Veterans" who were exposed to high levels of harmful radiation when assigned to clean up nuclear testing sites during the late 1970s.
The bipartisan legislation "Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act," named after the late Congressman Mark Takai of Hawaii, would designate veterans who participated in the nuclear cleanup of Enewetak Atoll on the Marshall Islands as "radiation-exposed veterans," and make them eligible to receive the same health care benefits given to other service members who were involved in active nuclear tests. Many Navy Seabees were involved in the cleanup effort.
Enewetak Atoll was the site of more than 40 nuclear tests between 1946 and 1958. The service members who participated in cleanup between 1977 and 1980 suffer from high rates of cancers due to their exposure to radiation and nuclear waste. They are currently unable to receive the same treatment and service-related disability presumptions that other "radiation-exposed veterans" receive.This legislation would extend key Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to those who helped clean up the Marshall Islands, which still remains partly uninhabitable due to high levels of radiation.
Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center on the website to urge congress to support this important legislation.
SecNav Nominee Drops Out
Financier Philip Bilden withdrew from consideration for Secretary of the Navy (SecNav). He released a statement indicating he would be unable to meet the requirements of the Office of Government Ethics without "materially adverse divestment" of his family's financial interests.
President Donald Trump nominated the former Army Reserve officer to be the next secretary of the Navy January 25, stating Bilden's business experience would aid him in rebuilding the Navy. Bilden recently retired as co-founding member and senior adviser of Harbour Vest Partners, a private equity investment management firm.
Defense Secretary (SecDef) Mattis said he would make a recommendation to the White House for a new nominee "in the coming days."
Independent Budget for VA Released
FRA is a supporter of the Independent Budget (IB) co-authored by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).The FY 2018 report was recently released and is the 30th IB report to Congress. It will serve as a guide for funding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). With the veteran's Choice Program scheduled to expire this year, a major focus in this year's report is strengthening, and reforming the VA health care system. The report calls for transformational change of VA health care by creating an integrated network of VA and community health care providers, with the VA serving as the coordinator and primary care provider.National President Donald Larson will testify on March 22, before a joint hearing of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees to discuss many of the issues addressed in the IB.
Upcoming Navy Birthdays
FRA salutes the U.S. Navy Seabees, for its upcoming 75th birthday this Sunday.The Seabees, founded March 5, 1942, have been building and fighting for 75 years and their "Can Do" spirit remains as strong as ever.
The Association also celebrates the 92nd Birthday of the Navy Band that was established on March 4, 1925. The Navy Band continues to inspire patriotism, enhance awareness of our Navy and project a positive Navy image at home and abroad. Yesterday marks the 102nd birthday of the U.S. Navy Reserve (March 2, 1915).The U.S. Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the U.S. Naval Reserve, has at least one Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) (formerly Naval Reserve Center) in every state, along with Guam and Puerto Rico.
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