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Weekly newsletter of the Fleet Reserve Association
May 4 2018
NED Participates in White
House Ceremony for Wounded Warriors
AFRH CEO Visits FRA NHQ
MilCon/VA Spending Bill approved by Subcommittee
PDBR Review of Disability Claims Continues
NED Participates in White
House Ceremony for Wounded Warriors
National Executive Director (NED) Thomas J. Snee attended a White House
ceremony honoring wounded warriors. The program (Soldiers Ride D.C.) was
sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project. It's a four-day event that provides a
bike ride for injured veterans and wounded service members, and this year the
final day included a White House ceremony. President Donald Trump spoke to
program participants and told them that veterans come first in his administration.
He stated that he wants to continue and expand the VA Choice Program as well as
continue efforts to improve the quality of leadership and accountability at the
Department of Veterans Affairs. The White House event was intended to bring
together the military and veteran communities to highlight their shared
commitment to empower injured service members.
AFRH CEO Visits FRA NHQ
As a direct result of FRA's members "Taking Action" about the pending
fee increase at the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH), the AFRH Chief
Executive Officer, Army Major General (Ret.) Steven Rippe and his staff met
with NED Thomas J. Snee and staff at FRA. They met to discuss the huge
rent increase being imposed on elderly military retirees living at the AFRH.
During the meeting, AFRH personnel explained that they are operating at a $22
million deficit and while the raising fee proposal alone will not cover this
deficit it will significantly close that gap. There are other proposals and
renovations planned that will generate revenue but still will not cover the
full deficit. FRA expressed concern that these huge rent increases will have a
devastating impact on individual residents.
The AFRH has two locations: One in Gulfport, Mississippi and one in Washington,
D.C. Together they are capable of housing up to 1,133 residents. Fees for those
in the independent living program (75 percent of residents) are based largely
on income. Beginning October 1, 2018, these fees will increase from 40 percent
of income to 60 percent of income. The current maximum rent is $1,429 per
month. After October 1, the average rent will be $3,054 per month. Many of the
residents who live there are elderly and on a fixed and limited income. This
extraordinary raise in rent will put a financial burden on those who have
served our country.
Members are urged to visit the Action
Center on the FRA website and continue to contact Congress urging them to
stop this excessive increase.
MilCon/VA Spending Bill
approved by Subcommittee
The House Appropriations, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs (VA), and
Related Agencies Subcommittee approved its portion of the FY2019 spending plan.
This is the first subcommittee to approve its portion of the budget. The
still unnumbered bill strengthens oversight and accountability at the
Departments of Defense and VA. Several provisions include: requiring rigorous
reporting on the status of VA claims processing, and the development of the VA
electronic health record, and oversight of large construction projects that are
managed outside of VA.
The bill provides a total of
$10.3 billion for military construction projects—an increase of $241 million,
or 2.4 percent above the enacted FY2018 level. Specifically, the bill provides
$1.6 billion to fund construction, operation and maintenance of military family
housing for FY2019. This is $173 million above the FY2018 level matching the
Administration's budget request. The funding will ensure quality housing is
sustained for all 1,400,000 military families currently served by the program.
The bill also includes $361
million for construction and alterations for new or existing military medical
facilities. This funding will allow for continued support and care for 9.8
million eligible beneficiaries. The bill will now go to the House Appropriation
Committee for further consideration. FRA will continue to monitor the
appropriations process to ensure adequate funding of FRA supported
programs.
PDBR Review of Disability
Claims Continues
The Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) was created by the FY2008
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to reassess the accuracy and fairness of
combined disability ratings of 20 percent or less for service members who were
separated from service, rather than medically retired because of medical
conditions. In order to be eligible for a PDBR review, service members must
have been medically separated between September 11, 2001, and December 31,
2009, with a combined disability rating of 20 percent or less, and found
ineligible for retirement. According to Military.com, only 19,000 of the more
than 71,000 eligible have requested a review of their claim. The PDBR claims
that more than half of reviewed claims have been upgraded to a disability
rating of 30 percent or more.
This review panel is authorized
to recommend an increase in a disability rating, uphold the previous finding, or
issue a disability rating when the previous board did not assign one. The
board, however, is NOT able to recommend a lower rating. Eligible veterans can
request a board review by submitting Department of Defense Form 294,
Application for Review of Physical Disability Separation from the Armed Forces
of the United States. Click
here to view form online.
Veterans requesting a review must
mail their completed and signed DD Form 294 to:
SAF/MRBR
550 C St. W., Suite 41
Randolph Air Force Base, TX 78150-4743
Applicants may submit statements,
briefs, medical records or affidavits supporting their application.
More information about PDBR is
available on their website.
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