Weekly newsletter of the Fleet Reserve Association

March 2 2018           

In this issue:
FRA Staff Meets SASC-P Staff
State of the Coast Guard
DoE Secretary Wants School Choice for Active Duty Children
Happy Birthday Navy Band, Navy Reserves and Seabees

FRA Staff Meets SASC-P Staff
DLP John Davis and other key Military Coalition (TMC) members meet with Senate Armed Services, Personnel Subcommittee (SASC-P) staff for an off-the-record meeting. TMCpolicy committee co-chairmen were invited to discuss policy goals for their respective TMC policy committees. TMC Retiree Committee co-chair DLP John Davis told Hill staffers that comprehensive concurrent receipt reform is a top priority for FRA and TMC this year. There was extensive discussion regarding recently enacted TRICARE changes. Changes include fee increases, transition from TRICARE Standard and Extra to TRICARE Select, transition from three regions to two regions and various technical problems with the West region's new contract. Subcommittee staff indicated that they do not foresee any roll back of recently enacted fee increases. This meeting was similar to a TMC co-chair meeting with the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee staff in January.

State of the Coast Guard
NED Tom Snee attended Commandant (Admiral) Paul Zukunft's final State of the Coast Guard address at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Zukunft's tenure as 25th Commandant of the Coast Guard ends June 1, 2018. He thanked Congress, this Administration and quoted our Commander in Chief, President Trump, "No brand has gone up like the Coast Guard brand... incredible people that have done an incredible job." 

Zukunft reflected upon the Coast Guard efforts during the Nation's most catastrophic hurricane seasons on record. He claimed that Coast Guard efforts save the lives of more than 12,000 Americans. He said "The American public trusted us to respond. And respond we did." 

The Commandant also praised Coast Guard efforts to stem the tide of transnational criminal organizations, and "netted $7.2 billion worth of cocaine–before it could reach our shores, our streets, our friends and families." He shared the Coast Guard's activities in the Artic and "The need to recapitalize our polar icebreakers." He explained that very soon we will release a request, with the support of both the Administration and Congress, to acquire the first new heavy icebreaker in 40 years. The first installment of what will recapitalize our Nation's fleet of icebreakers. 

The next Commandant is expected to be announced in the near future. The appointment requires Senate confirmation. 

DoE Secretary Wants School Choice for Active Duty Children
Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently announced support for a proposal to allow military families to use $1.3 billion in public funds to send their children to private schools or pay for other education services. The plan is in line with the Trump administration's focus on promoting charter and private school programs as well as other alternatives to traditional public schools. 

DeVos said "Many active duty military families living in bases were dissatisfied with their neighborhood schools and that they deserved to have options." FRA's online survey of active duty service members (January/February 2018) backs up the Secretary's claim by indicating that 75 percent believe quality of schools for dependent children to be "Very Important" (the highest rating) Quality of Schools for dependent children tied for second out of 17 issues. Only Retirement benefits (100 percent Very Important) beat out this issue on importance. 

Under the proposal, the government would set up education savings accounts for these parents and deposit money that was earmarked for them in the public school system. The money can then be used to pay for private school, private instruction, therapy for special needs students, textbooks and other services. "We have an opportunity in that regard to empower them with some more of those choices," DeVos said "An education savings account would afford them a much different dynamic and approach to be able to get their education in the way that best works for them."

"The support for education freedom and choice in education is broad and wide," DeVos added. The proposal, backed by the conservative Heritage Foundation, would make the funds eligible to an estimated 126,000 military-connected children across the nation if they are not happy with their neighborhood schools. Currently, there about 400,000 students in various private school choice programs nationwide. Rep. Jim Banks, (Ind.) is expected to introduce a bill in the near future.

Happy Birthday Navy Band, Navy Reserves, and Seabees
FRA wants to congratulate the U.S. Navy Band on its upcoming 93rd birthday. 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.

FRA also wants to congratulate the United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve (1915-2005) on its upcoming 103rd birthday. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, launched a campaign in Congress to fund this reserve force. His efforts resulted in passage of legislation on 3 March 1915, creating the Naval Reserve Force, whose members hunted enemy U-boats during World War I.

Last, but certainly not least, FRA salutes the U.S. Navy Seabees (Naval Mobile Construction Battalion), a group founded on March 5, 1942. The Seabees have been building and fighting for 74 years and their "Can Do" spirit remains as strong as ever.