Air Force Sergeants Association

Thunderbird Chapter 985, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma

http://afsa985.org/

AFSA 985 Facebook

Legislative Report for April 2013

Thunderbird Chapter 985 members, many important issues have come from you, the member. So,

we want to know what issues are of interest to you. For tracking purposes, we want to know all

efforts members are taking to help our AFSA issues, so please let us know anytime you make

contact with an elected official. Whether you call or write a letter/e-mail, help us with what topic

you contacted them with and what the response was. Responses can be e-mailed or called in to me,

any copies of your information can also be dropped off at our General Membership meeting on the

2nd Thursday of every month; next meeting is 11 April, 2013 Together we can make a difference!

Terry Turner, AFSA Chapter 985 President.

Current Legislation

House Passes Extension of Continuing Resolution

On Wednesday, while the rest of the Government took a snow-day and stayed home, the House of Representatives completed some vital work. The House passed and sent to the Senate H.R. 933, a new Continuing Resolution called the Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act.

HR 933 does not eliminate sequestration but it does allow mandated cuts within the Pentagon to be moved around. Included in the bill are full-year Defense and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bills. These appropriations are based on bills negotiated last year but uncompleted until now.

The House bill maintains the $86 billion of across-the-board cuts as mandated by the March 1 implementation of sequestration. However, instead of cutting across-the-board in Defense, HR 933 gives the Pentagon discretion on how it can spend its money. The Department of Veterans Affairs is exempt from sequestration. The remainder of the entire government remains subject to direct, across-the-board reductions as prescribed under sequestration.

HR 933 also contains an explicit prohibition against DoD charging any enrollment fee for Medicare-eligible retirees in the TRICARE for Life program. House passage of this bill is the first step to avoid a government shutdown and to prioritize Pentagon and Veterans programs. As readers know, current funding authority expires March 27, so completion of this bill is critical.

The 267-151 House vote sends the measure to the Senate, where a bipartisan coalition hopes to expand on the bill to give other Cabinet departments the same flexibility as promised to the Pentagon.

Sequestration

Pentagon, For Now, Won't Extend Furloughs into FY '14 Last week we reported DoD uncertainty about future furloughs for civilians. Decsions remained up in the air regarding the extent and timeline for a civilian workforce furlough problem and whether it might extend into the next fiscal year, depending on the fiscal year 2014 budget to settle required sequester cuts.

This week the Pentagon announced it is putting the brakes on future furloughs of its civilian workforce and will explore other options to curb spending inside the Defense Department. across-the-board budget cuts under the White House's sequestration plan.

DOD Comptroller Robert Hale on Monday said the department would not extend the furloughs, but rather seek "long-term options" to pay off the Pentagon's sequestration bill.

"We will look for other options. They may not be pleasant, and they may force us into some difficult choices. But we definitely don't want to repeat what we're doing now," Hale said.

Comptroller Hale said those future options may include force reductions within the armed services and "involuntary separations" of service members from the military ranks. "But we want to start doing this with more of a scalpel and less of a meat axe. We'll have to get smaller and we'll have to look at some areas where we can take some more risk," he added.

Active Duty News

Commissaries to Close Mondays This week the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) announced that commissaries will close on Mondays instead of Wednesdays as a means to save money due to sequestration. Many commissaries around the world already close on Mondays. If so, they will close the additional day on Tuesdays. Closures are scheduled to begin in mid-April. State Licensing for Spouses

DoD is continuing efforts to encourage States to allow spouses' professional licenses to transfer easily from state to state as military families move from one duty station to another.

Three mechanisms are in place to expedite licenses: (1) the spouse can present her previous license to the new state for acceptance if the requirements for the occupation are "substantially equivalent"; (2) the new state can issue a temporary license so the spouse has an opportunity to fulfill the requirements of the state through education and training; and (3) expediting the state's process for military spouses to obtain a new license.

Eligibility requirements and how to file are available online on state websites, and the Military OneSource website also has information on unemployment compensation

Veterans Legislation & News

GAO Study Finds Doctors Accepting Fewer TRICARE Patients

Researchers compared annual beneficiary survey data from 2008 to 2011 to the 2005 to 2007 period. Physicians outside TRICARE's managed-care network, known as TRICARE Prime, accepted 76 percent fewer patients compared to the earlier period. Overall, about 31 percent of non-enrolled beneficiaries, defined as individuals not enrolled in TRICARE Prime, reported problems finding a physician.

Researchers found that reduced access to mental care was one of the biggest problems. Only 39 percent of civilian mental healthcare providers took in new TRICARE patients compared to 67 percent of civilian primary-care providers and about 77 percent of civilian specialty-care providers.

Providers ranked reimbursement rates as the top reason why providers did not accept new TRICARE patients. TRICARE's reimbursement rates are largely based on Medicare reimbursement rates with out-of-network providers allowed to charge as much as 15 percent more.

In one California area that accepts TRICARE Prime, the leading reason providers cited was lack of awareness about the program. The report found that accessibility varied by location. Central and Southern California, Texas and Louisiana were the areas that reported the heaviest concentration of problems with access.

"America's veterans," Boehner wrote, "are counting on you."[Source: Associated Press | Lisa Cornwell | 22 Feb 2013 ++]

******************************

Veterans Crisis Line: Confidential Help for Vets. The Department of Veterans Affairs

provides the following: “The Veterans Crisis Line offers free, confidential support to

Veterans in crisis, as well as their family and friends. Save this number to your phone: 1-800-

273-8255 (press 1 for Veterans). You can also chat online or text professional responders at

838255.”

Military. The suicide rate was higher in the military than the general population

for the first time in 2012, with 30 incidents per 100,000, compared to 24 per

100,000 for a demographically comparable civilian population.

Guard/Reserve Legislation & News

S.629 : Guard-Reserve Retirees Vet Status. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to recognize the service in the reserve components of the Armed Forces of certain persons by honoring them with status as veterans under law, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Pryor, Mark L. [AR] (introduced 3/20/2013) Related bills: H.R.679 Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/20/2013 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Of Interest

Where can I find information about the current Congress?

1. List of Senators

2. List of Representatives

3. Congressional Profile from the Clerk of the House

Retirees

TRICARE Prime Service Area Cuts

2/13 - Beginning Oct 1, 2013, TRICARE Prime operations more than 40 miles from Military Treatment

Facilities or bases recently closed under BRAC will cease, meaning the 170,000+ beneficiaries now

enrolled in Prime in these areas will have to use TRICARE Standard instead. At www.tricare.mil/psazip,

you can check and see if your area is affected by entering your Zip code. You can also register for email

alerts from TRICARE Management Activity regarding the changes.

TRICARE Prime Service Area Update By now 171,000 TRICARE Prime beneficiaries should have received letters telling them that they live outside of the 40-mile radius from a military medical facility and are being dropped to TRICARE Standard from TRICARE Prime. This was due to the 2007 TRICARE contracts finally being settled and an agreement for all three regions to change on the same date, October 1. The House Armed Services Committee has received many thousands of letters in protest of this decision. We understand that there is concern in the committee and that consideration is being given to “Grandfathering” those affected by this move and to have any new enrollees being restricted to the 40-mile limit. We EMPHASIZE this possible move is only in the discussion phase and nothing has been decided. We encourage you to contact your elected officials and let them know how you feel about beneficiaries losing health care coverage many have counted on for their retirement. We also encourage you to send a letter to the House Armed Services Committee and let Chairman Rep. “Buck” McKeon and Ranking Member Adam Smith know how you feel. Here is the address: House Armed Services Committee 2120 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Attn: Chairman McKeon

S.572 : Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the conditions under which certain persons may be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain purposes. Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 3/14/2013) Related bills: H.R.577 Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs Latest Major Action: 3/14/2013 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.1360 : Retired Pay Overpayment Forgiveness of Deceased Vets. .A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for forgiveness of certain overpayments of retired pay paid to deceased retired members of the Armed Forces following their death. Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 3/21/2013) Committees: House Armed Services Latest Major Action: 3/21/2013 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Oklahoma Votes

March 25, 2013

In this MegaVote for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District:

Recent Congressional Votes

Senate: Fiscal 2013 Continuing Appropriations – Passage

Senate: Fiscal 2014 Senate Budget Resolution – Adoption

House: FY 2014 Budget Resolution – Adoption

House: FY 2013 Continuing Appropriations – Final Passage

Editor's Note: Both the Senate and House are in recess. The Senate is scheduled to return on Monday, April 8. The House is expected to return on Tuesday, April 9.

Recent Senate Votes

Fiscal 2013 Continuing Appropriations – Passage - Vote Passed (73-26, 1 Not Voting)

With a week left to avert a government shutdown, Senators passed a stopgap measure to keep federal funds flowing for the remainder of fiscal 2013. The Senate slightly expanded the spending package included in the original bill the House of Representatives passed on March 6, which only included full appropriations for Defense, Military Construction, and Veterans’ Affairs. Through a last-minute amendment put forth by Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., senators added additional spending provisions from three other related bills. The Senate approved Mikulski’s amendment 70-29 (roll call 42), less than an hour before the bill’s final passage roll call vote. All told, the bill appropriated $517.7 billion for the Defense Department, $71.9 billion for veterans programs and military construction projects, $39.6 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, $20.5 billion for the Department of Agriculture and $50.2 billion for commerce, law enforcement and science programs. Spending on all other government programs will remain flat from fiscal 2012 rates. The bill made slight spending cuts from the earlier stopgap spending bill set to expire on March 27 to get federal outlays under the discretionary spending caps of the 2011 debt limit law (PL 112-25). The senate rejected several floor amendments that cut funds from Homeland Security and defense biofuel programs. Senator Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., relented on consideration for the single-largest spending cut amendment, which would have redirected nearly $381 million in spending for the Army’s Medium Extended Air Defense System. Ayotte’s opposition to the program had held up final consideration of the bill for a week. The bill returned to the House the next day and received a motion to concur to its amended status,

passing it to the president’s desk for signing.

Sen. James Inhofe voted NO......send e-mail or see bio

Sen. Tom Coburn voted NO......send e-mail or see bio

Fiscal 2014 Senate Budget Resolution – Adoption - Vote Agreed to (50-49, 1 Not Voting)

Just before 5:00 in the morning on Saturday, the Senate passed its first budget resolution in four years by a single vote. Four Democrats – Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas – voted with Senate Republicans against the measure. Final passage arrived after senators spent 13 hours considering dozens of floor amendments on a huge swath of policy areas. Without any force of law, the nonbinding resolution laid out Senate Democrats’ alternative to the House budget, which passed two days before on a largely party-line vote (roll call 88). The Senate blueprint laid out $975 in new revenue and $975 in spending cuts over 10 years that promised to reduce the budget deficit $1.8 trillion in all. It also included additional economic stimulus and infrastructure investment funds supported by the White House. During floor debate, the Senate rejected a substitute budget put forth by Rand Paul of Kentucky that slashed spending by $9.6 trillion and cut taxes by $2.3 trillion over 10 years (roll call 69). Another Senate conservative firebrand, Texan Ted Cruz, offered unsuccessful amendments to repeal the Affordable Care Act (roll call 51), cut foreign aid to Egypt and build missile defense batteries on the East Coast (roll call 85), and withhold American funds to the United Nations until China rescinded its one-child population control policy (roll call 86). Republicans received Democratic support to pass amendments endorsing the Keystone XL pipeline (roll call 61), eliminating subsidies to the largest banks (roll call 70), and initiating a biennial budget process (roll call 65.) Senate Democrats played amendment tug-of-war, too. New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen successfully introduced an amendment backing women’s family planning and birth control access provided under the Affordable Care Act (roll call 54). Rhode Islander Sheldon Whitehouse’s amendment to create a carbon tax to combat global warming, however, failed (roll call 58).

Sen. James Inhofe voted NO......send e-mail or see bio

Sen. Tom Coburn voted NO......send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes

FY 2014 Budget Resolution – Adoption - Vote Passed (220-207, 4 Not Voting)

On Thursday of last week, the House agreed to adopt the concurrent resolution introduced a week earlier by sponsor Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., that would provide $2.769 trillion in new budget authority for FY2014, not including off-budget accounts. It assumed that the spending levels set by the sequester would stay in place and the discretionary savings from the sequester will come from nondefense programs. It also included the repeal of the 2010 health care overhaul and changed Medicare to a “premium support” system starting in 2024. In addition, the resolution called for changes to the tax code, including the consolation of the individual income tax brackets from six to two and the reduction or elimination of some tax credits and deductions. In addition to mapping out government spending levels for FY 2014, the resolution included “appropriate budgetary levels for FY2015-FY2023” that would assume $5.7 trillion in reductions over the next ten years in discretionary and mandatory spending. Prior to adopting H. Con. Res. 25, on Wednesday the House rejected five amendments that would have provided alternative budget plans: the Senate’s Concurrent Resolution from Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C. (Roll Call 83); the Congressional Black Caucus’ preparation from Robert C. Scott, D-Va. (Roll Call 84); the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ substitute from Raul M. Grijalva, D-Ariz. (Roll Call 85); the Republican Study Committee’s idea from Rob Woodall, R-Ga. (Roll Call 86); and the Democratic alternative from Budget Committee Ranking Member Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. (Roll Call 87). 171 Democrats attempted to force Republicans to pass or reject the conservative Woodall plan by voting present. That vote was the closest of any of the five to being approved.

Rep. James Lankford voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

FY 2013 Continuing Appropriations – Final Passage - Vote Passed (318-109, 4 Not Voting)

At the end of the legislative week, the House agreed to the Senate’s amendments to the bill that would approve the continuing appropriations through FY 2013 including $1.043 trillion in discretionary funds before the sequester. It funds departments and agencies at their FY2012 enacted levels, with adjustments for certain programs. The legislation provides $517.7 billion in base discretionary funding for the Defense Department, $71.9 billion for veterans programs and military construction, $20.5 billion for agriculture programs, $39.6 billion for the Department of Homeland Security and $50.2 billion for commerce, law enforcement and science programs. The legislation is now cleared for the president to sign into law, thus ending the lengthy process of funding government operations for FY2013.

Rep. James Lankford voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

March 18, 2013

In this MegaVote for Oklahoma's 5th Congressional District:

Recent Congressional Votes

Senate: FY 2013 Continuing Appropriations – Amendment

House: TANF Reauthorization, Welfare Rule Repeal – Final Passage

House: Consolidation of Job Training Programs – Final Passage

Upcoming Congressional Bills

Senate: Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013

House: Establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2014 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal

years 2015 through 2023

House: Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013

Recent Senate Votes

FY 2013 Continuing Appropriations – Amendment - Vote Rejected (45-52, 3 Not Voting)

At the end of last week, the Senate was mired in disagreement over how to proceed with amendment votes on a measure to keep the government running past March 27. Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and lead appropriators Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala., had hoped to complete debate and pass the bill by Friday. By late Thursday, however, it became clear that there were too many amendments to work through and little agreement on how to proceed, leading Reid to file cloture on the bill. The bill under consideration is largely identical to one passed by the House two weeks ago, though it adds full appropriations for the Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science and Homeland Security accounts. President Obama has stated his support for the more expansive Senate version. Before adjourning for the week, senators did vote on a handful of amendments, starting with one offered by Texas Republican Ted Cruz to cut off funding through the end of FY 13 for implementation of and rulemaking related to the 2010 health care overhaul. The Cruz amendment was defeated by a party-line vote of 45-52. The upper chamber also rejected amendments from Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, to increase funding for education and medical research (Roll Call 36) and from Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn to put in place a hiring freeze for non-essential federal employees (Roll Call 37). An amendment from John McCain, R-Ariz., to remove funding for infrastructure projects in Guam was adopted after Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois failed to table it (Roll Call 35).

Sen. James Inhofe voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Sen. Tom Coburn voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes

TANF Reauthorization, Welfare Rule Repeal – Final Passage - Vote Passed (246-181, 4 Not Voting)

The House moved last week to reauthorize the federal government’s main welfare program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), through the end of the year. Legislation is needed because authorizing language was not included in the continuing resolution. The bill also contains language forbidding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from taking further action on a program to give states flexibility in carrying out their welfare programs. HHS issued a memorandum last July proposing to waive certain TANF requirements if states could demonstrate success in moving welfare recipients into paid employment. Republicans have decried the move as essentially ending the work requirement embedded in TANF. The administration, in a policy statement issued on H.R. 890, noted that the HHS waivers were initially requested by governors and are intended to grant flexibility. The Senate is not likely to take up this bill, though TANF will need to be reauthorized by March 27, when its mandate expires.

Rep. James Lankford voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Consolidation of Job Training Programs – Final Passage - Vote Passed (215-202, 15 Not Voting)

The House passed a controversial measure last week to consolidate about three dozen federal job training programs into a single “Workforce Investment Fund.” Republican bill sponsor Virginia Foxx of North Carolina argued that the bill was necessary to cut down on duplicative programs that confuse and ultimately do little to help workers. Democrats almost uniformly opposed the measure, with only Blue Dogs John Barrow and Jim Matheson voting for the bill. Though Republicans claimed they were responding to President Obama’s challenge in his 2012 State of the Union address to “cut through the maze of confusing training programs,” the administration released a statement critical of the bill, saying it went too far by eliminating certain programs without providing additional assistance for vulnerable populations.

Rep. James Lankford voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Upcoming Votes

Department of Defense, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 - H.R.933

The Senate will be fully preoccupied this week with attempting to pass the government-funding bill. A cloture vote is set for Monday afternoon if agreement on amendments is not reached before then.

Establishing the budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2014 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2015 through 2023 - H.CON.RES.25

The House will debate and pass its budget resolution setting spending targets for the next decade. Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s vision includes the same controversial changes to entitlement programs like Medicare and Medicaid as it has in previous years. This budget also institutes nearly $6 trillion in spending cuts to achieve a balanced budget by FY 2023.

Congressional Responses

March 15, 2013

Dear Mr. Turner,

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. While some Americans simply sit by and hope things will change, I

appreciate the initiative you took to engage yourself in the national conversation about this important issue.

As you know, on June 28, 2012 the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the President's Affordable

Care Act based on the grounds it falls under the legislative authority of Congress to levy taxes. In a 5-4 decision, the

deciding vote went to Chief Justice John Roberts who wrote the opinion that "The Affordable Care Act's requirement

that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a

tax, and because the Constitution permits such a tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or

fairness." The Chief Justice also stated that it is not the role of the Supreme Court to protect people from their political

decisions. You can read the Supreme Court decision in its entirety

here: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/11-393c3a2.pdf.

While I am deeply disappointed in the outcome of the ruling and its broad expansion of the definition of a

tax, I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that health care decisions are made by the American people

in consultation with their health care providers. I stand firm in my commitment that these goals can be pursued through

other avenues. Simply because the Supreme Court interpreted this law as constitutional does not make it a good law.

We simply cannot afford this costly and undesirable program. I believe we can do better. Repeal legislation was my

first priority as a newly elected Representative and thousands of central Oklahomans have strongly encouraged me to

repeal this federal takeover of health care as soon as possible. Individuals and their doctors need to make important

medical decisions, not bureaucrats in Washington. You may be interested to know that on July 11th, the House voted to

repeal the law in its entirety for the second time in the 112th Congress. H.R. 6079, the Repeal of ObamaCare Act passed

the House by a vote of 244-185.

One of the most troubling aspects of the Affordable Care Act is the creation of the Independent Payment

Advisory Board (IPAB) which is a panel of fifteen unelected bureaucrats that will deny payment for certain Medicare

actions as a "cost-cutting" imitative. The fifteen individual IPAB members will be the ultimate decision makers for

many senior's healthcare. The IPAB does not improve patient care; its only purpose is to meet a bottom line. The

IPAB will also lack full congressional oversight, which will compromise its accountability to the American people. As

such, I am a cosponsor of H. R. 452, the Medicare Decisions Accountability Act which repeals the mandated creation

of the IPAB. The IPAB does not improve patient care; its only purpose is to meet a bottom line.

Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act will add an additional $3 trillion on top of the country's already

enormous $16 trillion debt. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) the health care law was

estimated to cost $900 billion to implement, but since passage in 2009, that number has doubled to nearly $1.8 trillion.

Another overlooked aspect of the health care law is the effect it will have on physician-owned hospitals.

Section 6001 prevents doctors from investing in new hospitals. Thus, doctors will not be allowed to invest or operate

new hospitals. Physician owned hospitals, such as Oklahoma Heart Hospital and Oklahoma Spine Hospital will no

longer be allowed to expand, and new hospitals are blocked from Medicare under the Affordable Care Act. Once this

law fully takes effect, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA's) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA's) will be discontinued.

Patient choice, like doctor participation is minimal in the President's health care law.

Another aspect of the Affordable Care Act that concerns me is the Department of Health and Human Services

mandate that requires private, faith-based medical institutions and charities to implement certain services regardless of

their religious opposition. Primarily, requiring them to provide abortifacients and contraceptives, regardless of their

moral opposition. I firmly believe in the freedom of religion without government intervention. In the freest country on

Earth, religious organizations should not have the federal government dictating their doctrinal practice.

As you may know, the Affordable Care Act will mandate a network of federally-dictated, state-based health

exchanges intended be fully operational by 2014. I have always maintained a staunch opposition to any form of

federally mandated state exchange system. If a state or private entity creates an exchange, that is their right, but it

should not have federal controls. I believe that involving the federal government in the administration and design of an

insurance exchange is a first step towards the full nationalization of health care in our nation. You may be interested to

know that Thursday, June 28th, I joined 61 of my colleagues in sending a letter (http://1.usa.gov/OarYAj) to the

National Governors Association urging each governor not to implement the state exchanges required by the President's

Health Care law. These federally mandated exchanges will be burdensome to already strapped state budgets, and

further preempt state and local authority over health care programs.

I believe that individual's health care decisions need to be between them and their doctors, not the federal

government. As we progress through this critical time in our country's path, I will certainly keep your thoughts on this

issue in mind.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your opinions on the Supreme Court's decision on the President's

health care law. As the 113th Congress addresses the many challenges facing our nation, I hope you will continue to

share your thoughts with me; however, due to increased security measures, mail delivery may be delayed for up to two

weeks before it arrives in my office. I encourage you to visit my website at www.lankford.house.gov to continue to

contact me via email in the future.

In God We Trust,

James Lankford

MEMBER OF CONGRESS

AFSA Supports

Go to CAPWIZ Link below and take ACTION:

1. Air Force Tuition Assistance to Restart in Mid April. An Air Force Times article reports, “The Air Force plans to reinstate its tuition assistance [TA] program toward mid-April, said Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Cody. The program will continue to cover 100 percent of education costs and there won't be any restrictions on what courses airmen can take for the rest of fiscal 2013, Cody told Air Force Times on March 28.

“The Air Force needs to divert between $75 and $90 million from elsewhere in the budget to pay for tuition assistance through the end of the fiscal year, he said. The service has not yet determined from where that money will come. The Air Force hopes to fund the program for the six months remaining in the fiscal year, but there is always the chance that funding will run out before then, Cody said.

“ ‘Between now and October, the Air Force will examine which airmen are eligible for tuition assistance and when they can use the program,’ he said.”

Source article: http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130330/EDU02/303300007/Tuition-Assistance-back-mid-April

[Chief Lokovic AFSA International Legislative Committee Bulletin 2013-067]

2. DoD Responding to Heavy Criticism for Eliminating the TRICARE Prime Option for over 170,000 Beneficiaries. The Administration decision to strip over 170,000 military

retirees, family members, and survivors of the TRICARE Prime option has resulted in extremely

heavy criticism and attention in the media. Accordingly, as reported in a DoD news release,

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson, sought to put the

Administration’s decision in a positive light, saying the change will only affect about 3 percent

of Prime beneficiaries.

Clearly, none of these changes were Dr. Woodson’s decision. He has no policy-making

authority in this regard. Like other DoD and military officials, he is tasked with speaking on

behalf of the Administration; supporting its policies; and accentuating the positive and

attempting to eliminate the negative perceptions/reactions on controversial decisions.

Over the years, AFSA leaders have consistently communicated that military retirement

healthcare benefits were paid for up front, earned by unique service and sacrifice, and the

funding of this healthcare for this relatively small and singularly worthy group of Americans

should be a national priority.

In the DoD news release, Dr. Woodson is quoted as saying, “The first thing TRICARE

beneficiaries should know about the reduction in the number of Prime Service Areas (PSAs) is

that it doesn’t mean they’re losing their TRICARE benefit. . . Next, it’s important to remember

this change does not affect most of the more than 5 million people using TRICARE Prime, and

none of our active duty members and their families.” The article goes onto say, “As always,

TRICARE beneficiaries are still covered by TRICARE Standard. For those living within 100

miles of a remaining PSA, re-enrolling in Prime may be an option depending on availability. To

do this, beneficiaries must waive their drive-time standards and, possibly, travel long distances

for primary and specialty care.”

In the article, Dr. Woodson does not explain why the Administration made this specific change

targeting the military retiree population; nor does his claim that this affects a relatively small

percentage of the beneficiary population have anything to do with the very negative impact on

the lives of the 170,000 excluded beneficiaries; nor does Dr. Woodson acknowledge that the

Administration has repeatedly proposed (and is expected to do so again) establishing an annually

growing TRICARE Standard enrollment fee (without any guarantee of level of service nor

healthcare provider availability); nor does he address the issue of an ever-shrinking pool of

healthcare providers for Standard enrollments. As pointed out in earlier bulletins, fewer and

fewer doctors are willing to accept TRICARE Standard patients due to inconsistent or inadequate

DoD reimbursement levels and policies. All of this contributes to reducing the value of the

military retirement healthcare benefit. Also, there was no need for Dr. Woodson to state that the

change does not apply to active duty members. It has been made clear during this

Administration that the only perceived military healthcare “problem” (purportedly degrading

readiness and adding to the budget deficit) is funding for the care of military retirees, their

families, and survivors.

Earlier this week, when Secretary of Defense Hagel addressed the National Defense University,

he said those making military and policy decisions should ask themselves, “Is this [decision or

action] worthy of the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, and their

families?” Hagel also told those at the University that our nation and its leaders should “defend

the nation, advance America’s strategic interests, and keep faith with its quiet heroes. . .”

Secretary Hagel’s words should not be empty platitudes, but are good and proper thoughts. In a

forthright and consistent manner, these sentiments should be realized and enacted to honor career

military service.

You can read the DoD article entitled, “Reduction Won’t Affect Most TRICARE Prime

Beneficiaries,” and those who will soon be pushed out of Prime might find it especially

interesting. They and you can access the DoD news release

at: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=119700

[Chief Lokovic AFSA International Legislative Committee Bulletin 2013-069]

AFSA CAPWIZ - Click Here

Military History Anniversaries

Military History Anniversaries: Significant April events in U.S. Military History are:

Apr 01 1745: French & Indian War: A fleet consisting of 19 transport ships escorted by 13 armed merchant vessels is

carrying a total of 4,220 American colonial militiamen toward Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The goal is the capture of

Louisbourg, the largest fort in North America. It was built and garrisoned by the French to protect the entrance to the St.

Lawrence River and French Canada.

Apr 01 1865 – Civil War: Battle of Five Forks – In Siege of Petersburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee begins his

final offensive.

Apr 01 1945 – WW2: Operation Iceberg – United States troops land on Okinawa in the last campaign of the war.

Apr 01 1948 – Cold War: Berlin Airlift – Military forces, under direction of the Soviet–controlled government in East

Germany, set–up a land blockade of West Berlin.

Apr 01 1954 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in

Colorado.

Apr 02 1865 – Civil War: The Siege of Petersburg is broken – Union troops capture the trenches around Petersburg,

Virginia, forcing Confederate General Robert E. Lee to retreat.

Apr 02 1917 – WW I: U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asks the U.S. Congress for a declaration of war on Germany.

Apr 02 1972 – Vietnam: The Easter Offensive begins – North Vietnamese soldiers of the 304th Division take the northern

half of Quang Tri Province.

Apr 03 1865 – Civil War: Union forces occupy the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia.

Apr 03 1942 – WW2: The Japanese begin their all–out assault on the U.S. and Filipino troops at Bataan.

Apr 03 1943 – WW2: USS Pickerel (SS–177) sunk by Japanese minelayer Shirakami and auxiliary subchaser Bunzan

Maru off northern Honshu, Japan. 74 killed

Apr 03 1945 – WW2: US 1st Army conquers Hofgeismar, Germany

Apr 04 1917 – WW I: The U.S. Senate votes 90–6 to enter World War I on Allied side.

Apr 04 1918 – WW I: The Battle of the Somme ends.

Apr 04 1945 – WW2: American troops liberate Ohrdruf forced labor camp in Germany. Also Kassel is captured after a 4

day struggle with the German Army.

Apr 04 1975 – Vietnam: Operation Baby Lift – A United States Air Force C–5A Galaxy crashes near Saigon, South

Vietnam shortly after takeoff, transporting orphans – 172 die.

Apr 05 1968 – Vietnam: Operation Pegasus was launched by the 1st Air Cavalry Division to relieve the marines at Khe

Sanh.

Apr 06 1862 – Civil War: The Battle of Shiloh begins – in Tennessee, forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant meet

Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston.

Apr 06 1865 – Civil War: The Battle of Sayler's Creek – Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia

fights its last major battle while in retreat from Richmond, Virginia.

Apr 06 1866 – The Grand Army of the Republic, an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the

American Civil War, is founded. It lasts until 1956.

Apr 06 1917 – WW I: The United States declares war on Germany (see President Woodrow Wilson's address to

Congress).

Apr 06 1945 – WW2: The Battle of Slater's Knoll on Bougainville comes to an end.

Apr 06 1972 – Vietnam: Easter Offensive – American forces begin sustained air strikes and naval bombardments.

Apr 07 1712 – Tuscarora War: Col. John Barnwell, commanding a combined white militia and friendly Indian force

numbering about 300 men, again besieges this main encampment of the hostile Tuscarora Indians. The Tuscarora had

launched a surprise attack in September 1711, killing about 130 colonists, prompting North Carolina to ask Virginia and

South Carolina for help. Barnwell's army was composed mostly of South Carolina militia. He had besieged the hostiles’

fort in March, but agreed to a truce after the Indians began torturing their captives within earshot of the militia. When the

Tuscarora failed to honor part of their agreement, Barnwell maintained the siege for 10 days, finally forcing the Indians to

surrender. All captives were freed and other conditions were met bringing the Tuscarora War to a close.

Apr 07 1862 – Civil War: Battle of Shiloh ends – the Union Army under General Ulysses S. Grant defeats the

Confederates near Shiloh, Tennessee.

Apr 07 1943 – Holocaust: In Terebovlia, Ukraine, Germans order 1,100 Jews to undress to their underwear and march

through the city of Terebovlia to the nearby village of Plebanivka. There they are shot dead

Apr 07 1945 – WW2: The Japanese battleship Yamato, the largest battleship ever constructed, is sunk 200 miles north of

Okinawa while en–route to a suicide mission in Operation Ten–Go.

Apr 07 2003 – Gulf War: U.S. troops capture Baghdad; Saddam Hussein's regime falls two days later.

Apr 09 1782 – Revolutionary War:4 day Battle of the Saintes begins.

Apr 09 1865 – Civil War: Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia (26,765 troops) to Ulysses S. Grant at

Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, effectively ending the war.

Apr 09 1916 – WW I: The Battle of Verdun – German forces launch their third offensive of the battle.

Apr 09 1917 – WW I: The Battle of Arras – the battle begins with Canadian forces executing a massive assault on Vimy

Ridge.

Apr 09 1937 – The Kamikaze arrives at Croydon Airport in London – it is the first Japanese–built aircraft to fly to

Europe.

Apr 09 1942 – WW2: The Battle of Bataan/Bataan Death March – United States forces surrender on the Bataan Peninsula

Apr 09 1945 – WW2: USS Snook (SS–279) missing. Most likely sunk by a combination of Japanese naval aircraft in the

Nansei Soto. 84 killed.

Apr 09 1981 – The U.S. Navy nuclear submarine USS George Washington (SSBN–598) accidentally collides with the

Nissho Maru, a Japanese cargo ship, sinking it.

Apr 09 2003 – Invasion of Iraq: Baghdad falls to American forces; Saddam Hussein statue topples as Iraqis turn on

symbols of their former leader, pulling down the statue and tearing it to pieces.

Apr 10 1942 – WW2: Bataan Peninsula, Luzon, Philippines – After more than three months of determined resistance,

American and Filipino forces are compelled by hunger, disease and lack of supplies to surrender to the Japanese army.

Among these units are the survivors of two Guard tank battalions, the 192nd from Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio and

Wisconsin, and the 194th from Minnesota and Missouri, as well as the 200th Coast Artillery (Anti–Aircraft) from New

Mexico. These men were subjected to the Bataan Death March with the survivors spending the next three years in

captivity.

Apr 10 1963 – USS Thresher (SSN–593) sank after a possible piping failure during deep submergence tests off New

England coast. 129 died

Apr 10 1972 – Vietnam: For the first time since NOV 67, American B–52 bombers reportedly begin bombing North

Vietnam.

Apr 11 1945 – WW2: American forces liberate the Buchenwald concentration camp.

Apr 11 1951 – Korean War: President Harry Truman relieves General of the Army Douglas MacArthur of overall

command in Korea.

Apr 12 1861 – Civil War: The war begins with Confederate forces firing on Fort Sumter, in the harbor of Charleston,

South Carolina.

Apr 12 1864 – Civil War: The Fort Pillow massacre: Confederate forces kill most of the African American soldiers that

surrendered at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.

Apr 12 1865 – Civil War: Mobile, Alabama, falls to the Union Army.

Apr 13 1776 – Revolutionary War: American forces are surprised in the Battle of Bound Brook, New Jersey. During the

battle, most of the 500–man garrison escaped.

Apr 13 1861 – Civil War: Fort Sumter surrenders to Confederate forces.

Apr 13 1972 – Vietnam: The Battle of An Loc begins

Apr 14 1918 – WW I: Douglas Campbell is 1st US ace pilot (shooting down 5th German plane)

Apr 14 1945 – WW2: US 7th Army & allies forces captured Nuremberg & Stuttgart in Germany

[Source: Various Mar 2013 ++]

Air Force Vision

The United States Air Force will be a trusted and reliable joint partner with our sister services

known for integrity in all of our activities, including supporting the joint mission first and

foremost. We will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the

combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the

American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and Power

for the nation.

This report is compiled from dozens of source to include: Gold Star Wives of America, Fleet

Reserve Association, The Retired Enlisted Association, National Association of Uniformed

Services, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, Uniformed Services Disable Retires,

Vietnams Veterans of America, Military.com, Veteran’s of Foreign Wars, The Retired

Enlisted Association, a bi-weekly report by James “EMO” Tichacek, USN (Ret) Director,

Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy, Philippines, American Legion, AMVETS –

American Veteran, Disabled American Veteran (DAV), Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOA),

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Oklahoma County Assessor Office, The

National Archive.gov, Retirees.af.mil, Official Military Websites and most importantly from

the Air Force Sergeant’s Association and its members. If you need more information on a

particular, please contact us.

Contacting your Elected Officials

Step 1: Determine who your Senator/Representative is.

House: https://www.house.gov/welcome.shtml

Senate: https://www.senate.gov

Step 2: Call the Capital Hill Operator and ask to be connected to the office of your elected

official.

1-888-762-8760

Step 3: Tell the office staffer that you want your elected official to support the bills listed in

this report. You can also send an e-mail to your elected officials through the above websites.

It’s important to let them know what is important to you! If you would like full details of

each bill, go to this website. http://thomas.loc.gov

Notes from your chapter legislative team: You can get more legislative information by visiting the AFSA Headquarters web page:

http://www.afsahq.org/

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

http://www.house.gov/writerep/ http://thomas.loc.gov

Please visit the AFSA Chapter 985 website at the following link for the latest

information!

http://www.afsa985.org/

Comments and suggestions are encouraged.