Military retirees, federal annuitants and Social Security recipients will begin receiving a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in January 2012. This same increase will eventually apply to VA disability compensation and survivor benefits provided Congress finalizes legislation authorizing the increase (The House passed H.R. 1407 on May 23; the Senate has yet to act).
“Supercommittee” may address military pay/benefits. Commissary director defends appropriations for commissaries as a good investment. NDAA delay could affect important programs.
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TRICARE Prime fees increase for “working age” military retirees; pharmacyrates also change. Family and Medical Leave Act adjustments for federal employees married to military members. Military retiree COLA for CY 2012 to be released the third week of October. House agrees to short-term concurrent resolution.
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Legislation to provide mental health support for Guard members. Contrasting retirement systems of elected officials with federal civilian retirees. HASC Chair speech on national defense.
Bulletin attached. Click Here.
Happy Birthday U.S. Air Force!
LEGISLATIVE UPDATES AND NEWS
Senate Panel Freezes DoD Funding for FY 2012. The Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee decided on Tuesday to keep DoD spending at current levels, allocating just $513 billion in basic defense spending for FY 2012-$26 billion less than the President requester earlier this year. Appropriators did however agree with the Administration on war-related funding and they are recommending that $117.8 billion be provided for Overseas Contingency Operations.
Your local AFSA Chapter 1179, is supporting the local VA on 12 Sept 2011 for a POW/MIA event. We are looking for 40 individuals who are willing to help escort veteran’s who served our country since WWII. These individuals were actual POW’s/MIA’s during their time of service.
Location: 1055 Clermont Street. Denver CO 80220 (basically 9th Street, one block off Colorado Boulevard) It will be in the VA Medical Center auditorium, which is in the basement of the facility.
Date: 12 Sept 2011.
Time: The event starts at 1000, but we will be early to escort the DV’s. They are requesting we be present at 0830. The event will last about 1 hour long.
Uniform: Service Dress.
POC: MSgt Christopher Hart or SMSgt Rachel Bryan-Teige
Legislative Platform, Open Letter and Resolution Ratified AFSA members attending the 2011 Professional Airmen’s Conference and AFSA International Convention in San Antonio, Texas, ratified the 2011-2012 Legislative Platform, a basic list of legislative targets AFSA lobbyists will purse in testimony and face-to-face visits with congressional representatives during the coming year. These targets will be available on the AFSA Home Page and detailed in future AFSA publications. The delegates also unanimously passed an “Open Letter to Congress and the President” urging them to maintain earned military benefits.
Monthly AFSA meeting @ Netwch’s Den. Come out and be a part of our professional organization, talk about the upcoming events and volunteer opportunities & learn what could be affecting your pay, retirement, health care & quality of life.
July 2011 AFSA Minutes
Arlington Nation Cemetery Problems, Investigations Broaden A number of problems have emerged at Arlington National Cemetery over the past year and a half, including dozens of instances of misplaced or misidentified remains due to poor record-keeping practices. Now Army investigators are looking into why 69 boxes of burial records from Arlington were found abandoned in a commercial storage facility. This new investigation was revealed at a June 23 House Veterans’ Affairs Committee oversight hearing to obtain an update on the problems that have plagued the Cemetery.
Monthly AFSA meeting @ Netwch’s Den. Come out and be a part of our professional organization, talk about the upcoming events and volunteer opportunities & learn what could be affecting your pay, retirement, health care & quality of life.
June AFSA Minutes
