American Legion Lorton, VA

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• American Legion Lorton, VA
• Nov 17, 2007

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Army G-1 Retirement Services Mission

• PRE-Retirement
• help retiring Soldiers and Families make informed
  decisions and smooth transitions
• ACTIVE DUTY Death Benefits
• help Families maximize benefits through the best
  Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) election
• POST-Retirement
• support Retired Soldiers their
• survivors until death

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Population Served -- Growing

• Year Active Soldiers Retired Soldiers
• 1920 204,000 6,000
• 1950 593,000 42,000
• 1960 873,000 102,000
• 1970 1,323,000 282,000
• 1980 777,000 425,000
• 1990 732,000 489,000
• 2007 512,000 785,000
• 150,000 annuitant surviving spouses
• 28,000 Soldiers retiring every year
• Retired Soldiers and spouses are a force of
• MORE THAN A MILLION!!!

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RSOs Working hard to serve YOU!

• Full-time (_at_ 75)
• Appropriated-fund (mostly)
• Subject Matter Experts on increasing number of
  topics
• Located worldwide
• Often 1-deep, serving wide areas
• Committed to serving retiring/Retired Soldiers
  Families

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Your Installation Retiree Councils Serving You
Well!

• RSOs - oversee installation Council
• Do GREAT work!
• Ensure that Commanders know
• what Retired Soldiers can do for the
  installation and the Army
• what installations and the Army can do for
  Retired Soldiers
• Advice Keep that a 2-way street!
• Tough -times for Cdrs

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CSA Retiree Council--Working for YOU!

• CSAs eyes ears on retirement issues
• 14-member Council meets each April in the
  Pentagon
• Membership comes from installation Retiree
  Councils
• Average 45-50 issues to consider yearly
• Co-Chairmen meet mid-year with CSA
  (October)

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07 CSA Councils Top Issues

• 1 Issue
• Sustain quality health care

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Health Care

• TRICARE TRICARE-for-Life plans may be the envy
  of those who pay more and get less.
• Before 2001, TRICARE ended when Medicare began
• Since 2001, TRICARE Medicare work together
  through TFL
• CSA Council concern keep up the good work -- if
  you HAVE to increase costs, keep them in line
  with the COLA.

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Health Care

• In 2006, DoD proposed raising TRICARE fees for
  working age (those not yet Medicare-eligible)
  retirees and family members.
• Congress responded in the FY07 National Defense
  Authorization Act (NDAA) said no to increased
  fees and called for a task force to be created
  and to report back in a year.

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Health Care

• Task Forces interim report in May suggested
  raising fees final report will be made in
  December. Updates and meeting notices are
  published on their Web site http//www.dodfuturehe
  althcare.net/

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Health Care

• Whats Going on in Congress?
• House version of NDAA delays any increases for a
  year nothing in original Senate version,
• BUT the Senate dropped its NDAA replaced
  it with the House version with Senate amendments.
  The amended Senate version includes a sense of
  Congress section saying that DoD should look
  elsewhere first to save money because military
  retirees earned this benefit.
• The Conference Committee will determine which
  prevails. The Senate has selected its committee
  members the House
• hasnt.

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07 CSA Councils Top Issues
2 Issue Strategic Communication
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Strategic Communication

• CSA told his Retiree Council members that he was
  adding strategic communication to his list of
  initiatives
• CSA called on all Retired Soldiers to help tell
  the Army story
• Retiree Council responded well take on that
  mission you give us the ammunition.

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Why are YOU key communicators?

• Committed Most Retired Soldiers served the Army
  for more than 20 years. Some of you suffered
  serious injury in service to our country. Your
  commitment to the Army has been tried and proven.
• Credible Friends and neighbors know that when
  Retired Soldiers and Spouses talk about the Army,
  you speak from experience.
• Connected Most Retired Soldiers and Spouses
  have left the nomadic military lifestyle behind
  and put down roots all over the world. As part
  of a community, youre better able to communicate
  the Army message to your neighbors.

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What about Army Alumni?

• Many Army Alumni are Still Proud, Still Serving,
  Still Saluting Veterans as well as Retired
  Soldiers
• All our proud Alumni are living proof of the
  words Once a Soldier, Always a Soldier
• As active Legionnaires, youre showing a
  continued commitment to your Community, the Army
  and the Nation
• We invite you to be part of the Chiefs StratCom
  team, telling the Army story, all Army Alumni

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Where to go for updates

• Army Echoes well be reporting more Army news
  so you can carry the Armys message to your
  friends, neighbors and Families
• For example, the media reported the problems
  in Walter Reed (and rightly so) the Secretary
  of the Army told us to report on what the Army
  was doing to fix the problems
• The Sep-Dec Echoes carried a page of news on
  how the Army is supporting Soldiers and Families.
• Our New Years Resolution In 2008, well report
  more news
• to help you share the Army story.

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Where to go for updates

• www.armyg1. army.mil/retire

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Where to go for updates

• Our homepage we can publish Echoes only three
  times year
• Where can you find late-breaking news
  between issues -- the Current News section of our
  homepage.
• Other homepages -- Current News and Echoes
  include links to other homepages for more news.
  Example -- the Army homepage http//www.army.mil/
  reports the latest Army news and strategic
  messages.

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One more request

• Please give e-Echoes a try!
• Youll save the Army money.
• Youll save a few trees.
• Electronically, we can give you frequent updates.
• AND
• If e-Echoes doesnt work for you, e-mail me and
  Ill switch you back to paper.
• Visit our homepage to volunteer!

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Recruiting Referral Bonus

• 2K referral bonus now payable to Retired
  Soldiers
• Refer someone to an Army recruiter
• Get 1,000 if the referral results in an
  enlistment, and
• Get 1,000 more if the Soldier successfully
  completes basic and advanced training
• To date 2K payments to more than 118 Retired
  Soldiers
• More Info 1-800-223-3735, ext. 6-0473

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Legislative Update

• SBP
• The House NDAA does not eliminates the DIC
  offset but it includes a special 40 month
  allowance for these surviving spouses.
• The old Senate NDAA did not eliminate the
  offset the new Senate NDAA includes an amendment
  to eliminate the offset.
• The new Senate NDAA also changes the SBP paid-up
  effective date from 2008 to 2007.

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Legislative Update

• Concurrent Receipt
• The Senate and House NDAAs would extend
  Combat-Related Special Compensation to with those
  retired for disability with fewer than 20 years
  service however, the differing details will have
  to be worked out in Conference.
• Pay-Related
• The earlier Senate NDAA provided for starting
  Reserve retired pay before age 60 using
  active-duty mobilization time to determine the
  retirement age.

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Follow Legislation

• thomas.loc.gov
• (Note no www.)

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• Good News
• (you wont read in the newspaper!)

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COLA

• The Cost-of-Living Adjustment to Retired and
  Annuitant Pay will be 2.3. Its effective Dec.
  1, 2007 which means Military retirees will see it
  in your checks Jan. 2, 2008, the first business
  day of the month.
• Where does this figure come from? Its based on
  the rate of inflation it compares the Consumer
  Price Index (Wage Earners) for July-September of
  last year with the same period for this year. It
  is not related to the active duty pay raise
  last year your COLA was higher, this year it will
  be lower.

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Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)

• 2005 year of most sweeping SBP change since
  1972!
• SBP annuity now 55 annuity FOREVER
• 2-1/2 year phase-in of SBP annuity increase to
  55 soon complete
• 1 Oct 05 35 became 40
• 1 Apr 06 40 became 45
• 1 Apr 07 45 became 50
• 1 Apr 08 50 will become 55
• A 2.5 Billion dollar enhancement!

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Paid-Up SBP

• 1998 law enacted this provision
• Congress delayed effective date for 10 years -- 1
  Oct 08
• Attempts to move it ahead have failed to date
• Moving paid-up SBP from 2008 to 2007 is in the
  Senate version of NDAA will see what happens in
  committee.
• When implemented, no premiums paid after 2
  milestones met
• 1) paid 30 years
• 2) reached age 70
• Councils Position move the date ahead to
• the earliest date (would be 1 Oct 07)
• -- The right thing to do!
• -- Cost to do so is 500M (fairly small)

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Active Duty Deaths SBP

• RSOs
• - expend a huge amount of time, effort and
  care!
• - ensure Families get MOST money into
  households from SBP
• - since 2004, 1,045 Families counseled
  benefiting 1,957 children of Soldiers

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Forgotten Widows Benefit

• Available since Dec 1997 applications continue
  to trickle in
• 1,250 approved/paid by Army to date
• 211/mo. payable (retro amount approx 13,000)
• Army funds paying around 2M/year to this
  population
• Rationale had member lived, he would have
  enrolled in SBP
• Criteria
• o Deceased Member --
• retired and died before 20 Mar 1974 (Active Duty)
  or 1 Oct 1978 (RC Member)
• o Applicant --
• married to retiree at time of death
• never remarried

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Progress on Concurrent Receipt

• Background A BAR to receiving full military
  retired pay and full VA disability compensation
  has existed for 100 years
• Two programs created since 2003 that give SOME
  relief to the MOST disabled

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Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)

• SERVICE
• Must have ALL 4
• Retired from AC or RC, or medically retired with
  at least 20 years of service
• Rated as 10 or more service-connected by VA
• Receive retired pay
• Have retired pay offset by VA disability
  compensation

• DISABILITY
• Must have at least 1
• Simulation of War
• -- hurt knee reacting to enemy fire during FTX
• Hazardous Service
• -- hurt knee on a night jump during SF school
• Instrumentality of War
• -- hit knee on rotating tank turret during FTX
• Armed Conflict
• -- shot in knee by enemy

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CRSC Info Sources

• Call CRSC Branch at
• 1-866-281-3254
• Go online to
• www.crsc.army.mil
• Call your RSO

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You can get involved

• The Armys CRSC Branch is developing a network of
  support for the program and Retired Soldiers who
  may be eligible
• CRSC Ambassadors volunteers who spread the word
  and help Retired Soldiers with their
  applications. There are about 250 CRSC
  Ambassadors (40 new ambassadors since we report
  on the program in our last Echoes)
• CRSC Affiliates a new program through which
  groups such as Veterans Service Organizations can
  provide information on CRSC to those who might be
  eligible
• YOU CAN GET INVOLVED!

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Second Concurrent Retirement Disability
Payments (CRDP)

• Same goal -- different population
  (SERVICE-disabled)
• No application -- must be at least 50 VA-rated
• DFAS VA match files restore appropriate
  amount of money back into your retired pay
• A phased-in entitlement over 10 years (thru 2014)
• Government Cost 22B over 10 years

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ID Cards

• Indefinite ID Cards authorized for dependents who
  are
• -- age 75
• -- permanently incapacitated
• Eliminates the need for renewals every 4 years
  in-person or by mail
• Recognizes hardship associated with renewals

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Long-Term Care Program

• Launched by OPM in early 2002
• Retired Military Members ARE eligible!
• Covers care NOT covered by TRICARE
• Enroll anytime -- no Open Season wait
• Check it out compare policies
• Statistic 1 in 4 chance of spending 100K on
  L.T.C.
• More info at www.LTCFEDS.com
• Call toll-free 1-800-582-3337

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Armed Forces Recreation Centers

• Orlando, Florida (Shades of Green)
• in 2004, expanded from 297 to 586 rooms
• Honolulu, Hawaii (Hale Koa)
• opened second hotel in 1995
• Seoul, Korea (Dragon Hill Lodge)
• increased guest rooms from 95 to 394
• Garmisch, Germany (Edelweiss Lodge)
• opened Oct 04, 300 rooms

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Space-A Travel

• Travel anywhere Space-A flights go
• Spouses no longer limited to overseas flights
• FAX request to departure site
• Sign up for 5 destinations
• Stay on list for 60 days
• Semper Flexum!

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Army Career Alumni Program

• Now offers Retired Soldiers use for life of their
  services
• job assistance workshops
• individual counseling
• job search resources
• Resume preparation
• More info at
• www.acap.army.mil

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The new Army Retired Pin

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Closing Thoughts

• We are not just an ARMY at war -- we are a NATION
  at war!
• Much of our success hinges on KEY INFLUENCERS who
  encourage the notion of service-before-self!
• YOU are CENTERS OF INFLUENCE in your communities
  and the Army and Nation needs you!
• Just as we will never forget those who are
  answering the call NOW, we will never forget YOU!

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So as You Continue to LIVE Army Values
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Still Proud Still Serving Still Saluting
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Thank you for Your Service!