Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 03/04/2002

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) is disappointed with the FY 2002 National Defense Authorization Act's lack of action on addressing concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation. As you know, disabled military retirees are the only group of federal employees required to forfeit a dollar of retired pay for every dollar they receive in VA compensation. The FY 2002 National Defense Authorization Act authorized an end to this inequity, but did not fund it.

In addition, many of FRA's members who were counting on passage of concurrent receipt are equally disappointed. FRA's Legislative Team believes members of the Armed Services Committees meeting in conference to iron out differences between the House and Senate versions of the defense bill did little to address the real issue. The Senate agreed to authorize the full concurrent receipt package in 2002, but the problem then became a question of funding the program through the appropriations process. Many things can be authorized, but if there is no money, the action is in effect meaningless.

Rep. Michael Bilirakis (Fla.) and Sen. Harry Reid (Nev.) championed legislation (H.R. 303 and S. 170 respectively) addressing concurrent receipt, which enjoys unprecedented bipartisan support in Congress with 378 cosponsors in the House and 75 in the Senate. However, while 84 percent of congressional members lent their names to the advocacy of the bills' adoption, significantly fewer came forward to push the bill's passage.

FRA is committed to enactment of full concurrent receipt for all disabled retirees. Retired and disability pays are totally different. Retired pay is a force management tool designed to attract and retain large members of high quality service members to pursue a military career. It is offered in recognition of the fact that members are forced to start a new civilian career in their forties and face a substantial income loss when they leave the military. Disability pay, on the other hand, helps to compensate members for injuries or disease incurred in the line of duty. The monetary benefits compensate for pain, suffering or injury and the member's reduced earning potential.

FRA will not give up the fight for concurrent receipt and is asking all disabled military retirees to do likewise. Stay in touch with your senators and representatives. Let them know you are disappointed in the way Congress ducked the equity question of concurrent receipt, and seek their active support in 2003.

Yours in Loyalty, Protection and Service,
Richard B. Smith, National President
Fleet Reserve Association

Dear Richard:
Once again the Congress has failed to provide funding in the Defense Authorization Act to end the dollar-for dollar reduction in military retired pay for disability compensation. The unique nature of military service, given the sacrifices and hardships, should merit these retirees receiving both military retired pay and VA disability compensation. Without funding of this earned benefit, concurrent receipt will turn into Congressional deceit. 

And once again these famous words of Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “Tommy,” will ring aloud:

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o' beer,
The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:
O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play.

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide

O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.
Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, 'ow's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints,
Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;
While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind",
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir", when there's trouble in the wind.

You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires, an' all:
We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.
For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
An' Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool -- you bet that Tommy sees!

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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