Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 04/05/2004

Dear Sgt Shaft:
We at the Non Commissioned Officers Association greatly appreciate that you never compromise or make light of the rights and benefits in your advocacy for those who serve in the Armed Forces.

NCOA believes that no issue is more important in 2004 than to ensure the voting rights and protection of ballots cast by all citizen soldiers! Even today, the voting debacle of 2000 cause military people to question whether or not their votes counted in that significant presidential election year. All citizens who wear the military uniforms of America must be familiar with the voting procedures and processes to ensure their most precious right to Vote in all elections for which they are eligible. Personnel now have more information resources on how to register to Vote from the DOD 2004-2005 Voting Guide available in their units and also worldwide on the Internet at www.fvap.gov.

Please encourage all military personnel to review the Voting Guide to learn for themselves their state’s criteria to register as an absentee voter. This same action is appropriate for military sponsor’s voting eligible family members. We believe that every citizen should be knowledgeable of the voting process and personally responsible for their individual registration and eventual casting of ballots. No military voter should be disenfranchised or not have their ballot counted because they failed to comply with their state’s voting requirements.

Personal responsibility for the military member includes the requirement to complete their absentee voting forms correctly and as importantly that the forms be legible. A number of military people fail to have their voting registration completed because their handwriting was illegible. It cannot be over emphasized that every military member has individual personal citizen responsibilities when it comes to voting. The process starts with legible documents being sent to their state voting office, receipt of their election ballot, and they must vote the ballot and mail it in time to be counted in the election process. NCOA believes every vote counts. A lot of effort has been taken to make absentee voting for members of the Armed Forces a reality. Let’s make sure that America’s Armed Forces exercise their personal responsibility and right to vote in every election for which they are eligible to participate.

NCOA has appreciated the efforts of the DOD Federal Voting Assistance program to ensure that military voters have the resources available to them to participate in all 2004 elections. It was with disappointment that the Association learned of the cancellation of the electronic voting project SERVE scheduled for some overseas based service members to be able to vote using personal computers over the Internet. That initiative would have begun the process to move military absentee voting into the 21st Century. The cancellation of the SERVE initiative because of security concerns and any possible perception or interpretation of a questionable or fraudulent ballot in this Association’s judgment was the right decision to make.

Let’s all support our troops in the 2004 election process.

Sempfer Fi
Gene Overstreet
President, Non Commissioned Officers Association

Dear Gene
In a May 2002 hearing on military voting, John McHugh (R-NY), chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, stated:

“… the Subcommittee turns its attention to an issue of great importance to the men and women serving in uniform-their right to vote.

“The narrow margin of victory during the Presidential election of 2000 catapulted military voters into the headlines. As the nation watched the counting of the final ballots in Florida, it became apparent that many of those ballots belonged to 176,000 active duty military members who were registered to vote in Florida.

“The importance of the absentee vote in a close election was not lost on military members and their families around the world. Members of Congress soon received numerous complaints from service members who believed that they were denied the proper opportunity to vote. The complaints included lack of responsiveness from state election officials, poor mail delivery and pickup, and inability to get information and registration/voting materials.

“Many of those military voters were angry. They felt they had been disenfranchised without good reason and cheated out of their vote.

As I mentioned in previous columns;

The Pitney Bowes Corporation has for many years been using a combination of digital printing, secure encryption and networks to provide security and verification of postage funds totaling more than $14 billion per year.

In light of their experience Pitney Bowes has developed a service based around these technologies which will provide verifiable date stamping for ballots which are submitted overseas. This will allow the ballots when received, to be authenticated for date of submission and subsequent inclusion in the vote.

This system if implemented, could be stationed at embassies, military bases and a variety of different network connections could be developed to suit any specific voter or control requirements. Unfortunately top apparatchiks at the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Defense have failed to implement this technology. I urge them to get off their bureaucratic duffs and ensure our military votes are appropriately counted.

Shaft Kudos
Congratulations to VA medical Center Director Sanford Garfuncle who recently received two prestigious awards

The Under Secretary for Health Exemplary Service Award In Appreciation for 10 years of Dynamic Leadership and The American College of Healthcare Executives GOVERNOR'S AWARD.

Employees at the Medical Center surprised Sandy with a reception recognizing his achievements.

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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