Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 09/12/2005

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
The debate over the Senate version of the Defense Authorization Bill continues, and I want your readers to be aware of a very important item that affects about 55,000 military widows and widowers and 200,000 “Greatest Generation” retirees.

As you know, current law reduces payments for the Survivors Benefit Plan (SBP) for survivors of members whose death was caused by military service. In those cases, the survivor is entitled to a payment t from the Department of Veterans Affairs (currently $993 a month for a spouse), and the SBP payment is reduced by that amount. Often, this wipes out most or all of the SBP annuity.

MOAA believes this is extremely unfair. If military service caused the service member’s or retiree’s death, the VA indemnity benefit should be added to the SBP annuity, not substituted for it. Most active duty deaths generate relatively modest SBP amounts anyway. And survivors of retirees shouldn’t have to forfeit any of the SBP benefits for which the retired member paid premiums,

Another inequity affects older retirees enrolled in SBP. Congress passed a law in 1998 that authorized paid-up SBP coverage for retirees who have attained age 70 and paid SBP premiums for 30 years. But Congress delayed the effective date of that law until October 2008 to save money. That delayed effective date means thousands of Greatest Generation retirees who enrolled in SBP in 1972 will have to pay premiums for 36 years—and will end up paying about one-third more SBP premiums than people who retired after 1978.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) has introduced an amendment to the Senate Defense Authorization Bill that would end these two major SBP inequities as of October 1, 2005.

Sen John Warner (R-VA), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has filed an amendment that would delete Sen. Nelson’s fixes and substitute language that merely calls for a study of the VA/SBP offset issue. By deleting any reference to paid-up SBP, the Warner amendment would effectively kill any fix for the “Greatest Generation” retirees.

Fixing these inequities is MOAA’s top legislative issue for this year. MOAA believes strongly that survivors and older retirees need action on Sen. Nelson’s amendment now, not just delays and studies.

I hope your readers will urge their senators to support Sen. Nelson’s SBP amendment and oppose any effort to dilute, defer, or deny these needed fixes for military survivors and retirees.

They can do that by visiting MOAA’s Web site at http://capwiz.com/moaa/home/ and clicking on the “Fix SBP Now” link.

Sincerely,
VAdm. Norb Ryan, Jr, USN (Ret)
President, Military Officers Association of America

Dear Admiral.
Justice delayed is justice denied. I urge all my readers to contact their Senators and Representatives and urge them to correct these inequities.

I have never been in combat. But I have full respect for any man that has. I feel that the flag in reality belongs to them. It is theirs because they shed blood to promote her freedoms. Here is a small poem showing my feelings.

Full Glory

Look at her, lift up your eyes, that’s our flag that’s passing by.
So many men have given their all to keep her waving high.
The drum roll sets a marching beat as she moves along the way.
It thrills my heart and always has to see her on display.
Those who’ve decided to desecrate her and call it freedom of speech
Have no regard for men who fought in some jungle or on some beach.
Where are the leaders we elect to care for the interests of this land?
To protect this symbol of freedoms quest from the traitors rending hand.

If you reside here under her flourish and proclaim this country’s rights,
Don’t be like the unleashed cur and decide the master’s hand you’ll bite.
Don’t tell me I’m not politically correct or give me a jingoist review;
Take your complaint to someone else that just might care for you
In my family tree resided, French, Dutch, Welch and more.
They found a life here years ago and found it worth fighting for.
If you find fault with my country or with the color of my flag
Feel free to find another home and I’ll help you pack your bag.

Look close at her while she’s waving; see the spirits of heroes past.
The blood that was shed on foreign land to stop a tyrant’s grasp.
Let us work to keep her safe and bright atop the highest pole
Let her remain a beacon when the heroes call their roll.
If what I’ve said bothers you and you wish to take it to task

Let’s call a meeting at the VFW and see how long you last.

Allen Watkins

Shaft Notes
Thanks to Congressman Sam Graves (R MO) for introducing legislation to protect service members from dangerous predatory lending practices. The legislation, H.R. 97 has been referred to the Committee on Veteran's Affairs. Graves said he thought loan rates should be the last thing on soldiers' minds.

"America's soldiers defend our freedom overseas," said Graves. "I do not think they should be taken advantage of at home."

A recent analysis of credit industry studies found that 26% of Military households have done business with high cost instant lenders. Those same soldiers are often then forced to continue taking out loans with higher and higher Annual Percentage Rates (APR) that make it impossible for the original loan to ever be repaid. The average APR for a pay day loan is 300%.

Graves' legislation would cap the APR for soldiers taking out pay day loans at 36%.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-257-5446 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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