Free Tuition For Military Students Part Of Push To Help Minority Vets, Families
Officials at Fayetteville State University made headlines last week by promising free tuition to all military members and families, but they don't want that to be their only outreach to the military community. "There has been a missing component of the national dialogue with higher education and veterans," said Siobhan Norris, associate vice chancellor for military affairs at FSU. "Our Historically Black Colleges and Universities and minority-serving institutions, they've been underrepresented, underfunded and have not really been given the proper attention. Fayetteville State, a 153-year-old institution whose campus sits about 10 miles from the main gate at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, already boasts a significant military population among its students.
Bigger Bonuses, More Child Care Aid For VA Employees Under New Workforce Plan
Veterans Affairs workers could see bigger bonuses, additional child care support and more opportunities for promotion under a new workforce improvement initiative announced by Secretary Dennis McDonough on Wednesday.
Nearly 4,000 More 9/11 Vets Have Died In The Past 20 Years Than Anticipated, Study Finds
Post-9/11 veterans are dying at higher rates than Americans overall, particularly through accidents, suicide and homicide, new research has found. The death rates were significantly higher for those with a history of traumatic brain injury.
AFSA Selected to Serve on TMC Uniformed Services Compensation Working Group
By: Matthew Schwartzman, AFSA Policy Advisor, Legislative Affairs
For those who are unfamiliar, AFSA is a part of the Military Coalition (TMC), a group of 35 military, veterans, and uniformed services organizations in join pursuit of the following goals:
Maintaining a strong national defense provided by recruiting and retaining skilled and highly capable personnel in the seven uniformed services;
Maintaining uniformed services compensation and benefits at levels sufficient to attract and retain professional uniformed service members for careers of service to the Nation.
Representing the interests of the entire uniformed services community, including members' families and survivors, and responding to assaults upon the compensation and benefits earned by members of that community through years of dedicated service; and
Educating the public on the extraordinary demands and sacrifices associated with a career in uniformed service, and the need to maintain a similarly unique system of compensation and benefits to attract and retain the kinds and numbers of high-quality personnel needed to meet the Nation's short- and long-term defense requirements.
The philosophy of The Coalition is that, by working together on issues of mutual agreement, the participating organizations can harness the grassroots support of more than 5.5 million members plus their families and accomplish far more than by working on these initiatives separately.
TMC is broken down into specialized committees that specifically deal with certain issue areas. Currently, the AFSA is proud to have representation on the Personnel, Healthcare, Guard/Reserve, Retired Affairs, and Veterans committees - as well as serving in leadership capacities in Working Groups within the Personnel and Veterans committees.
Last week, in response to swirling conversations on the Hill surrounding the inadequacy of junior-enlisted pay, the Personnel Committee decided the time was now to stand up a Working Group to look at the current construction of Regular Military Compensation (RMC). The primary purpose of the working group is for its partnering organizations to seek to collectively determine whether RMC in its current form adequately compensates service members and their families for their service to our nation - or if modifications need to be made to sufficiently support a service members sacrifice.
RMC represents a basic level of compensation which every service member receives, directly or indirectly, in-cash or in-kind, and which is common to all military personnel based on their pay grade, years of service, and family size. RMC is defined as the sum of basic pay, average basic allowance for housing, basic allowance for subsistence, and the federal income tax advantage that accrues because the allowances are not subject to federal income tax.
As you will read in the following AFSA on the Hill Story, our Team is already proactively engaging with members of Congress to achieve the introduction and advancement of legislation that would improve BAH vitality - a significant cornerstone of RMC's integrity.
"We are thankful for having been selected to serve on this important Working Group," said AFSA's Chief Executive, Keith A. Reed. "Persistent, present, and proactive is our mantra, and the Team is ready to get after any solutions that ensure military pay comparability with the private sector."
As more updates are to be had on the Working Group's policy construction and lobbying efforts, our Team will keep you informed.
AFSA Meets With Hill Staff on BAH Reform
By: Vanessa Lee, AFSA Legislative Communications
Last week, AFSA's Policy Advisor, Legislative Affairs, Matthew Schwartzman, met with staff on the Hill to discuss potential reforms aimed at maintaining the vitality of the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). As of late, BAH in its current form has been called into question. Back in September, housing became so unaffordable in 56 Military Housing Areas (MHAs) that the Secretary of Defense had to reallocate nearly $160,000,000 to provide for a temporary hike in BAH for certain eligible service members. Those scheduled hikes were estimated to increase by 20% in five locations, 15% in 11, and 10% in 40.
Supporting a more adequate BAH was one of the 20+ calls to action our Military and Government Relations Team organized for the 2021 Legislative Awareness Week (LAW). Thousands of letters and e-mails on this issue alone were sent to elected officials by our members throughout the week - and we are committed to continuing our advocacy efforts on this issue beyond the LAW.
BAH is currently designed to cover 95% of a service member's housing costs. Changes to rules governing BAH rules have evolved - prescribing cost-sharing coverage as low as 80% and as high as 100%.
The latest change came with the codification of the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act, which reduced BAH rates in two ways:
Increased service member cost-share(s) from 0% - 5%
Eliminated coverage of renters insurance, which only accounted for 1% of DoDs BAH budget
Conversations with congressional staff included restoring BAH to 100% as it was for fifteen years before the FY2015 NDAA, reinstating full coverage of renters insurance as a part of BAH, further separating BAH categories by a service member's number of dependents, enhancing data collection on service member consumer trends in the housing market, and the construction of additional government-issued housing units to offset systemically increasing housing costs in the local market and issues surrounding capital generation for military families.
The week before last, Matthew attended a Military Housing roundtable hosted by the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN). The roundtable brought to light troubling facts presented by the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) of Harvard University, which include but are not limited to:
Resurgence in demand caused the overall rental vacancy rate to drop to 5.8%, limiting the number of available properties (in the aggregate) available to service members PCSing.
The overall share of cost-burdened renters increased by nearly 6% compared to 2019. 46% of renters were at least moderately cost-burdened (spending more than 30 percent of income for rent and utilities), including 24 percent with severe burdens (spending more than half of income on housing).
Rents have heightened considerably (by 10.9% year over year).
Rents increased in 148/150 markets, and by at least 10% in more than 50% of analyzed markets.
Home values increased by about 19% over the past year (this impacts rental markets when would-be buyers are forced out of the market and continue to rent in an inflationary consumer environment).
Black households are most likely to fall behind in rent payments.
We are cautiously optimistic that the conversations held will be complemented by decisive legislative action in the coming months, as the soon-to-be-expected President's budget submission will kick off the FY23 appropriations process.
As more updates unfold, our Military and Government Relations Team will keep you posted. If you have any additional questions on AFSA M&G efforts related to BAH, please don't hesitate to reach out to Matthew at mschwartzman@hqafsa.org.
Call To Action:Share How TRICARE's coverage of the Dynamic Orthotic Cranioplasty (DOC) Band Post-Op device negatively impact your family's quality of life!
For the past year, our Military and Government Relations Team has been working with AFSA military families on getting legislation introduced that would expand the scope of TRICAR's coverage of the DOC Band Post-Op device if a baby:
Is three to 18 months old; and
Is diagnosed with craniosynostosis or nonsynostotic positional plagiocephaly (to include torticollis)
Despite unsuccessful efforts (via FOIA request) to obtain important data for the purpose of quantifying the need of this issue in the aggregate, our Team is looking to hear from the field to share your story and help have your voice heard by members of Congress.
Issue Background
Helmet therapy is used to gently correct the shape of babies' skulls over time.
Newborn babies' skulls are soft plates with spaces between them. As the baby grows, these plates grow, gradually harden, and knit together.
Unfortunately, there are circumstances under which the soft plates may develop a flat spot or uneven appearance. This condition is called plagiocephaly.
Today, almost one in two babies (47%) is affected by some form of plagiocephaly.
When the baby's skull joins together too early, or in an abnormal way, this is called craniosynostosis. There are several types of craniosynostosis, depending on when the baby's skull joins together.
Today, it is estimated that 1 in every 2,500 babies has craniosynostosis.
Positional skull deformities and/or abnormalities - whether diagnosed as a form of plagiocephaly or craniosynostosis - can have short and long term health effects on a child.
However, despite this, TRICARE only covers the Dynamic Orthotic Cranioplasty (DOC) Band Post-Op device, synonymously referred to as a "molding helmet," if your baby:
Is three to 18 months old; and
Has had craniosynostoris surgery;
But still has a misshaped skull.
In other words, cranial molding helmet(s) are not covered for the treatment of nonsynostotic positional plagiocephaly or for the treatment of craniosynostosis before surgery; despite medical evidence that suggests the presence or absence of congenital or acquired plagiocephaly (to include torticollis) can, at the very least, increase the risk of gross motor development.
In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics school-aged children with moderate to severe plagiocephaly scored lower than controls on cognitive and academic measures.
As a result, military families - who face unique challenges given the sacrifices that come along with serving our country - have been put in the tragic position to either front the hefty cost of the helmet (approximately $2,000), seek alternative forms of treatment that may not be preferred, or forego treatment altogether.
We are pleased to share the AFSA Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay procedures and marketing materials to help share the process with our members, your membership and potential new recruits.
The Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay program creates an opportunity to JOIN AFSA or RENEW a membership by making a $36 once-a-year/every-year auto payment, or a $4-each-month/every- month auto payment. The $36 once-a-year option is set at $36, and the $4-a-month option includes a bank processing fee of $1 each month.
Review the two ways to enroll, the benefits to using the auto-pay option, and the marketing materials to help share the details of this program and ensure its success.
For questions, please contact AFSAHQ Member & Field team at 800-638-0594 x 288.
Please Update Your Contact Information Today!
Dear Air Force Sergeants Association Member,
In order for the AFSA to effectively communicate with our members, it is essential to ensure we have your current and / or valid e-mail address. We are in the process of updating our records and need your help! Please take a moment to ensure that we have your most current mail and email address (no .mil's); and accurate membership listing information.
We've made it easy, as you can update your information in either one of three ways:
Call Member & Field Relations team directly at 800-638-0594 x 288 (Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST)
Email to: msvcs@hqafsa.org
Visit www.hqafsa.org and select the UPDATE button on the right
We thank you in advance for your support and prompt updates.
AFSA Magazine Published: Read the Latest Edition Today!
Have you read the latest edition of the AFSA Magazine? The Fall issue features our Eye on Washington, Ultra-Endurance Military Athletes, How to Become a Servant Leader, Professional Spotlight on our Maintainers, member Final Fly-bys and much more.
In sum, last year, over 23% of students enrolled used GI Bill funds or military tuition aid programs to pay for their coursework. According to school researchers, this is nearly two times greater than the national average for HBCUs, and it already distinguishes the institution as a desirable destination for military-connected students.
However, university officials claim that their new offer, which will provide free tuition for all military-connected candidates (including family members) beginning in the fall 2022 semester, is part of a larger campaign aimed at more than just attracting prospective students to campus.
According to university Chancellor Darrell Allison, the goal is to "change the landscape of how we think about readiness in today's ever-changing job market and how we, in higher education, can support veterans and their families in their transitions to the civilian workforce."
Additionally, along with plans to urge Congress for greater pay for VA personnel, VA Secretary Denis McDonough has issued executive orders to provide more money and support to employees who may be considering private-sector jobs. Secretary McDonough also announced that the VA will increase the number of positions eligible for better general schedule grades and promotions, as well as create a new task group to "improve work conditions, promote work-life balance, increase scheduling flexibilities and reduce burnout." The department also intends to provide greater education aid to staff participating in degree programs, as well as extend eligibility for its child care subsidy program.
And lastly, a group of researchers, led by Jeffrey Howard, an associate professor of public health at the University of Texas at San Antonio, combed through the data of more than 2.5 million post-9/11 veterans to document their long-term health outcomes, with a special focus on those who had suffered a brain injury.
They discovered an excess of 3,858 fatalities among post-9/11 veterans. Accidents and killings were responsible for more of those deaths than in the overall population. When compared to civilians of the same age, gender, ethnic and racial makeup, veterans died at considerably greater rates of suicide, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, February 15, 2022.
Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guards and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!
