Alexandria, Va., April 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Do right by those who serve, have served, and their families.
That’s the message the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) will deliver to Congress April 10 when it deploys 150 teams from its council and chapters.
“We are seeing pay and benefits compromised and eroding,” said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dana Atkins, president and CEO of MOAA. “At the same time, we have studied military retirees’ health care costs. We see how closely they align with civilian health care costs. We are seeing grieving spouses who are financially penalized by an outdated and unjust law. This isn’t right.”
Military Pay. Compensation is tied to the robust and lethal force the administration has committed to building. However, given a Congressional Budget Office report last year, the association wants to ensure pay remains a priority for legislators.
Health Care Benefits. There’s just a 4% difference between a civilian family’s health care cost share and a military retiree’s health care cost shares, the association found.
Surviving Spouse Compensation. A federal commission has already agreed with veteran service organizations: When military service causes a member’s death, Veterans Affairs indemnity compensation should be paid in addition to the voluntary, member-purchased annuity. Instead it is being subtracted from it.
“I believe Congress wants to do right by the military community,” said retired Air Force Col. Dan Merry, vice president of government relations at MOAA national. “We are on the same team in this regard. But we need to voice our priorities — loudly and with a large show of force in person and online — to compel their commitment to approve and fund those priorities.”
To follow storming coverage, search #MOAAStorms on Twitter.
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About MOAA:
Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) is the nation’s largest military officers’ association with 350,000 members from every branch of uniformed service, including active duty, retired, National Guard, Reserve, and former officers and their families and survivors. MOAA is a nonprofit and politically nonpartisan organization, working as an influential force in promoting a strong national defense. MOAA represents the interests of service members and their families in every stage of their lives and careers. For more information, visit www.moaa.org.
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