The American Legion draws line in sand over military retirement

Aug. 18, 2011

By Jimmie L. Foster

For the past year, I have traveled through every state and several foreign countries meeting with veterans, servicemembers and military families. This experience has given me the opportunity to listen and learn from the heroes of yesterday, today and tomorrow. While meeting our young warriors of today, I saw the same dedication, resolve, and honor that was apparent when I served in uniform. It made me happy to be a veteran, national commander of The American Legion and, most importantly, an American.

Yet I realized these young men and women have earned our unwavering support and unconditional dedication in return for their service. These warriors are fighting for us, our country and our ideals. While they are focused on our enemies, a debate has begun over how we can change their retirements, their benefits and their quality of life; these kinds of proposals are unconscionable and The American Legion opposes them outright. The Department of Defense must not support changes to its military retirement system that would prove detrimental to the men and women in our armed forces.

The American Legion is mindful of the difficult economic times faced by Americans, and the importance of fiscal responsibility by our federal government. We understand that we have to make sacrifices together as a nation to get through these especially challenging times.

We must draw a line in the sand when it comes to reducing military retirement benefits earned by our warriors.

Last month, the Defense Business Board issued a plan to "modernize" the military retirement system by introducing a 401(K)-style alternative, based on the current Uniformed Military Personnel Thrift Savings Plan. In most private-sector savings plans, employees contribute portions of their salaries to 401(K) accounts (usually over many years) to build their retirement funds. Some observers argue that military retirement, earned after a minimum of 20 years service, is unfair when compared to such private-sector plans.

Much of the problem inherent in this argument rests upon what Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen has referred to as "a growing chasm developing between civilian and military populations in this country." How does one compare the sacrifices made by career servicemembers to those made by civilians? Why should military retirement benefits be measured with a private-sector yardstick?

For about 99 percent of our population, their "sacrifice" in fighting the global war on terrorism consists mainly of standing in long lines at the airport, and taking off their shoes and belts whenever they fly. The remaining one percent of Americans – our men and women in uniform – understand the real meaning of sacrifice in this decade-long war.

These are the people who have sacrificed their lives, their bodies, their peace of mind and – in some cases – their hopes and dreams for this nation. These heroes have slept on rocks in godforsaken places, taking the fight to those who have vowed death and destruction to America. These are people who have witnessed upheaval in their families, who have missed seeing their children grow up, and who often return home unable to find a job.

Some plans being discussed would require active-duty servicemembers to put a percentage of their salaries into a retirement fund; this type of "solution" has been rejected in the past. A 1978 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, "The Military Retirement System: Options for Change" found serious problems in a contribution-based system.

One major disadvantage was that junior enlisted servicemembers with families did not have the available income to make such contributions. If they were allowed to opt out of such a retirement plan, they would do so for many years and thereby defeat the plan's purpose.

I'm sure that many of us have heard of – or met – junior enlisted servicemembers who qualify for food stamps. If you haven't, you should be aware that they exist out there – even as they sacrifice for our security and freedom. Some military families simply can't get by these days without assistance. So how much worse will they fare if DoD makes contributions to military retirement mandatory?

The CBO report said that, in order to compensate servicemembers for their retirement contributions, base salaries would have to be increased proportionately. This expense, combined with DoD's matching contributions, would actually increase the overall budget.

You can't start tinkering with this retirement system without reevaluating the whole pay structure in the military. It isn't something you can do piecemeal. Military salaries and benefits are an inter-related package and have to be considered that way.

The shorter periods of military service, compared to several decades of private-sector employment, reflect further differences between military and civilian life. Service in uniform is a young person's game. After 20 or 25 years of high-tempo, physically demanding circumstances, it's time to move on to other things. You can't compare it to a lifetime career as a broker or an insurance salesman.

Military service is a high-pressure job that takes a physical and emotional toll – 20-year enlistments that often include four to six combat deployments, post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and all the aches, pains and worn-out joints that arise from carrying a 70-pound rucksack.

At home, our mistakes at work may be measured by bar graphs or profit margins. Mistakes in combat are measured by body bags.

National defense remains a key concern of The American Legion. We will not lie dormant while 'bean counters' sabotage the compensation package earned by servicemembers through their years of sacrifice and dedication to duty.

I call on The American Legion's 2.4 million members, as well as The American Legion Auxiliary, the Sons of The American Legion – and all Americans – to join me in protecting those who are fighting for us. This is a serious threat to America's security that must not go unchallenged.

Jimmie L. Foster of Anchorage, Alaska, is national commander of The American Legion, the nation's largest wartime veterans organization with 2.4 million members.

Media contact: Marty Callaghan, 202-263-5758/202-215-8644 or mcallaghan@legion.org

For the Veteran,

Bob Ouellette

The American Legion
~Commander, Southern Maryland District

Direct: 240-505-4660
Office: 703-697-3397
Email: BobO@post295.org

PSA-Fort Meade Community Job Fair (Sept 14, 2011) and Fort Meade Wounded Warrior Job Fair (Sept 20, 2011)

FT MEADE JOB FAIRS: Please contact the DLLR Representative noted below. This is posted for Veterans Information only. We are not responsible for changes

This job fair is open to all job seekers (Veterans & Non-Veterans). The job fair will be held at Club Meade, 6600 Mapes Road, Fort Meade, Maryland 20755 on September 14, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

This Job Fair is Open to only Wounded Warriors and Discharged Wounded Warriors at McGill Training Center, 8452 Zimborski Avenue, Fort Meade, Maryland 20755 on September 20, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

State of Maryland
Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (DLLR)

Fort Meade Community Job Fair (Open to All Job Seekers, Veterans & Non-Veterans)

State of Maryland, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Anne Arundel One Stop Career Center and the Fort Meade Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation will sponsor a Community Job Fair event. The job fair will be held at Club Meade, 6600 Mapes Road, Fort Meade, Maryland 20755 on September 14, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This job fair is especially innovative in that it will be open to all job seekers (Veterans & Non-Veterans). Please note the newly developed Army Cyber Command, and the BRAC #130 (Collocation of Defense/Military Department Adjudication Activities-Fort Meade will be in attendance for this event.

Eighty (80+) plus employers will recruit for a large variety of positions: The following openings require candidates to have a top secret or secret security clearance: intelligence analysts, intelligence specialists, IT professionals, linguists, system administrators, software engineers, acquisitions managers, data base specialist, information assurance, software developers, network engineers, account managers, meeting planners, test engineers, field support engineers, web application developers, information security managers, project managers, systems engineers, programmers, database administrators, help desk technicians, tech support specialists, acquisition professionals, hardware engineers, information technology, integrated logistics positions, armed security officers, cyber security, industrial security, and other related positions.

The following openings do not require a candidate to have a security clearance: auto damage adjusters, field service technician, electrical, field service technician, electronic technicians, military aviation safety inspectors, airway transportation system specialist, contract specialists,, personnel security specialists, adjunct professor, assistant director of admission-education, scientist and science technicians, cyber security, information systems security, police officers, security specialists, review analysts, aviation safety inspectors, airway transportation system specialists, engineers, contract specialists, automotive mechanics, transportation engineers. There will be several federal agencies in attendance for this event. This is just a sampling of the positions to be hired. There will be over 1200 open positions for recruitment.

It is strongly advised that job seekers arrive early and expect major delays. Job seekers should bring several copies of their resumes, dress for success and be prepared to meet prospective employers. There are no fees or pre-registration for job seekers to attend the event. Media organizations desiring to cover this event must contact the Fort Meade Public Affairs Office, at 301-677-1486 or 301-677-1465.

Job fair sponsors include: Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation-Division of Workforce Development, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation-Anne Arundel One Stop Career Center, Navy Fleet Family and Support Center-Fort Meade, Army Community Service-Fort Meade, Army Career & Alumni Program, and Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation.

For more information concerning the job fair please contact Jerome Duncan at 410-674-5240.

Email: jduncan@dllr.state.md.us

Baltimore Police Department looking for Veterans

In 2010, the Baltimore Police Department began an anaggressive campaign to recruit over 300 new police officers, with a focus on college graduates, honorably discharged veterans, and those who are currently serving as members of our nation’s reserve and National Guard units.

Looking at the data, the number of veterans applying has gone down from 21% of all applicants in 2009 to approximately 16% of all applicants so far this 2011. However, at the same time, the total number of applicants that are applying for employment with the department have gone up.

In a recent CBS 60 Minutes segment (Homeless Vets: Does anyone care?) about unemployed veterans in the San Diego, California area, CBS highlighted some of the issues that Veterans face when exiting the service. What we learned from the 60 Minutes segment and looking into the unemployment statistics is that male veterans between 18-14 who served during the current campaign had an unemployment rate of nearly 22% in 2010. While 22% was is bad enough, when compared to non vets in the same age group, were more likely to participate in the labor force (74% to 67.5%). It doesn't make sense that vets, who want to work, are having a harder time finding and getting work than their non vet counterparts. I was further saddened to learn that Gulf War-era II vets who served while inthe Reserves or National Guard had an unemployment rate of 14.0% as of July 2010, compared to 12.1% for none vets of the same age group, and 9.1 % for the overall public.

Basically, if someone serves our countrythey are more likely NOT to find employment after being discharged thanthe general public. This is UNACCEPTABLE! While my job is to attract potential applicants to theBaltimore Police Department, being a veteran myself, I am stronglycommitted to helping fellow veterans and feel that our department woulddefinitely benefit them, as well they could benefit from ourdepartment. If you would be interested, I would like to schedule a time tosit down and talk about how we could possibly help each other and assistveterans at the same time. I am a firm believer that how we treat thosewho have served our country has a direct impact on the decision that ismade by future generations to serve.

Gregory W. Ostrander
Detective, Internal Investigation Division
410.396.2300

VA treatment of PTS with “useless” drug - calls for congressional hearings

The American Legion greatly concerned about VA treatment of PTS with “useless” drug - calls for congressional hearings

WASHINGTON (Aug. 8, 2011) – The head of the nation’s largest veterans service organization says he is “greatly concerned” about the widespread use of an apparently ineffective medication by VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) doctors treating patients with post traumatic stress (PTS).
“It is alarming,” said Jimmie L. Foster, national commander of The American Legion, “that fully 20 percent of the nearly 87,000 veterans VA physicians treated for PTS last year were given a medication that has proven to be pretty much useless.”
According to a study conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs itself and published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Risperdal, an antipsychotic medication commonly prescribed to veterans with post traumatic stress when antidepressants have failed to help, does not alleviate the symptoms of PTS.
“Not only that,” said Foster, “but Risperdal is not even approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of PTS.” Only two medications, Zoloft and Paxil, both antidepressants, are government-approved to treat PTS and neither drug, say researchers, is very effective at treating patients with a chronic form of the disorder. “I am greatly concerned that veterans suffering the ‘invisible wounds of war’ are receiving equally invisible care,” said Foster.
The American Legion has been concerned about the misapplication of PTS medications for some time. Last year, the Legion appointed an ad hoc committee to investigate the efficacy of existing treatments for PTS and TBI (traumatic brain injury) and explore alternatives to improve the science. The committee comprises officers of the Legion as well as lay, professional and government consultants. It convened its third meeting during the week of August 1. The JAMA article appeared on August 3.
Among the speakers at the Legion’s latest ad hoc committee meeting was Charles Hoge, M.D., who is considered to be one of the country’s leading experts on PTS and TBI. From 2002
through 2009, Dr. Hoge, a retired U.S. Army colonel, directed Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s research on the psychological and neurological consequences of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In light of the JAMA article, Dr. Hoge said he wondered if patients will continue to trust military and veteran medicine’s handling of PTS cases. He asked, “Is there a resistance and reluctance among servicemembers and veterans to receive and continue their mental health care?”
Another committee consultant and longtime associate of the Legion is Dr. Jeanne Mager Stellman, Special Lecturer and Professor Emerita of Clinical Health Policy and Management at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. She said, “This is the second major study showing that the drug therapies given to tens of thousands of our nation’s veterans for PTS are ineffective and are associated with a range of side effects (such as weight gain). It is time to clean this mess up (and) devote attention to the problem – not wait years for studies to be done, results to be published and still not have changes made.”
Commander Foster said he is urging Congress to conduct hearings on the ongoing difficulties being experienced by both the Department of Defense (DoD) and VA in the treatment of PTS as well as TBI. He is also prompting both the DoD and VA to speed up their research on the screening of PTS and TBI cases and the treatment of them. “Accelerated research, however, must be balanced with great care and absolute accuracy,” Foster concluded.
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Media contacts: Marty Callaghan, 202-263-5758/202-215-8644;or Craig Roberts 202-263-2982; Cell 202-406-0887.