IN THIS ISSUE

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IN THIS ISSUE . . .

Defense Authoriza= tion

Defense Funding a= nd CR

So What is a CR?<= /span>

Save Haven Compen= sation

Membership Worksh= op

Legislative Works= hop

Travel Deals

= E= ANGUS

38TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

AUGUST 9-12, 2009

RAH-RAH-ROCHESTER

<= o:p>

= EANGUS MINUTEMAN UPDATE

September= 25, 2008

This is= an official publication of the Enlisted Association of the National Gu= ard of the Unite= d States. Feel free to forward and share this information. EANGUS is non-part= isan. We report the facts - you decide on your position.<= o:p>

Quote of the Week:

"A remarkable thing happens every single morning in America. Every single person wakes up free. And it's not by accident, it's n= ot by chance, it is not some inalienable right we all have. It's becau= se somebody went forward these last 230 years and served their country."

- Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">England

Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for 2009<= br>
The House passed its version of the bill (HR 5658) in May and = the Senate passed its version (S 3001) last week. Both bills would authorize $612.5 billion for national security programs in the Defe= nse and Energy departments, including a pay raise for military personne= l.

The Senate passed the bill on September 17th by a vote of 88-8.&nbs= p; Those voting in opposition to the bill were Senators Allard (R-CO); Byrd (D-WV); Coburn (R-OK); DeMint (R-SC); Feingold (D-WI); Graham (R-SC); Sanders (I-VT); and Vitter (R-LA). Over 300 amendments that were on the docket to be considered but due to a rule were not. Senator Levin said that the extraordinary action of bloc= king amendments was necessary because passing the overall bill was important.

The conference (compromise) bill passed= the House on Sept. 24 by a vote of 392-39, and is before the Senate tod= ay.&= nbsp;

When the measure clears Congress, it will go to the President who h= as threatened to veto the measure over numerous provisions, including = two that were written into both bills: a ban on private interrogators i= n U.S. military detention facilities and a freeze on competitions involving private firms vying for Defense Department work. A senior aide said none of the veto bait provisions exist in the final bill in the form that triggered the veto threats.

The NDAA has almost $6 billion each for the Air Guard and Army Guard for operations and maintenance. It sets the end strength for = the Army Guard at 352,600 and for the Air Guard at 106,756. It al= lows for 32,060 AGRs for the Army Guard and 14,300 AGRs for the Air Guard. It allows for 27,210 mil techs for the Army Guard and 22,459 mil techs for the Air Guard. The bill has $750 million= for National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account.

It increases military pay by 3.9% and extends special pays and bonuses. It extends prohibitions on increased premiums and co-pays for TRICARE recipients and increased user fees for the TRIC= ARE retail pharmacy program. It includes waiver of copayments for preventive services such as annual physicals and colorectal screenings. It requires the recalculation of monthly TRICARE Reserve Select premiums being charged. It includes a tuition assist= ance program for military spouses seeking degrees or careers that are portable, such as nursing or financial planning.<= o:p>

Defense Appropriations and the Continuing Resolution<= o:p>

The House has prepar= ed a massive fiscal 2009 stopgap spending bill for floor consideration. The measure (HR 2638), which would fund the government through March 6 2009, also includes $22.9 billion in emergency spending for disaster relief. The legislation includes the text of three security-related spending bills that will cover all of fiscal 2009: Defense; Homeland Security; and Military Construction-= VA.

The House passed the bill on Sept. 24 by a vote of 370= -58 and is before the Senate today.

The Defense portion - the largest annual spending measure - would provide $487.7 billion = to the Pentagon in discretionary spending. $750 million for National G= uard and Reserve equipment is included, as is $72 million for a new initiative to pay troops $500 for every month their term of service will be involuntarily and arbitrarily extended in 2009 due to stop loss.

It funds 20 new F-22A fighters, 14 new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, 7 new C-27 Joint Cargo Aircraft, and 12 Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters. It raises military pay 3.9%, a half percentage point more than the President's request. It denies increases in TRICARE fees, and includes $3= 00 million for TBI and mental health programs. It does not conta= in any language that calls for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq.

The Homeland Security measure would provide $41.2 billion, including money for states to recover from natural disasters.

The Military Construction-VA bill is worth $72.9 billion in discretionary spending. Of that total, $47.6 billion is for VA and $25 bill= ion is for MILCON and BRAC.

The legislative vehi= cle is a fiscal 2008 Homeland Security appropriations bill that was pas= sed by both chambers last year but never enacted. Its original language will be replaced by the fiscal 2009. Those measures will be conside= red on the floor as an amendment to the old bill.

The measure is relatively clean of non-appropriations provisions.

None of the 12 annual appropriations bills have been enacted into law this year.

So What is a Continuing Resoluti= on?

A continuing resolution is a type of appropriations legislation use= d by the United States Congress to fund government agencies if a formal appropriations bill has not been signed into law by the end of the Congressional fiscal year. The legislation takes the form of a joint resolution, and provides funding for existing federal programs at current or reduced levels.

The national government's budget calendar runs from October 1st thr= ough September 30th of each year. Each federal department, agency and program is authorized to spend congressionally specified amounts of money. That money cannot be spent, however, unless it is explicitly appropriated for a given purpose. For example, an agency might be authorized to spend $2 billion on a program, but it does not actual= ly have that money to spend until it is appropriated for that program.=

Each year, the Congress must pass and the President must sign 12 separate appropriations bills by October 1st to fund all of the national government's departments, agencies and programs for the following year. If the Congress and President fail to pass all of t= he appropriations bills, there will be some agencies and programs that= do not have the money appropriated to them that they are authorized to spend. In other words, there will be no money to spend on some lega= lly established programs and national government functions.

In most instances, the Congress and the President will agree to a Continuing Resolution which temporarily funds the programs and agen= cies for which appropriations bills have not been passed. A Continuing Resolution (CR) must be passed by both houses of Congress and signe= d by the President. Generally, a CR funds agencies or programs for a mon= th or two at the same funding level as the previous year. The main pur= pose of a CR is to keep the government running long enough for the Congr= ess and President to work out an agreement on all 12 appropriations bills.

Guard Members Can Receive 'Safe Haven' Compensation
<= br> ARLINGTON, Sept. 19, 2008 - When Hurricane Ike made landfall on the Texas coast, it left behind damaged and destroyed buildings, massive flooding, and thousands of residents without power or, in many case= s, without homes.
For many of those affected by hurricanes and other natural disaster= s, it can be a time of uncertainty. But for some National Guard member= s, assistance is available if a hurricane or other natural disaster strikes.

The Safe Haven program offers financial compensation to Guard membe= rs on Title 10 or Title 32 active duty status who must evacuate an area because of a natural disaster.

"Safe Haven provides for a National Guard or an active duty me= mber or a federal employee to be compensated for their relocation to a s= afe haven," said Blaine Coffey, chief of Personnel Readiness and Compensation at the National Guard Bureau. That compensation, Coffey said, covers transportation expenses to a safe area as well as expe= nses to return to the Guard member's home or duty station.

Additionally, Guard members are eligible for compensation at the fu= ll per diem rate, which includes lodging, meals and incidental expense= s, for up to 30 days. They may be compensated for up to 180 days, but = the daily per diem rate drops to 60 percent after the first 30 days.
Before a Guard member can take advantage of the benefit, however, an evacuation order must be issued in writing by federal or local officials. "It's incumbent upon the competent authority to dec= lare your duty station or quarters to be uninhabitable," Coffey sai= d.

Additional limitations apply to what qualifies as a safe haven location. One limitation is that if the Guard member elects to stay with family or friends, that individual does not qualify for lodging expenses, Coffey noted.

The Safe Haven entitlement grew out of an older benefit intended for those in embassies and other overseas locations. "It was more associated with embassies and locales that in many, many cases had = to be evacuated based upon the threat to life or limb of the members," Coffey explained, "not from natural disasters necessarily, but that of actual armed conflict."

That began to change when Hurricane Andrew devastated southern Florida = in 1992. "When there had been major incidents in the United States back= in the early '90s, beginning with the evacuation of Homestead Air Force Base [because of Hurricane Andrew], DoD began to look in more detai= l at the authority for entitlements of the active component member and h= is or her family to be evacuated from an installation like Homestead," said Coffey.

Hurricane Katrina changed the way the law affected Guard members. "We had a number of Guard members in two major brigades in Mississippi and Louisiana that were on Title 10 orders. So they were active duty members having their homes destroy= ed, having their duty locations destroyed - whether it be Jackson Barra= cks or any number of installations in Louisiana," Coffey said. =

While soldiers on Title 10 orders were covered by Safe Haven, those= on Title 32 orders were not. That changed with Hurricane Katrina.

"What we did during Katrina and Rita was to get an exception to policy waiver authority to include Title 32 members for eligibility= for Safe Haven benefits," Coffey said. "At the same time, we recognized that Katrina was not isolated. We are going to continue = to have this potential issue."

The authority to have similar benefits apply if a similar disaster occurred was put into place, and recently the law was changed to include Title 32 Guard members.

The number of people who have taken advantage of the Safe Haven benefits during recent hurricanes has been low. "Within the Gu= ard at this point, the numbers aren't tremendously large, but during Katrina, it was close to 1,000 members," Coffey said. "You had so many Title 10 mobilized soldiers returning, and many of them were given the option to stay on duty. That was part of the 'soft landing' that we tried to formulate for the soldiers."

Those who believe they may be eligible for benefits under Safe Haven should contact their state's joint forces headquarters personnel office.

(Story by Army Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy, American Forces Press Service. Staff Sgt. Jon = Soucy serves at the National Guard Bureau.)

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D

Membership Workshop in Gulfport<= /span> <= /span>

EANGUS President Frank Lever welcomes you to Gulfport MS in October for a membership workshop. Motivational speakers, software training, and answers to all your questions will be part of the agenda. Register on-line on our home page at www.ean= gus.org. No internet or wi-fi access will be pub= licly available, so if you bring your laptop, plan accordingly.

EANGUS Legislative Workshop and Awards Reception
March 1-2-3-4-5, 2009

Hampton= Inn & Suites, Old Town Area South

5821 Richmond Highwa= y, Alexandria, Virginia 22303
(703) 329-1400 Fax (703)329-1424

** Hotel room rate is $139
**Hotel has 57 new studio suites as well as 133 regular rooms
**Hotel provides complimentary shuttle service to Metro Station and= Old Town
**Hotel provides hot breakfast every morning at no additional charg= e
**Hotel does not charge for parking
**No registration fee for workshop

Monday March 2, 2009

**Track I and II combined training sessions
** Catered lunch (Subway-provided by EANGUS) with all day track training
**Icebreaker social Monday night at Hampton

Tuesday March 3, 2009

** Awards Breakfast and Tracks I session (new attendees) continues = on the Hill. Track II attendees (past attendees) ends at the end= of Awards Breakfast, with Hill visits the rest of the day. Bus transportation will be provided from the hotel to the hill for the Awards Breakfast only. Getting back to the hotel will be on y= our own.

Wednesday March 4, 2009

** Hill visits (you provide your own transportation)

Travel days March 1 and 4 or 5

Arrive Sunday March 1; fly into DCA Reagan<= /st1:PlaceName> National Airport. Hotel provi= des complimentary shuttle service to/from DCA; IAD Dulles is 40 miles a= way; BWI Baltimore is 30 miles away

Depart either Wednesday afternoon March 4 or Thursday March 5

Make your own appointments with your Hill lawmakers before attending the workshop

EANGUS Travel Advantage Deal of the Week

<= /span>

Follow this link for travel values:

Travel = deal of the Week

= EANGUS Merchandise

This is the official website to order your custom EANGUS apparel. www.com= panycasuals.com/eangus<= o:p>

<= o:p>

If you have further inquiries, please call AdPro Graphics 208-938-0660......

<= o:p>

For a full line of other products visit our site: www.com= panycasuals.com/adpro<= o:p>

&nbs= p;

IN THIS ISSUE . . .

2009 Membership Directory

TMC Awards=

Today in DOD . . = .

= EANGUS

MEMBERSHIP WORKSHOP

9-13 OCTOBER 2008

CRTC
GULFPORT, MS=

<= o:p>

= EANGUS MINUTEMAN UPDATE

18 SEPTEM= BER 2008

This is= an official publication of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of th= e United States. Feel free to forward and share this information. EANGUS is non-partisan. We report the facts - you decide on your position.<= o:p>

2009 Membership Directory

Work has begun on your 2009 EANGUS Membership Directory, an invalua= ble tool in this world where building and maintaining a strong personal network has become essential.

Right now, an EANGUS member could be trying to reach you with the j= ob offer of a lifetime, or a former member might wish to drop you an e-mail. The friend you've been thinking about, but never quite had the time to locate, could be within reach if your contact information were up to date in our records.

This important directory will contain complete listings of all memb= ers from EANGUS, including e-mail addresses, professional and personal information, to help meet your networking needs. My goal is to make this all-new membership publication the most comprehensive reference available. As a result, biographical information wi= ll be included for all members.

For more information, CLICK H= ERE.

2008 TMC Awards
Press Release

MILITARY COALITION PRESENTS TOP AWARDS TO HILL ADVOCAT= ES<= o:p>

Alexandria= , Va. The Military Coalition (TMC), an influential Washington, DC-based consortium of = 35 military and veterans groups, presented its highest awards on Sept.= 9 to four legislators and two congressional staff members who have championed the causes of pay and benefits improvements for military families. The awards ceremony was held at the Reserve Off= icers Association Building on Capitol Hill.&= nbsp; <= o:p>

Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Jim Webb (D-VA) and Representatives Charles Rangel (D-NY) and Thelma Drake (R-VA) recei= ved TMC's 2008 Award of Merit. Baucus and R= angel were recognized for their leadership in protecting beneficiaries' access to Medicare and TRICARE and improving tax treatment of servi= ce members and their families. Webb was honored for his leadership in winning enactment of major new GI Bill education benefits, and Drake for championing legislation to upgrade military= pay raises, honor military spouses and survivors, and improve service members' retirement options.

The Military Officers Association of America's Colonel Steve Strobridge (USAF-Ret), Co-Chairman of The Military Coalition, lauded Baucus's and Rangel's efforts to protect military beneficiaries. <= o:p>

"These two senior committee chairmen made it a leadership priority to reverse a 10% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments that would have significantly reduced doctors' willingness= to continue seeing elderly and military patients. We still need a long-term fix for this problem, but we're grateful for their clear commitment to get that job done," he said. "We also= owe them a debt of thanks for their joint work in solving a number of long-standing tax inequities affecting all active duty personnel, a= nd especially Guard and Reserve members and their civilian employers."

Mr. Joe Barnes, also a TMC Co-Chairman and National Executive Secretary of the Fleet Reserve Association, praised Webb = for persevering to push through the largest improvement in military education benefits since World War II. <= o:p>

"Lots of people told Senator Webb that he was ask= ing too much in trying to reestablish a GI Bill that actually paid the = full cost of a college education," said Barnes. "But he crafte= d a package that made so much sense and built a coalition of cosponsors= and public support that couldn't be ignored. The result is a new package of benefits that will change the lives of service members a= nd their families and also make a huge positive impact on America's future."

Mrs. Kathy Moakler, TMC Award Committee Co-chair and Director of Government Relations for the National Military Family Association, singled out the particular efforts of Rep. Drake.<= o:p>

"Thelma Drake has been the leading advocate for improving military pay raises for the last two years, and we can't = say enough good things about her efforts to reduce the military pay gap," said Moakler. "On top of that, she's sponsored legislation to establish a memorial in Washington to honor military s= pouses and survivors, and introduced a bill to let military members and federal civilians put part of their earnings into a tax-advantaged = Roth savings plan."

TMC also presented its annual Freedom Award to Mr. Gar= y Leeling, senior staffer on the Senate Armed S= ervice Personnel Subcommittee, and Mr. William Edwards, military legislati= ve assistant for Sen. Webb, for their work in promoting support for military issues behind the scenes.

"The legislators are the champions," said Mi= ke Cline, TMC President and Executive Director of the Enlisted Associa= tion of the National Guard, "but their staffs expend huge amounts of effort in crafting the legislation, working with the military assoc= iations to fill in the details, and coordinating our mutual efforts to get other legislators and the public on board. Gary Leeling and William Edwards have been great supporters on a wide variety of key issues affecting the military community."

TMC represents the interests of more than six million members around the world, including active duty, National Guard, Reserve, and retired members and veterans of the seven uniformed services, plus their families and survivors.<= o:p>

Today in the Department of Defense
Wednesday, September 11, 2008

Secretar= y of Defense Robert M. Gates will host a ceremony on Sept. 11, 2008= , to dedicate the Pentagon Memorial to the memory of those killed in the terrorist attack here in 2001. The ceremony itself i= s an invitation only / ticketed event. The ceremony begins at 8 a.m EDT and is expected to last for approximately two hours.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England has no p= ublic or media events on his schedule.

Hurricane Related:

LOUISIANA:= = The Advocate (Local) -- Bill for Gustav climbs: So far, state's expe= nses about $210 million -- By Michelle Millholl= on -- In a tally that continues to climb, federal and state governments have spent nearly $500 million responding to Hurricane Gustav. The = state's tab for out-of-pocket expenses was an estimated $210 million as of Wednesday, said Michael DiResto, spokes= man for the Division of Administration. Louisiana also owes $47.9 mill= ion to other states that sent National Guard troops and law enforce= ment officers to help with the hurricane.

http://= www.2theadvocate.com/news/28228409.html

WISCONSIN: The Badger Herald (Local)= -- State dispatches hurricane aid -- by Alex Brouss= eau -- Help is on the way from Wisconsin, as the state National Guar= d sent five aircrafts with 29 soldiers to Arkansas Tuesday to provide needed assistance for when Hurricane Ike hits. The 147th Avia= tion Battalion from Madison sent two UH= -60 Black Hawk helicopters, and the 832nd Medical Company from West Bend= sent three UH-1 Huey helicopters. While the officers are unsure of what tasks are ahead of them, search and rescue will be the probable tas= k of the helicopters from = Wisconsin.

http://= badgerherald.com/news/2008/09/11/state_dispatches_hur.php

TEXAS:= Bloomberg News -- Hurricane Ike Heads Toward Texas, Strengthens in Gulf -- By Brian K. Sullivan and Camilla Hall -- Hurricane Ike was forecast to intensify as it churns across the Gul= f of Mexico, prompting President George W. Bush to declare an emergency = for Texas an= d oil companies to shut offshore platforms. ``This is going to be a major threat for coastal Texas,'' said= Eric Wilhelm, a senior meteorologist for private forecaster AccuWeather.= com in State College, Pennsylvania. Governor R= ick Perry readied 1,350 buses to evacuate residents in preparation for Ike's landfall, which may take place early Sept. 13 along the centr= al Texas coast southwest of Galveston B= ay. As many as 7,500 Texas National Guard members are on standby= for rapid deployment, the governor's office said.

http://= www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=3D20601103&sid=3DamYa0Dvwsotw&refer= =3Dus

WISCONSIN: Warrenton Journal (Local)= -- National Guard continues humanitarian mission in Gulf -- As relief effor= ts continue in Louisiana= , the Missouri National Guard remains in the thick of things. About 1,200 soldiers from across the state are hauling and deliveri= ng supplies, helping maintain order and assisting authorities in the affected area. That includes soldiers from the 1139th Military Poli= ce Co. based in Warrenton. http://= warrentonjournal.stltoday.com/articles/2008/09/10/news/sj2tn20080910-0910wa= r-natgrd0.ii1.txt

General News Articles:

WASHINGTON,DC:= T= he Washington Post (National) [ Full story at end of report]-- Gates Set To Unveil 9/11 Memorial: Defense chief says terrorism war is be= ing won -- By Bill Gertz - Secretary Ga= tes set to open the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon today. The attack on = 9/11 started an unconventional conflict that Mr. Gates asserts is gradua= lly being won. Other key measures of progress in the war on terrorism, = he said, include major increases in domestic security defenses, international cooperation and the elimination of safe havens for al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Iraq. Al Qaeda sought to make Iraq the central front in the war "and they're losing," Mr. Ga= tes said. In Afg= hanistan, "we won" in 2001, and the Taliban are still out of power.=

http://= ebird.afis.mil/cgi-bin/ebird/displaydata.pl?Requested=3D/ebfiles/e200809116= 28292.html

WASHINGTON, DC: The Washington Post (National) [Full story at end of report] -- Top Military Officer Urges Major Change In Afghanistan Strategy - T= he nation's top military officer issued a blunt assessment yesterday of the war in Afghanistan and called for an overhaul in U.S. strategy there, warning that thousands more U.S. troops as well as greater U= .S. military involvement across the border in Pakistan's tribal areas a= re needed to battle an intensifying insurgency. "I am not convinc= ed that we're winning it in Afghanistan," Ad= m. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee yesterday. But, he added, "I'm convinced we can."

http://= ebird.afis.mil/cgi-bin/ebird/displaydata.pl?Requested=3D/ebfiles/e200809116= 28232.html

NEW YORK: WNBC TV (Regional) -- = New Army National Guard Teams On Standby In NYC -- By Jonathan Dienst -- Teams of heavily armed National = Guard troops are now on standby 24-hours a day in New York City to help respond to any crisis. Seventy-five soldiers can be on the ground anywhere in the city within an hour to help first responders respon= d to a terror plot or natural disaster under a new plan called "Emp= ire Shield." Officials said it used to National Guard resou= rces were based near Albany= and it could take a full day for resources to be sent to the city. Response teams that can grow from 75 soldiers to 300 in a matter of three hours are among the resources under "Empire Shield." There are bomb and weapons of mass destruction detection teams in t= he city as well as new trucks and other resources to help if there is = need for an evacuation.

http://= www.wnbc.com/investigations/17440888/detail.html

KANSAS: The Topeka Capital-Journal (Regional) -- Guard weighs tanker delay -- By Tim Carpenter = -- The Kansas National Guard's top general Wednesday said postponement= of the military's decision on a $35 billion contract for the next-generation of airborne refueling tankers won't undermine the mission of pilots stationed at Forbes Field. There is no immediate impact other than people shaking their heads saying, "How can something so obviously needed take so long? &qu= ot; Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting said. "It do= es delay over the long term, 10 to 20 years out, the eventual replacem= ent of the aircraft." He said the "nation critically needs a = new tanker" in the pipeline, and it would be tragic if the federal government shelved the project entirely.

http://= www.cjonline.com/stories/091108/kan_330943713.shtml

CALIFORNIA: KHSL TV (Regional) -- = Record-Breaking Marijuana Bust in Shasta -- by Britt Carlson -- With help from multiple agencies including the National Guard and the U.S. = Drug Enforcement Agency, the "Shasta Lite" operation is breaking the county's pot eradication records. Commander of the operation Lt. Jeff Foster says, "We brought in just about 52,000 plants in one day. That put our total over the ye= ar over 383, 000, which is another record for Shasta." http://= www.khsltv.com/content/topstories/story.aspx?content_id=3D319accf9-db69-4f2= a-99f6-c03cd2957360

FULL ARTICLE: <= o:p>

Top Military Officer Urges Major Change In Afghanistan Strategy

By Ann Scott Tyson, Washington Post Staff Writer

The nation's top military officer issued a blunt assessment yesterday of the war in Afghanistan and called for an overhaul in U.S. strategy there, warning that thousands more U.S. troops as well as greater U.S. military involvement across the bord= er in Pakistan's tribal areas are needed to battle an intensifying insurgency. "I am not convinced that we're winning it in Afghanistan," Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the House Armed Services Committee yesterday. But, he added, "= I'm convinced we can." On the day after President Bush announced he will cut troops in Iraq and bolster them in Afghanistan between now and early 2009, Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also signaled that they would give increasing priority to the Afghan war and the expanding insurgent sanctuaries in Pakistan. "The war on terror started in this region. It must end there," Gates told the committee. Violence has mounted for more than two years in Afghanistan from an increasingly sophisticated and brazen insurgency, one fuele= d by havens in Pa= kistan. As a result, the war is exacting a worsening toll on coalition forc= es, with the number of U.S. troop deaths projected to surpass last year's high of 117. So far t= his year, 109 troops have died. U.S. and NATO troops = remain hampered by manpower shortages, a lack of helicopters and a disjoin= ted chain of command. "Frankly, we are running out of time," Mullen said, adding that not sending U.S. reinforcements to Afghanistan is "too great a risk to ignore." He said the new influx o= f U.S. forces into Afghanistan that Bush announced Tuesday -- an Army brigade and Marine battalion with a total of about 4,500 troops -- does not meet the demands of commanders there, but is "a good start." Already, total <= st1:country-region w:st=3D"on">U.S. forces in Afghanistan have grown from 21,000 troops in 2006 to nearly 31,000 today. Many = NATO countries restrict their troops' combat roles; others have set an e= nd date for their involvement in the war, with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper saying yesterday that all of his country's troops wi= ll withdraw in 2011, according to the Associated Press. At a time when Bush has characterized Afghanistan<= /st1:country-region> as an increasingly critical front in the battle against terrorism, = and when Army Gen. David H. Petraeus is set= to take the helm of the region in his new post as head of U.S. Central Command, Mullen announced that he is commissioning a "more comprehensive" strategy for Af= ghanistan and Pakistan= . He indicated that a key element of the strategy would be to secure a greater role for the U.S. military in helping Pakistan to crack down on insurgents in cross-border tribal areas, a role Mu= llen said he has "pressed hard" for Pakistani military leaders= to allow. Afghanistan and Pakistan= "are inextricably linked in a common insurgency that crosses t= he border between them," Mullen said. "Until we work more closely with the Pakistani government to eliminate the safe havens = from which they operate, the enemy will only keep coming," he said, noting how insurgents have recently launched "infantry-like attacks" on U.S. military positions.Mulle= n did not detail how the U.S. military could better help Pakistan bat= tle insurgents in tribal areas, although he reiterated that the United States will remain involved in training Pakistan's Frontier Corps. The U.S. military in recent months has intensified its unilateral attacks on insurgent havens in Pakistan, using artillery, missiles from unmanned drones and other munitions, as well as, according to Pakistani officials, U.S. military air assault by helicopter into the tribal area of South Waziristan. But Pakistani officials have bristled at the U.S.-led actions, and Gen.= Ashfaq Kayani, ch= ief of the Pakistani army, said yesterday that his country will oppose fur= ther incursion of U.S. troops. In a statement issued hours after Mullen's testimony, Kayani referred to a recent cross-border raid= led by U.S. comman= dos in South Waziristan, saying coalition forces are barred from operating inside Pakis= tan. "There is no question of any agreement or understanding with t= he Coalition Forces whereby they are allowed to conduct operations on = our side of the border," he said. Yet even if the Pentagon c= ould achieve a better coordinated regional strategy, Mullen stressed that military forces can do only so much to pacify the area. "No am= ount of troops in no amount of time can ever achieve all the objectives = we seek," he said, adding later: "We can't kill our way to victory." Greater efforts by <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">U.S. civilian agencie= s and the international community are essential, he said. For example, he criticized the shortage of civilian personnel in Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan, saying that without more experts in agriculture, education, commerce and jurisprudence, the PRTs "will = remain but empty shells." Gates also underscored = that civilian efforts "must be on the same page" as tho= se of the military. "I am still not satisfied with the level of coordination and collaboration" between military and civilian partners on reconstruction and strengthening the Afghan government,= he said. Despite their focus on Afghan= istan, both Gates and Mullen said that the situation in Iraq remains uncertain and could require more forces in the future. &quo= t;I worry that the great progress" by U.S. and Iraqi forces could override caution and lead to an excessively rapid drawdown, said Gates, noting that U.S. commanders in Iraq remain concerned about "many challenges and potential for reversals." In sum, he said, "we should expect to be invo= lved in Iraq for years to come, although in changing and increasingly limited ways." Still, both leaders made it clear that they intend to change the Pentagon's formulation -- first voiced by Mullen in testimony last December -- that "in Afghanistan, we do wh= at we can. In Iraq= , we do what we must." Yesterday, in contrast, Gates said he thi= nks it will be possible in comings months "to do militarily what we must in both countries." "They are both a priority right now," Mullen concurred.

Today in the Department of Defense
Friday, September 12, 2008

Secreta= ry of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon= England have no public or media events on their schedules.<= span style=3D'font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Comic Sans MS"'>

Hurricane Related:

NEW YORK= : The New York Times (National) -- Thousands in Texas Flee Hurricane Ike = -- By Anahad O'connor= -- Thousands of people fled coastal areas of Texas on Wednesday as Hurrican= e Ike moved toward the state with growing strength. As the first evacuees arrived in San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth and elsewhere early Wednesday afternoon, President Bush decla= red an emergency in Texas= and offered federal aid to state and local officials. Gov. Rick Per= ry issued a disaster declaration and activated 7,500 National Guard troops.

http://= www.nytimes.com/2008/09/11/us/11Ike.html?bl&ex=3D1221364800&en=3Df3= 9c1af4713a32a3&ei=3D5087%0A<= o:p>

TEXAS: The Star-Telegram (Local) -- Fort Worth-based planes evacuating elderly and disabled from Beaumont -- By Chris Va= ughn -- Air crews from the Texas Air National Guard, finally given an evacuation mission early Thursday morning, are now in a race agains= t Hurricane Ike. "We'll run crews right up to the point at which storm-for= ce winds stop us," said Lt. Col. G.W. Holt, a Keller resident who serves as air operations officer for the Guard's air wing. The wing is the only one of its kind in the Texas Air National Guard.<= o:p>

http://= www.star-telegram.com/804/story/903755.html

LOUISIANA<= /st1:place>= : The Times-Picayune (Regional) -- Some criminals skipped evacuation -- Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies arrested a total of 120 people between Aug. 30 and Sept. 5. They were booked with a total of 238 charges, including looting, possession of stolen property and c= urfew violation, according to Col. John Fortunato, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office. We really feel that we were well prepared," said Fortunato, whose department teamed up with National Guard troops and began aggressive patrols as well as 12-hour shifts on Aug. 30.<= o:p>

http://= www.nola.com/news/t-p/eastjefferson/index.ssf?/base//news-6/122119767530842= 0.xml&coll=3D1

MISSISSIPPI= : The Sun Herald (Local) -- Hurricane warning as SW Louisiana braces for = Ike -- By Michael Kunzelman -- Gov. Bobby <= span class=3DSpellE>Jindal warned that the storm could continue e= dging northward, which would cause bigger storm surges along Louisiana's coast. Even without a direct hit as happened with Hurricane Rita in 2005, he said residents should follow evacuation orders from their parish leaders. "If you're in an area that experienced flooding during Rita, we would strongly encourage you to evacuate," Jindal said. At least 75 buses and more than = 300 National Guard troops were called to assist in evacuating residents= , he said.

http://= www.sunherald.com/218/story/809903.html

COLORADO= : The Denver Post (Regional) -- NorthCom Help= ing With Hurricane Ike Response -- By Associated Press -- U.S. Northern Command says it is establishing a search and rescue unit as Hurrica= ne Ike heads toward the = Texas coast.

NorthCom= said Wednesday that the 331st Air Expeditionary Group, which would be responsible for search and rescue operations, will be based at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Texas. No= rthCom is helping evacuate medical patients. It also is providing aircraft= to help with search and rescue efforts, if needed, and with moving personnel and supplies.

http://= ebird.afis.mil/cgi-bin/ebird/displaydata.pl?Requested=3D/ebfiles/e200809126= 28667.html

MISSOURI: KOAM TV (Regional) -- Missouri National Guard troops are still waiting for a piece of August -- Some state troops have had to wait almost a month to get paid for their response to Missouri emergencies. When the Guard members travel out of state for emergency help, such as Hurricane Gustav recovery, they get paid by= the federal government. But for Missouri disasters, soldiers a= re paid through the state payroll which is currently behind by several weeks.

http://= www.koamtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3D8994906

WASHINGTON,DC: ArmyTimes.com (Internet) -- Texas Guard Braces For Hurricane Ik= e -- By Sam LaGrone Memo to Ike: Don't mess = with Texas. M= ore than 2,300 Texas Army and Air National Guard and other agencies personnel have been activated, as of Thursday morning, to gird the Lone Star State<= /st1:PlaceType> against the potential ravages of Hurricane Ike. Texas Guard spokesm= an, Col. Bill Meehan said, "We're flexing as the storm flexes,&quo= t; Thursday's operations included C-130 medical evacuations conducted = by the 136th Airlift Wing out of Fort Worth. The 331st Air Expeditionary Group w= ill be responsible for search and rescue operations. <= o:p>

http://= ebird.afis.mil/cgi-bin/ebird/displaydata.pl?Requested=3D/ebfiles/e200809126= 28670.html

General News Articles:

TEXAS: Associated Press (National) -- Guardsman gets 2 years for immigrant smuggling -- A 27-year-old Army national guards= man was sentenced Thursday to two years in federal prison, three years = of supervised release and a $3,000 fine for his role in an immigrant smuggling scheme. Pfc. Jose Rodrigo Torres was arrested in June 2007 after driving through a Border Patrol checkpoint in a van loaded wi= th 24 undocumented immigrants. Prosecutors say the van was leased by t= he Texas Army National Guard. http://= ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iJeHOYW7p1u4MvgJvsShzDnfsMggD934RKL02

WASHINGTON D.C.: Air Force Link (Internet) - Year-end recruiting goals within reach, official says -- by Donna Miles -- W= ith less than three weeks left in the fiscal year, all four military services met their active-duty recruiting goals for August= and hope to maintain that momentum to reach their year-end goals, Defen= se Department officials said Sept. 10. The Army National Guard recruit= ed 5,807 new Soldiers, 100 percent of its goal and the Air National Gu= ard reported 1,101 new Airmen, 119 percent of its goal. http://= www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=3D123114615<= o:p>

Today in the Department of Defense
Saturday, September 13, 2008

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secret= ary of Defense Gordon England have no public or media events on their schedules.

Hurricane Related:

LOUISIANA:= T= he News Star (Local) -- <= b>Monroe guardsmen poised for Cameron rescues - Soldiers with the 528th Engineer Battalion Louisiana National Guard were called twice for rescues Friday, but both times, their help was refused, said Ma= j. Charles A. Hudson. Some 250 people from the Hackberry and Creole ar= eas of Cameron Parish refused to evacuate for Ike, he said. Soldiers wi= th the National Guard's 528th Engineer Battalion out of Monroe spent Friday stationing equipment in southwest Louisiana for search and rescue missions today should they be necessary in the wake of Hurricane Ike. http://= www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=3D/20080913/NEWS01/809130315<= /span>

WASHINGTON,= DC: CNN (National) -- FEM= A: We are ready with millions of supplies - by Carol Cratty -- FEMA is prepared to send 5 million = liters of water, 5 million meals, 270,000 cots and rescue teams to Texas for Hurricane Ike. The agency is bringing in more than 300 ambulances. Planes were also being used to evacuate residents. More than 40 emergency response teams were organized and are situated in 14 area= s of Texas. http://= www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/09/12/fema.ike.preps/index.html=

K= ANSAS: KTKA-TV (Regional) -- Topeka Black Hawks, Guard Members Respond To Hurricane Ike - Twenty-one Kansas National Guard<= /b> soldiers and three helicopters are on their way to Texas to help wi= th the response to Hurricane Ike. They took off this morning. Some 600= Guard members are in Lo= uisiana, helping with hurricane relief efforts there, but some of them could come home as early as Saturday, Watson said. http://= www.ktka.com/news/2008/sep/12/topeka_black_hawks_guard_members_respond_hurr= icane/

T= EXAS: Pegasus News (Local)-- Air National G= uard wing out of Fort Worth helps evacuate elderly from hurricane p= ath -- "Load 'em up - move 'em out" might have well been the mantra = for C-130 air crews out of Fort Worth Naval Air Station, as they were g= iven their marching orders on Thursday morning: evacuate the aged and in= firm from Beaumont, in the path of approaching Hurricane Ike, and drop t= hem off in Bryan/College Station. http://= www.pegasusnews.com/news/2008/sep/12/air-national-guard-wing-fort-worth-hel= ps-evacuate-/?print

C= ALIFORNIA:&= nbsp; Air Force Link (National) -- California Air National Guard Assis= ts Texas For Hurricane Ike -- California Air National Guardsmen= from the 129th Rescue Wing, deployed from here to Ellington Field in Houston for Hurricane Ike search and rescue support operations relocated Sept. 11 to Kelly Field in San Antonio because of Hurrica= ne Ike's projected path. Joint Task Force 129 is a self-contained sear= ch and rescue unit comprised of more than 100 people, including highly trained pararescuemen, four HH-60G Pave= Hawk rescue helicopters, and two MC-130P Combat Shadow tankers. Air National Guardsmen from the 176th Wing, Ku= lis Air National Guard Base, Alaska, are also part of the rescue task force. http://= www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=3D123114867

General News Articles:
I= NDIANA: = The Courier Press (Local) -- Soldiers may face toxic risk -- By Bryan Corbin -- The Indiana National Guard is trying to loca= te former soldiers who may have been exposed to a highly toxic chemical while serving in Basra, Iraq, in 2003 so that they can receive medi= cal evaluations. A total of 139 soldiers serving with the 1/152nd Infan= try, may have been exposed to sodium dichromate, a known carcinogen, whi= le guarding an Iraqi facility - the Qarmat= Ali water treatment plant - for about six months after the Iraq war started, a National Guard official said. http://= www.courierpress.com/news/2008/sep/13/soldiersmay-face-toxic-risk/

P= ENNSYLVANIA: = The Times Leader (Regional) -- Military support group leader charged= - By Edward Lewis -- The president of a military family support gro= up was arrested Friday on allegations she stole more than $5,000 in donations.Investigators allege in arrest reco= rds that Christine D. Healey used the money for her personal use and to= pay bills. A total of $5,372.85 was missing from the family support gro= up's account.Investigators credited the N= ational Guard unit with acting swiftly and preserving financial documen= ts. http://= www.timesleader.com/news/Military_support_group_leader_charged_09-12-2008.h= tml

NEW YORK:= = Mid Hudson News (Regional) -- National Guard MP charged with firing gun at = car - Staff Writer -- State Police have charged a New York Army Nati= onal Guard military policeman with first-degree reckless endangermen= t, second-degree menacing and DWI after he allegedly fired a gun in the direction of an occupied vehicle. State Police said James Hernandez, 29, of West Coxsackie had been involved in an altercation on Route = 9W in the Town of New Baltimore around 1 a.m. on September 10. During = that altercation, Hernandez, who was in his Army National Guard uniform, pulled out a handgun and threatened the occupants of a veh= icle with it. He knew the people in the car; they had all been drinking together at a local bar before the altercation. http://= www.midhudsonnews.com/News/September08/12/Hernandez_arr-12Sep08.html=

G= UAM:&= nbsp; Guampdn.com (Regional) -- Vigilant Guard Guam exercise kicks off= - Staff Writer -- Members of the Guam National Guard, first responders, the business community and military liaisons from all a= rmed forces kicked off a multi-state National Guard Bureau homela= nd security exercise Friday. http://= www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=3D/20080913/NEWS01/80913015/1002<= /span>

Today in the Department of Defense
Monday, September 15, 2008

· Afghani= stan at 10 a.m. EDT, Sept. 15, in the DoD Briefing Room.<= o:p>

Hurricane Articles:<= o:p>

TEXAS: Reuters (wire service)--Hurricane Ike sparks biggest Texas rescue--By Ed Stoddard--Rescue teams scoured rubble and searched flooded homes on Sunday in a huge rescue effort after Hurricane Ike cut a swathe of destruction through Texas, knocking out power for millions of peopl= e. State and local officials urged the federal government to speed rel= ief efforts, complaining that crucial supplies like ice and water were arriving too slowly. http://= news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080915/us_nm/storm_ike_dc_112

TEXAS:= &= nbsp; Associated Press (wire service)--Nearly 2,000 saved post-Hurrica= ne Ike--By Christopher Sherman--Rescue crews canvassing neighborho= ods with dump trucks, helicopters and airboats have saved nearly 2,000 residents, authorities said Sunday. http://= news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080914/ap_on_re_us/ike_212

TEXAS: Beaumontenter= prise.com (internet)--National Guard descend into Southeast Texas--By Brian Pearson--More than 500 National Guardsmen are descendi= ng on Southeast Texas to provide hurricane relief and security, a G= uard official said this morning. Working with FEMA, the Guardsmen= are expected to set up stations for ice, water and in some places food = as early as this afternoon, Maj. Paul Mancuso said. Mancuso added that FEMA officials were en route as well to be part of the recovery eff= ort. http://= www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/28368809.html

= N= EW YORK: CBS6Albany.com (internet)--NY Sends Air Guard Personnel to Help Hurricane Efforts--New York is helping help T= exas deal with Hurricane Ike and its aftermath after doing the same for Louisiana after Hurricane Gustav.Governor David Paterson has directed deployment of 15 aero medical evacuation personnel from New York's Air National Guar= d.The New York State Emergency Management Office has been in contact with its Texas counterpart and is coordinating New York's response through an interstate partnership. http://= www.cbs6albany.com/news/hurricane_1257252___article.html/help_louisiana.htm= l

LOUISIANA:&= nbsp; Associated Press (wire service)--La. National Guard heads toward coastal areas--Louisiana National Guard troops are headi= ng toward coastal areas hardest hit by flooding caused by Hurricane Ik= e. Guardsmen left at dawn Sunday to survey damage in the town of Cameron in the extreme southwestern corner of Louisi= ana along the Gulf of Mexico. Camero= n was among the towns hit hardest by Hurricane Rita in 2005, when nearly every structure was destroyed. http://= www.katc.com/global/story.asp?s=3D9005646

= MINNESOTA:= &= nbsp; KARE11.com (internet) --Minnesota Air National Guard unit on stand-by to help after Hurricane Ike= --Here in Minnesota, an Air National= Guard unit is on alert for possible deployment to the Gulf Coast<= /st1:PlaceType>. As soon as it gets the call, the 133rd Airlift Wing's Contingency Response Element will have four hours notice to load up its aircraft and send its 24 guard members to Texas. There the unit will set up a mobile military air base so that other troops and supplies can be brought into the areas hit hard by Hurri= cane Ike. http://= www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=3D524585

= VERMONT:= &= nbsp; WPTZ.com (internet)--VT National Guard Returns from New Orleans<= /b>--Vermont National Guard troops have returned after spending a week aiding hurricane recovery efforts in Louisiana. Members of Vermont's Air National Guard arrived in Burlington Sunday afternoon. The 35 members were in New Orleans, helping clean up wind damage and restore power after Hurricane Gustav hit the area. http://= www.wptz.com/news/17472377/detail.html?rss=3Dpla&psp=3Dnews<= o:p>

General Articles:<= o:p>

Indiana: SouthBendTribune.com (internet)--Possible toxic exposure worries Hoosier soldiers; National Guard says carcinogen may have affect= ed hundreds at Iraq site--By Adam Jackson--Qarmat Ali may not be hell on Earth, but in 2003, it seemed pretty close. = Indiana National Guard soldiers assigned to guard a water treatment pla= nt in the southeastern Iraq city were greeted with looters, angry residents, blistering heat and wind-driven dust. For most who have been there, it is a place to forget. http://= www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=3D/20080914/News01/80914= 031

= INDIANA:= &= nbsp; WISH-TV 8 (local)--National Guard helps with flood relief - = The Indiana National Guard is sending soldiers to help with evacuation and flood relief operations in Lake County. For= ty soldiers will help evacuate thousands of residents in Munster, because a levee broke. Meanwhile, Indiana Task Force One, DNR and State Police are helping with search and rescue and sandbagging efforts also in Lake County. http://= www.wishtv.com/global/story.asp?s=3D9007562

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YTB TRAVEL ADVANTAGE NEWSLETTER

YTB TRA= VEL ADVANTAGE

&nbs= p;

IN THIS ISSUE . . .

Patriot Day

Termination of Ta= nker Bid

No troop reductio= ns

Sole survivor ben= efits

Membership Worksh= op

Travel Deals

= E= ANGUS

38TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

AUGUST 9-12, 2009

RAH-RAH-ROCHESTER

<= o:p>

= EANGUS MINUTEMAN UPDATE

September= 11, 2008

Patriot Day, September 11 2008

By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89= ), the Congress has designated September 11 of each year as "Patr= iot Day."

2008 marks the seventh anniversary of the worst terrorist attack inflicted on our nation. Patriot Day reflects the compassion of peo= ple who stepped forward to help those they've never met and the generos= ity of millions of Americans who enriched our country with acts of serv= ice and kindness on that 11th day of September in 2001. It is a true demonstration of why our country stands against those who force harm upon us.

September 11, 2001, was a defining moment in American history. On t= hat terrible day, our Nation saw the face of evil as 19 men barbarously attacked us and wantonly murdered people of many races, nationaliti= es, and creeds. On Patriot Day, we remember the innocent victims, and we pay tribute to the valiant firefighters, police officers, emergency personnel, and ordinary citizens who risked their lives so others m= ight live.

After the attacks on 9/11, America resolved that= we would go on the offense against our enemies, and we would not distinguish between the terrorists and those who harbor and support them. All Americans honor the selfless men and women of our Armed Forces, the dedicated members of our public safety, law enforcement, and intelligence communities, and the thousands of others who work = hard each day to protect our country, secure our liberty, and prevent fu= ture attacks.

The spirit of our people is the source of America's strength, a= nd 6 years ago, Americans came to the aid of neighbors in need. On Patri= ot Day, we pray for those who died and for their families. We voluntee= r to help others and demonstrate the continuing compassion of our citize= ns. On this solemn occasion, we rededicate ourselves to laying the foundation of peace with confidence in our mission and our free way= of life.

Defense Department: http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/= 2008/0908_911/

Army Patriot Day: http://www.army.mil/patriotday/2008/

Air Force Patriot Day: site not found

DoD Announces Termination of KC-X Tanker Solicitation<= /span>&= nbsp;
Yesterday, the Department of Defense notified the Congress and the = two competing contractors, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, that it is terminating the current competition for a U.S. Air Force airborne tanker replacement.

<= o:p>

Secretary Gates, in consultation with senior Defense and Air Force officials, has determined that the solicitation and award cannot be accomplished by January. Rather than hand the next Administration an incomplete and possibly contested process, Secretary Gates decided that the be= st course of action is to provide the next Administration with full flexibility regarding the requirements, evaluation criteria and the appropriate allocation of defense budget to this mission. = <= o:p>

<= o:p>

Secretary Gates stat= ed, "Over the past seven years the process has become enormously complex and emotional - in no small part because of mistakes and missteps along the way by the Department of Defense. It= is my judgment that in the time remaining to us, we can no longer comp= lete a competition that would be viewed as fair and objective in this hi= ghly charged environment. The resulting "cooling off" per= iod will allow the next Administration to review objectively the milita= ry requirements and craft a new acquisition strategy for the KC-X.&quo= t; =

<= o:p>

In making this decis= ion, it was concluded that the current KC-135 fleet can be adequately maintained to satisfy Air Force missions for the near future. Sufficient funds will be recommended in the FY09 and follow-on budgets to maintain the KC-135 at high-mission capable ra= tes. In addition, the Department will recommend to the Congress the disposi= tion of the pending FY09 funding for the tanker program and plans to continue funding the KC-X program in the FY10 to FY15 budget presen= tly under review.

No Further Troop Reductions in Iraq =

President Bush announced that the United States will make no further= troop reductions in Iraq this year. The plan calls for delaying additional draw downs until = late January or early February -- after the Bush administration has left office. At that point, up to 7,500 of the approximately 146,000 tro= ops in Iraq could be withdrawn, depending on conditions on the ground there. The reduction would coincide with new deployments to Afghanistan.

Defense officials described the recommendation as a compromise betw= een those who believed that security gains in Iraq remained too ten= uous to contemplate further withdrawals now, and those who proposed continuing the reductions that began last spring.=

General David H. Petraeus, the U.S. commander in Iraq, adopted a cautious approach in an assessment he presented last week= to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, chair= man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Petraeus = cited several areas of ongoing concern, including the postponement of provincial elections initially scheduled for this month, the disput= ed status of the northern city of Kirkuk, lingering ethno-sectarian conflicts, and questions surrounding the future of a local security force known as the Sons of Iraq. There w= as also the factor of "a new commander coming in."

Petraeus and Odier= no also considered the rising violence in Afghanistan as well as the overall strain on the U.S. military from th= e two conflicts. Under the proposal Gates and Mullen gave Bush, at least = one additional Army combat brigade -- a total of about 3,500 troops -- would be sent to Afghanistan, and a Marine battalion due to depart there by the end of the year w= ould not be replaced.

Under a bilateral security agreement being negotiated with the Iraqi government, = U.S. combat troops would cease regular patrols in Iraqi cities and withd= raw to bases by mid-2009, with a complete combat withdrawal from the country by some point during 2011.

Bush's term ends in January. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has advocated pulling all U.S= . combat forces out of Iraq within 16 months of the new president taking office. GOP presidenti= al nominee John McCain has said he would rely on the advice of U.S. military commanders to determine the timing and pace of troop reductions. Both candidates have said more troops are needed in Afghanistan.

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D <= /o:p>

Sole Survivor Benefits Signed in= to Law

= On August 29, 2008, President Bush signed the Hubbard Act, surrounded = by members of the Califo= rnia family whose multiple sacrifices inspired the military pay-and-bene= fits law. <= /span>

= Bush took but a second to sign the Hubbard Act itself, restoring recruit= ment bonuses and assorted benefits to sole survivors who are discharged early from the military. He took more time to commiserate with eight members of the Hubbard family gathered around his Oval Office desk.=

= The Hubbard Act, Public Law 110-317, amends federal employment, armed forces, military pay, and veterans' benefits law to authorize benef= its to a member of the Armed Forces who is discharged as the only survi= ving child in a family. The benefits include: (1) continued payment of a= ny bonus, incentive, or similar benefit to which the member was entitl= ed during service; (2) separation pay, even though the member has completed less than six years of active service before discharge; (= 3) transitional health care, on the same basis as an active-duty membe= r, for 180 days after discharge; (4) transitional commissary and excha= nge benefits, on the same basis as an active-duty member, for two years after discharge; (5) veterans' housing loan, employment and trainin= g, and basic educational assistance; (6) federal unemployment compensation; and (7) veteran's preference for federal employment purposes. The act is effective with respect to any such disch= arge granted after September 11, 2001.

A 35-year-old Fresno County, California deputy sheriff, working patrol, = Jason Hubbard survived an Iraq combat tour. His brothers Jared and Nathan did not.

= Jared, a Marine lance corporal, died in Ir= aq's Anbar Province in November 2004 from a roadside bomb. A year later, in honor of Jared, Nathan and Jason Hubbard enlisted in the Army. In August 2007, Jason and Nathan were returning from a night scouting mission in separate Blackhawk helicopters when Nathan's helicopter crashed. Jason's Blackhawk landed with orders to secure the crash site. However, the= re were no survivors. Nathan had been killed in the crash.

= Following standard Pentagon practice, Jason Hubbard was then able as a sole survivor to receive an early honorable discharge. The policy, with roots going back to the loss of five Sullivan brothers sunk aboard = the USS Juneau in World War II, is supposed to spare families from unrelieved disaster.

= Prior to 1942, it was not uncommon for family members to serve together in the military, even in the same unit. However, a World War II tragedy during the naval battle at Guadalcanal would cause the War Department to rethink its policy. That tragedy involved the death of all five Sullivan brothers, who were serving together aboard the USS Juneau when it was sunk in 1942.

= The death of the Sullivan's prompted changes intended to protect famili= es from the heartache of losing an entire generation to war. One key reform is the policy requiring sole survivors to be removed from combat. It is this rule, known as the Sole Survivor Policy, that Tom Hanks dramatized in his movie Saving Private Ryan. Since 9/11, there have been 51 sole survivors identified by the DOD. Each of them has= a unique story of service and sacrifice.

But because Jason Hubbard left prior to completing his original three-y= ear commitment, the Army made him pay back $= 2,000 of his enlistment bonus. He also was denied eligibility for the GI bill, and was denied transitional health care and other benefits. <= o:p>

= When Army Secretary Pete Geren learned of Ja= son's situation, he intervened to the extent he was able. However, lawmak= ers discovered statutory constraints that limited what the Secretary of= the Army could do. The legislation resolves those statutory issues, and= for the first time recognizes sole survivors through an act of Congress= .

=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D

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&nbs= p;

IN THIS ISSUE . . .

Senate returns to= work

OTC meds

MEB/PEB Process

Free Training &am= p; Jobs

Sole Survivor Ben= efits

= E= ANGUS

38TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

AUGUST 9-12, 2009

RAH-RAH-ROCHESTER

<= o:p>

= EANGUS MINUTEMAN UPDATE

September= 4, 2008

Senate returns to work, may invoke cloture<= /a>
The Senate will returns to work and consideration of the cloture mo= tion to proceed to S.3001, the DoD Authorization bill, at 3:30pm on Mond= ay, September 8, 2008. At approximately 5:30pm, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on the Motion to invoke Cloture on the Motion to proceed to S.3001.

Cloture is a procedural vote to limit debate and force a vote on a = particular issue. It prevents excessive discussion of an issue (called filibustering or talk-a-thon). Three-fifths of all senators (sixty if there are no vacancies) must vote for the motion for clot= ure for it to be invoked.

Once cloture is invoked, the Senate must take final action on the i= ssue by the end of the thirty hours of consideration and may consider no other business until it takes that action. Each senator may s= peak for a total of no more than one hour. Senators may yield all or par= t of their hour to one of the floor managers or floor leaders that may in turn yield that time to other senators, but each manager and leader= may be yielded no more than two hours.

No delaying amendments or motions are allowed, and all debate and amendments must be relative to the debate. Only amendments fi= led before the cloture vote may be considered; no new amendments may be offered. No senator may call up more than two amendments until every other senator has had an opportunity to do so.

Certain senators want cloture to be invoked, so that the bill will = move faster through the Senate, into conference committee, and to the President's desk for signature into law. They may want to pro= tect language they have already inserted, or limit discussion on amendme= nts they wish to offer. With adjournment slated for September 26t= h, time is of the essence.

Other senators do not want cloture to be invoked, for a variety of reasons. They may feel pressured into certain limitations on amendments they want to offer to the bill. They may desire to insert an earmark for their state or for a particular project. They may want to debate a provision of the bill for which they disagree.

If the cloture vote fails, debate may continue without limit. Usually the bill is set aside rather than having unlimited debate. Setting aside the NDAA would not be in the best inter= ests of anyone.<= o:p>

TRICARE Over-the-Counter Demonstration Program

You could save money by using an over-the-counter product. TRICARE began a two-year demonstration program in May 2007 to include the coverage of certain over-the-counter (OTC) prod= ucts within the TRICARE Pharmacy Program. If you choose to use an = OTC medication included in the demonstration program, you will receive = the benefit of paying no copayment for the qualifying medications.

What are the qualifications for participation in the OTC demonstration program?

---Within the past 180 days, you must have filled a qualifying prescription strength product through the TRICARE Pharma= cy Program.
---You must have a valid prescription for the OTC product
---Your pharmacist must process the claim electronically to TRICARE; you cannot file a claim for reimbursement of an over-the-counter product.

If I have other health insurance (OHI), can I participate? <= br> Yes, your participating retail pharmacy can process your claim to TRICARE as a secondary claim after processing your claim to your primary insurance.

What medications are covered in the demonstration program? Proton Pump Inhibitors--- =
OTC product covered: Prilosec OTC =
Qualifying products: Prevacid, Omeprazole, Zegerid, Protonix, Aciphex= , and Nexium
Antihistamines---
OTC product(s) covered: Loratadine, Loratadine D (12hr and 24hr), Ceterizine, and Ceterizine D
Qualifying products: Allegra, Allegra D, Clari= nex, Clarinex D, Sempre= x D, Xyzal.
Can I fill OTC prescriptions through TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP)?
Yes, you will need to need to meet the first two qualifications list above. If you have used TMOP before, you can mail in your prescript= ion for the OTC product as you would for other prescriptions.

If you have questions about TMOP, someone can assist you 24 hours a= day at 1-866-363-8667.

= Medical Evaluation Board/ Physical Evaluation Board (MEB/PEB) Process

What is it?

When a physician determines a Soldier is unable to perform full military duty or is unlikely to do so within a reasonable period of time (normally 12 months) or when optimum medical care has been reached, the Soldier is referred to the Medical Evaluation Board (M= EB).

The MEB, made up of at least two physicians, documents the full clinical information of all medical conditions and determines wheth= er each condition meets medical retention standards. If condition(s) m= eet retention standards, the Soldier returns to duty. If there are condition(s) which do not meet retention standards, the MEB forwards its findings onto the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) for review. <= br>
The PEB, a three member board, to include a physician, conducts an informal review to determine whether the Soldier is fit or unfit to continue to perform his or her primary military duties. If fit, and= the Soldier agrees with the findings, the Physical Disability Agency (P= DA) provides the final approval and the Soldier is returned to duty. If unfit, the PEB determines whether the Soldier is eligible for compensation. If eligible, the PEB determines a rating percentage u= sing the Veterans Affairs Schedule for Rating Disabilities and makes a recommendation as to whether the Soldier should be separated with or without severance pay, permanently retired or placed on the tempora= ry disability retirement list.

Soldiers may appeal any findings and recommendations of the informal PEB and demand/request a formal board. All PEB findings, whether the Soldier is found fit or unfit, go to the PDA for final approval. Soldiers may appeal any findings of the PDA.

Who or what can help Soldiers through the MEB/PEB process?

The Soldier's primary counselor and information resource is the Physical Evaluation Board liaison officer (PEBLO). The PEBLO counse= ls the Soldiers on their MEB/PEB findings and related rights and benef= its. There are many moving parts to the MEB/PEB process and by keeping in close communication with their PEBLO, Soldiers can move smoothly through the process. The PEBLO works in the patient administration division (PAD) for the medical treatment facility and not for the P= EB. Soldiers can track their MEB /PEB online.

What is important for Soldiers to remember when going through the MEB/PEB process?

While the MEB/PEB process can be complicated at first glance, the A= rmy is dedicated to the care of its Soldiers, whether they are staying = with the Army or transitioning to civilian life. Soldiers should take ev= ery opportunity to seek the advice of Soldier's counsel while going thr= ough the MEB/PEB.

Resources:

On AKO, go to: https:/= /www.us.army.mil/suite/page/417118.

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Sole Survivor Benefits Signed into Law

On August 29, 2008, President Bush signed the Hubbard Act, surround= ed by members of the Cal= ifornia family whose multiple sacrifices inspired the military pay-and-bene= fits law. Bush took but a second to sign the Hubbard Act itself, restori= ng recruitment bonuses and assorted benefits to sole survivors who are discharged early from the military. He took more time to commiserate with eight members of the Hubbard family gathered around his Oval Office desk.

The Hubbard Act, Public Law 110-317, amends federal employment, arm= ed forces, military pay, and veterans' benefits law to authorize benef= its to a member of the Armed Forces who is discharged as the only survi= ving child in a family. The benefits include: (1) continued payment of a= ny bonus, incentive, or similar benefit to which the member was entitl= ed during service; (2) separation pay, even though the member has completed less than six years of active service before discharge; (= 3) transitional health care, on the same basis as an active-duty membe= r, for 180 days after discharge; (4) transitional commissary and excha= nge benefits, on the same basis as an active-duty member, for two years after discharge; (5) veterans' housing loan, employment and trainin= g, and basic educational assistance; (6) federal unemployment compensation; and (7) veteran's preference for federal employment purposes. The act is effective with respect to any such disch= arge granted after September 11, 2001.

A 35-year-old Fresno County, California deputy sheriff, working patrol, = Jason Hubbard survived an Iraq combat tour. His brothers Jared and Nathan did not.

Jared, a Marine lance corporal, died in Iraq's Anbar Province in November 2004 from a roadside bomb. A year later, in honor of Jared, Nathan and Jason Hubbard enlisted in the Army. In August 2007, Jason and Nathan were returning from a night scouting mission in separate Blackhawk helicopters when Nathan's helicopter crashed. Jason's Blackhawk landed with orders to secure the crash site. However, the= re were no survivors. Nathan had been killed in the crash.

Following standard Pentagon practice, Jason Hubbard was then able a= s a sole survivor to receive an early honorable discharge. The policy, = with roots going back to the loss of five Sullivan brothers sunk aboard = the USS Juneau in World War II, is supposed to spare families from unrelieved disaster.

Prior to 1942, it was not uncommon for family members to serve toge= ther in the military, even in the same unit. However, a World War II tra= gedy during the naval battle at Guadalcanal would cause the War Department to rethink its policy. That tragedy involved the death of all five Sullivan brothers, who were serving together aboard the USS Juneau when it was sunk in= 1942.

The death of the Sullivan's prompted changes intended to protect families from the heartache of losing an entire generation to war. = One key reform is the policy requiring sole survivors to be removed from combat. It is this rule, known as the Sole Survivor Policy, that Tom Hanks dramatized in his movie Saving Private Ryan. Since 9/11, there have been 51 sole survivors identified by the Department of Defense. Each of them has a unique story of service and sacrifice.

But because Jason Hubbard left prior to completing his original three-year commitment, the Army made him pay back $2,000 of his enlistment bonus. He also was denied eligibility= for the GI bill, and was denied transitional health care and other benefits.

When Army Secretary Pete Geren learned = of Jason's situation, he intervened to the extent he was able. However, lawmakers discovered statutory constraints that limited what the Secretary of the Army could do.
The legislation resolves those statutory issues, and for the first = time recognizes sole survivors through an act of Congress.

Showing they can move quickly when they want to, House Representati= ves Devin Nunes, R-CA, and Jim Costa, D-CA introduced the bill April 16 and the House approved it July 29. The Senate followed suit August 1, with a bill authored by Senator Dian= ne Feinstein, D-CA. The only reason the bill signing didn't happen ear= lier was because Californi= a lawmakers were trying to arrange a White House ceremony for the Hub= bard family.

Costa and Nunes accompanied the Hubbard= 's to the bill signing, standing on one side of Bush while the family mem= bers stood on the other. Hubbard's wife, Linnea, was pregnant with Levy Nathan when he was denied standard medical benefits, the event that instigated the Hubbard family's political journey.

"I was just looking for a little fix with (my) problem," Jason Hubbard said. "It's been impressive to me, as a layman a= nd as a soldier, to see this process that has happened so quickly. As a country, we can see that when there's a real problem or something wrong, we can come together and solve it." =

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