Please share the following Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points with other unit members
Roll Call: Drill Weekend Talking Points – March 2021
Early Retirement Benefits Tracking
Have you deployed? Did you know you can start receiving retired pay sooner than age 60? Are you tracking your qualifying days towards early retirement? Members of the National Guard who have met the 20-year service requirement are generally eligible to receive retired pay at age 60. However, the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorized Reserve Component personnel to receive retired pay 3 months earlier than age 60, for each 90 days of service performed during a fiscal year in support of overseas operations such as OEF/OIF. In 2013, Congress expanded the criteria for early retirement by authorizing National Guard/Reserve members to count activations for national emergencies, including natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, etc. Reserve Component members may also be eligible to receive retired pay earlier if they were in a Warrior Transition Unit and were injured while mobilized for responses as mentioned above. The 2015 NDAA later removed the requirement for the 90 days to be performed during the same fiscal year, starting with activations beginning FY15 and later. Note that early retirement only applies to members of the National Guard/ Reserves who participated in a qualifying active-duty mobilization after January 28, 2008, the date the Act was signed into law. Service on or before this date does not count toward early retirement. But who is tracking all those qualifying periods? EANGUS, in conversations with the reserve branches of the Military, has discovered that there is no adequate system to track a servicemembers’ qualifying time for early retirement. EANGUS believes each Military service must conduct an audit of current retirees and ensure there is a system to capture qualifying service for early retirement that identifies the date a servicemember will become eligible for retired pay. Moving forward, EANGUS will work to legislate for a mandatory Reserve Component Transition Assistance Program and audit to ensure those eligible for early retirement are not overlooked and their service is adequately documented.
The Major Richard Star Act
One of EANGUS’ legislative priorities this year is the complete elimination of concurrent receipt offset. Currently, retirees with at least 20 years of service who are rated 50 percent disabled or more receive both their full retired pay and VA disability compensation, if they are qualified for both. However, those who are rated 40 percent disabled and below and those unable to complete 20 years of service due to service-connected injuries or illnesses are subject to a statutory offset (reduction in retired pay). Military retired pay is an earned benefit for vested years of service. Service-connected disability compensation is for injury. To deny retired pay because of a service-connected disability is an injustice. In recognition of this injustice, medically retired personnel may apply for Combat-Related Special Compensation that partially makes up for this injustice. To further address this injustice, S. 334 and H.R. 1282, the Major Richard Star Act was introduced this week seeking to authorize the concurrent receipt of both DoD retired pay for years of service and VA disability compensation for those unable to complete 20 years of service due to injuries incurred in service. This legislation is another small step in correcting a more significant concurrent receipt problem. We expect additional legislation to be introduced this year to restore concurrent receipt for all. EANGUS looks forward to seeing enactment of the Major Richard Star Act and complete elimination of the concurrent receipt offset in the FY22 NDAA.
H.R. 119 and – Cyber Defense National Guard Act and S.70 – National Guard Cybersecurity Support Act
If you’re interested in Cyber, here’s a couple of bills to watch — these bills would require the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress regarding the feasibility of establishing a Cyber Defense National Guard. The report will address topics including the cost of creating a Cyber Defense National Guard, the number of persons needed to defend critical U.S. infrastructure from a cyberattack, the sources of potential members of the Cyber Defense National Guard, and which federal government elements would be best equipped to train and manage the Cyber Defense National Guard. These bills could also mean a staffing increase for the National Guard to include additional full-time manning.
EANGUS Scholarship Program
Looking for money for college for yourself, your spouse, or dependent child? The EANGUS Scholarship program offers over $400,000 in full-ride and cash scholarships every year. We have partnerships with major colleges and universities that are offering FULL-TUITION academic Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctorate degrees, to include their online degree programs. These scholarships are EXCLUSIVE to our EANGUS members, their spouses, and their dependent children! Not a member? JOIN today – the deadline to apply for the EANGUS Scholarship Program is 1 May 2021. Don’t delay – Apply today!
Scholarship Information & Applications
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS!
“Forward March!!”
Many of us can relate to the drill and ceremony command of “Forward March!” when moving a formation of troops from one location to another in an organized fashion.
The Membership of EANGUS, itself, is a formation of valuable Citizen-Soldiers and Airmen.
During the month of “March”, we encourage each of you to think of ways to move our professional association “Forward” as it pertains to membership.
Our membership deserves growth, increased visibility, added value, and an overall increase in strength percentages. What can you do today to ensure that our membership is moving forward?
- Discuss the value of EANGUS (word of mouth marketing is still the best!)
- Send emails or texts to your unit personnel and constituents (word of text marketing is the second best!)
- Offer to sponsor a non-member (walk them through the process of joining)
- Encourage expiring members to renew online (we need everyone!)
“Forward March” is one of the easiest commands to give, but each person in formation has to remain “in step.” Doing our individual parts will keep EANGUS moving forward with precision.
Our membership strength should be so attractive that others desire to be in our formation.
If you have any questions, please contact us at membership@eangus.org.
Thank you for being a member and for working to help others join EANGUS.
Respectfully,
Johnathan Wilson and Josh Wermers
EANGUS Membership Committee
