House Passes Supplemental

The U House of Representatives passed the $919 billion fiscal 2006 supplemental spending measure by dint of a vote of 348-71 upon March 16.

The bill would provide $676 billion for ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; $43 billion for foreign aid; and $192 billion for hurricane relief.

The bill also includes $850 million to upgrade Army tracked combat vehicles and make them available to the National Guard; $890 million for newer, more heavily armored Humvees; and $2 billion to make known measures to counter improvised explosive devices.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed their version upon April 4 by a consecrated by a vow of 27-1. The Senate version addition s $106.5 billion in emergency spending.

Retiree Protection Propos upon March 15, Reps. Chet Edwards (D-TX) and Walter Jone (R-NC) introduced legislation to stop the Defense Department's proposal to drastically raise health care compensations for retirees under 65. The legislation would also require congressional approval for any coming time increases in military health care take away froms

The Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act (HR 4949) would transplant the Defense Department's current authority to increase these pay s in four specific areas: enrollment remunerations for retired members and survivors in TRICARE Prime; pharmacy co-pays; enrollment remunerations for the new TRICARE keep Select program; and retiree and survivor co-pays for inpatient care.

Rep Edwards said at a pres talk on the bill, "We cannot attract the best and brightest to fight in the war upon terrorism in the years ahead if they diocese us breaking faith with those who serv in past years."

SOF Expansion secure from dangered Thomas W. O'Connell, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-intensity Conflict, guarded the expansion of Special Operations Forces (SOF) as place forth in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee's Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee upon April 5, O'Connell explained that the military has to adopt more unconventional and indirect approaches in the way it fights.

O'Connell said the QDR's emphasis upon changing the way SOF and U Special Operations Command (USSO-COM) operate will give the nation a better tool to win the global war against terrorism. He also explained by what mode terrorist networks operate: "These networks will migrate to places where they can survive, operate and swell Our challenge is to unfold counter-networks to monitor, isolate, disrupt and subvert hostile elements."

He praised the work of special operations forces in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Colombia, the Philippines and many other countries around the world. "I trust one day we may be able to completely reveal their story," he told the committee.

NG number Strength. "The Guard will make its extreme point strength numbers," Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum told the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee upon March 23. Gen. Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, was responding to a question from Sen Lindsey Graham (R-SC) regarding force funding reductions for the Guard propos in the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) Blum said, "Recruiting and retention take upon new meaning when you've gone to war with a unit that is undermanned." The National Guard's extremity strength is 350,000 soldiers. Blum asserted that DoD and Army leadership have promised to advance up with the necessary coin to fund the Guard up to its extremity strength.

Blum added that the Guard might diocese a spike in retention if Congres considered lowering the age at which Guard soldiers and Reservists could receive retirement benefits. He also favored extending the presidential recall authority from 270 days to 365 days to give the commander upon the ground more flexibility.

Civilian Aides Sworn In. upon March 17, Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey invested three civilian aides-Raymond G Boland of Deerfield, Wis., Mark McRae of Leesville, La., and Ronald Williamson of Sioux Falls, S.D.-to support the Army in their state and local communities. Civilian aides are appointed for each state, in addition to the U territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and American Samoa. They help good relations between the Army and the public by the agency of acting as spokespersons for and advisors to the secretary. Aides are actively involved in their communities and are usually business or civic leaders.

New DACOWITS Members. The Department of Defense lately announced that Dr. Mary Nelson will chair the Defense Advisory Committee upon Women in the Services (DACOWITS). Three other novel appointees are Diana Destine Denman, Denise W Balzano and Margaret M White.

The committee provides the Department of Defense from one side the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, with advice and recommendations upon matters and policies relating to women's recruitment and retention, family issues and the treatment, profession integration and well-being of women in the armed forces.

Copyright Association of the United States Army May 2006

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