Key Victories in 2009

• Won approval for a 3.4-percent military pay raise effective January 1, 2010; 0.5% above what the administration requested and required by law
• Prevented DoD from increasing TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Standard, TRICARE Reserve Select premiums, or pharmacy co-payments, during FY 2009 (October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010)
• No increase in copayments for inpatient care under TRICARE Standard
• Reserve component retirees eligible for TRICARE Standard before reaching age 60
• Requires a medical exam before separation of members who are diagnosed as suffering from PTSD or TBI
• Enacts the Military and Overseas voter empowerment act to reduce barriers to absentee voting

AIR FORCE ACTIVE DUTY
AFSA played a key role in the following gains:

• Legislation closing the gap between private sector and basic military pay
• Impact Aid funding especially for school districts affected by BRAC
• Authorizes special compensation for designated caregivers of servicemembers with catastrophic injuries or illnesses
• Extends to September 2013 the option for service members to carry over 75 days of leave from one fiscal year to the next
• An Office of Community Support for Military Families with Special Needs is being added under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
• Increases the maximum amount of Supplemental Subsistence Allowance from $500 to $1,100 per month AFSA continues fighting to:
• Prevent attempts to modify current active duty military retirement system
• Increase funding for housing, fitness centers & child development centers
• Shipment of a second vehicle to overseas US locations
• Providing spouses of military personnel the option to elect the same state of domicile as the servicemember
• Postal benefits for overseas operations and hospitalized members
• Respite care funding and support programs

AIR NATIONAL GUARD AND AIR FORCE RESERVE COMMAND
AFSA achieved these victories for America’s citizen Airmen:

• Improved healthcare access and extended special pays and bonuses
• Protected military parents’ child custody arrangements while deployed
• Made a step toward age-55 retirement; reduced for contingency support
• Reserve component servicemembers who served in combat zone to be retained on active duty until completion of the disability evaluation process
• DOD Military Family Readiness Council to include one representative each from the National Guard and the Reserve
• Reserve component members under delayed effective-date active-duty orders are eligible for TRICARE coverage 180 days before active service begins

AFSA continues fighting to:

• Reduce retirement age from 60 to 55
• Service post-9/11 as qualifying for early Reserve component retirement
• Title 32 service eligibility for Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits

RETIREES AND VETERANS
AFSA ensured promises are kept for America’s Airmen:

• Secured passage of TRICARE for Life; eliminated need for Medicare-eligible retirees to purchase supplemental policies
• Prevented DoD from charging retirees for prescriptions at military pharmacies
• Expanded eligibility for Concurrent Retirement Disability Payment (CRDP) for retirees rated by the VA as unemployable, generally referred to as Individual Unemployability (IU)
• Increased VA funding to expand access to care AFSA continues fighting to:
• Chapter 61 concurrent receipt
• Gain full concurrent retirement and disability pay (CRDP) regardless of VA service-connected disability level
• Allow use of Medicare in VA facilities for nonservice connected care
• Improve wounded warrior care, especially women’s health care issues, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD)
• Expand new education benefit to include basic allowance for housing for those taking distance learning or on-line courses
• Increase mileage reimbursements for VA medical appointments
• Repeal Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act
• Full and predicable funding for VA healthcare
• Waive Medicare part B premiums for those who began serving before December 7, 1956