[Senate Hearing 115-674, Part 6]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 115-674, Pt. 6
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION OF
APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019 AND
THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM
=======================================================================
HEARINGS
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
S. 2987
TO AUTHORIZE APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019 FOR MILITARY
ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND FOR MILITARY CONSTRUCTION,
TO PRESCRIBE MILITARY PERSONNEL STRENGTHS FOR SUCH FISCAL YEAR, AND FOR
OTHER PURPOSES
----------
PART 6
PERSONNEL
----------
FEBRUARY 14, 2018
[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
Printed for the use of the Committee on Armed Services
Available via: http://www.govinfo.gov
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
47-054 PDF WASHINGTON : 2022
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES
JOHN McCAIN, Arizona, Chairman
JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma, Chairman JACK REED, Rhode Island
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri
TOM COTTON, Arkansas JEANNE SHAHEEN, New Hampshire
MIKE ROUNDS, South Dakota KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York
JONI ERNST, Iowa RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
THOM TILLIS, North Carolina JOE DONNELLY, Indiana
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska MAZIE K. HIRONO, Hawaii
DAVID PERDUE, Georgia TIM KAINE, Virginia
TED CRUZ, Texas ANGUS S. KING, JR., Maine
LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina MARTIN HEINRICH, New Mexico
BEN SASSE, Nebraska ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
LUTHER STRANGE, Alabama GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
Christian D. Brose, Staff Director
Elizabeth L. King, Minority Staff Director
_________________________________________________________________
Subcommittee on Personnel
THOM TILLIS, North Carolina,
Chairman
JONI ERNST, Iowa KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND, New York
LINDSEY GRAHAM, South Carolina CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri
BEN SASSE, Nebraska ELIZABETH WARREN, Massachusetts
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
_________________________________________________________________
february 14, 2018
Page
Military and Civilian Personnel Programs and Military Family
Readiness...................................................... 1
Member Statements
Statement of Senator Thom Tillis................................. 1
Statement of Senator Joni Ernst.................................. 2
Statement of Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand....................... 3
Statement of Senator Tim Kaine................................... 4
Witness Statements
Wilkie, Hon. Robert L., Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for 6
Personnel and Readiness.
Rocco, Lieutenant General Michael A., USMC, Deputy Commandant for 10
Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
Grosso, Lieutenant General Gina M., USAF, Deputy Chief of Staff 16
for Manpower, Personnel and Services.
Burke, Vice Admiral Robert P., USN, Deputy Chief of Naval
Operations,
N-1............................................................ 24
Seamands, Lieutenant General Thomas C., USA, Deputy Chief of
Staff,
G-1............................................................ 32
Roth-Douquet, Kathy, Chief Executive Officer, Blue Star Families. 55
Hruska, Kelly B., Government Relations Director, National 66
Military Family Association.
Haynie, J. Michael, Executive Director, Institute for Veterans 94
and Military Families, Syracuse University.
Questions for the Record......................................... 102
Appendix A....................................................... 129
Appendix B--Attachments 1 to 6................................... 149
Attachment 1................................................. 149
Attachment 2................................................. 151
Attachment 3................................................. 152
Attachment 4................................................. 153
Attachment 5................................................. 154
Attachment 6................................................. 159
Appendix C
The prepared statement of The National Association of Chain
Drug Stores................................................ 179
(iii)
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR
2019 AND THE FUTURE YEARS DEFENSE PROGRAM
----------
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018
United States Senate,
Subcommittee on Personnel,
Committee on Armed Services,
Washington, DC.
MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PERSONNEL PROGRAMS AND MILITARY FAMILY READINESS
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:03 p.m. in
room SR-232A, Russell Senate Office Building, Senator Thom
Tillis (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
Subcommittee Members present: Senators Tillis, Ernst,
Gillibrand, McCaskill, Kaine, and Warren.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR THOM TILLIS
Senator Tillis. I'm going to bring the hearing to order.
Ranking Member Gillibrand will be joining us, but, in the
interest, making sure we have time for both panels, thank you
all for being here.
The Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel meets
this afternoon to receive testimony on military and civilian
personnel programs and on military family readiness. We are
fortunate today to have the Under Secretary of Defense for
Personnel and Readiness and the Services' personnel chiefs to
discuss the Department's military and civilian personnel
programs, and to have several important civilian witnesses to
discuss military family readiness.
On panel 1, we will hear from the Honorable Robert Wilkie,
Under Secretary of Defense in Personnel and Readiness, and,
actually, a former colleague of mine in my office; Lieutenant
General Thomas Seamands, Deputy Army Chief of Staff; Vice
Admiral Robert Burke, the Chief of Naval Personnel, Deputy
Chief of Naval Operations for Manpower, Personnel, Training,
and Education; Lieutenant General Gina Grosso, Deputy Air Force
Chief of Staff for Manpower, Personnel, and Services; and
Lieutenant General Rocco--Michael Rocco, Deputy Marine
Commandant, Manpower and Reserve Affairs.
Thank you all for being here.
I'll introduce the second panel during the transition.
The recently released National Defense Strategy correctly
states that creativity and talent of the American warfighter is
our military's greatest enduring strength. Therefore, the
topics this subcommittee will discuss today are vital to the
health and effectiveness of our All-Volunteer Force. As the
Nation faces an increasingly complex global security
environment, our military's personnel programs and policies
must build on an agile and adaptable force capable of
responding to the uncertain threats we face.
A high-quality military and civilian workforce must appeal
to this Nation's best and brightest young people, provide
greater stability and flexibility to servicemembers in their
professional and personal lives, and provide compensation
commensurate with the level of responsibility inherent to a
military career.
As we do all of this, we can't lose sight of the military
families who support our troops much better than any personnel
policy ever could. Military families confront unique stressors
and challenges which must be considered in any discussion of
military personnel management. The Congress needs to understand
military families' concerns and four work diligently to ensure
that the Department of Defense (DOD) provides the support and
the services families need. The readiness of our Armed Forces,
and, ultimately, our Nation's security, depends on it, because,
if the Defense Department fails to support military families,
our volunteer servicemembers will simply walk away.
Finally, I look forward to hearing from Secretary Wilkie
and the personnel chiefs about their efforts to improve
recruitment and retention of military and civilian personnel,
to improve military personnel and family readiness, to prevent
sexual assault and harassment, to reduce servicemember and
family suicides, to combat domestic violence and child abuse,
and to enhance childcare services, and, finally, to improve
employment opportunities for military spouses.
I hope the civilian witnesses on the panel--on panel 2 will
describe the challenges faced by military families and give us
good ideas about how we can improve family readiness.
I want to thank all the witnesses for being here today, and
I look forward to hearing your testimony.
I want to especially thank Senator Ernst. She's a frequent
attender of subcommittees. I know she's got a lot of
subcommittees today; she's bouncing in and out.
Senator Ernst, I would offer time for you to make any
opening comment.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR JONI ERNST
Senator Ernst. Certainly. This is a rare occasion, since
I'm not a Chair or Ranking Member of this Committee. So, I
don't have any prepared statements, but I do want to thank you
for being here today.
A number of questions that I have from--later on, if we get
to those--Senator Tillis addressed most of them in his opening
comments. One that I want to raise awareness on, and something
that we do talk about, is recruitment of our forces, and how do
we sustain readiness with an ever-decreasing population that
will not meet the height-weight standards to come into the
service.
Senator Tillis and I engaged in a ruck march last week,
something we frequently do on the Hill, so----
Senator Tillis. It was cold.
Senator Ernst. It was--for a North Carolinian, it was cold.
It was a beautiful day for an Iowegian. But, we were joined by
Sergeant Major of the Army Daley, and we had a great discussion
about recruiting young people, and we talked a lot about the
benefits and opportunities that are extended to these young
people. But, the fact of the matter is, we need a pipeline of
people coming into the service. I had some physical education
teachers from Iowa in this morning, and they stated that 71
percent of our students will not be able to qualify for
Military Service, because they're simply not ready, coming out
of high school, because of those height-weight standards. So,
I'm not suggesting that we need to lower standards at all. I
think we keep the standard, but what we have to do is focus on
that pipeline and make sure that, if they want to serve, they
are ready to serve as they exit high school.
So, thank you very much for the opportunity, Mr. Chair.
Senator Tillis. Thank you, Senator Ernst.
Ranking Member Gillibrand.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR KIRSTEN E. GILLIBRAND
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you. I really appreciate your
work.
As we begin our review of DOD's military and civilian
personnel budgets and programs, I remain concerned about the
pace of accessing and signing women into all military
occupations and units that were previously denied to them. It
has been 2 years now since the Secretary of Defense and the
Obama administration lifted the remaining restrictions. A lot
of progress has been made, but we must be vigilant that
occupational standards remain rooted in everyday requirements
of military duty, as required by law, to ensure an equal
playing field for all, and that we field the best possible
military we can, and recruit and retain the best people.
Second, I applaud the Department, and you, Mr. Wilkie, for
finally publishing a Uniform Anti-Harassment Policy applicable
to all uniformed military members, required by the 2013 defense
bill, which is nearly 5 years late. I have some questions about
what you choose to include and what is not included in the
policy. I understand that the next steps, which you are working
on, is a policy for the Department's civilian and contractor
workforces. I'm also interested in hearing about your efforts
to curb retaliation against those who report sexual assault and
harassment within the ranks. The reported retaliation rate
against survivors has consistently been around 60 percent,
which is deeply troubling.
An area that we have not talked about sufficiently is
intimate partner violence and child abuse. This came to the
forefront last year with the shooting by Devin Patrick Kelley,
in Texas. In that instance, the system failed in keeping a gun
out of his hands. I know that the Services have been looking at
how this had happened, and working to ensure that it doesn't
happen again. But, a less reported data point I think is
staggering is that, in fiscal year 2016, there were 13,916
reports of suspected incidents of child abuse and neglect, and,
horribly, 18 child abuse-related fatalities. All of the
deceased victims were under 5 years old, and half of them were
under 1 year old. In addition, there were nine spouse or
intimate-partner fatalities. Unfortunately, we do not have
prevalence data for these crimes, but the data that is out
there suggests to me that we should be paying more attention to
this issue. So, I'm grateful to Senator Tillis for agreeing to
hold a hearing devoted to intimate-partner violence and child
abuse next month.
In terms of the Department's budget request, the fiscal
year 2018 request for military personnel, including healthcare,
totaled $180 billion. This year's request is $187 billion. I
look forward to hearing from our government witnesses where
these additional funds would be used in order to increase
military family readiness. I do have to say, however, that I'm
extremely disappointed that, even with $85 billion in
additional funding provided by the budget deal passed by
Congress, that the President has proposed freezing the pay of
Federal civilian workforce, half of whom work within DOD and
its S.0ervices. I believe this is shortsighted, unnecessary,
and will further erode morale and trust among our civilian
employees.
Thank you, Senator Tillis, for including the second panel
today, which is the focus of a military families program. I am
especially pleased to welcome Dr. J. Michael Haynie, from
Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military
Families, which he leads, and which has done some very
important work supporting military families' post-service
employment and financial readiness.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tillis. We'll just share this mic.
Senator Kaine has joined us. Senator Kaine is not on this
subcommittee, but I understood yesterday that he was talking
about stepping in. So, Senator Kaine, before we receive
testimony from the first panel, if you'd like to make some
comments, we'll recognize you at this time.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR TIM KAINE
Senator Kaine. I want to thank the Chair and the Ranking,
and thank the witnesses and colleagues for forbearance on this.
I am the ranking on the Readiness Subcommittee, and we're
meeting around the corner. So, I wanted to just make brief
comments on a readiness and personal matter, and then race
back.
Family readiness. Family readiness, which is so critical to
personnel, but to the entire military mission. I firmly believe
that family readiness, and specifically military spouse
unemployment, is a military readiness issue. I have a child in
the military who recently is married, and so now I'm
experiencing the discussions about this issue in a different
way than I have before. But, I hear about it from folks all
over the Commonwealth, and I'm sure it's the same for all my
colleagues. They hear about it in their State.
Military families face significant financial strain in
security and sacrifice because of having single incomes or also
because of the frequent moves. This places an enormous strain
on the force. I think we've often heard our military leaders
testify, in the full hearings, that often it's the
servicemember that makes the decision to enlist, but whether
somebody stays or not is most often a family decision. So, we
need to focus on retaining top talent. Military life will never
be easy on those who serve or their families, but, while we
can't make Military Service easy, sometimes we can lighten the
burden on families and make it a little bit more doable.
Within the last 2 weeks, I introduced S. 2379, the Military
Spouse Employment Act. I want to thank Senators Gillibrand,
Murray, and Purdue for being cosponsors of the legislation.
Truly bipartisan. It's been introduced in a bipartisan way on
the House side, as well.
Spouses are facing unemployment rates two to--at least
three times higher than the national average, and some surveys
have that rate as seven times higher. The only reason there is
a range is, we haven't cared enough about the figure to really
accurately measure it. We do measure veterans' unemployment
rate very well through the Department of Labor, but military
spouse unemployment hasn't been a priority, so the measures are
more difficult, and they have to be done via survey.
When we saw, collectively, similar rates among veterans-- a
veterans unemployment rate higher than the national average in
the late 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 space, we did a bunch of
things, together with society, and then the veterans
unemployment rate of Iraq and Afghan war vets actually dropped
down to be now below the national average. That's good. So, if
we were able to do it there, with some persistent attention, I
think we can do it here, too. I hope we can make a similar
effort, connected to the NDAA [National Defense Authorization
Act] this year, to take this really talented, resilient
workforce of military spouses and help them tackle the
challenge.
The bill that I passed, which I hope we'll be discussing
during the NDAA, came from stories that I heard around
Virginia, and basically falls into four pillars:
First, assistance with direct hiring. To the extent that we
can use expedited hiring into Federal jobs--we sometimes do
that for veterans--we can do it for military spouses, too.
Often, the best jobs around military bases are other Federal
jobs, either DOD civilian or other Federal agencies.
Second, training. The MyCAA, career advancement account,
can be used by spouses, but we've found a whole lot of people
don't really know about the account. There's even some uses of
it we think we can expand. So, it's one thing to use that
account to take a course, to advance your employability, but
how about using the account to pay for a credential? If you
move from one State to the next and you're a teacher, a real
estate agent, lawyer, cosmetologist, and you need to get a new
credential, how about using the CAA account to recredential or
reregister?
Third, counseling. The Military OneSource offers counseling
resources for servicemembers and spouses after the transition.
But, we heard from a lot of folks that the 6 month availability
of these resources--career coaching, counseling--was just too
quick to help some people in the transition. That 6 months
comes fast. The transition isn't done. We can extend that for a
year.
Then, finally, there are transition assets on military
bases, Transition Assistance Program, that are now guaranteed
access for the military servicemember, but not guaranteed
access for spouses. Since transition is a family matter, we
think we ought to guarantee spouses access to those resources,
as well.
There's a lot to it. The nice thing is, this is a matter
that I know there's not a partisan issue to. It's my hope that
whether it's tackling it on the readiness side or in the
personnel side as we go through the NDAA process this year,
this bipartisan idea might find favor with the Committee. Mr.
Chair, I thank you. Senator Gillibrand, thanks so much for
being a cosponsor of the bill.
Thanks for letting me interrupt. You're actually going to
hear from some witnesses in panel 2 who have been very
instrumental in helping us realize what we need to do in this
area. I thank them for their help.
Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Senator Tillis. Thank you, Senator Kaine.
Secretary Wilkie, welcome. We'll then move from right to
left on opening statements from the personnel Service Chiefs.
Secretary Wilkie.
STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT L. WILKIE, JR., UNDER SECRETARY OF
DEFENSE FOR PERSONNEL AND READINESS
Secretary Wilkie. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman, Senator
Gillibrand, and Senator Ernst.
As you said, Mr. Chairman, this is a bit of a homecoming
for me. I can never begin to repay the Senators here and my
colleagues on the staff for your kindness to me through the
years.
I also want to thank you for your herculean efforts on
behalf of our troops to provide them stable and predictable
funding for our operations for the next 2 years.
Mr. Chairman, during my nomination hearing, you charged me
with making life easier for the men, women, and families who
carry our future on their shoulders. Since my confirmation, I
am happy to report that the role of personnel and readiness
(P&R) has not only changed to make that charge real, but it has
changed to provide a wider use of personnel issues as we inform
the National Defense Strategy (NDS).
Secretary Mattis first laid out three Department of Defense
priorities in the new National Defense Strategy. One is
rebuilding military readiness as we build a more lethal joint
force. Two, strengthening alliances as we attract new partners.
Three, reforming the Department's business and family practices
for greater performance. P&R has a role in all of these areas.
The Secretary has also given us new responsibilities for
the strategic readiness of the force. He has instructed us to
address resource gaps in capabilities, readiness, and the
capacity to project power in globally contested environments.
He has charged us with updating readiness goals in line with
the NDS, working with the Joint Staff and Services to establish
a standardized demand signal to determine the forces essential
to address future warfighting scenarios. He has also tasked us
with implementing a readiness recovery framework that includes
a plan on specific Military Service identified areas for
improvement, such as maintenance, access to training,
sufficient manpower, depot maintenance, and the time needed to
plan, coordinate, and execute readiness across the Services.
As I mentioned last year, the Department has too often been
caught up in chasing the shiny object, like the new carrier or
the new fighter. We have forgotten many of the family issues
that make our All-Volunteer Force work. But, we have also
forgotten servicemembers on the front line. The front line is
where 80 to 90 percent of the casualties occur. It is where the
human dimension of conflict is its most bloody. It is a world
that is brutal and unforgiving, and a world in which the grim
reality now is that the enemy is catching up and exploiting
areas of weakness. The Israeli Defense Force experienced that
in Lebanon against Hezbollah in 2006. We have experienced it
against foes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now look to a world
where threats are proliferating from North Korea, China,
Russia, and Iran.
Our goal in reassessing the way we carry the fight to deter
and, if need be, defeat any enemy is to make sure that our
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines get home alive quickly--
and get home quickly to their families. What does that mean? It
means no more fair fights. That means overmatching our enemies.
That means providing our troops with the same level of
investment and scholarly attention that we do with the billion-
dollar programs that tend to grab headlines across the country.
Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned at my nomination hearing, this
is not the military that Chairman McCain and my father joined
at the dawn of the Kennedy administration. Yet, we are still
faced with policies and procedures in place then to run that
force of multiple millions, refreshed each year by tens of
thousands of draftees and thousands of ROTC [Reserve Officers'
Training Corps] graduates.
Today, our military is vastly different. It is comprised
entirely of high-quality volunteers. As Senator Gillibrand
noted, 17 percent of the force is female, many of them serving
on the front lines in numbers and missions unimaginable in the
days of the Women's Army Corps. Yet, we still rely on a 20 year
up-or-out model for servicemembers who are forced to leave the
military in their prime. Promotion models often see the bottom
performer advanced at the same pace as the frontrunner. Success
in the Information Age will increasingly rely on the technical
ability of our troops. Their assignment system values breadth
over depth of experience. Recruiting is often stovepiped and
not reaching a wider audience online. Our servicemembers cannot
move freely amongst Active, Guard, and Reserve components to
meet changing circumstances in their lives.
As part of a holistic talent management strategy, I am
working with the Services, and will work with you, to ensure
that our legislative authorities and policies meet these
requirements and the requirements laid out by the Secretary of
Defense and the National Defense Strategy.
Our families, as I mentioned, are our priority, as well. In
my father's day, very few servicemembers had families. Today,
almost 70 percent do. For our families, the military health
system has been slow to keep up with modern medical advances
for conditions like autism, as the Chairman and Ranking Member
have often pointed out, and other behavioral disorders. The
Department will continue to enhance and provide DOD support for
military families with special medical or educational needs
through the ongoing Exceptional Family Member Program
standardization, with oversight and analysis of policy
implementation, increased communication of available resources,
and continuous process improvement.
We still have military families making their medical
appointments on paper. P&R, in accord with the direction of
this Committee, is consolidating our military healthcare
systems into one streamlined and efficient military healthcare
administration.
Constant rotation, again based on a 19th Century Army model
and an issue addressed in Senator Kaine's recent legislation,
causes stress on our force. It prevents families from putting
down roots, and spouses from garnering meaningful employment.
We are mindful of this. We are undertaking a review of ways in
which we can mitigate those stresses through greater stability,
particularly at large posts, camps, and stations, locations
where stability can be balanced with the readiness imperative
for servicemembers' professional development.
We are also reviewing our childcare service, and will
implement strategies to improve access to, and the quality of,
Department of Defense-provided childcare across our services.
The bottom line is that readiness is holistic, and, if the
families are not happy, the soldier walks.
Importantly, we have finally provided our Members with a
comprehensive anti-harassment and bullying policy, as
instructed by this Committee over 6 years ago. To mark the
seriousness of this endeavor, I have instructed the elevation
of the DOD Office of Resiliency to include the Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response Office to be a direct report to me, so
that it is no longer lost within the layers of the Pentagon's
bureaucracy. This office will be responsible for Department
policy and enforcement on sexual assault, harassment, suicide
prevention, and equal opportunity.
Mr. Chairman, the All-Volunteer Force has performed
miracles, but certain communities within the joint force are
still deploying at a higher rate than desired, and, in some
cases, their current deploy-to-dwell rate is not sustainable to
achieve our readiness recovery goals. We must address those
hard facts or the force will break.
One way we address this is to ensure our servicemembers are
performing warfighting operations while we rely on our civilian
workforce to meet support missions that enhance our military's
readiness. To that effort, I am reviewing not only how the
Department can optimize staffing at our shipyards, hospitals,
and especially our headquarters, but how we can hire the right
people to make them accountable to perform at the highest
level.
Mr. Chairman, this Committee has kept faith with the finest
military in the world, and the solutions for many of the issues
I have mentioned have already begun to be put in place by you.
I pledge P&R to continue to build upon your work and help you
keep that faith.
Thank you, sir.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Wilkie follows:]
Prepared Statement by the Honorable Robert Wilkie
Mr. Chairman, Senator Gillibrand, and distinguished Members of the
Subcommittee on Personnel, this is a bit of a homecoming and I can
never begin to repay the kindness shown me by the Senators here and
their wonderful staff.
Mr. Chairman, during my nomination hearing I noted that you were
charging me with making life easier for those men and women who carry
our future on their shoulders.
Since my confirmation, the role of Personnel & Readiness (P&R) has
changed to comport with Secretary Mattis' vision. The Secretary has
laid out three Department of Defense (DOD) priorities in the new
National Defense Strategy:
1. Rebuilding military readiness as we build a more lethal Joint
Force
2. Strengthening alliances as we attract new partners
3. Reforming the Department's business practices for greater
performance P&R has a role in all these areas, most significantly in
building readiness and reforming DOD.
The Secretary has also given P&R new responsibilities for the
Strategic Readiness of the force. He has instructed us to:
Address resource gaps in the capabilities, readiness,
and capacity to project power globally in contested environments.
Update the readiness goals in line with the National
Defense Strategy--working with Joint Staff and Services, establish a
standardized demand signal to determine the forces essential to address
various future warfighting scenarios and identify actions to maximize
force readiness.
Implement a Readiness Recovery Framework (R2F) that
includes a plan on specific Military Service-identified areas for
improvement, such as sufficient maintenance; access to training ranges;
sufficient manpower; depot maintenance capacity; and time needed to
plan, coordinate, and execute readiness and training activities.
In my opinion, the Department has too often been caught up in
chasing the shiny object--the new carrier or fighter. We have forgotten
the servicemembers on the frontline. The frontline is where 80 percent
of the casualties occur.
It is where the human dimension of conflict is its most bloody. It
is a world that is brutal and unforgiving--a world in which the grim
reality now is that the enemy is catching up and exploiting areas of
weakness. The mighty Israeli Defense Force experienced it in Lebanon
against Hezbollah. We have experienced it against foes in Iraq and
Afghanistan and now look to a world where threats are proliferating
from North Korea, China, Russia, and Iran.
The threshold question then is whether each decision made by the
Department enhances America's ability to deter--and if need be defeat--
any enemy while keeping our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines
alive and getting them back home quickly.
That means no more fair fights. That means overmatching our
enemies. That means providing our marines and Army infantry with the
same level of investment and scholarly attention that we do with the
billion-dollar programs that grab the headlines in this town.
Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned at my nomination hearing--this is not
the military that Senator McCain or my father joined at the dawn of the
Kennedy Administration, yet we are hamstrung by the policies and
procedures emplaced then to run that force of multiple millions
refreshed each year by tens of thousands of draftees and thousands of
ROTC graduates. Today, our military is vastly different. Comprised
entirely of high-quality volunteers. Seventeen percent of the force is
female--many of whom are serving on the frontlines--in numbers and
missions unimaginable in the days of the Women's Army Corps.
We rely on a 20-year-up-or-out model for servicemembers who are
forced to leave the military in their prime. Promotion models often see
the bottom performer advanced at the same pace as the front runner.
Success in the information age will increasingly rely on the technical
ability of our troops, yet our assignment system values breadth over
depth of experience and expertise. Recruiting is stove piped and not
reaching a wide audience online. Servicemembers cannot move freely
amongst Active, Guard and Reserve components to meet changing
circumstances in their lives. As part of a holistic talent management
strategy, I am working with the Services and will work with you to
ensure our legislative authorities and policies meet the requirements
laid out in our National Defense Strategy.
I will also make our families a priority. In my father's day, few
servicemembers had families--today over 60 percent do. For our
families, the Military Health System has been slow to keep up with
modern medical advances for conditions like autism and other behavioral
disorders as Senators Gillibrand and Tillis have pointed out. The
Department will continue to enhance and improve DOD support for
military families with special medical or educational needs through
ongoing Exceptional Family Member Program standardization efforts,
oversight and analysis of policy implementation, increased
communication of available resources, and continuous processes
improvement.
We still have military families making their medical appointments
on paper and P&R, in accord with the direction of this committee, is
consolidating our multiple military health care systems into one
streamlined and efficient military health care administration.
Constant rotation--again based on a 19th Century Army model--causes
stress on our force and prevents families from putting down roots and
spouses from garnering meaningful employment. We are mindful of this
and are undertaking a review of ways in which we can mitigate those
stressors through greater stability, particularly at large posts,
camps, and stations--locations where stability can be balanced with the
readiness imperative for servicemember professional development. We are
also reviewing our childcare services and will implement strategies to
improve access to and the quality of Defense Department-provided child
care services. The bottom line is that readiness is holistic--if the
families are not happy, the soldier walks.
Importantly, we have finally moved to provide our members with a
comprehensive anti-harassment and bullying policy as instructed by this
committee over 6 years ago. To mark the seriousness of this endeavor--I
have instructed the elevation of the DOD Office of Resiliency to
include the Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Office to be a direct
report to me, so that it is no longer within the layers of the Pentagon
infrastructure. This office will be responsible for Department policy
and enforcement on sexual assault, harassment, suicide prevention, and
equal opportunity.
The All-Volunteer Force has performed miracles but certain
communities within the Joint Force are still deploying at a higher rate
than desired and in some cases their current deploy to dwell rate is
not sustainable to achieve our readiness recovery goals. We must
address those hard facts, or the force will break.
One way we address this is to ensure our servicemembers are
performing warfighting operations while we rely on our civilian
workforce to meet the support missions that enable our military's
readiness. To that effort, I am reviewing not only how the Department
can optimize staffing at our shipyards, our hospitals, and especially
our headquarters, but how we can hire the right people and make them
accountable to perform at the highest level.
Mr. Chairman, this committee has kept faith with the finest
military in the world and the solutions for many of the issues I
mentioned have already begun to be put in place. I pledge to continue
to build on your work and help keep that faith.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
General Rocco.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL MICHAEL A. ROCCO, USMC, DEPUTY
COMMANDANT FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE AFFAIRS
General Rocco. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand,
and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for
the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss your
Marine Corps.
Your 186,000 marines are the foundation of the Corps. They
are the Corps' most critical resource, and always will be.
Marines are recruited, trained, and educated, and retained to
win our Nation's battles. They are smart, resilient, fit,
disciplined, and able to overcome adversity. Marines are
warfighters. They are lethal, and they are ready.
Recruiting high-quality men and women, and retaining those
whose past service and future potential continues to make the
Corps stronger and is our highest priority. Our marines ensure
that we will be no better friend to our allies and those we
have come to help, and no worse enemy to those who oppose us.
We will meet our recruiting missions again this year,
while, at the same time, exceeding all quality goals. The
Department requires 90 percent of marine enlistees to be in the
top education tier. We are over 99 percent. We require 60
percent of enlistees to be in the highest mental aptitude
group. We are over 72 percent.
Just as we recruit the best, so must we retain the best.
The Marines are capable of fulfilling our leadership roles and
operational requirements. There is a continuous challenge to
keep high-quality marines in the service, especially in the
current economy and increasingly competitive civilian job
market. This is particularly true for cyber and many of the
other high-tech occupations that are of critical and enduring
importance. Incentive pays and bonuses remain vital to our
retention effort, and we appreciate your continued support. We
are open to, and always assessing, new ways to recognize,
reward, and ultimately retain quality marines in the Corps. The
Commandant's top priority in this regard is to increase
flexibility for officer promotions. We believe that this is a
simple yet very real and effective way to recognize excellence.
We look forward to working with all of the services, the
Department, and Members of the Subcommittee on other
initiatives that will enhance personnel quality, readiness, and
lethality. We must remain adaptable and consider new ways to
recruit and retain the high-tech force we need for the future
as we build on the foundation of the quality marines we have
today.
I look forward to answering your questions. Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Lieutenant General Rocco
follows:]
Prepared Statement by Lieutenant General Michael A. Rocco
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and distinguished
Members of the Subcommittee, it is my privilege to appear before you
today to provide an overview on Marine Corps personnel.
Since our founding in 1775, marines have answered our Nation's
call, faithfully serving the American people and maintaining a standard
of military excellence. Your Marine Corps is, and will continue to be,
our Nation's expeditionary force in readiness. We are warfighters who
are ready to rapidly respond to crises around the globe to ensure the
continued security of the American people and to protect the interests
that underpin our Nation. Marines will be always faithful to the trust
which the American people have vested in them.
our people
Mission first, people always. Marines are the foundation of the
Marine Corps. They are the Corps' most critical resource, and always
have been. Your marines are recruited, trained, educated, and retained
to win our Nation's battles. They are smart, resilient, fit,
disciplined, and able to overcome adversity. Recruiting high quality
youth and retaining those whose past service and future potential
continues to make the Corps stronger are our highest priorities; they
ensure we remain no better friend and no worse enemy.
End Strength
We thank you for the increased end strength authorization to
186,000 in the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA). This increase is allowing us to strengthen our capabilities to
meet warfighting requirements. Nevertheless, the Marine Corps operating
forces continue to average a deployment-to-dwell ratio of 1:2. This
tempo is not sustainable over the long term; our optimal deployment-to-
dwell is 1:3. Our marines want to deploy, serve our Nation, and protect
our country from threats overseas, but we owe our marines and their
families the appropriate time to reconnect with family, refocus, learn
from their most recent deployment, and train for the next deployment or
contingency. In the near term, we have made the decision to fund
modernization and recover our readiness to continue to ensure our
marines are fully equipped for today's conflict. However, we must not
accept a 1:2 deployment-to-dwell as the new normal.
Recruiting
Unique to all services, all recruiting efforts across the Marine
Corps--officer, enlisted, regular, reserve, and prior-service--fall
under the purview of a single entity, the Marine Corps Recruiting
Command. Operationally, this provides us with tremendous flexibility
and unity of command, facilitating efforts to meet accession
requirements.
Last fiscal year, we successfully achieved all enlisted and officer
recruiting goals for both the Active and Reserve components, and we
expect to do the same again this year. We also will exceed all quality
goals. The Department of Defense requires 90 percent of enlistees to
have a high school diploma or equivalent (Education Tier 1), and 60
percent of enlistees to belong to Mental Groups I-IIIA (mental
aptitude). Last year, the Marine Corps achieved 99.9 percent of Tier 1,
72 percent mental group I-IIIA, and expects to be at or near these
levels for fiscal year 2018.
While only 8 percent of new Marine Corps recruits receive an
enlistment bonus, these incentives are critical to enable us to ship
new recruits at the right times to balance recruit loads at the recruit
depots and meet school seat requirements. We appreciate Congress'
support for these priority programs that assist our contracting high
quality marine recruits.
To meet future challenges in the current recruiting environment, it
is imperative that we maintain our high standards both for our
recruiters and those who volunteer to serve in our Corps. Recruiting
quality young individuals translates into higher performance, reduced
attrition, and improved readiness for the operating forces. Our
actions, commitment, and investments in recruiting today ensure a high
state of readiness in our Corps tomorrow.
Retention
As the Marine Corps manages its 186,000 force, we work to retain
the very best available marines capable of fulfilling our leadership
and operational needs. This is accomplished through a competitive
career designation process for officers and a thorough evaluation
process for enlisted marines, both of which are designed to measure,
analyze, and compare our marines' performance and accomplishments.
However, there is a continuous challenge to keep high-quality marines
in the service, especially in a competitive civilian job market.
Marine Corps retention models, systems, policies, and processes
emphasize consistency of leadership, personnel stability, and sustained
readiness across the force. Officer career designation incorporates a
board system that enables leaders to examine officer records and
accomplishments. After designation, the promotion process continues the
evaluation of marine officers. It is a primary tool by which we retain
only the best and most qualified marines.
For enlisted marines, a tiered rating system takes into account a
number of quantifiable performance factors and includes inputs from
both immediate and more senior leaders. It helps to set achievable
goals for marines as they compete for retention. After initial
reenlistment, the evaluation and continued retention of high quality
enlisted marines is supported by a detailed and continual performance
evaluation system which is fully integrated with the promotion process.
Those marines with the best proven performance are retained and
promoted.
Incentive pays remain critical to our retention effort, allowing
the Marine Corps to fill hard to retain positions, such as cyber
security technicians, special operators, and counter intelligence
specialists. Similarly, Selective Reenlistment Bonuses (SRBs) allow us
to shape our career force by targeting critical military occupational
specialties (MOSs) and supporting lateral movement of marines to these
MOSs. Continuing resolutions have delayed payments of promised SRBs,
and can negatively impact re-enlistments. We appreciate the committee's
continued support to ensure we have the resources required to meet our
retention goals. We are open to, and always assessing, new ways to
recognize and reward excellence in the Corps to ensure quality remains
high and retention strong.
Reserves
Your Marine Corps Selected Reserve is fully manned at its
authorized end strength of 38,500, and our reserve unit personnel
readiness stands at its highest level in a generation. Unit reserve
personnel readiness continues to increase from 71 percent in 2013 to
over 86 percent today, with significant improvement in both enlisted
and officer force management.
While these are welcome and positive trends, we continue to assess
ways to further improve personnel readiness. We have implemented a
comprehensive manpower management plan to provide full service support
to our Reserve officers and staff NCOs [non-commissioned officers] for
their career management. We have expanded this plan to provide full-
service manpower management support for the entire Selected Reserve.
This is a talent management initiative that will help our NCOs, staff
NCOs, and officers move between commands to enhance their development
and military career goals.
The increase in our officer manning has been driven in part by
bonuses and incentives to attract more marines from the Active
component. In addition, our Reserve Officer Commissioning Program has
produced 1,199 lieutenants for the Marine Corps reserves since its
creation in 2006. As a result, our ground company grade officer manning
has increased from 21 percent in 2007, to 89 percent today.
Your Marine Corps Reserves has increased the number of Reserve
marines activating under the 12304b mobilization authority for pre-
planned training missions supporting combatant commander requirements.
Approximately 1,100 Reserve marines are scheduled to deploy during the
remainder of this fiscal year. The fiscal year 2018 NDAA extended pre-
and post-deployment health care to marines who deploy under 12304b, and
the Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 provided them with post
9/11 G.I. Bill benefits. We appreciate this subcommittee's work to
implement these changes.
Blended Retirement System
The new Blended Retirement System (BRS) went into effect on January
1, 2018. The BRS is a significant change from the legacy retirement
system and, while it confers a monetary benefit on the large majority
of marines who do not reach retirement eligibility, we remain concerned
on the potential impact on retention behavior of the force. With over
184,000 marines--both Active and Reserve--having to make an ``opt-in''
decision this year, will be closely monitoring BRS execution progress
for any of these and other impacts.
During 2017, the Marine Corps focused on training those current
marines who may elect to enroll in the BRS this year. Headquarters
Marine Corps subject matter experts visited major bases and
installations, briefing over 2,000 officer and enlisted leaders on the
tools available to educate their marines. The Marine Corps implemented
an integrated communications plan employing administrative messages and
a website with training links, videos, and robust reference material.
We utilized the Marine Corps' social media platforms to increase
awareness and knowledge regarding the BRS and the associated training
requirements. We are closely tracking BRS execution progress and will
continue to do so throughout 2018.
Marine Corps Integration
Executing our successful gender integration plan is key to
sustaining readiness, as well as ensuring we afford all marines the
opportunity to succeed as valued members of the Corps. The Marine Corps
is fully committed to sustaining the most combat effective force by
capitalizing on the knowledge, skills, abilities, demonstrated
performance, and potential of every marine.
To date, our plan is progressing very well. Female marines are now
represented in all previously-restricted occupational fields.
Performance standards are working to ensure both male and female
marines possess the requisite ability to successfully perform the
critical skills of their chosen military occupational specialty. We
continue to collect data and assess all aspects of our plan through the
lenses of 1) combat effectiveness; 2) unit readiness; and 3) talent
management.
Civilian Marines
Our civilian marines support the mission and daily functions of the
Marine Corps and are an integral part of our Total Force. They
exemplify our core values; they embrace esprit de corps, teamwork, and
pride in belonging to our Nation's Corps of Marines. Serving alongside
our marines throughout the world, in every occupation and at every
level, our civilian appropriated-funded workforce remains by far the
leanest of all services, with a ratio of one civilian to every ten
Active Duty marines.
Approximately 95 percent of our appropriated funded civilians work
outside the Washington, DC, beltway at 57 bases, stations, depots, and
installations around the world. Sixty-nine percent are veterans who
have chosen to continue to serve our Nation; of those, 18 percent are
disabled veterans. Our civilian non-appropriated funded workforce
steadfastly continues to provide vital support to our marines, Reserve
marines, their families, and our wounded, ill and injured.
The last few years have not been easy on our civilian marines.
Attracting and retaining top civilian talent when faced with personnel
reductions, limited pay raises, and furloughs is challenging. Continued
continuing resolutions also create an environment of uncertainty and
threat of furlough. Nevertheless, our civilians have truly shown
themselves as Semper Fidelis, keeping our marines and their families in
the forefront. For that, they have my personal admiration.
taking care of marines and their families
Taking care of marines and their families is a key element of
overall readiness and combat effectiveness. The adage ``we recruit
marines, we retain families'' remains as true today as ever. Our
comprehensive package of services seeks the holistic fitness and
readiness of our marines and families--body, mind, spirit, and social.
Behavioral Health
The Marine Corps Behavioral Health Program is an integrated
community-based service model that includes community counseling,
family advocacy, suicide prevention, substance abuse, and combat
operational stress. We provide world-class prevention and counseling
services at each installation, and all of our behavioral health
programs provide free confidential services offered by licensed
counselors. These services are available to individuals, couples,
families, and children. During fiscal year 2017, we provided nearly
15,000 assessments and more than 100,000 counseling hours to marines
and their families.
Suicide Prevention
Suicide prevention is one of the Marine Corp's highest priorities;
one death is too many. Preventing suicide has proven to be a very
challenging task given the complex nature of the problem, but we are
steadfast in our commitment to eliminating it.
Our Marine Intercept Program (MIP) is targeted intervention for
marines who have had a suicidal ideation or attempt. MIP combines
efforts from fellow marines, commanders, installation counselors, and
Marine Corps headquarters elements. It assists marines with a suicide
ideation or attempt through care coordination, regular telephone
outreach by care managers, development of safety plans, and suicide
assessments for marines with a reported suicidal ideation or attempt.
MIP is a very effective program that results in marines receiving
assistance faster, keeping their appointments, and, ultimately, saving
lives.
The Marine Corps DSTRESS Line is a 24/7/365, marine-specific call
center providing phone, chat, and video-telephone capability for
anonymous counseling for circumstances across the stress continuum.
DSTRESS calls can discuss stress and anger management, grief and loss,
deployment cycles, parent-child relationships, couples communication,
marital issues, relationships, relocations, and suicidal crisis. To
date, the DSTRESS Line has had approximately 45,000 sessions with
marines, attached sailors, and their families. Since its inception in
2010, DSTRESS has helped save 39 marines who were in imminent danger
situations.
Our current social media campaign--``#BeThere--Marine''--is a call
to action that motivates marines to take steps and pay attention to
individuals experiencing emotional distress or expressing suicidal
thoughts. To date, nearly 800,000 individuals have viewed and shared
these social media posts and public service announcements worldwide.
Sexual Assault Prevention & Response
Protecting our marines and eradicating sexual assault from our
ranks are top priorities for me and our Corps. We are committed to
eliminating incidents of sexual assault by increasing awareness through
prevention and education, victim centered support, intimidation free
reporting, thorough investigation, and accountability for those who
commit sexual crimes. Any marine who comes forward to report a sexual
assault will receive support, even when the sexual assault occurred
prior to service.
Based on results from the 2016 Workplace and Gender Relations
Survey for Active Duty Servicemembers, sexual assault prevalence has
decreased by 30 percent since 2014. Conversely, reporting levels have
increased. We believe that reduced prevalence with increased reporting
means we are reducing the number of unreported incidents, ensuring that
marines who experience sexual assault get the support they need.
In an effort to better reach junior enlisted marines and officers,
the Marine Corps has developed ``Join the Conversation,'' a
professional military education campaign that helps guide marines in
identifying five destructive behaviors--hazing, sexual assault, sexual
harassment, retaliation, and alcohol misuse. Marines are educated on
the importance of understanding destructive behaviors, the negative
impact of those behaviors to the unit and the Corps at large, and what
marines can do to combat them. This initiative is now formal
instruction at The Basic School.
Male marines are less likely to report a sexual assault than
females. Since so few studies focus on males, the Marine Corps
conducted interviews with its Sexual Assault Response Coordinators
(SARCs) and Sexual Assault Prevention & Response (SAPR) Victim
Advocates (VAs) to learn about their interactions with male marines who
experienced a sexual assault. We learned valuable information regarding
barriers to reporting, reasons why male marines report, and techniques
to build rapport with this population. This information is part of
current SAPR training for SARCs and VAs.
Personal and Professional Development
Our Marine For Life Cycle is a career-long process that helps
marines prepare for transition to civilian life. We provide a continuum
of tangible learning or experienced-based opportunities at nine
different action points with specific emphasis at the marine's first
permanent duty station, promotion to corporal, and the Transition
Readiness Seminar.
At their first permanent duty station, marines complete the
Personal Readiness Seminar within 90 days of arrival to the
installation. This seminar provides an overview of personal and
professional development services to include voluntary education,
career technical/credentialing, personal financial management, family
member employment assistance, and information and referral; the seminar
also emphasizes financial readiness awareness.
At time of promotion to corporal, all marines must complete ``Your
Readiness'' training. This online, MarineNet training provides an
overview of personal and professional development services, the
reenlistment process, transition readiness, developing the Individual
Transition Plan, and an introduction to available resources and support
provided at our installations.
Approximately 12 to 14 months prior to separation, or 24 months
prior to retirement, marines complete the Transition Readiness Seminar.
The week-long program seminar includes a mandatory standardized core
curriculum followed by three 2-day track options to align with their
future goals and aspirations--accessing higher education, career and
technical training, or entrepreneurship.
No later than 90 days prior separation, marines meet with their
commanding officer for Capstone. During Capstone, the commanding
officer will validate whether the marine has met their career readiness
standards. If a marine does not meet their career readiness standards
or have a viable transition plan, a warm handover will be provided to
Department of Labor or Veterans Affairs partner agencies for additional
post-transition assistance.
The mission of Marine Corps Credentialing Opportunities On-Line
(COOL) is to help marines receive transferable credit for their
military skills and work experience. COOL links marines with civilian
certifications related to their military occupational specialties. It
is a public website accessible to all current marines, as well as
veterans, spouses, potential employers, enterprises, credentialing
agencies, and associations. A credential translates Marine Corps
technical skills into marketable language recognized by employers. The
Marine Corps will pay for examination fees and annual maintenance for
enlisted marines to earn civilian/industry credentials closely aligned
with their occupational specialty.
The Marine Corps continually collaborates with the other services,
the Department of Labor, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to
improve our transition programs. We recently participated in a
Transition Assistance Program hearing and follow-up roundtable with
these partners and the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. The Marine
Corps plans to meet throughout the year with the committee to
continuously improve the metrics relating to successful transition from
military to civilian employment.
Wounded Warrior Care
The Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Regiment (WWR) continues to
execute our Recovery Coordination Program in support of wounded, ill,
or injured (WII) marines and their families, in a manner that greatly
facilitates their recovery and upholds our enduring commitment to
``keep faith'' with those who have incurred life changing impairments
in service to our Nation. Regardless of the origin of affliction, our
marines require and genuinely deserve access to the comprehensive
recovery care available through the WWR.
WWR recovery care coordinators, in coordination with medical
providers and unit leaders, help WII Marines develop and execute their
individual comprehensive recovery plans, which provide the road map for
a successful transition. WII Marines with complex care coordination
needs are assessed for post-separation support requirements. When
appropriate, those marines are transferred to a Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) designated lead coordinator prior to their medical
discharge to ensure seamless support.
WWR maintains faith with our marines through our district injured
support coordinators, who are geographically dispersed around the
country and provide one-on-one support as needed, and the Sergeant
Merlin German Call Center, which conducts outreach calls to marines and
receives and responds to calls for assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.
Since our WWR was established in 2007, thousands of WII marines and
family members transitioning from Active service have benefitted from a
full spectrum of support services that begins with physical recovery
needs and increasingly focuses on post-service employment and education
opportunities as they heal. Marines and their families, Members of
Congress, and the public at large can be assured that the Marine Corps,
through the WWR, will continue to expertly provide recovery care
coordination support at all times.
Marine Corps Business and Support Services
The Marine Corps delivers many of its quality of life programs via
an integrated Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) construct that
combines Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR); Marine Corps Exchange
(MCX); Warfighter and Family Services; and Child Development Programs.
This integrated model is unique within DOD and provides many operating
efficiencies, including consolidated non-appropriated fund (NAF) back-
office support, e.g., human resources, finance and accounting,
procurement, construction, and information technology. Our focus on
efficiency continues today with transformation and innovation pursuits,
such as a shared services center for all MCCS NAF transactional
accounting functions that will utilize robotics functionality; we are
expecting a significant cumulative NAF benefit over a 10 year period.
The MCX is an integral self-sustaining business component of MCCS,
delivering products and services in garrison and expeditionary
environments, while producing an invaluable NAF dividend to our MWR and
family programs. Marines and their families can count on real savings
when they shop at the MCX. The 2017 market basket survey showed an
average savings of approximately 26 percent. Further, the MCX is proud
to employ military family members who represent approximately 33
percent of our workforce.
Transformation and innovation are the fabric of MCCS as we continue
to assess and implement new delivery models by leveraging technology,
partnerships, and sponsorships. The Marine Corps is also an active
participant in DOD Business Reforms that encompass many of the programs
and services within the MCCS portfolio. We are committed to seeking
efficiencies across the Department while preserving our highly
effective MCCS organization that is best attuned to meeting Marine
Corps operational requirements.
conclusion
The marines of our Corps represent the individuals of our Nation
who have stepped forward and sworn to defend and protect it. Through
recruiting, training, education, and retention of men and women of
character who take up our challenge to become one of ``the Few and the
Proud,'' we will enhance the quality of our Corps and our overall
combat effectiveness. By ensuring that we take care of all marines and
their families, we fulfill our responsibility to keep faith with the
honor, courage, and commitment they have so freely given.
Our individual marines are our most precious asset. They are proud
of what they do. They are proud of the ``Eagle, Globe, and Anchor'' and
what it represents to our Nation. With your support, a vibrant Marine
Corps will continue to meet our Nation's call.
Thank you again for the opportunity to present this testimony.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
General Grosso.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL GINA M. GROSSO, USAF, DEPUTY
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR MANPOWER, PERSONNEL AND SERVICES
General Grosso. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand,
Senator Ernst, thank you for the opportunity to appear before
you today to deliver the United States Air Force's personnel
posture for fiscal year 2019.
Increasing end strength is the Air Force's number-one
priority to accelerate readiness. We appreciate the Fiscal Year
2018 National Defense Authorization Act's support for continued
end-strength growth to 675,000 Total Force airmen. This growth
allows the Air Force to compete, deter, and win in a more
competitive and dangerous international security environment.
The Air Force's Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget continues
that growth to 680,000 Total Force airmen. This end-strength
growth increases training capacity to address foundational
disconnects in the training pipeline. It also funds instructors
to boost pipeline capacity and increases intelligence, remotely
piloted aircraft operations support, and cyber mission
capability.
As of October 2017, our Total Force pilot shortage was
approximately 2,000, with the largest shortage in our fighter
pilot inventory. The Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget
continues to address the pilot shortage by funding increased
pilot production capacity. This increased capacity assists in
rapidly producing new pilots to meet operational requirements.
In addition, the budget funds implementation of myriad programs
and policies designed to address assignment, operational tempo,
and quality-of-life issues targeted to improve pilot retention.
The Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget increases support
to airmen and families through a variety of capabilities that
drive mission readiness by focusing on resiliency and
retention. The budget increases child and youth funding by $54
million, for a total of $114 million. This funding will expand
childcare for those airmen needing care outside of normal duty
hours, provides fees to support 4,000 children who only have
access to off-base childcare, and funds youth resiliency camps.
The Exceptional Family Member Program assists more than 33,000
airmen who have special-needs family members. This budget adds
15 installation-level family support coordinators across the
Air Force and also funds increasing respite childcare for
primary caregivers from 12 to 40 hours per child per month.
Taking care of our airmen's children and caregivers removes
worries and distractions to allow the airmen to fully focus on
the mission.
Today's threat environment requires agile and inclusive
military and civilian personnel management systems to ensure
the Air Force continues to retain the highly skilled talented--
talent needed to defend our Nation. In our enlisted force, we
are conducting a triennial review of an enlisted evaluation
process following the transition to a new system in 2015.
Within our officer corps, we are looking into options to
enhance the Air Force's ability to execute the right size and
mix of capabilities required to meet and sustain emerging
mission demands. We are reviewing multiple initiatives, to
include exploring the possibility of modifying our current
promotion competitive category structure and establishing
technical tracks. We fully support the Defense Officer
Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) reform efforts; in particular,
opting out of promotions, constructive credit, merit-based
promotions, and secretarial authority for a small number of
spot promotions. We look forward to continuing the discussions
with this--on this topic with you.
Our civilian workforce is essential to the Air Force's
mission in joint warfighting readiness. Recruiting and hiring
top civilian talent is critical to our success. In fiscal year
2018, we implemented a Premier College Intern Program. This
initiative enables the Air Force to recruit top talent directly
from college campuses via summer intern program, starting their
junior year, using direct-hire authorities to streamline the
process. Our target for fiscal year 2019 onboarding is 500 new
civilians, and we currently have 450 acceptances, to date. This
approach ensures we will leverage the new congressional hiring
authorities and stay competitive with aggressive private-sector
recruiting.
Finally, the Air Force is modernizing information
technology infrastructure across our human resource systems to
provide exceptional personnel service to airmen and their
families. In a digitally connected world, our airmen deserve
the best human resource systems available today. We have a 6-
year plan to migrate 115 technology platforms and 400-plus
applications to the Cloud. As we modernize our information
technology platform, we will provide more modern systems for
our airmen, and we will enhance our ability to make data-driven
decisions.
In conclusion, we ensure--we must ensure our airmen have
the resources, training, and tools to compete, deter, and win
in an increasingly complex world. We are committed to
prioritizing and resourcing what is most important to make the
Air Force more ready and lethal. We welcome the opportunity to
partner with Congress in our endeavors to protect and defend
our Nation.
I thank you for your continued support, and I look forward
to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Lieutenant General Grosso
follows:]
Prepared Statement by Lieutenant General Gina M. Grosso
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, distinguished Members
of this Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before this
Committee to talk about our airmen. America's airmen remain ``Always
There'' providing global vigilance, reach and power to protect and
defend our Nation. Our airmen, Active, Guard, Reserve and civilian,
have been engaged globally for the longest continuous stretch of combat
in our Nation's history. As noted in the National Defense Strategy, we
are facing a complex and volatile global environment with increasing
disorder resulting from the decline of the long-standing rules-based
international order under which we previously operated. Great power
competition has reemerged as the central challenge to U.S. prosperity
and security. In this environment, we must prioritize and resource what
is most important to field a lethal, expertly trained, resilient, and
rapidly adapting Air Force to meet today's and tomorrow's warfighting
demands.
accelerating readiness
Our airmen, both military and civilian, are our most important
asset. Increasing end strength, as requested in the Fiscal Year 2019
President's Budget, will allow the Air Force to better meet today's
warfighting demands as well tomorrow's. Without continued end strength
growth, readiness will decline and the Air Force will find it
increasingly difficult to meet evolving combatant commander
requirements.
End Strength
The Air Force appreciates the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense
Authorization Act support for continued end strength growth to 675,300
Total Force airmen. This growth allows the Air Force to compete, deter
and win in a more competitive and dangerous international security
environment. The Air Force's Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget
continues that growth to 680,400 Total Force airmen--329,100 Active
Duty, 107,100 Guard, 70,000 Reserve, and 174,200 civilians. This growth
will accelerate our readiness and provide more lethal airmen to protect
and defend our Nation.
Recruiting and Accessing
Readiness is first and foremost about the airmen who make up your
Air Force. Today only 25 percent of 17 to 24 year old men and women in
the United States are eligible to serve--our prime recruiting pool.
Despite this low ratio, the Air Force achieved its fiscal year 2017
enlisted Active (31,000) and Reserve component (6,583) recruiting
goals. The Air National Guard missed its enlisted recruiting goal by
280 airmen (achieving 94 percent of the goal), but was able to offset
this with increased retention.
The fiscal year 2018 Air Force Active Duty enlisted recruiting goal
is 29,450. Thus far, we have met 33 percent of the overall goal and
have identified recruits with projected dates for basic military
training at 55 percent of the goal. The fiscal year 2018 Air Force
Reserve enlisted recruiting goal is 7,240 with 31.6 percent already
met. In summary, Active Duty, Reserve and Air National Guard are on
track to meet fiscal year 2018 enlisted recruiting goals.
The Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget Active Component enlisted
recruiting target is 28,250. The fiscal year 2019 Air Force Reserve
enlisted recruiting target is 7,497 and the fiscal year 2019 Air
National Guard enlisted recruiting target is still being worked.
In fiscal year 2019 the Active component officer recruiting target
is 5,450, a 350 increase from fiscal year 2018. The fiscal year 2019
Air Force Reserve's is 1,253, an increase of 43, and the Air National
Guard recruiting target remains steady.
The Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget increases Reserve Officer
Training Corps scholarship funding by $18.1 million to allow the Air
Force to offer 1,000 additional scholarships. We are confident we can
meet our fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2019 recruiting targets.
The Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget also increases training
capacity to ``right-size'' the student pipeline with a focus on
critical skills production as identified in the National Defense
Strategy. These increases address foundational disconnects in the
training pipeline, fund instructors to boost pipeline capacity,
increase Remotely Piloted Aircraft operations support and cyber mission
capability. Specifically, we are adding 248 authorizations to assist in
pipeline technical training in addition to adding 74 authorizations to
increase Military Training Instructors and Military Training Leaders at
Basic Military Training.
To further assist with overall pilot shortages, we are actively
seeking retired pilots to return to Active Duty. As of the end of
January, 22 applications are in the review process. Though not large
numbers, these returning pilots will mitigate manning shortages and
augment other programs to help restore our pilot inventory.
The end strength increases in this budget begin to restore squadron
manning by filling gaps that were created by years of declining end
strength.
Retaining Airmen and Families
While the Air Force is experiencing historically high retention
rates in both the officer and enlisted corps, we do have pockets of
retention challenges. For our enlisted career fields, we have lower
retention for linguistic analysts, special operations aircraft
maintenance, and nuclear medicine specialties. For officer career
fields, retention is challenged for pilots, combat systems officers,
and various medical specialties.
We appreciate Congress' generous support of special and incentive
pays. The Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget includes $1.2 billion for
special and incentive pays allowing the Air Force to target critical
skill shortages. Further it assists in compensating airmen for
hazardous duty or earned skill sets that are critical to our
warfighting excellence. To ensure we are making the best use of our
aviation bonus authorities, we will continue to use a business case
model to target payments based on four main criteria: manning levels,
retention, cost to train and the length of time to train.
The Total Force pilot shortage for fiscal year 2017 ended at 1,812
and was most acute in our fighter pilot inventory. This budget
continues to address the pilot shortage by continuing the aviator bonus
and allowing the Air Force flexibility to focus those resources to
address our greatest needs. In addition, this budget adds required
training production capacity in our formal training units to assist in
rapidly producing new accessions to fill our cockpits. Finally, this
budget permits implementation of a myriad of programs and policies
designed to address assignment, promotion, operational tempo, and
quality of life issues targeted to improve retention.
That said, monetary incentives are just one small piece of our
retention portfolio. The majority of the retention portfolio are in
fact non-monetary. Commanders have the authority to approve high year
of tenure extensions for personnel in undermanned key career fields to
retain much needed experience. We are adding flexibility into the
assignments process for aviators by leveraging technology to improve
our assignment matching system. After researching industry best
practices, we implemented an information technology solution known as
``Talent Marketplace.'' Talent Marketplace uses an algorithm, based on
the Nobel-Prize winning National Medical Residency Matching Program, to
assist in matching officers to available assignments. This algorithm
takes into account 1) the officer's assignment preferences and 2) the
hiring manager's ranking of officers being considered, and produces a
match. While Talent Marketplace provides an automated ``scientific''
match at the beginning of the process, it then assists the Air Force's
Personnel Center assignment team in applying the ``art'' to finalize
the process. This two-pronged process approach of ``science'' and
``art'' assists with transparency in the assignment process and will
assist with better managing talent. A demonstration of the Talent
Marketplace concept was first tested with our operations researchers
analyst career field in the spring of 2017, with successful results.
Incremental implementation is underway with fighter pilots and combat
system operators for the summer 2018 assignment cycle. As funding
allows, we will bring all officer and enlisted skill sets into the
Talent Marketplace program.
Having a lethal, agile and flexible force, capable of winning in
any environment, goes beyond solely the overall size of the force. It
also encompasses looking after airmen's mental and physical wellbeing
and ensuring we take care of their families so they can focus on the
mission.
Airmen must be able to withstand, recover, and grow in the face of
stressors and changing demands. Our airmen must be resilient to be
fully mission-ready and lethal. The Fiscal Year 2019 President's Budget
increases support to airmen and families through a variety of
capabilities that drive mission readiness and improve the resilience
and retention of our human weapon system.
child and youth programs
Airmen cannot be effective if they are worried about their
children. In fiscal year 2019 we increased child and youth funding by
$53.6 million for a total of $114.2 million. This funding will (1)
expand child care for those needing childcare outside of normal duty
hours, (2) provide fees to support 4,000 children who must use off-base
child care, and (3) fund youth resiliency camps. The funding increase
also includes 119 additional civilian child care positions across the
Air Force; supplies, closed circuit television repair and replacement,
and national youth partnerships such as Boys and Girls Clubs and 4-H.
exceptional family member programs
More than 33,000 Total Force airmen have special needs families
currently enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program and
retention of these skilled airmen is critical to readiness. To assist
in the retention efforts, we are improving support to Exceptional
Family Member Program families by increasing installation-level family
support coordinators from 84 to 99, providing additional coordinator
training, improving assignment management processing, and offering
online information for airmen and their spouses to assist in planning
for future assignments. We are also increasing Exceptional Family
Member Program Respite Child Care from 12 to 40 hours per child each
month. These efforts, along with increased communication with our
Exceptional Family Member Program families through quarterly webcasts,
accelerate the readiness and lethality of the Air Force.
Recharge for Resiliency
Air Force Morale, Welfare, and Recreation capabilities build skills
and self-confidence, reduce stress, and enhance quality of life for
airmen and families. With our Morale, Welfare, and Recreation budget,
we will implement new capabilities designed to drive unit cohesion,
stability and resiliency in our squadrons. One capability highlight is
our Recharge for Resiliency Program which was originally designed to
provide airmen and families an outlet to decompress and adjust after
returning home from a deployment. In fiscal year 2019, we are expanding
Recharge for Resiliency to include activities commanders in the field
can use specifically to build unit cohesion and drive squadron
vitality. One such example is the Team Cohesion Challenge, an adventure
race incorporating the four comprehensive airman fitness pillars
(mental, physical, social and spiritual). The event lasts approximately
4 to 5 hours and focuses on team building.
foundational readiness imperatives
The Air Force's core values--Integrity First, Service before Self,
and Excellence in All We Do--are the foundation of all airmen
performance.
Wounded Warriors
The Air Force has 3,200 Wounded Warriors serving today. Our
commitment to our wounded, ill and injured airmen remains resolute as
these airmen, their families and caregivers deserve nothing less. As
such, the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program provides world-class
medical treatment along with physical, psychological, social and family
healing through a variety of avenues to include recovery care
coordinators that provide care management assistance. Our goal is to
return airmen to duty, whether back to their unit or to another
opportunity to serve in uniform. For those who cannot return to duty,
we provide personalized transition support from housing and education
services, to employment and financial coaching.
Airmen with Invisible Wounds
Airmen with Invisible Wounds--post traumatic stress disorder,
traumatic brain injury or other cognitive, psychological or behavioral
disorders--experience unique challenges requiring an agile,
comprehensive approach to support and care. The Air Force has 2,355
airmen with invisible wounds. Recognizing these challenges, the
Invisible Wounds Initiative began in 2016 with a complete review and
revision of medical care and support programs along with a long-term
culture change on how we care for airmen with invisible wounds. Since
then, we established a specific medical separation review to ensure
individuals were diagnosed appropriately and received a thorough course
of treatment before meeting a medical review board. We also developed a
communication campaign to educate commanders and leaders at all levels
on the challenges faced by airmen with invisible wounds with the intent
to bring clarity, understanding and open doors for more members to seek
help rather than hide mental health issues.
Personal Violence Prevention and Response
Interpersonal violence and suicide are detriments to our airmen,
our culture, and our core values. These acts negatively impact victims,
those who perpetrate, and their units. As a result, unit cohesion,
mission effectiveness, and ultimately Air Force readiness are
threatened. We are deeply committed to the prevention of interpersonal
violence and suicide on all fronts from sexual assault, child
maltreatment, domestic violence, to workplace violence. Should these
events occur despite prevention efforts, we are committed to providing
victims the care they need across a robust response system.
Effective prevention is necessary to accelerate readiness. Our
prevention strategy involves leveraging cutting edge, evidence based
innovations to deliver holistic prevention. We are in the final stages
of validating a tool that will screen for individuals with a high
propensity for unethical decision-making and risk of engaging in
counterproductive behaviors and integrity violations inconsistent with
the Air Force culture and core values.
At our accessions sources we are adapting the best available
interventions from civilian settings to develop tailored and holistic
prevention for entry-level airmen. At Basic Military Training, we are
using mobile technology to provide prevention interventions matched to
each trainee's unique risk profile. At the Air Force Academy, the Cadet
Healthy Personal Skills program is showing tremendous promise in not
only working to eradicate sexual assault but also fostering healthy
personal and interpersonal skills to build resilience and exceptional
leaders.
Across the Total Force, we are moving to the sustainability phase
of our evidence-based bystander intervention approach. This integrated
bystander approach combines sexual assault, dating and domestic
violence, stalking, and suicide prevention, and reduces these forms of
violence. Evaluation results indicate the approach is increasing hope,
efficacy, and positive behavior changes. Final results from the 2017
DOD Annual Report on Sexual Assault will be released this summer; our
early analysis shows promising indications of increases in sexual
assault reporting. The complete analysis will be available late spring
2018.
We are also implementing Task Force True North, a comprehensive
approach to increase help seeking behavior and decrease negative
behavior outcomes. This approach embeds mental health providers within
at-risk units. Bold initiatives are also underway to prevent suicide,
sexual harassment and workplace harassment. These initiatives highlight
scientific innovations in prevention, such as computer-based learning
for suicide risk detection and intentional climate design to create
environments in which workplace harassment is less likely to occur.
Time-based prevention, an initiative designed to separate someone who
is suicidal from the most lethal means to kill themselves, is also
being developed to reduce suicide (i.e. free volunteer storage of
personally owned firearms). Taken together, these innovations have the
potential to result in substantial decreases in interpersonal violence
and suicide.
We are committed to continuous improvement and critical evaluation
of our systems. We will partner with external experts from academia,
industry, other government agencies and non-profit organizations to
improve our ability to support leaders in the field. We remain
dedicated to implementing bold ideas that leverage technology and
strategic communications to improve leaders' ability to support their
airmen and families.
developing exceptional leaders and talent management
The Air Force continues to improve its Force Development processes
to ensure alignment with the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Through
that lens, we have been working hand-in-hand with our joint partners on
several leadership development programs.
The deliberate development of Air Force leaders includes education,
training and experience. Our enterprise-level development programs
focus on improving leadership, management, and warrior ethos. They are
designed to produce airmen who possess the tactical expertise,
operational competence, and strategic vision to lead and execute Air
Force and Joint missions, now and in the future. The Air Force executes
a senior leader development portfolio emphasizing the continued
development of enterprise-level senior leaders (targeted for GS-15s,
senior executives, chief master sergeants, colonels, and general
officers). Senior leaders' development is managed by specific officer,
enlisted, and civilian management teams and the development portfolio
consists of approximately 35 tailored courses and development
opportunities annually.
We are examining our professional military education to improve how
we develop leaders capable of critical and strategic thought, clear
communication, and adept in the art and science of warfighting. We will
emphasize intellectual leadership and military professionalism, deepen
our knowledge of history, embrace new technology and techniques to
counter competitors.
We need airmen with the right operational and international skills
who can work with partner nations to meet global threats and
challenges. The National Defense Strategy highlights the importance of
``strengthening allies and attracting new partners.'' Critical to
meeting this line of effort is developing a workforce with the skills
to build partnerships, strengthen capabilities and capacities as
partner airmen. In tandem with Department of Defense efforts, we are
assessing how we train and develop our airmen to meet the demands of
the increasingly complex security cooperation environment. We are
working cross-functionally to build a security cooperation workforce
that is appropriately trained, certified, resourced, and managed to
meet the dynamic, global challenges.
Performance Management
Today's threat environment requires agile, responsive military and
civilian personnel management systems to ensure the Air Force continues
to retain the highly skilled talent needed to defend the Nation.
Cultivating workforce talent is a priority.
Enlisted
In our enlisted force, we are finishing a triennial review of our
enlisted evaluation system since transitioning to the new system in
2015. The review centered around answering two strategic questions: 1)
``How do we get the very best out of our airmen so they give their very
best to accomplishing the mission?'' and 2) ``Are there any alternative
performance management models that may be used other than forced
distribution for promotion recommendations?'' Initiatives include re-
examining what is valued in documenting performance feedback,
transforming the current evaluation form to more precisely document
performance, developing an evaluation tool that encourages more candid
performance feedback, and clarifying stratification rules to reinforce
performance feedback. When completed, senior leaders can use the
review's recommendations as a baseline to ensure our Enlisted
Evaluation System is reinforcing the development and feedback for our
enlisted force. It is also an example of the deliberate and continuous
process we use to strengthen the capabilities, readiness, and
professionalism of our vital enlisted force.
Officer
Within our officer corps, we are looking into what we can do to
enhance the Air Force's ability to execute the right size and mix of
capabilities required to meet and sustain emerging mission demands.
Currently, we are exploring ways to transform officer performance
management using the lessons learned from the transition to the
enlisted evaluation system. In 2017, we began an initiative to look at
officer performance management, which includes a deliberate review of
our officer evaluation system and officer promotion processes. We have
a dedicated team exploring various officer evaluation and promotion
considerations which include starting at the foundation with thoughtful
work focused on what the Air Force values in its officer corps.
Building on that sturdy foundation, we are reviewing a number of
initiatives to ensure our officer corps is able to meet strategic
challenges.
The Department is reviewing proposed statutory changes for the
fiscal year 20 2019 National Defense Authorization Act to recruit,
develop, promote and retain officers for today's operational
requirements. Once we have completed our review and obtained approval
of our proposed changes not just within the Department, but also by the
Administration, we will share these proposals with you and provide you
with more details.
Civilian
Our civilian workforce is essential to the Air Force's mission and
joint warfighting readiness. Recruiting and hiring top civilian talent
is critical to our success. Civilian airmen represent 25 percent of our
Total Force. The vast majority of our civilian airmen, 94 percent, are
at the tip of the spear in our depots and squadrons--not on
headquarters staffs as many believe. The Air Force's strategy to
improve its civilian hiring process has four lines of effort: (1)
Information technology--increasing reliability and automation, (2)
Authorities--utilizing current authorities and expanding them as able,
(3) Process improvements and (4) Modest additional manpower.
In addition to these lines of effort, the Air Force recognizes the
need for a more agile and flexible talent management system responsive
to warfighter needs. Air Force civilian force management leaders,
partnered with other key stakeholders, have begun developing a concept
plan for a pilot civilian talent management system, modeled after a
successful demonstration project already in place.
The Air Force has also made strides in civilian workforce
recruiting, developing, and retaining talent by launching an accredited
civilian associate degree in Leadership and Management Studies program,
as well as implementing a Premier College Intern Program. The purpose
of the associate degree program is to allow the 50 percent of Air Force
civilians without a college degree to begin their educational journey.
The degree enables personal and professional development, improves
communication and critical thinking skills, and invests in building a
cadre of future Air Force leaders. In fiscal year 2019, the Premier
College Intern Program will enable the Air Force to recruit top talent
directly from college campuses via a summer intern program using direct
hiring authorities to streamline the process. The intent is to recruit
college students who have completed their junior year by giving them
summer internships followed by a guaranteed civilian intern
developmental position immediately upon graduation. The premier
internship program will provide the Air Force with a strategic approach
to target specific fields of study, build a campus talent pipeline and
introduce the Air Force as an employer of choice. Our target for fiscal
year 2019 is 500--we currently have 415 acceptances. This approach
ensures we will leverage the new congressional hiring authorities and
stay competitive with private sector companies like IBM and Google who
hire directly from college campuses.
human resource management information technology reform
The Air Force is modernizing the information technology
infrastructure across its human resources systems to provide
exceptional service to Total Force airmen and their families. In a
digitally connected world, our airmen deserve the best Human Resource
Systems available today. To improve these systems, our efforts are
focused on providing all airmen a modern cloud-based, mobile-enabled,
self-service oriented digital experience. The way forward requires
analyzing the Human Resource Management Information Technology
portfolio which includes 115 talent management information technology
platforms and 400+ applications, to identify business redundancies and
opportunities for consolidation. At the foundation of this effort is
our transition to cloud services which will enhance Privacy Information
security. As we modernize our Information Technology platforms, we will
increase our ability to make data-driven decisions.
MyVector
MyVector, is a web-based Total Force development platform and is an
example of how we are evolving our human resources information
technology capabilities to enhance support to airmen in an efficient,
agile, and cost effective manner. It underpins the force development
for all airmen and allows them to be actively involved in their own
career development process. Presently, more than 176,000 Total Force
airmen, military and civilians, (15,000 more than last year) are
registered on MyVector and more than 17,000 airmen have matched
mentoring connections. We are currently posturing the platform to
accomplish Officer Developmental Education Boards, enlisted deliberate
development, and foreign language proficiency tracking capabilities.
Air Force Integrated Personnel and Pay System
Another example of modernizing our Information Technology platform
is the Air Force Integrated Personnel and Pay System (AFIPPS). This
program will enhance our already fully operational personnel system for
all three components, Active, Reserve and Guard, by integrating
payroll. Our strategy has greatly reduced the life cycle cost estimate
of the program from $1.8 billion to $0.7 billion. It has also
dramatically reduced risk by using our existing Oracle Electronic
Business Suite platform, established system infrastructure and trained
workforce. Contract award will occur early this spring and once
completed in January 2021, the Air Force will have a fully integrated
personnel and pay system that will meet all Federal audit compliances
and resolve existing pay issues airmen experience today.
conclusion
We must ensure our airmen have the resources, training and tools to
compete, deter, and win in an ever increasingly complex security
environment. Resilient and ready airmen, both military and civilian,
are the foundation of the Air Force's readiness and lethality. Your Air
Force will remain ``Always There'' providing global vigilance, reach
and power to protect and defend our Nation. We are committed to
prioritizing and resourcing what is most important and look forward to
partnering with Congress in our endeavors to protect and defend our
Nation. I thank you for your continuing support of your Air Force.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
Admiral Burke.
STATEMENT OF VICE ADMIRAL ROBERT P. BURKE, USN, DEPUTY CHIEF OF
NAVAL OPERATIONS, N-1
Admiral Burke. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand,
and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for
the opportunity to represent the men and women of the United
States Navy. The stalwart support for them and their families
continues to have a profound impact on the health of our force
today.
Global demands on the Navy continue to grow. We must
continue to recruit, develop, and retain the highly skilled
workforce needed to meet the growing demands of our naval
forces.
Our force structure is expected to grow as we build the
navy the Nation needs, which will require increasing end
strength. As we grow, our need for highly talented people
increases. At the same time, propensity to serve is declining,
and each of the services, as well as the civilian sector, are
vying for the same limited talent pool. We are clearly in a war
for talent.
Current forecasts, based on leading economic indicators,
suggest difficult times ahead. Labor market factors may pull
sailors with critical skills into the growing civilian job
market. We took note of these indicators and initiated
preemptive action to retain these sailors using all available
policy levers to posture us to meet this anticipated growth.
Despite this, we just made our fiscal year 2017 end-strength
targets. This year's trajectory is good, but we will require
steady and reliable funding, going forward, to stay on track.
The new 2-year budget is great news for us and is an excellent
step in that direction, and we are very appreciative of your
work on that.
While recruiters experienced challenges last year, the
increased fiscal year 2018 recruiting mission will be even more
difficult, as certain fields are in short supply. Our projected
growth profile requires a balanced approach of accessions
increases as well as retention improvement. While aggregate
retention remains high, the new fields, special warfare,
advanced electronics, aviation, and cyber demand close
attention. Targeted bonuses continue to be the most cost-
effective monetary tool in addressing retention challenges.
But, we're aggressively applying a combination of monetary and
nonmonetary incentives, with good effect.
Toward that end, we continue to implement and expand our
Sailor 2025 Program, a dynamic set of over 45 initiatives that
work to provide today's sailors and their families the choices,
flexibility, and transparency they expect and deserve. Combined
with our manpower, personnel, training, and education
enterprise transformation efforts, we will provide these
programs to our sailors with a renewed focus on customer
service through streamlined, efficient businesses processes and
systems. We will also better meet the needs of our fleet
commanders through agility, responsiveness, and use of
predictive analytics to be the pillar of stability in an
uncertain world.
We're moving out now with purpose and a committed sense of
urgency on these initiatives. We also remain actively engaged
in your Department's review of officer management policies. We
are very grateful for the Subcommittee's interest in a
committed partnership in modernizing DOPMA to meet the future
needs of each of the services.
I look forward to your questions, and thank you.
[The prepared statement of Vice Admiral Burke follows:]
Prepared Statement by Vice Admiral Robert P. Burke
introduction
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and distinguished
Members of this Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear
before you today to discuss the personnel posture of the United States
Navy and our manpower, personnel, training, education (MPT&E), and
family support programs.
ready and capable global navy
For over 240 years, the U.S. Navy has been a cornerstone of
American security and prosperity. In an increasingly globalized world,
America's success is ever more dependent on the U.S. Navy. As Chief of
Naval Personnel, I am responsible for manning our ships, squadrons,
submarines, and stations with sailors ready to undertake the
challenging jobs and tasks demanded of them. This entails recruiting
talented individuals and providing efficient and effective training
pipelines that transform sailors into highly-skilled maritime
warriors--the best in the world! My team manages the single resource
that cuts across every warfare specialty, platform and organization in
the Navy--our most prized treasure--our sailors. As we stand on the
horizon of a new fleet with new operating concepts, we must also seek
out people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, critical thinking
skills and the mental agility to operate across the spectrum of change
that lies ahead. This requires a personnel system that is equally agile
and flexible, ready to meet the challenges and uncertainty of a great
power era.
competing for talent
While recruiting and retention are generally healthy, it is clear
that competition for talent is steadily increasing. Propensity to serve
has declined among young people possessing the requisite academic and
physical aptitude necessary for service. The improving economy is
beginning to impact recruiting and retention. We are in strong
competition with the civilian sector and the other Military Services
for the same talent pool. As our Navy grows in the years ahead, our
need for additional highly talented people will increase, even as we
enhance our ability to retain our current talent base and reestablish
required fleet wholeness.
It has been more than a decade since we experienced widespread
challenges in the recruiting and retention markets. In the period
since, the civilian unemployment rate has become a less accurate
predictor of retention and recruiting behavior. The Center for Naval
Analyses (CNA) recently concluded a study on the impact of various
economic metrics on retention, and created a useful economic index,
which is more indicative of overall economic health, relying more
heavily on factors beyond unemployment, and more closely matching
historical retention and recruiting behavior. Comprised of different
economic variables and monthly economic forecasts, we consider it a
reliable leading indicator.
Current forecasts suggest difficult times ahead. Several MPT&E
metrics, which normally serve as the bellwether for change in Navy
workforce behavior, are consistent with an improving economy, and
demonstrate that the competition has indeed begun. Forecasts predict
regional labor shortages in working age population in some states and
skill-sets, e.g., computers, mathematics, and healthcare. Technically-
skilled labor is at high risk for both shortages and accelerated wage
growth, based on a large number of anticipated retirements and few new
workforce entrants. These labor market factors may pull sailors in
certain critical skill-sets away from the Navy and into the civilian
job market. We must heed these market indicators and take preemptive
action to retain key labor skills as challenges increase in the coming
years. We are using these predictive analytics to apply modest
increases in enlistment and retention bonuses ahead of need, rather
than wait for the large reactionary swings of the past.
End Strength
Navy end strength and budget growth, in fiscal year 2018 and fiscal
year 2019, will further efforts begun in fiscal year 2017 to restore
fleet wholeness, while beginning force growth. Following three
consecutive years of declining end strength, we will achieve growth
through a balanced approach of maximizing retention, increasing
accessions, and ensuring the right sailor, with the right skills and
experience, is in the right place to meet mission requirements (a
metric we call ``fit''). To position us for success in implementing
anticipated force structure growth, we recently initiated a number of
important policy changes. We have effectively eliminated voluntary
Enlisted Early Transition Program (``early-outs'') and incentivized
early return to sea duty for career sailors, to narrow gaps at sea and
retain sailors through completion of their service commitments. Despite
aggressive use of all policy levers throughout fiscal year 2017, we
only just met our end strength requirement, a challenge caused largely
by a cut in accessions we had to take in fiscal year 2016 due to
Military Personnel, Navy (MPN) funding limitations associated with
Budget Control Act top line requirements. While overall strength is
near programmed levels, the funded levels at the end of fiscal year
2017 left over 7,500 gapped sea duty billets because new accessions
primarily fill sea duty billets. We also face significant challenges in
meeting the demand for specific technical skills in our nuclear, cyber,
and special operations programs, certain type/model/series aviation
platforms, and in the healthcare professions.
The President's Budget for fiscal year 2019 supports growth in
accounts for fleet manpower, student and training, special and
incentive pays, and transients, patients, prisoners, and holdees
(TPPH), furthering Navy's commitment to fully fund total ownership
costs for people. Funding total ownership costs ensures adequate lead-
time for Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves, student training and
special and incentive pays. This is critical to maintain good faith
with our sailors to increase retention and better position us to
properly man the growing future fleet.
Recruiting
Recruiting risk was moderate in fiscal year 2017, although
recruiters were already experiencing challenges in meeting mission
goals in an improving labor market, with decreasing propensity of
qualified youth to serve in the military, constrained marketing and
advertising budgets, and security clearance delays. We continue to
closely monitor the labor market and other leading indicators,
appropriately adjusting risk mitigation strategies to accomplish the
mission.
Meeting an increased fiscal year 2018 recruiting mission will be
even more challenging as market conditions continue to improve. We have
begun to position ourselves to address these challenges by restoring
226 fleet recruiters and career recruiting force billets across the
Future Years Defense Program (FYDP), and re-phasing the end strength
growth-profile to reduce risk and stress on the supply chain.
Since 2015, overall recruit quality has declined slightly, as
indicated by a decrease in the number of new-contract applicants
scoring above 50 percent on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT).
The number scoring at least 65 percent, necessary to fill special
programs such as Naval Special Warfare/Operations (NSW/NSO), is also in
decline. During 2017, we missed new contract goal for NSW/NSO for the
month of September, and for the year. Nuclear field shipping-goal also
presents unique challenges to the recruiting force. The requirement and
necessity for a fully-adjudicated security clearance imposes delays in
shipping future sailors from the Delayed Entry Program (DEP) to Recruit
Training Command (RTC).
We continue to see strong interest in commissioning opportunities
through both the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) and Naval Reserve Officer
Training Corps (NROTC) program, as the number of highly qualified
applicants vastly exceeds the number of available appointments. Officer
accession sources continue to attract the finest applicants and
graduate well-rounded, technically competent leaders for commissioned
naval service.
Enlisted Retention
For fiscal year 2018 and fiscal year 2019, production of new
sailors will be largely limited by first term sailor training capacity,
making retention of every capable sailor critical to operational
readiness as the Navy grows. We continue to maximize retention behavior
by focusing on retaining proven performers in the right mix of ratings
and pay grades through targeted use of enlisted retention incentives to
position us to meet current and future mission requirements. In light
of growth anticipated in the coming years, we expect most ratings will
find it difficult to continue achieving required retention. While
aggregate enlisted retention remains high, nuclear field, special
warfare, advanced electronics, aviation maintenance and information
technologies retention require focused efforts.
Previously-mentioned changes in force management policies to retain
sailors through completion of their current obligations include
adjusting High Year Tenure (HYT) gates for sailors in pay grades E3-E6,
discontinuing the Enlisted Early Transition Program, revising our
Physical Fitness Assessment separation policy, and reducing Recruit
Training Command attrition. We also expanded reenlistment and rating
conversion opportunities. Special and incentive pays continue to play a
vital role in retaining sailors in high-demand and/or high-investment
skills under the greatest stress. Monetary incentives will continue to
be an integral part of our retention strategy as we proactively address
force structure challenges to meet operational requirements. As part of
sailor 2025, we will also pilot use of a merit component to enlisted
retention bonuses.
Officer Retention
Competition is increasing to recruit America's top talent into our
officer corps, train them with cutting-edge technology and techniques,
and retain their expertise to preserve our competitive advantage in the
maritime security environment. Generally, officer retention is
sufficient to meet most community-milestone requirements. However, we
continue to face challenges within some historically retention-
challenged communities, particularly among aviators in specific model/
type/series platforms, nuclear-trained surface warfare officers,
submarine officers, and within naval special warfare, specifically
among Navy SEALs.
Active component aviation concerns are primarily among the Strike
Fighter (VFA), Electronic Attack (VAQ), and Helicopter Mine
Countermeasure (HM) communities--each did not retain sufficient numbers
of O-4 pilots to meet all operational department head requirements in
our aviation squadrons. Similarly, the Reserve component is struggling
to retain aviators in in these same communities, as well as among
Maritime Patrol (VP) and Fleet Logistics (VR) squadrons.
While Aviation Incentive Pay (AvIP) and Aviation Bonus (AvB) are
the primary, and most-effective, monetary incentives for addressing
aviator retention shortfalls, as with other communities, Navy is
applying a combination of monetary and non-monetary incentives focused
on meeting aviator career expectations and quality of life/service.
Increases in statutory caps for both pays, enacted in the fiscal year
2017 National Defense Authorization Act, were well received and
appreciated by naval aviators. The Aviation Department Head Retention
Bonus (ADHRB) offered to aviators in pay grades O-3 and O-4 targets
communities with the greatest retention challenges, including VFA, VAQ
and HM. Aviation Command Retention Bonus (ACRB) incentivizes officers
in pay grade O-5, particularly those needed to fill post-command
commander assignments.
Submarine and surface warfare (nuclear) communities are working to
retain their best talent by combining monetary and non-monetary
incentives. Monetary incentives include retention bonuses for officers
willing to commit early to future service, and special duty pays for
challenging nuclear billets.
We restructured naval special warfare officer bonus programs to
increase bonus take rates. We now offer two SEAL officer retention
bonuses at critical career decision points: Naval Special Warfare
Officer Continuation Pay (NSWOCP) to paygrades O-3 and O-4, and Naval
Special Warfare Officer Retention Bonus (NSWRB) to pay grades O-4 and
O-5.
Historically, targeted bonuses have proven most effective and cost-
efficient in addressing retention problems in specific communities,
jobs, and experience levels to retain high-quality personnel to meet
operational requirements. Additionally, recently-implemented
adjustments to add performance components to surface warfare officer
bonuses were very effective--we are moving to make similar adjustments
to aviation officer bonus programs. We are complimenting monetary
incentives with non-monetary initiatives, to include open communication
and transparency in officer detailing, mentorship, and fleet feedback
mechanisms to optimize retention policy changes.
sailor 2025
To attract and retain the very best sailors in an increasingly
competitive talent market will require continued flexibility and
transparency in our policies and practices. Sailor 2025 is a dynamic
set of over 45 initiatives designed to help us do just that. It is a
roadmap designed to improve personnel programs by providing sailors
with choice and flexibility.
Sailor 2025 is modernizing personnel management and training
policies and systems to identify, recruit, and train, talented people
more effectively, and manage the force of tomorrow while improving
warfighting readiness. The modern, innovative, information technology
(IT) infrastructure we are building will help improve the way we
recruit, train and retain talent, more accurately and efficiently
assign talent across the force, better design and account for
compensation packages, and generate a system that affords greater
flexibility and permeability. Sailor 2025 is built on a framework of
three pillars:
A modern personnel system,
A career learning continuum with modernized delivery
methods, called Ready, Relevant Learning (RRL), and
Shaping resilient, tough, sailors bolstered by a family
support network that fosters a career of service.
Personnel System Modernization
The first pillar is a wholesale modernization of our entire
personnel system. We are creating flexible policies and additional
career choices, and empowering commanding officers with tools to retain
the best and brightest sailors. We have already implemented programs,
including the meritorious advancement program, increased credentialing
and graduate education opportunities, and tours with industry. We are
also working to expand ``Marketplace Detailing'' pilot initiatives,
overhaul the performance evaluation system, modernize delivery and
tailoring of advancement examinations coincident with a rating
modernization effort, and achieve greater permeability between the
Active and Reserve components.
Ready Relevant Learning
The second pillar ``Ready, Relevant Learning'', is a holistic
approach to training our career enlisted force, which will accelerate
the learning of every sailor for faster response to rapidly changing
warfighting requirements in increasingly dynamic operational
environments. Today's legacy training does not take full advantage of
existing and emerging technology for knowledge-transfer. Oftentimes,
the skills acquired during accession pipeline training atrophy due to
delays between receipt of training and on-the-job performance,
increasing the burden on the fleet and potentially compromising
operational readiness. We are using the science-of-learning to
transform the current training model to identify modern training
solutions delivered at the point of need, better preparing sailors to
operate and maintain equipment at its technological limits, and meet
rapidly evolving warfighting requirements. It will require sustained
focus across three lines of effort: (1) career-long learning continuum,
(2) modern delivery at the point of need, and (3) integrated content
development.
We are currently in the first stage of this career-long learning
continuum line of effort, known as block learning, which divides
existing accession level training content into smaller blocks, which
are moved to real-world points of need in the sailor's career,
shortening initial accession training time and making sailors available
to the fleet sooner. block learning uses existing training content
while we reengineer the training to meet objectives of the future RRL
training continuum. To date, we have completed block learning analysis
for 54 rating paths, approved changes for 25 ratings, with 9 now
delivering training in this new continuum.
The second line of effort of RRL will provide modern delivery of
training by taking advantage of emerging learning technologies to allow
sailors to more efficiently receive training at the point of need--at
the waterfront, or aboard the operational unit. These training
solutions will apply science-of-learning principles to make training
more effective, efficient and available by leveraging technology,
thereby, minimizing the necessity of repeatedly returning to a brick-
and-mortar schoolhouse. Over the last year, we initiated requirements-
development for modernization of 29 ratings, and began identifying and
aligning IT capabilities to support delivery of modernized content,
ashore and afloat. Requirements-development is critical to the third
line of effort of RRL, integrated content development. Here, fleet
leadership defines training requirements and aligns training content
and delivery methods with fleet needs.
Career Readiness
The third pillar, career readiness, seeks to remove barriers to
continued service and improve sailors' work-life balance, health, and
wellness. Our goal is to enhance sailors' career readiness by better
developing leaders, and removing obstacles that negatively influence a
sailor's decision to stay Navy. The Navy is more powerful and lethal
when we leverage and capitalize on the talents and strengths of the
entire military and civilian workforce, and instilling an environment
in which everyone feels valued and respected, which is a force
multiplier. Toward that end, we have incorporated the One Navy Team
concept into leader development efforts to make our force stronger,
more resilient, and more competitive with the best public and private
sector employers, equipped and ready to deter war and protect the
security of our Nation.
manpower personnel training & education transformation
Recruiting, training, and managing sailors in today's demanding
operational environment using historical, industrial age, assembly line
techniques of the past, is costly and unsustainable. To effectively
combat current and emerging threats, maintain maritime superiority, and
continue competitively recruiting and retaining America's top talent,
we must move-out now with purpose and a committed sense of urgency to
transform and modernize the MPT&E Enterprise.
Our efforts will greatly improve fleet readiness, integrate pay and
personnel systems, fix auditability issues, and improve service
delivery through a holistic, end-to-end, transformation that will
directly, positively, affect the entire Navy ``Hire-to-Retire''
lifecycle. Following industry best practices, we implemented a new
operating model, restructuring the enterprise around three fundamental
lines of business:
Force Development--the recruiting, on-boarding, and
training of new sailors,
Force Management--the management of our force from first
command to retirement or separation, and
Enterprise Services--ensuring that Force Development and
Force Management have the tools and resources to meet mission
objectives efficiently and effectively.
We are establishing the MyNavy Career Center, a multi-channel
centralized customer service solution that will enable sailor self-
service, streamline human resource operations, and provide 24/7 call
center support. Three MyNavy Career Centers will consolidate the
workload of over 60 geographically dispersed personnel support
detachments with better standardization, improved auditability, and
significantly improved customer service. In early 2017, we fielded the
first incremental release of MyNavy Portal, which continues to evolve
rapidly with each new planned release, bringing additional
functionality and integration to the system. Development of the
integrated Navy Pay and Personnel (NP2) system is underway, with an
early prototyping field test at Naval Station, Great Lakes, in progress
since late 2017. In 2018, we will begin early testing of MyNavy Career
Center functionality, and commencing a second, larger scale, test of
NP2, which will build-out and test Commercial off the Shelf (COTS)
initial operating capability (IOC) elements.
Combined with Sailor 2025 and Ready, Relevant Learning, MPT&E
Transformation will open the door to new ways of managing the force,
with improved transparency, connectivity, and customer service. Fleet
leaders will see faster action, and more-accurate data on personnel and
training needs. Ultimately, Navy will benefit from a more agile,
adaptive, and better trained force, ready to meet an increasingly
complex mission.
officer personnel management reform
In conjunction with our Sailor 2025 effort to modernize personnel
management programs and training systems, we are reviewing officer
management statutes and policy to provide our officers with similar
tools and flexibility to those we have already provided to enlisted
sailors. We have achieved a solid start within existing authorities.
However, achieving the point-of-service support expected by our
officers, and the standard of agility and responsiveness needed by
fleet commanders, requires a more flexible set of officer management
tools. We can accomplish this through relatively modest adjustments to
the current officer personnel management framework, while maintaining
core Defense Officer Personnel Management Act attributes. We are
grateful for the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee's
interest in this area, and your partnership, as we work to modernize
DOPMA to meet the future needs of all of the services.
taking care of sailors and navy families
Family Framework/Support Programs
In October 2017, the Chief of Naval Operations published the Navy
Family Framework to reinforce the importance of the role families play
in mission success and to outline five organizational goals for
enhancing mutual support between the Navy and our families:
Improve Navy family support programs,
Better connect with, and inform, Navy families,
Improve spouse training and expand our education network,
Increase meaningful command leader engagement with Navy
spouses and families, and
Reinforce Navy families' connection to the Navy and its
core values of honor, courage and commitment.
Family Support programs are critical to enhancing mission readiness
and assisting commanding officers, sailors and their families in
managing the unique demands of the military lifestyle, balancing
military commitment with family life.
Navy Fleet and Family Support Centers ensure military families are
informed, healthy, and resilient through robust programs to include,
relocation assistance, non-medical and family counseling, personal and
family life education, personal financial management services,
information and referral services, deployment assistance, domestic
violence prevention and response services, exceptional family member
liaison, emergency family assistance and transition assistance.
Navy child and youth programs provide quality childcare. Navy
morale, welfare, and recreation programs provide core fitness and
recreation for sailors and families to enhance quality of life and
encourage life-long positive and healthy leisure pursuits. As part of
Sailor 2025, we extended hours of operation at fitness centers and
child development centers in response to the demand signal from sailors
and their families, which positively influences decisions to remain in
the Navy and improves our ability to meet fleet readiness requirements.
Suicide Prevention
Suicide remains the second leading cause of death in the Navy and
prevention remains among our highest priorities. We experienced a 27
percent increase in deaths due to suicide last year, a rate of 20.2
deaths per 100,000, greatly exceeding the 2016 rate of 15.9, as well as
the previous high rate of 18.1, in 2012.
There is no single cause, and no single solution, to this complex
problem. We are tackling each major contributing factor at both the
individual and community level, studying each death in detail.
Individual factors continue to be relationship problems, legal
problems, career and academic setbacks, and mental health problems.
Sailors who have died by suicide felt a loss of belonging and
connectedness; felt ostracized and alone; and lacked adequate coping
and problem solving skills, and emotional regulation. Fleet training
efforts have revealed that increasingly sailors are responding
appropriately when shipmates require help. We continue to focus on
initiatives to enhance our ability to reduce suicide within our ranks:
Our six Operational Stress Control Mobile Training Teams
provide resilience and toughness skills for sailors and their families,
and tools to remain psychologically healthy.
Embedded mental health providers within units, including
all large deck ships and expeditionary units, improve access to care,
remove barriers to seeking care, and embody a culture of help-seeking
behavior.
Waterfront clinics are under development in fleet
concentration areas and civilian resiliency counselors are deployed to
assist in managing non-medical problems that affect sailors.
Reserve Psychological Health Outreach Program ensures
that Reserve component sailors have full access to appropriate
psychological health care services.
The Sailor Assistance and Intercept for Life (SAIL)
Program, implemented last year, provides rapid assistance and ongoing
risk assessment and support for sailors in the 90-day period following
a suicide-related behavior. SAIL supplements medical care with non-
clinical resources that address other life problems confronting the
sailor.
Defense Suicide Prevention Office collaboration to
implement skills training at accession points and throughout sailors'
careers and provide a strong foundation for follow-on training.
Suicide prevention coordinators partner with command leaders to
enhance the sense of community and ensure everyone feels valued and a
part of the mission. The most recent version of the command climate
survey assesses the extent to which sailors feel they belong, and gives
leaders more insight into problem areas within the command. Our 21st
Century Sailor Office reaches out to the commanding officer of each
command that experiences a suicide-related behavior or death by
suicide, to guide them to available resources and reassure them of our
availability, support, and empathetic ear.
Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR)
We are reviewing and evaluating the Navy SAPR prevention strategy,
and training content, to ensure we are achieving the desired impact,
e.g., knowledge transfer, issue awareness, and intervention skills. We
continue to collaborate with academia, and other Federal and non-
federal organizations, in investigating research-informed and evidence-
based prevention strategies aimed at reducing, and ultimately
eliminating, destructive behaviors.
We continue to refine our response capability with investigations
into suspected misconduct, and both criminal and administrative
accountability for individuals who violate the standards. We treat
victims with compassion, and remain committed to providing quality
care, conducting thorough investigations in a timely manner, and
providing a fair and equitable system of accountability to ensure
justice and maintenance of good order and discipline. Through
partnerships across the Department of Defense, we continue to execute a
strategy to prevent and respond to retaliation by better understanding
the prevalence of retaliatory behavior, including reprisal, ostracism,
and maltreatment.
Eliminating Destructive Behavior
We are eliminating destructive behavior by determining the most
effective approach for prevention and education to reduce adverse
social and health-related outcomes. We have engaged a highly qualified
expert in the field of behavioral science, to better address complex
societal issues that affect sailors and readiness. We have also applied
a metrics-based, data science approach, to provide clearer insight into
the nature of incidents resulting from destructive decisions, and to
better identify leading indicators, target prevention efforts, and
accurately focus action. For example:
We have initiated primary prevention strategies that
focus on a continuum of excellence, facilitating productive behaviors
that support a more effective warrior ethos.
We will evaluate tools for assessing recruits to better
understand their needs and how to address them effectively. Leadership
is the key to carrying out the national security mission while creating
a positive environment for our people.
We have engaged leaders to evaluate tools and policies
that build trust, unit cohesion, and a positive command climate, while
developing the most lethal naval force.
This year, we launched Full Speed Ahead 2.0, continuing our efforts
to prevent and combat destructive behaviors and promote positive
signature behaviors by emphasizing dedication to personal betterment,
development of team dynamics grounded in trust and respect, and
reinforcement of sailors' commitment to Navy values to uphold a culture
inclusive and empowering for all.
Navy Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention programs support enhanced
fleet, family, and personal readiness through aggressive prevention of
alcohol and drug abuse. Substance abuse places lives and missions at
risk, undercuts unit readiness and morale, is often involved in other
destructive behaviors, and is inconsistent with Navy's ethos and core
values of honor, courage and commitment. The Keep What You've Earned
campaign fosters improved decision making for sailors to protect their
career investment by creating an environment that encourages and
teaches methods on responsible consumption of alcohol, offers
alternatives, and educates about the consequences of poor decision
making. Detection, deterrence, and prevention are key elements in
combating drug abuse. Our Prescription for Discharge campaign educates
sailors on the proper use of prescription drugs. Expanded urinalysis
screening has increased detection of wrongful prescription drug use and
yielded a decline in positive synthetic drug results. We are committed
to providing sailors with the support network, health care, and skills,
needed to overcome adversity and make responsible decisions.
our way ahead
The three Future Fleet Architecture studies required by the Fiscal
Year 2016 NDAA provided a range of insights and perspectives that
validated and informed Navy leadership's thinking on fleet architecture
and design. These studies will play a foundational role in the process
of designing a future fleet, and support CNO strategic priorities as
articulated in the Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority, which
calls for exploration of alternative fleet designs.
We are at a point of strategic inflection. The maritime environment
is becoming more stressed, contested and congested, and the pace of
change is accelerating in almost every area. We must continue to
outpace our peer competitors and future threats by ensuring that future
fleet development is thoughtful, informed, agile and focused. These
studies will help the Navy determine optimum fleet size and mix, over
time.
We are preparing to grow the Navy in an environment in which
competition for talent will be increasingly sharp. Growing to a 355-
ship Navy would require increases in the MPN and Operations and
Maintenance, Navy accounts, to support and sustain a larger fleet.
Manning the fleet may require an end strength increase approaching
35,000, fully dependent on the required supporting units and squadrons,
and training pipeline growth. Our end strength profile is largely
determined by the composition and manpower needs of the fleet and the
timing of delivery of those platforms. Growth in the number of ships
will drive end strength increases and growth in other warfighting
areas, (e.g., aviation and cyber), and warfighting support domains
(training, maintenance, communications, logistics, and facilities).
Additional resources would be required for accession supply-chain
manning, including recruiters, recruit division commanders and
instructors.
Navy is developing specific accession and workforce management
plans to support anticipated force structure scenarios, within
established fiscal and infrastructure constraints. These plans rely on
the demand signal of the anticipated force structure. Furthermore, any
request for additional fleet manning will depend on the rate at which
new platforms are procured and constructed, the manning-needs of
specific platforms as they come online, required skill-sets of sailors
assigned to those platforms, and the seniority/experience mix needed to
operate at peak readiness, efficiency and capability.
Finally, Navy continues to aggressively work through the combined
recommendations of both the comprehensive review and the Secretary of
the Navy's Strategic Readiness Review, under a consolidated Readiness
Reform Oversight Council, for improvements on crew manning, individual
training, and career progression, among other things. These lessons are
being applied, not only to the surface warfare community, but across
the Navy.
conclusion
Navy must continue to attract, recruit, develop, assign, and retain
a highly skilled workforce. As we continue to battle in this
competition for talent, Navy is well postured to support sailors and
their families, and increase their resilience. I look forward to
working with you as we continue to shape the Navy to meet current and
emerging requirements.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
General Seamands.
STATEMENT OF LIEUTENANT GENERAL THOMAS C. SEAMANDS, USA, DEPUTY
CHIEF OF STAFF, G-1
General Seamands. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member
Gillibrand, distinguished Members of the Committee, thanks for
the opportunity to appear before you on behalf of the men and
women in the United States Army.
I've submitted a statement for the record, and would like
to highlight a few of the points now.
Manning our Army is one of the key components of readiness
and is vital to our Army's ability to win--fight and win our
Nation's wars. Thank you for the Fiscal Year 2018 National
Defense Authorization Act, which authorized the total Army end
strength to increase by 8,500. We also appreciate the 2 year
budget agreement. These will help us improve readiness and
ensure your Army is fully manned in its formations in the
coming years.
To build a future Army, we must recruit diverse men and
women from high--of high quality and high character in a
competitive market, where only one in seven--one in four of the
17 to 24 year olds in the Army--or in the Nation is eligible to
join the Army, and only one in eight has a propensity to enlist
in the military. Our recruiters across the Nation are doing a
great job and working hard to achieve the mission.
The Army must also continue to retain the most talent
soldiers and noncommissioned officers with the experience and
skills necessary to meet our future needs. We project historic
retention rates again this year for our NCOs.
The Army leadership has embraced talent management as a
cornerstone of how we retain our best NCOs and best officers.
The Integrated Pay and Personnel System Army, or IPPS-A, will
be the keystone in the archway of talent management. IPPS-A
will bring a responsive system that connects all three
components and builds a marketplace for talent. We are a
standards-based team in the Army, and the Army remains
committed to giving all soldiers who can meet the standards of
a military occupational specialty the opportunity to serve in
that speciality.
Last year, the Army integrated the gender-neutral physical
standards for initial-entry training and job-specific training,
and the initial results are very positive. We have successfully
assessed and transferred more than 600 women into the
previously closed occupations of infantry, armor, and field
artillery. The opportunities are so popular, we're expanding
the programs next year.
As part of the Total Force, the civilians are vital to and
comprise about 22 percent of the total personnel. We need a
civilian workforce that has critical and unique skills to
support the soldiers and families. As we build our force, we
focus on areas that provide the foundation for our future. We
remain focused on personal resiliency and suicide prevention
with world-class programs for our soldiers, civilians, and
family members. Sexual harassment and sexual assault
retaliation are not compatible with Army values, and they
diminish our readiness. Therefore, combating all forms of
sexual misconduct remain a top priority in the Army. Although
optimistic about the progress we've made in reducing sexual
violence in the ranks, we understand there's much more work to
be done as we drive toward zero.
You've authorized us to grow, and we thank you for that. We
must be--ensure that the force is ready. The Army has improved
personal readiness by increasing the number of deployable
soldiers. We also have an ongoing review to see how we can
increase the number of deployable soldiers even more in order
to enhance readiness.
Because we care for soldiers as they prepare for life after
the service, the Army Soldier For Life Program, with support
from commanders and command sergeant majors, has resulted in
increased educational employment opportunities for Army
veterans and family members, and a significant reduction in
unemployment cost.
Additionally, I appreciate that--you beginning the
discussion on a review of DOPMA to determine what's essential
and should be retained and what needs to be updated. Our Army
is strong because of the courage and commitment of our
soldiers, civilians, veterans, and family members who serve our
Nation. I thank you for your continued support of the All-
Volunteer Army.
[The prepared statement of Lieutenant General Seamands
follows:]
Prepared Statement by Lieutenant General Thomas C. Seamands
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, distinguished Members
of this Committee, I thank you for the opportunity to appear before you
on behalf of the men and women of the United States Army.
Our Army is the most formidable ground combat force on earth
because of the courage and commitment of the soldiers, civilians,
veterans, and family members who serve our Nation. Our people are our
greatest asset as we position the Total Army Force to meet security
demands around the globe. It is imperative that we remain focused on
responsible growth of the Army and world-class programs that provide
continued care and resources for soldiers and their families.
The Army is globally engaged, supporting combatant command missions
with approximately 186,000 soldiers committed in 140 countries. The
Army's forward presence and stationing builds partner capacity, assures
our allies, and deters aggressors. The continued need for a ready
force--fully manned, trained, and equipped is evidenced daily by
international events. Consistent, strategy-based funding is critical to
the Army accomplishing its missions.
Manning the Army is one of the key components of readiness and is
vital to the Army's ability to fight and win our Nation's wars. Our
Total Army is comprised of the Active component (AC), the Army Reserve
(USAR) and the Army National Guard (ARNG). The Fiscal Year 2018
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorized a Total Army end
strength increase of 8,500 to 1,026,500 soldiers (483,500 AC; 199,500
USAR; 343,500 ARNG). This increase will help us improve readiness and
ensure the Army has fully manned formations in the coming years.
Today only one in four 17 to 24 year-olds in the U.S. is eligible
to serve in the Army, and only one in eight has a propensity to enlist
in the military, making Army accessions a challenging and resource-
intensive activity. The Army achieved its fiscal year 2017 recruiting
mission of 68,500 Active component recruits with more than 96 percent
of them holding high school diplomas. The ARNG fell short of their
mission of 40,000 (85.8 percent) and the USAR fell short of their
mission of 14,400 (92.2 percent). For fiscal year 2018, the recruiting
missions are 80,000 for the Active component, 44,300 for the ARNG, and
15,600 for the USAR. We are aggressively working both accession and
retention missions needed to achieve the 8,500 soldier growth in end
strength for the Total Army provided for in the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA.
We are committed to holding quality high by using enlistment bonus
incentives and expanding prior service enlistments to help reach our
goal. We are also pursing efforts to positively leverage our soldier
for Life population to assist in achieving our accessions mission and
continue to maintain an All-Volunteer Force.
The Army must continue to retain the most talented soldiers and
non-commissioned officers with the experience and skills necessary to
meet our future needs. The AC, USAR and ARNG each achieved their fiscal
year 2017 retention missions. The increase in end strength for fiscal
year 2018 has also led us to an increase in the Army's retention
mission, and we have expanded retention incentives accordingly. Each
component is diligently working to accomplish their respective
retention missions while maintaining standards.
Our officer corps is strong and committed to the mission, and we
continue to make improvements in the diversity of our officer corps.
The United States Military Academy (USMA) increased the number of
female cadets from 16 percent in the class of 2017 to 22 percent in the
class of 2020. The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) had similar
growth in female admissions from 22 percent in the Class of 2017 to a
projected 28 percent women in the Class of 2020. Additionally, the
officer corps has had an increase in African American accessions--14
percent in USMA class of 2020 are African American versus 10 percent of
the class of 2017, and projected 14 percent of ROTC commissions in 2020
will be African American versus an average of 11 percent from 2012 to
2017. The Army will maintain our emphasis on sustaining a high-quality
All-Volunteer Force that reflects the diversity of America.
The Army strives to continuously improve efforts to assess and
train the right soldier for the right job. The U.S. Army Training and
Doctrine Command completed a physical demands study of Army specialties
in 2016 and used it to develop an Occupational Physical Assessment Test
(OPAT). Since January 2017, the OPAT has been used as a physical
assessment screening tool for Officer and Enlisted Accessions. Passing
the OPAT ensures new soldiers, regardless of gender, can succeed in an
assigned specialty and verifies their readiness for training and to
prevent or minimize injuries. Longitudinal studies on OPAT are being
conducted by the Army Research Institute to measure OPAT's effect on
morale, cohesion, and readiness.
The Army remains committed to giving all soldiers who can meet the
standards of a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) the opportunity to
serve in that MOS. In January 2017, the Army implemented MOS-based
gender-neutral physical standards to start initial entry training, and
to successfully be awarded a given MOS. To date, the Army has
successfully accessed and transferred more than 600 women into the
previously closed occupations of infantry, armor, and field artillery.
Since 2016, 74 female officers have successfully completed the
Infantry or Armor Basic Officer Leader's Course and are arriving at
assignments in Forts Hood and Bragg. In 2018, assignments will expand
to Forts Carson, Campbell, and Bliss in support of the Army's Leaders
First Strategy. Additionally, the Army has transferred, trained and
assigned female NCOs into both infantry and armor specialties. This
approach sets conditions in operational units before newly trained
junior enlisted soldiers arrive. The first integrated enlisted training
courses for infantry and armor graduated in May/June 2017 and female
soldiers were assigned to Forts Hood and Bragg. Due to a multi-year
effort to open other jobs that have long been unavailable to female
soldiers, as many as 500 women currently serve in every active Brigade
Combat Team in the Army down to the company level. Of significance, 10
women have graduated Ranger School and one officer is assigned to the
Ranger Regiment. As the Army continues long-term studies in support of
gender integration and the soldier 2020 campaign, lessons learned will
continue to enhance readiness and increase the diversity across our
force using a standards-based approach.
In order to employ and retain soldiers and maintain a capable and
effective ground combat force, the Army requires a civilian workforce
with unique and critical skills to support soldiers and their families.
Civilians serve across the institutional Army and enable the Army to
free up soldiers for service in the operational Army. When placed in
the context of the Total Army, civilians comprise about 22 percent of
the Army's total personnel (soldiers of the Army, Army National Guard,
and Army Reserve comprise the other categories). Since 2011, the Army
has been drawing down the civilian workforce from a wartime high of
285,000 full time equivalents to 239,500 at of the close of fiscal year
2017. These reductions were implemented to meet budget levels, military
end strength reductions, and legislative mandates associated with the
military drawdown.
Given the need to recover and sustain readiness, and with the
increasing of military end strength, the Army will need to increase the
capabilities that our civilians give us. While we continue to implement
reforms and reduce the size of headquarters activities, we recognize
that Department of Army civilians are key enablers of our readiness and
operational capabilities. As the Army looks to become more lethal,
enhance both its capability and capacity, and ensure critical support
to the Solider and their families, our Department of Army Civilians are
an integral partner and we must ensure our workforce is sized
appropriately.
Every soldier is a valued member of the Army team and is critical
to readiness and mission accomplishment. Sustaining individual personal
readiness is a necessary component of maintaining the readiness of the
force. The Army is improving personal readiness and individual
deployability by focusing on strengthening soldiers, building
protective factors, and fostering a culture of trust to ensure
successful service and unit cohesion.
We have implemented a holistic and outcome-focused proactive
prevention model which drives change through visibility, routine
assessment, and targeted actions. The prevention model is tailored to
fit the needs of our people in diverse and challenging environments and
will improve personal readiness to enhance and sustain a resilient
force. This paradigm shift to a proactive prevention strategy, as
opposed to one that is reactive, empowers soldiers and leaders at all
levels to promote personal readiness.
We continue to provide commanders and leaders increased visibility
of their readiness with the development of the Commander's Risk
Reduction Dashboard (CRRD) with anticipated initial operating
capability by the end of 2018. This tool provides commanders visibility
of their soldier and unit risk history, trends, and the impacts on
personal readiness. We are developing a predictive analytical
capability for integration into the full operational capability system
by the end of 2019 in order for commanders to make proactive decisions
and resource allocations, based upon probability of readiness.
We are fielding Engage, which is a means to enable bystander
intervention and improve cohesion across the force. Research indicates
that soldiers lack the expertise to successfully and routinely execute
professional confrontations. Engage encourages engagements across a
wide variety of situations and with peers, subordinates and supervisors
to enhance communication and positively influence personal readiness.
We are also executing the ``Not in My Squad'' initiative, developed
by the Sergeant Major of the Army that is focused on squad leaders.
Research has determined that squad leaders have the greatest impact on
units, the individual soldier and the climate. ``Not in My Squad''
facilitates self-development and helps squad leaders understand and
embrace their roles as leaders in their organization.
Engage and ``Not in My Squad'' are being executed at the 26 Ready
and Resilient Performance Centers across all components of the Army. We
have certified 32,000 master resiliency trainers who are resident in
company-level formations and train soldiers on 16 resiliency skills
that focus on sustaining personal readiness and optimizing human
performance. The goal is to have a master resilience trainer for every
company in the Army to coach these skills.
Sexual harassment, sexual assault, and retaliation are not
compatible with Army Values and they diminish our readiness, therefore,
combatting all forms of sexual misconduct remains a top priority for
the Army. The Army, along with the Department of Defense, continues to
make significant progress eradicating sexual assault, while encouraging
more soldiers to report the crime. Since 2012, reporting has increased
approximately 59 percent for the Total Army (1,572 - reports in fiscal
year 2012 compared to 2,497 reports in fiscal year 2016) while
prevalence has decreased 6.4 percent for women and 36.8 percent for men
within the Active component. As we analyze fiscal year 2017 data,
indications are that we will see another increase in reports. The
increase in reporting and decrease in prevalence are tracking in the
right direction of our Department of Defense and Army goals. Continued
progress will come from commanders eliminating sexual violence from
their formations; encouraging more victims to obtain the services and
support they need to heal, recover, and resume productive careers; and
holding offenders appropriately accountable.
The Army is also as dedicated to providing Department of the Army
(DA) civilians with a safe space to report sexual assault and to seek
victim support/services. During the past year, the Army implemented a
pilot program for DA Civilian Sexual Harassment and Response Prevention
(SHARP) services. In addition to providing full access to sexual
assault response coordinators and victim advocates, the pilot enabled
civilians to opt for either the restricted or the unrestricted
reporting option. The pilot essentially provided DA civilians reporting
parity with their uniformed servicemember counterparts. From January
through December 2017, approximately 34 Army civilians utilized
services provided through the pilot, with 5 opting to file restricted
reports. Although the pilot ended 24 January 2018, the Army examining
ways to allow us to continue to provide SHARP services, including both
reporting options, to our civilian teammates.
Another way we've increased support to our DA civilians is through
the implementation of special victims' counsel program support to Army
civilians when the offender is a soldier and the case falls under the
jurisdiction of the military. We cannot fulfill our commitment to the
American public without our dedicated Army civilians. We owe it to our
country to take care of our civilian employees the way we take care of
our soldiers.
With healthier command climates where victims feel safe to report
without fear of retaliatory behaviors, the Army is continuing to place
increased emphasis on prevention. We are especially focused on teaching
members of the Army team how to recognize and address inappropriate
behaviors identified in the left spectrum of the sexual violence
continuum of harm. These behaviors include offensive jokes, hazing,
cyberbullying, and other actions that create an environment that
tolerates sexual violence. Historically, civilian and DOD research/
studies have shown a correlation between sexual harassment and sexual
assault. This research is why the Army decided to combine the sexual
harassment prevention and sexual assault prevention and response
programs a decade ago. We're continuing to develop tools to help
command teams, soldiers, and DA civilians place greater emphasis on
prevention of sexual violence.
Although we're optimistic about the progress we've made in reducing
sexual violence in the ranks, we understand there's more work to be
done. We will not be satisfied until America's sons and daughters can
serve in our Army--a multi-generational, ethnically diverse, gender-
integrated Army--without fear of sexual assault, sexual harassment, or
retaliation for reporting sexual offenses. Through the continued
leadership of our command teams, the expertise of our SHARP
professionals, and the commitment of our soldiers and DA civilians, we
believe this standard is achievable.
The Army's goal is to sustain the personal readiness of our
soldiers and build unit cohesion; however, suicide remains one of our
most serious challenges. We remain devoted to our task of more
proactively identifying indicators and developing holistic approaches
to prevention. Our comprehensive approach includes strengthening our
soldiers, leaders, and families; building protective factors; and
fostering a culture of trust. Suicide prevention is a complex human
endeavor that requires a network of human sensors, the skills to
Engage, continuous assessment of behaviors, and a comprehensive
assistance and treatment capability.
To improve personal readiness and resiliency, we are aggressively
working to decrease the stigma associated with seeking behavioral
health care. Behavioral Health (BH) encounters for the Total Army grew
from approximately 900,000 in fiscal year 2007 to approximately 2.25
million in fiscal year 2017, indicating greater trust in the system.
Soldiers required 67,000 fewer inpatient bed days for all types of BH
conditions in 2016, as compared to 2012. This 41 percent decrease, is
due in part to improvements in outpatient services, Intensive
Outpatient Programs, and case management.
In addition to reducing the stigma associated with seeking help,
the Army has provided more timely care, especially to those with the
most significant behavioral health conditions. For example, according
to the 2016 DHA Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, 96
percent of all soldiers hospitalized for a behavioral health condition
receive a follow-up appointment in a clinic within 7 days, which far
exceeds the national average. Embedding behavioral health personnel
within combat units is a proven best practice--we've recently extended
this effort by embedding the substance use disorder providers within
Embedded BH to provide more comprehensive care.
The Army has reduced Total Army non-deployable personnel from 15
percent in June 2016 to 11 percent in December 2017. The current 11
percent non-deployable population includes a new category introduced
summer 2016 to proactively manage expired medical and dental
examinations. Excluding this category, the Total Army rate would be 9
percent and the Regular Army 8 percent. The Army will make continued
reductions to our non-deployable population a priority.
The Army continues to reduce the time required for soldiers to
process through the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES).
Current processing times for the Reserve components are down to 298
days and the Active component is down to 261 days. Processing times
were impacted during fiscal year 2017 due to information technology
(IT) migration activities involving our separate Medical Evaluation
Board and Physical Evaluation Board case processing applications into a
single disability case processing application for both stakeholders.
Active component IDES processing times have decreased by 14 days on
average since October 2017 as our IT migration nears completion, and we
will continue to strive towards achieving our informal Army goal of 210
days versus the DOD published goal of 295 days. The IDES population is
steady state at approximately 12,000. We will continue to evaluate how
to efficiently and fairly evaluate injured soldiers and either return
them to duty or assist them in transitioning to civilian life.
In addition to taking care of soldiers and their families while
they are in the Army, we are committed to ensuring their successful
transition. We know that every year approximately 100,000 soldiers
transition from the Total Army via either retirement or separation. Our
mandate here is clear--we must continue to focus on preparing our
soldiers for transition to productive veterans across our respective
communities.
The Army's Soldier for Life program conducts strategic outreach and
shapes education, employment, and health policies, programs and
services to inspire citizens to serve and to create an environment
where soldiers transition to be productive veterans of character,
integrity, and service. The program has connected more than one
thousand private and public organizations to transitioning soldiers and
spouses, resulting in increased educational and employment
opportunities for Army veterans and family members. Further, according
to the Department of Labor, Soldier for Life efforts assisted in
reducing the veteran unemployment rates 3.7 percent for fiscal year
2017, with the lowest amount of unemployment compensation for veterans
in 17 years.
For fiscal year 2017, the Army's Veterans Opportunity to Work (VOW)
Act compliance was over 88 percent--the Active component at 90 percent,
ARNG at 86 percent and USAR at 79 percent. We as an Army continue to
enhance our policies and procedures for transitioning soldiers and have
ensured commanders understand that they must ensure their soldiers
attend VOW Act-mandated briefings. In the end, it is in the Army's and
our Nation's best interest to ensure soldiers transition successfully
back into our communities. They are better able to become productive
citizens as well as important ambassadors for the Army who can
positively affect the propensity for others to serve.
To build a Total Army of professional Active, Reserve and National
Guard forces, as well as civilians, who are trained and ready to take
on the challenges of the future, we must leverage and manage all
available talent and ensure every individual is optimized to fight and
win our Nation's wars. The Army is piloting a Talent Assessment Program
that will identify our talent and match them to Army requirements. For
example, this past summer at the Aviation Captain's Career Course at
Ft. Rucker, Alabama, junior captains completed a battery of talent
assessment instruments, which collectively provide them with
individually-tailored feedback on where their talents align with the
requirements of the Army's various career specialties. Likewise, junior
captains at the Field Artillery Captain's Career Course are conducting
a similar talent assessment now. The pilot program finishes this
spring, and we plan to expand the assessment program to include
additional career courses over the next 2 years.
Our goal is comprehensive visibility of all our soldiers'
knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors to best fit the right
person in the right job at the right time. The Integrated Personnel and
Pay System-Army will transform the Army's legacy personnel system to a
21st Century talent management system. To accomplish this, we must move
from a personnel management system to a talent management system that
will enable us to better manage soldier talents and match them to Army
requirements.
For the first time ever, IPPS-A will enable the Army to manage all
1.1 million Total Force soldiers in a single, integrated personnel and
pay system that will directly impact the readiness of the Total Force
and improve the lives of our soldiers. Finally, it will provide a full
end to end audit capability to ensure Army personnel and pay
transactions are compliant with the law. IPPS-A integrates software
that creates distinct roles and permissions by individual positions,
sets business processes, segregates duties, and generates system alerts
when changes are made--we cannot do this with our current systems.
IPPS-A enables the Army to modernize and transform our human resource
processes and helps us to facilitate significant business process
reengineering. The initial implementation of IPPS-A will start with the
Pennsylvania Army National Guard in October 2018.
The Assignment Interactive Module 2.0 is a web-based information
system that will further facilitate the Army's talent management
efforts. This system promotes transparency of requirements for soldiers
and units; enables stakeholder interaction via an intuitive
marketplace; captures unique soldier talents, unit and position data;
and establishes a talent management link to IPPS-A.
At the end of the day, the Army is people. The men and women who
serve our Nation, both in uniform and out of uniform, along with their
families, are our most important asset. As a Nation, we must ensure
they have the required resources so they are ready when called upon to
fight and win our Nation's wars. I thank all of you for your continued
support of our All-Volunteer Army.
Senator Tillis. Thank you all.
Secretary Wilkie, the--you and I have had this discussion
on a number of occasions, and thank you for your time this week
in your office. I'm curious about the medically nondeployable
population. I'd like you to talk a little bit about the number
who are in that category today, some of that which is expected,
and some of that needs to change. Any steps you've already
taken, or steps in the future you intend to take.
Secretary Wilkie. Yes, sir.
Today, I will be releasing a--the new Department of Defense
policy on military retention. The situation we face today is
really unlike anything that we have faced, certainly in the
post-World War II era. On any given day, about 13 to 14 percent
of the force is medically unable to deploy. That comes out to
be around 286,000 soldiers. In September--I mean, in July of
this year, Secretary Mattis tasked Personnel and Readiness with
developing policies to ensure that everyone who comes into the
service, and everyone who stays in the service, is worldwide
deployable. The way I described it in our conversation is, if
Mr. Bezos, in Amazon, walked in to Christmas week, and 14
percent of his workforce could not perform their duties, then
he would no longer be the largest company in the world.
There are several issues that--there are several aspects of
nondeployability that are on us. I was going to--I was hoping
that Senator Ernst would stay, because we could talk about our
experiences as junior officers. If, in our small units, our
commanders discovered that half of our troops were not
medically ready because they had not visited the dentist, that
would have been on us. We would have been accountable, as
junior leaders, to make sure that they've visited the dentist
to become dentally ready to deploy. That's a mission for us.
The other thing that we have seen is that, in a--the down
years, in terms of recruiting for the military, we offer too
many medical waivers to get into the service. The medical
conditions that those servicemembers had when they received
those waivers followed them into the service as they progressed
through their careers. We have to address that.
This new policy is a 12 month deploy-or-be-removed policy.
However, there are exceptions to it. Does not apply to
pregnancy. Does not apply to postpartum conditions. Medical
boards will review the medical status of those who have been
wounded. I will use a personal example from 1970. My father was
severely wounded in the invasion of Cambodia, spent a year in
an Army hospital. A determination was made by a medical board
then that his service was still required, and he was allowed to
recover and return to Fort Bragg in the 82nd Airborne Division.
Those are the things that we will take into consideration.
But, we need to look at the force holistically. We have to
ensure, given the climate that this country faces, that
everyone who signs up can be deployed to any corner of the
world at any given time. That is the reason for the change in
policy.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
In the next panel, we're going to hear from military
families and groups representing them. The one thing that I
hear consistently is that the frequent relocations creates a
great disruption to the family, to employment, a number of
other things. So, maybe starting with General Seamands, we'll
just move down the line to the services' personnel chiefs. What
specifically is your service doing to address the concerns for
the Permanent Change of Status flexibility?
General Seamands. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Dr. Esper, Secretary of the Army, as he's gone around and
had townhalls with soldiers, hear the same comment that you've
made and ask how they can stay at a place longer. So, he's
asked us to go back and take a look at not only how--if we can
reduce the PCS, in terms of the monetary cost of the PCS, but
also provide stability to the soldiers at those installations.
We're, right now, trying to peel back the onion to find out
where you can keep somebody in place longer to allow stability
for them, and perhaps continued employment for their spouse,
because, if the spouse is employed, they'll want to stay where
they are, as well.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
Admiral Burke?
Admiral Burke. Yes, sir. One of those nonmonetary retention
incentives and--I mentioned, was our detailing marketplace,
which is sort of a Linked-In for the Navy, allows sailors to
connect directly with prospective jobs, communicate their
desires, negotiate. But, the marketplace aspect of this is to
view, sort of, not just their orders, but total next
assignment, in terms of a total compensation package.
Geographic stability can be part of the conversation, when it's
possible. Career progression, ship type, where those ship types
are home-ported, where they are in their career, may make that
impossible.
But, through use of those techniques over the last 2 years,
we've been able to increase the numbers of assignments
systematically, so up to around 25 percent of our next career
moves have been same home port for our sailors. So, we're
increasing it. We may be approaching our limit, here, just
based on where our ships are home-ported. But, we're trying to
expand that as much as feasible. So one of the market dynamics
and the detailing process are--are defining that for us. It's
been interesting to watch.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
General Grosso.
General Grosso. Mr. Chairman, we're doing several things.
We also have leveraging technology with a optimization model
that will let people put their desires in and let the--let them
see the requirements, put their desires in. We think leveraging
technology will make it easier to--people that want to move, to
move; and people that want to be stable, to be stable. So, we
think that--we are just testing--we tested it, and we're slowly
incrementing that across the officer force.
We also, for certain career fields, have implemented a
second assignment in place. That's one of our pilot retention
models. But, what you find is that the overseas rotation pulls
people overseas. So, some of the force structure makes it
difficult to keep people in place. But, we are certainly trying
that. Certainly some number is completely possible to do.
The final thing I would add is that I think some of the
DOPMA flexibilities that we've talked about--one in particular,
opting out of promotions--because I've had both--from a female
retention survey, there are people that would like to stay in
place, but, because of the career progression forced by an up-
or-out system, they really can't. So, I think, with some DOPMA
flexibility, I think you could keep families in place longer,
in the same position. We'd obviously have to think about how to
manage that, but I think that would be one huge benefit of some
DOPMA flexibility.
Senator Tillis. General Rocco.
General Rocco. Senator Tillis, the Marine Corps, the--prior
to executing Permanent Change of Station orders, we have
monitors, the person in the loop that talks to each marine
before they are issued orders to wherever they may be. So, what
we try to do is, we take into account the spouse's situation
and the family situation, in whole. We support any effort to
protect their ability to have jobs or protect their jobs.
The other initiative we have--and we just submitted
recently, within the past few months--is to reduce the time
that unaccompanied tours for married members will have
overseas. We're reducing that from 2 years to 15 to 18 months.
So, that's another initiative to try to keep the families
stable and have the member go unaccompanied overseas at a less-
than a 2 year time period. But, we support any initiatives that
would protect the spouse.
But, we do have marines that are in the loop for every
change-of-station orders that we provide, and we try to
mitigate that by keeping them stable or moving them to an area
both fits the Marine Corps and the family desires.
Secretary Wilkie. Mr. Chairman, may I add to that?
On February 8th, Secretary Mattis signed a directive
placing me in charge of what he calls his Close Combat
Lethality Task Force. Certainly the primacy of the family and
the stability of the family is what P&R has had as its prime
directive for many years. But, the Close Combat Lethality Task
Force looks to the cohesion of the Marine Corps and the Army's
front-line close-combat units. Cohesion throughout our history,
stability, in terms of the years that a team spends training
with each other, is the key to survivability on the
battlefield. So, when you look at a place like Fort Bragg, or
when you look at a place like Camp Lejeune, the goal of the
Task Force, working with the two services, will be to find
those formulas that allow those infantry units to stay together
longer, provide their NCOs and their junior officers with deep
familiarity with the soldiers and the marines that they lead,
and, in the end, as they lead those units to actually populate
larger command structures.
But, family stability is a key to unit cohesion. Unit
cohesion is a key to survivability on the battlefield.
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
Ranking Member Gillibrand.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you.
Secretary Wilkie, last month you put out a harassment
policy that once again includes gender identity as a protected
class, yet there are reports that the Department plans to
change its policy towards transgender servicemembers in the
coming months. How will you ensure that this policy abides by
the Department's own classification on gender identity as a
protected class?
Secretary Wilkie. Well, first of all, Senator Gillibrand,
my commitment to you, when I had my confirmation hearing, was
that the dignity of all servicemembers is paramount in anything
that I do, both in my job as Under Secretary, but also in my
other life as an Air Force reservist. The only thing I can say
about the policy that is being discussed within the Pentagon is
that it's predecisional. The Secretary is looking over the
recommendation of the panel that you mentioned, and is on track
to report that recommendation to the President.
But, I will also note that my office is carrying out four--
the orders of four separate courts across the country that
keeps in place Secretary Carter's transgender policy. We are
assessing transgender Americans, in accord with that policy,
and the services are complying with their particular needs as
they move through the ranks.
So, right now, there is absolutely no change from a policy
that was laid out in 2016. But, again, my one commitment to you
is that dignity is a foundational issue for all of us, and I
will do my best to ensure that that is maintained throughout
the force.
Senator Gillibrand. I was listening intently when you
talked about the new nondeployability policy. Do you think this
is going to impact transgender servicemembers?
Secretary Wilkie. Well, I will say that, with 286,000
Americans who are now listed as nondeployable, I don't think
that there's any particular group that would be unaffected by a
close scrutiny of our standards for deployability. That is not
aimed at any group of Americans who are serving. That is an
across-the-board standard that will apply to everyone when it
comes to being able to fulfill the Secretary's mandate that
everyone be worldwide deployable.
It is a staggering number. In this world where the forces
are at a premium and, as you mentioned, we are struggling to
maintain the ranks, we need to get a grip on this. As I said,
some of it is on us, some of it has to do with our training and
fitness programs, which I think we need to address and bring
them up to 21st-century standards. But, those numbers are not--
those numbers do not indicate the success or failure of any one
group. It is across the board.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you.
For each of the services, I'd like an update on three
things. You can--I only have a minute or two, so do your best
to be concise.
Combat integration. Can each of you provide an update on
the status and implementation in your respective service? Can
you explain how your service has adapted recruiting practices
or strategies to attract female candidates? What strategies
have you employed to ensure the effectiveness of combat
integration?
Second, if you have time, this issue of intimate partner
violence and child abuse. What is the Department doing to
prevent such violence against our youngest military children
and against our family members?
Third, if you can, what specifically are each of your
services doing to end retaliation against sexual-assault
survivors who report those crimes? Have you actually convicted
anyone of retaliation in the last year?
Start on the end.
General Seamands. Thank you, Senator. Appreciate it.
In terms of the combat integration, we're very proud,
within the Army--we have 675 soldiers and officers who have
stepped up to the plate, raised their hand and said they want
to be infantry armor. We've, so far, had them assigned to units
at Fort Bragg and Fort Hood. We believe that the number of
people who are in that category is increasing to the point that
we can expand it to Fort Carson, Fort Campbell, Fort Bliss, in
Italy, for next year's assignments, as they move forward.
We've had no issues for sexual assault or sexual harassment
in those units above the--what the Army average is. We think
the integration has gone very well. It was deliberate,
scientific, methodical; slower than some people would have
liked, but I think we're very happy with the leader's first
policy that we've put in place.
Senator Gillibrand. Any update on prosecuting any cases of
retaliation?
General Seamands. Ma'am, I'll have to take that for the
record, but I believe there's at least one case where there is
a prosecution.
Senator Gillibrand. Will you submit that to me? Then, also
add status of child abuse and spousal abuse, if you could
submit that, too. Thank you.
General Seamands. Absolutely.
[The information referred to follows:]
General Seamands. With regard to the question of prevention, the
Army is fully committed to preventing domestic violence and child abuse
by providing a full range of services that promote and sustain healthy
relationships for soldiers and families. Preventing domestic violence
is a command priority, and leaders at all levels are empowered to
intervene. The Army educates soldiers and leaders at all levels on
prevention, education, reporting, investigation, intervention, and
treatment of spouse and child abuse.
In addition to mandatory training, each installation operates a
Family Advocacy Program and 24/7 Victim Advocacy Hotline to provide
prevention, identification, reporting, investigation, and treatment
services. Installation Family Advocacy programs have intervention and
treatment services to assist victims of domestic violence. Military
Treatment Facilities have a cadre of licensed health care providers to
support Families and treat offenders to prevent repeat offenses.
With regard to the question on retaliation, annual SHARP training
materials have been updated to incorporate new instruction, vignettes,
and practical exercises about the prevention of retaliation.
Additionally, new animated vignettes focused on retaliation prevention
and response, as well as practical exercises, have been incorporated
into the Army's Emergent Leader Immersive Training Environment (ELITE)
Command Team Trainer (CTT). ELITE CTT is integrated into the resident
Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC)/Victim Advocate (VA) course
at the Army SHARP Academy and information about ELITE is presented in
the Army Senior Education Program, Army Pre-Command Course at Ft.
Leavenworth, and the Army Company Commander/1SG Courses.
In the SARC/VA credentialing courses, all SARCs and VAs are trained
and educated on retaliation policies, the Spectrum of Retaliation, and
tools available to commanders in dealing with retaliation (provided or
presented by Legal).
SHARP has created multiple information/awareness products focused
on the prevention of retaliatory behaviors. These products include
printed public service announcements (PSA), video PSAs and social media
messaging.
Each report of alleged retaliation is thoroughly investigated by
independent authorities, providing transparency for victims and
visibility for senior commanders. If a report of retaliation is
founded, Commanders employ a range of effective judicial, non-judicial,
and administrative tools to address the conduct.
With regard to convictions, the Army's Office of The Judge Advocate
General, states that there were no courts-martial convictions for an
offense under the UCMJ [Uniform Code of Military Justice] arising from
an allegation of retaliation connected to a report of sexual assault in
fiscal year 2017. There were three soldiers charged with offenses
arising from an allegation of retaliation connected to a report of
sexual assault at courts-martial in fiscal year 2016. In those three
cases, two soldiers were convicted of offenses arising from allegations
of retaliation and one soldier received an Other Than Honorable
Discharge in Lieu of Court-Martial, admitting that there was sufficient
admissible evidence to convict the soldier of an offense, so findings
were never entered.
Comprehensive data on all allegations of retaliation, including
whether or not the allegation was substantiated and any punishment
administered, whether judicial, non-judicial or administrative, is
provided annually to the Department of Defense for inclusion in the
Annual Report to Congress on Sexual Assault.
Vice Admiral Burke. The overarching goal of the Navy Family
Advocacy Program (FAP) is to decrease behaviors that contribute to
family maltreatment and enhance behaviors that foster a healthy
lifestyle to facilitate family, community, and mission readiness. The
FAP prevention team collaborates with key military and community
leaders to provide services that enhance the toughness of Navy
communities and reduce the incidence of domestic and child abuse. These
services include education and skill development, clinical counseling,
advocacy, collaboration, community intervention and marketing the FAP.
The Navy New Parent Support Home Visitation Program--in a collaborative
approach between military, civilian, and private agencies--offers
efficient and effective non-clinical parenting education and support
services to expectant parents and families with children up to age 3.
The New Parent Support Safe Sleep campaign implements an evidence-based
approach and curriculum designed to decrease sleep-related child
fatalities by providing detailed guidelines for parents and child
caregivers to create a safe sleeping environment for infants.
Prevention strategies through the following major annual awareness
campaigns have hallmarked our efforts to reach target audiences across
both military and civilian communities:
Teen Dating and Prevention Month (February)
Child Abuse Prevention Month (April)
Domestic Violence Awareness Month (October) The Navy FAP
Educators Resource Guide--a standardized training curriculum that
ensures consistent messaging to assist educators and other prevention
staff by providing command leaders and first-line responders policy
guidance and program expertise on incidents, or suspected incidents, of
child and domestic abuse. The guide encourages collaboration with
programs and departments across the coordinated community response
system and supports annual command and first-responder training
requirements. We have released the second edition of a Domestic
Violence awareness training mobile application, which incorporates
prevention, early identification and reporting of domestic and child
abuse, and includes risk factors associated with fatal outcomes, e.g.,
electronic distraction, infidelity (perceived or known), and access to
weapons. Our One Love pilot prevention model focuses on promoting
healthy relationships and recognizing the signs of escalating violence
in relationships, by providing tools to create a movement that
decreases risk factors and increases protective resources. The message
of this program is strength-based with the belief that everyone has a
role in preventing interpersonal violence. We have contracted with
Boston University to evaluate the program's effectiveness and expect
results, which will inform program improvements, by October 2018.
Deployed Resilience Counselors (DRCs) continue to serve aboard large
deck ships and their availability has been expanded to smaller
combatants. The High Risk for Violence Coordinated Community Response
(HRV-CCR) program model formalizes and standardizes procedures to
monitor risk in child and spouse abuse cases. It provides a coordinated
community response to reduce family violence by protecting and
assisting in cases of domestic or child abuse. The HRV-CCR team is
activated whenever there is a threat of immediate and serious harm to
Sailors, family members, or intimate partners. Navy has not prosecuted
any cases for retaliation associated with alleged sexual assault.
Lieutenant General Grosso.
1) The Air Force New Parent Support Program (NPSP) targets
prenatal families and families with birth--3-year-old children. The
primary modality of care is home visitation to families screened as
high risk for maltreatment. Air Force NPSP services are provided by
licensed professionals; registered nurses and clinical social workers.
The targeted services are:
Improving parental problem-solving skills and
adaptation to parenting
Increasing knowledge of child growth and development
Reducing potential for maltreatment
2) The Air Force Prevention/Outreach Program provides secondary
prevention services providing targeted prevention training, skill
development, consultation, and coaching with individuals, couples, and
parents at risk for family maltreatment.
Evidence-informed programs and practice:
Couple relationship enhancement (PREP 8.0)
Dads Basics
Parenting training (Love and Logic for parents with
children 9 and under); (Active Parenting of Teens for parents with
children 10 and up)
Stress and anger management (approved by SAMHSA)
Skills, Strengths, Techniques, and Resources
(SSTaR). This program targets both decreased likelihood of a new
incident, and support of alleged offenders in first steps toward
readiness for change.
Strength in Home--Reviewed evidence-based program
targeting veterans and military couples on impact of trauma on couple
relationships.
Prevention/Outreach integrates primary prevention in
training leaders, agencies, and action teams. It functions in
conjunction with other service agency programs to promote population
awareness, collective competence, and shared responsibility regarding
family maltreatment prevention.
Educational campaigns:
April for child abuse prevention; campaigns
October for domestic abuse prevention
February for teen dating violence
Provides opportunity for collaboration with other installation
support services as well as local community resources.
***The policies on the number of cases each Service has prosecuted
for retaliation to sexual assault is not within the scope of FAP
policy. Reference Question 13 (below) for retaliation data.
Lieutenant General Rocco. Marine Corps' Family Advocacy Program
Prevention and Education Specialists provide universal prevention
education classes utilizing evidence-based curriculum for domestic and
child abuse prevention. Class topics include anger management, stress
management, and parenting. They also provide new commander and unit
training and education. Additionally, our New Parent Support Program
(NPSP) is a voluntary, intensive home visitation program, for eligible
parents and caregivers, providing parenting education and support, and
information and referral for the Marine Corps community. The NPSP
target population is eligible expectant parents or parents with
children through age 5 years with the goal of providing services to
prevent child abuse and neglect.
Senator Gillibrand. Vice Admiral?
Admiral Burke. Senator, on the women integration with
respect to the recruiting efforts, immediately after the
remaining career fields were opened, which, for us, was
predominantly Special Forces, Navy Special Warfare, SEALs, we
overhauled our recruiting page, our recruiting efforts,
redesigned them to depict women in those roles, and then
actively reached out to, you know, public events and things--X-
game events and things that would, you know, attract folks
interested in those types of career fields. We've been
continuing to seek them out.
One of our predominant ways of entry into the SEAL program
is folks that are already in Recruit Training Command or at the
Naval Academy. So, there's--or NROTC--so there's already an
internal Navy program for attracting folks to apply into that.
So, we also strengthened those programs, as well.
To date, we've got--we had--we have one woman that will
start on Special Warfare Combat Crew training, enlisted in May.
So, she's in her delayed entry program. There's a training
program to help every SEAL prepare for the special training
that they go through. This is not something special for women.
But, she's in that training program and her delayed entry
program right now. There is a Naval Academy first-class
midshipman that has expressed interest. She's passed the
physical screening test and may apply. She has not applied yet.
But, if she does, she would be eligible to go through
additional screening this spring and summer. So, that's the
extent of the interest there.
The submarine force integration continues to go well. We
have 18 crews integrated. That's six SSGN--I'm sorry--six SSBN
crews, eight SSGN crews, and then four SSN crews. That's with
officers. A total of about 79--right around there--79 women
officers. Now 99 enlisted women on two SSBNs. We just finished
the application process for the third SSBN. Additional SSBN
application processes will open soon. We'll finish with those
about 2021. Then the first SSN which was designed with the
berthing compartments designed for women will come online in
about 2021. From that point forward, all submarines will be
integrated with women, going forward. Women are doing just
absolutely wonderful in the submarine force.
Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Chairman, since I'm over my time,
why don't we defer to the next round to complete the rest of
the answers for the services so that Liz can go.
Senator Tillis. That means, Generals Grosso and Rocco, get
ready to answer that question after Senator Warren----
[Laughter.]
Senator Gillibrand. The other two, that Vice Admiral Burke
didn't answer yet. So, we'll come back to it.
Thank you.
Senator Tillis. Senator Warren.
Senator Warren. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Thank
you, Senator Gillibrand.
Thank you, to our witnesses, for your service, and thank
you for being here today.
Admiral Burke, you and I had a very interesting
conversation in my office last week, and I'd like to revisit it
with your fellow personnel chiefs. We talked about new ways of
thinking about an individual's life cycle in service, including
potentially making it easier for someone who has to leave
Military Service for either personal or professional reasons to
be able to return to uniform later in life. Admiral Burke, I
know you're interested in piloting that concept. Rather than
up-or-out, you were talking about up-and-return.
So, I'd like to ask the other services, Do you also think
there's value in opening up opportunities to individuals who
have left the military but might be interested in returning?
Can you just say a brief word about what you see as the pros
and cons of that?
General Rocco, could I start with you?
General Rocco. Yes, Senator Warren, thank you. That's an
important question.
So, in the Marine Corps, we have--and I'd be--our numbers
are small, but we have the Career Intermission Program. We
currently have about 12 marines that are involved in that. That
involves the marine, basically, stopping their time, going out
into the civilian world, and then coming back, and then picking
up where they left off.
We also have the Advanced Degree Program, where they can
both go and stay in uniform or they can spend up to 15 months,
being paid full, and then go get an advanced degree of their
choosing, and then come back, with no payback. When I say ``no
payback,'' there's a payback in commitment, but there's not a
payback in a specific job.
Senator Warren. Okay.
General Rocco. We have over 300 marines that go to the
Advanced Degree Program in--up in Monterey, but they go back to
specific jobs inside the Marine Corps. So, we give them the
opportunity to do something possibly in the Marine Corps that
they like or go get an advanced degree in a field of their
choosing for--from 12 to 15 months, to go do what they need to
do, and then come back into the Marine Corps, with no harm to
their career.
Senator Warren. Okay. I take it you like this program, that
this program is working well for the Marines.
General Rocco. It is working very well for us.
Senator Warren. Okay. It may not be quite as far as Admiral
Burke was talking about, in terms of out and being able to reel
back in, but at least it's a step in that direction.
General Grosso, could you say a word about that?
General Grosso. Yes, Senator Warren. I completely support
that idea. We do it, to a small extent, today. We actively
recruit non---we call them prior-service accessions on the
enlisted side and on the officer side. We find that we don't
actually attract them back, for several reasons, but we do
think it's very powerful. You've got an experienced person--
again, we think some increase in constructive credit would
help, because, right now, if you come back in, you have to
start where you left, but you've got all this additional
experience. So, some additional constructive credit may help us
attract more.
Senator Warren. It's a very interesting point.
It's also an interesting point about the kinds of people
you may attract, that people, for example, who are in high
tech, who are in computing, they learn a lot while they are
out, would like to come back, and you'd very much like to have
them back, but you may need some flexibility around how you get
to attract them again.
If you could, General Seamands.
General Seamands. Senator, appreciate the question. The
Army supports this kind of program. We're actually excited
about the opportunities.
General Grosso talked about the enlisted force. For the
Army, we brought in 68,500 soldiers last year. About 5,000 of
them were prior service. In other words, they had served
before, and wanted to come back. On the officer side, we
brought about 1,000 officers on a call of Active Duty as the
Active Force School last year, where we reached out and invited
them to come back. Most of them were Reserve or Guard, so they
had to get clearance from their units to come back on.
I recall--I went back to an alumni event one time, and I
met a classmate who had gotten out. My wife asked him, you
know, ``Do you miss the Army?'' He looked at her and said,
``Every day of my life.'' So, for a guy like that, it would be
wonderful to be able to have a transparent, quick process to
bring them back into uniform.
You asked for the pros and cons. I think an obvious pro is
that you get an experienced individual who comes back in. The
con would have to be that they'd have to continue to meet the
standards that they met before.
Senator Warren. Sure.
General Seamands. So--but I think it's a great program. I
think the Army would endorse that like to be part of it, as
well.
Senator Warren. Good.
Well, Admiral Burke, you started this. Anything you want to
add to it? At least you started getting me involved in this.
The idea of piloting it----
Admiral Burke. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Warren.--which is what you said you wanted to do,
would you like to add a brief word on that? Then I'll go to
Secretary Wilkie.
Admiral Burke. All right. Yes, ma'am. Well, thank you for
the question.
The--I think it has a lot of potential, in terms of the
idea of--we can do this, to some degree, today, but it's very
cumbersome, it's very difficult, on the officer side. We
piloted this to much greater success on the enlisted side. For
example, today we've got around 8,000 gaps at sea. We can
fairly quickly bring folks back in that were on the Reserve
side, bring them back into the Active component, who are
enlisted, if they've got the right constructive credit and
their skills haven't atrophied, and things of that nature. But,
we're filling, you know, hundreds of gaps at sea from
reservists that we've brought back into the Active component.
On the officer side, it takes months to bring them back,
due to some really, you know, kind of outdated scrolling
processes that are in the law.
But, we eventually would have this idea of Reserve-
component/Active-component permeability, the ability to move
back and forth, for the reasons that you articulated at the
beginning. We're thinking in terms of, you know, a longer
career, making our people pyramid narrower at base, so we bring
in fewer people, giving them opportunities to move around. But,
as importantly, with this commitment to family readiness, which
is important to sailor readiness and fleet readiness, we have
to let people step off the treadmill occasionally or they're
not going to hang out for a 40-year career.
So, we've got to have an option to out. So, that option
could be into the Reserves for a brief period of time, as long
as they could quickly come back in when that life/work balance
need is met, or the--one other alternative will be an up-and-
stay, a horizontal career track, where they can keep flying,
maybe at a different tempo, go into a research job, whatever it
may be. So, these are the types--we need alternatives to out.
Right now, there are none.
Senator Warren. Yeah. I'm over my time, but if the Chair
will indulge me for just a minute, I'd like to ask Secretary
Wilkie, What would it take to do something like that? Does the
Pentagon have the authority right now, or do you need Congress
to step in and provide more flexibility if--to make this
happen?
Secretary Wilkie. Yes, Senator. It would be a combination
of the two. I think, for the Pentagon, it would be a cultural
issue. I'll give you an example, then I'll play off what
Admiral Burke just said.
If we believe in the concept of the total force, then it
should be much easier for a servicemember to move amongst
Guard, Active, and Reserve components. That also means, in my
view, if someone in your Yankee division sees an opportunity in
the Active component that he or she feels they're qualified
for, they should have every right and every opportunity to
apply for those positions in the Active component. Again, this
is not your daddy's National Guard anymore, your granddaddy's
Guard anymore.
So, that--the answer to your question is, it would need
help from the Congress, in some respects, because we're talking
about title 32 and title 10 on the Guard side. But, we have to
rethink the way we use our Reserve component, and that means we
have to acknowledge that the family rules that were in
existence when these rules were created don't apply anymore.
Senator Warren. So, I very much appreciate that. I
understand that recruitment and retention is as much art as it
is science, but we know that the population that has the
ability and the propensity to serve, and particularly in
leadership positions, is a narrow group. Figuring out how best
to tap into that group and make them an ongoing part of our
military seems crucial to building and strengthening the kind
of fighting force we need.
So, I appreciate your thoughts on this. I really like the
idea that we look at some nontraditional approaches and
recognize how other changes impact where we are today, and hope
that we'll be able to build on that, going forward, and that
you get some real support for the flexibility you need.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I apologize for going over.
Senator Tillis. Thank you. Great questions.
Senator McCaskill.
Senator McCaskill. Thank you so much.
Mr. Wilkie, I think it's great. I've had a chance to
review, but not in detail, all of the new sexual harassment
policy that's been issued by DOD. My first question is, Why
weren't civilian personnel and contractors covered?
Secretary Wilkie. My time limit. I made a commitment to the
Committee that I would move, within 60 days, to comply with the
law that you passed 6 years ago. The most readymade avenue to
that was to instruct the services, which I have complete
authority to do, through the Secretary of Defense. There are
about 30 different statutes that govern the civilian component
that have to do with union negotiations, in one respect. We are
working on that. That is the next step, is to make sure that
these standards apply to the entire workforce. That's 900,000
civilians. But, it's absolutely vital. It's inchoate now.
Senator McCaskill. Okay. I just want to make sure that you
know that--I know the Ranking Member and I are not going to go
away until we're sure everybody's covered.
Secretary Wilkie. Right.
Senator McCaskill. Also, what is the standard to
substantiate an allegation under this policy? I know the Army
uses ``preponderance.'' Does this policy envision using a
``preponderance of the evidence'' standard?
Secretary Wilkie. I would have to get you a legal answer on
that. I will tell you what has changed. This also has to do
with the legal issue that you present.
For the first time, we are telling these services that
substantiated allegations of harassment----
Senator McCaskill. Go on their record.
Secretary Wilkie.--go on the record.
Senator McCaskill. Yeah. I'm aware of all that. But, that
doesn't help me if I don't know what ``substantiation'' means.
Secretary Wilkie. Right.
Senator McCaskill. So, I've got to know----
Secretary Wilkie. I will----
Senator McCaskill.--that ``substantiation'' is a
``preponderance,'' is it ``clear and convincing"? I mean, these
are really important considerations. I'm sure someone has--
knowing how thorough you guys are when you do one of these new
things, I'm sure this has been in the works for a long time.
Secretary Wilkie. Yeah.
Senator McCaskill. This discussion has been had, and this
Committee needs to know what standard is going to be used for
``substantiation.''
Secretary Wilkie. Yeah. Well, I can say that, with the
reporting requirement on the efficiency report, that could be,
in the Navy, a captain's mass, where someone has been convicted
of something. It runs that legal gamut. So, it's--if a body or
an officer has concluded that another member has committed an
infraction or a crime, that officer puts that on that
individual's efficiency report. In my experience as a junior
officer, nothing gets anyone's attention quicker than knowing
that the career is on the line and that people are watching. I
think, as we have had this national conversation and as it
impacted the military, we've lost that fundamental military
lever of enforcement.
Senator McCaskill. Well, you know, I--that's all great, but
we still have a problem, in that we don't know what the
standard is. Because what's going to happen here is, you're
going to have a he-said/she-said about whether or not it was
harassment. Then somebody's going to have to determine whether
it's substantiated, which is going to mean corroboration, it's
going to mean other evidence that might be surrounding the
incident, it's going to mean interviewing a number of
personnel. At the end of it, whoever is in charge of deciding
whether it's substantiated or not has to know what the standard
of proof is.
So, this needs to be clearly delineated. If you haven't
done it yet, if we're going to have a different standard in
every branch, then it's a problem. So, we've got to get busy,
and you've got to be able to answer that question clearly----
Secretary Wilkie. Well----
Senator McCaskill.--with just one phrase.
Secretary Wilkie.--you just answered the question for me.
Our instructions are to standardize all of those matters----
Senator McCaskill. Okay.
Secretary Wilkie.--across the services. So, there's--and I
would have to get--I'm a recovering lawyer--I would have to get
someone who knows the particulars in the depth to give you the
answer----
Senator McCaskill. That would be great.
Secretary Wilkie.--answer that you deserve.
Senator McCaskill. Yeah. That's an answer that I think we
all need to have. Because, frankly, it's important for everyone
to have really clear guidance on what the standard is. Because
if you start out, and no one's sure, then you're going to have
disparate outcomes, and you're going to have a lot of
unhappiness, especially if it's going on someone's record.
I'm really glad it's going on their record. That's the
right thing. That's why it's really important. Every single one
of these has to be laid out.
Finally, and briefly, if you'd indulge me, if you're not
really familiar--are you as familiar with the UCMJ [Uniform
Code of Military Justice] as perhaps maybe some other witnesses
might be?
Secretary Wilkie. I have been subject to the UCMJ for many
years----
Senator McCaskill. Okay.
Secretary Wilkie.--in my other life.
Senator McCaskill. So, I just want to clear up--there seems
to be some confusion about the way the system works now, in
terms of crimes being committed. I want to clear up, briefly,
that--there have been some things said--and I wasn't there when
these were said, but evidently--that gave the impression that
prosecutors were not involved in investigating the cases, and
that prosecutors were not involved in advising the cases, and
that prosecutors weren't the primary source of information for
a convening authority, in terms of recommendations, going
forward. It's my understanding that the trial counsel, which is
what a military process prosecutor is called, they review, they
evaluate, and they advise on the case at every single stage,
from the initial phase all the way to the court-martial. Is
that correct?
Secretary Wilkie. Absolutely.
Senator McCaskill. So, any characterization that
prosecutors are not involved in investigating and advising
these cases is just incorrect.
Secretary Wilkie. Yes, ma'am.
Senator McCaskill. Thank you very much.
Secretary Wilkie. Yes, Senator.
Senator McCaskill. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tillis. General Grosso and General Rocco, you
remember the question you've got to answer?
[Laughter.]
Senator Tillis. We'll start with General Grosso.
Senator Gillibrand. Yes, Senator Gillibrand, ma'am. I just
want to clarify on Claire's question.
What my understanding is--not until a decision is to go
forward to trial. So, before--so, we talked to the chief
prosecutor at the Air Force, and he said he was never consulted
by counsel or by a commander until the decision was referred to
trial.
Secretary Wilkie. Yeah.
Senator Gillibrand. In 20 years.
Secretary Wilkie. That--I don't know the context of what
she was speaking. I can tell you that, when any command, if
it's a commander who is a commander of a company or a squadron
or a battalion, is faced with a legal matter involving one of
his troops or airmen or marines or sailors----
Senator McCaskill. Or her troops.
Secretary Wilkie.--or her troops--that trial counsel from
the JAG [Judge Advocate General] is his--not only his legal
advisor, but he is also carrying out the details of that
investigation. That is my----
Senator Gillibrand. So----
Secretary Wilkie.--that's been my experience.
Senator Gillibrand. So, I have been told, the only person
that consults with the commander is his general counsel--his
counsel. He does not actually speak to the prosecutor until
after a decision has been made.
Secretary Wilkie. No. That's not my experience.
Senator Gillibrand. Okay. Can I have a letter from each one
of your services outlining exactly when prosecutors are
consulted? Because I talked to the chief prosecutor for the Air
Force who did the job for 20 years, and he said he literally
was never, never consulted until the decision was made that
court-martial--that it would move forward to court-martial, but
never in the deciding phase. In fact, his challenge to me was
that, once the decision was gone to court-martial, that he
would have to go back to the commander every time he wanted to
call a witness, and get permission, and that that delay, in and
of itself, was problematic.
Secretary Wilkie. I will get you a comprehensive answer
from the general counsel.
[The information referred to follows:]
Secretary Wilkie. Attached letter signed by Acting GC sent
to requesting Senators (see Appendix A, page 129).
Senator Gillibrand. Right, about when--at what stage in the
process is the prosecutor engaged, briefed on the case. I don't
think it's before a convening authority is----
Senator McCaskill. It--not only----
Senator Gillibrand.--is called----
Senator McCaskill.--before a convening authority, it's
before there's even a preliminary hearing. It doesn't even go
to the convening authority until after there's a preliminary
hearing at which the trial counsel is engaged in.
Senator Gillibrand. So, not----
Senator Tillis. Let's----
Senator Gillibrand. So, the--you will give us the briefing.
Because I was told that, not until a decision was made that a
case would go forward was a trial counsel engaged.
Senator Tillis. You've heard the request for the record----
Senator Gillibrand. Yeah.
Senator Tillis.--from each of the service lines----
Senator Gillibrand. Just to tell us, How does it work and--
for each of the services?
Senator McCaskill. Let's figure out a time we can both be
there, and have the head lawyer for each service come and sit
down with Senator Gillibrand and I so we can clear up what I
think are a lot of misperceptions that are being spread around.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you very much.
Secretary Wilkie. Senator, now you know why Gary Leeling
knows I'm a recovering lawyer.
Senator Gillibrand. Yes. Yes.
[Laughter.]
Senator Gillibrand. Okay, back to the questions we asked.
Senator Tillis. Then we'll transition to the next panel.
Senator Gillibrand. The Vice Admiral didn't answer about if
he's prosecuted any retaliations, and whether he's doing
anything on domestic violence.
Admiral Burke. Start here?
Senator Gillibrand. Yes, go ahead.
Admiral Burke. Yes, ma'am.
On----
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you.
Admiral Burke. Yeah. Domestic violence front, we continue
to expand our prevention programs. Deployed resilience
counselors onboard our large decks. We've expanded those out to
pierside for our smaller combatants. Those folks are helping
with interpersonal-skills training, along with a domestic
violence prevention mobile app that we issued that helps
enhance training and provide local resources, to include
emergency contact information. We're continuing to evaluate
private-sector programs that provide research-supported
frameworks to help us reduce interpersonal violence.
And the child abuse issues, we've expanded and continue to
improve our training on our New Parent Support Program service
providers. This program has been relatively successful. We take
at-risk families and teach them, you know, basic skills,
increase the father's engagement, promote parenting resiliency.
In the past year, there were no reported cases of child abuse
or neglect for those high-risk families that participated in
the program.
And in the High Risk for Violence Coordinated Community
Response Team Program, again, for high risk, known possible
issues, it has been panning out, as well. That gives us a
coordinated community response, local law enforcement, base,
police, whatever the situation might be, that are on call,
known response force ready to come and protect and assist,
actual or alleged past victims, potential victims of domestic
or child abuse.
We also piloted, in a number of different locations, One
Love Foundation facilitators to help with these interpersonal
skills, and helping us get to the left of a number of
destructive behaviors, but intimate partner and child abuse
being among them. Part of that was an assessment tool for how
successful was that. We're just getting to the point where
we're going to be able to employ some of the assessment tools
to find out how effective the One Love training was for our
forces.
But, we're continuing to employ some big-data approaches.
We've brought behavioral science folks onboard. We're looking
at as many approaches as possible.
Finally, CNO [Chief of Naval Operations] established a Four
Star Governance Board to look at signature behaviors. Our focus
is on, the behavior at the high end of the spectrum. How do we
want sailors to behave, we'll continue to focus on prevention,
but we want the focus on the winning-team behavior at the high
end of the spectrum, as well. We have to do both, not just
focus on the pass-fail line. So, domestic violence and suicide
and some of these other things are very much at the top of the
list of the focus of that Four Star group right now.
So, we're bringing as many resources to bear to take some
nontraditional looks at trying new approaches, here, rather
than just continue to train and hope we get new results.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you.
Lieutenant General Grosso?
General Grosso. Senator Gillibrand, reference your question
about combat integration, we do have such a small number of
positions--about 1,700--that we had to finally integrate. These
positions are all of our special operations career fields.
Interestingly, we have a challenge recruiting both men and
women. We have actually put a contract for a group of people.
Typically, they're--they hire former special operators, and
they help us recruit both men and women. So, they're going into
high schools to find very athletic, intelligent people. But,
it's a challenge for both men and women.
We have--and we also recruit within the force. So, we have
had 12 women enter the program; and, unfortunately, we have
none that have passed the physical exam. In fact, we had just
one eliminated yesterday for a knee injury. So, I think we're
certainly trying hard, but, unfortunately, we haven't gotten a
woman to go through. I think some of--the thing you discussed
earlier about the health of the population--women are less--
even less available than men in that young population. So, I
think that's something that we have to look at.
Reference your questions about child abuse, you know,
unfortunately for the Air Force, since fiscal year 2013, we've
had a rate per thousand that's been fairly stable, so about
four rate per thousand. So, we've really been looking--
targeting the leadership, both in training--both on the
officer--on the commander side and on the senior enlisted, to
recognize signs and to encourage people to seek help. So-- and
not to have a barrier to help. Just like Admiral Burke
discussed, we've had tremendous success with our New Parent
Support Program. Our data shows us that 99 percent have not
reoffended.
We are rolling out a new program, as well, that's going to
target couples that have already experienced some form of
violence, and trying to--trying to help them understand the
dynamic of that, to also bring down this--child abuse.
Then, finally, I will say that the work that we're doing on
our sexual assault prevention, just on prevention in general,
and healthy life skills work that's ongoing, I think will also
tangentially have an impact on this challenge for us, as well.
I will get you your answer on--I don't know the answer on
retaliation, but I'll get that.
Senator Gillibrand. So, even the services--tell me, how is
it going? Have we prosecuted any yet? If we have a rate so
high, we need to start prosecuting it as the crime that it is.
General Rocco. Ranking Member Gillibrand, for the Marine
Corps, your first question, about fields--all the occupational
fields are--currently are open to female marines. We have over
300 female marines that are in previously closed units.
For female recruiting, Marine Corps Recruiting Command has
focused their efforts to recruit females at colleges through
sports programs, and high schools through the sports programs.
So, they've emphasized that, and focused their efforts in
trying to open up some avenues that were previously closed.
For retaliation, it's not tolerated. We investigate them
fully. I don't have the numbers on what exactly--what are the
results of it, but I know, a number of them, senior officers
are under currently--investigation--open investigations on
retaliation.
For family member violence, we have the Family Assistance
Program. This is at all bases and stations. They have a 24-hour
help line. They provide support to the victims. We also provide
counseling and legal support to those affected by it.
Finally, on the family assistance, when we talk about
domestic violence, we incorporate that training and
predeployment training, post-deployment training, and all
commanders' course and schools--proficient military schools--to
make sure that the commanders and the senior leaders are aware
of what's out there, what the numbers are, and what's available
to help them, marines and the families.
Thank you.
Senator Tillis. Well, thank you all for being here.
Appreciate the member participation. We're going to transfer to
the next panel. Thank you for your service, and continue
engagement with the Committee.
[Pause.]
Senator Tillis. If we could have the witnesses just come
forward. We can come back to order.
I'd like to welcome the witnesses. On the second panel, we
have Kathy Roth-Douquet, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Star
Families; Ms. Kelly Hruska, Government Relations Director for
the National Military Family Association; and Mr. Michael
Haynie, Ph.D., Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives and
Innovation at Syracuse University.
Thank you all for being here. We'll allow up to 5 minutes
for an opening statement.
We will start with Ms. Roth-Douquet.
STATEMENT OF KATHY ROTH-DOUQUET, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BLUE
STAR FAMILIES
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Thank you very much, Senator. Thank you
for including us in this hearing.
We enjoyed the prior testimony, and we see great movement
over the years. We credit a lot of that to your leadership and
the leadership of your staff.
Blue Star Families builds communities that support military
families and connects them to their civilian neighbors. We
believe that all military families should be able to serve and
simultaneously build thriving and healthy families.
One way we do this is by performing research and using the
resulting data to inform others and to develop our own programs
and solutions. Our annual Military Family Lifestyles Survey
provides a yearly snapshot of the state of military families.
It's released by the Senate and House caucuses on military
families.
We believe military families are central to the security of
our Nation. They aren't a nice-to-have. They've a component of
the force. In the 21st Century, the majority of people who
serve are married and do have children and will serve over
time.
Our survey results show that servicemembers and their
families have substantial difficulties balancing work and
family. That's especially acute for female servicemembers and
female spouses operating in a military culture designed to meet
the needs of male servicemembers and their families.
Rather than ad hoc measures meant to provide support during
periods of acute warfare, military families must be understood
as a structural component of the force. Thinking about families
in this way makes the country smarter about what it takes to
ensure our country's national security and improves the ability
of DOD to meet military family support needs.
So, when we asked, this past year, what could DOD do to
make it easier for you to ensure your family is happy and
healthy during your or your loved one's Military Service, the
top things people talked about was operational tempo, which
included their ability to take their own leave--that was an
interesting finding, and a top finding--spouse employment, and
childcare. We also saw a central topic this year being the lack
of integration in their local civilian communities. We see that
as being a real avenue for improvement.
So, one of our key stats is that nearly half of military
families said that the amount of time away from family was
their number-one concern. Deployments were cited as a top
stressor associated with time in the military. Fifty-six
percent felt that DOD support services were inadequate to
support their children dealing with the unique challenges of
military lifestyle. Over time, over a 3-year trend, we've seen
servicemembers, veteran, veteran spouse, and post-9/11 veteran
subgroups indicating increased rates of suicidal ideation.
So, we see some policy actions or solutions that would
respond to these. Very much applaud the ideas about reducing
family separation, increasing predictability and absences, and
increasing dwell time. Can't overstate how much sequestration
and continuing resolutions hurt military families because it
reduces predictability. Even with the very brief shutdown we
had recently, we heard from Special Forces families, from
National Guard families, about not having support for families
who were wounded in action. People having to go into their own
credit cards to get over to Landstuhl to see their
servicemembers. Not having support at a memorial service for a
fallen special operations person. Hundreds of National Guard
not getting their training, not getting their pay. People are
living on a very tight leash. This is real harm.
Improved leave benefit and ability to take leave. We need
to investigate this further, but, in a write-in response, a
number-one problem that people stated was not being able to
take the leave that they've earned. This is causing a lot of
problems for families. That's no impact on the budget. What's
going on there? Can we do something about it?
We do believe we need to fully fund and staff the DOD
Office of Suicide Prevention because of the increased trends in
suicidal ideation we see.
Spouse employment. Financial consideration is a key factor
in whether or not people stay in the military. Sixty-two
percent of our families in this survey said they felt some or a
great deal of stress because of their current financial
situations. Again, sequestration harms that.
In our survey, we had an uptick of unemployment. Twenty-
eight percent of military spouses told us that they had been
actively seeking work in the last 4 weeks. We saw that went up,
because many who had stopped seeking work in previous years,
maybe that they have heard more about it, and so they've
started looking again. That's a good sign, but we need to help
them work.
A majority of military spouses earned zero income in 2016.
A majority of those who did work made less than $20,000 a year.
Not coincidentally, about half of military families have
less than $5,000 in available savings. That causes a lot of
pain when people transition out. About half of both Active Duty
and spouses say that their top obstacle to financial security
is spouse unemployment and underemployment. So, we very much
support Senator Kaine's Military Spouse Employment Act, and
applaud Senator Purdue and the other Senators for joining it.
We are interested and asking Federal hiring managers, in
addition, to report on why they don't hire military spouses.
Seventy-nine percent of military spouses in our survey who
applied for positions did not get them. Despite the fact that,
since 2014, there is special authority that allows hiring
managers to appoint qualified spouses, I think we should ask
them why they're not hiring them.
We are interested in the idea of legislation that might
reimburse States for spouses'--military spouses' licensing fees
so that States can waive licensing fees for military spouses.
Childcare continues to be a critical problem. Issues
related to children, time away from children or worries about
the impact of military life, was the top stressor for
military--for female servicemembers, and their top reason for
exiting Military Service in the next 2 years. We dove a little
deeper into the experience of military--of females in uniform
this past year's survey. You may be shocked to hear that the
experience of women in uniform is not the same as the
experience of men in uniform. Childcare is one of the key
reasons. Two-thirds of men said they had childcare to meet
their needs, in uniform. One third of women said the same
thing. We asked people in dual-military couples. Interestingly,
the husband in a dual-military couple did have childcare to
meet his need; the female in a dual-military couple did not.
A top reason for not working identified by the military
spouse respondents were the servicemembers' job demands, which
includes the moves and the unpredictability of deployments and
training, and then childcare. Both of those were the majority
reasons.
So, we think that these suggestions--to increase dwell
time, allow military servicemembers to turn down a move for
family stability, and allow servicemembers to take leaves of
absence for family reasons, particularly for females in the
military--will be critical. The needs of the military and
national security have to come first. We certainly don't want
to trump those. But, I'm heartened to hear the services feel
that this is possible.
Female servicemembers aren't nice-to-have, they are need-
to-have. To get the qualified people we need to run our
military, we have to have that 17 percent, and growing,
females. We have to make Military Service compatible with them
having the kind of American life that other Americans enjoy,
which includes having children.
We have to expand options for affordable childcare and
improve flexible work-hire initiatives so that we can allow
military spouses to work under the conditions that their
national security mission requires them to work. Military
spouses aren't not working because they don't have the
skillsets, it's because they need flexible work conditions.
Those do exist. We just need better visibility and better
cooperation with the Military Services to allow that
opportunity for the outside resources that can help us find
these kinds of jobs more possible.
We support the progress of the Availability of Childcare
for Every Servicemember and Spouse Act, the ACCESS Act.
Finally, I do want to mention local civilian community
integration, even though it's not a DOD function, per se. But,
70 percent of married servicemembers live off-installation.
Seventy-two percent of our servicemembers who responded to our
survey were less than 2 years in their current community. So,
they're moving very frequently. Perhaps because of this, the
majority of people who we asked said that they do not feel that
they belong to the communities in which they live. They don't
feel they belong. They would like to feel that way.
We asked them, How many conversations have you had with
civilians in the last month? Just in bands: 3-6, more than 10?
Thirty percent said zero. Zero conversations. So, this
isolation makes it hard to get jobs, it hurts mental health, it
has a direct effect on child abuse and neglect. If you don't
have someone you can turn to to help you with your families,
that's an outcome. So, isolation from family and friends is a
top-five stressor each year that we've done our survey.
We think there are things that can be done. We are
frustrated by the--how difficult it is to create public-private
partnerships with the Department of Defense, to share the
resources that are available to communities, the sea of
goodwill that there is for military people. We are interested
in exploring the idea of an Office of Strategic Partnership in
the DOD, similar to what exists in the VA and has been very
effective, to perhaps push some of the initiatives that really
are political and not operational. We need to connect the
civilians and the military. Having more openness at the
community level would help that.
As part of the work I did with the Bipartisan Policy
Council on Defense Personnel Reform, we suggested asking all
young Americans to take the ASVAB, the Armed Forces vocational
aptitude test, male and female at 18, a simplified online
version. We think having one time where all Americans consider
what sort of--what work they might do in the military, in
itself, might break down barriers and might allow us to bring
people into the military who don't currently serve. Creative
ideas like that are something that we're very interested in
this.
So, thank you for letting me speak. I apologize for going
over my time.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Roth-Douquet follows:]
Prepared Statement of Blue Star Families Submitted by Ms. Roth-Douquet
Dear Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and other
distinguished Members of the Subcommittee,
Blue Star Families deeply appreciates the opportunity to testify in
front of the Personnel Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services
Committee on February 14, 2018. Thank you for including our
perspective.
The following attachments are also submitted for the record:
1. Written Testimony
2. 2017 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, Comprehensive Report
3. 2017 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, Executive Summary
4. 2017 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, Comprehensive
Infographic
5. 2017 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, Opportunity Costs for
Service Infographic
6. 2017 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, Civilian Community
Integration Infographic
7. 2017 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, Diverse Experiences of
Service Infographic
8. 2017 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, Benefits of Military
Service Infographic
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand and other distinguished
Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to appear
before you today.
I am Kathy Roth-Douquet and I am the CEO of Blue Star Families.
Blue Star Families (BSF) builds communities that support military
families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions,
including career development tools, local community events for
families, and caregiver support. Since its inception in 2009, BSF has
engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and serves more than 1.5
million military family members. With BSF, military families can find
answers to their challenges anywhere they are. With strong ties to all
branches of service, Active Duty, veterans, and their families, BSF is
nationally recognized for its annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey.
The largest of its kind, the survey provides both quantitative and
qualitative data that reveals a snapshot of the current state of the
servicemembers and their families. Conducted annually, the Military
Family Lifestyle Survey is used at all levels of government to help
inform and educate those tasked with making policy decisions that
impact servicemembers and their families-- who also serve.
supporting military families strengthens national security and local
communities
Military families are assets to national defense and local
communities. They are central to the health and capability of the All-
Volunteer Force and are good neighbors actively engaged in making their
civilian communities great places to live.
The All-Volunteer Force continues to serve in uncertain and
challenging times. With our Nation's 16th consecutive year at war
drawing to a close, military families continue to endure multiple
prolonged periods of separation from their servicemembers. This past
year continued to see new and emerging security threats in numerous
regions while Department of Defense (DOD) grew the Total Force to
support a mission that is not expected to shrink in the near future.
The resulting operational tempo and substantial difficulties in
balancing work and family is very concerning to servicemembers and
their families. Quality of life issues like time away from family,
military family stability and the impact of Military Service on
children are top concerns along with lasting concerns regarding pay,
benefits, and spouse employment.
Research suggests that servicemembers' top concern is for their
family's well-being and family well-being is top consideration in
whether a servicemember stays or leaves the force. In fact, our
research shows that while 55 percent of servicemembers and their
spouses would recommend service to young people, only 40 percent would
recommend it to their own child; both showing a decline from previous
year's percentages. While the military has adopted a number of reforms
to support military families in the past few years, there is still much
more to be done.
key priorities for military families
Blue Star Families conducted its 8th Annual Military Family
Lifestyle Survey in April-May, 2017 with over 7,800 respondents
including military spouses, Active Duty servicemembers, veterans, and
their immediate family members participating in the survey. The
Military Family Lifestyle Survey's response rate makes it the largest
and most comprehensive survey of Active Duty, veterans, and their
families.
This year's survey results show military families are increasingly
concerned about the continued sacrifices that accompany this prolonged
period of conflict. It shows the country needs to get smarter about
what a healthy All-Volunteer Force really looks like--and what it needs
it to look like to ensure future success. The All-Volunteer Force was
not designed for our current security environment or the modern
servicemember--who may be single parents, have professional spouses,
have children with special needs, and living in an increasingly diverse
and inclusive society.
Analysis of the qualitative portions of this year's survey
reinforced the quantitative findings. For example, extended family
separations, frequent moves, and outdated expectations that military
spouses sublimate their personal, professional, and familial priorities
to support their servicemembers Military Service are the most relevant
topics identified as substantially reducing the quality of life and
attractiveness of martial service. Simply put, military families have a
strong desire and commitment to serve; however, responses suggest they
remain rational actors who are increasingly assessing alternatives to
maintaining a long-term commitment to Military Service.
Despite varied topics covered in this year's survey report such as
family separation, civilian community integration, and mental
healthcare, one clear and consistent theme emerged: the DOD must do a
better job of incorporating military families into its current thinking
and future planning. Rather than ad hoc measures meant to provide
support during periods of acute warfare, military families must be
understood as a structural component of the force. Even further, just
as a strong defense requires diverse skills, strong military family
support requires a comprehensive understanding of the diversity of
today's military families. Thinking about the families in this way
makes the country smarter about what it takes to ensure our Nation's
security and it improves the ability of the DOD to meet military family
support needs.
Our key priorities for the coming year are based on areas of need
identified in our 2017 survey. We feel improvement in these areas also
has the greatest potential to reduce the trend of increasing quality of
life concerns that was a top trend in our 2017 survey.
The areas we will be focusing on are:
Increasing understanding among the general U.S.
population that operational tempo and family separations remain very
high--72 percent of Active Duty and military spouse respondents
indicated the current operational tempo (optempo) exerts an
unacceptable level of stress for a healthy work-life balance, and 40
percent of military family respondents report experiencing more than 6
months of family separation in the last 18 months. Military families
continue to experience significant challenges and make heavy sacrifices
as a result of their service.
Improving civilian-military community connections that
improve local integration is important for the overall health and
wellbeing of military families and is a smart recruitment and retention
policy for DOD--51 percent of Active Duty and military spouse
respondents indicated that they did not feel a sense of belonging
within their local civilian community and 72 percent of military family
respondents indicated living in their current community for 2 years or
less suggesting families experience substantial challenges integrating
into their local, off-installation communities.
Improving financial security and improving employment and
career viability for military spouses--unemployed or underemployed
military spouses. Military spouse unemployment sits around 28 percent
(compared to 4 percent for all married women with children under 18)
and is a top obstacle to the financial security and successful
retirement or transition planning for military families.
Increasing modern understanding of the diversity of
today's military workforce--while concerns about family was the top
reason motivating male and female servicemembers to exit Military
Service, traditional expectations regarding gender roles continue to
compound this issue for female servicemembers, who indicated higher
levels of stress and concern balancing work and family
responsibilities. Related, developing better solutions to the lasting
challenge of access and affordability of quality childcare is a
continued top need--67 percent of military families are unable to
reliably find childcare that meets their needs and it was cited as a
top military spouse career obstacle.
Operational Tempo and Family Separations
The military lifestyle demands long hours, unpredictable work
schedules, and that families endure frequent and prolonged separations
not just for wartime deployments, but also for training, temporary duty
assignments, and additional responsibilities that frequently require
travel. Servicemembers and their families feel the current optempo is
unsustainable and threatens the health of their families. For the first
time, based on strong indications from 2016's survey results,
respondents were provided a new ``top issue'' option: ``Amount of time
away from family.'' Forty-six percent of Active Duty servicemember and
spouse respondents ranked this new option as their top issue of
concern. Additionally, 34 percent of Active Duty servicemember
respondents ranked ``family stability/quality of life'' as their number
three issue.
Seventy-two percent of Active Duty and military spouse respondents
indicated the current optempo exerts an unacceptable level of stress
for a healthy work-life balance. Forty percent of military family
respondents report experiencing more than 6 months of family separation
in the last 18 months and deployments are cited as the top stressor
associated with time in the military for both servicemembers and
military spouses. In qualitative portions of the survey, respondents
identified several steps the DOD can make to alleviate the stress
arising from large amounts of time away from family. Improving leave
benefits and ability to take leave was the top response. Improving the
servicemember's work schedule (while at home) to allow time with
family, and improving leadership behavior/policies impacting military
families were also top suggestions.
Concerns regarding the impact of a military lifestyle on dependent
children's wellness appears to be increasing with two issues related to
military child wellbeing ranked in the top 5 concerns for both
servicemembers and military spouses for the first time in the 9 year
history of this survey. Thirty-two percent of servicemember and 39
percent of military spouse respondents ranked dependent children's
education as a top 5 issue of concern, and 33 percent of servicemember
and 36 percent of military spouse respondents ranked impact of
deployment on children as a top 5 issue of concern. Fifty-six percent
of military family respondents feel the DOD support services are
inadequate to support military children in coping with unique military
life challenges. Military leaders can continue to prioritize military
family programming as an essential component of readiness while
operational tempos remain high and the global security environment
remains uncertain. Similarly, mental health, childcare, and community
integration support are critical needs and are excellent opportunities
for the DOD, local and national leaders to enhance support to address
these areas of concern.
Meeting the demands of an unrelenting optempo can take a toll on
mental health for servicemembers and their families. The Deployment
Health Clinical Center released a study citing the rate of anxiety
disorder diagnoses among servicemembers rose from under 2 percent in
2005 to more than 5 percent in 2016, and the rate of depression rose
from 3 percent in 2005 to more than 5 percent in 2015. \1\ Research
also suggests that substance use disorders are likely to co-occur among
veterans and servicemembers with at least one other mental health
disorder such as depression or anxiety, and that alcohol abuse is more
prevalent among military servicemembers when compared to civilians. \2\
Three year BSF Survey respondent trends for servicemember, veteran,
veteran spouse, and post-9/11 veteran subgroups all indicate an
increasing rate of those who have considered suicide. Just as physical
health is a core requirement of servicemembers for readiness, their
mental health as well as the mental health of their family members are
a critical component of mission readiness requiring additional support
and early intervention.
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\1\ Deployment Health Clinical Center (2017). Mental Health
Disorder Prevalence among Active Duty Service Members in the Military
Health System, Fiscal Years 2005-2016. Retrieved from http://
www.pdhealth.mil/sites/default/files/images/mental-health-disorder-
prevalence-among-active-duty-service-members-508.pdf
\2\ Institute of Medicine (2014). Understanding psychological
health in the military. In L.A. Denning, M. Meisnere, & K.E. Warner
(Eds.), Psychology Disorders in Service Members and Their Families: An
Assessment of Programs. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222167/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recommendations
Fully fund and staff the Office of Suicide Prevention.
The Pentagon has reported suicide takes more lives of United States
troops deployed to fight ISIL [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]
than those killed in combat. BSF encourages Congress to reconsider
fully funding and staffing the DOD's Office of Suicide Prevention to
support service Headquarters' ability to provide innovation and
programming.
Civilian Community Integration
The end of the draft resulted in a stronger, more professional U.S.
military; however, it has also decreased understanding of Military
Service and sacrifice within the broader American society. Roughly, 0.5
percent of the American public has served on Active Duty at any given
time since 9/11; this number is expected to continue to decline as a
result of continued voluntary service and evolving technology. While
the smaller percentage of Americans in martial service alone is not a
cause for concern, the resulting decrease in understanding between the
military and the broader U.S. society presents significant challenges
for the future of American defense.
Nearly one-third (31 percent) of military family respondents in
this year's survey indicated they had not had an in-depth conversation
with a local civilian in the last month. Military spouse respondents
indicated higher rates of engagement with civilians compared to
servicemembers, with 39 percent reporting an in-depth conversation with
civilians at least once a week. Thirty-two percent of servicemember
respondents indicated the same. Recent research underscores the
negative impact of loneliness and social isolation on physical health,
as ``social isolation may represent a greater public health hazard than
obesity, \3\'' For military spouse respondents, isolation from family
and friends has been a constant top five stressor each year despite 94
percent of military spouse respondents indicating working with others
in their neighborhood to fix problems or improve conditions is an
important responsibility. This military spouse disconnect presents an
opportunity for the civilian communities, DOD, and military
installation leadership to create a more efficient pathway for
servicemembers and their spouses to engage locally and for the broader
American society to gain deeper understanding of the military
lifestyle.
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\3\ American Psychological Association (2017). So lonely I could
die [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/news/press/
releases/2017/08/lonely-die.aspx
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Recommendations
Report on the feasibility of establishing an Office of
Strategic Partnership in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).
We support the Secretary of Defense reporting to the Committees on
Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the
feasibility of the DOD creating an Office of Strategic Partnerships.
Modeled after the VA Office of Strategic Partnerships, such an office
would serve as a clearinghouse staffed with the political appointee to
promote consistency and prevent mission stagnation. Potential activity
would include forming a Joint Partnerships Committee who would host
quarterly meetings with representatives from all Services. Quarterly
meetings would allow for increased openness with Services and aim to
determine where policies, power to enforce, and budgets would align.
This office would also serve as an access point for qualified non-
governmental organizations to provide innovative solutions to
challenges experienced by the OSD and Services.
Enhance and expand the Selective Service System to
include all young American adults, and require Selective Service
registrants to complete a modified, online military vocational aptitude
test (ASVAB). Today's Selective Service System is based on a pre-All-
Volunteer Force recruitment strategy and is not useful for developing
the increasingly adaptable force the Nation will need in the future. An
enhanced Selective Service System would collect more detailed
registrant information which could be used as a recruiting tool that
allows the military to identify both men and women who have relevant
skills. By requiring Selective Service registrants to complete a
modified, online ASVAB, millions of younger Americans will be exposed
to the possibility of Military Service and, with registrant permission,
allow military recruiters an opportunity to engage students with
proclivity to serve. \4\ Such exposure will help in reducing the
civilian-military divide and improve the future of American defense.
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\4\ Bipartisan Policy Center. (2017). Building a F.A.S.T. Force: A
Flexible Personnel System for a Modern Military: Recommendations from
the
Task Force on Defense Personnel. Retrieved from https://bluestarfam.org
/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/BPC-Defense-Building-A-FAST-Force. pdf
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Financial Security
Financial considerations are a key factor in a military family's
decision to stay in the military. Sixty-two percent of military family
respondents reported they felt some or a great deal of stress as a
result of their current financial situation, which is slightly higher
than the broader American society where 56 percent indicated worrying
about their finances within the last year. \5\ When financial readiness
is threatened by financial stress and insecurity, military readiness is
compromised with potential to negatively impact servicemember's careers
and the stability of military families. Forty-nine percent of all
military family respondents also indicated they have less than $5,000
in available savings. In 2016, 7 percent of respondents reported
experiencing food insecurity in the past year.
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\5\ Pew Charitable Trusts (2015). American's financial security:
Perception and reality. http://www.pewtrusts.org/8/media /assets/2015/
02/fsm-poll-results-issue-briefartfinalv3.pdf
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Military family financial stress is further compounded by the
lasting threat of sequestration. BSF survey research shows changes to
pay/benefits is currently a very sensitive issue, given the numerous
changes in recent years. Military family respondents rely on government
leaders to protect their earned benefits and respect their service.
Sequestration and changes to military pay/benefits is the quickest way
to decrease morale and erode trust between servicemembers and national
leadership. It is critical that the government stop whiplashing
multiyear families with these solutions.
Findings suggest that retirement planning is an area where a large
number of servicemembers, military spouses, and veterans experience
significant challenges and uncertainty. Ten percent of military family
respondents indicated they are not currently contributing towards a
retirement account. As with many military benefits, respondents
indicated their understanding of this benefit was low. Fifty-one
percent of those servicemember respondents who may be eligible for the
new Blended Retirement System reported they did not understand the
benefit. Among those eligible for the new retirement system, 55 percent
reported they expected the new benefit to be less than they otherwise
would have received. Most troubling for those who must make a decision
regarding which retirement system to choose, 42 percent of
servicemember respondents indicated they did not know how the new
system compared to the old benefit.
Without a clear picture of their financial future, military
families are less likely to stay long-term. Educating military families
with the facts about the new retirement system and equipping them with
the tools to invest and save wisely are critical to maintaining both
financial readiness and willingness to serve.
Recommendations
Remove barriers to military families receiving nutrition
assistance in the form of food stamps. BSF supports any efforts to
remove barriers for military families to receive access to nutritional
assistance and supports the Military Hunger Prevention Act, H.R. 1078
(115) which would exclude the value of Basic Allowance for Housing
(BAH) from military families' income when determining eligibility for
the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. BAH is known to adjust
depending on the cost of living in any given location and can fluctuate
enough that it disqualifies military families from SNAP even though
food prices may also be higher where they are stationed. As the IRS
[Internal Revenue Service] does not consider BAH taxable income and is
not considered income for a multitude of other social welfare programs,
we do not feel it should be considered income when considering
eligibility for nutritional assistance.
Mandate the creation on a military family adjusted income
index. Include language requiring research on the difference between
total household earnings of military families vs comparable-looking
civilian families to measure so called ``military family earnings
penalty.'' This index could be used in future considerations or
quadrennial reviews of servicemember remuneration.
Oppose changes to Post-9/11 transferability that would
end transferability for those with 16+ years of service. While
transferability is a retention initiative, denying transferability
denies benefits to those who have chosen to continue to serve during
16+ years of war and also denies the benefit to the children of those
who have chosen to stay.
Oppose repeal of deduction for moving expenses and
exclusion for qualified moving expense reimbursement.
Oppose repeal of the exclusion of gain from sale of a
principal residence.
Military Spouse Employment
The ability of military spouses to meet their own employment
expectations is a significant factor with overall satisfaction with the
military lifestyle and with individual servicemember retention
decisions. \6\ \7\ Forty-six percent of respondents to our survey
identified military spouse employment as a top obstacle to their
family's financial security and military spouse employment remains a
top concern for Active Duty spouse respondents. Military spouse
unemployment sits around 28 percent (compared to 4 percent for all
married women with children under 18), an increase from last year's
survey findings. Findings also indicate that the financial challenge
presented by spouse unemployment and underemployment is further
underscored by the finding that 52 percent of military spouse
respondents earned zero income in 2016 and only 9 percent contributed
equally or more. In comparison, of all U.S. households with children
under 18, the share of married mothers who out earn their husbands is
15 percent. \8\ Existing research suggests updating the DOD's outdated
and bureaucratically cumbersome personnel management system into a more
flexible and decentralized model would allow the military to more
effectively meet operational needs and would also enable military
families to optimize duty station assignment selection so that both
servicemembers and spouses are better able to progress in their
careers.
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\6\ Casetenada, L.W. and Harrell, M. (2008). Military Spouse
Employment: A grounded theory approach to experiences and perceptions.
Armed Forces and Society, 34(3), 389-412
\7\ Scarville, J. (1999). Spouse Employment in the Army: Research
Findings. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/
a222135.pdf
\8\ Harrison, D. & Laliberte, L. (1997). Gender, the Military and
Military Family Support. Weinstein, L. & White, C.C. (Eds.), Wives and
Warriors: Women and the Military in the United States and Canada (pp.
35-54). Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.
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BSF supports legislative proposals such as Senator Kaine's Military
Spouse Employment Act of 2018 which seeks to improve military spouse
competitiveness for Federal employment and offer military spouses more
opportunities. In 2016, 79 percent of military spouse respondents who
applied for a GS [general schedule] position indicated they were not
hired. Federal employment opportunities are key positions for military
spouses as employment often exist close to nearly all installations, is
frequently portable, and for bases overseas may be the only option due
to SOFA [status of forces agreement]. If passed, such legislation would
be one of the strongest steps the Federal Government can take to
improve military spouse employment challenges that arise as a result of
Military Service.
Recommendations
Support the Military Spouse Employment Act of 2018
introduced by Senator Kaine.
Require Federal hiring managers to report on any military
spouse applicants for open Federal positions and if they were not
hired, a reason as to why they were deemed unqualified or otherwise not
hired. Also expand hiring capabilities to Federal hiring managers to
allow for ``expedited hiring authority'' to quickly employ military
spouses.
Develop legislation similar to the Lift the Relocation
Burden from Military Spouses Act introduced by Representative Stefanik
and passed with the 2018 NDAA at a state level. Proposed legislation
would reimburse states for licensing fees if those states agree to
waive the cost of military spouse relicensing.
Expand Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) offered to
veterans to include military spouses.
Remove repeal of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
from the proposed TC&JA [Tax Cut and Jobs Act]. Instead, the WOTC
should be expanded to include military spouses. The WOTC has been a
critically important tool assisting in solving the problem of veteran
unemployment and would be a game-changer for spouse unemployment. (DOL)
statistics show 35,904 veterans were certified for WOTC during the 3-
year period before the Veterans Opportunity to Work Act. By contrast,
278,611 veterans were certified during fiscal years 2013 to 2015, an
increase of more than 700 percent.
Increasing Modern Understanding of the Diversity of Today's Military
Workforce
The All-Volunteer Force implemented in 1973 was not designed for
the modern servicemember--a force that is married, has children, and is
increasingly diverse. As a result, modern servicemembers are
experiencing increasing difficulties balancing work and family. This
challenge is especially acute for female servicemembers and female
spouses who must operate in a military culture designed to meet the
needs of male servicemembers and their families. \9\
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\9\ Southwell, K.H., & MacDermid Wadsworth, S.M. (2016). The many
faces of military families: Unique features of the lives of female
servicemembers. Military Medicine 18(1), 70-79.
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Women comprise 16 percent of today's Active Duty force and analysis
of future defense needs suggests this is likely to grow in order to
sustain an All-Volunteer Force. \10\ Research has shown that even in
families where both partners attempt to share household
responsibilities, women often assume a larger load of the work at home,
creating the burden of ``second shift'' that men don't equally feel.
\11\ \12\ In this year's survey, ``issues related to children (time
away from children or worries about impact of military life on
children)'' was identified as the top stressor for female servicemember
respondents while male respondents ranked deployment as their top
stressor. While top stressors for both groups can be understood as
related to the high optempo and frequent family separations that are
associated with service, the fact that each gender expressed this
stressor differently suggests substantially different experiences of
service between genders--even when experiencing the same stressors.
Furthermore, existing research indicates that when forced to choose
between a career and a family, females in heterosexual dual military
marriages are more likely to consider leaving the military. \13\ This
was also seen in this year's survey with 41 percent of female and 35
percent of male servicemember respondents indicating concerns about
military family as the top reason motivating them to exit Military
Service in the next 2 years.
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\10\ U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (2015).
2015 Demographics: Profile of the military community. Retrieved from
Military OneSource Website: http://download.militaryonesource.mil/
12038/MOS/Reports/2015-Demographics-Report.pdf
\11\ Hochschild, A. (2012). Revised Edition. The second shift::
Working families and the revolution at home. New York: Penguin
\12\ Pew Research Center (2015). Raising kids and running a
household: How working parents share the load. http://
www.pewsocialtrends.org/2015/11/04/raising-kids-and-running-a-
household-how-working-parents- share-the-load/
\13\ Huffman, A. H., Craddock, E. B., Culbertson, S. S., &
Klinefelter, Z. (2017). Decision-making and exchange processes of dual-
military couples: A review and suggested strategies for navigating
multiple roles. Military Psychology (American Psychological
Association), 29(1), 11-26.
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Similarly, respondents in this year's survey indicate that the
military culture substantially heightens gender roles and compounds
spouse employment challenges already incumbent in the military
lifestyle. Survey responses over multiple years have consistently shown
that the most significant obstacles to spouse employment are not
related to job availability or employment readiness. the top three
reasons for not working among military spouse respondents who want to
work were identical to those identified in 2016: servicemember job
demands (55 percent), childcare (53 percent), and family commitment (43
percent).
Childcare continues to be a top need for both military spouses and
female servicemembers. Sixty-seven percent of military family
respondents indicated they are not always able to obtain the childcare
they need. Similarly 67 percent of female servicemember respondents
reported the same (compared to 33 percent of male servicemember
respondents). Male military spouse respondents were also far less
likely to indicate childcare challenges as a factor in employment or
education decisions, with 40 percent of male military spouses vs. 17
percent of female military spouses reporting their employment or
education decisions had not been impacted by childcare challenges.
In 2012, the GAO [Government Accountability Office] conducted a
study on military child care reporting that military families face two
main barriers to obtaining DOD-subsidized child care: lack of awareness
of available resources and insufficient availability among those
resources. According to DOD officials and based on GAO's group
discussions, a substantial number of military families remain unaware
of subsidized child care that may be available to
them, particularly off-installation care, despite DOD's efforts to
provide information at pre-deployment briefings and through other
outreach efforts. BSF survey research suggests that the bureaucracy in
learning about and accessing military childcare is substantial and a
barrier to families obtaining the child care they need. Further,
families who are geographically isolated from an installation, such as
reservists and recruiters, are also less likely to be aware of
subsidized care.
If the DOD is committed to attracting and retaining talented men
and women, then it is essential that DOD prioritizes the responsibility
to create a work environment where both men and women are afforded
equal time and opportunity to work and attend to responsibilities at
home. Additionally, DOD can expand opportunities for affordable
childcare to all military families, promote access to civilian
childcare providers through referrals and subsidies and improve
flexible work hiring initiatives to employ military spouses in a manner
that allows military parents to better balance home and work
responsibilities.
Recommendations
Increase dwell time, allow military servicemembers to
`turn down' a move for family stability, and allow servicemembers to
take leaves of absence for family reasons. BSF encourages the Committee
to support any moves towards innovation by the Services.
Support the progress of S.1434 Availability of Child Care
for Every Servicemember and Spouse Act (ACCESS Act) / Sec 558 (c)
Childcare Coordinators For Military Installations. Community childcare
coordinators located at each base would serve to bridge the
communication gap between military families and the installation.
Similar to the role of a School Liaison Officer, community childcare
coordinators would act as an expert in local childcare options-- on and
off base--and extend support to help military families locate the best
available available childcare that meets the diverse needs of their
military family. The community childcare coordinator would also be
responsible for liaising with the local civilian childcare providers to
help them better understand the needs of military families and the
possible opportunities caring for military family might provide.
Finally, the coordinator would be responsible for measuring and
tracking the inventory of childcare in a local area as this information
is crucial and not currently collected in an effective way to help DOD
understand and plan regarding childcare capacity.
The DOD and other stakeholders can link child care
resources to spouse employment resources such as including a possible
tab on employment websites so that spouses looking for employment would
have better visibility of child care options. Regulations and
requirements imposed by military installation childcare units (e.g.,
complicated waiting list policies and eligibility restrictions based on
employment status) are an unintended barrier to accessing child care
for the purposes of seeking employment or furthering one's education. A
frequently cited child care challenge is that access to on-base child
care is dependent on a spouse's employment status, yet spouses may be
unable to obtain jobs or enroll in education programs without first
having access to reliable child care.
Simplify on-base child care enrollment, increase capacity
across military-certified providers including occasional care capacity,
and increase career to child ratio in order to align with state laws
where federal ratios are lower than those mandated by the state.
Nationally, military families spend an average of $108 per week for
DOD-subsidized civilian child care, which equates to 8.7 percent of the
average military family's income. Civilian child care agencies and
providers that meet the quality requirements that enable military
families to receive DOD subsidies could augment child care options on
installations and expand access to child care for families who do not
live near installations or where installation based child care has
reached capacity.
conclusion
Blue Star Families believes that military families are assets to
both our national defense and local communities. They are central to
the health and capability of the All-Volunteer Force and are good
neighbors actively engaged in making their civilian communities great
places to live. Servicemembers may be employed by their respective
services--but they work for all Americans. Thus the responsibility for
supporting military families is certainly a duty of the Department of
Defense; however, a healthy nation also shares in this responsibility.
Our country can help support military families by learning more about
the unique nature of military life and increasing civilian and military
collaboration on a number of levels. We can do this by supporting a
number of positive military lifestyle factors such as: the employment
of military spouses; military child education and wellness; financial
and retirement savings education; military childcare; local civilian
community engagement; strong mental health; and veteran employment.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tillis. Ms. Hruska.
STATEMENT OF KELLY B. HRUSKA, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR,
NATIONAL MILITARY FAMILY ASSOCIATION
Ms. Hruska. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and
Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity for
the National Military Family Association to speak with you
today about the readiness of military families.
Our statement, submitted for the record, highlights many
issues important to military families, and I will touch on a
few of them.
We thank you for pay raises for the past 2 years at the
employment cost index (ECI), and we appreciate the President's
Fiscal Year 2019 Budget submission, which includes a 2.6
percent pay raise at ECI. This is welcome news for military
families whose purchasing power has been pinched by recent
decreases to BAH [basic allowance for housing], increased
healthcare costs, and retirement changes. We thank you for your
quick work in the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA to ensure military
children with life-threatening conditions have access to
hospice services without having to forego curative care and
quality-of-life therapies. Your actions not only fixed an
urgent problem for impacted families, but it sends a signal to
all military families that egregious TRICARE coverage issues
will be addressed.
We thank you for your dedication to creating meaningful
reforms of the military health system, to enhance medical
readiness and improve access to care and contribute to a
quality patient experience for military families. However, we
have concerns about how the healthcare reforms you enacted are
being implemented. We urge you to maintain close oversight as
DOD implements healthcare reform, and hold them accountable for
making improvements and accessing quality a reality.
While DOD has made progress in making the Exceptional
Family Member Program more consistent across the Services,
military families need better coordination between the
relocation, education, healthcare, and family support elements
of the program. We also urge you to adopt the recommendations
of the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization
Commission, and direct DOD to align coverage under the ECHO
[Extended Care Health Option] program, especially respite care,
with State Medicaid waiver programs.
Thank you for proving reimbursements for relicensing,
recertification for military spouses in last year's NDAA. The
day after the President signed the legislation into law, our
office and various Facebook pages were lit up with questions on
how to apply for these reimbursements. Military spouses are
very excited about this new policy, and are anxious to see it
implemented. Please hold DOD accountable to the promise.
In 2014, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office released a
report outlining an approach for tracking military family
member suicides. As a response, Congress included a provision,
in the Fiscal Year 2015 NDAA, for DOD to track military family
suicides. We are extremely frustrated. DOD has yet to release
any information to meet this mandate. If we don't know the
scope of the problem, targeting solutions is impossible.
Part of the job of keeping our current force ready is
preparing for transitions, including the transition to civilian
life. The President's executive order dated January 9th
expanded Military OneSource from 6 months to 1 year, post-
separation, or retirement. Let's make this permanent.
We also ask you to ensure that, as the nature of
deployments continues to change, as the services increase end
strength and military missions evolve, programs to support
military families, healthcare and childcare access, and the
pillars of military compensation remain strong. Military family
and servicemember readiness are inescapably linked. Military
families shudder when they hear their servicemember may not
have the training or equipment they need to do the job.
Servicemembers can't focus on their job if their family is
pinched financially because a spouse can't find a job, their
sick child can't get a doctor's appointment, or there's no
quality childcare available. Programs and services must be
responsive, consistently funded, and constantly evaluated as
the needs of our military families evolve with the demands of
the mission.
Thank you for supporting military families.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Hruska follows:]
Prepared Statement of The National Military Family Association
Submitted by Ms. Kelly B. Hruska
The National Military Family Association (NMFA) is the leading
nonprofit dedicated to serving the families who stand behind the
uniform. Since 1969, NMFA has worked to strengthen and protect millions
of families through its advocacy and programs. We provide spouse
scholarships, camps for military kids, and retreats for families
reconnecting after deployment and for the families of the wounded, ill,
or injured. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, retired,
wounded or fallen members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force,
Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS [United States Public
Health Service] and NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration].
Association volunteers in military communities worldwide provide a
direct link between military families and the Association staff in the
Nation's capital. These volunteers are our ``eyes and ears,'' bringing
shared local concerns to national attention.
The Association does not have or receive Federal grants or
contracts.
Our website is: www.MilitaryFamily.org.
Kelly B. Hruska, Government Relations Director
Kelly became the Government Relations Director of the National
Military Family Association in 2015. In this role, she leads the
Association's advocacy for the families of the seven uniformed services
and monitors the range of issues relevant to their quality of life. She
began her work with the Association in 2007 as a Government Relations
Deputy Director and served as Outreach Coordinator in 2014.
Kelly has represented military families on several committees and
task forces for offices and agencies of the Department of Defense (DOD)
and Military Services. She serves on several committees of The Military
Coalition, an organization of 33 military-related associations. She is
co-chair of the Coalition's Survivor Committee. In 2008-2011, she
served on the first DOD Military Family Readiness Council.
A Navy spouse for 25 years, Kelly has served in various volunteer
leadership positions in civilian and military community organizations
including COMPASS, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, The Girl Scouts,
and Navy Spouses Clubs. She was also appointed to the City Commission
on Children and Youth by the Corpus Christi City Council.
Kelly is a recipient of the Navy's Meritorious Civilian Service
Medal in recognition of her work on behalf of servicemembers and their
families at Navy Region Center Singapore.
A Pennsylvania native, Kelly earned her B.A. in Political Science
from La Salle University and a Masters of Public Administration from
Shippensburg University. Kelly and her husband, Captain Jim Hruska, USN
(Ret) reside in Annandale, Virginia with their daughter, Emily.
executive summary
The United States military is the most capable fighting force in
the world. For almost 2 decades of war, servicemembers and their
families never failed to answer the call, steadfastly sacrificing in
order to protect our Nation. They make these sacrifices trusting that
our government will provide them with the tools to keep them ready.
Continued national fiscal challenges have left military families
confused and concerned about whether the programs and benefits
contributing to their strength, resilience, and readiness will remain
available to support them and be flexible enough to address emerging
needs. The Department of Defense (DOD) must provide the level of
programs and resources necessary to meet this standard. Servicemembers
and their families have kept trust with America through 16 years of war
with multiple deployments and separations. Unfortunately, that trust
continues to be tested.
We ask Congress:
As you evaluate spending proposals, consider the cumulative impact
on military families' purchasing power and financial well-being, as
well as the effects on the morale and readiness of the All-Volunteer
Force now and in the future.
Please:
Reject budget proposals that threaten military family
financial well-being as a way to save money for the government.
Keep military pay commensurate with service and aligned
with private sector wages.
Provide oversight to ensure recently-enacted military
health reform efforts enhance military families' access to quality
health care and that readiness costs are not passed along to families
as cost shares or premiums.
We ask Congress to make improving and sustaining the programs and
resources necessary to keep military families ready a national
priority.
We also ask Congress to:
Provide oversight to ensure DOD and the individual
Services are supporting families of all components by meeting the
standards for deployment support, reintegration, financial readiness,
and family health. Fund appropriately at all levels.
Ensure adequate funding for military child care programs,
including child care fee assistance programs. Improve access to
installation-based child care and increase availability of part-time
and hourly care.
Facilitate easier paths to both licensure and employment
for military spouses and veterans who are in the mental health field
when they work with our servicemembers and their families. Include
military spouses who enter the mental health profession in federal
loan-forgiveness programs.
Preserve the savings military families receive by
shopping at the commissary and oppose any reform measures that would
reduce the value of the benefit.
Require DOD to study where military families with severe
special needs are concentrated and whether DOD impact aid for schools
serving military children with special needs is appropriately
allocated.
Expand servicemember and family access to Military
OneSource counseling and other assistance to 1 year post-separation.
Ensure appropriate and timely funding of impact aid
through the Department of Education (DOEd).
Continue to authorize DOD Impact Aid for schools
educating large numbers of military children and military children with
severe special needs.
Bring the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) benefits on
par with State Medicaid waiver programs and extend ECHO eligibility for
1 year following separation.
Correct inequities in survivor benefits by eliminating
the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset to the Survivor
Benefit Plan (SBP).
Ease the financial burden and coverage confusion faced by
Medicare-eligible, medically-retired wounded, ill, and injured
servicemembers.
After over 16 years of war, we continue to see the impact of
repeated deployments and separations on our servicemembers and their
families. We appreciate Congress' recognition of the service and
sacrifice of these families. Your response through legislation to the
ever-changing need for support has resulted in programs and policies
that have helped sustain our families through these difficult times.
Pay and Compensation
We appreciate Congress making the pay raise at employment cost
index (ECI) a priority in the Fiscal Year 2018 National Defense
Authorization Act. Congress chose the ECI as the standard for Active
Duty pay raises in order to recruit and retain the quality of
servicemembers needed to sustain the All-Volunteer Force and we thank
you for meeting that standard this year.
Although the last 2 years have seen military pay raises at the ECI,
reductions to servicemember housing allowances, increased health care
costs, and the new requirement under the Blended Retirement System for
new servicemembers to contribute to their retirement savings lower
servicemember take-home pay. We ask you to consider the cumulative
effects of these policies on military families' financial well-being
and reject any proposals that ask families to shoulder a greater
financial burden.
We believe that Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is an essential
component of military compensation. We oppose any changes that threaten
to reduce military families' pay.
We ask Congress to keep military pay commensurate with service and
aligned with private sector wage increases.
We ask Congress to reject budget proposals that threaten military
family financial well-being as a way to achieve savings for DOD.
Military Health System
We greatly appreciate efforts by Congress on military health system
(MHS) reform and were gratified the process included listening to
beneficiary concerns over costs, quality of care, and the patient
experience in both direct and purchased care. However, as we reviewed
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, we were
struck by how few MHS reform provisions represent immediate tangible
wins for military families. Ready access to high quality health care is
imperative for families managing the stress and unpredictability of
military life. There are areas of the system that deliver, but we still
consistently hear from families who face barriers in accessing quality
medical care--barriers that range from punishing levels of
inconvenience and inconsistent military hospital policies to complete
lack of access to basic standards of care. These are urgent problems
that must be fixed. For instance:
Facebook Post from July 28, 2017:
Anne H: Okay so I have never been seen by base doctors until we
moved here. Of course we moved here and are now pregnant with baby
number 5. So excited until we had to be seen on base. The ob
coordinator is such a sweetheart! However, it just seems like they have
no time for appointments. I called women's health and they were an even
bigger mess telling me to call back in September and they would set up
my first intake appointment for then. Which I'm 12 weeks tomorrow so
that seemed kinda crazy. So my question is how do I get a doctor off
base. I have a history of high risk pregnancy. I have low iron, high
blood pressure, and a guarantee c section as this will be my 4th one.
Any help is very much appreciated.
Sarah N: You will have to switch to TRICARE standard to be seen
off post
Anne H: I'm just used to doctors that have more flexibility. We
have never had to be on base. If a normal doctor told me a month to see
my doctor I would find a new doctor but maybe it's just me.
Sarah N: That's not so bad. Usually you are only seen every 4
weeks when not high risk. I was considered complicated and was seen
every 3 weeks.
Anne H: I haven't been seen since becoming pregnant. I had an
appointment this past week, got there to be told they gave my
appointment to someone else. I have yet to do an intake appointment. So
it's actually pretty horrible. I know you are seen once a month
normally. But I haven't been seen at all.
Sarah N: Oh, geesh! I figured you had already had your intake.
Around here, with pretty much everything, due to the sheer amount of
people, you have to be pretty persistent.
(Per later Facebook posts, Anne's baby was born 5 weeks and 1 day
early and spent time in the NICU [Neonatal Intensive Care Unit].)
While the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA includes many well-intentioned
provisions for MHS improvement, nearly all are contingent on successful
implementation, including an emphasis on getting the patient experience
right. We fear the required focus on the patient experience will be a
heavy lift for the MHS, an organization that routinely reminds families
their primary mission is not beneficiary care, but military medical
readiness. It seems like a great distance--with much room for error--
between the law's good intentions and actual improvements that military
families will experience. Which provision in the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA
will address a problem such as this? How long will families have to
wait to see that fix?
Facebook Post from July 10, 2017:
Chris M: Hi guys! I have a quick question about Tricare. I'm 20
and just had my son 5 months ago. When I got pregnant, I immediately
went to family medicine and started being seen there. I had my 6 week
postpartum check up there and decided against getting birth control at
that moment. I'm ready to start on birth control now and I called to
get an appointment with my dr and they got me an appointment with the
pediatrician. Then the pediatrician's office called me and told me they
don't do birth control there. So I called family medicine back and they
said I'm too young to be seen there now because pediatrics treats all
the way until 22 . . . that doesn't sound correct to me. I'm at a loss
of what to do. Please help haha
Kate W: Contact women's health to see if they can help you.
Chris M: I actually did call women's health and they said I need
a referral. The dr I saw at family medicine is my PCM [primary care
manager] but they won't let me make an appt with him. I'm so new to
Tricare. lol I've only been married a year so I'm confused by this. lol
This spouse made what seems to be a reasonable effort to make an
appointment to obtain birth control. She spoke to three different
clinics at her military hospital, but none helped her or pointed her to
a resource to resolve her issue. Within the scope of MHS reform, what's
the plan to fix problems like this?
On January 1, MHS reform launched with changes to the TRICARE
plans. As implementation has begun, our wary optimism has morphed into
grave concerns about what seems to be a focus on cost savings and not
improvements to address beneficiary health care needs. TRICARE reform
thus far does not fix coverage gaps such as TRICARE's failure to adapt
coverage to emerging technologies or treatment protocols or pediatric
coverage issues due to TRICARE policies based on Medicare, a plan for
seniors. TRICARE reform does not address locations with TRICARE
provider network inadequacy or the concerns that ``race to the bottom''
contracts will eventually result in lower provider reimbursements and
narrowed networks. TRICARE reform does not fix bureaucratic and
customer service problems such as those families are currently
experiencing with the T17 contract transition. We understood part of
TRICARE reform was to reset a balance between beneficiaries' out of
pocket costs and DOD costs. Yet, we did not expect new TRICARE policies
and copay constructs that are so clearly detrimental to military
families. We are concerned that while the Department of Defense (DOD)
will achieve cost savings, beneficiaries will face higher costs while
still waiting for improvements in the care they receive.
Given the magnitude of MHS reform, it would be difficult for any
organization to get every piece of the implementation 100 percent right
from the start. We trust there will be an opportunity to make
adjustments as second and third order effects become apparent and we
pledge to assist DOD in understanding where improvement is needed. To
that end, we ask Congress and DOD to:
Modify the TRICARE Annual Open Enrollment policy to
prevent military families from becoming trapped in underperforming
military treatment facilities (MTFs)
Adjust TRICARE Prime and Select copay constructs
Monitor and provide oversight on T17 contract
implementation
Align TRICARE Extended Care Health Option respite
coverage with Medicaid waiver programs
Implement the Defense Health Board's recommendation to
broaden TRICARE's definition of pediatric medical necessity
Expand Federal Employee Dental and Vision Program
eligibility to Active Duty family member dental coverage while
maintaining DOD's premium contribution levels
Ensure military family perspectives are considered as MTF
management is transitioned to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and
reforms related to direct care system right sizing are implemented
tricare reform implementation
TRICARE Prime
We are grateful TRICARE Prime remains a low/no out-of-pocket cost
option for all Active Duty families. It is important that those
managing the stress, sacrifices, and unpredictability of military life
are spared concerns about health care costs.
Referral Free Urgent Care Policy
We greatly appreciate that TRICARE Prime beneficiaries can now
access civilian urgent care without a referral. For years, we have
highlighted this problem--families had no option but the emergency room
for acute medical issues when their MTFs were closed or fully booked.
While the direct care system has made strides on meeting access
standards, problems persist at the local level and during Permanent
Change of Station (PCS) season. Many thanks to Congress for authorizing
TRICARE Prime referral free urgent care in the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA.
We are grateful DHA implemented this policy with no restrictions on the
number of visits and urge them to maintain referral-free urgent care
moving forward. Changing the number of referral-free urgent care visits
annually, as suggested in DOD's September 2017 IFR [Interim Final Rule]
Establishment of TRICARE Select and Other TRICARE Reforms, would create
confusion among beneficiaries and providers as well as communication
and implementation challenges for DHA and the managed care support
contractors.
Annual Open Enrollment Period
Our biggest concern about TRICARE Prime is related to the annual
open enrollment period's potential to trap TRICARE Prime families in
underperforming MTFs. Prior to 2018, beneficiaries could switch from
TRICARE Prime to TRICARE Standard at any time. This flexibility
provided a critical escape hatch for families who believed they were
not receiving adequate access and/or medical care at their MTF.
My son had a collapsing trachea. It had been discovered before
he was a year old. At age 3 the strider returned. The MTF DX it
as ``hiccups.'' I left the appointment, in disbelief, and
walked straight to the enrollment office. I moved him from
prime to standard and within 24 hours had a civilian children's
specialist ``waiting for me in the lobby'' to do a scope on my
son. Where the MTF dismissed a possible life threatening
condition, the civilians treated it like it was their priority
and moved mountains to get immediate answers. From that moment
on, all three of my kids were standard.
I had a history of ectopic pregnancy and a damaged fallopian
tube as a result. I had been told I was at greater risk in the
future and it was critical to have an ultrasound at 8 weeks to
rule out another ectopic pregnancy, a condition that could
threaten my future fertility or even my life if it went
undetected. Soon after my husband deployed, I got a positive
home pregnancy test. I immediately called the appointment line
and tried to schedule an appointment but was told they would
not see me until I was 14 weeks along. I explained my history
and what I had been told about getting an ultrasound at 8
weeks, but the appointment line clerk would not budge. I called
back several times, trying to convince them I needed an earlier
appointment. Finally, they told me if I started having tubal
pregnancy symptoms I should just go to the ER. When I finally
reached my husband on the ship, I was frantic. I was caring for
a toddler at a new base on my own. I didn't yet have a support
network to lean on. I knew what my last ectopic pregnancy
emergency was like--how was I going to handle a toddler on top
of that and being alone to boot? My husband was upset but knew
there was nothing he could do from the ship, so he told me to
switch to Standard. I did and immediately got an appointment at
a civilian office where they ordered an 8 week ultrasound.
(BTW, although this pregnancy was fine I did eventually have
another ectopic pregnancy with the next one.)
We realize the annual open enrollment period is a feature of
civilian plans and generally have no issues with this new requirement.
However, TRICARE Prime's reliance on military hospitals and clinics
creates a situation unique to the military and demands a policy
tailored to military family needs for the following reasons:
Given the variability in access, quality of care, and the
patient experience across the direct system, military families may not
be able to make informed choices during the open enrollment period or
following a qualifying life event, such as a PCS move. TRICARE Prime,
and specifically getting care at the MTF, may work for a family at one
duty station but not at another. MTF access to care can also vary over
time as providers come and go, making an informed decision nearly
impossible.
We are currently contemplating making the switch to Standard.
We had no issues on Prime at our last duty station, and a great
experience with the clinics and hospital there, but since
PCSing it's been a nightmare. It's absolutely impossible to get
an acute care appointment here. Last time I tried I was told my
2 year old wouldn't be able to be seen for 2 weeks for a double
ear infection, and he's a patient being considered for tubes!
I switched my kids from Prime to Standard several years ago. We
were at a large navy hospital and got great care from a
phenomenal civilian pediatrician. I switched when she shared
that she was leaving practice, and that the hospital hadn't
added personnel to cope with two carriers newly moved to the
area. That explained why it was so much more difficult to get
urgent appointments. I didn't want to continue the hassle of
going through them without the benefit of our awesome doctor.
Although the patient advocate and PCM change request
should help families resolve MTF problems, these may be ineffective in
addressing systemic access or quality concerns particularly in time
sensitive situations. Additionally, appointment line clerks and MTF
staff do not typically direct families to resources such as the patient
advocate who can help resolve access and quality of care issues.
The unique aspects of the military health system demand
solutions tailored to military beneficiaries. For commercial health
plans, the annual enrollment period locks in beneficiaries to coverage
levels, not specific providers or a single medical facility. While an
annual enrollment period for military families is not unreasonable,
preventing them from seeking care outside the MTF will severely limit
patient autonomy in a way that is inconsistent with commercial plans.
Even those commercial plans with extremely narrow networks do not limit
beneficiaries/members to a single medical facility (see Insert A, page
90) for a comparison of medical facilities available to Kaiser
Foundation Health Plan members versus beneficiaries stationed in the
National Capitol Region.
Allowing families to switch enrollment from Prime to
Select provides an important aspect of MTF accountability. Analyzing
enrollment changes from Prime to Select will afford the MHS an
opportunity to understand why families leave. It should also allow the
MHS to identify problematic MTFs and target solutions to local access
and quality of care problems.
Our association has suggested two possible solutions. The fiscal
year 2017 NDAA gives DOD discretion in defining qualifying life events.
We believe one potential solution is to include ``dissatisfaction with
MTF access or quality of care'' as a qualifying life event. Another
option is to extend the enrollment ``grace period'' to maintain the
TRICARE Select escape hatch while allowing DHA more time to develop and
publicize an effective MTF problem resolution process. We are open to
other ideas and stand by to assist in developing a solution that
prevents military families from becoming trapped in underperforming
MTFs.
TRICARE Prime Copays
While we are not opposed to modest and predictable copay increases,
the increased copays outlined for Group A/Grandfathered Retiree
Families are unacceptable and have stunned military families and
retirees seeking care this year. Although we did not support
grandfathering, we are disturbed by DHA's complete disregard for the
congressional intent behind the decision to create the grandfathering.
Furthermore, the increases outlined in the IFR are far from modest,
ranging from 67 to 173 percent higher than 2017 TRICARE Prime Retiree
copays:
TRICARE Prime Cost Sharing: 2017 vs. 2018--Group A/Grandfathered
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2018 Group A/
2017 Grandfathered Percent Increase
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Preventative Care Visit $0 $0 No change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Primary Care Outpatient Visit $12 $20 +67%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Specialty Care Outpatient Visit $12 $30 +150%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ER Visit $30 $60 +100%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Urgent Care Center $12 $30 +150%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ambulatory Surgery $25 $60 +140%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ambulance Service $20 $40 +100%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Durable Medical Equipment 20% 20% No change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inpatient Admission $11/day $150/admission N/A
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inpatient Skilled Nursing/Rehab $11/day $30/day +173%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
While we follow the rationale outlined in the September 2017 IFR
for DHA's authority to increase copays, dating back to the Fiscal Year
1994 NDAA, it feels like a ``gotcha'' for military retirees--as if they
should have read the fine print regarding their military retirement
health benefit. Is this really the way we want to treat men and women
who served a full military career, particularly at a time when those
approaching retirement have served nearly their entire careers during a
period of sustained conflict and high optempo [operational tempo]?
Furthermore, DHA's rationale for increasing copays rests on
achieving ``cost neutrality''--that is, keeping per beneficiary costs
for TRICARE Prime in line with TRICARE Standard/Select. The IFR cites a
Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate: ``CBO estimates that
under current law, a typical retiree household enrolled in TRICARE
Prime as a `family' in 2018, and for whom TRICARE is the primary payer
of health benefits, will cost DOD about $17,400, and a typical family
that uses Standard/Extra will cost DOD about $12,700.'' \1\ What DHA
fails to add is that the same CBO report acknowledges that MTFs, where
most Prime beneficiaries receive their care, are run less efficiently
than private facilities and hence have higher costs per service. Our
Association also contends the Department of Defense has historically
done a poor job of differentiating readiness costs from costs to
provide beneficiary care. We believe TRICARE Prime cost estimates are
inflated due to MTF inefficiencies and erroneously include costs that
should be attributed to readiness. DHA should not put the burden on
TRICARE Prime beneficiaries to achieve ``cost neutrality'' through
copay increases.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate, S. 2943, National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, June 10, 2016, page 17
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, these TRICARE Prime fee increases aren't even being put
toward MHS improvements that will benefit military families and
retirees. According to senior DOD officials, they are being used to
fund readiness--we are tapping military retirees to pay for equipping
and training the current force. This is unacceptable.
TRICARE Prime Eligibility
Although TRICARE Prime eligibility wasn't addressed with the Fiscal
Year 2017 NDAA health care reforms, DOD's September 2017 IFR
Establishment of TRICARE Select and Other TRICARE Reforms appears to
assert DOD's authority to put greater limits on TRICARE Prime
availability. The IFR states that the DHA Director has authority to
determine locations where TRICARE Prime will be offered using the
guiding principle that the purpose of TRICARE Prime is to support the
medical readiness of the Armed Forces and the readiness of medical
personnel. The IFR also says TRICARE Prime can be limited to Active
Duty family members if the DHA Director determines it is not
practicable to offer Prime to retired beneficiaries as well. From the
IFR: \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/09/29/2017-
20392/establishment-of-tricare-select-and-other-tricare-reforms
One other matter on which the interim final rule preserves DOD
discretion, similar to that in the current regulation, is with
respect to the locations where TRICARE Prime is offered. This
is noted in the current regulation at 32 CFR 199.17(a)(5).
Under the interim final rule, the locations where TRICARE Prime
will be offered will be determined by the Director, Defense
Health Agency (DHA) and announced prior to the annual open
season enrollment period. The guiding principle for this
decision is that the purpose of TRICARE Prime is to support the
medical readiness of the armed forces and the readiness of
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
medical personnel . . .
TRICARE Prime, especially for working age retirees and family
members, provides MTFs clinical workload, including for a range
of medical specialty areas that permit military health care
providers to maintain currency and proficiency in their
respective clinical fields. This important support of a ready
medical force is what justifies the higher government cost of
Prime (which CBO estimates at $17,400 per retiree family),
notwithstanding the original statutory requirement of cost
neutrality between TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Standard. This
cost-benefit assessment supports the conclusion that it is
practicable to offer TRICARE Prime in areas where it supports
the medical readiness of one or more MTFs. Additionally, where
TRICARE Prime is offered, it may be limited to Active Duty
family members if the Director, DHA determines it is not
practicable to offer TRICARE Prime to retired beneficiaries as
well--a determination that again would take into account the
nature of the supported MTF and the range of services it
offers.
Please note, the IFR does not just assert DOD's authority to limit
access to MTF care but, rather, to limit the availability of the
TRICARE Prime plan only to those beneficiaries who provide clinical
workload to MTFs. This change would then limit beneficiary
opportunities for plan and out-of-pocket cost choices to a greater
extent than under current policy.
The IFR language raises additional questions, including: How would
this impact Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Prime Service Areas?
What would happen to retirees currently on Prime but not seen at MTFs?
How would this affect Active Duty family members?
It is our interpretation of the IFR that DOD will continue to offer
TRICARE Prime to Active Duty military families regardless of their
geographic location or MTF capacity. NMFA asserts that all Active Duty
families must have the option of a minimal out-of-pocket cost health
plan. Additionally, DOD must not create a two-tier health benefit
system based on assignment location or MTF capacity, factors that are
outside the control of military families.
TRICARE Select
TRICARE Select Copays
We are alarmed by DHA's careless approach to establishing copays
for TRICARE Select, a plan that was billed as an improvement for
beneficiaries formerly in TRICARE Standard. As currently defined, we
believe TRICARE Select out-of-pocket costs are highly inconsistent with
private sector PPOs [preferred provider organization] and will be
detrimental to most military families and retirees who rely on it for
health coverage.
Even though our Association participated in Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA
working group meetings with DHA since the legislation was passed, we
were stunned by the Group A/Grandfathered TRICARE Select copays
outlined in the TRICARE Changes Fact Sheet that accompanied the
September 2017 IFR Establishment of TRICARE Select and Other TRICARE
Reforms. The Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA directed DOD to calculate TRICARE
Select cost-sharing requirements ``as if the beneficiary were enrolled
in TRICARE Extra or TRICARE Standard as if TRICARE Extra or TRICARE
Standard, as the case may be, were still being carried out by the
Secretary.'' However, TRICARE Select network copays for primary and
specialty care outpatient visits, emergency room visits, and urgent
care centers are much higher than expected given the percent cost
shares beneficiaries paid for network encounters under TRICARE Extra.
Further details from DHA (not included in the IFR and not publicly
available to date) revealed specifics on their approach. Instead of
taking an average of the cost share for the TRICARE allowed amount for
each of those encounter types, DHA also included all associated
ancillary, laboratory, and radiology costs, driving up the average per
encounter charge. Since ancillary services are covered by the new fixed
dollar copays, TRICARE Select beneficiaries will have no separate copay
or cost shares for these services. Although DHA claims this approach is
revenue neutral, we remain skeptical. Even with limited methodology
details, military Association representatives uncovered a flaw in the
approach that led DHA to revise their calculations and lower TRICARE
Select copays from 6 to 22 percent for outpatient visits, urgent care
and ER [emergency room] encounters. While we appreciate DHA listened to
our feedback and made a correction to their copay calculations, we
still have numerous concerns that have not been addressed:
The approach of folding labs, radiology and ancillary
services into each outpatient encounter drives up the average copay for
many, if not most, encounters by shifting costs from those receiving
more complex medical care to those receiving less complex care. While
this ``risk pool'' approach may make sense for setting commercial plan
premiums, it not a sound strategy for establishing TRICARE copays given
the role copays play in encouraging sound patient decisions.
Under the TRICARE Select plan, physical therapy,
occupational therapy, and speech therapy are considered specialty care.
Active Duty families will pay $31 per visit while retiree families will
pay $41 per visit, significantly higher than previous TRICARE Extra
cost shares.
We are concerned about how the dramatically higher copays
will impact patient adherence with treatment plans. When a retiree
family member is directed to get physical therapy twice a week for 6
weeks, will $492 in copays dissuade them from seeking necessary care?
What happens to DOD's overall costs for that patient when they fail to
follow doctor's orders and the problem progresses? When asked, DHA said
no research or analysis was done on the potential impact on treatment
plan compliance.
Mental health visits are also considered specialty care
under the TRICARE Select copay plan. The $31 ADFM [Active Duty family
members]/$41 retiree copays are significantly higher than the percent
cost shares families paid for network mental health visits under
TRICARE Extra. The new copays are also higher than out-of-pocket costs
for mental health care under FEHBP [Federal Employees Health Benefits
Plan] national PPO plans (see Insert B, page 91). For many years, DOD
has acknowledged the importance of seeking mental health care for
families struggling with the impact of 16+ years of war. We are
appalled by TRICARE Select copays that create a cost barrier to
accessing mental health care.
The IFR says that converting current TRICARE Standard/
Extra cost shares into TRICARE Select fixed dollar copays is consistent
with prevailing private sector health program practices. However, we
believe DHA's TRICARE Select copay structure (combining outpatient
visit costs together with labs, radiology and ancillary services) is
inconsistent with most private sector preferred provider option
practices. An examination of FEHBP national PPO plans (see Insert B,
page 91) shows significantly lower copays for office visits with
separate percentage cost shares for labs, radiology and ancillary
services. FEHBP plans also had significantly lower copays for physical,
occupational, and speech therapies as well as mental health office
visits.
When asked, DHA was unaware of any commercial PPO plan
that uses their proposed approach of higher copays for office visits
with no cost sharing for ancillary services. As follow up to our
question, DHA later provided a single example from Fairfax County
Public Schools (FCPS)--the CareFirst Blue Choice Advantage plan. This
plan does have zero out-of-pocket costs for ancillary services and
copays in line with those for TRICARE Select retirees. However, it also
appears to be the lower end PPO plan for FCPS employees. The higher end
FCPS PPO, Aetna/Innovation Health, also has no cost sharing for
ancillary services but much lower copays across the board compared to
TRICARE Select. This reinforces our perspective that, when compared to
the appropriate benchmark, TRICARE Select copays are clearly too high.
TRICARE Select defies the entire PPO concept with network
copays so high beneficiaries could actually pay less by seeing non-
network providers. The IFR states TRICARE Select beneficiaries ``will
enjoy lower out-of-pocket costs if they choose preferred providers
within the TRICARE civilian network'' but TRICARE Select's high network
copays will exceed the 20/25 percent out-of-network cost share for many
therapies and office visits. It won't take long for families to
determine they can save money by using non-network providers. How does
this make sense for DOD or military families?
For both Active Duty families and retirees, TRICARE
Select Group A/Grandfathered beneficiaries will pay more out-of-pocket
for their care than Group B/New beneficiaries, creating exactly the
type of situation we opposed when the grandfathering concept was raised
during the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA process.
TRICARE Standard/Extra covers a significant portion of the
beneficiary population. In fiscal year 2016, over 2 million
beneficiaries used Standard/Extra including about 1/3 of ADFMs and 1/2
of retirees and their families. \3\ Given the IFR comments on Prime
eligibility, it seems clear DHA wants to affirm TRICARE Select as the
earned health care benefit, potentially shifting many retirees who
aren't treated at MTFs from Prime to Select in the future. It is
critical the TRICARE Select copay construct reflect best practices and
out-of-pocket costs on par or lower than high quality commercial plans.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Evaluation of the TRICARE Program: Fiscal Year 2017 Report to
Congress--Plan Choice by Beneficiary Category; please note the ADFM
group includes inactive Guard/Reserve and their family members eligible
for TRICARE
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Note About Grandfathering
Some have suggested many of our issues surrounding TRICARE Select
copays can be addressed by eliminating grandfathering. While our
Association appreciated Congress' intent to fulfill promises to those
currently serving and retired, we opposed ``grandfathering'' current
beneficiaries throughout the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA process for two main
reasons: 1) It creates a situation where two servicemembers serving
side-by-side earn different health care benefits for their families and
future retirement; and 2) It results in a level of operational
complexity, which will divert scarce resources away from health care
delivery and be difficult for the DHA to manage.
Simply eliminating grandfathering is not the solution. We are not
opposed to modest and predictable growth of out-of-pocket costs linked
to retiree COLA [cost of living adjustments] to ensure they do not
outpace military income increases--in fact, we believe it is essential
to clearly define the health care benefit including expectations around
future out-of-pocket costs. However, that does not mean we support the
excessive fee increases imposed on new entrants. The cumulative impact
of increased encounter copays, enrollment fees, catastrophic caps and
pharmacy copays included in the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA was too much. We
also opposed any out-of-pocket cost increases used to fund readiness or
other military family programs. Senior DOD leaders have been very clear
that savings from increasing beneficiary costs will be ``ploughed into
readiness.'' While we would be happy to see grandfathering eliminated,
it would have to be part of a larger discussion around appropriate out-
of-pocket costs to gain our support.
DHA Beneficiary Communication
Given the magnitude of TRICARE plan changes, communication to
beneficiaries has been abysmal. DHA has provided detailed information
solely via ``pull'' channels (communication channels that require the
beneficiary to seek them out) such as the tricare.mil website and
Facebook page. However, there was very little in the way of ``push''
communication--such as direct mail--to alert families to impending
changes and drive them to digital media outlets for more details.
Association representatives were told in December a letter would be
sent soon from the new contractors regarding the changes in TRICARE
regions and the switch from TRICARE Extra/Standard to TRICARE Select.
While those changes occurred January 1, beneficiaries did not receive
these letters until a month later.
The numbers speak for themselves. There are 9.4 million TRICARE
beneficiaries. About 2.2 million are TRICARE for Life (TFL) and not
impacted by the changes. That leaves more than 7 million beneficiaries
affected by TRICARE Prime and Select changes. As of mid-January 2018,
the TRICARE Facebook page has about 163,000 likes/follows. According to
DHA's data, the tricare.mil changes website section has had only
427,631 users. Even if you assume no viewer overlap across these two
channels and no TFL beneficiary visits (unlikely), DHA is reaching only
a small percentage of affected families with plan details. Military
associations such as ours have worked with DHA to increase awareness of
the changes, but many families are only learning about the changes as
they receive claims from 2018 encounters and face significantly higher
copays.
Facebook Post from February 1, 2018:
Jennifer P: It seems like it has all changed. In my opinion,
they did not do a very good job in informing those of the (TRICARE)
changes coming. I do not remember seeing anything in the mail about the
changes. I had an up-front copay for my daughter at the dermatology
office. I was told they are specialty so it was $31.
Michele M: THIS! To my knowledge changes were only communicated
via websites and emails. The biggest change is going from cost shares
to copays.
Jennifer P: The poor registration lady at the office said that
the tricare switch has been awful. She brought out her flow chart to
explain my copay. She did tell me to make sure I kept my receipt
because I will be needing it!
https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/fd0/1/16/
1f602.png
When TRICARE changes occur, a greater effort across multiple
communication platforms must be made to raise awareness of the changes
and drive beneficiaries to digital media for more details.
tricare 2017 contract transition
We are now 1 month into the T17 contract transition including the
consolidation of the North and South Regions to create the East Region.
Early January was marked by call center and website customer service
problems across both the East and West regions as call volume exceeded
expectations and winter weather problems created customer service
staffing issues. Humana quickly resolved website problems and long call
center hold times in the East Region. According to DHA, Humana is
currently at a 3 second hold time for callers. Unfortunately, HealthNet
is still struggling to make improvements with phone call hold times
clocking in at 30 minutes on average as of late January.
Facebook post from January 30, 2018:
Lisa W to From Boots to Wingtips: We got a letter in December
stating that we could pay our Tricare enrollment fee online. Over
Christmas, Jeff attempted do that, but couldn't. He called Healthnet
and was told ``Sorry. You can't make an online payment.'' Okay. He
attempted to set up a monthly payment plan, but they were not set up
for that yet. So they took a one time payment and told him to call back
this month.
Yesterday, he called back only to listen to a message saying that
they are not accepting phone calls. He tried the online thing again,
but that was a bust.
We just want to pay our stupid fee. My daughter is having the
same issue as she needs to pay her young adult Tricare Prime premium.
Grrr . . .
Facebook post from February 2, 2018:
Heather H S to TRICARE: TRICARE I am extremely disappointed in
the service I've received trying to get into a specialist. Tricare
neglected to call me after my PCM put in the initial referral to tell
me that I had a doctor assigned to me. I eventually called Tricare
(with a 58 minute wait time); they gave me incorrect information for a
doctor. I had to call back (45 minute wait time) for a different
referral. And I had to call back again (45 minute wait time) for an
authorization letter for my doctor to even be able to make an
appointment. Your recording blames long wait times on inclement
weather, which sounds like a poor excuse since there isn't any
inclement weather in our country at the moment. Call it what it is, and
hire more employees to service the demand you're seeing. (Tricare-west)
Heather H S to TRICARE: Worse, when I try to send a message
through the website, I get this message: Unexpected Error While
Communicating with Service. Please try again after some time.
Heather H S to TRICARE: Online messaging doesn't work today
either.
There are also concerns in the West Region regarding provider
networks. We have heard numerous complaints about providers leaving the
TRICARE network and overall fewer providers in many geographic areas.
We understand Prime Service Areas cover about 80 percent of the
beneficiaries in the West Region, so increasing network coverage to 85
percent of beneficiaries is not much of a jump and still leaves
significant white space in the West Region. While we appreciate
HealthNet allowing beneficiaries to nominate their providers for
network inclusion, it is unclear if this approach will work. Will these
providers be willing to join the network? How long will this process
take?
In the East Region, network concerns seem limited to applied
behavior analysis (ABA) providers. ABA offices have reported delays in
credentialing, treatment authorizations, and claims processing. Some
providers have already notified TRICARE patients that they will need to
suspend services if the issues are not resolved (see Insert C, page
92). Although Humana has shared their corrective action plan, we
believe this situation warrants further monitoring until problems are
resolved.
In both the East and West Regions, provider directory inaccuracies
are also contributing to military family frustration about the
transition.
Contract transitions are by nature disruptive, particularly for
families in the middle of on-going medical treatment. We appreciate the
steps the contractors have taken to address problems as they arise, but
continuing complaints from both regions suggest continued oversight is
warranted. We hope Congress will continue to demonstrate interest in
ensuring a smooth transition for military families.
special needs military families
Thank you to Congress and the Committee Staff for your diligent
work in crafting a Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA provision to allow TRICARE to
cover pediatric hospice services concurrently with curative care and
quality of life therapies. The pediatric concurrent hospice legislation
not only fixes an urgent problem for impacted families, but it also
sends a signal to all military families that egregious TRICARE coverage
issues will be addressed.
TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)
Medicaid Waiver programs provide long term care services in home
and community-based settings to people who would otherwise require care
in an institutional environment. Most states have lengthy waitlists for
their Medicaid Waiver programs and, as a result, many military families
are unable to access Medicaid Waiver services because they PCS before
reaching the top of the waitlist.
I have two special needs children and have never been able to
access Medicaid services till our recent assignment. When we
move out of state this summer, we will again lose services. In
9 years, we have received only 9 months of Medicaid waiver
services due to frequent military moves. The process takes so
long each time we PCS. It is really discouraging.
Congress established TRICARE's Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)
to substitute for state Medicaid waiver services that are often
unavailable to mobile military families. Services provided by Medicaid
Waiver programs should serve as the benchmark for ECHO covered
services. However, ECHO currently falls short relative to Medicaid
waiver services, particularly in the area of respite care.
The 2015 Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization
Commission Report validated this issue and recommended ECHO covered
services should be increased to more closely align with state Medicaid
waiver programs. Expanded services should be subject to the ECHO
benefit cap of $36,000 per fiscal year, per dependent. Specific
examples include, but are not limited to, expanding respite care hours
to align more closely with state offerings and allowing families to
access respite care without receiving another ECHO benefit.
Respite care is covered by almost all State Medicaid
Waivers: 92 percent of Waivers cover in-home respite while 86 percent
cover out-of-home respite
ECHO respite coverage falls far short of Medicaid
Waivers. ECHO currently provides a maximum of 192 respite hours per
year while the average State Medicaid Waiver provides 695 respite hours
per year. \4\
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\4\ MCRMC state-by-state Medicaid waiver analysis
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Pediatric Definition of Medical Necessity
TRICARE's adult-based definition of medical necessity prevents some
military kids from getting the care they need--care that is widely
accepted and practiced in the civilian health care system and MTFs.
TRICARE is authorized to approve purchased care only when it is
``medically or psychologically necessary and appropriate care based on
reliable evidence.'' DOD's hierarchy of reliable evidence includes only
``published research based on well controlled clinical studies, formal
technology assessments, and/or published national medical organization
policies/positions/ reports.'' While beneficiaries certainly want safe
and effective treatment, such tightly prescribed data for children are
not always available. TRICARE's strict adherence to this adult-based
standard of reliable evidence results in coverage denials for widely
accepted pediatric treatments.
After our Association, together with the TRICARE for Kids
Coalition, repeatedly raised this issue at Military Family Readiness
Council meetings, senior DOD leadership requested the Defense Health
Board (DHB) examine opportunities to improve the overall provision of
health care and related services for children of members of the Armed
Forces. The July 2016 report request specifically directed the DHB to:
Address any issues associated with the TRICARE definition of
``medical necessity'' as it might specifically pertain to
children and determine if the requirement for TRICARE to comply
with Medicare standards disadvantages children from receiving
needed health care.
The DHB Pediatric Health Care Services Report \5\ was released
December 18, 2017. The report documented TRICARE is out of step with
commercial plans and Medicaid and concluded TRICARE's current
definition of medical necessity disadvantages children from receiving
some needed services. The DHB recommended the MHS:
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\5\ Defense Health Board Pediatric Health Care Services Report--
December 18, 2017 https://health.mil/About-MHS/Defense-Health-Agency/
Special-Staff/Defense-Health-Board/Reports
Modify the administrative interpretation of the regulatory
language in 32 Code of Federal Regulations 199.2 to broaden the
use of the ``hierarchy of reliable evidence'' for the benefit
of pediatric beneficiaries. Exclusions to the hierarchy
described under ``reliable evidence'' in 32 Code of Federal
Regulations 199.2 should not preclude pediatric services (a)
meeting definitions of medical necessity used broadly in
civilian practice or (b) recommended by recognized medical
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
organizations.
Although the DHB's pediatric medical necessity recommendation was
released with the pre-decisional report draft last summer, we are not
aware of any movement at DHA to update the interpretation of the
regulatory language. Although this issue doesn't require legislation,
we believe demonstrated congressional interest will help speed
resolution of this documented coverage gap affecting military kids.
Fixing TRICARE's definition of pediatric medical necessity is an
essential part of the TRICARE reform effort.
tricare dental program for active duty family members
The TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) contract change to United
Concordia (UCCI) took place May 1, 2017 and has led to a significant
reduction in the value of the TDP benefit for many military families.
Our Association has heard from dozens of angry families who have lost
their dentist and/or can't find a dentist within a reasonable distance
of their home/duty station. Not only have families reached out to us to
provide feedback, they have leveraged multiple forums to raise the
issue directly to DHA and the Services including Vice Admiral Bono's
presentation at AUSA's [Association of the United States Army] Military
Family Forum, TRICARE webinars, and TRICARE Town Hall events at
individual installations.
We are very concerned that, although the contractor is meeting the
contractual access standard (a general dentist within 35 miles of 95
percent of beneficiaries), the value of the military family dental
benefit has become significantly diminished by narrowed provider
networks. In some areas (Fort Campbell, the Tidewater region of
Virginia), we question whether even contractual access standards are
being met based on family member feedback as well as UCCI's
acknowledgement of network deficiencies in those areas.
Families are also concerned about the quality of dental care they
might receive from providers who remain in the network at reduced
reimbursement rates, particularly because many dentists have issued
letters saying they are unwilling to accept outdated restrictions set
forth by UCCI and/or use overseas labs or inferior materials, etc.
After meeting several times with DHA and UCCI to express our
concerns, it seems nothing will be done to improve the TDP under the
current contract and we are concerned about the lack of options to
address the ``race to the bottom'' nature of the TDP contract process.
We ask Congress to consider extending Federal Employees Dental/Vision
Program (FEDVIP) eligibility to Active Duty family members while
maintaining current DOD contribution levels, adjusted annually for
inflation, to dental plan premiums. FEDVIP participation would provide
military families with options for dental coverage that best meets
their needs.
next phase of mhs reform: dha management of mtfs/direct care system
right sizing
During the MHS reform process, our Association detailed challenges
military families face within the direct care system, including MTF
appointment shortages and scheduling hurdles, variable quality and
safety across the Direct Care system, and policies and patient
experiences that vary greatly across MTFs. As reform efforts continue,
we hope DHA and the Services maintain a focus on addressing these
challenges.
We appreciate and strongly support the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA
provision that requires DHA to assume responsibility for the
administration of all MTFs. Currently, DHA sets policy but MTFs have no
accountability to the Agency for implementation of that policy.
Consolidating MTF administration under DHA should allow the Agency to
enforce policy and ensure more consistent communication.
We are also grateful that the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA requires a DHA
professional staff including a Deputy Assistant Director for Medical
Affairs with responsibility for clinical quality, patient safety and
the patient experience. We trust this position will be held accountable
for improvements in quality of care and the patient experience.
While we also support MHS reform intended to right-size the direct
care system, retaining only beneficiary care that directly contributes
to the readiness mission, we urge DHA to ensure access for
beneficiaries who must transition care to the private sector as a
result. If right-sizing includes specialty care consolidation into a
handful of military medical centers of excellence, we trust military
family preferences will be considered when determining where families
will obtain specialty care.
The quality and value of the military health care benefit should
reflect the extraordinary demands of Military Service. MHS care should
be on par with that provided by top performing civilian health systems.
MTF policies, procedures and customer service should have a beneficiary
focus designed to facilitate access to care. In short, military health
care should be a robust benefit to families--not another sacrifice to
add to the many that military families already make in support of their
servicemembers. We truly appreciate your efforts on MHS reform that
will get us closer to that goal.
commissary
Military families consistently tell us the commissary is one of
their most valued benefits. We have long viewed the commissary--and the
savings it provides to military families--as an essential element of
military compensation. For that reason, we were concerned when the
Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA authorized the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA)
to make significant changes to its business operations; specifically,
allowing the introduction of private label products and replacing the
traditional ``cost plus 5 percent'' pricing model with variable
pricing. While we understood the changes were introduced to make DeCA
more efficient and less reliant on appropriated funds, we worried DeCA
lacked the necessary expertise to manage the new system and the changes
would ultimately erode the value of the benefit.
A year later, the jury is still out. We have watched closely as
DeCA introduced a number of private label products to its stores.
Shoppers seem to be accepting the new products and have not complained
to us about their quality relative to national brands. However, we
often hear from shoppers regarding other elements of the shopping
experience: empty shelves, expired dairy products, high-priced produce.
We recently received the following report from a family stationed in
Germany:
(Here are) are photos from the commissary the week of Jan 2 to Jan
5 where the shelves were bare in the meat section along with eggs,
butter, yogurt, cheese and much of the product section. (Though the
produce section generally hovered around 60 percent stocked, so it
wasn't startling enough to take a photo. The complete lack of the other
categories was surprising . . . one or two subsection within each
category might be low or out of stock, but not everything all at the
same time and for a week!)
Similar issues with keeping shelves stocked have been reported at
the commissary at Fort Myer, so the problem is not limited to stores
OCONUS [outside the continental U.S.]. We recognize that some supply
chain problems are unavoidable and unrelated to the changes in business
operations. However, the problems do speak to DeCA's ability to deliver
a high-quality benefit families can rely upon. We are also concerned
repeated problems with product quality or availability will lead those
families who can do so to shop elsewhere, further contributing to
DeCA's decline in sales--and hindering its ability to generate enough
revenue to reduce the need for appropriated funds.
It is also important to remember the Exchange retail stores are
highly dependent on foot traffic from nearby commissaries. Any threat
to the health of the commissary puts the entire military resale system
at risk. This is particularly concerning as Services reduce funds for
installation Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) programs and instead
increasingly rely on the Exchanges for MWR funding. If Exchange sales
revenues decrease, funding for MWR programs will go down as well.
We are gratified both Congress and DOD have recognized the
importance of commissary savings to military families and have
expressed their commitment to preserving the value of the benefit. We
especially appreciate that Congress has demonstrated its commitment by
authorizing a full commissary appropriation and by including key
oversight provisions in the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA. However, we continue
to be concerned about the long-term viability of this essential
benefit.
We ask Congress to continue closely monitoring DeCA as it continues
with its business transformation.
military retirement system
Servicemembers with fewer than 12 years of Military Service are
faced this with an important decision--whether to opt in to the
``blended'' retirement system created in the Fiscal Year 2016 NDAA or
remain in the current system. This choice has significant long-term
financial ramifications for servicemembers and their families. It is
vital to ensure these young servicemembers--and their spouses--are
given the tools and resources they need to make the decision that is in
their financial best interest.
In addition to being an extremely important financial decision, the
choice to opt in to the BRS is also irreversible. Thus, it is essential
that servicemembers and their families know where and how to access
information, training, and counseling in order to make the best
decision. We are pleased DOD has recognized this responsibility and is
taking steps to ensure servicemembers are informed about the new
retirement system. Military OneSource and DOD have been proactive in
advertising webinars and Facebook live sessions for both servicemembers
and families to ask questions. We are especially glad the Department
recognizes that the choice of retirement plan must be a family decision
and is making its online course available to spouses as well. However,
DOD should expand family access to the financial education provided by
Military Family Life Counselors and unit Personal Financial Managers.
We appreciate the new military retirement system will allow more
servicemembers to accumulate retirement savings while preserving the
defined benefit for those who serve a full career. However, we ask
Congress to consider amending the plan to increase its value for
servicemembers. Specifically, we ask Congress to increase the maximum
level of matched contributions to servicemembers' Thrift Savings Plan
(TSP) accounts to 5 percent--the level recommended by the Military
Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC). Because
the match is based on servicemembers' basic pay, rather than total
compensation, servicemembers should have the option of a higher match
in order to maximize their retirement savings. We also ask Congress to
extend the government match for the full career of the servicemember,
rather than ending it at 26 years of service.
Finally, we note that the adoption of the new retirement plan is
likely to affect the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP). Will future retirees
elect to pay into SBP if they have TSP accounts to leave their
survivors? What would a lower participation rate mean for the overall
health of the SBP? These are important questions that need to be
studied. We ask Congress to direct DOD to study the potential impact
the blended retirement system will have on the Survivor Benefit Plan.
We ask Congress to increase the maximum level of matched
contributions to servicemembers' TSP accounts to 5 percent--the level
recommended by the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization
Commission.
We ask Congress to extend the government match for the full career
of the servicemember, rather than ending it at 26 years of service.
We ask Congress to direct DOD to study the prospective impact the
blended retirement system will have on the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).
what do today's military families need to ensure readiness?
It has often been said while the military recruits a servicemember,
it must retain a family. Our Association has long argued in order to
build and maintain the quality force our Nation demands, the military
must support servicemembers as they balance the competing demands of
Military Service and family life. We urge Congress to strengthen the
programs and services available to support all troops and families in
diminishing uncertainty and meeting the daily challenges of military
life.
We thank Congress for providing military families with greater
flexibility in timing their relocation either before or after a
servicemember's permanent change of station (PCS) report date in the
Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA. We are anxious to see how the Services implement
this new policy and will monitor whether it minimizes the upheaval
associated with moving.
Yet, budget issues have increased stress and anxiety for families
facing a military-ordered move. The military must evolve to meet the
needs of today's military families, but it needs a predictable budget
and appropriation to do so.
child care
Military families frequently cite the lack of high quality,
affordable child care as among the most significant challenges they
face. In part, this reflects a national shortage of affordable child
care options. However, the need for child care is especially pressing
for the military community, which is disproportionately composed of
young families. According to the 2016 Demographics Profile of the
Military Community, more than 40 percent of military personnel have
children. Of the nearly 1.8 million military-connected children, the
largest cohort--37.8 percent--is age 5 or younger. \6\
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\6\ 2016 Demographics Profile of the Military Community, http://
download.militaryonesource. mil/12038/MOS/Reports/2016-Demographics-
Report.pdf
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Like all working parents, servicemembers with young children need
access to affordable child care in order to do their jobs. However, the
military lifestyle comes with unique challenges and complications for
families. Servicemembers rarely live near extended family who might be
able to assist with child care. Their jobs frequently demand long
hours, including duty overnight. They are often stationed in
communities where child care is expensive or unavailable.
Servicemembers frequently deploy or travel for training or other
assignments, putting strain on at-home parents.
We are grateful to Congress for recognizing the importance of child
care to military families and including a number of provisions
addressing child care availability in the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA. Thank
you for requiring a study of compensation paid to DOD child care
providers. Staffing shortages are a frequently-cited reason for lack of
availability at installation child development centers (CDCs). Ensuring
DOD child care providers are appropriately compensated at a level
commensurate with their skills and responsibilities is a critical step
in addressing this chronic problem.
DOD is also to be commended for its commitment to providing high-
quality, affordable child care to military families. Its facilities are
often top-notch and it offers an impressive level of training and
professional development opportunities to CDC workers as well as
providers in its network of on-installation Family Child Care (FCC)
homes. However, there are additional steps that DOD should consider in
order to better meet the child care needs of military families.
Streamline the hiring process for CDC employees and FCC providers:
The process of hiring CDC personnel is lengthy and arduous. It can be
difficult for CDC directors to find, hire, and put into place qualified
staff. This limits the number of children a facility can serve.
Similarly, military spouses seeking to offer child care in their homes
as an FCC provider must endure a hiring process that can last up to 6
months. It's not reasonable to expect a spouse to wait 6 months before
starting her home-based child care business, especially if the spouse's
family will only be in a given location for 2 years or less. While the
safety of children is paramount, requiring multiple redundant
background checks does nothing to enhance security while significantly
impacting the amount of quality care DOD is able to provide. DOD should
analyze whether and how the hiring process can be streamlined while
still ensuring that necessary background checks and training take place
to ensure children's safety.
Increase availability of part-time and hourly care: We continue to
hear from military families frustrated by the lack of hourly or drop-in
care at installation CDCs. Many military families--especially those
overseas or in remote locations--do not have easy access to reliable
caregivers. For those families, access to drop-in care at an
installation child care facility can greatly enhance their quality of
life, enabling parents to go to medical appointments, run errands, and
volunteer in their communities. This service can be especially vital
when a servicemember is deployed, providing the at-home parent with a
much-needed break. Increasing the number of hourly slots would also
help address a common conundrum faced by military spouses after a PCS
move: they can't look for work without child care, but under DOD
priority guidelines, they aren't eligible for child care if they're not
working. DOD should evaluate the programs at installation CDCs to
ensure the mix of care offered--full time, part-time and hourly--meets
the needs of the families they serve.
Increase participation in the fee assistance program: The fee
assistance program operated by the services is an innovative, effective
approach to the problem of insufficient child care availability on
base. The program helps offset the cost of child care in the civilian
community, ensuring participating families can access high quality care
at an affordable cost. Unfortunately, relatively few families take
advantage of this benefit. Expanding participation in the child care
fee assistance program would address many families' child care needs.
A major reason why relatively few military families participate in
the fee assistance program is a lack of eligible providers. DOD has
stringent requirements for child care providers participating in the
fee assistance program, to include national certification, regular
inspections, and background checks. However, many states have less
stringent requirements for providers. In those locations, families
often have difficulty locating a provider who meets DOD's eligibility
requirements. The Office of Military Community and Family Policy and
the Defense State Liaison Office (DSLO) have worked together to
encourage states to increase their standards to meet DOD's and have had
a great deal of success in this regard. We encourage them to continue
with this effort. We also encourage DOD to consider ways that it could
broaden the pool of providers eligible to participate in the program
while still maintaining its commitment to high quality care.
Analyze role of FCC Homes: For many years, child care providers who
offered care in their on-installation homes were an important part of
the military child care system. These providers receive training and
professional development from DOD much like that given to CDC employees
and must comply with stringent DOD inspections and background checks.
They provide a flexible care option for parents whose schedules don't
work with CDC hours and offer employment opportunities for military
spouses. However, the number of FCC homes has been declining for years.
DOD should survey current providers as well as those who leave the
program to assess why fewer people are offering this service and what,
if anything, could be done to attract and retain in-home care
providers.
Part of the problem may be that if an FCC provider moves and no
longer lives on an installation, he or she is subject to the licensing
requirements of the state. Given DOD's stringent requirements, we
expect that FCC providers would meet or exceed most states'
requirements for licensing an in-home day care. For that reason, we
suggest DOD and the Defense State Liaison Office work with states to
expedite licensing for approved FCC providers, so they can quickly
reopen their in-home day care in their new location.
In addition, operating an FCC is a difficult, at times isolating
job. We have heard that many providers drop out of the system during
the deployment of their servicemember spouse as the burdens of
operating an FCC become too much to manage during a time of additional
stress. We commend DOD for providing opportunities for training and
professional development to its FCC providers but encourage the
Department to seek other ways to support these essential care providers
in order to make it possible for them to continue offering child care
services.
EFMP Respite Care
Military families with special needs family members are supported
through the Services' Exceptional Family Member Programs (EFMP). The
primary mission of the EFMP is assignment coordination is to ensure
special needs families are sent to locations that can meet their
medical and educational requirements. However, the EFMP also includes a
family support component. While we appreciate that DOD recognizes the
importance of supporting special needs families, we hear often from
families who tell us that EFMP family support programs are falling
short. This is especially true when it comes to respite care.
Families with special needs children have unique child care needs.
For those families, dropping a child off at a day care center or with a
sitter may not be an option. Instead, parents of special needs children
need respite care provided by trained caregivers. Access to quality
respite care allows families to run errands, spend time with other
children, and simply recharge.
Recognizing the importance of respite care, especially for military
families far from the support of friends or extended family, the
Services have provided respite care for military families with eligible
special needs family members as part of the EFMP family support
function. However, because the respite care programs are operated and
funded by each of the individual Services, eligibility requirements and
the number of respite care hours available to families vary. This is a
significant source of frustration to families assigned to joint bases
or installations managed by other Services. We are also concerned the
current fiscal environment may lead the Services to reduce the level of
respite care they offer.
military children's education
The vast majority of military-connected students attend local
public schools in their civilian communities. Districts serving large
numbers of military children rely on funding from the Department of
Education and the Department of Defense to help offset the additional
expenses they incur. It is incumbent on DOD and the Federal Government
to ensure that schools charged with serving military-connected children
have the support they need to provide the best possible education.
Military families often have no control over when and where they move.
They worry about the effect multiple moves will have on their
children's academic achievement. They deserve the assurance that their
children will receive a high quality education wherever they happen to
be stationed. We urge Congress to continue funding programs designed to
support the education of military-connected children.
We are grateful that Congress chose to permanently authorize the
Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) grant program in the
Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA. This program, which was established by the John
Warner National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2007,
provides tangible, targeted support to public school districts serving
large numbers of military-connected children. School districts have
used DODEA grants to fund transition support programs for military
children, enhance student proficiency in reading, math, and foreign
language, and offer Advanced Placement (AP) classes in locations that
would otherwise be unable to offer this level of instruction. We are
pleased that military children will continue to benefit from the
valuable educational programs made possible through the DODEA grant
program.
Impact Aid
Military families care deeply about their children's education. It
is essential to them that local public schools--which enroll the vast
majority of our Nation's military-connected children--receive the
resources they need to provide their children with the best possible
education. For this reason, we strongly support the Department of
Education Impact Aid program and call for its continued funding. Impact
aid is designed to replace some of the property tax revenue lost by
school districts with nontaxable Federal land such as a military
installation within their boundaries. This essential revenue stream
goes directly to affected school districts, which use it to meet the
needs of the community they serve. Without impact aid, the quality of
education available to military-connected children AND their civilian
classmates would suffer. We thank Congress for recognizing the
importance of impact aid by reauthorizing it in the Every Student
Succeeds Act of 2015 and continuing to appropriate funds to support the
program. We ask you to continue to prioritize impact aid funding.
We are also grateful to Congress for authorizing $40 million for
DOD Impact Aid and $10 million in impact aid for schools serving
military children with special needs in the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA. We
ask Congress to maintain this funding to offset the costs incurred by
districts educating large numbers of military children. These funds
help local school districts meet the education needs of military
children in an era of declining state budgets. Both DOD and Department
of Education impact aid funding are critical in order to ensure school
districts can provide quality education for military children.
We strongly oppose proposals that would transition impact aid into
a voucher program for military-connected kids. Losing impact aid would
be financially devastating for school districts across the country and
critically compromise the education services they are able to provide.
Realistically, any voucher program supported by reallocating current
levels of impact aid funding will only reach a few of the 550,000
school-age children of Active Duty servicemembers. Who would decide
which military children would be eligible for vouchers? Would costs of
administering such a program come from the same funding stream as the
vouchers? We believe military children should be eligible for local or
state funded voucher programs at the same level as their civilian
neighbors. But, we question DOD's capacity to administer a voucher
program for military-connected children, made more complicated by the
transient nature of military life. We urge Congress to reject a Federal
voucher for military-connected children and preserve impact aid.
Under the terms of the Services' Exceptional Family Member Program
(EFMP), military family members with special needs should only be sent
to locations where their medical and educational needs can be met. In
practice, this policy has led to concentrations of special needs
military families in locations such as Joint Base Lewis-McCord, where a
large MTF and other specialized services are available. While the ready
availability of services through the military and local civilian
community benefits the special needs military families, we are
concerned about the unintended burden on the public school districts
serving these installations, which must provide special education
services to a larger than normal population. Serving unusually large
numbers of children with severe special needs places great strain on
the budgets of these public school districts. We fear that in the long
term this financial pressure will affect the quality of the education
services these districts are able to provide. We ask Congress to
require DOD to study where military families with severe special needs
are concentrated and whether DOD Impact Aid for schools serving
military children with special needs is appropriately allocated.
spouse employment and education support
Spouse employment and education support is a critical component of
military family readiness. Much like their civilian counterparts, many
military families rely on two incomes in order to help make ends meet.
However, military spouses face barriers hindering their educational
pursuits and career progression due in large part to challenges
associated with the military lifestyle.
We are gratified in recent years Congress, DOD, the White House,
and individual States have all taken steps to lessen the burden of an
Active Duty member's military career on military spouses' educational
and career ambitions. We fully support these initiatives, including
DOD's portfolio of Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO),
which provides educational funding for select military spouses, career
counseling, employment support, and the DOD State Liaison Office's
(DSLO) state-level initiatives. However, while progress has been made,
military spouses continue to face significantly lower earnings and
higher levels of unemployment and underemployment than their civilian
counterparts, greatly impacting their families' financial stability.
\7\
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\7\ Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Military Spouse
Employment Report, Syracuse University (IVMF) February 2014: http://
vets.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Military
SpouseEmploymentReport--2013.pdf
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We appreciate that Congress recognized the difficulty military
spouses have in moving their careers from state-to-state by providing
up to $500 reimbursement for re-licensing and re-certification because
of a PCS in the Fiscal Year 2018 NDAA. Military spouses are anxiously
awaiting the implementation of this new program. We hope DOD and the
Services will quickly implement the reimbursement policy so that
military spouse can begin to offset the out-of-pocket costs of
additional licenses.
grow our own
One of our top priorities is to ensure adequate access to
behavioral health providers who are attuned to the unique stressors of
military life for servicemembers and their families who have endured
years of repeated deployments, long separations, and possible injuries
or illnesses. We support efforts to educate and employ military spouses
as mental health professionals.
As military families struggle to cope with the effects of 16 years
of war, we are seeing an increasing demand for mental health services
within our families and community. Since 2004, NMFA's military spouse
scholarship and professional funds program has had almost 90,000
applicants. Data from this year's approximately 9,000 scholarship
applicants, as well as from Active Duty spouse respondents to the 2015
health care survey done by the Military Officers Association of America
(MOAA), indicate increased rates of behavioral health usage among
military families. Both surveys show between 40 to 50 percent of
military spouses have sought behavioral health care for someone in
their family.
Unfortunately, access to high quality care is limited. The shortage
of mental health professionals nationally is mirrored in the military
community; it is even greater at military installations in remote
areas. We believe our Nation has an obligation to prevent, diagnose,
and treat the mental health needs of servicemembers and their families.
Doing so in the face of a nationwide shortage of mental health
professionals will require innovative solutions and strategic public-
private partnerships including Congress, DOD, the VA, and other
organizations. We believe military spouses may also be a source of help
for their community.
Since the launch of our military spouse scholarships, the number of
spouses pursuing mental health careers has increased. Our 2017
applicant pool had more than 500 spouses planning to pursue careers in
mental health fields. Twenty-two percent of these mental health
profession applicants are spouses of wounded or fallen servicemembers.
Many of our military spouses pursuing careers in mental health
fields intend to serve military families. Helping these spouses
overcome obstacles and pursue their careers has the dual benefit of
assisting the individual spouse and family while addressing the
shortage of mental health providers in the military community. However,
these spouses face obstacles due to the unique challenges of the
military lifestyle. In a February 2016 Facebook post a Marine Corps
spouse shared an experience all too common for military spouse mental
health professionals:
We are currently stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA and I will
start my practicum this June. I have excelled in my graduate
program and now I am facing major challenges finding a facility
that doesn't require a year sign-on and who has openings for
new interns starting this summer. One specific problem I'm
facing is we aren't sure when new orders will come or where
they will be (making it additionally hard to convince licensed
supervisors to take a new intern on if I will only be there for
a couple months). Is there anyone who can share a professional
contact with me?
We offer the following recommendations for Congress to consider:
Include military spouses and others who enter the mental
health profession in Federal loan-forgiveness programs;
Facilitate easier paths to both licensure and employment
for military spouses and veterans in the mental health field when they
work with our servicemembers and families;
Pass legislation to allow military spouses full
reciprocity when transferring an active unrestricted mental or
behavioral health license from one state to another due to PCS;
Support partnerships between the military health system
and the VA to ease spouse difficulties in obtaining clinical
supervision hours, reduce licensing barriers, and spur employment of
military spouses and veterans in the mental health field.
We ask Congress to increase access to behavioral health providers
by supporting employment efforts of military spouses in the mental
health profession.
military families in crisis
Our country is still at war and military families continue to live
extraordinarily challenging lives. Reintegration continues to pose
challenges for some. Others are anxious about their financial futures.
Most military families are resilient and will successfully address
whatever challenges come their way. However, some will need help. It is
critical military families trust DOD services and programs and feel
comfortable turning to them in times of need. These programs and
services must be staffed and resourced adequately so when families
reach out for help, they can trust it is available. Military families
must be assured our Nation will support them in times of family or
personal crisis.
Suicide
In 2014, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) released a
report outlining an approach for tracking military family member
suicides. The report, Suicide and Military Families: A Report on the
Feasibility of Tracking Deaths by Suicide among Military Family
Members, was requested by the Senate and House Armed Services
Committees.
We appreciate Congress including a provision directing DOD to track
military family suicides as well as Reserve component suicides in the
Fiscal Year 2015 NDAA, but are frustrated by DOD's delays in developing
a plan to meet this mandate. If we don't have accurate information on
the extent of the issue, targeting solutions is impossible.
Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect, and Domestic Violence
Research commissioned by our Association \8\ and others during the
past decade documents the toll of multiple deployments on children and
families, the difficulties many families face on the servicemember's
return, and the added strain a servicemember's physical and invisible
wounds can place on a family. These stressors put military families at
risk for marital/relationship problems and compromised parenting that
must be addressed with preventative programs.
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\8\ Anita Chandra, et al., RAND Center for Military Health Policy
Research, Views from the Homefront: The Experiences of Youth and
Spouses from Military Families, 2011
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Those looking for budget cuts may find it tempting to slash family
support, family advocacy, and reintegration programs. However, bringing
the troops home from war zones does not end our military's mission,
family separations, or the necessity to support military families.
``Rotations'' and ``training exercises'' of units to Europe and
elsewhere must be accompanied by the same high levels of family support
as if servicemembers were heading on a combat deployment. To family
members, especially young children, ``gone is gone.''
We are concerned the extraordinary stress military families face
could lead to increased domestic violence as well. Preventive programs
focused on effective parenting and rebuilding adult relationships are
essential. The government should ensure military families have the
tools to remain ready and to support the readiness of their
servicemembers.
We are encouraged the Family Advocacy Program, a congressionally-
mandated DOD program designed to prevent and respond to child abuse/
neglect and domestic abuse in military families, has redoubled its
focus on prevention programs. Their efforts to repair relationships and
strengthen family function will be essential. Programs like New Parent
Support focus on helping young parents build strong parenting skills
early on.
We encourage Congress and the DOD to ensure Family Advocacy
programs are funded and resourced appropriately to help families heal
and aid in the prevention of child and domestic abuse.
support for transitioning families
Transitioning out of the military affects the whole family. In
addition to the transition assistance program available to
servicemembers, resources relevant to family members need to be
identified. Issues such as how to find community resources to replace
DOD programs and the military spouse's role in the long-term care of
the family as a whole aren't addressed in the transition classes.
Military OneSource is an invaluable resource for military families.
Services utilized by military families include: non-medical counseling,
financial counseling (to include free tax preparation support), spouse
education and career opportunities, and wounded warrior and caregiver
support. In fiscal year 2016 Military OneSource completed 167,505 non-
medical counseling sessions; 22,629 financial counseling sessions;
223,069 federal and state tax returns; and distributed 1,628,322
educational and promotional materials. \9\ The Department of Defense
Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) Program is accessed
through the Military OneSource website. SECO provides spouses with
career exploration, education, training and licensing requirements and
options, career connections, and employment readiness. In fiscal year
2016 Military OneSource received 145,067 calls related to spouse
education and career opportunities. Military spouses have said:
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\9\ Fiscal Year 2016 Military One Source Year at a Glance
``I'm a military spouse from overseas. When I came to the
states I didn't know what to do and who to ask. No family here,
no friends. Military OneSource is a great and fast help. It's
like Google for military spouses. I love it and greatly
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appreciate all the employees.''
``The spouse relocation and transition consultant was amazing.
I felt so comfortable talking with her and she gave me a peace
of mind with the PCS process! I absolutely loved her, and give
my highest level of recommendation!''
``I'm a military spouse for 24+ years and oh how I wish I could
say deployments get easier. I sure wish I would have known
about Military OneSource all those years ago! I plan on
utilizing for many, many years to come!''
Our Association conducted a survey of military spouses facing
transition. Over half the spouses indicated they were extremely or very
concerned about relocation and finding employment. Over three quarters
of the spouses were extremely/very concerned about being financially
prepared and finding employment for their servicemember. Access to the
counseling and other services provided by Military OneSource, beyond
the 180 days currently provided, would make available resources and
information to ease some of the concerns of our transitioning military
families.
Several weeks ago, President Trump signed an Executive Order
titled, ``Supporting Our Veterans during Their Transition from
Uniformed Service to Civilian Life,'' which extended Military OneSource
services to separating servicemembers to 1 year post-separation. While
we are grateful the Executive Order extended access to Military
OneSource, we would like to see the extension written into law.
Expand the opportunity for spouses to access transition information
including face-to-face training and on-line training.
We ask for legislation ensuring expanded servicemember and family
access to Military OneSource to 1 year from a servicemember's
separation from the military.
today's surviving spouses need the dic offset eliminated
Our Association has long believed the benefit change that would
provide the most significant long-term advantage to the financial
security of all surviving families would be to end the Dependency and
Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset to the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).
Although we know there is a significant price tag associated with this
change, ending this offset would correct an inequity that has existed
for many years. Each payment serves a different purpose. The DIC is a
special indemnity (compensation or insurance) payment paid by the VA to
the survivor when the servicemember's service causes his or her death.
The SBP annuity, paid by the DOD, reflects the military member's length
of service. It is ordinarily calculated at 55 percent of retired pay.
Military retirees who elect SBP pay a portion of their retired pay to
ensure their family has a guaranteed income should the retiree die. If
that retiree dies due to a service-connected disability, their survivor
becomes eligible for DIC.
We appreciate Congress making the Special Survivor Indemnity
Allowance (SSIA) permanent with cost-of-living increases in the Fiscal
Year 2018 NDAA. This is another step towards permanently eliminating
the DIC offset to SBP.
We ask the DIC offset to SBP be eliminated to recognize the length
of commitment and service of the career servicemember and spouse.
caregiver and wounded service member support
Servicemembers and their families must be assured our Nation will
provide unwavering support to the wounded, ill, and injured. This
support must extend beyond the recovering warrior's medical and
vocational rehabilitation. It must also include programs and services
that help military caregivers, typically spouses or parents,
successfully navigate their new role.
Medicare Eligible Wounded Warriors & TRICARE Coverage
Medically retired wounded warriors who receive Social Security
Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits become eligible for Medicare Part
A after 24 months on SSDI. At that point, the wounded warrior must
enroll in Medicare Part B in order to keep TRICARE coverage. After the
wounded veteran enrolls in Medicare Part B, their TRICARE coverage
converts to TRICARE for Life (TFL). This poses a variety of problems
for the severely wounded population:
In the worst case scenario, the wounded warrior or his/
her caregiver does not realize or is not appropriately informed they
must enroll in Medicare Part B (and pay Part B premiums) in order to
avoid losing their TRICARE coverage.
In other instances, the wounded warrior or caregiver
understands and enrolls in Medicare Part B and retains TFL. Although
medical coverage is retained, the severely wounded veteran is now
paying more for medical coverage than most other working-age TRICARE
retirees.
Finally, some severely wounded veterans receive SSDI for
over 24 months and are forced onto Medicare/TFL. Eventually, the
wounded veteran returns to work, but is required to stay on Medicare
Part B for 8 years after returning to work. This results in more than
$10,000 in Medicare Part B costs to the severely wounded warrior who
returns to work.
This is an extremely complex issue facing the most severely wounded
servicemembers and their caregivers. These families face emotionally
challenging lives and overwhelming responsibilities. Making a mistake
about enrollment in Medicare Part B should not result in the life
altering consequence of losing health care coverage. Furthermore, our
most severely wounded warriors should not be forced to pay more for
their health care than others.
This complex problem crosses many jurisdictions including the
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, DOD, the Social Security
Administration, the Senate Finance Committee, the House Ways and Means
Committee, the HASC and the SASC. Given this problem impacts our most
severely wounded veterans and their families, we urge the House and
Senate Armed Services Committees to take the lead in creating a
solution to this complex issue.
military families--continuing to serve
Recent national fiscal challenges have left military families
confused and concerned about whether the programs, resources, and
benefits contributing to their strength, resilience, and readiness will
remain available to support them and be flexible enough to address
emerging needs. The Department of Defense must provide the level of
programs and resources to meet these needs.
Servicemembers and their families have kept trust with America,
through more than 16 years of war, with multiple deployments and
separations. We ask the Nation to keep the trust with military families
and not try to balance budget shortfalls from the pockets of those who
serve.
Evolving world conflicts keep our military servicemembers on call.
Our military families continue this call as well, even as they are
dealing with the long-term effects of almost 2 decades at war. The
government should ensure military families have the tools to remain
ready and to provide for the readiness of their servicemembers.
Effective support for military families must involve a broad network of
government agencies, community groups, businesses, and concerned
citizens.
Insert A:
comparison of medical facility access--kaiser foundation health plan
vs. tricare prime
_______________________________________________________________________
Without the option of switching to Select, TRICARE Prime families
will be trapped in their assigned MTF regardless of access or quality
issues.
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Mid-Atlantic States: Search radius
around zip code 22315 (Alexandria/Kingstowne)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hospitals--20 mile radius Medical Office Buildings--10 mile radius
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia Hospital Center.......................... Burke Medical Center
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Children's National Medical Center................ Falls Church Medical Center
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sibley Memorial Hospital.......................... Springfield Medical Center
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Washington Hospital Center........................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Capital Region Medical Directorate: Search radius around
zip code 22315 (Alexandria/Kingstowne)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Military Hospitals--20 mile radius Military Clinics--10 mile radius
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fort Belvoir Community Hospital...................... Rader Clinic--Fort Myer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Insert B:
copay/cost share comparison
TRICARE Select vs. Federal Employee Health Benefit & Fairfax County
Public Schools Plans
FEHBP Plan Types: Nationwide Fee for Service/PPO-Open to All
Insert C:
examples of aba provider service suspension notices to tricare patients
Insert C (continued):
examples of aba provider service suspension notices to tricare patients
(continued)
Senator Tillis. Thank you.
Mr. Haynie.
STATEMENT OF J. MICHAEL HAYNIE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INSTITUTE
FOR VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Haynie. Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand,
thank you very much for the opportunity to address you today on
the topic of military family readiness.
I would actually like to use my time to speak briefly on
the central role that military families play in our national
defense.
This year marks the 45th birthday of America's experiment
with an all-volunteer military military. As the volunteer force
has evolved as an American institution, all too often the
narrative associated with the role that our military families
play in our national security has been misplaced, marginalized,
and misunderstood.
As Members of this Committee understand, America's All-
Volunteer Force assumes a deep pool of eligible volunteers.
However, as we heard from the previous panel, today DOD's own
estimates suggest that approximately 70 percent of the Nation's
roughly 34 million 17- to 20-year olds are ineligible for
Military Service due to issues ranging from obesity, fitness,
and insufficient formal education. At the same time, over the
past 20 years, consistently the Nation's youth--that we have
witnessed a decline in the willingness or propensity of the
Nation's youth to consider Military Service. According to the
University of Michigan's annual Monitoring the Future Survey of
high school students, today less than 12 percent of American
youth are even going to consider Military Service after high
school. So, while the Nation's defense rests on the assumption
of a robust pool of eligible volunteers, the reality is, today,
that assumption has never been more tenuous.
All that said, since the advent of the All-Volunteer Force,
the Nation's most reliable pipeline of eligible and willing
volunteers comes from our military families, the daughters,
sons, brothers, and sisters of those who are now or who have
served in the Nation's uniform. In other words, one consequence
of the All-Volunteer Force has been to create Military Service
as a family business. This means our ability to recruit the
best and the brightest to Military Service in the future
depends, to a significant degree, on our capacity to support
those families serving today.
So, how are we doing? This is an exceedingly difficult
question to answer, because, as an academic, I want research
and data. In that regard, I'd like to highlight to the
Committee that there is a profound deficit of research focused
on the social, economic, and wellness concerns of our Nation's
military families. However, what we do know from research
conducted by my teammates at Syracuse University's Institute
for Veterans of Military Families and by others, to include at
this table, suggest that we must do more, and better. I--but, I
will share some of what we do know.
We know that military spouses are exceedingly well
educated, as compared to their civilian counterparts, but, as
we've heard already this morning--this afternoon, many
experience unemployment at a rate three times higher than their
nonmilitary peers. This could be because military spouses
relocate ten times more frequently than their civilian
counterparts, creating gaps in employment and education and
making it nearly impossible to create the security, stability,
and community connections required to sustain a career. Those
military spouses who are able to secure employment, on average
earn 38 percent less than their civilian counterparts.
We know that employment and underemployment challenges
experienced by military spouses undercut the financial health
of our military families. While military families save at the
same rate as their civilian counterparts, over one-third report
difficulty covering monthly expenses. Only 50 percent report a
rainy-day fund for available emergencies. As Kathy mentioned
earlier, a recent survey found that 54 percent of those
planning to leave the military within the next 12 months have
less than $5,000 in savings available to support that
transition to civilian life.
One thing that I think we need to talk more about are our
military children. We know that children of the post-9/11
generation have been exposed to unique stressors. Two recent
studies demonstrate that military-connected children have
higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, sadness, suicidal
ideation, and suicide attempts, as compared to nonmilitary-
connected youth. While the costs and consequences of the
Military Service experience on military children is a story
that will unfold in the years and decades to come, all
indications are today the costs and consequences will be high.
Importantly, we also know that military spouses and
military children are resilient, resourceful, adaptable,
entrepreneurial, and engaged in the world around them. We know
that military spouses and military children have much to
contribute to our communities during and after Military
Service.
Finally, we also know that, in recent years, there has been
a steady decline in the willingness of currently serving
military members to recommend Military Service to their own
children. Today, only 40 percent of those serving indicate that
they would recommend Military Service, with the unwilling
majority citing concerns related to the well-being of the
family as being one of the primary factors in their decision.
All of this is to say that many inside and outside of
government have long hypothesized a relationship between the
concerns of military families and DOD's ability to recruit and
retain the most skilled, qualified, and service-minded
individuals. From where I sit today, the data is clear.
Investments positioned to care for and support our military
families are central to our military readiness and to our
national security. Further, these investments are morally and
ethically right.
It's my hope that the public and the private sector join
together to act to make strengthening our military families a
national priority, acknowledging that building a prosperous and
safe nation for future generations requires that we treat our
military families as a treasured national resource.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to your
questions.
[The prepared statement of Dr. Haynie follows:]
Prepared Statement by Dr. J. Michael Haynie
Chairman Tillis, Ranking Member Gillibrand, Members of the
Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to address you today on the
topic of military family readiness. Further, I'd like to thank this
Committee for your ongoing efforts in support of our servicemembers and
their families.
The Committee asked that my testimony focus on military family
readiness--specifically issues related to the transition from military
to civilian life, spousal employment, education and childcare programs,
and financial readiness impacting servicemembers and their families. I
will address these issues during our discussion, but first would like
to situate my testimony within a brief statement related to the central
role that our military families play in our Nation's defense--
specifically with regard to the sustainment and viability of the
Nation's All-Volunteer Force.
The U.S. National Security Strategy emphasizes all of the Nation's
resources as central to our national security, and explicitly
identifies America's support of wounded warriors, veterans, and
military families as fundamental to our defense.
Importantly, emphasizing support for those servicemembers,
veterans, and families who have shouldered the burden of our past and
current wars is not about patriotism or politics. Instead, this
emphasis acknowledges the greatest fear of the architects of the post-
Vietnam All-Volunteer Force; that is, a circumstance where the
Department of Defense is unable to recruit and retain citizen
volunteers. In this regard, at no time in the history of the All-
Volunteer Force have the costs and consequence of inaction been more
profound.
Since the advent of the All-Volunteer Force, the pool of Americans
who meet the minimum standards to volunteer has consistently declined,
to a point where today it is estimated nearly three out of every four
of the roughly 34 million 17- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. are
ineligible to serve. Compounding this situation is the fact that only
about one quarter of high-school graduates who might be otherwise
eligible, can also pass the Armed Forces Qualification Test, which
measures basic math, writing, and reading skills.
Thus, while our Nation's defense rests on the assumption of a broad
and deep pool of eligible volunteers, the reality is that this
assumption has never been more tenuous.
However, the existence of a broad and deep pool of volunteers
eligible to serve, by itself, is obviously not enough. There also needs
to be a willingness to serve--particularly among the best and brightest
of America's youth.
In that regard, consider that since the early 1980s, the
willingness of American youth to consider Military Service has steadily
declined. The University of Michigan's longstanding ``Monitoring the
Future Survey,'' which has since 1975 annually surveyed about 50,000
high school students about their general attitudes, behaviors, values,
including toward Military Service, suggests today that less than 12
percent of American youth are willing to even consider Military Service
after high school. Further, this same survey also indicates that
perceptions of Military Service as a `means to get ahead' in life and
to `secure and education' have declined sharply in recent years.
All of this is to suggest that today, given fewer Americans
eligible for Military Service, and a declining number willing to
volunteer, those both eligible and willing represent a treasured
national resource.
Importantly, throughout the now more than 15 years of sustained
military conflict, the most reliable and robust pipeline of eligible
and willing volunteers is represented by the daughters, sons, brothers,
and sisters, of those who are now or have served in uniform. In other
words, the health of our military families is inextricably linked to
the future viability of the All-Volunteer Force. This is not
speculation or conjecture, but fact demonstrated by research.
Specifically, new research conducted jointly by Blue Star Families
and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse
University suggests that today, only 40 percent of military family
respondents would recommend Military Service to their children--a
decline from 45 percent in 2015. Further, the same study highlights
that the extent to which military families feel supported while
serving, and throughout the transition from military to civilian life,
is strongly and directly correlated to the likelihood of recommending
Military Service to others. For example, the research indicates that 71
percent of families reporting a supported and smooth transition from
military to civilian life express a willingness to recommend Military
Service to their own children. However, among those indicating a
difficult or very difficult transition, only 56 percent would recommend
Military Service to a family member.
All of this is to say that many inside and outside of government
have long imagined a relationship between action [or inaction] to
address the concerns of military families, and the DOD's ability to
recruit and retain the Nation's most skilled, qualified, and service-
minded individuals. Today, a much-enhanced ability to leverage robust
and longitudinal data--informative of the `lived experiences' of our
Nation's military families--supports more than ever before, a
comprehensive understanding of the social, economic, and wellness
concerns of those families who have shouldered the burden of the
Nation's post-9/11 wars. This body of research suggests strongly that
the in-service and post-service welfare of our military families
directly affects All-Volunteer Force imperative of recruiting a high-
quality and socio-economically representative force.
Accordingly, over the last 5 years, the Institute for Veterans and
Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University has engaged in a
purposeful effort to inform and act on opportunities to advance in-
service and post-service opportunities for servicemembers, veterans,
and military families. Over that period, more than 90,000 have
benefited from educational, vocational, and business ownership programs
offered by the IVMF and its partners. Importantly, the large scale and
scope of the IVMF's programs has set the conditions for extensive study
of the in-service and transition-connected challenges facing our
servicemembers and their families. I look forward to sharing some of
what we have learned regarding the topics the Committee identified as
the focus of this hearing during our discussion.
It is clear to me that investments positioned to care for and
support our military families, to include a robust infrastructure
supporting the transition of military families to civilian life,
represents an investment in the Nation's future defense. Further, such
investments are also morally and ethically right. These are complex
issues, but exceedingly important. I thank the Subcommittee for hearing
me and others on the concerns of military families, and look forward to
your questions.
Senator Tillis. Thank you all.
Mr. Haynie, I'm guessing that's not a Tennessee Volunteers
orange tie you've got on. Is that----
Dr. Haynie. Senator, it is not. That is the proud Syracuse
orange.
[Laughter.]
Senator Tillis. A man's got to try.
Dr. Haynie. Big game tonight, North Carolina State, up in
the Carrier Dome.
Senator Tillis. That--actually, I want to just start with
you. The--a question I had--I served in the legislature before
I came up to the Senate, and we were constantly trying to
figure out how we partner with the States and with the private
sector. Ms. Roth Douquet, I heard your concern about the DOD
partnering not going so well. But, what are you-all's view,
should we do more--particularly when you have a relatively
highly skilled workforce that's grossly underpaid. Some of that
probably relates to the relocation rate and just not being able
to go and get the credentialing they need in a given new
jurisdiction. Are there any good examples out there of States
or private-sector collaborations that are working? What more
can we do there?
Dr. Haynie. So, I think one of the things that's--that is
interesting to me--and I'm going to come back to something that
Kathy mentioned earlier--is, we saw the private sector stand up
en masse when the veterans unemployment rate hit the 20-25
percent. Collaboration between the private-sector actors and,
you know, coalitions of firms 200-300 strong focused on solving
the veterans' employment problem. We have not seen that same
kind of effort as it relates to military spouses.
I do believe that--for the last 2 years of the Obama
administration, I was the vice chairman of the Federal
Advisory Committee on Reform at the VA. One of the things
that Kathy mentioned, that I think has been transformative
relative to the VA's ability to partner with the private
sector, is creating a focused effort and office around public-
private partnerships. I agree very much with Kathy's
recommendation. I think that, in this regard, DOD could benefit
from that opportunity, as well.
Senator Tillis. Ms. Roth-Douquet, do you have anything to
add to that?
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Blue Star Families helps convene a group
of about 55 nonprofits, foundations, and government leaders.
They did all endorse this idea of a--an office similar to the
VA at DOD. I do agree that it takes a sustained effort.
Most Americans have no idea this problem exists. Most
employers have no idea. When they hear that it does, they are
interested in these talented workers, who actually have health
insurance, by the way, so they're pretty attractive employees.
But, it takes a big voice, and a bigger voice than we have. So,
the work that we're--that we can do with Senators, with States,
but also getting the DOD this kind of office, can get us to
replicate the success that there was in veteran hiring, I
think.
Senator Tillis. Ms. Hruska, you mentioned, in your opening
comments, about, on the one hand, you welcome some of the
healthcare reforms, but you did have some possible concerns, or
potential concerns, about the implementation. I'd like for you
to maybe expand a little bit on that. I know your organizations
also advocated for extended healthcare options for--healthcare
option benefits for military dependents with special needs. So,
could you talk a little bit more about what we should be
mindful of as we move through some of the changes?
Ms. Hruska. Well, we outlined quite a bit of our concerns
on the healthcare reform in our testimony. I'll just use one
example. We appreciate DOD is trying to make the healthcare
benefit for military families a little similar to the their
civilian counterparts. So, we are starting enrollment periods,
and this year is the first year, but the rules are a little
lax. So, next January, you will have an opt-in period. I
believe that actually will go November to December. Then you
must enroll in your healthcare program, starting January 1st.
So, the Department has created qualifying life events.
As we look at those qualifying life events, dissatisfaction
with the military treatment facility is not a reason to opt
out. We have particular concerns about this, because you may
have a wonderful experience with a military treatment facility,
say, here in the National Capital Region, but you move to
another area, you say, ``I've had a great experience. I'm going
to sign up and go to my military treatment facility,'' and then
you have a very poor experience, and then you're trapped. You
have nowhere--you have to deal with that one healthcare
facility until the next open-enrollment period. If you have a
child that has a particular condition, or if you find--you have
concerns--you're pregnant, you have concerns about a pregnancy,
that can be particularly restrictive. That's just one issue
that we have.
Senator Tillis. Well, thank you. We'll certainly take what
you expanded on in the written testimony, and any additional
information you'd like to submit to the record, as being
instructive as we go through the implementation.
Ranking Member Gillibrand.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you.
The rate of entrepreneurship in America has grown in the
past couple of years. And the economy is estimated to be at a
third of the U.S. workforce. When considering the barriers that
military families face finding work, these avenues may offer a
key to increasing employment.
Mr. Haynie, can you speak about programs such as Boots to
Business and VWISE, which is Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit
of Entrepreneurship, and whether the DOD can learn from them,
in terms of military spouse employment?
Dr. Haynie. Senator, I can. One of my great passions is
military connected entrepreneurship. Matter of fact, I am
leaving here to fly to Austin, Texas. For the next 4 days,
almost 400 military spouses, military veterans interested in
pursuing entrepreneurship will receive training, mentorship,
and support through programs that we operate out of the
institute. Business ownership is a unique opportunity for this
population, both our military veterans as well as our military
spouses, to craft a vocation for themselves in a way that
accommodates some of the unique challenges, stressors
associated with Military Service.
Military veterans and military spouses are over-indexed to
business ownership in this country, relative to nonmilitary-
connected populations. If you look at--veterans represent about
6 percent of the population, but almost 15 percent of all small
business owners in this country. Take women veterans, female
spouses that are--VWISE program that you mentioned--now
thousands of women have received training through that program,
and they're outgrowing businesses at a rate of--venture
creation rate, 92 percent; 5 year survival rate of those
businesses, up in the 80-percent range, which is unheard of.
So, I think it's a unique opportunity for this population, one
that the Boots to Business Program and the ability of spouses
to take advantage of that has to remain central to how we think
about transitioning families out of the military.
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you.
Researchers have found that Military Service adds
additional challenges for married couples, which you've all
testified to, such as increased household responsibilities for
spouses or the impact of psychological effects of service on
marital stability. Married volunteers who served in post-9/11
wars were slightly more likely to become divorced during their
first 2 years post-service, compared to civilian populations.
What can the DOD do better to support military families to
address these unique strains?
Go ahead, Kathy.
Ms. Roth-Douquet. A lot of the ideas about creating
flexibility in the life cycle, I think, will go a long way.
Allowing--our current military is millennials. Millennials
value stability very highly. They value stability more than
they do upward mobility, in fact. So, the opportunity to weigh
in on their careers, we believe, would create a lot of strength
within the family. So, I think that is an important element.
Predictability also would reduce a lot of the strain that
creates strains in marriage and creates strains around children
and childcare. So, I think the same things that will create
more satisfaction in the career, itself, will provide a lot of
strength in marriage.
I don't think DOD should get into the marriage therapy
business. I don't think it's going to be their strength. I
think the underlying structure and this partnering with the
people whose strength it is, organizations like Taya Kyle's
Frog Foundation--there's a lot of great organizations out
there. Let's make it possible for them to do their work.
Senator Gillibrand. So, I'm concerned about, not just
divorce rates, but also domestic violence rates and suicide
rates that you've all talked about today. You know, we have
our--every other year, we have the survey of sexual violence in
the military, but spouses aren't actually surveyed. I would
really like to either add the spouses to that survey--and I'd
like your thoughts on that--or create a unique survey to get
some of this other data, too. A survey that's conducted by the
military and aggregated every year or every other year of
issues like divorce rates, suicide rates, domestic violence
rates, child abuse rates, so that we actually have real data.
I'd like your thoughts and recommendations on whether we should
do a survey that's unique to families or at least add spouses
to the biannual survey of military sexual assaults.
Ms. Hruska. Our association would prefer to see a separate
survey, because domestic violence is sometimes different than
sexual assault. As the Services discussed earlier, especially
with the family advocacy program, the outcomes when there is
counseling and families work together--the outcomes are better.
So--and, a lot of times, in domestic violence, you want to see
that both partners want to save the marriage and improve the
situation. So, I think a separate survey would be beneficial.
Dr. Haynie. So, what I'd--how I'd like to respond to that
is to suggest that the more data we have, the better off we
are. I chose to emphasize military children a bit in my opening
statement, because, honestly, one of the communities that I am
most concerned about are our military children. We often look
for precedent related to how to think about supporting--whether
it's our servicemembers, our spouses, our children. What we
fail, I think, or have failed, to consider is, there is no
precedent relative to the past 15 years. You know, I talked
about the 45th birthday of the All-Volunteer Force. The past 15
years have been the first extended test of the All-Volunteer
Force. What we understood after Vietnam, even after the--you
know, the first Gulf War, there is no precedent for going to
Fort Drum, for example, and talking to a soldier who's been in
for 10 years and has been deployed five times. Talking to that
soldier's child, who, you know, might be 6 or 7 years old, and,
for 2 or even 3 of those years, has been without a parent, I--
it's shocking to me that we have not invested more in looking
at the impact of these stressors on military children. I think
we have to do it over time. Because there is no safety net for
them. For the veterans, there is the VA. When families
transition out of the military, for those children, there is no
safety net. I think that we will be in for a surprise, as a
Nation, as a society, when we come to learn, over time, the
implications of the past 15 years for those children.
Ms. Roth-Douquet. My grave concern is that we do this in a
way that preserves the dignity and respect of the people
involved. So, when I--when my husband was Active Duty, and I
went to see the doctor, they always asked me, ``Do you feel
safe in your home?'' I always thought, ``Gee, are my neighbors
who aren't in the military, are their doctors asking them that?
I being targeted because my husband's in the military, and
therefore there's a veil of suspicion over it?'' So, if there
are surveys, I think it's important that we do it in a way that
isn't stigmatizing and treating military people as a separate
population from other Americans that are maybe somehow suspect.
I say that because who's going to do the survey? Already
there's a little bit of distrust with being your husband's
boss's boss. So, we have to make sure it's done in a way that
is respectful to the people involved, and respectful that many
of them----
Senator Gillibrand. Would that lend itself, then, to just
be part of the regular DOD survey?
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Well, I think people--it's not a popular
survey. It gets around a 2-percent response rate, that survey.
So, I think that this is another place you want to look at
public-private partnerships to have people who are more in tune
to the right kinds of questions.
Senator Gillibrand. Well, the RAND Corporation does the
survey for the Department of Defense, and they implement it.
All servicemembers are supposed to fill it out, and then they
extrapolate from that an estimate of how many cases.
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Right. I know a lot of people don't take
it, or choose not to answer it, because there is a certain
distrust about it. I felt it, myself. I felt that distrust
about, Was it really private? So, I think this is just the
reality that you need to know. When you observe a population,
you change it. Right? So, if the person who's observing is seen
as being an official body, you may or may not get the data that
you hope to get. I'm offering this as----
Senator Gillibrand. It's a tough question.
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Right. I do feel----
Senator Gillibrand. What is a trusted source, if you--if
you were to design--if you were trying to get to the data that
Michael wants to get to----
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Right.
Senator Gillibrand. Are these kids suffering? How many kids
are subject to child abuse? How many have, you know, suicidal
ideation? How many are at risk? How much domestic violence?
What's a percentage of divorce? If you want to get to that
information--because the military, unfortunately, doesn't do
anything until they have data. So, if they don't see the
problem, they're not going to fix it.
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Right.
Senator Gillibrand. They just are going to say the problem
doesn't exist. So, I can't fix these problems unless I can
prove to the DOD and my colleagues that they exist. So, I need
data to prove they exist. So, I need data, but I don't----
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Right.
Senator Gillibrand. I obviously don't want data that's not
accurate, and----
Ms. Roth-Douquet. Right.
Senator Gillibrand.--I don't want it to be used to bludgeon
the military, because that's not the point. The point is, how
do we protect servicemembers, their families, and their
children?
Ms. Roth-Douquet. I think that using focus groups that have
some engagement with something that looks--what we've found
from people is, they want things from their friends and
neighbors, and they want it from popular culture. So, I would
work with Sesame Street or something that seems trusted in that
way, or--one of the reasons people answered Blue Star Family's
survey is because it's seen as being different----
Senator Gillibrand. Maybe we could ask them to do it.
Ms. Roth-Douquet. With--yeah, and we do actually have some
data on domestic violence. I think also the--you know, it's----
Senator Gillibrand. Thank you. We'd like to work with you
offline with our staff. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Tillis. Thank you, Senator Gillibrand.
I want to thank you all for being here. I think it's been a
great hearing. We've gotten a lot of information. We'll have a
lot more from your written testimony. Certainly, the question-
and-answer has been very helpful.
I want to make sure--Ms. Hruska, I--the point that you made
about getting the information on military family suicide, I've
taken a note. We will get an answer to your question and share
that with you. I want this to be the continuation of a dialogue
as we go into the NDAA. We continue to work on policies after
the NDAA, so you have an open invitation to work with the
Committee staff and with my staff. I'm sure I speak for Senator
Gillibrand. We want your feedback.
I also want to move that any outside statements received in
the--that we include any outside statements received in the
official record for this hearing, without objection.
Senator Gillibrand. So moved.
Senator Tillis. So moved.
So, thank you again for being here and for your personal
and professional interest in this issue. Thank you for your
service to a very important population in our community.
This meeting is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 5:00 p.m., the Subcommittee adjourned.]
[Questions for the record with answers supplied follow:]
Questions Submitted by Senator Jack Reed
financial readiness matters
1. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General Seamands,
Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General
Rocco, over the last 15 years, the Department of Defense has
implemented policies and procedures to improve the financial readiness
of servicemembers through personal finance management and education.
Yet there are still too many Active Duty military personnel and
veterans experiencing challenging financial issues, including excessive
debt, credit problems, bankruptcy, foreclosures, short-term loan fees,
and a lack of savings or emergency funds. According to the Department's
2017 Annual Report on the Financial Literacy and Preparedness of
Members of the Armed Forces, over 25,000 servicemembers used an auto
title loan and over 13,000 used a payday loan in the preceding 12
months. The Department, over a decade ago, concluded that these
practices endangered readiness. In your view, how important are
individual and family financial readiness to the overall readiness of
the armed forces and the Services' ability to execute the missions we
assign them?
Secretary Wilkie. Personal financial readiness is a critical
component of overall military readiness. The Department is committed to
ensuring our servicemembers possess the skills and resources to help
them maintain their financial readiness.
Lieutenant General Seamands. Soldier and family financial readiness
yields a significant positive impact on overall Army readiness. Poor
financial literacy can contribute to stress related to indebtedness,
soldier inability to manage finances, and marital discord. It can
reduce mission focus and reduce productivity. To improve financial
readiness, the Army provides financial readiness training to soldiers
and families throughout their military lifecycle. Financial literacy
training was required during fiscal year 2017 for Blended Retirement
System (BRS) eligible soldiers so they can make an informed decision
whether to opt-in the BRS that began in January 2018 or stay in the
legacy system. Financial literacy training will be more important to
Reserve component soldiers as early as April 2018 when given a choice
elect ``Lump Sum'' retirement payment under BRS for a non-regular
retirement.
Vice Admiral Burke. Individual and family financial readiness is
very important to sustaining mission readiness and family readiness.
The Navy family readiness system supports commanders in maintaining
unit readiness, sustaining mission readiness, and promoting personal
readiness and retention, through the Navy personal financial management
program, which provides financial literacy education and training,
counseling, consumer advocacy and complaint resolution assistance, and
information and referral services to increase personal, family, and
operational readiness. These educational efforts and the protections of
the Military Lending Act serve to minimize the adverse impacts on
readiness of predatory lending and poor personal financial management.
Lieutenant General Grosso. Individual and family financial
readiness are critical pieces to the overall readiness of our airmen.
We continue to build capabilities and work with partners within and
outside of the department to address our airmen's unique needs,
creating and adapting solutions in a rapidly changing financial
environment. The Air Force is committed to enhancing capabilities
related to financial readiness to increase the overall mission
readiness for our airmen and their families. The Air Force data on
Financial Literacy is reported annually via the Status of Forces Survey
conducted by Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC). Overall, the Air
Force does not have large numbers of financial issues and airmen
indicate a comfortable financial situation.
Lieutenant General Rocco. Individual and family financial readiness
are critical components of individual readiness, and ultimately our
ability to execute our mission. The Marine Corps has focused on
improving the reach and structure of its Personal Financial Readiness
Program to support overall mission readiness. The Marine Corps has
increased education efforts to help marines understand the lending
habits of payday and auto title loans. As requested in the Fiscal Year
2016 National Defense Authorization Act, the Marine Corps has made
efforts to work with other agencies and nonprofit organizations. The
best example is demonstrated by the availability of Navy Marine Corps
Relief Society (NMCRS) loans to help curb the use of predatory loans
within the Marine Corps. Throughout the last ten years NMCRS has
provided more than $158 million in financial assistance to Active Duty
sailors and marines through their Quick Assist Loan (QAL) program. This
program was created to combat the predatory lenders harming our sea
service personnel's overall financial well-being. QALs are short-term,
interest-free loans for amounts up to $500, and are generally processed
in about 15 to 20 minutes. By working with NMCRS the Marine Corps has
been able to reduce the number of marines participating with predatory
lenders and support the marines financial readiness.
2. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General Seamands,
Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General
Rocco, what steps has the Department taken to educate and empower
officers and enlisted personnel to make better-informed financial
decisions throughout their military careers?
Secretary Wilkie. The Fiscal Year 2016 NDAA expanded the scope and
frequency of financial literacy training required to be given to
servicemembers. In response, the Department and the Military Services
are expanding existing programs and developing new initiatives to help
servicemembers develop the skills to make informed financial decisions
and meet personal and professional goals throughout the military
lifecycle. For example, the Department recently educated more than 1.6
million opt-in eligible servicemembers on the Blended Retirement
System. In other efforts, the Department is redesigning financial
readiness training to better focus its delivery at the appropriate
lifecycle touchpoints in a servicemember's career. servicemembers have
access to more than 700 certified financial counselors at military
installations and other locations around the world, as well as 24/7
counseling via telephone through Military OneSource. These
professionals are available to assist servicemembers in responding to
their individual personal financial situations.
Lieutenant General Seamands. The Army provides financial readiness
training throughout a soldier's career. Even before enlistment,
soldiers may gain a financial foundation by completing the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau's Delayed Entry Program interactive
learning course. The Army continues with fundamental financial
education principles at Basic Combat Training and more in-depth
training at Advanced Individual Training. Officers are provided
personal financial education as cadets at both the United States
Military Academy and ROTC, then again at the Basic Officer Leader
Course. Throughout the remainder of their careers, officer and enlisted
soldiers receive financial education and counseling through personal
financial education programs available at Army Community Services
centers on every installation. Finally, every soldier participates in
the Soldier for Life--Transition Assistance Program where they receive
financial education to prepare them for life after the military.
Vice Admiral Burke. Financial literacy education and training is
delivered at the personal and professional touchpoints across the
military lifecycle beginning with recruit training (Boot Camp) and
officer accessions' training, and continuing throughout a sailor's
career and transition to civilian life. The financial literacy topics
include, but are not limited to budget management, life insurance
(including Survivor Benefit Plan), health insurance, investments
(including Thrift Savings Plan), banking, credit, loans, deferred
plans, mortgages, retirement planning and taxes. The training is
provided by general military training, FFSC personal financial
education programs including the Million Dollar Sailor course, the
LifeSkills course, Military One Source offerings, Navy eLearning and
Joint Knowledge Online courses, the LifeSkills Reach Back mobile
application (app), the Navy Financial Literacy mobile app, and the
Personal Financial Management webpage. Fleet and Family Support Centers
(FFSCs) provide support to all elements of the personal financial
management program. At the individual command level, elements of the
personal financial management program are under the control of a
qualified command financial specialist (CFS). Active and Reserve
commands, permanent detachments, and departments having at least 25
personnel assigned must have a trained CFS to coordinate the program
and to assist the commanding officer or officer in charge in providing
financial training, information, and counseling to command members.
Lieutenant General Grosso. The Air Force is committed to ensuring
airmen and families have timely financial education at critical points
in their military life cycle. Airman and Family Readiness Centers offer
comprehensive financial readiness support through personal financial
counseling and training. We recently implemented updated First Duty
Station financial literacy training for both enlisted and officers. The
standardized curriculum focuses on understanding and decision making of
key financial concepts. The Air Force is concentrating on proactive
financial education for airmen and leadership at all levels to ensure
financial issues are identified for early intervention.
Lieutenant General Rocco. In 2014 the Marine Corps created and
launched a Personal Readiness Seminar (PRS) to provide marines
financial and professional development training within 90 days of their
arrival at their first permanent duty station. A pre- and post-test are
administered during the financial training to gauge the level of
financial knowledge prior to training and the increase in knowledge at
the conclusion of training. We conducted a long-term study of marines
who attended PRS and found they were more likely to engage in positive
financial behaviors, including using a budget, paying down debt, and
saving for the future. To ensure continuous training is available
throughout a marine's career, Installation Personal Financial
Counselors provide financial and education counseling aboard Marine
Corps installations. Additionally, Marine Corps Order 1700.37,
``Personal Financial Management Program'', dated 11 December 2014,
requires all Marine Corps units to have a trained unit Command
Financial Specialist for every 75 marines in the unit. This requirement
is validated during unit inspections. Financial education seminars and
individual counseling are available to marines and their families
throughout the marine's lifecycle. The Personal Financial Readiness
Program (PFRP) provides financial education on topics including money
management, investment planning, financial planning, retirement and
estate planning, and consumer awareness and protection. Topics may
include budgeting; savings strategies; investing; use of credit; debt
management and reduction; major purchases; military financial rights;
Thrift Saving Plan; Saving Deposit Plan; investment tools; goal
setting; major financial life challenges; insurance products;
entitlements and benefits; Survivor Benefit Program; and retirement
plans. Data is collected regarding the reach of the PFRP. Annually we
have approximately 60,000 Brief Contacts (up to 15 minutes), 13,000
Extended Contacts (16 to 60 minutes), and conduct on average 2,600
Workshops and Briefs. The Fiscal Year 2016 NDAA's expansion of
financial literacy training requirements across the entire lifecycle
codified and supported our use of a regular and established timeline
across a marine's career (Ibid.) In accordance with 10 U.S.C. Sec. 992,
PFRP employs a Financial Continuum of Learning that provides mandatory
financial education at specific action points during a Marine's career.
We have begun a complete update to our standard financial curriculum
and expect to complete the development phase of this project by the end
of Fiscal Year 2018.
3. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, please explain how the
Department has worked with the Office of Servicemember Affairs of the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to improve financial literacy
throughout the force and to make servicemembers more aware of the
consumer rights and protections available to them?
Secretary Wilkie. The Department regularly engages with the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and other federal
regulatory agencies for education and consumer protection. The
Department works with CFPB in particular to improve our educational
products and outreach efforts, and to ensure our servicemembers are
afforded their rights under the Military Lending Act, Servicemembers
Civil Relief Act and other consumer protection laws or regulations.
4. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General Seamands,
Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General
Rocco, in your experience, what has worked well to improve financial
readiness for members and military families?
Secretary Wilkie. Education is the primary method through which to
improve financial readiness. Through focused financial education
delivered at appropriate professional career and personal touchpoints
we can help servicemembers and their families develop the skills
necessary to address financial challenges before financial hardships
are caused that impact readiness. The Department reinforces our
educational efforts through strategic communications, for example,
delivering key messages on the importance of contributing to TSP for
maximum government match through social media where servicemembers and
family members can access information at their convenience.
Lieutenant General Seamands. The Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau's Delayed Entry Program education effort has notably enhanced
the foundational financial literacy knowledge recruits have when
entering the Army. Additionally, financial education programs at
Advanced Individual Training ensures continued training on important
financial matters. Training on the Blended Retirement System is a
priority for the Army. Centralized DOD training developed for
educators, leaders, soldiers, and new accessions prove valuable and
instrumental for the educational process. We look forward to additional
collaborative efforts with the Services and DOD on additional financial
literacy projects and training. Additionally, each Army Community
Services center has financial programs and counseling capacity. Fiscal
Year 2016 NDAA requirements for training throughout soldiers' careers,
will help us leverage other resources such as additional financial
counselors provided by DOD, the robust capabilities of Military
OneSource, and partnerships with nonprofit organizations to provide
financial education support. Finally, the Soldier for Life--Transition
Assistance Program provides significant financial material and
counseling related to transitioning out of the Army.
Vice Admiral Burke. The Million Dollar Sailor course and LifeSkills
course have worked well to improve sailor and family financial
readiness. The 4-day LifeSkills course, presented to sailors after
recruit training and prior to technical school training, provides
sailors with the knowledge and skills required to increase personal,
family, and operational readiness by recalibrating mental models and
assumptions, and building a culture of leadership, respect,
professionalism, and trust. Much of the course delivers the
fundamentals of financial literacy to include the Blended Retirement
System material, Thrift Savings Plan, spending plans, account
management, credit, consumer awareness, car buying, insurance,
Government travel, and financial planning. Additionally, the LifeSkills
Reach Back mobile application allows sailors to revisit topics of
interest post-course. The 2-day Million Dollar Sailor course assists
sailors and their families in successfully navigating the transitions
of Navy life and associated financial challenges. It targets the most
common financial issues facing sailors such as, security clearance
issues, credit management, identity theft, bankruptcy, mortgage and
foreclosure issues, government credit card abuse and multiple issues
involving Internet buying and selling, by providing sound financial
management skills that can be used over their lifetime and a
comprehensive overview of steps required to The Million Dollar Sailor
course and LifeSkills course have worked well to improve sailor and
family financial readiness. The 4-day LifeSkills course, presented to
sailors after recruit training and prior to technical school training,
provides sailors with the knowledge and skills required to increase
personal, family, and operational readiness by recalibrating mental
models and assumptions, and building a culture of leadership, respect,
professionalism, and trust. Much of the course delivers the
fundamentals of financial literacy to include the Blended Retirement
System material, Thrift Savings Plan, spending plans, account
management, credit, consumer awareness, car buying, insurance,
Government travel, and financial planning. Additionally, the LifeSkills
Reach Back mobile application allows sailors to revisit topics of
interest post-course. The 2-day Million Dollar Sailor course assists
sailors and their families in successfully navigating the transitions
of Navy life and associated financial challenges. It targets the most
common financial issues facing sailors such as, security clearance
issues, credit management, identity theft, bankruptcy, mortgage and
foreclosure issues, government credit card abuse and multiple issues
involving Internet buying and selling, by providing sound financial
management skills that can be used over their lifetime and a
comprehensive overview of steps required to enhance personal financial
fitness. It enhances overall quality of life through personal financial
growth and fitness, to improve overall operational readiness and
performance, and to enhance retention.
Lieutenant General Grosso. Relevant and timely education and
creating a culture where proactive assistance seeking is encouraged are
key to improving financial literacy. Outreach to members at all levels
increases an airman's opportunity to practice proactive prevention and
employ educational capabilities enabling them to improve personal
financial issues and make informed financial decisions.
Research studies on financial education from the Government
Accountability Office and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau pinpoint
elements which yield the most results for financial literacy to include
(1) relevant and timely content, (2) appropriate delivery methods for
audience or topic, (3) accessibility and cultural sensitivity, (4) use
of partnerships, (5) program evaluation, (6) trained and competent
providers, (7) program sustainability, (8) building on motivation, and
(9) improving financial skills. We are taking advantage of the outcomes
of these studies to improve financial literacy capabilities available
to our airmen and families.
Lieutenant General Rocco. The statutory requirement for financial
training has ensured every Marine has access to training resources
needed to successfully manage their personal and family financial
obligations. This requirement ensures unit commanders adhere to the
NDAA requirements and prioritize financial literacy training as part of
their unit's mission readiness. To meet this goal, while remaining
aware of other obligations in a Marine's life and career, we have taken
a well-rounded approach to training opportunities, including face-to-
face and online training opportunities. This ensures we meet the needs
of all generations of Marines and provide delivery methods to fit their
individual learning habits and schedules. Funding for these services
has enabled us to update materials, improve service delivery, and
expand program offerings. Finally, the recent introduction of the
Blended Retirement System has increased interest in, and awareness of,
the need for financial planning and the resources available to marines
and their families.
5. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General Seamands,
Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General
Rocco, what is still needed to make existing financial readiness
preparation more effective?
Secretary Wilkie. We deliver financial educational in ways that
provide servicemembers with the tools to make informed financial
decisions. This includes not only tailoring the delivery of financial
literacy content through modalities (such as micro-learning modules and
development of a financial literacy mobile app aligned with the
military lifecycle) but also the important messaging that financial
literacy and preparation benefit all servicemembers and their families,
not just the traditional population of at risk junior enlisted members.
Furthermore, we continue to review these education programs for their
effectiveness and make improvements where needed.
Lieutenant General Seamands. According to the Department of Defense
(DOD) 2017 Annual Report on Financial Literacy and Preparedness of
Members of the Armed Forces, there is more work to be done. The Army
recognizes the enduring need for financial literacy throughout a
soldier's career. We look forward to working with Congress to ensure
efforts to make personal financial education a core requirement in
secondary school systems across the country. New recruits will join the
Army with a much stronger foundation, which we will continue to
reinforce throughout the soldier's lifecycle.
Vice Admiral Burke. To make existing financial readiness
preparation more effective, Navy is:
Developing online micro-learning videos, and updating the
Personal Financial Manager, Million Dollar Sailor, Command Financial
Specialist, and LifeSkills courses
Updating LifeSkills and Navy financial literacy
applications
Improving our personnel systems to automatically push
financial training information to sailors as life changes are recorded
in their records to support the new Blended Retirement System and
financial literacy training Reviewing all courses and conducting a
needs assessment which, in conjunction with staff/command leadership
feedback, will inform program improvements
Lieutenant General Grosso. Simply put, we need continued
congressional advocacy and legislative protections to ensure our
servicemembers and their families continue to improve financial
readiness. While the impacts of predatory lending practices have become
less of a concern, it indicates legislative safeguards are instrumental
in helping our airmen and families avoid these traps. Continued
Congressional advocacy supporting readiness programs such as spouse
licensure and employment, child care, and readiness programs for
deployment and financial readiness remain the most impactful assistance
to support the overall readiness of the Air Force.
Lieutenant General Rocco. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
(CFPB) is critical to ensuring protections exist for our marines and
their families. Recent decisions by the CFPB to abstain from
investigating and enforcing violations of consumer protections has the
potential to dismantle gains made in protecting our marines. We believe
continued consumer protection and effective trainings are necessary to
ensure financial readiness among our marines and their families. CFPB's
continued protection is needed to curb predatory products. The Marine
Corps currently has the resources we need to ensure training and
counseling is available to support marines and their families.
military lending act and consumer protections for military families
6. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General Seamands,
Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General
Rocco, by enacting the Military Lending Act (MLA) as part of the John
Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007,
Congress sent a clear bipartisan message that protecting servicemembers
and their families from predatory and high cost lending was of
paramount importance to their financial security and military
readiness. This law caps the annual interest rates for consumer credit
to servicemembers and their dependents at 36 percent while authorizing
DOD to define what loans should be covered. Over the past 2 years, DOD
finalized new MLA rules closing loopholes and strengthening MLA
protections for our servicemembers and their families. According to
DOD, ``each separation of a servicemember is estimated to cost the
Department $57,333, and the Department estimates that each year
approximately 4,703 to 7,957 servicemembers are involuntarily separated
due to financial distress.'' Do you agree that the protections afforded
by the new MLA rules, including the enforcement authority of the Office
of Servicemember Affairs of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau,
provide an important benefit to servicemembers and their families?
Secretary Wilkie. Yes.
Lieutenant General Seamands. The protections afforded by the
updated Military Lending Act go a long way to help shield soldiers and
their families from high-cost credit products. Soldiers face continuous
challenges in navigating, obtaining, and successfully using financial
products and services. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a
valued partner for increasing soldier financial literacy and avoiding
debt traps created by high-cost, high-credit products.
Vice Admiral Burke. We agree that protections afforded by the
Military Lending Act (MLA), including the new rules, provide an
important benefit to sailors and their families. The MLA provides
protection from predatory credit practices for servicemembers by
expanding financial protections and ensuring military families receive
the consumer protections they deserve. The restrictions imposed by the
MLA significantly reduce the ability of lending organizations to take
advantage of sailors, while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's
enforcement actions serve to deter those who seek to engage in such
activity.
Lieutenant General Grosso. Yes, the protections afforded by the new
MLA rules provide important benefits to airmen and their families.
These new rules protect airmen and their families from high cost
predatory lending practices, saving them money and reducing stress.
Additionally, the enforcement authority of the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau has also benefited our servicemembers. Enforcement
actions, specifically those by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's
Office of Servicemember Affairs, provide airmen an avenue to file a
consumer complaint and request assistance in resolving the complaint.
The enforcement actions of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
have provided over $130 million dollars of relief to affected
servicemembers. Without the intervention of Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau, servicemembers are vulnerable to exploitive
practices of some lenders. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's
actions resolving complaints, protected airmen against misuse of
allotments, predatory lending, and illegal debt collection practices
and helped maintain mission readiness of our airmen and families.
Lieutenant General Rocco. The new Rules and enforcement by the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) are greatly benefitting
servicemembers and their families. One of the most beneficial aspects
of the new Rules is the expanded definition of ``consumer credit'' to
which the 36 percent Military Annual Percentage Rate (MAPR) applies.
Before the new Rules, the MLA applied only to vehicle title loans,
payday loans, tax refund anticipation loans, and similar products. The
new Rules expand protections to credit cards and vehicle loans to
include ancillary products such as vehicle GAP insurance, credit
insurance and credit servicing charges. The new Rules also prohibit
creditors from requiring servicemembers to submit to arbitration and
waive protections of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. In addition
to effective CFPB enforcement action, the Office of Servicemember
Affairs, CFPB is doing an excellent job of educating military
consumers, as well as military legal assistance attorneys, about the
MLA both on its website and during installation visits.
7. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General Seamands,
Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General
Rocco, at one point, the Department noted that the new MLA rule ``would
reduce non-quantifiable costs associated with financial strains on
servicemembers. High-cost debt can detract from mission focus, reduce
productivity, and require the attention of supervisors and
commanders.'' Do you agree these protections enhance the financial
readiness of servicemembers and their families, and the overall
readiness of the armed forces?
Secretary Wilkie. Yes.
Lieutenant General Seamands. Yes, the new rules provide greater
protection and close several loopholes concerning timelines, fees, and
how products are defined. However, we cannot yet ascertain whether they
are meeting the needs of soldiers. More time is needed to effectively
evaluate their impact.
Vice Admiral Burke. We agree that protections provided by the
Military Lending Act enhance the financial readiness of sailors and
their families, thereby improving overall readiness. Financial problems
have a serious negative impact on sailors and their families, and
adversely impact operational readiness, morale, and retention. For
instance, a sailor whose financial difficulties result in loss of a
required security clearance may preclude the sailor from performing his
or her duties, impacting deployability and retainability.
Lieutenant General Grosso. Yes, having these protections in place
enhances financial readiness by providing airmen and their families the
ability to reduce stress associated with finances and concentrate on
the mission. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's report, ``The
Office of Servicemember Affairs: Charting our course through the
military lifecycle'', indicated that finances are a source of stress,
even more so than deployments or personal relationships when comparing
stressors. On the 2017 DOD Status of Forces survey, approximately 10
percent of airmen experienced relationship issues regarding financial
matters. MLA protections extended to spouses and children add an
additional layer of protection from unscrupulous business practices and
further reduces the related stress on the servicemember.
Lieutenant General Rocco. I agree. The new MLA rules will help
ensure military members and their dependents understand the actual cost
of credit received under covered transactions. Having this
understanding should reduce financial distraction and strain, which
detract from mission.
8. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General Seamands,
Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General
Rocco, how can we strengthen consumer protections for servicemembers,
enhancing even further their financial readiness and the readiness of
their units?
Secretary Wilkie. The Department continues to monitor the
implementation of and compliance with the Military Lending Act by
engaging with the financial industry, regulators and servicemembers.
One key to strengthening protections is efforts by the Department and
Military Services to continually educate servicemembers to make
informed financial decisions and avoid potential improper lenders and
other types of fraud. Another area would be to evaluate the need to
extend MLA protections to Guard and Reserve members who are not
presently covered since they can encounter problems before being called
to duty for 30 days or more that impacts their readiness on Active
Duty.
Lieutenant General Seamands. The Military Lending Act of 2006,
coupled with recent DOD rules, appear to be strong measures, but
require more time for analysis to see if further adjustments are
necessary. The greatest way to protect soldiers and their families is
to teach them to protect themselves, and we believe quality financial
education, throughout soldier careers, is the first and best defense as
a consumer.
Vice Admiral Burke. Consumer protections can be strengthened
through financial literacy education and training. For example, Navy's
4-day LifeSkills course, provided following recruit training, offers
``Essentials of Credit and Debt,'' which addresses the Servicemembers
Civil Relief Act, Military Lending Act, Fair Debt Collection Practices
Act and managing pre-existing student loan debt. ``Consumer Awareness''
covers consumer protection laws, predatory lending and identity theft.
A sailor's financial readiness can be enhanced even more through
sustained emphasis on the importance of consumer protection training.
Continued sailor access to Judge Advocate General's Corps legal
assistance attorneys, and the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of
Consumer Protection's emphasis on combatting military scams and frauds,
are both important to the financial readiness of the Navy.
Additionally, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal
Trade Commission have established strong links with legal assistance
attorneys and each regularly conducts town halls and training at Navy
installations to raise sailors' awareness of the Military Lending Act
and to ensure military legal assistance attorneys have tools and
conduits to enforcement that are necessary to combat Military Lending
Act abuses. Continuation of these partnerships will help strengthen
consumer protections.
Lieutenant General Grosso. We need more time to properly evaluate
the December 2017 changes to the MLA in order to see how these consumer
protections will impact airmen and their families. The Air Force will
monitor the Status of Forces Survey results and elicit feedback from
installation level personal financial counselors, legal assistance
providers, and governmental enforcement agencies (e.g., the Consumer
Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, State Attorney
General offices, and Department of Justice) to identify if any
additional consumer protections are needed. Continued emphasis and
advocacy from lawmakers to provide consumer protection for
servicemembers and families will assist them in making sound financial
decisions and contribute to mission readiness.
Lieutenant General Rocco. Continuous education for our
servicemembers and their families about consumer protection laws and
financial management is crucial to strengthening their readiness.
Allowing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to continue its
aggressive educational push and strenuous enforcement of the MLA and
other consumer protection laws that benefit the military community is
essential; otherwise, military members lose a critical enforcement
mechanism and lenders will have no incentive to change their practices.
9. Senator Reed. Secretary Wilkie, prior to Secretary Mattis'
confirmation, he gave me his personal assurance that he would support
and protect these new MLA rules, as well as support and work with the
Office of Servicemember Affairs of the Consumer Financial Protection
Bureau, which enforces these protections. Do I have your personal
assurance to do the same?
Secretary Wilkie. Yes.
__________
Questions Submitted by Senator Claire McCaskill
harassment policy
10. Senator McCaskill. Mr. Wilkie, in many cases, it is common for
victims to come forward months and sometime years after an incident has
occurred. Under this new policy will substantiated allegations be
annotated on the current fitness/evaluation report even if the conduct
did not occur during that rating period?
Secretary Wilkie. Department of Defense Instruction (DODI) 1020.03
``Harassment Prevention and Response in the Armed Forces'' requires
rating and reviewing officials to annotate substantiated harassment
complaints on fitness reports or performance evaluations. All
substantiated incidents will be reflected in a performance evaluation,
though how this will be done may vary from Service to Service. Military
Service regulations govern the performance and evaluation reporting
processes. Per my direction, the Military Services will submit plans
detailing implementation of DODI 1020.03 by 13 April 2018. My office
will review these plans to ensure effective implementation of all
policy requirements including annotation of substantiated allegations.
ucmj case management system
11. Senator McCaskill. Mr. Wilkie, the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA
required DOD to establish a case management system. Has DOD complied
with the legislation and are the different services using a universal
system?
Secretary Wilkie. Section 5504 of the Fiscal Year 2017 NDAA
required the Secretary of Defense to ``prescribe uniform standards and
criteria'' for several functions, including ``[c]ase processing and
management.'' The statute provided that the Secretary of Defense will
issue those standards no later than 2 years after the date of
enactment, which will be December 23, 2018. The section further
provided that those standards and criteria will take effect not later
than 4 years after the date of enactment, which will be December 23,
2020. The Department has been working to meet those statutory
deadlines.
12. Senator McCaskill. Mr. Wilkie, if DOD has not established a
case management system, why not, and are the services using various
case management systems that are interoperable to ensure consistency in
reporting and tracking and can OSD manage and analyze that information?
Secretary Wilkie. As discussed in the previous response, the
statutory deadline for providing uniform standards and criteria for
case processing has not yet arrived. While the Department works to
carry out that statutory requirement, the Military Departments continue
to use their existing case management systems. Those case management
systems are not interoperable.
__________
Questions Submitted by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
number of prosecutions for retaliation offenses
13. Senator Gillibrand. Lieutenant General Seamands, Vice Admiral
Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General Rocco, please
provide the number of retaliation allegations in Fiscal Year 2017 that
were investigated in your service, by whom were they investigated, a
brief description of the nature of each of the allegations, and the
final disposition of each allegation.
Lieutenant General Seamands. The Army had 100 unique reports/
complainants of retaliation in fiscal year 2017. The Department of the
Army Inspector General investigated 56 complaints, Army Criminal
Investigation Command investigated 18, and the remaining 26 were
addressed by Commands or referred to other agencies such as the
Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General. Of the 100 reports, 49
involved reprisal, 1 involved restriction, 24 were criminal, 12
involved ostracism, and 14 involved cruelty/maltreatment. The final
dispositions of the 100 reports are still under review and will be
provided to DOD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO)
for inclusion in the Annual Report to Congress on Sexual Assault in the
Military.
Vice Admiral Burke. During Fiscal Year 2017, the Naval Inspector
General Military Whistleblower Reprisal Branch received one allegation
of retaliation, purportedly resulting from the complainant having
reported criminal misconduct and/or sexual assault/harassment. In this
case, the complainant alleged that, after reporting to the chain of
command that personnel were not ``verifying their Personnel
Qualifications Standards,'' and reporting to a chaplain that she had
been sexually harassed by a fellow officer, she received, in reprisal
for her protected communications, a letter documenting ``her inability
to perform her duties.'' The Inspector General determined that, under
regulations, communication to the chaplain did not constitute a
protected communication, and the Chaplain did not report the
allegations to complainant's chain of command. The Inspector General
declined to investigate the matter since the complaint was submitted
over 21 months following the complainant's becoming aware of the
alleged unfavorable personnel action. Under the Department of Defense
directive in effect at the time, no investigation was required when a
complaint of reprisal/retaliation was submitted to an IG over 60 days
following the date on which the member became aware of the alleged
unfavorable action. Allegations of criminal activity committed against
a victim or witness in retaliation for participating in a sexual
assault investigation are investigated by Naval Criminal Investigative
Service (NCIS). Emerging allegations of reprisal, restriction,
maltreatment, or ostracism against a victim and/or witness are
immediately reported to the appropriate DOD component with
investigative authority. In fiscal year 2017, NCIS reports it
investigated ten allegations of retaliation against a victim and/or
witness to a sexual assault investigation. Five of those cases involved
members of the U.S. Navy. A summary of each case is provided. U.S. Navy
Subsequent to the victim making an unrestricted report of sexual
assault, NCIS was contacted by local law enforcement (LE) regarding the
victim's home being burglarized. A Military Protective Order (MPO) was
in place and at the time of the incident the suspect was at a court
hearing. Ultimately, no suspect was identified and the burglary
investigation was closed. The Victim Legal Counsel (VLC) contacted NCIS
to indicate the subject of the sexual assault investigation had
violated the MPO and had accessed the victim's email account, deleted
emails, and forwarded emails pertaining to the victim's divorce and
child custody proceedings. Both investigations are on-going. Offender
found guilty at General Court Martial (GCM) and sentenced to life in
prison. Offender's father has made two music videos alluding to killing
victim. Victim has been provided an updated safety plan. The
retaliation investigation is on-going. The victim in an unrestricted
sexual assault investigation contacted base police to report she was
receiving harassing electronic communication. Numerous individuals were
interviewed and provided statements. Forensic evidence was sent to the
lab with negative results. The investigation did not identify a subject
and was subsequently closed. NCIS sexual assault investigation was
closed with command electing not to prefer charges due to insufficient
evidence against the subject. The victim of a sexual assault contacted
base police reporting the subject of the sexual assault investigation
had violated the MPO and followed the victim. Subject denied following
the victim and indicated he was to stay at least 300 feet away from the
victim. Subject was unaware that the victim was in close proximity on
the Ship and would continue to avoid the victim in the future. NCIS
sexual assault investigation on-going.
Lieutenant General Grosso.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Investigation
Retaliation Authority Description Disposition
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 CommOstracized by Team Coach -Retaliation Investigation not complete--
allegation initiated by parents of Investigating Officer and Judge
Secondary Victim who were informed by Advocate also made several
Secondary Victim that he was being recommendations, all of which are in
ostracized by his Coach and two the process of being implemented:
Teammates. The reason for the Teammate receive appropriate
ostracism was because Secondary counseling from leadership; Mandate
Victim's sister (Victim) was sexually a sexual assault survivor event for
assaulted by Accused, also a the team (first) then implement with
teammate. The 2 Teammates and Coach other athletic teams (regardless of
were perceived to have sided with gender); Develop a communication
Accused and therefore ostracized plan between Cadet Wing Chain-of-
Secondary Victim and mistreated him Command and Athletic Department to
ensure leadership of both mission
elements are aware of developments
during sexual assault incidents,
within the limits of the Privacy
Act; Develop and implement a
professional relationship seminar
for Athletic Dept. staff; Schedule a
meeting with the parents of
Secondary Victim to brief them on
the final recommendations of this
Command Directed Investigation; Use
scenario as lesson-learned training
for commanders, faculty, staff at
USAFA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 CommReprisal -Reporter (Civilian) alleged Investigation not complete
that retaliator E-7 sexually harassed
her and that he threatened to fire
her and/or make it difficult for her
to obtain medical supplies after she
rejected his sexual advances.
Originally Reporter and retaliator
were peers. E-7 attempted to kiss
Reporter in his car and he invited
Reporter into his home after a night
out with co-workers. Both advances
were rejected by Reporter.
Subsequently, E-7 became the acting
Superintendent of the squadron. In
that position he allegedly retaliated
against Reporter by threatening to
fire her and making it difficult for
her to obtain needed medical supplies
to perform her job
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 CommaReprisal, Cruelty and Maltreatment Investigation opened; command
and Other Matters (Failure to Protect directed investigation on-
from Ostracism, Maltreatment, going.PComplainant PCS'd (not due to
Discrimination, and/or Retaliation; expedited transfer)
Failure to foster culture of dignity/
respect).P-Reporter, who at the time
was an E-5, filed a restricted report
of sexual assault; the accused is a
civilian employee. There are two
alleged retaliators: alleged
retaliator one (R1) was the O-6
senior military official in the
organization and alleged retaliator
two (R2) was R1's O-5 executive
officer (O-5). R1 and R2 did not
notify law enforcement or SARC upon
learning that reporter alleged being
sexually assaulted, and instead, R1
and R2 informed reporter and other
employees that the accused civilian
employee would not have committed
such misconduct. Thereafter, reporter
changed her restricted report to an
unrestricted report. R1 moved
reporter to the front office to be
more closely supervised; refused to
transfer the reporter out of the duty
section and/or change her rater; and
ordered reporter to stop discussing
her sexual assault case with anyone
in her chain of command (to include
First Sergeant and Command Chief) and
to stop defaming the accused.
Reporter first made a reprisal
complaint to USAFA/IG; this first
reprisal complaint was closed on 6
Jan 17 as not meeting the USAFA/IG
threshold for reprisal. However, due
to new evidence uncovered via an
Office of Special Investigations
investigation of the underlying
sexual assault report, reporter filed
a second reprisal complaint. 2d
reprisal complaint was made to 21 SW/
IG because the reporter PCS'd to a
new base
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 CommReprisalP-Complainant 1 reported to Investigation not complete; command
her First Sergeant that the Non- directed investigation on-going
Commissioned Officer in Charge
(NCOIC) of her work group (Subject)
had been sending her inappropriate
text messages for several months,
despite her expressing displeasure.
Complainant 1's allegation resulted
in the initiation of a commander-
directed investigation (CDI). During
the on-going CDI, the Investigating
Officer (IO), spoke with reporter.
Reporter stated she dated Subject/
NCOIC but that he had also sent her
photos of his penis that were
unwanted. Reporter told the IO ``I
wanted to notify leadership that
these things were going on, but
[Subject] told me that I would get
kicked out of the military or that
leadership would not believe me.''
Subject is the NCOIC of a section,
and he supervises eight airmen.
Complainant 1 and reporter are both
members of the section. A third
female airman in the section had a
consensual sexual relationship with
Subject. At this stage in the
investigation the IO has confirmed
that Subject pursued a sexual
relationship with three of the six
female airmen he supervises
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 CommaReprisalP-Victim made a restricted Initial Investigation opened;
report to the Sexual Assault Response investigating officer found
Coordinator (SARC), which was later allegations to be unsubstantiated--
changed to unrestricted without closed 28 July 17.PComplainant
victim's consent because of concerns transferred via expedited
for victim's safety (suicidal transfer.PNew command directed
ideations). An Air Force Office of investigation pending based on
Special Investigations (AFOSI) discovery of new evidence; legal is
investigation was initiated on 3 Oct working to draft the framed
16. Victim and E-8 worked in the same allegations
squadron. Victim received a Letter Of
Reprimand (LOR) for poor work
performance on 7 Mar 17 from the E-8
(Superintendent). Victim claims that
the E-8 issued an unjust LOR.
Additionally, victim alleged that her
Enlisted Performance Report, which
was submitted by E-8 on 11 Apr 17,
did not accurately portray her work
and volunteer performance. She
reported reprisal on the part of the
E-8 to the IG, which forwarded the
allegation to the command
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 CommReprisalP-Complainant reported to his Initial Investigation opened;
squadron commander that his investigating officer found
supervisor had sexually harassed him allegations to be
on two occasions. The complainant unsubstantiated.PComplainant moved
alleged that his negative response to to another section due to existing
the sexual advances, led the alleged poor working relationship
subject (who was also complainant's
supervisor), to give him a Letter of
Counseling and a Referral Officer
Performance Report. The Wing
Commander initiated a Command
Directed Investigation regarding the
sexual harassment complaint
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 CommReprisalP-Victim made an Unrestricted Allegations substantiated, the
Report. Afterwards, the victim Retaliator received adverse
reported a friend and co-worker of administrative actions
Accused was actively mistreating her
and talking negatively behind her
back to other members of the
squadron, all after he discovered a
Report was made
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 DOD IG Reprisal -Victim made a third party Reported to AF IG; case transferred
allegation of sexual assault to her to DOD IG; investigation is on-going
squadron commander. The victim
alleged the commander discussed the
report with the Joint Force
Headquarters Director of Staff. The
victim then alleges he received a
letter of admonishment in reprisal
for the report of sexual assault
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 DOD IG Reprisal -Victim made a report of Reported to SARC; case transferred
sexual assault during training by her to DOD IG; investigation is on-going
instructor to her SARC. Victim
alleges her supervisor and her
supervisor's supervisor threatened to
terminate her job with the Honor
Guard in reprisal for make the report
of sexual assault. Victim alleges
that the manager reprised against her
because he knew of the actions of the
supervisors but took no action to
stop them
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 DOD IG Reprisal -Complainant was supporting Reported to AF IG; case transferred
a sexual assault victim as she dealt to DOD IG; investigation is on-going
with her chain of command.
Complainant believes he is being
reprised against for supporting the
sexual assault victim
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11 DOD IG Reprisal -Complainant alleged he was Reported to AF IG; case transferred
the victim of a sexual assault while to DOD IG; investigation is on-going
deployed to Afghanistan. Upon his
return stateside, he alleged he was
denied an end of tour decoration in
reprisal for having made the report
of sexual assault
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 Service IG Reprisal -Victim alleged she was Service IG Investigation opened;
sexually harassed by a coworker and investigating officer found
that the same coworker had sexually allegations to be unsubstantiated--
assaulted another coworker. She DOD IG reviewed and concurred with
reported this to her supervisor who findings; investigation closed.
she claimed threatened to reveal the Complainant informed of findings
victim's inappropriate relationship
with another servicemember. An
inquiry by the Service inspector
general determined that the threat to
reveal the victim's relationship to
the unit's leadership did not rise to
the level of an unfavorable personnel
action
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13 Service IG Restriction and Reprisal -Victim Investigation not complete--on-going
alleged she reported sexual
harassment by her squadron commander
and that after she made complaints to
the IG, she received a Letter of
Reprimand and other duty
restrictions. Also, that the E-7 told
victim ``to stop filing complaints
with IG and using Judge Advocate
General (JAG) and (her) troubles
might subside''
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
14 Service IG Reprisal -Victim alleged she was Service IG investigation opened;
sexually harassed by a coworker. She allegations unsubstantiated;
reported this to her supervisor who complaint currently under review and
she claimed wrote a downgraded will be sent to DOD IG for
performance report in reprisal. An concurrence/approval
inquiry by the Service IG determined
no such unfavorable personnel action
took place
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 DOD IG Reprisal -The victim alleged she was Reported to SARC; case transferred
sexually assaulted and reported it to to DOD IG; investigation is on-going
the SARC. Afterwards, she claims her
Group commander and Squadron
commander reprised against her by
denying Incapacitation Pay request
and not informing her of her
promotion or non-promotion to captain
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
16 DOD IG Reprisal -Victim was offered non- Investigation not complete--on-going
judicial punishment (NJP). Victim
then made an unrestricted report of
sexual assault. Victim then alleged
reduction in rank from NJP is in
retaliation for making report of
sexual assault
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17 DOD IG Reprisal -Witness/bystander assisted Investigation not complete--on-going
a coworker in reporting a sexual
assault. As a result of the report of
sexual assault, the witness alleges
his commander reprised against him by
not allowing him to test for
promotion and First Sergeant reprised
against him by issuing him a letter
of reprimand
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18 DOD IG Reprisal -Victim alleged a sexual Reported to SARC/AFOSI, case
assault and reported it to the SARC/ transferred to DOD IG; investigation
AF Office of Special Investigations is on-going
(AFOSI). Afterwards, she claims her
Squadron commander and Flight
commander reprised against her by
issuing her a letter of reprimand for
making the report
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19 DOD IG Reprisal -Victim alleged a sexual Reported to AFOSI, case transferred
assault and reported to AFOSI. Victim to DOD IG; investigation is on-going
alleges her Enlisted Performance
Report was then marked down for
making the report
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 DOD IG Reprisal -Victim alleged a sexual Reported to SARC/AFOSI; the case is
assault and reported to SARC and currently undergoing continued
AFOSI. Victim alleges her chain of analysis and may be transferred to
command attempted to disenroll her DOD IG
from the AF Academy for making the
report
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21 DOD IG ReprisalP-Victim alleged a sexual Investigation not complete--on-going
assault and reported it to her Senior
Materiel Leader. Afterwards, she
claims her supervisor reprised
against her by falsifying Officer
Performance Report feedback date for
making the report and a senior
officer reprised against her by
giving her a Letter of Counseling for
making the report
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
22 DOD IG ReprisalP-Victim alleged a sexual Reported to SARC/AFOSI; the case is
assault and reported to SARC and currently undergoing continued
AFOSI. Victim alleges her chain of analysis and may be transferred to
command attempted to disenroll her DOD IG
from the AF Academy for making the
report
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
23 DOD IG ReprisalP-Victim alleged a sexual Reported to SARC; case transferred
assault and reported it to the SARC. to DOD IG; investigation is on-going
After reporting the sexual assault,
the victim claims her supervisor gave
her an unfavorable Airman
Comprehensive Assessment
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 Service IG ReprisalP-Victim alleged a sexual Reported to CID; case is currently
assault and reported to Criminal under review by Service IG; results
Investigation Command (CID). Victim will be sent to DOD IG for
alleged she was issued a Letter of concurrence/approval
Counseling and Letter of Reprimand
for reporting the sexual assault
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
25 DOD IG ReprisalP-Victim alleged a sexual Investigation not complete--on-going
assault and reported it. After a
trial, the alleged perpetrator was
found not guilty. Subsequently, the
victim's squadron superintendent
intended to move her to another
organization because of the sexual
assault, which the victim felt was an
unfavorable personnel action
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
26 MCIO/SeReprisal, ostracism, & cruelty or Complaint filed with IG & Equal
Enforcement maltreatmentP-Complainant was called Opportunity (EO); Command directed
a liar and told she falsified investigation open in squadron--on-
official documents, would be going
administratively punished; when
complainant pushed back on the
accusations she was threatened and
harassed by supervisor and another
male squadron member to ``drop the
issue''
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
27 Service Law ReprisalP-Received unwanted Facebook Investigation opened--on-going
Enforcement message from alleged perpetrator
asking for nude pictures of the
complainant; complainant feels
rejecting the alleged perpetrator
would lead to reprisal due to the
small size of the base
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28 MCIO/DOOstracismP-Peers commented ``unit Referred to First Sergeant, EO and
would be better without her'' after SARC; reporter requested and
complainant reported sexual assault; received transfer
work and personal appointments more
scrutinized than others
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is important to note that retaliation can take many forms. Thus,
any underlying misconduct that may constitute retaliation could result
in any number of charges in violation of the Uniform Code of Military
Justice (for example, communicating a threat, property damage, or
obstruction of justice). Please see the attached documents for an
overview of judge advocate involvement in the military justice process.
Attachments 1 to 4 have already been provided to members of Congress,
to include another request for information submitted to DOD by Senator
Gillibrand. Attachment 5 generally describes Air Force judge advocate
training.
Lieutenant General Rocco. In fiscal year 2017, the below fifteen
(15) cases/allegations of retaliation were reported by Sexual Assault
Responses Coordinators (SARCs) and represent allegations of retaliation
discussed at Case Management Group (CMG) meetings. Allegations of
retaliation discussed at CMG may or may not have been formally
investigated, as some allegations were resolved when the command
learned of the allegation. Inspector General inquiries and command
investigations were utilized to formally investigate certain
allegations. While further coordination will be necessary to report on
the final disposition of some of the allegations, the following case
information (allegations) is tracked by the Marine Corps Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response (SAPR) Office: Victim alleged she felt punished
because her Master Sergeant (MSgt), in an effort to ensure the victim
and her offender did not interact, did not permit the victim to perform
certain duties. She described the experience as stagnating her
training, proficiency, and career. She was also denied sick in quarters
(SIQ) because she might come into contact with the offender in her
barracks. The Commanding Officer (CO) has informed the MSgt the marine
is allowed to be at any PMO posts during her shift. Corporals were
discussing a victim's case. The victim was made aware of the discussion
and information was referred to command for action. No further update
is available at this time. Victim made an unrestricted report. She
learned that a MSgt in another unit was discussing her case negatively.
She reported the conduct to her Victim Advocate (VA) and Victim's Legal
Counsel (VLC), who reported the matter to the IG. The conduct was
determined to not constitute reprisal. Nevertheless, the command
counseled the MSgt for discussing the case. Victim learned that the
subject in the investigation was talking negatively to other people in
the command about the victim. She reported it to her VA and the
command. The command modified the Military Protective Order (MPO) to
specifically address this concern and counseled subject about talking
to others about the victim. Victim made an unrestricted report.
Afterwards, the victim reported receiving adverse comments on social
media from peers which included stating that the victim was the most
hated marine within the command. The allegation was reviewed during the
CMG. It was determined that this was a peer-to-peer situation and the
command was directed to conduct a Preliminary Inquiry. MPOs were issued
to control further discussion of the matter within the Detachment. The
CO issued a 6105 (Page 11 Entry) to the individual who initiated the
comments. Victim initially made a restricted report and later changed
the report to ``unrestricted'' to get VLC involved on an IG complaint.
Victim was found to have narcotics in his system after the assault. The
victim felt he was drugged during the course of the assault and that he
should not be held responsible for wrongful drug abuse. The command
took administrative action for drug abuse that resulted in a negative
impact on the career progression of the victim. Victim executed an
expedited transfer. After the victim made an unrestricted report of
sexual assault, his evaluations were lowered without being provided
justification or prior counseling. Victim was told he could not go to
the Naval Academy, reenlist, or laterally change rates to a new MOS
because he was being seen by mental/behavioral health services. Victim
was transferred out of the battalion and to a new work place and
barracks with no explanation, while the alleged offender was able to
stay in the battalion and MOS. Victim's confidentiality was violated
and he was labeled a ``rapist'' and reportedly ostracized. No further
update is available at this time. A Civilian VA (CVA) was retaliated
against by their SARC while providing advocacy support and services to
their client. The CVA reported the allegations to the local IG and the
case was forwarded to DOD IG. The CVA reported the allegations at the
CMG. The case is being investigated by DOD IG. Victim was a subject in
a separate ongoing investigation. When his clearance was suspended
pending outcome of the separate investigation, he filed a case of
reprisal to his command via his VLC. A request mast was held with the
O-5 Commander and the victim's issues/concerns were addressed to the
victim's satisfaction. VLC was also present on behalf of marine. Victim
made an unrestricted report. Afterwards, the victim reported being
subjected to adverse performance evaluations, interference with
promotion, denied the opportunity for meals, and degrading comments
amongst other adverse actions. She reported the retaliation to the
command via request mast and also requested an expedited transfer,
which ultimately led to her relocation to a new unit aboard the
installation. The Battalion CO initiated administrative separation
(ADSEP) processing against the victim for fraudulent enlistment. The
information supporting ADSEP processing is a history of depression not
revealed during the enlistment process. The information relating to
depression arose during a counseling session at the Community
Counseling Center. The victim was attending counseling as a result of
an unreported sexual assault. The victim's Battalion CO and MEF
Information Group CO have been advised by the victim's SARC about the
alleged retaliation. The SARC continues to follow up with the victim's
O6-level commander to determine the way forward. A victim reported
receiving threats and being sexually harassed in the barracks. Comments
she received included reference to her unrestricted report. The alleged
retaliator received an informal/verbal counseling. Victim stated her
immediate supervisors made it difficult for her to make personal
contact with her uniformed VA (UVA) and other resources, as she was
required to provide a detailed explanation of where she was going and
why. A colonel spoke with her immediate supervisors and implemented
policies to ensure the victim could seek assistance without going into
detail regarding her appointments. UVA for a victim stated the victim's
immediate supervisors made it difficult for the UVA to make personal
contact with the victim and stated to the UVA that she did not need to
accompany victim to appointments. UVA's immediate supervisor expected
UVA to provide details where UVA was taking her victim and for what
reason. A colonel spoke with all involved and implemented policies to
ensure victim could seek assistance without going into detail regarding
her appointments. Victim reportedly experienced ostracism and
retaliation from the command when her promotion was delayed. Further,
she reported several co-workers were directed to stay away from her.
The victim requested mast with the Commanding General and worked with
her VLC. The command investigated, but was unable to substantiate the
ostracism allegation, and developed a plan to assist the victim in
meeting promotion requirements. The victim was subsequently promoted.
involvement of trained prosecutors in criminal investigations and
decision making
14. Senator Gillibrand. Lieutenant General Seamands, Vice Admiral
Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General Rocco, please
describe, in detail, the typical training and experience level of each
judge advocate advising at each stage of the military justice process
(from initiation of investigation to post-trial matters).
Lieutenant General Seamands. The JAGC ensures that military
practitioners are trained at all levels:
Institutional (primarily conducted at The Judge Advocate
General's Legal Center and School (TJAGLCS)); Intermediate Trial
Advocacy Course; for mid-level practitioners, the Graduate Course,
Military Justice Managers Course, the Judge Advocate Officer Advanced
Course, and the Advanced Trial Communication Course; and for senior
practitioners, the Military Judges Course and the Staff Judge Advocate
Course.
Functional (primarily conducted by subject matter experts
at designated locations).
Operational (primarily conducted at the judge advocate's
unit by the unit's military justice leadership).
This training continues throughout the course of a Judge Advocate's
(JA's) career, corresponding to the JA's rank, time in service, and
military justice position.
All JAs are attorneys who are members of at least one civilian bar.
As such, they are subject to the individual continuing legal education
(CLE) and administrative requirements of that organization in addition
to the annual requirements imposed by the JAG Corps (JAGC). Upon entry
into the JAGC, all JAs travel to Charlottesville, Virginia to TJAGLCS,
an ABA accredited institution that is located on the University of
Virginia grounds, adjacent to UVA's law school. While there, students
will complete the JA Officer Basic Course, a 3-month course covering
the various military legal disciplines, to include criminal law.
Approximately 8 years later, JA's will return to coincide with their
promotion to major for a year-long program to receive their L.L.M. in
military law which includes a number of general and specialized
military law courses, some mandatory, others optional. Additionally,
throughout the entirety of a JA's career, as they move into new
positions that require specialized training, such as military justice,
they will attend training to meet that need. This will take place both
at TJAGLCS, as well as regional training elsewhere when hosted by Trial
Counsel Assistance Program (TCAP), a JAGC subdivision tasked to train
military prosecutors and assist in the prosecution of complex cases.
TCAP is located in Washington DC, staffed with highly experienced trial
attorneys, and provides assistance world-wide. The military classes
typically last 1 to 2 weeks. Army prosecutors also train with outside
agencies as well, such as the National District Attorney's Association
(NDAA) in order to maximize training opportunities.
Army prosecutors are called Trial Counsel (TC) and within the first
6 months, typically less, attend the multi-week Basic Trial Advocacy
Course. Following that there are a number of other classes offered
focusing on a variety of topics to include prosecuting domestic
violence, maximizing the use of experts and prosecuting child abuse. In
sexual assault cases, Special Victim Prosecutors (SVPs) lead the
prosecution effort with the assistance of the TC. SVPs have prior trial
experience, and are specialized prosecutors who provide subject matter
expertise in sexual offense investigations and prosecutions based on
their prior experience and training, and often have offices within
their local installation United States Army Criminal Investigation
Command (CID) building. SVPs are individually selected and approved at
the highest level of the JAGC. Each SVP goes through 2 weeks of the
Sexual Assault Trial Advocacy Training (SATAC), followed by a one-week
SVP Course. Each SVP also conducts 2 weeks at the NDAA's Career
Prosecutor Course, and 2 weeks of on-the-job-training; typically with
another SVP or with a special victim branch of a large civilian DA
office.
Supporting the TCs are often Senior Trial Counsel (STC) normally
selected after a prior successful assignment as a TC. The Chief of
Military Justice (COJ) provides oversight over the TCs, as well as the
other military justice personnel, and is the individual responsible for
the post trial process and providing completed products to the Staff
Judge Advocate (SJA) for review with the commanding general (CG).
Staff Judge Advocates (SJAs) advise General Courts-Martial
Convening Authorities. SJAs have trial experience as a prosecutor,
defense counsel or both, and have years of prior experience supervising
military justice.
At various points in their career, a military justice practitioner
would attend many of the below courses, either as a prosecutor, defense
counsel, or senior JA (* are mandatory courses):
JA Officer Basic Course*
Trial Counsel Conference*
Basic Trial Advocacy Course*
Intermediate Trial Advocacy Course*
Defense Counsel 101*
Defense Counsel 201*
Military Institute for Prevention of Sexual Violence
Cornerhouse Training
Advanced Trial Communications
Defense of the Damned
Capital Litigation Courses
NCMEC Course
USACIL Course on Experts
Military Justice Managers Course
TCAP/DDCAP Experts Symposium
Conference on Crimes Against Women
Sexual Assault Trial Advocacy Course
JA Graduate Course*
NDAA's Career Prosecutor Course*
Internship at local DA's Office for SVPs*
Military Judges Course
Staff Judge Advocate Course*
Best Practices for SJAs Course*
Vice Admiral Burke. Senior Trial Counsel (STV), Special Victim
Investigation and Prosecution (SVIP)-trained trial counsel, and other
trained and experienced judge advocates, are heavily involved in the
military justice process from the earliest investigative stages through
final disposition. Navy trial counsel and Staff Judge Advocates (SJA)
are continuously trained to stay current with emerging legal issues.
Navy continues to evolve training and litigation practices in response
to the increasingly complex nature of military justice cases. The core
of Navy's military justice experience is our Military Justice
Litigation Career Track (MJLCT), established in 2007 to develop a cadre
of professional criminal litigators. The MJLCT is for judge advocates
with demonstrated military justice knowledge, experience, and advocacy
skills. Entry into the MJLCT is through a competitive selection board.
The MJLCT combines continued education, training, and courtroom
experience with oversight by and access to senior and seasoned
litigation mentors to help judge advocates develop the skills needed to
become highly-capable trial lawyers and judges. Generally, Military
Justice Litigation Qualified (MJLQ) officers are detailed to fill
billets specifically designated as career track assignments, which
include certain trial counsel, defense counsel, victim's legal counsel,
appellate counsel, and trial and appellate judge billets. These
officers possess the skills, experience, and temperament necessary to
mentor and train non-MJLQ officers who may also be assigned to these
billets. At the close of fiscal year 2017, there were 79 MJLQ officers
but, over the next 2 fiscal years, the community will grow by 6 to 8
officers to meet increased demand. All judge advocates complete the
Naval Justice School's Basic Lawyer Course (BLC), which provides
training in military justice and trial advocacy skills, and includes a
capstone exercise during which students prosecute or defend in a mock
sexual assault trial. Students participate from the investigative
stages through a fully contested court-martial. This model of
experiential learning serves to provide First-Tour Judge Advocates
(FTJAs) with the foundational skills to support the military justice
mission. Upon graduation, FTJAs report to a Region Legal Service Office
(RLSO) to complete rotations in three core practice areas--Military
Justice (one year), Legal Assistance (6 months), and Command Services
(6 months). FTJAs must demonstrate proficiency by meeting professional
development standards designed and tailored for each core practice area
before moving on to the next rotation. In limited circumstances,
following prerequisite training, FTJAs may petition to be detailed to a
court-martial under the supervision of a more senior lead counsel. The
commanding officer may detail FTJAs who have demonstrated the necessary
skills and aptitude. Upon completion of this 2-year training cycle,
FTJAs can be assigned to a Trial Department to serve as ``core trial
counsel;'' under continued intense supervision and mentoring. Core
trial counsel, having previously completed a litigation tour, compete
for selection into Navy's specialized Military Justice Litigation
Career Track (MJLCT). Within 6 months of reporting to a RLSO, a core
trial counsel returns to the Naval Justice School's Basic Trial
Advocacy course, if they have not previously attended, which focuses
primarily on courtroom advocacy through student participation and
competitive skills-based drills. The course includes a sexual assault
case study, coupled with practical exercises, to maximize participation
and enhance advocacy skills. Within the first year of reporting, the
core trial counsel attends at least one SVIP course--facilitated by the
Naval Justice School, other Service schools, or a civilian prosecutor
organization (e.g., the National District Attorney's Association). Core
trial counsel also attend one-of-two courses at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) focused on investigating adult
sexual assaults or family crimes. At FLETC, trial counsel train side-
by-side with Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents on the unique
requirements of investigating and prosecuting special victim crimes.
These courses focus on investigating and prosecuting adult sexual
assault, domestic violence, and child abuse and exploitation. Naval
Justice School also offers a Litigating Complex Cases course every 2
years, which focuses on forensics and medical evidence associated with
special victim crimes. The Litigation Training Coordination Council
(LTCC) is a dual-service, inter-disciplinary group chaired by the
Assistant Judge Advocate General for Military Justice and the Chief
Judge of the Department of the Navy. The LTCC--composed of members of
the Naval Justice School, the Trial Counsel Assistance Program (TCAP),
the Defense Counsel Assistance Program, the Office of the Judge
Advocate General Criminal Law Division, and an adult learning expert--
meets at least once each quarter to ensure all military justice
training is current, relevant, and properly budgeted and prioritized.
RLSO Trial Departments are led by a STC, who must be an MJLQ officer,
and a lieutenant commander-select, or above. In fleet concentration
areas, STCs serve in the grade of commander (O-5). STC provide proven
courtroom experience; personally conducting, adjudicating, or
overseeing litigation in all Navy courts-martial, to include sexual
assault and other complex cases. Upon reporting, STC complete a one-
week special victims investigation course and participate in additional
specialized training such as Litigating Complex Cases, Navy Mobile
Training Team training, or other online special victims offense or
litigation training. Each core trial counsel and FTJA works under the
direct supervision of the STC, who reports to an executive officer (O-5
judge advocate), and a commanding officer (O-6 judge advocate). TCAP
provides additional guidance, litigation support, advice, and training,
to RLSO Trial Counsel. Commanding officers may request TCAP to assist
in courts-martial, to include detailing TCAP counsel to serve as lead
or assistant trial counsel in complex cases, or to provide mentorship
and supervision to less experienced trial counsel. TCAP serves as
Navy's primary litigation resource to trial counsel and trial
paralegals prosecuting criminal offenses under the Uniform Code of
Military Justice. TCAP's director is a judge advocate with prior
experience as a military judge and STC, designated by the MJLQ board as
an ``expert'' MJLQ officer. The deputy director is a senior civilian
career prosecutor and prior executive with the National District
Attorney's Association. The assistant director has experience as both
trial counsel and defense counsel, and is designated by the MJLQ board
as a ``specialist'' MJLQ officer. TCAP also employs the services of a
Highly Qualified Expert to advise on prosecuting a range of special
victim crimes matters. TCAP visits each RLSO annually to conduct 3 days
of targeted training related to special victim crimes and trial
advocacy strategies. Topics include strategic charging of adult sexual
assaults, child forensic interviews, working with victims, sentencing
strategies, the Victim Witness Assistance Program, and prosecuting
computer crimes related to child exploitation. Additionally, TCAP
identifies special victim crime webinars for core trial counsels'
continuing legal education. TCAP's goal is for core trial counsel to
receive over 75 hours of specific SVIP training within their first year
of reporting to a Trial Department. Staff Judge Advocates (SJA) provide
advice to convening authorities on military justice matters. The rank,
experience, and training of the SJA vary with seniority of the
convening authority. SJAs advising non-flag officer clients, at a
minimum, have completed the FTJA program and received training in the
core practice areas prior to assuming their SJA assignment. In
preparation for assignment as an SJA, judge advocates generally attend
the Naval Justice School's SJA Course which includes review of military
justice matters associated with the SJA practice, including evidentiary
issues, post-trial processing, the Victim and Witness Assistance
Program, and the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program. SJAs
are typically lieutenants or lieutenant commanders. SJAs advising flag-
officer clients, are typically lieutenant commanders or higher. They
generally attend the Naval Justice School's Advanced SJA course and
receive advanced training in handling officer misconduct, the Victim
Witness Assistance Program, and the Sexual Assault Prevention and
Response Program. The course includes panel discussions and small group
sessions based on specific areas of practice. Course facilitators
include current or former senior SJAs from the Department of the Navy
Secretariat, Chief of Naval Operations staff, component commands, fleet
commands, and other flag officer commands.
Lieutenant General Grosso. See the attached documents, as Appendix
B, Attachments 1 to 5, starting on page 149. Attachments 1 to 4 have
already been provided to members of Congress, to include another
request for information submitted to DOD by Senator Gillibrand.
Attachment 5 generally describes Air Force judge advocate training.
Lieutenant General Rocco. Trial counsel, i.e., prosecutors, hold
juris doctor degrees, are licensed to practice law in at least one
state, and designated as judge advocates having graduated from Naval
Justice School and certified by the Judge Advocate General to prosecute
or defend military justice cases under Article 27, UCMJ. Trial counsel
perform their duties under the supervision of Senior Trial Counsel
(STC), Regional Trial Counsel (RTC), and the Officer in Charge, Legal
Services Support Section. The STCs are ordinarily majors (O-4), and the
RTCs are ordinarily lieutenant colonels (O-5). Both normally have
advanced degrees (LL.M.) in criminal justice. The staff judge advocate
(SJA) is the primary legal advisor to a commander and provides advice
on military justice matters throughout the military justice process.
SJAs will have previously served in trial billets and are ordinarily
lieutenant colonels (O-5) and colonels (O-6).
15. Senator Gillibrand. Lieutenant General Seamands, Vice Admiral
Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General Rocco, how
many prosecutors do you have that are trained in special victim
capabilities and when do they typically become involved in a case?
Lieutenant General Seamands. There are currently authorizations for
23 Special Victim Prosecutors with 26 currently assigned. Additionally,
there are over 200 trial counsel and 30 to 40 senior trial counsel, all
of whom have various levels of training in handling special victim
cases.
Vice Admiral Burke. Yes, a Special Victim Investigation and
Prosecution (SVIP)-trained prosecutor is assigned in every Special
Victim Crimes (SVC) case, either as lead counsel, assistant counsel, or
supervisory counsel. Assignment occurs within the first 24 to 48 hours
of report of the SVC to the Region Legal Service Office (RLSO). The
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is required to notify the
local RLSO within 24 hours of the report of a SVC, and within 48 hours,
the NCIS Case Agent is required to collaborate with a SVIP-trained
Trial Counsel.
Lieutenant General Grosso. Air Force Instruction 51-201,
Administration of Military Justice, requires each installation Staff
Judge Advocate to designate an investigative support team composed of a
judge advocate and paralegal who will work with the Air Force Office of
Special Investigations (AFOSI) case agent in all investigations
involving an unrestricted report of adult sexual assault, domestic
violence involving sexual assault and/or aggravated assault with
grievous bodily harm, and child abuse involving sexual assault and/or
aggravated assault with grievous bodily harm.
In cases involving sexual assault, AFOSI notifies the installation
Staff Judge Advocate's office upon starting substantive criminal
investigation into an allegation under the Uniform Code of Military
Justice. The Staff Judge Advocate will then designate an attorney to
provide initial counsel to the case agent on the new investigation.
This designation will occur as early as practicable in the
investigative process to ensure proper legal support to the
investigation. The attorney designated to assist the investigator will
assist in investigative plan development, case development, and conduct
a ``hot wash'' at the conclusion of any prosecution.
Beyond the investigative support team described in the preceding
paragraphs, there are 11 Special Victim's Unit--Senior Trial Counsel
(SVU-STC) in the Government Trial and Appellate Counsel Division. In
cases involving sexual assault, these SVU-STCs are detailed as early as
possible to provide full-spectrum litigation support including
evidence/charging reviews, pretrial interviewing of victims/witnesses,
case preparation, and service as lead counsel in the court-martial.
These SVU-STCs are involved with the case as soon as they are
requested, very often before the preferral stage of the process. For
sexual assault cases, charges must be reviewed by a SVU-STC prior to
preferral.
Also, see the attached documents. Attachments 1 to 4 (Appendix B,
page 149) have already been provided to members of Congress, to include
another request for information submitted to DOD by Senator Gillibrand.
Attachment 5 (Appendix B, page 153) generally describes Air Force judge
advocate training.
Lieutenant General Rocco. The Regional Trial Counsel (RTC) will
employ the Complex Trial Team (CTT) to deliver Special Victim
Investigation and Prosecution (SVIP) capabilities through a task
organized combination of prosecutors, highly qualified experts (HQEs),
victim witness assistance personnel, investigators, administrative
support, and paralegal support from across the region. The CTT will
work in conjunction with the victim, victim support providers, the
command, and NCIS to deliver a comprehensive investigation and, when
appropriate, prosecution. The Marine Corps has approximately fifty (50)
SVIP Trial Counsel. Qualification of SVIP Trial Counsel is based on the
following requirements: (1) be a certified as a General Court-Martial
Trial Counsel; (2) demonstrate to the Legal Services Support Section
Officer in Charge's (OIC) satisfaction that the trial counsel possesses
the requisite expertise, experience, education, innate ability, and
disposition to competently prosecute special victim cases; (3)
prosecute a contested special or general court-martial in a special
victim case as an assistant trial counsel; (4) attend an intermediate
level trial advocacy training course for the prosecution of special
victims cases (e.g., Trial Counsel Assistance Program Prosecuting
Special Victim Cases Course); and (5) receive recommendations, in
writing, from the Senior Trial Counsel (STC), RTC, and, when
applicable, Legal Services Support Team OIC. Trial counsel become
involved almost immediately in certain complex cases. As required by
DODI 5505.19 w/ CH 2 of 23 March 2017, in certain sexual assault and
domestic violence cases, the trial counsel are notified within 24 hours
of the report of an offense by NCIS. Trial counsel are consulted within
48 hours of such a report and then consulted again at least once a
month by the NCIS special agents assigned to the case. These
consultations may involve investigative plans, searches for electronic
evidence, or a review of the evidence gathered to-date. As a case nears
the completion of the investigation stage, particularly in sexual
assault and domestic violence cases, the trial counsel drafts a case
analysis memorandum (CAM), analyzing the evidentiary strengths and
weaknesses of the case. The trial counsel's supervising attorneys--the
STC and RTC--working with a civilian HQE, review the CAM for
completeness. Once the CAM is approved, it is submitted to the SJA to
inform the advice the SJA provides to the commander responsible for the
case.
16. Senator Gillibrand. Lieutenant General Seamands, Vice Admiral
Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General Rocco, do you
have a prosecutor trained in special victim capabilities assigned to
each case as either the primary counsel or the assistant counsel? When
does that assignment occur?
Lieutenant General Seamands. The Army assigns a Special Victim
Prosecutor to each case from the outset when the criminal investigators
learn about it. Their involvement in each case varies based on the
complexity of the case and the capability of the trial counsel(s) who
are also assigned to it, but they typically try contested cases as a
first or second chair.
Vice Admiral Burke. Yes, a Special Victim Investigation and
Prosecution (SVIP)-trained prosecutor is assigned in every Special
Victim Crimes (SVC) case, either as lead counsel, assistant counsel, or
supervisory counsel. Assignment occurs within the first 24 to 48 hours
of report of the SVC to the Region Legal Service Office (RLSO). The
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is required to notify the
local RLSO within 24 hours of the report of a SVC, and within 48 hours,
the NCIS Case Agent is required to collaborate with a SVIP-trained
Trial Counsel.
Lieutenant General Grosso. AFI 51-201, Administration of Military
Justice, requires that a judge advocate designated as a member of the
special victim investigation and prosecution capability (SVIP) is
assigned to every prosecution involving an unrestricted report of
sexual assault as soon as practicable upon notification of the
allegation. Every judge advocate who is designated as a member of the
SVIP must have completed the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
Program training requirements listed in DODI 6495.02, Enclosure 10, to
include annual training and responder training requirements.
Additionally, all judge advocates must complete the judge advocate
training requirements detailed in Enclosure 10, paragraph 7, of the
DODI 6495.02.
Senior Trial Counsel (STC) are assigned in all cases where the
command's staff judge advocate requests Senior Trial Counsel detailing.
Typically, they are assigned to the case early in the process, very
often before the preferral stage of the process. For sexual assault
cases, charges must be reviewed by a Senior Trial Counsel prior to
preferral. In 2017, Senior Trial Counsels were detailed as lead counsel
in 91 percent of general courts-martial across the Air Force.
Also, see the attached documents. Attachments 1 to 4 (Appendix B,
page 149) have already been provided to members of Congress, to include
another request for information submitted to DOD by Senator Gillibrand.
Attachment 5 (Appendix B, page 153) generally describes Air Force judge
advocate training.
Lieutenant General Rocco. Yes. Trial counsel become involved almost
immediately in certain complex cases. As required by DODI 5505.19 w/ CH
2 of 23 March 2017, in certain sexual assault and domestic violence
cases, the trial counsel are notified within 24 hours of the report of
an offense by NCIS. Trial counsel are consulted within 48 hours of such
a report and then consulted again at least once a month by the NCIS
special agents assigned to the case. These consultations may involve
investigative plans, searches for electronic evidence, or a review of
the evidence gathered to-date. Marine Corps Bulletin (MCBUL) 5800
(Military Justice Requirements and Implementation Guidance) dated 25
May 2017 defines ``special victim cases'' as those cases involving
alleged violations of Articles 118, 119, 119a, 120, 120a, 120b, 125
(with a child or forcible), 128 (domestic violence involving aggravated
assault or child abuse), 134 (child pornography or assault with intent
to commit the previously listed articles), or 80 (attempts to commit
the previously listed articles) of the UCMJ. All special victim cases
will be tried by a Complex Trial Team (CTT) member. The Regional Trial
Counsel (RTC) will employ the CTT to deliver Special Victim
Investigation and Prosecution (SVIP) capabilities through a task-
organized combination of prosecutors, highly qualified experts (HQEs),
victim witness assistance personnel, investigators, administrative
support, and paralegal support from across the region. The CTT will
work in conjunction with the victim, victim support providers, the
command, and NCIS to deliver a comprehensive investigation and, when
appropriate, prosecution. Normally, a trial counsel is ``detailed,'' or
assigned, upon receipt by the Legal Services Support Section of a
commander's formal Request for Legal Services. However, in a special
victim case, SVIP trial counsel may be detailed upon the CTT's receipt
of notification of such an allegation.
intimate partner violence and child abuse
17. Senator Gillibrand. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General
Seamands, Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant
General Rocco, in the last fiscal year, please detail changes to policy
you have instituted or prevention efforts you have initiated to reduce
the incidence of intimate partner violence and child abuse?
Secretary Wilkie. In the past fiscal year, in addition to ongoing
prevention and oversight efforts, the Department revised Family
Advocacy Program (FAP) policy and program standards to incorporate
changes to reporting procedures for allegations of child abuse and
neglect in military families and homes in accordance with ``Talia's
Law,'' Public Law 114-328, section 575, and section 20341 of title 34,
United States Code. The Department also updated its policy guidance on
addressing domestic abuse and intimate partner violence to include the
requirement to share any active Military Protective Order with civilian
law enforcement. We are also in the process of adding the requirement
for FAP clinicians to use the evidence-based Intimate Partner Physical
Injury Risk Assessment Tool to evaluate risk of future intimate partner
violence and physical injury. In collaboration with the Services, the
Department developed and launched two major public awareness campaigns
on how to detect warning signs of domestic and intimate partner abuse,
prevent child abuse/neglect, and promote healthy relationships.
Further, we offer service provider training specific to the
identification of and response to child abuse and neglect and domestic
and intimate partner abuse.
Lieutenant General Seamands. The Army recently sent guidance to
installations to incorporate Talia's Law (Public Law 114-328, section
575) into training pertaining to domestic violence and child abuse.
Additionally, we continue to offer annual Family Advocacy Program
leader training where staff receive the latest public law, policy,
prevention, and treatment updates.
In fiscal year 2017, the Army continued to offer Family life skills
programs to soldiers and family members to promote healthy
relationships and reduce and prevent domestic violence and child abuse.
Army clinicians provide state-of-the-art, evidenced-based treatment,
which includes cognitive-behavioral, trauma-informed therapy for
Families, couples, individuals, and groups to prevent, reduce, and
treat domestic violence and child abuse.
Vice Admiral Burke. This past year Navy rolled out the High Risk
for Violence--Coordinated Community Response (HRV-CCR) program, which
formalizes and standardizes procedures for monitoring risk in child and
spouse abuse cases. HRV-CCR is activated when there is a threat of
immediate and serious harm to sailors, family members, or intimate
partners. HRV-CCR provides a coordinated community response to reduce
family violence, by protecting and assisting actual or alleged victims
of domestic or child abuse. We are also piloting the One Love
prevention model, which focuses on promoting healthy relationships and
recognizing the signs of escalating violence in relationships. This
program provides young people with the tools to create a movement that
decreases risk factors and increases protective resources.
Lieutenant General Grosso.
1) All Air Force clinicians were trained in evidence-based
interventions that meet the DOD clinical treatment requirements for
male and female offenders, Change Step (for male offenders) and VISTA
(for female offenders) respectively.
2) Implementation of DOD enterprise-wide Shaken Baby Syndrome/
Abusive Head Trauma prevention program (Period of PURPLE* Crying)
continues across the Air Force Medical Service with the Air Force
Family Advocacy Program (FAP) overseeing training for new staff at all
clinics providing services to expectant families and families with
young infants.
*The letters in PURPLE stand for Peak of crying, Unexpected,
Resists soothing, Pain-like face, Long lasting, and Evening.
3) Air Force Family Advocacy Program providers, outreach managers,
and victim advocates have a high rate of enrollment within the DOD
funded National Child Traumatic Stress Network Academy of online and
webinar training including foundational knowledge, alternatives for
families-cognitive behavioral therapy, 12 core concepts on childhood
trauma, and the protective factors framework-military.
4) Air Force Instruction (AFI) 40-301, Family Advocacy Program,
Interim Change 1, was published 12 October 2017, which specifically:
Outlined Family Advocacy Program prevention programs
and services
Clarified New Parent Support Program (NPSP) screening
and referral requirements
Required Family Advocacy Program treatment
recommendation of Change Step men's group therapy for adult male
domestic abuser
Required use of the Intimate Partner Physical Injury
Risk Assessment Tool in domestic abuse assessments
Required use of the Incident Severity Scale for all
criteria meeting incidents
Required a Commander's Critical Information
Requirement for high interest adult sexual assault case situations
Required using the Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate as a
Family Advocacy Program first responder whenever possible for prompt
support to adult victims and non-offending caregivers of child victims
Clarified guidance for managing child safety and
utilizing emergency placement care in overseas locations
5) Family Advocacy Program Prevention, in partnership with
research consultants, developed and piloted Skills, Strengths,
Techniques, and Resources (SSTaR) at selected installations. The
program targets both decreased likelihood of a new incident, and
support of alleged offenders in first steps toward readiness for
change. Training of Family Advocacy Program prevention staff on the
SSTaR intervention was completed and the program implemented in 2017.
6) Training of prevention outreach managers on new evidence-based
couple communication (PREP 8.0).
7) Strength in Home--Reviewed evidence-based program targeting
veterans and military couples on impact of trauma on couple
relationships; program supports relationship and prevention of partner
violence. Program implementation scheduled for 2018.
Lieutenant General Rocco. The Marines Corps initiated the joint
Safe Sleep Campaign with the Department of the Navy in fiscal year
2017; the campaign launched November 2017. This campaign targets child
abuse and neglect prevention to expectant parents and parents with
children under one year of age who are most at risk for accidental
death due to unsafe sleep practices.
18. Senator Gillibrand. Secretary Wilkie, Lieutenant General
Seamands, Vice Admiral Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant
General Rocco, does every servicemember receive training on recognizing
the signs of child abuse?
Secretary Wilkie. Family Advocacy Program (FAP) policy requires
that training on the prevention of, and response to, child abuse and
neglect and domestic abuse must be provided to commanders and non-
commissioned officers who are senior enlisted advisors. Military
Departments implementing FAP policies are permitted to include
additional training requirements for a broader population beyond
commanders and senior enlisted advisors, but current DOD policy does
not require all members to receive training on recognizing the signs of
child abuse.
Lieutenant General Seamands. Yes, the Army requires commanders to
schedule time for soldiers to attend annual awareness briefings
presented by Family Advocacy personnel on the dynamics of domestic
violence and child abuse, prevention, and treatment services. The Army
also requires commanders to be familiar with rehabilitative,
administrative, and disciplinary processes and procedures related to
domestic violence and child abuse, and receive mandatory briefings
designed for unit commanders within 45 days of assuming command.
Vice Admiral Burke. No, however domestic and child abuse prevention
training is delivered to the appropriate audience at a periodicity
determined by the local command. There is no minimum periodicity
associated with this topic, but commands are encouraged to judiciously
exercise this flexibility to ensure the right people receive the
training when appropriate. FAP training includes information on
policies and procedures, definitions of domestic and child abuse,
mandatory reporting, the impact on families, and personal
responsibility. To support this requirement, the Navy has developed a
domestic violence mobile device application.
Lieutenant General Grosso. Every airmen is made aware of mandatory
reporting of domestic violence during Newcomer's Orientation and
Commander's Calls (as requested). Chains of command are trained by the
Family Advocacy Program prevention staff to ensure active duty
personnel are aware of Air Force and joint-base equivalent service
policy, state law, signs, and reporting protocol on both domestic and
intimate partner abuse and child maltreatment. In addition, the
following training and active duty and family awareness activities are
conducted:
Frontline supervisors of service members and first
sergeants training
Briefing of installation personnel at Commander's Calls
Information Papers, Posters, Flyers disseminated/posted
Installation websites and social media
Special Emphasis Month Training and Installation
Promotion and Awareness Events (October, Domestic Abuse Prevention),
(February, Dating Violence Prevention), (April, Child Abuse and Neglect
Prevention)
Articles in Base News Publication
Population training including parenting, New Dads, and prevention
of Shaken Baby
Lieutenant General Rocco. Yes. The Marine Corps provides training
to all marines on child abuse/neglect and domestic abuse through the
Unit Marine Awareness and Prevention Integrated Training (UMAPIT).
UMAPIT is required annual training for all marines.
19. Senator Gillibrand. Lieutenant General Seamands, Vice Admiral
Burke, Lieutenant General Grosso, and Lieutenant General Rocco, Talia's
law (Public Law 114-328, section 575) mandates reporting of suspected
child abuse and neglect in military families to FAP by any individual
within the chain of command of the member, in addition to more
traditional mandated reporters such as child care providers and law
enforcement professionals. Individuals within the chain of command
could range from an E4 lower level unit supervisor up to an O10
combatant commander. Describe the training your service is providing to
these members of the chain of command to comply with this law. Please
provide a copy of any presentation used in such trainings.
Lieutenant General Seamands. The Army sent guidance to
installations to incorporate Talia's Law in training pertaining to
domestic violence and child abuse. As an example, I am including a copy
of Fort Hood's briefing presentation on Talia's Law.
Army policy requires installation Family Advocacy Program managers
to brief each unit commander and his or her senior enlisted adviser on
the Family Advocacy Program within 45 days prior to or following
assumption of command. The briefing includes policies and procedures,
reporting requirements, available prevention and treatment services,
and commander responsibilities for identifying, reporting, and
participating in prevention and treatment efforts.
Vice Admiral Burke. Navy policy requires DON personnel to report
any incident or suspected incident of child abuse involving persons
eligible for FAP services to the local FAP. Navy FAP conducts training
activities to inform commanders, senior enlisted advisors, and
servicemembers. The Navy FAP Educators Resource Guide (see attached
Module 1) provides FAP educators and other prevention staff with a
standardized curriculum that includes current laws, policies,
procedures and processes.
Lieutenant General Grosso. The public law is being incorporated
into AFI 40-301, Family Advocacy Program, Interim Change 2, which is
currently in draft.
Members of the chain of command trained on mandated reporting
annually are:
Wing Commanders, Vice Wing Commanders, Group Commanders,
and Command Chief Master Sergeants receive Senior Leader briefings
New Air Force squadron commanders and first sergeants and
joint-based equivalent leader's deskside at the squadron or service
equivalent unit within 90 days of assumed command
Air Force squadron commanders and first sergeants and
joint-base equivalent leader additional in-depth annual training
linking domestic abuse impact to mission readiness
Frontline Supervisors within squadrons and joint-base
equivalent units, geographically separated units, Guard and Reserve;
and offer training or provide information to chaplains and tenant
units.
An example copy of the presentation used in the training is
attached (Please see Attachment 6, starting on page ----). Note:
Statistical Data are updated for each installation.
Lieutenant General Rocco. The Marine Corps published MARADMIN 547/
17 on 4 October 2017 to inform all marines and respective personnel of
the new legislation, reporting requirements, and where to report. The
MARADMIN is attached. The reporting updates are included in the current
draft update to Marine Corps Order for the Family Advocacy Program
1754.11A. Training contents are also in the process of being updated to
include Unit Marine Awareness and Prevention Integrated Training, New
Commander 90 Day Training, annual training for Child Youth Program
staff, and Family Advocacy Staff Training courses.
nondeployability policy
20. Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Wilkie, as you mentioned in your
testimony, the Department released its new policy on non-deployability
this week. The policy is very short and leaves many questions
unanswered. How is DOD instructing the services regarding how to brief
this new policy to personnel to standardize the tone and spirit of the
policy?
Secretary Wilkie. While the policy memo is relatively succinct, we
are drafting a DOD Instruction in coordination with the Military
Departments, to ensure consistent policy implementation across the
Department. This instruction will provide greater detail regarding the
retention of non-deployable servicemembers, which will clarify many
areas of concern, including the ability to appeal a determination and
the establishment of a special category for our servicemembers who were
wounded in action. I expect this instruction to be published by no
later than October 2018.
21. Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Wilkie, please provide, in detail, the
categories of non-deployability and the number of servicemembers who
fall into each category. For example, of the estimated 286,000 troops
that are non-deployable, how many are in that status due to benign
medical delinquency such as dental or routine immunizations, how many
are receiving treatment for serious conditions such as cancer, how many
are receiving mental health treatment, how many are pregnant or
postpartum, how many are getting medical treatment that has a finite
period and whether that period is expected to be less than or more than
12 months, etc.
Secretary Wilkie. Of the 286,000, nearly one-third simply need to
complete annual periodic health assessments or dental screening and
another third consists of servicemembers with temporary profiles that
limit full duty for routine conditions such as sprained ankles and
knees. These Service men and women are expected back to full duty. Of
the remaining population, some are pregnant or in a post-partum status
and others will process through the Disability Evaluation System. Due
to National Security considerations, we are not able to provide more
specific breakouts for the record, but I or my staff would be happy to
brief you in person.
22. Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Wilkie, for communities in which DOD
has invested significant money and training in (such as pilots or those
with nuclear capabilities), has DOD assessed the danger in losing these
essential assets in a time when they are in short supply?
Secretary Wilkie. The Secretaries of the Military Departments
retain the authority to grant waivers to servicemembers and will
consider the needs of the Services. The Secretaries of the Military
Departments will review all waiver requests on a case-by-case basis.
23. Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Wilkie, have you done an assessment of
the cost of training that has already been invested in the non-
deployable servicemembers and the cost of training new servicemembers
in their place?
Secretary Wilkie. No. Each non-deployable servicemember decreases
the readiness and lethality of the force. That is why the Secretaries
of the Military Departments will weigh the needs of each Service when
making the retention decision.
24. Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Wilkie, please identify which Military
Occupational Specialties require a servicemember to be worldwide
deployable and which do not.
Secretary Wilkie. Regardless of their Military Occupational
Specialties, all servicemembers are expected to be worldwide
deployable; it will be up to the Secretaries of the Military
Departments to review individual cases and make a determination on
retention of that individual.
25. Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Wilkie, since these wars began, DOD and
the services have worked hard to eliminate stigma attached to seeking
medical treatment, including mental health assistance. How will DOD
ensure that this policy does not create a chilling effect, causing
military personnel to refrain from seeking the medical and mental
health treatment they need for fear of being determined medically non-
deployable under the policy, thereby threatening their careers and the
livelihood of their families?
Secretary Wilkie. The Department is committed to ensuring the
health and well-being of all servicemembers and that does not change
with this policy. It is in everyone's best interest to ensure our men
and women seek and receive medical treatment as quickly as possible to
ensure proper treatment and timely recovery.
26. Senator Gillibrand. Mr. Wilkie, are servicemembers who are
restricted to certain assignments due to their participation in the
Exceptional Family Member Program subject to the mandates of this
policy? If so, will this policy create a similar chilling effect on
that population, encouraging military families not to seek the
specialized care their family member needs for fear of being
discharged?
Secretary Wilkie. Participants in the Exceptional Family Member
program, and being thus potentially restricted to certain assignments
when accompanied by dependent family members, does no impact a
servicemember's deployability and does not put them at risk of
separation under this policy.
Appendix A
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
APPENDIX B
[GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
APPENDIX C
[The prepared statement of The National Association of
Chain Drug Stores follows:]
Prepared Statement by The National Association of Chain Drug Stores
introduction
The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) thanks the
Subcommittee for the opportunity to submit a statement for the hearing
on ``Military and Civilian Personnel Programs and Military Family
Readiness.'' NACDS and the chain pharmacy industry are committed to
partnering with Congress, the Department of Defense (DOD), and other
healthcare providers to improve the quality and affordability of
healthcare services for our Nation's military heroes, retirees, and
their families.
NACDS represents traditional drug stores, supermarkets and mass
merchants with pharmacies. Chains operate 40,000 pharmacies, and NACDS'
more than 100 chain member companies include regional chains, with a
minimum of four stores, and national companies. Chains employ more than
3 million individuals, including 152,000 pharmacists. They fill over 3
billion prescriptions yearly, and help patients use medicines correctly
and safely, while offering innovative services that improve patient
health and healthcare affordability. NACDS members also include more
than 900 supplier partners and over 70 international members
representing 20 countries. Please visit nacds.org.
As the face of neighborhood healthcare, community pharmacies and
pharmacists provide access to prescription medications and over-the-
counter products, as well as cost-effective health services such as
immunizations and disease screenings. Through personal interactions
with patients, face-to-face consultations and convenient access to
preventive care services, local pharmacists are helping to shape the
healthcare delivery system of tomorrow--in partnership with doctors,
nurses, and others. As policies to control spending in the TRICARE
program are considered, NACDS urges Congress to protect patient health
and preserve access to local pharmacies.
implement common sense policies to restore access and reduce costs in
the tricare pharmacy program
Currently, the Department of Defense (DOD) pays more for acquiring
certain prescription medications when they are dispensed in the retail
pharmacy setting as opposed to mail order facilities and military
treatment facilities (MTF). This disparity in acquisition cost has led
to misguided policies that steer patients to use mail order or MTFs to
obtain their prescriptions, instead of their local, trusted pharmacy.
These policies include:
increasing copayments on an almost annual basis,
including in the most recent National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
\1\, and
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018--Sec.
702: Modifications of Cost Sharing Requirements for the TRICARE
Pharmacy Benefits Program and Treatment of Certain Pharmaceutical
Agents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
requiring beneficiaries to obtain non-generic maintenance
medications at an MTF or through mail order. \2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015--Sec.
702: Modifications of Cost-Sharing and Other Requirements for the
TRICARE Pharmacy Benefits Program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
These policies restrict patient access and have had the unintended
consequence of reducing medication adherence and shifting costs to
other federal programs. Failure to take medications as prescribed costs
the U.S. health system $290 billion annually, or 13 percent of total
health expenditures. \3\ It has been established that higher copayments
cause some chronically ill beneficiaries to stop taking their
medications, resulting in more doctor visits and hospitalizations. In
2012, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a report which
revised its methodology for scoring proposals related to prescription
drug use and found that for each one percent increase in the number of
prescriptions filled by beneficiaries there is a corresponding decrease
in overall medical spending. \4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ New England Healthcare Institute. ``Thinking outside the
pillbox: a system-wide approach to improving patient medication
adherence for chronic disease.'' New England Health Care Institute
(2009).
\4\ Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Offsetting Effects of
Prescription Drug Use on Medicare's Spending for Medical Services,
November 2013(https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/112th-congress-
2011-2012/reports/MedicalOffsets_One-col.pdf)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the TRICARE program, the costs are generally shifted to the
Medicare program. For example, in reviewing the Senate version of the
Fiscal Year 2016 NDAA, the CBO found that copay increases would result
in an increase of over $1 billion in other federal spending for medical
services, particularly in Medicare. \5\ The CBO stated:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Congressional Budget Office. Cost Estimate: S. 1376 National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016. June 3, 2015 (https://
www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/114th-congress-2015-2016/costestimate/
s13761.pdf)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thus, while the higher copayments may deter some beneficiaries from
filling prescriptions they no longer need or use, those higher
copayments also could cause some chronically ill beneficiaries to stop
taking their medications, resulting in more doctor visits and
hospitalizations. As a result, CBO estimates that the $4.9 billion in
direct pharmacy savings would be offset by a $1.1 billion increase in
other federal spending for medical services (mostly from Medicare). \6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Ibid.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
CBO found similar results for the Senate version of the Fiscal Year
2017 NDAA, which again included pharmacy copay increases. \7\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ Congressional Budget Office. Cost Estimate: S. 2943 National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017. June 10, 2016 (https://
www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/114th-congress-2015-2016/costestimate/
s2943.pdf)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eliminating the current purchasing cost disparity would eliminate
the need for DOD to steer patients to either an MTF or mail order. This
would provide cost savings to DOD in the form of reduced purchasing
costs and lower administrative costs. Currently, DOD pays a much higher
dispensing fee for medications dispensed through mail order. Moreover,
this would minimize cost shifts to the Medicare program. Most
importantly, this would benefit TRICARE beneficiaries through:
more choice in obtaining prescription medications,
improved access to pharmacist care (for many, distant
MTFs may not be a viable option), and
greater stability with less pressure for continued
increases in cost sharing/copays.
To implement this cost-saving change, and consistent with the
commitment made by the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel
and Readiness, \8\ we ask members of the Committee to urge DOD to
convene a working group that includes key stakeholders from the DOD,
the pharmaceutical manufacturing community, and the retail pharmacy
industry. The purpose of the working group would be to design a program
that allows TRICARE beneficiaries and their family members to access
brand maintenance medications at retail pharmacies, as they presently
may at military treatment facilities and through mail order, while
enabling the government to realize cost parity, and where feasible,
opportunities for cost savings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ December 20, 2017 letter from Admiral Kurta to Senator Rounds,
committing to convene and chair a working group of stakeholders to
``explore opportunities to achieve the stated goal of maximizing point-
of-service options for TRICARE beneficiaries and their families while
generating cost-saving opportunities for the government.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To maximize the impact of the working group, we ask that it would
convene no later than March 2018 and present its findings no later than
6 months after convening, with an interim status briefing being
provided to the Armed Services Committees 3 months after first
convening.
conclusion
Thank you for the opportunity to share our views. We look forward
to working with you on policies that control costs and preserve access
to local pharmacies.
[all]