VFW Washington Weekly, May 30, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008 at 10:37 PM
by Missouri
In This IssueNATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SERVICE
1. Congress in Recess
NATIONAL SECURITY & FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1. Tax Relief for Military families and Veterans
2. Vietnam Wars MIA's identified
3. Reserve Component Mobilization
NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SERVICE
1. Congress in Recess
Congress remains on recess -working out of their local offices and are
expected to return to DC next Tuesday. They return to a very busy June
schedule to include passage of VA Funding (Appropriations), Defense bill
provisions and other veterans' bills important to the VFW. We also have
more to do with regards to the GI Bill which passed both House and
Senate before the Memorial Day holiday. The Senate amended the
House-passed bill so the Senate package now goes to the House. We ask
you now to keep the pressure on to encourage positive House action. For
more on the GI Bill visit the Senate VA website
http://veterans.senate.gov/public/
OR type the bill (S. 22/HR 5740) in the box at: http://thomas.loc.gov/
NATIONAL SECURITY & FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1. Tax Relief for Military Families and Veterans: The House and Senate
approved last week and sent to the President H.R. 6081, the Heroes
Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act (HEART) that will help military
families pay for education, purchase a home, and save for retirement.
HEART provisions include: Tax Fairness for Military Personnel - a
permanent allowance for soldiers to count their non-taxable combat pay
when figuring their eligibility for the earned income tax credit, a
refundable federal income tax credit that puts cash in the hands of
low-income working individuals and families; the ability for active
duty troops to withdraw money from retirement plans, and an allowance of
two years to replace the funds without tax penalty; a 180-day period
for Reservists called to active duty to use unspent funds in a health
flexible spending account or cafeteria plan; the ability for military
families to count most military cash allowances beyond basic pay to be
treated as earned income for purposes of determining Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) eligibility and benefit amounts, and treat certain
housing payments as in-kind support and maintenance; clarification that
members of the military who file a joint tax return would be eligible
for the stimulus rebate payment even if the spouse does not have a
Social Security number; and a one year extension of parity between
mental and physical health benefits. Honoring our Veterans - a
permanent allowance for all veterans to use qualified mortgage bonds to
purchase their homes; extension of a provision that gives retired
veterans more time to claim a tax refund on some types of disability
benefit payments; authority for the IRS to treat gifts of thanks from
states to veterans-such as payments of excess state revenue-as
nontaxable gifts; and the ability for blind, disabled, and aged veterans
to disregard state annuity payments when determining Supplemental
Security Income eligibility and benefits. Helping Military Families and
Survivors - the ability for families of Reservists killed in the line of
duty to collect life insurance and other benefits provided by the
civilian employer; and the ability for families of soldiers killed in
the line of duty to contribute up to 100 percent of survivor benefits to
retirement savings accounts or to education savings accounts. Helping
Businesses Support Military Personnel - a tax cut for small businesses
when they continue paying some salary to members of the National Guard
and Reserve who are called to duty; and an end to cumbersome rules for
reporting of income when companies continue paying some salary to
members of the National Guard and Reserve who are called to duty. This
makes it easier for reservists to file their taxes and simpler for
employers to keep contributing to those employees' retirement plans.
2. Vietnam War MIAs Identified: The Department of Defense POW/Missing
Personnel Office (DPMO) announced that the remains of four U.S.
servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified
and will be returned to their families for burial with full military
honors. They are Maj. Barclay B. Young, of Hartford, CN; and Senior
Master Sgt. James K. Caniford, of Brunswick, MD. The names of the two
others are being withheld at the request of their families. All men
were U.S. Air Force. Remains that could not be individually identified
are included in a group which will be buried together in Arlington.
Among the group remains is Air Force LTC Henry P. Brauner of Franklin
Park, NJ, whose identification tag was recovered at the crash site. On
March 29, 1972, 14 men were aboard an AC-130A Spectre gunship that took
off from Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, on an armed
reconnaissance mission over southern Laos. The aircraft was struck by
an enemy surface-to-air missile and crashed. Search and rescue efforts
were stopped after a few days due to heavy enemy activity in the area.
In 1986, joint U.S.- Lao People's Democratic Republic teams, lead by the
Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), surveyed and excavated the
crash site in Savannakhet Province, Laos. The team recovered human
remains and other evidence including two identification tags, life
support items and aircraft wreckage. From 1986 to 1988, the remains
were identified as those of nine men from this crew. Between 2005 and
2006, joint teams resurveyed the crash site and excavated it twice. The
teams found more human remains, personal effects and crew-related
equipment. As a result, JPAC identified Young, Caniford and the other
crewmen using forensic identification tools, circumstantial evidence,
mitochondrial DNA and dental comparisons.
3.Reserve Component Mobilization: The total number currently on active
duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard
and Army Reserve is 77,007; Navy Reserve, 4,543; Air National Guard and
Air Force Reserve, 8,135; Marine Corps Reserve, 9,704; and the Coast
Guard Reserve, 341. This brings the total number of mobilized Guard and
Reserve personnel to 99,730, an increase of 410 from last week.
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