SEPTEMBER 2007 TO SEPTEMBER 2008
"Your Voice on Capitol Hill"
The 2007 convention was held in Charlotte, NC.
The following were elected or appointed to the Board of Directors:
President - Patrick Corbett |
Auxiliary Board of Directors |
1st VP - Billy Oneyear |
President Sandra Milner |
2nd VP - Charlie Flowers |
Vice President Sandy Ott |
3rd VP - Thomas "Butch" Liebaert |
Treasurer Aleta Scott |
Treasurer - Marvin Stout |
Director Laverne Bates |
Director - Larry Hund |
Director/Chaplain Lorraine Richmond |
Director - Al Ballok |
Director Jessie Rice |
Director - Tom Caldwell |
Secretary Kay Claman |
Director - John Martinez |
APNP Greta Master |
Memorial Foundation - Bill DeBoer |
|
TSCL Chair - Dan O'Connell |
|
VSO - C.D. Rice, Jr. |
|
Parliamentarian - George Miles |
|
Chaplain - Jesse Whitfield |
|
Past National President - LeRoy Riddell |
|
|
At convention it was decided that the minutes of TREA meetings would be available on the TREA website. Also, for the first time, all the photos taken at convention were made available online for people to view and download.
While in Charlotte, we received word that a long time TREA member, John Harrell, passed away. The Memorial Foundation established the John Harrell Memorial Scholarship.
Longtime Executive Secretary, Donell Minnis, retired from National Headquarters.
In October, the Veteran Disability Veterans Commission finished their study and issued their report. Luckily, it included many of the issues that we are fighting for. It called for an immediate and complete end to the offset of retired pay and veterans disability pay for ALL longevity retirees (including Chapter 61 medically retired and TERA retirees), and end to the SBC/DIC offset, and a more efficient adjudication process.
President Patrick Corbett represented TREA at the Veterans Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery. He was joined by members of TREA Chapter 9 and 24, and presented a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. General Patreaus also gave his report on Iraq to Congress. The new and improved Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) went into affect on October 1. This allowed drilling Reservists to enroll in TRS at the Tier 1 amount.
The 2008 NDAA included allowing Chapter 61 medical retirees to qualify for Concurrent Receipt, and 100% disabled veterans who are 100% because of Individual Unemployability (IU) will now qualify for 100% concurrent receipt, and it will be retroactive to January 1, 2005.
There was some movement of lowering the retirement age for Reserve retirees. They will be able to collect their retirement 90 days earlier than their 60th birthday for every 90 cumulative days that they have been activated for a contingency operation. It only affects those since the 08NDAA was signed -- and not back to 9/11. We will push to correct this.
We had a small success on the SBC/DIC offset. Survivors who qualify for both will get an increase of $50/month. This will go up to $100 in yearly steps.
The push to end the SBP paid up provision died, as this will go into affect October 1, 2008. Those that are age 70 and paid into SBP for 30 years, will no longer have to pay into SBP.
The NDAA also barred any increases in enrollment fees and co-pays for fiscal year 2008 -- but we know that this fight will continue next year.
There were also improvements to the Montgomery GI Bill for Guard and Reserve. They included: 1) allowing members 10 years of post service use, 2) allowing buy-up ($600 in increments of $20), and 3) allowing G-R who rejoin to recover the benefits and have the 10-year access.
In November, we lost a long time TREA member and past chairman of TSCL, Ralph McCutchen and in January we lost National 1st Vice President Billy Oneyear.
Our National Headquarters Accountant, Bobbie Halliday, retired at the end of March, 2008.
Finance Meeting and Mid-Terms were held at TREA HQ in April. Also in April, President Pat Corbett testified before the Joint Veterans Affairs Committee. He also attended the Memorial Day ceremonies in Washington DC.
The Memorial Foundation awarded 61 scholarships for the 2007-08 academic year (2-$2000, 4-$1500, 53-$1000 and 2-$500). The foundation also provided 7 grants totaling $10,000, and 11 grants through the Armed Forces Aid Campaign (AFAC) totaling $63,000. The Memorial Foundation also developed a partnership with the Wounded Warrior Program. Over $92,000 was donated to Fort Carson, Fort Sam Houston, and Walter Reed to purchase equipment for recovering wounded soldiers. The Foundation also helped place two Canine Companions with wounded soldiers.
Past Auxiliary President Flo Harrell, wife of John Harrell, passed away in May.
For the first time in the history of TREA, a sitting President passed away. Patrick Corbett died suddenly in July. 1st President Charlie Flowers ascended to President to serve the remainder of President Corbett's term of office.
The Post 9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act was signed by President Bush in July. It will go into affect August 1, 2009.
Minutes: