Legislative Call to Action

Fellow AFSA Division 3 Leaders it is time for us to answer our organizations call to action. As we get ready to celebrate our nation’s independence we remember the struggle of the all-volunteer Patriot Army that answered the call to arms and defeated the British granting America an opportunity to build a nation like no other in human history. Since those desperate days at Valley Forge every generation has been asked to answer that call to arms to defend our hard earned freedoms. Along the way our nation’s leaders have taken a solemn oath to care for those who have born the burden of war and to ensure that their sacrifice is not forgotten. For the most part our government leaders have kept their promises but lately that commitment has begun to wane. For the past six-years we have seen a relentless assault on our benefits and that assault continues as the Congress continues to debate the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). While it would be easy to just throw our hands up and say “uncle” that is just not who we are and we are needed in this fight now more than ever.

So what can we do about it? First of all we are all part of a magnificent organization in AFSA who keeps us informed and organizes global campaigns to engage our elected officials to clarify the priorities we believe are important to our members. The 2016 NDAA that emerged from the Senate is not friendly to our members and their families and includes a 1% pay raise, reduced BAH for military couples, drastic cuts to Commissary funding, radical changes to military retirement, and significant increases in TRICARE pharmacy co-pays. Our AFSA leaders have devised a week long campaign to run from July 6-10 to focus our energies on defeating these initiatives and now they need our help to make it count. They will be putting these campaigns on Voter Voice in the Legislative Action Center for us to communicate directly with our elected officials on these specific issues as scheduled below:

• Monday July 6: Urging support for a 2.3% Military Pay Raise
  
• Tuesday July 7: Protect BAH for Military Couples and Stop Funding Reductions
  
• Wednesday July 8: Urging Full Commissary Funding
  
• Thursday July 9: Urging Common-Sense Military Retirement Program Changes
  
• Friday July 10: Stop TRICARE Prescription Co-payment Increases

Like the Patriots that have served our nation across the generations it now time for us to answer the call to action and let our voices be heard. None of us can afford to sit out this campaign and I implore you to ENERGIZE YOUR CHAPTERS AND GET INVOLVED NOW! Please help me spread the word that we need every AFSA member in Division 3 to go to https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/home and participate in these important legislative campaigns beginning on Monday July 6th.

As your Legislative Trustee I know that you will rally to this call for action because you have never let us down. I am counting on each of you to lead this effort in your Chapters and to get your Chapter members engaged and involved. Together we can do great things and I know by weeks end this will be another successful effort to make our voices heard. Thank you for your leadership and for your continued support of our legislative agenda. God bless and thanks for all you do!

Mark R. Clark, CMSgt, USAF, Retired, Legislative Trustee, AFSA Division 3

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