WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hurrying the troubled CV-22 Osprey back into use would be a cause of disappointment and concern, but not surprise.

With the program’s “sunk cost” reaching into the many dozens of billions of dollars, and amid claims of the Osprey’s essential role, the pressure on defense officials to conclude the Osprey's stand-down and get the aircraft going again must be intense.

Apparently too intense. The Associated Press reported Feb. 6 that “The Pentagon’s Joint Safety Council is now working with the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps on their plans to get Osprey crews ready to fly again.”

The article made clear the Pentagon’s intent to return the Osprey to the skies. Defense staffs are “getting service-wide input on how many simulator hours are needed to get a crew back to proficiency.”

A mere week after the Air Force Osprey's crash, that certainty was on display. "The stand-down will provide time and space for a thorough investigation to determine causal factors and recommendations to ensure the Air Force CV-22 fleet returns to flight operations," an Air Force official is quoted as saying on Dec 6.

ROA urged Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in November to ground the Osprey after that crash, that killed all eight of the Air Force crew.

“One day, after a lot of testing and refining, this machine may be reliable; for now, however, it’s time to ground the Osprey. Immediately,” ROA wrote Secretary Austin. ROA subsequently commended the secretary for his decision in December (just two months ago) to ground the aircraft.

The Air Force crash has been attributed to some mechanical failure, which the military – all-too-predictably – has not disclosed. We are simply told that "mitigations" can be put in place. “Trust us.” Mitigations circumvent or reduce the severity of problems, they don't fix problems.

More concerning yet is this from the AP article: “While each service will determine when it returns its own fleets to the skies, the council is talking with,” according to a Pentagon official, “commanders across the services on what are their plans to come back to flight . . .”

Does this mean that a technical or mechanical issue affecting the aircraft regardless of which service flies it will be finally adjudicated, not by a centralized process that ensures reliability across the board, but by commanders using their own judgement under their own circumstances?

ROA is all for commander discretion, but not when it’s a matter beyond the ken of the average commander: this is an issue of engineering, technology, and sheer physics. Not command and staff . . .

What ROA wrote the secretary – and means – is that a lot of testing must occur if and before our sons and daughters are again told to fly in the Osprey. By a lot, we envision hundreds of hours in the hands of expert test pilots, in all flight envelopes, with engineers and technicians aboard.

Commanders having a role in any return of the Osprey to service, we would find it commendable to see generals and admirals occasionally on board in an oversight role during such test flights. Additionally, there should be oversight beyond that provided by the Pentagon: “trust and verify.”

The Pentagon must resist any pressure to return to use a piece of equipment that has not been exhaustively tested and proven reliable in the hands of normally trained operators using it under all conditions that can be reasonably foreseen.

Anything less is a disservice to these wonderful young warriors and their families -- and risks weakening the credibility of a military leadership that is already struggling to attract young Americans into uniformed service.

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Watch legislation and military policy director Matthew Schwartzman and defense fellow Jake Fales discuss this Call-to-Action before they head to the Hill for a day of advocacy.

To the members of our Minute Man Movement:

This is Matthew Schwartzman, your legislation and military policy director. Thank you for taking the time to read this Up to the Minute Man Update.

I am writing to you today asking for your help in educating Congress on ROA's policy priorities for the second session of the 118th Congress.

Today, I will be visiting the offices of every armed services committee member with our defense fellow Jake Fales to hand-deliver our second session priorities. However, we can use your help.

Located on ROA's Legislative Readiness Center is a Call-to-Action with a pre-authored message that includes a link to the portfolio. Please take no more than five minutes to engage with this Call-to-Action and send the message to your elected officials.

With your help, we can reach all 535 congressional offices by the end of the day! You are more than welcome to customize the message if you'd like. Just remember to be polite.

For those unfamiliar, ROA unveiled its policy portfolio for the second session at the Jan. 25 ROA Academy.

The key word to remember? Transition.

ROA's policy portfolio for the second session of the 118th Congress focuses on transitioning American military readiness and superiority into what the National Defense Strategy has called the "decisive decade" by:

• Ensuring the transition from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve is reinforced by modernized law, policy, and execution.
• Ensuring seamless transitions for component interoperability.
• Ensuring seamless transitions for capability interoperability.
• Eliminating discontinuities in transitions between health care plans for Reserve and National Guard service members, their survivors, and "gray area" retirees.
• Improving transitions between military and civilian life for Reserve and National Guard service members, military families, and veterans of the reserve force.

One of the drivers of this portfolio is the intensified competition between America and China.

According to the Pentagon's latest report on this subject, China is "the only competitor to the United States with the intent and, increasingly, the capacity to reshape the international order."

Malignant activities such as militarizing man-made islands in the South China Sea and constructing hundreds of intercontinental ballistic missile silos are all part of China's efforts to "fight and win wars" against a "strong enemy."

Constituting more than 40 percent of the total force during the most challenging recruiting environment in all-volunteer force history, Reserve and National Guard readiness is rapidly increasing in importance.

Whether it be implementing duty status reform or sustaining medical readiness, ROA's policy portfolio has the member and mission in mind.

Thank you again for reading this Up to the Minute Man Update and for helping me educate Congress on our second session priorities. Please don't hesitate to contact me at mschwartzman@roa.org with any questions.

>>> Go back to February RV

Starting March 1, Accredo will provide specialty drugs and enhanced clinical services if you fill TRICARE-defined specialty prescriptions with TRICARE Home Delivery.

If you or a family member takes specialty drugs, these changes may help you access and afford these drugs. Accredo will also stay in the TRICARE network as an in-network retail pharmacy. 

Accredo is an accredited specialty pharmacy that serves patients with complex and chronic health conditions. With Accredo, you’ll have 24/7 access to a clinical care team to help you better manage your treatment with specialty drugs.

To read more about these changes, read the full release.  

To learn more about TRICARE’s coverage of specialty drugs, go to Covered Services and if you need help finding a pharmacy to fill your specialty drugs, visit Express Scripts.

>>> Go back to February RV

The Reserve Organization of America was the nation’s sole and exclusive supporter of the uniformed services’ reserve forces at a pivotal congressional hearing.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Reserve Organization of America was represented by legislation and military policy director Matthew Schwartzman and defense fellow Jake Fales at yesterday’s House armed services committee quality-of-life panel hearing at the Rayburn Office Building in Washington D.C.

The newest addition to ROA’s team, Fales described the experience as “really great” and “enlightening.”

The hearing featured testimony from the highest-ranking senior enlisted leaders of every armed force focused on the quality-of-life challenges facing today’s military. Each leader formally acknowledged and spoke to the important connection between quality-of-life and readiness.

Rep. James Moylan (Guam), an Army veteran, asked Army Sergeant Major Weimer about actions to improve quality-of-life for Reserve and National Guard members stationed in Guam.

“They have big responsibilities there… this unit [the Task Force Talon] must work outdoors in muddy fields and the hot sun,” said Rep. Moylan. “The conditions are more like a battlefield during peacetime. Members of the Task Force struggle to access programs such as space A flight which can boost morale.”

In response to the all-important question of “what can be done?” Sergeant Major Weimer told the congressman that he would be visiting Guam soon to get a “first-hand perspective with our National Guard teammates” on the issues impacting the members of Task Force Talon.

Revealingly, this was the only direct reference made to issues specifically impacting Reserve and National Guard service members and their families.

“Constituting more than forty percent of the Total Force, ROA believes that quality-of-life issues impacting reserve component service members and their families are worthy of their own hearing and consideration,” said ROA’s executive director Jeff Phillips. “Congress must seize the opportunity to support the reserve forces, those that serve in them, and their families.”

Just as the situation in Guam is, in many ways, unique to those in Guam, issues for the reserve components are unique to those serving in them and their families. In a ROA Up to the Minute Man Update recorded immediately after the hearing, Schwartzman stated his intention to follow up accordingly:

“In response [to this hearing], ROA is going to look to set up a meeting with panel and committee leadership to focus on the Reserve and National Guard quality-of-life issues that can help to enable uniformed services to meet their recruiting and retention goals,” said Schwartzman.

One example of legislation that would make a significant difference to the quality-of-life of drilling Reserve and National Guard members and their families is H.R.5844, the Savings for Servicemembers Act. Drill weekends are a non-negotiable requirement for reserve component service members that ensure readiness.

Reserve and National Guard service members may be eligible to deduct mileage and other travel expenses associated with drill weekends when they file their annual tax returns. Unfortunately, the eligibility changed in 2017 with Public Law No: 115-97, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Now, the deduction is only provided to those reserve component members who traveled more than 100 miles to their drilling location. Before the act, it was provided to those who traveled 50 miles or more.

As a result, the likelihood of deducting mileage and other travel expenses associated with drill weekends has been substantially reduced. Conversely, those still eligible are likely to receive substantial savings each year.

The Savings for Servicemembers Act, introduced by Rep. Trent Kelly (MS-01) and Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06), simply restores access to the deduction for reservists traveling 50 or more miles to their drilling location.

The need to codify this legislation is urgent and will not add one cent to the defense department’s budget. And unlike recent actions taken by the Pentagon to strengthen the economic security of service members and their families, this addresses an issue uniquely faced by those in the Reserve and National Guard and their families.

Read more about H.R.5844, the Savings for Servicemembers Act, here.

While the panel’s next steps are not yet clear, ROA will keep you informed as we move through this process together.

Last week, the U.S. House and Senate both passed H.R.2670, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.

The NDAA enables the Department of Defense and the reserve components to execute the National Defense Strategy by authorizing personnel benefits, weapons systems, and other defense-related programs.

Despite constituting close to 50 percent of the Total Force, Reserve and National Guard priorities have often fallen below that of the active force. As the only national military organization that solely and exclusively supports the Reserve and National Guard, the Reserve Organization of America fights to right this wrong through its advocacy.

In the FY 2024 NDAA cycle, ROA’s advocacy yielded many successes, including:

1) Extending TRICARE Reserve Select coverage for survivors of reserve component service members from six months to three years.

2) Increasing special and incentive pays to that of the active component.

3) Providing full parental leave parity by giving reserve component parents adopting a child or accepting the placement of a child for long-term foster care 12 weeks of leave.

4) Funding the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account at approximately $1,000,000,000.

5) Increasing the accession bonus for Reserve and National Guard nurses from $20,000 to $40,000.

6) Delivering dual basic allowance for housing for single reserve component service members on active duty for training from 140 days to fewer than 365.

However, ROA’s leading NDAA priority, no-cost dental care through the TRICARE Dental program, was not included.

“ROA was disappointed at congressional opposition to providing members of the Reserve and National Guard with the dental care that enhances military readiness,” said its executive director, retired Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey E. Phillips. “Access to affordable dental care remains an issue for reserve component service members. ROA will continue to fight for affordable dental care and sustained Total Force medical readiness until the job is finished.”

According to the FY 2024 NDAA conference report, the “importance” of this issue was “recognized” because DoD contracted a federally funded study on the feasibility and cost of this proposal. However, neither yet another study nor its findings will help Reserve and National Guard service members unable to afford dental care and arriving at the mobilization station unfit for service.

“What will solve this problem is action,” Phillips said. “No more studies. No more delays. Congress and the nation expect their military – all of it – to be ready to fight. Dental care is health care; it affects military readiness, and it must be made fully available to those in the reserve components expected to ‘fight tonight’.”

The FY 2024 NDAA also included a new personnel management model for the nascent Space Force. ROA learned late last year of the new concept that could potentially eliminate the “active versus reserve paradigm” which has impeded Total Force integration for nearly a century.

The concept is an integration of the components into one component – the Space Component. The intent is to “maximize flexibilities” in force development, personnel management, and leadership opportunities for the component.

This would include a single promotion process for all personnel and a single authorization and appropriation to eliminate the tribal rivalry and perennial competition for limited resources and provide sound options for prioritization of mission-requirements.

Being the first new military service in more than seventy years, this model seeks to address questions regarding what the Space Force should look like, as well as the continuum of conflict in the space domain.

The implementation of this proposal, which of course will not be done without difficulty and challenge, would nonetheless be history in the making.

ROA looks forward to working with Air and Space Force leadership in the historically significant effort to shape the use of the reserve components within the Space Force. While formally supportive of the more conventional approach of a reserve component or components within the Space Force, ROA takes great interest in the unprecedented and innovative approach to Space Force staffing found in this NDAA.

ROA thanks the Congress, the president, and his military leadership; we now direct our focus on the FY 25 NDAA cycle and meaningful national security readiness advocacy campaigns for the second session of the 118th Congress.

>>> Go back to January RV