Two writing contests were created during our Centennial Celebration to feature ROA members and their families.

 

One was developed in honor of ROA's most prolific International Defense and Security author, retired Col. Alex Gerry, and the other for the children of ROA’s distinguished members.

 

At next month’s ROA Centennial National Convention, the winners of these two Writing Contests will receive appropriate recognition.

As we posthumously honor our founder, General of the Armies, John J. Pershing, with our Minuteman Hall of Fame Award, we will also posthumously award Colonel Rick Nelson, III, USAF (Ret), who recently opened the door of the Truman Library for our Centennial Recognition, wrote eloquently about what ROA meant to him. You can read his article here:  Col. Nelson’s article (pdf).

Winning submissions were published in ROA’s Reserve Voice  magazine and publicized on ROA’s website and social media.

 

Selections were based on overall excellence; knowledge and support of the topic; significant and effective original thought; accuracy and completeness; adherence to high writing standards; and clarity, insight and respect for the audience.

We will posthumously award the winner of ROA's Alex A.C. Gerry Writing Contest,  to retired Colonel Rick Nelson, III, USAF, who wrote eloquently about what ROA meant to him. You can read his article here: Col. Nelson’s article (pdf).

Looking forward to the next generation of ROA members, we will also recognize two young ladies who will share one of the prizes, Isabella and Olivia Fishman . Each wrote about the impact of their father’s deployments. You can read Isabella and Olivia Fishman’s article (pdf)  here.

The second winner, Joseph P. Hettich, a youngster who was motivated by his father and his extended family’s military service, wrote about his engagement in Scouting and research of a WWII Nurse, buried in his local cemetery. You can read Joseph P. Hettich’s article (pdf) here.

 

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, July 29, 2022 -- Betraying millions of veterans, the U.S. Senate, hamstrung by many Republicans, failed Wednesday to advance a corrected version of the technically flawed bipartisan landmark toxic exposure legislation that was just passed last month.

The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, referred to as the PACT Act, received newfound opposition from 25 GOP Senators who failed to provide a rationale for their sudden change in vote.

“What happened to the PACT Act is unacceptable,” said ROA’s CEO, Jeff Phillips. “ROA urges our nation’s veterans and the American people to contact the 41 GOP Senators who voted against this life-saving bill and ask them the following question: does the PACT Act need amendments more than toxic exposed veterans need health care – yes or no?”

Call to Action: Visit ROA’s Legislative Call to Action page to contact your Senators here.

ROA especially asks that voters in their states urge support by these senators:

• Sen. Dan Sullivan (AK)
• Sen. Joni Ernst (IA)
• Sen. Todd Young (IN)
• Sen. Roger Marshall (KS)
• Sen. Robert Portman (OH)
• Sen. Tim Scott (SC)

ROA’s director of legislation and military policy, Matthew Schwartzman, attended a congressional press conference yesterday with active MSO/VSO partners and key congressional PACT Act champions, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Mark Takano, Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Jon Tester, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Sherrod Brown, and Rep. Raul Ruiz.

“We cannot tolerate any further delays in advancing the PACT Act to the president’s desk for signature,” said Schwartzman. “Millions of toxic exposed veterans need to access VA health care and benefits as we speak, and the next generation of recruits are looking to how we take care of our men and women in uniform after they return home. The impact that inaction such as this has on maintaining the integrity of an all-volunteer force cannot be understated.”

Also in attendance were Burn Pits 360 co-founder, Rosie Lopez Torres, mother-in-law of the late Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, Susan Zeier, and all-star advocate Jon Stewart.

“I’m used to the hypocrisy… I’m used to the lies… I’m used to the cowardice,” said Stewart. “I’m used to all of it, but I am not used to the cruelty.”

If this bill becomes public law, ROA will have played a critical role in expanding VA health care eligibility to more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans, creating a framework for the establishment of future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure, and positioning the VA for success with strategic investments in claims processing and workforce recruitment, retention, and training.

Compounding this issue is additional access barriers to VA benefits and health care for Reserve Component service members due to the differences between their battle rhythm and that of their active-duty counterparts.

If you have questions, contact ROA’s director of legislation and military policy at mschwartzman@roa.org.

Thank you, Senator Gillibrand, for the opportunity to speak on the bill Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 which includes your bill Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act.

 

When I was an ROTC cadet at the University of Massachusetts, all my sergeants and officers were Vietnam veterans. Later as a young officer, my NCOs and officers – a little older by then – were Vietnam vets. Sadly, many have died from Agent Orange exposure. Their objection was not to Agent Orange as a tool of war; it was with their government’s failure to care for them.

 

This afternoon we speak in support of comrades who have suffered from and will suffer from toxic exposure from their military service. 

 

We expect the House and Senate to vote on the new PACT bill in the next few days. Every vote will count. 

 

The dozens of veterans and military groups which have come together on this legislation urge you to call, visit, and write your Senator to vote YEA until the vote is called.  

 

This past Memorial Weekend we recognized the tragedy that Vietnam veterans did not get medical care from the VA until decades after the war. Gulf War vets were denied.  Don’t let that happen to our newest Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. 

 

They need medical care now.

 

The Reserve Organization of America – ROA – is 100 years old this year. ROA was chartered by Congress to advocate for military readiness and is the only national military organization that exclusively focuses on the Reserve and National Guard.  Passing the PACT Act is a national security issue. 

 

Young Americans considering the military must be confident that their government will take care of them -- and not abandon them when the going gets tough and they come home sick or disabled.  Look what happened to our Vietnam comrades – it must not happen again!

 

Mothers and fathers must be confident that their sons and daughters . . . who they see go into harm’s way . . . will be cared for and not kicked to the curb once the parades are over. 

 

ROA is proud to be standing with Senator Gillibrand today fighting for a better future for veterans who have given their measure. 

 

We thank those in Congress who understand the true cost of war and stand with us in support of the PACT Act – any delay puts lives at risk; these veterans need care today.

 

Above from left:  Past National President and former STARs Foundation Chair retired Lt. Col. Don Stockton, U.S. Air Force Reserve; ROA Director of Development former Cmdr. Bradley Carlson, U.S. Navy; and ROA National President retired Capt. Bob Carmack, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve; visited the National Cemetery of the Pacific to view the ROA Memorial Plaque on the Memorial Walk as part of ROA’s 75th commemorations.

The team was in Honolulu visiting with the Department of Hawaii to attend an event as part of ROA’s Centennial Celebration and the ROA Second Century Campaign. 

Click here to view the full gallery.

 

 

Legislation to extend VA benefits to sickened and disabled vets hangs in balance with U.S. Senate

The CEO of the century-old, congressionally chartered Reserve Organization of America, retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey E. Phillips, is asking fellow retired flag officers to urge their U.S. Senators to support legislation now pending in the Senate that would extend Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to veterans suffering from a variety of maladies and disabilities in connection with toxins.

“Retired flag officers – generals and admirals – spent their lives caring for the men and women in their charge,” Phillips said. “I think they would consider it an honor to help ensure that those sickened and disabled in service to the nation get the care they deserve.” In his letter, Phillips wrote:

Fellow retired flag officers,

Our troops need us. I write to ask your support of legislation now before the United States Senate that would extend Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to service members with illnesses caused by exposure to burn pits and other battlefield toxins.

As a senior leader in our military, the care of those under your command and in your trust was of the utmost importance to you. “Mission first, soldiers always,” was what we said in the Army, and I am sure you had a similar expression. This ethic of service to those entrusted to our care defined us; it went bone-deep.

I know it still does.

That is why I now respectfully ask you to contact your U.S. Senators and urge them to support the Honoring Our PACT Act; that stands for the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act.

The bipartisan Honoring Our PACT Act (H.R. 3967) passed in the House in March. Over time, other bills have been introduced, but the PACT Act is the only bill that provides a comprehensive solution. Now it is up to the Senate to act and we expect a vote just after Memorial Day.

Some Senators are holding out for “better” legislation; but we leaders know that “perfect” is the enemy of good enough: the PACT Act passed the House. The PACT Act is supported by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and would be signed by the President. The PACT Act is backed by more than 60 military and veteran’s service organizations, including the one I represent, the century-old, congressionally chartered Reserve Organization of America (ROA).

The Honoring Our PACT Act is what our fellow veterans need. Benefits provided by the PACT Act (list provided by House Committee on Veterans Affairs):

• Provide Priority Group 6 VA health care for more than 3.5 million toxic-exposed veterans.
• Provide extension of combat eligibility for health care from 5 to 10 years with a one-year open enrollment period for those veterans who missed their window.
• Streamline VA’s review process for establishing toxic exposure presumptions.
• Concede exposure to airborne hazards/burn pits based on locations & dates of service.
• Require medical exams/opinions for certain veterans with toxic exposure disability claims.
• Add hypertension and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance to the list of presumptions for Agent Orange exposure.
• Establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to burn pits/airborne hazards exposure.
• Create a presumption of exposure to radiation for veterans who participated in cleanup activities in Palomares, Spain, and Enewetak Atoll.
• Allow for a new tort claim for veterans and families exposed to toxic water at Camp Lejeune.
  
• Expand Agent Orange exposure to veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia
  
• Improve data collection between VA and the Department of Defense.
  
• Commission studies related to incidents of cancer among veterans, health trends of Post-9/11 veterans and feasibility of providing healthcare to dependents of veterans.
  
• Require VA to provide standardized training to improve toxic exposure disability claims adjudications.
• Require VA to conduct outreach and provide resources to toxic-exposed veterans.

Your lifetime of faithful service as a leader in America’s armed forces enabled our wonderful young men and women to valiantly go about the business of ensuring our fellow citizens, and indeed the free world, need not fear tyranny.

Many of these patriots now struggle with respiratory, nervous, musculoskeletal, and other disabilities that degrade their health, destroy their vitality, and eradicate their ability to work, support their family, and lead the life they earned with dedicated service.

They trusted us to lead them. Now they need our help. Please make your voice heard on their behalf.