VFW Report on: National Defense Authorization Act Clears Congress

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National Defense Authorization Act Clears Congress
RE: National Defense Authorization Act Clears Congress

National Defense Authorization Act Clears Congress:

Legislation providing $618.7 billion and a 2.1 percent pay raise for the military cleared Congress and was sent to the White House this week. The bill also includes a number the VFW’s 2016 Priority Goals, such as requiring DOD to formulate a process by which veterans who received Less-Than-Honorable discharges due to misconduct resulting from the effects of Post-traumatic stress disorder, Military sexual trauma (MST) and Traumatic brain injury are given a fair shake when appealing for discharge upgrade; calculating the military retirement owed to a former spouse based on the rank at time of divorce instead of at time of retirement; and improved reporting and treatment of service members who are victims of MST. The passage of this important bill also fully accomplishes VFW Resolutions 416 and 418 and partially accomplishes Resolution 410, which were approved at the 117th VFW National Convention.