“THE NAVY PUT MY LIFE ON TRACK”
Tony Gonzales discusses how his service in uniform has shaped his career.
HIDDEN HEROES
There are over 14 million military & veteran caregivers in our country. And they need our help.
Plus: “Safeguarding Sacrifice” - Don Bacon and Chrissy Houlahan lead a bipartisan effort to improve the quality of life for our troops.
WHEN DO NEED CAREGIVERS
CARE?
We know the toll that supporting a loved one with a difficult-to-treat disease can take, which is why we provide caregivers with resources and answers. Can you imagine a community where every caregiver is educated, informed and supported? We can.
“Ideas that matter,
Volume 58, Number 5
Viewpoints - “What Veterans Day Means to Me.”
4 “It’s a Day When I Reflect Upon What made My Own Service so Meaningful.”
By Scott Franklin
6 “Being a Veteran Means being a Part of Something Bigger Than Yourself.”
By
Mike Carey
8 “Honoring our Brothers and Sisters Who made the Ultimate Sacrifice.”
By
Morgan Lutrell
Cover Story
10 America’s Hidden Heroes
By Steve Schwab
There are over 14 million military and veteran caregivers in the U.S. And according to the CEO of the Dole Foundation, they need our help.
13 Safeguarding Their Sacrifice
By Don Bacon & Chrissy Houlahan
Military families make unimaginable sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure we provide for their basic needs.
15 Rebuilding Integrity and Trust at VA
By Jerry Moran
Recent instances of mismanagement have left veterans waiting for services and highlight the need for greater accountability within VA.
17 Comprehensive Support, Data Hold Answers to Veteran Suicide Crisis
By John Boozman
Military families make unimaginable sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure we provide for their basic needs.
Cover Story (cont’d)
19 SkillBridge is a Win for Veterans, a Win for Business, and a Win for America
By Eric Eversole
At a time when transitioning service members struggle with post-military careers, a program to place veterans in the workplace is showing results.
21 Beyond “Thank You for Your Service”
By Daniel Peat
Veterans face conflicting perceptions, on the one hand seen as being prone to violence, on the other hand seen as a hero and placed on a pedestal.
24 Beyond the Uniform
By Art delaCruz Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian nonprofit, operates on a global scale to support communities impacted by disasters and crises.
Debate - Should Military Commissaries be Privatized?
26 Yes, it will better serve our troops and their families
By Elaine McCusker
27 No, for struggling military families, commissaries are more important than ever
By Bill Moore
News & Events - U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy spoke to The Ripon Society about his plan to save Social Security.
Ripon Profile of U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales
THE RIPON
SOCIETY
HONORARY CONGRESSIONAL ADVISORY BOARD
U.S. Senators:
Shelley Moore Capito – Senate Co-Chair
Todd Young – Senate Co-Chair
Marsha Blackburn
Bill Cassidy, M.D.
Susan M. Collins
Steve Daines
Joni Ernst
Deb Fischer
John Hoeven
Jerry Moran
Mike Rounds
Thom Tillis
Roger Wicker
U.S. Representatives:
Stephanie Bice – House Co-Chair
Larry Bucshon, M.D. – House Co-Chair
Frank Lucas – House Co-Chair
August Pfluger – House Co-Chair
Mike Kelly – Vice Chair
Dan Newhouse – Vice Chair
Ann Wagner – Vice Chair
Mark Amodei
Kelly Armstrong
Don Bacon
Troy Balderson
Andy Barr
Mike Bost
Vern Buchanan
Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Ken Calvert
Kat Cammack
Mike Carey
Buddy Carter
Tom Cole
John Curtis
Tom Emmer
Ron Estes
Brian Fitzpatrick
Randy Feenstra
Scott Franklin
Andrew Garbarino
Tony Gonzales
Kay Granger
Garret Graves
Sam Graves
Kevin Hern
French Hill
Ashley Hinson
Bill Huizenga
Dusty Johnson
Dave Joyce
John Joyce, M.D.
Young Kim
Darin LaHood
Bob Latta
Laurel Lee
Julia Letlow
Brian Mast
Michael McCaul
Rich McCormick, M.D.
Carol Miller
John Moolenaar
Blake Moore
Greg Murphy, M.D.
Jay Obernolte
Guy Reschenthaler
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
María Elvira Salazar
Steve Scalise
Adrian Smith
Lloyd Smucker
Pete Stauber
Bryan Steil
Glenn “GT” Thompson
Mike Turner
David Valadao
Brad Wenstrup, D.P.M.
Steve Womack
Rudy Yakym
In this edition
With over 14 million Americans currently caring for a veteran or military service member in the United States, the 6th Annual Veterans Day Special Edition of The Ripon Forum examines the challenges facing these hidden heroes and what policymakers can do to support them.
“Thirty-five percent of military and veteran caregiving households have incomes below 130 percent of the federal poverty line,” writes Steve Schwab, the CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which recently commissioned a study about the needs of caregivers and the critical role they play. “Of those caring for someone 60 or younger, 40 percent are food insecure.”
“We cannot say we are a nation that stands with those who serve if their families are skipping meals to afford their care … Just as America has come together around veterans, we must rally behind their caregivers, too. If we continue to leave them unsupported, we will be failing millions of Americans providing an invaluable service to the nation and cutting the greatest lifeline service members and veterans have to quality care.”
U.S. Reps. Don Bacon and Chrissy Houlahan agree. The Co-Chairs of the Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan Military Quality of Life Panel, the two lawmakers are leading an effort to make sure our troops have the resources they need off the battlefield to take care of their families and themselves. “Military families make unimaginable sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure we provide for their basic needs,” Bacon and Houlahan write.
Two years after Congress passed The PACT Act, which provided expanded benefits and care to veterans exposed to toxic substances, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran is leading an effort targeting abuse in the way the program is being implemented. “In May, VA’s Inspector General reported that department leaders had abused authority Congress provided in the PACT Act to unlawfully divert $10.8 million to pay excessive bonuses to some of VA’s highest paid senior executives,” Moran writes. “VA leaders must take responsibility to rebuild the integrity and trust they lost and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.”
In another essay for this Special Edition, U.S. Sen. John Boozman provides an update on the longtime effort he has led on Capitol Hill to reduce the number of veteran suicides. “According to the latest VA report,” Boozman writes, “17 veterans take their own life each day, on average. This trend has remained stubbornly high for years … Those at risk should always have support and never be without hope. We are actively pursuing solutions to supply both abundantly.”
Eric Eversole is leading an effort off the Hill to help veterans transition to jobs in the private sector. “Onethird of veterans are underemployed and underutilizing their military-related skills,” writes Eversole, who heads up the Hiring Our Heroes initiative at the U.S. Chamber. Eversole believes the Pentagon’s SkillBridge program is critical to helping troops make the leap to private life, and that eligibility for the program should be expanded. “Not only will this help guarantee the long-term economic opportunity that our veterans deserve,” he writes, “but it also will ensure that we are able to recruit the next generation of all volunteers.”
According to University of Cincinnati Professor Daniel Peat, veterans who do land on both feet in the workplace often find other challenges, as well. “Our research reveals that many military veterans face conflicting social perceptions,” Peat writes. “On one hand, they are often stigmatized, perceived as prone to violence or struggling with mental health issues like PTSD…Simultaneously, veterans experience social aggrandizement, where they are glorified as heroes simply for having served.”
At a time when natural disasters are occurring with greater strength and frequency, Art delaCruz is leading Team Rubicon, a non-profit organization of veterans committed to helping communities recover after disasters occur. “In 2024 alone, our volunteers have already aided more than 2.9 million individuals and numerous communities,” writes delaCruz, a former TOPGUN pilot who serves as the organization’s CEO. “I had the chance to observe the havoc brought by Hurricane Helene up close. The destructive scenes were immense, but the determination and resilience of our volunteers were incredibly moving.”
As America marks another Veterans Day, U.S. Reps. Scott Franklin, Mike Carey, and Morgan Luttrell write about their own military service and what the holiday means to them. American Enterprise Institute scholar Elaine McCusker and former Defense Commissary Agency CEO Bill Moore square off in a debate over military commissaries and whether they should be privatized. And in the latest Ripon Profile, U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales looks back on his own time in uniform and how his service in the Navy has shaped his career.
We hope you enjoy this 6th Annual Veterans Day Special Edition of The Ripon Forum, and encourage you to contact us with any questions or comments you may have.
Lou Zickar, Editor of The Ripon Forum
Viewpoints
“It’s
What Veterans Day Means to Me
a Day When I Reflect Upon What made My Own Service so Meaningful.”
by SCOTT FRANKLIN
Across our nation this Veterans Day, Americans will thank veterans for their service. Some will offer words of gratitude. Others will shake a hand or pick up the tab for a vet or service member in uniform. We cherish and revere our veterans because we know they’re willing to do what many aren’t — at a minimum, sacrificing time with their families when duty calls, traveling to far-off lands in defense of freedom and the American ideal. It can also include giving the last full measure of devotion – their lives, for which we pay tribute on Memorial Day.
For me, Veterans Day represents more than simply a day on the calendar to recognize those who wore the uniform. It’s a day when I reflect upon what made my own service so meaningful, because truthfully, I received so much more than I gave. On Veterans Day, I’m reminded how weighty it was as a young midshipman to be part of something much larger than myself, to join the ranks of so many brave warriors before me. I’m reminded of the invaluable lessons I learned about leadership and the gains we can make when we put unity, duty, and service above self.
each swore the same oath to support and defend the United States. In that moment, our differences faded away.
It was drilled into us from the onset—and certainly remained a theme throughout my entire Navy career — we must look beyond our differences. We don’t highlight them, and they don’t define us. We look past them and work together as a team. We took this job together. We all bleed the same red. We are united, connected by our duty to serve our country, defend the Constitution, and uphold the values that make America great.
With shaven heads and fresh uniforms, we each swore the same oath to support and defend the United States. In that moment, our differences faded away.
As a smalltown kid from Florida, I was impacted profoundly on Induction Day at the Naval Academy. My squad included an African American from Opelika, Alabama, a Polish American from the Bronx, a Mexican American from Fort Worth, the son of an academy grad killed in Vietnam from Maine, another from San Francisco, and all points in between. We came from all walks of life — northerners and southerners; cities, suburbs and farms; rich and poor. We had different accents, backgrounds, and worldviews. But by the end of that first day, we all shared something in common. With shaven heads and fresh uniforms, we
During my first deployment on the USS Forrestal, an African American chief petty officer took me down to the mess decks. Reminiscing on his earlier years in the Navy, he remarked how far the military had come since he first started. He assured me, back then, we couldn’t have walked those mess decks together, as there had been race riots aboard carriers. During that era, the military evolved and became the best in the country at stepping beyond division to advance the aspirations of the civil rights movement.
Those deeply engrained values stayed with me as I later moved to the private sector. When I was first elected to Congress, I immediately began connecting with other veterans. From my own service, I knew fellow vets would have a similar approach to legislating. Serving in the Armed Forces meant, at least at some point in their career, they learned how to overcome differences and bring people together to accomplish their goals.
In Congress, while different from the military in the obvious ways, many of the same challenges exist. Like a recruit’s first day of basic training, Members of Congress arrive to serve in a body as diverse as the U.S. Each brings their own unique experiences and viewpoints to bear. Yet, we all have one mandate, a duty, a shared mission: putting differences aside to serve Americans and solve our country’s greatest challenges. Just as in the military, fidelity to oath means our work must transcend personalities and personal preferences. We must resist our base instincts to retreat to our corners, work within our silos and negotiate only in zero-sum propositions. Success in Congress— which I believe means defending the Constitution and relentless pursuit of what framer Gouverneur Morris called a “more perfect union”—demands compromise and putting mission above individual interests.
This Veterans Day, like those before, is more than mere observance for me. It serves as a profound
reaffirmation of the core values instilled in me by military service that shaped my life. It’s also a personal renewal of the oath I first swore in 1982 to put country, and duty, before myself. As I serve in Congress, hoping to return even a fraction of what was given me during my time in the Navy, I strive to bring this spirit to the halls of the Capitol. I believe my neighbors who entrusted me to represent them deserve nothing less. RF
Franklin represents the 18th District of Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives. His first career was as a Naval Aviator, where he flew jets from the decks of 13 aircraft carriers during 26 years of service, including 14 years on active duty, followed by 12 years in the reserves. He had numerous deployments to the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, and North Atlantic, and saw combat operations in the Gulf, Bosnia, and Kosovo. He was recalled to active duty twice after 9/11 with U.S. Central Command.
What Veterans Day Means to Me
“Being a veteran means being a part of something
bigger than yourself.”
by MIKE CAREY
A few years ago, I experienced a homecoming of sorts. It wasn’t in Ohio, where I was born, educated, and now raise my family. It was in the woods of Mason County, West Virginia.
There, under the cover of bare trees and wet leaves, was the grave of my great, great grandfather, Joseph Bromley. Joseph’s life was a difficult one: born in 1826, he fought for the Union Army in the Civil War. In peacetime, he worked in the West Virginia salt mines.
To save money, his family chose not to engrave a death date on his tombstone, so we don’t know exactly when he died. However, we know that he witnessed a pivotal period in America’s history. Jacob defended this nation from the brink of dissolution. He saw his country change around him. But at the end of his life, it was his service that defined him.
I never had the chance to meet my great, great grandfather — no matter what my kids might say, I’m not that old — but we share more than just a family tree. Though we might be centuries apart, both of our lives have been shaped by service to our country.
As a member of Congress, I have had the opportunity to sit down and speak with hundreds of veterans. Their stories, and the challenges they face, run the gamut. Some drop by our Columbus office to get help claiming a service medal or working with the VA; others have flown to Washington to advocate for their fallen or injured brothers in arms. Some served in Vietnam or the Gulf War; others in Iraq and Afghanistan.
My role as Representative means that I have the responsibility to honor that legacy. The first step — ensuring veterans have access to the benefits they earned.
We’re working hard in Congress to make veteran benefits function more smoothly and accessibly. For example, many OH15 veterans that contact our office are frustrated with a hard-tonavigate VA and labyrinthian record systems.
That’s why we cosponsored the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which passed the House last year. The bill will expand home and community veterans’ programs and support the family caregivers of disabled veterans.
No matter their background, whenever I speak to a fellow veteran there is a glimmer of recognition that can only come from our shared service.
No matter their background, whenever I speak to a fellow veteran there is a glimmer of recognition that can only come from our shared service. It is what connects us to every American veteran since the Continental Army stood up to the redcoats: a willingness to give everything in service of this nation’s freedom.
It’s a legacy of service that I have wanted to join since childhood. When I put on my first uniform at eighteen as a student at the Marion Military Institute in Marion, Alabama, I took my place in a family tradition stretching back five generations.
We also cosponsored the Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Modernization Improvement Act, which will ensure that any electronic record system adopted by the VA is up to the task of providing top-tier medical care to veterans and their families.
However, as we know all too well, the legislative process can be slow, and veterans need help now. I’m proud of all our casework team has done to advocate for veterans in OH-15. Their work with the VA has returned tens of thousands to our constituents — in one case, over $100,000 in retroactive disability pay to a single veteran.
Being a veteran means being a part of something bigger than yourself. It’s a responsibility and a privilege. As a member of Congress, I’m working every day to honor that legacy by making life better for my fellow veterans. This Veterans Day, remember — it is our job to keep the tradition of service alive for generations of Americans to come. RF
Carey represents the 15th District of Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives. Following his graduation from East Clinton High School, he followed his family tradition of service, earning an ROTC scholarship, attending the Marion Military Institute, and serving as an officer in the military. During this time, he also earned his bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University.
What Veterans Day Means to Me “Honoring Our Brothers and Sisters Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice.”
by MORGAN LUTTRELL
As Veterans Day approaches, I’m filled with gratitude for the brave men and women who’ve proudly worn our nation’s uniform. As a combat veteran myself, I know the sacrifices made, the courage shown, and the dedication it takes to serve. For veterans like me, this day is not just about looking back on our own service, but about honoring our brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice.
It’s not just the deployments or the battles we face in the field — it’s the battles we face within when we come back that we must continue to fight. The transition back to civilian life is often the toughest fight of all. That’s why our support for veterans can’t end with just a thank you once a year. It’s important we show up every day and fight for them, the same way they fought for us and our freedom.
Our veterans deserve access to top-tier healthcare, mental health services, and opportunities to succeed in civilian life. In Congress, I’ve worked hard to make sure they get exactly that. We’ve made real progress this year with legislation focused on improving VA care and giving veterans more resources to combat PTSD and other mental health challenges. But the mission is far from over.
toll combat takes and has experienced the healing from psychedelic therapy, I understand that traditional methods don’t always work for everyone. There is simply no ‘onesize fits all’ approach. That’s why I’m pushing hard to bring innovative treatments to the forefront. These emerging therapies are game changers that can provide veterans with an additional tool they can use to truly recover.
As a combat veteran myself, I know the sacrifices made, the courage shown, and the dedication it takes to serve.
For every veteran who makes a smooth transition, there’s another still struggling to find their footing. Veterans need better support to bridge that gap — to make sure no veteran is left behind. That means expanding mental health care, breaking down the stigma around innovative solutions like psychedelic therapies, and creating job opportunities that match the skills veterans bring home.
When it comes to taking care of our veterans, we can’t rely on the same old approaches. Since coming to Congress, it has been a top priority of mine to effect change in the mental health space. As someone who’s seen firsthand the
I will always fight for more for our veterans because I understand just how important our obligation is to support the veterans who have served and sacrificed for our country.
To all my veterans out there, happy Veterans Day. From one veteran to another, I would like to thank you personally for your service to our country, from our wars past, to our conflicts currently, to whatever happens in the future. Take Veterans Day to celebrate with your family and friends. Reflect with each other and remember those that we’ve lost. Thank you for providing the blanket of freedom that we sleep under every night.
God bless our veterans, and God bless the United States of America. RF
Luttrell represents the 8th District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. A 5th generation Texan who was raised on a horse ranch, Morgan enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduating college. In 2009, he survived a deadly helicopter crash that left him with a broken back and a traumatic brain injury. Determined to get back in the fight with his teammates, Morgan rehabbed, recovered, and returned to the frontline. Following an honorable 14-year military career, Morgan retired from the Navy in 2014 and applied his personal success and experience to help fellow veterans recover from PTSD and traumatic brain injuries sustained in battle.
America’s
HIDDEN HEROES
There
are over 14 million military & veteran caregivers
in our country. And they need our help.
by STEVE SCHWAB
As a nation that has relied on an all-volunteer military for more than 50 years, we have the inherent responsibility to do all that we can to care for those who serve. However, a new study commissioned by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation reveals that the United States has been pushing the promise of that care onto the families and friends of wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans, often at a terrible personal cost.
America’s Military & Veteran Caregivers: Hidden
Heroes Emerging from the Shadows , released by RAND in September, reports that 14.3 million Americans, representing 5.5 percent of all U.S. adults, care for someone who served. These military and veteran caregivers live in communities across America, concentrated in the same regions where most Americans live. More often they are women, though only by a slight majority. Twenty-five percent care for someone 60 years old or younger, making up a segment of this
Senator Elizabeth Dole and Steve Schwab join some of America’s Hidden Heroes for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s National Convening on Military Caregiving.
caregiver population that is more diverse in terms of gender, race, and the nature of their relationship with the care recipient; 27 percent are neighbors and friends, and 31 percent are more distant relatives.
The responsibilities weighing on military and veteran caregivers are vast. Wounds of war can require these caregivers to assist their loved ones with basic hygiene routines, dressing, eating, and other daily activities. These caregivers are also more likely to care for someone with an invisible wound, such as a traumatic brain injury, PTSD, or substance use disorder. Such unseen costs of war keep caregivers on call around-the-clock, as they help their loved ones through nightmares, memory issues, and confusion.
The near-constant expectations of military and veteran caregiving take a dramatic toll on caregivers’ economic security. Military and veteran caregivers are more likely to be unemployed because of their competing responsibilities at home. RAND estimates that these caregivers sacrifice more than $13,000 in annual out-of-pocket costs due to caregiving and lost household income. For those who have to drop out of the workforce completely, that number can rise into the millions. Stacey Hawley, a 2024 Dole Caregiver Fellow with the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, saw her savings plummet as she took on fulltime care of her son. At one point, Stacey resorted to donating her plasma to make ends meet.
monitoring for signs of pneumonia, and waking up multiple times throughout the night to ensure he is safe and comfortable.
RAND found that suicidal thoughts occur more frequently among military and veteran caregivers than non-caregivers. Those providing care to individuals aged 60 or younger were found to need mental healthcare the most. One out of five has considered ending their life in the last year.
Unfortunately, the difficulties of caregiving are often shared by children in the household. Almost a quarter of military and veteran caregiver kids needed mental health treatment in the past year but did not receive it — nearly double the rate of civilian caregiver kids and three times the rate of noncaregiver children. A veteran caregiver once shared with me that her teenage son had suicidal thoughts because he felt that she had enough to worry about caring for his dad.
Thirty-five
percent of military and veteran caregiving households have incomes below 130 percent of the federal poverty line. Of those caring for someone 60 or younger, 40 percent are food insecure.
Stacey’s experience isn’t unique. Thirty-five percent of military and veteran caregiving households have incomes below 130 percent of the federal poverty line. Of those caring for someone 60 or younger, which includes veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 40 percent are food insecure. We cannot say we are a nation that stands with those who serve if their families are skipping meals to afford their care.
Military and veteran caregivers also report alarming consequences for their mental health. Lynnette Canedy, another Dole Caregiver Fellow, said that she is in a constant state of anxiety because her father’s health is so fragile. She is always worrying about his wound care,
Congress has a clear role to play in responding to this study. For the last year, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation has led a coalition of veteran service organizations in championing the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21 st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This package of legislation would be lifechanging for caregivers of our most catastrophically wounded veterans. Without question, its wide-ranging provisions would also rescue hurting military families and save lives.
The Department of Veterans Affairs can also make strides in its caregiver support, building on the notable investments it has made over the last decade. One key area for improvement remains including caregivers in their veterans’ healthcare teams. More than 70 percent of military and veteran caregivers feel that they were not listened to or that their input was not sought by their loved ones’ healthcare providers. Such exclusionary practices keep caregivers’ valuable insights from informing their veterans’ treatments and
Steve Schwab
denies critical information to the people overseeing care at home.
In concert with bipartisan government-led efforts, organizations from every sector must join in providing caregiving families the help they need.
Among the highest priorities, we must find ways to better identify caregivers who need mental health support and increase access to mental health services and substance use treatment. To do this, we will have to eliminate barriers to access, including limited health insurance coverage and shortages of healthcare providers.
We cannot say we are a nation that stands with those who serve if their families are skipping meals to afford their care.
Finally, our nation must strengthen support offered to caregiving youth. From educators to healthcare providers, everyone who engages young people must be made aware of the challenges of these young caregivers and how they can offer age-appropriate assistance. Nothing would symbolize our inadequate support of those who served more than if their sacrifices were inherited by the next generation.
Additionally, we need to build and sustain caregivers’ economic mobility. Leaders should invest in financial literacy and financial planning assistance, promote employment opportunities that accommodate caregiving, and increase uptake of existing governmentprovided benefits.
Just as America has come together around veterans, we must rally behind their caregivers too. If we continue to leave them unsupported, we will be failing millions of Americans providing an invaluable service to the nation and cutting the greatest lifeline service members and veterans have to quality care. RF
Steve Schwab serves as CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
Supporting Organizations That Shape the Future
Safeguarding Sacrifice: Improving Military Quality of Life
by DON BACON & CHRISSY HOULAHAN
As members of the House Armed Services Committee, we are committed to improving and advancing our military. Each year, we work to secure passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, annual legislation that sets policy for the operation and oversight of the Department of Defense.
As veterans of the Air Force, we know firsthand the importance of supporting our men and women in uniform. Last year, we joined forces to lead a panel focused on improving military quality of life, the HASC’s bipartisan Military Quality of Life Panel, and we were joined by eleven Committee members. Over a year, the Panel conducted dozens of engagements with service members, military families, senior defense officials, and outside experts to understand the challenges military families face and explore solutions.
ity housing for military families and single servicemembers who live on base. During testimony at one of our hearings, the Government Accountability Office revealed deplorable living conditions at many of our installations. Making matters worse, the Department of Defense has chosen to reduce housing reimbursements to commercial operators of on-base family housing and for those living off-base on the local economy. Over time, this has forced more and more service members into either unaffordable or substandard living conditions.
Military families make unimaginable sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure we provide for their basic needs.
The Panel's work revealed how many service members and military families face challenges such as low pay, substandard housing, access to healthcare and childcare, and spouse employment. Military families make unimaginable sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure we provide for their basic needs.
In our candid discussions, we heard firsthand accounts of military families who struggle with putting food on the table in an economy where military pay has lagged behind inflation for many years. At a minimum, no one who volunteers to risk their life defending our country should have to rely on federal, state, or private food assistance to eat.
Another urgent problem that quickly caught the Panel's attention is the sharp decline in affordable qual -
We also learned about the employment challenges facing military spouses. Like many Americans, sharp increases in the cost of living have forced military families to have two incomes. However, the frequent moves required by military service often make it very difficult for military spouses to find work. The Panel's work revealed that military spouse unemployment typically hovers over 20%, making it one of the highest unemployment rates in American society.
Ultimately, the Panel assembled a 48-page report containing 31 recommendations to improve the lives of military families, with a final goal of strengthening America's fighting forces. We identified five key problem areas and made policy recommendations to address pay, childcare, housing, healthcare, and spousal support.
The title and text of this year's NDAA, the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, are based on the legislative recommendations of the HASC
Military Quality of Life Panel. H.R. 8070 includes all 31 recommendations totaling more than $4.5 billion to combat challenges faced by service members and their families.
Among the most important of these recommendations are a targeted 19.5 percent pay increase for junior enlisted personnel, restoring housing reimbursement rates to 100 percent, requiring the Department to fully fund housing reimbursement, and making professional certifications valid across state lines.
Like
Our national security is weakened when our All-Volunteer Force cannot recruit or retain service members. By implementing the recommendations of the HASC Military Quality of Life Panel, we both strengthen our national security and honor the sacrifices made by our service members and their families. We will continue to
ensure that those who defend our freedom receive the support and resources they deserve. RF
After serving nearly 30 years in the Air Force, retiring as a brigadier general, Don Bacon continued his service to our nation when he was elected in 2016 to represent Nebraska’s 2nd District. He currently serves on the Armed Services Committee, where he chaired the Quality of Life panel and is Chairman of the Cyber, Information Technologies and Innovation Subcommittee. Chrissy Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, an engineer, a serial entrepreneur, an educator, and a nonprofit leader. She represents Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, and serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Rebuilding Integrity and Trust at VA
by JERRY MORAN
Two years ago, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act) was signed into law, providing expanded health care and benefits to all generations of toxic-exposed veterans.
Since then, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) approved more than one million PACT Act-related benefits claims for veterans and survivors and accepted more than 300,000 new enrollees in the VA health care system. In Kansas – a state with roughly 180,000 veterans – 3,826 veterans have enrolled in VA health care and 15,048 veterans have submitted benefits claims under the PACT Act.
While these numbers are promising, the continued success of the PACT Act is dependent on the department’s ability to sustain and improve on these gains and responsibly steward the additional resources, authorities, and workforce as mandated by the law. Several recent instances of mismanagement have left veterans and survivors waiting for critical services and highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability within VA.
care system recruit and retain highly skilled, in-demand employees to take care of veterans in VA facilities across the country. However, VA’s Under Secretaries of Health and Benefits used this authority to award bonuses as high as $100,000 to 182 senior executives at the VA Central Office (VACO) in Washington, D.C. VA has been recovering the improper payments since the scandal became public, but this authority could be abused again.
In May, VA’s Inspector General reported that department leaders had abused authority Congress provided in the PACT Act to unlawfully divert $10.8 million to pay excessive bonuses to some of VA’s highest paid senior executives.
In May, VA’s Inspector General reported that department leaders had abused authority Congress provided in the PACT Act to unlawfully divert $10.8 million to pay excessive bonuses to some of VA’s highest paid senior executives.
These bonuses – known as critical skills incentive (CSI) payments – were intended to help the VA health
I introduced the Stop Government Rewards Enriching Executives in the District (Stop GREED) Act w ith my colleagues Sens. John Boozman (R-AR) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to prevent mismanagement of taxpayer dollars moving forward and make certain that CSI payments are only used to support frontline staff caring for veterans in states like Kansas.These payments are particularly concerning considering the fact that many of the senior executives improperly awarded CSI payments are responsible for other recent scandals.
VA’s Inspector General has uncovered multiple other preventable tragedies across the country due to inadequate internal oversight at VA. Reports have been spiking from veterans, their family members, and whistleblowers regarding veterans being denied access to timely, quality care through community providers, as required by the MISSION Act. In January, VA also caused widespread concern by announcing an abrupt shift to a zero-growth staffing model that would result in 10,000 fewer employees. VA changed course months
later and called for an increase of more than 20,000 staff instead.
Furthermore, in July, VA announced a $12 billion shortfall in the department’s health care accounts for FY2025 and a $3 billion shortfall in the benefits accounts for FY2024 – shortfalls that VA appears to have hidden from Congress. VA senior leaders knew Congress would need to appropriate additional funding to make up these budgetary shortfalls, but waited until after Senate Appropriators reached a deal on funding allocations to come forward with the situation facing the department. Congress acted quickly to provide emergency supplemental appropriations to ensure the timely delivery of benefits payments for millions of veterans, but VA must end the budgetary gamesmanship to ensure that Congress can fill the expected shortfall in VA medical care.
In
July, VA announced a $12 billion shortfall in the department’s health care accounts for FY2025 and a $3 billion shortfall in the benefits accounts for FY2024 – shortfalls that VA appears to have hidden from Congress.
VA is responsible for implementing the law as Congress intended, providing top-notch services to veterans, and being good stewards of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. By expanding VA’s workload and patient population, the PACT Act made those responsibilities even more important. I will continue working to make certain veterans, their caregivers, and survivors do not suffer as a result of VA’s mismanagement. VA leaders must
take responsibility to rebuild the integrity and trust they lost and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. Only then will VA live up to the promises owed to those who served to protect our freedoms. RF
Jerry Moran is the senior United States Senator from Kansas. Elected to the Senate in 2010, he serves as the Ranking Republican on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Comprehensive Support and Data Hold Answers to Veteran Suicide Crisis
by JOHN BOOZMAN
For too long, there’s been a devastating reality among the community of Americans who have worn our nation’s uniform, defending our freedom and way of life – mental health battles that end in suicide.
Veterans Day is an opportunity to honor and thank all former servicemembers for their efforts and sacrifice on behalf of our country, but it also presents us with an opportunity to recommit ourselves, as a nation, to do everything possible to help them navigate and overcome the struggles they face. This is part of what it means to truly have their backs.
According to the latest Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) report, 17 veterans take their own life each day, on average. This trend has remained stubbornly high for years.
Finding satisfactory answers to the veteran suicide epidemic has been a top priority for me and many of my colleagues in Congress. Ultimately, those at risk should always have support and never be without hope. We are actively pursuing solutions to supply both abundantly.
provide real-time support to former servicemembers experiencing a mental health emergency. As of this July, it has received more than 10 million calls, texts, and electronic chats from veterans seeking help.
Back in 2014, Congress passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act that improved care and suicide prevention resources for veterans by increasing access to mental health programs, providing incentives to recruit and retain psychiatrists to treat veterans, and enhancing resources for members of the military transitioning to civilian life. I was proud to support this landmark legislation.
According to the latest VA report, 17 veterans take their own life each day, on average.
This trend has remained stubbornly high for years.
After years of meeting with former servicemembers, veteran service organizations, nonprofit groups, VA leaders, and medical personnel about the root causes that result in these tragic deaths, we’ve advanced several major policy reforms to help identify the shortfalls that contribute to or fail to prevent veteran suicide. They represent important steps in our joint efforts to address this crisis and, while already making a difference, will take time to be fully felt.
In 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line was launched to
A few years later, I championed the Improve Well-being for Veterans Act , which created a new grant program to enable the VA to conduct additional suicide prevention outreach through veteran-serving nonprofits in addition to state and local organizations. That effort grew out of the recognition that there were already a multitude of independent groups on the ground, ably serving and reaching veterans in their own communities, and the importance of leveraging that familiar care and contact given only about a quarter of veterans who die by suicide had received health services at the VA.
Just as important, the statute required the VA to develop a tool to monitor the progress of these initiatives so that resources can be concentrated on successful programs – because simply funneling more money to ineffective approaches is unacceptable.
That momentum spurred us to take an even closer
look at the idea of producing and analyzing metrics that can help track the progress being made to save veterans’ lives.
That’s why in this Congress, I teamed up with the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to introduce the Not Just a Number Act to require the VA to examine veterans’ benefits usage in its annual suicide prevention report in order to evaluate the relationship between VA benefits and suicide outcomes.
We know this issue is complex and should be viewed from a wider lens than a solely clinical perspective, because there is rarely a single cause to suicide. Challenges like food insecurity, lack of housing, and financial strain are all common contributors.
share the desire to pinpoint correlations between Veterans Benefit Administration programs and clinical care. We hope to pass it through Congress and into law before January so that it can be implemented quickly and provide more desperately needed answers.
Those at risk should always have support and never be without hope. We are actively pursuing solutions to supply both abundantly.
As the son of a Master Sergeant who retired from the Air Force and a longtime member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee in both the House and Senate, I take seriously our country’s obligations to those who answered the call to serve and sacrifice so much. There is no more urgent area where we must live up to our promise than veteran suicide prevention.
Our legislation would allow for the study, from a holistic standpoint, of how these variables factor into the persistently high number of veterans taking their lives in addition to better understanding the scope and scale of services available to them.
I’m pleased VA leaders testified before our committee that they agreed with the bill’s intent and
I will never give up on helping ensure our nation’s heroes have the support and hope it takes to keep them here with us and lead long, healthy and fulfilling lives. RF
John Boozman is the senior United States Senator from Arkansas and the dean of the state’s Congressional delegation. He is also a senior member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
SkillBridge is a Win for Veterans, a Win for Business, and a Win for America
by ERIC EVERSOLE
Military service creates unparalleled opportunities for young Americans. Whether you serve in the infantry, fix jets, or provide supportive services, the military teaches young men and women how to think critically, be effective leaders, embrace change, and work as a team. These skillsets are becoming more and more valuable to corporate America.
Over the last decade, our country has seen an incredible shift in the nature of work. Gone are the days when a worker learns a skill and relies upon that skill for an entire career.
Modern workers, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, must be analytical and possess the self-efficacy skills (e.g., resiliency and motivation) to be successful. Those skills will be increasingly important as AI and machine learning transform the workplace.
Yet most transitioning service members struggle with post-military careers, notwithstanding their undeniable skillsets. As noted in a recent report by the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State, one-third of veterans are underemployed and underutilizing their militaryrelated skills. LinkedIn’s Veteran Opportunity Report put it more bluntly, saying that companies undervalue military experience with most veterans getting “hired into roles that do not take full advantage of their skills and professional military experience.”
the workplace.
Think about it this way: anyone can say they are a good leader on their resume. They also can reference their problemsolving skills and resiliency, but those claims mean little to a recruiter or hiring manager with little or no connection to the military. And, given that less than one percent of Americans serve on active duty, it is easy to understand why so many veterans are underemployed and undervalued.
Most transitioning service members struggle with postmilitary careers, notwithstanding their undeniable skillsets.
One-third of veterans are underemployed and underutilizing their militaryrelated skills.
Why does this happen? The answer is quite simple: most companies and their hiring managers lack a basic understanding of military service, nor do they have a good way of evaluating military talent and how it will perform in
That is why the Department of Defense SkillBridge program is so important. The program — which can take the form of internships, apprenticeships, or industry training — provides transitioning military members with civilian work experience in highdemand fields just before their transition to civilian employment. It allows them to showcase their skillset to companies and, more importantly, gives companies a chance to evaluate those skills in the workplace.
At Hiring Our Heroes, we are honored to run the nation’s largest SkillBridge Program, known as the Corporate Fellows Program. That program places transitioning service members in a 12-week internship with a host company of their choice. Over the last decade, we have placed more than 12,000 service members with thousands of companies across the country.
The results speak for themselves. Last year alone, that program placed more than 2,400 service members with a host company, with 87 percent receiving a job offer and an average salary of $114,508. We know that HOH’s SkillBridge fellows
Eric Eversole
are taking a job for the right reason (e.g., it was a good job with great pay), as compared to non-participants who were two times more likely to accept a job for a negative reason (e.g., I had no other choice and needed a paycheck).
Perhaps of greater importance, our data shows that HOH SkillBridge participants are more likely to recommend military service to others, whereas nonparticipants were 56 percent more likely to not recommend service. This is especially true among veterans under the age of 30, who are 64 percent more likely to recommend service if they participated in a SkillBridge program as compared to nonparticipants.
since no backfills are authorized under the program. In other words, commanders are put in the unenviable position of deciding between mission and the service member’s future success. It shouldn’t be that way.
That is why the DoD’s SkillBridge program is so important. The program provides transitioning military members with civilian work experience in high-demand fields just before their transition to civilian employment.
Unfortunately, not all transitioning service members are able to participate in SkillBridge. Unlike other enticements meant to support economic opportunity for veterans such as the GI Bill, SkillBridge participation is not guaranteed. It depends on the service member’s commander, who must decide between unit staffing requirements and workload
As we look to the future, SkillBridge eligibility must be expanded to allow all service members the opportunity to participate. Whether that participation occurs on active duty or immediately after their transition is of no matter. Not only will this help guarantee the long-term economic opportunity that our veterans deserve while, in the process, delivering highly skilled workers to American business, but it also will ensure that we are able to recruit the next generation of all volunteers. That is a win-win-win.
RF
Eric Eversole is the president of Hiring Our Heroes, a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and a vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
photo credit: Hiring Our Heroes
Beyond “Thank You for Your Service”
Supporting veterans through action, not symbolism
by DANIEL PEAT
As of 2023, there are approximately 16.5 million U.S. military veterans representing conflicts ranging from World War II to more recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Veterans Day, we honor their service and sacrifice, reflecting on the cost of peace and freedom. It is also a day of national unity and patriotism, where Americans come together to show gratitude.
But is saying “Thank you for your service” enough? For many veterans, this simple phrase, while well-intentioned, rings hollow, highlighting a larger issue: the paradox of stigma and social aggrandizement they face in civilian life.
In 2022, I coauthored a study on veterans in the workplace with Dr. Jaclyn Perrmann-Graham (Northern Kentucky University) in the International Journal of Human Resource Management that highlights this paradox. Based on qualitative interviews with veterans, our research reveals that many military veterans face conflicting social perceptions. On one hand, they are often stigmatized, perceived as prone to violence or struggling with mental health issues like PTSD, as well as being rigid, unadaptable, or politically conservative. Many of these stigmas can be largely attributed to common media portrayals of veterans in both the news and popular media.
here, you’re not clicking with people… It was a bit jarring since you always hear that people respect the military.”
Even the well-meaning phrase “Thank you for your service” can feel empty to many veterans. It often becomes ritualized, disconnected from any tangible support or understanding of the complexities veterans face in civilian life. Without meaningful follow-up or action, this sentiment can serve as a superficial acknowledgment rather than a bridge to genuine integration.
Our research reveals that many military veterans face conflicting social perceptions. On one hand, they are often stigmatized, perceived as prone to violence or struggling with mental health issues like PTSD…
Simultaneously, veterans experience social aggrandizement, where they are glorified as heroes simply for having served. While this may seem positive, it often creates an unattainable image for veterans to live up to, leading to cognitive dissonance. Many veterans feel isolated, caught between these two extremes. As one interviewee described, “Going from an active-duty military culture… then coming
For veterans, the dual forces of stigma and aggrandizement can complicate workplace and school interactions, leading to feelings of exclusion and often turnover. Complicating this, many veterans employ coping mechanisms, such as dark humor, that may not align with civilian social norms. Without intentional support systems, veterans may leave organizations that fail to understand their unique challenges.
So, what can be done to address this paradox?
What companies can do
Organizations should consider going beyond symbolic gestures and focus on substantial, actionable support to veterans. If businesses claim to support veterans, they must back it up with real investment in training, development, and skills translation.
It’s not enough to simply recruit veterans because of their military background; companies must actively assist veterans with adapting their skills to the civilian workforce. Companies must also educate hiring managers and HR professionals on how to properly translate military experience into civilian roles, ensuring veterans are recruited for appropriate positions that align with their skills and potential.
One practical way to achieve this is by leveraging the
Daniel Peat
experiences of reservists and National Guard members, who straddle both the military and civilian worlds, offering valuable insights into how these transitions can be managed.
What Congress can do Congress can also play a crucial role in supporting veterans’ integration into civilian life. Much of the legislative focus has rightly been on critical issues such as veteran suicide, PTSD, and healthcare. However, this focus should also expand to include the social aspects of veterans’ reintegration into the civilian workforce. Research into veterans’ long-term career outcomes, workplace satisfaction, and identity evolution in civilian life is essential. Grants should be offered to support
Simultaneously, veterans experience social aggrandizement, where they are glorified as heroes simply for having served.
studies that examine veterans’ experiences over time (3-5+ years after transitioning), focusing on how veterans’ social identities evolve and how organizations can better support them in the workforce. This approach would provide critical data that can influence policy and drive meaningful change in how veterans are integrated and supported within our economy. If we are serious about honoring veterans, it’s time we backed our words with action that ensures their long-term success. RF
Daniel Peat, PhD is an Assistant Professor –Educator in Management at the Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati. Additionally, he serves in the U.S. Army Reserves as an adjunct instructor (LTC) for the Command and General Staff Officer Course.
Beyond the Uniform How veterans are leading the effort to help communities recover from natural disasters
by ART DELACRUZ
In 2010, a Marine Corps veteran saw the destruction caused by the Haiti earthquake and felt compelled to help. He, along with seven others, saw an opportunity to use their skills in a time of need and took the initiative to organize and deploy, aiding hundreds of the injured. Fifteen years later, this group has expanded to over 180,000 members, mostly veterans.
Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian nonprofit, operates on a global scale to support communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Since its founding, the organization has responded to over 1,200 emergencies worldwide, ranging from hurricanes in the U.S. to humanitarian crises overseas, such as the 2023 Morocco earthquake, always demonstrating military precision coupled with humanitarian compassion. In 2024 alone, our volunteers, known as Greyshirts, have already aided more than 2.9 million individuals and numerous communities across the country.
and make home repairs.
The overwhelming need I have seen recently with Hurricanes Helene and Milton are not outliers; these disasters of increasing scale and damage are becoming a new normal. The frequency of natural disasters is increasing at an alarming pace, posing severe challenges to communities worldwide. From devastating hurricanes to relentless wildfires, the need for robust disaster response mechanisms has never been greater. Team Rubicon has discovered that veterans, with their unique blend of skills and experience, can be an enabling asset before, during, and after such crises. Their military training equips them to act decisively and efficiently in chaotic environments, helping to aid impacted people and rebuild communities in the wake of catastrophe.
Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian nonprofit, operates on a global scale to support communities before, during, and after disasters and crises.
At Team Rubicon, our volunteers are often first to respond after a disaster and stay long after the news crews leave. For example, following Hurricane Helene’s devastation from Florida to North Carolina, we quickly deployed teams to clear roads and provide essential services. Weeks later, our volunteers are still hard at work, launching from 12 operating sites across five states, helping to restore facilities, clear debris,
It is perfect synergy. America’s veterans originate from an allvolunteer force, indicating their inherent willingness to serve. They are naturally inclined to assist those in need and are dedicated to serving both society and the nation. This volunteer force is essential for our disaster response efforts, whether it’s determining which neighborhood to prioritize after a flood or clearing paths through tornado wreckage.
I had the chance to observe the havoc brought by Hurricane Helene up close. The destructive scenes
Members of Team Rubicon on the ground in Asheville, North Carolina helping with recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene.
were immense, but the determination and resilience of our volunteers were incredibly moving. With my background as a former Navy strike-fighter squadron commander and TOPGUN instructor, I’ve encountered many challenging situations. The perseverance and resolve of the Sailors always inspired me, and the same is true for Team Rubicon’s volunteers. Witnessing the devastation in Asheville, North Carolina, was overwhelming, yet the commitment and efficiency of our Greyshirts are consistently impressive. Their capacity to adapt, lead, and serve under the toughest conditions reflects the training and experiences they bring from their military service.
While Team Rubicon has made significant progress in aiding communities to prepare for and recover from disasters, much work remains. These communities and our veteran volunteers can’t accomplish this on their own. Congress plays a crucial role in supporting disaster survivors and our mission by enacting policies that streamline disaster assistance and reduce the burden on affected communities.
year, the unobligated balance in the DRF could drop to levels that jeopardize disaster response operations. Additionally, we call on Congress to reconvene and replenish funding for the Small Business Administration’s disaster loan program, which was depleted following this year’s back-to-back historic hurricanes. The SBA’s low-interest disaster loans assist homeowners, renters, nonprofit organizations, and businesses of all sizes in recovering from declared disasters.
As we celebrate our veterans, let’s also acknowledge their contributions outside of military service. At Team Rubicon, we’re honored to provide veterans with opportunities to continue serving. Together, we can build a more resilient world, one community at a time. Support us with a donation or join us at TRUSA.org. RF
In 2024 alone, our volunteers have already aided more than 2.9 million individuals and numerous communities across the country.
To that end, we urge Congress to return to session to ensure funding for the Disaster Relief Fund, which is the primary source of financing for the government’s domestic disaster relief programs. If annual appropriations for the upcoming fiscal year are not enacted before the end of this fiscal
Art delaCruz serves as Chief Executive Oficer of Team Rubicon. Born and raised in Minnesota to parents who immigrated from the Philippines and met at the university, he spent 22 years in the U.S. Navy, including serving as a Commanding Officer of a U.S. Navy Strike Fighter Squadron, a naval aviator, and a TOPGUN instructor. He joined Team Rubicon in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer, and then as President and COO. In July of 2021, he took over as the organization’s CEO.
Art delaCruz, the former TOPGUN pilot who now serves as Team Rubicon CEO.
Should
Military Commissaries be Privatized?
Yes, it will better serve our troops and their families
by ELAINE MCCUSKER
As we approach Veterans Day, we should take the time, at least this one special day, to thank those who have served and sacrificed for our freedom and way of life. We expect much of them and their families and should do our best to recognize and appreciate them when and how we can.
An important way to show them our support is by providing the best possible benefits. One such benefit, on-base grocery stores – or commissaries in military-speak – is behind the times and in need of modernization.
Commissaries were originally established to make sure service members and their families had access to American goods in austere locations. It is now a service at virtually all military installations and important to the nation’s veterans. It should be a service worthy of their service and sacrifice. It currently is not. But it could be, if we let go of the way of the past.
deliveries and curbside pick-up options, we don’t have to physically do our shopping inside brick-and-mortar stores at all anymore. These same options we all have should also be available to commissary patrons.
The solution is easy. Transition the commissaries to operate like commercial stores by having them run by commercial grocers. Change can be scary, and we want to protect this benefit for service members, their families, and retirees. And there is no shortage of misinformation out there on what such an improvement to this important benefit would mean for current suppliers or locations outside the United States. But there is a solution for that too.
Right now, the defense commissaries, run by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA), are expensive for the tax payer (over $1.5 billion annually) while they struggle to provide the selection, innovative services, quality and prices already available in the commercial market. Reflecting dissatisfaction with the commissary benefit, more and more patrons are shopping elsewhere. As DeCA tries to increase its sales, the cost to the taxpayer keeps going up. We can’t really expect the commissaries to keep up with the pace of change we have come to expect in popular stores, at least not while they are run by the government.
Commissaries are expensive for the taxpayer (costing over $1.5 billion annually) while they struggle to provide the selection, innovative services, quality, and prices already available in the commercial market.
Much has changed in the commercial marketplace over the last several decades. With online ordering, home
We could just try it and prove it works before making a full change to unleash the commissaries from government control. The government could, and immediately should, use the free market to leverage commercial supply chains, distribution networks and management expertise, to run a test comparing the commissary benefit provided by DeCA to a top ten commercial supermarket.
The test would include independently evaluated data to see if a supermarket chain can operate grocery stores on military bases more efficiently and deliver greater savings, quality and selection. And it should do all this without needing over a billion dollars annually in taxpayer funds.
We would all likely be willing to keep paying for this important benefit if our military and veterans really needed it to get the service they deserve. But, if the defense commissaries can be operated even better without the sub-
Elaine McCusker
Should Military Commissaries be Privatized? No, for struggling military families, commissaries are more important than ever
by BILL MOORE
Privatizing the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) commissary system has been a recurring topic since I sat on the Defense Commissary Agency’s (DeCA) Board of Directors from 2016 to 2020, then as DeCA’s CEO from 2020 to 2023. During my tenure as CEO, we reversed a decade long 5 percent per year slide in annual revenue to a 12 percent annual revenue growth. As we predicted, the privatization idea resurfaced with the better revenue numbers…and here we are.
DeCA’s mission is to provide high-quality, low-priced grocery items to military families, improving their quality of life while their loved ones defend our freedom. The commissary system provides a safe, reliable source of food, regardless of where military families may be serving. It’s a great mission and helps these families have a taste of home, with local specialties as well, at low cost.
Let me say up front that privatizing commissaries is, quite simply, a bad idea. First and foremost, it will remove a vital benefit that improves military families’ quality of life, positively impacting recruiting and retention of our military and improving our national security. Secondly, it’s a bad business decision – there is just no way the current commissary system can be as good.
and no disposable income, it is more important than ever. The benefit today saves a military family over 25 percent on their grocery bill (verified independently), compared to buying the same items from commercial stores. On a $300/week grocery bill, that’s $75 back in their pocket each week – nearly $4000 in annual savings!
How is this possible in the very competitive grocery industry, where margins are razor thin? I’ll tell you how – Congress funds most of DeCA’s operating costs, about $1.4B per year, for expenses like payroll, transportation, and utilities. This funding allows DeCA to sell most products at prices well below commercial stores. A private company must recover these costs through higher prices.
DeCA’s mission is to provide high-quality, low-priced, grocery items to military families, improving their quality of life while their loved ones defend our freedom.
First, let me delve into the value of the commissary benefit – I’m an “Army Brat”, who’s dad was a 100 percent disabled career Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) that fought in both Korea and Vietnam. When I was growing up in the 1970’s, our only income was my dad’s salary as a Sergeant. My mom dragged my sister and me to our commissary every week, passing four grocery stores along the way – I hated that trip! But when I whined about it, she told me we had to shop the commissary to save money, so we could afford other things. The money we saved at the commissary improved our quality of life…period. And for struggling military families today, particularly lower-ranked Service Members with families
From a business perspective, that last point is critical and truly makes privatization illogical, unless the intent is to remove the benefit from the military compensation package. If a private company took control of the 235 commissaries around the world, they would either lose significant revenue if they maintained the savings, or dramatically increase prices to cover their costs.
Although commissaries today operate much like a commercial grocery chain, they have many governmental constraints that prevent them from operating with the same efficiency as a commercial business. Here are several examples that you will not hear from those advocating privatization:
First, DeCA must authenticate every customer as an authorized shopper – our veterans and military servicemembers earn the right to shop the commissary with their service to our great nation. This authentication requires DeCA’s business system to be on the DoD Information Network, subject to stringent cyber security requirements. A private company would have to invest heavily to modify their business system to meet these requirements.
(cont’d on next page)
Bill Moore
(Moore, cont’d)
Second, DeCA operates 235 stores, many in foreign countries and many in very remote locations. No business would keep all these stores open from a business perspective. Some just don’t warrant the operating costs given their limited sales. As CEO, when I was pressed to lower operating costs, I created a list of 15 stores I wanted to close, which would have had minimal impact on military families. Both Congress and DoD leaders would not allow me to close those stores due to the limited but important value they did bring to local customers, including retirees and veterans. I certainly understood and agreed with their decision, and frankly the entire exercise helped me defend the cost of the benefit.
percent across the enterprise while saving military families approximately $1.58 billion.
The benefit today saves a military family over 25 percent on their grocery bill, compared to buying the same items from commercial stores. On a $300 per week grocery bill, that is $75 back in their pocket each week – or nearly $4,000 in annual savings!
The bottom line is that DeCA saved American military families much more money than it cost American taxpayers. No other entitlement in the military system has a positive ROI — where the benefit exceeds its cost! This is a great argument for maintaining the benefit. By contrast, privatizing the commissaries would eliminate this incredible outcome, while reducing the quality of life for our military families and negatively impacting recruiting and retention of our military. RF
Let me end with the most important reason why the commissary system should remain a part of the DoD — DeCA’s return on investment (ROI) is remarkable. In fact, it is the only benefit in the military system that pays for itself. In FY23, DeCA received $1.421 billion in funding and had sales of $4.6 billion, with a measured savings of 25.5
William F. (Bill) Moore served as Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Defense Commissary Agency from August 3, 2020, until his retirement on March 31, 2024. The son of an Army combat veteran, non-commissioned officer, he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in October 2006. His prior assignment was as Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff at U.S. Army Headquarters, where he was responsible for Army logistics plans, policy and programs.
(McCusker, cont’d)
sidy, while maintaining the discount that service members and veterans expect to receive, we could use the saved tax payer dollars for important force protection capabilities, or needed maintenance on military housing, or any number of other things our nation needs for its security.
Top rated supermarkets are available to participate in a no cost test pilot. Together these providers operate 7,500 stores, with over $80 billion in annual sales. For comparison, DeCA operates 177 stores in the U.S. with $4 billion in sales. Bulk buying power would provide the commissaries with lower prices and offer greater selection. Key services and attributes such as employment opportunities for families, on-site free childcare for commissary shoppers, and expanded store hours would be included. Data collec -
The government should use the free market to leverage commercial supply chains, distribution networks, and management expertise to run a test comparing the commissary benefit to a top 10 commercial alternative supermarket.
tion would also encompass customer satisfaction and be overseen by a top-ranked accounting firm. There should be no resistance to improving the commissary benefit in the United States and even more importantly overseas where shopping options for military personnel and their families are more limited. Those who serve and have served the nation in uniform deserve the best from us. As we think of them this Veterans Day, we can also tangibly show our support by making sure the commissaries are modern and self-sufficient. RF
Elaine McCusker is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). She previously served as the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary of defense (comptroller).
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Cassidy Outlines Bipartisan Plan to Keep Social Security Solvent for All Future Generations
WASHINGTON, DC – As reports continue to cover the shrinking viability of Social Security and working Americans continue to worry about their ability to rely on the governmentrun retirement program, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), discussed his bipartisan “Big Idea” to save Social Security in remarks to The Ripon Society on September 19th.
“Social Security accounts for 20 percent of our nation’s future indebtedness,” the Louisiana legislator stated. “Ten thousand Boomers a day become eligible for Social Security or Medicare. Everybody says, ‘Oh my gosh, our debt and deficit are going up.’ As we all know, the amount of discretionary spending has remained constant as a percent of our budget. It is the entitlements that are exploding.”
possibility of the program making up 20 percent of the nation’s debt if the U.S. were to borrow funds to keep the program afloat, Cassidy knew there had to be another, more fiscally sound, route to save Social Security.
“We have to think creatively,” he continued. “There’s always a solution. Everybody says, ‘Social security is easy to fix. You just eat your spinach.’ Well,
success of the “Big Idea.”
“Any proceeds over the next 60 to 75 years would flow back into it. It would be held in escrow. We would repeal the law saying that you must cut benefits, but we would use this escrow to offset the borrowing required to pay those promised benefits. That takes care of at least 70 percent of the long-term unfunded accrued liability. Along the way, we can actually increase benefits.”
“At the mid part of last Congress, we had seven Democratic Senators, and we had seven Republican Senators who were willing to go out on a podium and say, ‘We endorse this idea.’ We briefed the White House on four separate occasions. That was the good news. The bad news is that Biden wasn’t interested. But nonetheless, we’re setting it back up so that next Congress, we hope we can achieve it.”
“Social Security is going to be insolvent in seven or eight years. At that point, according to law, the amount of money going out has to decrease to the amount going in.”
In the face of benefit cuts and the
when I look around the United States, I don’t see a whole lot of appetite for spinach. I just don’t. People want something different. So, we’ve tried to come up with a different idea and we call it our ‘Big Idea.’”
The HELP Ranking Member continued:
“What we would do is set up an investment fund separate from Social Security. We put $1.5 trillion in it over five years, and it is invested in our nation’s economy, just like the Canadians do. … It’s what the Norwegians do, it’s what the Japanese do. It’s what everybody does.”
Cassidy, who has long taken a bipartisan approach crafting a fiscallysound plan to save Social Security, then described the projected financial
The Ranking Member then discussed key components of the “Big Idea” that appealed to both sides of the aisle, including the repeal of the Retirement Earnings Test.
“We figured out something that both Democrats would really like, and Republicans would like too, and we address those issues at the same time … We repeal that. It is a work incentive. Republicans love it. Democrats like it too.”
In his closing remarks, the senior Senator from the Pelican State remarked on the time-sensitivity of the matter, and his hopes to address it regardless of who sits in the White House next Congress.
“If we do this – if we address 20 percent of our nation’s future indebtedness, and this one program addresses that – we improve benefits. There’s no spinach here. This is not quite dessert, but it certainly is as close to a free lunch as you can possibly get in public policy. We’re teeing it up. We’re under incredible pressure financially and we are anticipating that we’ll have strong support again.” RF
Bill Cassidy addresses a breakfast meeting of The Ripon Society on September 19th.
All of us at AstraZeneca are here for good reason. Because we believe that when we work together, we can help transform lives and create a healthier planet for future generations.
Name: Tony Gonzales
Occupation: U.S. Representative (TX-23)
Previous Positions held: U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Cryptologist (20 years of U.S. Navy Service and highest-ranked enlisted Member of Congress)
How has your service in uniform shaped your service in Congress? My grandfather, Jesus Pena, was a World War II veteran and worked at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio. He worked for years on base as a mechanic and was able to propel our family forward through his work. My grandfather was a role model to me and a central figure in my life. When I was 18, he passed away, leading me to drop out of high school with only a half-credit left to graduate. I decided to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and joined the military. The Navy put my life on track—I received my high school diploma, went to college, and eventually rose to the highest-enlisted rank of Master Chief Petty Officer.
As a veteran, taking care of the men and women who served and currently are serving is deeply personal to me. I served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, and I’ve seen firsthand the same issues play out years later relating to military quality of life and access to Veterans Affairs services. Texas’ 23rd Congressional District spans across South and West Texas, a place that many active duty servicemembers and veterans call home. Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA), Laughlin Air Force Base, and Fort Bliss Army Base are all in my district.
Most significant accomplishment(s) since coming to Washington: When I served in the Navy, working toward completing the mission at hand was always top of mind—I’ve kept that same mindset in Congress. I Co-Chair the For Country Caucus, a group of military veterans on both sides of the aisle who are focused on bringing bipartisan, common-sense solutions to the table to protect our national security interests and improve quality of life initiatives for our servicemembers and veterans. Together, we’ve been able to push for some incredible provisions through the NDAA and appropriations that have been signed into law. I also sit on the House Appropriations Committee. Through this committee, I’ve secured over $300 million for San Antonio military installations alone—this funding has been allocated toward childcare centers on JBSA, Barracks and dining facilities, infrastructure updates, and a new chapel at JBSA-Lackland
Challenge facing the people you represent that you are working hard to address: South Texas’ population is growing very quickly, and the current VA healthcare infrastructure in San Antonio needs an upgrade. I’m working with my colleagues on the House Appropriations Committee and leadership at the VA to advance plans to construct a new VA healthcare facility in San Antonio. Last year, I helped secure funding to begin planning for the construction of a new VA hospital in South Texas—we are still very early in the planning stages, but I’m working diligently in Congress to get this project off the ground.
If you could have the President sign one piece of legislation today, what would it be? As we have seen from previous cyberattacks, our government currently lacks the workforce capacity needed to combat ransomware and malicious actors. I am working on a bipartisan piece of legislation entitled the National Digital Reserve Corps Act that would form a National Digital Reserve Corps of civilian individuals with relevant skills and credentials to address digital and cyber needs across the federal government. The National Digital Reserve Corps Act brings the ingenuity and expertise of the private sector to our federal government to improve our nation’s cybersecurity defense and protect Americans’ digital footprint.
At Airbus, military veterans serve in a new way
Whether on the ground, in the sky or in space, the expertise and mission focus they contribute is invaluable. We thank every veteran for choosing to serve our country, and thank those who have chosen to be part of Team Airbus for bringing their experience to our ranks. We are proud to support The Ripon Society.
