Enlisted Association 2000 Accomplishments

1. TRICARE for Life - permanent lifetime TRICARE eligibility is provided for Medicare-eligible military retirees and their family members beginning FY2002.
2. TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Program - allows participation in DoD's mail order and network retail pharmacy programs by all beneficiaries, including the over 64 population without enrollment fees.
3. Medicare Subvention test - extended to December 31, 2001.
4. Basic pay increase - 3.7%
5. Increase in maximum number of IDT points allowed in one year - from 75 to 90
6. Special compensation for severely disabled retirees beginning in FY2002.
7. Additional funding for facilities enhancements - an additional $266 million for the ARNG and 195 for the ANG.
8. NCO Pay Table Reform - increased the basic pay rates for E5s through E7s as well as authorizing the Secretary of Defense to increase the pay tables for enlisted members on a one-time basis, to be effective July 1, 2001.
9. An increase in the maximum number of retirement points a Guard or Reserve member can accrue in one year from 75 to 90.
10. Endstrength increased over the budget request - by 526 for the ARNG and 22 for the ANG.
11. AGR Endstrengths: Army - was increased 526 over the budget request or 544 over last year's authorization; Air - was increased 22 over the budget request or 13 over last year's authorization Dual Status
12. Technician Endstrengths: Army - was increased 771 over the budget request or 3 over last year's authorization; Air - was increased 26 over the budget request but 0 over last year's authorization
13. Non-dual Status Technicians Endstrengths: Both Army and Air were not increased over the budget request and it actually resulted in a decrease of 24 over last year's authorization.
14. An additional $25 million for National Guard Counterdrug activities.
15. Control grades increase for AGRs - an additional 76 E-8s and 97 E-9s in the Air Force; and an additional 228 E-8s and 119 E-9s in the Army.
16. Special duty assignment pay for Guard and Reserve members.
17. Authority to establish up to five additional Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Teams (formerly called RAID teams)for a total of 32.
18. Authorization for payment of incapacitation pay for Guard and Reserve members who incur an injury, illness or disease in the performance of funeral honors duty.
19. Drill pay for funeral honors duty instead of the $50 stipend.
20. Extension of bonuses and special pays for Guard and Reserves: Selected Reserve Reenlistment bonus, Selected Reserve Enlistment bonus, Special Pay for Enlisted Members Assigned to Certain High Priority Units, Selected Reserve Affiliation bonus, Ready Reser
21. Authority for legal services for Reserve Component members following release from active duty.
22. Employers are required to grant an authorized leave of absence for employees who are members of a reserve component to participate in honor guards for funerals of veterans
23. Heart attacks or strokes that are incurred or aggravated by a member of a reserve component in the performance of duty while performing inactive duty training will now be considered to be service connected for purposes of benefits under laws administered by the V.A.