FederalDaily - December 23, 2005
Personnel Improvements in 2006 Defense Authorization
Bill
This past Monday Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., commended proposed improvements
to compensation and quality of life programs for military personnel included
in the 2006 Defense Authorization Bill. Along with a 3.1 percent pay increase,
the bill includes:
- increases in active-duty end strength of 10,000 for the
Army and 1,000 for the Marine Corps;
- critical skills retention bonus of up to $100,000 for members
of the Selected Reserve;
- payment basic allowance for housing for reservists ordered
to active duty for more than 30 days; and
- increases TRICARE benefits for the children of survivors.
Sessions stated, “The Senate and House conferees recognized that improvements
for the men and women in uniform were warranted, and in some cases these improvements
have been long overdue.”
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5 Soldiers Plead Guilty to Detainee Abuse
Court-martial proceedings completed Dec. 8-13 resulted in five enlisted U.S.
soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment pleading guilty to charges of detainee
abuse and violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The charges
stemmed from allegations of events in Iraq on Sept. 7. The courts-martial resulted
in the following:
- all five soldiers pleaded guilty to violating UCMJ Article
92, Dereliction in the Performance of Duties;
- four of the five soldiers pleaded guilty to violating UCMJ
Article 128, Assault Consummated by a Battery; and
- two soldiers pleaded guilty to violating UCMJ Article 93,
Maltreatment.
Punishments included 30 day to six month confinement and reduction in rank.
Two of the soldiers received a “Bad Conduct Discharge.”
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President Thanks Bethesda Medical Center Caregivers
This week President George W. Bush visited the National Naval Medical Center
in Bethesda, Md. to personally thank the medical care personnel, particularly
for the treatment of those wounded during ongoing military operations in the
war on terrorism. Bush said, “So first we want to thank you all for helping
do a really important job. And that is to be able to say to our country, at
any time anybody gets hurt anywhere, they're going to get the best medical
care possible.” Bush’s speech can be read in its entirety at www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/12/20051221-1.html.
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