Unfortunately, the Major Richard Star Act has also become a priority issue in our nation’s political world.
While many lawmakers have already shown support, others have not signaled their support for many of our nation’s wounded combat veterans and their families by committing to the Star Act.
We are bringing you the story behind the Star Act in hopes you will join American Security Today (AST), by adding your much-needed voice on this issue of national interest and support our nation’s most at-risk and disabled veterans.
What IS the Major Richard Star Act?
The U.S. Army medically retired Major Richard Star because of his combat-related cancer diagnosis (Related to the ‘Burnpits’).
Sadly, he lost his battle with cancer in February 2021, while advocating for legislation that would remove an injustice faced by many other, often severely injured, medical retirees.
Today, that legislation bears his namesake – the Major Richard Star Act.
(Learn More from NBC Digital’s Melissa Chan and Shep Smith to report on the struggles faced by disabled veterans after the House refuses an expansion of benefits for service under 20 years. Courtesy of CNBC and YouTube. Posted on Jul 20, 2022.)
Two identical versions of the legislation, HR 1282 and S. 344, from the House and the Senate, respectively, have major bipartisan support. HR 1282 has 272 cosponsors, and S. 344 has 60 cosponsors in the Senate, as of July 28, 2022.
The high level of support for this legislation extends beyond politics also. The Military Coalition, a collective of 35+ veteran service organizations that represents 5.5 million + veterans, also strongly supports the Star Act.
What the Major Richard Star Act Would Accomplish?
Under current law, medically retired veterans with combat-related injuries and less than 20 years of active service are forced to choose between their Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation OR military retirement pay.
This choice is often felt like a heavy ‘tax’ on our nation’s most injured and at-risk veterans.
These two different payments, from two different sources, are for two different purposes.
After his last deployment, something wasn’t quite right. The burn pits and other environmental hazards from his service had taken a toll. Star and his wife, Tonya, discovered he had stage 4 metastatic lung cancer just after Memorial Day 2018. He had recently returned to the United States from a deployment to Kuwait, where doctors downplayed his respiratory issues as asthma or air quality in the country.
(Courtesy of The Military Officers Association of America)
DoD is responsible for retired pay covering vested years of service (in the past), while the VA is responsible for disability compensation covering a lifelong injury (in the future).
Congress acknowledged this as an injustice and partially fixed it through the FY 2004 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The part that wasn’t fixed includes those who were injured in combat and forced to retire before completing 20 years of service, resulting in an offset where their retirement pay is reduced for every dollar of disability provided by the VA.
Reducing retirement pay due to a combat injury is clearly an injustice for combat-injured veterans, many of whom require full-time care. Spouses/family often give up their jobs to help their loved ones. This increases financial concerns and stress.
Passing the Star Act will bring much-needed support to the 50,300 combat-injured veterans who often have compounding challenges from their combat injury.
(Help The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) correct an unfair practice that costs military members who’ve already given so much for their nation. Take action at https://www.MOAA.org/StarAct. Courtesy of The Military Officers Association of America and YouTube.)
The Star Act corrects the injustice these veterans and their families face by removing the offset between VA disability compensation and retirement pay for an estimated 50,000+ medically retired veterans.
These veterans, often severely injured, would be able to collect their earned retirement pay and disability compensation, two types of pay for two different reasons.
Unfortunately, despite tremendous support, the Star Act is held up in committee.
These combat-wounded veterans, often severely disabled Purple Heart recipients, need the 117th Congress to support the Star Act to fulfill President Lincoln’s promise: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle…”
Combat-injured veterans forced into early retirement by their injury are not receiving their vested longevity pay. These individuals, often seriously disabled, are subject to an offset where their retirement pay is reduced for every dollar of VA disability received. In some cases, their retirement pay is completely eliminated.
Our American combat-injured veterans earned their vested retirement pay for dedicated years of service and earned their disability compensation through extraordinary personal sacrifice.
Reducing retirement pay because of a disability is an injustice. The Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 1282/S. 344) will correct this injustice.
(Please join us and share your support for MOAA’s fight on behalf of Chapter 61 Retirees. Courtesy of The Military Officers Association of America and YouTube. To Learn More, please go to www.moaa.org/staract. Posted on May 11, 2020.)
COST CONCERNS
The Star Act will authorize retirement pay for our combat-injured veterans calculated by years of service and grade achieved.
DoD has a well-established structure for retired pay and would no longer pay Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) to those who receive concurrent receipt. The Star Act is sensitive to cost and does not authorize back pay.
Funding for the Star Act should not come at the expense of our uniformed community.
Residual funds for Afghan Security Forces could have supported our combat-injured, some of whom were wounded from green-on-blue attacks from the same Afghan Security Forces we funded.
The Military Officers Association (MOAA) remains committed to working with Congress to find solutions consistent with previous efforts to enable these retirees to receive the compensation they earned through both their service and their sacrifice.
(Col. Ken Nance, an engineer in the U.S. Army Reserve, suffered major injuries following a cardiac event while on duty in Afghanistan. Nance was forced to medically retire and unable to continue with his civilian job in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. As a reservist, despite serving for 29 years, Nance had less than 20 years active duty and discovered his DoD retirement pay was offset by his VA disability pay. Passing the Major Richard Star Act will help Nance and more than 50,000 other servicemembers injured while on duty or in combat by ending the offset and allowing concurrent receipt of these two separate payments. For more information visit www.moaa.org/staract. Courtesy of The Military Officers Association of America and YouTube.)
What Can We Do?
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Contact your representative and senators and urge them to support The Major Richard Star Act, which would provide concurrent receipt for servicemembers unable to complete 20 years of service due to combat-related injuries.
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Help ensure these men and women get their full service-earned retirement, as well as their disability compensation from the VA.
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Visit https://moaa.quorum.us/campaign/36675/ and signing up to join the MOAA advocacy
You and MOAA’s 350,000+ members are why MOAA’s voice is heard in the halls of Congress.
(Learn More courtesy of The Military Officers Association of America and YouTube.)
To learn more and stay up-to-date on MOAA’s latest advocacy initiatives, you can visit www.MOAA.org and read their weekly newsletter.
Editor’s note: As the proud parent of a soon to be 20 year USMC Veteran, we are grateful to Bryan Saunders, a U.S. Navy veteran, a decorated combat veteran, a wounded/medically retired combat veteran, and a veteran advocate, for bringing this issue to our attention to share with our AST family of readers. Includes content courtesy of The Military Officers Association of America.
U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Honored in 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program
American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now in its Seventh Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.
United States Marine Corps
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Best Cyber Security Program for Government or Military
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U.S. Marine Corps 1700 Cyberspace Operations
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The U.S. Marine Corps 1700 Cyberspace Operations Occupational Field cyberspace workforce works to compete successfully on future battlefields & adapt to the rising threat of near-peer adversaries like Russia and China.
(See how the new 17XX military occupational speciality is revolutionizing how the U.S. Marine Corps do cyber security. Courtesy of the Marines and YouTube.)
The Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards highlight the most cutting-edge and forward-thinking security solutions coming onto the market today, to ensure our readers have the information they need to stay ahead of the competition and keep our Nation safe – one facility, street, and city at a time.
AST Honors Thomas Richardson, FDNY Chief of Department; Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, President of NEC National Security Systems; and Richard Blatus, FDNY Assistant Chief of Operations, at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon at ISC East.
The United States was forever changed 20 years ago on September 11th, and we were fortunate to have many of those who responded to those horrific tragedies join us at the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon.
In the days that followed 9/11, the critical needs of protecting our country catapulted us into new and innovative ways to secure our homeland – which is how many of the agencies and enterprise organizations that are today ‘ASTORS’ Awards Champions, came into being.
Our 2021 keynote speaker featured a moving and informative address from TSA Administrator and Vice-Admiral of the United States Coast Guard (Ret), David Pekoske; to our attendees who traveled from across the United States and abroad, on the strategic priorities of the 64,000 member TSA workforce in securing the transportation system, enabling safe, and in many cases, contactless travel.
Legendary Police Commissioner William Bratton of the New York Police Department, the Boston Police Department, and former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department was also live at the event, meeting with attendees and signing copies of his latest work ‘The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America,’ courtesy of the generosity of our 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Premier Sponsors.
The 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program is Proudly Sponsored by New PLATINUM SPONSOR: NEC National Security Systems (NSS), New Premier Sponsors Rajant Corporation, and guardDog AI, and returning Sponsors to date, ATI Systems, Automatic Systems, RX Global, and SIMS Software!
The continually evolving ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program will emphasize the trail of Accomplished Women in Leadership in 2022, as well as the Significance and Positive Impact of Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in our Next Generation of Government and Industry Leaders. #MentorshipMatters
So be on the lookout for exciting upcoming announcements of Speakers, Presenters, Book Signing Opportunities, and Attendees at the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon in November of 2022 in New York City!
Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards at https://americansecuritytoday.com/ast-awards/.
Comprehensive List of Categories Include:
| Access Control/ Identification | Personal/Protective Equipment | Law Enforcement Counter Terrorism |
| Perimeter Barrier/ Deterrent System | Interagency Interdiction Operation | Cloud Computing/Storage Solution |
| Facial/IRIS Recognition | Body Worn Video Product | Cyber Security |
| Video Surveillance/VMS | Mobile Technology | Anti-Malware |
| Audio Analytics | Disaster Preparedness | ID Management |
| Thermal/Infrared Camera | Mass Notification System | Fire & Safety |
| Metal/Weapon Detection | Rescue Operations | Critical Infrastructure |
| License Plate Recognition | Detection Products | COVID Innovations |
| Workforce Management | Government Security Programs | And Many Others to Choose From! |
Don’t see a Direct Hit for your Product, Agency or Organization?
Submit your category recommendation for consideration to Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at: mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
In 2021 over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, State, and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms gathered from across North America, Europe, and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included:
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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
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ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI)
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Customs & Border Protection (CBP)
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The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
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Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
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DHS Science & Technology (S&T)
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The National Center for Disaster Medicine & Public Health (NCDMPH)
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The American Red Cross
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The InfraGard National Alliance
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The Metropolitan Police (MPD)
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The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)
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Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS)
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The Federal Air Marshals Service
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The San Diego Harbor Police Foundation, and Many More!
Register for the 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Luncheon Today
American Security Today is delighted to announce, that Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner (DEAC) Diane J. Sabatino of the Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), will be the opening keynote speaker at the much-anticipated 2022 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon, on Wednesday, November 16th, 2022.
American Security Today’s Annual ‘ASTORS’ Awards is the preeminent U.S. Homeland Security Awards Program, and now in its Seventh Year, continues to recognize industry leaders of Physical and Border Security, Cybersecurity, Emergency Preparedness – Management and Response, Law Enforcement, First Responders, as well as federal, state and municipal government agencies in the acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to Keep our Nation Secure.
To take advantage of this exclusive luncheon opportunity to invite your team, guests, clients, and show visitors to a gourmet, affordable, plated meal event in the heart of New York City, for a fabulous networking opportunity!
Go to https://americansecuritytoday.com/product/awards-luncheon/ to secure your seat or reserve a table. ***Limited space available so Register Today. There will be no on-site registrations.
Your ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon registration includes complimentary attendee access to ISC East where you can meet the world’s most innovative suppliers and cyber experts, immerse yourself in hands-on tech and learn from world-renowned speakers and thought-leaders.
Why American Security Today?
The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast-changing security landscape.
American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State, and local levels of government as well as firms allied to the government.
American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers’ eyes throughout the story with cutting-edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.
Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications
AST Digital Publications are distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals, in federal, state, local, and private security sectors.
‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’
AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.
Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture, and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.
These experts are from Government at the federal, state, and local level as well as from private firms allied to the government.
AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website, and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.
AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.
Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.
(See just a few highlights of American Security Today’s 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Luncheon at ISC East. Courtesy of My Pristine Images and Vimeo.)
To learn more about ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, please see the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2021 ‘A Year in Review’.
The Annual CHAMPIONS edition includes a review of Annual ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firm’s products and services, including video interviews and more.
It serves as your Go-To Source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2021 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and/or organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.
From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection, and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION has what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitigate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.
It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.
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For a complete list of 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Award Winners, begin HERE.
For more information on All Things American Security Today, as well as the 2021 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.
AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:
- Provides named sources
- Reported by more than one notable outlet
- Includes supporting video, direct statements, or photos
