ONE CONSTITUTION AVENUE, NE WASHINGTON, DC 20002 LOCAL: 202.479.2200 TOLL-FREE: 800.809.9448 FAX: 202.547.1641

October 9, 2013

The Honorable John Boehner The Honorable Speaker of the House House Minority Leader House of Representatives United States House of Representatives Washington DC 20515-6501 Washington DC 20515-6537

Dear Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi:

A delay in death benefits is unacceptable. As of last week, over 49,000 Reserve and National Guard members remain mobilized in support of Overseas Contingency Operations. Should any Reserve or Active component service member be subjected to the ultimate sacrifice, his or her family should not be made to suffer by withholding benefits. Death payments are normally made very quickly, within 48 or 72 hours after the death of the service member. The “Pay our Military Act” already signed into law, supposedly remedied this problem.

The Reserve Officers Association and the Reserve Enlisted Association support the bipartisan H. R. 3274, the ‘‘Fallen Heroes and Families Assistance Act’’ and ask the House leadership to bring it to a vote.

The Pentagon has always said that families are part of the defense team, yet the interpretation of the “Pay our Military Act” by the DoD General Counsel was that this act does not authorize the payment of the death gratuity to the survivors of the fallen service member, as they are not members of the military.

The 1.1 million Reserve and Guard members, represented by ROA and REA, find this decision to be intolerable. The excuse that the government has to postpone the payment of funeral expenses and death benefits to families of fallen heroes because there is no money appropriated to pay them is without defense.

H.R. 3274 would remedy the horrific situation that the families and military members face. Passage would allow the families to grieve and bury their loved one without financial stress, and deployed members of the uniformed services wouldn’t be distracted from the mission by worries about unsupported families.

Thank you for your ongoing support for those in uniform. If you have any further questions about ROA’s position or any other issues, please contact ROA’s legislative director, CAPT Marshall Hanson, USNR (ret.) at (202) 646-7713, or email him at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Andrew B. Davis, Major General, USMC (Ret) National Executive Director

CC: Chairman Hal Rogers Ranking Member Nita M. Lowey Chairman Buck McKeon

______RESERVE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF THE • MARINE CORPS • NAVY • AIR FORCE • COAST GUARD • NOAA • USPHS “Serving Those Who Serve”