POW/MIA PUBLIC AWARENESS

WHEREAS, it is imperative that the American people never forget about U.S. military service members that are still unaccounted for from all wars and conflicts; and

WHEREAS, the VFW is responsible to keep its subordinate units and membership informed on current POW/MIA issue developments; and

WHEREAS, it is our duty to keep the POW/MIA issue in the forefront of the public conscience; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we will provide routine distribution to the field of pertinent, credible and responsible information and reports, such as those initiated by the VFW National Security & Foreign Affairs Director; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that each Department, District and Post is encouraged to exercise maximum effort to maintain the vitality and thrust of the POW/MIA program and appoint an interested member to act as the POW/MIA project officer or committee chairman; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we support the annual National POW/MIA Recognition Day and encourage the display and daily flying of the POW/MIA flag.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To support public awareness of the POW/MIA issue.

Resolution No. 403 (Click here to return to full list)

FULL FUNDING FOR THE JOINT POW/MIA ACCOUNTING COMMAND

WHEREAS, the mission of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) is to achieve the fullest possible accounting of all Americans missing as a result of our nation's previous conflicts; and

WHEREAS, that mission has been compromised in the past by a funding shortfall; and

WHEREAS, an inadequate funding level for JPAC in FY2006 caused many investigative and recovery operations to be scaled back or canceled; and

WHEREAS, there are hundreds of previously investigated sites that await to be excavated by recovery teams; and

WHEREAS, JPAC funding is received through the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM) where it must compete with war fighting priorities; and

WHEREAS, this is not the way the American people expect the U.S. government to fund a high national priority; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States that we remain strongly supportive of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and urge the President and Congress to demonstrate their resolve to keeping this issue a high national priority by earmarking a fully funded dedicated line item appropriation for the JPAC budget.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To call upon the President and Congress to fully fund a dedicated line item appropriation for the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command.

Resolution No. 404 (Click here to return to full list)

Resolution No. 405 (Click here to return to full list)

SUPPORT FOR THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM

WHEREAS, for years, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and other responsible authorities have warned of the increasing threat of terrorism to Americans and our interests; and

WHEREAS, terrorist attacks against our citizens and facilities, both at home and abroad, aided and abetted by "outlaw countries," remain a threat to our national security; and

WHEREAS, the U.S., its citizens and allies continue to be targets for international terrorism as witnessed by the bombings in London and Madrid, the discovery of Al-Qaeda terrorist cells on American soil and the capture of suspected terrorists trying to cross U.S. borders; and

WHEREAS, it is clear that all Americans and our way of life are targets of a number of international terrorist organizations and religious zealots who have announced a declaration of war against America; and

WHEREAS, it is important to the security of the American people that the U.S. take decisive action against terrorists by staying on the offensive and taking the fight to the enemy in order to prevent and/or mitigate attacks within our borders; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we continue to support decisive action in the war on terrorism by staying on the offensive against international terrorist organizations and groups, as well as rogue or outlaw states guilty of inciting, harboring or aiding and abetting terrorists; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we unequivocally support the men and women of our armed forces who carry out the orders to prosecute the war on terrorism around the world and across the nation.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To support the war on terrorism and combat terrorist activity by taking decisive and offensive action when warranted.

Resolution No. 406 (Click here to return to full list)

SUPPORT FOR THE TROOPS AND THEIR MISSION

IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM

WHEREAS, we support the Commander-in-Chief in his efforts to prosecute the global war on terrorism; and

WHEREAS, we unequivocally support the U.S. armed forces and the execution of their mission in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere; and

WHEREAS, according to Al-Qaeda’s own written communications, the war in Iraq is the centerpiece in the war of terror; and

WHEREAS, if Iraq becomes a haven for terrorist activity, that nation state will be used to plan and carry out attacks against America and U.S. citizens at home and abroad; and

WHEREAS, it is critical that the Administration and U.S. Congress provide the resources to succeed in Iraq, which will result in stability and security in the region; and

WHEREAS, the VFW has major concerns for the safety of American forces deployed in harms way should the U.S. Congress reduce or cut off funding necessary to achieve victory; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we support the Commander-in-Chief and the brave men and women fighting the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, as a matter of security for the American people: and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon to Administration and Congress to provide all the funding necessary to ensure the safety of our armed forces and to secure victory in the war on terrorism.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To support the war on terrorism, the troops engaged in battle, and the prosecution of their mission.

Resolution No. 407 (Click here to return to full list)

INCREASE THE DEFENSE BUDGET

WHEREAS, America’s number one priority is to provide for the defense of this nation and security of its citizens; and

WHEREAS, America’s defense and security is provided by a properly funded military establishment capable of ensuring a strong national defense and safeguarding U.S. vital interests around the globe; and

WHEREAS, defense spending has steadily declined over the last two decades from 6.2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1985 to approximately 3.4% of the GDP in 2006; and

WHEREAS, the military personnel drawdown has gone too far, too fast and is compromising the nations’ readiness and security; and

WHEREAS, in the past the Department of Defense (DOD) has cut or slowed the growth of military personnel end strength requirements to pay for weapons systems and programs; and

WHEREAS, military personnel end strength was cut from 2.1 million in 1989 to 1.4 million in 1999 and presently stands at 1.38 million; and

WHEREAS, this end strength shortfall, coupled with repeated deployments, is wearing out the active duty and reserve component manpower pool, which is adversely affecting moral and will lead to retention and recruiting problems; and

WHEREAS, the military service chiefs have repeatedly called for the need to recapitalize and modernize the force, as a result of the wear and tear on equipment and deteriorating weapons systems; and

WHEREAS, the military services have to divert funds from long-term readiness accounts to pay for current readiness; and

WHEREAS, the nation is in the sixth year of the global War on Terror and sustaining operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world has come at a high cost; and

WHEREAS, if the defense budget is not significantly increased, it is inevitable that the military will shrink in terms of both material and manpower, and America’s security will be jeopardized; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we strongly urge the Administration and Congress to increase defense spending to a minimum level of at least 5% of the Gross Domestic Product in order to adequately provide for the readiness, training, modernization, and sustainability of our armed forces; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call for an increase in personnel end strength for all branches of the military.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To urge the Administration and Congress to significantly increase defense funding

Resolution No. 408 (Click here to return to full list)

BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE IS A NATIONAL SECURITY PRIORITY

WHEREAS, while the Russian ballistic missile threat to the United States has decreased in recent years because of changes in our strategic relationship with Russia and declining numbers of nuclear weapons in the Russian inventory; and

WHEREAS, because of worldwide proliferation, new ballistic missile threats to the United States and our allies have emerged; and

WHEREAS, according to a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on the ballistic missile threat through 2015 the United States will likely face intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) threats from China, North Korea and Iran; and

WHEREAS, China has been modernizing its long range strategic missile force since the mid 1980’s and by 2015 the total number of Chinese strategic warheads is projected to rise several-fold; and

WHEREAS, many nations, some not friendly to the U.S., have ballistic missiles capable of being armed with nuclear, chemical or biological warheads; and

WHEREAS, despite the growing threat of unstable third world countries, potentially armed with nuclear, chemical or biological ballistic missile warheads, the United States still has no strategic missile defense system deployed to protect this country and its citizens against attack; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we support the development and deployment of a ballistic missile defense system to protect our country and our deployed military forces; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon the Congress to fully fund a ballistic missile defense program as a high priority national security requirement.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To support a ballistic missile defense system and urge Congress to fully fund this program.

Resolution No. 409 (Click here to return to full list)

MAINTAIN GLOBAL AIR SUPREMACY

WHEREAS, in an unstable world environment, it is critical that the United States continue to exercise global air supremacy to protect our ground forces wherever they may be engaged, be able to penetrate heavily defended areas undetected, and protect the sovereign airspace over the nation; and

WHEREAS, the emergence of modern Russian-based fighter designs, like Sukhoi Su-27s, Su-30s and the MiG-35, along with sophisticated surface-to-air missiles, threatens pre-eminence in future conflicts; and

WHEREAS, for the U.S. to remain a dominant air power, the Air Force and Defense Department must continue to develop and procure the next generation fighter aircraft; and

WHEREAS, the F-22A Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will provide the needed protection and stealthy capabilities for many years to come; and

WHEREAS, the Air Force plan to buy 648 F-22’s in 1991 was whittled down to 180 aircraft and the service still says it needs 381 of the aircraft; and

WHEREAS, the F-35 is the result of the Defense Department's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, which sought to build a multi-role fighter optimized for the air-to-ground role with secondary air-to-air capability and to meet the needs of the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps, with improved survivability, precision engagement capability, and reduced life cycle costs by using many of the same technologies developed for the F-22; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Defense JSF purchase plan is for 2,723 aircraft to outfit the Air Force with 1,763, the Marine Corps with 480 and the Navy with 480; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we call upon Congress and the Department of Defense to provide the aircraft that the Air Force and all services need to carry out their mission and maintain global air supremacy.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on National Security & Foreign Affairs

The intent of this resolution is: To urge Congress and DOD to provide the military services with the aircraft necessary to maintain global air dominance.

Resolution No. 410 (Click here to return to full list)

SUPPORT FOR THE NAVY’S DD(X) DESTROYER PROGRAM

WHEREAS, it is a matter of national and global security for the United States to remain the worlds premier naval force; and

WHEREAS, the present U.S. Naval fleet stands at approximately 280 ships and the Navy envisions the need for a 313 ship fleet by 2020; and

WHEREAS, the need exists to replace older ships and modernize the U.S. naval fleet to maintain the advantage on the high seas; and

WHEREAS, the Navy’s next generation DD(X) destroyer meets the need of future requirements; and

WHEREAS, the DD(X) will bring new capabilities to the fleet, which include: better signal processing and radar optimized for a littoral environment that can engage more targets in a coastal region, being 15 percent more effective against attacks by swarming surface craft, having two 155mm Advanced Gun Systems that can answer 90 percent of calls for fire from Marines with five minutes, providing shore fire support from nearly 100 miles with reduce the need of Marine artillery by 65 percent; and

WHEREAS, the new technological advances makes the DD(X) far superior to the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class warships being produced since 1989; and

WHEREAS, the DD(X) is being designed to be the future CG(X) cruiser sea frame, which will clearly save future design costs; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we support the need to design and produce the Navy’s next generation destroyer, and call upon the Congress to fully fund the DD(X) program.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To support and urge Congress to fully fund the DD(X) destroyer program.

Resolution No. 411 (Click here to return to full list)

SUPPORT FOR THE COAST GUARD DEEPWATER PROGRAM

WHEREAS, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) has been protecting the lives and property of the American people on the high seas since 1790; and

WHEREAS, the Coast Guard’s current fleet of deepwater assets, which operate from our ports to the high seas as the front line of our layered maritime defense, are aging, technologically obsolete, and prone to frequent system failures; and

WHEREAS, these current assets do not possess the speed, interoperability, sensors, and communication capabilities required to respond effectively to America’s diverse and growing maritime needs; and

WHEREAS, the Integrated Deepwater System (IDS) plan provides for the need to modernize or recapitalize the Coast Guard’s aging legacy deepwater assets; and

WHEREAS, the IDS will ensure that the USCG has a flexible and agile system of cutters, aircraft, command and control systems and logistics infrastructure to meet current mission demands and future maritime threats and challenges; and

WHEREAS, increased funding will yield essential system-wide capability for the Coast Guard’s maritime homeland security and national defense missions, as well as sustain operational effectiveness in all of the service’s multiple military and maritime responsibilities; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we fully support the United States Coast Guard Deepwater Program, and call upon the Congress to fully fund the modernization and recapitalization of the Coast Guard through this program initiative.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To support and urge Congress to fully fund the Coast Guard’s Deepwater Program.

Resolution No. 412 (Click here to return to full list)

RAISE MILITARY BASE PAY TO EQUAL PRIVATE-SECTOR WAGES

WHEREAS, in 1999 the base pay of military personnel was 13.5 percent less than their civilian counterparts; and

WHEREAS, to close this pay gap, Congress created a formula for basic pay raises that provided the military with a pay increase of one half of one percent above private-sector wages as determined by the Employment Cost Index (ECI); and

WHEREAS, this formula to determine military pay raises expired on January 1, 2006; and

WHEREAS, the Fiscal Year 2007 military pay raise fell short of providing parity with private-sector wages; and

WHEREAS, military base pay still lags behind private-sector wages by 4.4 percent; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we call upon the Administration and Congress to provide a military base pay raise that will restore full comparability with private-sector wages.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on NATIONAL SECURITY AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The intent of this resolution is:  To achieve full military base pay comparability with private-sector wages.

Resolution No. 413 (Click here to return to full list)

LOWER THE RESERVE COMPONENT RETIREMENT PAY AGE

WHEREAS, current law stipulates that after completing 20 satisfactory years of honorable service, Reserve Component members must wait until age 60 to receive retirement pay; and

WHEREAS, when the current age requirement was established, this nation didn't utilize the Reserve Component forces the way it does now; and

WHEREAS, the posture of Reserve Component forces has changed from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve; and

WHEREAS, in peacetime and in wartime they have become a larger percentage of the Total Force and are essentially partners in the wide range of military operations, from smaller-scale contingencies to major theater war; and

WHEREAS, it is well known that the active force cannot sustain the readiness posture to meet our national military strategy without the Guard and Reserve; and

WHEREAS, over the course of a military career, with months and years of mobilized service on active duty, a reserve members’ ability to accrue a civilian retirement is severely impacted because they contribute less to their own 401k and IRA retirement plans; and

WHEREAS, the 1.4 million men and women who serve in the Reserve Components—the Army and Air National Guard, Army Reserve, Naval Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, and Coast Guard Reserve—represent one-half of America’s total military might and are an integral and vital part of today’s Total Force; and

WHEREAS, a truly seamless and integrated Total Force is one that does not make rigid distinctions among Active, Guard and Reserve forces, and one that provides a retirement benefit equal to their contributions; now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, that we urge the Congress and the Administration to lower the retirement pay eligibility age to 55 for all Reserve Component members.

Submitted by Commander-in-Chief

To Committee on National Security & Foreign Affairs

The intent of this resolution is:  To support legislation that will reduce the Reserve Component retirement pay eligibility age to 55.

Resolution No. 429(Click here to return to full list)

 AMEND CRITERIA FOR AWARD OF THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION WWII MEDAL