General Moseley testifies for raising death benefit

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  • By Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  The Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony Feb. 1 from senior service leaders about a proposed boost in payments to survivors of military people killed in combat.

Vice Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley testified on behalf of the Air Force.

Under the Pentagon's plan released Jan. 31, a one-time, tax-free death gratuity paid to survivors of servicemembers killed in the line of duty would rise from $12,420 to $100,000. The government also would increase the limit of life insurance coverage for servicemembers to $400,000. The government would pay the premiums on this extra coverage for troops in combat zones.

Both Republican and Democratic legislators have introduced proposals to raise military death payments, part of a broader effort in Congress to improve conditions for those who serve in the armed forces and their families, and for veterans.

"It’s my opinion that we can do better to address the benefits and compensation for them and their families," General Moseley said.

"If a servicemember is wounded in action, the service will do whatever it takes to help him recover. And when a military member pays the ultimate price for (his or her) country, I believe with all my heart that we must take care of those left behind -- their family and particularly their children. We cannot lessen this pain, and we cannot heal this hurt, but we can, for sure, help them with the unforgiving demands of continuing their lives without a father or without a mother."

The benefit plan will be sent to Congress formally next week as part of the president's 2006 budget request.

Many committee members said they believe the increased benefit, aimed chiefly at servicemembers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, does not cover every potential combatant.

"The nature of this conflict is different," Sen. John McCain said. "It has a gray area. B-2 (Spirit) bombers flew from the United States to combat missions in Afghanistan. If a B-2 had crashed upon landing in the United States, then that's a combat mission. So I think we have to make this legislation all-encompassing."

Others wanted the definition to extend even further -- to servicemembers who die on active-duty, in any capacity.

Regardless of the scope, Sen. Joseph Lieberman summed up the sentiment of the committee.

"As we worked together, we knew that the more people learned what we had learned, the more everybody would agree we had to do something. The current situation was simply wrong," he said.

Any increase in the death benefit reinforced a joint-warfighting doctrine that transcends individual services, officials said.

"In this global war on terrorism, our Airmen -- active, Reserve, Guard and civilian -- are all fighting as one cohesive team of Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coastguardsmen," General Moseley said. "War is not isolated to a single geographic location and includes a multitude of activities in the execution of these combat tasks as well as preparation for these combat duties."