Washington, DC – At an April 16th press conference, Rep. Devin Nunes announced the introduction of the Hubbard Act of 2008. The legislation, which was introduced with 240 co-sponsors, seeks to establish transitional benefits for sole survivors who leave military service.
Nunes statement:
"I would like to share with you that I am very grateful for the work of Senators Feinstein and Chambliss, as well as my good friend in the House Jim Costa. I think it is fair to say that we all feel very strongly about this legislation and it is enormously gratifying to see so many people sign-on to help – at last count, 240 Members of Congress are committed to this legislation," said Rep. Nunes.
"I have the real privilege of representing Jason’s family, including his parents Jeff and Peggy Hubbard, in Congress. They have had to endure unimaginable suffering as a result of the military service of their sons and they have endured this pain with great personal dignity and love for our nation. In my view, Jason’s experiences upon leaving the Army haven’t made this easy for them.
The Hubbard Act is important not only to right a wrong but because it is quite simply inconceivable that any sole survivor would be treated the way Jason was.
This patriot was viewed by our military as having failed in his service to our nation – simply because he exercised his right to leave the Army under the sole survivor discharge. As a result, Jason was cut off from all of the normal benefits afforded to soldiers separating from service.
When Jason called my office in December of 2007, we did everything possible to make this situation right.
The Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, was alarmed by the situation and tried to help. I greatly appreciate the Secretary’s commitment to his soldiers and am satisfied that he did his very best. However, in the final analysis—despite overwhelming recognition of this injustice-- we could not resolve all of the problems without legislation. That’s why we are here today."
Genesis of Legislation:
Despite the incorporation of the “sole survivor” policy in all branches of the military, recent experiences have demonstrated that Congress needs to intervene to ensure that these soldiers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve when they separate from service.
Army Specialist Jason Hubbard lost his two brothers, Lance Corporal Jared Hubbard and Army Corporal Nathan Hubbard, in Iraq. As the last of three brothers, Jason was discharged from the military under the sole survivor policy.
What followed, however, was a bureaucratic nightmare leaving Jason cut off from the support system he needed to transition into civilian life. He was denied benefits under the GI Bill, cut off from transitional healthcare, and ordered to repay a significant portion of his enlistment bonus. Since Congress has never enacted legislation detailing the rights of sole survivors, the Hubbard’s were at the mercy of Defense Department bureaucrats.
The Hubbard Act will place in law a number of benefits already offered to other soldiers honorably separating from military service. In addition, sole survivors will not be required to repay any portion of their enlistment bonus; may participate in the Montgomery GI Bill educational program; and may receive separation pay and transitional healthcare coverage.
The Hubbard story:
In November of 2004, 22 year-old Marine Lance Corporal Jared Hubbard (Clovis, California) was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Iraq. Six months after his death, Jared’s two brothers, Nathan and Jason, enlisted in the Army to honor his memory and serve their country.
In August of 2007, after returning from a scouting mission south of Kirkuk, the Blackhawk helicopter carrying Army Corporal Nathan Hubbard and 13 other soldiers crashed. The death of Nathan triggered a military policy established in 1943, which required Army Specialist Jason Hubbard to be removed from combat. Jason was offered and accepted a sole survivor discharge from the military.
Upon returning from and being discharged, he was asked to repay significant portions of his enlistment bonus, was denied transition healthcare, and told he would no longer be able to participate in the GI Bill program, even though he had paid into the system. http://nunes.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=5995252d-19b9-b4b1-129c-dac0851bde98Thank you Randi Rhodes for the tip on this story.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
