Supporting Our Troops and Their Families

As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Mikulski is committed to supporting our returning service members and their families with the health care and benefits they have earned and deserve.

Standing Up for Our Wounded Warriors

Senator Mikulski is standing up for improved care for our wounded warriors by:

• Demanding accountability from Defense Department leadership for conditions and care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
• Seeking regular progress reports on the implementation of reforms to improve the military medicine system.
• Fighting for additional funding to improve conditions at Walter Reed and to implement reforms throughout the entire military medicine system.

Advocating for Seamless Transition Between the DOD and VA

Senator Mikulski is working to ease the transition from military to civilian life by:

• Demanding a comprehensive policy from the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs to help severely injured service members transition from the military to the VA or civilian life.
• Encouraging the development of a joint electronic health record for the Defense Department and the VA.
• Extending health care eligibility to five years for combat veterans who have served since the Persian Gulf War.
• Requiring an initial VA mental health evaluation for veterans or returning service members within 30 days of their request.
• Advocating for programs to identify active duty service members at risk of homelessness and to provide prevention support services.

Fighting for a Fair Disability Rating System

Senator Mikulski is working to ensure the disability system is fair for all veterans by:

• Working to streamline the disability rating system between the Defense Department and the VA.
• Encouraging the presumption that a disease or disability is service-related if it was not noted at the time a service member entered active duty, and the service member has six months or more of active duty.
• Advocating for increased severance pay for service members separated from the military with less than a 30% disability rating.
• Fighting to prohibit a reduction of a disability rating once it is assigned by an evaluation board.

Improving Care for PTSD & TBI

Senator Mikulski is fighting for better care of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) by:

• Fighting to require the Defense Department and the VA to develop a plan for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and TBI.
• Supporting the expansion of training and education programs to reduce the negative stigma of these conditions.
• Championing the establishment of Centers of Excellence to better address PTSD and TBI to handle the needs of returning veterans.
• Advocating for individualized care plans to help service members receive appropriate PTSD or TBI services.
• Working to improve pre-deployment mental health assessments to assist in a more accurate post-deployment diagnosis.

Improving Quality of Life for Troops and Their Families

Senator Mikulski is standing up for our troops and their families by:

• Championing increases in fallen heroes compensation and making sure survivors aren't taxed on military death benefits.
• Fighting for assistance to school districts that serve large percentages of military-dependent children.
• Championing the Residential Communities Initiative, which uses private investments to improve military housing.
• Advocating for broadened eligibility for transportation benefits for military families to attend burial services.

Securing Honorable Pay and Educational Opportunities

Senator Mikulski is standing up for the financial security of our troops by:

• Fighting for a higher monthly combat pay.
• Working for increases in military allowances, including the family separation allowance.
• Encouraging increases in Montgomery G.I. Bill educational benefits, and more flexibility in applying for financial aid and repaying student loans for active duty troops.
• Advocating for the full refund of tuition and fees to students unable to complete their studies because of their active duty service.

Fighting for Family Caregivers of Wounded Warriors

Senator Mikulski is supporting the caregivers of our wounded warriors by:

• Championing the extension of the Family and Medical Leave Act to allow up to six months leave for spouses and parents caring for injured soldiers.
• Working for expanded medical benefits for family caregivers.

Empowering the National Guard

Senator Mikulski is fighting to strengthen and equip the National Guard and Reserve by:

• Supporting legislation that empowers the Guard by promoting the National Guard Bureau Chief to a 4-star General, creating a separate budget for domestic Guard missions, and improving response to national disasters by identifying gaps in federal and state capabilities (National Guard Empowerment Act).
• Improving readiness to respond to domestic disasters and to deploy overseas.
• Providing additional funding to address equipment shortfalls.

Providing Equal Benefits to the National Guard and Reserve

Senator Mikulski is working to improve benefits for members of the National Guard, Reserve and their families by:

• Championing the creation of the National Guard Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program to provide information and services to families throughout the entire deployment cycle.
• Fighting to expand TRICARE eligibility to activated Guard members, Reservists and their families.
• Advocating for subsidies to reduce the cost of private child care.
• Supporting legislation to give Guard members and Reservists 10-year portability of their Montgomery G.I. Bill education benefits after military service.
• Fighting for pay parity by requiring the government to pay Reservists the difference between military pay and government civilian pay while serving on active duty.
• Supporting legislation to reduce the Reserve retirement age.