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File: 970207_aadcl_008.txt
Page: 008
Total Pages: 9


         special pays paid to active duty medical officers. Congress passed
         a law in Nov 90 authorizing payment of medical special pays to
         physicians and dentists on a monthly basis. However this law did
         not include a provision ror payment on a monthly basis to nurse
         anesthetist. The ASD(HA) guidance was received in Dec 90.
         AFMPC/DPMM received numerous inquiries from mobilized officers
         concerning the status of the approved pay legislation. In Feb 91
         members mobilized under 673b authority were extended to a call up of
         one year under 673 authority. Therefore, several issues arose
         concerning their eligibility for active duty special pays. Upon our
         involvement due to the change in call up authorities, we discovered
         HQ ARPC and DFAS had never implemented the law because they could
         not determine a way to identify eligibles, amounts, and were not
         familiar with the special pay programs. In Mar 91, upon our request,
         representatives from
         HQ USAF/SGHP and HQ AFMPC/DPMM visited DFAS to assist ARPC and DFAS
         in developing a system to pay mobilized officers. HQ AFMPC/DPMM
         volunteered to compute medical service pay dates, identify special
         pay eligibility, and became the special pay OPR for mobilized
         Guard/Reserve medical officers. AFMPC/DPMM expended numerous
         manhours: notifying the field of eligibility criteria; collecting
         professional data; coordinating with AFRES, NGB, ARPC, and DFAS;
         computing special pays; notifying DFAS to effect payment; and
         answering inquiries and complaints from mobilized medical officers.
        
         RECOMMENDATION: HQ USAF/SO, AFRES, NGB, and ARPC need to work
         together to develop a special pay program for mobilized
         reservists/guard medical officers called to active duty in support
         of a conflict. The program amounts should be based on specialty and
         total federal commissioned service date (TFCSD). The program should
         mirror the active duty program in total amounts only, however,
         should be simplified to one monthly amount per specialty. ASD(HA)
         should draft proposed legislation for Congress to pass. Once
         passed, ASD(HA) should revise specialty amounts every time they
         revise the amounts for active duty. This would allow DFAS to pay
         mobilized medical officers the special pays upon call up to active
         duty, based upon their AFSC and TFCSD, and therefore eliminating the
         bureaucratic process experienced during Desert Storm.
        
         16. OBSERVATION: IMAs were called to active duty with
         disqualifying medical problems.
        
               DISCUSSION Individuals had various medical problems such as
         psychiatric, orthopedic, cardiac, etc. which required disability
         (MEB) processing usually at a medical center. This was costly and
         time consuming. Individuals were nonproductive and disgruntled.
        
               RECOMMENDATION: Need to insure the physical standards are
         rigorously applied by reserve/guard units during peacetime/prior to
         mobilization.
        
         17. OBSERVATION: Active Duty members were mobilized in support of
         Operation Desert Storm by their commanders disregarding assignment
         rules for personnel on medical hold (C code).
        
         DISCOSSION: Many of these individuals were returned to CONUS
         as unfit for duty or because medical capability did not exist in the
        

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