At this writing, the 2013 defense budget proposal is just days away from publication.However, as is always the case in Washington, much of what it contains is already on the street. Unfortunately, most of the information already available is not good. (See Page 19.)While the presumed pay raise for next year will equal inflation, the Defense Department has said that in 2015 it will propose below inflation raises as a way to save money.Below private sector inflation rate military raises in the 80s and 90s are what led to the 13.5 percent pay gap that it has taken more than a decade of above inflation pay raises to reduce.It seems to fly in the face of logic to go down that road again.While we do not yet have details, there will be proposals to increase and add new health care enrollment fees for retirees under 65 on a tiered scale (and presumably tied to some index other than COLA) and to add an enrollment fee for TRICARE for Life.No other federal employee system uses means testing for health care benefits and to do so would penalize successful service with higher benefit costs.AUSA believes that additional inefficiencies can be wrung out of the TRICARE system before shifting costs to beneficiaries.Enrollment fees currently offer a guaranteed access to care (TRICARE Prime).Establishment of enrollment fees for TRICARE Standard and TRICARE for Life without guaranteed access to care increases the cost of the benefit without enhancing the benefit.A proposal that is expected to be in the budget, to use a BRAC-like commission to change the military retirement system, would in AUSA’s estimation depersonalize the process.Up or down votes without amendment do not allow for the congressional input necessary to properly deal with an issue that would directly affect the future members of the All-Volunteer Force.AUSA has prepared a letter to Congress that urges them to preserve military and veteran benefits.Please add your voice to ours and send a letter of your own using our website.Go to www.ausa.org, click on "Legislative Action Center" at the bottom of the page. Put your zip code in the box entitled "Elected Officials," and then click on the prepared letter "Preserve Military and Veteran Benefits."Together we can fight to keep the target of budget cuts off the backs of soldiers and their families.As readers of AUSA NEWS know, Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, USA, Ret., AUSA president, is very concerned by the perception that military benefits might be "overly generous" and need to more closely mirror private sector benefits.He has over the last six months made a concerted effort through letters to Congress and the media outreach to send the message that:Military service requires extraordinary sacrifice by those serving and their families over two to three decades – in essence, they write a blank check to the United States for an amount up to and including their life.The unique nature of military retirement and health care benefits plays a key role in inducing high quality people to serve a full career under arduous conditions that civilians do not face.Our government imposes no limits on the sacrifices of those who serve a career in uniform – less than 1 percent of our population – and in turn it must provide a substantial and predictable compensation package.The richest nation on earth can afford to continue the current retirement system and health care benefits for those few who defend it with a lifetime of service, if we as a nation are truly committed to those who are willing to carry our colors into battle.To these thoughts we will add that Congress has provided military retirement and health benefits that exceed civilian benefits as an essential offset to the unique demands and sacrifices inherent in a military career, which far surpass the demands made on civilian workers.This is hardly a prudent time to impose further financial sacrifices on military beneficiaries.Read AUSA NEWS each month for the latest information on what will be an interesting legislative year.