Is Tricare Fee Hike Dead?: The House Armed Services Committee backed its subcommittee on military personnel in prohibiting the Pentagon from increasing Tricare fees for military retirees under age 65—at least until Dec. 31, 2007. The committee added $735 million to the Administration’s 2007 budget proposal to offset what the Pentagon cut. House authorizers say delaying any fee increases until the end of 2007 will provide time for outside reviews and creation of a “comprehensive policy and fiscal basis” to sustain the Tricare program. Senators appear headed in a similar direction on the Tricare issue.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.