Fleet Reserve Association Branch 104

The FRA serves active duty and reserve member by:

Advocating for increased pay and enhanced benefits.

• FRA works to secure annual pay increases that are at least .05% above the Employer Cost Index (ECI).
• The Association supports targeted pay increases for mid-career and senior enlisted personnel to close the "pay gap" that exists between military and private sector pay
• FRA is working to increase PCS weight limits for enlisted personnel and is a strong advocate for the Families First program - this program provides full-replacement coverage for household goods that are lost/damaged during PCS moves.

 

Improving health care options for active duty and reserve members and their families.

• We work to assure access to health care services at Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) and through civilian providers.
• FRA strongly advocates legislation that expands TRICARE access for reservists and their families.
• We are also working to improve DoD post-deployment physicals and assure a seamless transition from DoD to VA health care systems.
• Your go-to source for information and personal assistance with TRICARE concerns.

 

Providing academic scholarships for members, their spouses, children, and grandchildren.

• FRA sponsors a scholarship program that annually presents nearly $90,000 to deserving students across the nation.

Recognizing excellence among Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel.

• FRA has been a sponsor of the Navy’s Sailor of the Year program since its inception in 1972.
• During annual events, FRA pays tribute to the Marine Corps’ exceptional Marine Security Guards (MSGs), Drill Instructors (DIs), Security Instructors, School of Infantry Instructors, and Career Counselors.
• Honor graduates of the Marine Corps’ Senior Non-Commissioned Officer Academy are recognized with FRA’s “Gung-Ho” Award and receive a K-Bar knife and plaque.
• The Association also salutes the Coast Guard’s Honors Program recipients (formerly the Enlisted Persons of the Year or EPOY) during annual ceremonies that honor the service’s Active Duty, Reserve, Civilian and Non-Appropriated Funds Civilian Member of the Year.
• FRA also proudly recognizes the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard’s outstanding Recruiters of the Year.

Keeping shipmates informed on issues that affect them.

• FRA believes an informed shipmate is a good citizen. 
• News Bytes, FRA’s weekly e-mail update, provides the latest news about legislation and policy changes that impact shipmates’ quality of life.
• Each edition of FRA’s quarterly newsletter, OnWatch, highlights a facet of military life important to active duty and reserve personnel.
• FRA members receive Naval Affairs, our monthly membership magazine that highlights the Association’s legislative efforts, reports of FRA events, and profiles of shipmates who are making a difference in their communities.

Keeps you connected with fellow and former shipmates. 

• FRA shipmates gather at branch meetings around the country to participate in community service projects, promote patriotism in their local communities, and share the bonds of the Brotherhood of the Sea.
• FRA’s annual national and regional conventions are prime opportunities for shipmates to share fun and fellowship.
• Members are encouraged to list their ship and organizational reunions in FRA’s monthly membership magazine, FRA Today, and on our website.
• Looking for a shipmate you haven't seen in a while? FRA members can post a “Looking for …” notice in FRA Today and on the website.

 

FRA serves its retired members by: 

Safeguarding retiree and survivor benefits

• FRA leads the fight for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation. Success has been realized for the most severely disabled retirees, but the Association will continue fighting until concurrent receipt is a reality for all disabled military retirees. 
• In 2008, retirees who have paid Survivor Benefit Program (SBP) premiums for 30 years and have reached the age of 70 will no longer pay SBP premiums. FRA believes retirees who currently meet these requirements should be exempt from further payments and is working to advance the enactment date. 
• FRA drafted legislation that would allow retiring service members to receive a Dislocation Allowance (DLA) when they leave active service.
• FRA also authored a bill authorizing the designated survivor to retain the full final month’s retired pay for any month in which the retiree lived for at least 24 hours. (Current law forces survivors to repay a prorated amount for the days following the retiree’s death.
• The Association is an outspoken advocate for reform of the Uniformed Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA) to make the measure more equitable for military retirees.
• FRA also supports adequate funding for the operation of the Armed Forces Retirement Home’s two facilities so that adequate care can be provided for the resident

Protecting DoD and VA health care benefits for retirees of all ages.

• One of FRA’s highest priorities is to ensure that DoD health care programs are fully funded. 
• FRA seeks to improve health care access for military retirees who are under age 65, particularly those who do not live near Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs).
• The Association is working to improve the sharing of DoD and VA health care resources and improve retirees’ access to VA health care services.
• FRA fights continuing efforts by the VA to impose enrollment fees and increase copays for prescription medications.

Keeping shipmates informed on issues that affect them.

• FRA believes an informed shipmate is a good citizen. 
• News Bytes, FRA’s weekly e-mail update, provides the latest news about legislation and policy changes that impact shipmates’ quality of life.
• FRA members receive FRA Today, our monthly membership magazine that highlights the Association’s legislative efforts, reports of FRA events, and profiles of shipmates who are making a difference in their communities.

Keeping you connected with fellow and former shipmates.  

• FRA shipmates gather at branch meetings around the country to participate in community service projects, promote patriotism in their local communities, and share the bonds of the Brotherhood of the Sea.
• FRA’s annual national and regional conventions are prime opportunities for shipmates to share fun and fellowship. 
• Members are encouraged to list their ship and organizational reunions in FRA’s monthly membership magazine, FRA Today, and on our website.
• Looking for a long-lost shipmate? FRA members can post a “Looking for …” notice in FRA Today and on the website.

Providing academic scholarships for members, their spouses, children, and grandchildren.

• FRA sponsors a scholarship program that annually presents over $100,000 to deserving students across the nation.