JBSA-FT SAM HOUSTON –
Chuck Hagel, the 24th Secretary of Defense and the first enlisted combat veteran to lead the Department of Defense, made his first official visit to Brooke Army Medical Center Jan. 8.
Hagel was welcomed by BAMC Commander Col. Kyle Campbell and Command Sgt. Maj. Mark Pumphrey at the San Antonio Military Medical Center, followed by a meet-and-greet with wounded warriors service and staff members.
"You inspire me," said Hagel during his conversation with 1st Lt. Micah Andersen, who was rehabilitating at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research burn center rehabilitation gym. Andersen was injured by an improvised explosive device while on foot patrol in Afghanistan June 1, 2013.
"BAMC offers the best care in the world," Hagel told him as they were discussing his injuries and the care he was receiving at the medical center.
"I know, this is the best place to be," Andersen replied.
Following the visit at the medical center, the secretary met with Col. Donald Gajewski, director of the Center for the Intrepid, for a tour of the out patient rehabilitation facility.
Hagel then spoke at a town hall meeting with service members, their families and staff to thank them for their service and sacrifice.
"I'm here to first better understand the tremendous work you do here and what this place represents," he said.
"It's about hope," Hagel said. "It's about hope for a better life for you and your families and all our people. It's about how each of you are inspiring others who are with you now but will come after you - families inspire, you inspire, people who work here, docs and all of his team, they are an inspiration.
"I want to acknowledge that because we occasionally tend to drift over that element of what is done in a tremendous facility like this."
He said that even with all the advances in medical technology, it is the people who make a difference.
Hagel also touched on the new law for future retirement benefits for veterans and assured medically disabled veterans will be exempt from the new budget cuts.
"Let me assure you that all disabled families - all of you in this room - will be exempted from any adjustments in the rate of growth," Hagel said to the group. "We're not going to do anything that would inhibit the progress of this institution."
The new law suggests that working-age military retirees would see their pensions increase at a slower pace, with cost-of-living adjustments pegged to the rate of inflation minus 1 percentage point. Once they turned 62, they would go back to receiving adjustments pegged to the full rate of inflation.
He stated that the law will not take effect until 2016 and that the administration and Congress have two years to fix the law and grant an exemption for disabled vets.
"We'll make it work - we'll fix it - and we'll do it so it doesn't hurt."