About the Major Richard Star Act
Discover how the Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102/ S. 1032) corrects an unjust policy that cuts retirement pay for combat-injured veterans.
Why This Matters
Service members who are medically retired for combat-related injuries face an unfair penalty: their military retirement pay is reduced dollar-for-dollar by the Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation they receive.
Military retirement pay and VA disability compensation serve different purposes:
- Military retirement pay rewards honorable service.
- VA disability compensation helps cover the long-term effects of service-related injuries.
This reduction, often called the “wounded veteran tax,” unfairly penalizes combat-injured veterans who have already sacrificed for our country.
The impact is significant. Department of Defense data shows that 68% of young Americans cite concerns about injury as a reason not to serve. Fixing this policy restores fairness for veterans and sends a clear message to future Service members and their families: those injured in service will be treated justly.
A Name that Reflects the Sacrifice
Army Major Richard Star was a post-9/11 combat engineer who developed cancer linked to toxic exposure while deployed to the Middle East. His diagnosis forced him to retire early, before reaching 20 years of service — resulting in the very offset this bill seeks to end. Major Star passed away nearly a year after the legislation bearing his name was first introduced in February 2020. His story reflects exactly why this change is needed and who it’s designed to protect.
“I shouldn't have to sacrifice my pay, too.”
How The Major Richard Star Act Helps
The Major Richard Star Act fixes this long-standing problem by:
Ending the offset for combat-injured medical retirees, ensuring they can receive both retirement pay and VA disability compensation.
Providing choice between Combat Related Special Compensation (tax-free) and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (fully concurrent) so veterans can pick what works best for them.
Correcting an imbalance without creating a new benefit.
The result is fairness for the 50,000+ veterans affected, giving them the pay they’ve earned for their service and sacrifices.
Busting Myths About The Major Richard Star Act
Separate fact from fiction. Learn what the Major Richard Star Act truly means for medically retired combat veterans.
Myth 1: Veterans are “double-dipping” when they receive both benefits.
Military retirement pay and VA disability pay are separate benefits serving different purposes. Retirement pay rewards years of service, and disability pay helps offset income lost due to service-related injuries.
Myth 2: It won’t make a real difference for the veterans who need it most.
Veterans could see an average of approximately $1,200 more each month.
Myth 3: This isn’t the right time to be offering benefits.
The Major Richard Star Act isn’t a new benefit. It fixes a 2004 policy gap that left 54,000 combat-injured veterans with reduced retirement pay.
Myth 4: Only a few veterans are affected.
More than 50,000 combat-injured veterans nationwide are impacted by the offset, and restoring fairness helps them and future generations of service members.
Tell Congress it's time to deliver fairness and restore full benefits for 50,000+ wounded veterans.
News Coverage
Media stories and coverage from Star Act Alliance partners - bringing attention to the fight for fairness for veterans.
