Window on Washington

Window on Washington

RSS feed

• XML RSS feed for this blog

What's on this page →

The entry titled "Bush honors Fort Hood spouse," and any of the comments about it.

Categories

Recent entries

• Delegate votes still recorded despite Obama acclamation
• Invesco Field: Too big for Barack?
• Carville says Bill Clinton and Obama warming to each other
• Convention transportation
• A night at the convention
• Romney crashes Democratic convention
• Florida delegation a few decibels higher than the rest in Denver
• More entries...

Home > Window on Washington > Archives > 2008 > May > 06 > Entry

Bush honors Fort Hood spouse

By Jason Embry | Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 02:47 PM

The wife of a Fort Hood soldier fielded a “thank you” from the commander in chief Tuesday for her work to help military families care for wounded soldiers.

Colleen Saffron was one of six military spouses who received the President’s Volunteer Service Award on the South Lawn of the White House. Saffron’s husband, Staff Sgt. Terry Saffron, shattered his jaw and injured his arm in Iraq four years ago after an improvised explosive device detonated.

In 2007, Colleen Saffron and others formed Operation Life Transformed, a nonprofit foundation that pays for spouses and other caregivers to learn how to care for wounded troops.

“Colleen, America can’t thank you enough,” President Bush told her.

May is National Military Appreciation Month. U.S. Rep. John Carter, a Round Rock Republican who represents Fort Hood, will introduce legislation this week that would allow military spouses to claim either their home state or a state they intend to move to as their state of residence, instead of where their spouses are stationed.

Members of the military can already claim another state as their place of residence. Carter said in a letter to fellow lawmakers that his proposal would save spouses from having to update drivers licenses and auto registrations. Also, if the family keeps a home in a state, such as Texas, with high property taxes but no personal income tax, then moves to a state with an income tax, the family would not have to pay both the income tax and the property taxes back home.

The spouse and service member would have to claim the same state as home.

“I have spoken with military spouses across the district and state about this problem and am happy to introduce this bill on their behalf,” Carter said.

Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Texas