Columbia, South Carolina Jan 1, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - Combat-injured, medically retired veterans in South Carolina are losing an estimated $1.77 million every month due to a federal retirement offset that remains unresolved in the United States Senate, according to data released by veteran advocates. The loss affects 1,472 South Carolina veterans whose military careers were cut short by combat-related injuries.
Under current law, many veterans medically retired under Chapter 61 must waive their Department of Defense retired pay dollar-for-dollar in order to receive VA disability compensation. For these veterans, disability compensation replacesrather than supplementsthe retirement pay they earned through service.
At an average loss of approximately $1,200 per month per veteran, the offset removes nearly $21.3 million annually from South Carolina households and local economies.
This is not theoretical, said Senior Chief Shane Junkert, USN (Ret.), founder of 54KVeterans.org. For 1,472 South Carolina families, this is real money every month that was earned through service and sacrifice, but never paid.
Legislative Background
The Major Richard Star Act is named for an Army combat engineer who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait and later died from lung cancer linked to burn pit exposure. The legislation applies narrowly to combat-injured veterans who were medically retired before reaching 20 years of service.
The bill would end the retirement offset for this specific group, allowing eligible veterans to receive both their earned military retirement pay and VA disability compensation. It does not create a new benefit, expand eligibility, or change VA disability ratings. Veterans who complete 20 years of service already receive both benefits under existing law.
In 2021, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi cosponsored earlier versions of the legislation and described the proposal as a commonsense fix to an unfair retirement offset. On October 8, 2025, however, Senator Wicker objected to advancing the bill by unanimous consent, preventing a recorded vote in the Senate.
More On Showupnews ::
- Holiday 2025 Gift Trends Highlight Functional Family Tech as Apolosign Announces Black Friday Deals
- How Growing Businesses Overcome CAPTCHAs
- Bonnie Milcarek, Recognized by BestAgents.us as a 2025 Top Agent
- Media Personality and Mississippi Native Cyrus Webb Attempting Guinness World Record for Most TV Interviews in 12 Hours
- iBlackAI™ 2.0 Launches: The First Fully Automated AI Creative Suite
Publicly supporting a bill and later stopping it are two very different actions, Junkert said. The record shows the bill had broad bipartisan backing, yet a single objection halted progress for tens of thousands of combat-injured retirees.
A recent Mississippi television news report examined the objection and highlighted a billboard campaign funded by veterans to draw attention to the stalled legislation.
A New Path Forward: S.Amdt. 4056
On December 16, 2025, Senator Richard Blumenthal filed S.Amdt. 4056, which would attach the Major Richard Star Act to must-pass defense funding legislation. Supporters say the amendment creates an opportunity for an on-the-record Senate decision.
Advocates are urging South Carolina Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott to publicly support S.Amdt. 4056 as a mechanism to resolve the issue.
This amendment turns a quiet procedural block into a transparent decision, Junkert said. It gives every senator the chance to stand either with combat-injured retirees or with a process that has delayed relief for years.
About 54KVeterans.org
54KVeterans.org is a grassroots coalition of combat-injured veterans advocating for passage of the Major Richard Star Act. The organization is led by Senior Chief Shane Junkert, USN (Ret.), a decorated combat veteran who completed six combat deployments during 18.5 years of service before being medically retired due to combat-related injuries. The coalition represents approximately 54,000 veterans nationwide affected by the Chapter 61 retirement offset.
Source :54KVeterans.org
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.