Transitionnews for Monday, November 25 2013:

Good news story of the day:

Easter Seals Groups Ramp up Help to Veterans  (ABC News) Like many people, Gary Staten typically thought of the nonprofit group Easter Seals as mainly helping children and adults with disabilities and special needs.

Military Transition

‘Mission:Transition’ draws military members to Home Depot’s ranks (Washington Post)  Donald Sullivan strolled contentedly amid the bustle of contractors wheeling carts stacked with lumber at the Home Depot in Hyattsville, Md.

New state law eases transition for military police (KARE 11) A new change in state law makes it easier for military police to transfer their law enforcement skills to the streets of Minnesota.

Ex-UFC fighter Caros Fodor and the cruel transition from soldier to civilian (Fox Sports) It was a routine convoy, a movement of military vehicles through the dark Iraq desert. But what is really routine about combat in a foreign land?

A Military Wife No More (The New York Times) Today I got divorced.

Veterans

A Pacifist’s Take on Veterans’ Rights (The Huffington Post) I spent my fall break in our nation’s capital, sponsored by Princeton’s Pace Center for Civic Engagement, visiting congressional lobbies, vocational employment centers, and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where I saw, firsthand, those who had experienced the casualties of war. Eating in the hospital cafeteria, I sat among masses of amputees, the people who actually comprise the looming, abstract statistics we hear always on the news.

‘Stand down’ event assists area veterans (Gainesville Times) When veterans return home, the transition into civilian life can be difficult for some. Yet there are organizations to help them make it as smooth as possible.

Veterans volunteer to provide military funeral honors at Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Pa.  (NJ.com) Several times a day, a solemn ceremony takes place at Washington Crossing National Cemetery in Newtown, Pa.

Report finds more of state’s veterans homeless (Charlston Daily Mail)   Jason Wood is happy he has a part-time job at the Charleston Civic Center.  It means the 40-year-old veteran is a step closer to finding his first permanent housing in a year.  But it’s not enough.

Veterans Administration 

Veterans Dying Waiting On Disability Benefits (CBS DFW)

The Veterans Administration says they’re working hard to fix their backlog of medical claims.  But the CBS 11 I-Team has uncovered a new problem faced by veterans and their families. Disability benefits denied and the appeals process taking years, even decades to be approved.

Veterans Affairs woes not just regional concern  (TribLive) First, waterborne bacteria in Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs hospitals led to at least five deaths from Legionnaires’ disease.

Dogs ease veterans’ trauma at VA center (Anchorage Daily News) The black Labrador retriever knew something was wrong. He refused to leave the side of Sandro Navarro, repeatedly nuzzling the troubled man, trying to comfort him.

Have a great day!