Transitionnews for Thursday, December 26th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Coats for homeless veterans being collected in Joliet, New Lenox  (Southtown Star)  After faithfully serving their country, veterans should not be living under bridges and viaducts.

Transition

VA assists w/transitioning to prepare for job market  (Army.mil)  As part of the revamped Transition Assistance Program (TAP), the Department of Veterans Affairs’ new VA Benefits I and II briefings are now available at Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter.

Veterans urged to file discharge papers locally  (Mtairynews.com)  They are some of the most important papers you’ll ever receive, and one county official is offering local veterans a way to protect them.

Veterans

Ohio veterans could be eligible for funds  (Ohio.com)  Some Ohio military veterans eligible for state-funded bonuses of up to $1,500 are running out of time to apply for the funds, and officials are concerned that many may not make the deadline.

N.Y. Guard to render final honors for 10,000 veterans by end of 2013  (Army.mil)  The New York Military Forces Honor Guard expects to have provided funeral services for just over 10,000 families in 2013 by the time 2014 arrives at midnight Dec. 31.

Veterans Cafe in SC a combination eatery, museum and hangout for those who have served America  (Associated Press)  There’s a red white and blue sign in the window of the Veteran’s Cafe and Grille that says simply “Welcome Home.”

Veterans Affairs

Shinseki Says VA on Track to End Backlog  (Military.com)  Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki says the agency made progress this year in reducing the claims backlog that has regularly caused heat from some veterans groups and lawmakers.

Vets’ housing report draws immediate fire  (Politics in Minnesota)  The Select Committee on Veterans Housing owes its origin to a bit of troubling math.

VA, HUD Offering Veterans Housing Help  (NBC News)  Veterans seeking help with housing after being discharged from the military may be able to turn to a new program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Veterans Affairs.

VA quiet on employee discipline in Legionnaires’ disease outbreak  (TribLive)  A month since they demanded transparency, Pennsylvania congressmen are waiting for the Department of Veterans Affairs to reveal how it will hold workers accountable for a Pittsburgh disease outbreak blamed for five deaths.

ANN ARBOR: WCC to receive $250,000 from Masco to benefit Veterans Center  (Ann Arbor Journal)  The Masco Corporation Foundation has made a corporate gift of $250,000 to Washtenaw Community College, the largest corporate gift the college has received to date.

Benefits

Cuts to military pensions in doubt, but future changes to troop pay, benefits likely  (Associated Press)  The Pentagon’s top civilian says it’s time to tame burgeoning military personnel costs, but he’s facing a test of wills with the nation’s powerful veterans groups, which want no cut in their benefits.

About the loss of the Early Bird, which spurred the creation of Transitionnews:  With demise of Pentagon’s ‘Early Bird,’ military readers hunt bootleg copies of ‘Morning News’  (The Washington Times)  The Defense Department has terminated its daily compilation of military-related news reports and opinion articles — called the Early Bird — in favor of a more restrictive press-clipping service for only the top brass.

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Have a great day!