Transitionnews for Friday, December 6th 2013:

Good news of the day

Veterans kayak program: ‘4 Star Award’ winner   (Examiner.com)  On December 2, 2013, the Tennessee Recreation and Parks Association awarded the Chattanooga Department of Youth & Family Development the prestigious “4Star Award,” which recognizes the best overall programs, facilities and marketing in the state of Tennessee. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the “4 Star Aquatics Program Award” or “Veterans Kayak Program,” which the Department of Youth and Family’s Therapeutic Recreation division created in January 2013.

Transition

Fort Drum expected to lose 2,800 soldiers and civilian workers from 2012 to 2017  (Watertown Daily Times)  Fort Drum is projected to lose about 2,800 soldiers and civilian workers over the next few years, according to an Army analysis outlined Thursday.

Focus on Agriculture: Program helps vets transition from military to farming   (Richmond News)  When Dustin Ladenburger climbs up into his tractor seat these days he finds he cannot reach the pedals.

Veterans

Disabled Veterans National Foundation Reminds Veterans of VA’s 2014 COLA Increase  (PR Newswire)   The Disabled Veterans National Foundation (www.dvnf.org), a nonprofit veterans service organization that focuses on helping men and women who serve and return home wounded or sick after defending our safety and our freedom, is reminding veterans of the VA’s recently announced cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2014.

Ex-congressional staffer lied about war injuries to get VA benefits, prosecutors say  (Deseret News)  A man who worked for a Utah congressman through the Wounded Warrior Project faces criminal fraud charges for allegedly lying about being injured in the Iraq war to collect disability benefits.

Budget cuts might slow improvements in veterans’ homelessness  (CharlotteObserver.com)  The country has made progress toward its goal of ending veterans’ homelessness by 2015, but budget cuts might stand to threaten the momentum, according to federal officials.

Legion Challenges VA Claims Accuracy  (Military.com)  The American Legion testified at a Dec. 4 hearing on Capitol Hill that examined VA’s track record in processing complex disability claims that deal with conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and military sexual trauma (MST).

Rocky named a top college for veterans; MSUB opens veterans lounge  (Billings Gazette)  With the number of veterans pursuing higher education continuing to rise, Billings colleges are working to expand the services they provide and recently earned national rankings for their efforts.

Veterans Affairs

VA Medical Center’s Ladies’ Night 2013 honors women veterans  (DC Military.com)On Nov. 22, the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s Atrium was transformed into a festive ballroom and mini concert hall.

VA regional offices improperly paying out disability claims, IG tells House panel  (Fierce Government)    Veterans Affairs Department disability claims processing problems at the regional level resulted in improper payments that the VA will likely never recover, Deputy Assistant Inspector General Sondra McCauley told a House panel Wednesday.

Veterans Affairs medical centers failed to properly review patient incidents, GAO says  (Fierce Government)  Veterans Affairs medical centers didn’t properly review incidents where patients were injured due to a doctor’s intervention, a Dec. 3 Government Accountability Office report says.

Benefits

Big battle is brewing over move to rein in military pay, benefits  (Omaha.com)  The Pentagon is pulling out its big guns in a fight over the growing cost of compensating the men and women who fight our wars.

If you would like to receive Transitionnews via email, just enter your preferred email address in the “Email Subscription” box on the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Transitionnews for Thursday, December 5 2013:

Good news story of the day

WINE COUNTRY: New home gives Army veteran, a double amputee, chance at freedom  (The Press Enterprise)  It’s more than wood, steel, plaster and granite.  The home that was built for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Wallace “Ha’a” Fanene, a double amputee wounded during his service in Iraq, is a chance for a more normal life. It’s freedom. Mobility.

Military Transition

Latest Transition Guide from Stars and Stripes Prepares Service Members for Post-military Civilian Life  (PR Web)  The Stars and Stripes Transition Guide provides military men and women the opportunity to jump-start their transition into civilian life.

Tailored Career Guidance Resource is Free for Sailors’ Lifetime  (Navy.mil)  Sailors planning ahead for an eventual transition from naval service, are encouraged to take advantage of the Kuder Journey career guidance system; a pilot program available through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) that ends enrollments Dec. 31.

Veterans

The Government’s Best-Kept Secret  (Fox Business)   If you ask an elderly Veteran if they qualify for an additional pension from the VA to help pay for their long-term care costs, they will probably tell you, “I’m not eligible because I wasn’t injured in the war.” This is a common misconception, which keeps many Veterans from tapping into a benefit they deserve.

Michael Roof: Veterans Evaluations Services not a scam  (The Daily Journal)  If there is one thing that all veterans can agree upon, it’s that when the Department of Veterans Affairs sends out paperwork, it takes a Ph.D. to decipher it. To add to the complexity, veterans waiting for compensation and pension exams are getting phone calls and letters from a company called Veterans Evaluations Services.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Phoenix VA program gives ASU nursing students career experience  (Downtown Devil)  Students at ASU’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation say the Phoenix Veterans Affairs program at the school has provided them with valuable practical skills.

VA benefits set to slightly increase in 2014  (Federal News Radio)  When veterans and their families, who receive disability compensation and retirement benefits from the Veterans Affairs Department, receive their annual cost-of-living increase next month, for the first time ever, it won’t be rounded down to the nearest dollar.

Slow and sloppy review procedures endanger patients at Veterans Affairs hospitals, GAO finds  (Washington Examiner)  Patients at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals are not being adequately protected from doctors who have histories of providing substandard treatment, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

House lawmakers to examine VA’s handling of disability appeals  (The Washington Post)  House lawmakers plan to examine how the Department of Veterans Affairs is dealing with a growing backlog of appeals for denied disability benefits.

Benefits

Big battle is brewing over move to rein in military pay, benefits  (Omaha.com)  The Pentagon is pulling out its big guns in a fight over the growing cost of compensating the men and women who fight our wars.

Louisiana to process military benefits for same-sex spouses despite state ban  (The Washington Post)  The Louisiana National Guard has reached a deal with the Pentagon to process military benefits for same-sex spouses despite the state’s constitutional ban on recognizing gay marriage.

More veterans eligible for benefits as agent orange perimeter expands  (Oelwein Daily Register)  More veterans of the Vietnam War were recently included to benefit coverage due to Agent Orange Exposure.

Schumer wants to ensure veterans get their benefits  (The Telegram)  Steve Sadlon, a 92-year-old World War II veteran, recently started receiving his property tax benefit for his years of service decades ago.

If you would like to receive Transitionnews via email, just enter your preferred email address in the “Email Subscription” box on the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Transitionnews for Wednesday, December 4 2013:

Good news story of the day

Six Ohio WWII veterans to be honored  (Examiner.com)  Six Ohio veterans who helped liberate France during World War II will be awarded that country’s Medal of Knight of the Legion of Honor in a ceremony scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday in Veterans Hall of the Ohio Veterans Home – Sandusky.

Transition

Program aids shift to civilian jobs  (The Tampa Tribune)  Troy Johnson stands in the front of the big conference room in the Airman and Family Readiness Center and asks the 50 or so men and women seated in front of laptops who among them is interested in pursuing a career with the federal government.

ROTC cadets, recent graduates offered release from service commitments  (Air Force Times)  The Air Force is offering future officers preparing to graduate from the ROTC program in 2014 the opportunity to walk away from their service commitments without having to repay their scholarships or monthly stipends, the service announced Tuesday.

Veterans

Edward Heffron, of WWII’s ‘Band of Brothers,’ dies  (Army Times)  Edward J. “Babe” Heffron, whose World War II service as a member of the Army’s famed Easy Company was recounted in the book and TV miniseries “Band of Brothers,” has died. He was 90.

Veterans lose battle to spare Vets Memorial from demolition  (The Columbus Dispatch)  A handful of Franklin County veterans stood before the county commissioners yesterday and begged them to wait — to give the vets time to raise the money needed for a plan to save Veterans Memorial from demolition.

Veterans Need Assistance More than Ever After Nov. 1 Budget Cuts, Says Feed Our Vets  (PR Newswire)  Veterans Day was an opportunity for all Americans to thank and honor the country’s selfless soldiers. It also was a day of increased hunger and requests for help from charities like Feed Our Vets after nearly 1 million low-income veterans had their food stamps cut by Congress.

Veterans Administration

VA AND DEFENSE CHIEFS CONFRONT REALITY OF 700,000 INCARCERATED VETERANS  (NextGov.com)  The 700,000 veterans consigned to the dustbins of society — prisons and jails — won some top level attention this week at the first national Vet Court Conference in Washington, which brings together 1,000 judges, mental health and substance abuse professionals and the leadership of the Veterans Affairs and Defense Departments.

UF’s New Partnership with the Department of Veteran’s Affairs  (WCBJ.com)  The University of Florida didn’t make the list when two recent surveys ranked the best schools in the nation for services offered to veterans…but a new partership could change that.

House lawmakers to examine VA’s handling of disability appeals  (The Washington Post)  House lawmakers plan to examine how the Department of Veterans Affairs is dealing with a growing backlog of appeals for denied disability benefits.

Benefits

Beefing up the GI Bill  (Marine Corps Times)  At least seven legislative proposals are pending in Congress to improve the new GI Bill for large swaths of beneficiaries, including active-duty and reserve troops, wounded warriors and families.

Widow wages 23-year battle with VA for survivor benefits  (Marine Corps Times)  A 68-year-old widow who has spent 23 years seeking veterans’ survivor benefits will be a key witness Wednesday at a House hearing focusing on the Veterans Affairs Department’s problems in handling complicated claims.

Employment

U.S. Security Associates Invites Veterans and Military Spouses to Explore Employment Options on December 5th  (Long Island Newsday)  On December 5th, U.S. Security Associates (USA) joins dozens of employers exhibiting at the annual RecruitMilitary career fair at Houston, Texas’ Minute Maid Park.

VETERANS JOBS: Home Base Iowa Details  (WHOTV.com)  Tuesday Gov. Terry Branstad announced some new components of an effort to get veterans back to work in Iowa.

Stats Show Post-9/11 Vets Finding, Keeping Jobs  (Military.com)  Post-9/11 military veterans are finding and keeping jobs in larger numbers, according to 2012 veteran employment data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hiring Our Heroes: Veterans get help finding jobs  (Lebanon Daily News)  Shannon “Will” Williams, of Lancaster, stopped at the RAM Industrial Services Inc. booth to inquire about positions available at the company’s Camp Hill location.

Veteran Beer Co. mission launches in region  (NWI.com)  The mission of the Veteran Beer Co. has come to Northwest Indiana. The Chicago-based microbrewer was created by disabled veterans to provide meaningful employment opportunities to service members who face challenges in the job market.

If you would like to receive Transitionnews via email, just enter your preferred email address in the “Email Subscription” box on the sidebar.

Have a great day!