Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 1/30/14

Good news story of the day

Thousands on hand for inspiring Wounded Warriors game  (The New York Post)  Take notice, take a stand and take heart.

Military transition

Corps help Wounded Warriors transition back into work  (US Army Corps of Engineers)  Wounded Warriors from the Operation Warfighter Program employ job internships to ease their transition from military service to civilian life.

June officer RIF board to offer voluntary separation pay  (Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs)  The Air Force will convene an officer reduction in force board June 16 to evaluate eligible officers for retention, Air Force Personnel Center officials said Jan. 27.

Army, veterans groups focus on reintegration for Soldiers  (KTSM.com)  As the Army draws down in Afghanistan and reduces its overall force strength, Army leaders and veterans groups remain focused on ensuring Soldiers have the support to be successful in the civilian world.

Warrior Transition Command launches website providing direct access to information for wounded and ill Soldiers  (Army.mil)  To provide wounded, ill and injured Soldiers greater ownership of their recovery and transition, the Warrior Transition Command (WTC) launched a new public website that provides robust, detailed information on the Warrior Care and Transition Program (WCTP).

Financial aid, peer support drawing veterans to Catholic universities  (Catholic Philly)  Catholic colleges and universities across the United States are attracting military veterans of recent wars with a combination of financial aid, individualized assistance and opportunities for peer support.

NEW: Job fair to help veterans, military spouses  (Herald-Tribune)  If you are a veteran or military spouse trying to get back into the civilian workforce or improve on your current job, a coalition of Southwest Florida groups has an event coming up with you in mind.

Job fair for veterans, military personnel set for Feb. 5  (The Wichita Eagle)  A job fair for military veterans and the spouses of military personnel is planned for Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Wichita.

JPMorgan Chase Announces $1 Million Investment In Higher Education Programs For Military Veterans  (FinChannel.com)  JPMorgan Chase & Co. will invest $1 million to fund higher education programs for  U.S. military veterans including grants to Florida State College at  Jacksonville, University of South Florida, The University of Texas at  Arlington and San Diego State University, according to JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Four lessons learned by JPMorgan Chase in hiring veterans  (Tampa Bay Business Journal)  University of South Florida is in line for a $240,000 grant from JPMorgan Chase & Co. as part of the financial service firm’s $1 million investment in higher education programs for U.S. military veterans.

Bridge program helps veterans transition to the classroom  (Eastern Progress)  Eastern prides itself on being a military-veteran friendly campus. One of the ways Eastern likes to keep its veterans in mind is by giving them the opportunity to be in classes with other vets through a bridge program.

Veterans

PepsiCo holding benefit for veterans  (Washington Post)  PepsiCo Inc. is making a $1 million donation and streaming a live concert Friday to benefit injured military veterans and their families.

Tennessee veterans gather for education, employment and entrepreneurship  (Examiner.com)  The Tennessee Veterans Business Administration sponsored the Fourth Annual Business and Education Expo at the Knoxville Convention Center on January 28, 2014.  The purpose of the expo is to provide veterans with the employment, education and entrepreneur opportunities.

Marina organization aims to help end veteran homelessness by 2015.  (Monterey County Weekly)  A possum saved Robert Jurado’s life.

Marine wounded warriors guests of News America Marketing for Super Bowl XLVIII  (Examiner.com) Staff Sergeant John Detamore and Corporal Chad Ohmer, of the U.S. Marines Corps, will attend Super Bowl XLVIII on Sunday, February 2 and the weekend-long festivities leading up to the game as guests of News America Marketing.

Veterans affairs

Start VA claims before end of active service  (Camp Lejeune Globe)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mission at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune is to administer the joint Department of Defense (DOD)/VA Pre-Discharge Programs.

State officials reach out to meet every veteran in South Dakota  (Rapid City Journal)  The Capitol is a very busy place this time of year. Not only are legislators and lobbyists in town, but also interested citizens from all across the state – people who want to know more about the process or have a say in what’s being done in the Legislature. It’s like the indoor state fair.

Survey will identify homeless vets in Riverside County  (CBS Local)  The Department of Public Social Services will deploy personnel into multiple communities beginning at 6 a.m. to identify homeless veterans.

Cumberland County in top three for State Veterans Cemetery  (Crossville Chronicle)  Crossville and Cumberland County made the short list of one of the top three sites being considered for locating the Upper Cumberland State Veterans Cemetery.

Agent Orange linked to increased risk of skin cancer  (Examiner.com)  A new report adds to past evidence that risk of non-melanotic invasive skin cancer (NMISC) is increased even four decades after Agent Orange exposure, with at least some exposed veterans having unusually aggressive non-melanoma skin cancers.

Closer to home  (The Pueblo Chieftain)  Southern Colorado veterans have been lobbying for more than a decade to establish a new national cemetery in these parts.

Gastrointestinal backlog reported at second east Georgia VA hospital  (The Augusta Chronicle)  The Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta isn’t the only hospital of its kind in east central Georgia to delay consultations for gastrointestinal patients.

County works with Department of Veteran Affairs to get valley vets off the streets  (KESQ.com)  Mark Weber, the economic development manager for the city of Coachella, spent the day visiting parts of the city many people turn a blind eye to.

Senator Asks Veterans Agency to Review How Financial Advisers Are Accredited  (New York Times) Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri is asking the Department of Veteran Affairs to examine its process for accrediting thousands of financial advisers in the face of concerns over abuses of veterans’ benefits.

Benefits

Veterans’ groups disappointed in Obama on veteran benefits  (The Washington Times)  While President Obama talked about many initiatives to help veterans during his State of the Union address Tuesday night, veterans’ groups criticized him Wednesday for not demanding a full repeal of cuts to military retirement benefits.

State funded program mentors El Paso veterans  (KFoxTV.com)  The Department of Veterans Affairs recently released a report that shows suicides among young veterans just getting out of the military are three times higher than active-duty soldiers.

The Veterans-Benefits Bandwagon Is Getting Mighty Crowded  (National Journal)  Congress’s effort to repeal its own $6 billion cut to veterans benefits has a bizarre problem: It has too much support.

Automation Speeds Benefits Processing for Post-9/11 GI Bill Students  (Press Release Point)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decreased the time it takes to process requests for GI Bill benefits for returning students by nearly 50 percent compared to fiscal year 2012.

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Have a great day!