Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 2/10/14

Good news story of the day

Fallen soldier’s stepmom mounts Veterans Home drive again  (WCFCourier.com)  The stepmother of a soldier killed in Afghanistan in 2007 is once again raising donations of supplies for residents of the Iowa Veterans Home.

Military transition

Lost in the crowd: Transition to university life poses challenges for student veterans  (Daily Orange) Drew Shapiro slept on a mattress on the floor of a Columbus Avenue “slum house” for half of his first semester at Syracuse University.

Air Force cuts to hit Scott Air Force Base  (St. Louis Business Journal)  Nearly 40 percent of the active duty military at Scott Air Force Base could face separation — either voluntary or involuntary — as the Air Force plans to cut 22,500 airmen this year.

Conference supports vets  (The Battalion Online)  Stepping out of the line of duty and into civilian life is a transition that Operation Veteran Success hoped to make a little easier Friday and Saturday.

Veterans job fair set for March 1 at VA hospital   (The Buffalo News)  The third annual “Hire a Hero” job and education fair for veterans will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 1 in Freedom Hall in the Buffalo Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 3495 Bailey Ave.

St. Louis aldermen pass veterans jobs bill  (KLPR11.com)  A veteran’s jobs bill is one step closer to reaching the St. Louis City ballot in time for Veterans Day 2014.

Construction Companies Step Up to Hire Veterans  (The Wall Street Journal)  On Monday, more than 100 construction companies—many of whom are direct competitors—are coming together to announce that they plan to hire more than 100,000 veterans within the next five years.

Veterans

Simi Valley gala honors Korean War veterans  (Ventura County Star)  Simi Valley resident Sal Ayala was in his early 20s when he joined the Army as a demolition specialist during the Korean War.

Malloy’s ‘no homeless vets’ pledge mirrors Jewett City home’s mission  (The Bulletin)  Sandwiched between the much-discussed minimum wage and universal kindergarten sections of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s State of the State address last week was a pledge to end homelessness for veterans by the end of 2015.

Equine-assisted therapy helps soldiers deal with PTSD  (FayObserver.com)  It’s not your typical therapist’s office.

Valentines for military veterans  (KRMG.com)  More than 2,500 handmade valentine cards will be distributed to military veterans in Northeastern Oklahoma starting on Monday, February 10th.

Tax break for veterans poses dilemma for schools  (lohud.com) School districts in the Lower Hudson Valley are mulling a new law that allows them to grant property-tax exemptions to eligible veterans, who until now have only been able to get breaks on municipal tax bills

WWII Vet cashes in on benefit thanks to Team 5 Investigates  (KMBC.com)  Team 5 Investigates first reported the story of a 91-year-old WWII veteran who was supposed to get a new car courtesy of the federal government, but ended up with a massive car payment instead.

Veterans Affairs

Week for salute begins at the VA  (The Abington Journal)  Standing at a podium in the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, U.S. Navy Cmdr. John Lynott commended the family and community surrounding U.S. military veterans, calling them the “backbone of the country.”

Blount Veterans office commended  (The Daily Times)  The Retiree Activities Office (RAO), a part of the 134th Air Refueling Wing at McGhee Tyson ANG Base, is a volunteer group endeavoring to help survivors of deceased military veterans, military retirees, and civil service retirees during difficult times.

SBA working to get business tools and capital to veterans  (Cumberland Times-News)  Our nation’s veterans have served our country proudly and bravely.

Congress Is Getting Tougher on the VA  (The Wall Street Journal)  Congress is poised to tighten its leash on the Department of Veterans Affairs over its response to what lawmakers say are management and medical errors, just as VA facilities are flooded with a new generation of injured troops.

Cicilline to deliver Valentine’s cards to RI vets  (The Washington Times)  Cicilline is set to travel Monday to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Providence and the Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol to deliver Valentine’s Day cards prepared by elementary school students for local veterans.

Area vets seek behavioral hospital  (The Citizen)  The Coweta Commission of Veterans Affairs (CCVA) hosted a meeting Wednesday that brought representatives from Coweta and Fayette counties and a number of interested parties together to address the recent state denial of the proposed Newnan Behavioral Hospital. Veterans were adamant that such a facility is needed locally.

Model can aid homeless veterans across U.S.  (AZCentral.com)  Few things are more important than properly caring for those Americans who have put themselves in harm’s way to protect our way of life and defend our nation from enemies.

Legislation would put VA in baby business  (The Washington Times)

The number of veterans who have their reproductive organs damaged in combat is growing, leading a top senator to propose legislation that would make fertility care a bigger part of Veterans Affairs hospitals’ missions — including paying for surrogate pregnancies.

Benefits

New legislation will help veterans  (KCPNews.com)  As Hoosiers, we understand how important it is to support our veterans. It’s no secret that returning to civilian life brings about challenges for many veterans. That’s why the General Assembly makes it a priority to remove roadblocks veterans face.

Senate to vote Monday on repeal of COLA caps for retirees  (Military Times)  Legislation that would repeal caps on annual cost-of-living adjustments for military retirees under age 62 will be considered next week by the Senate.

Veteran groups: ‘Billions of dollars are needed to address veteran issues’  (Examiner.com)  Spending to meet veteran needs in healthcare and benefits will fall short by billions of dollars in the coming years if Congress does nothing to resolve the issue, Matthew M. Burke of the Stars and Stripes reported on Friday.

Parallels to ObamaCare site woes seen as vets try to get benefits online  (Fox News)  The glitches and other problems with the ObamaCare website that sparked a national firestorm are similar to those military veterans using the federal government’s online benefits system have routinely faced for about the past 18 months.

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Have a great day!