Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 3/10/14
Good news story of the day
A real-life Rosie (Mansfield News Journal) “My mom was the original Rosie the Riveter,” Doug Dickerson is proud to say.
Military Transition
Area nonprofit a one-stop shop for those leaving military (The Olympian) Bernard Bergan didn’t have a clear idea of what he wanted to do as he wound down his Army career last summer.
When Veterans Enter the Job Market (WSJ Online) After 15 years defending the cyber front lines for the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Michael Gdula figured his experience would make it easy to land an information-technology security job in the private sector.
CNO predicts steady manning levels, outlines plans to shelve some ships (Navy Times) The Air Force is looking to send home more than of 20,000 airmen this year. And the Army likely will be forced to slash four times as many soldiers in coming years.
Proposed spy plane cuts have area around Beale Air Force base worried (Sacramento Bee) Leanna Whiteley took a telephone order for a plate of chicken enchiladas, then listed her ties to Beale Air Force Base.
Post-9/11 vet unemployment rate jumps to 9.2 percent (Military Times) The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans jumped in February, nearly erasing the gains of a few months ago, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show.
Veterans
Military veteran ID cards granted on honor system (TribLive) Pennsylvania military veterans can apply for special driver’s licenses or ID cards showing their veteran status, but the state is relying on “self-certification” and random audits to ensure no one is scamming discounts, benefits and recognition.
ID cards available to county veterans (LimaOhio.com) American military veterans filed in to the Delaware County Recorder’s office Saturday to purchase a new ID card.
Ohio inmates mount tribute to military veterans (WXIX.com) Inmates and staff have put up murals and military paraphernalia at a southern Ohio prison to create what they call a “Veterans Corridor” in tribute to people who served in the U.S. military.
More military consumers cite aggressive debt collection (Military Times) Debt collection is emerging as a big issue for service members and veterans, according to data released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on March 6.
Remains of Tacoma airman killed in 1969 will finally return (The News Tribune) More than 44 years after his plane was lost in combat during the Vietnam War, U.S. Air Force Capt. Douglas David Ferguson is coming home.
Fundraiser identifies Marine pilot killed in crash (Marine Corps Times) A fundraising effort has identified the pilot who was killed March 1 when his F/A-18C crashed in Nevada as Marine Corps Capt. Reid Nannen.
‘Band of Brothers’ veteran William Guarnere dies (CNN) William Guarnere, a World War II veteran popularized by the “Band of Brothers” miniseries, has died. He was 90.
Veterans Affairs
Veterans covered under VA care meet requirements (Insurance News Net) Veterans who already have Veteran Affairs health care are covered under the new American Care Act requirements.
Altman: VA’s calculation of outstanding claims questioned (Tampa Bay Online) From their home in New Port Richey, Lauren and Jim Price have been waging a battle against the Veterans Administration, which they say is an overtaxed system that is not responsive to the needs of those who have served.
Report: VA didn’t pay some veterans’ health costs (PNJ.com) Even as the Obama administration works to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, government investigators uncovered dozens of cases where the Department of Veterans Affairs failed to cover emergency hospital costs for uninsured disabled veterans.
VA announces rollout of Secure Veteran Health Id cards (Perry Daily) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a phased roll out of newly designed and more secure Veteran Health Identification Cards.
Examiner Editorial: Veterans Affairs department needs stem-to-stern overhaul (Washington Examiner) Drastic measures are called for when people have to work in “a poorly maintained, often older, office building in which the environment puts the occupants at risk for upper respiratory conditions.
VA has yet to close on long-delayed Western New York cemetery (The Buffalo News) Four years after the Obama administration agreed to establish a national veterans cemetery in Western New York, and 17 months after Sen. Charles Schumer revealed Veterans Affairs had selected a site, the federal government has yet to purchase the land.
More vets suffer from ALS, but the VA moves effectively to help (News Observer) Thomas Corbett may never know what – if anything – from his five years as a heavy-equipment mechanic in the Marine Corps brought on the disease that likely will steal from him the use of nearly every one of his muscles and, sometime in the next several years, his very breath.
Benefits
Pentagon: No formal proposal for retirement overhaul until 2015 (Navy Times) Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel wants to wait until next year before asking Congress to make fundamental changes to the current military retirement system, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday.
These Are the Pentagon’s Ideas for Reforming Retirement Benefits (Defense One) The Defense Department has outlined several possibilities for overhauling retirement benefits for military personnel, which could provide more cash up front to service members but limit overall compensation.
Military health, grocery benefits under pressure (Albuquerque Journal) One of the two biggest changes to military compensation proposed in the president’s 2015 defense budget request would roll back, after 20 years, an offering of multiple health-insurance options to millions of beneficiaries.
Group: Medicaid expansion would cover some vets (Insurance News) About 21,100 veterans in Virginia and 4,100 of their spouses could qualify for health coverage under Medicaid if lawmakers decide to expand eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, according to estimates.
North Carolina lawmakers are questioning proposed changes to the military’s Tricare health system (FayObserver) Members of Congress who represent Fort Bragg are pressing defense officials for answers about changes to a military healthcare program.
DoD Budget: Expect Big Changes In Five-Year Spending Priorities (Defense News) Just before Maj. Gen. Jim Martin, the US Air Force budget director, walked into the Pentagon briefing room on March 4, an aide slipped him a note.
Orders to Nowhere... 