Good news story of the day

Medal of Honor recipient SFC Leroy Petry retires today  (Army Times)  One soldier’s career: Ranger with eight deployments, lost his hand to a grenade while saving his buddies, pinned with the Medal of Honor, met presidents and celebrities, smiling in dress uniform as grand master at parades and speaker at university commencements.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Army: Of 1,100 captains pink-slipped, 48 were in Afghanistan  (Stars and Stripes)  Of the more than 1,100 Army captains notified last month their military careers would soon end, 87 were deployed worldwide and 48 were serving in Afghanistan at the time, Army officials said Wednesday.

Steve Scalise to host Slidell jobs fair for veterans/military  (The Times-Picayune)  Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, will host a jobs fair for veterans and active military at Salmen High School in Slidell Saturday July 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Upcoming Maritime Recruitment Fair at CMTI  (Marinelink.com)  Founded in 1998, Norfolk Tug is part of the American Waterways Operators and operates a fleet of 10 vessels.

Tuscarawas County Job Fair set for Aug. 28  (Times-Reporter)  The Tuscarawas County Job Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 28 at the Monroe Centre, 1260 Monroe St., New Philadelphia.

Veterans News

Senate committee approves VA nominee  (The Hill)  The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved President Obama’s pick to lead the troubled Veterans Affairs Department, sending his nomination to the full chamber.

Female veterans find a place to heal together  (CBS News)  These women came to an Alabama horse farm to find healing in a feeling of sisterhood.

Dole, Vets Groups Renew Push for Disability Treaty  (ABC News)  Former Sen. Bob Dole and proponents of a treaty promoting equal rights for the disabled around the world stepped up pressure for full Senate ratification.

Navy Vet Shows Children the Value of Work and Education Through Farming  (ABC News)  Surrounded by crime, inequality and a lack of opportunity is a quarter-acre farm in East Oakland, California. U.S. Navy veteran and Oakland native Kelly Carlisle is trying to change all that by inspiring a young group of local children through farming.

Benefits News

Highland Heights Community Center hosts Military Benefits Fair; many vets unaware of available benefits  (Cleveland.com)  Many military veterans are unaware of the benefits to which they are entitled for having served their country and a state representative has made it her business to make sure those veterans become informed on the subject.

Sen. Sanders seeks new VA funding compromise  (Military Times)    A push by Veterans Affairs Department officials for billions in new funding to hire more doctors may upend congressional efforts for a wide-reaching VA reform package that appeared all but finished just a few weeks ago.

Vet forgotten, locked inside Orange City VA clinic  (ClickOrlando)  A Marine veteran from Deltona says he’s very disappointed in the Veterans Administration after he was locked inside the community clinic in Orange City on Monday.

Survey asks Central New York veterans about their VA care and benefits  (Syracuse.com)  Central New York veterans will have a chance to share feedback about the quality of their Veterans Affairs healthcare and benefits in a new online survey from U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei.

Serving Smart: Nitty-Gritty of VA Education Benefits  (DOD Live)  We came, we blogged, we educated. Julius Caesar would have been so proud!

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Good news story of the day

Good News for Veterans’ Survivors  (The Moderate Voice)  Here is some good news from that much-maligned Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — good news for those who have just lost a veteran spouse at a time when good news is so sorely needed.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Fort Jackson commander doubts cuts will be as deep as Army warns  (The State)  Fort Jackson’s commander, Maj. Gen. Bradley Becker, said Tuesday that any future cuts at the nation’s largest training base likely will be less than the 3,100 workers the U.S. Department of Defense warned of earlier this year.

80 employers seek veterans at job fair  (Tulsa World)  The Oklahoma National Guard and several state agencies are hosting a job fair on Thursday at the Broken Arrow Armed Forces Reserve Center.

MGM Resorts job fair to serve military veterans  (Fox 5)  Military veterans have a new enlistment opportunity ahead as MGM Resorts prepares to host a job fair this month.

Tennessee Valley veterans seek out employment at Hiring Our Heroes job fair   (WHNT News)   Despite the training and job skills our military veterans acquire during their service, they generally have a harder time finding work compared to other civilians.

Veterans’ job fair July 16 in Fort Lauderdale  (Orlando Sentinel)  The second annual Paychecks for Patriots Veterans Hiring Fair will be held on from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 16, at the 356th Quartermaster Co. National Guard Armory, 400 SW 24th St., Fort Lauderdale.

Veterans News

Veterans fast vanishing from halls of Congress  (Politico)  Only 20 percent of today’s lawmakers have served in the military, the lowest rate since World War II and a dramatic fall from over 70 percent in the 1970s.

VA employees testify about retaliation against whistleblowers  (Washington Post)  Four Department of Veterans Affairs employees on Tuesday night testified before a House panel that supervisors retaliated against them for exposing problems at VA medical centers, saying whistleblower-protection issues deserve as much attention as the agency’s recent scheduling scandal.

How to help 6 groups that help Arizona veterans  (AZ Central)  There are few people in Arizona more active in and informed about veterans issues than Art Sloane, who writes a column for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.

VA officials defend bonus awarded to Fayetteville VA Medical Center director  (Fay Observer)  VA officials on Tuesday defended the bonus awarded to Fayetteville VA Medical Center director Elizabeth B. Goolsby earlier this year, saying it was based on more than 30 factors, including veterans’ access to care.

Testimony pushes VA into greater disrepute  (The Washington Post)  Testimony from a Tuesday evening congressional hearing cast the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs in even greater disrepute, and undermined the agency’s claim of providing good health care.

Benefits News

VA Streamlines Benefits For Fallen Soldiers  Depending on when the veteran died, families receive money to help with the burial process.

Navy Vet Sues to Be Buried With Her Late Wife  (Gawker)  U.S. Navy veteran Madelynn Taylor filed a civil rights suit against the Idaho Division of Veterans Services yesterday, after her request to be buried in the state’s vet cemetery with her late wife was denied.

Sanders: VA fix won’t be paid for with food stamp cuts  (The Hill)  Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he and his House counterpart had a “productive” meeting before the weeklong recess in an effort to produce a conference report to address the VA healthcare scandal. But added that he wouldn’t accept certain pay-fors.

VA to restructure medical inspector’s office  (Military Times)  The Veterans Affairs Department will reorganize its Office of the Medical Inspector following a scathing report that found officials downplayed whistleblower complaints and failed to take seriously charges of deficient patient care at VA hospitals and clinics.

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Good news story of the day

‘Still a fighting force:’ 50 years later, Vietnam War’s first Medal of Honor recipient remembers  (NWF Daily News)  In 1964, Roger Donlon, a 30-year-old Special Forces soldier, was sent into the thick of the jungle in Vietnam.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Tesla Motors on a mission to hire American veterans  (San Jose Mercury News)  Tesla Motors, which is on a mission to bring electric cars to the masses, now has another goal — to become a leading employer of America’s military veterans.

Nonprofit Helps Veterans Find Jobs, Runs Recycling Program  (Manhattan NewsNY1)  Mario Figueroa spent the first part of this century serving his country.

Pax River helps veterans transition from military career  (Gazette.net)  William “Jerry” Large enlisted in the Navy, worked as a helicopter crewman and went to night school to earn his degree.

From fatigues to scrubs: Memorial Hermann looking to hire veterans  (Your Houston News)  Memorial Hermann is among Houston-area businesses actively recruiting new employees from the thousands of veterans separating or retiring from active duty.

Veterans News

Louis Zamperini, Olympian and ‘Unbroken’ War Survivor, Dies at 97  (NY Times)  Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who as an airman during World War II crashed into the Pacific, was listed as dead and then spent 47 days adrift in a life raft before being captured by the Japanese and enduring a harsh imprisonment, died on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

National oral history project StoryCorps stops in Miami to collect veterans’ stories  (Miami Herald)  Before that Thursday, James Garcia had rarely talked about his three tours of duty, remembering his fellow Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan but sharing little detail of his time there.

Senate bill forces repayment of VA bonuses  (The Hill)  Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) introduced a bill that would take back bonuses paid to VA employees who falsified waitlist times.

VA scandal: How to fix a broken system  (AZ Central)  Mr. Robert McDonald:  We admire your courage. In accepting this nomination, you are about to confront one of the most daunting challenges in all of federal governance: reforming the VA hospital system.

Crunch time for VA deal  (The Hill)  Pressure is building on House and Senate lawmakers to reach a deal this month on legislation to reform the troubled Veterans Affairs Department.

Transforming the VA will be daunting task  (AZ Central)  It seems nearly every day there’s more bad news about the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and how it has treated those who served in the military.

Benefits News

New VA stats show ballooning wait times  (Stars and Stripes)   Statistics released Thursday by the Department of Veterans Affairs show dramatically increased numbers of veterans who waited more than 30 days for health care appointments in June compared with the prior month.

Here’s How the Pentagon Could Save $108 Billion Over the Next Decade  (Defense One)  Thanks to sequestration, the Defense Department will have to reduce its spending by $500 billion over the next 10 years.

Most Veterans Are Satisfied With GI Bill Education Benefits  (Gallup)  As the original GI Bill turns 70, Gallup finds nearly eight in 10 American veterans saying they are “very satisfied” (32%) or “satisfied” (46%) with the education benefits the bills provide. Relatively few — 16% — are dissatisfied to any degree.

BUREAUCRATIC DISCHARGE:  Wyoming veterans face difficult system to gain VA benefits  (Star Tribune)  The fear reminded Don Browning of that long-ago warning shot at sea, when his destroyer ventured into Chinese waters.

Disabled veterans lose funds from unpublicized benefits  (Montgomery Advertiser)  In 1996, local Vietnam veteran Rubin Willis was deemed 100 percent disabled by the U.S. Army — the branch he served for more than 25 years.

Veterans turn to American Legion for medical help in wake of VA scandal  (Fox News)  A counselor at the local Veterans Affairs office looked at Rebecca King, a victim of domestic violence and abuse who was seeking help for depression, and told her she would not be able to see a psychologist.

VETERAN DIES WAITING FOR AMBULANCE IN VA HOSPITAL  (AP)  A veteran who collapsed in an Albuquerque Veteran Affairs hospital cafeteria — 500 yards from the emergency room — died after waiting around 20 minutes for an ambulance, officials confirmed Thursday.

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Good news story of the day

Pride blooms from veterans building grounds  (San Benito County Today)  Vietnam veteran Tony Santos and his business Greener Grounds Landscaping recently gained the contract for upkeep outside the Veterans Memorial Building.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Kasich signs House Bill 488 to help Veterans get jobs and with higher education  (Examiner.com)  Gov. John Kasich visited University of Cincinnati today where he signed a bill aimed at improving military veterans’ and service members’ access to higher education and jobs. It’s also intended to help prevent military identity fraud and theft.

Springfield to host job fair for veterans, spouses  (The Register-Guard)  Local veterans, employers want you.

Maloney announces bill to reform veterans’ employment program  (Mid-Hudson News)  Tuesday announced legislation he will introduce to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs Vocational and Rehabilitation Employment program. That program assists, trains and finds suitable jobs for veterans with compensable service-connected disabilities.

Midwest Shelter Receives A $15,000 DuPage Community Foundation Grant To Help Local Veterans Find Jobs  (Chicago Tribune)  The Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans has received a $15,000 grant from The DuPage Community Foundation to help underwrite its new Veterans Employment Program, designed to help local veterans overcome barriers and develop the skills they need for real-world employment opportunities.

Veterans get early start with Muncie job fair  (Fox 59)  Congressman Luke Messer is gearing up to host the 18th Annual 6th Congressional District Job Fair.

Veterans News

Obama’s VA nominee gains key endorsement  (The Hill)  The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) on Tuesday endorsed President Obama’s choice of former Proctor & Gamble CEO Robert McDonald to lead the embattled Department of Veterans Affairs.

Combat vets’ use of painkillers troubling, researchers say  (Military Times)   A new study of an Army infantry brigade following an Afghanistan deployment finds that soldiers used opiate painkillers at three times the rate of civilians — even though 40 percent of the troops who took the drugs had not had any severe pain in the previous month.

I-Team: Acton Vet Finally Gets VA Doctor’s Appointment – 2 Years After He Died  (CBS Boston)  “He was steadfast. He took care of us, all of these years.”

WWII Memorial prayer inscription approved over secularist, ACLU objections  (Stars and Stripes)   The World War II Memorial in Washington may soon have a new prayer inscription added, disappointing secularists and rights groups who had opposed the measure based on opposition to religion displayed in public spaces.

Benefits News

Walpole veterans report commendable local services  (Walpole Times)  Over beverages at the VFW post on Robbins Road, some Korea and Vietnam era veterans bemoaned the problems at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

New law raises homestead exemption for disabled veterans  (Rocky Fork Enterprise)  Many disabled Ohio veterans will get some property-tax relief, thanks to a bill Gov. John Kasich has signed into law.

Back From War, Veterans Enter Education Fight at Home  (US News and World Report)  It’s a quiet night at Yale’s Saybrook College residence hall, nestled within the Gothic confines of the university’s stately New Haven campus. Halfway up one of the winding stairwells, the telltale glow of a laptop screen blends with the low but thoughtful chatter of three blooming academics.

Benefits and resources fair aids frustrated veterans  (AZCentral)  Almost 30 years after Rosemarie Preece awoke to find her husband dead, the 64-year-old Phoenix resident on Tuesday tried for the third time since his death to seek aid from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

At least 10 C-123 veterans have died after VA denied their Agent Orange claims, groups say  (Oregon Live)  At least 10 veterans exposed to Agent Orange while serving aboard aircraft contaminated by the Vietnam-era defoliant have died after being denied care by the Department of Veterans Affairs, two veterans groups charged Sunday.

Disabled Tricare Enrollee Needs Help with Benefits  (Military.com)  I have a question; let me give you a little background first. My wife has been covered by her work, my work and Tricare Prime, since 1996.

World War II vet, 90, closer to getting Marines to fix AWOL error in war record  (Fox News)  A 90-year-old decorated World War II veteran still fighting to correct what he says is an erroneous war record may finally be getting closer to realizing his goal.

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