Category Archives: PTSD

Military/Veteran Transitionnews for 3/3/14

Posted by Mike Grice on

Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 3/3/14

Good news story of the day

Marines confront stigma of post-traumatic stress  (Marine Corps Times)  A staff noncommissioned officer whose angry tirade on a reality TV show made gossip site headlines around the country is reaching out for help with his post-traumatic stress. Now he is encouraging other Marines who are struggling to do the same.

Military Transition

Chase donation boosts USF veterans’ services  (Tampa Bay Online)  The University of South Florida has earned another feather in its veteran-friendly cap, landing $235,750 of a $1 million national commitment to vets’ education by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Oil industry courts veterans  (Minot Daily News)  With the recent announcement by the the U.S. Defense Department that major cuts to the defense budget will drastically decrease active troop numbers, a lot of veterans will be looking to transition back into civilian life into a country that still has economic troubles.

Prudential PenFed helps military enter real estate industry  (Courier Journal)  A new program is being offered that will help retired veterans and their spouses, and active-duty men and women as they leave the military, begin a career in real estate.

Army, Guard Prep To Battle Over People, Planes  (Defense News)  In the week between Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s unveiling of the broad
outlines of the Pentagon’s 2015 budget request and the full rollout of the numbers on March 4, the Army’s chief of staff was largely out of the country.

WVU offering new services to student veterans  (SFGate)  West Virginia University’s veteran population is pretty substantial. More than 1,000 veterans attend the school.

Veterans

Jobs bill for disabled vets ‘about saving lives,’ leaders say at forum  (The Journal News)  Veterans and elected officials gathered at a forum Saturday to rally support for state legislation that would give a boost to businesses owned by disabled veterans.

Veterans services guidance offered  (New Castle News)  Two subjects will be covered Friday at a veterans benefits seminar.

Baird-sponsored bill creating Second Service for Veterans program passes State Senate  (Banner Graphic)  Legislation creating the Second Service for Veterans program has passed unanimously out of both the Indiana House and Senate.

Runners travel over 200 miles to raise money for soldiers hurt in combat  (WRDW.com)  Sunday a group of runners finished a 4-day sprint taking them from Fort Benning to Fort Gordon.

2nd Annual NEK Veterans Summit at Lyndon State College  (VtDigger.com)  The Lyndon State College Veterans Club, in partnership with the LSC Veterans Student Support Committee and other veteran service organizations, will be hosting the 2nd Annual NEK Veterans Summit at the college on Saturday, March 15.

Roundtable in Carmel Focuses on Improving Business Prospects for NYS Veterans  (Hudson Valley Reporter)  Dozens of veterans attended a roundtable Saturday morning at the Carmel Town Hall with the goal of helping New York State vets find employment or start their own business.

Veterans Affairs

Tennessee Veterans Homes among the best in U.S. News and World Report rankings  (Clarksville Online)  Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grinder joins the Tennessee State Veterans Homes (TSVH) Board in celebrating the announcement from U.S. News & World Report 2014 which names the Tennessee State Veterans Homes in Knoxville and Murfreesboro among the best in the country.

Family, military’s impact in state motivate official  (The News Tribune)  Washington state’s first military affairs director, Kristine Reeves, knows she can’t stop the Pentagon budget cuts that will soon ripple across the country.

Holland man charged with fraud over VA benefits, workers’ compensation  (The Buffalo News)  A Holland man has been charged with receiving benefits from the Veterans Administration and workers’ compensation under false pretenses, U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced.

Military: Delaware veterans still experiencing service delays  (Delaware Online)  Delaware veterans seeking compensation for service-related injuries or illnesses are getting pushed to the back of the line as older claims from larger service centers keep getting transferred to Wilmington.

Report: New Evidence That The VA Deleted Necessary Medical Requests From Veterans  (Fox News)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) deleted veteran medical records despite its claim to the contrary, according to documents obtained by The Daily Caller.

RGJ Investigates: Reno VA office ranks worst in nation for processing veterans’ claims  (RGJ.com)  Since Sgt. Michael Alarcon was discharged from active duty with the Nevada Army National Guard last summer, his life has turned into a purgatory of paperwork and despair.

Benefits

Pentagon cuts have military families on high alert  (Fox News)  For Pamela Willoughby, word of the Pentagon’s plan to shrink the U.S. Army to its smallest size in decades felt like a kick in the stomach.

Local businesses, bases hope to withstand military budget cuts  (News Observer)  Growing fruits and vegetables on 200 acres of Lenoir County land is sometimes a hard way to make a living.

Texas Veterans Benefits Make Up for Proposed Cuts to Federal Benefits  (The Forney Post)  Move to Texas — that’s the message Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson has for veterans across the nation worried about proposed cuts to federal veterans benefits.

Sen. Mitch McConnell accuses Harrry Reid of “playing politics” with veterans  (Examiner.com)  Last Thursday, Senate Republicans criticized Democrats for blocking an effort by Republicans to expand veteran’s benefits with a $21 billion bill. 

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Military/Veterans Transitionnews for 2/27/14

Posted by Mike Grice on

Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 2/27/14

Good news story of the day

In Commitment to Troops, Actor Gary Sinise Treats Wounded Veterans to Hollywood Trip  (ABC News) It’s been 20 years since “Forrest Gump” took its place in motion picture history. And since its release, the story about the incredible journey of an innocent everyman with a low I.Q., has inspired actor Gary Sinise to take an unexpected journey of his own.

Military Transition

Transition GPS arms Airmen for life outside military  (52d Fighter Wing Public Affairs)  In these times of fiscal restraint and force drawbacks, the time to explore options and potentially prepare for a life outside of the military is here.

Secretary expects personnel cuts to be less severe than previously estimated  (Air Force Times)  The Defense Department’s 2015 budget request, to be unveiled next week, will propose cutting fewer than the previously estimated 25,000 airmen over five years, and the majority of those cuts will come from the active duty, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Wednesday.

Fort Meade: Retired Marine lands a job with help from transition program  (TMC News)  After 20 years with the Marine Corps, Hank Brown decided to work for an entrepreneurial company

Transition GPS program helps Sailors prepare for civilian life  (Ventura County Star)  By definition, “transition” means the “process of change,” and a process is a  series of actions. Put them together and you have a pretty accurate description  of what the Transition GPS program is all about.

Veterans fair to assist in job hunt  (Aiken Standard)  U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R–S.C., will hold his second Veterans Fair next week to  give veterans and local agencies a chance to discuss job opportunities in the  CSRA.

Fox: Pentagon will plan for possible carrier cut in 2015  (The Hill)  The Pentagon will take steps next year to retire an aircraft carrier in case Congress does not lift sequestration by 2016, a top defense official said on Wednesday.

Winnefeld: A Brave Congress Needs to Accept Base Closings  (Sea Power)  The Pentagon announced this week that it’s fiscal 2015 budget submission would include another round of base closures and a significant force reduction.

DoD Has a Detailed Sequester Back-Up Plan  (Defense News)  The Pentagon has a detailed five-year spending plan that adheres to federal defense spending caps should sequestration return in 2016. Just don’t expect to see it anytime soon.

Despite ‘historic’ cuts, the US will still have 450,000 active-duty soldiers  (The Guardian)  “Hagel plans to shrink the United States Army to its smallest force since before World War II,” blared the lede in yesterday’s New York Times. The Defense Department “proposed cutting the Army to its smallest size in 74 years,” said the Washington Post.

Veterans

New Veterans Center Opens After Controversy  (NBC San Diego)  A new facility aiming to prevent homelessness among veterans opened its doors in San Diego Monday, but not without some controversy to start.

College kicks disabled vet, dog off campus  (Tampa Bay Online)  Bill Smith, a 100 percent disabled retired Green Beret colonel, survived the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, several deployments to war zones and ailments seen and unseen as a result.

Veterans at Home, on a Mission of Compassion  (The New York Times)  Rachel Gutierrez was an army sergeant in Iraq, but back home in Phoenix she leads a platoon.

Air Force rules Minn. veteran’s cancer caused by base accident  (Fox News)  A retired U.S. airman got great news just weeks after the Fox 9 Investigators  questioned whether an accident on a military base that exposed him to high  amounts of radiation caused his brain tumor.

Pleas for more help for military veterans to recover from sexual assault (Christian Science Monitor)  When Jeremiah Arbogast was a lance corporal, he was drugged and then raped by his boss, a fellow Marine.

Gunman killed in standoff identified as Vietnam Veteran  (CBS 8)  An apparently suicidal 62-year-old man who was shot and killed after raising a rifle toward officers has been identified as a Vietnam veteran suffering from PTSD.

Veterans Affairs

Move to speed up vets benefits paying dividends  (Union Tribune)  A twofold campaign to accelerate the collection of veterans benefits after years of leaving millions of federal dollars unclaimed appears to be paying early dividends, including in San Diego County.

The facts about VA health care and benefits  (Tampa Bay Online)  America’s veterans deserve the very best this nation can offer to honor their service and sacrifice.

Sabattus man admits to theft of VA services  (Sun Journal)  A Sabattus man pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court to stealing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs travel benefits.

DoD, VA issue new concussion care guide  (Military Times)  The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments have published new guidelines on post-concussion care — a detailed, step-by-step road map for returning to duty that embraces rest and nixes activities such as driving and video games.

Quirk-Silva Seeking Support for OC Veteran’s Cemetery  (Orange County Breeze)  Assembly Bill 1453 would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to apply to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs State Cemetery Grant Program for the construction of a Southern California Veterans Cemetery in Orange County.

Veterans Beat: New Veteran Health Identification Cards is easier to use  (Twinsburg Bulletin)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Feb. 20, the phased rollout of newly designed, more secure Veteran Health Identification Cards.

County consolidates Veterans’ Affairs department  (Gettysburg Times)  The Office of Veterans’ Affairs is no longer an individual Adams County department.

VA Defends Deleting Veteran Medical Appointments  (Military.com)  The Department of Veterans Affairs on  Wednesday denied wrongdoing in the alleged deletion of thousands of medical  appointment requests at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Medical Center  beginning in 2009.

Top VA official disputes mass purge of medical appointments cited in ‘scurrilous’ Examiner investigation  (Washington Examiner)  Revelations by the Washington Examiner of a mass purge of backlogged medical appointments by the Department of Veterans Affairs were dismissed as a “scurrilous newspaper report” by the agency’s top health official Wednesday.

VA Cites Drop in Opiate Prescriptions, but Some Lawmakers Skeptical of Progress  (ABC News)  U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs senior officials told a panel of skeptical House lawmakers today that the VA has reduced the number of veterans receiving opiates by 20,000 since October in response to congressional pressure and media scrutiny.

Concerned Veterans for America starts Veterans Affairs accountability project  (The Augusta Chronicle)  Support is growing for a new law that would ease the process of firing and demoting senior executives within the Department of Veterans Affairs, including the directors of VA medical centers.

Veterans Affairs execs who quit can avoid discipline, agency leader tells  Congress  (TribLive)  Veterans Affairs officials can escape punishment for deadly lapses on their  watch if they quit before they’re disciplined, one of the agency’s top leaders  told Congress on Wednesday.

Executives responsible for Augusta VA consult delays likely won’t face punishment  (The Augusta Chronicle)  The senior-level executives responsible for delays in care at veterans affairs medical centers in Augusta and Columbia probably won’t face punishment because they retired before they could be disciplined, VA leadership testified before Congress Wednesday.

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health Hearing  (Insurance News Net)  Good morning.

Benefits

Top enlisted members: Don’t mess with commissaries  (Military Times)  The Marine Corps’ senior enlisted adviser told lawmakers Wednesday that he believes focusing on the commissary benefit as a potential source of defense budget savings is a mistake.

Veterans groups to Senate GOP: Don’t tie Iran sanctions to our bill  (The Hill)  Two of America’s largest veterans organizations on Wednesday urged Republicans to abandon their push to attach Iran sanctions to pending benefits legislation.

Veterans Groups Slam GOP Effort To Tie Iran Sanctions To Their Benefits Bill  (The Huffington Post)  Two top veterans groups have come out against a Senate GOP effort to insert an Iran sanctions amendment into an unrelated veterans bill, putting the party at odds with a constituency that leans Republican.

Jeanne Shaheen To Introduce Measure To Give Equal Veterans Benefits To Gay Married Couples  (Huffington Post)  Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) is set to introduce an amendment Wednesday to sweeping veterans benefits legislation that would extend federal benefits to legally married gay couples.

Senate Debates Bill to Extend Health Care to Vets  (Military Times)  The Senate on Tuesday debated a bill that would extend Department of  Veterans Affairs health care to hundreds of thousands more veterans, provide  assistance for families to care for veterans at home and add new services for  veterans with fertility issues.

Military Compensation Savings About 10 Percent of Cuts  (Bloomberg)  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s proposed reductions in military compensation, such as housing allowances, amount to only about 10 percent of cuts being sought over the next five years, the No. 2 U.S. military official said.

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Military/veterans transitionnews for 2/21/14

Posted by Mike Grice on

Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 2/21/14

Good news story of the day

Stand Down for Veterans an Annual Success  (WHBF.com)  Helping homeless vets get back on their own two feet.

Military Transition

Veterans Affairs counselor supports transitioning Airmen  (31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs)  To assist eligible separating or retiring service members in answering benefits questions, the Airman and Family Readiness Center provides a counselor from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to inform members on benefits they are entitled to apply for.

Dr. Biden Speaks at Summit Focused on Post-9/11 Veterans at The Bush Institute  (Whitehouse.gov) Yesterday, Dr. Jill Biden joined President Bush at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas for a Summit focused on how Americans can support post-9/11 veterans as they transition back to civilian life.

New Arts Program for Veterans Helps Ease Transition to Civilian Life  (Greenpoint Gazette)  For Army veterans seeking to transition to civilian life, a New York City management company is offering a creative outlet for expression.

The Statehouse File: Soldier-to-teaching program passes House  (Herald Times) The transition to civilian life can be difficult for military veterans.

Veterans

Sandbox Veterans: Who they have/haven’t helped  (WANE.com)  Despite concerns in the community, the director of the Sandbox Veterans wouldn’t share financial records or name any veterans he’s helped.

Belding Veterans Park moving forward with WWI monument  (The Daily News)  On a cold, snowy day, Belding Mayor Ron Gunderson pulled his truck up to the Veterans Park, stepped outside, and grabbed himself a shovel.

Wells Fargo Celebrates Military Saves Week; Offers Free Financial Education Webinars  (The Street)  In an ongoing effort to support military members, veterans and their families, Wells Fargo is celebrating Military Saves Week by offering three free financial education webinars focused on home buying, credit, and budget and saving.

Restaurant refuses to seat Marine veteran because of his service-dog-in-training  (Marine Corps Times)  A Marine Corps veteran says he was told to leave a Texas restaurant because he brought his dog in training to be certified as his service animal.

Study: Soil dust suspected in illnesses among Iraq vets  (Military Times)  When Army Sgt. Jayson Williams deployed to Iraq in 2003, he was a healthy 33-year-old who enjoyed the outdoors, running and playing with his son.

Experts: Data lacking on long-term IED effects  (Military Times)  Troops injured by bomb blasts — who absorb the full brunt of a shock wave, are hit by flying debris or even exposed to bomb-making chemicals — are at higher risk for developing long-term health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, persistent headaches and some skin conditions, a panel of top scientists says.

JBLM deserter who lied about combat service sentenced to one year in jail  (The News Tribune)  An Army deserter’s nearly 10-year run from Fort Lewis ended this week when Kevin Shakely of Sacramento pleaded guilty to abandoning his military post and lying about his service in combat in a recent TV interview.

Veterans Affairs

Secure Veteran Health Identification Cards being introduced by VA  (Examiner.com)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the phased roll out of newly designed, more secure Veteran Health Identification Cards. The new cards will have additional security features as well as look and feel different.

VA data breach ‘practically unavoidable,’ memo says  (CNBC)  The online privacy of veterans and Veterans Affairs employees—including their health-care and financial information—is at risk, according to an internal draft of a VA report obtained by CNBC.

More younger military veterans are committing suicide despite available VA programs  (BorderZine)  As he sits at a faded-black dining room table, a man in his mid-twenties stares at the front door, his reflection visible from the dirty tabletop where a brown paper bag holding his lunch rests.

Rubio, Miller would take away employee rights in name of serving veterans  (The Washington Post)  The latest in a series of moves against top civil servants in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would eliminate key employment protections.

Grieving widow looks for answers from Veterans Affairs after delay in receiving husband’s pension  (KJRH.com)  The 2NEWS Problem Solvers are getting answers for a woman who recently lost the love of her life.

Veterans pitch their needs for new clinic  (Gloucester Times)  Local, state and federal officials employees heard from a number of Gloucester veterans who shared their thoughts on what they would like to see in a new Veterans Affairs clinic planned for the city.

Tribal Health hires veterans advocate to assist vets signing up for VA health care benefits  (Char-Koosta News)   The recently created and filled position of Veterans Health Care Representative is another cog in the health care delivery machine that the Tribal Health and Human Services Department is fine tuning to make health care more accessible to more people as well as to recoup funds expended for treating veterans at its clinics.

Bipartisan legislative group wants to change VA funding  (USA Today)  A quiet backdrop to Washington’s government shutdown last October was the anxiety rippling through 3.9 million disabled veterans who rely on government compensation for wounds and injuries, their advocates say.

VA Accused of Obstructing American Legion’s Review of Claims Backlog  (Fox News)  The Department of Veterans Affairs is accused of obstructing the efforts of the American Legion, which reviews the processing of veterans’ claims.

Military Update: VA, Congress shrug as sleep apnea claims ‘surge’  (Stars and Stripes)  Last June the VA Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation privately recommended to Allison A. Hickey, under secretary for benefits, that the Department of Veterans Affairs consider four steps to address a “recent surge” in VA compensation awards for sleep apnea.

Benefits

Troop Advocates Prep for Future Benefits Battles  (Military.com)  Fresh off a lobbying victory to undo military pension cuts, an officers’ group is preparing for more legislative battles over the upcoming Defense Department budget.

Warning: Website Scam Targets Military  (Better Business Bureau)  BBB Military Line is sharing information from the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Command (CIC) warning about a new website scam in which criminals are attempting to take advantage of soldiers and their families.

Hampton man gets five years for falsely claiming military benefits  (Inside Tidewater)  For one man, “Be all you can be” included being other people.

Troops prefer cash over in-kind benefits  (Military Times)  Proposals to front-load military compensation with more cash now rather than back-loading it with deferred, in-kind benefits later on are gaining traction with the commission tasked with recommending reforms to the current system.

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Military/Veteran Transitionnews for 2/19/14

Posted by Mike Grice on

Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 2/19/14

Good news story of the day

Rohnert Park company finds all-American niche  (Press Democrat)  Strips of red, white and blue fabric lay draped on tables and piled in bins, making the North Bay Industries warehouse in Rohnert Park look like the set of “The Colbert Report” on Patriot Day.

Military Transition

Military Transition Support Project Aims To Better Connect San Diego Veterans With Resources  (KBPS.org) On Tuesday, several community stakeholders gathered on the campus of San Diego State University as part of the Military Transition Support Project, a project focused on helping military veterans transition back into civilian life.

‘One central table’ to help vets?  (U-T San Diego)  In San Diego, a region where 15,000 Marines and sailors are discharged from the military each year, there’s an ambitious new plan to help these troops figure out their next mission, which is civilian life.

Workshops Help Military Transition Back to Civilian Life  (Your4State.com)  More than 35 service men and women were at a workshop Tuesday with one thing in common. 

Vets’ transition conference on tap at George W. Bush Institute  (Military Times)  Former President George W. Bush will host a veterans’ summit in Texas on Wednesday focused on ways to provide assistance to separating service members and their families.

Iowa House committee approves bills that would ease veterans’ transition after their service  (TribTown.com)  An Iowa House panel approved legislation Monday that would help veterans transition into life after military service.

Bloomsburg University group offers hand to veterans  (TribLive.com)  Brian Bengier of Millville spent 10 months in Afghanistan in 2008, serving in the National Guard as an infantry soldier until a roadside bomb exploded 15 feet from the truck he was in, riddling his body with injuries.

New scholarship serves those who’ve served  (MenaFN.com)  Although government financial aid to military veterans covers the lion’s share of the cost of higher education, a new scholarship at Colorado State University will help close the gap between the GI Tuition Assistance Bill and the real cost of attending school.

Veterans

Will America forget its veterans?  (The Christian Science Monitor)  When the camera first panned to Michelle Obama sitting next to Sgt. 1st Class Cory Remsburg, a wounded warrior, during President Obama’s State of the Union message last month, my breath caught in my throat.

Soldiers to Summits, Wells Fargo Announce Mt. Whitney Expedition for Wounded Veterans; Now Accepting Applications, Nominations  (PR Newswire)  A climbing expedition designed to help wounded veterans overcome barriers in their lives was announced today by Soldiers to Summits (S2S) and Wells Fargo.

Ex-Marine’s suit over sexual assault case faces uphill battle  (McClatchyDC)  Ariana Klay says she was raped by two men, one of them a fellow Marine Corps officer, while serving at the famed Marine Barracks in Washington. She can be a compelling witness to her nightmare.

The University Of Texas At Arlington Receives $122,000 From Chase To Fund Education Programs For U.S. Military Veterans  (Business Wire)  As part of a $1 million investment nationwide, Chase announced today that it will provide a $122,000 grant to The University of Texas at Arlington to fund educational opportunities for military veterans.

Two doctors join veterans’ clinic  (GuamPDN.com)  Two new physicians have started treating veterans at the Guam Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.

Veterans Affairs

Veterans Affairs brings in new director for Central Illinois  (Commercial News)  Japhet Rivera has been appointed as the new director of the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System.

Funding for Walla Walla veteran home on shaky ground  (Union-Bulletin)  A bill that would help bring an 80-bed veterans home to Walla Walla is getting another chance in the state House of Representatives.

VA terminates contract with ex-Merced County employee  (The Fresno Bee)  The Department of Veterans Affairs has terminated its contract with Anthony J. Thompson, a Merced County ex-employee who was arrested last week on suspicion of sexual bribery.

County officials working to bring veterans’ nursing home to Putnam  (Palatka Daily News)  Putnam County could be the site of a veterans’ nursing home if everything goes according to plan.

Cost for veterans’ tax break higher than expected  (Dayton Daily News)  A plan to exempt veterans from paying taxes on their retirement benefits is moving forward, even after its sponsor said it may cost the state more than double what she originally envisioned.

Report: Unsanitary conditions at Conn. VA hospital   (Army Times)  The Veterans Administrations’ Inspector General’s Office has cited the VA Connecticut Healthcare System hospital for an array of problems including unsanitary operating room conditions and high worker absenteeism.

Group hammers VA for veterans’ deaths  (Army Times)  The conservative advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America unveiled a new online campaign Tuesday that bluntly states: “American veterans are dying, it’s the VA’s fault.”

Benefits

Tricare for Life beneficiaries reminded of mail-order Rx requirement  (Army Times)  Tricare has begun notifying military retirees and family members who use Tricare for Life that they must start filling long-term prescriptions by mail or at a military treatment facility starting next month.

State wants to honor veterans by ensuring they receive their government benefits  (My Central Jersey) As many as 8,000 military veterans living in New Jersey may be entitled to valuable government benefits but are not taking advantage of them, according to state officials who are trying to raise awareness for veteran programs by visiting the Garden State’s shopping malls.

Rahall Meets with Seniors and Veterans in Bluefield  (National Journal)   In Bluefield on Tuesday, attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new mobile clinic for veterans and visiting seniors at the Bluefield Recreation Center, U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) vowed to continue to vote to protect the benefits and services owed to seniors and veterans.

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Military/Veteran Transitionnews for 2/18/14

Posted by Mike Grice on

Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 2/18/14

Good news story of the day

Innovative program is tailored to prevent homelessness among vets  (Los Angeles Times)  Kris Warren, a Marine veteran with combat duty in Iraq, remembers the  disorientation and other problems that kept him from reentering civilian life.

Military Transition

DOD Works with NBA to Improve Troops’ Transition Assistance  (American Forces Press Service)  As the Defense Department looks for ways to ease the difficult process of transitioning from service member to civilian, it’s also seeking out companies in the private sector who can help lead the way in training and hiring veterans, said Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Iowa lawmakers approve bills that would ease veterans’ transition after military service  (The Republic)  Iowa lawmakers have approved legislation that would help veterans transition into life after military service.

Army launches new incentives to quit active, join reserves  (Army Times)  If you’re looking to leave active duty (or among the thousands getting the boot), the National Guard and Army Reserve want you.

Sen. Blunt Wades Into End-Strength Debate Between Army, National Guard  (Inside Defense)  Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) has been trying to rally fellow lawmakers to join him in urging Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to prevent the Army from executing a plan that would cut the size of the National Guard and restructure the service’s aviation assets, according to a draft letter obtained by Inside the Army that Blunt’s office has been circulating on Capitol Hill.

Veterans

Veteran’s lawyer talks role of PTSD in Reseda shooting  (KABC TV)  A lawyer for an Iraq War veteran accused of murdering his neighbor in Reseda spoke out on Monday. He claims his client, Ricardo Tapia, suffers from posttraumatic stress disorder and sought help from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Homefront Veterans: Skiing With Wounded Warriors  (The Daily Beast)  On the California slopes of Mammoth Mountain a group of locals have created something remarkable: a weekend of skiing and snow sports for wounded veterans and their families. John Kael Weston was there.

Medical Marijuana Sought by More Veterans  (Liberty Voice)  Medical marijuana is being sought by more veterans returning from war zones. For decades, prescription medications were seen as the only viable solution for those who had been traumatized by war.

Pa. university group offers hand to veterans  (The Washington Times)  Brian Bengier of Millville spent 10 months  in Afghanistan in 2008, serving in the National Guard as an infantry soldier until an  IED exploded 15 feet from the truck he was in, riddling his body with injuries.

Veterans honored at the Roundhouse  (KOB.com)  Veterans will be honored at the New Mexico Capitol on Monday for Military and Veterans’ Day at the Legislature.

Veterans Helping Veterans aims to create connections  (The Portland Press Herald)  A new program, set to begin in June, is recruiting volunteers for a support network serving military veterans.

Eglin’s recovery care coordinator is changing lives one wounded vet at a time  (NWFDailyNews.com)  Air Force Staff Sgt. Chris Lacey entered the tiny office and greeted the man who helped change his life.

Whiteman leaders deliver long-overdue medals to WWII POW  (Air Force Times)  Retired Chief Master Sgt. Charlie Sibert thought he’d been summoned to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., late last month to tell his story again.

Veterans Affairs

House committee chairman wants VA middle managers held accountable  (Federal News Radio)  The author of new legislation that would make it easier for the Veterans Affairs  Department to fire its senior  executives says the agency is too shy about cutting loose middle managers who  are performing poorly.

VA Defends Bonus To Former Local Director  (KWTX.com)  In a letter to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs this month, a top VA official is standing behind the millions in bonuses Veterans Affairs handed out to a handful of VA executives nationwide, despite a growing backlog in disability claims.

NEW: Web of frustration for veterans affected by tainted water  (Herald-Tribune)  After providing a measure of relief to some retired U.S. Marines, the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to frustrate others seeking compensation for exposure to contaminated water while stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

U.S. senator concerned about staffing for Billings VA clinic  (Trib.com)  Some Montana veterans and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester are concerned that the expanded Department of Veterans Affairs Billings Clinic will not be adequately staffed in time for its scheduled opening in less than six weeks.

Benefits

Iowa lawmakers OK bills that would help veterans  (Albuquerque Journal)   An Iowa House panel approved legislation Monday that would help veterans transition into life after military service.

Rental assistance available to eligible veterans  (The Richmond Register)  Kentucky River Foothills Development Council recently received a Supportive Services for Veteran Families grant from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to financially assist veterans who have problems paying rent or obtaining housing.

Veterans groups want all COLA cuts repealed, for future warriors too  (The Washington Times)  Fresh off winning a repeal of retirement-pay cuts for current and former military members,  veterans groups say they now want to go back and cancel the cuts for future  service members too, saying that the budget can be balanced without targeting  veterans.

Group helps veterans get benefits in Chester  (Daily Times)  Counselors from the Veterans Support Group at York House were on hand Wednesday to assist military veterans in navigating the labyrinthine bureaucracy of receiving their entitled benefits.

Security Insiders: High Time for Congress to Cave on Closing Military Bases  (National Journal)  It’s high time for Congress to agree to the Pentagon’s request to close military bases, a whopping 91 percent of National Journal’s National Security Insiders said.

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Transitionnews 12/24/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Tuesday, December 24th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Hundreds of strangers give veteran’s ashes trip of lifetime  (Fox News)  For 3 ½ years, a black stone urn of C.J. Twomey’s ashes has sat on a shelf in his parents’ Maine home, not far from the door he walked out of one beautiful April day shortly before shooting himself.

Transition

Nonprofit: Group helps veterans find temporary housing  (Missoulian)  A group of nine Billings residents are the first to join the Fort Knox Warrior in Transition Association (FK WTA), a nonprofit organization established in March 2013. According to the FK WTA’s president Dr. Pete Trzop, under the current administration there is no government funding available to provide temporary housing for the soldiers and their families of the Warrior in Transition Battalion (WTB).

Eligible officers, enlisted members offered early retirement  (Air Force Personnel Center)  Staff through senior master sergeants and captains through lieutenant colonels in certain Air Force specialty codes may apply to retire with fewer than 20 years of active service under the Temporary Early Retirement Authority, Air Force Personnel Center officials announced.

Norwalk Community College Launches Program To Help Veterans  (Fairfield Daily Voice)  Norwalk Community College is making it easier for returning veterans to succeed in college and get back in the workforce by launching a new program just for them.

State Officials Celebrate “Mission: Veteran 2 Entrepreneurs”  (The Times Weekly)  As many veterans struggle to find a job or start a career, the administration of Governor Pat Quinn hosted more than 100 veterans at the College of DuPage to learn about starting or growing their own businesses as part of the state’s “Mission: Veteran 2 Entrepreneurs” (MV2E) program.

Airmen facing Quality Force Review Board to be notified Jan. 6  (Air Force Times)  Airmen will be told Jan. 6 if they will be considered by the Air Force’s first Quality Force Review Board that will convene May 5 to 16, according to a Dec. 19 memo obtained by Air Force Times.

Veterans

Penske Truck Rental Donation Brightens Holidays for Paralyzed Veterans of America  (Business Wire)  Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) today announced that Penske Truck Rental, one of the leading consumer and commercial truck rental providers in North America, donated $255,157 to benefit Paralyzed Veterans’ Mission: ABLE campaign.

Winning Veterans’ Trust, and Profiting From It  (The New York Times)  With every slip and fall, every bruise and ache, the reality set in: Henry Schaffer, 86, could no longer live on his own. So his daughter, Kristi, began searching for a retirement home — and the money to pay for it.

Local Charity Helps Disabled Military Veteran  (DigTriad.com)  Breaking the cycle of poverty isn’t easy. That’s why one organization prides itself on helping people before they fall into poverty.

Medal of Honor recipient Hernandez dies at 82  (Military Times)  Cpl. Rudy Hernandez, who fought in the Korean War and was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1952, has died at Womack Army Medical Center. He was 82.

Veterans return to streets to make inroads with chronically homeless vets  (Fox News)  Not far from where the Boston Massacre helped sow the seeds for the Revolutionary War, David Dyer points toward the underpass where he’d score crack cocaine by day and the train depot where he’d sleep some nights.

Village Grande at Little Mill residents give $2,400 to Wounded Warrior Project  (Press of Atlantic City)  At this giving time of year, the residents of the Village Grande at Little Mill adult housing community in Egg Harbor Township wanted to do something to make life easier for those who don’t get much recognition.

Veterans Affairs

Grand Island group’s plan for veterans home ready  (SFGate.com)  A Grand Island group opposing construction of a new veterans home in Kearney has finished drawing up plans for an $80 million project at the existing Grand Island facility.

Oklahoma City VA Medical Center patients get holiday cards  (NewsOK)  Cards collected during the Holiday Mail for Heroes program were given to patients at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Friday.

Veterans Affairs supervisor indicted, accused of stealing government property  (WKYC.com)  A supervisor at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been arrested, according to Steven M. Dettelbach, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Benefits

1 percent pay raise latest pinch for troops, veterans struggling to pay bills  (Fox News)  President Obama on Monday signed an executive order giving military personnel and civilian federal workers a 1 percent pay raise, the first raise for civilians in four years. But for military families, it was another hit.

Cuts to military pensions in doubt, but future changes to troop pay, benefits likely  (Associated Press)  The Pentagon’s top civilian says it’s time to tame burgeoning military personnel costs, but he’s facing a test of wills with the nation’s powerful veterans groups, which want no cut in their benefits.

Lawmakers to Address Unemployment and Military Benefits  (KTSP.com)  More than 1 million people are set to be cut off of federal unemployment benefits just three days after Christmas.

Veterans groups vow to fight cuts in military pensions  (Fox News)  The Pentagon’s top civilian says it’s time to tame burgeoning military personnel costs, but he’s facing a test of wills with the nation’s powerful veterans groups, which want no cut in their benefits.

Paul Ryan: Retirement pay can’t take over defense budget  (USA Today)

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Transitionnews 12/20/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Friday, December 13th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Support system lifts Mo. vet out of homelessness  (AP)  James Snorgrass stood at the corner of a Columbia intersection, waiting for the bus to arrive at 7:10 a.m. A knee-length parka was wrapped around his slender frame. An insulated hat covered his salt and pepper hair.

Transition

AT&T Continues Hiring Drive In Tennessee; More Than 130 Jobs Currently Available; Military Veterans Sought   (The Wall Street Journal)  AT&T* today announced that the company is seeking applicants to fill more than 130 jobs in the Tennessee, including nearly 50 new jobs. The positions will be primarily focused on customer service, retail and technician positions and are a result of AT&T’s continued investment in Tennessee.

Pa. State Police to military vets: come on board, your experience will count  (PoliceOne.com)  State police hope to entice active military personnel, veterans and full-time cops to join its ranks by allowing them to replace college credits with work experience.

Ecotech Institute Selected as a Top Military-Friendly School in Military Advanced Education’s 2014 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities  (MarketWired)   Military Advanced Education (MAE) has awarded Ecotech Institute the designation of a Top Military-Friendly College in its 2014 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities. The guide is available in print and online at http://www.mae-kmi.com.

Air Force envisions smaller force to preserve readiness  (DCMilitary.com)  Discussing upcoming budgetary variables during a Pentagon news conference recently, the Air Force’s top civilian leader for the past six months addressed the inevitability of a smaller force.

Veterans

Veterans in legal trouble celebrate completion of special court program  (Ventura County Star)  Carolin Maples was overcome with emotion as she stood Thursday in front of a packed Ventura courtroom.

Veterans council formed in Ruidoso  (Ruidoso News)  At the urging of resident and veteran Vic Currier and following the lead of the city of Alamogordo, Ruidoso village councilors approved forming a Ruidoso Veterans Advisory Council to provide leadership in the community, to advise on issues involving the military, to sponsor events and programs, and to continue to foster a closer relationship with all branches of the armed forces.

Veterans Healthcare Expansion  (KATC.com)  The Department of Veterans Affairs approved new regulations making it easier for veterans to receive health care and compensation for certain illnesses that are linked to traumatic brain injury, like Parkinson Disease, Dementia, Depression, seizures and Hormone deficiency.

Disabled veterans get more time to apply for property tax exemption  (SooEveningNews.com)  Disabled veterans across the state got an early Christmas present this week, announced Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes.

Veterans receive keys to new homes in Islandia  (Newsday.com)  Six military veterans were handed keys Thursday to new homes built just for them in Islandia through a joint effort of area home builders and a local technology company.

Veterans group fights to keep cross at Mt. Soledad Memorial  (Examiner.com)  The Mt. Soledad Memorial Association (MSMA), represented by Liberty Institute and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, has filed notice of appeal of a district court’s order requiring the removal of the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross.

Marine Corps veteran’s bid for pardon  (WXOW.com)  Marine Corps combat veteran Eric Pizer of Madison has commendations and medals, but feels his professional future hinges on something that’s out of his grasp, so far: a pardon from Governor Walker.

Jimmy Harding, Business Strategist, Urges Entrepreneurs Support Wounded Warrior Project  (Baystreet.ca)  Wildly successful business growth strategist Jimmy Harding challenges entrepreneurs to understand the importance of giving generously to nonprofit organizations – especially during the holiday season.

Veterans Affairs

VA cyber saga continues as audit shows continued holes in network security  (Federal News Radio)  As the Veterans Affairs Department tries to reassure and explain to House lawmakers the steps it’s taking to protect veterans’ data and agency networks, a new audit shows long-standing holes in the network continue to put veterans’ data at risk.

Conway Jones to Head County Veteran Affairs Commission  (The Post News Group)  Retired Air Force Colonel Conway Jones has been elected chairman of the Alameda County Veterans Affairs Commission.

Iraq veterans find the war at home is with red tape  (Los Angeles Times)  Glenda Flowers stood at the edge of a crowd of angry veterans at San Francisco’s War Memorial building. They had been waiting months, even years, to hear whether they would receive disability benefits, and they were tired of excuses.

Benefits

Veterans Affairs offers dental insurance program  (Char-Koosta News)  The Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with Delta Dental and MetLife to allow eligible veterans, plus family members receiving care under the Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA), to purchase affordable dental insurance.

Paul Ryan Mum on Proposal to Fund Veterans’ Pensions by Cutting Illegal Alien Tax Benefits  (Breitbart)  Reps. Martha Roby (R-AL) and Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have introduced a legislative plan to protect veterans’ pension benefits from the slashes they would receive if cuts from the recently-passed budget deal ever materialized.

Veterans groups say military cuts should prompt Obama budget veto  (The Washington Times)  Two veterans groups demanded Thursday that President Obama veto the budget bill Congress passed earlier this week, saying that the cuts to military retirement benefits — which even the bill’s authors now admit were a partial mistake — are an insult to former troops.

Military Retirement Restoration Act Protects Benefits, Closes Corporate Tax Loophole  (HispanicBusiness.com) U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (PA-13) today joined her colleagues in introducing the Military Retirement Restoration Act to protect military retirees from cuts to cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that were included in the recent bipartisan budget agreement.

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Transitionnews 12/17/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Tuesday, December 17th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Helping veterans — one smile at a time  (The Herald News)  The rotting and cracked teeth were more than just a cosmetic problem, though. They were painful.

Transition

Survey aimed at understanding veterans’ first civilian jobs  (Stars and Stripes)  Veterans unemployment has dropped steadily over the last two years, but no one knows whether the jobs they are finding are any good.

AT&T Continues Hiring Drive In Louisiana; Nearly 240 Jobs Currently Available; Military Veterans Sought  (Market Watch)  AT&T* today announced that the company is seeking applicants to fill nearly 240 jobs in Louisiana, including more than 80 new jobs. The positions will be primarily focused on retail, technician and customer service jobs and are a result of AT&T’s continued investment in Louisiana.

SolarCure Announces Military Veterans Hiring Initiative  (Yahoo Finance)  SolarCure Chief Executive Officer Mike Ferraro and Founder Ray Saluccio announced today a new veterans hiring initiative designed to offer veterans, military spouses and wounded warriors a “Boots to Boardroom Career Lifeline” into the growing Green Energy sector. As part of the SolarCure Veterans Hiring Initiative, the pledge expands a goal in 2014 to offer meaningful careers for an estimated 100 veterans across the nation.

Virginia sanctuary helps veterans heal  (Daily Herald)  The war followed Scott Botts home.

Veterans

Wells Fargo and Military Warriors Support Foundation say Happy Holidays to Military Veterans with Home Donations at College Bowl Games  (Business Wire)  Wells Fargo (WFC) and the Military Warriors Support Foundation (MWSF) will spread holiday cheer to military veterans by announcing home donations during eight college bowl games.

US, Manila ink pact to repair ash-covered veterans cemetery   (Stars and Stripes)  U.S. and Philippine officials signed an agreement Monday for Washington to restore a cemetery north of Manila where the graves of thousands of American service members and dependents have been covered in ash since Mount Pinatubo’s 1991 eruption.

Suits for Troops benefits WNY vets  (Buffalo Law Journal)  As the saying goes, the suit makes the man.

Veterans, beer brewer team up to support Vets4Vets  (Great Falls Tribune)  About a month before the Veterans Stand Down in September, organizers were told they might lose about $3,000 in funding for facility rentals.

Wreaths for Veterans Continues  (KULR8.com)  Wreaths for Veterans continues Monday with a stop at Riverside Cemetery.

Death rate unusually high for young veterans  (Los Angeles Times)  Mark Tyree was chasing death.

Veterans Affairs

VA eases rules for claims on some TBI-related health problems  (Stars and Stripes)  Veterans Affairs officials are easing disability filing rules for brain injured veterans with additional combat complications like depression, dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

VA adds five diseases to be covered with traumatic brain injury  (Examiner.com)  Some Veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who are diagnosed with any of five other ailments will have an easier path to receive additional disability pay under new regulations developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans in 9 cities have to wait more than a year for claims to be addressed  (The Washington Post)  Disabled veterans in Reno, Nev., have to wait an average of more than 14 months to have their claims addressed, according to data compiled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans in Baltimore wait more than 13 months for their disability claims to be resolved.

VA proposes pension regulations rewrite to provide more clarity  (Fierce Government)  The Veterans Affairs Department will rewrite its regulations for veteran benefits claims and pensions to make them more clear and coherent, a Nov. 27 Federal Register notice of proposed rulemaking says.

Benefits

3 GOP Senators: Ryan-Murray Budget ‘Unfairly Targets’ Military  (Newsmax.com)  A bipartisan budget deal that has passed the House is facing some Republican opposition because it penalizes members of the military while protecting civilian federal employees, according to three GOP senators.

Chuck Schumer compares senators paying more under Obamacare to military retirees having benefits cut  (Washington Examiner)  How’s this for sacrifice? Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., believes that members of Congress have made personal fiscal sacrifices comparable to the cut in retirement benefits that military retirees are facing, because lawmakers have to pay more for health care under Obamacare.

Cuts for military retirees costing GOP support for budget deal  (The Washington Post)  GOP lawmakers and military groups have lined up against the bipartisan budget deal making its way through Congress because of a provision that would trim pay for young military retirees.

Reform of military retiree benefits is a hard battle for federal government  (The Washington Post)  Not all military retirees fought in combat, but as a group they certainly know how to attack any legislative plan that cuts into their pensions.

Military Partners and Families Coalition Joins Efforts To Protect Commissary and Exchange Benefits  (Business Wire)  The Military Partners and Families Coalition (MPFC) has joined The Coalition to Save Our Military Shopping Benefits, which now represents nearly 2 million service members – active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retirees, and veterans – and their families.

Vt. man sentenced for false veterans benefits  (Boston.com)  A Vermont man has been sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay over $24,000 for submitting false mileage reimbursement claims for travel to a VA hospital.

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Transitionnews 12/16/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Monday, December 16th 2013:

Good news story of the day

A dedication for those who sacrifice  (The News Virginian)  Just over a month ago, one local student saw his hard work pay off at Wayne Hills Center. Isaac Edwards, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Kate Collins Middle School, spent his Veterans Day morning at Wayne Hills as a 40-foot flagpole was erected as part of his Eagle Scout project. Edwards raised almost $3,700 for his project through donations.

Transition

Making a smooth transition to a post-military career  (The Oconee Enterprise)  Leaving the military is like leaving home for the first time. Upon discharge, service members are faced with the question of: “What’s next?”

Goodwill programs help veterans transition into workforce  (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)  Jerry Jones spent 16 years maintaining multimillion-dollar equipment at U.S. Air Force bases around the world.

CivilianJobs.com’s Resume Matching Process Reinforces 2014 Military Job Fair Schedule  (Virtual-Strategy.com)  CivilianJobs.com matches transitioning military job seeker resumes to open positions for companies attending job fairs.

New order defines separation rules  (Military Times)  The Corps has overhauled its manual governing how Marines retire or are separated from the service, with broad changes that cover everything from transition assistance requirements and involuntary separation protections for career officers to drug use and sexual ­assault.

Businesses step up their efforts to hire veterans  (The Columbus Dispatch)  It took Francisco “Frank” Miranda, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, about three years to find a job in the civilian world that was a good fit.

Welsh: Budget deal doesn’t end need for force cuts  (Air Force Times)  The proposed budget deal for the next two years would not change the need to issue force management guidelines, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh told reporters Friday.

Job Front: Sacramento State center offers support to veterans  (The Sacramento Bee)  For returning veterans, coming home can be a tough transition. Readjusting to the civilian world, looking for work, going back to school – all pose unique challenges.

Veterans

Veterans vow to fight order to remove cross overlooking San Diego  (CBS News)  A veterans association that built a massive cross overlooking San Diego as part of a war memorial plans to fight a federal judge’s order to tear it down, a lawyer for the group said on Friday.

Veterans disappointed in lack of legislation for 2013  (Stars and Stripes)  The House wrapped up its legislative work for 2013 on Thursday without finalizing any major veterans initiatives, a disheartening footnote for some advocates pushing issues they thought had bipartisan support.

Veterans force IRS to retreat from invasive requirements  (U.S. Finance Post)  Once again America’s veterans have showed the rest of the public that standing up can make a difference, this time against one of the most feared agencies in the country, the Internal Revenue Service.

The war next door: Can a vet with PTSD come home?  (Stars and Stripes)  The man in the grainy surveillance footage strides through the sleepy cul-de-sac with purpose, like someone in command of his own destiny.

Instructor’s work benefits students, vets  (The Grand Island Independent)  For Grand Island Senior High students who are part of the Career Pathways Institute program at the Central Community College-Grand Island Campus class work involves learning how to perform specific kinds of welds with expertise.

Veterans Affairs

Over time, new computer system put dent in VA benefits backlog  (The Berkshire Eagle)  Far fewer veterans are facing long waits for disability compensation after the Department of Veterans Affairs spent the past six months focusing on the backlog, including mandating case worker overtime and rolling out a new computer system.

Worth VA director understands veterans’ needs  (GlobeGazette.com)  Brett Schmidt, a retired career veteran of the Iowa National Guard, is using his military experience to help veterans in Worth County receive benefits and services to which they are entitled.

VA program works to find homes for heroes  (Courier-Journal.com)  Valerie Bridges’ orderly life seemed to be coming apart.

Washington veteran struggles after leaving the service  (Observer-Reporter.com)  “Join the Navy and see the world” has long been a recruiter’s enticement, but it doesn’t always lead to exotic lands.

Two years later, Hot Springs is still fighting to keep its VA hospital  (Rapid City Journal)  Attending one of the recent weekly meetings of the Save the VA group, the same word comes up over and over.

New Rule Could Aid Veterans’ Access to Health Care for Some Traumatic Injuries  (The New York Times)  The Department of Veterans Affairs has approved new regulations to make it easier for veterans to receive health care and compensation for certain illnesses, including Parkinsonism, dementia, and depression, which have been linked to traumatic brain injury.

Benefits

‘Pension poachers’ profit off benefits meant for elderly veterans, widows  (Cronkite News)  Business is booming in a multibillion-dollar government program that offers modest pensions to America’s neediest elderly war-time veterans – and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Cutting military benefits a poor decision  (The News Viginian)  You don’t balance a budget on the backs of military veterans.

Ryan Defends Reduction to Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Early Military Retirees  (The Weekly Standard)  The two-year budget deal crafted by Republican congressman Paul Ryan and Democratic senator Patty Murray sailed through the House of Representatives on a 332-94 vote last Thursday, just two days after it was introduced.

Republican Senators Battle Budget Cuts Targeting Military Retirees  (National Journal)  A handful of Senate Republicans are balking at a provision in the budget deal that would cut benefits to military retirees.

Trim military commissaries? Them’s fightin’ words  (Omaha.com)  No matter where in the world the Air Force took them, Kim Livingston and her daughter, Shannon, always knew they could count on one familiar thing: a modern commissary well stocked with low-cost American groceries.

Military retirees: Hands off our checks  (Union-Tribune)  Ann Wade, wife of a retired Camp Pendleton Marine officer, watched with alarm as the congressional budget deal was unveiled this week.

Armed Services panel to review retirement changes in budget deal  (The Hill)  Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said Friday his committee would review the changes to military retirement benefits included in the budget deal before they fully take effect.

Republican Senators Battle Budget Cuts Targeting Military Retirees  (National Journal)  A handful of Senate Republicans are balking at a provision in the budget deal that would cut benefits to military retirees.

Military Retirees Up in Arms over Congressional Plan to Reduce Pensions  (MintPress News)  A bipartisan congressional vote on Thursday cut pay raises for active troops and military retiree pension plans for those who aren’t disabled and under 62.

Ayotte meeting with NH veterans over cuts to military retiree benefits  (The Republic)  New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte is meeting with leaders from veterans’ service groups over cuts to military retiree benefits in a pending congressional budget.

‘Modest’ tag on military pension cuts is disputed  (Omaha.com)  Military veterans associations charged into the fray this week after what they described as a surprise attack on retirement benefits for those in uniform.

Sen. Ayotte joins veterans in opposing cuts to military retirees’ benefits  (New Hampshire Union Leader)  Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, will appear in Merrimack today with leaders from several state veterans service organizations, calling for cuts to military retiree benefits to be removed from a budget deal currently before the U.S. Senate.

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Transitionnews 12/13/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Friday, December 13th 2013:

Good news story of the day

SERVPRO OF PLYMOUTH/WAREHAM: Give-back program donates thousands to area veterans  (WickedLocal.com)  When he decided last fall to give back to veterans, Kenneth Matejek estimated he would donate at least $10,000 to help fellow servicemen and women through hard times.

Transition

Air Force to cut 900 civilian jobs, thousands of service members  (Federal News Radio)  Although the proposed budget deal restores some spending to the Defense Department, it still won’t be enough for forces to maintain their current programs and workforce.

Syracuse Career Transition Program Now Includes Spouses  (Defense.gov)  The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University in New York has expanded eligibility to enroll in its Veterans Career Transition Program to spouses of eligible veterans and active duty service members.

Workshop to Help Veterans Find Work Comes to Bridgeport   (WDTV.com)  Right now, members from the armed forces are coming back from overseas, young and old. That means they’re going to be looking for jobs, or if you’re a veteran out there who already has a job, you’re probably trying to find a better one.

TAP inspires a new beginning  (Offut Airbase News)  In response to rising unemployment rates, especially among veterans returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Barack Obama signed the Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act on Nov. 21, 2011.

TEMECULA: Pechanga reaching out to hire veterans  (The Press-Enterprise)  Dozens of unemployed military veterans were given one-on-one interviews Wednesday during a unique job fair/open house hosted by the Pechanga Resort & Casino, one of the county’s largest employers

Rules clarified on health exams for other-than-honorable discharges  (Military Times)  The fiscal 2014 compromise defense authorization bill would change part of a law that has allowed the services to skirt a requirement to provide mental health and medical exams to all combat troops facing an other-than-honorable discharge.

Resources For Student Vets  (KeloLand.com)  If you find yourself in the basement of South Dakota State University’s Student Union, you’ll find the new Veterans Resource Center lined with veterans and current service members.

Veterans

Veteran’s actions should be inspiring  (The Advertiser-Tribune)  The story of a good Samaritan who helped pull motorists out of a ditch Sunday night after they slid off an icy road is more than uplifting.

Arizona jail housing veterans together  (USA Today)  Veterans in the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office are now being housed under one roof.

Marines who suffered brain injuries doubled risk of PTSD, study finds  (Los Angeles Times)  Up to a fifth of U.S. service members who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have come home with a blast-related concussion or post-traumatic stress disorder — or both.

Shari Duval Pairs Dogs with Veterans Suffering From PTSD  (People)  After two wartime tours of Iraq, Alex Brown couldn’t shut off his alert switch.

Treatment courts take root with vets mentoring vets  (Marine Corps Times)  Richard Sandoval joined the Marine Corps in 2003 to flee a childhood on the Miracle Mile in Tucson, Ariz., a violent strip of seedy motels, topless bars and dingy street corners where his father pedaled drugs for a cartel.

Combat veterans included for Tribute At Sea  (Lehigh Acres Citizen)  A boat club based in Cape Coral came up with a new twist to help celebrate Wreaths Across America to honor military veterans as it participates in the ceremony for the third year Saturday, Dec. 14, in the Gulf of Mexico.

Iraq war vet-turned-congressman gets show on MSNBC  (Stars and Stripes)  Patrick Murphy was the first Iraq war veteran in Congress. Now, he’s the first to get his own news network show.

Group offers support for homeless veterans  (The Tuscaloosa News)  Family Endeavors, a nonprofit organization based in Texas, has moved into Alabama with a goal of helping more than 1,000 veterans in this state with housing needs within the next year.

Army veteran gets mortgage-free house in Goddard  (The Wichita Eagle)  Wells Fargo on Thursday donated a foreclosed house in Goddard to an Army veteran.

Veterans Affairs

VA on pace to clear benefits backlog by 2015, official tells Senate panel  (Fierce Government)  The Veterans Affairs Department disability backlog of about 400,000 benefits claims will continue to decline in 2014 and should be eliminated in 2015, a VA official told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Wednesday.

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: South Korea offers gift to Korean War veterans  (WisPolitics.com)  South Korea Offers Gift to Korean War Veterans Free commemorative book now available

VA official talks challenges, successes  (Wyoming Tribune Eagle)  A high-level official in the Department of Veterans Affairs paid a visit to the VA Medical Center here on Tuesday as part of a whistle-stop tour of facilities around the country.

Senator Questions Stats on Accuracy of VA Claims  (Military.com) Since pressure was applied by veteran service organizations last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs has claimed that it is not only shrinking the backlog numbers but has raised the accuracy rate of the compensation claims it has completed, to where it’s now at 97 percent.

Benefits

Military retirees: You betrayed us, Congress  (CNN Money)  Military retirees are outraged that Congress will start voting Thursday on a budget deal that trims military pensions, calling the move “an egregious breach of faith.”

Report: Budget Plan Could Cost Service Members $124,000 in Retirement Pay  (The Washington Free Beacon)  Military retirees could face as much as $124,000 in lost retirement income if the bipartisan budget agreement is enacted, according to the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA).

Female veterans battle for benefits at home  (Florida Courier)  When Xatavia Hughes, the granddaughter of a military man, went to serve in Iraq, she was prepared to prove herself to the male soldiers.

Tricare users soon must fill long-term prescriptions via mail  (Military Times)  Military retirees and family members who use Tricare For Life will be required to start filling long-term prescriptions by mail starting Feb. 14, 2014.

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