Good news story of the day

Naval Academy students give aging veterans a final salute  (Stars and Stripes)  Richard Harryman was wearing a crisp blue shirt for the occasion, and his hospital bed was in the living room.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Benefits expo for veterans features job fair  (Journal Sentinel)  A career fair and benefits expo for veterans will be held in Milwaukee on Saturday.

La Quinta Inns proves that outreach to veterans is smart business  (Dallas News)  As 16 wounded veterans wheeled to the finish Friday at the George W. Bush Institute’s Warrior 100K mountain bike ride, one of those cheering in the crowd was Derek Blake.

Remarks by the First Lady at Joining Forces Veterans Jobs Summit and Career Forum  (The White House)

Starting and supporting vet-owned businesses  (Military Times)  The military teaches service members leadership skills and responsibility that many civilians can’t match.

Post-9/11 vet unemployment holding steady under 7 percent  (Military Times)  The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans was 6.8 percent in April, holding relatively steady and maintaining the significant drop in unemployment chalked up in March, government statistics show.

Veterans News

Connecting our veterans to jobs: Opinion  (NJ.com)  American industry values workers who perform well under extreme pressure — the kind who help a company grow and succeed.

Mattis: Veterans are not victims  (USA Today)  James Mattis, who retired from the Marine Corps last year as a four-star general, is among the most articulate thinkers on a subject that gets very little attention: what it means to be a warrior.

What Comes After the Medal of Honor: An Interview with Dakota Meyer  (The Daily Beast)  In a rare in-depth interview, Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer opened up to The Daily Beast about his possible future in politics, the time he almost passed on speaking with the president because he didn’t want to miss work, the controversy generated by his award, his work as a veterans advocate, and more.

No sign VA officials destroyed key files on Sunday  (AZ Central)  Dr. Katherine Mitchell, a whistle-blower at the Phoenix VA Medical Center, said Friday that she and a co-worker preserved copies of patient appointment materials last weekend not because records already were being eliminated, but because they had reason to believe the information would be removed from an electronic database the next day.

Benefits News

VA treatment records falsified, probe finds  (USA Today)  A VA investigation of one of its outpatient clinics in Colorado reveals how ingrained delays in medical care may be for an agency struggling to rapidly treat nearly 9 million veterans a year amid allegations that dozens have died because of delays.

Editorial: Help all veterans, not just wartime ones  (New Haven Register)  Connecticut has done a lot of good work helping veterans transition back into society by ensuring the state has services and programs in place and on the drawing board to help many vets make the necessary adjustments.

Events to aid veterans at UCCC on May 12  (Daily Freeman)  Two events to provide aid and awareness of veterans’ needs will be held at Ulster County Community College on May 12: The 19th Congressional District Veterans Summit and a Department of Veterans Affairs’ “Stand Down” event.

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Good news story of the day

Michelle Obama Announcing Jobs Website For Veterans  (The Huffington Post)  First lady Michelle Obama has announced a new online effort to link soldiers leaving the military with jobs that match their skill sets.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Mentor and Veteran Workshop: New Jersey  (Stars and Stripes)  Military personnel in transition from service and honorably discharged veterans are invited to apply for the opportunity to participate in this free one day seminar.

Veteran job fair planned May 6  (The Augusta Chronicle)  A job fair for veterans will be held May 6.

Veterans can get one-on-one job hunt advice at Huntsville career fair  (AL.com)  Putting veterans to work is the goal of an upcoming job fair.

Rising unemployment for veterans leaves many seeking work  (KIMATV)  More veterans in Yakima County are unemployed. Hundreds searched for work at a veterans’ job fair in Yakima Thursday.

Veterans News

Arizona VA boss accused of covering up veterans’ deaths linked to previous scandal  (Fox News)  A Veterans Affairs official accused of keeping double books to hide the fact that dozens of veterans died awaiting care previously ran a Washington state VA facility that allegedly fudged suicide numbers, FoxNews.com has learned.

VA looks to data for customer service solutions  (C4ISR&Networks)  The Department of Veterans Affairs long has struggled to meet customer needs, amassing an enduring backlog of claims benefits with which it continues to grapple.

NAVY VETERAN, 92, FINALLY GETS MILITARY MEDALS  (AP)  A 92-year-old military veteran has gotten long-overdue medals he earned for serving in the Navy during World War II.

40 U.S. veterans die while on Phoenix VA hospital’s cost-cutting secret wait list: report  (NY Daily News)  At least 40 U.S. veterans have died waiting for medical appointments at Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care system — including many placed on a secret waiting list.

Benefits News

Congressional hearing in Tucson on veterans’ access to health care  (Tucson News Now)  Many veterans coming home from overseas are fighting new battles as they attempt to get VA system treatment for traumatic brain injury, or T-B-I and post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Local Veterans Frustrated with VA Benefits Backlog  (WSET)  Local veterans are frustrated with the backlog in disability benefits. They are criticizing the Department of Veterans Affairs for the long and enduring process.

VA regional office finally lifts roadblock to veteran’s benefits  (The Tennessean)  A Tennessee World War II veteran will finally be able to collect his benefits now that a federal agency has dropped claims that he couldn’t handle his own financial affairs.

VA official answers benefit questions at GlenWood Park  (Bluefield Daily Telegraph)   Veterans who served their country during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and other conflicts had questions Thursday for a representative of an agency that impacts all their lives, the Veterans Administration.

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Good news story of the day

Afghanistan veteran launching cross-country memorial trek from DuPont this week  (The News Tribune) An Afghanistan veteran embarking on eight-month hike across the country to honor fallen troops is holding a pair of kick-off events in Pierce County this week.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Monster and Military.com Host National Veteran Employment Summit  (The Wall Street Journal)  Monster and Military.com announced they will host their second National Veteran Employment Summit featuring leading voices in the private sector, government and non-profit organizations and showcasing innovative solutions to improve the way in which companies recruit, train and retain veterans in the civilian workforce.

Job fair aims to boost veterans’ employment  (Business Daily)  About 75 area employers will be on hand for a veterans job fair May 8 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

CAREER FAIR FOR VETERANS SET AT MARSHALL  (AP)  A career fair for veterans and military service members is scheduled at Marshall University.

Veterans News

Md. gov candidate suggests Iraq War vet opponent not up for ‘real job’  (Fox News)   A Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland is defending comments he made Monday in which he suggested his opponent, an Iraq war veteran, was not up to the task of a “real job.”

Veterans Village building new veterans beds  (Examiner)  The number of veterans who settle in at Veeterans Village and find a life on their own will go up in July in 2015. Last week, the city council approved VVSD’s plan to build a new two story building with 20 transitional beds.

Ave Maria developers offer 20 acres needed for Collier veterans nursing home  (Naples News)  The developers of Ave Maria are offering to donate 20 acres in the community for a state-run nursing home for veterans, enabling Collier County to be in the running for the project against several other Florida counties.

Interview: 5 questions for the naked veteran  (Military Times)  Vietnam War veteran Max Sanchez struggles with controlling issues stemming from post-traumatic stress.

Benefits News

ROVER Reaches Out to Veterans in Rural Nevada  (Public News Service)  Veterans living in rural Nevada will likely have the opportunity to meet with a Veterans Services officer without having to leave town.

Veteran benefits questions answered at free event  (WRAL)  The Disabled American Veterans and the Harley Davidson Foundation will host an event on May 3 to answer questions about veteran benefits and services.

A day in the life of a Veterans Services Program coordinator  (UWire)  UH Veterans Services Program Coordinator Lawren Bradberry walks through the door a bit past noon and a little out of breath.

Express Scripts to continue as Tricare prescription provider  (Military Times)  Express Scripts, the Pentagon’s pharmacy benefit management company, has been awarded a contract worth up to $5.4 billion over eight years to continue providing pharmacy services for Tricare beneficiaries.

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Good news story of the day

A Veteran’s Story: Vet soon to be 106 years old  (Mansfield News Journal)  When William Dormaier joined the Army in 1943, he was 35 years old and just married.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Twelve Kansas City area employers honored for hiring military veterans  (Kansas City Business)  Twelve Kansas City area employers that hired military veterans through Missouri’s Show-Me Heroes program have been honored by the state’s Department of Economic Development.

Job fair focused on veterans, spouses  (Insurance News Net)  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation will host a job fair for veterans and military spouses Tuesday at American Legion Celina Post 210, 2510 E. state Route 703.

‘Ugh. I miss it.’  (The Washington Post)  ransitioning from military to civilian life, and from camaraderie to isolation.

Staff sergeant rank due to get culled  (Marine Corps Times)  Marine Corps Times has obtained details of the upcoming Staff Sergeant Retention Board, which will be held for the first time this summer to cull hundreds of staff sergeants who were passed over twice for promotion and have served between 15 and 18 years.

Veterans News

Gulf War illness: Thousands who served still report mysterious symptoms

Military Veterans Bring Value to the Classroom  (Chronicle.com)  I have followed with interest the national conversation about the important role of colleges in easing the transition of military veterans into the classroom.

Group to host fundraiser for wounded veterans  (Reporter Newspapers)  The Phoenix Patriot Foundation will bring its mission to aid wounded veterans to Sandy Springs.

John Walsh: Preventing Veteran Suicide Is ‘The Cost Of War’  (Huffington Post)  Sen. John Walsh (D-Mont.) posed a question to his colleagues on Capitol Hill this Sunday: If lawmakers are willing to spend billions of dollars on war, why are they less willing to invest in the welfare of veterans when they come home?

SC veterans plan ‘last hurrah’ to D-Day beaches  (The State)  A month after World War II ended, Jeanne Palyok, an American raised in France by her grandparents, sailed back to Paris to work as a translator at the U.S. Embassy.

Veterans home had HIV scare  (UT San Diego)  The Chula Vista veterans home whose director was ousted this month had the lowest health rating available from the federal government and had seen a sharp uptick in negative findings from state health inspectors, records show.

Retirees create network to help active-duty families  (Air Force Times)  One airman couldn’t fit an oil change into his busy schedule.

 Benefits News

Social Security launches expedited disability process for veterans  (The Gadsden Times)  The Social Security Administration has launched a new disability process to expedite disability claims filed by veterans with a Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation rating of 100 permanent and total.

Vets’ benefits, community service sessions coming up in Middletown  (The Middletown Press)  Military veterans in and around Middlesex County are invited for a special service session at the Milardo-Wilcox American Legion Post 75, 58 Bernie O’Rourke Drive, later this week.

VA Hospital’s Rural Mobile Unit Helps Veterans Across the State  (WBOY 12)  For thousands of veterans, getting the healthcare they need means traveling hundreds of miles away, which results in many not seeing a doctor for years.

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Good news story of the day

Veterans, unclaimed for 25 years, laid to rest with honors at Quantico  (The Washington Post)  No one who attended Wednesday’s funeral service at Quantico National Cemetery had ever met the two World War II-era veterans who were being laid to rest.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Career fair benefits Bay Area veterans  (The Inquirer Online)  Professionals and veterans from all over the Bay Area found jobs and were helped with essential skills at the Bay Area Career Fair.

Hamden job fair puts focus on veterans  (New Haven Register)  Veterans young and old parked their cars up and down Sherman Avenue outside the CFC Arena Indoor Sports Center to attend the Hiring for Heroes job fair Wednesday in hopes of finding a job.

Miss. to hold veterans job fair  (The Clarion-Register)    The Third Annual Veterans Job, Health and Benefits Fair will be held at the Mississippi Trademart from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.

Job fair brings new opportunities for Hoosier veterans  (Foz59)  Hundreds of Indiana veterans took advantage of a unique opportunity Wednesday, as they participated in a special job fair called Operation Hire a Hoosier Veteran.

Veterans News

Braley pitches veteran jobs bills in Ames  (Ames Tribune)  Congressman Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, promoted two bills aimed at increasing job opportunities for unemployed veterans during a visit to Ames Wednesday.

Sweeney’s job bills can help unemployed N.J. veterans: Letter  (NJ.com)  Sweeney’s job bills can help unemployed N.J. veterans: Letter

Gov. McCrory announces jobs initiative plan for veterans  (WNCN)  Gov. Pat McCrory announced a major jobs initiative plan to help military veterans get jobs after serving their country.

Montrose veterans program tears down barriers and earns accolades  (The Denver Post)  Last week, the founder of Welcome Home Montrose was filling out a form in a doctor’s office when she was struck by the fact that, amid pages of questions about family status and medical issues, there was nothing about military service.

The Rise and Fall of Major Jim Gant  (War On The Rocks)  Whether you are interested in an unusual love story or in how the United States fights protracted wars, Ann Scott Tyson’s American Spartan is an important  book.

Congress unhappy with DoD, VA health records progress  (Military Times)  House lawmakers plan to hold back millions in dollars of technology funding from Defense and Veterans Affairs department planners until Congress is convinced they are making progress on developing a way to share electronic medical records.

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Good news story of the day

Europe pulling all stops to mark 70th anniversary of key WWII events  (Stars and Stripes)  Some townspeople here still remember that day in April 1944 when a burning American B-17 screamed low overhead, crashed and exploded in a nearby field.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Job fair for veterans, military spouses coming to Evansville next week  (Courier Press)  The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation will host “Hiring Our Heroes – Evansville,” a hiring fair for veterans and military spouses on April 24.

Major job fair for veterans comes to Indiana State Fairgroundss  (The Indy Channel)  Hundreds of companies are headed to the Indiana State Fairgrounds with the hopes of hiring more than 2,000 people.

Resource fair planned for area veterans  (Trib Live)  Veterans returning to the workforce after their military service who wish to find good paying jobs in fields not requiring a college education should take note. Walz talks vets and jobs  (KIMT)  As if what they do for their country is not already hard enough, veterans returning from war often have a hard time getting acclimated back into the real world.

Programs help to nudge unemployment among veterans downward  (Trib Live)  The two months that Mark Corbin spent searching for a job were as stressful as his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Feds talk: How do you feel about veterans’ preference for federal hiring?  (The Washington Post)  The Partnership for Public Service this month released a report calling for controversial civil-service reforms, including changes to the federal government’s hiring practices.

Veterans News

Patients rate VA medical centers high for satisfaction  (Military Times)  Patients at Veterans Affairs medical centers remain satisfied with the care they receive and complaints are down, a new survey released Wednesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index found.

Chandler, Mesa might create veterans court  (AZ Central)  A specialized court for military veterans that focuses on treatment rather than punishment might be coming to the Southeast Valley.

I Served My Country. Then It Kicked Me Out.  (Politico)   I often think about Friday dinners with my family. Every Friday, no matter what, my wife and I took our two children out to eat; it was a ritual we looked forward to all week.

Tricare presents plan for re-enrolling some in Prime  (Military Times)  Tricare announced Tuesday its plans for reinstating thousands of beneficiaries who lost eligibility for Tricare Prime last October, but by law, not all who were booted off Prime will be able to re-enroll.

Your medical files may be at risk  (Military Times)  After veteran Aaron Alexis shot and killed a dozen people at the Washington Navy Yard last September, the Air Force noted a spike in the number of personnel dipping into his electronic medical file.

Vets home director pushed out  (Union Tribune)  The director of the state’s veterans home in Chula Vista has been forced to resign for undisclosed reasons.

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Good news story of the day

Seats added to help New Jersey’s Veterans find new careers at the inaugural Veteran and Transitioning Military Re-careering Seminar  (PR Newswire)     On April 29^th, the MedTech and BioTech Veterans Program (www.mvpvets.com) will host its inaugural re-careering event for transitioning military and veterans in New Jersey.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Program offers Marines and sailors transition assistance  (JD News)  As the military continues its downsizing efforts, one program is committed to ensuring Marines and sailors get the assistance they need.

Donnelly, Purdue work to transition veterans back to civilian life  (JCOnline)  As the U.S. continues to close military bases across Afghanistan and send troops home, Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, hopes to provide a smoother transition back to civilian life for them and their families.

Job, Health and Benefit Fair for Mississippi Veterans  (WHLT) The Mississippi Governor’s Job Fair Network is hoping to help Veterans and their spouses with job and health benefits.

Hoosier Veteran Job Fair To Feature 200 Employers  (WBIW)  Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) today encouraged Hoosier veterans to attend the eighth annual “Operation Hire a Hoosier Veteran” Job Fair on Wednesday,

Veterans News

College Success For Veterans  (CBS Local Philly)  Data from veterans who used education benefits from the post 9/11 GI Bill seem to graduate with rates comparable to their non-veteran peers.

Society shouldn’t tar all veterans as loose cannons  (The News Tribune)  There is a military proverb that first reports from the battlefield are always wrong.

Why so many firings from Veterans Home? Lawmaker asks  (KCCI)  A lawmaker is demanding an investigation to determine why so many workers at the Iowa Veterans Home have been fired and disqualified from future state employment.

Anonymous online counseling for vets shows early success  (Military Times)  When they contracted with the Vets Prevail program late last year, Veterans Affairs Department officials hoped the Web-based mental health resource could enroll about 2,200 new veterans in its anonymous counseling over a year.

Arvada man, a World War II vet, gets overdue POW medal  (The Denver Post)  A World War II veteran and Arvada resident was presented Monday with a medal commemorating his time as a prisoner of war.

Benefits News

Other-than-honorable vet says VA cutting insulin supply after 15 years  (WRDW)  Veteran Richard Ray said he wants to know why the VA has discontinued the medication he needs to live.

McCain, Flake call for hearings on delayed care at Phx VA hospital  (CBS5AZ)  U.S. Sen. John McCain(R-Arizona) and U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake(R-Arizona) are calling for congressional hearings to determine whether dozens of patients died while awaiting medical care at the Phoenix VA Hospital.

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One hero at a time, benefit for wounded Afghanistan veteran  (St George News)  From noon to 8 p.m. Saturday, veterans and friends gathered at the Casa Blanca Event Center in Mesquite, Nev. to pay tribute to Afghanistan Veteran Sgt. Travis Wood and his family.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Years of war leave veterans facing unfamiliar challenge: the civilian workforce  (The Dallas Post)  Sgt Maj. Chris Fletcher was a teenager the last time he had a civilian job.

Dept. of Veteran Affairs: VetCon, a veteran employment and services conference  (WisPolitics.com)  Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Secretary John A. Scocos today announced VetCon: A Veteran Employment and Services Conference will take place on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee.

PTSD affects veterans jobs, recent shooting could make it worse  (KXXV)  A local soldier says his PTSD is making it hard for him to get a job, and the recent Fort Hood shooting could make it worse.

Fort Hood Shootings Could Stymie Veteran Hiring  (Yahoo Finance)  In late 2012, Harry A. Croft, a psychiatrist and former Army doctor who specializes in veterans’ post-traumatic syndrome disorders, was approached by a human resources specialist for a Fortune 500 company.

Ohio bill would protect businesses favoring veterans in hiring  (The Columbus Dispatch)  To help those who served their country, Ohio lawmakers are moving toward granting legal protection to private-sector employers who prefer to hire and promote military veterans.

Commentary: Defense Civilian Layoffs Won’t be Pleasant, But They Are Necessary  (Government Executive)  Against the backdrop of an increasingly unstable world, including the Russian invasion of Crimea, the ongoing conflict in Syria, an agitated Iran, aggression from the North Koreans and a militarized China, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recently announced that he would seek further cuts to our uniformed personnel.

Veterans News

With suicides way up, Treasure Valley group works to aid veterans  (Idaho Statesman)  In the summer of 2012, U.S. Army veteran Reed Pacheco had his suicide all planned out.

Veterans’ tax exemptions have LI school boards struggling  (Newsday)  School districts across Long Island are struggling with whether to enact a new property tax exemption to assist veterans and in the process put a greater burden on nonveteran taxpayers.

Isle lab moves to ID sailors from USS Oklahoma  (Star Advertiser)  The embattled Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command says it’s getting closer to gaining Pentagon approval to disinter and identify for return to families nearly 400 crew members of the battleship USS Oklahoma buried as “unknowns” at Punchbowl cemetery.

Large numbers of vets with PTSD live near military bases  (McClatchy DC)  The Army specialist who killed three soldiers at Fort Hood last week isn’t the only person from the neighborhoods that surround the massive military base near Killeen, Texas, who’s been evaluated or diagnosed with mental illness.

Combat vets battle an enemy within: Addiction  (Philly.com)  The first time Pearson Crosby went to the methadone clinic at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center in early 2013, he asked his father to go with him.

Why Are So Many Older Veterans Committing Suicide?  (National Journal)  The Fort Hood shooting reignited the national debate over the surge of suicides among those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Benefits News

Bill would aid Ohio veterans  (The News-Messenger)  The Ohio House of Representatives has passed House Bill 488, which will assist Ohio’s veterans in furthering their education.

Veterans Corner: VA removes annual income reporting requirements  (Sawyer County Record)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is eliminating the annual requirement for most veterans enrolled in VA’s health care system to report income information beginning in March 2014.

Soldiers stuck in backlogged disability system can’t go forward, can’t go back  (The News Tribune)  Sgt. Chris Peden is stuck.

White House unveils expanded support for military, vets’ caregivers  (Military Times)  The White House continued its focus on veterans and military families by announcing new programs Friday to expand support and services available to those who care for injured or ill troops.

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