Tag Archives: Navy

Transitionnews for 1/6/14

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Monday, January 6th 2014:

Good news story of the day

Hundreds gather wreaths at veterans’ cemetery  (Killeen Daily Herald)  Amidst a sea of white headstones, more than 400 people collected Christmas wreaths Sunday afternoon during the culminating event of the eighth annual Friends of the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery’s Wreaths for Veterans project at the cemetery.

Transition

San Jacinto College program helps military veteran students with transition back to civilian life  (ABC Local)  San Jacinto College has a new program that is proving to be a significant aid to military veterans trying to transition back to civilian life.

Military job fair set for Jan. 16 at Fort Benning  (AJC.com)  The Georgia Department of Corrections and the Georgia Department of Defense will be hosting a job fair for military personnel later this month at Fort Benning.

New Warrior Transition Battalion commander has combat experience  (El Paso Times)  The new commander for the Fort Bliss Warrior Transition Battalion has seen combat duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but now is getting to see a completely different side of the Army.

Thank You For Your Military Service — Now Here Are 9 Reasons Why I Won’t Hire You  (Business Insider)  So, you’ve decided to hang up the uniform after years of distinguished service to our great nation. You’ve attended a few transition classes and have your interview suit and shiny new resume as you make the leap into the civilian world.

Military “Transition” Center Coming to Warner Robins  (Georgia Works)  The State of Georgia and AT&T have announced they will join to build a center for higher education programming dedicated to military veterans and their families in the transition to civilian careers.

S.C. Guard’s final Vietnam War veteran retires  (Military Times)  The South Carolina National Guard is saying goodbye to its final Vietnam Veteran.

Forced out of the Army, soldiers find careers in the Reserve  (Army Times)  Frustrated by his inability to get promoted and the looming Army drawdown, then-Sgt. James Davis left active duty in 1995.

Veterans

Wounded warrior to lead pirate parade  (TBO.com)  An Air Force master sergeant who lost an eye when his helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq will represent the U.S. Special Operations Command’s Care Coalition as grand marshal at the Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest Parade of Pirates on Jan. 25.

Wounded Soldier Guides Other Wounded As He Continues To Serve  (The Oconee Enterprise)  Staff Sgt. Giovanni Pascascio will always remember July 8, 2007. “You kinda remember the day you got blown up.”

Wounded veterans work to put away child predators  (Fox News)  Oskar Zepeda has had pretty much one mission in his life: kill or capture.

Sources: Cuomo To Unveil Plan To Help Businesses Owned By Disabled Veterans  (CBS New York)  Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to announce a plan to help give businesses owned by disabled military veterans a boost.

Dem senator to Obama: End discrimination against gay veterans  (The Hill)  Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) asked the Obama administration to move more quickly to eliminate discrimination against same-sex couples seeking veterans’ home loans.

Veterans Affairs

Maine veterans’ true advocate ends service Veterans Affairs  (Portland Press Herald)  When Scott Karczewski of Augusta started at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Togus Regional Office in 1977 as a temporary warehouse worker, World War I veterans were being cared for and World War II veterans were largely in charge.

Blumenthal Statement On CT Veteran Job Training Report  (Politicalnews.me)  U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) issued a statement following the release of a Connecticut Veterans Legal Center report calling for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to share military job training data with state and local occupational licensing boards in an effort to expedite the credentialing process for recent veterans seeking employment.

Caregiver Burnout affects families of veterans with PTSD  (Examiner.com)  PTSD causes a role-reversal effect on family caregivers, which can strain family relationships to the breaking point.

Christmas controversy at VA hospitals  (Army Times)  Several incidents at Veterans Affairs medical centers over the holidays have prompted the House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman to question whether VA has violated the civil rights of veterans in its care.

Jeff Miller calls for cooperation as Augusta VA congressional visit looms  (The Augusta Chronicle)  The chairman of the House Committee on Vete­rans Affairs said Friday that the success of his congressional oversight visits to VA medical centers in Augusta and Columbia next week will hinge on one element: cooperation.

Veterans Affairs cuts Honolulu VA mortgage guaranty for 2014 by 17%  (Pacific Business News)  The Department of Veterans Affairs has reduced its mortgage loan guaranty limit to $625,500 from $750,000 for veterans who want to buy a home in Honolulu in 2014, officials say.

Augusta family blames Vietnam vet’s death on Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center  (Augusta Chronicle)  Karen Burough said her husband’s body finally gave out after eight years of postponed appointments, delayed treatment plans and misdiagnoses at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Benefits

Was 2013 the height of military benefits?  (The News Tribune)  As it came to a close, 2013 seemed to leave a kind of high-water mark on the wall of more than a decade of steady, impressive gains to military and veterans’ pays and benefits. Will those gains now begin to recede?

Veterans health care panel scheduled for Jan. 10  (Tallahassee.com)  Pensacola Naval Hospital’s commanding officer, Capt. Maureen O’Hara Padden, is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at a symposium on military-related health care benefits scheduled on Jan. 10 at the Angus Inn Seafood and Steaks restaurant.

Compensation commission gets lengthy extension  (Military Times)  The commission that could trigger historic changes to military pay and benefits system was granted an extension and will not conclude its work until February 2015, many months after its original deadline.

One in three lawmakers wants to repeal cuts to military pensions   (The Hill)  More than 150 House members and 35 senators have signed onto efforts to repeal the cuts to military pensions included in the budget deal signed last month.

Defense Spending Bill Will Be Accepted Amid Grousing, Moran Says  (Business Week)  The military spending bill Congress passes for the current fiscal year will be legislation “people can live with,” according to a senior minority member of the House defense appropriations subcommittee.

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Transitionnews 1/3/14

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Friday, January 3 2014:

Good news story of the day

Civilian, veterans group aids local family  (The Ada News)  This is a story about a soldier, his wife and their 9-year-old son. It is also about a soldier who returned from Iraq, was thanked for his service and badly needed a job and a place to stay.

Transition

CES 2014 announces the first tech program for Vets to connect with employers  (Examiner.com)  The CES 2014 convention to be held Jan.7-10 in Las Vegas at the Convention Center will launch the first ever online community to facilitate the hiring and career development of military veterans throughout the technology community.

Veterans Welcome Home and Resource Center to open new reintegration home  (CarolinaLive.com)  Veterans gave up their freedom to protect ours and now the ‘Veterans Welcome Home and Resource Center’ in Little River is in the process of creating a reintegration home to help homeless veterans get back on their feet.

Future veterans training center lands AT&T partnership  (The Telegraph)  A future Warner Robins institution, which will provide training and job assistance for veterans and active military members, will partner with AT&T, officials recently announced.

Employment Help for Military Veterans  (Buckeye Country)  Help is available for military veterans seeking employment through your local Ohio Job One-Stop Office.

Young veterans are fighting for work  (Orange County Register)  Jeffrey Wortham’s intent is clear: You’d better do as you’re told.

Enlisted retention board to convene in June  (Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs)  An enlisted retention board will convene here in June to consider eligible senior airmen through senior master sergeants for retention, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

Veterans

Hawaii hosting wounded warrior athletic competition  (Stars and Stripes)  More than 150 people will participate in a series of athletic events at the inaugural Wounded Warrior Pacific Invitational, Jan. 8-10 in Hawaii, according to event sponsors.

Fayette court program allows veterans to get physical, psychological help instead of jail time  (Kentucky.com)  Lexington veterans who run afoul of the law as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder, drug abuse or other issues stemming from their military service are getting a new chance under a recently launched court program.

Resource center in Wayne to offer aid to female veterans  (Philly.com)  A regional women’s resource center is launching an outreach program in Chester County that will provide educational, housing, and emotional support to female veterans and military members.

Veterans honored with a day of ceremonies  (Louisburg Herald)  A simple gesture brought a smile to dozens of faces at the Louisburg Veterans Memorial on Monday morning — a tiny child sheepishly placing an American flag into the hand of one of the thousands of men and women who defended it honorably.

WWII ace who flew through Eiffel Tower dies in Va.  (USA Today)  World War II fighter pilot William Overstreet Jr., who gained fame for flying beneath the Eiffel Tower’s arches in pursuit of a German aircraft, has died.

Riders salute the fallen on two wheels  (Air Force Times)  On a chilly, clear November morning, retired Air Force Maj. Robbie Smart and 14 other veterans gathered outside the gates of Quantico National Cemetery

Veterans Affairs

Dedicated driver puts veterans first  (SFGate.com)  When a veteran speaks, Duffy Jenniges listens.

VA Hit on Planned Disability Rules Changes  (Military.com)  Some of the country’s leading veterans service organizations have rejected changes proposed by the Department of Veterans Affairs that might create disparities between veterans filing for a disability on paper and those filing electronically.

Central Nebraska Veterans Home Included in National Priority List  (KHASTV.com)  Today, Nebraska’s Department of Health of Human Services’ Director of Veterans Homes John Hilgert received notification from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of the 2014 priority list providing a ranking and funding process for awarding state veteran home construction grants.

VA Ignores Congress’ Questions on Eye Center  (Military.com)  Six months after his office asked a senior Department of Veterans Affairs official why the agency had not, after four years, provided staff for the congressionally established Vision Center of Excellence, Rep. Dan Banishek, R-Mich., is still waiting for an answer.

Benefits

Compensation commission in San Antonio next week  (Military Times)   Military troops, families and retirees in the San Antonio area will have an opportunity to offer feedback next week about potential changes to the military pay and benefits system.

It’s Time to Cut Military Health and Pension Benefits  (DefenseOne.com)  The time has come: Military health and pension benefits, which have more than doubled in the past decade, should be reduced as the defense budget comes down, said a whopping 90 percent majority of National Journal’s National Security Insiders.

Lawmakers Scramble to Undo Military Pension Cuts  (USGovInfo.about.com)  A bipartisan herd of lawmakers are now hurrying to repeal the cuts to military retirement benefits that were so clearly included in the compromise budget bill Congress just uncharacteristically hurried to pass.

Gains in Military Pay and Benefits Stalled in 2013  (Military.com)  As it came to a close, 2013 seemed to leave a kind of high water mark on the wall of more than a decade of steady, impressive gains to military and veterans’ pay and benefits.

Congress Throws Veterans Under the Bus for Illegal Immigrants  (Breitbart.com)  The bill was ferociously opposed by conservative groups in the House because it raises taxes, increases spending, and guts the sequestration cuts that have helped keep spending in check over the last couple of years.

Issa backs repeal of military pension cuts  (The Hill)  House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) is the latest lawmaker to introduce legislation that would repeal cuts to military pensions.

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Transitionnews 1/2/14

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Thursday, January 2d 2014:

Good news story of the day

Convoy completes cross-country ‘Drive for Veterans’ in low-speed vehicles to help wounded veterans (Orlando Sentinel)  Participants in the “Drive for Veterans” were honored recently after completing a cross-country trip via low-speed electric vehicles at the huge retirement community.

Transition

Senate Passes Key Provisions of Kaine’s First Bill, the Troop Talent Act  (PoliticalNews.me)  The U.S. Senate passed key provisions of U.S. Senator Tim Kaine’s first bill, the Troop Talent Act of 2013, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2014.

New personnel chief: Know your options under force cuts  (Air Force Times)  Lt. Gen. Samuel Cox takes the reins as the Air Force’s newest personnel chief at a tumultuous time.

Deployment schedule means change in disbandment for Fort Carson brigades  (The Gazette)   The Army will disband the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team — not its 3rd Brigade Combat Team, as previously announced — by fiscal year 2015, a Fort Carson spokesperson confirmed on Monday.

Veterans

Wounded Warriors to take on new opponents in softball  (The Palm Beach Post)  While the Florida Legends and a lineup of All Stars have had their fair share of competition, on Jan. 18 they will be facing competitors who have been to war and back.

Kansas Honor Flight plans six trips for veterans in 2014  (The Kansas City Star)  The Kansas nonprofit that takes veterans to see their war memorials and other sites in the nation’s capital expects to take six more flights in 2014.

Aid may be available for vets suffering loss of jobless benefits  (Lowell Sun)  With 1.3 million people expected to begin losing unemployment benefits through the federal government this week, Tyngsboro’s veterans’ service officer stresses there is assistance still available for veterans in need.

Iraq War vet makes Colorado’s first pot purchase  (USA Today)  The new year got a little happier for pot smokers in Colorado on Wednesday as the nation’s first retail outlets for recreational marijuana opened their doors.

Veterans Affairs

VA web site for families of veterans with PTSD  (Examiner.com)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has set up a web site specifically for the families of veterans who have PTSD.

Grave markers moved at Maryland veterans’ cemetery  (The Washington Post)  Grave markers were moved and the lawn was damaged Monday at a veterans’ cemetery in Prince George’s County, authorities said.

Benefits

Military pay cut battle is on  (My San Antonio)  This fight starts as soon as Congress reconvenes in January. At stake are billions of military pension dollars that will be cut over the next 10 years to help balance the federal budget. Should our troops pay that price?

Defend military pension cuts: Our view  (USA Today)  One of the best things Ronald Reagan did as president was to revamp federal pensions.

Leave veteran pensions alone: Opposing view  (USA Today)  Cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) cuts passed by Congress in its budget bill are nothing more than a tax on our country’s military retirees.

Cut to military pensions in federal budget angers SC veterans  (The State)  A cut in military pensions that’s part of the budget bill signed by President Barack Obama last week will be a “terrible thing” when it starts in 2015, three SC veterans leaders say.

Security Insiders: It’s Time to Reduce Military Health and Pension Benefits  The time has come: Military health and pension benefits, which have more than doubled in the past decade, should be reduced as the defense budget comes down, said a whopping 90 percent majority of National Journal’s National Security Insiders.

California VA Loan Limits For 2014 Published  (StreetInsider.com)  Blue Loan Services is a full service mortgage company that has been helping California home loan borrowers to find the best loan products and benefit from the lowest mortgage rates and fees for many years.

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Transitionnews 12/31/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Tuesday, December 31st 2013:

Good news story of the day

Fifth Third Bank Chicago Holiday Cheer Benefits Local Military Families & Veterans  (PR Newswire)  Fifth Third Bank (Chicago) today announced that it has contributed in a number of ways, over the holiday season, to help local soldiers, their families, and veterans

Transition

Enlisted retention board to convene in June  (Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs)  An enlisted retention board will convene here in June to consider eligible senior airmen through senior master sergeants for retention, Air Force Personnel Center officials said.

Military members master public speaking as group  (42d Air Base Public Affairs)  “Some people just have the gift and ability to speak,” said Senior Airman Bryce Bellmore, an Air University knowledge operations manager. “I don’t have that, but I’m learning.”

Force cuts, eval changes and more: 15 things you should know for 2014  (Air Force Times)  Budget cuts and events worldwide and close to home mean many changes for airmen in 2014.

Veterans

Bonadio CEO donates to veteran care program  (Accounting Today)  Thomas Bonadio, CEO and managing partner of New York Top 100 firm The Bonadio Group, recently presented a $25,000 check to CDS Monarch in Webster to benefit the nonprofit organization’s Warrior Salute program.

Veterans want boxed dog tag artwork back on display  (Los Angeles Times)  In the basement of Chicago’s National Veterans Art Museum, there are 200 tall, sturdy cardboard boxes in straight rows, lined up like soldiers in formation.

New Year’s Resolution, cut the military and veterans suicide rate  (Examiner.com)  Today, the Army released the suicide data for the month of November 2013.

Wounded Warriors’ park coming to Whitby  (Durham Region)  Peace and tranquility were not familiar concepts to Daimian Boyne when he left the military in 2006.

Operation Homefront racks up December donations for 115 family needs  (San Antonio Business Journal)  San Antonio-based Operation Homefront, which offers assistance to military families and wounded warriors, says individual donors helped it meet 115 individual needs posted on its website.

Veterans Affairs

Veterans Affairs reduces disability claims backlog by one third since March  (PBS)  The Obama administration’s secretary of veterans affairs, Eric Shinseki, said the agency’s made progress with its initiative to eliminate the disability backlog by 2015.

Veterans’ housing project expected to be complete in 2014  (Santa Clarita Valley Signal)  Officials hope to soon cut the ribbon on a project that demonstrates a new level of commitment to America’s veterans: a low-cost housing development allowing vets and their families to own their own homes in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Benefits

Soldier Pushes for Change to GI Bill  (Military.com)  In August 2010, Sgt. 1st Class Angela Dees sent her stepson off to college, a move made possible because she transferred her benefits to him under the GI Bill.

Younger military veterans are angered by budget cuts to their pension benefits  (The Washington Post)  After 25 years of service, including combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, Lt. Col. Stephen Preston retired from the Army and began collecting a pension of nearly $55,000 a year.

States Differ on Retiree Tax Burden  (Kiplinger)  Click on any state in the map below for a detailed summary of taxes on retirement income, property and purchases, as well as special tax breaks for seniors.

Jackson County veterans to benefit from state law exempting disabled veterans from property taxes  (MLive.com)  They fought for freedom and ended up completely disabled as a result.

Many services are available to veterans, the disabled and seniors  (Regal Courier)  Washington County’s veterans’ services coordinator Kimberly Douthit brought a wealth of information to a group of seniors at Royal Villas when she was the featured speaker at its Nov. 23 breakfast in the Clubhouse.

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Transitionnews 12/30/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Monday, December 30th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Southbridge home a beacon of hope, solace for war veterans  (Telegram.com)  After Grace House, a five-bedroom family homeless shelter at 11 Sayles St., closed in 2011, citing financial difficulties, it didn’t take long for Terry J. and Pamela Parker to step in and find a use.

His mission: Build mortgage-free homes for wounded veterans  (Los Angeles Times)  In World War II, Bill Criswell served his country with the Seabees, the U.S. Navy’s construction battalion, which has built military bases, hospitals, bridges and roads around the world.

Transition

Thompson: Military Transition Telemedicine Amendment Signed into Law  (GantDaily.com)  President Barack Obama Thursday signed into law the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.

Retired Marines transition to civilian work with TWEAC program  (The State)  After 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Rodney Neal retired Oct. 31 at 38.

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

Deanna Wharwood and Associates Presents “How to Transition from Military Life to a Small Business That You Love”  (PR-Inside.com)  From February 3 to February 12, 2014, Deanna Wharwood and Associates will host a FREE Webinar Series ( http://www.militarytransitionsystem.com/) for active duty, veterans, military retirees and their spouses who want to start their own small businesses.

5 BCTs set to inactivate this year; MEBs also going away  (Army Times)  The Army has identified new units for inactivation as part of a sweeping reorganization that will cut 10 brigade combat teams and affect as many as 740 units across the force.

Veterans

South Dakota Sailor Walking 50 Miles For Wounded Warrior Project  (KeloLand.com)  A man is using his time off from his Naval Base in California to make a difference here in South Dakota.

Veterans band together in effort to acquire armory  (Republican Herald)  Local veterans are working to form a nonprofit organization in an effort to buy the state armory in the borough’s downtown and turn it into a community center.

Collins, King seek study of Agent Orange link to ill veterans  (Portland Press Herald)  Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King have proposed legislation that would direct the Department of Veterans Affairs to investigate whether some veterans’ health problems are linked to a Canadian military base that was treated with the toxic herbicide Agent Orange.

Veterans warned of scams targeting their benefits  (Great Falls Tribune)  One scam targeting veterans has mostly been quashed in Montana, but another is picking up steam.

At a gun range, combat veterans share their best shots for charity  (Los Angeles Times)  Haley Koko shouldered an AK-47 and aimed uncertainly at the human silhouette on a paper target 25 yards away.

Veterans tap healing power of music in Hampton  (PilotOnline.com)  “Music has charms to soothe a savage breast.”

VA under fire after prohibiting school children from distributing religious Christmas cards  (All Alabama)  The Department of Veterans Affairs has found itself in hot water after it prohibited a group of school children from distributing holiday cards because they contained the phrase “Merry Christmas.”

Veterans group shifts focus to the southern Brevard and beyond  (Asbury Park Press)  After helping more than 600 veterans this year, many of them homeless in the northern half of the county, George Taylor wants his force of volunteers to concentrate on areas in south Brevard and beyond.

Therapy – from one wounded warrior to another  (Statesman Journal)  There are four wounded, ill and injured warriors living in the Voris household. One of them is human; the other three are cats.

Benefits

Obama Signs Bipartisan Budget Slashing Military Benefits for Veterans  (Breitbart)  Rounding out a tough and frustrating year, President Barack Obama signed a bipartisan budget deal Thursday easing spending cuts and a defense bill cracking down on sexual assault in the military, as the president and Congress began pivoting to the midterm election year ahead.

Ohio veterans face Tuesday deadline for bonuses  (Cincinnati.com)  Military veterans who served during the Persian Gulf War era have until Tuesday to claim Ohio bonuses of up to $1,500.

Supreme Court’s ruling on DOMA leaves big changes for same-sex military couples  (Stars and Stripes)  The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on June 26 to strike down a portion of the Defense of Marriage Act ushered in a huge victory for gay rights that was particularly significant and life-changing for same-sex military couples, long denied many of the most basic benefits extended to military families.

FROM THE STATE HOUSE: Nearly half of Maine veterans don’t qualify for health care through VA  (Morning Sentinel)  Not having access to health care is problem our returning veterans shouldn’t encounter, but we’ve heard stories that cause us great concern.

Congress could reconsider military pension cut in January  (The Washington Post)  A cut to military retirement pay in the budget signed Thursday by President Obama has already triggered such a backlash that Congress may vote in January to toss it out.

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Transitionnews 12/27/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Friday, December 27th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Donations fly loved ones to wounded warriors  (Press of Atlantic City)  The charity Luke’s Wings helps family and friends of wounded service members fly to their bedsides during their recovery — and this year, donations were made to the group in the names of Atlantic City’s public safety departments.

Williston volunteer helps seniors, veterans  (The Bismarck Tribune)  Sandy Hampton’s name has become synonymous with volunteering around Williston.

Transition

Group helps vets ease transition to civilian life  (Times Beacon Record)  The transition from military to civilian life is not a seamless one.

100k Jobs Mission Profile: Lockheed Martin  (Military.com)  Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Veterans

Obamas Thank Military Families in Weekly Address  (The Wall Street Journal)  In their holiday address, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama thanked U.S. troops and their families for their service and sacrifice.

Veterans recall Christmases For some, it was just another day; others recall how wartime affected their outlook  (The Reporter Herald)  Not until his second time serving his country did Keith Aschebrock experience being homesick during Christmas.

Mass. veterans look to treatment court for help  (The Boston Globe)  Ed Cowen is a big, tough-looking Marine veteran — 6-foot-4, 295 pounds, with tattoos covering his arms and piercings in his ears, lip, and cheek.

Northport veterans post reveals new $1.17 million look  (Long Island News Day)  Several older veterans are saluting the newly renovated Northport American Legion Post 694, saying it is now more accessible to them.

Veterans honored for volunteered hours  (The Daily Herald)  The Veterans Assistance Commission of Lake County recently recognized Lake County military veterans for 132,090 hours of volunteer service to the Lovell Federal Health Care Center and their communities during an event at the Dover Straits restaurant in Mundelein.

Faces of 2013: Elgin’s Jacob Zimmerman, Kane VAC work to improve lot for veterans  (The Courier News)  In March, Jacob Zimmerman started his job as superintendent of the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission, with a top priority making sure those who served are aware of any aid that might be available to them and running an office that works to make sure any claims are expedited and processed in a relatively timely manner.

Veterans Affairs

One step closer: Metairie firm chosen to design Richland Parish veterans cemetery  (The News Star)  Meyer Engineers of Metairie has been selected to design the new Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Richland Parish near Rayville.

Vets’ housing report draws immediate fire  (Finance & Commerce)  The Select Committee on Veterans Housing owes its origin to a bit of troubling math.

Benefits

For military, benefits and reform are challenge  (The Washington Post)   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 don’t want their benefits cut.

Hagel, Ryan defend retiree COLA caps, except for disabled  (Stars and Stripes)  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., chairman of the House Budget Committee, appear to be in sync in defending the controversial cap that Congress has imposed on cost-of-living adjustments for “working age” military retirees starting in January 2016.

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Transitionnews 12/26/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Thursday, December 26th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Coats for homeless veterans being collected in Joliet, New Lenox  (Southtown Star)  After faithfully serving their country, veterans should not be living under bridges and viaducts.

Transition

VA assists w/transitioning to prepare for job market  (Army.mil)  As part of the revamped Transition Assistance Program (TAP), the Department of Veterans Affairs’ new VA Benefits I and II briefings are now available at Schofield Barracks and Fort Shafter.

Veterans urged to file discharge papers locally  (Mtairynews.com)  They are some of the most important papers you’ll ever receive, and one county official is offering local veterans a way to protect them.

Veterans

Ohio veterans could be eligible for funds  (Ohio.com)  Some Ohio military veterans eligible for state-funded bonuses of up to $1,500 are running out of time to apply for the funds, and officials are concerned that many may not make the deadline.

N.Y. Guard to render final honors for 10,000 veterans by end of 2013  (Army.mil)  The New York Military Forces Honor Guard expects to have provided funeral services for just over 10,000 families in 2013 by the time 2014 arrives at midnight Dec. 31.

Veterans Cafe in SC a combination eatery, museum and hangout for those who have served America  (Associated Press)  There’s a red white and blue sign in the window of the Veteran’s Cafe and Grille that says simply “Welcome Home.”

Veterans Affairs

Shinseki Says VA on Track to End Backlog  (Military.com)  Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki says the agency made progress this year in reducing the claims backlog that has regularly caused heat from some veterans groups and lawmakers.

Vets’ housing report draws immediate fire  (Politics in Minnesota)  The Select Committee on Veterans Housing owes its origin to a bit of troubling math.

VA, HUD Offering Veterans Housing Help  (NBC News)  Veterans seeking help with housing after being discharged from the military may be able to turn to a new program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Veterans Affairs.

VA quiet on employee discipline in Legionnaires’ disease outbreak  (TribLive)  A month since they demanded transparency, Pennsylvania congressmen are waiting for the Department of Veterans Affairs to reveal how it will hold workers accountable for a Pittsburgh disease outbreak blamed for five deaths.

ANN ARBOR: WCC to receive $250,000 from Masco to benefit Veterans Center  (Ann Arbor Journal)  The Masco Corporation Foundation has made a corporate gift of $250,000 to Washtenaw Community College, the largest corporate gift the college has received to date.

Benefits

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.

About the loss of the Early Bird, which spurred the creation of Transitionnews:  With demise of Pentagon’s ‘Early Bird,’ military readers hunt bootleg copies of ‘Morning News’  (The Washington Times)  The Defense Department has terminated its daily compilation of military-related news reports and opinion articles — called the Early Bird — in favor of a more restrictive press-clipping service for only the top brass.

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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 12/23/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Monday, December 23th 2013:

Good news story of the day

There’s no place like a home in Burrillville for wounded warrior / Gallery  (Providence Journal)  “It takes hands to build a house, but it takes hearts to build a home,” a dress-uniformed Marine Corps Master Sgt. Jonathan Braca told a crowd Saturday.

Transition

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

AT&T hiring in Tennessee; Military Veterans Sought  (Clarksville Online)  AT&T* has announced that the company is seeking applicants to fill more than 130 jobs in the Tennessee, including nearly 50 new jobs.

Firms step up efforts to hire veterans  (The Detroit News)  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. Since August, Miranda has been working at Home Depot in Totowa, N.J., where he and two fellow vet employees refer to each other by their former military ranks.

JBLM: DOL Awards $5.5 Million for Transitioning Servicemembers at JBLM   (PoliticalNews.me)  Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) applauded the announcement by the U.S. Department of Labor of a $5,586,385 National Emergency Grant (NEG) to assist approximately 900 transitioning military personnel at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM).

Veterans

New VA dental program could benefit thousands of Gaston vets  (Gaston Gazette)  For all the virtues of the Veterans Affairs health care system, its approach to dental services has caused many people to grind their teeth.

ANN ARBOR: WCC to receive $250,000 from Masco to benefit Veterans Center  (Ann Arbor Journal)  The Masco Corporation Foundation has made a corporate gift of $250,000 to Washtenaw Community College, the largest corporate gift the college has received to date.

A misunderstood statistic: 22 military veteran suicides a day  (The Los Angeles Times)  In most discussions of suicide and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — including the online buzz that followed publication of a Times analysis on how young California veterans die — one statistic gets repeated most: 22 veterans kill themselves each day.

Phoenix: No more homeless veterans  (The Denver Post)  Phoenix says it has eradicated chronic veteran homelessness.

Burial Space In Demand For Veterans  (The Wall Street Journal)  As interments of veterans and their dependents climb to a record level, the Department of Veterans Affairs is rushing to add burial space at the fastest rate since the Civil War.

Veterans Affairs

VA Is Pressed on Lobotomies  (The Wall Street Journal)  Senior House lawmakers are pressing the Veterans Administration to track down veterans still living who underwent lobotomies at VA hospitals during and after World War II.

Audit faults Michigan on handling of veterans’ benefits  (the Detroit News)  Michigan’s department overseeing veterans’ benefits — reorganized this year — did a poor job choosing people to run its programs during the prior decade, according to a new state audit.

New VA dental program could benefit thousands of Gaston vets  (The Gaston Gazette)  For all the virtues of the Veterans Affairs health care system, its approach to dental services has caused many people to grind their teeth.

Blount County Veterans Affairs Office bring cheer to local vets  (The Daily Times)  The Blount County Veterans Affairs Office has helped bring a little Christmas cheer to local vets by giving them holiday cards from across the nation and world.

Audit: Michigan veterans department lacked accountability, failed to ensure vets receive maximum benefits  (Michigan Live)  For nearly two decades the Michigan military and veterans affairs department has failed to track performance or spending by organizations receiving state grants to help vets access benefits and other assistance.

McAuliffe names retired Adm. John C. Harvey Jr. to be veterans affairs secretary  (The Washington Post)  Virginia Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe continued to fill out his Cabinet on Friday, nominating a retired four-star Navy admiral to serve as secretary of veterans affairs and homeland security.

Benefits

Hagel Promises More Military Pay, Benefits Cuts  (Military.com)  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel pledged Thursday to continue efforts to cut the growth rate of military pay and benefits despite deals in Congress that eased the Pentagon’s budget crunch.

Lawmakers renew push to prevent military pension cuts  (Fox News)  A group of Republican lawmakers has renewed an effort to undo pension cuts to military retirees included in the recently passed budget agreement and offset the costs by reining in an IRS credit that illegal immigrants have claimed.

For troops, commissaries are still a valued benefit  (Army Times)   Even with the increasing encroachment of low-cost “big box” stores, commissaries remain a highly valued benefit for active-duty members — especially enlisted troops — and their shopping habits bear that out, according to a subscriber survey conducted by Military Times.

Special ops vets slam military benefit cuts  (The Washington Times)  Former members of U.S. special operations forces on Thursday demanded President Obama veto the budget bill Congress just passed, saying that the cuts to military retirement benefits — which even the bill’s authors now admit were a partial mistake — are an insult to veterans.

Benishek bill would help protect military retirees’pensions  (The Mining Journal)  U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Crystal Falls, helped introduce legislation last week that would repeal a section of the recently passed bipartisan Ryan-Murray budget deal affecting military retirees.

Finnegan’s veterans assistance program continues to grow  (The Washington Post)  There are not many things that copyright law and veterans’ benefits have in common — but Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner is one of them.

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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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