Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 2/3/14

Good news story of the day

Student organizing second annual 5K for the Wounded Warriors Project  (Tallahassee.com)  Sarah Jean Fickett had no idea what to expect when she set out to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project last year.

Military transition

10 Valley companies hiring workers now  (ABC15.com)  If you are currently out of the workforce or looking for a new job, there are hundreds of employers looking for workers in the Valley. We found these companies and more on indeed.com , simplyhired.com and jobing.com .

Program connects military students to help ‘take care of our own’  (The GW Hatchet)  The University’s office of military and veteran student services has launched a peer support program to ease the transition for more than 130 students this spring.

Veterans given tools for civilian job hunting  (Sun Sentinel)  They came out of the Army, Marines, Air Force and Navy more skilled than they went in, and many thought employers would welcome them with a job.

Veterans-services director helps MWCC students stand tall  (Sentinel & Enterprise News)

Standing comfortably between jarheads and student soldiers, some big and boisterous, others slight and quiet, Veteran Services Director Kristine Larkin trades verbal jabs with veterans as they socialize, plan and study, in that order.

St. Anthony: IT firm helps military vets embrace civilian careers  (Star Tribune)  After a two-year hitch in the Army, Kyle Marks, a veteran of the Iraq war, worked some on landscaping crews and built decks.

Aviation company bringing 155 jobs to Martinsville, Va.  (MyFox8.com)  More than 150 jobs are headed to Henry County, Virginia, according to the Winston-Salem Business Journal.

Veterans

Female veterans salute their sisters-in-arms  (The Gazette)  Patriots of all ages gathered at Disabled American Veterans Chapter 26 last month for a program saluting U.S. women who have served their country at home and abroad.

South Carolina looks to join fight against fake veterans  (The Augusta Chronicle)  Imposters who lie about being a decorated war veteran for monetary gain could face more than federal charges in South Carolina under a new bill making its way through the Legislature.

Automobile swap meet to benefit veterans  (The Daily Tribune)  Mark Land, purveyor of vintage hot rods and longtime nostalgic drag racing enthusiast, travels all over the country to car-related events. Last year he decided Bartow County would be a fitting place to host just such a gathering.

Success of Maine veterans court inspires plan to expand  (Portland Press Herald)   For Travis Bentley, it wasn’t the daily barrage of bullets, explosions and rocket fire during his two tours in Iraq that proved too much to bear. It was the return to civilian life in Maine.

Maj. Gen. Spragins, who introduced black beret, dies at age 90  (The Island Packet)  Retired Army Maj. Gen. Charles Echols “Pete” Spragins, who introduced the black beret to the uniform of the Airborne Rangers, died Wednesday at his Lady’s Island residence.

Lodi police kill Iraq veteran allegedly armed with knife  (Sacramento Bee)  When the aftereffects of his post-traumatic stress disorder made him very anxious, Parminder Singh Shergill, a Gulf War veteran from one of the Central Valley’s most established Sikh families, would simply start walking.

Veteran says he’s been cheated out of benefit worth thousands  (WBCV.com)  A new vehicle, courtesy of the federal government is one of many benefits disabled veterans are entitled to receive when they come home.

Agencies, organization work together to end vet homelessness  (Cadillac News)  A network of volunteers and government employees are looking out for veterans in need, especially the homeless. They have one goal in common, to end veteran homelessness by the year 2015.

Veterans affairs

Wilmington VA gradually rolling out services for veterans  (Star News Online)  The new Veterans Affairs health care center at the Wilmington airport is saving some residents the four-hour round trip to Fayetteville, but has not yet realized its full potential as the incremental rollout of services faced delays.

VA acquires Colorado land for new cemetery (Weatherford Democrat)  Land has been purchased by the Department of Veterans Affairs in Colorado for a new national cemetery.

Department of Veterans Affairs launches veterinary care program for service dogs  (Examiner.com)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is now offering US veterans with a service dog unlimited access to veterinary care.

Records workers dumped, destroyed or lost 1,800 veterans documents  (St. Louis Post Dispatch)  Paid for speed in handling documents pulled from 100 million federal employee records, two workers at the National Personnel Records Center here have admitted dumping, destroying or misfiling at least 1,800 of them, court records show.

Desperate WWI vets marched on Washington  (Chicago Tribune)  On Aug. 2, 1932, William Hushka of 2316 W. 23rd Place, Chicago, was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery, five days after he was killed when police and soldiers raided a shantytown occupied by World War I veterans in the nation’s capital.

Veterans dying because of treatment delays at VA hospitals, document says  (Fox News)  The Department of Veterans Affairs has linked the recent deaths of at least 19 vets diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and 2011 to appointment backlogs and delays at VA hospitals and clinics and resulting hindrances in care, according to an internal document.

Benefits

Veterans group seeks action to cut backlog of claims  (USA Today)  The government’s effort to cut a backlog of pending compensation claims for veterans has stalled at about 400,000 cases, and steps are needed to understand what is and isn’t working to solve the problem, says a group representing recent war veterans.

Bypassing Congress on defense cuts  (Politico.com)  The Pentagon has learned that if it can’t go through Congress to get what it wants, sometimes it’s best best to try going around.

Interview: Gates talks pay reform, toxic leaders and more  (Military Times)  Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates oversaw the troop surges in both Iraq and Afghanistan during his tenure at the Pentagon from 2006 to 2011.

MacDill families fear commissary closings  (Tampa Bay Online)  For those who live on the base and the thousands of military retirees living nearby, the MacDill commissary offers about 30 percent savings over the cost of food and other items at civilian supermarkets.

Push for new national cemeteries, as veteran deaths bring sites near capacity  (Fox News)  National cemeteries across the country are starting to reach capacity amid an increase in the number of veterans dying — fueling a push for the government to approve new sites, particularly in states that don’t have any.

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 1/31/14

Good news story of the day

Wounded Warriors Remain Undefeated  (WFUV.org)  The Wounded Warriors defeated the 9/11 First Responders in their annual football game, 32-14.

Military transition

Warriors in Transition Benefit Banquet  (KULR8.com)  It’s all to raise money for wounded soldiers and their families.

Hiring Orlando vets  (Winter Park/Maitland Observer)  When veterans leave the military, they face the very real challenge of finding work again.

Securitas Security Services USA Adds 6,706 Military Veterans To Its Employee Base  (PR Newswire) As a member of the 100,000 Jobs Mission coalition that was launched in March 2011, Securitas Security Services USA is proud to announce that it has added 6,706 veterans to its employee base in the year 2013.

Veterans job fair set for Feb. 6 in Glendale  (KPHO.com)  Local and national companies will be looking for qualified military veterans to fill thousands of positions at a veteran job fair in Glendale on Feb. 6.

Defense, DHS, VA drive rise in federal employment  (FCW.com)  GAO Report on Recent Trends in Federal Civilian Employment and Compensation.

Military Spouse Transition Workshop  (KIROTV.com)  The Military Spouse Transition Workshop is available to our spouses of military service members and veterans who are currently going through their Transition Assistance Program (TAP) or have been out of the military for some time.

Commission: Move Manpower Into Air Reserve, National Guard Components  (Defense News)  The US Air Force should look at moving as much manpower into the Reserve and Air National Guard components as possible, according to a new report from a congressionally mandated panel.

Veterans

PepsiCo holding benefit for veterans  (AP)   PepsiCo Inc. is making a $1 million donation and streaming a live concert Friday to benefit injured military veterans and their families.

Fresno teen accused of robbing, beating 92-year-old WWII vet to be tried as adult  (The Fresno Bee)

Found unfit to be tried as a juvenile, a 16-year-old Fresno boy made his first appearance Wednesday in Fresno County Superior Court in connection with the home-invasion robbery of 92-year-old World War II veteran Josef Martin.

A Troubled Marine’s Final Fight  (Time)  David Linley’s last night as a free man began, like so many others before it, in his dark basement, watching Band of Brothers.

Veterans group says military suicide rate is ‘out of control’  (Military Times)  Suicide prevention is the No. 1 legislative priority this year for the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, says Paul Rieckhoff, the group’s founder and CEO.

Veterans fight the organic fight at Delaware Valley College training program  (Philly.com)  With his burly physique and woolly beard, Brandon Barnhart looks every inch the laid-back country kid from tiny West College Corner, Ind.

Veterans Honored at Gala Valentines Concert  (Market Wired)  National nonprofit organization Help Hospitalized Veterans (HHV) in cooperation with Soldier’s Wish and the Yavapai County Community Foundation will host a gala Valentines for Veterans Salute to America’s Veterans Concert on February 13, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. at the Yavapai College Performance Hall in Prescott, Arizona.

Veterans affairs

Navy Yard Shooting: Gunman Aaron Alexis Convincingly Lied To Doctors At Veterans Affairs  (Huffington Post) The gunman who killed 12 people in last year’s rampage at Washington’s Navy Yard lied so convincingly to Veterans Affairs doctors before the shootings that they concluded he had no mental health issues despite serious problems and encounters with police during the same period, according to a review by The Associated Press of his confidential medical files.

Veteran Affairs Releases Book  (KMOT.com)  For anyone looking to reflect on their days of service, the North Dakota Department of Veteran Affairs is giving out a book called, “Korea Reborn: A Grateful Nation Honors War Veteran for 60 Years of Growth.”

Federal Agencies Partner to Protect Veterans, Service Members and Their Families Using GI Bill Education Benefits, Launch New Online Complaint System  (Defense.gov)  The Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Education and Justice, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission announced today the launch of a new online complaint system designed to collect feedback from veterans, service members and their families who are experiencing problems with educational institutions receiving funding from federal military and veterans educational benefits programs, including benefits programs provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the DOD Military Tuition Assistance Program.

Veterans dying because of health care delays  (CNN.com)  U.S. veterans are dying because of delays in diagnosis and treatment at VA hospitals.

Veterans Center Aids EFSC Students  (Space Coast Daily)  For Rob Ganoe, it means an opportunity for veterans to “find enrichment and complete our education.”

Benefits

Repeal military pension cuts now, Sen. Jeff Sessions says, as Pentagon asks for commission study  (AL.com)  Sen. Jeff Sessions said he’s glad Pentagon leaders are joining lawmakers to call for changes to planned pension cuts for working-age military retirees.

Push for new national cemeteries, as veteran deaths bring sites near capacity  (Fox News)  National cemeteries across the country are starting to reach capacity amid an increase in the number of veterans dying — fueling a push for the government to approve new sites, particularly in states that don’t have any.

Senate panel approves bill to extend in-state tuition to veterans  (NJ.com)  Just over a month after New Jersey extended in-state college tuition to unauthorized immigrants who grew up here, the state Legislature is looking to expand tuition breaks to another group of people.

No Plans In The Works To Close Base Commissaries, Says Top Military Official  (KPBS.org)  The rumor mill has been circulating the same piece of information for months – that the Department of Defense plans to close all stateside base commissaries.

Military-pensions hearing raises alarm on cost of pay  (PilotOnline.com)  The uproar last month over changes to military pensions may have worked – senators from both parties indicated Tuesday they want to repeal the measure and put money back into the pockets of working-age retirees.

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 1/28/14

Good news story of the day

Glendale Heights collecting valentines for veterans  (Daily Herald)  Do you remember how fun Valentine’s Day was in elementary school?

Military transition

JPMorgan Chase Announces $1 Million Investment in Higher Education Programs for U.S. Military Veterans  (Business Wire)  JPMorgan Chase & Co. announced today it will invest $1 million to fund higher education programs for U.S. military veterans including grants to Florida State College at Jacksonville, University of South Florida, The University of Texas at Arlington and San Diego State University.

Veterans still fighting for survival in tough job market  (CNN Money)  The transition from soldier to civilian is rough.

Protecting Our Veterans From Domestic Enemies  (The Huffington Post)  The nation has changed dramatically since I returned from World War II in 1946.

Corporate jobs initiative meets 100,000 vet hiring goal  (USA Today)  A coalition of companies that vowed in 2011 to hired 100,000 veterans within a decade has made its goal seven years early, announcing today that 117,439 former service members have since been provided jobs.

Solar jobs attracting industry veterans  (Fierce Energy)  The Solar Foundation (TSF) has released its fourth annual National Solar Jobs Census, which found that the U.S. solar industry employed 142,698 Americans in 2013, including the addition of 23,682 solar jobs over the previous year — a 19.9 percent growth in employment since September 2012.

Veteran job fair Tuesday at Temple VA  (KWKT.com)  On January 28, Veterans are invited to a job fair from 9 a.m. to noon at the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center, part of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System.

Fort Bliss summit to teach businesses and military veterans about jobs  (El Paso Times)  How companies can hire military veterans and how veterans can find jobs will be covered at the two-day Fort Bliss Veterans Jobs Summit Feb. 3-4.

Veterans Corner: Veterans Job and Resource Fair on April 10  (The Sentinel)  Mark your calendars.

Veterans fair offers help with housing, jobs, benefits  (The Record Searchlight)  North State veterans struggling to make ends meet may be eligible for a variety of essential services and benefits unknown to them.

Veterans

Are U.S. Veterans Selfish?  (Time)  It’s an impudent question, but one that naturally surfaces given the outrage rolling in from assorted veterans’ groups as Congress and the Pentagon seek ways to trim government spending that sometimes affect those who have volunteered to fight America’s wars.

HOA wants Palm Coast man to remove wounded warriors flag from home  (WFTV.com)  A Palm Coast man said he’s racking up hundreds in fines for refusing to take down a flag that supports America’s wounded warriors.

UM Brain Injury Research to Benefit Athletes, Military  (ABCFoxMontana.com)  Professional athletes and members of the military could soon benefit from traumatic brain injury research at the University of Montana.

Connecting Veterans To Capital (The Street)  Pan American Bank today announced the “Connecting Veterans to Capital” workshop scheduled for February 5, 2014.

Afghan war vets, St. Louis researchers seek answers on head injuries  (St. Louis Post Dispatch)  For hours on route clearance missions in southern Afghanistan, Sgt. Michael Ritchey crammed his short body into a Husky, a single-seat vehicle that loosely resembles an armored road-grader.

It’s wounded amputee team, with Wisconsin native, vs. ex-NFL players  (Journal-Sentinel)  Sure, Jeremy Stengel loves the camaraderie of flag football.

For injured veteran, war continues even at home  (PilotOnline.com)  Chuck Rotenberry can talk about the virtues of others, both man and dog, at length.

Veterans affairs

ANN ARBOR: VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System honored for patient care  (Ann Arbor Journal)  VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (VAAAHS) celebrated being the first healthcare organization to be awarded Planetree Silver Merit recognition for Significant Advancement in Patient-Centered Care with a special award ceremony featuring presentations by veterans and their loved ones who have received health care at the Ann Arbor VA.

Want to know why Wilmington’s VA compensation case backlog keeps growing? So would we (Delaware Online) Today marks the 38th day since I asked the Dept. of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., for an on-the-record official to discuss why disability compensation cases were being transferred from Baltimore and Philadelphia to Wilmington and other northeast Veterans Benefits Administration offices last year, increasing Wilmington’s backlog – which continues to grow despite an overall national trend in the opposite direction.

VA closes community-based health care clinics Tues. and Wed. for weather  (The Times-Picayune)  The New Orleans office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will close 10 community-based health care clinics Tuesday and Wednesday due to predicted snow, sleet and ice.

Latest breach at VA has Congress asking more questions  (FCW)  The latest data breach at the Department of Veterans Affairs — this one exposing thousands of veterans’ personally identifiable information in a mid-January software glitch — has Congress again questioning the agency about its IT security practices.

At VHA, Doctors, Nurses Clash on Oversight  (Wall Street Journal) The Veterans Health Administration is taking heavy fire from doctor groups over a proposal to let nurses with advanced training practice medicine without physician supervision throughout the VHA system—even in states where laws require more oversight.

Xerox Helps Department of Veteran’s Affairs Automate Healthcare Claims Pricing  (Business Wire)  Xerox has been selected to improve the healthcare claims pricing strategy for the Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.

Benefits

Omnibus VA bill would repeal pension reductions, ensure benefits during future  shutdowns  (Fierce Government)  An omnibus veterans affairs bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) would  fully repeal pension reductions, ensure veterans benefits if the government  shuts down again and introduce new veteran hiring goals.

TRICARE military centers closing walk-in services in April  (Standard-Examiner)  A personal touch looks to be disappearing from the military health benefits system.

Iowa Senate passes tax exemption for military retirement pay  (The Gazette)  The Iowa Senate voted Monday to exempt military retirement pay from state income taxes – a move that backers hope will encourage more veterans to stay, return or move to Iowa.
Top enlisted retirees push back on COLA cuts  (Military Times)  Chip Hoynes retired from the Coast Guard in 2007, landing a high-paying job with a defense contractor in the same field he worked in on active duty.

Hearings: Senate panel to examine military pension cut  (The Washington Post)  Lawmakers are off to a busy start after returning from a week-long break, with some notable congressional hearings taking place on Tuesday.

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 1/27/14

Good news story of the day

Veterans five months into trek from Milwaukee to Los Angeles  (Fox6Now.com)  For the past five months, two Milwaukee-area Iraq war veterans have been walking nearly every day.

Military transition

1,700+ Ga Vets Registered on Operation:Workforce  (CoosValleyNews.com)  Operation: Workforce, an online one-stop shop portal for all veteran employment issues in Georgia, is currently serving more than 1,700 veterans and 730 Georgia employers.

SEMO helping develop guide for schools to assist veterans  (The Daily Statesman)  Southeast Missouri State University has joined in a statewide effort that will create a guide to assist Missouri’s colleges and universities in becoming more “military friendly.”

AlliedBarton in Conshohocken helps keep veterans, retirees employed  (The Reporter)  Jerold Ramos chuckled when he recalled his first security job that paid $3.35 an hour back in the ’70s.

Transitioning to Civilian Life Through Higher Education  (The Flathead Beacon)  Barely a few years removed from serving as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, Robert Daniels was an alcoholic living in the streets.

Pro athletes share with military veterans how to get back in the game  (The Gazette)  Former NFL wide receiver Chris Sanders has never experienced combat.

100,000 Jobs Mission Reaches Goal Seven Years Early; Companies Hire 117,439 U.S. Military Veterans  (Market Watch) The 100,000 Jobs Mission announced today that its coalition members hired a total of 117,439 U.S. military veterans by the end of 2013 – surpassing the coalition’s original goal seven years early.

Veterans

Veterans Help People Sign Up for Insurance Plans Under ACA  (Philly.com)  U.S. military veterans are serving on a new mission at Cape Regional Medical Center.

Retired colonel homeless after 30 years in military  (Military Times)  Retired Air Force Col. Robert Freniere unintentionally became the public face for homeless veterans after a Philadelphia newspaper wrote about his struggle to find work.

Local nonprofit delivers quilts to wounded veterans  (The Oakland Press)  Miracle Quilts delivers quilts to wounded veterans at the American Legion Wilwin Lodge near Trout Lake and to veterans at the Michigan Veterans Foundation in Detroit.

Helping veterans overcome travails, Town of Lockport woman offers hope through SERV Niagara  (The Buffalo News)  Jennifer O. D’Andrea-Terreri spent most of her childhood on the Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., so she knows all about the military mindset.

Veterans group recognizes those who help the military  (The New Hampshire Union Leader)  For those who served, both at home and abroad, it’s such a relief when someone can help fix a broken car or even a broken spirit through acts of generosity.

Records belie Pike County vet’s claims  (Pocono Record)  Newly obtained records tell a story profoundly different than the one supporters of Pike County Army veteran Timothy Flaherty have told about how he was injured in Afghanistan.

Veterans affairs

Therapy options grow for wounded veterans  (Orange County Register)  Sin’s department commissions a study every other year to identify the needs of female veterans.

Vietnam vet a symbol of overcoming VA delays  (Orlando Sentinel)  A Vietnam War veteran from Fort Lauderdale who suffered severe burns in combat and financial hardship back home will be watching from the House gallery Tuesday night when President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address.

Rising demand drives up cost of Scituate veterans programs  (Boston.com)  Scituate officials are grappling with high veterans’ costs for the fourth year in a row, but it’s a trend administrators don’t expect to last into the long-term.

Veterans’ service directors struggle to catch ‘double dippers’  (WCPO.com)  Some Ohio veterans are purposefully double dipping into pools of taxpayer cash set aside to support military families in crisis.

Louisiana’s Sen. Vitter touts work on ‘essential’ needs of veterans  (The Advertiser)  U.S. Sen. David Vitter wants to see local community clinics built, the national Veterans Affairs backlog reduced and retired military personnel protected in the budget.

Clinton County Veterans Affairs Office welcomes public with open house  (The Express)  The new Clinton County Veterans Affairs office is a real hit.

Veterans exposed to cadaver parts from contaminated lab  (The Chicago Tribune)  he Department of Veterans Affairs ordered $241 million of cadaver tissue and other material derived from human and animal bodies in the last three years, some of it from vendors warned by federal regulators about contamination in their supply chain.

House Veterans Committee adds latest VA cyber breach to ongoing investigations  (Federal News Radio)  The House Veterans Affairs Committee continues to press the Veterans Affairs Department over its struggle to secure its systems and the data of tens of millions of veterans.

Benefits

Iowa politicians line up to support veterans  (The Palm Beach Post)  Gov. Terry Branstad and state lawmakers are billing an effort to enhance services for veterans as a way to attract new residents to Iowa, but it’s tough to gauge if this push will really have an impact on the state population.

The last salute: Veterans can expect specific funeral protocol  (PNJ.com)  Retired Army. Col. Allan Ford of Pensacola is planning for his eventual funeral to include horses pulling his remains in a caisson to the grave site.

Vet Groups Vow to Fight Commissary Cuts  (Military.com)  Military family and benefits advocates said they plan to fight a new Pentagon proposal to gut the commissary program by slashing its funding.

Elder Law: Congress likely to change Veterans Affairs benefits this year  (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) While only a small percentage of the millions of veterans and their families use the Aid and Attendance benefit offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, it is clearly a vital program for those in need of medically related assistance with their daily activities.

In State of the Union, military often takes a back seat  (Stars and Stripes)  Military watchers are hoping the president’s State of the Union speech Tuesday will feature lengthy passages about the war in Afghanistan, the recent reductions in military retirement pay or the veterans claims backlog.

Veterans’ group cautiously optimistic about DOD’s new directive  (One News Now)  Last week the DOD announced changes in its regulations that relax its rules regarding religious items like turbans and beards and religion-based physical attributes for its military personnel.

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for Thursday 1/24/14

Good news story of the day

Verizon to fund hospice care for veterans  (Southern Maryland Newspapers Online)  With U.S. Census Bureau figures showing that 1 in 10 Charles County residents and 1 in 4 terminally ill Americans have served in the armed forces, Hospice of Charles County will expand its hospice services to provide care for veterans.

Military transition

Ready to get out? Army ramps up transition help  (Army Times)  Regulations require that separating soldiers receive transition services no later than one year before departing active duty, but Army is moving toward a strategy that will initiate those services much earlier in a soldier’s career.

Hired! For Veterans   (Fox News)  While unemployment levels are down overall, younger veterans, female veterans and older veterans are still struggling. Here are company’s looking to hire America’s heroes and their spouses.

Exelis, Korn Ferry and Points of Light Train Veterans to Apply Military Experience to Leadership in Civilian Careers  (WSJ Online)  Through its corporate volunteer service program Exelis Action Corps, defense and aerospace company Exelis Inc. has partnered with global talent consultancy Korn Ferry and nonprofit organization Points of Light to launch the Leveraging Military Leadership Program.

Veterans

Bitter cold affects agency that helps veterans, donations needed  (Fox6Now.com)  The frigid temperatures are affecting so many things — utility bills, car batteries and the homeless. One agency has experienced an influx of homeless veterans and their families seeking shelter — and that is causing a problem.

Disabled Veterans National Foundation Reflects on 41st Anniversary of Vietnam War’s Conclusion  (Yahoo.com) The Disabled Veterans National Foundation, a nonprofit veterans service organization that focuses on helping men and women who serve and return home wounded or sick after defending our safety and our freedom, is reflecting upon the importance of the coming anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. January 27th will mark the 41st year since the war came to an official end.

Congressmen join Veterans Lobby Day at statehouse  (WCF Courier)   A pair of Iowa’s U.S. House members were at the State Capitol Wednesday talking about better treatment of military veterans.

Shumlin promotes programs for vets and military  (Bennington Banner)  Gov. Peter Shumlin promoted programs for veterans and military personnel at his weekly news conference Wednesday.

Veterans affairs

Bill would give O.C. a veterans cemetery  (Orange County Register)  Orange County could become home to a veterans cemetery if a bill introduced by Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva passes through the legislature.

Veterans get physical with Saginaw’s Lutz Veterans Affairs Medical Center program  (MLive.com) Military veterans are used to carrying 65 or more pounds in a rucksack, but some could use help to lose weight they put on after leaving active service.

VA Medical Center opening delayed until December  (Orlando Sentinel)  After a long standoff over when the Orlando VA Medical Center would officially open, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the contractor for the new medical center have agreed on a date: December, more than two years later than promised.

Editorial: Too many veterans’ advisers cheat the government  (Tampa Bay Times)  Aging military veterans are being used by a growing coterie of unethical benefits advisers who see an opportunity to rip off a pension program and veterans alike.

Biloxi VA aims to be more patient-oriented  (SunHerald.com)  The times are changing and the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System aims to change with them.

U.S. Vets Exposed to Contaminated Cadaver Parts From Labs  (Bloomberg.com)  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ordered $241 million of cadaver tissue and other material derived from human and animal bodies in the last three years, some of it from vendors warned by federal regulators about contamination in their supply chain.

Benefits

Is COLA cap relief tied now to a rocket or a falling star?  (Stars and Stripes)  Senate Democrats have tied repeal of the COLA cap for working-age military retirees to a mammoth veterans’ health and benefits bill that they aren’t sure yet how to pay for or whether Republicans will support it.

Senate to Vote on Veteran Benefits Reform Bill  (Executive Gov)  The Senate is set to decide on legislation that would extend various veteran privileges and create new benefits for former military service members, Federal News Radio reported Thursday.

Sanders touts bill that will benefit vets  (Berkshire Eagle)   Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., spoke with reporters across the country via teleconference Wednesday, describing and praising his most recently proposed bill.

VA Benefits may help your parents afford assisted living  (Examiner.com)  Assisted living costs can easily creep upwards of $4,000, making it very difficult for some seniors to get the assistance they need.

Veterans fair offers help with housing, jobs, benefits  (Redding.com)  North State veterans struggling to make ends meet may be eligible for a variety of essential services and benefits unknown to them.

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Transitionnews for Tuesday, January 21st 2014:

Good news story of the day

Fort Bragg projects set to break ground  (FayObserver.com)  Two national nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping troops and their families will break ground on Fort Bragg projects this week.

Transition

Study: Marine vets from non-combat jobs more likely to draw unemployment  (Marine Corps Times)  A new study offers surprising insights about Marines’ use of unemployment compensation and education benefits once they leave the Corps, and has inspired creation of a calculator that can help determine who may need greater assistance transitioning to civilian life.

Michigan Values Veterans Conference  (Crain’s Detroit Business)  The conference is for employers who would like to learn more about hiring veterans can help build a strong workforce.

No end in sight for Marines’ Wounded Warrior Regiment as war winds down  (Marine Corps Times)  The war in Afghanistan may be ending, but the Marine Corps’ Wounded Warrior Regiment isn’t going anywhere.

AlliedBarton Security Services Hires 5,000 Veterans in 2013  (Market Watch)  AlliedBarton Security Services, the industry’s premier provider of highly trained security personnel, hired more than 5,000 military veterans and reservists in 2013, fully supporting their Hire Our Heroes(SM) initiatives.

Student veterans one step closer to in-state tuition  (Tallahassee.com)  The transition to college could get a little bit easier for student veterans in Florida.

Aegis hires over 600 Military Veterans and their spouses in USA  (IIFL)  Aegis Limited, a global outsourcing and technology services company, announced today that it has hired more than 600 US military veterans and spouses during 2013.

US Army Studying Replacing Thousands of Grunts with Robots   (DefenseNews.com)   The postwar, sequestration-era US Army is working on becoming “a smaller, more lethal, deployable and agile force,” according to Gen. Robert Cone, head of the service’s Training and Doctrine Command.

Defense Industry Ponders Where It Goes From Here  (National Defense)  The Pentagon was declared the big winner of the massive federal budget bill that Congress passed for fiscal year 2014.

Veterans

Disabled veterans would be given preference for state contracts under bill proposed by Sen. Ritchie of Heuvelton  (North Country Now)  Disabled veterans would be given preference for state contracts under a measure supported by Sen. Patricia Ritchie of Heuvelton, who represents western St. Lawrence County.

New York law gives preference to vets for state temp jobs  (StaffingIndustry.com)   A new New York State law gives military veterans preference for state temporary jobs normally filled by employees from for-profit temporary staffing firms, New York State Sen. Greg Ball’s office announced.

Veterans can earn a reduction in their property tax through new new Veteran’s Work-off Program  (WickedLocal.com)  Veterans who have served their country honorably can apply for a reduction in taxes if they are willing to work for it.

Foreclosed-on Veteran Sues Bank Over ‘Dual Tracking’  (SCVNews.com)  Sixteen months after Habitat for Humanity volunteers rehabbed his Stevenson Ranch home, a military veteran is suing JP Morgan Chase over what he claims was an illegal foreclosure.

Veterans cemetery nears completion  (SFGate.com)  Muddy roads will soon give way to asphalt and bare ground transformed with sod and landscaping as construction of the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery near Slidell enters its final stages.

Fighting for each other; veterans band together  (The Chippewa Herald)  Garth Johnson of Stanley has lots of experience fighting with the Veterans Administration to get medical benefits.

Veterans Affairs

Kognitio CEO Steve Millard Named to Executive Board of Xavier University’s Center for Veterans Affairs  (Financial Content)  Steve Millard, president and chief executive officer of Kognitio, has been named to the board of the Center for Veterans Affairs at Cincinnati’s Xavier University.

Next Leader of Pittsburgh VA Must Implement Significant Reforms Following Deadly Legionnaires’  (Politicalnews.me)  U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced that he has sent a letter to Robert A. Petzel, M.D. Under Secretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs, calling for a fresh vision as the VA seeks a new director of the VA Health Care VISN4, which includes the VA Pittsburgh Health System.

SD kicks off Reaching All Veterans, aims to locate 75,000 vets in state  (The Daily Republic)  The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs has kicked off one of the most aggressive outreach campaigns in the history of the department: Operation RAV (Reaching All Veterans).

Benefits

What Will Congress Cut to ‘Support Our Troops’?  (National Journal)  Congress undid some of its planned cuts to veterans’ benefits in the latest spending bill, but it also left the vast majority of the reductions in place.

Senate to hold hearing on pending COLA cuts  (Military Times)  Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., has scheduled a hearing to examine the impact of the pending cost-of-living adjustment cuts for military retirees.

N.D. vets eye Pentagon’s pension cuts; Congress trying to undo change  (Grand Forks Herald)  North Dakota veterans are watching, but not yet pounding on doors, over recent cuts to military pensions for some veterans.

Lawmaker’s plan would offer tax credits for hiring vets  (AZDailySun.com)  A Lake Havasu City lawmaker wants to add some teeth to the concept that it pays to hire a vet.

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