Good news story of the day

March Was First Month Without U.S. Fatalities in Iraq or Afghanistan In 11 Years  (Time)  For the first month since February, 2003, no U.S. troops died in Afghanistan or Iraq last month.

Military Transition and Jobs News

Veterans Job and Resource Fair set for Thursday  (Shreveport Times)  A job and resource fair targeted at veterans and service personnel who will depart the ranks in coming months is scheduled for Thursday at the Bossier Civic Center on Benton Road.

Understanding vocabulary of returning vets will help them find jobs  (KSL)  With the unemployment rate for veterans still significantly higher than the national average, a simple lesson in military vocabulary might help drive down that number and help our nation’s heroes gain valuable employment.

War Veterans Open Up About Employment Challenges At Home In This Activision PSA  (FastCompany)  The unemployment rate for post-9/11 American veterans is higher than their non-veteran peers and it’s likely just going to get worse as the Pentagon gets set to shrink the U.S. Army to around 450,000 members, down from a high of 570,000.

Veteran, 21, Says Macy’s Denied Her Job Because of Her Service  (ABC6 On Your Side)  A 21-year-old Afghanistan veteran says she was denied a job at Macy’s because she served in the U.S. military.

USC Price raises scholarships for student veterans  (The University of Southern California)  The USC Price School of Public Policy raised more than $128,000 in scholarship funds for its undergraduate veterans and ROTC reserve officers at a fundraising reception in Beverly Hills.

Jersey vets need help to find jobs: Editorial  (NJ.com)  It remains a mystery why military veterans who come home to New Jersey when their service ends have a tougher time finding jobs than anywhere else in the 50 states.

Veterans News

Veterans gather for coffee, support  (Gazette.net)  A cup of morning coffee is bringing together a group of residents Monday mornings at the Chick-fil-A in La Plata.

April is Paralyzed Veterans Awareness Month  (Business Wire)  April marks Paralyzed Veterans of America Awareness Month and the 68th anniversary of the founding of the veterans service organization.

Student Veterans: An Investment Paying Off  (Military.com)  That veterans struggle after going from the military into a scholastic environment is a point of view not shared by Student Veterans of America (SVA). And data seems to back up their stance.

VA Faces Backlash, Reverses ‘Morally Wrong’ Cuts That Would Affect Homeless Veterans  (The Huffington Post)  The Department of Veteran Affairs is hoping a reversal in policy will appease some community groups fighting veteran homelessness.

Gov. Scott asks answers in VA hospital deaths  (Tampa Bay Online)  Gov. Rick Scott is the latest politician seeking answers about deaths at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals.

Veterans Affairs Scrutinized Over Rehiring of Employee After Fatal Incident  (NBC Washington)  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, one of the government’s largest employers, is under congressional scrutiny for its handling of a high-level employee in the wake of a News4 I-Team investigation.

Benefits News

Study Finds Over One Million Caring for Iraq, Afghan War Veterans  (The Wall Street Journal)  Megan Stewart follows her husband, Tim, around the house in Coloma, Mich., trying to make sure he remembers things like putting on his jacket before going outside or turning off the stove after making dinner.

Forging Partnerships, Building Friendships and Serving Veterans…the Washington State Way  (The White House)  It’s hard for one person to change the world. But with the power of partnerships, more specifically friendships, I truly believe that anything is possible!

Commissary cuts could hurt MWR programs  (Military Times)  Proposed cuts in commissary funding not only would drive shoppers away because their grocery prices would rise, but also could have a “devastating” ripple effect on base morale, welfare and recreation programs, advocates said.

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Good news story of the day

Army Vet, Military Dog Duo Keeps NYC Subways Safe  (ABC News)  Growing up on a military base, NYPD Transit Crime Unit Officer Juan Rodriguez always looked up to his father, a sergeant major with U.S. Army Special Forces.

Military Transition and Jobs News

3rd Annual Empowering Our Veterans Focuses on Entrepreneurship and Employment  (WHNT)  Calling all veterans, transitioning active-duty service members, and military spouses!

Milford career center helps veterans with more than just jobs  (Wicked Local)  A year after Steven Crosby was diagnosed with cancer, he lost his job. Then, his wife lost her job as she cared for him during his treatments and fought through the bureaucracy of getting him insured.

Thousands must go: Task force charged with keeping the best, cutting the rest  (Marine Corps Times) There are more than 4,000 Marines in line to reenlist this year, but fewer than 400 spaces remain, meaning even the top performers among them are at risk of being arbitrarily shown the door when their current contracts end.

Job fair Tuesday to help veterans find civilian work  (KTVB)  Hero 2 Hired is a chance for those serving in the military to ease back into civilian work.

Student veterans learn transition skills at Upstate event  (The State)  Robert Thomas remembers feeling overwhelmed when he attended college registration in a large gymnasium at the University of South Carolina as a student veteran.

Early retirement extended to Active Reserves  (Marine Corps Times)  Manpower officials have extended early retirement incentives to Active Reserve Marines, according to a recently published message.

Veterans News

Veterans Affairs cut claims backlog by 44 percent since last year’s high  (The Washington Post)  The Department of Veterans Affairs has cut its backlog of pending benefits claims by 44 percent since saying in March 2013 that its caseload had reached a “tipping point.”

Veterans health fair set at courthouse  (NewCastle News)  A veterans health fair has been scheduled for Friday.

More Nashville VA officials could face discipline  (The Tennessean)  The chairman of a key U.S. House committee is asking what action has been taken against Veterans Affairs officials in Nashville and Washington, D.C., who helped an employee abandon his assignment in Tennessee and run up over $100,000 in unauthorized expenses.

‘Out of Options’: Veterans With PTSD Hit Pot Underground  (NBC News)  Marine veteran Logan Edwards worried he could become one of the 22 former members of the armed services who, on average, commit suicide every day.

Outrage as V.A. hides names of hospitals where vets died from delays  (Washington Times)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) blocked the release of the names of hospitals where 19 veterans died because of delays in medical screenings, leading to calls for transparency from news outlets and a bipartisan group of Capitol Hill lawmakers.

Marine battled back, yet fell to suicide  (U-T San Diego)  He rarely spoke of it. Not to his family or best buddies, fellow Marines or medical staff watching over him.

Benefits News

High hopes that Gov. Cuomo will sign Jobs for heroes bill  (Legislative Gazette)  After nearly a decade-long fight, a bill that would facilitate the awarding of state contracts to disabled veterans passed the Senate and Assembly last week, all but guaranteeing the legislation will be signed into law once it is delivered to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desk.

Scott Signs Bill Giving Tuition Break to Vets  (WJHG)  Governor Rick Scott spent part of his day in Panama City signing the Florida G.I. Bill. The bill offers a tuition break to honorably discharged veterans regardless of when they moved to the state.

Local veteran’s benefits caught up in red tape  (Northwest Ohio)  More than 400,000 claims have been unprocessed this year for disabled veterans seeking health and pension benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs.

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Good news story of the day

102-year-old, veteran highlight Caddyshack Charity Golf Tournament kickoff event  (News4Jax)  Actor and comedian Bill Murray is in town for the 14th annual Caddyshack Charity Golf Tournament events, which began Thursday morning with the Pond Charity Golf Classic and lots of surprises in store.

Military Transition and Jobs News

City hiring veterans, military for fitness instruction  (News For San Antonio)  The city is looking for a few good men and women to help them get San Antonio in shape.

Job fair for military veterans  (MyFoxNY)  Many soldiers trading in uniforms for a suit and tie attended the hiring our heroes job fair at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan.

Job fair in Macon for area veterans  (Union-Recorder)  The Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation agency will host a job fair for area veterans next month in Macon.

GDOL hosts job expo for veterans  (NBC11Alive)  The Georgia Department of Labor and the Aviation Institute of Maintenance team up to host a job expo for veterans and others looking for employment in Gwinnett County at the Aviation Institute located at 2025 Satellite Point in Duluth on April 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Job hunting for veterans: ‘My resume went into a black hole’  (The Guardian)  This week, military veterans finally received a better crack at getting jobs

Veterans News

Iraq war vet introduces military suicide prevention bill  (CNN)  The first Iraq war combat veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate introduced legislation on Thursday aimed at reducing the number of military veterans who commit suicide.

Joplin 2014 Veterans Enterprise Forum  (Four State Home Page)  Area veterans learn about various programs available to assist with their benefits.

Flags display, Senate bill put focus on veteran suicides  (Stars and Stripes)  A new bill aimed at improving suicide prevention for veterans was introduced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday, as nearly 2,000 flags were planted within view of the Capitol — each one representing a current or former servicemember who had committed suicide so far this year.

Benefits News

Military Update: Exchange-commissary merger could help each survive  (The Sentinel)  Thomas C. Shull, chief executive officer of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is not, which helps to explain his March 17 memo proposing a merger of commissaries with exchanges to try to save both.

Service Members Weigh in on Benefits  (U. S. Navy)  Senior local military commanders, senior enlisted advisers and retired veterans spoke with the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission (MCRMC) during a public hearing panel at the Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor Island hotel March 26.

Benefits backlog for veterans has shrunk, but critics say VA still not working fast enough  (Bay Area News)  Whenever Vietnam veteran Don Cooper asked about his request for an in-home aide, the Oakland VA regional benefit office told him the same thing: A decision would take 14 months.

Mo. Veterans Commission accused of failing to file claims  (KSDK)  Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) plans to demand an audit into the Missouri Veterans Commission for what she calls an egregious failure to help veterans.

Veterans Receive Help With Benefits  (Missourian)  Veterans turned out Sunday to sign up for VA medical benefits and ask questions during a special event at AT&T in Washington, an official said.

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Good news story of the day

Iowa House OKs benefits for veterans  (Quad-City Times)  The Iowa House passed wide-ranging legislation Wednesday aimed at attracting military veterans to work and live in Iowa.

Military Transition and  Jobs News

Job seekers attend base employment fair  (JDNews)  With resumes in hand, more than 1,000 job seekers attended the Camp Lejeune employment and education fair on Wednesday.

Veteran Transition Workshop  (KIROTV)  The Veteran Transition Workshop is available to our veterans and spouses whether they are currently going through their Transition Assistance Program (TAP) or have been out of the military for some time.

Transition GPS: Navy helps prepare Sailors for civilian life  (DC Military)  Service members planning to retire or separate from military service within the next year should hurry and register for the Transition GPS — Goals, Plan, Succeed — class.

Sailors leaving Navy over stress on social issues, Top Gun instructor says  (The Washington Times)  A Navy F-18 fighter pilot and former Top Gun instructor is publicly warning admirals that retention is beginning to suffer from the military’s relentless social conditioning programs.

AF civilians have another shot at early retirement, separation  (Air Force Times)  The Air Force said March 26 it will offer a second round of early retirements and voluntary separation payments to civilian employees.

Veterans News

Veterans benefit from third-annual Stand Down in Torrington  (The Register Citizen)  A group of veterans stood at attention and saluted the American Flag as the national anthem played at the Torrington Armory Wednesday.

Obama Pays Tribute at Graves of World War I Soldiers  (New York Times)  President Obama paid homage Wednesday to the American soldiers who died at Flanders Fields in the battles of World War I, which began 100 years ago and took the lives of hundreds of thousands.

‘Environmental Poisoning’ of Iraq Is Claimed  (New York Times) An advocacy group representing American military veterans and Iraqi civilians arrived here on Wednesday armed with a message for the United States government: Washington must do something for the thousands of people suffering from what the group called the “environmental poisoning” of Iraq during the war.

Benefits News

More veterans taking advantage of Post-9/11 GI Bill  (Florida Courier)   In the year since Clemson University launched its Student Veterans Success Center, its volunteer staff has worked to transform the small alcove in the School of Computing into a place where those transitioning from military to civilian life can connect with their peers.

DiNapoli Finds Veterans Are Not Informed of Health Benefits Options  (Rockland County Times)  Poor coordination of health benefits for veterans by the state Department of Health (DOH) and local social services departments resulted in many veterans being placed in the state’s Medicaid program rather than federal programs, according to an audit released last week by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

Legion pushes VA to continue progress on claims  (Military Times)  The American Legion’s national commander is happy with work Veterans Affairs Department officials have done on their disability claims and veteran outreach goals.

DoD official: ‘Tough choices’ necessary on pay and benefits reform  (Military Times)  Defense Department Comptroller Robert Hale pleaded with Senate lawmakers Wednesday not to undo money-saving personnel changes in the fiscal 2015 budget proposal, saying such a move would devastate spending plans for years to come.

Senators weigh impact of proposed Tricare fee hikes  (Military Times)  Military advocacy groups appear divided over a Pentagon proposal to consolidate Tricare health programs, but all agree that active-duty families should not have to pay higher medical costs just because they don’t live near a military hospital.

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Schultz Family Foundation Commits $30 Million To Help Veterans Navigate The Challenges Of Returning To Civilian Life  (PR Newswire)  The Schultz Family Foundation announced a $30 million commitment to help America’s veterans overcome the challenges of returning to civilian life and maximize their skills for America’s businesses and communities.

Military Transition and Jobs News

The 8 Best Jobs for Military Veterans  (Business News Daily)  Many military veterans will attest to the fact that finding work after their time in the service can be a difficult one.

Stockton College Hosts Veteran Resource and Employment Fair April 4  (The Sandpiper) Active military, veterans and civilians are invited to attend a free Veteran Resource and Employment Fair at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 4.

Career Tips For Military Veterans Starting to Work in Civilian Positions  (Examiner)  There are so many articles and sites with tips on how to find a civilian job when you have served in the military and are now a veteran seeking employment. Now here you are one of the fortunate veterans to have found a job, you have been hired and next week you start.

A look at Air Force FY14 Force Management: Transition Assistance Program  (17th Training Wing Public Affairs)  As Fiscal Year 2014 Force Management programs continue to reduce military strength numbers, an increasing amount of personnel are participating in the Transition Assistance Program, which is required by law.

‘Boots to Business’ Helps Troops Become Entrepreneur  (Defense.gov)  When Sandra Gonzales and Tony Turin were enrolled in the Defense Department’s Transition GPS course, they found their career calling through an optional entrepreneur track called “Boots to Business.”

Great Career Opportunities For Transitioning Military Veterans  (WTVR)  Top companies want military-experienced talent for civilian jobs.

Cash to leave in 2015: AF cranks up retirement, separation budget  (Air Force Times)  The Air Force is planning to spend as much as $1.6 billion on separations and early retirements by the end of fiscal 2015, according to budget documents submitted to Congress.

Veterans News

 Obama administration urges veterans to sign up for Obamacare  (Washington Examiner)  The Obama administration is encouraging military veterans to sign up for Obamacare as it pulls out all the stops to maximize enrollment ahead of the March 31 deadline.

Safe environments assist transition of student veterans (USC News)  There is no universal way to support student veterans with mental health issues but, generally speaking, providing a safe environment on college and university campuses has proven effective.

Veterans struggle to upgrade less than honorable discharges  (ABC2News)  For former military veterans, there is one rule to having “bad papers:” Keep it silent.

Pennsylvania DMVA Announces Veterans’ Trust Fund Grant Recipients  (The Street)  The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has selected 9 Pennsylvania-based organizations to receive $342,020 in grants from the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Trust Fund (VTF).

Ex-soldier shot by deputy served in hard-hit JBLM Stryker battalion  (The News Tribune)  The Army veteran shot to death late Friday by a Pierce County sheriff’s deputy was a former Wilson High School student who fought in Afghanistan with a Joint Base Lewis-McChord Stryker battalion that experienced more fatal casualties than any other comparable unit.

Benefits News

Report: Most GI Bill veterans make good on education benefits  (Washington Post)  A new report indicates that more than half of U.S. military veterans who used the GI Bill recently have earned a postsecondary degree or certification, suggesting educational benefits for former service members are paying off.

Vets group calls for better suicide prevention services  (Military Times)  When Kristofer Goldsmith tried to kill himself six years ago, the Army responded by kicking him out of the military for misconduct.

VA Benefits Seminar  (Cherokee One Feather)  April 5 from 1-3pm at the Cherokee Indian Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall.

Veterans with PTSD can now use medical marijuana  (WZZM13)  Last week the Michigan medical marijuana review board added post traumatic stress syndrome to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana.

Comprehensive Health Care for Veterans  (VetWire)  With the deadline for having to choose a health care plan looming, Veterans can breathe a bit easier with new eligibility options for a comprehensive health care package.

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Mizuno picks Myrtle Beach military vet for new ‘Play Famously’ golf campaign  (Beaufort Gazette)  Once Tony Taylor decided he was going to retire after eight years in the Marines, he had some time to contemplate his second career.

Military Transition News

Gouldsboro woman aids servicemen and women in transition to college life  (The Times-Tribune)  Lauren Runco Williams first became interested in the issues affecting today’s veterans through her ex-husband, an Army vet.

Fair gives veterans a chance to find jobs  (AZCentral)  A jobs and services fair to help veterans and their families find employment and avail themselves of appropriate government programs drew visitors and vendors to the Marist College campus Saturday.

Veteran and spouse job fair in Casper  (Trib.com)  A veteran and military spouse job fair will be in Casper from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Best Western Ramkota Inn and Conference Center.

Tequesta to pay veterans to attend police academy  (The Palm Beach Post)  Returning veterans can have their police academy training paid for by the village and then become Tequesta police officers.

Maine Conservation Corps sends warriors into wilderness with new veteran program (KJOnline)  Maine Army National Guard member Dylan Cookson loves his job.

Study: Student vets have higher graduation rates than nonvets  (Military Times)  Student veterans seeking associate and bachelor’s degrees under the GI Bill have slightly better graduation rates than their nonveteran peers, data from a new Student Veterans of America study suggests.

Veterans News

Non-profit takes military vets on helicopter hog hunt in North Texas  (KHOU)  The sound of a roaring helicopter is one many veterans haven’t heard since serving in the military, but a group of vets climbing into one Friday didn’t seem to miss a step.

Cuomo Holds Summit Benefiting Veterans and Military Families in New York  (LongIsland.com) Providing jobs, affordable housing and educational opportunities for veterans and military families were on the summit’s agenda.

Texas Sues ‘Veterans’ Group’ for Alleged Deceptive Practices  (Breitbart)  In a copy of court documents obtained by Breitbart Texas, the AG’s Office filed suit against The Veterans Support Organization (VSO), a Rhode Island 501(c)(3) organization and four officers, CEO Richard Vanhouten, Administrative Director Michelle Vanhouten, Director Steven Casella and Director Robert Cruz.

Interviewing Veterans-Enriching For Every Generation  (Algona.com)  More and more Americans are looking forward to the holidays—and other occasions—as a way to look back.

Veterans 5K Race scheduled Thursday  (TimesWV)  Pierpont Community & Technical College will hold its annual Veterans 5K Race on Thursday.

Marines and Veterans Ride Waves to Reconditioning with their families at Del Mar Beach  (CSRWire)  Injured Marines, veterans and their families took to the waves at Del Mar Beach at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base this morning as part of a special reconditioning program to help them heal from their wounds.

Veteran’s service project set to gear up  (Goshen News)  Aging veterans may not have to clean their gutters this spring.

Pierce County sheriff’s deputy kills ex-soldier in University Place  (The News Tribune)  A Pierce County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a 25-year-old former soldier late Friday after a confrontation in University Place.

After 70 years, WWII gunner finally accepts Purple Heart   (Air Force Times)  Richard Faulkner volunteered for the Army Air Forces on October 10, 1942, two days after he turned 18. Less than a year had passed since the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, and signing up, he believed, was his duty.

Benefits News

House bill would delay commissary budget cuts  (Military Times)  Another legislative proposal has been introduced to ward off cuts in commissary funding — at least until the commission that is studying all military compensation completes its work.

Military Pension Reform 2.0  (The Wall Street Journal)  The U.S. military’s current benefit system is unsustainable. Health care and retirement costs are spiraling upward as a percentage of the Pentagon budget, and the trajectory is already crowding out war-fighting capability.

Salem County Veterans Corner: Military service and Social Security benefits  (NJ.com)  There has been a lot of talk about veterans receiving their credit for military service on their Social Security benefit payments.

VA urged to make lung disease service-connected  (Military Times)  A New York congressman wants the Veterans Affairs Department to make a rare lung disease found in some Iraq and Afghanistan veterans service-connected, meaning having the condition automatically would rate compensation and care from VA.

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