Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 3/12/14

Good news story of the day

US Paralympic Team Includes 8 Army Veterans  (Military.com)   An active-duty soldier and seven Army veterans are competing this week in the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Military Transition

80 employers to recruit veterans in ‘Hiring our Heroes’ Grand Rapids job fair  (MLive)  A job fair targeted at U.S. military veterans is returning to Grand Rapids.

Minnesota Veterans Art Experience To Offer Vets Creative Outlet, Ease Transition  (KCENTV)  The Red Wing Arts Association has teamed up with Paul Riedner to create the Minnesota Veterans Art Experience (MVAE), a series of free art events for vets across the state.

Re-up, retention bonuses for select few, budget documents show  (Air Force Times)  Competition for bigger, but fewer, re-enlistment bonuses will be much tighter this year and next.

N.C. congressmen question DoD’s plans for 440th Airlift Wing at Fort Bragg  (FayObserver)  Four congressmen from North Carolina have sent a letter to the Department of Defense raising concerns over the possible shuttering of a Fort Bragg unit.

Veterans

SDSU’s College of Business Ranked Among Top 20 Schools for Military Veterans  (The Business Journal)  The College of Business Administration at San Diego State University (SDSU) announced today that the college was ranked as the 18th best business school in the nation for M.B.A. programs available to military veterans by Military Times magazine.

One of Vietnam’s fiercest battles recalled in film  (Union-Tribune)  They were days of survival, just south of the Demilitarized Zone in Vietnam during the winter of 1968.

THE UNCOUNTED  (CNN)  More than a dozen medals lined a shelf in Liz Snell’s home.

Veterans Affairs

More veterans suffer from ALS, but VA moves to help  (Sacramento Bee)  Thomas Corbett may never know what – if anything – from his five years as a heavy-equipment mechanic in the Marine Corps brought on the disease that likely will steal from him the use of nearly every one of his muscles and, sometime in the next several years, his very breath.

Joint hearing to focus on future Veterans Affairs budget  (Washington Post)  The House and Senate veterans’ affairs committees are scheduled to hold a joint hearing on Wednesday to discuss funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, roughly one week after President Obama proposed boosting the organization’s budget by 3 percent.

Vets battle VA on post-Vietnam Agent Orange claims  (Military Times)  Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Paul Bailey never fought in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia, where many U.S. troops were exposed to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

OSHA investigates propane explosion and fire at Veterans Affairs construction site in Aurora  (The Denver Channel)  An explosion sparked a fire at the Veterans Affairs construction site at E. 17th Ave. and Fitzsimons Pkwy in Aurora overnight. That’s just a few blocks northwest of E. Colfax Ave. and Interstate 225.

Casey, Heller Unveil VA Backlog Report, Legislation  (PoliticalNews.me)  Chairs of the VA Backlog Working Group, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Dean Heller (R-NV), along with Senators David Vitter (R-LA), Jon Tester (D-MT), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS), released the 21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act, comprehensive legislation designed to reduce the backlog of veterans’ disability claims.

Leidos Awarded Contracts by Department of Veterans Affairs  (The Wall Street Journal)  Leidos, a national security, health and engineering solutions company, today announced three contract wins from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to help the agency maximize operational efficiencies, reduce healthcare costs, and improve veteran care.

Congress Must Step Up for Veterans   (The Huffington Post)  Watch TV these days, look around online, or go to a live sporting event, and it’s nearly impossible to miss the growing appreciation of the sacrifices made by America’s veterans.

Benefits

Helping veterans with education, benefits (WTNH)  What’s essentially a one-stop shop for veterans is being set up today to help them sign up for some programs and to help them move forward in life after the military.

VA seeking to educate vets on unclaimed benefits  (KTAR)  Calling all veterans in need of health care, education assistance, even home loans.

Using Cultural Guides to Bridge the Veterans’ Employment Gap  (The Huffington Post)  Veterans’ employment is a national topic; look no further than the constant media and White House attention it receives.

‘No rationale’ for Tricare’s refusal to cover genetic tests  (Military Times)  A change in medical classifications last year has left clinical laboratories across the U.S. carrying a $10 million tab for Tricare.

Commissary fruit, vegetable prices may soar in some Pacific stores  (Military Times)  Commissary officials are floating a proposal that could cause the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables to skyrocket in stores in Guam, Japan and South Korea.

Inhofe Wants More Info on Confusing DoD Budget ‘Now’  (Defense News)  The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee wants the Pentagon to clear up lingering confusion about its 2015 spending blueprint. And he wants it to do so “now.”

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 3/11/14

Good news story of the day

Marine Dad Surprises his Kids  (Military Times)  Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School students Peytan and Tillman Caskey knew their dad was coming home from Afghanistan on Friday. But they did not expect him to show up at school.

Military Transition

PAVE program helps disabled Inland Empire veterans find jobs  (The Sun)  Knowing that college was not what he wanted to do in his 20s, Mike Metal joined the Navy and trained to fight pirates in the dangerous waters off the east coast of Africa.

Best for Vets: Business Schools 2014  (Military Times)  As service members and veterans have become bigger priorities for schools, some are starting to offer MBA degrees tailored to the military.

Welcome efforts to connect veterans to jobs  (The News Tribune)  With the military anticipating serious downsizing in coming years, organizations like Rally Point 6 have their work cut out for them.

G.I. Jobs Releases the 2014 Top 20 Hot Jobs for Veterans  (IT Business Net)  G.I. Jobs, the premier media resource for transitioning service members, today released its second annual list of the Top 20 Hot Jobs For Veterans.

New York National Guard Hosts Veterans Job Fair At Lexington Avenue Armory on March 27  (BlackAnthem)  The New York National Guard will host a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hiring our Heroes Job Fair on Thursday, March 27 at the Lexington Avenue Armory.

Air Force details fleet cuts, states hardest hit  (Air Force Times)  The Air Force on Monday announced specifics on planned cuts to its fleet over the next five years, including 50 F-15Cs heading to retirement and multiple MQ-1 Predator units upgrading to the newer Reaper drone.

How Big Will the US Army Be in 2019? Not Even the Army Knows  (Defense News)  Just as the budgeting office of the US Army was preparing to submit its fiscal 2015 budget, last-minute word from the White House turned everything on its head.

How the Army plans to thin the ranks  (Army Times)  If you’ve been hoping for a chance to voluntarily end your contract and collect a payout, don’t hold your breath.

Veterans

After a conviction, help for incarcerated veterans  (Baltimore Sun)  The Iraq War veteran wants to get his paralegal certificate.

Rep. Tom Cotton: Hire a Veteran  (NewsMax)  Employers should hire veterans because of the skills they gain from their military service, said Senate hopeful Rep. Tom Cotton, a former U.S. Army captain.

Military veterans especially unhappy at federal agencies  (The Washington Post)  The federal government’s annual employee-satisfaction survey shows that veterans’ perceptions of workplace fairness are more negative than their non-veteran counterparts, and they’re more likely to feel disengaged from their supervisors, according to a Federal News Radio article that explores some of the causes of those trends.

Many veterans who are prescribed opioids become chronic abusers  (Examiner)  The states of war in Iraq and Afghanistan in this era has lead to high rates of prescribing of opioids for U.S. military veterans.

Navajo military veterans struggle with housing  (Los Angeles Times)  In World War II he served as a Navajo code talker, one of the Marines who became legendary by using their native tongue to transmit messages the enemy could not decipher. Years later, to express its appreciation, the Navajo Nation built Tom Jones Jr. a house.

Are Marine departures a taste of things to come in N.C.?  (FayObserver)  As state leaders begin to build a virtual wall around our military against a possible future base realignment and closure, some Marines are already slipping through.

Military retiree tapped as new DoDEA director  (Military Times)  A retired Amy colonel with 12 years of experience in education administration in public schools has been named the new director of the Department of Defense Education Activity.

Veterans Affairs

VA budget tackles two major goals  (Daily World)  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has proposed $68.4 billion in discretionary spending, largely for health care, with goals to eliminate years of medical claims backlog and a focus on reducing homelessness among veterans.

Veteran’s Affairs office will soon have new home  (WAFB)  Tony Coleman and his coworkers at the Department of Louisiana Veteran’s Affairs provided a tour of their service office on North Boulevard Monday.

Veterans Affairs office in Baton Rouge getting evicted after complaining about building  (The Times-Picayune)  After officials with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs in Baton Rouge publicly complained about the condition of the building the city-parish is leasing for them, their landlord now plans to evict them.

Petition started to keep 800 VA jobs from moving out of downtown St. Louis  (KMOV)  St. Louis Board of Alderman President Lewis Reed is fighting to keep hundreds of Veterans Affairs from moving to St. Louis County.

Bill would speed progress on claims backlog  (Military Times)  The backlog of benefits claims pending with the Veterans Affairs Department has dropped by almost half from this time last year, when it made headlines as a national embarrassment and an insult to the service of veterans.

Benefits

Immigration change gives legal status to undocumented relatives of US military  (Fox News)  Immigration reform may be stalled in Congress, but a new Obama administration policy is extending legal status and military benefits to thousands of illegal immigrants who are the spouses, parents and children of American military members.

“Homefront Connections” can provide valuable information for area veterans  (WCF Courier)  Veterans, mark down March 19 on your calendar.

Military Update: Commissaries to be run as a business, not a benefit  (NJ.com)  Behind the plan to slash taxpayer support of commissaries is a concept Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his senior advisors have embraced: That base grocery stores should operate as a business and not a benefit.

Proposed military retirement overhaul would reduce overall compensation  (Fierce Government)  The Defense Department outlined two possible ways to revamp the military retirement benefits system, both of which would offer more upfront benefits to military members while reducing overall compensation after retirement.

Social Security Q&A: Military retirement; IRA withdrawals  (Providence Journal)  Q: Will my military retirement affect my Social Security benefits?

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 3/10/14

Good news story of the day

A real-life Rosie  (Mansfield News Journal)  “My mom was the original Rosie the Riveter,” Doug Dickerson is proud to say.

Military Transition

Area nonprofit a one-stop shop for those leaving military  (The Olympian)  Bernard Bergan didn’t have a clear idea of what he wanted to do as he wound down his Army career last summer.

When Veterans Enter the Job Market  (WSJ Online)  After 15 years defending the cyber front lines for the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Michael Gdula figured his experience would make it easy to land an information-technology security job in the private sector.

CNO predicts steady manning levels, outlines plans to shelve some ships  (Navy Times)  The Air Force is looking to send home more than of 20,000 airmen this year. And the Army likely will be forced to slash four times as many soldiers in coming years.

Proposed spy plane cuts have area around Beale Air Force base worried  (Sacramento Bee)  Leanna Whiteley took a telephone order for a plate of chicken enchiladas, then listed her ties to Beale Air Force Base.

Post-9/11 vet unemployment rate jumps to 9.2 percent  (Military Times)  The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans jumped in February, nearly erasing the gains of a few months ago, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show.

Veterans

Military veteran ID cards granted on honor system  (TribLive)  Pennsylvania military veterans can apply for special driver’s licenses or ID cards showing their veteran status, but the state is relying on “self-certification” and random audits to ensure no one is scamming discounts, benefits and recognition.

ID cards available to county veterans  (LimaOhio.com)  American military veterans filed in to the Delaware County Recorder’s office Saturday to purchase a new ID card.

Ohio inmates mount tribute to military veterans  (WXIX.com)  Inmates and staff have put up murals and military paraphernalia at a southern Ohio prison to create what they call a “Veterans Corridor” in tribute to people who served in the U.S. military.

More military consumers cite aggressive debt collection  (Military Times)  Debt collection is emerging as a big issue for service members and veterans, according to data released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on March 6.

Remains of Tacoma airman killed in 1969 will finally return  (The News Tribune)  More than 44 years after his plane was lost in combat during the Vietnam War, U.S. Air Force Capt. Douglas David Ferguson is coming home.

Fundraiser identifies Marine pilot killed in crash  (Marine Corps Times)  A fundraising effort has identified the pilot who was killed March 1 when his F/A-18C crashed in Nevada as Marine Corps Capt. Reid Nannen.

‘Band of Brothers’ veteran William Guarnere dies  (CNN)  William Guarnere, a World War II veteran popularized by the “Band of Brothers” miniseries, has died. He was 90.

Veterans Affairs

Veterans covered under VA care meet requirements  (Insurance News Net)  Veterans who already have Veteran Affairs health care are covered under the new American Care Act requirements.

Altman: VA’s calculation of outstanding claims questioned  (Tampa Bay Online)  From their home in New Port Richey, Lauren and Jim Price have been waging a battle against the Veterans Administration, which they say is an overtaxed system that is not responsive to the needs of those who have served.

Report: VA didn’t pay some veterans’ health costs  (PNJ.com)  Even as the Obama administration works to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured Americans, government investigators uncovered dozens of cases where the Department of Veterans Affairs failed to cover emergency hospital costs for uninsured disabled veterans.

VA announces rollout of Secure Veteran Health Id cards  (Perry Daily)  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a phased roll out of newly designed and more secure Veteran Health Identification Cards.

Examiner Editorial: Veterans Affairs department needs stem-to-stern overhaul  (Washington Examiner) Drastic measures are called for when people have to work in “a poorly maintained, often older, office building in which the environment puts the occupants at risk for upper respiratory conditions.

VA has yet to close on long-delayed Western New York cemetery  (The Buffalo News)  Four years after the Obama administration agreed to establish a national veterans cemetery in Western New York, and 17 months after Sen. Charles Schumer revealed Veterans Affairs had selected a site, the federal government has yet to purchase the land.

More vets suffer from ALS, but the VA moves effectively to help  (News Observer)  Thomas Corbett may never know what – if anything – from his five years as a heavy-equipment mechanic in the Marine Corps brought on the disease that likely will steal from him the use of nearly every one of his muscles and, sometime in the next several years, his very breath.

Benefits

Pentagon: No formal proposal for retirement overhaul until 2015  (Navy Times)  Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel wants to wait until next year before asking Congress to make fundamental changes to the current military retirement system, a Pentagon spokesman said Friday.

These Are the Pentagon’s Ideas for Reforming Retirement Benefits (Defense One)  The Defense Department has outlined several possibilities for overhauling retirement benefits for military personnel, which could provide more cash up front to service members but limit overall compensation.

Military health, grocery benefits under pressure  (Albuquerque Journal)  One of the two biggest changes to military compensation proposed in the president’s 2015 defense budget request would roll back, after 20 years, an offering of multiple health-insurance options to millions of beneficiaries.

Group: Medicaid expansion would cover some vets  (Insurance News)  About 21,100 veterans in Virginia and 4,100 of their spouses could qualify for health coverage under Medicaid if lawmakers decide to expand eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, according to estimates.

North Carolina lawmakers are questioning proposed changes to the military’s Tricare health system  (FayObserver)  Members of Congress who represent Fort Bragg are pressing defense officials for answers about changes to a military healthcare program.

DoD Budget: Expect Big Changes In Five-Year Spending Priorities  (Defense News)  Just before Maj. Gen. Jim Martin, the US Air Force budget director, walked into the Pentagon briefing room on March 4, an aide slipped him a note.

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 3/6/14

Good news story of the day

Sources: Marine Kyle Carpenter will receive MoH for heroism in Afghanistan  (Marine Corps Times) William Kyle Carpenter, a Marine Corps veteran who was severely wounded during a November 2010 grenade attack in Afghanistan, will receive the nation’s highest combat valor award later this year, Marine Corps Times has learned.

Military Transition

Veterans, Disabled Hiring Requirements Looming  (Human Resources Executive)  A significant number of affirmative-action requirements go into effect for federal agencies and contractors March 24 that experts are concerned might blindside more than one employer.

Free career programs for veterans, spouses available through Syracuse University  (Army.mil)  The Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University is currently enrolling eligible veterans and their spouses in an online program to enhance their career skills and job marketability.

Federal agencies partner to help protect veterans, servicemembers, Families using GI Bill Education Benefits  (Belvoir Eagle)  The Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense, Education and Justice, along with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission announced the launch of a new online complaint system designed to collect feedback from veterans, servicemembers 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.

Intel seeks three wounded military veterans for one-year trainee jobs  (Oregon Live) John Reschar wants to make sure the word is heard: Intel Corp. has made it a priority to identify and recruit three wounded military veterans to fill one-year, fully paid jobs as project management analyst trainees.
Job conference set up specifically to help veterans  (The Daily Gazette)  Saratoga County will sponsor a hiring conference geared specifically to veterans next Wednesday at Empire State College in Saratoga Springs.

Air Force halts voluntary separation pay, 15-year retirements  (Air Force Times)  The Air Force Personnel Center has halted processing of early retirement and voluntary separation applications for both officers and enlisted.

Building a U.S. Army of 125,000 Spartans  (Real Clear Defense)  Defense cuts are coming. The only question is how much. As it has grappled with the fiscal realities of sequestration, the U.S. Army has sought to define its mission in a post-war environment.

CivilianJobs.com Announces the 2014 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military® Finalists  (North Fork Vue)  CivilianJobs.com, where America’s military connects with civilian careers, announced the finalists for the Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military today. Marking the sixth year of its publication in 2014, the MVE recognition serves to help military-experienced job seekers and veterans identify the top employers to target for civilian careers.

Veterans

Veterans fair offers counseling, budget advice  (The ShortHorn)  Lance King was just starting college after most people he knew in high school had already earned a degree.

Framingham could house next veterans court  (Wicked Local)  Framingham District Court could soon house the state’s next veterans court, offering specialized attention to MetroWest veterans who face criminal charges and are dealing with substance abuse and mental illness.

Veterans share stories of hope, discover resources at Lovell FHCC Homeless Veterans Summit  (My Suburban Life)  Navy Veteran Joseph Yadron, dressed smartly in a suit and tie, hesitantly approached the podium, looked out at the supportive crowd of more than 150 people Feb. 26 in Bourke Hall at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, and shared his story of homelessness and recovery.

Maj. Kurt Lee, Korean War hero, dies at 88  (Marine Corps Times)  Marine Maj. Kurt Chew-een Lee, a legendary hero at Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War, and the Corps’ first Asian American regular officer, died Monday at his home in Washington, D.C., according to multiple sources. He was 88.

Veterans Park to benefit from Macy’s “Heart Your Park” program  (KAGSTV)  College Station’s Veterans Park and Athletic Complex is among 550 parks across the country that will benefit from Macy’s “Heart Your Park” program this spring.

Veterans now can be recognized on Pa. licenses  (WFMZ)  Pennsylvania’s military veterans now can get a special designation on their driver’s licenses and identification cards.

Veterans Affairs

VA Boosts Funding to Expiring Training Program  (Military.com)  The Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday announced that veterans enrolled in training programs that extend beyond when program funding expires on March 31 will be provided the money needed to complete their courses.

Art exhibit showcases talents, records history, helps veterans heal  (Navajo Times)  Confronting the impact the Vietnam War had on him, combat veteran James Yazzie, Diné, sought help from Albuquerque’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center about eight years ago.

House to ask for autonomy for Gulf War Illness board  (USA Today)  The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is putting together legislation to give autonomy back to a Gulf War illness advisory committee that has been stripped of its independence over the past year.

Texas congressman joins calls for Veterans Affairs’ Eric Shinseki to explain mass medical test purge exposed by Examiner  (Washington Examiner)  A Texas congressman joined demands that Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki explain the mass purge of medical appointments disclosed last week by the Washington Examiner.

Reports show conflicting statements about patient deaths at Atlanta VA Medical Center  (WSBTV)  One of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs’ highest ranking executives is under fire because of what he told a congressional subcommittee about a patient death scandal exposed by Channel 2 Action News.

Report: VA official in Nashville ran up expenses, delayed veterans’ benefits  (Shreveport Times)  An unnamed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs official stationed in Nashville not only violated federal rules and ran up thousands of dollars in unauthorized expenses, but also caused an unknown number of benefits delays for area veterans, a new report has found.

Benefits

Sen. Warner opposes cuts to military commissaries in Hampton Roads  (The Orlando Sentinel) Sen. Mark R. Warner wants to block proposed cuts to commissaries, a popular option for military families in Hampton Roads, because a high-level commission has yet to issue a report on the larger issue of compensation and benefits.

Gates: Compensation, benefits more than a third of DoD budget  (Federal News Radio)  In the newly released 2015 budget proposal, President Barack Obama is asking TRICARE participants to pay more out-of-pocket for their health care.

VFW to Congress: Scrap sequestration  (Military Times)  Veterans of Foreign Wars members have spent most of this week lobbying Congress on a fix for sequestration spending cuts, calling it their top legislative priority this year.

Tricare won’t pay for genetic tests; labs left with bills  (Military Times)  A change in medical classifications last year has left clinical laboratories across the U.S. carrying a $10 million tab for Tricare.

Veterans Benefit Fair  (Rochester Home Page)  Kevin Doran sits down with Monroe County Veterans Agency outreach coordinator Ken Moore about the upcoming Veterans Benefit Fair.

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 3/5/14

Good news story of the day

San Jose Runners Take Detour to Thank World War II Veteran  (NBC Philadelphia)  When Mercury News reporter Julia Prodis Sulek woke up Sunday morning, she wasn’t sure why she heard all the clapping and cheering outside her San Jose home.

Military Transition

School liaison aims to improve transitions, community outreach  (21st Space Wing Public Affairs) Colorado Springs offers many lifestyle and volunteer opportunities. For families moving here with children, the task of finding a new school can be a daunting one.

Genesis10 helps military vets connect to the corporate world  (Kansas City Business Journal)  Security guard. Police officer. These are the boxes that confine members of the armed forces as they make the transition to the civilian work world.

20,400 fewer airmen in 2015, budget proposal shows  (Air Force Times)  The Air Force would shed 20,400 total force airmen in fiscal 2015 under the proposed budget released Tuesday.

Proposed military cuts a worry for Fort Jackson  (The State)  U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made big news last week by announcing deep cuts to the military, particularly the Army.

Davis-Monthan’s future is cloudy  (AZCentral)  Davis-Monthan Air Force Base faces an uncertain future following Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s recommendation this week to retire the entire A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet as part of a broader effort to reduce the military.

In planning for the future, the Pentagon sees fewer troops and more technology  (The Washington Post)  “I think we’re going to do pretty well in the budget, sir.”

Pentagon planning to cut 6,300 civilians in 2015  (The Hill)  The Pentagon plans to reduce the number of its civilian workers from about 755,400 in 2014 to 749,100 in 2015 — a reduction of 6,300 workers, or 1 percent, according to its 2015 defense budget request.

Veterans

Veterans Group Asks Supreme Court To Allow Cross On California Mountain  (Huffington Post)  A veterans group has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule a judge’s order to remove a war memorial cross from a Southern California mountain.

Nearly 1 in 5 had mental illness before enlisting in Army, study says  (The Los Angeles Times)  Nearly 1 in 5 U.S. soldiers had a common mental illness, such as depression, panic disorder or ADHD, before enlisting in the Army, according to a new study that raises questions about the military’s assessment and screening of recruits.

GallantFew’s Raider Project’s War on Veteran Suicide and Transition  (Reuters)  GallantFew has been extremely successful in the US Army Ranger veteran community attacking unemployment, suicide, and PTSD.

A local perspective on the transition from soldier to civilian  (KXXV)  After a recent military summit in Dallas, preparing veterans for civilian life is on the minds of many.  Of course that includes folks right here in Central Texas.

“Forgotten” no more: Korean War stories shared in film  (Pilot Online)  Conor Timmis learned almost nothing about the Korean War in school.

Gay Marine’s Amazing Journey From Homeless Shelter to Ivy League  (ABC News)  U.S. Marine veteran Elegance Bratton left his New Jersey home at age 16.

Veterans Affairs

2015 Budget: Obama Seeks More Money for Veterans   (The Wall Street Journal)  Two years after Congress turned him down the first time, President Barack Obama is seeking money for a jobs program that would put veterans to work in national parks and elsewhere.

North Little Rock site selected for new veterans home  (ArkTimes)  Cissy Rucker, director of the state Veterans Affairs Department, has announced her choice of a site recommended by a study group for a new state veterans home.

Veterans Affairs Asks for $200M IT Funding Boost  (Executive Gov)  The Veterans Affairs Department is seeking to increase its information technology budget to $3.9 billion in fiscal 2015 from $3.7 billion in FY 2014 funding or a 5 percent increase, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

VA and Women Veterans: “Fielding a Full Team”  (The White House)  In his State of the Union Address, President Obama declared, “We are stronger when America fields a full team.” As we move to leverage the power of a fully represented “Team America,” VA is advancing the cause of our 2.2 million women veterans.

Veterans Groups Urge Congress to Strengthen VA Budget  (Market Watch)  Four of the nation’s leading veterans service organizations—AMVETS, DAV, Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans), and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), are expressing their concerns with the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2015, which proposes $68.4 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Slight increase proposed in VA budget  (Military Times) The Veterans Affairs Department would see another modest increase in spending under the White House fiscal 2015 budget proposal, with more money for homelessness efforts and aid for returning combat troops.

IG: Managers let VA employee get away with cheating agency  (Military Times)  Poor management oversight allowed a Veterans Affairs Department employee to skip work, use government computers for sex chats and bilk the agency out of nearly $31,000, according to a new inspector general report.

Benefits

Army Budget Makes Force Structure, Modernization Cuts Official  (National Defense)  The Army is working to balance readiness, force structure and modernization, officials said during the unveiling of the service’s $120.5 billion fiscal year 2015 budget.

Customers would foot bill for commissary budget cuts  (Military Times)  As expected, commissary customers would foot the bill for operating the stores, according to details of the 2015 defense budget proposal released Tuesday.

2015 budget released: How the cuts affect pay, BAH, per diem and Tricare  (Military Times)  The Pentagon’s new budget released Tuesday says military personnel spending should fall to its lowest point since 2008 as cuts to compensation take effect and the force continues to shrink from its wartime peak.

DoD proposes wide-ranging Tricare fee hikes  (Military Times)  Tricare Prime, Standard and Extra would go the way of the dodo, replaced by a single Tricare plan with a fee structure adjusted to where beneficiaries get medical care, under the Pentagon’s proposed fiscal 2015 budget.

DoD pushes forward on pay, benefits cuts  (Army Times)  Never in the 40-year history of the all-volunteer force has the Pentagon sought to roll back the existing military compensation package for service members.

Lawmakers divided on possible 2017 BRAC round  (The Federal Times)  When it comes to a new round of base closures in 2017, lawmakers are split between lukewarm support, vehement opposition and general uncertainty.

Week ahead: Pentagon, Congress begin budget battle  (The Hill)  The Pentagon will unveil its 2015 budget proposal this week, beginning a contentious fight with Capitol Hill over the military’s spending priorities.

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Military transition and veterans affairs news of the day for 3/4/14

Good news story of the day

D.C. Houses More Than 200 Homeless Veterans in 100 Days  (Huffington Post)  In just 100 days, Washington, D.C., managed to get more than 200 homeless veterans off the streets, according to Think Progress.

Military Transition

State governors fight back against National Guard cuts  (Army Times)  The nation’s governors have banded together to oppose cuts to the Army National Guard as outlined in the Army’s 2015 budget proposal.

Help for student veterans who are struggling financially  (King5.com)  The transition from military service to school brings a new battle of paying bills for some student veterans.  When military benefits aren’t enough to make ends meet, some struggle to stay enrolled – and off the streets.

Operation: Workforce’ tries to fill mission of jobs for vets  (Effingham Herald)  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.

Setting Up Strategic Assets – Veterans Bridge to Employment  (WIU.edu)  Please join us for a networking seminar in which veterans and service members will be able to meet with employers, public agencies and private organizations.

State unveils program to help vets find jobs  (GSA Business)  State officials have launched Operation Palmetto Employment — a statewide military employment initiative aimed at reducing the unemployment rate among South Carolina’s military community.

Veterans

Veterans face myriad challenges, former Army official says (USC News)  Unprecedented health and social challenges face today’s returning military service members, and they will only mount as veterans age, according to former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and former U.S. Secretary of the Army Togo West Jr., who delivered this year’s Edward R. Roybal Memorial Lecture.

Vietnam Veterans Sue for Better Discharges, Claiming PTSD  (The Wall Street Journal)   A group of Vietnam veterans sued the U.S. government Monday, alleging they were given other-than-honorable military discharges for violations that would today be attributed to the psychological stress of combat.

Veterans Affairs

Veterans Affairs officials receive response training  (Midland Daily News)  A group of management officials at the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw recently traveled to the only federally-chartered weapons of mass destruction training site in Anniston, Ala., for a week-long advanced training in emergency response.

‘Patient safety issue’ caused by Denver VA Medical Center parking; Rep. Mike Coffman pushes for fix  (The Denver Channel)  U.S. Representative Mike Coffman wants answers from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans’ affairs following a 7NEWS investigation that revealed insufficient parking at the at the Denver VA Medical Center.  The parking shortage is making it more difficult for veterans to get the care they need.

DOL Proposes Rule Requiring Contractors To Report Aggregate Veterans Information  (Bloomberg)  The Labor Department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service plans to update its regulations implementing federal contractor reporting requirements under the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act, according to a notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Feb. 24 Federal Register (79 Fed. Reg. 10,063).

Benefits

DoD Budget Faces Defiant Congress  (Defense News)  Chuck Hagel, with his first budget plan as US defense secretary, has managed to
do the unthinkable: He has united Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Republicans blast Obama defense cuts  (The Hill)  GOP lawmakers say the Obama administration is ignoring history in planning a  defense budget that bets there won’t be another protracted ground war in the  near future.

Iowa bill grants benefits to more veterans  (The Washington Times)  More veterans would be eligible to receive financial assistance when purchasing  a home under a bill approved by the Iowa  Senate.

Yale law students help file class action to seek benefits for thousands of Vietnam vets with PTSD  (ABA Journal)  Working at a Yale Law School clinic intended to help U.S. military veterans obtain benefits from the Veterans Administration, law students soon realized they were dealing with a bigger problem.

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