1. Obama, Romney use veterans convention to hammer home their differences.
2. Shinseki predicts significant VA advances in the next year.
3. Knox couple charged with faking military injuries to receive benefits.
4. Filipino World War II veterans to get $192M more.
5. Connecting with VA Officials to Better Serve Disabled Vets.
6. Female WWII veteran looks for other Navy WAVES volunteers.
7. Looking for Lost Veterans.
8. County implements new program for veterans.
9. VA appoints new position to focus on Duval veterans in trouble.
10. Veterans Program Gets An Overhaul.
11. During VFW Speech, Obama Honors Colorado Shooting Victims With Ties To US Military.
12. Obama Says New Website Will Combat Those Falsely Claiming Military Medals.
13. Disability Claims Still Growing At VA.
14. How To Incentivize Military Service: Set A Good Example With Veterans.
15. Week Ahead: House Turns Focus To Vets Transitioning From Battlefield.
16. VA Must Disclose Veteran Drug Test Documents.
17. U. Study: Combat Puts Soldiers At High Suicide, PTSD Risk.
18. VA Unveils Resource For PTSD Sufferers.
19. Home Operators Claim VA Misled Them In Contracts For Sheltering Homeless Veterans.
20. Knee And Hip Replacement Surgeries Linked To Heart Attacks.
21. Simpson's Study On Veteran Affairs Slated For August.
22. Arkansas Department Of Veterans Affairs Gets New Deputy Director.
23. Amazon Offers Tuition Payment In Nursing, Aircraft Mechanics.
24. Counter-Protesters Targeting Westboro Baptist Church.
25. Much More Than Politics At The VFW Convention.
26. VA / VSO-MSO Hearings as July 25, 2012:
27. Today in History:
1. Obama, Romney use veterans convention to hammer home their differences. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney brought their commander-in-chief stump speeches to the nation’s largest combat veterans convention this week, but presented starkly different views on what that job entails.
2. Shinseki predicts significant VA advances in the next year. In a speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars national convention Tuesday, the Veterans Affairs secretary said he expects several key milestones and funding boosts by next summer.
3. Knox couple charged with faking military injuries to receive benefits. WBIR-TV Last week, a federal grand jury indicted them on charges that they conspired to steal public money from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration. The indictment claims that Charles Kaczmarczyk fabricated...
4. Filipino World War II veterans to get $192M more. Inquirer.net This year, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has allocated $192 million (more than P8 billion)undefinedor about $16 million per monthundefinedin disability compensation for approximately 15000 beneficiaries, more than half of them Filipino war veterans or...
5. Connecting with VA Officials to Better Serve Disabled Vets. Nation's Cities Weekly Local connections between city and state government agencies, the VA, military service organizations, volunteer groups and area non-profits or social service providers can help ensure that if a community resource exists, the veteran as well as the ...
6. Female WWII veteran looks for other Navy WAVES volunteers. StandardNet There are about 30 living female World War II veterans in the state of Utah, said Gina Painter, Women Veterans Program Manager with the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. It was out of a love for her country, Unger said, that she served in the military.
7. Looking for Lost Veterans. MyWebTimes.com The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are more than 500000 military veterans in Illinois, but only 63000 are receiving any of the government benefits they are due for serving their county. "To the VA, those are veterans are lost ...
8. County implements new program for veterans. Today's News-Herald The program is a partnership between HUD and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairswith the goal of alleviating homelessness among veterans. The VA determines the applicants' veteran-status eligibility, and income eligibility. Military discharges must be ...
9. VA appoints new position to focus on Duval veterans in trouble. Florida Times-Union One hurdle faced by the Duval County's new Veterans Treatment Court has been coordinating with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to get its rehabilitative services to the veterans who end up in court. But Veterans Affairs has created a new ...
10.Veterans Program Gets An Overhaul. Wall Street Journal Transition GPS, the President's new program to help veterans find work or obtain job training. The Journal points out that Obama announced the program during Monday's address. Wall Street Journal During his VFW convention speech, Obama said military suicides are an epidemic and must be prevented. New York Times During his address, the President "directed a sharp assault on...Romney's foreign policy credentials" and "Romney's recent assertion that America under Mr. Obama is in decline." According to the Times, the Obama campaign "has, for several weeks now, tried to connect Mr. Romney and what it has characterized as a trigger-happy willingness to go to war. ... 'One of the few foreign policy specifics Romney has outlined so far is his opposition to' the timeline for withdrawal from Afghanistan, said Michelle Flournoy, an Obama campaign national security adviser." Bloomberg News During Monday's speech, Obama "said his record -- ending the war in Iraq, setting a timetable for winding down the war in Afghanistan, killing Osama bin Laden and creating economic benefits for soldiers returning home -- demonstrates his support for current and former service members." But, Bloomberg News adds, the Veterans Affairs Department is "overwhelmed by a decade of fighting overseas." Bloomberg News adds, "Record numbers of ex- soldiers are turning to the government for disability pay, for example, adding to a backlog of claims and delays that have dogged the agency for years." Washington Post "Obama has been courting service members, veterans and their families for months, touting his wind-down of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, better job training and health benefits for veterans and the fact that al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden was killed on his
watch." In front of the VFW convention, Obama "delivered a similar message Monday, but he added one nugget of news by announcing Transition GPS, an effort to improve an existing federal program that helps service members make the transition from military to private-sector life." Transition GPS, the Post notes, "will be mandatory for all departing service members."
11.During VFW Speech, Obama Honors Colorado Shooting Victims With Ties To US Military. AP "President Obama has honored four victims of the Colorado theater attack who had ties to the military." The President "began his first campaign-focused trip since the Colorado shooting by remembering service members and veterans who were killed Friday when a gunman opened fire in a Colorado movie theater. In a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars on Monday, Obama said, 'These young patriots were willing to serve in faraway lands, yet they were taken from us at home.'"
12.Obama Says New Website Will Combat Those Falsely Claiming Military Medals. ABC News On Monday, Obama "announced...that later this week the federal government will launch a website to try to reduce the number of Americans fraudulently claiming to have been awarded medals by the military, a response to the June ruling by the Supreme Court that the 'Stolen Valor' law was unconstitutional." It "'may no longer be a crime for con artists to pass themselves off as heroes, but one thing is certain - it is contemptible,' the president told the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, in Reno, Nev." Obama said that his Administration "will launch a new website, a living memorial, so the American people can see who's been awarded our nation's highest honors. Because no American hero should ever have their valor stolen."
13.Disability Claims Still Growing At VA. AP "President Barack Obama paints an encouraging picture of the additional resources his administration has poured into helping veterans get disability benefits and mental health treatment. But he glosses over just how much those problems have grown during his time in office." For example, Veterans Affairs claims "backlog has grown worse during the president's term in office as soldiers return from Iraq and Afghanistan."
14.How To Incentivize Military Service: Set A Good Example With Veterans. New York Times Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert M. Murrett says a "central element of the blueprint for the all-volunteer" US military "was to position military service as a means to advance and accelerate post-service educational and employment opportunities." Murrett argues that it is "critical for policy makers, politicians and, most importantly, the American public to understand that the support and care of wounded warriors, veterans and military families represent a compelling national security imperative." Murrett adds, "To emphasize the relationship between the welfare of veterans and national security, Leon E. Panetta, secretary of defense, and Eric K. Shinseki, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, hold regular 'summit' meetings focused on recovery coordination for the wounded, ill and injured, the disability evaluation system and transition programs."
15.Week Ahead: House Turns Focus To Vets Transitioning From Battlefield. The Hill "Two members of President Obama's Cabinet will testify" this "week at a joint hearing between the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs committees. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki will appear before the two panels on Wednesday to testify about veterans transitioning back to civilian life." During the hearing, lawmakers are "likely to home in on healthcare issues with veterans and the VA," which "recently announced it was hiring 1,900 mental health workers to help address delays in veterans receiving care."The Hill "The Republican chairmen of the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees gave mild praise at the president's" Monday announcement that the transition assistance program (TAP) will be overhauled into a program called Transition GPS, "while reminding that it was done after Congress passed a law cautioning against a 'one-size fits all approach to TAP.'" According to the Hill, both chairmen "will get a chance to question Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki at a joint hearing Wednesday, where the two secretaries will testify on transitioning from military to civilian life."
16.VA Must Disclose Veteran Drug Test Documents. Courthouse News "Veterans won another court order requiring the US Department of Veterans Affairs to hand over more documents about its Cold War-era drug experiments on thousands of Vietnam veterans." A US Magistrate judge in California, "ordered...VA to disclose more than 40 documents, which she deemed 'both relevant and unavailable from other sources given that the documents reflect processes which have evolved over time.' However, Corley ruled that the VA need not reimburse the plaintiffs for the costs of resuming two depositions."
17.U. Study: Combat Puts Soldiers At High Suicide, PTSD Risk. Salt Lake (UT) Tribune "The more severe combat a warrior experiences, the more likely he or she is to later attempt suicide, new research at the University of Utah's National Center for Veterans Studies shows. It might seem like common sense, says David Rudd, the center's scientific director and the dean of social and behavioral sciences, but it had never before been empirically validated, he says." The Tribune also notes that psychologist Craig Bryan, the center's new associate director, says research that Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department have been funding over the last 10 years is "going to actually shape the way" mental healthcare is delivered in both the US military and in the civilian world.
18.VA Unveils Resource For PTSD Sufferers. Army Times "The Veterans Affairs Department has a new resource for troops and veterans who think they might have" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Times adds, "'About Face' offers online assessments and videos to help current and former service members recognize PTSD symptoms and get help." The Times notes that VA is trying to expand its mental health services. The agency's secretary, Eric Shinseki, said VA must do all "it can to help veterans identify possible indicators that they may be suffering from PTSD."
19.Home Operators Claim VA Misled Them In Contracts For Sheltering Homeless Veterans. Fayetteville (NC) Observer "Tara Ingram says she and her mother spent thousands of dollars installing sprinklers and making other improvements to ensure their house would qualify for a Veterans Affairs contract to shelter homeless veterans." Tara Ingram says she was told by VA that she won the contract, but the agency backed out of the deal. A similar complaint was made by Sheryl Lyons, regarding a VA contract in Fayetteville. The department's "regional contracting office said the government is not allowed to tell potential contractors what work needs to be done to ensure the bidding process remains fair. But Ingram and Lyons say that's not what happened, and the VA's months-long wrangling over sprinklers at Jubilee House also suggests the VA may have violated its own policies." The agency will continue looking into the matter, according to VA regional spokesman Bruce Sprecher.
20.Knee And Hip Replacement Surgeries Linked To Heart Attacks. WebMD "People over age 60 who have surgery to replace a worn out hip or knee have a significantly higher risk of having a heart attack after their surgeries...shows" a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. WebMD adds, "Even thinking about surgery has been shown to increase the risk of a heart attack, notes Arthur W. Wallace, MD, PhD. Wallace is an anesthesiologist" at Veterans Affairs hospital in San Francisco. Wallace "rote an editorial on the study but was not involved in the research." HealthDay There is "'cardiac risk when a patient has a major operation,' said Dr. Arthur Wallace, chief of the Anesthesia Service" at the San Francisco VA. In his editorial accompanying the Archives of Internal Medicine study, Wallace wrote, "Anesthesiologists, surgeons and hospitalists need to use preoperative cardiac risk reduction to reduce that risk."
21.Simpson's Study On Veteran Affairs Slated For August. Daily Ardmoreite "A study requested by Sen. Frank Simpson, (R-Ardmore) into issues surrounding the structure of the War Veterans Commission, reports of abuse at veteran's centers, and other related issues began to take place last week." The Ardmoreite adds, "Members of the Senate Committee on Veterans and Military affairs will meet Aug. 21 and will focus on administrative issues including the structure and the responsibilities of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs and War Veterans Commission. Members will also look into the role of the War Veterans Commission and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in relation to oversight of the ODVA."
22.Arkansas Department Of Veterans Affairs Gets New Deputy Director. KARK-TV The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) "announced today that Retired Colonel Charles H. Johnson III has been named" the agency's new director, "effective August 6. Johnson retired from the United States Marine Corp after 25 years of service and completing key assignments that included a division chief in the Joint Staff Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate at the Pentagon, commanding officer of the Wounded Warrior Battalion West at Camp Pendleton and commanding officer of the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 at Camp Pendleton."
23.Amazon Offers Tuition Payment In Nursing, Aircraft Mechanics. Bloomberg News Amazon.com Inc. will "offer pre-paid tuition for some employees to study areas such as aircraft mechanics, nursing and computer-aided design, stepping up efforts to retain workers ahead of the holiday shopping season." The "employee recruitment and retention effort comes ahead of the holiday shopping season, when Amazon said its need for fulfillment center workers temporarily doubles. The tuition initiative builds on previous efforts to recruit retirees and military veterans...said" Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos.
24.Counter-Protesters Targeting Westboro Baptist Church. Washington Post "Thousands of people wearing red shirts gathered" in Columbia, Missouri, on Saturday, "to honor an Army solider killed recently in Afghanistan - and to fend off" a funeral protest by the controversial church Westboro Baptist Church. Protesting at "military funerals has become a ritual of Westboro Baptist Church's, whose members believe that the service members' deaths are punishment for the country's toleration of homosexuality." One of those attending the funeral on Saturday was Louie Markovitz, who "works for the local veterans hospital" and said US soldiers should be supported.
25.Much More Than Politics At The VFW Convention. KTVN-TV
26.VA / VSO-MSO Hearings as July 25, 2012:
July 25, 2012. The House Committee on Veterans Affairs and the House Armed Services Committee will hold a joint hearing titled “Back from the Battlefield: DOD and VA Collaboration to Assist Service Members Returning to Civilian Life. 10:00 AM; 2118 Rayburn HOB
July 31, 2012. The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on VA’s prosthetics procurement reforms. 10:00AM; 334 Cannon HOB
August 2, 2012. HVAC, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a joint hearing entitled “Odyssey of the CVE (Center for Veterans Enterprise).” 10:00 A.M.; 334 Cannon
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