1. GAO Says US Bases Operating Burn Pits In Iraq Are Not Complying With Regulations. In continuing coverage, the Army Times
(10/18, Kennedy, 104K) notes, "Of four US bases in Iraq operating burn
pits, none complies with federal regulations designed to keep service
members safe, according to a Government Accountability Office report
released" last week. After noting that Veterans Affairs officials "told
GAO that no one is tracking veterans who have been exposed to burn
pits," the Times points out that, among other things, GAO "recommends
that the military: Create comprehensive guidance for managing burn
pits."
The GAO's findings are also noted by the Salt Lake (UT) Tribune
(10/18, LaPlante), which points that in July, VA Secretary Eric
Shinseki "told The Salt Lake Tribune the federal government did not
adequately address military members' exposures to toxic exposures
following Vietnam 'the way that might have been and the way that should
have been.' Yet even while acknowledging that many veterans waited for
decades - and many died - before medical conditions were connected to
exposure to Agent Orange," the Secretary "defended a century-old
standard requiring scientific proof before veterans can be compensated
for their suffering. 'What we're trying to change is the opportunity to
establish the connection,'" Shinseki said, "noting that millions of
federal dollars have been poured into research into military members who
have been exposed to open-air burn pits."
2. VA Awards Grant To Support Homeless Vets In Rhode Island. According to the lead item for the "Veterans' Journal" column in the Providence (RI) Journal
(10/18, Reilly), the "Providence Center at 528 North Main St. has been
awarded" a Veterans Affairs "grant to support homeless veterans in
Greater Providence with mental-health and substance-abuse problems."
3. VA To Adopt Open Source Model For Electronic Health Records. The Federal Times
(10/15, Johnson, 40K) reported, "The Veterans Affairs Department will
adopt an open source model to modernize its legacy electronic health
records system, the department's chief information officer said" at
recent Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing. The Veterans Health
Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) "runs on an
archaic program language called MUMPS, which experts said must be
modernized to properly serve the 8 million veterans who receive care at
VA health facilities. The department's CIO, Roger Baker, told the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee that an open source model will restore 'the
innovation that made VistA the best electronic health record system in
the country.'"
4. Veterans Affairs Committee Chairmen Say New Law Will Help Disabled Vets. The Army Times
(10/16, Maze, 104K) reported, "An omnibus veterans benefits bill signed
into law on Wednesday holds the promise of big changes for disabled
veterans and their families, according to the two committee chairmen
responsible for passing" the "Veterans' Benefits Act of 2010. ...
'Veterans across the country will see their benefits improve,' said"
Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI),
"highlighting programs to increase automotive grants for disabled
veterans, provide childcare services for homeless veterans and expand
life insurance for disabled veterans." Bob Filner, the California
Democrat who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, "mentioned
improvements in employment help, more research into health issues facing
Gulf War veterans and expansion of financial and legal protections of
deployed troops as key items" of the legislation.
5. Man Given Bronze Star For Little Known WWII Rescue Mission. The CBS Evening News (10/17,
story 8, 2:32, Mitchell, 6.1M) broadcast that this weekend, the "US
government awarded...the Bronze Star" to George Vujnovich "for his role"
in Operation Halyard, a "little known chapter of World War II."
The AP
(10/17, Dobnik) says the US government has recognized Vujnovich as the
"World War II architect of a mission to rescue more than 500" US bomber
"crew members shot down over Nazi-occupied Serbia." The "95-year-old New
York City man was awarded the Bronze Star in a ceremony Sunday at
Manhattan's St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral."
6. Annual Assistance Event For Homeless Vets Hosts Its Largest Gathering Ever. CBS' 60 Minutes (10/17,
7:23 p.m. ET) broadcast that according to the US Department of Veterans
Affairs, there are more than 9,000 homeless Iraq and Afghanistan
veterans, some of whom, CBS added, took part in this year's 23rd annual
"Stand Down" in San Diego, California, a "three-day campout" for
homeless veterans "that's part jobs fair, part health clinic, part
sobriety meeting." CBS pointed
out that while VA recently "set a goal of ending homelessness among
vets in five years," this year's "Stand Down" in San Diego "turned out to be the largest ever."
7. Family Unhappy With Care Provided To Afghanistan Vet At Haley. On its website, WZVN-TV
Fort Myers, FL (10/17) noted that the family of 22-year-old Corey Kent,
a "Cape Coral soldier critically injured" in Afghanistan, "says he
isn't getting the care he needs" at Tampa's James A. Haley Veterans'
Hospital. Corey's family "isn't happy with the doctors, the cleanliness
of the room, or the way Corey's being treated." Dan Ashby, Corey's
stepfather, "hopes to have Corey back in Walter Reed within a few
weeks." The WBBH-TV Ft. Myers, FL (10/17) website published the same story.
8. Army Discovers Blood Test To Diagnose Mild Brain Trauma. In continuing coverage, USA Today
(10/15, Zoroya, 1.83M) noted that the US Army "says it has discovered a
simple blood test that can diagnose mild traumatic brain damage or
concussion, a hard-to-detect injury that can affect young athletes,
infants with 'shaken baby syndrome' and combat troops. 'This is huge,'
said Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff." USA Today
added, "About 300,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered
concussions, mostly from roadside bombs, according to a RAND Corp.
study."
9. Vet Completes Coast To Coast Run For Fallen Troops. The AP
(10/16, Sharp) said veteran Mike Ehredt, who "pounded the pavement from
coast to coast to honor the nation's fallen" troops, "finished his
grueling journey in rain and high winds on Friday in Maine." Ehredt, a
49-year-old resident of "Hope, Idaho, placed a flag in the ground every
mile along the way to honor military personnel killed in Iraq and on
Friday the final flag honored Marine Maj. Jay Aubin, a pilot from
Waterville who died when his CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter went down near
the Iraq border."
10. Memorial To Iraq, Afghanistan Vets Dedicated In Arizona. The Show Low, Arizona-based White Mountain Independent
(10/17, Corrigan) reported, "Hundreds gathered at the Arizona State
Capitol in Phoenix last weekend to dedicate the Enduring Freedom
Memorial," whose "creators describe it as, 'Dedicated in honor of our
men and women from Arizona serving in our armed forces who lost their
lives fighting terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the
Southwest Asia Theatre of Operation.'"
11. Wisconsin To Address Female Vets' Needs At Annual Conference. According to the La Crosse (WI) Tribune
(10/18), the "aftermath of sex assaults is one problem faced more often
by female veterans than males. Women also face a male-dominated
military culture and a veterans health care system geared more toward
men, issues that will be addressed" at the Wisconsin's "annual
conference for women veterans this week."
12. VA Honors 100-Year-Old WWII Vet. The Portland-based Oregonian
(10/17, Buxton, 271K) noted that on Saturday, "friends and family from
throughout the country came together" for a 100th birthday party thrown
in honor of Ruby Hills, a "World War II Army nurse who...helped bring
modern medicine to Malaysia." Representatives from the US Department of
Veterans Affairs "were on hand" at the party to "deliver honors from
dozens of officials. 'Ruby is one of our heroes,' said VA spokesman Mike
McAleer during his presentation," who thanked the veteran, telling her
she has "opened...doors for women veterans" of the past, "women veterans
of today and women veterans of the future."
13. VA Expanding Dental Clinic In Texas. Reporting from Harlingen, Texas, the McAllen (TX) Monitor
(10/18, Essex, 41K) reports, "The Department of Veterans Affairs dental
clinic here is expanding its staff and has added new state-of-the-art
hygiene practices, the clinic's director said. The Harlingen DVA clinic,
which began treating dental patients in November 2008 with one
full-time dentist, now has a second, part-time, dentist and a third,
full-time, dentist will join the staff in the future, agency spokesman
Froy Garza said," adding that this means Rio Grande Valley veterans no
longer need to travel to the VA hospital in San Antonio for dental
appointments. The Monitor notes that Vietnam vet Luis Perez "said he was
apprehensive when he went to his first dental appointment in Harlingen
but now feels confident high standards are in place."
14. VA Clinic In Guam Moves To New Location. The KUAM-TV
Guam (10/18, Hail) website said, "According to the Department of
Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System, the VA
community-based outpatient clinic at Naval Hospital in Agana Heights was
closed Friday" and will remain so through Monday to "accommodate the
move to their new building." The website said the clinic will reopen
Tuesday "at its new location."
15. Vets Hospital Working With Red Cross To Assist Military Families. The Tucson-based Arizona Daily Star
(10/18, 116K) says the "Red Cross of Southern Arizona is stepping in to
help" military families with its "adopt-a-military-family program. Red
Cross officials will be working with Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Fort
Huachuca in Sierra Vista and Tucson's veterans hospital to identify
military families or veterans in need and provide emergency financial
aid and other services."
16. Push Is On To Get More Vouchers To House Area's Homeless Vets. The Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette (10/18, Cotter).
17. Retirees Will Get No COLA Yet Again In 2011. The Army Times
(10/16, Maze, 104K) reported, "For the second year in a row, there will
be no" cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in "military and federal
civilian retired pay, nor in veterans' disability and survivor benefits,
in 2011. 'You have to look for the silver lining,' said Steve
Strobridge of the Military Officers Association of America, an expert in
military compensation," who added, "The reason there is no COLA is
there is no inflation. Enjoy it while it lasts."
18. Disability Awareness Forum Oct. 26. The Beckley (WV) Register-Herald
(10/18, Plummer, 23K) reports, "The 13th annual National Employment
Disability Awareness Forum," scheduled to be held "at the
Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center on Tuesday, Oct. 26," will "be a
chance for area professionals, businesses and individuals to learn more
about the many issues surrounding
mental and physical disability, especially disability employment." The
Register-Herald adds, "According to Janie Flanagan, committee member and
social worker" from a Veterans Affairs hospital, among the vendors
present will be her hospital.
19. Remains Of WWII Airman Identified, To Be Buried. The AP (10/15).
A welcoming home for our Troops.
