New Jersey Aims To Open Veterans Haven North At Hagedorn This Summer

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie “announced plans last week to convert the Sen. Garrett W. Hagedorn Psychiatric Hospital in Lebanon Township into a second such facility: Veterans Haven North.” Christie allocated “$2.3 million in state money to use 100 of Hagedorn’s 288 beds for the program, but provided few other details.” A spokesperson for Christie “said the governor would release more information later this week.”

Annual march Saturday to honor 82nd Airborne's role in Battle of Bulge

By Kevin Dougherty
Stars and Stripes



KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The 82nd Airborne Division in World War II played a central role in the Battle of the Bulge, with paratroops fighting in or near scores of Belgian towns.

On Saturday, some of those towns, such as Thier du Mont, Arbrefontaine and Goronne, will be revisited as part of an annual hike in southeastern Belgium that commemorates the division’s part in that epic battle. The focus this time is on the 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment.

A similar trek occurs every December in Bastogne to honor 101st Airborne Division units.

This week’s walk “in the footsteps of the 82nd Airborne Division,” as the event is advertised, covers a distance of 24 kilometers, or about 15 miles. The 2012 route is one of five courses in a rotation used for the annual tribute, now in its 30th year.

“It doesn’t have the same atmosphere as the Bastogne march,” said Thomas Goode, a Ramstein High School teacher and regular participant. “We really are in the woods. You get the feeling for what it was really like back then.”

The 2012 trek to honor the successes and sacrifices of the 82nd begins at 9 a.m. in the village of Goronne. As always, Emile Lacroix, who founded the event, expects to be on hand, as well as a couple of World War II veterans from the 82nd Airborne Division, Ray Fary and Dirk Field. Both have traveled to Belgium before to participate in the annual walk. Field is a veteran of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, while Fary was assigned to the 80th Anti-Aircraft Battalion, Lacroix said. A third veteran expected to participate is Gene Garren. Garren was severely wounded in Vietnam while serving with a U.S. Special Forces unit. Last year, Garren needed 11 hours to cover the distance, but supporters stayed behind to cheer him on, Lacroix said.

U.S. forces in the area of the battle to be covered in this year’s walk were on the defensive, offensive and going on raids, such as the assault on Noirfontaine farm, a German army stronghold. The old farm is along this year’s route. Also on the itinerary is Their-du-Mont, where a strategic hill changed hands a couple of times during the war.

“It was a very bitter battle,” Lacroix said.

The annual walk regularly draws roughly a thousand people, from families to WWII re-enactors. Hot soup will be served halfway through the hike and hot wine at the finish line. A certificate of participation is also provided. There is a 6-euro registration fee at the start of the walk.

Video From Injury to Recovery

Personalized VA Health Benefits Book Now Available

I would be impressed if any Veteran could sit and write down every VA medical benefit to which they’re entitled, and just as important, the benefits which they aren’t qualified to receive. There’s all kinds of things you may not know about, or don’t know enough to determine your own eligibility.

It’s a challenge I’ve experienced myself. What can I get? What can I not get? Who do I need to call at my local facility? I’ve heard the same thing from my buddies in VA care. Luckily, VA has (literally) written the book of medical benefits tailored specifically to you.


VA’s Health Benefits Handbook has already arrived at the doorstep for Veterans in Priority Group 1. The flow will continue through the different priority groups through the middle of next year. Of the 13 chapters of medical benefits information and resources, eight will contain information specially made for the recipient.

The book will explain which Priority Group the Veteran belongs to and why, the facility address and phone number they belong to, a sheet of available benefits at a glance, copay information, and more.

For female Veterans, gender-specific scheduling information and resources will be detailed, as well as the fee basis for care outside VA’s system.

A sample health benefits book is available to check out online.

This is a first for VA, and an overdue step in clarifying what Veterans know about their own health benefits. Many Veterans commented that they weren’t aware of various programs, so hopefully this book will help clear up confusion—and get more Vets the care they both need and deserve.

Have you received your book in the mail? Let us know what you think, or what needs to be included in the next iteration. And if you find something wrong, or need to find out more information, call the health eligibility line at 877-222-VETS.

by Alex Horton

Viet Nam Vet, Medal of Honor recipient Robert Howard

https://www.facebook.com/TheVeteransChannel

Fort Harrison Chosen To Help Decrease Backlog Of Veterans’ Disability Claims

The Veterans Benefit Administration “regional office at Fort Harrison is one of three sites nationwide chosen to help decrease the backlog of veterans’ claims for disability and education benefits.” On Wednesday, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki told US Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester (D) that the Fort Harrison office “along with sites in Wichita, Kan., and Milwaukee, Wis., will help test the VA’s proposal to streamline the claims process.” Tester said it could result in “seven new jobs” at Fort Harrison. At present, the VA has a “backlog of about 600,000 claims pending for over 125 days.”

Army charges JBLM private with stealing $630,000 in equipment

The Army on Thursday announced that it had charged a 22-year-old private with the theft of $630,000 worth of equipment from his Joint Base Lewis-McChord Stryker brigade.

The Army would not say whether it believes Pvt. Nicholas Solt of Slatington, Pa., acted alone in an alleged scheme to steal and resell weapons accessories from his unit. Solt is confined at Lewis-McChord. The Army did not say when it arrested him.

“Our investigation remains ongoing,” Army Criminal Investigative Division spokesman Christopher Grey said.

Solt faces 59 years in prison if he’s convicted on six charges including larceny of military property, entering a government building with the intent to commit a crime, attempting to sell optical and targeting equipment, threatening to kill another person, possessing narcotics and possessing steroids.

Army leaders at Lewis-McChord said they were able to make headway in recovering much of the lost gear because of a six-day “lockdown” that Solt’s commanders instituted Jan. 4 when they learned of the theft. About 100 soldiers in the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, were restricted to staying in or near their unit headquarters during that time.

“CID agents were able to move quickly because of the administrative actions taken and the I Corps Command appreciates their hard work, dedication and terrific police work” said I Corps Chief of Staff Col. Steven Bullimore.

Solt joined the Army in June 2008 and arrived at Lewis-McChord that October. He deployed to Iraq with the 4th Brigade from September 2009 to September 2010.

The Army says it recovered 98 percent of the gear Solt allegedly stole by collaborating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The gear included rifle scopes, laser sights and night-vision goggles.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/16/2029275/army-charges-jblm-private-with.html#storylink=cpy

Mother of fallen Marine offended by half-staff flag for Whitney Houston

When Whitney Houston is buried Saturday during a funeral ceremony in New Jersey, flags across the state, by order of the governor, will be lowered to half-staff. It’s an honor the mother of a Marine, killed in an Afghan bombing attack, thinks the entertainer does not deserve.

Phyllis McGeath said she doesn’t have any hard feelings against Houston, but feels strongly that Houston should not be given the same honor that was shown to her son Philip, 25, who was killed earlier this year in a suicide bombing attack in Afghanistan.

Though McGeath is a fan of Houston’s music, she said Houston’s death should not be put on the same level as that of a servicemember who is killed in combat.

According to CBSlocal.com, McGeath was “hurt and offended. Disappointed. Saddened,” when she heard of N.J. Governor Chris Christie’s decision to fly flags at half-staff on Saturday.

VA funds to surge as troops return

By Barrie Barber, Staff Writer
www.daytondailynews.com

The nation’s 22 million military veterans would receive more federal funding for health care, fighting homelessness and finding jobs under President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The plan calls for VA spending to grow 10.5 percent to $140.3 billion in the next fiscal year, up from $126.9 billion this fiscal year. The proposal comes as other segments of the military prepare for big cuts.
The White House wants to spend more on mental health services, health care needs of women veterans, and $1 billion over five years on a Veterans Jobs Corps to put 20,000 former soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines to work.
The jobs would focus on building roads and trails on public lands.
The budget places a priority on medical research in traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and suicide prevention. It also designates $1.4 billion, a 33 percent increase, to battle homelessness among veterans, and more money on vocational rehabilitation and employment for wounded or ill service members transitioning to the civilian work force.
“It’s good news,” said Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who noted much of the federal budget faces proposed cuts. “The president has done the right thing and made sure veterans are not just protected, but see some real upgrades.”
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio and a Senate Armed Services Committee member, said he’s “committed to ensuring that our veterans have access to the quality care they deserve. I will thoroughly review the (Obama) administration’s plan for the VA to ensure that the department is run as effectively as possible.”
A surge of 610,000 men and women from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with the nation’s other 21 million veterans, are expected to seek VA services.
U.S. Army veteran Don McCauley, 79, of Beavercreek, said more dollars makes sense for Miami Valley veterans returning from two wars overseas.
“I think that’s very good because they have all these guys coming home and it’s going to make it harder on the VA and they need all the money they can get,” said McCauley, a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8312 in Beavercreek.
Herbert Davis, executive director of the Montgomery County Veteran Services Commission, said the president’s intiatives are “much needed.”
“We have far too many veterans who are falling through the cracks and are in homeless situations and in need,” he said.
Tom Istvan, 66, of Huber Heights, called the proposed budget increase an election-year decision.
“I think he’s just trying to get some favor with veterans,” said Istvan, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Huber Heights chapter and an Air Force veteran. “When he first got elected, veterans were no big deal to him.”
Dennis DeMolet, a disabled Marine Corps and Vietnam vet who lives in Kettering, said the additional spending would bolster initiatives to treat veterans with PTSD and help to train for and find a job, among other expectations. One program would provide veterans who meet guidelines a year of training and education to gain employment, said DeMolet, an ex-chairman of the Small Business Administration Advisory Committee for Veterans Business Affairs.
“That’s never been done before, it’s unheard of, and it’s marvelous,” he said.
Davis said veterans sometimes have difficulty translating military jobs into civilian skills to gain employment. But on the homefront, the jobs picture has improved for many former servicemen and women recently.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded a 7.5 percent unemployment rate for veterans in January, a decline from 9.9 percent for the same time the previous year. Veterans who have served since 2001 saw the biggest drop, to 9.1 percent last month compared to 15.2 percent in January 2011, figures show.
U.S. Rep. Steven Austria, R-Beavercreek, whose district has more than 60,000 veterans, more than any other in Ohio, said his constituents have complained the VA takes too long to process medical and pension claims. Vets have indicated it can take as long as a year to handle a medical claim and six to nine months on a pension issue.
The VA says it has a goal to reduce waiting time for disability claims to no more than 125 days with at least 98 percent accuracy. The agency says it hopes to eliminate the backlog by 2015.
Those with the highest disability claims are the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, who have a rate of 8.5 disabilities per veteran, a rate almost double from conflicts of previous eras, according to the VA.
“I would say one reason it might be higher is that we’ve been at war for a long time,” Davis said. “I just think we have a larger number of people who have been exposed for a longer period of time for multiple deployments.”
Obama’s budget will face the scrutiny of the GOP-dominated House and Democratic-controlled Senate. Brown said changes are possible.

Vets suffering from PTSD deserve help

People unknowingly put themselves in dangerous situations every day. There is no limit for the potentially harmful circumstances that we can enter. But like car crashes and work accidents, those things are unintentional; they are not thought out or prepared for in advance.
Some very brave people put themselves in intentional danger every day for our country. The fight is gruesome, and it leaves scars. The least we can do is offer help for our returning soldiers who are now fighting a battle within.
Florida has the second-largest veteran population in the nation, and approximately 29,000 of them may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or some form of major depression, according to the suicide prevention site HelpPromoteHope.com. About half of these veterans who met the criteria for PTSD or major depression did not seek help. According the Florida Department of Corrections, there are about 7,000 state prison inmates who were identified as military veterans.
These statistics hint at the connection between a veteran's mental health problems and the crimes they commit. The Florida Senate agreed on this by passing the T. Patt Maney Veterans' Treatment Intervention Act last month, and now it's up to the House to follow through.
The bill allows for counties to create rehab-like programs for veterans who are charged with a criminal defense if they suffer from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, substance abuse disorder or other psychological problems that stem from service. A pre-sentencing hearing is required for a veteran to prove they are suffering mentally, and if the court approves, the veteran has to complete the program for the charges to be dismissed.
There are those who question the bill based on the cases of extreme violence, like ex-Marine Itzcoatl Ocampo, who was charged with killing four homeless men, according to the Orlando Sentinel. But it should be known that those cases are rare and unprotected under the act. Only a few of the offenses would not qualify for the program: kidnapping, murder and sexual battery.
Studies done by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs have shown that returning soldiers with PTSD are more likely to experience trouble with the law, though other factors could contribute. Returning home with PTSD often causes soldiers to have flashbacks, making them think that they are in a dangerous situation where they are more likely to be violent. Veterans suffering from PTSD often live in a state of perceived threat and mistrust, which could make them more aggressive. Also, their beliefs on the justice system could be skewed from combat, making them less likely to obey the law.
This problem cannot go unnoticed, and the immediate response is to lock these people up because they are a danger to society. But what also needs to be known is that these people are more than just veterans. They are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends. They have witnessed and experienced things that we will not ever be able to relate to on the home front. When someone commits an act of extreme violence, then yes, I agree there should be no other option besides jail. But when the behavior of a person accused of a crime stems from a mental disorder they developed from duty, we need to take another look.
PTSD is impacting the lives of our veterans more then they will ever let us see. Voluntary treatment is available, and of course it's preferred that soldiers get help before it is too late, but sometimes there is embarrassment or a lack of understanding of PTSD for them to ever do anything about it. Veterans put their lives at stake to preserve our freedom — supporting them is the least we can do.

By Emily Blackwood
www.centralfloridafuture.com

Using the GI Bill to Get an Education (and Your Hands Dirty)

By Alex Horton
www.blogs.va.gov

Once folks decide to leave the military, the primary concern becomes the next step: What do I want to do with my life? The majority of the guys in my infantry company never went to college, so education was the most popular choice. One guy stayed in Washington to study engineering, another moved back to New York to study finance. But a few guys took unconventional routes. One went to underwater welding school. Another went to motorcycle repair school. A popular choice is to continue public service, so Vets find themselves in fire academies and EMT school.

There are plenty of Veterans who want to use education benefits in a place other than a traditional classroom. The Post-9/11 GI Bill was expanded last fall so Vets could take advantage of opportunities like apprenticeships, on-the-job training, flight school, correspondence courses and non-college degrees. That means more hands-on jobs to which some Vets are naturally inclined.


In a constant state of economic uncertainty, it’s more important than ever to support technical training that can lead to a meaningful career. That sentiment was echoed by Secretary Shinseki, who recently met with a group of Veterans at a trade school in Virginia:

He said the original GI Bill helped remake America after World War II, and that with the benefits that include trade schools, he thinks this GI Bill will do the same.

“I’m very confident,” he said, “that this generation is equally capable of rebuilding our nation.

If you want to further your training and education, but a traditional education doesn’t sound your speed, then check out the different ways your education benefits can be used.

It’d be tough to get through the military without hands-on technical training at some point. A good deal of Veterans will look to change paths or careers once they leave the military, but others aren’t so quick to put down the wrench or the welding torch. For my motorcycle repairing buddy, it doesn’t even feel like a job when he takes a bike apart. He’s still in school and anxious to graduate while being paid through the GI Bill to do what he loves.

By Ed Mattson
www.veteranstoday.com

Over the past two months I have been privileged to be included in communications regarding an effort by a group of veterans living in Trinton Falls, New Jersey to provide assistance to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who know the challenges of coming home and then facing the prospect of the transition period will remember how difficult some of those days were. The troops returning home today, however, are faced with a dismal economy, and cost cutting measures by government which will, in most cases, make the transition to civilian far more difficult.
The group’s leader is Don Fitz Maurice, a WWW ll combat wounded Veteran who served in the 15th Air Corp. as a tail gunner, flying 62 combat missions out of Cerignola, Italy. They number 350 members and have gone to great lengths to secure the former West Point Prep facilities located at the recently closed Ft. Monmouth for establishing their center.
Don is a former New Jersey state senator and with his band of Veterans collected signatures supporting Resolution 82 from the New Jersey Senate Committee urging Congress and the DOD to create a federally funded program to furnish financial assistance so that this center can help the veterans returning home to New Jersey. The Jersey Senate unanimously approved the measure which was then forwarded to Washington only to fall on deaf ears.
Not ones to giving up, they have tried to get the attention of those they believe could help but have been consistently greeted with, “there is no money for such undertaking” and that “you should seek private funding”. Needless to say, with Washington’s proclivity for spending monies and supporting much less worthy programs for all the special interest groups with big expensive suede-shoe lobbyist, I guess all should have expected such a response from those inside the Beltway. You know the groups I am talking about, heck, I have been writing about them for months…they are the ones who believe they are entitled to taxpayer funding without ever lifting a finger to earn it. Veteran’s on the other hand…that .45% of the population who keep the other 99.55% safe and free…can just go fend for themselves.
“A nation which forgets its defenders will itself soon be forget” Calvin Coolidge
So, where do where do they go from here? If you haven’t been following my columns or just crawled out from under a rock and not paid attention to the news these past 3-4 months, we have about 900,000 active-duty military homeward bound and will be cut loose. That’s 900,000 more facing the prospect of looking for work in a marketplace destroyed by government policies, by jobs shipped over to China, with plant closings, and through reckless and ineffective government FEEL-GOOD measures that have proven less than successful.

The challenges of war now become the challenges of transitioning to civilian
What makes their plight so much more unbearable is that many are coming home with physical and mental wounds, many who will need months if not years of rehabilitation and physical therapy, while at the same time trying to re-learn that sense of intimacy with their families; learn how to communicate in words with more than just four letters, learn new skills, and figure out how to start all over again. Many had enlisted to make the military their career and those with 10-12-16 years of service will have to watch while their once-planned-for-retirement program is thrown under the buss along with those who will need long-term assistance.
But let’s face it…it is what it is, and those of us with an once of sense have known for years that our government has been going down the wrong track for more than a decade and seemingly perpetuated by wrong-minded politicians more concerned with their own re-election than doing the right thing for the American people. There isn’t and hasn’t been any fiscal responsibility inside the Beltway for going on two decades. They just print more money, deflating what we all try to get by on, pile on the debt, and continue to pump money into worthless programs trying to help those who don’t care to take responsibility for themselves.
Their answer is “go seek private funding”. Our answer should be OKAY, but we’ll be damned if you think we won’t throw your butts out come November”
In reality we do have the power of the vote, but we also have 28 million Veterans that they can only push around for so long. We all signed on for the greater good, even if many were drafted. We went when duty called. Everyone gave some and some gave all so that America could continue to be the best place on earth to live. We will weather this storm as well and find a way to make lemonade out of the lemon government has thrown us.
In late summer a group of Veterans and friends are planning to do a major car show near Atlantic City, NJ. It is part of a series of shows we have planned to support veteran causes across the country. These are events which can raise a lot of money to benefit the programs we need as part of “fending for ourselves”. Our first event is scheduled for Hickory, NC on April 28 and will benefit our Living Military Museum and our group of disabled veterans; Atlantic City is on target for June 30-July1; and followed by Houston for October 6-7. We have tentatively scheduled other events in Atlanta, GA, Statesville, NC, and Fayetteville, NC. In short, if veterans, veteran service organizations, and the support we can get from the public all pitch in, we don’t need to beg on our knees to the politicians.
To our veterans in Trinton Falls, NJ, we will pledge to you our support in exchange for help in working with our team in Atlantic City to make the Atlantic City Car Show event successful. I know it isn’t as easy as having the government drop off a truck load of money on the front porch, but then again, we are not one of those politically-correct special interest groups, hanging around for a freebie. We are Veterans! To view our temporary website CLICK HERE (We have tentatively posted Bader Field as the location to fill in website space but that will change to the real location shortly).
In the meantime, I would suggest finding temporary quarters from which to operate and begin laying the foundation for the services you will need to provide. These would include a close working relationship with your local VA Center, Blue Star Mothers, Gold Star Mothers and as many veteran service organizations as you can. I will gladly share my list of VSO’s with you for that purpose. It also helps to work with your local media folks to gain the publicity and community support you will need.
Make –up a list of some potential employers who might want to play a role in putting the warriors back to work. Working with the VA and their educational counselors you can learn how to advise on using services that are available. For those who are not ready for the labor force, you will need to learn about the Unemployment Compensation for Ex-service members (UCX). This is a program that is out there for veterans who might need a helping hand while they look for work. If you are going into the business of helping the returning veterans, you need all the tools at your disposal. I think our group here in North Carolina can help.
In my home town in Mooresville, NC we have created the “most patriotic coffee shop in America” at Richard’s Coffee Shop (see: http://www.welcomehomeveteran.org/) where we welcome all veterans of all conflicts. It is an informal setting and has become a gathering place where veterans can get guidance and counseling for whatever problem or demon they may have to face every day. Wednesdays and Saturday morning are special at Richards; all veterans get free coffee and a chance to discuss their problems with the many veterans there. We all have open ears and open hearts. Vice President Bob Dole, the Tuskegee Airmen, and thousand of Purple Heart recipients have found their way to our doorstep from nearly every state in the union. Many return over and over for the solace that they receive from their band of brothers.
We would welcome you to hop on the train and head south to Charlotte, NC. The round trip ticket is only about $200 out of Philadelphia to see what we have built to help each other. We’ll gladly meet you at the station and put you up for a night. The trip would give you ideas on how you can inspire the community, promote businesses to become active in helping provide jobs, and find ways to help the veterans coming home. Your own group of vets are the best resource you will find to help those coming home and as we say down here…you’ll figure it out once you see how we do it.

VA Budget Request Tops $140 Billion for Veterans Programs

WASHINGTON – With more than 1 million active-duty personnel scheduled to join the ranks of America’s 22 million Veterans during the next five years, the President has proposed a $140.3 billion budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.
“As our newest Veterans return home, we must give them the care, the benefits, the job opportunities and the respect they have earned, while honoring our commitments to Veterans of previous eras,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
Shinseki said the budget proposal, which must be approved by Congress, would fund services for newly discharged Veterans, continue the drive to end homelessness among Veterans, improve access to benefits and services, reduce the disability claims backlog, improve the Department’s collaboration with the Defense Department and strengthen its information-technology program that is vital for delivering services to Veterans.
“As we turn the page on a decade of war, we are poised at an historic moment for our Nation’s armed forces,” Shinseki said. “The President has charged VA to keep faith with those who served when they rejoin civilian life.”
The budget request includes $64 billion in discretionary funds, mostly for medical care, and $76 billion for mandatory funds, mostly for disability compensation and pensions.
If approved by Congress, the new spending levels would support a health care system with 8.8 million enrollees and growing benefits programs serving nearly 12 million Servicemembers, Veterans, family members and survivors, including the eighth largest life insurance program in the nation; education benefits for more than 1 million Americans; home loan guarantees for more than 1.5 million Veterans and survivors; plus the largest national cemetery system in the country.

Surging VA Loan Program Remains Safest Lending Option Available

The VA Loan Guaranty program is booming.

by Chris Birk
www.veteranstoday.com

The Department of Veterans Affairs guaranteed almost 360,000 loans in FY11, a 14-percent jump from FY10. Since FY07, when the VA backed just over 133,000 mortgages, the number of these flexible, government-backed loans has soared an astounding 168 percent.
That’s an incredible increase spurred in no small way by the credit crunch that followed the subprime mortgage collapse. Military borrowers are coming in droves to the VA loan program, which features more flexible credit and underwriting requirements and no down payments or private mortgage insurance.
What’s more, VA loans have emerged as the safest loan product on the market, despite the fact that about 90 percent come with no money down. VA loans have had the lowest rate of foreclosure for the last 14 quarters and the lowest rate of serious delinquency for the last 11 quarters for any loan option, even prime loans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
The VA acknowledged these key developments in a news release issued this week.
“The continued strong performance and high volume of VA loans are a testament to the importance of VA’s home loan program and a tribute to the skilled VA professionals who help homeowners in financial trouble keep their homes,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki said in the release.
The VA has made it a mission to help keep veterans in their homes. The agency’s loan specialists work with borrowers and servicers to help pursue options like repayment plans and loan modifications. Veterans struggling with their mortgage payments can contact a VA foreclosure specialist at 877-827-3702.
“We are committed to making even more veterans and service members aware of this important benefit and delivering the assistance they deserve when financial difficulties arise,” said VA Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey.

Amputation cases among troops hit post-9/11 high in 2011

By CHRIS CARROLL
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 9, 2012

WASHINGTON — More U.S. troops lost limbs in 2011 than in any previous year of fighting since the 9/11 attacks, recently published Pentagon data shows.

The grisly toll, 240 cases of deployed troops with at least one arm or leg amputated, appears to mainly reflect the ongoing troop surge in Afghanistan, along with an increased emphasis on foot patrols in areas where insurgents are active.

Amputation cases were up from 196 in 2010 and exceeded the previous high of 205 during the 2007 Iraq surge, according to figures published this month by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. The Marine Corps was hit hardest by far, with 129 Marines suffering amputations in 2011. The Army, which has more troops in the country, had 100 amputation cases. Six sailors and five airmen also lost limbs.

But there’s a flip side to the grim statistics, officials say. The rising numbers are also believed to reflect recent advances in battlefield first aid, medical treatment and protective gear that make the current conflict “the most survivable war in the history of combat,” according to Adm. William Gortney, director of the Pentagon’s Joint Staff, speaking Jan. 31 at the Military Health System Conference in Washington.

In previous wars, or even several years earlier in the current one, some of the amputation cases would likely have been battlefield fatalities, said Col. Jonathan Jaffin, chief of the Army Surgeon General’s Dismounted Complex Blast Injury Task Force. From 2010 to 2011, though amputations increased, total U.S. troop deaths in from combat fell to 368 from 437, according to the Defense Manpower Data Center.

“These are grievous injuries, yes, but when you see them back here with their families having survived, these guys are all grateful to be alive,” Jaffin said.

The task force also found an increase in severe injuries in recent years. It sounds bad, Jaffin said, but actually means that troops are surviving worse injuries than before. Better and more widely distributed protective gear, including groin-protecting armor that many troops began receiving in 2011, are helping stop injuries to vital organs that previously could have proved fatal, Jaffin said.

First-aid knowledge among the rank and file has increased, and ground troops in Afghanistan now carry tourniquets they are trained to use if a limb is severed, he said.

“We’ve heard anecdotally that some of the guys are going out on patrol with tourniquets already in place, so if they get hurt, all you have to do is pull them taut,” Jaffin said.

Once injured troops reach the hospital, the level of care that’s evolved over a decade of war is world-class, said a Navy doctor who served in Afghanistan.

“I could accurately say it’s the most effective trauma system on the planet,” said Navy Capt. Mike McCarten, who in 2010 and 2011 commanded a NATO Role 3 hospital in Kandahar, one of three in the country with a full spectrum of medical care.

Improvised explosive devices caused the majority of amputations McCarten saw at the hospital, he said. Roughly half of the injured troops had a limb or limbs blown off in the field, and the rest arrived with arms and legs too mangled to save.

“It was at least several times weekly, and at some points it was several times daily,” he said.

Survivability has increased because the U.S. military has been closely monitoring and studying medical outcomes throughout the current wars, and the lessons learned are being put into use. Perhaps the most effective lesson learned was the importance of first aid, he said.

“The work being done at the Role 3 hospitals is magnificent, but really a lot of credit for that survival goes to medics and hospital corpsmen on the battlefield,” McCarten said. “[Injured troops] would come to us with two or three tourniquets on two or three amputated limbs, and they actually didn’t have bad blood pressure because of the care they received in the field.”

DOD Opens More Jobs, Assignments to Military Women

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2012 – Military women, particularly soldiers, will see more than 14,000 new job or assignment opportunities because of policy changes the Defense Department announced today.
The changes are included in a report the department submitted to Congress today, based in part on findings the Military Leadership Diversity Commission reported in March.
Today’s report includes a “vision statement”: “The Department of Defense is committed to removing all barriers that would prevent service members from rising to the highest level of responsibility that their talents and capabilities warrant.”
A Pentagon news release accompanying the announcement quotes Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta as saying women have proven themselves in and out of battle.
“Women are contributing in unprecedented ways to the military’s mission,” he said. “Through their courage, sacrifice, patriotism and great skill, women have proven their ability to serve in an expanding number of roles on and off the battlefield.
“We will continue to open as many positions as possible to women so that anyone qualified to serve can have the opportunity to do so,” the secretary added.
The biggest barrier DOD is lifting is a 1994 policy prohibiting women from jobs — such as tank mechanic and field artillery radar operator — that take place near combat units. With that bar removed, more than 13,000 Army jobs will be available to women soldiers for the first time.
The second change is an “exception to policy” that will allow the Army, Navy and Marines to open select positions at the battalion level in jobs women already occupy.
The current policy, also set in 1994, bars women in jobs such as intelligence, communications and logistics from assignment at units smaller than a brigade. Nearly 1,200 assignments will open to women soldiers, sailors and Marines under the exceptions.
As the law requires, the Defense Department will not implement the new policies until Congress has been in continuous session for 30 days, which should happen later this spring.
The report notes the policy changes reflect conditions already common in the past decade’s wars, where attacks can occur without warning and battle lines can shift to formerly “rear echelon” areas.
“The dynamics of the modern-day battlefield are non-linear, meaning there are no clearly defined front line and safer rear area where combat support operations are performed within a low-risk environment,” the document’s authors wrote.
Pentagon statistics show 144 military women have been killed and 865 wounded in combat and noncombat incidents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some 20,000 of the 205,000 service members currently serving in Afghanistan are women, and they make up about 280,000 of the more than 2.3 million troops who have served in operations over the past decade.
The 1.4 million-member active-duty force now serving includes about 205,000 women.
The report notes the changes will expand career opportunities for women, provide a greater pool of troops from which combatant commanders may draw, reduce the operational tempo for “male counterparts” by increasing the number of service members available to support direct combat forces, improve consistency in assignment policy, and give field commanders more flexibility in meeting combat-support mission requirements.
Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters the policy changes follow an extensive review that involved input from all the services.
“We believe it is very important to explore ways to offer more opportunities to women in the military,” he said.
Little said the department will continue to look for ways to increase opportunities for military women. He acknowledged most of the positions involve the Army, as the nation’s primary ground force.
“Most positions in the Air Force are already open to women,” Little noted. “The vast majority of positions in the Navy are already open to women, so most of these positions do involve the United States Army.”
The report states that 99 percent of all Air Force positions, officer and enlisted, are open to women. The figure is 66 percent for the Army, 68 percent for the Marines, and 88 percent for the Navy.
The 1994 Direct Ground Combat Definition and Assignment Rule identified five elements affecting women’s military service: direct ground combat, berthing and privacy, collocation, long-range reconnaissance and special operations forces, and physically demanding tasks.
Today’s report addresses two of these with full or partial policy changes, and addresses the others by stating department officials are working to establish gender-neutral job standards.
“This will mean a thorough analysis of job-related physical requirements … expected of service members,” the report reads in part. “These standards will help determine which specific positions presently excluded under the special operations and physical standards criteria are suitable for general assignment of both genders.”
The report’s authors acknowledged there are “practical barriers that require time to resolve to ensure the services maximize the safety and privacy of all service members while maintaining military readiness.”
The secretary directed the services to report results, six months after the policies take effect, on their implementation of the new assignment standards and their progress developing gender-neutral physical standards.

The Veterans Benefits Guide Book

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is committed to informing the Veteran community about VA health benefits and services. Currently, VA is producing personalized Veteran Health Benefits Handbooks for Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care. The new handbooks are tailored specific for each Veteran and provides detailed information about the VA health services the Veteran may be eligible to receive.

The Veteran Health Benefit Handbook provides answers to common questions such as contact information for the Veteran's local facility, instructions on how to schedule appointments, guidelines for communicating treatment needs and an explanation of the Veteran's responsibilities, such as co-pays, if applicable.

Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare will receive their personalized handbooks via mail as part of a national rollout campaign starting in February 2012 based on Priority Group, beginning with Priority Group 1 and ending with Priority Group 8. In the near future, VA will develop an online version of the handbook for Veterans to access via MyHealtheVet. This will allow Veterans to access their up-to-date health benefit information anywhere, anytime.

Click the link below for additional information about the Veterans Health Benefits Handbook or call VA at 1 877-222-VETS (8387).

Adversity to Entrepreneurial Venture

After a debilitating motorcycle accident, most people’s wheels would stop turning, but for former Marine John Miller, they were just getting started.

Seeing opportunity in the face of adversity, he began his entrepreneurial venture, Illumatek, to prevent accidents like his. Ten years ago, the avid biker was run over not once, but twice. After the first impact, he was on the ground behind the SUV, pinned under the weight of his bike and in pain. That’s when he heard the vehicle switch into reverse. Unable to hear his shouts, the driver continued in reverse and ran over him again.

How could this happen? Miller’s Harley-Davidson was well lit in the front and back, but those lights weren’t visible from side angles. The driver of the SUV simply didn’t see him.

Miller was lucky to be alive, and set out to solve the problem that caused the accident. If his bike lighting were easily visible from any view, it would be much safer to ride at night. While watching a friend create a custom-etched windshield for his bike, he wondered what it would take to illuminate the fixture through fiber optics. After a long process of trial and error, and five years waiting for a patent, Miller had perfected his “glowshield” and found a renewed sense of purpose.

Years earlier, following his military service, the veteran moved between a wide variety of jobs. He was injured while working as a respiratory therapist and told he would not work again. Faced with the reality of living on monthly disability checks, he felt lost. The development of his glowshield sparked an entrepreneurial passion that helped him get through the surgeries following his accident and offered new hope for his future.

Many investors were keen to team up with Miller in the early stages of Illumatek, but he was wary of their motives. Miller says he felt “totally lost” in most entrepreneurial circles and was concerned about being exploited or losing control over the company. His hesitation was not unfounded. These early would-be investors looked toward outsourcing manufacturing to China in an effort to cut costs. For Miller, however, hiring other disabled veterans (especially those coming home from Afghanistan and Iraq) and establishing his manufacturing facility in Wisconsin were non-negotiable topics.

It was at this point that Miller came to VETransfer, a Milwaukee, WI business accelerator that offers support to veteran entrepreneurs. For the first time, Miller found a solid base of people he could trust to coach him through each step of building his business. The organization offers entrepreneurship training, office resources, networking, and capital-raising assistance at no cost to veterans. As one veteran entrepreneur puts it, “the overwhelming aspects are taken out, so you can focus on getting your business off the ground.” Miller says that working with the team “was like doing 3 years of networking in a week.”

The creative energy and sense of community in the organization are equally important. Veteran entrepreneurs share common ground and are eager to help one another, just ask former Sailor of the Year, Ronnie Reum. He joined the organization to accelerate his cleaning company, but after sitting next to Miller’s Illumatek display every day (which includes a brilliantly illuminated Harley-Davidson), he began devising business strategies to help out his fellow comrade.

The two formed a strong connection; Reum was also recovering from a serious auto accident. He had spent fourteen months in a hospital bed, and learned to walk all over again. When he finally recovered in 2011, grim economic conditions awaited him. His career in real estate had dissolved and he lost everything. He felt that he and Miller were in similar positions, physically, mentally and professionally. Reum joined Miller in his venture, using his sales and networking expertise to take Illumatek to the next level. This type of collaboration isn’t rare. Military training instills a strong sense of teamwork in veterans, and it’s only natural for them to join together to build something.

Today, Illumatek is expanding rapidly. They’ve leaked their glowshields and wind deflectors into the market at various Harley-Davidson dealerships, and have experienced great initial success. “When dealers see the product, the average time it takes to sell is three minutes,” says Miller. The two are excited to take their business beyond just motorcycles. Already, they’ve been approached about creating windshields for vehicles from snowmobiles to ATVs. A Florida woman even prepaid so she can have the very first Illumatek windshield for her golf cart.

For these two resilient veterans, the future looks as bright as Miller’s bike. Within the year they’ll be moving into their own manufacturing facility and creating jobs for veterans returning home from overseas. It’s been a remarkable journey for these two heroes. Excited but humble, the two find constant motivation in helping other veterans, and most importantly keeping people safe. As Miller puts it, “If it saves one biker’s life, I’ve done my job.”

Jodi Elias is the Communications Manager at Veteran Entrepreneurial Transfer, Inc., a Milwaukee, WI based business accelerator for veterans. Funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a pilot program, VETransfer offers training, resources, and mentoring to veterans in entrepreneurial endeavors.

Project seeks 1 million veterans to give blood, DNA for disease research

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is looking for a few good men and women to volunteer for a battle it's waging at home — against disease.

Actually, more than a few are needed. Officials overseeing health care for the nation's veterans are undertaking what may be the largest effort of its kind in the nation, to collect medical records and blood samples from a million former service members for a bank of genetic information.

The idea is to give researchers enough DNA and other data to link specific genes to mental and physical maladies, from post-traumatic stress disorder to heart disease, and eventually develop new preventive measures or treatments.

"We did tell them that this may not benefit them directly," said Dr. Joel Kupersmith, the VA's chief research and development officer. "But vets are very altruistic people and they're likely to help if you tell them it will benefit someone else."

Kupersmith said researchers have long seen the potential at the VA because the system has 8 million enrollees of various ages and ethnicities with most every kind of age-, health- and service-related disorder. All have an electronic medical record stretching up to 15 years. The only shortcoming is the number of women — just over 6 percent of the system overall, and 13 percent of those actively serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Already, almost 51,000 men and women have agreed to participate since requests began going out by mail at the end of last year. They will visit one of 40 centers, including Baltimore, and almost half have already come in to answer questions and have blood drawn. The goal is to sign on the entire million in five to seven years, though studies will launch more immediately.

Among the early volunteers is Aaron Franz, 27, who left the Air Force in 2008 and now lives in Baltimore.

"I'm pretty scientifically minded," he said. "I'm very interested in the science of genetics and medicine. And I have a bit of service instinct. Donating a sample of blood is probably one of the easiest ways I can think to advance modern medicine."

Kupersmith said most research in the past hasn't been able to cobble so many people together. A well-known study led by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute that helped determine heart disease risk factors, for example, recruited about 5,000 people in 1948. The grandchildren of original participants of the "Framingham study," are now being studied for genetic traits.

"Imagine having a pool of million people," said Kupersmith, adding that already researchers are pitching studies to VA officials about post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

The veterans' personal information will be kept confidential and they will have the option to participate in individual studies, which would likely require additional questions.

While the findings will benefit society as a whole as researchers build on each other's work, for now only those with a VA affiliation will be able to tap the databank. Many of the thousands with privileges will likely partner with outside scientists who are experts in their field, though.

Heading up the Baltimore region's effort to sign up 25,000 veterans is Dr. Alan Shuldiner, who is associate dean for personalized and genomic medicine in the University of Maryland's School of Medicine, as well as a VA physician and researcher.

Shuldiner also expects to continue his own studies. He's been involved with genomics research for more than 20 years, including work he's done to discover gene variations for diabetes, heart and bone disease and other maladies in the Amish in the Lancaster, Pa., area.

He said many discoveries of genes that make people more susceptible or immune to disease have been made in the past five years, but they've been slow to translate into therapies. Known gene variations don't always substantially increase risk, and when they do there aren't always obvious remedies such as diet or drugs. The databank could accelerate the discoveries and their uses, he said.

He expects to use the databank specifically to study genes that may determine who benefits and who is harmed by certain medications. Using other subjects, he and fellow Maryland researchers already have worked on a test for a genetic variation that determines how well patients will respond to Plavix, a drug commonly used to prevent heart attacks and strokes. A third of patients carry a gene variation that calls for an alternative drug.

Shuldiner said he's found that local veterans are eager to help solve the mysteries. Already, 160 people have signed up in Baltimore, including Franz, a math student at Baltimore City Community College.

Franz said the questionnaire took less than 20 minutes. And he hopes his effort helps doctors treat those who become sick — and understand those who don't — after exposure to the mental and physical hazards of war.

He'd like researchers to come up with cures and prevention methods for those with diabetes, which afflicted his mother from childhood. He also has a brother with schizophrenia and several relatives with hypertension.



"You've got a million people you can sample from," he said. "Maybe you've got enough where you can start seeing all these things they have in common, a couple of genes that for some reason are active or inactive in making you more susceptible or immune."

That's the kind of thing Dan Arking is looking at now, without the use of the giant VA database. He's an associate professor in the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine in Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

He said treatment and prevention might be a ways off for many diseases, but there is a lot of ongoing research that can benefit from the DNA of Franz and his fellow veterans.

Typically, large studies now involve groups of about 10,000 to 15,000 pooled from 10 to 20 sources. He's seen other countries attempt to create such large databases as the VA, but this is the largest he knows of in the United States.

Arking said that in addition to common diseases, the databank will be useful for rare ones because it's often tough to find enough people to study.

Limiting the databank to VA-affiliated researchers is a drawback for scientists like Arking, who has no relationship with the veterans department but has developed novel methodology and tools to study diseases —in his case autism and sudden cardiac death. He hopes the VA makes it easy to identify and partner with the proper researchers.

For example, Arking and his colleagues have identified some genes related to sudden cardiac death, which kills up to 250,000 people a year and generally has no obvious warning signs. But if all the right variants can be identified for those most likely to die, doctors can single them out for an expensive implanted defibrillator.

"Prevention in this case is major surgery, so we need to do a better job of risk assessment before we intervene," he said.

He added: "It's an exciting time to be doing genomic research. If everything comes together with the databank, there will be an incredible amount of new discoveries to come out of this."
Vets who would like to volunteer, can go to http://www.research.va.gov/mvp/ for more information or call 866-441-6075.

New Law Eases Airport Screening for Troops, Families

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4, 2012 – President Barack Obama signed a bill into law yesterday to streamline airport screening procedures for service members and their families traveling on official orders.
The Risk-based Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act gives the Transportation Security Administration six months to develop and implement a plan to expedite screening services for service members on orders and in uniform and, “to the extent possible, any accompanying family member.”
The act, in part, calls for the agency to establish standard guidelines for the screening of military uniform items, such as combat boots.
In a statement released today, agency officials said they’re in the process of reviewing options for these new procedures in consultation with the Defense Department.
Even before this law, the agency had several measures in place to aid troops through the screening process. For example, troops in uniform with a military identification card aren’t required to remove their boots or shoes unless they set off an alarm, according to the agency’s website.
The agency also seeks to accommodate family members. Families who would like to accompany a deploying service member to the boarding gate or greet them upon their return may receive passes to enter the secure area of the airport, the site said. Family members, agency officials advise, should contact their air carrier representative at the airport for local procedures.
The agency also expedites the screening process for Honor Flight veterans, and partners with the Defense Department to expedite screening for wounded warriors and their families. The Honor Flight Network organization transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit their war memorials.
Also aimed at expediting screening procedures, the agency is testing a new program at the airport in Monterey, Calif. In mid-November, troops traveling out of Monterey Peninsula Airport began presenting their DOD identification to a document checker for card-reader scanning.
The pilot program is designed to test the technology to verify service members’ status. If successful, it could pave the way for service members to be included in the agency’s expedited screening program, agency officials said, enabling them to use special lanes at participating airports to pass more quickly through airport security. These expedited procedures could involve not having to remove their shoes, belt and jackets or their laptops from bags.
Programs such as this one strengthen security, officials said, explaining that separating out low-risk people, such as members of the armed forces, allows the agency to focus its resources on travelers who present a higher risk.

US Marine Fights Conviction For Suicide Attempt

25-year-old Lazzaric T. Caldwell, a “discharged Marine private who slit his wrists in a suicide attempt,” is “fighting his military conviction for deliberately injuring himself, arguing the punishment is inconsistent with the armed forces’ efforts to battle a rise in suicides during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Caldwell’s defense attorney, Navy Lt. Mike Hanzel, “said this week he will ask the military’s highest court, the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces in Washington, to hear the case.” Hanzel “claims military law prohibits intentional self-injury prosecutions for genuine suicide attempts induced by depression, PTSD or other mental illness because the mental illness makes it impossible to prove a guilty intent.”

Veterans Wearing Slogan T-Shirts Escorted Out of Campaign Event: Romney Team, Like Bush's, Keeps Candidate in Bubble

One of the more exasperating practices of the Bush/Cheney gang was its "Bubble Boy" policies. Bush's team went to almost comical lengths to host overly-controlled events that shielded the president from anything even resembling dissent. These folks even screened public audiences at public events based on bumper stickers, clothing, and lapel pins -- if Bush staffers didn't approve of their perceptions about your ideology, you were out of luck.

We're starting to see signs that Mitt Romney is following in Bush's footsteps.

On Friday, in a very controversial move, Romney expressed support for privatizing veterans' health care, endorsing the notion of giving vets health care vouchers that they could use in the private market. It's a horrible idea, strongly opposed by groups like the VFW.

Yesterday in South Carolina, several veterans wanted to express their concerns about this -- and that's when Romney's "Bubble Boy" policies kicked in.

A handful of people wearing "Vets against VA vouchers" T-shirts showed up at Mitt Romney's economic speech in Columbia to express opposition to an idea the GOP presidential candidate has floated about privatizing health care for military veterans. [...]

[Navy veteran and Columbia resident Melissa Harmon] said they had no intention of being disruptive and that she "stood there politely" when she revealed her "Vets against VA vouchers" T-shirt, but at different times they were escorted outside by Romney campaign aides, who allegedly told them to leave the premises.

They left the parking lot without incident and repositioned across the street where Romney would presumably see them as he was leaving.



Clearly, if folks show up for a public event and become disruptive, it stands to reason they'll be escorted away. But if four U.S. military veterans attend a public event, it's inappropriate to kick them out because a Republican campaign doesn't like their shirts.

The shirt wasn't obscene, it wasn't threatening, and it's unlikely Romney would have even noticed it. So why did Romney aides feel the need to throw these veterans out?

Army doctor at Madigan suspended over PTSD comments

Two physicians on a Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatric team have been removed from clinical duties, as the Army opens an investigation into whether PTSD screenings for soldiers were mishandled.

A Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatrist who screens soldiers for PTSD has been removed from clinical duties while investigators look into controversial remarks he made about patients and the financial costs of disability benefits, according to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.

Dr. William Keppler is a retired Army officer who leads a forensic psychiatric team responsible for assessing the PTSD diagnoses of soldiers under consideration for medical retirement at Madigan, an Army hospital located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma.

Army Medical Command officials confirmed two doctors had been temporarily removed from clinical duties and assigned to administrative work, but they did not name them.

In a prepared statement to The Seattle Times, they said the command has "initiated a top-to-bottom review of the process associated with the forensic psychiatric reviews conducted at Madigan Army Medical Center."

"We are very sensitive to the issues that have been raised to this command and are working hard to address them," the statement said.

More than a dozen soldiers who believed their PTSD diagnoses were wrongly dropped by the Madigan team gained new reviews this year at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in an unusual intervention arranged by Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho.

The forensic team's validation of a PTSD diagnosis can help qualify a soldier for a medical retirement with considerable benefits — such as lifelong health insurance for a retiree, spouse and dependents. The diagnosis also can help qualify a retiree for disability benefits from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs.

Keppler allegedly made inappropriate comments about the forensic team's role as financial gatekeeper in the Army retirement process during a September presentation, according to Murray.

In a meeting last fall attended by an Army ombudsman, Keppler and other team members reportedly made disrespectful comments about patients whose files were under review.

"I am deeply concerned about the things that I am hearing," Murray said. "Their (the doctor's) job is only one thing — to determine whether or not the patient has PTSD. And it's Congress' job to make sure we have the resources to compensate them."

Keppler could not be reached Friday for comment.

PTSD is a condition that results from experiencing a traumatic event, such as a battlefield casualty. Symptoms can include recurrent nightmares, flashbacks, irritability and feeling distant from other people.

As the long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a toll on troops subject to repeated deployments, the Army has launched extensive campaigns to convince soldiers to overcome the stigma of seeking mental-health care and reach out if they have symptoms of PTSD.

But some medical professionals contend that PTSD is being over-diagnosed.

Meanwhile, some soldiers and veterans advocates have accused the Army of making it overly difficult to get a PTSD diagnosis in order to limit the numbers of those eligible for medical retirement. The Army has denied doing so.

Murray, who chairs the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, said she became angered by complaints last fall from Madigan soldiers that their PTSD diagnoses from other Army and VA providers were being unfairly reversed.

In rejecting those diagnoses, the Madigan team cited psychometric tests that indicated some of those soldiers were malingerers.

Some of the soldiers had been deployed repeatedly to combat zones and been diagnosed with PTSD by other medical professionals, according to a review of their medical records.

"Gen. Horoho has taken this seriously," Murray said. "I think it is important to send a message that this will not be tolerated."

Army officials said the removal of the two doctors was temporary and did not constitute a "prejudgement or adverse action."

Regimental combat team 5 watching the Super Bowl from Afghanistan

VAPHS Director Honored for Leading Quest to End Homelessness

The Pennsylvania American Legion has recognized VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) Director and CEO Terry Gerigk Wolf for her support in the nonprofit’s quest to end homelessness among Veterans.
“Sometimes we have to step back and acknowledge the leaders who inspire us,” says Ronald F. Conley, president of organization’s Housing for Homeless Veterans Corporation. “And it’s through Mrs. Wolf’s leadership that VA Pittsburgh is committed to helping resolve the homeless problem.”
Conley presented Wolf with the award during an annual fundraising dinner in Moon Township on Saturday, Jan 14.
“I am incredibly honored and grateful to partner with the American Legion on this issue,” says Wolf. “Together, we are giving our Nation’s heroes an invaluable second chance to get off the streets and get their lives back on track.”
In 2011, VAPHS helped move a record number of homeless Veterans into stable housing—including four townhomes in Coraopolis, Pa., owned and operated by the Pennsylvania American Legion.
These efforts echo VA’s national objective to end homelessness by 2015. In December 2011, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced a significant victory on this front, reporting that homelessness among Veterans was down 12 percent relative to 2010.
Learn more about VA Pittsburgh’s successful programs in reducing homelessness locally.

Veterans and Beneficiaries Receive 2012 Cost of Living Adjustment

Veterans, their families, and survivors receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs saw a 3.6 percent increase in their compensation and pension benefits beginning January 1.
“Veterans, their families and their survivors are entitled to benefits that keep pace with the cost of living,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “VA is also using the latest technology to provide Veterans and their families with access to current information about their benefits.”
The new compensation rates will range from $127 monthly for a disability rated at 10 percent to $2,769 monthly for 100 percent. The cost of living adjustments (COLAs) also apply to disability and death pension recipients, survivors receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, disabled Veterans receiving automobile and clothing allowances, and other benefits. The full rates are available on the Internet at www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/#BM01.
Under federal law, COLAs for VA’s compensation and pension rates are the same percentage as for Social Security benefits. The last COLA for VA benefits was in 2008 when the last Social Security increase occurred.
“Veterans receiving VA disability and pension payments can now check their new 2012 COLA increase online,” said Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. “I encourage all Veterans, their dependents and survivors to sign up for eBenefits, VA’s popular website that recently crossed the one million mark in registrations.”
In close collaboration, the Department of Defense (DoD) and VA jointly developed the eBenefits portal (https://www.ebenefits.va.gov) as a single secure point of access for online benefit information and tools to perform multiple self-service functions, such as checking monthly benefit rates, filing a claim, or checking its status.
Veterans may enroll in eBenefits and obtain a Premium account by verifying their identity in-person at the nearest regional office or online depending on their status, or calling VA’s toll free number at 1-800-827-1000.
Servicemembers may also enroll in eBenefits using their Common Access Card at any time during their military service, or before they leave during their Transition Assistance Program briefings.
VA is enhancing its online eBenefits services with newer features such as online selection of Veterans organizations or other advocates to represent applicants for benefits where representation is desired.
Another new feature automates messages sent to Veterans and Servicemembers to notify them of benefits that they may be eligible to receive based on recent life events, such as military separation or marriage.
The site also continues to consolidate access to other VA and DoD systems through the portal, recently incorporating a gateway to vocational rehabilitation benefits under VA’s VetSuccess program.
Web access to information and benefits management tools for Servicemembers, Veterans and their families is part of VA and DoD’s lifetime engagement strategy from an individual’s entry into the military through the twilight years in civilian life as a Veteran.
VA provides non-taxable compensation and pension benefits to over four million Veterans, family members, and survivors. Disability compensation is a non-taxable monetary benefit paid to Veterans who are disabled as a result of an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Power of the VA Home Loan and Today’s Veteran Homeowner

Posted by Scott Wexler on February 2, 2012 www.veteransunited.com

It’s almost too good to be true.
A home loan with no mandatory down payment, no private insurance expenses, and easier qualification guidelines, all at a time when interest rates are hitting record lows throughout the industry. And it’s available exclusively for active duty military service members and veterans like you.
Every day, hundreds of military families are finding out why the VA Loan is one of the most popular benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Developed in 1944 as part of the G.I. Bill, the VA home loan is now one of the industry’s leading programs due to its low foreclosure rate and rapid growth. According to the VA, more than 1.5 million VA Loans are currently active; nearly 360,000 of those were closed just last year.

VA Loans are issued by lenders such as Veterans United and backed by the VA, which means that the federal government protects lenders in the event that a borrower defaults on his or her mortgage. This ‘guaranty’ system provides the backbone for this unique benefit, which has been used by more than 18 million veterans since its inception following World War II.

So what’s the real difference between a VA Loan and a conventional mortgage? In addition to no money up front and no burdensome insurance fees, VA mortgages tend to come with competitive low rates. Combine that with less stringent credit and qualification standards, and you’re looking at a cost-efficient, convenient, 100 percent financing home loan that you’ve earned by serving our country.

Get started today by filling out a short form with some basic information or calling 800-884-5560 under no obligation. You’ll be put in touch with a Veterans United Home Loans specialist, who will review your eligibility and guide you step by step, all the way until closing.

So for the cynics and skeptics, it’s time to ditch your doubt; the VA Loan is as great as advertised. And your dream of achieving home ownership for you and your family is well within reach.

Operation Community Cares

I want to take this time to bring awareness to a fantastic organization based out of San Lorenzo and Scotts Valley CA. They are a group of family members of soldiers headed by Babianna Mince a, mother of active duty deployed soldiers & sailors and they have meet and greets, online chat sessions and offer information to guide you through the maze of having a loved one deployed as well as offering Carepackages from home sent to your loved one, they connect you with vital resources and contact info on your loved ones location. You can find them online at www.operationcommunitycares.com/default.html or on facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-Community-Cares-San-Lorenzo-Scotts-Valley . Babianna Mince thank you so much for what you are doing, I know that your efforts are really making a difference in the lives of many soldiers and their family members, and I pray that your family members come home safely to you soon thank you and God bless.

Thank you for serving

Heroes Village

Heroes Village Fact Sheet
ALL AMERICAN

Building Affordable and Dignified Homes for Veterans
As part of its “Plan to End Veteran Homelessness,” the Veterans Administra-tion (VA) estimates there is a critical need for about 90,000 units of perma-nent housing for homeless and low-income veterans.
Heroes Village intends to build 30,000 single-family homes nationwide by 2015 in developments of approximately 100 homes each. We will also be constructing transitional and rental housing for Veterans for those not ready to purchase a home.
The program assists very low income veterans and their families in obtaining and maintaining stable housing. Supportive services will be available, in-cluding life skills training, support groups, financial and transportation assis-tance. Peer mentors who are veterans will add to the individualized, strength-based approach to individual growth. Residents of our transitional facilities are required to have some form of vocational training.
Heroes Village will make readjustment for veterans easier as they navigate from active duty to civilian life. Heroes Village makes owning home in a community of fellow veterans dignified, simple and affordable.
Heroes Village will hire veterans to build our communities and we will build these dignified homes with American-made materials and equipment.
Heroes Village Fact Sheet, continued
Heroes Village will provide transitional housing and vocational training for 120 Veterans at a former nursing home in the Greater Hartford, CT area, just one mile from the State’s largest VA facility. Renovations have begun and the facility will open in March 2012. This facility will serve a critical need for our Veterans rehabilitation and re-integration into the Connecticut community.
Construction of the first Heroes Village condominium will begin in March 2012 on a 40-unit condominium complex in Meriden, CT.
We will be breaking ground in April 2012 in East Haven, CT on affordable condominiums. Located at 150 Foxon Road, 24 two-bedroom, two-bath condominium units will be constructed.
According to the VA, the number of women veterans in the next 15 years is expected to double, while the number of male veterans is expected to de-crease. Unfortunately, some of these women veterans will end up without a home or stable living environment.
In Norwalk, Heroes Village is currently renovating the former VFW Post, 48 High Street, to house at least 30 women veterans who are currently homeless.
All Heroes Village facilities will be located near a VA facility and/or mili-tary base so that veterans can receive the medical care or counseling they need.
A Heroes Village home will typically be a two or three bedroom eco-friendly residence. All Heroes Village homes will be designed with the spe-cific needs of veterans in mind and will be priced lower than homes of comparable quality.
Heroes Village Fact Sheet, continued
All Heroes Village facilities will be compliant with the Americans with Dis-abilities Act.
Upcoming Connecticut projects include Bridgeport, Rocky Hill, Waterbury, Branford, North Haven, Norwich and Hamden.
“Embrace, employ and empower.” – Antonio St. Lorenzo, Founder, Heroes Village
Antonio St. Lorenzo 347-497-2444
Media Contact: Hardy Stone 301-845-1330

Homeless veterans: A progress report

While attending the Winterhaven Stand Down for homeless veterans on Jan. 21 in Washington, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki took time out to speak with The American Legion about recent progress in his department’s five-year plan to defeat homelessness among America’s veterans.
In his video interview, Shinseki specifically mentioned The American Legion and its efforts to help veterans with their GI Bill benefits and encourage them to successfully complete their studies. The Legion hosts education symposia every year and has a good working relationship with Student Veterans of America.
According to Shinseki, the total number of homeless veterans in America has been reduced by about 12 percent; VA is committed to eliminating homelessness among veterans by 2015.
Getting homeless veterans off the streets and into housing is what Shinseki refers to as the “rescue” part of the problem. The other part is preventive: helping at-risk veterans and their families who may be without a home if they miss getting one paycheck, or miss making one mortgage payment. Shinseki says that while the “rescue” part of the homeless veterans issue can be achieved in five years, preventing more veterans from becoming homeless in the future will take more time and greater effort.
During his interview, Shinseki also emphasized the importance of job programs for veterans as a long-term solution to homelessness. The American Legion is working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce this year to co-sponsor about 100 career fairs this year for veterans and military spouses.