1.    Troops clearing way for school to reopen in tsunami-stricken area. U.S. and Japanese troops swarmed like worker ants Saturday to clear debris from one of the 42 tsunami-damaged schools the two militaries are working to clear as part of an effort to get local children back to class by April 21. 

2.    Reagan strike group wraps up relief mission in Japan.  The USS Ronald Reagan strike group departed the disaster relief mission in Japan on Monday night, the U.S. Navy 7th Fleet confirmed Tuesday. 

3.    Postal inspector testimony: Surveillance video shows driver taking medicine.  Press-Register - al.com (blog)  Robert Arnett, a veteran from Covington County, testified that he takes 11 different kinds of medicine mailed to him by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. One of those is Lortab, he said, a painkiller prescribed to treat spinal stenosis, ... 

4.    Meta-analysis: Effect of Patient Self-testing and Self-management of Long-Term.  Annals of Internal Medicine  From the US Department of Veterans Affairs' Evidence-based Synthesis Program at the Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, Minnesota. ...

5.    Vets benefits claims agents await trial.  Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier  Another person charged in the annuity case is James Kayser of Independence, Iowa's only other Veterans Affairs-approved claims agent. Officials at the US Department of Veterans Affairs said the two are still cleared to do business. ...

6.    RecruitMilitary to Present Civilian Jobs/Opportunities Expo.  PRLog.Org  ... ICDC College, ITT Technical Institute, Kaplan University, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Military Sealift Command, MultiCare Health System, the National Veterans Employment Program (NVEP) of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, ...

7.    WWII Hero Josef Lukacs Turns 101.  Patch.com  According to the federal Department of Veteran Affairs, more than 1000 WWII veterans are dying every day. These and all veterans need to be recognized and remembered regularly, they say, because their bravery has afforded us the freedom we enjoy. ... 

8.    Lawmakers lend help to veterans.  MiamiHerald.com  Even the state Department of Veterans Affairs is pleasantly puzzled by the effort. The agency is sponsoring five bills, including one that would establish Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day (SB 765/HB 704) and one that puts a Florida Veterans Hall of Fame in ... 

9.    Returning veterans have options at home.  Albany Democrat Herald  Mann said the new GI Bill can provide a living stipend while veterans retrain. For a complete list of veteran services, contact the Oregon Department of Veteran's Affairs at 503-373-2000 or oregon.gov/ODVA/BENEFITS/statebenefits.shtml. 

10.                       Fresh start: Once-struggling veteran finds new beginning.  El Paso Times  After years on the streets, Lochala was able to get a roof over his head through a joint program of the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso and the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The 2-year-old program is called Housing and Urban ... 

11.                       Lawmakers Lend Help To Veterans. Miami Herald A bill "which allows counties to develop jail-diversion programs for veterans charged with certain crimes as a result of traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder or substance use stemming from military combat" is … "

12.                       State Opening A Veterans Outreach Office In Escondido. North County Times "North County veterans will have another resource at their disposal when the second state outreach center in the region opens in Escondido on Friday.

13.                       VA Issues RFP For Open-Source EHR Effort.   CMIO "The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a draft request for proposal (RFP) aimed at forming an open-source community around its VistA (Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture) EHR system." "'VistA is an important asset for VA, and for the nation,' said" a statement from VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, who …

14.                       Bringing Services To Combat Veterans.  Arizona Daily Sun  "In Arizona, combat veterans living in rural communities typically had to drive long distances to receive services from a Veterans Center set up" by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. But "no longer. 'We have the ability to bring a mobile Vet Center into areas where there is no fixed site,

15.                       Research Warns Of Overuse Of Powerful Class Of Antibiotics.  HealthDay "The use of a powerful class of antibiotics called carbapenems has increased dramatically in the United States over the past five years, a new study shows. The increased use of these drugs -- widely regarded as the last option for treating severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria -- is cause for concern because carbapenem-resistant bacteria are becoming more common, the researchers said."

16.                       Rx For Combat Stress: Comradeship. Wall Street Journal The US Marine Corps is training young recruits to detect combat stress among their peers and deal with it directly on the front lines of battle. The latest research suggests …  

17.                       The Military's Secret Shame.  Newsweek "In the staunchly traditional" US military culture, male-on-male sexual assault is an "ugly secret, kept hidden by layers of personal shame and official denial. Last year nearly 50,000 male veterans screened positive for 'military sexual trauma' at the Department of Veterans Affairs, up from just over 30,000 in 2003."

18.                       Health Care Extends Beyond Incarceration. Providence (RI) Journal  "The Department of Veterans Affairs will extend health care to eligible veterans in halfway houses and other temporary, post-incarceration housing under a new program aimed at cutting back on repeat offenses. 'There's hard evidence that lack of access to health care...for newly released inmates is a factor in people becoming homeless or returning to prison and jail,' said Jim McGuire, director of VA's Veterans Justice Outreach Programs," who added, "These are veterans who otherwise qualify for VA health care."

19.                       The Heroes Play Among Us. Aspen (CO) Daily News 32-year-old Iraq veteran Jarod Behee was recently in Snowmass, Colorado, among those participating in the "Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, which was held from March 25-April 2." This year, the "event brought 1,200 people to the valley between vets, volunteers, staff and sponsors - including 130 new participants." What the clinic provides, "goes beyond action sports," as pointed out by Behee, who said the clinic "makes you feel wanted."

20.                       Returning Veterans Have Options At Home. Albany (OR) Democrat Herald  "According to Tom Mann, public information manager for the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, there are numerous ways veterans can get help when they return from duty. Finding a job, receiving medical benefits and continuing education are all services veterans getting back from duty in Iraq and Afghanistan can tap into. 'All vets are processed by a reintegration team,' Mann said," adding, "It's a National Guard program that serves all branches of the service."

21.                       Solar Carports To Cut Power Costs At VA Medical Center. Arizona Republic "A federally funded $20 million solar-carport project will provide shade for 1,600 cars and save" the Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center an "estimated $375,000 a year in energy costs. The first phase of …

22.                       Collaboration Can End Montana Veterans' Homelessness. Billings Gazette

23.                       Now Hiring: Doctors Wanted. Orlando Sentinel Orlando is "becoming a prime job market." For example, a Veterans Affairs hospital scheduled to open in Orlando in 2012 has started hiring.

24.                       Defense Contractors Make Hiring Veterans A Priority. Washington Post Northrop Grumman called Operation IMPACT has "hired about 85 veterans since its inception in 2004." The program is …  "

25.                       Former Driver Recognized For Years Of Service. Crawfordsville (IN) Journal Review

26.                       East Side Woman Finds Joy In Hospital Volunteer Work. Northwest Indiana Times

27.                       A Fake Medal Of Honor Or Purple Heart: Is It Free Speech? Christian Science Monitor

28.                       Did A Chaplain's Fake Purple Heart Erase Good Deeds? Christian Science Monitor