Happy Friday all.  Summer is upon us and we better enjoy it while we can....be gone before we know it.

Wishing you all a fun and safe weekend.

 

Please join me in congratulating Jack Beecher, Vietnam Veteran, and Chief, Small Business Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Virginia, for his selection as SBA's 2011 Virginia Veterans Small Business Champion of the Year.  Jack is a true Champion of small business and a friend of our VOSB community.  Jack sets an example for others to emulate.  Congratulations Jack and thanks for "walking the walk!"

 

Our good friend Major Clark at SBA Advocacy welcomes input from Veterans regarding the attached OFCCP Proposed VEVRAA Regulation Revisions to Strengthen Employment Protections for Veterans.  Just a few short lines with your thoughts would be much appreciated.  Please send your comments by July 5, 2011, to Major at Major.Clark@sba.gov.  Let's get our input into these proposed Laws; we don't want to wait until they become Law and then complain about this or that!

 

Received following from reader, Lisa Stern:  Good morning Wayne, thanks for sending out the information on PTSD Awareness Day.  If it serves this group well, you might also send a link to the America's Heroes at Work (http://www.AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov).  America's Heroes at Work is a U.S. Department of Labor funded project that focuses on employers - and addresses the employment challenges of returning Service Members and Veterans living with PTSD and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).  Also in place is a toll–free help line (800.526.7234) that employers can call for personalized assistance related to accommodations for Veterans with disabilities in the workplace.  Kind regards...... Lisa

 

National HIV Testing Day: Get Checked: June 27 is National HIV Testing Day and VA encourages you to say yes to the test! VA Medical Centers around the country offer free HIV testing. Learn more to stay one step ahead for a happier and healthier tomorrow. 

 

Folks, just a reminder that I will not use this News platform to advertise products and services for anyone that has a "for profit" agenda.  I don't care if you e-mail me and tell me that some or all of the profit will go to Vet causes. This e-mail platform, while it is active, will be for one purpose and one purpose only...to pass on timely and useful information to our Troops, Veterans, Military Retirees, and their loved ones and friends.  Likewise, I will never share my e-mailing List at the expense of your privacy.....count on it!

 

Prayers and blessings for you and your loved ones and for our brave and selfless Troops and their loved ones everywhere.

 

Sincerely............................Wayne

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VA Veterans News for Friday, June 24, 2011.  Thanks to Kevin Secor at VA HQ

1.    Veterans home groundbreaking.  Wisconsin Radio Network  The $20 million, 72-bed facility is scheduled to open next year, and will be the third such home in the state. Brian Marshall with the Department of Veterans Affairs says there is a need for such a facility to serve northwestern Wisconsin. ...

 

2.    Claims backlog to be addressed at annual VFW convention in Alexandria.  Alexandria Town Talk  "The Bush and Obama administration has been good to veterans," he said. "They've funded us fully with what we have expected when it comes to veteran health care. They just need to get a handle on the backlog of claims."

 

3.    American Legion Delivers Benefit Tips for Veterans.  Patch.com  Wayne Macejek, the American Legion's state director of veteran's affairs and rehabilitation in Chicago, gave a presentation sponsored by the Bolingbrook Post that detailed the ins and outs of the VA benefit system for veterans and their families. ...

 

4.    Duo tackling cross country bike ride to raise money for Veteran Affairs.  Centre Daily Times  Any money raised will go to Clinton County Veterans Affairs for Disabled Veterans. “I'm sure it will be rough, but I don't stop, ever,” Fiasco said. Fiasco, who is majoring in biology, chemistry and pre-medicine under a four-year Reserve Officers' ...

 

5.    GI Bill Cuts: Veterans Enrolled In College Face Uncertain Futures.  Huffington Post
According to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, nearly half of the 16 million WWII vets used the original GI Bill for college between 1945 and 1956. Over the past two years, the ranks of veterans attending American institutions of higher education ...

 

6.    King man reverses course again and plans to fly no flags at Veteran's Memorial.  Winston-Salem Journal  City officials have said that Hewett and other lottery winners can pick any flag they want to fly at the memorial as long as the US Department of Veterans Affairs has approved the flag's symbols. Federal veterans affairs officials have sanctioned the ...

 

7.    US CTO Aneesh Chopra Promotes Government With A Little 'g'.  Wired News (blog)
Responding to a challenge from the president, the US Department of Veterans Affairs began digitizing its records, allowing veterans to download a copy of their personal health data “at the push of a blue button.” Since then, over 300000 Americans have ...

 

8.    National, State Groups Back Health Care for Camp Lejeune Vets, Families.  Environmental Working Group  Hundreds of veterans have filed claims for disability compensation through the US Department of Veterans Affairs but only a handful of their applications have been approved. Camp Lejeune's pollution is the largest documented Department of Defense ...

 

9.    Cyberwarfare finds a captive audience.  CNN International  Before that, 26.5 million people's information and some Social Security numbers were taken from US Department of Veterans Affairs computers in 2006. A year before that, CardSystems fumbled info from 40 million accounts. The scope of these intrusions ...

 

10.                       Stockton veteran honored.  Stockton Record  He spent years at the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Palo Alto before returning home to Stockton in 2008. On Wednesday, he was in the state Capitol with his now 5-year-old son. He was named the veteran of the year ...

 

11.                       Local Serviceman Honored As Veteran Of The Year.  Patch.com  Fifty-two veterans representing each of the state's assembly districts were honored today in Sacramento -- and Lake Elsinore resident Lt. Commander Nico Melendez was among them. Melendez, who served in the US Navy for 10 years and currently serves in ...

 

12.                       Diamyd Discontinues US Phase III Trial with Lead Type I Diabetes Product.  Genetic Engineering News  NG2 GAD uses the NTDDS platform to deliver GAD locally to nerve cells, and is primarily in development for the treatment of diabetes pain, supported by grant funding from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Clinical studies of diabetes pain are ...

 

13.                       Cabinet Confirms Scott Adviser As New Head Of Vet Affairs.  Orlando Sentinel On Wednesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott "and the Florida Cabinet unanimously confirmed Scott Chief of Staff Mike Prendergast as the new head of the Department of Veterans Affairs." Prendergast "said he was 'deeply honored' by the governor's decision to name him the new executive director of the department."

 

14.                       State Pushing For Increase In Benefits For Veterans. AP  "Virginia is stepping up efforts to increase the number of military veterans and their families who receive federal benefits." On Wednesday, Virginia's Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Terrie Suit "said...that doing so not only helps veterans, but also helps the state because it is picking up the tab for medical care and other costs that could be provided by the federal government."

 

15.                       Keith Gwinn Appointed Secretary Of Newly Created Department Of Veterans Assistance. AP  "State Division of Veterans Affairs director Keith Gwinn has been appointed cabinet secretary of the newly created" West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance. On Wednesday, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin "said...the appointment is effective July 1." Gwinn will "oversee the Barboursville Veterans Home, the Clarksburg Veterans Nursing Facility, 17 field and two claims offices, the Veterans Outreach Program, a transportation program and a state veterans cemetery under construction in Institute."

 

16.                       Portland Police Say Man Posed As OHSU Doctor To Con Patient Out Of Money.  Oregonian

 

17.                       Unemployment Rate Increasing For Iraq And Afghanistan-Era Vets. CBS Early Show "The unemployment rate of Iraq and Afghanistan-era vets jumped to 12.1% in May, up from 10.9% in April. That is three points above the national average, leaving 232,000 veterans without work." CBS added, "Washington is trying to help by introducing bills like the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011." 

18.                       "Peer To Peer" Course Offered To Troubled Vets. Cleveland Plain Dealer "The National Alliance of Mental Health Greater Cleveland is accepting applications for a free, nine-week 'Peer to Peer' course for veterans with mental illness that it will be offered this summer. The course, provided by a grant from the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Trust Service, will cover such topics as understanding your diagnosis, stigma and discrimination, medications, coping strategies and relationships." Facilitators for the course "will be veterans with mental illness who work as peer specialists for the Department of Veterans Affairs." 

19.                       Veterans Tell Stories Of Hope. KIAH-TV   29 female veterans are currently living at the Santa Maria hostel in Texas, thanks to a program funded by a U S Department of Veterans Affairs grant. KIAH discussed the program with Theresa Riha, who works for the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. Riha "tells us that the program includes drug and alcohol counseling, money management, budgeting, social skills and anger management." KIAH also spoke to Veronica Vernon, who said she is grateful to have found help through the program.

 

20.                       On The Cyber Beat.  Government Executive  Chief information security officers (CSIOs) in the Federal government "must balance mission requirements against threats to vital data." The "adoption rate of consumer" mobile "'devices has presented a significant challenge across the government,' acknowledges Jerry Davis, deputy assistant secretary for information security at the Veterans Affairs Department."

 

21.                       Veterans Affairs Selects Small Business As Custodial Agent For EHR Modernization.  Federal Computer Week  "The Veterans Affairs Department has selected a Reston, Va. small business to be the custodial agent managing open-source efforts to modernize the department's longstanding electronic health record system. The VA awarded a $5 million contract to The Informatics Applications Group, according to a June 20 announcement on the Federal Business Opportunities website." Some "questions are being raised about" the depth of experience of the company, whose "website did not reveal mentions of open source development or VistA contracting."

 

22.                       Federal Agency Begins Survey About Lejeune Water. AP The Federal Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry is "beginning a survey of diseases that may be related to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, where officials believe as many as 1 million people might have been exposed to toxins." The ATDSR will "send a survey to more than 300,000 people who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune or Camp Pendleton, Calif., before 1986." The "survey is a response to a congressional mandate and is the largest survey the agency has ever conducted."

 

23.                       No Private Development At St. Albans Site. Queens (NY) Gazette "Congress has passed legislation that would block plans for private contractors to develop the proposed St. Albans Primary and Extended Care Center on the present veterans hospital site in Queens, Congressmember Gary Ackerman (D–Bayside/L.I.) announced." The lawmaker "said the measure was approved by the House as an amendment proposed by Congressmember Gregory Meeks (D–Jamaica) to the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill." Ackerman "said he strongly supported the amendment offered by Meeks, whose district includes the St. Albans VA Hospital, which serves veterans living in Queens and Long Island."

 

24.                       Keith Gwinn Appointed Secretary Of Newly Created Department Of Veterans Assistance.  AP "State Division of Veterans Affairs director Keith Gwinn has been appointed cabinet secretary of the newly created" West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance. On Wednesday, acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin "said...the appointment is effective July 1." Gwinn will "oversee the Barboursville Veterans Home, the Clarksburg Veterans Nursing Facility, 17 field and two claims offices, the Veterans Outreach Program, a transportation program and a state veterans cemetery under construction in Institute."

 

25.                       Fishing Outing With Wounded Vets Canceled At Last Minute. Willoughby (OH) News-Herald  "Members of the North Coast Fly Fishers are disappointed that the Veterans Administration has nixed a fishing outing with wounded military veterans that was scheduled for Wednesday." The agency could not find transportation for patients with the VA's Cleveland hospital, who were to take part in the "national 'Healing Waters' program that matches wounded armed forces veterans with volunteers." Outing organizer Andy Setlock "believes VA administrators had ample time to make arrangements and just as much time to notify the club that a transportation problem existed." Setlock added, "We'll try and reschedule" the trip.

 

26.                       Veterans Benefits Fair Planned. Trenton (NJ) Republican-Times "There will be a veterans benefit fair in Trenton on Friday, July 8 at the Joseph L. Norton VFW Post 919 in Trenton." A Veterans Affairs representative "will be there from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. to answer questions." In addition, a "Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder counselor will...be present to talk with veterans and/or families."

 

27.                       Army Veteran In Conn. During 7,000-Mile Hike.  AP  Mr. Bill Finch, the mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, was planning on Wednesday to greet Army Specialist Troy Yocum, an "Iraq war veteran who has been hiking across the country to raise money for military families." Yocum is in the "middle of a 7,000-mile hike across the country in an effort to raise $5 million for military families in need. He began the planned 16-month hike in April of last year and expects to finish in Louisville on Sept. 3 after having passed through 31 states."

 

28.                       Veteran Who Lost Ability To Move, Speak Still Inspiring Others. Grand Rapids (MI) Press

 

29.                       Stockton Veteran Honored. Stockton (CA) Record

 

30.                       Military Family Fundraiser Set For Central Point.  Medford (OR) Mail Tribune

 

31.                       Wounded Soldier Will Benefit From Yard Sale. Medford (OR) Mail Tribune

 

32.                       Wagner Event Offers Outreach To Veterans.  Yankton Press & Dakotan 

 

33.                       New VA Complex To Treat "Emerging" War Injuries. Seattle Daily Journal Of Commerce

 

34.                       Bodies Of WWII Airmen Brought Home More Than 60 Years After Crash. CNN

 

35.                       Nathan Johnson Of Concord Is Named Veteran Of The Year. Concord (CA) Patch

 

36.                       21-Year-Old Allegedly Posed As Doctor And Gave Medical Advice,

 

37.                       Researchers Uncover More About Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. KGO-TV

 

38.                       Quilt Of Valor.  Milpitas (CA) Patch