VA HQ Veterans News for Monday, November 21, 2011.  Thanks to Kevin Secor at VA HQ

 

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1.    Obama To Sign Bill Monday. Bloomberg News  The White House released a statement Saturday saying President Obama will sign the bill into law on Nov. 21. "No veteran who fought for our country should have to fight for a job when they come home," Obama said in a Nov. 16 statement, the day before HR 674 (pdf) was unanimously approved by the House. The Senate passed the bill on Nov. 10.

 

2.    Military's effort to cut red tape for wounded warriors backfires.  Reforms meant to streamline military health care for severely wounded service members have in many cases worsened the bureaucracy, causing duplication, confusion and turf battles, according to families, congressional overseers and advocates for veterans.

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3.    How will latest budget battle affect the military?  Congress faces yet another budget deadline this week, and the decisions it makes could mean fewer troops, less dwell time, more outdated equipment and plenty of frustration for military planners for years to come.

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4.    War-torn marriage: Family shattered by TBI, PTSD picks up pieces.  The breaking point came when Sandra Rivera found their 9-year-old son backed against a wall with his arms over his face, shielding himself from her husband's screaming.

 

5.    Esquire names Army captain one of its 'Patriots of the Year'.  The enemy wasted no time taking its best shot at D.J. Skelton. Weeks into his 2004 deployment, an RPG ambush in Fallujah left him a broken soldier. Shrapnel tore through his face, crushing his jaw and exiting out his left eye socket, taking his eye with it.

 

6.    Monday Briefs.  Belleville News Democrat  MOBILE VET CENTER: The US Department of Veterans Affairs will spend two days on the Southwestern Illinois College Belleville campus. They will be on campus from 9 am to 4:30 pm Monday and 9:30 am to 3 pm Tuesday. For more information, call 866-942-7942 ...

 

7.    Veterans deserve support.  Palladium-Item  Roses also to volunteer drivers who give of their time and talents to take veterans for their appointments. The veterans council received a US Department of Veterans Affairs' grant to acquire a new 12-passenger van in February. ...

 

8.    Wyoming considers veterans' nursing home.  MSN Money  Wyoming, one of two states without a state-funded nursing home, had a veteran population of 55510 as of Sept. 30, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Of that number, 39 percent are older than 65, and that percentage is expected to climb ...

 

9.    Knights of Columbus Donate Wheelchairs and Lap Robes for Veterans at the VA.  PR Web  The Maryland State Council Knights of Columbus donated more than 65 new wheelchairs for Veteran patients at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Health Care System on Nov. 12, 2011 to mark this year's Veterans Day. The wheelchairs, totaling more than $13 ...

 

10.State looks to hike maintenance fees at Illinois Veterans Home.  Quincy Herald Whig
Residents in the homes in Quincy, Anna, LaSalle and Manteno now pay a maximum of $929 a month in maintenance fees, which is in addition to state and federal payments. State Director of Veterans Affairs Erica Borggren said the average cost of care is ...

 

11.Congress Clears Vets Portion Of Obama's Job Proposal; Bill Will Also Repeal Withholding Rule For Contractors. ,  CQ "The House last week cleared legislation to establish programs aimed at decreasing unemployment among veterans." The bill would provide "tax credits to companies that hired veterans with service-connected disabilities who had been unemployed for at least" six consecutive months. It would provide "smaller tax credits to those that hired vets who were not disabled or had been unemployed for shorter periods." The measure would also "extend existing credits for hiring veterans through 2012" and it would mandate the VA to "establish a retraining program by July 1, 2012." To pay for the veterans' provisions, the measure would "postpone scheduled decreases in fees charged to veterans obtaining VA-guaranteed mortgages until fiscal 2017."

 

12.Bill Would Give Veterans A Boost In Working For Transportation Projects.  Washington Post  "A bipartisan bill introduced in the House Friday would require that contractors building federally funded transportation projects give hiring preference to recent veterans." The bill introduced by Aviation Subcommittee Chair Tom Petri (R-WI) and Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), the "ranking Democrat on the transportation committee, would require that state agencies and public transit operators enforce the mandate." According to an AP (11/19) story carried by four news outlets, the Mobilizing Opportunities for Veterans Employment Act is "supported by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Veterans."

 

13.VFW: Review Of Jobs Programs A Welcome Change.  Army Times  "One of the best things" about the Vow to Hire Heroes Act, which Congress passed Wednesday, is a "requirement to monitor whether employment programs result in people finding work," said Ryan Gallucci, an Iraq War veteran and "deputy director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars' national legislative service." For example, there is a "requirement for the Labor Department to track what happens to veterans who receive counseling, training and placement." Additionally, Gallucci said the bill's impact will be felt "almost immediately, whether it's through the ability to apply for federal jobs earlier, having a baseline of civilian workforce knowledge through mandatory [Transition Assistance Program] participation, individualized assessments of military job skills, or extension of veterans' tax credits." The Act comes "at a time when almost 1 million veterans" are unemployed.

 

14.Legislators Introduce Bill To Save Jesus Statue Commemorating WWII Vets. KECI-TV  Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) formally introduced legislation today to save the Jesus statue on Big Mountain. House Veterans Affairs Chair Jeff Miller (R-FL) is co sponsoring the bill. Controversy broke out earlier this year when a Wisconsin group said it violates the Constitution. Rehberg and Miller say the statue is a historically significant veterans memorial built to honor WWII vets. Their measure allows for a land exchange between Whitefish Mountain Resort and the federal government. The swap would cover 625 square feet of land where the monument stands.

 

15.Entrepreneurship For Veterans.  Chicago Tribune Women's Business Development Center Co-President Hedy M. Ratner writes that the "Chicago Tribune's front-page story on Veterans Day, about the 'homefront battle' veterans face to find jobs, was heartbreaking, ('Vets' homefront battle: Finding jobs' Nov. 11)." But a feasible alternative to finding a job "could be business ownership, and there are resources through the US Small Business Administration that can help, not just for veterans and the service-disabled but also for their wives or partners. The work skills, perseverance, discipline and courage that many returning service members possess can be a perfect springboard into entrepreneurship."

 

16.Aggression May Follow Moderate To Severe TBI.  Internal Medicine News  "A traumatic injury to the brain can cause even the most mild-mannered person to act like a hostile, aggressive sociopath," according to neuropsychiatrist at the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law meeting. "Agitation and aggression, often lumped together as 'socially inappropriate behavior,' are common after a traumatic brain injury (TBI), said Dr. Hal S. Wortzel, director of neuropsychiatric consultation services at the Denver VA Medical Center. ... 'Mild traumatic injuries are different from moderate and severe traumatic brain injuries in terms of outcomes, expected recovery, and the likelihood that neuropsychiatric symptoms, whether [they] be aggression or others down the road, are directly referable to neuronal injury from that event,'" Dr. Wortzel added.

 

17.Christian Alliance Of America Praises Progress On WWII Memorial Prayer Act.  Christian Post  "The Christian Alliance of America lauded Congressional members of the House Committee on Natural Resources for recently supporting a bill that would ensure the inclusion of Franklin D. Roosevelt's D-Day landing prayer at the World War II Memorial" in the District of Columbia. By "unanimous consent, the Committee ordered the bill-HR 2070, known as the World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2011, to be reported to the full House on Thursday to the displeasure of the Obama Administration." Opponents note that American veterans "came from many different religious traditions or no spiritual path at all" and argue that Congress "should not belittle the monument by using it as another ploy in the culture wars."

 

18.Military Healthcare Reform Leaves Wounded Warriors Entangled In More Red Tape.  Washington Post  "Reforms meant to streamline military healthcare for severely wounded service members have in many cases worsened the bureaucracy, causing duplication, confusion and turf battles, according to families, congressional overseers and advocates for veterans." After reports that troops "recovering from catastrophic wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and other facilities were getting lost in the military's system, a high-profile commission recommended in 2007 that every severely wounded service member be assigned a federal recovery coordinator." But at least 12 VA and DOD programs have since emerged to "coordinate the care. The proliferation of programs...intended to better manage healthcare, 'may actually have the opposite effect,'" Government Accountability Office Healthcare Director Debra Draper "told a congressional committee last month."

 

19.GAO Eyes VA LTC Quality Efforts.   LifeHealthPro VA provides long-term care "for about 46,000 elderly and disabled veterans through a network of 132 nursing homes, and it is having trouble with handling care quality problems," according to an assessment by the GAO. Officials found problems with "infection control at 59% of the nursing homes," many of which did not "follow hand washing policies and procedures," wrote Randall Williamson, a GAO director, in the report. The GAO is advising the VA to "require more reporting on how well the nursing homes are adhering to corrective action plans and to come up with a process" for verifying information "reported by the nursing homes."

 

20.VA Pittsburgh Takes Top Fine Award.  Pittsburgh Business Times  "The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System was among five institutions that received Fine Awards for Teamwork Excellence in Healthcare on Thursday. The Fine Foundation and Jewish Healthcare Foundation sponsor the Fine Awards, which were established to recognize the critical role that teamwork plays in healthcare." The VA won a "platinum award for its work in reducing the number of readmissions due to congestive heart failure." Members of the VA healthcare team "received a $25,000" award; and the VA received "another $5,000 for its support."

 

21.Vets Praise Care At Miami VA Hospital.   OpEdNews  "Veterans treated at the Miami VA hospital rate their care as outstanding, a survey by this reporter finds. Although the sampling was small, when asked to grade the hospital on a scale of one to ten, the combined ranking was 9.2. In fact, only one veteran rated the care as low as 6." Notably, nearly 50 percent of the respondents "gave the hospital a perfect 10." The survey was conducted on Nov. 16 and 17.

 

22.1,500 Workers To Be Hired.  Houston Chronicle  "Oil field services giant Halliburton Co. began work Thursday on $50 million base of operations in San Antonio for which it will hire 1,500 workers to support its operations in the Eagle Ford shale." Halliburton officials "said they hope to fill 75 percent, or more than 1,100 positions, by hiring locally"; and the company is encouraging "military veterans to apply. 'Their leadership skill set and what they've learned are transferable to what we do,'" said Halliburton spokesperson Marisol Espinosa.

 

23.Companies Are Finding It More Difficult To Find And Retain Qualified Commercial Truck Drivers.  Ventura County (CA) Star  Although finding a job "continues to be a challenge for many people locally and across the country, companies are finding it more difficult to find and retain qualified commercial truck drivers," according to American Trucking Association officials. Those interested in a career in the truck industry, however, "need to fork up thousands of dollars for the classes." Whereas most "larger companies that hire licensed drivers sometimes reimburse training costs, smaller companies often do not," said ATA Economist Bob Costello. But veteran Lex Prange "said he was able to afford the tuition cost through the Post 9-11/GI Bill," which became effective in October.

 

24.Hire A Vet Helping Idaho Veterans Find Jobs. KXLY-TV  "Hire One Vet is exactly what it sounds like: Asking businesses to say yes we will hire one veteran to help with the unemployment problem. It's a joint effort between several agencies, including the Idaho Department of Labor and the Idaho National Guard."

 

25."Military Clean" Putting Veterans To Work. CBS News  "Michelle Michael was barely of age when she enlisted in the Navy. Her parents had died during High School." Michael: "I had my guardian sign me up at age 17." Kauffman continued, "She encoded cryptic submarine messages for four years. But her experience didn't mean to potential employers when she got out. So out of her tiny Seattle apartment, Michelle launched her own business, 'Military Cleaning.' ... The company has given new hope to former warriors like Marine veteran Jeremy Cleaver. He was among those who fought the Battle of Fallujah and stormed Saddam Hussein's palace. But as a veteran back home, he has struggled to find work. Now in a different uniform but with the same service member's discipline, he gets the job done. And it's that attention to detail...that has clients singing their praises."

 

26.Showcasing Jobs For Veterans.  NBCLA-TV  "When Lynette Jones returned from serving in Iraq, she, like most veterans, struggled to find work." But on Saturday, veterans were "honored and aided in Los Angeles during Operation Confidence, a job fair and veterans' resource event that brought out more than 100 companies looking to hire." Job opportunities ranging from "sales to community service were showcased for L.A. veterans. 'There're resources here, this is what you want to see,'" said veteran Charles Whitehead. The event followed the "Joining Forces Initiative, created by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, which encourages support of veterans and military families through community service."

 

27.Ocotillo Author Talks About Her New Book At The Holtville Library.  Imperial Valley (CA) Weekly-Chronicle  "Ocotillo resident and author Mary Rincon stopped by the Holtville library last week to talk to a handful of residents about her new book 'Dead or Alive Agent Orange', a fictionalized version of events that Rincon took from her own life." Rincon said the book's "main character is based on her father who died years after being exposed to agent orange in Vietnam." She said the "military denied that her father was exposed to the toxic substance and tried to send him back to Vietnam, but he went AWOL

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28.WWII Veteran Inspires Pasco Teens, Encourages Them To Vote.  St. Petersburg (FL) Times  "Frank Falgout was one of the first soldiers to hit the beaches at Iwo Jima in February 1945, and he stood out like a sore thumb." The Navy corpsman was "injured twice in the month-long battle that saw nearly 7,000 Americans and 20,000 Japanese killed. He also received a Gold Star for his efforts to save his fellow soldiers. But on Wednesday, the retired doctor shared stories of the war with a group of ROTC students to remind them about another patriotic duty: voting." Falgout was "one of several veterans who spoke to about 700" youth across "six high schools."

 

29.Iraq Vet Says Being Double Amputee Does Not Hold Him Back.  Lakeland (FL) Ledger  "Being a double amputee is not stopping him, Michael Fradera, a retired Army and Marine Corps veteran, told six companies of Army Junior Reserve Officer Corps cadets at Ridge Community High School on Nov. 11. He was injured in Iraq in 2007 when an improvised explosive device exploded next to him. 'When they got me out of the truck my left leg was missing and the right one didn't look very good,' he said at the school's Veterans Day ceremony. ... 'After seeing the photos of the scene, I realized I was lucky to be alive,'" Fradera said.

 

30.History Channel Sponsored 'Take A Veteran To School Day.'  Coronado (CA) Eagle & Journal   "On Thursday, November 10, students at Coronado Middle School (CMS) joined thousands around the country for 'Take a Vet to School Day,' sponsored by the History Channel in a joint venture with Time Warner Cable. The effort was once again spearheaded by teacher Amy Steward who oversees the middle school's broadcast journalism and digital media programs."

 

31.Sentence Reduced For Iraq Veteran.  Peoria (IL) Journal Star  "A decorated Iraq war veteran will not go to prison, a Peoria County judge ruled Friday, six months after a four-year stint was handed down in connection with a shots-fired incident outside a South Peoria tavern last year. Circuit Judge Steve Kouri changed his mind and sentenced Kendal D. Robinson to four years probation after hearing" about his struggle with PTSD. Defense attorney Joel Brown said Robinson was a "career soldier who earned a Bronze Star during his 2006 deployment to Iraq when a Humvee he was in struck an improvised explosive device. Three were killed," leaving Robinson the sole survivor. "It came out during the hearing Friday that Robinson...had swapped shifts with someone in an infantry unit on the day the Humvee exploded."

 

32.Graphic Arts Help Veteran Cope With PTSD.  Middletown (NY) Times Herald-Record  "Among the 150 people contemplating the multi-artist exhibit opening at the Lynx at River Bend Golf Club last weekend was Port Jervis artist Roger Gottlieb, for whom the conjunction of Veterans Day weekend and displaying his photos was particularly apt." A Vietnam veteran, he said his PTSD emerged in "1997, decades after his service in the 101st Airborne Division infantry unit. ... The particular incident, he recalled, was an outdoor concert where Japanese musicians sang Crosby, Stills, and Nash songs. When the attacks began, he said, 'I remember going into an underground bunker.'"

 

33.Vets Returning To College Face Unique Challenges.  St. Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch "With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down and enhancements to the G.I. Bill, colleges and universities are expecting a surge in veteran enrollment." But experts warn that many colleges are "unprepared to deal with the unique needs" of new veterans, ranging from "readjustment issues to recovery from physical and mental injuries. ... 'If colleges are not prepared to help transition soldiers from combat, you do run the risk of losing an entire generation,'" said Tom Tarantino of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Still, studies indicate that some strategies "to keep veterans in school" do work, including "specialized orientation" sessions, program that connect veteran with other veterans, establish training programs for faculty on "challenges veterans face" and offering "counseling and financial aid."

 

34.Women Veterans Dedicate And Add Stories To Collection.  Albert Lea (MN) Tribune The Women Veterans of Freeborn County "added two more stories to the existing 'Collection of Stories of Women in Military Service' being maintained by the Freeborn County Historical Museum." In one story, Delight Lees recalls "enlisting in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corp" and then being "reassigned to the Women's Army Corp a few months later. She tells about her time in service during World War II and some of the obstacles she had to overcome" while stationed in England "during a time of frequent bombing." The other story about the late Lissa Parrish is by her parents, "James and Kathe Grodhaus, and sister, Beverly Jackson." Parrish enlisted in 1981, and her story "shows how far women have come in the service."

 

35.Veteran To Receive Cancer Treatment At Inflated Price. KING-TV  "Marine Veteran Richard Hernandez is being treated for a testicular cancer and wanted the most aggressive therapy; and his doctor agreed. The VA pharmacy was able to find a supply, but at a price." A VA pharmacist was shown saying, "Normally, what would have cost us around $200 for a course of treatment was now in the $3,000 to 4,000 range from this other company. And that's what's happening with other medications. ... Companies are taking advantage of the shortages and increasing their prices." Hernandez said, "He came back later that day and said they ended up getting some in...so I lucked out." Enersen added, "Richard may have lucked out, but doctors and pharmacists worry other patients won't be as fortunate if the crisis gets even worse."