February 2013 Bulletin

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES
== Oklahoma Vet Education ------- (Proposed Bill Expands Access)
== Operation Homecoming ----------------------- (40th Anniversary)
== Direct Deposit [03] -------------------------------- (Federal Benefits)
== NEX Price Match/Return Policy ---------------------------- (Details)
== Obit ~ Kenji Yatsushiro ------------------------------ (27 Dec 2012)
== DoD Pay and Benefits [01] ---------------- (Same-sex Partners)
== Medicare Reimbursement Rates 2014 ------ (Fix Leg Introduced)
== VA Mental Health Care [19] --------------- (Expanded Access)
== Food Nutrition Labels ------------------------------- (What to Know)
== VA Cemeteries [10] ----------------- (Entire System Audit Results)
== TRICARE Pharmacy Mail Order [03] ------------- (More Q&A)
== DoD/VA Seamless Transition [15] - (Lifetime EHR Project Ends)
== PTSD [127] ---------------------------------- (Search for Biomarkers)
== PTSD [128] --------------------- (U.S. Military Volunteers Needed)
== Independent Budget FY 2014 ------ ($4.8 billion Increase Sought)
== BRAC [30] ----------------------- (Pentagon Wants Another Round)
== Veteran Status for Guard [02] -------------------- (New Legislation)
== Filipino Vet Inequities [27] ----------------------- (New Legislation)
== VAMC Orlando [04] ------------------ (Show Cause Notice Issued) == Pennsylvania Vet License Plates --------- (New Plate Available)
== VA VBMS [01] ---------------- (Reducing Claim Processing Time)
== VA Million Veteran Program [03] ----------------- (National Study)
== New Mexico Wants Military Retirees -------------- (Tax Incentive)
== Vet Drivers License [04] ------------------------------ (Kansas)
== VA Burial Benefit [18] ------------------------- (No proof, No place)
== VA Burial Benefit [19] ------------------- (New Hmong Legislation)
== Seabee Memorial ---------------------------------- (2 Down - 1 to Go)
== Vet Toxic Exposure~Lejeune [35] --- (CCE Test Records Missing)
== VA Suicide Prevention [15] -------- (New Report on Suicide Data)
== Using Overseas Pharmacies ---------------------- (Pros & Cons)
== VA Contact Numbers [01] ----------------------- (800 Numbers)
2
== VA Women Vet Programs [22] ---------- (National Wear Red Day)
== VA Claims Backlog [82] ----------------------------- (ACE Initiative)
== Tricare Pharmacy Copay [10] ---------------------- (Increase Begins)
== Prostate Enlargement -------------------- (New Drug Shows Promise)
== Euthanasia ------------------------------------------ (Vermont Hearings)
== VA Clinical Reasoning System ----------------------- (Pilot Program)
== Sequestration [13] ----------------------------------- (Coalition Protest)
== VA Fraud Waste & Abuse [66] ----------------------- (1-14 Feb 2013)
== Mobilized Reserve 5 FEB 2013------------------------ (476 Decrease)
== Vet Jobs [100] ------------------------- (800,000+ Now Unemployed)
== WWII Vets [37] ------------------------------------------ (John Verbout)
== POW/MIA [37] ---------------------------------------- (1-14 Feb 2013 )
== Spanish American War Images 03 -- (Charge of The Rough Riders)
== VRAP [06] **--------------------------------- (3 Mo Extension Sought)
== Saving Money ---------------------------- (Penny Wise Pound Foolish)
== DoD Suicide Policy [02] ------------------- (Omega 3 Study Funded)
== Notes of Interest --------------------------------------- (1-14 Feb 2013)
== Medicare Fraud [112] ---------------------------------- (1-14 Feb 2013)
== Medicaid Fraud [79] ---------------------------------- (1-14 Feb 2013)
== State Veteran's Benefits ------------------------------- (Louisiana 2013)
== Veteran Hearing/Mark-up Schedule ------------- (As of Feb 13 2013)
== VA Committee Hearings ---------------------------- (House O&I)
== VA Committee Hearings [01] ------------------------- (House DAMA)
== Military History ------------------------------------------ (Runway Able)
== Military History Anniversaries --------------- (Feb 15–28 Summary)
== Military Trivia 68 ------------------------------ (The Nuremburg Trials)
== Tax Burden for Texas Retirees ---------------------- (As of Feb 2013)
== Aviation Art ------------------------------------------ (Maximum Effort)
== Veteran Legislation Status 13 Feb 2013 ---------- (Where we stand)
== Have You Heard? ----------------------------------- (The Golden Years)
== Military Lingo/Jargon/Slang ---------------------------------------- (003)

********************************* *********************************
Oklahoma Vet Education: Spouses and children of Oklahoma military veterans who are killed or disabled in action would get a free college education, and many out-of-state veterans would be able to pay the in-state tuition rate under a plan that advanced 11 FEB in the state Senate. Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, said his proposal seeks to keep more veterans in Oklahoma after their service time ends. It would fill some gaps in the federal measure Congress approved following the 9/11 attacks that grants a free college education to combat veterans, similar to the way the original G.I. Bill provided education benefits to World War II veterans. Under the
3
federal bill, veterans can transfer their benefits to a spouse or child only if they can't use them, but Simpson's bill would allow a free college education for disabled veterans, their spouses and all their children. The same benefit applies to family members of veterans killed in action.
The federal G.I. Bill's education coverage allows veterans who are honorably discharged to be reimbursed for college, but they would only receive the in-state tuition rate if they go outside their home state. Simpson's would label as in-state students all veterans who were discharged within Oklahoma, regardless of their status, allowing the federal G.I. bill to cover their full tuition. “We know veterans are good, upstanding citizens and have a lot to contribute to the economy and the society of Oklahoma,” he said. At least five other states currently offer in-state tuition levels to discharged veterans in their borders, including Arizona, Colorado and Ohio. Tennessee's legislature is currently looking at a similar proposal. The Senate Education Committee approved Simpson's bill without opposition Monday, sending it on to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Committee member Sen. Susan Paddack, D-Ada, and Vice chairman Sen. Gary Stanislawski, R-Tulsa, questioned the fiscal impact of the bill. Simpson said his office was working on pegging that number, and that the bill would also be adjusted to make sure it doesn't contradict the federal G.I. law. [Source: NewsOK | Dan Holtmeyer | 11 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Operation Homecoming: Forty years ago, a C-141A Starlifter transport jet with a distinctive red cross on its tail lifted off from Hanoi, North Vietnam, and the first flight of 40 U.S. prisoners of war began their journey home through Operation Homecoming. Newly freed prisoners of war celebrate as their C-141A aircraft lifts off from Hanoi, North Vietnam, on Feb. 12, 1973, during Operation Homecoming. The mission included 54 C-141 flights between Feb. 12 and April 4, 1973, returning 591 POWs to American soil. By the day's end, three C-141A aircraft would lift off from Hanoi, as well as a C-9A aircraft from Saigon, South Vietnam. In a steady flow of flights through late March 1973 under terms set through the Paris Peace Accords, 591 POWs returned to American soil. Americans were spellbound as they watched news clips of the POWs being carried in stretchers or walking tentatively toward U.S. officers at the awaiting aircraft for the first flight from Hanoi's Gia Lam Airport.
Newly freed prisoners of war celebrate as their C-141A aircraft lifts off from Hanoi, North Vietnam
The POWs ranged from privates first class to colonels, all wearing new gray uniforms issued by the North Vietnamese just before their release. Air Force Tech. Sgt. James R. Cook, who suffered severe wounds when he bailed out of his stricken aircraft over North Vietnam in December 1972, saluted the U.S. colors from his stretcher as he was carried aboard the aircraft. Also on the first flight was Navy Cmdr. Everett Alvarez Jr., the first American pilot to be shot down in North Vietnam and, by the war's end, the longest-held POW there. He spent eight-and-a-half years in captivity. Celebration broke out aboard the first aircraft -- nicknamed the "Hanoi Taxi" -- as it lifted skyward and the POWs experienced their first taste of freedom. Historian Andrew H. Lipps captured the magnitude of the moment in his account, "Operation Homecoming: The Return of American POWs from Vietnam." "Imagine
4
you're imprisoned in a cage; imagine the cage surrounded by the smell of feces; imagine the rotted food you eat is so infested with insects that to eat only a few is a blessing; imagine knowing your life could be taken by one of your captors on a whim at any moment; imagine you are subjected to mental and physical torture designed to break not bones but instead spirit on a daily basis. That was being a prisoner of North Vietnam," Lipps wrote. "Then imagine one day, after seemingly endless disappointment, you are given a change of clothes and lined up to watch an American plane land to return you home. That was Operation Homecoming."
Aeromedical teams assigned to each aircraft tended to the former POWs during the two-and-a-half hour flight to Clark Air Base in the Philippines, the first stop on their trip home. Meanwhile, many of the POWs joked and smoked American cigarettes as they caught up on all they'd missed while in captivity: fashion trends and the women's liberation movement, among them. "Everything seemed like heaven," recalled Air Force Capt. Larry Chesley, who, after being shot down over North Vietnam, spent seven years in the notorious "Hanoi Hilton" and other POW prisons. "When the doors of that C-141 closed, there were tears in the eyes of every man aboard," he said. Air Force Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier, the last Vietnam POW to serve in the Air Force, recalled the emotion of his own journey out of North Vietnam on Feb. 18, 1973. "When we got airborne and the frailty of being a POW turned into the reality of freedom, we yelled, cried and cheered," he said. The POWs arrived to a hero's welcome at Clark Air Base, where Navy Adm. Noel Gayler, commander of U.S. Forces Pacific, led their greeting party. Joining him were Air Force Lt. Gen. William G. Moore Jr., who commanded 13th Air Force and the homecoming operation at Clark, and Roger Shields, deputy assistant secretary of defense for POW/MIA affairs.
Speaking to the crowd that lined the tarmac to welcome the aircraft, returning POW Navy Capt. Jeremiah Denton -- who would go on to earn the rank of rear admiral and later was elected to the U.S. Senate, representing Alabama -- elicited cheers as he thanked all who had worked for their release and proclaimed, "God bless America." Air Force Lt. Col. Carlyle "Smitty" Harris, who spent almost eight years as a POW after being shot down over North Vietnam, joined the many other POWs who echoed that sentiment. "My only message is, 'God bless America,'" he said, dismissing assertions in the media that the POWs had been directed to say it. "With six, seven or eight years to think about the really important things in life, a belief in God and country was strengthened in every POW with whom I had contact," he said. "Firsthand exposure to a system which made a mockery of religion and where men are unable to know truth made us all appreciate some of the most basic values in 'God bless America.'" Air Force Col. Robinson Risner, the senior Air Force officer at the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" honored today by a statue in his likeness at the U.S. Air Force Academy, choked back emotion as he arrived on the second C-141 flight from Hanoi.
"Thank you all for bringing us home to freedom again," he told the crowd.
After receiving medical exams and feasting on steak, ice cream and other American food, the former POWs received new uniforms for their follow-on flights home. Their aircraft made stops in Hawaii and California. The first group of 20 former POWs arrived at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on Feb. 14, 1973. News clips of the arrival reveal the deep emotion of the freed POWs as they arrived on the U.S. mainland. Navy Capt. James Stockdale, who went on to become a vice admiral and vice presidential candidate, was the first man to limp off the aircraft. Stockdale paused to thank his countrymen for the loyalty they had showed him and his fellow POWs. "The men who follow me down that ramp know what loyalty means because they have been living with loyalty, living on loyalty, the past several years -- loyalty to each other, loyalty to the military, loyalty to our commander-in-chief," he said. Of the 591 POWs liberated during Operation Homecoming, 325 served in the Air Force, 138 in the Navy; 77 in the Army and 26 in the Marine Corps. Twenty-five of the POWs were civilian employees of U.S. government agencies. In addition, 69 POWs the Viet Cong had held in South Vietnam left aboard flights from Loc Ninh. Nine other POWs were released from Laos, and three from China. Forty years after their release, two of the former POWs serve in Congress: Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas. A dinner and ceremony being planned for late May at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California will honor the POWs, recreating the dinner the president hosted for them at the White House in 1973. [Source: AFPS | Donna Miles | 12 Feb 2013 ++]
5
*********************************
Direct Deposit Update 03: If you receive your federal benefits by paper check, you'll need to switch to electronic payments by March 1, 2013. The federal benefits affected are:
 Social Security
 Supplemental Security Income
 Veterans Affairs
 Railroad Retirement Board
 Office of Personnel Management
 Department of Labor (Black Lung)
You have two options for receiving benefits electronically -- Direct Deposit and Prepaid Debit Card:
1. Direct Deposit. The U.S. Treasury deposits your benefits directly into your bank account. You can sign up for direct deposit in one of these ways:
 Enroll online at http://www.GoDirect.org
 Visit your bank or credit union.
 Call (800) 333-1795 (Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm ET).
 Contact the local office of the agency providing your federal benefits.
 Enroll by mail.
2. Prepaid Debit Card. The U.S. Treasury deposits your benefits directly to a debit card. This is an option if you don't have a bank account and do not want to open one. You can request a debit card by calling (800) 333-1795 M-F 0800-2000 EST.
Be ready with the information you'll need to set up your federal benefit payments by direct deposit or debit card. You’ll Need Your:
 12-digit federal benefit check number
 Amount of most recent federal benefit check
 Financial institution’s routing transit number* (direct deposit only)
 Account number (often on personal checks) and type - checking or savings (direct deposit only)
If you have questions, call the Go Direct Helpline at (800) 333-1795.
[Source: http://www.anapolschwartz.com/practices/social-security.shtml Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
NEX Price Match/Return Policy: The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) has revised its Price Match Policy for its NEXs around the world. The NEX Price Match Policy guarantees that NEXs will match any brick and mortar retailer’s advertised price within the local market area on any identical in-stock item. “We want the NEX to be our customers’ choice for shopping,” said Richard Dow, NEXCOM Senior Vice President, Store Operations. “Revamping our NEX Price Match Policy gives our NEX cashiers more authority to match prices which will give an even greater customer service experience to our customers.”
 NEX sales associates have the authority to match an advertised price reduction up to $100.
 An NEX supervisor must authorize a price match over$100.
 Customers may ask for a price adjustment at any cash register in the store.
6
 The advertised priced may be presented in the form of a printed ad or a mobile marketing device, such as a cell phone or smart phone, from a local competitor. Photographs of an item taken with a cell phone or smart phone will not be accepted.
 A NEX cashier will also accept a customer’s verbal price challenge for an item with a price difference of $10 or less. Customers need not bring a copy of a competitor’s advertisement for items under $10.
 For items on the NEX web store, myNavyExchange.com, the NEX will visually verify the price of the item prior to matching the price.
 Overseas NEXs will match the pricing of current mail order catalogs as well as web stores from Sears, J.C. Penney, Walmart and any other comparable commercial retailers with web stores. Freight charges, if applicable, are added to the competitor’s price.
The NEX Price Match Policy does not apply to fine jewelry, automotive parts, automotive labor and service, gasoline and special orders. Double and triple coupons, clearance, percent and dollar off items, flea market sales, going out of business sales and commissary prices are also excluded from the NEX Price Match Policy. For more information on the NEX Price Match Policy, see your local NEX manager or https://www.mynavyexchange.com/command/customer_service/p_policy.html. The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) is making improvements to its return policy. Merchandise purchased at a NEX or from myNavyExchange.com can be returned to any NEX store within 45 days of purchase for a refund or even exchange. “We made this improvement to our return policy make it more convenient for our customers,” said Richard Dow, NEXCOM’s senior vice president store operations.” The standardized 45 day return policy on merchandise eliminates the previous exclusions including the 14 day return policy on certain items, such as computers, software and digital cameras. Now, the only exception to the 45 day NEX Customer Return Policy are pre-paid cards, such as financial, music, phone and gift cards, which are not returnable. The refund will be processed in the same payment form as the original purchase. A return without a receipt will be issued on an NEX Gift Card at the item’s current NEX price. Refunds made without a receipt can only be made at the NEX’s Customer Service desk. [Source: Shift Colors Spring 2013 ++]
*********************************
Obit ~ Kenji Yatsushiro: WWII veteran Kenji Yatsushiro died on 27 DEC from complications from Alzheimer's disease at age 91. He was born in the town of Wailuku on the island of Maui. His father ran a laundry. In the days before the use of antibiotics, an ear infection ravaged his father's system, and he died when Kenji was only 5. Kenji went to work in the sugar-cane fields, chopping it with a machete. "For lunch, they would just strip back the bark on the cane and just munch on the sugar," his son said. On December 7, 1941, his family heard aircraft overhead. It was the wave of Japanese pilots heading to what President Franklin D. Roosevelt called a date which will live in infamy. "They were on their way to Pearl Harbor to bomb them," Steve Yatsushiro said. His father was among the many "Nisei" - second-generation Americans born to Japanese immigrants - who enlisted. "Everybody suspected them of still being loyal to the emperor," his son said. "They were dead-set on proving themselves." Mr. Yatsushiro was assigned to an anti-tank infantry company that flew in lightweight aircraft to secure ground for the Allies. But the motorless gliders were unpredictable and prone to crashes. "He said he felt so sorry for the pilot of the glider, because it would nosedive," said his wife, Anne.
Yatsushiro was one of the Japanese-American soldiers of the famed 442nd Regimental Combat Team. Their valor was remarkable, especially given that the U.S. government started out the war viewing the men as "enemy aliens." In 1944 his regiment was on a mission to save the "Lost Battalion," a group of Texans trapped behind enemy lines in southern France in 1944. "My dad said he got separated from his company one time in the middle of the night, and he was walking through a forest very silently, and he came upon a camp," said his son, Steve Yatsushiro. "He sat down on a log, and he saw these silhouettes in front of him - and they were tall." He had
7
stumbled on a group of German soldiers. "He knew these were not his guys, because they [the Japanese-Americans of the 442nd] were all 5-foot-5, 5-6. So he stood up and started backing away." His heart was beating so loud and fast, he thought it would shatter the silence. "Somehow, he was able to back out of there and reunite with his company," his son said.
Chicagoan Kohei Ikeda, 89, was with "I" company, which reached the Texans. "There wasn't too many of us left when we got there," he said of the treacherous mission. As for the Texans, "They were happy as hell," he said. When the soldiers of the 442nd returned home from the war, they "found themselves declared to be . . . the most decorated military unit in the history of the United States," the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), the regiment's most famous member, said in 2011 when the team received the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award from Congress, at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol. In 2011, Eric K. Shinseki, the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the nation's first Japanese-American four-star general, listed the 442nd's accomplishments as he saluted the men. They received more than 18,000 individual awards from September 1943 to September 1945, Shinseki said, including 21 Medals of Honor; 52 Distinguished Service crosses; 560 Silver Stars; more than 4,000 Bronze Stars; 9,486 Purple Hearts, and seven Presidential Unit Citations. "No other regiment, in 237 years of U.S. Army history, has amassed an equivalent battle record," Shinseki said.
After the war the GI bill enabled Mr. Yatsushiro to study electrical engineering at what's now called Trine University in Angola, Ind. He worked at Chicago's Dormeyer Industries and Controls Corporation of America, and he earned nine patents. The Yatsushiros raised their family on the North Side. He taught his kids how to play baseball and ice-skate and how to strum the ukelele. "He really had a prankster's mentality trapped behind that stoic Japanese surface," his son said in his eulogy. For Mr. Yatsushiro, no proffered bouquet of flowers was complete unless he had hidden a rubber cockroach inside, his son said. Whenever his kids opened a new toy, "He'd have to look at it to see if there were any sharp edges, and he'd say, 'I have to go get my file; I'm going to file down that sharp edge,' " his son said. "A true engineer, always looking for design flaws." Mr. Yatsushiro was also is survived by daughters Christine Guro and Therese Vickers; brothers Toshio, Yasuo and Tamio; five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. [Source: Chicago sun-Times | Maureen O’Donnell | 10 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
DoD Pay and Benefits Update 01: Calling it “a matter of fundamental equity,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta signed a memorandum 11 FEB to the service secretaries and the Pentagon’s top personnel official extending benefits to same-sex partners of service members. Here is the secretary’s announcement of the policy change:
"Seventeen months ago, the United States military ended the policy of ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell.’ We have implemented the repeal of that policy and made clear that discrimination based on sexual orientation has no place in the Department of Defense.
"At the time of repeal, I committed to reviewing benefits that had not previously been available to same-sex partners based on existing law and policy. It is a matter of fundamental equity that we provide similar benefits to all of those men and women in uniform who serve their country. The department already provides a group of benefits that are member-designated. Today, I am pleased to announce that after a thorough and deliberate review, the department will extend additional benefits to same-sex partners of service members.
8
"Taking care of our service members and honoring the sacrifices of all military families are two core values of this nation. Extending these benefits is an appropriate next step under current law to ensure that all service members receive equal support for what they do to protect this nation.
"One of the legal limitations to providing all benefits at this time is the Defense of Marriage Act, which is still the law of the land. There are certain benefits that can only be provided to spouses as defined by that law, which is now being reviewed by the United States Supreme Court. While it will not change during my tenure as secretary of defense, I foresee a time when the law will allow the department to grant full benefits to service members and their dependents, irrespective of sexual orientation. Until then, the department will continue to comply with current law while doing all we can to take care of all soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and their families.
"While the implementation of additional benefits will require substantial policy revisions and training, it is my expectation that these benefits will be made available as expeditiously as possible. One of the great successes at the Department of Defense has been the implementation of DADT repeal. It has been highly professional and has strengthened our military community. I am confident in the military services' ability to effectively implement these changes over the coming months."
[Source: AFPS 11 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Medicare Reimbursement Rates 2014: Could this be the year that the “doc fix” is finally fixed? It will be if Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and Joe Heck, (R-NV) have their way. They introduced the Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act that would ensure patient access to physicians while promoting efficiency, quality and value in health care delivery. The bipartisan legislation would permanently repeal the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and defines a clear path toward comprehensive reforms of Medicare payment and delivery systems. For years, the SGR formula which is used to determine payments for physicians’ services under Medicare and TRICARE, has threatened to impose steep cuts in Medicare payments for physicians who provide care to seniors and military beneficiaries. The cuts drive physicians out of Medicare, creating severe access problems for senior citizens and members of the military community. The fiscal cliff legislation passed by Congress at the end of the year contained a one-year payment patch for physicians who treat Medicare/TRICARE patients. The legislation would implement delivery system and payment reforms that would ensure long-term stability in the Medicare physician payment system and would contain\ the rising growth in health care costs. The Medicare Physician Payment Innovation Act:
 Permanently repeals the SGR formula;
 Provides annual positive payment updates for all physicians for four years;
 Ensures access to preventive care, care coordination, and primary care services through increased payment updates for those services;
 Aggressively tests and evaluates new payment and delivery models;
 Identifies a variety of unique payment models to provide options for providers across medical specialties, practice types, and geographic regions;
 Stabilizes payment rates for providers who demonstrate a commitment to quality and efficiency within a fee-for-service model; and,
 Ensures long-term stability in the Medicare physician payment system through predictable updates that accurately reflect the cost and value of providing health care services in coordinated care models.
[Source: AUSA Leg Up 111 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
9
VA Mental Health Care Update 19: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced 11 FEB that it has made significant progress in providing increased access to mental health care services for our Nation’s Veterans by hiring new mental health professionals. Last year, Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced a goal to hire 1,600 new mental health clinical providers and 300 administrative support staff. The President’s Aug. 31, 2012, Executive Order requires the positions to be filled by June 30, 2013. As of 29 JAN, VA has hired 1,058 mental health clinical providers and 223 administrative support staff in support of this specific goal. “We aren’t slowing down our efforts even after these initial positive results,” said Shinseki. “We still need to hire more mental health professionals in order to reach our goal, but each new hire means we can treat more Veterans and provide greater access to our mental health services.”
Overall, VA has set aggressive goals to fill these new positions as well as existing and projected mental health vacancies within the VA system. As of Jan. 29, VA has hired a total of 3,262 mental health professionals and administrative support staff to serve Veterans since the goal was announced, which includes the new 1,058 mental health clinical providers and 223 administrative support staff. The mental health professionals hired include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses, licensed professional mental health counselors, licensed marriage and family therapists, and addictions therapists. VA provides a comprehensive system of high-quality mental health treatments and services to Veterans. The department is utilizing many tools to recruit and retain one of the largest mental health care workforces in the nation to serve Veterans better by providing enhanced services, expanded access, longer clinic hours, and increased telemental health capability to deliver services. “Today, as Veterans return home from missions in Afghanistan and those who previously returned from Iraq, it is imperative that we ensure they have access to timely, high-quality mental health care,” said Undersecretary for Health Dr. Robert A. Petzel. “The invisible scars of war follow them as they return from theater. It is our responsibility to identify these wounds, treat them and prevent the long-term physical, mental and social consequences of them.”
In accordance with the President’s Aug. 31, 2012, Executive Order, VA has also completed hiring and training of additional staff to increase the capacity of the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, press 1) and phone lines have been increased by 50 percent. As of Dec. 31, 2012, the Veterans Crisis Line has received over 747,000 calls, over 83,000 chats, as well as over 5,000 texts, and has saved more than 26,000 Veterans in imminent danger. There are many Veterans who are willing to seek treatment and to share their experiences with mental health issues when they share a common bond of duty, honor, and service with the provider. VA is in the process of hiring and training 800 Peer Specialists in the coming year. Additionally, VA has awarded a contract to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance to provide certification training for Peer Specialists. This peer staff is expected to all be hired by Dec. 31, 2013, and will work as members of mental health teams.
The number of Veterans receiving specialized mental health treatment from VA has risen each year, from 927,052 in fiscal year (FY) 2006 to more than 1.3 million in FY 2012. One major reason for this increase is VA’s proactive screening of all Veterans to identify those who may have symptoms of depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), problem use of alcohol or who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST).
Mental health care providers seeking opportunities to serve our Nation’s Veterans can find additional information about rewarding VA careers and apply for jobs online at www.vacareers.va.gov and www.usajobs.gov. To locate the nearest VA facility or Vet Center for enrollment and to get scheduled for care, Veterans can visit VA’s website at www.va.gov. [Source: VA News Release 11 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Food Nutrition Labels: The Nutrition Facts label you see on nearly all food at the store may soon get a makeover. The FDA recently announced plans to update the label, which turned 20 this year. But superficial
10
changes won’t help the shopper who doesn’t understand that not all calories are created equally. In other words, food labels are most helpful to us (and our new year’s resolutions) when we read them to understand not just how much nutrition but what kind of nutrition is in a food. The following can help you understand the quantity and quality of the calories you eat. No matter what the Nutrition Facts label happens to look like you should focus on:
Fiber
 Quality: There are two types of fiber (soluble and insoluble) – but don’t worry about that. Plant-based fiber sources generally contain both types, so instead worry about eating a variety of fiber-filled foods like whole grains and whole foods (produce, beans, nuts, and seeds).
 Quantity: The nonprofit Institute of Medicine recommends 21 to 26 total grams a day for women and 30 to 38 for men.
 Bottom line: Fill up on fiber by filling your shopping cart with whole grains and whole foods. What to limit
Fat
 Quality: Understanding fats can be overwhelming so focus on the are three basic types: good, bad, and ugly. Plant-based and fish-based fat sources are good and should be where you get most of your fat from. Animal-based fats are bad and should be limited. Man-made trans fats (a.k.a. partially hydrogenated oils) are ugly and should be avoided completely.
 Quantity: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend getting 20 to 35 percent of your calories from fat. That means that on average, the number of “Calories from Fat” on a food label divided by the number of “Calories” should equal 0.2 to 0.35. That only applies to good and bad fats, however. To avoid ugly fats, check out Trans Fats: When Cheap Means Costly.
 Bottom line: Go for the good, limit the bad, and utterly avoid the ugly.
Sodium
 Quality: Sodium is sodium, so focus on quantity. Like fat and cholesterol, our bodies need sodium to function properly, but most Americans consume too much, which can lead to costly health problems.
 Quantity: The CDC recommends 2,300 milligrams a day maximum.
 Bottom line: Monitor milligrams.
Sugar
 Quality: There are two basic types of sugar - natural and added. Natural sugar is built into foods by Mother Nature (oranges, for example, contain natural sugar). Added sugar is added by the manufacturer (orange soda, for example, contains added sugar). To tell whether a food contains added sugar, read the ingredients. It will be listed as sugar, cane sugar, honey, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, or fructose, for example.
 Quantity: You have to understand the distinction between natural and added sugar so you can watch out for added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends about 30 grams (that’s about 6 teaspoons) a day maximum for women and 45 grams (about 9 teaspoons) for men.
 Bottom line: Avoid added sugar by scrutinizing ingredient lists.
Protein
 Quality: Protein comes from a wide variety of sources, both animal and plant-based. To help you limit bad fat and load up on fiber, focus on lean meats (like poultry and fish instead of red meat) and plant-based protein sources like beans, nuts, and seeds.
11
 Quantity: Most Americans eat more protein than they need, which is more reason to focus on the types of protein you eat instead of the quantity. (Although the CDC recommends 46 grams for women and 56 for men.)
 Bottom line: You probably already eat enough quantity, so remember it’s all about quality.
[Source” MoneyTalksNews | Karla Bowsher | 6 FEB 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Cemeteries Update 10: The Department of Veterans Affairs announced 7 FEB that a review of every grave in the national cemetery system found 15 sets of remains buried in the wrong spots and nearly 800 other problems. Most of those other issues were unmarked or mismarked graves. The department's announcement came shortly after its inspector general released a report critical of how the VA initially accounted for the final resting place of generations of veterans and their families. That report was prompted by the discovery of errors at a national cemetery in Texas in 2011. The review was marred by a lack of "an impartial and independent review procedure," the audit found. VA officials also did not "provide sufficient time and resources," and "cemetery directors were overwhelmed and felt pressure to complete the review by the target date." After the inspector general requested that the VA examine its cemeteries with better procedures, the VA looked at nine cemeteries and found 146 problems that had not been reported, including at Winchester National Cemetery in Virginia.
In a statement, Steve Muro, the VA's undersecretary for memorial affairs, apologized to affected families and said the department "strives to operate the best cemetery system in the world. That is why we self-initiated this review of our entire cemetery system." The 14-month review encompassed 3.2 million grave sites in 131 national cemeteries and other burial sites under the management of the VA's National Cemetery Administration. It was the first time the administration had taken on such a task in the 150-year history of the national cemetery system, where veterans from the Revolutionary War to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. Although the error rate was low — less than 0.0003 percent — Muro said that "one error is one too many." Rep. Jeff Miller, (R-FL), the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, said in a statement that "while the review was a step in the right direction, we are disappointed that parts of the process were rushed, mismanaged and lacked independent analysis."
The VA discovered burial problems in 2011, when workers were testing the accuracy of new maps at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio and realized that 47 markers were one space over from where they were supposed to be. Officials said the majority of the errors occurred in graves at least 40 years old and 80 errors occurred in graves from the Civil War era. The problems were largely the result of sloppy work during a renovation procedure known as "raise and realign." Headstones and markers were temporarily removed from the ground and cleaned while sod was repaired. But workers then reinserted the markers in the wrong places. Raise-and-realign work is what caused 50 headstones to be offset at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, Calif., the audit found, an error that resulted in two people being buried in the wrong places. To save space at sought-after national cemeteries, family members are typically buried in the same plot. If a headstone is incorrectly marked, a loved one could end up in the wrong place. Officials have said they have since adopted procedures that should prevent that problem.
The burial errors at Riverside were not included in the initial review, the audit found. In addition to Riverside and Winchester, the audit also found other previously unreported problems, at Wood National Cemetery in Wisconsin and Philadelphia National Cemetery. At Winchester, more than half of the 60 errors were headstones that had sunk below ground. The audit also found that the cemetery's map had not been updated since 1956, even though 10 percent of its burials have occurred since then. The audit said that cemetery officials "could not explain why the errors were not identified" in the initial review. In all, 54 cemeteries and burial sites across the country have reported
12
problems. The revelations of issues in the VA's system followed word of serious problems at Arlington National Cemetery — unmarked and mismarked graves, urns that had been unearthed and dumped in a dirt pile — that officials went to great lengths to remedy. The VA said it, too, will tighten procedures as a result of the findings. It said Thursday that it will continue to conduct audits of 17 cemeteries where problems were discovered. It also has required contractors pulling up tombstones during raise-and-realign projects to leave the headstones at the grave sites. In addition, it is working to ensure that cemetery maps are updated and accurate. Muro said the department will use "the experience gained over the last year to create a new grave site accounting system." Ray Kelley, the legislative director of Veterans of Foreign Wars, praised the VA for the steps it has taken. "I don't think there was any intended wrongdoing," he said. "I think they are trying to correct all the wrongs." [Source: Washington Post | Christian Davenport | 8 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
TRICARE Pharmacy Mail Order Update 03: TRICARE pharmacy copay increases prompted a number of additional questions (below) on how mail-order refill requirements for TRICARE For Life beneficiaries will be implemented later this year (no earlier than summer, and it could be later).
Q. I live in Arizona, where temperatures routinely are over 100 degrees. Won’t drugs lose their potency if they ride around in a hot mail truck all day or sit on a porch or in a mailbox?
Answer: Express Scripts (whose TRICARE distribution center is in Tempe AZ) officials say the temperature issue is mainly a longer-term storage concern. Sitting in a delivery vehicle or mailbox at higher temperatures won’t cause a loss of potency for most drugs. The ones for which that could be an issue are mailed in special temperature-controlled packaging and closely tracked to delivery.
Q. My wife and I get our prescriptions from a military pharmacy. Will we have to sign up for mail-order refills and stop going to the base?
Answer: No. You can still get refills through military pharmacies if you choose. The restriction on maintenance medication refills for Medicare-eligibles only applies to retail pharmacies, not military pharmacies.
Q. My mother is a 91-year old surviving spouse who is a TFL beneficiary. She lives on her own – without a computer. How will TRICARE and Express Scripts handle this new requirement with her?
Answer: A mail-order refill account can be set up pretty quickly and easily by phone. Still, some seniors may have physical disabilities and cognitive impairments which may be problematic. We are working with DoD to help establish reasonable criteria for exemption from the mandatory program.
Q. My spouse has had difficulty obtaining a prescribed narcotic from the mail-order pharmacy. The prescription is only for a 30 day period then requires a new one. How will this be handled?
Answer: Only refillable medications will be affected by the mail-order/military pharmacy requirement. We understand that narcotic drugs will be excluded from the requirement. Although some narcotics may be used for chronic conditions, all narcotics will be exempt.
Q. How do I contact Express Scripts to set up a mail-order account and get my prescriptions transferred?
13
Answer: You can do that on the web at http://express-scripts.com/TRICARE/. Many prefer to do it by phone at 1-877-363-1433 (for the hearing impaired, TTY 1-877-540-6261).
[Source: MOAA Leg Up 8 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
DoD/VA Seamless Transition Update 15: In early FEB the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs announced that they were throwing in the towel on a computer project they had been working on for over 25 years. The goal was to create a single computer system to keep a lifetime medical record. But on 5 FEB the White House announced that it was stopping the system’s development because it cost too much. This is a huge disappointment to us and numerous members of Congress. This has been a continuing goal and project and according to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a long time proponent of a seamless transition it has already cost over $1 billion in R &D. During the announcement Secretaries Panetta and Shinseki said that the medical records will be readable by both existing systems by 2014. Though they did not explain how that was going to happen. Secretary Panetta basically said the perfect should not stop the good:”This is a struggle that has gone on for a long number of years. Some have argued that we should build a perfect system. But for the first time, both DOD and VA have come together to say we can get this done, we can get it done in an effective way that does the job." Expressing criticism of the decision, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chair Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) said, "The decision by DOD and VA to turn their backs on a truly integrated electronic health record system is deeply troubling. The need for a record system integrated across all DOD and VA components has been universally accepted for years." [Source: News for the Enlisted | Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
PTSD Update 127: Over the past decade, about half a million veterans have received diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. Thousands have received both. Yet underlying the growing numbers lies a disconcerting question: How many of those diagnoses are definitive? And how many more have been missed? No one can say. Though PTSD is hardly new, diagnoses still largely rely on self-reported symptoms. And while severe brain injuries are often clearly diagnosable, finding evidence of mild T.B.I.'s, particularly older ones, can be all but impossible. It means that for a soldier who, five years after duty in Iraq, still feels "not right," with symptoms from headaches to sleeping problems to irritability, doctors can only guess at the cause. Maybe PTSD. Maybe T.B.I. Maybe both.
Now, in one of the largest studies of its kind, a team of researchers based out of New York University's medical school have begun a five-year study to find biological signals, known as biomarkers, that could provide reliable, objective evidence of those so-called invisible injuries of war. "We want to elevate mental health to standard physical health," said Dr. Charles R. Marmar, chairman of the psychiatry department at NYU Langone Medical Center, and the lead investigator on the project. "You don't go from having shortness of breath to having cardiac surgery; you have a series of objective lab tests first," he said. "We would like to do the same thing with PTSD and T.B.I. That is, go beyond subjective reports." Dr. Marmar faces deep skepticism that biological signals can be found for psychiatric disorders like PTSD or depression, which his group is also studying, or even a less severe brain injury. But while previous quests have failed to produce results that could be replicated, private foundations and the government still seem willing to finance new efforts, amid the growing tally of disabled veterans.
Researchers at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, the military's medical school in Bethesda, Md., are studying soldiers at Fort Bragg, N.C., in search of PTSD biomarkers. And Draper Laboratory, a nonprofit research company based in Cambridge, Mass., has recruited experts to look for biomarkers for the disorder. Dr. Marmar's project is significant both because of its size - researchers hope to recruit 1,500 subjects - but
14
also because much of its financing is already guaranteed through a $17 million grant from the Steven A. and Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation, founded by the billionaire hedge-fund manager. Dr. Marmar hopes to match that with federal grants.
Biomarkers are physiological road signs that can tell doctors whether a person has a disease or injury, or is likely to contract a particular ailment. Tissue damaged by a heart attack releases chemicals into the blood that can be detected. Abnormal levels of the proteins amyloid and tau, as well as shrinkage of certain areas of the brain, are considered markers of Alzheimer's disease. The lack of reliable markers for PTSD and mild T.B.I. has had significant consequences, experts say. Without clear-cut tests to spot them early, the disorders can go undetected until symptoms become disabling. Misdiagnoses readily occur, leading to ineffective or even damaging treatments. And because diagnoses rely heavily on self-reported symptoms, weeding out fraudulent claims for disability benefits can be difficult and contentious. Beyond confirming or debunking diagnoses, dependable biomarkers could also be used to determine whether treatments for PTSD or T.B.I. are effective.
Dr. Marmar said a long-term goal is to use marker research to develop inexpensive tests for PTSD and T.B.I. - ideally, he said, like home pregnancy tests. The study plans to look at five groups, each consisting of 300 veterans: people with PTSD; with T.B.I.; with both; and with depression but without PTSD or T.B.I. The fifth group will comprise veterans with combat deployments who show no symptoms of any of those disorders. The subjects will undergo a diverse battery of tests to analyze hormone levels, blood chemistry, genetic makeup, brain structure and even voices. One team will use magnetic resonance imaging to compare the brain structures of healthy people with those of people with PTSD. Preliminary data suggests that people with the disorder may have detectable damage in areas of the brain involved in processing memories and in regulating emotions like fear or arousal, said Dr. Michael Weiner, a professor of radiology at the University of California, San Francisco, who will assist in image analysis. Another team will use brain imaging to test a theory that abnormalities in the thalamus, a part of the central brain that acts as a switchboard for nerve signals, are an indication of head trauma, said Dr. Robert I. Grossman, dean and chief executive of the Langone Medical Center and a senior adviser on the study. "We've seen this in 25 to 30 patients," Dr. Grossman said. "But you need hundreds of patients to validate the hypothesis. That's the beauty of this project." Other researchers will look for biomarkers in genes, blood and hormones. One group will even analyze audio recordings of speech to see whether evidence of PTSD can be found in the pitch, timber and tone of voices.
Bruce Knoth, a software engineer with SRI International, a research institute based in Northern California that is working with Dr. Marmar, said those recordings would be run through software that extracts scores of features in each voice. They will search for patterns in the voices of veterans with PTSD or T.B.I., then compare those with the voices of healthy people. The technique, based on the notion that voices are as unique as fingerprints, is in its infancy. Mr. Knoth said similar research is being used to try to identify markers for suicidal behavior. Though scientists have made some strides in identifying biomarkers for T.B.I., there has been minimal progress in identifying them for PTSD or depression, and many mental health experts believe the search is futile. But Dr. Marmar asserted that recent advances in genetic research and brain imaging have provided powerful new tools for studying the structure and functioning of the nervous system - without invasive procedures. "We're at the beginning, it's true," he said. "We should be like cardiologists, able to test biologically for mental health problems. The difficulty is that while the heart is a pump, the brain is 100 orders more complicated." [Source: New York Times | James Dao | 6 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
PTSD Update 128: The Rand Corporation is recruiting military service members with PTSD/Depression to a study funded by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & TBI (DCoE). They say, ”We are researchers looking for U.S. military service members (active duty, reservist, or National Guard)
15
to participate in a study on how technology is used to seek information about PTSD or depression. Eligible respondents will receive a $25 Amazon gift card for completing the survey. The survey is completely ANONYMOUS and will not be linked to any identifying information. To participate, please visit http://techstudy.org . Use referral code: WwnEW” [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 8 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Independent Budget FY 2014: The White House may be late in preparing its 2014 budget request, but a powerful collection of veterans groups unveiled their own plan 5 FEB for a $4.8 billion increase in veterans health care, benefits administration, construction and medical research funds. Prepared by four groups — Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and AmVets — the so-called Independent Budget is endorsed by 45 military, veterans and charitable organizations and will be used as a benchmark to decide if the Obama administration’s Veterans Affairs Department budget request for 2014 is adequate. This is the 27th such budget sent to the White House and Congress.
Veterans are asking for a $3.3 billion increase for health care over the 2013 budget, $1.2 billion more than the Obama administration estimated would be needed for medical programs. In their report detailing the request, the groups say there are several reasons for what amounts to a 6 percent increase: They expect an influx of new veterans, some severely disabled and some needing care as a result of reductions in the active-duty military, and they also anticipate more veterans may turn to VA as the cost of private-sector health care spirals, the report says. The budget also asks for a 4.8 percent increase for medical and prosthetic research, a 10.4 percent increase in benefits administration aimed at speeding the processing and accuracy of benefits claims, and a whopping 77 percent increase in construction funds to pay for what the report says are desperately needed and overdue projects. In a statement, VFW National Commander John Hamilton said VA has been getting “less than half” of what it needs to modernize facilities. “Just as disabled veterans require more medical assistance as they age, so do VA medical facilities that average more than 60 years old. “Though we have yet to see what the administration is proposing for fiscal year 2014, we fear the weak economy will again influence what the administration requests for major and minor construction,” he said.
The report urges continued attention to helping new veterans find jobs. “With more than 800,000 unemployed veterans, and nearly 12 percent of recent veterans searching for work, now is the time for this administration and Congress to stand up for our heroes and ensure they are able to provide for themselves and their families,” said AMVETS National Commander Cleve Geer. Employment programs have been mentioned as a legislative priority by the chairmen of the House and Senate veterans’ affairs committees and are expected to be discussed at hearings in February and March when military and veterans groups are invited to testify before the two panels. Another issue that won’t go away is the backlog of benefits claims. The report says VA has spent enough time looking at ways to improve the process and should be pushed to implement transformative technology and policies before the end of the calendar year. More staff to process claims might help, the report says, but the groups do not recommend any specific increase. DAV National Commander Larry Polzin said he is encouraged by VA’s claims efforts. “We look forward to continued progress in improved accuracy and timeliness,” he said, “but uncertainty about funding for VA could have far-reaching consequences for our nation’s injured and ill veterans and their families.” [Source: NavyTimes | Rick Maze | 6 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
BRAC Update 30: The Pentagon will propose another round of base realignment and closure as part of its fiscal 2014 budget request, along with a smaller-than-expected pay increase for servicemembers and savings from Tricare and retirement, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday in an interview with Stars and Stripes.
16
Panetta laid out what the fiscal 2014 defense budget “should be like” to a small group of reporters, while warning that if Congress fails to approve the Pentagon’s fiscal 2013 budget request or avert automatic, across-the-board spending cuts, the DOD will be forced to “throw the strategy out the window.” Panetta and President Barack Obama raised the BRAC idea in January 2012, but lawmakers from both parties quickly squelched the idea, saying the long-term savings weren’t worth the short-term costs. On 6 FEB, Panetta said that in the current budget environment, closing bases just make sense. For a Congress that is talking about a continuing resolution to keep the government funded and about across-the-board sequester cuts, “what do they expect?” Panetta said. “You can’t have a huge infrastructure supporting a reduced force.”
The Pentagon was forced to absorb about $487 billion in cuts over 10 years as part of a 2011 deal to solve a previous debt-ceiling crisis, and the DOD’s budget proposal for fiscal 2014 reflects those cuts. It includes the planned reduction of the Army to 490,000 and the Marine Corps to 182,000, as well as proposed cuts to the Navy and Air Force budgets that were rejected by Congress for the 2013 fiscal year. The budget proposal also includes about $30 billion in cuts to overhead and “inefficiencies,” as well as investments in the growth of special operations forces, sea-based drones, cybersecurity forces and capabilities and space systems, Panetta said. While the Pentagon had expected to include a 1.7 percent pay raise for servicemembers for 2014, Panetta said he will instead include a 1 percent pay increase to cut overall costs, even if sequestration doesn’t take effect. “We’ve always said we’ve got to find savings (in military pay), because that’s an area that’s grown by 80 percent over the last decade,” he said. “If we don’t get those costs under control, what will happen is we’ll have to further reduce the size of the force, sacrifice readiness.”
If the DOD faces further cuts, particularly the $50 billion per year in cuts for 10 years that sequestration would mean, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey said there could be significant cuts to the size of the force. Dempsey used the example of the Army, which is downsizing from nearly 570,000 to 520,000 active-duty soldiers by 2016 because of the 2011 Budget Control Act. Sequestration would mean cutting double the amount of money, he said, which could mean doubling the force reduction. “Now, I don’t think it will be that clean, but clearly if sequestration hits, there will be implications for force structure,” Dempsey said. [Source: Stars & Stripes | Jennifer Hlad | 7 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Veteran Status for Guard Update 02: Lt. Cmdr. Jack Townsend, a Navy Reserve retiree in Richmond, Va., first became aware a decade ago that he wasn’t considered a military “veteran” under federal law. It’s been bothering him ever since. Townsend was applying for a job when asked for a copy of his DD Form 214, “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty,” to prove veteran status. Townsend, who had earned his reserve commission through the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, didn’t have a DD 214 because he never had served under active duty orders. He did have his Navy Reserve retirement letter to verify 24 years of service. But employers are schooled to ask for the DD 214, proof from a job seeker of veteran status for completing a period of active duty service. “It put me in a bad light,” Townsend said. Townsend said it illogical that the law denies Reserve retirees veteran status but they can draw military retirement at age 60, get military health care, shop on base and the Department of Veterans Affairs even finds them eligible for certain benefits including VA guaranteed home loans. “The only thing I’m lacking,” said Townsend, “is the paperwork.” After years of complaints by reserve component retirees, a change to their veteran status may be near.
Roger Miller, 60, of Denver, Colo., who retired from the Navy Reserve at the same rank also after 24 years, spent six of his years as an Air Force Reserve enlistee, loading cargo on aircraft that others crewed. “I knew that to be classified a veteran you had to have 180 days of continuous active duty, not including basic training or tech school. I finished up tech school at 179 days,” Miller said, just as the Air Force intended. Non-veteran status didn’t string
17
Miller until years later when he applied for federal civilian positions that fit his experience well in television and mass communications. He couldn’t, however, claim veterans’ preference points and he lost those jobs to former servicemembers with active duty time. “People ask me, ‘Are you a veteran?’ I say well, yeah, I served 24 years in the Reserve so I consider myself a veteran -- even though the government doesn’t.’ That’s my answer to them,” Miller said.
The Military Coalition, an umbrella organization for 34 military associations and veterans’ groups, is restarting a lobbying campaign for the new Congress and will push for passage of a bill to alter the definition of “veteran” for more than 200,000 Reserve and National Guard retirees. The Honor America’s Guard-Reserve Retirees Act will be re-introduced this month in the House by Reps. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Jon Runyan (R-NJ), of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. Co-sponsors in the Senate will be John Boozman (R) and Mark Pryor (D), a bipartisan team from Arkansas, at least on this issue. The House has passed this legislation twice. It died each time in the Senate on opposition from Richard Burr (NC), ranking Republican on the veterans affairs committee. Burr’s staff could not be reached to comment. But advocates say the senator is worried that extending veterans status to reserve component retirees would open the door to more benefits. Proponents say the bill specifically states that those to be honored as veterans in the bill “shall not be entitled to any benefit by reason” of it. So there is no “nose under the tent” benefit issue that should worry Burr, say coalition representatives leading the fight for the bill. These 'veterans,' for example, would still not enjoy preference points in competing for federal jobs.
The Congressional Budget Office is persuaded, scoring the bill as “cost neutral.” Yet the coalition is working with sponsors to add more phrasing that would allay any remaining concerns Burr might have. “To call yourself a veteran is one of the highest honors you can have after you leave the military. It’s an acknowledgement of one’s service,” said Anthony A. Wallis, with the Association of the United States Navy. Most of the retirees targeted by the bill served in an era when it was commonplace to complete Reserve and Guard careers without active service. That’s almost unfathomable today given Guard and Reserve operations since 9/11. “The population we are fighting for in this legislation is diminishing over time,” said Bob Norton, deputy director of government relations for Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). “These are mostly Cold War-era folks, people who served in Reserve and Guard units but before first Gulf War, and were never called up during their careers.” But Norton noted there still are reserve component careerists serving today, including National Guard technicians, who prepare others for call up but are not mobilized themselves for overseas contingencies or national emergencies. So these members too would be honored as veterans if they reach Guard or Reserve retirement for serving at least 20 years.
Another reason Burr should not fear a benefit expansion, Norton said, is that every benefit provided to veterans is governed by its own restrictive language specifying who is eligible. None simply goes to “any veteran.” The bill being drafted would only extend veteran status to reserve component retirees, not to many more thousands of Reserve and Guard personnel who left before earning retirement. Some members of the coalition may see the issue differently, Norton said, but at MOAA “our feeling is that this honor really should be reserved for those who have completed a full career.” Miller does feel differently. He thinks any length of honorable service should suffice, whether six years in the Reserve or 24 years. “I would still like to be recognized as a veteran, officially by the government, because I did serve 24 years,” Miller added. “And if you have talked to other reservists you know that it wasn’t just that one weekend a month you did your duty.” [Source: Stars & Stripesv | Tom Philpott | 7 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Filipino Vet Inequities Update 27: As many Filipino veterans are dying off, a new bid has been launched in Congress to aid those who are unable to win recognition and payment for their services to the United States during World War II. Rep. Joe Heck, (R-NV) reintroduced a bill 4 FEB that instructs the Department of
18
Veterans Affairs to accept documentation from the Philippine government that the veterans had assisted American forces during the war. Congress in 2009 authorized one-time payments to Filipinos who served as soldiers, guerrillas and scouts alongside U.S. forces fighting the Japanese. More than 41,000 claims were filed but only 12,600 were found eligible. While some veterans missed the September 2010 deadline, others were denied compensation because guerrilla rosters submitted as documentation were rejected by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Personnel Records Center, which is the depository for the service records of individuals. Heck's bill would direct the VA to accept the paperwork and to accept one valid document as acceptable proof, rather than multiples, and it would direct the Army to cooperate. It would extend the deadline for eligible veterans to apply. The 2009 law allows a $15,000 payment to eligible Filipino veterans who are now U.S. citizens and $9,000 for those living in the Philippines.
The action comes as World War II veterans continue to pass away. "The "Mighty Five" - Filipino-American veterans from Southern Nevada denied compensation and whose cause was taken up in Las Vegas - have been reduced to two over the past year with the deaths of Augusto Oppus, Romeo Barreras and Silverio Cuaresma. Barreras died last month at 85. Cuaresma, who was 100, died two weeks ago in Las Vegas. "Simply put, these men fought so that the Allies could defeat the Japanese in the Pacific," Heck said in a House speech Tuesday. "If they can show they fought, let's fulfill our promise to them so they can live out their years knowing the United States has officially recognized their service." In the Senate, Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) plans to reintroduce a Filipino veterans compensation bill as work gets under way on the Veterans Affairs committee on which he sits, a spokeswoman said. The Obama administration has convened a group of federal officials from various agencies to look into the issue, but when it would complete its work was unclear. [Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal | Steve Tetreault | 6 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VAMC Orlando Update 04: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has fired another volley in its ongoing showdown with the main contractor for the much-delayed Orlando VA Medical Center. The VA has issued a "Show Cause" notice to hospital contractor Brasfield & Gorrie. The legal order basically asks the contractor why it should not be fired.Brasfield & Gorrie haD until 11 FEB to respond to the VA's claims, brought last week. "It's getting to where there may be some action by the VA to terminate the contractor," said U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, who met with both parties last month. "I would hope that's not the case. I hope they can continue the work, get the project done and settle the differences afterward." If the contractor is fired, hospital completion would be delayed even further because of the time needed to hire a new builder and go through the contracting process, he said. "The VA's latest actions only intensify my serious reservations as to whether they can meet their stated deadline of opening the facility in July of 2013," said U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Pensacola, chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.
B&G representatives said in a written statement: "Brasfield & Gorrie does not agree with the conclusions asserted in the VA's recent Show Cause and will respond as requested within the next few days. Brasfield & Gorrie's primary goal has always been to complete this project as quickly as possible." The $665 million hospital was initially scheduled to open last October, but thousands of plan changes, poor communication and disagreements have stalled construction, according to the 90-year-old construction firm. "If this were a company with a shoddy reputation, eyebrows would be raised," said Mica. "But Brasfield & Gorrie has built countless structures, some more complex than this, with none of this kind of conflict. "The contractor has a reputation of doing a professional job with no conflicts," said Mica, "and the opposite is true of the VA." The cause notice comes on the heels of two cure notices the VA issued, which asked B&G to outline how they planned to accelerate the project and meet the summer completion date.
19
The second cure notice, sent last month, cited B&G's "failure to diligently pursue work, have sufficient workforce on site" and "meet quality standards." The VA called B&G's response unacceptable. "B&G failed to describe how it would address or cure the deficiencies cited in the notice," said VA spokeswoman Josephine Schuda. The Show Cause notice asks B&G to provide facts to demonstrate whether "its failure to perform arose from causes beyond its control and without fault or negligence on the contractor's part." Once the VA reviews that response, officials will determine whether the contractor is in default of the contract. "The VA wants a date for completion, but B&G says it can't provide a date until it gets the balance of the design from the VA," said Mica.
The VA has also stopped paying the contractor, putting the contractor in a financial bind, said Mica. "B&G can only front so much money," said Mica, who plans to talk with Miller about bringing in mediation to resolve the dispute. Orlando Sentinel | Marni Jameson | 5 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Pennsylvania Vet License Plates: The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs announced 4 FEB that a new license plate honoring veterans is now available to the public. The new plate features the image of a bald eagle and an American flag. It costs $35, with $15 from each sale will support assist Pennsylvania veterans and their families through grants to veterans service organizations and other charitable organizations. Joan Nissley, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said that although the new plates are intended to help and honor veterans, they may be purchased by anyone. [Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Alex Zimmerman | 4 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA VBMS Update 01: The Department of Veterans Affairs is in the continual process of rolling out the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), and the Hartford, Conn. office is leading the way. In September, the Connecticut office was the first to switch over to VBMS, and "the digital, paperless system now used in 18 locations around the nation, is to be fielded in all 56 offices by the end of" 2013 The Washington Post reported. According to the VA, VBMS is a way for the agency to cut down the average processing time when a Veteran files a claim, on average from 240 days to 119. The $537 million system was implemented in part due to a backlog of paperwork "of claims filed by veterans seeking disability benefits has soared in recent years as troops have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan and because of a policy change making it easier for Vietnam veterans to file Agent Orange-related claims," The Washington Post reported in a July 2012 story. In order to go all-paperless, the VA will have to scan and extract data from the current paper claims, a daunting task that the VA apparently has no detailed plans for, according to services representatives. Other problems include older veterans continuing to file on paper
20
and slow software systems. In April 2012, FCW reported on a hearing in which veterans’ representatives said getting rid of the claims backlog should not be the only priority. Jeffrey Hall, assistant national legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, said that reforms for the VA should dig deeper. "While the elimination of the backlog will be a welcome milestone, we must remember that eliminating the backlog is not necessarily the same goal as reforming the claims processing system, nor does it guarantee that veterans are better served," Hall said. "The backlog is a symptom, not the root cause." [Source: FCW | Emily Cole | 4 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Million Veteran Program Update 03: The Veterans Affairs Department has kicked off a massive study in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Defense Department to determine the cause of veterans’ deaths since 1979, an effort that requires matching records of 34 million service personnel with death certificates. Aaron Schneiderman, acting director of VA’s epidemiology program, said the National Mortality Study will first focus on roughly 1 million veterans who served on active duty during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars from 2001 through 2010, which among other things will help the VA determine the scope of veteran suicides on a national basis. These matches only will include personal information such as name, date of birth and Social Security number; they will not include Defense health records. A veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes, according to recent estimates from the VA. Suicides by active duty military personnel in 2012 hit 349, more than the 295 Americans who died in combat in Afghanistan.
CDC’s Division of Vital Statistics at the National Center for Health Statistics will match records provided by Defense with death certificate information from all 50 states contained in the National Death Index, said NDI director Lillian Ingster. The NDI is a computerized index of death record information on file in state vital statistics offices and is used by epidemiologists and other health and medical investigators to help determine causes of death. Ingster said the 34 million records include everyone who has served in the military since 1979 -- when the NDI went into operation. The study will involve the largest matching exercise in which she has ever engaged. “This is enormous,” Ingster said. Her division has been grinding through the data since the end of 2012, with completion of the 34 million matches expected in a matter of months. She said the veteran matching process encountered a few hiccups as the NDI was switched from a mainframe to a server-based environment. Schneiderman said death certificates include standardized sources of information on causes of deaths, including drug overdoses and chronic diseases. Once the matches are completed, the results will help VA determine “how to care for veterans.”
Schneiderman said once VA receives the data match file from CDC its first task will be to conduct a mortality study of Afghanistan and Iraq veterans that will include an evaluation of traumatic injury deaths (suicides and car crashes) and poisonings (drug overdose). He added that the study also will help VA determine if there are factors that result in a higher number of veteran deaths than in the general population. VA can then use information to “drive down” particular causes of death, he said. Ingster agreed, and said the medical research community and VA can use the study to improve care. Dr. Remington Nevin, a former Army epidemiologist who left the service this fall to pursue a degree in public health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, said Defense and VA have made a good start in developing a national veteran mortality database, but cautioned that death certificates prepared by local coroners “can be pretty sloppy and there is no quality control.” Nevin said VA could get better insight into veteran suicides if it also tapped into the CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System, which covers only 18 states. Ingster said CDC is not using this system for the VA national mortality study.
If all 50 states signed on to the National Violent Death Reporting System it would be a valuable resource to help VA pinpoint veteran suicides, Nevin said. [Source: NextGov | Bob Brewin | 1 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
21
New Mexico Wants Military Retirees: A perennial bill to exempt military retirement pay from state income taxes has the support of Gov. Susana Martinez, despite the Legislature’s defeat of similar bills in the past. Senate Bill 96, introduced by Sen. William E. Sharer, R-Farmington, would exempt 25 percent of a military retiree’s pension in 2014, 50 percent in 2015, 75 percent in 2016 and 100 percent in 2017 and beyond. At a 4 FEB news conference at the New Mexico Veterans’ Memorial before an estimated 150 attendees, Martinez couched the proposal as a way to stimulate the state’s economy. “I think it would grow the economy because they (new military retirees) are still young and well trained,” the governor said. “They can come here for our high-tech jobs or open a businesses of their own, and the tax base will grow.” State officials estimate there are about 20,000 military retirees in the state and 3,000 surviving spouses who would qualify for the tax exemption.
According to the Legislative Finance Committee’s fiscal impact report on Sharer’s bill, the exemption would reduce state coffers by $3.1 million next year, $9.6 million in 2015, $16.5 million in 2016 and by $24 million in 2017 and successive years. The current bill has no sunset provision, meaning it would remain in effect until the Legislature changed it. Similar bills have appeared before legislators for years, but none has made it into law. Aside from the impact on state revenues, critics of those bills have said they’re unfair to other government employees and that giving veteran retiree pay a pass on taxation simply shifts the tax burden to other New Mexicans. “I certainly don’t believe that we pass the tax burden on to other citizens of New Mexico because, if we end up seeing our economy grow, then you end up seeing that that tax dollar is being brought into New Mexico,” Martinez said after the news conference. “We’re not shifting it from one to another.” Martinez said her administration has found additional revenues that will enable the state to “pass on that tax break to those who deserve it the most, the men and women in our military.”
An identical bill passed the House last year but never came to a vote in the Senate. Martinez said she also backs identical bills — HB 180 by Rep. Rodolpho S. “Rudy” Martinez, D-Bayard, and SB 258 by Sen. William F. Burt, R-Alamogordo — that would fast-track professional licensure of military service members, their spouses, or recent veterans who are licensed in other jurisdictions. The governor introduced Charlene Templet, the wife of an Army captain assigned to White Sands Missile Range, who, despite having three master’s degrees and holding a professional counseling license in Missouri, has been unable to work as a professional counselor in New Mexico.
Templet said New Mexico’s licensure process is too lengthy and cumbersome for proven professionals licensed elsewhere, and that the states bordering New Mexico have reciprocal agreements to accept such licenses from other jurisdictions. “This is just good, common sense legislation,” Templet said, noting that the state’s licensure requirement has kept her from working since she and her husband arrived here six months ago. [Source: Stars & Stripes | Charles D. Brunt | 5 Feb 2012 ++]
*********************************
Vet Drivers License Update 04: A Republican legislator has introduced a bill to allow Kansas military veterans to declare their service on the back of their state driver’s license. The move by Rep. Mario Goico would have Kansas join a parade of states that have added the designation. Goico, a Wichita Republican and chairman of the House Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee, said the addition would be a tool for law enforcement to identify an individual as a veteran and also see if they were a combat veteran. Such information could help diffuse a tense situation and explain why an individual may be displaying questionable behavior. “We’re getting a lot of returning veterans who have PTSD and a lot of times they are coming back with a lot of problems that we are trying to address,” Goico said. He recalled how deployment during Operation Desert Storm took a toll on him physically and mentally, adding “I didn’t sleep but I took three-hour naps because of the pace of operations.”
Gregg Burden, executive director of the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs, said a majority of states have taken similar steps, noting that New Mexico made the addition to its licenses in 2012. “It serves a multitude of
22
purposes. I don’t know what negatives there would be,” said Burden, a former colonel in the Kansas Air National Guard. Burden said he hadn’t seen the proposed design but hoped it would be something visible, especially with the number of discounts and perks offered by businesses toward veterans. The designation on the license would erase the need for someone to keep military papers or identification on them when seeking those benefits, he said. Goico said the idea of using a hologram on the back of the license was to prevent stigmatizing veterans. “This would be voluntary. We don’t want to make the situation more difficult,” Goico said. “We want to make sure it is done in a subtle manner, but we want to recognize that, because of the stress of war, they are trying to assimilate into society.” House Speaker Ray Merrick, a Marine veteran who spent seven years in uniform, supports Goico’s effort. “I would be supportive if it doesn’t stigmatize it from the mental health part of it,” said Merrick, a Stilwell Republican. “I’m all for anything that identifies a veteran as a veteran.” [Source: The Associated Press | John Milburn | 2 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Burial Benefit Update 18: Joyce Rankin’s father is in a small box in her living room, surrounded by photos and an uncertain future. Rankin can only hope that she can find a way to verify the military service of her dad, Maurice Armand Soucy, who worked in the mills of Manchester as a kid and got his hands dirty earning a living his whole life. A fire occurred 40 years ago at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, the nerve center for military records, destroying millions of files needed to prove who really served in the armed forces. And a burglary happened about four years ago at Rankin’s home in Arizona, a theft that included jewelry, $800 in cash, a gun and, most important, her dad’s discharge papers from the Army. That’s why Soucy’s cremated remains are in that box on that shelf, instead of scattered at the National Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix.
That’s why Rankin went on a local TV news show in Glendale recently to tell her story. And that’s why a retired Air Force master sergeant, who also lives in Arizona, called Rankin and is now doing his best impression of Sherlock Holmes. “Someone has to have information or records on him,” Rankin said this week by phone. “We went on Father’s Day to the veterans cemetery here in Arizona, and my husband’s father is buried there. I got teary eyed and told my husband that this is where my dad needs to be. Not sitting in my living room on a shelf. My dad needs to be honored with all these other soldiers.”
Soucy died of congestive heart failure in 2006, at the age of 76. He grew up in a working-class family, in a working-class Manchester neighborhood. He went straight from grammar school to hard, blue-collar jobs, moving from the mills, to road repairs, to heavy equipment. That’s how his daughter remembers him: tough, a man who rose in the morning darkness, got home during the evening darkness and sometimes juggled three jobs at once. “I just honored and respected him; all of us kids did,” Rankin said. “My father was from the very old school, discipline, and everyone was afraid of dad. You better do what you’re told and not do what you ain’t supposed to do, or you’d be in trouble. Grounded, punished, whatever.” Before marriage and family and earning a living, Soucy joined the Army, in 1947, Rankin and his brother, Gene Soucy, also now living in Phoenix, guessed. While serving, he met the woman who would become his wife, a local waitress from Arkansas named Billy Joe Brooks. After a medical
23
discharge in 1949, Soucy raised his family in Connecticut before retiring to the warmth of the west. The confusion over his final resting place actually began in 1973, the year a fire torched the sixth floor of the National Personnel Records Center. Online research says that records for 80 percent of those discharged from the Army between 1912 and 1960 were destroyed, with no duplicate copies or microfilm anywhere to be found. That left thousands of families to scramble for confirmation so that loved ones could be buried in national military cemeteries across the country. Not in a plastic box measuring 9 inches by 6½ inches.
Shortly after her father’s death, Rankin went to work. First, she called Soucy’s brother, Gene. “I gave her as much information as I had,” Gene Soucy said. “That fire destroyed a lot of records, including his time frame in the Army. But I guess she’s gotten some help from a guy.” That would be retired Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Johnson, who saw Rankin on TV 3 news out of Phoenix and climbed aboard. Johnson, 77, has passionately chased down medals and recognition for servicemen he says were never acknowledged after fighting in places like the Philippines during World War II. Combining their efforts, Johnson and Rankin have left messages and waited on hold, calling Sen. John McCain, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the national cemetery in Phoenix, the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis and media outlets, both here and in Arizona. “It’s been a very long process,” Rankin said. “My father’s been sitting on that shelf for a long time.” Complicating matters, of course, was the burglary. The stolen box contained important papers once belonging to Soucy, including his DD214 papers, which document a serviceman’s discharge from the military. With Soucy’s DD214 safe in Rankin’s possession, you wouldn’t be reading about this feisty former Manchester resident right now. “They took that box because it was under lock and key,” Rankin said. “They must have thought there was something valuable in there.” [Source: Concord Monitor | Ray Duckler | 2 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Burial Benefit Update 19: Nearly four decades after the Vietnam War ended, an effort is underway in Congress to open up national cemeteries to Hmong soldiers who fought in the CIA-backed secret war in Laos. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has introduced legislation to give 6,900 former Hmong fighters living in the United States the right to be buried in national cemeteries. The effort comes after the military denied permission for Gen. Vang Pao, a Hmong leader who died in California in 2011, to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery because he and the soldiers who fought under him and helped the U.S. did not directly serve in the American military. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale. “When our pilots were downed by antiaircraft fire behind enemy lines in the Vietnam War, the CIA asked our Hmong allies to risk their lives to advance our cause,” said Murkowski. “Americans who served and fought and put their lives on the line receive a resting place in our national cemeteries; the men who saved American lives deserve the same honor. Not all American war heroes were Americans.’’
Murkowski took up the issue because about 5,000 Hmong live in the Anchorage area. Large numbers of Hmong also reside in California's Central Valley, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Last year, Murkowski unsuccessfully attempted to amend a defense bill to authorize the burial in VA cemeteries of any U.S. citizen or legal resident who served in support of U.S. forces, including any covert action, in Laos between Feb. 28, 1961, and May 15, 1975. Similar legislation was introduced by Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA-16) in the House in 2011 but never made it to the floor. A spokeswoman for Costa said he planned to reintroduce his bill. Philip Smith, Washington director of the Lao Veterans of America, welcomed the new legislation and said it had been gaining support, with backing from members of both parties, since it was first introduced in Congress in 2010. "The Hmong veterans really deserve to be buried in U.S. veterans cemeteries because of their direct yet covert role in defending U.S. national security interests during the Vietnam War,’’ he said.
24
There was no immediate response to the proposal from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Murkowski pointed out that President Clinton in 2000 signed legislation making Philippine World War II veterans who fought under the U.S. flag eligible for burial in VA cemeteries. Hmong rescued downed U.S. pilots and gathered intelligence in a covert operation in Laos directed by the CIA in the 1960s and '70s. But under a 1962 treaty, Laos also was off-limits to U.S. personnel. [Source: Los Angeles Times | Richard Simon | 6 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Seabee Memorial: When civilian construction workers were slaughtered by Japanese forces while working on a Pacific island during World War II, the U.S. Navy decided it was time to use armed and trained sailors to carry out construction work. The Construction Battallion is more commonly known as the phonetic, “Seabees.” The Navy’s Seabees played a critical role in the world war and saw a resurgence in the Vietnam War. “Veterans know who Seabees are; civilian people may not,” veteran Dave Kurre said. Most soldiers and Marines in the field have some story to tell about bridges, roads, bases and other infrastructure the specialized unit provided, Kurre said. To recognize the heritage of the Seabees in facilitating other sailors, soldiers and Marines to carry out their mission, a Seabee Memorial has been approved for placement in National Cemeteries. Kurre has helped coordinate the memorials to be placed in all three Missouri National Cemeteries. The first was placed at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis in May 2011 and the Springfield National Cemetery has a dedication set for May 2012. Now attention has turned to the Jefferson City National Cemetery, where a location already has been approved for the 1,700-pound granite marker to be placed near the flagpole on the McCarty Street side. The first local formal fundraiser will be 3-9 p.m. 20 FEB at Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, where a percentage of sales will go toward the $1,400 cost. [Source: NewsTribune | Michelle Brooks | 31 Jan 2013 ++]
Local Navy Seabee veterans are working to place a monument identical to this one at the Jefferson City National Cemetery.
*********************************
Vet Toxic Exposure~Lejeune Update 35: The Marine Corps has repeatedly argued federal law didn't regulate the cancer-causing pollutants that fouled the drinking water at Camp Lejeune until long after the contamination was discovered. But the Corps' own regulations, starting in 1963, required water testing at the North
25
Carolina base and other Marine bases using a method that some say could have provided a warning about tainted water, according to documents and interviews. The method, called Carbon Chloroform Extract, or CCE, is a "technically practical procedure which will afford a large measure of protection against the presence of undetected toxic materials in finished drinking water," said the 1963 Manual of Naval Preventive Medicine, discussing requirements for all Navy and Marine bases. The Marine Corps' regulations mandated such testing annually, or every two years if water quality was "stable." But no record of CCE testing at Camp Lejeune can be found in the thousands of pages of documents detailing what some believe to be the worst drinking-water contamination in U.S. history.
The Corps told the Tampa Bay Times it can find no such evidence that testing took place, but a spokeswoman noted it is possible the records have been discarded under the Corps' records-retention policies. "A cursory review of the more than 8,000 documents that have been produced did not yield any CCE analytical results," Corps spokeswoman Capt. Kendra Motz said. "However, the absence of records 50 years later is not an indication that an action was or was not taken, only that no records are available." To critics of the Marine Corps, the test was a lost opportunity to catch a public health disaster in its early years. Today, more than 185,000 people who drank, cooked and bathed in the polluted water from 1953 to 1987 have signed up for a health registry. Nearly 16,000 of those are Floridians, the second-highest total in the nation behind North Carolina. "They created these rules to protect their people," said former Marine drill instructor Jerry Ensminger, who served at Lejeune. His 9-year-old daughter, Janey, conceived at the base, died of leukemia in 1985. "They didn't have the discretion to ignore them."
The Janey Ensminger Act, which provides health care to veterans and family exposed to Lejeune's polluted water, was signed into law by President Barack Obama last year in the Oval Office as Ensminger looked on. Camp Lejeune again grabbed the political spotlight last week as Chuck Hagel, Obama's nominee as defense secretary, said during his Senate confirmation hearing he was committed to getting answers about the polluted water at Lejeune. Chemical contamination in drinking water at Camp Lejeune came from numerous sources, scientists say. They include a dry cleaner adjacent to the base and industrial solvents discarded by Marine personnel. One of the worst sources of pollution was a fuel depot on base that may have leaked more than a million gallons of gasoline since the base opened in the 1940s, records show. More than 50 years ago, when the CCE test method was developed, screening water for contaminants could be a difficult and expensive job. The test was the only way to inexpensively screen water for potential organic contaminants, which includes pesticides, fuel components and other compounds.
Using CCE involves running water through a carbon filter that catches contaminants, then using chloroform as a way to extract the chemicals so they can be measured. The test was crude by modern standards because it would only "red flag" a water source as possibly containing contaminants, but would not identify what they might be. That required further investigation.
Motz, the Corps spokeswoman, said CCE testing was not effective in detecting some of the more dangerous chemicals found in Camp Lejeune water — benzene, tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE). Those chemicals, she said, evaporate away during the testing process. Chemists interviewed by the Times agreed, though they said those chemicals do not evaporate completely. Marine regulations, Motz said, were geared toward screening drinking water for a class of chemicals that included "pesticides, herbicides, fungicides," not chemicals such as PCE, TCE and benzene.b But others note the CCE test is still useful in detecting a wide range of dangerous compounds, even PCE, TCE and benzene in situations involving a heavy contamination. "It could have been helpful in the right hands," said Mike Hargett, a scientist who owned an environmental laboratory hired by the Corps to test water at Camp Lejeune in the 1980s. "It's a good barometer" of water safety. A 1972 paper by two Environmental Protection Agency scientists, published in Environmental Science & Technology, noted they detected PCE after testing chemicals extracted using the CCE method. In addition, Hargett and chemists interviewed by the Times said CCE would be useful in screening for contamination of some fuel components. This takes on added importance at Lejeune, where fuel leaks were a significant problem.
26
The study of Camp Lejeune water contamination might be unique for the way that civilians with little or no scientific training often find and alert federal scientists about documents missing from or buried in large public archives. Last year, Ensminger discovered a Navy document that explained CCE was a useful way to screen water for contaminants. He said he has seen a reference to CCE in other Navy/Marine Corps regulations, but hadn't recognized its significance. Ensminger alerted the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which then asked the Corps for CCE test results, registry officials confirmed. Motz said regulatory limits for chemicals such as TCE, PCE and benzene were not promulgated by the federal government until the late 1980s, so the Corps did not test the water for them until then. Corps leaders have repeatedly told the public since the 1980s that they did everything they could to safeguard their personnel and close contaminated water wells. "We always take measures to go at least a step beyond what is required by law and to ensure that we don't provide water that is unsafe for those using it," B.W. Elston, assistant chief of staff for facilities at Lejeune, told a reporter in 1989. "The commanding general will not accept anything less." [Source: Tampa Bay Times | William R. Levesque | 4 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Suicide Prevention Update 15: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released a comprehensive report 1 FEB on Veterans who die by suicide. In the past, data on Veterans who died by suicide was only available for those who had sought VA health care services. This report also includes state data for Veterans who had not received health care services from VA, which will help VA strengthen its aggressive suicide prevention activities. The report indicates that the percentage of Veterans who die by suicide has decreased slightly since 1999, while the estimated total number of Veterans who have died by suicide has increased. “The mental health and well-being of our courageous men and women who have served the Nation is the highest priority for VA, and even one suicide is one too many,” said Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. “We have more work to do and we will use this data to continue to strengthen our suicide prevention efforts and ensure all Veterans receive the care they have earned and deserve.”
In accordance with the President’s Aug. 31, 2012, Executive Order, VA has completed hiring and training of additional staff to increase the capacity of the Veterans Crisis Line by 50 percent. The Veteran Crisis Line has made approximately 26,000 rescues of actively suicidal Veterans to date. Additionally, VA has initiated a year-long public awareness campaign, “Stand By Them,” to educate families and friends on how to seek help for Veterans and Service Members in crisis. VA has launched a national public service announcement “Side by Side.” VA is currently engaged in an aggressive hiring campaign to expand access to mental health services with 1,600 new clinical staff, 300 new administrative staff, and is in the process of hiring and training 800 peer-to-peer specialists who will work as members of mental health teams. The report issued 1 FEB is the most comprehensive study of Veteran suicide rates ever undertaken by the Department. On June 16, 2010, Secretary Shinseki engaged governors of all 50 states, requesting their support in helping to collect suicide statistics. With assistance from state partners providing real-time data, VA is better able to assess the effectiveness of its suicide prevention programs and identify specific populations that need targeted interventions.
This new information will allow VA to better identify where those Veterans at risk may be located and improve the Department’s ability to target specific suicide interventions and outreach activities in order to reach Veterans early and proactively. The data will also help VA continue to examine the effectiveness of suicide prevention programs being implemented in specific geographic locations or care settings in order to replicate them in other areas if they have been effective. VA has implemented comprehensive, broad ranging suicide prevention initiatives, including a toll-free Veterans Crisis Line, placement of Suicide Prevention Coordinators at all VA Medical Centers and large outpatient facilities, and improvements in case management and reporting. Immediate help is available at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net or by calling the Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 (push 1) or texting 838255. The full
27
report can be found on VA’s website along with a summary response from VA Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Robert A. Petzel.
 Suicide Data Report 2012 final http://www.va.gov/opa/docs/Suicide-Data-Report-2012-final.pdf
 Veterans Health Administration Response - Suicide Data Report 2012 http://www.va.gov/opa/docs/Response-and-ExecSum-Suicide-Data-Report-2012-final.pdf
[Source: VA News Release 1 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Using Overseas Pharmacies : According to a recent CVS Caremark study, 62 percent of pharmacists said cost is the biggest reason some patients don’t take their medication as directed. Drug manufacturers set their own prices – and those prices can be high. If you have insurance, problem solved. But if you don’t, the inability to afford the prescriptions you need isn’t just an inconvenience – it could be life-threatening. One thing that might help are generics, typically much cheaper. There are also programs designed to put free or low-cost prescription drugs in the hands of people who can’t afford them. If that’s you, check out sites like https://www.rxhope.com , http://www.needymeds.org , http://www.patientassistance.com , http://www.patientadvocate.org , and others to see if you qualify. If you can’t use a generic, however, and make too much or are otherwise unqualified for assistance, there’s only one thing left to do: shop. And not just among stores – among countries. What you need to know before filling prescriptions outside the U.S.
1. Savings - Buying medications overseas or in Canada can mean healthy discounts. Two examples, supplied by http://www.pharmacychecker.com are :
 Three-month supply of Nexium 40 mg – Overseas: as low as $69, or $0.82 per pill. Stateside: up to $737.99. Savings: $668.99, more than 90 percent.
 Three-month supply of Crestor 10 mg – Overseas: as low as $60, or $0.73 per pill. Stateside: up to $667.79. Savings: $607.79, more than 90 percent.
So buying either of these medications could save more than $2,400 annually. And shipping and handling from international pharmacies doesn’t add much to the cost. On http://www.pharmacychecker.com, the pharmacies listed charged from zero to about $11 per order. Obviously, not all medications are as discounted as these two, but it’s easy to check prices. Grab a couple of your pill bottles, go online, and see what you find.
2. Legalities - So they’re cheaper, but are they legal? Technically, no. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains: “In most circumstances, it is illegal for individuals to import drugs into the United States for personal use.” The FDA regulates prescription drugs sold in the U.S., but not those from other countries sold to U.S. consumers; that’s why it’s not legal. But while the FDA doesn’t officially condone overseas pharmaceuticals, they have a policy of not objecting to importing drugs in certain circumstances:
 The drug treats a serious condition and there isn’t a good treatment available in the U.S.
 The drug doesn’t have an unreasonable risk.
 The imported drug won’t be sold or promoted in the U.S.
 The person buying the drug can certify in writing that it is for personal use and a doctor can back up the prescription.
 •Generally, no more than a three-month supply is imported.
So if you don’t buy in bulk and don’t plan on selling what you buy to other people, there isn’t much of a risk that you’ll actually get in trouble for buying drugs overseas. Reporter Stacy Johnson went back and forth via email with the FDA regarding the legality of importing prescription drugs for personal use. Here’s a cut-and-paste from one of his emails… The simple fact is that commonly prescribed drugs are available from Canada and other places at
28
discounts of up to 90 percent. While I’m aware that the letter of the law prohibits drug importation, I need to know if the FDA has a policy of prosecuting patients who take advantage of this price disparity. That’s the question I need an answer to. Here’s the verbatim response from the FDA… FDA is not aware of any actions taken against an individual resulting from their purchase of small quantities of unapproved drugs for personal use. Does that give you the go-ahead? You be the judge.
3. Quality Concerns It’s important to thoroughly research the online pharmacy you plan to purchase from. According to the World Health Organization, “in over 50 percent of cases, medicines purchased over the Internet from illegal sites that conceal their physical address have been found to be counterfeit.” However, a footnote to that statement acknowledges, “some Internet pharmacies are legal operations established to offer clients convenience and savings” that “sell only on the basis of a prescription.” The key is to use pharmacies that are legitimate, but international, rather than the fly-by-night kind that floods your inbox with spam. How can you be sure you’re buying medicine from a legit pharmacy? Check for these:
 Location and base of operations: Check to see which country the medication is coming from and if the business has a listed address. According to this WHO fact sheet, industrialized countries such as New Zealand, Canada, Australia, and Japan have an “extremely low – less than 1 percent” rate of counterfeit drugs on the market. Conversely, “in many African countries, and in parts of Asia, Latin America, and countries in transition” more medications on the market are likely to be counterfeit.
 Reputation check and accreditation: PharmacyChecker.com has a list of rogue websites to avoid and a list of pharmacies they’ve approved. The Canadian International Pharmacy Association has a list of trusted member websites and a list of websites of ill repute. The Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites seal indicates that the shop is “a bona fide pharmacy,” according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
4. Potential risks - Getting a counterfeit drug could be dangerous to your health. These drugs are either made from inactive ingredients and will do nothing for you, are expired and not as effective as they should be, or made from harmful ingredients that could cause serious injury or even death. For example, the FDA reported a group of people thought they were purchasing Ambien, Xanax, Lexapro, or Ativan over the Internet. Instead, they got a potent anti-psychotic drug. Those who took the drug ended up needing emergency treatment for symptoms like muscle spasms and trouble breathing. In another FDA case, some U.S.-based medical offices purchased counterfeit Altuzan,a cancer drug not approved by the FDA. In some cases, the injectable medication had no active ingredient and cancer patients were not getting the treatment they needed. In 2007, The New York Times reported on another counterfeit drug issue. Over several years, companies were adding diethylene glycol, the main ingredient in some antifreeze, into cough syrup, fever medications, and some injectable drugs. Researchers said thousands of deaths could have occurred due to the counterfeit medications.
The bottom line -- Buying prescriptions from an overseas pharmacy can save you a ton of money, but done carelessly could be risky. Cut down on the risk by starting with well-known, U.S.-based sites that screen and approve international pharmacies. And avoid any pharmacy doing suspicious things such as not disclosing contact information or supplying drugs without prescriptions. The prescription for safe savings is common sense. [Source: MoneyTalksNews | Angela Colley | 1 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Contact Numbers Update 01: Following is a list of important VA 800 contact numbers for veterans:
VA Benefits……………………………………………….……..(800) 827-1000
Beneficiaries in receipt of Pension Benefits…………….…...(877) 294-6380
29
Debt Management Center……………………………….……..(800) 827-0648
Children of Women Vietnam Vets, and Foreign Medical Program or Spina Bifida
Health Care………………………………..(877) 345-8179 or (888) 820-1756
Civilian Health and Medical Program…………………….……(800) 733-8387
Education (GI Bill)………………………………………….…….(888) 442-4551
Healthcare Benefits……………………………………….……..(877) 222-8387
Income verification and means testing…………….…………..(800) 929-8387
Life Insurance………………………….......(800) 419-1473 or (800) 669-8477
Special Issues (Agent Orange, Lewisite/Ionizing Radiation…(800)669-8477
[Source: NAUS Weekly Update 1 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Women Vet Programs Update 22: The Department of Veterans Affairs joins the nation in celebrating National Wear Red Day today to educate women Veterans about the risks of heart disease—the leading cause of death in American women and women Veterans. VA employees are encouraged to wear red to symbolize their awareness. “VA is dedicated to providing the highest quality care for women Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Through VA’s collaboration with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement, we are prioritizing heart disease prevention and outreach to women Veterans.” The VA-American Heart Association (AHA) collaboration was launched in May 2012, enabling both organizations to work together to maximize their outreach and education efforts. Cardiovascular disease frequently affects the fastest-growing demographic in VA’s female patient population—those who served in the Vietnam, post-Vietnam, and Gulf War I eras. Nearly one-third of women Veterans under VA care have high cholesterol levels or high blood pressure. To address this issue, VA has been aggressive in its fight against heart disease in women and has worked to eliminate gender disparities in prevention and treatment of cardiovascular risk factors. Two recent VA reports show VA has eliminated significant gender disparities in high blood pressure and diabetes and has reduced gender disparities in other areas.
In addition, a VA cardiovascular workgroup is examining ways to improve women Veterans’ heart health. VA also held a Healthy Heart event and expo outside its Washington headquarters in September for VA employees, many of whom are Veterans, and the public. VA is encouraging facilities to coordinate similar events locally. “Addressing issues like cardiovascular disease head-on ties directly with our focus on personalized, proactive care for VA patients,” said Undersecretary for Health Robert Petzel, M.D. “We will continue to exceed expectations in this and other critical issues facing women Veterans.” Women serve in all branches of the military, representing 15 percent of today’s active duty military and nearly 18 percent of National Guard and Reserve forces. Women are the fastest growing cohort within the Veteran community. Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran population and more than 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services. On Jan. 25, VA announced the award of over 30 grants totaling more than $2 million to VA facilities for projects that will improve emergency health care services for women Veterans, expand women’s health education programs for VA staff, and offer telehealth programs to female Veterans in rural areas. To learn more about VA programs and services for women Veterans refer to .http://www.va.gov/womenvet and www.womenshealth.va.gov. [Source: VA News Release 1 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Claims Backlog [82]: The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a new initiative that could eliminate the requirement for an in-person medical examination for some Veterans and shorten the time it takes to process Veterans’ disability compensation claims. The initiative is called Acceptable Clinical Evidence
30
(ACE). This initiative was developed by both the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) in a joint effort to provide a Veteran-centric approach for disability examinations. Use of the ACE process opens the possibility of doing assessments without an in-person examination when there is sufficient information in the record. Under ACE practices, a VA medical provider completes a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) by reviewing existing medical evidence. This evidence can be supplemented with information obtained during a telephone interview with the Veteran – alleviating the need for some Veterans to report for an in-person examination. “ACE is a process improvement that will help us meet our goal to eliminate the claims backlog and provide more timely benefits to our Veterans, their families and survivors,” said Undersecretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey. “The initiative also saves Veterans the inconvenience and costs associated with attending a medical examination.”
When a VA medical provider determines VA records already contain sufficient medical information to provide the needed documentation for disability rating purposes, the requirement for Veterans to travel to a medical facility for an examination may be eliminated. If VA can complete a DBQ by reviewing medical records already on file, it will use the ACE process. This would then expedite the determination of disability ratings – in turn eliminating the wait time to schedule and conduct an exam from the claims process. During a 15-month pilot test at one VA regional claims processing office, 38 percent of claims submitted were eligible for ACE. The ACE initiative is a part of the VBA’s agency-wide Transformation Plan – a five-year, multifaceted organizational change that is based on more than 40 personnel, process and technology initiatives designed to improve claims processing. The goal of the Transformation Plan is to eliminate the claims backlog and process all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy in 2015. To learn more about VBA Transformation Initiatives, refer to http://benefits.va.gov/transformation/. [Source: VA News Release 31 Jan 2013 ++]
*********************************
Tricare Pharmacy Copay Update 10: Tricare pharmacy co-pay increases became effective1 February. The FY 2013 National Defense Bill required Tricare to increase copayments on brand name and non-formulary medications that are not filled at military treatment centers. There is no increase on generic medications and many co-pays vary based on class of drug and where the prescriptions are filled. For example, the co-pay for generic medications remains $5 when filled at a network pharmacy and a 30-day supply of brand name medication filled at a retail pharmacy goes from $12 to $17. Beneficiaries using Tricare Home delivery will pay $13 for brand name drugs, however home delivery is for a 90-day supply. The greatest change in co-pays applies to non-formulary medications- a $25 dollar co-pay increases to $44 at retail pharmacies and is $43 through the home delivery system. For 2014 and forward, co-payment increases are tied to annual cost-of-living adjustments. For more about the pharmacy changes visit http://www.Tricare.mil/pharmacycosts. [Source: VFW Washington weekly 1 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Prostate Enlargement: It is common for the prostate gland to become enlarged as a man ages. Doctors call this condition benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or benign prostatic hypertrophy. As a man matures, the prostate goes through two main periods of growth. The first occurs early in puberty, when the prostate doubles in size. At around age 25, the gland begins to grow again. As the prostate enlarges, the layer of tissue surrounding it stops it from expanding, causing the gland to press against the urethra like a clamp on a garden hose. The bladder wall becomes thicker and irritable. The bladder begins to contract even when it contains small amounts of urine, causing more frequent urination. Eventually, the bladder weakens and loses the ability to empty itself, so some of the urine remains in the bladder. The narrowing of the urethra and partial emptying of the bladder cause many of the problems associated with BPH. The condition rarely causes symptoms before age 40, but more than half of men in
31
their sixties and as many as 90 percent in their seventies and eighties have some symptoms of BPH. Treatment involves surgery or drugs that block testosterone, a hormone that drives unwanted growth. Side effects can include loss of libido and erectile dysfunction Andrew Schally of the Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Florida and colleagues have developed a new drug, RC-3940-II, which works by blocking gastrin-releasing peptide – another potent growth factor. In rats, a six-week treatment shrank prostates by 18 per cent. It also shrank human prostate cells by 21 per cent. Importantly, fewer side effects are likely as testosterone pathways are avoided. [Source: New Scientist Magazine | Andy Coghlan | 29 Jan 2013 ++]
*********************************
Euthanasia: Vermont lawmakers considering legislation that would allow doctors to prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill patients seeking to end their own lives heard 29 JAN from former Gov. Madeleine Kunin, who said her brother's death last month only strengthened her belief that a dying patient's wishes must be paramount. Kunin, a longtime supporter for assisted suicide legislation, told a state Senate committee that she watched former state Sen. Edgar May slowly slip away last month. "I was there at his bedside for almost two weeks," Kunin said. "He told me had had made a decision, and he said the words, 'I want to die.'" The 83-year-old May "made his wishes very, very clear to the physician" at the Veterans Administration hospital in Tucson, Ariz., where he died, Kunin said. The remarks of the former governor, who served three two-year terms from 1985 to 1990, came as the Senate Health and Welfare Committee began four days of scheduled hearings on legislation dubbed "death with dignity" by its supporters and "physician-assisted suicide" by its opponents.
Oregon has had such a law in place since 1997; Washington state since 2008. Officials and advocates involved in implementing Oregon's law were among those scheduled to testify to Vermont lawmakers this week. On Tuesday evening, more than 200 people packed the House chamber — the largest room in the Statehouse — to argue both for and against the measure. Guy Page, of Barre, told of a son who is now in his 20s but had been emotionally disturbed and considered suicide as a teenager. Teachers and counselors had told him not even to consider that an option. Then he saw a debate about assisted death legislation. Page told lawmakers his son called the assisted suicide idea hypocritical, saying he was told death was "never an option" but apparently fine for others. "I saw the fear in my son's eyes. I saw how the double standard shook him," Page said. He urged lawmakers, "Give the Tim Pages of today and tomorrow no reason whatsoever to consider suicide." Others spoke of friends and loved ones who experienced prolonged suffering as they died. Judy Murphy of Bennington described sitting with one terminally ill friend. "She ended her life by starving herself," she said, adding that it took eight days. "She should have had the choice of death with dignity."
The bill would allow patients given six months or less to live by at least two doctors to declare their wish to die three times — once in writing — during a 15-day period and then be given a prescription for a lethal dose of barbiturates, which the patient would go home to take. Sen. Claire Ayer, D-Addison and chairwoman of the Health and Welfare Committee, said she expected to have her committee approve the bill by 1 FEB. From there, it is slated to go the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has already agreed to allow it to get to the Senate floor, but may do so with a recommendation that the full Senate vote against it. The measure is drawing intense lobbying on both sides, with the group Patient Choices Vermont working for its passage and groups ranging from the Vermont Medical Society to disability-rights organizations opposing it. [Source: Associated Press | Dave Gram | 29 Jan 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Clinical Reasoning System: The Veterans Health Administration plans to test how advanced clinical reasoning and prediction systems can use massive amounts of archived patient data to help improve care, efficiency and health outcomes. The Veterans Affairs Department’s electronic health record system -- the Veterans
32
Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture, or VistA -- stores data on 30 million veterans, including 3.2 billion clinical orders, 1.8 billion medication prescriptions and 2.3 billion vital sign measurements. This structured data is accompanied by 2 billion clinical text notes, with a growth rate of one hundred thousand additional notes per day. In a request to potential vendors on 28 JAN, VA emphasized that such a system goes far beyond traditional data mining techniques and rules-based clinical decision support systems. The agency wants to test an emerging class of computer systems that can sift through structured and unstructured data and use advanced natural language processing techniques and machine learning to detect patterns -- the results of which would flag problems, inform decision-making and ultimately, improve patient care.
VHA said it plans to install a pilot clinical reasoning and prediction system at the VA Information Technology Center in Austin, Texas, for 24 months to assess the technology. The system will be able to decompose and understand natural language queries from physicians. The pilot project will assess how effectively the system aids diagnosis, including syndrome identification, and its ability to conduct semantic searches across clinical notes and patient problems and medications. VHA also wants the system to help it conduct comparative studies in treatment efficiencies, identify drug-adverse events and evaluate quality of care with improved patient health as a goal. The pilot system should accommodate 100 users and support 100 complex “patient case” results per hour, with a three-minute response time per case. Non-concurrently, it should accommodate 600 “simple” semantic searches per hour, with a one minute response time, VHA said. The pilot could analyze such things as the risk that patients will fall or need to be readmitted to the hospital or the potential that clinical data and other problems will be missed.
Tom Munnecke, who helped develop VistA at VA in 1978 and then served as chief scientist for Science Applications International Corp., where he worked on developing the Defense electronic health record, said the clinical reasoning system will help VA crowdsource “medical knowledge based on the immense breadth and depth of its clinical staff.” VA employs more than 14,000 physicians, and this puts it in a “unique position with regard to scale,” Munnecke said. “It has enough clinicians to feedback knowledge to the prediction engine based on their experience.” Munnecke said VA’s vast warehouse of digital medical data should be designated “as some kind of national historical treasure. It is an irreplaceable historical record whose value will only increase as we advance our understanding of the life sciences, health and medicine.” He urged that this data be treated and managed in an open fashion. “I think that it is absolutely vital that the VA require that all of the algorithms, knowledge bases, and data bases used in its clinical activities be open.” He added, “We cannot allow a vendor to create a pay-per-view black-box ‘paywall’ for the VHA to pay to access its own data.” [Source: NextGov | Bob Brewin | 30 Jan 2013 ++]
*********************************
Sequestration Update 13: Sequestration “is the most unpopular thing in Washington since the Dallas Cowboys,” said Association of American Universities President Hunter Rawlings, speaking at a 11 FEB briefing for a new coalition of 3,500 organizations calling for an immediate end to the threat of automatic spending cuts. President Obama, Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Harry Reid “all hate sequestration, and they created it,” said Rawlings, a professor of the classics who added that he never envisioned himself standing alongside the chief executive officer of a major defense contractor demanding “a balanced approach” to Washington’s budget stalemate. Also Monday, the American Federation of Government Employees devoted much of its legislative conference to planning to counter the threat of sequestration, which will kick in on 1 MAR if lawmakers can't agree on an alternative. The diverse coalition, which sent Congress and President Obama a 72-page letter, is “bringing defense and non-defense communities together for the first time under one big tent,” said Emily Holubowich, executive director of the Coalition for Health Funding and spokesperson for NDD United. “We all rise and fall together, defense and nondefense.” She warned that federal spending would be cut to its lowest levels since the Eisenhower administration and said the threat of sequestration has already prompted layoffs of 46,000 healthcare professionals around the country. Some comments from members of the Coalition were:
33
 Marion C. Blakey, Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO, whose member firms joined the coalition and also sent their own letter to Congress, called sequestration “a poison pill that now threatens to have a toxic effect on national security. It will tank our economy,” she said. Her association used the event at the National Press Building to re-release a controversial eight-month-old study by Prof. Stephen Fuller of George Mason University concluding that sequestration budget cuts would cost 1.05 million jobs from spending reductions at domestic agencies and 1.09 million jobs from Pentagon spending. “No one can say we weren’t forewarned about the consequences,” Blakey said. “But we’re realistic enough to know that our voice alone won’t end it, and our choruses of voices is slowly gathering steam.” She said Republicans in Congress who oppose what many call a “balanced approach” that includes new revenues are listening, but that an eventual bipartisan compromise will also have to include entitlement reforms.
 Wes Bush, chief executive officer and president of Northrop Grumman, implored political leaders to consider the harm from a sequestration in the context of the broader U.S. economic model in which the private sector, the government and nonprofits all play a role. “What is central is the investment by the government in national security and education for innovation,” he said. “Even without sequestration, the country is slowly backing away from long-term investments that make it the global leader,” Bush said. As currently structured, sequestration takes far too big a chunk out of the 8 percent of gross domestic product represented by discretionary spending, he said. “We have long called for balanced approach” to a solution. “You can’t pull one lever—everything must be on the table. Kicking the can down the road is not free—it’s already having impact.”
 Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and a former deputy secretary at the Treasury Department, stressed that a “pennywise and pound-foolish” sequestration would reduce by $10 billion a year federal investment in basic research—“the primary driver of the economy for generations.” Federal funding, which accounts for 60 percent of basic research, he added, helped produce the Internet and the global positioning system and large- scale interoperating circuits. He warned that competitors such as China may step into the breach. In the long run, Congress must produce a “big deal,” McPherson said, but the immediate problem is only three weeks away.
Rawlings, whose academic and corporate colleagues have formed a Task Force on American Innovation, held up his iPhone and credited many of its components to the past work of such agencies as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the Energy Department. Because of sequestration, “agencies are already holding back,” he said, noting that the University of California just reported a 20 percent drop in research awards. Across town, AFGE leaders told some 1,500 gathered union members to prepare for a Capitol Hill rally on Tuesday with three goals, as summarized by national president J. David Cox Sr. He exhorted members to “Stop the sequester now, shove it to the contractors and bargain like all get-out.” The union has been critical of the Obama administration for warning of possible furloughs but proposing no cuts to services contractors. Throughout the union’s morning legislative conference, AFGE leaders reported on unsatisfying updates from the Office of Management and Budget on planning for sequestration. Locals from around the country are to “challenge the implementation” by keeping an eye out for unfair labor practices and reporting them to the national office, said acting field services leader Peter Winch. If a furlough goes on for more than 22 days, it is a reduction in force, he said. “Don’t volunteer to work without pay, but don’t refuse an order either.”
To press its case for avoiding furloughs by reducing outside contracting, AFGE commissioned a study by Charles Tiefer, a professor at the University of Baltimore Law School who served on the Wartime Contracting Commission reviewing work in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the union’ conference, he released a paper titled “Reducing Spending on Service Contracts in Order to Comply with Sequestration” designed to “demystify the process” in the wake of only vague guidance offered by OMB. Service contracting accounts for $250 billion in annual spending by the Defense Department, and $100 billion by civilian agencies, but costs 1.8 times as much as federal employees, he said.
34
Though contractor lawyers insist that contracts are “sacrosanct and ironclad,” Tiefer estimated that 70 percent to 90 percent of the $85 billion mandated under sequestration for fiscal 2013 could be implemented by reopening contracts using four legal tools: Pauses of task orders, partial terminations for convenience; deductive change orders’ and reduction by bilateral modifications.” Contract officers and Congress resist using such tools, Tiefer added, because of “strong lobbying” and pressure by such “persuasive” groups as the Professional Services Council.
In response to Tiefer’s report, PSC Executive Vice President and Counsel Alan Chvotkin released a statement saying, “Far from being safe or appropriate, obtaining 70 to 90 percent of the sequestration cuts from the hundreds of thousands federal contractor employees would cripple the government and devastate the economy. Indeed, many PSC members have already reported the actions Mr. Tiefer outlined in his 'guidance’ and are feeling the results in the forms of lost revenue and forced layoffs -- not furloughs, but layoffs -- of valued staff.” Chvotkin added that the AFGE-commissioned report “fails to address the consequences of agencies taking those actions -- including the potential for increasing agency costs under certain scenarios.” [Source: GovExec.com | Charles S. Clark | 11 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Fraud Waste & Abuse Update 66: Knoxville TN — Dead men don't cash checks — but their daughters do. So confessed Patricia Speer on 4 FEB in U.S. District Court in pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan to a charge of stealing public money. According to a plea agreement filed in the case, Speer's father, Ernest Federer, was a disabled veteran who received disability payments from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. At some point, Federer's medical condition deteriorated to such a degree that Speer was appointed her father's legal guardian. Part of the power bestowed her was to cash Federer's disability checks and spend the money to afford him whatever care he needed, documents show. In December 2009, Federer died. "(Speer) failed to notify (Veterans Affairs) of Mr. Federer's death," the plea agreement stated. "Instead, (Speer) continued to cash the monthly VA disability checks that were intended for Mr. Federer. Each of the VA disability checks was in the amount of $1,949." Speer "converted those funds to her own use" following her father's death. Court records allege Speer defrauded the government of more than $50,000 before the VA caught onto her scheme. U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan will decide her fate at a sentencing hearing later this year. [Source: Knoxville News Sentinel | Jamie Satterfield | 4 Feb 2013 ++]
35
*********************************
Mobilized Reserve 5 FEB 2013: The Department of Defense announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 5 FEB 2012. The net collective result is 476 fewer reservists mobilized than last reported in the 1 EB 2013 RAO Bulletin. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 38,773; Navy Reserve 4,862; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve 7,364; Marine Corps Reserve 2,115; and the Coast Guard Reserve 554. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 53,668 including both units and individual augmentees. Since 911 there have been 813,217 reservists deactivated. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found online at http://www.defense.gov/news/MobilizationWeeklyReport020513.pdf. [Source: DoD News Release No. 066-13 dtd 6 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Vet Jobs Update 100: The number of unemployed veterans rose above 800,000 in January, a spike that raises concerns about the long-term viability of efforts to find jobs for former military personnel. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the overall unemployment rate for veterans rose to 7.6 percent in January, more than 1 percent above where it was last fall but still below the national rate of 7.9 percent. But the total number of veterans unsuccessfully looking for work rose to 844,000, almost 150,000 more than it was four months ago. January 2011 was the worst month for veterans’ employment in recent years, with more than 1.1 million former servicemembers out of work. The negative trend then prompted lawmakers and White House officials to push for new tax credits, job training programs and unemployment services for veterans in an effort to help their post-military transition. Of particular concern have been newly separated veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They posted an unemployment rate of 11.7 percent in January — their highest since last spring — but officials note that smaller sample sizes make those statistics more volatile.
Those largely 20- and 30-year-old veterans make up about one-third of the unemployed veterans, and about one-fourth of the total national veteran workforce. More than 10 million of the 21.5 million veterans in America are still in the civilian workforce. In a statement, White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Alan Krueger said the overall employment numbers show there is still work to be done, but they also provide “further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to heal from the wounds inflicted by the worst downturn since the Great Depression.” But Florida Republican Rep. Jeff Miller, chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, called the news a sobering reminder of just how bad this economy is for our nation’s veterans. “More than 800,000 veterans are jobless and nearly 12 percent of recent veterans are returning home to an unemployment line,” he said in a statement. “This is unacceptable.” He promised hearings on the issue in weeks to come. Retail trade firms, construction companies, health care businesses and restaurants were among the top hiring industries last month. [Source: Stars and Stripes | Leo Shane | 1 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
WWII Vets Update 37: Fifty years ago on Sept. 12, 1962, Neponset Illinois farmer John "Jack" Verbout, and his wife, Jo, were invited to Chicago for a special preview of a soon-to-be-released 20th Century Fox movie about the Allied invasion of Normandy, "The Longest Day." It also was a reunion of American soldiers and members of the French Resistance who saved their lives. Verbout was one of three servicemen who movie
36
executives brought to the screening, along with Janine Boitard, a leader in the French Resistance, who is credited with saving the lives of 68 men, including Verbout's. He also met Irina Demick, a French model turned movie star who portrayed Boitard in the movie. In a cast composed almost entirely of men, Demick was the only female listed in the primary cast with major Hollywood stars of the day including Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Richard Burton, Peter Lawford and many others, each playing small roles to recreate on screen the bigger story of the June 6, 1944, invasion of the beaches at Normandy, and on across France.
World War II veteran John 'Jack' Verbout, in 2012 and in 1944
Verbout was a tech sergeant in the Army Air Corps and radio gunner on a bombing mission in a B-26 Marauder when, a month to the day after D-Day, July 6, 1944, his plane was shot down near the French village of Touques, several miles from the English Channel. Three members of the eight-man crew were killed in the crash, and four were captured by the Germans, but Verbout, just 20 at the time, managed to escape. He shared his harrowing experience with Neponset correspondent Betty Sullivan for a July 6, 1984, Kewanee Star Courier story. The Verbouts had just returned from ceremonies in Normandy marking the 40th anniversary of the invasion, where Jack shook the hand of President Ronald Reagan, who spoke at the event. Verbout said after the plane crash, "I kind of hung around haystacks for three days until I made contact with a farmer," evading German patrols ahead of the front line. "He (the farmer) eventually came out to his cows," said Verbout, who was living on green apples and milk. "I'd been milking his cows for him." The farmer contacted the French underground, who took Verbout to Touques, where he hid in the home of Hubert and Odette Gatine. The French Resistance moved Verbout from house to house for several days, one being bombed by Allied aerial artillery.
I had the privilege of meeting Jack this week, and he told me after 10 days, he made contact with a Belgian battalion attached to the British 6th Airborne Division, and was flown safely back to England. Today, Verbout recalls that Janine Boitard was not the head of the resistance, but was active in the Normandy region. She is often portrayed in the movie smuggling Allied flyers and paratroopers on her bicycle. "Of all the places to be dropped, you couldn't have picked a better one," Verbout says today of how he was treated, protected and saved by the French in and around Touques. He and Jo have been back four times, the last being in 2000 when his entire family made the trip. Jack and Jo's first son, John Jr., was born in May 1944, while he was overseas. When he returned home, they had two more sons and two daughters - five children in all - four of whom would not have been born if he had not survived the plane crash and been rescued and hidden by the underground. Jack also points out today that of the 28 members in his bomber group, he is the only one still alive.
37
According to a biography provided to Verbout by the French ambassador prior to the 1962 movie preview, Boitard was a law student living in Caen when Germany invaded and occupied France. "The years of the silent, undercover battle against the Germans completely changed her life," the biography states. She also met, and later married, another resistance member, Leonard Gille. After the war, she became one of France's most honored women receiving medals from the French, U.S. and British governments. Jack has many memories of the three-day, 1962 reunion and film preview in Chicago, where he and Jo were special guests of 20th Century Fox and escorted around town by studio executive Saul Gordon. On the film's 50th anniversary, Jack Verbout said of his sneak peek, that "they did as well as they could" to make the nearly three-hour movie realistic. He'd know. He was there. [Source: Journal Star | Dave Clarke | 9 Nov 2012 ++]
*********************************
POW/MIA Update 37: "Keeping the Promise", "Fulfill their Trust" and "No one left behind" are several of many mottos that refer to the efforts of the Department of Defense to recover those who became missing while serving our nation. The number of Americans who remain missing from conflicts in this century are: World War II (73,000+), Korean War (7,900+), Cold War (126), Vietnam War (1,655), 1991 Gulf War (0), and OEF/OIF (6). Over 600 Defense Department men and women -- both military and civilian -- work in organizations around the world as part of DoD's personnel recovery and personnel accounting communities. They are all dedicated to the single mission of finding and bringing our missing personnel home. For a listing of all personnel accounted for since 2007 refer to http: //www.dtic.mil/dpmo/accounted_for . For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) web site at http: //www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call (703) 699-1420. The remains of the following MIA/POW’s have been recovered, identified, and scheduled for burial since the publication of the last RAO Bulletin:
Family members seeking more information about missing loved ones may call the following Service Casualty Offices: U.S. Air Force (800) 531-5501, U.S. Army (800) 892-2490, U.S. Marine Corps (800) 847-1597, U.S. Navy (800) 443-9298, or U.S. Department of State (202) 647-5470. The remains of the following MIA/POW’s have been recovered, identified, and scheduled for burial since the publication of the last RAO Bulletin:
Vietnam
 None
Korea
38
 The DPMO announced 3FEB that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, were recently identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. Army Pfc. Weldon A. Davis, 24, of Tioga, Texas, will be buried Feb. 6, in Dallas. In late November 1950, elements of the 2nd Infantry Division (ID) were engaged in fighting with units of the Chinese army south of the Ch’ongch’on River in North Korea. In the course of the fighting, and the subsequent withdrawal by U.S. forces, the 2nd ID suffered extensive casualties, with numerous men being taken captive by the Chinese. Davis was last seen in the vicinity of Somindong. In 1953, as part of Operation Big Switch, soldiers who were returned told debriefers that Davis had been captured and taken by enemy forces to a POW camp known as Death Valley. Soldiers also stated that in January 1951, Davis died from malnutrition and pneumonia. His remains were not among those returned by Communist Forces in 1954. In 2005, a joint U.S. and Democratic People's Republic Korea (D.P.R.K) team excavated a secondary burial in Unsan County in North Korea and found remains. The remains subsequently were repatriated to the U.S. To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as dental comparisons, which matched Davis’ records.
 The DPMO announced 7FEB that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, were recently identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. Army Cpl. Robert G. Archer, 19, of Brazil, Ind., will be buried Feb. 8, in his hometown. In late November 1950, elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were engaged in fighting with enemy forces east of the Chosin Resevoir in North Korea. On Nov. 29, 1950, servicemen of the 31st RCT began to withdraw to a more-defensible position near Hagaru-ri, south of the reservoir. During this withdrawal, Archer was reported missing in action. In 1953, as part of Operation Big Switch, soldiers who were returned told debriefers that Archer had been captured and taken by enemy forces to a POW camp known as Death Valley. Soldiers also stated that in December 1950, Archer died from malnutrition and lack of medical care. His remains were not among those returned by Communist Forces in 1954. In 2005, a joint U.S. and Democratic People's Republic Korea (D.P.R.K) team excavated sites believed to be associated with American losses during the Korean War and found remains. The remains subsequently were repatriated to the U.S. To identify the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, and forensic identification tools such as mitochondrial DNA–which matched Archer’s brother –and dental comparisons.
 The DPMO announced 7FEB that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. Cpl. Robert W. Scott, 19, of Detroit, will be buried Feb. 11, in Sarasota, Fla. In late November 1950, Scott and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir near Sinhung-ri, South Hamgyong Province, in North Korea. Scott was reported missing in action on Dec. 1, 1950, after his unit was engaged by vastly superior number of enemy forces. Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Scott was last seen. In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, such as mitochondrial DNA–which matched Scott’s brother. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials. Today, more than 7,900 Americans remain unaccounted for from the Korean War.
39
 The DPMO announced 9FEB that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. Cpl. James R. Hare, 19, of Cumberland, Md., will be buried Feb. 13, in Levels, W.Va. In February 1951, Hare and elements of the 2nd Infantry Division (ID) were supporting Republic of South Korea forces near the South Korean town of Hoengsong when Chinese forces launched a massive counter attack. During these attacks, U.S. and Korean forces were forced to retreat south. Over the next few days units of the 2nd ID were attacked again suffering more than 200 casualties including more than 100 servicemen being captured by enemy forces. Hare was reported as missing in action on Feb. 13, 1951. In September 1953, during a prisoner exchange between U.S. and communist forces, a returning U.S. soldier told debriefers that Hare was captured by enemy forces and taken to a POW camp in Suan County on Feb. 13, 1951. The soldier also stated that Hare died from malnutrition in April of that year. His remains were not among those returned by communist forces during Operation Glory in 1954. Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Hare was last seen. In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, compiled by DPMO and JPAC researchers, and forensic identification tools, such as mitochondrial DNA–which matched Hare’s brother and sister. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials.
 The DPMO announced 12 FEB that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. Pfc. Bobby L. Byars, 18, of Griffin, Ga., will be buried Feb. 16, in his home town. In late November 1950, Byars and elements of the 31st Regimental Combat Team (RCT) were deployed along the eastern banks of the Chosin Reservoir near Sinhung-ri, South Hamgyong Province, in North Korea. On Nov. 29, 1950 remnants of the 31st RCT, known historically as Task Force Faith, began a fighting withdrawal to a more defensible position near the Hangaru-ri, south of the reservoir when he was reported missing Dec. 12, 1950. Between 1991 and 1994, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 U.S. service members. North Korean documents, turned over with some of the boxes, indicated that some of the human remains were recovered from the area where Byars was last seen. In the identification of the remains, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, compiled by DPMO and JPAC researchers, and forensic identification tools, such as dental records and mitochondrial DNA–which matched Byars’ brother. Using modern technology, identifications continue to be made from remains that were previously turned over by North Korean officials.
World War II
 None
[Source: http: //www.dtic.mil/dpmo/news/news_releases Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
40
Spanish American War Image 03
Charge of The Rough Riders
*********************************
VRAP Update 06: (Note: Military Times Copyrighted material - Not authorized for reproduction on any publicly accessible website or website accessed newsletter . Forwarding via email in personal communications is authorized.) The architect of the popular Veterans Retraining Assistance Program is proposing a three-month extension to prevent education benefits from being cutoff before a veteran has completed classes. This would not provide any additional benefits, just prevent GI Bill payments from stopping before the end of the school term. Rep. Jeff Miller, (R-FL), the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman, is the person who first proposed the program aimed at helping unemployed veterans between the ages of 35 and 60 learn a new and marketable skill.
Miller said 6 FEB that he wants to extend the program through June 30, 2014 — three months longer than the current cutoff day — so benefits are not cut off before the traditional end of the spring term at many schools. The Miller-proposed extension would have to pass the House and Senate and be signed into law by the president before taking effect. His introduction of the bill is just the first step in the legislative process that would take the entire year.
VRAP, as the program is called, was created with a limit of less than 100,000 spaces for veterans, who receive 12 months of Montgomery GI Bill benefits while attending approved courses to learn a new skill. About 80,000 of the slots have been claimed but not all of the veterans have enrolled in or have started classes. Miller’s Senate counterpart, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, is sponsoring legislation to extend VRAP for two more years, opening
41
the door to about 50,000 students each year. Miller, though, is not yet ready to make that leap. In a statement announcing he had introduced a bill to make the three-month extension, Miller said he needs to know more before adding more years and more students. “Before extending VRAP beyond 2014 or to additional participants, we need to have an honest conversation about its effectiveness,” he said. That includes watching to see how many VRAP graduated find jobs. Miller said he still believes in the program. “VRAP is a tremendous opportunity for unemployed veterans to receive valuable training for in-demand jobs, and I encourage all eligible veterans to apply,” he said.
VRAP is open to unemployed veterans, at least 35 years old but not older than 60, who are not eligible for any other veterans’ educational benefits, are not enrolled in any state or federal job training program and who are not receiving veterans’ disability compensation due to unemployability. Additionally, their discharge from the military may not be under dishonorable conditions. Their GI Bill benefits, paid monthly, may be used if they enroll in a qualified course at a community college or technical school to learn what the U.S. Labor Department has determined is a high demand skill. [Source: Military Times | Rick Maze | 6 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Saving Money: Buying used can save a ton. But sometimes, you end up paying more in repairs and replacements, not to mention other potential problems. Here's a list of 20 items that might prove penny wise but pound foolish:
 Cribs - Cribs – especially the drop-side kind – are frequently on recall lists, and the reasons why are pretty terrifying. For example, in April, Nan Far Woodworking recalled their drop-side cribs for repair. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission had this to say about it: The cribs’ drop sides can malfunction, detach or otherwise fail, causing part of the drop side to fall out of position, creating a space into which an infant or toddler can roll and become wedged or entrapped, which can lead to strangulation or suffocation. A child can also fall out of the crib. Drop-side incidents can also occur due to incorrect assembly and with age-related wear and tear. So how do you know if that crib you’re eyeing on Craigslist hasn’t been recalled? You could check the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s list of crib recalls at http://www.cpsc.gov/cgi-bin/cribs.aspx, but you don’t know if the crib was sent back for repairs or not. You’d just have to take the seller’s word for it. It’s better to play it safe and buy a new crib.
 Car seats - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says car seats can be safely reused after minor crashes [http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/childps/childrestraints/reuse/restraintreuse.htm ] – if the air bags didn’t deploy, no one was injured, and the car drove away. But it recommends car seats be replaced after moderate crashes. So how do you tell the difference between a car seat in a minor crash, one in a moderate crash, or one that wasn’t in a crash at all? You probably can’t. The damage could be internal and not visible. Don’t risk it. Buy a new one.
 Helmets - In a crash, the thick foam inside a helmet absorbs shock and protects your head. After a crash, the helmet may look fine, but it often has breaks or tears inside the foam. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recommends replacing a helmet after any crash – even a minor one
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00425 ]. Otherwise, the helmet might not protect you in the next crash.
 Laptops - If you take great care of a laptop, it can last through years of heavy use – but you can’t know how someone else treats their stuff. Maybe they dropped it or spilled coffee on it. The laptop could work great at first, but break down after you take it home.
42
 Video cameras - The same goes for video cameras. You may not see any visible damage, but it could have been dropped, exposed to water, or otherwise mistreated. Video cameras are costly to repair, so it isn’t worth buying one used.
 Mattresses - A used mattress can come with a lot of extras you don’t want – dead skin cells, bacteria, hair, and every other gross thing you could imagine. It might also have bed bugs. The bugs are such a growing problem that Terminix has released at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/philadelphia-takes-top-spot-in-annual-bedbug-infested-cities-list-158410705.html a Top 15 Cities for Bed Bug Infestation list. Bed bugs live off human blood, leave itchy bite marks, and can cause skin infections. And they multiply. According to Orkin: Females can deposit one to five eggs a day, and may lay 200 to 500 eggs in a lifetime. Under normal room temperatures and with an adequate food supply, they can live over 300 days. Bring a bed bug-infested mattress into your house, and you’ll pay a hefty fee to an exterminator.
 Shoes - Used shoes may have been great for the original owner, but they’ve conformed to his or her feet. They might not be great for you. Used shoes that don’t fit just right can lead to feet or leg pain and back problems.
 Makeup - Cosmetic brushes and wands come into contact with skin and can’t be cleaned very well. That barely used tube of lipstick? It might be hosting illness-causing bacteria. Considering drug stores and beauty shops regularly run makeup sales, risking your health isn’t worth the savings.
 Plasma and HDTVs - Old tube-style TVs held up a lot better than modern flat-screens. While MSNBC says TVs cost an average of $500 to repair, the repair costs run much higher for plasma screens and for more complicated issues. Even at the lower end, it may be more cost-effective to buy a new TV under warranty than a used one.
 Hats - The inside of that hat could be brimming with someone else’s dead skin, hair, or worse – lice. Head lice feed on blood and cause itchy and painful reactions in the scalp. The nearly invisible bugs also travel quickly onto other people and your stuff. Getting rid of lice requires two treatments of pesticides on everyone in the household. Then you’ll have to clean your bedding, linens, clothes, mattresses, and any other soft fabric in the house. The treatment can take hours or days of hard work – all because you bought a cheap hat.
 Swimsuits - Swimsuits hug the body. The close contact can transmit bacteria and other diseases – which may transfer to you when you wear the suit. Swimsuits are also fragile. If the washing instructions aren’t followed, the straps might rip or the swimsuit might lose its shape. So you could be buying something that may fall apart after only a few uses.
 Vacuums - Vacuums take a lot of wear and tear. That can lead to costly repairs. Considering you can buy a new vacuum for under $100, it isn’t worth the risk to buy a used one.
 Tires - Edmunds.com warns that thin tread isn’t the only safety hazard for tires – old and used tires can pose a safety risk. As tires age, they lose elasticity. As a result, the tread could separate from the tire, causing an accident. Even if the tire isn’t that old, it could have been treated poorly. Bottom line – you can’t tell a tire’s condition from the tread alone, so don’t buy a used one just because it looks good.
 Software - Software comes with a product code, and most software manufacturers put a limit on the number of times you can reload it. When you buy software used, you have no way of knowing how many times the product code has been used. For example, if the code has a three-time limit and the original owner used it twice, you’ll only be able to load the software onto one more computer before it’s no longer good.
 DVD players - DVD players often cost more to repair than replace.
 Stuffed animals - Children love to stick stuffed animals into their mouths, dirt, and gooey substances. Since the stuffed animal has a fabric surface, bacteria and dirt are absorbed in the fibers. Do you really want your child putting that teddy bear in his mouth if you don’t know where it’s been?
43
 Halogen lamps - Those old halogen lamps may look cool, but they’re a fire hazard. Anne Ducey, the marketing coordinator for Seattle Light, told the The Seattle Times that halogen lamps have been linked to at least 350 fires, $2 million in property damage, 114 injuries, and 29 deaths across the United States. [http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19990421&slug=2956347 ]. Instead of buying that retro-looking halogen lamp at a thrift store, look for new CFL or LED lamps – they’re safer and cheaper to use.
 Blenders - Blenders are subject to loads of abuse subjecting them to structural stress and motor strain. Not to mention blenders could have invisible old bits of food stuck to the underside of the blades and in the blending bowl. Since you can buy a new blender pretty cheap the savings isn’t worth it for used ones.
 Costume jewelry - Children and adult’s costume jewelry can contain poisonous substances like nickel, cadmium, and lead. The problem was so prevalent that testing and subsequent legal action by the Center for Environmental Health in 2004 led to the recall of more than 150 million pieces of jewelry for kids [ http://www.ceh.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=38&Itemid=53 ]. While lead testing is stricter now for new products, the used costume pieces you’re buying may have lead or other chemicals.
 Pet food and treats - There has been recent outbreak of pet food recalls. Check the FDA list at http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/newpetfoodrecalls/#Dog before you buy. After all, salmonella causes serious health problems for pets that eat recalled food. Even if the food hasn’t been recalled, open bags of dog food and treats can contain bugs and bug eggs. The possibility of food poisoning and bugs isn’t worth the potential savings.
[Source: MoneyTalksNews Angela Colley article 15 Jun 2012 ++]
*********************************
DoD Suicide Policy Update 02: The Defense Department is funding a new study to determine if something as simple as drinking smoothies with high concentrations of the fatty acids found in fish oils can help to reduce suicides among veterans. The study will assess the effect of Omega 3 fatty acids on 350 volunteer participants who have attempted suicide or are considered to be at risk of doing so, said Bernadette Marriott, a Medical University of South Carolina professor who is the study’s principal investigator. The university is collaborating in the clinical trial with researchers from the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Cente in Charleston, S.C., and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health. Ron Acierno, director of the post-traumatic stress disorder clinic at the Charleston VA center, will partner with Marriott as an onsite collaborator. The Military Operational Medicine Joint Program Committee is funding the study, and the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command’s Congressional Directed Medical Research Programs Office will manage it.
The test subjects, to be recruited over the next three years from the Charleston VA center and the local veteran population, will drink two child-size juice boxes of commercially available, smoothie-type drinks each day for six months, Marriott said. Half the veterans will receive about 4 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids in their drinks each day, said Joseph Hibbeln, acting chief of NIAA’s nutritional neurosciences section. This should elevate the concentration of Omega 3s in the group’s blood to levels commonly found among populations of fish eating countries such as Japan and Iceland. The other half of the test subjects, the control group, will receive placebos. Both groups will continue to receive the same mental health care services as before the study. Meanwhile, researchers will evaluate them as they begin the study and periodically over its course to assess their depression and anxiety levels and performance on cognitive tests, Marriott said. They also will take blood samples to measure Omega 3 levels. The investigators will have no idea until after the study which test subjects received Omega 3 doses and which were in the control, Marriott said.
44
Based on previous studies in both animals and humans, Marriott said she expects to see much higher Omega 3 levels in the experimental group, with corresponding improvements in their mood and performance levels. Hibbeln has been a pioneer in linking Omega 3 deficiencies with depression and violent or impulsive disorders. For the past 20 years, he has advanced the theory that the brain, made up of fats and oils, depends on Omega 3 nutrients to operate properly and fully experience pleasure. He uses the analogy of a tree that grows deep roots, a sturdy trunk and abundance of leaves only if it’s properly fertilized and gets the nutrients it needs. The problem, he explained, is that the human body gets Omega 3s only through food and nutritional supplements. And the typical American diet is low in Omega 3 fatty acids -- with military populations consuming even fewer. Exacerbating the problem, Hibbeln said, is that their diets tend to be high in Omega 6s, the oils commonly found in French fries, chips and other processed foods. Within red blood cells, Omega 6s are like “insurgents” who crowd out the few good-guy Omega 3s, he explained. That double-whammy, he said, puts people at increased risk of suicide and other emotional distress.
Assessing the blood of 800 active-duty military members who committed suicide between 2002 and 2008, Hibbeln said all had “profoundly low levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, by evolutionary and world standards.” The suicide victims had particularly low levels of docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, an Omega 3 fatty acid concentrate
in the brain. The levels were so low that, based on other studies, it could have elevated the service members’ risk of suicide by 75 percent, Hibbeln said. But equally troubling was that the control group in that study, which consisted of 800 active-duty service members, had similarly low levels of Omega 3s in their blood. Hibbeln recalled another era in military history when a nutritional deficiency caused an operational challenge. Only when the British navy began feeding lemons and limes -- a great source of Vitamin C -- to its sailors did they stop suffering from debilitating cases of scurvy. Recognizing the potential benefits of Omega 3s, the Army Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts, has started infusing them into combat rations. Natick food scientists already have started introducing them into lemon poppy seed cake and a salmon in alfredo sauce entree.
Hibbeln said he’s hoping the new study will show results like those in another he conducted that involved 49 patients who were admitted to an emergency room in Ireland for multiple episodes of “self harm.” In that study, all the patients were sent home from the hospital without psychotherapy services, but half received 2 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids to take each day. The findings could have far-reaching impact beyond the military, Marriott said, noting that suicide is the 10th largest cause of death in the United States. “This study will have important ramifications, not just for veterans, but for all Americans,” she said. [Source: AFPS | Donna Miles | 12 Oct 2012 ++]
*********************************
Notes of Interest:
 USO. Travelers are encouraged to stop in at each USO they pass, especially in airports, and sign their visitor log. Funding for the USO is contingent on those who visit so the more people they have who sign their logs, the better their funding. Additionally, you might bring them store bought cookies and paper goods. These are always needed at USO facilities.
 Pharmacy. The United States Postal Service intends to end first-class Saturday mail delivery beginning the week of 5 AUG. New delivery schedule will consist of six days of package delivery, and five days of mail delivery. Express Scripts says prescriptions are considered packages so there will be no impact on their mail order deliveries.
 Fraud. The government says it recovered almost $8 for each dollar it spent investigating health care fraud over the past three years, including a record $4.2 billion last year.
 MIA. Check out the video Return to Makin Island iPod Version - YouTube about the recovery of WWII USMC KIAs from Makin Island.
[Source: Various 1-14 Feb 2012 ++]
45
*********************************
Medicare Fraud Update 112:
 Kansas City MO — A psychologist practicing in the Lebanon, Missouri area was sentenced in federal court 30 JAN for engaging in a $1 million scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid. Rhett E. McCarty, 67, of Lake Ozark, Missouri, was sentenced to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered McCarty to pay $1 million in restitution to Medicaid and Medicare. McCarty was a licensed psychologist and private practitioner who provided psychotherapy services to recipients of both Medicare and Medicaid in their homes in the Lebanon area. On August 16, 2012, McCarty pleaded guilty to health care fraud and to forgery. Between September 17, 2008 and April 5, 2012, McCarty submitted Medicare and Medicaid claims for daily or near daily psychotherapy services to 19 beneficiaries for which he was paid $1,276,334. According to the claims that McCarty submitted, he routinely saw beneficiaries seven days per week and worked long hours every day. Moreover, according to McCarty’s claims, he worked every single day of the calendar year from mid-September 2008 through early April 2012, except for Christmas day. McCarty routinely billed for every weekend day and for all holidays except Christmas day. Although McCarty did provide some services for most of these beneficiaries, he admitted that he did not see those beneficiaries more than once a week. McCarty also admitted that the amount he was paid by Medicare and Medicaid for services he did not provide to these 19 beneficiaries was $1 million. McCarty also admitted that he forged (or caused another person to forge) the signatures of five of the beneficiaries on patient sign-in sheets in order to obtain $418,507 in Medicare and Medicaid payments.
 Coshocton OH — Barbara Elise Miller has pleaded guilty to charges related to her role in a more than $1 million health-care billing scheme. Miller, the former owner of Three Rivers Infusion and Pharmacy Specialists, 238 Main St. in Coshocton, pleaded guilty to witness tampering, obstruction of an official proceeding and concealment of records on Thursday in federal court in Cleveland. A sentencing date has not been set. Miller, who still faces federal health-care fraud charges, was indicted in 2010 along with her husband, Dana C. Campbell, a company vice president. He was charged with concealing records. Two employees, Douglas A. Bolden and James O. Ireland, both of Zanesville, were indicted for obstruction. The company was investigated for allegedly overbilling medical insurance companies, then-Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray said at the time. Federal agents raided the business and shut it down in 2008.
 Charlotte NC — Charlotte Elizabeth Garnes, 37, has been convicted in federal court in Charlotte of a Medicare fraud scheme that cost the government at least $650,000, prosecutors say. Garnes was accused of participating in a scheme for two years to submit claims for Medicare counseling services that never were performed. Two other women who were part of the scheme, Teresa Marible and Michele Jackson, were convicted earlier in the case. Prosecutors alleged that Garnes, a licensed professional counselor who was
46
approved by Medicare to provide mental and behavioral health services, conspired with Marible and Jackson, who were not licensed, to submit claims under Garnes’ name and provider number. Garnes kept 30 percent of the fraud proceeds and distributed the rest to her co-conspirators. From March 2009 to April 2011Medicaid paid Charlotte’s Insight Inc., which was identified as Garnes’ company, about $740,000. About 90 percent of that, the government said, was based on false claims for services that Garnes did not provide. A number of Medicaid recipients testified during the weeklong trial, which ended 9 FEB, that they or their children never received the therapy services that Garnes claimed to have provided. In fact, Garnes was not in North Carolina or in the United States when some of the claimed services were performed. Evidence submitted during the trial also showed that Garnes routinely billed for more than 24 hours of therapy services in a single day. For one day in December 2009, the government claimed, Garnes submitted claims for 69 hours of services. Garnes used some of the money she received to buy a Mercedes and for plastic surgery. She was convicted on all 12 counts against her and has been released on bond. She faces up to 35 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. Marible was sentenced last June to 36 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.135 million in restitution. Jackson was sentenced last March to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $292,000 in restitution.
[Source: Various 1-14 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Medicaid Fraud Update 79:
 Nashua NH — Greater Nashua Mental Health Center has settled a False Claims Act matter with the state, agreeing to pay $54,281.76 for improperly billed Medicaid services. Attorney General Michael A. Delaney announced the settlement on Jan. 30, the result of an investigation launched in 2012, after a review by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit detected improper billing practices for psychosocial rehabilitation services. Delaney said Greater Nashua Mental Health received payments from the Medicaid program that it was not entitled to receive. The billings at issue spanned the years 2008 through 2012.
 Sedan KS — A Chautauqua County woman was ordered 28 JAN to pay restitution in the amount of $35,869.84, and was sentenced to 30 days in jail for Medicaid fraud and animal cruelty, said Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. Bonnie Newman, 61, of Moline, was found guilty by a Chautauqua County jury in November 2012 of one count of making a false claim to the Medicaid program, one count of mistreatment of a dependent adult and eight counts of cruelty to animals. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Sedan Police Department, Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office, and Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Division. Local law enforcement and Adult Protective Services removed the defendant's disabled adult daughter from her home in Sedan on March 5, 2009, due to unsanitary conditions. Numerous animals also were seized and removed from the defendant's care. Newman's restitution will reimburse the Kansas Medicaid program, Rainbow Meadows Equine Rescue and investigative costs of the Kansas Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Division. The defendant's other daughter, Cheri Newman, also pleaded guilty to mistreatment of a dependent adult and conspiracy to defraud the Medicaid program. Cheri Newman was ordered to repay $9,743.04 to the Kansas Medicaid program.
 Wanaque NJ — Five dentists and two office managers were indicted 7 FEB by a state grand jury on 31 counts of defrauding the Medicaid program out of more than $5.5 million, authorities said. Stephen Beukas, 47, of Mahwah and John Freiler, 74, of Wanaque were among the seven people affiliated with a mobile dental practice, NJ Mobile, who face a multitude of charges including insurance fraud, conspiracy and misconduct by a corporate official. NJ Mobile is owned by Beukas and has a business office in Colts Neck, according to a release by the state Attorney General’s Office. The company traveled to nursing
47
homes, assisted living centers, adult day-care facilities and private homes throughout the state to provide dental services. Authorities allege the practice overbilled Medicaid and added a charge for “Behavioral Management” on almost every claim, whether that treatment was performed or not. Often, the dentists billed Medicaid for procedures that were not provided, authorities said. Specifically the indictment alleges that Beukas and Mary D. Anerousis, 47, of Livingston, submitted 3,714 claims for procedures that weren’t performed. In one case, Freiler submitted a claim for a Medicaid recipient who was deceased at the time of the purported dental service, authorities said. Trip charges were also added to each claim, though many of the patients were within the same facility and the dentists were entitled to only one per trip to the center, authorities said. Most of the charges are second-degree crimes, which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $150,000. There is a misconduct charge, which is a third-degree crime. The maximum penalty for this charge is five years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. The other dentists indicted along with Beukas and Freiler on Thursday were:; Matthew Girardy Anerousis, 42, and Trina Ruchelman, 40. An office manager was also indicted - Illuminata Davi, 56, as well as the company's billing manager, Joyce Fuller, 56,.
 Lumberton NC — Business owner Andetra Michelle Sampson, 39, of Lumberton, was sentenced 31 JAN to five years in prison after defrauding Medicaid of more than $2.1 million by falsely filing bills for behavioral health services in a four-year health care scheme beginning in 2006. Sampson had pleaded guilty on July 11, 2012, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud as part of a scheme to falsely provide day treatment services for preschool and school-aged children at Country Lane Day Treatment LLC in Pembroke, a business she owned. The statement said Sampson provided services by unqualified individuals, claimed services that were never rendered, falsified service notes, created false service orders and forged doctors’ signatures. In November 2010, multiple government agencies seized in excess of $300,000 worth of Sampson’s property that had been purchased with Medicaid money, including recreational vehicles, personal vehicles and rare motorcycles. Sampson was ordered to pay full restitution to Medicaid in the amount of the fraud and will be on supervised release for three years when she leaves prison.
[Source: Various 1-14 Feb 2013++]
*********************************
State Veteran's Benefits: The state of Louisiana provides several benefits to veterans as indicated below. To obtain information on these refer to the attachment to this Bulletin titls, “Veteran State Benefits –LA” for an overview of the below those benefits. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each refer to http://vetaffairs.la.gov.
 Housing Benefits
 Employment Assistance
 Education Benefits
 Other State Veteran Benefits
[Source: http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-state-benefits/louisiana-state-veterans-benefits.html Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Veteran Hearing/Mark-up Schedule: Following is the current schedule of recent and future Congressional hearings and markups pertaining to the veteran community. Congressional hearings are the principal formal method by which committees collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Hearings usually include oral testimony from witnesses, and questioning of the witnesses by members of Congress.
48
When a U.S. congressional committee meets to put a legislative bill into final form it is referred to as a mark-up. Veterans are encouraged to contact members of these committees prior to the event listed and provide input on what they want their legislator to do at the event. Membership of each committee and their contact info can be found at http: //www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/committees.tt?commid=svete. Missed House Veteran Affairs committee (HVAC) hearings can viewed at http: //veterans.house.gov/in-case-you-missed-it. Text of completed Senate Veteran Affairs Committee SVAC) hearings are available at http: //www.gpo.gov/fdsys/browse/committee.action?chamber=senate&committee=va&collection=CHRG&plus=CHRG:
 February 14, 2013 (T). HVAC Economic Opportunity hearing on GI Bill IT Long Term Solution (LTS). 10:00 A.M.; 334 Cannon.
 February 26, 2013. Joint HVAC and SVAC hearing on the Legislative Presentation of Disabled American Veterans (DAV). 2:00pm; 345 Cannon HOB.
 February 28, 2013. Joint HVAC and SVAC hearing on the Legislative Presentations from multiple Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). 10:00am; Ground room 50, Dirksen SOB.
 March 5, 2013. Joint HVAC and SVAC hearing on the Legislative Presentation of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). 10:00am; Ground room 50, Dirksen SOB.
 March 6, 2013. Joint HVAC and SVAC hearing on the Legislative Presentations from multiple Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). 10:00am; 345 Cannon HOB’
[Source: Veterans Corner w/Michael Isam 13 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Committee Hearings: The House Veterans Affairs' Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (O&I) held a hearing the week of 5 FEB regarding the deadly Legionnaires' breakout at the VA Healthcare System in Pittsburgh. Legionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by bacteria known as legionella. A months-long investigation by the subcommittee revealed that VA officials learned of problems with their water system as early as December 2011, yet waited nearly a year to disclose and address those issues. Subcommittee Chairman Mike Coffman (R-CO) condemned VA officials for a culture of complacency which led to the death of five veterans, and ordered VA to strengthen the weaknesses in its infection control program. To learn more about the hearing and to view a webcast refer to: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/analyzing-va%E2%80%99s-actions-to-prevent-legionnaire%E2%80%99s-disease-in-pittsburgh. [Source: VFW Washington Weekly 8 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
VA Committee Hearings Update 01: The House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA) held its first oversight hearing of 2013 the week of 5 FEB on VA's use of the 100 percent temporary disability rating. Veterans receive the temporary rating when medical evidence shows that a surgery or treatment for serious illness requires a substantial recovery period which may prevent them from working, or when the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities allows the award of a 100 percent evaluation for a period of time. A recent VA Office of Inspector General report detailed VA's failure to process and monitor those claims, resulting in a $943 million overpayment to veterans. The IG also found that VA had not set up proper controls or scheduled future medical examinations as required. All seven IG recommendations, including one requiring VBA to review all temporary 100-percent ratings to ensure a future examination date is entered in the Veteran's electronic record, are being implemented. For more information on the hearings or to view the recorded webcast, refer to: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/the-100-temporary-disability-rating-an-examination-of-its-effective-use. [Source: VFW Washington Weekly 8 Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
49
Military History: Runway Able is part of the North Field on Tinian Island in the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It was the jumping off point for Enola Gay when she went to Hiroshima with Little Boy, the first ever nuclear bomb to be used. It was also the take off point for the attack on Nagasaki using Fat Man in August 1945. They led to the unconditional surrender of Imperial Japan on September 2, 1945, and the end of the Pacific War. Fat Man rode with Major Charles Sweeney in Bockscar, a B-29 bomber. More and better details are at Atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombing raid on Nagasaki had the third highest fatality rate in World War II after the nuclear strike on Hiroshima and the March 9/10 1945 fire bombing raid on Tokyo. More information can be found this at http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/ & http://www.abomb1.org/. To read more about Tinian’s role in the ending of the war and view some photos refer to the attachment to this Bulletin titled “Runway Able”. [Source: http://www.sunray22b.net/runway_able.htm Jan 2013 ++]
*********************************
Military History Anniversaries: Significant February events in U.S. Military History are:
 Feb 15 1898 – U.S. battleship Maine mysteriously blows up in Havana Harbor, Cuba killing more than 260 crew members and bringing the United States closer to war with Spain.
 Feb 15 1943 – WW II: The Germans break the American Army’s lines at the Fanid–Sened Sector in Tunisia, North Africa.
 Feb 15 1944 – WW II: The assault on Monte Cassino, Italy, begins
 Feb 15 1967 – Vietnam: Thirteen U.S. helicopters are shot down in one day in Vietnam
 Feb 15 2003 – Iraq War: Protests against the Iraq war take place in over 600 cities worldwide. It is estimated that between 8 million to 30 million people participate, making this the largest peace demonstration in history.
 Feb 16 1804 – 1Lt. Stephen Decatur led a successful raid into Tripoli Harbor to burn the U.S. Navy frigate Philadelphia, which had fallen into the hands of pirates.
 Feb 16 1862 – Civil War: 14,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered at Ft. Donelson TN. Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's victory earned him the nickname "Unconditional Surrender Grant."
 Feb 16 1864 – Civil War: The H.L. Hunley becomes the first submarine to engage and sink a warship, the USS Housatonic.
 Feb 16 1865 – Civil War : Columbia, South Carolina is burned as Confederate forces flee from advancing Union forces.
 Feb 16 1944 – WW II: Operation Hailstone begins. U.S. naval air, surface, and submarine attack against Truk (Chuuk), Japan's main base in the central Pacific, in support of the Eniwetok invasion. (WWII)
 Feb 16 1945 – WW II: American troops landed on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines.
 Feb 16 1960 – The U.S. Navy submarine USS Triton begins Operation Sandblast, setting sail from New London, Connecticut, to begin the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe.
 Feb 17 1864 – Civil War: The Confederate H.L. Hunley in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina becomes the first submarine to engage and sink a warship, the USS Housatonic.
 Feb 17 1865 – Civil War: Columbia, South Carolina, is burned as Confederate forces flee from advancing Union forces.
 Feb 17 1944 – WW II: Battle of Eniwetok Atoll begins. The battle ends in an U.S. victory on 22 February. Casualties and losses: US 1,096 - JP 2,693.
 Feb 17 1944 – WW II: Operation Hailstone begins. U.S. naval air, surface, and submarine attack against Truk (Chuuk), Japan's main base in the central Pacific, in support of the Eniwetok invasion.
 Feb 18 1865 – Civil War: Union troops force the Confederates to abandon Fort Anderson, N.C.
50
 Feb 18 1865 – Civil War: Union forces under Major General William T. Sherman set the South Carolina State House on fire during the burning of Columbia.
 Feb 18 1955 – Cold War: Operation Teapot test shot "Wasp" is successfully detonated at the Nevada Test Site with a yield of 1.2 kilotons. Wasp is the first of fourteen shots of the Teapot series.
 Feb 19 1942 – WW II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the executive order 9066, allowing the United States military to relocate Japanese–Americans to Japanese internment camps.
 Feb 19 1943 – WW II: USS Grampus (SS–207) sunk either by Japanese naval aircraft (958th Kokutai) southeast of New Britain on 19 February or by destroyer Minegumo in Blackett Strait on the night of 5–6 March. 71 killed
 Feb 19 1943 – WW II: German troops of the Afrika Korps break through the Kasserine Pass, defeating U.S. forces. U.S. troops retake the pass 5 days later. Casualties and losses: US 6,500 Axis 2,000.
 Feb 19 1944 – WW II: The U.S. Eighth Air Force and Royal Air Force begin "Big Week," a series of heavy bomber attacks against German aircraft production facilities.
 Feb 19 1945 – WW II: Battle of Iwo Jima – about 30,000 United States Marines land on Iwo Jima.
 Feb 20 1864 – Civil War: Confederate troops defeat a Union army sent to bring Florida into the union at the Battle of Olustee, Fla. Casualties and losses: US 1,861
 Feb 20 1942 – WW II: Lt. Edward O’Hare downs five out of nine Japanese bombers that are attacking the carrier Lexington and becomes America's first World War II flying ace
 Feb 20 1944 – WW II: The ‘Big Week’ began with American bomber raids on German aircraft manufacturing centers. - CSA 946.
 Feb 21 1862 – Civil War: The Texas Rangers win a Confederate victory in the Battle of Val Verde, NM. Casualties and losses: US 975 - CSA 150 to 230.
 Feb 21 1916 – WW I: In France, the Battle of Verdun begins.
 Feb 21 1945 – WW II: Japanese Kamikaze planes sink the escort carrier Bismarck Sea and damage the Saratoga.
 Feb 21 1951 – Korea: The U. S. Eighth Army launches Operation Killer, a counterattack to push Chinese forces north of the Han River in Korea.
 Feb 22 1836 – Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna began his 13 day siege of the Alamo Spanish mission in San Antonio, Texas.
 Feb 22 1847 – Mexican–American War: The Battle of Buena Vista – 5,000 American troops defeat 15,000 Mexicans. Casualties and losses: US 746 - Mex 3,727.
 Feb 22 1909 – The sixteen battleships of the Great White Fleet, led by the USS Connecticut (BB–18), return to the United States after a voyage around the world.
 Feb 22 1942 – WW II: Franklin Roosevelt orders Gen. Douglas MacArthur to leave the Philippines.
 Feb 22 1973 – Cold War: Following President Richard Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China, the two countries agree to establish liaison offices.
 Feb 22 1984: Britain and the U.S. send warships to the Persian Gulf following an Iranian offensive against Iraq.
 Feb 23 1836 – The Battle of the Alamo begins in San Antonio, Texas.
 Feb 23 1847 – Mexican–American War: Battle of Buena Vista – In Mexico, American troops under General Zachary Taylor defeat Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
 Feb 23 1903 – Cuba leases Guantánamo Bay to the United States ‘in perpetuity’.
 Feb 23 1942 – WW II: A Japanese submarine surfaced off the coast of California, shelling the coastline near the town of Ellwood. The first Axis explosives to hit American soil.
 Feb 23 1945 – WW II: During the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of Marines and a commonly forgotten U.S. Navy Corpsman, reach the top of Mt. Suribachi and are photographed raising the American flag. The photo would later win a Pulitzer Prize and become the model for the national USMC War Memorial.
51
 Feb 23 1945 – WW II: The capital of the Philippines, Manila, is liberated by American forces.
 Feb 23 1945 – World War II: The 11th Airborne Division, with Filipino guerrillas, free the captives of the Los Baños internment camp.
 Feb 23 1967 – Vietnam: U.S. troops begin the largest offensive of the war, near the Cambodian border.
 Feb 23 1991 – Gulf War: Ground troops cross the Saudi Arabian border and enter Iraq, thus starting the ground phase of the war.
 Feb 24 1813 – War of 1812: The American ship USS Hornet sank the British sloop HMS Peacock in an action off the coast of Guiana (north coast of South America.
 Feb 24 1917 – WW I: The U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom is given the Zimmermann Telegram, in which Germany pledges to ensure the return of New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.
 Feb 24 1942 – Battle of Los Angeles: A UFO flying over wartime Los Angeles causes a blackout order at 2:25 a.m. and attracts a barrage of anti–aircraft fire, ultimately killing 3 civilians.
 Feb 24 1944 – WW II: Merrill’s Marauders, a specially trained group of American soldiers, begin their ground campaign against Japan into Burma.
 Feb 24 1968 – Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive is halted; South Vietnam recaptures Hué.
 Feb 25 1933 – USS Ranger, the first U.S. Navy ship to be built solely as an aircraft carrier, is launched.
 Feb 25 1991 – Gulf War: An Iraqi scud missile hits an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 U.S. Army Reservists from Pennsylvania.
 Feb 26 1943 – U.S. Flying Fortresses and Liberators pound German docks and U–boat lairs at Wilhelmshaven.
 Feb 26 1991 – Gulf War: On Baghdad Radio Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announces the withdrawal of Iraqi troops from Kuwait.
 Feb 27 1776 – Revolutionary War: the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge in North Carolina breaks up a Loyalist militia.
 Feb 27 1864 – Civil War: The first Union prisoners arrive at Andersonville Prison in Georgia.
 Feb 27 1944 – WW II: USS Grayback (SS–208) missing. Most likely succumbed to damage inflicted by land–based Japanese naval aircraft suffered the day before in the East China Sea. 80 killed
 Feb 27 1991 – Gulf War: U.S. President George H. W. Bush announces that "Kuwait is liberated".
 Feb 28 1844 – A gun on USS Princeton explodes while the boat is on a Potomac River cruise, killing eight people, including two United States Cabinet members.
 Feb 28 1863 – Civil War: The Confederate ship Nashville was destroyed by the Union ironclad vessel USS Montauk on the Ogeechee River in Georgia.
 Feb 28 1893 – The USS Indiana, the lead ship of her class and the first battleship in the United States Navy comparable to foreign battleships of the time, is launched.
 Feb 28 1916 – WW I: Beginning of the battle of Verdun, in France, which lasted ten months.
 Feb 28 1942 – The heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA–30) is sunk in the Battle of Sunda Strait with 693 crew members killed, along with HMAS Perth (D29) which lost 375 men.
 Feb 28 1945 – WW II: U.S. tanks break the natural defense line west of the Rhine and cross the Erft River.
 Feb 28 1991 – The first Gulf War ends.
 Feb 28 1994: U.S. warplanes shoot down four Serb aircraft over Bosnia in the first NATO use of force in the troubled area.
 Feb 29 1864 – American Civil War: Kilpatrick–Dahlgren Raid fails – plans to free 15,000 Union soldiers being held near Richmond, Virginia are thwarted.
 Feb 29 1944 – WW II: The Admiralty Islands are invaded in Operation Brewer led by American General Douglas MacArthur.
52
 Feb 29 1944 – WW II: USS Trout (SS–202) missing. Most likely sunk by Japanese destroyer Asashimo in Philippine Sea. 81 killed.
 Feb 29 1972 – Vietnam War: Vietnamization – South Korea withdraws 11,000 of its 48,000 troops from Vietnam.
[Source: Various Feb 2013++]
*********************************
Military Trivia 68: The Nuremburg Trials
1. During Nazi rule in Germany, what were held in Nuremberg every summer? Weapons tests | Party rallies | Executions | Debates
2. What year did the Nuremberg Trials start? 1946 | 1945 | 1944 | 1947
3. In what building were the Nuremburg Trials held? The Palace of Justice | The Palace of Germany | The Nuremberg Hall | The Reichstag
4. Who was the most influential Nazi captured by the Allies and put on trial? Wilhelm Keitel | Hermann Goering | Joachim von Ribbentrop | Julius Streicher
5. Did all the defendants plead *not* guilty? Yes | No
6. Who was the chief U.S. prosecutor in the trial? John Archer | Robert Jackson | Adolf Hitler | Harry Truman
7. Which defendant was the Nazi Foreign Minister before the trial? Karl Doenitz | Julius Streicher | Joachim von Ribbentrop | Hjalmar Schacht
8. How many defendants were accused and stood trial in person in the first and most famous Nuremberg Trial? 19 | 27 | 24 | 22
9. Which four nations conducted the trials? U.S.S.R, U.S, Britain, Germany | U.S, Britain, France, Japan | U.S.S.R, U.S, China, Britain | U.S, Britain, France, U.S.S.R
10. Which leading Nazi committed suicide hours before he was due to be hanged? Rudolf Hess | Hermann Goering | Karl Doenitz | Albert Speer
Answers
1) Party rallies were held each year to show the public how strong the Nazi Party and the German military machine were. They moved the people so much that many pledged to die for Nazis. Debate was illegal in Germany under the Nazis. Anyone who dared to do so risked death.
2) In the same year that World War Two ended, 1945, the allied governments decided to hold the trials in one of the most important cities in Germany. The first executions took place in 1946.
3) The Palace of Justice . This is the same building that laws had been made in 1935 to reduce the Jews to second class citizens.
4) Hitler and Goebbels had committed suicide in April of 1945. Himmler, when captured by the British, also committed suicide. So when the trial began Goering was the most senior left. Although he knew a death sentence was imminent, he remained convinced that he was right in all that he did and said.
53
5) Yes. At the beginning of the trial, all defendants’ pleaded not guilty, but near the end, most had broken down and had said that they had "only been following orders". The judges made their decisions based on one or more of the following counts: 1. Conspiracy to commit aggression, 2. The act of aggression, 3. Crimes in the conduct of warfare (that is, war crimes in the narrower sense), 4. Crimes against Humanity. Those convicted on all four counts were: Goering, Ribbentrop, Keitel, Rosenberg, Jodl and Neurath.
6) Robert Jackson. He had doubts about the way the trial would be run. He thought it would fail, just like the trials after World War I. He would be proved wrong, though. The Nuremberg Trials established a basis for international law which is still used today.
7) Joachim von Ribbentrop . He was one of Hitler's most devoted followers. He was a key figure in the conspiracy to launch a war of aggression and was sentenced to death by hanging. Unlike Goering, he was actually hanged.
8) 22 of the highest ranking Nazi officials were accused. Twelve were hanged, eight received prison terms ranging from ten years to life and two were acquitted. (Politician and diplomat Franz von Papen, and the president of the German Central Bank, Hjalmar Schacht, were acquitted, as was Hans Fritzsche). Goering committed suicide in prison a few hours before he was to be executed. Robert Ley had been charged but had committed suicide before the trial began, and Martin Bormann was tried in absentia.
9) U.S, Britain, France, U.S.S.R . Japan was never included in the talks because they were one of the Axis Powers. At the start, things were very difficult because the four Allied Powers each had different laws. It took many months of hard work but by the time of the trial, everything was working smoothly. (Separate trials were held for Japanese war criminals).
10) Hermann Goering. With his death, the Third Reich was over. Its highest leaders were dead, along with their Fuehrer. It is sometimes said, but has never been proven, that Goering's prison guard retrieved a cyanide tablet from his luggage. No charges were ever brought against the man.
[Source: http://www.funtrivia.com/submitquiz.cfm?quiz=152594 Feb 2013++]
*********************************
Tax Burden for Texas Retirees: Many people planning to retire use the presence or absence of a state income tax as a litmus test for a retirement destination. This is a serious miscalculation since higher sales and property taxes can more than offset the lack of a state income tax. The lack of a state income tax doesn’t necessarily ensure a low total tax burden. States raise revenue in many ways including sales taxes, excise taxes, license taxes, income taxes, intangible taxes, property taxes, estate taxes and inheritance taxes. Depending on where you live, you may end up paying all of them or just a few. Following are the taxes you can expect to pay if you retire in Texas:
Sales Taxes
State Sales Tax: 6.25% (non-prepared food, prescription and non-prescription drugs exempt); local option taxes can raise the rate to 8.25%. Gasoline Tax: 38.4 cents/gallon (Includes all taxes) Diesel Fuel Tax: 44.4 cents/gallon (Includes all taxes) Cigarette Tax: $1.41 cents/pack of 20
Personal Income Taxes
No state personal income tax Retirement Income: Not taxed. Retired Military Pay: Not taxed. Military Disability Retired Pay: Disability Portion – Length of Service Pay: Member on September 24, 1975 – No tax; Not Member on September 24, 1975 – Taxed, unless combat incurred. Retired Pay – Based solely on disability. Member on September 24, 1975 – No tax. Not Member on September 24, 1975 – Taxed, unless all pay based on
54
disability, and disability resulted from armed conflict, extra-hazardous service, simulated war, or an instrumentality of war. VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: Not subject to federal or state taxes. Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue office.
Property Taxes
Property tax is imposed by local taxing units. Click here for details. For homeowners 65 and older, $10,000 (in addition to the regular $15,000 homestead exemption) of the property’s assessed value is exempt from school taxes and $3,000 is exempt from other local taxes. Once an over-65 homeowner qualifies for an over-65 homestead exemption for school taxes, that owner gets a tax ceiling for that home on school taxes. If the homeowner improves the home (other than normal repairs or maintenance), the tax ceiling is adjusted for the new additions. For details on the homestead exemption refer to http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/homestead-exemption.html.
School district taxes are frozen for seniors (65 and older) and disabled persons at the level imposed on the residence the first year that the taxpayer qualified for the residence exemption. Counties, cities, towns, and junior college districts are permitted to establish a tax freeze on homesteads of those age 65 and older or disabled. For more information on exemptions refer to http://www.cpa.state.tx.us/taxinfo/proptax/exmptns.html.
Inheritance and Estate Taxes
There is no inheritance and the estate tax is limited and related to federal estate tax collection.
For further information, visit the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts site http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxes.
[Source: http: //www.retirementliving.com Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Aviation Art (32):
Maximum Effort
by Philip West
55
Based at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire from June 1943, 101 Squadron was selected to test new equipment designed to jam the VHF frequencies used by German fighter controllers. A system, code-named "Airborne Cigar" or ABC for short, was operated by an eighth crew member - the Special Operator on board the Lancaster who could understand German and listen into the German controller's transmissions, jamming them before they alerted their night fighters to the position of the bombers. ABC soon proved its worth and from October 1943 101 Sqn. ABC aircraft flew with all Bomber Command main force attacks, consequently 101 Squadron suffered higher losses than other 1 Group Squadrons. In an attempt to reduce the losses the Squadron was the first to be fitted with twin 0.5 browning machine guns in the rear turret.
[Source: http://www.brooksart.com/Maxeffort.html Jan 2012 ++]
*********************************
Veteran Legislation Status 13 FEB 2013: For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community introduced in the 113th Congress refer to the Bulletin’s “House & Senate Veteran Legislation” attachment. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http: //thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s content, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http: //thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html.
Grassroots lobbying is perhaps the most effective way to let your Representative and Senators know your opinion. Whether you are calling into a local or Washington, D.C. office; sending a letter or e-mail; signing a petition; or making a personal visit, Members of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing cosponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of veteran’s feelings on issues. You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views. Otherwise, you can locate on http: //thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html your legislator’s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making. Refer to http: //www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf.
[Source: http: //www.loc.gov & http: //www.govtrack.us/congress/bills Feb 2013 ++]
*********************************
Have You Heard? The Golden Years
An elderly woman, as she left a meeting at a hotel desperately gave herself a personal TSA pat down. She was looking for her car keys. They were not in her pockets. A quick search in the meeting room revealed nothing.
Suddenly she realized she must have left them in the car. Frantically, she headed for the parking lot.
Her husband had scolded her many times for leaving the keys in the ignition. Her theory is the ignition is the best place not to lose them. His theory is that the car will be stolen.
As she burst through the door, she came to a terrifying conclusion. His theory was right. The parking lot was empty.
56
She immediately called the police, gave them her location, confessed that she had left my keys in the car, and that it had been stolen.
Then she made the most difficult call of all, "Honey," she stammered; ( she always call him "honey" in times like these.)
"I left my keys in the car and it's been stolen."
There was a period of silence. She thought the call had been dropped, but then she heard his voice.
"Are you kidding' me", he barked, "I dropped you off!"
Now it was her time to be silent. Embarrassed, she said, "Well, come and get me."
He retorted, "I will, as soon as I convince this cop I didn't steal your car."
Yep it's the golden years.
*********************************
Military Lingo/Jargon/Slang:
USA Academy: Big Brass Rocket - cheer the Supe, Comm, Dean, BTO and Sergeants Major do with the cadets at the cadets' beckoning during sporting events.
USA Acronyms: BTDTBTTS - Been There, Done That, Bought The T-Shirt
USA Equipment: Brown Round - Drill Sergeant's hat
USA Field Slang: Crowd Pleaser - a large bomb dropped from a fighter or bomber
USA Misc: Anal, cranial loopback - to have ones head up their ass
USA Rank: Black Hat - Airborne Instructor
USA Soldiers: 12 Bang-Bang - slang for MOS 12B, Combat Engineer, who was attached to a unit
without heavy or medium equipment (earth movers, trucks or tracks, etc.) & would
operate much like a light Infantry unit.
USA Unit Nicknames: 10th Mo-Town - 10th Mountain Division.
USAF: American gloves: Pockets.
USMC: 48, 72, 96 - in hours the standard liberty periods of two, three, four days.
USN: Black Balls - Three black balls hung in a vertical line on the mast indicate the ship is aground. - Coast Guard Navigation Rules