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RAO

BULLETIN 15 May 2015

PDF Edition

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

Pg Article Subject

* DOD * .

05 == DoD Mobilized Reserve 5 MAY 2015 ------ (24074 | Decrease of 343)

05 == MCRMC [14] --------- (Obama Sends Recommendations to Congress)

06 == Blue Water Claims [29] ----- (Landmark COA for Vet Claims Ruling)

08 == Commissary News [11] -------------------------------- (Immediate Issues)

09 == NDAA for 2016 [04] ------- (Cut DoD HQ Budget/Personnel by 20%)

10 == NDAA for 2016 [05] ----------------- (Senate supports 1/3% Pay Raise)

11 == Military Pay & Benefits [04] -- (DoD’s Position on NDAA Proposals)

13 == PTSD [191] -------------- (Bad-Paper Discharges Impact on Treatment)

14 == DoD Fraud, Waste, and Abuse ------- (Reported 01 thru 14 May 2015)

15 == POW/MIA Recoveries ------------------ (Reported 150501 thru 150515)

* VA * .

20 == VA Performance [04] --------- (Put on Government’s ‘High Risk’ List)

21 == VA Performance [05] ------------- (What GAO Found | GAO-15-580T)

22 == VA Suicide Prevention [25] ----- (Suicide in Phoenix VA Parking Lot)

23 == VA Board of Directors ------- (Senators Propose Acting as VA’s BOD)

24 == VA Secretary [38] ------- (Congress Cordial No More | Subpoenas Fly)

25 == VA Accountability Watch ------------------------- (Launched by HVAC)

27 == VA Crisis Hotline [02] -------- (Sen Nelson | Does it Meet Vet Needs?)

28 == VA Maternity Care ---------------- (Care Coordination & Bill Payment)

29 == VA Claims Backlog [145] ----------------- (10 Fastest/Slowest VAROs)

30 == VA Bonuses [27] --- (MilCon-VA amendment Prohibits SES Awards)

32 == VA Make the Connection Campaign -- (National Awareness Program)

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32 == VA Vet Choice Program [14] ------------------------ (Provider Shortage)

33 == VA Vet Choice Program [15] ------------------- (Remove 40-Mile Rule)

35 == VA Cybersecurity ----------- (Cyberattacks Increase 262% in 5 months)

36 == VA Medical Marijuana [13] ------ (NDAA Amendment Fails 210-213)

37 == VA Whistleblowers [24] --------------- (VA Retaliation Prevention Act)

38 == VA Whistleblowers [25] ------------------- (VA Illiana HCS Retaliation)

40 == VA Claim Processing [12] -------- (Senators Seek Independent Review)

41 == VA Websites [01] -- (Veterans.gov to Manage 350+ Benefit Programs)

41== VA History ------------------------- (1st Director | Charles Robert Forbes)

44 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ------------- (Reported 01 thru 14 May 2015)

45 == VA Lawsuit | DAV/VFW ------- (Informal Claims Process Elimination)

46 == VA Lawsuit | Spencer~Gene -------- (Phoenix VAMC Wrongful-Death)

48 == VA Disputed Claims [17] ----- (Robert Pressley Insists He is Not Dead)

49 == VAMC Tomah [07] -------------- (Senate Subpoena’s VA OIG Records)

50 == VAMC Aurora [09] -------------------------- (VA OIG Lack of Oversight)

51 == VAMC Ashville ----------------- (Ranked No. 1 for Patient Satisfaction)

54 == VAMC Hines [03] ------ (OIG Report Allegedly Too Limited in Scope)

57 == VAMC Wilmington [02] - (IG Report Results Needed to Restore Trust)

58 == VA HCS FL/GA [01] ------- (Vet Council Wants Leadership Removed)

59 == VA HCS Caribbean --- (Whistleblowers Threatened with $20,000 Fine)

60 == VA HCS Phoenix [17] ------------ (Fired Director Sues to Get Job Back)

62 == VA HCS Puget Sound ---------------- (Emergency Room Access Policy)

63 == VARO Philadelphia [07] ---------------- (HVAC Issues VA a Subpoena)

* VETS * .

64 == PTSD [188] ------------------------ (Name Change Could Lessen Stigma)

65 == PTSD [189] ----------------- (Illinois Advisory Board Recommendation)

65 == Vet Suicide [06] ------------- (Study Results for VA vs. Non-VA Users)

66 == Vet Charity Watch [52] ------------------ (WWP | Neighborhood Bully?)

68 == Marine Corps War Memorial [01] --------- (To Receive Improvements)

69 == 911 Memorial Flag ------------------ (13-Year Worldwide Journey Ends)

70 == Dignity Memorial Network ----------------------- (Jerry Billings Funeral)

71 == Stolen Valor ------------------------------- (Reported 150501 thru 150514)

73 == Vet Fraud & Abuse --------------------- (Ex Seal Defrauds Vet Investors)

74 == Vet Jobs [176] ---------- (Applicant’s Expectations May Be Unrealistic)

75 == Veterans Vision Project [05] ---------------- (Military Intelligence, USA)

76 == Elder Vet Abuse [06] ------------------------------- (Arthur Kamberis, 95)

76 == Vet Food Stamps [02] – (Waiver for 60K Vet ABAWDS Ends 31 Dec)

78 == Retiree Appreciation Days --------------------------- (As of 12 May 2015)

79 == Vet Hiring Fairs -------------------------------- (15 May thru 14 Jun 2015)

80 == WWII Vets [86] --------------------------------------------- (Yelton~Claine)

81 == America's Most Beloved Vets ------------- (Operation Iraqi Freedom (2)

82 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ---------------------------- (Nevada 2015)

* VET LEGISLATION * .

82 == TRICARE Prime [33] ---- (Amendment to Restore to Certain Retirees)

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83 == VA Blue Water Claims [29] ------------------ (S.681 Still in Committee)

84 == HVAC [17] ------ (Bills Considered at Subcommittee 23 APR Hearing)

85 == Texas Veteran Tuition [03] ---------------------- (S.1735 | Trim Benefits)

85 == VA Caregiver Program [29] - (H.R.1969 | Contact Your Congressman)

86 == VA OIG [03] -- (Newly Released Reports Chronicle Harm to Veterans)

87 == CA Military Retirement Pay State Tax ---- (AB 1275 Would Eliminate)

89 == Vet Bills Submitted to 114th Congress -------------- (150501 to 150514)

* MILITARY * .

92 == Master Chief Charlie ----------- (USS Lake Erie (CG-70) Pygmy Goat)

93 == EMP Attack ---- (Could Disrupt Electrical Grid and Cripple NORAD)

95 == DoD NFL Contracts -------------------------- ($5.4 Million in Last 4-yrs)

97 == RA-1 Parachute ---------------------- (Greater Mobility | Heavier Loads)

98 == Medal of Honor Citations ------------------- (Gonzales~Alfredo C | VN)

* MILITARY HISTORY * .

101 == Aviation Art ------------------------- (Ground Zero ~ Eagles On Station)

101 == Iwo Jima Reflections -- (Marshall Harris | The Ghost of 2nd Armored)

102 == Military Trivia 106 ---------------------- (Presidents w/Military Service)

105 == Military History ------------------------- (Vietnam | Last Americans Out)

108 == Vietnam at 50 -------------------------------------------- (The Wild Bunch)

109 == Mauthausen Concentration Camp ------ (70th Liberation Anniversary)

111 == D-Day ----------------------- (LCI(L) Landing Troops at Omaha 6 JUN)

111 == WWII Prewar Events -------------- (Chinese Leader Meeting Jun 1936)

112 == WWII PostWar Events -------- (Belsen Concentration Camp Jun 1945)

112 == Spanish American War Images 32 -------- (Guantanamo Bay Landing)

113 == Military History Anniversaries -------------------- (16 May thru 15 Jun)

113 == WWI in Photos 125 -------------------- (Western Front British Artillery)

113 == Faces of WAR (WWII) ----------------------- (Wounded Marines 1945)

* HEALTH CARE * .

114 == TRICARE Pharmacy Policy [23] --------- (Compound Drug Screening)

114 == PTSD [190] ----------------------------------------------- (Impact on Aging)

115 == West Nile Virus ------------- (No Vaccine or Medicine to Prevent/Treat)

116 == Lyme Disease ------------ (Tougher 2015 Lyme Disease Season Ahead)

117 == Tricare Reserve Choice ------- (Guard, Reser-es Reform Being Pushed)

118 == Staying Healthy -------------------------------------------- (Women at 50+)

* FINANCES * .

121 == Estate Planning [03] ----------------- (Documents you Need Right Now)

122 == Iowa Disabled Vet Property Tax ------------- (Effective March 5, 2015)

123 == Saving Money ----------------------- (Prescription Medicines Update 01)

125 == Magazine Scam --------------------------------------------- (How to Avoid)

125 == Fraudulent Fraud Department Scam --------------------- (How to Avoid)

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126 == Tax Burden for Tennessee Retired Vets -------------- (As of May 2015)

127 == Tax Burden for Georgia Residents -------------------- (As of May 2015)

129 == Thrift Savings Plan 2015 ----------- (Share Prices + YTD Gain or Loss)

* GENERAL INTEREST * .

130 == Notes of Interest ------------------------------------ (01 thru 14 May 2015)

130 == Balanced Budget Plan Passes - (10-yr thru $5T Domestic Funding Cut)

131 == RP~China Dispute [08] ---- (Island Construction Reaches 2000 Acres)

132 == America’s Most Wasted --- ($294 Billion Spent on Expired Programs)

133 == Insect-Based Food ------------------------ (What’s For Dinner | Crickets)

134 == Funeral Homes --------------------------------- (The Funeral Rule | FROP)

135 == Car Insurance [10] -------------- (Ten Horrible Decisions to Mess it Up)

137 == Statistics for the Year 1910 ----- (What a Difference a Century Makes)

138 == WWII Ads ------------------------------------------------------ (Chrysler - 2)

139 == Photos That Say it All ------------------------------------ (Standing Guard)

139 == Normandy Then & Now ------ (Juno Bernieres-sur-Mer Beach, France)

139 == Have You Heard? ---- (The Iranian, Indian Chief, Viking, Squaws, …)

140 == They Grew Up to Be? -- (Mary Kate | Ashley Olsen (Full House 1990)

141 == Interesting Inventions ---------------------------- (Digital Measuring Cup)

141 == Moments in US History ----- (Harley-Davidson Motor Company 1903)

Note:

1. The page number on which an article can be found is provided to the left of each article’s title

2. Numbers contained within brackets [ ] indicate the number of articles written on the subject. To obtain

previous articles send a request to raoemo@sbcglobal.net.

*ATTACHMENTS* .

Attachment - Veteran Legislation as of 14 May 2015

Attachment - Nevada Vet State Benefits & Discounts May 2015

Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 16 thru 15 Jun

Attachment - Retiree Activity\Appreciation Days (RAD) Schedule as of 12 May 2015

* DoD *

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DoD Mobilized Reserve 5 MAY 2015 ► 24074 | Decrease of 343

The Department of Defense announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 5 MAY. The net

collective result is 343 fewer federal reservists mobilized than last reported in the 10 MAR 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 14,438; Navy Reserve, 2,741; Marine Corps Reserve, 954; Air

National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 5,732; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 209. This brings the total

National Guard and reserve component personnel who have been activated to 24,074, including both units

and individual augmentees. Displayed at http://www.defense.gov/documents/Mobilization-Weekly-Report-

150310.pdf?source=GovDelivery (shown below) are all National Guard and reserve personnel who are

currently activated. [Source: DoD News Release No. NR-160-15 dtd May 06, 2015 ++]

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MCRMC Update 14 ► Obama Sends Recommendations to Congress

President Barack Obama sent the recommendations of the Military Compensation and Retirement

Modernization Commission to Congress 30 APR. In the letter accompanying the report, Obama thanked the

commission members and said their recommendations "represent an important step forward in protecting the

long-term viability of the all-volunteer force, improving quality of life for service members and their families

and ensuring the fiscal sustainability of the military compensation and retirement systems." The president is

prepared to support specific proposals for 10 of the Commission's 15 recommendations. Since the

commission released its report to the president in January, DoD officials have been over the recommendations

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with a fine-toothed comb. The department and the White House want to move slowly on four of the

commission's 15 recommendations and will begin executing the remaining 10.

The four that require more study are: the proposal for a blended retirement system, reserve component

duty statuses, exceptional family member support and commissary and exchange consolidation. The 10

recommendations the president is prepared to support either in toto or with modifications are: the Survivor

Benefit Plan, financial education, medical personnel readiness, DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs

collaboration, child care, service member education, transition assistance, dependent space-available travel

and the report on military-connected dependents. Defense Secretary Ash Carter will submit proposals for

legislation to Congress on some of the recommendations. For his part, Carter also praised the commission

for its 18-month independent review. The commission looked at retirement and compensation programs

administered both inside and outside DoD. "Their work confirmed many positive changes that we're making

to uphold our commitments to our people, and also pointed out areas where we can do better," Carter said in

a Pentagon release.

The commission's last recommendation on the military TRICARE health benefit program needs more

work, the secretary said. "While we agree with the commission that reforms to the military health care system

are needed, we also . believe that the TRICARE proposals in President Obama's fiscal 2016 budget serve as

a good first step by offering service members, military families and retirees greater choice and control over

their health care decisions," Carter said in the release. The department will work with the commission,

interagency partners and Congress this year to develop additional reform proposals for the fiscal year 2017

budget proposal. [Source: U.S. Department of Defense Daily Digest Bulletin | May 02, 2015 ++]

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Blue Water Claims Update 29 ► Landmark Ruling of COA for Vet Claims

May 5, 2015

The Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims has made a landmark ruling that will help many Navy and Coast

Guard vets who have been classified as Blue Water Sailors. The case was Gray vs McDonald and was

decided on April 24, 2015. This will greatly benefit many Viet Nam Navy veterans effected by Agent

Orange. In it they declared that the Harbors of Danang, Cam Ranh Bay, and Vung Tau must now be classified

Brown water instead of Blue water. Basically the court said these ports were classified as deep-water but

should have been classified as being in the spray area and not by the fact that large vessels could enter them.

The VA must now declare all vessels that entered these harbors as dioxin (AO) exposed and compensate the

sailors on them that have presumptive diseases that are recognized as having their genesis in AO exposure.

In regard to service in mouth of rivers, such as minesweepers, the court said that even the VA Secretary

declared that there is no definite boundaries of a river mouths, therefore they cannot just make a decision by

“flipping a coin” as to what vessels were exposed and which were not. The court further stated that inland

water service cannot be limited to the ships that are on their “official” ships list. The emphasis should be on

the likelihood of exposure to herbicide and that the fact that a large river’s brown water plume can extend far

out to sea. It stated that the use of “mouth” and “borders” around Viet Nam may extend well beyond the

physical land mass of a river and the VA’s current interpretation of the code of Federal Regulations that cover

this area are “arbitrary and capricious”.

To put the icing on the cake, the court ruled that the VA’s reliance on the IOM’s (Institute of Medicine)

2011 report on dioxin exposure is unacceptable because the IOM was “to general and inconclusive in nature”.

This means that the VA’s rating system cannot conclusively contend that that some offshore vessels were

NOT contaminated by AO. Finally, the court ordered the VA to redraw its lines and rules as to what are the

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proper boundaries and “exercise its fair and considered judgment to define inland waterways in a manner

consistent with the regulations with emphasis on the probability of exposure”. In essence they said the

present methods are patently unfair.

This ruling should bode well for sailors and Coast Guardsmen who sailed and flew into areas that should

have been considered contaminated long ago. However, for all vets who may have a claim in the works, the

regulations are going to have to be promulgated by the VA and they must decide if they wish to honor past

claims as they may look at this as new rules that did not apply when the original case was denied. The VA

can be very obtuse about how they honor a change of the code of Federal Regulations. They also have a right

to appeal this to the U.S. district Court but that is very doubtful.

Synopsis prepared by:

Mike Day

Veteran Service Officer

Catholic War Veterans USA

-o-o-O-o-o-

Alternative Interpretation. The Executive director of the Vietnam Veterans Blue Water Navy Organization

offered a different take to the conclusions of VSO Mike Day regarding the Court of Appeals for Veteran

Claims ruling. He wrote:

The CAVC did in fact say that the current VA definitions for “inland water” and “river mouths” were thrown

out because there was ambiguity and unreasonable logic involved; and no basis in the definition that referred

to the regulation that requires connection to “sprayed exposure to herbicide” rather than to any geographical

descriptions used by the VA. However, the Court did not specify what that definition should be and offered

no direction on how the VA should solve their problems. They did not say whether any harbor was inland or

blue water, but they invalidated the VA’s past approach to naming them one or the other. They instructed the

VA to remove the ambiguity in previous determinations and to submit new definitions but they did not say

how soon to do that or how many chances VA would receive to get it right. Essentially, the Court did nothing

but remove the groundwork the VA established.

So there was no direction given about what the status a port or harbor had and no definition currently

exists for what constitutes the ‘mouth of a river.’ There was no direction about how things “must now be

classified.” The Court left all of that completely wide open. That leaves many avenues open for to CLAIMS

that state a ship was in an “inland harbor” or “at the mouth of a river” based on the creativity of whoever is

writing up the claim. There are currently no guidelines that claim raters can fall back on. If the old rules are

used, the claim is a CUE.

My suggestion is that the emphasis of any rationale for exposure to herbicide that occurred within a harbor

or bay be based on an exposure that resulted from herbicide that contaminated the bay or harbor by aerial

spraying, either directly into the harbor (and there is evidence that Da Nang Harbor was sprayed by Ranch

Hand Operations), or into water that fed into the harbor from rivers. River mouths could extend out into the

South China Sea by virtue of the plume created by the discharge water of the river into the sea. In some

satellite pictures that can be seen to be measured in kilometers or, in the case with the Mekong River,

hundreds of kilometers. At present, there is no directive for the VA raters to halt the adjudication Blue Water

Navy claims, but that may be the VA’s next step.

John Paul Rossie, Executive Director

Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Association

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Editor’s Note: The ruling can be found at http://www.uscourts.cavc.gov/documents/Gray13-3339.pdf and

an Analysis of the Ruling is offered at http://bluewaternavy.org/CAVC_Gray1.htm. It will be interesting to

see how soon and in what way the VA reacts to this ruling.

Source: MRGRG Daniel Cedusky (aka Colonel Dan) messages May 12, 2014 ++]

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Commissary News Update 11 ► Immediate Issues

Amid a swirl of proposals for historic changes to the commissary benefit, the Defense Commissary Agency

is dealing with more immediate issues — like making sure products get to store shelves. At a recent

commissary meeting, several officials expressed concern about a growing number of "vendor cuts," in which

vendors ship smaller quantities than the commissary orders, causing shortages on the shelves. "When a

product isn't available, we are going to lose customers," Joseph Jeu, DeCA director, said at the meeting of

the American Logistics Association. Such vendor cuts generally run about 1 percent to 2 percent across the

industry, but Jeu said the comparable rate for commissaries is running from 4 percent to 6 percent. Noting

that many manufacturers are performing well, Jeu challenged members of industry to do their part to improve

deliveries to the military's stores.

Jeu also discussed DoD's fiscal 2016 budget proposal, now being considered by Congress. Proposed cuts

to the commissary budget, which would require cutbacks in store hours and days, among other things, initially

were rejected by the House Armed Services Committee. "If Congress comes out with a different budget,

obviously we'll adjust our plan," Jeu said, but added that until then, DeCA is basing its preparations on the

plan submitted by DoD — while also trying to improve the benefit for customers. "While there are a lot of

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uncertainties, we are marching ahead," Jeu said. "We are forging ahead with our effort to transform the

agency, make it as efficient as possible, and provide the best possible service to our military families." Pat

Nixon, president of the American Logistics Association, praised DeCA for its approach in focusing on

improving the benefit, even as major cutback proposals swirl around it. Nixon said Jeu and other DeCA

leaders are "focusing the efforts and brain power of the agency on the things they can control right now:

sales, and savings and customer satisfaction."

Rising vendor cuts is just one issue DeCA is trying to address in the supply chain, said Michael Dowling,

the agency's deputy director. For example, industry distributors have challenges related to driver shortages,

weather and other issues. The commissary agency itself has challenges within the stores, such as hiring

difficulties in many locations. These things together "spell trouble," Dowling said. "We'll be giving serious

consideration to what our options are, and what can we do to improve it. We've got to make sure the benefit

is relevant to our customers. If it's relevant, they will come. If they come, they'll tell people how much value

the benefit has for them." Vendor cuts occur when DeCA places an order — for example, 500 cases of

ketchup — but the manufacturer doesn't fill the full order, for a potential variety of reasons. Often, Nixon

said, manufacturers cut the needed quantity "based on something else happening in the marketplace."

Eric Swayzee, DeCA's logistics director, said he's especially concerned about the effect of vendor cuts on

young families on the DoD Overseas WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program. When the only WIC

item the family can buy in a particular category is out of stock, it means the family must go without because

WIC cannot be used in off-base stores overseas. That program, administered by DoD, is similar to WIC

programs operated by the states, providing vouchers for specified foods such as milk, vegetables, peanut

butter and cheese, depending on the nutrition needs for low-income pregnant or postpartum women, and

children up to age 5. Richard Page, senior vice president of customer services for Coastal Pacific Food

Distributors, which distributes products from manufacturers to commissaries on the West Coast, said the

impact of vendor cuts is felt beyond the commissaries. "A number of manufacturers have told us they have

had the same issue outside the gate," he said. He noted that the recent economic downturn led companies to

tighten their belts, particularly in terms of inventory levels. Distribution centers were closed, or consolidated,

which led to reduced inventory in the pipeline.

Among other DeCA initiatives discussed at the meeting:

A push to improve customer service, which includes two "ambassadors" in each store, identified

through peer nominations. This initiative includes back-to-basics customer service training and and

how to engage with shoppers. For example, if a customer asks where a product is, the employee —

regardless of his job — should take the customer to the product.

Standardization of meat pricing. All continental U.S. commissaries will be on board by June 1. Since

officials began rolling out the program last June, DeCA says customers have seen an extra $2.3

million in savings.

Replacement of commissary agency technology, which will affect product ordering and cash

registers. The rewards card program will expand, with programs like "diaper clubs" and "dog food

clubs" offering special promotions.

[Source: MilitaryTimes | Karen Jowers | May 09, 2015 ++]

*********************************

NDAA for 2016 Update 04 ► Cut DoD HQ Budget/Personnel by 20%

The Defense Department would be required to cut its headquarters budget and personnel by 20 percent over

the next few years, under legislation to be voted on in the House this week. The National Defense

Authorization Act of 2016 would require DoD to save $10 billion over five years and complete all of the cuts

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needed by the end of fiscal year 2019. The Defense Department also needs to come up with a comprehensive

plan for how it would implement the cuts by March 31, 2016. The Defense Department had previously said

it could save $10 billion by cutting its headquarters workforce by 20 percent, but its most recent estimate

showed only about $5.3 billion in possible savings.

And while its earlier estimates were based on the Defense Department voluntarily cutting its staff as part

of a management efficiency and cost-cutting initiative, the NDAA would codify the cuts and the new time

frame into law, requiring the agency to follow through on them. "Any reduction in personnel should not be

implemented as an across-the-board cut, but rather should be strategically designed to retain critical

functions, capabilities, and skill sets—including but not limited to depots and the acquisition workforce—

and eliminate unnecessary or redundant functions or skill sets that do not benefit or support mission

requirements," the legislation states. DoD also cannot claim savings by moving employees or responsibilities

to other sections within the agency, according to the legislation. "Such reductions shall be strategically

designed to retain critical functions, capabilities, and skill sets. Management, functions, programs, or offices

shall be moved to the lowest appropriate organizational level," the NDAA states.

The legislation would exempt employees financed by working capital funds, which retain funding through

fees or other charges. The Government Accountability Office reported in early 2015 that the Defense

Department needed to better analyze its headquarters personnel in order to determine how to most efficiently

downsize its workforce. "Headquarters organizations in our review have not systematically determined how

many personnel they need to conduct their missions. While some organizations have begun to take such steps,

their plans are not firm and their processes have not been finalized," GAO wrote. [Source: FederalTimes |

Andy Medici | May 11. 2015 ++]

*********************************

NDAA for 2016 Update 05 ► Senate supports 1/3% Pay Raise

Senate lawmakers on 12 MAY shook hopes for a larger military pay raise next year by recommending only

a 1.3 percent hike in their draft version of the 2016 defense authorization bill, a move that could further widen

the "pay gap" between troops and their civilian counterparts. The Senate Armed Services Committee's

personnel panel differs from the House version of the annual budget legislation, which instead defers to

existing law that suggests troops should get a 2.3 percent raise next year. However, the House version does

not include specific language mandating the bigger raise, leaving the door open for the White House to

substitute its own pay figure. President Obama already has indicated his preference for only a 1.3 percent

raise, to help rein in military personnel costs. For an E-4 with three years service, the difference between the

two potential pay raises would total about $268 a year. For an O-4 with 12 years, it would be about $838.

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee's personnel panel, says his panel's

draft defense authorization bill for next year calls for a 1.3 percent pay raise for troops.

Outside advocates say that can have real impact on service members' financial stability, especially when

paired with lower housing allowances and increased pharmacy co-pays suggested by the Pentagon. They

also noted that military pay raises have been stuck below average annual increases in private-sector wages

for the last two years, widening the salary gap between civilian workers and their military counterparts. But

defense officials say the lower pay level could save the department about $4 billion over the next five years

that could be reinvested in training and modernization programs. On Tuesday, personnel subcommittee

chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said the smaller pay raise was one of a series of unpalatable options

lawmakers are being forced to accept because of looming budget caps. "Sequestration has caused us to make

some difficult cuts, some draconian cuts," Graham said. "Until we can replace that with rational cuts, this is

only going to get worse."

Full details of the personnel panel's markup of its slice of the authorization bill will not be made public

until later this week, after the full armed services committee has reviewed its entire draft bill. But Graham

said the measure will also include "slight changes" to housing allowances, which were trimmed by 1 percent

last year in another cost-savings measure. The draft bill also will again call for increased beneficiary co-pays

for Tricare drug prescriptions. House members rejected both of those ideas in their draft. Graham said the

Senate draft also will include changes to military retirement benefits based on recent recommendations from

the congressionally mandated Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission.

That plan would replace the current 20-year, all-or-nothing retirement system with a 401(k)-style

retirement plan and pension-style retirement payout. The change would allow all troops to receive some

retirement benefits, but has received criticism from some military advocates over fears it could hurt retention.

Graham said his panel's version of retirement reform differs from what's in the House bill, meaning the two

retirement overhaul plans would need to be reconciled in a conference committee. The Senate version of the

bill is expected to be finalized later this week. No time frame has been outlined for when the legislation might

reach the Senate floor for consideration by the full chamber. The House is expected to finalize its draft by

the end of the week, opening the door for conference committee work in early summer if a full Senate vote

comes in the next few weeks. [Source: MilitaryTimes | Leo Shane | May 12, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Military Pay & Benefits Update 04 ► DoD’s Position on NDAA Proposals

The Pentagon for the first time has offered a detailed response to a slate of proposed military pay and benefits

reforms, flatly rejecting the idea of overhauling the military health care system but giving a cautious green

light to fundamentally changing military retirement benefits. After a three-month review, the Defense

Department bluntly dismissed the controversial idea of scrapping the Tricare health system in its current form

and instead providing military dependents with private-sector health insurance similar to federal civilian

employee benefits. On the issue of military retirement, DoD "generally agrees there are merits to a blended

retirement" system that would shrink the size of the current pension but create 401(k)-style investment

accounts that would for the first time provide a retirement benefit to troops who serve less than 20 years,

according to a Pentagon memo obtained by Military Times.

But in the 10-page memo sent to the White House this week, the Pentagon stopped short of endorsing the

proposed retirement plan, saying it will continue to "carefully consider" the commission's proposal and

promising to "complete a detailed and holistic evaluation" by the end of July. For now, lawmakers on Capitol

Hill appear to be putting the retirement reform proposal on a fast track, and the Pentagon's position signals

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that it will offer no significant opposition to the changes under consideration. The Pentagon memo to the

White House, signed by Defense Secretary Ash Carter and dated April 27, was followed on Thursday by a

formal statement from President Obama directed to Congress summarizing the military's recommendations.

The official DoD views came three months after the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization

Commission recommended an array of controversial changes. The military's views likely will have a strong

influence on Congress as it considers changes to laws affecting military pay and benefits.

Specifically, the proposed retirement system would reduce the size of the current pension for career troops

by 20 percent. At the same time, the military would begin offering all troops contributions to individual

investment accounts that they would own after completing two years of service. The contribution would be

at least 1 percent of basic pay for all troops, even if they invest nothing themselves, and a dollar-for-dollar

match up to an additional 5 percent for troops who agree to contribute their own out-of-pocket money. The

proposal also would create a new lump-sum retention pay for troop who serve at least 12 years and agree to

remain in uniform for an additional four years. Congress is making two significant changes to the

commission's retirement proposal. For one, it is scrapping the suggestion that troops should have the option

of receiving a large part of their retirement benefit in a lump-sum cash payment at the time of retirement

rather than in monthly pension checks. In addition, Congress wants to offer government contributions to the

individual investment accounts for every year of service; the commission proposed halting those

contributions after 20 years.

The new system would be mandatory for all new troops. Today's service members would be grandfathered

under the current system, but would be permitted to opt into the new benefit. Some analysts suggest the

proposed benefit would be more lucrative in the long run if individual troops make good investment decisions

and the stock market continues to rise. Critics say the proposed plan puts troops at risk for making bad

financial decisions. Congress created the compensation commission two years ago amid concerns about

rising military personnel costs. At a time when defense spending is capped under the federal law known as

sequestration, the top brass worries that those growing manpower accounts could erode the military's ability

to invest in modern weapons and high-tech research. But the rejection of the health care proposals will

significantly reduce the prospect of cutting long-term per-troop military personnel costs. The compensation

commission said its health care reform plan would save the Pentagon $6 billion a year. DoD also commented

on several other proposed changes to military pay and benefits. Among them:

Commissaries. The Defense Department "supports the general premise of consolidating" the

commissary and exchange systems but declined to offer any clear recommendation on the matter.

Defense officials will continue to study the issue and provide a recommendation in July.

Reserve component duty statuses: DoD Department took no firm position on a long-sought goal

for the reserve components —simplifying the complex array of more than 30 duty statuses and legal

authorities that define reservists' service. While defense officials agree that consolidating those duty

statuses "makes a lot of sense," such a move would have far-reaching legal repercussions affecting

reservists' pay and benefits. Like retirement reform, DoD said it will study the matter further and

provide a recommendation in July.

Education benefits: DoD does not support a proposal to restrict veterans from simultaneously

receiving some GI Bill housing stipends and unemployment insurance. That may be viewed as

"penalizing service members" who are taking classes to improve their employment prospects,

according to the memo.

Veterans health care records: DoD rejected the commission's call for the Veterans Affairs

Department to create health care records for all current active-duty service members. Instead,

military officials want to press ahead with their ongoing effort to create an interoperable system of

health care records between the two agencies.

13

Financial education: DoD supports the expansion of financial education for troops, but said it does

not need the changes to current laws proposed by the compensation commission. Those changes

would legally require the military to expand current financial literacy programs, conduct surveys to

track progress and make incremental changes such as simplifying pay-stub data.

GI Bill: DoD agrees that the Montgomery GI Bill should be eliminated and all service members

consolidated under the more generous Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Survivor Benefit Plan: DoD supports changes to the current Survivor Benefit Plan that would

increase the benefit by eliminating part of the current offset for spouses receiving certain benefits

from VA.

Space-A: DoD supports a proposal to expand military dependents' eligibility for no-cost "Space

Available" travel on military aircraft.

[Source: MilitaryTimes | Andrew Tilghman | April 30, 2015 ++]

*********************************

PTSD Update 191 ► Bad-Paper Discharges Impact on Treatment

Veterans groups claim in Federal Court that the military is trying to keep a lid on "bad-paper discharges" it

handed tens of thousands of service members who likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder before

the medical community recognized that condition. Vietnam Veterans of America and the National Veterans

Council for Legal Redress brought the complaint on 4 MAY against the U.S. Department of Defense and

three military branches. They say that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs denies disability

compensation and other benefits to veterans who received other-than-honorable (OTH) discharges, but that

many who received such "bad-paper discharges" are the tens of thousands of servicemembers suffering from

undiagnosed PTSD. PTSD was not recognized as a medical condition until 1980, according to the complaint.

While Congress has created internal boards to consider applications by veterans seeking to revise their

discharge papers, the veterans say these boards "have collectively failed to prioritize or take seriously

discharge upgrade requests from veterans diagnosed with PTSD stemming from military service." From 1993

to 2014, the Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records approved fewer than 5 percent of these type of

applications from Vietnam veterans, according to the complaint. Crediting a class action they filed last year,

the groups note that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel issued a memorandum in September 2014 that

instructed the boards to give veterans with PTSD "liberal consideration." The groups say they in turn filed

requests under the Freedom of Information Act for records showing how the boards adjudicated PTSD-

related applications before and after Hagel's so-called "PTSD Updgrade Memo."

"Disclosure of these records is essential for the public to assess DOD's compliance with the directive and

assist veterans seeking to apply for discharge upgrades," the complaint states, but the government has thus

far allegedly failed to provide responsive, non-exempt records within the statutory time period. "Without

information about how DOD, Army, Navy, Air Force, and their respective boards have handled PTSD-related

discharge upgrade applications, the public cannot hold these entities accountable for the fair and just

14

treatment of veterans," the complaint states. The groups note that the records implicate an estimated 80,000

Vietnam veterans, many of whom are elderly, indigent and suffer from medical problems. Without records

showing whether these veterans' discharges are being reconsidered, the groups say that Hagel's memo is

"merely a symbolic gesture."

The last communication that the groups had with the Defense Department was on Dec. 29, 2014, when

the agency said it was working on the request. The Air Force allegedly urged the groups to narrow the scope

of their request. The Navy told the plaintiffs it was closing the request as duplicative of the one filed with the

Defense Department, and the Army declined to process most of the request as "unduly burdensome,"

according to the complaint. The groups say they narrowed their Dec. 8, 2014, requests to the military branches

in March and April, but have not received a response. They are represented by Michael Wishnie of the Jerome

N. Frank Legal Services Organization. [Source: Courthouse News Service | Christine Stuart | May 06, 2015

++]

*********************************

DoD Fraud, Waste, and Abuse ► Reported 01 thru 14 May 2015

Pentagon Credit Cards. A Defense Department audit has found that a number of Pentagon employees used

their government credit cards to gamble and pay for “adult entertainment” — findings that are expected to

lead department officials to issue stern new warnings. The audit of “Government Travel Charge

Transactions” by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, which is to be made public in

coming weeks, found that both civilian and military employees used the credit cards at casinos and for escort

services and other adult activities — in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. A Pentagon official briefed on some of

the findings stressed that the federal government did not necessarily pay the charges; holders of the cards pay

their own bills and then submit receipts to be reimbursed for expenses related to their government business.

The official said that the employees may have used the government cards for gambling and escort services

in order to shield the charges from spouses. Because the review was an audit of the credit card system and

not an investigation of particular individuals, the official said the likely result will be that the agencies and

military branches most affected will be compelled to remind employees that the practice violates policy —

and possibly the law. A Pentagon spokeswoman acknowledged the existence of the audit but said she was

not authorized to speak about it until its release later this month. The abuses come despite a 2012 law

proposed by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) called the Government Charge Card Abuse Prevention Act. The

law required federal agencies to beef up oversight of purchases on government-issued credit cards.

15

Grassley said in a statement he hopes that the law is one reason why the audit was completed in the first

place. “I’m interested to see the report and find out more about what’s being done, right and wrong, at DoD

to prevent abuse,” he said. “What I hope is that my reforms that became law have been implemented well

and that agencies and auditors are using the reforms to catch problems.” He added: “The law requires periodic

audits by inspectors general, like this one, specifically to keep on top of charge card abuse and hold agencies

accountable for implementing the required internal controls. That’s especially true with purchase cards,

where taxpayer money is directly involved even more than with travel cards, but the reforms should prevent

travel card abuse, too. If everything is implemented as intended, we’ll stop a lot of purchase card and travel

card abuse.”

Some estimates suggest that such prohibited purchases cost the government hundreds of millions of

dollars a year. In 2008, for example, a report by the Government Accountability Office found that “abuse of

government issued credit cards has been a growing challenge in recent years.” It cited instances “where

cardholders used purchase cards to subscribe to Internet dating services, buy video iPods for personal use

and pay for lavish dinners that included top-shelf liquor.” Late last year, federal auditors reported to Congress

that the problem persists despite efforts to rein it in. For example, the Department of Labor’s inspector general

recently found that Job Corps employees charged nearly $100,000 to the government for haircuts, clothing

and personal cellphone service. The Department of Homeland Security found that Coast Guard employees

charged more than $12,000 at one California coffee shop alone. Three employees were fired and two resigned

last year at the Bureau of Land Management after they charged $800,000 worth of gift cards on their

government credit cards. [Source: POLITICO | Bryan Bender | May 07, 2015 ++]

********************************

POW/MIA Recoveries ► Reported 150501 thru 150515

"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 (73,515)

Korean War (7,852), Cold War (126), Vietnam War (1,627), 1991 Gulf War (5), and Libya (1). 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.dpaa.mil/ and click on ‘Our Missing’. If you wish to provide information

about an American missing in action from any conflict or have an inquiry about MIAs, contact:

Mail: Public Affairs Office, 2300 Defense Pentagon, Washington, D.C. 20301-2300, Attn: External

Affairs

Call: Phone: (703) 699-1420

Message: Fill out form on http://www.dpaa.mil/Contact/ContactUs.aspx

16

Family members seeking more information about missing loved ones may also 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

The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced 5 MAY that the remains of

a serviceman, missing from the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for

burial with full military honors. Army Master Sgt. James W. Holt, 26, of Hope, Ark., will be buried May

14, 2015, in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington D.C. On Feb. 7, 1968, Holt was assigned to

Company C, 5th Special Forces Group, when his unit was attacked by enemy forces near Quang Tri Province,

Republic of Vietnam. Survivors of the attack reported that Holt was manning a 106-mm recoilless rifle in a

mortar pit near the camp of Lang Vei, when he depleted his ammunition destroying an enemy tank. The

survivors also reported that he was last seen running toward the ammunition bunker. Holt was reported as

missing in action following the battle. A military review board later amended his status to presumed killed

in action.

On June 21, 1989, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (S.R.V.) unilaterally turned over remains that were

believed to be those of a U.S. serviceman. Vietnamese officials recovered the remains from a refugee, but

lacked necessary documentation for identification. Due to the technology at that time, the remains could not

be identified. In 1995 and 2004, joint U.S./S.R.V. teams excavated areas within the perimeter of the former

Special Forces camp at Lang Vei, and recovered human remains. The remains were identified as Sgt. Maj.

Kenneth Hanna, Master Sgt. Charles W. Lindewald, and Sgt. 1st Class James L. Moreland. All three

identified servicemen were buried with full military honors in Jan. 15, 2005, Feb. 5, 2005 and May 14, 2011,

respectively.

In the identification of Holt, scientists from the DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory

(AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, from the 1989 unilateral turnover, and forensic identification tools,

including two forms of DNA analysis; mitochondrial DNA, which matched his sister and brothers, and Y-

chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brothers.

Master Sgt. James W. Holt

Korea

The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced 29 APR the remains of a

U.S. serviceman, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for

burial with full military honors. Army Master Sgt. Francis H. Stamer of San Fernando, California, will be

buried May 6, in Arlington National Cemetery. On Nov. 1, 1950, Stamer was assigned to Company M, 3rd

Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, when his unit was attacked by Chinese forces at

Unsan village in North Korea. This attack forced the unit to withdraw five miles southeast to Ipsok village.

Stamer was reported missing in action on Nov. 2, 1950. A military board later amended his status to killed

in action.

17

Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain

more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over with some

of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the area where Stamer was believed to

have died. To identify Stamer's remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification

Laboratory (AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including two forms of

DNA analysis; mitochondrial DNA, which matched his niece and Y-chromosomal Short Tandem Repeat (Y-

STR) DNA, which matched his nephew.

o-o-O-o-o-

UPDATE: The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced 8 MAY that the

remains of a U.S. soldier, missing from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his

family for burial with full military honors. Army Cpl. Ben L. Brown, 17, of Four Mile, Ore., will be buried

15 MAY, in Roseburg, Ore. In early 1951, Brown was assigned to Company I, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry

Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division (ID), which was occupying positions in the vicinity of Hoengsong, South

Korea, when their defensive line was attacked by Chinese forces. This attack forced the unit to withdraw

south to a more defensible position. After the battle, Brown was reported missing in action. A military review

board later reviewed the loss of Brown, declaring him dead and his remains non-recoverable.

Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human remains believed to contain

more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean documents, turned over with some

of the boxes, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity where POWs from Brown’s

unit were believed to have died.

To identify Brown’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory

(AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence, dental comparison, which matched his records, and two forms of

forensic identification tools, to include mitochondrial DNA analysis, which matched his sister and brother,

and Y-chromosome Short Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brother.

-o-o-O-o-o-

UPDATE: The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) officially announced 5

MAY that the missing Korean War remains of Army Pfc. Eugene L. Erickson, 21, of Brainerd, Minn.

have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors. He will be

buried 13 MAY, in Santa Fe, N.M. In mid May 1951, Erickson and elements of Company B, 1st Battalion,

38th Infantry Regiment (IR), 2nd Infantry Division (ID), were engaged against enemy forces north of

18

Hougchon, South Korea, when their unit was overwhelmed by Chinese forces. This attack caused the 38th

IR to withdraw south to a more defensible position. Erickson was reported missing after the attack.

In September 1953, as part of a prisoner of war exchange known as Operation Big Switch, returning

American soldiers who had been held as prisoners of war, reported that Erickson had been captured by

Chinese forces. Reports indicated he died in the summer of 1951from dysentery and malnutrition, while

held in a prisoner of war camp in Suan, North Korea. A military review board later amended Erickson’s

status to deceased. Between 1990 and 1994, North Korea turned over to the U.S. 208 boxes of human

remains believed to contain more than 400 U.S. servicemen who fought during the war. North Korean

documents, turned over at that time, indicated that some of the remains were recovered from the vicinity

where Erickson was believed to have died.

In the identification of Erickson’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Laboratory

(AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including two forms of DNA

analysis, mitochondrial DNA, which matched his brother and niece, and Y-Chromosome Short Tandem

Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched his brother.

World War II

The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced 5 MAY that two U.S.

servicemen, missing from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for

burial with full military honors. The two servicemen are Army Air Force Staff Sgts. Robert E. Howard, 21,

of Moravia, Iowa, and David R. Kittredge, 22, of Oneida, Wis. The individually identified remains of

Howard were buried July 19, 2014, in Moulton, Iowa. The individually identified remains of Kittredge were

buried Aug. 13, 2014, in Green Bay, Wis. The remains that could not be individually identified will be buried

as a group in a single casket, May 27, 2015, in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.

On April 16, 1945, three aircraft were flying in a formation on a bombing raid to Wittenberg, Sachsen-Anhalt,

Germany, when the pilots of two other aircraft reported seeing Howard and Kittredge’s aircraft hit by enemy

fire. The B-26B descended into a deep dive and exploded upon ground impact. In 2007, a German aircraft

researcher interviewed eyewitnesses, who reported seeing two deceased crew members buried near the crash

site under an apple tree. He also reported the crew members as being exhumed in 1947 or 1948, by an allied

recovery team. In June 2012, a German national informed the U.S. government that he found possible human

remains in Muhlanger, which he believed to have been associated with an April 1945, B-26B crash, and

turned them over to the local police. In July 2012, a Department of Defense (DoD) team began excavating

the site recovering human remains, personal effects and aircraft wreckage. DoD also took custody of the

remains that the local German national had previously recovered.

To identify Howard’s remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory

(AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools such as mitochondrial DNA

(mtDNA). To identify Kittredge’s remains, scientists from DPAA and AFDIL also used mtDNA and dental

comparisons, which matched his records.

19

David R. Kittredge

o-o-O-o-o-

The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced 28 APR that of U.S.

servicemen, missing from World War II, have been accounted for and their remains are being returned to

their families for burial with full military honors. Army Air Forces 1st Lt. William P. Cook, 27, of Alameda,

Calif., Staff Sgts. Maurice J. Fevold, 21, of Chicago, and Frank G. Lane Jr., 21, of Cleveland, and Sgt.

Eric M. Honeyman, 21, of Alameda, Calif., have been accounted for and will be buried with full military

honors. Cook was buried Oct. 18, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. Fevold was buried Oct. 20, 2014, in Ft. DoDge,

Iowa, Lane will be buried May 2, 2015, in Willoughby, Ohio, and Honeyman will be buried at a date and

location still to be determined. On Dec. 23, 1944, Cook along with five other B-26G Marauder crewmembers

took off from Saint Quentin, France, on a mission to bomb an enemy-held bridge in Eller, Germany. The

aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire near Seffern, Germany, near the Belgium border.

Following World War II, the Army Graves Registration Command (AGRC) conducted extensive field

investigations and was unable to locate the aircraft and the crew. In May 1949, AGRC concluded the crew

members were unrecoverable. In 2006, a group of aviation researchers located the wreckage of a B-26G near

Allmuthen, Belgium and notified the U.S. Army Mortuary Affairs Activity – Europe. In 2007, a Department

of Defense (DoD) team investigated the site and recommended it for excavation. In 2012 and 2013, DoD

teams excavated the crash site and recovered human remains and non-biological material evidence.

To identify Cook’s remains, scientists from DoD and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory

(AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including mitochondrial DNA, which

matched Cook’s maternal-line cousins. To identify Honeyman’s remains, scientists from DoD and AFDIL

used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools including, partial Y-Chromosome Short

Tandem Repeat (Y-STR) DNA, which matched Honeyman’s paternal-line cousins.

Staff Sgt. Frank G. Lane Sgt. Eric Honeyman 1st Lt. William P. Cook

o-o-O-o-o-

The Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced 8 MAY that the remains of

a U.S. serviceman, unaccounted for during World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his

family for burial with full military honors. Marine Pfc. Jack M. Redman, 20, of Watseka, Ill., will be buried

16 MAY, in his hometown. In November 1943, Redman was assigned to the Headquarters Company, 3rd

Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, which landed on the small island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll, in an attempt

20

to secure the island against stiff Japanese resistance. Over several days of intense fighting approximately

1,000 Marines were killed and more than 2,000 were wounded. As a result of these attacks, Redman was

reported killed in action on Nov. 23, 1943.

In the immediate aftermath of the fighting on Tarawa, U.S. service members who died were buried in a

number of battlefield cemeteries. During World War II, U.S. Navy Combat Engineers, “SeaBees,”

significantly restructured the landscape to convert the island for use by the military. In 1944, it was reported

that Redman had been buried along with another service member. In 1947, the Army Grave Registration

Service (AGRS) recovered remains from the island for repatriation, but Redman’s remain were not recovered.

The remains that AGRS were unable to identify were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the

Pacific, in Honolulu, Hawaii, known as the Punch Bowl.

In 2011, researchers were able to determine Redman was not buried in an unknown gravesite at the Punch

Bowl and believed his remains may still be on Betio. In 2013, the Department of Defense (DoD) analysts

located what was believed to be Redman’s grave. In September 2014, while the DoD team was excavating

the suspected burial site, a local villager turned over a fragment of remains recovered nearby. This aided the

team in pinpointing the location of Redman’s gravesite.

In the identification of Redman’s remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory

(AFDIL) used circumstantial evidence and forensic identification tools, including dental and skeletal

comparisons, which matched Redman’s records, and mitochondrial DNA, which matched Redman’s brother.

Jack Redman training in California on the left and at Tarawa with bandaged hand on the right.

[Source: http://www.dpaa.mil | May 14, 2015 ++]

* VA *

VA Performance Update 04 ► Put on Government’s ‘High Risk’ List

Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald is trying desperately to convince the public that his embattled

agency is on the road to reform. Investigations last year revealed the VA had engaged in cover-ups over

21

hidden wait lists that kept veterans’ from getting the medical attention they needed for months—sometimes

longer. While the VA chief says his agency is turning around, two federal auditors have issued new reports

blasting the VA health system for huge gaps in oversight, serious management issues and IT failures that put

facilities “at risk of not fulfilling their mission.” The auditors voiced their concerns during a hearing this past

week before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, where they explained why the VA’s health system was

placed on the Government Accountability Office’s annual “high risk list” that flags the most troubled federal

programs.

“Risks to the timeliness, cost-effectiveness, quality and safety of veterans' healthcare, along with other

persistent weaknesses GAO and others have identified in recent years, raised serious concerns about VA's

management and oversight of its healthcare system," GAO Healthcare Director Debra Draper said. She went

on to describe the most troubling areas that she said put the VA health system at “risk of failing to serve its

mission” including inconsistent management policies and processes, inadequate oversight, major problems

with its information technology systems and inadequate training for staff. The VA’s own inspector general

had a very similar assessment to the GAO’s, which stands in stark comparison to the VA chief’s outlook on

his agency. John Daigh, the assistant inspector general for the VA echoed Draper’s concerns before the

committee: "Too often management decisions compromise the most important mission of providing veterans

with quality healthcare.” He described findings from a recent probe of smaller hospitals with specialty units

and said that it was very challenging for his team to find accurate and unbiased peer reviews of cases and

patient care assessments. Because of that, it was very hard to determine whether veterans at these hospitals

were receiving quality care.

That probe comes nearly a year after Congress approved a $16 billion VA reform bill to help the embattled

agency serve more people and improve oversight and accountability in care at facilities across the country.

VA Secretary McDonald told reporters last week that the VA is improving and has hired about 800 more

doctors and 2,000 nurses to accommodate the increasing demand for treatment as more veterans reach older

age and require more care. Still an independent analysis from the Associated Press said the VA hasn’t

improved in meeting that demand. The AP study says between August and February, almost 900,000

appointments nationwide failed to meet the agency’s required timeliness standards, and that it took longer

than 30 days to see a doctor. Though auditors acknowledge that it’s going to take more than a year to get the

VA back on track, the reports call into question whether Congress’s massive bill –essentially throwing

billions of dollars at the program—will succeed.

Last week, McDonald announced the agency is creating an 11-member advisory board—the Special

Medical Advisory Group—that will be tasked with the overall reform efforts. The board will be comprised

of doctors and health experts familiar with what works best in private, nonprofit and public facilities.

McDonald told reporters that the advisory board will “return the VA to pre-eminence.” [Source: The Fiscal

Times | Brianna Ehley | May 03, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Performance Update 05 ► What GAO Found | GAO-15-580T

To determine which federal government programs and functions should be designated high risk, GAO

considers a number of factors. For example, it assesses whether the risk involves public health or safety,

service delivery, national security, national defense, economic growth, or privacy or citizens' rights, or

whether the risk could result in significantly impaired service, program failure, injury or loss of life, or

significantly reduced economy, efficiency, or effectiveness. There are five criteria for removal from the High

Risk List: leadership commitment, capacity (people and resources needed to resolve the risk), development

of an action plan, monitoring, and demonstrated progress in resolving the risk. In designating the health care

22

system of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a high-risk area, GAO categorized its concerns about

VA's ability to ensure the timeliness, cost-effectiveness, quality, and safety of veterans' health care, into five

broad areas:

1. Ambiguous policies and inconsistent processes. GAO found ambiguous VA policies lead to

inconsistency in the way its facilities carry out processes at the local level, which may pose risks for

veterans' access to VA health care, or for the quality and safety of VA health care.

2. Inadequate oversight and accountability. GAO found weaknesses in VA's ability to hold its health

care facilities accountable and ensure that identified problems are resolved in a timely and

appropriate manner.

3. technology challenges. Of particular concern is the outdated, inefficient nature of certain systems,

along with a lack of system interoperability.

4. Inadequate training for VA staff. GAO has identified gaps in VA training that could put the

quality and safety of veterans' health at risk or training requirements that were particularly

burdensome to complete.

5. Unclear resource needs and allocation priorities. GAO has found gaps in the availability of data

required by VA to efficiently identify resource needs and to ensure that resources are effectively

allocated across the VA health care system.

VA has taken actions to address some of the recommendations GAO has made related to VA health care,

including those related to the five broad areas of concern highlighted above; however, there are currently

more than 100 that have yet to be fully resolved. For example, to ensure that processes are being carried out

more consistently at the local level--such as scheduling veterans' medical appointments--VA needs to clarify

its existing policies, as well as strengthen its oversight and accountability across its facilities. The Veterans

Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 included a number of provisions intended to help VA address

systemic weaknesses in its health care system. Effective implementation, coupled with sustained

congressional attention to these issues, will help ensure that VA continues to make progress in improving the

delivery of health care services to veterans. GAO plans to continue monitoring VA's efforts to improve

veterans' health care. An assessment of the status of VA health care's high-risk designation will be done

during GAO's next update in 2017.

Why GAO Did This Study

VA operates one of the largest health care delivery systems in the nation, including 150 medical centers and

more than 800 community-based outpatient clinics. Enrollment in the VA health care system has grown

significantly, increasing from 6.8 to 8.9 million veterans between fiscal years 2002 and 2013. Over this same

period, Congress has provided steady increases in VA's health care budget, increasing from $23.0 billion to

$55.5 billion. Risks to the timeliness, cost-effectiveness, quality, and safety of veterans' health care, along

with other persistent weaknesses GAO and others have identified in recent years, raised serious concerns

about VA's management and oversight of its health care system. Based on these concerns, GAO designated

VA health care a high-risk area and added it to GAO's High Risk List in 2015.

Since 1990, GAO has regularly updated the list of government operations that it has identified as high risk

due to their vulnerability to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement or the need for transformation to address

economy, efficiency, or effectiveness challenges. This statement addresses (1) the criteria for the addition to

and removal from the High Risk List, (2) specific areas of concern identified in VA health care that led to its

high-risk designation; and (3) actions needed to address the VA health care high-risk area. The full GAO

Report can be read at http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/669927.pdf. [Source: GAO-15-580T | Debra A. Draper

| April 29, 2015 ++]

*********************************

23

VA Suicide Prevention Update 25 ► Suicide in Phoenix VA Parking Lot

A veteran drove to the Phoenix VA headquarters this weekend, and then committed suicide in the parking

lot. Sources say the man was trying to make a statement, after numerous claims that our local VA has been

letting suicidal veterans fall through the cracks. Police say the 53-year-old veteran drove to the Phoenix VA

regional office with a goodbye note and gun. Sunday night Thomas Murphy drove to the VA with the intent

of ending his life. "I don't think there's anything more symbolic than to complete suicide on VA grounds,"

said Brandon Coleman. Coleman works with at-risk vets. He came forward earlier this year to blow the

whistle on the Phoenix VA's failure, to properly care for veterans on the verge of suicide. He has since been

put on leave.

Coleman says the VA is struggling to hire mental health and social workers, and vets are slipping through

the cracks. "It's an ultimate slap in the face to the VA, that something is wrong, to take the extra step to want

to finish the act of suicide on VA property so that way they have to clean up the mess," he said. According

to police Murphy, left a note describing his feelings and saying goodbye. A witness saw Murphy drive into

the parking lot and heard a gunshot. A gun was found next to Murphy's body. Coleman didn't know the vet

but believes he may have been upset with a claim, an appeal, or the medical care he got at the Phoenix VA.

"I think he would want to speak with us about this, I think it was an ultimate show of disregard and just

frustration with a broken system," said Coleman. The VA released a statement saying the veteran was alone

when he took his own life and the death was under investigation. [Source: KSAZ FOX 10 News | Nicole

Garcia | May 11, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Board of Directors ► Senators Propose Acting as VA’s BOD

Senators from both parties threw skeptical questions at an interim Veterans Affairs Department

undersecretary on 29 APR at a hearing exploring ways to get the controversy-plagued department off the

Government Accountability Office’s list of high-risk government operations. Acting as controversies

continue over construction cost overruns at VA facilities and treatment of whistleblowers, Senate Veterans’

Affairs Committee Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-GA) said the addition of VA to the high-risk list in February

and subsequent unanswered GAO recommendations “are a symptom of a systemic problem. Much like the

[scandal over falsified patient wait times] that erupted in Phoenix this time [last] year, the problem was not

isolated to Phoenix but it was systemic in nature.” Ranking member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) spoke of

“deep-seated systematic problems” in accountability, information technology and allocation of priorities. “If

someone fails to do his or her job, they should be fired,” he said, calling for “the same expectations for

accountability” as in the military.

Fault-finding testimony from GAO and the VA inspector general’s office was met with respectful pleas

for more time from a VA official, and the hearing ended with a plan for a bipartisan group of senators to play

24

the role of “board of directors” and help VA focus by coming up with a long-term strategic plan to “get

results.” GAO health care analyst Debra Draper said the veterans health care system was added to the high-

risk list due to ambiguous policies and inconsistent processes; inadequate oversight and accountability;

information technology challenges (such as outdated systems that lack interoperability); inadequate training

for VA staff; and unclear resource needs and allocation priorities. She said 100 past GAO recommendations

have yet to be resolved. VA’s health metrics “tend to be self-reporting data, with no verification, and when

we go into facilities we find something different,” Draper said. “It’s not a very rigorous oversight and

accountability process.”

Dr. John Daigh Jr., assistant VA inspector general for healthcare inspections, said in written testimony

that the Veterans Health Administration “is at risk of not performing its mission as the result of several

intersecting factors. VHA has several missions, and too often management decisions compromise the most

important mission of providing veterans with quality health care. Leadership has too often compromised

national VHA standards to meet short-term goals. The VHA’s internal processes are inefficient and make the

conduct of routine business unnecessarily burdensome.”

Defending the department’s ongoing reforms was Dr. Carolyn Clancy, VHA’s interim undersecretary for

health, who said, “The secretary and all leaders are thoroughly committed to solutions to remediate the risks,”

and the department takes GAO’s list very seriously. She cited the strategic “road map to excellence” and new

tools under the 2014 Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act. She mentioned a new organizational

chart in which the Office of the Medical Inspector reports directly to the undersecretary, modernized

electronic health records and a new Web platform that veterans can consult. “The VA has the capacity to

address the problems and has directed all senior leaders to identify resources in the budget to achieve strategic

goals,” Clancy said. “This review of our system is something that we welcome,” she added. “The bottom line

is we plan to align budget and execution and empower employees to do the right thing every time. We look

forward to building a stronger system for our veterans that will be the biggest transformation in a generation.”

Senators criticized Clancy for testimony that Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) called “unfocused” and lacking

clear priorities. (She agreed and offered to amend it, though she got Sullivan’s home state wrong in addressing

him.) There are so many problems, added Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), “it feels like we’re piling on.” Clancy

said the highest priority changes were based on judging how quickly capabilities could be fixed and what

poses “the highest risks to patients. It takes time to implement things across the VA system.” Many of the

department’s “business practices were designed 20 years ago when the facilities were seen as laboratories of

innovation,” she added. “But the flip side of that is that is what we got inconsistent processes.”

Frustration at the VA’s reform pace came out in remarks from Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) who praised the

VA workers in his home state. “Most of the solutions are good things already going on in the VA,” he said.

Tillis then proposed that the committee approach the VA like the “board of directors” of a private company

with national markets. “It is our fiduciary responsibility to voters to make sure we don’t become a disabler,”

he said. “We need to step back and instead of having hearings and chasing shiny objects, we start looking at

the VA on a holistic basis.” Senators need to “be embedded in an enterprise transformation strategy to address

these problems over the long term,” he said. That means finding “very specific action threads and a strategic

timeline to actually produce results,” he added. Tillis asked whether a “member of the other side” would

agree and appoint a committee members to help with such a project. Blumenthal agreed. [Source:

GovExec.com | Charles S. Clark | April 30, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Secretary Update 38 ► Congress Cordial No More | Subpoenas Fly

25

The head of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is running out of patience with VA Secretary Robert

McDonald. On 1 MAY, Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) sent a strongly worded letter to McDonald after the former

Procter & Gamble CEO fired off a missive of his own taking umbrage with the House panel weighing a

subpoena for records from the VA’s Philadelphia regional office. “This Committee exposed the Department’s

delays-in-care scandal at an April 9, 2014, congressional hearing, setting in motion a sequence of events that

essentially forced the resignation of your predecessor and led to you becoming Secretary,” Miller said,

referring to former VA chief Eric Shinseki, who resigned over the controversy. The House committee on

Thursday voted without objection to issue the subpoena. The vote took place a day after the head of the

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs issued a subpoena for documents related to an

investigation into a VA hospital in Tomah, Wisc.

The flurry of documents is more evidence that the relationship between McDonald, who was tapped by

President Obama to clean up the scandal-plagued agency, and Capitol Hill lawmakers has grown considerably

rockier in the last few months. Several lawmakers, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), a 2016 GOP

presidential nominee, have voiced frustration with McDonald for not doing enough to weed out incompetent

employees in the wake of last year’s scandal over patient wait times. Last month, the VA’s inspector general

issued a scathing report that found the Philadelphia hub ignored thousands of veterans inquires and routinely

mishandles benefits claims. Still, the House committee wanted more details about the abuses that took place

at the site, raising McDonald’s ire.

In his letter, he told Miller he was “confused by the need for a subpoena given that on multiple occasions,

the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has offered to make available the full, unredacted information you

sought. “Had the Committee staff agreed to certain reasonable privacy conditions, your staff would have seen

all relevant and applicable files,” he added, pointing out that 9,000 pages of documents had been made

available "with more to follow." Miller laid the blame for the dust-up squarely at McDonald's feet. “Contrary

to the assertions in your letter, it is the VA’s actions to stonewall this Committee — actions that began long

before your tenure as Secretary, and continue to occur today — which has eroded the confidence of Veterans

and the American people in our ability to work together,” he wrote. “I trust that through VA’s immediate

cessation of its groundless efforts to withhold information, we can rebuild that confidence,” according to

Miller. [Source: The Hill | Martin Matishak | May 04, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Accountability Watch ► Launched by HVAC

There have been so many scandals at the Department of Veterans Affairs recently that the House Committee

on Veterans Affairs has launched the VA Accountability Watch (http://veterans.house.gov/accountability)

to keep track of the shenanigans going on at the VA. Here’s the explanation that the House Committee on

Veterans Affairs posted on the committee’s website:

26

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides a wealth of services for some 22 million American veterans,

but a rash of preventable veteran deaths, infectious disease outbreaks and benefit and construction delays has

put the organization under intense scrutiny.

Despite the fact that multiple VA Inspector General reports have linked many VA patient care problems to

widespread mismanagement within VA facilities and GAO findings that VA bonus pay has no clear link to

performance, the department has consistently defended its celebration of executives who presided over these

events, while giving them glowing performance reviews and cash bonuses of up to $63,000.

VA Accountability Watch is dedicated to showing America’s veterans and American taxpayers how the

department’s widespread and systemic lack of accountability may actually be encouraging more veteran

suffering instead of preventing it.

Does VA have the proper management and accountability structures in place to stop preventable veteran

deaths, serious patient-safety issues and benefit and construction delays? Consider the following recent

examples and let us know what you think on Facebook.

Tell Us What You Think at: https://www.facebook.com/HouseVetsAffairs/posts/641713792519808

Washington DC:

Diana Rubens, the VA executive in charge of the nearly 60 offices that process disability benefits

compensation claims, collected almost $60,000 in bonuses while presiding over a near seven-fold

increase in backlogged claims.

VA construction chief Glenn Haggstrom collected almost $55,000 in performance bonuses despite

presiding over a host of major construction projects plagued by years-long delays and combined

cost overruns of $1.5 billion. The Government Accountability Office documented the delays and

cost overruns for projects in Las Vegas, Denver, New Orleans and Orlando, Fla., in an April 2013

report. When questioned at a House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing in May, Haggstrom

could not explain what he did to earn the bonuses.

St. Louis, Missouri: More than 1,800 veteran patients of the St. Louis VA Medical Center may have been

exposed to HIV and Hepatitis as a result of unsanitary dental equipment. The facility has remained under fire

for patient deaths, persistent patient-safety issues and critical reports. Despite the problems at the medical

center, the facility’s director from 2009 - 2013, RimaAnn Nelson, received nearly $25,000 in bonuses during

her tenure there.

Fayetteville, North Carolina: A December 2012 audit of the Fayetteville VA Medical Center found facility

employees did not complete required suicide prevention follow-ups 90 percent of the time for patients at a

high risk of suicide. The audit also found the center “noncompliant” in cleanliness of patient care areas,

27

environmental safety, dental clinic safety, training and testing procedures. In July 2012, during an

investigation that substantiated patient misdiagnosis complaints, VA’s inspector general found the

responsible physician failed to properly review medication information 56 percent of the time, a step that is

“critical to appropriate evaluation, treatment planning, and safety.” Fayetteville VA Medical Center Director

Elizabeth B. Goolsby received a performance bonus of $7,604 in 2012.

Dallas, Texas: Dallas VA Medical Center Director Jeff Milligan and regional director Lawrence Biro have

received a combined $50,000 in bonuses since 2011 despite a series of allegations from VA workers, patients

and family members regarding poor care at the facility as well as more than 30 certification agency

complaints against the medical center in the last three years.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The director of VA’s Philadelphia regional office, Thomas Lastowka, received

a $23,000 bonus in 2011 despite a doubling in the backlog of disability compensation claims at the office

between 2010 and 2011.

Phoenix, Arizona: Phoenix VA Regional Office Director Sandra Flint has received more than $53,000 in

bonuses since 2007 despite a doubling in the office’s backlog of disability compensation claims since 2009.

Columbia, South Carolina: Columbia VA Regional Office Director Carl Hawkins received almost $80,000

in bonuses despite a doubling in the office’s backlog of disability compensation claims and inappropriate

shredding of disability claims documents.

Waco, Texas: Carl Lowe, the former director of the VA regional office in Waco, Texas, raked in more than

$53,000 in bonuses as the office’s average disability claims processing time grew to historic levels, forcing

veterans to wait longer than anywhere else in the country.

Buffalo, New York: David West, a VA health official in New York, pocketed nearly $26,000 in bonuses

while overseeing chronic misuse of insulin pens that potentially exposed hundreds of veterans to blood-borne

illnesses.

Dayton, Ohio: For nearly 18 years, the dental clinic at the Dayton VA Medical Center allowed unsanitary

practices, potentially exposing hundreds of patients to hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Dayton VA Medical Center

Director Guy Richardson then collected an $11,874 bonus despite an investigation into the exposures. After

nine of the exposed patients tested positive Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, Richardson was promoted.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: After persistent management failures led to a deadly Legionnaires’ disease

outbreak in the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, VA Pittsburgh director Terry Gerigk Wolf received a

perfect performance review and regional director Michael Moreland, who oversees VA Pittsburgh, collected

a $63,000 bonus.

Atlanta, Georgia: Despite four preventable patient deaths, three of which VA’s inspector general linked to

widespread mismanagement, former Atlanta VA Medical Center Director James Clark received $65,000 in

bonuses over four years. Additionally, the facility’s current director, Leslie Wiggins, maintains that no

employees responsible for the mismanagement linked to the deaths should be fired.

[Source: Rochester Independent Examiner | Thomas Mangan | May 04, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Crisis Hotline Update 02 ► Sen Nelson | Does it Meet Vet Needs?

Amid concerns that the Veterans Affairs Department’s suicide hotline has left veterans stranded during high-

volume call periods, a senator has asked VA to investigate the service to ensure it is meeting veterans’ needs.

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) recently sent a letter to VA Secretary Bob McDonald asking for data on the Crisis

28

Line’s call volume, hold times, and average wait times between when a call is made and the caller can see a

VA therapist or counselor, or a community provider, in person. Nelson’s request was made in response to a

news report by Tampa television station WFTS that Air Force veteran Ted Koran was placed on hold

repeatedly for up to 10 minutes at a time as he fought off suicidal thoughts. According to the report, Koran’s

wife died of cancer last year, and he was despondent the day he made the call. But when he dialed, he was

placed on hold numerous times. After he reached a counselor, he said he did not feel comforted, according

to the report. “They had me on the [verge] of saying to hell with it,” he said, according to WFTS.

Since its creation in 2007, the Veterans Crisis Line has fielded over 1.6 million calls and is credited with

45,000 rescues, according to VA. It receives about 1,300 calls a day and can handle about 1,000, with the

rest sent to backup centers staffed by contractors who are trained by VA counselors. When a short

documentary about the Crisis Line was awarded the Oscar this year for documentary short, comments from

readers on the Military Times websites ranged from praise (“superb”) to frustration (“infuriatingly circular,”

“no help at all”). A news investigation by Scripps released the day of the Academy Awards presentation, 23

FEB, said the number of phone lines at the main call center in Canandaigua, New York, has grown from four

in 2007 to 52 today. More than 250 VA employees staff the phone banks, three shifts a day. According to

Scripps, crisis line complaints have triggered a VA Office of Inspector General investigation into the service.

An estimated 22 veterans die by suicide each day, according to VA, although that number is inexact because

it derives from various sources that do not consistently list suicide as a cause of death, even when it may be

suspected.

VA did not immediately respond to a request for information on the Crisis Line and its backup centers.

Typically, the department does not comment on questions regarding congressional inquiries until it has

responded to those inquiries. Nelson did not give VA a deadline to respond to his request. But he said

ensuring that the Crisis Line works efficiently is “an imperative.” “Don’t tell me that veterans call... and they

can’t get an answer — or are put on hold and they’re desperate, about to commit suicide,” he said. “I want to

know why. And I want to know what’s being done, not only to fix this immediately but make sure it never

happens again.” [Source: NavyTimes | Patricia Kime | May 11, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Maternity Care ► Care Coordination & Bill Payment

When combat-wounded veteran Dawn Halfaker learned she was pregnant, she thought that the Department

of Veterans Affairs would help coordinate her care and pay related bills. But Halfaker quickly found that the

VA was not much help, leaving her on her own to find a provider and pay for services. "If the VA is going

to outsource maternity care, it should be seamless and include the full range of services," she told the House

Veterans Affairs Committee on 30 APR. Halfaker, an Army military police captain who lost her right arm in

an ambush during the Iraq War, testified before Congress on access and quality of VA health care for women.

29

Dawn Halfaker YouTube photo

The VA says there are currently more than two million women veterans in the U.S., with about 400,000

using VA health care. With more women in the military serving in roles that exposed them to combat, a

greater number have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan with war wounds and injuries. More women

reporting military sexual assaults have also begun seeking care for trauma. The result has been greater

numbers of women are looking for VA health care. The VA covers maternity care, including primary care,

specialty care, mental health care and more. But it provides maternity care though agreements and contracts

with community providers. Halfaker said a maternity services coordinator was provided by the VA, but she

was left on her own to find a doctor who would work under a VA contract based on Medicare terms. And

when subsequent tests along with an echocardiogram and lab work was not paid for by the VA, she ended up

fielding dunning letters threatening her credit rating.

A $1,700 bill from Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C., was paid by the VA only after she threatened

her VA care coordinator that she would speak to Congress, she said. Patricia Hayes, chief consultant for

Women's Health Services with the Veterans Health Administration, conceded that "we didn't do what we

needed to do for" Halfaker. Her care coordinator should have been in touch with her regularly and set up and

scheduled the full range of services for her physical, social and psychological health during the pregnancy,

Hayes said. Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), a former Army doctor and also an obstetrician, said one of the takeaways

from the testimony is that the VA has to pay the bills. "That's not very hard. That should be fixable today or

tomorrow," he said. The lawmaker also said the VA should compile a list of health care providers it can share

with expecting veterans so they do not have to go out and find one on their own. [Source: Military.com |

Bryant Jordan | May 01, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Claims Backlog Update 145 ► 10 Fastest/Slowest VAROs

Baltimore tops a list of the slowest VA offices for responding to veterans disability claims, while Providence,

R.I., is at the opposite end of the spectrum, processing claims almost five times faster, according to a new

report from a Senate working group. The report, released 6 MAY, was prepared by the bipartisan group VA

Claims Backlog Working Group, and endorsed by the group’s five Republican and four Democratic senators,

who also proposed legislation based on the findings to improve veterans’ education about the claims process

and increase interagency cooperation. “The red tape our veterans face is unacceptable, and until the backlog

is eliminated, I won’t back down,” the working group’s co-chairman, Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) said in a

statement.

The backlog is a problem Congress has been grappling with for decades, yet about 188,000 claims —

roughly 40 percent of all ongoing claims — have been pending more than 125 days. As the VA has reduced

30

their claims backlog, the backlog of appeals has grown, leading critics to claim the VA is simply denying

more claims so they can be marked as resolved and dealing with them on appeal instead. The problem was

put back in the spotlight with a recent VA Inspector General’s report that revealed employees at the

Philadelphia VA Regional Office were ignoring boxes of correspondence related to claims — sometimes for

years. “The supposed progress being reported by the VA on the benefits backlogs is a classic shell game,”

said Dan Caldwell, legislative and political director for the conservative veterans group Concerned Veterans

for America, in a written response to the report.

In response to Stripes' questions, the VA released a fact sheet about the appeals process and did not directly

address the report or criticism that they are denying appeals in order to improve backlog numbers. The

statement said they are focused on the goal of eliminating the backlog by the end of 2015. “We would reserve

comment on the specific recommendations of the report until it has been thoroughly reviewed,” the statement

said. “Regarding the backlog, VA achieved significant milestones in 2014 that created momentum toward

accomplishing the goal of processing all disability compensation claims within 125 days in 2015.” VA gets

credit in the report for making improvements in claim processing but criticism for not going far enough. “The

current backlog breaks the sacred oath the United States made to our brave men and women when they joined

the military,” the report said. “It is our duty to take care of them if they incur a service-connected disability.”

The report also pointed the finger at other federal agencies, especially the Department of Defense, for

slow responses to VA requests for records crucial to processing claims. The group recommends a 30-day

deadline for agencies to respond to such requests and create liaisons to work between the agencies on claims.

Personal examples in the report of veterans who have grappled with the backlog include:

A Marine who lost an eye and use of his right arm and leg from an IED explosion waited more than

18 months for compensation.

A woman who flew a Black Hawk helicopter and was involved in a crash that resulted in a broken

back and a spinal fusion was forced to wait more than nine months to be awarded her claim.

Among the recommendations of the report are providing increased education to veterans on the claims

process, improved transparency and accountability for VA managers, and better interagency cooperation to

share records necessary to process claims. “In order to make sure our veterans receive the care that they need

and deserve, the VA must continue to adapt reforms that will allow the VA to run more efficiently and

effectively,” Working Group member Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) said in a statement. Following are the 10

best and 10 worst VA Regional Office’s performance in processing claims. Wait times, shown in average

days, cover the 2015 fiscal year to date:

Wait times at Veterans Affairs Regional Offices

Ten Best VAROs DAYS Ten Worst VAROs DAYS

1. Providence, RI ----------- 60.4 1. Baltimore, MD ------------ 280.6

2. Fort Harrison, MT ----- 103.9 2. Jackson, MS --------------- 270.8

3. Lincoln, NE ------------- 118.8 3. Reno, NV ------------------ 257.9

4. Togus, ME -------------- 121.3 4. Philadelphia, PA --------- 249.7

5. Cheyenne, WY --------- 138.2 5. Los Angeles, CA --------- 244.7

6. Fargo, ND --------------- 141.1 6. Chicago, IL --------------- 244.1

7. Seattle, WA ------------- 142.7 7. Oakland, CA -------------- 240.5

8. Sioux Falls, SD --------- 147.4 8. Indianapolis, IN -----------236.7

9. Salt Lake City UT ------ 148.3 9. Boston, MA ----------------235.1

10. Boise, ID ---------------- 151.1 10. St. Petersburg, FL -------- 231.2

31

[Source: VA Claims Backlog Working Group 2015 Report | Stars & Stripes | Heath Druzin | May 6, 2015

++]

*********************************

VA Bonuses Update 27 ► MilCon-VA amendment Prohibits SES Awards

Senior executives at the Veterans Affairs Department would not receive bonuses in fiscal 2016 under a major

spending bill the House passed on 30 APR. An amendment added to the fiscal 2016 Military Construction

and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill (H.R.2029) prohibits the department from using any funds in the

legislation for senior executives’ performance awards. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote, and the

chamber passed the $77 billion spending package on a vote of 255-163. The White House said on Tuesday

that President Obama would veto the House Mil Con-VA bill if it reached him. President Barack Obama

threatened to veto the legislation if it reached him due to a provision that would block any funds that would

create special housing for Guantanamo Bay detainees to reside in the United States instead of Cuba. The

White House was also disappointed in the amount of funding the VA received under the Republican plan.

While the GOP increased the troubled department’s budget by nearly six percent, the budget fell $1 billion

short of what the President had previously requested.

This is the third time the amendment has been successfully offered. Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-PA) offered

the amendment – included in the two previous Mil Con-VA spending bills the House passed – and spoke on

the House floor Wednesday about the widespread problems at VA. He singled out the department’s

Philadelphia facility where employees mismanaged mail and manipulated data among other things, and the

botched building of a new facility outside of Denver, which is way over-budget and behind schedule. “I have

always maintained that taxpayer-funded bonuses to senior executives of an organization with this sort of

abysmal performance record are ridiculous,” said Rothfus, who pointed out that few senior executives have

been fired for misconduct so far. “These dollars would be better spent providing our veterans with the first-

rate service and care they rightly deserve.”

There were 346 career SES (Senior Executive Service) members at VA in fiscal 2013, and 63.3 percent of

them received a performance award for that period, according to the latest data from the Office of Personnel

Management. The average award amount for a VA senior executive in fiscal 2013 was $9,159, down from

$12,010 in fiscal 2012. Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-GA) said it was “nonsense” to try and penalize all VA

senior executives because of the actions of some. “This amendment would make the VA a less attractive

option than other agencies when it comes to recruiting and retaining quality executive leaders, and it will not

have the very talent that it needs to solve the problems that it faces today, like the claims backlog and the

health care deficiencies,” Bishop said on the House floor 29 APR.

Senior Executives Association (SEA) President Carol Bonosaro thanked Bishop in a 1 MAY letter for his

"strong opposition" to the Rothfus amendment. "We understand the need for accountability at the VA, and

for all government employees, and absolutely support holding individuals accountable for wrongdoing if they

are found to have occurred following an impartial investigation that provides for due process," Bonosaro said

in the letter. "Nonetheless, SEA has strong concerns about the ongoing attacks against the SES corps at the

32

VA, and the deleterious effects it will have on the ability of the agency to attract and retain the leadership it

needs to serve veterans in the future."

Lawmakers also approved an amendment that would ban performance awards for employees in VA’s

Office of Construction and Facilities Management for fiscal 2016. Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) offered the

provision, in response to the construction of a new VA hospital in Aurora, Colo., which originally had a price

tag of $600 million but will ultimately end up costing about $1 billion, according to estimates. The office,

which is under the Office of Acquisitions, Logistics and Construction, has 266 full-time employees budgeted

for fiscal 2016, and manages construction projects costing more than $10 million. Roe called it “perhaps the

least deserving of performance bonuses in the entire agency.” The troubled project, which the department

was supposed to finish in 2013, is now on track for completion in 2017. Roe’s amendment states that no

money in the spending bill can be used to “pay an award or bonus under chapter 45 or 53 of title 5” to any

employee in the VA’s office of Construction and Facilities Management. “How many doctors and nurses

could have been hired with $1 billion that the VA’s Office of Construction & Facilities Management has set

fire to?” Roe asked on the House floor Wednesday. “The answer is: a lot.”

Another amendment included in the House’s fiscal 2016 Mil Con-VA bill would prohibit funding for

VA’s Appraised Value Offer (AVO) program, which the department uses as an incentive to attract highly-

qualified candidates for hard-to-fill jobs. The AVO program provides relocation services to employees to

encourage them to move to locations that require specialized skills. The program allows a government

contractor to buy the employee’s home if it doesn’t sell in 60 days. The VA paid nearly $310,000 to move

Diana Rubens, now the director of VA’s Philadelphia Regional Office, from Washington, D.C., to

Philadelphia in 2014, including $211,750 to a contractor through the Appraised Value Offer program, and

$84,643.70 to Rubens directly for expenses including storage of her household goods, subsistence and

shipment of personal items.

Some lawmakers have criticized the VA for providing that amount for Rubens’ relocation. House

Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., called it “exorbitant” and grilled Rubens

about it at a hearing in April. For a complete list of adopted amendments to H.R.2029Refer to

http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/4.29.15_fy_2016_milcon-va_-

_floor_adopted_amendments.pdf . [Source: Opposing Views | Ethan Brown | May 02, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Make the Connection Campaign ► National Awareness Program

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. To commemorate the month, the Department of Veterans Affairs

(VA) is encouraging Veterans, along with their families and friends, to visit and chronicle their recovery

journey on the website, http://maketheconnection.net. Make the Connection is a national awareness program

operated by VA aimed at reducing the negative perceptions and stigma associated with seeking mental health

care. Through the Website, Veterans and their loved ones hear from hundreds of other Veterans who may be

experiencing similar challenges, learn strategies for support and recovery, along with local resources

available through a resource locator.

Since the launch of the Make the Connection campaign in November 2011, there have been more than 7

million visits to the website, and more than 2.8 million people have joined the Facebook community or

subscribed to the YouTube channel. The resource locator on the site, with information on VA and

community-based treatment services around the country, has been used more than 220,000 times. “We all

have the ability to influence a friend or loved one in a positive way – that’s why Make the Connection was

created,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “We want Veterans to tell their personal stories of mental

health treatment and recovery to as many of their peers as possible. Those stories can be great sources of

33

strength for Veterans in need of hope.” In addition to the Make the Connection website and Facebook page,

information also can be found on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/VeteransMTC and Google+ at

http://plus.google.com/+VeteransMTC. Information about all VA mental health efforts may be found at

http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov. [Source: VA News Release | May 07, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Vet Choice Program Update 14 ► Provider Shortage

A Giles County Virginia veteran who lives more than 40 miles from the Salem VA Medical Center could see

a doctor closer to home if only he could find one willing to participate in the Veterans Choice Program.

Guerry Goode said he’s been told by the VA’s program administrator that only one regional provider has

signed on, and that doctor is in Roanoke, which is even farther from his home. Goode suspects that what’s

happening in Southwest Virginia is happening all over the country as veterans still can’t quickly access health

care. A VA spokeswoman agreed to check into the program this week but then did not respond with

information.

Veterans Choice was a $10 billion Congressional response to last year’s scandal that found veterans were

often waiting far too long to access care at VA facilities. The VA hired third parties to administer the program,

through which veterans who can’t get a timely appointment with the VA can secure one with a doctor outside

the VA system. It also gives veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA clinic the option to see doctors

closer to home. The Associated Press reported in April that only 38,000 appointments had been made under

Veterans Choice, which began in November 2004. A Congressional hearing is scheduled for 13 MAY to

figure out why a program that was designed to provide immediate relief to veterans has had such a sluggish

implementation. Goode, an 84-year-old Air Force veteran, could tell Congress why. “The problem now, in

my opinion, is they are paying people to do clerical work when what they should be doing is getting

information out to providers so they can decide whether this is a good program,” Goode said.

In his case, he tried to see his local doctor, a Carilion Clinic member. The local office didn’t know about

the program and sought guidance from Carilion, he said. Carilion opted not to become a Veterans Choice

provider. “We asked our sites to let us know if there were requests. We have less than five. Right now we’re

assuming the Salem VA is doing a good job with access,” said Carolyn Chrisman, Carilion vice president for

revenue cycle. Becoming a Veterans Choice provider is an involved process, she said, and is similar to

signing contracts with any insurance provider. It requires setting up administration and authorization

processes and sharing medical records. “It takes some time and work effort,” she said.

One reason so few veterans have expressed interest in the program might be that they’ve been told they

didn’t qualify. Goode initially was turned away for not living far enough from Salem. Goode clocks more

than 50 miles on his odometer to reach the VA but said when he first called Health Net Federal Services, the

firm hired by the VA to administer the program in Virginia, they told him he was but 25 miles from Salem.

That may be as the crow flies, Goode said. But veterans aren’t crows, and the rule was recently clarified to

expressly state that distance should be counted by driven miles. The clarification might lead to more veterans

seeking care closer to home. Carilion “absolutely would take another look” if more veterans living a great

distance from Salem ask for its doctors to participate in Veteran’s Choice, Chrisman said. Meanwhile, Goode

has complained to his congressman. Andie Pivarunas, a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-

Salem, said they’ve heard about the lack of providers from Goode but no other veterans. “We have heard

from several folks about the 40 miles,” she said. “If this is an issue, we’d like to be aware of it and welcome

veterans to call us.”

Similar comments were made by staff for Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Reps.

Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, and Robert Hurt, R-Pittsylvania County. “After hearing from veterans who faced

34

barriers to accessing private care because of long drive times, I urged Secretary [Robert] McDonald to

broaden the eligibility criteria for the Choice program, and the VA is now making that change,” Kaine said.

“But to ensure this important program is working for veterans, we should encourage more providers to

participate, guarantee that the VA pays providers promptly as the Choice Act requires and make sure all local

VA medical centers are giving consistent and accurate information to veterans.” [Source: Roanoke Times |

Luanne Rife | April 30, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Vet Choice Program Update 15 ► Remove 40-Mile Rule

Congress and the Veterans Affairs Department are working to change eligibility rules and open the VA

Choice program to veterans who can't get needed medical care at their closest VA facility. Sen. Johnny

Isakson (R-GA) chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said lawmakers and VA officials are

working to change the regulation that bars veterans from using the private care program if they live within

40 miles of a VA clinic, even if that facility does not offer the services the veteran needs. The rule has come

under fire from lawmakers and veterans who say it has kept thousands from using VA Choice, a program

launched in November to reduce patient wait times for appointments and improve access to health services.

VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson told lawmakers that VA needs "greater flexibility" in its contracting

agreements for community care to expand eligibility rules and cover costs for the new VA Choice health care

program.

Since the kickoff of VA Choice, nearly 51,000 authorizations have been issued to veterans to use the

program, resulting in 48,642 appointments. But more than 8 million VA Choice cards were issued, an

indication that the program is falling short of its intended purpose, veterans advocacy groups and lawmakers

noted at a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing 12 MAY. According to a survey by the Veterans of

Foreign Wars, the percentage of veterans waiting more than 30 days for a medical appointment actually

increased by 10 percent since VFW last surveyed veterans in February. And while more people are being

offered VA Choice, according to the survey, 19 percent of those who decided to use it report waiting longer

than 30 days for an appointment. "Anyone who believes this crisis has been solved is living in an alternative

universe," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the committee's ranking Democrat.

Lawmakers did not provide a time frame for when the eligibility change to occur. The Senate passed a

resolution in March on a 100-0 vote to change the rule; a House bill, H.R.1909, has been introduced but has

not yet been considered by committee. The VA estimates that the change could cost the department $4 billion

to $34 billion a year, according to VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson. Gibson said VA needs "greater

flexibility" in its contracting agreements for community care to expand the eligibility rules and cover costs.

"We will be unable to sustain that pace without greater program flexibility," he said. VA has asked for

35

authority to use a portion of the $5 billion allotted for infrastructure and improvements by the Veterans

Access, Choice and Accountability Act to cover more than $700 million in cost overruns for a new VA

medical center in Denver, Colorado. Gibson also asked on Tuesday to use part of the $10 billion allotted for

VA Choice to cover the cost of hepatitis C treatments for veterans. He said VA already has moved $688

million from its community care account to cover those costs, but needs more. "It was the right thing to do,

but it wasn't enough," Gibson said.

In February, VA Secretary Robert McDonald asked Congress for more flexibility in using VA Choice

dollars, but that request met a mixed reaction on Capitol Hill, with many lawmakers saying they want the

two-year program to remain untouched while it is determined how many veterans actually could benefit from

it. Veterans organizations said they believe veterans need more education on the program and VA staff needs

to be trained to help veterans seeking care. Veterans who call about the program often are told they are

ineligible, or staff does not provide the necessary medical documentation to schedule appointments through

the program or are slow to process requests for follow-up treatment. American Legion officials said that in

Puerto Rico, for example, veterans have been told that none on the island were eligible for the program since

no point is more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility there — as the crow flies. However, that strict

geographic rule was changed in April to account for potentially winding roads between the homes of veterans

and their nearest VA medical facility. "The American Legion is concerned that due to improper training,

some VA medical centers are not offering Choice access to their veterans at all," said Roscoe Butler, the

group's deputy director for veterans affairs and rehabilitation.

Gibson said roughly half of veterans offered VA Choice say they'd rather be seen at a VA facility. He

added that some also prefer being seen at VA facilities because they do not have to pay Medicare or Tricare

copayments, which some veterans and military retirees must do when they use civilian care. He suggested

VA could perhaps be a second insurance payer to these other programs, allowing veterans what he called

"true choice." "This isn't about protecting turf. We are all about caring for veterans and being good stewards

of taxpayer dollars," Gibson said. [Source: MilitaryTimes | Patricia Kime | May 12, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Cybersecurity ► Cyberattacks Increase 262% in 5 months

The Department of Veterans Affairs has seen a dramatic uptick in cyberattacks recently, fending off almost

1.2 billion attempts to put malware on its networks in March alone — a trend that has agency cybersecurity

officials worried. For perspective, VA reported fielding just under 330 million malware attempts in

November, when the agency began issuing monthly information security reports. This represents a 262

percent increase within five months. "The electronic ecosystem is under assault," VA CIO Stephen Warren

said during a monthly call with reporters 30 APR. "In a [five] month period we've quadrupled in the level of

threat. If you pull the data on each month, we're on an exponential growth rate."

VA CIO Stephen Warren

36

VA security systems were able to block or contain all incoming breach attempts in March but that won't

be possible in the future if the current trends continue, Warren said. If these numbers continue to grow at the

current rate, Warren estimates the agency will see as many as 5 billion attempts next month. "At some point

we will be overwhelmed; at some point the huge volume and the number will basically start breaking things

on us," he said, noting the 1.2 billion attempts in March represent approximately 45 per second. Exactly how

many attempts equal critical mass is unclear, Warren said, particularly as VA continues to strengthen and

streamline its defenses. "Whether it's at 5 billion a month — below 5 billion or above 5 billion — we don't

know," he said. "At a certain point it doesn't matter how bad they are, there are just so many that they will

get through. I'm not sure where the break point is," but the team at VA is concerned that point might come

sooner than later.

"To deal with the continued exponential growth in the threat, we've been basically continuing to build on

our defense-in-depth, as well as some of the continuous monitoring tools we have in place," Warren said,

though, at some point, even these efforts won't be enough. Warren said he hopes Congress and the

international community are paying attention. "Somehow we as a nation — or maybe internationally —

somebody has to take on the size of the threat and the rate at which it's growing," he said. "We need to figure

out how we take this on together as a society."

March Intrusions

[Source: Federal Times | Aaron Boyd | April 30, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Medical Marijuana Update 13 ► NDAA Amendment Fails 210-213

The House rejected a proposal 30 APR to allow doctors at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals to discuss

the use of medical marijuana with patients. Rep. Earl Blumenauer's (D-OR) amendment to the first fiscal

2016 appropriations bill of the year, which funds the VA and military construction projects, failed narrowly

by a vote of 210-213. A total of 35 Republicans voted in favor of the amendment, while eight Democrats

voted against it. Boos ensued from the Democratic side of the House chamber when Republicans closed the

vote despite the razor-thin margin. Medical marijuana is legal in more than 30 states and the District of

Columbia. But VA doctors are prohibited from completing patient forms seeking recommendations or

opinions regarding medical marijuana to treat conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A 2012

37

VA report found nearly 30 percent of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD or

depression.

Lawmakers from both parties argued veterans should at least be able to receive recommendations from

their doctors about the drug's merits. They stressed the amendment wouldn't force doctors to recommend

medical marijuana or authorize marijuana possession at VA facilities. "Let's lift the gag order. We owe it to

our veterans to give them complete information when they ask for it, even if the means discussing medical

marijuana," said Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA). Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) said fellow Republicans should

support allowing free discussion about medical marijuana between veterans and their doctors. "As

Republicans, we supposedly believe in the doctor-patient relationship. But apparently some of my colleagues

believe that relationship is not relevant when it comes to VA doctors and their patients," Rohrabacher said

during floor debate. "It is criminal that we send our men and women off to war where their minds and bodies

are broken and then deny them the ability to obtain a recommendation from a legitimate VA doctor upon

their return home," Rohrabacher added.

But other Republicans warned that a drug that remains illegal in many states shouldn't be prescribed for

veterans with psychological problems. "Why in the world would we give a drug that is addictive, that is

prohibited under Schedule I, that is not accepted for any specific mental disease or disorder and enhances

psychosis and schizophrenia, why are we going to give that to our veterans, especially those with PTSD?

That is just absolutely insane," said Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), a physician. Blumenauer offered the same

amendment to the VA appropriations bill last year. It was defeated by a vote of 195-222, a much wider margin

than Thursday's. Marijuana legalization advocates interpreted the close vote as a sign lawmakers don't view

the issue as politically risky as in the past. "While it’s disappointing that the House just voted to continue a

senseless rule that prevents doctors from treating military veterans with a medicine proven to work for a

number of serious conditions, the fact that we came so close is a good sign of things to come," Marijuana

Majority Chairman Tom Angell said in a statement. [Source: The Hill | Cristina Marcos | April 30, 2015

++]

*********************************

VA Whistleblowers Update 24 ► VA Retaliation Prevention Act

David Tharp, a Department of Veterans Affairs psychologist, says he was so distraught by retaliation he

suffered as an agency whistleblower that he went to war for relief. After his complaints about research

deception and other corruption at a VA facility in Waco, Tex., “the pressure of hostilities was so intense, my

wife and I decided my only options were to quit the VA or deploy to a war zone,” said Tharp, who also is a

lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve. “At least in Kandahar, Afghanistan, I knew who my enemy was.

At the VA, I come back and it’s been a minefield ever since — and continues.” Tharp, whose work has been

38

honored by the Air Force Association and the Disabled American Veterans, was deployed to Afghanistan

from October 2010 to May 2011. He began his whistleblowing activities in 2009.

Tharp’s story is another in a long list from VA whistleblowers who suffered management reprisals after

exposing agency problems. “Incredibly, even as the department has reached legal settlements with

whistleblowers who endured retaliation, those who retaliated against them have gone unpunished,” said a

statement from the office of Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

He wants to change that with legislation that could set a precedent for the rest of government. If his proposal

becomes law, it could be a breakthrough in providing protections for whistleblowers. But it also could

backfire. The Veterans Affairs Retaliation Prevention Act provides penalties for supervisors who take

revenge against whistleblowers. Retaliators would be suspended for at least 14 days for the first offense and

fired for the second. It also would give preference to transfer requests from whistleblowers. One important

provision would require supervisors to notify whistleblowers about the specific actions taken to address their

complaints. This should help stop some of the coverups.

A coalition of good-government groups praised Miller for proving “a major breakthrough in the struggle

[of] VA whistleblowers to have credible rights when defending the integrity of the agency mission.” VA

doesn’t think so. A VA statement said, “The department appreciates the committee’s efforts, but we believe

the specific whistleblower disclosure and protection procedures provided by this bill would be unworkable,

The legislation also would duplicate other long-standing “remedies and programs specifically created to

address claims of improper retaliation in the workplace. . . . We believe these current whistleblower

protections are effective, and VA is working closely with OSC [Office of Special Counsel] to ensure the

Department and its employees are gaining the maximum benefits from its remedies and protections.” But

Christian Head, a VA surgeon and whistleblower in Los Angeles, said VA’s central office in Washington

“really doesn’t want the power to do this because it places the responsibility on them.” VA officials would

not discuss Head and Tharp. Tharp is optimistic about the legislation, saying “this bill would have changed

my life.”

That wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing, however. Advocates worry that a provision of the bill could be

turned on whistleblowers. This bill, like a law aimed at VA Senior Executive Service members that passed

last year, slashes due process rights for those accused of wrongdoing. It allows them one week to appeal

termination or a disciplinary transfer. This severely stunted process could be used against those it is designed

to protect. Advocates say that retribution sometimes takes the form of accusing whistleblowers of retaliating

against others. “That provision can be a two-edge sword,” said Tom Devine, legal director of the Government

Accountability Project, which signed the good-government groups’ letter to Miller. “We’re nervous that

sacrificing due process could deprive whistleblowers of an opportunity to defend themselves against

Machiavellian charges.” But Devine also says there “needs to be something dramatic to send a message . . .

there needs to be severe consequences” for retaliating against whistleblowers.

“It’s a work in progress,” Devine said. The bill has been approved at the subcommittee level and will be

considered by the full committee. Another point that needs work is the provision that gives supervisors just

two business days to notify whistleblowers in writing of “whether the supervisor determines that there is a

reasonable likelihood that the complaint discloses a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, or gross

mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority, or substantial and specific danger to public health

and safety.” Who can determine that in two days? Devine said the notification should indicate that the

complaint has been received.

As written now, Head said, the provision could be used by even well-meaning managers to deny

complaints simply because they didn’t have time to investigate the allegations. Head told Congress this month

that his office was moved from the chief of staff’s suite to a former storage room after his testimony to

Congress last year. He said no one was punished for that action. Overall, he said, the bill is a good first step

39

because “until they [VA officials] show a willingness to punish one individual, people are going to feel they

can move with impunity. “I’m profoundly disappointed in the behavior of the leadership of Veterans Affairs,

because I think we’re a better institution than this,” he added, frustration clear in his voice. “All the fabulous

things we have done — we’re squandering that goodwill on people who don’t deserve it.” [Source: The

Washington Post | Joe Davidson | April 28, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Whistleblowers Update 25 ► VA Illiana HCS Retaliation

Landis Bradfield has a master’s degree in nursing and more than 12 years of experience working for the

Department of Veterans Affairs, yet he has not helped a patient in nearly six months. When Bradfield reports

to work at the VA Illiana Healthcare System in Danville, Illinois, he heads to the library at 7:30 a.m. and

spends the entire day sitting and doing nothing — just as he has done every day since November. The forced

inactivity, he believes, is retaliation for blowing the whistle on poor patient care and other problems at the

facility. Bradfield raised issues with management about practices such as improperly stored medicine and

used syringes, poor performance by other employees and other instances of bullying in the workplace prior

to being removed from patient care and forced to sit idle in the library.

Bradfield is one of two nurses whom the VA is preventing from seeing patients, doing administrative

work or taking classes required to stay current on their nursing credentials. Even if the agency said they could

go back to work tomorrow, Bradfield said, he would have to complete almost an entire new employee-

orientation process before he was able to get back to his regular job, as all of his training certifications are

out-of-date. “There’s still two of us [who] for six months now have provided no service to the veterans [yet

are] drawing full salary. At the very least, that is a waste,” he told The Washington Times. “As an employee,

I am glad I’m getting my salary. As a taxpayer, I am very irritated that people get paid to do nothing.”

The VA has long been criticized for retaliating against those who bring to light practices it would rather

not address publicly. Last month, a House oversight subcommittee on oversight and investigations hearing

aired charges of continued whistleblower retaliation within the VA. “The retaliatory culture, where

whistleblowers are castigated for bringing problems to light, is still very much alive and well in the

Department of Veterans Affairs,” subcommittee Chairman Mike Coffman, Colorado Republican, said at the

April 13 hearing. Critics say the retaliation has persisted despite the naming of new VA Secretary Bob

McDonald last July. Mr. McDonald, a West Point graduate, has repeatedly promised he would punish

officials who retaliated against employees who report wrongdoing. Yet the problem isn’t subsiding.

“The number of new whistleblower cases from VA employees remains overwhelming,” Carolyn Lerner,

head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which oversees compliance with federal whistleblower statutes,

told the House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee hearing in April. She said over 40 percent of the

whistleblower retaliation cases her office is investigating come from VA agencies, more than any other

government department. Her office has settled 45 claims since the start of the fiscal year and has about 125

more cases pending.

Ann Good, who works as a nurse for the VA in Danville, Virginia, has also felt the wrath of the VA after

she voiced complaints to management. Ms. Good, who has worked for the VA for eight years, became so

bored during the first month she was placed in the library that she sought out administrative work and asked

departments if she could make photocopies or do filing. “I was told I couldn’t do that anymore because it

was preferential treatment and [was] told to go sit in the library,” she said. “I just think we’ve ticked some

people off, and they don’t want to let us to go back to work, to be honest.” Wade Habshey, a spokesman for

the VA in Danville, said top officials of the facility are aware of the two employees’ complaints about their

40

treatment. “We have received complaints, and leadership and human resources [are] looking into allegations

which have to do with why they were moved from their place of work and transferred to the library,” he said.

Habshey also said the VA regional office provided information on how to submit a formal complaint to the

Office of Special Counsel.

Mr. Bradfield worked as a nurse in the Green House Project, a type of long-term care that gives patients

more independence and freedom. Patients who cannot live alone are put into homes where they have private

rooms as well as shared living rooms and dining rooms, an effort to make the accommodations less like the

stark nursing homes typical of long-term care. Since he has been relegated to the library and forbidden to

interact with patients, he said three patients in the Green House facilities have developed bed sores — a sign

that the department is understaffed as two of its most educated nurses sit and do nothing all day. He also said

those nurses who are still allowed to work in the Green House Project don’t have the time or patience to give

residents the freedom the program is designed to provide. For example, he said two patients who can only

walk with difficulty are no longer walking at all because staff aren’t willing to help prevent them from falling.

“Neither one of those guys can walk now. They just put them in a wheelchair and push them where they want

to take them, because they don’t have the time or the patience to deal with them,” he said.

Ms. Good agreed that some patients are receiving substandard care at the facility but declined to go into

details, citing privacy concerns of patients. Other nurses in the program who faced retaliation for speaking

out have left the VA to go work at other hospitals, she said. “They kept advising me that I should leave,” she

said. “I’m sorry, but the reason I took this job was to make sure veterans are being taken care of. The main

part of our job is to focus on the guys.”

Bradfield said the VA refused to negotiate with him and his lawyer, citing an ongoing investigation,

though they wouldn’t tell him what the probe was about. Yet when he called the inspector general, he was

told there was no ongoing investigation. As a result, Bradfield said he decided to file a formal complaint with

the Office of Special Counsel. Neither the VA inspector general nor the Office of Special Counsel returned

a request for comment on the case. Good said she too has contacted her representatives in Congress and

high-level employees at the VA, but has not gotten a response, though she said she will keep trying for the

sake of veterans who aren’t getting adequate care. “If you’re going to just be mean to me, that’s one thing,”

she said, adding, “but we know from some things going on out there that [veterans] are not receiving the best

care they can get.” [Source: The Washington Times | Jacqueline Klimas | May 07, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Claim Processing Update 12 ► Senators Seek Independent Review

Troubled by delays in handling of veterans claims, a bipartisan group of senators is seeking a wide-scale

independent review of the Department of Veterans Affairs for mismanagement and changes to improve

budgeting and speed up applications. A report released 6 MAY by nine senators acknowledged recent efforts

by the VA to reduce disability and pensions claims backlogs but said it wasn't enough. Pointing to the VA's

worst performers such as the Philadelphia regional office, they were announcing legislation that would

require the Government Accountability Office to investigate all 56 regional offices for problems. It was the

latest sign of congressional concern that recent findings of mismanagement at the Philadelphia VA —

including neglected mail, manipulation of dates to make old claims look new, and alteration of quality

reviews — might point to a broader, department-wide problem. "The VA system again finds itself engulfed

in another scandal," said Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., co-chair of the Senate's VA backlog working group. VA

offices nationwide are suffering from poor management, he said, proving "it is time for an overhaul of the

entire system."

41

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), the other co-chair, said he too was worried that problems were not isolated to

Philadelphia. "It's simply unacceptable to have a veteran with a disability wait hundreds of days for their

claim to be resolved," he said. The VA says there are 161,000 disability and compensations claims on

backlog, defined as pending over 125 days. That's down from a peak of 611,000 in March 2013. But the VA

inspector general has questioned the accuracy of the data. Based on a review of VA records, the Senate report

said the 10 worst-performing regional offices as judged by wait times were Baltimore; Jackson, Mississippi;

Reno, Nevada; Philadelphia; Los Angeles; Chicago; Oakland, California; Indianapolis; Boston; and St.

Petersburg, Florida. As of April, the VA's inspector general had documented doctored data or other problems

at five of the 10 offices.

The report calls on the IG to determine whether claims processors should be held to deadlines and calls

on the department to beef up manager training, complete an updated assessment of staffing and budget needs

within six months, and keep Congress informed about its transition to an electronic claims systems. Allison

Hickey, the VA's undersecretary for benefits, has said she does not believe problems in Philadelphia are

"systemic" but more likely a case of misunderstood policies. Delays in compensation claims prompted

veterans groups to seek changes last year before attention shifted to problems at the Phoenix VA medical

center. The VA ultimately found that patient waits and falsified records in its health network were "systemic,"

leading to the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. [Source: The Associated Press | Hope Yen | May

06, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Websites Update 01 ► Veterans.gov to Manage 350+ Benefit Programs

Veterans will soon be able to log in to just one website to manage their benefits, apply for doctors'

appointments, and determine their eligibility for programs. Tom Allin, the first chief veterans experience

officer at the Veterans Affairs Department, said in an interview with Federal Times the website will go live

around May 20, but will first be open to around 50 veterans to help beta test the navigation, fonts and

organization of the new portal. By the end of the year, all veterans will be able to use Veterans.gov to manage

more than 350 benefit programs without having to switch websites, call multiple numbers or file large

amounts of redundant paperwork. The goal? A single unified digital experience that makes it easier for

veterans to get the benefits they deserve, according to Allin.

The Veterans Affairs Department has been pushing to improve customer service under the current VA

secretary Bob McDonald. Allin is spearheading many of the customer service issues that veterans deal with

every day. "The two biggest initiatives that I am focused on right now is to try to make everything we do

more consistent and number two, make it easier," Allin said. Once veterans register, the website will

automatically know their eligibility levels for different programs and will tailor their experience using that

information, according to Allin. The website will also notify the veteran of various programs they are eligible

for but are not using. "The goal will be that veterans will eventually be able to get everything taken care of

online with a single sign on. They will be able to add a dependent, change their address, schedule an

appointment or check on their claim status and get everything done online in a seamless way versus what

they are doing today across multiple websites," Allin said.

While the website will begin as a "wireframe" the VA will add new functions to it monthly, until they

have a working model that serves veterans in an easy-to-understand and streamlined way, Allin said. The VA

is integrating more than 200 different databases across the agency in order to gather information related to

military service, contract information, demographics and how they are currently using VA services in order

to make sure the agency at every level has the information they need to provide good customer service, Allin

said. The VA is also working on consolidating what Allin said were more than 1,000 hotlines available to

42

veterans across the agency. Instead, veterans will just call one phone number, and the person answering will

have access to all the information they need to help. If a veteran requires special assistance, they will simply

be transferred to someone who can help them, instead of requiring veterans to call a different number, Allin

said. "My goal is that we have some visible changes in the next three months. And I am sure that some of the

initiatives that we have will have a significant impact on the veterans," Allin said. [Source: FederalTimes |

Andy Medici | May 05, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA History ► 1st Director | Charles Robert Forbes

Charles Robert Forbes (February 14, 1878 - April 10, 1952) was appointed the first Director of the Veterans'

Bureau by President Warren G. Harding on August 9, 1921 and served until February 28, 1923. Caught for

army desertion in 1900, he returned to the military and was a decorated World War I veteran. He first became

active in politics in the Pacific Northwest. In 1912, Forbes moved to Hawaii and served as chairman on

various federal commissions. While Senator Warren G. Harding was on vacation in Hawaii the two met by

chance and became friends. Initially, Forbes desperately tried to be appointed chairman of the United States

Shipping Board, a board that controlled vast amounts of government shipping resources to private shippers.

President Harding, however, denied him the position and instead appointed Forbes to the Bureau of War Risk

Insurance on April 28, 1921. Forbes's salary at the War Risk Bureau was $10,000 a year.

On August 9, 1921 Congress passed what was known as the "Sweet Bill" creating the Office of the

Veterans' Bureau. After World War I, thousands of wounded and disabled veterans did not have adequate

facilities for proper care and needed job skills. The Veterans' Bureau was created to remedy this dilemma for

the World War I veterans who desperately needed medical attention, hospitals, and employment. Across the

country there were fourteen regional offices that were semi-independent from Washington D.C. Bureau.

Congress awarded the Veterans' Bureau millions of dollars in expenditures to take care of the needs of the

veterans. In August 1921, President Harding appointed Forbes the first director of the Veterans' Bureau.

Forbes controlled $500,000,000 (5.99 billion 2009) a year in government expenditures for the World War I

veterans. Forbes wife Katherine had direct access to the White House, having been given special privileges

under Mrs. Harding's authority.

With millions of dollars at his disposal, Forbes hired 30,000 new workers at the Veterans' Bureau, many

of whom were personal friends to Forbes. The Veterans' Bureau under Forbes was overstaffed and many

appointed agents looked for means to justify their paid positions. During his tenure as director, Forbes ignored

the needs of the wounded veterans. In the less than two years that Forbes held his position, he embezzled

approximately $2 million, mainly in connection with the building of veterans' hospitals, from selling hospital

supplies intended for the bureau, and from kickbacks from contractors. The budget for the Veterans' Bureau

during his tenure was $1.3 billion in total. Forbes had rejected thousands of legitimate claims by veterans.

Although 300,000 soldiers had been wounded in combat, Forbes had only allowed 47,000 claims for

43

disability insurance, while many were denied compensation for reasons that Congress called "split hairs".

Even fewer veterans received any vocational training under Forbes' direction of the bureau.

According to the Charleston Gazette, Forbes toured with his contractor friends to the Pacific Coast, known

as "Joy-Rides", inspecting veterans' hospital construction sites. Forbes and his contractor associates allegedly

indulged in parties and drinking. Forbes and corrupt contractors developed a secret code in order to

communicate insider information and ensure government contracts. According to congressional testimony,

in Chicago, on one of his many inspection trips, Forbes gambled and took a $5,000 bribe from contractor J.

W. Thompson and E. H. Mortimer at the Drake Hotel to secure $17,000,000 in veterans' hospital construction

contracts. Mortimer was the middleman man who had handed Forbes the bribe in one of the rooms at the

Drake. Forbes said the $5,000 payment was a loan. Mortimer stated that Forbes had an affair with Mortimer's

wife while on the inspection tours.

After Forbes returned from his inspection tours he began to sell hospital supplies at severely discounted

prices. According to a Highbeam Business report, he sold nearly $7,000,000 of much needed hospital supplies

for $600,000, a fraction of their worth. Forbes was suspected of receiving kickbacks from contractors. When

President Harding ordered Forbes to stop, Forbes insubordinately disobeyed and kept selling supplies. On

January 24, 1923 Forbes awarded Hurley-Mason Construction a sizable contract of $1,300,000 to construct

a new veterans' hospital at American Lake, near Tacoma. Forbes had resigned his vice presidency at Hurley-

Mason Construction upon assuming his federal position under the Harding Administration. By January 1923,

rumor was spread by Forbes's close friends that Forbes would resign from the Veterans' Bureau on June 1,

1923. During the summer of 1922 on one of Forbes's "joy rides", Forbes had come back to Spokane and

visited the F. Lewis Clark House while he was looking for a possible site for a veterans' hospital at Hayden

Lake, Idaho. The F. Lewis Clark House was one of the most prestigious summer homes in the Pacific

Northwest; it had been offered to Forbes and the Veterans' Bureau at a low cost. Colonel Forbes stayed there

for several days.

Forbes's resignation came than the June 1, 1923 date his friends had predicted. When President Harding

was informed that Forbes had disobeyed a direct order to stop selling hospital supplies, Harding summoned

him to the White House in January 1923. Forbes pleaded with Harding to allow him to go to Europe to settle

family matters. Harding allowed him to flee to Europe only on the condition he would resign from the

Veterans' Bureau. While in Europe, he voluntarily resigned from office on February 15, 1923. When Forbes

took Elias H. Mortimer's wife to Europe with him, Mortimer decided to testify against him in a Congressional

investigation that started on March 2, 1923. Upon his return from Europe, Forbes visited President Harding

at the White House. The six-foot-tall President grabbed Forbes by the throat and began violently shaking him

"as a dog would a rat". Forbes was saved from this attack when a guest who had an appointment with the

President interrupted the altercation. President Harding was angered over Forbes' duplicity in stopping the

Perryville shipments. The Senate investigation revealed Forbes had left 200,000 unopened pieces of mail

from veterans at the Bureau. Belligerent before the Senate committee, Forbes renounced involvement in

illegal activities.

Contractor E. H. Mortimer provided damaging information that Forbes took a $5,000 payment in Chicago

and got kickbacks for land deals and building contracts for veterans' hospitals. Forbes was indicted, tried by

jury in 1924, and convicted of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Government, fined $10,000, and sentenced to

a prison term of two years. He was put in prison on March 21, 1926. He served one year, eight months and

six days at the Leavenworth federal penitentiary. Forbes was prisoner number 25021. On entering prison

Forbes said, "I don't suppose any prison is a pleasant place to go, but I shall try to make the best of it. Forbes

had appealed his trial, however, the United States Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago upheld his conviction.

After being released from prison, in an effort to exonerate President Harding, Forbes wrote an article for the

New York World, published December 4, 1927 that alleged Harding was "duped" by his appointees and

44

cabinet known as the Ohio Gang. He claimed to have found Jess Smith picking up $70,000 in $1,000 bills

scattered on a Justice Department office floor. Smith was an aide to President Harding's U.S. Attorney

General Harry Daugherty. While he helped Smith pick up the money from the floor, Smith told him the

money was Daugherty's. Forbes said that the ability to buy narcotics was rampant at Atlanta and Leavenworth

federal prisons while Daugherty was attorney general. Forbes stated that Harding's personal physician,

Charles E. Sawyer, was a "pernicious meddler". Forbes made a blanket statement that President Harding had

not profited in any way from the scandals during the Harding Administration. Forbes claimed that President

Harding was "excessively loyal" with his friends, to a fault. At a poker game in the White House, Forbes said

that Harding would remove a $1,000 fine imposed on prize fighter Jack Johnson who had been released from

Leavenworth Penitentiary in 1921.

In October 1949, Forbes underwent a major operation. He died at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington

D.C. at the age of 74 on April 10, 1952 after a long illness and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery.

The Forbes corruption at the Veterans' Bureau was one of the many scandals involving the Harding

administration and the Ohio Gang. [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_R._Forbes April 2015

++]

*********************************

VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ► Reported 01 thru 14 May 2015

Ann Arbor Healthcare System. A former federal employee admitted embezzling about $150,000 from a

Veterans Affairs retail store and blowing the cash on strippers, prostitutes and gambling sprees, the Justice

Department said 5 MAY. Glenn Alan Bates, 57, of Saline schemed to steal money from a VA retail store

— or canteen — he managed in Ann Arbor, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court. If

convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison. Bates, who was released on $10,000 unsecured bond Tuesday,

told investigators he spent some of the cash on a stripper named "Ashley" at an Ohio strip club, according to

court records. He said he often spent $500 a night on lap dances — and more. "After visiting the club

numerous times, Glenn Alan Bates convinced Ashley to come to his hotel room for sex, for which he paid

her," VA Special Agent Frederick Lane wrote in a court filing.

Al Bates

The hotel trysts were frequent and non-exclusive. Bates said he also met with other strippers and

prostitutes, according to court records. "Glenn Alan Bates stated he became addicted to the sexual encounters

and he stole cash from the canteen to pay for this addiction," Lane wrote. Bates was an assistant coach for

the varsity baseball team, varsity girls' basketball team and varsity football statistician, according to the Saline

Post. The Post said Bates was no longer involved with the schools "effective immediately." According to

court records, Bates told investigators he spent part of the money at casinos in Indianapolis and Battle Creek.

Bates and his court-appointed lawyer, Stacey Studnicki, could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

The investigation dates to May 2013 after an audit discovered more than $478,000 missing from the retail

store. The store is part of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System on Fuller Road. The retail stores are operated

by the Veterans Canteen Service, a VA branch catering to veterans who receive military health care benefits.

45

The canteens sell food, clothing and electronics. The VA's Office of Inspector General launched an

investigation that focused on cash missing from the sale of commemorative military hats, vending machines

and retail sales. Bates managed the store from May 2006 to March 2013. He told investigators he stole about

$150,000, according to court records. Bates was hired to manage the VA canteen despite an extensive

criminal record, The Detroit News has learned. He served 18 months in federal prison in the late 1970s after

being charged with stealing a car, according to the U.S. Pretrial Services Agency. He also was charged with

felony arson in 1992 and sentenced to probation. [Source: The Detroit News | Robert Snell | May 06, 2015

++]

o-o-O-o-o-

VA Acquisition and Logistics. The senior official for procurement at the Department of Veterans Affairs

has accused his own agency of violating federal contracting rules to the tune of at least $6 billion per year,

according to a published report. The Washington Post reported 14 MAY it had obtained a 35-page memo

sent this past March by Jan Frye, the VA's deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and logistics. In it, Frye

accuses other agency officials of "gross mismanagement" and making a "mockery" of federal laws that

require competitive billing and contracts for various acquisitions. "Doors are swung wide open for waste,

fraud, and abuse." Frye writes, according to the Post. "I can state without reservation that VA has and

continues to waste millions of dollars by paying excessive prices for goods and services due to breaches of

Federal laws." Among the improper practices Frye mentions in his memo is the use of purchase cards to pay

for billions of dollars in medical supplies without contracts. In one case, Frye says $1.2 billion worth of

prosthetics was bought over an 18-month period ending last year with cards only meant for minor purchases

worth up to $3,000.

The Post reports that Frye suggests that use of the cards is an "easy button" way of making purchases.

Ultimately, Frye says 2,000 purchase cards were issued to VA employees, not all of whom were qualified to

buy certain items. At one point, Frye says a New York supervisor used $25,000 cards to purchase more than

$50 million in prosthetics by charging increments of $24,999. Frye also says that the VA has not engaged in

competitive bidding or contracted with outside hospitals and health care providers that provide services that

the agency can not, violating federal rules emphasized by the agency's own general counsel. He adds that

similar problems affect the purchasing of medical and surgical supplies and such practices "extend back many

years." VA spokeswoman Victoria Dillon responded by telling the Post that some of the care paid for by the

agency is not covered under federal laws governing acquisitions. She also noted that the agency has increased

authorizations for outside medical care by 46 percent in the first four months of this year over the same period

last year.

In the memo, Frye says he attempted to raise purchasing issues with senior VA officials, but was ignored.

"These unlawful acts may potentially result in serious harm or death to America’s veterans," Frye writes.

"Collectively, I believe they serve to decay the entire VA health-care system." The paper reports that Frye is

scheduled to testify before the House Veterans Affairs Committee 14 MAY about his allegations of fraud

and waste in the purchasing card program. The 64-year-old is a retired Army colonel who the Post says has

overseen the VA's acquisition and logistics program since 2005. [Source: FoxNews.com | May 14, 2015

++]

·

*********************************

VA Lawsuit | DAV/VFW ► Informal Claims Process Elimination

Another coalition of veterans groups is suing the Veterans Affairs Department i over its changes to the

informal claims process, saying officials have created "a rigid and veteran-unfriendly system." Disabled

46

American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars filed suit 7 MAY in the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals,

arguing that VA's decision to end the informal claims process could prevent thousands from receiving

benefits they are owed. "Some veterans may be physically, mentally or financially unable to access the

correct forms and VA is not providing a reasonable accommodation," DAV National Service Director Jim

Marszalek said in a statement. "This creates an unfair disadvantage for many veterans and places them in a

situation where critical compensation will be denied or delayed."

Under the new system, benefits will still go back to the date of claim or appeal, but the clock starts when a

veteran files standardized VA paperwork

It's the second major lawsuit against the department on the issue since March, when VA officials

announced plans to dump the informal claims process. For years, that process had allowed veterans to use

any documentation — including handwritten letters and simple one-line notes — to initiate their benefits

claims. The loose nature of the process locked in effective dates for future payouts but also left department

officials complaining about the lack of consistent and coherent information to start work on cases. Now, VA

requires the claims process to begin with a new standardized form, made available by the department online,

by phone or for paper submission. But veterans groups have argued that move places too much of a burden

on veterans, noting that individuals filing informal claims are unfamiliar with VA resources and procedures.

Just days after the policy shift, a coalition that included the American Legion, AMVETS, the National

Veterans Legal Services Program and Vietnam Veterans of America sued to reverse the changes. The new

lawsuit follows that same goal. "Congress' intent for the VA was to create a system that would 'fully and

sympathetically develop the veteran's claim to its optimum before deciding on its merits,' " Marszalek said.

"And that is clearly not the case with this new policy." VA officials have been vague about how many

veterans could be affected by the changes. Veterans groups estimate the figure could top 100,000 claims over

the next 12 months. Department officials have dismissed criticism of the changes, arguing the new forms are

simply bookkeeping changes that will not significantly harm any veterans.

A backlog of disability claims has dogged the VA for years and while the agency has significantly reduced

the number of claims pending for more than 125 days, some critics say this has been done partly by denying

more claims and sending them to the appeals process. As more claims are closed, the appeals backlog has

been growing. VA officials have said the new system will get veterans their benefits more quickly and said

insinuating that disabled veterans cannot fill out paperwork is insulting. According to numbers the VA used

to get the rule change approved, about half of all veterans filing claims or appeals used the informal system

before the change. [Source: MilitaryTimes | Leo Shane | MAY 07, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Lawsuit | Spencer~Gene ► Phoenix VAMC Wrongful-Death

A federal lawsuit was filed when the VA rejected a wrongful-death claim for $2.5 million in damages. The

lawsuit says U.S. Army veteran Gene Spencer was at the Phoenix VA Medical Center on Oct. 5, 2012, when

a physician told him cancer had metastasized in his lungs and he should go home to prepare for the end.

47

Three days passed, according to the complaint, before the 67-year-old husband, writer, audiologist, building

contractor and dog lover used a gun to take his own life. One day after that, Spencer's wife, Shirley Fobke,

says, she received a phone call from the hospital notifying her of good news: There was an error in the

diagnosis, and Spencer was not about to die.

Shirley Fobke holds a photo taken on the day she married Army veteran Gene Spencer in 1997.

Those are the key allegations in a wrongful-death action filed 30 APR with the U.S. District Court in

Phoenix, seeking damages from the VA on behalf of Spencer's widow. "As a result of the misdiagnosis," says

the suit, "Shirley Fobke suffered and will continue to suffer emotional and economic injury, lost wages, lost

opportunity for financial gain, future earning capacity, loss of consortium, loss of love and affection. ..." In

a recent interview with The Arizona Republic, Fobke said her husband was "a big-hearted, loving, caring

man who was very charismatic. ... It just wasn't right. He deserved better than what they did to him." Because

of the litigation, officials at the Phoenix VA Health Care System declined to comment except to offer

condolences.

The circumstances leading to Spencer's death are listed antiseptically in the court complaint, but the

impact is described with anguished detail in an earlier letter of claim submitted to the VA hospital. According

to that letter, the alleged misdiagnosis was one of many failures Spencer experienced in a VA health-care

system that has been under fire for the past year over mismanagement, delayed care and falsified records.

The claim letter, written on Fobke's behalf by former U.S. Attorney Jose de Jesus Rivera, contains an intimate

account of Spencer's life, loves and accomplishments. Spencer was a Phoenix native who graduated from

Central High School, earned a bachelor's degree at Arizona State University and a master's degree in

audiology at the University of Arizona. He was drafted into the Army medical corps in 1968 and served two

years. The claim letter portrays Spencer as a passionate and devoted husband who "wrote his wife a love

letter or poem almost every day," adding, "Shirley adored and saved every love note."

During her interview, Fobke said the messages live on as reminders: "I'll open a book and find one of his

little notes for me. He'd call me the perfect wife. I know I'm not perfect. But for him I was, and he was for

me." Spencer worked as an audiologist on Arizona American Indian reservations in his first career, then

became a Phoenix construction contractor. The claim letter says he and his brother, Charles, erected more

than 3,500 buildings statewide, including the original 5 & Diner restaurant in Phoenix and an Arizona Public

Service Co. building in Scottsdale. The legal papers say Spencer was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2010

and had a life expectancy of five to six years with proper treatment. While undergoing treatment, the claim

alleges, Spencer received "too much radiation that caused lung problems and his immune system to be

deficient." The letter says Fobke struggled to schedule doctor visits, and Spencer repeatedly wound up in the

emergency room at Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center because no appointment slots were open.

In 2011, Fobke said, the colon problems became so agonizing that Spencer tried to walk into a VA pain

clinic but was sent home because he didn't have a referral from his primary-care doctor. "He was curled up

in the fetal position in the backyard," she recalled, "and he had a gun with him." Fobke said her husband had

been given a prognosis of three to five years, so they drew up a bucket list. By 2012, the big dream was a

vacation together in Hawaii. Just one day before the planned trip, Spencer was admitted to the VA medical

48

center with shortness of breath. During a procedure to remove excess fluids, the claim letter says, a surgeon

punctured Spencer's lung, "allowing fluid to flow into the lung." The doctor allegedly informed Spencer that

he "made a mistake" and would have to perform a second operation, according to the legal claim.

One day later, the letter says, Spencer and Fobke were advised that adenocarcinoma had metastasized in

Spencer's lungs and "nothing more would be done in the way of treatment. ... (The doctor) told them to go

home and get his final affairs in order. At best, Gene would have a few weeks to live." "He was in pain that

entire weekend," Fobke recalled during her interview. "He kept apologizing because he thought we had so

much more time, and he was leaving me with a Great Dane puppy." Fobke said her husband had witnessed a

friend's suffering from terminal cancer. He chose a different path on Oct. 8, 2012: "When I came home from

an errand, the front door was wide open," Fobke recalled, weeping. "I called for him. I looked down the hall,

and there was a bloodstain." Fobke said she dialed 911 and later notified the VA hospital that her husband

would not make his next chemotherapy appointment because he was deceased. One day passed, Fobke said,

and the surgeon called to say, "'Mrs. Spencer, I have such great news for you. ... That fluid around the lungs

is not cancer.' I said, 'Well, if you looked at your files you'd know he died yesterday.'"

Fobke's claim letter, sent to the VA in July, sought $2.5 million. It was denied. Legal experts say

wrongful-death complaints based on suicide are difficult because the deceased person caused his or her own

demise, and other parties usually could not foresee that outcome. However, some malpractice claims have

succeeded, especially in mental-health cases, where suicide was a predictable outcome of negligence.

Plaintiffs in some states may also successfully argue liability by asserting that medical malpractice produced

an "uncontrolled impulse" resulting in suicide. The legal claim filed on Fobke's behalf says of Spencer, "He

was not going to die. ... This negligent conduct by the doctors proximately caused an insanity that made it

impossible for Gene to resist the impulse to end his own life." Colin Dunn, a Chicago attorney who has

written on the topic, said courts are unlikely to hold doctors liable for suicide if they could not have foreseen

the outcome. "That, to me, is a tougher case," he said. "A court would have a hard time going that far."

[Source: The Republic | Dennis Wagner | May 10, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Disputed Claims Update 17 ► Robert Pressley Insists he is Not Dead

A North Carolina veteran very much alive is fighting for his life following a clerical error that resulted in his

family getting a document from the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense stating he had died. The

notices, along with the government's condolences, came with two checks to help pay for his burial costs. But

now, because the system says he is deceased, his other benefits reportedly have been terminated. Pressley,

who supports a small family and is unable to work due to combat-related injuries, cannot afford to lose his

benefits, he told WECT-TV. “To prove that I am alive is just insane and it scares me to death,” he said. “That

at a touch of a button or because of someone’s clerical error my whole life can be taken away from me and

it is.”

Pressley also claims duplicate letters were sent to his ex-wife, even though he told the VA multiple times

he was divorced and has since remarried. “I mean, what do I do?” Pressley asked, according WECT-TV. “I

am not getting any answers, I am not getting any help. I am scared.” Complicating matters is the practice of

the Social Security Administration, which does not verify the death reports it receives from multiple sources,

including state vital records agencies and seven federal agencies. The VA, the Internal Revenue Service and

the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation are among the agencies that report deaths to the SSA. According

to a March GAO report, errors forced the SSA to delete nearly 8,200 deaths from its death data between

February 2012 and January 2013. Though it’s difficult to determine exactly how many incorrect death notices

have been sent via the VA, Pressley’s case does not seem to be unique.

49

In January, disabled Army veteran James Fales received a similar letter. In it, the VA extended its “deepest

sympathy” to his wife Dorothea Fales. James Fales, who, like Pressley, opened the letter himself, told KFSM

–TV, “When you're pronounced dead, and you are the one opening the letter, it isn't really a bad thing.” Fales,

a retired sergeant, receives treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and an ankle injury at the Veterans

Health Care System of the Ozarks in Arkansas. His condolence letter was dated Jan. 8, 2015, but Fales said

he got a call from the VA hospital seven days later asking for a follow-up doctor’s appointment. In Fales’

case, the VA in Arkansas apologized for the error and issued a public statement to veterans that the agency

was working on fixing the mistake. The VA told FoxNews.com it is trying to determine what happened in

Pressley's case and correct the error.

Randy Noller, a spokesman for the VA, told FoxNews.com, “(The VA) is committed to providing all

eligible veterans, service members and survivors with their earned care and benefits. VA also takes seriously

its obligation to properly safeguard any personal information within our possession. Without a privacy waiver

from the veteran, we are very restricted by privacy laws and policies in what we can provide at this time."

[Source: ·FoxNews.com | May 08, 2015 ++]

********************************

VAMC Tomah Update 07 ► Senate Subpoena’s VA OIG Records

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Chairman Ron Johnson (R-WI) issued his first

subpoena 29 APR demanding the Veterans Affairs inspector general turn over records related to an

investigation of treatment at the VA medical center in Tomah, Wis. The committee's top Democrat, Sen.

Tom Carper of Delaware, signed off on the subpoena demanding the records by 13 MAY.b The inspector

general conducted a 2-1/2 year probe of opiate prescription rates and a culture of fear and retaliation at the

Tomah facility but did not publicly release the findings last year. Five months later, Marine Corps veteran

Jason Simcakoski, 35, died from mixed drug toxicity as an inpatient at Tomah, days after doctors agreed to

add another opiate to the 14 other drugs he was prescribed.

Sen. Ron Johnsonspeaks during a joint hearing of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Committee and the Veterans' Affairs Committee on March 31, 2015, in Tomah, Wis.

Interim VA Inspector General Richard Griffin has refused for months to give the investigative documents

to Johnson's committee, saying they contain information that cannot be turned over under federal privacy

laws, including the identities of witnesses and veteran medical records. Johnson accused Griffin of

stonewalling. "My staff has bent over backwards, being supportive in just really giving the IG every

opportunity — to redact names, I mean we're not looking for personal information here," he said. "We just

need enough information so we can draw conclusions so we know what we're looking at, and they just haven't

done it." A spokeswoman for Griffin did not say 30 APR if he would comply with the subpoena but forwarded

a letter he sent to Johnson last week indicating that he would allow Johnson's committee or staff members to

50

privately review some of the documents. "We have been working with the Committee since February 2015

to provide them with responsive documents, while balancing our obligation to protect sensitive information,"

spokeswoman Joanne Moffet said.

Johnson's office has been reviewing what happened in Tomah since news reports in January revealed

publicly for the first time the existence of the inspector general's probe, its findings, and Simcakoski's death.

The probe found "unusually high" opiate prescription rates at Tomah and that pharmacists had left the facility

citing concerns about it, but the inspector still concluded there was no evidence of wrongdoing. Johnson

wants to determine how he reached that conclusion and hopes the investigative file the committee is seeking

with the subpoena will help. It may also include other issues that need to be addressed. The committee held

a field hearing in Tomah in March, where whistle-blowers and family members of veterans who died after

treatment at the Tomah VA testified the facility has for years been a hotbed of dysfunction and

mismanagement to the detriment and possibly death of veteran patients.

Johnson said in the past three months, his office has been inundated with at least 50 whistle-blowers from

Wisconsin alone who have helped substantiate those claims and others. "My guess is when all is said and

done, we'll probably have all the facts and we'll probably issue some kind of report," he said. Multiple

investigations are pending in Tomah, including by the VA, the inspector general and the Drug Enforcement

Administration. [Source: USA TODAY | Donovan Slack | April 30, 2015 ++]

********************************

VAMC Aurora Update 09 ► VA OIG Lack of Oversight

From 2010 through 2014, the internal watchdog at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued more than

1,500 reports on the sprawling federal agency — each intended to investigate, improve or fact-check the VA.

But not a single one focused on the agency's unfinished hospital in Aurora, a $1.73 billion project that has

obliterated its initial $328 million estimate by $1.4 billion and led one member of Congress to call it the

biggest construction failure in VA history. The lack of oversight comes in spite of the fact that the VA Office

of Inspector General — which has an annual budget of about $126 million — has two units in Denver that

conduct criminal investigations and do health care inspections. The absence of an inquiry from the OIG also

follows years of warnings about rising costs. Congress took notice as far back as 2006, and another federal

watchdog, the Government Accountability Office, sounded the alarm as early as 2009. And, on at least two

occasions, federal lawmakers asked the OIG to take a look at the Aurora project and were rebuffed.

An aerial photo Friday shows the construction site of the new VA hospital.

51

According to OIG officials and letters between Congress and that office, the watchdog group refused to

investigate the construction effort because of a legal battle between the VA and the project's prime contractor,

Kiewit-Turner that began in July 2013. Responding to an August 2013 request for an investigation from U.S.

Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Aurora, a top OIG official wrote that it would be "inappropriate for the OIG to review

this matter at this time" and that the office's involvement would be "duplicative." The OIG took a similar

tack after U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in April 2014 also asked for an investigation. OIG officials began an

inquiry — then stopped — because of concerns about interfering in the legal fight between the VA and

Kiewit-Turner that was ongoing in the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals.

That the OIG declined to investigate the Aurora project because of a court battle is not unusual, said two

other inspectors general. But if the OIG had gone forward anyway, that kind of action would be neither

unprecedented nor prohibited. And federal lawmakers said a lack of oversight from the VA inspector general

is yet another reason the cost of the Aurora hospital spiraled out of control. "A report from that office could

have put the kind of pressure we needed on the VA to start listening to the rest of the world about the problems

with the project," Bennet said in a statement. The Colorado Democrat also said the VA itself was to blame

for pursuing a "winner-take-all legal strategy" in its fight with Kiewit-Turner, as it "caused longer delays

while the overruns increased, costing taxpayers more money." With that case settled — against the VA —

in December, OIG spokeswoman Joanne Moffett said the office would take a look. "We are in the planning

stage of an audit of the Denver construction project," she wrote. But members of Congress said the effort

would be too little, too late. The VA already has admitted it would cost $1.73 billion to build the hospital,

with an additional $340 million to fill it with furniture, hospital beds and other medical equipment.

Critics say the OIG should have looked at the project long before the case was settled — either when

Colorado lawmakers made the request in 2013 and 2014 or when other warnings popped up. As a member

of the House veterans committee, Coffman requested an investigation of the Aurora project in 2013 and

specifically sought accountability for the problems. "We request you identify the officials in the VA who

should be held accountable for the project's many shortfalls," according to the letter from Coffman and fellow

lawmaker U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., when the project was only $200 million over budget. The

letter to George Opfer, then the VA inspector general, identified four other specific requests: side-by-side

comparisons of the before-and-after budgets on the project; a breakdown of change orders that caused the

overruns; payments owed and made to contractor Kiewit-Turner for subcontracts; and the name and title of

any VA official with authority to approve project decisions.

The committee got none of that. Instead, it got a letter from deputy inspector general Richard Griffin, who

wrote that any review would be "viewed by the VA and the contractor as interfering in the litigation" because

each party would be answering to the board as well as investigators. Griffin said his office would "monitor"

the case and "if we determine that it is appropriate for the OIG to review issues associated with this project,

we will initiate a review." Two members of the Association of Inspectors General said the actions taken by

the OIG were not uncommon. Stephen Street, president of the group and the inspector general for Louisiana,

said one concern is that an inspector general could get dragged into the legal proceedings and face the risk

that investigators could have their records subpoenaed, which would force the office to spend time defending

its independence. Still, Street said there was no "cookie-cutter approach."

Patrick Blanchard, who serves on the group's board of directors and as the inspector general of Cook

County, Ill., said pending litigation was a "relevant" factor in whether an inspector general should pursue a

case but that litigation “would never serve as an absolute bar against it." "It's a case-by-case situation," he

said. At least one top VA official wants the OIG to do more. In a letter sent last week to Congress, VA

Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson asked permission to route an extra $15 million to the inspector general to

"provide better oversight of VA operations." [Source: The Denver Post | Mark K. Matthews and David

Migoya | April 30, 2015 ++]

52

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VAMC Ashville ► Ranked No. 1 for Patient Satisfaction

Rocked by a scandal last year involving reports that thousands of veterans around the country endured

painfully long waits to get medical care — some dying while they waited — as agency employees falsified

wait times, public outrage eventually led to the resignation of VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and legislation to

reform the beleaguered agency. But amid all that darkness, there is a ray of sunshine for veterans of Western

North Carolina: Asheville's Charles George VA Medical Center. Of all VA medical centers in the nation, the

facility ranked No. 1 for patient satisfaction. And it was recently awarded a 5-Star Quality rating — the

highest possible in the VA — putting it in the top 10 percent of all VA medical centers for quality of care

and efficiency. Just how did they do it? Depends on who you ask. But a common denominator is a caring

and dedicated staff.

"The folks who work there are really committed to the veteran," said Louis Kirchhoff of Weaverville, who

spent four years in the U.S. Navy as a deep sea diver before serving two years in the inactive reserves. "The

staff has a lot to do with the fact that this little hospital keeps scoring at the top," he said. "The veterans here

are really fortunate." Kirchhoff, 73, and his wife Jackie, who spent three years in the U.S. Air Force, both

get their care at the center. Both have had medical procedures, inpatient and outpatient, including his own

aortic valve replacement. Up to this point, he said, everything has been done in a timely manner. "As soon

as it was deemed that I needed the operation, it took only two days," he said. "We have a little bit of experience

with some of the other VAs because of friends and relatives elsewhere who've had long waits and been treated

abruptly by staff. Our Asheville VA is so superior to those, we enjoy bragging about it." Davis, 69, said he's

been going to the center monthly since 2011 for a variety of conditions that left him 100 percent disabled,

and he's never experienced a long wait. Kirchhoff said the facilities are clean and up to date and always

being improved. He and his wife were so impressed with the care they get, he said, they both volunteer there.

"The moment you walk in the door, someone's trying to help you," he said. "Our little hospital really works

its rear end off to make us feel comfortable."

Mary Dickson, a master of divinity student at Gardner-Webb University who served four years in the U.S.

Air Force, said she's seen a lot of improvements at the Asheville VA in the 20 years she's been going there.

"The VA has grown, expanded in a lot of different ways in services and facilities," said the 46-year-old

Fletcher woman. "They actually have a women's health clinic now ... so there's more privacy. It used to be

more of a man's center," she added. "And mental health care's come a long way." Dickson said she suffered

post traumatic stress disorder because of military sexual trauma in addition to pain from injuries she suffered

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on her air evacuations job that resulted in a medical discharge and her coming home to WNC. “The folks

who work there are really committed to the veteran. When I first got out, if they'd had half the things they do

now, I wouldn't have had the long haul I did in between," she said. "The changes have really helped. The

staff is so much better than it used to be. They're more sincere; working there for the right reasons. "Overall,"

she said, "I'm pleased with the care I get there."

Tom Davis, a Webster man who spent more than 30 years in the U.S. Army, including in the Special

Forces in Vietnam, Bosnia and Iraq, before retiring as a full colonel in 1999, said "The people I see, I have

really good confidence in them. They bend over backward to help you … They are professional, caring,

respectful," he added. "It's just a joy to go there … I've been all over the world and in and out of medical

facilities everywhere, and I pretty well know a good facility when I see one," he said. "It has been nothing

but exceptional." Davis said that at another VA facility he used, getting support was "like being busted for

drugs in Turkey. You're in for the hassle of your life." Davis said Asheville should be used as a model for

the rest of the system. "I am the biggest cheerleader around for them," he said. "I wish they were all this

good."

Navy veteran George Davis, 68, hugs nurse Sherry McCully-Hall after his pain clinic appointment. Navy veteran

and escort volunteer Louis Kirchoff, 73, right, helps army veteran Horace Marlow, 83, get to the dental clinic.

Marlow, who has been in the hospital since March, said the VA is "top-notch." The veteran said he doesn't think

the hospital could be any nicer.

In recent years, the center has been more mindful in its hiring practices, Breyfogle said, emphasizing its

core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence. "I meet with every new employee

and talk to them about the importance of those values to us," she said, "about the importance of our patients

and their responsibility to speak up when they see things not working so we can continuously improve."

While long waits can be the rule rather than the exception at some VA health centers, Breyfogle said for the

past two years or so, at least 98 percent of veterans have been able to get an appointment with a provider

within the required 30 days. There are walk-in clinics, as well, she said.

Director Cynthia Breyfogle attributes the success to a team effort. "In the midst of all the negative stories,

I'm really proud of our staff here in Asheville ... (they) are very committed to the mission of serving America's

heroes," she said. "And our veterans appreciate being treated with respect," she said. "It's our honor to take

care of them and provide them the care they have earned and deserve." Taking veterans' concerns to heart

also plays a role, she said. "We have a lot of different forums ... where we sit around and talk and can hear

directly what their issues are," she said. "We get a lot of compliments. But they also tell us where they run

into issues." That information is used to improve services, she said. For example, Breyfogle said,

Veterans have expressed frustration with the facility's phone system. "We get about 45,000 calls a

month into the medical center through the main switchboard," she said. "Every morning, we monitor

what percentage of calls are dropped and the average wait time. That's helped us identify if we're

having a problem in a certain clinic, and we place additional staff there." A staff member also

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developed an electronic call box that routes the call to the team member most likely to respond,

whether that's a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or social worker.

Parking was another concern, she said. So the hospital added parking spaces while preserving green

space and contracted with a valet service.

It has all helped to alleviate problems, she said.

So why are there problems at other VAs? Breyfogle said with the recent wars overseas, some haven't

been able to stay ahead of the influx of veterans needing care. "We've grown in Asheville at a steady rate of

about 3 to 5 percent a year, and that's something you can keep up with," she said. "Some others have grown

at a much faster rate, like those at military bases, with veterans returning." The medical center has also been

able to add staff, for example, going from 86 to 165 mental health providers since she arrived in 2010. That's

been important, she said, because multiple deployments have led to increased need for mental health services.

While the center can always use more funding, which is allocated system-wide using a methodology based

on the number and complexity of patients, it has sufficient funds to provide care, she said. Though thrilled

with the high rating, Breyfogle said there is still room for improvement. So along with talking to vets, she

asks staff if they have what they need to do their jobs and addresses any concerns they may have.

Some 38,500 veterans from 20 counties in Western North Carolina receive care at the Charles George VA

Medical Center. Its original mission, set in 1922, was to treat tuberculosis patients from the U.S. Public

Health Services, according to the VA. As its scope of care changed, it was designated a general medical and

surgical hospital in 1961. It was named for PFC Charles George, a member of the Eastern Band of the

Cherokee Nation from Cherokee, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for outstanding

courage above and beyond the call of duty during the Korean War. Today, the center encompasses a 119-bed

acute care hospital, including a 16-bed inpatient psychiatric unit and two intensive care units, a Community

Living Center with 120 beds, and 18 beds in its residential substance abuse treatment program. It runs one of

the oldest open-heart surgery programs in the VA system and is a teaching hospital affiliated with colleges,

universities and the Department of the Navy for training allied health professionals. It also has community-

based outpatient clinics as well as a home-based primary care program and telehealth services. Given a 3-

Star rating in 2013, it improved to a 4-Star rating last year before reaching 5 Stars this year. [Source: Citizen-

Times | Liv Osby | May 1, 2015 ++]

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VAMC Hines Update 03 ► OIG Report Allegedly Too Limited in Scope

A former cardiologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs is accusing the agency's chief watchdog of

conducting only a limited probe of allegations that care at a VA hospital outside Chicago is grossly

mismanaged, leaving veterans at continued risk of harm or death. Dr. Lisa Nee said the VA inspector general

completed an investigation of the Hines, Ill., VA hospital last year that failed to determine why doctors were

performing unnecessary cardiac procedures on veterans — whether doctors were doing the procedures and

falsifying other records to secure bonuses, or if delays in reading echocardiograms left heart conditions

untreated to the point where veterans died or worsened to inoperable. "Their investigation was for show,

that's how I would put it," said Nee, who worked at Hines from 2011 to 2013. "It was something that they

could write a report on and check a box, but it wasn't a true investigation."

Nee, 48, took her concerns to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, which reviews whistleblower claims.

The OSC determined last fall that they had merit and directed VA Secretary Robert McDonald to investigate

Hines further. Nee joins a growing chorus of critics of interim Inspector General Richard Griffin, who has

been under fire for failing to issue public reports before closing 140 veteran health care investigations since

2006, including a probe last year that found unusually high opiate prescription rates at a VA facility in Tomah,

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Wis. Five months after the case was closed without a public report, 35-year-old Marine Corps veteran Jason

Simcakoski died from mixed drug toxicity as an inpatient at Tomah. A spokeswoman for Griffin defended

the probe of cardiology at the Hines VA, saying the OSC did not have all the facts when it made its

determination.

Spokeswoman Catherine Gromek said the investigation was thorough, involved 10 outside cardiologists,

and concluded in a public report in April 2014 that doctors had in fact performed unnecessary procedures,

including two bypass surgeries. "Our report has led to significant changes in the provision of cardiology and

cardiac surgeries to veterans at this facility," she said. Gromek confirmed inspectors did not look into why

the unnecessary procedures were performed. She said that is up to the facility to figure out. And she said the

investigators didn't examine whether patients were harmed by the echocardiogram delays because they

believed VA officials were aware of the problem and taking care of it. She said investigators didn't examine

whether doctors falsified data because they had insufficient information at the time.

Nee, who provided the tip that started the probe, said that isn't true. She is speaking publicly for the first

time about her concerns because she hopes public pressure will force the VA to hold Hines' doctors and

leadership accountable and the VA Office of Inspector General to be more thorough in its investigations at

VA facilities across the country. "You have multimillion-dollar offices, collectively with thousands of

employees who really are not functioning to the best interests of the vet, and the person at the front line,

though, is the OIG," Nee said. "They are the investigatory arm, and they have failed time and time again."

Griffin issued a report last year on falsified patient wait times in Phoenix that drew criticism from Congress

because it did not conclude they contributed to veteran deaths. He later conceded under questioning at a

congressional hearing that they had.

The inspector general at the Treasury Department recently took the unusual step of questioning Griffin's

integrity on a contracting probe. And last week, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) expressed frustration that the

VA inspector general failed to investigate hundreds of millions of dollars of construction cost overruns on a

VA facility in Aurora, Colo., because a lawsuit was pending. After his report on opiates at the Tomah VA

Medical Center in Wisconsin became public earlier this year, both senators from that state, Republican Ron

Johnson and Democrat Tammy Baldwin, wrote to President Obama asking him to appoint a permanent VA

inspector general. Griffin has been interim inspector general since December 2013, when the last inspector

general stepped down. White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz has said he doesn't know the

president's plans, but he believes Obama respects and admires the work of inspectors general throughout the

government. Gromek, Griffin's spokeswoman, said the VA inspector general's office is one of the most

productive among inspectors general assigned as internal watchdogs at agencies across the federal

government. She referred to a recent Brookings Institution report that found Griffin's office recovered or

saved $38 for every $1 it received in taxpayer dollars.

Nee started work in January 2011 at the Hines hospital, a 471-bed facility 12 miles west of downtown

Chicago that, along with six affiliated community clinics, services more than 40,000 veterans each year. Nee

said she discovered a backlog of echocardiograms that had not been read for months. She said she found

patients had died or their conditions had worsened since the tests were taken. In one case, Nee said a patient

with heart failure was admitted to Hines in 2013, and providers discovered an echocardiogram had been

performed on the patient in 2006 but had never been read. It showed moderate leakage in a heart valve that

could have been corrected by surgery. But by 2013, Nee said his undiagnosed condition had grown

inoperable. She said she also found Hines providers were taking credit for procedures they hadn't performed,

and implanting cardiac stents and performing bypass surgeries in patients who didn't need them. Nee believed

they were trying to increase their productivity, which can bring higher pay and bonuses.

She took her concerns to management at the hospital, then to VA regional managers. Nee said she was

told the problems would be addressed with then-hospital director Sharon Helman. Helman later transferred

56

to the Phoenix VA, where she presided during the wait-time manipulation scandal that led to the resignation

of former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. Helman was fired last year. Nee also brought her concerns to the

inspector general's office, via a union representative intermediary. The concerns were described in documents

that included a list of more than three-dozen patients potentially harmed. The inspector general's office

launched a probe after learning about the allegations in February 2013 and concluded that in six of seven

bypass cases it reviewed, Hines providers had overestimated blockages of arteries leading to the surgeries.

And they found the same overestimation of blockages in 10 of 16 cases they reviewed of cardiac

catheterization — where catheters are threaded through arteries and used to place stents or perform

angioplasty to widen arteries.

Griffin's investigators recommended that hospital management ensure that cardiac providers "adhere to

accepted standards of care" going forward, but they didn't require that the patients whose cases they reviewed

be notified, look for more past cases or determine why the overestimations were occurring. They also didn't

investigate Nee's assertions that providers were doing it deliberately to boost production scores. They looked

at echocardiogram delays and found no backlog. Nee said she had cleared the backlog by then. But they didn't

investigate whether the previous backlog harmed patients, including several named in the packet Nee had

transmitted.

Gromek, the spokeswoman for the inspector general, said investigators did not look at whether providers

were improperly trying to boost their production because they didn't have "credible, specific allegations."

She said they didn't know at the time that the packet of information they received from the union

representative came from a cardiologist — Nee. And she said Nee refused to be interviewed by investigators.

Gromek said the Office of Special Counsel, which directed further investigation of Nee's allegations, didn't

know at the time that Nee had not provided information directly to investigators. When asked about the

echocardiogram delays, Gromek first said inspectors "did not have specific information about patients alleged

to be adversely affected." But when pressed she reversed herself, saying "we did receive patient names."

Gromek said investigators did not then review their delayed echocardiogram readings because VA officials

were aware of the backlog and "working on it."

Gromek said the inspector is now looking into current backlogs of echocardiograms at the facility and

their quality, and is monitoring Hines reviews by VA officials. VA officials said last month an investigation

was ongoing. VA spokesman James Hutton on 5 MAY declined to elaborate on the status of the probe. "VA

is preparing a response to the Office of the Special Counsel and cannot provide details at this time," he said.

Nee said she declined to be interviewed by investigators from the inspector general's office because she was

scared of violating privacy laws by sharing patient information. She determined the best way around that was

to use the union representative as an intermediary. She is frustrated her allegations have been sent back to

the VA to investigate. "You can't take those allegations and not investigate them with a fine-tooth comb,"

she said. "You can't just say, 'Well, we'll send this back to VA.' Those cases shouldn't be sent back to the

administration who refused to look at it the first time."

Nee said she quit her job at Hines after management retaliated against her for speaking out. She said

managers forced her to work in an asbestos-laden office during abatement, even though others were allowed

to move. She said they resisted giving her family leave during a pregnancy, and they repeatedly removed her

computer from her office, hindering her ability to work. She now works as a part-time health care consultant

while raising her young children. The union representative who helped transmit her allegations to the

inspector general, Germaine Clarno, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 781

that represents Hines workers, said it was clear to investigators the information she provided was from Nee.

She said that in addition, other providers at Hines conveyed similar allegations to investigators.

Clarno worries that no one at Hines has been held accountable, and she believes patients are still being

harmed. She continues to receive reports from workers saying the problems are ongoing, despite the

57

monitoring of VA response by the inspector general. "This is the agency we're supposed to trust to investigate

on behalf of our veterans," Clarno said. "I have no faith in them. None. They're part of the whitewash, they're

part of the cover-up. It's the VA watching out for themselves." [Source: USA TODAYs | Donovan Slack |

May 05, 2015 ++]

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VAMC Wilmington Update 02 ► IG Report Results Needed to Restore Trust

Delaware's congressional delegation wants to see the long-awaited inspector general report on the

Wilmington VA hospital and restoration of the facility's intermediate-level surgical status, and has asked the

VA secretary to "allocate the necessary resources" for both. In a letter sent last 8 MAY and confirmed

Tuesday as received, Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, and Rep. John Carney said a "full and timely

explanation" of the wait time issues at Wilmington - first investigated last summer in the wake of the wait

time scandal that broke in April at the Phoenix VA Medical Center - is needed "in order to restore the trust

of Delaware veterans and taxpayers." The legislators also expressed concern over the hospital's September

2014 self-imposed downgrade from intermediate to standard surgical capability, which is imposing an

"unnecessary burden" on Delaware veterans, they said. Veterans requiring much more than eye, ear, nose

and throat surgery, they said, are forced to go to either the Philadelphia VA hospital or a non-VA facility.

Rep. John Carney, Sen. Tom Carper and Sen. Chris Coons

The letter follows up an 20 APR letter the trio sent to Wilmington VA Medical Center Director Robin

Aube-Warren that demanded explanations for what the legislators called "unacceptable" wait times at the

hospital and its two outpatient clinics in Delaware (it manages another three such clinics in New Jersey), for

reports that it had engaged in retaliation against certain staff members and that a "medically inappropriate

prescription" was issued on at least one occasion. The hospital's response, which the legislators provided to

The News Journal, appeared to acknowledge the reassignment of medical professionals to administrative

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work during investigations. Aube-Warren acknowledged that an investigation was underway into the

prescription issue, but denied that any retaliation against whistleblowers had taken place during her tenure.

Carper subsequently signed off on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's

subpoena for VA records that are part of an investigation into opiate prescription rates at the VA medical

center in Tomah, Wisconsin. 13 MAY is the deadline for compliance. Carper is the committee's leading

Democrat. In last week's letter, the three legislators asked VA Secretary Robert McDonald to provide what's

needed "to resolve all pending" IG investigations around the country - many of which remain unpublished.

Nearly 100 new investigations into schedule manipulation and patient care issues were launched after the

first Phoenix reports. Once the IG report is released, they said, "We urge you to swiftly implement any

corrective action plans that may be necessary based upon the OIG's findings and recommendations." [Source:

The News Journal | William H. McMichael | May 13, 2015 ++]

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VA HCS FL/GA Update 01 ► Vet Council Wants Leadership Removed

“Nowhere have the problems in the Veterans Health Administration been more pronounced than here in

Northeast Florida,” council chairman Bill Dudley read from the petition calling for the pair’s ouster. “Duval

County’s clinic has been identified as having some of the longest wait times in the country, St. Johns County

has experienced total incompetence from the department in finding a suitable location for its community

based outpatient clinic, with the result being the squandering of millions of dollars in taxpayer money and

damage to the local economy. “At the center of this controversy are two names: Nick Ross and Thomas

Wisnieski.” Wisnieski and Ross oversee every Veterans Health Administration facility in the region,

including the Jacksonville and St. Augustine clinics.

For St. Johns County in particular, the breaking point with Ross and Wisnieski came after the VA’s

inability to relocate the county’s only VA clinic after receiving 3½ years’ notice from the county. Notified

in October of 2011 that the property on which the clinic sits would be sold to Lowe’s, all other county offices

once located at the complex have since moved. Not the VA clinic. The result was a deal that had to be reached

between Lowe’s, the county and the VA in which the VA agreed to pay fines of $64,000 per month for the

first six months it remains at the old site. If not in a new home by the end of September, the fines increase to

$100,000 per month. During the three-plus-year saga, St. Johns County contacted the VA numerous times in

an attempt to speed the process along, according to county records obtained by the Times-Union. “This has

been the most frustrating process I’ve ever been through with government, and I’ve been through a lot of

them,” Jerry Cameron, St. Johns County’s assistant administrator, told the Times-Union in March. “The VA

has raised every issue except the welfare of the veteran.”

Bill Dudley Thomas Wisnieski Nicklous J Ross

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Chairman of the St. Johns County Veterans Council Bill Dudley speaks during the group's meeting

in St. Augustine 30 APR. The Council is asking for the removal of VA’ HCS director Weinski and

Assistant Director Ross.

The whole process began when St. Johns County sent a letter to the VA in October 2011, notifying it of

the impending sale. Mark Miner was chairman of the St. Johns County Commission at the time. Miner

displayed three sheets of paper to all attendees 30 April. The first broke down the timeline of events showing

increasing concern on the part of the county as officials reached out to the VA time and again. The second

compared the timelines of the construction of the Empire State Building and America’s involvement in World

War II. Both took less time than the VA has had to build or lease another facility in St. Johns County. The

third display summarized 16 articles and editorials from the St. Augustine Record and its sister paper, The

Florida Times-Union, documenting the story.

“The St. Augustine clinic, the wait times in Jacksonville, the nepotism in Gainesville, anyone of these

issues by themselves would represent glaring failures in leadership and mismanagement,” Miner said. “When

looking at the Northeast Florida region and these issues holistically, it’s hard to believe that this is reality.

“But we want to make an important distinction between the public servants in our clinic who work very hard

to take care of our veterans, and the administrative leadership of our region who are failing by every possible

metric.” The council, whose membership is made up of leaders from various veterans organizations, will

send its petition signed by hundreds of veterans to President Barack Obama, VA Secretary Robert McDonald,

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, as well as U.S. representatives Ander Crenshaw, Ted Yoho,

Corrine Brown and Ron DeSantis. However, the chances of Wisnieski or Ross’ departure from Gainesville

remain unclear.

Wisnieski has been with the VA for over 30 years. As a member of the senior executive service, making

over $164,000 per year, he could be let go or demoted under the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability

Act passed last year. The bill authorized the VA to fire or demote members of the senior executive service

only and provided for an expedited process. Ross, a GS-14 level employee, who made over $120,000 with

salary and bonuses last year, would not be eligible to be fired under the act. Ross was the VA’s point man

for the St. Augustine project and is the target for the ire of the local veteran community. However, Rubio,

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)

announced 30 APR a new bill to give the VA secretary the authority to fire or demote any employee for

misconduct or under-performance. Sponsors of the bill underscored the lack of VA accountability following

last year’s wait-time manipulation scandal. “Of the eight employees VA actually tried to discipline, two

received temporary written warnings, three received short suspensions, one was allowed to retire, one was

fired for receiving “inappropriate gifts” – not wait time issues – and one’s disciplinary action is pending,”

the group said in a joint press release. The lack of firings after a national scandal would seem to make long

odds for the removal of Wisnieski and Ross. [Source: The Florida Times Union | Clifford Davis | April 30,

2015 ++]

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VA HCS Caribbean ► Whistleblowers Threatened with $20,000 Fine

Officials managing the Department of Veteran's Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System this month began

threatening employees who leak information to outsiders with a $20,000 fine while also pressuring the Office

of the Inspector General to identify workers who previously leaked documents showing evidence of

widespread wrongdoing in the facility. Announcements of the threatened fine say nothing about the right of

federal workers who become aware of workplace wrongdoing to report it to superiors, to the inspector general

of their department or agency, or to Congress. "As discussed in this morning's service chiefs meeting with

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the director, this is the statement that should be included on all pertinent documents," an 22 APR email to the

facility's managers said. "'These documents or records, or information contained herein, which resulted from

[HCS Programs], are confidential and privileged under the provisions of 38 USC 5705 and its implementing

regulations. This material cannot be disclosed to anyone without authorization so provided for by that

law...Note: This statute provides for fines up to $20,000 for unauthorized disclosures.'"

The Washington Examiner had reported days before that a patient in the facility had died after a consulting

doctor performed an unnecessary procedure without authorization from the primary physician. The

consulting doctor also allowed his wife, a medical trainee who he was supervising, to participate in the

procedure to get experience in it. Previously, the Examiner reported that the hospital's director, DeWayne

Hamlin, had been arrested in Florida with painkillers and tried to have a low-level employee fired after that

employee notified supervisors in Washington of the arrest. When an investigator said her review found that

the whistleblower did nothing wrong, Hamlin ordered that the investigator be fired.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald has said he encourages employees to become whistleblowers.

But the department's other top executives oppose a bill from a House committee designed to protect

whistleblowers from retaliation. "Employees who step forward to raise concerns have a direct bearing on the

Veteran outcomes we deliver. As VA transforms and improves the care and services we provide each day,

we know there is no better source of ideas for improvement than from our employees," said Linda West, a

spokesman for the veterans department. "While VA is committed to transparency and protection of

whistleblowers, all employees have a duty to abide 38 USC 5705 and any other federal regulations, with

regard to disclosure of protected and/or confidential information," she said.

On 21 APR, Nahir Llaurador, an information manager at the Puerto Rico hospital, created a "ticket" asking

another hospital office to find out how "information was released to a press reporter." That department

responded: "Mitigation/Corrective Action: Although the article contained information which resembled

investigative QM documents, we are unable to narrow down source for release of information to the media.

Due to the sensitive nature of information used in the Washington Examiner article, further investigation by

OIG recommended to prevent future disclosures and restore confidentiality to QM activities." OIG stands for

the Office of the Inspector General. QM stands for Quality Management. The documents behind the

Examiner's story contained no private medical information or patient names, but rather detailed how the

consulting doctor was found by his colleagues to have made serious errors, yet faced little discipline. The

inspector general's office said it had not yet received a request from the Puerto Rico hospital. A spokesman

for the hospital did not respond to an Examiner request for comment.

The Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General is the department's internal watchdog, and it relies

on tips from employees to investigate wrongdoing. But it has long been operating with the top investigator

job vacant, and it has frequently been criticized in recent years for bungling probes and for even helping

managers retaliate against whistleblowing employees. In one such case reported earlier this year by the

Examiner, armed inspector general office agents entered an accused employee's home and sought to file

criminal charges against another. The VA Caribbean Healthcare System provides services to a population

of 150,000 Veterans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. [Source: Washington Examiner | Luke

Rosiak | April 30, 2015 ++]

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VA HCS Phoenix Update 17 ► Fired Director Sues to Get job Back

The former Phoenix VA Health Care System director is suing in federal court to get her job back, but the

Department of Veterans Affairs argues that she will have to overcome a law written specifically to bar such

appeals. In a one-page petition, Sharon Helman's attorneys asked the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington,

61

D.C., to review an administrative-law judge's decision that upheld Helman's firing. Neither that filing nor

follow-up materials in the court docket explain the grounds for her appeal. However, a response filed 27 APR

by the VA argues that the request should be thrown out. It says the Veterans Access, Choice and

Accountability Act of 2014 was drafted by Congress in part to expedite the firing of VA executives for

misconduct or negligence, and includes a provision that chief administrative judge rulings are "final and shall

not be subject to any further appeal."

Sharon Helman, medical center director, reacts to allegations during an interview at the Phoenix VA Medical

Center in Phoenix on April 22, 2014. Helman, who was fired from her job as head of the VA health center, is

suing to get her job back.

The VA also contends that, even if the court ignores that provision of law and accepts the case, Helman's

appeal is moot because it was filed after a 60-day deadline imposed by statute. In an email statement, Rep.

Jeff (R-FL), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, wrote: "I think Sharon Helman's

arguments will be about as successful in a court of law as they were in the court of public opinion.

Nevertheless, I still have serious concerns about the overwhelming lack of accountability at VA in the wake

of the biggest scandal in the department's history." In response to inquiries, a VA spokeswoman noted that,

since last June, 91% of the department's medical facilities have new leaders or leadership teams. Helman has

rejected interview requests since she was suspended last May amid a nationwide VA health-care controversy.

Her attorney, Debra Roth, did not respond to email or phone messages Tuesday.

Helman became a central figure in the veterans' health-care crisis after physicians and patients at the Carl

T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix complained about delayed appointments and a fraudulent record-

keeping system. Helman and two other Phoenix administrators — Associate Director Lance Robinson and

Health Administration Systems chief Brad Curry — were placed on administrative leave a year ago pending

investigations. The VA Office of Inspector General ultimately found that the Phoenix VA hospital, and at

least 109 other veterans health-care facilities, were providing untimely care and manipulating appointment

data. The report concluded that Helman, who was paid $169,000 a year plus bonuses, knew of falsified

statistics and received extra pay based on performance evaluations touting those numbers. The VA has sought

to retrieve a $9,080 bonus received in 2014. Helman is contesting that action as well in a separate

administrative case that has not concluded.

Meanwhile, Helman was subjected to an internal investigation and fired on 24 NOV for lack of oversight,

whistleblower retaliation and failure to report gifts. Helman appealed that decision to the Merit Systems

Protection Board, claiming her due-process rights were violated and disputing the allegations. In December,

Chief Administrative Judge Stephen Mish threw out most charges against Helman related to fraudulent wait

times and whistleblower reprisal, saying they were based on unproven hearsay. In a news release at the time,

Helman's lawyers said VA officials used their client as a scapegoat. "Sharon Helman did not kill veterans,"

62

they wrote. "Sharon Helman did not manipulate wait-time data. The VA's preferred story line has been proven

a fabrication ..." However, in that same ruling, Mish upheld Helman's termination based upon inappropriate

gifts.

The feud over Helman's fate is part of a larger, national controversy about the VA's ability to hold

employees accountable for misconduct. Members of Congress have hammered VA Secretary Robert

McDonald for months about the failure to fire corrupt and incompetent employees. The passage of more than

a year without disciplinary decisions for Robinson and Curry also has been a key issue. VA leaders did not

launch an internal investigation of their conduct until late 2014. That inquiry was halted and restructured

after revelations that at least one investigator had been discredited in Mish's Merit Systems decision. A new

panel convened weeks ago and has been conducting interviews, but the investigation apparently remains

open. Meanwhile, Robinson and Curry have been paid more than $250,000 while at home under suspension,

according to federal records.

Congressional outrage was compounded early this year when McDonald claimed in a television interview

that the VA had fired 60 employees for wait-time manipulations. Subsequent analyses of VA records by

Miller's committee showed only eight were disciplined in connection with the scandal, and not one was fired

for falsifying data. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), who last week joined Miller in sponsoring new legislation

that would hold corrupt and incompetent VA employees accountable, expressed disgust with the department's

failure to compel integrity and performance standards. "It's now been over a year and these two (Robinson

and Curry) are on paid administrative leave," she told The Republic. "That's ridiculous. They've been sitting

at home eating bonbons getting paid — and they've done jack. "Every time I talk to the secretary, I'm like,

'Why have you not fired more people?' ... And the secretary says, 'Well, the process is very long and there's

due process, there's all these steps, blah, blah, blah.'"

Referring to the newly proposed VA Accountability Act, Sinema added, "It's bipartisan, and I feel like

we're going to be able to get it through the House and I think we can get it through the Senate, too. So that's

my new big VA project. We keep hearing excuses from the VA about why they haven't taken action on these

cases after — for crying out loud — a year. We're going to help them along." Miller also excoriated the

department: "VA has not successfully fired any employees at all for wait-time manipulation," he wrote. "At

the epicenter of the scandal in Phoenix, two facility leaders have been on paid leave since May of 2014. This

is precisely the type of situation that makes the average citizen lose faith in their government ..."

Late last month, Miller's panel unanimously voted to subpoena VA records. It was only the third House

committee subpoena to the department ever. McDonald objected in a letter to Miller, claiming that the VA

strives to cooperate with congressional oversight and complaining that the committee's staff has released

some documents to the press. In a blistering response, Miller noted that the subpoena was approved

unanimously by Democrats and Republicans. He cited numerous instances of "mismanagement, malfeasance

and dishonesty" from the VA. Among the listed examples: McDonald's statement that 60 employees were

fired, and assertions by other VA officials last year that there were no wait-time manipulations or secret

appointment lists in Phoenix. "One can only wonder what the situation at VA would be like today if we had

simply believed the VA officials," Miller wrote. "... The department's continuing and pathological aversion

to provide prompt, complete and accurate responses to our requests can only be judged as an attempt to cover

up bad information." [Source: The Arizona Republic | Dennis Wagner | May 06, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA HCS Puget Sound ► Emergency Room Access Policy

When Donald Siefken drove up to the Seattle VA hospital emergency room 27 FEB with a broken foot, all

he asked for was a little help getting inside. Instead, a hospital employee who answered Siefken’s cellphone

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call told him to call 911 himself, then hung up on him, Siefken said. Frustrated, the 64-year-old retired truck

driver and Army vet from Kennewick placed the emergency call while parked just feet away from the ER

entrance. Listen here: “They won’t come out and get me, do you believe that?” Siefken asked an emergency

dispatcher. “They told me to call 911 and hung up on me.” In response to inquiries about Siefken’s case, a

VA spokesman initially told The Seattle Times the hospital’s response was appropriate. “I know it sounds

counterintuitive because someone is just 10 feet away, but it is our policy to do that,” said Chad Hutson,

spokesman for the Veteran Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System. “Our policy is no different than

Harborview or Swedish or other hospitals in Washington.”

Donald Siefken, who had broken his foot, couldn’t get from his car to the VA hospital’s Emergency Room

entrance. When he called for help he was told to call 911.

But that’s not the case. And, after a reporter requested Siefken’s medical file and other records, the hospital

changed its story, issuing a written statement earlier this month. “After a complete review regarding this

Veteran’s visit to the VA Puget Sound Seattle campus emergency room, we have determined we did not do

the right thing to ensure the Veteran had assistance into the emergency room,” the statement said. It added

that ER personnel “should have called the appropriate staff to come and assist the patient, ensuring he made

it into the emergency room safely.” The hospital now plans “corrective actions to ensure this does not happen

again to one of our Veterans,” the statement said. On 12 MAY, Dr. William Campbell, the hospital’s chief

of staff, also met with Siefken to apologize. “He first called me on Friday, and he was all over himself

apologizing,” Siefken said, before Tuesday’s meeting. Citing privacy concerns, the VA declined The Times’

request to observe Siefken’s meeting with Campbell.

A federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) generally requires

most hospitals to conduct a medical screening of anyone who shows up seeking emergency treatment. The

law’s so-called “250-yard rule” clarifies that hospitals have an “affirmative obligation” to treat patients —

whether they make it inside an ER or not — when they arrive on a hospital campus. “If you are close to the

emergency department, they should basically come up and wheel you into the hospital,” said Barbara Tomar,

federal affairs director for the Washington, D.C.-based American College of Emergency Physicians.

EMTALA applies primarily to hospitals that accept Medicare and Medicaid patients. The law doesn’t

technically apply to VA hospitals, but the VA voluntarily complies with its policies to provide emergency

care “to individual patients presenting to the Emergency Department,” the agency’s Emergency Medicine

Handbook shows.

Yet, even in its written statement conceding it mishandled the case, Seattle’s VA hospital noted it does

not consider Siefken’s situation an emergency. “Policies used to make the recommendation to call 911 for

assistance, at the time of the emergency room visit, did not apply to this particular situation due to the

non­emergent needs of the Veteran,” the statement said. Tomar, whose organization represents 33,000

trained emergency doctors, said a broken foot can pose complications and is widely considered an injury that

warrants emergency care subject to the federal law. [Source: Seattle Times | Lewis Kamb | May 12, 2015

++]

*********************************

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VARO Philadelphia Update 07 ► HVAC Issues VA a Subpoena

A House committee has voted to issue a subpoena to the Department of Veterans Affairs for personnel and

complaint files at its Philadelphia office, part of a widening probe into the mishandling of benefits. Rep. Jeff

Miller, who chairs the House Veterans Affairs Committee, says his panel has repeatedly asked for

information with limited success from VA Secretary Robert McDonald and other officials. It was only the

third time in the committee's history that it has resorted to a subpoena. The committee is probing allegations

of leadership misconduct and whistleblower retaliation at one of the VA's largest facilities. In a scathing audit

this month, the VA inspector general confirmed a litany of problems first raised by whistleblowers in

Philadelphia, such as manipulation of dates to make old claims look new.

In this July 24, 2014, file photo, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller holds up two

pages of resource requests from the Department of Veterans Affairs on Capitol Hill in Washington

[Source: The Association Press | Hope Yen, | April 30, 2015 ++]

* Vets *

PTSD Update 188 ► Name Change Could Lessen Stigma

For the 2.7 million Americans who fought in the Vietnam War, the painful memories of the conflict still

linger on 40 years later. Some of them have also suffered mental health problems. As American soldiers

returned from the war in Vietnam doctors in the US started to notice a pattern to their ailments. "It took a

while for many of us in my field to recognize that so many of the returning combatants had problems," said

Dr. Frank Ochberg, PTSD researcher. Nightmares, flashbacks, increased use of drugs and alcohol --

symptoms similar to those seen in survivors of disasters, rape and other violent crimes. In previous wars this

array of conditions might have been called "Shell Shock" or the "Thousand Yard Stare." In 1980 it was

officially recognized by U.S. doctors and given a name: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder-PTSD.

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That legacy of Vietnam has helped soldiers like Sergeant Major Kenneth Agueda. After three combat

tours in Iraq he was struggling. I was having a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep and the nightmares

were waking me up at night," he said. While deployed in Iraq he knew others were struggling, too. "We

hardly spoke about it, especially the ones that were most affected by these issues were the ones that spoke

about it the least because it's mainly alpha males that are hard and they've done training and overcame so

much to prove that they can do it. To express something like that it was taken usually as a sign of weakness,"

said Kenneth Agueda, Sgt. Major of US Army. But Agueda knew it was time to break this wall of silence.

He spoke to his troops and shared what he was dealing with. Others then came forward. Together they sought

help.

Those men weren't alone. According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, about 30 percent of

Vietnam Vets have suffered from PTSD at some point since their service ended 40 years ago. For veterans

of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan-- 11 to 20 percent deal with PTSD during any given year. Now some

doctors are pushing to change the name to Post Traumatic Stress Injury, saying that adding the word "injury"

will further reduce the stigma associated with the condition "When you come back from war with an injury

there is honor for you, there is comfort, there is actually a medal of recognition," said Dr. Frank Ochberg.

Doctors have been refining treatments and the military has slowly taken the issue more seriously. Sergeant

Major Agueda says the military has a long way to go in treating PTSD, but treatment has helped him --

especially with the nightmares. "Some of it is medication but I also learned to do imaging of different thoughts

that were more peaceful and in the middle of the night I train my brain to switch those moments and forget

about the nightmares," Agueda said. [Source: CCTV | Jim Spellman | May 02, 2015 ++]

*********************************

PTSD Update 189 ► Illinois Advisory Board Recommendation

An Illinois advisory board has voted to recommend that post-traumatic stress disorder among military

veterans be added to the list of qualifying conditions in the state's medical marijuana program. Board member

Jim Champion, who's a military veteran, announced the unanimous decision of the board Monday, saying he

was "very, very proud." The recommendation now goes to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The

decision at a public hearing in Chicago was among several votes 4 MAY on various conditions submitted by

public petition. Board members earlier voted against adding diabetes and anxiety to the list. They said anxiety

was too broad, but left open the possibility of adding severe anxiety in the future. The board also voted to

approve osteoarthritis. The board includes patients, nurses, doctors and a pharmacist. [Source: The

Associated Press | Carla K. Johnson | May 04, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Vet Suicide Update 06 ► Study Results for VA vs. Non-VA Users

Veterans who used services provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) had much lower suicide

rates than veterans who did not use those services, according to a new analysis of a decade of suicide data.

The research was published 4 MAY in Psychiatric Services in Advance, a publication of the American

Psychiatric Association. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and veterans are at a

high risk for suicide – every day roughly 22 veterans commit suicide. This study directly compared veteran

and nonveteran suicide rates while for the first time also looking at veterans who had used VHA services and

those who had not. Researchers analyzed data from 23 states on more than 170,000 adult suicides over a 10-

year period (2000-2010). During that time frame, the age-adjusted veteran suicide rate increased by

approximately 25 percent while the comparable nonveteran rate increased by approximately 12 percent

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The analysis found that the rate of suicide decreased significantly for veterans who used VHA services,

while it spiked for veterans not using those services and increased for nonveterans. The suicide rate for all

veterans is significantly higher than for nonveterans. As researchers led by Claire A. Hoffmire, Ph.D., with

theVISN2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, noted: "This

report offers new, valuable insight into changes in suicide among veterans during this period of national

increase. . . . [F]actors within the veteran population may make this group particularly susceptible to stressors

and subsequent mental health conditions associated with increased risk of suicide, which may be partially

mitigated by use of VHA services." While this study indicates a benefit of VHA services, it does not address

the reasons veterans do not use VHA services, such as widely reported long wait times, other access issues,

stigma about mental health care, concerns/misconceptions about quality of care, lack of knowledge about

eligibility for services, and so on. [Source: Medical Press | Glenn O'Neal | May 04, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Vet Charity Watch Update 52 ► WWP | Neighborhood Bully?

For a charity supposedly devoted to helping veterans, the Wounded Warrior Project spends an enormous

amount of time suing or threatening to sue small non-profits—spending resources on litigation that could

otherwise be spent on the vets they profess to serve. At issue is the Wounded Warrior Project’s brand: the

charity has become particularly litigious over the use of the phrase ‘wounded warrior’ or logos that involve

silhouetted soldiers. At least seven such charities have discussed their legal problems with The Daily Beast.

The Wounded Warrior Project has become, in the words of those they’ve targeted for legal action, a “bully,”

more concerned about their image and increasing the size of the organization than actually providing services

to wounded warriors. “They do try to bully smaller organizations like ourselves... They get really territorial

about fundraising,” said the president of one charity with the name “wounded warrior” in their title. He asked

to remain anonymous out of fear that the Wounded Warrior Project would launch legal action against his

group if he spoke out. His group hasn’t been sued, but he said individuals from the WWP had pressured him

to change their name. “They’re so huge. We don’t have the staying power if they come after us—you just

can’t fight them.”

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The Wounded Warrior Project’s latest target is the Keystone Wounded Warriors, a small, all-volunteer

charity based in Pennsylvania. How small? Keystone Wounded Warriors had a total annual revenue of just

over $200,000 as recently as 2013. That’s less than the $375,000 that Wounded Warrior Project executive

director Steven Nardizzi was personally paid in 2013. The Keystone group was forced to spend more than

two years and some $72,000 in legal fees to defend themselves from the legal actions of the Wounded Warrior

Project, which brings in annual revenues of close to $235 million, according to the outfit’s most recent tax

forms. “That’s money that we could have used to pick up some homes in foreclosure, remodel them, and give

them back to warriors. We spent that money on defending ourselves instead,” said Keystone Wounded

Warriors executive director Paul Spurgin, a Marine Corps Vietnam War veteran. “The lawsuit was just the

coup de grâce,” he added. “They want us gone.” At issue is their similar logo and names—Wounded Warrior

Project complained that they will “suffer irreparable damage to its business, goodwill, reputation and profits.”

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Logo and Keystone Wounded Warriors (KWW) Logo side by

side.

The Wounded Warrior Project did not respond to multiple requests for comment. But in an interview

with local Virginia news channel WTKR, Nardizzi said that most organizations simply change their names

when asked. The Wounded Warrior Project has a history of legal attacks against those they perceive to be

infringing on their brand. However, the term “wounded warrior” is a generic term in the military community

for an injured service member. The Army has a Wounded Warrior Program. A band at Walter Reed National

Military Medical Center is called the MusiCorps Wounded Warrior Band. And “the Marine Corps’ own

battalion… their unit for service members who have been wounded is called the Wounded Warrior

Regiment,” pointed out Ann Barnwell, a spokeswoman for Hope for the Warriors, a veterans charity that was

threatened for five years between 2007 and 2012 by the Wounded Warriors Project over their logo.

At the time, both organizations had logos featuring the silhouettes of servicemembers. Hope for the

Warriors eventually did change their emblem. They say that was not in response to legal threats, but rather

to modernize their image. Wounded Warrior Project is a gigantic organization that has yielded a plethora of

complaints from the veterans community. Many vets have been critical, that despite hundreds of millions in

revenue, the Wounded Warrior Project does not effectively spend their money to help veterans. The group

has received mixed results from charity watchdogs: Charity Watch gave Wounded Warrior a C+ in 2013, up

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from a D two years prior. Charity Navigator gave it three out of four stars. “Have you seen their 990 [tax

form]? We often get confused with them—they’re not looked upon very highly by [the veterans

community],” said David Brog, executive director of the Air Warrior Courage Foundation, which has not

been threatened with litigation by the Wounded Warrior Project. Many of the charities that Wounded Warrior

Project threatens are more highly rated. Three of the charities interviewed for this story, for example, received

four stars from Charity Navigator. The others were either not large enough or had not been around long

enough to be rated by the charity watchdog.

A substantial cadre of veterans feel that the Wounded Warrior Project is more concerned about

organizational growth than getting at the roots of problems vets face. They cites statistics that of the 56,000

veterans that WWP supposedly serves, more than a third haven’t engaged with the group in the past year.

The lawsuits and threats of legal action against small non-profits seeking to do good for veterans reinforce

that perception. Keystone Wounded Warriors Executive Director Paul Spurgin is dumbfounded as to why

massive Wounded Warrior Project would spend the resources to sue them. Spurgin is a Marine Corps veteran

who served two tours in Southeast Asia in the 1960s. (Wounded Warriors Project head Steve Nardizzi, on

the other hand, has never served.) The Keystone Wounded Warriors co-founder said he spent two years

negotiating with the Wounded Warrior Project to come to a sensible conclusion to their disagreements over

the name and logo. Then the Wounded Warrior Project filed a lawsuit—forcing the much smaller Keystone

Wounded Warriors to offer a settlement agreement. “It’s the big guy beating up on the little guy... We won't

make the same as we did last year. What’s it really about? If they keep blowing up [in fundraising] 50 percent

every year, and we're going to go backwards this year, what is the point?” Spurgin said. “The money that we

get in donations to help warriors—is that going to make or break them? … [They’re] whining about a small

number of legitimate nonprofits. I'm at a loss: we all should be working together.”

Retired Col. John Folsom formed “Wounded Warriors” in 2003 while he was stationed in Landstuhl,

Germany, and is a 30-year veteran of the Marine Corps. He has argued that his group, which currently

receives four stars on Charity Navigator, was granted non-profit status before WWP was. Their organization

has spent, in Folsom's estimation, over $300,000 in legal fees to defend themselves from the Wounded

Warrior Project over a protracted, five year process. Folsom’s organization eventually lost the lawsuit and

were forced to change their name to “Wounded Warrior Family Support,” on the grounds that they were

benefitting from the Wounded Warrior Project's national advertising. The smaller group had to pay $1.7

million to WWP. “It was very derogatory… [the Wounded Warrior Project's lawyers] argued that John's

program was a scheme, that it was fraudulent, that he had benefitted from the wonderful advertisements of

the Wounded Warrior Projects, to scam the public,” said Woody Bradford, a former “Wounded Warriors”

board member who represented the group in court. Folsom didn't even want to talk about the lawsuit, saying

that he would lose his temper if he spoke about it on the record. “We survived. We're here. We were never

going to be a big player with huge advertising… our focus was to have a presence locally,” Bradford said.

“They had the power and they used it. It was brutal. We adopted the idea that each of us should be able to

render services to [vets]. We were a grassroots, on-the-ground kind of [organization].”

The Wounded Warrior Ski Patrol is yet another group that has caught the wrong end of WWP’s litigious

behavior. The group, which supports the recovery of vets by taking them on snow sports activities, was served

with a letter demanding they cease and desist using the name “wounded warrior.” Fortunately for the Ski

Patrol group, a patent attorney on the organization’s board was able to push back and argue that the WWP

had no legal ownership over that term. Wounded Warrior USA, a small Colorado charity with a $15,000

operating budget, had a Wounded Warrior Project lawyer reach out to them to demand they change the free

clipart they were using as a label on coffee packages they were using for fundraising. “They got really nasty

with us,” said Wounded Warrior USA founder Dave Bryant. “They’ve tried to go after every organization

with ‘wounded warrior’ and bully them,” said the head of one veterans charity, who spoke on the condition

of anonymity because he didn’t want his group to be targeted. “We're not going to spend a dime or a moment

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confronting the bully in the neighborhood. We’re going to focus on the actual wounded warriors.” [Source:

Daily Beast | Tim Mak | May 04, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Marine Corps War Memorial Update 01 ► To Receive Improvements

The famous bronze U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial overlooking Washington that depicts Marines raising

the American flag at Iwo Jima during World War II has begun turning green with age but now will be restored

with a $5.37 million gift. Philanthropist David Rubenstein announced 29 APR that he will give the National

Park Foundation the funds needed to wash, wax and restore the memorial and its plaza and landscaping.

Improvements are also planned for the memorial's signage and access for handicapped visitors. The project

will also restore the memorial's engravings to be much brighter. The 61-year-old memorial honors all who

have given their lives in the U.S. Marine Corps. It depicts a famous incident of World War II after a bloody

battle when the Americans moved to capture the island of Iwo Jima to help bring the war to an end. This

new restoration effort will be the first comprehensive refurbishment of the memorial since President Dwight

D. Eisenhower dedicated it in 1954, though it has had routine maintenance over the years, said National Park

Service Director Jonathan Jarvis.

Rubenstein said the $5.37 million he is providing is meant to honor the country and the Marine Corps —

and also his father because he was a Marine who served in the Pacific during World War II. After the war,

his father, Robert Rubenstein, worked as a U.S. Post Office clerk for the remainder of his working life. Robert

Rubenstein died two years ago at age 85. About 230,000 people visit the Marine Corps memorial each year.

Structurally, the sculpture is sound, park officials said. But it has begun to show its wear and tear over time.

The granite base will be polished, and cracked segments of the surrounding plaza will be replaced. Restoring

the memorial's original bronze color will be the most noticeable difference. Work is expected to begin this

summer, and the project is expected to take about two years to complete. The memorial site will remain open

to the public. [Source: NAUS Weekly Watchdog | May 01, 2015 ++]

*********************************

911 Memorial Flag ► 13-Year Worldwide Journey Ends

The striking, 700-square-foot 9/11 Memorial Flag waved and flapped 12 MAY in downtown San Diego, its

last stop on a 13-year worldwide journey aimed at honoring those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist

attacks. The flag, created by children and senior citizens in Pennsylvania just after the attacks, has been a

source of inspiration, sadness and reflection at each of its more than 100 stops over the years, said Thomas

McBrien, its caretaker. “This is a piece of American history,” said McBrien, adding that he hopes the flag

will soon be a permanent exhibit at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.

“This flag needs to be displayed all the time.” McBrien said he continues to get frequent requests to bring

the flag to cities all over the world, including one he’s honoring this week from some San Diego military

groups. But he said all of the trips and expenses have added up over the years, making it time for the flag to

settle down and let people travel to see it.

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San Diego Fire-Rescue Department firefighters stand in front of the 9/11 Memorial Flag during its last stop on

its 13-year long worldwide tour at Civic Center Plaza

McBrien’s flag is not to be confused with the National 9/11 Flag, a torn and partially burned 600-square-

foot flag from the World Trade Center site that was restored and has also toured the country. His flag is

actually made up of 2,983 miniature American flags representing victims of the terror attacks. In addition, it

features small flags representing 86 nations that lost someone that day, and flags representing public safety

organizations who responded to the tragedy, which spanned from New York to Washington, D.C., to plane

wreckage in a rural Pennsylvania field. Mayor Kevin Faulconer, who attended the unveiling ceremony

Tuesday morning, said it was an honor. “Our city is a fitting location for this flag’s last stop as we are a city

with such strong ties and support for the military,” Faulconer said. Just before 9 a.m., San Diego firefighters

slowly raised the sprawling flag using two ladder trucks parked 40 feet apart on Third Street in front of the

Civic Theatre. As soon as the flag was completely unfurled, a small crowd of media and public officials

cheered. And it was a spectacle that drew the attention of many downtown visitors and workers until

firefighters took it down, as scheduled, just after 1 p.m. [Source: U~T San Diego | David Garrick | May 12,

2015 ++]

*********************************

Dignity Memorial Network ► Jerry Billings Funeral

Jerry Billings died alone with no one to claim his body. But on 1 MAY, he was surrounded by family. None

of the more than 200 people who packed into and surrounded the Bill Eisenhour Funeral Home for his service

knew Billings when he was alive. He was a stranger, a man who lived without a home in his final days. Still,

as the Navy honor guard slowly folded the American flag that covered his coffin, tears fell all the same.

Billings was a veteran. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1968 as an aviation machinist’s mate airman,

earning the National Defense Service Medal. His funeral on Friday was organized by the Dignity Memorial

network, which tries to ensure that homeless veterans receive proper military burials when they die. Billings,

69, was born in Sulphur in 1945 and joined the Navy while living in California when he was 20 years old.

When he died on Christmas Eve 2014, his body went to Oklahoma County Social Services because he had

no family to claim him.Social services worker Christine Hoffman searched for months to find Billings’

family. She never did, but during the process, she learned of his military service and contacted Todd Tramel,

general manager of Dignity Memorial of west Oklahoma City, in hopes that they could help.

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Members of Navy Honor Guard prepare to fold the American Flag during funeral services for homeless Navy

veteran Jerry Bryan Billings at Bill Eisenhour Southeast Chapel in Del City, Okla. on Friday, May 1, 2015.

The network has helped to bury more than 1,600 veterans in 35 cities since 2000. “We believe every

veteran deserves to be remembered correctly and with honors,” said Todd Tramel, general manager of

Dignity Memorial of west Oklahoma City. “We want to make sure our veterans get the care they deserve.”

Friday’s funeral was the 19th service the network has provided in the Oklahoma City area, but no other had

such a large turnout. Hoffman said she has been one of the only people in attendance for past funerals, but as

word of Billings’ service spread on social media, the funeral home was flooded with calls late into Thursday

night. Members of the American Legion Post 353, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9969, Catholic War

Veterans Post 168, VFW Post 1857, Patriot Guard Riders, Rolling Thunder and Youth Trumpet and Taps

Corps all were in attendance, alongside active members of the four branches of the U.S. military. The chapel

where services took place overflowed with people, and more than 50 stood outside to pay their respects.

Chaplain Charles Anderson officiated and spoke on the importance of taking care of people who are in

need. “Today, we are his family,” Anderson said. “It’s our job to look out for the homeless and take Jerry to

his final resting place.” The ceremony included a traditional three-volley salute, and the Navy honor guard

presented the flag from the coffin to the Patriot Guard Riders of Oklahoma. Riders will escort Billing’s body

on Monday to Fort Sill National Cemetery in Elgin, where he will be buried. Assistant State Capt. Randy

Gilreath said Billings’ flag will hang on a wall alongside those of other veterans at the YMCA Military

Welcome Center at Will Rogers World Airport. As a veteran, it is a great feeling when someone recognizes

his service and thanks him, Gilreath said. He participates in these rides for the same reason. “This is about

Jerry getting his thanks,” Gilreath said. [Source: The Oklahoman | Jonathan Sutton | May 2, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Stolen Valor ► Reported 150501 thru 150514

For more than a decade, “Lieutenant” Gregory Allen pumped up young military hopefuls at his gym in San

Rafael, California. The bulky and bald-headed drill sergeant told war stories from his stint in Vietnam,

collected donations, and even posed for photos in a U.S. Marines uniform with a Purple Heart and Bronze

star. The only problem: the Marine Corps says Allen, 67, never served. Now the wannabe jarhead is under

investigation by the FBI and Department of Veterans Affairs for allegedly faking his entire military record.

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The sham soldier’s fall from grace came last week, after one former Marine’s own detective work prompted

the federal probe. “He’s helping young people who want to join the Marine Corps, but he was doing it through

lies and deception,” said James Brown, the watchdog who tipped off authorities. Allen did not return e-mails

or messages left at his gym or cellphone.

Retired Marine Lt. Gregory Allen (center) leads a predawn boot camp outside Allen s House of Steel gym

More than 100 young men and women have graduated from Allen’s House of Steel, a sweaty, no-nonsense

gym in Marin County—known as one of the wealthiest and more liberal corners of America. Some of Allen’s

“recruits” stay with the regimen all through high school. In a 29 MAR post on the House of Steel Facebook

page, “1Lt Gregory Allen” congratulates 18-year-old Chris Vogt, a member for five years, for shipping off

to training in San Diego. “He continues to help at the HOS with the daily functions,” Allen wrote. “Chris is

like a son to me. I have watched him grow and become a great young man. God Bless Him and his Family.”

In a 2010 profile on House of Steel, Allen said civilians and aspiring military officers could only join the

gym after a tryout. “Usually people off the street don't make it here,” Allen told the Marin Independent

Journal. “They respond with fear and shock if they haven't been warned. We get one out of five who make

it.”

The gruff, light-eyed Allen looks likes drill sergeant straight out of “Full Metal Jacket.” He played his

part so well that he became the president of the Marin chapter of Military Officers Association of America.

His gym-rat recruits served as the color guard and drill team at local events. “He fooled a lot of us,” John

Sammons, a past president of Marin’s Military Officers Association, told The Daily Beast. “He walked the

walk, he talked the talk, he wore the uniform. There’s an honor [code]. Someone comes up to you and says,

‘I’m a former commissioned officer,’ we don’t ask for their [discharge papers].” But Allen’s story publicly

unraveled after a Bay Area TV reporter exposed his dubious military career Friday. He never served in the

Marines or in Vietnam, and never received any medals, ABC 7 discovered through a records request. Instead,

the poser Marine enlisted in the Navy in 1968 but was discharged after eight months because of a knee injury

that he sustained playing football prior to enlisting.

When ABC reporter Dan Noyes began probing Allen’s phony credentials, Allen told him to get off his

property. “I'm done talking with you, partner, back up ... You’re down here to do a hit piece on this place,”

Allen said. Meanwhile Allen told a local newspaper asking about his service: “I’m not going to say anything.

I’m going to let the lawyer answer these questions.” Earlier this month, Allen asked clients not to answer

questions from Noyes. “My heart is troubled and with great sadness I must tell you that the House of Steel is

under a vicious and vile assault from newscaster, Dan Noyes,” Allen wrote 14 APR. “Please do not talk to

him. He has just enough information to get himself into trouble.” Some supporters did heed Allen's warning.

Early defenders told watchdogs that Allen does good things for the community and to leave him alone, said

Brown, a former Marine who has outed other military fakers.

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Brown teamed up with Noyes to investigate Allen. It all started when the sergeant major for the local

Marines asked Brown if he knew who Allen was and why he was taking so much credit for helping young

recruits. Brown told The Daily Beast it wasn’t hard to poke holes in Allen’s story: pictures of the supposed

lieutenant did the work for him. In one online photo, Allen stood next to the flag-draped casket of a fallen

Marine, but the medals on Allen's red Marines blazer were out of order. (This Marine was mentored by Allen,

and later committed suicide while in the service, Brown said.) “He’s got a combat action ribbon above the

Purple Heart and Bronze Star,” said Brown, a board member of the Wine Country Marines. “Anyone fresh

out of boot camp would have known that was wrong. Veterans look at ribbons as resumes.” In some

photographs, Allen donned a Marine Corps Rifle Marksman badge, while in others he had a Rifle Expert

badge. But Brown says a Marine can’t be both once you're a veteran. (“What you have qualified for when

you get out of the service, is what you've got for life,” Brown said.) Allen was also wearing a different number

of ribbons in various photos.

The fake Marine couldn’t answer questions on the names of his boot camp, class or drill instructors, Brown

said. Adding to the pile of suspicion was the original name of Allen’s gym: “Fitness Boutique.” Brown says

Allen transformed his business into a military-style stomping ground 10 years ago after fitness boot camps

gained popularity. Allen has a felony record to boot. He served a three-year prison sentence for violating a

restraining order in 1997. According to the ABC7 report, Allen climbed to his wife’s bedroom window and

threatened to cut her throat and shoot her. Still, the faker was somehow able to obtain a VA medical card

with Marines insignia and tooled around San Rafael with a veterans’ license plate with a Marine Corps

emblem. He has a camouflage bumper sticker with the Marines battle cry, “OORAH!” above the words, “I

love this job.” The Department of Veterans Affairs told Brown that Allen’s card was valid, but that it was

issued at a VA facility from out of state. “He did enough research and enough study that he could fool the

wealthy families that never served in Marin,” Brown said. “But he couldn’t get past the real Marine Corps.”

Veterans like Brown are infuriated by Allen’s charade. Once a troubled youth whose life was turned

around by the Marines, Brown has dedicated his life to giving back to the Marines community and serves on

the Palo Alto VA’s Veterans Focus Council, assists the VA with outreach, and organizes the Purple Heart

Ceremonies and other events. Brown said some of Allen’s recruits were inspired by the bogus lieutenant’s

tales of being an elite Recon sniper. At least four of those recruits never made it home, Brown said. “A lot of

men joined the military based off the information he gave them, which was all lies,” Brown said. “Some

joined special forces Recon, thinking their mentor served in Recon. Four of those young men ended up getting

killed in combat.” “I have to wonder if the experience they pulled from in those life and death moments were

at all inspired by his lies and advice he provided to them based on fabrication,” Brown added. “Parents trusted

their children with him, and he played God with their lives.”

It’s unclear whether Allen will be charged in violation of the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, which makes it a

federal crime to fraudulently claim to have received military decorations in order to receive money. A local

grocery store, United Markets, donated to House of Steel and touted its “generous fundraising support” for

Allen's program in July 2013 circular. Another donor told ABC that he forked over $5,000 to Allen's Marine

gym. Last fall, House of Steel held an annual fundraiser at the Marin Yacht Club at $40 a ticket. The money

was to go to shipping care packages to troops overseas and to fund Allen's gym program for Marines. Brown

says he alerted the FBI to Allen's "scheme" in a 21 APR e-mail to David J. Johnson, special agent in charge

of the bureau's San Francisco Division. "He runs a for-profit business. A gym," Brown wrote of Allen. "And

his scheme is that he's a decorated Marine Veteran, Special Forces and wears the uniform regularly to support

this claim. He does not have a 501(C)3 but holds regular fundraising activities."

For Sammons, the allegations against Allen were heartbreaking. He wants to defend Allen’s work, as his

acolytes often graduated at the top of their platoons. He cannot, however, forgive the falsely-obtained bronze

star medal, with a V for Valor, awarded for heroism during combat. Sammons has presented the American

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flag to fallen soldiers' next of kin. “He stole my valor, yeah, sure, so be it on that one,” Sammons, who served

as a Marine in Vietnam, told the Daily Beast. “But have you ever been to a military funeral? To me, stolen

valor is any time someone is wearing something they don’t deserve. They have stolen the valor not only of

the person that’s in the casket but every other person who’s been buried under that flag.” [Source: The Daily

Beast | Kate Briquelet | May 04, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Vet Fraud & Abuse ► Ex Seal Defrauds Vet Investors

Whether it was because they shared familial ties or the experience of having served as Navy SEALS, he was

one of their own. And so when it came time for Jason Matthew Mullaney to face a judge for sentencing,

after being accused of using his loan business to defraud a dozen investors, many of them fellow members

of the military, several of them showed up in court to support him. “I know he did not deceive me,” said one

of the victims, a retired Navy SEAL senior chief who lost $60,000 he’d invested with Mullaney, a man he’d

known for more than two decades. “I know he did not defraud me,” he said. “It’s not in his character.”

Jason Mullaney (left) listened as experts testified in his criminal case.

Mullaney, now 43, pleaded guilty to securities fraud, tax evasion and three counts of grand theft in

connection with an investment scheme that caused the victims to lose their savings — nearly $1.2 million

collectively, prosecutors said. On 6 MAY, San Diego Superior Court Judge Frederick Maguire sentenced

Mullaney to six years and eight months in prison, the lowest term for which he was eligible under state law.

He’ll have to serve half of that term, minus the credits he’s accumulated for time he has already spent behind

bars. He’s been held in county jail since August 2012. Deputy District Attorney Hector Jimenez has said

Mullaney persuaded 11 retired and active duty Navy SEALs and a family friend to invest in his locally based

company, Trident Financial Holdings & Acquisitions, and “misdirected the money to his own personal fund.”

Mullaney collected the funds between December 2007 and March 2010, and for the next two years made

little to no effort to pay the money back, the prosecutor said Wednesday. “He just kept taking money and

spending it,” Jimenez said. Mullaney’s defense lawyer, Patrick Dudley, indicated that his client was able to

sell some assets to repay a portion of the money to investors. Exactly how much, however, was unclear. The

defendant’s sister, Erinn Mullaney Martocchio, spoke in court about her brother’s generous nature and the

value he placed in family, friends and relationships. “Jason did not steal those investments, of that I am

sure,” she said, adding that he had given up all he had to salvage other people’s investments. “He is not

perfect, none of us are,” she continued. “But he is an honorable man.”

The judge acknowledged the strong feelings of support expressed by the people who spoke on the

defendant’s behalf, but disagreed with some of their comments, particularly when one man said Mullaney

was not adequately represented by his previous attorney. The judge noted that Mullaney swore to tell the

truth when he pleaded guilty to felony charges. “There is one thing that should be important to a SEAL and

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that’s an oath,” Maguire said. “He said, ‘I did it.’… Is he going to take an oath and lie to me?” The judge

said he chose to sentence Mullaney to the lesser term, instead of a maximum of 12 years and eight months,

because of his lack of a criminal record and evidence that his criminal behavior was “out of character” and

that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression as a result of his military service.

When Mullaney read a statement in the courtroom, his voice cracked with emotion. He apologized to the

victims and to his family. “You were my closest friends, my brothers and I failed you,” he said. “I let my

pride, my ego, my hubris lead me to believe I did not need help.” That, he said, was a mistake and he’s

determined to pay back what was lost. “This experience has taught me how to recognize the mistakes I made

that led me here, so that I can never repeat them,” he said. [Source: U~T San Diego | Dana Littlefield | .May

06, 2015 ++]

********************************

Vet Jobs Update 176 ► Applicant’s Expectations May Be Unrealistic

Veterans' post-service employment problems may have as much to do with their own unrealistic civilian job

expectations as their new employers' unfamiliarity with the military, according to new research released 12

MAY. "Faced with having to start from the bottom or entry-level positions, (veterans) often became very

frustrated," the report states. "In some cases, these clients are willing to risk homelessness before taking one

of these lower-paying jobs." The study, conducted by Volunteers of America and the University of Southern

California's School of Social Work, also found veterans' "continuation of military identity" as a major barrier

to integration into civilian workplaces, creating an unspoken barrier between themselves and nonveterans

with a different work ethic and habits.

Researchers paired those findings with a host of well-publicized post-military struggles — mental health

issues, stigmas surrounding military service, skills translation and credentialing problems — to recommend

better transition resources, especially for individuals with service injuries or less-than-honorable discharges.

"You have a lot of veterans who are doing well getting jobs, but some aren't doing so well. And some are

going to go back and forth for a bit," said Anthony Hassan, director of USC's Center for Innovation and

Research on Veterans and Military Families. "We need to make sure we're helping all of them."

Military veterans speak to a recruiter for Internal Revenue Service during the Veterans Career and Resource

Fair

Like similar recent studies, the new research advocates for a holistic, public/private support system for

veterans, to prevent small frustrations from becoming insurmountable obstacles. But officials involved with

the work also pushed for better transition services from the military, including ones that set realistic

expectations and long-term career goals for troops leaving the service. The report noted that many veterans

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in rural areas in particular struggle to find appropriate jobs, and veterans in all areas forced to take undesirable

or underpaid work find their own motivation quickly stripped away. The full study is available on the

Volunteers of America website http://www.voa.org/vets-study. [Source: MilitaryTimes | Leo Shane | May

12, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Veterans Vision Project Update 05 ► Military Intelligence, USA

Alencheril Cyriac | Military Intelligence | United States Army

*********************************

Elder Vet Abuse Update 06 ► Arthur Kamberis, 95

An alleged would-be robber in Manchester, New Hampshire, picked the wrong man to mess with on 2 MAY

when he tried to take the wallet of a 95-year-old World War II vet, who ended up whacking the man

repeatedly with his cane, forcing him to flee. Arthur Kamberis was walking home after he picked up his

wife's prescription from a Walgreen’s pharmacy when a man confronted him and attempted to get his wallet

out of his pocket. Kamberis said he offered him some change, but the man was adamant about getting the

wallet, something Kamberis refused to hand over. "I had my credit card, my license, my grandchildren's

pictures in there and all sorts of stuff it would have been wicked for me to replace," he told WMUR.

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That's when Kamberis began to clobber the man with his cane. "I was very nervous," he said. "I hit him

three or four times on the arm, and then, you know, what the cop told me, 'You should have hit him on the

head.'" A bystander came up to help and the allege robber ran off, but police say they were able to get a

picture of him from a surveillance camera. Police released images from surveillance video and said tips from

the public helped them identify David Farnsworth, 42, as a suspect. Prosecutors said Farnsworth has a lengthy

criminal record. The incident took place just a block away from a police station, and Kamberis said he thinks

if he had his cellphone with him that day to call 911, "we could have nailed that guy." Farnsworth

subsequently turned himself in to police and called the incident a misunderstanding. Farnsworth represented

himself at his arraignment Wednesday. WMUR-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1QJEqJt ) he called what happened

a misunderstanding and said he never touched Kamberis. His bail was set at $15,000 cash. Farnsworth is

scheduled to return to court 28 MAY. [Source: The Week & AP | Catherine Garcia & Amy Convena | May

05 & 13, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Vet Food Stamps Update 02 ► Waiver for 60K Vet ABAWDS Ends 31 DEC

With unemployment lower than it has been in seven years, federal lawmakers are looking forward to the end

of a waiver that gave single adults long-term access to food stamps even if they weren’t working. When the

waiver expires at the end of 2015, an estimated 1 million people — able-bodied adults without dependents,

or ABAWDS — will once again be limited to three months of assistance. The rollback could mean a savings

of hundreds of millions of dollars in a program that has long been a target of conservatives. But 60,000 of

those people are believed to be military veterans, many of whom struggle to find work even in a tighter job

market, and that concerns veterans advocates and some members of Congress. “The idea that we would say

to a veteran, ‘Thank you for your service to our country, but we don’t give a damn if you lose your SNAP

benefit and can’t put food on the table’ … is unconscionable,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, a Massachusetts

Democrat and a long-time and vocal supporter of the SNAP program. “Congress likes to get up and give

patriotic speeches … but at this moment tens of thousands of veterans may lose their food [assistance] and

there are a lot of members of Congress missing in action.”

Rep. Jim McGovern – SNAP program supporter

The three-month limit is especially difficult for veterans, who often face more hurdles in transitioning into

civilian life than non-veterans looking for employment. Veterans aren’t always aware of what’s facing them

when they come out, said Jeffrey Cathey, a retired Navy captain and head of Bank of America’s Military

Affairs team, which focuses on hiring veterans and supporting military personnel. The bank recently hired

two veteran snipers and the transition to corporate life was more complicated than just finding them cubicles,

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Cathey said. “It’s a whole new world for them,” he said. “Veterans themselves often don’t realize they have

skills that can be very valuable,” he said. ”It’s worth it to us to take the time to help them transition.” And a

lot of the veterans, especially the younger ones returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, are in particular need for

help, McGovern added.

But the food stamp program has been a favorite target for some lawmakers in recent years. They point to

the growing cost of the program, which now serves about 47 million Americans, as an example of federal

spending run amok. Federal spending on SNAP rose from $17 billion 2000 to $74 billion in 2014, according

to USDA data. During negotiations over the 2014 farm bill, efforts were made to cut as much as $40 billion

out of SNAP over a 10-year period. Half of the reduction would have come from eliminating state waivers

for ABAWDs. Lawmakers pushed back on the cut and got it reduced significantly, fearing it would result in

the collapse of the entire farm bill and its billions of dollars in subsidies, crop insurance and conservation

programs for farmers. But the focus on SNAP has not relented. House Agriculture Committee Chairman

Mike Conaway has called for a two-year “full-scale review” of the program, simultaneously drawing

attention to “a new group of healthy, working age recipients” who previously did not rely on SNAP.

In one of the first hearings called by Conaway’s committee in the 114th Congress, Rep. David Rouzer, a

freshman Republican from North Carolina, expressed frustrations with the food stamp program. He recounted

how one of his constituents was angry that he had to work for his groceries while “those who have not

contributed quite as much to society … and they’re getting everything.” The majority of food stamp recipients

are employed, however. Fifty-eight percent of all households on food stamps with at least one working-age

non-disabled adult were employed during the prior month, according to the Center on Budget and Policy

Priorities, a liberal nonprofit, and 87 percent were employed during the prior year. The percentages were

higher if the households had children.

Seven years ago millions of Americans were losing their jobs and staying unemployed, while hiring had

virtually frozen at the height of the last recession and Congress acted by approving legislation to extend

unemployment insurance. It was the Agriculture Department that interpreted the Unemployment

Compensation Act of 2008 to allow states to lift the three-month SNAP limit for unemployed ABAWDS.

According to the USDA, states could get a waiver for the restriction by showing unemployment rates of more

than 6 percent. Previously, states would have to reach a much higher bar by showing unemployment rates

were 20 percent higher than the national average in order to allow ABAWDs to receive SNAP. As a result

28 states and Washington, D.C., qualified to waive the employment condition for childless adults to get

SNAP. Before the law was in place only five states — Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oregon and South

Carolina — and D.C. qualified, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which often advises

state governments on SNAP issues.

Now the reverse is expected to happen on 31 DEC when the waivers are no longer easy for states to get.

The number of states with full waivers is expected to drop to just four or five, causing about 1 million people

to lose their SNAP benefits. Meanwhile, some states have started paring down their SNAP rolls in advance

of the 31 DEC expiration date. Some are requiring drug testing to maintain eligibility. The coming cut to

SNAP will hit veterans hard, said retired Army Col. Ben Margolius, who runs the Southern Tier Veterans

Support group in upstate New York. “It ain’t much,” Margolius said, referring to the average $127.73

received by SNAP beneficiaries on a monthly basis, “but it’s something. “We’re getting calls every day from

veterans for help getting a job or getting food, some just returning from Afghanistan or Iraq.”

About 21 million veterans in America make up roughly 9 percent of the adult population, according to

Labor Department data. While unemployment for veterans of all ages — estimated in 2014 to be 5.3 percent

— is below the overall U.S. level, the rate shoots up to 7.2 percent for those who served on active duty after

September 2011. About 25 percent of veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan report problems being able

to feed themselves or their families, according to a 2015 study published in Public Health Nutrition. An

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average of 900,000 veterans use SNAP in any given month, nationwide, according to a separate study by the

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Every time SNAP benefits are squeezed in the United States, Rich Synek (retired postmaster general and

founder of the group Feed Our Vets) said he sees more veterans line up at the two New York food pantries

he runs. It was particularly bad after SNAP benefits were cut across America on Nov. 1, 2013. Congress had

boosted the benefits when it passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, but the bill

expired four years later. “If it wasn’t for SNAP, I wouldn’t make it,” said Rodney Yearby, a retired staff

sergeant in New York. Yearby, who served in the Air Force for 12 years and suffered a head injury after

leaving in 1996, said he gets $165 per month in SNAP benefits. Feed our Vets helped him sign up for SNAP,

find a place to live and apply for assistance from the federal Supplemental Security Income program.

It can be easy to overlook veterans, said Bank of America’s Cathey. “They’re not really that well known

in the communities,” he said. “People say ‘support the vets’ and ‘thank the troops’ and stuff like that, but the

touch points aren’t there like they used to be and so people don’t really know.” [Source: POLITICO | Bill

Tomson | May 01, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Retiree Appreciation Days ► As of 12 MAY 2015

Retiree Appreciation Days (RADs) are designed with you in mind. They're a great source of the latest

information for retirees and Family members in your area. RADs vary from installation to installation, but,

in general, they provide an opportunity to renew acquaintances, listen to guest speakers, renew ID Cards, get

medical checkups, and various other services. Some RADs include special events such as dinners or golf

tournaments. Due to budget constraints, some RADs may be cancelled or rescheduled. Also, scheduled

appearances of DFAS representatives may not be possible. If you plan to travel long distances to attend a

RAD, before traveling, you should call the sponsoring RSO to ensure the RAD will held as scheduled and,

if applicable, whether or not DFAS reps will be available. The current schedule is provided in the attachment

to this Bulletin titled, “Retiree Activity\Appreciation Days (RAD) Schedule”. Note that this schedule has

been expanded to include dates for retiree\veterans related events such as town hall meetings, resource fairs,

stand downs, etc. For more information call the phone numbers of the Retirement Services Officer (RSO)

sponsoring the RAD as indicated in the attachment. An up-to-date list of Retiree Appreciation Days can

always be accessed online at

HTML: http://www.hostmtb.org/RADs_and_Other_Retiree-Veterans_Events.html

PDF: http://www.hostmtb.org/RADs_and_Other_Retiree-Veterans_Events.pdf

Word: http://www.hostmtb.org/RADs_and_Other_Retiree-Veterans_Events.doc

[Source: RAD List Manager | Milton Bell | May 14, 2014 ++]

*********************************

Vet Hiring Fairs ► 15 May thru 14 Jun 2015

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s (USCC) Hiring Our Heroes program employment workshops are

available in conjunction with hundreds of their hiring fairs. These workshops are designed to help veterans

and military spouses and include resume writing, interview skills, and one-on-one mentoring. For details of

each you should click on the city next to the date in the below list. To participate, sign up for the workshop

in addition to registering (if indicated) for the hiring fairs which are shown below for the next month. For

more information about the USCC Hiring Our Heroes Program, Military Spouse Program, Transition

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Assistance, GE Employment Workshops, Resume Engine, etc. visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s

website at http://www.hiringourheroes.org/hiringourheroes/events .

Fort Belvoir, VA - Fort Belvoir Military Spouse Networking Reception

May 19 - 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EST Details Register

Boston, MA - Boston Hiring Expo with Boston Red Sox

May 20 – 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. EST Details Register

Fort Belvoir, VA - Fort Belvoir Military Spouse Hiring Fair

May 20 - 10:00 am to 1:00 pm EST Details Register

Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Hiring Fair

May 21 - 10:00 am to 1:00 pm EST Details Register

Pensacola, FL - Pensacola Hiring Fair

May 21 - 8:30 am to 1:00 pm EST Details Register

Arlington, VA - Transitioning Senior Military Leadership Networking Reception

May 21 - 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm EST Details Register

Fort Bliss, TX - Fort Bliss Hiring Fair

June 3 - 8:30 am to 1:00 pm Details Register

Carolina, PR - San Juan Hiring Fair

June 5 - 8:30 am to 1:00 pm Details Register

Japan, AP - Japanese Theater Transition Summits

June 7 - 5:00 pm to June 11 - 5:00 pm Details Register

Fort Bragg, NC - Fort Bragg Wounded Veteran & Caregiver Employment Conference

June 9 - 9:00 am to 2:30 pm Details Register

[Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Assn May 14, 2015 ++]

*********************************

WWII Vets 86 ► Claine Yelton

Blaine Yelton was born Aug. 12, 1915, when World War I was in its second bloody year. If he could have

had his way, and if the Army could have found a uniform small enough to fit him, baby Blaine probably

would have jumped out of his crib and fought in that war, too. After all, this now 99-year-old veteran fought

in World War II, Korea and Vietnam and probably would still be in uniform today if he could get an age-

limit waiver. "I wouldn't be able to drive though," Yelton said. "They took my driver's license away from

me a few years back. Even though I'm a good driver and never had a problem, they still say I shouldn't drive."

That wasn't always the case though. He's the product of a lifetime of hard, back-breaking work.

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Retired Chief Master Sgt. Blaine Yelton displays a photo of his crew, Nov. 12, 2014 (left) and almost 74 years

ago (right)

Born in Rutherford County, North Carolina, about 20 miles from the nearest town, Yelton is the second

oldest of 11 children. His father worked hard to support his family in the foothills of the Blue Ridge

Mountains, but it was always tough making ends meet. "It was hard to make a living in that part of the

country," Yelton said. "We didn't have electricity. Our running water was the creek out back, and school was

a 2-mile walk ... or run through muddy roads." In order to help his family financially, Yelton left school at

15 and went to work at a logging camp. He didn't stop working for decades. With Dec. 7, 1941, came a draft

notice. "When I got my draft notice, I was 25. I tried to join the Navy, but they turned me down because of

my eyesight," Yelton said. "I had traveled all night on the railroad and I was tired and bleary-eyed when I

took the eye exam. I tried to explain that to the docs, but they didn't want to hear it. So I said you (can keep

your Navy), and that turned out to be the best day of my life. I went into the Army and then right into the

Army Air Corps."

He trained at Great Falls, Texas, and became a gunner on a B-24. When World War II ended, Yelton

decided to stay in the Army, and in 1947, transitioned over to the newly formed Air Force. He saw more

action in Korea as a crew chief on a C-47. When the fighting in Korea ended, then-Tech. Sgt. Yelton found

himself performing maintenance on the "Big Shakies" -- C-124 cargo planes -- at Hunter Field near Savannah,

Georgia. He met his wife, Louise, in West Palm Beach, Florida. "We just clicked," he said. Yelton, now a

seasoned veteran of two wars, settled down a bit to raise a family. "I'm really proud of my two girls," he

said. He also continued to do what he did best; work on airplanes and take care of his troops.

One of his favorite stories involves when his squadron at Rhein-Main Air Base, Germany, had five aircraft

out of commission. A nose gear bearing needed to be repaired, but the repair required welding torches to

remove the old part, a process at that time forbidden by Air Force regulations. "Those planes had been

grounded for more than two months. I told my commander I could put those airplanes in commission," Yelton

said. "But he insisted I couldn't weld on the aircraft. So I told him, 'Sir, I'm not welding on the aircraft, I'm

welding a steel bar on a nut on the aircraft. It will heat the part and I can bang it off with a sledge hammer.'

The commander thought about that for a second and said, 'Well that makes sense. Do it.' I had two planes

ready to fly by the end of the day!"

It wasn't long before another country on the other side of the world was getting attention from the

American people: Vietnam. Then-Chief Master Sgt. Yelton would once again serve in harm's way, this time

maintaining his squadron's 16 C-47s, ensuring they were ready and able to meet all missions. From Vietnam,

Yelton returned to the U.S., eventually landing at Charleston Air Force Base, where he spent the last two

years of his career working on C-141s as part of the 437th Airlift Wing. "That was a fine airplane," he said.

"It didn't require half the maintenance some of the older planes did."

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Time eventually caught up with the old chief and it was time to retire. But in typical Blaine Yelton fashion,

military retirement only meant he could go find something else to do. "I worked for five years hauling fuel.

Then I went back to North Carolina, where I had bought over 400 acres and raised cattle for seven or eight

years," hesaid. "Now that was hard work." Yelton credits his life of hard work with his longevity. "I'm a

happy man," he said. "I never smoked and I never drank anything other than a little wine once in a while. I

go very light on fats and heavy on fruit and salads. I've also been lucky that I've never been overweight.

"Looking back, I would have to say I take the most pride in making those airplanes fly and supervising the

maintainers, making sure they are all ready to go," Yelton said. "And I wouldn't change anything. I would do

it better if I could, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.” [Source: Afterburner | Fall/Winter 2014

Issue ++]

*********************************

America's Most Beloved Vets ► Operation Iraqi Freedom (2)

Joshua Mooi Juan Rubio Leigh Ann Hester

The Marine Joshua Mooi ran into heavily fortified buildings six times to pursue the enemy and

rescue wounded comrades, stopping only when ordered and after his rifle had been destroyed.

Following an ambush, Navy medic Juan Rubio exposed himself to enemy fire to assist wounded

Marines, and again to move them to safety.

The first woman since World War II to receive the Silver Star for valor in combat, Leigh Ann

Hester fought through an enemy ambush, killing three insurgents and saving the lives of convoy

members.

*********************************

State Veteran's Benefits & Discounts ► Nevada

The state of Nevada provides several benefits to veterans as indicated below. To obtain information on

these plus discounts listed on the Military and Veterans Discount Center (MCVDC) website, refer to the

attachment to this Bulletin titled, “Vet State Benefits & Discounts – NV” for an overview of the below

benefits. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation

83

of each of the following refer to http://veterans.nv.gov &

http://militaryandveteransdiscounts.com/location/nevada.html.

Housing Benefits

Financial Assistance Benefits

Employment Benefits

Education Benefits

Other State Veteran Benefits

Discounts

[Source: http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-state-benefits/nevada-state-veterans-benefits.html May

2015++]

* Vet Legislation *

TRICARE Prime Update 33 ► Amendment to Restore to Certain Retirees

Rep. John Kline (R-MN) has filed an amendment to the House Defense Authorization bill (H.R.1735) that

would provide a one-time election for certain military retirees to regain access to TRICARE Prime because

the DoD unilaterally changed the eligibility criteria for retirees living more than 100 miles from a military

treatment facility (MTF). Veterans are urged to contact their legislators to ask them to vote for this important

amendment and request they support this amendment. Towards this, the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) at

http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/alert/?alertid=65684626&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] has added to their Action

Center a preformatted editable message which veterans can automatically send via email or letter to their

representative. [Source: FRA Making Waves | May 08, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Blue Water Claims Update 29 ► S.681 Still in Committee

U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) on 7 MAY announced he is cosponsoring the Blue Water Navy Vietnam

Veterans Act of 2015, bipartisan legislation that would ensure Vietnam veterans who served aboard deep-

water naval vessels, known as “Blue Water” veterans, are eligible to receive the disability and health care

benefits they earned for diseases linked to exposure to Agent Orange. Under current law, only veterans who

served on Vietnamese soil or aboard a craft in its rivers receive presumptive coverage of illnesses linked

directly to Agent Orange exposure. “Agent Orange has affected the health of thousands of servicemembers

who fought in the Vietnam War, and it is unacceptable that some are being denied health care and disability

benefits for diseases resulting from their military service,” said Senator Peters. “My office has heard from

Michigan veterans affected by this issue, and I am proud to cosponsor this bipartisan, commonsense bill that

84

will ensure Navy veterans who have fallen victim to Agent Orange-related conditions receive the long

overdue care they have earned through their service.”

In 1991, Congress passed a law requiring the VA to provide presumptive coverage to Vietnam veterans

with illnesses that the Institute of Medicine has directly linked to Agent Orange exposure. However, in 2002

the VA determined that it would only cover Veterans who could prove that they had orders for “boots on the

ground” during the Vietnam War, excluding thousands of sailors who may have been exposed to Agent

Orange while serving aboard Navy ships. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015 would clarify

existing law so that Blue Water veterans would be fully covered by the VA if they served within the

“territorial seas,” or approximately 12 miles offshore of Vietnam. The bill would make it easier for VA to

process Vietnam War veterans’ claims for service-connected conditions and alleviate a portion of the VA’s

backlog by extending presumptive coverage of Agent Orange benefits to these veterans.

A May 2011 report by the Institute of Medicine established several “plausible routes” for Agent Orange

exposure through the water distillation process aboard Navy ships and through the air. In 2010, a study by

the Institute of Medicine cited exposure to Agent Orange resulted in an increased chance of developing

serious heart problems and Parkinson’s disease. A 1990 study by the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (CDC) showed Vietnam veterans had a rate of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 50 percent higher than

the general population. Agent Orange is linked to a range of other diseases, including several blood and

respiratory cancers, type II diabetes, prostate cancer and more.

In 2005, the VA’s former Director of Environmental Agents Service Dr. Mark Brown publicly

acknowledged that there was no scientific basis for the exclusion of Blue Water Vietnam veterans, but the

VA has continued to refuse these veterans presumptive benefits Congress initially intended. In his article in

the Journal of Law and Policy, Dr. Brown wrote, “Science does not back up the VA’s policy on the Navy.”

Peters, a former Lt. Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, previously co-sponsored similar legislation in the

U.S. House of Representatives, and has been a strong voice for Michigan service members and veterans in

Congress. He is the 7th Senator to cosponsor S.681 which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

A similar bill H.R.969, which was referred to the House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and

Memorial Affairs, currently has 218 cosponsors. [Source: Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. | Kylie Khan | May

06, 2015 ++]

*********************************

HVAC Update 17 ► Bills Considered at Subcommittee 23 APR Hearing

The Creating Our Veterans Expedited Recovery (COVER) Act H.R.271, would establish a commission to

explore possibilities for incorporating complementary and alternative medicine treatment models into VA

medical facilities nationwide. In February 2014, the American Legion surveyed more than 3,000 veterans

affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), asking questions about

the effectiveness of treatments provided by VA and DoD. Fifty-nine percent of the respondents reported they

felt no improvement, or felt even worse. The survey also found that 30 percent of respondents terminated

their treatments or therapies before completing them; some reported taking up to 10 different medications.

The Legion conducted a TBI/PTSD symposium in Washington last June, which provided a forum for experts

nationwide to share information about many successful treatment models that used complementary and

alternative medicine. The COVER Act was one of several pending bills considered at an April 23 hearing by

the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health. “The American Legion strongly supports the use of

complementary and alternative medicines,” Louis Celli, director of the Legion’s Veterans Affairs &

Rehabilitation Division, told the subcommittee, “and supports the funding necessary to assist veterans

85

suffering with PTSD and TBI with … treatments that allow our returning veterans to actively participate in

their own recovery programs, without unnecessary sedation or over-medication.”

The Legion's Louis Celli testified before Congress April 23.

Another Legion-supported House bill would expand reproductive treatments available to veterans and

servicemembers by making all such services equally accessible in DoD and VA. “According to a study of

veterans who served during OIF and OEF, 15 percent of women and nearly 14 percent of men reported that

they had experienced infertility,” Celli said. Thousands of men and women who served in the Iraq and

Afghanistan wars were “returning home with physical and/or psychological wounds, resulting in a variety of

fertility and reproductive health issues.” The Legion’s written testimony stated “there seems to be little

support (at VA and DoD), either through counseling or medical intervention, to offer a young veteran who

has lost his/her ability to procreate due to lack of testosterone. Unfortunately, many veterans with TBI are

also on hypertension medications, and adding sexual performance medications can represent a serious health

risk. This can also create a loss of intimacy in relationships, exacerbating psychological disorders such as

PTSD and depression. Ultimately, it affects the self-esteem of both veteran and spouse.” Other Legion-

supported legislation considered at the hearing included:

A draft bill directing VA to submit an annual report on the Veterans Health Administration.

H.R. 267 which would expand the definition of “homeless veteran” for purposes of VA benefits

eligibility.

H.R. 1369, to give VA the authority to enter into provider agreements for extended care services.

H.R. 1575 which would make permanent a pilot program on counseling, in retreat setting, for

women veterans newly separated from active duty.

H.R. 1769, the Toxic Exposure Research Act, which would establish a national center at VA for

research on the diagnosis and treatment of descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances while

in the military.

[Source: American Legion Online Update | April 30, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Texas Veteran Tuition Update 03 ► S.1735 | Trim Benefits

Of the 10 states with the most veterans, only Illinois and Texas waive all tuition and fees for veterans who

meet program requirements, according to a Texas Legislative Budget Board report. But that would change

under legislation making its way through the statehouse in Austin that would trim their state educational

benefits. Since 1923, the Hazlewood Act, which kicks in after federal benefits under the GI Bill are

exhausted, has provided educational benefits to qualified veterans by exempting them from tuition and fee

86

charges, but does not include property deposits or student services fees. A “legacy provision” in 2009 allowed

them to pass unused credit hours to their kids, but that has resulted in lost revenue for state schools. Costs

for the program climbed nearly six-fold over the past four years and topped $169 million in 2014. Because

of this, to offset the lost revenue, Senate Bill 1735 was introduced by Sen. Brian Birdwell which, if passed,

would:

Require six years of service for a veteran to be eligible to pass hours along to their children, and

Implement a 15-year time limit on use of the exemption from the veteran’s end of time in service.

It also

Reduces the number of hours a veteran may pass to their children from 120 to 60,

Limit the use of the Hazlewood exemption undergraduate programs for legacies; and

Require veterans and legacies to submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to the

U.S. Department of Education.

The Senate passed the bill 24-7 on 12 MAY. The changes have yet to clear the House, which has a

similar bill pending. [Source: MilitaryTimes & AP | Patricia Kime | April 27 & May 11, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA Caregiver Program Update 29 ► H.R.1969 | Contact Your Congressman

On April 23, 2015, Senator Murray introduced S.1085, the Military and Veteran Caregiver Services

Improvement Act of 2015, and Representative Langevin introduced a similar bill in the House, H.R. 1969.

This important measure would extend to all veterans with a serious service-connected injury or illness

eligibility to participate in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program of comprehensive assistance to

family caregivers of such veterans. Under current law, such eligibility is limited to those veterans who

incurred a serious injury, but not an illness, on or after September 11, 2001.

DAV supports this legislation, in alignment with Resolution No. 042, passed at our most recent National

Convention, which calls for legislation that would expand eligibility for comprehensive caregiver support

services, including but not limited to financial support, health and homemaker services, respite, education

and training and other necessary relief, to caregivers of veterans from all eras of military service. At

http://www.dav.org/can/?vvsrc=%2fcampaigns DAV has provided a preformatted editable email message

which veterans can use to request their elected officials support for this important measure and ask that it be

brought to the floor for a vote and passed into law as soon as possible. If you or someone you know could

benefit from expansion of this program, please share your story with your Senators. [Source: DAV Action

Alert | May 04, 2015 ++]

*********************************

VA OIG Update 03 ► Newly Released Reports Chronicle Harm to Veterans

In Tampa, a Veterans Affairs doctor prescribed drugs at an alarmingly high rate, despite being told by

colleagues to stop. In The Villages, VA mental health workers didn’t regularly check patients’ vital signs.

And in West Palm Beach, a veteran dependent on a ventilator was treated by staff considered “not competent”

to deal with such patients. He was found disconnected from the ventilator and in cardiac arrest, but was

revived. The three cases are among those chronicled nationwide in nearly 140 investigative reports dating

back to 2005 that the VA’s inspector general released last week. In many cases, the reports on dysfunction

and treatment errors at VA facilities show the inspector general, the agency’s chief watchdog, trusted the

agency to correct problems on its own.

87

The cases largely involve problems such as missed diagnoses and errors during surgery. In one case, a

veteran’s face was set on fire during an operation in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. They also detail administrative

challenges. Inspectors said a VA intensive care unit in Tucson, Arizona, was beset by a “cauldron of

interpersonal tensions and management difficulties.” A 2013 report indicates investigators were unable to

substantiate claims of patient abuse or a “suicide behavior incident” at the West Palm Beach VA’s mental

health clinic. But they did find low morale and a “culture of disrespect” that involved staff addressing patients

rudely. The reports were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request by USA TODAY.

The newspaper earlier reported that the VA inspector general’s office kept secret dozens of complaints

against VA hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities over the past decade.

Florida GOP Rep. Jeff Miller, who chairs the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has criticized the IG

for not being more forthcoming on information relating to problems at VA facilities. Fifty-nine reports

involved substantiated allegations and 51 involving unsubstantiated ones. Six cases were closed because of

a pending lawsuit by the family. The remaining 21 either weren’t investigated for various reasons or the

outcome is unknown because of redactions. Of the 13 reports involving VA facilities in Florida, six involved

substantiated claims, three were unsubstantiated and one complaint never went beyond a preliminary probe

because the family planned to sue. The remaining three weren’t as cut and dried, including one in which the

complainant withdrew the claim. Some findings were inconclusive.

In 2005, a 79-year-old veteran admitted to the VA Medical Center in Bay Pines suffered a leg fracture

and heart failure during his hospital stay. After discharge, he was left in the front yard of his Sarasota County

home without relatives being notified. The next day, he was taken to a local hospital to have fluid drained,

according to the report, filed in 2006. The IG never formally investigated because the family planned to file

a lawsuit and their lawyer advised relatives not to speak to investigators. Joanne Moffett, a spokeswoman for

Acting VA Inspector General Richard Griffin, said public reports weren’t released when a potential lawsuit

was pending, when complaints were unfounded or when inspectors decided VA officials had addressed the

problem or would address it. Griffin’s office has announced that future reports will be released only if the

inspector general or his immediate staff decide to do so.

Some congressional lawmakers say that’s not good enough. They worry issues could fester within the VA

without congressional or public oversight. “The only way you have any hope of fixing a bureaucracy is for

public disclosure,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., who co-sponsored legislation with Sen. Tammy Baldwin,

D-Wis., that would require public release of future investigative reports issued by the VA and all federal

agencies. Almost all the investigations in the newly released reports were generated by tips from VA

employees, veteran patients, their family members or the public. They involved allegations at VA facilities

in 42 states that ranged from the unsubstantiated and odd — a nurse at one VA facility allegedly abused an

elderly veteran by feeding him a doughnut covered in hot sauce — to substantiated complaints of serious

harm or death.

The reports aren’t directly related to the scandal over lengthy wait times at VA facilities. An internal VA

audit released last year found that some 57,000 veterans nationwide waited more than 90 days for first

appointments and that 64,000 other veterans said they couldn’t get appointments at all. That audit named 112

VA medical facilities — including six in Florida — that are being investigated by Griffin’s office to

determine if they deliberately manipulated appointment schedules to make it appear veterans were getting

medical treatment sooner than they really were. One of the 13 reports released last week found that

underutilization of staff time at the VA medical facility in Gainesville contributed to appointment scheduling

delays there. [Source: Florida Today | Donovan Slack and Ledyard King | May 06, 2015 ++]

*********************************

88

CA Military Retirement Pay State Tax ► AB 1275 Would Eliminate

The California Personal Income Tax Law provides various exclusions from gross income in determining tax

liability, including an exclusion for combat-related special compensation and death benefit payments

received by a surviving spouse or other beneficiary designated by a military veteran, as prescribed, who dies

or is killed in the performance of duty, as provided. Assemblymember Adam C. Gray (D-Merced) announced

27 FEB the introduction of AB 1275. The bill would, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2015,

exclude from gross income retirement pay received by a taxpayer from the federal government for military

service performed in the Armed Forces of the United States, the reserve component of the Armed Forces of

the United States, or the National Guard, and survivor benefits received by a taxpayer from the federal

government, as specified. This bill would take effect immediately as a tax levy.

Adam C. Gray

"Veterans offer a broad spectrum of specialized skills gained during their careers in our nation’s armed

forces,” said Assemblymember Gray. “California should make every effort to keep these retired, and soon to

be retired, individuals living here in California.” Military retirement pay is presently taxable if it is received

by a resident of California. The taxable amount can range as high as 13.3%, thus driving capable and

experienced veterans to other regions of the country. California is ranked as one of the lowest in economic

standards for veterans.

California lags far behind others states in attracting and retaining veteran retirees. Thirty other states offer

forms of military retirement pay exemptions as well as veteran bonuses, retiree property tax breaks,

unemployment compensation for military spouses, and service member professional licensure credits. “After

years of service, thousands of military retirees seek the right place to retire, but they often face difficulties as

they return to civilian life,” added Assemblymember Gray. “With this retirement pay exemption in place, our

state can make a strong case that California is the right place to call home. Although there is no way to fully

repay them for their sacrifices, AB 1275 gives former service members a well-deserved break.”

The bill will be heard by the Assembly’s Committee on Revenue and Taxation 18 MAY at the State

Capitol building starting at 1330 in Rm 126. Military retirees are encouraged to contact their district

Assemblyman or a member of the Committee and ask them to support this bill. Committee member’s

contact info is provided below. Go to http://assembly.ca.gov/listen/126-audio to listen to the hearing:

Philip Y. Ting (Chair)

Dem -

19

Contact Assembly Member Philip Y. Ting

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 3123, Sacramento, CA 94249-0019;

(916) 319-2019

89

William P. Brough (Vice

Chair)

Rep - 73

Contact Assembly Member William P. Brough

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 2174, Sacramento, CA 94249-0073;

(916) 319-2073

Matthew Dababneh

Dem -

45

Contact Assembly Member Matthew Dababneh

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 4112, Sacramento, CA 94249-0045;

(916) 319-2045

Mike A. Gipson

Dem -

64

Contact Assembly Member Mike A. Gipson

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 4164, Sacramento, CA 94249-0064;

(916) 319-2064

Roger Hernández

Dem -

48

Contact Assembly Member Roger Hernández

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 5016, Sacramento, CA 94249-0048;

(916) 319-2048

Kevin Mullin

Dem -

22

Contact Assembly Member Kevin Mullin

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 3160, Sacramento, CA 94249-0022;

(916) 319-2022

Jim Patterson Rep - 23

Contact Assembly Member Jim Patterson

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 3132, Sacramento, CA 94249-0023;

(916) 319-2023

Bill Quirk

Dem -

20

Contact Assembly Member Bill Quirk

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 2163, Sacramento, CA 94249-0020;

(916) 319-2020

Donald P. Wagner Rep - 68

Contact Assembly Member Donald P. Wagner

Capitol Office

P.O. Box 942849, Room 3098, Sacramento, CA 94249-0068;

(916) 319-2068

90

[Source: Asssemblymann Gray Press Release & http://arev.assembly.ca.gov/hearings 27 FEB & 9 May,

2015 ++]

*********************************

Vet Bills Submitted to 114th Congress ► 150501 to 150514

For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community introduced in the 114th Congress

refer to this 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 of 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

https://beta.congress.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 by entering the bill

number in the site’s search engine. To determine what bills, amendments your representative/senator has

sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on go to:

https://beta.congress.gov/search?q=%7B%22source%22%3A%5B%22legislation%22%5D%7D

Select the ‘Sponsor’ tab, and click on your congress person’s name.

You can also go to http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php

Grassroots lobbying is the most effective way to let your Congressional representatives know your wants

and dislikes. If you are not sure who is your Congressman go to https://beta.congress.gov/members. Members

of Congress are receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing

cosponsorship support 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 their phone

number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making at

either:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

http://www.house.gov/representatives

FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF VETERAN RELATED LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN

THE HOUSE AND SENATE SINCE THE LAST BULLETIN WAS PUBLISHED:

H.R.2067 : Cold War Service Medal Act of 2015. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code,

to provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served

honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-3]

(introduced 4/28/2015)

H.R.2114 : Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2015. A bill to direct the Secretary of State,

the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide

assistance for individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange, and for other purposes. Sponsor:

Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-13] (introduced 4/29/2015)

H.R.2123 : Enhancing Veterans' Access to Treatment Act of 2015. A bill to direct the

Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish non-formulary drugs and medicines to veterans diagnosed

with mental health disorders, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Murphy, Tim [PA-18]

(introduced 4/30/2015)

H.R.2139 : Veteran's Benefits Claims Faster Filing Act of 2015. A bill to amend title 38,

United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide notice of average times

for processing claims and percentage of claims approved, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep

O'Rourke, Beto [TX-16] (introduced 4/30/2015)

H.R.2145 : Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans Act. A bill to amend title 38, United

States Code, to establish the Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans program to seek to employ

91

physicians at the Department of Veterans Affairs on a without compensation basis in practice

areas and specialties with staffing shortages and long appointment waiting times. Sponsor: Rep

Culberson, John Abney [TX-7] (introduced 4/30/2015) Related Bills: S.563

H.R.2193 : VA Employee Fairness Act of 2015. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to

modify authorities relating to the collective bargaining of employees in the Veterans Health

Administration. Sponsor: Rep Takano, Mark [CA-41] (introduced 4/30/2015)

H.R.2214 : Disabled Veterans' Access to Medical Exams Improvement Act. A bill to improve

the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts with private physicians to

conduct medical disability examinations. Sponsor: Rep Abraham, Ralph Lee [LA-5] (introduced

5/1/2015)

H.R.2218 : Renovate and Enhance Veterans' Meeting Halls and Posts Act of 2015. A bill to

amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to set-aside community

development block grant amounts in each fiscal year for grants to local chapters of veterans

service organizations for rehabilitation of, and technology for, their facilities. Sponsor: Rep

Collins, Chris [NY-27] (introduced 5/1/2015)

H.R.2221 : Veterans Small Business Enhancement Act of 2015. A bill to amend the Small

Business Act to direct the task force of the Office of Veterans Business Development to provide

access to and manage the distribution of excess or surplus property to veteran-owned small

businesses. Sponsor: Rep Duckworth, Tammy [IL-8] (introduced 5/1/2015)

H.R.2237 : Establish a VA Center of Excellence on Burn Pit Health conditions. A bill to

direct the Secretary of Veterans to establish within the Department of Veterans Affairs a center of

excellence in the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health

conditions relating to exposure to burn pits. Sponsor: Rep Esty, Elizabeth H. [CT-5] (introduced

5/5/2015)

H.R.2248 : WWII U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps Vet Status. A bill to provide that service of the

members of the organization known as the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II

constituted active military service for purposes of laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans

Affairs. Sponsor: Rep Lowey, Nita M. [NY-17] (introduced 5/12/2015)

H.R.2256 : VA Hospital Care, Medical Services, and Nursing Home Care Annual Reports.

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit

an annual report on the Veterans Health Administration and the furnishing of hospital care,

medical services, and nursing home care by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sponsor: Rep

Benishek, Dan [MI-1] (introduced 5/12/2015)

H.R.2264 : Establish Disabled Vet Space-Available Travel Category. A bill to amend title

10, United States Code, to establish a space-available transportation priority for veterans of the

Armed Forces who have a service-connected, permanent disability rated as total. Sponsor: Rep

Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-12] (introduced 5/12/2015)

H.R.2275 : Consolidate Various Programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs. A bill to

amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs the

Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration and to improve employment

services for veterans by consolidating various programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs,

and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 5/12/2015)

H.R.2282 : Improve Vet Education Enrollment. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code,

to improve the enrollment of veterans in certain courses of education, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-13] (introduced 5/12/2015) Related Bills: S.1303

H.R.2286 : Establish Certain Claims for Compensation Priority. A bill to amend title 38,

United States Code, to establish a priority for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in processing

certain claims for compensation. Sponsor: Rep Cook, Paul [CA-8] (introduced 5/13/2015)

92

H.R.2291 : Make Permanent VA Secretary Authority To Transport Certain Vets. A bill to

amend title 38, United States Code, to make permanent the authority of the Secretary of Veterans

Affairs to transport individuals to and from facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs in

connection with rehabilitation, counseling, examination, treatment, and care, and for other

purposes. Sponsor: Rep Larsen, Rick [WA-2] (introduced 5/13/2015)

H.R.2294 : Reserve Component Memorial Headstones and Markers. A bill to amend title 38,

United States Code, to make memorial headstones and markers available for purchase on behalf of

members of reserve components who performed inactive duty training or active duty for training

but did not serve on active duty. Sponsor: Rep Maloney, Sean Patrick [NY-18] (introduced

5/13/2015)

==================================================================

S.1117 : Authorize VA Secretary to Fire Execs for Misconduct. A bill to amend title 38,

United States Code, to expand the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to remove senior

executives of the Department of Veterans Affairs for performance or misconduct to include

removal of certain other employees of the Department, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen

Johnson, Ron [WI] (introduced 4/28/2015)

S.1286 : Pro Bono Legal Assistance for Veterans Before the U.S. COVA & BOVA. A bill to

amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce the backlog of appeals of decisions of the Secretary

of Veterans Affairs by facilitating pro bono legal assistance for veterans before the United States

Court of Veterans Appeals and the Board of Veterans' Appeals, to provide the Secretary with

authority to address unreasonably delayed claims, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Shaheen,

Jeanne [NH] (introduced 5/11/2015)

S.1290 : TRICARE Health Plan Access. A bill to ensure the ability of covered beneficiaries

under the TRICARE program to access care under a health plan under such program in each

TRICARE program region, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Sen Rounds, Mike [SD] (introduced

5/12/2015)

S.1303 : Improve Vet Education Enrollment. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to

improve the enrollment of veterans in certain courses of education, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] (introduced 5/12/2015) Related Bills: H.R.2282

[Source: https://beta.congress.gov & http: //www.govtrack.us/congress/bills May 13, 2015 ++]

* Military *

Master Chief Charlie ► USS Lake Erie (CG-70) Pygmy Goat

A bad command climate survey may have sunk the career of a San Diego cruiser skipper, but then there was

that deal with the goat. When investigators began peeling back the onion on cruiser Lake Erie earlier this

93

year, they started hearing stories about Master Chief Charlie, a four-legged visitor who occasionally appeared

on the ship and even made at least one Pacific voyage. Master Chief Charlie, an adopted pygmy goat that

enjoys granola bars, served as a mascot for the Lake Erie. He bleated at command picnics and family events,

according to a source with direct knowledge of Charlie's handling. The source requested anonymity because

he wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the handling of a naval animal. "Charlie was the unofficial face

of Lake Erie," the source said. "He's always a big hit with the kids."

Sailors at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam stand in formation alongside Charlie the goat in 2013

When Capt. John Banigan, the cruiser's commanding officer, agreed to take Master Chief Charlie along for

the ship's homeport shift from Hawaii to San Diego, he unwittingly ran afoul of California's regulations on

transporting domesticated goats into the state. Banigan was removed 27 APR from his post as the cruiser's

CO; an investigation into the command's climate remains ongoing. Violating "California's domestic pet entry

laws" is one of the points of the investigation that led to Banigan's relief, two official sources confirmed.

Banigan, 49, declined a request for comment through a spokesman.

Here's how it all went down. It started as a joke in 2012 by Lake Erie's then-Command Master Chief Jack

Johnson, who told the Erie's chief selects they should get a goat as a mascot, a play on "goat locker," a slang

phrase for the chief's mess. Then-Electronics Technician 1st Class (chief select) Darren Wilks told Navy

Times then that Johnson never really guessed they'd have followed through on it. "We were initially thinking

of getting a stuffed goat or something to hang in the mess," Wilkes said. "But we decided to get him a real

live goat. We thought he'd get a kick out of it." So, sure enough, the CPO selects acquired a newborn pygmy

goat, which sported a white coat with black and brown spots. They issued him a tiny blue-and-gray Navy

working uniform goat vest with a Lake Erie command crest patch midway down the back. At the time Master

Chief Charlie was christened "Jack" after the master chief. Navy Times was unable to determine when the

goat's name was changed to Charlie. "It's amazing how such a little guy like that has brought us all together,

tighter than we originally were," Johnson told Navy Times.

Well, the chiefs earned their anchors and the goat was kept on now-Chief Wilkes' ranch, making the

occasional appearance at ship events. Fast forward to September 2014. The ship is departing Hawaii on a

homeport shift to San Diego. The chief's mess didn't want to depart Hawaii without its mascot. So they

decided to make the week-long transit across the Pacific Ocean to San Diego with Master Chief Charlie tied

up on the aft missile deck. "It's a pretty long transit and every time we'd walk by I'd be thinking, 'Man, this

goat is going to die,' " the source said. But Master Chief Charlie, like a true old salt, braved the wind and

waves and made it to his new sunny SoCal home. When officials began reviewing Lake Erie's command

climate survey, it appears they were not amused to discover Charlie's big Pacific voyage, which may have

94

violated some Navy regs. To be sure, there is no specific regulation that prohibits the boarding of livestock

on Navy ships, said a Navy official with direct knowledge of the investigation who spoke on background to

discuss interstate goat transfers.

According to California's department of food and agriculture website, goats entering the state have to be

examined by a veterinarian within 30 days before moving, be tagged or micro-chipped, and the owners issued

a permit. The laws are similar for cats and dogs, though it's unclear what the laws are governing enlisted pet

pygmy goats. Master Chief Charlie is in good health and spirits, said the Navy official who was unable to

provide the goat's location as of 30 APR. The official also declined to say whether anyone else on the ship

was under investigation, as part of the command climate probe or for the Master Chief Charlie affair. Charlie,

3, could not be made available for comment. On 1 MAY, a prankster seemingly amused by the ordeal

established the Twitter handle @MChiefCharlie, which quickly garnered close to four dozen followers. His

bio states "I'm a four-legged sailor yearning to return to the vast seas." [Source: NavyTimes | David Larter |

April 30, 2015 ++]

********************************

EMP Attack ► Could Disrupt Electrical Grid and Cripple NORAD

New concerns are being raised that the nation's electrical grid and critical infrastructure are increasingly

vulnerable to a catastrophic foreign attack -- amid speculation over whether officials are eyeing a former

Cold War bunker, inside a Colorado mountain, as a "shield" against such a strike. North American Aerospace

Defense Command is looking for ways to protect itself in the event of a massive electromagnetic pulse, or

EMP, attack -- a deliberate burst of energy that could disrupt the electrical grid and cripple NORAD's ability

to defend the nation. "What it could do, these various threats, is black out the U.S. electric grid for a

protracted period of months or years," warned Peter Pry, executive director of the EMP Task Force, a

bipartisan congressional commission. "Nine out of ten Americans could die from starvation, disease and

societal collapse, if the blackout lasted a year." Pry said a $700 million contract to upgrade electronics inside

Colorado's Cheyenne Mountain facility may provide a clue about just how worried the military is about the

threat.

The Air Force moved out of Cheyenne Mountain, which was built to survive a nuclear attack, in 2006,

establishing its NORAD headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado. But that facility, inside the

mountain, could offer protection against a so-called EMP attack. The head of NORAD recently suggested,

during a 7 APR Pentagon press conference, that Cheyenne may still be needed. "My primary concern was,

are we going to have the space inside the mountain for everybody who wants to move in there?" Adm.

William Gortney told reporters. "I'm not at liberty to discuss who's moving in there, but we do have that

capability to be there." NORAD spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis pushed back on the idea that NORAD is

95

relocating its headquarters, but acknowledged its advantages in the case of an EMP attack. And he did say

Cheyenne has served as an alternate command center since 2006. "We are not moving back to the mountain,"

Davis told Fox News. "The mountain's ability to provide shield against EMP is certainly a valuable feature,

and that is one reason we maintain the ability to return there quickly if needed -- but we aren't 'moving back'

per se."

An electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear weapon being detonated in space would in essence fry the

nation's electrical grid. Pry warned that the U.S. is vulnerable to a missile fired into space from a southerly

route. Another threat: a naturally occurring geomagnetic storm like the solar superstorm that narrowly missed

the Earth in 2012, according to NASA. "The grid is utterly unprotected from an EMP attack. It's not

adequately protected from cyber or physical sabotage," Pry said in an interview with Fox News. "It's why

North Korea and Iran want the bomb, have the bomb. North Korea has actually practiced this against the

United States." Pry, whose congressional EMP commission issued its last unclassified report in 2008, says

that the Obama administration has not followed basic recommendations from the bipartisan task force which

outlined how the nation's electrical grid could be hardened and protected from this kind of attack -- for $2

billion. "Two billion dollars is what we give in foreign aid to Pakistan," Pry said. "If we suspended that for

one year and put it toward hardening the electrical grid, we could protect the American people from this

threat."

The House of Representatives unanimously passed several pieces of legislation to protect the nation's

power grid -- the GRID Act, the Shield Act and the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act -- but they died in

the Senate. Some states are beginning to act on their own despite the protest of private power companies.

The warning comes as other senior national security experts have said they are worried about a potential

cyberattack targeting the nation's key infrastructure. Former National Security Agency chief Keith Alexander

outlined the threat at the Aspen Institute's National Security Forum Preview, "Cyber Nightmare: Is the Worst

Yet to Come?" "I am not confident that we have the wherewithal, with today's cyber capabilities and our

sharing relationships, to actually defend the power and the other sectors like we should," Alexander said on

April 29, when discussing a possible 'nuclear Pearl Harbor.' "Those are things that most concern me right

now." [Source: Military.com | Jennifer Griffin | May 05, 2015 ++]

********************************

DoD NFL Contracts ► $5.4 Million in Last 4-yrs

At the same time Congress and the president have imposed caps on military spending, the Department of

Defense has paid $5.4 million in taxpayer money to 14 NFL teams across the country with the bulk spent by

the National Guard. U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) last week called out the New Jersey Army National Guard

for the spending, which, in part, paid for a segment at Jets home games in which soldiers were featured on

the big screen, thanked for their service and given tickets to the game. Flake said most in the general public

believe the segments were heartfelt salutes by their hometown football team, not an advertising campaign

paid for with their money. The Guard defended the arrangement as an effective recruitment tool for the force,

and the Jets pointed out numerous other ways in which they support the military. Here's a full list of NFL

teams that have received taxpayer money from the military for similar arrangements:

96

Military Contracts with NFL teams

From 2011 to 2014, the Department of Defense paid $5.4 million to NFL teams for salutes to the military

and other advertising, with $5.3 million coming from the National Guard, according to federal contracts.

Team Contract # Amount Date Department Division

Atlanta Falcons Football

Club, LLC

W912JM11C0001 $70,000 2/2/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Atlanta Falcons Football

Club, LLC

W912JM11C0021 $250,000 7/29/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Atlanta Falcons Football

Club, LLC

W912JM13C0013 $315,000 7/12/2013 DoD Army/ARNG

Atlanta Falcons Football

Club, LLC

W912JM14P0131 $114,500 8/5/2014 DoD Army/ARNG

Atlanta Falcons Football

Club, LLC

W912JM12P0091 $300,000 7/20/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

Baltimore Ravens LP W912K611P0170 $85,000 1/4/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

Baltimore Ravens LP W912K613P0114 $195,000 7/30/2013 DoD Army/ARNG

Baltimore Ravens LP W912K613P0114 $89,500 9/18/2013 DoD Army/ARNG

Baltimore Ravens LP W912K612P0123 $250,000 8/3/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

Baltimore Ravens LP W912K611P0170 $265,000 9/9/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Buffalo Bills, INC. W912PQ13M0113 $250,000 5/15/2013 DoD Army/ARNG

Buffalo Bills, INC. W912PQ14M0233 $150,000 9/5/2014 DoD Army/ARNG

Buffalo Bills, INC. W912PQ12M0147 $250,000 6/7/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

Buffalo Bills, INC. FA448411P0134 $29,000 9/21/2011 DoD Air Force

Cincinnati Bengals, INC. W9136412P0277 $67,000 8/16/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

Cincinnati Bengals, INC. FA448413P0049 $4,960 9/24/2013 DoD Air Force

Cincinnati Bengals, INC. W9136411P0386 $67,000 8/25/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Cleveland Browns Football

Company, LLC

FA448412P0135 $10,000 9/12/2012 DoD Air Force

Cleveland Browns Football

Company, LLC

FA448411P0136 $12,500 9/27/2011 DoD Air Force

Dallas Cowboys Football

Club LTD

W912L113P0015 $62,500 11/9/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

97

Team Contract # Amount Date Department Division

Green Bay Packers, INC. W912J211P0058 $400,000 8/5/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Green Bay Packers, INC. W912J212P0097 $150,000 8/29/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

Green Bay Packers, INC. W912J214P0091 $50,000 8/15/2014 DoD Army/ARNG

Indianapolis Colts, INC. W912L914P0144 $200,000 8/14/2014 DoD Army/ARNG

Indianapolis Colts, INC. W912L912P0122 $200,000 6/19/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

Indianapolis Colts, INC. FA448412P0145 $20,000 9/19/2012 DoD Air Force

Indianapolis Colts, INC. W912L911P0070 $200,000 3/9/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Kansas City Chiefs Football

Club, INC.

W912NS11P0157 $125,000 9/1/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Kansas City Chiefs Football

Club, INC.

W912NS11P0157 $125,000 9/1/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Miami Dolphins, LTD. FA304712P0139 $20,000 3/23/2012 DoD Air Force

Minnesota Vikings Football,

LLC

W912LM11P0155 $230,000 9/15/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

Minnesota Vikings Football,

LLC

W912LM12P0092 $225,000 9/24/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

Minnesota Vikings Football,

LLC

W912LM12P0092 $150,000 9/17/2013 DoD Army/ARNG

New York Jets LLC W912KN11P0105 $50,000 9/20/2011 DoD Army/ARNG

New York Jets LLC W912KN13P0070 $115,000 7/23/2013 DoD Army/ARNG

New York Jets LLC W912KN12P0129 $97,500 9/12/2012 DoD Army/ARNG

New York Jets LLC W912KN14P0123 $115,000 9/22/2014 DoD Army/ARNG

Pittsburgh Steelers Sports

INC

W9124D13P0338 $9,000$9,000 6/25/2013 DoD Army/Ft.

Knox

Pittsburgh Steelers Sports

INC

FA448414P0037 $27,000 7/23/2014 DoD Air Force

To be fair, some individual teams do more. The Jets have donated $1 million to a group that builds smart

homes for disabled vets. But the league's legacy for supporting the military is a sham. According to its own

website, the league's annual "Salute to Service," last year netted a whopping $412,500 – or about one-third

of what the league charged for one luxury box at the New Jersey Super Bowl last year. In "Salute to Service"

last year, the NFL contributed $100 for every point scored during 32 games around Veterans Day. That was

down from $300 a point in the years before. The money was then divided between three groups that help

vets: the Pat Tillman Foundation, Wounded Warriors and the USO. That's $137,500 each. For a $10 billion

corporation. With a commish that makes $44 million a year — or $120,547 a day. If the military took the

same licensing approach the NFL did, it would be charging the league to align itself with the world's most

powerful team, not the other way around. The hero is the guy in the field, not on the field.

[Source: NJ Advance Media & https://www.usaspending.gov/Pages/Default.aspx | Christopher Baxter |

May 07, 2015 ++]

RA-1 Parachute ► Greater Mobility | Heavier Loads

98

Special Forces soldiers on Fort Bragg are the first to use a new parachute system that promises to give them

greater mobility and the ability to carry heavier loads. The 3rd Special Forces Group is the first unit to start

fielding the new RA-1 parachute, which can be used for free fall and static line operations. Officials with the

Green Beret unit said they started fielding the parachutes last fall and have continued to phase them into use.

Both paratroopers and riggers have started using the new equipment, which is eventually meant to replace

the MC-4 parachute. The chutes look similar, but the 3rd Special Forces Group's air deliver noncommissioned

officer in charge said the newer model can carry 75 more pounds and travel nearly twice as far in the air. "It's

a quicker, responsive parachute," he said. "Most importantly, it's a safe, more forgiving parachute." Being

able to travel further in the air is important for Special Forces soldiers, who train to be able to jump from

planes far from their intended target and glide in formation to where they want to land.

The RA-1 is more similar to a skydiving parachute, officials said, which allows for the added mobility.

It's also designed to be more comfortable and have safer landings because the newer model is harder to stall.

A stalled parachute can slam a paratrooper into the ground on landings, causing injuries. The RA-1 is

designed to avoid that danger. Soldiers with the Special Forces Group said the MC-4 was a good parachute

that served its purpose well. But the aging system was due for an update. The 3rd Group will be the first to

get that upgrade. And they're the first to be trained on how to jump with and rig the parachutes, although a

complete transition to the RA-1 won't happen until about 2018. Paratroopers who have used the new

parachute have said they were surprised by the improvements. "It's a softer, safer landing," said one soldier.

Before jumping with the new parachute, Green Berets are required to attend a five day course that involves

hands-on training, classroom instruction and multiple training jumps. [Source: The Fayetteville Observer |

Drew Brooks | May 09, 2015 ++]

********************************

Medal of Honor Citations ► Alfredo Cantu Gonzalez | Vietnam

The President of the United States in the name of The Congress

99

takes pleasure in presenting the

Medal of Honor Posthumously

To

Gonzalez, Alfredo C

Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st Marine

Division (Rein), FMF

Place and date: Near Thua Thien, Republic of Vietnam, 4 February 1968

Entered service at: San Antonio, Texas on June 3, 1965

Born: May 23, 1946 in Edinburg, Texas

Citation

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving

as platoon commander, 3d Platoon, Company A. On 31 January 1968, during the initial phase of Operation

Hue City, Sgt. Gonzalez' unit was formed as a reaction force and deployed to Hue to relieve the pressure on

the beleaguered city. While moving by truck convoy along Route No. 1, near the village of Lang Van Lrong,

the marines received a heavy volume of enemy fire. Sgt. Gonzalez aggressively maneuvered the marines in

his platoon, and directed their fire until the area was cleared of snipers. Immediately after crossing a river

south of Hue, the column was again hit by intense enemy fire. One of the marines on top of a tank was

wounded and fell to the ground in an exposed position. With complete disregard for his safety, Sgt. Gonzalez

ran through the fire-swept area to the assistance of his injured comrade. He lifted him up and though receiving

fragmentation wounds during the rescue, he carried the wounded marine to a covered position for treatment.

Due to the increased volume and accuracy of enemy fire from a fortified machine gun bunker on the side of

the road, the company was temporarily halted. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sgt. Gonzalez exposed

himself to the enemy fire and moved his platoon along the east side of a bordering rice paddy to a dike

directly across from the bunker. Though fully aware of the danger involved, he moved to the fire-swept road

and destroyed the hostile position with hand grenades. Although seriously wounded again on 3 February, he

steadfastly refused medical treatment and continued to supervise his men and lead the attack. On 4 February,

the enemy had again pinned the company down, inflicting heavy casualties with automatic weapons and

rocket fire. Sgt. Gonzalez, utilizing a number of light antitank assault weapons, fearlessly moved from

position to position firing numerous rounds at the heavily fortified enemy emplacements. He successfully

knocked out a rocket position and suppressed much of the enemy fire before falling mortally wounded. The

heroism, courage, and dynamic leadership displayed by Sgt. Gonzalez reflected great credit upon himself and

the Marine Corps, and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly

gave his life for his country.

100

Sgt. Alfredo C Gonzalez

Gonzalez was born on May 23, 1946, in Edinburg, Texas, the only child of mother Dolia Gonzalez. He

graduated from Lamar Grammar School in 1955, and from Edinburg High School in 1965. Despite his small

size, weighing only 135 pounds, he was an All-District football player in high school.

He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve from San Antonio, Texas, on June 3, 1965, but was discharged

and enlisted in the regular Marine Corps a month later, on July 6. He completed recruit training at Marine

Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California, the following September, and individual combat training at Camp

Pendleton, California, that October.

He then became a rifleman with Headquarters and Service Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st

Marine Division, and served in that capacity until January 1966. Promoted to Private First Class on January

1, he served a one year tour of duty in Vietnam as a rifleman and squad leader with Company L, 3rd Battalion,

4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on October 1 and to Corporal on

December 1 before his tour ended in February 1967. Upon his return to the United States, he saw duty as a

rifleman with the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines, 2nd Marine Division, at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

He became an instructor at Camp Lejeune, teaching Marines the techniques of guerrilla warfare, and expected

to serve out the rest of the war in that capacity. His plans changed when he learned that an entire platoon,

including men who had served under him during his tour, had been killed in an ambush in Vietnam. Gonzalez

requested to be sent back for a second deployment. Ordered to the West Coast in May 1967, he joined the

3rd Replacement Company, Staging Battalion, at Camp Pendleton in California for transfer to east Asia. On

July 1, 1967, he was promoted to sergeant, and later that month arrived in the Republic of Vietnam. He served

as a squad leader and platoon sergeant with the 3rd Platoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines, 1st

Marine Division.

For his actions during the Battle of Huế from January 31 to February 4, 1968, Gonzalez was awarded the

Medal of Honor. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew formally presented the medal to Gonzalez's mother on

October 31, 1969, during a ceremony at the White House. He is buried at Hillcrest Memorial Park in his

hometown of Edinburg, Texas.

Awards and decorations

Medal of Honor

101

Purple Heart

Presidential Unit Citation

Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal

National Defense Service Medal

Vietnam Service Medal with four service stars

Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with service star

Vietnam Gallantry Cross

Vietnam Military Merit Medal

Vietnam Campaign Medal

Texas Legislative Medal of Honor

Honors

The United States Navy guided missile destroyer USS Gonzalez (DDG-66), commissioned in 1996,

is named in his honor. His mother, Dolia, has an uncommonly close relationship with the ship and

its crew. She attends many of the ship's major ceremonies, including departures and arrivals from

deployments and changes of command. The crewmen exchange letters with Dolia Gonzalez, known

as the ship's "mother," and call her during deployments.

The Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home in McAllen, Texas is named in his honor.

Two biographies by former Edinburg resident John W. Flores; "When The River Dreams: The Life

of Marine Sgt. Freddy Gonzalez," printed in fall 2006, and "Marine Sgt. Freddy Gonzalez: Vietnam

War Hero," were scheduled for release by McFarland Publishing Company, in fall 2013.

The Museum of South Texas History holds a permanent display containing Gonzalez's uniform and

medals.

At the The Basic School in Stafford County, Virginia, where Marine Corps officers are trained, there

is an Alfredo Gonzalez Hall.

In Edinburg, both an elementary school and a major east-west thoroughfare (Freddy Gonzalez

Drive) are named in his honor.

[Source: Wikipedia Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Cantu_Gonzalez and

http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/vietnam-a-l.html#Gertsch May 2015 ++]

* Military History *

102

Aviation Art 88 ► Ground Zero ~ Eagles On Station

Ground Zero - Eagles On Station by Rick Herter

Shown is an F-15 Eagle of the 102nd Fighter Wing shortly after arrival over the World Trade Center site on

the morning of September 11, 2001. On that fateful morning the first Air Force air defense fighters were

scrambled from the Massachusetts Air National Guard base at Otis Air National Guard base on Cape Cod.

The mission that morning was led by Lt. Colonel Duffy, his wingman was Major Dan Nash. Here we see the

aircraft flown by Lt. Colonel Duffy as he makes a left hand turn at about 3,000 ft. Below the viewer can

clearly see both towers and the surrounding buildings as you look past the aircraft in it's maneuver.

[Source: http://www.brooksart.com/Groundzero.html May 2015 ++]

********************************

IWO Jima Reflections ► Marshall Harris | The Ghost of 2nd Armored

Marshall Harris from Elk River, Minnesota enlisted in the Marine Corps after he graduated from high school

early because of World War II. Harris participated in several campaigns throughout the Pacific including

Saipan, Tinian and Iwo Jima. Harris served as a machine gunner and radio operator with the 2nd Armored

Amphibian Tank Battalion. While at Tinian, Harris was standing on top of his tank when a mortar hit and

knocked him off of his tank and into the water. Harris landed on a bed of coral rock, which he said, cut him

to shreds. Harris spent two-to-three weeks in the hospital recovering. “I was afraid they’d get a replacement

for me in the tank. I didn’t want to lose my crew. In the middle of the night I walked out of the hospital and

got a ride in a jeep. I met back up with my crew and they called me ‘the ghost of the 2nd armored’ because

they were all tanned and I was as white as a ghost.”

103

Cpl. Marshall Harris

Harris was part of the 68 tanks that hit the black, sand beaches of Iwo Jima at the beginning of the battle.

“A lot of the tanks got stuck trying to climb a rise and had to be abandoned. We were catching small arms

fire all night long so anything that wasn’t armored plated was all smashed up. Our tracks were shot off, so it

couldn’t be steered very well in the water. We got a reserve tank after the first day.” The first night after the

first wave, Harris’ tank circled around the backside of Mount Surbachi to fire at targets of opportunity. “When

it got dark, we’d see a muzzle blast, but before the gunner could get his sites on it the light was gone. We

used phosphorus to light up the area. We don’t know if we hit anything at night. It was pitch dark.”

Harris could see the assault on the beach as his amphibious tank floated in the water around the backside

of Mount Surbachi. “The Japanese were firing from Mount Surbachi and from a hill about a quarter mile

away. The hill was the base for the Japanese commander, Gen. [Tadamichi] Kuribayashi. It was a 350-foot

hill loaded with artillery. They were all shooting down on the beach area. The Marines were caught in

crossfire. It was slaughter. There was no place to hide. I felt so sorry for those guys. They walked into death.

We knew fear and we were scared. It was a different kind of fear. We weren’t afraid of dying.” Marshall

Harris served in the Marine Corps from June 1943 to November 1945. After Harris spent about 30 days on

Iwo Jima the war was over for him and his crew. They left Iwo Jima aboard a landing craft vehicle and headed

back to Maui, Hawaii on a troop ship. “We just did what we had to do, what 18, 19 year-old kids could do.”

[Source: Defense Media Activity – Marines | Melissa Karnath | March 13, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Military Trivia 106 ► Presidents w/Military Service

Only 12 presidents did not serve in some military capacity during their lifetimes. Following, in rank order,

are those that did inclusive of the service they performed

George Washington - General of the Armies of the United States Virginia militia, Continental Army, United

States Army

Service: French and Indian War, Revolutionary War. Served in the Virginia militia (1752–1758), attaining

the rank of colonel; served as commander in chief of the Continental Army (1775–1783) during the

Revolutionary War, with the rank of "General and Commander in Chief." Washington was a Lieutenant

General in the United States Army at his death. In 1976, as part of the Bicentennial, then-president Gerald R.

Ford posthumously appointed Washington as General of the Armies of the United States and specified that

he would forever rank above all officers of the Army, past, present and future. The rank of General of the

Armies is considered senior to General of the Army, and has been bestowed on only two officers in history,

John J. Pershing, in 1919 for his services in World War I, and George Washington for his service as the first

Commanding General of the United States Army. (An equivalent rank, Admiral of the Navy, was given to

George Dewey.)

Dwight D. Eisenhower - General of the Army United States Army (Regular army)

104

Service: Supreme Commander of the Allied Invasion of Europe, primarily the Battles for Normandy, France

and Germany World War II. Graduated West Point; served 1915–1952. Served stateside during World War

I and as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II.

Ulysses S. Grant - General of the Army United States Army (Regular Army)

Service: Mexican-American War and Civil War. Graduated West Point; first Lieutenant General since

Washington, appointed as four-star General of the Army in 1866

Andrew Jackson - Major General North Carolina Militia, Tennessee Militia, United States Army

Service: Revolutionary War, Creek War, War of 1812, First Seminole War. Served at age 13 as a militia

messenger during the Revolutionary War; was captured, becoming the only President to have been held as a

prisoner of war (Washington had surrendered in the French and Indian War but was immediately paroled);

served in the War of 1812, attaining the rank of major general and became a national hero after his success

at the Battle of New Orleans.

William H. Harrison - Major General United States Army

Service: Northwest Indian War, War of 1812. Dates of service: 1791–1798, 1812–1814. Became national

hero after success at the Battle of the Thames.

Zachary Taylor - Major General United States Army

Service: War of 1812, Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War, and Mexican-American War. Became a

national hero because of his achievements in the Mexican-American

Rutherford B. Hayes - Brevet Major General of Volunteers United States Army (volunteers)

Service: Civil War. Successful leadership in Virginia/West Virginia region; wounded at the Battle of South

Mountain

James A. Garfield - Major General of Volunteers

Service: Civil War. His heroic ride at the Battle of Chickamauga later helped him to be elected President.

Franklin Pierce - Brigadier General of Volunteers United States Army (State militia, New Hampshire)

Service: Mexican-American War. Served in New Hampshire Militia from 1831 to 1847 and attained the rank

of Colonel. Appointed to command 9th Infantry Regiment during Army expansion for Mexican-American

War. Subsequently promoted to Brigadier General and command of a brigade.

Andrew Johnson - Brigadier General of Volunteers United States Army

Service: Appointed Military Governor of Tennessee during Civil War with rank of Brigadier General. Served

in the 90th Regiment of Tennessee Militia in 1830s. Later appointed Colonel.

Chester A. Arthur - Quartermaster General, Inspector General New York State Militia

Service: Non-combatant service during Civil War. Dates of service: 1857–1863. Joined militia as Judge

Advocate of 2nd Brigade. Appointed Quartermaster General on Governor's staff, and later appointed

Inspector General. Offered command of brigade raised in New York City, but Governor declined to allow

him to leave state service. Left service in 1863 after new Governor appointed a successor.

Benjamin Harrison - Brevet Brigadier General of Volunteers United States Army (State militia, Indiana)

Service: Civil War. Battle of Perryville Atlanta Campaign Battle of Nashville

Thomas Jefferson - Colonel Virginia militia, Albemarle County

Service: No war service. Like other Virginia gentlemen, he had militia duties, and did administrative work

James Madison - Colonel Virginia militia, Orange County

Service: No war service. Served during the Revolutionary War between 1775-1781. Also see Service Notes.

Left militia to enter Virginia legislature. (Some sources claim Madison briefly assumed command of an

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artillery battery during the British assault on Washington during the War of 1812. If true, he would join

Washington (Whiskey Rebellion) as having seen military service as commander-in-chief.)

James K. Polk - Colonel State militia, Tennessee

Service: No war service. Captain in a cavalry unit beginning in 1821. Subsequently appointed Colonel on

staff of Governor William Carroll.

Theodore Roosevelt - Colonel United States Army (State militia, New York National Guard, 1st U.S.

Volunteer Cavalry Regiment aka the Rough Riders).

Service: Spanish American War. Famous for charge up San Juan Hill. Posthumously awarded the Medal of

Honor. As ex-president, volunteered for service in World War I, but President Wilson declined.

Harry S. Truman - Colonel United States Army (National Army)

Service: World War I. Served 1905–1911, then in World War I, 129th Field Artillery (1917–1919), Army

Reserves (1919–1953).

Lyndon B. Johnson - Commander United States Navy (U.S. Naval Reserve)

Service: World War II. Awarded Silver Star medal by General Douglas MacArthur for his role as an observer

on a B-26 bomber mission. (Controversial.).

Richard Nixon - Commander United States Navy (U.S. Naval Reserve)

Service: World War II. Served 1942–1945 on various islands in the South Pacific and Commanded SCAT

units in the South Pacific.

James Monroe - Major Continental Army, Virginia State Troops

Service: Revolutionary War. Dates of service: 1776–1779. Crossed the Delaware River with Washington

(he is holding the flag in the famous painting); wounded in the Battle of Trenton. As Secretary of State during

the War of 1812, scouted and deployed troops during the British invasion of Washington.

William McKinley - Brevet Major of Volunteers United States Army (Volunteers)

Service: Civil War. Served in the Army of the Potomac, originally with the 23rd Ohio Infantry same as

President Rutherford B. Hayes. First major engagement in West Virginia in 1861 and was present at the

surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia.

Gerald Ford - Lieutenant Commander United States Navy (U.S. Naval Reserve)

Service: World War II Years of service: 1942–1946. Served on USS Monterey. Earned 10 battle stars.

Millard Fillmore - Major 47th Brigade, New York Militia, Union Continentals (home guard).

Service: No war service. Mexican-American War, Civil War Years of service: 1820s-1830s, 1860s-1870s

John Tyler - Captain State militia, Virginia.

Service: War of 1812. Raised a company for the defense of Richmond in 1813

John F. Kennedy - Lieutenant United States Navy (U.S. Naval Reserve)

Service: World War II Commanded a PT boat. Earned Purple Heart and Navy and Marine Corps Medal for

heroism in the PT-109 Incident.

Jimmy Carter - Lieutenant United States Navy (U.S. Naval Reserve)

Service: No war service. USNA Midshipman during World War II, served during Korean War, but never

sent to Korea Years of service: 1946–1953. Graduated 59th in class of 1946 out of 820, United States Naval

Academy at Annapolis, Submarine service (Nuclear Specialist)

Ronald Reagan - Captain United States Army (U.S. Army Reserve)

Service: No war service. Served during World War II Served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army

Reserve; served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II, attaining the rank of captain.

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Was barred from combat because of poor eyesight. Narrated pre-flight training films under the Army Air

Forces Motion Picture Unit.

George H. W. Bush - Lieutenant, Junior Grade United States Navy (U.S. Naval Reserve)

Service: World War II Second youngest pilot in the United States Navy during World War II (Three days

before turning 19). Earned Distinguished Flying Cross.

George W. Bush - First Lieutenant Texas Air National Guard

Service: No war service. Served during Vietnam Conflict but never sent to South Vietnam He performed

Air National Guard duty as an F-102 pilot through April 1972, logging 336 hours, when he lost his

authorization to be a pilot for failing to meet attendance and physical examination requirements. He was later

discharged eight months short of his six-year service requirement.

James Buchanan - Private United States Army (State militia, Pennsylvania)

Service: War of 1812 Joined volunteer light dragoon unit and served in defense of Baltimore. Only future

President with military service who did not serve as an officer.

Abraham Lincoln - Private State militia, Illinois.

Service: Did not experience combat but served during Black Hawk War burying the dead shortly after

battles ended. Initially elected to the officer rank of Captain, but was mustered in and out of service during

the Black Hawk War, going from Captain to the enlisted rank of Private and finishing his service in an

independent spy company commanded by Captain Jacob Early. Honorably discharged without seeing

combat. Also served in Stillman's Run and Battle of Kellogg's Grove.

[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Presidents_by_military_rank Jan. 2015 ++]

********************************

Military History ► Vietnam | Last Americans Out

On the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon 30 APR, a group of Marines who were there that day returned

to what is now Ho Chi Minh City for a memorial ceremony at the site of the old embassy, which is now the

U.S. Consulate. They had been in charge of guarding the embassy and the defense attaché office beside Tan

Son Nhut airport, and were tasked with helping to get the last Americans out. Thirteen of the original Marines

placed red roses in front of a plaque and saluted it on the old embassy grounds as taps played.

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Marine veterans pose for a group photo during the unveiling of a plaque dedicated to their fallen

comrades, Cpl. Charles McMahon and Lance Cpl. Darwin Judge, who were the last U.S. servicemen

killed in the Vietnam War, at the U.S. Consulate on April 30 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The days leading up to the end of the Vietnam War were chaotic and exhausting. Northern enemy forces

had been sweeping southward for weeks, capturing major South Vietnamese strongholds as they went.

Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the capital, Saigon, also fell. Rumors of a looming

bloodbath gripped the city, and Americans along with their South Vietnamese allies were being evacuated

on cargo planes from the airport. Lance Cpl. John Stewart, now 58, of Nacogdoches, Texas, was assigned to

take a bus through Saigon to pick up those eligible to leave. He was just 18 and had only been in the country

a couple weeks, but he saw anger growing among those on the streets as people realized the end was near

and the U.S. was pulling out its last remaining citizens. At one point a rocket hit near the bus and it was

shaken by shrapnel, but no one was injured and the evacuation continued. "We were having to pull people

off or physically keep them from getting onto the buses," he said. "You couldn't blame them for wanting to

get out, but it had gotten to the point where we could only take those that we absolutely had to. We couldn't

take everybody. That's when your brain tells you this is really happening and we've reached the end, and

hopefully we'll get out before the end gets here."

Stewart and the others were already shaken after a rocket attack killed two Marines — Cpl. Charles

McMahon and Lance Cpl. Darwin Judge — early April 29 while they stood guard at the defense attaché

compound. They would be the last U.S. servicemen to die in a war that killed some 58,000 Americans, up to

250,000 South Vietnamese allies and an estimated 3 million North Vietnamese and civilians. The bodies of

McMahon and Judge were found by Sgt. Kevin Maloney, now 62 of Hollywood, Florida. But there was no

time to mourn. Like Stewart, he had to help load buses. While in the city, he locked eyes with a little boy

with light brown hair. He was only supposed to pick up Americans, but he shoved the kid and his mother

into one of the front seats anyway, knowing that the child was most likely the son of a GI. He has no idea

whether they made it onto a plane and on to America, as many Vietnamese did after being evacuated.

Once the airport became too bombed out to continue operations there, helicopters were ordered to land at

the embassy for the final flights. Maloney was later moved there to help. He spent hours going over the wall

to help pull Americans and allies from other countries out of the mob and into the compound so they could

be airlifted. He grabbed their hands to pull them up, while beating back the Vietnamese. He left his pistol

inside the compound, fearing someone might grab it from his holster and fire shots into the thousands of

people. The scene became so insane that Sgt. Don Nicholas, now 62, of Green, Ohio, was sent to the attaché

office to guard millions of U.S. dollars before the cash was burned and the compound blown up by the

Americans to keep the enemy from raiding it and obtaining classified documents. He later stood watch at the

embassy and was shocked when a Vietnamese man, desperate to get into the compound, ran a spike from the

gate into his foot as he climbed over the wall. Others began offering "anything and everything" to get inside.

"Women were like, 'Take us in, we'll have sex with you. Here's gold. I have this money, here's jewels. Please

just let me in!'" he said. "Within 48 hours, that's all I heard. People begging."

Once the Marines got word that they were to abandon their posts and prepare to evacuate, they moved up

to the roof, where they could see parts of the city burning. Many had not slept in two or three days and were

running only on adrenaline. No one knew what would happen when the Americans finally left and the city

was overtaken by the enemy. As the Marines scrambled to the roof of the U.S. Embassy, they locked a chain-

link gate on every other floor to slow the throng of panicked Vietnamese civilians sure to come behind them.

They knew if the crowd pushed through to the top, they could easily be overrun by hundreds of people

desperate to get a seat on one of the last helicopters out of Saigon. The men barricaded the rooftop door using

heavy fire extinguishers and wall lockers and waited nervously as Vietnamese gathered outside rammed a

fire truck through an embassy entrance. They could hear looting going on below and watched as cars were

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driven away and everything from couch cushions to refrigerators was carted out of the offices. South

Vietnamese soldiers stripped off their uniforms and threw them into the street, out of fear they would be shot

on sight by the northern enemy.

It was still dark when the U.S. ambassador left the roof on a helicopter around 5 a.m. April 30, 1975. A

message went out over the radio with his code name, "Tiger, Tiger, Tiger," followed by "Tiger out," to signal

that the diplomat was en route to safety. As the sun came out, the remaining Marines realized they had been

forgotten. The pilots mistakenly believed that the call meant everyone had been evacuated. The Marines had

no way to contact U.S. airmen ferrying Vietnamese allies and Americans to aircraft carriers offshore because

their radio signals didn't carry that far.

The last U.S. servicemen in Vietnam were stuck alone atop the embassy, hoping someone would realize

they were there before the city fell to rapidly advancing communist forces. There were about 80 men

crowded on the rooftop. One stood guard next to a small window where Vietnamese, who had forced their

way inside and through all of the locked gates in the stairwell, were pressed — hoping and waiting more

helicopters were coming for them to board.

A couple of hours passed. No choppers. "They literally forgot about us," said Master Sgt. Juan Valdez,

now 77, of Oceanside, California, who was the detachment commander. "Everybody was in their own

thoughts. I was on one side thinking, 'What was going to happen next?' My worst thought was if they were

able to direct artillery fire to (the air base), what was to keep them from directing artillery fire on the roof?"

The men passed around a bottle of whiskey and waited. Finally, they heard the whirring of helicopter blades.

They stripped off their flak jackets, helmets and packs to save weight and stuffed as many people as possible

into the last birds that landed. After one last glace to make sure all of his men were gone, Valdez was the last

man to board the last helicopter. On the chopper out ahead of him, Sgt. Douglas Potratz, now 60, from

Fullerton, California, watched Saigon burn. "I felt sad because I felt like we had lost the war and so many

lives had been spent on the war here," he said. "I felt like we were entrusted to keep the traditions going and

to not let the country go to communism and we had failed, and I felt very low at that time. I felt like it was

the end of the world."

This April 30, 1975, photo provided by former U.S. Marine Master Gunnery Sgt. Juan Valdez, of

Oceanside, Calif., shows himself, rear center, sitting on the last helicopter leaving the U.S. Embassy

in Saigon, Vietnam

The scenes of the women with wailing babies frantically begging to be saved outside the embassy walls

haunted his dreams for years, but he said coming back four decades later to what is now called Ho Chi Minh

City with the same men he left with so long ago has helped him heal. "When I saw that that the country had

moved forward, it gave me a little peace in my mind and let me move forward mentally knowing that it wasn't

frozen in time anymore," he said. "Things do progress. Things do move forward, and I could put the past

109

away and have better memories instead of just bad memories about this country." [Source: The Associated

| Margie Mason | April 30, 2015 ++]

Photos left to right: A North Vietnamese tank rolls through the gates of the Presidential Palace in

Saigon on April 30, 1975, signifying the fall of South Vietnam - A helicopter lifts off from the U.S.

Embassy on April 29 during last-minute evacuation of authorized personnel and civilians - American

citizens arrive aboard the command and control ship USS Blue Ridge on April 29 after being evacuated

out of Saigon - U.S. sailors transfer a South Vietnamese boy from the USS Blue Ridge to a merchant

vessel on May 1 off the South Vietnam coast

*********************************

Vietnam at 50 ► The Wild Bunch

I arrived at the Khe Sanh combat base on Feb. 3, 1968, on a CH-46, the guest of Maj. Gen. Rathvon McClure

Tompkins of the 3rd Marine Division, headquartered at Dong Ha in I Corps. I was the Team Chief of a III

MAF G-3 group doing classified historical documentary work under orders. Tompkins' trip to Khe Sanh was

my first opportunity to get in there, as every aircraft that landed there brought a rain of mortar and artillery

fire to the already embattled base and its inhabitants of the 26th Marine Regiment. When the '46 landed, the

general was the first off and there to greet him on the Marston matting was David Douglas Duncan. Even in

the crashing "krump" of incoming mortars, they stood there talking and shaking hands. I nearly ran them

down as I exited the aircraft looking for a hole. I was not alone! Duncan was accompanied by base

commander Col. David E. Lownds. When we came out of our holes, Tompkins, Lownds and Duncan had

moved on to the Command Operations Center and I never saw Duncan again.

Years later, I learned Duncan remembered that moment. I had contacted him about a copy of his book, "I

Protest," which I couldn't find anywhere. I'd given my copy away and I was on my way to a Khe Sanh

Veterans Association Reunion in Chicago, and I had promised to find a copy for a buddy there. Duncan wrote

me that he remembered that encounter at Khe Sanh, and sent me five boxes of "I Protest," gratis, to be shared

at the reunion. The book was precious to me because it contained photos of the fiery destruction of the only

C-130 the Marine Corps lost in Vietnam. And aboard that aircraft on Feb. 2, 1968, was a Marine who meant

a great deal to my wife and me, Staff Sgt. George Wilcox Walbridge. George had been in country only a few

days or he would have known better than to get on an aircraft carrying six bladders of aviation gas into

besieged Khe Sanh Combat Base. The C-130 was also carrying two pallets of emergency resupply.

When the ill-fated C-130 came in for a landing it was hit by enemy ground fire, bullets going through the

bladders of aviation gas and splashing onto electrical equipment that set the C-130 ablaze. Pilot CWO-4

Henry Wildfang, a legend in Marine Corps aviation, managed to bring the flaming plane into a landing, which

allowed five of the 10 aboard to survive. George wasn't among them. Anyone who has seen Duncan's book

of photos, "I Protest" has to be impressed with the documented efforts of the Marines in the crash crew, still

under fire, attempting to knock down the fire and get Marines out of those flames. Later, friends told me

George was intent on reaching Khe Sanh because he had heard that I and another buddy, Gunnery Sgt. Chuck

McCormick, were attempting to get in there. Chuck was there and saw the crash. I got there a day later, and

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he told me of George's death in the charred skeleton of the aircraft. Killed with him that day were Lance Cpl.

Daniel Ralf Devik, Staff Sgt. William Leo Brown, Staff Sgt. Glen Henry Calvin, Master Sgt. John D'Adama

Jr. and Col. Carl Elving Peterson.

While George was only three months senior to me in age, he had a "16" serial number and one year more

in the Corps than my nine years. But George was also one of those guys the Company Gunny loves, a slick

talker, knows everyone and can find a way to "get" anything. He was far more than any of that to me and my

wife, however. While attending the Navy's Journalism School at Great Lakes Naval Training Center in 1964,

George had introduced me to the most gorgeous brunette WAVE in the class. The younger sailors in the class

had "locked up" all the other WAVES with dates far beyond the class graduation date. I was having enough

trouble keeping up with the rules of journalism and operation of the old black box — the Speed Graphic

camera — and figured she wouldn't be interested in this hardcore Marine, anyway. I didn't count on George

inviting me to a drive-in movie with him and his WAVE girlfriend.

I declined his invitation, not wanting to be a "third wheel" on their date, but he reminded me I owed him

for a favor, so I accepted. When his car pulled up in front of the Marine Barracks, with him and his girlfriend

in front, there was my future wife sitting in the back. The rest is history. Forty-eight years, five grown

children, 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren later, she's still gorgeous. To this day I've never been

able to find out where George is buried. In 1967 I had dinner with his Marine wife and him at Camp Pendleton

before I shipped out to Vietnam duty. It was a pleasant dinner in their home with a great reprise of memories

George and I shared. But when George left the room for a moment, she fixed me with a stare like a bayonet,

came closer and quietly informed me that several of George's friends had come through the Combat

Correspondent School there at Camp Pendleton run by Master Sgt. Walt Stewart, but even though George

kept requesting to go to Vietnam, the Marine Corps wouldn't let him. "Don't you make him feel bad about

that," she ordered. Feeling as I did about George, and under that wifely glare, the only sensible answer, as I

heard George coming back, was "Yes, Ma'am!"

Much later after George's death, I could find no one who knew what happened to her, or where she had

gone. I have to admit it was a while before I could begin looking for his grave site, or her. Upon returning I

was a bit messed up, especially after the second tour in Vietnam and a minor wound. Since Duncan could

not have known how much his book, and his kindness, meant to me, I felt compelled to write him a personal

thank-you note, and tell him the story of Staff Sgt. George Wilcox Walbridge. [Source: Stars and Stripes |

Edward M. Evans | Feb. 24, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Mauthausen Concentration Camp ► 70th Liberation Anniversary

Many people were worked to death or starved. Others were gassed or killed by injection. But of all the ways

to die at Mauthausen, Austria's largest concentration camp, one method in particular reflected the horrible

cynicism of the Nazis in charge. As emaciated inmates struggled up the 186 steps of "the Stairway of Death"

balancing huge blocks of granite on their backs, a guard would ask one if he would like to step out of the line

to sit and rest for a minute on a ledge, recalled former inmate Aba Lewitt. Of course, most said yes. "The

guard said, 'Well, then, sit over there'— then he shot him," said Lewitt, tears welling in his eyes. "He said the

inmate tried to escape the camp. That happened umpteen times every day."

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Austria marked the 70th anniversary of Mauthausen's liberation 10 MAY with somber speeches by

dignitaries and funeral marches by scores of flag-carrying delegations from Europe and beyond. More than

20,000 people attended. The most powerful commemorations, however, were the stories told by some of the

approximately 50 survivors present. One of the longest-existing concentration camps in Hitler's Reich,

Mauthausen received its first railway wagon of inmates in 1938. By the time it and its nearly 50 satellite

camps were liberated by American troops in May 1945, more than 100,000 people had died, most in the main

camp. That main camp was designated "Category III" — which meant its inmates were slated for death

through labor.

Austrian soldiers with wreaths arrive for the ceremony

Many of the hundreds of thousands at the Mauthausen complex — Jews as well as prisoners of war,

political prisoners, conscientious objectors and other opponents of Hitler's Nazi regime — built war planes

and other military equipment in deep tunnels they dug at the auxiliary camps . But the most unfortunate

landed in its huge granite pit. Those assigned to 12-hour days of trying to climb the stairs — uneven slabs,

some half a meter (yard) high — died from exhaustion, being shot or after being transferred to barracks for

the sick, where lack of care and epidemics decimated the horribly weakened inmates. The Nazis called the

main camp "The Bone Mill." On Sunday, cows grazed on rolling meadows near tidy farm houses within

eyesight of the forbidding granite walls of Mauthausen as people in nearby villages went about their business

— a scene witnesses have described as not much different than Sundays past, as those inside the walls

suffered and died.

Most Austrians denied knowing about the camps until after the war. It took decades for public opinion to

swing from the perception that Austria was a victim of Hitler to recognition that it was one of Germany's

most willing accomplices after its annexation in 1938. Invoking the memory of "one of the most horrible

chapters in our history," Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann on Sunday urged his countrymen "to never

forget and to elevate values such as tolerance, democracy, non-violence and solidarity." Earlier, scores of

delegations from countries whose citizens died at the Mauthausen complex made their way to the podium. A

survivor with the Israeli delegation wore a copy of the black-and-white pajamas issued to inmates.

Holocaust survivors U.S. citizen Max Garcia (left) and Austrian Aba Lewitt (right) speak during an interview

with various media prior to the ceremony to commemorate the 70th liberation anniversary

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Mauthausen was the last concentration camp to be liberated by the allies, with U.S armored troops rolling

into the compound on May 5, 1945. It was a day many survivors remember with joy. "One of the sergeants

on the first tank took a packet of cigarettes out his pockets and lit (one)," Max Garcia recalled Sunday. "I

said, 'Ahhh, it's a long time ago since I saw a Lucky Strike.' "He gave me one and ... immediately called his

lieutenant," said Garcia, 90, now of San Francisco. Within hours, Garcia was ensconced in a comfortable

hotel and helping the Americans interrogate his former tormentors and their backers. But for Lewitt, 92, of

Vienna, the day of liberation was bitter. With nowhere to go, he and fellow inmates spent their first free night

still in the camp. Transferred to Linz, the nearest big city, and then left on their own, they wandered the

streets dressed in their camp stripes, hungry, penniless, and lonely as the rest of Austria started picking up

from the ruins of war. "No one cared about us," he says. "It was trauma in the camp and afterward too." His

eyes teared up again Sunday when asked what his thoughts were. "I survived," he said. "And the others

didn't." [Source: AP | George Jahn | May 10, 2015 ++]

*********************************

D-Day ► LCI(L) Landing Troops at Omaha 6 JUN

USS LCI(L)-553 and USS LCI(L)-410 land troops on Omaha Beach, during the initial assault, photographed

from the conning station of another LCI(L). LCI(L)-553, hit by two shells, was left a wreck on the beach.

*********************************

WWII Prewar Events ► Chinese Leader Meeting Jun 1936

Chinese General Chiang Kai-shek, right, head of the Nanking government at Canton, with General Lung Yun,

chairman of the Yunan provincial government in Nanking, on June 27, 1936.

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*********************************

WWII PostWar Events ► Belsen Concentration Camp Jun 1945

On May 21, Colonel Bird, Commandant of Belsen Camp, gave the order for the last hut at Belsen Concentration

Camp to be burned. A rifle salute was fired in honor of the dead, the British flag was run up at the same moment

as a flame-thrower set fire to the last hut. A German flag and portrait of Hitler went up in flames inside the hut

in June of 1945.

*********************************

Spanish American War Images 32 ► Guantanamo Bay Landing Caricature

Caricature of landing at Guantanamo Bay during the Spanish-American War

*********************************

114

Military History Anniversaries ► 16 May thru 15 Jun

Significant events in U.S. Military History over the next 30 days are listed in the attachment to this Bulletin

titled, “Military History Anniversaries 16 May thru 15 Jun”.

*********************************

WWI in Photos 125 ► Western Front British Artillery

British artillery bombards German positions on the Western Front.

*********************************

Faces of WAR (WWII) ► Wounded Marines 1945

Wounded Marines being helped to aid station by Navy corpsmen & Marine walking wounded on sandy shores,

during WWII 1945

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* Health Care *

TRICARE Pharmacy Policy Update 23 ► Compound Drug Screening

TRICARE implemented a new policy on compound drugs. Starting May 1, 2015 TRICARE pharmacy

contractor Express Scripts started screening each ingredient in compound medications to ensure all are

approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Under the new process, many patients who use personalized

drug formulas still will have access to their medications. But others — including some who ordered

prescriptions directly from compounding pharmacies in recent months —may need to work with their

pharmacists to ensure their prescriptions comply with the new requirements or receive prior authorization for

coverage. The number of compound drug prescriptions filled by TRICARE has soared in the past several

months, and costs now run 50 times higher than in 2004. In March, of the 11 million prescriptions filled by

TRICARE, 83,000 were for compound medications, at a cost of $335 million. In 2014, about 60,000

compound medications were filled monthly. From January to March, TRICARE paid $769 million for

compound prescriptions. April's totals are not yet available but could approach nearly $1 billion.

The new screening process lets TRICARE reimburse for these medications and also comply with the law

prohibiting TRICARE from paying for procedures and medications not approved by the FDA. TRICARE

officials expect the change to have an impact on an aggressive direct marketing campaign that's been waged

during the past several months aimed at TRICARE beneficiaries. Some compounding pharmacy marketers

have been cold-calling and also directly contacting military families and retirees to persuade them to apply

for specialty prescriptions such as pain creams, wound ointments and erectile dysfunction medications.

Compound medications are specialized formulas created by pharmacists to tailor treatments for individual

patients. Made from active and inert ingredients, they are often formulated for those who can't tolerate certain

medications in their manufactured form — either to tweak a dosage, change the delivery (from a pill to a

liquid, for example) or eliminate an allergen. Many private insurers, as well as Medicare and the VA, either

do not cover compound medications or cover only those that are in their unique formulary list of covered

drugs, he noted. [Source: NAUS Weekly Watchdog | May 01, 2015++]

*********************************

PTSD Update 190 ► Impact on Aging

People who suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome — such as war veterans, sexual abuse victims and

earthquake survivors among others — will die earlier than the general population because of changes to their

physiology, according to new research. This is the first study of its type to link PTSD, a psychological

disorder, with long-term, systemic effects on a basic process such as aging, according to Dilip Jeste, professor

of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego and senior author of the new study. "If this findings

holds up, it will mean that there is a serious biological disorder which not only affects the mind and brain,

116

but the whole body," Jeste told Discovery News. "What is needed is not just psychiatric treatment but a

medical-psychiatric integrated approach. We should not just focus on mental symptoms and flashbacks, but

make sure [the patient's] physical health is not worsening."

The National Institutes of Health estimates that 7.7 million Americans suffer from PTSD at least once in

their life. The Department of Veterans Affairs says about 484,000 veterans have sought treatment for PTSD,

including 20 percent of Iraq war vets and 10 percent of those who served in Afghanistan. Researchers had

previously noted a potential association between psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and bipolar

disorder, and acceleration of the aging process. Jeste and colleagues sought to learn if PTSD might show a

similar association by conducting a comprehensive review of medical studies going back to 2000. Jeste said

his review doesn't prove that PTSD causes early aging, but rather an association between the two.

Early aging can be measured by the shortening of telomeres, which are the ends of chromosomes inside

the cell. A shortening of telomeres indicates that cells are dying earlier. The scientists also found higher levels

of certain "biomarkers" or bits of protein that indicate inflammation, such as C-reactive protein and tumor

necrosis factor alpha, associated with PTSD, according to the study in the American Journal of Geriatric

Psychiatry. While there's no cure for PTSD, physicians and psychiatrists believe that some forms of therapy

help reduce the symptoms. Jeste says that the good news is that the symptoms of PTSD, like early aging, can

be reversed if treated early. "We believe the possibility that treating PTSD early and appropriately may be

able to prevent that cascade of events that could result in progressive biological worsening," he said.

Aoife O'Donovan, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, has

studied the connection between the shortening of telomeres and PTSD. She says there may be some

behavioral interventions and new drugs that might help. "This evidence highlights a need for action at the

level of both policy and clinical care," O'Donovan said via e-mail. "Given that trauma exposure has such a

strong negative effect on health, developing better interventions and making those interventions available to

those most in need is a major public health priority." [Source: Discovery News | Eric Niiler | May 08, 2015

++]

*********************************

West Nile Virus ► No Vaccine or Medicine to Prevent/Treat

West Nile virus didn’t evaporate with California’s drought, say officials who report 2014 was a record high

year for the mosquito-spread ailment. They remain concerned for 2015 as dryness exacerbates the problem

instead of abating it. In 2014, 47 states and the District of Columbia reported West Nile virus infections in

people, birds or mosquitoes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Overall, 2,122 cases in

people were reported to the CDC. Of these, 1,283 (60 percent) were neuroinvasive (such as meningitis or

encephalitis) and 839 (40 percent) were non-neuroinvasive. Most people will develop no symptoms; about 1

in 5 infected people will develop a fever with other symptoms. A few — less than 1 percent of those infected

— will develop a serious, sometimes fatal, neurologic illness. No medications can treat West Nile, and no

vaccine can prevent it, according to the CDC. So CDC experts advise that you reduce the risk of infection by

using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites. To keep mosquitoes away,

install or repair screens on windows and doors, and regularly empty standing water from flowerpots, gutters,

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buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires and birdbaths. [Source: MoneyTalksNews | Jim Gold

| May 04, 2015 ++]

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Lyme Disease ► Tougher 2015 Lyme Disease Season Ahead

Blacklegged ticks spread Lyme disease, the CDC says. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue and a skin

rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart and the nervous

system. The CDC reported 27,000 confirmed Lyme disease cases in 2013, the latest figures available, and

suspected 9,000 more. The harsh Northeast winter’s snowpack this year made a blanket protecting the

region’s ticks from severe cold rather than killing them off. That means a tougher Lyme disease season ahead,

health officials say.

Ticks aren’t just in forests and fields, Ralph Garruto, head of the tick-borne disease program at New

York’s Binghamton University, told The AP. “We’re finding plenty of infected ticks in built environments,

places like city parks, playgrounds, work campuses, college campuses. What makes the problem worse is

that people don’t perceive of these environments as risky,” Garruto said. Avoid tick bites by staying away

from wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter and wear repellant containing 20 to 30 percent

DEET on your skin and 0.5 percent permethrin on clothing. Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming

indoors to wash off ticks and more easily find any left crawling on you. Parents should check their children;

pet owners, their furry friends.

The symptoms of Lyme disease depend on the stage of the disease. You may first notice symptoms weeks

to months after the tick bite. If the disease isn't treated, it may progress from mild symptoms to serious, long-

term disabilities.

In the first stage, you may have a rash (erythema migrans camera.gif) at the site of the tick bite. You

may also have a lack of energy or a headache and stiff neck. Sometimes people have no symptoms

at this stage. If you don't have symptoms during stage 1, your first symptoms may be those found in

stage 2 or 3.

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In the second stage, symptoms may include memory problems and pain and weakness in the arms

and legs.

In the third stage, symptoms may include swelling and pain (like arthritis) in the joints, not being

able to control facial muscles, and numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, or back.

The type of antibiotic your doctor gives you and the number of days you take it will depend on your

symptoms and the stage (early or later) of the disease. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions about

your antibiotic treatment. Antibiotic treatment for early Lyme disease is effective, and symptoms usually go

away within 3 weeks of treatment. The earlier antibiotic treatment is started after infection, the faster and

more completely you will recover. If Lyme disease isn't diagnosed and treated until later problems arise, it

may take you a long time to get better. Or you may need more treatment. If the disease gets worse, treatment

options include:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen. These are usually

helpful for symptoms of arthritis that can occur with late Lyme disease.

Antibiotics. These may be used for achy joints caused by chronic Lyme arthritis. But joints that have

been badly damaged by Lyme arthritis may take a long time to get better, or antibiotics may not

improve symptoms.

Long-term antibiotics. These are commonly used to treat nervous system problems such as tingling

and numbness or conditions such as meningitis.

Antibiotics plus other treatments. These are used to help people who develop serious heart problems,

such as severe irregular heartbeat or pericarditis, from Lyme disease. But these problems are

extremely rare. Heart problems may start getting better on their own, even before antibiotics or other

treatment has started.

People with partial facial paralysis as a result of Lyme disease may improve on their own without more

treatment. Even after successful treatment for Lyme disease, you can get it again. So it is important to

continue to protect yourself against tick bites. [Source: MoneyTalksNews & WebMD | Jim Gold | May 04,

2015 ++]

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Tricare Reserve Choice ► Guard, Reserves Reform Being Pushed

A proposal to shift 9 million Tricare beneficiaries to civilian health plans may have been rejected last month

by Congress and President Obama, but some military advocates are pressing for a test-run of the plan, called

Tricare Choice, for National Guard and Reserve members. The Reserve Officers Association has drafted a

proposal to create a "Tricare Reserve Choice" program that would allow Reserve component personnel and

their families to choose a commercial health plan. While activated, the troops would get medical care from

U.S. military providers, but their families would be able to keep, and receive care through, their private health

plan. Reservists now have access to Tricare Reserve Select, a premium-based plan that allows them to see

any physician who accepts Tricare. But when Reserve forces are called up for an extended period, they are

covered the same as active-duty personnel, receiving care from the military while their families can use

Tricare Prime or Standard without paying any premiums.

Jeff Phillips, ROA executive director, said that arrangement forces families to choose between continuing

to see the same provider or saving money. A Tricare Reserve Choice program, Phillips said, could lower

costs and allow Guard and Reserve families to continue receiving health care and coverage without

interruption. "The basic problems [with Tricare Reserve Select] are the disruption that occurs to civilians and

their families when they leave their civilian plan and go to Tricare," Phillips said. "There's a continuity-of-

care concern as well as a financial cost to that option." Under Tricare Reserve Choice, reservists would

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choose from a selection of plans, pay a cost-share of the premiums and any co-payments required under the

selected plan. When called to active duty, they would receive a basic allowance for health care to cover the

cost for their families, which would stay with their chosen plan.

ROA proposes that the program also be available to members of the Individual Ready Reserve, who

currently cannot buy Tricare Reserve Select, and "gray area retirees," who have left the drilling reserve but

are under age 60 and not yet eligible for military retirement pay and benefits. Those retirees can purchase

health care coverage through the Tricare Retired Reserve program, but they pay 100 percent of the premiums.

"[Grey area retirees] are actually still part of the mobilization picture," Phillips argued. "They should be

included. Replacing their plan with Tricare Reserve Choice would give them continuity and affordability."

While it is unclear how much money the proposal would save Reserve component families, the Military

Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission said that under its Tricare Choice Reserve

proposal, families could expect to pay about 25 percent of their premiums, compared with the 28 percent

they pay now. The House Armed Services Committee in April elected not to include the commission's

recommendation to overhaul Tricare in its version of the fiscal 2016 defense authorization bill. Committee

members did not rule out future Tricare reform, but said they were unable to complete a review of the

commission's proposal that they believe must happen before it is included in any legislation. The Senate has

not yet finalized its version of the 2016 defense bill, but Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who chairs the Senate

Armed Services Committee's personnel panel, has expressed interest in the proposal and said he supports a

pilot program to test whether it would work. "Here's my bias: If I were trying to run a health care company,

the last people I'd pick would be the Department of Defense," Graham said.

In a statement released 30 APR by the White House, President Obama said military health care reform is

needed, and promised to "work with the commission and members of Congress … to develop additional

reform proposals" as part of the fiscal 2017 budget process. According to Phillips, Guard and Reserve

advocacy groups are looking at how the program could work for Guard members as well. Those who have

expressed interest in a Tricare Choice Reserve demonstration project include the Fleet Reserve Association,

the National Guard Association of the United States and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of

the United States, among others. Retired Maj. Gen Gus Hargett, NGAUS president, said he thinks the

program could work, but he has concerns about its cost. "Right now, not every member of the Guard can

afford health care, and along with maintaining military readiness, one of our top priorities is to see every

member of the Guard and their families are able to afford health insurance," Hargett said.

In an April interview with Military Times, compensation commission member and former congressman

Steve Buyer said Tricare Reserve Choice could be a "first step" in implementing Tricare Choice for all

military family members, retirees and their families. He said he expects to see Tricare Reserve Choice

proposed as part of the fiscal 2017 budget process. "I understand when something like this [recommendation]

comes out, people want it to chill a little bit. But the reserve components have stepped forward to say, 'We

like Tricare Choice.' They are asking for it," Buyer said. [Source: MilitaryTimes | Patricia Kime | May 07,

2015 ++]

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Staying Healthy ► Women At 50+

Use this information to help you stay healthy at ages 50 and above. Learn which screening tests you need

and when to get them, which medicines may prevent diseases, and steps you can take for good health.

Get the Screenings You Need – Screenings are tests that look for diseases before you have symptoms. Blood

pressure checks and mammograms are examples of screenings. You can get some screenings, such as blood

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pressure readings, in your doctor's office. Others, such as mammograms, need special equipment, so you may

need to go to a different office. After a screening test, it's important to ask when you will see the results and

who you should talk to about them.. You know your body better than anyone else. Always tell your doctor

or nurse about any changes in your health, including your vision and hearing. Ask them about being checked

for any condition you are concerned about, not just the ones below. If you are wondering about diseases such

as Alzheimer's disease or skin cancer, for example, ask about them. Recommended screening for 50+ women

are:

Breast Cancer. Talk with your health care team about whether you need a mammogram.

BRCA 1 and 2 Genes. If you have a family member with breast, ovarian, or peritoneal cancer, talk

with your doctor or nurse about your family history. Women with a strong family history of certain

cancers may benefit from genetic counseling and BRCA genetic testing.

Cervical Cancer. Get a Pap smear every 3 years or get a combination Pap smear and human

papilloma virus (HPV) test every 5 years until age 65. If you are older than 65 or have had a

hysterectomy, talk with your doctor or nurse about whether you still need to be screened.

Colon Cancer. If you are 75 or younger, get a screening test for colorectal cancer. Several different

tests—for example, a stool test or a colonoscopy—can detect this cancer. Your doctor or nurse can

help you decide which is best for you. If you are between the ages of 76 and 85, talk to your doctor

or nurse about whether you should continue to be screened.

Depression. Your emotional health is as important as your physical health. Talk to your doctor or

nurse about being screened for depression especially if during the last 2 weeks:

You have felt down, sad, or hopeless.

You have felt little interest or pleasure in doing things.

Diabetes. Get screened for diabetes (high blood sugar) with a blood test if you have high blood

pressure or take medication for high blood pressure. Diabetes can cause problems with your heart,

brain, eyes, feet, kidneys, nerves, and other body parts.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Get screened one time for HCV infection if:

You were born between 1945 and 1965.

You have ever injected drugs.

You received a blood transfusion before 1992.

If you currently are an injection drug user, you should be screened regularly.

High Blood Cholesterol. Have your blood cholesterol checked regularly with a blood test. High

blood cholesterol increases your chance of heart disease, stroke, and poor circulation.

High Blood Pressure. Have your blood pressure checked at least every 2 years. High blood pressure

can cause strokes, heart attacks, kidney and eye problems, and heart failure.

HIV. If you are 65 or younger, get screened for HIV. If you are older than 65, ask your doctor or

nurse if you should be screened.

Lung Cancer: Talk to your doctor or nurse about getting screened for lung cancer if you are between

the ages of 55 and 80, have a 30 pack-year smoking history, and smoke now or have quit within the

past 15 years. (Your pack-year history is the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day times

the number of years you have smoked.) Know that quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for

your health. Lung cancer can be detected with low-dose computed tomography (LCT). For LCT,

you lie on a table while a large machine passes over you to scan your lungs.

Osteoporosis (Bone Thinning). Have a screening test at age 65 to make sure your bones are strong.

The most common test is a DEXA scan—a low-dose x-ray of the spine and hip. If you are younger

than 65 and at high risk for bone fractures, you should also be screened. Talk with your health care

team about your risk for bone fractures.

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Overweight and Obesity. The best way to learn if you are overweight or obese is to find your body

mass index (BMI). You can find your BMI by entering your height and weight into a BMI calculator,

such as the one available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/BMI/bmicalc.htm. A BMI

between 18.5 and 25 indicates a normal weight. Persons with a BMI of 30 or higher may be obese.

If you are obese, talk to your doctor or nurse about getting intensive counseling and help with

changing your behaviors to lose weight. Overweight and obesity can lead to diabetes and

cardiovascular disease.

Get Preventive Medicines If You Need Them

Aspirin. Your doctor or nurse can help you decide whether taking aspirin to prevent a heart attack

is right for you.

Vitamin D to Avoid Falls. If you are 65 or older and have a history of falls, mobility problems, or

other risks for falling, ask your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement to help reduce your

chances of falling. Exercise and physical therapy may also help.

Breast Cancer Drugs. Talk to your doctor about your risks for breast cancer and whether you should

take medicines that may reduce those risks. Medications to reduce breast cancer have some

potentially serious harms, so think through both the potential benefits and harms.

Immunizations: Get a flu shot every year.

Get a shot for tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough. Get a tetanus booster if it has been

more than 10 years since your last shot.

If you are 60 or older, get a shot to prevent shingles.

If you are 65 or older, get a pneumonia shot.

Talk with your health care team about whether you need other vaccinations. You can also

find which ones you need by going to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines.

Take Steps to Good Health

Be physically active and make healthy food choices. To aid in accomplishing this the governments

provides some guidance at http://www.healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Category/nutrition-and-

physical-activity.

Get to a healthy weight and stay there. Balance the calories you take in from food and drink with

the calories you burn off by your activities.

Be tobacco free. For tips on how to quit, go to http://www.smokefree.gov. To talk to someone about

how to quit, call the National Quitline: 1-800-QUITNOW (784-8669).

If you drink alcohol, have no more than two drinks per day if you are 65 or younger. If you are older

than 65, have no more than one drink a day. A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine

cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.

[Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality | 2014 Update | April 2015 ++]

* Finances *

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Estate Planning Update 03 ► Documents you Need Right Now

Do you want to be remembered fondly by loved ones? Then tackle your estate-planning tasks. Your heirs

will bless you for not leaving a mess for them to clean up. Many of us want to get going but don’t know

where to start. Following is information about eight documents that can help you get your affairs in order. If

that sounds like a lot of paperwork, don’t worry: You probably won’t need every document.

1. Last will and testament - Making a will gives you the power to decide what is in the best interest of your

children and pets after you’re gone. It also can help you determine what is to become of possessions of

financial and sentimental value. Finally, you can include any funeral provisions and instructions. With no

will, your assets will be dispersed by a probate court. Probate proceedings are public record. If you’re

married, each spouse should have a separate will, AARP says. Update your will as big changes occur —

marriage, divorce, inheritance, purchase of real estate or the birth of a child. If you have moved to a new

state, have your will reviewed by an attorney in the new state. You can add to or change a will in either of

two ways: Make a new will or add a codicil, a supplement. Get an attorney’s help if you have substantial

assets or a legally complex personal or financial situation. Use your will to name guardians for those under

your care, including children and pets. Designate any assets you are leaving for their care. Remember to keep

private information — passwords, for example — out of your will, as it could become a public document.

2. Revocable living trust - A living trust is another tool for passing assets to heirs while avoiding potentially

expensive and time-consuming probate. It’s “revocable” because you can change it as long as you’re mentally

competent. You name a trustee, perhaps a spouse, family member or attorney, to manage your property.

Unlike a will, a trust can be used to distribute property now or after your death. If you have substantial

property or wealth, a trust can provide tax savings. ElderLawAnswers

http://www.elderlawanswers.com/understanding-the-differences-between-a-will-and-a-trust-7888 explains

differences between trusts and wills. Creating a trust is not a do-it-yourself project. Get an attorney’s help.

3. Beneficiary designations - When you purchase life insurance or open a retirement plan or bank account,

you’re asked to name a beneficiary who will inherit the proceeds. These designations are powerful; they take

precedence over instructions in a will. Keep beneficiary designation papers with your estate-planning

documents. Review and update them as your life changes, and you want to name new beneficiaries.

4. Durable power of attorney - Choose someone to act on your behalf, financially and legally, in case you

can’t make decisions. Don’t put off this chore. You must be legally competent to assign power of attorney.

Older people, worried about relinquishing control, sometimes put off the task until they are no longer legally

competent to do it. If you have not designated someone as your power of attorney, your family’s hands are

tied if you become incapacitated, something that can happen to young people as well as the elderly. “For

most people, the durable power of attorney is the most important estate-planning instrument available —

even more useful than a will,” says an ElderLawAnswers article http://www.elderlawanswers.com/the-

durable-power-of-attorney-12041. Some financial institutions won’t accept a general power of attorney

document, so ask your banking and financial institutions if they have a separate power of attorney form you

must use. ElderLawAnswers adds: … if you do not have someone you trust to appoint, it may be more

appropriate to have the probate court looking over the shoulder of the person who is handling your affairs

through a guardianship or conservatorship. In that case, you may execute a limited durable power of attorney

simply nominating the person you want to serve as your conservator or guardian.

5. Health care power of attorney and living will - With a health care power of attorney — also called

durable health care power of attorney — you name someone to make medical decisions for you if you’re

incapacitated. This is different from the durable power of attorney for financial and legal affairs. A living

will lets you explain in advance what types of care you do and do not want, in case you can’t communicate

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in the future. “You can use your living will to say as much or as little as you wish about the kind of health

care you want to receive,” says legal site Nolo in a detailed article (https://www.nolo.com/legal-

encyclopedia/living-will-power-of-attorney-29595.html). In some states, the living will and health care

power of attorney forms are combined in one “advance directive” form. These decisions require discussion

and weighing of values and wishes. The American Bar Association has a free toolkit

(http://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_aging/resources/health_care_decision_making/consumer_s_toolk

it_for_health_care_advance_planning.html) of 10 tools to help with making plans and decisions. States differ

in their requirements. To obtain a form and instructions that are valid in your state, ask at a local hospital. At

http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/uncategorized/2011/2011_aging_hcdec_univhcpaform.authc

heckdam.pdf can be found more resources from the American Bar Association, including a sample form.

6. Provision for digital assets - Decide what to do with your digital information, including your computer

hard drive, digital photo collection, information stored in the cloud, and online accounts, like Facebook,

Yahoo, Google and Twitter. Be sure to include a list of your passwords. “What Happens to Your Data When

You Die” explains how to make these decisions (http://www.moneytalksnews.com/what-happens-to-your-

data-when-you-die).

7. Letter of intent - For instructions, requests and important personal or financial information that don’t

belong in your will, write a letter. Use it to convey your wishes for things you hope, but don’t require, to be

done. For example, you may have detailed instructions about how you want your funeral or memorial service

performed. No attorney is needed. The letter won’t carry the legal weight of a will.

8. List of important documents - Make certain your family knows where to find everything you’ve

prepared. Make a list of documents, including where each is stored. Include papers for:

Life insurance policies

Annuities

Pension or retirement accounts

Bank accounts

Family records

Divorce records

Birth and adoption certificates

Real estate deeds

Stocks, bonds and mutual funds

Another item helpful for your heirs is a list of bills and accounts, including contact information and

account numbers for each, so your representative can close and settle these accounts. AARP suggests using

a safe at your home or business for storage. Your lawyer’s office may be another possibility. It adds: Before

you decide to store the will in a bank safe deposit box, consider state and local probate law. Many laws

require that a bank safe deposit box be automatically sealed upon your death. This can result in messy

complications.

[Source: MoneyTalksNews | Marilyn Lewis | April 24, 2015 ++]

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Iowa Disabled Vet Property Tax ► Effective March 5, 2015

On March 5, 2015 Governor Branstad signed in to law House File 166, an Act relating to the disabled veteran

homestead tax credit. The bill modifies eligibility criteria to include disabled veterans with permanent and

total disability ratings based on individual unemployability paid at the 100% disability rate. If you applied

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for a credit prior to July 1st, 2014, are 100% unemployable and paid at the 100% disability rating your

application will be processed by your local assessor for taxes payable in September 2015 and March 2016.

There is no need to reapply. There is no limit to the amount of exemption but it may only encompass one

property that is less than 40 acres in a rural area or less than 1/2 acre in an urban area. A surviving spouse of

a qualified veteran may continue to receive the credit already granted to the homestead until the spouse

changes homesteads or remarries. If the surviving spouse changes homesteads, or the homestead did not

receive the credit during the qualified veteran’s life, the surviving spouse will need to provide a current DIC

(Dependency and Indemnity Compensation) or CPD (Compensation and Pension Death) letter to receive the

tax credit. The tax credit will continue year-to-year.

If you are 100% unemployable and have not applied you need to submit your tax credit application to

your local assessor on or before 1 JUL. You must include with your application a DD214 form and a current

Benefits Paid letter issued within 12 months of your application date. To protect your privacy, do not send

any personal health information. The Benefits Paid letter must come from the federal VA. Visit with your

local VA office to help get the process started, or call 800-827-1000, or go to your e-benefits account online.

The application form IDR 54-049a (4/1/15) can be downloaded from the internet at

https://tax.iowa.gov/sites/files/idr/forms1/54049_1.pdf. Answers to the following frequently asked question

can be found at https://tax.iowa.gov/disabled-veteran-homestead-property-tax-credit#ap :

Filing Questions

Application Process

Applicants Receiving Other Tax Credits

DD214 Questions

Disability Questions

Documentation Questions

Property Questions

Surviving Spouse or Dependent Questions

[Source: https://tax.iowa.gov/disabled-veteran-homestead-property-tax-credit May 2015 ++]

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Saving Money ► Prescription Medicines Update 01

Below are prescription purchasing tips many people overlook, even though they can cut costs by much

more than 50 percent.

1. Consider over-the-counter options. Few types of prescription medications have over-the-counter

competitors. Still, it doesn’t hurt to ask your doctor or pharmacist if your prescriptions have such

alternatives. These drugs are often cheaper, and they might save you a doctor’s appointment. For example,

Consumer Reports recently reported that certain over-the-counter antihistamines are generally “equally

effective at relieving symptoms” as prescription antihistamines.

2. Try generics. Generics are one of the best ways to save money on medications. Plus, there’s virtually no

reason not to at least try a generic drug these days. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Drugs@FDA

database http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/ makes it easy to determine whether a

generic is therapeutically equivalent to its brand-name version.

The FDA explains: Drug products classified as therapeutically equivalent can be substituted with the full

expectation that the substituted product will produce the same clinical effect and safety profile as the

prescribed product. Drug products are considered to be therapeutically equivalent only if they … are

pharmaceutical equivalents (contain the same active ingredient(s); dosage form and route of administration;

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and strength.)… Medications in the database have received a therapeutic equivalence code from the FDA

and are divided into two main categories based on that code. According to

www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ucm079068.htm#TEC, drugs that have a code starting

with an “A” are considered therapeutically equivalent to other pharmaceutically equivalent products. Drugs

with a code that starts with a “B” are considered “NOT to be therapeutically equivalent.”

3. Consider paying out of pocket. If your copay is more than $4, you might be overpaying. For example,

big-box stores like Target and Wal-Mart and grocery stores like Kroger and Winn-Dixie offer a 30-day

supply of hundreds of generic medications for as little as $4, and a 90-day supply for $10.

4. Check online prices. Prices on the Internet are often lower than those of brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

Reputable online pharmacies like HealthWarehouse.com also offer free shipping. Some stores with brick-

and-mortar pharmacies have mail-order programs with free shipping. Costco is one example — and you

don’t have to be a Costco member to use mail-order online.

5. Use reputable online pharmacies. In the U.S., the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program

www.nabp.net/programs/accreditation/vipps offers online pharmacies a chance to establish their legitimacy.

To tell these pharmacies apart from others, look for the VIPPS symbol on pharmacy websites. Also, use the

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s verification website http://vipps.nabp.net to look up an online

pharmacy’s certification by entering its website address. Prescriptions from outside the U.S. are illegal.

6. Check strength prices. Sometimes the per-milligram cost of a medicine varies depending on the

strength. For example, http://www.healthwarehouse.com currently sells a 30-day supply of all strengths of

the common cholesterol drug Crestor for $243.90. So, the per-milligram cost is as follows:

5-milligram strength: About $1.63 per milligram

10-milligram strength: About 81 cents per milligram

20-milligram strength: About 41 cents per milligram

40-milligram strength: About 20 cents per milligram

If you take a 20-milligram dose, for example, you would save around 50 percent — about $126 per month

— by getting 40-milligram pills and splitting them. The same percentage of savings is true of 5- and 10-

milligram sizes, respectively, and 10- and 20-milligram sizes, respectively. If you would save significantly

by splitting pills, ask your doctor whether your prescriptions can be split safely.

7. Ask for a larger quantity. At many pharmacies, purchasing a 90-day supply will get you a discount.

If this is true of your medications, nicely ask your doctor to write your prescriptions for larger quantities.

Explain how it would save you money.

8. Don’t wait till the last minute. If you wait till you’re down to the last pill to ask your pharmacy to refill

the prescription, you’re limited to brick-and-mortar pharmacies unless you pay extra for expedited shipping.

The free shipping option offered by online pharmacies generally takes at least a couple of days.

9. Check prices again. When you’re down to your last refill or the last months’ worth of a prescription, it

means your doctor will have to write a new prescription soon. This is a good time to compare prices on that

medication because they fluctuate from time to time, especially at online pharmacies. If you decide to use a

different pharmacy this time, inform the doctor’s office before your physician writes the new script. To

facilitate the pharmacy change, provide the new pharmacy’s phone and fax numbers to the doctor’s office.

10. Save your receipts. Prescription drugs that you purchase for yourself, spouse or dependents are

considered federal income tax deductions in certain cases, according to the IRS website. Your total deductible

medical expenses must exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income, or 7.5 percent of your AGI if you

or your spouse is 65 or older. (The latter percentage is only available through December 2016, however.)

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[Source: MoneyTalksNews | Karla Bowsher | April 22, 201 ++]

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Magazine Scam ► How to Avoid

Like seasonal allergies and rainy weather, door-to-door magazine scams are an annual annoyance that

return each spring. Be on the lookout for scammers selling fake magazine subscriptions.

How the Scam Works:

You answer your door, and it's someone selling magazine subscriptions. The seller may claim that

he/she is raising money for a school or charity. The subscription prices seem steep. In fact, they

are typically three times the typical price. However, the money goes to a good cause, so you

purchase one anyway. Months pass, and your magazine never arrives. Turns out the magazine

fundraiser is totally fake!

There are many versions of this scam. Sometimes the sales people call instead of going door-to-

door. Other times, "subscribers" are charged monthly fees instead of an annual subscription rate.

Some sellers don't even realize they are working for a scammer!

How to Avoid Magazine Scams:

Don't fall for high-pressure sales tactics: Scammers use high-pressure tactics, hoping you'll make a

purchase or bad decision before you can think it over. Don't fall for it.

Ask to see the terms and conditions: Legitimate magazine companies will give you the details in

writing, including the commitment period, total price and cancelation instructions.

Request to see the seller's license. Many municipalities require a solicitation license before you

can sell door-to-door. If your town has this law, be sure to ask to see the seller's license.

Contact your magazine publisher. If you are uncertain about your magazine subscription, contact

the magazine publisher directly with questions or concerns.

Check with BBB. Not all door-to-door magazine sales are scams. Look up the seller on our

website at bbb.org to see what others' experience has been, or call your local BBB for more

information.

To find out more about other scams, check out BBB Scam Stopper www.bbb.org/council/bbb-scam-

stopper. [Source: BBB Scam Alert | April 10, 2015 ++]

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Fraudulent Fraud Department Scam ► How to Avoid

A fraudulent fraud department? It may sound too wacky to be true, but scammers are now pretending to be

from credit card companies' fraud departments. It's a trick to get you to reveal your card's security code.

How the Scam Works:

You answer the phone, and the caller says he/she is from your credit card's security department.

This "fraud specialist" tells you that there's suspicious activity on your card. He makes up a bogus

transaction and asks if you authorized it. When you reply that you never made the purchase, the

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"fraud specialist" offers to open an investigation into the charge. The scammer may even give you

a fake case number for reference.

Everything seems normal until the scammer asks one last question. Under the guise of verifying

that the credit card is in your procession, he requests the security code on the back of your card.

Don't give it to him; it's a scam!

In this particular con, identity thieves already have your information. They know your name,

credit card number, phone number and address. Now, all they need is the security code on the back

of your card. If you share it, you give the con artist the information he needs to wrack up charges

in your name.

What To Do if a Fraudulent Fraud Department Calls:

Don't give the caller any information about your account - even if he already knows some of the

details.

Pick up the phone. Call the customer service number on the back of your credit card. Talk to the

fraud or security department and ask about the unauthorized charges the caller told you about.

Phone numbers can deceive. Some con artists use Internet technology to disguise their area code in

Caller ID systems. Although it may look like they're calling from your credit card company, they

could be calling from anywhere in the world.

For More Information read the full alert on the FTC's website

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/unlocking-code . To find out more about other scams, check out BBB

Scam Stopper www.bbb.org/council/bbb-scam-stopper. [Source: BBB Scam Alert | April 17, 2015 ++]

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Tax Burden for Tennessee Retired Vets ► As May 2015

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

Tennessee.

Sales Taxes

State Sales Tax: 7% on tangible property (prescription drugs exempt); 6% on food and food

ingredients. Counties and cities may add another 1.5% to 2.75% to the total of either rate (refer to

http://state.tn.us/revenue/pubs/taxlist.pdf).

Gasoline Tax: 39.8 cents/gallon (Includes all taxes)

Diesel Fuel Tax: 42.8 cents/gallon (Includes all taxes)

Cigarette Tax: 62 cents/pack of 20; 77.5 cents/pack of 25.

[Note: Tax rates to do not include local option tax of 1 cent.]

Personal Income Taxes

Salaries, wages, Social Security, IRAs and pension income are not taxed. A 6% tax is levied on stock

dividends and interest from bonds and other obligations. The first $1,250 in taxable income received by a

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single filer is exempt ($2,500 for joint filers). Refer to www.state.tn.us/revenue/taxguides/indincguide.pdf

for details.

Retirement Income Taxes: Beginning with tax year 2012, the annual Hall Income Tax standard income

exemptions for taxpayers 65 years of age or older increases from $16,200 to $26,200 for single filers and

from $27,000 to $37,000 for joint filers.

Retired Military Pay: see above

Military Disability Retired Pay: Retirees who entered the military before Sept. 24, 1975, and members

receiving disability retirements based on combat injuries or who could receive disability payments from the

VA are covered by laws giving disability broad exemption from federal income tax. Most military retired

pay based on service-related disabilities also is free from federal income tax, but there is no guarantee of total

protection.

VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: VA benefits are not taxable because they

generally are for disabilities and are 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 taxes are assessed and collected by the local governments. County assessors of property appraise

real estate for assessment purposes. In addition, they assess tangible personal property used or held for use

in a business. The county commission and city governing bodies determine local property tax rates. The

property taxes are collected by county trustees and city collecting officials.

Tennessee does not have a homestead exemption. However, there is a property tax relief program for the

elderly, disabled and veterans. Refer to www.comptroller.tn.gov/pa/pdf/ElderlyDisabledBrochure.pdf

The assessed valuation of a property is based on 25% of its fair market value. Depending on the location of

the residence, homeowners will be assessed property taxes from the city only, the city and county, or the city,

county, and a special school/fire district rate. A local government may authorize (at their option) a person

who is 65 years of age or older to defer payment of tax up to $60,000 of the appraised fair market value of

the homeowner’s residence if the combined income is not more than $12,000. Local option could increase

it to $25,000. For more information, call 615-741-4883 or click here for an overview of the property tax

freeze program.

Inheritance and Estate Taxes

There is an inheritance tax in which all real and personal property in which the decedent owned or has an

interest is taxed. It ranges from 5.5% to 9.5% of the value of the property transferred at death. Spouses are

exempt. The estate tax is limited and related to federal estate tax collection. For more information refer to

http://www.state.tn.us/revenue/taxguides/inheritoutline.pdf or call 615-532-6438.

For further information, visit the Tennessee Department of Revenue site http://www.tn.gov/revenue or call

615-741-2837.

[Source: http://www.retirementliving.com May 2015 ++]

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Tax Burden for Georgia Residents ► As of May 2015

Personal income tax

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Georgia collects income taxes from its residents at the following rates.

For single taxpayers:

1 percent on the first $750 of taxable income.

2 percent on taxable income between $751 and $2,250.

3 percent on taxable income between $2,251 and $3,750.

4 percent on taxable income between $3,751 and $5,250.

5 percent on taxable income between $5,251 and $7,000.

6 percent on taxable income exceeding $7,000.

For married persons filing joint returns and heads of households, the rates remain the same, but the

income brackets cover earnings from $1,000 (at 1 percent) to $10,000 (at 6 percent).

Georgia tax returns are due April 15, or the next business day if that date falls on a weekend or

holiday.

Taxpayers age 62 to 64 or those permanently and totally disabled may exclude up to $35,000 of

retirement income. The retirement exclusion is $65,000 if the taxpayer is 65 or older.

A tax credit is allowed to Georgia residents for income taxes paid to other states, but not to foreign

countries.

Some Georgia residents whose federal adjusted gross income is no more than $20,000 (tax year

2013) might be eligible for a low-income tax credit.

Sales taxes

Georgia state sales tax is 4 percent.

Prescription drugs, certain medical devices and groceries are exempt from sales and use tax.

Local jurisdictions may impose additional sales taxes. These could include levies for local option

tax, educational local option tax, special purpose local option tax, homestead local option tax or

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, tax.

Atlanta also collects a 1 percent municipal option sales tax on transactions where the customer

takes delivery of the item being sold or an item is used within the incorporated city limits of

Atlanta, except for vehicles.

Personal and real property taxes

All real and personal property is taxable unless specifically exempted by law. Real property is land

and anything built on it, growing in it or affixed to it. Personal property is everything owned that

is not real estate.

Real property is taxable in the county where the land is located. Personal property is taxable in the

county where the owner has his or her permanent legal residence.

Each county administers its own system and sets its millage rate to arrive at the amount of ad

valorem tax due.

Property taxes are owed on property that was owned on Jan. 1 for the current tax year. Property

tax returns are normally due Dec. 20 in most counties, but some counties may have a different due

date. Taxpayers have 60 days from the date of billing to pay their property taxes.

Various homestead exemptions are available to persons who own and occupy their home as a

primary residence. Apply for a homestead exemption through the local county tax commissioner if

you reside in a home you own by Jan. 1.

Inheritance and estate taxes

There is no inheritance tax in Georgia.

Legislation enacted in 2005 repeals the requirement to file a Georgia estate tax return for dates on

which the federal estate tax law does not allow a credit for state death tax.

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Other Georgia tax facts

The Georgia Department of Revenue has entered into an agreement with several software

companies to offer free electronic filing of state returns for qualified Georgia taxpayers.

Georgia taxpayers can check the status of their refunds online.

[Source: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/taxes/state-taxes-georgia.aspx May 2015 ++]

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Thrift Savings Plan 2015 ► Share Prices + YTD Gain or Loss

TSP Share Prices as of May 13, 201515are Prices for May

Close YTD

G Fund $14.7175 +0.69%

F Fund $16.8620 +0.36%

C Fund $27.8995 +2.70%

S Fund $37.9693 +4.61%

I Fund $26.9853 +11.43%

L 2050 $15.6942 +4.92%

L 2040 $27.5233 +4.34%

L 2030 $25.7706 +3.89%

L 2020 $23.6261 +3.18%

L Income $17.7267 +1.58%

Thrift Savings Plan Returns as of May 03, 2015

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[Source: www.myfederalretirement.com/public/237.cfm & http://tspcenter.com/tspReturns.php?view=year

May 14, 2014 ++]

* General Interest *

Notes of Interest ► 01 thru 14 May 2015

Fort Mcclellan. The AUG 2013 Combined Environmental Exposure Report for Fort Mcclellan

Alabama can be downloaded at http://azveteransconnection.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2013-

08-25_Fort_McClellan_AL_Combined_Exposure_Report_CCK-Law-1.pdf.

Chinese Military. If you like the Rockettes and/or military parades you should appreciate the video

at http://biggeekdad.com/2012/07/chinese-female-soldiers-on-parade.

Berlin 1945. Check out http://twistedsifter.com/videos/remarkable-hd-footage-of-berlin-from-

july-1945 to view a HD color video on what the bombed city looked like in JUL 1945.

Saving Water. Levi Straus is urging people to wear their jeans 10 times before washing them, and

they don’t recommend a washing machine, just a spot clean.

Post Office. For the sixth consecutive quarter, the U.S Postal Service turned an operational profit

when accounting for its controllable costs. But the agency still lost a total of $1.5 billion from

January through March due to outstanding liabilities down from $1.9 billion in the same period last

year

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Balanced Budget Plan Passes ► 10-yr thru $5T Domestic Funding Cut

House Republicans approved along party lines 30 APR the first GOP budget agreed upon by both houses of

Congress since the George W. Bush presidency. "We've got a lot left to do, but we're listening to the American

people and we're getting things done," said House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). The 10-year budget plan

passed, 226-197, with all Democrats in opposition. The GOP-controlled Senate will approve it next week,

said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The vote follows Wednesday's announcement that

negotiators had reached a deal to reconcile House and Senate budget plans. The GOP fiscal vision achieves

balance in 10 years, in part through $5 trillion in federal domestic spending cuts. It raises no new taxes and

boosts defense spending by back-channeling funds through an off-book war account for operations in Iraq

and Afghanistan. The resolution is not a law and is non-binding, so it does not require President Obama's

signature.

However, passage of a joint budget opens a legislative pathway for another confrontation this summer

over the Affordable Care Act. Republicans intend to use special budget rules to vote again to repeal the health

care law — an effort that will be blocked by Obama's veto pen if it reaches his desk. It also sets top-line

priorities for domestic spending that will tip off a contentious debate with the Obama administration and

congressional Democrats in the coming months over the 12 annual spending laws. "The budget continues

Republicans' quest to empower special interest on the backs of hardworking American families," said House

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Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). "It is entirely inadequate to meet America's needs." Republicans

support more drastic cuts in domestic and social spending in order to protect defense spending and comply

with strict statutory budget caps.

Republican members of U.S. House Budget Committee

The coming clash over spending bills was foreshadowed on 30 APR, when GOP leaders were forced to

temporarily pull from the floor the funding bill for military projects and the Veterans Affairs Department. A

bipartisan amendment offered by conservative Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-

MD), the top Democrat on the Budget Committee, threatened to derail the bill. Their amendment would have

blocked adding funds into the war account, which fiscal hawks have decried as a budgetary "gimmick" to

evade spending limits. [Source: USA TODAY | Susan Davis, | April 30, 2015 ++]

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RP~China Dispute Update 08 ► Island Construction Reaches 2000 Acres

China's rapidly expanding campaign to construct artificial islands, potentially for military use or airstrips,

now totals about 2,000 acres and could far outstrip that amount as the year goes on, a senior defense official

said Friday. The new estimate, disclosed for the first time, comes as the Pentagon released its annual report

on China's military power. The report warns that while Beijing's island construction intent is unclear, five

emerging outposts could be used for surveillance systems, harbors, an airfield and logistical support. The

wide-ranging report also details Chinese government-backed cyberattacks against the U.S. government to

collect intelligence and steal high-tech data from defense programs to support China's industry. And it warns

that China now "boasts the most dynamic space program in the world today."

The document also repeats persistent U.S. concerns about China's growing capacity to project military

power beyond its borders, with continued investments in new missiles, ships, and aircraft as well as cyber,

space and electronic warfare. For the first time, however, the report describes the "extensive" land

reclamation at five outposts in the Spratly Islands, adding that at four of the sites the work has shifted to

mainly development and construction. The report says China had reclaimed about 500 acres as of late last

December, underscoring the dramatic increase in the past four months. The defense official said the

construction has been methodical and continuous since December. The official was not authorized to discuss

the issue publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the report, China's government says the projects "are mainly for improving the living and

working conditions of those stationed on the islands. However, most analysts outside China believe that

China is attempting to change facts on the ground by improving its defense infrastructure in the South China

Sea." Although it is unclear what will ultimately be built on these expanded outposts, the report says they

could include harbors, communications and surveillance systems, logistics support, and at least one airfield.

China's reclamation program in disputed waters of the South China Sea dwarfs that of any other nation and

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has inflamed tensions in the region. Last month, the Philippines urged its fellow Southeast Asian countries

to take immediate steps to halt the building, warning that failure to do so will allow Beijing take "de facto

control" of the area.

This combination photo of satellite images taken on Feb. 6, 2015, top, and March 23, 2015, bottom shows what

IHS Jane's describes as an airstrip on Fiery Cross Reef in a disputed section of the South China Sea. The U.S has

warned that China's development on the artificially created island could raise tensions in the area.

According to the defense official, Vietnam has reclaimed about 60 acres of land since 2009. And the report

said that Taiwan began a "modest land reclamation effort" on Itu Aba Island last year, and has reclaimed

about five acres near the island's airstrip. There are reports that Taiwan is building a $100 million port near

the airstrip that could accommodate naval frigates and coast guard cutters, the Pentagon said. [Source: The

Associated Press | Lolita C. Baldor | May 08, 2015 ++]

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America’s Most Wasted ► $294 Billion Spent on Expired Programs

The federal government is spending at least $294 billion of taxpayer money this year on hundreds of expired

programs, according to a report released 7 APR. The 19-page “America’s Most Wasted” report is the first in

a series of oversight studies from Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) meant to highlight examples of wasteful and

duplicative government spending. McCain identified $1.1 billion in wasteful spending on projects that

included an Army research study into the bomb-detecting abilities of elephants, puppet shows in Vermont

and the creation of a dog bite prevention website, among others.

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The $294 billion that is being spent on expired programs stems from a report the nonpartisan

Congressional Budget Office released in January. Last year, the government spent $302 billion on

unauthorized projects. “I believe the 'America’s Most Wasted' reports should serve as a wake-up call to

Congress and the American people to keep their government accountable by demanding an end to wasteful

government spending,” McCain said in a statement. McCain specifically pounced on the budget at the

Pentagon, including a $2.4 billion cost overrun on the Navy’s new aircraft carrier. He said the waste

specifically harms his mission to lift the sequestration caps on the military’s budget. “We have to get rid of

the duplicative waste in the Pentagon so that I can will have credibility when I say, we’ve got to get rid of

sequestration because it is destroying our ability to defend the nation,” he said Thursday on Fox News’

“America’s Newsroom.” McCain's report found that:

The Army is spending $50,000 to research whether elephants in South Africa can detect bombs.

“While finding new ways to enhance our bomb detection methods is important, it is unlikely that

African elephants could feasibly be used on the battlefield given their size and sensitive status as

‘threatened’ under the Endangered Species Act,” the report states.

The Social Security Administration has issued more than $225 million in overpayments to more

than 106,000 students. Children with a deceased, retired or disabled parent have access to these

benefits until they graduate or turn 19. McCain’s report said $2.5 billion in benefits is provided to

4.4 million children nationwide each month.

The National Guard has spent $49 million on advertising deals with professional sports leagues to

support recruiting. This came largely from sponsorship of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s NASCAR team and

Graham Rahal’s Indy Racing League team.

The government is also spending $14 million on a program at the Department of Agriculture to

develop a catfish inspection office even though the Food and Drug Administration already has one.

The National Institutes of Health awarded a grant worth nearly $391,000 to a university to develop

a website to teach children about dog bites.

Another $15,000 grant issued by the Environmental Protection Agency was given to a university

to study pollution that emanates from backyard barbecues.

Future reports in the “America’s Most Wasted” series will highlight wasteful spending at the Pentagon,

the Department of Veterans Affairs and federal wildfire management, McCain said. McCain said the reports

piggyback on the annual wasteful spending reports former Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) compiled while he

served in Congress. [Source: The Hill | Rebecca Shabad | May 07, 2015 ++]

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Insect-Based Food ► What’s For Dinner | Crickets

According to The Huffington Post, insect-based food products may soon be seen on the shelves of American

grocery stores. Cricket cookies and crackers, as well as energy bars made with cricket flour, are already

available in the United States, the Huffpo report said. A 2013 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization

of the United Nations said insects provide a viable option for meeting global food demands. The report said:

Insects as food and feed emerge as an especially relevant issue in the 21st century due to the rising cost of

animal protein, food and feed insecurity, environmental pressures, population growth and increasing

demand for protein among the middle classes. Thus, alternative solutions to conventional livestock and feed

sources urgently need to be found. The consumption of insects, or entomophagy, therefore contributes

positively to the environment and to health and livelihoods.

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Several companies in the United States hope to capitalize on the projected insect-eating trend. According

to KABC, Coala Valley Farms in California, a cricket-raising facility, is banking on Americans shifting to

insects to meet their protein needs. Maximillian Cunha, one of Coala Valley’s founders, said crickets are

healthy for both humans and the environment, especially in drought-stricken California. “You know a pound

of beef from a cow takes 1,700 gallons of water. Here it’s only 1 gallon,” Cunha said. Coala Valley plans to

grind crickets down to powder and sell it to consumers, restaurants and food manufacturing companies.

Charleston’s Jiminy Co. (you know, like Jiminy Cricket?), has also started a cricket flour business, The Post

and Courier reports. “Advocates estimate 2 billion people already eat caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers and

other insects on a regular and intentional basis, but years of marketing hasn’t fully eroded the ‘ick’ factor

endemic to the world’s wealthiest countries, including the U.S.,” the Post and Courier said. [Source:

MoneyTalksNews | Krystal Steinmetz | May 09, 2015 ++]

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Funeral Homes ► The Funeral Rule | FROP

Some funeral homes aren’t good at following the rules, but sadly, they may not be called out by customers

who are grieving or rarely have to make funeral arrangements. Recent undercover spot checks used to assess

these facilities found that 1 in 4 funeral homes failed to comply with federal disclosure requirements. All

funeral homes are required by law to disclose pricing information and follow other rules designed to protect

consumers. The regs are dubbed “The Funeral Rule.” “The Funeral Rule, enforced by the Federal Trade

Commission, makes it possible for you to choose only those goods and services you want or need and to pay

only for those you select, whether you are making arrangements when a death occurs or in advance,” the

FTC explains. “The Rule allows you to compare prices among funeral homes, and makes it possible for you

to select the funeral arrangements you want at the home you use.” Investigators with the FTC conducted 100

funeral home visits in six states in 2014. The undercover visits revealed that 27 of the funeral homes failed

to properly disclose pricing information:

In Northwest Arkansas, five of the 16 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;

In Bakersfield, California, seven of the 11 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list

In Annapolis, Maryland, and vicinity, four of 13 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list

disclosure;

In St. Louis, Missouri, three of 16 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;

In Westchester County, New York, three of 29 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list

disclosure; and

In Seattle, Washington, five of 15 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure.

The FTC said that 25 of the 27 funeral homes that failed to properly disclose pricing information have

agreed to enter the Funeral Rule Offenders Program (FROP), a three-year program designed to increase

compliance with the federal law. “Funeral homes that participate in the program make a voluntary payment

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to the U.S. Treasury in place of a civil penalty and pay annual administrative fees to the [National Funeral

Directors] Association,” the FTC said. Since the FROP began in 1996, more than 2,900 funeral homes have

been inspected, resulting in 486 participants in the FROP. [Source: MoneyTalksNews | Krystal Steinmetz

| May 05, 2015 ++]

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Car Insurance Update 10 ► Ten Horrible Decisions to Mess it Up

We often forget that our auto insurance policies are contracts. Besides paying your premium on time, you

should abide by your car insurance company’s rules. But how can you abide by the rules when you don’t

even know what they are? Here are 10 common scenarios that Insure.com readers often ask about. If any of

these hit close to home, quickly fix the issue before you get in a pickle.

1. You haven’t added a licensed teen to your car insurance policy. No one wants to raise their hand and

offer to pay more for car insurance. But insurers are permitted to consider all household residents when they

price a policy, including a teen. Withholding information about your teen driver from your car insurance

company is a big no-no.

Insurers have ways of finding out. They can pull reports that identify “hidden” household members. One

such report from LexisNexis looks for “undisclosed” newly licensed drivers between ages 15 and 25. If your

insurer finds out about your licensed teenager this way, it can revise your premiums to include the young

driver, or decide it doesn’t want your business anymore. If your insurer doesn’t find out about your teen until

there is an accident, it still might cover the incident. That would be a lucky outcome, but you’ll back

premiums based on the teen driver. Or, your auto insurance company may say it’s not covering the teenager

and is dropping your policy because of your failure to inform it.

2. You let your adult child take your car with her when she moved to another state. Sure, it’s so much

easier to put off a call to your agent and let your child move away with a family car. But when your car is

being driven and garaged in a new area, the risks of you as a customer have changed. Car insurance companies

expect to be informed about these changes. If your daughter were in an accident, your insurer could say you

concealed vital information about the vehicle’s location, deny your claim and cancel the policy. If you want

to do things the right way, add the child’s name to the car’s title. Then your child can buy insurance for the

car in her own name and using her new address. This will also allow your child to register the car in her new

state, which most states require.

3. You sold your car to your son but still carry the insurance on it. Uh oh. In general, you can’t carry

insurance on a car in which you don’t have an “insurable interest.” Typically those with an insurable interest

are the car’s owners, lienholders and co-signers – meaning those who would be affected financially if

something happens to the car. Since you are no longer the car’s owner, it’s time for the new owner -- your

child -- to buy car insurance for the vehicle. If he’s still a minor, you may have to be on the policy with him.

Minors typically must have a parent or guardian involved in the auto insurance contract. You could face

problems submitting a claim if you have failed to tell your insurance company about the ownership change.

Or worse, the car insurance company could say you hid the change as a scheme to get lower car insurance

rates, which would qualify as insurance fraud and a reason for it to deny claims and cancel the policy.

4. You want to finance and insure a car for a relative who lives out of state. Auto finance companies

want evidence that the car loan is in the same name as the insurance policy. Since you’re not the primary

driver of the car, nor is the car at your residence, it is difficult, if not impossible, for you to insure the car.

You should contact the finance company to see if it will allow your relative to be the “named insured” on a

policy. If it agrees, your relative has the hurdle of finding an insurance company in her state that will permit

137

her to insure a car she doesn’t own. If she can find such a company, then she still has to list you and the

finance company on the insurance as owner and lienholder, respectively. If you carry insurance on the car

without telling your insurer about the situation and your relative wrecks the vehicle, it’s very likely the

accident wouldn’t be covered. Your car insurance company is likely to call you out for misrepresenting who

was driving the car and where it was located, and cancel the policy.

5. You lend your car to a friend for a few months and don’t notify the insurance company. Your car

insurance policy typically will cover a friend who drives your car occasionally, but it’s a different story when

you loan your car out for a long period. The car is now housed someplace other than your residence, and

someone else is acting as the primary driver of the car -- both circumstances your car insurance company

wants to know about. If your insurance company’s rules allow, you may be permitted to add your friend as a

driver to your auto policy, but most car insurance companies don’t want to add a person outside of the

household. If that is the case, your friend should consider insuring the car. Some insurance companies will

allow someone to insure a car that he doesn’t own, as long as the owner is listed on the policy. If your friend

crashes your car, your insurer can deny claims because you concealed pertinent information about the “real”

driver and vehicle location. That can leave you and your friend on the hook for damages he caused.

6. You sold your car and the buyer is making payments but you’re still carrying the title and insurance.

Don’t keep your name and insurance on a car that another person possesses! First, as the owner – because

your name is still on the title -- you have vicarious liability for the actions of the person driving the car that

you “sold.” Second, you’re paying for insurance but any claims might not be covered. Your car insurance

policy normally covers cars and drivers of your household, not others. If you’re in this situation, you should

sign the title over to the new party. He can easily get insurance once he registers the car -- and you will no

longer be held responsible for his actions. To protect your interest in the car, make certain you’re listed as

the lienholder on the car’s title and auto insurance policy. That way you’ll be notified if he tries to sell the

car or drop car insurance.

7. You’re delivering pizzas with your personal vehicle. Most personal auto insurance policies exclude

coverage if you use the vehicle to deliver items, whether it’s pizza, newspapers, packages or medical supplies.

Insurance companies see unsavory risk in delivery drivers because they are constantly on the road. If you

want to be paid to deliver items, you should change to a business-use or commercial car insurance policy. If

you don’t and you get caught driving for deliveries, you’re on your own to compensate others for damages

they sustained -- and the damages to your own vehicle.

8. You let an "excluded driver" drive your car. Big mistake. When you put a named-driver exclusion on

your policy it meant that the person listed is not covered under any circumstances and shouldn’t be driving

your car. So if that person gets behind the wheel of your car, even in an emergency, and causes an accident,

you and the driver will be the ones to pay for any resulting injuries or property damage. Hide your keys from

any excluded driver in order to lower your risk of financial disaster.

9. You bought a new car weeks ago and haven’t told your insurer. If you traded in a vehicle, then your

car insurance policy likely extends the same exact coverage to your new car for a limited time. This means

if you bought only liability on your old car, your new car would only have liability coverage. The deadline

for informing your insurer about the new car varies by insurer, but is typically 14 to 30 days. Here’s more

about extending coverage to new cars.

Don’t bet on having automatic coverage, either; some car insurance companies don’t give you any.

If you’re adding a car rather than replacing one, you should buy coverage for it before driving it off

the lot.

If you’re outside the insurer’s automatic coverage period, or there is no extended coverage on your new

car, and you’re in an accident, your insurance company won’t help you. You’ll be paying out-of-pocket for

damages you do to your own car or others.

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10. You haven’t told your insurance company that your live-in girlfriend drives your car. Insurance

companies hate it when you “forget” to tell them about a driver who lives with you or regularly uses your

car. Insurers can’t charge you correctly if they don’t know about all licensed household members, including

a girlfriend or spouse. If you recently got married or moved in with someone, let the insurance company

know immediately and have the person added to your policy as a driver. If you fail to do so, don’t be surprised

if claims are denied if they cause an accident, or if you’re asked to pay back premiums based on the additional

driver. If your car insurance company believes you were intentionally hiding the driver – say your girlfriend

has a bad driving record -- then it may say you committed fraud by means of misrepresentation. This means

your car insurance company can cancel your policy.

[Source: MoneyTalksNews | Penny Gusner | Jan. 27, 2015 ++]

*********************************

Statistics for the Year 1910 ► What a Difference a Century Makes

Here are some statistics for the Year 1910. T’was Another World

The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.

Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads in the U.S.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average US wage in 1910 was 22 cents per hour.

The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a

veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME.

Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION! Instead, they attended so-called

medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND the government as

‘substandard.’

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

There was no such thing as under arm deodorant or tooth paste.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

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The five leading causes of death were: Pneumonia and influenza, Tuberculosis, Diarrhea, Heart

disease, and Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas Nevada was only 30!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn’t been invented yet

There was no Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn’t read or write and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated

from high school.

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.!

[Source: http://allfairfield.com/nostalgia | David Osterberg | April 22, 2013 ++]

********************************

WWII Advertising ► Chrysler (2)

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*******************************

Photos That Say it All ► Standing Guard

*******************************

Normandy Then & Now ► Juno Bernieres-sur-Mer Beach, France

A large number of German prisoners are gathered on the beach of Bernieres-sur-Mer in June of 1944. They are

guarded by British soldiers from the 2nd Army on Juno Beach (Bernieres sector), Normandy, France. A view of

Juno Beach on May 8, 2014.

*******************************

Have You Heard? ► The Iranian, Indian Chief, Viking, Squaws, & Anthropologist

The Iranian Ambassador to the UN had just finished giving a speech and walked out into the lobby of the

convention center where he was introduced to a U.S. Army General. As they talked, the Iranian said, "I

have just one question about what I have seen in America."

The General said, "Well, anything I can do to help?"

The Ambassador whispered, "My son watches this show called Star Trek and in it there is: Kirk, who is

Canadian; Chekhov, who is Russian; Scotty, who is Scottish; Uhura who is black; and Sulu, who is

141

Japanese. But, there are NO Muslims. My son is very upset and doesn't understand why there aren't any

Iranians, Iraqis, Afghans, Egyptians, Palestinians, Saudis, Syrians, or Pakistanis on Star Trek."

The General leaned toward the Iranian Ambassador, and whispered in his ear . . . "That's because it takes

place in the future."

-o-o-O-o-o-

An Indian chief was feeling very sick, so he summoned the medicine man. After a brief examination, the

medicine man took out a long, thin strip of elk rawhide and gave it to the chief, telling him to bite off,

chew, and swallow one inch of the leather every day.

After a month, the medicine man returned to see how the chief was feeling. The chief shrugged and said,

'The thong is ended, but the malady lingers on.'

-o-o-O-o-o-

A famous Viking explorer returned home from a voyage and found his name missing from the town

register. His wife insisted on complaining to the local civic official who apologized profusely saying, 'I

must have taken Leif off my census.'

-o-o-O-o-o-

There were three Indian squaws. One slept on a deer skin, one slept on an elk skin, and the third slept on a

hippopotamus skin. All three became pregnant, and the first two each had a baby boy. The one who slept

on the hippopotamus skin had twin boys. This goes to prove that the squaw of the hippopotamus is equal to

the sons of thesquaws of the other two hides.

-o-o-O-o-o-

A skeptical anthropologist was cataloging South American folk remedies with the assistance of a tribal

brujo who indicated that the leaves of a particular fern were a sure cure for any case of constipation. When

the anthropologist expressed his doubts, the brujo looked him in the eye and said, 'Let me tell you, with

fronds like these, who needs enemas?'

*********************************

They Grew Up to Be? ► Mary Kate | Ashley Olsen (Full House 1990’s)

Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen (Full House 1990’s)

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*********************************

Interesting Inventions ► Digital Measuring Cup

********************************

Moments in US History ► Harley-Davidson Motor Company 1903

A 10 x 15-foot wooden shed where the “Harley-Davidson Motor Company” started out in 1903

********************************

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144

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145

*********************************

Lt. James “EMO” Tichacek, USN (Ret)

Editor/Publisher RAO Bulletin

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