Subject: NAUS Weekly Update for October 12, 2007
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:39:30 -0400
From: "Mike Plumer" <mplumer@...>
To: "NAUS" <NAUS@...>

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR UNIFORMED SERVICES

NAUS WEEKLY UPDATE FOR OCTOBER 12, 2007

www.naus.org

 

“Patriotism is easy to understand in America; it means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country.”

~ President Calvin Coolidge ~

 

WASHINGTON REPORT

 

The Senate was not in session this week.  It returns Oct.15 following a weeklong Columbus Day Recess. 

 

The House remained in session.  The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a hearing on Oct. 10 to examine the findings of the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission.  Commission Chairman James Terry Scott, Lt. Gen. USA (Ret.), accompanied by NAUS President and Commissioner Bill Matz, testified before the committee about the Commission’s recommendations (see comments below).  The House Foreign Relations Committee passed a resolution condemning the genocide committed against the Armenians, a Christian minority under Ottoman rule, during World War I.  Turkey maintains that the 1.5 million Armenians were killed in the war that led to the break-up of the Ottoman Empire.  The resolution has, of course, angered our Turkish allies.

 

NAUS urges members of the Senate and the House to set priorities and get them straight.  Congress needs to conclude outstanding issues and work to authorize and fund the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2008, which began Oct. 1. 

 

VDBC Hearing

Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, held a hearing on Wednesday to hear the presentation of LTG Terry Scott, Chairman of the Veterans Disability Benefits Commission.  Chairman Filner, when introducing and greeting LTG Scott, stated, “We must continue on a path to making the benefits provided to our veterans first-rate and uncompromised.”  Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-IN) said, “… those that serve must be confident that they and their families will be well cared for should harm come their way.”

 

LTG Scott repeated many of the priority issues that were highlighted in last week’s Update.  Of particular importance is a recommendation that in the case of servicemembers being considered for medical discharge or retirement that the Services only determination would be for fitness for duty.  If found unfit the recommendation is that the VA determine the extent of disabilities and assign the appropriate percentage.  The Army currently has a pilot of this process underway in the Washington, D.C., area. 

 

Along with the previously reported recommendations the Commission made another very important one that “DoD should reassess the ratings of service members who were discharged as unfit but rated 0 to 30 percent disabled to determine if those ratings were equitable.”  One other recommendation closely related states, “DoD should reassess the policy of allowing separation without compensation for individuals found unfit for duty who are also found to have a preexisting disability for up to 8 years of active duty.”

 

In his final statement, Chairman Filner indicated that he intends to introduce legislation early next year merging recommendations of the Dole/Shalala and the VDBC Commissions, as there will not be sufficient time this year to do so.  He finished by saying “Something needs to be done and done soon.”  NAUS echoes the thoughts of Chairman Filner, and we stand ready to assist in anyway possible to ensure that veterans receive the benefits they have been promised and earned.

 

The Passing of Congresswoman Davis

Representative Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) passed away on October 6 following a two-year battle with breast cancer.  She represented not only Virginia's First District, but also America's first district, as it includes Jamestown, Virginia, where our Nation's first settlement was founded in 1607.  She was 57. 

 

Davis was first elected to Congress in 2000.  She served on the House Armed Services Committee and quickly became known as a strong advocate for the military.  Her many legislative successes included raising the value of Servicemembers Group Life Insurance and ensuring active duty pay increases remained comparable to those offered in the civilian sector. 

 

The military community lost a true friend, and NAUS is saddened with her passing.  Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends and congressional staff. 

 

HEALTH CARE NEWS

 

Changes Coming for Mental Health Care

Servicemembers and their families can expect numerous changes throughout the Defense Department's mental health care services during the next year.  A report recently submitted to Congress by the DoD Task Force on Mental Health details hundreds of proposed actions that aim to make the system more patient-focused.  Many of the major changes are slated to be in place by as early as May 2008.  The task force reports that stigma attached to mental health care, difficult access, bureaucracy and a lack of resources continue to contribute to a lack of adequate care for servicemembers and their families.  The report is available in .pdf format. To learn more, read the article by our friends at Military.com.

Bob Woodruff Family Fund

Bob Woodruff, working as co-anchor of ABC's "World News Tonight," was reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces when the tank he was riding in was hit on Jan. 29, 2006.  The blast left the reporter with a traumatic brain injury.  Today, the Bob Woodruff Family Fund works with private industry and government entities to develop public awareness and advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injuries.  For more information, visit the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury website.

ACTIVE DUTY NEWS

 

$61,000 Bonuses for a Few, Good Marines

Marines who work in the Counterintelligence field are possibly in for a great bonus for reenlisting.  Career opportunities and bonuses up to $61,000 are being offered to Marines who qualify and are accepted in the counterintelligence and human intelligence field.  Marines must be a first-term corporal or sergeant and be eligible for a top secret security clearance, along with other requirements.  For more information, Marines should contact their unit's career retention specialist or CI/HUMINT chief.

Forgotten Soldiers Outreach Remembers Troops

The Forgotten Soldiers Outreach is a group that sends care packages and letters of encouragement to our deployed servicemembers.  The goal of the not-for-profit corporation is to encourage the men and women stationed abroad and to inspire hope, strength and courage while they're separated from loved ones, families and friends.  For more information, visit the Forgotten Soldiers Outreach website.

 

Blewitt Foundation Aids Families

The Blewitt Foundation based in Aldie, VA., provides comfort and enjoyment to military families, primarily children, through recreational and educational programs.  The foundation provides all-expenses paid resort-style fun with activities for all ages and abilities.  For more information, visit the Blewitt Foundation website.

Organization Aids Family Members

KIA WIA, Inc., of Fayetteville, N.C., is an association that assists wounded-in-action (WIA) service members and surviving family members of troops killed-in-action (KIA) through scholarships, education, assistance with rehabilitation, financial assistance and by connecting them to other organizations.  Services provided by the non-profit organization include sponsoring lodging for families during funeral services, providing gas cards or restaurant gift cards during hospital stays, and aiding with unforeseen expenses above or beyond coverable amounts.  For more information, visit the KIA WIA, Inc. website.

Commissaries Pull Recalled Beef

The Defense Commissary Agency has ordered all Commissaries to pull selected ground beef from its shelves as part of two voluntary recalls of more than 300,000 pounds of frozen ground beef by Topps Meat Company, LLC, due to a cluster of illnesses in the Northeast that was linked to E. coli contamination.  For a complete listing of all of the recalled items, visit the commissaries.com website. 

 

Full Replacement Value Begins

The Stars and Stripes newspaper reports that Department of Defense employees may now be able to recover enough to replace items lost or damaged during a DoD-sponsored move.  The Office of the Judge Advocate General has announced the implementation of the Full Replacement Value (FRV) Act, requiring the DoD to provide full-replacement value insurance on every shipment of household goods.  For more information on the FRV program, contact the Personnel Claims Unit Norfolk Help Line at 1-888-897-8217, or visit the Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) website and click the "Full Replacement Value Protection" box.

VETERANS NEWS

 

Former Doolittle Raider Passes Away (Air Force Print News)  

Former Lt. Nolan A. Herndon, a member of the famed Doolittle Raiders, died of pneumonia Oct. 8 at the age of 88.  The lieutenant was a navigator-bombardier on one of the B-25 bombers that took off from an aircraft carrier on April 18, 1942, to strike targets in Japan. Led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, that historic mission became known as the Doolittle Raid.

Lieutenant Herndon, a native of Greenville, Texas, enlisted in 1940 after attending two years of college and was commissioned as a second lieutenant about a year later.  He also graduated from navigator training and completed bombardier training.

During what many consider one of the most daring air raids in American history, 16 B-25 bombers took off from an aircraft carrier and headed for Japan.  The planes each had a five-man crew and were to fly 650 miles over the Pacific Ocean to bomb their targets, then continue 1,600 miles in hopes of reaching airfields in China.

Although the planes completed their bombing missions, most ditched at sea or crashed in China.  Lieutenant Herndon's plane landed in Russia, where he and his crew were captured in the then-neutral country.  Lieutenant Herndon was held as a prisoner of war for about a year in Russia.

His death leaves only 12 surviving members of the Raiders.

 

Grant to Enhance Services for Returning Combat Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Wednesday that they had received a $9.9 million grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

The Indianapolis-based philanthropic foundation is providing the funds to the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis to support a new clinic for injured service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Funds also will be provided for other projects, including construction of comfortable housing to serve families of hospitalized service members in rehabilitation.

 

In addition, the endowment grant will fund retreats at which veterans and their spouses or loved ones can reunite and learn to work through readjustment issues typically associated with returning from deployment.

Another $500,000 is designated for rehabilitation events, including the National Veterans Golden Age Games, which the Roudebush VA Medical Center will host in the summer of 2008.  This senior adaptive rehabilitation program is designed to improve the quality of life for older veterans, including those with a wide range of abilities and disabilities.

The Lilly family established the Endowment in 1937 to pursue their personal philanthropic interests.  It is separate from the Eli Lilly and Co. pharmaceutical firm and is independently managed.

 

D.C United to Honor Veterans

The Washington D.C. professional soccer club D.C. United, in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Gatorade, announced details for the Second Annual Veterans Appreciation Day on Saturday, October 13, to honor all area Veterans who have answered the call in defense of our nation.  Kick-off for Saturday's game against the Chicago Fire is set for 7:30 p.m. 

 

If you live near Washington and are thinking of attending, individual and group tickets for this highly anticipated match-up are available to all area Veterans for $15 in advance and $20 day of the game via www.dcunited.com or by calling 202-587-5000.

 

NAUS NEWS

 

SMW Convention

The Society of Military Widows (SMW) holds its 2007 convention in Washington, DC, beginning Monday, 15 October.  The annual weeklong convention includes visits to Capitol Hill, a workshop conducted by Ms. Bonnie Carroll of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), and a legislative update by NAUS Legislative Director Rick Jones.  Several social activities are also planned: a White House Tour, a Potomac River dinner cruise, and a dance at the Armed Forces Retirement Home – Washington.  The convention is capped off by the Society’s annual banquet on Saturday, 20 October, where a local community chorus, the New Dominion Choraliers, will entertain the group.  The Society of Military Widows thanks HealthNet Federal Services, the US Family Health Plan, and Humana Military Healthcare Services for their generous contributions in support of its annual convention.  Learn more at: www.militarywidows.org. 

 

Naval Submarine Base Retired Activities Office, Groton, CT

The Annual Military Retiree Seminar sponsored by the commanding officer and the U.S. Naval Submarine Base Retired Activities Office in Groton, Conn., takes place 9 a.m. to noon Oct. 20 in the Dealey Center Theater.  A valid military identification card is necessary for entry to the submarine base.  NAUS President MG Matz will present a national legislative benefits update, and the State Veterans Affairs Commissioner, Linda S. Schwartz, will provide current information from VA.

 

Retiree Day at the Pensacola Naval Air Station

NAUS Veterans Benefits Advisor Mike Plumer will present a Legislative Update at the Retiree Day at the Pensacola Naval Air Station on October 20.  He looks forward to seeing many NAUS members at the event.

 

Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen stand in harm’s way around the globe to defend our nation and our cherished liberties.  NAUS asks you to please pray for their continued strength and protection—and pray as well for their families, who daily stand in support of their spouses, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters.

 

GOD BLESS AMERICA

 

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