Category Archives: Veteran Pals

Combat Battle Buddies.

Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Global

What Is A GWOT?

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Oh, every now and then it seems like an obligation to keep our readers on top of the definitions that define our new veterans.

For those who have not followed the DOD name game, our veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are officially GWOT’s. They are veterans of the Global War on Terror. The curious thing about this terminology is that it has no geographic base or locale. Kinda creepy in some respects. It is as if we know that the War On Terror, which will never need to be officially declared as a war, will just go on ad infinitum. George Orwell would have a hey day with this terminology.

What is the next step; the Global Cosmic War?  Will we always be protecting the cosmos on our own? Do our allies call themselves GWOT’s? I do not know.

The other moniker that is new is the redefining of Iraqi Freedom. Seven years after we launched our “liberation,” of Iraq, the U.S. campaign in Iraq has been renamed, “Operation New Dawn.” The new name will start to be used in September. Curious eh? Why September? Is that when school starts in Tekrit?

Defense secretary Robert Gates tells us that the revised code name will, “recognize our evolving relationship with the government of Iraq.” I suspect this is code talk for our permanent presence in the cradle of civilization. They gave us Algebra the first time around. I wonder what we will be gifted this time? Surely not oil.

Doublespeak examples;

Collateral damage–civilian deaths

transfer tube–body bag

wet work–assasination

balanced scientists–biased science

aerial ordinance–bombs

ally–vasal state or colony

Politics, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Programs of Marine Corps League

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PROGRAMS OF THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
MARINES HELPING MARINES – WOUNDED MARINES PROGRAM
The program was created to support injured Marine Corps personnel located
at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, Walter Reed
Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, Brooke Army hospital in San
Antonio, as well as the Naval Hospitals at Balboa, Camp Pendleton and
elsewhere. The Wounded Marines Program works closely with the Wounded
Warrior Regiment. The scope of support encompasses; financial support,
visits from Marine Corps League members, off site day trips to include family
outings, dinners, short trips in support of the individual Marines’ needs and
professional sporting events as tickets and opportunities present themselves.
U. S. MARINES YOUTH PHYSICAL FITNESS PROGRAM
The League developed and administers a program that provides a physical
fitness regimen that promotes a healthy, drug free life style for elementary
and high school students.
YOUNG MARINES OF THE MARINE CORPS LEAGUE
A youth program emphasizing honesty, courage, respect, industry, loyalty,
dependability, and a sense of devotion to God, country, community and
family. The Young Marines program receives funding from Congress and the
United States Marine Corps primarily because of their drug interdiction focus
on drug education and prevention.
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Members of the Marine Corps League fund scholarships through donations
from individual members and subordinate units of the Marine Corps League
and Auxiliary. Children and former Marines are eligible for academic
scholarships for attendance at accredited colleges and universities.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
The Marine Corps League is a member of The Military Coalition and
participates in National and State legislative issues that affect military
readiness, benefits and entitlements of active duty personnel as well as
Veterans Benefits programs effecting former and retired Marines.
VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER PROGRAM
The National Headquarters retains a full-time staff member who assists
veterans in adjudicating claims against the government as a result of active
duty service. Claims are processed through the Department of Veterans
Affairs or other appropriate agencies of the federal government.
VETERANS AFFAIRS VOLUNTARY SERVICE PROGRAM (VAVS)
Marine Corps League members contribute thousands of man-hours each
year supplementing staffs at VA Hospitals and facilities in providing morale,
comfort and assistance to institutionalized veterans.
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MARINE CORPS LEAGUE AUXILIARY
organization of the Marine Corps League. The Auxiliary was formed: To
Preserve the traditions and promote the interests of the United States Marine
Corps; To maintain true allegiance to American institutions; To hold sacred
the history and memory of the men and women who have given their lives to
this Nation; To perpetuate the history of the United States Marine Corps and
by fitting acts, to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of particular
interest to Marines; To create a bond of comradeship between the Auxiliary
and the Marine Corps League; To aid voluntarily and to render assistance to
all Marines and former Marines as well as to their families; To help decorate
the graves of all deceased Marines whenever and wherever possible; To
strive for the passage of legislation favorable to the Marine Corps League,
Inc. and to the United States Marine Corps and its personnel; To always
foster love of Honesty, Loyalty and Truth, and a reverence to our God, Our
Country, Our Family and Our Home.
MILITARY ORDER OF DEVIL DOGS
The fun and honor society of the Marine Corps League.
TOYS-FOR- TOTS
Marine Corps League Detachments in nearly every community take part
annually in the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys-For-Tots campaign
to raise funds and collect and distribute toys to needy children. In communities
where there is an existing Marine Corps Reserve Unit, the League works
hand in hand supporting their campaign. In other communities, the Marine
Corps League takes the lead, ensuring a successful campaign.
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
The Marine Corps League has long regarded the program of the Boy Scouts
of America as in support of the Preamble of the Constitution of the League.
The League supports the Boy Scouts of America as they promote traditional
family values to America’s youth. The Marine Corps League participates in
Scouting through assistance with units, districts, and councils, in community
projects, merit badge programs, and special recognition of Eagle Scouts.
MARINE-4-L1FEIINJURED MARINE SUPPORT PROGRAM
The League works very closely with the Marine Corps’ M-4-L program,
providing mentors nationwide. In areas of the country where there is no
Marine Corps “point of contact”, the League works directly with M-4-L
Headquarters to provide services to transitioning Marines.
ANNUAL CONVENTIONS
Members find the State and National Conventions of the League ideal vacation
venues for themselves and family members. Held in a different city each
year, many families attend year after year and particularly enjoy the many
planned activities and tours related to these get-togethers.

Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Poignant Letter From Fellow Blogger Jim Sandefer

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The Honorable Jon L. Kyl
United States Senate
730 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0304
Re: Pass Medicare/TRICARE Payment Fix Now
Senator Kyl:
I am writing to ask you to pass H.R. 4851 now to correct the 21% cut in Medicare/TRICARE payments to doctors that took effect on April 1, 2010.

Unless Congress acts now, millions of seniors and military beneficiaries risk having their doctors stop seeing them. I have already experienced the loss of two doctors that have served as the foundation of my medical care. This situation leaves me without a reliable provider with whom I’m comfortable and is aware of my medical condition involving a diagnosed rare disease.

For the longer term, Congress must find a way to end this intolerable monthly health care threat to tens of millions Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries. Your health care program has not been upended and remains intact, so you have the luxury of knowing your care is available whenever you need it from a provider that is familiar with your medical history. You insist that you represent us, your constituents, but your actions imply that your primary interest was ensuring your health care needs were protected. This is one of many reasons your constituents are frustrated, disappointed, and considering other candidates who might prove to be more pro-active in standing up for us with the same tenacity as you’ve taken care of yourselves. I vote, and will be listening and watching your actions closely between now and November. Take care of us in the same manner as you care for yourself and you get my vote. Otherwise, I’ll find an alternative candidate who will.

Pass H.R. 4851 now, and do everything in your power to ensure Congress provides a long-term fix for this outrageous situation upon return from recess. The clock it ticking and the November election isn’t that far away.
Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

TRICARE AFFIRMATION ACT

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*** NEWS RELEASE ***

Congress Passes TRICARE Affirmation Act

Springfield, Virginia (4/13/10) – The Senate unanimously passed legislation championed by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) to fix a flaw in the recently passed health care reform law.  The legislation, called the TRICARE Affirmation Act, passed the Senate without objection last night and follows successful House passage of the bill before the Easter recess.  The bill now heads to the President for signature into law.

The Webb legislation explicitly states that all TRICARE plans are now considered as minimal acceptable coverage under the new health care law. Defining TRICARE under law is important because it exempts its enrollees from the required purchase of additional coverage beyond what they already have.

Unfortunately, the new health care bill, called the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act, did not clarify that the earned coverage of TRICARE programs for servicemembers and military retirees under age 65 provided minimum acceptable coverage. NAUS continued to work toward “explicit protection” and is pleased to see that the NAUS-endorsed Webb bill clarifies these programs and makes sure that they are explicitly included in law under this definition.

“Senator Webb greatly appreciates the National Association for Uniformed Services’ active engagement and support of the troops and their families on this matter in recent weeks,” NAUS was told in the Senator’s announcement of the successful passage of this TRICARE protection measure.

NAUS President Bill Matz said, “The National Association for Uniformed Services congratulates Senator Webb on his success in the passage of legislation that explicitly states in law that TRICARE meets requirements under the new health care bill. The men and women who serve our country in uniform deserve complete assurance that their earned health care benefits are fully protected and this legislation will do just that.”

God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
National Executive Director
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Global

Veteran Demographics

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The number of the “millennial,” group, ages 18-28; born in 1981 to the present, who have served in the Armed Forces is 2%.

Millennials (b 1981-present) 2%

Gen Xers (B. 1965-1980)  6%

Baby Boomers (b. 1946-1964)  13%

Silent Generation (b. 1928-1945) 24%

And which generation became the titans of  industry?  I say the ones had the most to do and the least to say.  Think those days will return?  Or has the Tower of Babel consumed us?

Alternative Care, Health, Veteran Pals, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Funky But Potent Stuff: Emotional Freedom Technique

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I have experienced this technique. While it seems like you are in a road show with Mandrake the Magician, the stuff works.  Something about all those meridians getting cleaned out that leaves you with a feeling of contentment that is palpable.

I was taught the technique by a retired Air Force  F-16 Pilot about two years ago at the Merritt Retreat Center in Payson, Arizona.  The remarkable aspect to this training session was that 9 hard core combat veterans all reported a positive result. You just can’t do it while your texting! And it  really works well after answering some fellow bloggers!

Energy Psychology’s Magical Mystery Tour of the U.S. Congress
David Feinstein, Ph.D.
After some 30 phone calls to members of Congress trying to set up meetings to plead the case
that Energy Psychology is superior to conventional treatments for soldiers and veterans suffering
with PTSD, Dawson Church and I had managed to arrange only one appointment, and a tentative
one at that since members of Congress may be called to the floor at any time for a vote. Worse,
when we arrived (Wednesday, March 24, 2010, three days after passage of the Health Care bill)
at Congressman Bob Filner’s door on the fourth floor of the House Office Building, we were told
by a prim female aide who was clearly accustomed to shooing away people wanting to see the
Congressman, the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, that we were not on
the appointment calendar, it was a busy day, and there was zero chance we could have even a
five-minute meeting, no matter how long we were willing to wait.
On to Plan B. Dawson knew Congresswomen Lynn Woolsey from his own district in Santa
Rosa, California. We went to her office on the second floor, hoping that even though we hadn’t
been successful in attempting to arrange a meeting in advance, we might be able to drop in based
on Dawson’s being in her district and having had previous collaborations with her. The
Congresswoman had been a strong supporter of “The Family Connection,” a nonprofit which had
consistently been voted by the community’s other organizations as the county’s “most admired
nonprofit.” Dawson had served as its president. But again staffers were to tell us: “busy day”
and “no chance” of even a brief meeting. Just the night before Dawson had been talking to me
about how, when your vision goes against the odds, part of the journey is to accept defeats and
disappointments with grace. And, indeed, today, despite being 0 for 2 on our scorecard of two, he
still seemed undaunted, ready to enthusiastically knock on every door of the Congressional
Offices if necessary. The Army Second Lieutenant we had brought with us, however, was
incredulous that he was spending his day off trying to help us fulfill such a bumbling mission.
“What is your plan of action, now?” he asked with icy courtesy after Dawson had hand-written
the Congresswomen a long note saying he had been by. As we stepped out the door, not sure
whether to turn left or right, we turned left and found ourselves in the path of the
Congresswoman returning to her office. She recognized and hugged Dawson warmly. Within
minutes the three of us were in the inner sanctums of her office with her and two male aides
taking notes.
Our presentation was brief but effective, centering around 29-year-old Second Lieutenant Olli
Toukolehto’s telling of his story. While serving as a guard and medic in Iraq, he was able to
psychologically mobilize himself to perform his duties like a model soldier. He had enlisted in
the Army and was deployed to the “Triangle of Death” in Baghdad, where he served in 2006 and
2007. He attended to mass casualties and encountered many bloodied, burned, and dead bodies.
The first casualty he witnessed was a member of his unit who had half his head blown off. It was
a time when fellow soldiers were being kidnapped and beheaded. At night, lying in his tent, in
an area being heavily bombed, he explained what goes on in the mind: “When the sound of a
whizzing rocket fills the air, if you hear an explosion three seconds later, you are alive. If you
don’t, you are dead.” Upon returning to the U.S., safety did not provide comfort. In a classroom
or other public setting, he would be calculating his response should there be an attack. Sirens
were now the screams of approaching rockets. An ebullient personality before the war, his inner
life had become dry and restricted. He no longer found himself laughing. He realized in
retrospect that he had become dissociated from his body. He gradually came to accept that his
undiagnosed PTSD was his new way of life. Having become an officer, and in training now to
become a physician, he knew that reporting a psychological difficulty of this magnitude could
have a devastating impact on his career.
About a year after returning from Iraq, a friend commented on how he had changed. She offered
to try a technique that she thought might be helpful. This led to a three-hour session of EFT (a
form of Energy Psychology) where he made a list of every trauma he experienced during the war.
Giving a 0-to-10 “subjective units of distress” rating to the first item on his list, he reported that
it was a 0. He felt no distress in his (dissociated) body. His friend had him tap on the memory
anyway. Within minutes he was sobbing, feeling the full impact of the memory, as high a 10 as
could be imagined. For three hours they went through and, by tapping on acupuncture points,
emotionally neutralized every memory on his list. He described how one of the first things he
noticed as the session progressed was a return of sensation in his hands. He said it was like he
was back in his body. By the end of that single session (followed by a brief follow-up session
the next day), he was cured of all his symptoms of PTSD. Now nearly two years later, although
his friend would be happy to provide follow-up at any point, he has been his joyful self again, no
longer hypervigilant, and in no need of further help.
Dawson followed with a brief description of the research he has conducted demonstrating that
the poignant story just told was not an isolated incident but rather an example of a reliable and
unusually effective treatment for PTSD. He described the Iraq Vets Stress Project, which has
offered free Energy Psychology treatment to hundreds of veterans through an international
network of more than 100 providers, with many VA therapists referring veterans for treatment
(www.StressProject.org). I put the meaning of that research into the context of conventional
clinical practices. Congressman Woolsey was obviously impressed, but she also made it clear
that she was not the one we needed to impress. She is on the House Labor and Employment
Committee. We needed to engage members of committees that could make an impact on the care
provided soldiers and veterans. She and her aides started naming the people they thought we
should visit. She could only sympathize with us regarding how difficult it is to get an
appointment, but she did offer to personally hand some of these Congressmen the research
documentation we had brought. By the end of the day she had, on the floor of the House,
initiated personal talks with three key committee leaders and handed them our research summary.
But these are dry documents, and we still had no means for personally visiting with them.
Following this fortuitous but inconclusive meeting, we found ourselves again in the proverbial
halls of Congress with no plan of action. But timing, coincidence, and who knows what else
were to shape the rest of our day. Last January, a staffer to Congressman Dan Lungren, a
Republican on the House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, had attended a small,
intimate conference in Costa Rica where my wife, Donna Eden, and I were presenters. I had
shown a video of veterans who were treated with PTSD and it had caught her attention and her
passion. Congressman Lungren cares very deeply about the plight of returning veterans and
Sandra wanted to bring our work to his attention. Two months later, however, their office had
been fully immersed in the pending health care legislation and many other projects, and there had
not been time to give much focus to the strange new treatment she had witnessed in Costa Rica.
As we were leaving Congresswoman Woolsey’s office, the office next door, by coincidence, was
Congressman Lungren’s office. I said, “Let me stop by and say ‘Hello’ to a friend who works
there.” We were told that Sandra was away. So off we went to the elevator, where we would
once more need to regroup. About 30 seconds later, Sandra walked out of the elevator, gave a
little shriek of surprise on seeing me, and hugged me enthusiastically. She explained that part of
the strength of her response is that she was just a few minutes earlier thinking about walking to
the Veterans’ Affairs Office to try to present to them what she had seen in Costa Rica. And
suddenly, there I was.
We were soon in her office giving the presentation that had just impressed Congresswomen
Woolsey. We would be giving variations of that presentation five more times that day. Sandra
said, “I want Congressman Lungren to hear this.” She checked with the person who keeps his
schedule, and there was no way to fit us in. She initiated an alternative plan, whisking us away
to a security clearance area and then to the Rayburn Room, a large, busy area which is just off
the House Congressional Chamber. Congress members can easily duck out of the Chamber
between votes for small impromptu meetings. The place bustles with a strange mix of
informality and importance.
Sandra’s office had gotten a message to Congressman Lungren to meet us there. We arrived via
the underground trolley for Congress members and staff that runs between the House Offices and
the Capitol Building. We waited a few minutes, and suddenly, there was the Congressman, who
had a way of being that, despite my strong antipathy toward his political party, soon had me
thinking, “I could see voting for this man!” He listened with obvious interest and empathy as the
lieutenant told his story. The Congressman responded by relating stories from his own family
that were highly pertinent to the discussion, but he then posed one of the key dilemmas for
Energy Psychology’s acceptance. “It sounds too simple! Too good to be true!” He let us know
he would like to believe there is a simple cure for PTSD, but he would need a lot more
convincing. The ensuing discussion was brief, frank, and to the point, starting with our
agreement that the field does indeed face this odd credibility problem that its methods are so fast
and effective that people don’t find the personal accounts or even the existing research to be
plausible. We also addressed a second very astute concern that the Congressman raised. Would
this treatment impair a soldier’s performance on the battlefield? We argued that it would not.
PTSD does not increase a soldier’s effectiveness. He conceded that point. At the end, we knew
he felt warmly toward Olli Toukolehto and he appeared to be expressing respect for me and
Dawson, but we had no idea if we had convinced him.
Back to Sandra’s office. We were all three impressed as we watched the wheels in her mind
strategizing ways of making the best use of our visit. She told us to go get some lunch while she
took the next steps (meanwhile, shuffling her appointments for the day so she could maximize
the amount of time she could give to us). When we returned, Sandra had good news. The
Congressman wanted to introduce us to some of his House colleagues. Back to the Rayburn
Room. One at a time, between votes on the House Floor, Congressman Lungren brought us to
meet, in succession, a member of the House Armed Services Committee (who had previously
served with the Marines in Iraq), a former chair and now the second ranking member of the
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, another member of that Committee, and a member of the
House Budget and Appropriations Committee. We told each one our story and fielded their
questions. Sandra is a seasoned Congressional staffer who later told us how improbable it was
that things could have come together for our visit as they did – it was almost as if the timing of
the House votes had been orchestrated to make all this possible.
Dawson Church, Ph.D., Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA), Second Lieutenant Olli Toukolehto,
David Feinstein, Ph.D
According to a recent article in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, only one in ten veterans who
enters treatment for PTSD in the V.A. actually completes it. Each of the Congressmen we met
was clearly interested in a better treatment approach to PTSD, and each seemed to leave with a
sense that evidence for one may be sitting there in the Rayburn Room. Congressman Lungren
brought us both Republican and Democratic colleagues, and Sandra explained that it is a
welcome opportunity to have an issue that cuts across party lines. Two of the Congressmen gave
Olli their personal e-mail address, asking for follow-up, and one of them said he would be calling
the EFT practitioner who had given Olli the session that had cured his PTSD almost two years
earlier.
We don’t know what will emerge from this Magical Mystery Tour of Congress by a couple of
Energy Psych therapists/researchers who don’t know poly sci from polymers, but Sandra assured
us that she now had what she needed to set some things into motion. The very next day we
received a call from Olli. He and Dawson had been stonewalled by bureaucratic obstacles for a
year in their efforts to institute a research study at Walter Reed, and their proposal had finally
been rejected. Olli relayed that the morning following our visit to Congress, the doors had been
opened wide for the study’s consideration. The commanding officer had appointed a colonel to
coordinate a study of Energy Psychology within Walter Reed and requested that the initial
paperwork be submitted by the following week. Dawson will be the Principal Investigator and
Olli the On-Site Investigator. Olli didn’t indicate exactly what caused the military wheels to
suddenly bounce into action so quickly after the year of intense effort that had gone nowhere, but
we could only imagine that in his charming way, he had successfully conveyed to his superiors
that when Congress asks if they are aware of this new tapping therapy, that they might want to be
sure they have the right answer.
Representatives Chet Edwards (D-TX), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Cliff Stearns, (R-FL), Second
Lieutenant Olli Toukolehto, David Feinstein, Ph.D.
Dawson Church, Ph.D., tapping on Lyndon Johnson’s stomach meridian.

Veteran Pals, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Jesus Was A Veteran Too

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On this Holy Saturday it seems appropriate to ask for the forgiveness of any readers or commenters that I may have ruffled since we started this TC.com enterprise.

One thing that is for certain about blogging, is that it does indeed bring forth a bit of discomposure and agitation of the persona.

I have been tagged recently as, “haughty” and full of myself. So be it, we all contain multitudes. Yet in this Easter Season, I want to turn to my real time Commanding Officer, Jesus of Nazareth, and one of his Sergeants, the apostle Paul.

Paul was once considered to be a bit haughty himself. He was a blue-blood member of a highly distinguished Jewish family.  He was educated by the esteemed rabbi Gamaliel. Paul had a reputation as a blameless defender of his faith and his nation. As a scholar, patriot and spiritual leader he was honored by his countrymen and feared by his enemies. You might say he was a bit full of  himself.

But Paul had a transforming experience while on a special op’s mission to hunt down the followers of Jesus. Early guerrilla warfare.  He had an encounter with the resurrected Jesus, pretty much curing him of his bloated self image. The creature comforts of life; prestige, power, and social status went out the window.

Paul learned rapidly that if he was going to brag it would be about his weakness. In the midst of all of his travails and persecutions Paul remained humble as the grace of God worked through him leading to a solid love for others.

“But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud.  My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

It is indeed in our weakness, we come to our full and centered strength. I must follow the same dictums I have given my children and grandchildren. I  use to tell them to ask themselves a brutal question, when faced with a detractor…… what if they are right? Tough medicine, but sure to forward ones  spiritual growth.

Later in life Paul also came to understand that the grace we have been given is only to enable us to care for each other. This mutual interdependence is likened to the parts of our body.  Mutual care as opposed to proud and haughty comparisons is what makes our bodies work.  “The eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet I have no need of you.”  By spreading around the gifts and talents God makes us dependent on each other.  One might say that even makes for good “God Blogging,” Rene!

So, with Jesus and Paul at my side I submit myself  to the admonition, ” If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.”  2 Corinthians 11:30

HAPPY EASTER TO ALL THE TC.COM  BLOGGERS AND OUR READERS.

Politics, Veteran Pals, Veterans Global

This Week in Veteran History

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On March 29th, 1973 the last U.S. combat troops left Vietnam.  It took the lives of over 58, 2oo men. Some say nearly 110,000 thousand committed suicide after the war.

It was Richard Nixon who pursued the policy of drawing down forces starting as far back as 1969, with the intent of building up the South Vietnamese forces. The program was called Vietnamization. It hit some snags early on, but the Vietamese forces were able to hold their own because of  our intense air and naval support.

In 1972 Nixon ordered B-52’s to bomb the North Vietnamese in hope of bringing them to a peace agreement. Wild eh? Bomb for peace! Sound familiar?  After 35,ooo tons of bombs were dropped on the North. a peace agreement was reached in January of 1973. However the fighting continued for another two years.

I cannot imagine serving in Vietnam in those last years. The morale must have been horrible.

Have we learned anything from the Vietnam War?

Politics, Uncategorized, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

VA Recognizes "Presumptive" Illness In Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans

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The following is for your information and distribution to your members.
Subject: Gulf War, VA seeks to make getting benefits easier for vets

VA Recognizes “Presumptive” Illnesses in Iraq, Afghanistan
March 18, 2010

Decision Makes It Easier for Gulf War Veterans to Receive Benefits

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today
announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking steps to
make it easier for Veterans to obtain disability compensation for
certain diseases associated with service in the Persian Gulf War or
Afghanistan.  This will be the beginning of historic change for how VA
considers Gulf War Veterans’ illnesses.

Following recommendations made by VA’s Gulf War Veterans Illnesses Task
Force, VA is publishing a proposed regulation in the Federal Register
that will establish new presumptions of service connection for nine
specific infectious diseases associated with military service in
Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War, or in Afghanistan on or
after September 19, 2001.

“We recognize the frustrations that many Gulf War and Afghanistan
Veterans and their families experience on a daily basis as they look for
answers to health questions, and seek benefits from VA,” said Secretary
Shinseki.

The proposed rule includes information about the long-term health
effects potentially associated with the nine diseases:
Brucellosis
Campylobacter jejuni
Coxiella burnetii (Q fever)
Malaria
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Nontyphoid Salmonella
Shigella
Visceral leishmaniasis
West Nile virus

For non-presumptive conditions, a Veteran is required to provide medical
evidence that can be used to establish an actual connection between
military service in Southwest Asia or in Afghanistan, and a specific
disease.

With the proposed rule, a Veteran will only have to show service in
Southwest Asia or Afghanistan, and a current diagnosis of one of the
nine diseases.  Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted over the
next 60 days.  A final regulation will be published after consideration
of all comments received.

The decision was made after reviewing the 2006 report of the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS), titled, “Gulf War and Health Volume 5:
Infectious Diseases.”  The 2006 report differed from the four prior
reports by looking at the long-term health effects of certain diseases
determined to be pertinent to Gulf War Veterans.

The 1998 Persian Gulf War Veterans Act requires the Secretary to review
NAS reports that study scientific information and possible associations
between illnesses and exposure to toxic agents by Veterans who served in
the Persian Gulf War.

Because the Persian Gulf War has not officially been declared ended,
Veterans serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom are eligible for VA’s new
presumptions.  Secretary Shinseki decided to include Afghanistan
Veterans in these presumptions because NAS found that the nine diseases
are prevalent in that country.

Noting that today’s proposed regulation reflects a significant
determination of a positive association between service in the Persian
Gulf War and certain diseases, Secretary Shinseki added, “By setting up
scientifically-based presumptive service connection, we give these
deserving Veterans a simple way to get the benefits they have earned in
service to our country.”

Last year, VA received more than one million claims for disability
compensation and pension.  VA provides compensation and pension benefits
to over 3.8 million Veterans and beneficiaries.  Presently, the basic
monthly rate of compensation ranges from $123 to $2,673 to Veterans
without any dependents.

Disability compensation is a non-taxable, monthly monetary benefit paid
to Veterans who are disabled as a result of an injury or illness that
was incurred or aggravated during active military service.

For more information about health problems associated with military
service during operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and
Enduring Freedom and related VA programs go to
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/>  or go to
<http://www.va.gov/>  for information about disability compensation.
————————————————————————
———–

VA seeks to make getting benefits easier for vets
<http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iDTMFc36iJeT3Ld-G20KE
uRPLyhwD9EH60L80>
By KIMBERLY HEFLING (AP) – 20 hours ago

WASHINGTON – The Veterans Affairs Department took steps Thursday to make
it easier for veterans of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to get disability
benefits. To qualify for the new streamlined status, they must have
malaria, West Nile Virus or one of seven other diseases.

The VA has proposed a regulation change that lets veterans qualify for
benefits by showing only that they served in the recent conflicts, or in
the Gulf War, and have a diagnosis of any of nine diseases. Called
“presumptive status,” it’s easier to prove an illness stems from war
service.

Such status had been given to veterans from earlier eras with certain
diseases, but this is the first time veterans from the recent conflicts
qualified.

“We recognize the frustrations that many Gulf War and Afghanistan
veterans and their families experience on a daily basis as they look for
answers to health questions and seek benefits from VA,” Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric Shinseki said in a statement.

Shinseki made the decision after a recommendation by the agency’s Gulf
War Veterans Illnesses Task Force.

The seven other diseases are brucellosis, campylobacter jejuni, coxiella
burnetii, mycobacterium tuberculosis, nontyphoid salmonella, shigella
and visceral leishmaniasis.

<http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2010-03-18-2010-5980>

DATES: Comments must be received by VA on or before May 17, 2010.
Federal Register /Vol. 75, No. 52 /Thursday, March 18, 2010 / Proposed
Rules

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be submitted through
http://www.Regulations.gov;

by mail or hand delivery to
Director, Regulations Management (02REG),
Department of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Ave., NW., Room 1068,
Washington, DC 20420

or by fax to (202) 273-9026.
(This is not a toll free number).

Comments should indicate that they are submitted in response to
”RIN 2900-AN24-Presumptions of Service
Connection for Persian Gulf Service.”

Copies of comments received will be available for public inspection in
the Office of Regulation Policy and Management, Room 1063B,
between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except
holidays).
Please call (202) 461-4902 for an appointment. (This is not a toll free
number.)
In addition, during the comment period, comments may be viewed online
through the Federal Docket Management System at
http://www.Regulations.gov.

Politics, Veteran Legislative Update, Veteran Pals, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Global, Veterans' Spouses, Partners & Families

Veterans Administration Legislative Report

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The following is for your information and distribution to your members.  The following Legislative Report was compiled 18 March 2010.

Of the 4841 House and 3099 Senate pieces of legislation introduced in the 111th Congress to date, the following are of interest to the non-active duty veteran community.  Bill titles in green (if any) are new additions to this summary, titles in orange have either passed either the House or Senate and been passed to the other for consideration or been incorporated into another bill, and those highlighted in blue have become public law. A good indication on the likelihood a bill of being forwarded to the House or Senate for passage and subsequently being signed into law by the President is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. An alternate way for it to become law is if it is added as an addendum to another bill such as the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and survives the conference committee assigned to iron out the difference between the House and Senate bills. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s text, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, who your representative is and his/her phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it.  To separately determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html.  To review a numerical list of all bills introduced refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/111search.html. The key to increasing cosponsorship is letting legislators know of their constituent’s views on issues.  Those bills that include a website in red are being pushed by various veterans groups for passage and by clicking on that website you can forward a preformatted message to your legislator requesting he/she support the bill.

H.R.32 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.315

Sponsor: Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (intro 1/6/2009) Cosponsors (41)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/28/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Provisions of measure incorporated into H.R. 3949 .

H.R.82 : Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2009 to expand retroactive eligibility of the Army Combat Action Badge to include members of the Army who participated in combat during which they personally engaged, or were personally engaged by, the enemy at any time on or after December 7, 1941.

Sponsor: Rep Brown-Waite, Ginny [FL-5] (introduced 1/6/2009)      Cosponsors (18)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.161 : Social Security Beneficiary Tax Reduction Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the 1993 increase in taxes on Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/6/2009)      Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.162 : Senior Citizens’ Tax Elimination Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the inclusion in gross income of Social Security benefits.

Sponsor: Rep Paul, Ron [TX-14] (introduced 1/6/2009)      Cosponsors (3)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.333 : Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent to receive concurrent payment of both retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation, to eliminate the phase-in period for concurrent receipt, to extend eligibility for concurrent receipt to chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Marshall, Jim [GA-8] (introduced 1/8/2009)      Cosponsors (124)  Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12406456&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] and  http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12888756

H.R.593 : CRSC for DoD Disability Severances Pay. To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand the authorized concurrent receipt of disability severance pay from the Department of Defense and compensation for the same disability under any law administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to cover all veterans who have a combat-related disability, as defined under section 1413a of such title.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Adam [WA-9] (introduced 1/15/2009)      Cosponsors (44)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/6/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12918951&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

H.R.775 : Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan to offset the receipt of veterans dependency and indemnity compensation.

Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 1/28/2009)     Cosponsors (324)   Companion Bill S.535

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 2/17/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via or  http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12541746

S.535 : SBP DIC Offset Elimination. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans’ dependency and indemnity compensation, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.775.

Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 3/5/2009)      Cosponsors (55)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/5/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senator send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=14275496&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

H.R.2243 : Surviving Spouses Benefit Improvement Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 5/5/2009)      Cosponsors (74)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/8/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13303636&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id

S.1118 : DIC Compensation Rate Increase to 55%. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase in the amount of monthly dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Lincoln, Blanche L. [AR] (introduced 5/21/2009)      Cosponsors (3)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

H.R.208 : National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who have served on active duty or performed active service since September 11, 2001, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations receive credit for such service in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.644.

Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/6/2009)      Cosponsors (123)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials and /or http://capwiz.com/ngaus/mail/compose/?mailid=13672261&azip=92571&bzip=7311

S.644 : National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay.

Sponsor: Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] (introduced 3/19/2009)      Cosponsors (13)    Companion Bill H.R.208          Related Bill S.831

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via http://capwiz.com/ncoausa/issues/alert/?alertid=12995086&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or  http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=12960556

S.831 : National Guard and Reserve Retired Pay Equity Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to include service after September 11, 2001, as service qualifying for the determination of a reduced eligibility age for receipt of non-regular service retired pay.

Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] (introduced 4/20/2009)      Cosponsors (27)             Related Bill S.644

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

To support this bill and/or contact your Senators send a message via www.ngaus.org/content.asp?bid=1805

H.R.433 : Ready Employers Willing to Assist Reservists’ Deployment (REWARD) Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax equal to 50 percent of the compensation paid to employees while they are performing active duty service as members of the Ready Reserve or the National Guard and of the compensation paid to temporary replacement employees.

Sponsor: Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] (introduced 1/9/2009)      Cosponsors (40)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 1/9/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.466 : Wounded Veteran Job Security Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit discrimination and acts of reprisal against persons who receive treatment for illnesses, injuries, and disabilities incurred in or aggravated by service in the uniformed services.

Sponsor: Rep Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25] (introduced 1/13/2009)      Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/9/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

H.R.1089 : Veterans Employment Rights to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the enforcement through the Office of Special Counsel of the employment and unemployment rights of veterans and members of the Armed Forces employed by Federal executive agencies, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/13/2009)      Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/20/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

H.R.1647 : Veterans’ Employment Transition Support Act of 2009 to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit against income tax for hiring veterans.

Sponsor: Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] (introduced 3/19/2009)      Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Ways and Means

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.293 : Homeless Women Veteran and Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Grant Program Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a grant program to provide reintegration services through programs and facilities that emphasize services for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.

Sponsor: Rep Buyer, Steve [IN-4] (introduced 1/8/2009)      Cosponsors (14)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

S.1237 : Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand the grant program for homeless veterans with special needs to include male homeless veterans with minor dependents and to establish a grant program for reintegration of homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 6/11/2009)      Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 1/28/2010 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Date of scheduled consideration. SR-418. 9:30 a.m.

H.R.1211 : Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill S.597

Sponsor: Rep Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [SD] (introduced 2/26/2009)      Cosponsors (51)

House Reports: 111-165 Latest Major Action: 6/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12833716&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

H.R.2583 : Women Veterans Access to Care Act to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve health care for women veterans, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] (introduced 5/21/2009)   Cosponsors (8)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/21/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

S.597 : Women Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand and improve health care services available to women veterans, especially those serving in operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Companion Bill H.R.1211

Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 3/16/2009)      Cosponsors (20)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/16/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

H.R.1232 : Far South Texas Veterans Medical Center Act of 2009 to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to construct a full service hospital in Far South Texas.

Sponsor: Rep Ortiz, Solomon P. [TX-27] (introduced 2/26/2009)   Cosponsors (6)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 2/26/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

S.699 : South Texas Veterans’ Hospital.  A bill to provide for the construction by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs of a full service hospital in Far South Texas.

Sponsor: Sen Cornyn, John [TX] (introduced 3/25/2009)      Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/25/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

H.R.1428 : VA Parkinson’s Disease Compensation. To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson’s disease.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/11/2009)      Cosponsors (82)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/13/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=12986021&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

S.1752 : Parkinson’s Disease VA Compensation. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide wartime disability compensation for certain veterans with Parkinson’s disease.

Sponsor: Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] (introduced 10/5/2009)      Cosponsors (1)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

H.R.2254 : The Agent Orange Equity Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.

Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 5/5/2009)      Cosponsors (249)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 5/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=13301656&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

S.1939 : Vet Presumptive Exposure in Vietnam. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] (introduced 10/27/2009)      Cosponsors (15)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/27/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

H.R.2926 : VA Special Care for Vietnam-era & Persian Gulf War Vets Exposed to Herbicides.  To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide, without expiration, hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for certain Vietnam-era veterans exposed to herbicide and veterans of the Persian Gulf War.

Sponsor: Rep Nye, Glenn C., III [VA-2] (introduced 6/17/2009)      Cosponsors (5)

Latest Major Action: 7/9/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

H.R.3491 : Thomas G. Schubert Agent Orange Fairness Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a presumption of service connection for certain cancers occurring in veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam and were exposed to certain herbicide agents, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Kagen, Steve [WI-8] (introduced 7/31/2009)      Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 9/11/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.177 : Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act to provide for identification of members of the Armed Forces exposed during military service to depleted uranium, to provide for health testing of such members, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] (introduced 1/6/2009)      Cosponsors (None)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 1/30/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.2419 : Military Personnel War Zone Toxic Exposure Prevention Act to require the Secretary of Defense to establish a medical surveillance system to identify members of the Armed Forces exposed to chemical hazards resulting from the disposal of waste in Iraq and Afghanistan, to prohibit the disposal of waste by the Armed Forces in a manner that would produce dangerous levels of toxins, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] (introduced 5/14/2009)      Cosponsors (23)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 6/8/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Readiness.

S.642 : Health Care for Members of the Armed Forces Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009. A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to establish registries of members and former members of the Armed Forces exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed to such hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] (introduced 3/19/2009)      Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 3/19/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

S.1779 : Health Care for Veterans Exposed to Chemical Hazards Act of 2009.  A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide health care to veterans exposed in the line of duty to occupational and environmental health chemical hazards, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Bayh, Evan [IN] (introduced 10/14/2009)      Cosponsors (7)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

S.1518 : Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2009. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune.

Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 7/27/2009)      Cosponsors (15)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.

H.R.568 : Veterans Health Care Quality Improvement Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the quality of care provided to veterans in Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, to encourage highly qualified doctors to serve in hard-to-fill positions in such medical facilities, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Costello, Jerry F. [IL-12] (introduced 1/15/2009)      Cosponsors (4)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs; House Oversight and Government Reform

Latest Major Action: 1/15/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.952 : Compensation Owed for Mental Health Based on Activities in Theater Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of “combat with the enemy” for purposes of service-connection of disabilities.

Sponsor: Rep Hall, John J. [NY-19] (introduced 2/10/2009)      Cosponsors (94)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 6/10/2009 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

S.1452 : COMBAT PTSD Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of “combat with the enemy” for purposes of service-connection of disabilities.

Sponsor: Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] (introduced 7/14/2009)      Cosponsors (5)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 7/14/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

H.R.1544 : Veterans Mental Health Accessibility Act to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for unlimited eligibility for health care for mental illnesses for veterans of combat service during certain periods of hostilities and war.

Sponsor: Rep Driehaus, Steve [OH-1] (introduced 3/17/2009)      Cosponsors (7)

Committees: House Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 3/17/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

H.R.1701 : PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review For Heroes Act to amend title 10, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a special review board for certain former members of the Armed Forces with post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 3/25/2009)      Cosponsors (11)

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 4/27/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.4051 : Cold War Service Medal Act of 2009 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-2] (introduced 11/6/2009)      Cosponsors (26)   Related bill: S.2743

Committees: House Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/18/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

S.2743 : Cold War Service Medal Act of 2009.  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: Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] (introduced 11/5/2009)      Cosponsors (6) Related bill: H.R.4051

Committees: Senate Armed Services

Latest Major Action: 11/5/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

S.1556 : Veteran Voting Support Act of 2009.  A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to permit facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be designated as voter registration agencies, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] (introduced 8/3/2009)      Cosponsors (6)

Committees: Senate Veterans’ Affairs

Latest Major Action: 10/21/2009 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Hearings held.
God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
National Executive Director
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust