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Veterans Benefits

War And More War

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The only reason for posting this piece that was written nearly a year ago is that those of us who actually take the time to track the progress of our wars, must wonder what exactly has been accomplished in the past year?  The mid-term elections candidates avoided all talk and even the slightest mention of war for the entire year of campaigning. Pretty slick eh? Support the troops, just don’t talk about what they do.  We are so damn worried about sanitizing the ravages of war, that we now just send the laundry out to cleaned.

There are days, I swear, that the commoner has become so de-sensitized to war that we are becoming like “Stepford Husbands.” All is fine, just fine!  Erstwhile the war or wars march on to a winners circle that keeps moving.

As the question was asked last year, what have you sacrificed for the war effort? How have you supported the troops?

////Once upon a time….. it was a dark and stormy night…….when we increased the troops and the bombing in Vietnam, right before Christmas too. And we wonder why vets are freaked out over the holidays?

Where do I begin? Five calls tonight asking my take on the Presidents speech.

“Do I have to?” I say.

“Well yes,” my 85 year old World War ll pal says.

“How can you be in the advocacy business and not comment on War?”

One reason, is that the last time I outed my editorial brain, some blogger trolls slammed me for not being an advocate for veterans. Huh? So, advocates are supposed to be mindless puppets?

So, from the advocacy corner, where I have resided since 1972, I would say that the absence of any and all discussion about the impact of war on our family, friends and employers is so conspicuous that one wonders if we have so sanitized the entire affair and desensitized the citizenry that it is as if war has become a third party experience akin to reality TV.

My elderly friend then asked why I thought the President did not “rally” the people behind the war effort. Whew… where is Rosie the Riveter when we need her? I guess that is what he meant.

Well, “this is not your Fathers war I tell him” ( a bit of an anachronism for him, as he could be my father!). Meaning, there is no declared war and I do not see any major sacrifices being made for the war cause. Key word being “sacrifices,” a world of difference from “support.” We support now with bumper stickers and head out to Monday Night Football.

In the past 8 years name me the sacrifices the American people have made for the war effort? Rationing…? well yes, sort of, if you count the number of people out of work as a result of the cost of the war. How many in the neighborhood are packing up Christmas gifts for the troops? Is anyone contacting the families of the deployed to see if they need help? Do you know who the veterans are in your neighborhood? Have you welcomed them home.. personally?

You will not hear a political stance here…so keep calm blog trolls, I am remaining focused on the impact and intense need for advocacy that is on the horizon with the continued rotation and increase in troops.

The obvious effect of multiple tours is going to permeate our entire culture for the next ten years and hopefully abate beyond that. The Outreach programs with both the VA and private non-profits are going to be maxed. The medical facilities are going to be utilized to their tolerable limits, as the increase in Traumatic Brain Injury, which is now at about 240% above the days of the invasion of Iraq. The enemy has figured something out here. Possibly, how to fight the most well financed Army in the world. Ho Chi Minh used booby traps and tunnels that were impervious to bombs, to offset the Goliath. Now it is IED’s. An Iraq vet at one of our retreats said, “head injuries are the enemies memo to take home.” He had two, and will be compromised for life. His comment about a head injuries being an “invasion of our country..sorta,’ is a bit macabre.

The expected increase in the incidence of Post Traumatic Stress, in both the NCO and Officer ranks, now that it is okay for them to admit it, will take a toll that is a complete unknown. The fabric of the home-front will be altered in ways America has never experienced, as America has never experienced multiple tours in a war zone. Even the seasoned and highly skilled Psychologists are pondering the symptomatic cluster they will be confronted with in men and women who have served up to 5 tours of duty.

One Psychologist I met at a workshop in California said, “I have no idea, what kind of hybrid humans we are creating with so much exposure to a war.” “We were not trained for this, no one is, really,” he said.

As a trained combat Marine, I know full well what it is like to deal with a thinking and highly devious enemy who is hell bent for leather to wear down our morale. I frankly never thought I would experience another waking hell like this in my lifetime. But here we are. And the Soldiers,Sailors, Airman and Marines need us more now then ever.

As the saying goes, “the soldier is always subsidiary to the politician.”

The mission never changes. We need to Clear-Hold- Build,(the locals that is). That mission needs a ton of allies this time around. Our abacus does not have that many beads.

I say Semper Fi. But this time, the old war torn Marine says, “Semper Fi” to my brothers and sisters comin’ home. I am indeed my brothers keeper. And, as St Paul admonished us, we should “pray unceasingly,” that the decisions announced tonight will work out for the good of the order.
The symmetrical escalation and second guessing polemics that will hit the radio waves tomorrow, is not called supporting the troops.

Veterans Benefits

Has War Become A Second Class Citizen?

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It never ceases to amaze myself and my combat veteran pals, how we as a nation have become so adept at marginalizing and distancing ourselves from war during mid-term elections. It is as if there are parallel nations.  The machinations of the Tea Party are serving as a marvelous distraction from the real reason we have such deficit spending…. it is called war folks.
Please note that I have no commentary on the necessity of the use of our Armed Forces. I simply want to drive home the point that speaking of budget deficits and blaming political parties is like sending a pregnant woman to weight watchers.  Lets start to get real after this election. Lets get as real as war, and stop all campaigning and use the the money to solve some intractable problems, like re-tooling for a global economy and designing an economic model that is not dictated by the greed of Wall Street. That would be the “real” way to support the troops. Give them something to come home to other than a nation overpaid lobbyists and professional whiners.  The soldiers want a democracy not an auction. MB
Mr. Wood is one of the best journalists out there lending real perspective sans the spins.
Chief Military Correspondent
In its coming session, Congress will decide whether to pay for another year of military operations in Afghanistan — with likely casualties of a thousand or more American battle dead — or cut war funding to force President Obama to start withdrawing troops.
Congress will decide how much treatment soldiers will get for blast injury and whether they deserve a pay raise. It will decide how many protective armored trucks the troops will get, and the quality of their body armor. It will repeal “Don’t ask, don’t tell” or let the courts decide. It will judge how much compensation and other benefits a double-amputee veteran will receive. It will have to reconcile all this spending with its campaign promises to cut government and the deficit.
If there’s a major terror attack on the United States, the president may order retaliation or other actions. But Congress will decide whether to sustain military operations if they are ordered against, say, Iran, or inside Pakistan.
afghanistan warAs the nation goes about selecting its next Congress, are voters and the candidates (and their annoying campaign ads) pretty much ignoring all these issues?
Did the little piggy cry wee wee wee all the way home?
In the midst of hot conflicts engaging more than 150,000 deployed military personnel and simmering military crises in Yemen, Somalia and elsewhere, nearly everybody’s giving war a big yawn.
Those yellow-ribbon car magnets boasting of support for the troops have faded. Fewer soldiers and Marines trudging home through airports get thanked for their service these days, and when they do get thanked, the troops say it’s just an awkward encounter they’d prefer to avoid.
Even the Code Pink protesters who used to disrupt war hearings on Capitol Hill have turned elsewhere, most recently to the Gulf oil spill.
One reason is that most of the public hasn’t had a personal stake in the war. Less than 1 percent of Americans agree to active-duty service and far fewer than that have actually seen combat.
No major war in American history has been fought with a smaller percentage of Americans in uniform. And less than a dozen members of Congress, at last count, had children serving in the military.
“For most Americans the wars remain an abstraction,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates mused recently. He said war has become “a distant and unpleasant series of news items that does not affect them personally,” and he added with a touch of bitterness that military service is seen as “something for other people to do.”
Ordinarily, though, at least some Americans get passionate about war and register their emotions on Election Day. In 1916 a strong antiwar movement, together with the suffragettes, isolationists and others, forced President Wilson to campaign on the slogan, “He Kept Us Out of War.”
Wilson won, but his victory may have laid the foundations for today’s massive cynicism about elections: Within 90 days of his re-election as an antiwar president, Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war, and the United States leapt into the jaws of World War I. Of the 4.7 million Americans who served, 53,000 were killed in battle and 200,000 came home wounded (not counting those with post-traumatic stress syndrome, or as they dismissed it then, “shell shock.”)
Midterm elections generally turn more on domestic issues than on war. One exception was 1954. With Republicans in power, the country, weary of the Korean war which ended a year earlier, voted in the Democrats who seized both the House and Senate and held on for decades, relinquishing the House only in 1994. During the most heated antiwar passions of the Vietnam conflict, Republicans gained in the midterms of 1966 and Democrats did so in 1970, but the war ground on with little congressional interference. (Even the conventional wisdom that Congress eventually cut off funding for the war, abandoning the South Vietnamese to its enemies, has been exposed as a myth.)
This year, issues of war have been “swamped” by voter concerns about jobs, debt and health care, observed Richard Kohn, professor of history, peace, war and defense at the University of North Carolina. And those are domestic issues in which Congress has a more obvious role anyway, he added.
Where war makes itself felt in this midterm is “in the dog that didn’t bark,” Kohn said. President Obama’s West Point speech last December essentially plotted a withdrawal from both Iraq and Afghanistan, with a temporary “surge” of forces in Afghanistan and a date to begin the withdrawal of troops.
“That satisfied both the right, that said you’ve got to prosecute the war — and the base of his party, which wants to withdraw,” Kohn said.
True enough: conservative columnist Fred Barnes, who can rarely find even a mild epithet for Democrats, sent Obama a “love bomb” in the Weekly Standard after the West Point speech, and even Sarah Palin endorsed the president’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. Liberals were slightly disappointed but supportive.
So thoroughly did Obama’s Afghanistan war strategy preempt protest that the GOP’s Pledge to America, which attacks the administration from every conceivable angle, fails to mention either Iraq or Afghanistan.
Finally, of course, most Americans seem to have given up on Afghanistan. Why get passionate about it if the war is a lost cause?
However invisible the war is for now, it may explode once the campaign is over and the winners begin to take their seats. Awaiting House members and senators is the $700 billion Pentagon budget bill, which may come up as early as the lame duck session in November (three new senators will be seated immediately because they are filling vacancies in Illinois, Delaware and West Virginia).
That will be the first test of the determination of many candidates actually to cut the federal budget, eliminate waste and reduce the budget deficit, as they have promised. But even among the budget-cutters there is disagreement: On one end of that spectrum is Rand Paul, GOP Senate candidate from Kentucky, a libertarian skeptic of foreign involvement who believes the great threat is on the U.S. borders. On the other: Sen. John McCain and other traditional Republicans who support a strong U.S. presence in the world and consistently vote to appropriate the money to support it.
Later next year Congress likely will grapple with potential troop reductions in both Iraq and Afghanistan. All American military personnel in Iraq are due to be withdrawn at the end of 2011, unless a joint U.S.-Iraq agreement is modified — a step Congress surely would want to review. In Afghanistan, Obama is likely to begin withdrawing some troops in July.
In both cases the decision belongs to the White House, but Congress could interfere, for instance, by tampering with the flow of money.
Either way, there’s no indication in this election year that the new Congress will take such an activist role, said John Isaacs, executive director of the Council for a Livable World, a liberal think tank in Washington.
“The mood on military issues is ambivalence,” he said. “I don’t think the public cares.”
Filed Under: Afghanistan, Iraq
Veterans Benefits

Veterans Benefits Improve/ Marine Times

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Veterans bill improves benefits, protections

By Rick Maze – Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 15, 2010 13:27:03 EDT

An omnibus veterans benefits bill signed into law on Wednesday holds the promise of big changes for disabled veterans and their families, according to the two committee chairmen responsible for passing the compromise bill.

One example is an expansion of employment and re-employment legal protections and more financial protections for deployed and mobilized service members, including the opportunity for service members to sue people or businesses who violate the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act.

The bill, the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010, was passed by Congress before lawmakers took an election break and was signed by President Obama on Wednesday.

“Veterans across the country will see their benefits improve,” said Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, highlighting programs to increase automotive grants for disabled veterans, provide childcare services for homeless veterans and expand life insurance for disabled veterans.

“Many of these provisions were pending for some time, and I am pleased that they have now become law,” said Akaka, referring to the fact that the bill took two years to pass as lawmakers grappled with what programs to include and what to leave out.

Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., the House Veterans’ Affairs committee chairman, said the bill “will make a big difference in the lives” of many veterans. He mentioned improvements in employment help, more research into health issues facing Gulf War veterans and expansion of financial and legal protections of deployed troops as key items.

Until now, violations of the legal or financial protections under the Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act did not include penalties. Now, violators would face fines of up to $55,000 for a first offense and up to $110,000 for subsequent violations, and individuals whose rights are violated also may sue for civil damages and attorney fees.

Additionally, the law expands termination rights for residential and motor vehicle leases and for telephone service contracts.

On auto and residential leases, the new law requires unpaid balances to be pro-rated from the effective date of termination, rather than being charged through the end of the next billing period. And when residential leases are canceled because of mobilization or deployment, early termination fees may not be charged.

On telephone contracts, the law allows termination of a cell phone or telephone exchange service any time a military member receives notice of orders to relocate for 90 days or longer to a location not served by the current contract.

Additionally, family-plan cell phone contracts could be terminated if anyone on the plan is a service member who deploys or moves out of the service area. When phone service is terminated, a phone company would have to keep it available for up to three years for reuse by a service member, but getting the old number would require re-subscribing to the phone service within 90 days of returning.

Veterans Benefits

Veterans Weekly Legislative Update

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S
Stay tuned for some commentary on the notion of privatizing the VA Health Care System.  The idea alone tells me the fringes groups in America can keep on chuggin’ with Freedom of Speech rights, but maybe we can get them to share them in the bathroom!
National Association
for Uniformed Services®
Weekly Update

WASHINGTON REPORT

Confirmation

This morning, October 15, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index figures for September.  The news squashed any lingering hopes for a COLA for 2011.  Due to the rate of inflation remaining below the level needed to automatically trigger a Cost of Living Adjustment, Social Security, Military retired pay and VA Disability pay will not increase for 2011.  This is only the second year without an automatic adjustment since the COLA went into effect in 1975. Unfortunately, it’s two years in a row.

The Social Security Act spells out the formula that determines the annual living adjustment for federal retirees (including military) and Social Security payments.  It is determined by comparing the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of one year to the third quarter of the next.  This year’s calculation produced no increase.

NAUS Note: NAUS supports legislation to use a different calculation, called the CPI-S (Consumer Price index for Seniors), to calculate the Social Security Cost of Living Adjustments.  Using CPI-S, as proposed in the CPI for Seniors Act (HR 5305), would account for the different products and different expenses encountered by older Americans, including much higher health-care costs.  With retirees facing double-digit increases in medical health care, the revised formula would provide a fairer and more accurate Social Security COLA each year.

Doc Fix Remains a Major Concern

As a reminder, legislation preventing cuts in payments to doctors that accept TRICARE and Medicare patients expires at the end of November.  As it stands right now, payment rates will be cut by 23.5 percent on December 1, unless Congress intervenes.

Congress Daily, a major media outlet that monitors congressional activity, reported this week that Senate leaders are eyeing a temporary, one-month patch for a looming Medicare physician pay cut, hoping to buy time to work out a longer-term fix.  Other sources suggest a temporary fix could run as long as six months to a year.

Failing to fix the problem could cause many doctors to stop seeing TRICARE patients due to reduced reimbursement for treatment and care.  Clearly, NAUS-members need to continue to raise awareness about this massive challenge before, during and after the coming elections, until a correction is made.  You can get it started by letting your Representative and Senators hear your concerns.  NAUS urges you to let them know you want the fix in place well in advance of the November 30 deadline.

You can use the NAUS CapWiz System to send them a message.  Please share this link with your family, friends and neighbors.  Congress must fix this and must make it a high priority on their post-election return.

Air Force Chief Calls for Higher TRICARE Fees

In a Tuesday speech at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said, “The world has changed and the United States Air Force must change too.”  Apparently in his eyes, increasing the amount military beneficiaries pay for their healthcare benefits should be part of that change.

Asked, during a question and answer period that followed his address, if military families and retirees should pay a greater share than they are right now Gen. Schwartz responded, “The reality is that the co-pays for TRICARE, which is a very good program certainly on par with many others in the country, have not changed since 1985.  I think it is inescapable that a change will have to be made and clearly these are matters for the executive to propose and the legislative to dispose.  But we collectively as a family of actively serving and formerly serving members and families have to recognize that if we’re not careful these unbounded costs can force out military content elsewhere in the DOD portfolio.  That is worrisome and something that will have to be addressed. Do it compassionately, rationally, but it has to be addressed.”

General Schwartz clearly misspoke when he stated fees have not increased since 1985; TRICARE did not come into existence until 1996.  Overlooking his misstatement, the Air Force Chief of Staff joins a growing number of senior military leaders and others who publicly say that the costs of the earned TRICARE program holds the potential to harm national security.  It is clear that this unfortunate viewpoint is scripted within the administration to dent and diminish the gratitude Americans have for the proud service given by military retirees and to put the benefits retirees earned first-in-line to help pay for today’s defense needs.  It is obnoxious and outrageous.

NAUS continues to press members of Congress to keep the current moratorium on higher fees in place.  You need to remain involved too.  Contact your elected officials and let them know how this affects you.

South Carolina Stolen Valor Legislation

A South Carolina legislator and a Medal of Honor recipient both say politicians who lie about their military records should be required to pay a $10,000 fine to the state Ethics Commission.

Charleston Republican State Rep. Chip Limehouse says the bill he is filing today is very important.  Limehouse says veterans have pushed for the legislation in reaction to misstatements by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal about his service during the Vietnam War.

Retired Marine Major General and NAUS Board Member James Livingston, says such incidents are frustrating and an affront to people who serve.  The Medal of Honor recipient says a law is needed in South Carolina so a similar situation doesn’t play out there.

Navy Birthday

On Oct. 13, 1775, the U.S. Navy was born when the Continental Congress authorized the arming of two sailing vessels with 80 men and 10 carriage guns in order to intercept British supply and munitions transports. The Declaration of Independence came nine months later, followed by the creation of the Department of the Navy in 1798.  Today, our Navy remains the most powerful in the world.

On Wednesday, the Navy celebrated its 235th official birthday.  NAUS salutes the men and women of the Navy for their courage and dedication.

HEALTH CARE NEWS

Combat Related Special Compensation Medical Travel

Over 100,000 Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) veterans are eligible for a new CRSC travel benefit to receive follow-up specialty care such as provided at the Mayo Clinic.

Section 1632 of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act directs reimbursement for travel-related expenses when a member of the uniformed services who incurred a combat-related disability and is entitled to retired or retainer pay must travel more than 100 miles from the referring provider’s location to obtain medically necessary, nonemergency specialty care for a combat-related disability.  Reasonable actual-cost travel expenses (e.g., lodging, fuel, meals, parking, tolls) associated with receiving specialty care can be reimbursed.  And if the physician so indicates, a Non-Medical Attendant may accompany the veteran and have their expenses reimbursed as well.

Checking the website, NAUS found that the application, approval and reimbursement to be complicated and somewhat confusing.  We hope that DoD and TRICARE will work very hard to make the process much easier to navigate.

For more information on this benefit and how to apply for it, go to this TRICARE Website.  Please let NAUS know how we can help sort out and untangle any complications you may encounter.  We stand ready to assist.

NAUS will continue to monitor this benefit and will pass on any new developments as we find them.  We thank NAUS Board of Directors Advisor Win Reither for pointing out this benefit and website.

Finding the Right Provider for You

When using TRICARE Standard, you may receive care from any TRICARE-authorized provider without a referral.  TRICARE-authorized providers meet TRICARE licensing and certification requirements and are certified by TRICARE to provide care to TRICARE beneficiaries. TRICARE-authorized providers include doctors, hospitals, ancillary providers (laboratories and radiology centers) and pharmacies.

To find a TRICARE-authorized network provider in your region, allowing you to save money by using your TRICARE Extra benefit, use the provider directory located on your regional contractor’s Website or call your regional contractor.

ACTIVE DUTY NEWS

Navy Marks 10th Anniversary Of USS Cole Attack

Ten years ago, an explosives-laden boat approached the USS Cole as it was refueling in Aden Harbor, Yemen.  The explosives detonated, ripping a 40-by-60-foot hole in the Norfolk-based Cole.  Seventeen sailors died that day.

The Navy on Tuesday marked the 10-year anniversary of the attack on the Cole with a ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk led by Adm. J.C. Harvey Jr.  The public and members of the Cole’s extended family attended.

Recommended Mailing Dates for APO/FPO Destinations

Ensuring care packages arrive in time for the holiday season is a priority for friends and family members of military personnel serving around the world.  To help get packages on their way, the U.S. Postal Service offers a discount on its largest Priority Mail Flat Rate Box.

The recommended mailing date for the most economical postage to overseas military destinations, including Iraq and Afghanistan, is Nov. 12.

Mail sent to overseas military addresses is charged only domestic mail prices.  The domestic mail price for the Priority Mail Large Flat Rate Box is $14.50, but for packages to APO/FPO addresses overseas the price is reduced to $12.50.  Additional discounts are available for customers printing their Priority Mail postage labels online at Click-N-Ship.  Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes are available at no cost at any Post Office or can be ordered online at shop.usps.com.  Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online anytime using Click-N-Ship.

The Postal Service continues to show support to those serving in the armed forces by offering free Military Care Kits, designed specifically for military families sending packages overseas.  The mailing kits can be ordered by phone by calling 1-800-610-8734 and asking for the Military Care Kit. Each kit includes two “America Supports You” large Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, four medium-sized Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, six Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and six customs forms with envelopes.

For online ordering of the large Priority Mail APO/FPO Flat Rate boxes featuring the “America Supports You” logo and information about mailing letters and packages to military destinations, go to Supporting Our Troops.

To ensure delivery of Christmas cards and holiday packages by December 25 to military APO/FPO addresses overseas, the Postal Service recommends that mail for service members be sent no later than the mailing dates listed below.  Mail addressed to military Post Offices overseas is subject to certain conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation and handling.  APO/FPO addresses generally require customs forms.  To see an online table of updated APO and FPO addresses and mailing restrictions by individual APO/FPO ZIP Codes, click here, select “Pull-Out Information” and click on “Other Information.”

MILITARY MAILING DEADLINES

Military Mail Addressed To Express Mail Military Service (EMMS)1/ First-Class Mail          Letters and Cards Priority Mail Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL) 2/ Space Available Mail (SAM)3/ Parcel Post
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 090-092 Dec-18 Dec-10 Dec-10 Dec-3 Nov-26 Nov-12
APO/FPO AE ZIP 093 N/A Dec-4 Dec-4 Dec-1 Nov-20 Nov-12
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 094-098 Dec-18 Dec-10 Dec-10 Dec-3 Nov-26 Nov-12
APO/FPO AA ZIP 340 Dec-18 Dec-10 Dec-10 Dec-3 Nov-26 Nov-12
APO/FPO AP ZIPs 962-966 Dec-18 Dec-10 Dec-10 Dec-3 Nov-26 Nov-12

1/ EMMS is available to selected military post offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to an APO/FPO address.
2/ PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.
3/ SAM parcels are paid at Parcel Post postage rate of postage with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.

Exchange ID Check Goes “Hi-Tech”

Implementation of an updated point-of-sale system that uses the technological advances available through “smart” Common Access Cards is streamlining the identification process for age-restricted items at Army and Air Force Exchanges.  Click here for more information.

VETERANS NEWS

Free Canes for Veterans

A national program, “Hugo Salutes Our Veterans,” will provide at no charge 36,000 state-of-the-art Hugo Folding Canes to any U.S. Military Veteran in need of mobility assistance.

The Hugo Folding Canes, which retail for $29.99, will be distributed at all Sam’s Clubs nationwide, November 10, 11, and 12.  This program was started several years ago by AMG Medical, based in Alpharetta, Georgia, in tribute to its employees who served in the military.

Additional information is available at the Hugo website.

New Ad Campaign Targets Veterans

This week VA launched a National Ad Campaign focusing on recently separated veterans.  Former Marine and Iraq Veteran Robert Kugler speaks to veterans about benefits they have earned through service.  Click here to watch the video and be sure to share it with veterans you may know.

Save the Date

In past years, NAUS Chapters and members across the country have participated in Wreaths Across America, a special program that honors deceased veterans by placing wreaths on their graves during the holiday season.  This year events are scheduled for December 11.   We hope you can join in this extremly  wothwhile endeavor in your local area and an early reminder so you can plan accordingly.  Check the Wreaths Across America site for details on being a participate in this year’s honor.

NAUS NEWS

NAUS on the Road

Tomorrow is a busy day for NAUS representatives across the country.

On Saturday, NAUS President MG Matz will be the keynote speaker at the Ft. Monmouth, NJ, Retired Activity Day (RAD).  MG Matz and his wife Linda will man the table.

Also Saturday, NAUS Senior Legislative Assistant Morgan Brown will be the keynote speaker at the New London, CT, Submarine Base, Retiree Seminar.

Also on Saturday, NAUS Regional Vice President Chuck Partridge, accompanied by his wife Nancy, mans a table at the Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, RAD.

NAUS encourages you to stop by and say Hello to our representatives … and bring a friend to share in the activities and find out more about NAUS.

Future RADs include:

Next Thursday, Oct. 21, President Matz will address retirees at the Wright-Patterson, AFB, RAD in Dayton, Ohio.

And on Saturday, Oct. 30, President Matz delivers the keynote at the Ft. Hood, TX, RAD.

The 2010 NAUS Directories have been Shipped

If you ordered a NAUS Directory back in the spring/summer (thank you!), the good news is they have shipped.  You should be receiving your order soon.  If you wish to return your order, you should send it back to Harris Connect unopened to avoid paying the shipping cost.  If you have any questions or problems with your Directory order, please call the publisher, Harris Connect, at 888-618-4227 (press 2 for Customer Service). 

NAUS Annual Membership Meeting

Make plans now to attend the NAUS Annual Membership Meeting and luncheon on Saturday, 6 November, at the Officers Club at Fort Belvoir, VA.  Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki will be the keynote speaker this year.  Cost to attend the meeting and luncheon is $20 per person.  Fill out the Reservation Form (also found on page 6 of your September/October Uniformed Services Journal) and mail in with your payment, or contact Mike Boone for more information.
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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.

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

Veteran Legislative Update, Veterans Benefits

VA Health Care Compared To Non-VA Settings

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A Synthesis of the Evidence Comparing Care in VA vs. Non-VA Settings

The quality of VA care has long been a subject of debate, even after its health care system transformation starting in the mid-90s. Although there have been some exceptions, the media has often portrayed VA health care in a less than optimal light. Regardless, VA has established itself as an innovative health care system, as evidenced in the early adoption of an advanced electronic medical record and its recent efforts to create patient-centered primary care teams.

Recently, investigators at the West Los  Angeles VA Evidence-Based Practice Center conducted a literature review to compare and contrast studies that assess VA and non-VA quality of care for surgical, non-surgical, and other medical conditions. Investigators reviewed 55 articles published after 1990: 17 articles addressed surgical conditions, and 38 addressed medical and other non-surgical conditions. Findings from their report include:

  • Ten comparative studies assessing the use of preventive services, care for acute and chronic medical conditions, and changes in health status, including mortality, showed superior performance–as measured by greater adherence to accepted processes of care, better health outcomes, or improved patient ratings of care–for health care delivered in the VA compared with care delivered outside the VA.
  • Studies of the quality of hospital and nursing home care demonstrate similar risk-adjusted mortality rates in VA facilities compared with non-VA facilities. VA hospitals had somewhat better patient safety outcomes compared with non-VA hospitals.
  • Studies of the quality of mental health care demonstrate that the quality of antidepressant prescribing is slightly better in VA compared to private sector settings.
  • Elderly VA patients were less likely to be prescribed potentially inappropriate medications than elderly patients receiving care through Medicare managed care plans.
  • Stroke patients receiving rehabilitation in VA settings were discharged with better functional outcomes.
  • Of four general surgery studies, three revealed no significant differences in adjusted post-operative morbidity rates, while one found significantly lower rates of post-operative morbidity in the VA setting compared with the private sector.
  • Three of the four studies assessed risk-adjusted mortality rates, and of these, two found no significant difference across settings.
  • Of three solid organ transplant articles, two found no significant differences in patient survival when comparing VA patients with non-VA patients. Additionally, one of these found no significant difference in graft survival between these two groups.

Conclusions:

Overall, the available literature suggests that the care provided in the VA compares favorably to non-VA care systems, albeit with some caveats. Studies that used accepted process of care measures and intermediate outcomes measures, such as control of blood pressure or hemoglobin A1c, for quality measurements almost always found VA performed better than non-VA comparison groups. Studies looking at risk-adjusted outcomes generally have found no differences between VA and non-VA care, with some reports of better outcomes in VA and a few reports of worse outcomes in VA, compared to non-VA care. The studies of processes of care are mostly those about medical conditions, while the studies of outcomes are mostly about surgical conditions and interventional procedures.

Reference: Asch, S, Glassman P, Matula S, Trivedi A, Miake-Lye I and Shekelle P. Comparison of Quality of Care in VA and Non-VA Settings: A Systematic Review. VA-ESP Project # 05-226; 2010.

This report is a product of the HSR&D Evidence-Based Synthesis Program (ESP), which was established to provide timely and accurate syntheses of targeted healthcare topics of particular importance to VA managers and policymakers – and to disseminate these reports throughout VA.

See the full reports online.

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.

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

New Marine Corps League Announcement

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From: Marana Marines
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:25:59 -0800
Subject: Press Release – Marana Detachment Marine Corps League

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 26, 2010

Marana, AZ

We are proud to announce the Charter has been approved of the Marana Nighthawk 72 Detachment #1344 of the Marine Corps League.

The presentation of the Charter will be held at the Marana Municipal Complex, Mayor and Council Chambers at 7:00 PM on February 19th 2010.

Former and current Marines and Navy Corpsmen who served with the United States Fleet Marine Force of any rank are invited to be the pioneers of the Marana Nighthawk 72 Detachment Marine Corps League. We will conduct regular open meetings monthly for the purpose of:

• Providing the community with uniformed color guard services for special community events and services.

• Engaging in, participate in and promote community service projects within Marana Township.

• Offering assistance and promote Marine Corps values to local residents who are considering a career in the United States Marine Corps.

• Establishing an annual Marine Corps Ball for former Marines residing in the Marana
Township vicinity.

Additionally, the detachment will adhere to the goals set forth by the Marine Corps League National Headquarters.

• To preserve the traditions, promote the interest and perpetuate the history of the United States Marine Corps.

• To band together those who are now serving in the United States Marine Corps, eligible
FMF Corpsmen and those who have been honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps, together in fellowship, that they may effectively promote the ideals of American freedom and democracy.

• To help fit its members for the duties of citizenship and to encourage them to serve ably as citizens as they have served our nation under arms.

• To hold sacred the memory and history of the men and women who have given their lives to the Nation.

• To foster love for the principles which they have supported by blood and valor since the founding of the Republic.

• To aid voluntarily and to render assistance to all Marines and FMF Corpsmen, uniformed and civilian, as well as their widows and orphans.

• To create a bond of comradeship between those in the service and those who have returned to civilian life.

• To perpetuate the history of the United States Marine Corps and by fitting acts to observe the anniversaries of historical occasions of peculiar interest to Marines.

All Marines and Navy Corpsman, past and present, are encouraged to become part of the Marana Nighthawk 72 Detachment Marine Corps League. Any eligible individual who is interested in becoming a member of the Marana Nighthawk 72 Detachment Marine Corps League should contact Don LaVetter (520) 623-7471 or email MaranaMarines@hotmail.com

Additional information contact: Don LaVetter (520) 623-7471 MaranaMarines@hotmail.com

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

It Is Official; Pima County Has A New Marine Corps League

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This evening at Roma Cafe on West Ina road, Commandant Don LaVetter announced that the Charter for the new Detachment of the Marine Corps League was approved. Approximately 25 Marines cheered Semper Fi!

The name of the new Detachment is, “Night Hawk 72,” in memory of the Marines that lost their lives is the tragic Osprey accident in Marana, Arizona.

The official ceremony and signing of the Charter will be on February 19th, 2010 at 1900 Hrs, at the Marana Town Hall. Anyone interested in joining now will be part of the original chartered organization.

The Detachment had an honored guest this evening, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “Rumors of War,” Phil Caputo, a decorated Marine Officer who served in Vietnam.

Caputo has a new book published, entitled, “Crosser’s,” about his experiences with the Arizona border.

For information about the Night Hawk 72 Detachment of the Marine Corps League, leave a message at 520-540-7000.