More ROA news

Medicare Fraud Update 41:
• Grahamsville NY - June Smith, 72 and posthysterectomy, was no candidate for motherhood. Or fatherhood. Her quarterly Medicare billings - contradicting anatomy, gender and common sense - showed otherwise. The paperwork asserted the senior citizen submitted to a pregnancy test, semen analysis and prostate exams. The pricey lab work was handled in far-flung locales: Florida, California, Arizona and New Mexico. For more than three years, scammers using Smith's stolen ID number ripped off Medicare for close to $50,000 in patently bogus billings - despite the retiree's efforts to alert workers about the ongoing theft. "It's just people behind a desk, I understand," Smith said. "But when you pay for testing of the male anatomy on a woman, I don't know what kind of dumbbells they're hiring." Nobody listened when she made phone calls, wrote letters and tried to alert somebody - anybody - about the scam. Her story is hardly surprising. An estimated $60 billion a year in federal health care money is stolen, making medical fraud one of the nation's most lucrative crimes. Peter Ashkenaz, a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, confirmed Smith's story but insisted the agency was on the case. An investigator from IDTheft911 who she hired found there was no record that a billing doctor in Arizona even existed. they determoined the Florida business, Safe Medical, was little more than a storefront with an answering machine. In one case, Smith recalled, her quarterly Medicare statement showed the government had finally rejected a submission. Three months later, the bill was resubmitted - and paid in full.
• Houston TX - Franklin Beltre D.P.M ., 40, was sentenced on 30 MAY to 36 months prison. He and a co-defendant committed more than $1 million in Health Care Fraud by submitting false and fraudulent claims to both the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs. In addition Beltre was ordered to pay $691,128.04 in restitution, which represents the amount he was paid for the false and fraudulent claims he had submitted to both programs. Beltre admitted to defrauding Medicaid and Medicare, by means of false and fraudulent claims in connection with the use of unqualified, unlicensed medical personal and for billing for medical services not rendered. In 2006, while vacationing in Fort Lauderdale FL, Beltre submitted claims to both Medicare and Medicaid for podiatric services he never performed and that were actually performed by co-defendant Manuela Alana, an unlicensed, unsupervised podiatrist. Alana will be serving a 24-month term of incarceration to be followed by a three-year-term of supervised release.
• New York NY - David Ibragimov, 49, his son Arthur Ibragimov, 26, his son-in-law Mikhail Isakov, 27, and dentist Bruce Speiser, 49, were charged 2 JUN with running a Medicad scam. The suspects allegedly paid recruiters to bring Medicaid recipients, many of whom were lured from homeless shelters and methadone clinics, to their crooked clinics. Patients received as much as $20, as well as CD players and McDonald's gift certificates, depending on their treatments they often didn't need. The swindle, which stretched from JAN 06 to APR 2010, was allegedly carried out in three locations: 165-10 Jamaica Ave. in Queens, 575 Fulton Ave. in Brooklyn and the clinic in the Bronx. The Ibragimovs and Isakov allegedly directed the dentists they hired to pay two-thirds of their Medicaid billings to shell corporations they controlled. The recruiters, or "flyer boys," earned $10 to $30 per person, depending on the price of the procedures the patients agreed to receive. All four men pleaded not guilty to insurance fraud and grand larceny charges. A civil suit was filed against the Ibragimovs and Isakov that is seeking to recoup $7 million in phony billing.
• Jacksonville FL - Bryan S. Russell, 52, was charged 3 JUN with second-degree grand larceny, a felony. While acting as the executor of his mother's estate, he failed to pay Medicaid the money owed by the estate. He is accused of defrauding Medicaid out of more than $50,000 between 2004 and 2009. His mother had lived in Wyoming County and died in January 2004.
• New York NY - Metropolitan Ambulance & First Aid Corp. (now known as SEZ Metro Corp.), Metro North Ambulance Corp. (now known as SEZ North Corp.) and Big Apple Ambulance Service Inc. (formerly known as United Ambulance) have paid the United States $2.85 million to resolve false claims made to Medicare. the companies used, or caused the use of, falsified records to appeal a Medicare program refund demand. Medicare had demanded the companies return millions of dollars they had been paid for medically unnecessary ambulance trips. Under Medicare rules, the companies could bill for these expensive non-emergency transports only if the patient could not be transported by any other means, such as by car or by wheelchair van. Medicare audited the companies’ past billings and concluded that the companies had charged Medicare tens of millions of dollars for ambulance trips that did not meet this standard. Medicare demanded a refund and afforded the companies an extensive informal and formal appeals process to prove that their billings were proper. They in turn caused the use of, hundreds of letters attesting to the need for an ambulance that were forged or otherwise purported to come from some neutral, disinterested health care provider when they in fact did not.
• Detroit MI - On 8 JUN Timothy Pierce was sentenced to 48 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release following his prison term and ordered to pay $6.09 million in restitution for his participation in a fraudulent Medicare infusion scheme and Troy Michigan was sentenced to 27 months in prison, 3 years of supervised release following his prison term, and ordered to pay $772,800 in restitution for his participation in a separate fraudulent physical therapy scheme. In MAR 06 Pierce entered into an agreement with the owners of Dearborn Medical Rehabilitation Center (DMRC) to recruit patients for DMRC, a business that purported to provide infusion and injection therapy services to Medicare patients. Pierce admitted that he was hired to recruit, drive and pay kickbacks to Medicare beneficiaries to induce them to visit DMRC. Jha, a licensed physical therapist began working in FEB 03 as a contract therapist for a co-conspirator who owned and controlled several companies operating in the Detroit area that purported to provide physical and occupational therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries. He, his co-conspirator and others created fictitious therapy files appearing to document physical and occupational therapy services provided to Medicare beneficiaries, when in fact no such services had been provided. The fictitious services reflected in the files were billed to Medicare through sham Medicare providers controlled by co-conspirators.
[Source: Fraud News Daily reports 1-15 Jun 2010 ++]

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Medicad Fraud Update 15:
• Hoboken NJ - Babak Bamdad, 42, of Hoboken, pleaded guilty 2 JUN to a criminal accusation charging him with third-degree Medicaid fraud. Third-degree crimes carry a maximum sentence of five years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $10,000. Deputy Attorney General Debra A. Conrad represented the state at the guilty plea hearing. Bamdad, a pharmacist in charge at Tucker Drugs, 1000 Washington St., Hoboken, admitted that between JAN & OCT 09 he submitted claims to the Medicaid program for prescription drugs allegedly dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries, even though the prescription drugs were never dispensed. The claims were subsequently paid out by the Medicaid program. Since October 09, more than 32 people, including doctors and pharmacists, have been arrested in the joint investigation, which uncovered a major criminal narcotics network based in Hudson County that distributed thousands of black market prescription pain pills such as OxyContin and Percocet. The network was obtaining fraudulent narcotics prescriptions and filling them at various pharmacies. At the same time, Medicaid was being billed for phony doctor visits and prescription medicines that were never dispensed. The network allegedly distributed the prescription pain pills throughout Hudson County and other parts of the state, including Bergen, Ocean, Morris and Monmouth counties. A single 30 milligram OxyContin pill, known as a “blue,” typically sells for $10 to $20 on the street, while a10 milligram Percocet pill sells for $5 to $8.
• Houston TX - Edward Birts, 51, on 2 JUN pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud, health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. Birts operated a behavioral counseling company called Courage to Change. He had purchased a degree online awarding himself bogus professional certifications in counseling and then billed Medicad and Medicare $1.2 million for nonexistent psychological treatments and received more than $968,500 in payments. Birts acquired beneficiaries' names, addresses and account numbers which he would use to file false claims. Prosecutors said he claimed he employed a nonexistent doctor who ran nonexistent group therapy sessions. The billing spanned from January 2003 through September 2006.
• Newark NJ - The state Medicaid inspector general on 10 JUN demanded Garden Adult Medical Day Care Center pay a $5.6 million civil penalty after allegedly submitting false claims. The Center billed the state for providing medical services it never rendered, such as testing patients’ blood pressure and blood sugar levels and dispensing medication, according to a report on the inspector’s civil investigation. The for-profit facility wrongly pocketed $1.87 million, but the IG is demanding the owners pay three times that amount for "intentionally submitting Medicaid claims for the 50 recipients when it knew it did not render the services, or submitted the claims in reckless disregard of whether the services were rendered,’’ according to the report. The state pays the centers $78.50 a day for each of the roughly 12,000 people who suffer from chronic health conditions that require close management, or need help getting dressed, bathing, taking their medications or performing other "activities of daily living." The service is regarded as a cost-effective way to help the elderly maintain their independence, but state officials have said the industry is vulnerable to abuse.
• Springfield MO - Kevin Louderback, an insurance broker received 12 years in state prison for misappropriating more than $700,000 from Medicaid. Louderback furnished applications with false information to the Missouri Health Insurance Premium Payment Program, which pays private health insurance premiums for certain individuals with high medical costs. He told customers that the monthly insurance premium rates were higher than they actually were and pocketed the overpayment, as offering kickbacks to get people to enroll in insurance programs. The sentence is the longest in state history for Medicaid fraud.
[Source: Fraud News Daily reports 1-15 Jun 2010 ++]

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State Veteran's Benefits: The state of Alabama provides several benefits to veterans. To obtain information on these refer to this Bulletin’s Attachment for an overview of those listed below. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each click on “Learn more about …” wording highlighted in blue on the attachment.
• Housing Benefits
• Financial Assistance Benefits
• Employment Benefits
• Veterans Business Benefits
• Education Benefits
• Other State Veteran Benefits
[Source: www.military.com/benefits/vete...te-veterans-benefits Jun 2010 ++]
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Military History: Deep in the recesses of the National Archives in Washington, D.C., hidden for nearly four decades lie thousands of pages of yellowing and dusty documents stamped "Top Secret". These documents, now declassified, are the plans for Operation Downfall, the invasion of Japan during World War II. Only a few Americans in 1945 were aware of the elaborate plans that had been prepared for the Allied Invasion of the Japanese home islands. Even fewer today are aware of the defenses the Japanese had prepared to counter the invasion had it been launched. Operation Downfall was finalized during the spring and summer of 1945. It called for two massive military undertakings to be carried out in succession and aimed at the heart of the Japanese Empire: Operation Olympic and Operation Coronet. Had the invasion come about, the Japanese civilian population, inflamed by a national slogan "One Hundred Million Will Die for the Emperor and Nation" were prepared to fight to the death. Twenty Eight Million Japanese had become a part of the National Volunteer Combat Force. They were armed with ancient rifles, lunge mines, satchel charges, Molotov cocktails and one-shot black powder mortars. Others were armed with swords, long bows, axes and bamboo spears. The civilian units were to be used in nighttime attacks, hit and run maneuvers, delaying actions and massive suicide charges at the weaker American positions. Admiral William Leahy estimated that there would be more than 250,000 Americans killed or wounded on Kyushu alone. General Charles Willoughby, chief of intelligence for General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Southwest Pacific, estimated American casualties would be one million men by the fall of 1946. Willoughby's own intelligence staff considered this to be a conservative estimate. In retrospect, the 1 million American men who were to be the casualties of the invasion, were instead lucky enough to survive the war. The world was spared the cost of Operation Downfall because Japan formally surrendered to the United Nations September 2, 1945, and World War II was over. For a more detailed summary of the invasion plans refer to the attachment to this Bulletin. [Source: Omaha World Herald James Martin Davis article Nov 08 ++]

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Military History Anniversaries:
• Jun 17 1775 – Revolutionary War: Battle of Bunker Hill (actually it was Breed's Hill)
• Jun 17 1942 – WWII: 1st American expeditionary force lands in Africa (Gold Coast)
• Jun 18 1812 – War of 1812: The U.S. Congress declares war on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
• Jun 19 1944 – WWII: First day of the Battle of the Philippine Sea. 300 Japanese aircrafts shot down
• Jun 21 1945 – WWII: US defeat Japanese forces on Okinawa.
• Jun 23 1945 – WWII: Last organized Japanese defiance broken (Tarakan)
• Jun 24 1952 – Korean War: US airplanes bomb energy centers at Yalu Korea
• Jun 25 1876 – Custer & 7th Cavalry wiped out by Sioux & Cheyenne at Little Big Horn
• Jun 25 1948 – Cold war: The Berlin Airlift begins.
• Jun 25 1950 – Korean War: Conflict begins with the invasion of South Korea by North Korea.
• Jun 25 1996 – The Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia kills 19 U.S. servicemen.
• Jun 26 1918 – WWI: Western Front Battle for Belleau Wood - Allied Forces under John J. Pershing and James Harbord defeat Imperial German Forces under Wilhelm German Crown Prince.
• Jun 26 1924 – Latin America Interventions: After 8 years of occupation US troops leave Dominican Republic
• Jun 26 1993 – The U.S. launches a missile attack targeting Baghdad intelligence headquarters in retaliation for a thwarted assassination attempt against former President George H.W. Bush in April in Kuwait.
• Jun 27 1944 – WWII: Cherbourg, France liberated by Allies
• Jun 27 1950 – Korean War: North Koreans troop reach Seoul, UN asks members to aid South Korea, Truman orders Air Force & Navy into Korean conflict
• Jun 28 1919 – WWI: Treaty of Versailles ending war signed in France
• Jun 28 1965 – Vietnam: 1st U.S. ground combat forces authorized by Pres Johnson
• Jun 29 1943 – WWII: Germany begins withdrawing U-boats from North Atlantic in anticipation of the Allied invasion of Europe
• Jun 29 1949 – US troops withdraw from Korea after WW II
• Jun 29 1966 – Vietnam: U.S. planes bomb Hanoi & Haiphong for 1st time
• Jun 30 1815 – US naval hero Stephen Decatur ends attacks by Algerian pirates
• Jun 30 1943 – WWII: Gen MacArthur begins Operation Cartwheel (island-hopping)
[Source: Various Jun 09 ++]

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Military Trivia 6:
• The name of the barbaric German tribe that overran Gaul, Spain and North Africa and sacked Rome in the fifth century was the ‘Vandals’.
• The U.S. secret agents abandon plans--approved by President Franklin D. Roosevelt--to drop live bats from airplanes to frighten the Japanese during World War II because the bats froze at high altitudes, before they could be released.
• The unsung role played in American history role of William Dawes and Samuel Prescott was to accompany Paul Revere on his celebrated midnight ride to warn their countrymen that "the British are coming."
• The infantryman (and actor-to-be) James Arness was picked to go first when the troops aboard his landing craft splashed ashore during the Allied attack at Anzio during World War II because at 6 feet 6, he was the tallest man in his outfit--and his commanding officer wanted to know just how deep the water was.
• The profession of Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun was Photographer's assistant.
• During the Civil War, 23 states fought for the Union and 11 for the Confederacy.
• The two nations involved in a year-long conflict that was popularly know as the Pastry War were France and Mexico in 1838. It was triggered by Mexico's refusal to pay for damage done by Mexican army officers to a restaurant run by a French pastry chef in Tacubaya, now a section of Mexico City.
• It was President Harry S. Truman who ordered the integration of America's armed forces in 1948.
• The famous American who signed the Treaty of Kanagawa was Commodore Matthew C. Perry, on March 31, 1854. The treaty opened Japan to western trade.
• While Adolf Hitler called his country home Eagle's Nest, Winston Churchill called his Cosy Pig, although it was formally known as Chartwell.
• The American billionaire who tried to airlift 28 tons of medicine and Christmas gifts to American POWs in North Vietnam n 1969 was Ross Perot.
• Charles de Gaulle served as ghost-writer of the book "The Soldier". It was about the famous World War I military hero Marshal Philippe Petain, whose 1945 death sentence for collaboration during WWII was commuted by de Gaulle to life imprisonment.
• The Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought in June 1775 on Breed's Hill, southeast of Bunker Hill.
• The Allies' password on D-Day was "Mickey Mouse".
• Gen. Black Jack Pershing, arriving in France in 1917 after the U.S. entered WWI was the American military leader who said, "Lafayette we are here.”
• The physical ailment that was said to have contributed to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo was hemorrhoids, which prevented him from surveying the battlefield on horseback.
• The Boer War (1899-1902) was the first to have authorized film coverage?
• Caedwalla, King of Gwynedd (north Wales), ordered his soldiers to wear leeks fastened to their helmets when they battled the troops of Kind Edwin of Northumbria in 632 A.D. so he could tell his men from the enemy. Caedwalla was victorious, Edwin was slain, and the leek later became the national emblem of Wales.
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Tax Burden for New Hampshire Retirees: Many people planning to retire use the presence or absence of a state income tax as a litmus test for a retirement destination. This is a serious miscalculation since higher sales and property taxes can more than offset the lack of a state income tax. The lack of a state income tax doesn’t necessarily ensure a low total tax burden. Following are the taxes you can expect to pay if you retire in New Hampshire:

State Sales Tax: None. There is an 8% tax on lodging and restaurant meals and a 7% tax on two-way communications.
Gasoline Tax: 19.6 cents/gallon
Diesel Fuel Tax: 19.6 cents/gallon
Cigarette Tax: $1.78 cents/pack of 20

Personal Income Taxes - New Hampshire depends more upon real property taxes for revenue than most states since there are no general income, sales or use taxes. The state also receives substantial revenue from taxes on motor fuels, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages sold through the state liquor stores, and pari-mutuel betting. The state income tax is limited to a 5% tax on dividends and interest income of more than $2,400 ($4,800 for joint filers). A $1,200 exemption is available for residents who are 65 years of age or older. For an overview of New Hampshire taxes refer to www.nh.gov/revenue/faq/gti-rev.htm .

Retirement Income: Not taxed.

Property Taxes
Local property taxes, based upon assessed valuation, are assessed, levied and collected by municipalities. A state education property tax rate of $2.135 (2009) per $1,000 of total equalized valuation is assessed on all New Hampshire property owners. An elderly exemption for property taxes can be age, net income limits, including Social Security income, and net asset limits. Property taxes can be deferred but accrue interest at the rate of 5% per annum. The deferred property tax may not exceed more than 85% of the equity value of the residence. The deferral is available (if granted) by the assessing officials, to any resident property owner who is at least 65 years old. For single homeowners 65 and older who earn less than $5,000 and married couples who earn less than $6,000, $5,000 of their property's assessed value is exempt from taxes. In addition, the homeowner's other assets besides the home must be worth less than $35,000.

There is a Low & Moderate Income Homeowner's Property Tax Relief program in New Hampshire. For details refer to www.nh.gov/revenue/forms/low_mod_program.htm. You must own a homestead subject to the state education property tax; reside in such homestead as of April 1 of the year for which the claim for relief is made; have a total household income of (1) $20,000 or less if a single person or (2) $40,000 or less if married or head of a New Hampshire household. Call 603-271-2687 for details on property taxes or go to http://www.nh.gov/revenue/munc...unicipalservices.htm .

Inheritance and Estate Taxes - New Hampshire's Legacy & Succession Tax was repealed in 2002 and is effective for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2003. As a result there is no inheritance or estate tax.

For further information, visit the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration site www.nh.gov/revenue/index.htm or call 603-271-2318. [Source: www.retirementliving.com Jun 2010 ++]

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Congressional Alphalist: To better understand what is happening to veteran legislation as it proceeds through Congress it is useful to know the language used by our representatives as they conduct business. Following are some of the words or expressions you will see while reading about or listening to House and Senate sessions:

• BASELINE. This is the standard used to assess how bills, if enacted, would change current budgetary levels. Baselines must assume projected levels of federal spending and revenue, so they are often disputed.
• THE BELTWAY. This is an interstate highway encircling Washington, DC & passing through Maryland and Virginia suburbs. "Inside the Beltway" Asserts that an issue is only of interest to Washington, DC residents and workers.
• BILL. A Bill is a legislative proposal which would make law if it passes both the House and Senate and if it receives Presidential approval. Bills are introduced as "H.R." in the House, and as "S." in the Senate. Besides bills, joint resolutions are the only other type of legislation which makes law [H.J.Res. or S.J.Res.]
• BLOCK GRANTS. These are funds given states by the federal government to run programs within defined guidelines.
• BLUE DOG DEMOCRAT. One of 51 conservative Democratic Members of the House of Representatives who have banded together to support a more centrist position on economic issues than that held by their party's leadership.
• BUDGET ACT. Refers to the 1974 Congressional Budget Act. It created the current budget process. It also created the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the House and Senate Budget Committees. The annual budget resolution and reconciliation bills are processed under the terms of the 1974 Budget Act.
• BUDGET RESOLUTION. This is the annual decision made by Congress to set spending and revenue levels. It provides a voluntary framework within which Congress agrees to limit subsequent money bills. The Budget Resolution may also instruct committees to change current law in order to save money.
• BULLY PULPIT. This term stems from President Theodore Roosevelt's reference to the White House as a "bully pulpit," meaning a terrific platform from which to persuasively advocate an agenda. Roosevelt often used the word "bully" as an adjective meaning superb/wonderful. Roosevelt also had political affiliation with the Progressive Party, nicknamed the "Bull Moose" party. It got the moniker when Roosevelt ran for President as its candidate in 1912, after declaring himself as "fit as a bull moose."
• BYRD RULE. This is used on the Senate floor to challenge certain language added to a reconciliation bill. The purpose of reconciliation bills is to reconcile spending levels with revenue levels. If proposed language steps outside of this primary purpose, it can be challenged on a point of order. The Byrd rule can be set aside by a 3/5 vote. It is named after its author, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV).
[Source: C-SPAN Congressional Glossary Jun 2010 ++]

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Veteran Legislation Status 13 JUN 2010: For or a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community that have been introduced in the 111th Congress refer to the Bulletin’s Veteran Legislation attachment. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s content, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it. To determine what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlst.html.

Grassroots lobbying is perhaps the most effective way to let your Representative and Senators know your opinion. Whether you are calling into a local or Washington, D.C. office; sending a letter or e-mail; signing a petition; or making a personal visit, Members of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing cosponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of veteran’s feelings on issues. You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views. Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov your legislator’s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making. Refer to http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf. [Source: RAO Bulletin Attachment 13 Jun 2010 ++]

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Have You Heard?
Charlie, a new retiree greeter at Walmart, just couldn't seem to get to work on time. Every day he was 5, 10, 15 minutes late. But he was a good worker, really tidy, clean-shaven, sharp minded and a real credit to the company and obviously demonstrating their "Older Person Friendly" policies. One day the boss called him into the office for a talk.

"Charlie, I have to tell you, I like your work ethic, you do a bang up job, but your being late so often is quite bothersome."
"Yes, I know boss, and I am working on it."
''Well good, you are a team player. That's what I like to hear. It's odd though your coming in late. I know you're retired from the Air Force.
What did they say if you came in late there?"
''They said, 'Good morning, General, can I get you coffee, sir?'''

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"Happiness depends more on how life strikes you than on what happens."
Andy Rooney of 60 minutes fame

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Lt. James “EMO” Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Associate Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RP
PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517

Treasury Seeks to Eliminate More Paper Checks

The Treasury Department announced on Monday that most government benefits payments will be made by direct deposit by 2013, in the latest in a series of cost-cutting moves. The change, which ¯will eliminate about 136 million paper checks sent by the Social Security Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board and Office of Personnel Management, ¯caps years of efforts to cut back on paper and postage costs. The move should cut about $48 million in government postage costs and save taxpayers approximately $303 million in the first five years after the switch.
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The above is a federal government press release. I will add my 2c to the Direct Deposit program. Please understand I deal with thousands of claimants, not just a few. Over the years I have had widows call me, to advise me, the VA without notice, took several thousand dollars out of their checking account. Yes that is true and it happens all too often. A veteran who dies and is in receipt of 100% service connected disability compensation, most often has a surviving spouse who depends on the VA check to live.

People have lost their homes waiting on VA adjudication process.

When the veteran dies the money must be returned. VA will take it from the checking account when they deem the funds are due them. VA is not going to allow a survivor a chance to use the money not due them. The survivor must file a claim for accrude benefits, also file for DIC. DIC is for survivors of a service connected veteran who died as a result of those particular disabilities, or who was rated 100% for ten or more years. Over the years the paper checks prevented VA from taking the money unexpectedly.

No more.

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON GULF WAR ILLNESS ISSUES SCHEDULED FOR JULY
Written by Anthony Hardie, 91 outcomes .com Publisher/Editor

(91outcomes.com) – The U.S. House subcommittee on veterans affairs oversight and investigations has announced its third and final hearing of a three-part series on Gulf War illness issues.

The hearing, entitled, “Gulf War Illness: The Future for Dissatisfied Veterans,” will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 27, 2010 in the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing room on Capitol Hill .

A recent Institute of Medicine report found that 250,000 veterans of the 1991 Gulf War – more than one-third – continue to suffer from what the IOM termed chronic multisymptom illness (CMI), more commonly known as Gulf War Syndrome or Gulf War Illness.

The IOM also found that rates of PTSD and other psychiatric conditions were much lower than CMI rates in Gulf War veterans, and emphatically stated that the multisymptom illness prevalent in Gulf War veterans could not be attributed to a psychiatric cause, providing further vindication for the hundreds of thousands of Gulf War veterans who have been suffering from debilitating physical conditions for nearly 20 years.

Last August, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Eric Shinseki launched a comprehensive internal task force on Gulf War veterans’ illness issues, chaired by VA Chief of Staff John Gingrich, himself a Gulf War veteran.

Earlier this year, VA’s internal Task Force not only released its initial draft report to the public -- unusual for an internal government task force -- but also allowed and requested public comments.

The transparency measures, on an issue that has drawn frustration and hostility for years from ill Gulf War veterans, were well received by the Gulf War veteran community. The measures, from a federal agency previously known more for stonewalling and denial on Gulf War illness issues, renewed hope in many quarters that real change aimed at genuinely providing new improvements in the health and lives of Gulf War veterans is finally on its way.

A final copy of the VA task force’s report is expected just prior to the upcoming Congressional hearing.

More information on the hearing can be found here:

http://veterans.house.gov/hear...ring.aspx?NewsID=601.

VA QUIETLY GIVING BENEFITS TO MARINES EXPOSED TO TOXIC WATER

• https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/clwater/
• http://www.vba.va.gov/VBA/
BY BARBARA BARRETT
MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS

WASHINGTON -- Former Marine Corps Cpl. Peter Devereaux was told about a year ago that he had just two or three years to live.
More than 12 months later, at 48, he still isn't ready to concede that the cancer that's wasting his innards is going to kill him. He swallows his pills and suffers the pain and each afternoon he greets his 12-year-old daughter, Jackie, as she steps off her school bus in North Andover, Mass.

The U.S. Department of the Navy says that more research is needed to connect ailments suffered by Marines such as Devereaux who served at Camp Lejeune and their families who lived there to decades of water contamination at the 156,000-acre base in eastern North Carolina. Meanwhile, however, the Department of Veterans Affairs has quietly begun awarding benefits to a few Marines who were based at Lejeune.

"Right now, I would venture to say that any Camp Lejeune veteran who files a claim now is presumed to have been exposed to the contaminated drinking water," Brad Flohr, the assistant director for policy, compensation and pension service at the VA, told a meeting of affected Marines and family members in April.

It's estimated that as many as 1 million people were exposed to the water from the 1950s to the 1980s. The water was laced with trichloroethylene, known as TCE; tetrachloroethylene, known as PCE; benzene and other volatile organic chemicals.

Peter Devereaux doesn't expect to be around for Jackie's college years, but he hopes to be able to pay for them. Along with hundreds of other veterans across the country, he's convinced that contaminated water caused his cancer.

"It's like it's criminal, you know?" said Devereaux, who has male breast cancer.

While the Department of the Navy, which oversees the base, is funding continuing research on the issue, in some cases the VA has acknowledged that as likely as not, some Marine veterans' ailments were caused by drinking and bathing in poisonous water.

Despite the exposure, though, there's no presumption that a veteran's disease was caused by the contamination. Each case is judged on its own merits, Flohr said.

Still, veterans' advocates have hope.

"It matters. That's an admission, right there," said Jerry Ensminger, a Marine veteran in North Carolina who lost his daughter to leukemia in 1985 after living at Camp Lejeune.

James Watters of Lubbock, Texas, was told in 2008 that he had a year to live. In June 2009, he learned that the VA had linked his cancer to the Lejeune contamination.

"This thing is huge in its ramifications," Watters said. "I think it just opens the floodgates."

More Marine veterans are learning about what happened years ago at Camp Lejeune.

Two years ago, a new law required the Defense Department to contact veterans through the Internal Revenue Service and tell them about their exposure.

Many veterans interviewed by McClatchy Newspapers said they had no idea that they'd been exposed until they opened the envelopes in the mail.

"You know what went off in my head? A light bulb," said Allen Menard, 47, of Green Bay, Wis. His doctor had told him years before that his form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, mycosis fungoides, was chemical-related.

He filed for VA disability in 2008, blaming his cancer on Lejeune's water, and was at first denied before finally he was granted a full service connection, a recognition that his illness is related to his service, this spring.

"I did my research. I had to fight," Menard said. "I had two professors at Boston University write letters for me."

One of those professors, epidemiologist Richard Clapp, said veterans deserve an answer about what effects the water might have had on their health.

"It's a horrific problem," said Clapp, who serves on a community panel that's studying the Lejeune contamination. "There are lots of people exposed, some to very high levels of these chemicals. Some for short periods of time, some for decades."

The public is only now beginning to realize the extent of the contamination.

Stories among the veterans indicate a handful have been given service connections. Each case means the VA has established that there's at least a 50 percent chance that the veteran's military service caused the ailment.

The awards are inconsistent, however. While a veteran in Wisconsin is offered payment, one in Florida with similar symptoms is denied. The VA doesn't keep track, and Flohr said this spring that he'd just learned about many of the successful appeals.

Legislation in the House of Representatives and Senate would establish presumptions between service connection and illnesses associated with the contamination, but those bills are still pending.

Although advocates are energized by recent VA benefits awards, a McClatchy review of some Veterans Affairs decisions shows that connections to the toxic water at Lejeune have been made in the past.

In 2002, for example, the agency granted a service connection to a veteran with cancer of the hard palate. The veteran, whose name is redacted, had served from 1982 to 1987 at Lejeune. His application was denied in 1995 and again in 1999.

After he sent in medical opinions about the contamination, an appeals board granted the service connection.

Another challenge for Veterans Affairs and federal scientists comes in deciding what diseases might have been caused by which chemical in the water.

For now, Flohr said the VA is trying to educate regional offices around the country. Last month, the agency sent a memo to its regional offices describing contamination of TCE and PCE.

The memo says there may be limited association between those chemicals and cancers of the kidney, breast, bladder, lung or esophagus.

The Veteran Affairs memo doesn't mention benzene, even though federal scientists said a year ago that benzene has emerged as a central suspect in the contamination. Benzene is a known carcinogen.

The distinction about which chemicals were present in the water is important, because they're associated with different diseases.

For years, Marine veteran Michael Schooler suspected that Agent Orange he was exposed to in Vietnam was responsible for his acute myoletic leukemia. Then McClatchy and other news outlets reported this year that benzene has had a far greater significance in the contamination than scientists had previously realized.

"I asked my doctor, 'Does benzene cause it?' " recalled Schooler, 61, of Jasper, Ind. "He lit up like a Christmas tree. He said, 'That's what causes it.' "

Schooler filed an appeal this spring. He expects to learn this month whether the VA will grant the service connection for benzene exposure.

In Massachusetts, Peter Devereaux also waits, drawing on the patience he learned while he was in the Marines.

"I'm terminal," he said. "Being a man, I only want to take care of my wife and daughter, like I always have."

FOR VETERANS WHO MIGHT BE AFFECTED

Veterans who think they might have been affected by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune can apply for service connection health benefits from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. You can apply by filling out VA Form 21-526, Veterans Application for Compensation and/or Pension.

The VA recommends that if you have any of the following material, please attach it to your application:

-Discharge or separation papers (DD214 or equivalent)
-Dependency records (marriage & children's birth certificates)
-Medical evidence (doctor & hospital reports)

Veterans who have applied for benefits related to water contamination at Camp Lejeune say they strongly recommend a medical nexus letter from a doctor.

For more information, contact your local VA office or your local veterans service organization, or go online to http://www.vba.va.gov/VBA/

The Marine Corps also has a website about the Lejeune contamination, https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/clwater/

A group of Marine veterans and affected family members has a website on the issue, The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten, www.tftptf.com

Read more: Sorry deleted per Military.com rules on links.

The Oregonian recently ran an article headed, “Paying them back,” about several business leaders rallying to help hire Oregon veterans. (Editorial page, June 7)

The Oregon Legislature rallied in 2007 to help hire veterans by enacting Senate Bill 822. That bill, clarified by House Bill 2510 (2009), provides that qualified and eligible veterans shall be given preference for jobs with Oregon state, city, county, local service districts and certain other special government bodies. The provisions of these bills are now reflected in Oregon Revised Statutes 408.225-235.

Where implemented, Oregon’s veterans’ preference statutes will undoubtedly help a few veterans get hired in the public sector. However, Oregon Department of Administrative Services, the group which manages the hiring for all state executive branch positions, has failed, in my opinion, to implement a crucial provision of the statutes.

That provision is quoted: “A public employer shall appoint an otherwise qualified veteran or disabled veteran to a vacant civil service position if the results of a veteran’s or disabled veteran’s application examination, when combined with the veteran’s or disabled veteran’s preference, are equal to or higher than the results of the application examination for an applicant who is not a veteran or disabled veteran.” (ORS 408.230-3)

Absent that provision an employer may hire anyone he or she wishes from a list of qualified and ranked candidates; a crony, a niece or nephew, the neighbor’s kid, whoever, veteran or non-veteran, irrespective of relative ranking. In effect, without the quoted provision there is no veterans’ preference.

-30-

Here is Ohio’s Veterans’ Preference. There is none. Ohio Revised Code 5903.11 provides Veterans’ Preference in Employment and Training, but, it has no teeth. Combat veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas have a higher rate of unemployment than their peers, yet, Ohio has nothing within it’s laws to provide any preference in public employment.

Veterans’ preference in appointment to civil service position has been upheld numerous times by the Supreme Court. The precedent setting case was Feeney V Massachusetts. That decision stated that Massachusetts absolute preference for appointing qualified veterans was legal, even when “qualified” veterans were appointed prior to those non-veterans’ who were (by testing) higher on the list than the veterans.

The Supreme Court said that as long as the statute providing preference to veterans was race and sex neutral there was no discrimination. This principle was even outlined in the Civil Rights Act of 1964 section “2011(e)-11 [Section 712] Nothing contained in this subchapter shall be construed to repeal or modify any Federal, State, territorial, or local law giving creating special rights or preference for veterans.”

The language talks about preference, maybe that’s why the language was changed in the Employment and Training Act from veterans’ preference to priority in services to veterans.

124.26 Eligibility lists - veteran's preference - provisional employees.

From the returns of the examinations, the director of administrative services shall prepare an eligible list of the persons whose general average standing upon examinations for the grade or class is not less than the minimum fixed by the rules of the director, and who are otherwise eligible. Those persons shall take rank upon the eligible list as candidates in the order of their relative excellence as determined by the examination without reference to priority of the time of examination. If two or more applicants receive the same mark in an open competitive examination, priority in the time of filing the application with the director shall determine the order in which their names shall be placed on the eligible list, except that applicants eligible for veteran’s preference under section 124.23 of the Revised Code shall receive priority in rank on the eligible list over nonveterans on the list with a rating equal to that of the veteran. Ties among veterans shall be decided by priority of filing the application. If two or more applicants receive the same mark on a promotional examination, seniority shall determine the order in which their names shall be placed on the eligible list. The term of eligibility of each list shall be fixed by the director at not less than one or more than two years.

When an eligible list is reduced to ten names or less, a new list may be prepared. The director may consolidate two or more eligible lists of the same kind by the rearranging of eligibles named in the lists, according to their grades.
Effective Date: 10-25-1995; 07-01-2007

ORC 124.23 Examinations

(C) Any person who has completed service in the uniformed services, who has been honorably discharged from the uniformed services or transferred to the reserve with evidence of satisfactory service, and who is a resident of this state and any member of the national guard or a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States who has completed more than one hundred eighty days of active duty service pursuant to an executive order of the president of the United States or an act of the congress of the United States may file with the director a certificate of service or honorable discharge, and, upon this filing, the person shall receive additional credit of twenty per cent of the person’s total grade given in the regular examination in which the person receives a passing grade.
As used in this division, “service in the uniformed services” and “uniformed services” have the same meanings as in the “Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994,” 108 Stat. 3149, 4303.

Ohio Administrative Code

123:1-9-01 Examination guidelines.

(H) Credit for military service. When proper proof of military service, as defined in section 124.23 of the Revised Code, is presented to the director and the applicant, being a resident of Ohio and otherwise eligible, has received a passing grade in any examination for original appointment, he or she shall be granted additional credit of twenty per cent of such grade, thereby receiving a final grade of twenty per cent higher in view of the above-mentioned service. The applicant must submit proof of honorable discharge or honorable separation from active military service prior to participation in the examination.

quote:

Here is Ohio’s Veterans’ Preference. There is none. Ohio Revised Code 5903.11 provides Veterans’ Preference in Employment and Training, but, it has no teeth. Combat veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas have a higher rate of unemployment than their peers, yet, Ohio has nothing within it’s laws to provide any preference in public employment.

Even in Ohio's Veteran Service Commissions, it has been historically true that many Directors will hire non veteran women, to do service work for veterans. They change the official title from County Veterans Service Officer to Benefit Counselor, or another generic title to avoid the law in ORC 5901, which states a County Veterans Service Officer shall be a veteran.

Agent Orange issues set for Sept. hearing
June 18, 2010 10:15 AM
TOM PHILPOTT

VA SECRETARY ERIC SHINSEKI WILL GET THE SENATE HEARING HE DIDN’T WANT.

Sen. James Webb, D-Va., says he will use a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing — rescheduled now for Sept. 23 — to have Shinseki explain his decision to compensate Vietnam veterans, and many surviving spouses, for three more ailments including heart disease.

Shinseki announced last October that ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-Cell leukemia will be added to the list of illnesses presumed caused by exposure to defoliants, including Agent Orange, used to clear jungle in combat areas during the war.

VA projects that the decision will cost $13.4 billion in 2010 alone as it will qualify a few hundred thousand more veterans for service-connected disability compensation.

Those veterans, it now appears, will have to wait at least a few more months before claims can be paid. And there is at least some doubt now they will be paid. That will depend on whether Webb and enough of his colleagues are dissatisfied with the science behind Shinseki’s decision.

In an interview in his Capitol Hill office Wednesday, Webb said he was surprised to find among line items in an emergency wartime supplemental bill (HR 4899) a few weeks ago $13.4 billion attributed to “veterans.” He asked staff to find out what it would fund.

“It came back this was the Agent Orange law,” Webb said. Webb, a highly-decorated Marine from combat service in Vietnam, said this deepened his skepticism over the soundness of that law and how it has been used.

“When the law was passed there were two areas that raised questions for me,” Webb explained. “One was the presumption of exposure for anyone who had been in Vietnam; 2.7 million people had an automatic presumption of exposure. And then the notion that the VA administrator, now the secretary of veterans’ affairs, has discretion based on scientific evidence to decide a service-connection” to various illnesses. “It’s very broad.”

Webb amended HR 4899 so claims can’t be paid on the three newly-named Agent Orange illnesses until 60 days after a final rule is published.

“This is an area where we have a responsibility to pump for more (information) to tell us specifically how they made the connection. The only appropriate way to do that is say, ‘Let’s fence the money for 60 days and get some clarification here.’”

Webb said he was unaware on finding the $13.4 billion in the bill that Shinseki had asked Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the VA committee, not to hold a hearing on this issue. Akaka had scheduled one for April, then rescheduled for early May when VA declined to send witnesses.

One theme he ran on in 2006, Webb said, was restoring a proper balance of power between the legislative and executive branches. Too much authority had been conceded to, or usurped by, recent administrations.

Webb said he even fired off a letter to President Obama last December challenging a claim he made as he prepared for a summit on climate change that he would return from Copenhagen with a binding agreement.

“I just felt compelled to say, ‘You do not have the constitutional authority to bind the United States to an international agreement. The Congress does.” Webb said.

Shinseki’s decision on Agent Orange strikes Webb as more proof too much power has been conceded to the executive branch.

It was the Carter administration, he said, that adopted a presumption “that everyone who was in Vietnam was exposed” to Agent Orange. At the time, he said, the decision wasn’t “onerous” on VA budgets because the department only had linked Agent Orange to some rare illnesses.

More recently, VA has found links to ailments generally associated with aging, committing VA to pay billions in additional compensation. Webb felt the scientific evidence linking Type II diabetes to Agent Orange in 2001 was soft. He is reluctant to say the same about the three illnesses Shinseki has endorsed until he hears his testimony.

But Webb does intend to question the science behind presuming everyone who served in Vietnam was exposed to defoliants. He knows his own Marine Company was, he said, as were many other units who were engaged in combat in the countryside or handled Agent Orange directly.

“On any given day in Vietnam they say about 10 percent of the people were actually out in direct combat. Percentages are actually higher than that because of rotations…But the majority of the people weren’t in combat” where defoliants were used. “That’s just the reality of it.”

The issue was handled with more precision, he suggested, in the late 1970s when Webb served as legal counsel on the House VA committee.

“The discussions were you could develop a chronological map overlay of where defoliants had been used, and then develop a nexus in someone’s service record on whether they had been in those areas. From that you could say whether these conditions would be presumptively acquired. Back then it was very small in numbers.”

“Everyone up here wants to help veterans — no one more than I do. But a lot of people have asked about this. They want to make sure we’re really (a) following the law and (b) taking care of people who are service connected. I don’t want to be the one person out here doing this. I know Chairman Akaka has joined me in his concerns. The main thing is let’s have Secretary Shinseki come forward and explain the causality.”

In our interview, Webb said VA wouldn’t publish a final regulation until after the Sept. 23 hearing. His staff later said the hearing might fall within the 60-day period, an indication VA officials plan to publish a final rule before the hearing. That would narrow Webb’s window to try to block compensation payments if he and colleagues decide such action is justified.

Dave: I don't know where you get the time to post all the valuable information you provide us. I for one, am thankful for your efforts and wish you well in this endeavor. Again, thanks much and keep up the good work......
Donald

From AMVETS HQ

1. Shinseki Praises Biloxi VA Construction Project. On Thursday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki continued his three-day tour of VA facilities in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, visiting the latter state, after having already made stops in the first two. Coverage of the Mississippi visit was very positive. For example, the WLOX-TV Biloxi, MS (6/24) website said Shinseki, a "member of President Obama's Cabinet," came to the "Mississippi Coast Thursday afternoon, and this time it had nothing to do with oil." The Secretary, "checking on a very large construction project at the Biloxi VA," one mainly funded by "federal stimulus dollars," used the word "impressive" to describe the project, which includes a "rehab center for the blind," a "98-thousand square foot mental health building and a 105-thousand square foot extended care community living center."
The Biloxi (MS) Sun-Herald (6/25, Coleman) reports that during his Biloxi VA tour, Shinseki "said he wants veterans to know there is a safe place for them to heal after war," in Biloxi and at other VA "facilities around the country." Shinseki, who "met many veterans and construction workers during" his Biloxi VA visit, "reminded the workers there would be a job waiting for them after the construction project is completed in three years. 'There are about 1,300 employed at the VA now working on this site and we will expand that number by 150 when these buildings are complete,' Shinseki told the veterans working at the site," before making "his way to Keesler Air Force Base medical center, where he discussed joint initiatives between the VA and the Department of Defense with officials."
Shinseki, Other Government Officials To Attend New Orleans Hospital Groundbreaking. The New Orleans Times-Picayune (6/25, 169K) notes that on Friday, Shinseki "will lead a parade of government officials," including US Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, "in a groundbreaking ceremony for the $800 million, 200-bed veterans hospital slated to open in Mid-City in 2013." VA officials, "who are encouraging local veterans to attend the event, said free shuttles will run from the Superdome to the groundbreaking site beginning at 8 a.m." Robert Goza with the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System spoke about the groundbreaking while being interviewed by WWL-TV New Orleans, LA (6/24, 6:24 a.m. CT).

2. New York Governor Signs Legislation Related To Vietnam Vets, Agent Orange Exposure. According to the Newburgh, New York-based Hudson Valley Press (6/23), New York Governor David Paterson "recently signed 18 bills into law," including one that "extends the period of time in which Vietnam veterans may seek" legal "compensation for injuries caused by...Agent Orange" exposure. The Press notes that Paterson said, "I am proud to sign this legislation which will allow many of our veterans who were exposed to and injured by Agent Orange, and would have been unable to sue for damages, to seek justice."
 
3. Groundbreaking To Be Held For Veterans Cemetery In Texas. The Corpus Christi (TX) Caller Times (6/24, Baird, 57K) reported, "The community is invited to join area veterans at 11 a.m. Wednesday for a groundbreaking at the future site of a planned Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery" in Corpus Christi. After noting that the Texas Veterans Land Board "will own and operate" the cemetery "under Veterans Affairs guidelines," the Times adds, "The about 18-month construction will be funded" by the Federal VA.

4. Schwarzenegger Praises Vets During Flag Day Dedication Ceremony. The Pacific Palisades, California-based Palisadian-Post (6/25, Pascoe) reports, "On Flag Day, a new Veterans Home was dedicated" on the Veterans Affairs "property in Brentwood with a dais full of government speakers," including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, and Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl. The Governor, whose "speech highlighted his appreciation" of veterans and veterans home projects in the state, "said that getting the homes built was a number-one priority for his administration."

5. South Dakota May Move State Vets Home. According to the Rapid City (SD) Journal (6/24, Rusch, Meyer), the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs "could move the state Veterans Home out of Hot Springs. Rapid City and Sturgis are among the communities under consideration, along with Hot Springs, the facility's home for more than 100 years, according to a June 9 letter from department secretary Maj. Gen. Steven Doohen." KOTA-TV Rapid City, SD (6/24, 10:03 p.m. MT), KNBN-TV Rapid City, SD (6/24, 10:01 p.m. MT), and KEVN-TV Rapid City, SD (6:24, 9:05 p.m. MT) also aired reports on this story.

6. Increase In State Funding Will Allow VA Field Office To Reopen In Kansas. The Marysville (KS) Advocate (6/24, Hasler) reported, "The Marysville field office of the Kansas Commission on Veterans' Affairs will re-open in the near future, the commission announced last week." Ed Wiegers, the commission's chairman, "met with county commissioners Monday to discuss plans for the office. An increase in state funding for the next fiscal year will allow the local office to re-open with one full-time employee, Wiegers said."

7. House Subcommittee Evaluates VA On Emergency Preparedness. Homeland Security Today (6/25, Leggiere) reports, "Against the backdrop of a potentially devastating hurricane season, the still uncontrolled BP oil spill and the heightened possibility of a domestic terrorist attack, the House subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations evaluated the US Department of Veterans Affairs' role in emergency preparedness in a hearing Wednesday." José Riojas, the "Assistant Secretary of Operations, Security and Preparedness" for the agency, "said that several planned training exercises for
 
VA workers have already taken place since the start of this year. In his statement, Riojas assessed" the Veterans Health Administration's emergency preparedness response since Hurricane Katrina "and affirmed the need for continuing 'comprehensive assessment of all VA medical centers,' and providing 'an internal VHA patient evacuation system that does not rely on outside resources.'"

8. Officials With Army, VHA Stress Importance Of Technology In Treating PTSD, TBIs. In continuing coverage, the Federal News Radio (6/24, Stevens) website reported, "The stigma of seeking treatment is a leading obstacle to dealing with mental health concerns, military officials say." After noting that the comments were made by several military leaders testifying "before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday about their progress in coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and reducing the suicide rate among service personnel," the website added, "Army vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli says the military is working to provide better access to care through technology." Veterans Health Administration (VHA) "acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary for health Dr. Robert Jesse agrees that technology would be 'vital'" and "says VHA is looking to develop smartphone applications to increase access to mental health services."

9. Veterans Upset By VA Plans To Redevelop St. Albans Land. The New York Post (6/24, Pereira, 505K) reported, "After years of postponed planning, the federal government has moved forward with its plans to redevelop the land" of the St. Albans Veterans Affairs Hospital, "but veterans in the area are furious they were left out of the discussions and over the choice for the developer." The US VA recently "said...it would enter into negotiations with St. Albans Village LLC, one of three developers that submitted a request for proposals for the 2006 plan to redevelop the 55-acre site." After noting that Marvin Jeffcoat, commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Queens County Council, "said the veterans were considering filing an injunction against...VA for going ahead with the plan," the Post said the Rev. Edwin Reed, who "was identified by...VA as a top administrator of St. Albans Village LLC," has been "accused of neglect by tenants in several Jamaica apartment buildings" that were managed by a company Reed once ran.

10. VA Seeking Bidders For Hospital In Maryland. The Baltimore (MD) Business Journal (6/25, Servnoitz) reports, "The historic site in Baltimore County where the British came ashore during the War of 1812 could become home to hundreds of war veterans," because the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System is "looking for developers to build a retirement community at Fort Howard, its 95-acre former medical center on the North Point peninsula in eastern Baltimore County." The Journal adds, "A half-dozen developers have already expressed interest in bidding on the property, which they would lease for up to 75 years from the federal government at a negotiated rate, said Troy
 
Hagger, with the federal VA's Office of Asset Management. The agency will hold a forum for interested bidders June 29, and developers have until August 16 to submit their proposals."

AMVETS HQ

11. VA To Open New Clinic In Virginia By January. The Staunton (VA) News Leader (6/25, Longley, 17K) says the US Department of Veterans Affairs "plans to open a new...clinic in Staunton by January, about eight months later than originally projected." The agency "will not own the facility that will be built by Lynchburg-based Milton & Neal at 1002 Natasha Way. Instead, it will lease the building for five years at $144,471 with an option to renew for another five years, said Bruce Sprecher, VA communications officer."

12. Investigation Finds Contracting Difficulties Led To Problems At Arlington. In continuing coverage, the Washington Post (6/25, Davenport, Davis, 684K) reports, "Arlington National Cemetery officials with limited expertise in federal contracting regulations and scant outside supervision improperly paid millions of dollars to companies that failed to create a digital database" of the facility's records, something the Department of Veterans Affairs has been doing since 1994 at its national cemeteries. According to the Post, Arlington "uses a flawed and antiquated paper system for tracking the whereabouts of thousands of buried service members and their relatives. Although the cemetery has spent $5.5 million over seven years to upgrade its records, problems abound, according to an Army inspector general investigation and other Army documents."

13. Brain Injury Center Opens After Top Mental Health Official Resigns. In continuing coverage, Stars And Stripes (6/25, McCloskey) says the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a "premier brain injury and traumatic stress treatment" center that was "built entirely by private" initiative, "opened Thursday amid news" that Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, the "head of the military's oft-criticized mental health efforts," had "abruptly stepped down." Sutton, who "resigned earlier this week as the director of the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury," had "often taken heat over charges that the military wasn't doing enough to diagnosis and treat traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. That criticism led to the...National Intrepid Center of Excellence." The "Two-Way" blog for NPR (6/25, Miller, Zwerdling) also covers this story.
The AP (6/25) notes that the "Defense Department opened a $65 million medical center...to serve as a research and treatment hub for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, the unseen 'signature wounds' of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The National Intrepid Center of Excellence at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda aims to destigmatize psychological and neurological problems among war veterans and instead cast their mental ailments as badges of honor, said New York real-estate magnate Arnold Fisher," whose "Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund raised the money to build and equip" the new center.


According to the Washington Post (6/25, Sieff, 684K), the center's "opening comes on the heels of a flurry of congressional criticism and reports claiming that soldiers with traumatic brain injuries often do not have their conditions diagnosed and are forced to wade through the vast bureaucracy of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Help and Traumatic Brain Injury, which is charged with their treatment."
MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show " (6/24, 9:50 p.m. ET) broadcast that Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen "had both been scheduled to attend" Thursday's opening ceremony for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, but both men cancelled their appearances so they could "give a rare, two honcho, in-person press briefing" at the Pentagon on the "firing of the top commander in Afghanistan." The WTOP-FM Washington, DC (6/24, Ryan) website also noted that there was a "dedication and ribbon-cutting" Thursday for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence.

14. Dust Blamed For Sharp Rise In Sleep Apnea Among Veterans. On its website, KREX-TV Grand Junction, CO (6/24, Kennedy) reported, "According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the number of veterans who are having trouble breathing and sleeping is on the rise." After noting that health experts "said over the past two years, the number of sleep apnea patients receiving disability benefits from the VA has risen 61%," KREX added, "A sleep expert at the VA said the vets' exposure to dust and smoke in places like Afghanistan and Iraq is to blame for the rise."

15. Farm Owners Asked To Repay $35,000 To VA. The Escondido, California-based North County Times (6/25, Warth) notes that the owners of Archi's Acres, a "Valley Center greenhouse farm that has worked with veterans for the past three" years, "say they are facing a $35,000 bill from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is asking to be reimbursed for a program the department says is about labor rather than training, as described by its operators." The farm is owned by Karen Archipley and her husband, Iraq veteran Colin Archipley, "who is asking for the debt to be reduced or forgiven."

16. VA Planning To Install Wireless Networks At Its Care Facilities. NextGov (6/25, Brewin) reports, "The Veterans Affairs Department plans to install wireless networks at health care facilities nationwide so patients and their families would have Internet access, top officials said on Thursday," during a "hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Committee." According to NextGov, VA "plans to ask the technology industry to propose business models for the outsourced network, including supporting the network through advertising or asking patients to pay for access. The latter alternative most likely will be hard to sell to veterans...acknowledged" Roger Baker, VA's chief information officer, during an interview with NextGov on Thursday.
Official Stresses Importance Of Wireless Technologies. Government Health IT (6/25, Mosquera) says VA is "exploring a number of applications of wireless technologies to improve the health outcomes of veterans, especially
 
those in rural areas that may be hundreds of miles from the closest VA clinic or hospital. Wireless technologies can link veterans with their providers through personal cell phones and enable them to manage their health, said Gail Graham, deputy chief officer in health information management in the Veterans Health Administration," who spoke Thursday "at a hearing of the House Veterans Affairs Committee health subcommittee."

17. VA To Celebrate Community Living Center. The "FOB Tacoma" blog for the Tacoma (WA) News Tribune (6/25, Misterek) notes that on Friday, nearly a "decade after the 2001 Nisqually earthquake damaged the old building," the US Department of Veterans Affairs "will celebrate a new 83-bed residential center at the American Lake VA in Lakewood." The facility "includes a hospice unit, a rehabilitation unit and an Alzheimer's disease/dementia unit. The new 79,000-square-foot lakeside Community Living Center also has a full-service kitchen/dining facility to serve the entire VA campus, plus a private dining area for Alzheimer's/dementia patients, according to officials with the VA Puget Sound Health Care System." The Tacoma (WA) News Tribune (6/25, Misterek) also publishes this as a regular story in its paper.

18. Local Official Happy About VA Clinic Opening In His County. In continuing coverage, the WECT-TV Wilmington, NC (6/24) website said, "Brunswick County Commissioner Charles Warren was smiling Wednesday," because a "long-awaited Veterans Administration clinic will open soon in the county, operating three days a week." According to the website, US Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) "assured Warren that the part-time clinic is just a stepping stone to something more. When the facility fills up, they'll have an opportunity to expand the hours and the services offered."

19. VA Hospital Offering Procedure That May Lessen Esophageal Cancer Risk In Patients. The San Bernardino County (CA) Sun (6/24, Steinberg) reported, "Loma Linda University Medical Center is offering a new non-invasive treatment that may help lessen the risk for developing esophageal cancer for patients. The hospital is the first acute care hospital in the Inland Empire to offer a system that uses high-energy radio beams to scrape away surface skin that is precancerous, said Dr. Terence Lewis, the hospital's chief of gastroenterology and medical director of the GI Lab." Jerry L. Pettis Memorial Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Loma Linda "also offers the procedure, made possible by Halo Ablative System developed by Barrx Medical Inc., a privately-held company based in Sunnyvale."

20. Motorcyclists To Ride To Lebanon VAMC. The Lebanon (PA) Daily News (6/24, 19K) noted that on Sunday, motorcyclists will ride to the Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical Center "to raise money for veterans in the 20th annual Operation: God Bless America." Money raised by the operation, which "started in the mid 1990s," is "used to provide personal-care items and recreational activities" to veterans at VA hospitals "across the country.

AMVETS HQ

Today in History:
• 524 – Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians.
• 841 – Battle of Fontenay.
• 1530 – At the Diet of Augsburg the Augsburg Confession is presented to the Holy Roman Emperor by the Lutheran princes and Electors of Germany.
• 1678 – Elena Cornaro Piscopia is the first woman awarded a doctorate of philosophy.
• 1788 – Virginia becomes the 10th state to ratify the United States Constitution.
• 1876 – Battle of the Little Bighorn and the death of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer.
• 1906 – Pittsburgh millionaire Harry Thaw shoots and kills prominent architect Stanford White.
• 1913 – American Civil War veterans begin arriving at the Great Reunion of 1913.
 
• 1935 – Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and Colombia are established.
• 1938 – Dr. Douglas Hyde is inaugurated the first President of Ireland.
• 1944 – World War II: The Battle of Tali-Ihantala, the largest battle ever fought in the Nordic Countries, begins.
• 1947 – The Diary of Anne Frank is published.
• 1948 – The Berlin airlift begins.
• 1949 – Long-Haired Hare, starring Bugs Bunny, is released in theaters.
• 1950 – The Korean War begins with the invasion of South Korea by North Korea.
• 1967 – First live global satellite television programme – Our World
• 1975 – Emergency declared in India – The Emergency (India).
• 1975 – Mozambique achieves independence.
• 1976 – Missouri Governor Christopher S. Bond issues an executive order rescinding the Extermination Order, formally apologizing on behalf of the state of Missouri for the suffering it had caused the Latter Day Saints.
• 1981 – Microsoft is restructured to become an incorporated business in its home state of Washington.
• 1982 – Greece abolishes the head shaving of recruits in the military.
• 1991 – Croatia and Slovenia declare their independence from Yugoslavia.
• 1993 – Kim Campbell is chosen as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and becomes the first female Prime Minister of Canada.
• 1996 – The Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia kills 19 U.S. servicemen.
• 1997 – An unmanned Progress spacecraft collides with the Russian space station, Mir.
• 1997 – The Soufrière Hills volcano in Montserrat erupts resulting in the deaths of 19 people.
• 1998 – In Clinton v. City of New York, the United States Supreme Court decides that the Line Item Veto Act of 1996 is unconstitutional.
• 2006 – Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier, is kidnapped by Palestinian terrorists in a cross-border raid from the Gaza Strip.

I can personally identify with the Khobar Towers bombing event. Was a long night.....

Here is an article from Veterans for Change:

AKAKA LOOKS TO IMPROVE VETERANS DISABILITY CLAIMS PROCESSING

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) has introduced legislation to make much-needed improvements to VAs disability claims processing. VA provides disability compensation to approximately 3.1 million veterans across the nation.

VAs system to provide veterans with disability compensation is well intended, but it is broken. This bill will move the Department closer to fulfilling its obligation to provide every eligible veteran with timely and accurate disability compensation, Akaka said.

As chairman, Akaka has hosted a series of hearings on improving the veterans disability compensation system. The committee will hold a hearing to review disability claims processing July 1, at which time witnesses will testify about Akakas legislation.

The Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2010 (S.3517) would make various changes to the way VA processes disability compensation claims, including provisions to:

 Set up a process to fast-track claims that have been fully developed;
 Help veterans with multiple disability claims by allowing VA to provide partial disability ratings; and
 Provide that the Department give equal deference to the medical opinions of a veterans non-VA doctor.

The bill would also establish a test program at several Regional Offices replacing VAs method for identifying musculoskeletal disabilities.

Compensation under the pilot would be based on a functional assessment of limitations due to the disability, such as standing, walking or lifting, and would take into account the severity, frequency and duration of symptoms of the disability. To identify disabilities, the pilot would use the common language of the International Classification of Diseases, rather than VA’s current Rating Schedule.

Earlier this month Senator Akaka joined with Seantor James Webb to delay IHD, Parkinson’s and Leukemia claims related to Agent Orange.

================================================

Here is an article from Veterans for Change:

Turncoat Senator Jim Webb's Attempt to Take Down Shinseki over
Agent Orange Advocacy

By: Chuck Palazzo of Salem-News. com

Sen. James Webb, D-Va. has made it perfectly clear that he is NOT a friend of the Veteran nor an advocate for us.


(DA NANG, Vietnam) - Vietnam Veterans aren't surprised by people turning on them and being generally against them; it began when the war was still raging and it has been an uphill battle for many who survived. It hurts the most however when those dolling out the punishment are fellow Vietnam Vets.

But there are those who have stood fast; who dug in and fought for Veterans rights the way they or their loved ones fought in the blazing and sweaty jungles of SE Asia.

One person who appears to be on the side of Vietnam Veterans contaminated with the deadly Monsanto chemical Agent Orange, is Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. Perhaps he is one who knows that no amount of compensation could ever be enough. His victories in championing funds to assist Veterans and their families affected by Agent Orange, is now leading to a Senate hearing he didn't want.

An example of his VA leadership is the decision to begin automating part of the cumbersome system that has resulted in so many thousands of veterans waiting for years, sometimes until the end of their lives, for compensation from their war injuries.

Shinseki said, Veterans whose health was harmed during their military service are entitled to the best this nation has to offer. He added, We are undertaking an unprecedented modernization of our claims process to ensure timely and accurate delivery of that commitment. [1]

It goes back to Sen. James Webb, D-Va., who has made it perfectly clear that he is NOT a friend of the Veteran, nor an advocate for us[2].

He is forcing The DVA, namely, The Secretary himself, to explain why three more illnesses are being recommended for the list.

Webb says he'll use a Senate Veterans Af¬fairs Committee hearing set for 23 Sept., to have Shinseki explain his decision to compensate Vietnam veterans, and many surviving spouses, for three more ailments including heart disease.

As the Montgomery Advertiser reported, "Shinseki announced last Octo¬ber that ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease and B-Cell leukemia will be added to the list of illnesses presumed caused by exposure to defoliants, including Agent Orange, used to clear jungle in combat areas during the war." [3]


Why Mr. Webb? You of all people know the struggle, the fact that this reckless chemical defoliant approach to fighting a war was wrong on the first place, you know how many died of cancer, from Agent Orange, and how many children have suffered. What of the children of Vietnam? Why after so many are gone, when there is hope, do you want to take the red marker to our lives?

There are those today with a brazen sense of greed, who seek to minimize the plight of the Vietnam Veteran and Agent Orange[4].

There is no credible way to do this, the loss is too severe and the governmental mistakes are too personal. The notion that Veterans were never compensated and yet Monsanto was allowed to go no, is insulting to all Americans. They are no friend of America, and their desire to force all American farmers and ultimately consumers, to adopt genetically modified (GM Food) products, could well lead to even more horrible problems. We as a nation never learn, and politicians are very lacking in real human integrity[5].

Right here in the comment section of Salem-News.com, Monsanto's trolls of advocacy have been busy at work. One person using the name "Barney" wrote, "For you others, MONSANTO does not just make Agent Orange, they have improved the quality of life for the entire planet with their agricultural research and products. If you want to blame someone about AO, then go dig up LBJ and give him your concerns."

But then a former U.S. Marine who uses the name G 2/3 who is a longtime friend of Salem-News.com's Tim and Bonnie King, who served in Vietnam in the war's most heated period, wrote:

"Barney, your statements are completely contradicting scientific evidence. I went back several times and along the DMZ all the way to the Laotian border there are still "clearcut" looking areas, vast areas in the frontier from defoliants from the war as well as multiple deaths yearly from unexploded ordinance, at the time I was doing this they'd stack the retrieved dud artillery rounds on the sides of the roads or trails to sell to the Japanese scrap metal industry. The birth defects recorded in villages near Khe Sahn were identical to the results on test animals during corporate research into dioxins. I don't want to argue, go back yourself and head on down Hiway #9 in Quang Tri province, or Tay Nihn province near Saigon where the Army's 25th Div. was located in Cu Chi. Or Tu Du hospital in Saigon where the people ruined by this agent are cared for. If it doesn't break you heart you haven't got one. Semper God Damn Fi!" [6]

Jim Webb is a decorated U.S. Marine combat Veteran, that should mean something, but examine the plight of Camp Lejeune Marines fighting the political system for their lives over contaminated water on that Marine base. Who is fighting the Marine Veterans and their families seeking compensation? A bunch of decorated higher echelon Marines, that is who. Don't forget the Department of Defense and the Department of the Navy, but above and beyond that, the Marines have issued the statements, many false, for years in fact, and the AP proved that

I URGE you, please - contact your local US Senate and Congressional offices. Make it clear to them that you SUPPORT The Secretary's recommendation. You DO NOT support the delay tactic that Sen. Webb is conducting.

Senator Jim Webb's Website:

http://webb.senate.gov/

Phone number to his office in Washington D.C. (202) 224-4024

Semper peace

[1] Mar-09-2010: New VA Program Should Speed and Simplify Process for Agent Orange Veterans - Salem-News.com Staff Report

[2] Jun-06-2010: Jim Webb, D-Va: Not a Friend of Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange - Chuck Palazzo Salem-News.com

[3] June-20-2010: Sept. hearing set on Agent Orange - Column by Tom Phillpot · Special to the Advertiser

[4] Apr-12-2010: Documentary Recounts Struggle of Agent Orange Veterans - Chuck Palazzo Salem-News.com

[5] Apr-26-2010: GM Food... Feeding the Hungry or Population Control? - April Scott Salem-News.com

[5] Jun-07-2010: Victims of Victims - Chuck Palazzo Salem-News. com

Note to moderators the Senator Webb link is an approved link.

================================================

Here is a compilation article from Veterans for Change:
TRICARE Issues

House passes Short Term "Doc Fix"

After beginning the week opposed to any proposal but their own, the House changed its mind to "accept' rather than "reject" and on Thursday evening it approved the Senate plan that provides a six-month extension in increased Medicare payment rates to doctors.

The Senate completed legislation (HR 3962) avoids the scheduled 21.2 percent cut in Medicare and TRICARE reimbursement payments to doctors through November 30, and increases payments by 2.2 percent retroactive to June 1, the date the rate cut technically went into effect. H.R. 3962, the Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Act, is being prepared for the President's signature and should be signed into law within a matter of days.

I’d like to thank all on our mailing list who used the USDR CapWiz Alert System to contact representatives on the critical importance of fixing the Medicare/TRICARE physician's reimbursement rate. Your effort combined with that of thousands of others was key to favorable action on blocking the scheduled 21.2 percent cut in the Medicare doctor's payments. You have helped avert the crush of your TRICARE benefits.

-also-

Preauthorization for Skilled Nursing Care Required Beyond 100-Day Mark

Due to a recent change, skilled nursing facilities must preauthorize care provided to Medicare-eligible TRICARE beneficiaries once Medicare benefits are exhausted and TRICARE becomes the primary health coverage.

Preauthorization is required for skilled nursing facility care only when medically necessary skilled nursing services extend beyond Medicare's 100-day limit and TRICARE becomes the primary payer for a beneficiary.

Since medical documentation must be submitted, the preauthorization is requested by the skilled nursing facility and should not be a burden to beneficiaries or their families.

Medicare and TRICARE cover medically necessary skilled nursing care and rehabilitative therapies, including room and board, prescription medication and laboratory work, which are provided in the skilled nursing facility. However, Medicare covers only the first 100 days of skilled nursing facility care, while TRICARE For Life covers treatment as long as it is medically necessary and is a TRICARE covered service.

For skilled nursing care benefits to be covered, the facility must be Medicare-certified and enter into a participation agreement with TRICARE. Beneficiaries must have a qualifying hospital stay of at least three consecutive days, not including the day of discharge. Beneficiaries must also enter the skilled nursing facility within 30 days of being discharged from the hospital and the care must meet TRICARE medical necessity guidelines.

Does TRICARE Cover That?

As your family circumstances change, so does your TRICARE coverage. This could range from a new member in the family or transitioning to TRICARE for Life at age 65. Knowing TRICARE's enrollment policy and coverage for you and your family is vital to ensuring you get the most of your TRICARE benefit. Perform a "checkup" on your TRICARE coverage during major life events by visiting TRICARE's Life Events webpage. Note to moderators, this is an approved link: http://naus.informz.net/z/cjUu...zNDY0MTIz/index.html


Agent Orange

VA Adds Ships to Agent Orange Exposure List
This week the VA has added the below named ships to the already existing list for Navy and Coast Guard ships and vessels that are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. If you served on any of these mentioned ships and you have had a claim denied, you should reapply citing the VA list as the source for your reapplication. NAUS is told the VA is already working on a third list that will have more ships listed. If you have a claim and evidence the ship you served on was in Vietnamese waters and/or actually tied up to a dock there, make sure you include that with your claim.

Vessels that operated primarily or exclusively on the inland waterways

All U.S. Coast Guard Cutters with hull designation WPB [patrol boat] and
WHEC [high endurance cutters]

USS Mark (AKL-12) [light cargo ship]; USS Brule (AKL-28)

USS Patapsco (AOG-1) [gasoline tanker]; USS Elkhorn (AOG-7)
USS Genesee (AOG-8); USS Kishwaukee (AOG-9)
USS Tombigbee (AOG-11); USS Noxubee (AOG-56)

USS Okanogan (APA-210) [attack transport]; USS Montrose (APA-212)
USS Bexar (APA-237)

USS Benewah (APB-35) [self-propelled barracks ship]; USS Colleton (APB-36)
USS Mercer (APB-39); USS Nueces (APB-40)

Barracks Barge (APL-26) [sleeping quarters] ); Barracks Barge (APL-30)

USS Tutuila (ARG-4) [repair ship]; USS Satyr (ARL-23) [repair ship]
USS Sphinx (ARL-24); USS Askari (ARL-30); USS Indra (ARL-37)
USS Krishna (ARL-38)

USS Belle Grove (LSD-2) [landing ship dock]; USS Comstock (LSD-19)
USS Tortuga (LSD-26)

USS Asheville (PG-84) [patrol gunboat]; USS Gallop (PG-85)
USS Antelope (PG-86); USS Ready (PG-87); USS Crockett (PG-88)
USS Marathon (PG-89); USS Canon (PG-90)

Floating Base Platform (YRBM-17) [repair, berthing, and messing barge]
Floating Base Platform (YRBM-18); Floating Base Platform (YRBM-20)

Winnemucca (YTB-785) [harbor tug]


Vessels that operated temporarily on Vietnam's inland waterways or
docked to the shore:

USS Card (ACV-11) [escort carrier] mined, sunk, and salvaged in Saigon
River Harbor during May 1964
USS Maury (AGS-16) [mapping survey ship] conducted surveys of Mekong
Delta and other coastal areas and rivers beginning November 1965 through
1969
USS Henrico (APA-45) [amphibious attack transport] operated on Hue River
during March 1965 and conducted numerous troop landings through March
1967
USS Montrose (APA-212) operated on Song Hue River during December 1965,
operated on Long Tau River during March 1967, and operated on Cua Viet
River and at Dong Ha during May 1967
USS Talladega (APA-208) operated on Saigon River during October 1967
USS Bolster (ARS-38) [salvage ship] crew operated on land.
USS Canberra (CAG-2) [guided missile cruiser] operated on Saigon River
from March 31 through April 1, 1966, on Cua Viet River during December
15, 1966, and on Mekong Delta Ham Luong River during January 15, 1967
USS Sproston (DD-577) [destroyer] operated on Mekong Delta and Ganh Rai
Bay during January 1966
USS Picking (DD-685) operated on Saigon River during November 16, 1965
USS Epperson (DD-719) docked to Da Nang Pier on October 4, 1970
USS Southerland (DD-743) operated on Song Nga Bay and Saigon River
during July 1966
USS John W. Thomason (DD-760) operated on Nga Be River during 1969
USS Buck (DD-761) operated on Mekong River Delta and Saigon River during
October 1966
USS Preston (DD-795) operated on Mekong River Delta, Ganh Rai Bay, and
Saigon River during September 28 - 29 and December 27 - 29, 1965
USS Warrington (DD-843) operated on Mekong River Delta Rung Sat Special
Zone, North of Vung Gahn Rai Bay during March 1967
USS Dyess (DD-880) operated on Saigon River and Rung Sat Special Zone
from June 19-July 1, 1966
USS Perkins (DD-877) operated on Saigon River during June 1969
USS Orleck (DD-886) operated on Mekong River Delta during July 1969
USS Joseph Strauss (DDG-16) [guided missile destroyer] operated on
Mekong River Delta and Ganh Rai Bay during November 7 and December 7,
1968
USS Waddell (DDG-24) operated on Cua Viet River during March 1967
USS Newell (DER-322) [radar destroyer escort] docked at port of Nha
Trang during December 22-24, 1965
USS Duluth (LPD-6) [amphibious transport dock] docked to pier at Da Nang
during March and October 1971
USS Cleveland (LPD-7) operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha, as well
as Hue River, from November 1967 through 1968 and Saigon River during
September 1969
USS Dubuque (LPD-8) docked at Da Nang on March 15, 1970
USS Boxer (LPH-4) [amphibious assault ship] docked to pier at Cam Rahn Bay on September 9, 1965
USS Carter Hall (LSD-3) [landing ship dock] operated on Cua Viet River and at Dong Ha during December 1967

Secretary Shinseki Breaks Ground for Replacement Medical Center in New Orleans Project to Bring 2,000 Construction Jobs

NEW ORLEANS (June 25, 2010) - Fulfilling President Obama's commitment to rebuild New Orleans, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki joined state and local officials for a ground-breaking ceremony for a new 1.5 million-square-foot medical center for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

"This is a historic day for all of Louisiana," Secretary Shinseki said.
"With this ground breaking, we begin rebuilding a new legacy, a new chapter in the history of this proud city."

VA's new full-service medical center campus in New Orleans is at a site bounded by Canal Street, S. Galvez Street, Tulane Avenue and S.
Rocheblave Street.

"This facility will become a cornerstone in New Orleans' medical research community, which will ensure the best care is available for our Louisiana Veterans," Shinseki added. "VA is proud to bring this state-of-the-art facility to New Orleans."

When opened in 2013, the facility will have 120 inpatient beds in addition to 60 transitional care beds that provide rehabilitation, hospice and palliative care and mental illness research. The hospital will accommodate a half-million outpatient visits annually.

The new medical center will also be ideally suited to serve Veterans and the citizens of southern Louisiana in the case of an emergency. Once construction is complete, the new medical center will be able to operate independently for seven days without resupply. All mission-critical services will be 20 feet above ground level, and the facility will have a heliport and boat dock for evacuations.

As part of VA's preservation efforts, the Pan-American Life Insurance Company Building will be rehabilitated and integrated into the design of the new medical center. VA will also conduct a structural appraisal of the Dixie Brewery. VA is working with the city and state to ensure all other historically significant buildings are either preserved and moved from the site or that architecturally significant pieces will be salvaged before any necessary demolition.

VA Celebrates 66th Anniversary of GI Bill More Than $3.6 Billion in Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits Issued

WASHINGTON (June 23, 2009) - On the 66th anniversary of signing the GI Bill into law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it has issued more than $3.6 billion in the bill's newest manifestation, the
Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Benefit payments under the bill, implemented last year, have gone to more than 285,000 people and their educational institutions.

On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights.

The Veterans Administration - as it was known at that time -- was responsible for carrying out the law's key provisions for education and training, loan guaranty for homes, farms or businesses, and unemployment pay.

Before the World War II, college and homeownership were, for the most part, unreachable dreams for the average American. Thanks to the GI Bill, millions who would have flooded the job market opted for education instead.

In the peak year of 1947, Veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions. By the time the original GI Bill ended, July 25, 1956, 7.8 million of the 16 million World War II Veterans had participated in an education or training program.

In 1984, former Mississippi congressman G. V. "Sonny" Montgomery revamped the GI Bill. The Montgomery GI Bill assured that VA home loan guaranty and education programs continued to work for Veterans of the post-Vietnam era.

In 2009, GI Bill benefits were updated again. The new law gave Veterans with active duty service on, or after, Sept. 11 2001, enhanced educational benefits to cover more expenses, provide a living allowance, money for books and the ability to transfer unused educational benefits to spouses or children.

For more information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill for Veterans, visit http://www.gibill.va.gov/.