[eggplant43]

Today, Senator Tom Coburn is expected to introduce an amendment to the Military Construction bill, which will undo decades of policy on how we take care of those exposed to Agent Orange, and could have extensive impact on how we treat other service-connected ailments down the road.

http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4791

[ekim68]

This is really no surprise with the bad economy and all the jobs going elsewhere...

Number of homeless veterans explodes

More than 10,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are homeless or in programs aimed at keeping them off the streets, a number that has doubled three times since 2006, according to figures released by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

[ekim68]

Iraq, Afghanistan war veterans win PTSD settlement

A class action settlement between the federal government and a group of disabled veterans will award lifetime health-care benefits to more than 1,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who were discharged from the service because of post-traumatic stress disorder.

In a motion filed last week with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, the National Veterans Legal Service Program and the government jointly asked the court to approve lifetime disability retirement benefits to 1,029 veterans with PTSD who were denied those benefits upon discharge from the military after their wartime service.

[eggplant43]

I am enrolled in this system.

Less than a month after Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki traveled some of the rugged backroads of Montana, and referred to the state’s “frontier” nature, word comes of improved transportation options for the state’s veterans.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/loca...75e992fc1.html

[eggplant43]

Housing program gets veterans, families off the streets
Homelessness is declining in Oklahoma City, but the homeless veteran population is shrinking even faster. A new program designed to get veterans off the streets is working, officials say, especially for families.

http://newsok.com/housing-program-ge...rticle/3592729

[poochee]

Originally Posted by eggplant43

http://newsok.com/housing-program-ge...rticle/3592729

[eggplant43]

A tribute to one our fallen:

http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=4192

[poochee]

Originally Posted by eggplant43

A tribute to one our fallen:

http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=4192

[eggplant43]

Iowa Republican and longtime government watchdog Sen. Charles Grassley on Thursday demanded a review of $80 million spent on travel last year by the Department of Veterans Affairs after a senior official billed the government nearly $131,000 for his weekly commute to Washington, D.C.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/corbin..._b_924600.html

[eggplant43]

Motivating disabled Veterans to participate in adaptive sports supports their rehabilitation and recovery and contributes to their health and wellness. As the number of Veterans who become injured continues to grow, there is a need to reach out to them and provide the tools and resources they need to get started and stay fit. So, we launched the VA Paralympic Program website. We designed the site primarily for three groups – disabled Veterans and their families, VA clinical staff, and community-based sport programs.

http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=4265

[poochee]

Originally Posted by eggplant43

http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?p=4265

[eggplant43]

In 2011, it might feel a little late for federal agencies to be issuing social media policies. How governments use social media has shifted from a niche concern, debated by new media and policy wonks, to an issue that makes international headlines when global leaders alternately decry or celebrate the impact of connection technologies upon their countries.

http://gov20.govfresh.com/department...-media-policy/

[eggplant43]

The Daily Plan enhances and promotes communication with our patients. Involving patients and families in the health care experience can serve as a safeguard, preventing unintended mistakes

http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20110811a.asp

[poochee]

Originally Posted by eggplant43

http://www.va.gov/health/NewsFeatures/20110811a.asp

[poochee]

Report: Private firms still selling unsuitable insurance to troops
By Charley Keyes, CNN Senior National Security Producer
August 23, 2011 7:58 p.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Pentagon says junior enlisted members not protected
Officers don't enforce existing rules, report says
Troops solicited to buy policies they don't need, can't afford

Washington (CNN) -- Five years after a law to protect U.S. military personnel from salespeople selling life insurance, a new Pentagon report finds problems continue.

The Inspector General found that insurance agents used prohibited sales practices both on and off U.S. military bases to persuade personnel to buy insurance they may not need or be able to afford. And the report also found that military personnel failed to enforce existing policies that limits solicitation of military personnel. In addition, the report said, companies used misleading marketing techniques and misused the Defense Department

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/23/pen...nce/index.html