Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 09-01-08

1.      Paper Says Congress Should Support Peake’s TBI "Leadership."   The San Antonio Express-News (8/31) editorializes, "The suicide rate for American veterans is alarmingly high. … That’s why the VA is making post-traumatic stress and brain injury a priority under [Sec.] Peake’s leadership. And Congress should provide adequate funding to support the VA initiative. Peake said the 2009 VA budget request is $93.7 billion and Congress is likely to add another $3 billion, the newspaper reported. The funding is needed."

2.      Whooping Cough Infects Eleven Employees At VA Clinic.   In a widely published story, the AP (8/31) reports on the ongoing whooping couch infection at a Pittsburgh VA health facility, first reported yesterday. According to the AP, tests have confirmed "11 cases" of the infection, but "the chief of the VA’s infectious disease division, Dr. Robert Muder, says no patients have been found to be ill with the disease. He says the hospital’s employees, doctors, interns and medical students are taking a five-day course of antibiotics."
      Health Official Says VA Responding Properly To Infection.   In continuing coverage of the outbreak, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (8/31, Daly, 229K) reports, "Allegheny County Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole said the VA is doing what it should to treat the employees and protect the others. ‘Fortunately, it’s a mild illness in adults,’ Mr. Cole said. ‘Our greatest fear is an adult would pass it to an infant who has not yet received the pertussis vaccine,’" since the infection "is very serious and can be life-threatening" for infants.

3.      Firm’s Program Trains Veterans In Commodity Trading.   The Chicago Tribune (8/31, Boak, 577K) reports on a program at WexTrade Financial "to build commodity traders out of ex-soldiers, underwriting their training with federal funds. … Among the civilian jobs listed by the Veterans Affairs Department are nurse, truck driver, beautician and cemetery caretaker, humble salaries compared with the millions of dollars a successful trader can command."

4.      Sole Survivors Law Protects Surviving Siblings’ Benefits.   The Los Angeles Daily Breeze (8/31) reports, "President Bush has signed into law a bill that will ensure veterans benefits are awarded to ‘sole survivors’ in military families." The Hubbard Act ensures that "sole surviving siblings" who are discharged early "receive the same benefits as others who honorably leave the military, including health care, educational support and separation pay that compensates for inability to continue service."
      The Los Angeles Times (8/31, Dizikes, 833K) reports that Jason Hubbard, the veteran for whom the Act is named, said, "From beginning to end this has been a very rough experience. There will be a lot of people who will benefit from this now, and unfortunately in the future. … After the sacrifice I made, I felt a little bit abandoned by the government." The Times notes that the bill "sailed through" Congress, and "is intended to include veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan." 

5.      Family, Friends Encouraged To Help Returning Veterans.   The Bloomington (IL) Pantagraph (8/31, Barlow) reports, "Soldiers coming home from war today are different from their predecessors, but they still need help and support when it comes to post-traumatic stress disorder, experts on the condition said." According to Timothy Kohlbecker, the coordinator of the post-traumatic stress disorder program at Illiana Veterans Affairs Medical Center, said that "sometimes, it takes family or friends to recognize the symptoms and convince them to get treatment."
      Younger Veterans Said To Need Different Treatment Than Older Vets.   The Arizona Republic (8/31, Alaimo, 429K) reports that "the PTSD clinic at the local veterans hospital has seen its caseload soar by more than 100 percent." One PTSD therapist said, "Treatment for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is different than for those of other generations." For example, they "often feel little connection to their grandfatherly counterparts with the same disorder, so they bond better when grouped together in the hospital setting."

6.      Veteran Receives World War II Medals.   The South Bend Tribune (8/31, Munson) reports World War II veteran Isaac Warren recently received medals he earned in that war "from the staff of the Marshall County Veterans Service office." Veterans service officer Jim Stapan also "helped the Warrens sign up for VA medical benefits," and Warren’s wife "said even though her husband’s medical problems are not classified as combat-related, he still receives what she termed ‘affordable and caring’ treatment through the VA system."

7.      Economy Makes Veterans’ Civilian Transition "Overwhelming."   Stars And Stripes (8/31, Lee) reports that for veterans, "transitioning into the mainstream work force during tough economic times can be overwhelming." In particular, "finding ways to parlay their military skills into a successful career can be challenging, especially for young veterans who may have little or no experience in the work force." In addition, "servicemembers spared from paying rent, utilities, health care, and in some cases meals, must now look for jobs that can support such basic needs."
      Stars and Stripes (8/31, Lee) adds, "Servicemembers have access to several government-sponsored Web sites, including www.careeronestop.org and www.turbotap.org, that provide job search assistance. And recently, the Department of Veterans Affairs teamed with Monster.com, a site for job-seekers and employers, to post listings exclusively for veterans. Stateside career fairs run by employment agencies such as RecruitMilitary and Hiring Heroes, operated by the Defense Department, also cater to veterans."

8.      Freedom House Built With Veterans Affairs Grant.   The Ravenna (OH) Record Courier (8/31, Sever) profiles a local Freedom House, which "was built with the help of local veterans groups and social agencies" and "can house up to 14 men. Matthew Slater, program director, said the center has programs in chemical dependency and counseling and has a veteran advocate to help overcome barriers to employment. … The shelter was built with money from a Veterans Administration grant, which supplied 65 percent of the money." 

9.      Advocate Looks To Expand Court Program For Veterans.   The Fayetteville Northwest Arkansas Times (8/31, Ward) reports that John Bennett "hopes to divert troubled vets from the traditional justice system by establishing a court program tailored to their needs. In addition to rehabilitation and treatment, the program would provide vets with the tools needed to lead productive and law-abiding lives through rehabilitative programming, reinforcement and judicial monitoring." Bennet "recently helped establish a pilot veteran treatment program in Tulsa," and "hopes to do the same thing in Fayetteville."

10.    Local VA Said To Be Focusing On Women’s Care.   WBEX-AM Chillicothe, OH (8/31) reports, "The Chillicothe VA is focusing on women’s healthcare needs and will be doing so specifically for the next five years. Bonnie Owen, manager of the Women Veterans Program at the VA, says the reason for this is that there is an expansion of women’s roles in the military, and as the numbers are increasing so are the needs."
      Ohio VA Opens Center For Homeless Female Vets.   The Dayton (OH) Daily News (8/31, Kissell) reports that the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center will soon open "a new home for homeless female veterans. The renovated Ohio Avenue Commons apartment-style housing with 27 units to be unveiled Wednesday, Sept. 3 is being touted as the nation’s first supportive housing initiative open to homeless female veterans."