Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 12-03-08

1. VA To Open New Clinic In Vermont.  
2. NYTimes Welcomes Obama Administration’s Attention To Injured Iraq Vets.  
3. Support Groups For Veterans Forming On College Campuses.  
4. Military Divorce Rate Increases.  
5. DOD Seeks To Address Needs Of Soldiers Suffering From Brain Trauma.  
6. Study Links Flu Shot To Improved Performance By College Students. 
7. New VA Clinic Opens In Oregon.  
8. Decision On New Orleans Hospital Complex Confuses Local Residents.  
9. Wind Turbine Installed On Roof Of VA Hospital.  
10. Some Residents Upset By Decision To Close Homeless Vets Shelter In California.  

HAVE YOU HEARD?
This year marks the 30th anniversary of integration of women into the regular force of the U.S. Army – 30 years since the end of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in 1978. Gen. Douglas MacArthur called them “my best Soldiers,” saying that the women serving in the Women’s Army Corps worked harder, complained less and were better disciplined then many of his male soldiers. Created out of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps in 1943 to enable women to take over more routine service and office jobs and free men for combat roles, the WAC, along with similar female components for other services and nurses, was the only way women could serve their country. WACs landed in France 38 days after D-Day and WACs served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars, although they had to remain far behind the front lines. While WACs worked long hours alongside their male counterparts, many WAC veterans remember being sort of second-class military citizens. Their training that was far different. Many expected to participate in low-crawls and difficult obstacle courses like the men during basic training, but found they were only expected to do modified push-ups, run either half a mile or in place and do a modified obstacle course called "run, dodge and jump," which involved running around fences and jumping over a small ditch. They even had make-up classes and were required to carry lipstick at all times. As the draft ended in 1978, the Army could not sustain an all-volunteer force with solely male recruits so women became more important to the Army. Change had been coming throughout the mid-1970s, as WACS were gradually allowed to participate in things like M-16 training, and attend branch schools with male soldiers.

1.      VA To Open New Clinic In Vermont.   WCAX-TV Burlington, VT (12/2) broadcast, "Vermont is getting a new veterans clinic." On Tuesday, US Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) "announced…that the Veterans Affairs Department will add a clinic in Brattleboro."
      The AP (12/2) reported Sanders, "a member of the Senate veterans committee, says the health clinic is desperately needed in southeastern Vermont so veterans won’t have to drive the VA hospital in White River Junction to get care." Sanders, US Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and US Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) "wrote to New England VA officials in February asking for a clinic to be set up in the Brattleboro area." The Burlington (VT) Free Press (12/3) publishes a similar story.
      The Rutland (VT) Herald (12/3, Raspuzzi), which also notes that the lawmakers requested the clinic, reports, "Sanders also talked about" the need for such a facility with VA Secretary James Peake "this summer when Peake visited the state at Sanders’ invitation. Peake notified Sanders Tuesday the Brattleboro Community Based Outpatient Clinic will soon be formally approved" by the VA. But the Keene (NH) Sentinel (12/3) says that despite Peake’s notification, "no timeline has been announced for the opening."
      The Brattleboro (VT) Reformer (12/3, Weiss-Tisman) reports, "According to Terry Jemison, a spokesman for the VA office of media relations" in Washington, DC, "the VA health care system has been putting more resources into community-based outpatient clinics." In an e-mail message, Jemison wrote, "We have had a steady increase of these community based outpatient clinics nationally in recent years." Jemison added, "This is an important component of our network of facilities around the country."

2.      NYTimes Welcomes Obama Administration’s Attention To Injured Iraq Vets.   In "The Board," a New York Times (12/2) blog, the paper’s editorial board writes that the US is "giving far too little attention to the large number of men and women who are coming back from" Iraq "with serious physical and mental injuries. Given this looming crisis, we are pleased to see that two injured veterans may find prominent places" in President-elect Barack Obama’s Administration. Tammy Duckworth, "who lost both of her legs while serving in Iraq," and Max Cleland, "who lost three limbs in Vietnam," are both "reportedly being considered for secretary of veterans affairs." The board adds, "We’re also pleased that Michelle Obama has said that she intends to make military families one of her focuses as first lady," because one "duty we all have — which the incoming Obama administration appears to be recognizing — is doing right by the young Americans who have been injured" in Iraq.
      Professor: Kerry’s Background Makes Him A Promising Candidate To Lead VA.   On its website, Fox News (12/2, Corbin) reported US Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), "who endorsed Obama early in the presidential campaign, was left out of the mix Monday when" Obama "announced his national security team, giving shape to two-thirds of his cabinet." With "a handful of cabinet positions remaining, including secretary of veterans affairs, Kerry could still be named for a domestic post — though the Obama campaign has declined to comment on future announcements. ‘He is a decorated war hero from Vietnam. He is a man of great standing. His bid for the nomination was propelled in part by support from veterans and he is certainly someone that one might consider for that post,’" Georgetown University government professor Christopher Hull said.

     At the end of an article reporting that "Obama plans to name New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as his choice for commerce secretary on Wednesday," the AP (12/3) notes that the "upper echelon on" Obama’s Cabinet is "now…in place," but "among those posts yet to be disclosed if not chosen" is the head of the VA.
      Speculation Said To Be Growing That Duckworth Will Be Named Next VA Secretary.   The Fox News (12/2, Clark) website, which also noted Obama is expected to add Richardson to his Cabinet, said "speculation is growing" that Illinois VA Director Tammy Duckworth "will get the nod to lead the national department."
      Congressional Hispanic Caucus Recommends Texas Assembyman For VA Post.   Bloomberg News (12/3, Nichols), meanwhile, reports that "Richardson’s nomination as Commerce secretary won’t satisfy top Latino lawmakers, who sent…Obama’s transition office a letter" Tuesday "recommending a slate of 14 Hispanics for the remaining eight Cabinet slots." The letter from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus "recommends…Texas Assemblyman Rick Noriega" for VA secretary.

3.      Support Groups For Veterans Forming On College Campuses.   The San Antonio Express-News (12/2, Ludwig) said Will Velazquez, who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq, "wants to help smooth the way for veterans coming behind him. With a more generous GI Bill kicking in next fall and promises from President-elect Barack Obama to bring troops home from Iraq as soon as possible, college officials say they expect a boost in the number of veterans using their education benefits." At the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), Velazquez "founded the Student Veterans Association, which has already drawn about 50 members and is affiliated with a national group called" Student Veterans of America (SVA), which "has added 92 chapters since January." Independent clubs have also "popped up at schools across the nation." The "rapid growth of SVA – and other clubs like it – speaks to a real need on campuses, said John Powers, executive director of the group."

4.      Military Divorce Rate Increases.   The AP (12/3, Jelinek) reports, "The divorce rate among soldiers and Marines increased last year as military marriages suffered continuing stress from…two ongoing" US wars. There "were an estimated 10,200 failed marriages in the active duty Army and 3,077 among Marines, according to figures obtained by The Associated Press for the budget year ended Sept. 30." Some "veteran and family groups question whether Pentagon figures are too low, saying they do not take into account many who divorce after leaving the service." In a recent interview, Paul Rieckhoff of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said, "Divorce rates are up – no doubt about it – a kind of predictable ripple effect of this pace of operations. And that’s not even taking into account the number of marriages that are strained."

5.      DOD Seeks To Address Needs Of Soldiers Suffering From Brain Trauma.   In a front page story, the Washington Times (12/3, A1, Geracimos, 83K) reports, "The military finally is…tackling the psychological health and traumatic brain injuries of soldiers and their families in a comprehensive way." Army psychiatrist Brig. Gen. Loree K. Sutton is directing the "year-old Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE), an arm of the Department of Defense dealing with health matters. The concept is to find the means of caring for troops and their leaders before, as well as after, service members and their relations suffer the debilitating effects of trauma." The center’s "plan

focuses on building up what is being called ‘resilience’ among the military’s many warrior volunteers as well as providing more and better treatment options for visible and invisible injuries of this type in a totally integrated program for recovery and reintegration." The "plan…had a big workout at a recent three-day DCoE symposium" held in Virginia.

6.      Study Links Flu Shot To Improved Performance By College Students.   The Minneapolis Star Tribune (12/2, Marcotty) reported, "If you’ve ever had to talk a college student into getting a flu shot, researchers" at the University of Minnesota (UM) "just made your case." Dr. Kristin Nichol, a UM professor "and an infectious disease expert at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center," and "other researchers surveyed nearly 20,000 students" at UM "and St. Olaf College over four years to measure the cumulative effect of the flu and the flu vaccine on their lives." The resulting study found that, on "average, the 30 percent who were vaccinated reported better health and better performance at school and work compared with those who were not vaccinated. The study was published Monday in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine." The St. Paul (MN) Pioneer Press (12/2, Olson) said the study was conducted by researchers at UM and the Minneapolis VAMC.
      ABC News (12/2, Brownstein) reported on its website, "Although most college students are part of the 17 percent of Americans not included in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine recommendations," Monday’s study "suggests that they may be among the major beneficiaries of a flu shot." But, while "Nichol said she would encourage college students to get vaccinated against the flu, she stopped short of saying the CDC should change its flu shot recommendations to include everyone." She did add, however, that she believes studies like hers "help to inform those discussions, as they consider whether or not we should expand recommendations into other groups."

7.      New VA Clinic Opens In Oregon.   In continuing coverage, the AP (12/2) reported, "An outpatient clinic has opened in Hillsboro to serve the growing number of men and women who have served in the armed forces and need care." The "opening of the 23,000-square-foot" facility "marks a step toward bringing services closer to where many veterans live, and addresses the lines and crowded parking lots at the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In 2007, a VA clinic opened in east Portland, and by June, VA outpatient clinics are scheduled to open in the Oregon City area and in The Dalles." A part-time clinic, meanwhile, "also will open in Lincoln City."

8.      Decision On New Orleans Hospital Complex Confuses Local Residents.   In continuing coverage, the Louisiana Weekly (12/3, Tidmore) reports the Department of Veterans Affairs and Louisiana State University (LSU) recently "announced the final location to build a new hospital complex in New Orleans, a decision that could displace hundreds of homeowners. The proposed site" is to be located in an area "where there currently stands a predominantly African-American neighborhood containing gabled Victorian homes constructed in the late 19th" century. The "abandoned Lindy Boggs Hospital near Claiborne Ave. and a site in Jefferson Parish…were both in the running for the LSU/VA hospital. Neither required displacement of a neighborhood, but critics complained that the locations were too far from downtown New Orleans." Author Jennifer Farwell "spoke to residents" of the chosen neighborhood, "and found that most are confused as to why their homes were targeted."

9.      Wind Turbine Installed On Roof Of VA Hospital.   The Ann Arbor (MI) News (12/2, Hachem) reported, "A small wind turbine now spins atop the Ann Arbor Veteran Affairs hospital, contributing to the hospital’s utility needs while satisfying a new federal requirement for renewable energy." Administrators at the hospital "installed the vertical turbine last month as part of an ongoing plan to generate about 7.5 percent of the hospital’s energy needs from renewable energy, including wind and solar, by 2012. ‘It’s a baby step, but we’re optimistic,’ said Jeff Means, energy manager for VA hospitals in Michigan and nearby states." The News noted that if the current turbine "is successful in generating enough energy, the hospital could install additional turbines and solar panels to generate energy, Means said." 

10.    Some Residents Upset By Decision To Close Homeless Vets Shelter In California.   The Modesto (CA) Bee (12/2, Moran) reported, "The Central Valley Homeless Veterans Shelter will close by midmonth, according to" 65-year-old founder Marvis Hood Jr., who "said finances, his age and health were factors in the decision to close." Hood "estimated that he is losing $2,000 a month on the operation and has debts of between $15,000 and $20,000 related to the shelter." But several shelter residents "are upset about the closing…and contend that" the facility "should work financially. They feel the income is mismanaged."