Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

From The VA
The U.S. Army Women’s Museum is hosting a Museum Homecoming at Fort Lee just outside Petersburg, Va., May 13-15, 2010 for all former and current Army women, their friends and families. “Come Home to Your History”, is the theme of the event, which promises to be a fun and interesting opportunity to participate and learn how a 21st century museum shares and teaches Army women’s history to thousands of people every year. Most of all, it is a great time to reconnect with old friends and celebrate your Army service, then and now. Check the Museum Homecoming Web at for the invitation, schedule of events, registration form and other information.

Top Veterans Stories in Today’s News

1. Honor Flight named a Point of Light by Crist Stuart, Florida – Southeast Honor Flight, which provides World War II veterans with a trip to the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., has been given Gov. Charlie Crist’s “Points of Light” award. Retired Navy Rear Adm. LeRoy Collins, Jr., executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, presented the award during his visit in Martin County on Saturday.
2. VA hospital sorts out payroll mishap Kerrville, Texas – Nearly a thousand nurses in the South Texas Veterans Health Care System were notified this week they had been overpaid — for as long as eight years in some instances — and hospital personnel officials are in the midst of sorting out the payroll confusion behind it. Roughly 920 registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses in the veterans health care system, including some who work at the Kerrville division, have been overpaid for years, according to an audit conducted by human resources specialists from other Veterans Affairs medical centers and the federal agency’s central office.
3. AUA Urotrauma Legislation Introduced In Congress The American Urological Association (AUA) is pleased to announce its support for newly introduced legislation designed to address urotrauma, a growing concern among active military personnel and veterans. The bill, H.R. 5106, which would direct the U.S. Secretary of Defense to establish a commission on urotrauma, was formally introduced by Congressman Zack Space (D-OH-18) and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH-1) on April 21, 2010. The AUA authored the legislation. Urotrauma is a significant issue, particularly among active military populations. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), when detonated, can cause severe trauma to the sexual organs and genitourinary system. Additionally, the heavy weight of armor and gear can cause strain to the abdominal muscles over time, which can ultimately impact urinary function, leading at times to pelvic prolapse.
4. VA aims to open mental health clinic in Saginaw Township Saginaw, Michigan – A mental health clinic for veterans could soon begin taking shape in Saginaw County. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has picked a nearly four-acre locale in Saginaw Township, southeast of Fashion Square Mall, the township confirmed. The 18,000-square-foot center would have 50 staff members and could serve up to 180 clients a day, according to the township. The proposed location is on Barnard, between Schust and McCarty.
5. Report Finds Lamborghini-Driving “Small Business” Owners Defrauding Government Program Washington, DC – A report released last week by the Government Accountability Office found that the Small Business Administration has inadequate measures for preventing fraud and abuse by firms seeking government contracts through the agency’s programs (PDF). The weak oversight resulted in $325 million in contracts being awarded to firms that should have been ineligible, according to the report.
6. Children of Fallen Troops Eligible for College Help The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has begun taking applications for a new program that helps the children of soldiers killed while on active duty pay for college. Maine 2nd District Congressman Mike Michaud, who sits on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, says the program covers the full cost of a college education for children of service members who have died on active duty on or after September 11, 2001.
7. Philadelphia VA hospital lacked review Washington, DC – The prostate cancer program at the Veterans Affairs Department’s medical center in Philadelphia, where 97 patients were given an incorrect radiation dose, went four years without a peer review or quality assessment, the agency’s internal watchdog said Monday. The inspector general for the Veterans Affairs Department also found that computer problems kept several patients under treatment for cancer from receiving a check to make sure they received the correct dose.
8. JPMorgan underwrites securities tied to VA loans New York, (Reuters) – JP Morgan Securities underwrote a $227 million securitization backed by Veterans Administration loans on real estate properties, market sources said on Monday. The Department of Veteran Affairs could not immediately be reached for comment.
9. DFAS honored by Department of Veterans Affairs Rome, New York – The Department of Veterans Affairs has honored Rome DFAS (defense Finance and Accounting Service) for its commitment to putting veterans to work.DFAS began a relationship with the Rome VA outpatient clinic back in 2007. Since then, DFAS has found high-quality, career-oriented jobs for disabled veterans.
10. Gadsden, Alabama – National Cemetery adding burial spaces A Department of Veterans Affairs official says an expansion project at the Alabama National Cemetery should be completed next year. Christopher English, the engineer overseeing the project, says the project will add more than 7,500 burial spaces, enough to be sufficient until 2020. He says the expansion will bring the number of graves to more than 9,700. English says a public information center and maintenance building are 30 percent completed. He says stormwater and grading work is 90 percent finished.