Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need

1. Obama Signs HR 2112 to Extend FHA and VA Loan Limits Through 2013.  National Mortgage Professional Magazine  President Barack Obama has signed HR 2112, the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 into law renewing the expired higher loan limits for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans for …

2. FDA Approves Drug for Vision-Loss Disease.  Wall Street Journal  In September, the FDA issued a warning about the drug causing several serious infections in Florida, and later that month the US Department of Veterans Affairs stopped using it for AMD pending an investigation into safety. …

3. Paperwork help for local veterans.  Ithaca Journal  To deal with the problems with the US Department of Veterans Affairs claims, paperwork, awards and commendations, benefits and other service related issues, Hinchey assembled a team of caseworkers to ensure that those who served in our armed forces are …

4. Hope on the Horizon for Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  PR Newswire
Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are teaming up for a research project aimed at advancing the treatment of military personnel suffering from …

5. Empty buildings at fort to be rehabbed for vets.  Post-Bulletin  Some vacant buildings at the Upper Post of Fort Snelling will be remodeled for homeless veterans. The US Department of Veterans Affairs said this week that CommonBond Communities of St. Paul and Sand Cos. of St. Cloud will work together …

6. VA Increases HIV Testing Rates.  AIDS.gov blog   In this month during which we observe Veteran’s Day, I am pleased to share news about an a significant achievement in HIV screening at the US Department of Veterans Affairs: Annual HIV testing rates in Veterans Administration Medical Centers increased …

7. Zanesville postal worker charged with stealing drugs from mail.  Zanesville Times Recorder  According to the plea agreement, McCullough had been taking items from a customer from August 2010 to this past August. The US Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General also assisted in this case.

8. 50 years ago today: ‘US discloses: Aid rolling to Vietnam’.  Hard to believe, but we’re starting to hit a point where just about every day will be the 50th anniversary of something that happened during the Vietnam War.

9. Rumor Doctor: Why was Armistice Day renamed Veterans Day?  Jack Woodville London argues that the word “armistice” was too closely associated with the armistice that ended the Korean War without victory for the United States, prompting Congress to rename the holiday in 1954.

10. Panetta preparing DOD directive on investigating sexual assaults. In the face of a rising tide of criticism over the military’s handling of reported sexual assaults, a Pentagon spokesman said Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is preparing orders that make ending this ‘silent epidemic’ a top department priority.

More Veteran News

•  Kosovo disturbances mimicked in training scenario.  Officials at JMRC, which regularly prepares U.S. and multinational soldiers for the NATO force known as KFOR, or Kosovo Force, decided to re-create the events as a training tool after a visit to the country last month.

•  Committee Chair Concerned About VA And “Sequester”.  Military.com   “With the deadline looming for the Congressional ‘super-committee’ to carve $1.2 trillion out of the national deficit in the next ten years, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-FL, the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee is concerned how resultant ‘sequester,’ the congressional jargon for the massive cuts, might affect the VA.” According to Miller, VA officials didn’t provide a good answer to the question if they’re exempt from sequester during a hearing recently. According to Miller, “It will be Secretary Shinseki’s responsibility if, in fact, sequestration kicks in and OMB does decide to rule that that veterans are not exempt from sequestration.”

• VA Committed To Swiftly Treating Mental Health.  USA Today  The VA Undersecretary for Health, Robert A. Petzel, M.D., writes, “USA TODAY’s report ‘Lag in mental health care found at a third of VA hospitals’ is misleading about the time new patients wait to receive VA mental health appointments.” Petzel says, “Since 2007, the Veterans Health Administration has required that new patients seeking mental health therapy be seen within 14 days of the desired appointment date for a full assessment and treatment initiation.” Last year, Petzel notes, “I changed the standard for patients already involved in mental health care from 30 to 14 days.” While acknowledging that the VA still has work to do in the area, Petzel said that the article was “incomplete,” since it lacked a comprehensive inclusion of measures used to asses appointment timeliness.

•   Soldiers Need To Reinvent Themselves. Gunnar Counselman, a former marine and the founder of Fidelis, writes in a piece published by The Hill ” “I spent the first week of November in Washington D.C., talking with anyone willing to listen about my company’s efforts to solve the military to civilian career transition problem.” According to Counselman, “The problem seems to be that veteran unemployment is directly tied to three massive political issues for which there are no easy solutions: the nation’s waning economic competitiveness, the budget imbalance / debt crisis, and the larger unemployment picture.” To help reduce veteran unemployment, Counselman suggests that returned military personal should, “Find out what skills employers need to win, and build those skills. Layer those skills on top of a solid military foundation and a little social polish and then get out there, talk to people and build a trusted referral network.”

•   Batten, Escobedo Discuss VA’s “Make The Connection.” KGUN-TV  An interview of Dr. Sonja Batten, VA’s Deputy Chief Consultant for Specialty Mental Health and retired veteran Bryan Escobedo about the Make the Connection Campaign. Batten said that the campaign is VA’s “newest program” to reach veterans all over the country and the half a million residing in Arizona who may be “experiencing mental health issues or readjustment challenges.” Batten said that there are resources available for those veterans. She also emphasized maketheconnectoin.net, a website for veterans and their loved ones, which provides relevant information. Escobedo called maketheconnection.net “a great tool” and discussed his own readjustment issues.

• National Rural Health Day Raises Awareness For Veterans In Need.  Atlantic  “Young people living in rural zip codes are more likely to join the Army than others — but when they return home, they’re without basic services and help.” Yesterday was “the first National Rural Health Day, and VA Office of Rural Health (ORH) Director Mary Beth Skupien said she’s proud of how far the office has come since it began three years ago.” According to Skupien, “The office is most focused on getting veterans better access to care close to home and specialty care in their communities.”

•  Passage Of Vet Jobs Bill Doesn’t Mean Immediate Changes. Stars And Stripes “The House overwhelmingly passed legislation Wednesday offering a host of new job training programs for veterans and offering employers up to $9,600 for hiring them.” However, “it could take months before veterans see any benefits.” In a statement, “VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said…that the legislation ‘sends a message that a grateful nation honors their service and sacrifice and wants to welcome them all the way home.'”

•  Suicide Risk Greatest After Dementia Diagnosis.  Medscape “Receiving a diagnosis of dementia increases a person’s risk for suicide, particularly if symptoms of depression and anxiety are present,” according to research published in the November issue of the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. For the study, researchers analyzed data from the Department of Veterans Affairs on “294,952 mostly male adults aged 60 years and older who were diagnosed with dementia between 2001 and 2005,” 241 of whom committed suicide. Notably, “multivariate logistic regression models identified several potential predictors of suicide with dementia diagnosis; most notably male sex, white race, history of depression, history of inpatient psychiatric care, and prescription for anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication.”

• Cultural Divide, Smaller Budgets Contribute To Vet Unemployment.  Military.com “The members of the post-9/11 generation of servicemembers were the best educated, most tech-savvy ever to sign up,” its puzzling they and other veterans face higher unemployment rates than the civilian population. “According to” experts, “there are several contributing factors: Employers and veterans who fail to see how they can connect; shrinking public sector budgets; and a long-suspected but difficult-to-prove reluctance by some employers to hire workers who may still have a reserve commitment.”

• Finalizes Aurora Hospital Contract With Kiewit-Turner.  Denver Business Journal “The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday announced it has formally awarded the joint venture team of Kiewit-Turner a $580.2 million construction contract to build the new VA hospital in Aurora.” On November 10, “a 14-month impasse between the federal agency and the contractor for the $800 million hospital ended…laying the groundwork for the start of one of the largest Denver-area construction projects in recent years.” In a statement, Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said, “This new medical center will not only help provide veterans with the care they have earned, it will create good-paying jobs that benefit the local economy.” Construction should end in 2015.

•    Bakersfield Vet Accused Of Lying About Purple Heart For Money.  KBFX-TV “An exclusive Eyewitness News investigation uncovered a Kern County veteran who is accused” of lying about receiving a Purple Heart, “allegedly for money.” Iraq War veteran “Ashleigh Martel allegedly lied to fellow veterans, claiming she was awarded a Purple Heart when she wasn’t.” She worked as a human resource specialist while in Iraq. She served in the army for three years. A fellow veteran called her story “very convincing.” Records obtained by the station indicate that she hasn’t received a Purple Heart. Veteran Affairs records make no mention of head injuries. As part of her story, Martel says she suffered head trauma. The Wounded Heroes Fund has award Martel grants.

•   Hero’s Actions In Vietnam Honored 43 Years Later.  Buckeye Lake (OH) Beacon  43 years after saving the life of Danny Phillips, who wandered behind enemy lines, “Sergeant Thomas R. Gdovin, of Westlake, Ohio” was awarded a Silver Star by Sen. Rob Portman on November 8, 2011. At “Nov. 8 ceremony, as Portman was presenting the Silver Star to Gdovin, Portman said, ‘I feel very privileged today to play a very small role to honor the very proud history of the 101st Airborne Division. Let’s ensure that we honor and remember all our veterans, not just this week, but throughout the days and years to come. Their commitment to this nation is a shining example to all of us.'” Gdovin said he was “overwhelmed” by receiving the Silver Star. Phillips is a Purple Heart recipient.

•  Shop Owner Donates Time Differently.  USA Today  Navy veteran Karl Robinson, who “owns the New England Clock Shop, a Sun City,” Arizona grandfather and wall clocks store “decided to take his personal savings and donate grandfather clocks to the families of fallen veterans” instead of retiring. “Robinson has donated about 45 clocks over the years.” The store owner “reaches out to the families, who select an oak or cherry clock, each valued at about $3,200.”

• Santa Maria Veteran, Retired Teacher Denied Passport.  KION-TV  A Vietnam War veteran “and retired teacher in California applied for a passport and was declined.” Bob Harris, who served in the Navy, was born at home. To prove his citizenship, Harris “sent in his delayed birth certificate, military pictures of himself back in 1965, his Vietnam service medals, and a certificate of appreciation from the school district where he taught.” The State Department rejected his passport application, saying he lacks “enough evidence to prove he’s a” US “citizen.” Congresswoman Lois Capps’ office said it’s investigating the matter.

•  How Are Military Medals Replaced?.  Atlanta (TX) Citizens Journal

•  State Eyes Fee Hike For Veterans.  Kankakee Daily (IL) Journal.

•  Easton Vets Protest Regionalization.  Brockton (MA) Enterprise News