Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News – December 07, 2011

0
780

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.    USA Warrior Games to Return to Colorado Springs in 2012.  International Paralymic Committee  The competition, which will be hosted by the USOC, is also supported by the Department of Defense, US Department of Veterans Affairs, USO, Fisher House Foundation and the Bob Woodruff Foundation, and will take place 30 April – 5 May 2012. …
2.    WWII veterans healthiest group of war vets.  Philadelphia Inquirer  Seven decades after the Civil War, fewer than 1 percent of Union veterans were living, according to data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. At a similar distance from the First World War, 2.5 percent of veterans were alive. …
3.   Veterans Project.  NorthcentralPa.com  The project, which will include the recording of veterans’ oral histories, is being done in conjunction with the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Library of Congress. Project to coincide with the 70th anniversary of …
4.    VA Tickets 11 More Campuses for Green Globes Certification.  Citybizlist Real Estate
WASHINGTON, DC – The Green Building Initiative (GBI)’s contract with the US Department of Veterans Affairs has been expanded to include 189 hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics and medical offices on 11 US campuses for certification …
5.    Cav troops help ensure security as U.S. winds down Iraq mission.  Members of 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division conduct a night patrol from Contingency Operating Station Kalsu near the city of Hilla in Babil province, Iraq.
6.    New TV Channel For Illinois Veterans?  Northwest Indiana Times  “A push is under way to create a first-in-the-nation television channel aimed at helping Illinois military veterans. In action last month, the Illinois Senate” followed the lead of the Illinois House and “approved a resolution urging the Cable Television and Communications Association of Illinois to investigate the feasibility of dedicating a public access cable channel to veterans’ programming.” Now, “supporters are lobbying the General Assembly to take its support one step further this spring by pledging state financial assistance to the proposal.”
7.    Veterans To Be Honored Wednesday During Pearl Harbor Ceremonies In Corpus Christi.  Corpus Christi (TX) Caller Times  “People all over the world will come together Wednesday to honor the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, including veterans in the Coastal Bend. Veterans will gather at 1:30 p.m. at the new Coastal Bend State Veterans Cemetery for a dedication ceremony.” And at 2 p.m., “staff of the Lexington Museum on the Bay will host a tribute to those who died in the attack.”
8.    Iowa Veterans Home Fined After Falls.  AP   “Iowa’s nursing home for veterans has ended a program in which residents transported other residents who use wheelchairs around the campus, following a bloody accident in which an elderly woman fell face-first into concrete and broke her nose, its top administrator said. The Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown reported the Sept. 29 fall by a resident who suffered from arthritis and dementia to state regulators and took responsibility for failing to train her escort.” The September “incident and another in which a patient fell out of bed after being left unattended led the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals to cite the home for a major safety violation last month and fine it $3,000.”
9.    Alabama Governor Recognizes Wreaths Across America On Saturday.  AP Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley is “urging Alabamians to remember the service of veterans on Wreaths Across America day on Saturday.” Bentley made his “comments Monday when he joined with state military leaders and others in Montgomery to recognize the plans for Wreaths Across America. The program expects to place an estimated 400,000 evergreen wreaths on the graves of veterans, including those at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo and at other locations in Alabama.”
10.   Pearl Harbor 70th Anniversary Ceremony Wednesday.  Deseret (UT) Morning News “The rotunda in the Utah state Capitol will be the setting on Wednesday for an honor ceremony for the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor that brought the United States into World War II. With survivors in their 90s, the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs is paying extra attention to the anniversary this year because of the likelihood few, if any, Pearl Harbor survivors will be alive when the 80th anniversary comes around, said Craig Morgan, who is helping coordinate the program for the state.” Scheduled speakers for the program include Terry Schow, executive director of the Utah VA.

Have You Heard?

A Day of Infamy: 70 Years After Pearl Harbor

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese assault that launched America into World War II.
Read Secretary Shinseki’s message


 More Veteran News


  • Using Data To Make Better Decisions In Your Agency.  Washington Post “Some examples of how several agencies have used data to revamp or advance their programs.” The Post adds, “In analyzing the effectiveness of a program to end veterans’ homelessness by 2015, run jointly by Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing, HUD changed how it gauged success,” moving from “measuring the number of housing vouchers issued” to examining the “percentage of vouchers homeless veterans actually used to get a roof over their heads-a more precise indicator of who took advantage of the program. In addition, the agencies used data to analyze where the bottlenecks were in the housing process so they could focus attention on them.”
  •  TRICARE: Seeking Joint Electronic Health Records System For DoD And VA.  ExecutiveBiz  “The TRICARE Management Activity,” which is “looking to develop a joint electronic pharmacy system for federal departments including Defense and Veterans Affairs,” recently “issued a request for information to help its search for a single solution capable of tracking prescription and medication orders, as well as identifying possible drug interactions. TRICARE manages the Military Health Systems’ information technology projects, which annually fill 50 million prescriptions, according to a Nextgov.com report.”
  •    VA: Combat Injuries To Urinary Tract And Genitals Deserve Payment.  Los Angeles Times  “Nation Now” blog reports, “In response to the increased brutality of the war in Afghanistan, the Department of Veterans Affairs will now make payments to service members who have suffered injuries to the urinary tract or genitals.” The payments, “made under the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance program,” are “separate from medical care provided by military medicine” and the VA system. The Times adds, “The addition was immediately praised by US Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) who had petitioned Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki in March to address the issue.”
  •   VA Announces New Members For Women Veterans Committee.  Stars And Stripes “Ruptured Duck” blog reports, “The Department of Veterans Affairs announced six new members Friday for a committee designed to provide insight on the issues facing the 1.8 million women veterans.” In a news release, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said, “In honor of their service, VA is committed to providing women Veterans with quality care and preparing for their evolving needs.”
  • Veteran Homelessness: VA Offers $1 Million In Prevention Grants. Huffington Post “In an effort to keep veterans from turning to the streets, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it will offer $100 million in grants to local agencies that help returning troops in need.” The “program aims to help more than 35,000 veterans and families.” In a statement, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said, “By putting more resources into prevention services for people at risk of becoming homeless, we will continue to help veterans and their families get back on their feet and turn their lives around.”
  •  Finding Help For Homeless Veterans Proves Difficult.  Chicago Daily Herald  “As the economy continues to falter and more soldiers return home as the Iraq War comes to an end, experts expect the number of homeless veterans to grow.” The Daily Herald added, “The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes the struggle veterans face, said Eugene Herskovic, VA homeless coordinator for the Great Lakes region. He said that among the things Veterans Affairs focuses on is preventing homelessness, handling substance” abuse, dealing with veterans who have been in jail, attempting to create resources for female veterans, and operating a national call center.
  •  Vets In Crisis Can Now Text VA For Help.  Rochester (NY) Democrat & Chronicle Veterans “in crisis have another way to reach for help. The national Veterans Crisis Line,” which is operated by the US Department of Veterans Affairs “and staffed at the Canandaigua VA facility, has begun communicating via text message. ‘A lot of people prefer to text than to phone,’ said Victoria Bridges, program management officer of the Veterans Crisis Line and National Call Center for Homeless Veterans.” Bridges said VA is trying to “make a way” for such vets “to reach crisis services.”
  •  VA Hospital Opens Enrichment Center.  Charleston (SC) Post & Courier On Monday, the Veterans Affairs hospital in Charleston “opened its new Veterans Enrichment Center, a $5.5 million project billed as a ‘hallmark expansion’ of its mental health program. The 7,000-square-foot expansion at the front of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center includes new classrooms, group therapy space and clinical offices to serve veterans living with long-term mental illness. In the past five years,” the Johnson VAMC “has more than doubled the size of its mental health staff, adding specialists in the areas of substance abuse treatment, homelessness and post-traumatic stress disorder.” Scott Isaacks, the Johnson VAMC’s acting director, said in a statement that the “Veterans Enrichment Center will add even more to one of the best mental health programs” in VA.
  • VA’s Real-Time Location System: A Way To Improve Patient Safety, Or Big Brother?  NextGov  “The Veterans Affairs Department views a planned $550 million Real-Time Location System as a way to ensure its hospitals properly sterilize medical instruments, improve efficiency and track equipment. VA unions view it as a Big Brother system that could monitor employees.” But Josephine Schuda, a “VA spokesman, said Monday that as of now there was no official plan for staff tagging with RTLS.”
  •    Civilians Gather Before Dawn To Grunt, Sweat And Train Like SEALs. Washington Post  “John McGuire, a 10-year Navy SEAL veteran,” is offering civilians a “taste of the discipline that defines the elite force. The teamwork-based regime McGuire puts” civilians “through is inspired by the Basic Underwater Demolition training that is a prerequisite for acceptance into the SEALs.” McGuire “has 45 instructors who help him teach classes in Richmond, Charlottesville and the District.”

ATTENTION READERS

We See The World From All Sides and Want YOU To Be Fully Informed
In fact, intentional disinformation is a disgraceful scourge in media today. So to assuage any possible errant incorrect information posted herein, we strongly encourage you to seek corroboration from other non-VT sources before forming an educated opinion.

About VT - Policies & Disclosures - Comment Policy
Due to the nature of uncensored content posted by VT's fully independent international writers, VT cannot guarantee absolute validity. All content is owned by the author exclusively. Expressed opinions are NOT necessarily the views of VT, other authors, affiliates, advertisers, sponsors, partners, or technicians. Some content may be satirical in nature. All images are the full responsibility of the article author and NOT VT.
Previous articleU.S. Fallout From Unjust Wars – Increased Vets Suicide Rate
Next articleCommemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor