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.    We Needed the Veterans—Now They Need Us.  Wall Street Journal  The Department of Veterans Affairs has spared no effort to care for our soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet the number of affected individuals is too great—and their mental-health challenges in particular too demanding—to leave the VA on …
 
2.    Soldiers seeking routine medical care now get PTSD screening as well.  The Army is asking soldiers who go to the doctor for ailments such as back pain or colds to answer questions about depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in a bid to identify those who may need help.
 
3.    Marine Corps to launch new holistic fitness program.  The Marine Corps is implementing a new holistic fitness program designed to help warriors focus on whole body fitness.
 
4.    Veterans groups, congressmen decry ruling on Stolen Valor Act.  Lost in the swirl of news following the U.S. Supreme Court’s momentous health care ruling last week was another decision: The court struck down a law making it illegal to lie about receiving military medals.
 
5.    Emotional toll of losing loved ones to war can last a lifetime.  Helen Wolfgang went from newlywed to new mom to grieving widow in about three years. Although 90 years old now, Wolfgang is among widows of World War II servicemen whose memories of the husbands they lost remain vivid. But no matter the conflict, war widows may spend years searching for touchstones to the men they loved and lost.

6.    Despite waiting lists, new veterans homes sit empty.  California Watch  Two years ago, 64-year-old Air Force veteran Cheryl Stewart began gathering books and blankets to donate to a state-run nursing home for veterans, which was scheduled to open this spring. But though it finished building the 300-bed facility in April …

7.    Blue Button(R) Goes Viral.  MarketWatch  UnitedHealthcare has launched its Blue Button, implementing a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services program that enables millions of plan participants to access and print their personal health records with …

8.    About 1500 Certificates Requested to Thank Veterans of Korean War.  Cape Fear Business News  About 1500 Certificates of Appreciation have been requested through the N.C. Division of Veterans Affairs by Korean War veterans and family members as part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s June launch of “The Year of the Korean War …
 
9.    Independence For Homeless Female Veterans.  Washington Times Lynda C. Davis, former deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy, noted, “The number of homeless female American veterans is on the rise (from 4 percent in 1990 to 8 percent in 2010) according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from March.” But based on VA Secretary Eric Shinseki’s “core conviction that ‘no one who has served this nation as veterans have should ever be living on the streets,’ the VA offers expanded services for female veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. These include supportive services for veterans’ families, housing vouchers, a per-diem program and specialized health care and mental health services.” Still, said Davis, everyone should think about how they can help homeless female veterans.
 
10.  S.C. Approves More Plates Recognizing Military. AP  “Special license plates that recognize South Carolina’s veterans, active military personnel and their parents are among dozens of new plate designs authorized by legislators. Two laws passed last month add to the scores of specialty plates issued” by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. They “include plates recognizing recipients of military medals, veterans injured in combat and each branch of the Armed Forces.”

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