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.   Cold War spy tunnel under Berlin found in forest after 56 years.  A section of an ingenious tunnel built by U.S. and British spies to intercept Russian phone conversations in Cold War Berlin has been found after 56 years in a forest 93 miles from the German capital.
 
2.   Australian general chosen as U.S. Army Pacific deputy.  In one of the highest-ranking assignments of its kind, a two-star general with the Australian Defense Force has been named a deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, headquartered at Fort Shafter.
 
3.   Australian mining companies seeking US vets for high-paying jobs.  Australian mining companies are head-hunting U.S. war veterans to work Down Under as electricians, carpenters and heavy equipment operators.
 
4.   Asbestos and mustard gas close part of Miss. island for years.  Thirty acres of Horn Island are off limits to the public — and may be closed for years — after hazardous materials from a World War II chemical and biological test site were discovered by environmentalists with a BP oil cleanup crew.
 
5.   Groups call on Marines to sever ties with UFC. A group of veterans is asking the Marine Corps to stop sponsoring the Ultimate Fighting Championship, saying the mixed martial arts organization tolerates inappropriate and offensive speech and is inconsistent with the Corps’ values.

6.   Chesapeake firm regains veteran-owned status.  The Virginian-Pilot  Veterans’ and business groups spotlighted Lilly’s case as an example of over-regulation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to stamp out fraud in the veteran certification program. Syncon initially received the veteran designation in September …

7.   Mitt Romney Coming To Indianapolis To Address American Legion Convention.  Indianapolis Star  “Mitt Romney will address the American Legion’s national convention in Indianapolis on Aug. 29, the day before he accepts the Republican nomination for president.” President Obama, meanwhile, “will give a videotaped speech to the Legion that will be shown Aug. 28.” The Legion’s commander, Faye Wong, said, “I think it’s very important that we hear from the principal candidates” for president “on how they plan on leading the country for the next four years as far as getting us to a more solid ground, especially with defense and the caring of the veterans and returning warriors coming back.” The Star points out that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is scheduled to speak at the Legion’s convention, though it does not say when that will happen.

8.   Concern About Two VA Conferences Noted In Story On General’s Spending Of Government Funds. Federal Computer Week Gen. William “Kip” Ward, a former four-star US Army general, was “reduced to the two-star rank last year after an internal Defense Department Inspector General report revealed he improperly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in government funds, including on travel and unauthorized use of military vehicles.” The “findings on Ward are the latest incident in a series of government scandals that have put a spotlight on financial misuse in some of Washington’s most powerful organizations.” Federal Computer Week takes note of the 2010 GSA conference, then adds, “More recently, the Veterans Affairs department was accused of overspending on two 2011 conferences, allegations now under investigation.”
 
9.   Social And Collaborative Technologies Are A Compelling Fit For Health Care.  ComputerWorld  “As health care becomes increasingly participatory and collaborative, digital-social health has the potential to transform the patient populace from being mere passengers to responsible drivers of their health.” Chai notes that the US Veterans Affairs Department of Veterans Affairs “has outlined a social media policy, which encourages veterans to use social media to seek information from the VA. ‘Veterans should have consistent and convenient access to reliable VA information real time using social media – whether on a smartphone or a computer,’ according” to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.
 
10. The Challenges Female Vets Face When Coming Home.  NPR audio  “As more troops return home, the transition can be difficult, especially for women who served. Services designed to help veterans are not always equipped to deal with the needs of the nearly” two million female veterans. NPR discussed the “unique challenges with women involved in the film, SERVICE: When Women Come Marching Home.”

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