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.   ‘Candy Bomber’ featured guest at 65th Berlin Airlift anniversary.  It’s been 65 years since the children of Berlin gazed into the sky in anticipation of seeing chocolate bars tied to parachutes dropping from pilot Gail Halvorsen’s plane.
2.   GAO slams USAID’s Haiti rebuilding efforts.  U.S. efforts to help rebuild Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake have been plagued by poor planning, delays and mistaken cost estimates that have forced many projects to be scaled back, the Government Accountability Office has concluded in a report released this month.
3.   Obama renominates Dempsey as chairman of the joint chiefs.  The White House announced Wednesday afternoon that President Obama intends to renominate Gen. Martin Dempsey as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. James ‘Sandy’ Winnefeld as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
4.   GAO slams USAID’s Haiti rebuilding efforts.  U.S. efforts to help rebuild Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake have been plagued by poor planning, delays and mistaken cost estimates that have forced many projects to be scaled back, the Government Accountability Office has concluded in a report released this month.
5.   Sneakers to women’s underwear for troops skirt buy-American law.  At boot camp, U.S. Army recruits receive four sets of camouflage fatigues, 100 percent American-made. For women, the clothing package from Uncle Sam is missing one layer: undies. Neither gender gets sneakers.
6.US, S. Korea start talks next week on divvying up troop expenses.  The U.S. and South Korea will begin negotiations next week on how much each country will pay for the upkeep of American troops on the peninsula, according to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
7.   Supreme Court strikes down DOMA; Hagel promises benefits ASAP.  Gay military couples could soon have access to the same benefits as their heterosexual counterparts with today’s Supreme Court decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act.
8.   Veterans will have disability claims answered faster with new system.  KTVB  The U.S. Secretary of Veteran Affairs was in Boise Wednesday for a big announcement for veterans looking to file for a disability claim. It surrounds processing claims faster. The big announcement changes the way veterans will file a disability

9.   Shinseki: Utah VA ‘superb’ in pilot of new system for veteran disability claims.  Hyperlink to Story The Salt Lake Tribune:  Veterans can now file their disability claims online, a move that will help the Department of Veterans Affairs erase its backlog of claims in 2015, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in Salt Lake City Tuesday.
10.    Veterans’ Disability Compensation Claims Go Electronic.  Hyperlink to Story KTVX-TV: The Department of Veterans Affairs announced the launch of an electronic claims processing system, called the Veterans Benefit Management System (VBMS). They hope the system will help them eliminate the disability backlog by the end of 2015.

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Take the Step—Raise PTSD Awareness.  Executive Director, VA’s National Center for PTSD June is PTSD Awareness Month. The National Center for PTSD at VA continually promotes public awareness and understanding of PTSD. In June we ask everyone else to join our efforts.  Read More →