Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News – November 06, 2013

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.   Working Wounded Games raise the bar for everyone.  Demand more of yourself. It’s written on the walls in CrossFit Rubicon’s gym, and on Saturday the athletes were pleased to meet that requirement. Men and women pushed their bodies to the limit, sweating while lifting weights and jumping over barriers
 
2.   Canine helpers graduate to a new life with Wounded Warriors.  It was a typical graduation ceremony, but instead of caps and gowns, these five grads wore collars. The Maryland-based nonprofit Warrior Canine Connection was recognizing the first five canine-human teams to complete a program in which service dogs are trained for a new life helping wounded servicemembers.
 
3.   Pentagon leaning toward cutting troops, beefing up tech.  The military must prepare for major upheaval, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Tuesday, because meeting the budgetary and security challenges of the future will “require significant change across every aspect of our defense enterprise.”

4.   Military pay and benefits panel begins hearings.  Efforts to reform troops’ pay and retirement could mean sweeping changes to every aspect of military life: fewer housing moves, early retirement options, bigger paychecks and smaller health plans.
 
5.   Food stamp cuts hit about 5,000 troops.  About 5,000 troops are among those affected by cuts to the federal food stamp program, according to the Pentagon.
 
6.   Senators plan push to get sex assault out of chain of command.  A group of senators are pushing for a proposal that would remove sexual assault cases from the military’s chain of command and assign them to independent military judges.

7.DAV Demands Advance Funding for the Department of Veterans …  DigitalJournal.com At a recent Capitol Hill news conference, DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and … Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) urged …
8.   VA Meets President’s Mental Health Executive Order Hiring Goal.  Hyperlink to Article VT:  The Department of Veterans Affairs has hired 815 Peer Specialists and Peer Apprentices, exceeding the hiring goal set in President Obama’s Aug. 31, 2012 Executive Order aimed at improving access to mental health services for Veterans, service members and military families.

9.   Veterans With Mental Illnesses Wait Longer Than Expected For Mental Health Care. Hyperlink to Article MedicalDaily.com:  U.S. veterans are in dire need of mental health treatment, especially in light of the reported 22 veteran suicides per day. However, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, former soldiers with mental illnesses continue to wait too long for mental health evaluations and counseling.
10. Canandaigua VA national crisis line subject of HBO documentary.  Hyperlink to Article MPNnow.com: A HBO documentary, “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1,” spotlighting the traumas endured by America’s veterans, debuts Nov. 11, Veterans Day. The documentary was filmed at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center, the headquarters of national VA Veterans Crisis Line.

Have You Heard?

Keeping your kids healthy is one of your top priorities as a parent, but it’s not always an easy task. Between staying on top of their normal checkups and trying to get them to wash their hands before dinner, there are a lot of things that could slip through the cracks. Use these tips from USA.gov to make managing your kids’ health a little easier.
Stay up-to-date with your children’s immunizations and developmental milestones with an easy tracking chart you can download for free from Publications.USA.gov. It reminds you of all the necessary immunizations from infancy through age six. It also highlights developmental milestones—like recognizing a caregiver’s voice and learning to talk—that you can monitor as your children grow up.
If you’re struggling to pay for health insurance for your kids, they may be eligible for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP offers free or low-cost medical coverage for kids up to 19 years old. Coverage for eligible children includes checkups, hospital visits, dental coverage, immunizations and more. Find out if they’re eligible at InsureKidsNow.gov/chip.
Sometimes your kids don’t want to listen to mom or dad, but you want them to get information from a trusted source. Point them to the health resources on Kids.gov, where they can learn about everything from keeping their eyes safe to understanding germs and where they can play fun games that drive home the importance of brushing their teeth or getting their shots.
Find more free guides on managing your children’s health from infant to teen at Publications.USA.gov.