Tag: Veterans’ News

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Seneca, Illinois, Ottumwa, Iowa, Millsboro, Delaware, Louisville, Kentucky, Tallahasse, Florida, Portland, Oregon, Laurinburg, North Carolina, and Greenfield, Indiana.

During National Volunteer Week, VA salutes Marwah Ahmed, 17, of Montgomery Village, Md., the 2009 recipient of the James H. Parke Memorial Scholarship for her volunteer work at the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center. Ahmed, a high school senior, has been volunteering at the VAMC since she was 13. She has served in a variety of departments, including the lab, research and the director’s office.

Congress Passes TRICARE Affirmation Act Springfield, Virginia (4/13/10) – The Senate unanimously passed legislation championed by Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) to fix a flaw in...

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Lakeville, Minnesota, Melbourne, Florida, Grand Island, Nebraska, Pleasantville, New Jersey, Montgomery, Texas, New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

U.S. Spent $5.6 Billion Last Year Treating Veterans with Mental Disabilities Washington, DC - Caring for soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses is costing the federal government billions of dollars a year, and will continue to do so for years to come. According to an analysis of Department of Veterans Affairs’ records by the Chicago Tribune, the VA spent $5.6 billion last year to treat mental disabilities. While these costs included treating veterans from previous wars, such as Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, the ballooning expenses have been driven largely by soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Morgantown, West Virginia, Ballston Spa, New York, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, New Bedford, Massachusetts, Souh Bend, Indiana, Gadsden, Alabama, Wesley Chapel, Florida, Lexington, Kentucky, Seattle, Washington, Knoxville,Tennessee, and Newton, North Carolina.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said Congress should consider an economic stimulus measure that would create jobs for those leaving the military. “That would be helpful,” Shinseki said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Conversations with Judy Woodruff,” airing this weekend. Legislation that would reduce unemployment among veterans would add to other initiatives the Department of Veterans Affairs is taking, he said.

When the trees are fully grown in a few years, maybe some of the 1,000 or so volunteers who planted them Saturday in south Lexington will return to bask in their shade and recall helping Mother Earth on a cool morning in April.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Columbia, Missouri, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Muscatine, Iowa, Temple, Texas, Watertown, New York, Seattle, Washington, Burnsville, Minnesota, Columbus, Georgia, Troy, New York, and Newnan, Georgia.

Authorities might never completely determine why Jesse C. Huff dressed in Army fatigues, walked to the steps of the Dayton Veterans Affairs Department’s Medical Center and shot himself to death Friday morning. Police said they found no suicide note and knew of no ominous statements he made to employees while inside the medical center hours before his death.

From The VA VA Nutrition and Food Services across the nation celebrated National Nutrition Month (NNM) throughout March. VA dieticians took the opportunity to...

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Lebanon, Oregon, Ramona, California, Hingham, Massachusetts, Portales, New Mexico, Marshalltown, Iowa, Manatee, Florida, Horseheads, New York, Danville, California, and Moses Lake, Washington.

While the head of the nation’s largest organization for combat veterans is pleased that Congress stepped in to assure Tricare beneficiaries that the new health care reform law will not penalize them for having military group health coverage, he says lawmakers need to do the same for veterans. On Monday, Congress gave final approval to the Tricare Assurance Act, which officially exempts Tricare beneficiaries from a health care reform requirement to purchase private health care insurance or face a $750 annual penalty.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Paramus Park, New Jersey, Jacksonville, Florida, Lafayette, Louisiana, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Randolph, New Jersey, Dedham, Massachusetts, Richmond, Virginia, San Jose, California, and Montgomery, Alabama.

VA's Medical Foster Home program finds a caregiver in the community who is willing to provide a Veteran with 24-hour supervision and personal assistance. Read about the program in the Wall Street Journal

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Jefferson City, Missouri, Monroe, New Jersey, Fallon, Nevada, Anchorage, Alaska, Land O' Lakes, Florida, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Lincoln, Nebraska, Opelika, Alabama, Beaufort, South Carolina, and San Antonio, Texas.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. If you’re a Veteran trying to quit, VA wants you to know that there are resources available to help. Learn more from The American Veteran.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Texarkana, Texas, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Spokane, Washington, Benicia, California, Jefferson City, Missouri, Los Angeles, California, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bristol, Connecticut, Batavia, New York, and Pendleton, South Carolina.

Survivors of the Buchenwald concentration camp have been joined by U.S. veterans and German dignitaries at a ceremony marking the 65th anniversary of its liberation. The U.S. Army freed Buchenwald on April 11, 1945. Some 56,000 people died at the Nazi camp, including Jews, communists, Gypsies and others from across central Europe.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Harlingen, Texas, Oceanside, California, Norton, Massachusetts, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Grants Pass, Oregon, Nashville, Tennessee, Vineland, New Jersey, Swartz Creek, Michigan, and Stockton, California.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Parsippany, New Jersey, Salem, Oregon, Lafayette, Louisiana, Bellingham, Washington, Santa Cruz, California, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Jacksonville, Illinois, Glens Falls, New York, Bernardsville, New Jersey, and South Weber, Utah.

The men were saying goodbye once again to those who did not come home from Vietnam. Inside the stainless steel-lined coffin-shaped vault were flowers, letters, photos, jewelry and other mementos left at the base of the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall during its 10-day stay earlier this month at Rose Hills.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Redondo Beach, California, Clarksville, Tennessee, Schaumburg, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, Washington, DC, Whittier, California, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Utah, Charlotte, North Carolina, Bay City, Michigan, and Dallas, Texas.

South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) in San Antonio, Texas, is among six organizations recognized by The Quality Texas Foundation for Achievement in Organizational Excellence for effective and systematic approaches to organizational management. South Texas is in good company with Raytheon and Baylor Medical Center among those recognized by the Foundation. The Quality Texas Foundation is a non-profit corporation focused on quality assessment and feedback, education, training, and recognition to help businesses, schools, hospitals, non-profits, and government agencies improve performance.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Hernando, Mississippi, Oroville, California, Rochester, Minnesota, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Lompoc, California, Ottawa, Illinois, Harrington, Delaware, Santa Cruz, California, St George, Utah, and Bath, New York.

The U.S. Navy Veterans Association, a group that claims to raise money for vets and their families, has been ordered to stop fundraising in New Mexico. The office of state Attorney General Gary King determined two of the officers of the state chapter are listed at fictitious addresses, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Springfield, Illinois, Natchez, Mississippi, Plant City, Florida, North Platte, Nebraska, Seattle, Washington, Yountville, California, Royal Oak, Michigan, Grand Island, Nebraska, New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Hillsboro, Oregon.

Louisville-area Veterans are another step closer to receiving expanded access to high quality, state-of-the-art medical care. The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced plans to acquire land to expand the VA’s 21st century health care locally.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Marshalltown, Iowa, Norristown, Pennsylvania, Victoria, Texas, Manchester, Missouri, Roanoke, Virginia, Clearlake, California, Bangor, Maine, Superior, Wisconsin, Jackson, Michigan, and Austin, Texas.

Did you know that April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month? About one in five women and one in a hundred men seen in VA medical facilities report that they experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST); that is, sexual assault or repeated, threatening sexual harassment that occurred during military service. MST can affect veterans' physical and mental health many years after the event.

The Supreme Court will soon consider whether to hear an appeal from David L. Henderson, who was discharged from the military in 1952 after receiving a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. He sought additional government help for his condition in 2001, and he was turned down in 2004.

* From the VA * VA's spending obligations under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 have surpassed $1.1 billion, a tribute...

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Harlingen, Texas, Abbeville, Louisiana, Bismark, North Dakota, Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Amarillo, Texas, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Little River, North Carolina, Whittier, California, Ventura, California, and Palmer Lake, Colorado.

Labeling an illness “presumptive” means that vets who served in Vietnam and have one of these conditions do not have to prove its association with their service, speeding up and simplifying the application for and processing of benefits.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Gardner, Massachusetts, Rutgers, New Jersey, Baltimore, Maryland, Rolling Meadows, Illinois, Bend, Oregon, Kerrville, Texas, Corvallis, Oregon, Providence, Rhode Iskand, Austin, Minnesota, and Broomfield, Colorado.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from

VA is establishing new partnerships with five of the country’s finest nursing schools to strengthen its nurse corps. These new VA Nursing Academy partnerships will expand the number of collaborations between the department and nursing schools from 10 to 15. “The expanded role of VA in the education of nurses will ensure the department has the nurses needed to continue our world-class health care for Veterans,” said Dr. Linda D. Johnson, director of VA Nursing Academy.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Ocala, Florida, Springfield, Missouri, Montgomery, Alabama, Sierra Vista, Arizona, San Diego, California, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Pensacola, Florida, Albany, New York, Okaloosa, Florida, and Rothschild, Wisconsin.

Until about noon on Wednesday, dozens of websites were identifying themselves with a Red Cross-ish logo and names like "VA Medical Center Palo Alto," or "VA Hospital San Francisco," or "VA Medical Center Gainesville" though they had no affiliation with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. They were actually operated by plaintiffs law firms that were searching for clients with asbestos-related diseases.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Dickinson, Murphysboro, Illinois,, North Dakota, Las Cruces, New Mexico, La Salle, Illinois, Painesville, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois, Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and Evanston, Illinois.

Formerly homeless Veteran, Jeffery Anderson has stabilized home and family thanks to his new job at the Waco, Texas, VA Regional Office. In response to Secretary Shinseki’s charge to end homelessness among Veterans within five years, the Waco VA Regional Office began a Homeless Veterans Hiring Initiative.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Coos Bay, Oregon, Albuquerque, New Mexico, St. Paul, Minnesota, Roseburg, Oregon, Palm Beach, Florida, Washington, DC, and Madison, Wisconsin.