By Caren Bohan
WASHINGTON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Tuesday chose a retired military doctor and decorated Vietnam veteran to head the veterans agency criticized over shoddy health care for soldiers wounded in the Iraq and Afghan wars.
Lt. Gen. James Peake was chosen as Bush's nominee as secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department. If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace Jim Nicholson, who left government to join the private sector.
Peake, a former Army surgeon general, would be the first physican and first general to hold the job. As someone who was wounded twice in combat, Peake "understands the view from both sides of the hospital bed," Bush said.
The selection of Peake came eight months after a scandal erupted over reports of poor health care for veterans of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Bush has apologized for the problems, which included dilapidated conditions at the flagship Walter Reed Army Medical Center and bureaucratic delays faced by soldiers seeking care for their injuries.
He also has embraced the findings of a panel formed to recommend how to fix the problems in veterans care.
The veterans agency was also criticized after the revelation in 2006 that a laptop computer containing data on 26.5 million veterans had been stolen. The laptop was later recovered.
At the White House ceremony where his selection was announced, Peake acknowledged continued flaws with some of the services provided to veterans and pledged to overhaul them.
"The disability system is largely a 1945 product, 1945 processes, around a 1945 family unit. About everybody that has studied it recently said it is time to do some revisions," Peake said.
Peake was nominated by President Bill Clinton as Army surgeon general and served in that role from 2000-2004. After leaving that post, he worked for Project Hope, a nonprofit international health organization.
Most recently, Peake was chief medical director for QTC Management Inc., a private firm that provides medical exams and electronic medical records services for veterans.
Congressional Democrats this week criticized Bush for taking too long to name a replacement for Nicholson, a former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee who said in July he was leaving.
Peake has served in military medicine for more than 40 years and served in the Vietnam War. He was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in combat and a Bronze Star for acts for valor.
He graduated from the U.S. military academy at West Point and got his medical training at Cornell University.
Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat who is running for president, said he hoped Peake would bring a "new era of leadership" to the veterans agency. But Obama said budget shortfalls, inadequate care and other problems had marked the Bush administration's oversight of the agency.
(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria)
Labels: VA News
Cox News Service
WASHINGTON | Nearly 1.8 million U.S. veterans are without health insurance, and more than half of them said they had no place to go when they were sick, researchers reported Tuesday.
The finding contradicts many Americans’ assumption that all veterans qualify for free health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The uninsured veterans are primarily low- to middle-income workers, ages 44 to 64, who are too poor to afford private insurance coverage but not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or VA health care, the Harvard Medical School researchers said.
Analyzing data from two federal surveys, the researchers found that more than one-fourth of the uninsured veterans said they did not get needed medical care or delayed it because of its cost. Nearly half said they had not had an office visit or contact with a health professional in more than a year, and two-thirds said they received no preventive care.
The study also found that more than 25 percent of uninsured veterans said they could not afford prescriptions, and more than 20 percent said they could not afford eyeglasses.
The researchers said the main cause for the large number of uninsured veterans was the narrowing of eligibility for health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2003, the Bush administration limited VA health-care eligibility to veterans with combat-related health problems or those making less than $30,000 a year.
“I was not surprised to hear that (1.8 million veterans are uninsured) … given the large number of uninsured in this country,” said John Rowan, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America.
There are nearly 24 million U.S. veterans, according to the VA.
The study is based on an analysis of government surveys released between 1988 and 2005. It will be published in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
Labels: VA News
One More Post
Did I kick ass or what. I think the site looks great, (clap myself on the back) I got more to come. let me know what you think about the new look.
WASHINGTON -- A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employee in Boston, Dr. Jonathan Shay, has been awarded the so-called “Genius Award” from the MacArthur Foundation. Shay, the author of two popular books about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has been a VA staff psychiatrist treating combat veterans with PTSD since November 1987.
“Dr. Shay is living proof that VA is providing our veterans with the best health care this country has to offer, especially for the treatment of PTSD,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “Our veterans deserve -- and VA is providing -- world-class health care.”
Shay was one of 24 Americans who each recently received a $500,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, one of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations, for “exceptional merit and promise of continued creative work.” Shay combines a study of classic literature with 20 years of experience treating veterans in Boston to explain PTSD to both the public and health care professionals.
In addition to publications in professional journals, he is the author of Achilles in Vietnam and Odysseus in America, two widely regarded books that helped spread the understanding that PTSD is an age-old battlefield injury by comparing the works of the ancient Greek poet Homer to the experiences of modern combat veterans.
He also pioneered the use of certain anti-depression medicine, called “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,” for combat trauma, a treatment that now has broad endorsement for veterans with psychological injury.
Besides working for VA, Shay has also worked with the military services and the Defense Department in a variety of capacities to foster an understanding of PTSD, improve military leadership and strengthen ethics training for the military.
Shay received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College, and his M.D. and Ph.D. in neuropathology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Labels: VA News
WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2007--Congress' nonchalant attitude towards President Bush's war funding request yesterday is not what the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. expected from a wartime Congress.
"Our nation is at war, yet congressional leaders would rather continue to debate the administration's policies than fulfill their obligation to support the troops with adequate and timely funding," said George Lisicki, a Vietnam combat veteran from Carteret, N.J.
“Our men and women in uniform are doing everything within their power to succeed in Afghanistan and Iraq,” he said. “Their families are keeping the home front functioning so that their loved ones can stay mission focused. The administration has new military leadership with a new plan that is working. The only part of the team that isn’t pulling its weight in this war is Congress.”
The new funding request for $196.4 billion is in addition to the Defense Department’s fiscal year 2008 budget, which is among the 12 major spending bills that the House and Senate have approved separately but have yet to consolidate for the president’s signature. The federal government’s new fiscal year began Oct. 1. It is currently operating on a temporary stopgap measure that expires Nov. 16.
The media is reporting that House and Senate leadership will wait until next year before advancing the president’s new request, the bulk of which would go to DOD. The funds would purchase 7,200 new mine-resistant vehicles, fill equipment shortfalls, repair damaged equipment, enhance roadside bomb countermeasures, and fund military construction projects, as well as improve medical and rehabilitation programs for wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
On Monday, President Bush said, “I know some in Congress are against the war [in Iraq] and are seeking ways to demonstrate that opposition. I recognize their position – and they should make their views heard – but they ought to make sure our troops have what it takes to succeed.”
The VFW’s national commander, who met with the president yesterday on this topic, agrees.
“Every day in Iraq is better than the day before,” said Lisicki. “A stable and secure environment is allowing their economy to bounce back, and that is bringing political reconciliation. Our troops have done everything asked of them under the most difficult of conditions. All they are asking from the U.S. Congress is for a chance to finish the job.”
Labels: VFW News
My last post here
I'll be working on my own blog from now on. Greg and Tom will be responsible for all the content on this site from now on. I will stay on to take care of the look of the site, and making changes as they request. My effort will be better used in getting this site to look good. Take it easy.
Liberty County Veteran's Grave Vandalized
By Elizabeth Scarborough
Lance Cpl. Jeremy Burris, 22, of Liberty, died in Iraq and was buried at Cook Memorial Cemetery earlier this week.The cemetery has a locked gate at the front and a fence around the perimeter, but vandals managed to get in sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, less than two days after the Liberty marine was buried, officials said.part and stuff was strewn everywhere."Burris was laid to rest on Tuesday. Huge crowds lined the streets to bid him a final farewell. The community is now in shock.Tom Smathers, a Liberty resident said, "It's terrible. You can't believe someone would do something like that.""They're doing their best to keep us safe. It's horrible," said resident William Dozer.Liberty police said they have no leads and no idea who would do this or why, but even the chief is outraged."This is a despicable act. In 30 years of policing, it's probably the lowest event I have witnessed," said Chief Mike Cummings.He stressed that vandalizing a grave is a crime, and asked for the public's help in figuring out the culprits.Anyone with information is asked to call Liberty Police at 936-366-5666.
I would like to say if the vandals are caught they should be sent to Marine boot camp and made to graduate. It just shows you the caliber of children that are being raised today.
Peace Greg
Labels: VFW News
Photos of troops overseas are gone from Paso post office, inspiring outrage
From customers to congressmen, the removal of dozens of photos of U.S. troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan – many of them with relatives who use the Paso Robles Post Office, where the pictures had been on display for years behind the counter – inspired outrage Friday.
The photos were taken down after a customer complained that the display was pro-war. When the issue came to the attention of the regional postal center, they asked that Paso Robles postmaster Mike Milby and his staff take them down because they violate a regulation against displays of non-postal business material at any U.S. post office.
“It’s an emotional issue and people look at their post office as a hub of the community, but the post office is there to do postal business and it’s not a place to post things or make displays,” said postal spokesman Richard Maher.
Two signs posted at the postal counter Friday said “We are being forced to remove the pictures from out wall of our boys and girls in the military. Please ask for your pictures back.”
Clerks were constantly barraged with questions about why the display had gone down Friday, which most people expressing dismay that the photos had been removed.
Maher said the post office will not be punished for the display.
Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) weighed in on the removal after his office was besieged with dozens of phone calls from constituents upset about the removal.
“Supporting our local heroes’ bravery and sacrifice is common sense. That is why I am troubled with the Paso Robles Post Office’s removal of pictures honoring the sacrifice of our brave men and women serving in the Armed Services. I am in contact with the Postal Service to get a clear answer of why this happened and determine what actions can be taken,” the congressman said in a statement.
McCarthy is going to try to get the pictures put back up, said his spokesman Nick Bouknight, even if it requires changing the postal regulations to do it.
-Leah Etling
Labels: VFW News
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WE BUY THE FOOD, YOU PAY FOR YOUR OWN DRINKS
IF YOU NEED A RIDE LET US KNOW WHEN YOU RSVP
U.S. law to allow veterans and servicemen not in uniform to salute the
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla..) today
praised the passage by unanimous consent of his bill ( S.1877) clarifying
U.S. law to allow veterans and servicemen not in uniform to salute the
flag. Current law (US Code Title 4, Chapter 1) states that veterans and
servicemen not in uniform should place their hand over their heart
without clarifying whether they can or should salute the flag.
'The salute is a form of honor and respect, representing pride
in one's military service,' Senator Inhofe said. 'Veterans and service
members continue representing the military services even when not in
uniform. 'Unfortunately, current U.S. law leaves confusion as to whether
veterans and service members out of uniform can or should salute the
flag. My legislation will clarify this regulation, allowing veterans and
servicemen alike to salute the flag, whether they are in uniform or not.
'I look forward to seeing those who have served saluting proudly at
baseball games, parades, and formal events.
I believe this is an appropriate way to honor and recognize the
25 million veterans in the United States who have served in the military
and remain as role models to others citizens. Those who are currently
serving or have served in the military have earned this right, and their
recognition will be an inspiration to others.'
This Bill was passed July 25, 2007. Let your veteran friends
know about the Passage of this Bill
Labels: VFW News
|
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2007--The national commander of America's largest organization of combat veterans is urging Congress to immediately pass two key funding packages so that the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs can begin bringing the recommendations made by a pair of wounded veterans' benefits commissions into reality.
"The two most important issues in America today are the war and the care of our wounded veterans," said George Lisicki, a Vietnam veteran from Carteret, N.J., who leads the 2.3 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.
"But Congress has yet to pass any fiscal year 2008 funding bill, to include the VA's, which Congress has touted as the largest VA budget increase in history," he said. "You can't brag about something until you finish the job, and that means consolidating the two House and Senate versions into one bill for the president's signature."
This marks the eighth consecutive year the VA started a new fiscal year without an on-time budget. The federal government's new fiscal year began Oct. 1.
The VFW wants the DOD and VA budgets passed so that some of recommendations made by the two commissions – the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission and the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors – can be accomplished without the need to seek additional appropriations.
One key recommendation the VFW fully supports is having the VA assign disability ratings to transitioning servicemen and women instead of having the onus fall on DOD; making fit-for-duty determinations will remain a military service responsibility. Other recommendations would address the VA claims backlog, provide compensation for a disability's impact on an individual's quality of life, expand TRICARE benefits, and allow all current war veterans to receive VA mental health services without first receiving a service-connected determination, among others.
But nothing is going to move forward without funding.
"There is absolutely no excuse for Congress to fail in its primary responsibility to legislate and appropriate funding," said Lisicki. "DOD is fighting a war and the VA is a partner in that fight. They need funding, not empty rhetoric, because the war is producing casualties who will need a lifetime of care. The budget holdup is severely restricting medical research, healthcare advancements, and equipment and facility upgrades. Congress keeps demanding that DOD and VA improve their systems, but improvements go hand-in-hand with funding."
Lisicki believes the reason for Congress' inaction is some of the members are too busy politicking to do their jobs.
"Partisan politics is preventing our country from moving forward," he said. "We need elected officials who know how to think on their own and who can compromise when it puts the best interests of America first, and that's why I am now urging my entire membership to tell their senators and representatives to pass the DOD and VA budgets immediately.
"Our nation is at war. There are no higher priorities."
To contact a member of the Senate, go to click here.
To contact a member of the House, click here.
To read the Disability Benefits Commission report, click here.
To read the President's Commission report, click here.
To read testimony from an Oct. 17 Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, click here. |
Labels: VFW News
A young boy in the stands watches the men assemble on the field of the Commerce Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, N.J – the home of the Somerset Patriots Baseball Team –on a warm summer afternoon. “Why are those men on the field in uniforms?” he asks his father. “What did they do that was so special?”
Dad explains that those are veterans who have defended our country and deserve to be recognized and honored by a grateful nation. The young child smiles and waves his little United States flag wildly as the parade goes by.
Moments like this make Joe Yuzuik, VFW Post 2290 in Manville, N.J., and the other organizers of the “Veterans of America Day” celebration proud to be affiliated with the event now in its fifth year.
Yuzuik remembers how it all started.
After a July 4, 2003, fireworks display, Yuzuik said he approached Steve Kalafer, team and stadium owner, and asked him if he would honor veterans.
“Steve immediately said the ballpark was ours," Yuzuik said, "and the Patriots would make sure we got whatever we needed to accomplish a tribute.”
With the help of Yuzuik's friends -- John Dorell, an Army Vietnam veteran, and Pat DeChirico, a Marine Corps Korean War through Operation Desert Storm veteran -- things began to take shape.
Since 2003, events have included keynote speakers such as Medal of Honor recipients and important military leaders like former Brigadier General Janis Karpinski.
Most recently, VFW national commander-in-chief, George Lisicki, addressed the crowd – and even threw out the first pitch of that day’s game!
Other patriotic activities have included flyovers from WWII planes, rifle salutes, echo taps, color guards from various military and veterans organizations and stirring musical performances.
Outside the stadium, local groups such as the Boy and Girl Scouts and the Bridgewater Police Force set up booths that are popular with the community. Inside, there are tables laden with information specific to veterans seeking help with benefits and entitlements issues.
As a Vietnam veteran, Yuzuik said the ceremony has special significance to him.
“I survived Vietnam and did not question it,” he said. “I have a caring and wonderful wife, Nancy, a beautiful daughter, Kristin, and the support of true friends. I don’t take anything for granted – I take life one day at a time and enjoy what the day brings.”
“Veterans of America Day” is a moving and respectful occasion that draws veterans from all over the area, as well as from the local VA Hospital and Soldier’s Home Yuzuik said, adding that the other organizers are humbled to be in presence of the veterans who attend.
“The ceremony is getting bigger every year,” he said. “To be able to honor veterans for the sacrifices they have made, to be able to meet veterans from all of the wars, to have had the privilege and honor of being on the same field as Medal of Honor recipients and a survivor of the Bataan Death March – I feel that I have been blessed.”
Labels: VFW News
On Oct. 12, 2000, our nation lost 17 of America’s finest sailors when terrorists attacked USS Cole while the guided-missile destroyer was moored in the Gulf of Aden in Yemen.
Today, as we honor those sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice for service, we are reminded that they were committed to something larger than themselves and genuinely understood the call of duty for the greater good. They stood proud and met every challenge with an understanding that there is a price to be paid for freedom. To our fallen comrades, America stands united in celebrating your lives because it is you, our fallen, who have provided us with hope and courage.
We also are reminded that more lives could have been lost on that dreadful day had it not been for the heroic efforts of USS Cole crewmembers and their dedication in saving their ship.
It is fitting that today, as we honor our fallen, that we also praise and thank the men and women in the U.S. Navy as they celebrate the 232nd year of their rich heritage in defending freedoms and promoting peace.
God bless America.
George Lisicki
VFW Commander-in-Chief
Week of October 15, 2007
October is National Depression Education and Awareness Month. As the season changes and the days get shorter, some people develop symptoms of depression when days with less sunlight can lower brain serotonin levels affecting mood and behavior. Depression can come in different forms exhibiting many different symptoms. A confidential screening test for depression is available at the DoD's
Mental Health Self-Assessment Program website. Non-active duty TRICARE beneficiaries can find out more about getting help by visiting the Mental Health and Behavior section under the "My Benefit" portal at
www.tricare.mil. The CDC's
Understanding Depression --Yours and Theirs webpage. More information on depression is also available on the
Army Medicine website.
Labels: Health, VFW Vets
By Will Higgins will.higgins@indystar.com
VA official wants to make it easier for soldiers' families to get grants
More than $1 million is sitting idle in a fund to help Indiana soldiers fighting the war on terrorism.
The Military Family and Relief Fund was set up in 2006 by the Indiana General Assembly to assist soldiers' families who are financially strapped because of an overseas deployment. So far, with nearly 1,000 Indiana National Guard troops deployed and thousands of others recently returned from serving their country, just $22,000 in grants have been awarded.
Tom Applegate, director of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs, said Tuesday he plans to propose eliminating a prerequisite he says prevents many deserving families from tapping the fund: "We need to delete the requirement (that the soldier) needs to be earning less money while deployed than in his regular job."
Most troops get a pay raise while deployed, but that doesn't mean the family back home doesn't suffer, Applegate said. "There could be more child-care costs, and in some cases the spouse can no longer work full time."
Applegate testified before the Commission on Military and Veterans Affairs, a consortium of state lawmakers chaired by Sen. Thomas J. Wyss, R-Fort Wayne.
"We need to make sure (the funds) get to those who need it," said Wyss, noting the upcoming deployment of the Indiana Guard's 76th Infantry Brigade's 3,500 troops.
The General Assembly would have to approve a change in the fund's criteria. Lawmakers convene briefly Nov. 20, and the legislative session starts in early January.
The 76th is expected to deploy in December and ship out to Iraq in March. It would be the Indiana Guard's largest deployment since World War II.
The fund gets its money through sales of specialty license plates. About 32,500 "Hoosier Veteran" plates have been sold, with $15 from each sale going to the fund. Half as many "Support Our Troops" plates have been sold, with $20 from each sale going to the fund. The state matches that money, up to $450,000 a year.
The maximum grant amount for families is $2,000. So far, 11 grants have been awarded. More than that have been turned down, though "fewer than 20," Applegate said.
Those numbers suggest either little interest in the grants or, more likely, that many soldiers don't know about them, Applegate said. He said he would redouble his efforts to get the word out by publicizing the available money through veterans groups such as the American Legion.
There are 975 Indiana Guard troops deployed for the wars: 10 in Afghanistan, 75 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the remainder in Iraq.
Labels: VFW News
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Florida: A rocket carrying a satellite used for communication by the United States Air Force lifted off Wednesday night.
The Atlas V, which launched at 8:22 p.m. (0022 Thursday), is carrying a Wideband Global SATCOM satellite. It is the first of at least five satellites that will be placed in orbit through 2008.
The system will replace the current Defense Satellite Communications System that has been used for military communications for the last two decades. This first satellite will cover the Pacific Zone which includes Hawaii, Japan and Southeast Asia. Each spacecraft will cost $350 million (€247.42 million).
The DSCS system will be used in conjunction with WGS until being phased out within the next few years.
Col. David Urich, the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing vice commander, said the first spacecraft alone "will provide more capacity than all the current DSCS satellites currently in use."The launch was scheduled for Tuesday, but delayed a day as engineers checked data that might have indicated the Atlas V rocket would have fallen short of its intended orbit.
Stars and Stripes | October 06, 2007
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Marine Corps ended fiscal 2007 with more than 186,000 Marines, surpassing its goal of 184,000, Corps officials said.
That means the Corps is on track to grow to 202,000 Marines by fiscal 2011, which will help give Marines two months at home for every month in combat, officials told reporters on Thursday.
The Corps' plan calls for the Corps increasing to 189,000 Marines by the end of fiscal 2008; 194,000 Marines by fiscal 2009; 199,000 Marines by fiscal 2010; and 202,000 Marines by fiscal 2011.
Asked if the Corps might reach 202,000 before fiscal 2011, a Corps official said the Corps is facing an "unprecedented" recruiting challenge.
"To suggest that we do it faster scares us even more," the official said. "We had a very successful year. We made our recruiting goals; we exceeded [them] by a small amount. ... But we think we are pushing the maximum of our capability."
For fiscal 2007, the Corps signed up 35,603 recruits, which is 27 more than the Corps' fiscal 2007 goal, the official said.
The official stressed that the Corps did not lower its standards to get more recruits.
"Quality begets quality; that's one of the mantras of our recruiters," the official said.
Also in fiscal 2007, the Corps reenlisted 7,668 Marines who faced their first re-enlistment opportunity, known as first-term Marines, and 10,027 Marines who have already re-enlisted at least once , officials said. Friday.
That translates into 31 percent of eligible first-term Marines and 70 percent of eligible Marines who have already re-enlisted at least once, compared with 22 percent and 65 percent respectively in fiscal 2006, officials said Thursday.
Several retention incentives announced for fiscal 2007 will continue into this fiscal year, including eliminating restrictions on how many Marines approaching their first re-enlistment can stay with the Corps - known as "boat spaces," officials said.
Selective re-enlistment bonuses will continue to be offered on a flat rate with a $10,000 re-enlistment incentive rolled into the bonus itself, officials said.
Any further re-enlistment incentives would be announced in forthcoming Marine corps administrative Messages, an official said.
You can run but you can't hide. I think this sets a good example for the people who think they don't have to pay income tax. You drive on the streets and use the modern comforts of the country. How the hell do you think that stuff was paid for? Want a top notch Military? It just doesn't exist with out the all mighty tax dollar. Ed and Elaine I wish you a happy five years in Federal prison.
A couple convicted of tax evasion was taken into custody after a five-month-long standoff with federal agents in New Hampshire, a federal law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation told CNN.
Ed and Elaine Brown, who had refused to surrender to authorities to serve their prison sentences, were taken into custody without incident Thursday evening by U.S. Marshals at about 8:00 p.m.
The Browns had been holed up in their concrete-reinforced home in Plainfield, New Hampshire.
They were convicted of evading $1.9 million in taxes -- a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. The Browns were sentenced in absentia in April.
Throughout the ordeal, the Browns insisted there was no valid law that requires them to pay income taxes.
"We have committed no crime and we will not go to prison for non-crimes," Elaine Brown told CNN in June.
Marshals cut off utilities to the house in early June, but the Browns told CNN it was not much of a hardship because they had their own wind turbine, as well as solar panels that provided some electricity.
Also, their property covers more than 103 acres, so there was plenty of wood to keep them warm in the winter, they said.
The couple and their New Hampshire home had become a rallying spot for anti-government supporters. Randy Weaver -- a survivor of the 1992 incident in Ruby Ridge, Idaho -- had recently visited the Browns to show his support.
Over the summer, the Browns invited their supporters and friends to an outdoor party on their property that included live music, bocci and barbeque. Their online invitations asked attendees to "stand in solidarity with the Browns against income tax fraud and celebrate freedom."
U.S. Marshal Steve Monier told CNN the service had no desire to engage in a violent confrontation with the Browns. "But warrants aren't going away. They will serve their prison sentence," he added.
The Browns, who are in their 60s, now likely face a host of other charges.
They accumulated the back taxes between 1996 and 2003, in part from money made from Elaine's private dental practice.
Four people accused of aiding and abetting the Browns, including one man who allegedly provided security, were arrested and taken into custody in mid-September.
Labels: Long arm of the law
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2007--The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is applauding the 13 members of the
Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission for keeping a promise to make the system better for disabled veterans, servicemembers and their families. The commission unveiled their
562-page report yesterday after more than two years of research and interviews.
VFW Commander-in-Chief George Lisicki, a Vietnam veteran from Carteret, N.J., said that some in the veterans' community were initially skeptical because they thought the commission was formed to cut programs and benefits. "But there is no doubt from the report that the skeptics were wrong," he said. "The commission kept its promise to care for those who have borne the battle."
The commission report includes 113 recommendations, 14 of which were considered to be priorities. These recommendations would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a permanent committee to regularly update the rating schedule that guides the VA's evaluation of service-connected disabilities, especially where it concerns traumatic brain injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders, and other mental or neurological injuries or diseases. The commission said the rating schedule revision is needed to include compensation for the impact a service-connected disability has on an individual's quality of life, something current law provides only to the most seriously disabled.
Also recommended was the elimination of the ban on concurrent receipt for all military retirees and those who are medically-separated before reaching the 20-year retirement point, as well as ending the offset that currently prevents survivors of veterans who die on active duty or as the result of service-connected disabilities from collecting both their Defense Department Survivor Benefit Plan payment and VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
Other priorities address a reduction in the VA claims backlog and adjudication cycle, the creation of a standard disability rating examination, the seamless transition of electronic medical records between DOD and VA, and the creation of a co-chaired VA-DOD oversight group to implement the commission's recommendations.
Lisicki said this is the third commission to file a report this year that addresses how the nation treats and compensates its disabled veterans and servicemembers.
"But this one is different, because it wasn't established in response to the substandard outpatient housing debacle at Walter Reed Army Medical Center," he explained.
"The Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission was created by the 2004 defense authorization bill to examine the disability benefits system. This report is much more thorough, and for that reason, it must carry more weight within the administration and Congress."
The VFW national commander now wants his organization to participate in the VA-DOD oversight group that was recommended to examine and implement the commission's 113 proposals.
"Veterans organizations must have a seat at the table if we're to make the system better for everyone involved," said Lisicki, who leads the nation's oldest major veterans' organization and its largest organization of combat veterans.
"The VFW has a vested interest in ensuring these recommendations become reality."
Labels: VFW News
VA Previews Texas Site for “Polytrauma” Health Care
WASHINGTON – The Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital will house the nation’s newest Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, where seriously injured and wounded veterans can go to receive intensive medical rehabilitation for treatment of disabilities due to trauma, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said today.
VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Michael J. Kussman on Friday visited the site, which will eventually house one floor of polytrauma ward space (12 beds) and transitional housing (12 apartments); one floor of polytrauma rehabilitation and multi-purpose space; and one floor for physical medicine and prosthetics service.
“VA manages the only nationwide network to care for polytrauma patients, and we are aggressively researching new methods of identifying and treating traumatic brain injury. San Antonio will play a critical role in our ability to properly care for these badly injured veterans,” Kussman said. “We are the world’s leader in traumatic brain injury, rehabilitation and research.”
“Polytrauma” refers to multiple injuries such as loss of vision or limbs and brain injuries, frequently caused by improvised explosive devices used by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan. Service members who are close to those blasts can suffer a range of brain injuries, even if they don’t suffer from a visible wound. Those injuries are called “traumatic brain injuries” (TBI).
VA created four special TBI centers in 1992 in Minneapolis, Minn.; Richmond, Va.; Tampa, Fla.; and Palo Alto, Calif. The centers expanded their mission in recent years to assist TBI patients and service members suffering from other serious problems, including amputations, burns, blindness and post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Their new designation as polytrauma centers reflects their expanded mission. The facilities have structured their services around teams of specialists.
Last year, the four polytrauma centers were joined by 17 other regionally-based facilities to meet the needs of less severely injured veterans or those whose conditions had stabilized at one of the four primary polytrauma centers.
“The polytrauma system of care has been designed to balance the needs of our combat injured for highly specialized care with their needs for more local access to life-long rehabilitative care,” Kussman said.
The San Antonio project will consist of two stages. In the first, VA will construct an 84,000 square-foot, three-level building for rehabilitation, transitional living and prosthetics. This will be followed by renovation of 32,500 square feet of office and exam room spaces in the main medical center building at the veterans medical center.
The cost of the entire project is estimated at $66 million. Construction is expected to begin next year.
Congress Fails To Pass On-Time VA Budget
As they have for the better part of a decade, Congress has failed to pass an on-time budget for VA. The government’s new fiscal year begins on October 1, and instead of pressing forward on the VA Appropriations bill, each chamber has passed a stopgap funding measure while will fund VA and the rest of the government through November 16th. This means that, in the short term, VA will be funded on last year’s level – a level that does not account for the growing numbers of veterans seeking care. The stopgap budget they have approved is roughly $6.7 billion less than what Congress itself has decided what VA needs, and will hamper VA’s efforts to recruit and retain the highest quality doctors, nurses and health care professionals. It will also delay VA’s ability to hire and train disability compensation claims processors, impairing VA’s ability to manage the ever-growing backlog.
This past week, VFW let Congress know that we expect them to approve the budget on-time. The differences between the House and Senate versions are negligible, and the bipartisan support for the bill would ensure its success if it had come up for a vote. Congressional leaders, however, decided to use the broad support for it to attach less politically popular provisions, turning it into a large omnibus bill and delaying its passage.
The VFW calls on Congress to end the political games and do what is right for this nation’s veterans, especially those wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. We urge all VFW members, and any concerned veterans’ advocates you know to call your Congressman and Senators, to tell them to immediately pass the VA budget. This nation’s 24 million veterans are looking to them to do the right thing.
BAGHDAD - A military panel on Friday acquitted U.S. Army Spc. Jorge G. Sandoval on charges he killed two unarmed Iraqis, but it convicted him of planting evidence on one of the men in attempt to cover up the shooting.
Sandoval, 22, of Laredo, Texas, had faced five charges in the April and May deaths of two unidentified men. He was found not guilty of the two murder charges, but the panel decided he had placed a spool of detonation wire on one of the bodies to make it look as if the man was an insurgent.
Lawyers for Sandoval said he should be sentenced only for misplacement of public or private property, which carries no more than six months in prison. Prosecutors argued he should be punished for obstruction of justice, which carries a maximum five-year sentence. He will be sentenced on Saturday.
"Anyone who has been charged with murder for their first kill on the battlefield on the order of his superior and is found not guilty is happy," Capt. Craig Drummond, a defense attorney, said outside court after the verdict. "Today what the panel concluded was justice. This soldier is not guilty."
During the two-day court-martial, Sandoval's colleagues testified they were following orders when they shot the men during two separate incidents on April 27 and May 11.
Spc. Alexander Flores of Hayward, Calif., who was in the same squad as Sandoval on the day of the April killing, testified they were acting on the orders of their platoon leader who said the suspect was "our guy" and ordered them to "move in," which they interpreted as "take the target out."
After the killing, Flores said Staff Sgt. Michael Hensley of Candler, N.C., told him to place a spool of detonation wire on the body and in the man's pocket.
But prosecutors cited an interview with Sandoval immediately after his arrest in which he said he planted the wire. Outside court, Flores stood by his testimony.
"He was just doing his job, as he was told. It's not his fault," said Flores, who, along with the rest of Sandoval's sniper platoon, greeted him with hugs and well wishes.
In the May shooting, Sgt. Evan Vela of Rigby, Idaho, said Hensley told him to shoot the man, who had stumbled upon their snipers' hide-out, although he was not armed and had his hands in the air when he approached the soldiers.
"He (Hensley) asked me if I was ready. I had the pistol out. I heard the word shoot. I don't remember pulling the trigger. It took me a second to realize that the shot came from the pistol in my hand," Vela testified, crying.
Vela said that as the Iraqi man was convulsing on the ground, "Hensley kind of laughed about it and hit the guy on the throat and said shoot again."
"After he (the Iraqi man) was shot, Hensley pulled an AK-47 out of his rucksack and said, 'This is what we are going to say happened,'" said Vela, who testified on Thursday under a deal that bars his account of events from being used against him when he goes to trial. Sandoval also was acquitted Friday of charges he planted the weapon on the second man's body.
Vela and Hensley are both charged in the case and will be tried separately.
The three soldiers are part of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, based at Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Vela's lawyer, Gary Myers, alleged this week that Army snipers hunting insurgents in Iraq were under orders to "bait" their targets with suspicious materials, such as detonation cords, then kill those who picked up the items. He said his client was acting on "orders."
Asked about the existence of the "baiting program," Drummond said it was unclear "what programs were going on out there and when," especially "if there were things that were done that made the rules of engagement not clear."
VFW Statement on MoveOn.org attack on Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, and subsequent attempts to use the issue for partisan politics:
"It was absolutely unacceptable for MoveOn.org to ridicule and question the motives and allegiances of America's senior military commander in Iraq. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus is trying to win a war as quickly and with as few casualties as possible. He and the men and women under his command must remain focused on the enemy at their front and not the naysayers at home.
"Equally disgusting are those who would use the personal attack on General Petraeus for political gain. Americans may have become desensitized to dirty politics in Washington, but we can still recognize when innocents are being used. Our brave servicemen and women are not political pawns. They serve selflessly to protect our nation and every freedom we enjoy. The right to free speech is not permission to exploit."George J. Lisicki
Commander-in-Chief
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
Washington, D.C.Labels: VFW Post 10592
Fairy Tale
One day, long, long ago, there was this woman who
did not whine, nag, or bitch........
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But this was a long time ago......
and it was just ONE day.
The End
