FW: VFW Action Corps Weekly, March 6, 2015

  

Ya' know, every once in a while something comes along that is just perfect!!!

We are here on earth to do good unto others. What the others are here for, I have no idea. 

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Subject: VFW Action Corps Weekly, March 6, 2015
To: rserge1@outlook.com
From: amarkel@vfw.org
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2015 16:32:29 -0500

March 6, 2015 In This Issue: 1. Commander Testifies, VFW Meets One-on-One with Congress 2. VFW Discusses Sequestration with President 3. House Passes Two Important VA Bills 4. Student Vets Join VFW to Storm the Hill 5. VFW Participates in Toxic Exposures Roundtable 6. VFW Participates in Appeals Roundtable 7. Sanders Receives VFW Congressional Award 8. Carter Becomes New SECDEF 9. Army Airborne Hazards Study Looks for Participants 10. Eight WWII Airmen Identified 1. Commander Testifies, VFW Meets One-on-One with Congress: VFW members from across the country converged on Capitol Hill this week to set VFW's agenda for the year. Members from every department met with their state's congressional members and staff to outline the 2015 Priority Goals and provide more detailed solutions to pressing issues like ending budget sequestration, access to health care and timely claims processing. To view the 2015 VFW Priority Goals and Talking Points click here: http://www.vfw.org/VFW-in-DC/National-Legislative-Service/. VFW Commander-in-Chief John W. Stroud finished the Legislative Conference by presenting VFW's legislative agenda before a Joint House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees hearing. You can watch the hearing and read the Commander's full testimony here: http://www.veterans.senate.gov/hearings/legislative-presentation-of-veterans-of-foreign-wars03042015. 2. VFW Discusses Sequestration with President: VFW National Commander John Stroud met with President Obama Tuesday afternoon to discuss the looming restart of mandatory sequestration this fall, the disastrous impact it will have on military readiness, as well as the quality of life programs that serve the troops and their families, and its potential impact on the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal agencies that serve veterans. Stroud also addressed his concerns regarding access to care issues at the VA, and the VFW's strong support to ensure the Veterans Choice Program—which is intended to be the solution to last year's nationwide crisis in VA care and confidence—does not fail. Prior to his White House meeting, Stroud met with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Walsh to discuss sequestration and the recommendations made by the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission, and he met with the interim leadership of the new Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. 3. House Passes Two Important VA Bills: On Monday, the House of Representatives passed two bills designed to increase access and accountability in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The first, H.R. 280, authorizes the VA secretary to retroactively rescind bonuses from any employee who is later found to have manipulated data or otherwise defrauded the government during the time period for which the bonus was granted. The second, H.R. 294, the Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act, would allow veterans under VA nursing home care to be transferred to a medical foster home, if they so choose. Medical foster homes are family-style settings which may be better options for some veterans than institutional nursing homes.  The two bills now move to the Senate for consideration. The VFW proudly endorsed both measures, and Deputy Legislative Director Aleks Morosky testified in their support before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on January 27, 2015. To read Morosky's testimony in its entirety, click here: http://veterans.house.gov/witness-testimony/mr-aleks-morosky. To watch his Fox and Friends interview on H.R. 280, click here: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4020179685001/union-condemns-va-reform-bill/?#sp=show-clips. Stay tuned to the Action Corps Weekly for updates on these bills as they move through the Senate.  4. Student Vets Join VFW to Storm the Hill: This week the VFW hosted 10 student veterans who stormed Capitol Hill for the inaugural VFW-SVA Legislative Fellowship. The 10 fellows were selected in collaboration with Student Veterans of America based on an essay submission on a veterans' advocacy issue of their choosing. Throughout the week, the fellows were integrated into the VFW National Legislative Conference, advocating face-to-face on their issues with their congressional delegations. The fellows also had the opportunity to receive briefings from Department of Labor and VA officials on transition policies; from congressional staff members on effective ways to advocate; and from a prominent veteran's beat reporter on how to work with the media. The fellows also met with leadership from the VFW and SVA to discuss their experiences and potential sustainability of the program. During his testimony before the Joint House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees, VFW Commander-in-Chief John Stroud acknowledged the fellows' contributions throughout the week, and pledged to grow the program in coming years. To see photo highlights from the Legislative Conference, click here: https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=%23vfwhill2015. 5. VFW Participates in Toxic Exposures Roundtable: On Tuesday, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health held a roundtable to discuss toxic exposures in the military and how to improve the process for determining which health conditions are associated with military exposures. VFW Senior Legislative Associate Carlos Fuentes urged the Subcommittee, VA and DOD to ensure veterans who were exposed to toxins during military service are not forced to wait for the health care and benefits they deserve. To read more on military exposures, visit: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/index.asp. 6. VFW Participates in Appeals Roundtable: Brendon Gehrke, VFW Senior Legislative Associate, discussed the growing backlog in disability claims appeals with Rep. Ralph Abraham, the Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Dina Titus. While various conversations have taken place over the course of the past year, this roundtable brought more parties to the table in order to promote a discussion on ways that the veterans' appellate process can be simplified and improved. 7. Sanders Receives VFW Congressional Award: On Wednesday evening, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) received the VFW's 2015 Congressional Award, which since 1964 has been presented annually to one sitting member of the House or Senate for significant legislative contributions on behalf of those who have worn the uniform. "It is no understatement to say that Senator Sanders has taken care of wounded, ill and injured veterans and their surviving family members," said VFW National Commander John Stroud. "He has been a commanding voice against changing the COLA calculations for disabled veterans, for the proper care and treatment of women veterans, homeless veterans, for better employment opportunities and improved access to mental health programs, as well as increased congressional oversight of the VA claims processing transformation," he said. "And when the VA imploded last year, he was the lead negotiator for the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, which the president signed into law last summer. The VA still has an uphill climb, but veterans everywhere should be proud and comforted to know that this United States senator has their back in Congress." 8. Carter Becomes New SECDEF: The VFW was in the Pentagon this afternoon to witness Ash Carter being sworn in as the new Secretary of Defense. Administering the oath of office was Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Elena Kagan. Carter was deputy secretary of defense from 2011 to 2013, and previously had overseen the buying of the military's newest weapons systems and technologies, as undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. During the Clinton Administration, he was assistant secretary of defense for international security policy. 9. Army Airborne Hazards Study Looks for Participants: The Army's Study for Active Duty Military For Pulmonary Disease Related to Environmental Deployment Exposures (STAMPEDE) is looking for OIF/OEF/OND veterans, who developed chronic respiratory symptoms during or soon after deployment, can exercise on a treadmill, had no history of pre-existing lung disease before deployment, and can travel to San Antonio Military Medical Center or Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. STAMPEDE is a study conducted by the Army to evaluate if certain pulmonary health conditions are associated with exposure to particulate matter, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds and dioxins, and other harmful materials found in combat zone burn pits. To read more about this study, visit: http://www.army.mil/article/143161/Researchers_investigate_respiratory_health_of_deployed_personnel_during_operations/. 10. Eight WWII Airmen Identified: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced the identification of remains of eight Army Air Forces airmen who had been missing in action since World War II. Returned home for burial with full military honors are 1st Lts. William D. Bernier of Augusta, Mont., Bryant E. Poulsen of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Herbert V. Young Jr. of Clarkdale, Ariz.; Technical Sgts. Charles L. Johnston of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Hugh F. Moore of Elkton, Md.; Staff Sgts. John E. Copeland of Dearing, Kan., and Charles J. Jones of Athens, Ga.; and Sgt. Charles A. Gardner of San Francisco, Calif. On April 10, 1944, the B-24D Liberator crewmembers took off from Nazdab Air Field in New Guinea on a mission to attack an anti-aircraft site at Hansa Bay. The aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire. Read more at http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=17160. To sign up new veterans' advocates, click here: http://capwiz.com/vfw/mlm/signup.htm. As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories, either fill out our online form by clicking here: http://www.vfw.org/Forms/Capitol-Hill-Blog-Submissions/, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org.

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