FW: VFW Action Corps Weekly, May 22, 2015

  

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible;

 and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

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Subject: VFW Action Corps Weekly, May 22, 2015
From: rkelley@vfw.org
Date: Fri, 22 May 2015 16:03:24 -0400

May 22, 2015 In This Issue: 1. Memorial Day 2015 2. Denver Project Hangs in the Balance 3. House Passes Multiple Veterans' Bills 4. Senate MilCon/VA Appropriations Markup 5. New Army and Navy Service Chiefs Nominated 6. Fighter Aces Receive Congressional Gold Medal 7. Four MIAs Identified 1. Memorial Day 2015: National Commander John Stroud will be representing the VFW at the White House Monday morning, as well as participating in Memorial Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Locally, many of our 6,800 VFW Posts will be having similar ceremonies to honor our fallen. As we gather to remember the more than one million Americans who died in our nation's conflicts going back to the Revolutionary War, please remember to keep our 83,000 missing and unaccounted for servicemen — and their families — in your thoughts. As of this week, there are 73,515 missing from World War II; 7,852 from the Korean War; 1,627 from the Vietnam War; 126 from the Cold War; and 6 from post-Vietnam wars and conflicts. More information, plus loss statistics, are available on the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency website at: http://www.dpaa.mil/Home.aspx. 2. Denver Project Hangs in the Balance: On Thursday the House passed an authorization bill that will allow VA to continue building the Denver VA Medical Center, but as of Friday at noon, the Senate still has not passed the measure. The project is days from shutting down for a second time due to funding issues. This bill will give VA some breathing room to continue building the facility, but a long-term solution to complete the project will still need to be worked out over the next few weeks. Included in the bill is further expansion of the Choice Program. This bill will allow VA to consider issues like excessive burden, geographic challenges, environmental factors and medical conditions when granting access to the Choice program. These are expansions the VFW has called for based on feedback from you, our members. We will keep you updated through the Action Corps Weekly as news develops on the Denver project and any further expansion of the Choice program occurs. 3. House Passes Multiple Veterans' Bills: On Monday, the House passed several bills that the VFW testified in support of earlier this year. These included H.R. 474, the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act of 2015, H.R. 1038, the Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act, H.R. 1313, the Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act, and H.R. 1382, the Boosting Rates of American Veteran Employment Act. Two other bills that passed are H.R. 91, the Veteran's I.D. Card Act, and H.R. 1816, the Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2015. All of these bills now go to the Senate for consideration. Check back in with the Action Corps Weekly for updates as they continue to move through the legislative process. 4. Senate MilCon/VA Appropriations Markup: On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Appropriations held a markup of its version of the MilCon/VA appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016. The bill includes $69.2 billion for VA's discretionary accounts, which is $500 million more than the House's version, but nearly $1 billion short of VA's request. It includes $63.3 billion in advance appropriations for VA's medical care accounts for FY 2017.  As this bill moves to full Senate consideration and conference, VFW's National Legislative Service will work with Senate and House leadership to ensure Congress appropriates VA the resources it needs provide veterans the benefits and services they have earned and deserve. Stay tuned to the Action Corps Weekly as this bill moves through Congress. To listen to the markup or read more, visit: http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/hearings-and-testimony/full-committee-markup-302b-allocations-fy16-energy-water-appropriations-bill. 5. New Army and Navy Service Chiefs Nominated: The Pentagon announced that Army Gen. Mark A. Milley and Navy Adm. John M. Richardson have been nominated to lead their respective services. Milley, 57, is currently the head of U.S. Army Forces Command. He will replace Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who has been the Army Chief of Staff since September 2011. Richardson, 55, is director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. He will replace Adm. Jonathon W. Greenert, who has been Chief of Naval Operations since September 2011. Both Milley and Richardson are expected to be confirmed by the Senate. Read Milley's bio at: http://www.forscom.army.mil/cmd_staff/GEN_Milley/GEN_Milley.htm. Read Richardson's bio at: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=440. 6. Fighter Aces Receive Congressional Gold Medal: Only 1,447 American pilots have earned the coveted title of "ace" by shooting down five or more enemy aircraft. America's last air aces came during the Vietnam War, and due to the ever-evolving nature of aerial warfare, there may never be another. In recognition of this group's extraordinary contribution to clear the skies, Congress on Wednesday bestowed its highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, on 77 surviving members of the American Fighter Aces Association. Read more here: http://www.americanfighteraces.org/2014award.htm. 7. Four MIAs Identified: The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced the identification of remains belonging to three soldiers who had been missing-in-action since the Korean War and one pilot who had been missing since World War II. Identified are: Army Cpl. Abilesio L. Apodaca, 18, of Albuquerque, N.M. In early 1951, Apodaca and elements of Heavy Mortar Company, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, were occupying a position near Hoengsong, South Korea, when attacked by Chinese forces. It would later be learned that he had been captured, but died in a POW camp. Apodaca will be buried tomorrow with full military honors in Santa Fe, N.M. Army Cpl. Richard L. Wing, 19, of Toledo, Ohio. In late November 1950, Wing was assigned to Company H, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, deployed near Kunu-ri, North Korea, when attacked by Chinese forces. It would later be learned that he had been captured, but died from dysentery in a POW camp. Wing will be buried with full military honors on June 5 in Arlington National Cemetery. Army Pfc. Paul L. Tingle, 36, of Montpelier, Ohio. In late 1950, Tingle was assigned to Company I, 3rd Battalion, 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, deployed near Kujang, North Korea, when attacked by Chinese forces. It would later be learned that he had been captured, but died in a POW camp. Tingle will be buried with full military honors on June 8 in his hometown. Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Alvin Beethe, 23, of Elk Creek, Neb. On Nov. 26, 1944, Beethe, of the 393rd Fighter Squadron, 367th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force, was piloting a P-38 Lightning that failed to return from a mission against enemy forces near Duren, Germany. Another pilot reported the aircraft crashed near the town of Morschenich. Beethe will be buried with full military honors on June 8 in Arlington National Cemetery. Find their stories and more on the DPAA website at: http://www.dpaa.mil/NewsStories/Releases.aspx. 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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