New Members Appointed to VA Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans

New Members Appointed to VA Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans
12/03/2014 03:18 PM EST

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the appointment of five new members to the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans. The committee was chartered on November 2, 1994, and advises the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the needs of the nation’s 4.7 million minority Veterans with respect to compensation, health care, rehabilitation, outreach and other benefits and programs administered by the VA. The Committee assesses the needs of Veterans who are minority group members and recommends program improvements designed to meet their needs. The committee members are appointed to two or three-year terms. Minority Veterans comprise nearly 21 percent of the total Veteran population in the United States and its territories.

The new committee members are:
Patricia Jackson-Kelley: Lt. Col. (US Army-Ret) of Los Angeles, California; Served as one of the first full time Women Veteran Program Coordinators at the Los Angeles VAMC. Currently serves as a member of the LA County Veterans Advisory Council; Board Member of Military Women in Need Organization and LA County Council Commander of the American Legion.

Librado Rivas: Command Sgt. Maj. (USA-Ret) of Manassas, Virginia; State Commander of the DC Chapter, American GI Forum of the United States; National Liaison Officer in Washington, DC, for the National Office of the American GI Forum, and Director of the Army Lean Six Sigma.

Rebecca Stone: Staff Sgt. (USA-Ret) of Columbia, Maryland; served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was medically retired under the Wounded Warrior Program through Warrior Transition Units. She is a certified suicide negotiator/first responder. She was also the recipient of the National Association of Female Executives (NAFE) Women of Excellence Award.

Cornell Wilson, Jr.: Maj. Gen. (USMC-Ret) of Charlotte, North Carolina; currently serves as Military Advisor to the Governor of North Carolina, where he also advises state agencies and Veteran’s organizations on the needs of Veterans.

Anthony Woods: Army Veteran of University Park, Maryland; currently serves as the Senior Manager at Cisco System’s Consulting Services and consults with the Department of Defense and the Army on IT transformations. Mr. Woods also volunteers with organizations such as Got Your 6 and Hiring Our Heroes.

The new members join current members:

Marvin Trujillo, Jr., Committee Chairman, Marine Corps Veteran

Richard de Moya, Lt. Col. (USA-Ret)

Elisandro (Alex) Diaz, Navy Veteran

Many-Bears Grinder, Col. (USA-Ret)

Harold Hunt, Army Veteran

Sheila Mitchell, Air Force Veteran

Teresita Smith, Sgt. First Class (USA-Ret)

In addition to working closely with the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans, VA is improving its services for Veterans who are minority group members:

Establishing the Office of Health Equity Research and Promotion, which assesses health equity and health disparities within the health care system to ensure adequate policies are in place to reduce disparities in vulnerable minority Veteran populations.

Funding projects focused on Pacific Rim Veterans, including Spinal Cord Injury outreach and treatment in Hilo, Kona, Maui, Molakai, and Kauai; leveraging telehealth technology to provide clinic based tele-mental health care on the island of Kauai.

Conducting a 3-year project through VA’s Office of Rural Health to establish a collaborative National Native Telehealth Training and Consultative Service which aids in the replication of tele-mental health clinics for use by rural Native American Veterans.

Gary Sinise's holiday message for the troops

Gary Sinise's holiday message for the troops
FOX News
December 3, 2014
video embed not working so go to this link Gary Sinise's holiday message for the troops

Orlando Fastsigns giving discounts for Toys for Tots donations

Drop off your Toys for Tots donations and receive $5 off your next purchase of $25 or more! 

Contribute to your local Toys for Tots campaign by dropping off your unwrapped toy at FASTSIGNS® Orlando, FL - Central.

All donations must be received no later than 12/16/14.

Capt. William H. DuBois killed in F-16 Crash

Department of Defense
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Release No: NR-599-14
December 02, 2014

DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve.

Capt. William H. DuBois, 30, of New Castle, Colorado, died Dec. 1 when his F-16 aircraft crashed near a coalition air base in the Middle East. He was assigned to the 77th Fighter Squadron, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.

US Air Force pilot killed when F-16 crashes in Middle East
FOX News
December 1, 2014

The U.S. military is investigating the death of an Air Force pilot following the crash of an F-16 plane returning to its base in the Middle East Sunday night.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement Monday saying the pilot was killed when the F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed in a non-combat-related incident. The aircraft was returning to its base shortly after takeoff, the statement said.

While CENTCOM said the crash did not happen in Iraq or Syria, there were no further details on the exact location of the base. First-responders were still on the scene Monday.

The pilot has not been named, but it’s standard U.S. military policy to defer identification until 24 hours after next-of-kin notification.
read more here

Marine Held After Rushing Wife to Hospital on $100,000 Bond

This is the latest headline about the Marine involved,

Man remains in custody in shooting involving officer
Jacksonville Daily News
Adelina Colbert
December 1, 2014

A Camp Lejeune Marine remains in the county jail for allegedly trying to hit a police officer with his car during a high speed chase that ended in an officer-involved shooting last week.

Brandon Ryan Henry, 21, of Foy Lockamy Road, was charged by the Jacksonville Police Department on Nov. 26 with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, assault with a deadly weapon against a government official, fleeing or eluding arrest with motor vehicle, felony failure to stop at a stop sign or flashing red light, reckless driving to endanger and reckless driving with wanton disregard.

He is being held at the Onslow County jail under a $100,000 secured bond.

According to 1st Lt. Adam Flores, spokesman with the 2nd Marine Division on Camp Lejeune, Henry, a lance corporal, is a rifleman with 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, who enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 2012. Henry is listed as being a native of Leeds, Alabama, according to Marine Corps records.
read more here

Yet this is more of the story the Jacksonville Daily News didn't think was important enough to add in

WIFE: Marine husband rushing me to hospital when shot by officer during chase
WITN News
By: Carly Swain, Rachael Cardin, and Clayton Bauman
Nov 28, 2014

The wife of a Marine who is accused of leading police on a chase and attempting to run down an officer says her husband was rushing her to the hospital.

Brandon Henry is facing several charges, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, assault with a deadly weapon against a government official, and fleeing or eluding arrest.
read more of this here