American Support Boosts Troop Morale, Mullen Says

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, greets Army Capt. Scott Leifker during a game between the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Aug. 25, 2010. Leifker was severely burned in a car bomb explosion in Iraq in 2006. Mullen is on three-day Midwest tour to meet with local civic and business leaders to discuss the needs of returning troops and their families, and how community leaders can support them. DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley

American Support Boosts Troop Morale, Mullen Says
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden
American Forces Press Service

CHICAGO, Aug. 26, 2010 – At last night’s Major League Baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the Baltimore Orioles here, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of staff couldn’t help but notice the difference between the nation’s support for today’s servicemembers and veterans and the reception returning servicemembers received when they came home from Vietnam early in his military career.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the game and he also helped the host White Sox honor soldiers from a local Army Reserve unit.

Forty years ago, at the height of the Vietnam War, America didn’t support its troops, Mullen said. There was no tickertape parade when they returned from battle, and stories of Vietnam veterans being ridiculed in the streets by protestors were all too common.

The tension was so bad, Mullen said, that some servicemembers were even ashamed to wear their uniforms. Mullen witnessed such displays first hand, he noted, saying that’s just the way things were when he began his career in 1968.

Mullen, a Vietnam War veteran, has spent the past three years overseeing the war efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. When the wars kicked off in 2001 and 2003, respectively, he said, one of his initial fears was that the American people might not support the troops.

“As someone who grew up [during the Vietnam War] and saw a complete disconnect between our men and women in uniform and the American people, [the level of support] was a huge concern for me when these wars started,” he said. “It was terrible during Vietnam. It was really bad how troops were treated.”
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American Support Boosts Troop Morale, Mullen Says

Top Issues in Wounded Warrior Care

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Reviving the faithful few who are willing to risk it all for others....

AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families Identify Top Issues in Wounded Warrior Care…
by Reviving Heroes on August 19, 2010

AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families Identify Top Issues in Wounded Warrior Care


Image by The U.S. Army via Flickr Recently, more than several wounded Soldiers, Veterans, and their Family members gathered in San Antonio at the Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) Symposium and identified the following top five issues that should be addressed to advance wounded warrior care:

1. Concurrent receipt of retired and Veterans Affairs (VA) disability pay

2. Comprehensive psychoeducation for post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD)/traumatic brain injury (TBI) servicemembers, Family members, and caregivers

3. Veterans Affairs (VA) education for Army Wounded Warrior Program Advocates

4. Stipend for primary caregivers of ill/injured servicemembers

5. Community support coordinators in geographically dispersed areas
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Top Issues in Wounded Warrior Care

Gluf War Vet John Paul Scott had to prove he's not dead yet

Disabled vet wins war over VA blunder
By LINDSAY WISE
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle
Aug. 25, 2010, 11:14PM

John Paul Scott wasn't sure he'd heard correctly.

"It's in the computer system that you're deceased," repeated an official from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"What are you talking about?" Scott asked.

The 39-year-old Army veteran from Houston had been calling the VA's hotline twice a day for weeks to check the status of his disability claim. This time, on July 12, the VA official who answered the phone informed Scott he would no longer be receiving benefits because, according to VA records, he had passed away in April.

Scott suffers from vision problems traced to his service in the first Gulf War. In 2008, the VA had cut his monthly disability check by $2,000. Scott appealed. On June 25, he had finally won.

Now a bureaucratic blunder meant that Scott faced a Kafkaesque dilemma: As far as the VA was concerned, he was dead. His disability payments instantly halted. His medical prescriptions stopped. Scott, already in dire financial straits after the reduction in his benefits two years ago, feared he would end up on the street.

First thing the next morning, Scott went to the Houston VA Regional Office on Almeda Road and spoke to a woman at the front desk. Scott gave the woman three forms of ID and filled out a form: "I was told by the Department of Veterans Affairs that someone entered in their computer I was deceased," he wrote. "I am not. Please reinstate my benefits immediately. Thanks, John Paul Scott."
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Disabled vet wins war over VA blunder

Staff sgt. sentenced for mistreating Marines

Staff sgt. sentenced for mistreating Marines

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 26, 2010 8:24:45 EDT

NORFOLK, Va. — A Marine staff sergeant is spending one year in confinement after pleading guilty to mistreating 17 male subordinates at a Chesapeake training facility.

Staff Sgt. James McCoy was the noncommissioned officer in charge of a training company at the Navy's Northwest Annex. He oversaw Marines waiting to begin a security training course at the base and injured Marines waiting to return to duty or be processed out of the service.
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Staff sgt. sentenced for mistreating Marines

Army ends GED program for aspiring soldiers

Army ends GED program for aspiring soldiers

By Susanne M. Schafer - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 26, 2010 8:42:49 EDT

FORT JACKSON, S.C. — The Army is ending a program that helped nearly 3,000 high school dropouts earn high school equivalency certificates and become soldiers.

The GED pilot program known as the Army's prep school started here in summer 2008, when the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan left the service scrambling to find soldiers. But since then, with the economy in a downward spiral and jobs hard to come by, more people with diplomas have been enlisting.

In 2008, 82.8 percent of people who enlisted for active duty were high school graduates. That number jumped to 94.6 percent in 2009.
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Army ends GED program for aspiring soldiers

1st Lt. Paul G. Magers and Chief Warrant Officer Donald L. Wann MIA no more

1st lt. killed in Vietnam remains returned

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 26, 2010 8:38:22 EDT

BILLINGS, Mont. — The remains of a Billings soldier whose helicopter was shot down during the Vietnam War have been returned to Montana.

The remains of Army 1st Lt. Paul G. Magers, which had been missing for nearly four decades, were returned in a flag-draped casket Wednesday as family members gathered at the Billings airport to pay their respects.

A vigil service will be held Thursday, and a memorial Mass will be celebrated Friday in Billings. Burial will follow with full military honors at Yellowstone County Veterans Cemetery in Laurel.

Magers was killed June 1, 1971, when the AH-1 Cobra helicopter he was flying in was shot down in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam. Also killed in the crash was Chief Warrant Officer Donald L. Wann, of Shawnee, Okla.

The men's remains were identified in March through DNA testing.
1st lt killed in Vietnam remains returned

Agent Orange Update

Agent Orange Update


Shinseki to defend new Agent Orange rules

Veterans groups praised the Department of Veterans Affairs last year when officials announced they would add three new diseases to the list of "presumptive illnesses" connected to the use of the Vietnam-era defoliant Agent Orange. But senators concerned about the cost and precedent of such a change put a 60-day hold on money related to the change, and have asked the VA for more information on why Agent Orange claims should be expanded.

On Tuesday, in a speech before the Veterans of Foreign Wars, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said he's happy to defend the decision. "It was the right decision, and the President and I are proud to finally provide this group of Veterans the care and benefits they have long deserved."

The rules regarding the new recognized illnesses -- Parkinson’s Disease, Hairy Cell and other types of chronic, b-cell leukemia, and Ischemic Heart Disease — could open up veterans benefits to 250,000 more Vietnam-era veterans and cost the VA another $13.4 billion over the next 18 months.

Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., has publicly questioned whether scientific research supports including the three new diseases with other Agent Orange exposure conditions, and if the VA is unnecessarily committing billions in compensation payments for problems that are often simply the result of aging.

But Shinseki said he's "happy" to explain the rationale behind the move, and confident lawmakers will support the change. The hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee is set for Sept. 23.

Veterans-For-Change will continue to monitor closely the situation and report any new developments and we strongly urge you to call your Senators and Congressman toll free at 866-272-6622 and politely insist they support Secretary Shinseki’s decision and allow the rule to be finalized immediately.

If you’re able to make the call, please send an E-Mail to: jim.davis@veterans-for-change.com and let us know their response.


Veterans-For-Change Needs Your Support

On behalf of Veterans-For-Change I’d like to request your help in supporting three very important programs we have.

Our first program is our Emergency Financial Assistance program which was developed to help Veterans and their families on a one time bases with utilities, rent, clothing, etc.

Our Second program is a small college tuition assistance program for the children of Veterans. We’d be awarding financial grant assistance of up to $200 to the top three competitors in an annual essay contest.

Our third program is an award program for Veterans, their spouse and children who are ill to due their service or by no fault of their own being family members of a Veteran. And it’s our special way of saying thank you for your service to our Country.

The Annual Fund provides funding to range of vital areas, including those names above and for operations, resources and potential new programs. These donations are critical to maintain the standing that Veterans-For-Change has held as well as make strong forward strides.

Our organization directors are dedicating their time, energy and enthusiasm to work for this cause, and all do this as a volunteer so 97% of every dollar goes back to the Veteran community.

We request your support by considering a donation to Veterans-For-Change.

If you decide to contribute, please send your donation to

Director of Annual Fund
Address
Many of you know that over the past year or so we’ve done our level best to provide assistance to veterans and their families when in need. And as with most small non-profit groups, we’re no different and always have a need for financial assistance.

If you’re able to contribute $25, $50, $100 or more, please click HERE to be taken direct to the PayPal site!

For those who contribute $25, you will be given a Veterans-For-Change E-Mail address for one year. Those at the $50 level an E-Mail address for five years and those at the $100 level a lifetime E-Mail address. And I’d like to thank you all in advance for your continued support!

If everyone receiving this newsletter were to just donate a single $1 bill, we’d meet our goal and fast and would be able to continue to serve the some 5,000-9,000 veterans and widows per month! We could really use your support!

If you’re interested in advertising in our weekly newsletter, click HERE and send us an E-Mail for further details.

We’re also desperately looking for someone who has talent in the field of writing Grant Proposals which we can submit to corporations and grant foundations to assist in our operations and continued support to veterans and their families.

If you have such a talent and can donate your time and talents, please click HERE and send me an E-Mail.

We also have the chance to purchase a copy of the National Association Uniformed Services nationwide membership register for $125, and to join Starthmore’s Who’s Who for $49.95, both would give VFC opportunities to network with other veterans, veteran organizations, and thousands of fortune 500 and 1000 corporations and grant foundations to secure funding for continued operations of Veterans-For-Change. Your donations could open these doors for us.

If you’d prefer to send a check or money order, please send an E-Mail to: Jim.davis@veterans-for-change.com for instructions.

You can also help by book marking and visiting Newsvine frequently: http://jdavis92840.newsvine.com/

VFC earns money on every article a comment and vote that is posted. So visit frequently for things not always in the newsletter, comment and click on comment & vote.

Veterans-For-Change operates under National Faith Based Coalition Disabled Veterans Enterprises
Tax ID #84-1285120

Department of Defense Deploys Muppets

AUGUST 26, 2010
The Muppets' Military Mission

By LAURA LANDRO
It's a Muppet family picnic in the park, but Elmo is sad and confused: His Uncle Jack won't be there, because he's dead, and Elmo can't quite grasp that he's never coming back. For Elmo's moptop cousin Jesse, it's hard to even talk about the loss: Jack was her dad.

The story line may seem highly unusual for "Sesame Street," but when Elmo and friends aren't on their day job being cute, colorful and cuddly, they've taken on another mission: helping children of military families struggling with loss, grief and fear.

With some deep-pocketed sponsors like Wal-Mart, Sesame Workshop has been steadily expanding a program called "Talk, Listen, Connect" aimed at kids of all ages, including the youngest and most vulnerable. More than two million U.S. children have been affected directly by a parent's military wartime deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan; 40% of these children are younger than 5 years old.

According to the Defense Department, in the past 8½ years more than 12,000 military children have experienced the death of a parent. Research shows that even the toll of military deployments is steep; a study last year by the Rand Corp. found that children in military families were more likely to report anxiety than children in the general population, and that the longer a parent had been deployed in the previous three years, the more likely their children were to have difficulties in school and at home.

Gary Knell, president of Sesame Workshop, says the initial inspiration came from a story he read on a train five years ago about a family that lost its home because it fell behind on mortgage payments while the father was deployed in Iraq. "I just was so sick of seeing all these 'support the troops' posters when we were allowing things like this to happen," he says. The needs of military families also struck a chord with Sesame Workshop Executive Vice President Sherrie Westin, whose brother is an Army reserve officer now serving in Afghanistan.

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The Muppets Military Mission

Former Berwyn Heights mayor returns from Iraq deployment

Former Berwyn Heights mayor returns from Iraq deployment

By David Hill
The Gazette
Thursday, August 26, 2010
When former Berwyn Heights mayor Brad Jewitt was deployed to Iraq in 2009, he expected to miss his family and home town but felt comfortable making the sacrifice.

"Many of my peers have served multiple tours in Iraq or Afghanistan," said Jewitt, 40, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. "I was really at peace with the idea of going, because it was my turn so someone else wouldn't have to go again."

Jewitt -- a Marine reservist who served as mayor in 2003, as a Town Council member in 2002 and as mayor pro tem from 2006 to 2008 -- returned home Aug. 1, after a scheduled one-year tour of duty. His return coincidentally came during the same month that defense officials withdrew all major combat units from Iraq.
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Former Berwyn Heights mayor returns from Iraq deployment

Australian Veterans Beware of Scam

I get a lot of email updates about what is going on with Australian Veterans and this one really needs to be paid attention to. If you know a veteran in Australia, please let them know about this.

Hi Kathie,
I have just been advised by DVA Cairns that some people are scamming mainly ex National serviceman. The ex serviceman is initially sent a letter advising them that they are entitled to Service pension and to contact the author. Once they do this they are then sent a letter with AMF (not used for many years) headed paper asking for bank details to put the service pension into, date of birth and other personal information. Their bank accounts are then cleaned out. Please advise as many others as possible of this scam.

Cheers

John King JP (Qual) Advocate
Pensions, Advocacy & Welfare Services RSL (Queensland Branch)
John.King@rslqld.org
www.rslqld.org