North Dakota Veterans’ personal information at risk, audit says Bismark Tribune James B. Miller, Jr. Forum News Service Jul 24, 2018
Most notably, the audit found that the Veteran Aid Loan System was outsourced to a vendor without the department receiving an exemption from the Information Technology Department, meaning that, since 2005, information from veterans including credit history, debt-to-income ratio, discretionary income, spousal income, discharge information and more were hosted by an unvetted vendor.
In an extensive report, the Office of the State Auditor recently expressed concerns with the North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs’ handling of the veteran aid loan, hardship assistance grant, impact grant and highly rural transportation grant programs.
The report stems from a performance audit conducted on the NDDVA beginning in October 2017 and concluding on March 28, 2018. The effort was headed by Rep. Chet Pollert, R-Carrington, and the Legislative Audit and Fiscal Review Committee.
The Veterans Aid Loan Program is a permanent revolving fund for eligible veterans and surviving spouses to receive funds for relief or assistance. The audit found that to obtain a loan, the Administrative Committee on Veterans Affairs required applicants to have the financial ability to repay the loan. However, neither ACOVA or the NDDVA had established underwriting guidelines to use when determining an applicant’s financial ability to repay the loan.
Attempts to reach North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Lonnie Wangen and Administrative Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Dean Overby for comment went unanswered. read more here
Bride-To-Be Accused Of Killing Fiancé In Fight Over Wedding Guest CBS 4 Denver Brandon Watkins July 25, 2018
A friend of Watkins told KKTV the couple served together in the Army at Fort Carson.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) — A bride-to-be is accused of killing her fiancé while they were planning their wedding.
Jacqueline Souza, 31, told investigators she thought her fiancé, Brandon Watkins, was having an affair – and that he wanted to invite that woman to their wedding in Las Vegas, KKTV reports.
The couple reportedly got into a fight about the invitation when they got home late Friday night after celebrating their upcoming wedding and Watkins’ new job. read more here
How much louder do they have to scream? That was the question a couple of weeks ago when we posted about veterans committing suicides in very public ways. Last year, veterans were facing off with law enforcement officers every week. Now there are three within 3 days.
Man taken to hospital after barricading himself inside Byron hotel The standoff began when police went to do a welfare check and found the man had barricaded himself inside the room Author: WMAZ Staff July 24, 2018
When police arrived, they found the door barricaded with all the furniture inside the room.
The SWAT team was called in after family members and police were not able to make contact.
The man inside was confirmed as a military veteran, and police are saying he is under intense mental and physical stress.
No weapon was found and police say he never threatened anyone or himself. read more here
Man charged with Domestic Battery after Cape Coral standoff FOX 4 News Jul 24, 2018
CAPE CORAL, Fla. -- A several-hour long standoff with deputies ended safely Monday with the suspect in jail for Domestic Battery.
Cape Coral Police responded to a welfare check in the 900 block of SW 47th Terrace after a wife called the VA clinic to report her husband was having combat flashbacks and threatened to harm himself.
Deputies responded and attempted to contact the resident, 48-year-old Michael DeArmas, who refused to come out or cooperate with deputies. He later walked out and was taken into custody without incident.
DeArmas' wife spoke to detectives and told them that DeArmas is a combat veteran who has flashbacks and becomes delusional, especially when drinking, as the couple had been doing last weekend.
She said he had access to guns and had threatened to kill himself and their dog. read more here
Deadly officer involved shooting after standoff in West Central Fresno July 21, 2018 FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With Action News cameras recording from a distance and witnesses hiding out in neighboring hotel rooms, Fresno Police officers shot a man in the parking lot of the Parkway Inn.
"Officers fired two rounds. One of those rounds struck the suspect at which point he dove right in through a broken window into the hotel room," said Deputy Chief Pat Farmer.
Officers knew they'd hit him and paramedics rushed in, but they could not save the suspect and a standoff ended.
Action News talked to some of Maya's family members, including a woman who was with him at the motel.
They say he was a good man who once served in the army.
They called him a family man who had turned his life around over the last ten years and state records show he also owned his own business.
Both weapons turned out to be pellet guns, but police say they looked very realistic, especially from a distance. read more here
UPDATE: After being shocked by the update, I decided to go to the VA website for the answer. Here it is!
Gulf War Service For VA benefit purposes under 38 CFR 3.317, Gulf War service is active military duty in any of the following areas in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations at any time August 2, 1990 to present. This includes Veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2010) and Operation New Dawn (2010-2011).
Southwest Asia theatre of military operations: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, U.A.E., Oman, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea
Iraq Kuwait Saudi Arabia The neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia Bahrain Qatar The United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) Oman Gulf of Aden Gulf of Oman Waters of the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea The airspace above these locations Note: Service in Afghanistan on or after September 19, 2001, is considered qualifying service for disability benefits associated with certain presumptive diseases.
Really odd followup to this story boils down to no one officially ended the Gulf War!
“More than 650,000 Service members served in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm from August 2, 1990 to July 31, 1991. For VA benefits eligibility purposes, the Gulf War period is still in effect,” the VA website states. “This means that anyone who served on active duty from August 2, 1990, to present is considered a Gulf War Veteran. For example, the Veterans Pension benefit requires service during a wartime period. Therefore, any Veteran who served on active military service for any period from August 2, 1990, to the present meets the wartime service requirement.”
“Even those of us who served in Operation Desert Storm were told that ‘the war was over’ when it fact there was only a cease fire declared, and no official end to the war has been declared as of this date, and all veterans who served from Aug. 2, 1990 until a date yet to be declared are Gulf War veterans.”
Holmes Beach mayoral candidate falsely claims he’s a veteran of first Gulf War. He was 15 Bradenton Herald Mark Young July 25, 2018
HOLMES BEACH Holmes Beach mayoral candidate Joshua Linney claims in his campaign biography that he served with the U.S. Army in Iraq and that he is a veteran of the first Gulf War.
Holmes Beach mayoral candidate Joshua Linney claims he misspoke in misrepresenting his military service. Provided photo
“I’m a Gulf War veteran whose worked to overcome war, trauma, alcoholism, chemical dependence and PTSD, while living with disabilities, and I conquered them all,” Linney, 42, wrote in a biography submitted to the Manatee County supervisor of elections office and posted on the agency’s website
However, Linney was never in Iraq, according to his discharge papers. And as for his claim to being a Gulf War veteran, the war was fought in January-February 1991, when Linney was 15.
When he was 18, Linney enlisted in the Army in September 1993 and was medically discharged in August 1996, after he fell off a building and suffered a traumatic brain injury for which he receives disability benefits, according to his discharge papers. read more here
Veteran goes from spending $500 a day on heroin to owning a business News4Jax By Chris Parenteau - Reporter July 25, 2018
"God is the only reason I came through it," Tipper said. "And I think there is always a plan and that things may seem insurmountable to be able to come past an addiction, but it’s definitely doable."
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A United States Army veteran went from spending $500 a day on heroin to owning a business.
Kendall Tipper shared his story about how the opioid crisis affected him with News4Jax on Wednesday. The former soldier talked about how he broke his addiction and turned his life around.
Day-to-day, Tipper works as a chauffeur, driving a black car for Tipper Transportation, the company he started.
But to getting to where he is today wasn't easy.
"A lot of times, I would catch myself thinking, 'Am I going to be on drugs forever?'" Tipper said.
After he graduated from First Coast High School, Tipper enrolled at Florida State College at Jacksonville, but he quickly knew it wasn’t for him. That’s when he enlisted in the U.S. Army.
"I need the discipline and I didn’t have it at the time," he said. read more here
Want to know the best way to destroy a reputation? Go off on a public rant about whatever you think, as soon as you think it then share it without ever thinking about what comes next. Florida Official Resigns After Cursing Out Army Veteran As ‘Traitor’ On Facebook THE PALM BEACH POST By ALEXANDRA SELTZER July 26, 2018
“My words were spoken as a private citizen, not in any professional or public capacity and should be treated accordingly,” she wrote. She also added her role in the exchange wasn’t “her finest hour” and she “let my Trump hate get the best of me and said some truly hurtful things.”
The vice chair of a little-known environmental panel resigned Wednesday after she came under fire for cursing at a U.S. Army veteran, calling him a traitor and speaking ill of fallen veterans in a Facebook chat earlier this month.
Patricia “Pat” Edmonson, who until Wednesday afternoon served on the Palm Beach Soil and Water Conservation District, and U.S. Army veteran James Plowman, who lives in North Carolina, didn’t know each other before they met in cyberspace through a discussion on Facebook on July 16.
But their conversation turned extremely ugly — and has gone viral.
The two sparred over a Facebook post by another user regarding President Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin. After Plowman mentioned the years he spent in combat, Edmonson, wrote using an expletive, “—— you, traitor.”
Edmonson then launched into a vitriolic tirade of posts. “Do your dead brothers ever visit your dreams and ask you why you’ve turned your back on them?” she wrote. She also asked:“Do you smell the rotting flesh of those you’ve betrayed?”
Reached on Wednesday, Plowman said he isn’t concerned about being called a traitor. That’s comical to him, he said. But the comments she made about soldiers killed in battle “just can’t be forgiven,” Plowman said. read more on Task and Purpose
In 2007 I was one of those idiots. I always complained about people crossing the line and getting to political, until I did it. That kept going on until I received an email from a Marine serving in Iraq, telling me he really liked the work I did but did not want to read my political BS. I snapped back at him in an angry email and sent it feeling oh, so justified. That was until he responded with just one question. "Are you doing this for yourself or us?" When I stopped crying enough to see the computer screen again, I made him and promise that from that day on, he would not read anything political unless a politician did something for them or to them. It is not easy keeping my word but I did and have gone after elected officials no matter what party they belong to. Frankly after what I've seen, I have lost faith in both sides, including staunch supporters who would rather fight than communicate. Anyway, the thing is, I have friends on both sides and none of them know what I think. On the flip side, none of them know when they are hurting me by publicly sharing their thoughts while slamming something I feel strongly about. While their view is important to them, their view can destroy friendships, ruin organizations and, all too often, destroy a reputation. It is not easy to remember to keep stuff to myself, so as a reminder, I left that embarrassment online all these years. I did not know who I was hurting back then either but the worst thing is, I was so self-absorbed, I did not even think about anyone else. That is why I cried when I read the Marine's email. I was doing that for myself.
First Woman Promoted to Navy Admiral Dies at 98 Stars and Stripes By Corey Dickstein 25 Jul 2018
Following her death, Navy officials described her as a trailblazer for military women and a medical innovator.
WASHINGTON -- The first woman to rise to admiral in the Navy died Saturday, just more than 46 years after her groundbreaking promotion into the ranks of flag officer, the service announced Wednesday.
Retired Rear Adm. Alene Duerk, the first woman to rise to admiral in the U.S. Navy died Saturday, June 21, 2018. (U.S. NAVY)
Retired Rear Adm. Alene Duerk spent her career in the Navy's nursing corps, serving during three major wars and eventually rising to the Navy's top nurse position, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. She was 98 years old. Duerk never envisioned making the Navy a career when she entered the service as an ensign in 1941 after graduating from the Toledo Hospital School of Nursing in her native Ohio, she said in a 2016 interview at Bowling Green State University. read more here
Off topic: Does Walmart know what "ring my bell means?
The lyric "You can ring my bell" was seen as sexually suggestive according to The Slanguage of Sex(1984), "'You can ring my bell any time you want to' would be regarded as a 'come-on' phrase in the US if used by a female," and "Songs like 'Ring My Bell' by Anita Ward caused scarcely a raised eyebrow in the '70s."[9]Billboard magazine included the song on its list of the 50 sexiest songs of all time.
That is almost as dumb as the Nissan commercial with Mony Mony...and kids on the bus singing about "ride the pony" without knowing what that song meant. That is part of the problem when someone is trying to get you interested in what they have to sell. Same thing with the "suicide awareness" raising going on. They do not know the meaning behind the message either. In that case, it should have been about making people aware that tomorrow can be better instead of talking about something they do not understand. All that does it take hope away from them and message has opposite result.
Former Marine asks for help to repair fellow veteran's dilapidated home WMTW ABC 8 News Victoria Ottomanelli July 23, 2018
A former Marine asked the community of Fort Smith, Arkansas, to help out a Vietnam veteran in need of a new home.
James "Skip" Hampton has been living in his home in Fort Smith since 1962, but has no physical or financial means to fix the bathroom plagued by mold, install central air conditioning or fix any other issues that make it difficult for him to enjoy a good quality of life in his own home.
Alejandro Cardenas, a former Marine and fellow veteran, found out what Hampton was going through while he was on the job restoring houses. After seeing the state of Hampton's house, Cardenas immediately wanted to do something about it but knew he couldn't do it alone.
When he asked people to donate supplies and volunteer to help work on Hampton's house, hundreds of messages began pouring in from people inside and outside of the local community alike. The original plan was to just fix the bathroom, but with the help of everyone involved, the volunteer team decided to remodel the entire house. read more here
Family searches for answers after Army vet with PTSD vanishes FOX 19 News By Amber Jayanth, Reporter July 24th 2018
Since his absence, the family lost their home and Isabella now has to work to help support her mother and other four children.
GREENFIELD, OH (FOX19) A Greenfield Army veteran has been missing for nearly three months.
Now, his family is desperate for answers and hopes to bring him home.
The family tells us Harold Willis, who goes by the name Henry, lives in Greenfield but works in Hillsboro.
He never made it home May 3.
Melissa Willis just gave birth to her daughter Journey 10 days ago, but there wasn't much of a celebration because her husband and Journey's father and remains missing.
"He would have definitely been there," she said. "He never missed a birthday, never missed a holiday, He was always there. Always provided. He was a really good man."
Her husband of 18 years never would have missed the birth of their child.
Now, each day that he is gone breaks her heart a little bit more.
His oldest daughter, Isabella Willis, said he was last seen leaving his construction job in Hillsboro.
"He said he was coming home from a friend's house and he never made it home that night and he never picked up his check," she said.
Since his absence, the family lost their home and Isabella now has to work to help support her mother and other four children. read more here
