LATEST VA NEWS FLASHES      READ ALL VA NEWS FLASHES HERE    or

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Click here to make VA Watchdog dot Org your homepage

-----------------------------------------------------------------

WEEKEND -- 19 & 20 JULY 2008

AS WARS LENGTHEN, TOLL ON MILITARY FAMILIES MOUNTS -- "It's hard to go away, it's hard to come back, and go away and come back again...They're just getting their feet wet with some sort of sense of normalcy. and then they have to go again."

VETS' HOUSING PROGRAM CAUGHT IN FUNDING DISPUTE AS ACCUSATIONS ABOUND -- Said of nonprofit agency: "These people are just outlaws...I can smell a crook. These people are just not right, and the public needs to be protected from them."

FILNER LOOKS TO CHANGE VA'S "BOOTS ON THE GROUND" AGENT ORANGE RULE -- House Vets' Chair will introduce "Agent Orange Equity Act of 2008" this week. Would fix "Blue Water Navy" snafu.

COUNSELORS HELP COMBAT VETERANS FIND PERSONAL PEACE -- "The sound of helicopters, just that sound...My body tightens up, I get on high alert and I break out in a cold sweat. It really upsets me. You'd think I'd be over it after more than 40 years."

LIVING WITH PTSD: A WIFE'S PERSPECTIVE -- "He would have panic attacks and bursts of anger. He never physically abused me, but verbally...it came out of the blue."

VA AND DoD CONSIDER EXPANSION OF STREAMLINED DISABILITY RATING SYSTEM -- Pilot program has VA doctors conducting one set of physical exams and VA specialists determining one set of disability ratings which both departments use.

U.C. SAN DIEGO STUDIES ON GULF WAR VETERANS CONTINUE -- Leading expert on Gulf War Illness seeking participants: "At last, a treatment study!"

NEW G.I. BILL COULD HELP RECRUITING NUMBERS -- "It is a very attractive incentive package, there's no question about that. So individuals will be very interested in enlisting for education benefits."

UPDATE: 20 STATES PROTEST, MAY SUE VA OVER VOTER REGISTRATION BAN -- Connecticut Attorney General says VA is offering "disingenuous double talk and bureaucratic gobbledygook."

FRIDAY -- 18 JULY 2008

VA'S ELECTRONIC RECORDS HELP DOCTORS AND PATIENTS WORK TOGETHER -- "It's a very impressive system. It even graphs my weight changes. They don't want you to miss that."

BUFFALO SOLDIERS CITE DUAL BATTLE: THE ENEMY AND RACISM -- "It was like we had two battles. We not only had to fight the enemy, but we also had to fight the crackers and rednecks who were in charge of us."

MOBILE SERVICE HELPS VETERANS SORT OUT BENEFIT ISSUES -- "They're going to help me with all the benefits that I don't know about."

VA RESEARCH FINDS INCREASED HIV RISK IN GENETIC MUTATION -- The discovery offers a partial explanation for the disproportionate spread of the virus among Africans and African Americans.

MAINE WOMAN RETRACES FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS IN VIETNAM -- "He did step out of his comfort zone to support me in this endeavor, even though he was scared. Hopefully I can be the bridge to help him."

OREGON RECRUITER SCOURS COUNTY JAIL FOR WOULD-BE GIs -- The effort was worthwhile and has the potential to become a regularly scheduled event.

UPDATE: PENTAGON SAYS IT WILL RECHECK VETS' REQUESTS FOR RETRO PAY -- Will double-check requests by all vets who were turned down and audit previous approvals for accuracy.

VA'S WHEELCHAIR GAMES COME TO OMAHA JULY 25-29 -- Vets will compete in swimming, basketball, track, weight lifting, softball and more.

UPDATE: VA OFFICIALLY SAYS "NO" TO VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES -- Secretary Peake: "...The agency is not in the position to examine the agenda, history and motivations of every organization that may wish to conduct voter registration drives in our facility."

THURSDAY -- 17 JULY 2008

SAILORS AND VETS KICK OFF CONSTRUCTION OF JOINT VA-NAVY HOSPITAL IN NORTH CHICAGO -- "It shows that money is not just going to bullets - it's going to medical care."

FOR INJURED VETERANS, A FREE PLACE TO LIVE -- Nonprofit apartment complex to help families of soldiers receiving treatment at Walter Reed.

DISABLED VETERANS REST CAMP EXPANDING TO REACH OUT TO MORE VETS -- "When they say the war is over, it's not over. Not for these people."

RULING EXPANDS VETERANS' ACCESS TO FEDERAL JOBS -- The decision from the Merit Systems Protection Board could open law enforcement and other jobs to veterans who previously bumped up against age restrictions.

VA NOW ACCEPTING ON-LINE CLAIMS APPLICATIONS -- But, will it work, is it safe and will it make the process any faster?

TEXAS TOWN A MICROCOSM FOR SERVICE ENLISTMENT PROBLEMS -- He attributed his record to partying as a young man. "All I did was smoke a little pot," he said.

UPDATE: "DIE OR GIVE UP TRYING" -- House Subcommittee releases documents on DFAS / Lockheed Martin snafus in processing retro pay.

WEDNESDAY -- 16 JULY 2008

UPDATE: BUSH VETOES MEDICARE / TRICARE BILL, BUT BOTH HOUSES QUICKLY OVERRIDE -- Veto override means no cut in fees for Medicare and Tricare doctors.

LAWMAKERS ACCUSE VA OF HOLDING BACK MASTER PLAN FOR NEW DENVER HOSPITAL -- "They've been purposefully withholding the Master Plan...to try to sell us and Colorado's veterans groups on a scaled-down proposal."

VA TO TEST SUICIDE PUBLIC SERVICE ADS ON TV -- The VA is stepping up its suicide prevention outreach with a TV announcement featuring actor Gary Sinise.

"MAD DOG" HAS ONE LAST BATTLE TO FIGHT, ONE THAT HE WILL LOSE -- "He pulled out a bottle of morphine and dumped the pills into his mouth without counting. I committed him."

CONGRESSIONAL REPORT SAYS THOUSANDS OF VETERANS MAY HAVE BEEN DENIED PAYMENTS -- Retirees with service-connected disabilities may have been denied benefits or given the wrong amount by DFAS and contractor, Lockheed Martin.

PUBLISHED REPORT SAYS VA WILL MAKE ALS A PRESUMPTIVE SERVICE-CONNECTED DISEASE -- The news came during a conference call among VA Secretary James Peake, Sen. Lindsey Graham and retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Tom Mikolajcik, who suffers from ALS.

LOMA LINDA VA GOES GREEN, INSTALLING 1,600 SOLAR PANELS -- The system is part of a VA-wide push to use renewable energy under an order signed by President Bush in January 2007.

LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR U.S.-MADE FLAGS AT ALL FEDERAL BUILDINGS -- Rep. Bob Filner, House Vets' Chair, on foreign-made flags: "It's not a major problem facing the nation. But it's an irritant."

TUESDAY -- 15 JULY 2008

PENNSYLVANIA VETERANS STILL WAITING FOR PERMANENT HOUSING -- "We're just waiting for the VA to start giving us names, addresses. As soon as they send someone here, we're going to issue the vouchers."

PEACE OF MIND AND BODY -- VA tries to ease soldiers' return by offering five years of free medical care.

DIRECT DEPOSIT MAY INCREASE BENEFIT THEFT -- The increasing popularity of automatic deposits and online banking is sure to increase the number of instances in which people cash in on the benefits of deceased loved ones.

ARMY NOT IMPRESSED WITH ACUPRESSURE TREATMENT FOR PTSD -- Fort Benning refuses to take part in no-charge acupressure trial on soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

WOMAN CLAIMS HUSBAND MISDIAGNOSED AND MISTREATED AT VA -- "I wondered how the VA could have possibly discharged this man. It struck me as incredible. Even a layperson would have known better. He was just skin and bones."

NEW IOWA LOTTERY GAMES WILL BENEFIT VETERANS -- "We know that these lottery games going forward are going to provide stable, ongoing revenues to the Veterans Trust Fund, really for the first time."

VA NURSE SPREADS LAUGHTER TO HEAL BODY AND SOUL -- "Gentle and positive humor is more healing, as we look for the absurdities of life and try to point them out."

MONDAY -- 14 JULY 2008

FIGHTING FOR WAR'S WOUNDED -- "It's one thing to wait for a tax refund. It's another thing to sit around waiting for benefits when you're sitting there with a traumatic brain injury."

SOLDIER'S FAMILY QUESTIONS ARMY'S PTSD TREATMENT -- An Alabama woman says her Soldier-son is slipping through the cracks after a stand-off with Honolulu police last month.

U.S. VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II TO RECEIVE FRANCE'S TOP HONOR -- Pair to receive Legion of Honor for their actions on a World War II battlefield.

FROM THE BATTLEFIELD TO THE SHELTER -- "When I came back I isolated myself a lot because I didn't want people to think I was crazy."

VETS SHARE WORLD WAR II STORIES - BEST TIME FOR SOME, WORST FOR OTHERS -- "These men grew up in the Depression, fought in World War II, came home, rebuilt America, made America into a superpower - these guys are amazing."

STAND DOWN STEPS UP WITH AID AND COMFORT FOR VETERANS -- The outreach program, which started small with homeless vets in San Diego, now helps hundreds of vets get food, medical care and counseling.

CRIMINAL PASTS OFTEN FORESHADOW SOLDIERS' MISCONDUCT -- The military has lowered standards and handed out more waivers to offenders, who may go on to break the law on duty.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
READ ALL VA NEWS FLASHES HERE  or on RSS           BACK TO TOP OF PAGE

OF SPECIAL INTEREST
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VOTE SMART - VOTE VET: NEW VETERANS' VOTING INFORMATION PAGE -- See how the presidential candidates voted on veterans' issues.

A LOOK AT THE VETS' COMMISSION'S FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS -- Don't expect any action on recommendations that will cost the government money.   (download Commission report here)

GUN BILL NOT ANTI-VETERAN -- Let's use some common sense instead of nonsense.

VA'S PATIENT RECORD FLAGS: THE REST OF THE STORY -- More about who can flag a veteran's medical records and what can be done about it.

VIDEO: GULF WAR ILLNESS - CONSPIRACY TEST  -- Discovery Channel program explores the mystery of Gulf War Illness as five GW veterans volunteer for the latest genetic testing to look for answers.

            
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACK TO TOP OF PAGE

LATEST PUBLISHED ARTICLES on        
                 ALL ARTICLES HERE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OFF WITH HER HEAD? (05-19-08)   Norma J. Perez is still employed by the VA, even after writing an email urging subordinates to deliberately misdiagnose PTSD. Her continued employment makes a mockery of the VA's mental health care system.

SECURITY CLEARANCE DECEPTION  -- (05-07-08)   Pentagon's new policy leads troops to believe that mental health issues will have no bearing on getting a security clearance. Nothing could be further from the truth.

OLD AND IN THE WAY (04-28-08)   As the "new vets" from Iraq and Afghanistan, just 2% of the veteran population, are given priority at the VA, the other 98% find themselves pushed to the rear of the line, now the forgotten of previous conflicts.

GUN BILL NOT ANTI-VETERAN (10-01-07)   Let's use some common sense instead of nonsense about H.R. 2640. If you're a veteran or you have been diagnosed with PTSD, don't worry, they aren't coming for your firearms.

WHAT PROMISE TO VETERANS? -- by Larry Scott (07-01-07)   It’s the great American myth; an urban legend of epic proportions. But, there was no promise made, so there’s nothing to keep. Now, it’s time for a new, in-your-face attitude:  WE ARE U.S. MILITARY VETERANS -- YOU OWE US!
         
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BACK TO TOP OF PAGE