News
Errors Delayed Claims for Aging, Disabled Veterans
Sunday, April 3, 2016 | Category: Department of Veterans Affairs - National
The Department of Veterans (VA) Affairs Pension and Fiduciary Service announced that about 14,000 fiduciary claims, some dating to 2000, were not transferred correctly and didn't get processed. Veterans eligible for care or compensation lost thousands of dollars. The VA estimates that it will take at least six months to work the cases, assign fiduciaries who will help veterans deemed incompetent to manage their finances, and correct their system.
Presidential Proclamation: National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, 2016
Thursday, March 31, 2016 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
President Obama released his April 2016 "National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month" proclamation. He stated: "And I have directed military leadership to prioritize this issue and equip our men and women in uniform with the knowledge and tools necessary to combat sexual violence. From our military to our schools, and in law enforcement agencies in communities across America, we will keep working to address sexual violence and root it out wherever it exists."
Sexual Assault in America's Military: World Press Photo Contest 2016
Thursday, March 31, 2016 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Photojournalist Mary F. Calvert received "1st Prize for Long Term Projects" in the 2016 World Press Photo competition for her moving photo series, "Sexual Assault in America's Military." Mary is committed to using photography to affect meaningful social change and is known for producing work on gender-based, human rights issues.
Why A Zero-Tolerance Military Hazing Policy May Not Be Effective
Tuesday, March 29, 2016 | Category: Hazing - National
Adam Linehan, an Army Iraq and Afghanistan veteran, concluded: "A smarter, more realistic approach to overhauling the system is both necessary and not at all difficult to execute." Service members are "smoked" by other service members as a means of discipline. Some committed suicide afterwards.
Female Veterans Should Expect Highest Standard of Care from VA
Tuesday, March 29, 2016 | Category: Health Care - Florida
Joni Marquez, author of this opinion piece, is the Orlando local director of Concerned Veterans for America. She poses the question about what kind of care she should expect from the Department of Veterans Affairs understanding she is transitioning out of the military after 14 years of service and seeking a "normal life." She notes: "The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is supposed to help me make that transition, but how can I trust the VA will treat me with dignity and respect when there are so many examples in recent years of the department letting us down?"
MST: Beyond the Headlines with Cheryl Jennings
Tuesday, March 29, 2016 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Cheryl Jennings of ABC's "Beyond the Headlines" interviews two male military sexual assault (MST) survivors, the CEO and President of Protect Our Defenders, the Director of Gender Equity & LGBT Rights, and Senior Staff Attorney of the Legal Aid Society-Employment Law Center.
Sexual assault continues to be epidemic in the military and is not gender-specific. More military men than military women are raped during their service. Continued reform of military law enforcement and justice systems is necessary to provide military members with an impartial and just process that they can access without fear of retaliation. Additionally, accessing MST survivors to physical and mental health care while in the military and as veterans is critical to their lifelong well being and self-sufficiency.
After 40 Years of Service, Army General Reflects on Women in Military
Monday, March 28, 2016 | Category: History/Heritage - National
Army Maj. Gen. Camille M. Nichols reflects on her four decades of service, recalling the service, sacrifices, and contributions women made for the nation..."a testament to their professionalism, not to their gender."
Pentagon Proposes First Changes to UCMJ in 30 Years
Monday, March 28, 2016 | Category: Military Justice - National
Two years ago, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered the Department of Defense to review their Uniform Code of Military Justice when sexual assaults in the military gained much public attention and Congressional demands for reform. These are the first Pentagon-recommended changes in over 30 years with previous changes Congressionally mandated. More transparency is inherent in the revisions. Retired Air Force former top prosecutor Don Christensen, now president of Protect Our Defenders, the sexual-assault victim advocacy group, believes "that the proposal was an effort to abort even more sweeping changes, in particular stripping the chain of command from its prosecutorial and judicial role in the military justice system. The proposed legislation would leave military commanders to still determine which cases go to court-martial, what charges will be brought against a defendant, whether to cut a deal, and whether to grant clemency after conviction."
PTSD May Affect Blood Vessel Health in Veterans
Wednesday, March 23, 2016 | Category: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) - National
The "Journal of the American Heart Association" released a study that indicated that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may adversely impact he ability of blood vessels to dilate and consequently, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke in veterans.
House Passes Bill to Allow Female Pilots’ Ashes at Arlington
Tuesday, March 22, 2016 | Category: History/Heritage - National
In a 385-0 vote, the House passed legislation proposed by Congresswoman Martha McSally to allow female World War II Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) to continue placing their ashes at Arlington National Cemetery. During the war, the women served as civilians, but since 1977 they were granted veteran status and in 2002, Army policy allowed their ashes to be placed at Arlington with military honors. In 2015, the Army ruled that the WASPs never should have been allowed to be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery and revoked their eligibility. This bill reverses the Army's decision. Congresswoman Martha McSally is a retired Air Force fighter pilot.