News
2018 Veterans Day Deals, Discounts and Freebies
Monday, October 29, 2018 | Category: Advocacy/Outreach - National
Military.com frequently updates a list of Veterans Day 2018 restaurant, goods and services discounts as well as events.
Sign Up Online for a Veterans ID Card: Here’s How.
Monday, October 29, 2018 | Category: Advocacy/Outreach - International
VAntage Point, a Department of Veterans Affairs blog, published the following guidance on how veterans can apply for their ID card.
”Veterans with honorable service can apply for the Veterans Identification Card (VIC) to use as proof of military service.
"The new Veterans Identification Card provides a safer and more convenient and efficient way for most Veterans to show proof of service," said VA secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin when the card was launched. "With the card, Veterans with honorable service to our nation will no longer need to carry around their paper DD-214s to obtain Veteran discounts and other services."
If you already have a photo ID issued by the Department of Defense or a Veterans Health ID, you don't need the new card. To request a VIC, Veterans must visit vets.gov, click on "Sign In" in the top right hand corner and establish an ID.me account. Once the Veteran verifies their identity they may request to "Apply for the Veteran ID Card." Watch the video below for more information.”
Senator Demands Probe of Website That Promotes Nude Photos of Female Servicemembers
Monday, October 29, 2018 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Kris Goldsmith, a researcher for Vietnam Veterans of America, alerted Senator Claire McCaskill to the hot military girls.com website and spinoff Facebook pages that appeared to depict identifiable nude and clothed female servicemembers, mostly from the U.S. military. The domain for the site which was registered in 2001 is in Canada and it appears the internet protocol address has changed 24 times. Goldsmith expressed concern that the women could be tracked down and blackmailed. Senator McCaskill requested the Pentagon Inspector General initiate an investigation. Although the military is making reforms regarding social media, this is another in a series of similar sites that contribute to a culture of harassment.
Fact Sheet: VA Community Care Network (CCN)
Friday, October 26, 2018 | Category: Advocacy/Outreach - National
This Department of Veterans Affairs fact sheet provides an overview of the Community Care Network (CCN) established under the VA Mission Act 2018. The Community Care Network, a government initiative to streamline VA’s community care programs, is subdivided into regions depicted on the U.S. map included in this fact sheet. Contracted program administrators will be tasked “to develop and administer regional networks of high-performing licensed health care providers and practitioners to provide medical, dental and pharmacy services to eligible Veterans who are unable to receive care at local VA medical centers.”
K9s For Warriors - Because Together We Stand
Friday, September 14, 2018 | Category: Health Care - National
Meet the founder of K9s for Warriors (a Better Business Bureau accredited charity), a veteran caregiver, and her son, a veteran struggling with PTSD. This article shares the journey many military veterans experience post-military service and how their health, and their rescued dogs’ health, improved when they were paired together to help each other live a productive, more joyful life. As of summer 2018, “the program has rescued more than 850 dogs and 440 military service members, with an astounding 99% program success rate.”
K9s for Warriors: https://www.k9sforwarriors.org
Military Women’s Organizations Unite to Form National Coalition
Friday, September 7, 2018 | Category: Advocacy/Outreach - National
On September 7, 2018, an Advisory Group comprised of leading national and regional military women’s organizations began the formation of “a coalition of like-minded groups to battle the continued marginalization women face within the military and after their service. The unprecedented national gathering of military women’s groups will form a coalition with the goal of elevating the voices of the 2.2 million current service women and women veterans to bring about policy and culture change within the military and the veteran communities.“
VA Says It Will Not Study Effects Of Medical Marijuana On PTSD And Chronic Pain
Wednesday, August 1, 2018 | Category: Health Care - National
Minnesota Representative Tim Walz received a “no can do” response to his request for the VA to research veteran use of medical marijuana. James Clark of Task & Purpose reported: “The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says it will not conduct research into the effects of medical cannabis on post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain, some of the very ailments veteran patients rely on the drug to treat. In a Dec. 21 letter to Minnesota Democrat Rep. Tim Walz, VA Secretary David Shulkin said that the department is unable to research medical cannabis due to federal restrictions.”
Military Sexual Assault: A Detailed Timeline of Sex Crimes in the Military (1979-2017)
Wednesday, August 1, 2018 | Category: Sexual Harassment/Assault/Trauma - National
Andrea Januta published this timeline in The War Horse. She states: “This ongoing project examines nearly four decades of military sexual trauma in the U.S. military in an effort to understand the broader context in which the Defense Department has allowed a culture of sexual harassment and abuse to continue. Using government documents, historical records, news of the time, and additional reporting, this timeline illustrates not just the scandals, but the public, legislative, and military responses, as well as the evolution of the Defense Department's policy regarding sexual abuse.
We need your help to chronicle the history of military sexual trauma in the U.S. Armed Forces and how it's been addressed by the U.S. Defense Department.
Contact newstips@thewarhorse.org or message us on Facebook with tips, articles, and documents about scandals you think should be in this history.”
News: U.S. Air Force
Monday, June 25, 2018 | Category: Department of Defense - National
Current and past U.S. Air Force-released news is posted on this site with "word," "category," and "date" search capability.
Factsheet: VA Mission Act 2018 & New Veterans Community Care Program
Friday, June 15, 2018 | Category: Health Care - International
This factsheet provides an overview of what the VA Mission Act 2018 is and why the legislation was passed. Some VA medical centers are hosting listening sessions to share information about the legislation and request feedback from veterans.