Veterans Administration into the 21st Century

'22 Push-Up': Veterans Suicides, Online 'push-up' Challenge?

2016-08-17T14:12:00.000-04:00

Yup, now this'll work, NOT!!

Not even getting the important message out, but it'll really make the participants feel all 'patriotic' all over, like takin the little ones to a parade, but more effort then wavin a flag though unless a big flag. It's not a conservative pushed media hyped 'scandal', done that many times on same issues with no help from unless trolling for, patriotic, votes then unfunded weak legislation, caused by them and the people served, as those served 'don't care'!

Especially getting the high bracket infamous, extremely happy with the extra wealth from the two huge tax cuts 'thank you' and more since, involved in the, Poser, patriotic messages and video's of! And once Again not giving the message that should be, demanding that those served finally actually 'sacrifice' themselves as they demand the Military and Families of do!!

* * * How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!! * * *

22 Push-Up Challenge hopes to save the lives of veterans

The Rock does the push-up challenge. INSTAGRAM/THE ROCK
August 16, 2016 - Move over ice buckets, there's a new challenge rippling through social media: push ups. Twenty-two, in fact.
You knock them out, then challenge someone else to do it. Everyone from stars like John Krasinski and The Rock to a class of Texas state trooper recruits is getting involved.
The 22 Push-Up Challenge is designed to focus attention on a tragedy, reports CBS News' Jim Axelrod. For years, it was estimated that 22 veterans committed suicide each day -- 7,400 a year.
"When the statistics came out that 22 veterans a day were committing suicide it was almost unbelievable. We wanted to find out more where this number came from," said Retired Marine Don Nguyen, deputy director of 22Kill, the foundation behind the challenge.
Two summers ago, the Ice Bucket Challenge raised $115 million. But 22Kill says their primary goal is to raise awareness, not money.
read more>>>

Conservative ideology Worldwide: Like our long time Vietnam and since Veterans, Conservative, Nemesis, one of their experts(?), who's never served especially in a War Theater as to Combat Theater PTS, and has greatly harmed civilians who've lived extreme traumatic, thus PTS, experiences that haunt their lives and for years being misdiagnosed. Used to shape conservative policies, and very highly compensated: February 19, 2011 * Sally Satel Still Selling Care for PTSD Veterans is Waste of Money *, March 2 2006 - * For Some, the War Won't End *, August 21, 2006 - * Stressed Out Vets: Believing the worst about post-traumatic stress disorder *, Feb 29 2008 - * Since when did Sally Satel care about PTSD Veterans? *. There are plenty of others, they've got a ready stable full of go to {experts?}, and plenty of unfunded, underfunded or ignored and outright denied issues!! In short what is meant is the Country served owes Nothing to the Veterans who've served and are all, or mostly, slackers, looking for a free handout from those they've served, sound conservatively familiar and oft used as to many issues, as they refuse to 'sacrifice' themselves, why they don't even pay for the Wars, Deja-Vu!!

Not just as to the VA but Government wide as they seek to privatize, with little or no regulation, for corporate profits all of government, keeping only administrations in the agencies so they can call them government agencies still and have someone to blame and attack for the created media hyped 'scandals', many repeated over and over!!

By the way Sally and Conservative brethren. Like most of my brothers and sisters I'm a Vet Not receiving a disability VA check, mental nor physical, but now getting Great Care through the VA, and the Caring staffs of, since retiring, through Medicare which I already paid into and pay premiums through SS monthly now, ya all owe me and the very few rest, especially from War Theaters, that!! Especially after these recent, still ongoing blowback from the policies, for corporate profit long conflicts!!

American, Aussie, Brit, Canadian, All Veterans, Especially of War Policy Ideologies

* DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! *

Families speak about military loved ones lost and how we failed them

August 13, 2016 - A SHAMEFUL number of Aussie soldiers return from war zones depressed, anxious, in despair but unable to find help. Grieving families of war veterans who have taken their own lives say their loved ones might still be alive today if they’d received adequate support from authorities. >>>

Especially for the Corporate and Wealthy Community, investors in Defense Industries, and for these, Afghanistan and Iraq, came Two Huge Tax Cuts, with more sweetheart deals to same from states and the fed!! And that covers much more in the Deficits, like even paying for war policies and the results from and much more, then just the, grossly under funded thus not properly built nor properly maintained, and not conservative obstructionists pols concern, VA budgets!!

Any Governments Veterans Administration are the people served Responsibility! Not another corporate profit seeking entity off of war as now much of the privatized military has become, just look how fast and big the government funded corporate merc army/intelligence was built above all laws and caused more lasting deadly damage to the American, once proud in leadership and morals, brand on the world stage! Not socialized anything but their Responsibility to Actually Sacrifice, as it's been since they were established but promises never upheld with, in America, Congressional fixes coming mostly unfunded and piece-meal causing more problems, the way those served seem to really like it that way as they lay blame on the VA personal!!

President Obama 26 August 2014: "This is not just a job of government. It’s not just a job of the veterans’ organizations. Every American needs to join us in taking care of those who've taken care of us. Because only 1 percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but 100 percent of Americans benefit from that 1 percent. A hundred percent need to be supporting our troops. A hundred percent need to be supporting our veterans. A hundred percent need to be supporting our military families." The Only Executive Branch w/Cabinet In My Lifetime, as a War Theater Veteran, Finally trying to fulfill the promises and with absolutely no help from conservatives in congress nor the people served, DeJa-Vu!!!

“Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

"If military action is worth our troops’ blood, it should be worth our treasure, too — not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American." -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013

Only American 'christians?' Serve the American, Poser, patriotic in the Military?

2016-08-16T06:51:00.000-04:00

Ahhh yes, more GOP, started long ago but growing under the Trump & Pence, recruiting for the extremist, ISIL's and others, using other religious ideologies as their, propaganda, crutch by the flag waving, Poser, patriotic amerikan 'christians'!! Placing more 'Targets' on the few who do serve and sacrifice, and those civilian's within, and outside of, the theaters of war and deadly destructive conflicts!! And they still see nothing wrong, nor do they care as their successful corporate and investor lords profits grow, with these actions and words as they continue refusing to 'sacrifice' themselves!!

* DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! *

“It’s a very touching memorial, but the problem is there’s a cross in it. It singles out veterans of one religion, and in doing so ignored and disrespects veterans of all other religions, or no religion,” Storey said.

Controversy Surrounds Roselle Park Mayor’s Tribute To Veterans

15 August 2016 - A public official’s tribute to America’s military veterans has stirred controversy in a New Jersey town.
Outside of Veterans Memorial Library in Roselle Park is a silhouette of a soldier kneeling at a cross. It’s become the center of controversy among residents including Gregory Storey.
“It’s a very touching memorial, but the problem is there’s a cross in it. It singles out veterans of one religion, and in doing so ignored and disrespects veterans of all other religions, or no religion,” Storey said.
The memorial — paid for by Mayor Carl Hokanson — was installed on July 29, by city workers and came as a surprise to the board that runs the library.
“The mayor is my boss, we listen to him, but it was not put through the board of trustees,” Interim Library Supervisor, Kit Rubino said.
Storey said the memorial violates the separation of church and state and contacted the American Humanist Association. read more>>>

* * * How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!! * * *

American, Aussie, Brit, Canadian, All Veterans, Especially of War Policy Ideologies

2016-08-14T13:50:00.000-04:00

* * * How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!! * * *

Families speak about military loved ones lost and how we failed them

August 13, 2016 - A SHAMEFUL number of Aussie soldiers return from war zones depressed, anxious, in despair but unable to find help.
Grieving families of war veterans who have taken their own lives say their loved ones might still be alive today if they’d received adequate support from authorities.
Thirteen families of service men and veterans have bravely spoken out to highlight the plight of military men and women at risk.
Their call for more support comes as a Sunday Herald Sun investigation reveals 41 military personnel and veterans died this year from suicide, the same as the number of Australians who were killed in Afghanistan during 13 years of war.
Each family which agreed to be part of this special report lost their sons, husbands or fathers in the past two years.
They ranged in age from 21 to 57. Most of them were in their 20s and 30s when they died.
Almost all had been deployed to overseas operations, including Iraq, East Timor, Afghanistan or served on navy ships involved in border patrol.
The concerns were backed by former Chief of Army and Soldier On chairman Peter Leahy, who said the government needed to “step up and own the problem”. read more>>>

* DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! *

Conservative ideology Worldwide: Like our long time Vietnam and since Veterans, Conservative, Nemesis, one of their experts(?), used to shape their policies, and very highly compensated: * * Sally Satel Still Selling Care for PTSD Veterans is Waste of Money * * There are plenty of others, they've got a ready stable full of go to {experts?}, and plenty of unfunded ignored and denied issues!! Not just as to the VA but Government wide as they seek to privatize, with little or no regulation, for corporate profits all of government, keeping only administrations in the agencies so they can call them government agencies still and have someone to blame and attack for the created media hyped 'scandals', many repeated over and over!!

'Sacrifice' Trump, and His Apologists? These Are The Faces Of 'SACRIFICE'!!

2016-08-13T06:45:00.001-04:00

* * * How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!! * * *

Camp Hometown Heroes helps children cope with losing a parent to war

August 12, 2016 - Outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there's a kids camp that has all the makings of a typical summer camp, except the kids who come here share one exceptional bond.
Since 9/11, 5,000 kids have lost a parent because of war. And a few years ago, Camp Hometown Heroes started as a way to bring those kids together from across the country.
Camper James House's dad, John, was a Navy medic who died in a helicopter crash in Iraq. That was in 2005, when James was just a month old.
"Can you explain to me, how do you miss someone that you've never met?" I asked James.
"I miss him because he's my dad. I might not have met him in person, but he's always with me," he said.
Over the years, James wanted to mourn but says he couldn't, really -- partly because his friends at home, while well-intentioned, weren't saying the right things.
"At school when Father's Day passes that's a big deal. And everyone is making little Father's Day cards and I get a little sad. And they say, 'I know how you feel.'"
But it's not the same. read more>>>

* DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! *

Sacrifice?: For Wars-'0' For Continued Blowback From Policies-'0' For Veterans Of-'0'

Most of the people served, especially the wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can. Two Huge Tax Cuts, and more after those for them, not, 'job creators': Made Wealth off Defense War Investments, like the government funded private for profit merc army and intelligence arm -$$$+++ Making Wealth off Continued Blowback From the Policies-$$$+++ Wants To Make Wealth off All Privatized VA-$$$+++

Canada Reopening VA Offices Conservatives Had Closed

2016-08-09T08:43:00.000-04:00

Trying to get back on track, though still extremely short changed, as to Veterans!

American vets aren't the only ones grossly short changed, for decades and wars from, by those they've served, especially from wars and conservative administrations as well as conservative powers in congresses or parliaments! Through the conservative ideology of those they hire to represent in the want to privatize, continuing the rising returns on investments, on wars especially!

The Brits and other advanced economies do same especially under conservative controls and with the blessings of those served!

* DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! *

Liberals reopening Veterans Affairs offices across the country

08/8/2016 - The Veterans Affairs office in Brandon will be open again in a matter of months, the federal government will announce Tuesday.Veterans Affairs Minister Kent Hehr will be in Brandon Tuesday for the fourth such announcement he's delivered since June as the Liberals make good on an election pledge to reopen all nine veterans affairs offices closed in 2014 by the former government in a move to reduce spending.
"It's great," said Martin Haller, who served in the Canadian Forces in Haiti, Kosovo and Afghanistan. "It's time. We were right."
Haller was among the most vocal veterans fighting the Brandon closure, organizing local protests and travelling to Ottawa. The office is expected to be located in the same place it was before it closed in January 2014.
The federal government announced in its March budget it would spend $5.6 billion over six years to enhance services to veterans, including reopening the offices and improving disability awards for wounded soldiers.
Haller said since the closure veterans have struggled to access services and get help navigating a complex system for disability support. The Brandon office served about 2,000 clients with five full-time staff. read more>>>

* * * How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!! * * *

SACRIFICE??

2016-07-31T06:46:00.000-04:00

@realDonaldTrump #madealotofsacrifices Sacrifice?: For Wars-'0' For Blowback From Policies-'0' For Veterans Of-'0'

Made Wealth off Defense War Investments-$$$+++ Making Wealth off Blowback From the Policies-$$$+++ Wants To Make Wealth off All Privatized VA-$$$+++

"If military action is worth our troops’ blood, it should be worth our treasure, too — not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American." -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013

“We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

Chris Hayes : "If you can run a deficit to go to war, you can run a deficit to take care of the people who fought it" In response to Republican, long ago lost as the party of Lincoln and not just as to us Veterans, opposition to expanding Veterans' benefits on fiscal grounds

Sen. Bernie Sanders told Conservatives: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014

Conservative Congressional VA Hearings: Dallas & Baton Rouge Shootings

2016-07-27T07:50:00.001-04:00

Rep Miller, poser patriot trolling for votes, loves holding hearings. Often on same issues as in past and always with no Congressional, nor People Served represented, help in actually addressing, but for the media hyped 'scandals' and attacks on Veterans Administration personal!

All he and the rest of Congress need do is look in the Congressional records, they do have tax payer paid staff, to find All the answers needed, especially as to obstruction, underfunding and underbuilt as well as under maintained a responsibility of Congress in All Government agencies and more!!

'Make America Great Again' {?}

What 'again' are they talking about!!

The people are disenfranchised, especially conservatives, and are showing it, reason for a Trump?

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

What 'disenfranchisement' are they experiencing, Especially conservatives!!

In my lifetime, and especially as a Veteran of a War Theater, last year of a four year tour, the Conservative ideology, often the extremist of, have controlled the Executive branch, most terms, thus the Veterans Administration!

House Veterans Affairs chairman expands police shooters' records request

July 26, 2016 - The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs has broadened his request for information on two former soldiers involved in mass shootings in Texas and Louisiana.
In a letter Tuesday to the secretary of Veterans Affairs, Florida Rep. Jeff Miller requested a briefing on all VA services received by Army reservist Micah Johnson, who shot and killed five Dallas cops and wounded nine other law enforcement officers in a July 7 attack on a peaceful downtown protest rally.
Miller asked for similar records last week on Gavin Long, the former Marine and Iraq war veteran who killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 17.
The attacks followed protests sparked by the deaths of two black men — Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Minnesota — by white police officers.
The Republican congressman requested "unredacted" copies of Johnson's full medical records and VA claims files. read more>>>

The conservative ideology: Like our long time Veterans Conservative Nemesis, one of their experts(?), used to shape their policies, and very highly compensated: * Sally Satel Still Selling Care for PTSD Veterans is Waste of Money * There are plenty of others, they've got a ready stable full of go to {experts?}, and plenty of unfunded ignored and denied issues!!

In my lifetime, and especially as a Veteran of a War Theater, the Conservative ideology have control the legislative powers of Congress, either directly in one or both Houses of or with the Obstructive filibuster numbers in at least one while controlling the other or in both if minority of! And in this century a number of States have fallen under same control!

The GOP Shut Down a Program That Might Have Prevented Dallas and Baton Rouge

July 24 2016 - Trump is blaming Obama for police shootings. But seven years ago Republicans halted a federal study that sought to detect potential radicalization by veterans. read more>>>

And especially in recent times, like since the turn of this Century, they have not only maintained that legislative control in the Federal Government, while not governing, they have gained control of even more States, both Executively and Legislatively!!

What is or is not done doesn't 'Not' affect one because they scream they're 'conservative' and not now a dirty word 'liberal' everything done or not done or legislatively watered down affects everybody, and often if possible needs to be undone, extremist of costing great in time and monies, meanwhile causing great damage or harm to the masses, and even the planet, no matter ideology!!

The present Obama Administration has been under extremist attacks since day one, often Dems are helping in those attacks, across the board. But these attacks on as to the media hyped, conservatives, 'scandals' of the VA, many others, this entire Administration has been fighting, while grossly obstructed again as to funding, to Finally Build what the People Served Promised and Yet Have Delivered!! DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!

Starting with Sec. Shinseki with a conservative target on him and Thankfully continuing under Sec. MacDonald, after conservatives finally hit the mark on that target!!

From trying to build a system, grossly underfunded or unfunded congressional legislation passed in trolling for them, Poser, patriotic votes, in integrating these younger vets of two more, profit generating wars and long occupations, to addressing long ignored or outright denied, by those served, veterans issues!! All on, grossly under funded and under built and under maintained, mostly borrowed monies with interest, i.e. deficits!!

Chris Hayes : "If you can run a deficit to go to war, you can run a deficit to take care of the people who fought it" In response to Republican, long ago lost as the party of Lincoln and not just as to us Veterans, opposition to expanding Veterans' benefits on fiscal grounds.

Sen. Bernie Sanders told Conservatives: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014

So look in the mirrors, especially conservatives, you've always had that 'again' the trump is yelling and you're screaming about!!!

Privatizing the VA, 'People Served Responsibility', Takes A Step To Reality

2016-07-18T07:49:00.002-04:00

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

* DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! *

In the highlighted, just below, the "acted slowly and inefficiently" is one of many built into the Government, Private, Contractors business plan and scheme. As to Military and Veterans of and especially War just look at the long time practices in the Defense Contractor often, as to present times, with no-bid awards and the reach back for much more funding to accomplish signed contracts. Or look at what it costs to quickly build a private merc army, quickly becoming another intelligence gathering, private, government agency at private contractor costs, traded on Wall Street. All that did, as to long occupations in two more deadly destructive wars, is create more blowback, that spread and grew, pointed at our Military and since much more! Create problems, Congressional representatives, mostly conservative, in need of easy campaign donations and more while in government, extremely well paid jobs when they leave government, work as already established washington lobbying firms or starting their own quick build to wealth lobbying firms, quickly hold hearings blaming VA personal, who the private contractors rebuff at every turn with no consequences, with Media and People served quickly joining the growing beating drums of, never looking at the extremely costly private business sector charged with performing on contracts awarded!! Most, if not all, of Government contractors are unknown, included by the media looking for that next 'scandal' to hype. Unless one is astute enough to follow Government, the citizens, business or know where to look. Why, because they are rarely, if ever, called as, conservatives, bring forth another media hyped 'scandal' that is actually created by them and the people served and creates other needed, media hyped, 'scandals', with help from the government private contractors actions and real intentions!!

Alaska Veterans Administration takes medical appointing duty from contractor TriWest

July 17, 2016 - Officials from the Alaska Veterans Administration (VA) said their agency is taking over services previously performed by contractor TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Local veterans who attended a June 30 public meeting hosted by acting VA Director Dr. Linda Boyle were informed that VA staff would soon begin scheduling their appointments at non-VA medical clinics, a job previously done by TriWest staff whom veterans claimed acted slowly and inefficiently.
Phoenix, Arizona-based TriWest is a private company formed in 1996 to manage veteran medical care services in many western states, which included Alaska after an expansion in 2003. Following the $10 million settlement of a US Justice Department lawsuit against the company in September 2011 — in which whistleblowers claimed TriWest overbilled the VA’s TRICARE health plan for the medical services it arranged — TriWest lost its service contract with the Department of Defense to United Health Care in July 2012. In 2013, the Department of Veteran Affairs awarded TriWest a new $4.3 billion, five-year contract to arrange medical services for veterans in 28 states, including Alaska.
At previous VA public meetings at Kenai Peninsula College, local veterans said geography was among the contractor’s problems. Calls from veterans trying to schedule appointments through TriWest were handled by call centers around the country, with none in Alaska.
Although its contract with the VA gives TriWest operators 5 days to make medical appointments for veterans, according to VA representative Cindy Massey, some veterans at public meetings have said they’ve been waiting longer. Veterans at the June 30 meeting reported stories in which they’d gone for supposedly-scheduled appointments to providers who had no record of an appointment having been made, and of appointments scheduled for central peninsula veterans at early morning hours in far-away places such as Homer and Fairbanks. read more>>>

Smaller Government only means the numbers in direct line of attack, by conservatives, for any and all problems! Smaller Government would be a privatized for corporate profit, growing individual fee's added after control established, with no regulation, traded on Wall Street especially for the wealthy. Continuing building War wealth long after every, undeclared by Congress, invasion and occupation, the deadlier and destructive the greater investment wealth brought to no tax off shore bank vaults!!

For the Seriously Wounded War Veterans No 'right to life' thus 'family values'

2016-06-21T08:26:00.000-04:00

This will change, along with so many plain ignored or outright denied issues, for decades and into these present long wars and occupations, as soon as Conservatives can privatize, for corporate profit with little to no regulation, more of the people served responsibility and duty or the whole agency! Except for an administrative section in Washington, gotta have someone to attack and blame for them conservative led media hyped 'scandals', resulting from the decades of obstruction and intentional underfunding, as those served still haven't 'sacrificed'!

Human cloning fear could stymie effort to provide wounded vets with fertility care

June 20, 2016 - A prominent conservative group hopes to derail a congressional effort to give wounded veterans access to fertility services through the VA, saying it could lead to human cloning and three-parent embryos.
The Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council sent an email last week to congressional staff working on the final Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill, voicing opposition to a provision that would require the Veterans Affairs Department to cover fertility services for former troops with injuries that cause infertility.
In the email, an FRC representative called the language in the Senate bill, penned by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., “terrible,” adding that it was "broad enough to cover reproductive technologies from IVF to human cloning to 3-parent embryos.”
“It does not have any restrictions on whether treatment would include the creation of human embryos, the storage of or freezing of human embryos or whether and how embryos that are left over would be destroyed,” according to the correspondence.
Roughly 1,800 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans received injuries to their groins, genitalia or spinal cords that make it difficult to have children without medical assistance, and while the Defense Department provides some advanced fertility treatments to these service members while they are on active duty, the VA is barred by law from doing so. read more>>>

June 5, 2015 - CBS Blasts ‘Conservatives in Congress’ Preventing IVF for Veterans

Another GOP, 'right-to-life' & 'family values', Message to Military Families: ' move ‘a truly shameful mistake’ '

2016-06-15T08:30:00.000-04:00

GOP objection kills Senate funding for military fertility program

14 June 2016 - In January the Pentagon launched a pilot program that allowed U.S. troops to freeze their sperm and eggs before deployment.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter lauded it as a way that service members could preserve their reproductive cells in case they suffered catastrophic wounds or merely wanted to put off having children.
Now the program might be heading for a quick demise: On Tuesday, the Republican-led Senate voted 85-13 to approve a $602 billion military spending bill for 2017 that stripped funding for the program.
Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray called it “a truly shameful mistake.”
Murray, a longtime member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, tried twice to force a vote that would have restored $38 million in funding for the program. Both times her move was blocked by Arizona Sen. John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. read more>>>

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

* DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! *

Hungry Heroes? Food Assistance for Military Combat Vets & Families of?

2016-06-11T10:57:00.001-04:00

DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!

Along with even more as to the, Poser, patriots served. The whole 21st century 'support the troops', so far, DeJa-Vu the old is the new all over again:

A quarter of active-duty and reserve families are seeking food assistance, according to program officials. The program will consist of a mobile food pantry offering biweekly food assistance in the months of June and July, according to a press release.

Program feeds military families

Jun 10, 2016 - Hungry Heroes aims to provide combat veterans and military families with food assistance. The program kicked off Wednesday and is a collaborative effort by area food bank Second Harvest of South Georgia, Southeastern Credit Union and the Armed Forces Financial Network. A quarter of active-duty and reserve families are seeking food assistance, according to program officials. The program will consist of a mobile food pantry offering biweekly food assistance in the months of June and July, according to a press release. read more>>>

And a certain Senator representing the people served has the gall to actually 'praise' the program carried out because he, and the conservative congresses as well as staffs of, aren't doing the jobs hired and charged to do!

Sen. Johnny Isakson made an official statement regarding the program. “As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, I am incredibly proud of the collaboration by Second Harvest of South Georgia and Southeastern Credit Union to help support our service members, veterans and their families in South Georgia,” Isakson said. “The Hungry Heroes program offers a helping hand to those who need it most, and I thank all who have given their time, energy or donations in support of such a great cause. Our service members and their families have given their all in defense of this nation, and we should always do everything we can to give back.”

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

10 june 2016 - 'Military Poser' from the ranks of the 'Poser' patriots served, again

'Military Poser' from the ranks of the 'Poser' patriots served, again

2016-06-11T10:12:00.003-04:00

And we add yet another Military Poser, from the ranks of the greater majority, Poser, flag waving patriots served!

Scamming for personal 'false' respect, personal 'false' honor, personal 'false' glory, personal 'false' fame, personal compensation in any form off the Military Ideals and Us Veterans of!

DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!

Man accused of falsifying military service charged with 3 felonies

10 June 2016 - Update: Newly released court documents reveal: "As part of his continuing scheme to raise money for his business, Project 22 and his non-profit organization, Freedom K-9 Rehab, Wolfe claims to be a Wounded Warrior Veteran of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria Wars as a dog handler with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury. He has appeared in public on several occasions telling his story and has received money from different organizations for himself and his businesses." According to the Veterans Administration, this Eric Wolfe is not a veteran and has never served.
PHOENIX - 1o June 2016 - A Tempe man is accused of telling a tall tale about his supposed military service to obtain veteran status for his driver's license and vehicle plates.
The Arizona Department of Transportation says the agency's detectives have arrested 45-year-old Eric Wolfe on suspicion of forgery and using falsified documents.
Wolfe was booked Tuesday into the custody of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office filed a direct complaint against Wolfe for three felony counts of forgery and possessing a forged instrument. Wolfe's initial court appearance was Thursday. read more>>>

10 June 2016 - AAWL statement regarding Eric Wolfe, Project 22

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

Along with even more as to the, Poser, patriots served. The whole 21st century 'support the troops', so far, DeJa-Vu the old is the new all over again:

A quarter of active-duty and reserve families are seeking food assistance, according to program officials. The program will consist of a mobile food pantry offering biweekly food assistance in the months of June and July, according to a press release.

Program feeds military families

Jun 10, 2016 - Hungry Heroes aims to provide combat veterans and military families with food assistance. The program kicked off Wednesday and is a collaborative effort by area food bank Second Harvest of South Georgia, Southeastern Credit Union and the Armed Forces Financial Network. A quarter of active-duty and reserve families are seeking food assistance, according to program officials. The program will consist of a mobile food pantry offering biweekly food assistance in the months of June and July, according to a press release. read more>>>

Sen. Johnny Isakson made an official statement regarding the program. “As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, I am incredibly proud of the collaboration by Second Harvest of South Georgia and Southeastern Credit Union to help support our service members, veterans and their families in South Georgia,” Isakson said. “The Hungry Heroes program offers a helping hand to those who need it most, and I thank all who have given their time, energy or donations in support of such a great cause. Our service members and their families have given their all in defense of this nation, and we should always do everything we can to give back.”

Bush VA Sec. Principi, Private Company, Investigated for Denying VA Medical Benefits, Again

2016-06-10T11:06:00.001-04:00

The now long running questionable practices of Government Contractor QTC Management and now QTC Medical, formerly owned by Principi but sold to Lockheed Martin, Principi now lobbies for in Washington, is again under investigation, this time, especially, as to Agent Orange claims by Vietnam Veterans and denial of same!

Principi was one of three VA Secretaries under G.W.Bush that did little to nothing, as same for Conservative Congress while being praised by conservative veterans and country, as that Administration, with the Conservative controlled Congress rubber stamping everything in full support of extremely quickly abandoning the missions and those sent to accomplish after 9/11, for Veterans as Secretary of the VA. Carrying the Conservative torch of VA Secretaries under Republican Executive Administrations in greatly crippling that agency, the People Served Responsibility, so it can eventually be taken over completely and privatized for corporate profits with little to no regulation! Thus making easy wealth from investments in, like much of the Military defense investments already do during War policies, long after Wars and the policy blowbacks from are ended!

Complaints that company wrongly denied VA medical benefits put contract on hold

June 9, 2016 - A company founded by a former Veterans Affairs secretary has won a major share of more than $6 billion in agency contracts, even as the firm is being investigated on charges that it wrongly denied medical benefits to some veterans.
Winning the major share of a contract for medical exams was QTC Medical, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin that was founded by former VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi. Since selling his company in 2011, Principi's lobbying firm has taken on Lockheed as a client, specifically to deal with the VA and its need for medical exams.
The contract awarded to QTC of Diamond Bar, Calif., in late March is under challenge from multiple protests filed with the Government Accountability Office.
VA spokesman Henry Huntley said the new contract would be put on a 100-day hold while authorities examine the complaints. That hold, however, means that QTC will continue providing medical exams under its old contract.
Congressional lobbying records show Principi's firm, The Principi Group, registered as the lobbyist for Lockheed Martin in 2014.
In an email response to questions about his lobbying and the recent bids, Principi wrote, “I have not lobbied for QTC on its rebid nor do I have any knowledge or information on any of your other questions.”
Even as the bid was being awarded and protests filed, a House committee has launched its own probe into allegations that QTC routinely denied benefits to veterans suffering from the after-effects of exposure to Agent Orange. read more>>>

MARCH 31, 2016 - Agent Orange benefit screening process scrutinized in Congress

The conservative ideology: Like our long time Veterans Conservative Nemesis, one of their experts(?), used to shape their policies, and very highly compensated: Sally Satel Still Selling Care for PTSD Veterans is Waste of Money There are plenty of others, they've got a ready stable full of go to {experts?}, and plenty of unfunded ignored and denied issues!!

Phoenix VA officials firings

2016-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

And who had Executive branch control over the Veterans Administration since first Reagan admin and reagonomics new capitalism ideology. With some eight years of two more long wars/occupations, under last conservative admin, and results, policy blowbacks, from still ongoing! Coming with two tax cuts, huge for the wealthy, during same and people served told to go shopping!

And who had control of both Houses of Congress as well or filibuster obstruction numbers when not majorities, oversite and regulation, in both during same time frame! In Clinton admin Cleland tried but was obstructed by Conservatives in those Congresses. Obama admin not only brought total obstruction but also the blame as previous Congressional hearings, on same issues, did nothing after held only later to become media hyped 'scandals' led by Conservative Congressional reps! While his entire administration and Cabinet secretaries helped try and build what was promised but never done for the few who serve the many, taking on the long ignored, not only the VA, and seeking but never getting the Congressional duties charged, and succeeding on many issue fronts!

Three more Phoenix VA officials fired in aftermath of wait-time, retaliation probes

Three more administrators at the Phoenix VA Health Care System have been fired in the aftermath of investigations that focused on a breakdown in service to veterans and retaliation against hospital employees who tried to report mismanagement and corruption affecting patient care.
The Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday identified the terminated employees as Lance Robinson, associate director at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center; Brad Curry, the chief of Health Administration Service; and Dr. Darren Deering, the hospital's chief of staff. According to a VA news release, they were removed for "negligent performance of duties and failure to provide effective oversight."
None of those fired could immediately be reached for comment. They are entitled to appeal.
"We have an obligation to veterans and the American people to take appropriate accountability actions as supported by evidence," VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson said in a news release. "While this process took far too long, the evidence supports these removals and sets the stage for moving forward." read more>>>

Every Generation, 'Veterans', is Having to Come Back and Fight
And why:
The conservative ideology: Like our long time Veterans Conservative Nemesis, one of their experts(?), used to shape their policies, and very highly compensated: Sally Satel Still Selling Care for PTSD Veterans is Waste of Money There are plenty of others, they've got a ready stable full of go to {experts?}, and plenty of still unfunded ignored and denied issues!!

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!! Especially for the Corporate and Wealthy Community, investors in Defense Industries, and for these, Afghanistan and Iraq, came Two Huge Tax Cuts, with more sweetheart deals to same from states and the fed!! And that covers much more in the Deficits, like even paying for war policies and the results from and much more, then just the, grossly under funded thus not properly built nor properly maintained, and not conservative obstructionists pols concern, VA budgets!!

The VA - 'Sacrifices' Not Made, 'Promises' Not Kept, 'Issues' Ignored or Denied Existence Of, By Those Served

2016-06-05T12:58:00.000-04:00

"His legacy is shared with a Congress that has proven incapable of taking concerted action," Halter said. "A president is only as good as a Congress will let him be, and I think there's shared responsibility for any shortcomings."

The VA is the people served Responsibility, not another corporate profit seeking entity off of war as now much of the privatized military has become, just look how fast and big the corporate merc army/intelligence was built above all laws and caused more lasting deadly damage to the American, once proud in leadership and moral, brand on the world stage! Not socialized anything but their Responsibility to Actually Sacrifice, as it's been since it was established but promises never upheld with congressional fixes coming mostly unfunded and piece-meal causing more problems, the way those served seem to really like it that way as they lay blame on the VA personal!!

Obama: VA is healing

June 5, 2016 - President Barack Obama adamantly opposes privatizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve the level of health care veterans receive.
"The notion of dismantling the VA system would be a mistake," Obama told The Gazette on Thursday after he shook the hands of 812 new Air Force officers - all of whom will someday be veterans. He said his administration has made steady progress in modernizing the VA and providing veterans with more timely health care. Reinventing the system would derail that progress.
"If you look at, for example, VA health care, there have been challenges getting people into the system. Once they are in, they are extremely satisfied and the quality of care is very high," Obama said during an interview he granted only to The Gazette in a locker room at Falcon Stadium after the Air Force Academy graduation.
The second-term Democrat has less than a year left in office but still has plans to tackle a number of things in the bureaucratic agency that provides health care and other benefits to the nation's estimated 22 million veterans. "It's a big ocean liner, and on any given day, given how far-flung the agency is, we're still seeing problems crop up that we have to correct.
"I think the main message is that we've still got a lot of work to do. It's an all-hands-on-deck process." read more>>>

DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!

The Obama Executive Administration, It's Cabinet, and The Veterans Administration

The Obama Executive Administration, It's Cabinet, and The Veterans Administration

2016-06-03T09:21:00.000-04:00

Anybody actually paying attention knows full well the huge strides this Administration has taken and accomplished as to the VA! While all that's heard from the hyped media reports fed by the Conservatives of Congress, DeJa-Vu, and the People Served, none actually paying attention and liking it that way, including many, especially Conservative, Veterans!! Here's hoping the next administration continues, if Clinton my optimism is still out though Bill tried with brother Cleland but was obstructed then by Conservatives, if Sanders for sure, if Trump hell no, just like the previous Republican administrations who like all Conservatives seek to privatize the people served responsibility for corporate profit. And hoping, not holding my breath especially after what's come down following the Bush admin and two more long wars, that there's a Huge turnover in both Houses of Congress, hyped scandals created mostly by Conservatives decades long policies that have been heard before and nothing done and some with unfunded legislation that creates even more, and the Obstructors are replaced with actual reality policy producers for the Country!

"The VA is a massive agency and when we came into office it was underfunded, undermanned, understaffed. We had a lot of work to do," Obama told The Gazette. "Every single year we have increased the VA budget. We have worked on revamping management. We have made sure that it is customer oriented, and we have seen real progress."

Sneak preview: Gazette exclusive interview with President Obama

June 2, 2016 - This is an excerpt from an exclusive interview granted to the Gazette by President Barack Obama. The full interview will be published on Sunday.
----
After speaking to Air force Academy graduates on Thursday, President Barack Obama claimed his administration has made "real progress" in improving care for veterans despite years of scandals
"The VA is a massive agency and when we came into office it was underfunded, undermanned, understaffed. We had a lot of work to do," Obama told The Gazette. "Every single year we have increased the VA budget. We have worked on revamping management. We have made sure that it is customer oriented, and we have seen real progress." read more>>>

DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

Antiquated: Personnel and Accounting Integrated Data, Department of Veterans Affairs—53 years old

2016-05-29T06:57:00.000-04:00

Finally after months and months of 'Bengazi' and morphed into 'Hillary E-Mails' Congressional investigations, Conservatives have nothing else like Governing to do, the Media and the Country have something real to sink their claws into and, as for the media, report reality on, maybe finally do something about!

Of course they won't, DeJa-Vu, the 'rage' is all about another Clinton, forget that the exact same and more went on during the GWB administration and with Congresses A'OK apparently!!

The GAO report delving into the archaic Government systems, if Congress was doing their jobs the Government would be leading all along in the advancing technologies that then would be shared with the private sector, as Military and Veterans research and development are, are just the tip of the many problems within, especially the VA, as issues are just ignored or denied existence of, to the detriment of the Society and for many the Planet! The antiquated systems can't be shared, if at all, easily across agencies that would need and help alleviate extremely costly problems that in attempting to fix create even more, over and over again. but boy do they sound good and help pointless dangerous ideologies when made into months long media hyped 'scandals' for political and personal needs, and to keep the people served from demanding they should 'sacrifice' at all. Nor can they be shared with individuals, in a timely or otherwise manner, seeking help and information on their own needs. As to the VA for the first time in my lifetime and especially as to the Veterans Administration a whole Executive Branch has been working continuously, with no help from Congress nor the People Served, to build as much as possible what was promised from the beginning!! Here's hoping that continues, but more hope is that the flag waving poser patriotic civilians, many vets as well, start demanding they actually 'sacrifice' and keep their otah and promises too!!!!!!

Been Conservative ideology for years and Country served likes it that way, because by actually fixing their Government it would take huge costs, saving huge amounts when working and maintained correctly going forward. Instead of the piecemeal, in the case of the VA especially, superficial mostly unfunded fixes, if any, that neither fix the ongoing, same, problems but create more added very costly problems. To then become future media hyped long running 'scandals' as the Country served stays on board the Conservative goal to privatize for corporate profit with little to no regulation, government of the corporation and not the people!!

As the Obama administration entered they instantly started getting attacked, by the poser patriots served and through their, especially conservatives, representatives. Not only as to the VA as the total legislative obstruction, and was voiced as the conservative policy forward, began. As to the VA attacks on it's personal, with no guilt by those representatives and people served, it was asked with not one but two long destructive wars and occupations ongoing, DeJa-Vu:

Government agencies keep sacrificing cash to zombie IT systems, GAO finds

50-year-old Cobol code, 8-inch floppies, and PowerBuilder live on in government IT.
26, May 2016 - Some of the most critical business systems run by US government agencies are older than many of the IT people who support them, written in mainframe assembler code or COBOL. That might not shock or surprise anyone who works in mainframe-centric industries like insurance and finance, where the time-tested reliability of some systems has granted them lives that reach back to the Johnson administration. But a new GAO report has called out some of these systems as being so archaic that they're consuming increasingly larger portions of agencies' IT budgets just for operation and maintenance. As the breach at the Office of Personnel Management demonstrated, old systems are also a security risk—particularly when they've been "updated" with now-unsupported versions of Windows Server and Internet and database components that were end-of-life'd by their creators years ago.
To drive those points home, the report—written by David A. Powner, GAO's Director for Information Technology Management Issues—called out specific legacy systems from multiple agencies that are particularly obsolete, reliant on older programming languages and older computing technology that are no longer supported. To help members of Congress too young to remember them, the report also included an infographic (as show above) to explain what an 8-inch floppy disk was.
Of the top ten oldest systems cited by GAO, six are over 50 years old—and five of the ten oldest systems, all dating from before the 1980s, are not slated to be replaced anytime soon. And it should come as no surprise that the two oldest systems in government are at the Internal Revenue Service, and both will remain in place for some time.
To be fair, the "ages" of these systems represent how long the agencies have been investing in them and not necessarily their technology base. Many of them have had major updates to their components, if not their core code. But for the most part, those that have been updated are still based on more recent—but still obsolete and unsupported—operating systems and software.
The Old 10 are:

snip
{4:} Personnel and Accounting Integrated Data, Department of Veterans Affairs—53 years old. Human Resources systems are one of the most common sinkholes for legacy technology. This system is VA's time and attendance system, and it was written in COBOL. VA is planning to replace it with a shared service in 2017, as part of the ongoing consolidation of like systems across the government.
{6:} Benefits Delivery Network, Department of Veterans Affairs—51 years old. This cluster of COBOL mainframe applications is what VA uses to track veterans' benefits, eligibility for access to benefits, and their dates of death, among other things. The VA is planning to roll it into another system someday, but there's no timeframe set. read more>>>

Photo 2012 : 2 April 2013 - Veterans Affairs Backlog Files Stacked So High, They Posed Safety Risk to Staff
One may ask why with the advancing computer technologies, to be quickly shared securely where needed, were the Veterans Administration still not only using all paper files but filling empty spaces, the size of warehouses, with stacks upon stacks of and needing even more empty big spaces to store same. Oh wait, someone did, {above} at a Congressional hearing joining the already many voices of veterans saying same for the previous decades. One could also ask why with two more wars, extremely quickly abandoning the missions and those sent to accomplish same after 9/11 wasn't Congress demanding the Country served 'sacrifice' during the war drums beating and after the invasions, to today. Doing what Congress is charged to do, agency budget needs and enhanced maintenance upgrading to give full support to the few who actually 'sacrifice', and their families, thus saving treasury funds and alleviating the many sure to come from not doing so media hyped 'scandals' that are often repeated and rippled out to more problems! Where finally with the Obama Executive Administration and it's Cabinet giving aid to first Sec. Shinseki, with a target on him from the beginning by Conservatives, and continuing with Sec. McDonald, Conservatives thought they finally got a like minded Corporate privatization executive in leadership of, finding out quickly they didn't so he now has their target on him. Fighting to build what already should have existed and patch up the years of unfunded poser patriotic congressional fixes that just kept creating more problems. Taking care of not only the new members of the war theater veterans community, and the rest of the few who serve, but addressing theirs and the many long ignored and outright denied even existed of previous decades and especially wars from, with no help from Congress and the People Served issues.

In this piece Rachel mentions the VA with a list of other Government agencies, the people served responsibility and duty as to the whole country, especially the VA, promises made but not kept! In showing that the Congresses, especially with conservative ideology, haven't been doing the jobs charged to do, their staffs as well. Obstructing budgets, not helping government agencies fix problems that arise in a timely manner, not maintaining thus saving the peoples treasury monies. Instead choking government to make their argument that the private sector can do better, ignoring the many problems in that cash flush private corporate sector, the conservative ideology. This all causes tens of millions, each year adding to same with same thus causing tens of billions in patchwork legislation, usually unfunded, always needed to borrow thus interest to pay as well, paid for by the people, someday maybe, not them 'job creator' wealthy who add to their wealthy investing in defense needs and wars of!!

5/25/16 - Clinton e-mail report illustrates antiquated IT system
Rachel Maddow looks at how a new inspector general's report on Hillary Clinton's violation of State Department e-mail rules describes the archaic archiving system Clinton was supposed to have followed.

May 25, 2016 - Federal Agencies Need to Address Aging Legacy Systems

While this GAO report was focused more on the months long investigating of the SoS Clinton use of a private secure server in her home for e-mail's as others used same but not home bound and privately monitored, not a proper choice as to public records of those who work for same, that frankly might have been a good idea knowing how congress doesn't work as it's supposed to, this about the government agencies should be what is really reported on by professional journalists for the people!! But hey, how much did they do, as to technology and e-mails of, as to the just previous two SoS's Rice and Powell and not only their use of but destruction of the the peoples records! Or how about the entire Bush administration, along with so much more the Country should have Demanded Accountability for, they and the Conservative Congresses of, and the destruction of including probably correspondence with others outside of Government!! Wonder if the Rice and Powell e-mails were on those and in with the, supposedly, destroyed records on the RNC servers?!

“We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

NO Sen Graham "It's Congress & Those Served 'Responsibility' The VA Provides Veterans With Care They Deserve"

2016-05-24T07:58:00.001-04:00

A 'responsibility' obstructed and denied, by mostly conservatives and supported by most of those served including past veterans, for decades and especially as to wars from in seeking to privatize for corporate profits, with little or no regulation! Need to build those corporate bottom lines, welfare off the peoples treasury, introduce congressional legislation for individual fee's for services. Or support policies, and cherry picked or invented intelligence, that demand the few who serve are sent to invade and occupy others in deadly and destructive long wars which create, needed for more bottom line build up, deadly destructive long lasting blowback, all which quickly grow the needs of the few who serve, the promises of the country, for care and more!

But, ultimately, Graham said President Barack Obama is responsible for ensuring the VA provides veterans with the care they deserve.

New proposal would expand VA Choice program

May 16th 2016 - A new proposal before the United States Senate could put increased pressure on a federal program for veterans that many say already doesn’t work.
A group of senators—led by John McCain (R-AZ) and including Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Thom Tillis (R-NC)—proposed The Care Veterans Deserve Act in late April.
The bill would allow any veteran currently qualified to receive medical treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs to get a Veterans Choice Card that would allow access to the private medical providers of their choice.
Currently, certain veterans qualify to receive VA-funded care from private medical providers through the Choice Program if they would have to wait more than 30 days to see a VA specialist or if they live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA medical facility.
The Choice Program was created in the fall 2014 to address a massive backlog of patients waiting to see specialists at many VA medical facilities.
“I get complaints and praise about the VA all the time. You had people die waiting to be treated by the VA, so what’s the solution?” Graham said in an interview with On Your Side Investigates from his office on Capitol Hill. “This idea of veterans’ choice outside of the VA system’s time has come.”
But a months-long investigation into the VA Choice Program shows the current system, open to just a fraction of veterans, is not providing expedited care as intended. read more>>>

| WBTV Charlotte

So what do the Conservative Congress, now once again, mindbogglingly after the Bush yrs., in complete control of Legislation and not just total obstruction, seek to fix the huge problem, DeJa-Vu, they created by privatizing, why 'privatize' even more!! And leave up to the VA personal to figure out how it's supposed to work, then blame them with more media hyped 'scandals' when it won't. Instead of actually doing their jobs, with their staffs, and work to bring in qualified private government contractors, contracts written on success of what they can develop that works as well as private care professionals that are proven to be qualified, already, to understand Military Veterans needs, studies have already shown that even they admit they aren't!!

It's all about for profit government, with fee's added and ever changing, it's not about 'finally' addressing what should have already been and advanced in maintaining over the years with proper budgets and jobs charged to the elected representatives!!

Many Purposes The Few Who Serve, With Dedication/Pride, So Critics 'stand down!'

2016-05-11T06:41:00.000-04:00

West Point makes decision regarding cadets' raised-fists photo

May 10, 2016 - Sixteen black West Point cadets who posed with raised fists for a pre-graduation picture won't be punished for the gesture.
The U.S. Military Academy said Tuesday it concluded the group photo didn't violate any Department of Defense rules limiting political activity. West Point says in a statement an internal inquiry found the picture of the 16 female cadets captured a spur-of-the-moment gesture intended to demonstrate unity and pride.
The decision comes with the seniors poised to graduate May 21. read more>>>

DoL: Building Better Networks of Services for Our Veterans, Continues

2016-05-06T07:25:00.001-04:00

The only Government branch consistent in aiding the Military personal and their Families and the entire Veterans community, the Executive, CiC Obama, Branch and it's Cabinet, while, Conservatives especially, Congress continues shirking the charges, and oaths, of their jobs, with approval of the people served, as to Government agencies!

The Veterans Employment Resources You Need

May 2, 2016 - Five months ago when I joined the Labor Department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, I vowed to work every day to make sure our veterans have the resources they need to get good jobs. That includes fostering strong relationships with our government and private sector partners to build better networks of services for our veterans.
It also includes listening to veterans and transitioning service members to understand what challenges they face when looking for employment. That helps me understand what we can do to make things a little smoother.
In my travels around the country, one of the comments I hear the most is about the variety of websites for veterans’ employment. It’s often hard for transitioning service members, veterans and their spouses to know where to start, whether they’re looking for a first civilian job after the military, wanting a career change or hoping to start a business. And I’ve heard similar things from employers who want to hire veterans but don’t know where to begin.
Today, I am pleased to share with you the best starting point to build a better network of resources: our virtual, one-stop online employment services website, Veterans.gov. The site brings together job banks, state employment offices, American Job Centers, opportunities in top trending industry sectors and tools for employers.
Here are some of the resources you’ll find in just a few clicks on Veterans.gov:
For Job Seekers read more>>>

“We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

May 5, 2016 - VA Secretary says House budget plan would 'hurt veterans'

DeJa-Vu, Blocking Privatization, Again, of Peoples Served Responsibility, the Veterans Administration

Gov. Contractor Denying VA Claims? Conservative, privatize, Congress to Investigate?

DeJa-Vu, Blocking Privatization, Again, of Peoples Served Responsibility, the Veterans Administration

2016-05-05T08:42:00.000-04:00

Privatizing, especially the peoples served responsibility the VA, Government agencies for Corporate, off the peoples treasury, profits! And leading to added fluctuating fee's to build the sought after bottom line growth with cost cutting throughout system as well, just like corporate america capitalism today!

This has been a conservative want for decades. Reason for constant obstruction of agency budgets. Thus not built as promised, since Korean conflict, and certainly not maintained as it should be. Legislators not doing jobs charged to do, causing ongoing problems, needed media hyped political 'scandals', which spread out causing even more wasteful costs problems and certainly not integrated with advancing technologies until forced and those needs and costs for then have ballooned in need under the obstructed, grossly underfunded, budgets!

Veterans groups oppose Choice program expansion

May 4, 2016 - The nation’s largest veterans groups have lined up to oppose any expansion of the Veterans Affairs Choice program that would allow all veterans who are eligible for VA medical care to use it.
The stand, by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and others, places the groups squarely in the corner of VA Secretary Bob McDonald, who has called proposals favoring private care for veterans over VA facilities, a “dereliction” of department duties, and at odds with seven powerful U.S. senators, including Arizona Republican John McCain, who have proposed legislation to lift restrictions on Choice.
Seven veterans organizations wrote the VA Commission on Care on April 29 saying they would oppose any VA health system that allows veterans to see a non-VA provider at any time.
The heads of the organizations, which also included Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told panel chairwoman Nancy Schlichting that giving all veterans access to private health care paid for by VA “would have serious costs, trade-offs and consequences that could endanger or harm the provision of health care to veterans.”

snip
Critics of the plan, including Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have called it a thinly veiled attempt by conservative industrialists Charles and David Koch to privatize the Veterans Health Administration. read more>>>

Survey finds civilian physicians feel underprepared to treat veterans

People served, especially wealthy and all conservatives: * 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

As to the few who serve the many, my how far the society, no longer the united states, has fallen, during and in years after, and will never again see nor live as the, apt named, Greatest Generation as a society not just using words and labels to, politically, describe us individually or, politically, collectively!

Why just recently as to that private health care sector:

May 5 2016 - Three patients died in suspected Pasadena outbreak tied to scopes

May 4, 2016 - Medical errors now 3rd leading cause of death in U.S., study suggests

May 01 2016 - 60 Minutes investigates medical gear sold during Ebola crisis

If coming out of congress, conservative run or individuals in, these are media hyped, political, VA 'scandals', private sector 'ho-hum'!!

And these are added to the ever growing list, in the cash flush for profit, private health care system that covers just health care related issues, while the VA, the people served responsibility, covers many issuses as to the few who've served and especially in our, flag waving poser, politically patriotic wars theaters on the planet!

Gov. Contractor Denying VA Claims? Conservative, privatize, Congress to Investigate?

2016-04-28T08:38:00.000-04:00

Say, the loooong time, conservative, obvious, it ain't so!! Who wants to bet, a sure win, this doesn't rise to months long media hyped conservative VA 'scandal' level especially with Rep Miller(R-FL) leading the House investigation, DeJa-Vu!!

Did Contractor Drop the Ball on VA Benefits?

April 27, 2016 - Retired service personal in dire need of VA benefits would not be cheered by the allegation that a contractor hired to review the cases of thousands of Vietnam veterans for exposure to Agent Orange may have denied benefits in spite of obvious need, all because the contractor was less than thorough in reviewing cases, or so it has been alleged.
Successfully securing VA disability benefits is usually a tough go at the best of times, given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (The VA) is backlogged and the appeals process is fraught with delays that could last years.
To provide context, The Virginian-Pilot (4/2/16) reports that an ongoing class-action VA lawsuit - Nehmer v. The Department of Veterans Affairs - requires The VA to review previous claims put forward by veterans when new illnesses are linked to Agent Orange exposure.
Now, contractual and case documents related to an unsealed lawsuit obtained by the McClatchy News Service alleges that a contractor hired to prescreen case files for evidence of illness related to Agent Orange exposure was lax in its screening process, or so it is alleged.
QTC Medical Services is the defendant in the unsealed lawsuit. The contractor, a division of Lockheed Martin, was hired to conduct the prescreening on some 160,000 files. According to contractual documents obtained by McClatchy News Service, QTC is accused of spending no more than a few minutes on each file - in spite of earning $300 for every file reviewed under two inches in thickness, and $350 for every file exceeding two inches in thickness.
The plaintiff in the unsealed lawsuit against QTC suggests that not only were reviewers improperly trained to spot illness related to Agent Orange, he also alleges that reviewers were pressured to work so rapidly that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to conduct a thorough review. read more>>>

The conservative ideology: Like our long time Veterans Conservative Nemesis, one of their experts(?), used to shape their policies, and very highly compensated: Sally Satel Still Selling Care for PTSD Veterans is Waste of Money. There are plenty of others, they've got a ready stable full of {experts?}, and plenty of unfunded ignored and denied issues!!

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

Veterans Sue VA for Identities, Credentials, of Camp Lejeune Water 'experts'

APRIL 28, 2016 - Vietnam Vets Push VA to Link Bladder Cancer to Agent Orange

Veterans Sue VA for Identities, Credentials, of Camp Lejeune Water 'experts'

2016-04-28T06:16:00.000-04:00

It's Congress and Conservative Executive Administrations, appointed or hired positions, that have the 'experts'. Brought into Hearings for needed public and media attention to raise the problems they created to long running 'scandal' status. Hearings, oft repeated as nothing done previously on same issues or created because nothing was done or empty legislation was not funded, not held to help the Veterans communities needs and build what those served have long promised but to attack the mostly very dedicated VA employee's. Tools in the long want to privatize Government agencies for corporate profits and with little regulation, if any. The appointed bringing politics pass the facilities entrances, same for the hired to long term positions, and used to justify their ideology of privatization.

The conservative ideology: Like our long time Veterans Conservative Nemesis, one of their experts(?), used to shape their policies, and very highly compensated: Sally Satel Still Selling Care for PTSD Veterans is Waste of Money There are plenty of others, they've got a ready stable full of {experts?}, and plenty of ignored and denied issues!!

Veterans groups sue VA for identities of Camp Lejeune water 'experts'

April 27, 2016 - Two veterans groups are suing the VA in the case of illnesses caused by exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
The organizations — The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten and Vietnam Veterans of America — filed suit Tuesday for documents related to disability claims and the Veterans Affairs Department's use of subject-matter experts to weigh in on them. The water was tainted by organic solvents and other cancer-causing chemicals from 1953 through 1987.
The groups filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the documents in December but say the VA has not responded.
"Our FOIA, which has gone unanswered, is to find out who the subject-matter experts are, what kind of credentials they have ... the VA doesn't want us to know that," said Jerry Ensminger, a founder of The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten and a retired Marine master sergeant whose 9-year-old daughter died of leukemia in 1987. read more>>>

DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again! Especially for the Corporate and Wealthy Community, investors in Defense Industries, and for these, Afghanistan and Iraq, came Two Huge Tax Cuts, with more sweetheart deals to same from states and the fed!! And that covers much more in the Deficits, like even paying for war policies and the results from and much more, then just the, grossly under funded thus not properly built nor properly maintained, and not conservative obstructionists pols concern, VA budgets!

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can

'Agent Orange' Redress, Still Fighting For! Same, Now, 'Burn Pits' & 'Gulf War Syndrome', Much Much More!

2016-04-27T09:36:00.002-04:00

'the VA and the Pentagon seemed to have learned a lesson'

The VA, grossly under funded thus under built and not updated and maintained as promised, and Pentagon, remember Walter Reed in the beginning years of Afghanistan and Iraq, learned long ago about the possible problems for Veterans and Military personal especially as to War Congress, who set the budgets and how those are to be spent, and the people served, who refuse to 'Sacrifice' themselves, who they represent didn't and still ignore the many issues! They also choose to just outright deny many are even issues especially from the, flag waving poser, patriotic wars!

DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", All Over Again!

Klobuchar said the VA and the Pentagon seemed to have learned a lesson from the illnesses that arose from exposure to Agent Orange defoliant in the Vietnam era, when vets who complained of being sick were dismissed for a long time before the problem was finally acknowledged.
"For years they were in denial and finally the VA and Congress is setting aside money [for] the health effects of Agent Orange. We don't want to make the same mistake with this issue," Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar wants center to study military burn pits' effect on vets

APRIL 25, 2016 - Thousands of military personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan were exposed to a variety of potentially harmful substances, including the smoke produced by the burning of waste on military bases.
Now U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is sponsoring legislation that would create a national center to study the effects of burn pits on veterans and members of the military.
The issue will take on increased importance as more veterans of recent wars show increased rates of cancer, asthma, emphysema, and even rare lung disorders. Exposure to dust and burn pits also has been shown to cause insomnia and high blood pressure.
Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have introduced the Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act. It would create a center within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the prevention, diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, and rehabilitation of health conditions relating to exposure to burn pits. read more>>>

It's extremely easy, especially for representatives of the conservative ideologies, seeking to privatize government agencies for corporate profit and thus, to the treasury budgets, mostly borrowed, for, added fee's also. To hand out a few million, mostly to friendly private contractors, for studies they already know the results wanted. Same with passing, unfunded, Legislation to appear they are doing their jobs. The people served applaud them and continue rehiring them in those, poser, patriotic actions for it means no demand to pay for sacrifice on their parts. Name one thing over the recent years that representatives like Miller, long ranking Republican on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and Sen Burr, long ranking Republican on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, have done after pushing out ready made, to be media hyped, long running 'scandals', hearings on often held already in previous years and Congresses and nothing done! It isn't only them, it's been that way for decades and especially the wars from, but it is mostly the Congressional conservatives and conservative Executive Administrations leading in that do nothing approach, with the people served approval!

Started under Sec Shinseki, continuing with Sec. McDonald, and the Obama Executive branch and it's Cabinet: MVP - VA’s Million Veteran Program, as they continue trying to build what was promised and add to the care needs of present day Veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq etc. addressing the long ignored and outright denied issues. While Congress, especially Conservatives, continue the decades long running obstruction, gross under funding and still under built and maintained promises, and attacks on VA personal!

Most of the people served, especially wealthy and all conservatives, the trump speaks: 2 Aug 2015 - 'I fight like hell to pay as little as possible': Donald Trump says he avoids all the tax he can.

MVP - VA’s Million Veteran Program

2016-04-26T08:39:00.000-04:00

It's a great unobtrusive program for Veterans to take part in, and continuing, in related area's, serving those who haven't or won't serve the Country in the Military services. As the Military health care and services along with the Veterans administrations same charges have been giving to civilian care, directly from or in research and development, for as long as they've existed. Not only as to our Country but World wide needs. Even though I served my four in the Navy I never served on ships, all shore duty with my last year served in-country Vietnam. I discharged, honorably, with no physical nor mental diagnoses needs from that service. Didn't really use the VA, knowing the Country has never built what they promised nor fully funded thus not updated nor maintained, duties charged to Congress and State Legislatures the people served representatives, until I retired and started onto Medicare which I paid into all my working days. When asked by my VA caretakers if I wanted to join the research I quickly said sign me up. Having served all shore duty and especially in Vietnam drove that. Gen Shinseki, MVP started under, first VA secretary and with a conservative target on his back had started trying to rebuild the entire VA and targeted also the long ignored and outright denied issues by the country served and through their representatives. Continuing thankfully under Sec. McDonald with finally much needed help from an entire Administrative Branch and it's cabinet, despite continued conservative obstruction and their seeking out 'scandals', nothing done previously with hearings etc. on, that can be built into long running media hyped political, and poser patriotic, points. Agent Orange contamination being just one long fought for recognition, now covering all veterans on certain cancers and illnesses if they served anywhere in-country, that's all the proof they need! The fight, Agent Orange, continues as to adding more Ships and Planes as well as Bases which transported or stored or even used in ridding or growths of weeds etc. on and around those bases, for the Military personal, and their families with them, who could have been affected.

How VA’s Million Veteran Program is supporting the precision medicine movement

April 25, 2016 - This fall, the Department of Veterans Affairs expects to mark a major milestone in our effort to collect DNA and health data from 1 million Veterans when we enroll the 500,000th volunteer in our Million Veteran Program, making it one of the world’s largest genomic cohorts. We expect to reach our enrollment goal in the next few years.
This program’s database links genetic, clinical, lifestyle, and military-exposure information from our patients to help researchers learn more about the role of genes in health and disease. It is already enabling innovative research on the genomics of PTSD, chronic kidney disease, multi-substance abuse and more.
MVP will yield new knowledge about which genes put people at risk for certain diseases, and which ones affect how people respond to treatment. This knowledge could eventually lead to better ways of treating and even preventing many common diseases, including cancer.
Veterans who volunteer to partner with us in this program enroll at one of 50 VA medical centers across the country by donating blood—from which DNA is extracted—and completing surveys about their health, lifestyle, and military experiences.
They also grant access to their electronic health records, and agree to be contacted about participating in future research. We keep all genetic information and health data collected from Veterans secure and de-identified. Samples and data are coded, with no names, birthdates, or social security numbers shared. read more>>>

The ole knock on word I have yet to be diagnosed, through my blood tests and VA care, with any serious health concerns except with millions of others high blood pressure, which is somewhat under control. So my contributions, through DNA etc., are also helping in the research being done as well.

Agent Orange, and the other defoliants used, is not the only battles long fought for recognition and for the people served representatives to address. Even today the returning and now Veterans, Desert Storm and Gulf War Syndrome, Afghanistan and Iraq the Burn Pit contamination's, and much more, are the new homefront battles waged, they too started being addressed by the VA and Sec. Shinseki. But can only be addressed so far in the obstructed and grossly under funded thus under built promise by those served the VA, causing even extreme higher costs when finally any surviving Veterans are given the care they deserve!!

The conservative, administrations and congresses, ideology: Like our long time Veterans Conservative Nemesis, one of their experts(?), used to shape their policies, and very highly compensated: Sally Satel Still Selling Care for PTSD Veterans is Waste of Money There are plenty of others, they've got a ready stable full of {experts?}, and plenty of ignored and denied issues!!