Veterans News – February 12, 2016

For Today: Love is the crowning grace of humanity, the holiest right of the soul, the golden link which binds us to duty and truth, the redeeming principle that chiefly reconciles the heart to life, and is prophetic of eternal good. - Petrarch

Love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well. - Vincent Van Gogh

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Veterans News

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This Week at VA. Of particular note is the article, “Tips for filing Appeals at the regional office level. Most Veterans are aware that claims are rated at the VA regional office, usually in their state. However, a lot of Veterans are not aware that appeals are also reviewed at the regional office before they go to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals. http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVA/bulletins/135d6cf

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Stars and Stripes: VA proposal would do away with appeals board for punished executives. The Department of Veterans Affairs bosses have come up with a new idea on how to punish top executives at the agency – one that would keep control in the hands of VA leadership and exclude involvement of an outside appeals board, VA Secretary Bob McDonald said Wednesday. The idea was floated by Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson after suffering a bruising blow from the mandated appeals board that overturned three VA punishments in a row in the past few weeks. No doubt

we can all applaud this action by VA leadership!

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DOD Contracts Awarded for Friday, February 12, 2016.

http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/655726/source/GovDelivery

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DOD Contracts Awarded for Thursday, February 11, 2016.

http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/655054/source/GovDelivery

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Defense News Early Bird Brief for Friday, February 12, 2016.

http://view.editorial.sightlinemg.com/?j=fe5b12707162017a7215&m=ff011577756600&ls=fdcc1574746702797514777266&l=fe8b13707d6c007d7c&s=fe1f13787563037a761273&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe1b1173706c01757d1d71&r=0

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Defense News Early Bird Brief for Thursday, February 11, 2016.

http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe611270716004757611&m=ff011577756600&ls=fdcc1574746702797514777266&l=fe8b13707d6c007d7c&s=fe1f13787563037a761273&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe23117370610275711173&r=0

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VA Media Summary and News Clips for Friday, February 12, 2016. Please see attached pdf.

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Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) WEB Weekly for Friday, February 12, 2016.

http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=fc1957b75b642e06570817b9d&id=c81f91510a&e=b4237e9c56

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National Association for Uniformed Services (NAUS) Weekly Watchdog Update for February 12, 2016.

http://naus.informz.net/informzdataservice/onlineversion/ind/bWFpbGluZ2luc3RhbmNlaWQ9NTM1MzA1MCZzdWJzY3JpYmVyaWQ9MTAwODM4ODY4MA==

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Reserve Officers Association (ROA) SmartBrief for Friday, February 12, 2016.

http://www2.smartbrief.com/servlet/encodeServlet?issueid=C8BE89C9-CB27-48E2-9AE0-424AB7421271&sid=22cbe9eb-3ef0-4eca-8105-ef9f466dc32d

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POLITICO Morning Defense for Friday, February 12, 2016. A Daily Briefing from Inside Washington’s National Security Apparatus.

http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-defense/2016/02/us-russia-agree-to-cease-fire-plan-armed-services-chairmen-arent-in-rush-to-draft-women-richardson-talks-navy-future-today-212677

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POLITICO Morning Defense for Thursday, February 11, 2016. A Daily Briefing from Inside Washington’s National Security Apparatus.

http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-defense/2016/02/congress-eyes-changes-to-new-dod-budget-carter-meets-on-isil-in-brussels-senate-passes-north-korean-sanctions-212651

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Reserve Voice Newsletter for February 2016

http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=0715db98ee6b11c1903a18744&id=008bdf4ce5&e=0eb3190c97

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American Legion On-Line Update for Thursday, February 11, 2016.

http://editor.legionemail.com/vo/?FileID=e7a2fb08-6388-4c8f-a483-51a14f536cbf&m=f60ba55a-761b-463f-8a2b-c1a65794d1dd&MailID=31416658&listid=84772

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Your 5:00 pm Daily ExecutiveBiz Headlines.

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=ee2862ef34&e=a823c4dfb6

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Your 12:00 pm Daily ExecutiveBiz Headlines.

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=623408005f&e=a823c4dfb6

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Your 6:00 am GovConWire - Top News from Executive Mosaic.

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=76e37facb6&e=a823c4dfb6

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Executive Mosaic GOVCON Wire Week’s Top GovCon News Stories for Feb 8 – 12, 2016.

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=735eb5d3b8&e=a823c4dfb6

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Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs February 12, 2016, Listing of Jobs for Maryland Veterans.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=2c4e2f2d-d915-4ae2-968e-e451da4a30e1&c=8dbaae20-aaae-11e3-9e26-d4ae52844390&ch=8e909bc0-aaae-11e3-9e79-d4ae52844390

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U.S. Department of Labor Newsletter for Thursday, February 11, 2016.

http://www.dol.gov/_sec/newsletter/2016/20160211.htm

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TRICARE Beneficiary Bulletin #339

http://www.tricare.mil/podcast

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TRICARE Briefings

http://www.tricare.mil/briefings

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A Variety of Veterans Related News from a Variety of Sources.

Military Times: Key senator wants next president to retain VA Secretary Bob McDonald. An influential member of the U.S. Senate wants Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald to stay on in that role next year, no matter who becomes president. “Everything I’ve seen with Bob McDonald over the last 16 months, I’ve been very pleased with,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in an interview for C-SPAN's “Newsmakers” taped Thursday.

Stars and Stripes Obama administration opening 2-front campaign on Syria. The Obama administration opened a two-front campaign on Syria on Thursday with a push to end one war there and step up another. As U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry scrambled in Germany to

negotiate the timing and conditions for a cease-fire between the Syrian government and moderate rebels, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter was in Belgium trying to rally new support for the fight against the Islamic State group.

Virginian-Pilot Military isn't sufficiently tracking hazing incidents, watchdog says. The military isn't sufficiently tracking hazing incidents, which is limiting its ability to address the problem within its ranks, a federal watchdog report has concluded. The Government Accountability Office report says that while the Army, Navy and Marine Corps track reported hazing incidents, what they collect and how they collect it varies widely. The report says the Air Force and Coast Guard don't track them at all.

Defense News House Bill Would Halt US Army, Marine Drawdowns

. A US lawmaker on the House Armed Services Committee plans to introduce legislation to stop ongoing drawdowns for the Army and Marine Corps, potentially adding 370,000 soldiers back into Army plans.

Military Times Pentagon signals an end to cuts for military pay and benefits. Military troops and their families can breathe a sigh of relief.

USA Today Army's rebranded social science program draws flak. The Army appears to have revived a controversial program that sent social scientists to battlefields and became mired in fraud and sexual harassment, according to documents and interviews.

Military.com 10 Things to Know about the Marines' Plan to Open Combat Jobs to Women. Here's what everyone should know about the Marines' gender-integration strategy.

Navy Times Navy board forces 219 chiefs into retirement . A total of 219 chiefs, senior chiefs and master chiefs will be forced to retire by Dec. 1 of the thousands whose records were reviewed in December for recent problems.

Panama City News Herald Tyndall AFB no longer considered for housing immigrant children. Undocumented immigrants and refugees will not be coming to Tyndall Air Force Base after all, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement.

GovConExec: Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald, Inducted Into 2016 Wash 100 for Health Services Delivery Vision. Executive Mosaic is honored to introduce Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald, for a second consecutive year, as the newest inductee into the 2016 edition of the Wash100 — Executive Mosaic’s annual selection of influential leaders in the government contracting arena. McDonald told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in January hearing that customer service improvement within the VA would be his objective for 2016.

Government Executive: VA Proposes Taking Away Senior Executives MSPB Appeal Rights. The Veterans Affairs Department is working with Capitol Hill to craft legislation that would prevent fired VA senior executives from appealing those removals to the Merit Systems Protection Board. The proposal, which Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson came up with, recommends making all VA senior executives Title 38 employees, meaning that they would not have the same standard MSPB appeal rights as Title 5 employees when it comes to disciplinary actions.

Military Times: Panel to VA: Stop studying causes of Gulf War illnesses, focus on treatment. A scientific panel has concluded that the Veterans Affairs Department should stop searching for links between environmental exposures in the 1991 Persian Gulf War and veterans’ illnesses and instead focus on monitoring and treating those who have health problems related to deploying 25 years ago. In a report released Thursday, Institute of Medicine researchers said Gulf War veterans are at increased risk for developing some physical and psychological health conditions…

Bradenton Herald: New study on Gulf War illness assailed by Veterans advocates. Military veterans advocates are assailing a new report by the Institute of Medicine, which concludes Gulf War illness research should focus on mind-body interconnectiveness rather than genetic and environmental factors. The finding "turns science on its head," said James Binns, former chairman of the federal Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses.

Health Day: Gulf War Veterans; Illnesses Still Poorly Understood: Report, VA-sponsored study says people should be monitored for ALS, cancer and other diseases that take years to develop. Scientists and doctors still lack good insight into Gulf War illness and other health problems plaguing U.S. veterans of the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War, a new report says. More than $500 million in U.S. government-funded research on Gulf War veterans was conducted between 1994 and 2014, producing many results. But there has been little overall progress in understanding the health effects of serving in that war…

Healio: Self-reported Agent Orange exposure higher among Veterans with thyroid cancer. Self-reported Agent Orange exposure was more prevalent among patients with thyroid cancer compared with the overall national Veterans Affairs patient population, study results show. Angela M. Leung, MD, MSc, assistant professor of medicine in the division of endocrinology at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, and colleagues evaluated data from all U.S. Veterans Health Administration health care sites from October 1999 to 2013…

Mother Jones: Female Veterans Face Pitiful Health Care, One-third of VA medical centers don’t have a gynecologist on staff. It's been a big few months for women in the armed forces. So, how prepared is the Department of Veterans Affairs for the influx of female veterans? When it comes to women's health care, apparently not very ready. If you're among the growing population of female veterans, you might have trouble finding a gynecologist, getting a mammogram, or preparing to have a baby in many of the country's VA medical facilities.

Military Times: Veterans choice program hurting some Vets’ credit scores. Some veterans are seeing their credit ruined by using the Veterans Choice health program because the Veterans Affairs Department is not reimbursing participating physicians promptly, forcing them to bill their veteran patients who often can’t pay. Veterans advocates and House lawmakers said Thursday that veterans using the community care program face long delays in treatment and bad credit because physicians are waiting up to six months for reimbursements…

NBC News (Video): How Video Games Are Helping American War Veterans. When Army veteran Stephen Machuga returned to the U.S. about a decade ago after deployment in Iraq, he didn't like trash day. In Iraq, insurgents embedded explosives in refuse. "You just got used to looking for wires coming out of piles of trash," he recalled. Back in the U.S., Machuga's mind would start twitching on Tuesdays, when large bags and bins dotted his Pittsburgh neighborhood.

New York Daily News: Vets taught to meditate say their chronic pain lessened. They don’t call it mental health for nothing — wounded warriors can dramatically reduce pain with simple meditation, a new study reveals. Pain dropped by 20% among veterans who used the ancient calming technique, according to research conducted at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington on Iraq and Afghanistan vets. "Participants (said) their pain interfered less with their functioning in their daily activities, their mood, ability to sleep," says Thomas Nassif…

Military Times: Advocates: Disabled Vets need faster access to housing grants. The Veterans Affairs Department needs more staff to handle its program that helps disabled veterans to purchase or modify homes to improve their independent living, according to advocates. In many areas of the country, inadequate staffing contributes to delays in processing Specially Adapted Housing program grants and results in poor customer service to veterans, said Heather Ansley, associate general counsel for corporate and government relations for Paralyzed Veterans of America…

The Sacramento Bee: VA official sentenced for accepting job-related gratuities. A Veterans Affairs contracting official has been sentenced for accepting gifts in relation to his job duties, which included influencing the award of construction contracts for the Sacramento VA Medical Center. Anthony Castaneda, 45, of Oakdale in Stanislaus County, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to five months of house arrest and two years of probation for receipt of a gratuity by a public official…

FOX News: Hundreds of people, including strangers, attend funeral for homeless Army Vet. A Vietnam veteran who received the Purple Heart died without a home or any close relatives, but after friends arranged for a proper burial, some 200 people paid their respects at his funeral in Kansas Thursday. Many who attended were strangers and fellow vets who learned his story after he died. Eton Gilmore spent most of his days in an abandoned house with no gas or electricity in Kansas City, Mo., Fox 4 reports.

The Daily Messenger: Veterans Affairs seeks teams for Physical Activity and Conscious Eating Challenge. Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 400 Fort Hill Ave., and Rochester Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic, 465 Westfall Road, will form teams for the 2016 Physical

Activity and Conscious Eating Challenge beginning March 21. The eight-week challenge will include physical activity for 30 minutes a day, one healthy eating goal each week and a free personal activity log at www.presidentschallenge.org Participants will compete with veterans nationwide.

DefenseOne Obama Punts Controversial War Account to Successor. Obama hated the Pentagon's "dishonest" war chest, and leaves office with it firmly entrenched.

Stars and Stripes House Republicans will attempt to stop Army troop cuts. Two House lawmakers said shedding soldiers now would be the wrong move amid growing threats around the world, and would tie the hands of the next president. They said they will introduce legislation to block any Army manpower cuts.

Stars and Stripes Commissary budget cut; 2 in Germany to close soon. The Pentagon is seeking to cut the commissary operating budget for fiscal 2017 by about $221 million, a reduction that may be reflected in the Defense Commissary Agency’s plan to close some stores in Europe this year.

Military Times Questions, frustration as women prepare to join combat units. As the military moves towards opening all jobs to all troops, regardless of gender, both advocates and critics on Capitol Hill are frustrated by the unanswered questions surrounding when the changes will happen, how they'll be put in place and what side effects the massive cultural change will have on the armed services.

Army Times New Army PT test for recruits could determine their career path. The Army plans to launch a new, four-event fitness test for recruits this summer that will serve as "the physical equivalent of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery," allowing the service to place incoming soldiers on career paths that match their fitness levels.

Marine Corps Times Marines using tuition assistance must complete new course. Marines applying for tuition assistance for the first time must now take a new introductory online course.

Stars & Stripes Navy returning to former Cold War base in Iceland. The Navy is turning to a former Cold War air base for a familiar mission - hunting Russian submarines.

Associated Press Ellmers to Air Force: Prove Ft. Bragg doesn't need air wing. U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers wants the Air Force to prove it can cover Army airborne operations out of Fort Bragg without an airlift wing based there.

Stars and Stripes Longer Air Force maternity leave policy takes effect. The Air Force has implemented the new Pentagon policy giving servicemembers 12 weeks of paid maternity leave.

The policy — which doubles the amount of time new mothers can take off after giving birth — went into effect last Friday. Airmen currently on maternity leave will automatically be granted a six-week extension, Air Force officials said.

FierceGovernmentIT (Audio): The President’s 2017 budget request: Veterans Affairs Department, VA OIF, benefits processing, OI&T staff see bump in the budget proposal. The Veterans Affairs department has requested $182.3 billion under the president's fiscal 2017 budget proposal, which included $78.7 billion in discretionary funding and $103.6 billion in mandatory funding. The fiscal 2017 budget request reflects a 4.9 percent increase in discretionary funding from fiscal 2016 enacted levels. The department also seeks a $103.9 billion fiscal 2018 advanced appropriation request for mandatory benefits – $1.4 billion more than last year's advanced appropriations request.

Military Times: Lawmakers eye ever-growing VA budget. Lawmakers warned Veterans Affairs officials Wednesday not to assume they’ll continue to see their budget grow unchecked, especially in light of recent criticisms of department spending. The department has seen budget increases each of the last 16 years, even as funding of other government programs has held steady or been reduced. When lawmakers passed spending caps on federal programs in 2011, Veterans Affairs programs were exempt.

Military Times: House passes flurry of Veterans bills, bigger deal could be looming. Lawmakers could be headed toward a veterans omnibus bill covering a host of health, education and employment issues after House members passed a package of nine veterans-themed measures Tuesday evening. The flurry of legislation came after a day of debate and discussion about veterans issues on the House floor. All of the measures were passed by voice vote without objection, but will need Senate action and the president's signature before they can become law.

Military.com: VA Chief Touts Proposal to Make it Easier to Fire Executives. Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald on Wednesday discussed a budget proposal designed to make it easier to discipline senior executive service employees for wrongdoing. The proposal is included in the department's $182 billion budget for fiscal 2017, which begins Oct. 1, among other policy and benefits changes intended in part to streamline agency operations. The bid to place medical center directors and other SES-level employees under Title 38…

Cronkite News Service: VA struggles to fill medical center positions in Arizona, across nation. Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald told lawmakers Wednesday that his agency is having trouble filling vacancies at VA medical centers around the country, which has led to “critical staffing problems” at the facilities. McDonald said applications to the VA are down as much as 75 percent since problems uncovered at the Phoenix VA two years sparked probes that revealed systemic problems at the agency nationwide, leading to the resignation of a secretary.

Fusion (Video): Female Veterans need to see the gynecologist, too. Bee kicks off the segment by noting that this will be a “historic” year for women in the military, as female troops are now officially eligible to fight alongside men in combat roles. From there, she asks: But when female

veterans return home from the front lines, will the scandal-plagued VA healthcare system be ready to receive them? The answer is: No. It will not.

VICE News: After Being Punished for His Suicide Attempt, a US Veteran is Fighting for Others with PTSD. When Kristofer Goldsmith woke up, he was handcuffed to a hospital gurney. The US Army sergeant could remember only snippets of the night before, but one of the things he remembered was washing down half a bottle of painkillers with vodka in an attempt to end his life. The day Goldsmith woke up in the hospital — May 28, 2007 — was the day he was supposed to be on a plane to Iraq for his second tour of duty.

Pentagram: Veteran Affairs, DoD and community partners strategize to tackle Veteran suicide, ‘invisible wounds’. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a new strategy to combat the number of veteran suicides, one that includes reducing the number through social engagement. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald and Dr. David J. Shulkin, VA’s under secretary for Health, addressed a packed audience inside the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C., Feb. 2 during a summit on mental health entitled, Preventing Veteran Suicide: A Call to Action.

The San Diego Union-Tribune: Bill to help Vets with mental healthcare passes House, Legislation requires VA to identify best healthcare, psychiatric programs for women. A bill that helps service members get access to better physical and mental health care has cleared the House of Representatives. The measure, the Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act, was partially inspired by a Coronado soldier who killed himself in 2013. The bill has two major provisions. First, it requires the secretary of Veterans Affairs to identify the most effective health care programs and suicide prevention programs for women veterans…

Military Times: Study of female Veterans suicide would be required, under new legislation. The Veterans Affairs Department needs to better understand the problem of suicide among female veterans and determine how best to treat at-risk women, according to a bill passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday. The Female Veterans Suicide Prevention bill, HR 2915, would require VA to identify mental health and suicide prevention programs that are most effective for women veterans, who die by suicide at six times the rate of nonveteran women.

Stars and Stripes Once again, the VA turns down Navy vets for Agent Orange benefits. A federal court had ordered the VA to reassess its policy denying Agent Orange benefits to Navy sailors who served in the Vietnam War. The VA’s conclusion: They still don’t qualify.

Military.com: GI Bill Transfer Rules Unchanged, Housing Allowance Cut. An eleventh-hour change to Department of Veterans Affairs legislation scrapped a plan by lawmakers to increase the service obligation required for troops who wish to transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to their spouses or children. The bill, which was passed by the House yesterday, originally included a provision requiring troops to serve 10 years on active duty plus a two-year service obligation to qualify for the transfer benefit.

Stars and Stripes US may limit items collected at Vietnam Vets memorial. The National Park Service is considering limiting the items it collects at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Seattle Times From high school dropout to medical student: one man's remarkable journey. At 18, he joined the Washington Army National Guard and, after working in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, decided he wanted to do something bigger with his life than serving Big Macs and French fries.

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From: JS Pentagon OCJCS Mailbox Warrior and Family Support

Sent: Friday, February 12, 2016 11:51 AM

Subj: Chairman’s Office of Reintegration News: Friday, 12 Feb 2016

CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED

The appearance of hyperlinks and the inclusion of specific examples of veteran service organizations, veteran support networks, or veteran support portals does not constitute endorsement by the Chairman's Office of Reintegration, the Joint Staff, or the Department of Defense of the non-Federal entity, the external web site, or the information, products, or services contained therein. The Joint Staff does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these websites.

COMMUNITIES IN ACTION

Governor McCrory's Veterans Employment Initiative Hits the Ground at Camp Lejeune

Stanly News & Press The event was led by the North Carolina Department of Information Technology, in partnership with Cisco, as part of Governor Pat McCrory's Veterans Employment Initiative, a public-private partnership launched in early 2015 to help veterans find...

Fisher House will be 'home away from home' in NLV for ailing veterans

Las Vegas Sun The Fisher House Foundation supports the construction of homes near military or VA medical centers where family members can stay — at no cost — while supporting a service member or veteran receiving treatment. The foundation had planned to start ...

WELLNESS

House passes flurry of veterans bills, bigger deal could be looming Military Times Lawmakers could be headed toward a veterans omnibus bill covering a host of health, education and employment issues after House members passed a package of nine veterans-themed measures Tuesday evening. The flurry of legislation came after a day...

How video games are helping American veterans CNBC When Army veteran Stephen Machuga returned to the U.S. about a decade ago after deployment in Iraq, he didn't like trash day. In Iraq, insurgents embedded explosives in refuse. "You just got used to looking for wires coming out of piles of trash," he...

Online training for military caregivers in development by Blue Star Families

Military Times

The Blue Star Cares: Military Caregiver Online Interactive Program is designed to train caregivers at home, increasing its accessibility, she said. Too often, because of their remote locations or their responsibilities that make it difficult to leave home, caregivers aren’t able to attend training sessions.

EMPLOYMENT

Helmets to Hardhats: Returning veterans find new careers as sheet metal workers

JSOnline

As baby boomers retire and the number of construction projects continues to grow following the 2008-'09 recession, trade unions are trying to attract more people to apprenticeships, including sheet metal workers. The unions are looking for folks with a strong work ethic, who show up on time…

5 tips: Fellowships are the surest path for veterans to join the diplomatic corps

Military Times

The surest way into a career in diplomacy is through one of the many fellowships or scholarships available in the field. In August 2015 Browder launched Veterans4Diplomacy, a mentorship program meant to help veterans land these prestigious opportunities.

EDUCATION

Best for Vets: Business Schools 2016 — our 4th annual ranking of graduate degrees

Military Times

Leaders from multiple business schools agreed that getting an MBA allows service members and veterans to translate the skills they already have into the business world.

FGCU Launches Innovative Program for Veterans Naples Herald Naples Florida Gulf Coast University is helping veterans by teaching them a specific skill set. FGCU and four other Florida schools are starting the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program that will be hosted by Veterans Florida. Veterans who live...

Very Respectfully,

JASON A. SCHMIDT, Lt Col, USAF

Deputy Director, Chairman’s Office of Reintegration

The Joint Staff, The Pentagon, Washington DC 20318-9999

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From: Ann Markel, VFW

Sent: Friday, February 12, 2016 3:43 PM

Subj: VFW Action Corps Weekly, February 12, 2016

1. House Hearing on Choice Billing: On Thursday, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a hearing to discuss VA’s proposal to consolidate its community care programs. Specifically, the committee heard testimony from the VFW, VA, the VA Inspector General, Government Accountability Office, and the American Legion regarding billing issues veterans and Choice providers have experienced when using the Choice Program. VFW Senior Legislative Associate Carlos Fuentes urged the committee and VA to fully integrate Choice program providers into the VA health care system to eliminate bureaucratic red tape and allow veterans to move seamlessly between VA medical facilities and community providers without experiencing long delays and being needlessly billed for their care. VA also introduced a phone number, 877-881-7618, for veterans to call if their credit has been adversely affected by VA billing issues. To view a video of the hearing, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfTvQTYc7uA.

2. House Holds Hearing on VA Housing Programs: On Wednesday, the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a hearing entitled “A Review of VA’s Loan Guaranty and Specially Adaptive Housing Grant Programs (SAH).” The subcommittee acknowledged that the VA Home Loan Program is a popular benefit, having served over 22 million veterans since its inception in 1944, and a successful program with VA-backed loans enjoying a lower foreclosure and delinquency rate than the national average. Still, there are always ways to improve. Representatives from the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Organization

of Realtors both noted that the misperception exists in the mortgage industry that the VA loan program is difficult to navigate, and therefore, veterans are sometimes discouraged by lenders and realtors to initiate the process. Eliminating this misperception is key to ensuring more veterans use the program. The SAH program was also discussed, with an emphasis on ways to make it more veteran-centric by reducing bureaucratic hurdles. To watch a webcast of the hearing, click here: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/a-review-of-va-s-loan-guaranty-and-specially-adaptive-housing-grant-programs-sah.

3. Busy Legislative Week for the House: On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a host of veteran related bills. These included: H.R. 3016, Veterans Employment, Education, and Healthcare Improvement Act; H.R. 3106, Construction Reform Act of 2016; H.R. 2360, Career-Ready Student Veterans Act of 2015; H.R. 677, American Heroes COLA Act of 2015; H.R. 3234, Failing VA Medical Center Recovery Act; and H.R. 2915, Female Veteran Suicide Prevention Act. Many of these measures had been amended during the committee process to include language from dozens of additional bills that the VFW has testified on during the 114

th Congress. Important provisions include vastly improved postnatal care for female veterans,

expanded canine therapy for veterans suffering with PTSD, extension of the Yellow Ribbon Program to Fry Scholarship recipients, the removal of the cap on VA home loan guarantees, automatic annual COLA adjustments for VA benefits, and the requirement that VA accept private evidence for disability compensation claims. These bills now move to the Senate for consideration. Stay tuned to the Action Corps Weekly for future updates.

4. President’s Budget Request: On Tuesday, the administration released its $4.23 trillion Fiscal Year 2017 budget request. The request includes $78.7 billion for VA’s discretionary accounts, which includes $68 billion for medical services. The VFW is pleased with the administration’s overall medical care funding level for FY2017 and the overall discretionary funding level, but believes the advance appropriations proposal for medical services in FY2018 would be woefully inadequate to meet continually growing demand for VA health care services. The VFW also joined its Independent Budget partners to release the IB’s budget recommendations for Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018. The annual report, which outlines funding requirements for VA programs, proposes $84.4 billion for FY2017, including $72.8 billion for medical services, $3.1 billion for the Veterans Benefits Administration and $2.5 billion for construction projects. For a summary of VA’s budget request, visit: http://www.va.gov/budget/docs/summary/Fy2017-VAsBudgetFactSheet.pdf. To read the IB’s budget recommendations, visit: http://www.independentbudget.org/2017/IB_BudgetReport_for_the_VAforFY2017_FY2018_fnl.pdf.

5. VA Reevaluates Blue Water Navy Definition: A recent Veterans Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims decision, Gray v. McDonald, required that VA reevaluate and clarify its definition of “inland waterways.” For purposes of adjudicating disability claims regarding Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam, VA will now determine if a body of water is considered an inland waterway by drawing straight lines across the opening in the landmass leading to the open ocean or other offshore water feature, such as a bay or inlet. VA’s modified interpretation does not meet the intent of the Gray v. McDonald decision. The VFW is deeply disappointed that VA’s modified interpretation of inland waterways continues to arbitrarily and unjustly exclude veterans who served aboard ships in the coastal waters of Vietnam and are denied presumptive benefits associated with Agent Orange exposure. For this reason, the VFW will continue to urge Congress to pass the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015. Stay tuned to the Action Corps Weekly for updates on this change. To receive assistance with a VA disability claim, contact a local VFW Service Officer at: http://www.vfw.org/NVS/.

6. IOM Report on Gulf War Illness: On Thursday, the Institute of Medicine released a new report on the health conditions related to toxic exposure during the Gulf War. Due to the lack of new research since its last report and the fact that VA has not completed studies that Congress has mandated, IOM was unable to make new determinations on the relationship between health conditions and toxic exposure during the Gulf War. IOM was able to determine that Gulf War Illness is not a psychosomatic illness. However, it recommended that future research acknowledge the interconnection of brain and body for treatment. IOM also recommended that DOD and VA incorporate emerging technologies and personalized approaches to medical care and biomonitoring in future conflicts to better identify chemical exposures. To read more, visit: http://iom.nationalacademies.org/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2016/IOM_Gulf_War_Volume_10/Report-in-Brief.pdf.

7. Proposed Tricare Changes: The Pentagon’s FY2017 budget request once again proposes higher enrollment fees and copayments for working age military retirees and those aged 65 and older. Defense officials say the higher out-of-pocket costs will bring about better service and lower cumulative costs, but only after more details are learned can that judgement be made or disproved. One push DOD is trying to make is to get all beneficiaries to maximize the use of military treatment facilities (MTFs) and Tricare’s mail-order pharmacy. The two current Tricare programs of Prime and Standard/Extra will be renamed Tricare Select and Tricare Choice.

-- Active-duty-families: Tricare Select will be available at no cost to active-duty family members provided they use MTFs or network providers. Tricare Choice will also be available at no cost to active-duty family members if they use an MTF, but will add modest copays ranging from $15 for in-network primary care to $50 for in-network emergency care. All active-duty family members would incur a 20-percent copay for using non-network providers regardless of plan.

-- Retirees under age 65: The current family rate for those enrolled in Tricare Prime is essentially $565. Under the new Tricare Select, the annual enrollment fee would rise 24 percent to $700. Under Tricare Choice, the family enrollment rate would be $900, whereas the exiting Tricare Standard/Extra programs have no enrollment fee. Regardless of plan, retirees would incur no copay if using an MTF. For network care, Select enrollees would incur copays ranging from $20 for primary care to $75 for emergency care, and Choice enrollees would see copays of $25 for primary care and $90 for emergency care. Both plans would see 25 percent copays for non-network care.

-- Retirees 65 and older: Retirees in the rank of O-6 and below would pay 0.25 percent of their gross retired pay to enroll in Tricare for Life, which acts as a secondary insurance to Medicare Part B. The quarter-percent enrollment fee would gradually increase to 1 percent by FY 2020. Flag officers, or those in the ranks of O-7 and above, would pay a $100 enrollment fee in FY 2017, which would gradually increase to $400 in FY 2020.

-- Retiree pharmacy copays: The Pentagon is again pushing the use of Tricare’s mail-order pharmacy, since provides a three-month supply of medications for the same cost or less of a one-

month refill from a network pharmacy. More about the home delivery program here: http://www.tricare.mil/CoveredServices/Pharmacy/FillPrescriptions/HomeDelivery.aspx.

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VETERANS EVENTS

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Jennifer Schaus & Associates – Schedule of Upcoming Events (Procurement related and Veterans Small Business Events) in and around the Washington, DC area.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=81fa7f67-09e6-45c7-8146-4e9804d905a9&c=c88ed930-bfa9-11e3-b2df-d4ae526edc76&ch=c945cd20-bfa9-11e3-b395-d4ae526edc76

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Virginia Values Veterans V3 – Virginia Department of Veterans Services - Training Schedule for the period February 2 – 19, 2016.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=88a83855-2234-46c4-ad92-b340dcb077a7&c=f0bce490-c33d-11e4-887e-d4ae5292b9a6&ch=f0f7a3a0-c33d-11e4-887e-d4ae5292b9a6

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Federal Business Council (FBC) 2016 List of Conferences and Events: Lot of events going on and set-up and managed by FBC. Here is the list that takes us through to October 2016.

https://www.fbcconferences.com/search.aspx

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Job ZONE Listing of Job Fairs for 2015 through 2016.

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=0990c1fbb840ccb617b5992e6&id=383110f983&e=4c98ba860d

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Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 227- February 17, 2016, Lyons VAMC PTSD Unit Visit to Vietnam Memorial. Ben Buckley, VVA, Chapter 227, announces that Wednesday, February 17, 2016, is the next visit to the Vietnam Memorial by the V.A. PTSD Unit at Lyons, NJ. Please come and welcome our fellow veterans to Washington, D.C. and the Vietnam Memorial. Their estimated

time of arrival is 1115-1130 so please assemble at the flagpole by 1100. The V.A., New Jersey Health Care System, Lyons Campus, has a unique program for veterans experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome Disorder (PTSD). It is a voluntary, full-time, 45-day on-ward program for up to 25 veterans at a time. PTSD Unit 143BT provides treatment for combat veterans of all wars or conflicts. The one-day visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is part of their therapy program. Just visiting the WALL can begin the healing process for some veterans. Upon arrival, a member of VVA, Chapter 227, welcomes the group and speaks about the brotherhood of veterans. The PTSD unit then proceeds to the apex of the WALL to formally present their unit plaque to a representative of the National Park Service. As members VVA, we can assist the healing process by our presence, show of solidarity, and talking with fellow veterans. Every unit has new faces but often familiar faces too. A PTSD patient may stay for a second 45-day treatment period or return at a later date if further treatment is needed. Please let me know if you plan to attend. My email address is: BenandCarol@verizon.net ALL Veterans are Welcome! The schedule of visits for the remainder of 2016 is: March 30, May 11, June 22, August 3, September 14, October 26, and December 7. Sincerely…Ben Buckley, Program Coordinator, VVA, Chapter 227.

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Disabled Veteran Business Alliance (DVBA) – Invitation to DVBA Inland Empire Chapter Meeting. February 17, 2016, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Riverside, CA. For details and to register:

https://www.trailblz.info/disabledvetba/eviewer.aspx?vid=CC24404B54CD9570816C6EDA8A96DC05549507255E208548780905DEFE0F7F77

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JobZone - February 18, 2016, Springfield, Virginia Job Fair. 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM - (10:00 AM -12 Noon - Reserved for Military/Veterans or cleared candidates only) - (12 Noon – 2:00 PM Open to all job seekers). Location: American Legion Post 176, 6520 Amherst Avenue, Springfield VA 22151

Go here for additional details: http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=0990c1fbb840ccb617b5992e6&id=b0dd0fe529&e=4c98ba860d

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NABVETS Buffalo Soldier Banquet 2016 – February 20, 2016, Morgan State University. Please see attached flyer for details. This is a gentle reminder of the Buffalo Soldier Banquet event. Attached is additional information concerning this outstanding event. If you need additional information, please contact fellow Veteran Wilbert Forbes by e-mail at wbforbes56@aol.com or call 301-938-6520 (c) or 301-839-4254. You are encouraged to share this announcement with your contacts.

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Disabled Veteran Business Alliance (DVBA), Orange County Chapter Meeting. February 23, 2016, Newport Beach, CA. No cost. Go here for details and to register:

https://www.trailblz.info/disabledvetba/eventcomplete.aspx?eventid=10

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February 23, 2016 -Corporate Gray "Military Friendly" Job Fair, Virginia Beach, VA. You are invited to meet face-to-face with over 40 "military friendly" companies and schools at the Tuesday, February 23rd Corporate Gray "Military Friendly" Job Fair in the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Job fair hours are 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM with a cost-free career transition seminar starting at 8 AM. Participating companies include Lockheed Martin, Eaton, HP, Hewlett-Packard, AECOM, L-3 Unidyne, Navy Exchange, Newport News Shipbuilding, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Service, Defense Contract Management Agency, CIA, and many more. To see the list of companies registered-to-date and for additional information, visit www.corporategray.com/jobfairs/365. By pre-registering for this job fair, you will receive the employer directory the weekend before the event. And if you upload your resume, you'll make your credential accessible to the participating companies in advance. To do so, visit www.CorporateGray.com/applicants/new and create a free account. Then click the "Job Fairs" link and then the "register" link for the February 23 job fair in Virginia Beach. Good luck!

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February 2016 Objective Rally Point (ORP) Breakfast - Veterans Business Networking Event. Tuesday, February 23, 2016, 7:15 AM to 9:15 AM, Army-Navy Country Club, 1700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. Don’t pass up this opportunity to network with other Veterans focused on success in business. If you are a company looking for a VOSB or SDVOSB to team with there is no better place to find qualified Veteran owned businesses than at ORP. Although the focus on ORP is always on networking and the connections made between Veterans, we do enjoy a speaker each month. This month our speaker is Courtney Fairchild, co-founder and President of Global Services. Ms. Fairchild has been with the company since it was founded in 1996 and headed up the Global Services GSA Schedule Programs division from its inception. Hope to see you all here! For more information and to register for ORP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/objective-rally-point-february-2016-tickets-21425220411

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American Legion 2016 Small Business Workshop, Small Business Roadmap to Success -Tuesday, February 23, 2016, Washington, DC. No Cost. For details and to register:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/small-business-roadmap-to-success-tickets-20743439185

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Business Diversity: Driving Economic Growth and Entrepreneurship. On February 24th

, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA), in partnership with the Multi-Cultural Chambers Alliance and Community Business Partnership, will present just-released data from the U.S. Census Bureau that highlights the growth of minority, woman and veteran business ownership in the United States, the Washington area and Fairfax County – and their growing impact on the national and local economy. Cost Free! For more information and to register for this event, please go to below link. Thanks to Ms. Karen Smaw, FCEDA for getting this information to us!

http://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/register-business-diversity-driving-economic-growth-and-entrepreneurism

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Veterans Legal Services Clinics to offer Free Estate Planning Services. March 1, 2, 3, and 4, 2016. The Office of the Commonwealth of Virginia Attorney General is partnering with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) and the Virginia State Bar to host Veterans Legal Services Clinics to provide FREEestate planning services to low income veterans. Simple Wills, Powers of Attorney and Advance Medical Directives will be offered at each Clinic. Space is limited, be sure to apply today! Click on the follow link for additional information: http://www.oag.state.va.us/index.php/programs-initiatives/veterans-assistance-resources/veterans-legal-services-clinic Thanks to Tina Parlett Calhoun at DVS for getting this to us. Thanks Tina!

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Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce – National Center for Veteran Institute for Procurement once again announces VIP. March 1 – 3, 2016, and June 21 – 23, 2016. VIP Grow is a 3-day, 27-hour comprehensive certification program designed for veteran businesses to increase their ability to win government contracts by establishing best business practices. Classes are instructed by industry experts, government officials, and agency representatives. To date, 546 Veteran-owned businesses nationwide have graduated from the program. VIP is offered at no cost to participants. Enrollment is open to Veteran-owned businesses nationwide and limited to one executive from each business. Class size is limited to 50 individuals per session. As I understand from a number of Veterans that have attended VIP, this is an OUTSTANDING program. Two sessions are now available but better sign up quick! Go here for more detailed information. http://myemail.constantcontact.com/VIP-Grow---Spread-the-Word-to-Arm-Vets-to-Win.html?soid=1101128334983&aid=D95rd9q3xcc

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Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce – Government Contracting Forum – The Changing Landscape in the Government Services Market. New date is February 25, 2016. There is a $60.00 fee to attend. Go here for detailed information and to register:

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=2b35aebe-a8cf-4a0f-955b-860398f4ad3d&c=654b34e0-c049-11e3-b39b-d4ae529cddd3&ch=665b4550-c049-11e3-b39d-d4ae529cddd3

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VA OSDBU Announces the NASA/JPL and the City of Pasadena Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Industry Day. Tuesday, March 1, 2016 7:00 AM, Pasadena Convention Center, 300 East Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101. Registration is Free. Go here for details and to register:

http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVAOSDBU/bulletins/12b94ae

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6th

Annual Veteran Women Owned Small Business Seminar. March 17, 2016,

8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA. Go here for details and to register: https://wave2016.busyconf.com/bookings/new

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Disabled Veteran Business Alliance (DVBA) SoCal Construction Expo. March 29, 2016, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Camp Pendleton, CA. Please go here for details and to register:

https://www.trailblz.info/disabledvetba/eviewer.aspx?vid=982A79B20E20692635F0F410A2DC6265F587A8AE974E99817240CC2E96B75F42

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Federal Business Council, Inc. (FBC) Announces the 26th Annual Government Procurement Conference. Wednesday, April 6, 2016, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC.

http://www.fbcinc.com/e/procurement/default.aspx Hope to see you there!

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Early Bird Registration - Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) GovConNet Procurement Conference. Thursday, May 12, 2016, 7:30am - 3:00pm, The Universities at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. For more information and to register: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=08c96955-1f83-4caf-b177-027760fb00db&c=654b34e0-c049-11e3-b39b-d4ae529cddd3&ch=665b4550-c049-11e3-b39d-d4ae529cddd3

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13th

Annual Elite SDVOSB Network National Conference/Convention, San Antonio, Texas, August 24 – 26, 2016. For details: http://www.sdvobconference.com/

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Save the Date: VA OSDBU Announces the 2016 National Veterans Small Business Engagement. November 1 – 3, 2016, Minneapolis, MN.

http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVAOSDBU/bulletins/12dadbb

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Folks! If you want to be REMOVED from the Vets News Distribution List, just send me an e-mail with the subject line "REMOVE!"

Prayers and blessings for you and your loved ones and for our amazing Troops and their loved ones everywhere.

Godspeed all....Wayne

Wayne M. Gatewood, Jr., USMC (Ret)

Founder, President, CEO

Quality Support, Inc.

Established 1989, VA CVE-Verified SDVOSB

AIMS Consolidated Schedule GS-00F-0068M

MOBIS - Schedule 874

8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 220

Landover, MD 20785

301-459-3777 - Fax 301-459-6961

http://www.qualitysupport.com/

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their Nation." - George Washington

Buffalo Soldier Banquet 2016.pdf 588K View as HTML Download

VA Media Summary and News Clips for Feb 12, 2016.pdf

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