Veterans News – December 21, 2015 For Today: Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values. - Thomas S. Monson ----------------------------------------------------------------
Veterans News ---------------------------------------------------------------A Special Holiday Video Message from the Chairman and Founder of the Code of Support Foundation (COSF), Major General Alan B. Salisbury, U.S. Army (Ret). Folks, as a Member of the COSF Board of Trustees, I respectfully ask you to consider donating to this amazing organization. Thank you and Godspeed‌ http://us9.campaignarchive1.com/?u=0044d38fefc52a9f30242fc8e&id=bb6ec96066&e=527b57e2e6 --------------------------------DOD Contracts Awarded for Monday, December 21, 2015. http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/637649/source/GovDelivery -----------------------------Defense News Early Bird Brief for Monday, December 21, 2015 http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe5d11797166067f7d16&m=ff011577756600&ls=fdcc15747467 02797514777266&l=fe8b13707d6c007d7c&s=fe1f13787563037a761273&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe331 1727064067e701674&r=0 ------------------------------A Media Summary and News Clips for Monday, December 21, 2015. Please see attached pdf. ----------------------------Reserve Officers Association (ROA) SmartBrief for Monday, December 21, 2015. http://www2.smartbrief.com/servlet/encodeServlet?issueid=8F3FF0C2-7EBA-45E2-997B2B0ED3E6114A&sid=22cbe9eb-3ef0-4eca-8105-ef9f466dc32d -----------------------------POLITICO Morning Defense for Monday, December 21, 2015. A Daily Briefing from Inside http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-defense/2015/12/10-iraqis-killed-in-friendly-fireairstrike-us-bomber-mistakenly-flies-near-disputed-islands-hagel-says-white-house-tried-todestroy-him-211855
------------------------------Your 5:00 pm Daily ExecutiveBiz Headlines. http://us4.campaignarchive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=de957f430a&e=a823c4dfb6 -------------------------------Your 12:00 pm Daily ExecutiveBiz Headlines. http://us4.campaignarchive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=07bd84c759&e=a823c4dfb6 --------------------------------Your 6:00 am GovConWire - Top News from Executive Mosaic. http://us4.campaignarchive1.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=6fa59cc0e7&e=a823c4dfb6 --------------------------------Code of Support Foundation (COSF) - Please read the Code! http://www.codeofsupport.org/read-the-code/ Please sign the Code...Please Donate Now….get involved with Code of Support Foundation (COSF). No big salaries here, no big overhead costs, just big hearts and a mission of looking after our fellow Veterans and their loved ones….people who need assistance the most! It’s all about the Vets folks! More on Code of Support Foundation: http://www.codeofsupport.org/ Please support COSF! Thank you folks for allowing me as a Member of the COSF Board of Trustees to believe I can come to you to seek your support of this great organization. --------------------------------A Variety of Veterans Related News from a Variety of Sources. Stars and Stripes Son of the American Revolution dies while laying wreaths on veterans' graves. Fred Kaffenberger Jr., 80, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, while wearing the colonial attire and tri-corner hat of society members, died last week in Leavenworth National Cemetery while laying Christmas wreaths at the graves of veterans. USA Today: Opinion: War on Christmas has gone too far. Just imagine for a moment that you could touch the cloak of the Ghost of Christmas Past and return to a small American town at Christmas time. From the schoolhouse we can hear the beautiful voices of innocent young children singing Christmas carols. The parents sit in the school auditorium beaming with pride, Catholic, Jewish and Protestant, even those who don’t practice any religion. Stars and Stripes Obama signs massive year-end tax cut and spending package. Congress gave final approval Friday to one of the most ambitious legislative packages in years — a $1.1 trillion funding bill, up to $680 billion in tax breaks and dozens of other substantial policy
initiatives. The measure, which averts another shutdown and keeps the federal government running through September, was sent to President Barack Obama, who signed it into law. ABC News (AP): Massive Spending and Tax Deal at a Glance. A divided Congress on Friday cleared a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government for the 2016 budget year and extend $680 billion in tax cuts for businesses and individuals. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the legislation. Here are the highlights. Military Times: 2016 defense budget deal finally nailed down by Congress. Senate Democratic leaders said that if not for their decision to stonewall the defense appropriations process for months, Congress never would have reached a full federal budget deal. Republican leaders say the defense budget would have been wrapped up months ago if not for those obstructionist moves. The Washington Post (The Fix): 3rd Democratic debate transcript, annotated: Who said what and what it meant. CLINTON: On January 20th, 2017, the next president of the United States will walk into the White House. If, heaven forbid, that next president is a Republican, I think it's pretty clear we know what will happen‌ Our vets may see the V.A. hospital that needs to be improved and made better for them turned over to privatization. Stars and Stripes Russian campaign in Syria offers country chance to test weapons, doctrine. Based on a 1950s civilian turboprop airliner, the slow-moving Ilyushin Il-18 Coot seems an unlikely addition to Russia’s growing arsenal of modern weapons systems deployed to Syria to fight rebel forces there. Stars and Stripes Putin: Russia will develop, not use, nuclear weapons. President Vladimir Putin says Russia will continue to develop nuclear weapons but doesn't intend to use them. Air Force Times Air Force to have enlisted pilots for first time since World War II. It's happening: Enlisted airmen will be allowed to fly some remotely piloted aircraft. GovExec TSP Board Starts to Tackle Military Retirement Reform. To encourage members to stay in the military, the new law also includes a measure providing continuation or retention pay after 12 years of service. Navy Times Navy SEALs won't change standards for women, admiral says. The legendary Navy SEALs have no plans to alter their strenuous physical fitness standards as they open the doors to women in 2016, according to the Navy's personnel boss. Army Times Army book club: SMA Dailey wants your ideas, must-read picks. Sergeant Major of the Army Dan Dailey is putting together a professional reading list, and he wants your ideas and recommendations. Military.com Marine Corps to Honor First Responders to Osprey Crash in Hawaii. The Marine Corps and the city of Honolulu will host a joint ceremony Friday in honor of the military and civilian first responders who assisted in the aftermath of a fatal MV-22 Osprey crash in May.
Bloomberg Carter Orders Navy to Build Fewer Ships, Spend More on Jets. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has ordered U.S. Navy leaders to buy fewer ships so the service can spend more on jets such as the F-35 as well as munitions and upgraded systems for electronic warfare. Air Force Times Red storm rising: Pilots facing deadlier air defenses. The Air Force is facing more sophisticated and lethal air defense systems all over the world, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said here Tuesday.. ABC News: Armed Forces Members, Veterans Use #iwillprotectyou After Muslim Child Says She’s Afraid. Veterans and current service members are using social media to reassure Muslim Americans that they will fight for their rights as citizens. On Facebook and Twitter, military service members and veterans have started using the hashtag#iwillprotectyou after one mother's post went viral about her daughter's fear of being kicked out of the country. Stars and Stripes Young Americans: Connected to the world, disconnected from politics. They are connected to one another like never before. And they are as disconnected from American politics as ever. Farmington Daily Times: Hearing set for proposed Navajo Veterans Act. The Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President will hold a public hearing about the proposed Navajo Nation Veterans Act. The act proposes transitioning the Department of Navajo Veterans Affairs to a veterans agency under the president’s office. The Daily Beast: The Stimulus Act Started a Cyber Crime Wave of Medical Data Theft. Six years after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 opened the floodgates to digitized medical records, so-called “protected health information” is now the most precious commodity in pilfered consumer data—fetching up to ten times the price of a stolen credit card number on the “dark Web.” A report from International Data Corporation this month forecasts that one-in-three consumers will have their health data compromised next year due to weak cybersecurity. Military Times Military suicides hold steady in 2015. For the third straight year, suicides among active-duty members have remained relatively steady, which Pentagon officials say could indicate that suicide-awareness and -prevention programs are hitting their mark. Waseca County News: Help is available for Veterans Considering Suicide. If you are able to have the person agree to a plan and you agree to be there every step of the way, you may save a life. Suicide should be taken seriously and should be acted on immediately. There are many qualified people to help get the veteran to proper care. The Veterans Administration has a resource out there that veterans can reach out to. The New York Times: Congress Orders Defense Dept. to Study Combat’s Effects on Veteran Suicide Rates. Congress on Friday passed a bill requiring the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to study the long-term effects of combat on the mental health of veterans —
a dynamic that remains poorly understood despite concerns by lawmakers and the public over elevated veteran suicide rates in recent years. Reuters: Veterans’ PTSD may recur down the line. Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan had a spike in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in the months immediately after their return, but also five years later, according to a Dutch study. Johnson City Press: Mountain Home VA leads the way with micro-processors and prosthetics. Johnson City’s VA facility might have no current candidates for the Department of Veterans Affairs’ new plan to provide eligible paralyzed veterans with exoskeleton suits, but that doesn’t mean it’s a stranger to new technology. NPR (Morning Edition, Audio): Veterans Say ‘Burn Pits’ Created Toxic Clouds That Made Them Sick. In 2008, Army Reserve Capt. LeRoy Torres returned home to Robstown, Texas, after a tour in Iraq. He went back to work as a state trooper with the Texas Highway Patrol. Torres was a longtime runner. So when a suspect took off on foot one morning, Torres sprinted after him. But something was wrong. A burning sensation in his chest hurt so bad, it almost knocked him down. Tampa Bay Times: VA: Automatic benefits for Camp Lejeune Vets will take a year. The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will take at least a year to formulate regulations enabling Camp Lejeune veterans to receive automatic benefits for any of eight diseases linked to contaminated drinking water at the base. Dayton Daily News: VA leader backs house for families of injured Vets. VA Secretary Robert McDonald has endorsed the future construction of a privately financed, up to $6 million Fisher House on the sprawling campus of the Dayton VA Medical Center, according to the VA and project officials. McDonald’s backing was a key step to build the 16-bedroom house at the historic campus, officials said. NPR (All Things Considered, Audio): Veterans’ Advocated Highlight Progress On Homelessness, Claims Backlog. New Year's day 2016 is the deadline for two ambitious goals set at the Department of Veterans Affairs — ending the backlog of disability claims and reaching zero homeless veterans. Neither goal has been met, but veterans' advocates hope momentum on progress isn't lost. The Boston Globe: Unmindful of Veterans’ needs. Richard Jackson is 70 years old, though he looks a lot younger. He is an old soldier, an Army combat veteran of the Vietnam War, and believe me when I tell you it is fairly ridiculous that someone like Jackson, who gave his country more than it could ever give him back, has to move furniture twice a week just so he and other vets can practice yoga. The Arizona Republic (Video): Troubled times at Camp Alpha: Is unofficial homeless shelter coming to an end? Crockett, 49, who served in the Marines, said he read about Camp Alpha — a homeless encampment that focuses on housing veterans, but won't turn anyone away — being shut down. He drove from Show Low to help.
Oregon Public Broadcasting (Audio): How Portland Housed Homeless Vets in a City with no Vacancy. Portland and Multnomah County are close to a major milestone. By the end of the year, the city is on track to move more than 690 homeless veterans into houses and apartments. That could add Portland to the ranks of cities like New Orleans and Houston, which say they have effectively ended veterans homelessness. The Washington Times (AP): Ferriday woman gets 5 months, stole $100K in VA benefits. A woman who admitted stealing more than $100,000 in Veterans Affairs death benefits has been sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement. The Town Talk (http://townta.lk/1OEGmj8 ) reports that 45-year-old Linda Sue Bourgeois of Ferriday also was ordered to repay $107,452.33. Concord Monitor: A dying woman’s wish: Let me rest with my son. Helen, 82 when she died Saturday morning, wanted to show me the cemetery’s granite columbarium niches, lined in neat rows like safe deposit boxes. Her son’s ashes lay in one, marked “Gary Andersen, U.S. Air Force, Vietnam.” Helen wanted her ashes placed there, too, her dying wish. Stars and Stripes Ark. brothers offer horse-drawn wagon funerals for deceased veterans. John and Chris Sears, two brothers from Booneville, have started providing horsedrawn funeral parades for deceased veterans. --------------------------------------------------------------------------VETERANS EVENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------Capitol Post – Veterans – Business – Purpose. December 2015, Events Update. http://us11.campaignarchive2.com/?u=d907c28bbc61151e5a473deee&id=0ef0fabe78&e=662f547d21 -------------------------------------Job ZONE Listing of Job Fairs for 2015 through 2016. http://us1.campaignarchive2.com/?u=0990c1fbb840ccb617b5992e6&id=383110f983&e=4c98ba860d ------------------------------------Virginia Values Veterans V3 Program, Virginia Department of Veterans Services, V3 Training Schedule for December 1 – 18, 2015. http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=9047497c-3556-4ff8-b1772cae403ced4e&c=f0bce490-c33d-11e4-887e-d4ae5292b9a6&ch=f0f7a3a0-c33d-11e4-887ed4ae5292b9a6 -----------------------------------
Student Veterans of America 8th Annual National Conference. January 7 -10, 2016, Orlando, FL. http://www.wewin.studentveterans.org/ ---------------------------------National Veteran Small Business Coalition - DC Metro Dinner Meeting. Wednesday, 13 January 2016, Key Bridge Marriott, 1401 Lee Hwy, Arlington, VA 22209 (Free Parking) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/national-veteran-small-business-coalition-13-january-2016-dcmetro-dinner-meeting-tickets20030317218?ref=enivtefor001&invite=ODkyOTk5MS93Z2F0ZXdvb2RAcXVhbGl0eXN1cH BvcnQuY29tLzA%3D&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=invitefor malv2&utm_term=eventpage ---------------------------------Women Veterans ROCK! Woman Warrior Weekend - Transition Retreat. January 15 – 17, 2016, Freedoms Foundation in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. For more information and to register: http://www.womenvetsrock.org/events/ ---------------------------------Don't Miss the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Government Contracting Forum. Thursday, January 28, 2016, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Bethesda Pooks Hill Marriott. Cost is $60.00. Go here for more detailed information and to register: http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Don-t-Miss-the-MCCC-Government-ContractingForum.html?soid=1101128334983&aid=z6UtFBDgJ8o ---------------------------------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/VIPGrow---Spread-the-Word-to-Arm-Vets-to-Win.html?soid=1101128334983&aid=D95rd9q3xcc --------------------------------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 ---------------------------------Folks! If you want to be REMOVED from the Vets News Distribution List, just send me an email 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/