PAHRUMP MILITARY RETIREE



and VETERANS COUNCIL



******A Veteran - whether active duty, discharged, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including my life." - (anonymous)******

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Women Veterans Summit Offers Valuable "Tools For Success"

10 February 2010

 
NEVADA OFFICE OF VETERANS SERVICES
STATE OF NEVADA


MEDIA RELEASE: February 10, 2010

Women Veterans Summit Offers Valuable
"Tools For Success"
US Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth
to Deliver Keynote

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - The Nevada Office of Veterans Services (NOVS) will host its 3rd Annual Nevada Women Veterans Summit: Tools for Success on Saturday, March 27, at the Las Vegas Hilton.

The program provides important information for women about post-traumatic stress disorder, homelessness, career transition, self-care, self-advocacy, and how to access state and federal benefits.

The Summit is open to all female active duty service members, reservists, National Guard members, and veterans in Nevada. There will also be an opportunity for participants to speak with legislators, Veterans Service Officers, Veterans Service Commissioners, representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and exhibitors. Registration and a complimentary continental breakfast will be from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. The program runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There is no cost to attend, but advance registration is required, either online at www.veterans.nv.gov/WVC/WVS.html or by phone at (702) 636-3070. The Las Vegas Hilton is located at 3000 Paradise Road.

Tammy Duckworth, Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, will deliver the keynote at 9:30 a.m. A Major in the Illinois Army National Guard, Duckworth served in Iraq as an Assistant Operations Officer and also flew combat missions as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. During a mission north of Baghdad in 2004, her aircraft was ambushed and a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter she was co-piloting. She continued to attempt to pilot the aircraft until passing out from blood loss. As a result of the attack, Duckworth lost both of her legs and partial use of one arm. She received many decorations for her actions, including the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and the Combat Action Badge. Prior to this position she was the Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Summit is sponsored by NOVS and the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, and is partially funded by a 2009 VHA Women's Health Strategic Healthcare Group mini-grant and donations to the Nevada Veterans Gift Account and Nevada Veterans License Plate Program. Summit registration is strongly encouraged.

NOVS was created in 1943 to provide assistance and services to veterans, their family members, and residents of Nevada serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. The Agency has three programs: Veterans Benefit Assistance, Veterans Cemeteries (Boulder City and Fernley), and a Veterans Nursing Home (Boulder City). There are approximately 339,000 veterans residing in Nevada eligible for these services. For more information, call NOVS toll free at 1-866-630-VETS (8387) or visit our website at http://www.veterans.nv.gov/.

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MEDIA CONTACT - NOVS
Bill DiBenedetto, Media Relations
(702) 533-7423
dibenedettob@veterans.nv.gov

Posted by Chairman, Pahrump Military Retiree & Veterans Council at 9:01 PM

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RECOMMENDED BY PAHRUMP AREA MILITARY RETIREE AND VETERANS COUNCIL:

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VA- APPLICATIONS For DISABILITIES

Applications are pending for over 12 months.

Everyone is aware of this problem. The VA and certainly the Veterans.

This is an outrage! Approximately 1/3 of the applications submitted are by Retired Military Personnel and therefore a problem to the Retired Military Councils.

The other 2/3 are Veterans that have served their country and deserve a decision.

Many have conditions that are aggravated by non treatment. We can do better.

The current omnibus bill, and especially the MILCON-VA provisions, covers a number of important priorities, including: $1.7 billion to allow VA to hire 1,200 additional claims processors to address the nearly 397,000 claims backlog.

(On January 20, 2010 the Federal Times reported the backlog at 489,345.)

This will require; first approval, then hiring, followed by training, and then they can start working on the problem! Looks like about 12 months before they start processing the actual applications. Our veterans deserve better treatment than this. We need to change the way the processing is accomplished.

One possible answer may be: take 200 military personnel clerks, 20 Personnel NCO’s and 5 Warrant Officers and take 95% of the pending applications and process them.

This is not rocket science, there is an established criteria to decide which applications get what percentage and it doesn't have to be done by VA Civilians. The VA may welcome the help. We realize the Active Army is stretched thin, but these veterans need help. This is not the only answer, but it is one solution.

GI BILL POST-9/11: Dependents.

This is the House of Representatives bill to adjust Educational Assistance for Retiree's.
H.R. 3577: Education Assistance to Realign New Eligibilities for Dependents (EARNED) Act of 2009 to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide authority for certain members of the Armed Forces who have served 20 years on active duty to transfer entitlement to Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to their dependents. Latest Major Action 9/24-2009 House committee subcommittee actions. Status:
Subcommittee Hearings Held.

DENTAL PROGRAM

Dental program for Emergency situations for Retiree’s could be initiated at the Installation or the VA level to solve only the emergency problems.

EYE COVERAGE:

There is vision/eye coverage for Retirees who use Tricare for life thru NOSTRA, they an get glasses but the coverage does not cover the eye exam. This is provided by the Navy. See the handout for details. TRICARE Prime has coverage for both the exam and glasses every 2 years. Recommend equal coverage through out the Services.

INCREASED PAY FOR DOCTORS

Increase the pay for doctors who handle VA Cases or use Contract services to get the job done. We need to incentivize Doctor participation. The current level of waiting is not treating our former warriors with the respect they deserve. We have sent a letter to Dr Toppo for Input.

IDENTITY THEFT

The phasing out of Social Security Numbers on ID Cards has begun and will be one solution to the problem of Identity Theft.

This problem was brought up by Col Rast (USMC Retired) of Amorgosa

SUICIDE

Discussion revealed a consensus of opinion that Active duty combat tours are too many. We recommend 2 tours in a combat zone in a 7 year period for combat personnel and not more than 3 tours for combat support personnel in the same 7 years.

Discussion: There are 1.1 million personnel in the Army alone. The war has lasted 8 years, Some people are on their 5th tour. This is unprecedented in our history and certainly creates stress. If nation building is the goal, use the civilian agencies to build the new country such as Dept of Agriculture to teach crops, Dept of Education to establish schools etc. and leave the soldiers to provide security for the Americans, and put down insurrections. If we stop some of the Stress we may cut down on Suicide.

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERS (PTSD)

PTSD cases are now taking 4 months for an appointment in VA Clinics in rural areas. Recommend increasing the funding and/or contracting services from people that can help. Personnel who have PTSD may not have 4 months before they do something irrational. We can do better.

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