Veterans
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- Written by: Lake County News Reports
Schools requiring nominations include the United States Air Force Academy, United States Merchant Marine Academy, United States Military Academy at West Point, and the United States Naval Academy.
“As a representative of our district, it is my great honor to help select our nation’s next class of military leadership and nominate exceptional candidates from right here in our community to service academies. So I am pleased to announce that the nominee selection process for 2019 is now open!” said Thompson. “I encourage young men and women from our district to apply and commend all those who commit to serving our nation in uniform.”
Students can now apply for the 2019 cycle and must complete their submission by Monday, Oct. 15.
Interviews of qualified candidates then occur in November and nominations will be submitted to academies for review in December.
Students interested in applying can visit Thompson’s webpage on academy nominations by clicking here or by calling Thompson’s Santa Rosa District office at 707-542-7182 for application packets and further information.
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- Written by: Clearlake VA Clinic
For veterans needing medical assistance, please call the advice nurse at 800-733-0502. For medical emergencies, call 911.
For prescription refills, medication replacement, prosthetics, or any other issues, please call the Clearlake Clinic’s main line at 707-995-7200, option 2.
The Clearlake VA Clinic is open and available during normal business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For any issues or concerns outside of normal business hours, please call the advice line at 800-733-0502.
Veterans who are unable to reach the clinic or who have fire-related symptoms are urged to contact the Telephone Linked Care at 800-733-0502.
VA shuttles are fully operational at this time.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
This report yields several important insights:
– Suicide rates increased for both veterans and non-veterans, underscoring the fact that suicide is a national public health concern that affects people everywhere.
– The average number of veterans who died by suicide each day remained unchanged at 20.
– The suicide rate increased faster among veterans who had not recently used Veterans Health Administration health care than among those who had.
The report, known as “VA National Suicide Data Report 2005–2015,” is available at https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/Suicide-Prevention-Data.asp.
The analysis is part of VA’s ongoing examination of more than 55 million civilian and veteran death records that is being used to evaluate and improve VA’s Suicide Prevention Program.
Data from this report were obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Death Index and then linked to both VA and Department of Defense data.
VA is committed to publishing the most accurate suicide data possible. CDC has 2016 data, but VA works with both CDC and Department of Defense to analyze millions of records and data sources to produce an analysis of suicide deaths for all known Veterans.
This collaboration adds a layer of complexity to the analysis process thus making 2015 the most current year for which VA is able to publish complete veteran suicide data.
VA is working with CDC and DoD to innovate and refine the data analysis and plans to publish 2016 veteran suicide data in fall 2018.
The report includes suicide rates from 2005 to 2015 for both veteran and non-veteran populations segmented by age, race and gender, and analyzes veteran rates based on service branch and era, suicide method and suicide risk factors. These data inform the ongoing work of VA and its partners to prevent suicide and expand the network of support for veterans.
“Suicide remains a top clinical priority,” said Acting VA Secretary Mr. Peter O’Rourke. “One life lost to suicide is one too many. Suicide is a serious public health concern in the veteran population and across all communities nationwide. These data offer important insights to help VA to build effective networks of support, communication and care that reach veterans where they live and thrive.”
Suicide is a complex issue and is influenced by a multitude of intersecting factors that can increase or decrease suicide risk.
The VA Suicide Prevention Program’s public health approach addresses the risk factors associated with suicidal behavior – such as a prior suicide attempt, stressful life events or the availability of lethal means – while promoting the protective factors that can offset risk, such as positive coping skills, feeling connected to other people and access to mental health care.
Data form an integral part of VA’s public health strategy and enable VA to tailor research-backed suicide-prevention initiatives to reach diverse groups across the veteran population.
In the years since these data were captured, VA has undertaken substantial suicide-prevention efforts, including:
– Expansion of the Veterans Crisis Line;
– Creation of new cross-sector partnerships;
– Implementation of the Joint Action Plan for Supporting Veterans During Their Transition From Uniformed Service to Civilian Life;
– Launch of SAVE online suicide prevention training;
– Development of the forthcoming National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide.
Learn more about VA’s suicide-prevention resources and programs at www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/.
Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a veteran in crisis, should call the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or send a text message to 838255.
Reporters covering this issue are strongly encouraged to visit www.ReportingOnSuicide.org for important guidance on how to communicate about suicide.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
The act helps protect veterans and service members from the dangers associated with repeatedly refinancing their home loans, requiring, among other things, the seasoning of the original loan and a recoupment period for fees, closing costs, and expenses related to the refinance.
“We want to ensure veterans have the informed ability to take advantage of economic opportunities and make sound decisions that enable them to prosper when using their benefits,” said Acting VA Secretary Peter O’Rourke. “This is yet another tool that will help veterans meet their personal goals.”
The act also provides for a specified interest rate decrease and for protections of loan-to-value ratios. A refinancing loan must meet the requirements specified in the act or VA will not guarantee the loan.
VA recently implemented a policy where lenders provide veteran borrowers a comparison of their existing VA-backed home loan to the proposed one when refinancing to ensure borrowers are set up for success.
This is also referred to as a recoupment or break-even analysis, which helps veteran borrowers clearly understand the costs of refinancing, the monthly payment savings, and the overall impact on their finances.
VA-backed home loans generally do not require a down payment, have low closing costs, and are the lowest rates among all loan products in the marketplace.
Notably, VA-backed home loans also continue to outperform other products in the market. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, VA guaranteed more than 740,000 loans for a total of $189 billion, an all-time record for the VA Home Loan Program. Over the past three years, VA has guaranteed more than 2 million VA home loans for over $500 billion.
The VA Home Loan Program’s mission is to maximize veterans’ and service members’ opportunity to obtain, retain, and adapt homes by providing a viable and fiscally responsible benefit program in recognition of their service to the nation.
In addition, VA also helps severely disabled Veterans adapt their homes to live more independently by providing up to $81,080 for home modifications.
For more information, including eligibility criteria, visit Housing Grants for Disabled Veterans.
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- Written by: Editor
The American Legion is the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization with over two million members at 13,000 posts across the globe.
“The final resting place for more than 800 of our fallen heroes, the Mare Island Cemetery should stand as a sanctuary for our veterans. That is why I am working to ensure it can be restored and maintained for generations to come and why I am humbled to have the support of the American Legion for my bill to transfer control from the city of Vallejo to the VA,” said Thompson. “Working together, we will find a solution to maintain this beautiful haven for our veterans.”
“Showing respect to the dead that served our country is one of the most important things we can do. The Mare Island Naval Cemetery holds the graves of many veterans to include three Medal of Honor recipients,” said Denis Rohan, National Commander of The American Legion. “The two million members of The American Legion wholeheartedly support moving this facility to the care of the National Cemetery Administration and thank Rep. Thompson for his leadership.”
H.R. 5588 directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to seek out an agreement with the City of Vallejo, under which the city would transfer control of the Mare Island Naval Cemetery to the VA.
The cemetery would specifically be placed under the purview of the National Cemetery Administration.
The VA would pay no fee to acquire the land, but would assume the obligation of maintaining the cemetery in the future.
This legislation is also endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), the U.S. Navy League, and thousands of veterans across the country.
Congressman Mike Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
“SAVE” is designed to equip anyone who interacts with veterans to demonstrate care, support and compassion when talking with a veteran who could be at risk for suicide.
SAVE, which stands for Signs, Ask, Validate, Encourage and Expedite, offers simple steps anyone — whether a treatment provider, clinician, friend or family member — can take when talking with veterans at risk for suicide.
“VA is leading efforts to prevent suicide among veterans, but VA alone cannot end veteran suicide,” said VA Acting Secretary Peter O’Rourke. “We need strategic partners, care providers and communities to join us in this effort. Resources such as SAVE are crucial in helping all Americans support veterans in their community.”
VA suicide prevention coordinators have led the SAVE course at VA facilities and community centers across the nation. VA officials said extending and promoting this important training outside VA is critical in helping everyone play a role in suicide prevention.
The free training video can be viewed at https://psycharmor.org/courses/s-a-v-e/.
The 25-minute online training course covers three main topics:
– Suicide as a public health issue in the U.S.
– Signs that a Veteran may be at risk for suicide.
– Actions people can take if they identify a veteran at risk.
Veterans in crisis or having thoughts of suicide — and anyone who knows a veteran in crisis — should call the Veterans Crisis Line for confidential support 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
Call 800-273-8255 and press 1, chat online at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat or text to 838255.
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- Written by: Editor
Students are candidates to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
“Serving in our military is a high honor and a deep responsibility and so I take the opportunity to appoint candidates from our district for our nation’s service academies very seriously. Students complete a competitive application process and must meet our highest standards of hard work and dedication,” said Thompson. “The five students chosen this year are exemplary in their academic achievements and stellar in their commitment to community service. We are so proud of them and commend their decision to serve our nation in uniform. We cannot wait to see all they accomplish!”
Appointees were honored at a ceremony at St. Supéry Estate Vineyards and Winery in Rutherford last night. Biographies of each student are included below.
For the Air Force Academy:
Charleen Mei Lazaro Muyot attended the USAF Prep School. She lives in American Canyon and attended American Canyon High School. She was born in the Philippines, and is the first in her family to join the Air Force. She has taken advanced courses in mathematics, English, and chemistry while in high school. She also has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Airman Against Drunk Driving, and at the Tuscan Food Bank.
Patrick McDermott lives in Santa Rosa and attends Cardinal Newman High School. He volunteers with organizations that help our veterans, provide assistance to homeless individuals, support senior citizens, help foster children, and provide relief for survivors of the Lake and Sonoma County fires. His father was a flight surgeon in the United States Navy and his grandfather served in the Air Force. Patrick has prepared himself for a military career with service as an Eagle Scout, an intern Congressman Mike Thompson’s office, and own business specializing in drone photography for Sonoma County wineries. At the Air Force Academy, Patrick hopes to focus his career in aviation with a degree in aeronautical engineering.
For the Naval Academy:
John “Jack” Murray is from Santa Rosa. He attended Cardinal Newman and went to college for one year before applying for a nomination. He has volunteered for several years with the Redwood Empire Food Bank, the Community-based Service Learning Project in Sonoma County, with Money Think (a club dedicated to teaching children the importance of saving money), and as a baseball coach for young children in our community. In 2015 and 2016 he was a delegate for California Boys State and the Youth Action Summit of California. He is also an Eagle Scout with Troop 32 in Santa Rosa, a member of the Order of the Arrow, the scouting group’s national honor society. During his time at Cardinal Newman, he served in several positions on the student government and as the school’s sports writer for their newspaper.
Antonius Wells lives in Calistoga and attends Justin Siena High School. He has been accepted into the Naval Academy Preparatory School before entry into the Academy where he would like to focus on cyber security. He has also taken many engineering courses at Justin-Siena High School. He attended both Naval Academy’s Summer STEM and Summer Seminar programs and has visited the campus on many occasions with his stepfather, who also attended the Academy and retired as a Commander in the Navy. His mom is a Russian native and speaks Russian. He has received recognition for his athleticism both in football and lacrosse.
For the Military Academy at West Point:
Dora Zoeller is from Santa Rosa, and is currently living in Seoul, South Korea, where her family is stationed. Both of her parents are retired colonels in the U.S. Army – her father was in civil affairs and her mother was a doctor. Currently her mom is the deputy director general of the international vaccine institute in Seoul.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Contra Costa, Lake, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties.
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- Written by: California Community Colleges
“This spring we congratulate the first bachelor degree earners in the California Community Colleges. With this pilot program we are furthering the mission of providing tomorrow’s workforce with the education and the skills needed to earn solid middle-class wages and realize the promise of upward social mobility,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. “We are proud of these graduates for breaking new ground and proud of all graduates at all 114 colleges who earned certificates and degrees.”
The Baccalaureate Pilot Program was created after Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 28, 2014 signed legislation authorizing the California Community Colleges Board of Governors, in consultation with representatives from the California State University and University of California systems, to establish a baccalaureate degree pilot programs meeting workforce needs at no more than 15 campuses as long as they did not duplicate existing options at the state’s public universities. Several of the 15 colleges began offering bachelor degree programs in the fall of 2015.
The Public Policy Institute of California projects that the state will face a shortage of 1.1 million workers with a bachelor’s degree unless it ramps up college access and completion.
That would mean a population that is less skilled, relegated to working in jobs with less pay, resulting in more people relying on social services, with less tax dollars to fund those services.
Each baccalaureate program is uniquely designed for colleges that were carefully chosen based on the workforce demands in each region.
A respiratory care baccalaureate program at Skyline College, for example, will help replenish a labor force in which up to half of respiratory therapists – who earn an average of nearly $76,000 annually statewide and more than $90,000 annually in the Bay Area – are nearing retirement age, and it will serve an area projected to add 2.1 million people by 2040.
A bachelor’s degree in interaction design from Santa Monica College is preparing students for the skills required to work in a growing technology sector with an anticipated 47,000 job openings in 2019 alone.
“The first week we started the baccalaureate program, Sharp Healthcare called me to collaborate in creating an employment pipeline straight from our college,” said Associate Professor Connie Renda, director of the health information management program at San Diego Mesa College, where 16 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree.
Similar dynamics are playing out elsewhere in the state. At Bakersfield College, for example, five of the seven students earning a bachelor’s degree in industrial automation have job offers, and the other two have internships that promise to evolve into full-time opportunities.
Virtually everyone graduating with a bachelor’s degree at Mesa College is looking at career advancement opportunities once they pass a national certification exam sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association that marks the last step needed before becoming a registered health information administrator.
“A bachelor’s degree goes a long way in the health information management field, especially on the information technology and systems analysis side of things,” said Mesa College graduate Henry Cunningham. “This being a community college where the cost is next to nothing compared to some of the online programs that are out there, I’m saving a lot of money and I’m not going into debt, all while having a lot of doors opening for my career.”
Indeed, the average cost of earning a bachelor’s degree through the pilot program is $10,000, a fraction of what students are paying elsewhere.
Community Colleges with a 2018 graduating class earning bachelor’s degrees include:
• Bakersfield College – Industrial Automation (seven graduates);
• Cypress College – Mortuary Science (five graduates);
• Feather River College – Equine and Ranch Management (15 graduates);
• Foothill College – Dental Hygiene (23 graduates);
• San Diego Mesa College – Health Information Management (16 graduates);
• Santa Monica College – Interaction Design (18 graduates);
• Shasta College – Health Information Management (two graduates);
• Skyline College – Respiratory Care (20 graduates);
• West Los Angeles College – Dental Hygiene (29 graduates).
The California Community Colleges, the largest provider of workforce training in the nation, offers Career Education programs at 114 community colleges across the state. With more than 200 programs taught by instructors and professionals in their field of study, Career Education programs allow students to learn by exploring, collaborating and doing with hands-on training and skills for the jobs of today and the future. The colleges also provide basic skills education in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions.
To learn more, please visit www.CaliforniaCareerEducation.com. Visit www.doingwhamatters.cccco.edu for information on the system’s workforce initiative.
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- Written by: Editor
To mark the occasion, the Intrepid Museum is putting out a coast-to-coast “all call” for former Intrepid crew members to be reunited in a special 75th Commissioning Anniversary Celebration Weekend from Thursday, Aug. 16, to Sunday, Aug. 19, on board Intrepid.
The museum is also accepting donations of personal artifacts and memorabilia from former crew members and their families.
Each item added to the museum’s collection helps express and interpret Intrepid’s stories of service, and serves to educate and inspire more than one million visitors each year.
To learn more about this weekend and for registration information, former crew members and their family members can visit www.intrepidmuseum.org/75 or email
The homecoming weekend will feature a special ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of Intrepid’s commissioning on Thursday, Aug. 16, honoring Intrepid former crew members who will reunite and share stories of their tours of duty.
Throughout the weekend, the museum will offer guided tours of the ship and behind-the-scenes curator-led tours of the museum’s collection storage facility, and a special former crew member dinner event with the United States Secretary of the Navy, Richard V. Spencer. For some former crew members, this will be the first time they have been aboard their beloved ship since the completion of their service.
Intrepid’s 75th Commissioning Anniversary Celebration Weekend is open to the public, and will feature programs and events specifically tailored for former crew members and their families, as well as opportunities for members of the public to interact with our visiting former crew members. Over 280 former crew members are currently confirmed to attend with their family members.
Now a museum and national historic landmark, the aircraft carrier Intrepid (CVS-11) was one of the most successful and stalwart ships in US history. Nicknamed “The Fighting I” by its crew, Intrepid served in the Pacific during World War II, surviving five kamikaze attacks and one torpedo strike.
Intrepid later conducted submarine surveillance in the North Atlantic during the Cold War and served three tours of duty off Vietnam. It was also one of the primary recovery vessels for NASA during the Mercury and Gemini missions, and retrieved astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gus Grissom and John Young after their respective orbits and splashdowns in the Pacific.
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