Veterans
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WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Veterans Affairs joins with the nation to observe Women's History Month in March by recognizing and honoring women veterans.
"Duty. Honor. Pride. These words reflect the spirit of generations of American women who have sought to defend the rights and freedom of others," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "The history of women in the armed forces began more than 220 years ago with women who served during the American Revolution and continues through the present day. VA is honored to serve these women who have contributed so much to our nation."
Women veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the veteran population. Of the 22.7 million living veterans, more than 1.8 million are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total veteran population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services.
VA estimates women veterans will constitute 10 percent of the veteran population by 2020 and 9.5 percent of VA patients.
In recent years, VA has undertaken a number of initiatives to create or enhance services for women veterans, including the implementation of comprehensive primary care throughout the nation; staffing every VA medical center with a women veterans program manager and regional offices with a designated woman veterans coordinator; supporting a multifaceted research program on women's health; improving communication and outreach to women veterans; and continuing the operation of offices like the Center for Women Veterans and the Women Veterans Health Strategic Healthcare Care Group.
"During this observance of Women's History Month, let's remember the special contributions of the ever-increasing number of women serving in the armed forces," said Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs.
She noted that women currently make up more than 14 percent of the active-duty military and 18 percent of the Guard and Reserves.
VA has 43 women's memorials and monuments at its National Cemeteries across the country.
Additionally, several notable women are buried in VA National Cemeteries, including Chief Specialist Evelyn B. (Ulrich) Einfeldt, a Navy World War II Veteran who was one of the 67 Navy "WAVES" involved in Operation Magic.
She assisted with the assembly of BOMBE (Enigma), a machine to decode German and Japanese transmissions. She was laid to rest at the Fort Sill National Cemetery on April 6, 2006.
Lillian Kinkela Keil, an Air Force flight nurse pioneer, is buried at the Riverside National Cemetery. She flew 425 combat missions and took part in 11 major campaigns, including the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Bulge in World War II and the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in Korea. One of the most decorated women in American military history, she was awarded 19 medals.
For more information about VA programs and services for women veterans, please visit www.va.gov/womenvet and www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth.
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WASHINGTON, DC – Four new members have been appointed to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, an expert panel that advises VA on issues and programs affecting women veterans.
“The Advisory Committee on Women Veterans' work is very important in guiding VA's efforts to address the ever changing needs of women veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “VA welcomes the newest members.”
Established in 1983, the advisory committee makes recommendations to the Secretary for administrative and legislative changes. The committee members are appointed to two-year terms.
The new committee members are: Jack Phillip Carter, Jr., Bradenton, Fla.; Nancy A. Glowacki, Silver Spring, Md.; Nancy Kaczor, Franklin, Wis.; and Terry F. Moore, Stetson, Maine.
“Throughout history women have played essential roles in the military,” Shinseki added. "It is VA's responsibility to anticipate and prepare for the evolving needs of women veterans, their families and survivors.”
Women veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the veterans population. There are 23.4 million veterans; approximately 1.8 million are women veterans. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total veterans population and nearly 5 percent of all veterans who use VA health care services.
VA estimates that by 2020 women veterans will comprise 10 percent of the veteran population. VA has women Veterans program managers at VA medical centers and women veterans coordinators at VA regional offices to assist women veterans with health and benefits issues.
Additional information follow on the committee members.
– Jack Phillip Carter Jr., Bradenton, Fla. A retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, decorated for valor during the Persian Gulf War; currently serves as lead detective of the economic crimes section for the Sarasota police department.
– Nancy A. Glowacki, Silver Spring, Md. A former Army Reserves officer; currently owns a consulting firm, where she serves as a subject matter expert on veterans' transition issues, specializing in employment and special challenges of disabled Veterans and Veterans of the Global War on Terrorism.
– Nancy Kaczor, Franklin, Wis. A retired Air Force colonel, with service in Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan; currently serves as an active volunteer for a number of veterans and community service organizations.
– Terry F. Moore, Stetson, Maine. A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel; currently serves as chair of the Maine Advisory Commission on Women Veterans, and serves on several professional and veterans service organizations.
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LAKEPORT, Calif. – If most of us think back to our youth, between the ages of 17 and 20, we were busy making many decisions. Some of those included what to wear to our prom, which college to attend or what type of work to pursue.
We would never have imagined being in combat, fighting for the lives of our buddies and our own. We didn’t long for home, battling through scorching heat and freezing cold. However, those scenarios are a part of history for most of our veterans, as well as many of today’s troops.
On Saturday, March 5, at 1 p.m., four of America’s veterans will be laid to rest with full military honors.
The ceremony will take place at Veterans Circle at Hartley Cemetery, 2552 Hill Road East, Lakeport.
The Missing In America Project (MIAP) state certified funeral escort team will participate, along with Patriot Guard Riders (PGR) and the Military Funeral Honors Team of Lake County.
The purpose of MIAP is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of American veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations.
The men who will find their final resting place have earned and deserve our respect. Their stories vary and include service in WWII and Vietnam.
One soldier will receive his WWII dog tag, lost in Italy and coming home to him some 60 years later.
On Saturday, you can help ensure that honor and respect are bestowed upon four men who have served our country. The community is requested to attend this ceremony.
These veterans stood for you and now you can stand for them.
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CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2337 will hold a barbecue benefit on Saturday, March 19.
The event will start at 3 p.m. at the post, 3980 Veterans Lane, Clearlake.
They will serve barbecue tri-tip steak with side dishes for $8 per person.
All proceeds will benefit the Lake County Military Funeral Honors Team, which honors veterans at funeral services all over the county and on Memorial Day.
For tickets or information call 707-994-4748.
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WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Veterans (VA) is expanding support nationally to caregivers of veterans with Alzheimer's disease.
A pilot program of the REACH VA (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health in VA) program showed great success in reducing stress on caregivers while improving care outcomes for the veterans.
“The REACH VA model exemplifies the many different kinds of support VA offers to the caregivers of Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “This program has been proven to provide the right resources, training and a renewed focus on personal health that can make a world of difference to those caregivers and their veterans.
“Caregivers step up every day to serve veterans they love who sacrificed to defend our nation,” Shinseki added. “To them, caregiving is a labor of love and devotion, but that alone does not ease the burden and personal stress placed on those who provide daily care for the disabled.”
REACH VA involved 127 caregivers connected to 24 VA medical centers. The median age for the caregiver was 72 and the majority of the participants were spouses.
Typical issues caregivers face when caring for veterans with Alzheimer's disease and dementia include memory problems, behavior problems and the need to provide basic attendance such as grooming assistance.
Caregivers typically reported feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, cut off from family and friends, lonely, prone to bouts of crying and having worse physical health than the year before.
For six months, the REACH VA caregivers were provided 12 individual in-home and telephone counseling sessions; five telephone support group sessions; a caregiver quick guide with 48 behavioral and stress topics; education on safety and patient behavior management; and training for their individual health and well being.
Caregivers saw their burden reduced; drops in depressive symptoms and their related daily impacts; fewer frustrations, including those that have clinical potential for abuse; and decreases in dementia-related behaviors from the veterans they cared for.
Caregivers also reported they were able to spend fewer hours per day devoted to caregiving duties.
“Dementia caregiving is such an all encompassing task,” said Dr. Linda Nichols from the VA medical center in Memphis, Tenn., and co-author of a recent study on the program. “The intervention provided time for themselves, which caregivers never have enough of. REACH VA improved our caregivers' knowledge to manage care, made them feel more confident and competent as they formed bonds with the VA staff supporting them, and decreased the inevitable feelings of isolation and loneliness that
come from a selfless, but very sacrificial duty of care.”
VA will roll out REACH VA on a national basis through home-based primary care programs across the country. In addition, the program will be modified to assist caregivers of veterans with other diagnoses like spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.
“Providing support to caregivers who sacrifice so much to allow veterans to remain at home surrounded by loved ones is the right thing for VA to do,” said Dr. Robert Petzel, VA's under secretary for health.
An article on the REACH VA program is being published in the Feb. 28 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Nichols and Dr. Jennifer Martindale-Adams, also from VA's Memphis facility, are the lead authors and based the VA pilot on the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute for Nursing Research funded REACH II study.
REACH VA is the first national clinical implementation of a proven behavioral intervention for stressed and burdened dementia caregivers.
Local caregiver support coordinators are available to assist veterans of all eras and their caregivers in understanding and applying for VA's many caregiver benefits.
VA also features a Web site, www.caregiver.va.gov, with general information on REACH VA and other
caregiver support programs available through VA and the community.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. – Army Pvt. Kayla R. Green has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.
She is the daughter of Bryan Green of Cobb, Calif., and Sheryl Green of Napa, Calif.
Green graduated in 2008 from Vintage High School, Napa.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47) have introduced new legislation that would provide flexible spending accounts for service members – an important benefit that will help military families save on health care and child care expenses.
Flexible spending accounts would result in significant savings for military families by allowing service members to set aside a portion of their income before taxes to cover out-of-pocket child care and health care expenses such as co-pays, dental care and eye glasses.
This benefit is currently available to civilian employees at the Department of Defense, but not to uniformed service members.
Boxer introduced Senate legislation with Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) as the lead co-sponsor. Both are co-chairs of the bipartisan Senate Military Family Caucus.
Congresswoman Sanchez introduced identical legislation in the House of Representatives which will be co-sponsored by Representatives Virginia Foxx (NC-5) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5).
Sen. Boxer said, “As co-chair of the Military Family Caucus, I am so proud to be introducing this bipartisan legislation that will help our military families save money on essential health care and child care expenses. Providing flexible spending accounts to our service members who have sacrificed so much is simply the right thing to do. I look forward to working with my colleagues to see that this bill becomes law.”
“This is a simple matter of fairness,” said Rep. Sanchez. “Flexible spending accounts will help our military families save on healthcare and child expenses like other federal employees. Our troops serve this nation with honor and distinction, and they deserve the best benefits we can possibly offer.”
“America’s military men and women and their families make great sacrifices on behalf of our nation, and they deserve the best services we can offer them,” Sen. Burr said. “Flexible spending accounts would be an important tool in empowering our service members and their families to stretch their health care dollars even further and better meet their individual health care needs, and there is no reason military personnel shouldn't have the same access to benefits as their civilian counterparts.”
“It’s about time we gave our military men and women the same sort of medical spending accounts that many of their civilian counterparts enjoy,” Rep. Foxx said. “This is the least we can do considering the sacrifices they make for our country each day.”
At the press conference announcing the legislation Boxer and Sanchez were joined by military service organizations supportive of the legislation including the Military Officers Association of America, the National Military Family Association, Blue Star Families, The American Legion, the Association of the United States Navy and the Association of the United States Army.
“It makes no sense that currently serving military people are the only large group of employees in America who are denied access to flexible spending accounts to help reduce the cost of out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses,” said VADM Norb Ryan, Jr (USN-Ret), President of the Military Officers Association of America. “We’re grateful for Senators Boxer’s and Burr’s and Rep. Sanchez’s initiative and leadership in trying to rectify that inequity.”
“Military families are asking for the same financial tools that their civilian counterparts have, to help them pay for child care or braces or eyeglasses for their children,” said Kathleen B. Moakler, Government Relations Director for the National Military Family Association. “We thank Senator Boxer, Senator Burr and Representative Sanchez for their continuing support through this legislation.”
“Civilians have enjoyed the FSA perks for a while now,” said Pamela Stokes Eggleston, Development Director at Blue Star Families. “It is sound business to ensure that our service members and their families have the same opportunity. It's also the right thing to do.”
“The American Legion is proud to join Senator Boxer, Congresswoman Sanchez, and the 112th Congress in introducing this legislation,” said Tim Tetz, director of the American Legion’s Legislative Action Center. “The burdens of serving our nation are shouldered by not only the service member but their families. Any programs or benefits such as medical savings accounts are not only deserved, but worthwhile to enhance our support of those serving. Furthermore, to offer a service member the same benefit many of us enjoy is a small investment in the morale and welfare of our military and safety and security of our nation.”
“AUSN thanks Senator Boxer and Representative Sanchez for the introduction of this legislation,” said Captain Ike Puzon (USN-Ret), AUSN Director of Government Relations. “It is essential that we include Active Duty and Reserve Component members in this health cost saving benefit. Participation in a FSA benefit would help military families defray rising health care, and help our service members meet these difficult economic conditions.”
AUSA President Gen. Gordon R. Sullivan, USA. Ret. said, “AUSA fully supports this legislation. Military members and their families should have the same options available to them as others.”
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"VA has a long history of being an innovator and early adopter of health technology," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "This competition continues that legacy and provides VA with a powerful tool to utilize the best and brightest within the industry to improve care and services for our nation's veterans, their families and survivors."
This competition is part of VA's Innovation Initiative (VAi2), a department-wide program that solicits the most promising innovations from employees, the private sector, nonprofits and academia to increase veterans' access to VA services, improve the quality of services delivered, enhance the performance of VA operations, and reduce or control the cost of delivering those services.
Up to $100 million in awards could be made in this innovation competition.
"VAi2 offers a unique opportunity to tap the talent and innovative power of the private sector," said Jonah Czerwinski, senior advisor to the secretary and director of VAi2. "The 2011 Industry Innovation Competition builds on the momentum established in 2010 by challenging industry and academia in five new areas."
Public and private companies, entrepreneurs, universities and nonprofits are encouraged to propose new ways to:
Leverage telemedicine solutions to provide audiology services to veterans who live far from medical centers;
Create and implement enhancements or novel uses of VA's "Blue Button" personal health record;
Design innovative prosthetic socket designs to improve the fit and comfort of prosthetics;
Fully automate sterilization of medical equipment;
Empower veterans with self-management technologies for vocational rehabilitation.
This is the second Industry Competition launched by Vai2.
Awards from the 2010 competition are being announced on a rolling basis as contracts are finalized.
For more about VAi2 please visit www.va.gov/vai2.
Please go to www.FedBizOpps.gov to learn more about federal opportunities for businesses under the VAi2 program.
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Currently, VA is asking for $590 million in major construction and $550 million in minor construction. The amount falls far short of the $2 billion recommended to Congress last September by American Legion National Commander Jimmie Foster.
Tim Tetz, the Legion's legislative director, advised the committee, "Cutting money from construction creates only illusory savings."
Noting that VA's fiscal 2012 request for construction funding is about $800 million less than its fiscal 2011 numbers, Tetz said the department's infrastructure "is one of those things you can pay for either now or later – and if you choose to pay later, you always pay more.
"How can we complete the new projects in Las Vegas, Denver, New Orleans, and upgrades needed nationwide without adequate funding?" Tetz asked the committee, chaired by Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla.
The American Legion strongly supports VA's request for a 10-percent increase in discretionary funding, which includes $6 billion for the care of warriors who suffer from TBI, PTS and other mental-health issues.
"But is it enough?" Tetz asked the committee. "This money seems to be directed at the immediate medical needs of these veterans - perhaps not the long-term needs of these veterans.
Tetz said the VA budget request falls short on research funding. "There is no reason, given the intellectual and technological might of this nation, that VA should not be the world's leading authority in research on PTSD, TBI, and amputation and prosthetic medicine. The VA needs to be out in the front, not playing catch-up with the rest of the world."
The American Legion wants VA to ensure "seamless" health care for veterans after they are discharged from active duty.
"Does (the budget) address the chasm between advances in treatment in DoD, and those available once the servicemember separates and returns to their home in upstate New York or rural Indiana?" Tetz asked.
"The great treatment they get when they put on the uniform needs to be the same treatment they get when they put on a suit."
Toward the end of his testimony, Tetz said "We realize there's only so much money. We realize The American Legion, as well as every other veterans organization, comes here with expanded visions of what we need, what our veterans need, (and) what the VA must deliver.
"We remain committed to help you find savings with the existing budget, chances for (the) shifting of resources to serve the needs of the veteran sitting in the clinic in Florida, and the future veteran sitting in the forward observation base in Afghanistan."
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