Calling All Veterans

IT'S OFFICIAL: NO VA, SS COLA IN 2010 -- President Obama supports a one-time $250 payment, but not all politicians think that is appropriate. - VA Watchdog dot Org - 10-16-2009

Seeded on Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:12 AM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

This speaks for itself

cola, social-security, us-news, disabled-veterans, disability, ssi, ssdi, ssd

U.S. seeing more female homeless veterans - CNN.com

Seeded on Sun Sep 27, 2009 9:28 AM EDT (CNN)

Informative news story about the plight of homeless female Veterans.

us-news, veterans, department-of-veterans-affairs, homeless-veterans, female-veterans

Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America - National Commander

Seeded on Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:33 PM EDT (jwv.org)

Calling all Jewish Veterans. There really is an organization that will represent you! Check them out.

jewish, veterans, veterans-organizations, disability-claims

FLAG BURNER PILLORIED BY VFW MEMBERS -- "Let's just say we gave him three options and he took number three. I would rather not say what the first two were." - VA Watchdog dot Org - 09-26-2009

Seeded on Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:00 PM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

Flag burners beware. Don't let the VFW catch you. They have no tolerance for you.

us-news, veterans, vfw, american-flag, flag-burning

MARINE CLAIMS SEXUAL ASSAULT BY VA NURSE -- "There may be other people who voiced complaints and sought help and never got it, got swept under the table." - VA Watchdog dot Org - 09-23-2009

Seeded on Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:39 AM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

Sexual assault comes in many forms. No one is immune. Read this article. It tells the sickening story of a VA nurse who took advantage of a Marine seeking treatment at a VA Hospital.

health, sexual-assault, sexual-abuse, usmc, va-hospital, va-nurse

INCARCERATED VET LOSES APPEAL TO KEEP FULL VA BENEFITS -- "Congress has explicitly concluded that if the taxpayers are financing a veteran's incarceration, it is contrary to the public good to also pay him full VA disability benefits." - VA Watchdog dot O

Seeded on Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:33 AM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

He's in prison and he wants his benefits to continue. wtf? Read on.

department-of-veterans-affairs, veterans-disability-benefits, incarcerated-veterans, va-compensation

VAOIG: INEFFICIENT VA CAUSES DELAYS IN VETS' BENEFITS -- "These delayed benefit payments have the potential to adversely affect the economic status and quality of life for veterans who are eligible for benefits." - VA Watchdog dot Org - 09-24-2009

Seeded on Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:29 AM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

Do you have a claim pending with the Department of Veterans Affairs? Have you been waiting "forever" for a decision? This article explains why you have been waiting so long.

va, veterans, ptsd, varo, va-disability-claims, vaoig

Ellen DeGeneres Replacing Paula Abdul as New 'American Idol' Judge - Inside TV Blog

Seeded on Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:37 AM EDT (AOL)

Okay, I admit it. I'm a long time Ellen fan. In fact, I have VIP tickets for a taping of her show next week, 15 September, 2009.

entertainment, american-idol, ellen-degeneres, paula-abdul

OPRAH INVESTIGATING PTSD, SUICIDE, HOMICIDE -- Have you personally experienced a suicide, homicide or physical abuse caused by combat-related PTSD? Are you fearful your loved one may have PTSD? - VA Watchdog dot Org - 09-09-2009

Seeded on Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:59 AM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

Are you a Veteran with PTSD? Are you the family member of a Veteran with PTSD? Oprah is looking for you. She will be doing an episode covering all things PTSD. Details are in this article. Said what you want about Oprah, but when Oprah speaks, people listen.

suicide, health, oprah, veterans, ptsd, va-watchdog-org

Air Mobility Command - AMC Travel

Seeded on Wed Sep 9, 2009 12:12 PM EDT (amc.af.mil)

Are you eligible for "Space A Travel"? If you don't know what it means, chances are that you are not eligible for it. However, if you qualify, this website tells you everything you need to know about booking your flight. Check it out.

travel, military-flights, military-travel, space-a-travel, travel-on-leave

Chuck Klosterman Repeats The Beatles | Music | A.V. Club

Seeded on Wed Sep 9, 2009 5:55 AM EDT (A.V. Club)

Great review of the "new" Beatles collection release. If you are a Beatles fan, this review is a must read.

entertainment, help, paul-mccartney, john-lennon, the-beatles, abbey-road, ringo-starr, liverpool, george-harrison, yellow-submarine

VETERANS Q&A with JIM STRICKLAND, #56 for 2009 -- Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland answers questions from VA Watchdog dot Org readers. - VA Watchdog dot Org - 09-08-2009

Seeded on Mon Sep 7, 2009 8:29 PM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

Jim Strickland is a Veterans Advocate. If you haven't heard of him, hear is your opportunity to read his latest column. He's been helping me with my pending claim and he is a wealth of knowledge. I urge any veteran with any issue to contact him. He will return emails.

va, jim-strickland, veterans-advocate, veterans-disability-claim

VA ADDS ONLINE CHAT TO SUICIDE PREVENTION OUTREACH -- Pilot program is an online, one-to-one chat service for Veterans who prefer reaching out for assistance using the Internet. - VA Watchdog dot Org - 09-01-2009

Seeded on Sun Sep 6, 2009 12:12 AM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

Veterans in crisis -- this could be a great thing if you know about it. Hopefully the VA will get the word out. The VA has started a one on one online suicide chatline. I'm not going to give it a test run to try it out to see if it works.

suicide, health, suicide-prevention, veterans-online-suide-chat, veteran-outreach, veterans-chat, va-suicide-prevention-lifeline-chat

VETERANS' BENEFITS CLAIMS KEEP PILING UP AT VA -- Claims backlog continues to grow with latest figures showing a 17.3% increase since the first of the year. - VA Watchdog dot Org - 08-31-2009

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 11:27 PM EDT (vawatchdog.org)

The backlog keeps getting worse and worse, Veterans. Are you a disabled Veteran waiting for a claim to process? You're going to keep waiting. Read this article.

politics, disabled-veterans, claims-processing, disability-claims, va-claims-backlog

Some Tricare preventive services are now free - Air Force News, news from Iraq - Air Force Times

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 7:35 PM EDT (airforcetimes.com)

Go get your swine flu vaccine on Tricare

health, vaccines, tricare, preventive-services

Decorated Air Force nurse, barred over lesbianism, sues

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 6:54 PM EDT (Seattle news, sports, events, entertainment | seattlepi.com - Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

The USAF had done is again. Kicked out another decorated Air Force Veteran for being gay. What's up with that? We need all the skilled personnel we've got right now to take care of our wounded troops. Who gives a damn if they are gay?

health, dadt, dont-ask-dont-tell

VA Simplifies Compensation Rules for PTSD

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 11:03 AM EDT (Military.com)

This is great. But does it cover former service members who suffer with PTSD due to military sexual trauma? There are a lot of us out there who have PTSD not related to war. This policy is not clear on that topic.

health, va, ptsd, terrorist-activity, shinseki, stressors, disabled-veteran, disability-benefits, compensation-rules, hostile-military

Troop Support No Echo of Vietnam

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 10:56 AM EDT (Military.com)

This is what the government says they are doing to improve claims processing for disabled veterans. I'll believe it when I see it. My claim has been pending since October 2008. I retired in 1994. I don't remember how many times I've put in for an increase.

politics, department-of-defense, soc, walter-reed-medical-center, department-of-veteran-affairs, peb, tpcc, department-of-defense-office-of-transition-policy-, noel-koch, vietnam-veterans-of-america

'Surge Home' Overwhelms VA Clinics

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 10:43 AM EDT (Military.com)

This article discusses what Veterans already know. Shoddy care and long waits for hospital appointments and claims processing at the VA Hospitals around the Country. We've been hearing for years that change is coming. As far as I'm concerned, talk is cheap.

iraq, politics, obama, disabled-veterans, combat, ptsd, va-hospital, iraq-and-afghanistan-veterans-of-america, va-disability-claims

Vet, Wife Die in Likely Murder-Suicide

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 10:33 AM EDT (Military.com)

Two more victims of the Iraq war ... in Washington State. Very sad. Goes to testify to the fact that our troops aren't getting the care that they need when they come home.

suicide, health, iraq-war, ptsd

AF Major Guilty of Indecent Acts

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 10:30 AM EDT (Military.com)

He's an Air Force Major and he has already plead guilty to indecent acts with an underage girl. What difference does it make if there is penetration? Fry him for what he did. She will be traumatized for life because of what he's done.

rape, air-force-academy, court-martial, usaf, ucmj, indecent-acts-with-a-child, barry-nixon

Gay Ex-sailor Says Hazing led to PTSD

Seeded on Fri Sep 4, 2009 10:20 AM EDT (Military.com)

Don't Ask Don't Tell does not work. This article is proof of that. Senior officials are outing gay service members in contradiction to the DADT policy.

politics, ptsd, dadt, dont-ask-dont-tell, ucmj, dishonrable-discharge