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Mount Rainier FRA Branch #104

Fleet Reserve Association

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Retired Affairs Office Newsletter 

RAO Newsletter - 05/01/2010 - Page 1 of 4

Warning this page is very long

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Contents of Page One

Army Reserve Enrichment Camp:

Army Reserve Enrichment Camp (AREC) is a no cost five to seven day residential camping experience for youth who are a dependents of an Army Reserve Soldier. It is organized by Army Reserve Child, Youth & School Services (AR CYSS) in partnership with an American Camping Association Accredited residential camp. AREC helps to reduce feelings of isolation among Army Reserve youth who do not typically live in communities with large numbers of military youth like those found near an installation. Campers participate in meaningful activities that build skills in leadership, independence, peer relationships, self esteem, adventure and exploration. Campers also develop skills to handle the rigors of deployment and have opportunities to share their personal experiences with other campers and adult advisors who staff the camps. Youth that have participated in camping activities have reported growth in the specific areas of: self-esteem, independence, leadership, friendship skills, adventure and exploration and spirituality. Through the camping experience, youth create a network of peers and adult advisors that serve to increase feelings of cohesion with the Army Reserve community and support during deployment.

This year’s Camps will be held for one-week at each of the following 17 locations: Alpine, AL, Boulder Creek, CA, Graford, TX, Granby, CO, Huguenot, NY, Jamesville, VA, Jamison, PA, Julian, CA, King, NC, Loretto, MN, Ocean Park, WA, Princeton, IN, Saipan, MP, Sandwich, MA, The North Shore of Oahu, HI, Toccoa, GA, Tulsa, OK. Each site will host 40-100 campers from the surrounding region. Campers will have the opportunity to interact with other Army Reserve connected youth, learn about the unique factors associated with being an Army Reserve dependent and most of all, and have fun! Ages (6 to 17) and dates vary by location. Camp activities such as ropes courses, boating, fishing, horse-back riding, and archery in conjunction with the unique factor of cooperative living offers an ideal youth development setting. Activities are designed to challenge and support youth in such a way that skills like independence, leadership, and peer relationships emerge. To register or obtain more information refer HERE. LOGIN is required for registration. Registration deadline for June Camps is 15 MAY. For July Camps 15 JUN. Camper selection will be prioritized based on:

[Source: AL CT Dept msg. 28 Apr 2010 & HERE ++]

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Mojave Desert Veteran Memorial Update 03:

Veterans groups and the federal government have moved a few steps closer to winning its fight to keep an eight-foot-tall cross on a Mojave Desert hilltop as a memorial to fallen World War I service members. The US Supreme Court on 28 APR directed a federal judge in the long-running dispute to reexamine an earlier order that would force removal of the cross. The 5-to-4 decision left the high court sharply divided over the proper framework to resolve the dispute. But it suggests that five justices believe the cross should remain at its current location, where it has stood since 1934. The case, Salazar v. Buono, began when a former National Park Service employee, Frank Buono, filed a lawsuit challenging the location of the cross on public land within the Mojave National Preserve. The suit said the presence of a religious symbol on federal land violated the First Amendment’s prohibition on government endorsement of religion. A federal judge and federal appeals court panel agreed and ordered the cross removed. Congress ordered public-private land swap Congress responded by transferring the public land around the cross to private owners while accepting similar private land for the preserve in return. The action sought to make the cross’s location on Sunrise Rock a sanctuary of private property within the public preserve, thus eliminating or reducing any perception of government endorsement of religion.

The federal judge was not persuaded. The judge ruled that Congress was merely attempting to evade the court’s earlier order that the cross be removed. The court then issued a permanent injunction blocking the government from implementing the congressionally authorized land swap. It is that injunction that the high court reversed. “The district court did not engage in the appropriate inquiry,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in a plurality decision. “By dismissing Congress’s motives as illicit, the district court took insufficient account of the context in which the [land swap] statute was enacted and the reasons for its passage." He said, "Private citizens put the cross on Sunrise Rock to commemorate American servicemen who had died in World War I. Although certainly a Christian symbol, the cross was not emplaced on Sunrise Rock to promote a Christian message.” Justice John Paul Stevens disagreed. “In my view the district court was right to enforce its prior judgment by enjoining Congress’s proposed remedy – a remedy that was engineered to leave the cross intact and that did not alter its basic [religious] meaning,” he wrote in a dissent joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.

Stevens said most judges would find it a clear establishment clause violation if Congress directed that a solitary Latin cross be erected on the National Mall in Washington as a World War I memorial. He said the transfer of land in the Mojave Desert perpetuated rather than cured the government’s endorsement of a religious message. Kennedy said the district judge should have shown deference to Congress’s prerogative to solve the dispute by weighing opposing interests. He said Congress faced a dilemma of having to balance the court's injunction to remove the cross against conveying disrespect for the war veterans who erected and maintained the memorial. “The land-transfer statute embodies Congress’s legislative judgment that this dispute is best resolved through a framework and policy of accommodation for a symbol that, while challenged under the establishment clause, has complex meaning beyond the expression of religious views,” Kennedy said. "The goal of avoiding governmental endorsement does not require eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm,” Kennedy wrote. “A cross by the side of a public highway marking, for instance, the place where a state trooper perished need not be taken as a statement of governmental support for sectarian beliefs.” He added, “The Constitution does not oblige government to avoid any public acknowledgment of religion’s role in society.”

In remanding the case, Kennedy’s opinion suggests the federal judge should reassess the issues “in light of the policy of accommodation that Congress has embraced.” It also suggests the judge should consider “less drastic relief than complete invalidation of the land-transfer statute. In addition, Kennedy says that signs might be appropriate indicating that the cross and the surrounding land are private. The cross is still standing on Sunrise Rock, but since the court-ordered injunction it has been concealed within a large wooden box. The case now goes back to the lower District court to give it a chance to see if any other legal alternatives exist. However, the High Court reminded the District Court that: “Respect for a coordinate branch of Government forbids striking down an Act of Congress except upon a clear showing of unconstitutionality.” The cross will remain covered pending the District Court’s review. Federal courts currently are weighing at least two other cross cases, a 29-foot cross and war memorial on Mt. Soledad in San Diego and Utah's use of 12-foot-high crosses on roadside memorials honoring fallen highway patrol troopers.
[Source: Christian Science Monitor Warren Richey article 28 Apr 2010 ++]

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John David Fry Scholarship:

Public Law 111-32, the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship, amends the Post-9/11 GI Bill (chapter 33) to include the children of service members who die in the line of duty after Sept. 10, 2001. The benefit is effective 1 AUG 09; the same day the Post-9/11 GI Bill took effect. Eligible children attending school may receive up to the highest public, in-state undergraduate tuition and fees, plus a monthly living stipend and book allowance under this program. Children of an active duty member of the Armed Forces who has died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, are eligible for this benefit. A child may be married or over 23 and still be eligible. Eligible children:

Rules for eligible children serving, or who have served, in the Armed Forces:

VA must begin issuing payments under this benefit no later than 1 AUG 10. This includes retroactive payments for eligible children enrolled during the period of 1 AUG 09 through 31 JUL 10. VA will begin accepting applications for this benefit 1 MAY, and will begin issuing payments to eligible children by 1 AUG 10. Children enrolled from1 AUG 09 through 31 JUL 10 may receive retroactive payments for that time. Note: Children currently enrolled in school may apply for benefits under VA’s Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. The application for this benefit is available online, and there is a link on the GI Bill website, www.gibill.va.gov. The link takes the user to VONAPP, the online application. Select VA Form 22-5490, Application for Dependents' Educational Assistance, to apply. If you are a son or daughter, under legal age, a parent or guardian must sign the application. For more information, call 1 (888) 442-4551) or visit the VA GI Bill Website HERE.
[Source: HERE Apr 2010 ++]

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Tricare CRSC Travel Pay:

If you are a retiree and your Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) Board has awarded you CRSC, you may be entitled to the CRSC travel benefit. Tricare Prime enrollees, including those enrolled in the US Family Health Plan, are also eligible for the Tricare Prime Travel Benefit. This benefit provides reimbursement for travel-related expenses when you must travel more than 100 miles from your referring provider’s location to obtain medically necessary, nonemergency specialty care for a combat-related disability. Only reasonable, actual-cost travel expenses (e.g., lodging, fuel [rather than mileage], meals, parking, tolls) associated with receiving specialty care can be reimbursed. You are expected to use the least costly mode of transportation. Government rates will be used to estimate the reasonable costs for allowable expenses. To review the rates, visit www.defensetravel.dod.mil/perdiem/pdrates.html. Please contact your Tricare Regional Office (TRO) for more information about reimbursable expenses and authorization requirements. To qualify, you must meet all of the following criteria:

One non-medical attendant (NMA) may also be entitled to reimbursement of travel-related expenses. Your referring provider must verify in writing that an NMA is medically necessary and appropriate to travel with you. The NMA can be a parent, spouse, or other adult family member (age 21 or older) or a legal guardian. If the NMA is an active duty service member or a U.S. government employee, he or she may be entitled to temporary duty allowances (per diem and mileage) if on travel duty per their organization. Although travel orders are not required, you must submit a travel request via fax or mail in advance to your TRO with the following documentation:

You and your NMA must pay for travel expenses up front and then submit a claim for reimbursement. A separate claim must be submitted per trip, per qualified awardee or NMA. Only one individual can be reimbursed for each expense. All reimbursements are made through EFT. Claims should be submitted to the appropriate TRO via fax or mail. Email submissions will not be accepted. Completed and signed claims forms are available online on the Forms Management Program Web site HERE. Each claim submission must include:

The TRO staff will review your travel request and assist in locating a specialty provider or confirm that the requested specialist is a Tricare-authorized provider outside the 100-mile radius. If requests are not submitted in advance, the TRO considers travel reimbursement on a case-by-case basis. Submitting a request for reimbursement does not guarantee payment. For Information and assistance about eligibility, claims, and reimbursements contact your TRO at:

[Source: HERE Fact Sheet Mar 2010 ++]

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SBA Vet Issues Update 10:

The Obama administration is renewing efforts to expand opportunities for veteran-owned small businesses, hoping that a little aid to those who own or want to own their own businesses will help fuel a larger boost in the U.S. economy. Two executive orders signed 26 APR by President Obama create task forces that will recommend specific improvements in how small businesses are created, including expanded access to capital, advice on how to cash in on lucrative federal contracts and better counseling so that businesses remain on a strong economic footing. One of the two task forces specifically will look at veteran-owned small businesses, including those owned by disabled veterans. Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said veterans, especially those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, have training and experience from the military that make them potentially strong small-businesses owners, including the ability to remain calm and innovative in a crisis, knowing how to take risks and knowing how to run a competent organization. There are, he said, “significant opportunities for good outcomes” if the federal government can provide assistance. Helping one veteran become a small-business owner has larger impacts on the economy, he said, because “veterans hire veterans. They know what they are getting.”

Shinseki said the Veterans Affairs Department and other federal agencies have been trying to help small businesses through contracting. About 19% of VA contracts last year went to small businesses, 80% of them owned by veterans, he said. Karen Mills, head of the Small Business Administration, said one of the task forces being created by Obama will look at ways to improve outreach to small businesses so they can learn about more opportunities to compete for federal contracts. Mills noted that over the past 15 years, 64% of all new jobs created were created by small businesses. The two task forces are interagency groups that in some cases will be able to make policy changes to help small businesses. But some recommendations could require a change in law or additional funding to take effect.
[Source: MarineCorpsTimes Rick Maze article 26 Apr 2010 ++]

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Health Care Reform Update 32:

The Tricare Affirmation Act (H.R.4887), aimed at protecting people in the military health care program from being penalized for not having private insurance, was signed into law 26 APR by President Obama. The new law provides a specific exemption for Tricare beneficiaries and for nonappropriated-fund civilian employees of the Defense Department from a requirement of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that will require people without minimal health cover to either buy private insurance or face a $750 penalty. Tricare health insurance is specifically defined by the law signed Monday as minimal essential coverage, which provides an exemption from the penalty. Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), the House Armed Services Committee chairman who opposed the national health care reform law but was a key sponsor of the Tricare Affirmation Act, said he hopes this resolves questions by active-duty family members, retirees and their families about how national health reform might affect them. Signing the new law “reinforces that military health care coverage will not be adversely affected by the health care reform law,” Skelton said. Skelton’s committee will consider legislation in May that would extend to Tricare beneficiaries one of the provisions of the new health reform law that allows unmarried children to remain covered by a parent’s insurance until age 26. That legislation is expected to be included in the 2011 defense authorization bill.
[Source: AirForceTimes Rick Maze article 27 Apr 2010 ++]

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Veteran Appreciation Event:

In a combined effort between Community Circles of Support for Veterans and their Families, Veterans Village of San Diego, and Fun-4-All Family Fun Center they want to show our Military, Veterans, and their Families how much they appreciate their dedication and selfless service to our country. To show their admiration for the men and women of America's Armed Forces and their families they are taking over the amusement park on Saturday, 15 MAY from 0900 to 1400 and offering its amenities (Miniature Golf, Go Karts, Bumper Boats, Batting Cages, and Arcade Games) to those who attend at no charge. Don't worry, they will feed you too. (No MREs). Everything will be at no cost provided you can prove that you are or were a member of the United States Armed Forces or a dependent of a service member (i.e. Military ID, Dependent ID, VA ID, DD-214 or Orders with Photo ID). Fun 4 All is located at 950 Industrial Boulevard , Chula Vista , CA 91911. You can preview what the amusement park has to offer HERE.
[Source: Veteran Village of San Diego notice 15 Apr 2010 ++]

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Military Discounts Update 02:

All these businesses offer military discounts; all you have to do is ask:

Restaurants

Services

Travel and Leisure

Products

Cell Phone Service Discount - All Federal employees are able to get a 15% discount on their personal cell phones by calling their carrier and mentioning the "Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 - Discount to Federal Employees Past and Present." You will need to know the military member's supervisor's name, phone number, and full address, so that his/her military status can be verified. Use the following contact numbers:

[Source: VA Frederick Service Office Maryland VSO msg. 26 Apr 2010 ++]

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MCAS Futenma Okinawa:

A protest on the Japanese island of Okinawa calling for the closure of a United States military base attracted almost 100,000 people on 25 APR, after speculations that the Japanese government may back out of an election promise to force it off the island entirely. The base, Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, has been long criticized by the Japanese people, as it and other bases on the island have served as the location for most of America's 47,000 troops stationed in Japan. The US military presence on the island is seen by some as a legacy of Japan's defeat in World War II by the US. Japan's current prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, pledged to move the base off of Okinawa entirely, and transfer 8,000 military personnel to Guam, superseding a 2006 agreement between the Japanese and American governments to move the base to a less urbanized part of Okinawa. Hatoyama said that he would make a decision about the matter by the end of May, and on 23 APR told Parliament that he would "stake his job" to do so. Opposition leaders in Japan have demanded that Hatoyama should resign as Prime Minister if he does not make a decision by the end of May.

According to media reports, Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada had met with U.S. Ambassador John Roos last week, and had told Roos that Tokyo was in favor of the most of the 2006 deal, a charge which Okada denied, saying that he had met with Roos, but that no concessions on the matter had been made. The reports inflamed Okinawans, and the mayor of Nago, Okinawa said that the government was "playing with the Okinawans' feelings." Support for Hatoyama's government has fallen sharply in recent months, to 30% approval from 70% late last year, as he has been criticized both in Japan and from the US for his handling of the situation. He has been unable to gain support for alternate sites for the naval base, and has thus far been unable to conduct talks with local officials about the matter. Meanwhile, the US government has pushed for the 2006 agreement to be retained, as it is the only "viable" solution to the controversy.
[Source: WikiNews article 26 Apr 2010 ++]

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DEERS Update & COA Update 01:

To update DEERS with new dependents you must register them via a military facility through the means of a DD-1172 submission and the obtainment of a dependent's ID card for a new spouse or children age ten and over. For children under ten you need only the DD-1172 submission. You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to verify they are your dependents. Refer to Bulletin article on ID Card Obtainment to determine the best way for you to obtain one from your geographic area. To submit a change of address (COA) on yourself or any of your dependents there are a number of ways it can be accomplished. This is necessary because the address you have on file determines who will have to pay your claim, where you must submit it, and where new information on the various Tricare programs will be mailed. It can be done by:

Your COA transmittal should include the following:

  1. Sponsor's name and Social Security Number;
  2. The address change you want to make (old and new address);
  3. Names of other family members affected by the address change;
  4. Effective date of the address information; and
  5. Telephone number and area code including country code if overseas. Other information, such as the address or address change for geographically separated family members will be processed if you provide it.

For more information about DEERS, go to HERE . To learn more about the Tricare Overseas Program go to HERE.
[Source: Tricare News 26 Apr 2010 ++]

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Federal Tax Law Changes Update 01:

Many of the tax breaks in recent tax-relief bills were designed to be phased in over a number of years, or are indexed to inflation. To help you determine how these tax laws affect your long-term plans, the following explains the changes scheduled to come into effect in 2010 through 2017.

Estate Tax Repealed - The federal estate tax is scheduled to be eliminated for estates of individuals who die in 2010. It is expected that Congress will act to keep the tax alive.

Roth IRA Conversions - Starting in 2010, individuals with more than $100,000 of modified Adjusted Gross Income are free to switch a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. For conversions in 2010, taxpayers can spread the tax due over two years. Half the tax will be due in 2011, and the remaining half will be payable in 2012. Removing the limit on conversions effectively eliminates the income limit on contributions to Roth IRAs. A taxpayer with income too high to use a Roth will be able to contribute to a traditional IRA (which does not have income limits for contributions) and immediately convert to a Roth.

Domestic Production Activities Deduction - In 2010, this deduction increases to nine percent of qualifying business net income. This deduction applies to businesses engaged in construction, engineering or architectural services, film production, or the lease, rental or sale of equipment you manufactured. However, the rate remains 6% for oil and gas companies.

State and Local Sales Tax Deduction - The opportunity for itemizers to choose to deduct their state sales tax payments instead of deducting their state and local income taxes ends after 2009, unless Congress acts to extend it.

Educators' Deduction - This deduction for up to $250 of classroom supplies purchased by educators lapses after 2009, unless Congress acts to extend it.

Nontaxable Combat Pay Allowed for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) - The election to include nontaxable combat pay in the calculation of earned income for the Earned Income Tax Credit is not available after 2009, unless Congress acts to extend it.

Tuition and Fees Deduction - The deduction for up to $4,000 of college tuition and fees expires after 2009, unless Congress acts to extend it.

Direct Donations of IRAs to Charity - Beginning in 2010, the opportunity for IRA owners age 70½ to directly donate part of their IRA balance to charity will disappear, unless Congress acts to extend it.

Additional Standard Deduction for Property Taxes - Starting in 2010, non-itemizers will no longer be allowed to increase their standard deduction by up to $1,000 of property taxes paid, unless Congress acts to extend this break.

Limits on Deducting Farm Losses - Beginning in 2010, the amount of farm losses you can enter to offset nonfarm income is capped at the greater of $300,000 or your net farm income over the past five years. But this limit will apply only if you get federal farm payments or Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) loans. You can take suspended losses in later years. The caps will also apply to partners and S firm owners.

Exemptions for the Alternative Minimum Tax - For 2010, the exemption levels drop to $45,000 for married filing jointly, $33,750 for singles and heads of household, and $22,500 for married couples filing separately. Congress is likely to act in 2009 to prevent this from happening. Otherwise, more than 20 million filers will be added to the AMT rolls.

Partial Exclusion for Unemployment Benefits - For 2010, the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits you receive is no longer tax-free.

Sales Tax Deduction for New Vehicles - Beginning in 2010, buyers of new vehicles no longer get a tax benefit for sales tax paid on new vehicles, unless they itemize and elect to deduct sales taxes instead of state income taxes.
[Source: Military.com Taxes Jan 2010 ++]

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Garnishment Update 01:

The Treasury Department is releasing new rules preventing banks from seizing Social Security and other federal benefits from customers facing debt collectors. Federal law prohibits creditors from taking Social Security to recover a debt, but the law doesn't say how money deposited directly into bank accounts is to be protected. Banks that receive garnishment orders from debt collectors generally freeze customers' accounts. This triggers overdraft, bounced-check and other fees that the bank then withdraws from the customer accounts, which has included Social Security and veterans benefits. Customers often don't know they can file a claim to get their funds released; even when they do, the process can take weeks or months. The practice has been the subject of articles in The Wall Street Journal. "The rules address the increasing problem of account freezes and the hardships benefit recipients face when they cannot access life-line funds," an administration official says. "This provides financial institutions with clear, uniform sets of rules to follow when a garnishment order is received, and provides them with protection from liability."

The proposed new rules, published 14 APR in the Federal Register, will require banks that receive garnishment orders to review the accounts to see if they have received any direct deposits of federal benefits within the past 60 days. If so, they must establish a protected amount equal to the sum of the benefits deposited. So, if the person had two deposits of $1,000 each, the protected amount is $2,000, even if the person had spent the benefits. Under these rules, the banks and credit unions wouldn't have to worry about whether benefits money is co-mingled with other deposits, or if there is a co-owner on the account. Any amount above the protected amount would be handled according to the garnishment rules of each state. The rule doesn't prohibit states from establishing a higher protected amount. The new rule would help people like Kelly May, a 59 year-old disabled former genetic oncologist in Dothan, Ala. After Wachovia Bank froze her account in MAR 09, it took Ms. May four months to get her money released. The bank didn't return the $100 fee it took when it froze her account. "That's a lot of money to me," said Dr. May, whose sole source of income is $1,400 a month in Social Security. A spokeswoman for Wells Fargo & Co., which owns Wachovia, says collecting the garnishment fee from the Social Security was standard procedure.

The rule "should protect most account holders," the administration official said. Financial institutions that follow these rules would be protected from lawsuits from creditors or account holders. "This balances the interests of the account holder and the institutions," the administration official said. The rule allows the financial institution to collect the customary garnishment fee, typically $100, but it can't take the fee from the protected amount. Banks can continue to take overdraft and other fees from the protected amounts, however. The regulation would also require financial institutions to send a notice to the account holder detailing what happened, how much has been protected, and how much frozen, with information on how to contact the creditor, the court and the bank.The rule would be jointly issued by the Treasury and the four major benefit agencies: the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Railroad Retirement Board. The new rules would protect Social Security benefits, Supplemental Security Income benefits, Veterans Administration benefits, Federal Railroad retirement benefits, Federal railroad unemployment and sickness benefits, Civil Service Retirement System benefits and Federal Employees Retirement System benefits. After comment period, the rule could become law later this year. "We view this as an important problem that needs to be rectified, and would issue a final rule as soon as possible," the administration official said. The National Consumer Law Center was the primary consumer group urging the Treasury to issue new rules.
[Source: WSJ Ellen E. Schultz article 14 Apr 2010 ++]

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VA Suicide Prevention Update 09:

Troubling new data show there are an average of 950 suicide attempts each month by veterans who are receiving some type of treatment from the Veterans Affairs Department. Seven percent of the attempts are successful, and 11% of those who don’t succeed on the first attempt try again within nine months. The numbers, which come at a time when VA is strengthening its suicide prevention programs, show about 18 veteran suicides a day, about five by veterans who are receiving VA care. Access to care appears to be a key factor, officials said, noting that once a veteran is inside the VA care program, screening programs are in place to identify those with problems, and special efforts are made to track those considered at high risk, such as monitoring whether they are keeping appointments. A key part of the new data shows the suicide rate is lower for veterans aged 18 to 29 who are using VA health care services than those who are not. That leads VA officials to believe that about 250 lives have been saved each year as a result of VA treatment.

VA’s suicide hotline has been receiving about 10,000 calls a month from current and former service members. The number is 1 (800) 273-8255. Service members and veterans should push 1 for veterans’ services. Dr. Janet Kemp, VA’s national suicide prevention coordinator, credits the hotline with rescuing 7,000 veterans who were in the act of suicide — in addition to referrals, counseling and other help. Suicide attempts by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans remains a key area of concern. In fiscal 2009, which ended 30 SEP, there were 1,621 suicide attempts by men and 247 by women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, with 94 men and four women dying. In general, VA officials said, women attempt suicide more often, but men are more likely to succeed in the attempt, mainly because women use less lethal and less violent means while men are more likely to use firearms. Suicide attempts among veterans appear to follow those trends, officials said.
[Source: ArmyTimes Rick Maze article 23 APR 2010 ++]

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VA Research:

Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary W. Scott Gould kicked off the National VA Research Week commemoration 22 APR, marking 85 years of ground-breaking research that's improving veterans' lives, including veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Gould praised participants at the forum for following in the footsteps of researchers who pioneered some of medical science's greatest achievements in areas ranging from spinal cord injuries to vascular research to stroke rehabilitation and traumatic brain injury treatment. From the first successful liver transplant to developing and testing effective tuberculosis treatments to developing the CT scan, pacemaker and other cutting-edge technologies, VA researchers have taken medical science to a new level – in some cases, literally. Gould noted one of the most recent experiments, carried by the space shuttle to the International Space Station, that could have a major impact on the human immune system's ability to help aging veterans fight off infections. Scientist-astronaut Dr. Millie Hughes-Fulford, director of the San Francisco VA Medical Center's Laboratory for Cell Growth, directed the experiment. "Though Dr. Hughes-Fulford's T-cell experiment might be out of this world, the work of all our VA researchers achieves new heights in health care every day," Gould said.

Those achievements are noted in the most respected journals and honored on award stages from Washington to Stockholm, he said, noting that VA's Dr. Andrew Schally and Dr. Rosalyn Yalow received the Nobel Prize in physiology in 1977. "Almost daily, VA's research advances are making news," Gould said, recognizing a paper on robot-delivered stroke rehabilitation published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study's chairman, Dr. Albert Lo, is a neurologist at the Providence VA Medical Center. Gould noted other areas where VA researchers are seizing opportunities to expand prevention, treatment and rehabilitation research, including areas that affect America's newest veterans returning home with combat injuries. "Our work with injured veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan — whose wounds are both seen and unseen — is making a huge difference not only in their quality of life, but in the quality of lives of countless others" who he said also will benefit from VA research into traumatic brain injury, spinal-cord-injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, diabetes, heart disease and other physical and mental health conditions.

Gould encouraged VA's clinical care and research communities to continue working together, putting $1 billion in research funding for fiscal 2010 and 2011 to the best use in advancing clinical medical knowledge and providing new hope for veterans. "The rising tide of research lifts the prospects of better health for all veterans — from the aging warriors of the 'Greatest Generation' to the youngest soldiers of the latest generation," he said. Dr. Audrey Nelson, director of VA's Health Services Research and Development Center, said it's gratifying to see the innovative technologies and innovations VA is advancing make a difference. "There is nothing like seeing a patient using a new technology or a new intervention and really seeing how it changes their life," she said. "We really want to bring everybody back to as much full function as we can," said Dr. Roy Cooper, director of VA's Human Engineering Research Laboratories in Pittsburgh, Pa. "That is the goal of research: to provide that hope that everybody will return to their fullest capability."
[Source: AFPC Donna Miles article 22 Apr 2010 ++]

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Congressional Pay/Benefits Update 05:

On 23 APR the U.S. Senate passed legislation by U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI.) to cancel the automatic pay raise for members of Congress next year. Congress already enacted legislation ensuring there would be no raise in 2010 and Feingold’s effort will do the same for 2011. Feingold does not accept pay raises during his term in office, following through on a pledge he made when he first ran for U.S. Senate. Feingold returns pay above the level he received after he was last elected and returns it to the U.S. Treasury. “Members of Congress have a lot of perks, but the one that stands out is their ability to raise their own pay,” Feingold said. “Not many Americans have the power to give themselves a raise whenever they want, no matter how they are performing. Yet Congress has set up a system whereby every year members automatically get a pay increase without having to lift a finger. I refuse to be a part of that system, and I will continue to work to permanently end it. But in the meantime, Congress should at least give up its raise for next year. With so many Americans looking for jobs, and trying to figure out how to pay their bills, now is no time to give ourselves a taxpayer-funded pay raise.” Feingold has regularly introduced legislation to end the automatic pay raise system. Last year, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) ushered legislation through the Senate based on Senator Feingold’s historic efforts to end the automatic pay raises for members of Congress. But the House of Representatives has not yet taken up the bill. A provision of Senator Feingold’s Control Spending Now Act, legislation to slash the deficit by about one half trillion dollars over the next decade, would end the automatic pay raise system and save taxpayers $80 million over the next ten years.
[Source: TREA Washington Update 23 Apr 2010 ++]

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