Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases WASHINGTON, April 27, 2011 - Eight International Security Assistance Force service members and an ISAF civilian died today following a shooting incident in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul, military officials reported. ISAF Joint Command officials provided no other details, citing an ISAF policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the relevant national authorities. In other news from Afghanistan: Coalition forces killed at least 10 armed insurgents during operations yesterday along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. Troops used artillery fire after receiving reports that a group of armed insurgents planned to attack their patrol. Several insurgents were killed in the engagement, officials said. The same patrol later came under attack by another group of armed insurgents. Troops returned fire, killing several more enemy fighters. An air weapons team providing overwatch security for the patrol launched a third engagement after seeing three more armed insurgents maneuvering into Afghanistan from Pakistan. Two were injured and one was wounded, officials said. In other operations yesterday: -- Afghan and coalition forces in Khost province's Sabari district captured several suspected insurgents, including the senior Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin leader responsible for all operations in the province. -- Security forces detained a Taliban leader and several of his suspected associates allegedly responsible for launching attacks on troops in Kandahar province's Dand district. -- In Helmand province's Sangin district, troops captured three suspected insurgents, including a Taliban weapons trafficker responsible for supplying enemy fighters with money, explosives and munitions. -- Forces detained two suspected insurgents, including a Taliban leader responsible for coordinating and carrying out attacks on security forces in Nangarhar province's Sherzad district. -- Security forces found several weapons and drug stockpiles throughout Afghanistan. The operations resulted in seizure of 1 million Afghan afghanis, which is the equivalent of $23,264, more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana, 2,250 assault-rifle rounds, 90 hand grenades, 60 rocket-propelled grenade boosters, 13 82 mm mortar shells, two automatic machine guns, an assault rifle and antiaircraft ammunitions. |
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force |
The operations of the past year highlight the need for the United States to maintain responsive and flexible global forces, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said at a Defense Writers Group breakfast here today. Mabus said he had just returned from Japan, where he met with 7,000 sailors and Marines who worked in Operation Tomadachi to provide relief for earthquake and tsunami victims. "A couple of things struck me: One of them was the amazing skill of these men and women in uniform, and secondly was the flexibility that they showed," he said. Mabus visited the USS Ronald Reagan during his trip. The ship was heading to provide combat aviation over Afghanistan when the earthquake hit. It immediately turned around and began providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, he noted. "They used the same targeting formulas that they would use for combat to make sure that humanitarian assistance got to the right place, at the right time," he said. Mabus said it is important that the United States takes a fundamental look at the roles and missions of the military in a fiscally constrained environment. The Navy has been trying to "buy things smarter" and has been looking at everything from platforms to personnel in an effort to save money yet still provide the capabilities the nation needs, he said. Operations over the past months have highlighted the flexibility the Navy brings to the U.S. government's toolbox, Mabus told the group. Some 18 ships and thousands of personnel on the ground helped in Japan. Navy submarines, big-deck amphibious ships and frigates participated in the initial strikes in Libya. At the same time, he said, aircraft carriers provided support to forces in Afghanistan and in the Persian Gulf, and Navy ships also are part of the antipiracy patrols in the Gulf and off the coast of Somalia. "The need for a globally deployed, very flexible fleet [is apparent]," he said. "The same platforms that we used in Libya can be used for a number of other things." What makes the fleet flexible, the secretary said, is that it comes from the sea. "We don't have to take up an inch of anybody's ground to project power or deliver aid," he said. "We can sail on the sea lanes that we keep open." And this flexibility will only increase, he said. The Navy is testing using unmanned aircraft off the decks of carriers, for example. The Navy and the country need to look at budget constraints with an eye toward results, Mabus said. "I think American needs to be a global power, [and] I do think America needs to be globally deployed," he said. "We have global responsibilities, and I think we should meet those, so I don't think we should look at this like a math exercise." Noting that the service has to be quicker in procurements, Mabus said the recently cancelled expeditionary fighting vehicle is the poster child for what's wrong with procurement. "It's the only program I've ever seen where you had to have a life extension program on the test vehicles," he said. The program started in 1988, and it wasn't set to reach full operational capability until 2026. The secretary noted that the Marine Corps has become larger and its equipment is heavier. "When we come out of Afghanistan, the [Marine Corps] needs to be smaller, and it needs to be lighter," he said. "They need to go back to their amphibious roots." Mabus compared the Marines to a middleweight fighter -– fast and agile with enough punching power to hold until heavier capabilities arrive. Still, he said, "there will be more Marines doing things like cyber. There will be more Marines doing things like special operations enablers." Going forward, he said, officials need to keep three questions in mind: "For anything, what's the mission? What do we need to do the mission? How cheaply can you get there?" The Navy has seen personnel changes, Mabus said, and those will continue. As part of the efficiency effort, the service has moved sailors from shore billets to ships, he said, and desk personnel to pierside. The littoral combat ships need fewer sailors to man them, he added, and the new aircraft carriers will require 1,500 fewer sailors to operate. "I think by rebalancing the force, changing the way sailors and Marines are used, you can have a larger number of ships with the size of the force we have today," he said. The Navy will hold a personnel board over the summer to look at mid-career personnel, the secretary told the group, seeking balance in the service's specialties, or ratings. "We're removing them from ratings that are over-subscribed and giving them the chance to move to ratings that are under-subscribed," Mabus said. By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service |
| Biographies: Ray Mabus |
DoD announced today the Tricare Young Adult (TYA) program is now open for enrollment with coverage beginning May 1, 2011.
Military dependents under 26, unmarried, and not eligible for their own employer-sponsored health care coverage may be qualified to purchase TYA, which offers Tricare Standard coverage, for monthly premiums of $186, as long as their sponsor is still eligible for Tricare. Those eligible for TYA who have been saving receipts since Jan. 1, 2011, in anticipation of the new program, can also pay all premiums back to January to purchase coverage retroactively.
Beneficiaries can find out where to send their form and payment by filling out the simple profile at http://www.tricare.mil to get information tailored to their specific location. Once the initial three-month fee is made, monthly premiums must be paid in advance through automated electronic payment.
When the application is processed, Tricare coverage will begin the first day of the following month. However, since TYA was “fast-tracked” to begin enrollment as soon as systems changes, forms, premiums and other rules governing the program were approved and in place, a short term waiver will allow coverage back to May 1, 2011, as long as enrollment forms and payment are received (not postmarked) by the regional contractor prior to May 31, 2011.
After getting a welcome letter and enrollment card, dependents and their sponsor should visit uniformed services identification (ID) card issuing facility to obtain a dependent ID card. This card will identify eligibility for health care, prescriptions and access to military installations for the dependent. Nearby ID card facilities can be found through a link at http://www.tricare.mil/tya.
A Prime benefit will be available later this year. To get e-alerts on TYA and other Tricare news, sign up at http://www.tricare.mil/subscriptions.
A complete telephone list of regional healthcare support contractors can be found at http://www.tricare.mil/tya .
Military dependents under 26, unmarried, and not eligible for their own employer-sponsored health care coverage may be qualified to purchase TYA, which offers Tricare Standard coverage, for monthly premiums of $186, as long as their sponsor is still eligible for Tricare. Those eligible for TYA who have been saving receipts since Jan. 1, 2011, in anticipation of the new program, can also pay all premiums back to January to purchase coverage retroactively.
Beneficiaries can find out where to send their form and payment by filling out the simple profile at http://www.tricare.mil to get information tailored to their specific location. Once the initial three-month fee is made, monthly premiums must be paid in advance through automated electronic payment.
When the application is processed, Tricare coverage will begin the first day of the following month. However, since TYA was “fast-tracked” to begin enrollment as soon as systems changes, forms, premiums and other rules governing the program were approved and in place, a short term waiver will allow coverage back to May 1, 2011, as long as enrollment forms and payment are received (not postmarked) by the regional contractor prior to May 31, 2011.
After getting a welcome letter and enrollment card, dependents and their sponsor should visit uniformed services identification (ID) card issuing facility to obtain a dependent ID card. This card will identify eligibility for health care, prescriptions and access to military installations for the dependent. Nearby ID card facilities can be found through a link at http://www.tricare.mil/tya.
A Prime benefit will be available later this year. To get e-alerts on TYA and other Tricare news, sign up at http://www.tricare.mil/subscriptions.
A complete telephone list of regional healthcare support contractors can be found at http://www.tricare.mil/tya .
President Obama taps CIA Director Leon Panneta to be next Secretary of Defense and General David Petraeus to head CIA.
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NATO has come forward in a very positive way to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya and protect Libyan citizens from the Moammar Gadhafi regime, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said here today. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff also told service members serving with U.S. Division Center in Baghdad that "the international consensus is that Gadhafi has got to go." NATO is in charge of enforcing the U.N. Security Council resolution to protect Libyan civilians, Mullen said, adding that he is pleased the alliance stepped forward to lead the operation. Regime change is not a part of the NATO mission, and the U.N. resolution does not address it, Mullen said, but it remains to be seen whether the Libyan dictator will step down. "The long-term political end-state is to have [Gadhafi] gone," he said. "Globally, the guy is a pariah, and every single action the vast majority of countries are taking are going to continue to put the squeeze on him until he's gone. Is [Gadhafi] going to figure that out? I don't know." The NATO operation "is certainly moving toward a stalemate," Mullen said, as neither rebel forces nor Gadhafi's forces can win a decisive edge, and tough fighting continues in Misrata and Ajdabiyah. Not surprisingly, the chairman said, Gadhafi's forces have adapted their tactics. They are closing with rebel forces, dispersing themselves among civilians and using civilians as a shield. "It's a tougher fight than it was at the beginning," the chairman said. "At the same time, we have 'attritted' somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of his main ground force capabilities," Mullen said. "Those will continue to go away over time." Mullen stressed the international focus on ousting the Gadhafi regime, noting that members of the Arab League support the military action in Libya. "This is the first time that I'm aware of where the Arab League has voted for something like a no-fly zone," he said. But the international focus only highlights that at the end of the day, the Libyan people must decide what Libya needs, the chairman said. "In all these countries where this turmoil is taking place, what is important to remember and what is obvious is this is about the people of these countries, and we should respect that as they try to imagine their own future," he said. Though France and Great Britain have said they are sending advisors to aid the Libyan rebels, there is no chance the United States will follow suit, Mullen said. "The president has been very clear: No boots on the ground, and I can assure you that's where we are," he said. By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service |
| Biographies: Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Related Sites: Special Report: Travels With Mullen |
Combined forces captured the top Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist group leader in Afghanistan April 20 in the Khanabad district of Afghanistan's Kunduz province, military officials reported today. Troops had been conducting clearing operations in search of the leader for several weeks, officials said, noting he's the direct contact between Taliban leaders in Afghanistan and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leadership in Pakistan, and is responsible for training and operations in both countries. NATO and Afghan forces throughout Afghanistan have killed more than 20 Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorists in the past two months, including four senior leaders, officials added. In operations yesterday throughout Afghanistan: -- Afghan and coalition forces killed several insurgents in a gun battle after being ambushed in Paktika province's Yahya Khel district. Ground forces returned fire and held off the attack until a coalition air weapons team arrived. -- Combined forces detained several suspected Taliban operatives in Badghis province's Murghab district, in an operation to uncover a Taliban safe haven allegedly used as a supply and weapons point. The operation also resulted in seizure of an assault rifle with associated ammunition, a pistol and bomb-making materials. -- Security forces in Zabul province's Shah Joy district detained several suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban weapons trafficker. The weapons trafficker also is responsible for financing attacks against security forces. Troops also found and destroyed bomb-making materials. -- In Logar province's Charkh district, forces detained several suspected insurgents while searching for a Taliban leader who leads an insurgent cell responsible for numerous attacks. -- Security forces detained numerous suspected insurgents while searching for a Haqqani network terrorist responsible for directing, planning and carrying out attacks on security forces in Paktia province's Shwak district. -- A combined force captured two Taliban leaders in Nangarhar province's Sherzad district. One is a weapons trafficker and planner, while the other is responsible for planning operations in the area. -- Based on tips from local residents in Kandahar province's Zharay district, troops captured the leader of all Taliban operations in the district and one of his associates. |
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force |
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Mervyn E. Sims, 23, of Petaluma, Calif., will be buried Friday in his hometown. On April 24, 1943, Sims and four crew members aboard a C-87 Liberator Express departed from Yangkai, China, in support of "the Hump" resupply mission between India and China.
Prior to takeoff, a ground crew determined the aircraft had sufficient fuel for the six-hour flight to the air base on other side of the Himalayas in Chabua, India. Once cleared for takeoff, there was no further communication between the aircrew and airfield operators. Army officials launched a search effort when the plane did not arrive at the destination. No evidence of the aircraft was found and the five men were presumed killed in action.
In 2003, an American citizen in Burma reported to U.S. officials at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) that he had found aircraft wreckage he believed to be an American C-87 in the mountains 112 miles east of Chabua. He was detained by Burmese officials when he attempted to leave the country with human remains and artifacts from the site. The remains and materials were handed over to officials at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon. Attempts to excavate the site are being negotiated with the Indian government.
Meanwhile, JPAC scientists continued the forensic process, analyzing the remains and physical evidence already in hand.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA, which matched that of Sims' sister, in the identification of his remains.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 72,000 are unaccounted for from the conflict.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, call 703-699-1420 or visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo .
U.S. Army Air Forces Pfc. Mervyn E. Sims, 23, of Petaluma, Calif., will be buried Friday in his hometown. On April 24, 1943, Sims and four crew members aboard a C-87 Liberator Express departed from Yangkai, China, in support of "the Hump" resupply mission between India and China.
Prior to takeoff, a ground crew determined the aircraft had sufficient fuel for the six-hour flight to the air base on other side of the Himalayas in Chabua, India. Once cleared for takeoff, there was no further communication between the aircrew and airfield operators. Army officials launched a search effort when the plane did not arrive at the destination. No evidence of the aircraft was found and the five men were presumed killed in action.
In 2003, an American citizen in Burma reported to U.S. officials at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) that he had found aircraft wreckage he believed to be an American C-87 in the mountains 112 miles east of Chabua. He was detained by Burmese officials when he attempted to leave the country with human remains and artifacts from the site. The remains and materials were handed over to officials at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon. Attempts to excavate the site are being negotiated with the Indian government.
Meanwhile, JPAC scientists continued the forensic process, analyzing the remains and physical evidence already in hand.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used mitochondrial DNA, which matched that of Sims' sister, in the identification of his remains.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died. At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 72,000 are unaccounted for from the conflict.
For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, call 703-699-1420 or visit the DPMO Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo .
All American troops will be out of Iraq at the end of the year in accordance with the security agreement signed in 2008, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here today. "There are no plans –- nor has there been any request from the Iraqi government –- for any residual U.S. force presence here after December," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said during a news conference in the Marine Corps Maj. Megan McClung Memorial TV Studio at the Al Faw Palace complex. Roughly 47,000 American service members are in Iraq now. Since signing the agreement, the United States has already withdrawn more than 100,000 personnel -- at the height of the surge, the U.S. military had about 170,000 personnel in Iraq. Army Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of U.S. Forces Iraq, has a plan in place to complete the withdrawal on time, Mullen said. "There are no official discussions with respect to any extended presence of United States forces," the chairman added. Though Iraqi security forces have the capability to defend their country, Mullen said, they still have vulnerabilities that will not be closed by the end of the year. The Iraqi air force, which has no fighter jets, will not be up to the task of defending its airspace, he noted. Intelligence capabilities and command and control capabilities need to be filled out, he added, and sustainment, maintenance and logistics capabilities need to be much more robust. "For our part, the United States military will remain committed to helping Iraqi security forces improve their readiness in these areas," Mullen said. "We will continue to help our State Department, as they now assume the mantle of leadership in this relationship." Moving troops, their equipment and other military materiel out of Iraq will be difficult. U.S. Forces Iraq personnel said that more than 2 million separate items need to be packaged and shipped in the next few months. This does not include items the U.S. military will turn over to the Iraqis. "I think later this summer, we will see the pace and scope of the drawdown reach its most aggressive level," Mullen said. In his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki last night, Mullen reaffirmed the U.S. desire for a long-term strategic partnership with Iraq. "That partnership won't end with our departure, but it certainly must begin with keeping our promises," the admiral said. "Leaders of both the United States and Iraq are committed to the partnership, and it is up to the political leaders of both sides to determine what that means." If Iraq wants to keep some American forces in the country to shore up its military vulnerabilities, the U.S. government would welcome the discussion, the chairman said. "It is up to the government of Iraq to reach out, to initiate a dialogue to look at the future agreement possibilities and to work out the specifics of what that might be," he said. "But it needs to start soon -- very soon -- should there be any chance of avoiding irrevocable logistics and operational decisions we must make in coming weeks. Time is running short for any negotiations to occur." Some decisions, Mullen added, would have to be made in the next few weeks. By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service |
| Biographies: Navy Adm. Mike Mullen Related Sites: Special Report: Travels With Mullen |
New TRICARE Online features give users access to expanded personal health data, including lab results, patient history and diagnoses, and provider visits. The military health plan's new online features expand the website's "Blue Button" capability, which already allowed beneficiaries to safely and securely access and print or save their demographic information, allergy and medication profiles, officials said. The level of data available depends on where treatment occurs, officials said, with the most data available to those who regularly get care at military hospitals and clinics. "These new capabilities are a major step forward in engaging military health system patients as partners in their own health care," said Navy Rear Adm. (Dr.) Christine Hunter, TRICARE Management Activity deputy director. "Personal electronic health records can also improve care by conveying accurate patient information between providers, avoiding duplication of tests and reducing delays in treatment." The Blue Button was fielded by TRICARE and was made generally available by other federal health care providers last year. With more than 250,000 users, officials said, it is the result of a close interagency partnership among the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "The Blue Button efforts are just another example of how DOD and VA are working together to shape the future of health care [information technology] collaboration, interoperability and transparency for the patients and families we serve," said Dr. George Peach Taylor Jr., acting principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. "We could not have accomplished this without the continuing strong collaboration between DOD and the VA." TRICARE Online is the Military Health System's Internet point of entry, giving the health plan's 9.6 million beneficiaries access to available health care services and information through a secure portal. Users who receive their care at a military treatment facility can schedule appointments, order prescription refills and view their personal health data. Other users with active prescriptions at a military pharmacy also can request a refill for those prescriptions. From a TRICARE Management Activity News Release |
| Related Sites: TRICARE Online Military Health System |
The Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces' strategic alliance with the U.S. Coast Guard will enhance an already-successful program, Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz said today. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, joined Coast Guard Rear Adm. L. Sandra Stosz, director of the Coast Guard Reserve, in signing an official memorandum of understanding at the Pentagon today. "The secret to success is the talent that resides in our force," Stultz said. "That's really what employers are interested in -- drug-free, physically fit, morally fit individuals with values and ethics who understand teamwork, who have skills ... that [the employers] can use in their businesses," the general added. The partnership combines structures, institutions and relationships in 54 states and territories with seven reserve components, Stosz noted. "I see this employee partnership initiative as a manifestation of the American Dream, quite frankly," she added. Through the partnership "we're able to harness the value of our people and our employers and bring it all together in something that's much more than the sum of the individual parts," Stosz said. The new agreement is the partnership's first official inter-service strategic alliance, Army Lt. Col. Matt Leonard of the partnership told American Forces Press Service. "This means that the Coast Guard Reserve endorses the program and will market the employer partnership program to its reservists, family members and veterans," Leonard said. The two services also will explore ways to support Coast Guardsmen, he added. "If a Coast Guardsmen needs a civilian job or would like to advance a civilian career, we can now be much more agile in assisting," Leonard said. The Army Reserve is the main source of funding, but the program has gone militarywide, he added. Members of any service branch or any of the seven reserve components may use its resources and services. The program, which offers employers military-trained and skilled potential applicants, has more than 1,500 employer partners. Its partners range from Fortune 500 companies to metropolitan police departments to small businesses. Large partners include General Electric, Boeing, Amazon, Microsoft, Wal-Mart and federal agencies. Many smaller firms, trade organizations, and local and state agencies also participate. "The agreement signed today shows the employer partnership program's commitment to providing employment assistance to Coast Guard reservists and their families," Leonard said. In November, the partnership launched a powerful upgrade of its Web-based career portal at http://www.EmployerPartnership.org to make employment opportunities more easily accessible to reservists, National Guardsmen, their family members and veterans. The portal accesses about 700,000 open positions at any given time, and more than 14,000 members of reserve components, their family members and veterans are registered to use the system. "We strongly encourage job seekers to build their resumes in the portal so employer partners and job opportunities can find them," Leonard said. Building a resume in the system, he added, "harnesses the full power of the portal." By Cheryl Pellerin American Forces Press Service |
| Biographies: Army Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sandra L. Stosz Related Sites: Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces Career Portal Related Articles: Website Links Unemployed Vets, Spouses to Jobs |
Veterans dealing with symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can turn to their smart phones for help anytime with the PTSD Coach application created by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense.
“Veterans should utilize all of the benefits they have earned with their service and one of the best things about this app is it will get Veterans connected to the places that are out there to provide help.”
“This is about giving Veterans and Servicemembers the help they earned when and where they need it,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We hope they, their families and friends, download this free app. Understanding PTSD and those who live with it is too important to ignore.”
PTSD Coach lets users track their PTSD symptoms, links them with local sources of support, provides accurate information about PTSD, and teaches helpful individualized strategies for managing PTSD symptoms at any moment. The free PTSD Coach app is now available for download from the iTunes store and will be available for Android devices by the end of the spring.
“This application acknowledges the frequency with which our Warriors and Veterans use technology and allows them to get help when and where they feel most comfortable,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson.
The PTSD Coach is primarily designed to enhance services for individuals who are already receiving mental health care, though it is certainly helpful for those considering entering mental health care and those who just want to learn more about PTSD.
“This is a great service we are providing to Veterans, Servicemembers, their families and friends, but it should not be seen as a replacement for traditional therapy,” said VA’s Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel. “Veterans should utilize all of the benefits they have earned with their service and one of the best things about this app is it will get Veterans connected to the places that are out there to provide help.”
The application is one of the first in a series of jointly designed resources by the VA National Center for PTSD and the Defense Department's National Center for Telehealth and Technology to help Servicemembers, Veterans, their families and friends manage their readjustment challenges and get anonymous assistance. Given the current popularity of mobile devices, VA and the Defense Department hope to reach tens of thousands of Veterans, Servicemembers, and their family members with the new suite of apps.
Information on the PTSD Coach app is on the VA’s National Center for PTSD Website: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/PTSDCoach.asp. More apps from DoD's National Center for Telehealth and Technology can be found at: http://www.t2health.org/apps.
“Veterans should utilize all of the benefits they have earned with their service and one of the best things about this app is it will get Veterans connected to the places that are out there to provide help.”
“This is about giving Veterans and Servicemembers the help they earned when and where they need it,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We hope they, their families and friends, download this free app. Understanding PTSD and those who live with it is too important to ignore.”
PTSD Coach lets users track their PTSD symptoms, links them with local sources of support, provides accurate information about PTSD, and teaches helpful individualized strategies for managing PTSD symptoms at any moment. The free PTSD Coach app is now available for download from the iTunes store and will be available for Android devices by the end of the spring.
“This application acknowledges the frequency with which our Warriors and Veterans use technology and allows them to get help when and where they feel most comfortable,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson.
The PTSD Coach is primarily designed to enhance services for individuals who are already receiving mental health care, though it is certainly helpful for those considering entering mental health care and those who just want to learn more about PTSD.
“This is a great service we are providing to Veterans, Servicemembers, their families and friends, but it should not be seen as a replacement for traditional therapy,” said VA’s Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Petzel. “Veterans should utilize all of the benefits they have earned with their service and one of the best things about this app is it will get Veterans connected to the places that are out there to provide help.”
The application is one of the first in a series of jointly designed resources by the VA National Center for PTSD and the Defense Department's National Center for Telehealth and Technology to help Servicemembers, Veterans, their families and friends manage their readjustment challenges and get anonymous assistance. Given the current popularity of mobile devices, VA and the Defense Department hope to reach tens of thousands of Veterans, Servicemembers, and their family members with the new suite of apps.
Information on the PTSD Coach app is on the VA’s National Center for PTSD Website: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/PTSDCoach.asp. More apps from DoD's National Center for Telehealth and Technology can be found at: http://www.t2health.org/apps.
The deadline for eligible service members, veterans and their beneficiaries to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay (RSLSP) has been extended to Oct. 21, 2011, allowing those eligible more time to apply for the benefits they’ve earned under the program guidelines.
The deadline extension is included in Continuing Resolution H.R. 1473, signed by President Obama April 15, 2011, providing funding for federal government operations through Oct. 21, 2011.
The RSLSP was established to compensate for the hardships military members encountered when their service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss Authority between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009. Eligible members or their beneficiaries may submit a claim to their respective military service in order to receive the benefit of $500 for each full or partial month served in a Stop Loss status.
When RSLSP began on Oct. 21, 2009, the services estimated 145,000 service members, veterans and beneficiaries were eligible for this benefit. Because the majority of those eligible had separated from the military, the services have engaged in extensive and persistent outreach efforts over the past 18 months. Outreach efforts including direct mail and engaging military and veteran service organizations, social networks and media outlets, will continue through Oct. 21, 2011.
To apply, or for more information on RSLSP, including submission requirements and service-specific links, go to http://www.defense.gov/stoploss.
The deadline extension is included in Continuing Resolution H.R. 1473, signed by President Obama April 15, 2011, providing funding for federal government operations through Oct. 21, 2011.
The RSLSP was established to compensate for the hardships military members encountered when their service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss Authority between Sept. 11, 2001, and Sept. 30, 2009. Eligible members or their beneficiaries may submit a claim to their respective military service in order to receive the benefit of $500 for each full or partial month served in a Stop Loss status.
When RSLSP began on Oct. 21, 2009, the services estimated 145,000 service members, veterans and beneficiaries were eligible for this benefit. Because the majority of those eligible had separated from the military, the services have engaged in extensive and persistent outreach efforts over the past 18 months. Outreach efforts including direct mail and engaging military and veteran service organizations, social networks and media outlets, will continue through Oct. 21, 2011.
To apply, or for more information on RSLSP, including submission requirements and service-specific links, go to http://www.defense.gov/stoploss.
A recent attempt to stamp out or at least lower fatal infections at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals around the country has resulted in astounding success.
According to a story in The New York Times, an aggressive four-year study of 153 VA hospitals nationwide found a 62 percent drop in the rate of infections caused by a deadly bacteria called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureous, or MRSA in intensive care units and a 45 percent decrease in MRSA infections in other hospital wards, like surgical and rehabilitative.
The VA strategy used screening all patients with nasal swabs for the presence of MRSA, isolating those who tested positive, requiring that staff treating those patients wear gloves and gowns and mandating rigorous hand-washing. Some hospitals not included in the study go so far as to order health care workers not to wear jewelry on their hands, or ties,which can brush over patients during contact and have been shown to carry hundreds of bacteria.
Even more encouraging, a study done last year on MRSA infections discovered that its occurrence in nine cities dropped by 28 percent between 2005 and 2008. A study of 9,000 cases between 2005 and 2006 was the first real exploration of ways to decrease deadly infections in a randomized, controlled trial, the most accurate kind of investigation.
However, the study released Wednesday found that healthcare workers wore gloves only 82 percent of the time, put on gowns only 77 percent of the time, and washed their hands only 69 percent after patient contact.
According to The New York Times, infection rates had been unchanged in the two years before the new approach was undertaken system-wide in 2007.
The hospitals then saw significant decreases in every form of MRSA. Each hospital spent between $160,000 and $300,000 to hire a prevention coordinator and lab technician and to purchase testing supplies, gowns and gloves.
The VA started the intervention program after finding that 14 percent of VA patients carried MRSA — compared to 6.3 percent of non-VA hospital patients and 1.5 percent of the general population. More than 1.7 million screening tests for MRSA were done during the period reported in the analysis.
Veterans Affairs operates the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States with more than 1,000 medical facilities throughout the United States serving more than 6 million veterans a year.
Some health care officials debated the true need for universal testing of patients for MRSA upon admission and discharge, saying it was too expensive and time-consuming and had not really been proved as effective.
Deborah DiSesa Hirsch is an award-winning health and technology writer who has worked for newspapers, magazines and IBM (News
- Alert) in her 20-year career. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
The VA strategy used screening all patients with nasal swabs for the presence of MRSA, isolating those who tested positive, requiring that staff treating those patients wear gloves and gowns and mandating rigorous hand-washing. Some hospitals not included in the study go so far as to order health care workers not to wear jewelry on their hands, or ties,which can brush over patients during contact and have been shown to carry hundreds of bacteria.
Even more encouraging, a study done last year on MRSA infections discovered that its occurrence in nine cities dropped by 28 percent between 2005 and 2008. A study of 9,000 cases between 2005 and 2006 was the first real exploration of ways to decrease deadly infections in a randomized, controlled trial, the most accurate kind of investigation.
However, the study released Wednesday found that healthcare workers wore gloves only 82 percent of the time, put on gowns only 77 percent of the time, and washed their hands only 69 percent after patient contact.
According to The New York Times, infection rates had been unchanged in the two years before the new approach was undertaken system-wide in 2007.
The hospitals then saw significant decreases in every form of MRSA. Each hospital spent between $160,000 and $300,000 to hire a prevention coordinator and lab technician and to purchase testing supplies, gowns and gloves.
The VA started the intervention program after finding that 14 percent of VA patients carried MRSA — compared to 6.3 percent of non-VA hospital patients and 1.5 percent of the general population. More than 1.7 million screening tests for MRSA were done during the period reported in the analysis.
Veterans Affairs operates the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States with more than 1,000 medical facilities throughout the United States serving more than 6 million veterans a year.
Some health care officials debated the true need for universal testing of patients for MRSA upon admission and discharge, saying it was too expensive and time-consuming and had not really been proved as effective.
Deborah DiSesa Hirsch is an award-winning health and technology writer who has worked for newspapers, magazines and IBM (News
- Alert) in her 20-year career. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
In a war, death comes in many forms: jury-rigged bombs, sleek fighter jets, assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades. But a stealthier killer lingers long after the fighting is done, in the psychological toll that combat exacts, Wired reports. More than 6,000 veterans take their own lives every year — about 20 percent of the 30,000 American suicides annually.
In an effort to quantify the psychological cost of war, a recent report from the National Bureau of Economic Research has come up with the magic numbers, Wired reported. They estimate that lower-bound costs of mental health problems from the global war on terror are between $750 million and $1.35 billion annually.
Despite trying everything from portable weatherproof brain scanners to drug treatments with ecstasy and MDMA, servicemembers are still suffering with post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues.
In fact, 26 percent of returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are depressed, drug and alcohol-dependent, homeless or suicidal, says the NBER report. This quoted number was independently calculated in a study done by the Rand Corporation, a non-profit policy and research think tank.
Read "The cost of combat stress: a billion dollars a year" on Wired.
In an effort to quantify the psychological cost of war, a recent report from the National Bureau of Economic Research has come up with the magic numbers, Wired reported. They estimate that lower-bound costs of mental health problems from the global war on terror are between $750 million and $1.35 billion annually.
Despite trying everything from portable weatherproof brain scanners to drug treatments with ecstasy and MDMA, servicemembers are still suffering with post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues.
In fact, 26 percent of returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan are depressed, drug and alcohol-dependent, homeless or suicidal, says the NBER report. This quoted number was independently calculated in a study done by the Rand Corporation, a non-profit policy and research think tank.
Read "The cost of combat stress: a billion dollars a year" on Wired.
A diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be life-altering. Though the condition has been around for years - it used to be called traumatic neurosis or "shell shock," the spotlight has increased of late due to increased diagnoses in servicemembers returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) IV definition of PTSD includes exposure to a traumatic event in which one "experienced, witnessed or was confronted with an event that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury," which elicited feelings of "intense fear, helplessness or horror," and which is "persistently reexperienced," causing "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning."
Though most see PTSD as a servicemember issue, it can affect anyone. Traumas include not only combat, but also sexual molestation and rape, surviving a natural disaster, physical abuse and more.
Some symptoms include disturbing thoughts and images about the event, avoidance of thinking or talking about the trauma, feelings of detachment and numbness, difficulty sleeping and concentrating and outbursts of anger.
Common PTSD treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and medication, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs PTSD website (www.ptsd.va.gov).
If diagnosed with PTSD while on active duty, servicemembers should receive treatment at their Military Treatment Facility (MTF), such as Madigan Army Medical Center. Likewise, active-duty family members diagnosed with PTSD may, depending on their Tricare plan, be seen at an MTF. With 240 providers, the Madigan Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Care unit is the biggest in the Army and offers walk-in clinics for both active-duty servicemembers and families.
However, once they retire (including medical retirement, which is the case with some suffering from PTSD) servicemembers may choose to enroll in TRICARE Prime and pay the annual enrollment fee. They may or may not be able to continue care at the MTF. Retirees with a disability rating may also choose to use Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.
Servicemembers who separate without retiring but have a service-connected disability are eligible to use their veteran's benefits at VA facilities, but are not eligible for TRICARE benefits. Tricare covers a wide range of treatments for PTSD under its Behavioral Health Care Services. Outpatient psychotherapy; psychological and neurological testing; electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); and medication management as well as acute inpatient care; residential treatment; inpatient rehabilitation and detoxification; and outpatient substance use disorder rehabilitation are covered. According to TRICARE's Behavioral Health Care Services guide, beneficiaries may self-refer to a behavioral health care provider for the first eight sessions without prior authorization.
TRICARE does not cover aversion therapy (including electric shock), biofeedback for psychosomatic conditions, experimental procedures, guided imagery, psychosurgery, sexual dysfunction therapy and more. Recently, TRICARE began authorizing treatment for EMDR, a treatment for PTSD that involves focusing on stimuli such as eye movements, hand taps and sounds while talking or thinking about traumatic memories.
TRICARE Management Activities, not TriWest (which administers TRICARE benefits in our area) makes the decisions regarding what is and is not covered, said Kristi Reeve, Hub Clinical Director, Northwest Operations for TriWest.
TriWest has Behavioral Health Care Case Managers to assist beneficiaries with finding the help they need. Call (866) 651-4970. For more information about what services for PTSD are covered by Tricare, visit www.Triwest.com or call (888) 874-9378. TriWest also operates a Behavioral Health Crisis Line 24/7 at (866) 284-3743
By Melanie Casey
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) IV definition of PTSD includes exposure to a traumatic event in which one "experienced, witnessed or was confronted with an event that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury," which elicited feelings of "intense fear, helplessness or horror," and which is "persistently reexperienced," causing "clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning."
Though most see PTSD as a servicemember issue, it can affect anyone. Traumas include not only combat, but also sexual molestation and rape, surviving a natural disaster, physical abuse and more.
Some symptoms include disturbing thoughts and images about the event, avoidance of thinking or talking about the trauma, feelings of detachment and numbness, difficulty sleeping and concentrating and outbursts of anger.
Common PTSD treatments include cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and medication, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs PTSD website (www.ptsd.va.gov).
If diagnosed with PTSD while on active duty, servicemembers should receive treatment at their Military Treatment Facility (MTF), such as Madigan Army Medical Center. Likewise, active-duty family members diagnosed with PTSD may, depending on their Tricare plan, be seen at an MTF. With 240 providers, the Madigan Army Medical Center Behavioral Health Care unit is the biggest in the Army and offers walk-in clinics for both active-duty servicemembers and families.
However, once they retire (including medical retirement, which is the case with some suffering from PTSD) servicemembers may choose to enroll in TRICARE Prime and pay the annual enrollment fee. They may or may not be able to continue care at the MTF. Retirees with a disability rating may also choose to use Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.
Servicemembers who separate without retiring but have a service-connected disability are eligible to use their veteran's benefits at VA facilities, but are not eligible for TRICARE benefits. Tricare covers a wide range of treatments for PTSD under its Behavioral Health Care Services. Outpatient psychotherapy; psychological and neurological testing; electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); and medication management as well as acute inpatient care; residential treatment; inpatient rehabilitation and detoxification; and outpatient substance use disorder rehabilitation are covered. According to TRICARE's Behavioral Health Care Services guide, beneficiaries may self-refer to a behavioral health care provider for the first eight sessions without prior authorization.
TRICARE does not cover aversion therapy (including electric shock), biofeedback for psychosomatic conditions, experimental procedures, guided imagery, psychosurgery, sexual dysfunction therapy and more. Recently, TRICARE began authorizing treatment for EMDR, a treatment for PTSD that involves focusing on stimuli such as eye movements, hand taps and sounds while talking or thinking about traumatic memories.
TRICARE Management Activities, not TriWest (which administers TRICARE benefits in our area) makes the decisions regarding what is and is not covered, said Kristi Reeve, Hub Clinical Director, Northwest Operations for TriWest.
TriWest has Behavioral Health Care Case Managers to assist beneficiaries with finding the help they need. Call (866) 651-4970. For more information about what services for PTSD are covered by Tricare, visit www.Triwest.com or call (888) 874-9378. TriWest also operates a Behavioral Health Crisis Line 24/7 at (866) 284-3743
By Melanie Casey
Outraged by a change in a counseling contract that provides mental health care to military personnel and their families, a Missoula therapist is waging a one-person war to defend soldiers' rights.
Taking on this battle is David Stube, a licensed clinical counselor who is fighting Ceridian, a global human resources firm that is contracted with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide psychological health services to soldiers.
The issue came to light in January when Ceridian sent a letter to counselors it contracts with in all 50 states. The letter asked those professionals to sign an addendum that not only waives doctor-patient confidentiality, but also forces counselors to agree not to provide counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, addiction issues, or violent or suicidal behavior.
Stube refused to sign the addendum and believes Ceridian's new requirements and the Defense Department's acceptance of those changes are unethical. Now, a few months into the fray, he's recruited and gained support from Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
"If you are a soldier or in a soldier's family, this means you can no longer be counseled for these conditions, even though all military websites refer all soldiers to Ceridian MilitaryOne Source counselors for these exact issues," Stube said. "The websites neglect to tell the soldiers that the counselors have agreed to not treat PTSD, depression, addiction issues and problems with dangerous angry behavior.
"Furthermore, if the counselor does not post their clinical notes after each session on the Ceridian website within three days after seeing the soldier, the counselor will not be paid," Stube said.
***
Jennifer Sewell, Ceridian's vice president of clinical and counseling services and the person who issued the addendum in the letter titled "Provider Network Services Quality Improvement Initiative," could not be reached for comment.
Cary Griffith, Ceridian's spokesman, refused to discuss the matter by phone with the Missoulian and would only respond to email questions with polite but opaque answers.
Regarding the issue of confidentiality and the sharing of counseling notes through email, Griffith wrote: "Everything Ceridian does, including getting copies of all session notes, is not only HIPPA compliant but in full compliance with all our Department of Defense and provider contract obligations."
Complicating things, Monica Matoush, public affairs officer with the DOD, gave the following contradictory explanation:
"Counseling is private and confidential, with the exception of mandatory state, federal and military ‘duty to warn' reporting requirements," Matoush said. "It is true that counseling notes are reviewed - this is for quality assurance purposes.
"It is important to point out that any personally identifying information is not shared except in a duty to warn situation," she said. "Also, in addition to the quality assurance step, the review is necessary to establish record of payment."
Despite Stube's long relationship with the two organizations and his frustrations with the changes in the counseling contract, both Ceridian and the DOD refuse to acknowledge any new standard for services.
"The scope for Employee Assistance Program services under our contract with the Department of Defense is for nonmedical short-term counseling," Griffith wrote. "For instances in which providers suspect their clients may suffer from PTSD, depression or similar illnesses, there is a medical referral in place - since these issues usually require more concentrated, sustained medical counseling than what's provided under the EAP process."
"Nonmedical counseling," Griffith further elaborated, is defined as short-term, situational and problem-solving counseling." Some examples for this kind of counseling, he said, include: deployment stress, marital couple issues, homesickness, well-being and family relationships.
"Consultants in the affiliate network are master's-level professionals trained to recognize the need for clinical treatment of medical issues such as PTSD," Matoush explained. "If counseling reveals clinical disorder, consultants will refer the individual to military medical mental health care providers, TRICARE or other providers for professional mental health care.
"While consultants may provide clinical services in their own private practice," she said, "that level of service is outside their scope of work as members of the affiliate network."
MORE>>
Taking on this battle is David Stube, a licensed clinical counselor who is fighting Ceridian, a global human resources firm that is contracted with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide psychological health services to soldiers.
The issue came to light in January when Ceridian sent a letter to counselors it contracts with in all 50 states. The letter asked those professionals to sign an addendum that not only waives doctor-patient confidentiality, but also forces counselors to agree not to provide counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, addiction issues, or violent or suicidal behavior.
Stube refused to sign the addendum and believes Ceridian's new requirements and the Defense Department's acceptance of those changes are unethical. Now, a few months into the fray, he's recruited and gained support from Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont.
"If you are a soldier or in a soldier's family, this means you can no longer be counseled for these conditions, even though all military websites refer all soldiers to Ceridian MilitaryOne Source counselors for these exact issues," Stube said. "The websites neglect to tell the soldiers that the counselors have agreed to not treat PTSD, depression, addiction issues and problems with dangerous angry behavior.
"Furthermore, if the counselor does not post their clinical notes after each session on the Ceridian website within three days after seeing the soldier, the counselor will not be paid," Stube said.
***
Jennifer Sewell, Ceridian's vice president of clinical and counseling services and the person who issued the addendum in the letter titled "Provider Network Services Quality Improvement Initiative," could not be reached for comment.
Cary Griffith, Ceridian's spokesman, refused to discuss the matter by phone with the Missoulian and would only respond to email questions with polite but opaque answers.
Regarding the issue of confidentiality and the sharing of counseling notes through email, Griffith wrote: "Everything Ceridian does, including getting copies of all session notes, is not only HIPPA compliant but in full compliance with all our Department of Defense and provider contract obligations."
Complicating things, Monica Matoush, public affairs officer with the DOD, gave the following contradictory explanation:
"Counseling is private and confidential, with the exception of mandatory state, federal and military ‘duty to warn' reporting requirements," Matoush said. "It is true that counseling notes are reviewed - this is for quality assurance purposes.
"It is important to point out that any personally identifying information is not shared except in a duty to warn situation," she said. "Also, in addition to the quality assurance step, the review is necessary to establish record of payment."
Despite Stube's long relationship with the two organizations and his frustrations with the changes in the counseling contract, both Ceridian and the DOD refuse to acknowledge any new standard for services.
"The scope for Employee Assistance Program services under our contract with the Department of Defense is for nonmedical short-term counseling," Griffith wrote. "For instances in which providers suspect their clients may suffer from PTSD, depression or similar illnesses, there is a medical referral in place - since these issues usually require more concentrated, sustained medical counseling than what's provided under the EAP process."
"Nonmedical counseling," Griffith further elaborated, is defined as short-term, situational and problem-solving counseling." Some examples for this kind of counseling, he said, include: deployment stress, marital couple issues, homesickness, well-being and family relationships.
"Consultants in the affiliate network are master's-level professionals trained to recognize the need for clinical treatment of medical issues such as PTSD," Matoush explained. "If counseling reveals clinical disorder, consultants will refer the individual to military medical mental health care providers, TRICARE or other providers for professional mental health care.
"While consultants may provide clinical services in their own private practice," she said, "that level of service is outside their scope of work as members of the affiliate network."
MORE>>
The "Honor Flight Network" helps senior veterans come to the nation's capital to see the World War II Memorial.
GO TO WEBSITE>>
GO TO WEBSITE>>
Service members supporting Operations Tomadachi and Unified Protector will receive an automatic 2 month extension to file their 2010 taxes. The new deadline is June 15, 2011.
The numbers below represent actual medical diagnoses of TBI within the U.S. Military. Other, larger numbers routinely reported in the media must be considered inaccurate because they do not reflect actual medical diagnoses. Many of these larger numbers are developed utilizing sources such as the Post Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA) or Post Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA). However, these documents are assessment tools with TBI screening questions and are not diagnostic tools.
Numbers for the current year and for the immediately preceding year are updated on a quarterly basis. Other numbers are updated annually.*
*2000 - 2008 annual numbers updated as of 20 May 2010
2009 - 2010 Q4 annual numbers updated as of 17 Feb 2011
2000 - 2010 Q4 cumulative totals updated as of 17 Feb 2011
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Numbers for the current year and for the immediately preceding year are updated on a quarterly basis. Other numbers are updated annually.*
Click a year to view report of the breakdown by severity and by Armed Forces branch. Incident diagnoses by calendar year.
| 2000: 10,963 | 2005: 12,192 | 2010 Q4: 30,703 |
| 2001: 11,830 | 2006: 16,946 | 2000 - 2010 Q4: 202,281 |
| 2002: 12,470 | 2007: 23,160 | |
| 2003: 12,898 | 2008: 28,555 | |
| 2004: 13,312 | 2009: 29,252 |
*2000 - 2008 annual numbers updated as of 20 May 2010
2009 - 2010 Q4 annual numbers updated as of 17 Feb 2011
2000 - 2010 Q4 cumulative totals updated as of 17 Feb 2011
MORE>>
| Combined forces yesterday captured a Taliban leader and found a weapons stockpile during operations in southern and eastern Afghanistan, military officials reported. Troops found the Taliban leader, who is responsible for trafficking weapons to Taliban fighters and Haqqani network terrorists, in Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district. Security forces in Bamyan province’s Kahmard district found 74 hand grenades, 36 rocket-propelled grenades with nine boosters, 20 rifles, two land mines and a 107 mm high-explosive rocket. In operations throughout Afghanistan April 13: -- Afghan and coalition forces killed numerous insurgents and detained several suspects after armed militants attacked their patrol. Troops confiscated several rifles, 2,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition, two motorcycles, a pistol and opium. -- Security forces captured several suspected insurgents, including an alleged Taliban financier and bomb trafficker, in Lagham province’s Alishen district. -- Based on tips from local residents, combined forces in Zabul province’s Shah Joy district captured a Taliban leader. -- Forces discovered several weapons and drug caches throughout Afghanistan. The operations resulted in seizure of 1,160 assault rifle rounds, 426 pounds of narcotics, 300 automatic machine-gun rounds, 200 bag of ammonium nitrate -- a banned fertilizer used to make homemade bombs -- 198 pounds of hashish, six rockets, four assault rifles, three pistols and two rocket-propelled grenades. Compiled from International Security Assistance Force Joint Command News Releases |
| Related Sites: NATO International Security Assistance Force |
Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) announced April 14 a new wounded warrior barracks scheduled to open later this summer.
The new barracks are part of many (NSAB) programs, resources and lodging amenities NSAB offers wounded warriors and their families to help them feel at ease throughout their stay and transition.
"The goal is to ensure we provide the utmost comfort to the wounded warriors while they're here," said Capt. Constance Evans, director of the Warrior Family Coordination Cell (WFCC).
The new wounded warrior barracks, Building 62, will offer housing to wounded warriors in 153 suites. Each two-bedroom suite includes a kitchenette, washer and dryer, and a lounge area, which allows outpatients a place to stay with a non-medical attendant. If needed, each room is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
The barracks will also contain an ''Austin's Playroom," a drop-in child activity center that will provide certified childcare providers for not only those staying in the barracks, but to personnel in need of temporary child care while they're on medical appointments.
The Austin's Playroom project is an expansion of the Mario Lemieux Foundation (MLF), established by former professional hockey player Mario Lemieux in 1993. After giving birth to a premature son, Austin, Lemieux and his wife, Nathalie, came up with the idea for the project, which funds hospital playrooms.
NSAB also has plans to begin building an additional lodging facility for wounded warriors and their families later this fall, said Cmdr. Mark Lieb, director of transition for NSAB.
This 200-bed facility, located in a more secluded area on base, will have single and two bedroom suites. The goal is to provide the flexibility to house warriors and their extended families.
Consisting of ADA compliant bathrooms, each floor of the facility will include a laundry room, day room and a communal kitchen.
The facility will be constructed near Building 141, said Lieb. A new garage, providing roughly 460 spaces, will also be built beside Sanctuary Hall.
When those staying in the new barracks are ready to transition to another housing facility on base, back to their parent command, or home, the WFCC will ensure a smooth transition for the individual, serving as the link between military treatment facilities, installations and services, said Evans.
Outpatients who must remain in very close proximity to the hospital for treatment may be eligible to stay at Mercy Hall, which is equipped with ADA compliant rooms and located directly across from the hospital's main building, said Gunnery Sgt. Susan Anderton, Mercy Hall Marine Corps Liaison Office.
With 98 single bedrooms recently renovated in 2008, to improve quality of life, Mercy Hall includes a Fleet and Family Support Office, a communal laundry room, a lounge area, and an intercom system in the event of a medical emergency.
Service members can stay at the lodging facility until they're medically cleared to go back to their unit, until they receive their physical evaluation board findings or transition into inactive reserves.
Additional services that wounded warriors and family members can make use of include Fisher Houses and the Navy Lodge.
A non-profit organization established in 1990, the Fisher House program provides military families a place to stay at no cost, while their loved one is in treatment. Patients who are medically cleared may also stay at the Fisher Houses.
The five Fisher Houses located aboard NSAB, the most on one base within the Department of Defense, provide 60 handicapped suites, 20 of which are private, but they all include common areas, communal dining, family rooms and play rooms for children, said Becky Woods, a Fisher House manager.
For more news from National Naval Medical Center, visit visit www.navy.mil/local/nnmc/.
By Sarah Fortney
National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs
The new barracks are part of many (NSAB) programs, resources and lodging amenities NSAB offers wounded warriors and their families to help them feel at ease throughout their stay and transition.
"The goal is to ensure we provide the utmost comfort to the wounded warriors while they're here," said Capt. Constance Evans, director of the Warrior Family Coordination Cell (WFCC).
The new wounded warrior barracks, Building 62, will offer housing to wounded warriors in 153 suites. Each two-bedroom suite includes a kitchenette, washer and dryer, and a lounge area, which allows outpatients a place to stay with a non-medical attendant. If needed, each room is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant.
The barracks will also contain an ''Austin's Playroom," a drop-in child activity center that will provide certified childcare providers for not only those staying in the barracks, but to personnel in need of temporary child care while they're on medical appointments.
The Austin's Playroom project is an expansion of the Mario Lemieux Foundation (MLF), established by former professional hockey player Mario Lemieux in 1993. After giving birth to a premature son, Austin, Lemieux and his wife, Nathalie, came up with the idea for the project, which funds hospital playrooms.
NSAB also has plans to begin building an additional lodging facility for wounded warriors and their families later this fall, said Cmdr. Mark Lieb, director of transition for NSAB.
This 200-bed facility, located in a more secluded area on base, will have single and two bedroom suites. The goal is to provide the flexibility to house warriors and their extended families.
Consisting of ADA compliant bathrooms, each floor of the facility will include a laundry room, day room and a communal kitchen.
The facility will be constructed near Building 141, said Lieb. A new garage, providing roughly 460 spaces, will also be built beside Sanctuary Hall.
When those staying in the new barracks are ready to transition to another housing facility on base, back to their parent command, or home, the WFCC will ensure a smooth transition for the individual, serving as the link between military treatment facilities, installations and services, said Evans.
Outpatients who must remain in very close proximity to the hospital for treatment may be eligible to stay at Mercy Hall, which is equipped with ADA compliant rooms and located directly across from the hospital's main building, said Gunnery Sgt. Susan Anderton, Mercy Hall Marine Corps Liaison Office.
With 98 single bedrooms recently renovated in 2008, to improve quality of life, Mercy Hall includes a Fleet and Family Support Office, a communal laundry room, a lounge area, and an intercom system in the event of a medical emergency.
Service members can stay at the lodging facility until they're medically cleared to go back to their unit, until they receive their physical evaluation board findings or transition into inactive reserves.
Additional services that wounded warriors and family members can make use of include Fisher Houses and the Navy Lodge.
A non-profit organization established in 1990, the Fisher House program provides military families a place to stay at no cost, while their loved one is in treatment. Patients who are medically cleared may also stay at the Fisher Houses.
The five Fisher Houses located aboard NSAB, the most on one base within the Department of Defense, provide 60 handicapped suites, 20 of which are private, but they all include common areas, communal dining, family rooms and play rooms for children, said Becky Woods, a Fisher House manager.
For more news from National Naval Medical Center, visit visit www.navy.mil/local/nnmc/.
By Sarah Fortney
National Naval Medical Center Public Affairs
The new leadership at Arlington National Cemetery told lawmakers Thursday they are fixing the problems found last year by the Army Inspector General.
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VIEW VIDEO>>
Defense Department officials today launched the Pentagon's newest initiative to support victims of sexual assault. The DOD Safe Helpline allows service members to click, call or text for victim support services for themselves or others. The resource is free, anonymous and confidential. Those who need the service will connect with live sexual assault support professionals. It is live 24 hours a day, every day. In addition to improving victim care, officials designed the Safe Helpline to be secure and confidential to encourage victims to come forward when they might not otherwise. "The underreporting of sexual assault poses a serious challenge to military readiness," said Clifford L. Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. "We believe the Safe Helpline will provide DOD sexual assault victims with a variety of support outlets, which will lead victims to report sexual assault, seek needed information, and receive care." Safe Helpline offers three access options designed for service members. Users can go to http://SafeHelpline.org to receive live, one-on-one confidential help with a trained professional through a secure instant-messaging format. The website also provides vital information about recovering from and reporting sexual assault. A second option is to call the telephone hotline at 877-995-5247 to speak with Safe Helpline staff for personalized advice and support. Safe Helpline staff also can transfer callers to installation-based sexual assault response coordinators, on-call victim advocates, civilian rape crisis centers or to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The third option is for users to text their location to 55247 inside the United States or 202-470-5546 outside of the United States to receive automated contact information for the sexual assault response coordinator at their installation or base. For more information on the Defense Department's sexual assault prevention and response office, go to http://www.sapr.mil. American Forces Press Service |
| Related Sites: DOD Safe Helpline DOD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office |
For a 10-year-old boy, Tristan Fissette has fortitude to spare.  Tristan and the other winners -- Keegan Neverett, 16, of Leesburg, Fla.; Chris-Shanti Jackson, 15, of Jackson, Miss.; and Katherine Bensburg, 14, of Mahopac, N.Y. -- won year-long grants to pursue their interests. In Tristan's case, it will pay for his karate training and boot camp. The organization also named the family of Air Force Senior Master Sgt. William Liston, an Air National Guardsman from West River, Md., as its Family of the Year. Tristan is the youngest of the four individual award winners. "I thought it was pretty exciting," he said at yesterday's award ceremony. "We were able to come to Washington, D.C., and I've never been here or able to get an award." His face lit up as he talked about today's special White House and Pentagon tours. Our Military Kids is a public-private partnership that awards grants to children of deployed National Guardsmen, reservists and certain disabled veterans. Unlike children from active-duty families, they don't live on or near a base, surrounded by solid support systems and activities. Rather, said Greg O'Brien of Our Military Kids, these children often are isolated in their communities, where people may not understand what military children go through when a parent is deployed. "My husband is deployed more often than not, it seems," said Tristan's mom, Kimberly Fissette. To fill the time when he was deployed, she added, the family turned to community service near their home in Elk Grove Village, Ill. "We hand out food at a mobile food bank," she said. The family also volunteers for "Feed My Starving Children" by sending nutrient-rich foods to children in other countries. Community service is one of Tristan's passions, his mother said. When his father was in Kuwait during one of his four deployments, Tristan was 7. It was then the youngster enrolled in karate to stay busy while his dad was away. Before long, he was hooked on the ancient martial art. "He's one of the youngest in his karate school to receive a black belt," Kimberly said. "With his dad gone, he just pursued it above and beyond. Most people don't get their black belts for three or four years, and Tristan did it in two and a half." Tristan quickly moved into upper-level training. Now he trains several days a week. "You get to do funner things like a sword-sparring class, one of my favorites," Tristan said, quickly explaining the "swords" are made of foam. His activities don't stop there. Whether at karate or school, Tristan mentors all the new kids, especially if they're struggling. "At karate," Tristan said, "I kinda tell them how to bow and do other karate things. And sometimes if they're having trouble, I'll help them." He mentors on his own, his mom says. No one asked him to help. Tristan admits he's a pretty good student and good with new kids. "I'll talk to them, and sometimes in math, if they're having trouble with a problem, I'll maybe help them out with it," he said. Tristan's 11-year-old sister, Kailey, like many other children at the awards ceremony, won a six-month grant to pursue her interest in hip-hop dancing. O'Brien said the four Military Kids of the Year were chosen from 150 who applied. Since 2004, he said, the grants have grown and so has the program's popularity. The organization's Facebook page has nearly 5,500 members. "'Our Military Kids'" has provided 28,000 grants totaling $11 million since 2004, O'Brien said. This year's four Kids of the Year received grants of up to $500 per six months, and might qualify for six more months if the parent is deployed. By Terri Moon Cronk American Forces Press Service | |
| Related Sites: Our Military Kids Related Articles: Organization Honors Service Members' Children |
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Cpl. John W. Lutz, 21, of Kearny, N.J., will be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery. From May 16-20, 1951, Task Force Zebra, a multinational force made up of Dutch, French, and U.S. forces, was attacked and isolated into smaller units. Lutz, of the 1st Ranger Infantry Company, part of Task Force Zebra, went missing while his unit was attempting to infiltrate enemy lines near Chaun-ni, South Korea, along the Hongcheon River Valley.
After the 1953 armistice, surviving POWs said Lutz had been captured by enemy forces on May 19, marched north to a POW camp in Suan County, North Korea, and died of malnutrition in July 1951.
Between 1991-94, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the remains inside were exhumed near Suan County. This location correlates with the corporal’s last known location.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with surviving POW eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his niece—in the identification of the remains.
More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,001 service members still remain missing from the conflict. For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703- 699-1169.
http://www.defense.gov
Army Cpl. John W. Lutz, 21, of Kearny, N.J., will be buried tomorrow at Arlington National Cemetery. From May 16-20, 1951, Task Force Zebra, a multinational force made up of Dutch, French, and U.S. forces, was attacked and isolated into smaller units. Lutz, of the 1st Ranger Infantry Company, part of Task Force Zebra, went missing while his unit was attempting to infiltrate enemy lines near Chaun-ni, South Korea, along the Hongcheon River Valley.
After the 1953 armistice, surviving POWs said Lutz had been captured by enemy forces on May 19, marched north to a POW camp in Suan County, North Korea, and died of malnutrition in July 1951.
Between 1991-94, North Korea gave the United States 208 boxes of remains believed to contain the remains of 200-400 servicemen. North Korean documents turned over with one of the boxes indicated the remains inside were exhumed near Suan County. This location correlates with the corporal’s last known location.
Analysts from DPMO developed case leads with information spanning more than 58 years. Through interviews with surviving POW eyewitnesses, experts validated circumstances surrounding the soldier’s captivity and death, confirming wartime documentation of his loss.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA – which matched that of his niece—in the identification of the remains.
More than 2,000 servicemen died as prisoners of war during the Korean War. With this accounting, 8,001 service members still remain missing from the conflict. For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703- 699-1169.
http://www.defense.gov
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. expressed great pride in his soldiers and their families as he ended more than four decades of military service yesterday. "I couldn't be prouder of your courage, your resilience and your commitment to the values and ideals that make this country and this Army great," Casey, the 36th Army Chief of Staff, wrote in a farewell letter to the troops. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called Casey "a valued leader" yesterday during the general's Pentagon retirement ceremony. "The Army George Casey leaves behind, a force that has borne the brunt of our nation's wars, is more resilient, better trained, more balanced and vastly more lethal because of his leadership," Gates said. "He served as a stalwart advocate and guide for thousands of brave young men and women, and their loved ones." Before becoming chief of staff in 2007, Casey served as commander of Multinational Forces Iraq. The general led the force through a difficult time including Iraq's transition to a sovereign government, three elections, and the growth -- in size and capability -- of the Iraqi army and police, Gates said. Casey's "personal demeanor, steady confidence and care for the well being of his troops served as an important example for our young men and women on the front lines," the secretary said. Upon becoming the Army's chief of staff, Casey found that the service was out of balance. The Army at that time was "so weighed down by current demands that we couldn't do the things we needed to do to sustain the all-volunteer force and simultaneously prepare ourselves for the full range of missions," Casey wrote. Casey and his wife, Sheila, journeyed to installations and units around the world to speak to Army families and see firsthand how they were handling the strain of simultaneously fighting two wars, Gates said. Under Casey's tenure as chief of staff, the Army expanded programs to help America's wounded sons and daughters receive needed treatment and recover from war's physical and emotional trauma. "George greatly increased the number of behavioral health providers and improved mental health screening for returning soldiers in order to identify those at risk," Gates said. "He pushed the Army to reduce the stigma associated with combat stress and traumatic brain injuries and to treat them as the injuries they truly are. "General Casey led the battle to provide long-term support to survivors of the fallen, creating the Army Survivor Outreach Services," he added. Casey also implemented alcohol treatment and suicide prevention programs at Army installations around the country to help returning soldiers struggling to adjust to life at home. When the president authorized an increase in the size of the Army, Casey pushed to exceed the service's recruiting goals. Because of Casey's efforts "the Army was able to end the practice of stop-loss and increase soldiers' home station dwell time -– developments that have greatly increased force readiness," Gates said. "Nearly 70 percent of the Army is now on a path to meet the goal of two years at home for every year deployed," the secretary added. "As the drawdown in Iraq continues, and the transition in Afghanistan begins, I hope the Army will be able to achieve its longer-term goal of three years home for every year deployed." During the ceremony, Gates presented Casey with the Distinguished Service Medal. By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service |
| Biographies: Robert M. Gates George W. Casey Jr. |
The Department of Defense is removing social security numbers from all DoD ID cards to protect personal identity information of cardholders.
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The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Martin P. Murray, 21, of Lowell, Mass., will be buried on April 16 in Marshfield, Mass. Murray, along with 11 other crew members, took off on Oct. 27, 1943, in their B-24D Liberator from an airfield near Port Moresby, New Guinea. Allied plans were being formulated to mount an attack on the Japanese redoubt at Rabaul, New Britain. The crew’s assigned area of reconnaissance was the nearby shipping lanes in the Bismarck Sea. But during their mission, they were radioed to land at a friendly air strip nearby due to poor weather conditions. The last radio transmission from the crew did not indicate their location. Multiple search missions in the following weeks did not locate the aircraft.
Following World War II, the Army Graves Registration Service conducted searches for 43 missing airmen, including Murray, in the area but concluded in June 1949 that all were unrecoverable.
In August 2003, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) received information on a crash site from a citizen in Papua New Guinea while it was investigating another case. The citizen also turned over an identification card from one of the crew members and reported that there were possible human remains at the site of the crash. Twice in 2004 other JPAC teams attempted to visit the site but were unable to do so due to poor weather and hazardous conditions at the helicopter landing site. Another team was able to successfully excavate the site from January to March 2007 where they found several identification tags from the B-24D crew as well as human remains.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Murray’s remains.
At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 74,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict. For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.
Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Martin P. Murray, 21, of Lowell, Mass., will be buried on April 16 in Marshfield, Mass. Murray, along with 11 other crew members, took off on Oct. 27, 1943, in their B-24D Liberator from an airfield near Port Moresby, New Guinea. Allied plans were being formulated to mount an attack on the Japanese redoubt at Rabaul, New Britain. The crew’s assigned area of reconnaissance was the nearby shipping lanes in the Bismarck Sea. But during their mission, they were radioed to land at a friendly air strip nearby due to poor weather conditions. The last radio transmission from the crew did not indicate their location. Multiple search missions in the following weeks did not locate the aircraft.
Following World War II, the Army Graves Registration Service conducted searches for 43 missing airmen, including Murray, in the area but concluded in June 1949 that all were unrecoverable.
In August 2003, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) received information on a crash site from a citizen in Papua New Guinea while it was investigating another case. The citizen also turned over an identification card from one of the crew members and reported that there were possible human remains at the site of the crash. Twice in 2004 other JPAC teams attempted to visit the site but were unable to do so due to poor weather and hazardous conditions at the helicopter landing site. Another team was able to successfully excavate the site from January to March 2007 where they found several identification tags from the B-24D crew as well as human remains.
Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Murray’s remains.
At the end of the war, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 74,000 are unaccounted-for from the conflict. For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.
The federal government is asking military veterans living in the Florida Keys, and elsewhere, to keep an eye out for a scam that is targeting former service members.
A fallacious group called the Veterans Affairs Services is claiming to provide benefits and general information by gathering personal information on veterans, but the group is not affiliated with the official government agency, the Department of Veteran Affairs, according to a Veterans Affairs press release.
There is a website, at www.vaservices.org, related to the fake group, but all official Department of Veterans Affairs websites end in .gov, spokesman and Department of Veterans Affairs attorney Michael Daughtery wrote in the press release.
There have been no local complaints in the Keys concerning the group, according to Key West Council of the Navy League President Stan Rzad and Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Special Agent Mark Barstow. "We did get the information from the national league and have been spreading it around," Rzad said.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is reminding current and former military members that it does not randomly call veterans, nor does it ask for information that it would already have, such as Social Security numbers.
"In particular, if you have not dealt with the VA previously -- in person -- and all of a sudden you receive a call from someone saying they are with the VA or something similar, hang up the phone," the press release states.
The Department of Veterans Affairs also does not conduct any official business by email, Daughtery wrote.
Department of Veterans Affairs attorneys are working with the Department of Defense to ascertain if the fake group was able to gain access to military members' contact information, according to the press release.
"There are constantly people trying to take advantage of veterans, those deployed oversees or their families here," Barstow said. "NCIS is aware of it, but we haven't had any local complaints yet."
The Department of Veterans Affairs asks that military members or veterans who receive information from the fake group to notify the Key West Council of the Navy League at nlkeywest@keywestnavyleague.org or the Department of Veterans Affairs office in Washington at 800-827-1000.
BY ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff
alinhardt@keysnews.com
A fallacious group called the Veterans Affairs Services is claiming to provide benefits and general information by gathering personal information on veterans, but the group is not affiliated with the official government agency, the Department of Veteran Affairs, according to a Veterans Affairs press release.
There is a website, at www.vaservices.org, related to the fake group, but all official Department of Veterans Affairs websites end in .gov, spokesman and Department of Veterans Affairs attorney Michael Daughtery wrote in the press release.
There have been no local complaints in the Keys concerning the group, according to Key West Council of the Navy League President Stan Rzad and Navy Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Special Agent Mark Barstow. "We did get the information from the national league and have been spreading it around," Rzad said.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is reminding current and former military members that it does not randomly call veterans, nor does it ask for information that it would already have, such as Social Security numbers.
"In particular, if you have not dealt with the VA previously -- in person -- and all of a sudden you receive a call from someone saying they are with the VA or something similar, hang up the phone," the press release states.
The Department of Veterans Affairs also does not conduct any official business by email, Daughtery wrote.
Department of Veterans Affairs attorneys are working with the Department of Defense to ascertain if the fake group was able to gain access to military members' contact information, according to the press release.
"There are constantly people trying to take advantage of veterans, those deployed oversees or their families here," Barstow said. "NCIS is aware of it, but we haven't had any local complaints yet."
The Department of Veterans Affairs asks that military members or veterans who receive information from the fake group to notify the Key West Council of the Navy League at nlkeywest@keywestnavyleague.org or the Department of Veterans Affairs office in Washington at 800-827-1000.
BY ADAM LINHARDT Citizen Staff
alinhardt@keysnews.com
While the U.S. stopped testing nuclear weapons above ground in 1962, many Veterans today—known as “Atomic Veterans”—still deal with lingering effects that come with exposure to radiation (like cancer and other adverse health effects). Essentially, Atomic Veterans are troops who were stationed as ground troops or POWs near the detonation sites in Hiroshima and Nagasaki or participants in above ground nuclear tests conducted from 1945 to 1962 in the Pacific Ocean and southwest U.S.
So why are we talking about this now? Because some conditions (mostly cancers) are considered “presumptive conditions” for Atomic Veterans and just establishing that you participated in one of these situations make an “atomic Veteran” eligible for compensation. For non-presumptive conditions, the key to getting compensation (and treatment, if not otherwise eligible for care) from VA lies in establishing the amount of radiation to which a Veteran was exposed. To that end, if you were involved, there are several resources you should know about.
First, VA is encouraging all Atomic Veterans to check out the new website for the Veterans’ Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction (VBDR). And second, be aware that VA offers an evaluation, known as the Ionizing Radiation Registry (IRR), free of charge to all eligible “Atomic Veterans”.
Veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to be eligible. You can find information on our Radiation page created by the Office of Public Health and environmental hazards.
By Jim Benson
Jim Benson is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and works for VA’s Office of Public Affairs.
So why are we talking about this now? Because some conditions (mostly cancers) are considered “presumptive conditions” for Atomic Veterans and just establishing that you participated in one of these situations make an “atomic Veteran” eligible for compensation. For non-presumptive conditions, the key to getting compensation (and treatment, if not otherwise eligible for care) from VA lies in establishing the amount of radiation to which a Veteran was exposed. To that end, if you were involved, there are several resources you should know about.
First, VA is encouraging all Atomic Veterans to check out the new website for the Veterans’ Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction (VBDR). And second, be aware that VA offers an evaluation, known as the Ionizing Radiation Registry (IRR), free of charge to all eligible “Atomic Veterans”.
Veterans do not need to be enrolled in VA health care to be eligible. You can find information on our Radiation page created by the Office of Public Health and environmental hazards.
By Jim Benson
Jim Benson is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and works for VA’s Office of Public Affairs.
Whether it's kayaking down a river, backpacking through the forest or racing "high-adventure style," military teens with a thirst for adventure will have a host of options to choose from this year. The Defense Department has teamed up with the Agriculture Department and 12 land-grant universities to offer military teens low-cost, high-adventure camps at 50 locations, including one in Alaska and two in Europe, officials said. Four of the camps will offer high-adventure opportunities to family members with special needs, they added. "This is a great opportunity for our military youth to leave their comfort zones and challenge themselves in a variety of ways," said Robert L. Gordon III, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy. "The skills they learn through these camps will remain with them for the rest of their lives." This joint DOD-USDA effort arose out of the Presidential Study Directive 9, in which all government agencies were directed to identify ways to better serve military families. In January, President Barack Obama released the results of that directive, and touched on the nearly 50 commitments agencies made to support military families, many of which focused on children's well-being. The camps will offer military youth experiences not readily available through traditional programs, officials said. Additionally, due to frequent moves, parents and youth may be unaware of local opportunities. These camps are intended to fill that gap, they said. The USDA, land-grant universities and the Cooperative Extension System will work with local communities to offer the camps. Military teens ages 14 to 18 can pick their adventure -- from a five-day kayaking trip through Washington's San Juan Islands to a four-day adventure racing course in the Northeast to a one-week backpacking trip through Alaska's Denali Forest. Special needs camps will be offered in Ohio, California and New Hampshire, and will feature active sports such as skiing, dog sledding, tubing and sled hockey. Camps will become available as early as next week and will continue throughout the year. People can check out camp locations online at https://www.extension.purdue.edu/Adventure_camps/campsloc.html. For camp times, see https://www.extension.purdue.edu/Adventure_camps/campsdate.html. The camps are open to all services, both active and reserve; however, participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Program participation will either be no cost or at a very low cost, officials said, noting that some fees may be reimbursable. Travel expenses may be the responsibility of the family. All of the camps are accredited through the American Camping Association, and most will have a military family life consultant in attendance, officials said. All staff members go through extensive training and, due to the high adventure aspects of these camps, many of the staff are experts in areas such as climbing, camping and water sports. Along with these camps, military services offer a variety of other summer opportunities, including day camps and specialty camps. Military families should contact their local family support center to find out what opportunities are offered in their area. Youth also can participate in the 4-H, Boys and Girls Club of America, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and in installation-based workshops, officials said. By Elaine Sanchez American Forces Press Service |
| Related Sites: Military Teen Adventure Camps Camps by Location Camps by Date Military OneSource Military Homefront Special Report: Strengthening Our Military Families |
All service members will receive the full pay they have earned in their April 15th paychecks, Pentagon officials said today.
"Basically, all active duty and reserve service members will receive full mid-month pay on the 15th of April," Pentagon spokesman Marine Col. Dave Lapan said. "It may be in two separate payments, but on the 15th everyone will receive their full allotted pay."
Confusion arose about the April 15 payday due to the threatened closure of the U.S. government last week. Administration and congressional leaders came to an agreement that ended that action late on April 8.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service had posted "net pay advice" to some service members, telling them what to expect in their accounts.
"Those net pay advice statements were made ... before we knew there was an agreement to fund the government," Lapan said. "When those were posted they only showed partial payments, but again, everyone will receive their full pay on the 15th for the duty served and it may be in more than one deposit."
Officials urge service members to check their end-of-month leave and earnings statements carefully. The normal end-of-month statements will be posted to accounts on April 22.
The finance and accounting service has restored access to all leave and earnings statements, net pay advice or advice of pay for service members on the Mypay website.
"The most-current advice of pay will still only show the partial payments for April 1-8," the finance service posted on its website. "This will allow us to make sure we can still process pay for April 9-15 and take steps to ensure it is in bank accounts on the 15th."
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
"Basically, all active duty and reserve service members will receive full mid-month pay on the 15th of April," Pentagon spokesman Marine Col. Dave Lapan said. "It may be in two separate payments, but on the 15th everyone will receive their full allotted pay."
Confusion arose about the April 15 payday due to the threatened closure of the U.S. government last week. Administration and congressional leaders came to an agreement that ended that action late on April 8.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service had posted "net pay advice" to some service members, telling them what to expect in their accounts.
"Those net pay advice statements were made ... before we knew there was an agreement to fund the government," Lapan said. "When those were posted they only showed partial payments, but again, everyone will receive their full pay on the 15th for the duty served and it may be in more than one deposit."
Officials urge service members to check their end-of-month leave and earnings statements carefully. The normal end-of-month statements will be posted to accounts on April 22.
The finance and accounting service has restored access to all leave and earnings statements, net pay advice or advice of pay for service members on the Mypay website.
"The most-current advice of pay will still only show the partial payments for April 1-8," the finance service posted on its website. "This will allow us to make sure we can still process pay for April 9-15 and take steps to ensure it is in bank accounts on the 15th."
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
**UPDATE: For those who are unable to register due to registration reaching maximum capacity, a recording of the Webinar will be provided and posted to TRICARE's Website after the event.**
TRICARE and Military OneSource have teamed up to host an interactive webinar Monday, April 11, 2011, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT about the new TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) program.
This is the second TRICARE and Military OneSource webinar designed to help educate about TRICARE benefits.
Military parents and dependent children under age 26 are encouraged to participate. The webinar will cover who qualifies for TYA, when and where to enroll and what type of coverage to expect.
TRICARE officials will take the first hour to provide details about the new TYA program, leaving the last 30 minutes to answer questions from beneficiaries submitted online or over the phone.
Those who plan on submitting questions, should avoid sharing personal health information.
To register for TRICARE’s TYA webinar with Military OneSource visit: www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspx.
on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited due to system capacity.
TYA is a result of a provision in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act that extends premium-based health coverage to eligible dependent children until age 26. For more on TYA, visit: www.tricare.mil/tya.
Tricare
TRICARE and Military OneSource have teamed up to host an interactive webinar Monday, April 11, 2011, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EDT about the new TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) program.
This is the second TRICARE and Military OneSource webinar designed to help educate about TRICARE benefits.
Military parents and dependent children under age 26 are encouraged to participate. The webinar will cover who qualifies for TYA, when and where to enroll and what type of coverage to expect.
TRICARE officials will take the first hour to provide details about the new TYA program, leaving the last 30 minutes to answer questions from beneficiaries submitted online or over the phone.
Those who plan on submitting questions, should avoid sharing personal health information.
To register for TRICARE’s TYA webinar with Military OneSource visit: www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/OnlineCommunity/Webinars.aspx.
on a first-come, first-served basis and is limited due to system capacity.
TYA is a result of a provision in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act that extends premium-based health coverage to eligible dependent children until age 26. For more on TYA, visit: www.tricare.mil/tya.
Tricare
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