Retroactive Traumatic Injury Benefits No Longer Just For OEF/OIF Injuries

TSGLI Payments Will Be Made for Qualifying Injuries

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is extending retroactive traumatic injury benefits to Service members who suffered qualifying injuries during the period Oct. 7, 2001 to Nov. 30, 2005, regardless of the geographic location where the injuries occurred. “Now all of our nation’s Service members who suffered severe traumatic injuries while serving their country can receive the same traumatic injury benefits, regardless of where their injury occurred,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We at VA appreciate the efforts of Congress and the President to improve benefits for our troops.”

Effective Oct. 1, the Service members’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) Traumatic Injury Protection benefit, known as TSGLI, will be payable for all qualifying injuries incurred during this period.  This retroactive benefit is payable whether or not the Service member had SGLI coverage at the time of the injury. The Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2010, passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in October of 2010, removes the requirement that injuries during this period be incurred in Operations Enduring or Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). This is welcome news for the many Service members who suffered serious traumatic injuries while serving stateside or in other areas outside of OEF/OIF during this time period, but until now have not been eligible for TSGLI. 

TSGLI provides a payment ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to Service members sustaining certain severe traumatic injuries resulting in a range of losses, including amputations; limb salvage; paralysis; burns; loss of sight, hearing or speech; facial reconstruction; 15-day continuous hospitalization; coma; and loss of activities of daily living due to traumatic brain injury or other traumatic injuries.  National Guard and Reserve members who were injured during the retroactive period and suffered a qualifying loss are also eligible for a TSGLI payment, even if the cause was not related to military service, such as a civilian automobile accident or severe injury which occurred while working around their home. 

National Guard and Reserve members make up more than 40 percent of the total force which has been deployed since 9-11.  Those who are no longer in the National Guard or Reserves can also apply as long as their injury occurred while they were in service. “I am extremely pleased that these total force warriors who defend our freedoms are getting the recognition and benefits they have rightfully earned in service to our nation,” added Under Secretary for Benefits Allison A. Hickey.

VA is working with the Department of Defense to publicize this change in the TSGLI law.  Additionally, all of the branches of service are identifying any claims previously denied because the injury was not incurred in OEF/OIF and reaching out to those individuals. Although applications are currently being accepted by branch of service TSGLI offices, benefits will not be paid until Oct. 1, 2011, the effective date of the law. 

For more information or to apply for a TSGLI payment, Service members and Veterans should go to http://www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/TSGLI/TSGLI.htm or contact their branch of service TSGLI Office (contact information available at above link).

Vietnam Vet Still in the Fight

Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Roy Brown proved his mettle as a combat pilot in Vietnam. Now, 41 years later, he’s proving his stamina and love of the military with service in Afghanistan.

Brown, who also served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, began his career with the 101st Airborne Division, and is serving with the Screaming Eagles again as his career draws to a close. As the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade’s liaison officer to the Air Force’s 702nd Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, which supports Regional Command – South here, Brown is in no hurry to retire.

“Call it patriotism or call it my admiration of the Army’s principles -- its organizational objectives and goals, its performance over the decades in areas not only of military success, but what I think of as social equity,” he said. “But your life’s works need to have a higher purpose.”

Explaining how his career began, the Oklahoma native said it was a $5 bill that transformed his boyhood dream into reality in 1971.

“My mother asked me how I knew I wanted to be a pilot if I’d never flown, so I went to the local airport, paid $5 and rode in a Piper 140 airplane for about 20 minutes,” he said. “Then I walked right into the Army recruiting office and said, ‘Send me to flight school.’”

The recruiter told then-19-year-old Brown about a program called “High School to Flight School.” Still in his first semester of college, he knew flight school was a good opportunity, so he took it. His mother had reservations about him going to war, but knew that flight school was something her son would never be afforded any other way.

“He always wanted to be a pilot, even when he was a little boy, playing with [toy] airplanes,” his mother, Betty S. Terry-Schmidt, said. “It did not surprise me that he chose to be a pilot.”

Following basic training at Fort Polk, La., Brown went on to primary flight school at Fort Walters, Texas, and advanced flight school at Fort Rucker, Ala. Even then, Brown was a force to be reckoned with. As the custom held on the day of a pilot’s first solo flight, fellow students would throw the pilot into the local swimming pool.

“I evaded them successfully for about two hours, which, at that time, I think was a record,” Brown said. “Then, of course, I was finally caught and thrown into the pool.”

Brown proved to be an exceptional beginner pilot and graduated at the top of his class. This distinction earned him the privilege of choosing which air frame he would fly.

“I knew Vietnam was a hot and muggy place,” he said. “There was one aircraft with air conditioning, so I went with the [AH-1] Cobra. Besides that, I knew if somebody shot at me, I could shoot back.”

And choosing the Cobra guaranteed Brown would get shot at. “The question was not ‘Who’s going to Vietnam?’” he said. “If there was one or two not going to Vietnam, that was the unusual part. Everyone was going to Vietnam -- me, especially, when I chose the Cobra. That was 100 percent assurance you were going.”

While Brown embraced the adventure on which he was about to embark, his mother struggled to temper her fears with the support she knew her son needed.

“As a mother, I was anxious. Not about him leaving, but about him going into war,” Terry-Schmidt said. “I could understand his feelings, though. He was very determined, so I could only back him.”

Rather than feeling fear or anxiety about heading to war, Brown chose to think positively. “We were apprehensive about what could happen in Vietnam,” he said. “At the same time, we were young and bold, and we would be the ones to beat the odds.”

While Brown beat the odds, not all of his buddies did, nor did the enemy. But despite the casualties he saw in Vietnam, he said he never experienced post-traumatic stress the way some veterans have. “I was young and naive enough that it didn’t faze me,” he said.

His job as a gun pilot was to take down the enemy by any means necessary, and he did his job. “Nonmilitary people don’t understand, especially back in the days of Vietnam,” he said, “and if you can’t deal with that part of it, the military may not be a career path you should take.”

“He was always a strong young man, and he knew what he had to do,” Terry-Schmidt said.

Back at home, Terry-Schmidt had to endure long gaps in communication from Brown, with only the news to keep her informed. Sometimes it would be three weeks or longer before she’d hear from him.

“It would seem like forever,” she said. “I was always anxious for his safety.”

To keep her mind off the periods of no news from her son, she kept herself occupied.

“At that time, I was working, and I had younger children still at home, so in the daytime, I was busy,” she said. “At night time, I would think of him, and of course, I did a lot of praying, trusting that God would take care of him and my prayers were answered.”

Communication then was not like it is today, where soldiers can have contact with family and friends at most any time of the day, Terry-Schmidt said. This time around, she hears from her son a few times a week.

Improvements in communication have improved not only soldiers’ morale, it also has improved how they fight wars, Brown said.

Throughout his career, he has become qualified on 11 types of aircraft -- both rotary and fixed wing -- some with multiple models, like the UH-1 Huey models B, C, D and H. He has deployed five times.

“I feel more confident with him being in Afghanistan than I did with him in Vietnam because of the experience he has now,” Terry-Schmidt said. “I know he is a very careful pilot. He knows his abilities. I know he wishes he was not in Afghanistan, but that’s where his duty has led him, and I respect him for that.”

By Army Spc. Jennifer Anderson
159th Combat Aviation Brigade

McHugh Cites Major Improvements at Arlington National Cemetery

Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh today released publicly a “Report to Congress,” updating improvements made at Arlington National Cemetery more than a year after he ousted the cemetery’s leadership and made sweeping changes in its structure and oversight.

“In just over a year, the cemetery’s new management team has made major progress in reconciling decades’ worth of paper records with physical graveside inspections to regain accountability,” McHugh wrote in a letter to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. “They have put in place new policies and procedures to protect against and prevent the type of errors uncovered in the Army’s previous investigations. Equipment and training have been modernized, contracting procedures revamped, a historic partnership created with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the workforce improved and reinvigorated, and ongoing outreach and information has been provided to family members and the American public.”

McHugh provided the report to Congressional oversight committees in response to legislation seeking the status of a directive he signed that made sweeping reforms at Arlington National Cemetery. In compiling the report, McHugh directed the Army’s inspector general to again inspect the facility to determine compliance. An earlier inspector general report, also ordered by McHugh, found failures in management and oversight that contributed to the loss of accountability, lack of proper automation, ineffective contract compliance, and a dysfunctional workforce.

“Perhaps most important, the inspector general found the mismanagement that existed prior to these changes, ‘no longer exists,’” he said. “And that ‘significant progress has been made in all aspects of the cemetery’s performance, accountability and modernization.’ We’re confident that the Army is on the right path toward repairing the cemetery’s failures and restoring the confidence of Congress and the American people.”

McHugh noted that even while making massive improvements in the cemetery’s management and oversight, the pace of 27 to 30 funeral services per day -- many with full military honors -- has not abated.

“Since 1864, the United States Army has been steward of this, the country’s only active military shrine,” McHugh said. “I believe this report will demonstrate the Army’s steadfast commitment to repairing what was broken in the past, and ensuring America’s continued confidence in the operation of its most hallowed ground.”

Self-Development of People person of the month

For 17 years Frederick Johnson has served his country.  He initially served through Active Duty Regular Army for three years.  In 1996 he joined the Reserves and in 2004 was involuntarily transferred from his reserve unit to another reserve unit in Ohio and deployed to Iraq where he served at LSA (Logistical Support Area) Anaconda for 12 months.  At least every other day during the entire 12 month period the post was mortared (bombed).  His entire time there Fred never pulled a trigger.  But he returned home fighting a lot of demons.  He returned suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD — a psychiatric disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, etc.).  Every day for the 12 months he volunteered at the theater hospital he assisted with incoming medevac’s that contained soldiers and civilians with missing limbs, head wounds and various life threatening injuries.  Many survived; some did not.

READ ENTIRE STORY>>

Army Releases August Suicide Data

The Army released suicide data today for the month of August.  Among active-duty soldiers, there were 19 potential suicides:  three have been confirmed as suicides and 16 remain under investigation.  For July 2011, the Army reported 22 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers.  Since the release of that report, five cases have been confirmed as suicide, and 17 cases remain under investigation.

During August 2011, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were nine potential suicides:  none have been confirmed as suicide and nine remain under investigation.  For July 2011, the Army reported 10 potential suicides among not-on-active-duty soldiers.  Since the release of that report, one case has been added for a total of 11 cases.  Three cases have been confirmed as suicide and eight cases remain under investigation.

“Suicide prevention training and awareness are vital components of the Army's health promotion and risk reduction efforts against the tragic occurrence of suicide within our ranks,” said Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Bostick, Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1.  “It is a priority that deserves our full attention and continued emphasis by all leaders.  Junior leaders and first-line supervisors can be especially effective in assisting those in a moment of crisis.  We collaborate extensively with other federal and national programs to assure we remain abreast of the very latest research and best practices.  To date, our focused efforts have resulted in thousands of trained individuals throughout the Army who now have the skills to recognize the signs of suicide, exercise appropriate intervention techniques, and engage the numerous organizations within the Army and DoD that stand ready to help at any hour of the day or night.   These skills are invaluable and have equipped many in our Army to lend a hand to fellow soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, and their families in their daily encounters,” said Bostick.

Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  Trained consultants are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and can be contacted by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or by visiting their website athttp://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in newly revised Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) at: http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_63.pdf and Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention) at http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_24.pdf .

The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at http://www.preventsuicide.army.mil .

Suicide prevention training resources for Army families can be accessed at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/training_sub.asp?sub_cat=20 (requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials).

Information about Military OneSource is located athttp://www.militaryonesource.comor by dialing the toll-free number 1-800-342-9647for those residing in the continental United States.  Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource website for dialing instructions for their specific location.

Information about the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at http://www.army.mil/csf/.

The Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at http://www.dcoe.health.mil .

The website for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is http://www.afsp.org/, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council site is found athttp://www.sprc.org/index.asp .

The website for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is http://www.TAPS.org, and they can be reached at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277).

Accounting for POWs, MIAs a Year-round DOD Mission

As Americans pause tomorrow to observe POW/MIA Recognition Day, teams of military and civilian experts will be excavating sites in Europe and the South Pacific looking for remains to help identify service members still missing from past wars.

Teams from Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, will be on the job, working to provide the fullest possible accounting of America’s missing, and living up to their command’s motto, “Until they are home.”

Additional teams are preparing for similar missions over the next couple of months to South Korea, Laos, China, Vietnam and Germany, said Army Maj. Ramon Osorio, a JPAC spokesman.

POW/MIA Recognition Day honors the sacrifices America’s missing service members and their families have made for their country, Osorio said.

But as President Barack Obama emphasized today in his POW/MIA Recognition Day proclamation, it also provides an important reminder that the United States is committed to bringing its fallen service members home to their families – and that it won’t give up, no matter how long it takes, or how difficult it might be.

“We will never give up the search for those who are held as prisoners of war or have gone missing under our country's flag,” he said. “We honor their sacrifice, and we must care for their families and pursue the fullest possible accounting for all missing members of our armed forces.

“Together, we must serve our nation's patriots as well as they have served us – by supporting them when they come home, and by carrying on the legacy of those who do not,” he continued. “This is a promise we keep for our fallen, for our veterans past and present, and for all those whose loved ones have not returned from the battlefield.”

JPAC’s mission is to provide the fullest possible accounting for about 84,000 U.S. servicemembers from the nation’s wars. The vast majority of these – 74,184 – are from World War II, but the lost also include 1,680 from Vietnam, 7,979 from Korea, and 127 from the Cold War.

In addition, two U.S. soldiers from the current operations are classified as “Missing-Captured.” Army Spec. Ahmed Altaie, an Army Reserve soldier assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad, allegedly was kidnapped in October 2006 while on his way to visit his family in Baghdad. The Pentagon changed his status from “Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown” to “Missing-Captured” in December 2006.

Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, a member of the 25th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, was captured in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on June 30, 2009. His status was changed to “Missing-Captured” on July 3, 2009 after the Taliban released video of him that was later authenticated by U.S. officials.

Because they are associated with ongoing operations, U.S. Central Command has lead responsibility for these efforts, Osario said.

But for all other cases, JPAC is committed to the fullest possible accounting of every missing U.S. military member. “That’s what we would love to do, and to be able to tell every family member that we are going to find every last person,” Osario said.

But it’s an admittedly daunting task, particularly in light of the many World War II MIAs who served aboard aircraft lost at sea. “The number is staggering,’ Osario said.

Despite the challenges, JPAC has had a solid track record of success. Since 2003, its 400 military and civilian specialists have identified more than 750 missing Americans. Combined with efforts of its predecessor units dating back to the 1970s, it has identified close to 2,000 service members, Osario reported.

Earlier this month, on Sept. 1, the Defense Department announced that the remains of one more, Air Force Maj. Thomas E. Reitmann who was shot down over North Vietnam in 1965, had been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors in Arlington National Cemetery.

JPAC is working to build on those successes, sending teams that include forensic anthropologists, forensic archeologists and scientific directors to potential crash and burial sites around the world. Teams returned during the past week from Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Europe and, possibly to some people’s surprise, to Canada, where an underwater recovery team investigated a World War II aircraft downing just off the coast.

Two additional missions are under way at World War II sites: one west of Frankfurt, Germany, and another in Vanuatu in the South Pacific.

Once remains or other personal artifacts such as dogtags are repatriated to JPAC’s headquarters in Hawaii, experts at the command’s Central Identification Laboratory – the world’s largest forensic anthropology lab – use the most advanced science available to match them to a specific missing service member.

Among tools used is mitochondrial DNA, which includes unique signatures from the maternal line and helps the JPAC staff make identifications once not considered possible.

But JPAC doesn’t work alone in fulfilling its mission. It works “all the time, every day” with the Armed Forces DNA identification Laboratory in Rockville, Md., which runs DNA sequences for JPAC and provides a system of double-checks for findings, Osario said.

In addition, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office in Washington provides policy guidance and oversight for its missions. And each service has an office that works directly with families of the missing throughout the accounting process.

As JPAC pauses tomorrow to host a POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, known as the “Punchbowl,” and other military bases around the world commemorate the day, Osario emphasized that accounting for America’s MIAs is 365-day-a-year mission.

“The reason we continue to do this is because it is the right thing to do,” he said. “People understand the importance of not forgetting the sacrifices that those who have gone before us have made ….
“For those who decided to raise their right hand and go forth to do that, we owe it to them and we definitely owe it to their families so they know we are going to give our 200 percent to do what’s right and work as hard as we can to find as many of them as we possibly can.”

This, he said, sends a powerful message to those serving in today’s conflicts.

“If we are going to ask you to go off and put yourself in harm’s way and potentially pay the ultimate price, if tragedy were to strike, knowing that your country has your back and will do everything it possibly can do to ensure you end up with your family,” he said. “That is huge. It clearly shows the men and women who are serving today at America stands behind them, regardless of what may occur.”

 By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

President Presents Medal of Honor to Marine

President Barack Obama today draped the pale blue ribbon suspending the Medal of Honor around the neck of Marine Corps Sgt. Dakota L. Meyer, the first living Marine to receive the award for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“It’s been said that where there is a brave man, in the thickest of the fight, there is the post of honor,” the commander in chief said. “Today we pay tribute to an American who placed himself in the thick of the fight again, and again, and again.”

Obama said Meyer, who is now 23 and was just 21 that day in Afghanistan, is “one of the most down-to-earth guys you will ever meet.”

When the president’s staff called the young Marine so the commander in chief could officially notify him of the medal, Obama said, Meyer was at work on his new civilian job at a construction site.

“He felt he couldn’t take the call right then because, he said, ‘If I don’t work, I don’t get paid,’” Obama said.

“So we arranged to make sure he got the call during his lunch break,” the president added.

Obama then turned to the events of Sept. 8, 2009, the day Meyer earned the medal as a corporal serving with Marine Embedded Training Team 2-8, Regional Corps Advisory Command 3-7, in Kunar province, Afghanistan.

Just before dawn, a patrol of Afghan forces and their American trainers, on foot and making their way through a narrow valley, was planning to meet with a group of village elders, the president said.

“Suddenly, all over the valley, the lights go out – and that’s when it happens,” Obama said.

About a mile away, Meyer and Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez could hear the ambush over the radio.

Gunfire poured from houses, the hillsides, and even the local school, Obama said.

Soon, the patrol was pinned down, taking ferocious fire from three sides. “Men were being wounded and killed, and four Americans – Dakota’s friends – were surrounded,” he said.

After asking four times to go closer to the fight and help, and hearing each time that it was too dangerous, the two Marines got inside a nearby Humvee and headed into the fight, Rodriguez-Chavez at the wheel and Meyer manning the gun turret.

“They were defying orders, but they were doing what they thought was right,” the president said.

On two solo trips into the ambush area, Meyer repeatedly got out of the Humvee to help Afghan troops, many wounded, inside the vehicle and back to safety.

“A third time they went back, insurgents running right up to the front of the Humvee, Dakota fighting them off,” Obama said.

This time, the men drove right up to the line of fire, and helped a group of wounded Americans battle their way to safety.

They then headed back on the fourth trip with Meyer wounded in the arm and the vehicle riddled with bullets and shrapnel, the president said.

“Dakota later confessed, ‘I didn’t think I was going to die, I knew I was.’ But still, they pushed on, finding the wounded [and] delivering them to safety,” Obama said.

On the fifth trip, the two Marines drove through fire “that seemed to come from every window, every doorway, every alley,” he said.

Finally, the two reached the four Americans who had been surrounded.

“Dakota jumped out and he ran toward them, drawing all those enemy guns toward himself; bullets kicking up the dirt all around him,” Obama said.

Meyer and others who had joined him picked up the fallen Marines and, “through all those bullets, all the smoke, all the chaos, carried them out one by one – because as Dakota says, that’s what you do for a brother,” the commander in chief said.

“Dakota says he’ll accept this medal in their name,” the president said. “So today, we remember the husband who loved the outdoors, Lt. Michael Johnson; the husband and father they called ‘Gunny J,’ Gunnery Sgt. Edwin Johnson; the determined Marine who fought to get on that team, Staff Sgt. Aaron Kenefick; the medic who gave his life tending to his teammates, Hospitalman 3rd Class James Layton; and a soldier wounded in that battle who was never recovered: Sgt. 1st Class Kenneth Westbrook.”

Obama said while he knows Meyer has thought of himself as a failure because some of his teammates didn’t come home, “as your commander in chief, and on behalf of everyone here today and all Americans, I want you to know it’s quite the opposite.”

“Because of your honor, 36 men are alive today,” the president said. “Because of your courage, four fallen American heroes came home, and in the words of James Layton’s mom, [their families] could lay their sons to rest with dignity.”

Meyer’s father, Mike, grandparents, and more than a hundred friends and family members attended today’s ceremony.

Because of Meyer’s humble example, children all across America will know that “no matter who you are or where you come from, you can do great things as a citizen and a member of the American family,” the president said.

The commander in chief then asked Rodriguez-Chavez, now a gunnery sergeant, and all those present at the ceremony who served with Meyer, to stand “and accept the thanks of a grateful nation.”
Meyer joined in the applause.

Just before the citation reading and medal presentation, Obama said, “Every member of our team is as important as the other – that’s a lesson that we all have to remember, as citizens and as a nation, as we meet the tests of our time here at home and around the world. To our Marines, to all our men and women in uniform, to our fellow Americans, let us always be faithful.”

Meyer, who has left the active Marine Corps, and is a sergeant in the Inactive Reserve, is the 298th Marine ever to have received the medal, created during the Civil War. The nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor is awarded for risk of life in combat beyond the call of duty.

Meyer is the third living service member to receive the Medal of Honor for actions during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, following Army Staff Sgt. Salvatore A. Giunta, who received the medal Nov. 16, 2010, and Army Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry, who accepted the award July 12.

Of ten Medal of Honor recipients for actions during the Iraq or Afghanistan wars, the only other Marine is Cpl. Jason E. Dunham, who died April 22, 2004, of wounds received when he covered a live grenade with his own body to save the lives of fellow Marines in Iraq. Dunham’s parents accepted his posthumous Medal of Honor Jan. 11, 2007.

 By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

TRICARE Promises Continued Access to Prescription Meds

A dispute between Walgreens and a TRICARE contractor will not stop beneficiaries from getting their prescriptions filled, despite a Walgreen’s ad campaign to the contrary, a TRICARE official said today.

Don’t let that advertising, letter and Internet outreach campaign scare you, Navy Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, deputy director of the TRICARE Management Agency, said. Even if contract renewal negotiations fall through and Walgreens drops out of TRICARE’s retail pharmacy network on Jan. 1, beneficiaries still will have plenty of other options for getting their prescriptions filled.

Hunter called the dispute between Walgreens and Express Scripts, Inc., the contractor for TRICARE’s retail pharmacy and pharmacy home delivery programs “a business matter” between the two companies.

A similar impasse between the two companies in 2008 ultimately was resolved by mid-November, about six weeks before the new contract was to take effect, she noted.

Walgreens is a big player in the TRICARE pharmacy network, with about 7,000 participating outlets that Hunter said have filled prescriptions for one in 10 TRICARE beneficiaries at one time or another.

Concerned about a campaign that has alarmed some TRICARE beneficiaries, Hunter offered assurance today that regardless of how this year’s negotiations go, patients will always have access to the medications they need.

“If Walgreens does drop out or fail to renew their relationship with ESI so they are not included in the network, patients will still have 56,000 other pharmacies to obtain their medications at retail,” she said.

“We have a very, very broad network” that, for the vast majority of beneficiaries, ensures them access to a participating pharmacy within two miles of their homes.

Meanwhile, Hunter emphasized other options TRICARE beneficiaries can use to get their medications: a TRICARE military treatment facility or the increasingly popular mail- order and home-delivery plans.

Hunter is a big proponent of the mail-order and home-delivery program, helping boost participation by 9.9 percent this year alone as retail pharmacy use grew by just 1.6 percent. Delivering medications directly to the beneficiary’s home assures an uninterrupted supply of medication, she said, while saving money for beneficiaries as well as the Defense Department.

“I would recommend that this is a great time to consider TRICARE [Pharmacy] Home Delivery for chronic medications,” Hunter said.

But with more than three months left on Walgreen’s current contract with ESI, she emphasized, “There is no emergency, and there is time for people to understand and consider their options.”

Those who elect to stay with the retail pharmacy option but are concerned that Walgreens could drop out of the TRICARE pharmacy network also have the option of moving their prescriptions to another pharmacy in the TRICARE network now.

“We are not taking a position about whether patients should move their prescriptions,” Hunter said. “We are allowing this issue to play itself out, but those who want to can do so, and that will absolutely be honored.”

Because all prescription information is centralized, the only thing patients need to do to move their prescriptions is to take their medication bottle or tube to another pharmacy. “They don’t need another prescription or visit to a doctor,” Hunter said.

Beneficiaries also can elect to use pharmacies not included in the TRICARE network. However, Hunter offered a reminder that these users will receive only partial reimbursement for their out-of-pocket costs and could have to file their own insurance claim, where network pharmacies do that automatically.

“Our focus is on ensuring patients have access to the care they need,” including reliable access to their prescription medications, she said. “Our goal is to be sure people have the information they need so that they get their medications in a timely fashion.”

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

Chairman Concerned Over Lack of U.S.-Iran Contact

There has been no contact between Iran and the United States since the 1970s, and that concerns the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

During a stop at the University of Miami yesterday, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen said that the lack of contact between the United States and Iran is troubling.

“Even in the darkest days of the Cold War, U.S. officials could still talk with the Soviets,” the admiral said. In the early 1960s, U.S. and Soviet leaders had the Hot Line that went straight from the White House to the Kremlin. The United States and Soviet Union had the two largest armories of nuclear weapons. Both nations had nuclear-armed forces on alert at all times.

The hotline allowed U.S. and Soviet leaders to quickly call each other to get accurate information if tensions ratcheted up.

Likewise, there were contacts at the United Nations and other areas. The United States and Soviet Union had embassies and consulates in each others’ country. This lessened the risk of a war starting due to miscalculation or accident, Mullen said.

The Iranian Revolution deposed the Shah of Iran in 1979. In 1980, Iranian radicals stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. They were released in January 1981, and there have been no official contacts between the nations since.

Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons and wants regional hegemony in the Middle East, Mullen said. The lack of contact between the United States and Iran could be dangerous to the region and the international community.

 By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

Navy to Christen Joint High Speed Vessel Spearhead

The Navy will christen the joint high speed vessel (JHSV) Spearhead Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. CDTin Mobile, Ala.

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabamawill deliver the commissioning ceremony’s principal address.  Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Kenneth Wahlman, will serve as the ship’s sponsor.  His daughter Catherine, a staff sergeant in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps at Virginia Tech University, will assist her father in the christening.

The 338 foot-long aluminum catamaran is being constructed by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. Spearhead and the nine other JHSVs under contract allow intra-theater transportation of troops, military vehicles, supplies and equipment.  They are capable of transporting 600 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots and can operate in shallow-draft ports and waterways, providing U.S. forces added mobility and flexibility.  Joint high speed vessels’ aviation flight decks can support day and night air vehicle launch and recovery operations.  This platform can berth up to 146 personnel and provides airline-style seating for up to 312.

Military commanders will have the flexibility to use the JHSV in a variety of roles, including supporting overseas contingency operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts and special operations forces and maintaining emerging joint sea-basing concepts.

Upon delivery to the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (MSC), Spearhead will be designated as a United States naval ship.  It will have a core crew of 21 civilian mariners who will operate and navigate the ship.  The first four JHSVs – including Spearhead – will be crewed by federally employed civil service mariners, and the remaining six will be crewed by civilian contract mariners working for private shipping companies under contract to MSC.  Military mission personnel will embark as required by the mission sponsors.

Interested media may contact the Navy Office of Informationat 703-697-5342. Information on JHSV is available online at http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=1400&ct=4 .

BRAC Goals Reached, New Walter Reed Looks to Future

The day before the congressionally mandated deadline to put all Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendations into effect, the commander who oversaw the closing of Walter Reed Army Medical Center isn’t kicking back with a sigh of relief.

For Navy Vice Adm. (Dr.) John M. Mateczun, commander of Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical, some of the toughest challenges are just beginning.

Mateczun was responsible for one of the most sweeping transformations in military medicine with the closure of the iconic Walter Reed hospital.

With all its patients, staff and health care services moved to what is now known as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and the new Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia, he now has set his sights on his next, post-BRAC goal.

“This is a new beginning,” he said. “We now have the opportunity here in the national capital region to form the first truly integrated regional delivery system within the military health system.”

Getting to this point was no small feat. Since BRAC became law in 2005, 2.6 million square feet of new construction and 472,000 square feet of renovations have taken place on the Bethesda campus and Fort Belvoir to accommodate the new, expanded missions there.

Meanwhile, the civilian workforces were consolidated into one Defense Department workforce. Mateczun said the merger will benefit workers by opening up more career opportunities and enabling them to transfer more smoothly between the two facilities.

The merger also will also be a plus for the hospitals, he said, helping them better attract and retain experienced workers with highly sought-after skills.

With the facilities and workforce in place, both the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital are providing care for the former Walter Reed patients.

A convoy of ambulances transferred the last inpatients at that center to Bethesda Aug. 27, one day ahead of schedule to beat the approaching Hurricane Irene.

The final emergency-room patient at Fort Belvoir’s DeWitt Army Community Center was transferred to the new Fort Belvoir Community Hospital on Aug. 31. That same day, the staff performed its first operation and also delivered its first baby in the new facility, Mateczun said.

The last pieces of medical equipment are being moved from the old Walter Reed, much of it being redistributed to the Bethesda or Belvoir facilities. Back in 2008, BRAC planners estimated that $54 million in equipment would be transferred, but the actual figure exceeds $100 million, Mateczun reported.

With both facilities now running at full-throttle, he said now is the time to generate some of the efficiencies BRAC was designed to provide.

Many of those savings will come through consolidated support services such as human resources and facilities operations.

While designed to improve efficiency and save money, Mateczun said the consolidation also will promote patient care.

The nature of the consolidations, with highly specialized care delivered at Bethesda, ensures medical staffs providing that care have sufficient patient loads to remain at the top of their game, he said.

In addition, three electronic medical networks in use at facilities within the Washington, D.C., area are being combined into one joint medical network. This, Mateczun said, will enable providers at various clinics and hospitals to more easily access and share patient records.

Other initiatives will make it more convenient for patients to get care. For example, a consolidated appointment and referral center being stood up will provide a user-friendly, standardized way for patients to schedule appointments at either facility.

A major post-BRAC emphasis is on taking these efforts to the next level to reach a “world-class standard” in medical care, Mateczun said.

That standard -- mandated by Congress in the wake of the 2007 Walter Reed scandal as BRAC initiatives already were under way -- raises the bar in patient care.

Among its recommendations were the new wounded warrior lodging on the Bethesda campus and private hospital rooms that weren’t part of the original BRAC plan.

Subsequent congressional recommendations direct that parts of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center not impacted by BRAC also be raised to this world-class standard.

That, Mateczun explained, involves upgrading additional buildings on the Bethesda campus -- all built or last renovated before 1975.

As part of that new standard, the last of existing two-patient rooms are being converted into private rooms.

In addition, individual patient rooms at both Bethesda and Fort Belvoir will soon be turned into “smart suites.” These rooms will be equipped with technology that enables caregivers to monitor patients’ vital signs electronically and even to recognize when a patient has gotten out of bed.

This technology benefits patients, too, who will be able to refer to a monitor in their room to identify who enters it and whether, for example, it’s a doctor, nurse or food-service provider.

“It is a patient’s right to know who is in their room and what they are doing there. And this technology will allow them to do that without having to necessarily question anyone,” Mateczun said.

Mateczun said he’s looking forward to seeing the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Fort Belvoir Community Hospital set a new standard for military medicine.

“So this is our next step, making the improvements required in the comprehensive master plan to provide world-class care for our beneficiaries,” he said.

“We are committed to keeping the covenant we have with America’s sons and daughters who come home wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “And that is what the BRAC projects have been about. We are intent on making sure that we meet the congressional mandate to a world-class capacity and infrastructure, both here at Bethesda and on Fort Belvoir.”

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service



 

Vets will get rides to VA hospital

Eastern Shore of Virginia veterans soon will have better access to medical services thanks to an initiative that will link volunteer drivers with veterans who need a ride to the Hampton VA Medical Center.

Volunteers with a valid Virginia driver's license are needed to drive a passenger van to Hampton whenever they can, with the goal being to have a pool of qualified volunteer drivers and to offer trips to the medical center three times a week starting in October.

Each trip should take five or six hours.

Monica Hall, the local veterans employment representative at the Virginia Employment Commission in Onley, is coordinating the program, which involves several agencies. She encouraged drivers to sign up for any amount of time they can give.

"There is no little amount," she said.

Anyone interested in volunteering should call Hall at 757-302-2014 or Star McGruder at the Hampton VAMC at 757-728-3148 for more information. Two driver orientation programs are planned for October.

Hall began looking for a solution after local veterans' need for transportation to their medical appointments across the bay became apparent during the course of her work, where she sees many clients who have been recently diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

"My job is to help veterans become employed, but there's so much more about a vet -- mental health, their actual medical health, everything -- as well as filing claims ... and helping them find jobs," Hall said, adding, "The largest population I'm seeing is (from) the Vietnam era; they're just now starting to trust again and they're willing to come through the door."

When she started the job two years ago, she contacted veterans' service organizations in the Hampton Roads region about holding monthly workshops here and otherwise helping Eastern Shore of Virginia veterans know about and gain access to benefits to which they are entitled.

Representatives from the Vet Center, Virginia Department of Veteran Services, the VA Rural Healthcare Initiative, the VEC, Virginia Wounded Warrior, Disabled Amer-ican Veterans Chapter 4 of Norfolk, the Virginia Small Business Development Center and Eastern Shore Community College now take part in the workshops, which are held the third Tuesday of each month in both Eastern Shore counties -- at 10 a.m. at the VEC, 26036 Lankford Highway, Onley and at 1:30 p.m. at Northampton County Department of Social Services, 5265 The Hornes, Eastville.

"I don't care what it takes; if I can get to a vet I'm going to get to them and at least make them aware of the services that are available to them," Hall said.

The license tag on her vehicle even spells out her mission -- it reads "VET REP."

In those workshops, transportation to the VA center in Hampton arose as one major need local veterans have. So over a year ago Hall and others began working on ways to meet that need.

The result is a cooperative effort between several organizations.

The DAV Transportation Network will coordinate riders and drivers and is providing the passenger van, which the Eastern Shore Community Services Board has agreed to house and maintain, Hall said.

The DAV also will pay for gas, tolls and insurance and the Accomack County Health Department will assist with required physicals for drivers.

The only thing drivers are asked to contribute is their time.

Hall, who herself is a Navy veteran, hopes at least some volunteers will come from the ranks of veterans. "I like to refer to this as vets helping vets. You don't have to be a vet to drive the van, but what better way to help fellow vets."

Hall also has heard from several sheriff's deputies who want to volunteer as drivers during their time off. "The Sheriff's Office is behind it 110 percent ... It's a good program," said Accomack County Sheriff Todd Godwin.

Hall also plans to volunteer as a driver herself.

She hopes the rides initiative along with other programs now offered on the Eastern Shore will encourage more local veterans to take advantage of services for which they are eligible.

"By doing the workshops, by getting the van, people are now coming out and saying, 'I am a vet.' And they should be proud of the fact that they are a veteran. You know, they served this wonderful country and I think we ought to see what we can do for them."

By Carol Vaughn

VA sends staffers overseas to chip away at disability exam backlog

With a backlog of more than 2,000 veterans who have settled overseas and are waiting for medical disability examinations, the Department of Veterans Affairs is sending a group of U.S.-based staffers to Okinawa to try to make some headway.

The effort is small, acknowledged Jeff Scarpiello, the VA’s deputy director of disability examination and management. The team leaving for the island Wednesday, the second of its kind, consists of one doctor, one nurse practitioner and one administrative support person.

They’re scheduled to see 41 veterans on Camp Lester in Naha. There are currently 341 veterans waiting for exams in Japan. Another 865 veterans are on a waiting list in Germany, along with 197 in South Korea and 110 in the United Kingdom, Scapiello said.

“It’s a pilot program, but there are a couple of reasons why the number is what it is,” Scarpiello  said.
Most veterans who apply for VA disability pensions undergo multiple examinations. During the first such trip to Okinawa in June, Scarpiello said, there were “39 veterans, but 247 exams.”

The VA has a foreign medical program overseas that mostly involves contracting with local medical providers to do the examinations, said Scarpiello, who is a disabled veteran himself. The process moves slowly in part because for foreign doctors, the VA process is, well, foreign.

“There’s also language barriers in some instances,” he said, adding that on Okinawa, the government contracts with a single local physician to handle many of the examinations.

The VA’s plan is to expand the program in the next fiscal year, with U.S.-based staffers going to to Tokyo in January or February, and three other locations during 2012.

Scarpiello acknowledged that bureaucratic hurdles slowed down the speed with which the team could deploy. His office first became involved in the effort in August 2010, but it took many months to send a team overseas.

“There were a lot of steps along the way we weren’t aware of,” he said, including figuring out how to get veterans who were no longer associated with the military onto a Navy base, identifying staff who would be willing and able to make the trip, setting up computers so that the examiners could link up to the VA’s network in the United States, and just getting approval for foreign travel.

Then, the first team’s departure was delayed because of the Japanese earthquake.

Though the effort moves slowly, Scarpiello said the VA staffers involved are proud to contribute.

“We were able to help a veteran that the embassy staff had been trying to assist for 5 years,” Scarpiello said. “That person was probably the most excited individual to see us.”

By Bill Murphy JR.
Stars and Stripes

Amputee Earns 'Sergeant Airborne' Title

Like thousands before him, Army Sgt. Joel Dulashanti donned an Airborne instructor black hat for the first time last month, signifying his completion of a detailed certification process with 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment.


Unlike those before him, he met the standard with a prosthetic leg, a partial knee replacement and the aftermath of internal injuries suffered during an ambush in Afghanistan. With his wounds, he could have taken a medical discharge from the Army, but the paratrooper chose to stay in -- and to remain Airborne all the way.

"It's still brand new," he said, "but it feels good to actually have my hat."

Dulashanti's determination in the face of adversity, evident at the unit, will be instrumental in training Airborne students, said Army Command Sgt. Maj. Chip Mezzaline, battalion command sergeant major. More than 17,000 students come through the battalion each year.

"He's had a traumatic injury and had the resilience to stay on active duty and serve as an instructor in a position that's high-risk," Mezzaline said. "It's in his character -- something you can't teach. It's something inside him that's going to drive him to be successful in whatever it is that he's doing. I don't think 'can't' is in his vocabulary.

“Being a ‘Sergeant Airborne’ -- a ‘black hat’ -- at the Basic Airborne Course will inspire numerous students coming through here," he added.

Mezzaline said Dulashanti completed the instructor certification program at a level "above the standard." He trained on the lateral-drift apparatus, the mock towers, the 250-foot tower, the swing-landing trainer and the spin harness, and memorized a block of instruction for the mock tower exit.

"He's a paratrooper," Mezzaline said. "He comes from the 82nd Airborne Division. That Airborne career he probably thought was cut short, but this is new life for him here at the Airborne school. I predict within the next year he'll be a jumpmaster, probably a senior-rated jumpmaster, and he'll be doing door checks, exiting students at 1,250 feet above Fryar Drop Zone.

"And with his level of motivation, he'll probably move on to that next mark and be a centurion, which is 100 exits out of an aircraft," he continued. "The sky's the limit for Sergeant Dulashanti here at the 507th."
Dulashanti said he wants to do everything he can -- from jumpmaster to centurion -- while stationed here. A six-year veteran, he arrived at the battalion in May. Four years earlier, he was deployed as a sniper attached to the 73rd Cavalry Regiment. He remembers the details vividly.

"We were chasing two guys -- they were on a mo-ped together and we were in Humvees," he said. "They took off in the field and the sniper team went out. It was about 110 degrees outside, over 6,000 feet above sea level, and with no humidity -- all you could smell was the earth and burnt grass. As we were walking in this knee-high grass, I started to smell body odor, so I stopped and turned to my right in the direction of the odor. They began to engage in contact.

"They had AK-47s and they were lying in the prone about 10 meters away," he continued. "I took two rounds to my right knee. As I was coming out of the sun, I was shot through my left knee. As I was falling, the next round that came through went under my arm, through my ribcage and, since I was parallel to the ground, it traversed my entire abdomen down to my pelvis. That round was the worst. We returned fire, and those guys were finished."

Two platoons donated plasma to him before he was evacuated to the United States. Once he arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., it took him eight months to be comfortable walking.

"The recovery process started off slow, [but] I accelerated fast," he said. "Most of the stuff can be replaced. I have a partial knee replacement on my left side. I have an above-the-knee amputation on my right side. I'm missing half of my stomach and 90 percent of my intestines and gall bladder, and half of my abdominal wall is gone."

He chose to stay in the Army in part for the fellow soldier recuperating alongside him in the hospital, he said.

"I had to set that example for the rest of the Army, just based on the fact they couldn't do it and they wanted to," he said. "Maybe in the future, somebody else will have an easier time getting to do stuff like this because I've done it already."

Since then, Dulashanti completed the Warrior Leader Course and the Advanced Leaders Course, among others. But his goal was to be part of Fort Benning's Airborne battalion.

"Mentally, I knew I could exit an aircraft, and I knew I was able to instruct people on how to exit an aircraft and to land on the ground properly," he said. "When I called about the job, the only question was, 'Can you jump out of planes?' and even though I hadn't done it, the answer was 'yes,' without a doubt. I knew I wouldn't be a safety hazard, so the answer was 'yes.'"

"It was pretty intense," Dulashanti said of the studying it took to pass the certification program, but other instructors helped him along the way.

"I have to kind of be on my ‘A’ game all the time," he said. "But at the same time, I do have limitations, so I have to make sure I take care of myself to prevent injury."

His "limitations" aren't something he tells every class of students about, but occasionally he mentions it or they find out. "Sometimes people ask me why I have a limp," he said. "I tell them I don't have a leg, so it's not really a limp."

His advice to other wounded warriors is simple: choose whether or not to have a positive outlook.
"Make up your mind," he said. "Everybody has to go through their own coping mechanisms. Sometimes you're in a denial state; when you come out of that denial state, then deal with what it is you have to deal with. Seek counseling if you have to. I never gave negativity even an opportunity to invade my mind. There was only one route for me in the first place."

By Cheryl Rodewig
1st Infantry Division




 

Suicide rates among troops increased over 10 years

Senior military leaders testified on Capitol Hill about helping service members who need mental health treatment.

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Vets Deserve Opportunity, Mullen Tells Florida Audience

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen has billed his frequent speaking engagements around the nation as a “Conversation With the Country,” and that proved especially fitting as three members of the military community spoke here today.



Marine Corps wife Karen Aguirre, Army reservist Harry Zayas and wounded warrior Jason Recio shared their military experiences with about 500 leaders, students and community members here at the University of Miami. The three were part of a panel discussion that preceded those of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“There is nothing a veteran can’t do,” Recio, a police officer with the municipal police department here, said. “And there’s nothing a veteran can’t do better.”

Recio was deemed 100 percent disabled from injuries he received in Iraq: his vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, and he was shot twice. He was medevaced to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, and spent three years recovering.

Recio wanted to be a police officer, but couldn’t find a department in southern Florida that would take a chance on him, based on his injuries. He battled back, and finally the Coral Gables department gave him a chance.

“That’s all I wanted,” Recio said, “a chance.”

The American people need to hear these stories, the chairman said. While they respect and honor service members, they don’t really understand the sacrifices men and women in uniform and their families have made and the stressors they face as the nation fights two wars.

Harry Zayas, an explosive ordnance expert, has deployed to Iraq. He will deploy again soon with his unit, this time to Afghanistan. Mullen noted the multiple deployments, the actions that many have been involved in overseas, and the stresses of readjusting to the United States.

Military families, too, are under stress. “They sit and wait, every single night” to find out if that is the day they receive news that a loved one is wounded or has made the ultimate sacrifice, he said.

The United States is entering its 11th year of war, the chairman said. The all-volunteer force has deployed for a year, been home for a year, then deployed again. The Army and Marines have borne the brunt, but sailors, airmen and Coast Guardsmen, too, have been stressed, he said.

And their children also have been affected. A 5-year-old in 2001 with a mom or dad in one of these high-deploying units has spent an entire conscious life with a parent at war, Mullen said. “We’ve never had this before,” he said.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. The Army is moving to nine-month deployments beginning next year, and soldiers will have 18 months at home. The other services are moving in that direction also. But warfare has changed, Mullen said, and service members will continue to deploy even after U.S. troops depart Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

Americans need to understand what service members and their families are going through, because “these young men and women have generated a debt we cannot repay,” Mullen said.

The military has 2.2 million people on active duty or in the National Guard or reserve components. All have volunteered, all make sacrifices, and all have made a difference. “We’ve been able to execute the missions in these two very difficult wars because of the support of these people and the support of the American people,” Mullen said.

By their service, soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have earned the respect and honor. When they get out of the military they have learned leadership and discipline, are technically qualified, and know how to put together teams to reach mutual goals, Mullen said.

“If I heard one message from the panel, it was, ‘Just give me a chance,’” he said. “Give me an opportunity. That’s all.”

If America invests in the generation serving today -- a generation he says “is hard-wired to serve” -- it will make a difference for 60 years, the chairman said.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service



 

9/11 Flag has new home

Millions are expected to visit the 9/11 flag at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City.

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Limited Public Access to Pentagon Memorial

Public access to the Pentagon Memorial will be limited this weekend due to formal ceremonies commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attack and private visitation of the site by survivors and surviving family members.  The memorial will be closed to the public on Sept. 11 until 6 p.m., and intermittently on Sept. 9 and 10.

While the memorial is normally open to the general public, visitors are asked to plan around these scheduled closures.

As previously announced, Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta will host a remembrance ceremony the morning of Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011, at the Pentagon Memorial, to honor the memory of those killed here in the 2001 terrorist attack.  This is a private remembrance for the family members of those lost in the terrorist attack and is not open to the general public.  Panetta and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen are scheduled to make remarks.

Opened on Sept. 11, 2008, the Pentagon Memorial is the first dedicated national commemorative to honor those killed during the 2001 terrorist attacks.  The Pentagon Memorial consists of 184 individual memorial units honoring the 59 passengers and crewmembers aboard American Airlines Flight 77 and the 125 men and women in the Pentagon, all of whom gave their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.  For more information on the Pentagon Memorial, please visit http://pentagonmemorial.org/ .


GEN Odierno becomes the Army's 38th Chief of Staff

During the change of responsibility ceremony, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta praised GEN Raymond Odierno's Army service.

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Military Retiree Pay Dates to Change

Paydays for military retirees and those who receive portions of retired pay are changing for the months of September and December, as the Defense Finance and Accounting Service changes its pay schedule to comply with the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act.


The 2011 NDAA requires military retiree pay to be processed on the first day of the month. When that day falls on a weekend or national holiday, the pay date is moved to the previous business day.

This year payments normally scheduled for Oct. 3, 2011 will be issued on Sept. 30, 2011 and payments normally scheduled for Jan. 3, 2012, will be issued on Dec. 30, 2011. For the calendar year 2011, this means military retirees will receive 13 rather than the normal 12 payments.

The 13th payday on Dec. 30 falls within the 2011 tax year, which could affect the tax liability of some retirees and those who receive portions of their retired pay. Customers should speak with a tax advisor, the Internal Revenue Service or their state tax authority to determine if their tax withholding will satisfy federal and state income taxes when they file returns next year. DFAS cannot provide tax advice.
For tax year 2012 and beyond, retirees will receive their normal 12 payments.

This change affects regular retired pay, Concurrent retirement and disability pay and combat related special compensation. The new rule also applies to retiree allotments, garnishments and court-ordered former spouse and child support payments. It does not affect annuity payments.

If retirees need to make changes to their federal or state tax withholding, the quickest and most secure way to do so is through myPay. Available 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week, myPay enables eligible users around the world to make routine changes to their pay information, including tax withholding, that become effective within days.

Customers who cannot access myPay can change federal withholding amounts by completing a new IRS Form W-4 or W-4P, or change state withholding amounts using a DD 2866. These forms can be found on the DFAS web site, www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/forms.html, and should be mailed or faxed to the below address once completed:

Defense Finance and Accounting Service
U.S. Military Retired Pay
P.O. Box 7130
London, KY 40742-7130
Fax: 800-469-6559

It may take up to 30 days for changes to be made when mailing in a paper form.

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service provides responsive, professional finance and accounting services to the men and women who defend America. DFAS pays about 6.4 million people and in FY 2010 made 8.1 million travel payments, paid 11.4 million commercial invoices, made $578 billion in disbursements to pay recipients, and managed $487.9 billion in military retirement and health benefits funds.

Defense Finance and Accounting Service

Stars and Stripes recognizes service members' valor

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A decade after the 9/11 attacks, Americans live in an era of endless war

This is the American era of endless war.

To grasp its sweep, it helps to visit Fort Campbell, Ky., where the Army will soon open a $31 million complex for wounded troops and those whose bodies are breaking down after a decade of deployments.

The Warrior Transition Battalion complex boasts the only four-story structure on the base, which at 105,000 acres is more than twice the size of Washington, D.C. The imposing brick-and-glass building towers over architecture from earlier wars.

“This unit will be around as long as the Army is around,” said Lt. Col. Bill Howard, the battalion commander.

As the new complex rises, bulldozers are taking down the last of Fort Campbell’s World War II-era buildings. The white clapboard structures were hastily thrown up in the early 1940s as the country girded to battle Nazi Germany and imperial Japan. Each was labeled with a large letter “T.” The buildings, like the war the country was entering, were supposed to be temporary.

The two sets of buildings tell the story of America’s embrace of endless war..........

By Greg Jaffe, Washington Post


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Vietnam Vet Finds Buddy's Grave 43 Years On

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VA Posts Online List of Ships Associated with Presumptive Agent Orange Exposure

Veterans who served aboard U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships operating on the waters of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, may be eligible to receive Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation for 14 medical conditions associated with presumptive exposure to Agent Orange.  

An updated list of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships confirmed to have operated on Vietnam’s inland waterways, docked on shore, or had crewmembers sent ashore, has been posted at http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/ to assist Vietnam Veterans in determining potential eligibility for compensation benefits. 

“Posting of the ships list is an important recognition of the sacrifices U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Veterans made for this Nation,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.  “It provides an easier path for Veterans who served in Vietnam to get the benefits and services they are entitled to under the law.”

VA presumes herbicide exposure for any Veteran with duty or visitation within the country of Vietnam or on its inland waterways during the Vietnam era.  Comprehensive information about the 14 recognized illnesses under VA’s “presumption” rule for Agent Orange is also located on the webpage.

In practical terms, Veterans with qualifying Vietnam service who develop a disease associated with Agent Orange exposure need not prove a medical link between their illnesses and their military service.  This presumption simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.  

For questions about Agent Orange and the online list of ships, Veterans may call VA’s Special Issues Helpline at 1-800-749-8387 and press 3.

When a claim is filed by a Veteran, surviving spouse or child, VA will determine whether the Veteran qualifies for the presumption of exposure based on official records of the ship’s operations.   Ships will be regularly added to the list based on information confirmed in these official records. 

Even if a Veteran is not filing a claim, a Veteran may conduct his or her own research and submit scanned documentary evidence such as deck logs, ship histories, and cruise book entries via email to 211_AOSHIPS.VBACO@va.gov.

Service on board ships anchored in an open water harbor, such as Da Nang Harbor, or on ships on other open waters around Vietnam during the war, is not considered sufficient for the presumption of Agent Orange exposure.  For Veterans interested in obtaining deck logs, contact the National Archives at College Park, Md., at http://www.archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park/researcher-info.html.   

The Agent Orange Claims Processing System website located at https://www.fasttrack.va.gov/AOFastTrack/ may be used to submit claims related to the three conditions added to the list of Agent Orange presumptives last year (Parkinson’s disease, hairy cell and other chronic B-cell leukemias, and ischemic heart disease).  

This website makes it easy to electronically file a claim and allows Veterans and their physicians to upload evidence supporting the claim.  It also permits online viewing of claim status.  

Veterans claiming other conditions may file online at VA’s My-eBenefits web site at: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal.  They can check the status of their claim with a premium account (confirming their identity), and use a growing number of online services.  

Servicemembers may enroll in My-eBenefits using their Common Access Card at any time during their military service, or before they leave during their Transition Assistance Program briefings.  

Veterans may also enroll through their myPay or MyHealtheVet accounts, by visiting their local VA regional office or Veteran Service Organization, or by calling 1-800-827-1000.

Mullen Praises Military Support Organizations

Volunteer organizations that improve the lives of service members and their families must continue their leadership in today’s challenging times, Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today at the Newman’s Own Foundation Awards ceremony held in the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes.

Six nonprofit military support organizations were awarded a total of $75,000 for their work to better the lives of service members and their families, courtesy of Newman’s Own Foundation and the event’s cosponsors: the Fisher House Foundation and Military Times.

“We must make sure these programs continue and expand to make a difference for our military and their families,” Mullen told the audience of Defense Department officials and nonprofit military organizations.

“The families of the fallen, families whose lives have changed forever, and the veterans who are coming back by the hundreds of thousands must be cared for,” Mullen continued. “The veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan will return to the communities and we’ve got to contact them [to] make sure they’re going to be OK.”

The nation’s military veterans have kept Americans safe, Mullen said.

“And we need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to make their lives better,” he added.

The chairman thanked the 186 organizations that competed for the awards and the six that took top honors.

Mullen’s wife, Deborah, was among the judges, which also included Lynne Pace, wife of retired Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, a former JCS chairman, and Mary Jo Myers, wife of retired Air Force Gen.

Richard B. Myers, also a former JCS chairman.

“It was tough competition and that’s a good thing,” Mullen said. “Thank you for your consistent, persistent dedication.”
Mullen praised the military-support work of sponsors Ken Fisher and his family of the Fisher House Foundation, the Military Times staff, and Newman’s Own Foundation.

The six winning organizations received amounts totaling $75,000, with the Knights of Heroes Summer Camp, Knights of Heroes Foundation, in Colorado Springs, Colo., taking the highest honor and corresponding $15,000 award.

The Knights of Heroes Summer Camp supports boys and girls who lost their fathers to the war. It is a one-on-one mentoring program for children between the ages of 11 and 17 who are invited to attend at no cost.

Organizations awarded $12,000 include:

-- Little Heroes, of the Armed Services YMCA, Fort Campbell, Ky., offers a school program for 3- and 4-year-old children of deployed military parents.

-- Teddy’s Child Watch, of Armed Services YMCA of Alaska, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, is a child care service available at no cost to service members and immediate family while attending appointments at the hospital.

-- National Guard Employment Program, Helping our Heroes at Home, of the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network, Lake St. Louis, Mo. helps military spouses, wounded warriors and their caregivers.

-- Emergency Subsidies, Military Women in Need, Los Angeles, provides housing assistance and resource and referral services..

-- Wounded Warrior Family Care Program, Quality of Life Foundation, Woodbridge, Va., develops and implement strategies to improve the quality of life for those individuals affected by limiting barriers.

By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service


USNS Comfort Completes Humanitarian Mission

Another chapter comes to a close today aboard the USNS Comfort when it docks at Norfolk, Va., after five months at sea supporting the Continuing Promise 2011 humanitarian assistance mission.

The hulking hospital ship -- three football fields long and one wide -- delivered medical, dental, veterinary and engineering assistance in the Caribbean Basin, Central America and South America.

“First and foremost [the mission] demonstrates the United States' commitment to the Caribbean Basin and Central and South America,” Navy Capt. Brian Nickerson, Continuing Promise mission commander, said.
The deployed hospital ship was there for humanitarian assistance, but also to support U.S. defense strategy in the region.

“This region is inextricably linked to the economic, political, cultural, and security fabric of the United States,” Nickerson said. “This deployment also enables us to engage with regional partners and improve interoperability, relationships which could be called upon in the event of a regional crisis.”

From April through September, members of Continuing Promise 2011 provided medical services in surgery, neurology, emergency medicine, orthopedics, anesthesiology, dentistry, family medicine, pediatrics, preventive medicine, diagnostics and veterinarian support, ship officials said.

Doctors and staff saw nearly 70,000 patients and performed more than 1,100 surgeries in nine countries -- Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haití, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Peru.

The crew’s doctors came from the Navy, Army, Air Force and U.S. Public Health Service. Also onboard were civilian marines, nongovernment organization volunteers and partner-nation military members.

The USNS Comfort, at 894-feet long, is three football fields long and one wide, with 250 hospital beds and an 850-person team -- from volunteers and linguists to engineers and a large medical staff.

In Jamaica, medical personnel trained practitioners to tell the difference between healthy babies and those who need assistance after birth, and how to provide life-saving care in its "Helping Babies Breathe" training.

"The purpose … is to reduce unnecessary neo-natal deaths worldwide," Dr. Tom Dionne, master instructor and American Academy of Pediatrics volunteer, said in an earlier report. He added that many infants die because of their birthing attendant's lack of knowledge and equipment.

Veterinarians treated more than 8,200 animals during the mission, giving vaccines and de-worming medicines in addition to spaying and neutering domestic pets for their owners in nine countries.

Comfort arrived at its final mission stop in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Aug. 18. There, the ship’s crew treated about 1,450 patients and performed 15 surgeries before Tropical Storm Irene began to bear down on the island. The hospital ship got under way Aug. 21 and anchored at a safe haven until the storm passed.

While the medical staff was busy caring for patients, the mission’s Seabees and Marines undertook 16 engineering projects, mission officials said. They built two classrooms from the ground up in Colombia, and rehabilitated a medical clinic in Nicaragua. They also distilled 8,300,000 gallons of water.

The engineer team also remedied electric and plumbing issues, installed fences and security bars, and added a basketball hoop to a school playground.

“The relationships forged through operations like Continuing Promise fosters trust, collaboration, and cooperation with our friends and allies,” Nickerson said, adding the mission “also be characterized as defense support to public diplomacy in that it supports both regional and national objectives as well as the U.S. Global Maritime Strategy.”

After it leaves Norfolk, the USNS Comfort will return to its berth in Baltimore sometime next week, according to Navy Lt. Stephanie Homick, Continuing Promise 2011 deputy public affairs officer.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Also contributing to this report was Navy Lt. Stephanie Homick, Continuing Promise 2011 deputy public affairs officer.)

By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service