Veterans

In an open letter, VFW Commander-in-Chief Glen Gardner is urging his 1.6 million members to help OEF/OIF veterans cope with the stresses of war.

May 29, 2009 -- Dear Comrades:

There is an enemy in our midst that is having a devastating effect on our servicemen and women in the field and at home. That enemy is stress.

Since 9/11, more military personnel and veterans have committed suicide than the total dead from both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined, and this tragedy is occurring despite the best of intentions and programs offered by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. That is because the need has overwhelmed the capacity of government and civilian mental health centers. It's also because some people simply refuse to admit they need help.    » read more »

May 28, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki today told U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that he wants to try to ease the serious VA healthcare access problems facing veterans in rural Alaska.

At a meeting in the senator’s office, Murkowski invited Shinseki to visit Alaska and see those challenges first hand. Shinseki said he would like to visit the state.

Murkowski used the 45-minute meeting with Shinseki to reiterate a variety of concerns regarding VA healthcare in Alaska.    » read more »

"Program will reach out to veterans in Bend, The Dalles, Eugene, Grants Pass, Klamath Falls, and other communities"

May 28, 2009 -- Washington, D.C.- Continuing efforts to make sure all of Oregon’s veterans have access to the quality medical care they deserve, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D- Ore.) announced today that the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center will receive $1.9 million to improve mental health treatment for veterans in rural Oregon.    » read more »

May 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney Will A. Gunn, a retired Air Force colonel, took the oath of office yesterday as General Counsel of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) following his recent Senate confirmation.

“I’m thrilled by the opportunity to serve as VA’s General Counsel,” Gunn said. “I’m also humbled and deeply honored by the confidence that President Obama and Secretary Shinseki have shown in me with this appointment.

“Veterans hold a special place in my heart,” he added. “I look forward to helping lead a transformation at VA to make the department more people-centric, results oriented, and forward looking than ever before. I look forward to serving as VA’s General Counsel and consider it both a blessing and a sacred trust.”    » read more »

New Mobility for Veterans, Service Members, Other Americans

May 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a three-year study of an advanced artificial arm that easily allows those with severe limb loss to pick up a key or hold a pencil.

“This arm is a high-tech example of how VA researchers are continually modernizing the materials, design, and clinical use of artificial limbs to meet Veterans’ lifestyle and medical needs,” says Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA’s Chief Research and Development Officer.    » read more »

May 26th, 2009 - Washington, D.C. -- Senator John Thune today commented on the announcement by the Veterans Health Administration that the Office of Rural Health will allocate over $1.5 million for mental health services for veterans living in rural areas surrounding Sioux Falls, South Dakota and St. Cloud, Minnesota. Overall, the Office of Rural Health is releasing $215 million nationwide to improve health care services for veterans in rural areas.

"Currently, there are three million veterans enrolled in the VA health care system who live in rural communities, where many face decreased access to medical care," said Thune. "The Office of Rural Health is making a commitment to better serve rural veterans in South Dakota and across the nation, and I am proud to support this effort."    » read more »

DAV Leader Thanks Senator for Support of Veterans Issues

May 26, 2009 -- Fargo – In recognition of Memorial Day services for America's veterans, Senator Kent Conrad today met with Fargo-area veterans and veteran care leaders to discuss the recently-adopted Congressional budget resolution, which boosts federal support for veterans’ health care.

“We have a solemn obligation to honor our veterans by delivering the best health care our federal government can provide,” Senator Conrad said. “This new budget makes great progress, yet still more needs to be done. We need to continue to work to ensure our veterans of today and tomorrow receive the care and respect they deserve.”    » read more »

In-State Tuition, Foreclosure Protection Among Bills Signed by Governor

May 26, 2009 -- WATERLOO – A day after Americans observed Memorial Day, Iowa Governor Chet Culver visited the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum to sign four bills into law to benefit veterans and service members.

The legislation signed by Governor Culver includes enabling veterans to pay in-state college tuition in Iowa and strengthening foreclosure protections for families of Iowans on active duty.    » read more »

May 25, 2009 -- The President returned from Camp David last night so that this morning he could have breakfast with Gold Star Families in the State Dining Room, participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, and speak at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery:

President Barack Obama, Memorial Day 2009: President Barack Obama bows his head for a moment of silence at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, May 25, 2009. White House Photo, Lawrence Jackson.

"Here lie Presidents and privates; Supreme Court justices and slaves; generals familiar to history, and unknown soldiers known only to God.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has a message for Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki when they meet next week in her office here: Get serious about fixing the serious VA healthcare access problems facing veterans in rural Alaska.

Murkowski, a member of the Senate Appropriations Veterans Affairs Subcommittee, laid out her concerns in a letter she sent to Shinseki today (see attachment).

Alaska’s senior senator expressed deep disappointment that a new $215 million VA funding initiative for veterans in rural areas would do little to ease the access problems for rural Alaska veterans, many of whom live in remote villages and have no direct road access to VA healthcare facilities.    » read more »

May 25, 2009 -- “Memorial Day is a day when we pause as a nation to give thanks to the more than one million brave men and women who have given their lives for their country. It is a day to remember that the rights we hold dear and the freedoms we cherish are not without sacrifice. New York is proud of the men and women who have stepped forward to serve. They have displayed selfless devotion to preserve the liberties and freedoms enjoyed not only in the United States, but throughout the world.    » read more »

May 22, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – From parades to somber ceremonies and a moment of silence, Americans will recall the sacrifices of military members who paid the ultimate price for freedom on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25.

“From May 23 to May 30, commemorative events at VA national cemeteries will present a sacred responsibility for employees and volunteers to honor these greatest of American heroes,” said Steve Muro, VA’s acting under secretary for memorial affairs. “Since the birth of Memorial Day in 1866, national cemeteries have been the most visible expression of our country’s gratitude for their service.”    » read more »

Bills would help rural veterans and caregivers, and provide advance funding for VA care

May 21, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, chaired by Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), approved comprehensive legislation to better enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the needs of veterans and their families.

The bills approved today will help veterans in rural areas receive better health care, establish a permanent program to support veterans' caregivers, and secure timely and transparent funding for VA's health care system through advance appropriations.    » read more »

BURLINGTON, May 18, 2009 – As the nation prepares to observe Memorial Day, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today highlighted two important new benefits for veterans in Vermont and across the country.

A new GI Bill will dramatically boost education benefits for veterans who enlisted after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Another reform Sanders fought for as a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will reopen the doors of VA hospitals and clinics to many middle-class veterans knocked off the eligibility rolls six years ago.    » read more »

May 18, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, praised his colleagues for confirming four of President Barack Obama's nominees to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) tonight: Roger W. Baker, Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology; Will A. Gunn, General Counsel; Jose D. Riojas, Assistant Secretary for Operations, Security, and Preparedness; and John U. Sepulveda, Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration. They join Secretary Eric Shinseki, Deputy Secretary Scott Gould, and Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth as part of VA's growing team of confirmed leaders.    » read more »