A local Starbucks is sponsoring an Armed Forces Network event this Saturday, 2 March 2019. Tap on the thumbnail of the flyer for when and where.
It is difficult to know what to make of this event and its ultimate intentions — beyond a free cup of coffee and public relations — if you listen to the buzz, (more…)
Priorities, smy-orities … five, six or ten … different ones almost every time you look … when it comes to the Department of Veterans Affairs (and federal agencies in general). It is time to do a little house cleaning as the new year begins because, in these times, on what the VA concentrates will dramatically change its operations in the coming years. For example, implementing the Mission Act listed below is no ‘small potatoes’ matter.
In his words, the Secretary of the VA, Mr. Wilkie, has now whittled down the Department of Veterans Affairs’ strategic priorities for 2019 to four: (more…)
To add to the sorry saga of inaction by our senators, here is the latest as reported in the Stars and Stripes: ### As of 14 December 2018
As has been reported, the Blue Water Navy’s Agent Orange bill continues to be stalled in the Senate despite years of effort to correct a poor decision made by the the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2002 (a reversal of policy) and its obfuscating subsequently. This year, the House finally got the the gumption to act and unanimously passed H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2018, in July to end the injustice of denying Vietnam, Korean DMZ, and Thailand veterans who suffer from life-threatening health conditions related to exposure to Agent Orange the care and benefits they deserve.
Our senators have yet to prove themselves equally concerned and courageous. (more…)
As an update, the Senate continues to stall since we have last written on the bill. From the VFW, which emphasizes the importance of acting now in whatever way you can:
“During the Vietnam War, veterans who served in the offshore waters of Vietnam drank, bathed in, and cooked with water contaminated by Agent Orange. They are now arbitrarily and unjustly denied benefits for illnesses associated (more…)
Photo, Army Times, 1969
As part of the continuing saga, we update you once again …
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) met last Tuesday (18 September) with the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie, to persuade him to cease his and his department’s re-doubled efforts to scuttle H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Act, now in the Senate for consideration. (more…)
The behavior of the Senate on the issue of the Blue Water Navy’s exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam Conflict has been less than noble — nor has it done its job. Over the decades, it has conveniently allowed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to lead it by the nose and to provide an excuse for inaction. (more…)
Annually, Zion UCC (see flyer) annually reads the Declaration of Independence at a Sunday Service. It serves as a reminder of how special a nation we are, and how blessed we are to have our liberties and freedoms — though we often take them for granted in our our workaday lives. Easton also does this on July 8, the day in 1776 the Declaration was first read in this area. At the time, Easton was the seat of county government for what are now Lehigh and Northampton counties. Both events are worth the trip, for they cause us to think on how the Declaration of Independence came about.H.R. 299, The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017 [2018], introduced by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) edged one step closer to passage on 25 June with a 382-0 House vote. If enacted, the Act would restore eligibility for VA healthcare and disability compensation for (more…)
We thought it would happen on Memorial Day. Instead, it happened on 6 June 2018 (D-Day). The President finally signed the VA MISSION Act of 2018 upon which we have previously reported .
According to the VFW’s Action Corps Weekly of 8 June, “ ‘The VA MISSION Act will help improve the care our veterans get at the VA while leveraging the capabilities of the private sector when needed. It will help recruit the best talent at the VA, which is what our veterans deserve, and it also extends caregiver benefits to every veteran who needs it,’ … The VA MISSION Act was the result of a bipartisan and bicameral effort led by Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Sen. Johnny Isakson, Ranking Member Sen. Jon Tester and House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Rep. Phil Roe, M.D.” (more…)