Military Connection Archives

Military Connection: VA Reform Bill Passes: By Debbie Gregory

August 4, 2014/in Archived Blogs

The long awaited legislation designed to reform the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has been passed by both houses of Congress, and is pending President Obama’s signature before it can be enacted.

The bill, known as the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014, is a compromise between the House and Senate bills. After being re-worked to include the best of both existing bills, it passed overwhelmingly in each house during separate votes last week. On Wednesday, July 30, 2014 the bill passed in the House by a vote of 420-5. Late Thursday evening, the bill was passed in the Senate by a vote of 91-3.

The bill earmarks $16.3 billion to expand programs and benefits for Veterans. Included in this amount is $10 billion to expand healthcare options for Veterans who are unable to receive timely appointments within the VA system. This provision allows these Veterans to seek care from providers outside the VA system. The bill also allots $5 billion to enable the VA to hire more doctors and nurses to handle a greater number of caseloads, and $1.3 billion to finance 27 new VA facilities across the country.

Also included in the act are improvements to Veteran education benefits. Under section 702 of the pending bill, there is an incentive for schools to charge the in-state tuition for Veterans, their spouses and children when they use VA education benefits such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Conversely, the legislation proposes to disapprove future benefits at public schools that charge tuition rates higher than in-state rates to any Veteran who served more than 90 days active service and separated no more than three years before enrollment.

There are provisions for Veteran students already enrolled in school, and a timetable for schools out of compliance to comply. If approved, public colleges and universities would be forced to charge all Veterans in-state tuition rates, *or* risk losing all of their GI Bill students. More than 30 states already require their public schools to make exceptions for out of state Veteran students using their education benefits.

The president is expected to sign the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 into law.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: VA Reform Bill Passes: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: USAF Prepares for Future Foes: By Debbie Gregory

August 4, 2014/in Archived Blogs

Since 2001, the U.S. military has been engaged in constant warfare against enemies who do not possess anywhere near the level of technology and training that our forces have. Because the fighting has been mainly ground combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, our Air Force has been mostly grounded, in terms of both fighting aerial battles and researching new advancements in warfare that would be needed to fight an opponent closer to our technological equal.

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of the budget for every military branch was spent on manpower and logistics needed for those campaigns. Training for fighting advanced military forces took a backseat.

Now that our forces are currently out of Iraq and in the process of withdrawing from Afghanistan, the Air Force is the first branch to jump at the opportunity to prepare itself to fight an adversary that possesses advanced weaponry and defense systems.

This entails training jet pilots to combat surface-to-air missiles, in order to expose them to as-close-to combat scenarios as possible. During the Vietnam War, the Air Force discovered that most pilots were going to get shot down within their first ten combat missions. With that in mind, if the Air Force can make their training as complex and representative to combat as can be, they can almost provide the equivalent of the pilots’ first ten missions in a training environment, thus sending more experienced pilots into the skies.

One of the main training centers for training of this type is held at Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas. Nellis is home to the Air Force’s Red Flag air combat exercise. Red Flag provides Air Force pilots with the intense, chaotic training regiments that are intended to replace a new pilot’s first ten missions. Programs such as Red Flag saw a huge drop in funding during the past twelve years of war.

With constant threats of war looming in several corners of the world, the danger of possibly having to fight an opponent closer to our operational capabilities is real. Russia’s daily infringement on Ukraine’s sovereignty, the war in Gaza, and the ever-present possibility of increased tensions with North Korea, Iran and a number of other nations could send America to war with countries that are equipped with weapons more advanced than those of Al Qaida and the Taliban.

Let us hope that diplomacy will continue to keep our nation’s citizens and interests safe from harm. But our military needs to be prepared in case the day comes when diplomacy fails.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: USAF Prepares for Future Foes: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Have You Used These VA Tools? By Debbie Gregory

August 3, 2014/in Archived Blogs

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working harder than ever to provide Veterans with the resources needed to succeed in their post-military careers. Currently, there are programs and benefits available to Veterans and service members so that they can be competitive in their desired educational program, find sustainable employment, and smoothly transition into civilian life.

The VA recently revamped their GI Bill website, with additional tools to aid Veterans and their dependents choose their educational paths. The most notable addition is The GI Bill Comparison Tool. This useful table provides users with GI Bill information about their potential schools, including eligibility, tuition costs, monthly housing allowance payments and stipend amounts. Additional information is provided regarding the schools’ participation in Veteran programs, as well as how many GI Bill students used their benefits at those schools within the last year, graduation rates, and student borrowing rates.

The VA is also increasing its efforts to better assist Veterans with service-connected disabilities through its Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. This program helps service-disabled Veterans obtain job training, find jobs *****or***** start their own businesses, and it provides independent living services to help them overcome barriers to work situations.

From the GI Bill Comparison Tools’ page, Veterans have instant access to all of this information, and also links to CareerScope, the Decision Guide for choosing a school, Education and Career counseling, the Career Center, and a direct link to apply for GI Bill Benefits. These easy-access, highly informative tools make the VA’s GI Bill website a must-have on every Veteran’s favorites tab.

This article could not be written without the effort, dedication and hard work of Rosye Cloud and her staff at the VA. Ms. Cloud is the Senior Advisor for Veteran Employment for the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Office of Economic Opportunity. She is also a contributor to the VA’s blog, VAntage Point.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Have You Used These VA Tools? By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Bill Could Affect Benefits: By Debbie Gregory

August 2, 2014/in Archived Blogs

On June 20, 2014, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act 2015 passed in the House. It has since worked its way through the Senate’s Committee on Appropriations. The committee passed a version of the bill on July 17^th, and now the bill is facing the Senate floor, just in time to try to beat Congress’s August break.

Included in the bill is language that could put an end to the targeting of service members, Veterans, and their families by for-profit colleges and universities. The bill could place new restrictions on some of the service-earned education benefits currently used toward for-profit education.

If the provision reaches the final passed version, it could mean changes in the language of the “90/10 rule,” which is used to cap federal funding to for-profit colleges. Under the current 90/10 rule, there is a provision in the law that prohibits for-profit colleges and universities from deriving more than 90% of their revenue from the U.S. Department of Education’s federal student aid programs. The other 10% needs to come from sources other than the federal government.

Department of Defense programs like Tuition Assistance for active-duty service members and MyCAA for military spouses are currently not included in the 90/10 calculation. The new legislation would count these DOD programs against the schools’ 10%.

If passed, the legislation could require the Department of Defense to better track how the Tuition Assistance and MyCAA funding is being spent by for-profit colleges. It could also prevent DOD funds funds from being used for advertising and marketing purposes by the schools.

While many for-profit schools are highly utilized by military students, and often lead to sustainable post-military professions, unfortunately there are some schools who take advantage of the system.

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Whether the provisions are included in the bill when it passes *****or***** not, military and Veteran students and their dependents should research their prospective school’s track record before enrolling. There are plenty of ways to check to see if a school is military friendly. You can start by checking the school’s info on the VA’s GI Bill Comparison Tool from Military Connection’s Education page.

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Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Bill Could Affect Ed. Benefits: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Navy’s Budget Too High: By Debbie Gregory

August 1, 2014/in Archived Blogs

Whether it’s to protect shipping lanes, provide humanitarian aid following a catastrophe, **or** supporting our interests and our allies in conflict, our Navy functions to be positioned where it matters, when it matters, anywhere around the world. Like the advertisements say, the U.S. Navy is “a global force for good.”

Keeping up a global presence for the world’s finest Navy is an expensive venture. Maintaining technologically relevant and operation-ready ships is a constant task, and an unceasing expenditure. The Navy’s recent release of its Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for FY2015, commonly referred to as the Navy’s 30-year Shipbuilding Plan, shows that the branch will not meet its shipbuilding needs with current funding.

The Navy’s shipbuilding budget has averaged approximately $13 billion/year. According to the report, prepared by the office of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Navy won’t be able to sustain the building of new ships between the years of 2025-2034, with the current amount of funding.

The report outlines challenges that the Navy will face when attempting to increase its fleet from 289 to 306 vessels. The bulk of the increased ships will come from the eventual building of twelve new Ohio-class submarines. There are also two more Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, one more America-class amphibious assault ship, and several more Freedom-class and Independence-class littoral combat ships. And of course, some current ships will be decommissioned in the process as well.

The Navy estimates that the average cost during the period between FY2025-2034, when the service will be spending the most, will be $19.7 billion a year. This includes the estimated $24 billion per year in FY2032, when building is expected to be at its peak.

The report found that even if the Ohio-class building project was completely removed from the Navy’s shipbuilding plan, the costs for maintaining and replenishing their fleet would still be over $15 billion per year, starting in 2020.

While immediate projects are not affected, Congress and the Department of the Navy need to figure out a workable budget sooner rather than later, one that doesn’t involve cutting everything. Maintaining a progressive Navy is critical to U.S. military success, and to the American way of life.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard &amp,amp, Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Navy’s Budget Too High: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Tragedy Hits Military Family: By Debbie Gregory

August 1, 2014/in Archived Blogs

When Americans plan their vacations, we try to plan for everything. When service members plan for vacations, you can increase that ten-fold. But no one could have planned for the heart-wrenching end to this military family’s trip.

Army Sergeant First Class (SFC) Ommy Irizarry and his wife Rebecca were celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary. The couple and their three children Oceana, Ommy Jr. and Ava were vacationing in Venice, Florida from SFC. Irizarry’s duty station at Fort Stewart, Georgia.

On Sunday, July 27^th, the Iraq War Veteran and nine year old Oceana were walking on Caspersen Beach, collecting shells and shark teeth, when the two were struck by a small plane that had lost power and was forced to crash land. Witnesses reported that the plane made no sound as it neared the beach, and that SFC. Irizarry and Oceana most likely never heard the approaching plane. Unfortunately, they were unable to get out of the way.

SFC. Irizarry, 36, died at the scene. Oceana died two days later at All Children’s Hospital. She is remembered as a quick-witted, artistic child who had many friends, and loved her family.

SFC. Irizarry is a native of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. He joined the Army in 2002 and deployed twice to Iraq. He is remembered as an exemplary soldier, mentor, friend, father and husband.

On the morning of the accident, the Irizarry’s ninth wedding anniversary, SFC. Irizarry posted the following message on his Facebook:

“Today, 9 years ago, I tied my life to my beautiful wife, Rebecca Irizarry. Wow, how fast time has passed! They say time flies when you are having fun. It is true. Thank you for being with me through thick and thin. I love you with all my heart, mi Roma. I am very happy and can’t wait to see what the next 100 have in store for us. I love you, Becci.”

Whenever tragedy strikes a military family, it resonates throughout the military community. Our deepest condolences and sympathies go out to the Irizarry family. Friends of the family have started The Irizarry Family Memorial Fund. Please follow the link to donate to the family *or* say a few encouraging words in their time of need.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard &amp, Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: Tragedy Hits Military Family: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: U.S. Army Mourns 3 Fallen: By Debbie Gregory

July 31, 2014/in Archived Blogs

While the focus of military/Veteran minded Americans has been on VA reform, Military budget cuts and Veterans transitioning back into civilian life, it is important to remember that while war continues, the lives of those who serve are still in peril. The ongoing loss of American lives serves to remind us of this fact.

On Thursday, July 24, 2014, two U.S. Army soldiers were killed in Afghanistan. Additionally, another soldier died stateside from an illness linked to his deployment in Afghanistan.

The three deceased soldiers have been identified as:

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Prange, 30, from Hickam, Nebraska

Pfc. Keith Williams, 19, from Visalia, California

Pfc. Donnell Hamilton, 20, from Kenosha, Wisconsin

Staff Sgt. Prange and Pfc. Williams died in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, as the result of an explosion from an improvised explosive device. Both soldiers were members of the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division out of Fort Carson, Colo.

Pfc. Hamilton died at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was being treated for an illness that he contracted during his deployment to the Ghanzi province with the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas.

U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan are scheduled to conclude at the end of this year. However, the Commander-in-chief has said that as many as 10,000 U.S. soldiers could remain in Afghanistan if a security agreement between the two nations is made.

The families, friends and comrades of these fallen soldiers have our deepest sympathy.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: U.S. Army Mourns 3 Fallen: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Hats off to W.NV’s Student Vet. Club: By Joe Silva

July 31, 2014/in Archived Blogs

It is always maddening to hear stories in the news about cowardly criminals targeting the elderly. The stories can be even more aggravating for Veterans when they hear that the victim was one of their own.

WWII Veteran James Sorrentino is 101 years old. He served in the Army Air Corps and Air Force. On the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, 2014, Sorrentino was the victim of a home invasion robbery and physical attack committed by two gutless thieves. It has been reported that the thieves only came away with Sorrentino’s wristwatch, a pocket knife and his wallet, which contained about $30. The news hits you right in the gut!

But the story did not end with the attack and robbery. The two spineless cowards, Robert Hernandez and Jordan Burkhart, have both been arrested for their crime and pleaded guilty in a district court this week. Both men face sentencing on August 26^th in Carson City.

Along with justice being served, the ending gets even better for victim Sorrentino. Earlier this month, he was surprised with a check for $1,000 from members of the Western Nevada College’s Student Veterans Club. The club raised the money through a June poker benefit. The younger Veterans wanted to show their very senior rolemodel that the community stands behind him.

We at Military Connection thank James Sorrentino for his service, and offer our heartfelt apologies for the terrible crime committed against him. We would also like to recognize Western Nevada College’s Student Veterans Club and their thoughtfulness and willingness to act when they saw a need. They made a difference in another Veteran’s life, proving that patriotism, camaraderie and honor don’t stop once you take off your uniform.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard & Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: 101 year old Veteran Robbed: By Joe Silva

Military Connection: New VA Sec. Confirmed: By Debbie Gregory

July 30, 2014/in Archived Blogs

On July 29, 2014, the Senate unanimously confirmed Robert McDonald as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

By a vote of 97-0, the Senate approved President Obama’s nomination to head the VA. McDonald is tasked with the duty of repairing the integrity, efficiency and reputation of the VA.

McDonald takes over for Acting-Secretary Sloan Gibson, who has been temporarily running the VA since Gen. Eric Shinseki resigned on May 30^th. The VA has been inundated by criticism in regards to the long wait-times for Veterans to receive healthcare, and the substantiated reports of employees conspiring to cover up the wait-times.

Hailing from Cincinnati, 61 year old McDonald is the former CEO of Procter &amp,amp,amp,amp, Gamble. As VA Secretary, he will be expected to address the short-cummings and outright failures of the department. McDonald vowed to transform the VA, and said that improving Veterans’ access to healthcare will be a top priority for him.

Lawmakers, Veterans and Veteran advocates have all stated their agreement that McDonald faces a colossal task as VA Secretary. Not only will Sec. McDonald be expected to create transparency and accountability within the VA system, but he also faces the scores of other uphill battles that the VA is fighting.

The VA is still working to eliminate homelessness among Veterans, and to decrease its lengthy claims backlog. McDonald may receive aid for these bouts in the form of an estimated $17 billion VA reform bill that is expected to pass in Congress this week.

But even after Congress passes a bill, be it this summer ****or**** in the fall, McDonald is inheriting a VA that is coping with an intolerably high Veteran suicide rate, as well as scores of claims from wounded Veterans, including PTSD and those coping with sexual assaults.

McDonald has reported his plan to include improving communication within the VA, which includes more than 300,000 employees in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As part of this plan, McDonald said that he will host frequent video conferences with employees, and travel to field offices around the country.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.

Military Connection: New VA Sec. Confirmed: By Debbie Gregory

Military Connection: Concussion Coach App: By Debbie Gregory

July 30, 2014/in Archived Blogs

Each year, thousands of military service members are treated for concussions and traumatic brain injuries. These injuries occur can occur in both combat and training environments. But brain injuries are not limited to members of the armed forces, they are also an issue for thousands of civilians as well.

Brain injuries can happen anywhere, and during nearly any activity. It is for this reason that Micaela Cornis-Pop of McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center headed a team that developed a mobile app for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The app, called Concussion Coach, is currently available for iPads and iPods, and is expected to be available on the Android platform soon.

The VA-sponsored mobile app was developed by rehabilitation services and the National Center for PTSD at the VA. Concussion Coach supports self-management of symptoms related to concussion.

The app is intended to provide education about concussion, and provide a self-assessment designed to identify symptoms that are often associated with a concussion. These questions are meant to ascertain whether you are dizzy, have issues with balance, have a headache after a collision, etc. Concussion Coach also offers its users a number of tools that can be helpful when problems occur. The app also contains a section that assists the user manage their concussion symptoms.

Concussion Coach also guides its users to additional resources and support. The app provides links to trusted internet websites that contain further information on concussion, links to resources at the VA, and information on how to find professional care for your concussion symptoms.

The design of the app was shaped through asking Veterans what they would want to see in an app of this nature. Although it was created by the VA for the betterment of Veterans, Concussion Coach is available to the public, who can also benefit from it. Cornis-Pop foresees parents using Concussion Coach, including its self- assessment and support features, in the unfortunate event that their children get injured.

“It can be used by anybody with the understanding that this does not diagnose ***or*** manage traumatic brain injury. It is a helpful tool to have in discussing with a specialized provider” Cornis-Pop said.

Concussion Coach is available to the public as an iPad ***or*** iPhone app. You can download the complimentary app at the app store.

Military Connection proudly serves those who serve in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard & Reserve, Veterans and their Families. We are the go to site for Veteran Employment and information on Veteran education. Militaryconnection.com provides Veterans with and Directory of Employers, a Job Board, information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and a blog that offers Veterans boundless information. Be sure to visit Militaryconnection.com, the go to site.