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Awards and Accolades for Train Heroes: Military Connection

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Awards and Accolades for Train Heroes

By Debbie Gregory.

When the Air Force sought to honor Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone for his heroic actions in stopping a terrorist gunman on a French train this summer, the options were limited.

Since the incident occurred in the French countryside, far from any declared combat zones, Stone was not eligible for traditional valor medals like the Bronze Star or Silver Star. Those medals are limited to formal combat zones or military operations against a specified enemy.

The Air Force opted to give Stone an Airman’s Medal, an honor that technically ranks above the Bronze Star in the military’s official medals “order of precedence.”

President Obama met with Stone, U.S. Army Specialist Alek Skarlatos, and Anthony Sadler, who also participated in the takedown of gunman Ayoub El-Khazzani. The president said the three young Americans represented “the very best of America and the American character.”

The White House visit was just one of the accolades the service members received Thursday. In addition to his Airman’s Medal, Stone was also awarded a Purple Heart at a Pentagon ceremony. Skarlatos is receiving the Soldier’s medal, and Sadler is getting a civilian award. Stone will reportedly be promoted two ranks, bypassing the level of senior airman to reach staff sergeant.

The three friends have already been awarded France’s highest decoration, the Legion D’honneur, for their heroism. They were also honored with a parade on September 11th in Sacramento.

In an interesting turn of events, Skarlatos has teamed up with professional dancer Lindsay Arnold to compete on the new season of Dancing With the Stars. He danced a foxtrot to Afrojack’s “Ten Feet Tall” with partner Arnold, receiving rave reviews. In less than a month, the 22-year-old’s dancing inexperience seems to have been eradicated, along with his anonymity.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Unannounced Inspection Uncovers Improper Shredding: Military Connection

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By Debbie Gregory.

Last January, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) received an anonymous allegation that staff at the Los Angeles VA Regional Office (VARO) were inappropriately shredding mail regarding veterans’ disability compensation claims. It was also alleged that VARO supervisors were instructing their staff to shred these documents. The following month, the OIG/Office of Audits and Evaluations conducted an unannounced inspection to evaluate the merits of the allegation.

The Veterans Benefits Administration’s has a written policy on management of veterans’ and other governmental paper records. Although unable to verify or identify what had taken place prior to their visit, the inspectors did find nine claims-related documents inappropriately placed in shred bins. Eight of the nine documents had the potential to affect veterans’ benefits. There were not able to say with any certainty that VARO supervisors were instructing their staff to shred claims-related documents.

“The shredding of these documents would have prevented the documents from becoming part of the veterans’ permanent record and potentially affect veterans’ benefits,” the auditors said. “We could not determine whether the VARO staff improperly shredded documents prior to our review. This is because the VARO destroyed documents prior to our arrival, as part of the VARO’s normal records disposition process.”

In response to their findings, the VA’s main headquarters in Washington said Los Angeles has now filled a position that had been empty for months and that was in charge of training staff. Los Angeles VARO management has provided VARO staff training on proper shredding procedures. In order to determine whether this is an isolated problem or a systemic issue, the OIG will initiate unannounced inspections at 10 selected VAROs across the nation.

If you would like to read the interim report in its entirety, visit www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-15-04652-448.pdf

To report suspected wrongdoing in VA programs and operations, you can call 800-488-8244 or Email: vaoighotline@va.gov

Hotline information is available at: http://www.va.gov/oig/hotline

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Mil Pay Raise:Good News, Bad News. Military Connection

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By Debbie Gregory.

There’s good news for military families who may have worried about potential paycheck problems due to the budget gridlock on Capitol Hill.

On Aug. 28, President Obama announced that he is moving forward with a plan to provide a pay raise for all service members, effective January 1st .

The bad news is that raise is only 1.3 percent.

President Obama’s cap of the 2016 military pay raise puts it at a level below the unstated preference of House members. Lawmakers could override the president’s order, but that would require negotiators to insert completely new pay language into the compromise bill. It is unikely that both houses of Congress will push the 2.3 percent raise per the Employment Cost Index figure otherwise mandated by Title 37 of the U.S. Code.

“As our country continues to recover from serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare … we must maintain efforts to keep our nation on a sustainable fiscal course,” he wrote. “This effort requires tough choices, especially in light of budget constraints.”

House lawmakers have expressed support for a 2.3 percent raise next year in some defense budget legislation, but decided against including that specific number in their version of the annual defense authorization bill. Senators went with the 1.3 percent mark in their draft version of that military policy legislation.

The two sides are negotiating a final compromise bill that they hope to pass in coming weeks, but are not likely at this point to force a 2.3 percent pay raise by dramatically changing the language in their respective draft bills.

House negotiators have indicated that they would be willing to allow modest increases in health care fees in the final draft of the bill. Senators also are pushing for trims in the annual growth of the Basic Allowance for Housing. Outside advocates have decried those moves as putting increased pressure on the personal finances of troops and their families, and widening the pay gap between service members and their civilian counterparts.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

CA Senators propose VA campus House Homeless Vets: Military Connection

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House Homeless Vets

By Debbie Gregory.

California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and Representative Ted Lieu of Torrance proposed a bill that aims to facilitate housing for veterans at the West Los Angeles Campus. This is an effort to remove veterans from the county’s alleyways and sidewalk shantytowns and onto the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ West Los Angeles campus.

Speaking recently at a VA building that was refurbished for homeless housing, Feinstein said the Los Angeles Homeless Veterans Leasing Act of 2015 will remove a legal barrier to opening the sprawling campus to temporary and permanent housing, recreational facilities and job training for homeless veterans.

“For a long time it’s been our dream to see this campus as housing for homeless veterans,” said Feinstein, who promised to put the bill forward on Tuesday. “I strongly believe with this bill we will finally turn the corner.”

With the VA facing a nationwide backlog for new construction – and a funding shortfall of billions of dollars – this bill allows the agency to create new housing in West LA much faster than the agency could on its own. The bill authorizes public-private partnerships to develop housing and services that “principally benefit veterans and their families” through “enhanced-use leases.”

The VA will be able to lease parcels of land to nonprofits to build and run housing. To repay their loans, the nonprofits would take housing vouchers from the federal government and try to get grants from state, county, and city governments. They can also raise money through private donations.

Veterans advocates said the VA and Congress should build housing themselves, instead of cutting developers in on lucrative building contracts.

There have been several setbacks in the VA’s drive to end Los Angeles’ designation as the nation’s homeless-veteran capital. Mayor Eric Garcetti backed off his pledge to get every homeless veteran off city streets by the end of the year.

Vince Kane, special assistant to Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said the agency had revamped leadership and picked up the pace of engaging and housing homeless veterans. He said the VA remains committed to meeting the year-end goal.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Tragedy Strikes Ft. Meade Soldier: Military Connection

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By Debbie Gregory.

U.S. Army specialist Karlyn Serane Ramirez, stationed at Fort Meade, MD was found dead in her home, shot multiple times. Authorities say the medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide.

Making this tragedy even worse, lying next to Ramirez was her 5-month-old daughter. Fortunately, the baby was unharmed and was transported to the hospital as a precaution. She was turned over to unnamed members of Ramirez’s family.

Ramirez’s body was discovered after a neighbor noticed that a door to her townhouse was open and her dog was wandering around outside.

The Army Criminal Investigative Command at Fort Meade will assist police with the investigation.

Ramirez’s Severn neighborhood, about 2 miles from the base, is full of military families constantly moving in and out, according to residents Alvin Zeno, a neighbor of Ramirez, said that he had heard gunshots over the weekend.

“I’ve been in the Army 25 years. So I know what shots sound like. I said, ‘Somebody is firing somewhere,'” Zeno said.

Ramirez was married, according to county police spokesperson Lt. Ryan Frashure. Police have interviewed her husband a couple of times, and Frashure described him as “accessible” and “answering questions.”

It is unclear if the attack is the result of a random violent act or a domestic disturbance.

Serving as a specialist, Ramirez was a doting mother, changing her Facebook profile pictures to photos of her with a baby girl.

Local law enforcement and Army investigators continue to seek answers in the shooting death, but have not identified any suspects

“We’re not ruling anything out. [It’s an] active investigation, homicide still conducting several interviews with family and neighbors, still processing evidence from the scene,” Frashure told reporters.

Police have requested that anyone in the area at the time of the incident or with information regarding the case contact them by calling 410-222-4700, or via www.metrocrimestoppers.org. Tips can be given anonymously.

“It may not seem like a lot of information to them, but it could be a vital piece of the puzzle,” Frashure said.

Defending Innocence and Paying the Price: Military Connection

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Defending Innocence

By Debbie Gregory.

Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland’s Army career changed course during his second deployment to Afghanistan in 2011. And now it appears that the Army is expelling him for actions that most people would classify as heroic.

The decorated Green Beret said that he is being kicked out of the Army for losing his cool in 2011 and striking an Afghan local police officer, one who had allegedly confessed to raping a boy and then beating the child’s mother for telling authorities. Martland has served in the Special Forces for 11 years. Many of his teammates say that he is the finest soldier they have ever served alongside.

Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. said, “To intervene was a moral decision, and SFC Martland and his Special Forces team felt they had no choice but to respond.”

In a letter to Hunter, Martland said he had encountered corrupt police officials who were conducting beatings, honor killings and rapes that went unpunished. When he became aware of the atrocity that had befallen this child and his mother, Martland said it was too much.

In a memo to the Army Enlisted Records and Evaluation Center, Martland admitted to striking the Afghan.

He was punished by the Army at the time, but why exactly Martland is now being discharged is a matter of dispute.

Martland had fallen under the Army’s Qualitative Management Program, a process that can be triggered by derogatory information on their record. Though technically not a draw-down tool, it is aiding in force reduction efforts by weeding out less desirable soldiers; a black mark on their record, such as a relief for cause, can trigger a formal QMP review and result in involuntary separation.

Army sources cited his accolades, including being named runner-up for 2014 Special Warfare Training Group Instructor of the Year from a pool of 400 senior leaders in Special Forces, in questioning the decision.

The Army could not comment on the administrative decision to separate Martland, citing privacy concerns.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Heroes Among Us: Military Connection

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Heroes Among Us

By Debbie Gregory.

Airman 1st Class Spencer Stone will receive the Airman’s Medal and possibly the Purple Heart for helping stop a gunman on a European train.

Not only did Stone tackle the gunman, his quick thinking and action saved the life of a passenger who was shot in the neck and losing blood. Stone applied pressure on the wound and held that position until paramedics arrived.

Stone was traveling with friends Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler on a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris when they came face to face with a suspected Islamic extremist who was armed with an AK-47, Luger pistol and box cutter.

The three Americans leapt into action, along with British businessman Chris Norman, confronting the gunman who had strapped the assault rifle across his bare chest.

They subdued the gunman, saving countless lives.

Stone’s unit put him up for the Airman’s Medal, and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said that he also may be eligible for the Purple Heart.

“We are looking at the potential, to see whether we can award the Purple Heart as well,” Welsh said, but it will first have to be determined whether the train incident was an act of terrorism.

The gunman, 26-year-old Moroccan Ayoub El-Khazzani, is an Islamic extremist who may have spent time in Syria.

Stone, Sadler, Skarlatos and Norman have already received the French Legion of Honor from French President Francois Hollande.

Hollande said, “Your heroism must be an example for many and a source of inspiration. Faced with the evil of terrorism, there is a good, that of humanity. You are the incarnation of that.”

“Alek just hit me on the shoulder and said, ‘Let’s go.’ And [I] ran down, tackled him. We hit the ground. Alek came up and grabbed the gun out of his hand while I put him in a choke hold.”

Just like that! Spoken so matter-of-factly. Like a true hero.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Thoughtless Words Cause Concern: Military Connection

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Thoughtless Words Cause Concern

By Debbie Gregory.

In this age of rapid communication, many of us have had a moment where we’ve sent a reply to an email or text message and the second it goes, we question if we sent to the right person. We second guess whether we remembered to attach that document referenced in the note. Sometimes we say the first thing that comes to mind, even though it might not be the appropriate comment. But the minute it leaves your fingertips, it’s out there for the world to see and to remember.

Such is the circumstance of a VA physician in Pennsylvania. A quick, not thought-out post on his Facebook page has turned into something that he deeply regrets, and so does the Veterans Administration.

Dr. Gregg Gorton, a VA psychiatrist, has been practicing for 30 years, treating psychiatric patients and teaching suicide prevention. While reading his Facebook timeline, a post appeared that had been shared from Imgur. The status stated,

“I am all for gun control. If there is a gun in the room, I want to be in control of it.”

Gorton would not call himself a gun-control activist, but for some reason, this status struck a chord, and he quickly posted a reply, “Off yourself, please.” He agreed that he has concerns about gun violence as many others do.

“It’s just one of those moments you’d rather take back in your life,” Gorton told The Associated Press. The exchange was also exposed in The Washington Times.

“The post was totally inappropriate and does not convey our commitment to veterans. We are taking steps immediately to address the situation,” the VA told the newspaper.

The Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia is reviewing his 11-year job status. Gorton said he has deleted the post and realizes the Veterans Affairs agency does not need more negative press, “That’s not me.”

The hospital has apologized to veterans and called the post “unacceptable.”

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.

VA Waives Choice Act Resident-Rate Requirements: Military Connection

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Choice Act

By Debbie Gregory.

In order to make it easier for veterans and their families to receive their GI Bill benefits where they choose, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald has delayed the provisions of Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (Choice Act). This action will ensure all GI Bill students are able to continue training at their chosen institutions.

The time allotted for states and territories to comply with Section 702 of the Choice Act is challenging for some states and schools, due in part to the necessary legislative and/or policy changes.  This limited waiver by Secretary McDonald covers programs that are not in compliance for all terms beginning prior to January 1, 2016, in order to allow time for non-compliant states and territories to make the requisite legislative and policy changes.

Under Section 702, the VA must disapprove education programs at public institutions for Post-9/11 GI Bill and Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (MGIB-AD) benefits if a school charges certain individuals tuition and fees in excess of the resident rate for terms beginning after July 1, 2015.

The current maximum tuition benefit is just over $20,000, so veterans have to dig into their pocket for any university that charges more than that. Out-of-state tuition at public universities often exceeds $20,000 a year.

“Our military members and their families make sacrifices that require them to pack up and move with little notice,” said McDonald.  “They shouldn’t be penalized after they leave military service by burdensome residency requirements.  This waiver will allow students to continue receiving the GI Bill benefits they’ve earned as states work to comply with this important law.”

Many states already offer In-state tuition to any veteran, but there are 18 states that will be affected by this new law. Those are Arkansas, California, Connecticut, D.C., Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Schools that participate in the Yellow Ribbon program grant veterans additional funds to help make up the difference between in-state and out-of-state fees. However, the program has limitations and special requirements, meaning not all veterans will qualify for funding that covers all their expenses.

For more information on GI Bill resident-rate requirements and to see which states comply, visit the GI Bill website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/702.asp.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Bergdahl Faces Rare Charge: Military Connection

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Bergdahl Faces Rare Charge

By Debbie Gregory.

In the Army’s case against Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier held prisoner for years by the Taliban after leaving his post in Afghanistan, military prosecutors have reached into a section of military law seldom used since World War II.

For months, there has been speculation if Bergdahl would be charged with desertion after the deal brokered by the U.S. to bring him home. He was — but he was also charged with misbehavior before the enemy, a rare offense that carries a potentially stiffer penalty.

Bergdahl could face a life sentence if convicted of the charge, which accuses him of endangering fellow soldiers when he “left without authority; and wrongfully caused search and recovery operations.”

Soldiers who served with Bergdahl have said that the search for the accused deserter endangered other troops and diverted resources from other units.

Cody Full, 28, Bergdahl’s former platoon mate, and Evan Buetow, 28, who was the sergeant and team leader of Bergdahl’s unit, welcomed the new charge levied against the accused deserter.

“You give an oath,” Full said. “You sign your name to serve your country no matter what you’re supposed to fill that oath.”

“The whole reason we came forward last year when they released Bowe, we knew he needed to answer for what he did,” added Buetow. “We knew he was not a hero… He had to answer for why he deserted, and that’s what happened.”

Bergdahl has also been accused of “desertion with intent to shirk important or hazardous duty,” a charge that carries a potential five-year sentence, noted the Army statement.

On September 17th, his case is scheduled to go to an Article 32 hearing, which is similar to a grand jury, and would recommend whether the case goes to a court martial.

Five senior Taliban figures were exchanged for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.


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