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Smooth Move- Taking the Stress Out of Your PCS

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By Debbie Gregory.

It’s that time again. You’ve received your orders and it’s time to get ready for a permanent change of duty station (PCS).

The thought of having to pack up and move to a new location every few years is not something that the average person looks forward to. But a military move is the reality faced by many military service members and their families.

You have the option of either letting the military take care of the arrangements, or you can handle a Personally Procured Move (PPM) yourself. A PPM used to be called a DITY move for “Do It Yourself”. If authorization and approval for this program is granted, the service member will be paid 95% of the amount of money the government would have paid for the move, regardless of the actual cost.

When PCS orders come, there are steps you can take to take the stress out of what potentially can be a very stressful situation.

Be prepared! Knowledge is power, and you should know what transportation allowances you are eligible for. Whether your PCS orders are for the same geographic area, a change of a ship’s homeport or unit’s location, accompanied or unaccompanied PCS overseas or PCS with temporary duty en route, there are basic allowances you can expect to receive.

The government will pay most costs associated with your move, and many of these expenses can be paid to you in advance or via a travel. These expenses include personal and dependent travel and a per diem for meals and lodging. You are also able to move household goods and vehicle storage/shipment.

If you require temporary lodging, you will partially be reimbursed for the additional costs you may incur while living in temporary quarters.

To aid your move, a personal moving calendar can be a great help. Fill it with the information that you will need based on your moving timeframe. If your move will take place during the busy summer months, allow extra time for pick-ups and deliveries, as schedules may be tight.

When you have figured out when you want to move, contact your Transportation Office (TO) or Personal Property Shipping Office (PPSO.)

Try to get a close estimate of what your personal property weighs. To lighten your load, consider purging unwanted/unneeded items. The items you decide to move should be photographed before packing so that you can document any damages. Keep important documents, valuables and irreplaceable items on your person.

Lastly, work closely with your moving company to arrange delivery and avoid your personal property being placed in temporary storage.

Eastwood Taps Real-Life Heroes to Play Themselves in Film

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By Debbie Gregory.

The 15:17 to Paris, a new film directed by Clint Eastwood, will have three unlikely stars: the three California men who famously thwarted the terror attack on the Paris-bound train.

Anthony Sadler, Alex Skarlatos, and Spencer Stone, who were vacationing in Europe at the time of the attack on August 21, 2015, will play themselves in their acting debuts.

The film is based on a book of the same name, which the men co-wrote. In an eleventh hour decision, Eastwood called off the prior casting decisions in favor of casting the real-life emergency responders. The casting move is similar to Eastwood’s “Gran Torino,” which featured an almost-unknown cast (outside of Eastwood, who also starred in the movie.)

The film will tell the story of the three men, from their childhood in Sacramento, CA to the fateful evening they faced a heavily armed Moroccan terrorist bent on a mass killing spree.

All three men received the Legion of Honor, the highest French order of merit, for their actions.

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Stone also received the Airman’s Medal and the Purple Heart. Skarlatos, an Oregon Army National Guardsman and Afghan War veteran, received the Soldier’s Medal, the U.S. Army’s highest award for peacetime valor. Sadler, a civilian, was bestowed the Secretary of Defense Medal for Valor.

Eastwood recently directed two other films based on the true stories: American Sniper, the story of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, and Sully, about celebrated pilot Chesley Sullenberger.

Jenna Fischer, Judy Greer, and Ray Corasani will also join the real-life heroes in the film. Paul-Mikel Williams, Max Ivutin, Bryce Gheisar, Cole Eichenberger, and William Jennings will play younger versions of the Sadler, Skarlatos and Stone.

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.

Military Veteran, Now a Congressman, Fighting Veteran Suicides

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U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL) has seen, first-hand, the impact that war can have on soldiers returning home.

The military veteran served as an explosive ordnance disposal technician with the elite 28th Ordnance Company in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. On September 19, 2010, while clearing a path for United States Army Rangers in Kandahar, Mast took a wrong step into an IED along the road. The explosion resulted in the amputation of both his legs and one of his fingers

Mast is committed to doing all that he can to increase mental health resources for veterans and to reduce veteran suicide rates. To that end, he is promoting the unique idea of a pledge to combat suicide among the nation’s veterans.

Troops leaving the service could take a voluntary oath to “to preserve the values I have learned, to maintain my body and my mind, and to not bring harm to myself without speaking to my fellow veterans first.”

The “Oath of Exit” passed the U.S. House of Representatives on July 14th as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Part of the pledge would also commit troops who are being discharged to “continue to be the keeper of my brothers- and sisters-in-arms” in addition to the United States and the Constitution.

After his injury and during his recovery, Mast’s father was the one who inspired him by telling him to ensure that the greatest service he gives to the country is still ahead of him.

After his retirement from the Army, he continued working in counter-terrorism and national defense as an Explosive Specialist with the Department of Homeland Security.

His service now continues in the political arena.

Mast is in his first term representing the 18th Congressional District of Florida.

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.

Veterans: What You Need to Know About Glaucoma and Cataracts

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By Debbie Gregory.

Two recent studies reveal that the rate of eye disease may be increasing in the VA system.

One study showed that VA patients with serious mental illness have an even higher rate of dry eye, cataract and glaucoma than the general veteran population. Both glaucoma and cataract are leading causes of blindness worldwide.

The other study found that the rate of eye disease, specifically glaucoma and cataract, increased in veterans 50 years old and up.

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve, a bundle of over 1 million nerves that convey vision from the eye to the brain, slowly becomes damaged over time. In many cases, blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced, and may be further reduced by increased fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rising, leading to vision loss or even blindness. Glaucoma usually starts without any symptoms.

Because there are no symptoms of the disease early on, eye screening is needed to detect it. However, if the disease is caught early, treatment can prevent vision loss.

African-American Veterans should especially get their eyes checked regularly as glaucoma is six-to-eight times more common in African-Americans than Caucasians. Also, among Hispanic populations, Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.

Cataracts happen when the lens of the eye becomes cloudy over time. This happens in all individuals with aging, and it is estimated that half of all people age 80 or older will have had cataract surgery or need cataract surgery.

Cataract symptoms include blurriness of vision at distance, or glare that may be most bothersome when driving at night. Diabetics or those on long-term steroids for medical conditions may develop cataracts earlier in life. Cataracts can be removed with a relatively simple surgery that often takes 20 minutes or less.

VA patients, particularly those in high-risk groups, should get eye exam screenings to identify any eye problems as early as possible.

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.

Retired Soldier Blasts Canada for Payout to Ex-Gitmo Detainee

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By Debbie Gregory.

A former Guantanamo Bay prisoner who killed a U.S. soldier and injured another in Afghanistan recently received an apology and an $8 million check from the Canadian government.

Retired U.S. Special Forces soldier Layne Morris was blinded by a grenade thrown by Canadian-born Omar Khadr during a firefight in Afghanistan in 2002.

“I don’t see this as anything but treason,” Morris said. “It’s something a traitor would do. As far as I am concerned, Prime Minister Trudeau should be charged.”

Khadr was 15 years old when he was captured by U.S. forces following a firefight that cost Sergeant First Class Christopher Speer his life and Morris the sight in one eye.Khadr had accompanied his al Qaeda fighter father to Afghanistan. He was convicted of killing Speer in 2010 by a U.S. military commission

Morris has always maintained that Khadr threw the grenade that wounded him as well.

Khadr was allowed to return to Canada two years after his conviction to serve out the remainder of his sentence there, but was released in May 2015 pending an appeal.

Now it appears that Khadr, who is now 30, will receive a formal apology as well as an $8 million settlement from the Canadian government for allegedly conspiring with the U.S. to violate his constitutional rights.

The Canadian Supreme Court ruled twice — the first time in 2010 — that Khadr had been interrogated  under “oppressive circumstances” at Guantanamo and that Canadian officials were complicit in his mistreatment. An anonymous source familiar with the case told the Canadian Press wire service that the Trudeau government wanted to “get ahead of an attempt by [Morris] and [Speer] to enforce a massive U.S. court award against Khadr in Canadian court.”

Trudeau recently defended the deal saying, “When the government violates any Canadian’s charter rights, we all end up paying for it.”

Lawyers for Morris and Speer’s widow, Tabitha Speer, will ask a Canadian court for an urgent order to have Khadr’s payout frozen pending the outcome of a request to recognize a 2015 $134.1-million US Utah judgment against Khadr.

What do you think?

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.

Linkin Park Frontman and Vet Advocate Chester Bennington Dies in Apparent Suicide

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By Debbie Gregory.

Chester Bennington was one of those guys: enormously talented but deeply troubled. The 41-year-old father of six struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and had previously talked about suicide as the result of childhood trauma and abuse.

Linkin Park bandmate Mike Shinoda said that the band had always felt “a special bond with the military.”

In 2014, the band teamed up with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America to call attention to the suicide crisis that dramatically affects American service members and veterans.

“It is an honor to meet with you guys, the men and women of the armed forces, who protect our freedom every day,” Bennington told fans during a performance in Denver during the band’s Carnivores tour. “The greatest country in the world and it’s because of men and women who go out and risk their lives for all of us … no matter who we are or what we believe in.”

To give a startling visual impact, the group displayed 22 American flags to symbolize the estimated number of U.S. veterans who take their own lives on a daily basis.

Bennington’s death occurred on what would have been his good friend Chris Cornell’s 53rd birthday. Cornell, best known as the lead vocalist for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, committed suicide on May 18th.

“My whole life, I’ve just felt a little off,” Bennington said in an interview. “I find myself getting into these patterns of behavior or thought – especially when I’m stuck up here [in my head]; I like to say that ‘this is like a bad neighborhood, and I should not go walking alone.’”

Our sincere condolences go out to Bennington’s wife Talinda Bentley and his six children.

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.

Is Colonel “Big Nasty” Too Much of a Hardass?

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By Debbie Gregory.

The Arizona National Guard is trying to oust one of its top officers, Col. Christopher Lambesis, based on charges that he has been insubordinate, as well as a toxic leader who committed and communicated threats to the state’s military commander, Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire.

Col. Lambesis, nicknamed “Big Nasty,” has been accused by his superiors of being too much of a hardass.

With his 24-year Army career on the line, the combat veteran with two Bronze Stars contends the case against him is really about his complaints of improper promotions, unethical leadership and inaccurate data that could endanger troops scheduled for deployment.

Col. Lambesis said he found evidence that many Guard units, soldiers, and airmen had falsified readiness documentation, calling into question their skill certifications and fitness evaluations.

As recent as February 2016, Lambesis was promoted to O6, running operations and training for Arizona’s 8,300 part- and full-time guardsmen.

But by October, he was being shown the door.

At age 49, Lambesis is an imposing figure with a shaved head and starched uniform — an officer who greets people with direct eye contact and a firm grip.

“He has a very rigid picture of what an effective leader looks like, and that picture is Chris Lambesis,” one junior officer told investigators.

In a written statement, the National Guard said Lambesis came under investigation last year when several subordinates lodged complaints alleging the colonel “was a toxic leader and a bully who created a hostile work environment.”

Those charges, and other accusations of hostility, led an administrative tribunal to discharge Lambesis honorably from full-time duty. He is now a “weekend warrior,” being told to drill part-time, or retire his commission.

But Lambesis is not giving up, and he still wants an independent investigation.

“We’re taught to hunker down and take on the charge,” he said. “I’ve been under fire in the fox hole, basically shooting at anything that jingles my wire for the past year. … I believe the institution of the Army is at risk.”

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.

 

Proposal to Cut Housing Stipends For Dual-Military Couples

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By Debbie Gregory.

When it comes to finding ways to save money, the last place Congress should look is at military families, especially when both spouses are active duty service members.

The Senate Armed Services Committee is considering a proposal that would require dual military couples to receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) stipends at the “without dependents” rate, regardless as to whether or not they have children.

Currently, dual military couples without dependents each receive their respective BAH.  In dual military families with dependents, the higher ranking service member receives BAH at the with-dependent rate and the lower ranking service member receives BAH at the without-dependent rate.

The BAH allowance is determined by geographic duty location, pay grade, and dependency status. It provides uniformed Service members equitable housing compensation based on housing costs in local civilian housing markets within the United States when government quarters are not provided. For servicemembers stationed outside the U.S. who are not furnished with government housing, there is Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA).

If enacted, this change would affect approximately 6.4% of active duty service members in dual-military marriages.

The proposed plan would save roughly $300 million over the next five years.

The Senate believes that the current BAH is too high, since the payout rates are typically higher than the cost of living in the areas where service members are stationed. But the Pentagon argues that BAH is a necessary part of military family compensation.

“While there would be some monetary savings in the BAH program achieved through implementation of a limitation of BAH payments for dual-military couples, the department objects to any limitation based solely on housing or marriage choices,” a DoD spokeswoman said.

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.

Should Ex-Army Officer Serving Prison Sentence Be Freed?

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By Debbie Gregory.

Ex-Army officer Clint Lorance is serving a 19-year prison sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas for his role in the slayings of two unarmed Afghans.

In July 2012, Lorance found himself newly installed as the leader of a combat platoon in Afghanistan. Just three days into his tenure, three Afghan men on a single motorcycle approached his platoon’s position. A rifleman called out the threat and fired, but missed. Based on the rifleman’s threat assessment, Lorance radioed troops stationed in a nearby watch position to open fire. Two of the Afghan men were killed, while the third escaped.

In 2013, a court-martial jury found the 32-year-old Oklahoma native guilty of two counts of second-degree murder after nine members of the platoon he’d led in Afghanistan testified against him at his trial.

A campaign to free Lorance includes retired Army lieutenant colonel and former congressman Allen West, Marine veteran and Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, and talk show host Sean Hannity. They contend that Lorance is the victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Was Lorance a hero who did what he believed was necessary to bring his men home alive or an

overzealous leader who was eager to get his hands?

One point that Lorance’s critics and supporters can agree on is that he was deeply suspicious of the local population. Whether Lorance was justified in addressing that perceived threat with violence is the question at the heart of his case.

No weapons were found on the two dead Afghans.

Lorance remains publicly optimistic, and he and his supporters have made it clear that the fight for his exoneration will continue.

Functioning in a combat zone requires rapid decision-making in situations with low or poor information. Making the wrong call can be dangerous, even deadly, for an officer and his men.

Did Lorance make the right call? What do you think?

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.

Women Veterans Summit Registration Now Open

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By Debbie Gregory.

It’s been six years since the VA held its last national-level event for women veterans, and a lot has changed since 2011.

Registration is now open for the Women Veterans Summit, which will take place at the Hyatt Regency Downtown in Houston, Texas, August 25-26, with an opening reception on August. 24. Focusing on the issues important to women veterans, the event will provide training and guidance in navigating VA resources, as well as the resources that are available at the state, local, and partner level.

One of the keynote speakers, Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho (Ret.) was the first woman and first nurse to serve as the Army’s surgeon general.

Additional speakers will include senior VA leaders who will be on hand to share information regarding employment, mental health, entrepreneurship, military sexual trauma, reproductive health, culture change and more.

Who should attend? Of course, women veterans, but also public sector partners, including military, federal, state and local agencies; Veterans service organizations, non-profits that serve this populations; academics; representatives and corporations from the tech industry; community partners; and VA employees, including women Veteran program managers and women Veteran coordinators

To keep current on the event, there is a dedicated summit webpage for updates. For more information, read the VA VAntage Point Blog or Register for the Summit.

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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