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Breastfeeding in Cammos: Military Connection

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Breastfeeding in Cammos

By Debbie Gregory.

In an effort to “normalize” breastfeeding, a group of active duty military posed with their babies at the breast, and the photograph has gone viral. Fort Bliss Public Affairs and Garrison Command approved the shoot, an Army spokesman said.

While breasts have been used to sell everything from cheeseburgers to cars, for some reason the act of nourishing babies the way it has been done for thousands of years strikes a chord.

Photographer and Air Force Veteran Tara Ruby was originally going Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, to help adorn the walls of the newly established nursing room.

Through the Fort Bliss support group for mothers, Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Training Program (P3T for short) Ruby sought active duty soldiers to model in the photos. While she was hoping she might get two or three volunteers, 10 women showed up for with their children, proudly wearing their boots and camo.

Ruby said, “Breastfeeding their babies doesn’t make them less of a soldier, I believe it makes them a better one. Juggling the tasks and expectations of a soldier, plus providing for their own in the best way they possibly can, makes these ladies even stronger for it.”

Not everyone has been accepting of the photograph, as evidenced by many negative comments left on the Facebook page where it was originally posted.

The conversation about breastfeeding is entangled in social and cultural ideas about human nature, sexuality, and how we think about individual human bodies, forgetting that the primary reason for their existence is nourishing babies. Therefore, the conversation needs to change to overcome the negative connotations of a very simple act.

Ruby and the women who participated in the photograph can take pride as the picture puts the finishing touch on the wall in the breastfeeding room. The image of these beautiful mom soldiers breastfeeding their adorable babies show that women no longer have to choose between starting a family and serving their country.

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.

The Chance to Dream Again: Military Connection

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The Chance to Dream Again

By Debbie Gregory.

In 1993, Thomas Rollerson phoned a wish-granting agency for children and discovered no such place existed to honor the final wishes of adults. One year later, with the support of his community, he created Dream Foundation.

When life is in the end stages due to terminal illness, the Dream Foundation allows people to reconnect with meaningful aspects of their past, and honor a life full of love, service and community.

Eighty-two-year-old Navy veteran Gerald was diagnosed with end-stage coronary artery disease. His dream? To revisit the USS Laffey at Patriot’s Point, South Carolina, the ship he had served on from 1950-1954. He had traveled the world on that ship and saw three tours in Korea during the war. His final dream was to grace the decks one last time.

Gerald and his daughter had that reunion experience, thanks to Dreams for Veterans. They received a special tour, catered luncheon, and the opportunity to share his stories in an oral history interview. Father and daughter then spent the weekend touring Patriot’s Point, where Gerald became an instant  celebrity.

Founded in 1994, Dream Foundation is the only national dream-granting organization for adults and their families battling life-threatening illness. This year, the foundation launched Dreams For Veterans sub-program.

Final dreams range from basic needs items (scooters, lift chairs, laptops) to bedside reunions, final vacations with family, meeting a personal hero, or reconnecting with aspects of their former military service.

Granting these dreams shows appreciation for each veteran, acknowledging their service and sacrifices. Dreams for Veterans effectively tailors each dream experience for each individual veteran, providing the invaluable opportunity to honor a Veteran’s service while engaging, honoring and appreciating their families and communities.

To qualify for a dream to be fulfilled, you must be a U.S. military veteran, 18 years or older, with a life expectancy of 12 months or less, who lack the means to manifest his or her dream unassisted.

The Dream Foundation’s 14th Annual Celebration of Dreams Gala will be held at the Bacara Resort & Spa on November 7, 2015. This event, which features sumptuous cuisine, high profile guests and spectacular entertainment, is considered Santa Barbara’s premier philanthropic celebration

The Dream Foundation relies solely on donations for corporations and individuals. To learn more about how you can participate in honoring and acknowledging a veteran dream recipient, or how you can help spread the word in your community, visit www.dreamfoundation.org/veterans or call (888) 4DREAMS/(888) 437-3267.

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.

Nearly One Third of Vets in VA Backlog Already Dead: Military Connection

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Nearly One Third of Vets in VA Backlog Already Dead: Military Connection

By Debbie Gregory.

With close to 900,000 military veterans waiting to access health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the department’s inspector general said that a major overhaul of the record-keeping system processing the applications was needed.

Sadly, approximately 28% of those veterans are thought to be deceased, but the VA has said it has no way to purge the list of dead applicants.

Linda Halliday, the VA’s acting inspector general, told the AP that the agency’s Health Eligibility Center “has not effectively managed its business processes to ensure the consistent creation and maintenance of essential data.”

According to a scathing report by the inspector general, VA workers incorrectly marked thousands of unprocessed health-care applications as completed. They may have deleted 10,000 or more electronic “transactions” over the past five years.

Whistleblowers have been warning that more than 200,000 veterans with pending applications for VA health care were likely deceased. The inspector general’s report substantiated those claims.

Last year, the VA publicly acknowledged that the enrollment system management and data integrity and quality “are in need of significant improvement. VA realizes the issues surrounding the enrollment process are confusing to Veterans and our stakeholders.”

The VA has contacted 302,045 veterans by mail, asking them to submit required documents to establish eligibility. To date, the VA has received 36,749 responses and enrolled 34,517 veterans, with outreach efforts continuing.

“As we continue our work to contact veterans, our focus remains on improving the enrollment system to better serve veterans,” said VA spokeswoman Walinda West “We will work diligently to address the issues their report raised to continue to improve the enrollment system to better serve Veterans.”

Meeting their healthcare needs provides us the opportunity to express our pride and appreciation to and for the many who have served and sacrificed to make our country free. It’s the very least we can do.

Celebrating 108 Years! Military Connection

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Celebrating 108 Years!

By Debbie Gregory.

World War II Veteran Alyce Dixon just turned 108-years young! She is now the oldest living female World War II veteran, according to VA records.

With a tiara on top of her head for the occasion, Dixon’s milestone was celebrated on September 11th with fellow Veterans, volunteers, staff and family at the D.C. VA Medical Center.

Cpl. Dixon has quite a story and quite a personality. She joined the military in 1943 and was stationed in both England and France with the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

During the war, warehouses in Birmingham, England, were filled with millions of pieces of mail intended for members of the U.S. military, U.S. Government personnel, and Red Cross workers serving in the European Theater. Airplane hangars held undelivered Christmas packages, and a constant stream of incoming mail added to the already massive backlog of letters and packages.

African-American women were drawn from the WAC, the Army Service Forces, and the Army Air Forces, and eventually designated as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed “Six Triple Eight.”

One of the most prominent public events honoring the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion took place on 25 February 2009, at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Dixon was joined by surviving unit members Mary Ragland and Gladys Shuster Carter for a 90-minute ceremony held by U.S. Army Freedom Team Salute, an official U.S. Army Commendation Program, to honor the 6888th.

Dixon was also  interviewed for a documentary film “Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II” by Gregory S. Cooke, an English Department professor at Drexel University.

Of her birthday celebration, Dixon said, “This has been a marvelous day. I feel real special.” She added, “God has been so good. He left me here with all these lovely people and all these nice things they’re saying. I hope they mean it.”

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.

Avoiding a Government Shutdown: Military Connection

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Avoiding a Government Shutdown

By Debbie Gregory.

As the September 30th deadline to fund the federal government approaches and Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill are locked in a stalemate over a budget agreement to keep the government open, the White House and Senate Democratic leadership signaled that they would be open to a short-term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.

Press secretary Josh Earnest said a stopgap measure would not conflict with President Obama’s pledge to veto any budget resolution that locks in limits on defense and domestic spending, known as sequestration.

“I think we would perceive an internal contradiction between the word ‘short term’ and ‘lock in,’ Earnest told reporters.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said that any short-term bill must be “clean.”

“That means, no riders, nothing with Planned Parenthood. Nothing with repealing what the Environmental Protection Agency has done. No repealing what the Dodd-Frank bill put into effect to stop us from having another Wall Street meltdown,” Reid said. “No riders dealing with immigration. Just a clean continuing resolution for a short period of time to allow us to do a more full, more complete deal in the very near future.”

Complicating the negotiations, a group of conservative lawmakers in the House of Representatives has pledged to oppose any spending bills that fund Planned Parenthood.

Any short-term Continuing Resolution (CR) that materializes in the near term, whether before October 1 or within a short time after a government shutdown, will likely fund federal programs at current levels until later this calendar year. This will allow a few months for budget negotiations. With a short-term CR, agencies would continue operating, albeit with caution about funding programs until final budget numbers are clear, knowing that additional cuts may be coming.

With that said, Congress must begin budget negotiations, both short- and long-term, in earnest. Neither defense nor non-defense agencies can plan with the uncertainties that continue to surround the federal budget.

 

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 Governor Appoints New CALVET Secretary: Military Connection

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vito

By Debbie Gregory.

On September 18th, California Governor Jerry Brown announced the appointment of the new secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet). Colonel Vito Imbasciani, a 69-year-old Los Angeles urologic surgeon and Kaiser Permanente executive, is poised to fill the position left vacant by the previous acting secretary, Debbie Endsley.

Endsley was appointed acting secretary of CalVet in January, 2015. Endsley had replaced Peter J. Gravett upon his retirement.

Colonel Imbasciani is president-elect of the Los Angeles County Medical Association, and a member of the California Medical Association Board of Trustees and the California Association of Physician Groups Board of Directors. He has also served as the director of government relations at Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group since 2004.

He was the state surgeon for the California Army National Guard from 2006 to 2014, and also served as a surgeon in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1986 to 2014.

Colonel Imbasciani earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Vermont. In addition, he holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Master of Arts degree in musicology from Cornell University. He also speaks multiple languages, including Spanish, French, German and Italian.

A long time LGBT supporter, Colonel Imbasciani served under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, but he was always working as an activist to repeal the policy. He badgered the staff of Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “to stand up to the generals who didn’t want any part of ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’” He also approached every member of Congress on the House and Senate Armed Services Committee, through their staff members, “giving them my story and sort of tantalizing them with the willingness to appear before Congress under my constitutional right as a solider to redress grievances. And to let them know the difficulties of being a gay man in uniform and the terrible loss of talent and the terrible expense that the military has to go through in replacing these highly qualified [experts].”

Colonel Imbasciani’s appointment to the position requires confirmation by the state Senate.

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.

Resilience Training for Army Spouses: Military Connection

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Resilience Training for Army Spouses

By Debbie Gregory.

The Army is now offering deployment resilience training to spouses to help them deal with the unique challenges they may face during pre- and post-deployment.

It is no surprise that deployment affects both the Soldier and the spouse. The key to handling the challenge is working together to both give and get support through the process. The training, delivered between one to six months before a deployment, helps the family think about ways they will stay connected throughout a deployment.

Deployment Cycle Resilience Training is offered in specific modules, depending on where the Soldier is in their deployment process.

The Pre-Deployment Resilience training gives spouses skills and communication techniques so that they can come up with creative ways to stay connected, while managing expectations.

Post-Deployment Resilience Training is delivered up to one month before, or one month after a deployment is completed, and focuses on adjustments that may be necessary upon reintegration. Reunions are a joyous time for military families, but the expectations and reality of roles and responsibilities can cause friction if expectations are not clear.

Deployment Cycle Resilience Training is required for all active, Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers, who are deploying from their home station for 90 days or more. The training is also offered for spouses and takes about two to three hours.

Eight master resilience trainers recently completed a train-the-trainer course offered by the Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness’s National Capital Region, or NCR, Training Center. The course certifies these trainers to deliver Deployment Cycle Resilience Training to Soldiers and spouses, who are facing, or just returning from a deployment.

Family members who, are interested in receiving Deployment Cycle Resilience Training, may contact their local CSF2 Training Center, Army Community Service or Walter Reed Army Institute of Research’s Research Transition Office at usarmy.detrick.medcom-wrair.mbx.resilience-research@mail.mil.

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.

Openly Gay Civilian Advisor Named Secretary of the Army: Military Connection

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Secretary of the Army

By Debbie Gregory.

If confirmed by the Senate, the first openly gay US Army secretary, Eric Fanning, could help lead America’s corps of fighting men and women into uncharted territory, on many fronts.

President Obama is nominating Eric K. Fanning, a close civilian adviser to Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter, to be the secretary of the Army, an appointment that would make him the first openly gay secretary of a military branch.

The president said Mr. Fanning brings “many years of proven experience and exceptional leadership” to the role. “I am grateful for his commitment to our men and women in uniform, and I am confident he will help lead America’s soldiers with distinction,” he said.

As a civilian, Mr. Fanning has been the acting under secretary of the Army as the current secretary, John McHugh, prepares to leave his post. Mr. Fanning’s Defense Department jobs have spanned the services: He has served as Air Force undersecretary, deputy under secretary of the Navy and deputy chief management officer of the Navy.

Former assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, Doug Wilson, praised Mr. Fanning.

“Eric Fanning is one of the most qualified individuals to hold any senior position having to do with defense,” Mr. Wilson said. “The fact that he is openly gay and has been nominated for his position is just evidence of the degree to which Americans can accept sexual orientation as part of an individual, and not something that completely defines an individual.”

Mr. Fanning will help guide the country’s largest military service as it undertakes a sweeping integration of gay soldiers. While the Pentagon lifted a prohibition on openly gay service members in 2011, the culture remains resistant, to an extent, to open integration of gay soldiers into the ranks, as well as the promotion of women into combat roles. Some gay service members say they experience harassment and discrimination.

Phil Carter, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said, “The Army cares whether you can shoot straight, not whether you are straight.”

A graduate of Dartmouth, Fanning’s appointment was widely expected.

 

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.

A Puzzle? Or Stolen Valor? Military Connection

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Purple Heart

By Debbie Gregory.

John James Lavoie served in the U.S. Marine Corps for over 20 years, and that is certainly something to be proud of. But there’s a possibility that it wasn’t enough for him as he is now in the position of having to clear his name.

Lavoie has been accused of “Stolen Valor,” which refers to non-veterans donning veterans’ gear or service members wearing medals they did not earn.

Lavoie wears a Purple Heart Medal, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star. But according to the National Archives in St. Louis, his service records do not confirm that he was awarded any of them.

Further complicating the matter, Lavoie’s service records that he has in his possession are completely different from his service records from the National Archives.

The DD 214 verifies service history, and the DD 215 usually corrects any minor mistakes on the DD214. But why there’s a difference between what’s recorded in the archives and what’s documented on Lavoie’s DD 214 and DD215 is puzzling, if the document are genuine.

The red flags? There are a few:

  • Lavoie’s DD215 is dated Feb. 25, 1993.However, the characters used on the DD 215 to write the date, as well as list all the medals, were written in a font, Calibri, that didn’t even exist until 2004.
  • Lavoie’s name is misspelled at the top of the document. A misspelled name would render the form nearly useless if a veteran attempted to use it to obtain veterans benefits like the GI Bill, or Department of Veterans Affairs benefits.
  • Every acronym listing Lavoie’s medals is wrong: the Silver Star listed as SST, the Bronze Star listed as BSw/v, the Vietnam Service Medal as VMS. The Marine Corps Individual Records Administration Manual lists the Silver Star as SSM, the Bronze Star with Valor as BSMV, and the Vietnam Service Medal as VSM

The issue of stolen valor has risen to the forefront in the military and veterans community. Photos and videos of those caught fraudulently wearing uniforms or military awards regularly make the rounds on veteran websites and Facebook feeds, prompting disdain and anger among those who served. Stolen valor is especially important to them because many knew friends who died earning the same medals the impostors wear dishonestly.

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 Iran Deal a Bad Deal? Military Connection

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Is Iran Deal a Bad Deal?

By Debbie Gregory.

The Iran nuclear deal will leave Tehran as a growing power and require the United States to increase its spending on the military, according to four House Republicans

Rep. Mac Thornberry, Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) all House Armed Services Committee members, expressed this opinion, saying that after the deal negotiated by the Obama administration is implemented and sanctions are limited, Congress will need to play a role in preventing problems with Iran from growing.

They expressed concerns that lifted sanctions would allow Iran to pour money into terrorist groups, cyber attacks and ballistic missiles, and encourage an arms race in the region.

Rep. Thornberry said, “There’s a tendency to say, ‘Oh, there’s an agreement. We can breathe a sigh of relief. Everything’s going to be OK.’ That’s not the case here. This agreement means billions more for all the sorts of activities that we described Iran is doing that causes problems in the world.”

Thornberry cited Iran’s support for the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Houthi in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon as activities that would be allowed to continue and grow under the deal.

“We’re going to have more problems, not fewer. And that goes back to the defense budget issue. We cannot cut defense anymore,” he said. He also emphasized the need to approve the National Defense Authorization Act, which would authorize $612 billion in funding for the Pentagon.

Rep. Walorski added, “Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and this is not really addressed at all.”

“There is more investment in our nuclear deterrents than we’ve had for a while, and we’re going to need that as nuclear weapons spread around the world,” he said “Building military capability is key, and we are trying to push that.”

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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