MAY JOBS REPORT SHOWS MARKET WORSENING FOR VETS
May employment numbers from the Labor Department show little improvement in the job market, especially for veterans.
Overall, the report shows the national unemployment rate is 9.1 percent, with little change in the last month because the economy created only 54,000 net jobs in May.
The May report, released on Friday, shows a worsening job market for veterans.
For veterans of all generations, the unemployment rate for May READ MORE »
SENATORS: WHY IS HELP FOR CAREGIVERS DELAYED?
A bipartisan group of senators that last year helped to pass landmark legislation providing more support for caregivers of severely wounded veterans is pushing the administration to stop stalling implementation of the new law.
The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 was signed into law May 5 and was supposed to take effect Jan. 20. So far, nothing has happened — not even the development of an implementation plan that was supposed to be complete by the end of November. READ MORE »
WIDOW SUES GOVERNMENT OVER MARINE’S DEATH
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The widow of a Marine is suing the U.S. government, claiming two Veterans Affairs facilities refused to provide her husband with psychiatric help hours before he took his life.
The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the suit seeks $22.5 million in damages for 22-year-old widow Tiffany Anestis and the couple’s 2-year-old daughter, Isabelle, in the death of Marine Corps reservist Cameron Anestis.
Anestis was 21 when fatally shot himself at his Scott County home on Aug. 17, 2009. READ MORE »
REPORT: WOMEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN COMBAT UNITS
WASHINGTON — Women should finally be allowed to serve fully in combat, a military advisory panel said Friday in a report seeking to dismantle the last major area of discrimination in the armed forces.
The call by a commission of current and retired military officers to let women be front-line fighters could set in motion another sea change in military culture as the armed forces, generations after racial barriers fell, grapples with the phasing out of the ban on gays serving openly.
The newest move is being recommended by the Military Leadership Diversity Commission, established by Congress two years ago. The panel was to send its proposals to Congress and President Obama. READ MORE »
ARMY: 22 SUICIDES IN 2010 AT FORT HOOD
The Army’s largest post saw a record number of soldiers kill themselves in 2010 despite a mental health effort aimed at reversing the trend.
The Army says 22 soldiers have either killed themselves or are suspected of doing so last year at Fort Hood, Texas, twice the number from 2009.
That is a rate of 45 deaths per 100,000, compared to 20-per-100,000 rate among civilians in the same age group and a 22-per-100,000 rate Army-wide. READ MORE »
VA PUBLISHES FINAL REGULATION TO AID VETERANS EXPOSED TO AGENT ORANGE
VA HEALTH CARE AND BENEFITS PROVIDED FOR MANY VIETNAM VETERANS
WASHINGTON – Veterans exposed to herbicides while serving in Vietnam and other areas will have an easier path to access quality health care and qualify for disability compensation under a final regulation that will be published on August 31, 2010 in the Federal Register by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The new rule expands the list of health problems VA will presume to be related to Agent Orange and other herbicide exposures to add two new READ MORE »
IAVA Launches Comprehensive GI Bill Resource on the Web: www.newgibill.org
The passage of the Post 9/11 GI Bill was a hard fought and long awaited victory for servicemembers and veterans. Giving nearly 500,000 veterans this year the opportunity for a first class future, the New GI Bill will shape a generation and invest in the future of this nation.
However, our work is not done. The application process is complicated and many of its provisions are nuanced. Nearly half a million veterans are taking advantage of the New GI Bill this year alone and many veterans in will have questions about their benefits. READ MORE »
Invisible Wounds
What do we mean by Invisible Wounds?
There are over 35,000 soldiers who have been wounded in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although injuries that veterans endure today are comparable to that of their military predecessors, the massive use of explosive devises can cause devastating wounds. The physical wounds from IED’s or suicide bombers include TBI, traumatic amputation, shrapnel wounds, burns and other very complex injuries.
Veterans Issue Area: Military and Veteran Families
What are the issues?
The American Psychological Association reports that “3 out of 5 service members have family responsibilities that include a legal spouse or children.” The toll of multiple deployments is felt by the family members at home as well. Some military families have support systems, while others may be isolated in civilian communities.
Veterans Issue Area: TBI
What is TBI?
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is caused by blunt force injury to the head and/or the concussive force of explosions which cause the brain to push against the skull. TBI results in a broad range of physical, cognitive, behavioral, emotional and social challenges. Diagnosis can be difficult because there need be no obvious injury or penetration of the skull and the symptoms are diffuse and mimic those of PTSD.
