Archive for September, 2009
US to Send Home 4,000 More Troops from Iraq
WASHINGTON — The top general in Iraq is sending home 4,000 more U.S. troops by the end of October as the American military winds down the six-year war. Army Gen. Ray Odierno said in remarks prepared for a congressional hearing Wednesday that the number of U.S. soldiers in Iraq will total about 120,000 over the next month.
He said that will mean about 4,000 fewer troops than are in Iraq now — about the size of an Army brigade.
“As we go forward, we will thin our lines across Iraq in order to reduce the risk and sustain stability through a deliberate transition of responsibilities to the Iraqi security forces,” Odierno said in a statement he was to deliver before the House Armed Services Committee.
A copy of the testimony was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.
A Defense Department official confirmed Odierno planned to announce at the House hearing that he is reducing the number of brigades in Iraq, as has been long expected.
In his eight-page statement, Odierno cited data showing that the monthly number of attacks in Iraq have dramatically dropped over the last two years — from more than 4,000 in August 2007 to about 600 last month. He also said that far fewer al-Qaida and foreign fighters remain in Iraq, and most of those who are left are criminals and disenfranchised Iraqis who have been recruited by what Odierno described as a “small ideological core” of insurgents.
More Than 425,000 Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans Treated by VA – More Than 250 New Patients Every Day
According to government reports obtained exclusively by Veterans for Common Sense (VCS), more than 250 new, first-time Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran patients flood into Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics every day. In the eight years after 9/11, VA has treated and diagnosed more than 425,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans at VA facilities, an average of 258 new, first-time patients every day.
While the press and public are often focused on the more than 5,000 deaths from the two wars, a tidal wave of wounded, injured, and ill continue flooding into VA, with no end in sight. Beginning today, VCS starts publishing official VA reports obtained by VCS using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) at our web site.
DoD Fact Sheet: Consequences of Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
Nye Announces Plan to Help Military Families Access More Affordable Housing Options
Virginia Beach, VA – Many military families in Hampton Roads, and across the country, could have more affordable housing options under a new proposal from Congressman Glenn Nye (VA-02).
Nye’s bill, the Military Families Affordable Homes Act of 2009, would enable more military personnel to apply to live in designated affordable housing communities. Current policies make it nearly impossible for even the lowest-paid enlisted personnel to meet the income requirements for such housing.
“One of the most important ways we can support our military personnel is to help them support their families,” said Congressman Glenn Nye, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “Right now, military personnel at most Hampton Roads bases are at a disadvantage when they apply to live in affordable housing developments. This bill will help our troops provide a good home for their families.”
Nye announced the legislation on Monday afternoon at a press conference at Tallwood Apartments, an affordable housing community in Virginia Beach. Nye was joined by Carol Berg from Operation Homefront, who discussed the challenges that military families face in finding affordable housing, and Todd Copeland, a local developer who manages several affordable housing communities and who is closely involved in the issue.
Real estate developers can receive a tax credit under Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code to create and maintain rental properties with affordable rates. However, these rental units are not open to everyone. In order to live in a Section 42 affordable housing unit, an individual’s income must be below a certain level.
Most enlisted military personnel have total annual pay that is below the cutoff for Section 42 apartments. Despite this, when military personnel apply for Section 42 apartments, their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is added to their total annual pay for the purposes of calculating income – and as a result, nearly all military families are excluded.
In 2008, Congress passed a limited exception to this policy. Under this exception, only personnel stationed at nine select installations were permitted to apply for Section 42 Housing without including their BAH in their total annual pay.
Congressman Nye’s bill will extend the 2008 policy to personnel stationed at any US military installation, enabling far more military families to take advantage of affordable housing options in their communities.
Steve Shannon Supports Virginia Veterans and their Families
In my years as a prosecutor and a public servant, I have made it my mission to protect our families and to make Virginia safer. My wife and I co-founded the AMBER alert system in Northern Virginia to help rescue abducted children. I used my time as a prosecutor to crack down on drunk drivers and sex offenders. But my work cannot compare to the bravery of Virginia’s veterans and service members. Virginia is home to 812,000 veterans, and we have one of the largest military populations in the country, with 156,000 active military personnel, 26,000 reservists, and 10,000 members of the Virginia National Guard.
Virginia has a proud heritage of military service, and as your next Attorney General I will work to ensure that your families are safe on the block while you continue to keep us safe overseas. I want to thank you for your service, from my family to yours.
Keeping Communities Safe
Those who have served our country bravely deserve peace of mind when they come home to be with their family and raise their children. That is why pubic safety must be the primary responsibility of the next Attorney General. As the state’s chief law enforcement officer, Steve Shannon will place a priority on keeping gangs out of our schools and neighborhoods, and he will work with local law enforcement to crack down on drug-related crimes. Steve will also lead an effort to go after online predators who prey on our children. With 20,000 computers in Virginia used to view or traffic child pornography, Steve understands that we need tougher penalties for those who would target the most vulnerable in our society.
Higher Education for Military Families
Steven Shannon has consistently supported legislation to extend higher education benefits to service members and their families. He voted in favor of legislation to extend in-state tuition benefits to families of active duty personnel and mobilized reservists and guard members. Steve also believes that the family members of our servicemen and women should never be denied the opportunity to pursue a higher education simply because they cannot afford it. That is why Steve was the chief sponsor of a bill that would have granted a waiver of tuition, charges and fees for eligible children and spouses who gain admission to any of our public universities.
Stopping Identity Theft of our Veterans
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. The theft of 26 million veterans’ identities from a Department of Veterans Affairs official’s home in 2006 underscored the importance of addressing this problem. When our servicemen and women deploy overseas, they deserve to be confident that their identity will be protected at home. As Attorney General, Steve Shannon will work with law enforcement personnel to develop the methods and technology to track identity theft and capture identity thieves who prey on Virginia’s veterans.
As a legislator, Steve worked to improve the ability of the Attorney General to impose stiff civil penalties against irresponsible companies that fail to protect their customer’s sensitive personal information, and he fought to increase reporting requirements when sensitive data is compromised.
John Lesinski, Candidate 15th District House of Delegates
John Lesinski, who is a Rappahannock County resident, has spent most of his professional career with the United States Marine Corps. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Santa Clara University in 1980. He then joined the Marine Corps and attended Officer Candidates School at Quantico, Virginia. After four years of active duty assignments in Florida, Mississippi, and North Carolina, John settled in Northern Virginia, where he joined the Marine Corps Reserve. For the next 22 years he worked in recruiting, civil affairs, and intelligence billets that included command of a Counter-Intelligence Team and service in the Pentagon’s National Military Joint Intelligence Center.
In January of 2003 he was called to active duty in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and served for six months in an inter-agency effort involving the FBI and the CIA. That year John also was awarded a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence from the Joint Military Intelligence College. He retired from the Marine Corps in December of 2006 at the rank of Colonel.
After transitioning into the Marine Corps Reserves in 1985, John began a second career in commercial real estate brokerage. He spent 16 years with the national firm, Grubb and Ellis Company, where he was promoted to executive vice president of the Baltimore-Washington region. In this post John managed four offices and a staff of 70. He was also active with several business industry groups, including service on the Board of Directors of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Economic Club of Washington, and the Federal City Council. In 2006 he formed his own commercial real estate brokerage, the Leland Group, based in Winchester.
John has a long involvement with the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation which raises college tuition for the children of Marines killed in Iraq or Afghanistan. He is a member of the Front Royal Rotary Club and a board member of the Rappahannock County Child Care Learning Center.
He and his wife, Heidi, live in the town of Washington with their dogs, Bixby and Calvin. John has two children, Daniel, who is in graduate school and Emily, a junior in college.
Learn more about John at www.johnfordelegate.com
DNC Commends Policies That Are Making a Difference in the Lives of Veterans and Military Families
At this weekend’s Democratic National Committee (DNC) meeting in Austin, TX, the full membership of the DNC passed a resolution to commend the new direction set to honor America’s service members. Under Democratic leadership, the Obama Administration and Congress are delivering on promises to the men and women of the armed services who have put their lives on the line to defend the values of our nation. The President and Congress have enacted or implemented changes that retroactively compensate service members for service under the Bush Administration’s stop-loss policy and extend the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s benefits to surviving children of fallen service members.
The following resolution was adopted by the Democratic National Committee on Friday, September 11th, 2009 in Austin, Texas.
Resolution Commending Democrats for Delivering a New Direction for America’s Servicemembers, Veterans and Military Families
Submitted by: Christine Pelosi, California; Don Fowler, At-Large/South Carolina; Alice Germond, DNC Secretary/West Virginia; Steven K. Alari, California; Belkis Leong-Hong, At-Large/Maryland; Barbara Easterling, At-Large/Virginia; Ben Jeffers, Louisiana; and James Zogby, At-Large, District of Columbia
WHEREAS, Democrats promised a new direction for America’s servicemembers, veterans and military families, who have demonstrated great patriotism and sacrifice in their commitment to keeping us safe and free; and,
WHEREAS, in the first 200 days of the 111th Congress and the Obama administration, Democrats have kept this promise, beginning with the FY 2009 Supplemenyal Appropriations bill that provides our troops with planning, equipment, and leadership to wind down the Iraq war, changes strategy in Afghanistan; and, makes retroactive payments to over 185,000 service members whose enlistments were involuntarily extended since the 9/11 terrorist attacks; and,
WHEREAS, Democrats directed specific aid to servicemembers, veterans and military families in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: the stimulus package provided veterans direct and indirect aid, adding up to $15.8 billion. Disabled veterans received direct benefits in the form of one-time payments of $250 and all businesses can now claim a tax credit for 40 percent of the first $6,000 of wages paid to unemployed veterans. In addition, the stimulus included renovation to national cemeteries and veterans medical facilities, grants to build new veterans care facilities and money to improve VA benefits administration; and,
WHEREAS, Democrats have led the charge to successfully pass and implement the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and recently expanded the Post-9/11 GI bill benefits to cover the full cost of a college education for all children of fallen U.S. servicemembers; and,
WHEREAS, Democrats have passed, and President Obama has signed legislation that provides mental health screenings and more veterans healthcare resources than at any other time in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration; and,
WHEREAS, House Democrats have passed legislation to strengthen national security by bolstering State Department resources to prevent conflict and failed states around the world; authorizing a 3.4% pay raise for our troops; expanding support for military families such as health care and housing; investing 15% more than 2009 for medical care, benefits claims processors, and facility improvements; and permitting veterans medically retired from active service to receive both military retirement and Veterans Disability Compensation.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the DNC commends the successful leadership by President Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress to provide a new direction for servicemembers, veterans and military families, and to deliver bipartisan results that make a real difference in their lives, and pledges that Democrats will never waver in our support for our servicemembers, veterans and military families.
GI Bill delays frustrate more student vets
Grumbling about delays in Post-9/11 GI Bill payments is on the rise as veterans who expected the new education program to fully cover their college costs are wondering what happened to the money.
Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, said he filed a Freedom of Information request on Wednesday to learn details about claims processing, including the number of certificates of eligibility filed and completed, the number of schools certifying enrollment and how many students are approved for payment.
“I am hearing from a lot of veterans who want to know when they are going to be paid,” Sullivan said. “VA has been telling everyone it takes 28 days to process a certificate of eligibility, but that doesn’t really tell the full story. In particular, I want to know what happens when someone applies and doesn’t get paid, or doesn’t get paid the amount they expect or doesn’t receive their living allowance. How many appeals have been filed and what is their status?”
WAGNER ANNOUNCES VETERANS STEERING COMMITTEE; UNVEILS VETERANS POLICY HONORARY CHAIR SENATOR JIM WEBB
RICHMOND – Today, at an event held in Richmond, 100 veterans endorsed Jody Wagner for Lt. Governor, citing her commitment to fighting for Virginia’s veterans and military families. Also at the event, Wagner unveiled her “Contract with Virginia Veterans,” a detailed set of policy proposals aimed at aiding Virginia veterans and their families.
Wagner said “I’m deeply honored to have the support of these 100 veterans, all of whom have given so much for our Commonwealth and Nation. Their sacrifices have helped to preserve and strengthen our fundamental freedoms and rights, and I strongly believe that it is our duty to ensure that they receive the help and support that is so deeply deserved. As Lt. Governor, I will work with these veterans, with current active duty personnel, and with members of both parties to ensure the needs of veterans in Virginia are met in the coming years. The military plays a critical role in the Commonwealth, anchoring our economy while providing hundreds of thousands of jobs. The next Lieutenant Governor must work to continue strengthening that relationship, and I will fulfill the duties of the office by attending the meetings of the Virginia Military Advisory Council.”
The Virginia Military Advisory Council is comprised of active duty commanders at Virginia military installations, as well as elected officials from both parties. The Commission plays a critical role in maintaining the close relationship between the Commonwealth and the military. Though the Lieutenant Governor is a member of the Council, Bill Bolling has failed to attend a single meeting for which minutes are available.
Wagner’s “Contract with Virginia Veterans,” which is available here, contains six specific policy ideas, including:
-Establishing two additional veterans care facilities in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia -Fully funding the Wounded Warriors Program -Emphasize the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations -Implement the “TurboVet” portal -Ensure in-state tuition for the children of service members and veterans -Make the Southwest Virginia Cemetery a reality
VCS Urges VA Leaders to Place VBA Staff Inside All VHA Facilities
Veterans for Common Sense (VCS) believes the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) should significantly increase the number of VBA offices in each state in order to provide friendly face-to-face assistance for our Veterans and their families with the fastest access to important documents and VBA decision makers. Using a carefully designed plan, VBA facilities of differing sizes can be opened over several years. VCS provided this information to the Presidential Transition Team in 2008, and to VA’s Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation in 2009.
The Veterans Benefits Administratin (VBA) maintains 58 regional offices, usually one per state, to provide non-medical benefits assistance to 23 million Veterans and their families. VBA is frequently seen as an isolated and inaccessible agency because nearly all communication between VBA and Veterans remains through the mail through impersonal, complicated, and quasi-legal letters. A single VBA regional office far away often prevents our Veterans and their families from obtaining friendly face-to-face assistance from VBA, submitting documents to VBA in a timely manner, and promptly scheduling required medical examinations.
Training Futures for Military Spouses
Training Futures is a six-month office/computer skills training program that prepares unemployed or underemployed individuals for careers in office work. This innovative course creates an office simulation for trainees. Trainees receive performance reviews and are expected to dress professionally for work, arrive on time, complete office assignment and interact professionally with staff and fellow trainees. During the course, trainees earn up to 17 credits at Northern Virginia Community College are taught the full Microsoft 2007 Office Suite, Internet, Windows XP, business math, business English, keyboarding, 10-key calculator, filing, customer service and medical terminology/HIPAA/introduction to billing and coding.
Training Futures participants are assigned to three-week internships with local companies that provide valuable on-the-job experience. They also get professional job search assistance, resume help, practice interviews and two on-site job fairs. Graduates of Training Futures start in entry-level office jobs paying an average of $26,000 in the first year after completing the program. Because graduates are motivated, well-trained and have a good work ethic, they steadily move up from there.
For more information on Training Futures look at our website at www.nvfs.org. If you want information about eligibility criteria and upcoming testing dates, please contact Janice McDonald, jmdonald@nvfs.org, or Marla Burton, mburton@nvfs.org at 703-448-1630.