Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need

 
1.   No further reductions of US troops overseas, JCS chairman says.  The drawdown of U.S. troops from overseas bases has likely run its course for now, America’s top military commander said Thursday. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin E. Dempsey said Thursday he doesn’t think there will be further dramatic changes in the U.S. military’s forward presence.

2.   US military faulted for burn-pit use.  The U.S. military spent $5 million on incinerators at a base in Afghanistan that never became operable, forcing troops to use a type of open-air burn pit that has been linked to serious respiratory problems among veterans, according to a government report.

3.   Air Force plans to investigate new allegations against Wilkerson.  The Air Force plans to investigate an allegation that fighter pilot Lt. Col. James Wilkerson, whose sexual assault conviction was overturned by a lieutenant general in part because the general believed Wilkerson was an upstanding husband and officer, had an extramarital affair in 2004 with a woman who says she subsequently gave birth to his baby.

4.   Former sailor awarded for rescue of injured mountain climber.  A former Sasebo-based sailor has been awarded a Navy and Marine Corps Medal for risking his life to save a severely injured Japanese man near the summit of Mount. Fuji in December 2011.
 
5.   Committee examines Affordable Care Act’s impact on veterans without insurance.
St. John Valley Times  … U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held an oversight hearing yesterday, April 24, on the strategic and policy implications of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on veterans eligible for and engaged with health care provided by the Department of …

NEW MAGAZINE IN IOWA FOR VETERANS

The Iowa Review has just released a veterans edition of the magazine which focuses on stories written by and about those who have served our country. This issue also features the winner of The Iowa Review’s 2012 Jeff Sharlet Memorial Prize for Veterans is Iraq War veteran Hugh Martin. An Ohio-born poet, Martin is currently a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University. Martin’s work was selected from 265 contest entries in all genres.  In this issue: trading a Playboy for a hat, lines for telephone calls, lines for Rembrandt, lines along the circumferences of yams in the kitchen, killing time with muted baseball games and cheap metal detectors, a dusty dog and remembering to remember her name, supervillains with paralyzing beams, museums of drones, streets a latticework of fire, and what’s morality to you?

6.Official Makes Case for More Base Closures, Realignments.  Recognizing congressional resistance to another round of base realignments and closures, a senior defense official told a Senate panel yesterday it would be irresponsible to cut the military’s “tooth” without doing everything possible to eliminate excess within its “tail.”   John C. Conger, acting deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment, made the case for a 2015 BRAC round during

7.   Veterans groups worry new VA plan to clear claims backlog is ‘all smoke.  Washington Examiner  Groups representing U.S. military veterans say they worry that a new Department of Veterans Affairs plan to close out a massive backlog of unfinished disability benefits claims may be a bureaucratic dodge. In the photo above, veterans applaud during a …
8.   After two decades of waiting, Gulf War vets see new hope.  Hyperlink to Story  Boston Globe:  When Edward Bryan, then a 35-year-old full-time firefighter, was called to serve in the Persian Gulf War in April 1991, he didn’t know he would come home to the US after 6 months with a slew of medical problems, including headaches, dizziness, gastro-intestinal problems, vision and memory loss, and hearing problems.
9.   VA Expects Obamacare to Boost Healthcare Numbers.  Hyperlink to Story Military.com: When the Affordable Care Act — better known as Obamacare — goes into full effect next year, the Department of Veterans Affairs expects to see its veteran patient population grow by about 66,000, a senior VA official told Congress on Wednesday.
10.  House GOP: Influx of vets for ‘Obamacare’ may overwhelm VA.  Hyperlink to Story  Washington Times:  House Republicans said Wednesday that the Department of Veterans Affairs may not be ready to handle the hundreds of thousands of veterans who may sign up for health benefits next year to meet the new individual mandate under President Obama’s health care law.

Have You Heard?

Have you ever tried to tell a civilian employer about your military experience? The VA for Vets Military Skills Translator can help you best highlight your active duty role and responsibilities, including:

• Specialties and sub-specialties
• Certifications, training and education
• Collateral duties
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With your talents translated into civilian-friendly language, you can craft a federal resume that best highlights your professional strengths. Get started today in the VA for Vets Career Center. If you need assistance, call a VA for Vets career coach at 1-855-824-8387 (TTY: 1-855-824-8833).