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.   Navy to cut 745 civilian positions from bases in coming months.  The Navy will cut hundreds of civilian positions from its bases worldwide in coming months to save money in the face of continuing budget cuts, the service has announced.
 
2.   Bill would upgrade records of those discharged under DADT.  A bill circulating in the House would upgrade the service records of gay, lesbian and bisexual troops who were discharged due to sexual orientation and eventually open the door to veterans’ benefits.
 
3.   Acting Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning sworn in.  Eric Fanning, currently serving as undersecretary of the Air Force, is expected to assume the post of acting secretary of the U.S. Air Force on Friday, June 21, 2013.
4.   Big Improvements in VA Self-service for Disability Claims Processing.  Hyperlink to Story The Huffington Post: Well, you can use something like TurboTax to do your own taxes. You get the right records, and use their software to submit an entire package…Sometimes a CPA has to get involved, and they can use their own expert software to get the job done.
5.   VA looks to tighten sleep apnea rating schedule.  Hyperlink to Story Stars and Stripes:  The Department of Veterans Affairs is studying changes to disability ratings for obstructive sleep apnea, particularly the 50-percent rating being awarded when VA physicians prescribe use of a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure machine, for sleep-deprived veterans.
6.   Few South Dakota claims slowed by VA backlog. Hyperlink to Story Argus Leader: The VA pays disability benefits to veterans who are injured or become ill as a result of their active service. For years, veterans have complained that it takes too long for their claims to be resolved. In late March, more than 633,000 claims, or about 70 percent, were pending longer than 125 days.
7.   Miller: Veterans claims backlog needs Obama’s direct attention. Hyperlink to Story Army Times:  The Veterans Affairs Department is unlikely to meet its goal of eliminating its claims backlog without the direct involvement of President Obama, a key Republican lawmaker said.

8.   VA clears 97 percent of claims two years and older.  Hyperlink to Story Army Times: More than 65,000 veterans’ disability compensation claims have been eliminated during a two-month push to process the oldest claims first, Veterans Affairs Department officials announced Thursday.
9.   Southeast veterans center gets a new paint job.  Hyperlink to Story The Washington Post: After 15 years in the Army, two degrees and more than a decade working at the same company, Peggye Lyons suddenly found herself jobless — and then homeless.
10. A Call to Arms: Helping Female Veterans Find Jobs. Hyperlink to Story The Huffington Post:  Did you know that there are now more than 20 million military veterans living in the United States? When you imagine their faces, you probably picture two distinct groups: the now-aging men who served in WWII, Vietnam and other conflicts, and the fresh-faced young people returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.