Military & Veteran News

Military & Veterans News Benefits News: VA Schedules 2 Million Appointments Using Veterans Choice Program WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Choice Program (VCP) has reached a key milestone in improving access to health care for Veterans. More than two million appointments have been scheduled through the program.  

Military & Veterans News Benefits News: VA Secretary Provides Relief for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injuries WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald has granted equitable relief to more than 24,000 Veterans following a national review of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) medical examinations conducted in connection with disability compensation claims processed between 2007 and 2015.

Military & Veterans News Benefits News: VA Announces Telemental Health Clinical Resource Centers During Telemedicine Association Gathering MINNEAPOLIS – As the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) works to improve Veterans’ access to health care, its telehealth services play an integral role in that process, said Dr. David J. Shulkin, VA’s Under Secretary for Health.  Dr. Shulkin spoke today to members of the American Telemedicine Association attending the group’s 2016 conference in Minneapolis, where he also announced the establishment of five VA Mental Health Telehealth Clinical Resource Centers to provide enhanced mental health access and services to Veterans in remote locations.

Military & Veterans News Benefits News: Miller Introduces Bill to Compensate Vets for Loss of Use of Creative Organs Yesterday, Chairman Miller introduced H.R. 4892, which would help veterans who have suffered a traumatic injury to their reproductive organs and who, as a result, cannot have children. The bill would provide affected veterans compensation for their injuries totaling $20,000, which could be used at the veteran’s discretion, including for adoption fees or other personal expenses.

Military & Veterans News Benefits News: VA Awards Grants to Develop Technology to Help Veterans, Servicemembers Modify Their Specially Adapted Homes WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today the award of $783,421 in Specially Adapted Housing Assistive Technology (SAHAT) Grants to eligible individuals, researchers, and organizations to develop new technologies that would enhance Veterans and Servicemembers’ ability to live in specially adapted homes.

Military & Veterans News Benefits News: Combat Veterans Get Telephonic Health Care Application Option WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that it has amended its enrollment regulations to allow Veterans to complete applications for enrollment in VA health care by telephone without the need for a signed paper application. The change is effective immediately for Combat Veterans and will be effective July 5, 2016, for all Veterans.

Military & Veterans News Benefits News: VA Announces Community Care Call Center to Help Veterans with Choice Program Billing Issues WASHINGTON – Veterans can now work directly with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to resolve debt collection issues resulting from inappropriate or delayed Choice Program billing. In step with MyVA’s efforts to modernize VA’s customer-focused, Veteran-centered services capabilities, a Community Care Call Center has been set up for Veterans experiencing adverse credit reporting or debt collection resulting from inappropriately billed Choice Program claims. Veterans experiencing these problems can call 1-877-881-7618 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time) for assistance.

Military & Veterans News Benefits News: VA Announces Additional Steps to Reduce Veteran Suicide WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced new steps it is taking to reduce Veteran suicide. The steps follow a February 2 Summit, “Preventing Veteran Suicide – A Call to Action,” that brought together stakeholders and thought leaders to discuss current research, approaches and best practices to address this important subject.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: DOD Releases Report on Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan Today DoD provided Congress with a report on “Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan” in accordance with Section 1225 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291). This report addresses developments from June 1- Nov. 30.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: Remarks by the President to the 113th National Convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander DeNoyer, thank you for your introduction, and your service in Vietnam and on behalf of America's veterans.  I want to thank your executive director, Bob Wallace; your next commander, who I look forward to working with, John Hamilton.  And to Gwen Rankin, Leanne Lemley, and the entire Ladies Auxiliary, thank you for your patriotic service to America.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: Miller: “We Must Reduce Veteran Unemployment to Less Than 5%” WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Rep. Jeff Miller, issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s Employing America’s Veterans initiative:

Military & Veterans News Vet News: Duckworth Takes Charge of VA’s Public Affairs and Outreach Programs WASHINGTON – Tammy Duckworth returned Wednesday to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a key site in her long recovery from wounds suffered in Iraq, to take the oath of office as the chief spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Military & Veterans News Vet News: L. Tammy Duckworth Tapped for VA Assistant Secretary WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama has announced his intent to nominate L. Tammy Duckworth, director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Military & Veterans News Vet News: Obama Orders Guantanamo Shut WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Jan 22, 2009 President Barack Obama ordered the closing of Guantanamo prison on Thursday and named veteran troubleshooters for the Middle East and Afghanistan as he moved swiftly to repair America’s tarnished image abroad.

Military & Veterans News The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Military & Veterans News Vet News: Actress Bo Derek Honored for Work on Behalf of Veterans WASHINGTON – Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake honored actress Bo Derek for her work to increase public awareness of the rehabilitative programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Military & Veterans News Vet News: Military Olympian Blog: Eli Bremer, Modern Pentathlon One of the most interesting parts of my Olympic story is not about me, but it is about my uncle. In media interviews everywhere around the world, it is common for me to spend most or all of my time discussing our relationship. Given that my uncle’s name and image are recognizable around the world, it is not surprising that people want to know about our interactions. In reality, my uncle’s story and my Olympic pursuit have been linked for years. His work has given me a much stronger understanding of the roll the Olympics play in world affairs and in bringing pride to a nation. For those of you who don’t know, my uncle "Jerry" is known publicly as Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III, the man who oversaw reconstruction of Iraq from 2003-2004.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: World War I Veteran Louis de Cazenave Died Sunday at age 110..leaving just one Known French Survivor of the 1914-1918 Conflict De Cazenave, who took part in the Battle of the Somme, died in his home in Brioude in central France, said his son, also named Louis de Cazenave.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: VA Boosts Services and Research in Spinal Cord Injury MILWAUKEE – During a ground-breaking ceremony today for a world-class facility for spinal cord injuries, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson committed the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand programs and open new facilities for seriously disabled Veterans with spinal cord injuries.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: VA To Host PTSD Research Conference WASHINGTON -- Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield announced today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will convene a “consensus conference” with the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health to improve the designs and methodologies all three agencies will use in future research studies regarding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Military & Veterans News Vet News: VA Reaches Out to Former Prisoners of War WASHINGTON - Do you know any former prisoners of war (POW) or their family members? If so, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs your help.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: Fisher House Dedicated at Tampa VA Medical Center The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is now better able to care for the families of injured military servicemen and women recuperating at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. The newest Fisher House, dedicated August 6 at the Tampa facility, will provide families free lodging, making it easier to participate in the care and recovery of their loved ones.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: VA Medical Centers Extending Hours WASHINGTON -- In order to provide more health care for more Veterans, especially mental health services, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson has directed the 153 medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to keep their doors open longer.

Military & Veterans News Vet News: VA Consolidated Mail-out Pharmacy Enhanced WASHINGTON -- With mail-out pharmaceuticals for Veterans already a $3 billion annual operation for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the department made a major expansion in its future capability with the dedication June 11 of a new building and improved production system for the Dallas VA Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy.