Blog Post

IAVA Daily News Brief 06.20.12
Posted by Gretchen Andersen on June 20 2012

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings that IAVA is tracking. Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking? Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom and click here to get the News Brief delivered to your inbox every morning. 

MUST READS

1.) IAVA, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and VOWS Host Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair This Thursday

Sign up for IAVA and U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair in partnership with Veterans on Wall Street (VOWS). The hiring fair - to be held Thursday on Wall Street - is free for vets and will feature over 80 employers looking to hire veterans across various industries. IAVA will have resources like resume workshops and interview skills training on-site. For a complete list of employers and to RSVP, click here.

2.) Lawmakers call veteran scams appalling

An investigation by the Houston Chronicle/Hearst Papers revealed that inveterate gamblers, convicted criminals, the bankrupt and the mentally ill were among those approved by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - and often paid commissions - to manage money or oversee entire estates for disabled veterans.  Now, key members of Congress are speaking out -- describing the newspaper findings as "appalling" in separate interviews. Read about the investigation here. 

3) Veterans Return From War to See Jobs Gone

National Guardsmen and Reservists who have faced multiple deployments have often returned home to returned to find the jobs they left behind are no longer there. Some contend they have faced discrimination on their return, or retaliation for their military service. Such actions are illegal under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, or USERRA, which is supposed to help protect veterans when they return to the workforce. 

AFGHANISTAN

• Seven U.S. troops are facing administrative punishment, the lowest possible reprimand, for their role in the Koran burning. None are facing court-martial, the officials said.
• A spokesman for NATO said casualties from a suicide bomber at a security checkpoint in Afghanistan's city of Khost today involved foreign troops. The attack also killed at least 16 people and wounding 30, police said, the latest attack to raise questions about stability in the volatile eastern region bordering Pakistan.

IRAQ

• An aide to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Reuters of a letter the premier had sent to President Barack Obama asking for Exxon Mobil to stop exploring for oil in its Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
• Three civilians have been killed and nine wounded in a car bomb attack in Iraq's northern city of Kirkuk.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• A problem has arisen for the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program, expected to launch July 1: Classes at community colleges in 18 states and territories will not be covered because those schools also provide bachelors’ degrees.
• New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees clarified his tweet about comparing “weapons of mass destruction” and fans in a text message to ESPN's Ed Werder.

THE NEW GREATEST GENERATION

• Nearly 18 months after a bullet struck his lower spine, initially paralyzing him, Cody Smith -- an Afghanistan war veteran --  is once again on his feet and stepping out, albeit tentatively.
• Through grassroots support, Sierra College has been able to create a small relaxation room, snack shack and study area for their veteran student body. The veterans resource center is an escape when the toll of returning from combat becomes too much.
• A veteran hopes to build an Iraq Veterans memorial at the park on U.S. 301 next to the Tampa Bypass Canal in honor of his fallen comrades.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• In a new video released Tuesday, Republican leaders from the House Armed Services Committee warn of massive civilian layoffs and cuts in military end strength starting in July if lawmakers don’t find alternatives to the $500 billion in defense budget cuts.
• The United States and Israel -- involving the National Security Agency, the CIA and Israel’s military -- have reportedly developed a sophisticated computer virus nicknamed Flame that collected intelligence in preparation for cyber-sabotage aimed at slowing Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.

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