Blog Post

IAVA Daily News Brief 11.20.12
Posted by Jacob Worrell on November 20

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 @IAVA and click here to get the News Brief delivered to your inbox every morning.

MUST READS

 1) VA outreach lags as many veterans are unaware of benefits
More than half of America’s veterans say they have little or no understanding of the benefits due them, despite efforts over recent years to match returning soldiers with the help and services they need. The VA said it’s working hard to boost benefits awareness and has taken steps in recent years to do so.
2) Army, Navy suicides at record high
With six weeks left in the year, the Army and Navy are already reporting record numbers of suicides, with the Air Force and Marine Corps close to doing the same, making 2012 the worst year for military suicides since careful tracking began in 2001.
3) New campaign encourages companies to hire vets
Evidence that employers are reluctant to hire veterans due to their potential physical and psychological injuries has prompted the Army to launch a new effort to educate businesses and encourage them to hire former service members. The Army has joined with the Society for Human Resources Management, the nation’s largest trade association of hiring professionals, to create the “Hire a Veteran” campaign.

AFGHANISTAN

• Four men, including a former member of the U.S. Air Force, have been arrested for plotting attacks against the United States in Afghanistan.
• James Bond actor Daniel Craig surprised British troops in Afghanistan on Sunday by turning up at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province to introduce the latest 007 movie “Skyfall.”  
• France ended its combat operations in Afghanistan on Tuesday, pulling hundreds of troops from a volatile region and fulfilling promises to end its combat role on a faster track than other NATO allies.

IRAQ

• Attorneys for Sgt. John Russell asked to hire an expert in hypnosis to help the veteran remember what happened on the day he is alleged to have killed five fellow soldiers at a combat stress clinic in Iraq.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

• More than seven months after her disappearance, Fort Bragg soldier and combat medic Pfc. Kelli Bordeaux remains missing and no suspects have been charged in the case.
• A report released Monday found that 70 percent of retired three-and-four star generals took jobs with defense contractors or consultants, a figure that has actually declined in recent years.

THE NEW GREATEST GENERATION

• A retreat for soldiers with difficulty transitioning from a combat deployment, SongwritingWith:Soldiers provides a uniquely effective form of therapy for many struggling veterans. 
• Injured U.S. army veteran Bradley Snyder lost his sight in Afghanistan but that isn't slowing him down in the pool at the Paralympics. 

INSIDE WASHINGTON

• Many veterans returning home from war are having problems getting their disability claims to be processed by the Department of Veteran Affairs.
• Thousands of Staten Islanders have been affected by the closing of the Department of Veterans Affair (VA) Hospital in Manhattan, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy.  
• U2 rock star Bono visited the nation’s capital to salute military heroes in D.C. during the inaugural Hero Summit.

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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