IAVA | November 25, 2020
IAVA Weekly SITREP
As the leading voice for the post-9/11 community, IAVA continues to create awareness on issues and topics impacting our community. Below are articles and news sources from the past week:
Wednesday, November 25
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
The Hill: Senate Democrats press VA for vaccine distribution plan
By Ellen Mitchell
The department “must be ready to act to protect the health of veterans, VA staff, and their families. VA must have a comprehensive plan in place to ensure the safe, equitable, and smooth distribution of a forthcoming COVID-19 vaccine,” Democrats on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee wrote in a Monday letter to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.
Stars and Stripes: Lawmakers call on VA to release a vaccine distribution plan
By Nikki Wentling
The Department of Veterans Affairs has not yet publicized a strategy to distribute coronavirus vaccines to its patients and staff once one has been approved, leading some lawmakers to worry that the department has fallen behind states and other federal agencies.
Radio.com: Veterans Affairs reaches more than 100,000 COVID-19 cases since pandemic began
By Abbie Bennett
The number of Department of Veterans Affairs patients sick from the coronavirus has doubled the previous record high from July as the total number of cases at VA reaches more than 100,000.
Chicago Sun Times: State launches investigation into coronavirus outbreak at LaSalle Veterans’ Home, where 27 died of COVID-19
By Rachel Hinton
The reports released by the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs found employees of the home attended the same Halloween gathering and later tested positive for the virus. The veterans’ home was also stocked earlier this month with hand sanitizer found not to be effective against COVID-19.
*Also reported in ABC News, Associated Press, Military Times, U.S. News
Clarksville Online: Marsha Blackburn reports Bipartisan Bill Improving Veterans Care Passes the Senate
By Staff
The U.S. Senate passed bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R—Tenn.) and Gary Peters (D—Mich) to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) caregiver program. Blackburn and Peters’ bipartisan Transparency and Effective Accountability Measures for (TEAM) Veteran Caregivers Act would take a number of steps to strengthen transparency and communication for veterans and caregivers participating in the program.
Military.com: Mattis Calls on Biden to Scrap ‘America First’ Policy, Slow Pullout from Afghanistan
By Richard Sisk
Alongside three co-authors, Mattis published a piece in Foreign Affairs on Monday warning against abrupt departure from Afghanistan and calling for the elimination of “America First” as a tenet of defense strategy.
Star Tribune: Two costly wars, and a painful admission: We lost
By Timothy Kudo
The Defense Department recently announced troop withdrawals by Jan. 15 that will reduce American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to 2,500 each from their one-time highs of some 170,000 and 100,000 troops, respectively. This drawdown makes explicit what those of us who served in the military have long realized: We lost.
Military.com: These Marine Veterans Made a Documentary About Their Deployment to Afghanistan
By Blake Stilwell
The veterans featured in the film largely joined the Corps at a young age. Many were in their early 20s when they first deployed to Afghanistan. In the crowdfunding pitch he used to finance the film, he calls “Once a Marine” a “documentary about coming home from war.”
Colorado Springs Gazette: Veteran suicides in Colorado ‘significantly higher’ than national averages, according to new VA report
By Debbie Kelley
Suicide among U.S. military veterans reached record numbers in Colorado last year, with more than one former service member dying by suicide every week, a new report said. A 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention report from the Department of Veterans Affairs said Colorado’s rate was “significantly higher” than the national rate, The Gazette reported.
*UPDATED: Also reported in The New York Post The Denver Post, Associated Press, US World & News Report
Rolling Stone: Salute to Service: Panel Discussion on U.S. Military Veterans and Mental Health
By Staff
This November, Rolling Stone is paying tribute to our veterans and troops with “Rolling Stone’s Salute to Service.” The second panel — hosted by Rolling Stone digital director Jerry Portwood — focused on veterans and mental health. The third and final panel focuses on veteran advocacy and support and airs on December 1st.
*Also reported in Yahoo! and MSN
Military.com: Research Delays Push Back VA Decision on New Agent Orange Conditions
By Patricia Kime
The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the results of two research studies that Veterans Affairs officials say are needed to determine whether new health conditions should be added to the list of Agent Orange-connected disease.
Radio.com: Her Marine fiancé died from toxic exposure 2 weeks before the wedding. Now it’s her turn to fight.
By Abbie Bennett
Todd said she wanted to bring awareness to the far-reaching effects of toxic exposures, harming not only the veterans who were exposed but all those who love them. Duva returned from Afghanistan where he lived and worked near burn pits full of blazing, smoking military trash, and eventually sickened. His diagnosis was delayed by months at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, his family said.
WV News: West Virginia Sen. Manchin rips VA plan to privatize C&P exams for veterans
By Staff
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, is expressing concerns about the Department of Veterans Affairs’ recent decision to increase the privatization of compensation and pension (C&P) exams, which he said negatively impacting services and benefits provided to disabled veterans.
Nerdwallet: Does the GI Bill Pay for Coding Bootcamp?
By Cecilia Clark
You can use the GI Bill to pay for costs at approved coding bootcamps. But the VET TEC program might be a better way to cover those expenses and allow you to preserve your GI Bill for higher-cost, longer-term educational opportunities.
Chicago Sun-Times: He’s fought for his country in the Army and FBI. Now, he’s fighting for himself, other vets.
By Stephanie Zimmermann
Rudisill’s court case centers on whether the government can force veterans like himself — those who have served in the military long enough to have earned benefits under more than one GI Bill — to give up their Montgomery GI Bill benefits in order to tap the more generous benefits available to them under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Tuesday, November 24
IAVA NEWS COVERAGE
Federal News Network: Pentagon reports $5B in improper payments to civilian workforce
By Jared Serbu and Scott Maucione
Tens of thousands of Army veterans who were less-than-honorably discharged will now get a second chance to receive benefits.“This is a watershed vindication of veterans’ rights,” said plaintiff Steve Kennedy, who served in Iraq and is a founder of the Connecticut chapter of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “Not only will this have a practical impact on the lives of thousands of veterans, but this settlement will also signal that the federal government must be held accountable to its word to veterans.”
POLITICO: Senate’s plan to rename bases gains steam
By Bryan Bender
Nearly a dozen military family advocacy groups are endorsing Michèle Flournoy to be Biden’s choice for defense secretary, recommending a “speedy confirmation process” for the leading Democratic policy wonk and former top Pentagon official if she is nominated as widely expected. “We appreciate her undisputed expertise on a wide variety of subjects at the Defense Department, and we appreciate her deep commitment to America’s troops and their families,” they said in a statement.
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America were among other military groupsthat issued this statement.
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
Federal News Network: FLRA orders VA to reinstate employees impacted by initial accountability act implementation
By Nicole Ogrysko
The Federal Labor Relations Authority delivered a blow to the Department of Veterans Affairs and its implementation of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. In issuing its award, the arbitrator called on VA to rescind any adverse actions and reinstate any employees who had been fired, demoted or suspended without a 90-day performance improvement period — with back pay, restored leave and other benefits.
The New York Times: Two Costly Wars, and a Legacy of Shame [Opinion]
By Timothy Kudo
Both countries fail to meet the objectives of freedom and democracy set when President George W. Bush started those wars. They fall short of President Obama’s goals when he sent me and 30,000 other troops to Afghanistan and of the claims he made when declaring an end to combat operation in Iraq only to see the Islamic State undo those gains. President Trump does not seem to even have a purpose for those 5,000 troops who will remain in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Stars and Stripes: Author: Trove of US documents on toxic substances in Okinawa may help veterans’ claims
By Nikki Wentling
A Welsh journalist in Japan has released a trove of U.S. government documents regarding pollutants at U.S. bases in the Pacific in hopes they will aid veterans seeking compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for a variety of service-related ailments.
Tampa Bay Times: New Port Richey veteran fighting to get treatment for vets exposed to toxic burn pits
By Ileana Najarro
Called this generation’s Agent Orange by advocates and congressmen alike, the issue of granting Iraq and Afghanistan veterans presumptive care by the VA for long-term and often fatal illnesses developed after exposure to toxins in service continues to stall. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who reiterated his commitment to resolving this issue when re-elected this month, echoed sentiments from the National Security subcommittee on the need for more immediate action from the VA.
Colorado Springs Gazette: Veteran suicides in Colorado ‘significantly higher’ than national averages, according to new VA report
By Debbie Kelley
Suicide among U.S. military veterans reached record numbers in Colorado last year, with more than one former service member dying by suicide every week, a new report said. A 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention report from the Department of Veterans Affairs said Colorado’s rate was “significantly higher” than the national rate, The Gazette reported.
*UPDATED: Also reported in Military Times The Denver Post, Associated Press, US World & News Report, and MSN.
New York Times: Can an Algorithm Prevent Suicide?
By Benedict Carey
Doctors have traditionally gauged patients’ risks by looking at past mental health diagnoses and incidents of substance abuse, and by drawing on experience and medical instinct. But these evaluations fall well short of predictive, and the artificially intelligent programs explore many more factors, like employment and marital status, physical ailments, prescription history and hospital visits. These algorithms are black boxes: They flag a person as at high risk of suicide, without providing any rationale.
*UPDATED: Also reported in Yahoo!, Moneycontrol and New Zealand Herald
Military.com: Why Ketamine Could Be the All-in-One Solution to Curb Veteran Suicide Rates
By Gregg Peterson
The National Institutes of Health has funded research into new non-opioid therapies with hundreds of millions of dollars via the HEAL Initiative, and several biopharma companies have promising new drugs in development. Ketamine blocks the NMDA receptor and was originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for anesthesia. Recently, a new formulation was approved for depression as well.
Florida Daily: Steube, Mast bring awareness to rising veteran suicide rate
By Javier Manjarres
Former U.S. Army JAG officer and Rep. Greg Steube (R) took part in an event this past weekend sponsored by a local American Legion chapter to bring awareness to the “devastating” veteran suicide statistics. Steube’s colleague in the House, wounded combat veteran Rep. Brian Mast (R) has also been working to the rate of death by filing legislation to prevent veteran suicides “These bills are about doing anything and everything we can to prevent even one more veteran from harming themselves, said Mast.”
JAMA: To Prevent Suicide Among Veterans, Their Physicians Should Discuss Gun Safety
By Brian S. Barnett, MD; Harold Kudler, MD; Jeffrey Swanson, PhD
Earlier this month the VA mandated that all Veterans Health Administration health care practitioners complete a lethal means safety course within 90 days as part of its Suicide Prevention Now initiative. This is a critical advance in VA suicide prevention efforts for many reasons.
Springfield News Sun: Brown on introducing ‘invisible injuries’ bill to support vets returning home [Opinion]
By Sherrod Brown
This month, I’m introducing a bill to address the lack of mental health support for vets returning home. This legislation would add a new component to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) specifically designed to talk with servicemembers about their mental health and how it could be affected during transition, and make them aware of services available to them at their local VA.
Stars and Stripes: Coronavirus cases among VA patients surpass 13,000
By Nikki Wentling
More than 13,300 Department of Veterans Affairs patients are sick with the coronavirus — a number that more than doubled in the past 20 days and represents the most active cases the VA has ever had at one time. Cases have increased 108% since Nov. 2.
Becker’s Health IT: VA expands 5G hospital pilot sites to Florida and Seattle
By Jackie Drees
VA recently signed a letter of intent to begin expanding the department’s 5G efforts, said Ryan Vega, MD, executive director of the Veterans Health Administration’s Innovation Ecosystem, according to the Nov. 20 report.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: VA hospital police ‘legally justified’ in shooting death of man outside ER, district attorney finds
By Raquel Rutledge
Federal police who shot a 35-year-old man near the entrance to Milwaukee VA Medical Center in July will not be charged in the death, according to records released Monday by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States Department of Justice: For-Profit Trade School Owner Charged With Defrauding VA, Student Veterans
By Erin Dooley
The owner of a for-profit trade school has been charged with defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and student veterans, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox. According to the indictment, Mr. Davis owned and operated Retail Ready Career Center, Inc., that marketed its six-week HVAC training course to veterans, whose tuition and fees would be covered by the Veteran’s Educational Assistance Act of 2008.
Foreign Policy: Can Biden Make the Military Safe for Those Who Serve?
By Jamille Bigio and Cailin Crockett
It is long past time for the Pentagon and Congress to elevate all forms of gender-based violence in the military—including intimate partner violence—to the level that victims deserve. The marching orders for Biden’s proposed White House commission should be clear.
NPR Orlando: Florida Study Finds Banning Transgender Troops Hurts Military
By Stephanie Colombini
The research institute studies LGBTQ policy and found the ban did not enhance military readiness like the Trump administration said it would. Instead, it had the opposite effect. “It has compromised morale, it has undermined unit cohesion, it has impeded the military’s ability to recruit and retain talent,” said Palm Center Director Aaron Belkin.
Monday, November 23
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
Stars and Stripes: Former VA second-in-command says he was fired for not going along with plan to discredit House staffer
By Steve Beynon
The former deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs said Thursday that he was fired earlier this year because he would not go along with a conspiracy to smear a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted, and because he was seen as a political rival to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.
By Kayla Strayer
Protecting abusers and making victims feel like the criminals – that’s what sexual assault victims and their advocates say continues to happen in the military. After a series of CBS News reports spotlighting how sexual assaults in the military are handled, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said they need to “do better” and leaders must have the courage to speak up.
Statesman: Investigation shows Fort Hood leaders failed to protect soldiers, Army secretary says
By Heather Osbourne
One of several investigations aimed at Fort Hood leadership is complete, and early findings point to significant failures in how officials respond to and prevent sexual misconduct among soldiers, U.S. Army officials said this week.
Washington Post: Shutdown deadline nears as White House, Congress tangle over VA funding
By Seung Min Kim and Jeff Stein
The Trump administration is injecting new demands into congressional negotiations over a government spending bill that threatens to sink the must-pass package, people familiar with the discussions said. The disagreement concerns how to classify $12.5 billion in cost increases in veterans’ health care, expenses that are part of veterans’ care changes signed into law by President Trump in 2018 with much fanfare.
American Military News: Spat over veterans health care emergency funds stalls spending deal
By Staff
A dispute over veterans health care funding is holding up bipartisan negotiations on the framework for an omnibus spending package that would avoid a partial government shutdown next month, according to sources familiar with the talks. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is insisting that $12.5 billion for veterans’ medical care should not be classified as emergency spending that is exempt from budget caps, these people said.
KXAN: Lawmakers, experts concerned about increase in veteran suicide rate, according to new VA report
By Basil John
Warner’s bipartisan bill expands veterans’ access to mental health services, to reduce the rate and increase outreach from the VA and nonprofits. “This is just an effort to marry these resources and my hope is that we can bring these numbers down because they are still way, way too high,” Warner said.
Colorado Springs Gazette: Veteran suicides in Colorado ‘significantly higher’ than national averages, according to new VA report
By Debbie Kelley
Suicide among U.S. military veterans reached record numbers in Colorado last year, with more than one former service member dying by suicide every week, a new report said. A 2020 National Veteran Suicide Prevention report from the Department of Veterans Affairs said Colorado’s rate was “significantly higher” than the national rate, The Gazette reported.
*Also reported in The Denver Post, Associated Press, US World & News Report
New York Times: Can an Algorithm Prevent Suicide?
By Benedict Carey
Doctors have traditionally gauged patients’ risks by looking at past mental health diagnoses and incidents of substance abuse, and by drawing on experience and medical instinct. But these evaluations fall well short of predictive, and the artificially intelligent programs explore many more factors, like employment and marital status, physical ailments, prescription history and hospital visits. These algorithms are black boxes: They flag a person as at high risk of suicide, without providing any rationale.
Stars and Stripes: Crisis Line failed to help veteran who died hours after calling, watchdog finds
By Nikki Wentling
Two dispatchers at the Veterans Crisis Line failed to help a veteran who died of an overdose just hours after calling the hotline, an independent watchdog agency reported this week. Two crisis line responders spoke to the veteran that day but failed to consider his or her risk for overdose and didn’t contact local authorities, according to a new report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.
*Also reported in Military.com
