IAVA | December 4, 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:
Friday December 4
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
Roll Call: Defense bill seeks to bolster military’s pandemic response
By Mark Satter
Within the bill are at least 10 measures that directly address the military’s role in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, including requiring the Pentagon to maintain personal protective equipment for all servicemembers, and expanding the telemedicine capabilities of the Veterans Affairs Department.
Stars and Stripes: NDAA would add three conditions to VA list of illnesses caused by Agent Orange
By Nikki Wentling
A measure was included in the final version of the defense bill to grant Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to tens of thousands of Vietnam War veterans believed to be suffering the effects of Agent Orange.
ABC Virginia: Lawmakers push VA to cover vets exposed to toxic burn pits
By Mike Gooding
Members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee are concerned that millions of veterans from recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were exposed to burn pits. But, a high number of those troops have been denied related disability ratings and needed medical care by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
CBS News: VA, Defense Department under new pressure to help ailing veterans who served at toxic Uzbek base
By Catherine Herridge, Jessica Kegu
Hundreds of veterans have come forward after a CBS News investigation revealed new evidence of toxic materials at a remote base the U.S. military used after 9/11. The investigation was cited at a recent House hearing that put new pressure on the Veterans Affairs and Defense Departments to address health concerns from sick service members.
*Also reported in MSN
Clarksville Now: Sen. Marsha Blackburn gets K2 veterans study added to Defense bill
By Keely Quinlan
On Thursday, the national Defense funding bill was amended with a proposal from Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, that will finally take national steps to address the health concerns of K2 veterans.
*Also reported in the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle
Stars and Stripes: Defense spending bill directs Pentagon to study health impacts of toxic exposure
By Steve Beynon
A measure that aims to kickstart medical studies of veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base, known as K2, and were exposed to multiple cancer-causing toxins, has made it into the final 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.
FOX News: New Orleans VA prepares for COVID-19 vaccine
By Olivia Vidal
According to a letter sent to veterans by the center’s Medical Director Fernando Rivera, a timeline for when the drug can be administered will become clear within the next few weeks.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is currently working with the CDC to develop a phased rollout plan for the vaccine.
Char Koosta News: Tester introduces bill to cut red tape on VA grants for organizations assisting homeless veterans during COVID-19 pandemic
By Staff
Doubling down on his effort to protect homeless veterans during the national health crisis and assist organizations in mitigating the spread of the coronavirus, U.S. Senator Jon Tester recently introduced legislation to cut red tape on grants provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
NPR Chicago: As COVID-19 Deaths Mount At LaSalle Veterans’ Home, Republican Questions Governor’s Response
By Dave McKinney, Tony Arnold
Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger is demanding answers from Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker for not accepting federal help for weeks as a fatal COVID-19 outbreak exploded at the state-run LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
*Also reported in WBEZ
WCMY Illinois: Congressman claims state rejected federal help handling veterans home coronavirus outbreak
By Rick Koshko
Cong. Adam Kinzinger claims the state of Illinois turned down federal help at the veterans home in LaSalle as the coronavirus outbreak raged last month. Speaking on WCMY’s Morning Meeting program Thursday, the Channahon Republican said the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found things wrong there. He says the VA offered help and was turned down every day.
WMUR: 21 veterans deaths attributed to COVID-19 at NH Veterans Home in Tilton
By Staff
Staff at the home were described as exhausted and sad after losing six more veterans to COVID-19 since Tuesday. “We had a really bad day yesterday, a really, really bad day,” Commandant of the home Margaret LaBrecque said. “We are up to 21 of our veterans have passed.”
The Morning Call: Could this Pennsylvania veteran’s death from coronavirus have been prevented?
By Paul Muschick
The Health Department determined the commandant and nursing director “did not effectively manage the facility to make certain that proper infection control procedures were followed to protect residents from cross-contamination, infection, virus and disease in the facility.” More about how the center responded to the pandemic should be known after the ongoing investigation ordered by the governor’s office is completed.
Army Times: Illinois lawmaker tapped as next ranking member on House Veterans’ Affairs committee
By Leo Shane III
House Republican leaders on Wednesday named Illinois Rep. Mike Bost as their top veterans policy voice for the next congressional session, tapping him to replace retiring Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe as ranking member on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Stars and Stripes: ‘I could’ve helped’: Ex-employees, lawmakers question VA decision to shutter in-house compensation and pension exams
By Nikki Wentling
The closure was part of a VA plan to shutter its in-house compensation and pension program and outsource all the examinations, which are crucial to determining whether veterans are eligible for VA benefits.
Charlotte Observer: ‘Blind’ veteran got nearly $1M in disability — until VA caught him driving, feds say
By Hayley Fowler
Cook, 57, is accused of defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of nearly $1 million from 1987 to 2017 while claiming to be legally blind and unable to drive to get groceries or go to medical appointments after his accident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina said Wednesday in a news release.
Military Times: Legal victory and false hope? [Opinion]
By Jessica Lynn Wherry
As a veteran and someone who studies the discharge review boards’ policies, procedures, and decisions, I have little faith that the agreement will be enough to effect requisite structural change toward restoring honor to veterans.
We Are The Mighty: Who will be President-elect Biden’s Secretary of Defense?
By Jessica Manfre
Coalition leaders within the political landscape are pushing for different contenders. The Congressional Black Caucus is encouraging him to choose a Black leader while many within the progressive wing of politics are pressuring Biden to select a female leader.
Thursday December 3
IAVA NEWS COVERAGE
ABC Orlando: Report: Social media spoofing is targeting veterans
By Samantha Manning and Charles Frazier
A new report released by the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs said veterans are being targeted for disinformation and scams on social media. The report raises concerns about internet spoofing, which is when fraudsters pose as something or someone they’re not.
“These are becoming much more high-tech,” said Jeremy Butler, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). The report points to concerns about social media groups for veterans being infiltrated by foreign influences who act as admins and impact the content that is being shared. “It’s now real groups getting infiltrated by bad actors, sometimes actual individuals, sometimes bots and things like that,” Butler said. “They’re becoming increasingly sophisticated.”
*Also reported in Fox Memphis
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
ABC Virginia: Bill would create commission to determine veterans’ health care eligibility
By Mike Gooding
Rep. Phil Roe’s (R-Tennessee) “Modernizing Veterans’ Healthcare Eligibility Act” would create an independent 15-member bipartisan commission to assess veterans’ eligibility for care within the Department of Veterans Affairs. “The goal of this bill is to improve eligibility so that it works better for more veterans,” said Roe.
Military Times: Vietnam veterans with high blood pressure, other serious illnesses would get presumptive benefit status in final defense budget bill
By Leo Shane III and Joe Gould
After years of fighting with federal officials, Vietnam veterans suffering from high blood pressure and several other serious health conditions would be granted presumptive benefits status under language included in the final version of the annual defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday.
Chicago Sun Times: Duckworth calls for ‘compassionate resolution’ for vets facing GI Bill problems
By Stephanie Zimmermann
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is calling on the military to show “compassion” in addressing bureaucratic mistakes that have led to the children of long-serving veterans losing out on Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for college and, in some cases, being forced to repay money the government already has paid on their behalf.
*UPDATED Also reported in the Detroit Free Press
FirstCoast News: Veterans fighting disability claims being told: ‘Be proactive’
By Ken Amaro
The Department of Veterans Affairs has made improvements in getting help to the men and women who served. But there is still a growing concern about disability claims and how they’re being processed.
Military Times: The number of veterans in Congress will drop to lowest level since at least WWII
By Leo Shane III
The number of military veterans in Congress will drop again next session, reaching the lowest levels of members with some military experience since at least World War II.
Daily Journal: Lawmakers seek additional hearings into LaSalle Veterans’ Home outbreak
By Sarah Mansur
A letter has been sent to the to Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Cullerton, D-Villa Park, requesting he “set the next hearing date within the next few weeks.” Since the beginning of the outbreak, the veterans home has reported a total of 106 residents and 96 employees testing positive with COVID-19.
Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. auditor general confirms botched coronavirus efforts at veterans’ nursing home, calls on Gov. Wolf to finish investigation
By William Bender
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale on Wednesday released a new report on deficiencies at the Southeastern Veterans’ Center — where at least 42 people died of COVID-19 — and called on Gov. Tom Wolf to release the results of an investigation into how the state-run nursing home handled the coronavirus.
CBS Philadelphia: Special Report Raises Questions About How Southeastern Veterans Center Handled COVID-19 Outbreak
By Staff
Officials released a special report on Wednesday that raises questions about how the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs managed the COVID-19 outbreak that led to dozens of deaths at veterans’ homes. There were 42 COVID deaths at Southeastern Veterans Center in Chester County. That’s more than the state’s five other veterans’ homes combined.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Investigation details state’s ‘failure to recognize the outbreak’ in Missouri veterans homes
By Jack Suntrup
A state-commissioned investigation has found officials did not recognize the severity of early COVID-19 cases within Missouri veterans homes, failing to aggressively correct course to fight an outbreak that has killed more than 100 veterans housed in state nursing homes since September.
NorthJersey.com: Murphy administration ignored lessons as the pandemic spread in NJ nursing homes [Opinion]
Considering all the state and federal reports, and recommendations from Murphy’s own administration, New Jersey should have been well prepared to protect patients in nursing homes from the coronavirus. Instead, nearly half of all the state’s coronavirus deaths have been at nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Stars and Stripes: Military health care personnel will be the first in the DOD to receive coronavirus vaccine
By Caitlin Kenney
Military health care workers and then first responders will be the first to be vaccinated by the Defense Department when the coronavirus vaccines are approved, according to the Navy’s top officer.
Radio.com: VA again delays Agent Orange care expansion, blames pandemic for stalled studies
By Abbie Bennett
In March 2019, Department of Veterans Affairs leaders said they hoped to make a decision on whether to expand care and benefits to thousands more veterans sickened by Agent Orange. Now, 21 months later, VA says that decision won’t come for at least another six months.
Bloomberg Law: U.S. Health-Care Provider Beats Suit Over Veteran’s Suicide
By Mary Anne Pazanowski
A veteran’s widow lost a suit accusing a Veteran’s Administration health-care center of failing to prevent her husband’s suicide because there was no evidence the facility had a duty to provide him with such treatment, a federal court in Illinois said.
The Trace: Fighting the Veteran Gun Suicide Crisis With Better Data
By Tom Kutsch
A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reviewed the 37 applicable papers on veteran firearm suicide over nearly three decades. They found solid evidence that veterans are more likely to own guns, experience higher rates of gun suicide, and that access to firearms is one of the most important modifiable risk factors.
Military.com: New Rules for Animals on Airlines Set to Help Veterans With Service Dogs
By Patricia Kime
The Department of Transportation issued a final rule Wednesday that allows airlines to restrict animals in passenger cabins to service dogs — defined as any dog, regardless of breed, trained to help its handler with a physical, psychiatric, intellectual or mental disability.
Military.com: Former Navy SEAL, Wife Sue VA Over New Caregiver Program Rules
By Patricia Kime
A former Navy SEAL has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs over new restrictions that make it harder for caregivers of post-9/11 veterans to receive VA benefits.
Washington Times: Still work to be done to ensure veterans’ caregivers are supported [Opinion]
By Lynda Davis
We have come a long way since 2007. As one champion caregiver recently said, “VA has demonstrated a desire to listen, to care, to support and to learn from us but there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure Veterans caregivers are validated, included and supported in their role all across America.”
Military.com: Why Joe Biden Needs to Nominate Women to Lead VA and the Defense Department [Opinion]
By Andrew Vernon
When discharged from military service, women transition into civilian life with millions of other Veterans who served. I trust that, with women leading the Departments of Defense and VA, not only would we see a significant cultural change, but also the approval of past generations of those who have borne the battle well.
Military Times: A call to action: Sexual assault and harassment in the military [Opinion]
By Lisa Carrington Firmin
It is a profound shame that it has taken this long and so many have suffered or died because of failures in the chain of command. No más. The Department of Defense cannot shirk its duty anymore. You owe us. Change. Now.
Wednesday, December 2
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
Stars and Stripes: Coronavirus has now killed more than 5,000 VA patients
By Abbie Bennett
The coronavirus has killed more than 5,000 patients at the Department of Veterans Affairs, with 1,000 dying during November – the most coronavirus deaths that the VA has had in a single month.
*Also reported in Radio.com, UPI.com, Military Times
Daily Journal: Senate committee grills Veterans’ Affairs officials on LaSalle home outbreak
By Sarah Mansur
Members of the state Senate Veterans Affairs Committee had pointed questions for officials with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs about the agency’s response to an outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home that has resulted in at least 27 resident deaths from COVID-19-related complications
*Updated: Also reported in the News-Gazette, McDonough Press, State Register-Journal
Center Square: Republicans push for more hearings over deadly virus outbreak at LaSalle veterans home
By Greg Bishop
Illinois House Republicans are demanding more hearings into the COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ homes that killed 27 residents. Just before Thanksgiving last week, the Illinois Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee heard about the outbreak from early November where lax staff standards were observed, as was poor ventilation and ineffective hand sanitizer.
*Also reported in the Washington Examiner
Military Times: House Republicans to pick new top veterans policy leader this week
By Leo Shane III
Lawmakers in the House Republican Party caucus are set to vote as early as Wednesday afternoon on the new ranking member for the committee, to replace Tennessee Rep. Phil Roe, who is retiring at the end of 2020.
*Also reported in Marine Times
Dogwood: Warner Crafted New Law to Improve Life for Veterans
By Amie Knowles
When the Department of Veterans Affairs changed their calculation method on veteran suicides in 2019, the number of those dying per day dropped from 20 or more to 17. Still, the number was far too high for Virginia Senator Mark Warner. Even though the number of daily veteran suicides dropped to a recent low of 17, Warner wanted to find a way to reduce it further. He opened the conversation with a June 2019 bill, which became a law this October. The IMPROVE Well-Being for Veterans Act helps solve a few issues.
The Chicago Maroon: Veterans Speak with Illinois Senator on Deportation, Naturalization Process
By Roshini Balan
The social and emotional consequences of deportation for U.S. veterans were discussed when the University of Chicago’s Office for Military Affiliated communities hosted a panel on the deportation of United States veterans along with the School of Social Service Administration, Green Card Veterans, and Iraq War Veteran Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
Inside Higher Ed: Mental health, for-profits and aid concerns for student veterans
By Madeline St. Amour
A recent brief from the American Talent Initiative urges colleges to enroll more students who are military service veterans. The initiative is a collective of colleges and universities committed to expanding access for more vulnerable students. Its goal is to, by 2025, enroll and graduate 50,000 more lower-income students at colleges that have a six-year graduation rate of at least 70 percent.
Orlando Spectrum News: “Homelessness Is A State of Mind”: Navy Veteran Battles Trauma To Stay Off Streets
By Molly Duerig
When Mark Rawls finally got off the streets of Orlando after nearly fifteen years, he swore he’d never go back to being homeless. The 54-year-old Navy veteran credits therapy and medication for helping him recognize and begin to heal from his previously undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse issues.
ABC News: Resources available for military members and veterans struggling with mental health
By: Kate Sweigart
According to state leaders, who spoke on Tuesday about the ongoing problem regarding military members and mental health, there are many resources available throughout the holiday season. “The holiday season and our family traditions will look different this year, but we do not have to be cut off from our support networks entirely. No matter what you are feeling this year, please know that you do not have to endure it alone,” said Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Teresa Miller.
Military Times: Former SEAL, non-profit sue VA over new rules restricting caregiver benefits
By Harm Venhuizen
Andrew Sheets, a former petty officer second class who saw 33 combat missions in Afghanistan from 2003-2004, and Veteran Warriors, Inc. alleged in a complaint filed Monday that the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Improvements and Amendments Under the VA Mission Act of 2018, more commonly known as the Final Rule, “is arbitrary and capricious and exceeds VA authority.”
Military.com: Gag Order: How Marine Corps Culture Silenced a Victim of Sexual Assault
By Thomas J. Brennan
Like many of the tens of thousands of servicemen and women each year who struggle with mental illness after military sexual assault, Ohu’s plans spiraled off course as she battled post-traumatic stress, which only worsened when, over and over, she learned nobody cared.
FedWeek: Close to a Third of Feds are Veterans; Level Remains Flat
By Staff
The percentages of veterans by two separate measures of the federal workforce — as a total headcount and as the “core” workforce of non-seasonal, full time permanent employees—remained about flat in the latest accounting from OPM. By the former measure, the percentage fell from 31.1 to 31 percent in fiscal year 2018 from the prior years while by the latter measure it rose from 32.9 to 33 percent.
Veterans News Report: U.S. Navy Veteran Helping Female Veterans Find Dream Careers
By Randi Zuckerberg
Lots has to do with women veterans not understanding their “full worth” and how all of their great skills and attributes can be transferred into a career. There are ways to combat this:
Getting women connected with mentors even before they get out of the service. Helping women to better understand the types of opportunities that are out there in all sectors.
Tuesday, December 1
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
Radio.com: Senate bill aims to help more Native veterans access VA, eliminate copays
By Abbie Bennett
Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, and Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, introduced the Native American Veteran Parity in Access to Care Today (PACT) Act. The bill would eliminate copays for Native veterans getting health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Chicago Sun Times: Duckworth calls for ‘compassionate resolution’ for vets facing GI Bill problems
By Stephanie Zimmermann
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is calling on the military to show “compassion” in addressing bureaucratic mistakes that have led to the children of long-serving veterans losing out on Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for college and, in some cases, being forced to repay money the government already has paid on their behalf.
Chicago Sun Times: GI Bill snafus still keeping veterans from tapping benefits to pay for their kids’ college
By Stephanie Zimmermann
The problems with the Post-9/11 GI Bill persist. Even a retired Navy commander who served as an adviser to the Joint Chiefs of Staff was nearly cheated out of benefits.
*Also reported in the Detroit Free Press
The Washington Post: After losing Senate race, Virginia Republican launches PAC focused on electing veterans
By Meagan Flynn
Daniel Gade, the Republican Senate nominee in Virginia who lost to Sen. Mark R. Warner in November, says he will not run for governor next year but is launching a political action committee devoted to electing conservative veterans and educating voters on veterans issues.
Inside Higher Ed: Veterans and COVID-19
By Madeline St. Amour
Colleges need to focus on recruiting, supporting and graduating student veterans now more than ever, as these students face hardships due to the pandemic, experts say.
GovExec: Internal Documents Detail Who VA Will Vaccinate First
By Eric Katz
The federal agency that will likely receive the largest distribution of COVID-19 vaccine doses plans to quickly inoculate some employees upon first receiving the vaccine, according to internal documents describing the phased rollout.
Daily Journal: Senate committee grills Veterans’ Affairs officials on LaSalle home outbreak
By Sarah Mansur
Members of the state Senate Veterans Affairs Committee had pointed questions for officials with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs about the agency’s response to an outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home that has resulted in at least 27 resident deaths from COVID-19-related complications
*Updated: Also reported in the News-Gazette, McDonough Press
Chicago Tribune: Deadly veterans home outbreak needs outside review, now [Opinion]
By The Editorial Board
The public deserves answers. Only an outside investigation will get to the bottom of the chain of events, and who knew what, when. Yet Pritzker’s administration assigned the investigation task to the acting inspector general of the Department of Human Services. The person in that role was appointed by Pritzker last year. He reports to Pritzker.
NorthJersey.com: Second wave of COVID-19 cases grows at New Jersey veterans homes
By Scott Fallon
More than 20 staff members and residents at two of New Jersey’s already devastated veterans homes have recently tested positive for COVID-19, according to letters and emails sent to families over the holiday weekend.
Law360: Suit Seeks VA’s PPE Receipts Amid Price-Gouging Crackdown
By Chris Villani
A Boston-area defense attorney has filed a lawsuit seeking to unearth documents showing what the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs paid for personal protective equipment during the springtime COVID-19 surge, information that could be relevant in criminal price-gouging cases.
The Palm Beach Post: Wife of soldier who died by suicide files lawsuit against West Palm VA Medical Center
The widow a U.S. Army veteran who died by suicide at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center in 2019 has filed a wrongful death claim, saying the hospital failed to provide him with a place of safety and gave him “incompetent treatment” in the days before his death.
In The Know: Alex Seling HIkes from Coast to Coast for Veteran Suicide Awareness
By Alex Lasker
The U.S. Army veteran, who served as a combat medic from 2007 to 2010, plans to hike across America to raise awareness about suicide rates and mental health struggles among veterans.
*Also reported in Yahoo News, MSN.com
The Washington Post: Why VA loans may be the best pathway to homeownership for veterans
By Michele Lerner
VA loans are popular primarily because they don’t require a down payment in most cases and they also don’t require mortgage insurance. Yet many people are unaware that they may qualify for a VA loan and that they can borrow more with these loans than they might realize.
Military.com: At the Department of Energy, We Know the True Value of Veterans in Our Workforce
By Dan Brouillette
Under the Trump Administration, DOE consistently exceeded hiring goals for veterans, with one in three new hires in 2020 having worn the uniform. In addition, the Department has received multiple “exemplary” ratings from the Interagency Council on Veterans Employment for hiring and retaining veterans.
Monday, November 30
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
Federal News Network: Senators want know what VA has planned for COVID vaccine distribution
By Eric White
A group of Senate Democrats want to know how the Department of Veterans Affairs is planning to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine to veterans and employees. They’re especially concerned about how VA will make a vaccine available to front-line health care workers.
Char-Koosta News: Tester, Colleagues press VA on COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for veterans and staff
By Office of Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)
In a letter to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, Tester led his committee colleagues in urging the Department to lay out its plan to allocate a coronavirus vaccine, reach veterans in rural and hotspot areas, combat vaccine misinformation, and strengthen cross-government and community partnerships.
Stars and Stripes: VA sees a significant jump in coronavirus cases with more than 2,100 in one week
By Nikki Wentling
Reported coronavirus cases among Department of Veterans Affairs patients increased significantly this week, jumping by more than 2,100 from Monday to Friday. The rise in cases adds to a growing trend in the VA system throughout the fall. Cases have increased 125% since the start of November.
Daily Beast: Veterans Saw Friends Die From COVID. Then It Got Worse.
By Spencer Ackerman
First the coronavirus spread inside the Lyons, New Jersey, long-term Veterans Affairs facility and ravaged residents and staff. Then came what workers and veterans described as indifference and neglect from Lyons administrators as the bodies piled up and the lockdown dragged on. But to them, the worst part, has been watching people who need help and dignity, long after serving their country, give up.
Kenosha News: COVID outbreak at Union Grove veterans home subsides, but claims 10 lives
By Adam Rogan
Ten residents of the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Union Grove died after catching COVID-19 in August, and only five of them were on hospice care prior to testing positive. In early September, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., who recently tested positive for COVID-19 himself — requested U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie have the outbreak at the Dover facility investigated.
CBS Chigago: Coronavirus In Illinois: State Investigating COVID Outbreak At LaSalle Veterans Home After 27 Deaths
By Staff
State officials are investigating a coronavirus outbreak at a veterans nursing home in rural Illinois that has infected nearly 200 residents and staff, and killed 27 veterans. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office and the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs are attempting to determine what caused the outbreak at the state-run LaSalle Veterans Home in LaSalle.
*Also reported in NPR
Daily Journal: Senate committee grills Veterans’ Affairs officials on LaSalle home outbreak
By Sarah Mansur
Members of the state Senate Veterans Affairs Committee had pointed questions for officials with the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs about the agency’s response to an outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home that has resulted in at least 27 resident deaths from COVID-19-related complications
Military Times: Remote work could be silver lining of pandemic for some veterans, including those with PTSD
By Davis Winkie
Post 9/11-era veterans stand to benefit from this shift, according to experts and veterans interviewed by Military Times. “Work from home may be helpful to somebody with PTSD because it eliminates environmental irritants…that can have nothing to do with getting your job done,” said Carrie Elk, a therapist specializing in PTSD.
Forbes: Congress Set To A Vote On MORE Act The First Week Of December
By Nikki Frias
The MORE Act, sponsored by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, decriminalizes marijuana at the federal level and allows the states to set their cannabis regulation policies. Other provisions include opportunities for cannabis businesses and expansion for medical cannabis with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Marine Times: Time running out on one veteran’s push for VA reforms
By Leo Shane III
Tally, a Marine Corps veteran injured in a medical malpractice case five years ago, has been lobbying for reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs each of the last two Congresses. He has a pair of pending bills in the House and the Senate which would require the department to provide basic legal advice for veterans who file malpractice claims, in an effort to ensure their legal rights are protected. His bill is perhaps just days away from being finalized. Or, Tally may be just a few weeks away from walking away empty handed again.
Baxter Bulletin: State’s suicide rates for veterans remains high
Debby Stanuch
When Arkansas Sen. John Boozman and Dr. Angie Walinski, a research analyst for the VA and chair the of Governors Council on Suicide Prevention, learned of Hall and Wolford’s work, Boozman introduced Senate Bill 1906, which required the VA to award grants to veterans service officers for suicide prevention services to veterans and their families. The bill became part of Act 785, which was signed into law this past October.
Radio.com: Family of veteran who died by suicide in locked hospital unit files wrongful death claim against VA
By Abbie Bennett
The family of a veteran who died by suicide in a locked mental health unit at a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Florida has filed a wrongful death claim against VA. Sgt. Brieux Dash, an Army veteran, 33, was a loving and devoted husband and father. But gruesome repeated deployments to Iraq “made him a different man and he received minimal assistance from the VA,” his family said.
Opelika Auburn News: Watch now: Student veterans march 150 miles to promote suicide awareness
By Alex Hosey
Dozens of student veterans spent their last few days walking from Auburn to Tuscaloosa, with packs heavy with stones to raise awareness about the daily mental health struggles that take the lives of veterans.
Workers World: “We did not sign up to be raped”: Women veterans fight back against military sexual trauma
Army veteran Heather DeBice said “We’re standing up because we are those victims. We’ve been victimized ourselves.” DeBice said she was raped while stationed in Texas, and that the mental side effects eventually led to her discharge. “I did not get justice,” she charged. “My rapist was transitioned out of the military and went on to offend again.”
The Hill: Every military family deserves our gratitude [Opinion]
By Rep Mark Green (R-Tenn)
Our military families embrace every challenge with strength. And this Military Family Appreciation Month, we honor and thank you for your service. To our country’s servicemembers and veterans — thank you for your service. And to the families that gave them something to fight for — thank you as well.
Military Times: Veterans Month 2020: Reflecting on Afghanistan [Opinion]
By Farid Tavos and Jason Criss Howk
Afghanistan is a part of many Americans’ personal history and perhaps a part of who they now are. So, to those who served in Afghanistan, or who lost loved ones there, when peace returns — as it surely will — go back to that beautiful country as visitors or tourists.
The Providence Journal: Veterans Voice: New hope for veterans who got less-than-honorable discharges since 9/11
By Mary K. Talbot
The Army agreed this month to settle a class-action suit in U.S. District Court in Connecticut. Pending court approval of the settlement terms outlined in Kennedy v. McCarthy, qualified Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans who submitted applications for upgrades after April 17, 2011 will have their discharge status reconsidered.
The Indiana Gazette: County holds ceremony for first grads of veterans drug court
By Chauncey Ross
Veterans Treatment Court, for accused veterans facing criminal charges, puts vets through a more rigorous and personally managed program of overcoming substance abuse or controlling mental health problems than others who have known only civilian life.
