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IAVA | February 25, 2021

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:

Thursday, February 25

VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE

Patch: LI Congressman Leads Effort On New Veteran Suicide Prevention Act

Long Island freshman congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-02) partnered with an Ohio congressman to introduce the new Veteran Suicide Prevention Act. The bill would require the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) to make veteran suicide information publicly available.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin co-introduces bill to cover vets exposed to toxic substances at Uzbekistan air base

By Bill Glauber

Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin is making another push to help veterans who were exposed to toxic substances at the Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan, known as K2. She was among a group of Senate and House members Thursday to introduce legislation to get benefits and care to those vets who suffer from exposure to toxic substances at K2, an old Soviet airbase used by the U.S. military between 2001 and 2005.

CBS News: Military needs “honest reckoning” over racism in its ranks, Black Veterans Project co-founder says

By Elizabeth Elkind

A United States Army veteran says the military has to have an “honest reckoning” with systemic racism that historians say has been pervasive within its ranks since its inception. Black Veterans Project executive director Richard Brookshire said Wednesday on CBSN, “We have seen the military tackle something like gays being able to serve openly, and the witch hunt that was ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and the ruining of careers around ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ So we know they have the capacity” to address the issue of white nationalism.

Stars and Stripes: State veterans’ homes are required to report coronavirus data, but not all comply

By Nikki Wentling

Most state-run veterans homes publicly shared data about coronavirus cases and deaths for the first time this month, but not all are complying to the new law. As of Feb. 7, 1,040 residents and 35 employees of state veterans’ homes had died of the virus. Since the start of the pandemic, 8,581 residents and 6,094 staff have tested positive for coronavirus.

VAntage Point: Secretary orders review of VA’s transgender policies

Earlier this week, Secretary Denis McDonough ordered a review of VA policies to ensure that transgender Veterans and employees do not face discrimination on the basis of their gender identity and expression. Once completed, this review would put VA policies in line with Department of Defense policies and President Biden’s executive order ensuring that transgender Americans are treated with dignity and respect, and are able to live their lives free from worry that they could be discriminated against because of who they are.

USA Today: Biden puts a twist on ‘America First’ even as he moves to unravel Trump’s foreign policy

By Deirdre Shesgreen and Kim Hjelmgaard

The Trump administration’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, recently ticked off the usual suspects when asked to list the gravest threats facing the United States today: China, Iran, Russia. Moments later, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser offered a starkly different response to the same question. “Right now, the most profound national security challenge facing the United States is getting our own house in order, is domestic renewal,” Jake Sullivan said in a “Passing the Baton” forum hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace late last month.

Wednesday, February 24

IAVA NEWS COVERAGE

USA Today: Advancing equity: The Black veteran community’s road to recovery

By Jeremy Butler

Black service members account for 16% of coronavirus cases across the Department of Veterans Affairs system and 22% of deaths, despite making up only 12% of the overall veteran population in the United States. Research shows that Black veterans also face racial biases in mental health care settings,which is a concern of potentially devastating proportions when we consider the up to 20% increase in suicide among the military last year. Veteran mental health care access must become a VA priority under the Biden administration. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) has long advocated for such access, including for the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act, the most comprehensive veteran suicide bill passed to date.

We Are the Mighty: Naval Officer and IAVA CEO shares story of being Black in America

By Jessica Manfre

Jeremy Butler is a successful CEO, Naval officer and husband. He’s also a Black man in America, a title that has impacted many pages of his story. 

VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE

WBUR: 30 Years Of Gulf War Illness: How U.S. Troops’ Health Was Compromised By Toxic Exposures In Kuwait

By Peter O’Dowd and Serena McMahon

This week marks 30 years since President George H.W. Bush announced the start of the ground war in Operation Desert Storm. More than 100,000 American veterans of Operation Desert Storm came home with wounds you can’t really see — constant pain and fatigue, plus stomach, memory and neurological issues. These “debilitating health issues,” as Gulf War veteran Anthony Hardie describes it, became known as the Gulf War illness. A congressionally mandated committee that investigated the illness says it was triggered by pesticides and medication that U.S. troops were ordered to take to protect them against nerve gas.

AP: Family: Navy vet died after police knelt on his neck

By Olga Rodriguez

A Navy veteran who was going through an episode of paranoia died after a Northern California police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes, his family said Tuesday.

*Also published in Yahoo, ABC News, and News Break

Business Insider: How US special-operations forces helped the US military win its first post-Cold War victory

By Stavros Atlamazoglou

Soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, the US military shifted its focus from Russia to the Middle East. In August 1990, Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait, starting an international crisis that would end with Iraq’s defeat by a US-led coalition six months later. Although Operation Desert Storm is considered a textbook conventional war, it was full of special-operations missions.

The Washington Post: Biden’s messed-up math comparing war deaths to covid deaths

By Glenn Kessler

When remarking on the deaths of Americans from the illness caused by the coronavirus, President Biden likes to compare the total to the deaths the nation has suffered in war. In his inaugural address, for instance, the president noted: “A once-in-a-century virus, it silently stalks the country. It’s taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II.”

Yahoo: Black veterans group demands the VA to release racial data

By Chinekwu Osakwe

The requests are weeks after a report detailing how Black VA employees are disproportionately fired. Black veterans and advocacy groups have reached out to Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration and Board of Veterans Appeals to seek information about racial discrimination complaints and “racial disparities across the benefits system,” according to a press release.

Yahoo Finance: Paralyzed Veterans of America joins forces with Southern New Hampshire University to help former members of the U.S. armed forces

Paralyzed Veterans of America and Southern New Hampshire University today announced a new partnership to help veterans who are underserved and overlooked, particularly those with catastrophic injuries or illnesses, achieve their educational aspirations to advance their career goals.

Military Times: Marine veteran, an ex NYPD cop, charged in violent Capitol attack

By Larry Neumeister and Tom Hays

A Marine veteran and retired New York Police Department officer was deemed a danger to the community and ordered held without bail Tuesday after his arrest on charges that he attacked a police officer during the deadly Capitol attack in early January.

Tuesday, February 23

IAVA NEWS COVERAGE

VAntage Point: Veterans get new chance to serve on vaccination campaign

To enable Veterans to get into the fight, Team Rubicon, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Student Veterans of America (SVA); Team Red, White & Blue; The Mission Continues, and Wounded Warrior Project created the Veterans Coalition for Vaccination (VCV) in early February. At its core, the VCV – and its Veteran volunteers – will provide health departments, communities and public agencies across the U.S. with the administrative, logistical and operational support needed to stand up and maintain vaccination sites.

My ChesCo: VA Announces Additional Leadership Appointments

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released the names of the latest key appointees in the department, including Melissa Bryant, who served as the national legislative director for The American Legion and as chief policy officer for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Bryant is widely recognized for championing causes impacting women and minority service members and Veterans.

VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE

Counter Punch: Ten Steps Biden Can Take Toward Peace

By William Astore

As retired Army Major Danny Sjursen recently pointed out, when it comes to foreign policy, President Joe Biden’s new cabinet and advisers are well stocked with retired generals, reconstituted neocons, unapologetic hawks, and similar war enthusiasts. America’s armed forces have an enormous appetite for fossil fuels. The Pentagon also has a sordid record when it comes to the poisoning of the environment. (Consider the legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam, or the military’s burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan).

Bloomberg: Extremism in Military a Top Concern for Key Defense Lawmaker

By Roxana Tiron and Anthony Capaccio

Mandatory Pentagon reports will give U.S. congressional overseers more insight into the threat and prevalence of extremism in the military after the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said.

Military Times: About 1 in 3 colleges have cut funding for veteran-support programs, survey says

About 30 percent of colleges and universities have reduced funding for veteran-support programs during the past year, and some schools have eliminated their support offices entirely, according to a recent study. The past year of coronavirus pandemic shutdowns and safety measures have created unprecedented challenges for veterans seeking college degrees, including problems related to funding and staffing, according to the study.

Navy Times: Seeking the Military Suicide Solution Podcast, Episode 49: Chris Jachimiec – Listener Response to STMSS Series

This podcast from Military Times examines the alarming rate of military and veterans suicide, offering new insights based on research and effective clinical and peer support practices in suicide prevention. Hosted by Duane France, a retired Army combat veteran, author and mental health counselor, and Shauna Springer, a psychologist, author and nationally recognized expert on initiatives to benefit the military community, the podcast aims to move beyond awareness to identify actionable strategies that can impact the rising suicide rate among service members, veterans, and their families.

Newsweek: Weeping Marine Video Shows ‘Brotherhood’ Doesn’t Apply to Women, Female Vets Say

By Naveed Jamali and Tom O’Connor

The viral video of a distressed Marine tearfully explaining how a senior officer’s intervention would allow her alleged attacker to remain in the military has disturbed not only the public, but also women veterans. They told Newsweek that such injustice proved that the bonds of the tight-knit brothers-in-arms did not always extend to their sisters-in-arms.

Monday, February 22 

IAVA NEWS COVERAGE

Moneycontrol: What one needs to know: Reading from the American script on troop preparedness

By Ranjit Bhusan

A study conducted by the United Service Institution of India (USI) – a tri-service national security and defence think tank based in New Delhi, – has arrived at some sensational, if far-reaching conclusions. It says that more than half of the over 13-lakh strong Indian Army personnel “seems to be under severe stress”. There have been over 1,100 cases of suicide among various ranks since 2010, the study points out. Recently, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), dedicated its legislative goals and research on veteran suicide and mental health. “An average of 20 service members and veterans die by suicide every day, and IAVA’s own research has found that 59 percent of members know a veteran that took their own life,” the US Veterans Magazine report reported.

VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE

Daily Mail: ‘They proudly served their country, but were breathing in toxic air that would kill them’: Thousands of dead or dying US veterans were sickened by warzone burn pits – but the VA does NOTHING to help them, claim families

By Annabel Grossman

Air Force veteran and mom-of-three Amie Muller was just 36 years old when she was diagnosed with the pancreatic cancer that would take her life nine months later. Speaking to DailyMail.com from the home he shared with Amie in Woodbury, Minnesota, Brian explained that even before his wife became ill she had spoken about the burn pits at Joint Base Balad where she had been stationed during two tours of duty in Iraq. Between the time of her diagnosis and her death in 2017, Amie became convinced that the toxic fumes generated by the burning of materials in these pits caused her cancer. Soldiers have reported that the burn pits were used to get rid of all types of trash, including plastics, batteries, appliances, medicines, munitions, animal corpses and even human waste. They could burn for 365 days a year, covering as much as ten acres and blanketing bases in thick black smoke. 

Military Times: This week in Congress: Pandemic response remains lawmakers’ top focus

By Leo Shane III

House lawmakers expect to approve the latest coronavirus relief bill by the end of this week, with a goal of Congress finalizing the bill’s $1.9 trillion in spending — including a significant amount of supplemental funding on veterans programs — by the middle of March. The measure has made national headlines because of plans to pay out up to $2,000 to millions of Americans and increase the national minimum wage to $15.

The Washington Post: Navy veteran in mental health crisis died after police knelt on his neck for nearly five minutes, his family says

By Tim Elfrink

Angelo Quinto lay facedown on the hardwood floor of his mother’s bedroom with blood pooling out of his mouth and his hands cuffed behind his back. Quinto’s family had called 911 because the 30-year-old Navy veteran was suffering a mental health crisis. But Quinto-Collins said she watched in horror as a responding officer knelt on her son’s neck for nearly five minutes while another officer restrained him.

Military Times: Extremism in the ranks is a ‘threat,’ but the Pentagon’s not sure how to address it

By Todd South

Not all of those who stormed the Capitol that day were military or veterans, but so far, authorities estimate that 1 in 5 of those who’ve been charged criminally were either currently serving in the military or had once worn the uniform. The links between the insurrection on Capitol Hill and the military community seemed shocking to many leaders and the public overall. But maybe they shouldn’t be. For decades, domestic extremists have flaunted ties to the U.S. military, seeking to claim the status, credibility and effective tactical training that military service entails. And for decades top leaders in the military have promised to go after domestic extremists — like militia groups, white supremacists and those who advocate violence against the government — when discovered in the ranks.

Fox Business: Veterans to receive new banking, financial service options from Department of Veteran’s Affairs

By Lucas Manfredi

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced in a tweet Sunday that veterans and their beneficiaries will have new banking and financial service options, including receiving their benefits via direct deposit. The agency’s announcement is part of the Veterans Benefits Banking Program (VBBP), a partnership with the Association of Military Banks of America (AMBA) established in December 2019, which aims to give America’s heroes and their families a safer, faster and more inexpensive way to receive and manage their benefits.

MSN: Women who broke barriers throughout military history

By Taylor Johnson

To showcase their patriotism and sacrifice, Stacker compiled a list of 30 women who broke barriers throughout U.S. military history based on historical sources, news outlets, and various branches’ press releases. The achievements of these women span all branches of the military—from land to air to sea—and more than two centuries. Many of these breakthroughs, moreover, transcended military service: Several women earned historic promotions in rank, and thus noteworthy leadership roles supervising cadets or commanding troops; others won nationally renowned distinctions such as the Purple Heart and Silver Star for their combat bravery, valor, and performance.

BBC News: Census 2021: Veterans ‘need more help for civilian life’

By Nicola Bryan

The 2021 UK Census will ask recipients if they are armed forces leavers for the first time, following a campaign by forces’ charities. The new question on the census, which will be run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 21 March, will read: “Have you previously served in the UK Armed Forces?”

The ONS said the information would help councils and government carry out the commitments they made under the Armed Forces Covenant – a promise to ensure those who serve or have served in the UK armed forces, and their families, are not disadvantaged.

CBS News: Over 235 charged and 400 investigations: What we know about the “unprecedented” Capitol riot arrests

By Clare Hymes, Cassidy McDonald, Eleanor Watson

Federal prosecutors have charged at least 235 people for their alleged roles in the riot and opened over 400 investigations into possible criminals. At least 20 of those arrested are veterans and three are currently enlisted in the military — two in the Army Reserve and one in the National Guard — according to military service records and court documents obtained by CBS News.

White House: President Biden Announces Key Nominees of his Health and Human Service, Education, and Veteran Affairs Teams

Today, President Joe Biden named several key nominees to the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Education, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Richard Sauber is nominated to serve as General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Connecting Vets: Soldiers in Kuwait run marathon to honor memory of Medal of Honor winner

By Capt. Travis Mueller, DVIDS

About 120 Soldiers with the 28th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade participated in a marathon and half-marathon throughout their area of operations. The main event was held at Camp Buehring, Kuwait but runners at other bases and outposts participated virtually. They raced in memory of Michael J. Novosel, Sr., a native of Etna, Pennsylvania, who served for over 40 years as an Army aviator and received the Medal of Honor for rescuing 29 Soldiers during the Vietnam War. He served two tours in Vietnam where he flew 2,543 missions in the UH-1 Huey and nearly 5,600 medical evacuees.

Connecting Vets: Veterans Affairs extends pause on debt collection during coronavirus pandemic

By Abbie Bennett

After months of calls from veterans, advocates and Capitol Hill lawmakers, the White House approved further extending the pause on veteran debt collection at the Department of Veterans Affairs during the pandemic, affecting as many as 2 million veterans. On Feb. 18, the department released further details on its plan to halt debt collection for veterans through Sept. 30. Those debts include benefit overpayments and some medical copays veterans may have incurred since April 1, 2020.

Friday, February 19

IAVA NEWS COVERAGE

VA.gov: VA announces additional leadership appointments

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released the names of the latest key appointees in the department. Melissa Bryant, senior advisor, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs: Melissa Bryant’s public service includes roles in both the military and civil service as a senior intelligence officer. As a plans, policy and operations expert for the Department of Defense and intelligence community, she served in key leadership positions with the Defense Intelligence Agency, Joint Staff, United States Military Academy and Army intelligence. She also served as the national legislative director for The American Legion and as chief policy officer for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Bryant is widely recognized for championing causes impacting women and minority service members and Veterans. 

VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE

KHN: To Vaccinate Veterans, Health Care Workers Must Cross Mountains, Plains and Tundra

By Patricia Kime

About 2.7 million veterans who use the VA health system are classified as “rural” or “highly rural” patients, residing in communities or on land with fewer services and less access to health care than those in densely populated towns and cities. An additional 2 million veterans live in remote areas who do not receive their health care from VA, according to the department. To ensure these rural vets have access to the covid vaccines, the VA is relying on a mix of tools, like charter and commercial aircraft and partnerships with civilian health organizations.

Tampa Bay Times: A ‘national center’ to reduce veteran suicide? No thank you [Opinion]

By Ron Flaville

K9 Partners for Patriots is a nonprofit in Brooksville for veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Military Sexual Trauma (MST). We exist to prevent veteran suicide, and our mission is to assimilate veterans back into society as contributing members. We join the Tampa Bay Times Editorial Board in its desire to “find more ways to identify and help veterans in distress,” but we doubt that “creating a national center” would bring us closer to reducing veteran suicide. According to the Veterans Health Administration, our government already operates 1,255 health care facilities including 170 VA Medical Centers nationwide.

Yahoo: PPD Awarded US Army Study to Help Develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Drugs

PPD, Inc. (Nasdaq: PPD), a leading global contract research organization, has been awarded Defense Health Agency funds to support a five-year Research Project Award (RPA) to develop and execute an adaptive platform clinical research trial of drug interventions to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PPD will work with U.S. Medical Research Development Command (USAMRDC) U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity’s (USAMMDA) Warfighter Brain Health Project Management Office (WBH PMO) to test the effectiveness and safety of at least two pharmacotherapeutic drug candidates for the treatment of PTSD in U.S. military active duty personnel and veterans.

Chron: VA Maryland Health Care System helps VA reach milestone vaccinating its 1 millionth Veteran

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Health Administration announced yesterday that it vaccinated its 1 millionth Veteran with their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Yahoo: Depleted uranium from tanks, ammo not tied to Gulf War syndrome, new study finds

By Tara Copp

Depleted uranium in tanks and ammunition used in the 1991 Gulf War “played no role” in the unexplained illnesses, known as Gulf War syndrome, that veterans faced in the years afterward, according to a new study.

HuffPost: New Bill Seeks To Improve Military’s Ability To Keep Out White Nationalist Enlistees

By Christopher Mathias

A new bill introduced in the House seeks to improve the U.S. military’s ability to prevent white supremacists from joining its ranks. The “Shielding our Military from Extremists Act” was introduced on Thursday by Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), his office confirmed. The measure would require the Secretary of Defense to adapt a series of recommendations made in an October 2020 Pentagon report on how to keep “domestic extremists,” namely white supremacists, out of the U.S. armed forces. 

Fox News: 94-year-old WWII veteran vaccinated in Florida live on ‘Fox & Friends’

By Nikolas Lanum

Gov. Ron DeSantis, R., joined health care workers in Largo, Florida on Thursday as they vaccinated a 94-year-old WWII veteran live on “Fox & Friends.” Vern Cummings shipped off to the Navy after graduating high school and was a crew member of the USS Indiana during the 1930s and ’40s. DeSantis explained that as part of an effort to highlight Florida’s vaccine rollout, health care workers are making “house calls” for senior citizens unable to make the trip to a local hospital or vaccine site.

Vice: Pain and Isolation Are Driving America’s Lockdown Overdose Surge

By Maia Szalavitz

The pandemic has been an accelerant in a record era for drug overdose deaths. Between May 2019 and May 2020, according to CDC data, more than 80,000 Americans—the highest number ever—died from drug ODs, a rise of nearly 20%. One study of veterans found that losing access to opioid medication led to suicidal thoughts in 9% of patients and actual action in 2%.

The Guardian: California bill would decriminalize psychedelics, paving the way for medical treatment

By Vivian Ho

A California lawmaker has introduced legislation that would decriminalize psychedelics in the state, the latest bold step in a movement to end America’s war on drugs. “There’s a stereotype of who’s using psychedelics, but it’s much broader than that and when you have veterans coming into the Capitol talking about how psychedelics help them with PTSD and help them get their lives back, that’s incredibly powerful for legislators,” said Anthony Johnson, a longtime advocate and chief petitioner for Oregon’s Measure 110, the initiative that decriminalized personal possession of small amounts of all illicit drugs.

*Also published in Yahoo and Newsbreak

IAVA is the voice for the post-9/11 veteran generation. With over 400,000 veterans and allies nationwide, IAVA is the leader in non-partisan veteran advocacy and public awareness. We drive historic impacts for veterans and IAVA’s programs are second to none. Any veteran or family member in need can reach out to IAVA’s Quick Reaction Force at quickreactionforce.org or 855-91RAPID (855-917-2743) to be connected promptly with a veteran care manager who will assist. IAVA’s The Vote Hub is a free tool to register to vote and find polling information. IAVA’s membership is always growing. Join the movement at iava.org/membership.

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