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180 W. Idaho Ave, Ontario, Oregon 97914
541-889-1978
NEED HELP!!!! PLEASE!!! The Covid-19 pandemic has left many local Veterans and their families in need. If you are fortunate to not need your stimulus money or part of it, please think about donating it to Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida. As a non-profit your donation would be tax deductible. Please call me, Thank You.....
Ron Verini - Chairman 541-709-8373
November 2020 by Matt Brogdon, Military.com
We celebrate our active-duty uniformed troops in this country, often putting them on a pedestal to be venerated from a distance. But veterans are often a different story – we may simply forget their contributions, save for a couple of days a year and usually near an election.This is overwhelmingly true of Native American and Alaska Native veterans. We celebrate the warrior culture and objectify Native Americans through the names of our sports teams, but we forget the flesh-and-blood veterans who return to their tribal communities. And when it comes time to serve the veterans who serve us by providing training for high-paying jobs in growing industry, we ignore the challenges largely unique to tribal areas.
Our nation’s armed forces have a rich heritage of Native American and Alaska Native service, from Ely Parker in the Civil War to Ira Hayes at Iwo Jima. During World War II, over 10% of the Native American population in the United States served, including women in the WACS, WAVES and Army Nurse Corps. Today, despite years of alienation and eradication, Native Americans continue to serve at higher rates per capita than any other demographic group, according to the 2015 American Community Survey.
But Native American veterans are especially disadvantaged, due in large part to the lack of job opportunities in remote tribal areas. According to the 2015 American Community Survey, American Indian and Alaska Native veterans’ unemployment rate was higher than veterans of other races -- 5.6% verses 2.3% -- and showed the lowest personal incomes among veterans of other races or ethnicities at a $27,943 median income verses $36,382 for veterans of other races.
November 2020 By, Rachael Riley, The Fayetteville Observer, N. C.
Each month, the top ideas are picked for soldiers to make 10-minute pitches to judges, similar to the television show "Shark Tank."
And on Tuesday, Fort Bragg soldier Sgt. 1st Class Ashely Savage entered the Dragon's Lair to propose that the corps implement a central website or mobile application to store photos from soldiers, veterans and family members for historical documentation.
Savage is a public affairs officer with the 3rd Special Forces Group but has worked for the 16th Military Police Brigade and other units at Fort Bragg.
Her idea, she said, started with veterans and organizations sending photos to the military police brigade.
She placed the photos on a computer hard drive for the brigade's next public affairs officer when she received a new assignment with the 18th Airborne Corps.
"I realized the corps could use a lot of those photos for historical purposes, but there was a problem with archiving unofficial photos," Savage said.
She said when being assigned to a new unit, if she didn't leave notes for the next public affairs officer describing the photos, there was a possibility they could get lost.
The idea Savage pitched Tuesday was to have a central corps online server or cloud to store the photos to allow anyone -- not just public affairs officers or combat photographers -- to upload content.
Sliding a beat-up shoebox toward the judges when she made her pitch, Savage said photos are often abandoned.
Yet she held up a 1942 photo of an all-Black Fort Bragg regiment that someone found in an old house and emailed to her. She said the photo isn't found anywhere on the internet.
With the holidays just around the corner and the economy struggling to rebound from the COVID-19 shutdowns, it’s a good time to support veteran-owned businesses.
Like every other business, vet-owned businesses are dealing with a critical time. All over the United States, veterans are running their operations from home, storefronts and even renting out spaces in other storefronts to keep their businesses afloat.
Read: Military.com's Guide to the Best Military Gifts of 2020
While coffee and t-shirts might be the running gag of the veteran business world, vetrepreneurs run companies that make all sorts of quality products, from home decor to board games, all perfect for the gift-giving season.
The best part is that they’re good for the veteran and civilian alike.
ALL THESE GIFT IDEAS ARE FROM BUSINESSES STARTED/FORMED BY VETERANS -
THERE ARE GAMES, FOOD GIFTS,OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT, CLOTHING, BOOKS, FITNESS, JEWELRY, TOOLS - AND THE 'HARD TO BUY FOR',
CHECK THESE OUT THEY ARE GREAT AND VETERAN OWNED!!!!
Founded by Navy veteran Alex Witt and Army officer Ian Sparks, Battle Bars’ mission is to deliver quality protein bars that actually taste good. Moreover, they wanted to be able to give back to the community.
These Protein Bars include - FBR =Full Battle Rattle a S'mores Protein Bar - BLUE FALCON, a Blueberry Protein Bar
The Chairman of Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida, Ronald Verini, writes two articles every month for publication in a Regional Newspaper,this article "Silly String and Condoms Helping our Troops." will be published November 22, 2020. Here is a part of Mr. Verinis' article, and you can read the full article by clicking the red bar below.
"SILLY STRING AND CONDOMS HELPING OUR TROOPS."
We were talking around the coffee table at VAOI the other day and ‘Slinky” toys came up and we all started to think about things that we did in the service to get by.
One of the guys brought up the “Slinky” toys that were used in Vietnam as radio antennas when they threw them in the tree branches! Just as a side note: “Slinkys” receives at a frequency between seven and eight megahertz when used over a high branch.
Then one brought up that in Iraq they used “Silly String” to detect tripwire-activated traps… as a matter of fact a New Jersey mother organized a drive to send cans of the stuff to Iraq to help our troops detect these bombs. It was a grand effort and very successful: donations not only came from the product corporation (Just for Kicks) but from other companies that manufactured a similar product. Churches also got involved and many others in the community stepped up. Great project that saved the lives of many serving in the Middle East.
I remember here in the Ontario area we also participated in the drive to collect ladies’ stockings and condoms that we included in our boxes of “Treats for Our Troops” program. These were used on rifle muzzles to keep the sand out! Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida knew that when we sent these items over to our troops, we not only were saving lives but thought that with the goodies we sent and the extra little gifts that protected from the sand also brought smiles when they opened the boxes of care from home.
Our troops were very innovative on the battlefield in war. We heard the stories of our military going into battle with Humvees that were sent to Iraq without proper armor so they bolted scrap metal onto the vehicles to help protect them, eventually we started to send proper equipment after time.
“TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE PLEASE CLICK THE RED BAR BELOW.....
November 2020
By Richard Sisk, Military.com
The unemployment rate for all veterans fell to 5.5% in October, down from 6.4% in September, as the economy added jobs in the face of the surging COVID-19 pandemic, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
The jobless rate for post-9/11 veterans also dropped slightly to 6.2% in October, down from 6.4% in September, the BLS said in its monthly employment situation report.
The report showed that veterans are faring better in the job market than the general population, which had an unemployment rate of 6.9% in October, down from 7.9% in September.
Overall, non-farm employment rose by 638,000 jobs in October, reflecting "the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic and efforts to contain it," the BLS report states. "In October, notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, and construction."
In a cautionary note, BLS Commissioner William Beach said in a statement, "Total non-farm payroll employment has increased for six consecutive months but is down by 10.1 million [or 6.6%] since February, before the onset of the pandemic in the United States."
All major worker groups showed declines in unemployment rates in October, the BLS said.
The October rate was 6.7% for adult men, 6.5% for adult women, 13.9% for teenagers, 6.0% for whites, 10.8% for Blacks, 7.6% for Asians, and 8.8% for Hispanics, it found.
In September, the BLS reported that the rate was 7.4% for adult men, 7.7% for adult women, 15.9% for teenagers, 7.0% for whites, 12.1% for Blacks, 8.9% for Asians, and 10.3% for Hispanics
By Nathan Jerauld, U. S. Army Veteran, Bronze Star and Purple Heart Recipient, Cicero, N. Y.
“If Senators Paul and Udall really want to honor our service members, here are a few things they could do with that money instead.”
In an essay on TheAtlantic.com last week, Senators Rand Paul and Tom Udall urged members of Congress to support their bipartisan joint resolution, the American Forces Going Home After Noble (AFGHAN) Service Act. The bill, they wrote, would “return our combat forces home from Afghanistan in an orderly and responsible way, while also setting a framework for political reconciliation in Afghanistan without a permanent U.S. presence.” It would also provide a $2,500 bonus to members of the military who have served in the Global War on Terror.
“Congress must step up and step in to ensure that another generation of Americans is not sent to fight a war with no end in sight,” Paul and Udall wrote, “especially when there is no military solution to the challenges facing Afghanistan.”
Members of our Congress once again demonstrated that they do not understand our country’s veterans. Last week, Senators Rand Paul and Tom Udall published an articlepromoting their new bill, the AFGHAN Service Act. In it, the senators commend the patriotism and bravery of the many men and women who served in Afghanistan for the past 18 years, including 2,300 fallen and more than 20,000 wounded service members.
hey write:
For their heroism and valor, our legislation says “Thank you” by ensuring we recognize and honor that service. Drawing from the billions saved by ending the war in Afghanistan, our bill provides a $2,500 bonus within one year to all the members of our volunteer military who have served in the Global War on Terrorism.
As one of the more than 20,000 veterans wounded in Afghanistan, I want to be clear: I am not honored. I am disgusted.
The senators’ bill embodies a sentiment that makes the military-civilian transition so difficult for veterans. Society assumes that those of us who went over there, saw horrible things, endured terrible pain, and who now struggle to function as normal human beings will be “honored” by lip service and a check in the mail. It is insulting.
As a veteran, I want to see my brothers and sisters in arms get the help they need. I want people to understand the sacrifices they made and the many battles they face. I want to see people show respect for veterans more than twice a year, on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. I want our country to honor its commitment to veteran services.
November 2020 by Blake Stilwell, Military.com
I get it. You're about to leave the military (or have already left) and you want to secure that first job. So you send in a resume for every open position you see online. You've been cutting and pasting your resume so many times you wonder if it still makes sense, but you hope one of them will land on the desk of a recruiter who calls for an interview.
The problem with this approach is that you may have easily missed three important questions that need to be answered before you submit for a job and send your resume. If you miss these, the chances of your information getting the attention of the right person go from slim to none.
What is the White House VA Hotline?
The hotline’s pilot began under direction of the Veterans Experience Office on June 1, 2017, and entered phase two on October 15, 2017.
White House VA Hotline: 1-855-948-2311.
Calls are answered by a live agent 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. The hotline is staffed by more than 60 agents who have had extensive training on VA programs and services. Most of these agents are a Veteran, military family member, caregiver or a survivor.
The White House VA Hotline conducts immediate warm hand offs for at-crisis risk Veterans needing the services of the Veterans Crisis Line.
Trends identified by the hotline will be used to rapidly respond to systemic inefficiencies and empower VA employees to resolve Veteran concerns quickly.
Now, in a book that hit shelves Nov. 10, 2020, he details the 10-year journey of building the service-focused organization Team Rubicon to what it is today: 130,000 American military veterans willing to be the first responders to any disaster zone in the world.
Wood sat down with Military.com to talk about transitioning out of the military, the paths open to military veterans and some of the things he thinks we should consider when planning to make that big jump.
Wood would be the first to tell you that he wasn't setting out to create a disaster relief nonprofit when he first left for Haiti 10 years ago. He watched the devastation in the aftermath of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the island on Jan. 12, 2010. All he knew is that he wanted to do something about it.
In that time and through all that effort, he has some words of wisdom for separating military members.
1. Know Who You Want to Be
2. Plan How to Get There
3. Don't Rush
4. Be Prepared for the Hard Work
5. Surround Yourself With Good People
CLICK THE "MORE ON THIS ARTICLE" TO READ ABOUT THESE 5 LESSONS !
All Vet Centers are currently open and operational, providing face to face and virtual counseling and outreach. Vet Centers will continue to assess the community impact of COVID-19 at a local level and may begin to restrict access or limit foot traffic, transitioning services to virtual care if needed. This would be assessed on a case by case basis and as a last measure. It is VA’s goal of keeping Vet Centers open and operational for Veterans, active duty service members, and their families. Those looking to seek Vet Center services may call their nearest Vet Center or the Vet Center Call Center at 877-WAR-VETS (927-8387). Please check back regularly as this situation may change.
Vet Centers are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including professional readjustment counseling to eligible Veterans, active duty service members, including National Guard and Reserve components, and their families. Readjustment counseling is offered to make a successful transition from military to civilian life or after a traumatic event experienced in the military. Individual, group, marriage and family counseling is offered in addition to referral and connection to other VA or community benefits and services. Vet Center counselors and outreach staff, many of whom are Veterans themselves, are experienced and prepared to discuss the tragedies of war, loss, grief and transition after trauma.
What is readjustment counseling?
Readjustment counseling is a wide range of psycho social services offered to eligible Veterans, Service members, and their families in the effort to make a successful transition from military to civilian life. They include:
Does VA have readjustment counseling for family members?
Family members of combat Veterans and Service members have been eligible for Vet Center readjustment counseling services for military related issues since 1979.
Am I eligible for Vet Center readjustment counseling?
If you, or a family member, served in any combat zone and received a military campaign ribbon (Vietnam, Southwest Asia, OEF, OIF, etc.) then both you and your family are eligible for Vet Center services.
Where is counseling offered?
VA's readjustment counseling is provided at community-based Vet Centers located in easily accessable neighborhoods near Veterans, Service members, and their families, yet separate from VA organizational sites to ensure confidential counseling and reduce barriers to care. All Vet Center services are prepaid through military service. Contact your nearest Vet Center through information provided in the Vet Center Directory or listings in your local blue pages. Vet Center staff are available toll free and around the clock at 877-WAR-VETS (927-8387).
So you finally came around to the idea that you might have what it takes to make it in civilian life? What took you so long? You can trudge through mud and rain while training for three days, stand watch through a humid night in the Baghdad suburbs, or maintain the latest in multimillion-dollar aircraft technology, but you weren’t sure if you could commute to an office somewhere for eight hours a day? Son, that might be your only problem.
But there’s a lot of ground to cover before you start writing TPS reports.
Getting out of the military is a big deal, about as big a deal as going in. It’s not something you just want to up and do one day. If all you do is fill out a checklist and then go back to your hometown and think everything is just going to work out, you’re gonna be in for a big surprise. There are actually some things you’ll want to think about before you go back to the block. Starting with what exactly you want to do when you get out of that uniform.
Which, we’re probably going to need back, by the way.
Will you actually be getting a civilian job? Do you want to do the same thing out there that you did in the military? Or will you go to school? Where will you do these things? How will you prepare to pay for them while you wait for benefits … do you even know how to get into the VA system? You may have it all figured out as an E-4. But the mafia doesn’t teach you about Tuition Assistance, the blended retirement system, or getting a VA home loan. Some of that’s what the Transition Assistance Program teaches. (You did know about the TAP class, right?)
March 28, 2020 by Dorothy Mills-Gregg, Military.com
The Department of Veterans Affairs is beginning to divide its inpatient units into two zones to separate non-infectious patients from those with novel coronavirus, officials said. And when the need arises, as the new phased plan predicts it will, officials plan to discharge non-critical patients and even build new facilities.
The plan is part of a four-phased pandemic response blueprint released Friday, weeks after the VA was criticized for not publicly disclosing its plan to help veterans and the federal government respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The VA is currently in Phase 2, "Initial Response," which means staff are focusing on mitigating local or regional outbreaks by creating two zones.
Phase 3 is when the condition becomes drastic -- patient demand surpasses the VA's capability or supply chain. All routine care will be reduced or stopped at VA medical facilities, and the VA staff will then begin using other spaces like an outlying ward or field hospital to take in veterans and possibly the civilian public.
In outbreak mitigation phase, standard and COVID-19 zones will have separate air flows and staff restrooms and break and call rooms to eliminate the chance of cross contamination. This new division is in addition to the VA's current practice of pre-screening patients and asking them to call instead of just walking into a clinic.
Click the 'red-bar' below for full story......
March 26, 2020 by Oriana Pawlyk, Military.com
As novel coronavirus cases continue to spread among the ranks, top officials and health leaders have emphasized that the military must take crucial steps to help stop it, including new health-protection conditions (HPCON) and increased social distancing measures on bases.
But photos taken just last week show troops training side by side or participating in large gatherings amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Publicly released military photos show service members participating in drill exercises and live-fire training, among other activities that require them to operate in close proximity.
The U.S. military services began taking precautions as early as March 7. Some services and commands attempted to limit human contact as much as possible with telework and virtual meetings, while others began canceling events and overseas travel. The protective measures even applied to brand-new service members as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard began screening all new recruits for coronavirus symptoms earlier this month to prevent potential spread throughout the force, officials confirmed to Military.com on March 4.
This week, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that, while social distancing may be impossible inside a tank or on a submarine, "If you can avoid putting ... a large number of people in small rooms, you should do it."
By Meghan Holohan
When baby Jace started crying, his father, Jeff Lee, struggled. True, the wail of a baby triggers anxious concern in most parents — but this was different. Little Jace’s screams reminded Jeff of the sound of a wounded Marine.
“There was a pitch that Jace would hit that sounded like a person who was hit on the battlefield,” Jeff’s wife, Jolynn Lee, 49, of Hubert, North Carolina, told TODAY Parents. “He couldn’t stand to hear him cry.”
Jeff enlisted in the U.S. Marines immediately after high school and deployed to Iraq during the first Gulf War. He later enrolled in the Marines’ Enlisted to Officer program to further his military career, and he found himself back in Iraq during the Iraq War. In 2004, during the brutal first Battle of Fallujah, Jeff got shot in the shoulder and bicep. He duct-taped himself up so he could continue fighting, and he earned a Purple Heart and Silver Star. But the man who returned home from Iraq was not the same person his family remembered.
“That is where our lives changed,” Jolynn said. “I was familiar with post-traumatic stress disorder and combat trauma. You can’t be part of the military and not at least hear of it. Experiencing it was a whole different ball game.”
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released in January an updated Department of Defense (DOD) list of locations outside of Vietnam where tactical herbicides were used, tested or stored by the United States military.
“This update was necessary to improve accuracy and communication of information,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA depends on DOD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam."
DOD conducted a thorough review of research, reports and government publications in response to a November 2018 Government Accountability Office report.
“DOD will continue to be responsive to the needs of our interagency partners in all matters related to taking care of both current and former service members,” said Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper. “The updated list includes Agents Orange, Pink, Green, Purple, Blue and White and other chemicals and will be updated as verifiable information becomes available.”
Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including an Agent Orange Registry health exam, health care and disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Their dependents and survivors also may be eligible for benefits.
November 25, 2019 By Dorothy Mills-Gregg, Military.com
For veterans who think they were exposed to toxic substances during their service, the Department of Veterans Affairs has a mobile application that will help them answer questions about what this potential exposure means for their long-term health.
Originally designed for VA providers, Exposure Ed now lets anyone view a list of service-related exposures -- broken down by type, conflict and date or location of service. It also has a map veterans can use to find the closest VA facilities and exposure-related programs.
For example, veterans thinking they came into contact with the Vietnam-era herbicide Agent Orange can use the "Exposures" button on the home page for immediate access to a list of illnesses related to exposure. Or, veterans can input in the time and location they served to view everything they might have been exposed to.
Related: After Decade of Fighting, the Blue-Water Navy Benefits Bill is Now a Law
The last option sorts exposure risks by conflict, ranging from World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn.
November 7, 2019 by Patricia Time, Military.com
Veterans with iPhones can now view their Department of Veterans Affairs medical records through their phone’s Health app.
VA and Apple began rolling out the capability during the summer but issued formal announcements this week, just ahead of Veterans Day.
“We have delivered veterans an innovative new way to easily and securely access their health information,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said Nov. 6 in a release. “Veterans deserve access to their health data at any time and in one place, and with health records on the Health app, VA has pushed the veterans experience forward.”
Veterans will see an aggregated view of their VA health care information such as lab results, medical history, procedures and medications.
Information from private medical providers also is available if that provider participates in the Apple Health program. More than 400 companies are on board, including Johns Hopkins, University of California San Diego, Quest Diagnostics and Allscripts.
We thank all the Supporters, Businesses and Friends for giving their time and resources in helping and caring for our Veterans, Military and First Responders and their Families.
We really appreciate your interest too, in 'Who we are and What we do'. If you have any questions or suggestions or would like to 'volunteer' or 'donate', well please contact us with an email, a phone call, or just drop on into the office.
You are always welcome to come and join us Monday thru Friday from 9am to 4pm. We are a "No Dues' nonprofit organization with the coffee pot always on and lots of conversation always available. Bring your questions regarding any veteran services you are concerned about, and we will do our best to steer you in the right direction.
Our phone is 541-889-1978, and we are located in Ontario, Oregon at 180 W. Idaho Ave.
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions. Your generous donation will fund our mission.