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The Chairman of Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida, Ronald Verini, writes two articles every month for publication in a Regional Newspaper, this article "THE UNVACCINATED AND OUR MILITARY" will be published January 16, 2022. Here is a part of Mr. Verinis' article, and you can read the full article by clicking the red bar below.
"THE UNVACCINATED AND OUR MILITARY"
January 16, 2022 Veterans Corner Article by Ronald Verini
The last I checked the Marine Corps has discharged over 100 troops for refusing the vaccine. The Army has reprimanded over 2000 and is starting discharging this month. The Air Force has started discharging and the Navy is not only disciplining but started the discharging process.
Consequences for our actions and bucking the system has always been the rules of our military and today is no exception. Yep. We have about 20,000 troops willing to fight Uncle Sam and they don’t seem to be winning. Yes a few have managed to get medical exemptions but not many. So, a little over 1% of the 1.3 million active-duty troops are affected by this and we will see, in the long run how they fare. I would think that for the few that are refusing, it creates less of a risk to our military readiness then if COVID would be allowed to run unchecked and relying on each person to decide for themselves whether to get vaccinated or not.
Each of the services has created its own way to cope but it is obvious they are all taking a hard stand of vaccinating as close to 100% as possible to protect our military readiness.
I am not aware of any of the branches granting exemptions for religious reasons, as of yet. I am sure there might be a few but not many, if at all.
The Pentagon has made COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for all services including the National Guard and Reserve.
I was just thinking about all the shots I got when in the service and come to find out, the military is already required to get as many as 17 vaccines, depending where a troop is deployed.
I find it interesting that some of our ex-military that have served our country, some in war zones that have required many shots at various times speaking up so loudly against this particular vaccination. In any case I respect their decision to not be vaccinated and since no vaccination is 100%, I would like to know if they are unvaccinated so that I might be able to take, what I feel is my right, to my protections.
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December 2021 By Francis Lincoln Grahlfs, Military Times
Every year that passes there are fewer and fewer Atomic Veterans left to tell our stories. At 98, having survived testicular cancer, thyroid problems and skin cancer, I am a rarity. Many of the other 42,000 men who served with me at the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll have died after long bouts of illness. Others are still fighting for another day and for justice for survivors of U.S. nuclear tests.
In 1946, when I was sent to Bikini Atoll, little was known by the public about the long-term effects of radiation exposure. The devastation caused by nuclear weapons was obvious; the world had seen the death and destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For those of us unknowingly subject to radioactive fallout from nuclear testing and other activities — over half a million Atomic Veterans and anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of civilians — the death and destruction took a little longer.
Radiation is insidious. You cannot see it, smell it, taste it or feel it but on some level, you know it can harm you. On top of that, radiation caused illness involves a long latency period. I spent half a century wondering whether I would suffer some weird and debilitating illness.
Over the years, I’ve suffered an overactive thyroid, an issue common among those exposed to radiation. I’ve had more skin cancers removed than I can count. In 1997, at the age of 74, I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. With no family history of these illnesses, I believe my time at Bikini Atoll was to blame.
Many veterans of U.S. nuclear tests suffered their own illnesses and ailments. What’s more, based on my own Ph.D. research, one in five Atomic Veterans believe their children and other descendants have experienced health problems as a result of the veteran’s radiation exposure. I count myself among them, having lost two of my children, my daughter Pat, born just a few years after my return from Bikini, and my son Lance, after a lifetime of struggles with endocrine disorders and cancer.
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.
JANUARY 2022 By David Vergun, DoD News
Operation Desert Storm began 31 years ago — on Jan. 16, 1991 — five months after Iraqi forces invaded and annexed Kuwait.
That operation to oust the Iraqis is also known as the Gulf War; it came about after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein refused to withdraw his forces from Kuwait.
In response, the United States and partner nations began a buildup of arms and forces in Saudi Arabia. That phase, leading up to Operation Desert Storm, was known as Operation Desert Shield.
Early on Jan. 16, 1991, the air campaign began with U.S. Army and Air Force helicopters knocking out Iraqi antiaircraft facilities and Hellfire missiles destroying Iraqi radar sites.
Then, fixed-wing aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and coalition forces, augmented by cruise missiles, pounded Iraqi positions and supply lines for the next 42 days.
Iraqi forces were not idle. On Jan. 29, 1991, they attacked and occupied the city of Khafji, Saudi Arabia. Two days later, they were driven out of Saudi Arabia by U.S. Marines, Saudi and Qatari forces.
On Feb. 24, 1991, the ground war began with U.S. and allied forces penetrating deep into Kuwait and Iraq before the end of the day. The advance was so swift that masses of Iraqi troops began surrendering within hours.
By Feb. 28, 1991, U.S. and allied ground forces in Iraq and Kuwait decisively defeated a battle-hardened army — the fourth largest in the world — and liberated Kuwait.
During air and ground operations, U.S. and allied forces destroyed over 3,000 tanks, 1,400 armored personnel carriers, 2,200 artillery pieces, and countless other vehicles. Ninety-six service members were killed in action; an estimated 30,000 Iraqi troops were killed.
The war illustrated the importance of the 35 allies and partners that comprised the coalition to liberate Kuwait, which included several Arab nations.
JANUARY 2022 BY Dave Collins, Associated Press
LITCHFIELD, Conn. (AP) — A symbol of support for U.S. troops has become the centerpiece of a contentious free-speech debate in this small town in the hills of northwestern Connecticut.
Yellow ribbons had adorned trees on the historic Litchfield Town Green since the start of the U.S. war in Iraq in 2003, placed there by families with relatives serving overseas in the military.
But the five remaining ribbons were taken down quietly Thursday by a local official enforcing an ordinance banning placards and other postings on the green, which dates to the early 1700s. The concern? Allowing the ribbons opens the door to any displays of free speech, no matter how hateful or offensive it might be.
Controversy over the ribbons has flared occasionally over the years and recently remerged in the Borough of Litchfield. In December, acting Warden Gayle Carr and the board of burgesses voted to renew enforcement of the ordinance. Seventeen people in the audience spoke in opposition to removing the ribbons at the December meeting, and none spoke in favor, according to borough records.
Val Caron, a retired electrician whose son is in the Air Force, had been tending the ribbons with his wife for more than a decade. He said he is considering legal action to put the ribbons back up.
“What they did is they slapped everybody in the military right in the face,” Caron said. “There’s a lot of people that are very upset. ... This is not over.”
Carr removed the ribbons late Thursday morning, stuffing them into a backpack as she walked her dog on a nearly deserted town green.
“When it comes to a public space like that, if you allow some speech you have to allow all speech,” Carr said in a phone interview. “But under the (borough) code we are allowed to say no speech, and that doesn’t discriminate against anybody.”
Carr added military families can still hold signs, march or hold vigils on the green — they just can’t express themselves “in the form of attaching placards, and ribbons and signs to things.”
JANUARY 2022 By Leo Shane III, Military Times
Veterans Affairs officials won’t be mailing out at-home coronavirus kits as demand for the tests skyrockets across America, but they are reminding veterans that department medical facilities can offer free in-person tests in many circumstances.
Department leaders on Tuesday acknowledged that requests for COVID-19 tests have risen significantly in recent weeks as the Omicron variant of the virus has swept across the globe.
In a statement, VA officials said that they are “managing the demand for testing and will continue to provide high quality testing services for veterans.”
That won’t include any changes to accommodate at-home tests, however. For now, the department is not part of the White House effort to send 500 million at-home tests to Americans in coming weeks, free of charge.
Most of those tests aren’t expected to arrive until sometime in February. Meanwhile, many veterans and their family members have been looking for tests right away, to check on their health and meet new mandates for entry into public facilities and events.
Lawrence Brooks, the United States’ oldest living World War II veteran, died Wednesday morning, according to his daughter and caregiver, Vanessa Brooks.
The supercentenarian’s health was winding down, Vanessa Brooks confirmed to Military Times, and he was in and out of the local veterans’ hospital several times in recent months ― but he was still alert, enjoying the holidays and watching his beloved Saints play until the end.
Brooks, a local celebrity in New Orleans, celebrated his birthdays with parties thrown by the nearby National World War II Museum.
He had received numerous gifts and more than 10,000 birthday cards throughout the years in recognition of his service during the war.
For his 112th birthday in September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration was brought to his house in the form of a drive-by party.
Brooks had danced on his porch, serenaded by the museum’s singing trio, the Victory Belles, while a military flyover banked down his Central City New Orleans shotgun house.
The Black Army veteran served at a time of segregation in U.S. history, where white and Black soldiers slept in separate tents and ate separately. But he insisted that in the military he never dealt with any problems of race, and stories from the war were told with positivity and laughter.
He died as he had planned ― in his own bed in his home in New Orleans.
The son of sharecroppers, Brooks was one of fifteen children.
He was born in 1909 just north of Baton Rouge in Norwood, Louisiana, and was raised just outside of Stephenson, Mississippi, a small sawmill town where his family moved for work during the Depression.
The supercentenarian was drafted and entered the Army in 1940, serving in both Louisiana and Texas. He participated in the famed Louisiana Maneuvers, where 400,000 soldiers converged on the state for readiness exercises in response to Germany’s invasion of Poland and France.
JANUARY 2022, BY Blake Stilwell, Military.com
There are a couple of facts that might surprise moviegoers about Morgan Freeman's acting career. The first is that he hasn't been a big name for all that long. The second is that he almost didn't become an actor at all -- he began his career in the U.S. Air Force.
Freeman, recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award, didn't get his first big break until age 49. This came in 1986, when he was cast in the film "Street Smart." Since then, he's made more than 50 films.
"It didn't have to happen at all," he told AFI in 2011. "I'm very lucky and very grateful that I had a career ... if it happens right away, it's gonna stop right away and that's a foregone conclusion."
As a young man living with his grandparents in Mississippi, Freeman was enthusiastic about drama and acting. He performed in a number of school plays in his youth and, at age 14, won a statewide drama competition. He was even offered a scholarship to Jackson State University to study drama. He turned it down, however, because he had another love: flying.
Part of his interest in acting in those days came from Hollywood's war movies, especially those about planes and fighter pilots. He would spend his summers in Chicago with his parents, where he would scrounge for change to go to the movies. Those movies kindled a desire to learn to fly, so when he graduated from high school in 1955, he joined the Air Force instead.
Jen Burch served a seven-month tour in Afghanistan a decade ago.
It has haunted her ever since. Burch, who was 23 when her tour ended, worked as an operations manager for an Air Force combat engineer unit. She aspired to be a physician. She spent her downtime as a volunteer medic at a Kandahar trauma hospital.
"I saw the worst of war and the best of humanity," she says.
She came home with the service's prestigious Commendation Medal, awarded for acts of valor or meritorious service. She also brought home a case of post-traumatic stress, frequent migraine headaches, and bronchitis and other breathing problems. But help has been slow in coming—both for Burch and for other veterans, she says.
"They need peer community support and easier access to health care and benefits," says the 34-year-old retired Air Force staff sergeant. "Everything moves at this bureaucratic pace."
While many Americans may have seen the end of the forever wars as the cap on two decades' worth of war spending, the job of Veterans Affairs has only just begun—and will continue for decades. But some fear the antagonistic relationship between VA and veterans will continue as advocates are forced to fight bureaucracy to gain benefits, even as VA officials say they're ready to move forward.
"As we look to the future, we're not trying to build a VA that goes back to the old normal," VA Secretary Denis McDonough recently said at the National Press Club. "Instead, we're going to continue to do better for vets, we're going to continue to be better for vets."
While VA projects the numbers of veterans will decline—from 20.8 million in 2015 to 12 million in 2045—VA spent almost $218 million on veterans in fiscal year 2020. That's nearly double what it spent in fiscal year 2010. The benefits go far beyond health care and disability benefits: Veterans can get help buying their first homes, money for college, and even end-of-life benefits like a burial plot.
Former Defense Secretary and Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis goes by many names. Jim. CHAOS. The Warrior Monk. Mad Dog (though he doesn’t like this one).
That’s what happens when you’re a legend. And as such, Mattis deserves representation on a token that truly embodies his mythic spirit. Enter the Saint Mattis of Quantico challenge coin.
Though its definitive origins are unknown, the coin, which features Mattis’ patented knife hand, fell into the possession of a moderator for the popular Facebook page “Air Force amn/nco/snco.”
And now, it could be yours. The moderator is raffling off this priceless coin in a page-wide sweepstakes.
“It’s been a while, but I think I got it from [OAF Nation],” he wrote to Military Times in a Facebook message. “People are pretty excited trying to win it.”
The token features one of Mattis’ most notable quotes, which states, “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”
So far, over a thousand people have entered to win the coin.
“I usually have terrible luck with these drawings, but I would honestly sell my soul for a Mad Dog Mattis coin,” wrote user Brian Herring. “His knife hand cuts me to my soul.”
The page moderator said he was sad to lose this one from his collection, but that it was worth it to share and spread the Mattis love.
In all, 160,000 service members struggled to provide food for themselves or their families, the group recently reported. A pair of Army studies found the problem was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of those studies found that on one Army base, one in three reported being food insecure in 2019. The second study, done at a different Army base, saw that out of a sample of nearly 5,000 soldiers, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the percentage of food-insecure troops to almost double from 16% to 31%.
The term food-insecure means a person or family finds themselves unable to reliably get enough affordable and nutritious food. NOVEMBER 2021 | By Konstantin Toropin Military.com
Angela, an enlisted sailor, saw her baby daughter as a miracle when she was born two years ago. The little girl quickly took over her life, and the child’s love of “Frozen” means that Angela can recite both movies from memory.
Now, as a single mother on active duty, she’s fighting to put food on their table, doing battle with her chain of command.
The need to overdraft her bank account for baby formula, living off only chicken and rice, or applying for civilian low-income assistance, only to be rejected -- it all feels like a broken promise by the Navy, Angela, who has served for a decade, told Military.com in an interview.
“I have called my dad crying because I didn't even have money to buy bread or peanut butter and jelly because I was so broke,” said Angela, whose name has been changed to protect her identity due to concerns about retaliation.
But she says the Navy has offered little assistance. Instead, leaders have intensified her struggles and insisted she find some way to make do.
“I've pretty much figured out that the Navy is not here to help you," she said.
Angela is among thousands of service members on active duty who struggle daily with hunger related to financial hardship, though the true scope of the problem is not fully known. It’s a stark reality that some troops cannot feed their families while serving in America’s all-volunteer force, despite its commitments to welfare, support services and benefits.
The gap in support means some service members are forced to rely on outside help like food pantries and relief organizations like the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society.
About 14% of enlisted active-duty families reported “low” or “very low” food security in an annual 2020 survey, according to Denise Hollywood, the chief community and programs officer for Blue Star Families.
Enlisted troops appear to be suffering the most. A total of 29% of the most junior enlisted ranks of E1-E4, a segment that includes more than 570,000 people and more than half of all enlisted in the military, reported facing hunger over the past year, according to the advocacy group Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the U.S.
Weezy the MWD (Military Working Dog) was born in 2009. As he nestled with the rest of the litter, did his assuredly overtaxed mother have an inkling that her son, a very good boy, was destined for greatness?
Did she know that her Weezy would go on to serve a grateful nation, subjecting himself to all types of danger, a dedication eclipsed only by the unremitting love he had for his handlers?
It’s likely no one will never know how Weezy felt about his mother. Military working dogs are notoriously bad at opening up about their feelings.
Either way, her little pooch soon embarked on a 10-year military journey that culminated in a retirement ceremony at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy, on Dec. 17.
At the tender age of two, Weezy began explosives training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, in 2011.
The Navy has yet to comment on rumors that Weezy’s dogtailer initially promised him a skate office billet in San Diego before he got orders to Fort Bragg to join the Marine Corps. Still, dogs make do, and Weezy reported to Twentynine Palms, California, later that year in advance of an Afghanistan deployment.
Downrange, Weezy protected his battle buddies, helping them avoid improvised explosive devices, “supporting and defending countless service members,” according to a Navy release on Weezy’s retirement.
Photos from his retirement ceremony indicate that Weezy was chillin’ pretty hard as sailors sang his praise.
August 2021, U.S. Veterans Magazine
People who live through a traumatic event sometimes suffer its effects long after the real danger has passed. This is called post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
While PTSD is often associated with combat veterans, any survivor of a natural disaster, physical abuse or other traumatic event may suffer from it. The good news is that with professional help, PTSD is treatable.
But the first steps in getting help are learning the risk factors, recognizing the symptoms and understanding the treatment options.
Knowing the risk factors
Several factors play a role in developing PTSD, such as individual personality, severity of the event, proximity to the event, the people involved in the event, duration of the trauma and the amount of support the person receives afterward.
You may be at higher risk if you:
Here are 10 pictures picked for the week...JANUARY 9, 2022
Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness are strongly encouraged to contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (877-424-3838) for assistance. If Veterans do not have access to a phone or the internet, only then are they to visit their closest VA medical center without calling in advance. VA also urges Veterans who are not homeless or at risk of homelessness to contact their VA medical center before visiting for any reason. These steps are necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
VA is committed to ending homelessness among Veterans. Our focus is threefold:
August 2021
This is a National Directory for resources that you as a Veteran, Military, Family member, Caregiver might need to assist you and help you with your needs.
https://nrd.gov/Homeless-Assistance
https://nrd.gov/Education-Training
https://nrd.gov/Family-Caregiver-Support
May 2021, The Conversation
As many as 1 in 5 of the roughly 2.7 million Americans deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 are experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.
PTSD, a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening traumatic event, is a complex condition and can be hard to treat. Our lab is studying whether service dogs can help these military veterans, who may also have depression and anxiety – and run an elevated risk of death by suicide – in addition to having PTSD.
We’ve been finding that once veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder get service dogs, they tend to feel less depressed and less anxious and miss work less frequently.
The traditional treatments for PTSD, such as talk therapy and medication, do work for many veterans. But these approaches do not alleviate the symptoms for all veterans, so a growing number of them are seeking additional help from PTSD service dogs.
August 2021, by Richard Sisk, Military.com
Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams of Quiet Dell, West Virginia, became a Marine legend on Iwo Jima with a 70-pound M2 flamethrower strapped to his back. But he says he still has promises to keep at age 97 even after a lifetime of postwar service to veterans and Gold Star families.
Trying to live up to the responsibility that comes with the Medal of Honor, Williams spent 33 years after the war with what was then known as the Veterans Administration, first as a counselor and then overseeing 16 VA offices across West Virginia to advise veterans and widows on their benefits.
But that was not enough in Williams' mind to fulfill the duty he saw goes along with wearing the nation's highest award for valor.
He saw a void in the recognition of Gold Star families' sacrifices, whether their loved ones fell in combat or succumbed to what became known as the "invisible wounds" of war. So he set out to plug the gap.
Through his Woody Williams Foundation, he began to raise money and rally community support to put up Gold Star Families Memorial Monuments to those for whom wars never end after the fateful knock on the door, despite cease-fires or withdrawal timelines.
Currently, there are 86 monuments standing, with plans for 74 more. That might include one at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia, near Marine Corp Base Quantico, if he can get the service to go along. Williams said he's been bugging the Marine Corps about that but has yet to make headway. "I haven't given up yet," he said.
Ah, super glue — the greatest-of-all-time fast-acting adhesive for all of your stuck-together needs.
Chances are, you have a tube of this in that kitchen drawer, you know, the one with all the takeout menus, rubber bands and random keys to who knows what doors (you should probably clean that out by the way), because it’s an undeniable necessity.
But before it occupied space in our junk drawers, and our hearts, it was accidentally developed for the U.S. military.
Too sticky for Army weapons
In 1942, companies across the country were looking to support the war effort, including the Eastman Kodak Company. One if its inventors, Dr. Harry Wesley Coover, accidentally created a new compound while attempting to make clear plastic gun sights for Allied soldiers.
The compound, cyanoacrylate, was incredibly durable but way too sticky to use. (Imagine getting Krazy Glue anywhere near your eye. No thanks!) So Coover and his team abandoned the substance, not wanting to get stuck, literally or figuratively, on it.
Over a decade later, Coover, who would become known as “Mr. Super Glue,” rediscovered the adhesive compound while researching heat-resistant polymers for jet canopies. Cyanoacrylate adhesives required no heat or pressure to stick items together and hold them permanently. Thus, in 1956, the patent for “Alcohol-Catalyzed Cyanoacrylate Adhesive Compositions/Superglue” was born. How’s that for a name?
August 2021
By Jonathan D. Salant | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Yes, puppies and veterans can paper over the partisan divides in the U.S. Congress.
The Senate last week took a break from debating the $1 trillion infrastructure bill and passed legislation by voice vote to teach military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder how to train service dogs to help them, and then to have them adopt the animals. The House approved the measure in May.
The bill calls for a five-year pilot program under the Department of Veterans Affairs.
More than 300 House members co-sponsored the veterans bill, some of them convinced to sign on by Sherrill, who used a card featuring a picture of a Golden Retriever puppy to make her case.
With Senate passage, the legislation now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.
“Experts agree that service dogs are one of the best mental health treatments to help bring relief, solace, and recovery for our veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress,” said Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist., a Navy veteran and a bill co-sponsor.
”After dedicating so much to the nation, our veterans deserve the best care available and this program will help deliver it. It’s my hope the president signs it as soon as possible.”
April 2021 by Blake Stilwell, Military.com
These days, service members need to be wary of the multitude of online for-profit schools out to get a piece of their coveted Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Depending on which “academic institution” is looking to sign them up, the term “Results May Vary” doesn’t come close to describing some of the “schools” out there.
But there are better choices for service members with non-traditional schedules who are looking for a good distance education to prepare them for life after the military. National University was founded by a veteran with similar issues and is today the second-largest nonprofit online school in America.
David Chigos’ transition to civilian life had been rough. As a retiring naval officer in 1967, he tried to enroll in night classes at San Diego State University. The only problem, he said, was that San Diego State didn’t offer night classes, so he was faced with the choice of going to school or working during the day. He knew there were veterans and civilians like him trying to balance both tasks.
In 1971, Chigos was working as a management development specialist for the General Dynamics corporation. The academic system in the U.S. kept many executives from pursuing higher education. So he did what any veteran might consider doing: fixing the problem by creating a college for the “real world” at a fraction of the cost.
“From the trunk of my car,” he founded National University, completely upending the idea of how academic programs were formed, he said. Chigos created academic programs with a no-frills look at the world. National University would offer classes that would lead to education and employment. His first class numbered 27 students....
January 2021 By Harm Venhuizen. MilitaryTimes
When separating from the military, it’s not uncommon for servicemembers to discover gaps between their resume and the civilian job they want.
Worries about putting food on the table can make going back to school, getting on-the-job training, or taking an internship seem like costly ways of filling that gap. Luckily, there’s a way servicemembers can gain the experience required by civilian jobs while still on the military’s payroll.
The DoD SkillBridge Program lets active-duty personnel from all four branches spend the last 180 days of their military service interning at a civilian job with one of more than 500 industry partners.
Participants continue to receive military pay and benefits, whether they’re getting certified by Microsoft in cloud development, learning to weld, or taking advantage of any one of the hundreds of other opportunities available.
As part of the DoD’s requirements, all training programs offer a “high probability of post-service employment with the provider or other employers in a field related to the opportunity,” according to the SkillBridge website.
In his internship with the Global SOF Foundation, retired Navy commander Chuck Neu says he not only tripled the size of his professional network, but also discovered a talent for sales.
“Without that exposure to cold-call sales from doing SkillBridge with the Global SOF Foundation, I likely would have ended up on-base as a contractor or a government civilian, which is really not what I wanted to do,” Neu told Military Times....
For more on this story click the 'Red Bar' below.
August 2021 by Blake Stilwell, Military.com
SkillBridge is one of the most groundbreaking programs the U.S. military ever introduced to help transition service members into civilian life. It allows veterans looking to separate from the military to work in training opportunities, internships and apprenticeships during the last 180 days of their enlistment while still receiving full pay and benefits.
The only problem is that navigating SkillBridge to browse those opportunities is a notoriously difficult task. 50Strong was founded to help bridge the gap between the way the military works and the way the civilian world works, and it starts with an internship tool. Simply click here and scroll down to the middle of the page to start browsing.
0Strong was founded by Kandi Tillman, a former corporate executive whose resume boasts some pretty impressive names, like Oracle, Proctor & Gamble and Standard & Poor. It’s safe to say she knows something about getting a job in the civilian world. When she met her now-husband, Kevin Tillman, he was a veteran struggling to get what he calls "a regular job."
Kandi helped her husband with every aspect of his job search, from resume writing to employer referrals. Eventually, he landed a job at Lockheed Martin. The pair eventually founded 50Strong with the mission of smoothing out the process for any and all veterans.
Their idea is that military norms to which veterans are accustomed often do not make the jump into the ways civilian companies look for and hire talent. 50Strong has developed a twofold approach to facilitating the process of helping veterans understand the way their new world works.
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.
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 Freedo
September 2021 by J.D. Simkins, Observation Post
Pin-Ups For Vets is releasing its annual calendar in an effort to raise money to support hospitalized veterans and deployed personnel.
This year’s edition, which features 12 women — veterans representing all five branches of the military decked out in 1940s vogue — marks the 16th year the company has released a calendar designed to raise morale while shattering stereotypes about women in the armed services.
The organization’s founder Gina Elise called this year’s initiative a great way to help “female veterans embrace their femininity again.”
“Many of the ladies have said that being involved with our organization has given them a renewed sense of purpose after transitioning out of the military,” Elise said. “It has given them a community again, and a mission to give back.”
Past issues have included veterans from all walks of life, including Kirstie Ennis, a wounded Marine veteran who received the 2019 Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2019 ESPYS...
January 2021 By Leslie Thompson, Argus Observer
ONTARIO
In the absence of the Ontario Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizens of the Year awards, which have been celebrated annually since 1972, the Argus Observer aimed to help fill the gap created by the pandemic and offer the community the chance to nominate a citizen of the year.
Nominations for the Argus Observer Citizen of the Year for 2020 were open Jan. 1-8, and the community’s responses came pouring in for people throughout the Western Treasure Valley.
A unifying theme in all of these nominations was people who put their community’s needs before their own.
The person who garnered the most nominations for this inaugural award was Ron Verini, president and chairman of the board for Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida, a nonprofit dedicated to serving veterans. Trailing not far behind, but neck-in-neck, were Malheur County Health Department Director Sarah Poe, who is currently leading the local fight against COVID-19, and Jennifer Tolman, a pharmacist at Malheur Drug in Vale who, according to nominations is a vital part of groups that give back to the community.
Verini mentioned all the work these people do (and there isn’t room to list it all — it is extensive), which includes myriad services, such as running the nonprofit’s food bank, connecting vets with local services, finding housing, hosting a website and Facebook page, sitting and talking with local vets, building ramps, home renovations, setting up a station for the visually impaired to read books and putting together a military museum.
Along with others in the community who nominated Verini, many people from his core group of volunteers say they believe Verini deserves the award.
Haines said Verini is the initiator and motivator behind the nonprofit, which consists solely of volunteers.
“It takes a special gift and desire to motivate and inspire others to do the same,” said Haines. “This year has been unique. Ron has more than passed the test.”
When asked how he keeps inspiring volunteers, Verini had the following to say.
“I stay focused on the mission, and you treat people like you want to be treated,” he said. “I think it’s so important that folks understand that we are all in this together, truly. There is something about the human nature that comes to the surface on a positive level when people are treated with respect.”
Some of the volunteers have their own challenges, Verini said, including in some cases severe physical or mental challenges.
Upon finding out he won the Citizen of the Year award, Verini quickly went from disbelief to saying it was quite an honor “especially for Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida.” Then he quickly insisted (and still does) that the award really should go to the volunteers of the organization, without whom he says, “we don’t exist.”
“I am thrilled,” he said about the award. However, added, “It’s far from mine. VAOI would not exist if it wasn’t for the volunteers.”
He said that a core group of people helps get things done. That group includes Charlene Pelland, Doug Dean, Bob and Janet Metzger, Marilyn Justus, Vince and Claudia Schwartz, Billy Vance, Jan and Phil Jacques, David Looper, Margie Yasuda, Barbara Ogawa, Judy Snyder, Gerald Haines and John Breidenbach.
He furthermore said Veteran Advocates could not operate without community services, such as the Oregon Food Bank, Payette Senior Center and Community Action, nor without donations from businesses, such as the nonprofit’s number one contributor Grocery Outlet along with Albertsons, The Home Depot, Dr. Jeffrey Pitts, the Ontario Masonic Lodge and others.
“This is not my award,” Verini reiterated. “It’s an award that transcends anything I do.”
He said it belongs to the team of people who work together to provide services for vets and their family members.
“It’s unbelievable how many people are in that stream of support,” he said.
"If you give them responsibility and you let them take the lead, give a little bit of direction but respect what they have to say — I think that makes all the difference in the world, whether they are a volunteer, worker, political individual serving on the city council, whatever,” he said.
In turn, volunteers continue serving because they love what they are doing and are passionate about it.
“The volunteers take the lead, and I just give them direction
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
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. Our hours are 9am to 4pm, and with the Covid rules we have, masks are required as are number of people in the Office, so please call.
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.