RAO
BULLETIN
15 November 2016
HTML Edition
THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES
Pg Article Subject
. * DOD * .
04 == Trump's Military ----------------------------------------- (What to Expect)
06 == Military Recruiting [06] ------------------- (Standards May Be Relaxed)
07 == Toxic Exposure | Colorado Springs Area [02] ----------- (False Alarm)
07 == BRAC [52] --------------------------- (Non-BRAC Closure Alternatives)
08 == Toxic Exposure | Colorado Springs Area [02] ----------- (False Alarm)
09 == POW/MIA [78] ----------------- (Vietnam POW/MIA Recovery Status)
11 == POW/MIA Recoveries --------- (Reported 1 thru 15 NOV 2016 | Nine)
. * VA * .
15 == VA Claim Filing [08] -------------------------------------- (How to Do It)
17 == VA Disability & SSDI [01] ------------------------ (Eligibility for Both)
18 == VA Partnerships ------------------------------ (9 New Ones Announced)
19 == VA Registries [06] -------------- (Airborne Hazards & Open Burn Pit)
20 == VA SSA Dual Disability Eligibility ------------------- (Record Sharing)
20 == myVA Initiative [02] ---- (Report Shows Measurable Improvements)
21 == VA Prescription Policy [07] --------- (10-Day Goal Met 99% of Time)
22 == VE-HEROeS ------------------------------ (VA Vietnam Era Vet Study)
22 == VA Recommendation Policy ----------------- (Inadequate Monitoring)
23 == VA Care Usage ------------------------- (Post-9/11 Vet Percentages Up)
24 == VA Overpayments ------------------------------ (WWII Vet Irene Miller)
25 == VA Home Loan [43] --------------------------------- (Guaranty Program)
26 == VA Psychiatric Care | Inpatient --- (Admission Screening Shortfalls)
27 == VA DAISY Award ------------------- (Honoring Extraordinary Nurses)
28 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ------------ (Reported 1 thru 15 NOV 2016)
30 == VAMC Wilkes-Barre PA ------ (Expanded Services for Women Vets)
31 == VA Health Care Management [01] ------------- (Help Is On The Way)
. * Vets * .
32 == GI Bill [214] ------------------------ (DOE Final Student Borrower Regs)
33 == Vet Legal Assistance [01] --------------------- (Nevada @Ease Program)
33 == Veterans in Congress [07] ---------------------------- (Changes For 2017)
35 == Veterans Day by the Numbers ------------------------ (As of 1 Jan 2016)
36 == History of Veterans Day ------------------------------------ (1919 to 2016)
38 == Vet vs. Non-Vet Health ----- (Veterans Report Better Overall Health)
38 == Vietnam Lapel Pin ------------------------------------ (National Initiative)
39 == Vet Burial Plans --------------------------------- (Pre-Planning Is A Must)
40 == Vet Best vs. Worst Cities to Live ----------------------- (2016 Rankings)
40 == SW Florida Vietnam Wall ----- (Half Scale Dedicated in Punta Gorda)
41 == Vet Toxic Exposure | Ft. McClellan [04] -------- (First COA Reversal)
42 == VVMF Wall of Faces [01] ------------------------------ (Finish The Wall)
44 == Korean War Vets --------------------------------- (McEachin & Okamoto)
45 == Enlistment Bonus Payback [02] ---- (Guard Can't find 4,000 Soldiers)
46 == Enlistment Bonus Payback [03] - (ISSA Demands DoD Return Pmts)
47 == Enlistment Bonus Payback [04] --- (Estimates Outside CA Retracted)
48 == Vet Jobs [202] ------------------------ (Longevity | 50% After One Year)
48 == Obit: Akee~Dan ---------------------------------------------- (14 OCT 2016)
49 == Retiree Appreciation Days -------------------------- (As of 15 NOV 2016)
50 == Vet Hiring Fairs ----------------------------- (16 NOV thru 15 DEC 2016)
52 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ------------------------ (Iowa NOV 2016)
* Vet Legislation * .
53 == OSS Congressional Gold Medal Act--------------------------- (H.R.3929)
53 == House Vet Bill Progress ------------------------------------ (15 NOV 2016)
54 == Senate Vet Bill Progress ------------------------------------ (15 NOV 2016)
. * MILITARY * .
54 == Navy Submarine Work Day ----------------- (New 8 on, 12 Off Impact)
55 == Navy Obesity Problem ------------------------- (How they Plan to Fix It)
55 == Military Sexual Assault [01] ------- (Special Victim Counsel Program)
56 == Special Ops ------------- ((More Resources Or Fewer Missions Needed)
57 == SCRA [06] ----- (New Support Pilot Program Enhances Enforcement)
58 == Carl Gustaf Recoilless Rifle ------------------- (M3E1 "Super" Bazooka)
59 == USS Zumwalt [08] ---------- (LRLAP Shells Could Run $800k+ Each)
60 == KA-BAR ----------- (1219C2 aka '1217 USMC Fighting Utility Knife')
61 == Military Combat Training --------------------------------- (Warrior Night)
62 == Military Ranks Quiz 2 ------------------------------------ (Do You Know?)
63 == Military Ranks Quiz 2 ----------------------- (Did you Answer Correctly)
. * MILITARY HISTORY * .
64 == Black Max Award ---------------------- (Naval Aviators - Vietnam Era)
66 == WW2 Vets 120 --------------------------- (Herschel “Woody” Williams)
68 == Military Legends -- (Go For Broke | WW2 442nd RCT Nisei Troops)
71 == Midway Atoll ---------- (History Preservation vs. Wildlife Protection)
73 == Fat Man Search ---------------- (May Have Been Found after 66 Years)
73 == America's Response Monument -------- (Special Forces | Rededicated)
74 == Military History -------- (WW2 Philippines | Minoru Wada's Moment)
76 == Military History Anniversaries ------------------------ (16 thru 30 NOV)
76 == Medal of Honor Citations ------------------- (Edson, Merritt A | WWII)
. * HEALTH CARE * .
79 == Bile Duct Cancer - (Cholangiocarcinoma Linked to Vietnam Service)
81 == TRICARE Child Care [02] -------------------- (Hospice Care Coverage)
82 == TRICARE Auditory Care [01] ------------------ (Hearing Aid Implants)
83 == TRICARE Enrollment [01] ---------- (Insurance Marketplace Options)
83 == PTSD [222] --------------------- (Army Stellate Ganglion Block Study)
84 == TRICARE Podcast 373 - (Warrior Care MO | Smokeout | Eye Health)
85 == TRICARE Podcast 374 - (Skin Protection | Health Literacy | Bullying)
87 == Health Care Reform [65] --------------- (Open Enrollment 2017 Is Here)
. * FINANCES * .
88 == Medicare Supplemental Plans -------------------------- (Selection ABC's)
89 == Insurance Terminology --------------------------------- (Key Definitions)
90 == Social Security Fund Depletion [13] -- (Could You Survive 21% Cut)
91 == Service Plans ----------------------------------------- (Are They Worth It?)
92 == Online Surveys ------------------------ (Win A Prize or Earn Gift Cards)
93 == Veteran Scams [02] ----------------------------------------------- (Top Five)
94 == Mortgage Refinancing Scam 2 --------------------------- (How It works)
95 == Tax Burden for Minnesota Retired Vets ------------- (As of NOV 2016)
. * GENERAL INTEREST * .
97 == Notes of Interest ----------------------------------- (1 thru 15 NOV 2016)
98 == Fact Checking ------------------------------ (Tech Tactics | Tools & Tips)
99 == Got Your Six [01] -- (Recommended Veteran Related Entertainment)
100 == Tomb of the Unknowns [10] --------- (Documentary | The Unknowns)
101 == Dumb Smart Device --------------------------------------------- (Umbrella)
101 == Trump Election ----------------------------------------- (Russia's Reaction)
102 == Trump Election [01] -------------------------- (What Troops Can Expect)
104 == Trump Election [02] ------------ (7 Ways It Could Impact your Wallet)
105 == U.S. Philippine Bases [12] ---- (RP Defense Equipment Acquisitions)
106 == Lies ------------------------------------------------ (10 Ways to Spot Them)
108 == Have You Heard? --------- (Cow, Ant & an Old Fart || Nun at Hooters)
Note:
1. The page number on which an article can be found is provided to the left of each article’s title
2. Numbers contained within brackets [ ] indicate the number of articles written on the subject. To obtain previous articles send a request to .
. * ATTACHMENTS * .
Attachment - Iowa Vet State Benefits & Discounts NOV 2016
Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 16 thru 30 NOV
* DoD *
Trump's Military ► What to Expect
A Washington outsider who pledged to rebuild what he's called a weak and ineffective military soon will serve as the new commander in chief. In his acceptance speech Trump called on Americans to come together after the divisive campaign season. The New York businessman also pledged to put more Americans to work by rebuilding infrastructure and promised to “finally take care of our great veterans.” Throughout his campaign, Trump said he'd boost the size of the military, including people, ships, and aircraft - though details about how he'd carry out those plans were never specified. He recently released a 10-point plan for VA reform, and he'll face tough decisions about the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who will serve as his defense secretary, and how he'll lead the armed forces through ongoing personnel and budget cuts. Trump will be joined in office by Republican Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the father of a Marine officer who's training to become a pilot. Here's what troops can expect from their new commander in chief.
People and pay
After repeatedly arguing that President Barack Obama's administration had undercut the military, Trump laid out plans in September to:
· Increase the number of active-duty soldiers to 540,000, up nearly 100,000 troops from the Army's current drawdown plans.
· Boost the number of Marine Corps battalions to 36 in order to deal with major contingencies. That would add about a dozen battalions to the force
· Build a Navy that has 350 surface ships and submarines, about a 28-percent bump from today's fleet.
· Build an Air Force of at least 1,200 fighter aircraft.
With another round of across-the-board spending cuts, known as sequestration, threatening to wreak havoc on the 2018 defense budget, the military currently doesn't have the funds to carry out those plans. Trump said in his plan that he would “ask Congress to fully eliminate the defense sequester and will submit a new budget to rebuild our military.” Thomas Donnelly, a defense and security policy analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, said defense spending could increase in the years to come since the White House and both chambers of Congress will soon be controlled by Republicans. Whether it actually happens will largely depend on how congressional Democrats respond, he said, since they could try to block any effort by Trump to boost spending. Benjamin Friedman, a research fellow in defense and homeland security studies at the CATO Institute, said if spending doesn't increase that overseas contingency funds will be something to watch because the services have used those dollars to offset some cuts they've faced.
When it comes to servicemembers' pay and benefits, Friedman said it's difficult to know what might change since Trump hasn't made his plans for the military clear. All politicians tend to say they're great advocates for military pay and benefits, he said, but it's not yet clear where Trump will come down on expenses like TRICARE fees, pay raises, housing, and commissary benefits. Donnelly said Trump might be more likely than Clinton to override the Pentagon's recent plans to overhaul military pay and benefits. “I think Hillary might've had the political instincts … to push that noodle forward,” he said. “I think it's more likely that Trump will say, 'We can't cut back on the benefits that our brave guys in uniform deserve.' ”
Overseas operations
The fight against ISIS could get even more complicated after the Iraqis retake Mosul, and Trump said that on his first day in office he'd give general officers 30 days to present a plan to defeat the terror group. That followed comments he'd made about knowing “more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me.” Trump has blasted the Obama administration's handling of the fight on the terror group. Trump argued that the Iraqis were giving ISIS fighters too much notice about their offensive plans, but Trump offered few details on what else he'd do differently, Friedman said. “Trump continued throughout the campaign to say that he can't make his plan public on what he was going to do about it,” he said. “Other than generally saying he's going to be aggressive, it's hard to know what Trump was planning.”
The president-elect might even be anxious to get troops out of the region, Donnelly said, and take a more standoffish approach toward Middle East conflicts. That could allow him to focus on domestic issues like the economy. That approach could apply to other parts of the world, too. Trump made waves when he suggested in recent months that he wouldn't defend certain alliances if he felt partner nations weren't holding up their end of the bargain. Friedman said it's likely “more bluster than reality,” but added that Trump doesn't seem as emotionally committed to the NATO alliance or other allies as most Washington politicians.
Reforming the VA
During his campaign, Trump released a 10-part plan to reform the VA in which he said he'd support veterans' physical and mental health care through modernization and better accountability. “No more long drives, no more waiting backlogs, no more excessive red tape,” the plan states. “Just the care and support they earned with their service to our country.” Trump wants to appoint a new VA secretary whose “sole purpose will be to serve veterans.” He said he will remove and discipline federal employees who've violated the public's trust and will ask Congress to pass legislation that will allow the VA secretary to “terminate any employee who has jeopardized the health, safety, or well-being of a veteran.” Trump's White House will also have a 24-hour hotline, according to the plan, that will be “answered by a real person” that veterans can call if they have complaints about their VA care. He plans to increase the number of mental health care professionals and will allow veterans to seek care outside the VA system. “Under a Trump administration, no veteran will die waiting for service,” the plan states.
Leadership style
When it comes to getting buy-in from the military community, Trump could face an easier time of that than Clinton might have. Polls conducted by Military Times and Syracuse University's Institute for Veterans and Military Families routinely showed that Trump maintained the edge when it came to the military vote. Clinton proved less popular with troops, the polls showed, although servicemembers weren't overly confident about either candidate's ability to serve as commander in chief. Trump's comments about Sen. John McCain's capture during Vietnam, Gold Star families, and knowing more about ISIS than military leaders didn't sit well with everyone, but Donnelly said the president-elect has proven he's skilled at redefining “what he meant on pretty much anything.” “He's perfectly capable now of saying, 'These guys are my generals. I like these guys and working for me, they're going to be great,' ” he said, even if he previously spoke ill of them.
Regardless, Friedman said it's not necessary for Trump - or any commander in chief - to have the military's complete support since troops carry out the president's will regardless of political beliefs. As long as Trump tones down some of his campaign rhetoric, Friedman said it's likely Trump will have the support of his military. “If he behaves like a president and seems considered and reasoned, and maybe even reduces the amount of wars that we're fighting, it might go a long way to win military support,” he said.
[Source: MOAA | Gina Harkins | November 9, 2016 ++]
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Military Recruiting Update 06 ► Standards May Be Relaxed
The Pentagon has long implied that the numbers of qualified recruits for military service has been getting smaller. On 1 NOV, SecDef Ash Carter during a speech announcing new recruiting initiatives at City College of New York said, "Geographically, our military's recruiting pool is shrinking, with more and more of our people coming from fewer and fewer states," the Pentagon chief lamented, noting 40 percent of recruits hail from just six states and only about 1 percent of Americans have served in the military. He has launched a sweeping review of the military's recruiting standards, saying current rules for screening new entrants may be “overly restrictive” and preventing America's most talented young people from joining the ranks.