Senate panel wants more money for veterans

The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee wants $6.6 billion more in the 2009 fiscal budget</a> for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The House Veterans' Affairs is 'working on a similar budget proposal' due on Thursday. The Seante Committee says that 'it rejects cuts proposed by the Bush administration in construction, medical research and auditing. The letter also said the committee opposes an initiative to raise prescription drug fees and to impose enrollment fees for some moderate-income veterans enrolled in the VA health plan who do not have service-connected disabilities.' [Navy Times]

Veterans facing difficulties transitioning to college life

Veterans attending the University of Southern California find that they don't share the same viewpoint with many of the students there. Scott Lowe who defended an oil refinery, and lost comrades, 'said his adjustment to civilian life has been marked by a sense of separation.' The veterans say they have no problem with the financial aid, just the social chasm. [Daily Trojan (U.S.C.)]

Class action lawsuit targets VA

The groups, Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth,  have filed a lawsuit against the Veterans Administration for 'of neglecting psychological fallout from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.' They cite the number of suicides including the death of Minnesota Marine, Jonathan Schulze. [Minnesota Star-Tribune]

acinetobacter baumannii

This <a href="http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,162552,00.html">highly resistant bacteria</a> has been threatening the troops in Afganistan and Iraq, forcing amputations and threatening organs. Now the hospitals are seeing hundreds of cases, and the problem seems to have started in combat hospitals. Fascinating update on a very scary topic. [Military.com]

In MD, fight in legislature over veterans funding

Md Governor O'Malley wants to give $3.5 million to veterans in short-term help. His analysts want to give $1.75 million. Congress is invoked as in not 'stepping up to the plate.' [(D.C.) Examiner]

Veterans rights projects proliferating

An excellent article on the new Veterans Rights Project based in New York. Lots of stats on veterans and the problems they face. [New York Lawyer]

In Utah, interesting findings in military suicides

The authorities notice that in the cases of military suicides in Utah, it's the failure of a relationship - family, marriage - that led to the act.

Overall, the Veterans Affairs department's survey 'that Guard or Reserve members made up 53 percent of the veteran suicides from 2001 to 2005, even though they made up only about 28 percent of all U.S. military forces deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. [Salt Lake Tribune]
.'

VBA IT needs may be cut; overall VA to be up

As reported before, the VA's overall Information Technology (IT) budget may go up, but the Veterans Benefits Administration's budget 'is about 18 percent less than the fiscal 2008 proposal.' Veterans groups ask for more money to be spent on reducing the backlog. [Government Executive]

Senate warns Bush on cutting VA construction funding

To help fund the treatment of returning veterans, the federal budget has taken aim at cutting the funding for construction of more VA facilities and raising the co-pays on prescriptions that veterans buy. Many Senators dispute the choices. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

Problems facing female veterans include rape

Female veterans sometimes suffer military sexual trauma, or sexual harassment and/or rape, at the hands of their fellow male soldiers. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wa) is 'is preparing legislation that would require the federal government to conduct research on military sexual trauma, provide an annual report to Congress on how the VA is handling these cases, and come up with treatments and policies to help women veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.' [The Day (Conn.)]

It's 'National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans' week.

'The purpose of the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Program is to pay tribute and express appreciation to hospitalized veterans; increase community awareness of the role of the VA medical center; and encourage citizens to visit hospitalized veterans and to become involved as volunteers.' [Marion Daily Republican]

New VA report says veterans' job hunting disappointing

Newly-discharged veterans face employers reluctant to hire them in case of future mental health problems or other skills.

'The Veterans Affairs Department report, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, points to continuing problems with the Bush administration's efforts to help 4.4 million troops who have been discharged from active duty since 1990.' [Associated Press via Philadelphia Inquirer]

VA may get for more for IT

The Veterans Adminstration may get a boost for their Information Technology under President Bush's last budget. IT is necessary to upgrade the VA's health records system and 'to reduce its disability claims backlog.' [Federal Computer Week]

Federal court case about benefits opens in S.F.

'Veterans have no legal right to specific types of medical care, the Bush administration argues in a lawsuit accusing the government of illegally denying mental health treatment to some troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.' [San Francisco Chronicle]

Veterans often denied college credit for skills

Many veterans find that their specialized skills and training are disregarded when colleges look at their records. The colleges say 'they are fairly evaluating military courses and that a good deal of service training does not match with academic subjects. But in the minds of veterans, the denial of credits casts doubt on the academic qualifications of their military training, coursework, and specialties.' [Boston Globe]

Postal worker accused of theft of medications

A rural postal worker was arrested for taking 'Vicodin and methadone from the mail coming from the Veterans Administration Hospital in Grand Junction.' [Glenwood Springs Post Independent]

VA increases mileage reimbursements

As of January 31, veterans with long drives to veterans administration hospitals will get reimbursed at a higher rate. [HometownSource.com, Wisc.]

Ever heard of....

The Aid and Attendance (A & A) Special Pensions program? It's an obscure but maybe useful act passed in the 1950s that provides 'provides monthly benefits from about $1,000 to $2,000 to veterans who served at least one day during wartime or their spouses.' [Toledo Free Press]