FROM MILITARY DOT COM

 VFW Action Corps Weekly, January 23, 2015

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In This Issue: 1. Hagel Instructs Services to Embrace VSO/MSO Support 2. VFW Testifies Twice Before Congress 3. New Study on Veteran Suicide and Update on SAV Act 4. New Top Enlisted Marine Named 5. Devil’s Brigade to Receive Congressional Gold Medal 6. VA Kicks Off Its Yearly Art Competition 7. Vietnam War MIA Recovered 1. Hagel Instructs Services to Embrace VSO/MSO Support: At the urging of the VFW, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has signed two policy memorandums that direct the military services to allow veteran and military service organizations greater and more standardized access to installations and their troops and families. The VFW worked with Defense Department staff to shape the new policy in two ways: to increase national service officer presence on installations, and to create greater troop and military family awareness of VFW support programs, such as Unmet Needs, Adopt-a-Unit, and Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy, among others. The new policy will not, however, loosen current restrictions regarding on-base fundraising and membership recruiting activities. The VFW will provide additional information after the services publish their implementation guidance in March. 2. VFW Testifies Twice Before Congress: On Wednesday, January 21, Ray Kelley, VFW’s National Legislative Director, presented testimony before the full House Veterans Affairs Committee regarding VA’s mismanagement of its major construction projects. VA Deputy Secretary Slone Gibson presented testimony and answered questions in the first panel. He admitted VA had mishandled these projects, but outlined what steps have been taken to get them back on track. Kelley provided five recommendations and answered questions as well. To read VFW’s testimony and watch the hearing, click here: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/building-a-better-va-assessing-ongoing-major-construction-management-problems-within-the. On Thursday, January 22, VFW’s National Veterans Service Deputy Director Jerry Manar testified before the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs regarding VA’s disability claims appeals process. In his testimony, Manar clearly explains the appeals process and provides five recommendations on how to improve the process. To read VFW’s testimony and watch the hearing, click here: http://veterans.house.gov/hearing/veterans-dilemma-navigating-the-appeals-system-for-veterans-claims. 3. New Study on Veteran Suicide and Update on SAV Act: A recent study of Iraq and Afghanistan era veterans finds that recently discharged veterans are up to 61 percent more likely to commit suicide compared to the United States general population. The study found that more than 9,300 recently discharged veterans committed suicide between 2001 and 2007.  The study finds that suicide risk was higher among recently discharged veterans who are younger, male, white, unmarried, enlisted and Army/Marine veterans. The VFW has made a concerted effort to address this important issue by helping to shape and advocating for the passage of H.R. 203, the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act. This important bill was passed unanimously in the House last week and cleared an important procedural hurdle in the Senate on Wednesday. The VFW is hopeful that the Senate will pass the SAV act soon and send it to the President for his signature. To read about the suicide study, visit: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/epidemiology/studies/suicide-risk-death-risk-recent-veterans.asp. To watch the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs’ markup of the SAV Act, visit: http://www.veterans.senate.gov/hearings/business-meeting01212015. 4. New Top Enlisted Marine Named: Sgt. Maj. Ronald Green has been selected to become the 18th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. Green is currently the sergeant major of the I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He is an artilleryman by training and served in Iraq in 2006 with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169. He will replace current Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Mike Barrett on Feb. 20. Read his bio at: http://www.imef.marines.mil/Leaders/tabid/3952/Article/535479/sergeant-major-ronald-l-green.aspx. 5. Devil’s Brigade to Receive Congressional Gold Medal: Speaker of the House John Boehner announced that the U.S.-Canadian 1st Special Service Force, known as the "Devil's Brigade," will be presented with the Congressional Gold Medal in a Feb. 3 ceremony inside the U.S. Capitol. According to press reports, the Devil’s Brigade was similar to today’s Green Berets. They operated primarily in Italy and southern France, and were responsible for 12,000 German casualties and capturing 7,000 prisoners. The Congressional Gold Medal is the nation's highest award for distinguished achievement. Recent military recipients have included the Tuskegee Airmen, Native American Code Talkers, Women Air Service Pilots, the Japanese-American WWII units 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service, Montford Point Marines, the 65th Infantry Regiment “Borinqueneers” and the Doolittle Raiders. 6. VA Kicks Off Its Yearly Art Competition: Every year, VA hosts a National Veterans Creative Arts Competition to harness the therapeutic powers of art and competition. This year’s competition began on January 1, 2015, with a local phase at nearly every VA facility. Veterans interested in participating can submit their art, music, dance or creative writing entries to their local VA facility’s recreation/creative arts therapy department. To learn more about VA’s National Veterans Creative Arts Competition, visit: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/16614/2015-national-veterans-creative-arts-competition-underway/. 7. Vietnam War MIA Recovered: The Defense POW/MIA Office announced the identification of remains belonging to Air Force Capt. Richard D. Chorlins, 24, of University City, Mo., who was piloting an A-1 Skyraider aircraft on a night strike mission over the Mu Gia Pass in Laos when his aircraft was shot down by enemy ground fire on Jan. 11, 1970. He was assigned to the 602nd Special Operations Squadron, 34th Tactical Group. He will be buried with full military honors on a date and location yet to be announced. To sign up new veterans’ advocates, click here: http://capwiz.com/vfw/mlm/signup.htm. As always, we want to share your advocacy stories on the VFW Capitol Hill blog. To share your stories either fill out our online form by clicking here, http://www.vfw.org/Forms/Capitol-Hill-Blog-Submissions/, or simply email photos and stories directly to vfwac@vfw.org.