left: Poster from Military Stop-Loss Rally and Protest held in Washington DC last March
This OP/ED is being reposted from my blog at ProgressOhio where I started blogging in order to educate the growing progressive movement in Ohio about Veteran/Military Affairs. This is something new for me, because I'm more familiar with posting on Veterans, Military Families, and Troop Milblogs and Forums. Venues where readers have more of a clue what I'm talking about even if they think I'm full of it or disagree with me.
In the article, I expressed the heat of frustration that it has taken the progressive movement in Ohio [let alone the nation] this long to figure out that our Ohio State National Guard troops are getting shafted while our state legislature and governor remain SILENT. That said, how many other state legislatures and state governors continue to remain SILENT about having their state militias taken from them or even have gone as far as collaborating in that effort. The only time there's been an outcry is AFTER it's been TOO LATE. (Katrina comes to mind).
The intention of my article was to make a point and educate staff and members of ProgressOhio and all forward thinking readers and voters across the nation.
The anti-Iraqnam War movement in Ohio (and in YOUR STATE) has been largely ignored in my opinion by not only the Republican controlled media but those politically correct elements of the Democratic party. That is why so many swing voters do not trust let alone support either partisan party. Any tally of those most affected by Stop Loss and who CAN RELATE to the Iraq War shows beyond a doubt that THOSE WHO CAN REALLY RELATE DO NOT TRUST ANY POLITICAL PARTY. Read Full Story
Video of the Week: America's Black Patriots
For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots spans the revolution to Iraq and examines why, despite enormous injustice these heroic men and women fought so valiantly for freedoms they themselves did not enjoy.
News: Veterans Today Call to Action - Stop Loss Bill in Congress
Call to Action - Stop Loss Bill
As follow-up to our previous article on Stop Loss, the Communication's Director for Ohio Congresswomen Berry Sutton contacted me to ask that we spread the word on a bill introduced in Congress that would compensate those troops placed on Stop Loss. Despite reservations that paying off troops and families exploited by Congress, and any administration that condones the Back Door Draft, this is one great FIRST STEP to getting the shameful process STOPPED not PAID OFF.
The answer to Stopping the Back Door Draft IS NOT to pay off our troops as sort of a bribe, if Congress wanted to seriously STOP the BACK DOOR DRAFT it could by limiting the Pentagon's ability to do so minus conscription or a National Emergency requiring THE DRAFT. There is no situation in the near future that has been defined by Congress or the Administration as a National Emergency requiring THE DRAFT, so there should be NO REASON TO DRAFT PEOPLE ON ACTIVE DUTY VIA A TECHNICALITY (the small print).
Congresswomen Betty Sutton of Ohio's 13th Congressional District joined several other Representatives and a Senator from across the nation in introducing legislation that would compensate troops and military families who have been exploited by the Pentagon's shameful practice of Stop Loss or commonly known as The Backdoor Draft.
News: VA Failing To Inform Veterans About Potential Benefits
VA FAILING TO INFORM GUARD AND RESERVISTS RETURNING FROM IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN OF POTENTIAL BENEFITS, NEW IG REPORT SHOWS
Veterans Committee hearing on outreach to Guard and Reserve veterans Wednesday
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today highlighted an investigative report issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General (IG), on the efforts of VA to provide transition assistance to veterans returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Download Full Report
The Inspector General found VA is not meeting its clear legal obligation to inform new veterans of the benefits they may have earned through their service,” said Akaka. “Especially alarming is the finding that Guard and Reserve veterans made up over half of those uninformed, even though they compose only about a quarter of servicemembers deployed.
Features: Movie Review: Between the Lines (2008): G.I. Surfers in the Vietnam War
Between the Lines: The true story of G.I. Surfers during the Vietnam War
Movie Review: 3 out 4 Stars
By Jannette Angelle
The sun beats down on the beaches of South Vietnam. It’s 1971, and the surfers are out at Cam Ranh Bay ready to break out the boards and hit the waves. You’ll see lieutenants, captains, privates all sporting their swimming trunks soaking up the sunshine. This isn’t your average image of the war in Vietnam, but it’s true. The men fought, the men surfed, and some just stayed home. This is the story of Between the Lines.
A refreshing account of an unconventional Vietnam, Between the Lines offers a new perspective at the veteran experience. Throughout the documentary, the stories of surfers in Vietnam are told directly from the veterans themselves. They tell stories of combat as well as deep sea diving. It’s an interesting take on the Vietnam stories, seeming as though it would be a tale directly from a movie script. However, it’s a true documentary showing how the Vietnam veteran includes men from all facets of life, including surfers.
The Department of Veterans Affairs covers care connected to military service, but if a veteran has private health insurance that can pay for care not connected to a service disability, the VA can bill the insurer. Although the VA has more than doubled its collections from insurers since the mid-1990s, a little-noticed Government Accountability Office report recently found that the VA likely missed out on billions of dollars from insurers because of a disorganized, disjointed accounting system.
The GAO audited 18 of the 153 medical centers in the VA system and found $290 million in unbilled services from documentation, coding and billing errors and other reasons. The GAO also cited more than $1 billion in medical costs that the VA couldn’t give valid reasons for why they weren’t billed. And in a random sampling of 260 bills from across the entire system to third-party insurers, the GAO found that the VA collected only 47 percent of the money. (The GAO also probed VA’s collection methods in 1999 and 2004.)
Features: The Kings Troops Burn Down Washington DC in 1814
The Day the White House Burned
The Kings Troop Burn Down Washington DC
On June 12, 1812, the United States of America declared war on Great Britain. There had been a long period of simmering disputes between the nations, including Northwest Territory land disputes, the British impressment of American sailors, and British blockades of American commerce with France during the Napoleanic wars. It was the War of 1812.
In August of 1814, the British landed to the south of Washington, D.C., and marched inland. The only resistance the British Army encountered as they marched towards Washington was the brief Battle of Bladensburg in Maryland, a last ditch attempt to defend the city. Because the organized American Army was well to the north near Canada, only a hastily organized militia was available to defend the capital. For the British, this allowed a quick victory after which they were free to enter the city.
In retaliation for the torching of the Canadian capitol of York (now called Toronto), and to disgrace President Madison, they set fire to the president's residence on August 24, 1814, burning down the White House.
News: U.S. Department of Defense Announces Latest Contract Awards: 07-21-08
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $110,591,666 firm-fixed price contract for the incorporation of the requirement to convert the production configuration of 26 UH-60 M aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Oct. 20, 2005, U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0003).
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, Calif., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $7,914,778 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for the development of a prototype to address data fusion within a geospatial environment. Work will be performed in Redlands, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jul. 18, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Dec. 6, 2007. The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Reston, Va., is the contracting activity (HM1582-08-C-0001).
1. FY2009 VA Funding Bill 2. House VA Committee Action 3. VA Outreach Hearing 4. SECDEF Recommends New Guard Chief
1. FY2009 VA Funding Bill: The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously cleared its version of the 2009 VA Funding Bill. The bill provides $72.7 billion in discretionary funding for military construction and Veterans Affairs. This is about $5 billion more than the current fiscal year, and is in line with the House Appropriations Committee's recommendations. It includes:
$47.7 billion in total VA discretionary funding.
$41.1 billion for VA health care.
$1.2 billion for VA construction projects, nearly double the president's request, and $1.1 billion for hospital maintenance and repairs.
$84 million more than the president's request for medical and prosthetic research.
$350 million to help certain higher income Category 8 veterans to begin enrolling in VA.
$250 million targeted to the care of rural veterans.
The bill now moves to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
Delaware Gov. Ruth Ann Minner (D) last week signed into law legislation that will help ease educational transitions for military children forced to move from state to state with their servicemember parents. Her signature made Delaware the tenth state to sign onto a multi-state agreement called the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. Her signature triggers the launch of the agreement, because a requisite 10 states had to sign onto the compact for it to take effect. Minner officially signed the bill July 9; a ceremonial signing is slated for July 17, according to her office.
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- Posted by gm on July 21, 2008 (16 reads)
Call to Action - Stop Loss Bill
The Day the White House Burned
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $110,591,666 firm-fixed price contract for the incorporation of the requirement to convert the production configuration of 26 UH-60 M aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Conn., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Oct. 20, 2005, U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-08-C-0003). 
