Objective Rally Point – December Holiday Dinner Honoring Code of Support Foundation. Saturday, December 3, 2016, from 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM (EST), Army Navy Club, Arlington, VA. Robert (Bob) McDonald, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs, is the distinguished guest and Key Note Speaker. Get registered now. Hope to see you all there!
Defense News Early Bird Brief for Monday, November 14, 2016.
http://link.defensenews.com/view/57588371498edb7fd6704f554tykg.16xk/f0d1878b
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Applauds Launch of Charlie Foxtrot, Docu-Series, Asks Supporters to Sign Fairness to veterans Petition.
http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=fc1957b75b642e06570817b9d
Non Commissioned Officers Association – NCOAdvocacy Newsletter for November 14, 2016.
https://www.votervoice.net/iframes/NCOA/newsletters/23956
Reserve Officers Association (ROA) SmartBrief for Monday, November 14, 2016.
http://www2.smartbrief.com/servlet/encodeServlet?issueid=3E58C675-DD89-49A1-B913-7AC5E487522C
The Cohen Veterans Center at NYU Langone Medical Center is seeking Iraq and Afghanistan veterans for participation in a confidential research study. Participation can be done from home. Participation involves: 1) a phone interview from the privacy of your home. (2) Saliva sample done at home and mailed back to NYU, (3) an on-line survey. Participating in this study takes approximately 4 to 5 hours in total, and compensation is up to $165 for the time and effort involved. Some participants may be invited to travel to New York City. Deciding to travel is optional, and is not required to participate. Those who do make the trip to New York City will complete a blood draw and an MRI brain scan, with further compensation of up to $350, and hotel and transportation arrangements provided. The goal of this study is to increase understanding of biological factors associated with mental health challenges and resilience, with the long term goal of helping future veterans and civilians with depression, posttraumatic stress and related conditions. No treatment or drugs are given. All personal information provided is 100% confidential and protected by federal HIPAA Laws. Your privacy is ensured. We request proof of military service, such as a military ID or DD214. To participate, please call our Research Associate at: 877-698-3299. To sign up online, please fill out our online submission form and someone will contact you shortly: https://nyulangone.org/locations/cohen-veterans-center/participate-in-the-cohen-veterans-center-research-study
Piliero/Mazza, PLLC, Attorneys At Law, Weekly Report for November 14, 2016. Some relative information in here for we Veterans doing business with the U. S. Federal Government. http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=3137381f0d20c6d9665e6633f
DOD Contracts Awarded on Monday, November 14, 2016.
http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1003484
A Variety of Veterans News from a Variety of Sources
VA Celebrates New Strategic Partnerships on Veterans Day
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced nine new strategic partnerships that will provide additional health care and support services for Veterans and their families. These new formal relationships are the latest in a series of strategic partnerships developed to bring the private and public sectors together with VA to enhance the Veteran experience.
President Obama Honors Veterans in Weekly Address. In this week’s presidential address, President Obama honored veterans and military families. The president said these men and women serve as an example of what Americans should strive to be every day.
On Veterans Day, Obama urges a disgruntled and divided country to “practice kindness”. President Obama laid a wreath in Arlington National Cemetery on Friday and used his final Veterans Day speech to deliver a plea for unity and to urge Americans to set aside political grievances and follow the example of those who fight the country’s wars.
Obama: Veterans can help unite the country after divisive election. President Obama used a Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery to call for national unity after Tuesday’s divisive election. And in putting aside differences to work for a common goal, Obama said America has no better example than its veterans.
Obama says Veterans provide example for healing after divisive election. On his final Veterans Day as commander-in-chief, President Obama said the example set by America’s veterans can help to heal the divisions exposed by the hard-fought presidential election between President-Elect Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Trump is about to learn all of ‘our deep secrets’. One of the most important phases of the transition to power for President-elect Donald Trump includes briefings on U.S. intelligence capabilities and secret operations as well as separate descriptions of the extraordinary powers he will have over the military, especially contingency plans to use nuclear weapons, according to officials.
Donald Trump Is Picking His Cabinet: Here’s a Short List. Donald J. Trump’s transition team, which was handed over to Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Friday and includes a host of corporate consultants and lobbyists in addition to independent experts, is moving quickly to assemble leaders of the new administration. Here are some possibilities for the cabinet and other key posts.
Stars and Stripes:
Trump names Priebus White House chief of staff. Donald Trump named Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus his White House chief of staff, elevating one of his loyal GOP advisers with a deep expertise of the Washington establishment Trump has vowed to shake up.
The Hill:
Vets look to Trump for change. President-elect Donald Trump was propelled into the White House in part on his promise to take care of military veterans; now they are counting on him to follow through. “Mr. Trump kept veterans as a focal point throughout his campaign, and we expect him to do that as president,” said Raymond Kelley, national legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Stars and Stripes:
Vets group wants Congress to wait for Trump to pass more aggressive VA reform bill . A massive veterans reform bill backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs will face resistance in Congress’ lame-duck session starting Tuesday from a group intent on letting the new Republican-controlled Senate and President-Elect Donald Trump have a say in how expeditiously VA employees can be fired.
What Veterans are expecting from President Trump. JUDY WOODRUFF: On this Veterans Day, we turn to what a Trump administration might mean for those who have served our country. On Election Day, 61 percent of veterans voted for Mr. Trump, 34 percent for Secretary Clinton. Of non-veterans, 45 percent voted Trump, while half voted for Clinton. So, what do vets expect a President Trump to do?
Veterans Hope President-Elect Trump Will Continue to Focus On Their Issues. Renee Montagne talks with Paul Reickhoff, founder and CEO of the nonprofit group, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, about what a Donald Trump presidency means for veterans.
How President Trump Can Fix Veterans? Benefits Once and For All. Another Veterans Day, another round of lamentations about the Department of Veterans Affairs and promises to fix it. President-elect Donald Trump promised to do so throughout the campaign. Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, is skeptical. Veterans are “used to big promises and disappointing results,” he says.
PBS Newshour:
Four things Trump can do to improve mental health care for veterans . Donald Trump will take office in January with strong support among veterans, and he’s made reforms to the Department of Veterans Affairs a key part of his platform. When it comes to one of the biggest health issues facing vets “ that of mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder “ there’s a lot more to be done..
Pence promises Veterans Trump will reform VA health care. Vice President-elect Mike Pence promised military veterans that he and Donald Trump will reform the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs health system, telling them Friday that their medical care is part of the compensation for their service.
GOP calls for modernizing Veteran care. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) says a key focus of the GOP-led Congress is bringing military veterans’ care into the 21st century. “The cost of war never leaves a veteran, and it’s our duty to properly honor their dedication,” he said during the GOP’s weekly address Saturday.
Secretary of VA: Congress needs to help VA. In the more than two years I have been secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, I have come to appreciate how much the VA means to this nation and its veterans. The VA is there for veterans when they need health care. The VA is there to help them achieve their educational goals and to purchase their home.
VA Secretary reflects on what Veterans Day means to him. Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald will host Veterans Day events throughout the Washington, D.C. area on Friday, part of the department’s annual tradition marking the holiday. On Thursday, he spoke at Got Your Six Storytellers event about what Veterans Day means to him, and what he wants the public to think about on Nov. 11.
VA Deputy Secretary Talks Changes Made at Dept. of Veterans Affairs. In this five-minute video, Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson first talks about the MyVA transition and the improved telephone system that allows veterans to get through quickly to the department. He then explains the importance of care in the community, Congress passing proposed VA legislation, and speeding up the appeals process. He ends with a message for Veterans Day.
Veterans Affairs Sees Progress in Health Care System. As the nation pauses to remember Veterans Day, the Veterans Affairs Department says it’s making progress improving its health system. FOX’s Rachel Sutherland reports from Washington: A VA report says it has processed a million more appointments than last year, and three-million more than in 2014.
Charlie Foxtrot: The Full investigation. In “Charlie Foxtrot,” a team of investigators uncovers the reasons behind the national spike in service member suicides. This docu-series focuses on a Military policy that kicks service members out when they attempt to take their own life, leaving them without the help they were promised when they signed up to serve.
Female Veterans face barriers to health care, critics say VA not responsive to women’s needs. Rhonda Gleason thought the Veterans Affairs doctor wasn’t listening. Turns out, she was right. She’d driven more than three hours from her Bend home to the VA medical center in Portland, where most Central Oregon veterans are sent for cancer treatment. At 45 years old, she had been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time in six years.
Q&A: A look at the cancer some believe linked to Vietnam War. A rare bile duct cancer that may be linked to time served in the Vietnam War is quietly killing some former soldiers. The disease can be caused by liver flukes, a parasite found in raw or undercooked fish that is common in parts of Asia. Some veterans are fighting for the Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize their disease as service-related so they can receive benefits, but most claims are denied.
New VA Partnership for Electronic Health Information Exchange. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration (SSA), and The Sequoia Project’s eHealth Exchange have partnered to exchange electronic health information for veterans looking to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits, according to a press release.
Heart-failure app just the latest innovation to spring from VA research. Cardiology nurse Lois Freeman calls the heart failure patients who are regulars at the Baltimore VA Medical Center “frequent fliers.” They cycle in and out of the hospital because they can’t or won’t follow the strict diet and exercise regime required to keep their medical conditions in check.
New initiative to Speed up disability decisions for Veterans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration have launched a new health initiative that enables the VA to share medical records electronically with Social Security disability processors. The secure process is expected to save time and money, and provide better services for veterans and dependents who apply for Social Security disability benefits, according to a news release from the VA.
You Can Now Apply For The GI Bill Using Your Cellphone. The VA has now made it easier to apply for the GI Bill. According to the VA’s VAntage Point blog, veterans can now apply for most GI Bill benefits on the Vets.gov website, and they can apply using a mobile device. The application form is much shorter and easier to complete.
Military Times:
Veterans make up nearly 1/3rd of federal workers. Veterans make up almost one-third of the federal workforce, up five percent since President Barack Obama took office, according to new data released by the Office of Personnel Management on Veterans Day. That translates into more than 623,000 veterans working in civilian federal posts, 31 percent of the 2 million individuals working in civilian government jobs.
For Veterans, homelessness stems from civilian transition. The Bronx is home to just under 18 percent of the 210,808 veterans that call New York City home, according to city statistics. While that is the second-lowest percentage behind Staten Island, it still leaves many veterans in need of help within the borough.
Maryland’s Gold Star families honored with monument to their sacrifice. For county Gold Star Mothers Gina Barnhurst and Kelly Swanson, who both lost sons in Iraq in 2006, Friday’s dedication of the Maryland Gold Star Families Memorial Monument was a comfort – and a relief.
Student completes Eagle Scout project to build chair racks for National Cemetery. Wolfe Anderson is in the process of joining a long line of Eagle Scouts in his family after recently completing his project to construct eight steel chair racks for the Alabama National Cemetery. “I am a fourth-generation Eagle Scout,” Anderson, 17, said.
POLITICO Morning Defense for Monday, November 14, 2016. A Daily Briefing from Inside Washington’s National Security Apparatus.
Your 6:00 am GovConWire – Top News from Executive Mosaic.
http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf
Your 12:00 pm Daily ExecutiveBiz Headlines.
http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf
Your 5:00 pm Daily ExecutiveBiz Headlines.
http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf
Virginia Values Veterans V3 Program, Virginia Department of Veterans Services, V3 Training Schedule for November 9th – December 2nd, 2016.
http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1114049469943
Thanks to Andrew Schwartz, USMC Veteran at Virginia Department of Veterans Services for getting this scoop to us.
American Legion Post 328, Southfield, Michigan Listing of Current Events in and around the Metro Detroit Area for and about Veterans, for the period November 10 – 24, 2016.
http://www.legionpost328.org/events.html
Sent in by our fellow Veteran Tim Wirkus.
Thanks Tim
Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation – List of Job Fairs. Updated every quarter.
http://www.dllr.maryland.gov/employment/jobfairs.shtml
Sent in by our fellow Veteran, Jorge Cruz, Maryland, DLLR, U.S. Army (Ret).
Updated List of 2016-2017 Job ZONE Job Fairs for DC, MD, VA area. Sent in by our friend Janet Giles, President/CEO, Job ZONE. https://www.jobzoneonline.com/complete-schedule.aspx
Updated Federal Business Council (FBC) List of Conferences and Events for Period November 2016 to May 2017: Lot of events going on.
https://www.fbcinc.com/search.aspx
VIP Grow – Accelerate Your Growth Into The Federal Marketplace. Are you an owner or executive of a Veteran Owned Small Business seeking to grow your Federal government business? Or know someone who is (please forward if so)? We are now enrolling for our exciting GROW program, December 6 to 8, 2016. It is offered at no cost to you. Designed by seasoned executives from industry and government, VIP is the first-ever national center to train SDVOSBs and VOSBs to succeed in Federal contracting. Example topics include: Advanced Proposal, Business Development, Capture, and Marketing Strategies; Strategic Planning; and Contracting and Teaming agreements. Go here for more details and to enroll:
November 17, 2016, Corporate Gray Military-Friendly Job Fair, Springfield, VA. You are invited to attend the November 17, Corporate Gray Military-Friendly Job Fair and meet face-to-face with Lockheed Martin, Leidos, U.S. Secret Service, BAE Systems, AECOM, New York Life, Lynch Consultants, Arlington National Cemetery Tours, AMVETS, and many more! Job Fair hours are 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, with an Employer Panel discussion starting at 8:00 PM. Business attire recommended. Bring many copies of your resume. Be sure to research the companies in advance, including contacting people you know who are working at the participating companies and asking for assistance in matching your skills and experience with their open jobs. For more information and to pre-register, visit www.corporategray.com/jobfairs/376. By pre-registering for the job fair and uploading your resume, you’ll receive the job fair employer directory in advance, and if you upload your resume, the participating companies will have early access to your credentials.
Virginia Department of Veterans Services – Relationship Skills Building Course for Military Veterans and Spouses Offered by Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program. Friday, November 18, 2016.
http://www.dvs.virginia.gov/events/vwwp-events/relationship-skills-building-course-for-military-veterans-and-spouses-offered-by-virginia-veteran-and-family-support/
Sent in by Ms. Tina Parlett-Calhoun, Virginia DVS.
Doing Business with DOD and the Intel Community. November 28, 2016. GMU Arlington Campus, Founders Hall. A half day conference sponsored by the George Mason University Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAP); Arlington Economic Development (AED), and Jennifer Schaus & Associates.