February 9, 2021 – The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough, pledged he will ensure the Veterans Administration improves its services for all veterans and welcomes all veterans making sure employees adhere to the department’s core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence. He further stated the department will redouble its efforts to provide care...
Continue ReadingFebruary 6, 2021 – Sgt. Ryan G. Mason died at 36 years of age after being diagnosed with esophageal cancer believed to be related to toxins and chemicals emitted from burn pits. After enlisting in the Army at 17 years of age, he served in Iraq and Afghanistan and was exposed to burn pits while overseas. According to this...
Continue ReadingJanuary 29, 2021 – A statement from the Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs states, “Through no fault of their own, our Veterans and their loved ones continue to face economic hardship due to the pandemic. I want to assure Veterans, their family members, survivors, and caregivers that we are doing everything we can to lessen their burden and worry.”...
Continue ReadingJanuary 14, 2021 -The Veterans Administration stated, “Family members and caregivers have a front-row seat to see how service-connected disabilities impact not only the Veteran’s life but the lives of those around them. Maybe you received letters from the Veteran while they were on active duty that described some of the experiences they were having. Maybe you saw their...
Continue ReadingDecember 19, 2020 – Space Force revealed they will be called “Guardians.” Space Force ranks have grown to approximately 4000 members and two Air Force stations in Florida were redesignated as Space Force facilities earlier this month. Reference: Schwartz, Matthew, “Space Force Members Will Be Called ‘Guardians’, National Public Radio, Dec. 19, 2020, https://www.npr.org/2020/12/19/948375055/space-force-members-will-be-called-guardians
Continue ReadingDecember 10, 2020 – Veterans were improperly denied benefits because they could not see a doctor during the pandemic. This article states, “The VA has been trying to clear away its backlog of benefits claims for years. Designed to speed up the process, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 went into effect fully last year. According...
Continue ReadingOctober 27, 2020 – Wounded Warrior Project, an organization whose mission is to assist veterans in returning to civilian life after serving in the military, hosted a virtual town hall focusing on veterans suffering from depression, PTSD, debilitating effects caused by traumatic brain injuries, and suicide According to the Wounded Warrior Project, ⅓ of veterans (close to 30,000) completed...
Continue ReadingJuly 23, 2020 – The newest military branch, Space Force, is gaining the attention of those curious to know how they are operating. Space Force’s mission is to protect our vulnerable orbital networks and has the same status as all U.S. Military Branches. Orbital warfare is the “new mentality” and “prime driver” behind the creation of the Space Force....
Continue ReadingJanuary 27, 2020 – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) releases an updated list of locations where herbicides were used, tested, and/or stored outside of Vietnam. Veterans who served in these locations and were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides may now be eligible to receive disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure....
Continue ReadingNovember 12, 2019 – The Veterans Administration created a video tutorial to assist Veterans in the filing of their disability claims online. According to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, this will shorten the processing timeline for benefits claims and the VA is committed to providing Veterans quality service. The Veterans Administration stated that the five-part tutorial series features a user-friendly...
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