By the time Rhett Chalk died in 2020 from wounds he sustained in Vietnam, his partner of 44 years, Lawrence Vilord, had been providing him with round-the-clock care for well over a decade. At first, Vilord was relieved to learn that the Department of Veterans Affairs provides special death benefits to long-time spouses who cared for their disabled partners. Relieved, that is, until Vilord discovered that he didn’t qualify because the VA didn’t consider his and Chalk’s 44-year same-sex relationship “legally valid.”

Vilord was among thousands of Veteran families who cheered the VA’s recent announcement that it will stop discriminating against survivors of LGBTQ+ Veterans. Vilord, whom we have represented at Harvard Law School’s Veterans Law Clinic since 2020, had challenged VA policies that deprived him of survivor benefits because he was able to marry only after the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.

As Vilord’s student attorneys, we were thrilled that his case helped bring about overdue changes that LGBTQ+ service members and their families have long been fighting for. Then we read the fine print.

Unfortunately, the VA’s new approach is not the complete fix it initially appeared. Instead, VA continues to deprive thousands of LGBTQ+ survivors of benefits they would have received if they were heterosexual.

This Veterans Day, we call on VA to remove the remaining barriers that stand between LGBTQ+ survivors and the government benefits these military families have earned. VA can, and must, do better.

The U.S. military’s anti-LGBTQ+ history extends back to its origins in the Revolutionary War, when Gen. George Washington dismissed Lt. Frederick Enslin from the Continental Army for sodomy in 1778. As recently as 2011, gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members lived in a constant state of fear under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, concealing the identities of their partners at doctor’s appointments, on deployment care package addresses, and when renting or buying homes.

VA‘s policy change exacerbates, rather than remediates, some of those vestiges of discrimination. VA will now require same-sex survivors to document a “marriage-like” relationship to receive benefits – expecting the same service members who concealed their relationships to suddenly supply evidence of a public-facing “marriage.”

Even more concerning, VA mandates that same-sex couples entered a “legally valid” marriage within two years of the Obergefell ruling. This means that survivors who didn’t marry their partner in that narrow window – including all those whose spouses had died before 2015 – are forever deprived of benefits.

Finally, VA will pay survivor benefits only beginning in October 2022, rather than applying the policy retroactively. For a survivor whose spouse passed away five years ago, that amounts to tens of thousands of dollars she would have received if she had been in a heterosexual relationship. VA’s inexplicable decision to withhold all retroactive benefits merely highlights how VA’s policy change is more about generating favorable headlines than making LGBTQ+ survivors like Vilord whole again.

VA’s inadequate efforts to alert the LGBTQ+ survivor community to this new policy, meanwhile, will severely hamper any impact this change may have. Recent research affirms how persistent discrimination against LGBTQ+ Veterans continues to isolate this population from the larger Veteran community, contributing to rates of depression and suicidal ideation that are double those among heterosexual Veterans.

Simultaneously, LGBTQ+ Veterans have disassociated themselves from their military past to find shelter within the LGBTQ+ community, which has struggled to embrace these Veterans and their military background precisely because of the military’s history of discrimination and mistreatment. Trapped in this “double closet,” LGBTQ+ Veterans are unlikely to learn about this new policy in the absence of a concerted outreach and awareness campaign -- something VA has shown no eagerness to pursue.

VA can solve many of these problems. It should set clear, inclusive and broad criteria for adjudication of same-sex survivor benefits, factoring in the many challenges that same-sex Veterans have faced in sustaining outwardly “marriage-like” relationships. It should abolish its “legal marriage” requirement for survivors whose spouses died before 2017. And it must extend retroactive application of these benefits to properly remediate past discrimination.

On this Veterans Day, we call on the VA to honor all Veterans and their families, including Rhett Chalk and Lawrence Vilord, by amending its new policy and treating LGBTQ+ Veterans and their loved ones no different from any of their brothers and sisters in arms. Only then will their sacrifices, and justice more broadly, be served.

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President Joe Biden’s White House on Tuesday released a new strategy aimed at reducing the “public health and national security crisis” of military and Veteran suicide. The approach includes gun control messaging through “safe storage” of firearms.

As part of the new approach, the Departments of Defense (DOD), Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS), Justice (DOJ), and Veterans Affairs (VA), as well as the Office of Emergency Medical Services within the Department of Transportation (DOT), will work to create and implement improved “Lethal Means Safety.”

“This will include designing and launching a campaign to increase the safe storage of firearms and medications, and the use of safety planning interventions by providers,” the White House stated.

The strategy will include a public education campaign with public service announcements, social media and search engine advertising, safety training opportunities, as well as, “Multi-state storage maps to help individuals find where they can safely store firearms outside of their homes.”

The separate White House statement explained that the strategy is also designed to be built upon the Biden administration’s “previous gun violence prevention actions,” including the Justice Department’s guidance on “extreme risk protection” that allow “family members or law enforcement to petition for a court order temporarily barring people in crisis from accessing firearms,” commonly known as “red flag” laws.

“Suicide crises are often brief” and “evidence suggests they can be prevented if the individual in crisis lacks immediate access to the means for self-harm,” the strategy states.

The Biden administration said more than 65,000 Veterans have died by suicide since 2010, with the “overwhelming majority of them as the result of a firearm.” The number of suicides also amounts to “more than the total number of deaths from combat during the Vietnam War and the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan combined,” the White House said.

“These women and men volunteered to serve their country, often in dangerous conditions. We owe them, their families, and their fellow service members and Veterans a better, more coordinated response to address the military and Veteran suicide crisis,” the statement continued.

Additionally, the strategy seeks to improve access to “high-quality crisis care and follow-on support.” The White House emphasized the need for emergency transport, urgent care and emergency department, arguing that they are critical to “stabilizing patients and connecting them to care.”

“Agencies will also expand approaches to help identify service members, Veterans and their family members at risk of suicide, enabling early intervention,” the White House said.

The Biden administration is also working to address “upstream risk and protective factors,” including increased financial strain, lack of housing, food insecurity, unemployment, and legal issues. The effort includes “increased emphasis on promoting economic well-being, reducing housing and food insecurity, and supporting service members, Veterans, and their families in the transition to civilian life.”

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Who’s got your six?” A common phrase dating back to World War I fighter pilots, but co-opted in recent times to focus on service members looking out for each other’s safety and well-being, and to protect each other from harm.

Social support is critical for performance and well-being, but your vast sources of support might not be fully obvious. It’s important to think about your network of loved ones, friends, and others who have your back.

The military continues to form strong bonds forged through rigorous training, shared hardships, daily unit cohesion and knowing that your brothers- and sisters-in-arms are willing make the ultimate sacrifice.

It’s important to recognize that the support you need for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being comes in different forms. Thinking broadly about who’s “got your six” can help alleviate feelings of isolation and loneliness, which are risk factors for poor health and mortality.

Social support can also look like this:

• They’re empathetic and encouraging. Whether it’s a quick text message just to check in, taking your phone call in the middle of the night, or helping you process a recent failure, there are people in your life who you can count on—no matter what. They help you navigate challenges and change. They help you highlight and savor successes too.
• They challenge you. Your biases might prevent you from seeing beyond your own perspective, which can sometimes impede your ability to accurately evaluate situations you find yourself in, solve problems, and maintain good relationships. You probably can think of someone in your life who pushes you to see beyond what’s right in front of you or challenges beliefs you might have about yourself or others.
• They know that little things matter, so they’re helpful. Maybe your neighbor puts out your trash when she knows you’re TDY. Or you might have a coworker who brings coffee on busy meeting days. Those around you who know the little things matter—and find ways to assist—can help you more easily manage your day-to-day demands.
• They support your professional development. Supervisors and other colleagues also “got your six” by helping you develop pathways to your career goals and aspirations. They create opportunities for growth and provide you with vital mentorship and feedback.
• They help build your resource bank. When you’re struggling or going through tough times, those who “got your six” might be the first ones who are brave enough to tell you when they notice something might be wrong. They recognize and honor boundaries, while leading you to resources that can help improve your coping skills. They support you when you seek help to better cope with things too.
• They might not come in forms you expect. Support can come from groups within your community, family, and even your pets. Online support groups, sports teams, and recreational clubs also can boost your feelings of belongingness and connection in unconventional ways.

Remember it’s not only about how THEY support you during critical times, but also how YOU support them. This is especially true when feeling stressed, overwhelmed or out-of-control. The bonds you develop can lead you through those tough times.

So the next time someone asks you, “Who’s got your six?” Think about “Who’s six do You have.” Who relies on you? Who do you mentor? Who do you check in on?

And then take a minute to acknowledge those people who positively impact your life. Let them know by giving them a #GotMySix shoutout in one of your next social media posts.

For more information about how social support can improve your performance, please visit the #GotMySix page on hprc-online.org.

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As a veteran, and co-founder of a veteran-operated company, I know firsthand the countless problems plaguing the veteran community. An underfunded health care system is not providing the support our veterans need, a growing homelessness crisis disproportionately hits our veterans, and a confusing disability benefits program facing a massive backlog is not providing the assistance many need.

Each of these issues have major impacts on veterans, but I am most concerned with disability benefits and the challenge of clearing the backlog while ensuring the bad actors that seek to take advantage of veterans are kept out of the system and are criminally punished.

There are over 19 million veterans, and only 5 million have a Department of Veterans Affairs benefits rating. Additional support is needed to help the government and Veteran Service Organizations alleviate the backlog of claims and ensure that veterans are receiving the benefits that were rightfully earned.

After 23 years, six operational deployments, and finally retiring as a lieutenant colonel, I am proud to have served my country and I’m proud to have co-founded Veterans Guardian, one of the largest veteran-owned and veteran-operated companies helping veterans navigate the VA claims process. As I was retiring, I struggled with my own claim. Information was difficult to find as was assistance with the limited capacity and hours of the options available to the large military community.

I have seen the problems firsthand, and as a veteran-owned-and-operated company, we pride ourselves on empowering veterans with choices, options, and the freedom to succeed in life post-service.

I recently testified before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee to discuss these critical issues facing my fellow veterans.

As was discussed in the hearing, there is consensus among all the actors in the veteran benefit space — VSOs, private consultants and attorneys — we all believe that if a company is able to be accredited, they should be welcomed into the system. With this accreditation should come strict scrutiny and the threat of criminal penalties for any malfeasance, fraud or abuse.

Unfortunately, the current accreditation process excludes companies like mine and prevents consultants with resources, specialized expertise, and training from assisting veterans with a claim from start to finish, ensuring they get the most accurate rating they are legally, ethically and medically eligible for due to their service.

In my testimony, I outlined how the current system is not meeting the needs of veterans and requested Congress consider holistic reforms that would better serve our veterans.

Thankfully, Rep. Jack Bergman, a Michigan Republican and retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general who is the highest-ranking combat veteran to ever serve in Congress, recently introduced legislation that would provide sensible solutions to the numerous concerns many have with the current system. The Preserving Lawful Utilization of Services for Veterans Act (PLUS) would expand the options available to veterans by bringing necessary reforms to the accreditation process while increasing oversight of those that assist with disability claims.

A private company rarely asks Washington for more oversight and regulations, but that’s what I did because it is necessary if we are going to address this problem.

This legislation builds upon the good intentions, but flawed execution, of previous efforts by preserving a veteran’s right to choose how they navigate the government. The PLUS Act maintains a wide variety of options, while at the same time protecting veterans from predatory practices by legislating guardrails concerning issues such as fees and medical provider relationships. We cannot label all for-profit companies “exploitative,” or “predatory” especially when many veterans attest to the great support they have received from these companies.

We must increase the VA’s capability to enforce laws against exploitation and punish truly bad actors. Reforming the accreditation process and increasing access to services for veterans is the most sensible thing to do. I will continue to call upon Congress to bring about these necessary reforms. It is all too often that veterans’ issues are cast aside. Champions like Jack Bergman deserve high praise, and I will do my best to lend my voice to the discussion for those who have been left behind and underserved by the current system.

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Reexaminations- What, When, Why, How

You have been awarded service-connected compensation for your disability. But the VA wants to reexamine you. Why? What does this mean? What do you do? This situation often causes concern for Veterans, leaving them wondering why are they being reexamined and what does this mean for their benefits.

Why and When Are Reexaminations Required by VA?

There are certain circumstances in which the VA may require a Veteran who is already receiving service-connected compensation benefits to be reexamined by a VA physician:

• When they need to verify the continued existence of a disability
• When they need to verify the current severity of a disability
• When there is evidence to indicate a change in the disability since the last examination
• When the disability is likely to improve
• When the VA has the duty to assist the Veteran in developing the claim

After the VA awards benefits for a disability, they usually schedule a future exam if they believe that a future exam will be needed to establish that the Veteran is still entitled to that award. The reexamination is scheduled so that the VA can assign an evaluation that accurately reflects the Veteran’s level of disability. After the RO reviews the exam report, the rating could be increased, reduced, or continued at the same level. Once they determine a future examination is needed, the exam will usually be scheduled five years from the date of the rating decision.

How Do I Avoid Being Scheduled for a Future VA Exam?

The VA will generally not schedule a reexamination if:

• The disability is static
• Symptoms have persisted without material improvement for five or more years
• The disability is a disease that is permanent and not likely to improve
• The Veteran is over 55 years old
• The rating is a minimum rating, or
• The combined disability evaluation would not be affected even if a future exam resulted in a reduced evaluation

What Happens if I Don’t Show Up to My VA Reexamination?

If you fail to report for a reexamination without good cause or attempting to reschedule, they may have your benefits reduced or discontinued. If you fail to report for the reexamination, the VA is required to send you a predetermination notice. That notice will let you know that you have 60 days to notify the VA that you are willing to report for the scheduled examination or present evidence that the disability should not be discontinued or reduced. If you do not notify the VA, your benefits will be reduced or canceled. If the VA scheduled an examination for a Veteran’s claim for increase and the Veteran doesn’t attend without good cause, then the VA may deny the claim without having to consider any evidence that shows a higher evaluation.

If, however, you are not notified beforehand of the reexamination, and the VA takes adverse action against you, then the VA has committed an error and you should not be held responsible for not showing up.

What Happens if I Can’t Show up?

When the VA schedules a reexamination, you must report for the examination. But if you have good cause for not reporting for the exam, the VA will reschedule the examination. If you have a reasonable excuse for failure to report for a scheduled exam, you should notify the VA as soon as possible. They will determine if your reason is good cause on a case by case basis. If you are found to have good cause, the VA will take no action against you. If the VA finds you failed to report for the examination without good cause and you agree to report for a second examination but then don’t report, the VA can take immediate action and reduce or discontinue your benefits. If you make no effort to explain to the VA why you didn’t report for the exam, the VA will promptly reduce or terminate your benefits.

Keep in mind that a doctor-patient relationship does not exist in these examinations. While your own doctor may be sympathetic to you, these doctors will likely not be. They are not treating you; they are reviewing the extent of your disabilities.

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Dear Mr. President,

Happy President’s Day! Today we celebrate the foresight of the Founding Fathers and pause to remember and honor the men who have served as president these last 243 and a half years. I am an Air Force wife, and recognizing this day is different for me because I am not only reflecting on past presidents, but I am also remembering the actions of commanders in chiefs under whom my husband has served. In many ways, I have also served under these presidents.

President Abraham Lincoln, in his second inaugural address delivered just weeks before his assassination, said, “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan — to achieve and cherish a lasting peace among ourselves and with the world.” A sacred obligation, indeed.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan — a somber anniversary that has impacted not only my family, but also many Veterans, military members, and their families. In a country where only 1 percent of Americans serve, the burden falls on fewer and fewer shoulders.

Mr. President, as you know firsthand, military spouses often get sidelined from decisions that directly impact us. We watch our military member deploy and hold our breath until he or she returns safely, while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy on the home front. We are encouraged to be resilient and strong, supporting the mission at home on behalf of a grateful nation. It is often a very lonely, isolating, and weary job.

Up until recently, I was unaware that there are 2.6 million military spouses and family members, more than the 2 million active duty and reserve military members. These 2 million military members have official leadership, but the 2.6 million dependents do not have an official voice within existing infrastructure. Military spouses struggle with many well known issues you’re well familiar with, as your family has a history of engagement with our community. Reports demonstrate that in recent years military spouses have a 25 percent unemployment rate and earn approximately 27 percent less than their non-military peers. Beyond the severe economic impact that comes from simply being the spouse of a military member, my peers and I grapple with education for our kids, consistent moving, creating community, mental health issues, marriage and relationships, financial difficulties, health care, and extended family back home. These issues can be overwhelming and, in my experience, do not occur independently of each other. Even worse, many times we feel that we have to go it alone — especially if we do not fit in with the command-sponsored programs, or have a “spouse club” attached to our member’s unit.

The military knows how to maintain national security, keep our country safe, wage war or keep peace, and many other things. However, the world of supporting the military family is different; it is a world that should be given an official voice and permanent seat to speak into these issues. The Air Force has an Air Force member leading the organization; same for the Army, Navy, Marines, Space Force, and Coast Guard. Someone who knows what it is like to serve in that branch is who leads men and women within the organization. The same should be true for families. Spouses are capable of leading ourselves, but we have long been shut out of important decisions on family readiness and spouse programs.

Mr. President, it’s time for spouses to have a seat at the table in an official capacity with the Department of Defense. I propose that you create a “Director of Military Spouses” position, paid and embedded within DoD and individual branch infrastructure and ensure military spouse voices are heard.

I believe that spouses need seats at the DoD and branch tables, but when spouse programs are at the pleasure of their attached command, many spouses do not have the ability to truly discuss issues that affect us. Spouses have the expertise, knowledge, and on-the-ground training to deserve a say in policies that impact our families and ourselves.

There are programs and organizations outside of the DoD that offer resources and support to spouses. These initiatives, including Joining Forces, are wonderful and offer avenues for help outside the chain of command, but they can only lobby for critical changes, not make them like a Director of Spouses could in conjunction with these organizations. Military spouses, as you have seen time and time again, are essential to supporting our national security, military retention, and morale. Countless spouses volunteer their time to lead and mentor other spouses yet are unpaid in their work.

Mr. President, I love being a military spouse. For me, I am following in the footsteps of many family members, including my grandmother, who was also an Air Force spouse 50 years ago. Some of the same barriers that she faced, my peers and I still face. Some of the adventures that she had, I am honored to have as well. Fifty years is a long time for spouses to continually contend with these problems, and I think that the military will only be able to overcome them by allowing those who have lived them to be empowered to reform them.

It is time for our country to fulfill the vision laid out by President Lincoln and to fully care for the families of those who have borne the battles by empowering them to have an official and lasting say in these policies and decisions.

Aleha Landry, Air Force spouse

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Among the Jan. 6 pro-Trump assault on the U.S. Capitol were Veterans and active service members, highlighting a potential issue with extremism within the ranks.

This included Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force Veteran, who was shot and killed by law enforcement at the Capitol during the insurrection. Following the attack, at least 12 National Guard members were booted off of the Capitol Hill security mission after investigators found them to have extremist ties. Jacob Fracker, an infantryman in the Virginia National Guard, was arrested after allegedly breaching the building with the mob; he was not on duty at the time.

At least 43 of the 357 individuals charged in relation to the insurrection as of March 31 had a military background, according to a review from the Combating Terrorism Center.

Kristofer Goldsmith, an Iraq War Veteran who has been studying the issue for years, said there's no evidence that Veterans are more or less susceptible to conspiracy theories or to delving into extremism. But they are uniquely targeted by disinformation campaigns because of their social influence and military training, he added.

"Veterans are a force multiplier," Goldsmith said in an interview with Military.com. "There's no evidence to point to Veterans being psychologically more vulnerable to being attracted to these groups. But Veterans are economically efficient targets. If you convert them to believe what you want them to believe, [or] vote the way you want them to vote, [or convince them to] have a desire to commit violence against a population … you're also much more likely to take that person's family and immediate social network."

Goldsmith on Thursday launched Sparverius, a firm that analyzes domestic extremism. He said that extremists are growing more sophisticated, adding that modern leaders of far-right groups probably aren't what people imagine. They're often physically fit and financially successful, practice martial arts, and can be relatively well-read, he said.

He spends much of his time on radical message boards consuming extremist content in hopes of educating Congress, the media and potential clients about the dark corners of the internet.

Falling into extremism can be a slow and unassuming process, Goldsmith explained. Algorithms on websites like Facebook and Youtube can expose people to radical content, slowly converting them.

Even social media pages, TV shows and podcasts that are mainstream and generally inoffensive can have algorithms that create a breadcrumb trail to radical content, Goldsmith said. He likened such algorithms to drug dealers constantly recommending a stronger dose.

"You go to one place that's probably fine, that's like the drug dealer offering you a joint. You like it, and now that dealer, or algorithm, is offering more and more," he explained.

Veterans generally skew conservative and are more likely than the general population to be gun owners. Federal data shows that nearly half of all Veterans own at least one firearm. That combination makes them prime targets for extremism, Goldsmith said, adding that mainstream right-wing media can slowly lead someone to more extreme media over time. He noted that there's nothing wrong with gun content or conservative media, but said extreme content and online conspiracy theories are often tied to otherwise unassuming material.

"I was clicking on ads for stuff like pistol grips," he said. "For the next few weeks I'm getting nothing but … not just ads for weaponry, but ads saying the world is ending and I need to prepare."

Goldsmith has spent years sniffing out extremism, online scams and disinformation. He has testified before Congress and published a 200-page report after a two-year investigation finding that foreign actors, most notably Russia, targeted Veterans in 2016 election ads.

One example he found was a Facebook page called "Vets for Trump," which was run by foreigners and had 131,000 followers. It posted pro-Russian propaganda and anti-FBI content and frequently attacked top Democratic figures, he said.

The Defense Department published broad guidance for commanders to address extremism in their formations as they see fit. But the campaign to root out extremists has turned into a political minefield.

Republicans have all but dismissed concerns of white supremacy and other radical ideology concerns within the ranks, saying the Pentagon is pushing political correctness and policing thought.

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One way to stand up for former service personnel is to advocate for more affordable housing, says BU researcher

The signs dot highway bridges and town halls, celebrating the return of armed services personnel from dangerous overseas missions. “Welcome Home,” they proudly, joyously, declare. But for many veterans—carrying the visible and invisible scars of battle, more vulnerable to suicide, physical and mental illness, and substance use disorders—the message rings hollow: they might not even have a stable home to return to. Ex-service members have long been at greater risk of homelessness than the general population.

Thomas Byrne, a Boston University School of Social Work associate professor, is an expert on homelessness, and among the researchers studying why veterans are more likely to land in shelters—and how to better help them. He says that a lack of affordable housing can make it especially tough for former service members to find a stable home, and that those who want to help them should advocate for more economical options.

Byrne has studied housing insecurity in rural areas, the effectiveness of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) housing programs, and the community and structural drivers of homelessness, such as income inequality and housing affordability. His latest project is a major assessment of Supportive Services for Veteran Families, a program that provides grants to community organizations helping those at high risk of homelessness. One focus of the research is an initiative giving veterans flexible temporary financial assistance that they can use on anything from security deposits to utility bills.

“We’ve found it’s associated with better housing and health outcomes,” says Byrne, who is also an investigator at the VA’s National Center on Homelessness among Veterans and with the Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research at the VA Bedford Healthcare System. “We’re also nearly there on a study that’s comparing participation in this program to a group of veterans who don’t get it, so we can as rigorously as possible estimate its impact.”

Byrne first became involved with the VA as a graduate researcher—but the work has taken on additional meaning in recent years.

“I have members of my immediate family who are on active duty,” says Byrne, “including one of my sisters and brother-in-law. I serendipitously became involved with the VA, but it also has a personal salience for me.”

The Brink spoke with Byrne about why veterans might be at greater risk of homelessness, the stigma faced by those dealing with housing insecurity, and what we can all do to help.

The Brink: How big of an issue is homelessness among veterans? I’ve read that while veterans have historically been at greater risk of homelessness, the situation is improving.

Byrne: The research, including some studies that I’ve been a part of, does show that veterans do face an elevated risk of homelessness relative to the general population. Folks may think that veterans face an elevated risk due to stressors they might experience while they’re on active duty, combat experiences. When you look specifically within members of the military, combat exposure and PTSD are associated with higher risk of homelessness. And when we are talking about the most recent generations who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is some evidence that the dynamics of their homelessness is different, in that they appear to become homeless more quickly after exiting the military as compared to older veterans.

But, broadly speaking, it’s not entirely clear why veterans, as a group, have a higher risk than the civilian population. One possibility is that it has to do with the fact that military veterans are not necessarily representative of the general US population. There’s some evidence that you see the elevated risk of homelessness for veterans first show up when the military switched to an all-volunteer force. What you get is not necessarily a broad-based sample of the population entering the military. You have folks who have socioeconomic characteristics, and maybe life experiences, that may have put them at an elevated risk of homelessness even prior to their military service. And so they remain at an elevated risk once they discharge. I think that’s certainly a plausible theory.

Veterans experiencing homelessness are mostly male, but are there other things, apart from service, that they have in common?

Military veterans are a heterogeneous group with respect to premilitary, military, and post-military risk factors. There’s been some research that’s tried to look explicitly at those three things. A lot of the risk factors for homelessness in the general population—adverse life experiences, lack of economic resources—also apply to members of the military. For premilitary risk factors, adverse childhood experiences can contribute; during military service, traumatic experiences—whether it’s combat exposure, military sexual trauma; and then post-military factors—job loss, financial difficulties, dissolution of relationships. One of my colleagues did a study looking at risk factors among military veterans who served in the post-9/11 era, and one of the strongest was military pay grade, which is a proxy for socioeconomic status.

How do you define homelessness, because different groups categorize it in different ways?

When we’re talking about homelessness in the United States, there is a definition that is shared by the Department of Veterans Affairs and by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. And it is basically people who are living in emergency shelters or transitional housing, residential programs specifically meant for people experiencing homelessness, or people who are unsheltered—literally living on the streets or in places not meant for human habitation. When we’re talking about the number of veterans experiencing homelessness, it doesn’t count people who might be doubled up, or couch surfing, who might be in housing arrangements that are less than ideal or unstable in some way.

For some context, on a given night, there are around 37,000 veterans experiencing homelessness across the United States, and that’s a number that’s decreased by about 50 percent since 2009. Homelessness is a dynamic phenomenon: most folks who are homeless only experience homelessness for a fairly short period of time, and so there’s a lot of turnover in the population. The big reductions in homelessness among veterans over the past 10 to 12 years has a lot to do with the investments that the Department of Veterans Affairs has made in housing programs.

There’s still a lot of stigma around homelessness. Can you humanize it for us?

In some ways, the stigma of homelessness is an extension of the stigma that surrounds poverty in this country more broadly. Some of that is just deeply rooted in what we—broadly speaking, as an American society—value in individualism and self-reliance. We see poverty and homelessness as moral failings of individuals, when in reality there’s a lot of evidence, including work that I’ve done, that links homelessness in the aggregate most strongly to housing market conditions, the lack of affordable housing. It’s often the product of structural factors that mean we’re going to have some amount of homelessness, and then individual vulnerabilities that place people at a higher risk. There’s a lot of stigma, but there ought not be. For most veterans and people who are experiencing homelessness, it’s a really temporary phenomenon. It’s not something that people fall into and never escape from—it’s a housing crisis that people experience. More often than not, if people get some assistance to resolve that housing crisis, they’re likely to remain stably housed thereafter.

I think there’s less stigma when we’re talking about military veterans specifically, because of the social status that they hold in society. They’re a group of folks whom we as a society and our political leaders have decided merits special attention, and that’s come in the form of big investments in housing programs specifically for veterans experiencing homelessness. There’s been a lot of success from those efforts. I think that goes to show what can happen when you destigmatize the issue of homelessness and focus on solutions that work to address the problem.

According to Pine Street Inn, “56 percent of all homeless veterans are African American or Hispanic.” It also seems the improvements you’ve talked about haven’t necessarily reached them evenly. What is causing those huge disparities?

It’s part and parcel of the same structural forces that underpin lots of inequities in our society. When we’re talking specifically about housing, you can bring into the conversation things like redlining and discrimination in rental markets that may have historically made it more difficult for people of color to access housing and to build wealth, which might buffer them in the instance of an economic shock. What holds true in the broader population likely holds true for military veterans, as well.

What’s one thing everyone reading this can do to help veterans and others experiencing homelessness?

Ultimately, what’s at the root of homelessness, both among veterans and more broadly, are the issues of affordable housing and housing affordability. Wherever it’s within your power, advocate for the expansion of housing for folks who are experiencing homelessness or just everyone in general.

Part of what motivates me to do this work is that I think having a safe, decent place to live is a really fundamental right, and prerequisite to having any kind of decent life. Everyone would want that for themselves and for their family members, so just think about it in those terms. If people want to get involved more specifically, there are certainly organizations that are working directly with veterans experiencing homelessness. There’s a number of them here, locally, in Boston and in Massachusetts that are doing really great work. There is also sometimes a gap where some funding sources can’t be used to pay for certain things that people might need to set up their apartment, for example, so there’s a real need for philanthropy to fill in and provide funds.

Lastly, what message or advice would you have for veterans—or families of veterans—reading this who are concerned about their housing status?

It’s not unusual for me to get emails directly from veterans who are experiencing homelessness. And there are two resources that I direct folks to. The first is the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, a 24/7 hotline where trained staff work to connect veterans and others with VA and non-VA services. The phone number is 1-877-4AID-VET (1-877-424-3838). The second is Supportive Services for Veteran Families, a homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing program funded by the VA, but operated by community-based agencies. The VA’s website has a comprehensive list of providers throughout the country and their contact information.

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No one could have imagined back in February what it would be like to have 25 percent unemployment. The labor market was smashing expectations, setting new historical highs.

While the economy has rebounded faster than many people expected, and the unemployment rate currently sits at 11 percent, some economists have argued that the number is closer to 20 percent and that many of those jobs will not return. Moreover, many of the gigs that people relied upon for side income have also been eliminated. We need health care, food and shelter. We need jobs. We need to empower people to have those things now and long-term. We need to support people as they find something new.

We need a G.I. Bill for the COVID era.

The G.I. Bill was designed out of concern that World War II Veterans would return home and face unemployment and be reduced to “a place on a bread line or on a corner selling apples.” Those images are all too vivid today. Funding education was, and remains, a way to address a root cause of unemployment – an oversupply of certain skills – while simultaneously building a better future. Economists and social scientists have long argued that the development of new skills, particularly through schooling, is an important determinant of economic growth and human flourishing.

Admittedly, education is multi-dimensional, and there are alternative pathways than the traditional four-year college degree. But, when more Americans get an education of any type, everyone benefits. Education lets people develop skills to keep up with technological change. Moreover, it’s what allowed the U.S. to be a 20th century powerhouse. There is, however, a catch.

Technological change, including automation and artificial intelligence, increase our need for new skills and educated workers. As long as new tasks are being created at a faster rate than they’re being automated away, our economy will continue to grow and people will prosper.

One of the challenges is that education – and the wealth it offers – is not equally available to everyone. Low-income students, students of color and first-generation-to-college students face additional barriers to get into college and graduate. Those who have lost jobs often can’t afford the education they need to re-invent themselves. The pandemic only makes these problems more acute.

Rather than loan forgiveness and short-term stimulus money, why not fund education and daily life upfront? While the original G.I. Bill covered more than education, and some have argued that only essential workers should get benefits, evidence from researchers in economics and public policy have found that the educational component of the G.I. bill was an integral ingredient helping a generation of Veterans achieve higher earnings and civic engagement.

Funding education through a G.I. Bill for the COVID era would ensure people can go to – or stay in – college, and it would chart a path for the 33 million who have lost jobs and need a way forward.

The G.I. Bill pays for full in-state public school tuition for a Veteran enrolled full-time with a cap on private school tuition. It also provides a stipend for living expenses based on the location of the school, and $1,000 annually for books and supplies. Students can choose to go to technical and vocational schools; two- or four-year colleges; medical, business, or law schools; or graduate school. Apprenticeship, job training and other EdTech options – in-person or online – could be covered too. Some of these schools may choose to offer their students a health plan. The stipend can cover housing and food. In short, the program meets core needs: Health care, food, shelter. And jobs.

Yes, jobs. Someone in school full-time has a job: Investing in new skills so that they can fill important skills gaps for the future. For example, recent evidence points out that we have less than half the cybersecurity candidates needed to fill current demand.

A G.I. Bill for the COVID era would be for all Americans and seed a new generation of prosperity. It would educate the next wave of creators, innovators and leaders to take us into the future.

How should Congress design such a bill? Costs matter, but consider the costs of ongoing stimulus payments, the costs of massive unemployment, the costs of people not knowing whether they’ll have housing, food and health care. We are already paying these costs.

The G.I. Bill provides a blueprint on costs, too. Housing stipends will vary by region. Paying the full in-state tuition rate but capping private school tuition controls costs. Recent calls for funding all aspects of student work and life, like the Debt Free College Act, offer another guide on costs.

he G.I. Bill had problems. It encouraged some for-profit schools to target vulnerable populations, and there has been a history of racism regarding who has access to the program. But, if we understand and acknowledge those issues, we can fix them. We must also challenge all higher education institutions to find and apply best practices that increase success for everyone who attends.

A G.I. Bill for the COVID era would be a win for everyone. Journalist Edwin Kiester Jr. once said, “The G.I. Bill may be the best deal ever made by Uncle Sam.” It’s time to make that deal again.

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Most states offer a free Veteran's designation on their driver's licenses, and if you want to get your full benefits as a Veteran, you will want to make sure you get yours.

Having your driver's license updated with your Veteran status ensures you easily can get special Veteran’s-only discounts and other benefits that are offered by private businesses as well as state and local governments.

For What Kind of Discounts Are Veterans Eligible?

You may have visited our discounts section and have seen the hundreds of discounts that businesses offer to Veterans. These discounts cover almost every type of business you can imagine: from golf courses to drugstores to theme parks. However, it can be cumbersome to carry your DD-214 with you all the time in order to get these discounts, and that really isn't something you should be doing.

To make it easy to get these discounts, you can apply for a Veteran's ID card from the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the VA only gives this card to honorably discharged Veterans, and having to carry an extra ID card with you can be a hassle. That's why it's always good to get that Veteran's designation on your driver's license.

Either your VA ID card or your state-issued ID or license with a Veteran designation is usually all you need to take advantage of the many discounts listed in our discounts section as well as other discounts. These "other" discounts can be extremely beneficial if you take advantage of them.

What Other Veterans Discounts and Freebies Are Available?

Besides the usual discounts that national retailers and other businesses offer, many local companies offer Veterans discounts. While most of these discounts are usually around 10% on goods and services, they can be worth a lot of money depending on the company. Sure, a 10% discount on breakfast isn't necessarily something that will make a big difference in your life, but if you are purchasing a big-ticket item, that discount can be a game changer.

Buying a new refrigerator? That 10% discount can be over $200. Just found out you need a new $10,000 furnace? That 10% discount is $1,000. How about home improvement? Many contractors offer 5% or 10% discounts on construction services like siding or a new roof. Those savings can add up very quickly.

So, all things being equal, you always should seek out the business that offers a Veterans discount if you want to save money. It never hurts to ask whether the business offers a Veterans discount when you are shopping around for services.

Also, many states offer a ton of discounts and other benefits for Veterans that you may not be aware of, and having an easily accessible Veteran’s ID card can make it much simpler for you and your family to receive them.

For example, most states offer Veterans some type of discount for admission to state parks or state fairs; others offer free or discounted hunting and fishing licenses. One thing you may not know is that many states offer these discounts to non-resident Veterans.

So, if you're planning a vacation this summer, or staying in and doing some home-improvement, you may be able to save hundreds of dollars just by using your Veterans discount.

Stay Up to Date with Military Discounts

Want the scoop on military discounts? From travel to phones and everything in between, troops, military families and Veterans can stay on top of military discounts.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Char Fontan Westfall of northern St. Johns County, whose Navy SEAL husband was killed in a scene depicted in the movie “Lone Survivor,” has written a book, “A Beautiful Tragedy,” about his death 15 years ago.

Fifteen years ago in the mountains of Afghanistan, a rocket-propelled grenade struck an MH-47 Army Chinook helicopter that had raced to support four Navy SEALs who were outnumbered and pinned down on a rock-strewn ridge.

The helicopter exploded in flames and plunged to earth, killing all 16 aboard.

It’s a brief, crushing scene toward the end of the 2013 fact-based film “Lone Survivor,” in which Mark Wahlberg plays the only one of those four SEALs who made it to safety.

For Char Fontan Westfall, though, that scene remains a nightmare all these years later, albeit a nightmare from which she has created a new, happy life — though not without much struggle along the way.

Jacques Fontan, her husband whom she met in 1996 when they were lifeguards at Naval Air Station Jacksonville’s swimming pool, was one of the men killed on board that Chinook, as was Army Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, a 40-year-old Jacksonville native.

Fontan, a member of the Navy’s elite SEALs, was 36 when he was killed, and Char was 29.

She was waiting for him in Virginia Beach, Va., where they had planned to start a family after his active duty was over.

Suddenly she was a widow being shepherded by friends to buy the funeral dresses she would need for three separate services: One in Jacksonville, one in Jacques’ hometown of New Orleans, and one for the Navy’s official ceremony for the men killed in what was known as Operation Red Wings.

She dutifully attended each one, numb, and after the services were over, she took scissors to each dress, cut them up and threw out the shredded remnants.

What? Like she was ever going to wear them again?

When they met, she was 20, a Navy brat. Jacques was eight years older, a trainer for the Navy’s Search and Rescue program.

She was used to seeing fit, handsome men at the NAS Jacksonville pool, but there was just something about him.

“I wasn’t a believer in love at first sight, but it sure was something at first sight,” Westfall writes in a soon-to-be published book, “A Beautiful Tragedy: A Navy SEAL Widow’s Permission to Grieve and Recipe for Hope” (Ballast Books). The book, which comes out in August, can be pre-ordered on Amazon.

Self-published, it’s a frank story of the couple’s courting and their marriage in 2000. It tells of the aftermath of his death and her struggle with anger — at God, at Jacques, at the universe. It also tells how she found new love, regained her faith and grew to accept what had happened there in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.

Westfall serves on the boards of several organizations for surviving military spouses. She wanted to write the book to show others the struggles she went through, so they know they’re not alone.

“A Beautiful Tragedy” has a brief foreword by Marcus Lutrell, author of “Lone Survivor” and the SEAL played by Walhberg in the movie of the same name.

“Jacques was on the bird that came to get my teammates and I out of the hornet’s nest. He was and will always be remembered as a warrior who never quit. My admiration for Char and all of the families who lost their loved ones that horrific day will never cease,” Lutrell wrote.

As a sailor, Jacques’ dream was to become a SEAL. When he finally got the chance, the oldest in his class, he pushed through the tough training and succeeded. After Sept. 11, 2001, he would be gone on several deployments, the last one to Afghanistan.

Westfall, who’s now 44, writes that she wasn’t overly concerned when he first deployed: “SEALs are the kind of people you expect will make it home.”

But as time went on, she felt an “underlying dread” that grew and grew.

“I think I just got better at hiding it,” she writes. “There is so much about military life nobody will tell you, and soon I would learn just how much goes unsaid.”

When she and Jacques spoke on the phone, she ended every call by asking him to be careful. His frequent answer? “Oh, I’m just going to do a little helicopter flying today.”

After Jacques’ death, she came home to Jacksonville, moving in with her parents. Her moods were often dark.

God is love, she heard at church. She struggled with that: “How can God love anyone and do what he did to my husband and 18 other men (including the three on the ground) back on June 28, 2005?”

Friends tried to console her.

“People told me: ‘You were really strong, God knew you could handle it.’ I got sick of that. I’m not strong. My husband’s gone, I have no kids, who’s going to want to date me?”

It turns out she found companionship with Drew Westfall, a neighbor who lived 13 houses down the street from her parents.

He was kind. Attentive. He made her laugh.

And though she writes how she had trepidation about introducing Drew to the tight-knit community of Navy SEALs that had been her life, he was eventually welcomed in by most.

They now live in northern St. Johns County and have three children, 11, 8 and 5.

Westfall said Drew was instrumental in her healing, as was her decision to seek counseling for her grief.

A key moment came when a counselor suggested she might be angry at Jacques. She resisted that, but then realized as much as she loved him, there was truth to that.

“I was angry,” she said, “because I realized something I should have known about most SEALS: Being a SEAL is your first love.”

With that acknowledgment came healing. That’s just who he was, and she was OK with that.

Westfall said her favorite part of the “Lone Survivor” movie is the early scenes that show the camaraderie between the SEALs as they joke and train and plan. The scene where the helicopter is hit? She can no longer watch it. But the early part? That gives her comfort in Jacques’ chosen path.

“You’ve got to love your job to do what he did, to sacrifice what you do, away from your family. He just always wanted to be a SEAL,” she said. “If it wasn’t his first love, then how do you volunteer to get on that helicopter, how do you volunteer to do all that?”

Jacques had called her before his last expedition, but she missed the call. Westfall believes she knows why he had called her: He knew there was a good chance he wasn’t going to come back, but he got on the helicopter anyway.

“Defending,” she said, “his first love.”

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A California-licensed homeopathic doctor was arrested today for her alleged scheme to sell homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets and to falsify COVID-19 vaccination cards by making it appear that customers had received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized Moderna vaccine.

Juli A. Mazi, 41, of Napa, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of false statements related to health care matters. The case is the first federal criminal fraud prosecution related to homeoprophylaxis immunizations and fraudulent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 vaccination record cards.

“This defendant allegedly defrauded and endangered the public by preying on fears and spreading misinformation about FDA-authorized vaccinations, while also peddling fake treatments that put people’s lives at risk. Even worse, the defendant allegedly created counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards and instructed her customers to falsely mark that they had received a vaccine, allowing them to circumvent efforts to contain the spread of the disease,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the American people from fraudsters during this national emergency. This commitment is evident in this prosecution as well as in the ongoing work of the Department and our agency partners in the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force established by the Attorney General earlier this year.”

According to court documents, in April 2021, an individual submitted a complaint to the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) hotline stating that family members purchased from Mazi COVID-19 homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets. The complainant stated that the family members had told her/him that Mazi stated that the pellets contained the COVID-19 virus and would create an antibody response in the immune system. The complainant reported that her/his family did not receive injections of any of the three FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines. However, in connection with the delivery of the homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets, Mazi sent COVID-19 Vaccination Record cards, with Moderna listed, to the complainant family. Mazi allegedly instructed the complainant family to mark the cards to falsely state that they received the Moderna vaccine on the date that they ingested the COVID-19 homeoprophylaxis immunization pellets.

“Steering through the challenges presented by COVID-19 requires trust and reliance on our medical professionals to provide sage information and guidance,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Hinds for the Northern District of California. “According to the complaint, instead of disseminating valid remedies and information, Juli Mazi profited from unlawfully peddling unapproved remedies, stirring up false fears, and generating fake proof of vaccinations. We will act to protect trust in the medical developments that are enabling us to emerge from the problems presented by the pandemic.”

According to court documents, Mazi offered homeoprophylaxis immunizations for childhood illnesses that she falsely claimed would satisfy the immunization requirements for California schools, and falsified immunization cards that were submitted by parents to California schools. Homeoprophylaxis involves the exposure of an individual to dilute amounts of a disease, purportedly to stimulate the immune system and confer immunity. Mazi is alleged to have falsely claimed that orally ingesting pellets with small amounts of COVID-19 would result in full lifelong immunity from COVID-19.

“This doctor violated the all-important trust the public extends to healthcare professionals — at a time when integrity is needed the most,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, our agency will continue to investigate such fraudsters who recklessly endanger the public’s health during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis.”  

The affidavit alleges that Mazi used the COVID-19 pandemic to expand the pre-existing immunization scheme by selling immunization pellets that she fraudulently claimed, in written documents and consensually monitored recordings, would provide “lifelong immunity to COVID-19.” Mazi explained that the pellets contained a “very minute amount of this [COVID-19] disease” that can result in “infectious symptoms” of COVID-19 or “automatically flag[] the immune system’s attention, inducing immunity.” To encourage customers to purchase the pellets, Mazi allegedly exploited disinformation and fear by falsely claiming that the FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines contain “toxic ingredients.” Mazi further stated that her customers could provide the pellets to children for COVID-19 immunity, and that the “dose is actually the same for babies.”

“Spreading inaccurate or false medical information about COVID-19 for personal gain, as the complaint alleges, is dangerous and only seeds skepticism among the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig D. Fair of the FBI's San Francisco Field Office. “As the government continues to work to provide current and accurate information to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the FBI will continue to pursue those who attempt to fraudulently profit from spreading misinformation and providing false documentation.”

Mazi also provided CDC COVID-19 vaccination record cards to her customers with instructions on how to fraudulently complete the cards to falsely make it appear as if a customer had received two doses of the Moderna vaccine. As part of her scheme, Mazi provided customers with specific Moderna vaccine lot numbers to enter onto the cards and with instruction on how to select the purported dates on which they had received the Moderna vaccines to evade suspicion.

HHS-OIG’s San Francisco Regional Office and the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Sridhar Babu Kaza of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section’s National Rapid Response Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christiaan Highsmith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.

The case was brought in coordination with the Health Care Fraud Unit’s COVID-19 Interagency Working Group, which is chaired by the National Rapid Response Strike Force and organizes efforts to address illegal activity involving health care programs during the pandemic.

The Fraud Section leads the Health Care Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 federal districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

In May, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visithttps://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at:https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System (VNS) to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit:https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today 13 VA employees received the 2020 G2Xchange Leading for Impact, Women in Leadership Award.

They are recognized for guiding, mentoring and driving their industry through impactful leadership.

These women are integral to the successes in all facets of the many programs and operations benefitting the health and wellbeing of America’s Veterans.

They have been and will continue to be a force in effectively communicating and implementing VA’s mission while at the helm in their positions.

“VA supports women and women Veterans serving at all levels in the department,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilke. “Women employees at VA are positively impacting the care and services Veterans receive each day in such areas as benefits, customer experience, health, innovation, technology and small business.”

Under the leadership of women at VA these are among some of the notable achievements that have been realized:

Benefits – The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) gives Veterans choice, clarity and control of their appeals and claims. The AMA is the first major reform to the VA appeals system in at least three decades.

Recognizing a gap in service regarding Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) hearings, the Board’s collaboration across the enterprise leveraged existing technologies to create virtual tele-hearings. This led to President Trump signing the Virtual Tele-Hearing Modernization Act — making virtual tele-hearings a permanent option for Veterans.

Customer Service – The Veterans Experience Office (VEO) understands the journey of Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors, and VEO staff recognizes the specialized needs and experiences of these customers when they interact with VA in person, by phone or online. VEO has the ability to translate those insights into tangible tools and products to empower employees at all levels to deliver the best customer experiences possible.

Health – The MISSION Act is a permanent program allowing Veterans to get their health care in the community. Women VA leaders played a prominent role ensuring best practices were shared on how VA had to adjust to implement the new law. They created training protocols to make sure VA staff were ready to help deliver this new health benefit to Veterans.

The President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) highlights suicide prevention training with specific sessions on PTSD and how-to tailor decisions for a Veteran or family member who may be grieving. A main program developed under PREVENTS is the REACH campaign which strives to reduce Veteran suicide.

Innovation – Innovations in 3D printing across VA have led to advancements in surgery, prosthetics and the treatment of chronic illnesses. 3D printing enables VA’s medical providers to customize and tailor solutions specifically meeting individual patient needs, putting the Veteran at the center of their treatment plan. VA is the first integrated health care system in the country to establish a national 3D Printing network allowing its health care staff to share ideas, resources and best practices to deliver quality care to patients throughout its enterprise. In March, VA activated its 3D printing network to test 3D designs of medical equipment used by the nation’s health care providers to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Messaging – VA’s national media relations team ensures the focus of all messaging clearly reflects how the department’s programs and operations benefit and definitively impact the lives of the Veterans it serves. When preparing items for publication as news releases, internal and external stories, event campaigns, communications plans and opinion-editorials — the team ensures they are Veteran centric — aligned with the core of the department’s motto.

Technology – VA’s information technology and digital modernization project has resulted in successful service-delivery to 12 million Veterans and family members who depend on VA for health care and benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic — timely, clear, strategic communication and providing additional equipment to those serving Veterans, their families and their caregivers — has resulted in the seamless transition of more than 300,000 VA workers and contractors to remote telework status so they can continue working on behalf of Veterans regardless of location.

The creation of a Cyber Training Academy keeps VA employees apprised of the latest technology for protecting Veterans’ private and sensitive information.

VA telehealth technologies make it easier for Veterans to connect with their VA care team. VA Telehealth Services is transforming how Veterans access care, whether from their home, a clinic or the hospital — enabling them to access care when and where they need it.

Strategic partnering with the Department of Defense on the enterprise-wide adoption of the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support application and the Defense Logistics Agency’s Medical Surgical Prime Vendor program is modernizing VA’s supply chain and enables the department’s contracting and logistician workforce to acquire products for the clinicians who care for Veterans’ health and well-being.

VA’s enterprise integration has been instrumental in developing the electronic health record modernization, along with financial management and business transformation.

Small Business – To improve Women-Owned Small Businesses participation and procurement opportunities, the Women Veteran-Owned Small Business Initiatives, a new program and first of its kind in the federal government was established in support of women Veteran entrepreneurs in the federal and commercial marketplace. The initiative enables access to economic and procurement learning opportunities, offers chances to increase business sustainability and hosts events throughout the year preparing women Veteran business owners to become procurement ready.

Women Veterans – The Center for Women Veterans has successfully built upon its partnerships particularly the creation of #BringWomenVeteransHome2VA aimed at reaching the most remote women Veterans. It has helped them learn about and connect with VA services such as Telehealth, the Women Veterans Call Center and Veterans Crisis Hotline, and how to enroll in VA to get assistance on Military Sexual Trauma care.

As VA works to improve the care and services for all Veterans, the VA women receiving the 2020 G2Xchange Leading for Impact, Women in Leadership Award highlights the importance of their leading the way in the workplace and demonstrating what women, VA women and women Veterans can and do bring to the work arena.

To see the entire list of winners click here.

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Depression, isolation, loneliness and loss of purpose are common struggles among those transitioning from military to civilian life. Many also face challenges with applying for a civilian job for the first time or reentering the workforce.

However, women Veterans may also encounter gender pay gaps, bias against mothers, financial instability, gender-related health concerns, stereotypes about female soldiers, and stress caused by military sexual trauma. Add to these obstacles the frequent lack of a trusted peer network, and one thing is clear: Transitioning to life outside the military can be particularly hard for women Veterans.

“I lost a part of myself when I left the military. I expected motherhood to fill the mission and purpose I had felt while in the military,” said Air Force Veteran and military spouse Amanda Huffman. “But instead, I found it challenging and that I wasn’t doing enough. Part of it was the challenge of being a new mom. But I also needed something for me besides raising my kids.”

Huffman served for six years as a civil engineer, including a deployment to Afghanistan. Like many female Veterans, she struggled with transitioning from purpose-driven military service to finding where and how she belonged as a civilian. This led to frustration, anxiety and disappointment in the lack of resources tailored to women like her.

“I felt so alone when I was transitioning,” Huffman said. “I thought my experience was so different from everyone else’s (getting out to be a stay-at-home mom) that I did not have anyone to talk to. I felt that I wouldn’t be able to relate to other Veterans because my situation was so different.”

Whether a woman transitions into parenting, a civilian career or both, it is common to feel confused, left behind and disconnected. Huffman eventually found a new purpose and sense of community by creating some of the very resources she lacked during her own transition. However, she didn’t stop there — Huffman also created resources for those joining and currently serving in the armed forces.

Here are a few ways Huffman strives to help women who serve or have served in the military:

The Airman to Mom blog

The Airman to Mom blog shares details about Huffman’s experiences in the military, leading a dual military life and eventually transitioning to civilian living and motherhood. The blog also provides links to many of Huffman’s other free resources, including a deployment guide, a PCS moving guide and transition resources.

The Women of the Military podcast

Huffman’s Women of the Military podcast shares interviews and stories about women who have served in the military over the last several decades. By offering an in-depth look at what other military women have experienced, the podcast aims to provide inspiration and community to current and former female soldiers. Likewise, the podcast offers advice for women as they face challenges during and after service.

“What I have found through talking to Veterans is that even if our path after the military is different, many of the emotional challenges are the same. It is through the Veteran community that I realized I wasn’t so different after all.”

The Women of the Military eBook

The Women of the Military eBook features 28 stories about military women. The interviews in Huffman’s book illustrate how women have journeyed over the years from more traditionally female jobs like nursing to serving in combat positions.

“I did not know about all the things women were doing in the military until I started interviewing them,” Huffman said. “And even today, with over 200 interviews completed, I still learn more about women and their history in the military.”

Girl’s Guide to the Military

Huffman’s Girl’s Guide to the Military offers both insight and advice for women who are entering the military or currently serving. Huffman also plans to publish an expanded edition of the guide in September 2022.

“I have expanded that guide into a book A Girl’s Guide to Military Service, publishing September 13th,” she said. “It is meant to answer all the questions, starting with, is the military right for me to what branch, career field, etc., along with topics like military sexual trauma, deployment, relationships, motherhood and more. I want to ensure girls joining the military have as much information as possible to help them make informed choices.”

The Women of the Military Mentorship Program

Determined to do the best she can for the women she aims to help, Huffman created the Women of the Military Mentorship Program. Her goal is to provide one-on-one connections for women interested in joining the military, women who are currently serving and female Vets. The mentorship program aims to connect women with others who have shared similar experiences and challenges, offering valuable support and guidance.

Finding support and fellowship can be key to fulfillment during military service and eventually a successful return to civilian living.

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Your provider can create an individualized pain management plan

VA Women’s Health encourages women Veterans to talk to their VA provider about their chronic pain. You can work with your provider to create an individualized pain management plan that incorporates mental and physical health strategies that allow you to get back to doing the things you love.

Chronic pain is a lingering pain that interferes with women Veterans’ daily lives. As many as 75% of women Veterans accessing VA care experience chronic pain. Migraine and back pain are two of the top service-connected conditions for women Veterans. Many also experience chronic neck pain, pelvic pain, arthritis, joint problems, and fibromyalgia, among others.

Women Veterans may experience more barriers to seeking care for chronic pain, including stigma, lack of social support, higher levels of responsibility for home and child-care duties, and limited transportation. Women frequently see their provider with multiple co-occurring pain conditions, and pain of unclear etiology, which can make diagnosis and treatment challenging.

High rates of trauma in women with pain can make them reluctant to ask for specialty care and many feel as if specialists, who predominantly treat men, are not equipped to care for them. Because women with pain are at risk of having their pain written off as psychological, they can feel stigmatized and distrustful of the system.

Not always curable, but manageable

Limited social support and the stress of juggling home, dependent care, and employment or education demands can make it hard to prioritize pain self-management or appointments.

Although chronic pain is often not fully curable, with help, support, and an optimal care plan, you can learn to better manage your pain, so you have more time and energy for the things you love.

Work with your VA primary care provider to determine what combination of pain management therapies best fit your individual circumstances and needs.

In addition to comprehensive primary care and women’s health services, VA has many resources to help women Veterans learn about available chronic pain services.

Links to chronic pain services

• VA Women’s Health – Chronic Pain: Information and resources to help Veterans learn about the wide range of chronic pain symptoms and management options VA offers women Veterans.
• VA Women’s Health – Chronic Pelvic Pain: Information and resources to help women Veterans learn about chronic pelvic pain and the treatment options available at VA.
• VHA Directive 1137: Directive allowing VA to offer Veterans massage as a treatment.
• She Wears the Boots – Chronic Pain in Women Veterans: Podcast discussing chronic pain specifically in women Veterans and the treatment options available at VA.
• She Wears the Boots – The Importance of Pelvic Health: Podcast episode discussing pelvic health in women Veterans and treatment options as well as potential causes of pelvic pain.
• VA Whole Health: Information and resources to help Veterans implement integrated health practices like mindfulness, meditation, and yoga, which can help Veterans manage their chronic pain.
• VA News – Chronic Pain: Archive of feature stories about chronic pain and the wide array of treatments available at VA, includes articles on cognitive behavioral therapy, yoga, acupuncture, physical therapy, and more.

If you have chronic pain, speak with your VA health care provider to make a personalized chronic pain management plan. You can also call or text the Women Veterans Call Center at 1-855-829-6636.

For more information on health care services for women Veterans, visit: https://www.womenshealth.va.gov/.

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Did you know that women are the fastest growing group within the Veteran population? Learn more about the changing face of women Veterans and what VA is doing to meet their health care needs.

Maternity Care

VA is supportive of women Veterans deciding when motherhood is right for them. Whether women Veterans are ready to start or expand their family or interested in preventing pregnancy, VA offers a full range of services for women Veterans to support their reproductive goals, including providing Maternity Care Coordinators (MCC) for those women Veterans looking to start or expand their family. MCC understand women Veteran's needs and can help them navigate health care services inside and outside of VA throughout pregnancy to ensure timely and continuous care.

Women Veterans deserve the best care anywhere, and they can receive all of their pregnancy care at VA. A planned pregnancy is a healthier pregnancy, so talk to your provider today if you want to become pregnant. Choose VA for your maternity care services.

On this site, you will find a healthy checklist, reproductive life plan and other resources for your pregnancy. Read more here.

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Veterans at the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center received a special gift on Dec. 18 when Daryl Thomas, owner of Diamond T Woodcrafts, presented 50 hand-crafted wooden flags to inpatients.

Muskogee is the first VA medical center to receive such a donation from Thomas, but he says he hopes to add others to the list as the project grows.

Thomas received many different reactions as he made his way across the inpatient floors personally delivering flags and expressing his gratitude to each Veteran along the way.

Coast Guard Veteran Joy Neal was brought to tears as he was handed his flag.

“I’m 96 and to have someone come in here to show their appreciation in this way just makes me feel good,” said Neal. He went on to say, “The improvements I’ve seen at the VA are unbelievable. I was so surprised that since I have been here, everyone has worked as a team. What I see is wonderful and I tell it like it is,” he said with a chuckle.

Army Veteran Kenneth Baker’s face lit up when Thomas presented him with his flag and shook his hand. He stared at it in silence for a moment, running his fingers across the stars and stripes and said, “This is beautiful, I’m going to hang it above my bed.”

Humbled and in shock

The event wasn’t just emotional for those receiving a flag. During his visit, Thomas had tears in his eyes as one Veteran asked his nurse to help him raise his arm so that he could salute his visitor.

“I have not served in the military myself, but I knew this was the greatest honor a Veteran could give to me,” said Thomas. “I was humbled and in shock and will never forget that moment.”

After visiting the medical center, Thomas has now had the honor of presenting 220 flags to our nation’s heroes and has no plan of stopping.

“I do this as a ‘no strings attached’ presentation and I ask for nothing in return, except that I be able to personally hand them out and say thank you,” said Thomas. “My goal is to convey appreciation through the ministry of presenting flags, and this project has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Words cannot explain the joy I receive when I get to thank our Veterans, young, old, male and female, it is just a tremendous honor.”

Even though he has always had a fascination with woodwork, the flag project did not come about until a year ago when his son’s school asked the students to invite Veterans to their Veterans Day Program. Thomas wanted to make something special for those his son invited and made each of them a wooden flag.

Making a difference

When he witnessed their reaction and how well the gift was received, he knew he wanted to keep the project going. A Veteran friend, who believed in what Thomas was doing, encouraged him to continue and even offered to help support the project financially.

“This has been a fun ride so far and I am looking forward to more experiences as this ministry grows,” said Thomas. “This project means a lot to me and I think I have found something unique that I can contribute to society and use to make a difference.”

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Defendant allegedly prescribed combinations of benzodiazepines and stimulants

BOSTON – A Worcester psychiatrist was arrested yesterday on charges that he illegally prescribed controlled substances to patients and submitted false reimbursement claims to defraud the Medicare program.

Mohamad Och, 65, was indicted on eight counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and two counts of health care fraud. Och was released on conditions following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy in federal court in Worcester.

Och was a licensed psychiatrist who owned and operated Island Counseling Center (ICC), in Worcester, Mass., and has practiced psychiatry elsewhere in Massachusetts including Nantucket. Among other services, Och was authorized to prescribe Schedule II-IV controlled substances to patients.

According to the charging documents, Och repeatedly prescribed a combination of benzodiazepines and stimulants to patients without a legitimate medical purpose. Specifically, it is alleged that on at least numerous occasions between August 2016 and March 2017, Och knowingly issued prescriptions for Adderall (a Schedule II controlled substance) in combination with Xanax or Klonopin (both of which are Schedule IV controlled substances) to patients outside the usual course of professional practice.

It is also alleged that between approximately January 2016 and July 2017, Och engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting or causing to be submitted false and fraudulent claims in connection with office visits in order to obtain greater reimbursements than he was entitled to receive based on the services actually provided.

The charge of illegal prescription of a Schedule II controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The charge of illegal prescription of a Schedule IV controlled substance provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of health care fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Regional Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Mulcahy of Mendell’s Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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March 29 will mark the sixth anniversary of National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It took more than 40 years after the Vietnam War ended to establish a national day for these heroes, a reminder of the struggles Veterans faced long after leaving Vietnam.

While serving in the Army as an infantry platoon leader in the early 1970s, I witnessed many of my Soldiers returning from Vietnam broken, met by an American public that didn’t fully understand their service. Despite their tremendous sacrifices, these Veterans did not receive the warm welcome home of those who returned from war both before and after Vietnam.

National Vietnam War Veterans Day recognizes that these heroes did not receive a proper homecoming and seeks to right that wrong. It is a privilege for Team Exchange to do its part, in partnership with The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, to celebrate the distinguished service of our Nation’s Vietnam Veterans.

It’s not only our shoppers who are heroes. Many Exchange teammates served in Vietnam with distinction. If you have the honor of serving with Vietnam Veterans, please take a moment to thank them for their service. And please remember the family members of our Vietnam Veterans on Team Exchange. Let them know that the sacrifices they made for their Veteran and our Nation are deeply appreciated.

The Exchange is privileged to celebrate the service, valor and sacrifice of Vietnam Veterans and their families. We are truly honored to serve heroes like them.

Veteran for Life!

Tom

Tom Shull

Director/CEO

Army & Air Force Exchange Service

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SAN ANTONIO — The World Health Organization estimates 466 million people have disabling hearing loss. By 2050, that figure will almost double, affecting one in 10 people.

To raise awareness about hearing loss and why hearing health care is important, the World Health Organization designated March 3 as World Hearing Day.

For service members, noise-induced hearing loss from exposure to hazardous noise on and off-duty is the most common type of hearing injury. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing, buzzing and other sound in the ears) continue to be one of the most prevalent service-connected disabilities experienced by Veterans.

However, that trend is shifting. Each of the military services administers a hearing conservation program, and coupled with the Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, Comprehensive Hearing Health Program, are helping to reduce noise-induced hearing loss among active-duty service members, according to Dr. Theresa Schulz, the center’s prevention branch chief.

“For service members and civilians enrolled in hearing conservation programs, hearing health is improving in the Department of Defense. Evidence of this is seen in an overall decrease in hearing impairment for all DoD components,” said Schulz. “Service members with hearing impairment decreased from 21 percent in 2012 to 15 percent in 2018. The percent of civilians with hearing impairment decreased from 51 percent in 2012 to 40 percent in 2018.”

Schulz added, “The Comprehensive Hearing Health Program benefits all service members, regardless of occupation or specialty, because noise is the most prevalent hazardous exposure faced by our service members on duty, but a significant amount of exposure occurs off-duty. A primary goal of program is to bring visibility to an invisible but preventable injury – noise-induced hearing loss."

For the general population, the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Deafness & Other Communication Disorders reports about 20 percent of American adults, age 20 to 69 have some trouble with hearing, and roughly 28.8 million could benefit from the use of hearing aids. Among adults age 20 to 69, only about 16 percent of those who would benefit from hearing aids has ever used them, according to NIDCD.

To highlight the prevalence of hearing loss and importance of effective interventions, this year’s World Hearing Day theme is, “Hearing for life: Don’t let hearing loss limit you”. The WHO emphasizes timely and effective interventions can ensure people with hearing loss are able to achieve their full potential, and interventions can facilitate access to education, employment and communication.

“Hearing is a critical sense, especially for service members who must be able to see, hear, and communicate in order to engage with their families, connect with their communities, and achieve their missions safely and effectively,” said Schulz. “Anyone suspecting a hearing issue should see an audiologist who will run a series of tests to determine the problem, if there is one, and then recommend treatment. And, it is even better to protect your hearing from hazardous noise on and off the job to prevent hearing problems from occurring.”

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A 96-year-old Veteran described as “the most lethal American tank gunner in World War II” received a Bronze Star nearly 75 years after his service.

Clarence Smoyer of Allentown, Pennsylvania, came to the nation’s capital expecting to head to the Pentagon and sign copies of Spearhead, a book by Adam Makos detailing his service as a tank gunner during World War II. He was instead greeted by a full Army color guard and a special ceremony at the World War II Memorial.

As an Army brass quintet played, Smoyer was bestowed the honor during the event, which was attended by dignitaries, more than 100 Veterans, and relatives of three of his late crew members. During the commemoration, a Sherman tank sat parked symbolically on the National Mall nearby.

Smoyer, known as “the hero of Cologne,” was told he would receive a Bronze Star during the war, but days later he was spotted talking to German children and scouring his pockets for bubblegum to give the kids. He was charged with fraternization with the enemy and forfeited his ability to receive a medal of valor. But decades later, Makos helped convince the Army to reverse the decision so that Smoyer could get the same honor as others who served alongside him.

The former gunner’s senator, Republican Pat Toomey, gave a speech at the Wednesday event.

“I can’t help but marvel at such men in their early 20s, who must’ve been terrified, but they didn’t waver in their duty,” Toomey told the crowd. “They carried out their mission. It’s amazing.”

Makos said Smoyer was the “most lethal American tank gunner” during the war.

Smoyer is credited with destroying five German tanks during the time he served, including in 1945 when he took out a Nazi super tank beneath the Cologne Cathedral, allowing U.S. forces headed to Berlin to overtake a key bridge and continue on.

In addition to Smoyer, some of the men he served with also were posthumously awarded Bronze Stars at the ceremony, including Pvt. Homer Davis, Pfc. John Deriggi, and T/5 William McVey. The legendary gunner recalled their deaths after the commemoration concluded.

“I remember all the young boys who lost their lives in the war,” Smoyer said. “So many men lost their lives. My cousin was killed over in France. Also, my brother-in-law was killed about the same time.

“They never had a chance to really live their lives. I always feel something for them,” he added.

The Bronze Star is a medal awarded to soldiers who show heroic or meritorious achievement or service in a combat zone.

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World War II Veterans Levi "Sarge" Nelson, 98, and Thelma Williams Jr., 97, were honored during a program at the Eagles in Junction City Saturday.

Military Affairs Council Director said it was an opportunity to say thanks for all that they have done and say how much their service for the country was appreciated.

Williams entered the Army in September of 1941.

"So when the war was declared December 7, I had already been trained," he said.

Williams served in the anti-aircraft artillery and spent time in the Philippines and Germany, and after World War II served in the military police. Williams was originally from Junction City and, after his military career ended, served as the Chief Court Services Officer for the 8th Judicial District. On the recognition Saturday, Williams said he was surprised. "They told me they was going to do this. I had no idea what was going on."

Levi "Sarge" Nelson served in Europe during World War II during the war, in the Pacific after the war, and then came to Fort Riley. There were different jobs, but one involved driving trucks.

Today, at the age of 98, "Sarge" works at JC Transportation, and he still works every day. He enjoys it. "I like it and I'm able."

Saturday was the final day of Black History Month. It was noted that Nelson and Williams were "history right here." The two Veterans received a standing ovation.

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Retired Army Capt. Juan Guerrero and his family moved into a specialized smart home, mortgage-free, outside of San Antonio, Texas, last week.

Guerrero, who was critically wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq and eventually lost both of his legs, received the home from the Gary Sinise Foundation, started by the Academy Award-nominated actor of the same name.

The foundation provides houses to Veterans who were seriously wounded in combat. Its representatives worked closely with Juan Guerrero and his wife, Shannon, to design and build the home that would best meet the wounded soldier’s needs, the couple told Army Times.

“It’s definitely overwhelming,” Guerrero said. “Every single room is accessible for me in a wheelchair.”

Guerrero spent 23 years in the military — four years in the Marine Corps and nearly two decades in the Army.

He was on the way back from a mission in 2007 when his vehicle was struck by an explosively formed penetrator, believed to be one of the most lethal weapons faced by U.S. troops in Iraq.

The explosion left Guerrero with severe injuries to both legs, and during recovery, he was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer because of his injuries.

Guerrero is now a double amputee. But until he moved into his new home, he was living in a house that was not designed for someone with his injuries.

Guerrero’s new house includes a variety of custom-built accommodations including a cut-out under the kitchen sink, pull down racks in the cabinets and pull-down bars in the closet so Guerrero can hang his clothes.

Guerrero’s favorite part of the house is his new bathroom. It features a shower with a bench customized to his height.

“I like to joke that I haven’t had a shower in 11 years,” Guerrero said. “It’s going to be amazing.”

Everything else is a bonus for Guerrero. His four kids all get their own room and there’s a pantry he can wheel his chair into. Two dishwashers also mean there’s enough space for all six people in his family.

The Guerreros learned about the Gary Sinise Foundation after J.J. went to the dedication of a house for a friend who had also been wounded in battle.

He applied for the program in November 2018 and began the long process of Vetting that the foundation requires to ensure that the housing goes to the most deserving candidates.

In November 2019, Gary Sinise called to tell Guerrero his application was approved, and the process of designing the house began.

Shannon said she did most of the work with designing, but emphasized the house was built for the needs of, and to the specifications of her husband.

“To see my husband finally able to live free in our own home, its truly incredible,” Shannon said.

Juan Guerrero said that it’s like “living in the future” and that he can’t wait to get fully moved in. He said that the foundation really thought about everything and the feeling of moving into a home that’s built for him is overwhelming.

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The commander of Peterson Air Force Base has apologized to one of the nation’s most well-known wounded warriors for being refused entry into the base commissary.

“I would like to express my sincere apology to Israel Del Toro for being refused access to our base commissary,” Col. Sam Johnson, 21st Space Wing Commander said in a statement to Military Times. “I am grateful he brought to our attention that our COVID safety policies did not account for medical concerns of our Veteran, wounded warrior, retiree, and family member populations.”

Unlike many of the “Karens” filling TikTok and Instagram feeds across the country with refusals to cover their mouths despite COVID-19 risks, this Veteran has a good reason.

Del Toro, a retired Air Force senior master sergeant, can’t wear a face mask. That’s because he lost his ears and fingers in the line of duty.

“I don’t have ears, I can’t loop them,” he told KKTV, noting that his breathing condition is an additional issue. “Trust us, if we could, we would wear masks.”

The incident happened in June, but Del Toro has been very vocal over the last few weeks as he wants his message to be heard, because despite the dangers of COVID, people with disabilities need to be taken into consideration.

The Public Affairs office for 21 Space Wing noted that this was a mistake, one they were unprepared for in the midst of developing COVID-19 health protocols.

“It was essentially a lack of training aspect,” Jeff Bohn, a spokesperson for 21 Space Wing public affairs, told Military Times. “Our people were required to wear a mask. Someone, a volunteer, at the door refused him entry. It wasn’t known at the time by anyone who could make that call differently. The Wing Commander has apologized, however.”

Del Toro was injured on December 4, 2005, while serving as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) in Afghanistan. His humvee made contact with an IED leaving him with severe burns across more than 80 percent of his body, the loss of one hand and almost all the other fingers on the other hand.

According to the Air Force, Del Toro “remained in a coma for about three months. At the time, his doctors believed that he had less than a 20 percent chance of survival.

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LUBBOCK, Texas – The National WWII Glider Pilots Committee kicked off their 50th annual reunion to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Silent Wings Museum.

From Thursday through Saturday night, those registered and in attendance will be seeing presentations, having dinner, going on tours, and just enjoying each other’s company.

“The reason we’re here is to honor the past glider pilots that never made it back or have passed on since then. And there’s very few left,” Gary Stripling said. Stripling is the chair of the organization, and at the end of this year’s reunion, two very special honors will be given.

1st Lieutenant Fred Lunde, who is 100, and Major Frank T. Brandon who is 102, will both receive the Order Of William Orange Lanyard. They’ll receive that award Saturday evening at the museum.

Lunde explained, “The glider pilots were not recognized at the start. And today, they are. And I think it’s a great honor to receive this award.” He said the honor is given to all glider pilots that participated in the liberation of Holland.

After high school, Lt. Lunde spent then years of war in combat. He served in World War II and the Korean War. He finished serving, and a several career changes late, he ended up working as a chief accountant in Livonia, Michigan. He has called it home ever since, but he traveled to West Texas this week to take part in the celebration and receive his honor.

Mary Roemer, the chair of the reunion, said “We plan on having it every year going forward. The 51st, 52nd, God willing, even more. So that’s why we’re here because Lubbock also was a location where 6,000 glider pilots trained.”

Multiple cadets who are also instructor pilots from the 94th training squadron are in attendance this year, and they continue to show that the future is bright for these glider pilots.

Stripling added, “these are powerful, powerful, compelling stories. And each one that’s presented this weekend by mostly children or grandchildren of a glider pilot; they’re tear jerkers I mean, they’re really powerful.”

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REAch program has shipped more than 8,000 toolboxes to Veterans

In 1994, U.S. Army Air Corps WWII Veteran and former POW Clarence Robert “Bud” Shepherd opened a small warehouse in Burlington, North Carolina, to assist 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations, like schools, churches and daycares.

Shepherd refocused his attention on Post-9/11 combat wounded Veterans in 2012 by creating the Veteran Toolbox Program. He provided them with free toolboxes to assist with their transition into civilian life. Although Post-9/11 Purple Heart Veterans are priority for the program, all Veterans can apply.

“I always wanted to do something for Veterans, and I came up with the toolbox program,” said Shepherd. “We talked to some tool companies, and they were interested in getting involved. We talked to Stanley and Black and Decker about what we wanted to do and they came back with one word – absolutely! APEX tools, Wooster paint brushes, and Johnson & Johnson are also great supporters.”

The REAch Veteran Toolbox Program has shipped more than 8,000 toolboxes to Veterans, which contains about $600 worth of tools.

“This is the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done in my lifetime,” said the 94-year-old.

Shepherd works six days a week, gets up at 5 a.m., and leaves work at 6 p.m. most days. But he’s no stranger to hard work.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, when he was 18 years old. He served in the 8th Air Force in England as a tail-gunner on a B-17. Enemy forces shot down his plane six months before the end of WWII. Shepherd was captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp near Berth, Germany.

“Once we got settled down, things went along fairly smooth because there was 9,000 of us, all Air Force people,” Shepherd recalled. “About 7,500 Americans and a few Brits. We were liberated by the Russians and I made my way back home.”

Watch more about Shepherd’s POW experience.

“We hear from a lot of these guys and their families,” Shepherd said. “Last week we got an e-mail saying ‘You saved my husband’s life. He hasn’t been out of the house in three months but ever since he got his toolbox he’s been out in the garage or the backyard working on something.’”

REAch operates in Graham, North Carolina, but ships the toolboxes across the country.

“I go to the VA hospital in Durham, North Carolina, for yearly physicals, but my health is excellent,” he said. “These people down there that I deal with at the VA hospital, they are just good people… In my lifetime, I’ve been blessed, and I enjoy every minute of it.

Learn more about the Veteran Toolbox Program at: https://reainc.org

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On its first day of operation, the waiting room of the Leo C. Chase Jr. Veterans Affairs Clinic in St. Augustine was nearly full just after 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Long in coming, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' new outpatient medical clinic officially opened its doors and both staff and patients seemed pleased with the final results.

The new clinic, located at 100 Deerfield Preserve Blvd. off State Road 207, is 16,595 square feet with Spanish-style architecture. It replaces the Southpark Boulevard location, a series of makeshift modular buildings which served as an interim space after the complex previously located at 1955 U.S. 1 was closed in 2015.

VA clinic in the works for awhile: New Veterans Administration health clinic to open late June in St. Augustine

Construction delays and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed off the timeline for completion of the new building, which broke ground in November 2019.

The facility currently serves about 6,145 area Veterans within the Gainesville-based North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, according to Thomas McKenzie, chief medical officer for the St. Augustine VA clinic.

The complex opened at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, seeing those who had previously scheduled appointments for primary care, mental health, phlebotomy, podiatry, physical therapy and other specialty care.

Approximately 60 staff are employed at the St. Augustine facility.

The clinic is named after Private First-Class Leo C. Chase Jr., St. Johns County’s first soldier to die in the Vietnam War.

Nationwide, new VA facilities, including the one in St. Augustine, are being built with a new model for delivery of health care. Community-based clinics are now focused around a system the VA is calling PACT (patient aligned care teams) which streamlines how a patient's individual care is handled.

For example, a client will now be seen by a team of four medical providers (a physician, nurse, licensed practical nurse and clerk) who assess a patient, doing everything from blood work to anecdotal reporting, and then make recommendations about the next course of action in managing that patient's care.

"It brings all the patients' needs together," said Craig Pasanen, clinic projects coordinator for the VA. "Instead of individual exam rooms, you go into one room and meet with a pod of providers at once."

“This is a great achievement for the NF/SGVHS,” said Health System Director Thomas Wisnieski. “The modern facility is larger than our previous locations in St. Johns County and will provide the needed resources for us to continue to care for our nation’s heroes.”

Ronnie Higgins, an Army Veteran who was scheduled for his first visit at the new facility Tuesday, told The Record he was impressed by the "amazing" upgrade to the St. Augustine VA clinic.

"It looks beautiful," said Higgins, 70, who suffers from cardiopulmonary and nerve damage issues. "Thank God for the VA; they have helped me so much in my life."

Dr. Donald Martin, a licensed social worker on staff at the St. Augustine clinic, said the facility would be a community asset "that all our Vets can be proud of."

"It's going to be a treatment motivator," Martin told The Record.

The VA is holding off on an official grand opening ceremony until sometime in the fall, with a special tribute to Leo Chase Jr.'s family.

It’s unclear what will happen to the temporary clinic at this time.

Bill Dudley, chair of the St. Johns County Veterans Council, has had ongoing discussions with the county about turning the structure into a space for homeless Veterans housing once the VA leaves.

"We are looking at the plausibility of repurposing it as a shelter," Dudley said in an April 26 interview with The Record. "That, of course, would have to be done with the guidance of county officials."

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If you served in the military after 9/11 and have an eye on continuing your education at a college or university where tuition costs exceed your Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit, the Yellow Ribbon Program might be able to help.

The Department of Veterans Affairs program is specifically geared to Veterans, or their dependents, interested in attending higher-priced private schools, graduate schools and international universities whose tuition and fees are higher than the maximum Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit. The program can also cover the higher fees charged to nonresidents at out-of-state universities.

The Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon GI Educational Enhancement Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, assists Veterans in paying for educational expenses that exceed the maximum Post-9/11 GI Bill payments. Those limits change from year to year because they are based on the annual average cost of U.S. undergraduate tuition. As of Aug. 1, the 2022-2023 maximum annual benefit will be capped at $26,381.

The Yellow Ribbon Program can, in certain circumstances, help Veterans exceed this benefit cap to afford a more expensive undergraduate or graduate school. It can be complicated, but it’s worth investigating. The program does not require that you attend full-time.

There are two key elements: The first is that you or your dependent must be Post-9/11 GI Bill eligible; second, the school you wish to attend must participate in the program.

There may also be limitations on how many Veterans can participate in the program at each school each year. Some universities, such as Cornell, have no limit to the number of undergraduates who can benefit from the program, but do have limits in their graduate schools. The early bird gets the worm. If you qualify and you’re interested, don’t procrastinate.

How it works

The universities who chose to participate with the VA in Yellow Ribbon agree to contribute up to 50% of their tuition costs that exceed the maximum Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit in a given year. How much depends on the individual school. The VA then matches that amount.

Schools calculate your benefit by adding up all of your tuition and mandatory fees. They then subtract any aid received from other sources — such as scholarships, grants, and your Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payment. Finally, your school applies its Yellow Ribbon benefit to the total amount calculated.

For example, if you wish to attend a participating university and the tuition is $40,000 a year, the the Post-9/11 GI Bill would pay for all but $13, 619 of that. If the university agreed to waive $6,000 for Yellow Ribbon participants, and the VA matched that contribution, it would bring your yearly out-of-pocket tuition expenses to $1,619.

Each school has its own policies, and they may differ for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs at the same school. Differences may also apply to the type of school within a university that you wish to attend. So, the benefit for nursing school may differ from that offered to students at the engineering school. Each school is different, and you’ll need to investigate thoroughly.

Who qualifies?

First, you must qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the 100% benefit level. The educational benefit covers your full tuition and fees at school, a monthly housing allowance and up to $1,000 for books and supplies.

To qualify for the maximum amount of this assistance, and to be eligible for the yellow Ribbon Program, recipients must have:

• Served at least 36 months on active duty and, if separated, received an honorable discharge;
• Served for at least 30 continuous days (without a break) on or after Sept. 11, 2001, and been discharged or released from active duty for a service-connected disability;
• Received a Purple Heart at any time after 9/11 and been honorably discharged after any amount of service.

Recipients may also qualify for the program if they are dependents taking advantage of the unused benefits transferred by an eligible Veteran or if they are a Fry Scholar (eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program on or after Aug. 1, 2018).

Caveat: Active-duty service members, and the spouses of active-duty members who are using transferred benefits, do not currently qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program, but changes to this stipulation are expected to occur in August.

Is your university a Yellow Ribbon school?

If you believe you qualify for the program, the next step is investigating whether or not your intended university is a Yellow Ribbon school. Only institutions of higher learning ae eligible and they must choose to participate. Not all schools decide to sign up.

If your intended university participates, it’s imperative to contact the school to investigate whether it has exceeded its yearly maximum number of students, per its agreement with the department. The VA has a contract with each school limiting how many students it will cover at each school for each year. Enrollment is on a first come, first serve basis, and funds are limited.

If all that works out, your school must certify your enrollment with the VA and provide the department with your Yellow Ribbon Program information.

How to apply for the program

Take these steps to apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program:

• First, apply for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. If you qualify, you’ll receive a Certificate of Eligibility (COE);
• Submit your COE to your school’s certifying official or to the financial aid, military liaison, or other appropriate offices;
• Ask to apply for your school’s Yellow Ribbon Program;
• Wait for an eligibility determination and a decision on whether your school has already reached its maximum number of students for the program period;
• Maintain contact with your school regarding acceptance into the program and how much money you’ll receive toward your tuition and fees.

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HARRISBURG- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that licensed practical nurse (LPN) Dana Aldinger, age 55, of York, PA, was charged by criminal information with theft in connection with health care.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the criminal information alleges that on or about August 10, 2019, Aldinger stole and converted for personal use Oxycodone pills prescribed for a Medicare hospice patient residing at a personal care home where she was employed.

The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Harrisburg Field Office, and the Bureau of Narcotics Investigations (BNI) of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel S. Dalke is prosecuting the case.

Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense charged is one year of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $100,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced a new collaboration with Apple to increase veterans' access to virtual care benefits by providing free iPads to some vets.

The VA program gives qualifying veterans cellular-enabled iPads to access telehealth services; it currently helps more than 50,000 vets across the country virtually connect to VA health care services. It has recently been expanded as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are a veteran enrolled in VA health care, don't have internet access or a video device, and are interested in the program, you should consult your VA health care team to see whether you're eligible for the program.

The iPads let veterans participate in video appointments with their care team, and enable secure communication between the veteran and VA medical staff. Besides offering secure video communication, the iPads let veterans securely view and download their personal medical data using the Health Records on iPhone feature from Apple; view their health record; refill prescriptions; track their health and more. Veterans can safely meet with their care team without having to visit a VA medical center, use public transportation or possibly be exposed to health hazards.

"VA will continue working diligently to provide veterans with the tools and resources necessary to access quality health care when and where they need it," said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. "VA's partnership with Apple is an integral step in helping to bridge the digital divide for veterans everywhere. This is particularly critical during the COVID-19 public health emergency, when telehealth is being leveraged to protect the safety and well-being of both our veterans and clinicians."

The program has been in existence since 2016, and a recent VA study found that veterans who received the free iPads reported high levels of satisfaction with care, were less likely to miss appointments, and found it easier and more convenient to access VA care.

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Veterans who typically pay the Department of Veterans Affairs for their medical care might be hit with a big bill in January after the VA halted all collections in April 2020 -- including those copays.

The copay bill letter, the VA warned in a Dec. 17 announcement, will ask the recipient to pay for all "new copay charges for medical care and prescriptions they received from April 6, 2020, through December 31, 2020." The bills could also include unpaid amounts for care received before April, it said.

In addition to the Dec. 17 release, which was shared by the VA through email, affected Veterans might have received a letter in the mail this month notifying them of an upcoming bill.

That letter advised Veterans of their account balance, which includes any uncollected copays from April 6 and any outstanding medical debt incurred prior to that date. It also said the VA would begin collecting that money in January, and that no interest or fees will be charged on the outstanding debt until that time.

VA officials said Veterans who owe might be able to set up repayment plans or request debt relief.

"We understand this may impose a financial burden on some of our Veterans, and we're doing everything we can to help," officials said in the release.

The notice sent by mail also included instructions for viewing and paying the debt online by visiting pay.gov and entering your VA account number. But that account number was not included on the notice. Calls by Military.com to all four of the toll-free numbers listed on the letter were unsuccessful in reaching a live person to explain the debt or help locate an account number.

Lawmakers this month urged VA officials to once again defer debt collections. Administration officials, however, said they plan to move forward with repayment notices..

About VA Copays

Typically, if you have an injury or disability caused by your military service, you are eligible to be treated for that condition by the VA for free. Also, some Veterans with lower income levels are exempt from having to make copays for their medical care. And if your disability or injury is severe enough for the VA to rate you at least 50% disabled for compensation benefits, all of your medical care from the department is free.

But Veterans with a lower level of disability rating may have to pay the VA a copayment for care, depending on what type of medical services you get and what condition you are being treated for.

For example, if you are rated 10% disabled for high blood pressure, you can get your doctor's appointments for that condition and blood pressure medication from the VA for free. But you must pay a copay for any medicine or treatment that isn't related to your high blood pressure.

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Andrew Langer was pretty sure his daughter was on the wrong website when she tried to apply for new credentials to access Tricare, the military health program, from her home near Fort Eustis, Virginia.

As part of the online validation process for the Defense Department's MHS Genesis electronic health records system, Langer's daughter was told she would need to furnish the last eight digits of a credit card and undergo a "soft" credit check to gain access.

Sensing something amiss, she called her parents.

"I'm normally so patient with my daughter but, quite honestly, I got very impatient because I thought this was phishing.... I was like, 'Get off there. This is not right -- you don't need a credit card,'" Langer said.

Turns out, she did, as does anyone who must enroll in MHS Genesis or wants a new DoD credential, known as a DS Logon, to access the military pay system or their medical records.

It appears that the new requirement went into effect DoD and Veterans Affairs-wide within the past five months. For some, like Langer, it is an unwelcome change.

"It's a very simple yet privacy-invading way of trying to do identity verification," Langer said during an interview with Military.com. "Career civil servants tend to make these decisions without any sort of regard to the greater public policy implications -- the privacy issues, the disparate impact on folks who are struggling -- the idea that someone in their health care may know they have credit issues or are struggling financially."

The DoD Self-Service Logon, or DS Logon, is a digital credential used by military personnel and beneficiaries to access pay records, health services and other DoD administrative applications.

Once reserved for DoD beneficiaries only, the credential is now the standard for veterans, allowing them to check on the status of their Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims, health benefits applications, and other VA-related services.

According to Navy Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman, a DoD spokeswoman, users who apply for a DS Logon remotely must have their identity authenticated. The soft credit check is one way to verify the user, she said.

"The [Remote Identity Proofing] service is provided by a 3rdparty vendor and uses a variety of techniques to verify an individual's identity which involves data obtained through a soft credit check," Schwegman said in an email to Military.com. "These 'soft credit checks' do not impact a person's credit score."

She added that DS Logon has performed soft credit checks on individuals for more than eight years, although she admitted that neither she nor any of the military personnel in her office were aware of the requirement until asked about it by Military.com.

Users may just be noticing the new requirement as the Defense Department adopts the new Oracle Cerner MHS Genesis electronic health record system department-wide. When patients apply to access the new program, they are asked to provide a photo of their driver's license or another approved identification card and a credit card or a loan document to verify their ID.

Schwegman said that those who object to the credit check can use a Common Access Card to obtain a DS Logon or, if they don't have a CAC, can go to a DoD ID card facility and get their identity verified in person.

"Use of the remote identity proofing service is not a requirement for DS Logon issuance, but for some it is the most convenient option available," Schwegman said.

Langer, who is chairman of the Institute for Regulatory Analysis and Engagement, a nonprofit organization focused on the federal regulations and the administrative state, doesn't think that DoD beneficiaries should trade privacy for convenience.

He has written to the Defense Health Agency and reached out to two members of Congress to get answers on the new requirement, trying to find out who made the decision, why, and whether the DoD went through the proper regulatory process to enact it.

"I find no reference to it anywhere," Langer said. "I've gone down the rabbit hole trying to figure out who is responsible. … My suspicion is that the justification they will lay out is because they are trying to do this across platforms for DoD dependents, VA, DoD employees. I guess they are trying to standardize it. It still doesn't justify why."

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This investigation is a collaboration between Military.com and Public Health Watch.

The mesh cap that Noah Feehan wore nearly all day, every day, contained 18 terminals that delivered electrical pulses to his brain and the deadly tumor growing inside it.

Diagnosed with a form of cancer called glioblastoma in December 2020, Feehan, a 38-year-old Minnesota Air National Guard master sergeant, had vowed to do whatever it took to battle his illness even if it meant that, in addition to radiation and chemotherapy, he would wear the device 18 hours a day, sometimes enduring shocks so painful they forced him to his knees.

But the treatment triggered more than momentary pain. He stopped eating -- and smiling.

At a baseball game last summer, Noah’s wife of 13 years leaned in and asked him whether he wanted to take off the cap permanently, even if it meant abandoning an experimental weapon on which the family’s hopes rested.

"He goes, 'Can I?'" Jenny Feehan said. “I said, ‘Of course, you can.' I never saw him happier. It was like a light switch went on."

No one knows for certain why Feehan, who serves as an avionics technician, developed a rare brain cancer with an average life expectancy of 12 to 18 months that usually afflicts those in their 60s or older.

But he and other service members have their theories, after spending years working around electronics and jet fuel, operating in places contaminated by depleted uranium and pollutants, and living alongside belching pits full of burning trash.

"We're all assuming it's the burn pits," said Noah Feehan, who deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. "It was disgusting what they threw in there. Tires, jet fuel, body parts, plastics."

While traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder have been called the "signature wounds" of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, affecting nearly half a million troops, thousands of Veterans also have been diagnosed with diseases possibly connected to environmental hazards and toxic waste.

Hundreds, like Feehan, are fighting or have succumbed to glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer, striking roughly 12,000 Americans each year.

The few studies done on military personnel and Veterans to determine whether they have been getting glioblastoma at higher rates than the general population have been inconclusive.

But glioblastoma is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the active-duty population, behind colon cancer and leukemia.

And among post-9/11 Veterans who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, glioblastoma occurs at a rate 26% higher than that found in the general population, according to calculations based on Department of Veterans Affairs and National Institutes of Health data.

Most of the stricken Veterans and their families believe their illnesses were caused by military environmental exposures. Yet 42% of the 2,126 post-9/11 Veterans who have developed brain cancer have been denied access to health care and disability compensation by the VA. The VA doesn’t single out glioblastoma, which accounts for about 80% of all metastatic brain tumors, for claims purposes.

For Veterans and family members dealing with the emotional and physical toll of battling brain cancer, the added burden of quarreling with the VA over benefits can be too much.

"We spent the first year fighting the disease and the second year fighting VA," said Amy Antioho, widow of former Army Capt. Peter Antioho, a West Point graduate who died of glioblastoma on Sept. 27, 2020. "It should not be this way."

Antioho spends her days working on a farm and caring for the couple's five-year-old son, Mark, who has come to know his father through notes from friends and family recollections.

She tries to focus on the memories before cancer, but Peter's last days, spent in hospice, loom large. She had to shelter him from nurses who kept telling him he would eventually get better and go home. She remembers lying next to Peter, listening to the soundtrack of “Les Miserables,” holding him just as Marius cradles a dying Eponine. She relives the moment she gave him permission to go, trying to free him from the responsibility of caring for his family.

She misses her handsome soldier.

"I just remember him saying the burn pit was going to kill him someday," Antioho said.

A Military Connection?

According to the NIH, the rate of glioblastoma in the general population, when accounting for age, is roughly 3.2 cases per 100,000 people, with the median age of onset at 64.

But according to the VA, among post-9/11 Veterans who deployed and have VA health care, the rate of brain cancer – mostly glioblastomas -- averaged 5.2 cases per 100,000 per year from 2015 to 2019 in a population in which nearly half are ages 30 to 39.

The rates among Vietnam and Persian Gulf Vets are elevated as well – 6.2 per 100,000 per year between 2015 and 2019, according to the department.

The VA automatically grants benefits to service members diagnosed with brain cancer on active duty and to any Veteran who worked with radiation while serving, or if they develop the disease within a year of discharge.

All others must file a disability compensation claim. Since 2002, more than 10,000 Veterans with brain cancer or surviving family members of Veterans from the Vietnam, Persian Gulf and post-9/11 eras have had varying degrees of success.

The VA told Military.com and Public Health Watch on Nov. 5 that the claims approval rate was just 16.7% for post-9/11 Veterans with brain cancer, while it was over 70% and 80%, respectively, for Vietnam and Persian Gulf War era Veterans.

When reached for comment about this investigation days before publication, the VA revised the data, indicating that the approval rate for post-9/11 Veterans was much higher, 58%, but was much lower, 31%, for Persian Gulf War-era Vets.

Officials said the 16.7% approval rate for post-9/11 Veterans was determined using a “dated system.” By utilizing a new algorithm that more accurately sorted the Veterans into their period of service the approval rates rose for post-9/11 Veterans and dropped for Persian Gulf-era Vets.

“Because they used the wrong method, they were missing some Gulf War Veterans completely, and then hadn't appropriately segmented them into Gulf War One and post 9/11,” explained Ken Smith, acting executive director of the Office of Performance Analysis and Integrity at the Veterans Benefits Administration. “This is the correct way of doing it.”

Regardless of classification, just about half of Veterans who served since August 1990 and developed brain cancer have had their claims denied. This, say Veterans’ advocates, is unacceptable.

"People are dying, and to deny them the right to health care, to deny [compensation] to their survivors who are spending their last minutes with their loved ones, it's criminal and insulting," said Rosie Torres, co-founder of Burn Pits 360, a nonprofit in Robstown, Texas, that supports Veterans who believe they were sickened by environmental exposures.

There is some hope this year that the path could get easier. The VA announced in November that it is reviewing whether some cancers and a rare lung disorder should be fast-tracked for disability benefits.

The department has not published a complete list of the cancers under consideration. But Veterans with glioblastoma and families of those who died from the disease believe it should be. They note that the commander-in-chief's son, former Army National Guard Maj. Beau Biden, died of glioblastoma in 2015.

Biden had deployed to Iraq in 2008 and worked as a civilian near a burn pit in Kosovo.

"We know now you don't want to live underneath a smokestack where carcinogens are coming out of it," President Joe Biden told Judy Woodruff on PBS NewsHour in 2018, comparing factory pollution to burn pits.

Dr. Anthony Szema, a New York-based pulmonologist who studies lung diseases in post-9/11 Veterans and serves as an adviser to Burn Pits 360, said he is not surprised that Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans are being diagnosed with cancer.

Burning plastics and some types of fuel can release cancer-causing chemicals such as dioxins and benzene into the air, he said.

"Near burn pits, Veterans inhaled carcinogens, they ingested carcinogens from the sand, they got it on their skin, absorbed it in the bloodstream," Szema said. "These cancers usually take years to develop. But [as] we saw in the World Trade Center rescue workers, EMS and firefighters, the latency was shortened. This may be the same for these Veterans."

Army Lt. Col. Brett Theeler, chair of the neurology department at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and a neuro-oncologist, said it’s hard to draw a definitive link between battlefield exposures and brain cancer because the research is scant.

"It's difficult, when you have a disease like glioblastoma, to try to show a link between that, a rare cancer, and exposure five, 10 or 20 years ago," Theeler said. "Those studies just don't exist in brain cancer that link it to a modern environmental exposure. Doesn't mean there isn't a link. There's just never been a study that has been able to show it."

Studies conducted after the 1991 Persian Gulf War did find that the risk of brain cancer was higher in Veterans exposed to nerve agents or chemical weapons during that conflict.

Army Veterans who destroyed the Khamisiyah Ammunition Storage Facility where sarin and cyclosarin agents were known to be stored, had a 72% increased risk of death from brain cancer compared with their unexposed counterparts.

And a later study also found a higher risk of brain cancer among Veterans exposed to oil-well fire smoke during and after the same war.

Concern over a possible cluster of brain cancers in seven airmen assigned to C-130 Hercules aircraft forced Air Force Special Operations Command to ask the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine in 2009 to investigate whether the diagnoses were tied to one another and, possibly, the aircraft.

While the researchers concluded the cases were simply a chance grouping, they did raise the possibility that aviation electronics and brain disease could be linked, suggesting "further analysis of radiofrequency radiation exposure in crew areas of AFSOC C-130.”

Fighting for Benefits

Service members, spouses and lawmakers hoping to secure benefits say the dearth of scientific evidence shouldn't be an issue given what is known about industrial toxins and exposures.

Reflecting on personality changes in her husband she noticed during the last year of his military service, Amy Antioho believes a malignancy may have been taking root in Peter’s brain well before his diagnosis.

Peter, described by friends as a military "lifer," inexplicably abandoned plans to go into special operations and then decided to leave the Army altogether, despite having no job and a pregnant wife.

He began taking risks and acting impulsively. And he became extremely paranoid -- a symptom for some with brain cancer.

An early diagnosis would not have changed the outcome but would have eased the VA claims process and given the couple back some time, Amy Antioho said.

"If somebody walks into the VA and has symptoms or already has a diagnosis of glioblastoma, it should be, 'We'll help you put a package together,' or forget the package, it should be, 'OK, here are your benefits,'" she said.

If glioblastoma doesn't make it onto the VA's list of presumptive illnesses, Congress is working to pass legislation that would create a list of 23 diseases considered linked to military environmental exposures, paving the way for thousands of Veterans to access their benefits more easily. That list includes glioblastoma.

The two proposals circulating in Congress, the House's Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics, or PACT, bill, and the Senate's Comprehensive and Overdue Support for Troops, or COST, of War bill, carry hefty price tags – $223 billion to $282 billion over the next 10 years.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, a California Democrat who has introduced and passed several key pieces of legislation to support Veterans affected by burn pits, said this is the cost of covering the "delayed casualties of war."

"We have enough evidence to have a high suspicion of causation. We need to act on that suspicion," Ruiz said. "I'm an emergency medicine physician. We don't sit around scratching our head. When people are dying in front of us, we take care of the individual."

Noah Feehan, who continues working as a full-time Guard member, will not have to endure the VA's lengthy appeals process. He received a VA disability rating of 100% in December.

The legislation will come too late, however, for spouses such as Jenyfer Johnson, whose husband, Dean Johnson, an Air Force Veteran who worked on a flight line during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, died of glioblastoma in May 2019, 14 months after his diagnosis.

"The VA denied his case and unless I had grounds to ask for an appeal, there was nothing else to do," Jenyfer wrote in an email. "My husband was dying, so I just dropped the case."

The Antiohos' appeal became highly publicized after they contacted the office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., for help. Amy Antioho said the process shouldn't be so complicated, involving VA claims officers, Veterans service organizations, lawmakers and sometimes lawyers.

"I was learning as I went," Antioho said. "Give them evidence, get denied. Give them evidence, get denied. Each time I thought it would go through because I had all my ducks in a row. And again, denied."

The Feehans, who have paid more than $10,000 to date for Noah's treatment, say they are relieved to no longer worry about medical bills since Noah got his disability rating late last year and, for now, will focus on cancer treatment and cherishing the moments they have with their sons Jack, 14; Peyton, 11; and Logan, 8.

Jenny Feehan has been writing a blog to keep friends and family updated and memorialize these days with Noah.

"Noah and I have changed the way we look at many things in life," she wrote on CaringBridge, a website where users post health journals. "Don't sweat the small stuff, make amends, stop holding grudges, love everyone, and always tell people how you feel. We are constantly saying 'I love you' in our house."

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Many Veterans are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, and therefore—with an effective claim that includes the right evidence—should be eligible for a sleep apnea VA rating. Since this condition is nearly epidemic among Veterans, it’s important to learn what it takes to get a VA disability for sleep apnea, as well as how the condition may affect you.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder in which breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. This can occur from ten times to hundreds of times per night. The constant interruption of breathing can lead to reduced sleep quality, short-term memory loss, irritability and even mood disorders, as well as major metabolic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

Sleep apnea often is thought of as a mild annoyance, but it is a significant condition that can lead to health issues ranging from hypertension, stroke and heart attack to depression, anxiety and headaches.

How do I know if I have sleep apnea?

Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include:

• Loud snoring
• Episodes where you stop breathing during sleep
• Gasping for air during sleep
• Awakening with a dry mouth
• Morning headache
• Daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia) or insomnia
• Lack of focus or difficulty concentrating
• Irritability or anger

If you experience many of these symptoms, we recommend seeing a doctor as soon as possible and seeking a diagnosis. If you meet the requirement of having a current diagnosis, you can obtain a service connection and VA rating for sleep apnea and receive disability benefits.

It’s likely your doctor will need to order a sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea. A doctor’s diagnosis will be one of the keys to getting a sleep apnea VA rating.

Why do so many Veterans have sleep apnea?

Research shows a strong correlation between deployments and sleep disorders, and sleep apnea is extremely common among Veterans. The Office of the Inspector General found that 1.3 million Veterans enrolled in VA Healthcare have a sleep apnea diagnosis.

As a Veteran, you’re four times more likely than other Americans to develop sleep apnea. According to the VA, 1 in 5 Veterans has obstructive sleep apnea. Since 2009, the number of Veterans’ claims for sleep apnea has increased by over 150%, according to USA Today.

Why do so many Veterans have sleep apnea? There are many factors during and after service that make Veterans vulnerable to this condition. There are also many service-connected conditions that can result in sleep apnea. It can also work in reverse: sleep apnea can lead to other disabilities.

Sleep apnea can be aggravated by PTSD (secondary to PTSD), also an extremely common disorder for Veterans. The same goes for depression and anxiety—or any of the 33 mental health conditions rated by the VA—which can be highly disruptive to sleep.

Traumatic brain injury and physical pain are also conditions that affect many Veterans and can lead to sleep apnea. Exposure to materials such as dust and fumes, and the resulting rhinitis or sinusitis, is also a common issue for Veterans that’s associated with sleep apnea.

What is the current VA rating for sleep apnea?

There isn’t a single rating for sleep apnea, but a range of ratings depending on the severity of your condition (as is true for other disability ratings). A disability rating at any given percentage (e.g., 30%, 50%, 100%) pays based on that percentage, no matter what condition(s) gives you that rating.

Your sleep apnea rating will compensate you based on your condition’s severity. The disability rating you’re given for sleep apnea is combined with any other disability ratings you have, if any, to give you an overall rating based on VA math.

Sleep apnea is classified by the VA as sleep apnea syndromes (diagnostic code 6847). The VA awards disability ratings for sleep apnea at the 0 percent, 30 percent, 50 percent, and 100 percent levels. The most common VA rating for sleep apnea is 50 percent.

The sleep apnea VA rating criteria are as follows:

• 100%: Chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale (a condition that causes the right side of the heart to fail), or requires tracheostomy
• 50%: Requires use of breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine
• 30%: Persistent daytime hypersomnolence
• 0%: Asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder breathing

If you feel groggy during the day, you may be rated at 30 percent. If you use a CPAP machine to address your sleep apnea, you’re likely to be rated at least at 50 percent. To be rated at 100 percent, you must experience chronic respiratory failure.

Can sleep apnea be service-connected?

Yes, sleep apnea can be service-connected—and will need to be service-connected in order for you to get a disability rating for sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea can be service-connected in two ways: either direct service connection or secondary service connection.

Direct service connection for sleep apnea can be difficult to obtain, as most successful cases require a diagnosis while on active duty. This would mean you had a sleep study conducted while on active duty and received a medical diagnosis of sleep apnea as a result of the study.

This is rare, because most Veterans don’t realize they have sleep apnea until after they’ve left military service. Many Veterans don’t even know what sleep apnea is while on active duty, let alone that they need a sleep study to prove they have it! For this reason, a secondary service connection for sleep apnea is much more common.

Sleep apnea and secondary service connection

A disability with a secondary service connection is a condition that was caused or made worse by an already existing service-connected condition.

If you have a service-connected disability aggravating or causing your sleep apnea, you may be eligible to get service connection for sleep apnea on a secondary basis. This is especially relevant for Veterans diagnosed with sleep apnea long after leaving the military.

With over 50 conditions that can be medically linked to sleep apnea, it’s important to understand the three elements required by law that must be satisfied in order for sleep apnea to be service-connected secondary to another service-connected disability.

1. A medical diagnosis of sleep apnea confirmed by a sleep study in VA medical records or private records
2. Evidence of a service-connected primary disability, such as musculoskeletal conditions or mental health conditions (PTSD, depression, anxiety, sinusitis, rhinitis), AND
3. A nexus (link) shown via medical evidence establishing a connection between the service-connected disability and the current disability (in this case, sleep apnea)

The three most common conditions resulting in a secondary service connection for sleep apnea and therefore a are:

• Sleep apnea secondary to PTSD or other mental health condition
• Sleep apnea secondary to a respiratory condition
• Sleep apnea secondary to medication side effects

Sleep apnea secondary to PTSD

Research shows that combat Veterans with PTSD may be at higher risk for sleep apnea than the general population. Both disorders have risk factors that affect both sleep apnea and symptoms of PTSD, and the conditions can aggravate each other.

A study conducted by the VA Healthcare System for San Diego and National Center for PTSD found that between 40 percent and 98 percent (!) of Veterans with PTSD also have a co-occuring sleep disturbance, including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). If you’re dealing with sleep apnea as a secondary condition to PTSD, you aren’t alone!

Sleep apnea also ranks #2 on our List of the Top 5 Secondary Conditions to PTSD.

PTSD—and the side effects of medications taken to address PTSD—can lead to the development of sleep apnea in a few different ways. PTSD is well-known for causing sleep deprivation, chronic stress, and an increase in body mass or obesity due to prescribed medications. All of these can contribute to sleep apnea.

In order to prove a secondary service connection, you’ll need three things:

• A medical diagnosis of sleep apnea confirmed with a sleep study
• A service-connected PTSD disability rating (or another service-connected mental health condition)
• A medical nexus establishing a connection between your PTSD and sleep apnea

PTSD doesn’t have to be the main cause of your sleep apnea, but it does have to be connected. You can link these two by detailing the side effects of PTSD that impact your sleep apnea, with the doctor writing your nexus letter.

Also see our post on receiving a VA rating for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD.

What kind of CPAP machine does the VA use?

A Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine helps treat sleep apnea by delivering a stream of air into your airways through a mask and a tube.

The VA prescribes several different types of CPAP machines. These include:

• A basic CPAP, which keeps pressure constant all night long
• A bilevel device (BiPAP), which provides two levels of pressure—more when you breathe in and less when you breathe out
• An auto-CPAP device, which changes pressure throughout the night based on your body position, sleep stage, and snoring

As you’re gathering medical evidence to file your VA claim for sleep apnea, remember that just having a CPAP alone doesn’t meet the VA’s requirements for service connection. You must have a medical statement from a doctor detailing how your sleep apnea is service-connected.

Is a CPAP machine the only treatment for sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea treatment depends on the type and severity of the condition. Before or in addition to CPAP therapy, lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and stress reduction may be recommended. Some Veterans with sleep apnea may experience improvement with lifestyle changes, but CPAP therapy is still among the most common treatments.

Why would a VA claim for sleep apnea be denied?

A VA claim for sleep apnea can be denied for many reasons. One common scenario is when a Veteran tries to claim sleep apnea as a primary condition when there was no diagnosis during active-duty service. Even if you have a medical diagnosis during active-duty service, without a sleep study this is difficult to claim successfully.

If you’re claiming sleep apnea as a secondary condition, make sure you already have a medical diagnosis before you make your claim. The most common reason for denial of secondary claims is not establishing a strong enough connection between the service-connected disability and the sleep apnea. Including a nexus letter for sleep apnea can be an important part of your claim to strengthen your case for a sleep apnea VA rating.

In addition, during the C&P exam for a sleep apnea VA rating, it’s important to make the case for how your sleep apnea impacts your ability to work, your daily life, and your social life.

Sleep apnea is proven to significantly reduce a person’s quality of life (in one study, the reduction in quality of life was equivalent to that observed with diabetes or hypertension). Obstructive sleep apnea can cause daytime sleepiness, snoring, depression, difficulties with concentration, and loss of memory.

Here are a few examples of how sleep apnea could be impacting your life, which you’ll want to clearly state and demonstrate in your C&P exam and in your claim:

• You have difficulty working and lose productivity during the day due to napping
• You have to use a CPAP or other breathing machine at night
• Your depression or anxiety, exacerbated by loss of sleep, affect your relationships and work
• Your inability to focus or concentrate or loss of memory affects your job or your safety

Do I need a nexus letter for sleep apnea?

We recommend a nexus letter from a medical professional to connect your condition to your military service (or secondary to a service-connected disability) in order to improve your chances of receiving a rating for sleep apnea as a secondary condition.

In our experience, a well-crafted nexus letter for sleep apnea is the single most crucial document you can provide to help prove service connection on an “at least as likely as not” basis. Having a doctor connect your sleep apnea to your secondary service-connected disability will greatly improve your chances of winning a sleep apnea VA rating.

(If you need an independent medical opinion in the VA’s language, take a look at our VA Claims Insider Elite program. Membership gives you your very own Veteran coach to walk you through the VA claim process from start to end, and access to proprietary resources. It also connects you with Vetted medical professionals in our independent referral network for medical examinations and credible medical nexus letters. It’s free to join and we don’t win unless you win.)

Can the VA take away my sleep apnea rating?

A sleep apnea VA rating can be reduced by the VA.

When you’re granted a sleep apnea VA rating, you may also be assigned a re-evaluation period (unless the condition is classified as static). Typically the re-evaluation period is anywhere from two to five years after your initial examination. At that time, the VA may schedule a re-examination to verify if your sleep apnea symptoms still exist, and if they’ve changed.

If your initial rating decision letter says that future examinations are scheduled, or you don’t have a 100% permanent and total rating, then your disability rating is not considered permanent or static by the VA.

There are cases in which your VA rating for sleep apnea would not be re-evaluated. These would include situations in which:

• Your disability is considered permanent by the VA
• Your disability is considered static by the VA
• Sleep apnea symptoms persist without material improvement for five or more years (this is known as a stabilized rating)
• You’re over age 55
• You have a continuous sleep apnea rating for 20 years or more

According to 38 CFR § 3.105(e), a rating reduction (for any condition) may only take place in cases where:

• The VA has reviewed your entire medical history
• You’ve undergoes a thorough examination
• The VA has found sustained improvement in your ability to function under the ordinary conditions of life,

The VA is also required to issue a Veteran notice of a proposed reduction and give you 60 days to submit evidence and 30 days to request a hearing (unless the reduction would not change your compensation).

Get service-connected, get compensated and get the care you need!

By covering all the bases in your sleep apnea VA claim process—having your sleep apnea diagnosed with a sleep study and connecting your sleep apnea to a service-connected condition with medical evidence—you’ll set yourself up for success to get a service-connected VA rating for sleep apnea. Also make sure to seek the care you need to get relief from the effect of sleep apnea on your health and life.

Want More Help with Your Sleep Apnea VA Claim?

At VA Claims Insider, we can help you win your claim and get the highest VA rating for sleep apnea.

At VA Claims Insider, we help Veterans understand and take control of the claims process so they can get the rating and compensation they’re owed by law. Our process takes the guesswork out of filing a VA disability claim and supports you every step of the way in building a fully-developed claim (FDC).

If you’ve filed your VA disability claim and have been denied or have received a low rating, or you’re not sure how to get started, reach out to us for a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call—so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation you deserve. We’ve supported more than 15,000 Veterans to win their claims. NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.

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