Excerpts taken from President Obama’s News Conference March 24, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/us/politics/24text-obama.html?pagewanted=print
Kevin Baron, Stars and Stripes. Is Kevin here? There you go.
QUESTION: Mr. President, where do you plan to find savings in the Defense and Veterans Administration’s budgets when so many items that seem destined for the chopping block are politically untenable, perhaps?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I’m sorry, so many?
QUESTION: When so many items that may be destined for the chopping block seem politically untenable, from major weapons systems -- as you mentioned, procurement -- to wounded warrior care costs, or increased operations on Afghanistan, or the size of the military itself.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, a couple of -- a couple of points I want to make.
The budget that we’ve put forward reflects the largest increase in veterans funding in 30 years. That’s the right thing to do. Chuck asked earlier about sacrifices. I -- I don’t think anybody doubts the extraordinary sacrifices that men and women in uniform have already made. And when they come home, then they have earned the benefits that they receive.
And unfortunately, over the last several years, all too often the VA has been under-resourced when it comes to dealing with things like post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, dealing with some of the backlogs in admission to VA hospitals.
So there are a whole host of veterans’ issues that I think every American wants to see properly funded, and that’s what’s reflected in our budget. Where the savings should come in -- and I’ve been working with Secretary Gates on this and will be detailing it more in the weeks to come -- is how do we reform our procurement system so that it keeps America safe and we’re not wasting taxpayer dollars? And there is uniform acknowledgment that the procurement system right now doesn’t work. That’s not just my opinion; that’s John McCain’s opinion; that’s Carl Levin’s opinion.
There are a whole host of people who are students of the procurement process that will say if you’ve got a whole range of billion-dollar, multi-billion-dollar systems that are -- where we’re seeing cost overruns of 30 percent or 40 percent or 50 percent, and then still don’t perform the way they’re supposed to or are providing our troops with the kinds of tools that they need to succeed on their missions, then we’ve got a problem.
Now, I think everybody in this town knows that the politics of changing procurement is tough, because, you know, lobbyists are very active in this area. You know, contractors are very good at dispersing the jobs in plants in the Defense Department widely.
And so what we have to do is to go through this process very carefully, be more disciplined than we’ve been in the last several years. As I’ve said, we’ve already identified, potentially, $40 billion in savings, just by some of the procurement reforms that are pretty apparent to a lot of -- a lot of critics out there. And we are going to continue to find savings in a way that allows us to put the resources where they’re needed but to make sure that we’re not simply fattening defense contractors.
One last point. In order for us to get a handle on these costs, it’s also important that we are honest in what these costs are. And that’s why it was so important for us to acknowledge the true costs of the Iraq war and the Afghan war, because if -- if those costs are somehow off the books and we’re not thinking about them, then it’s hard for us to make some of the tough choices that need to be made.
Kevin Chappell. Hi, Kevin.
QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President. A recent report found that as a result of the economic downturn, one in 50 children are now homeless in America. With shelters at full capacity, tent cities are sprouting up across the country.
In passing your stimulus package, you said that help was on the way, but what would you say to these families, especially children, who are sleeping under bridges and in tents across the country?
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, the first thing I’d say is that I’m heartbroken that any child in America is homeless.
And the most important thing that I can do on their behalf is to make sure their parents have a job. And that’s why the recovery package said, as a first priority, how are we going to save or create 3.5 million jobs? How can we prevent layoffs for teachers and police officers? How can we make sure that we are investing in the infrastructure for the future that can put people back to work right away? How do we make sure that when people do lose their jobs, that their unemployment insurance is extended, that they can keep their health care?
So there are a whole host of steps that we’ve done to provide a cushion for folks who have fallen on very hard times and to try to spur immediate projects that can put people back to work.
Now, in the meantime, we’ve got to work very closely with the states to monitor and to help people who are still falling through the cracks.
And, you know, the homeless problem was bad even when the economy was good. Part of the change in attitudes that I want to see here in Washington and all across the country is a belief that it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours. And so we’re going to be initiating a range of programs as well to deal with homelessness.
One area in particular I want to focus on is the issue of veterans. The rate of homelessness among veterans is much, much higher than for non-veteran populations.
And so we’ve got -- a number of the increases that we’re looking for in our budget on veterans funding directly addresses the issue of homeless veterans. That, I think, can provide some real help.
A new study shows that brain circuitry may actually change for people diagnosed with post traumatic stress symptoms, according to researchers from Duke University and the Durham, N.C., Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Beyond the symptoms most-associated with PTSD — nightmares, flashbacks and hyper-awareness — combat troops also often suffer from an inability to think clearly or remember things well, which makes performing basic daily tasks difficult. While these same symptoms have been connected to traumatic brain injuries as a result of amnesia and short-term memory loss, some researchers began to wonder if service members’ brains had reorganized themselves to respond immediately to potentially dangerous information. According to the study, printed in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging journal, all of a person’s attention goes to an immediate, life-or-death situation, rather than letting other information filter in.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A World War II-era law established that veterans who "engaged in combat with the enemy" receive special treatment when they seek disability compensation, making it less burdensome for them to prove the injury was from their time in the service.
But members of veterans groups testified Tuesday that the law is outdated, and some veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are struggling to obtain disability benefits because they don't meet the definition.
There is particular concern, they said, that the rule interferes with disability benefits for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder whose trauma may not be documented by the military. PTSD can affect people who experience a traumatic event. Symptoms can include flashbacks and anxiety.
The mental disorder has affected service members in non-infantry roles such as truck drivers or cooks, who on today's battlefields are vulnerable to roadside bombs or mortar attacks. They often lack a combat infantry badge or other documentation to prove their battlefield experience.
The Veterans Affairs Department has said about half of all disability claims for PTSD are approved, and the majority of denials come because the veteran lacks evidence of injury related to his time in the service, according to a report last year from the Congressional Budget Office.
Rep. John Hall, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee, which held Tuesday's hearing, said the law should be updated to define a combat veteran as any veteran who served in a combat theater of operations or in combat against a hostile force.
"There should be a better way for VA to assist veterans suffering from PTSD to adjudicate those claims without being burdensome, stressful and adversarial," Hall said.
It's estimated that if the law is changed, thousands more veterans would seek disability compensation for PTSD, potentially costing hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Bradley Mayas, director of the Veterans Benefits Administration's Compensation and Pension Service, told the subcommittee that changes have been made to make it easier for veterans with PTSD to qualify for disability compensation.
Antoinette Zees, deputy chief officer for mental health services at the Veterans Health Administration, noted that the VA provides health care for five years for the recent veterans, so some veterans are getting treatment for PTSD even if they are not receiving disability benefits for it.
Hello Bloggers:
I spend more time on FACEBOOK now.
Drop by if you have a chance.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1555085923
I read the New York Times article below, have gotten several request from folks to get involved, mobilize, canvass, stand at the store and get pledges etc.
It's not bad to engage your neighbors, but you should not be asking them to sign a pledge to support the President's agenda. What really gets accomplished by having someone check mark a box and how will it ultimately impact our country? That pledge got signed on November 4th.
This smells more like busy work with no real goal. I don't know about you...but many of us are tyring to keep hold of our jobs in this economy...and don't have time to wander around with clipboards.
Barack Obama now commands the largest federal budget in the world. He commands the most powerful military on earth. The American people are behind him 70%. Do not cry wolf too often, or trot us out like idiots to our neighbors until there is a real fight.
The fight for the Whitehouse was a real fight.
To try to increase poll numbers or congressional votes because the constituents call or write...worthless. That will have little impact on those who have been in their cushy congressional seats too long.
There are several congressional members (both sides of the aisle) who have no soul or are simply worthless and have been there far too long. The real change - will come in 2010. When the change of these folks comes. We cannot keep making the same mistakes - be they democrat or republican - you are all on notice.
We are coming for you in 2010, so get to work!
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Can Obama’s Grass-Roots Supporters Fire Up the Budget? | By JEFF ZELENY
Can Obama’s Grass-Roots Supporters Fire Up the Budget?
Can the Obama army rise again?
For more than four months, the legions of volunteers who helped elect President Obama have largely been given a breather, a reprieve from the rigors of political chores that some had been dutifully performing for nearly two years. But their respite may be over. This week, a new test is under way to see whether the network can still come alive.
The timing is by design. Not only is Mr. Obama’s budget proposal facing an uphill climb in Congress, but his administration also is weathering fresh criticism over an onslaught of financial rescues and disclosures about bonuses paid out by bailout recipients. So the president’s advisers did not want to wait too long before trying to engage — or, to borrow a bit of campaign lingo, to fire up — supporters.
Anyone who donated $5 (or significantly more), knocked on doors or even ordered a T-shirt from the Obama store likely received an e-mail in recent days to sign a pledge supporting the president’s economic plan and domestic agenda for education, health care and energy. And on Saturday and Sunday, the rank-and-file are urged to reprise a staple of the presidential race: the neighborhood canvas.
The campaign, which was known as Obama for America, has morphed into a group called Organizing for America, keeping the same O.F.A. initials and hoping to hold onto at least a share of the loyalty that millions of people from all 50 states showed last year. But rallying behind the budget is hardly as captivating as campaigning for a candidate, which raises questions about the effectiveness of the effort.
This is a repost from my blog dated Mar 15th, 2008 |
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/obamablogger/gGB8Mn
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Irish for O'bama - St. Paddy's Day
I was born in Rockford, Illinois to an Irish American Family. My family arrived in Chicago in the 1880s. My great grandfather John Archibald Magee a tailor by trade, took a position at Marshall Field’s. John broke and trained the delivery horses for Marshall Field's Store. The story goes that John changed his last name from McGee to Magee because of the trouble his brothers had gotten into in Ireland with the separatist movement in Antrim. My Great Grandmother, Delia Agnes met John and his mother and father on the boat trip over from Ireland. She was an orphan and looking for a position in America. The pair were married at Holy Name Cathederal in Chicago.
I wake up every morning and reaffirm to myself - I will not allow myself to be descriminated against because of my gender. I will not allow anyone to be discounted because of the color of their skin. I will not dismiss someone because of their views. I will not be ashamed of being American when I travel overseas. (because of our poor foriegn policy over the past 8 years)
We need to stop looking at what divides us, celebrate what makes us unique and join forces against those who would try to seperate us to gain political power. If we can find the common denominator...we become stronger. If we fail....those who do not want to share political power or the American promise will silence our voices. Seperate and divide. Seperate and divide.
So on this St. Patrick's Day...it's time to kiss everyone...because you are "American".
If my great grandparents could come to America and prosper...so can you and so can America. Oh, yes we can!
A very happy St. Paddy's to you and yours....!
Marshall Fields Store Chicago IL
An Open Letter to Veterans | From Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki
"My name is Ric Shinseki, and I am a Veteran. For me, serving as Secretary of Veterans Affairs is a noble calling. It provides me the opportunity to give back to those who served with and for me during my 38 years in uniform and those on whose shoulders we all stood as we grew up in the profession of arms.
"The Department of Veterans Affairs has a solemn responsibility to all of you, today and in the future, as more Veterans join our ranks and enroll to secure the benefits and services they have earned. I am fully committed to fulfilling President Obama's vision for transforming our department so that it will be well-positioned to perform this duty even better during the 21st Century. We welcome the assistance and advice of our Veterans Service Organizations, other government departments and agencies, Congress, and all VA stakeholders as we move forward, ethically and transparently, so that Veterans and citizens can understand our efforts.
"Creating that vision for transforming the VA into a 21st Century organization requires a comprehensive review of our department. We approach that review understanding that Veterans are central to everything VA does. We know that results count, that the department will be measured by what we do, not what we promise, and that our best days as an organization supporting Veterans are ahead of us. We will fulfill President Lincoln's charge to care for ". . . him, who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan . . ." by redesigning and reengineering ourselves for the future.
"Transforming any institution is supremely challenging; I know this from my own experience in leading large, proud, complex, and high-performing organizations through change. But the best organizations must be prepared to meet the challenging times, evolving technology and, most importantly, evolving needs of clients. Historically, organizations that are unwilling or unable to change soon find themselves irrelevant.
You and your needs are not irrelevant.
"Veterans are our clients, and delivering the highest quality care and services in a timely, consistent and fair manner is a VA responsibility
I take that responsibility seriously and have charged all of the department's employees for their best efforts and support every day to meet our obligations to you. Our path forward is challenging, but the President and Congress support us. They have asked us to do this well-for you. Veterans are our sole reason for existence and our number one priority-bar none. I look forward to working together with all VA employees to transform our department into an organization that reflects the change and commitment our country expects and our Veterans deserve.
"Thank you, and God bless our military, our Veterans, and our Nation."
Signed: Eric K. Shinseki
Many U.S. troops coming home to America's troubled economy have fallen on hard times. Some veterans find themselves looking for jobs to fight off foreclosure and other financial problems.
Sunday, a group of Chicago area community, business and government agencies came together to help them.
Fifteen months ago, Brian Jacobson put his fast food job on hold and headed to Iraq for an Army tour of duty, only to return home and become one of the thousands of jobless veterans.
"Now that I'm out, I find it hard because I don't have a set plan day-to-day," Jacobson
That's the reason why hundreds of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families attended the second annual Welcome Home celebration. That employment and information fair is the brainchild of Chicago area Veterans Affairs officials and the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"As a returning Iraqi veteran, there was nothing here on campus. It's an opportunity," said Robert Malnik of the UIC Veterans Student Association.
"It's harder for them now. When they return home, there are not as many people hiring," Jesse brown VA Medical Center's Valerie Creedon said.
Fewer businesses looking to hire veterans showed up at the fair this year, but those that did hoped to fill their ranks with former soldiers.
The House Armed Forces Subcommittee held a Military Personnel hearing, today, on “Sexual Assault in the Military: Prevention.”
The subcommittee heard testimony from Carolyn Collins, program manger of the Army’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program, Raymond Bruneau, manager of the Marine Corps’ Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program; Katherine Robertson, deputy manager of the Navy Installation Command’s Counseling, Advocacy and Prevention Program and Charlene Bradley, assistant deputy for the force management integration in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Prevention and Response Office.
This was one in a series of hearings that this subcommittee will conduct on the subject of sexual assault in the military, this year. The hearing today focused on Prevention Programs that are currently in place.
Chairwoman Susan Davis (D-CA) said: “Just as we have the responsibility to ensure that victims of a sexual assault receive all the support that can be provided following an attack, we also have an obligation to do all we can to prevent such attacks from ever taking place. The Department of Defense has made significant improvements in recent years, but the question we need to ask is, has enough been done?”
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) asked the witnesses whether and why the question “do women belong in the military” was still an issue and stated that this needed to be addressed. She said there needs to be a “change in cultural attitudes” towards woman in the military, and more “effective laws.”
The prevention and after-care systems that were identified by the panel seemed focused on the woman; offering counseling for victims. There was no evidence of rehabilitation programs in place for the men who commit this offense.
Mr. Bruneau said: “People are our most important resource. Marines have a long history of taking care of their own. Which means that we do not intentionally harm one another. Nor, do we leave a comrade behind. Victims of sexual assault are entitled to our support and care and deserve to be returned to the fight as fully functioning marines. The marines as always, are committed to caring for their own, as it’s the right thing to do.”
The subcommittee showed three videos by the witnesses that have been created by and for the military in an attempt to highlight the serious nature of sexually criminal behavior.
Source:
http://talkradionews.com/2009/03/marine-corps-%E2%80%9Cvictims-of-sexual-assault-are-entitled-to-our-support%E2%80%9D/
It's not as dramatic but it's just as heart-breaking - and as anger-making -- as our government's pitiful performance during Katrina.
I'm talking about employees in our Department of Veterans affairs putting ten of thousands of unopened letters containing benefit claims in desk drawers or in bins awaiting shredding.
I'm talking about the vets or their survivors who call to check on the status of a claim, only to be told that the VA has no record of their claim and that they should resubmit their paperwork.
I'm talking about the woman who claimed she had to submit paperwork to the VA three times to prove she was married and had three children.
I'm talking about vets' survivors who have to wait six to nine months for simple claims to be approved.
I'm talking about workers at a Detroit VA regional office who turned in 16,000 pieces of unprocessed mail during an "amnesty" period.
I'm talking about VA managers who told their staffs to post-date claims to make it appear the claims were being processed faster. A review found that 56 percent of claims had incorrectly recorded the dates when they were received, which in many cases determine the effective date for benefits payments. That raises serious questions about how many past claims have been delayed or denied.
When this news broke, there was the totally predictable outcry from Congress men and women, whose "support our troops and our vets and their families" has become an easy staple on their road to reelection. We're shocked! Shocked!
Rep. Bob Filner of California, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, has said he "has made it his priority to ensure that our veterans receive the honor and dedicated care that their courage and bravery demand." He has said he has directed his Committee to improve the health care and benefits for our veterans. He claims that he continues to fight to ensure that Congress keeps the promises that have been made to our veterans, not only the new generation of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan but also the generations from past conflicts.
Similar sentiments have been expressed by Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii - a World War Two vet -- who is chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee in the Senate. Sen. Akaka says he is "determined to honor this nation's veterans by ensuring they receive the care and benefits they have earned through selfless service."
So where was the Congressional oversight that's supposed to prevent this kind of outrage?
A.W.O.L.
But if this latest outrage came as a surprise to Congress and to most of the American people, to others, it was an old story -- albeit not the type that gets page one treatment or lots of time on cable news, like the unforgivable deficiencies exposed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Kathryn Witt of Gold Star Wives of America said survivors trying to receive VA benefits have long complained about problems getting accurate information and missing claims.
And Kerry Baker of the Disabled American Veterans said, "A large section of the veterans community and representatives of the community have long felt that the Veterans Benefits Administration operates in such a way that stalls the claims process until frustrated claimants either give up or die."
"Give up or die." Think about it. You're back from active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan and you've been injured. Or your spouse, or your son or daughter, won't ever be coming back, and you're trying to get the government to pay the debt they keep saying is so well earned.
Just filling out the paperwork would be tough enough under these circumstances. But can you imagine the unspeakable frustration you would feel after you file your claim and then - silence. You hear from no one, or you're told your claim was never received. Can you think of anything more likely to push a vet or a vet's family over the edge?
Why has this kind of stuff been happening for so many years? The main reason is that the VA is grossly under-staffed. And the reason it's so under-staffed is that it's operating with quill pens. Most of its so-called information technology is like something out of the 19th century, which means that claimants' records are on un-digitized paper.
Paper that piles up in people's desk drawers or in shredding bins.
When he appointed retired general Eric Shinseki to head the VA, President Obama said, "We owe it to all our veterans to honor them as we honored our greatest generation, not just with words, but with deeds." Obama said Shinseki was the right person to cut red tape, boost funding, and bring benefits to veterans.
"Not just with words, but with deeds."
Eric Shinseki is a smart guy. A guy who really cares about veterans and their families. But the task he confronts, just in this small corner of the VA, is Herculean.
Let's hope he's the kind of "bring-it-on" guy who's really ready to "cut red tape, boost funding, and bring benefits to veterans."
But he shouldn't have to do it all alone. We can help him by writing our representatives in Congress.
Rep. Filner can be reached at (202) 225-8045. Sen. Akaka can be reached at 202) 224-9126.
http://www.opednews.com/populum/print_friendly.php?ok=y&p=Heck-of-a-job-VA-by-William-Fisher-090306-936.html
A new report about Veterans Affairs Department employees squirreling away tens of thousands of unopened letters related to benefits claims is sparking fresh concerns that veterans and their survivors are being cheated out of money.
VA officials acknowledge further credibility problems based on a new report of a previously undisclosed 2007 incident in which workers at a Detroit regional office turned in 16,000 pieces of unprocessed mail and 717 documents turned up in New York in December during amnesty periods in which workers were promised no one would be penalized.
“Veterans have lost trust in VA,” Michael Walcoff, VA’s under secretary for benefits, said at a hearing Tuesday. “That loss of trust is understandable, and winning back that trust will not be ea sy.”
Obama sees savings in spending reforms | By Matt Spetalnick
WASHINGTON (Reuters)
President Barack Obama on Wednesday will order a crackdown on waste and cost overruns in U.S. government procurement that he estimates will save up to $40 billion (28.4 billion pound) a year, an administration official said.
Elected on campaign promises of sweeping change and greater accountability in Washington, Obama, who took office on January 20, will sign a presidential memorandum seeking to "reform our broken system of government contracting," the official said.
The president will unveil his plan at a White House ceremony at 10 a.m. EST (3:00 p.m. British time), nine days after holding a "fiscal responsibility" summit where he pledged to make curbing procurement excesses, especially in defence spending, one of his top priorities.
The reform program also comes less than a week after Obama forecast a $1.75 trillion deficit for the 2009 fiscal year, the biggest since World War Two and stark evidence of the heavy blow the deep recession has dealt to the country's finances.
Republican critics have condemned Obama's budget proposal as part of a "tax-and-spend" onslaught by the new Democratic president, a charge he and his aides strongly deny.
Many Hires Needed for Budget Goals
Several major agencies said they are already making plans to grow their workforces, some significantly.
Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs, for instance, said they expect to hire more than 17,000 new employees by the end of the year, many at hospitals and other facilities to fulfill Obama's pledge to expand veterans' access to health care.
The agency -- whose budget will grow by 11 percent, to $56 billion, under Obama's plan -- will add about 7,900 nurses, 3,300 doctors, 3,800 clerks and 2,400 practical nurses, spokeswoman Josephine Schuda said.
Full article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/02/AR2009030202935.html?hpid=topnews
All Hail the Mighty State: Texas Independence Day
173 years ago, George C. Childress hurriedly composed a document at Washington-on-the-Brazos while only 150 miles away, the Alamo was under a brutal and ultimately fatal attack by the Mexican army. The document, which was written overnight at a hastily formed convention of Texas leaders, accused the Mexican goverment of ceasing to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people of Texas. It became the Texas Declaration of Independence.
…the people of Texas do now constitute a free, Sovereign, and independent republic, and are fully invested with all the rights and attributes which properly belong to independent nations; and, conscious of the rectitude of our intentions, we fearlessly and confidently commit the issue to the decision of the Supreme arbiter of the destinies of nations.
And with those words, the people of the Republic of Texas declared independence from Mexico on this day, March 2, 1836.
The Texas War of Independence had begun half a year earlier, on October 5, 1835, with the defeat of the Mexican army at the Battle of Gonzales by armed Texians who refused to surrender a cannon — the famous “Come and Take It” cannon — to the Mexican government, as it was their only means of protection against Indian attacks on the settlement.
General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the recently-elected president of Mexico, had just the year before abolished the Constitution of 1824 — which very loosely governed Mexican territories, including Texas — and enacted a harsh, anti-federalist constitution in its place. The new constitution took away liberties to which most Texian settlers had become accustomed, required that they convert to Catholicism, tithe 10% of their earnings to the Roman Catholic church and created the state of Coahuila y Tejas out of the former territory, with its new capital hundreds of miles away from the former capital of San Antonio. Texian settlers were furious.
After winning the Battle of Gonzales, local leader Stephen F. Austin began to round up volunteers to form a Texian Army, much to the fury of General Santa Anna. They saw their first great victory at the Siege of Bexar on December 11, 1835, defeating the Mexican army and General Santa Anna’s own brother-in-law, General Martin Perfecto de Cos, despite being outnumbered two to one and having very little ammunition or training.
The War of Indpendence reached a fever pitch at the infamous Battle of the Alamo, where General Santa Anna himself led an offensive on the Texian army members who were garrisoned at the Alamo, a former mission in San Antonio that was being used as a military headquarters. Between February 23 and March 6, 1836, the small number of Texians inside fortified the Alamo and were able to hold off the waves of Mexican troops. Ultimately outnumbered by twelve to one, the Texians were finally slaughtered — including the famous Davy Crockett, William B. Travis, James Fannin and Jim Bowie — and only a handful of survivors were allowed to leave the destroyed mission. Susanna Dickinson was spared by General Santa Anna so that she could spread the word of the defeat to her fellow Texians.
The defeat didn’t have its intended effect, as the defiant cry “Remember the Alamo!” was used to rally the Texian army during what would be the final battle of the Texas Revolution: the Battle of San Jacinto. The revolution came to an end here in Houston in a short, vicious battle. Although lasting only 18 minutes, over 600 Mexican troops were killed by an army of 900 Texians and two cannons. General Santa Anna escaped from the lost battle that day, April 21, 1836, and formally surrendered after being hunted down by a search party (who recognized the president in part due to the fancy silk underwear he was wearing).
A month later, the Treaty of Velasco was signed by General Santa Anna and David G. Burnet (the interim president of the Republic of Texas, prior to Sam Houston taking the reins) at what is now Surfside Beach. The treaty formally ended the Texas Revolution and recognized the Republic of Texas as a sovereign nation. The Republic existed as an independent nation for ten years before being annexed by the United States as the 28th state in the union.
And while it’s not entirely true that Texas retains the right to split into five separate states at any time (really, any state can split if it wants to) and it’s not at all true that Texas retains the right to secede from the United States at any time, one important thing is true (aside from the fact that the federal government has no control over our land or oil reserves; only our state goverment does!): Texans are strong, proud people who fight for what they believe in.
Happy Texas Indepdence Day, y’all!
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http://houstonist.com/2009/03/02/all_hail_the_mighty_state_texas_ind.php
By Katharine Shilcutt Gleave in Miscellaneous on March 2, 2009 10:00 AM
"I would characterize the likelihood of significant adjustments to this plan as fairly remote," said Gates.
Gates was asked about criticism of the plan from members of the president's Democratic Party, who do not like the idea of a large transitional force in Iraq until 2011.He stressed their mission will be very different from the combat forces now in place. The defense secretary acknowledged the remaining troops will still face some danger, but far less than today."It is a very different kind of mission and the units that will be left there will be characterized differently, they will be called advisory and assistance brigades," he said. "They will not be called combat brigades."U.S. commanders have indicated they are strongly supportive of the plan. The nation's top military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, told the Fox News Sunday program that he is comfortable with the president's decision."Clearly, the conditions are much more positive than they were two years ago," said Mullen. "And the conditions are set for the Iraqi government, the Iraqi people, to take over their own country and be responsible for it."Both Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen said they were pleased with the process that led to the withdrawal plan. Mullen said the president listened extensively to the commanders. And Gates said he thought Mr. Obama was more analytical than his predecessor, George W. Bush."He makes sure he hears from everybody in the room on an issue, and if they do not speak out, he calls on them," he said.Gates said he does not know how long he might be willing to stay at the Pentagon, but admitted it might be a challenge to remain through President Obama's current four-year term in office.
Source: Voice of America
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-03-01-voa16.cfm
Orlando Illi: Unraveling a Web of Medical Records, One Veteran at a Time
From the Partnership for Public Service | Sunday, March 1, 2009; 11:00 PM
Orlando Illi has been a man on a mission, a very personal mission to change the way the military handles medical records.
Three decades ago, Illi was thrown from a vehicle during an Army training accident, hospitalized for a month and left with permanent back injuries. Many years later the medical file detailing his injury could not be found when he applied for veterans' disability benefits, causing him great difficulty proving his claim.
Now a civilian manager working for the Army at Fort Detrick in Maryland, Illi is playing a pivotal role bringing electronic medical records to the battlefield -- a task that is helping improve the care of wounded soldiers and ensuring that injured veterans will not have to fight our government for the benefits they deserve.
"When I leave here at night, I know that somewhere in Afghanistan or Iraq that if somebody is injured or in combat and wounded, that data is being captured and that guy will know forever what happened to him," said Illi. "That's what keeps me going. That is the bottom line."
Illi, deputy product manager with the Army's Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Team, or MC4, has been a steady and persistent hand for almost 10 years in helping oversee the worldwide deployment, expansion and improvement of the military's electronic medical records system that today is used in 14 countries.
While President Obama has made electronic medical records one of the hallmarks of the recently--approved economic stimulus package, Illi and his team have been ahead of the curve. The Army's MC4 unit has already trained more than 33,000 personnel, fielded 28,000 laptops, servers and handheld devices used to collect 9.6 million medical encounters.
The system has made a real difference.
When a soldier is injured in Iraq, doctors and nurses in the field hospitals use MC4's system to immediately create a permanent electronic record of the patient's condition, treatment and medications -- digital records that follow the soldier to larger military hospitals in Iraq, Germany or the United States. This allows doctors to have the complete medical history at their fingertips, and to make quick and often critical life-saving decisions.
"We used the MC4 system daily," said Mary Miller, a nurse in St. Charles, Mo., who served in a combat support hospital in the Iraqi desert in 2007 and 2008.
"We would build a record from the get-go, from the first point of contact when an injury or illness occurred'' said Miller, an Army Reservist.
Miller said before the "user-friendly" system was put in place, a paper record was created and sent from the frontlines to the next treatment center with an injured solider. ``Things would get lost and there would be no continuum of care,'' she said. "Now they can pull up the record and see everything."
Illi's boss, MC4 Product Manager Lt. Col.William Geesey, said Illi has been a big part of the program since its inception and is "relentless and committed in everything he does."
"He's seen the program grow from only a handful of people in 1999 to an outfit that's meeting a global mission with a workforce of more than 250 people," said Geesey.
"Getting doctors and commanders to adopt new technology in the war zone has been MC4's biggest challenge, and remains so," said Geesey. "Orie's historical knowledge of the program and ability to collaborate with industry and military partners has been the difference between success and failure."
Army Major Kevin Peck, who served in Iraq and is now a chief information officer stationed in Korea, said MC4 technical support teams have been responsive to those in combat, providing software and hardware "way faster than anything else ordered when in theater."
"If I put in a ticket to get a problem solved on the ground, the guys get on it right away and work nonstop to fix it," said Peck. "They provide excellent support for the system down range."
Illi said it is satisfying knowing he is helping save lives and sparing other veterans the same personal ordeal he endured when trying to link his medical condition to his military service.
"Everyone else in this office feels the same way," he said. "We are all here for the same reason."
(This article was jointly prepared by the Partnership for Public Service, a group seeking to enhance the performance of the federal government, and washingtonpost.com. Visit www.ourpublicservice.org for more about the organization's work to recognize the men and women who serve our nation.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022702059_pf.html
EL PASO, Texas -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports that nationally only 27 percent of eligible veterans receive benefits available to them, which means only one in four get it.
“I'm one of those people who didn't know. I should've known having been in the Army for a long time,” said Glenn Dyer, who went 20 years without claiming veteran disability benefits he was eligible for because he didn't know what was available to him.
The Vietnam veteran served two tours and suffered several broken bones and hearing loss during in his days as part of the 82nd Airborne Division.
“If you can get the word out to veterans that these services are available, I'm sure there's a large number of people who can take advantage of it,” said Dyer.
“Only one in three is getting this pension today, and of the dependents, only one in seven,” said Eliot Shapleigh, Texas senator for District 29.
With El Paso being home to about 48,000 veterans, Shapleigh has filed several bills this session specific to the veteran care. However, he said many don’t know about the services they’re already entitled too.
“The GI Bill to go to college, home loans … you could get home loans much cheaper than any bank could give you. (There are) health benefits whether or not you're disabled. (There are) burial benefits, pension,” said Shapleigh.
It's now been three years since Dyer contacted the Texas Veterans Commission, where they helped him get all the paperwork in order, and get him the medical help he needed.
“I was surprised that I didn't take advantage,” said Dyer.
Some of the new military focused legislation filed includes capping payday lenders at 36 percent; increasing public education funding for students transferring because of the Base Realignment and Closure; extending in-state tuition rates to veterans, spouses and children, requiring that Texas National Guardsmen who served in Iraq or Afghanistan be screened for brain injury and receive assistance if needed.
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/18814251/detail.html
Health Net Federal Services Wins Department of Veterans Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinic Contract in Durango, Colorado
VA Clinic’s Larger Facility Will Offer Specialized Patient Services for Veterans
RANCHO CORDOVA, CA | Health Net Federal Services, LLC, the government operations division of Health Net, Inc. (NYSE:HNT), today announced it has been awarded a contract by the New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System to continue to provide primary and preventive health care services to veterans enrolled in the VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located in Durango, Colo. The base contract with Health Net is effective from March 1, 2009, through February 28, 2010, with two additional option periods of one year each.
“Health Net is honored to be re-awarded this VA contract. We have worked hard to deliver first-class services to veterans in the Durango clinic for the last six years, and we feel privileged to continue to offer primary care, mental health, women's health, and preventive health care services to veterans in Durango,” said Donna Hoffmeier, Health Net's VA Program officer. “With this award, we are pleased to announce that we plan to expand the clinic's capacity to serve more veterans by moving to a larger facility in the near future.”
The new location at the former Mercy Regional Medical Center facility in Durango is anticipated to open at the end of April 2009. The clinic provides primary and preventive health care, outpatient mental health services, and laboratory services, among other specialized services. In serving the special health care needs of veterans, the clinic offers chronic disease management, as well as promotion programs on a wide range of health issues such as smoking, hypertension, diabetes, obesity and heart disease. Veterans also are screened and treated for conditions such as alcohol and substance abuse, military sexual trauma, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The clinic staff is sensitive to the special health needs of women, and offers women veterans the opportunity to be seen by a female physician in an exam room committed solely to gender-specific health issues. Well woman services are offered, including annual PAP and pelvic exams, breast exams and referrals for mammograms, family planning services, mental health services, and other gender-specific care.
The VA CBOC program was developed by VA to provide health maintenance and preventive health care within 30 miles or 30 minutes of a veteran's home. CBOCs reduce travel time and shorten waiting times for veterans needing outpatient care.
For more information on Health Net's VA programs, visit our Web site at www.healthnetfederalservices.com/va.
About Health Net
Health Net Federal Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Health Net, Inc., has a long history of providing cost-effective, quality managed health care programs for government agencies, including the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. As the managed care support contractor for the TRICARE North Region, Health Net provides health care services to over 3 million uniformed services beneficiaries, active and retired, and their families.
Health Net, Inc. is among the nation's largest publicly traded managed health care companies. Its mission is to help people be healthy, secure and comfortable. The company's health plans and government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to approximately 6.7 million individuals across the country through group, individual, Medicare, Medicaid and TRICARE and Veterans Affairs programs. Health Net's behavioral health subsidiary, MHN, provides mental health benefits to approximately 6.9 million individuals in all 50 states. The company's subsidiaries also offer managed health care products related to prescription drugs, and offer managed health care product coordination for multi-region employers and administrative services for medical groups and self-funded benefits programs.
For more information on Health Net, Inc., please visit the company's Web site at www.healthnet.com.
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090227005145&newsLang=en
DAV Presents Legislative Agenda at Hearing of House, Senate Veteran Affairs Committees
Washington, DC - On Tuesday, February 24, 2009, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee led by Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee led by Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI), held a joint hearing to receive the legislative presentation of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).
“Later this week, the Obama Administration will submit an overview of the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010,” said Chairman Filner. “Funding for veterans benefits and health care services is without question a top priority for this Congress and the Administration, and I believe it is a continuing cost of our national defense. The service and sacrifice of our veterans are real, and the VA’s budget must provide the realistic funding to meet their needs.”
National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans, Raymond E. Dempsey, testified, “[B]enefits and services for disabled veterans, in fact all veterans, remain primarily the responsibility of our government. The citizens and government of a country that sends its men and women to defend its homeland and fight its wars have a strong moral obligation to repay them for bearing such a heavy burden. Our indebtedness to veterans is more important than any other part of our national debt because, without their sacrifices, we would not exist as a nation.”
Today’s hearing marks the first joint Senate and House meeting in the 111th Congress to receive legislative presentations from veterans service organizations. The House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees have scheduled future joint hearings to receive legislative presentations from Paralyzed Veterans of America, Blinded Veterans Association, Jewish War Veterans of the United States, Wounded Warrior Project, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Ex-POWs, Gold Star Wives, AMVETS, Fleet Reserve Association, The Retired Enlisted Association, Vietnam Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, Air Force Sergeants Association, Non Commissioned Officers Association, and Military Order of the Purple Heart.
Source: Imperial Valley News |
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4479&Itemid=2
Side Note: My Great Grandfather Charles Tarbell Holmes was born in May 1841 in Mass. He lived in Cherry Valley, IL and joined 37th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, nicknamed the "Fremont Rifles" and "Illinois Greyhounds".
Engagements: Battle of Pea Ridge , Battle of Prairie Grove , Siege of Vicksburg
The regiment suffered 4 officers and 60 enlistedmen who were killed in action or who died of their wounds and 1 officer and 168 enlistedmen who died of disease, for a total of 233 fatalities.
The 37th Illinois Infantry was organized at Chicago, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on September 18, 1861 for three years service. The regiment was mustered out on May 15, 1866.
Daughters of Union Veterans expanding headquarters, museum
The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War is expanding its national office and museum in Springfield.The organization, whose members are all direct female descendants of Union Civil War veterans, recently bought an updated, 2,800 square-foot “American foursquare” home next to the Daughters’ museum and office at Walnut and Governor streets. The 1898 home will be converted into research, library and special exhibit space, as well as quarters for organization trustees visiting Springfield. A children’s room is also planned.The timing is right, said Ozzie Thompson, chairwoman of the group’s board of trustees.“We’ve been outgrowing our current space,” Thompson said from her winter home in Texas. “We were thinking of buying property and then building. But I’m afraid by the time we’d get everything built, everyone would be dead. “When the (previous owners of the home) were selling, we said we would like to have the first chance. They agreed. It is our baby now.”“In the last 10 years, more and more people have been coming to the museum,” she said. “They really enjoy it. But they always say, ‘My, you’re really crowded.’ And we are.”Marianne Fanale, the administrator of the museum and headquarters, said the museum will be rearranged somewhat, since the books that will be transferred next door will leave more room open for other artifacts. The basement is full of items the Daughters have never been able to show, she said. And more often arrive on the doorstep.“We just received eight boxes, just sent from Massachusetts, from a member entering a nursing home,” Fanale said. “They include handwritten (Civil War) records of every Massachusetts soldier and dresses.”Other artifacts in the museum include rifles, pistols, swords, drums, uniforms, bullets, diaries, medical instruments and hundreds of Civil-War era archives and genealogical texts.Thompson said the new building also will allow the organization to host programs and speakers. Computers and microfilm readers will be available for researchers.“Of course, all of this will be free,” she said.The Daughters of Union Veterans will be 125 years old in 2010. The group plans to dedicate its new facility in August of that year, when members will hold their national meeting in Springfield. It also plans to hold an open house at the new facility this April.
Pete Sherman can be reached at 788-1539.
A brief history
The Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War was founded in 1885. The DUV moved from Washington to Springfield in 1951, purchasing a home on South Second Street. In 1969, the organization built and moved into its current facility at 503 S. Walnut St. Membership eligibility is by “lineal descent only.” There are about 4,000 members.Learn more about the Daughters of Union Veterans at its Web site, www.duvcw.org.
Source: http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1056821763/Daughters-of-Union-Veterans-expanding-headquarters-museum
