Under two previous Executive administrations and wars from, father and son. With son and conservative congresses leading the extremely quick abandoning of the missions and those sent to accomplish after 9/11:
Published on Dec 5, 2013 Starting with a single cellist on the floor of the National Air and Space Museum's "Milestones of Flight" gallery, and swelling to 120 musicians, The U.S. Air Force Band exhilarated museum visitors with its first-ever flash mob. The four-minute performance featured an original arrangement of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring/Joy to the World," led by the band's commander and conductor, Col. Larry H. Lang. Unsuspecting museum visitors including tourists and school groups were astonished as instrumentalists streamed into the gallery from behind airplanes and space capsules, and vocalists burst into song from the Museum's second floor balcony.
Enjoy, I did! And a 'Happy Holidays' especially to those who understand their meanings!
3 December 2013 - The Navy veteran keeps his few possessions in shipshape order. Hidden on a girder ledge, five cans of chicken-enchilada soup flank an alarm clock, a stack of hardcover mysteries and a plastic jug of water - half empty - scrawled with black marker to clearly designate ownership: "Bill's."
A few feet from the underbelly of the storm-drain bridge where Bill has lived since June, his perch holds whispers of daily survival and yesterdays lost. Above his bunk – a thin mattress long enough for a child – the cement wall is adorned with a 2013 calendar, a crucifix and three American flags.
On paper, Bill is one of 6,291 homeless veterans in Los Angeles – the highest number in any metro area – almost double the count in New York City (3,547), nearly five times the population in San Diego (1,486). Nationally, according to a fresh census released Nov. 21, Bill is one of 57,849 homeless veterans – a tally the Obama Administration has pledged to drive to zero by the end of 2015. Since 2010, a federal initiative has reduced that number by 24 percent, according to VA officials.
For now, the streets remain home for the holidays for tens of thousands of former military personnel. read more>>>
Dec 1, 2013 - As a member of the Arizona Army National Guard, Gabriel Zermeño has been preparing for almost two years to be deployed overseas.
But the country he signed up to defend could also one day deport his father. The reason? Zermeño, 21, is a citizen born in the U.S. But his father, Jose Zermeño, 53, is an immigrant from Mexico who has been living in the U.S. illegally for more than 30 years and has faced deportation proceedings.
“At any moment, I could be overseas fighting for my country and he could be getting deported by the same country I was supposed to be fighting for,” Zermeño said.
Soon, however, Zermeño’s father may be able to legalize his status, possibly within a couple of months, thanks to a new policy issued by President Barack Obama’s administration. read more>>>
December 3, 2013 - “Words cannot describe the second chance that you guys gave me, but if I had to, it would be that I am in a lifelong debt of gratitude.”
Those were the heartfelt thanks of former Marine corporal Eric Gonzales as he addressed the audience at the Veterans Treatment Court Conference being held in Washington D.C. Organized by Justice for Vets, the conference hopes to broaden the reach of veterans treatment courts to help veterans, particularly those who served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Veterans treatment courts help veterans who get in trouble with the law because of their substance abuse or mental health issues get the treatment they need as an alternative to prison time. The courts are modeled on the drug treatment or mental health treatment courts first established two decades ago.
Justice for Vets estimates that since 2004 the number of veterans being treated for mental illness and substance abuse has increased by 38 percent, with most of their numbers coming from among the 2.5 million American military service members who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. read more>>>
"If military action is worth our troops' blood, it should be worth our treasure, too — not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American." -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013
R. M.: "We got a huge round of tax cuts in this country a few weeks before9/11. Once 9/11 happened and we invaded Afghanistan, we kept the tax cuts anyway. How did we think we were going to pay for that war? Did we think it was free? Then, when we started a second simultaneous war in another country, we gave ourselves a second huge round of tax cuts. After that second war started. The wars, I guess, we thought would be free, don`t worry about it, civilians. Go about your business." 23 May 2013
"Why in 2009 were we still using paper?" VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers "When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we've been operating on a six month wait for over a decade." 27 March 2013
There had been 4,804 coalition deaths 4,488 Americans
2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 South Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of January 2, 2012, according to a CNN and iCasulties count.
Graphical breakdown of casualties. At least 32,230 U.S. troops had been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon.
POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq
One U.S. soldier is currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of March 3 2012. The information below reflects the name as Prisoner of War or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown by the Pentagon.
Sgt Bowe R. Bergdahl 23 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Ketchum, Idaho Captured in Paktika province in Afghanistan, on June 30, 2009. The Pentagon declared him Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown on July 1 2009 and his status was changed to Missing-Captured on July 3 2009.
Memorial at the New JPED facility at Dover Air Force Base, Del..OEF: Afghanistan - Pakistan!!
There have been 3,397 coalition deaths -- 2,292 Americans, 40 Australians, 446 Britons, 1 Belgian, 158 Canadians, 5 Czech, 43 Denmark, 25 Netherlands, 9 Estonians, 2 Finn, 86 French, 54 Germans, 7 Hungarian, 48 Italians, 2 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 10 Norwegians, 38 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 21 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 34 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 14 Turks, 11 New Zealand, 27 Georgian and 14 NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of December 1, 2013, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 19,514 {19,436 up to November 1, 2013} U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. In addition to the military deaths, 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.
Staff Sgt.Alex Anthony Viola 29 Keller, Texas, USA Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group Died of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked with a roadside bomb while on dismounted patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on November 17, 2013
Staff Sgt.Richard Lee Vazquez 28 Seguin, Texas, USA Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group Died in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked with a roadside bomb while on dismounted patrol in Panjwayi, Afghanistan, on November 13, 2013
Warrant Officer Class 2 Fisher, Ian 42 Essex England, 3rd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment, Died in Hostile IED attack, Helmand, Afghanistan, on November 6, 2013
Sgt. 1st ClassForrest Warren Robertson 35 Westmoreland, Kansas, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Died of wounds sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with small-arms fire in Pul-e Alam, Afghanistan, on November 3, 2013
WASHINGTON – November 21, 2013 - Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy joined with a coalition of private-sector partners from the telecommunications industry to launch “Warriors 4 Wireless,” a new nonprofit program aimed at connecting veterans and returning service members to jobs in the rapidly growing wireless telecommunications industry.
A White House release said the program includes stakeholders from Joining Forces -- a national initiative that provides opportunities and support to military members and their families -- as well as from the private sector, the federal government, the U.S. military, and industry trade associations committed to scaling successful training models for veterans with wireless-relevant skills.
Warriors 4 Wireless builds on a Veterans IT Training and Certification program, launched at the White House in April 2013 in response to a call to action by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama asking industries to make it easier for military service members and veterans to receive civilian training and certifications, according to the release. read more>>>
November 14, 2013 - First Lady Michelle Obama called on private companies to follow examples of Walt Disney Co. by hiring military veterans, saying Thursday at Walt Disney World that employers need to tell them, "we're going to have your backs."Obama, whose "Joining Forces" initiative is aimed at helping military veterans re-enter private life, told an estimated 500 representatives of local and national companies gathered at Disney's Boardwalk Resort that companies such as Disney, AT&T, Walmart and Starbucks have signed on with commitments to hire veterans by the thousands, and small- and medium-size businesses should follow their examples.
At the Disney-sponsored conference, called the "Veterans Institute," she said Joining Forces has helped 380,000 veterans get jobs in two years.
"That's outstanding. But it's not enough," she said in an 11-minute address, the keynote speech in a daylong conference of workshops and seminars on hiring veterans. "We need you all to really dig deep. We need you to double down." read more>>>
Jill Biden writes that she felt she needed to do more for military families. | AP Photo
12/5/13 - As a lifelong educator and as part of a military family, the way we reach out to military children in our classrooms has been especially close to my heart. So when first lady Michelle Obama and I started Joining Forces, our initiative to encourage all Americans to take action to find ways to honor and support our service men and women, veterans and military families, I knew part of what I would focus on was raising awareness about the military child experience in the classroom.
Many Americans don’t know anyone in the military, so they aren’t aware that, on average, a military child attends six to nine schools by the time he or she graduates from high school. Through each transition, the children have to leave their friends, try out for new sports teams and adjust to a new school community.
And as we continue to draw down the number of active-duty troops serving in Afghanistan, it is worth remembering that this is not just the experience of children of active duty-service members — transition is also a part of life for military kids who are the children of our National Guard and Reserve force. As more than a million of our service men and women end their military careers and transition back to civilian life, many will move their families to places where they can find the best job or attend school. read more>>>
WASHINGTON – November 21, 2013 - The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that a new national report shows a 24 percent reduction in homelessness among Veterans since 2010.
The report also showed an 8 percent reduction between January 2012 and January 2013. The decline keeps the Obama administration on track to meet the goal of ending Veterans’ homelessness in 2015.
“We are on the right track in the fight to end homelessness among Veterans. While this trend is encouraging news, we know that there is more work to do,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “As President Obama said, we’re not going to rest until every Veteran who has fought for America has a home in America. The results in the latest report are a credit to the effort given by our dedicated staff, and our federal, state, and community partners who are committed to ending Veterans’ homelessness.” read more>>>
Ratification of the Disabilities Treaty is not about changing America. It’s about helping the rest of the world raise their accessibility standards to the gold standard the United States has set through our ADA. Ratification will help reinforce America’s global leadership role and reputation, putting us in the strongest position to advance disability rights worldwide.
By joining the treaty, we will be helping the 5.5 million Veterans with disabilities and the 50 million Americans with disabilities study and work with dignity and pursue greater opportunity abroad with the same access they enjoy at home. read more>>>
“President Obama has made eliminating Veterans’ homelessness a national priority,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We want every Veteran who faces homelessness to know that VA is here to help. The Grant and Per Diem Program provides significant assistance to those who need it.”
The grants awarded through the Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program are for currently operational grantees, who will use this funding to rehabilitate their current project locations to enhance safety, security and privacy for the homeless Veterans they serve. Additionally, funding for these organizations to acquire vans will assist homeless Veterans with transportation to medical appointments and employment opportunities, as well as enable grantees to conduct outreach within their communities. read more>>>
December 3, 2013 - More veterans of the Vietnam War were recently included to benefit coverage due to Agent Orange Exposure.
A recently declassified Department of Defense report contains evidence that there was a significant use of herbicides on the fenced-in perimeters of military bases in Thailand to remove foliage that provided cover for enemy forces.
This new information means that Vietnam-era veterans whose service involved duty on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailand anytime between Feb. 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975, may have been exposed to herbicides and may qualify for VA benefits.
Veterans and areas include: read more>>>
“VA continues to explore innovative ways to help Veterans get access to the care and services they have earned and deserve,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “This new dental program is another example of VA creating partnerships with the private sector to deliver a range of high-quality care at an affordable cost, for our Nation’s Veterans.”
More than 8 million Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care can choose to purchase one of the offered dental plans. This three-year pilot has been designed for Veterans with no dental coverage, or those eligible for VA dental care who would like to purchase additional coverage. Participation will not affect entitlement to VA dental services and treatment. read more>>>
What the country wants, free wars and especially not fully funding the results of, as no one has demanded, especially their hired representatives, that it's way past time for those served to Sacrifice for those they've demanded do for them, DeJa-Vu all over again, and again, and.......!!!
12.6.2013 - A video news magazine designed to inform veterans, their families and their communities about the services and benefits they have earned through their service to America.
Speaker Boehner 4 Oct. 2013: "I think the American people expect if we’re going to raise the amount of money we can borrow, we ought to do something about our spending problem."
Really? Where was that when you were rubber stamping spending bush wants Before 9/11 and then after with the two wars and no bid contracts on the credit card and off the books, still not paid for, and this 'tea party' was all for that!!
How did we think we were going to pay for that war? Did we think it was free?
Then, when we started a second simultaneous war in another country, we gave ourselves a second huge round of tax cuts. After that second war started. The wars, I guess, we thought would be free, don`t worry about it, civilians. Go about your business." 23 May 2013
Visit Publichealth Exposures to learn about military exposures and VA benefits.
March 29, 2013 - The past is never dead, as William Faulkner might have written if he were analyzing the federal budget, it’s not even paid for. Did you realize that World War II still costs U.S. taxpayers $5 billion a year? Or that we haven’t closed the financial books on the Civil War yet? read more>>>
Exact Count of Civilian Casualties may never be known, as is the case in every conflict, especially an Invasion by another Country. For it is the Innocent Civilians and those Defending their Countries,of which All would be counted if this country, the U.S., were ever invaded, who suffer the most, during and long after!
The Rand Corporation Terrorism Report the press release here, you can get the full document here or a summary of the research brief here
10/31/2013 - A modern military identification team is working to identify the remains of fifty-two military members who perished when their C-124 transport plane went down in Alaska in 1952. The plane left Seattle and crashed while on approach to Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage. read more>>>
HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military and Coalition Forces Killed in Action, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan from 2001 to January 2013 - My Honor Rolls, and more, to Share
National World War II Memorial
National Korean War Memorial
National Vietnam Veterans Memorial - "The Wall"
The Vietnam Women’s Memorial
Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries
Arlington National Cemetery
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