RAO BULLETIN 15 March 2015

[boardman]

RAO
BULETIN
15 March 2015


PDF Edition

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

Pg Article Subject
* DOD * .

05 == MCRMC [12] ----------- (DoD Wants More Report Background Data)
06 == DoD Retirement Scam ------- (Government Employee Services Alert)
06 == Sequestration [46] - (Pentagon Officials Told Budget Caps Will Stay)
07 == AAFES Data Breach -------------- (SIGA Telcom | 27,500 Customers)
08 == DARPA --------------- (The Future of War | Neurosignaling Research)
09 == BRAC [42] ---------------------- (Pentagon Planners Have a New Pitch)
10 == AAFES [01] --- (Customer Satisfaction Survey | Tied with Wal-Mart)
11 == DoD/VA Seamless Transition [26] ---- (Proposed DHMSM Obsolete)
12 == POW/MIA Recoveries ----------------- (Reported 150301 thru 150315)

* VA * .

15 == VA Secretary [36] --------------------------------- (Vision for the Future)
16 == VA Blue Water Claims [28] ------------------ (AO Lawsuit Dismissed)
17 == VA Women’s Health Policies ---- (Lawmakers Ask for Investigation)
18 == GI Bill [189] ------ (Business No Interest Loan vice College Proposal)
18 == VA Funding Needs [01] --- (Rising Cost of Caring for Younger Vets)
19 == VA Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ----------------------- (150301 thru 150315)
21 == VA Shared Medical Appointments ---------------- (Wave of the Future)
22 == VA Individual Unemployability [02] ------ (Understanding the Basics)
24 == VA Opioid Therapy ----------- (Nationwide Deployment of New Tool)
24 == VA Whistleblowers [20] -------- (There’s Real Fear if You Speak Out)
26 == VA Health Care Stories [08] ----------------- (Testing Patient Patience)
27 == VA Health Care Stories [09] --- (Widow Blames VA for Vet’s Death)
27 == VA Vet Choice Program [08] ------------- (Only 1 in 5 Offered Option)
28 == VA Vet Choice Program [09] -- (Service Availability Not Considered)
30 == VA APP Store ------------------ (17 Health APPs | 300,000 Downloads)
30 == VA Lawsuit | Michael Deal ---------- (Monitoring Alarms Turned Off)
31 == VA Phone Scam ------------------ (Calls to Change Vet’s Medications)
31 == VA OIG ----- (140 Health Care Investigations Not Publicly Released)
33 == MVAC ------------------ (VA Establishes MyVA Advisory Committee)
37 == VAMC Tomah WI [03] --------- (VA OIG Threatened with Subpoena)
38 == VAMC Tomah WI [04] ------ (VA Drugs Showing Up in Drug Busts)
39 == VAMC Tomah WI [05] ----- (Overprescribed Drugs | Culture of Fear)
41 == VAMC Phoenix AZ [15] ------- (Probe Finds More Scheduling Issues)
42 == VAMC Phoenix AZ [16] ----------- (Norovirus Outbreak | 35 Infected)
42 == VAMC Shreveport LA ------------------------ (Chief of Staff Resigning)
44 == VAMC Indianapolis ------ (Manager's Email Mocks Veteran Suicides)
45 == VARO Little Rock AR ---------------------- (Fast Letter 13-10 Fall Out)

* VETS * .
47 == Women in Military Service Memorial [01] ------- (Registrants Sought)
48 == Vet Toxic Exposure ~ Ft. Detrick [06] ------------ (106 Claims Denied)
48 == Nebraska Vet Tuition ----- (State Ban on Same-sex Marriage Conflict)
49 == American Battle Monuments Commission [02] ------ (Floral Program)
50 == American Battle Monuments Commission [03] ------------ (Free Apps)
51 == Veterans Vision Project ----------- (Objective | Give Veterans a Voice)
52 == Veterans Vision Project [01] ------------------ (Medical Officer, USAR)
52 == Vets Deaths [01] ------------------------------ (Reported in Error | DFAS)
53 == Vet Awardees ------------------- (Rothman~Robert C. | Legion of Merit)
54 == Vet Awardees ------------------------ (Bettencourt~Alfred | Purple Heart)
55 == Farmer Veteran Coalition ----- (Mobilizing Veterans to Feed America)
57 == Redding Gulf War Era Monument -------------- (Vandalized 2nd Time)
59 == Iraq War Living Memorial ---------- (4,487 Dogwood Trees Proposed)
60 == OBIT | Green~Paul L ---------------------------------------- (23 Feb 2015)
61 == OBIT | Nimoy~Leonard ------------------------------------ (27 FEB 2015)
61 == Retiree Appreciation Days -------------------------- (As of 12 Mar 2015)
62 == Vet Hiring Fairs ------------------------------- (16 Mar thru 15 Apr 2015)
63 == WWII Vets [82] ------------------------------------------------ (Joe Landry)
64 == America's Most Beloved Vets -------------------------- (Vietnam War (3)
64 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ------------------------- (Kentucky 2015)

* VET LEGISLATION * .

65 == VA Medical Marijuana [11] ------ (Push For Nationwide Legalization)
66 == Vet Cremains [25] ------------- (Unclaimed Remains Study | H.R.1338)
66 == Medicare Reimbursement Rates 2015 -- (21% Cut Scheduled in APR)
67 == VA Blue Water Claims [27] ------------------- (Contact your Legislator)
67 == VA Bonuses [25] -- (2nd Bill to Recoup from Wait-time Manipulators)
68 == VA Bonuses [26] ------------------------ (Senate Files Recoupment Bill)
69 == SBA Vet Issues [36] --- (Credit Union Business Loan Cap | H.R.1133)
69 == South Carolina Vet Tuition -------- (Instate Approved by Senate Panel)
70 == Arizona Tuition for Guard ----- (Waive Up to 16 Credits per Semester)
70 == Legislation of Interest [21] --------------- (10 Bills Need Your Support)
71 == Vet Bills Submitted to 114th Congress ------------- (150215 to 150228)

* MILITARY * .

74 == Mental Health Discharge ---------------------- (GAO Unable to Validate)
76 == Military Substance Abuse ----- (Army Treatment Program in Disarray)
78 == Military Pay & VA Compensation --------------- (Cannot Receive Both)
80 == Military Drawdown [01] --- (One-to-Five Reenlistment Norm | USMC)
81 == Robins AFB --------------- (Civilian-Military Partnership Proposal | P4)
82 == ADS ---------------- (Non-Lethal, Directed-Energy Weapon | Heat Ray)
84 == Robot Insects --------------------------- (Under Development for Spying)
84 == Medal of Honor Citations --------------------- (Fox~Wesley L | Vietnam)

* MILITARY HISTORY .

86 == Aviation Art ------------------------------------- (WASP Special Delivery)
87 == Military Trivia [102] ------------------------------------- (Seabees’ Origin)
88 == Military History ----------------------- (Battle of Manila | 70 Years Ago)
90 == Vietnam at 50 ------------------------ (The Loss of American Innocence)
94 == WWII Musashi Battleship ------ (Wreckage Located in the Philippines)
95 == D-Day ---------------------- (LST-21 Unloading British Vehicles 6 JUN)
96 == WWII Prewar Events -- (Nuremberg Nazi Party Convention Sep 1935)
96 == WWII Postwar Events ------- (London bomb Damages Area Apr 1945)
97 == Spanish American War Image 57 ---------- (At the top of San Juan Hill)
97 == Military History Anniversaries --------------------- (16 Mar thru 15 Apr)
97 == WWI in Photos 122 -------------------------------- (Pill Box Demolishers)
98 == Faces of WAR (WWII) ----------------- (Dug in on Okinawa May 1945)

* HEALTH CARE * .

98 == Coffee Drinkers [01] ---------------------------------- (Beneficial Effects)
99 == TRICARE Pharmacy Policy [20] ------------ (Compound Drug Claims)
100 == TRICARE Sleep Studies ---------------- (Coverage | Referral Required)
101 == TRICARE Kick Butts Day ------------------------------ (March 18, 2015)
101 == Tricare Webinar ----------------- (Operation Live Well | 16 MAR 2015)
102 == Tricare Webinar -------------- (Other Health Insurance | 18 MAR 2015)
102 == Endometriosis [01] ---- (Affects 1 in 10 Women | TRICARE Covered)
103 == TRICARE Abolishment [01] --------------- (NGAUS wants more Info)
103 == Sinusitis [01] ------------------------------ (What it is | What Can You do)
105 == Copycat Drugs -------- (Competition Could Drive Down Cost 40-50%)

* FINANCES * .

106 == State Taxation of Retirement Income ----------- (SSA & Pension | 2014)
107 == IRS Refunds for 2011 --------------- (Unclaimed $1B+ Expires 15 APR)
108 == Mortgage | HARP Refinancing ----------------- (Deadline Dec. 31, 2015)
110 == Scams ~ Survey [2] -------------------------------------- (How They Work)
111 == Scams ~ Cold Weather ---------------------------------- (How They Work)
112 == Scams ~ IRS [05] --------------------------------------- (Largest Ever Seen)
113 == Tax Burden for Pennsylvania Retired Vets ------------ (As of Mar 2015)
115 == Tax Burden for Connecticut Residents ----------------- (As of Mar 2015)
116 == Thrift Savings Plan 2015 ----------- (Share Prices + YTD Gain or Loss)

* GENERAL INTEREST * .

117 == Notes of Interest ------------------------------------- (01 thru 14 Feb 2015)
119 == DirecTV Lawsuit --------------- (FTC Suing for Deceptive Advertising)
120 == Confidence in Government Survey ----------- (Shrunk to Record Lows)
121 == Debt Ceiling [01] ---------------------- (Will Be Reached 16 MAR 2015)
121 == Switching Banks ---- (5 Steps to Make Process as Painless as Possible)
122 == USAID -------- (Taxpayers Billed $1.1M for Staff Parties and Retreats)
123 == How Much You Remember ---------------------------------------- (Q & A)
127 == Photos That Say it All ---------------------------------------------- (Me To)
127 == WWII Ads ------------------------------------------ (Land O’ Lakes Butter)
128 == Normandy Then & Now ---------- ('Nan Red' Beach St Aubin-sur-Mer)
128 == Have You Heard? ------------------------------------------ (Outdoors Man)
129 == They Grew Up to Be? ---------------- (Anna Chlumsky | My Girl 1991)
129 == Interesting Inventions --------------------------------- (Hoodie BackPack)
130 == Moments in US History ------------------------- (Boston Marathon 1951)

Note:
1. The page number on which an article can be found is provided to the left of each article’s title
2. Numbers contained within brackets [ ] indicate the number of articles written on the subject. To obtain previous articles send a request to raoemo@sbcglobal.net.

* ATTACHMENTS* .

Attachment – RAO Bulletin 15 Mar 2015
Attachment - Veteran Legislation as of 13 Mar 2015
Attachment - Kentucky Vet State Benefits & Discounts Feb 2015
Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 16 Mar thru 15 Apr
Attachment - Retiree Activity\Appreciation Days (RAD) Schedule as of 12 Mar 2015

-o-o-O-o-o-

TO READ and/or DOWNLOAD THE ABOVE ARTICLES, ATTACHMENTS, OR PAST BULLETINS GO TO:

-- http://www.nhc-ul.com/rao.html (PDF Edition w/ATTACHMENTS)
-- http://www.veteransresources.org (PDF & HTML Editions w/ATTACHMENTS)
-- http://frabr245.org (PDF & HTML Editions in Word format)
-- http://veteraninformationlinksasa.com/r ... ffice.html (HTML Edition)
-- http://www.veteransresources.org/rao-bulletin (past Bulletins)
-- http://www.nhc-ul.com/BullSentMasterIndex-150101.pdf (Index of Previous Articles as of Jan 01, 2015)

Notes:
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*********************************

Lt. James “EMO” Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Editor/Publisher RAO Bulletin
RAO Baguio, PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517-1000
Tel: (951) 238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines.
Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net
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