Military families' stresses shared
Mar 19, 2010 Maj. Mario Soto has gone to war five times, three since becoming a father.
Five years ago, he was two hours late to his first daughter's birth.
At 3 years old, little Anna knew the neighbors better than she knew her daddy because he was gone so much.
The deployments, and the demands of the job even when he's home, take a toll on Soto's ability to be a family man.
"We have to be good at what we do or there could be life or death consequences. How do you balance that with a family?" Soto asked.
Soto was part of a forum sponsored by the White House and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday evening exploring the challenges of fatherhood in the military.
President Obama has asked for similar community forums around the country in the past year in hopes of learning from a national conversation on responsible fatherhood and community involvement. Thursday's forum was held at the John D. Fuller Sr. Recreational /Athletic Complex -->-->
VA eases benefits path for Iraq, Afghanistan vets
Mar 19, 2010 The Veterans Affairs Department took steps Thursday to make it easier for veterans of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to get disability benefits. To qualify for the new streamlined status, they must have malaria, West Nile Virus or one of seven other diseases. -->-->
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