{This blog is not affiliated with the VA. Though a Veteran, four yrs. all shore in Navy last year In-Country Vietnam, I don't work for the VA}
**USN All Shore '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country '70-'71 - Independent**

In 2003 some 72% of Americans fully supported the Abandoning of the Missions and those Sent to Accomplish so extremely Quickly after 9/11!!
At least some 95%, if not more as less then 1% serve them, not only still support the, just below, total lack of Sacrifice, they ran from any and all Accountability and left everything still on the table to be continually used if the political/military want was still in play in future executive/legislative wants!!
DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!
Especially for the Corporate and Wealthy Community, investors in Defense Industries, and for these, Afghanistan and Iraq, came Two Huge Tax Cuts, with more sweetheart deals to same from states and the fed!!


Thousands of people across America don’t just talk about honoring Veterans; they walk the walk. Dedicated Volunteers Serve Veterans for Decades

On this Executive Administration, it's Cabinet and those directly around same, "Best - Ever": "We haven't had this kind of visibility from the White House—ever." Joyce Raezer National Military Family Association - Dec. 30, 2011, and plenty more of similar since Joyce, others, spoke and continues!

Ask yourself: If the Veterans Administration is so corrupt and mismanaged, as the conservative ideology, under which the seeds of are planted when they control, wants everyone to buy into as they obstruct the budgets and do extremely little after they charge same, then why does the Private sector, many problems within rarely heard about, adopt so many practices and advanced technologies developed within the VA, for free?! The VA, DoD, and in partnership with Universities and Colleges, not just Health Care are constantly in R&D and that developed that works is quickly moved into the private, for profit, sector, even as the VA is long under funded, decades, and especially during and after our wars that the few are sent into!

* * * * *
President Obama 26 August 2014

Fact: "This is not just a job of government. It’s not just a job of the veterans’ organizations. Every American needs to join us in taking care of those who've taken care of us. Because only 1 percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but 100 percent of Americans benefit from that 1 percent. A hundred percent need to be supporting our troops. A hundred percent need to be supporting our veterans. A hundred percent need to be supporting our military families."

Fact:
"We’ve been able to accomplish historic increases to veterans funding. We’ve protected veterans health care from Washington politics with advanced appropriations. We’ve been able to make VA benefits available to more than 2 million veterans who didn't have them before, including more Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange. We’ve dedicated major new resources for mental health care. We’ve helped more than 1 million veterans and their families pursue their education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill."

August 26, 2014 - Secretary Robert A. McDonald's Remarks for the American Legion's 96th Annual Convention, Charlotte, NC
Fact: "Unlike, P&G, VA may not be concerned about quarterly profit and loss statements or shareholder value, but it does have a bottom line—Veterans. "
{which is why No Government agency should be turned into a private corporate entity feeding for profit off the Countries duty and responsibility, especially the VA}
* * * * *

Fact: “We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

Facts: Matthew Hoh {former Marine and foreign service officer in Afghanistan}: "We spend a trillion dollars a year on national security in this country."
"And when you add up to the Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, Veterans Affairs, interest on debt, the number that strikes me the most about how much we're committed financially to these wars and to our current policies is we have spent $250 billion already just on interest payments on the debt we've incurred for the Iraq and Afghan wars."
26 September 2014

Fact: "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

Fact: "12 years also is a long time. We now have a lifetime responsibility to a generation of service members, veterans and their families." Dr. Jonathan Woodson 11 Sep. 2013: With 9/11 Came Lifetime Responsibility
{two tax cuts, especially for the wealthy, came with these two recent unpaid for wars, nor the results of, DeJa-Vu all over again from the previous decades and wars from! Ignore the many issues, by those served, no need to fund!}

Fact: Sen. Bernie Sanders told Republicans: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014

Fact: 25 June 2014 U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller: Veterans' Affairs issue an 'all too similar' scene

Fact: How We Could Do More For Our Vets: "We need to go into debt to pay our debt to U.S. veterans to make sure they get the care and services we owe them."

Fact: “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

WHY? GOOD QUESTION THOSE SERVED SHOULD ANSWER!


Bob Herbert Losing Our Way : "And then the staggering costs of these wars, which are borne by the taxpayers. I mean, one of the things that was insane was that, as we're at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration cut taxes. This has never been done in American history. The idea of cutting taxes while you're going to war is just crazy. I mean, it's madness." Bill 'Moyers and Company': Restoring an America That Has Lost its Way 10 Oct. 2014

Presidential Proclamation -- Veterans Day, 2013: "As we pay tribute to our veterans, we are mindful that no ceremony or parade can fully repay that debt." read more>>>


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:

ProPublica and The Seattle Times Nov. 9, 2012 - Lost to History: Missing War Records Complicate Benefit Claims by Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans
"DeLara's case is part of a much larger problem that has plagued the U.S. military since the 1990 Gulf War: a failure to create and maintain the types of field records that have documented American conflicts since the Revolutionary War."

Part Two: A Son Lost in Iraq, but Where Is the Casualty Report?

Army Says War Records Gap Is Real, Launches Recovery Effort

3/27/15 - U.S. Nerve Gas Hit Our Own Troops in Iraq
"During and immediately after the first Gulf War, more than 200,000 of 700,000 U.S. troops sent to Iraq and Kuwait in January 1991 were exposed to nerve gas and other chemical agents. Though aware of this, the Department of Defense and CIA launched a campaign of lies and concocted a cover-up that continues today."
"When Brown and others tried to obtain their medical records to prove their illnesses were service-related, they learned that the records had disappeared."




Add in the issues of finally recognizing in War Theater and more Veterans, by the Shinseki Veterans Administration and the Executive Administrations Cabinet, what the Country choose to ignore from our previous decades and wars of: The devastating effects on Test Vets and from PTS, Agent Orange, Homelessness, more recent the Desert Storm troops Gulf War Illnesses, Gulf War Exposures with the very recent affects from In-Theater Burn Pits and oh so so much more! Tens of Thousands of Veterans' that have been long ignored and maligned by previous VA's and the whole Country and through their representatives!

How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!!


"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan" - President Lincoln

She wrote that she's proud of her service but added this: "That doesn't change the fact that I contributed - however indirectly - to human beings vanishing from the earth in a moment of sheer agony."



Homeless Veterans/Stand Downs

Are You Concerned About a Veteran? The Veterans Crisis Line Can Help>>>

For our sisters: National Women Veterans Hotline, call 1-855-VA-WOMEN1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-66361-855-829-6636) New Hotline now up and running

Thursday, September 30, 2010

{UpDated} ATTN: Keith, Rachel and The Few Others: "Stop Loss" Time Running Out

Please Help get the word out as we are Quickly Approaching the October 21st deadline for the Soldiers and their Families who were Stop Lossed, in order to fight in the long extended occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and many still haven't made contact, some can't for various reasons like homelessness, because of the economy, may live in rural area's as many who serve do, etc.!

The few others I mention in the subject title are those media types who actually, like you two, use their intelligence in their profession of journalism and are true journalist and reporters.

Anyone close to Keith, Rachel and these others, if they may not see this or the others who've called for actions, who might read this Please Pass It On To Them. We Advocates and Activist, especially us Veterans, can only do so much, we don't hold the microphones or the print media and blogs etc. are only seen by a very few eyes where as hundreds of thousands to millions watch or read what you report and that snowballs in many ways. It might really help if you made mention on every show from now till the 21st or 20th at least, not help us but help these soldiers and their families who were back door drafted to fight in these two wars of choice!

A U.S. Congressional House member recently has tried to bring up a bill to extend the deadline for another year, H.R.5449 - To amend section 310 of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 to extend the period of time during which claims for retroactive stop-loss special pay may be submitted. so more can not only find out about it but those who for some reason may think it's some sort of con can feel more at ease and receive what they are owed. I can't find anything as to if the recent attempt went anywhere and the Congressional Critters are leaving Washington to Campaign which means the deadline might come with no one to help stop it actually working in either peoples house. Maybe President Obama can do so with an executive order, not sure about that, even if to just extend the October deadline till Congress comes back after the election.

Good for Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH):

A lawmaker who helped create the $500 a month retroactive stop-loss allowance is now trying to extend an Oct. 21 deadline for service members and veterans to apply for the benefit.

Rep. Betty Sutton, D-Ohio, the original House sponsor of legislation creating the payment for people whose service was involuntarily extended by military orders, is trying to get a deadline extension included in a federal spending bill that Congress expects to pass by the end of the week, according to congressional aides.

Sutton wants the deadline extended for another year. {read rest}

And this from back in August:

100K eligible troops could miss stop-loss pay

Aug 5, 2010 - A key lawmaker behind the creation of a monthly $500 stop-loss allowance says the Defense Department may not be doing enough to try to locate separated service members who are now on the brink of losing the right to apply for the money.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., chief Senate sponsor of legislation that created retroactive stop-loss allowances, said only about 25,000 of the more than 145,000 eligible service members and veterans have applied for and received payments.

There is an Oct. 21 deadline to apply for payments, and Lautenberg expects an all-out push from the military using “every available outlet” to warn people they could be losing the money.

With payments set at $500 a month for every month in which a person spent one day under stop-loss orders since September 2001, and with 6½ months the average time spent beyond their separation date when orders were given, more than 100,000 people would receive average payments of $3,500 — if they can be found.

Army officials launched a campaign two weeks ago to remind eligible troops and veterans of the looming deadline, but Lautenberg said he wants the military to do more. {read rest}

A Message to those Veterans from the top Military Brass:

Calling All Stop-lossed Servicemembers...

Time is running out for those who qualify to receive their Stop Loss Special Pay. The deadline to claim it is Oct. 21st, but less than half of the more than 145,000 people eligible have submitted claims.

It’s not a scam. And it’s not a joke. It’s YOUR money, so come get it.

Just in case you had forgotten, the 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act authorized retroactive stop loss special pay of $500 for every month/partial month served in stop loss status.

Service members, veterans, and beneficiaries of service members who were involuntarily extended under stop loss between 9/11 and September 30th 2009 are eligible.

The Congress generously set aside $534.4 million to pay out those funds, but as of the end of last month only $219 million in claims have been paid.

We’ve used all kinds of different ways to reach out to people and let them know, including letters to homes and help from Veteran/Military Service Organizations. But there are still those who have yet to apply.

So, with the deadline fast approaching, I’m asking everyone who reads this blog to pass it on to anyone else you think needs to see it. Qualifying individuals have served -- or are still serving -- their country nobly and deserve to be paid the money they’ve earned.

The application process is simple and straightforward. No strings attached. But once the deadline passes, we cannot by law extend it. So jump online and check it out at: Stoploss.

It’s your money.

--Admiral Mike Mullen

And a Message from the Top, your CiC and our President:

You Earned It

Obama Reaches Out to Veterans: You Earned It



September 15, 2010 - President Obama encourages active duty troops and veterans whose service in Iraq or Afghanistan was involuntarily extended or retirement was suspended due to ‘stop loss’ to apply for the special retroactive pay to which they are entitled.

All the needed information and links can be found here: Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay or contact local Veterans organizations, recruiting offices, government offices, your representatives, the military especially the branches you served in.

UpDate:


There was movement on the Extension late last night, I just talked to her office, but it's short term. The following is on Representative Suttons site:

Rep. Sutton Buys More Time for Veterans of Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to File for “Stop Loss” Pay

September 29, 2010 - WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) announced that veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq whose enlistments were involuntarily extended will have more time to file for "stop loss" pay.

"I am pleased that our soldiers will have more time to file for the stop loss compensation that they deserve for all of their extended service in Afghanistan and Iraq," said Rep. Sutton. "Our brave servicemen and women need to know that we honor and respect their dedication and sacrifices to protect us and our country."

Under the "stop loss" law, originally introduced by Rep. Sutton in 2008, servicemen and women - including members of the Reserve components - who had their service extended due to stop loss after September 11, 2001 are eligible for "stop loss" pay of $500 per month for each month their service was extended.

Under the legislation passed today, all applications must be submitted to the respective branch of service no later than December 3, 2010. Service members must provide documented proof that they were "stop lossed" with their claim. Family members of deceased service members should contact the appropriate military service for assistance in filing their claim.

To submit claims for retroactive "stop loss" pay, please visit www.defense.gov/stoploss or, if you have any questions, please call Rep. Sutton's office at (202) 225-3401.


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The focus should now be to try and keep this front and center for when Congress comes back after the election so it doesn't get lost in the mix. That's the message I gave her office, We'd Still Push to make sure she's successful for the Stop Lossed Soldiers who've fallen through!!

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