WASHINGTON – As part of VA’s ongoing commitment to provide care to Veterans and their families, the Department of Veterans Affairs today announced that it will start the process of amending its regulations to establish presumptions of service connection for certain conditions resulting from exposure to contaminated drinking water at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
This process is in addition to the healthcare VA already provides for 15 conditions to eligible Veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987 as a result of the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. VA also provides reimbursement of healthcare expenses for those 15 conditions to eligible family members who resided at Camp Lejeune during that time period.
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs recently met with Senators Isakson, Burr and Tillis and the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to discuss the creation of presumptions of service connection for diseases associated with the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The diseases that are currently being reviewed for potential presumptive service connection include kidney cancer, angiosarcoma of the liver, and acute myelogenous leukemia, which are known to be related to long-term exposure to the chemicals that were in the water at Lejeune from the 1950s through 1987. The chemicals are Benzene, Vinyl Chloride, Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene, which are known as volatile organic compounds, used in industrial solvents and components of fuels. ATSDR and VA representatives will meet at ATSDR offices on August 19 to begin discussions on establishing these presumptions.
VA will also work with ATSDR and potentially the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate the body of scientific knowledge and research related to exposure to these chemicals and the subsequent development of other diseases. VA will carefully consider all public comments received when determining the final scope of any presumptions.
Veterans with health problems they believe are related to exposure to the water at Camp Lejeune may file a claim for disability compensation online at http://www.ebenefits.va.gov, or call 1–800–827–1000 for assistance.
For more information, Veterans and family members should contact the nearest VA healthcare facility by calling 1–877–222–VETS (8387) or visit http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune. For further information on Camp Lejeune: VHA Office of Public Health has a Website on Camp Lejeune historical water contamination at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune/index.asp.
The U.S. Marine Corps encourages all those who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune before 1987 to register for notifications regarding Camp Lejeune Historic Drinking Water at https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/clwater.
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Seattle VBA Regional Office – Fact Sheet – July 2015
The Seattle VA Regional Office (VARO) provides the attached Fact Sheet for July 2015, for your reference. The Fact Sheet contains the VARO’s accomplishments for Veterans and Service Members, as well as notable milestones and events aimed at improving our service to this population.
In this issue:
- Veterans Economic Communities Initiative (VECI) Launch Event – July 31st at 10am
- Please see the attached factsheet for more information on VECI.
- Veterans Identification Card Act of 2015
- Stakeholder Enterprise Portal (SEP) Release Updates
Thank you,
Office of the Director,
Seattle Regional Office
Mission Continues: Seattle 1st Service Platoon Wants You… to play mini golf with us.
Some of you may know I started working with this great organization who’s goal is to give veterans a purpose while making a lasting impact in our community. Come out and hang with your new platoon. – Nick Sullivan
INTERBAY MINI GOLF
WITH THE SEATTLE 1ST SERVICE PLATOON
AUGUST 14, 2015 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
INTERBAY GOLF CENTER
2501 15th Ave W
Seattle, WA 98119
CONTACT :
Nicholas Sullivan
nsullivan@missioncontinues.org
(206) 851-4844
Join Seattle 1st Platoon for an evening of appetizers, networking and mini golf with fellow veterans at Interbay Golf Course. This is your chance to learn about your new platoon and collaborate on the platoon’s mission.
This is our first social event and the beginning of what the Seattle 1st Platoon can do for Seattle.
WHAT TO WEAR : Casual wear
Sign Up
VA accountability isn’t too much to ask
Just one year ago, Americans learned of secret VA wait lists, whistleblower retaliation and veteran patients dying while waiting to see a doctor. Despite these revelations, few VA employees have been held accountable for their negligence.
We need your help to bring about true reform at the VA.
Later today, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on H.R. 1994, the VA Accountability Reform Act, which will streamline the process for removing or demoting VA employees for poor performance or misconduct, and enhance protections for whistleblowers who expose negligence.
In addition, Congress will soon consider a bill that provides the VA increased spending flexibility to better meet the health care needs of our nation’s veterans while keeping hospitals from closing. In the interest of our veteran members facing urgent health care needs, we urge Congress to support the funding measure.
Please call your members of Congress TODAY and encourage them to support increased staff accountability at the VA and budget flexibility to keep hospitals open.
Passing VA accountability reform is the next step in IAVA’s eight-point “Marshall Plan for Veterans” issued last year to restore confidence in the VA. We still have a long way to go but we hope this bill will help heal the rift created between the VA and our veterans.
IAVA is a non-partisan organization founded and led by post-9/11 veterans. For more information about IAVA’s policy priorities, visit: http://iava.org/campaigns/
One team. One fight.
Team IAVA
2015 Vets Restore
Hey all! It’s that time of year and we are recruiting for Vets Restore 2015. August is right around the corner, and the application process closes on August 14th!
We need to get the word out to apply NOW before missing out on an exciting opportunity!!!
Attached are the Vets Restore flyer and application. The application may be filled out online by clicking on the link in the flyer or printed out and completed. Please make sure that the hard copy applications make it to Candice Corey at the KCVP office in Renton; see contact info below.
Here is the 2015 Vets Restore program timeline:
2015 Program Calendar:
July 6
Application period opens.
August 14
August 18-20
DEADLINE TO APPLY. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 p.m.
Selected applicant interviews
August 21
Applicant notification
September 14 – October 9
4-week training program in basic preservation practices at Washington Hall: safety, tools skill-building, hands-on carpentry projects, mentoring sessions and field trips
October 12 -December 4
8-week, full-time, paid internships under Lydig Construction at Washington Hall.
December 9
Graduation
Please contact Candice Corey at 206-477-6989 or Emily Kenna at 206-477-7015 if you have any questions!
Mission Continues South Sound Social Collaborative on the Water, Saturday, August 1st 9am – 6pm
1st Platoon South Sound,
1st Platoon South Sound Platoon members will join the Seattle Stand Down and Heroes on the Water volunteers to provide a day of outdoor activity and #onemilitaryfamily camaraderie for the Veteran residents of the Salvation Army William Booth Center on Saturday, August 1st from 9am to 6pm. Platoon Members can register here for the event.
Location of Event: Dash Point State Park
Address: 5700 S.W. Dash Point Rd., Federal, Way, 98023
More info: http://www.parks.wa.gov/496/Dash-Point
Please be advised the State Park where event will be held requires a discover pass or $10.00 fee per vehicle for parking. If this is a problem for anyone please let me know I can reimburse this expense.
Heroes on the Water are providing the kayaks and poles for veterans, but if you have your own pole feel free to bring it! Don’t forget sunscreen, towels, and other summer essentials, like a 90’s boombox and blueblockers.
Continental breakfast, lunch, and a fish fry dinner will be provided!
If you can’t make the whole day feel free to stop by for as long as you can and say hello to old and new platoon members. This is our first social of the Platoon Year and just in time to savor the summer sun before getting dirty with high impact projects in the South Sound.
* William Booth Center veterans are veterans living in a clean and sober transitional home while they rebuild their lives. This is a great opportunity for them to feel normal for a day amongst their veteran brothers and sisters.
If you have any questions or concerns please email Ryan Mielcarek, 1st Platoon South Sound at rmielcarek@missioncontinues.org. TMC is assisting with food for the day so if you want to volunteer to assist please contact me.
We plan to take a Platoon Photo to update our Platoon Website on Saturday so sport your TMC Blue.
Look for the 1st Platoon South Sound Guidon and bring your summer chairs if you have them.
Look forward to seeing you on Saturday!
Ryan Mielcarek
The Mission Continues
South Sound Platoon Leader (Greater King, Pierce,Thurston Counties)
VetChange and Other Websites for Veterans Concerned with Their Drinking
Boston University provides VetChange in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD. A free online program for Veterans concerned about their drinking: https://vetchange.org/home
Here are some other sites that have been promoted within the VA:
http://www.veterandrinkerscheckup.org/
http://rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/
http://www.smartrecovery.org/overcoming-addictions/index.htm
ASHLEY’S WAR: The Untold Sotry of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield
ASHLEY’S WAR: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield focuses on the all-Army, all-women team recruited in 2011 to serve on the battlefield alongside special operations on some of the most critical — and most dangerous — missions of the Afghan war – all while the combat ban remained in place. It is a team story about valor, courage, friendship born in battle, and the bonds shared by troops who served at the tip of the spear — these soldiers believed deeply in serving America in the most valuable way possible, and they proved themselves out there on combat operations, night in and night out, alongside some of the most elite forces in the U.S. military – including Army Rangers and Navy SEALs. They are an incredible group of women in these pages– hand picked from across the Army after a tough selection process for a mission in which they would need to interact with Afghan women in the heat of battle.
The book is a story not only of recent military history, but of the shape of the future force. And it is about the team of leaders helping to redefine the hero story. Ashley’s War was also just chosen by Amazon editors as one of its “Best Books of the Year So Far” in both History & Biography.
Media coverage highlights below:
Morning Edition: http://www.npr.org/2015/04/28/402561101/ashleys-war-details-vital-work-of-female-soldiers-in-afghanistan
Diane Sawyer for Nightline: http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/ashleys-war-author-describes-women-soldiers-assisted-special-30486735
Washington Post on “Ashley’s War: A special ops heroine”: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2015/05/18/ashleys-war-a-special-ops-heroine/ Ashley’s War: A Special Ops Heroine
PEOPLE: http://www.people.com/article/reese-witherspoon-buys-rights-army-girls-special-ops-afghanistan
Further Background: In 2010, the U.S. Army Special Operations Command launched a pilot program to put women on the battlefield alongside Green Berets, Army Rangers, and Navy SEALs on sensitive nighttime missions in Afghanistan. The idea was that women could access places and people that had remained out of reach, and could build relationships—woman to woman—in ways that male soldiers in a conservative, traditional country could not. Though they remained officially banned from combat, female soldiers could be “attached” to different teams, and for the first time, women throughout the Army, National Guard and Reserves heard the call to try out for this special ops program that would show them the kind of combat seen by less than five percent of the entire U.S. military. Each had her own story, her own reason for wanting to, as the recruiting poster advertised, “be part of history,” serving alongside America’s finest fighters. In Ashley’s War, Gayle tells the story of Cultural Support Team (CST-2), a unit of women hand-picked from the Army, and the remarkable hero at its heart: 1st Lt. Ashley White, who would become the first CST member killed in action and honored on the Army Special Operations Memorial Wall of Honor alongside the men of Ranger Regiment with whom she died on mission. She would also become the first female to be remembered on the National Infantry Museum’s Memorial Walk, though women still today cannot officially serve in the infantry. But that’s changing.
In 2013 Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted the ban on women in ground combat. A few months later when the question arose as to whether women would be allowed to become Rangers and SEALs in their own right, the example of the women featured in “Ashley’s War” – the women who served on the Cultural Support Teams — was cited as an instructive lesson. “Quite frankly, I was encouraged by just the physical performance of some of the young girls that aspire to go into the cultural support teams,” Maj. Gen. Bennet Sacolick of special operations command said in a June 2013 Pentagon press conference about the opening of combat roles to women. “They very well may provide a foundation for ultimate integration.”
DOL Releases New Webinar in “Promoting Employment for Homeless Veterans” Series
The Department of Labor (DOL) and National Veterans Training Institute (NVTI) have developed a series of webinars supporting employment for homeless veterans. This webinar series is supported by the NCHV TA Center.
Designed as an education tool for American Job Center Staff, the webinars are a great free resource for service providers. In addition to providing training on employment tools and interventions for new staff members and partner agencies, the webinars can provide a foundation to strengthen your relationship with local AJC staff.
There are now five webinars available through this series – Promoting Employment for Homeless Veterans, Overcoming Barriers to Employment, Building Partnerships with Service Providers, Assisting Ex-Offenders, and the newest addition –Employer Engagement. The webinars are prerecorded and are available at http://www.nvti.ucdenver.edu/HomelessVeteransWebinars.htm. Find your local AJC here: http://jobcenter.usa.gov/.
Team Rubicon Seattle Social – 7/23 6:30-8:30pm at Elliot Bay Brewhouse Burien
Join Region 10 in the Seattle/Tacoma area for our first social event of the summer!
We’ll be meeting at Elliot Bay Brewhouse in Burien from 6:30 to 8:30 – or longer! At 7pm we’ll do a short presentation about Op Double Trouble and Red Card training, as well as some discussion about activities going forward. If you need help with your Roll Call profile, we’ll have laptops set up to walk you through exactly what you need to do in order to be deployable!
VFW Post 2713 | Farwell-Roosevelt 