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Clinton meets V.A.'s Principi (March 4, 2004) — Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., met Wednesday with Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi to discuss her concerns over V.A. hospitals in New York state, including one in Canandaigua. Clinton, in a news release, said that she was pleased with Principi’s commitment to consider her concerns about the transfer of psychiatric beds from the Canandaigua V.A. hospital. “With U.S. troops bravely serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, it sends exactly the wrong message to propose such drastic changes … without proper thought and deliberation,” Clinton said in the news release. An independent federal commission...

War and Disabilities Michael Arnold Glueck and Robert J. Cihak Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2004 New Diagnoses and Strategies Create Both Short- and Long-term Problems for Medicine and the Military War is hell and becoming even more hellish. The "advancement" of technology has provided new ways to live and terrible ways to die. Those who live because of body armor now face hellish injuries to what's left of limbs and looks. These in turn provide new challenges to medicine and the military. The Body Armor Trap While there has been a generational decline in infantry skills, the American infantry still widely...

Politicians – read this before self-destructing Posted: January 13, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 David H. Hackworth The recycled Pentagon types now merrily selling their "expertise" to the weapon-makers and the rest of the current crop of shakers and takers who make up today's military-industrial-congressional greed machine are as usual sucking up big bucks, while many of our vets continue to get the shaft. Also as usual. Wesley Clark summed up what's going down in a recent campaign speech: "We've got veterans' hospitals closing; we've got people who have to drive six hours to get a checkup; we've got...

Disabled Veterans’ Tax: A Step In The Right Direction? By JOHN F. YOUMANS The GOP Leadership is boasting what it calls success in repealing a century old law that prohibits disabled veterans from receiving both their earned retirement pay based on longevity and VA disability compensation based on injuries and illnesses during that service. This change was included in a $401 billion military spending bill approved by the House, 362-40, Friday afternoon. As many major Veteran Service Organizations consider this a step in the right direction, it falls far short from being a success in ending the unjust and discriminatory...

RETIRED PAY TO BE RESTORED FOR UP TO 200,000 DISABLED Congress and the Bush administration have agreed to a $22.1 billion deal over 10 years that will pare back dramatically a century-old ban on ``concurrent receipt'' of both military retired pay and tax-free disability compensation for injuries or illnesses traced to time in service. Up to 200,000 disabled retirees with 20 or more years of service, including reserve and National Guard annuitants, will see their incomes rise, for many by hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month. The deal, expected to be passed as part of the 2004 defense...

Integrity, Honesty, and Promises Gone Astray By: William T Walker LETTER TO THE EDITOR Macon Area Online: Is integrity a lost virtue in our law makers? I am 57 years old, a retired soldier, and a shipyard worker. I am fortunate in that I am able to work most days and weeks and earn a living for my family. But misfortune rears its ugly head now and again. This misfortune is called disability. That’s why I am home today writing this letter. My disability kept me here. I realize that I am more fortunate than many disabled veterans. There...

Oliver North (archive)(printer-friendly version)July 26, 2002It's about keeping promises WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It's been a lousy summer for President George W. Bush. Republican leaders are grousing that he isn't doing enough to keep GOP control of the House. Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld has his arm in a cast, and the Pentagon press corps is beating him up because we can't find Osama's body. Diplomatic correspondents are howling that the president isn't tough enough on Israel. The business press blames him for the stock market collapse and for being soft on corporate crooks. And now the gossip columnists are piling on...

<p>On Sept. 25, the American Forces Press Service's Jim Garamone reported on a budget busting problem for the Department of Defense: "Concurrent Receipt" legislation (S. 170) that would allow military retirees with disabilities connected to their military service to receive both military retired pay and Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation concurrently.</p>

Suggested letter or email to Congress: Support Concurrent Receipt in Defense Bill I'm writing to urge you to do all you can to ensure the final FY2003 Defense Authorization Act (HR4546) ends the unfair retired pay reduction imposed on disabled retirees of the uniformed services.   The House bill, passed in May, would phase out the reduction over 5 years for retirees with at least 20 years service and 60% or higher disability ratings.  The Senate bill would end the offset immediately for all disabled retirees with at least 20 years' service.   90% of House members and 83% in...