RAO BULLETIN 15 January 2015

[boardman]

RAO
BULLETIN
15 January 2015


HTML/PDF Editions

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

Pg Article Subject
* DOD * .

04 == DoD European Force Consolidation ----------------- (Planned Changes)
06 == Gulf War Syndrome [32] ---------------- (DoD Detoxification Program)
06 == Arrears of Pay --------------------------------------------- (What to Expect)
06 == MCRMC [06] ------------- (Pentagon Bracing for Upcoming Proposals)
07 == QRMC [10] ------------------------------- (Obama Cancels 2016 Review)
08 == DoD Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ----------- (Reported 16 thru 31 Dec 2014)
09 == POW/MIA [47] ------------------------------------ (Agency Merge Begins)
10 == POW/MIA Recoveries ------------------- (Reported 150101 thru 150115)

* VA * .

13 == VA Medical Marijuana [09] -- ($2M Grant to Research Effectiveness)
14 == VA Lawsuit | OCB ------------------- (Failure to Give Blind Preference)
15 == VA Data Breach [56] ------------------ (Website Put 7,000 Vets at Risk)
16 == Agent Orange | C-123 Aircraft [07] ---------------- (IOM Key Findings)
18 == VA Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ----------------------- (150101 thru 150115)
19 == VA Claims Backlog [143] --------------------- (2015 Goal out of Reach)
19 == VA 2014 Accomplishments ----------------- (A Good Lead-in for 2015)
23 == VA Veteran Transportation Service ------------------------ (How to Use)
23 == VA Health Care Stories [05] ------------ (Denied Colonoscopy Claims)
24 == VA Whistleblowers [17] ------ (Unauthorized Disclosure of Info Case)
25 == VAMC Hampton VA [02] ------------ (Longest Wait Times in Country)
26 == VAMC Grand Junction CO ---------- (Vet Death Investigation Request)
26 == VAMC Atlanta GA -------- (Lawsuit Pending over Erection Treatment)
27 == VARO Philadelphia PA [01] ---------------------- (OIG Report Delayed)
29 == VARO Philadelphia [02] - (New Claim Incentive Program Questioned)

* VETS * .

30 == King City Veterans Memorial ---- (Lawsuit Results in Statue Removal)
31== Vet Awardees ------------------- (Patrick Olive | Purple Heart | Vietnam)
33 == Vet Awardees ---------------- (Nisei Soldiers | Legion of Honor | WWII)
34 == Vet Jobs [168] --------------------- (Ohio Vet Employer Online Registry)
35 == Vet Gun Control [10] --------------------- (VA Offering Free Gun Locks)
35 == Filipino Vet Inequities [28] ---- (Children’s Green Cards Still an Issue)
37 == North Carolina Scholarship --------- (Available for Some Vet Children)
37 == Michigan Veterans Trust Fund --- (Short-Term Financial Crisis Needs)
38 == Veterans Employment Center [01] ------------------- (Transitioning Aid)
39 == Vet Toxic Exposure | Dover AFB ----- (PFCs in Shallow Groundwater)
39 == Nebraska Veterans Registry --------------------------- (Reasons to Enroll)
40 == AF Retiree Council [03] ------------ (Issues Reported to Air Force COS)
41 == Awards Replacement ----------------------------- (Use SF 180 to Replace)
41 == OBIT | Wolfe~Walter | WWII -------------------------------- (9 Dec 2014)
43 == OBIT | Steward~Lowell | WWII Tuskegee -------------- (17 Dec 2014)
44 == OBIT | Jordan~Bernard | WWII ------------------------------- (6 Jan 2015)
45 == OBIT | Huntley~Clarence & Shambrey~Joseph | WWII -- (5 Jan 2015)
46 == Retiree Appreciation Days ---------------------------- (As of 11 Jan 2015)
46 == Vet Hiring Fairs ----------------------------------- 16 Jan thru 14 Feb 2015)
48 == WWII VETS 78 --------------------------------------- (Raschio~Dario, 100)
49 == America's Most Beloved Vets ---------------------------- (Korean War (2)
50 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ------------------------------- (Idaho 2015)

* VET LEGISLATION * .

50 == 114th Congress -------- (Lawmakers' Priority: Fortify Promises to Vets)
51 == Congressional Major Events Timeline --- (Previewing a Difficult 2015)
52 == Legislative Goals for 2015 ------------------------------------ (Bucket List)
53 == Vet Jobs [167] ---------------------------- (Hire More Heroes Act H.R.22)
54 == DoD Suicide Policy [10] ----------- (Clay Hunt SAV Act Reintroduced)
55 == National Park Passports [05] ------ (Lifetime Pass for all Disabled Vets)
56 == Vet Bills Submitted to 114th Congress -------------- (As of 13 Jan 2015)

* MILITARY * .

58 == Reserve Duty --------------------------------------- (Look Before Leaping)
59 == Army Modular Handgun Program ------------ (M9A3 Monkey Wrench)
61 == USMC Tuition Aid [01] -------------------------- (Stricter 2015 Program)
61 == DANA ------------------------------------- (Frontline Brain Thermometer)
62 == Military Retirement Pay [01] --------- (Congress Went too Far in 2006)
64 == Medal of Honor Citations ------------- (Vandegrift, Alexander A WWII)

* MILITARY HISTORY * .

67 == Aviation Art ------------------------------------------- (Above and Beyond)
68 == Military Trivia 98 --------------------------------------------- (Prize Money)
70 == Military Kits -------- (2014 Helmland Province | Close-Support Sapper)
71 == Military History --------------------------------- (Pearl Harbor | Ed Solace)
72 == D-Day ------------------------------------- (Doomed Troop Transfer at Sea)
73 == WWII Prewar Events ------ (Munich Populace Cheers Hitler Nov 1933)
73 == WWII Postwar Events --------- (Mingling of Cultures Tokyo Jan 1946)
74 == Spanish American War Image 50 -- (Loading supplies in Tampa 1898)
74 == Military History Anniversaries ----------------------- (16 Jan thru 14 Feb)
74 == WWI in Photos 118 ------- (Equipment for the Austro-Hungarian army)
75 == Faces of WAR (WWII) ----- (Army's First All-Black Combat Division)

* HEALTH CARE * .

75 == Tricare Cancer Screenings [05] -- (Cervical Health Awareness Month)
76 == Glaucoma [03] -------------------- (Glaucoma Awareness Month | JAN)
77 == Retirement Impact on Tricare -------------- (Changes You Can Expect)
78 == Heart Health for Women ------------ (Cause of 400,000 Deaths a Year)
79 == Colds [03] ------------------------------------ (Vitamin C and Zinc Impact)
80 == Right of First Refusal -------------- (Military Facility’s Option to Treat)
80 == Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) ----------------- (What to Look For)
81 == TRICARE Retired Reserve [06] -------------- (Cost of Premiums Issue)
82 == TRICARE Pharmacy Policy [18] -------------- (Electronic Prescribing)
83 == Certificate of Creditable Coverage [01] --------- (No Longer Required)

* FINANCES * .

83 == Price Increases [01] ---------------------------------- (TWC & Turbo Tax)
84 == Household Everyday Items Cost -------------- (5 Over $500 per Gallon)
85 == Freebies --------------------------------- (What Used to be But Now Isn’t)
87 == Insulting Fees ---------------------- (What to Do to Work Around Them)
90 == Car Insurance [09] ------------- (Getting the Most for a Totaled Vehicle)
91 == Saving Money --------------------- (Champagne Affordable Alternatives)
93 == Pizza Hut Scam --------------------------------------------- (How It Works)
94 == Health Care Scams ---------------------------------------- (Insurance Plans)
95 == Tax Burden for New York Retirees --------------------- (As of Jan 2015)
97 == Tax Burden for Alaska Residents ------------------------ (As of Jan 2015)
98 == Thrift Savings Plan 2015 ----------- (Share Prices + YTD Gain or Loss)

* GENERAL INTEREST * .

100 == Notes of Interest ------------------------------------- (01 thru 15 Jan 2014)
100 == USS Ranger ----------------------------------- (Stay of Execution Sought)
101 == Ants -------------------------------------------- (Voracious Garbage Eaters)
103 == Obsolescence ----------- (Things Kids Born in 2015 May Never Know)
104 == Ship Photos --------------------------- (Where to Locate and/or Purchase)
105 == Photos That Say it All ---------------------------------- (Mommies Home)
106 == WWII Ads -------------------------------------------- (General Cable Corp)
107 == Normandy Then & Now -------------------- (Nonant-le-Pin POW Camp)
107 == Have You Heard? -------------------------------------- (A Sub-Vet’s Wife)
108 == They Grew Up to Be -------------- (Jena Malone | Contact & Stepmom)
108 == Interesting Ideas ------------------------------------ (No Skateboard Park!)
109 == Moments of US History ----- (New Rumble Seat Taxis, Chicago 1940)

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 Jan 2015
Attachment - Veteran Legislation as of 13 Jan 2014
Attachment - Idaho Vet State Benefits & Discounts Jan 2014
Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 16 Jan thru 14 Feb
Attachment - Retiree Activity\Appreciation Days (RAD) Schedule as of Jan 11, 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://w11.zetaboards.com/CFLNewsChat/topic/10387883/1 (Index of Previous Articles 150101)

Notes:
1. The Bulletin will be provided as a website accessed document until further notice. This was necessitated by SPAMHAUS who alleged the Bulletin’s former size and large subscriber base were choking the airways interfering with other email user’s capability to use it. They directed us to stop sending the Bulletin in its entirety to individual subscribers and to validate the subscriber base with the threat of removing all our email capability if we did not. This Bulletin availability notice is being sent to the 19,227 former subscribers who have since validated their email addee for continued receipt of the newsletter.

2. Anyone who no longer wants to receive the Bulletin can use the automatic “UNSUBSCRIBE” tab at the bottom of this message or send a message to raoemo@sbcglobal.net with the word “DELETE” in the subject line

3. Bulletin recipients with interest in the Philippines, whether or not they live there, can request to be added to the RAO's Philippine directory for receipt of notices on Clark Field Space 'A', U.S. Embassy Manila, and TRICARE in the RP.

4. New subscribers and those who submit a change of address should receive a message that verifies their addition or address change being entered in the mailing list. If you do not receive a message within 7 days it indicates that either I never received you request, I made an error in processing your request, or your server will not allow me to send to the email addee you provided. Anyone who cannot reach me by email can call (951) 238-1246 to ask questions or confirm info needed to add them to the directory.

5. If you have another email addee at work or home and would like to also receive Bulletin notices sent to that location just provide the appropriate email addee to raoemo@sbcglobal.net.

6. Past Bulletin articles are available by title on request to raoemo@sbcglobal.net. Refer to the RAO Bulletin Index alphabetically listing of article and attachment titles previously published in the Bulletin. The Index is available at http://www.nhc-ul.com/BullSentMasterIndex-150101.pdf. Bear in mind that the articles listed on this index were valid at the time they were written and may have since been updated or become outdated.

7. The Bulletin is normally published on the 1st and 15th of each month. At least it has been over the last 19 years with the one exception when I inadvertently backed over my computer with the car. To aid in continued receipt of Bulletin Availability notices, recommend enter the email addee raoemo@sbcglobal.net into your address book. If you do not receive a Bulletin check one of the above links to see if it is there. If you can access the Bulletin at any of those links it indicates that something is preventing you from receiving my email. Either your server or computer is blocking it as spam, I have somehow incorrectly entered or removed your addee from the mailing list, or someone you have forwarded the Bulletin to has clicked the ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ tab at the bottom of the Bulletin which automatically removed your vice their email addee. Send me an email so I can verify your addee on the validated mailing list or if you are unable to access the Bulletin at any of above links.
.
== To subscribe first add the RAO email addee raoemo@sbcglobal.net to your address book and/or white list. Then send to this addee your full name plus either the post/branch/chapter number of the fraternal military/government organization you are currently affiliated with (if any) “AND/OR” the city and state/country you reside in so your addee can be properly positioned in the directory for future recovery. Subscription is open to all veterans, dependents, military/veteran support organizations, and media.
== To change your email addee or Unsubscribe from Bulletin distribution click the “Change address / Leave mailing list” tab at the bottom of the Bulletin availability notice that advised you when the current Bulletin was available.
== To manually submit a change of email addee provide your old and new email addee plus full name.

*********************************

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
Bulletin Web Access: http://www.nhc-ul.com/rao.html, http://www.veteransresources.org, http://veteraninformationlinksasa.com/r ... ffice.html, or http://frabr245.org.
Office: Red Lion, 92 Glen Luna, cnr Leonard Rd & Brent Rd., Baguio City, 2400 Philippines
FPO Mail Pickup: TUE & THUR 09-1100 - Outgoing Mail closeout: THUR 1100
AMVETS | DAV | NAUS |NCOA | MOAA | USDR | VFW | VVA | CG33 | DD890 | AD37 |TSCL member