RAO BULLETIN 1 January 2016

[boardman]

RAO
BULLETIN
1 January 2016

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

Pg Article Subject
* DOD * .

05 == National Coast Guard Museum [03] ------ (USCG Authorization Act)
05 == BRAC [45] ------------ ($1.1 Trillion Bill Excludes Funding for 2016)
07 == Feres Doctrine [08] ---------------------- (Application to Birth Injuries)
08 == DoD Fraud, Waste, and Abuse ------- (Reported 16 thru 31 Dec 2015)
09 == DFAS 1099-R [07] ---------------------- (2015 Is Available on myPay)
09== Marine Corps Pacific Realignment -------- (Moving Forward in 2016)
10 == POW/MIA [68] ---------------- (Total MIA’s as of Dec 2015 | 83,099)
11 == POW/MIA Recoveries ---------------- (Reported 16 thru 31 Dec 2015)

* VA * .

12 == VA Death Verification System [01] ----------------------- (New Policy)
13 == VA Health Care Access [27] ---- (Justice Dept Drops 46 of 55 Cases)
13 == VA Insurance Dividends in 2016 --- ($88.1 million to ~430,000 Vets)
14 == VA Claims Backlog [150] ---------- (Lowest But Never Going Away)
15 == VA Data Breach [58] ------------------- (Oregon DD-214 Compromise)
15 == Veterans Crisis Line [01] ----------- (What Happens on the Other End)
16 == VA Minority Veterans Panel [03] ---------------------- (New Members)
18 == VA Claims Assistance [06] -------------------- (Veterans Law Blog ++)
18 == VA Accountability [12] ------------------------- (Phoenix VA Officials)
19 == VA Accountability [13] -- (Meaningful Discipline/Evidence Lacking)
21 == VA Accountability [14] -- (Jailable Offense or Management Mistake)
22 == VA Accountability [15] -------------- (FY 2016 | Extra $6B w/Strings)
23 == VA Rural Access [23] ---------------------- (Increased thru Choice Act)
24== VA Flu Shots [03] ----------------- (VA Retail Immunization Program)
25 == VA Budget 2016 [04] -------- ($163B Approved | H.R.2029 Synopsis)
26 == Fisher House Expansion [11] ----------------------------- (Dayton Ohio)
26 == VA PTSD Claim Support [02] ------ (Independent Medical Opinions)
28 == VA Robotic Legs ------- (ReWalk | DVA Has Agreed to Pay for Vets)
29 == VA Data Breach [57] ------------------------- (November PHI Incidents)
30 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ------------ (Reported 15 thru 31 Dec 2015)
31 == VA Medical Marijuana [16] --- (Federal/State Laws over Pot Collide)
33 == VISN 16 ------------------ (Newly Assigned Director Skye McDougall)
34 == VAMC Tomah [14] -------------------- (Restoring Trust 100-Day Plan)
36 == VAMC Leavenworth KS ----------------------- (Eye Clinic Wait Times)
37 == VA HCS Phoenix [18] -------------------- (Remains Mired In Problems)

* Vets * .

38 == Cambodia Life for Vets ---------------------------- (Lots of Opportunity)
40 == Vet Fertility Treatments - (Insurance Coverage Lost Upon Discharge)
41 == SBP DIC Offset [43] ------------ (Under Review by House Committee)
42 == Vet Brain Trauma -------------------------- (Undiagnosed Brain Injuries)
43 == Legion of Honor --------------------------- (Awardee Dr. Ed McAninch)
44 == Honor Flights [09] ------------ (Spring WWII Flight Could be the Last)
45 == Vet Funerals ----------------------------------------------- (21 Gun Salutes)
46 == Vet Deportations [04] ---------------------- (Immigrant Defense Project)
48 == Vet Toxic Exposure~Lejeune [57] ----- (VA Will Cover 8 Conditions)
50 == K9’s for Veterans --------------------- (Expanded Role of Service Dogs)
51 == Obit: Laird~Elizabeth -------------------------------------- (24 DEC 2015)
52 == Retiree Appreciation Days ------------------------- (As of 29 DEC 2015)
52 == Vet Hiring Fairs -------------------------------- (1 JAN thru 29 Feb 2016)
53== WWII Vets 97 ------------------------------------------------ (Owens~Bud)
55 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ------------------------- (Missouri 2015)

* Vet Legislation * .

55 == Vet Bills Submitted to 114th Congress ---------- (151216 thru 151231)

* MILITARY * .

56== Military Smoking Ban --------------- (Hawaii Based Troops under 21)
57 == Navy Fleet Size ------------------------------------ (Set to Grow in 2016)
58 == Tops in Blue ------------------------------------ (2016 Season Cancelled)
60 == Great Green Fleet --------- (Maiden Voyage Scheduled Late January)
61 == Looking Ahead to 2016 --------------------------------------------- (USN)
62 == Less-Than-Honorable Discharge -------------- (352,000+ Since 2000)
64 == REAP [03] ------------- (Law Change Ends Reserve Tuition Program)
65 == Military Discharge Studies -------------------------- (Two Due in 2017)
65 == Military Separation Pay [01] ---------- (Impact on VA Compensation)
67 == PERM [01] ------------------- (3000 Mortar Rounds Ordered | 120mm)
68 == Robotic Cargo Movers [02] -------- (USMC Mule Put Out to Pasture)
69 == Military Enlistment Standards 2015 [09] ----------- (Criminal History)
70 == Medal of Honor Citations ----------------------- (Herda, Frank A. | VN)

* MILITARY HISTORY * .

71 == Military Trivia 117 ------------------ (WWII’s 1st 25 Mission Aircrew)
73 == Aviation Art ---------------------------------------------------- (Joker, The)
74 == Military History ----------------------------------- (Chichi Jima Incident)
76 == WWII Ads ------------------------------------------------------------ (RCA)
77 == D-Day ------------------------------------------------------- (Time to Jump)
77 == WWII Prewar Events - (1931 Goebbels Wedding w/Best Man Hitler)
78 == WWII PostWar Events - (Belsen Concentration Camp Cemetery 1946)
78 == Spanish American War Image 80 -------- (Camp McCalla June 1898)
79 == WWI in Photos 105 ------------------------ (German A7V tanks | 1918)
79 == Faces of WAR (WWII) -------------- (GI in Rome, Italy May 23,1944)
80 == Ghosts of Time ------------ (Then & Now’ Photos of WWII Sites (07)
80 == Military History Anniversaries ------------------------- (01 thru 15 Jan)

* HEALTH CARE * .

80 == TRICARE Durable Medical Equipment ------- (Coverage Limitations)
81 == TRICARE Autism Care [15] --------- (Fee Cuts of Up to 15% in 2016)
83 == TRICARE Pharmacy Copay [16] ----------- (Change February 1, 2016)
83 == Vet Organ Donation ---------------- (Army Staff Sgt. Matthew Whalen)
84 == TRICARE Cataract Coverage - (One of the Most Common Operations)
84 == TRICARE Provider Availability [05] ---------- (Beware Non-Certified)
84 == TRICARE Pharmacy Emergency Procedures ---------- (Storm Goliath)
85 == TRICARE Help --------------------------------------------- (Q&A 151231)

* FINANCES * .

87 == ISIS War Surtax ----------------------------- (Sen. Chris Coons Proposal)
87 == Flood Insurance ---------------------------------- (What is/is not Covered)
89 == COLA 2017 ------------------------------------- (A Deeper Dive into Red)
89 == Charitable Giving Tax Deduction --------------------- (Know the Rules)
90 == Social Security Q & A ----------------------------- (160101 thru 160115)
91 == Identity theft Protection [01] ---- (Lifelock $100M Settlement w/FTC)
92 == Saving Money ---------------------------- (Refrigerator Do’s and Don’ts)
93 == Syrian Refuge Scam --------------------------------------- (How it Works)
94 == Holiday High Pay Job Scam ------------------------------ (How it Works)
95 == Gift Exchange Scam --------------------------------------- (How it Works)
96 == Tax Burden for Arkansas Retired Vets ---------------- (As of Dec 2015)
97 == Tax Burden for Maryland Residents ------------------- (As of Dec 2015)
99 == Thrift Savings Plan 2015 ------------------ (Returns as of 30 DEC 2015)


* GENERAL INTEREST .

100 == Notes of Interest ----------------------------------- (16 thru 31 Dec 2015)
101 == Medical ID Theft ------------------------ (100 Million Records in 2015)
102 == US Voter Data Breach ----------- (Information on 191 Million Voters)
102 == Federal Holidays ----------------------------------------------------- (2016)
103 == War on Xmas ------------------------------------ (House Resolution 564)
104 == 114th Congress -------- (2015 Performance | Comparatively Not Bad)
106 == Household Tips [03] ------------------------------- (Alternate Use Items)
107 == Scandals of 2015 --------------------------------------- (15 of the Biggest)
110 == Internet Speed ---- (How fast should your high-speed connection be?)
111 == Photos That Say it All ------------------------------- (Losing A Friend 2)
111 == Most Creative Statues - (Prague, Czech Republic | Man Hanging Out)
112 == Interesting Inventions ------------------------------- (Spoke-less bicycle)
112 == Moments of US History --------------- (Coney Island New York 1940)
113 == Parking ----------- (Revenge Tactic #10 against Inconsiderate Parkers)
113 == Brain Teaser -------------------------------------------- (Do You Know 1?)
114 == Have You Heard? ------------------------------------- (Butch the Rooster)
114 == Have You Heard? ----------------------- (What Confucius Did Not Say)
115 == Help!!! -------------------------- (Things that might make you say it (03)
115 == Brain Teaser Answer ---------------------------------- (Do You Know 1?)

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 1 Jan 2016
Attachment - Veteran Legislation as of 31 Dec 2015
Attachment - Missouri Vet State Benefits & Discounts DEC 2015
Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 01 thru 15 Jan
Attachment - Retiree Activity\Appreciation Days (RAD) Schedule as of 29 DEC 2015

-o-o-O-o-o-

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-- http://www.veteransresources.org/rao-bulletin (past Bulletins)
-- http://w11.zetaboards.com/CFLNewsChat/topic/10387883/1 (Index of Previous Articles as of 7/1/15)

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

RAO Bulletin Editor/Publisher:
Lt. James (EMO) Tichacek, USN (Ret) Tel: (858) 432-1246 Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net
Bulletin Web Access: http://www.nhc-ul.com/rao.html, http://www.veteransresources.org, http://frabr245.org, and http://veteraninformationlinksasa.com/r ... ffice.html

RAO Baguio Director:
SMSgt Leonard (Len) D. Harvey, USAF (Ret) PSC 517 Box 4036, FPO AP 96517-1000, Tel: 63-74-442-3468; Email: lenharvey@live.com.ph

RAO Baguio Office: Red Lion Inn, 35 Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City, 2600 Philippines
FPO Mail Pickup: TUE & THUR 09-1100 --- Outgoing Mail Closeout: THUR 1100