RAO BULLETIN 1 February 2018

[boardman]

RAO
BULLETIN
1 February 2018

HTML/PDF Editions


THIS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES


Pg Article Subject
. * DOD * .

05 == Government Shutdown 101 ---- (Impact On Active Duty Personnel & Vets)
07 == DOPMA ---- (Facing Scrutiny in 2018)
07 == Climate Change [02]---- (Rising Sea Levels A Priority for Navy Facilities Nominee)
08 == SSIA [03] ---- (Funding Needed to End Widow's Tax)
09 == National Defense Strategy ---- (Good Fences Make Good Neighbors)
11 == Transgender Troops [14] ---- (Paperwork Signed for 8 USAF Volunteers)
12 == DoD Lawsuit ~ Lesbian Discharge ---- (Undesirable 62 Years Ago)
12 == DoD Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 JAN 2018)
14 == POW/MIA Recoveries ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 JAN 2018 | Twelve)

. * VA * .

15 == VA Secretary [62] ---- (Facing First Major Republican Opposition on Capitol Hill)
18 == Fisher House [06] ---- (New Charleston VAMC House Called A 'Blessing')
18 == VA ID Card [15] ---- (Online Card Applications Reopen)
19 == Liver Flukes [01] ---- (25% Vietnam Vets Test Positive in Small Study)
20 == VA Stand Downs ---- (Relief For Homeless Veterans)
21 == VA Mental Health Care [37] ---- (1,000 Mental Health Providers Needed)
22 == VA Benefits Eligibility [07] ---- (Top 10 Reasons Vets do Not Apply)
23 == PTSD [238] ---- (Women Vets Urged to Donate Brains for Research)
24 == PTSD [239] ---- (Fort Hood Study Results | 2-Week Recovery)
25 == VA DRC Program [02] ---- (Use to Expedite Disability Claims)
26 == VA Vet Choice [67] ---- (Program Overhaul Negotiations Restart)
27 == VA Vet Choice [68] ---- (Eligibility Guidelines/Expansion Concerns)
28 == VA Telehealth [14] ---- (Anywhere to Anywhere Care Initiative Progress)
29 == VA Medical Marijuana [41] ---- (VA Can Study The Drug, But Won’t)
31 == VA Medical Marijuana [42] ---- (VA's Tendency To Manipulate Science | Opinion)
32 == GI Bill [247] ---- (Government Shutdown Impact)
33 == VA Firing Authority [02] ---- (Now Takes 15 Days)
34 == VA FMP [01] ---- (Medical Claims | Thailand)
35== VA Lawsuit | Turner~Glenford ---- (Scalpel Left in Patient's Body)
36 == VA Lawsuit | Walker~Eric ---- (Cocaine Misdiagnosis)
36 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 JAN 2018)
37 == VA Compensation & Benefits ---- (Problem Solving Program Q&A -- 28 & 29)
38 == VAMC Aurora CO [22] ---- (Progress Report | Opening Soon)
40 == VAMC Rosenberg OR [01] ---- (Patients Are Not at Risk)
41 == VAMC Manchester NH [06] ---- (Substandard Care Complaints)
42 == VAMC Fayetteville NC [04] ---- (Visitor Restrictions | Flu Concerns)

. * VETS * .

43 == Vet Alcohol/Drug Abuse ---- (No Gender Difference in Prevalence)
44 == Military Discharge Upgrade [01] ---- (VA New Online Help)
44 == Vietnam Veterans Memorial [21] ---- (No More Cremated Remains)
47 == Vet Commercial Drivers License [01] ---- (DMV Waiver Program)
48 == Veteran Driver's Licenses [12] ---- (California Real ID Card)
50 == Vet Benefits Publications ---- (Understanding Your Disability Rights)
50 == Homeless Vets [84] ---- (Socks for Homeless Vets)
51 == Vet Suicide [19] ---- (Trump Executive Order)
52 == Arkansas Vet Home [02] ---- (Nursing Shortage)
53 == Honor Flight [13] ---- (24 SEP | For Women Only)
54 == Military Death Benefits [02] ---- (Helping Families of the Fallen)
55 == Vet Tobacco Use ---- (Higher Than General Adult Population)
56 == Obit: Ngoc Truong ---- (17 Dec 2017)
57 == Obit: Catherine G. Murray ---- (20 DEC 2017)
57 == Obit: Mort Walker ---- (27 JAN 2018)
58 == WWII VETS 155 ---- (Walter Lepinski | Battle of the Bulge)
60 == AFL Q&A 17 ---- (Monthly Compensation Benefit Reduced)
61 == Retiree Appreciation Days ---- (Scheduled As of 1 FEB 2018)
62 == Vet Hiring Fairs ---- (Scheduled As of 1 FEB 2018)
62 == Veteran's State Benefits & Discounts ---- (Oregon | FEB 2018)

. * VET LEGISLATION* .

63 == VA Loan Refinancing [03] ---- (Protecting Veterans from Predatory Lending Act)
64 == Veterans' Treatment Court [26] ---- (H.R.4345 | VTC Coordination Act)
64 == VA Cemeteries [17] ---- (Lao & Hmong-American Burials | H.R.4716)
65 == Vet Fraud ---- (H.R.506 | Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2017)

. * MILITARY* .

66 == Afghanistan War [02] ---- (Insurgents Open Fire After False Meeting)
66 == Afghanistan War [03] ---- (Taliban Red Units)
67 == Navy Death Reporting ---- (Social Media Guidelines Set)
68 == Military Up Or Out ---- (Possible Rule Changes for Officer Promotions)
69 == Bunker Buster Bomb ---- (Massive Ordnance Penetrator GBU-57 Upgraded)
70 == Night Vision ---- (Scientist Discover New Way to Make It Better & Cheaper)
70 == Trump Military Accomplishments ---- (Top Ten List Includes Four)
71 == AIMLOCK ---- (A Computer-Controlled, Stabilized System Rifle)
72 == USMC Recruitment [02] ---- (2017 A Banner Year)
73 == Military Recruiting [09] ---- (Looking for The Best Way)
74 == USS North Dakota (SSN-784) [01] ---- (Heroic Effort to Save Shipmate)
75 == USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19 ---- (Navy’s Oldest Warship Given 20 More Years Life)
76 == Floating Guantanamo's [01] ---- (Leasing Jail Ships Under Consideration)
76 == Enlistment [17] ---- (Why Don't More People Serve Commission)
77 == Freeze-Dried Plasma [01] ---- (DoD/FDA Partnership to Speed Up Approval)
78 == Destroyer Collisions ---- (Fitzgerald/McCain DDG Skippers Face Criminal Charges)
79 == Destroyer Collisions [01] ---- (How Homicide Charges Will Shake Up Entire Navy)
83 == Destroyer Collisions [02] ---- (Secrecy and Uncertainty Surrounds Navy Discipline)
84 == USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) [10] ---- (Repairs to Take 2 Years)
85 == Warships That Will Change the Future ---- (USS Independence (LCS)
85 == Gun Salutes ---- (Origin & Use)
87 == Overseas Troops ---- (Cpl. Joshua Montgomery)

. * MILITARY HISTORY* .

87 == Tet Offensive [01] ---- (How It Undermined Americas' Faith in Government)
90 == B-52 Greenland 1968 Crash ---- (4 Nuclear Bombs On Board)
92 == USS Pueblo Seizure ---- (How It Almost Sparked A Nuclear War)
92 == USS Astoria (CA-34) ---- (Personal Responsibility)
93 == Battle of the Somme ---- (One Of WWI's Bloodiest)
94 == Great Escape Myths ---- (Five Revealed)
96 == Military History ---- (WWII | Exercise Tiger Tragedy)
97 == Military History Anniversaries ---- (01 thru 14 FEB)
97 == Medal of Honor Citations ---- (Marcario~Garcia | WWII)

. * HEALTH CARE* .

99 == Medicare Health Care Services ---- (Savings You Get)
101 == FEDVIP ---- (TRICARE Federal Employees Dental & Vision Insurance Program)
101 == USFHP [04] ---- (13,000 Users Sent Misprinted ID Cards)
102 == Dental Cleaning ---- (Can Save Time, Money and Even Your Life)
103 == Colds & Flu ---- (Your Sick, What Should You Do?)
105 == Prescription Drug Costs [01] ---- (Vermont Reduction Proposal)
106 == TMOP [23] ---- (Express Scripps Overcharges 35,000 Users)
106 == Cervical Cancer [03] ---- (Have You Been Vaccinated?)
107 == Dementia ---- (When Thinking & Behavior Decline)
108 == Government Shutdown TRICARE Impact ---- (Minimal)
110 == TRICARE Podcast 433 ---- (Flu Shots - Right of First Refusal - Staying Informed)
111 == TRICARE Podcast 434 ---- (Urgent Care - Publications Feedback - Dental Cleanings)

. * FINANCIAL * .

113 == Tax Audits [01] ---- (Missteps That Will Get You Audited)
114 == VA Home Loan [54] ---- (Eyeing a Foreclosed Property)
115 == IRS 2018 Filing Season ---- (DVA Tips & Filing Help Options)
116 == IRS Garnishment ---- (Military Retirement Pay)
117 == Fisher House [05] ---- (Death Benefits During Government Shutdown)
117 == Auto/House Insurance---- (Expect 5%+ Reduction)
118 == Government Shutdown ---- (Some Banks Will Provide Troop Support)
119 == Credit Card Balance Transfers ---- (Seven Myths Debunked)
120 == SSA Monetary Benefit [02] ---- (Government Shutdown Impact)
120 == Mortgage [08] ---- (Rates Rise As More People Apply)
121 == Tax Plan 2017 [05] ---- (Spousal Support)
122 == Navy Paternity Leave ---- (Paid Leave Increase From 10 to 21)
122 == Tax Season Scam ---- (Ploy To Download Malware Into Your Computer)
123 == Airbnb URL Spoofing Scam ---- (How To Avoid)
123 == Tax Burden for Alaska Retired Vets ---- As of JAN 2018

. * GENERAL INTEREST * .

125 == Notes of Interest ---- (16 thru 31 JAN 2017)
126 == Air Force One [04] ---- ($24 Million Dollars for Refrigerators)
126 == Travel Advisory---- (Philippines Alert Level 2)
128 == Flag Protests ---- (AMVETS Decrying NFL Corporate Censorship | #PleaseStand)
128 == Border Wall [02] ---- (Models Thwart US Commandos In Tests)
130 == DPRK Missile Program [03] ---- (Moving Closer to Putting US at Risk)
131 == Nuclear Attack [01] ---- (What It would Look Like On Hawaii)
133 == DPRK Nuclear Weapons [21] ---- (Denuclearization Must Be Objective)
133 == Philippine Mayon Volcano [01] ---- (Back To Life)
135 == South China Sea [01] ---- (China's Ambitions in Philippine Eastern Waters)
137 == South China Sea [02] ---- (RP Will Not Get Embroiled in U.S.-China Spat)
139 == Fallout Shelters ---- (Where Would You Go in A Nuclear Attack?)
140 == Trump Health ---- (CINC Declared to be in Excellent Health)
141 == Brain Teaser ---- (Do You Know 3)
142 == Where There's a Will, There's a Way ---- (09)
142 == Brain Teaser Answers ---- (Do You Know 3)
143 == Have You Heard? --- (Husband and Wife (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 - Oregon Vet State Benefits & Discounts FEB 2018
Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 01 thru 14 FEB
Attachment - USS Pueblo Seizure

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RAO Bulletin Editor/Publisher:
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