RAO BULLETIN 1 February 2019

[boardman]

RAO
BULLETIN
1 February 2019

PDF & HTML Editions

THIS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES


Pg Article Subject
. * DOD * .

05 == DoD Blended Retirement System [04] ---- (500K+ Now Enrolled)
05 == Pentagon Spending [01] ---- ($4.7 Billion Saved In the Past 2 Years)
07 == Selective Service System [26] ---- (National Commission’s Interim 2019 Report)
07 == Transgender Troops [20] ---- (Supreme Court Lifts Preliminary Injunctions on Ban]
08 == DoD Climate Change Impact ---- (Installations & Infrastructure)
09 == Exchange/DeCA Merger [02] ---- (Critics Question Where Any Cost Savings Would Go)
11 == Taiwan Straits ---- (China Urged to Follow International Rules At Sea)
12 == Toxic Exposure | Lejeune [70] ---- (SECNAV Denies $963 billion in Claims)
12 == DoD Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 JAN 2019)
14 == POW/MIA Recoveries & Burials ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 JAN 2019 | Nine)

. * VA * .

16 == VA Blue Water Claims [62] ---- (Stumbling Block is Pay-go which Needs to Go | Opinion)
17 == VA Blue Water Claims [63] ---- (Federal Court Rules VA Cannot Deny Benefits)
18 == GI Bill [278] ---- (Audit Discloses $585M in Improper Payments)
19 == VA Lawsuit | Bradley Hammersley ---- (Podiatrist Negligent Care on 115 Vets)
21 == Emergency Medical Bill Claims [05] ---- (Unlawful VA Regulation Lawsuit)
23 == VA Appeals [33] ---- (A Long-Overdue Fix)
24 == VA Vision Care [07] ---- (Available to All Health Care Enrolled Vets)
24 == VA Agent Orange Benefits [05] ---- (VA Continues Opposition to Extending Benefits)
25 == VA Health Care Access [63] ---- (Notable Progress on Wait Times since 2014)
26 == VA Private Sector Care [02] ---- (VA Secretary says VA Privatization a Myth)
27 == VA Health Care Access Standards ---- (Proposed Under Mission Act Implementation)
28 == VA Mission Act [06] ---- (Secretary Wilkie: Revolutionizing VA Health Care)
29 == VA Medical Marijuana [58] ---- (Multiple Bills Submitted for Research & Access)
30 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 JAN 2019)

. * VETS * .

31 == Burn Pit Toxic Exposure [61] ---- (Supreme Court Rejects Vets Appeal)
33 == Vet Surveys ---- (IAVA Results on Public Policy & Military Transition Issues)
33 == Vet Toxic Exposure | Water [16] ---- (Congressional Task Force Created)
34 == California Veterans Home [19] ---- (Audit Reveals Properties Mismanaged)
35 == Memorial Desecrations [01] ---- (Freeport Florida)
36 == MOH Awards [10] ---- (Bills Seek Medal of Honor for 102-Year-Old WWII Hero)
37 == Stolen Valor [114] ---- (Fake News | Tribal Elder Was Not A Vietnam Veteran)
38 == Vet Unemployment [18] ---- (2008 thru 2018)
39 == CBO Budget Recommendation [02] ---- (More 2019 TRICARE & VA Proposals)
41 == Government Shutdown Vet Impact [01] ---- (No Checks for 150K Vet Employees)
42 == Vet Fraud & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 JAN 2019)
44 == WWII Vets 182 ---- (Louis E. Curdes | American Flying Ace)
46 == Vet Unclaimed Remains ---- (3 in Memphis TN + 21 More in FL | Jan/Feb 2019)
47 == Obit: Joe M. Jackson ---- (13 JAN 2018 | Battle of Kham Duc MOH Awardee)
48 == Obit: Richard Sherman ---- (09 JAN 2019 | WWII Flying Tiger)
49 == Obit: Charles Kettles --- (21 JAN 2019 | Nam MOH Army Helo Pilot)
50 == Vietnam Vets [32] 01 ---- (R. Lee Ermey | POG Staff Sgt. & Actor Burial)
51 == WWI Vets [03] ---- (Morris Weiner)
52 == Vet Hiring Fairs ---- (Scheduled As of 31 JAN 2019)
53 == Military Retirees & Veterans Events Schedule ---- (As of 31 JAN 2018)
53 == State Veteran's Benefits ---- (Idaho 2019)

. * VET LEGISLATION * .

54 == SBP DIC Offset [53] ---- (H.R.533 | Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act)
54 == VA Medical Marijuana [57] ---- (S.179 | VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act)
55 == Burn Pit Toxic Exposure [62] ---- (H.R. 663/S.191 | Burn Pit Accountability Act)
55 == GI Bill [276] ---- (S.2248 | Veterans Benefits and Transition Act)
57 == GI Bill [277] ---- (S.3777 | Forever GI Bill Housing Payment Fulfillment Act)
57 == Military Spouse Deportation [07] ---- H.R. 557 | Protect Patriot Spouses Act)
58 == DoD/VA Concurrent Receipt ---- (H.R.303 | Retired Pay Restoration Act Reintroduced)

. * MILITARY* .

58 == Army Retention Program [01] ---- (‘Up or Out’ Is On Its Way Out)
59 == Navy Blue-Gold Model ---- (Projected Crewing on New FFG(X)
60 == PCS Moves [03] ---- ($11,592 to Fly Two Pet Dogs to Guam)
62 == USS South Dakota ---- (SSN-790 to Be Commissioned 2 FEB 2019)
63 == Government Shutdown USCG Impact [06] ---- (Recent Accomplishments without Pay)
64 == Government Shutdown USCG Impact [07] ---- (Coast Guard City’s Response)
65 == Government Shutdown USCG Impact [08] ---- (Wives Concerned About Reoccurrence)
66 == U.S.-Somalia Ops ---- (Our Military to Stop Giving Details on Strikes)
67 == Feres Doctrine [10] ---- (Potential New Rules Being Looked at by Congress)
67 == Nuclear Power Program ---- (Project Dilithium | Deployable Nuclear Reactors)
69 == Military Earplug Lawsuit ---- (Defective Dual-Ended Combat Arms Earplug Impact On Vets)
69 == M17/M18 Sidearm ---- (Army Fielding New Pistols w/Enhancers)
70 == U.S. Naval Academy [05] ---- (Audit Shows It Is Falling Apart)
71 == Military 3D Printing ---- (May Revolutionize Maintenance for Air Force F-22 Raptor)
72 == Payday Loans [05] ---- (CFBP Authority to Verify Lender’s MLA Compliance)
73 == Airforce KC-46 ---- (Delivery accepted 10 JAN 2019)
73 == Robotic Targets ---- (Use Can Modernize any Range & Keep Marines, Soldiers Shooting Sharp)
74 == Nuclear Weapons [01] ---- (Work Completed on Navy’s Upgraded Nuclear Warhead)
75 == Nuclear Weapons [02] ---- (U.S. Cost Projected to be $494B Over the Next Decade)
76 == Weapons Testing ---- (Navy Builds Hypersonic Test Ground in California)
77 == USS Gerald A. Ford [11] ---- (Once Beleaguered by Critics, The Ford Gets A Lift)
78 == Warships That Will Change the Future ---- (TCG Heybeliada F-511)
79 == Navy Terminology, Jargon & Slang ---- (Banca Boat thru BB Stacker)

. * MILITARY HISTORY * .

80 == Battle of Kham Duc ---- (MOH Joe Jackson’s Involvement)
82 == Leningrad Siege ---- (Tamara Chernykh’s Survival)
84 == SADM Units ---- (Hand Carried Nukes Users)
85 == USS Pueblo [06] ---- (Held Hostage for 11 Months | Freed 2 days Before Xmas)
86 == War Memorials ---- (Liberty WWI Memorial, Kansas City, Missouri)
86 == WWII Bomber Nose Art [23] ---- (Whodunit? The 2nd)
87 == Post WWII Photos ---- (First U.S. Cemetery at Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer France)
87 == Every Picture Tells A Story ---- (Continuation War)
87 == Military History Anniversaries ---- (01 thru 14 FEB)
88 == Medal of Honor Citations ---- (Roy W. Harmon | WWII)

. * HEALTH CARE * .

89 == TRICARE Urgent/Emergency Care [03] ---- (Do You Know the Difference?)
90 == Hemochromatosis ---- (Research Reveals Genetic Condition More Serious Than Previously Thought)
91 == Medicare For All ---- (What It Is & What It Would Cost)
92 == Surprise Medical Bills [01] ---- (Trump Boosts Fight Against Unexpected Medical Bills)
93 == Prostate Cancer [17] ---- (New Biopsy Procedure More Accurate and Thorough)
94 == Prescription Filling Options [03] ---- (Online From Canada)
96 == Tricare/Medicare Fraud ---- (False Medical Bills)
96 == POCUS ---- (New Portable Ultrasound Device Produces Precise, High-Quality Results)
97 == Food Safety Myths ---- (Exposed)
98 == Medicaid Fraud [96] ---- (Disclosures 16-31 JAN 2019)
99 == Medicare Fraud [135] ---- (Disclosures 16-31 JAN 2019)
100 == Prescription Drug Costs [22] ---- (Inulin Prices Doubled Over 5 Years)
101 == Prescription Drug Costs [23] ---- (International Pricing Index Proposal)
102 == Prescription Drug Costs [24] ---- (Pharmaceutical Execs Decline to Testify Before Congress)
103 == TRICARE Podcast 485 ---- (Pharmacy Program - Shutdown & Allotments – Emergency/Urgent Care)
104 == TRICARE Podcast 486 ---- (2019 TRICARE Benefit Resources - Winter Safety Tips – ECHO)

. * FINANCES * .

105 == IRS 2018 Filing Season [05] ---- (Penalty Waiver for Underwithholding)
106 == IRS 2018 Filing Season [06] ---- (Credits & Deductions You Should Not Overlook)
107 == Social Security Taxation [11] ---- (What to Expect for Tax Year 2018)
108 == Bankruptcy [01] ---- (Chapter 13 vs. Chapter 7 Impact on Handicapped Vets)
108 == COLA FY 2019 [01] ---- (December's Numbers Show Downward Trend)
109 == Health Saving Account [02] ---- (401K for Medical Expenses)
110 == Military Travel Discounts & Offers 2 ---- (DoD/Priceline New Leisure Travel Site)
110 == Social Security Q & A ---- (190116 thru 190131)
111 == USPS COA Scam ---- (Moving Soon? Look Out for This Trick)
112 == Deployment Letter Scam ---- (Payment Solicitation to Contact Loved Ones Overseas)
113 == Shark Tank Scam ---- (Look Out for Phony Claims about TV Endorsements)
114 == Tax Burden for Missouri Retired Vets ---- (As of JAN 2019)

. * GENERAL INTEREST * .

116 == Notes of Interest ---- (16 thru 31 JAN 2019)
117 == DPRK Nuclear Weapons [26] ---- (Assessment | Unlikely To Dismantle Its Arsenal)
118 == Emergency Preparations ---- (Top 10 Steps to Take in Advance)
120 == Government Shutdown [23] ---- (The Stop STUPIDITY Act)
120 == Subic Bay Philippines [01] ---- (Philippines' Largest Shipyard Has Chinese Firms Interest)
121 == Border Wall [07] ---- (GoFundMe Campaign Change)
122 == Border Wall [08] ---- (Wall That Nobody Wants to Talk About)
123 == Trump Foreign Policy [01] ---- (America’s Endless Wars Must Stop)
123 == Trump Foreign Policy [02] ---- (AP Poll Shows Low Marks)
125 == Trump NATO Policy [01] ---- (Credited For Obtaining $100B More in Defense Spending)
125 == Iran Space Program ---- (Satellite Fails to Reach Orbit after Launch that Worried US)
126 == DPRK Biological Weapons ---- (Lesser Known Military Threat)
129 == Japan*China Dispute [02] ---- (New Weapons, Military Roles Surge to Meet China’s Rise)
130 == China’s Offensive Capability [07] ---- (Pentagon Intelligence Report)
131 == Iraq War Study ---- (Iran Was the Only Winner | Many Lessons for Future Wars)
133 == Interesting Ideas ---- (No Ice chest!)
134 == One Word Essays ---- (Security)
134 == Have You Heard? ---- (Stuff You Didn't Know You Didn't Know | Q&A’s | What’s Your Handicap)

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.
3. Recipients of the Bulletin are authorized and encouraged to forward the Bulletin to other vets or veteran organizations.

. * ATTACHMENTS * .

Attachment – Idaho Vet State Benefits
Attachment – Military History Anniversaries 01 thru 14 FEB (Updated)
Attachment – The Pueblo Incident


-o-o-O-o-o-

TO READ and/or DOWNLOAD THE ABOVE ARTICLES, ATTACHMENTS, OR PAST BULLETINS GO Online To:

-- http://www.nhc-ul.org/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/emos-rao.html (PDF & HTML Editions w/ATTACHMENTS)
-- http://www.nj-americanlegionpost493.org (PDF Edition w/ATTACHMENTS)
-- http://www.veteransresources.org/rao-bulletin (past Bulletins)

Note: The above websites are blocked by some, if not all, USAF & USCG military commands for security purposes. To gain access you may need to open them using a non “...@us.af.mil” / “...@uscg.mil” source. Contact raoemo@sbcglobal.net if you are unable to do this.

Notes:
1. The Bulletin is provided as a website accessed document vice direct access. This was necessitated by SPAMHAUS who alleged the Bulletin’s size and large subscriber base were choking the airways interfering with other internet user’s capability to send email. SPAMHAUS told 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 outgoing email capability if we did not. To avoid this we notified all subscribers of the action required to continue their subscription. This Bulletin notice was sent to the 19,770 subscribers who responded to that notice and/or have since subscribed. All others were deleted from the active mailing list.

2. 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.

3. 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 3 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 (858) 842-1111 to ask questions or confirm info needed to add them to the directory.

4. If you have another email addee at work or home and would like to receive Bulletin notices there also, just provide the appropriate addee to raoemo@sbcglobal.net.

5. Past Bulletin articles as well as an index of all previously published article titles are available on request to raoemo@sbcglobal.net. Bear in mind that the articles listed on this 200 page plus index were valid at the time they were written and may have since been updated or become outdated.

6. The Bulletin is normally published on the 1st and 15th of each month. 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 either http://www.nhc-ul.org/rao.html (PDF Edition), http://www.veteransresources.org (PDF & HTML Editions), http://veteraninformationlinksasa.com/emos-rao.html (PDF & HTML Editions), or http://frabr245.org (PDF & HTML Editions) before sending me an email asking if one was published. If you can access the Bulletin at any of the aforementioned sites it indicates that something is preventing you from receiving my email. Either your server considers it to be spam or I have somehow incorrectly entered or removed your addee from the mailing list. Send me an email so I can verify your entry on the validated mailing list. If you are unable to access the Bulletin at any of these sites let me know.

7. Articles within the Bulletin are editorialized information obtained from over 100 sources. At the end of each article is provided the primary source from which it was obtained. The ++ indicates that that the information was reformatted from the original source and/or editorialized from more than one source. Because of the number of articles contained in each Bulletin there is no why that I can attest to their validity other than they have all been taken from previously reliable sources. My staff consist of only one person (myself) and it is a 7/10-12 endeavor to prepare and publish. Readers who question the validity of content are encouraged to go to the source provided to have their questions answered. I am always open to comments but, as a policy, shy away from anything political. Too controversial and time consuming.

8. Recipients of the Bulletin are authorized and encouraged to forward the Bulletin to other vets or veteran organizations.

== 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 at no cost to all veterans, dependents, military/veteran support organizations, and media.
== Anyone who wants to remove or change their email addee from the Bulletin mailing list can the automatic “UNSUBSCRIBE“ or “Change of Address“ tabs at the bottom of this message or send a message to raoemo@sbcglobal.net with the word “DELETE“ or “COA“ in the subject line.

-o-o-O-o-o-

RAO Bulletin Editor/Publisher:
Lt. James (EMO) Tichacek, USN (Ret) Tel: (858) 842-1111 Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net
Bulletin Web Access: http://www.nhc-ul.org/rao.html, http://www.veteransresources.org, http://frabr245.org, and http://veteraninformationlinksasa.com/emos-rao.html [PDF & HTML Editions w/ATTACHMENTS]

RAO Baguio Director:
SSgt Terrance (Terry) Parker, USAF (Ret), PSC 517 Box 4107, FPO AP 96517-1000, Tel: Smart 0921824728 or Globe 09454073380, Email: rao.dir.baguio@gmail.com

RAO Baguio Office: Mountain Lodge, 27 Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City, 2600 Philippines
FPO Mail Pickup: TUE & THUR 09-1100 --- Outgoing Mail Closeout: THUR 1100