VA Back Log Interactive Map

DAV

Compare backlogs and wait times at the 58 VA regional offices on this interactive map from The Bay Citizen. It automatically updates weekly. http://bit.ly/Rnj2si | Full article at http://bit.ly/SU8jtu. — at DAV.

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Sean P Eagan

Former Chairman American Cold War Veterans

Life Member Veterans of Foreign Wars
716 720-4000

50TH ANNIVERSARY CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS CONFERENCE AND BOOK SIGNING WITH SERGEI KHRUSHCHEV

(FAIRFAX, VA, August 29, 2012)--The Cold War Museum in conjunction with the Department of History & Art History at George Mason University (GMU) will convene a distinguished panel of historians, authors, and first hand participants to discuss and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis. This FREE half day program will be held Saturday October 27, 2012 in the Harris Theater on the main campus of GMU, 4400 University Drive in Fairfax, Virginia. Seating is limited. Pre registration required. Program starts at 10:00 a.m. Immediately following the conference there will be a book signing reception.

Sergei Khrushchev, son of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and author of "Nikita Khrushchev and the creation of a superpower" will provide the keynote address. Martin J. Sherwin, Pulitzer Prize winning author on Robert J. Oppenheimer and GMU History Professor, Michael Dobbs, Washington Post Reporter and author of "One Minute to Midnight," and Svetlana Savranskaya, editor of "The Soviet Cuban Missile Crisis" and National Security Archive's Director for Russian Archives and Institutes will conduct a roundtable discussion following Khrushchev's remarks.

U-2 pilot Colonel Buddy Brown (USAF, Ret) and F8U-1P Crusaders pilot Lt. Commander Tad Riley (USN, Ret) who overflew Cuban SA-2 missile sites during the crisis will discuss their mission objectives and recollections. Photographic interpreter, Dino Brugioni, author of "Eyeball to Eyeball", who briefed President Kennedy on the photos taken over Cuba, will provide a dramatic first hand account of the behind the scene activities of the Kennedy administration during those tense thirteen days in October 1962.

Immediately following the conference, there will be a book signing with Sergei Khrushchev ("Nikita Khrushchev and the Creation of a Superpower"), Dino Brugioni ("Eyeball to Eyeball"), Michael Dobbs ("One Minute to Midnight"), Ken Jack (co-author "Blue Moon over Cuba: Aerial Reconnaissance during the Cuban Missile Crisis"), Svetlana Savranskaya (editor "The Soviet Cuban Missile Crisis"), Harvey Simon ("The Madman Theory"), and David Stokes ("Camelot's Cousin").

Sponsors include David Stokes, Syneca Research Group, Inc., and Whit Williams. For more info on sponsorship opportunities, breakfast with the panelists, or to register to attend, visit www.coldwar.org/articles/60s/CubanMissileCrisis50thAnniversary.asp.

Cold War Museum www.coldwar.org

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Sean P Eagan

Former Chairman American Cold War Veterans

Life Member Veterans of Foreign Wars
716 720-4000

Navy Paralympic Athlete Inspires Others to Compete

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. American Forces Press Service LONDON, Aug. 28, 2012 - The opportunity to compete in Paralympic sports allows people with disabilities to re-establish confidence, assist their rehabilitation and revitalize their lives, a member of the U.S. Paralympic Team said here today. Navy Lt. Bradley Snyder, right, a member of the U.S. Paralympic Swimming Team, is interviewed by Army Sgt. Abigail Waldrop during team processing at the University of East London campus prior to the start of the Paralympic Games, in London, Aug. 28. Snyder advocates wounded warriors using sports to aid their rehabilitation and boost confidence. DOD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr. (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Navy Lt. Bradley Snyder, a member of the 2012 U.S. Paralympic swimming team, took time from team processing at the University of East London campus to encourage wounded warriors to use sports to help them recover, both mentally and physically, from injury. "Blindness was a tough hand to deal with," Snyder said. "Everything I tried, to start with, I was not very good at. Cane-walking was difficult. Cooking in the kitchen is difficult. Picking out a color-matching outfit is very difficult. "Things that are relatively menial become problematic without the use of your sight," he continued. "So to hop in the pool was something that came very organically to me, having been a competitive swimmer in the past." The Navy lieutenant is one of 227 athletes participating in the Paralympic Games, a multi-sport event for athletes with physical, mental and sensorial disabilities held every four years following the Summer Olympics. Snyder expressed satisfaction from competing and being successful, and how it aided in his recovery after being blinded while attempting to disable an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan on Sept. 7, 2011. "It was really easy for me to hop in, and get back and forth and feel good at something again," he said. "It was really good for my rehab, [it] really built a lot of confidence forward, and ... all the successes that I have had in Paralympic swimming have given me that feeling of relevance again." Being able to represent his country in a different manner also gives him confidence in the other avenues of life, he said. "So I'm a huge advocate for the idea of wounded warriors getting back into sport," he added. "It gives you that feeling of relevance and that feeling of success again. And again, it's not relegated to just sports. It trickled down to other avenues of life." Snyder said he is transitioning from the Navy to a "purple" world, and swimming has greatly increased his self-confidence. The Navy lieutenant will swim in the 50-meter, 100-meter, and 400-meter freestyle and in the 100-meter backstroke, breast stroke and butterfly. He'll also compete in the 200-meter individual medley, swimming each stroke for 50 meters. Snyder said he captured records for the 50-meter backstroke and 50-meter butterfly during the U.S. Paralympic swimming trials in Bismarck, N.D., in June. "We definitely have our eyes on some other marks throughout the games," he said, "so hopefully we'll be able to drop some time and do some good stuff." Snyder said he began swimming competitively largely as a part of his rehab. "I was injured last September," he added, "and at the suggestion of my old swim coach, and a couple of other entities -- the Athletic Blind Association and some coaching down in Augusta, Ga. -- they thought I should get into swimming just to kind of build my confidence back up." Snyder said once he identified the Paralympic Games as a viable option, he fully committed himself to being the best. "I took it relatively seriously, and moved to Baltimore and started training with Brian Loeffler, who's the head [swimming] coach at Loyola University," he said. "He and I have been working pretty hard over the last few months, and we've been able to make some really good gains in the pool. So [I'm] really looking forward to this opportunity to compete. I think I'm even faster than I was back in June for the trials meet." Snyder again credited competitive swimming for the return of his confidence and a feeling of relevancy. "Doing Paralympic swimming ... has allowed me to feel confident when I move into a room and have to a present a proposal or something like that," he said. "It gives me that feeling of strength, that feeling of confidence I had when I was in the military. "And it kind of reiterates the idea that I am the person I used to be," he continued. "I just have to figure out a new way to get around. So that's what sports affords me: that confidence moving into my new jobs and my regular life as a blind person now."

Related Sites: U.S. Paralympics Related Articles: Paralympians Complete Preparations in London

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Sean P Eagan

Former Chairman American Cold War Veterans

Life Member Veterans of Foreign Wars
716 720-4000

VFW Washington Weekly

 

August 24, 2012 VFW to Attend Both Conventions VFW will be represented at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Tampa next week and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte in early September to ensure the voice of veterans, service members and their families is not lost during Campaign 2012. Leading both delegations will be VFW Legislative Director Ray Kelley. Stay informed throughout by reading their blog postings. President Signs USERRA Bill Recently, the President signed VFW-supported legislation (H.R.3670) which requires the Transportation Security Administration to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). VFW was instrumental in getting the bill introduced and offered testimony in support of the legislation before the House VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity in March. VFW legislative associate Daniel Elkins, who currently serves in the National Guard, spearheaded efforts to find cosponsors for the bill, which helped to push the legislation through Congress. For more details about the bill, visit our Capitol Hill Blog. New TRICARE Prime Rates Announced On Oct. 1, military retirees will see their TRICARE Prime enrollment fees increase to $269.28 for singles and $538.56 for families. The increase reflects the 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment retirees received in 2012, when applied to the FY 2012 enrollment fee of $260 (single) and $520 (families). Retirees enrolled in TRICARE Prime prior to Oct. 1, 2011, will see a more significant increase because their enrollment fees were held at previous levels of $230 and $460, respectively. Survivors of active duty deceased sponsors and medically retired members and their dependents are exempt from annual fee increases as long as there is no break in their TRICARE Prime enrollment. Active duty service members and their families have no enrollment fee. Read more. VFW Speaks at Joint DoD / VA Airborne Hazards Symposium Tuesday marked the opening of the first-of-its-kind gathering of DoD and VA officials to discuss airborne hazards. The closed-door conference will evaluate available data related to exposures sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan, and debate how we should move forward to improve our diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. VFW was on hand for the opening session of the invitation-only event to discuss the available scientific data released by an Institute of Medicine report last year and the impact these conditions have on veterans. Without this and other efforts to tackle this issue, veterans with serious unseen respiratory health conditions will go unresolved. VFW will continue to advocate on behalf of affected veterans and provide more information on an ongoing basis. VFW Joins Roundtable Discussion on Education VFW joined education industry experts, congressional staffers, and veterans' advocates from Student Veterans of America for a roundtable discussion on veterans' education as part of the American Legion's national convention in Indianapolis this week. VFW Deputy Legislative Director Ryan Gallucci was invited to participate in the roundtable discussion, which sought to identify issues faced by student-veterans pursuing an education with the Post-9/11 GI Bill in an effort to build consensus on how to improve educational decision-making for today's veterans. To learn about the roundtable and VFW's continued work helping to protect student-veterans, click here. National POW/MIA Day is Sept. 21 National POW/MIA Recognition Day observances are held nationwide the third Friday of every September in military installations, ships at sea, state capitals, schools, VA facilities, and VFW Posts. The observance is one of only six days—the others are Armed Forces, Memorial, Flag, Independence and Veterans Days—that the flying of the National League of Families' POW/MIA flag is required on all federal buildings and installations, though many government agencies voluntarily fly the POW/MIA Flag 24/7. Hundreds of copies of the 2012 National POW/MIA Recognition Day poster were distributed at the 113th VFW National Convention last month. That poster is now only available for download. WWII Airman Recovered The Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office announced the identification of remains belonging to Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. John E. Hogan, 20, of West Plains, Mo. On Sept. 13, 1944, Hogan and eight other crewmembers were aboard a B-17G Flying Fortress that crashed near Neustaedt-on-Werra, Germany. Only one was able to successfully parachute out of the aircraft. Read more about his recovery.

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Sean P Eagan

Former Chairman American Cold War Veterans

Life Member Veterans of Foreign Wars
716 720-4000

USO: "Share the Love"

I have a big favor to ask.

The USO is a finalist in the Subaru 2012 "Share the Love" event. The 2 charities who get the most votes on the "Share the Love" Facebook page will be included in their winter drive where Subaru will donate $250 to the charity of the customer's choice when they purchase or lease a Subaru -- it could add up to as much as $5 million for our troops!

But voting ends tomorrow night -- so you have to act fast. We really need your vote.

Cast your vote for the USO and help us support our troops through the wonderful Subaru "Share the Love" event before tomorrow's midnight deadline

We're so honored to be part of this effort. And I'm so glad we have you on our side -- I know you'll pull through for our troops.

Thanks,

Kelli Seely
Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer, USO

P.S. Remember voting for the Subaru's "Share the Love" event ends tomorrow and you can vote once a day. Cast your vote for the USO once today and once tomorrow.

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Sean P Eagan

Former Chairman American Cold War Veterans

Life Member Veterans of Foreign Wars
716 720-4000

Hurricane / Tropical Storm Delays Commission Session

I just returned from Ft Meade Got there right as the order to cancel was issued. Whirlwind trip very disappointing. CW Vets Blog will try to return to cover these very important proceedings. KSM_II_(AE059E)[1].pdf         Based upon impending weather conditions in Guantanamo Bay, the sessions scheduled to begin on August 23rd in the case of the US v. Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, et al have been cancelled (see attached docketing order).  A new docketing order setting the next sessions in this case will be forthcoming.  Once provided, plans will again be made for closed circuit viewing at Ft. Meade. Please be advised that you may follow the progress of this Military Commission at the following website http://www.mc.mil/HOME.aspx .  Thank you. Hurricane Hunters' Track Isaac as Southcom, Northcom Prepare By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2012 - With Tropical Storm Isaac bearing down on the Dominican Republic and Haiti and threatening to strengthen over the eastern Caribbean, the "Hurricane Hunters" from the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron are in the air, relaying critical data to National Weather Service forecasters in Miami. Meanwhile, staffs at both the U.S. Southern and Northern Commands are monitoring the storm closely and ensuring they are ready to provide support to civilian authorities, including the U.S. Agency for International Development and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Three six-person crews from the 53rd WRS and their maintainers and support staff deployed to St. Croix from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., last weekend, Air Force Lt. Col. Jon Talbot, the squadron's chief meteorologist, told American Forces Press Service. Operating out of the international airport there, they began flying their specially equipped C-130J Hercules aircraft through the storm Aug. 21. On a typical mission that can run up to 12 hours, the aircrews crisscross the storm in what the teams call an "alpha pattern," he explained. Sophisticated onboard instruments and small canisters dropped by parachute to the ocean's surface collect accurate measurements of the storm's location and intensity. That information is fed continuously to the National Hurricane Center via an onboard satellite link. In addition, the aircraft sends automated messages every 10 minutes, relaying barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and other measurements. "The reason this data is critical is because, with satellites, you can track where storms are and get a general picture, but you can't peer into the storm and physically measure what is happening at the ocean's surface," Talbot said. "That is the important piece of information you need to know when it comes to providing warnings to the public. The emergency management community needs to know what is going on near the surface of the ocean, because those are the winds that are going to come ashore." With about six missions already under their belts during the past three days, Talbot said, the pace will pick up considerably as Isaac moves west toward the United States. "Currently, we are doing about three missions a day, but that will go up to four or five when the storm comes within 300 miles of the U.S. coastline," he said. The Hurricane Hunters expect to move west along with the storm, redeploying to Keesler Air Force Base to resume those missions beginning this weekend. In the event that the crews have to evacuate Keesler, Talbot said, they already have alternate operating sites lined up. "We track these things pretty closely, because if we end up having to jump from here, we still have to continue flying and providing that data while we are evacuating our own resources," he said. "It becomes a big, tangled web, but it always works out pretty well."  As a precaution, aircraft and ships are being moved out of the storm's possible path and other assets are being secured, according to Southcom spokesman Army Lt. Col. Darryl Wright. Planning teams are busy running rehearsal meetings and preparing to verify personnel and resource requests, if USAID issues them, he said. Wright emphasized that military support, if provided, would be part of a coordinated U.S. response led by civilian authorities. "We conduct close coordination and planning and provide DOD support to relief efforts upon request," he said. "Through this close coordination, we ensure that we respond with the most efficient means available to the U.S. government." In terms of disaster response, Wright said efficiency is typically more important than speed in reducing suffering and saving lives. Northcom, too, is in a monitoring mode. But with the storm expected to intensify late this weekend when it hits the Atlantic and the Florida Straits, the command deployed a defense coordinating officer and element to Puerto Rico on Aug. 20 to support FEMA, John Cornelio, Northcom's media operations chief, told American Forces Press Service. The element of about 20 people is assessing the situation and standing ready to provide assistance, if requested. "We have learned the value of being forward enough to cut down on the response time, if required," Cornelio said. With Isaac's path still anyone's guess, officials say it's too soon to know whether it will hit Tampa, site of next week's Republican National Convention. Northcom has a team deployed there to support the Secret Service during the convention, Cornelio reported.

Related Sites: U.S. Southern Command U.S. Northern Command 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

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Sean P Eagan

Former Chairman American Cold War Veterans

Life Member Veterans of Foreign Wars
716 720-4000