Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Sailors Posthumously Receive National Intelligence Medal

By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

MCLEAN, Va., July 24, 2013 - Two fallen Navy petty officers became the 18th and 19th recipients of the National Intelligence Medal for Valor in a July 22 ceremony at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence here.

Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper, left, posthumously awards the National Intelligence Medal for Valor to Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jared Day's parents, Karolyn Kimball Day and Sam Day of Salt Lake City, in a ceremony at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in McLean, Va., July 22, 2013. Day, a tactical communicator, and Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Strange, an information operations operator, were assigned within Naval special operations when they were killed Aug. 6, 2011, in Afghanistan in a helicopter crash following a rocket-propelled grenade attack. DOD photo by Terri Moon Cronk
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

The families of Petty Officers 1st Class Jared W. Day and Michael J. Strange received the posthumous awards.

Calling Day and Strange "two young heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country," Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper presented the medals in front of a standing-room-only gathering of families, friends and shipmates.

Day, a few days shy of his 29th birthday when he died, was a tactical communicator, and Strange, 25, was an information operations operator. Both were assigned within Naval special operations when they responded Aug. 6, 2011, to enemy forces escaping from a nearby raid in an enemy-contested valley of eastern Afghanistan, the award citations read.

Knowing the valley served as an enemy safe haven with no sustained coalition force presence, and knowing that their mission was to interdict and ambush an armed enemy force, Day and Strange volunteered to pursue an enemy known to have attacked and killed coalition forces with plans for future attacks, the citations said.

Both "selflessly chose to interdict the fleeing enemy when [they] boarded the helicopter with [their] teammates," the citations said, but the aggressive mission ended tragically when their helicopter was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, causing it to crash and killing all on board.

Twenty-eight other Americans, eight Afghans and a military working dog were en route to assist an Army Ranger unit engaged in a firefight with Taliban forces west of the Afghan capital of Kabul, Clapper added.

"For each of them, the courageous choice to ride to the sound of gunfire was one they'd made many times before," he told the audience.

The accident was the largest single loss of American life during the Afghanistan campaign and the greatest single loss of life ever suffered by the U.S. Special Operations community, Clapper said.

The U.S. intelligence community looks up to Day and Strange for their heroism and for "setting the example for our entire community," Clapper said. "They served at an amazing nexus of the Navy, special operations and the intelligence community."

Serving with the Navy SEALS, he added, Day and Strange were unique, elite and truly remarkable young men.

"We continue to look to them as selfless examples of service to this great nation," Clapper said. "They were the best of us."

Both men are now part of the history of this country, he said, calling them "a legacy of sacrifice toward something larger than just oneself."

Sam Day and Karolyn Kimball Day of Salt Lake City received the medal for valor for their son.

"He was just amazing," Elizabeth Kimball Day said of her son, adding that he was only 6 years old when he declared he wanted to join the Navy, and did so when he was 19.

"He was always the funny one" she said. "He always got up with a smile, and went to bed with a smile. He always took the underdog under his wing."

"[The National Intelligence Medal for Valor] is a great honor, and it shows how much Michael was appreciated," said Elizabeth Strange of Philadelphia, who accepted the medal on his behalf.

Michael Strange also joined the Navy at a young age, his mother said, adding that she and Michael's father had to sign papers when he was 17 to allow him to go into the Navy when he graduated from high school at age 18.

"It was a decision he made, and he was really determined," she added.

Strange's family didn't believe he wanted to join the military at first. His mother said he wasn't one to arrive at school on time, but he scored very high on tests and was excited when the Navy told him about the jobs he could perform.

"He meshed well with the Navy, [and] I couldn't believe it," his mother said. "He excelled at it."

Biographies:
James R. Clapper

Sean Eagan

Life Member VFW NY Post 53
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
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Stratcom Braces for 'Readiness Avalanche' from Sequestration By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, July 24, 2013 - Recognizing that the services have made tough choices to ensure U.S. Strategic Command can maintain its deterrence mission in the face of sequestration, the Stratcom commander said he has grave concerns about the "readiness avalanche" that's ahead. The nuclear triad and Stratcom's space, cyber and other essential activities have not felt the day-to-day readiness impact of across-the-board budget cuts, Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler told reporters today at a Defense Writers Group breakfast roundtable. "Not yet," Kehler emphasized. "Because of the nature of Strategic Command's missions, the services have given us preferential treatment," he explained. "So far the services have been able to scrape together readiness money to keep it on things like the dual-capable bomber force," reprogramming funds as possible to cover those costs. "They are not going to

Stratcom Braces for 'Readiness Avalanche' from Sequestration

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2013 - Recognizing that the services have made tough choices to ensure U.S. Strategic Command can maintain its deterrence mission in the face of sequestration, the Stratcom commander said he has grave concerns about the "readiness avalanche" that's ahead.

The nuclear triad and Stratcom's space, cyber and other essential activities have not felt the day-to-day readiness impact of across-the-board budget cuts, Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler told reporters today at a Defense Writers Group breakfast roundtable.

"Not yet," Kehler emphasized.

"Because of the nature of Strategic Command's missions, the services have given us preferential treatment," he explained. "So far the services have been able to scrape together readiness money to keep it on things like the dual-capable bomber force," reprogramming funds as possible to cover those costs.

"They are not going to be able to sustain that," Kehler said. "If sequestration continues, it is not going to continue."

Kehler saw evidence of that during his recent visit to Barksdale Air Force Base, La., home of Global Strike Command. Walking the floor of the maintenance dock and talking to the flight crews, Kehler said he was struck by reactions to the sound of aircraft operations.

"Everyone commented that they had not heard any flying activity for two or three days," he said. "They were motivated again, hearing aircraft fly."

Those sounds reflected the Air Force's conscious decision to continue nuclear certification for B-52 Stratofortress aircraft crews, he said, recognizing that the funds came at the expense of something else.

"I know, behind the scenes, both the Air Force and the Navy have had to make a lot of decisions" to be able to support Stratcom, he said.

"I am worried about readiness," Kehler said. "It is like watching an avalanche where you see it start small, and if you ignore readiness accounts and the momentum builds, then eventually you have a readiness avalanche."

Kehler said he's particularly concerned about "the human dimension" of sequestration and the long-term impact it could have on the Defense Department. While military units reduce flying hours and stand down units, civilian workers experiencing furloughs are reassessing their futures with DOD, he said.

"I am worried that those [civilians] near retirement age will not hang on, because they will not be confident in us," Kehler said. Equally concerning, he said, is the discouraging impact sequestration is having on younger civilian workers who represent the command's and department's future.

Kehler pointed to Stratcom's successful internship program that attracts talented young employees to the command.

"Some [interns] have said they won't stay [because they] don't see the future here," he said. "So I am very concerned about the human dimension of all this."

Biographies:
Air Force Gen. C. Robert Kehler

Sean Eagan

Life Member VFW NY Post 53
American Cold War Veterans, Inc.

Web:	http://americancoldwarvets.org/
Blog:	Cold War Veterans Blog
Email:	Sean.Eagan@gmail.com
Phone:	716 720-4000
Network:	My Fast Pitch! Profile

DAV Legislative Alert : Important Bill Would Expand Residential Care Choices for All Severely Disabled Veterans

DAV Legislative Alert

	Take Action!
Please Write to Your Representative Today!

On July 18, 2013, Chairman Jeff Miller, of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, introduced H.R. 2726, the Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act, to enhance and improve VA's existing Medical Foster Home (MFH) program. Established in 2000, a VA-certified MFH is a private residence where a VA-approved caregiver provides 24-hour support to eligible veterans. A VA-participant home cannot accept more than three veterans, and veterans are eligible for these placements when their care would otherwise need to be met in institutional settings. The MFH program is a humane alternative to nursing home placements. Health care for these residents is supervised in the home by VA's Home-Based Primary Care program or VA spinal cord injury home care program. Currently, the MFH program requires participating veterans to pay approximately $1,500 to $4,000 per month for this 24-hour caregiver supervision, including room and board. Even a veteran who is otherwise entitled to VA nursing home care at no expense must pay to reside in a VA-approved MFH. H.R. 2726 would authorize VA to enter into a contract or other agreement with a VA-certified MFH and would pay the full cost of this residential care of service-connected veterans if they are eligible for VA-funded nursing home care. Under this bill, as a component of such care, eligible veterans would also receive VA home health services at no cost. This is an important bill that would give priority to service-connected disabled veterans, and would give them an important alternative to nursing home care. DAV strongly supports this bill based on a long-standing national resolution approved by our members. Please use the prepared message, or draft your own personal one, to urge your Representative in Congress to co-sponsor and support passage of this important bill, and to ask that it be brought to the House floor for a vote and enacted as soon as possible. Thank you for all you do for veterans and their families, for your support of DAV, and for your active participation in DAV CAN.

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Saturday, July 20, 2013

VA Disability Scandal; Deny, Delay Until They Die

A Good Read Pass it Along

VA Disability Scandal; Deny, Delay Until They Die

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Lights in Korea

Look at the contrast between North and South Korea via this NASA photo.

HVAC to Examine MST Care

WASHINGTON, D.C.— On Friday, July 19, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. in room 334 of the Cannon House Office Building, the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing to examine Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense medical care and treatment options for survivors of military sexual trauma.

Military sexual trauma, or MST, refers to experiences of sexual assault or repeated, threatening acts of sexual harassment. DoD estimates that 26,000 service members experienced some form of MST in 2012, and according to VA, about one in five women and one in 100 men seen by the Veterans Health Administration report having experienced some form of sexual trauma during their military service. While MST rates are higher among women, the majority of victims are men, according to DoD.

The effects of MST do not disappear once a victim leaves military service, and can have long-term physical and mental health consequences. The purpose of this hearing is to examine VA and DoD capabilities for treating MST within the active duty and veteran populations as well as any gaps in care and services that may exist in order to help ensure a structured, competent and coordinated continuum of care for MST survivors.

The following event is open to the press:

WHO: Subcommittee on Health

WHAT: Hearing: "Safety for Survivors: Care and Treatment for Military Sexual Trauma"

WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 19, 2013

WHERE: Room 334, Cannon House Office Building and streaming at veterans.house.gov

The witness list is as follows:

Panel 1

Victoria Sanders

Veteran, MST Survivor

Lisa Wilken

Veteran, MST Survivor

Brian Lewis

Veteran, MST Survivor

Tara Johnson

Veteran, MST Survivor

Panel 2

Michael Shepherd M.D

Physician, Office of Health Care Inspections

Office of the Inspector General