VFW MO District 2

VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY, July 27, 2007

Posted at 01:38 PM on Sunday, July 29, 2007 by dist2

NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SERVICE
1. Senate Hearing on VA Funding
2. House VA Committee Hearings
3. Wounded Warrior Commission Recommendations

NATIONAL SECURITY & FOREIGN AFFAIRS
1. DOD Extends R&R Program
2. Military Pay Raise
3. UN Denies Taiwan Membership
4. Iraq
5. Russia
6. Kosovo
7. Missing WWII Sailor Identified
8. Reserve Component Mobilization


NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE SERVICE

1. Senate Hearing on VA Funding: On Wednesday, the Senate Veterans
Affairs Committee held a hearing to discuss various funding methods for
VA. VFW supports an adequate, reliable funding method to ensure timely,
high quality health care for all veterans. The Partnership for Veterans
Healthcare Budget Reform, of which VFW is a member, called on Congress
to approve legislation that would replace the current discretionary
funding mechanism with a funding system that is sufficient, predictable
and reliable.  Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI) promised to hold more
hearings on the subject.  "Taking care of veterans is not a commitment
we can continue to subject to the whims of political wrangling and other
factors.  The time has come for real change in how VA is funded, because
we owe that to the men and women we are sending overseas, into battle,"
he said.  For more on the hearing, visit the Senate VA website at:
http://veterans.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?pageid=16

2. House VA Committee Hearings: The House VA' Committee and
Subcommittees held several oversight hearings this week:
-  The full committee held a hearing on PTSD and personality disorders
and the challenges facing VA.  Witnesses testified on how VA addresses
personality disorders, and discussed a recent report by the Institute of
Medicine on VA PTSD claims.  Current estimates show that approximately
one-third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans may show signs of PTSD.  A
national report last year said that the number of veterans seeking help
for PTSD at Vet Centers rose from 4,500 to more than 9,000 between
October 2005 and June 2006.
-  The Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on Gulf War exposures and
what strides VA and DOD have taken to provide help to those veterans who
served during 1990/91. According to several servicemembers who served in
the first Gulf War, troops exposed to a host of toxic substances are
experienced lasting health effects and undiagnosed illnesses.  Witnesses
agreed that research dollars provided to DOD and VA need to be increased
to identify all possible Gulf War exposures and their health-related
issues 
-  The Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity heard testimony on contract
bundling, the consolidation of two or more contracts into one and its
impact on veterans and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.
The hearing is part of a series on entrepreneurship and self employment,
and concerns that many federal agencies are not meeting the 3% set aside
for veterans and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.  VFW
testified earlier this month on federal procurement in support of
service-disabled small businesses.  To read our testimony, go to:
http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/schedule110/july07/07-12-07pm/witness
.shtml
-  For more information on any of the hearings from this week, go to the
House VA website at: http://veterans.house.gov/

3. Wounded Warrior Commission Recommendations: The Presidential
Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors announced
its recommendations this week after three months of gathering
information. The commission put together reports of problems after
visiting 23 sites and speaking with injured servicemembers, their
families, and with veterans groups and healthcare professionals.  The
VFW supports 5 of the 6 recommendations.  For more information, click
here for the VFW press release and Commission's Report:
http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=4147

NATIONAL SECURITY & FOREIGN AFFAIRS

1. DOD Extends R&R Program: The Department of Defense approved a policy
change to the U.S. Central Command Rest & Recuperation Leave Program
last week, increasing the R&R time provided to servicemembers currently
serving 15-month deployments in support of operations Iraqi Freedom and
Enduring Freedom to 18 days.  Servicemembers serving one-year tours will
continue to receive 15 days of chargeable R&R leave.  The amended
policy, which became effective July 13, applies to military personnel
only and is not retroactive.

2. Military Pay Raise: This week the Senate passed HR 1585, the Wounded
Warrior Act, and tacked on a 3.5% military pay raise to the bill that
would go into effect Jan 1.  The House Appropriations Committee also
approved the FY08 defense spending measure that fully funds a 3.5%
raise. The House version of the Wounded Warrior Act does not include the
raise.  However, this action demonstrates Congressional support to
increase military pay over the President's request of 3%. 

3. UN Denies Taiwan Membership: The United Nations rejected Taiwan's
membership application July 23, citing a 1970 resolution that recognizes
the People's Republic of China.  Taiwan had submitted its UN membership
bid July 19.

4. Iraq: The significant improvement in the striking capability of
militias targeting Baghdad's Green Zone is directly linked to their
training inside Iran, Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, operational
commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said July 26.  Odierno also said
roadside bombs are being smuggled into Iraq across the Iranian border.
On July 24, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker also accused Tehran of
supporting militias during talks with Iranian officials in Baghdad.  In
addition, VFW National Security & Foreign Affairs Director Mike Wysong
participated in a conference call with Command Sgt. Maj. Tommy Williams,
Multi-National Security Transition Corps in Iraq.  CSM Williams briefed
participants on the progress of the seven provinces that have acquired
full responsibility for their own security under Provincial Iraqi
Control, and the process of turning over the remaining provinces.  He
emphasized that the process is working extremely well; the Iraqis are
stepping up to the plate to defend their country, and U.S. efforts are
more successful today than six months ago.  When questioned about troop
morale, he stated that it is linked directly to the American public's
support of them and their mission.  "Troop morale is high when the
American people appreciate and support what we do," said Williams.  This
is one of many conference calls the VFW participates in each week with
military leadership and U.S. government officials.

5. Russia: According to Anatoly Antonov, Director of the Foreign
Ministry's Security and Disarmament Department, Russia is offering NATO
a strategic partnership as an international system against possible
missile threats.  The offer will be discussed with the United States
during the next round of missile defense consultations in Washington
next week.

6. Kosovo: Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is to meet with
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and National Security Adviser
Stephen Hadley in Washington today to discuss the two countries'
positions on Kosovo.  Jeremic met members of the Serbian caucus in the
U.S. Congress yesterday, and reportedly received an assurance that they
will try to soften the U.S. stance on Kosovo.  The U.S. favors
independence for Kosovo, but following Russia's refusal to go along with
a draft resolution in the UN Security Council last week, the U.S. and
Europe have begun a less-formal round of talks to bring Serbian and
Kosovo leaders back together to negotiate a settlement - a tactic that
failed once before. 

7. Missing WWII Sailor Identified: The Defense POW/Missing Personnel
Office announced that the remains of a Navy Fireman 3rd Class Alfred E.
Livingston, of Worthington, IN, have been identified and returned to his
family for burial with full military honors.  On Dec. 7, 1941,
Livingston was assigned to the battleship USS Oklahoma when it was
attacked by Japanese torpedo aircraft and capsized in Pearl Harbor.  The
ship sustained massive casualties. Livingston was one of hundreds
declared killed in action whose bodies were not recovered.  In the
aftermath of the attack, some remains were recovered from the waters of
Pearl Harbor.  One set of sailor's remains were recovered and thought to
be associated with USS Arizona losses.  However, when efforts to
identify the sailor failed, it was inconclusive what ship he was
assigned to and he was buried as an unknown in the National Memorial
Cemetery of the Pacific, known as The Punchbowl.  In 2006, a Pearl
Harbor survivor and researcher, contacted the Joint POW/MIA Accounting
Command and suggested that the biological and dental information on file
for the unknown sailor may be correlated with Livingston's personnel
file.  JPAC's analysts studied the documentation and found enough
evidence to support the researcher's findings that Livingston was
actually recovered after the war, even though he was originally listed
as one of the hundreds of unrecoverable servicemen from the attack on
Pearl Harbor. In February 2007, the grave for the unknown sailor was
exhumed and the identification was made.

8. Reserve Component Mobilization: The total number currently on active
duty in support of the partial mobilization for the Army National Guard
and Army Reserve is 78,653; Navy Reserve, 5,002; Air National Guard and
Air Force Reserve, 5,753; Marine Corps Reserve, 5,915; and the Coast
Guard Reserve, 301.  This brings the total number of mobilized Guard and
Reserve personnel to 95,624, an increase of 1,528 from last week.