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House Republicans push for backlog commission

By Leo Shane III
Published: May 23, 2013

WASHINGTON —  Lawmakers unhappy with the continued claims backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs are now pushing for a new commission to find new solutions to the problem.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., are sponsoring a bill to create a 15-person panel to weigh in on the VA’s claims processing and evaluation. The commission would exist for 180 days, and offer a series of recommendations to more quickly get veterans their benefits payouts.

College rankings include online veterans programs

By Leo Shane III
Published: May 7, 2013

WASHINGTON — U.S. News and World Report for the first time has included analysis of online degree programs for veterans in its 2013 college rankings, out today.

Researchers in recent years have included online-only programs in their annual report, but said they included the veteran-specific rankings in recognition of the challenges that population faces.

VFW, SVA announce new student vet help program

By Leo Shane III
Published: May 2, 2013

WASHINGTON — Student veterans having trouble getting through the Department of Veterans Affairs benefits helplines now have another resource for their GI Bill problems.

On Wednesday, The Veterans of Foreign Wars and Student Veterans of America launched their new “1 Student Veteran” program, designed to provide answers and assistance on a host of benefits issues for veterans attending college.

Another senior VA official steps down

By Patrick Dickson
Published: April 29, 2013
W. Scott Gould
W. Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans Affairs deputy secretary W. Scott Gould has resigned.

The news was first reported by Federal News Radio.

#EndTheBacklog, but which one?

By Leo Shane III
Published: April 26, 2013

WASHINGTON — Everyone wants to end the backlog problem. Just make sure you’re in the right fight on social media.

Veterans advocates have been using the Twitter hashtags #EndTheVABacklog and #EndTheBacklog for the last several months, hammering home the lengthy waits some former troops face in getting their disability benefits.

War wounded offer wealth of advice to Boston victims

By Leo Shane III
Published: April 24, 2013

WASHINGTON -- Call it a grim consequence of more than a decade of unconventional war: Americans who lost a limb in combat overseas have a wealth of advice for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, many of whom are just coming to grips with an amputated leg or arm.

Here’s a look at some of the reaction and advice out there so far, with a common theme of painful changes but also a hopeful future.

RWB runs in honor of Boston victims

The runners with the D.C. chapter of Red, White & Blue run in front of the Lincoln Memorial Wednesday in support of the people affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes
By Meredith Tibbetts
Published: April 18, 2013
RWB support Boston bombing victims

Meredith Tibbetts/Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON — Awash in red shirts and with several sporting Boston logos, members of the local chapter of Team Red, White & Blue ran more than three miles Wednesday along the National Mall in support of those affected by the bombing of the Boston Marathon.

Team RWB is an organization whose mission it is to enrich the lives of veterans by connecting them to their community through physical and social activity.

Team RWB planning 'response runs' to honor Boston victims

By Leo Shane III
Published: April 16, 2013
Team RWB at Boston Marathon

Team Red, White and Blue

WASHINGTON — Organizers with Team Red, White and Blue are planning “response runs” in cities throughout the country this week in the aftermath of the attack on Boston Marathon runners on Monday.

The group, which brings veterans and civilians together through sports, had 17 members participating in the Boston event. Late Monday, group officials said all were unharmed by the two bomb blasts.

VA hopes to see backlog improvements this fall

By Leo Shane III
Published: April 10, 2013
Allison Hickey
Allison Hickey
Department of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs officials hope the number of pending veterans compensation claims will start to drop sometime this fall, and are confident they can eliminate the backlog in 2015.

In a budget briefing with reporters Wednesday, Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey said she expects to see the drop in the first quarter of fiscal 2014, which starts Oct. 1.

More Iraq and Afghanistan vets have jobs than ever before

By Leo Shane III
Published: April 5, 2013
190213VetsJobsAP
Job Seeker Brett Culver, left, of Newalla, Okla., formerly of the Air Force, talks with Texas state trooper Deon Cockrell, right, at a Recruit Military job fair in Oklahoma City on Jan. 31, 2013. Although veterans as a whole have a lower unemployment rate than the nation at large, younger veterans who served in the years following the Sept. 11 attacks are having a much harder time finding work.
Sue Ogrocki/AP

WASHINGTON -- The number of veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan war eras who have found post-military jobs topped 2 million for the first time last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The monthly employment report also showed the number of veterans from any era working in America today rose above 11 million in March, the first time it has reached that mark since August 2009.

 
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