Bulletin 140401
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
RAO BULLETIN 1 April 2014 PDF Edition THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES Pg Article Subject | *DoD* | 04 == DFAS Future ------------ (Drawdown Impact | Army Pilot Program) 04 == DoD Benefit Cuts [36] --------------- (TRICARE Program Hearing) 06 == DECA Budget Cuts [06] ----------------- (Really | And Now A Plan) 07 == BRAC [36] ------------------------ (Pentagon Wants Another Round) 08 == BRAC [37] ---------------------------- (CNO Says He Sees No Need) 09 == DoD Religious Expression [03] ---- (Sikh Alleged Enlistment Ban) 10 == DoD Retirement [01] ----- (Negative Reaction to Change Proposal) 12 == QDR 2014 [01] ----- (Presumes More Risk, Less Money in Future) 14 == QDR 2014 [02] ---- (Pentagon Official Disputes HASC Rejection) | *VA* | 15 == VA Care ~ Cold Injuries ----------------- (How To Obtain Benefits) 16 == VA Health Care Access [07] ------ (ACA/VA Signup Encouraged) 17 == VA Stonewalling -------- (Unanswered Media & HVAC Inquiries) 18 == VA Stonewalling [01] --------------- (HVAC VA Honesty Project) 20 == VA Care Impact on Medicare Coverage ---------------------- (None) 20 == VA Annual Income Reporting ---------- (Requirement Eliminated) 21 == VA Advance Funding [05] -- (Shinseki | Will not Solve Problems) 22 == VA Birth ---------------------------------------- (Public Law 100-527) 23 == VA SAH [08] ------------------- (ALS Vets Now Presumed Eligible) 24 == Vet Toxic Exposure~Mosul [01] -- (Constrictive Bronchiolitis SC) 24 == Burn Pit Toxic Exposure [28] ------- (Registry Deadline Exceeded) 25 == VA Lawsuit ~ Legionella -------------------------- (Edward Stockley) 25 == VA Lawsuit ~ Frank Canfield --------------- ($2M Wrongful Death) 26 == VA Caregiver Program [23] ---------------- (CHAMPVA Eligibility) 26 == VA Claims Backlog [130] ---- (AL 2014 CBWG Report Released) 1 27 == VA Claims Backlog [131] ---------------- (Death Impact on Claims) 28 == VA Claims Backlog [132] --------- (Failing VA Officials Gotta Go) 29 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse -------- (Reported 15 thru 31 Mar 2014) 30 == VA Loans ----------------------------------------------- (ATR/QM Rule) 30 == Gulf War Syndrome [27] ---- (VA Presumptive Conditions Sought) 31 == Traumatic Brain Injury [33] ------------------ (Pseudobulbar Affect) 31 == GI Bill [170] ------------------------ (SVA Degree Attainment Study) | *Vets* | 33 == Vietnam Veterans Day ------------------------------------ (March 29th) 33 == Vet Cemetery Belgium - (Obama Pays Homage at Flanders Fields) 35 == Minnesota Veteran Homes [03] ------ (Admittance Priority Debate) 36 == Vet Charity Watch [44] ----- (TX Sues Vets Support Organization) 37 == Disabled Vet SSA Claims ----- (Priority Treatment if Rated 100%) 38 == POW/MIA [24] -------------------- (How You Can Help Find MIAs) 39 == POW/MIA Recoveries------------------------- (140301 thru 140315) 41 == OBIT | Denton~Jeremiah ------------------------------ (28 Mar 2014) 43 == Vet Jobs [146] ---------------- (Benefits of Working for Uncle Sam) 44 == Vet Job Opportunities -------- (EGS Military Recruiting Programs) 45 == Retiree Appreciation Days ------------------ (Mar 24 thru Dec 2014) 49 == Vet Hiring Fairs ---------------------------- (1 Apr thru 31 May 2014) 50 == WWII Vets 59 ----------------------------------- (Mayer~Frederick A) 51 == Military History Anniversaries ----------------------------- (1-30 Apr) 51 == State Veteran's Benefits & Discounts --------------- (Virginia 2014) | *Vet Legislation* || 52 == DoD Suicide Policy [03] -------- (SAV Act Introduced in Senate) 53 == Medicare Reimbursement Rates 2014 [07] -- (Bill Clears House) 53 == TSGLI [06] ----------------------- (Proposed $100K Cap Removal) 54 == DECA Budget Cuts [07] ---------- (Commissary Sustainment Act) 54 == Oklahoma Vet Legislation ----- (SB 1604 Blast Injury Treatment) 55 == Florida Vet Legislation [05] -------------------- (Vet Omnibus Bill) 56 == Kansas Vet Legislation ---------------- (Abolish KCVA H.B.2681) 56 == Vet Jobs [145] ------------------------------------- (S.2138 & S.2143) 57 == Vet Legislation Offered in 113th Congress - (As of 29 Mar 2014) 58 == Veteran Hearing/Mark-up Schedule --------- (As of 31 Mar 2014) | *Military* | 60 == USS Miami (SSN-775) [01] --------------(Deactivation Ceremony) 61 == Military Grooming Standards --------------------------- (Tightening) 61 == Pearl Harbor Remains ---------- (Relatives Want Them Identified) 63 == D-Day [04] ----------------------------- (Reserved Seating Requests) 63 == DoD Mobilized Reserve 25 MAR 2014 ------ (Decrease of 1,731) 63 == Military Funeral Disorderly Conduct [23] ---- (Fred Phelps Dead) 64 == Medal of Honor Citations --------------- (Marm, Walter J Vietnam) | *Military History* | 67 == Aviation Art ------------------------------------------ (Strike On Berlin) 2 67 == USS Arizona Memorial Stamp ---- ( Priority Mail Express $19.99) 68 == Selfridge Military Air Museum ---------------------------- (Overview) 70 == Military History -------------------------- (Remarkable Women Vets) 71 == WWII PreWar Events ---------- (Taking Shelter Madrid Dec 1936) 71 == Vietnam Veterans Memorial [13] ---------------- (2014 Ceremonies) 73 == Military History Anniversaries ----------------------------- (1-30 Apr) 73 == Spanish American War Image 36 ---------------------- (Dinner 1898) 74 == Faces of WAR (WWII) ------- (Washington DC Parade May 1942) | *Health Care* | 75 == TRICARE Region West [08] ------------------------ (DocGPS App) 75 == TRICARE Service Centers [01] ----------- (Going Virtual 1 April) 76 == Traumatic Brain Injury [34] ---------------- (Blast Gauge Potential) 77 == TRICARE Prime [28] ------------------ (Consolidated Tricare Plan) 78 == Headaches ---------------------------- (Treatment Depends on Type) 79 == TFL Pharmacy Benefit [04] ------- (Retail Pharmacy Use Ending) 81 == PTSD [163] -------------------- (MDMA Clinical Trials Underway) 83 == Earwax Removal [01] ------------------------------------ ( Overview) | *Finances* | 84 == SSA Monetary Benefit [01] --------- (10 Suggestions to Maximize) 86 == Movie Theater Discounts ------------------------------------- (Seniors) 88 == Saving Money -------------------------------- (Buy vs. Rent Decision) 89 == Malaysia Airlines MH370 Scam --------------------- (How It works) 90 == Scams ~ IRS [04] - -------------------------- (Bogus IRS agent Calls) 90 == Cat Fishing Scam -------------------------------------- (How It works) 91 == Tax Burden for Indiana Retirees ------------------ (As of Mar 2014) 92 == Thrift Savings Plan 2014 ------ (Share Prices + YTD Gain or Loss) | *General Interest* | 93 == Notes of Interest ------------------------------- (15 thru 31 Mar 2014) 94 == Honor and Remember Flag ------------------------ (Approval Status) 95 == Senior's Quiz --------------- (Keep Your Aging Grey Cells Active) 96 == Photos That Say it All ------------------------------------ (What Next) 96 == Citizen Honors Award ----------------------------- (2014 Recipients) 98 == They Grew Up to Be ------------------ (John Lennon of the Beatles) 98 == Have You Heard? --------------------------------------- (A Little Test) 99 == Interesting Inventions ------------------------------ (What Handicap?) | *Attachments* | Attachment - Veteran Legislation as of 29 Mar 2014 Attachment - Virginia Vet State Benefits & Discounts Mar 2014 Attachment - Revolutionizing TBI Diagnosis Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 1-30 Apr 3 *DoD* DFAS Future ► Drawdown Impact | Army Pilot Program The Army is considering pulling some of its financial activities out of the Pentagon’s Defense Finance and Accounting Services office and handing them off to the Army’s own accountants. It’s not clear how, if at all, this would affect soldiers. But it’s raising questions about the future of DFAS, which is the world’s largest finance and accounting operation and manages the bank accounts for most of the Defense Department’s massive budget. The Army is planning to launch a pilot program this spring at Fort Bragg, N.C., that will involve significant changes to how the Army conducts accounting for its soldiers on that base, according to a defense official familiar with the plan. Army Secretary John McHugh suggested that massive changes may be in store for DFAS as the Pentagon’s budget levels off, the size of the force shrinks and military accountants have fewer financial transactions to manage. “I think everybody has to be realistic ... as the number of customers gets smaller, you’re gonna have fewer transactions if no one does anything else. It’s just realistic. So I mean, the face of DFAS ... would have to make some adjustments to accommodate the drawdown in the budget as well,” McHugh told the House Armed Services Committee on 25 MAR. McHugh has no direct control over DFAS, which is run by the Defense Department’s comptroller. An Army spokesman declined to provide details about the pilot program. Questions about accounting services come as pressure is mounting on the military to keep better track of its money. The Pentagon’s accounting procedures do not meet the same standards upheld by private-sector corporations and most government agencies. Critics say billions of dollars are lost in waste and inefficiency. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill say fixing that would help ease the impact of budget cuts. A Pentagon spokesman said no major changes to DFAS are in the works. “DFAS has no plans for major workload shifts or closures at any other DFAS site. We are aware the Army has been reviewing how their financial management work is performed but we have made no agreements to transfer any work,”