RAO BULLETIN 1 May 2017 PDF Edition THIS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES Pg Article Subject . * DOD * . 04 == Pentagon Accounting [01] ---- (How Many People Are On Payroll?) 05 == Selective Service System [24] -------------------- (Women Draft Issue) 06 == Government Shutdown [21] ------------------ (Impact on Troops/Vets) 07 == PRK Nuclear Weapons [08] ----- (U.S. Range Missile Trump Policy) 08 == DoD Appropriations Act [03] ----------- (CR Damage to the Military) 10 == POW/MIA [84] --------------------------- (SITREP as of 19 APR 2017) 12 == POW/MIA Recoveries --------- (Reported 16 thru 30 APR 2017 | 13) . * VA * . 15 == VA Privatization [10] ----------- (Not Under Trump Administration) 16 == VA Appeals [26] ---------------- (Class Action Challenges Allowed) 17 == VA Accountability [43] ----- (Trump Establishes New AWP Office) 18 == VA Unions [01] ---- (Why So Many Workers & What do They Do) 20 == VA ID Card [09] -------------------------------- (Wait Time Unknown) 20 == VA Health Care Access [50] ------------ (VA Partnership With CVS) 1 21 == VA Suicide Prevention [39] --------------- (VA Sees As Top Priority) 22 == VA Women Vet Programs [28] ---------------- (At Risk or Homeless) 24 == VA Health Care Enrollment [12] -- (229K Letters Bounced in 2016) 24 == VA Caregiver Program [39] ------------ (Senators Demand Answers) 25 == VA Caregiver Program [40] - (Revocations Suspended for 3 Weeks) 25 == VA Vet Choice Program [52] ---- (Trump's S.554 Signing Remarks) 27 == VA Records [03] ----------------------------- (Modernization Initiative) 28 == VA Blue Water Claims [40] ------------------ (Larry Howell's Appeal) 29 == VA Hospital Quality of Care [04] - (Outcome/ Readmission/Mortality) 30 == VA VEO ------------- (Effort To Fix Customer Service For Veterans) 32 == VA Pharmacy [08] ------ (Annual Income Verification Requirement) 33 == VA Claim Denial -------------- (Veteran Bob Ratz | Spinal Problems) 34 == GI Bill [224] ------------------- (Improper Payments | Reform Needed) 35 == GI Bill [226] ------------------- (Reforms This Year Are All But Dead) 37 == VA CCI ----------- (Center for Compassionate Innovation Launched) 37 == VA Medical Marijuana [27] ----- (Could Replace Vet's 9,828 Pills) 38 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ------ (Reported 16 thru 30 APR 2017) 41 == VA Vet Center [12] ---- (Oklahoma | Talihina 90-day Referral Hold) 41 == VAMC Shreveport LA [02] --------- (In Praise of Overton Brooks) 42 == VAMC Hampton VA [06] -------------------- (Hiring Freeze Impact) 42 == VAMC Cincinnati [07] --------- (COS Suspended After 14months) . * Vets * . 43 == Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Memorial -------- (Arlington Approves) 44 == Vet Deportations [10] -------------- (Pardons Could Help 3 Return) 45 == PTSD Punitive Discharges [05] ------ (Class Action Lawsuit Filed) 46 == Blue Star Memorial --------- (Alabama National Cemetery Marker) 47 == U.S. Air Force Monument - (Into the Wild Blue Yonder | 1st of 5) 48 == Vet Cemetery Arkansas [03] ------------ (Fort Smith New Director) 49 == Obit: Jacobson~John ----- (13 APR 2017 | QM In Patton's 3rd Army) 50 == Obit: Norm Hatch ----------- (22 APR 2017 | Iwo Jima Photographer) 51 == Retiree Appreciation Days ----------------------- (As of APR 29, 2017) 51 == Vet Hiring Fairs --------------------------------- (01 thru 31 MAY 2017) 54 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ---------------- (Wyoming APR 2017) * Vet Legislation * . 55 == Vet Congressional Issues ------------------------ (Trending In Congress) 56 == VA VJO Program --- (Veterans Treatment Court Improvement Act) 57 == VA Medical Staff [03] ------------- (S.899 | 1st Year Paid Sick Leave) 58 == VA Telehealth [10] -------------------------- (Across State Line Access) 58 == VA Chiropractic Care [04] - (S.609 | Expand VA Facility Coverage) 59 == GI Bill [ 225] ----------------- (Lifetime GI Bill Act Would Tax Troops) 60 == Reserve Legislation -------- (S.667/H.R.1384 | S.492/H.R.1317 | S.646) . * MILITARY * . 61 == USCG Admin Blocks RAO Bulletin Access --- (Security Concerns) 2 62 == Navy e-Cigarette Ban -- (Vaping Lamp Out Throughout The Fleet) 63 == Military Retirement System [25] -------- (BRS Lump Sum Payouts) 64 == Navy Dolphins ------------------------------------- (Iraqi Vet Euthanized) 66 == Navy Knowledge Online ---------- (To Be Replaced by Navy Portal) 66 == USCGC Munro ---------------------------- (Commissioned April 2017) 67 == Kinetic Energy Projectile -------- (Can Destroy Anything in its Path) 69 == MEHEL -------------------------------------- (Mobile High-Energy Laser) 70 == Military Drinking Age -------------------------- (Should It Be Lowered) 71 == Worst Job Report ------------ (No. 4 | U.S. Enlisted Service Member) 71 == M2AI Machine Gun -------- (Marines Receive Upgraded .50-caliber) 72 == Massive Ordinance Penetrator ------------------- (MOP | GBU-57A/B) . * MILITARY HISTORY * . 73 == USS San Diego --------------- (Last Days of WWI Armored Cruiser 6) 74 == WWI American Military Build Up ------------------- (What Was Done) 77 == WWII Doolittle Raid ------------------------------------- (April 18, 1942) 77 == Ernie Pyle -------------------------------------------- (KIA April 18, 1944) 79 == WWI Harlem Hellfighters ---- (Untold Stories of 369th Inf Regiment) 81 == WWI Hello Girls ------------------------ (Denied Vet Status Until 1977) 83 == Military History Anniversaries ------------------------ (1 thru 15 MAY) 83 == WWII Vets 136 ---------- (Haerry~Raymond | USS Arizona Survivor) 84 == Medal Of Honor Story --------------- (Groberg~Florent | Afganistan) 85 == Medal of Honor Citations ------------------ (Fields~James H. | WWII) . * HEALTH CARE * . 86 == Nuclear Global Health Workforce ------------ (What We Need to Do) 89 == Liver Cancer ----------------------- (Cutting Edge Palliative Treatment) 91 == TRICARE Reform [04] ---------- (Historic Redesign of Our System) 92 == Sodium -------------------------------------------- (To Salt Or Not to Salt) 93 == PTSD Assistance [02] ----- (What to Do If you Think You Have It) 93 == Sustainable Foods ----------------------------------------- (Health Impact) 94 == Traumatic Brain Injury [61] ------------ (Managing Light Sensitivity) 95 == Nutritional Claims ----------------------- (Tips on Evaluating Validity) 96 == Parasites [03] -------------------------------------- (What's Eating You (4) 97 == TRICARE Podcast 393 ----- (Prime | Healthy Exercise | Overbrushing) 98 == TRICARE Podcast 394 ---- (Allergies | Refusal Right | Sodium Intake) 99 == TRICARE Podcast 395 -- (Child Mo | Nutrition | Identity Theft/Fraud) . * FINANCES * . 100 == Air Force Recruit Overpayment ------------ (Collections to Start in Jun) 101 == Retiree Finances ------------------ (Steps to Prevent Financial Troubles) 103 == FICO Credit Score [11] -------------------- (Paying Off Balance Impact) 104 == National Park Passports [07] ---------------- (Price Increase for Seniors) 105 == Social Security Statistics --------------------------- (30 of Most Stunning) 108 == Facebook Giveaway Scam --------------------------------- (How It works) 108 == Investment Fraud ------------------- (21.3 Million Potential Vet Targets) 3 109 == Tax Burden for New York Retired Vets ------------- (As of APR 2017) . * GENERAL INTEREST * . 111 == Notes of Interest ------------------------------------ (16 thru 30 APR 2017) 112 == RP~Russia Relations [02] ------------ (Ships Arrive for Joint Exercises) 113== China’s Offensive Capability [04] ----------- (2nd Carrier Launched) 114 == Japan~PRK Dispute [01] ----- ( 10 Minute Missile Warning Notice) 116 == Young Adults ----- (Demographic Changes | Abode/Income/School) 116 == Car Longevity ------------------------------ (14 Longest-Lasting Vehicles) 117 == Garage Doors -------------------------------- (Making Yours Stand Out (1) 118 == International Space Station --- (USAF Pilot Col. Jack Fischer Arrives) 118 == Pushups [01] ------------- (What They Do for You & How to Do Them) 120 == April Fools Day ------------------------------------------------------- (Origin) 121 == National Poppy Day ------------------------------ (26 MAY 2017 | Origin) 122 == Have You Heard? -------------------------------------- (USN Then & Now) Note: 1. The page number on which an article can be found is provided to the left of each article’s title 2. Numbers contained within brackets [ ] indicate the number of articles written on the subject. To obtain previous articles send a request to [email protected]. * ATTACHMENTS * . Attachment - Wyoming Vet State Benefits & Discounts APR 2017 Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 1 thru 15 MAY Attachment - WWII Doolittle Raid * DoD * Pentagon Accounting Update 01 ► How Many People Are On Payroll? The Pentagon is the only federal agency that has not been able to pass an audit since Congress required federal agencies to be audited nearly a quarter of a century ago. It’s not surprising, as I don’t think any senior leader inside the Defense Department even knows how many people are on the payroll of the military, civilian, and contractor workforces. Also, none of them can tell us about workforce costs and how personnel reforms could save billions of dollars. Recently, the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing to gather ideas on achieving greater efficiency inside the Pentagon. One subject that was raised—which deserves a lot more attention—is something called rightsizing the DoD workforce. In plain English, that means figuring out how many employees DoD needs and how much it should spend on personnel. 4 Former Undersecretary