35 cents VOL. 5/ISSUE 5 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016 FDVA seeks more claims examiners Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE [email protected] The Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, FDVA, wants to add some staff. That wish is in its 2017-2018 proposed budget that’s starting to make rounds among state House and Senate committees ahead of the upcom- ing legislative session, which is March to May. “I’m asking to get 10 more (Division of Veterans’ Ben- efits and Assis- tance) people,” Glenn Sutphin Jr., executive st director of the Photo by Army 1 Lt. Daniel Johnson state’s veterans department Army Sgts. Logon Ross, left, and Addison Owen, both with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry told Veteran Regiment, walk through the U.S compound at the Qayyarah West Airfield, Iraq, Nov. 1. Owen is an infantryman Voice. “We at the base and is on his second deployment to Iraq. On his first deployment in the city of Basra during 2010- probably could 2011, Owen was wounded when an explosively formed penetrator hit his vehicle. use more, but Glenn Sutphin Jr. you’ve got to be realistic about Battling ISIS -Soldiers man the front line what you can do.” The additional 10 workers would help vet- Wry Humor erans file claims and appeals to the federal Daniel Johnson Department of Veteran Affairs. Those who do DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Owen is known for his wry sense of humor that are usually called veterans service offi- and his calm demeanor. Army Spc. Tyler cers, but Roy Clark, director of cabinet and Smoke rose in the distance from an oil Holt is the second member of Owen’s team, legislative affairs, said they get a different title field set on fire during the battle between and the two can usually be found together at the FDVA. Iraqi forces and the Islamic State as Army during the day. They’ve been working to- “We call them veterans claims examiners,” Sgt. Addison Owen stood outside his tent. gether the entire deployment. he said. Owen, an infantryman with Bravo Compa- “Sgt. Owen brings up the morale of wher- The claims examiners, he said, work one-on- ny, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, is ever he’s at,” Holt said. “I’ve learned a lot no stranger to Iraq; this is his second time from his experiences. He’s shown me that he See EXAMINERS page 8 deployed to the country. cares about personal welfare of the soldiers, On his first deployment, he fought beyond and he’s helped my career and helped me the oil field, but now he is part of a multina- develop as a person.” tional effort to assist the Iraqi forces. Owen, a California native, is the only per- “It was pretty bare out here,” Owen said son in his immediate family to enlist. At age regarding the unit’s arrival. He was one of 27, he has already spent more than 2 years the first soldiers moved to Qayyarah West of his life deployed in the Middle East, in Airfield to provide security for the effort to Afghanistan and Iraq. rebuild the runway sabotaged by ISIL. “I don’t have a long [family] history of “It was just desert and blown up buildings military service in my family,” Owen said. “I around our security perimeter,” he said. “I joined the Army because I wanted to serve told the new guys before they came out here my country. That aspect of the military real- that it might be a little rough. I enjoyed our ly drew me in and it was always something I mission, watching for any signs of hostile activity that could threaten the construction project.” See IRAQ page 10 2 • DECEMBER 1, 2016 • VETERAN VOICE • SPONSOR A VETERAN TODAY! PRIMARY CARE that cares about you. R. 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When the Hewitts found out his unit mates and he had no post exchange, they dedicated themselves to providing all 175 with care packages. The family project has grown into a not-for-profit organization sending care packages to isolated service members. to ship one package a month to him,” do fundraisers,” Kathy said. Patrick McCallister Kathy said “Then after I found out their The biggest fundraiser J.O.S.H. does is FOR VETERAN VOICE [email protected] predicament and was able to get a list (of the annual Tee Off Fore Our Troops Golf names), we shipped at least one package Tournament at the Timacuan Golf Club in to each in his unit.” Lake Mary. The next one is May 5. Addi- Kathy and Dennis Hewitt found out that A sergeant wrote the Hewitts to let them tionally, Kathy said, some local organiza- their nephew, Joshua Kinsel, didn’t have know that he’d taken the shipping label tions have hosted fundraisers for J.O.S.H. a post exchange, or PX, anywhere near off his box to give to someone in the unit Sometimes they let the Hewitts know. where he was serving in the Army. That who never got any mail. The Hewitts ad- Other times, they surprise the couple was in Afghanistan toward the end of opted the forgotten soldier. with checks. Even with that, the Hewitts, 2010. “He got multiple boxes and the best Kathy admits, dig into their own pockets “We started shipping (care packages) to packages we could send,” Kathy said. for J.O.S.H. him,” Kathy said. “He wouldn’t tell me “That boy is kind of what started me that But there was that one time when the about the place he was in.” we needed to do something like this for Central Florida Girl Scout Council con- The Hewitts founded Lake Mary’s Just the people who don’t get mail. There are a tacted J.O.S.H. about giving it cookies. Our Soldiers’ Helpers in 2012. The orga- lot of them.” “I was thinking 1,500 boxes,” Kathy said. nization sends care packages to service While some care-package groups ask “‘Yeah, we can handle that,’ I told them. It members in desolate areas. The acronym, people to take items to package drives, was 18,000 boxes.” if you didn’t spot it, is J.O.S.H., in honor J.O.S.H. prefers getting cash to do its own After renting the largest truck they could, of the Hewitts’ nephew. shopping. the Hewitts called every friend they had But, back in 2011, the Hewitts did some “I’m kind of a care-package snob,” Kathy who owned a truck. They had to rent a research, and the more they found out said. “I want our packages to be packages storage unit and find creative ways to get about their nephew’s isolated position, the that soldiers really get excited about.” the cookies to service members. more they thought about his unit mates. That is to say those care packages don’t J.O.S.H. will be going to monthly mail- “By 2011, we started adopting other have coffee, soap and socks. They have ings in January and will need more volun- soldiers in his unit,” Kathy said. “We just name-brand coffees, body-care products teers. started working down the list. It was my and clothing. Even with the Hewitts’ husband and I financing it the first year.” stringent requirements for top quality and Find out more about J.O.S.H. and Tee Off The Hewitts got names of Kinsel’s unit name brands, J.O.S.H. has shipped more Fore Our Troops by visiting www.justour- mates. than 40,000 pounds of packages. soldiershelpers.org. “The goal started out to be we were going “People hold fundraisers for us and we 4 • DECEMBER 1, 2016 • VETERAN VOICE • SPONSOR A VETERAN TODAY! Congressman Posey sees opportunities for veterans in upcoming Congress saw as an albatross around their the power to get rid of bad actors. Patrick McCallister FOR VETERAN VOICE necks that election year, resigned That, Posey said, got hung up in [email protected] at the end of May, 2014. In July the gridlocked Senate. Obama nominated Robert A. “I think we need a legitimate McDonald to lead the veterans way to evaluate VA employees,” Congressman Bill Posey, Rock- department. About the time the Posey said. “We’ve had a lot of ledge, thinks the 115th Congress Senate was unanimously nodding complaints that VA employees has good opportunities to im- at the appointment, the Veterans have the wrong attitude toward prove the Department of Veteran Access, Choice and Account- veterans.” Affairs. The last couple years, he ability Act was making its way Congress will have a role in said, VA reforms have languished through Congress.