RAO BULLETIN 15 October 2018 PDF Edition THIS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES Pg Article Subject . * DOD * . 04 == Marines in Power ---- (More Now than Ever Before) 05 == COLA FY 2020 ---- (Could Be Larger than FY 2019) 06 == MAVNI Program [12] ---- (500+ Immigrant Enlistees Discharged over 12 Months) 07 == American Weapon’s Foreign Made Parts ---- (Trump Wants Them Out) 08 == DoD Deployable Policy [01] ---- (126,000 On Path to Separation) 10 == Contact Info for Retirees --- (Retired Activities Office Advice) 10 == Navy FY 2019 Events ---- (Retiree Seminars & Appreciation Days) 11 == U.S. China Military Tensions ---- (Another Incident) 12 == POW/MIA [117] ---- (64 South Korean Soldiers Begin Their Final Journey Home) 13 == POW/MIA [118] ---- (Military Sees Surge in Identifications of the Fallen) 14 == POW/MIA Recoveries ---- (Reported 01 thru 15 OCT 2018 | 22) . * VA * . 17 == VA Community Care [03] ---- (Nationwide Ops Shift to TriWest Health Care Alliance) 18 == VA Major Problems ---- (Three Emerged In Last Month) 18 == VA Outside Influence [02] ---- (VA Won’t Turn Over Documents) 19 == VA Hepatitis C Care [18] ---- (Have You Been Tested?) 20 == VA Aid & Attendance [22] ---- (Determining Eligibility | Means & Evidence) 1 21 == VA Blue Water Claims [53] ---- (Time Is Running Out for Many Vets) 22 == Traumatic Brain [71] ---- (VA Improper Exams) 23 == VA Prescription Refills [02] ---- (Available For On the Road Vets) 24 == State of the VA [01] ---- (3 Takeaways from Wilkie’s First) 25 == VA Wheelchair [01] ---- (New Robotic | Promises Vets A Better Ride) 26 == VA Most Common Disabilities ---- (FY 2017 Stats) 26 == Veterans Care Project ---- (Long-Term Employment to Improve Lives of Veterans w/PTSD) 27 == VA Performance [13] ---- FY18 Hospital Star Ratings Show Solid Improvements) 28 == VA Burial Benefits [46] ---- (Burial & Plot Interment Allowance) 30 == VAMC Northport NY [02] ---- (Struggling To Overcome Nursing Shortage) 32 == VAMC Minneapolis [12] ---- (Hospital Parking Lot Suicide | What Went Wrong) 33 == VAMC Palo Alto CA [01] ---- (Defenders Lodge Aids Car Sleeping Vets Awaiting Care) . * VETS * . 34 == Vet Colleges [01] ---- (Current Top 13) 35 == GI Bill [263] ---- (Housing Allowance/Book Stipend Payment Delays) 35 == Vet Employment [08] ---- (Unemployment Rate Dips to 3.4% for SEP 2018) 36 == Medal of Honor [16] ---- (Awards to WWI Blacks under Review) 37 == Cold War Vets ---- (Reggie Powell | Berlin Airlift) 38 == Afghan Vets 05 ---- (Patrick Schreiber | Adopted Daughter Facing Deportation) 39 == Afghan Vets 06 ---- (Ronald Shurer | Silver Star Upgraded to MOH) 40 == Korean War Vets ---- (Royce Williams | MOH Nominee) 41 == Vet Fraud & Abuse ---- (Reported 01 thru 15 OCT 2018) 44 == Obit: Walter Barsell ---- (24 SEP 2018 | Pearl Harbor Survivor) 45 == Obit: Sidney Shachnow ---- (28 SEP 2018 | Holocaust Survivor) 46 == Vet Hiring Fairs ---- (Scheduled As of 30 SEP 2018) 46 == Military Retirees & Veterans Events Schedule ---- (As of 15 OCT 2018) 47 == State Veteran's Benefits ---- (Colorado 2018) . * VET LEGISLATION * . 47 == VA Women Vet Programs [34] ---- (H.R.6869 | Violence Against Women Vets Act) 48 == National Guard & Reserve Savings ---- (H.R.6757 | Family Savings Act of 2018) 49 == True Fees Act ---- (H.R. 6987 | Requires All Fees be Included in Advertised Price) 49 == Vet Toxic Exposure | Water [15] ---- (Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS ACT) . * MILITARY* . 50 == Navy Blue Angels [02] ---- (2019 Show Schedule) 51 == Army Drones [01] ---- (Single Use Suicide Hero-30) 52 == Army Ground Vehicles ---- (What the Future Holds) 53 == Army Long Range Cannon ---- (Russian/Chinese Weapons Advances Motivating U.S. Army) 54 == Army Recruiting [10] ---- (Recruiters to Receive Extensions & Bonuses) 54 == Army Deploy-Or-Out Policy ---- (62,000 Soldiers Impacted) 55 == USAF Deploy-Or-Out Policy ---- (1,600 Airman Impacted) 56 == PCS Moves [02] ---- (Families Want Answers about Holding Movers Accountable) 57 == MyNavy Portal ---- (Navy Pay/Personnel Issues 24/7 Help Now Available) 58 == Military Obesity ---- (Physical Fitness and Sleep Standards Grim) 59 == Military Obesity [01] ---- (51% of Soldiers Found to be Overweight) 2 60 == Military Obesity [02] ---- (31% of Recruitment Pool Disqualify Because of Weight) 61 == MyNavy Career Center ---- (Offers Round-The-Clock Retiree Customer Service) 61 == Military Family Hunger ---- (15% of Military/Veteran Families Face Food Insecurity) 62 == Transparent Armor ---- (Could Soon Protest Soldier’s Faces in Combat) 63 == Navy Terminology [04] ---- (Origins) 64 == Warships That Will Change the Future ---- (USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) . * MILITARY HISTORY * . 65 == Military History ---- (WWII Ace of Aces | David McCampbell 67 == Battle of Mogadishu ---- (Somalia | 25th Anniversary) 68 == Italy’s Lake Garda WWII Disaster ---- (Search for 24 Soldiers Ends) 70 == B-2 Bomber ---- (JAN 2017 Isis Raid) 70 == Holodomor 1932-1933 ---- (Famine Genocide in Ukraine) 71 == Post WWII Photos ---- (Victorious Soldiers’ Moscow Return) 71 == Military History Anniversaries ---- (16 thru 31 OCT) 72 == WWII Bomber Nose Art [16] ---- (The Bitch's Sister) 72 == Medal of Honor Citations ---- (William S. Hall | WWII) . * HEALTH CARE * . 73 == Ear Infections ---- (Pain in the Ear) 74 == Osteoporosis [01] ---- (Silent Disease | No Symptoms Until Something Happens) 75 == Caregiver Brushing ---- (Tips That May Make Brushing Patients Easier) 77 == Toxin & Hydration Sensors ---- (More Accurate Detectors under Development) 78 == Life Expectancy [02] ---- (Drinking Frequency Impact) 80 == Vet Organ Donation [01] ---- (Female Brains Needed) 80 == Using Overseas Pharmacies [01] ---- (Opioid Bill Contains Protection for Personal Use) 81 == Hearing Health ---- (Noise/Chemical Exposure Study Underway) 82 == Dental Care [01] ---- (Top Reasons for Adults’ Unexpected Trip to Dentist) 83 == Breast Cancer [09] ---- (October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month) 83 == TRICARE Podcast 470 ---- (FEDVIP Plans | TRICARE Fraud | TRICARE Open Season) 85 == TRICARE Podcast 471 ---- (Webinar - FEDVIP Open Season - Hurricane Disaster Preparedness) . * FINANCES * . 86 == Thrift Savings Plan 2018 [01] ---- (TSP Stagnates in September) 86 == Obamacare ---- (2018 vs. 2917 Cost) 87 == SSA COLA 2019 ---- (Increase of 2.8% SSA & SSI Effective JAN 2019) 88 == Retiree Freebies ---- (Eight You May be Interested in Checking Out) 89 == Retirement Cost [01] ---- (Five Key Expenses That Vanish) 90 == VA Financial Counseling ---- (Online Will Preparation Also Available if Eligible) 91 == AT&T Military Discount ---- (New Discounts for Troops, Veterans & Families) 91 == Prescription Drug Costs [10] ---- (Outpacing General Inflation Rate of 2.1 Per Cent) 92 == Gift Cards Scam 2 ---- (Be On the Lookout with Holiday Season Coming) 93 == Hair Styling Tool Scam ---- (Ads Promise But Don't Deliver) 93 == SIM Swapping Scam ---- (Attempts to Obtain Your Cell Number) 94 == Tax Burden for Louisiana Retired Vets ---- (As of OCT 2018) 3 . * GENERAL INTEREST * . 96 == Notes of Interest ---- (01 thru 15 OCT 2018) 97 == Junk Mail Elimination ---- (How to Stop Credit Card & Insurance Offers) 98 == North Korea Online Bank Heists ---- (Said to Have Stolen a Fortune) 99 == Afghanistan War [06] ---- (Rep. Ruben Gallego Wants to End the Conflict) 100 == Presidential Alert System ---- (Latest National Doomsday Alert Plan) 102 == Russia Submarine Force ---- (Battle Capabilities) 103 == China’s U.S. Election Meddling ---- (Pence Slams China Interference) 103 == China’s U.S. Systems Conflict ---- (Adversarial Moves towards the United States) 104 == Trump Salary Donation ---- ($100K | SBA Initiative to Help Vet Entrepreneurs) 105 == Winter Preps ---- (Home Furnace) 106 == Korean War End [01] ---- (DMZ Mine Removal) 106 == Quiz ---- (Where are the Numbers?) 107 == Cold War 2.0 ---- (US Spies See New Threats from Global Rivals) 108 == Insurance Coverage [03] ---- (More Things You May Not Know) 109 == Accidental Inventions ---- (17 Great Ones) 112 == Interesting Photos ---- (Workplace Safety, 1926) 112 == Have You Heard? ---- (2nd Opinion | Best Last Kiss | 65+ Golf Rules) 114 == Memories ---- (Grand Canyon 1914) 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 – Colorado Vet State Benefits Attachment – Military History Anniversaries 16 thru 31 OCT Attachment – The Raid * DoD * Marines In Power ► More Now than Ever Before For much of the Marine Corps’ history its top leaders have fought for a place at the table, having to elbow the larger services with much bigger budgets just to stay in the game. Lionhearted Marines had died in droves fighting •during both World Wars, Korea and Vietnam. But in many eras, the smallest branch’s official role has been limited to the Navy’s maritime expeditionary arm, which has had to make do with less money, ­manpower and priorities as its sister services, which have long steered the military aspects of national security policy. But, now, for the first time, there are more Marines in top military and civilian positions at the highest levels of government. Right now a retired or uniformed Marine holds the seat of secretary of defense, White House chief of 4 staff, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, head of Africa Command and incoming head of United States Central Command.