RAO BULLETIN 15 August 2016 Gender Equality Day 26 AUG HTML Edition THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES Pg Article Subject . * DOD * . 04 == DoD Mental Health Programs [04] -------- (New Final Rule Issued) 05 == Rising Sea Levels ------------------ (Military Base Impact | Virginia) 06 == IRR AAFES Use -------------------- (Policy & ID Card Procurement) 06 == BRAC [51] --------- (Outgoing SECNAV | Another Round Needed) 07 == DoD Fraud, Waste, and Abuse ------ (Reported 01 thru 15 AUG 2016) 08 == Air Force Installation Access -- (Gate ID Needed in MN/MO/WA/AS) 08 == Transgender Troops [01] --------------- (DoD Policies And Procedures) 10 == NDAA 2017 [17] ----- --- (Military Housing Allowance Amendment) 10 == TRICARE Medical Identity Theft -------------------- (Watch for Signs) 11 == POW/MIA Recoveries -- (Reported 1thru 15 Aug 2016 | Twenty-One) . * VA * . 16 == VA Medical Staff [02] ------------------------ (Attrition Rate Increase) 17 == VA Emergency Care [09] -------- (1 in 3 Claim Denials in FY 2014) 20 == VA Pain Care [04] ---------- (Study Shows Improvement With Age) 20 == VA Intermediate Care Technician - (Former Military | Career Field) 21 == VA End-Of-Life Study -------- (Results for Non-Cancer Conditions) Page 1 of 123 24 == VA Pension [06] --------------- (One Civil War Pension Still Active) 26 == VA Choice Act [13] --------------------------------- (Goals Met by VA) 26 == VA Cardiac Rehabilitation Program -- (Increasing Life Expectancy) 27 == VA Suicide Prevention [33] -------- (2001-2014 VA Suicide Report) 28 == VA Million Veteran Program [06] -------- ( 500,000+ Now enrolled) 28 == VA Disability Claim Myths ----------- (12 Facts You Need to Know) 31 == VA Blue Water Claims [34] ------- (Dismissal Upheld by DC Court) 31 == VA Health Care System [01] - (Making Progress/Improving Access) 33 == VA Health Care Surveys -------- (Joint Commission Reports Released) 34 == VA Health Care Delay [08] ---------------------- (Has It Been Fixed?) 37 == Green Management Program ------- (Delayed Solar Power Projects) 38 == PTSD [215] ---- (Marijuana Study | Volunteers Wanted in MD/AZ) 40 == PTSD [216] -------------------- (Talking to your Doctor About PTSD) 40 == PTSD [217] -------------------- (Origin | Malaria Drug Raises Questions) 42 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ------------- (Reported 1 thru 15 AUG 2016) 43 == VAMC Detroit MI ------------ ($300,000 Spent On The Wrong TVs) 43 == VA HCS Nebraska/W. Iowa [01] ------- (Nuclear Reactor Removed) . * Vets * . 44 == Disabled Vet OPM Sick Leave [01] ---------- (Final Rule Published) 46 == Vet Employment -------- (What's Really Going On | CNAS Survey) 46 == Vet Jobs [192] -------------------------------------------- (Border Patrol) 48 == Nebraska Vet Cemetery [06] -------------- (Dedication 5 AUG 2016) 49 == Vet Preference [14] ----------------------------------------------- (Points) 51 == Vets Petition Senator McCain ------------------ (Stand Up to Trump) 52 == Homeless Vets [72] -------------------- (Reduced by Half Since 2010) 53 == Purple Heart Award [01] ----------------- (Recipients Tell of Sacrifice ) 55 == Vietnam Vets [18] ------------------------------------ (Carter~Matthew) 56 == WWII Vets [115] | B-29 Blister Gunner ------------- (Shaw~Gilbert) 56 == Retiree Appreciation Days --------------------------- (As of 12 Aug 2016) 57 == Vet Hiring Fairs --------------------------------- (16 AUG thru 15 SEP 2016) 58 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ----------------- (Delaware Aug 2016) * Vet Legislation * . 58 == Women Congressional Vets -------------------------- (Legislative Impact) 61 == Korean War Memorial [04] --------------- (Expansion Bill H.R.1475) 62 == Veterans Omnibus Bill [01] ------ (Hits Stumbling Block in Senate) 63 == Vet Status/Preference Progress ----- (H.R.1384, S.743 & H.R.5526) 64 == Vet Bills Submitted to 114th Congress ----------- (160801 thru 160815) . * MILITARY * . 65 == Naval Base Flooding -- (Some Will Be Mostly Submerged by 2100) 67 == Military Food Stamps [01] --------- (Complete Information Lacking) 68 == Military Spending Caps ------------------------ (Impact After 5 Years) 69 == Military Fitness Standards -------------------------- ( Under Revision) 70 == Military Fitness Standards [01] ---------- (BMI is absolutely useless) 71 == Military Fitness Standards [02] ---------- (Data is Hard to Come By) Page 2 of 123 72 == Nuclear Weapons --------------------- (No-First-Use Policy Concerns) 74 == Army SRB ----------------- (Suspended for the 1st Time Since 2006) 74 == Military Tattoo Criteria [08] --- (USAF Review| Last Done in 2001) 76 == M4A1 Rifle ------------------- (117,000 Upgrades Completed to Date) 77 == LRSO Weapon System ------- (Pentagon Solicits Nuclear Contracts) 78 == Navy Uniform Changes [02] ------------------ ( TYPE I | 3-YR Phaseout) 79 == MUTT --------------------------------- (Gun Mounted Unmanned Vehicle) . * MILITARY HISTORY * . 80 == BoB Hope ----------------- (National World War II Museum Exhibit) 81 == USS Quincy (CA-39) - (Brothers - Shipmates | 1 Survived - 1 Died) 83 == USS Monitor [01] ------------------------------------------------ (Sinking) 84 == Gold Star ------------- (How It Became A Symbol of Ultimate Sacrifice) 86 == Hiroshima Peace Memorial --------------------------------- (Pokemon No) 86 == Operation Downfall ------------------ (MacArthur's Plan to Invade Japan) 88 == Battle of Tarawa Casualty ----------------- (Marine Pvt. Dale R. Geddes) 90 == Military History ------------------ (USS Laffey | Ship That Wouldn't Die) 90 == Military History Anniversaries -------------------------- (16 thru 31 AUG) 90 == Medal of Honor Citations -------------------- (Doss~Desmond P | WWII) 92 == Famous Civil War Battles Quiz 2 ----------------------- (Do You Know?) 93 == Famous Civil War Battles Quiz 2 -------- (Did You Answer Correctly?) . * HEALTH CARE * . 94 == Hydration ---------------------- (Water, Electrolyte, & Calorie Needs) 95 == DoD Vaccination Program ------------- (Configured to Protect You) 96 == TRICARE Immunization [01] --------- (AUG is Awareness Month) 97 == TRICARE Help ------------------------------------------- (Q&A 160815) 98 == Hepatitus C --------------------- (Curable Contagious Liver Disease) 99 == Warming Seas ----- (Could Make Us sicker | Vibrio Bacteria Increase) . * FINANCES * . 100 == USFSPA & Divorce [25] --------------------- (Amendment to Reform) 101 == State Retirement Income Tax ---------------------------- (Military Pay) 102 == Hulu ---------------------------------- (Say Goodbye to Its Free Service) 103 == Car Leasing Myths ------------------- ( Is it Cheaper to Buy or Lease) 104 == Warehouse Stores Best Buys ------------------------------- (The Top 18) 106 == IRS SPEC -------------------------- (Information for Veterans Website) 106 == MOPH Presidential Election Scam -------------------- (How It works) 107 == Tax Burden for Kentucky Retired Vets -------------- (As of Aug 2016) . * GENERAL INTEREST * . 108 == Notes of Interest ------------------------------------ (1 thru 15 AUG 2016) 109 == Urban Legends --------------------------------- (Burglary | Partially True) 111 == Self Healing Clothing --- (Biodegradable Liquid Material Developed) 112 == Election 2016 | Endorsements -------- (Who Speaks for the Military) 113 == Trump RP Relations - (Lawmaker Wants Him Banned from Country) 114 == Bizarre Museums ----------------------------------- (Check Out theses 12) Page 3 of 123 116 == Absentee Voting ------------------------------------------ (Myth & Reality) 117 == Nut Theft ---- (Lucrative New Target | 600,000 Truckloads Last Year) 118 == Car Theft --------------------------------------- ( Top 10 Targeted in 2015) 119 == Comcast Lawsuit ---------- ( $100M in Refunds for WA Users Sought) 119 == Brain Teaser ---------------------------- --------------- (Catch the Intruder) 120 == Have You Heard? ----- (What’s in the Other Bag || Monkey Business ) 121 == Brain Teaser Answer --------------------------------- (Catch the Intruder) 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 - Veteran Legislation as of 15 AUG 2016 Attachment - Delaware Vet State Benefits & Discounts AUG 2016 Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 16 thru 31 AUG Attachment - USS Laffey | Ship That Wouldn't Die * DoD * DoD Mental Health Programs Update 04 ► New Final Rule Issued In late JUL 2016 the Department of Defense (DoD) issued its new final rule for mental health and substance abuse disorders. It is a huge step forward. The change was prompted by the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA). After a full review of the TRICARE benefits changes have been made to “meet the spirit and the intent of the Act.” The new rules: Bring coverage to parity with TRICARE’s medical/surgical benefit including eliminating limitation on outpatient services including the previous limit of no more than 2 weekly sessions for outpatient services and aligning beneficiary cost-sharing co-pays (example: reduce Retiree and Non Active Duty Dependents’ Prime per diem for partial hospitalization program from $40 inpatient rate billed to outpatient rate of $12 per day) Expand mental health and substance abuse disorders (SUD)in numerous ways including:” Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) for mental health & SUD treatment to provide step-down care from acute inpatient/residential