RAO BULLETIN 1 November 2019 PDF Edition THIS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES Pg Article Subject . * DOD * . 04 == USS Gerald R. Ford [15] ---- (Navy Secretary Slams Congress for Spreading Disinformation) 06 == Arlington National Cemetery [83] ---- (What You Need to Know About Proposed Changes) 08 == JVS Chairman Senior Enlisted Adviser ---- (New SEAC Air Force CMSgt Ramon Colon-Lopez) 09 == Commissary/Exchange News [14] ---- (More Answers as Installations Ready for Extra Shoppers) 10 == NDAA 2020 [24] ---- (New Worries about the Possibility of Reaching a Compromise) 10 == DoD Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 OCT 2019) 11 == POW/MIA Recoveries & Burials ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 OCT 2019 | Fifteen) . * VA * . 14 == VA Adaptive Sports Program [01] ---- ($14.8M in Grants Awarded to 126 Organizations) 14 == Agent Orange Diseases [07] ---- (White House Responsible for Delayed Decision on New Additions) 17 == VA Suicide Prevention [61] ---- (Pain Intensity & Suicide Attempt Link) 19 == VA Scam Protection Effort ---- (GAO Says VA Not Doing Enough to Protect Vets) 20 == VA Medical Error Investigations [01] ---- (Congress Grills VA Over Additional Incidents) 21 == VA ATLAS Program ---- (Telehealth Outreach Launched to VFW, American Legion Posts) 22 == VA Data Protection ---- VA Largely Silent on Measures to Safeguard It 24 == VA Breast Cancer [01] ---- (Awareness and Available Tools) 25 == VA Secretary [88] ---- (Former Secretary Shulkin’s Tell-All Book) 26 == VA Special Monthly Compensation [04] ---- (SMC(L) & (L ½) Entitlements) 1 | P a g e 27 == VA Whistleblowers [60] ---- (New OAWP Has Put them in Further Danger) 30 == VA Hiring [16] ---- (MSEP Program Expands) 30 == VA Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 OCT 2019) 31 == VA Home Care ---- (New Medical Care Requirement Causing Problems) 32 == VA Legacy Appeals ---- (31 DEC 2022 Set as End Date for Resolving All Pending Ones) 33 == VAMC Clarksburg WV [03] ---- (Ten Deaths – 2 Ruled Homicides, 8 Others Might Be) . * VETS * . 33 == Vet Cancer ---- (Dramatic Rise in VA Cases Raises New Questions) 34 == Stolen Valor [117] ---- (Elderly Army Nurse’s Service Called into Question) 36 == California GI Bill [03] ---- (State Backs Down over for-profit College Certification Issue) 37 == Wounded Warrior Project [01] ---- (Employment & Quality of Life Survey Findings) 38 == Maine Vet Cemetery ---- (Construction Begins on 2nd VA Cemetery) 39 == Melwood Veterans Services ---- (Offers Resources to Service Members) 40 == California Power Outages ---- (Concerns over Vet Impact) 40 == WWI Vets 08 ---- (Army Pfc. Charles Barger) 42 == WWII Vets 206 ---- (James South | Turned 100 on 7 OCT) 42 == WWI VETS 09 ---- (Orville Rogers) 43 == Obit: Francis C. Curry ---- (8 OCT 2019 | WWII MOH Recipient) 45 == Veterans FAQs ---- (How do I Get a Copy of My Boot Camp Medical Records?) 45 == Veterans FAQs ---- (Will I get Back Pay for the Time since I Applied for My Hearing Problems?) 46 == Veterans FAQs ---- (Am I Eligible for Special Monthly Compensation?) 46 == Vet Hiring Fairs ---- (Scheduled As of 1 NOV 2019) 47 == Military Retirees & Veterans Events Schedule ---- (As of 1 NOV 2019) 48 == State Veteran's Benefits ---- (Pennsylvania 2019) . * VET LEGISLATION * . 48 == Homeless Vets [96] ---- (H.R.95 | Homeless Veteran Families Act) 49 == Nuclear Testing ---- (S.947/H.R.3783 | Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2019) 50 == VA Website [05] ---- (H.R. 1199 | VA Website Accessibility Act) 51 == VA Grant Programs [01] ---- (H.R.4589 | Rural Veteran Medical Transportation) 51 == National Cemetery Administration [04] ---- (H.R.2385 | Veterans Legacy Program Grants) 51 == VA Medical Malpractice [01] ---- (H.R.4526 | VA Employment Transparency Act Endorsement) 51 == VA Fiduciary Program [10] ---- (HR 592, the "Protect Veterans from Financial Fraud Act) 52 == Gold Star Spouse [01] ---- (H.R.1911 - Gold Star Survivors Act) 52 == Overseas Pharmacies Use [03] ---- (H.R.4710 | Pharmaceutical Independence Long-Term Readiness Reform) 53 == VA Hiring [15] ---- (S. ___ | Hire Act) 54 == Kentucky Vet Legislation [02] ---- (BR 127 & 247 | Vet Service Organization Tax Exemption) 55 == Other Vet Legislation [02] ---- (Veteran Bills Advanced for House Vote) . * MILITARY* . 57 == Army 16-Year Plan ---- (Launched to Tackle Russia, China) 59 == Gold Star Families [01] ---- (The Ultimate Sacrifice Comes Heavily Taxed) 61 == Air Force Fitness ---- (Assessment under Review) 62 == Air Force Indefinite Enlistment ---- (Takes Effect 18 November 2019 63 == Army Combat Fitness Test ---- (What Will the Army do About the Fail Rates?) 64 == College Credits for Military Education ---- (Marines & Sailors Could Soon Get) 2 | P a g e 65 == Fort Bliss AMC ---- (Almost Done 3 Years Late at a Cost of $1.4B) 67 == Navy Doomsday Plane ---- (E-6B Mercury Class-A mishap) 67 == Army Housing ---- (Q&A on Recent Problems) 68 == Aircraft Carriers [04] ---- (Carrier Sharing Plan with U.K.) 70 == Air Force Officer Fields ---- (Six New Promotion Categories Created) 71 == Military MREs [05] ---- (Don't Blame them for Your Gastrointestinal Discomfort) 72 == Military Proposed Weaponry ---- (Project Thor) 73 == Navy Terminology, Jargon & Slang ---- (‘Dip’ thru ‘Dodge City’) . * MILITARY HISTORY * . 74 == Red Ball Express ---- (Without it, Victory in Europe Would Have Been Impossible) 76 == Sherman’s March to The Sea ---- (Civil War’s Most Destructive Civilian Population Campaign) 77 == Tanks ---- (A Major-Maneuver Warfare Asset) 79 == Strategic Bombing ---- (Development during WWII) 80 == Military History Anniversaries ---- (01 thru 15 NOV) 81 == Military Prop Photos ---- (c. 1910-1915) 81 == Warships That Will Change the Future ---- (HMS Dauntless (D33) 81 == Operation Commando Wrath ---- (Afghanistan Mission to Capture/Kill High-Value Targets) 83 == WWII Bomber Nose Art [41] ---- (Bombs Away) 83 == WWI Memorials [01] ---- (D.C. Plans Clear another Hurdle) 84 == MOH Awards [14] ---- (Plea for Army 'Legend' Alwyn Cashe) 86 == Medal of Honor Citations ---- (Rodolfo P Hernandez | Korean War) . * HEALTH CARE * . 87 == TRICARE Website [03] ---- (DoD Medical Facility Microsites) 87 == Addiction Treatment ---- (https://findtreatment.gov Unveiled for Substance Abusers) 88 == Penis Transplant ---- (Vet Said One of the Best Decisions He Ever Made) 89 == Vet Medical Care Continuity ---- (VA Jeopardizing the MHS GENESIS EHR Project) 90 == Traumatic Brain Injury [74] ---- (VA/DoD Launch LIMBIC) 91 == Dementia [08] ---- (Steps to Prevent Dementia May Mean Taking Actual Steps) 92 == Concussions [01] ---- ($50 Million Project Investigating the Long-Term Impacts) 94 == Medicare Fraud [140] ---- (Disclosures 16-31 OCT 2019) 96 == Cannabidiol (CBD)-Containing Products ---- (Unsupported Claims) 96 == Cancer Q&A ---- (191016 thru 191031) 97 == TRICARE Podcast 523 ---- (TRICARE & FEDVIP Open Seasons - TRICARE Pubs - TRICARE Webinar) 98 == TRICARE Podcast 524 ---- (Website Expansion - EOB - TRICARE Open Season Webinar) . * FINANCES * . 99 == Income Considered Non-Taxable ---- (Things Uncle Sam Can't Touch so Long as You Play by the Rules) 101 == Inheritance Tax ---- (Federal & State) 102 == Amtrak ---- (Passenger Discount for Military Veterans) 103 == Air Force Lodging ---- (Rates to Increase in November) 104 == SSA Windfall Elimination Provision [01] ---- (Legislation to Make it Fairer) 104 == Retiree Savings ---- (Make Them Last a Lot Longer by Avoiding these Costly Mistakes) 105 == Debt [01] ---- (Surefire Ways to Get rid of it ASAP) 106 == Gasoline Savings [06] ---- (Top Tier Detergent) 107 == Long Term Care FLTCIP [11] ---- (New FLTCIP 3.0 Plan Now Available) 3 | P a g e 108 == Sales Tax [03] ---- (Groceries, Candy, and Soda) 109 == Estate Planning [04] ---- (More than Just a Will) 110 == Great Depression ---- (Gallup Vault | Gloomy Outlook) 111 == Free Cash Scam ---- (False Promise of Unclaimed Rewards) 111 == Publisher Clearing House Scam ---- (Imposters Are Back Again) 112 == Charity Scam ---- (Learn to Avoid During International Charity Fraud Awareness Week) 113 == Tax Burden for South Dakota Retired Vets ---- (As of OCT 2019) . * GENERAL INTEREST * . 115 == Notes of Interest ---- (16 thru 31 October 2019) 116 == Trump Border Wall [03] ---- (Senate Sustains Veto of Military Base Project Money Use) 116 == Syria [04] ---- (Russian & Syrian Troops Fill Void as U.S. Pulls Out) 118 == Syria [05] ---- (Turkey Dismisses U.S. Calls for a Ceasefire) 119 == Syria [06] ---- (U.S. Continues to Fly Drones | Turks Ceasefire shaky) 120 == Presidency & War Power ---- (Congress’ Need to Restore Separation of Powers Concept) 121 == Hitler Artwork ---- (Auction Pieces Bring 270,000 Pounds) 122 == Overseas Holiday Mail ---- (2019 Deadlines) 122 == Lying ---- (10 Indicators It May Be Happening) 124 == Interesting Photos ---- (02: Copenhagen Power Plant) 124 == Oath of Office ---- (What It Means for Public Servants) 126 == Amelia Earhart Mystery ---- (Stays Down in the Deep) 128 == Paint [01] ---- (Storage and Disposal Guidelines) 129 == Have You Heard? ---- (Military Humor 7 | Target Letter | Bubba) 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]. 3. Recipients of the Bulletin are authorized and encouraged to forward the Bulletin to other vets or veteran organizations. * ATTACHMENTS * . Attachment –