RAO BULLETIN 1 November 2017 PDF Edition THIS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES Pg Article Subject . * DOD * . 05 == Nuclear Weapons [02] ---- (No Current Plans To Increase Arsenal) 06 == Arlington National Cemetery [71] ---- (USMC Memorial Encroachment) 07 == MAVNI Program [02] ---- (Pentagon Taking Steps To Save Its Program) 07 == MAVNI Program [03] ---- (Judge Issues Preliminary Injunction) 09 == Transgender Lawsuits [03] ---- (Federal Court Rules Against Trump) 10 == Military Accidents ---- (Numbers Down | Mishaps Not Related to Budget) 11 == Navy Fleet Size [07] ---- (Little Progress on 355-Ship Navy Goal) 13 == DoD Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 OCT 2017) 14 == POW/MIA Recoveries ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 OCT 2017 | Sixteen) . * VA * . 16 == VA Secretary [61] ---- (Shulken Not A contender for HHS Position) 17 == VA Opioid Therapy [08] ---- (Coatesville VAMC Roundtable Discussion) 1 18 == Emergency Medical Bill Claims ---- (Court Rules VA Policy Violated Law) 19 == VA Mammograms ---- (Guidelines | When, Where, & What They Mean) 20 == VA Vet Choice [62] ---- (CARE Act Could Jeopardize Veterans Services) 21 == VA CARE Program [01] ---- (Lawmakers Unveil Planned VA Health Reforms) 22 == VA ID Card [11] ---- (Must Obtain New Photo Cards Online) 23 == VA ID Card [12] ---- (Why Not Include Non-Honorable Discharge Recipients) 24 == Western Reserve National Cemetery ---- (Battlefield Cross Controversy) 25 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ---- (Reported 16 thru 31 OCT 2017) 26 == VA Mustard Gas Claims [02] ---- (WWII Vet Wins Appeal After 16 Years) 28 == VA Disability Rating Criteria [01] ---- (New Precedent Allows Upgrading) 28 == VA Medical Marijuana [35] ---- (Dems Press for In-Depth Medical Research) 30 == VA Hospitals [12] ---- (New Rankings | The Worst Still the Worst) 30 == Minnesota Veterans Homes [04] ---- (First Fixed Dental Clinic to be Built) 31 == GI Bill [243] ---- (26 Things the Forever G.I. Bill Will Do) 33 == VA Compensation & Benefits ---- (Problem Solving Program Q&A -- 17 thru 20) 35 == VAMC Bedford NH ---- (Vet Dies When Aide Failed to Check on Him) 35 == VAMC Sheridan WY ---- (Offering Battlefield Acupuncture Treatments) 37 == VAMC Tomah WI [19] ---- ($3.3M Settlement for Overdosed Marine) 37 == VAMC Omaha NE [03] ---- (Secret Psychotherapy Waiting List) 38 == VAMC Memphis TN [05] ---- (Two Top Doctors Fired) . * VETS * . 39 == Vet Service Dogs [22] ---- (Fake Dog Laws) 40 == Anthem Kneeling ---- (Former Player/Vet Speaks Out) 41 == Congressional Gold Medal [09] ---- (Filipino Vet Celestino Almeda) 42 ==NNAV Memorial ---- (Smithsonian Accepting Design Submissions) 42 == Bladensburg WWI Vet Memorial [03] ---- (Ruled Unconstitutional) 43 == Facebook [01] ---- (Imposter Vet Organization Disinformation | VVA) 44 == Florida Vet Cemetery [13] ---- (Tallahassee National Cemetery Opens) 44 == RSO Roster OCT 2017 ---- (Contact Info) 45 == Vet Toxic Exposure | Alpena CRTC ---- (Contaminated Groundwater) 45 == Arizona Vet Home [02] ---- (3 Proposed Homes Lack Funding) 46 == Marine Corps War Memorial [04] ---- ( Massachusetts Replica Vandalized) 46 == Student Loan Forgiven Debt Tax [01] ---- (Definition Of Insanity) 47 == Obit: Hunter~Thomas Edgar Hunter ---- (17 SEP 2017) 48 == Obit: David E. Patterson ---- (9 OCT 2017) 49 == WWII VETS [146] ---- (Sydney L. Cole | 103 Years Old) 50 == AFL Q&A 08 ---- (AO Related Birth Defect VA Compensation) 50 == Retiree Appreciation Days ---- (Scheduled As of 31 OCT 2017) 51 == Vet Hiring Fairs ---- (Scheduled As of 31 OCT 2017) 52 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ---- (Maryland 2017) . * VET LEGISLATION* . 52 == VA Vet Choice [61] ---- ( CARE Act | Eliminate 30-day/40-mile Rule) 53 == Vet Urgent Care ---- (S.1261 | Vet Emergency Room Relief Act of 2017) 54 == WV State Income Tax ---- (Military Retiree Pay Exempted) 55 == Military Sexual Trauma [05] ---- (S.833 | Proving Service Connection) 2 55 == VA S-DVI ---- (Bill Introduced to Raise Cap From $10,000 to $95,000) 56 == VA VR&E Program [01] ---- (H.R.3562 | Disabled Housing Cap) 56 == VA Aid & Attendance [19] ---- (H.R.3122 | Vet Scammer Protection) . * MILITARY* . 57 == Military Preparedness ---- (No Imminent Plans to Put B-52s on 24-Hour Alert) 58 == Underground/Urban Warfare ---- (Army Preps on Korean Peninsula) 60 == SMET Hunter Wolf ---- (Soldier's New Remote-Controlled Vehicle) 61 == USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) [06] ---- (ACS Will Not Be Upgraded) 62 == USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) [07] ---- (Command Climate Surveys) 63 == B-21 Stealth Bomber [01] ---- (Cost Info to Stay Secret) 64 == Military Recruiting [08] ---- (Threatened by Childhood Obesity) 65 == Army Recruiting [02] ---- (Pot Waivers Up, Testing Standards Down) 66 == Air Force Recruiting ---- (2017 Goal Met) 66 == Air Force Readiness [04] ---- (Indefinite Enlistments Under Consideration) 67 == USS Cole Attack [02] ---- (Supreme Court Won't Hear Pretrial Challenge) 68 == UGV's ---- (America's More Modest/ Less Lethal than Other Countries) 70 == Presidential Condolences ---- (Military Death Response Protoco) 70 == Presidential Condolences [01] ---- (Leave Gold Star Families Out of Politics) 72 == Presidential Condolences [02] ---- (Kelly on Controversy) 73 == Army Bonuses [01] ---- (Emphasis on Reenlistments vice Extensions) 73 == USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) [04] ---- (New Structural Issues) 74 == USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) ---- (Navy Mum On Cause Of Ship Crash) 76 == Bergdahl Plea Hearing Testimony ---- (Search Endangerment to Others) 76 == Bergdahl Plea Hearing Testimony [01] ---- (Former Navy SEAL James Hatch) 77 == Abrams M1A1 Tank ----(Upgrades | Turret & Thermal Sights) 78 == Abrams M1A1 Tank [ 01] ---- (Upgrades | Armor/Programmable Ammo) 79 == Overseas Troops ---- (Sgt. Seth Mullins) . - * MILITARY HISTORY* . 79 == Battle of Gettysburg ---- (The Civil War's Bloodiest Battle) 80 == Women in Military Service Memorial [04] ---- (20th Anniversary) 81 == WWI Memorial [10] ---- (100 Cities/100 Memorials Refurbishment Program) 82 == American Revolution Quiz 2 ---- (Questions) 83 == WWII Raid On Cabanatuan ---- (Most Successful Rescue Mission In U.S. Mil Hist ) 85 == GWOT Memorial [03] ---- (Dedicated 16 OCT 2017) 86 == Soviet 1972 ASW Capabilities ---- (Recently Declassified CIA Report) 88 == Abandoned Military Bases [10] ---- (Nekoma South Dakota) 88 == American Revolution Quiz 2 ---- (Answers) 89 == Insanely Daring Air Raids ---- (No. 9 | Operation Chastise) 90 == USS Constitution [02] ---- (First Spin In Three Years) 90 == Military History Anniversaries ---- (01 thru 15 NOV) 91 == Medal of Honor Citations ---- (Funk~Leonard A. Jr. | WWII) . * HEALTH CARE* . 93 == TRICARE Changes 2018 [05] ---- (Payment Options) 3 94 == TRICARE Changes 2018 [06] ---- (Oppose New Fee Hikes) 95 == TRICARE Changes 2018 [07] ---- (Tricare for Life Impact) 96 == Mammograms [01] ---- ( Recommended Annually for 40+ Women) 97 == Drug Cost Increases [10] ---- ( 2018 Projections | 9/9% to 11.6%) 98 == Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage ---- (How To Choose | Pros & Cons) 100 == Prosthetics [01] ---- (Study Aims to Solve Sweat Problem) 101 == HPV Vaccination ---- (Cancer-Preventing Vaccine) 102 == History Of Medicine ---- (Headache) 102 == TRICARE Podcast 420 ---- (Additional TRICARE Benefit Changes in 2018) 103 == TRICARE Podcast 421 ---- (Upcoming TRICARE Disenrollment Changes) . * FINANCIAL * . 104 == Drug Cost Increases [09] ---- (2018 Projections | 9/9% to 11.6%) 105 == IRS Tax Plan 2018 ---- (SALT Repeal Impact) 106 == SCRA [07] ---- (Congress Approves Forced Arbitration) 106 == Social Security Taxes [02] ---- (When You Owe On Benefits) 107 == Medicare Late Enrollment Penalty [04] ----( Did You Know? ) 108 == Drug Price Gouging [01] ---- (President Promises Action) 108 == Worst States for Retirees ---- (15th thru 11th) 109 == Assignment of Benefits ---- (Increasing Your Home Insurance Cost) 111 == Class Action Lawsuits ---- (New Law Repeals Right to Join Regulation) 113 == Facebook Marketplace Scams ----(Phony Deals) 113 == Tax Burden for Texas Retired Vets ---- (As of OCT 2017) . * GENERAL INTEREST * . 115 == Notes of Interest ---- (16 thru 31 OCT 2017) 116 == Liberty Medal 2017 ---- (Sen. John McCain This Year's Recipient) 118 == U.S. Embassy Sonic Attacks [01] ---- (Cuba Blames Cicadas/Crickets) 119 == USAF Acknowledges Santa Is Real ---- (Twitter Feud Outcome) 120 == Food Pesticide Removal ---- (Fruit) 121 == Philippines War on Militants [01] ---- (Battle of Marawi Ends) 122 == RP-US Relations ---- (U.S. Defense Secretary Trip to RP) 123 == DPRK Nuclear Weapons [18] ---- (Deputy U.N. Ambassador Warning) 124 == DPRK Nuclear Weapons [19] ---- (Threat to Detonate Over Pacific Ocean) 125 == U.S. Embassy Cuba [01] ---- (Cuba is Responsible for Sonic Attacks) 126 == China Arctic Ambition ---- (Will it be the Next Stop on China’s New Silk Road) 127 == Washington Monument ---- (Historical Information) 128 == Where There's a Will, There's a Way ---- (03) 129 == Garage Door Billboards ---- (Making Yours Stand Out (12) 129 == Weird Facts About Your Body ---- (13 thru 25) 130 == Have You Heard? ---- (12 Children | The Fixer) 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]. 4 . * ATTACHMENTS * . Attachment - Maryland Vet State Benefits & Discounts OCT 2017 Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 01 thru 15 NOV Attachment - RSO Roster OCT