Army Times 06/10/2013

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BILL OFFERS NEW HONOR TO OLD GUARD
Soldiers who guard the Tomb of the Unknowns would automatically be eligible for in-ground burial at Arlington National Cemetery under a bill introduced May 23 by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. Tomb Guards, part of the 3rd Infantry Division Old Guard based at Fort Myer, Va., adjacent to the cemetery, currently must qualify for in-ground burial just like anyone else. Otherwise, they qualify only for having cremated remains placed in a columbarium, like any other veteran. The Tomb Guard Recognition Act, HR 2157, would apply only to those who served in the Tomb Guard platoon about 600 current and former service members, some of whom may already be eligible for burial through meeting other criteria under current rules. The bill was referred to the House Veterans Affairs Committee, which oversees national cemeteries. By Andrew Tilghman
atilghman@militarytimes.com

GET AN EDGE ON YOUR CIVILIAN CAREER AND EDUCATION

VA backlog is TV comics punchline

Daily Show host picks up criticism in recent weeks
For the nearly 1 million veterans waiting for decisions on their benefits claims, the epic failures of the Veterans Affairs Department are no laughing matter. Even so, many vets are applauding comedian Jon Stewarts recent attacks on the troubled VA with his signature mix of mockery, satire and biting political commentary. Stewart, the host of Comedy Centrals The Daily Show, has been using his bully pulpit to hammer at those responsible for VAs problems in a series of segments dubbed The Red Tape Diaries. And veterans advocates say hes creating pressure on VA in a way that years of public criticism and congressional hearings have not. I think VA feels the heat. I dont think VA often gets this type of

They havent fully computerized their records, but they have computerized their plan to computerize their records in the form of this PowerPoint presentation.
JON STEWART
Stewart has featured VA in at least five segments since April, casting a spotlight on VA data showing that about 865,000 veterans have disability and pension claims pending, and about 575,000 of those veterans have been waiting more than 125 days for a response. Call it Operation Enduring Wait, Stewart said. On one show, his correspondents mounted a farcical black ops-style mission to find the VA records of one Army veteran whose paperwork the department Sen. Richard Burr, the committees ranking Republican. VA believes such programs have helped improve the quality of life for veterans as well as their health, Russo said. One legal initiative available at VA medical centers in Miami, New York and West Haven, Conn., involves medical-legal partnerships that allow physicians to work with lawyers to resolve problems that can affect health. The classic example, according to Russo, is a veteran with chronic asthma where the root cause of the disease is mold in the veterans apartment. [Get] a lawyer to force the landlord to clean up the mold, and you solve the medical problem, Russo said. VA historically has had a kind of reluctance, to put it mildly, toward lawyers and legal programs, but the culture is changing, he said. There are a lot of good programs going on. VA is now open-minded with working with non-profits in the future. N
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PRIORITY REGISTRATION FOR WIS. STUDENT VETS?

Military veterans would be given priority over other students when registering for classes at all University of Wisconsin campuses, as well as the states technical colleges, under a bill making its way through the state legislature. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that the goal is to improve veterans chances of graduating before their 36 months of GI Bill benefits expire. Different campuses in the state offer priority registration to student groups, including student-athletes and disabled students.

THE DAILY SHOW

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart features an ongoing series called The Red Tape Diaries, in which Stewart blasts the Veterans Affairs Department for its backlog of veterans claims. popular-culture criticism from people who are willing to stand up and say, This is unacceptable, said Pete Hegseth, chief executive officer for Concerned Veterans for America.

VA sets up legal clinics in medical centers

By Patricia Kime
pkime@militarytimes.com

HELP FOR HOMELESS VETS

About 9,000 veterans who have been living on the streets or in shelters will find permanent homes thanks to $60 million in vouchers provided to public housing agencies by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department. The vouchers are part of a joint program involving HUD and the Veterans Affairs Department aimed at eliminating veteran homelessness by 2015. Obama administration officials said the number of homeless veterans already has dropped by 17 percent since 2009, although this still leaves about 60,000 either homeless or at risk of homelessness. Vouchers will be used to provide rental assistance to veterans to live close to a VA medical center. Veterans can rent privately owned housing, with vouchers generally providing no more than 30 percent of rent. Many veterans in the program are disabled, with their disability compensation able to make up the remainder of the rent.
24 Army Times June 10, 2013

The Veterans Affairs Department is establishing legal clinics at many of its medical centers to help veterans with any civil, criminal or claims matters they face. Since 2009, all 152 VA medical centers have had a veterans justice outreach coordinator a social worker to serve as a liaison with veterans treatment courts, state and local bar associations and other legal bodies helping veterans in the court and penal systems. Under the new program, available at 38 hospitals, veterans can access legal assistance provided by law school clinics, firms or other legal service organizations, such as state bar associations working pro bono. There were so many legal groups that wanted to help veterans that we decided we needed to partner with them, said William

Russo, an attorney with VAs Office of General Counsel, addressing an audience at the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans conference in Washington, D.C., on May 29. The clinics, open at least one day a month where available, can help veterans with legal issues ranging from landlord disputes and outstanding tickets to criminal and family law matters, child support and consumer complaints. The legal assistance is free; veterans are responsible for paying expenses such as court filings or fines. Its taken off, and that number is growing at a regular rate, Russo said. VA also is working to expand a major partnership with the law firm DLA Piper, which operates veterans legal outreach programs at homeless shelters and through veterans service organizations in Philadelphia, New York and Tam-

pa, Fla. The firm wants to expand veterans outreach to all 25 cities where it has offices and also offer pro bono services in VA medical centers, Russo said. Other firms have approached VA with similar proposals, but the department is hampered somewhat because by law, it is restricted from providing funding to such programs. That could change this year if legislation introduced by Senate Veterans Affairs Committee chairman Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is signed into law. His Homeless Veterans Prevention Act, S 825, would allow VA to use existing funds to support a portion of general legal services provided by these organizations to help homeless veterans and those at risk for homelessness. The bill has bipartisan support, co-sponsored by North Carolina

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