Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki formed a task force to develop an action plan to address women Veterans’ issues. Since then, the group has conducted a broad survey of department experts to identify those issues and organize them by priority. The draft report is an interim step prior to VA finalizing its overall plan.

The report comes at an important juncture in VA’s history that demands a review of the quality, quantity, and types of services and programs it provides to women Veterans. The number of women Veterans using VA has increased 83 percent in the past decade, from about 160,000 to over 292,000 between fiscal years 2000 and 2009, compared with a 50 percent increase in men.

The public notice and instructions for how to submit comments will be posted at www.regulations.gov. The draft written report will be open for comment for 30 days, and responders will have a number of options to provide both electronic and written feedback. Readers will also be able to participate in a public discussion board on the Internet at: http://vawomenvetstratplan.uservoice.com/forums/159415-general.

To view the report without making recommendations, please visit VA’s website at: http://www.va.gov/opa/publications/Draft_2012_Women-Veterans_StrategicPlan.pdf.

Read the full press release on the Women Veterans task force on the VA Website.

Be sure to spread the word to other veterans!

And for some quick highlights on eligibility, check out our last blog post on the VOW to Hire Heroes Act!

Coin Designs

The obverse (heads side) design of the 2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar features a modern Infantry soldier on rocky ground charging forward and beckoning the troops to follow, symbolizing the “Follow Me” motto of the Infantry. Inscriptions are LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST and 2012. The representation of the contemporary soldier captures the essence of the Infantry’s motto.

The reverse (tails) design features the crossed rifles insignia, the branch insignia of the Infantry. Inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ONE DOLLAR and E PLURIBUS UNUM. The insignia is a universally recognizable symbol of the Infantry, as all members wear it.

Both 2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar designs were approved by the Department of the Treasury on July 19, 2011, at the recommendation of the United States Mint, after consultation with the National Infantry Foundation and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, as well as review by the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee.

Dr. Watson is looking for veterans to volunteer to take part in filming for this course Tuesday, May 15 through Thursday, May 17.

Filming will be Center for Deployment Psychology, 11300 Rockville Pike, Suite 602, Rockville, MD 20852. The location is metro accessible. They plan to interview 8-10 veterans, and each interview requires one hour of time.

If you are a veteran and interested in participating, please contact Dr. Watson by phone at (808)756-7259 or by email at patricia.j.watson@dartmouth.edu.

SitterCity can help you find a pre-screened babysitter in your new duty station:

Servicemembers can use Sittercity for free to get access to a pool of caregivers, as well as dogwalkers, housekeepers and tutors, who have passed a background check and have been reviewed by the service. Some of the caregivers available are able to get on base and are subsidized by the military.

Check ‘em out! And if you’ve already used them, and have advice or tips for other families, let us know in the comments!

And on a related note, check out these 15 PCS survival tips!

VVMF is planning a press event at 10 a.m. on May 13 to unveil the changes and to honor one of the ten servicemen added: Frank A. Neary. His daughter Jessica DiNapoli will speak about her father’s life and service. Marine Corporal Neary was wounded in action on Feb. 24, 1967 in the Quang Ngai Province in Vietnam. His death in 2006 was deemed to be a result of the wounds received in combat.

Weather permitting, work to inscribe the names and change designations will be complete by May 4th, and the changes will be unveiled during the press event. When names are added, the highly technical procedure requires meticulous work to match the stroke and depth of the surrounding names to within 1/1,000 of an inch. The physical work of adding the names and changing designations will be performed by James Lee of the Colorado-based company, Engrave Write.

The ten names being added this year meet the Department of Defense (DOD) criteria for addition to The Wall: all of the men died in connection with combat related incidents during the Vietnam War.

Names Being Added to The Wall:

• PFC Johnny Owen Brooks, U.S. Army
  Stockton, Calif.
  Sept. 22, 1949 – Sept. 24, 2011
  Date of Casualty: Nov. 14, 1969
  Wall Location: Pfc. Brooks died as a result of wounds (combat or hostile related) sustained in the combat zone during the Vietnam War.
• PFC Larry Morgan Kelly, U.S. Army
  Akron, Ohio
  May 22, 1949 – June 14, 2010
  Date of Casualty: Aug. 22, 1969
  Wall Location: Pfc. Kelly died as a result of his wounds (combat or hostile related) sustained in the combat zone during the Vietnam War.
• SP4 David Lawrence Deckard, U.S. Army
  Louisville, Ky.
  Jan. 30, 1948 – Jan. 6, 2006
  Date of Casualty: March 24, 1969
  Wall Location:Spec. Deckard was diagnosed with chronic respiratory failure and the Army determined that his death was directly connected to his wounds received in Vietnam.
• ATC Jospeh William Aubin, U.S. Navy
  Bridgeport, Conn.
  Dec. 14, 1929 – May 26, 1966
  Date of Casualty: May 26, 1966
  Wall Location: Navy records document that ATC Aubin and three other Sailors died while participating in a combat mission en route to a target within the defined combat zone.
• ATR3 Richard Carl Hunt, U.S. Navy
  Guys Mills, Penn.
  July 2, 1942 – May 26, 1966
  Date of Casualty: May 26, 1966
  Wall Location: Navy records document that ATR3 Hunt and three other Sailors died while participating in a combat mission en route to a target within the defined combat zone.
• LT Walter Allan Linzy, U.S. Navy
  Nashville, Ark.
  June 11, 1926 – May 26, 1966
  Date of Casualty: May 26, 1966
  Wall Location: Navy records document that Lt. Linzy and three other Sailors died while participating in a combat mission en route to a target within the defined combat zone.
• ATR3 Richard Dwaine Stocker, U.S. Navy
  Jacksonville, Ark.
  April 17, 1945 – May 26, 1966
  Date of Casualty: May 26, 1966
  Wall Location: Navy records document that ATR3 Stocker and three other Sailors died while participating in a combat mission en route to a target within the defined combat zone.
• LTJG David McLean Desilets, U.S. Navy
  Palm Desert, Calif.
  Oct. 16, 1940 – Sept. 4, 1966
  Date of Casualty: Sept. 4, 1966
  Wall Location:The Navy reviewed casualty and other relevant documents pertaining to the death of LTJG Desilets aboard the USS Pyro while steaming on ‘Yankee Station’ in the Gulf of Tonkin. The information confirmed that Desilets’ death occurred within the defined combat zone.
• AN Albert Kalahana Kuewa, U.S. Navy
  Honolulu, Hawaii
  Nov. 14, 1941 – Sept. 18, 1964
  Date of Casualty: Sept. 18, 1964
  Wall Location: The Navy reviewed records and determined that Airman Kuewa died while supporting combat missions against targets in North Vietnam.
• CPL Frank A. Neary, U.S. Marine Corps
  Ocean, N.J.
  April 24, 1948 – Nov. 22, 2006
  Date of Casualty: Feb. 24, 1967
  Wall Location: Cpl. Neary died of a stroke due to an intracranial bleed, chronic thromolytic therapy and occluded bypass graft of his left leg. The Marine Corps reviewed the records and determined that he died of the wounds he sustained in combat in Vietnam.

Status Changes:

Beside each name on the Memorial is a symbol designating status. The diamond symbol denotes confirmed death. The cross represents missing in action. When a service member’s remains are returned or accounted for, the diamond is superimposed over the cross. In addition to the ten names being added this year, eight designation changes will be made as well. They include:

• Army Capt. Charles Ronald Barnes of Fullerton, PA, Panel 29W, Line 50
• Army Sgt. 1st Class William Theodore Brown of La Habra, CA, Panel 16W, Line 22
• Army Sgt. 1st Class James Leslie Moreland of Anaheim, CA, Panel 38E, Line 7
• Army Sgt. 1st Class Donald Monroe Shue of Kannapolis, NC, Panel 16W, Line 24
• Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edward James Broms Jr. of Meadville, PA, Panel 50W, Line 41
• Navy Cmdr. Frank Clifford Green Jr. of Waskom, TX, Panel 1W, Line 55
• Air Force Col. Leo Sydney Boston of Canon City, CO., Panel 7E, Line 7
• Air Force Maj. Thomas Edward Clark of Emporium, PA, Panel 33W, Line 84
• Air Force Maj. Bruce Edward Lawrence of Phillipsburg, NJ, Panel 53W, Line 21
• Air Force Col. Gilbert Swain Palmer Jr. of Birmingham, AL, Panel 41E, Line 53
• Air Force Lt. Col. Edward Dean Silver of Junction City, OR, Panel 53W, Line 23
• Air Force Maj. Charles Milton Walling of Phoenix, AZ, Panel 9E, Line 119

Adding Names:

These changes will bring the total number of names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to 58,282 men and women who were killed or remain missing in action.
The Department of Defense sets the criteria for and makes decisions about whose names are eligible for inscription on The Wall. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund pays for the name additions and status changes, and works with the National Park Service to ensure long-term preservation and maintenance of The Wall.

Photos of the ten men whose names are being added this weekend, as well as stories about their lives, are being collected from their loved ones to be used in the Education Center at The Wall, which is planned Washington, D.C. near the Lincoln and Vietnam Veterans Memorials. The Education Center will be a living, interactive learning facility that will teach the values, tell the stories and show the faces of those who served. It will also showcase the remembrances left in tribute at The Wall and celebrate the rich legacy of service in this country. For information about this latest VVMF initiative, visit www.buildthecenter.org.

Dedicated on Nov. 13, 1982, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was built to honor all who served with the U.S. armed forces during the Vietnam War. It has become known as an international symbol of healing and is the most-visited memorial on the National Mall.

“Navy Lodge guests know they save 40 percent plus when they stay with us,” said Mike Bockelman, Vice President, Navy Exchange Service Command’s (NEXCOM) Director, Navy Lodge Program. “Moving can be stressful and costly. We’re hoping this scratch card promotion will ease some of that by offering an even greater savings on their Navy Lodge stay.”

The Navy Lodge PCS scratch card can be found at Fleet and Family Service Centers, PSD or by calling 800-NAVY INN (800-628-9466). Guests need to present the scratch card at check-out to see the savings. This promotion runs now through December 31, 2012.

For more information, visit www.navy-lodge.com.

The MOAA auxiliary group in Oklahoma is working with the Armed Services YMCA to open a welcome center at the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport. After much organizing and fundraising they are just about at their $70,000 goal, and an official opening ceremony is scheduled for next week.

The welcome center is a partnership between Armed Services YMCA and the Military Officers Association of America auxiliary and for one member of the MOAA it is a dream come true.

“For me, it means everything to see this come to fruition,” Rutti Cramer said.

Most of the time when you hear the words “dream come true” it’s about a personal achievement. The Military Welcome Center at the airport didn’t become a reality just because Rutti wanted it too, a lot of people have helped, but maybe this is personal, her husband Robert who has since passed, was a Vietnam War veteran.

Find a local MOAA chapter near you and get involved in your community!

Applebee’s guests and team members personalized the cards at nearly 1,900 U.S. restaurants. Applebee’s team members then delivered the cards in person to veterans at the headquarters of Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in Cold Spring, Ky.

DAV, a non-profit partner of Applebee’s, will distribute the cards to veterans and troops to ensure that each heartfelt expression of thanks is presented to a real American hero. DAV has worked to improve the lives of veterans and their families for more than 90 years and will deliver these messages of thanks through its range of programs, services and publications.

The card delivery is part of the Applebee’s Thank You Movement, an ongoing initiative to collect millions of thanks for U.S. veterans and active duty military. So far, the movement has collected more than 2.6 million thank you texts, posts and videos. Military personnel can visit www.thankyoumovement.com to see and hear the genuine thanks from the grateful nation they serve.

For more information, visit www.applebees.com and www.thankyoumovement.com.

From the press release from DOJ:

“No member of the military should come home from deployment to find their car has been towed and sold,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Neil MacBride. “Businesses should be aware of the many rights that SCRA gives to servicemembers and their families, and businesses should also be certain that we’ll work tirelessly to ensure that those rights are protected.”

This lawsuit, filed in 2008, was the first filed by the Civil Rights Division under the SCRA. The Civil Rights Division received enforcement authority under the SCRA in 2006, and has since filed suit and entered into a number of settlements with defendants ranging from local landlords to the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers.

Read the full release, “Justice Department Settles Towing Company Case Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.”