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Last Tuesday evening the Senate passed the legislation. The legislation is intended to reform the whole process that is used by veterans when appealing for their benefits.  The current system that is in operation has been keeping many veterans on the waiting list for years as they wait to get their earned disability compensation and health care. This new legislation will creates three channels that the veterans can use to appeal their claims for benefits. Sponsors of the bill described the bill as an overhaul of the system that has been operational for decade. Now the system takes six years for a veteran to appeal for their claim with the Board of Veterans' Appeals.  Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., released a prepared statement, stating that the bipartisan bill will cut the red tape that was placed by the government giving the VA the needed flexibility and resources so that they can be able to process faster and more accurate claims made by veterans. Tester and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., who are leaders of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, were the ones who sponsored the bill, while 30 senators signed on as cosponsors. The House had passed the bill, HR 2288, on the 23rd May. The Senate had on Tuesday passed the amended version, now it has to be sent back to the House so that it can be approved and then sent to President Donald Trump to sign into law. House lawmakers will be going on a month long recess and had left Washington on Friday to start the recess. In case the reforms are finally implemented then veterans will be able to appeal their claims directly with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals the other option for the veterans would be to request for a higher-level VA adjudicator to decide the claim. The veterans can also appeal -- only if they have new information – the appeal should be made to the same adjudicator who had denied their claim. The bill also has a new requirement of the VA notifying the veterans about the status of their appeals. The VA leaders said that the new system will take 18 months for it to be fully established if the bill is passed. VA Secretary David Shulkin had placed the appeals reform as one of his top priorities ever since he was confirmed by Senate in February hearing. For the past few months he has repeatedly called on the Congress to pass the legislation. As of last week Saturday, the VA’s hands were dealing with more than 350,000 pending claims for benefits, while more than 87,000 were backlogged, this meant that the VA had been waiting for a decision for more than 125 days. As the will be working through the pending and the backlogged claims, they are expecting the number of claims to be higher. Tester have described the current process used in appealing for claims as “complex, inefficient and confusing.” The Senate voting in the bill comes as the chamber is winding up pending work before they go for the mid-august recess.

Each time a veteran used to return home from the war in Vietnam, they would receive a very warm welcome. Well the situation was a little bit different for a veteran from Indiana. Last Sunday Navy Veteran Flonnie Dees who had served in the Vietnam War from 1968 to 1970 was at last given the welcome he rightfully deserved. In a statement released by Mike Wells of Veterans Appreciated Inc, it stated that Dees had not received the proper welcome for the past 47 years and at last being given the proper welcome was a closure for both him and his family. Riders from the American Legion Post 357 and NewsCenter 16's Jen Cardone came together to organize a surprise welcome to the special Vietnam vet. Wells excited about the whole surprise said that Dees will hear the welcoming bang before he can even see it and that the whole neighborhood was going to rumble. It was important that each veteran feels appreciated for their service, and they deserve to be thanked for what they did for their country. Dees on the other hand was clueless about the Sunday surprise. Dees had no idea this surprise was coming Sunday afternoon. Michael Dees, who is Dees’ son said that he was grateful that at last his father was getting the recognition he deserved. The young Dees also said that many veterans from the Vietnam War did not receive the recognition they deserved when they returned home after the War. The surprise was just a simple way of saying thank you to his dada for his service in the army. Flonnie Dees said that when they returned home, they received no recognition. But thanks to the Legion Riders that was no longer the case with Dees. All Legion riders gave Dees a hug and proper thank you. It was indeed a moving moment for the veteran. Dees was speechless for some time after he was gifted with certificate and flag for his service. Dees was happy that at last he was able to get appreciation and recognition from the Legion Riders. The whole plan had been going on for 8 months. Veterans Appreciated, Inc. organize several veteran honor ceremonies. It's a nonprofit affiliated with the American Legion Riders Post 357. Each honor costs around $200 and they carry out about half a dozen honors of veterans annually. 

PHILADELPHIA — In 2016, an Iraqi-American artist sat down with Bahjat Abdulwahed — the so-called "Walter Cronkite of Baghdad" — with the idea of launching a radio project that would be part documentary, part radio play and part variety show. Abdulwahed was the voice of Iraqi radio from the late 1950s to the early 1990s, but came to Philadelphia as a refugee in 2009 after receiving death threats from insurgents. "He represented authority and respectability in relationship to the news through many different political changes," said Elizabeth Thomas, curator of "Radio Silence," a public art piece that resulted from the meeting with Abdulwahed. Thomas had invited artist Michael Rakowitz to Philadelphia to create a project for Mural Arts Philadelphia, which has been expanding its public art reach from murals into new and innovative spaces. After nearly five years of research, Rakowitz distilled his project into a radio broadcast that would involve putting the vivacious and caramel-voiced Abdulwahed back on the air, and using Philadelphia-area Iraqi refugees and local Iraq war veterans as his field reporters. It would feature Iraqi music, remembrances of the country and vintage weather reports from a happier time in Iraq. "One of the many initial titles was "Desert Home Companion," Rakowitz said, riffing on "A Prairie Home Companion," the radio variety show created by Garrison Keillor. Rakowitz recorded an initial and very informal session with Abdulwahed in his living room in January 2016. Two weeks later, Abdulwahed collapsed. He had to have an emergency tracheostomy and was on life support until he died seven months later. At Abdulwahed's funeral, his friends urged Rakowitz to continue with the project, to show how much of the country they left behind was slipping away and to help fight cultural amnesia. Rakowitz recalibrated the project, which became "Radio Silence," a 10-part radio broadcast with each episode focusing on a synonym of silence, in homage to Abdulwahed. "The voice of Baghdad had lost his voice," Rakowitz said, calling him a "narrator of Iraq's history." It will be hosted by Rakowitz and features fragments of that first recording session with Abdulwahed, as well as interviews with his wife and other Iraqi refugees living in Philadelphia. Rakowitz and Thomas also worked with Warrior Writers, a nonprofit based in Philadelphia that helps war veterans work through their experiences using writing and art. The first episode, on speechlessness, will launch Aug. 6 is. It will be broadcast on community radio stations across the country through Prometheus Radio Project. One participant is Jawad Al Amiri, an Iraqi refugee who came to the United States in the 1980s. He said silence in Iraq has been a way of life for many decades. "Silence is a way of survival. Silence is a decree by the Baath regime, not to tell what you see in front of your eyes. Silence is synonymous with fear. If you tell, you will be put through agony," he said at a preview Tuesday of the live broadcast. He said he saw his own sister poisoned and die and wasn't allowed to speak of it. When he came to the U.S. in 1981, his father told him: "We send you here for education and to speak for the millions of Iraqis in the land where freedom of speech is practiced." Lawrence Davidson is an Army veteran who served during the Iraq War and works with Warrior Writers also contributed to the project. He said the project is a place to exchange ideas and honestly share feelings with refugees and other veterans. The project kicks off on July 29 with a live broadcast performance on Philadelphia's Independence Mall — what Rakowitz calls the symbolic home of American democracy. It will feature storytelling, food from refugees and discussions from the veterans with Warrior Writers

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States finalized their 118th National Convention. The convention was concluded with the election of Keith Harman from Delphos, Ohio, as the new national commander. Harman had served in the forces (U.S. Army) from the year 1967 to 1969, in his service he had a chance to service in Vietnam as a crew chief and door gunner on the Huey helicopters. In his acceptance speech, Harman spoke passionately of the close to 1.7 million members of VFW and its Auxiliary, he even cited the members’ camaraderie and commitment as the driving force that has helped the organization to be very successful. He praised the members for upholding the values of the organization, walking the talk and for living the fear of having any loved one downrange. He praised the VFW stand of taking care of veterans, service members and their family members. The new national commander told the crowd that he was much honored to be given a chance to lead the organization. Harman who has been a member of the organization for more than 34 years, belongs to the VFW Post 3035 based in Delphos, Ohio. In the past he served in elected and appointed positions at the Post, District and Department (state) levels, and during that time he managed to achieve All-American status during his year as the commander of the VFW Department in Ohio in 2004. Throughout his speech he constantly stressed on the importance of the organizations’ work to those it currently serves, and also praised the existing service members’ resolve and commitment. The national commander also talked the recent findings he made during a fact finding trip he made to the Southeast Asia.  Tis was the first trip he was making returning to Vietnam after he had served in the military for 49 years in the country. It was his first return to Vietnam after ending his military service there 49 years prior. He was keen to note the great dedication and commitment to America’s Full Accounting Mission of those associated with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, and reiterated the VFW’s commitment to the program. He will be leading the organization under the theme Service not Self. During his term as the national commander, Harman will have to log thousands of miles across the country and abroad in efforts to promote the veterans’ issues and also advocate for a better quality of life programs for the veterans, service members and their families. The other new officials elected were Senior Vice Commander Vincent “B.J.” Lawrence, of Alamogordo, N.M., and Junior Vice Commander William J. “Doc” Schmitz of Corning, N.Y.  

Federal legislation that is intended for extending the GI Bill benefits for veterans and their dependents was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last Tuesday morning, Guam time, Northern Mariana Islands Del. That was according to an announcement made by Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan. The bi-partisan measure, the “Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017,” will eliminate the current limit of 15-years for veterans, hence giving the veterans a chance to utilize the advantages of the education benefits that are currently offered under the GI Bill. It will also allow the veterans to use the tuition assistance offered as so long as they live. Sablan, one of the members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and also the co-sponsor of the bill, commented that he had been approached by veterans, reservists and National Guard members who reside in the CNMI, they were seeking help. Sablan said the Bill is also able to address the constituent concerns that a veteran might have. He even referred to some veterans who had successfully enrolled in academic institutions but then when the schools closed they lost their education benefits. Sablan said that the bill will give Veterans a chance to continue with their education. The bill will also offer assistance to the Post-9/11 Reservists and National Guardsmen who were unable to get any education benefits despite being on active duty. Veterans who have less than 3 years of qualifying active duty service will be awarded a 50% percent increase of the maximum total amount payable. Rodney Cruz Jr., president and founder of the Iraq-Afghanistan and Persian Gulf Veterans of the Pacific organization, released a statement saying that the bill will prove to be very helpful to many veterans in the coming years. He also said the bill would help a lot more veterans in the future. Ranking House Veterans’ Affairs member Tim Walz commented on the Bill saying it goes an extra mile in extending benefits. Walz, who is a Minnesota Democrat, said in a statement that GI Bill will make the lives of current and future generations of veterans much better as it will be able to correct the large gap in eligibility and offer new benefits without forcing the troops or the American tax payers to pay more taxes.

Daren Welker is an Iraq War veteran has for some years reared ducks which help him to relax and deal with his PTSD condition. The ducks are reared at his own compound at home in West Lafayette, Ohio. Over the years the young veteran has faced a lot of challenges and was even barred from rearing the ducks in his compound. Many veterans in the country are dealing with PTSD and many of the medical doctors handling these cases encourage any form of non-medical therapies that can help their patients deal with their conditions. Welker, who stays in Ohio, Columbus had defied the local authorities and law and had kept pet ducks. His argument was that the ducks were helping him deal with his post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Welker woes seem to have ended at last. West Lafayette Village Council members had voted on Tuesday, July 18, 2017, to grant a variance which allows Welker to keep pet ducks. The ducks he says play a very important role in helping him relieve his post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. This was according to a news report that was released by the Coshocton Tribune. The Coshocton Tribune reported that the West Lafayette Village Council earlier this week had granted Darin Welker a variance to an ordinance that prohibited farm animals in the village, which is about 80 miles (128 kilometers) the east of Columbus. Welker, who had been convicted in 2014 of a misdemeanor for violating the ban on farm animals, still kept his ducks despite everything. A state appeal was issued and the court later upheld his conviction, however the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal. Welker argued in court that indeed his six ducks have been therapeutic. Welker, who had served in Iraq with the Army and was medically discharged from the Ohio National Guard.  According to a statement released by his doctors, the ducks were found to have indeed helped the veteran to deal with his condition. When asked about the recent decision made by the council, Welker declined to comment on the decision.  

The anticipated federal funding cuts will force the housing for veterans who are homeless at the two of Wisconsin's three veterans' homes by the end of the year. This is according to a statement released by the officials. Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Daniel Zimmerman wrote a letter to the veteran advocacy groups earlier last week warning them of the changes. The Wisconsin American Legion also sent the letter to several news outlets on Thursday. The letter stated that the federal funding has been removed for the Veteran Housing and Recovery Programs at King and Union Grove, which is scheduled to end in the month of September. However the funding for the program at the Chippewa Falls veterans' home will still be continued but  on a conditional basis. The letter offered no explanation as to why this is so and why the changes are being implemented. Zimmerman stated in the letter that the WDVA will still continue to provide funds for the programs up to December if need arises, however, it will not be feasible for them to use state money beyond the month of December. Still, this was also not explained. Due to this, King and Union Grove has issued a statement that it will no longer be accepting new homeless vets and will immediately start transitioning the 19 vets in the King program and the 28 in the Union Grove program to new housing. This will be done with help from veteran advocacy groups and other nonprofit partners. Zimmerman said in an effort to offer compensation for the loss of the programs, his department will focus on expanding the Veterans Outreach and Recovery Program from 49 to 65 counties. Under the new program, case managers will be tasked with finding stable housing, food, clothing, furniture and other amenities for the homeless veterans.  The Wisconsin American Legion had issued a news release asking the legislators to save the Union Grove and King housing programs. The chapter's commander, Laurel Clewell, described the WDVA's plan to help the soon-to-be-displaced veterans a "half-baked" plan. He commented that the solution to the problem is not making the veterans homeless. WDVA spokeswoman Carla Vigue wrote an email stating that the agency was shocked to hear about the funding cut and has not received any official explanation yet from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs despite several inquiries being made.

A disabled Navy veteran from the South of Philadelphia will be moving into a new state and a new home. A home, he has never seen until last Monday. The house which is located in Mullica Hill has been technologically equipped with 40 features which are meant to assist Timothy Birckhead in a rare medical condition that made him leave the military service. The ABC Network Television filmed the whole event and the hosts from their TV show “The View” were present to greet Birckhead and also interview him. The national nonprofit organization Homes for Our Troops (HFOT) awarded the specially equipped custom home to Birckhead. The organization has done the same for other seriously injured and medically disabled veterans since 2004. Birckhead who is currently bound to a wheelchair was very grateful and said that at last he has the opportunity to do many things even take a shower on his own. The 34-year-old U.S. Navy veteran suffers from hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP). This condition is medically known to affect the sensory and motor nerves in the limbs. Just a few days before the reveal Birckhead admitted to the Courier-Post that he felt like a waiting for Christmas. Birckhead had been given the freedom to pick anywhere in the United States to live, however, he opted for Mullica Hill because the area has open spaces. Birckhead had been living with his mother Gloria and brother Walter in the South of Philadelphia in their row home. Birckhead's mother who is a retired Philadelphia school teacher, plans to move to the Mullica Hill home so that she can take care for her son. Birckhead currently needs assistance in doing every basic thing and he is considered to be 100 percent disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Birckhead has a 12-year-old daughter who lives with her mother. The new home has widened doorways and the hallways are spacious enough for wheelchair access. The shower has a roll while the kitchen has amenities like the pull-down shelving and the lowered countertops, making it easier for him to reach things. Contributions made by donors, corporate partners and in-kind supporters made it possible for the housing agency to build a dream home for Birckhead. While Home Depot did the furnishing of the house. Kristi Galanek, who is the HFOT spokeswoman said that they are glad that they could award Timothy, with his new home. The special adaptations of the new home will make the daily living situation easier for Birckhead, hence giving him more time to spend with his family and also pursue his goals  

Zachary Hearn, who is the deputy director of claims for The American Legion’s National Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Division, had testified on the VA's processing of Gulf War Illness claims during a joint hearing that took place on Capitol Hill on the 13th of July. Hearn said that the Gulf War Illness claims are very complicated.  Many veterans are forced to tread on murky waters so that they can access service connection for many Gulf War-related, undiagnosed illnesses. While the undiagnosed illness is what exactly sounds – a collection of symptoms which cannot be medically explained and defined. Veterans who often seek treatment for these symptoms, have to undergo treatment for many years, and will probably have multiple diagnoses before the VA acknowledge that the symptoms are very related to the undiagnosed illness. This whole scenario is very frustrating for veterans and was confirmed by a recent (U.S. Government Accountability Office) GAO report. The VA department on the other hand has overwhelmingly denied the allegations. Although the VA had previously acknowledged the continuous frustration associated with the Gulf War Illness, Hearn noted that the recent GAO report showed that only about 10 percent of VA’s medical examiners had successfully completed an optional course which is related to the Gulf War Illness. The many examinations are currently being done by the private-sector contractors. It’s a great concern if the VA has not been providing mandatory training to its staff regarding Gulf War Illness, then what are the requirements, which are being used to gauge the effectiveness of the contracted examiners? Currently the American Legion has more than 3,000 accredited service officers who are located throughout the nation. Hearn praised the dedicated individuals and described them as the lifeblood for staff in Washington. The service officers provide necessary feedback regarding issues our veterans face regularly. The recently released GAO report and the findings made by the Legion’s findings, paint what can be described as a bleak picture of the development and adjudication of Gulf War-related claims. According to Hearn most of the medical providers are given optional training, out of the total number only 10 percent do participate. Apart from that the Veterans Benefits Administration personnel have been complaining over the years of lack of enough training on the Gulf War Illness. Hearn noted that indeed it’s very clear that it’s very crucial for improvements to be made ASAP. He also said that the American Legion is more than willing and ready to help the VA department in working toward achieving these goals.        

During several award ceremonies that are to be held across the country in the month July, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) intends on honoring the exemplary facilities, the employees and the civilian providers working to address Veteran homelessness.   This is a new move, different from the usual looking for those who are not delivering, more like always looking for the bad and never appreciating the good. In a statement that was released by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs David J. Shulkin, earlier this week, the strong VA community has made tremendous efforts in dealing with the Veteran homelessness. So far the success of the projects has been supported the hard work, innovation and dedication of thousands of VA employees and civilian partners.  The Secretary’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Service for Homeless Veterans appreciated the top achievers in the following three categories: The VA Employees Julie E. Irwin, Homeless Care line manager, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 2 (Bronx, N.Y.) Michael Wehrer, supervisor, Homeless Care Team, Erie VA Medical Center (Erie, Penn.) Kristen Weese, program manager, Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program, Western New York Health Care System (Buffalo, N.Y.) The VA Organizations Domiciliary Service — VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, Calif. Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program, New Orleans Albany Stratton VA Medical Center, Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program, Albany. The Community Organizations John E. Ratka, executive director, Veterans Northeast Outreach Center, Haverhill, Mass. Family Endeavors, Fayetteville, N.C. Ivory Mathews, executive director, The Greenville Housing Authority, Greenville, N.C. Team AMVETS, Garden Grove, Calif. Project Community Connections, Inc., Atlanta Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program, Richmond, Va.