Your Average Vet is Not a Whacko Rambo

By Bob Brewin | Nextgov.com |

But, to read the coverage of the killing of Ranger Margaret Anderson on Jan. 1 at Mt. Rainier National Park by Benjamin Colton Barnes, a 24 year-old Army Iraq veteran, you would think every Afghanistan or Iraq war veteran was an emotional powder keg ready to explode in a murderous rage.

Alex Horton, an Army Iraq veteran, torpedoes this ill-informed coverage in a post on the Veteran Affairs Department's VAntage Point official blog titled "The Mt. Rainier Shooting and PTSD: How the Media Got It Wrong."

Horton did some good reporting in this piece, and points out that Barnes served his Iraq tour in a headquarters communications company and did not receive a Combat Action Badge "indicating he probably never came under fire in Iraq."

So much for the PTSD-crazed combat vet theory.

Horton took particular exception to reporting by M. Alex Johnson at MSNBC, who linked Barnes' rage to conditions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash. Johnson described that base as "the most troubled base in the entire U.S. military, with multiple criminal and military investigations under way into troops' behavior and the quality of the medical and mental health care for service members returning from the war."

Horton, who served his entire Army tour with units stationed at that base commented in his blog:

"I was based at JBLM my entire Army enlistment. And I know dozens of those just like me -- representing a larger sample than that from which Johnson and his cohorts seemed to draw. All of us are men and most of us are between 25 and 35 years old, like Barnes. And many of us dealt with the residual effects of combat trauma, like hyper-vigilance, an inconveniently short temper, and substance abuse. As far as I know, none are guilty of murder or any violent crimes."

Horton concluded, "Unless evil spirits inhabit the base, I see no connection between that facility and the murderous tendency of one of its former dwellers."

Amen, Alex.

The ill-informed reporting on Barnes is déjà vu for me. When I came back from service in the Marines in Vietnam, I confronted the same kind of media sterotyping of vets.

Let's call a halt to this practice -- immediately.

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.

REMINDER: All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls…AND YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222.

It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years, beginning 31 days after you have registered.

You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON .. It takes about 20 seconds.

After you have registered and have been on the list for 31 days, you may file complaints regarding violations of the do not call registry by visiting www.donotcall.gov

Rules Liberalized for Veterans with Undiagnosed Illnesses Application Window Extended for Five Years

WASHINGTON – Veterans of the Persian Gulf War with undiagnosed illnesses have an additional five years to qualify for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Not all the wounds of war are fully understood,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “When there is uncertainty about the connection between a medical problem and military service, Veterans are entitled to the benefit of the doubt.”

A recent change in VA regulations affects Veterans of the conflict in Southwest Asia. Many have attributed a range of undiagnosed or poorly understood medical problems to their military services. Chemical weapons, environmental hazards and vaccinations are among the possible causes.

At issue is the eligibility of Veterans to claim VA disability compensation based upon those undiagnosed illnesses, and the ability of survivors to qualify for VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

Under long-standing VA rules, any undiagnosed illnesses used to establish eligibility for VA benefits must become apparent by Dec. 31, 2011. The new change pushes the date back to Dec. 31, 2016.

Veterans or survivors who believe they qualify for these benefits should contact VA at 1-800-827-1000. Further information about undiagnosed illnesses is available online at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar and www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/oefoif/index.asp

Sam's Club Military Appreciation Day

Attention all Military Personnel:

You are cordially invited to attend a special open house event hosted by your local Sam's club

Please join us:
Date: Saturday, January 14, 2012
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Place: Your local Sam's Club

Not a member? Not a problem. we have a special offer for Military Personnel. Active and Retired. See a associate

Marquette County Veterans Service Office Monthly Newsletter - January 2012

Roll Call

Free Session on Starting Your Own Business – Jan. 12, 2012

There will be a free session on the challenges of starting your own business and how the FastTrac® programs offered by the UW Oshkosh College of Business can help you overcome them on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012, from 6 to 8 p.m. The session will be held in Room 1346 at the University of Wisconsin Fox Valley campus in Menasha.

FastTrac® NewVenture™ is designed for those who are thinking about starting a business or have recently started one, and need to develop a detailed business plan. TechVenture™ is focused on the needs of people who are thinking of launching new products or services, and will need investor financing. Both programs will be offered at University of Wisconsin Fox Valley beginning later this month.

Pre-registration for the free session is requested but not required. To register, contact Bob O’Donnell at (920) 424-1456 or e-mail odonnelr@uwosh.edu. For more details, go to www.uwosh.edu/sbdc and click on “Entrepreneurship Education.”

Military Retirees: Don’t Forget

Walgreens will no longer fill your TRICARE prescriptions after January 1st, 2012.Link

Military Retirees: How 13 Payments in 2011 May Affect Your Taxes

Your 1099R tax statement includes 13 payments for 2011. This isn’t a mistake. The pay schedule for retirees was adjusted in mid-2011 to comply with the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act.

Military retired pay is now processed on the first day of the month. When that day falls on a weekend or national holiday, the pay date is moved to the previous business day. This means your payment normally scheduled for Jan. 3, 2012 was issued Dec. 30, 2011.

As a result of the second payment in December, you received a total of 13 pay checks instead of the normal 12 in the 2011 tax year, which may increase your tax liability.

Please contact your tax advisor or the IRS with questions on this subject. Our Customer Service Representatives cannot provide tax advice.

Because Jan. 1 is always a federal holiday, going forward you’ll always receive your January pay the previous December. So in 2012 and beyond, you will receive the normal 12 pay checks.

The following entitlements are affected by this change: