allan

Not Just Malingering: Psychological Syndromes In Brain Injury Litigation http://www.doereport.com/article_malingering.php

News: Study Sees Discrepancies in VA Care for Men, Women Posted on June 14, 2008 by editor Health care for female military veterans lags behind the care offered to male vets at many VA facilities by Kimberly HeflingWASHINGTON (AP) — Health care for female military veterans lags behind the care offered to male vets at many VA facilities, an internal agency report says, even as women are serving on front lines at historic levels. There are clear needs for more physicians trained in women's care and more equipment to meet women's health needs, said Friday's review by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It did add that strides are being made, such as creating onsite mammography services and establishing women's clinics at most VA medical centers. The department also is attempting to recruit more clinicians with training in women's care. For now, female veterans aren't getting the same quality of outpatient care as men in about one-third of the VA's 139 facilities that offer it, the report said. That appeared to validate the complaints of advocates and some members of Congress who have said more emphasis needs to be placed on women's health... Women make up about 5 percent of the VA's population, but that is expected to nearly double in the next two years. Paul Rieckhoff, founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said women veterans have complained about the lack of women's restrooms and private changing areas in some VA centers. Others have complained about the scarcity of women-only group counseling options. "There's a definite feeling of isolation," Rieckhoff said. "There's a definite feeling that they're a minority and that big Army and big VA are still trying to understand their issues." Any discrepancies in care are unacceptable and the agency is aggressively addressing the issue, said Dr. William E. Duncan, associate deputy undersecretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs. "We're striving to understand the reason for these health disparities and to eliminate differences in veterans health care based on personal characteristics," Duncan said. Delphine Metcalf-Foster, 65, an Army veteran from the Persian Gulf War, still laughs when she recalls the first day she stepped into a VA waiting room in 1991 and the physician called out for "Mr. Metcalf." "I knew he was talking about me, but I wouldn't move," said Metcalf-Foster, a member of the nonprofit Disabled American Veterans in Vallejo, Calif. "Of course, they weren't used to women there." Despite that, Metcalf-Foster said, she thinks the VA has listened to the concerns of women like her, and has adapted as more women have sought care. Silva Royer, 64, a Vietnam-era veteran who volunteers at the VA center in Biloxi, Miss., said she would like to see the VA reach out to more women veterans and encourage them to take advantage of the health care — particularly mental health help — to which they are entitled. "I still think they still look at the VA as, that's where my grandpa went," Royer said. Overall, women make up about 14 percent of the U.S. Armed Forces. Of the 1.7 million troops who have deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, more than 190,000 — or about 11 percent — are women. The VA's review noted that other studies have found better surgical outcomes and decreased mortality for women at VA hospitals compared to women who receive care under the Medicare Advantage Program or under private care. And, performance of breast and cervical cancer screening exceeds that of commercial and some government plans. Data were not available to compare the inpatient quality of care between men and women. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who is on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement that the findings confirm what she has been hearing from women veterans for years. She encouraged passage of legislation that would, among other things, force the agency to do comprehensive studies of women veterans' care and conduct a pilot program providing child care for veterans seeking mental health care. Among the other findings of new report: Older and younger veterans appear to be receiving the same quality of care; About 86 percent of homeless veterans seen by VA received primary care, mental health care and/or substance abuse services; About 98 percent of appointments were completed within 30 days in primary care clinics and about 97 percent were completed during that period at specialty clinics; Overall quality of care appears to be good when reviewed using commonly accepted health care benchmarks; Minority veterans surveyed were generally less satisfied with inpatient and outpatient care than white veterans, but it wasn't clear if the quality of care offered was different. A more comprehensive study of care for minority veterans is expected to be complete this summer. http://www.veteranstoday.com/modules.php?n...le&sid=3103

Veterans Today Network [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPci_hzRivNrksnk8kDd7BcOmgo_tgfbuDU7Ss6yIqJ_NmQnPwYH6JawZJiK7CmhY8d-QU9DEKlAF10Mr8HN9HvbRpRNYMNdA0DorR6WHLU98bA==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vol. 5.2 June 22, 2008 Headlines Swift Boated Pickens GI Bill News Used and Abused Top Rated Stories ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jobs for Veterans Security Clearances Who, What, Why, When - Get all the Answers Any person who has worked or will work for an organization that requires access to restricted information more than likely has or will need a security clearance. The largest source of individuals with security clearances is the military population. Once this group finishes their military career, the majority pack up their uniform and security clearance to look for a civilian job. There are over 200,000 military personnel transitioning out of the service each year. These separating military members look for employment in fields such as the commercial defense-related fields where they can utilize their expert military training and technical skills. In addition, these jobs generally require background checks due to the sensitive nature of the materials the individual handles on a daily basis - this is where the former military member's clearance becomes a valuable commodity. Read Full Story [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcj0ThMnW48DvhMdZt6x7zVklR34wNzOdsCJQYN9adDIVgU_iGOY5CNkcdmyseo7apO 3Iw5I1PkGkkAOtw3jeizLjMCeIdq3P9XRXlb3id8Ky-zhtG3cOr-rz7PBNWbQmzrhFDGy21J6UE5wi9npZVPaDc1fCiPWgpJzV70-pYHlEapPynIqe_9S] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Job Services Get Military Resume [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPchNnx879Kq__3WHiCuCWnbu4cYtMKT7RtO2HmKzxLbhbdQ3jBDiOQhRSvUR33TT-1tb09xyDu9JfatUkqLRkMhIPRBPpjG1kZpZuv_fU1eio8UqUiylELAfrLroJa5Mb7iPUAUfl7jB4XVgE jO1Wko7HRsZ-G_kmo6GjqPD-xawp03sYQP8k-YC] Shop Online at VeteransToday.com [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcgibfs0zjwzT9Vk_46QYubPA5U50nnAOH5aSUV5eBlYL_6WYZlNHiT8nVEvpBuHai8 QjbvT37ik7SqUbSmA9dtDx7ZUdRz1mDBV6lktgT3yZeTZJfahg4YOJdcZquRQbEdkUfh0bovCfA==] Shop Online Now [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcjcxOQtiuZziNH032I7T3u6b1Rkk4AFXxMtPk1Hrvm-LNrpzqwuhJCuj8bKBG8gAH40c1xG9Rh1sNqtgY0JnpXcnAbEqy2nMiU85kaAhCeaDPvpg41q_IQsOERI wiQ7JUMP9MFT6hWOCA==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Featured Stuff Two Wars by Nate Self [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcjycaUsktHtdU_VkMf42_NidRGuvN4ksqz8JWA0GckJlNhCkBUY09DJehb1EKNTrQk HNRQfWJuqh5f6Znx1nSrCaGNcebiu7e5m0L-X0_kAm15KpkkqeTU2lbR9gj8ONeA=] The Veterans Business Directory [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPciXiQ2UGsyUQfGyq7f1vTJ1eWgtauPShgGbP3457giRGnb7QR3zV-E7ZNdgW-e5vhpEifAQtn2buQsgP28dzkeR6mvIo4T9ssuWmMfYofxjRKL4axred26Dr4KN9eQAC-A=] It's for businesses and organizations that support Veterans. So check it out. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Newsletter Signup [http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101630135805] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PICKENS AND "SWIFTIES" ACCUSED OF ATTACKING ALL VETS Pickens Fails to Pay Kerry's Crew for Proving Him a Liar Vets Back Kerry - Time to "Pay Up" or Get Out by G. Duff The idea that a president who had dodged the draft during wartime would attack veterans who served by having billionaire's pay vets to lie for him should be unthinkable. It is not. At the time, with the "fright parade" of lies and propaganda telling us that we weren't safe in our beds running fulltime, Bush Administration lies about Iraq and the need to discard the constitution were taken seriously by many, including too many cowardly Democrats. Read Full Story [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcha_i350zwFt4ed2WAgFWQYupDunoVx0Nbmxx8pts9jWtC9LVaGL7KdPBly7BWNMZp l40L9pzHFMZ9s9esSuNJhiDfXHiM57Hm0op_G8j8evZ_tzl2N-b4UvJ8YmUzYbxGk-OL8rat2cfu59wwOPuMVOKXqqitBXzj5fI2M4SlgiH4Y5BMb50gE] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Victory for Veterans: Bush Changes Course, Lifts Veto Threat on GI Bill GI BILL MAJOR VICTORY FOR VETERANS For anyone following the fight for a new GI Bill, progress seemed to slow to a crawl recently. After the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the veterans' education benefit as a part of the war funding supplemental, reconciling their two versions of the legislation faced serious and unexpected roadblocks. And even if Congress got the GI Bill to the president, the threat of a Bush veto was always looming. Read Full Story [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPci1Dn0N_l7z3zVu2rAlEQh0s8LnLWRkA---fYZG5ZgOD2Syz6kSQ8sdV05Qy8LOWCEQCOXmaPIzK6PkS7AUv4Tm4Q8SpLImoeZ4MIn4hUsj_7wWQVZ8 mLRE_QNRLg-X3YGnLb5BnzgpAgaTv1jRmakskrMoDV8ipK7g55bkBZjXNG7ygaOvHV4B] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Disposable Heroes': Veterans Used To Test Suicide-Linked Drugs An Investigation Reveals Veterans Are Being Recruited for Government Tests on Drugs with Violent Side Effects Mentally distressed veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are being recruited for government tests on pharmaceutical drugs linked to suicide and other violent side effects, an investigation by ABC News and The Washington Times has found. Read Full Story [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcheK_KlienwMyATVjkq9qb3jorisbq4qrtWinse5OIw77gVGC6qrqB0VWYbCI855TG eNsF70bGUbbZ_Ggd1YUjqTOYUerHWme53grbU4gB5dCOOyAYEntLf0Y7Y0m6jOVuUGcECW6I7zyqOdeW c QII7H20IHjXiTvP5-RgN8f4ZZbrTukwzi-HP] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Top Rated Stories This Week * Will Vietnam Veterans Awaken America? [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcjC0yKPspWjJ-e1rGhtslNwvYNmfvvV9uZH5ti2yu_TQgtjOSU6tOHlIGY-mGsH1wOIO5IQ_KgrT8pno7vlT0JQpgkWVhYAvvgCkXdLNX6Bu7MZLSYJ7za4NAGT1qojHAmGl_KcGidQ TSx0zT-H3JHCwLcfXcrEfXnoALMriIu7h_HMUJvoajF0] * Veterans Ask for Health Care Advance [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcjQtEv_y2Sxx0XHgyHmREt8it-MDLKJFVbY7XfUsp4dPnB7MM8zVXzDSljWQdFNy1bvwBOgekwM4isJBYDei9Fc4xoUu3q1uI4rXLK58Zt tV8O72XANLl4YrmoPUmLWX-oRegjYpfcs3kapc0REJqL6F0HnH_AZVclPgH6EJI92Tt1UP1ckH9YF] * Gitmo Prisoners Win One Against Bush [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcigrKcGAXRBk5Ha-AbZvwLnQ9Dz_zQ9HZ-fiYzxwrURerplRO2r8LKeaQyoRn9jjKzuEPflmPVdqjWA_eUzBrx4ZRqqurJ3Xx43UJxX6v6dV2CkGdm l80JJl4-7uTKUzG15w_cmZu10gbTbRbPvAJy-ZoUVUh0MBpvdHedu60CNpiwOl_5n2L0a] * George Lucas to Make Tuskegee Airmen Movie [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcikpT2slpEv2uSv_5gbrtv0Vvemd1M9uNgw05Q480KHMG3LG0EXr1jYNAzfXf9a-7GKO14oTKnsyLqXKx_nZdsll2Vpo5QGbyA9oN4jETjhtFBFPLJwB5B24rgu_Ijzd6NPnH9p8VWdM0AjN OJD55FrOzXhX-xgzKguXhjEzhwQNICgIDRgytAg] * Remembering Vietnam War General Westmoreland: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcg0zi16LMNbvkQWdxnmwmC9few0Do-OJXRv4xXYesmBPtTfiHVjxu8PofN0DPHdI8VnR2EeoeAA0a0izh9imXU3ngSzLvXKD2tUyfABCP4VS5q oMKHcMQrytApJOpSsAS7ubanmOgfEflzBb8uaZi1ynTbbx-qvhBYGavkWdSy7Jj8jGVIN7zLs] ------------------------------------------------------------ [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcjmDKxmaI8Ibe9Y3aNornGEXelGRCG5bj93Pxm_kDDvZBh4Urlwu-oobtEv6atmpEsOIny8q156vrp4KtCz379ecgN4c7-2IeFQ0DRlSeV2DS6b5a9O0N_7ETgv6PVyVhyuHukQ7JckLEkp4ZJRwtO-anVqLTktxLAEzzPDPCnmIzssTUbArDfb] View List of Staff Writers [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcj7ZGTUCSpwxGDx7dXItzxvY-Qx1cq3BxxiVxpjUvrPcaAvE2hrQ9caAiIkoMY2eNmQq2t9xRJReb18kR0S0ynUji-47GitfuLIXaj1a3tMSV8xxt0xw0xwsEjrTCmiLzuQgDsbtRnkOKZyhoXko06n] - Become a Staff Writer [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcivoctCFLhO3jL9dLhYxNZ7Sas5yteKfcMuHcn73exeK4YrVlA_dG1ulHwDGwpSUmp BZxOBwS0fRAUc-yNwDvtyICVqhvRx4D3E1TwHHOX6tsLcMbpJGU9xwPQYPB3Rjjs=] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Apply for VA Home Loans [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPchws5KajV2WqOjespQkKy0InT0tMA1enD5UT60WG4G3YVoOKEPa1BEZGEBo57MXenm gWtYhQBaocZHkvjolzei-6f0JULuHUS0LJq8lGd5KLw==] Get a $ 500 to $ 10,000 military loan now! [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPchYAfvwvdJnymzLih-84Eu2fOpuMlKpdk9_N-2dAjPODQpCaW2ijpcvF8kCs1kawvMzVcWVkYXes464ZNQkxV2i-LY6A0IxaO9Pr9DMDZyDlaIsSk_hevusGw5VrtH49zcHQe3g2YXL960v__DKXZj8vqQXbWIY6ZzuHu6UV 3hkQ23ke4NnRDoAkmhTd4DWM44=] Find Your Military Mate at VeteransMatch.com [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcjx8tt6vsmNqdeUoPzUPC35JTE_9SsgBPTCb95aRKE7wcRtJgLDbQdA-GN7mY071keoLgAkigzVL9UbVCc2513t96B1JyAGTm4OCRGwUWfzXA==] HireVeterans.com [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPchbMBpaJ4s23jP4w8dNzIPdFw7j0InQqSPFyf8u8VzexSpTSrgSAITv9oGH7QO5ZPG 2-FqvF_DYvKGMd7JDFW7MHRVBHUASfG9W1SxyhcLLiA==] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our Network Sites VT Network [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcis0ymOytMy9HbLmhxF-JWV8BW_hCv8dmV3MOy1zPyN19sY-OgxHLIboUuzeZWgSfllyOs_DvyPxWD_nU7CyrkZAaJ8y_YOPJC_xj6TjWIRqDFRFkaCEMtf] Veterans Today [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPci_hzRivNrksnk8kDd7BcOmgo_tgfbuDU7Ss6yIqJ_NmQnPwYH6JawZJiK7CmhY8d-QU9DEKlAF10Mr8HN9HvbRpRNYMNdA0DorR6WHLU98bA==] Hire Veterans [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPchbMBpaJ4s23jP4w8dNzIPdFw7j0InQqSPFyf8u8VzexSpTSrgSAITv9oGH7QO5ZPG 2-FqvF_DYvKGMd7JDFW7MHRVBHUASfG9W1SxyhcLLiA==] Veterans Match [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcjx8tt6vsmNqdeUoPzUPC35JTE_9SsgBPTCb95aRKE7wcRtJgLDbQdA-GN7mY071keoLgAkigzVL9UbVCc2513t96B1JyAGTm4OCRGwUWfzXA==] Employers 4 Veterans [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPchAP9zgJjfdcrgkKE6qvCoQtLzUoqEbB_WtPkHn9HYJnyEVm2fqib9tfDQChRK5u69 3GJnBmrsvoOB0SpYAZMQMnpH5YHWTcHvMjrZ_0yagHcGpomA8hGSk] VT Network Blog [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPchiLRd9A3jA3oQgnXsEyopm0K2cSq83mXVap7GnnSvxOZ5yWkR1vnxKv5j5faMdcat Zg1DwsDA2VeAgbSrDwB_BLJ1CnZ0I_TP0nYwtyU7cdsSimbTaYn_W1T1BXKQmePY=] VT @ MySpace [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcike2cOMoScsXpu5vhGIFTZ-6lzzNtUjIc5WG1mA548OvXBJKgESVECZQuJzdA2N19DzVA8_fjzBzZA--YxEFhCRvDnXAon0EURazQapSOAwWyOgCtUwDBP] Direct VA Loan [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcggoR4wMf787dLm8IxWS1eU4tZfVTRLeZ7yH-6NfuQQ0pVmI5pbJfXmvsOph3YeXPJEJiWP_jHa5Qn2fy3xtmWQWtv356n03vw8TfdZTU4s0Q==] The Veterans Business Directory [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPchH-vviNcVTfJV8i8VYPsrpmmeRkjTZatAEVH9KClNsP6wSi3aVyQ7MpK6kPMA8_5Ds-3SkrIzI8-9hSFzLCBFTobcNkz5b120fjjNS8IhHfJu-MhK1z_5tevU62UfPx7E=] Yahoo! Toolbar [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPciuxGZvL1b5PHLcFGXEOFbvVl5xMzlvKZkG-fgwFZpd7wt-zCnKQw0HfqmCDaHfR-ZtTsFeZk6vIwD1U8kXVb-bXrr7aqEv_PuJMclvdaRJGfpMKrtQYSEyK65kD9Mmna0=] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Get your DD-214 [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001s1CibtfDPcgN_kcXjlmbFwsQv4lrQ8QvgPa8sEFpr40NuajCIALW3PJLJ7jbAzyWXqtbHhOQoyZ XXCK9cTJsv0ZUH4Uw_kMNqFNFlZ5AA-rUQcfZygvrXEqaF8EvdnMkqaWlygVZXAVKiNjbSw6TZcVNJ_744JiKgJx-CfcPQeenzF2md_rSC7tTIKAl88Pp]

Recent IOM meeting in San Antonio update on Parkinson's http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/C...inson's.htm IOM meeting in San Antonio update on Parkinson’s Kelley, Just an update, The presentation to IOM went better than I would have every guessed. We presented for a little over an hour on the Parkinson's issue. But first let me tell you this. This Dr Michalek who was one of the main people involved with the Air Force Ranch Hand Study, was a drop in, he gave a quick talk and then took questions. I ask him about the study group and the control group. "I understand that the study group for the ARHS was the Air Force Personnel involved in the spray operation of Agent Orange in Vietnam, and that the control group was other Air Force personnel not in the spray operation but also stationed in South East Asia." He responded yes and gave a short explanation. I then ask him if he found it problematic that the study group was exposed in the spray operation and that the control group was also exposed. That set off an admission that it was a problem and he wish they had used a different control and for the next few minutes he discredited the study based on this. So we got an admission in front of the study group that the study was flawed. I was able to expound on that as I gave my presentation and even modified my presentation to fit the situation. I told the Committee that it would help if they pointed out the fact of the flaws in their report. We got every thing we wanted to present presented and got a process to send more of our research to the group as we do it. Take care and thank for the information you are putting out. We will be back on the political warpath soon. Alan To All, I wish I would have been there because my questions regarding this issue of flawed government study, and that is in the context of this asinine peer reviewed study requirement, would have been two fold. Does the IOM consider the Ranch Hand Study peer reviewed either as a whole or by medical functions? If so then what could does a peer review do if this study can be so flawed as to miss the simplest of cancer associations much less the underlying sub-clinical persistent issues of dioxin that have effects over life in many many other issues outside of a cancer. If they do not consider the Ranch Hand Study peer reviewed than how is it they, the IOM, use this study to override other studies with statements such as …”we reviewed many studies but primarily used the results of Ranch Hand study….” Of course in every case this statement was used to deny the associations found in other studies associated to dioxin exposures. A corrupted gold standard that Congress refuses to do anything about even though 160 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent and Veterans waited 25 years while dying and becoming disabled. A study used as a denial tool for the Veteran and family. (More on this later as I finish my Executive Branch abuses in these issues that reaches the top of the White House and what Congress has known all along.) A taxpayer funded study according to Congress, funded and designed to generate significant scientific data and analysis to be used by the VA and others in making “health care and compensation decisions” regarding Vietnam Veterans (which should have been all DoD exposed herbicide Veterans from 1962 to1975). A taxpayer funded study where Government interference in government-sponsored studies associated with “Agent Orange” has been the norm, not the exception (which should have been herbicides (plural) not a single isomer). (More on this later as I finish my Executive Branch abuses in these issues that reaches the top of the White House and what Congress has known all along.) For those of you that do not realize what has happened just in the single flawed assumptions of exposures let me give some examples. This would be like a pharmaceutical company running a clinical trial on a new medication, and you found out some of the people who were in your comparison group were actually taking medications. That would spoil your whole study and all associated statistics, Odds Ratios, and all confidence. In other words, the study would be spoiled as if it never happened. That is what Ranch Hand has done in many venues not just in flawed assumptions of exposure status. That is not to say the data is not there at some level but it needs to be revaluated the correct way using the correct methodology. Another example: A two-story building has some contaminate in it that is making people sick. A government-controlled study comes in and compares floor 1 to floor 2 and finds that many are getting sick on both floors. The result is a government study is then published that says there was little difference in floor one and floor two, therefore there is no increase in sickness that can be found. No comparison to the same two story building next door with no contaminate was ever done to evaluate any kind of increase in mortality or morbidity or increase risk of incidence. The conclusion…there is nothing wrong with the building with the known contaminant hazard. Nice touch but certainly not factual in empirical data comparisons… provided it is even done. Another example: More along my line of former work: Given you are having microcircuit failures in both hard failures and degrading of performance. It is established that during one part of the “A” assembly process contaminates are being introduced that can be sub clinical in diagnosis, yet the failure is starting and is time dependant plus other factors before manifestation in hard failure or degradation of system performance manifests to where a testing anomaly is uncovered. At the same time we find in another step of the process of assembly, the “B process” the same and/or different contaminates is being introduced into the now sealed microcircuit. If we compare the failures in the “A” assembly process to the failures in “B assembly process with the known contaminants but not knowing how much of what is each contaminate; do we then just compare the two process of A + B and then go report we have no failure increases at all, since they are all similar. If I did that I would have been fired immediately. That is basically what has happened to our gold standard study yet no one is even held accountable nor is our government or contracted entities interested in getting at the full disclosure of facts. Yet, this is very similar in the tremendous outcomes of dioxin in the damaged biological process similar to which section of the microcircuit is contaminated affected and which set/sets of the millions of transistors (cells) are affected will determine the outcome of the failure or testing anomaly. The outcomes in anomalies other than an eventual catastrophic failure event in some cases as an end result are almost incalculable. Then add in the unknowns: How much of what contaminate is required? Does it cause intermittent failures or systemic issues? Does it require outside source influence for manifestation? Where and how was it deposited or ingested? Does it only affect the weak sisters on the dice or health at time at contaminates ingestion? Is one single contaminant causing all failures? Is there any one combination of the contaminants causing the failures? Two combinations? Do we have different contaminants causing different failures? Is this split 80/20 for example to where the one contaminant may have impacts but the separate contaminent only creates 20% of the failures which gets lost in the analysis and may be very limited specific failures? The dioxin, TCDD being only one of the toxic isomers with many others involved. While it is true that the dioxin, TCDD seems to the worst of all the isomers the 20% created by other combinations gets totally lost in the analysis if you are only specifically testing for the dioxin, TCDD. It makes no sense with the known increased levels of toxicity on behalf of our own government and the known levels outside of manufacturing recommendations at to dose rate per acre. Especially when one reads the EPA warnings on the other known toxic chemicals we know were part of the rainbow of herbicides and what they can cause years later after exposures. If a Veteran is wounded by a bullet or shrapnel in Vietnam, while the bullet or shrapnel is removed the damage is obvious; the cause is known. The chemical bullet may not even be there at the time of manifestation since different chemicals have different rates of expulsion and different forms of affinity to cells. Yet, the chemical bullet set off the persistent damages long before it was expelled with no measurable residue of even being exposed decades later other than a known military combat service in a DoD created toxic chemicals (plural) environment. You see, if you corrupt the study enough, none of these issues are answered and the study becomes nothing but a denial tool that the contaminants did nothing to create the failures. (Much less the synergy (amplification) effect of multiple contaminants.) Failure of Ranch Hand to select the correct comparison group as well as the Army Chemical Corps Study (even though it was specifically recommended to do so) is just a tip of the iceberg of what has gone on with the interference of the government itself in many other areas. Congress's inaction regarding these studies and it’s doing little, to prevent Constitutional injustice regarding service connection claims is clearly unjust and irrational. Again, such unchallenged power and what we now know are completely false significance outcomes used by the VACEH, IOM, and VA to deny that service connection leads to federal agency collusion and corruption. Allowing such power to these White House federal agency pawns can and does result in Veteran/Widow abuse. Where are the checks and balances on our White House and its federal agencies that clearly misrepresent to the American Veteran and family their health status, their service connection, and deny their medical doctors the information needed to diagnosis and treat a toxic chemical exposure survivor. More than that, what segment of our society is next in line for the government’s systemic abuse by grabbing the constitutional rights of redress away from that segment? I can give you one recent example where the senate tried to do this very same thing to the asbestos victims and take away their constitutional right to redress and have the executive branch become legislative, executive, and judiciary all rolled into one neat unconstitutional power. Amazing what manufactures lobby money can buy in what is supposed to be a Republic with a democratic society of the people, by the people, and for the people; not the manufactures (and our own government) who think they have more right to produce and make billions off of toxic chemicals than the entire population has the right to have a healthy life and more than that… healthy children with their god given genes; not what the chemical companies have created in clastogenicity (chromosome damages) gene disruption. Kelley Additional From Kurt that adds to my point. I would like to add something here. Despite the fact that none in government will actually allow that malathion is very toxic, Kelley asks some very pertinent questions given that most of us in SEA were exposed multiple times daily to this insecticide. What we do know is this: Malathion does cause damage to the nervous system. It inhibits an enzyme, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), that breaks down acetylcholine, a chemical essential in transmitting nerve impulses across junctions between nerves. Effects of AChE inhibition on nerve cells in the brain appear to be particularly important.(12) Malathion can also inhibit liver enzymes that affect biological membrane function.(13) The toxicity of malathion is compounded by its metabolites and contaminants. Malaoxon, a metabolite produced by the oxidation of malathion in mammals, insects, plants, and in sunlight, is the primary source of malathion's toxicity and is 40 times more acutely toxic than malathion.(14,15) Over 11 chemical contaminants and analogues created in the production process have been found in technical malathion.(16,17) These chemicals can act synergistically with malathion to potentiate (increase) its toxicity. Some of these compounds inhibit not only AChE,(18) but other enzymatic systems in the liver that would typically detoxify the contaminants.(15) Use of malathion by farmers in Iowa and Minnesota has recently been linked to an increased risk of one type of cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.(32) Hint, Hint The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has studied the carcinogenicity of malathion and malaoxon in rats and mice. An independent review of this study found benign and malignant tumors of the endocrine glands, brain, liver, lung, and blood.(28) Sound familiar anyone? Malathion is mutagenic (causing genetic damage) in human, animal, and bacteria cells. Frequencies of chromosomal aberrations were significantly higher in cotton field workers exposed to malathion and other pesticides.(38,39) (The design of the study did not permit conclusions about a specific chemical.) Increased chromosome breaks and aberrations occurred following acute malathion human poisonings(40) and in human blood cells exposed to malathion.(41,42) Malathion caused sister-chromatid exchanges (exchanges of genetic material within a pair of chromosomes) in human blood cells(41-44) and fetal cells.(45) Malathion has also caused mutations in laboratory animals, including mice and hamsters,(46-49) and induced DNA breakage in the bacteria Escherichia coli.(50) In some cases malathion induced genetic damage at doses far below acutely toxic levels (45,51) and effects can be cumulative.(45) In laboratory animals, oral doses of purified malathion disrupted immune system function in mice at levels far below the dose required to cause cholinesterase inhibition.(75) This work suggests that malathion can cause sensitization and allergic reactions in humans and animals. Impurities present in technical malathion can further disrupt immune system function.(76-78) These immune system effects may have serious human health implications. Stimulation of immune responses may increase allergic reactions and also cause tissue damage.(77,78) Immunosuppression may enhance susceptibility of mammalian systems to bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection or possible increased tumor formation.(77) Changes in immune system functions in animals exposed to impurities in malathion may also trigger lung damage.(79) Both malathion and the impurities in malathion can directly affect one immune system function that creates risks for individuals with liver damage.(80) Storage of malathion at high temperatures increased its toxicity by increasing the percentage of isomalathion and other contaminants in the product.(15,16,17,83-87) Exposure of malathion to sunlight,(88) high relative humidity during storage,(84) and formulation with certain clays and surfactants, can increase contaminant formation in malathion.(85,88) i.e. Southeast Asia Based on U.S. Food and Drug Administration residue analyses, malathion is the most commonly detected pesticide in food products.(98) Malathion residues were in 18 percent of the 936 food items tested, indicative of its widespread use in many crops. It is also commonly found in animal feeds. In 1988, EPA estimated that children could be consuming malathion residues 1133 percent in excess, and adults 507 percent in excess, of the amount currently determined not to cause adverse health affects.1 In produce, malathion tends to concentrate in the peel,(99) and may not be readily removed by washing in water alone.(100) Formulated products of malathion, like all pesticides, contain many compounds that are classified as 'inert' ingredients and do not have to be identified on the label. There is little publicly available information about 'inerts' in malathion. At least two formulations contain xylenes(105,106) and xylene was present in a formulation of malathion that resulted in a human fatality.(106) Xylenes cause skin, eye, nose and throat irritation; impaired memory; liver and kidney damage; incoordination; dizziness; hearing loss; and fetal death and decreased fetal weight gain.(107) Symptoms of acute malathion poisoning in humans include dizziness, muscle twitching, excessive salivation, and urination. Malaoxon, a metabolite, has much greater acute toxicity than malathion itself. Other contaminants and secret 'inert' ingredients can increase its toxicity. At least one 'inert,' xylene, is both acutely and chronically toxic. Exposure of farmers and flour mill workers to malathion is associated with increased risks of one type of cancer, and both malathion and malaoxon have caused benign and malignant tumors in laboratory animals. Birth defects, reproductive problems, and genetic damage have been associated with malathion exposure in humans and animals. Visual disorders, behavioral changes, learning impairment, and skin sensitization may also be triggered by malathion exposure. Low protein diets increased malathion's toxicity in laboratory animals, and may be a concern where malnourished human populations are subjected to malathion exposure. Immune system disruptions due to exposure to malathion or contaminants may increase susceptibility of mammalian systems to bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection,and increased tumor formation. Combinations of malathion with other pesticides can increase toxic effects. Malathion is the most commonly detected pesticide in food products in the U.S. Over seven million malathion products are used in homes, gardens, and yards in the U.S. annually. Drift and aerial spray eradication programs can expose children to levels of malathion that can cause illness. Malathion has been detected in ground and surface water, air, and fog. Malathion is lethal to beneficial insects, snails, microcrustaceans, fish, birds, amphibians, and soil microorganisms. Sublethal exposure of these species can cause a variety of behavioral and physiological abnormalities. *REFERENCES* 1. U.S. EPA. Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances. 1988. Guidance for the reregistration of pesticide products containing malathion as the active ingredient. Washington, D.C. 2. U. S. EPA. Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances. 1992. Pesticide industry sales and usage: 1990 and 1991 market estimates. Washington, D.C. With this in mind, tie the fact that Ranch Hand routinely sprayed both malathion and agent orange switching back and forth dependent on the mission. Knowing this, why didn't the government conduct a study concerning the effects of the combination of malathion with dioxin? Now wouldn't that be interesting? To regress...what we know and what Kelley asks? How much of what contaminate is required?What we do know is that we were exposed daily to malathion, sometimes multiple times. Is one single containment (sic) causing all failures?What if that contaminant was malathion with contaminants such as xylene, or had be contaminated so as to form malaoxon, 40 times more toxic than malathion. Is there any one combination of the containments (sic) causing the failures? Two combinations? See above... Do we have different containments (sic) causing different failures? It appears, from the variety of symptoms, diseases, and epidemiologies of those exposed to dioxin, much more likely than not that the rampant use of malathion (contaminated by shipping, storage, heat, humidity, and mixture with other chemicals) makes malathion a prime suspect.

Question: Would this be considered a medical treatise? Yes it sure is. That's exactly why I post so much of this type of information. I'm hoping one of you will be able to prove your case against a stacked deck.

Your sure welcome Mike. Glad you could use it.

Personal Blood Pressure and Pulse Record http://www.dhs.ca.gov/cdic/chdsp/documents...202%20pages.pdf

APPENDICES Summary: Persian Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Research Database - Project No DoD-1D Title: Epidemiologic Studies of Morbidity Among Gulf War Veterans: A Search for Etiologic Agents and Risk Factors; Study 4: Infertility and Miscarriage in Gulf War Veterans Project #: DoD-1D Agency: DoD Study Location: Naval Health Research Center Project Status: Ongoing Research Type: Epidemiology Research P.I.: CDR Greg Gray, MC, Research Focus: Reproductive Health Start Date (CY): 1994 Est Page Info: www.research.va.gov/resources/pubs/gulf_war_1997/app-a1.pdf | 1906k | November 18, 2004 http://www.research.va.gov/resources/pubs/...1997/app-a1.pdf

Right anterior cingulate cortical volume covaries with respiratory sinus arrhythmia magnitude in combat veterans Summary: In persons with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), autonomic regulation appears impaired and smaller mean ACC volume has been reported. Anterior cingulate volume and RSA in PTSD ACC tissue volume and RSA appeared to be largely independent of the variance in ACC volume associated with PTSD. Furthermore, the specific association of right hemisphere ACC volume with RSA magnitude was apparent in both PTSD+ and PTSD? groups Page Info: www.research.va.gov/programs/JRRD/45_3/woodward.pdf | 299k | June 06, 2008 http://www.research.va.gov/programs/JRRD/45_3/woodward.pdf

Understanding the effects of blasts on the brain http://www.research.va.gov/news/features/blasts.cfm

Future directions in PTSD research and care Subject: Future directions in PTSD research and care Description: Future directions in PTSD research and care Page Info: www.research.va.gov/news/features/ptsd-0608.cfm | 33k | June 20, 2008 http://www.research.va.gov/news/features/ptsd-0608.cfm

BEHAVIORAL CONSEQUENCES OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/lib...995/wp/Ch13.pdf

Thank you for telling it like it is John. These new Vets must know the truth about how the DVA will conive and cheat them. My very first full C&P examination for a "neuromuscular disorder of unknown cause", the DVA provided was a Nurse Practioner. They only have to recieve training someone signs off for. Since the examiner wasn't capable of providing an opinion of any kind, the VARO sent me a letter stating they would have to request another examination with opinion. I went in again & was examined by a PA. This examiner found all issues claimed were service connected in his opinion he sent to the ratingt board. This opinion the VA conceiled from me & my SO, stated they "never" recieved it and two months later went to a paid consultant for an IMO without examination or notice they were doing it. This came back denied for the neumuscular disorder. Two years later I found the favorable C&P in my VAMC medical records. It wasn't in plain view. It was concieled in a packet marked,"for administration perposes only". A trained VA C&P examiner found me fully service connected in 1997 and I've been appealing ever since and they've been Dr shopping ever since. They can't do that you say? That's against the law? Wished I could hear what happens to them if they do. The ones that should be in jail are running this country and changing the laws to suit them.

ColonelDan says "Fire Chu" Vets group claims DoD violates severance law By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer Posted : Wednesday Jun 18, 2008 7:40:30 EDThttp://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/military_severance_061708w/At the end of a boisterous House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing in which lawmakers lambasted Veterans Affairs Department and Pentagon officials for not meeting various deadlines for improving care for wounded combat troops, Disabled American Veterans dropped a quiet bombshell. The Pentagon “knowingly violated the law and ignored the intent of Congress” in implementing a provision of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act that lawmakers designed to enhance disability severance pay for wounded and injured service members, wrote Kerry Baker, associate national legislative director for DAV. Baker argued that Congress created Section 1646 of the 2008 Defense Authorization Act with the intent that service members injured in combat, in a combat zone, or performing tasks related to combat — such as training — would not have to pay back any disability retirement severance pay they receive from the Defense Department before becoming eligible for VA disability compensation, as has been the case under long-standing policy. But Baker said David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, sent out a “directive-type memorandum” March 13 instructing that only those injured in a combat zone in the line of duty or as a direct result of armed conflict do not have to pay back their severance money. “This action has intentionally read ‘hazardous service,’ ‘conditions simulating war,’ and ‘instrumentality of war’ completely out of the law,” Baker wrote. Chu’s action, he wrote, “forces one to question his true resolve to care for those he sends into battle, or orders to train for battle.” Baker said he believes the decision was purely monetary. “We can think of no other conceivable reason … to circumvent the law as he has done here,” Baker wrote. “To answer the question of ‘why,’ Congress need only determine in whose budget the disability compensation is deposited once offset by VA. We believe the answer to that question is the [Defense Department] budget.” Defense Department spokeswoman Eileen Lainez said that was not Chu’s intent. “Rest assured that saving money was not the driver in the implementation,” she said in an e-mail. “The statutory intent of [the law] clearly and appropriately focuses the ‘enhanced disability severance’ to those service members where the unfitting condition is a result of direct participation and performance of duty in the war effort.” But Baker said the memo intentionally leaves out people clearly included in both the law’s definition of “combat-related disability” and the Defense Department’s own definition of “combat-related,” and that Congress had made clear its intent that anyone with a combat-related disability should be included. The memo is important, he said, because a service member who breaks his back in a helicopter accident at Fort Bragg, N.C., while training to deploy to Iraq still must pay back his severance before qualifying for VA disability compensation. “It can take 20 years” to pay back the severance, Baker said. “We do not view this as an oversight. We view this as an intentional effort to conserve monetary resources at the expense of disabled veterans.” The 2008 Defense Authorization Act states: “No deduction may be made under paragraph (1) in the case of disability severance pay received by a member for a disability incurred in line of duty in a combat zone or incurred during performance of duty in combat-related operations as designated by the secretary of defense.” Baker said it is the second part of that sentence — “incurred during performance of duty in combat-related operations” — that has been misconstrued. According to the 2008 Defense Authorization Act, a “combat-related disability” occurs “as a direct result of armed conflict, while engaged in hazardous service, in the performance of duty under conditions simulating war, or through an instrumentality of war.” The Defense Department has defined “combat-related” as being “attributable to the special dangers associated with armed conflict or the preparation or training for armed conflict.” That includes hazardous service, such as flight duty, parachute duty, demolition duty, experimental stress duty and diving duty. An instrumentality of war is a weapon, a combat vehicle, or a sickness caused by fumes, gases or explosion of military ordnance. But Chu’s memo states that “incurred during performance of duty in combat-related operations” will be defined by paragraph E3.P5.1.2 of Defense Department Instruction 1332.28 — “armed conflict.” Chu’s narrower definition includes injuries “as a direct result of armed conflict,” Baker wrote, or “in the line of duty in a combat zone,” leading to questions of whether someone playing basketball in the Green Zone would qualify. The Defense Department had not answered that question. Baker, who submitted written testimony but did not appear before the committee for questioning, said the memo has not affected many veterans yet, but it has the potential to affect “tens of thousands.” It applies only to service members medically retired after Jan. 28, 2008, with disability ratings of less than 30 percent from the Defense Department. Baker said the net result is that troops injured during training for combat — situations that Congress meant to cover with the recent change in law — will not be covered, and troops injured in those situations will still have to repay their severance money before they can get VA disability payments. Lainez said Congress left it up to Pentagon officials to decide the definition of “combat-related operations. “Clearly the statutory intent is to provide wounded warriors enhanced disability compensation,” she wrote. “Saving money was not a policy development factor … rather, [it was] ensuring proper compensation for those service members who are wounded, ill or injured as a result of armed conflict in the combat zone.” Baker disagreed, urging Congress to revisit the issue to prevent defense officials “from continuing such blatant disregard for the law and for the livelihood and welfare of those who stand up to defend the country.” "Keep on, Keepin' on" Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan" See my web site at: http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/

This is a blantant untruth short story at best. I filed a NOD with the VARO and they have never acknowledged this how do i proceed now? Mcafee, Send in another. It goes in your C-file unless they're shredding it. Wouldn't surprise me if they did. Send it in again, "Registered returned receipt". You can also request, in writing, a local hearing at the VARO. At a local hearing, Veterans may submit evidence and discuss their case face to face. Request a formal hearing & get a copy of the sworn statement, in case you need to take it all the way to court. How to get around the VARO/BVA remanded exam/IMO that will likely come back unfavorable? Get an independent examination or medical opinion, "OUTSIDE" of the DVA. If that comes back favorable, submit it along with your NOD or at the hearing. Example: For my hearing loss & tinnitus claim, I went to one of those free hearing test thats offered by many clinics across the country, who sell hearing aides. I submitted that as evidence along with the claim. The RO sent me to a C&P examination. Those results came back different than the one I submitted. After the rater insinuated I was lying about working around boilers in his denial, by stating" claimant was a truck driver in the Navy. I requested a hearing & showed another rater my DD-2-14, which proved nearly four years of sea duty as a Boilerman in the US Navy. That got me another independent hearing loss examination. Since that came back favorable, I won the 10% for tinnitus. Don't give up if you know your injuries/illness are service connected. Never, never give up. F these people! I served honorably and I'm not going to let the VA/DOD or the state of California, make me feel like shi* over it.

Press Releases :: 06/20/08 06/19/08: GI Bill Passes House 416-12 Today, by an overwhelming margin of 416-12, the House of Representatives voted in favor of a domestic spending provision of the war supplemental funding bill which includes a World War II-style GI Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. This version of the bill was agreed upon by the House leadership and the White House in a deal brokered last night. + Read more http://www.iava.org/

Recent VA News Releases To view and download VA news release, please visit the following Internet address: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel VA Reaches Out to Women Veterans Department Hosts 4th Quadrennial Summit WASHINGTON (June 19, 2008) - The Fourth National Summit on Women Veterans' Issues will take place at the Westin Washington, D.C., City Center from June 20-22. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake said the three-day meeting will help ensure that women veterans know about the benefits and health care they have earned. "With more women than ever serving in our armed forces, this public forum will bring visibility to the issues important to women veterans of all eras," Peake said. "Today, women are important contributors to the military and valued members of the veterans community." Recognizing the valor, service and sacrifice of America's 1.7 million women veterans, VA has created a comprehensive array of benefits and programs. Women veterans are entitled to the same benefits and medical care as their male counterparts, including health care, disability compensation, education assistance, work-study allowance, vocational rehabilitation, employment and counseling services, insurance, home loan benefits, nursing home care, survivor benefits and various burial benefits. In addition, VA also has a multitude of services and programs that respond to the unique needs of women veterans, including pap smears, mammography, and general reproductive health care, substance abuse counseling, counseling for sexual trauma, and evaluation and treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Today, over 200,000 women are serving in the armed forces. About 11 percent of the U.S. forces currently serving in Afghanistan and Iraq are women. According to a recent "hospital report card" by VA, the Department's screening for breast and cervical cancer for women in VA facilities exceeds screening in private-sector facilities, but women veterans lag behind their male counterparts in some quality measurements. VA has already launched an aggressive program to ensure women veterans receive the highest quality of care, including $32.5 million to purchase additional equipment to meet the health care needs of women. This includes full field digital mammography equipment, stereotactic imaging technology, specialized ultrasound and biopsy equipment and DEXA scanners for bone density measurements. The status of health care for women veterans will be a major topic at the summit. There is a women veterans program manager at every VA medical center, a women's liaison at every community based outpatient clinic and a women veterans coordinator at every VA regional office.

News from Chairmen Filner and the House VAC. Thanks Jerrell for this update. Link is below: Folks I know in the past we have had Veterans Affairs members in both the House and the Senate that talked a good game but unlike those that served "deeds above words" there was little else other than talk. I think these actions speak louder than words and a leader that cares about this committee and what it is they are supposed to be doing for the Veteran and family. Not just the returning Veterans but all Veterans. I know in my conversations with the Chairmen he alluded to the fact that Vietnam Vets have waited for this study and that study and for 40 years fought nothing but a bureaucratic mess intent on not supporting them in what we know was caused by that service. In my fight I have not seen anyone as tenacious as this Chairmen (and I am pretty tenacious myself when it comes to the Veterans) is and continues to be for the Veteran and not against the Veteran and fairness for that Veteran and family. While we may not believe in everything he is trying to accomplish I believe his leadership has put the words respect and noble back along side the Veteran. He has started the ball rolling in many areas and it is up to each one of you to contact your congressperson, your senators, the House and Senate VAC to demand their support. The Chairmen or each of the VAC's cannot do this alone. http://www.2ndbattalion94thartillery.com/C...ewsVACHouse.htm Kelley PS, As some of you know I have turned my 2002 claim over to a lawyer. Sent him all the info but no response yet. (only been a few days now) BVA says for VA appeals to handle my issues expeditiously in their decision and I am still sitting here over a year later with not even a denial to allow me to go on up the corrupt Veterans Affairs legal ladder. I am also working on a history of the Executive Branch abuse since prior 1979 by the Executive Branch and their federal agency puppets, contracted agencies, and what congress knew and did very little to stop it! I think you will find it both informative and shocking as to what has really gone on. Kelley

Police learn ways to deal with troubled veterans http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfJUN08/nf061808-6.htm

Veterans and their Families http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims http://www.vetapp.uscourts.gov/

the first inter-television Network dedicated to the men and women who have served and sacrificed for our nation's Freedom. http://veteransnetwork.net/

Veterans Preference? http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp When I was separated in 1971, veterans preference was you got the orange card instead of the white in the employment lines.

Congratulations CG !!!!

I wonder how many decades it will take before a decision is reached by the court.