Rao bulletin 15 June 2016 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles
Paul and Doris Dallas, Baton Rouge at AXPOW Nat. Convention 1998
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- Veterans ► It is the Veteran Who …
- VETERAN
- Obit: Stephanie Czech Rader ► 21 JAN 2016
- Retiree Appreciation Days ► As of 14 JUN 2016
- Vet Hiring Fairs ► 16 JUN thru 15 JUL 2016 The U.S. Chamber of Comme
- Fort Buchanan, PR - San Juan Hiring Fair Details Register
- - Hawaii Wounded Vet Caregiver Employment Conference Details Register
- Details Register
- Detroit Hiring Expo with Detroit Tigers Details Register
- Vet State Benefits Discounts – AZ”
- * Vet Legislation * NDAA 2017 Update 12 ► BAS Amendment SA 4237
- NDAA 2017 Update 13 ► Amendments of Interest
- VA Structure Update 01 ► H.R. | Convert VHA to Non-Profit Corp
- Caring for our Heroes in the 21st Century Act
Paul and Doris Dallas, Baton Rouge at AXPOW Nat. Convention 1998 ******************************** Trump Active Duty’s Preference Update 01 ► Vet’s Scathing Open Letter A Marine veteran who was severely wounded while serving in Iraq has written a scathing open letter to Donald Trump explaining why he thinks no veteran should vote for him. “It’s critical that all veterans take a close look at you and what you stand for," retired Lt. Col. Justin Constantine wrote in the letter, which was publicized 6 JUN on the Huffington Post. “Many of the outrageous statements you’ve made over the last year not only provide us insight into your mindset and desired agenda, but demonstrate what little regard you have for veterans and the national security issues which affect all of us.” 
Retired Marine Lt. Col. Justin Constantine survived a sniper's bullet that struck him in the head during a 2006 deployment in Iraq. Now a motivational speaker, he wants to help civilians better understand how to talk to wounded veterans. On Oct. 18, 2006, a sniper’s bullet hit Constantine behind his ear and exploded out of his mouth. His recovery has been grueling, including about two dozen surgeries to reconstruct his face. He is a motivational speaker who explains to civilians how they should interact with wounded warriors. Constantine told Marine Corps Times on 6 JUN that he wrote his open letter to Trump after listening to Trump's comments, which he felt lacked thought and introspection. "My personal feeling is that Trump does not represent veterans," Constantine said. "He is someone who deferred from military service by choice. He had an opportunity to serve; he chose not to. As far as I know, Trump has done very little for vets besides recently raising $6 million, and the Washington Post reported that he did not make those donations until pressured by the media." I haven't seen anything that he proposes that would support veterans." Since his letter was posted online, Constantine has received a lot of feedback from veterans and civilians, most of which has been positive, he said. "A very small percentage of people attacked me personally, which was hard to read but kind of expected. Stuff like I'm a weak Marine; I don't know anything about the military; I'm not even a real person; I'm some POG; I don't know what I'm talking about — stuff like that," Constantine said. In his letter, Constantine wrote that he was outraged when Trump allegedly mocked a disabled New York Times reporter last year: “Why should we think you would treat wounded warriors like myself any differently?” In November, Trump flailed his arms while criticizing a disabled New York Times reporter who suffers from a condition that limits flexibility in his arms. Even though Trump has repeatedly denied he was impersonating the reporter, Constantine thinks that’s exactly what he was doing, he wrote. “What type of person does that?” Constantine wrote. “I do not want that kind of person representing me or my nation. As a wounded warrior who has had to deal with very severe physical and mental challenges since being shot in the head in Iraq, your juvenile actions could not offend me more.” Constantine slammed Trump for saying that Sen. John McCain of Arizona was not a war hero and claimed that Trump has shown “a shocking lack of integrity and has lied to us over and over again.” He also took issue with Trump’s affinity for world leaders whom veterans consider a security threat, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he lambasted Trump’s comments about Mexicans being rapists, noting that Medal of Honor recipient Alfred Rascon was born in Mexico. “But perhaps you are most known for your proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, although the Pentagon and a wide number of U.S. leaders countered that this would be a direct threat to our national security,” Constantine wrote. “This in fact led to an open letter specifically against you authored by a long list of GOP national security leaders. Your tone and message resonate with white supremacists and you have not only been endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan former Grand Wizard David Duke, but a slew of other white supremacist organizations.” On Monday, Constantine stressed that the United States' commitment to protecting democracy and human rights around the world is key to defeating extremists. "That will bring down terrorism, not saying 'No Muslims can come to our country,'" he said. Trump's spokeswoman did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment by deadline on 13 JUN. [MarineCorpsTimes | Jeff Schogol | June 13, 2016 ++] ******************************** Veterans ► It is the Veteran Who … 
It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.
not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.
not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.
not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.
not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.
not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote.
who serves under the Flag, 
******************************** Obit: Stephanie Czech Rader ► 21 JAN 2016 For nearly six decades, she was the wife of a famed military aviator. Nobody knew she was a hero in her own right, a spy who reported on Soviet troop movements from behind what came to be called the Iron Curtain. Now Stephanie Czech Rader is finally being recognized for her work. Rader received the Legion of Merit on 1 JUN. It was awarded posthumously, during funeral services with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. She died at home on 21 January at the age of 100, a longtime resident of Alexandria and native of Poughkeepsie, New York. 
Rader worked for the Office of Strategic Services, a forerunner of the CIA. The daughter of Polish immigrants, her fluent Polish caught the attention of the OSS. The office recruited her from her job with the Women's Auxiliary Air Corps and put her in Poland from October 1945 to February 1946. She was employed as a clerk at the U.S. embassy in Warsaw, but her real job was to report on Soviet troop movements. She traveled the countryside on her own. Her bosses offered her a gun for protection but she refused it, saying "What was I going to do with a dumb gun?" according to Charles Pinck, president of The OSS Society in Falls Church. Carrying a gun, after all, could blow her cover. In January 1946, Pinck said, Rader was carrying sensitive documents when she was arrested by Polish security, but she was able to dispose of the compromising papers before she was taken into custody. She remained under 24-hour surveillance for the rest of her tour, Pinck said. Her bosses recommended her for the Legion of Merit in 1946, but the recommendation was never acted upon — perhaps because she was a woman, and perhaps because the OSS soon dissolved and there was no organization to advocate for her. Pinck said OSS was ahead of its time in employing women. About a third of the 13,000 people who served in the OSS were women, he said. He estimated that OSS veterans still alive number only in the hundreds now. Rader served in the OSS under her maiden name, Stephanie Czech, but went on to marry William S. Rader, a decorated World War II bombing commander who became an Air Force brigadier general and himself received the Legion of Merit. They had been married for 57 years when he died in 2003. In 2008, when records of the OSS were declassified, The OSS Society and other historians learned of Rader's work and began to lobby for her to receive the award. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) also took up her cause, and last week the Army announced that Rader would receive the award posthumously. For years, her family knew nothing of her spy craft. Niece Kathy Roxby of Santa Barbara, California, said she didn't learn her aunt had been a spy until Rader's 100th birthday, well after her service had been declassified. "She said she was supposed to keep it a secret," Roxby said. Another niece, Linda Hobbs of Charleston, South Carolina, said that while the revelations about Rader were a surprise, it makes sense in retrospect. "She was tough, let me tell you. As a kid, I was a little scared of her," Hobbs said. Despite Rader's best efforts, she wasn't able to keep her secret from everyone. The Raders became good friends and business partners with Ken and Judie Elder, often traveling together. Once, about 30 years ago, they traveled to Poland together, Ken Elder recalled Wednesday. As they toured the old town square in Warsaw, she told a story about Eisenhower touring the rubble in the immediate aftermath of the war. The next day, on a guided tour, the tour guide talked about some of the exact same things, casually mentioning that few people remembered the details of Eisenhower's visit. That piqued Elder's curiosity, and he started questioning Rader about the source of her knowledge. He eventually asked: "Were you a spy?" "I guess that might be what you call it," she replied. To view a video on her exploits go to http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/25435/stephanie-czech-rader-one-the-most-successful-intelligence-agents-of-post-wwii-poland. [Source: AP | Matthew Barakat | Jun. 1, 2016 ++] ******************************** Retiree Appreciation Days ► As of 14 JUN 2016 Retiree Appreciation Days (RADs) are designed with all veterans in mind. They're a great source of the latest information for retirees and Family members in your area. RADs vary from installation to installation, but, in general, they provide an opportunity to renew acquaintances, listen to guest speakers, renew ID Cards, get medical checkups, and various other services. Some RADs include special events such as dinners or golf tournaments. Due to budget constraints, some RADs may be cancelled or rescheduled. Also, scheduled appearances of DFAS representatives may not be possible. If you plan to travel long distances to attend a RAD, before traveling, you should call the sponsoring RSO to ensure the RAD will held as scheduled and, if applicable, whether or not DFAS reps will be available. The current updated schedule for 2016 is available at:
Note that this schedule has been expanded to include dates for retiree\veterans related events such as town hall meetings, resource fairs, stand downs, etc. To get more info about a particular event, mouseover or click on the event under Event Location. (NOTE: Attendance at some events may require military ID, VA enrollment or DD214. "@" indicates event requires registration\RSVP.) For more information call the phone numbers indicated on the schedule of the Retirement Services Officer (RSO) sponsoring the RAD. To quickly locate events in your geographic area just click on the appropriate State\Territory\Country listed at the top of the schedule. They will look like this: AK AL AR AS AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA GU HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VI VT WA WI WV WY Belgium Germany Italy Japan Korea Netherlands Thailand [Source: RAD List Manager | Milton Bell | June 14, 2015 ++] ******************************** Vet Hiring Fairs ► 16 JUN thru 15 JUL 2016 The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s (USCC) Hiring Our Heroes program employment workshops are available in conjunction with hundreds of their hiring fairs. These workshops are designed to help veterans and military spouses and include resume writing, interview skills, and one-on-one mentoring. For details of each you should click on the city next to the date in the below list. To participate, sign up for the workshop in addition to registering (if indicated) for the hiring fairs which are shown below for the six weeks. For more information about the USCC Hiring Our Heroes Program, Military Spouse Program, Transition Assistance, GE Employment Workshops, Resume Engine, etc. visit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s website at http://www.hiringourheroes.org/hiringourheroes/events . Memphis, TN - Memphis Hiring Fair Details Register June 16 - 8:30 am to 1:30 pm Augusta, GA - Fort Gordon Transition Summit Details Register June 22 - 2:00 pm to June 23 - 4:00 pm Fort Buchanan, PR - San Juan Hiring Fair Details Register June 23 - 8:30 am to 1:30 pm Arlington, VA - Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Senior Leadership Networking Reception Details Register June 23 - 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI - Hawaii Wounded Vet & Caregiver Employment Conference Details Register June 29 - 8:30 am to 2:30 pm New York City, NY - New York City Hiring Fair Details Register June 29 - 11:00 am to 1:00 pm Biloxi, MS - Biloxi-Gulfport Hiring Fair Details Register July 7 - 8:30 am to 1:30 pm El Paso, TX - El Paso Hiring Fair Details Register July 12 - 8:00 am to 1:00 pm Scott AFB, IL - Scott Air Force Base Transition Summit Details Register July 12 - 1:00 pm to July 13 - 4:00 pm Detroit, MI - Detroit Hiring Expo with Detroit Tigers Details Register July 15 - 9:30 am to 2:00 pm [Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Assn June 14, 2016 ++] ******************************** Veteran State Benefits & Discounts ► Arizona 2016 The state of Arizona provides several benefits to veterans as indicated below. To obtain information on these plus discounts listed on the Military and Veterans Discount Center (MCVDC) website, refer to the attachment to this Bulletin titled, “Vet State Benefits & Discounts – AZ” for an overview of the below benefits. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each of the below benefits refer to http://militaryandveteransdiscounts.com/location/arizona.html & https://dvs.az.gov.
[Source: http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-state-benefits/arizona-state-veterans-benefits.html | June 2016 ++] * Vet Legislation * 
NDAA 2017 Update 12 ► BAS Amendment SA 4237 Five senators have proposed legislation to help offset the effects on troops if commissary prices increase under proposed changes to the decades-old method of pricing groceries. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) filed an amendment 26 MAY that would require defense officials to produce a report on whether to change the rates for Basic Allowance for Subsistence if commissaries increase grocery prices. Co-sponsors for the amendment are: Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Mike Rounds (R-SD). Currently, commissaries sell items at the cost from the manufacturer or distributor, plus a 1 percent charge to cover spoilage and loss and a 5 percent surcharge. Proposals working their way through the House and Senate would allow commissaries to set prices, marking them up or down, in order to make a profit that would be used to offset the cost of operating commissaries. In 2016, it costs taxpayers $1.4 billion to operate commissaries worldwide. Service members’ basic pay and Basic Allowance for Subsistence don’t vary by location, nor do commissary prices, but defense officials reportedly are considering a plan that would set the prices — and savings — to the local market. Thus, the price of a can of peas, for example, might be higher in some geographic areas than others. In 2016, the Basic Allowance for Subsistence is $368 a month for enlisted members, and $253 a month for officers. The allowance is meant to offset costs of a service member’s meals. It’s not intended to offset costs of meals for family members. Inhofe’s proposal would require DoD to submit a report to Congress by March 31, 2017, on the feasibility of changing the amount of BAS. The report would include an assessment of the potential for price increases at commissaries, and an assessment of changing BAS in light of potential price increases, including different BAS rates in different locations. According to DoD’s legislative proposal, laying out the fundamental changes in how the commissary benefit is delivered, the current pricing system — selling all items at cost — “constrains sales margins and limits potential savings benefits across disparate geographic markets.” It will become clearer once senators decide on whether the Inhofe amendment will be considered or not. In a 70-28 vote, senators voted 7 JUN to defeat a proposal by the Senate Armed Services Committee to conduct privatization pilot programs at commissaries at five major installations, similar to what that committee proposed last year. [Source: Military Times | Karen Jowers | May 29, 2016 ++] ********************************* NDAA 2017 Update 13 ► Amendments of Interest There have been over 530 amendments introduced in the Senate, and although it is unlikely all of the amendments will come to a vote, there are several MOAA would like to see incorporated into the defense bill:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) limited defense bill debate by s filing a motion for cloture. Cloture usually limits not only debate time, but also puts restrictions on what kinds of amendments can be considered. In the past, this has meant limiting amendments to issues already covered in the bill, which could be used to block Sen. Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) concurrent receipt amendments, for example. In other cases, leaders have agreed to limit amendments to a specific number for each party. McConnell’s bill was passed on 10 JUN with a vote of 68-23. [Source: MOAA Leg UP | June 10, 2016 ++] ********************************* VA Structure Update 01 ► H.R. | Convert VHA to Non-Profit Corp A member of the House Republican leadership on 7 JUN introduced a bill to completely overhaul the way veterans receive health care, in part by turning the Veterans Affairs Department’s health care component into a government-chartered nonprofit corporation. The Caring for our Heroes in the 21st Century Act, introduced by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, would create the Veterans Accountable Care Organization to manage the VA’s brick and mortar health care facilities. It also would launch the Veterans Health Insurance Program to manage VHA’s insurance programs, creating two separate entities to handle VA’s payer and provider functions. The bill, which she introduced as a "discussion draft," would:
McMorris Rodgers also wants an independent commission to identify underutilized VA facilities for closure, while giving Congress final veto power. The commission would have to ensure that veterans located in areas with scheduled facility closures would not experience diminished access to care. The 15-member commission would oversee the implementation of the law generally and continuously monitor veterans health care to make recommendations to Congress and VA for future reforms. 
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