Rao bulletin 15 June 2015 html edition this bulletin contains the following articles

05 == Military Retirement System [19] -------- (Pentagon Proposal for 2018)

07 == China Territorial Claims [02] --------- (SECDEF/Changlong Meeting)

07 == USS Gabrielle Giffords --- (Named After Wounded Congresswoman)

08== NDAA for 2016 [08] ---------------------- (Still Much to Do on S.1376)

09== POW/MIA [58] --------------------- (Diplomacy in Remains Recovery)

09== POW/MIA Recoveries ----------------- (Reported 150516 thru 150531)
* VA * .
12 == Traumatic Brain Injury [44] ---------- (Assisted Living Pilot Program)

13 == VA Suicide Prevention [26] --------- (Effectiveness of VA Treatment)

15 == VA Blast Study ---------------------------------- (Blast Impact on Aging)

16 == Non-VA Facility Care [01] --------- (Expenditures without Contracts)

16 == VA Accountability [06] -------------------------- (Fact Sheet June 2015)

17 == VA Fiduciary Program [06] ------------------- (Impact on Gun Owners)

18 == VA Fiduciary Program [07] ---------- (OIG Testifies Problems Persist)

19 == VA Claims Backlog [146] --------------- (Inventory Down to 408,000)

20 == Agent Orange Exposure Locations -------------------- (VA Recognized)

21 == VA History ------------------ (2nd Director | Brig. Gen. Frank T. Hines)

22 == VA Women Vet Programs [25] --------- (Women Veterans Campaign)

23 == Homeless Vets [67] ------------ (VA-DOL-HUD Heads Back Off Goal)

24 == Homeless Vets [68] ---------- (Community Employment Coordinators)

25 == GI Bill [192] --------------- (Benefit Transfer to Family Member Rules)

25 == VA Burial Benefits [37] ------------------------- (Urban/Rural Initiatives)

26 == VA Burial Benefits [38] ------------ (Unclaimed Vets Dignified Burial)

28 == VA Whistleblowers [26] ------------- (System Rewards Dishonest Vets)

28 == VA Whistleblowers [27] ------------ (VA Truth Tellers Band Together)

30 == VA Disputed Claims [17] ------------------ (Joseph DeSario | $25,000+)

31 == VA Copay [12] --- (Lawmakers Want Answers in Minnesota Debacle)

31 == Agent Orange | C-123 [14] --------------- (Vets Still Awaiting Decision)

33 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse --------------- (Reported 1 thru 14 Jun 2015)

34 == VA Central IA HCS ------ (OIG Finds No Wrongdoing in Vet’s Death)

35 == VAMC Atlanta [01] -------- (Lawsuit | Permanently Injured by the VA)

36 == VAMC Louisville [01] --- (LGBT Doctor-Patient Relationship Policy)

36 == VAMC Aurora CO [12] ----------- (Vet Rally | Finish the Damn Thing)

37 == VAMC Aurora CO [13] ------------------------- (New Funding Proposal)

38 == VAMC Madison WI ----------------------- (My Life, My Story Program)

40 == VAMC Wilmington [03] ------------ (Bad Water Delaying Patient Care)

41 == VAMC Washington DC -- (Vet Congressman’s Treatment Experience)

42 == VARO Philadelphia [08] -------- (Officials Suspended for Misconduct)

43 == VARO Manila [07] ------------------------ (Changes to Veteran Services)

45 == Vet Suicide [07] --------------------------------- (Female Rate Staggering)

47 == Vet Benefits Funding [03] ------------ (Cost of Compensating Veterans)

48 == Stolen Valor ------------------------------- (Reported 150601 thru 150614)

49 == Vet Cemetery California [14] ----------- (Former El Toro Air Base Use)

50 == Vet Cemetery Montana [06] ------------------------- (Graveside Services)

51 == Vet Cremains [26] ---------- (Montana | 12 Unclaimed Remains Found)

52 == Veterans Vision Project [06] ------------------------------- (Sargent, USA)

52 == Vet Jobs Update [178] --------------------------- (BRAVE Act H.R.1382)

53 == Vet Education ------ (Ashworth College | Deceptive Marketing to Vets)

54 == Vet Charity Watch [53] ---------------- (Solitary Confinement Sentence)

54 == Fireworks-Free 4th of July --- (Michigan State Parks PTSD Vets Offer)

55 == Retiree Appreciation Days ---------------------------- (As of 13 Jun 2015)

56 == Vet Hiring Fairs ---------------------------------- (16 Jun thru 15 Jul 2015)

57 == WWII Vets [88] ------------------------------------------ (Clark~Charles P)

58 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ------------------------------ (Maine 2015)

59== VA Accountability [05] ---- (H.R.1994 | All Misbehaving Employees)

60 == Veteran Status for Guard [06] --------------------- (NDAA Amendment)

60 == CRDP [48] ---------------------------------- (S.1376 NDAA Amendment)

61== Texas Veteran Tuition [04] --------------------- (S.1735 | Trim Benefits)

61 == Louisiana Vet College Attendance ------------- (House Bill 485 Passes)

61 == Michigan GI Bill ------ (Academic Credit Bill for Military Experience)

62 == Illinois Property Tax ------------- (Disabled Vet Tax Break Bill SB107)

63 == Florida 2015 Summary --------------- (Most Vet Bills Signed Into Law)

65== Vet Bills Submitted to 114th Congress ------------- (150601 to 150615)

68 == Career Intermission Program ------------------ (Up To Three Years Off)

69 == Anthrax [01] ------ (Army Accidently Shipped Live Spores via Fedex)

70 == Military Enlistment Standards ------------------- (What it Takes to Join)

71 == Military Parachute Teams ---------------- (Purpose & Demo Schedules)

73 == PERM -------------------------------------- (New Guided 120mm Mortar)

74 == Ray Guns -------------------------- (Handheld | Under Test by US Army)

75 == Medal of Honor Citations --------------- (Grandstaff~Bruce Alan | VN)

78 == IWO Jima Reflections – (Wally Kaenzig | Beaches were Eerily Quiet)

79 == Military Trivia 108 ------------------------------------- (Operation Firefly)

81 == Military History --------------------------- (Vietnam War Turning Point)

83 == Vietnam at 50 ------------------------------- (Mementos Left at the Wall)

85 == D-Day --------------------------- (Atop the Pointe Du Hoc Cliffs 6 JUN)

86 == WWII Prewar Events -- (Rheinmetall Armament Factories Aug 1939)

86 == WWII PostWar Events --------- (Soviet Korean Occupation Oct 1945)

87 == Spanish American War Images 74 ---------- (Troop Transport Seneca)

87 == Military History Anniversaries ---------------------- (16 Jun thru 15 Jul)

87 == WWI in Photos 127 --------------------------------- (Trench Mortar Fire)

88 == Faces of WAR (WWII) ------------------------------ (Iwo Jima Landing)

89 == PTSD [192] --------------- (PTSD Awareness Day Chat | DCOE Q&A)

90 == Traumatic Brain Injury [45] --------------------------------------- (Myths)

93 == TRICARE Pharmacy Policy [24] --------- (Options | Webinar 19 JUN)

93 == TRICARE Dental Program [10] ---------------- (Care While Traveling)

94 == Toothbrush Hygiene ------------------------------------ (Do’s and Don’ts)

95 == TRICARE Breast Feeding Coverage [02] ---- (Breast Pumps/Supplies)

95 == vBloc Implant -------------------------------------- (Weight Loss Therapy)

96 == Bed Sores ----------- (Preventing and Treating Painful Pressure Ulcers)

98 == Vet Dental Care --------------------- (Aspen Dental | Free Care 27 JUN)

99 == TRICARE Hurricane Preps [01] ---------------------- (Ways to Prepare)

99 == TRICARE Overseas Program [18] ------------ (ISOS internet Security)

100 == Digital Eyestrain | CVS ------------------------------- (Prevention | Blink)
* FINANCES * .
100 == Saving Money ------------------------------------------------ (Laundry Tips)

104 == Hotel Online Booking Scam ------------------------------ (How It Works)

105 == Disaster Relief Scam --------------------------------------- (How It Works)

106 == Tax Burden for Utah Retired Vets ---------------------- (As of Jun 2015)

107 == Tax Burden for Iowa Residents -------------------------- (As of Jun2015)

109 == Thrift Savings Plan 2015 ----------- (Share Prices + YTD Gain or Loss)

111 == Robocalls ------------------------ (Top Consumer Complaint to the FCC)

112 == Flag Day [02] -------------------------------------------- (14 JUN | History)

113 == Agent Orange Zone --------------------------------- (Deadly Lawns | Pets)

114 == Water Conservation --------------------------------------- (How Dry Is It?)

117 == OPM Data Breach ----------- (4 Million Current & Former Employees)

118 == Zombie Finger ------------ (Impact on Using Smartphones and Tablets)

119 == Cremation ---------------- (50+% of U.S. Families Will Opt for in 2015)

121 == Car Rental Insurance [01] ------------------- (Collision Damage Waiver)

123 == Burglar Proof Your Home ------------------- (On Vacation | What to Do)

125 == Photos That Say it All --------------------------- (Gone But not Forgotten)

126 == WWII Ads ----------------------------------------------------------- (Cadillac)

127 == Normandy Then & Now ------ (Greenham Common Airfield, England)

127 == Have You Heard? ------------------------------ (Q&A from FARP Forum)

128 == They Grew Up to Be? ------------ (Jennifer Love Hewitt | Party of Five)

128 == Interesting Inventions ------------------------------- (Solar Rocking Chair)

129 == Moments in US History ------------------------ (Helmet Pyramid in 1918)

129 == Parking ------------- (Revenge Tactic #1 Against Inconsiderate Parkers)

2. Numbers contained within brackets [ ] indicate the number of articles written on the subject. To obtain previous articles send a request to raoemo@sbcglobal.net.

Attachment - Agent Orange Exposure Locations

Attachment - Veteran Legislation as of 14 Jun 2015

Attachment - Maine Vet State Benefits & Discounts May 2015

Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 16 Jun thru 15 Jul

Attachment - Retiree Activity\Appreciation Days (RAD) Schedule as of 13 Jun 2015

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• 
  Approximately 85 percent of service members would receive some kind of retirement benefit. Members who serve for 20 years would receive 80 percent of their pension “as well as the opportunity to achieve nearly equivalent or better retirement benefits when they reach retirement age,” according to the white paper outlining the recommended changes. A summary of the proposal called the current defined benefit within the military’s retirement system “a significant incentive to retaining a career military force” that “has served us well for decades.” The proposal is “a momentous change to a tried and true system,” the white paper said. The Pentagon began looking at switching to a blended retirement system in 2011, and shared many of its ideas with the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission.
  

• 
  The Pentagon would automatically enroll new troops into the Thrift Savings Plan at 3 percent of their pay with a 1 percent government match, similar to the way it works now for federal civilian employees. Vesting would occur after two years of service. Military members currently can contribute to the TSP, but are not enrolled automatically and do not receive a matching contribution from the government. The government match could go as high as 5 percent, if the service member contributed that amount. “This change to a blended retirement system is a key step in modernizing the department's ability to recruit, retain and maintain the talent we require of our future force,” said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen. “We know that future service members will require more choice and flexibility in compensation and retirement. Furthermore, these changes provide additional options for the department to attract and manage a military force that requires ever increasing diverse and technical skill sets in an evolving global economy.”
  

• 
  Current military retirees, active-duty members and reserve troops would be grandfathered into the current retirement system, but could opt into the new blended program. The Pentagon would not make any changes to disabled retired pay under the plan. Now, personnel who serve less than 20 years—about 83 percent—do not receive a defined benefit, which some believe is unfair given their multiple deployments during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who do spend a career in the military can hit the 20-year mark relatively early, retire from service in their 40s or 50s, draw a pension and work elsewhere for a while. About 17 percent serve 20 years or more in the military.
  

• 
  The Defense proposal would allow each military service to determine when, to whom, and how much continuation pay – an incentive to encourage members to stay in the military – to offer to service members. The individual services could offer the special pay any time between eight and 16 years of service, which is more flexibility than the House fiscal 2016 Defense authorization bill offers. That legislation, which the House passed in May, included a provision to provide continuation pay after 12 years of service at specific amounts.
  

The Military Officers Association of America offered tepid praise for the Defense proposal without endorsing it, saying it was "encouraged that the Pentagon corrected some of the commission's shortfalls" on its recommendations. "We are thankful the Pentagon provided its recommendations early enough so that House and Senate leaders can consider them in conference this year," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, president and CEO of MOAA. "However, let's be clear, the current system provides great predictability and the TSP's rate of return is at the whim of market fluctuation. We still have concerns that the 20-percent reduction in a service member's retired pay will fail to draw members to 20 years of service and beyond [Source: GovExec.com | Kellie Lunney | June 11, 2015++]

Fan told Carter that China's construction work in the South China Sea was mostly to improve living conditions in order to better protect its sovereignty. He also said China had a right to build on its own territory and deploy forces there, China's Defence Ministry said. Fan also urged the United States to stop its military activities in the South China Sea. "The South China Sea issue is only an interlude in Sino-U.S. ties and both sides should look further ahead and pay attention to more important and bigger international and regional issues," it paraphrased Fan as saying.