Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 09.21.09
Posted by Terrell Frazier on September 21

Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.  Prefer to receive real-time updates about major stories and legislation that IAVA is tracking?  Follow us on Twitter @IAVAPressRoom.

MUST READS

1) Immeasurable Courage and Uncommon Valor

In today's Huffington Post, IAVA's Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff shares his thoughts on the historic posthumous awarding of the Medal of Honor to Sgt. First Class Jared C. Monti. Monti is just the sixth recipient of the medal for actions in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Despite heavy gunfire, Monti attempted to rescue a wounded comrade three times, but was cut down by a rocket-propelled grenade on his final attempt and died shortly thereafter.  Monti's selflessness inspired his patrol to thwart the Taliban fighters, thanks in part to the air support Monti called before his death. Rieckhoff said that the courage Monti displayed on June 21, 2006, in Afghanistan, is a shining example of how the nation's people in uniform consistently rise to the challenge, in the face of steep challenges, often at their own peril.

2) McChrystal: More U.S. troops to avoid Afghan failure

The top military commander in Afghanistan warns in a classified assessment of the war there that he needs additional troops within the next year or else the conflict “will likely result in failure,” according to a copy of the 66-page report obtained by The Washington Post.  Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal submitted the document containing the grim assessment to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Aug. 30.. McChrystal says emphatically: "Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term (next 12 months) -- while Afghan security capacity matures -- risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible." The report is now under review by President Obama and his top national security advisers. The disclosure of details in the assessment coincided with new skepticism expressed by President Obama about sending any more troops into Afghanistan until he was certain that the strategy was clear. In his five-page commander’s summary, General McChrystal ends on a cautiously optimistic note: “While the situation is serious, success is still achievable.”

3) Scam targets veterans’ credit card info, VA warns

Watch out for the latest scam targeting veterans and their credit card numbers, the Department of Veterans Affairs warns. Scam artists are calling veterans and posing as VA workers who need credit card information to update prescription information, as part of a scheme that fraudsters have recycled over the years. "America's veterans have become targets in an inexcusable scam that dishonors their service and misrepresents the department built for them," said Dr. Gerald Cross, the VA's undersecretary for health. "VA simply does not call veterans and ask them to disclose personal financial information over the phone."

AFGHANISTAN

General Stanley McChrystal has completed a long-awaited and detailed request for additional troops, a spokesman said on Saturday. The document sets out exactly how many U.S. and NATO troops, Afghan security force members an civilians he thinks he needs. The announcement that McChrystal has already determined how many troops he wants comes just a few days after President Obama said he would not rush to make a decision. "We're working with Washington as well as the other NATO participants about how it's best to submit this," said the spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Tadd Sholtis, declining to give details of the contents.

The Taliban's reclusive leader said in a Muslim holiday message Saturday that the U.S. and NATO should study Afghanistan's long history of war, in a pointed reminder that foreign forces have had limited military success in the country. "We would like to point out that we fought against the British invaders for 80 years from 1839 to 1919 and ultimately got independence by defeating" Britain, a statement attributed to Omar said. The message from Mullah Omar comes less than a month before the eighth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan to oust the Taliban for hosting al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. This year has been the deadliest of the conflict for U.S. and NATO troops, and political support at home for the war is declining.

The reports all seem to agree: the situation in Afghanistan is bad and getting worse. In a new collection of images Afghan photographer Zalmai documents what he says, was—and is—a humanitarian disaster: thousands displaced, unable to return to their homes, forced to settle in urban slums with little access to work, school, or medical aid. This, he says, is the human cost of the war on terror.

IRAQ

A Black Hawk helicopter crashed at an air base north of Baghdad, killing one U.S. service member and wounding 12 others, the military said in a statement Sunday. The crash occurred Saturday night at the air base in Balad, the largest American airfield in Iraq. The statement provided no details of the cause of the crash. Since it occurred inside the sprawling base, it appeared unlikely to be a result of hostile fire. The helicopter went down on a night of high winds that tore through the area, whipping up a fierce sandstorm that was followed by thunder, lightning and rain. The soldier’s death was the eighth this month for American forces, among the lowest monthly tolls since the war began in 2003. The helicopter crash was the first since two reconnaissance helicopters collided while under enemy fire in January near the northern city of Kirkuk, killing four soldiers.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

Last night’s 60 Minutes revisited the Pentagon’s $100 million program “Revolutionizing Prosthetics," and it’s remarkable leap in technology the DEKA arm. When Americans are wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq, no expense is spared to save their lives. But once they're home, if they have suffered an amputation of their arm, they usually end up wearing an artificial limb that hasn't changed much since World War II. The Pentagon and DEKA are hoping to update antiquated prosthetics with an artificial limb that contains three processors, 25 circuit boards, and 10 motors meant to mimic nature’s design.

Command Sgt. Maj. Teresa King can dress down a burly, battle-hardened sergeant in seconds with a sharp phrase and a withering look, then turn around and tell trainee soldiers to be sure they get seven hours of sleep. As the first woman to take charge of the Army’s school for its drill sergeants, the 28-year military veteran said she’s used to breaking down barriers in military roles normally reserved for men. “It’s so easy because I love it,” said King, a single, 48-year-old North Carolina native. “I have a family in the Army. It is my family.”

The LA Times reports that the CIA is deploying teams of spies, analysts and paramilitary operatives to Afghanistan as part of a broad intelligence "surge" that will make its station there among the largest in the agency's history, U.S. officials say. The intelligence expansion goes beyond the CIA to involve every major spy service, officials said, including the National Security Agency, which intercepts calls and e-mails, as well as the Defense Intelligence Agency, which tracks military threats. The buildup coincides with new warnings that the Taliban has continued to gain territory and strength. Gen. McChrystal wants to improve intelligence on the Taliban and focus on reducing the number of bombings.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

A federal student aid reform bill passed by the House on Thursday includes provisions that would change some payments under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The legislation, HR 3221, would create a supplemental education grant payable to private-school students if their fees are less than the Post-9/11 GI Bill fee caps for the state in which they are enrolled. It would not apply to students at public institutions. The grant would make the Post-9/11 GI Bill more like previous education benefits in which students received the same basic payment no matter how much their education cost.

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

THE SENATE

The Senate will convene at 2:00 p.m.    

SENATE FLOOR ACTIVITY of  INTEREST

There will be no roll call votes on Monday, September 21.

THE HOUSE of  REPRESENTATIVES



The House will convene at 4:00 p.m. for a pro forma session



HOUSE FLOOR ACTIVITY of  INTEREST



No issues today

FUTURE  HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of  INTEREST



September 22, 2009    Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health Hearing:  Is the VA Meeting the Pharmaceutical Needs of Veterans?  An Examination of the VA National Formulary, Issues of Patient Safety, and Management of the Pharmacy Benefits Program 2:00 p.m.; 334 Cannon HOB

September 23, 2009  Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing: SES Bonuses and Other Administrative Issues at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs   10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon HOB

September 24, 2009  Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Hearing:  Honoring the Fallen: How Can We Better Serve America’s Veterans and Their Families?  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon

September 24, 2009  Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Hearing:  Legislative Hearing H.R. 294, H.R. 1169, H.R. 1182, H.R. 2416, H.R. 2461, H.R. 2614, H.R. 2696, H.R. 2874, H.R. 2928, H.R. 3223, H.R. 3554, H.R. 3561, H.R. 3577, and Draft Legislation   1:00 p.m.; 334 Cannon.

September 30, 2009  Full Veterans’ Affairs Committee Hearing:  Energy Efficiency at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon

October 8, 2009  Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Markup of Pending Legislation   1:00 p.m.; 334 Cannon

October 14, 2009  Full Veterans’ Affairs Committee Hearing:  Update on the State of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs  10:00 a.m.; 334 Cannon HOB

A wide-range of views, positions, and publications are represented in these articles. These views, positions and publications are not endorsed by nor do they necessarily represent the views of IAVA.