Blog post

IAVA Daily Brief 09.23.09
Posted by Terrell Frazier on September 23

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) President Obama considering strategy shift in Afghan War

White House officials indicated Tuesday that President Obama is exploring alternatives to a major troop increase in Afghanistan, including a plan advocated by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to scale back American forces and focus more on rooting out Al Qaeda there and in Pakistan

2) VA Inspector General: Suicide prevention programs in place

The Veterans Affairs Department says it has stepped up its suicide prevention efforts. The agency’s inspector took a look at 24 facilities and found they generally met new requirements such as appointing suicide prevention coordinators to track high-risk veterans. It did say the coordinators and medical providers could do a better job of communicating with each other. The VA estimates there are as many as 6,400 suicides annually among all veterans. New policies were implemented after growing concern about the number of suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

3) IAVA on the New GI Bill

 In an interview with Raising Sand Radio, IAVA’s Patrick Campbell discusses his involvement in drafting the new GI Bill and he provides valuable information for student veterans wishing to take advantage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which he draws from his own experience as a veteran, student and full-time employee. Patrick also addresses the backlog in VA claims and urges veterans seeking more information to visit NewGIBill.org. Click here to listen to the interview.

4) ‘Stressfull’: Vets awaits GI Bill Pay

The Army Times profiles a student veteran whose experience with delayed GI Bill payments exemplifies the experience of many veterans returning to school this semester. “I need to consider dropping out and coming back when VA has its ducks in a row,” said Joya Myers, a former Army information management specialist working on a business degree at the University of Alaska. “I need to consider dropping out and coming back when VA has its ducks in a row,” said Joya Myers, a former Army information management specialist working on a business degree at the University of Alaska. Myers said she was depending on the GI Bill and a part-time job at the university to cover her costs, but the job in the information technology department dried up, and her GI Bill living stipend and book allowance are late. The House and Senate armed services committees are monitoring the new GI Bill program, which launched Aug. 1, after hearing from schools and veterans about payment problems.

AFGHANISTAN

Lt. Gen. Stanely McChrystal says he has evidence that factions of Pakistani and Iranian spy services are supporting insurgent groups that carry out attacks on coalition troops. Taliban fighters in Afghanistan are being aided by "elements of some intelligence agencies," McChrystal wrote in a detailed analysis of the military situation delivered to the White House earlier this month. McChrystal went on to single out Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency as well as the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as contributing to the external forces working to undermine U.S. interests and destabilize the government in Kabul. The remarks reflect long-running U.S. concerns about Pakistan and Iran, but it is rare that they have been voiced so prominently by a top U.S. official. McChrystal submitted his assessment last month, and a declassified version was published Sunday on the Washington Post website.

The administration may still be deciding on a strategy, but Lt. Gen. McChrystal, is moving forward with plans to close bases in sparsely populated areas where American forces have fought fierce battles with Taliban militants over the last few years. This is all part of McChrystal's strategy to focus more attention on population centers, but senior Afghan officials aren't too happy at what they see as essentially ceding some areas of the country to the Taliban, a move that could make the already weak government look even weaker. But U.S. officials say they're just being realistic because some of these remote areas won't be under full Afghan government control anytime in the near future so American forces should pour resources into winning over hearts and minds. U.S. officials are trying to obtain what one called "quick wins" that would allow them to demonstrate progress within the next year, but they're quickly learning that leaving even the most isolated areas can create political problems for the Afghan government. That's why rather than just leaving, U.S. commanders are trying to work with local leaders to come up with security plans. But that takes time and the military has only a few more months to close the bases before winter.

IRAQ

An American soldier has been charged with the murder of a civilian contractor on an American base in Iraq, the military said Tuesday. The soldier, Specialist Beyshee Velez, 31, of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, was charged Monday in the Sept. 13 shooting death of a contractor who worked for KBR at Camp Speicher, a military statement said. The 31-year-old suspect faces dishonorable discharge and a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty. He is being held in Hawaii pending the outcome of the trial. He was also charged with assault and fleeing arrest.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

Two Fort Bragg paratroopers were killed Sunday in a vehicle accident in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced today. Twenty-year-old Spc. Corey Kowall of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and 23-year-old Spc. Damon Winkleman, of Lakeville, Ohio, died Sunday in Zabul province. Both soldiers deployed to Afghanistan in August along with 3,300 others with the 4th Brigade Combat Team.

Military officials have also reported that a roadside bomb has killed an American service member in southern Afghanistan, where U.S. and NATO troops have increased operations in recent months to offset Taliban violence. A military statement says the deadly bomb struck Monday, the same day a separate bombing in the area killed a British soldier. Roadside bombs now account for the majority of U.S. and NATO casualties in what has been the deadliest year of the war for international forces.

In a speech at the 2009 Infantry Warfighting Conference, Gen. David Petraeus told infantrymen on Tuesday that the rising violence in Afghanistan is “very concerning,” echoing the top U.S. and NATO commander’s sobering assessment of the war-torn country. Petraeus, commander of U.S. Central Command, told the audience a 60 percent increase in violence in Afghanistan over the last year “reflects the resilience and the growth of the Taliban,” believed to be fueled by illegal narcotics money and other criminal activities. However, Petraeus cautioned the importance of keeping the scale of violence in perspective, comparing it to the level of fighting in Iraq in 2006. “That is not to say in any way that the violence is not very, very significant … [but] it is a heck of a lot less than the height of violence in Iraq,” he said.

INSIDE WASHINGTON

Secretary Shinseki announced Monday the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) progress in executing more than $1.4 billion as the Department’s share of spending under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more commonly known as the economic stimulus program. “In putting America back to work, we are targeting the programs of greatest interest to Veterans – the reduction of our claims backlog, the improvement of our health care facilities, the preservation of our national cemeteries, and the health of Veteran-owned businesses, especially those run by service-disabled Veterans,” Shinseki said. Funding already committed involves 90 of VA’s 153 medical centers in 38 states and 68 of its 130 national cemeteries.   

The AP reports, "Michigan is poised to slash aid to groups that help military veterans get disability and pension benefits." On Tuesday, a "legislative conference committee voted...to cut $1 million, or 25 percent, of funding for the American Legion and other veterans' service organizations in the state budget that starts Oct. 1. Advocates "are not surprised by the reduction because Gov. Jennifer Granholm already had cut $1 million in the fiscal year that ends next week."

CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE

THE SENATE      



The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. 

SENATE FLOOR ACTIVITY of  INTEREST   

No Issues

THE HOUSE of  REPRESENTATIVES     

The House will convene at 10:00 a.m.       



HOUSE FLOOR ACTIVITY of INTEREST    

No Issues         


HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of  INTEREST       

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

FUTURE  HOUSE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of  INTEREST



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.