Here are some of today's top stories and happenings at IAVA.
MUST READS
(1) Stop-loss pay, survivor GI Bill approved [1] [1]
Final votes for President Obama's $100 billion supplemental bill, HR 2346, for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are expected in Congress this week, and with passage could come retroactive stop-loss payments for 185,000 service members and veterans and a new education benefit for the children of service members who have died on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. Under provisions of the bill, service members will receive $500 a month for each month in which they were extended for at least one day. Additionally, the Department of Defense will allow the transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to children of service members who have died on active duty since 9/11 as if their parent had lived. The new education benefit, called the Fry scholarship, is available no matter how long the service member was on active duty before death, while the Post-9/11 GI Bill will still require a minimum of 10 years of service before a child can begin using transferred benefits.
(2) Hearing to Air VA Mistakes With Hospital Equipment [2]
VA officials are scheduled to face the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs' oversight and investigation subcommittee Tuesday to address mistakes involving endoscopic equipment at its hospitals in Miami, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga. Since February, the VA has been warning about 10,000 former patients, some who had colonoscopies at the hospitals as long ago as 2003, to get blood tests for HIV and hepatitis. As of Friday, the VA reported that six veterans taking the follow-up blood checks tested positive for HIV, 34 tested positive for hepatitis C and 13 tested positive for hepatitis B. According to Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN), lawmakers are preparing to query VA officials at the hearing about an undisclosed report from the VA's inspector general concerning follow-up tests at 42 VA locations across the country. ''I think this was an institutional breakdown,'' Roe, a private physician, told the AP on Sunday questioning whether the incidents were isolated to three hospitals or were more widespread.
(3) OPINION: Who Are You Calling Rambo? [3]
Following U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert's week-long broadcast of 'The Colbert Report' from Baghdad, Newsweek is out today with a special column from IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff concerning veteran stereotypes in America. "In polls, employers often say they don't know what skills veterans can bring to their company, [and] more than 11 percent of vets who served after 9/11 are out of work," he writes. "Stereotypes are insidious, but they can be overcome. Vets are people who excel under adversity, and we are ready to use our valuable experiences to help tackle America's biggest challenges." Read the column here [3].
(4) Disputed Iranian ballot complicates US diplomacy, raises questions about Afghanistan [4]
While protests raged in Tehran over the weekend following Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory over reformist Mir Hossein Mousavi, U.S Defense Secretary told reporters that Iran is playing a "double game" in Afghanistan- professing good intentions while quietly undermining security by supplying arms and other military capabilities to Taliban fighters there. In a Sunday phone interview, Gates's press secretary, Geoff Morrell, said that Gates was told by U.S. commanders as recently as last week of a "pretty consistent flow" of improvised explosive devices and other Iranian weaponry into Afghanistan, although he said it has been relatively modest in numbers.
AFGHANISTAN
Just days after his Senate confirmation, Gen. Stanley McChrystal [5] took charge of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan on Monday during a low-key transition ceremony with fired-Gen. Davd McKiernan at the heavily fortified headquarters of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in central Kabul. On Sunday, McChrystal met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai promising to take "practical measures [6] to prevent civilian casualties during counterinsurgency operations." The meeting came as Gulab Mangal, the governor of Helmand province, said Sunday the Afghan government has no control in five of the provinces 13 districts where U.S. Marines have been arriving in the past few weeks to stamp out the insurgency.
Across the border, Pakistan ordered its army Sunday to go after the country's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud [7], whose demise in his South Waziristan stronghold would be a major blow to the insurgencies along the Af-Pak border. South Waziristan, part of Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal belt, is a rumored hide-out of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.
IRAQ
U.S. military officials confirmed that a U.S. soldier [8]was killed by a roadside bomb late Friday during combat operations in Baghdad. No additional details were released pending an investigation.
As early as Tuesday, British lawmakers [9] are reportedly expected to launch an inquiry into the Iraq war, specifically the circumstances leading up to Britain's decision under former Prime Minister Tony Blair to join the US-led invasion in March 2003. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said in March that an inquiry would be held soon after all but a handful of Britain's 4,100 troops withdrew from Iraq by an agreed date of July 31.
Meanwhile, over the weekend, Iraqi officials released two more U.S. contractors [10] on bond after arresting them June 3rd in connection with an investigation into the brutal May murder of U.S. contractor James Kitterman in Baghdad. Two other Americans remain in custody while a fifth was freed on bond Thursday.
MILITARY AFFAIRS
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INSIDE WASHINGTON
Rep. Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly (D- VA) is expected to submit legislation today to help U.S. troops escape financial penalties [11] they could face while deployed. The bill, "Helping Active Duty Deployed Act," would allow service members to end "family plan" cell phone contracts or rental property leases early with no charge. Current federal law allows troops to end individual cell contracts or vehicle leases with no monetary penalty, but family cell plans and real estate leases can still generate extra costs. Additionally, the legislation would allow troops to get a refund if they paid college tuition before being deployed and were unable to complete courses because of their service commitment.
CONGRESSIONAL SCHEDULE
THE SENATE
The Senate will convene at 1:45 p.m.
FLOOR ACTIVITY of INTEREST
No votes during today's session of the Senate.
The Senate will be in a period of Morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.
FUTURE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST|X|
THE HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES
The House convenes at 9:00 a.m.
FLOOR ACTIVITY of INTEREST
Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.
Suspensions (19 Bills)
1) S. 615 [12] - Providing additional personnel authorities for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (Sen. Collins – Foreign Affairs)
SPEECHES, REMARKS and COMMUNICATIONS of INTEREST
FUTURE COMMITTEE HEARINGS of INTEREST
IAVA IN THE NEWS
Outlet: Newsweek
Title: Who Are You Calling Rambo? [3]
Date: Monday, June 15th
Representative: Paul Rieckhoff
Outlet: InsideNova.com
Title: Connolly to submit bill to help troops [11]
Date: Monday, June 15th
Representative: Patrick Campbell
Links:
[1] http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/military_stoploss_fryscholarships_061209w/
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/14/us/AP-US-Veterans-Colonoscopies.html?ref=global-home
[3] http://www.newsweek.com/id/201942
[4] http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iZfgLuKrg3QBRltJ0qQMIzgIohdQD98QJIK00
[5] http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/06/ap_mcchrystal_061509w/
[6] http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD98QGTF01
[7] http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hkiMxbHNH0BqgpWA2ZG6VD6wVTmAD98QKPIO0
[8] http://militarytimes.com/news/2009/06/ap_iraqdeath_061309w/
[9] http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5idEZPu8xvULoYsjgMMW5odk10hBg
[10] http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h0HHloCYEgZ-xGroT79QZn9PeAowD98PUMM82
[11] http://www.insidenova.com/isn/news/politics/article/connolly_to_submit_bill_to_help_troops/37457/
[12] http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:S615:
[13] http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2009_record&page=E1395&position=all