>
Military Discounts Update 05: To honor servicemen and women currently serving or who have previously served their country on Veterans Day this year, veterans and active duty military personnel will get more than just recognition for their service. More than 400 bed and breakfasts and inns in 46 states and Canada are offering current and former military members and their families a no charge a night's stay on 10 NOV (only), the day before Veterans Day. According to Kathleen Panek, owner of the Gillum House in Shinnston, W.Va., the promotion first was offered in 2009 by ten members of the West Virginia B&B Association but this year has expanded nationwide. Participating locations must offer at least one room at no charge, and members of the military community wishing to take advantage of the promotion must present a current military or VA identification. For a list of participating properties, go to www.BnBsForVets.org . Reservations need to be made directly with the participating Inns and B&Bs. Availability is limited, so Inns may not have a specific room listed for the promotion and once the available rooms are booked, the B&B may not be able to provide another room.
For more information contact Kathleen at (304) 592-0177 or via email at gillum@GillumHouse.com. [Source: Govexec.com Pay + Benefits Watch Emily Long article 30 Sep 2010 ++]
Military Discounts Update 06: The following Veterans day discounts are being offered this year:
? Golden Corral Military Appreciation Night. Golden Corral restaurants will host their Military Appreciation Night on Monday 15 NOV from 5-9 PM with a meal at no cost for all military active, retired and veterans. No proof is required to enjoy this buffet meal. Guests of veterans will have to pay the regular meal prove. No take outs. This is their 10th year with this program. For more information refer to http://goldencorral.com/military/faq.asp. Over the past 8 years Golden Corral restaurants have served over 2.5 million 'thank you' meals to our heroes in the military. Golden Corral restaurants and their guests have donated over $4.4 million dollars to the Disabled American Veterans organization in the past 9 years.
? Applebee restaurants will again provide a meal at no cost for all military active, retired and veterans on Thursday, November 11, 2010. This year, Applebee's in offering a new Veterans Day menu, which includes some of its signature and favorite items. All U.S. veterans and active duty personnel with proof of current or former military service are eligible. Proof of service is required in the form of a Services
5
Identification Card, U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement, Veterans Organization Card, photograph in uniform or wearing uniform, DD214, or Citation or Commendation. Applebee initiated this program nationwide for the first time last year and provided over a million meals to members of the military.
[Source; Various Oct 2010 ++]
Military Holiday Mailing: The recommended mailing deadline for sending economy-priced holiday packages to servicemembers in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places around the world is 12 NOV, officials at the U.S. Postal Service say. "Shipping holiday packages early helps ensure that they arrive in time for the holidays," Pranab Shah, vice president and managing director of global business at the Postal Service, said in a press release this week. "They are a great morale boost for those men and women serving their country in places far from home." Other deadlines for arrival by 25 DEC are 26 NOV for space-available mail; 3 DEC for parcel airlift mail; 10 DEC for priority mail and first-class mail, letters and cards; and 18 DEC for express mail military service. Holiday packages and mail headed for Iraq and Afghanistan must be sent a week earlier than the deadlines above, Postal officials say. Express mail military service is not available to those destinations. The Postal Service offers a discount on its largest priority-mail flat-rate box -– a 12-inch by 12-inch by 5.5-inch carton that can accommodate laptop computers, small conventional ovens, and military care packages.
7
Mail sent to overseas military addresses costs the same as domestic mail and the usual price for the large flat-rate box is $14.50. But for packages heading to APO/FPO addresses, the Postal Service charges $12.50 or $11.95 for those who print the priority-mail postage label online. Priority-mail flat-rate boxes are available at any Post Office at no charge and can be ordered online at shop.usps.com. Postage, labels and customs forms can be printed online at the Postal Service website. APO/FPO addresses usually require customs forms, Postal officials say, and each country has customs regulations that apply to all mail, including U.S. military mail, coming into the country. Mail addressed to military and diplomatic post offices overseas is subject to restrictions in content, preparation and handling. Each five-digit military and post office ZIP code [APO/FPO] has specific restrictions. For specific restrictions and mailing prices to an APO/FPO address, visit the Postal Service's online price calculator or a local post office or call 1-800-ASK-USPS. The following are prohibited in the regions of Operation New Dawn in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan:
? Horror comics and obscene articles like prints, paintings, cards, films and videotapes;
? Anything depicting nude or seminude persons, pornographic or sexual items, or unauthorized political materials;
? Bulk quantities of religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith, though items for personal use are permitted, and,
? Pork or pork by-products.
[Source: AFPS Cheryl Pellerin article 8 Oct 2010 ++]
Fire Prevention Month: October is Fire Prevention Month. Safety concerns are always a concern at our homes of which available research indicates the risks of falls, fires and water are the greatest. According to the national Institute of Standards and Technology ?four-fifths of all fire deaths occur in homes.? The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends the following:
? Everyone should have a home fire escape plan.
? Include everyone in your household in the planning process and practice the plan at least twice a year. Plan for anyone who has a disability.
? Make sure that there are two ways out of every room and out of every building.
? Have a meeting place (something permanent, like a tree, light pole, or mail box) in front of the home where everyone should meet after escaping a fire.
? Keep a phone for emergency calls by your bed in case you become trapped by smoke or fire and are unable to escape.
? People who are hearing impaired and use text telephone devices (TTYs-TDDs) should call the TTY-equipped 911 center or the emergency services center in their communities.
? Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside each bedroom and outside all sleeping areas. Test smoke alarms monthly. If you are unable to reach the alarm, consider getting alarms that you can test with a flashlight or a television remote.
? If you must wait for rescue, close the door to keep smoke out, wait by a window, and make your presence known to arriving firefighters.
[Source: Veterans today journal Michael Leon article 5 Oct 2010 ++]
Long Term Care
Vet Home Patient Neglect Update 01: The Government Accountability Office has been asked by Congress to research instances of abuse and/or neglect in State Veterans Homes and VA Community Living Centers. They are now reaching out to the veteran population to better understand and portray the realities of life in a nursing home. If you have first-hand information regarding abuse or neglect, you are requested to e-mail the GAO at vetnursinghomeabuse@gao.gov . No personal information or medical history will be included in their final report. [Source: VFW Washington Weekly 1 Oct 2010 ++]
Notes of Interest
25
Post Office Denied Rate Hike: On 29 SEP the Postal Regulatory Commission (the independent panel that oversees the Postal Service) unanimously denied the Post Office’s request to raise the first class rate from 44 cents rate to 46 cents as well as increasing rates for periodicals, post cards and packages. The Postal Service may file a legal appeal, may file a new ?special rate-increase request to the Commission or request a smaller rate hike based on inflation. The Postal Service has not said what they would do. They argue that last year the Post Office lost $3.8 billion.
Two Movie Greats (and Veterans) Die: Tony Curtis died 28 SEP at the age of 85. Mr. Curtis not only starred in over 100 films, he served in the Pacific during World War II. He served in the Navy on the U.S.S. Proteus, a submarine tender and watched through binoculars the formal surrender of Japan on the U.S.S. Missouri. After returning home he used the GI bill to study acting in New York City. On 29 SEP the director of ?Bonnie and Clyde? and ?The Miracle Worker?, Arthur Penn died. He also served in World War II and used his GI Bill to study in North Carolina’s Black Mountain College.
DVA Receives “A” from Small Business Administration: The SBA has awarded an A to the VA for its dramatic success in contracting with Service-Disabled Veterans owned Small Businesses. The government wide statutory goal is that all agencies and Departments award 3% of its acquisition dollars to Service-disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses. VA reached 17% this year.
Senate votes to limit loudness of TV commercials: On 29 SEP the Senate unanimously passed a bill late to require television stations and cable companies to keep commercials at the same volume as the programs they interrupt. The House has passed similar legislation. Before it can become law, minor differences between the two versions need to be worked out when Congress returns to Washington after the Nov. 2 election.
Tylenol Use Increases Risk Of Asthma: Taking acetaminophen (Tylenol®) once a month more than doubles the risk of asthma in adolescents. And, even taking the drug just once a year boosts the risk by 50%. These findings are from a new study slated to be published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. ?This study has identified that the reported use of acetaminophen in 13- and 14-year-old adolescent children was associated with an exposure-dependent increased risk of asthma symptoms,? notes lead author Richard Beasley, MD.
Senate backlog: In February, House leadership counted 290 bills that the House passed that the Senate had not yet taken up. The new numbers are in, and the tally of bills stalled in the World's Most Deliberative Body now stands at 420. According to The Hill, the gap grew by 48 bills during the three weeks Congress was in session in September.
Austin TX VAMC: The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced the construction of a new medical clinic in Austin Texas. The $224 million construction contract awarded this week is to build the largest VA clinic in the country and is planned to be a state-of-the-art facility. It will triple the size of the present clinic (to 185,000 sq. feet) and will double the staff size (from the present 182 people to 315). It is expected to be completed in 2012.
2010 Veterans Day Poster Available Online: You can now download this year’s Veterans Day Poster. At http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/gallery.asp. The poster designed by Ron Bergan of the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare system shows on a black wall a listing of U.S. military campaigns throughout our history above a draped United States Flag.
Vets with service connected burns. Disabled veterans with severe service connected burns will become eligible for automobile and adaptive equipment grants from the Veterans Affairs Department under an expansion of benefits approved by Congress, and the biggest grants will increase from the current $11,000 to a maximum of $18,900. The assistance has been limited to those with the loss — or loss of use — of one or both arms, legs or hands, or who
26
have severe vision problems, defined as visual acuity of 20/200 or less and a field of peripheral vision of 20 degrees or less.
[Source: Various Oct 2010 ++]