RAO

BULLETIN

15 December 2016

HTML Edition

THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

Pg Article Subject

. * DOD * .

04 == Selective Service System [22] -- (Plan Dropped to Register Women)

05 == Selective Service System [23] ----- (Obama on Female Registration)

06 == Military Awards Review [03] ------------------------ (Navy Upgrades)

07 == NDAA 2017 [22] -------------- (Draft Compromise Reached | $619B)

08 == NDAA 2017 [23] ------------- (Senate Sends $618.7B Bill to Obama)

09 == Commissary Reform ------- (DECA's Ability to Reform Questioned)

10 == Commissary Private Label Products --------- (Coming in May 2017)

10 == DoD Fraud, Waste & Abuse ------- (Reported 01 thru 15 DEC 2016)

13 == POW/MIA Recoveries ------------ (Reported 1 thru 15 DEC 2016 | Five)

. * VA * .

15 == VA Emergency Care [10] -------------- (Vets Being Stiffed on ER Bills)

15 == VA Nursing [06] ---- (Full Practice Authority Regulation Amended)

16 == VA Secretary [50] ---------------- (Trump Urged to Keep McDonald)

17 == VA OPC Medicine -------------------------- (New Copay Tier System)

18 == VA Hepatitis C Care [16] -------- (High Cure Rates with New Drugs)

19 == VA Medical Center Rating System ---------- (Heretofore Not Public)

21 == VA Cemeteries [15] -- (PreNeed Eligibility Determination Program)

22 == VA Privatization [08] -- (Make Everyone Pay for Health Insurance)

22 == VA Project Funding ----------- (Money Needed for 24 Stalled Ones)

23 == VA Prostate Cancer Program [13] ----------------- (PCF Partnership)

24 == VA Home Loan [44] --------- (Usage Tripled After Mortgage Crisis)

24 == VA Blood Pressure Study ----- (ACC/Nam Vet Hypertension Links)

25 == VACAA Constitutionality --------- (U.S. Court of Appeals Hearing)

26 == Seasonal Affective Disorder [01] --------- (Winter Blues Treatment)

26 == VA Digital Health Platform ---------- (Program Detailed Overview)

27 == VA Burial Payment ---------------- (DVA Maryland Delays | $2.7M)

28 == Vets.gov [03] ------------------ (Use to Manage Health Care & Benefits)

29 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ------------- (Reported 1 thru 15 DEC 2016)

31 == Fisher House Expansion [16] --------------- (14 New Sites Proposed)

32 == VAMC Tomah WI [17] ------------------------ (Dental Patient Recall)

32 == VAMC New Orleans LA ---------- (New Facility Open for Business)

33 == VAMC Phoenix AZ - (Whistleblowers Credited With Saving Lives)

34 == VAMC McGuire VA [01] --------------------- (Pharmacy Violations)

35 == VA HCS Bay Pines FL --------------- (Body Left 9 Hours in Shower)

. * Vets * .

36 == Enlistment Bonus Payback [06] ---- (NDAA Compromise Provision)

36 == Wisconsin Veterans Homes [05] ----- (Immediate Jeopardy Citation)

37 == GI Bill [215] ---------------------------- (Overseas College Utilization)

38 == WWII Vets 123 ------------------------- (Ralph L. Rossman | Infantryman)

39 == WWII Vets 124 ----------------- (Lauren Bruner | USS Arizona Survivor)

41 == Famous Vets ---------------------- (Martha Raye | Honorary USA/USMC)

42 == Vet Pain --------------- (More Prevalent and Severe than in Nonveterans)

43 == Vet Jobs [203] ---------------------------------- (Virginia MMAC Program)

44 == Vet Jobs [204] -------------------- (Health Care Employment on the Rise)

45 == Vet Jobs [205] ---------------- (Post-9/11 vet Unemployment Rate Rises)

46 == Vet Jobs [206] --------------------- (Lowe's Big on Vet with Service Dog)

47 == Retiree Appreciation Days -------------------------- (As of DEC 14, 2016)

48 == Vet Hiring Fairs ------------------------------- (16 DEC thru 15 JAN 2016)

48 == Vet State Benefits & Discounts ---------------------- (South Dakota 2016)

* Vet Legislation * .

49 == Military Food Stamps [02] -------- (Military Hunger Prevention Act)

50 == PTSD Punitive Discharges [05] --------------- (Fairness for Vets Act)

51 == GI Bill [216] ----------------------- (S.1938/HR2360 Signed Into Law)

51 == Congressional Gold Medal [07] ----------------- (Filipino WWII Vets)

51 == OSS Congressional Gold Medal Act [01] - (House Approves S.2234)

53 == VA Health Care Access [46] ------------------- (H.R.6407 Introduced)

53 == VA Claims Processing [17] ---- (H.R.5166 | Streamlining Resistance)

54 == Vet Health Care [03] ----------- (H.R.6416 | Omnibus Improvements)

55 == Vet Legislative Issues 2016 [02] -- (Omnibus Reform Bill H.R.6416)

56 == VA Employee Accountability [03] --- (Fire if Felony Convicted Bill)

56 == House Vet Bill Progress --------------------------- (5 thru 9 DEC 2016)

. * MILITARY * .

57 == Civilian Run Military Importance ---------------- (SECDEF Nominee)

58 == Discharge Review Boards [01] ---- (PTSD Must Now be Considered)

58 == PowerWalk -------------------- (Army Strap On Battery Pack Charger)

59 == DoD 2018 Budget ------- (Navy Says 'NO' to Shipbuilding $17B Cut)

61 == Commissary Medical Clinics -------- (Navy Pilot Program in Florida)

62 == Enlistment Bonus [07] --- (Public Faith Hurt by Recoupment Effort)

62 == Ammunition ------------- (USA & USMC Rifle Ammo Requirements)

63 == USCG Enlisted Rating Titles ---------------------- (Phase Out Not Likely)

63 == Other than Honorable Discharge [06] --- (Wounded Soldiers Treatment)

65 == USS Colorado (SSN-778) ------------------------------- (Christened 3 Dec)

67 == U.S. Philippine Bases [13] -------------- (Freedom-of-Navigation Patrols)

67 == U.S. Philippine Bases [14] ---------- (PHIBLEX and CARAT Cancelled)

68 == Submarine Aircraft Carriers ----------------------- (The Ultimate Weapon)

. * MILITARY HISTORY * .

71 == WWII Speculation ---------------------- (What If No Pearl Harbor Attack)

73 == Pearl Harbor Day ---------- (2016 | Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI)

75 == Battle of Verdun Facts ------------ (10 Facts About Longest WWI Battle)

75 == Military History Anniversaries --------------------------- (16 thru 31 DEC)

75 == Medal of Honor Citations -------------------- (Elrod, Henry T | WWII)

. * HEALTH CARE * .

77 == NDAA 2017 [24] ---------------------- (Approved TRICARE Changes)

78 == Navy Medicine ----------------------- (Surgeon General Reform Aims)

80 == TRICARE Coverage [06] --------------------- (AOI & Urinary System)

80 == Cancer Moonshot Initiative ----------------------- (VA's Involvement)

81 == Dental Cost --------------------------------- (Avoid Crazy Dental Fees)

83 == Dental Cost [01] ---------------------------------------- ( Delaying Care)

84 == PTSD [224] -------------------------- (SGB Study Participants Needed)

85 == PTSD [225] --------------------------------------- (Holiday Season Tips)

86 == FLU Prevention [06] ------------------- (Staying Healthy This Season)

87 == Traumatic Brain Injury [58] ------------ (DVBIC TBI Family Podcast)

88 == Smoking [03] --------------------------------- (No Safe Level of Usage)

88 == TRICARE Podcast 376 -- (Nurse Advice Line | ACA | Avoiding Fraud)

90 == TRICARE Podcast 377 ------ (Traveling | Tax Webinar | Handwashing)

. * FINANCES * .

91 == Selfie Sextortion Scam --------------------------------- (How it Works)

92 == Saving Money ----------------------------------- (Stocking Up Limitations)

93 == Tax Burden for Mississippi Retired Vets ------------- (As of DEC 2016)

. * GENERAL INTEREST * .

94 == Notes of Interest ------------------------------------- (1 thru 15 DEC 2016)

96 == 114th Congress [05] ------------------------------ (What it Accomplished)

98 == WWII Merchant Marines ---- (Congressional Gold Medal Legislation)

98 == Air Force One ------------------------ (Replacement Cost Out of Control)

100 == Have You Heard? ------------ (How to live like you're in the U.S. Navy)

Note:

1. The page number on which an article can be found is provided to the left of each articles title

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.

. * ATTACHMENTS * .

Attachment - South Dakota Vet State Benefits & Discounts DEC 2016

Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 16 thru 31 DEC

Attachment - WWI Battle of Verdun Facts

* DoD *

Selective Service System Update 22 Plan Dropped to Register Women

Lawmakers have officially dropped plans to