When the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. in 1982, a promise was made to never forget those who served and sacrificed their lives in the Vietnam War. Etched in its black granite walls are the names of 58,318 service members who were killed or remain missing. The Wall honors their courage, sacrifice, and devotion to duty and country. Since its inception, The Wall has become a sacred place for loved ones and visitors to pay their respects. By separating the war from the warrior, The Wall began a process of national healing.
This year marks the 35th Anniversary of The Wall. In commemoration of the Anniversary, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is honored to host the 2017 Reading of the Names of the more than 58,000 service members inscribed on The Wall in Washington, D.C. The Reading of the Names will take place at The Wall for 65 hours over a four-day period beginning with an opening ceremony on Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 3:00 p.m.

All honorably discharged veterans will have access to the online exchanges as of that date. VetVerify is the first step in the eligibility process. Some veterans will be chosen as “beta testers” and will have access to the online stores before 11 NOV; the earlier veterans complete the verification process, the better their chances of becoming beta testers, according to officials with the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, which administers the verification for all the military exchange services. Veterans who register through VetVerify.org will receive notification of their acceptance as eligible online shoppers or, if their records are incomplete, will receive guidance on the steps they can take to update those records.

You may be wondering what action you need to take, if any, to ensure you continue TRICARE coverage in 2018. If you’re currently enrolled in or eligible for TRICARE coverage on Dec. 31, 2017, you’ll transition to your respective TRICARE plan on to enroll in the plan of your choice. All beneficiaries should take action by making sure their information is current in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). If you’ve experienced any changes (for example, marriage, birth, divorce and death), update DEERS as soon as possible to ensure continuous TRICARE coverage.
Beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Prime, either stateside or overseas, as of Dec. 31, 2017 will remain enrolled in TRICARE Prime on Jan. 1, 2018. If you have TRICARE Standard or TRICARE Extra as of Dec. 31, 2017, you’ll transition to TRICARE Select. TRICARE Select replaces TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra on Jan. 1, 2018.

“The PenFed Foundation has supported post 9/11 veterans in time of need with emergency financial assistance. Through the new partnership with the DAV, qualifying veterans of all eras who are working with a national service officer and have a VA or military disability rating, or have a pending claim for benefits, are now eligible for a one-time, need-based grant.” This is an excerpt from an article by Charity Edgar

Excerpts for an article in the DAV magazine –
“What’s most important about the annual meeting is the free flowing information and exchange of ideas,” said current national commander of the Commander and Adjutants Association President Danny Oliver.

In my personal opinion, it is important that information from the commanders and adjutants association, as well as the meeting itself, be passed down to the chapters. If you don’t pass it down it does no good for anyone.

On September 8, 2017 U.S Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Congressman Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to help rural veterans get to and from their medical appointments more easily.
The Rural Veterans Transportation Enhancement Act will:
Expand a pilot program that reimburses veterans
and eligible beneficiaries for travelling to
Vet Centers for mental health care and counseling.
Make the Veterans Transportation Service
program, which allows local VA facilities to hire
drivers and purchase vehicles to transport veterans
to their appointments, permanent.
Extend a grant that allows Veterans Service
Organizations and State Veterans Service Agencies
to explore new approaches to provide transportation
or travel assistance.
Expedite the certification process for volunteer
drivers serving veterans through the Veterans Transportation Service program.
This legislation is endorsed by the Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Assoiation, and other veteran service organization.

Currently, Tricare operates on the October to September fiscal year for most coverages. But that changes in 2018. Starting Jan. 1, Tricare will instead operate on a calendar year. That means annual enrollment fees for some users, such as retirees, will be due Jan. 1 instead of Oct. 1, and all catastrophic caps and annual deductibles will reset on Jan. 1 instead of Oct. 1.
Many Tricare users like the freedom of switching between Tricare Prime and Standard based on their current life situations. That flexibility, however, is going away with the new Tricare Select system. Instead, users will be able to switch only during annual open enrollment or when they have a “qualifying life event
The new system, however, brings two enrollment changes for children.
First, all active-duty children newly enrolled in DEERS will be automatically put on Tricare Prime if they live near a military treatment facility or Tricare Select if they are overseas or outside the “Prime service area.”
If parents want a different plan, they must call Tricare within 90 days of birth or adoption, or wait until the next annual open enrollment period or “qualifying life event” to change plans.
If parents fail to enroll their child in DEERS before the 90-day mark, the child will be able to be seen only at on- base clinics on a space-available

Service members will have less time to claim disability compensation before leaving the military but should get benefits faster under changes being made by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Starting Oct. 1, troops who want to resolve disability claims before leaving the military must enroll in the “Benefits Delivery at Discharge” program 90 days from separation rather than the current 60 days, the VA announced this month

Congress moved closer Monday to approving help for tens of thousands of veterans exposed to toxic “burn pits” in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The “Helping Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits Act” passed the Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 but still needs to pass the House.
Health effects from exposure to chemicals found in burn pits may include cancer, neurological effects, reproductive effects, respiratory toxicity, and cardiovascular toxicity. Studies suggest that troops who worked in these areas are subject to higher rates of asthma, emphysema, and rare lung disorders.

Senators are poised to approve a massive $700 billion defense bill Monday night, setting the stage for a budget fight on how to fund a major increase in military spending.
The plan, like its counterpart in the House, surpasses budget caps of $549 billion for defense spending and will require new congressional action to be enacted. Without it, the effort could trigger automatic, across-the-board budget cuts.
Opponents have already thwarted earlier efforts to lift or repeal the caps. Among them, Democrats are angling for non-defense spending increases in exchange for a larger defense deal.
“Democrats are thinking they are going to have more leverage” when a budget fight comes later this year, said Lauren Fish, a defense strategies research associate for the Washington think tank Center for a New American Security. “It’s a political game to what is a very serious budgetary problem.”
There’s plenty at stake. For example, the Senate’s version of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act proposes pay raises for servicemembers, funding of new ships and aircrafts and boosting missile defense as part of a larger effort to address years of cutbacks and readiness concerns.