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October 24, 2012

News for Reservists

Top Story

VA is more likely to deny benefits claims from reservists
Reserve and National Guard personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are four times more likely to see their disability compensation claims denied by the Veterans Affairs Department than other veterans, according to information obtained by Veterans for Common Sense. "This is disturbing, and what is even more disturbing is we do not know why" reservists' claims are being denied, said Tom Tarantino of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. In 2008, the VA was twice as likely to deny claims from reservists and guardsmen. Air Force Times(free registration) (10/23)

In the Pentagon

Britain aims for greater cooperation with U.S. on defense
Its budgets tight, Britain is hoping to work closely with the U.S. on weapons programs in the future, cooperating on development in a way that benefits both nations. Such a move follows a NATO policy known as "smart defense," in which allies jointly develop weapons programs, said Geoff Gladding, regional director for defense and security sales at Britain's trade and investment office. Reuters (10/24)

Pentagon will examine defense future after F-35, F-22 retirement
The Department of Defense has invited the aerospace industry into a discussion of the future of defense programs, involving development of defense concepts that take the place of the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets after they are retired. A Pentagon memo introduced an 18-month initiative to examine the next era of defense, an effort that will be sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Bloomberg Businessweek (10/22)

On the Hill

Obama's sequestration remark surprises defense officials
President Barack Obama's statement in Monday's debate that sequestration cuts will not go into effect surprised many in Washington. Defense industry officials responded cautiously, noting that Congress still needs to address sequestration in a lame-duck session. Politico (Washington, D.C.) (10/23) , The Hill/DEFCON Hill blog (10/23) , Reuters (10/23)

Texas lawmaker seeks hearings on veterans' early deaths
Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, a member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, is seeking federal hearings after newspaper reports on the high number of Texas veterans who have died as a result of prescription drug overdoses. An analysis of more than 260 veterans' deaths by the Austin American-Statesman indicated that prescription drug overdose deaths are nearly as common as suicides among veterans. Navy Times/The Associated Press (10/23)

Service Section News

Will the election influence the Army's future?
Another four-year term for President Barack Obama means that the Army will proceed with plans to reduce the number of troops from 570,000 to 490,000, but Republican challenger Mitt Romney has promised to halt or even reverse the drawdown, Philip Ewing writes. However, some experts are skeptical about whether Romney would be able to follow through on his promises. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno has said that the troop drawdown may leave the Army more flexible and with a solid core of seasoned soldiers. Politico (Washington, D.C.) (10/23)

Reserve Strength

Opinion: Guard, Reserves are key to making military more cost-efficient
The cost of fielding an Army National Guardsman or reservist is less than one-third that of an active-duty soldier, writes Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, adjutant general of the California National Guard. "The path to sustainability, therefore, is clear: Any mission that can be accomplished by a reserve component unit should be assigned to a reserve component unit," he writes. The Hill/Congress Blog (10/23)

New Army Reserve chief wants to recruit private-sector workers
The new chief of the Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Talley, says the force needs more private-sector workers. "When you're bringing that reservist on board, their technical skills may be, in many cases, higher than the technical skills of the active component. ... The civilian sector is paying for that," said Talley, who is the co-founder and former CEO of Environmental Technology Solutions. Politico (Washington, D.C.) (10/24)

Reserve Life

Late payments by VA work-study program leave students scrambling
Student veterans working part time for the VA say their paychecks are arriving late, making it difficult for them to pay their bills, and in some cases forcing them to borrow money. The VA says paychecks from its St. Louis processing center, which serves 19 states, have been delayed but that workers have been hired to address the problem. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (10/23)

SmartQuote

Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we seek too late the one that is open."

--Alexander Graham Bell,
American inventor

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