Data Breach at the VA: What We Know
On September 14th, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Management announced a data breach involving the personal information of approximately 46,000 Veterans. Here’s what we know.
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Resiliency Programs for Military Children
The daily challenges faced by military children make them resilient. They withstand deployments, moves, and traveling the world. Their experience is unique, and should be appreciated by, and reflected in, the support they receive. Here are three completely free programs which recognize this unique experience, and offer tools to help keep military children strong—physically, emotionally, and mentally.
DoD Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
In light of the recent tragic death of Fort Hood soldier Pfc. Vanessa Guillen, a spotlight has turned to the topic of sexual harassment and assault within the military. Pfc. Guillen was killed after experiencing sexual harassment from soldiers within her unit. In a properly supervised and educated military structure, there should have been many individuals to keep this from happening.
Watchdog Reports Troops May Not Be Receiving Adequate Health Care
Watchdog Reports: Troops and Families May Not Be Receiving Adequate Mental Health Care Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, military families were having trouble getting the mental health care they needed, according to new data from an online survey conducted in late 2019. Whether they are active-duty families, military retiree families or veteran families, about half… Read more »
National Guard Suicides Highest in Active Military
More than 78,000 veterans died by suicide between 2005 and 2017, according to the VA. Veteran suicide deaths rose from 5,787 in 2005 to 6,139 in 2017. Within the active military, the National Guard, has the highest rate of any branch, according to the most recent DoD Annual Suicide Report.
Preventing Veteran Suicide
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the military. An average of 20 veterans die by suicide each day. Alarmingly, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the rate of suicide has spiked by 35% since 1999, and it’s still on the rise.
Choose Veteran-Owned Businesses
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), there are roughly 2.4 million Veteran-owned companies in the United States, and those companies employ an estimated 5.8 million people. The SBA also states that 45% of veterans are self-starters that own their own businesses. With a driven mindset, and the learned ability to thrive under pressure,… Read more »
Largest VA Budget Proposal Passes House
Largest VA Budget Proposal Passes House On July 24th, legislation providing appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (HR 7608) passed the House with a contentious vote of 224 in favor and 189 opposed to the legislation. What is remarkable about this bill is that it was only introduced 11 days before it was approved,… Read more »
Resources for Voting OCONUS
OCONUS Voting: Resources and “How To” Americans living overseas became eligible to vote years after women and minorities in the United States. Following a successful “teabag campaign” by members of the Association of American Residents Overseas, legislation was passed in 1976 allowing Americans living overseas to vote. Overseas voters – many of whom are military… Read more »
Federal Commission Recommends Marijuana Research for Veterans
COVER Commission Recommends Marijuana & Psychedelic Research for PTSD Treatment The COVER (Creating Options for Veterans Expedited Recover) Commission, which is a federal commission that evaluates mental health treatment options for veterans within the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), released a report in January of this year recommending the VA expand its mental health research… Read more »