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Congress acts on veteran suicides
The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
Republicans and Democrats in Congress have found something meaningful they can agree about: strengthening the nation's response to the tragic wave of veteran suicides. Recently, by a 99-0 vote, the Senate approved a bill to improve suicide prevention and mental health treatment programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Veterans Association of America wants to know...
What financial assistance has the SBA (Small Business Administration) provided you?
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Respond today — survey results revealed in next week's VAA Dispatch.
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Feb. 3 survey results: Do you utilize the VA hospital as your primary facility for your medical needs?
The important veterans' program Obama wants to cut
The Blaze
The Obama administration outraged members of Congress recently by proposing to scale back a new program aimed at letting veterans access health care outside the VA system.
Last August, Congress passed a VA reform bill that created the Veterans Choice Program, which was supposed to be a way to speed up access to health care given the breakdown within the VA itself. President Barack Obama quickly signed it into law. But, Obama just released a budget plan that said he would try to pare it back.
House bill would give veterans easier access to medical marijuana
The Huffington Post
A bipartisan bill introduced in the House of Representatives would allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend medical marijuana to military veterans in states where it is legal.
The Veterans Equal Access Act would allow VA doctors to recommend or offer opinions about medical marijuana for veterans suffering from serious injuries or chronic conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder.
Korn Ferry: Veterans are high on 'learning agility'
Military Times
Corporate leaders that talent management powerhouse Korn Ferry works with are assessed for "learning agility," described as a top predictor of leadership success. After the company teamed up with Exelis Action Corps and Points of Light on the Leveraging Military Leadership Program, Korn Ferry's experts were able to discover how veterans measure up.
Senator: College benefit for vets could cost $2 billion after ruling
Houston Chronicle
The cost of the Hazlewood Act, which covers college expenses for veterans and their families, could grow to $2 billion per year as a result of a recent court ruling, the senate's chief budget writer said.
Texas public universities spent $169 million for Hazlewood benefits in 2014.
The 10 best jobs for veterans in 2015
Forbes
Many veterans returning to the U.S. from stints overseas have years of job experience under their belts, yet they feel daunted by the challenges of making the transition into the civilian workforce. Often they've put in five, 10 or more years in the field but they don't have college degrees. While they may have driven heavy equipment, supervised troops, worked as medics or programmed computers, they're not sure how to apply those skills in the civilian world.
Veterans bring valuable job skills
Military.com
After saving lives on a foreign battle field, Eric Music was able to come back home and continue to do "his part."
Music, 31 and an Army veteran, works as a firefighter, a job that complements his military work experience and allows him a structure he was used to when he was in the Army. As veterans come back to civilian life, they may bring several skills that can be valuable to employers — a fact some employers are beginning to realize, said Cynthia Spiers, vice president of student affairs at Rhodes State College, Lima, Ohio.
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Udall introduces bill to improve VA staffing
KRWG-TV
U.S. Senator Tom Udall announced he joined U.S. Senators Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Joe Manchin, D-W.V., in introducing a bill to streamline the hiring process for medically trained service men and women to transition immediately from active duty service to caring for veterans at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. The Frontlines to Lifelines Act expands the Intermediate Care Technician pilot program, which facilitates the immediate employment of Department of Defense health personnel by seamlessly transferring their credentials and license information to the VA.
US unemployment rates spike for veterans, teens
The Associated Press via CBS DC
The U.S. job market extended its momentum into the new year as employers added 257,000 jobs in January and wages jumped. The overall unemployment rate ticked up to 5.7 percent, but the rate rose because of a good reason: More Americans felt encouraged enough to start looking for jobs, and because some didn’t find work right away, they increased the number of unemployed.
Switching uniforms: Police departments hiring veterans
The Journal News
In his previous life, Collin Breen was used to giving orders as a Marine captain and helicopter pilot who flew 20 troop transport missions a month during deployments to Iraq in 2007 and 2009.
Now, he's the lowest-ranking officer in New York's White Plains Police Department.
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