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Military Times
Democratic lawmakers are pushing for a full investigation into what role a small group of President Donald Trump's personal friends may have in influencing Veterans Affairs policy, calling it a possible violation of federal law and public safety.
"These accounts ... paint a disturbing picture of corruption and cronyism that is not only antithetical to transparent, accountable and ethical government, but will make it more difficult for (VA Secretary Robert Wilkie) to lead the VA in a way that allows him to exercise his independent judgement," Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, wrote in a letter to the VA inspector general's office.
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Military Times
Sen. Johnny Isakson writes: "America is the greatest country in the world because of those who have put their lives on the line to defend it, and we have an obligation to serve those who have served us. As chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am committed to helping ensure that our veterans who have borne the battle receive quality care and services they can count on. We're all too aware of the problems of the past that have plagued the Department of Veterans Affairs".
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Military Times
In his first public speech since taking over the Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie reiterated his promises to push that bureaucracy towards more customer-friendly practices and more flexible access for beneficiaries. "VA exists to make life easier for veterans," he told a crowd of veterans at the AMVETS annual convention in Orlando, Florida. "So my prime directive is customer service. When a veteran comes in to VA, it is not up to him to get VA to say 'yes.' It is up to VA to give the veteran tools."
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USA Today
Americans get a patriotic feeling when they donate to charities that help military veterans and current service members — a sentiment dozens of charities across the U.S. have exploited to scam millions of dollars in donations, a government watchdog agency says.
A major offender, officials say, was Help the Vets, which had a nationwide operation, soliciting donations for its funding of veterans' medical care, including breast cancer treatment, a suicide prevention program, retreats for recuperating from stress and veterans fighting breast cancer.
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Four month average turn around with the VA’s Pension with Aid and Attendance
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Military.com
Those at all interested in real estate continue to watch the slow creep of loan interest rates. For now, the rates are staying competitive, but loan experts expect interest rates to increase in upcoming months. Assuming a VA Loan might become an attractive option in the near future for both military home buyers and sellers.
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The San Diego Tribune
This November, California voters will be asked to rack up even more debt on the state's credit card. Proposition 1, if approved, would authorize $4 billion in new general obligation bond debt, ostensibly for affordable housing and additional units for military veterans.
It's not uncommon when discussing large sums of money for people's eyes to glaze over at the large number of zeros, so let's break it down. G.O. bonds have first call on California General Fund revenue and must be paid off before any other programs (including education and law enforcement) can be funded. The passage of Proposition 1 would result in General Fund debt payments of roughly $200 million annually for 35 years.
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Forbes
Veterans groups representatives and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association have raised concerns about legislation that would cap the educational benefits of the GI Bill for those pursuing careers as pilots, discouraging interested veterans at a time when aviation faces chronic pilot shortages in the U.S. and around the world.
The military has been a source of new pilots for private and commercial aviation for decades, but changes to pilot training programs at the Navy and Air Force, and a change in tactics favoring unmanned aircraft, have made it much harder for the military to train and retain qualified pilots.
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Military.com
You could live in the boonies, or maybe you have five kids and a job that keeps you at your desk until 7 p.m. every night. Or perhaps you're on the road five days a week.
You want to get ahead and know a master's of business administration (MBA) degree could be the ticket, but for one reason or another, you can't attend class at the local university. Should you consider enrolling in an online MBA program, or is that a waste of time and money?
The answer depends upon several factors, including what you hope to gain from your degree, your own temperament and where you plan to go after graduation.
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By Lisa Mulcahy
 You're meeting with a trusted client — and you blank on her name. You can't remember for the life of you where you put your pager. You forgot to return one email — which started a chain reaction of confusion among your colleagues regarding tomorrow's presentation. We've all made a memory-related work mistake or two — it happens when you've got lots on your plate. Here's some good news: There are fast and easy strategies you can employ to effectively jog your memory in the moment, helping you to remember everything you need, no matter how busy your workday is.
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Task & Purpose
As the American military becomes more isolated from society and society more disconnected from war, public understanding of its military will continue to impact the interest among young people to serve and the burden of war on military members and families. The familiarity gap between the military and society exacerbates contradictory attitudes towards the military community: the military as an institution enjoys incredible public support, but the emergence of "generations of war" given high service rates among children of service members are met with shrinking familial connections to the military.
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| | THIS WEEK'S POLL QUESTION |
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Veterans Association of America wants to know ...
Do you see a changes in assistance being provided under the Trump Administration?
- I have been provided more assistance than before for employment.
- No, I think the system is the same with a lot of talk.
- I'm not really sure what's changed other than the transfer of Administrations.
- I'm on the fence when it comes to assistance being provided.
- I think it's tough to say as it depends on what services are being provided.
Click here to provide Veterans Association of America your answer.
We assess all answers with the utmost of care and consideration. Survey results revealed in next week's VAA Dispatch.
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| | VAA RESOURCES — JOB SEARCH, GRANTS, RESEARCH |
 Get what you need with these resources available to veterans and family members.
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