USO: United Service Organization

One of the most serious problems facing all veterans today is the lack of proper healthcare. Soldiers, sailors and airmen are leaving active duty without having proper healthcare to cover their physical or mental injuries. The department responsible for veteran’s healthcare is the Department of Veterans Affairs. (VA) According to The department of Veterans Affairs website, “The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is responsible for administering programs of veterans’ benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors. The benefits provided include disability compensation, pension, education, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivors’ benefits, medical benefits and burial benefits. It is administered by the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.” The VA, who was formerly called the Veterans Administration, was established 21 July 1930, to consolidate and coordinate government activities affecting war veterans. The VA encompassed the functions of the former U.S. Veterans ' Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. On 25 October 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating a new federal Cabinet-level Department of Veterans Affairs to replace the Veterans Administration effective 15 March 1989 (V.A.)

The Non Commissioned Officer (NCO); the "backbone" of the Marine Corps. The driving force behind the battle of Belleau Wood, the battle of Hue City, the fight for Fallujiah, the taking of Marjah and, most recently, the battle against suicide and sexual harassment. No other group of men and women in the world have been called to fight across such a broad area of operation. As we look at the ever-adapting role of the NCO, we must first look to the past. One of the foremost examples that comes to mind is John Basilone. To Marines, Basilone needs no introduction. He was a hero, and Sergeant when he was awarded the Medal of Honor. No words can better describe his heroism than his citation. “For extraordinary heroism and conspicuous

The U.S. Marine Corps’ is thought to be one of the five free standing military departments, but in all actuality there is only three departments. The U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Navy are the only branches of the military that are correctly recognized as their own departments. There are two other Branches of the military that are under the U.S. Navy, one is the United States Marine Corps’. They were created to protect, but now they need protecting from budget cuts and disbanding. In order to protect the Corps’, they need to become their own U.S. Department, with their own funding and supplies.

This report is the result of the contributions of several team members, who conducted site visits, processed and analyzed data, managed team activities, and enabled the Grant Thornton team to execute a rigorous study over a short period of time. The team was led by Grant Thornton, with integral support from team member FTI Consulting, and three independent contractors.

On Monday, January 18, 2016, at about 1515 hours, while present at group 31 office, Lt. Bava, Sgt. Laporta and I, conducted the P.G. 206-13 hearing of Sgt. Jennifer Lavelle, Tax #933921, currently assigned to the Critical Response Command. The hearing took place at 241 37 Street, Third Floor, Brooklyn, N.Y. Sgt. Lavelle was represented by SBA Trustee Cliff Thieleke. Sgt. Lavelle was interviewed as a witness. The interview was recorded on an Olympus brand digital voice recorder and upload into ICIS. In sum and substance Sgt. Lavelle stated the following;

U.S veterans former, and current have fought or are fighting and have died in battle serving this wonderful country. More former veterans than ever are coming back disabled either mentally or physically. There are hundreds of disabled veteran foundations in the United States today, but a lot are a fraud. Everybody who has not served should donate a good amount of money of these foundations and not be worried about the foundations keeping it or giving it to someone else who shouldn’t receive it. We owe our lives to these men and women. Like Elmer Davis once said, ¨Our nation is the land of the brave because it is the home of the brave¨ (Elmer.). More Veterans are coming back disabled than ever before. To see the disgusted and sad faces on these families of these heroes who can’t live the way they used to is extremely depressing, You should

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a government-run military veteran benefit system that provides essential financial and medical assistance to veterans and their families that are located all over the world. (www.va.gov) As the country and the military’s needs change, the VA needs to continue to evolve and grow. With this thought in mind, it is necessary to understand how the department is coping with the many different challenges that they are currently facing to effectively address the current issues and policy pitfalls. The most critical issues presently facing the VA, is the concern over long increasing wait-times and backlogs for services, which have emerged since 9/11 and are primarily the result of the growing

No military in the history of the world has been more widely deployed than the United States. The United States currently has troops stationed in 150 countries, and each year thousands of American citizens are sent abroad for active duty. However, the mental health of veterans are not taken into consideration when they return home. Many have been exposed to prolonged periods of combat-related stress or traumatic events that can lead to severe disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI)—which can plague veterans for the rest of their lives. Groups such as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America are advocating for change due to the high suicide rates of veterans who are not receiving adequate help for their conditions. It is estimated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that 22 veterans commit suicide every day after a long struggle with the physical and mental tolls of war. However, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been insufficiently handling with the current numbers of veterans with mental health conditions— which is a key element of this issue. To deal with this problem, President Obama signed a bill this past March to allow greater access of mental health care for veterans. The bill is aimed at suicide prevention by simplifying the health care process, as well as by collaborating with nonprofit mental health organizations to effectively reach the public. Psychiatry students are also

Much like the people who serve and will ultimately utilize this organization, The Veterans administration (VA) has a set of core values each member of the armed forces live by: integrity, respect, excellence, advocacy and commitment. The VA has always signified a place of hope and security for veterans past and present. For those who serve the expectation is that when they need medical, dental, housing, educational and other assistance the VA would be there. Marred by problems over the years and recently in the media highlighted for long wait times to receive medical attention , bureaucratic red tape to receive the benefits these veterans have earned, some have paid the ultimate price (death) which they expected to happen in some foreign land not at home.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs overseas various Organizations that assist those who have served in the United States of America’s armed forces, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is one of them. Health care is a necessity that is not cheap for Americans. Most veterans qualify for this type of health care, which is a benefit well earned after serving their country. The process can be a lengthy and drawn out for several reasons. Healthcare after all is a business, and in every business organizations there are controversies. Often healthcare is associated with good ethical practices however, that is not always the case. For the past few months there has been a spotlight placed on the VHA, however, this is not the

The USO has played an important role in the lives of service members and their families

Americorps, an organization known nationwide, is a civil program that brings together adults from a range of different age groups and backgrounds to accomplish one mission, and that is to serve their country through aiding people and communities in need. There are three major Americorp programs; Americorps State and National, Americorps NCCC, and Americorps Vista. Americorps State and National is the most popular and largest Americorps program since its expansion in 1993, by President Bill Clinton. The purpose of the program is to meet community needs in Health, Education, Environment, and Public Safety. Americorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corporation) is open to young adults from ages 18-24, who are placed in states where there

Moving from the headquarters side of the USO, I wanted to speak a little bit about the USO that is close to me. I had the pleasure of speaking with a very kind lady, Theresa Guadagno. Theresa is the Center Operations Supervisor (other known as the Volunteer Manager) for the USO on Ft. Riley, KS, Home of the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division). Ft. Riley is in North Central Kansas along the Kansas River in both Geary and Riley counties. Before taking over the position that Theresa currently has, she volunteered to the Ft. Riley

Veterans are heroes in the eyes of many citizens of the United States. There are over 20 million veterans who have risked their lives at young ages to help give this nation a fear free life. They serve and protect the land for their children, spouses, parents, family, and neighbors. Yet they are not treated with the love and respect they truly deserve. Those who have served took a devastating loss when the, “House Appropriations Subcommittee marked up the 2016 Veterans Affairs funding bill, and slashed more than $1.4 billion from the president 's requested budget for America’s Veterans” ( ask mrs. Pyle 8). Today, the nation’s hero are treated worse than prisoners who have committed murder or rape. While these criminals have a safe and warm place to stay, there are many homeless veterans who are starving and out in the cold. There are veteran centers around the United States, but they are over capacity, and some do not give the care the veterans desperately need. The men and woman are only allowed to see the doctors who work for the V.A., or the appointment and the treatment will not be accepted by the insurance. Instead of spending money on new faculties, the government feels that when another country is in trouble, they deserve the money more than their own people. Veterans of the United States are being put on the back burner while the government gives more attention to the murderers and child molesters in prison, other countries that have people in need just like the

Less than two years ago, on labor day weekend, there were several United States troops in Okinawa, Japan. Four of these troops met in Naha at a club. They joked about grabbing a girl from the town to have some fun. One man refused, while the remaining three, two marines and a sailer went searching for a girl. The three men rented a white Subaru Sedan and noticed a girl walking alone, a twelve year old elementary school student.