The AUSA 2009 Annual Meeting & Exposition will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC on October 5 through 7 of this year.  The Military Family Forums I, II, and III schedule follows and is subject to change:

 

• Military Family Forum I: “Army Families: The Strength Behind the Soldier”
  Monday, October 5 at 2:00 p.m. 
   
•  Military Family Forum II:  “Army Families: Thriving in the Midst of Challenge”
  Tuesday, October 6 at 8:30 a.m. 
   
• Military Family Forum III:  “Army Families: Forging a Stronger Future”
  Wednesday, October 7 at 9:30 a.m.

Please note seating is limited for the Family Forums and early RSVPs are recommended.  For updated information, please visit http://www.ausa.org/family.


Operation Thanksgiving Eagle

 

AUSA Family Programs is pleased to announce our participation in the Operation Thanksgiving Eagle (OTE) event again this year.  Operation Thanksgiving Eagle is a project to thank the children of the military for their daily sacrifices by providing free copies of Debbie Fink’s children’s activity book, It’s a Family Thanksgiving! A Celebration of an American Tradition for Children and Their Families. We were able to launch Operation Thanksgiving Eagle during the Family Forum events last year, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Raytheon. This year, we have expanded the project, as BAE Systems has joined forces with Raytheon, further increasing the number of school age children we are able to thank this Thanksgiving.  The book will be provided to Army families at no charge on a first come, first serve basis. Numbers are limited so order early by going to: http://www.ausa.org/family and click on the cover of the book to request a copy.


AUSA Family Programs Survey

 

You are invited to participate in our AUSA Family Member Survey.  We are interested in understanding the hardships family members must endure while their Servicemember is deployed, as well as your access and availability of healthcare provided by the TRICARE program. It will take approximately 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire. It is very important for us to learn your opinions in order to create family programs to meet your needs. Your survey responses will be strictly confidential and data from this research will be reported only in the aggregate. If you have questions at any time about the survey or the procedures, you may contact the AUSA Family Programs Directorate at 800.336.4570 or by email at familyprograms@ausa.org.
Thank you very much for your time and support. To take part in the AUSA Family Programs survey, please go to the following link: http://ausa.questionpro.com/


Obama Seeks Cap for Federal Pay Raises

 

President Obama is urging Congress to limit cost-of-living pay raises to 2% for 1.3 million federal employees in 2010, extending an income squeeze that has hit private workers and threatens social security recipients and even 401 (k) investors. Obama’s proposal, outlined without fanfare in a letter to congressional leaders, would leave federal workers with their lowest COLA in two decades. The president’s action comes when consumer prices have fallen 2.1% in the 12 months ending in July, because of a massive drop in energy prices. AUSA’s Resolutions support providing the same percentage of annual pay increase for the Department of the Army civilians as for military personnel. To find out more information, follow the link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-08-31-cola_N.htm?csp=34


House Quietly Gives 'Bonuses' to Top Aides

 

House of Representative members quietly gave their own staffers a new potential bonus by making even their top-earning aides eligible for taxpayer dollars to repay their student loans.  The change, which took effect in May, means House employees earning up to $168,411, or the top level, are now eligible for government-funded subsidies to help pay down their student loans. This comes just after the House punished some corporate executives for taking hefty bonus payouts a little more than a month ago.  To read this article in full, go to: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/25/exclusive-house-boosts-pay-top-aid


Mandatory Stress Tests to Begin in October

 

The Army is preparing to begin a program that will test how stress is managed by active duty, National Guard and Reserve Soldiers. The testing will begin in October.  Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum, head of the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program, says all Soldiers will get some training regardless of their scores on a confidential resiliency exam. Brig. Gen Cornum will be presenting at the AUSA Military Family Forums on Comprehensive Soldier Fitness at the AUSA Annual Meeting, October 5 through 7, 2009.  To read this article in full, please visit:  http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/ap_stress_tests_081909/


Soldier's Service Leads to Custody Battle at Home

Custody disputes involving returning members of the service have long been an unpleasant fact of military life, but the increasing number of women involved in combat overseas has brought new concerns. The Pentagon does not keep statistics on custody disputes, but military family counselors said they knew of at least five recent situations around the country in which a mother who served overseas is fighting for more access to her child. Some advocates say an unspoken bias against mothers who leave their young children has heightened both legal barriers and social stigma when these women try to resume their role as active parents after being deployed.  Several states have proposed laws to protect veterans’ custody rights, and Congress has considered legislation — some bills which would forbid judges from considering deployment or future deployment in determining custody, others that would automatically end a temporary custody arrangement once a service member returns — but military officials have generally opposed them. To read the full article, go to the New York Times website at this address: http://www.nytimes.com.  


Deployments Hard on Teens

 

According to military psychologists and pediatricians, teenagers are especially impacted by the deployment of a parent, Deployments cause stress for every family member, but teens experience added anxiety because of the unique challenges of their age. Teens who must cope with a parent's absence may experience depression, fear and anger. Teens cope with fear of their parents dying or being injured and with frustration over having to assume more home responsibilities and having less time for friends and other activities. They also may misdirect anger to the parent who remains with them at home. To combat these emotions
Dr. Keith Lemmon, Madigan Army Medical Center, suggests psychoeducation, which consists of therapy or coping skills that are offered either  to the individual or in combination with counseling. For additional information, please go to:
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/27/deployments-hard-on-teens/?feat=home_headlines


Swine Flu Test Authorized for Troops Overseas

 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the emergency use of a swine flu test for U.S. troops overseas, allowing the military to speed up diagnoses and treatment of the virus that could cause widespread infections again this fall. The FDA emergency authorization lets the Department of Defense distribute the swine flu test to its qualified laboratories which have the equipment and personnel qualified to perform and interpret test results. The FDA authorized the swine flu diagnostic test for the public in April. To read the article in its entirety, go to: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090826/ap_on_go_ot/us_swine_flu_military


Guard Opens First Patriot Academy for Dropouts

 

The Indiana Army National Guard is hosting the grand opening and dedication of the first Patriot Academy where high school dropouts who want to serve in the Guard can earn their diplomas.  The Patriot Academy is a new National Guard Bureau program and is open to candidates from all 50 states and territories who want to earn their high school diploma and serve their country.  For further information, please go to: http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/08/25/26565-guard-opens-first-patriot-academy-for-dropouts


Some Colleges Ignore Veterans' Experience

 

President Obama met with Military Times and a small group of other defense reporters on  August 4, 2009 at the White House to discuss the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Obama shared his goal to “break down the hurdles that exist between veterans and VA.” But lowering one of those hurdles — creating what Obama called “a VA that is consumer-friendly, that is oriented not towards keeping people out but bringing people in” — will not happen quickly. “It’s fair to say that this is a multiyear project.”  As evidence of that effort, Obama and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki touted a boost in VA funding, an increase of 4,000 claims adjusters since January 2007, a total of 18,000 mental health providers, a national suicide hotline, technological improvements in the benefits claims process, the ongoing effort to create electronic medical records that VA and the Pentagon can easily share and a more proactive and helpful attitude at both agencies. To find out more information, go to: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/military_obama_veterans_081309w/


Big Pay Boost Sought for Badly Injured Vets

 

A bipartisan bill, HR 3407, introduced by members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, would grant severely disabled veterans who need virtually full-time assistance carrying out routine tasks such as bathing, dressing and eating up to $1,410 more a month for assistance. Under the bill, 100 percent disabled veterans qualifying for the highest rate of special compensation because they need aid and attendance would receive up to $8,642 a month. The bill has three other key provisions: 

• Some eligibility restrictions on the highest levels of aid and attendance allowances would be relaxed so that  veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries would receive payments now limited to those who have lost limbs.
   
• Medal of Honor recipients would receive $2,000 in monthly special compensation, twice the current rate.
   
• Veterans with severe burns would be eligible for adaptive vehicle grants, something not currently covered for those with burn injuries.

To read the article, go to: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/military_severelydisabled_veteranpay_080309w/. To read the legislation, follow the link: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.3407:


Some Tricare Preventive Service are Now Free

 

TRICARE beneficiaries no longer have to pay out of pocket for immunizations, mammograms and some other preventive services; however, the benefit does not apply to all preventive services or to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. The benefit is retro active to October 14, 2008 and beneficiaries can request reimbursement for covered services they paid for from that date.  Covered preventive services include screenings for colorectal cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer; immunizations; and certain physical exams, including well-child visits for children younger than 6. The patient will not have co-payments or cost shares, even if his or her annual TRICARE deductible has not been met. To learn more, follow the link: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/09/military_tricare_preventive_services_090109w/


TRICARE Obtains Lower Prices on Retail Prescription Drugs

 

Following the full implementation of Section 703 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2008.  The Department of Defense (DoD) is projected to reduce spending by $1.67 billion on prescription medications sold in retail pharmacies in fiscal year 2010.  For the past several years the DoD has paid commercial rates for prescription drugs purchased in the TRICARE retail pharmacy network. However, DoD is included in the 1992 Veteran’s Healthcare Act as one of the “big four” government agencies entitled to federal prices when it purchases pharmaceuticals for its beneficiaries. To read the full article in its entirety, click here: http://www.tricare.mil/Pressroom/News.aspx?fid=548


New Active Duty Dental Plan Launched August 1

 

Active duty Servicemembers now have a new dental program that started Aug.1, 2009.
The new Active Duty Dental Program (ADDP) becomes the dental care plan for active duty Servicemembers (ADSMs) assigned to locations with no access to a military dental facility. ADDP is also for service members referred by their dental treatment facility (DTF) to the civilian network for specialty care or due to unavailability of timely DTF appointments. TRICARE Prime Remote enrollees–ADSMs with duty stations and residences more than 50 miles from a military dental facility–are eligible for ADDP. Reserve and National Guard members activated for more than 30 consecutive days on federal orders and who live more than 50 miles from a military dental facility are also eligible for ADDP on their activation date. To learn more, click the link: http://www.tricare.mil/Pressroom/News.aspx?fid=547


DoD Wants to Enhance Care for Caregivers

 

Over time, caregivers who help military families – whether as paid professionals or as volunteers, can begin to feel burnout, compassion fatigue, or have other problems that affect their well being.  Often, these caregivers are military spouses who are struggling to help others while dealing with their own issues related to deployments.  Zero to Three has provided training at 12 military installations and two military treatment facilities to train a variety of people on the issues of trauma, grief and loss and in taking care of themselves.  Please click on the following link to read this article in full: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/military_burnouttraining_caregivers_082109w/


Real Warriors Campaign Launches Message Board

 

The Real Warriors Campaign is pleased to announce that its newest resource, the Real Warriors Message Board, is now live on their web site, http://realwarriors.net/forum/.  Servicemembers, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, veterans, military families, and healthcare professional are encouraged to use the campaign’s message boards to connect with one another and share news, information, and insights on psychological health concerns and traumatic brain injury.  For more information about the campaign and their most recent efforts as well as to join the Real Warriors Campaign Network to receive monthly updates about the campaign, please go to http://www.realwarriors.net/listserv.


Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Primary Suicide Risk Factor For Veterans

 

Researchers working with Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have found that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the current most common mental disorder among veterans returning from service in the Middle East, is associated with an increase of suicidal thoughts in individuals.  Results of the study indicated that veterans who screened positive for PTSD were four times more likely to report suicide-related thoughts relative to veterans without the disorder.  For additional information about the research, please go to: http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/56125/


Veterans Forsake Studies of Stress

 

Researchers testing ways to treat the psychological wounds of war among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are encountering a serious roadblock: a shortage of willing study participants.  A strong stigma in the military associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is blamed for the reluctance of combat veterans to take part in a pair of treatment programs being evaluated by staff from the Veterans Administration (VA) in Boston at facilities in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.  To read this article in its entirety, please go to: http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2009/08/24/few_iraq_afghanistan_veterans_willing_to_take_part_in_boston_vas_studies_on_post_traumatic_stress/


Work Begins On Trauma Center for Injured Vets

 

Construction will begin on a facility for wounded veterans that merges the familiar look of Audie Murphy VA Hospital with the modern indoor features of the Center for the Intrepid. The $66 million, 84,000-square-foot Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center will be one of only five Level 1 centers, and the only one in the Southwest, specializing in treatment and recovery for veterans with war-related injuries. Panoramic murals, natural colors and daylight streaming through triple-pane glass panels will be incorporated into the construction of a sanctuary that embraces both beauty and function. To find out more information, go to: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/Work_begins_on_trauma_center_for_injured_vets.html


Veterans Wrongly Told They Have Fatal Disease

 

Letters were sent to 1,864 veterans concerning disability benefits for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, however the letters were sent in error.  The National Gulf War Resource Center said that at least 1,200 veterans received the letter, even though they had not been diagnosed with the illness.  Veterans were initially suspicious, but still went through the stress of not knowing whether they had the degenerative disease, which typically kills people within five years.  To read this article in full, please click on the following link: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,542086,00.html


Expanded Sick Leave Would Cover Swine Flu Caretakers

 

The government may soon extend leave policies to federal employees actively caring for family members stricken by communicable diseases, including swine flu. Similar proposals call for extending, up to 26 weeks, of unpaid leave to employees providing care to a spouse or family member stricken by injury or illness while serving in the military. To read the full article by Ed O’Keefe, go to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/26/AR2009082603604.html?referrer=emailarticle


Secretary Shinseki Moves to Simplify PTSD Compensation Rules

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking steps to assist Veterans seeking compensation for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  The VA will be publishing a proposed regulation in the Federal Register to make it easier for a Veteran to claim service connection for PTSD by reducing amount of evidence needed if the stressor claimed by a Veteran is related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity.  For further information, please go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1751


Report: No Oversight for $70M Program at VA

 

The inspector general for the Veterans Affairs Department says that agency managers were aware of serious problems with a $70 million project to replace its hospital appointment system several years before the VA dropped the program. The project was finally halted this year. The inspector general states that managers didn't take timely and appropriate action to address problems, even as millions of dollars more were put into the program. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has since ordered improvements in the VA's information technology management. But the IG says that the VA still needs more qualified staff. To learn more, follow the link: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/ap_va_oversight_082709/


VA Ends Gulf War Illness Research Contract

 

Citing persistent compliance and performance deficiencies, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
cancelled a $75 million, five-year research contract with a Texas medical center studying illnesses suffered by veterans of the first Gulf War.  The VA listed several reasons for not renewing the contract, including UT Southwestern’s failure to comply with contract terms and conditions.  The head of Veterans Common Sense, said he wants the VA to start funding other research and treatments immediately suggesting that the VA should use a new Waco facility that focuses on brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder problems largely found in Iraq war veterans.  To read this article in full, please click on the following link: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/ap_gulf_war_illness_082609/


Active Stop-Loss Policy Adjusted

 

The active Army has reduced the post-deployment stabilization period for most Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to 60 days, rather than the 90-day requirement imposed earlier this year.  The policy adjustment, announced in early August, does not apply to certain categories of medical specialists and Soldiers who are being detailed to recruiting duties.  For more information, please go to: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/08/army_stoploss_082309w/


2009 Reserve Family Readiness Award (RFRA)

 

The Reserve Family Readiness Award (RFRA) recognizes high quality family programs.  The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs is encouraging family programs staff in each component to prepare a package for award nomination. This is an annual opportunity for unit family programs to receive national-level recognition if they have outstanding work which contributes to mission readiness. Nomination information will be sent from the family program leadership of each Reserve component.  The selection criterion is established by the family program office at the each of the seven Reserve Component levels (NGB, USAR, USNR, USMCR, USAFR, USCGR).  Each component will receive and review nomination packages, and will select the winning unit before 18 Dec 2009.  The award ceremony will be held at the Pentagon in early February 2010.


Popular Debit Cards Favored by Thieves

 

Debit cards are not secure and expose users to a greater risk of loss.  In a country of card-carrying shoppers, the cyber-theft of 130 million credit-and debit-account numbers can put a dent in consumer confidence.  Stolen debit cards or their account numbers can be used even without a personal identification number, or PIN. The stolen card, or a dummy card programmed with the account number, can be swiped through the checkout terminal and the thief simply can press the credit button and scrawl his signature. To learn how to keep your accounts safe, go to: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/23/popular-debit-cards-also-favored-by-thieves/


Body Building Products Marketed as Containing Steroids or Steroid-Like Substances

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory warning consumers to stop using any body building products that contain steroids or steroid-like substances.  Many of these products are marketed as dietary supplements.  For information, please follow the link: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm173965.htm


Operation Military Brat Launches National Outreach Tour on 23 September

 

Operation Military Brat presents FREE screening of “BRATS: Our Journey Home” the first documentary about growing up military, narrated by Air Force Brat Kris Kristofferson, written and directed by Army Brat Donna Musil.  There will be town-hall meetings after the screening.  The tour begins in on September 23, 2009 in Washington, DC then rolls up the east coast with stops in Arlington, VA, Columbia, MD, Philadelphia, PA, New York City, Providence, RI and the Boston area.  For more information and a schedule of events, please go to: http://www.bratsfilm.com