US VA Secretary: Vaccines are the only way to ‘return to normal life’
Vaccines are the only way to ‘return to normal life’. Yesterday, US VA Secretary Denis McDonough reiterated his plea for all veterans and their families to get vaccinated against COVID-19, saying the vaccines provide protection which is “the only way to end this pandemic and return to normal life.” He made these remarks in his speech in […]
Report:”Cost of caring for Iraq, Afghanistan vets could top $2.5 trillion”
The cost of caring for vets who served in Iraq and Afghanistan could top $2.5 trillion by 2050, creating tough financial decisions for both the veterans community and the entire country, according to a new analysis by the Costs of War Project released Wednesday. “The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have created a veterans care crisis, with disability rates […]
VFW Awards Nearly $600,000 in Aid to Student Veterans
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce 130 student veterans will receive nearly $600,000 in scholarships for the fall 2021 semester, courtesy of the VFW “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship” program. “Whether fighting overseas or fighting a pandemic here at home, our service members and veterans sacrifice so much for our […]
PAWS for Veterans Passes US House Legislation
The Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act, adorably nicknamed PAWS, was reintroduced as a bill earlier this year. This bill just made its second pass through the House this past May in a bipartisan unanimous vote. The bill would allow the Department of VA to run a five-year test program that would assign […]
Help is on the way for Canadian veteran caregivers
Our job is clearly to compel Veterans Affairs Canada to rectify this longstanding void in current veterans’ legislation and adopt a ‘one veteran-one-standard’ approach with respect to veteran caregivers across Canada. The House Veterans Affairs Committee of Canada recently released its report on veteran caregivers entitled, “Caregivers: Taking Care of Those who Care for Veterans” […]
US Veterans Affairs to expand COVID vaccine mandate for employees, contractors, and even volunteers
Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding its previous COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The order will give “most” VA employees, volunteers, and contractors eight weeks to provide proof of vaccination or face termination. Under the upcoming expanded vaccine mandate Hybrid Title 38 employees and Title 5 VA personnel are also included. “We’re now including most VHA employees and volunteers […]
Vets success in life after service: Drew Semper
Many of those vets who release from the Canadian Armed Forces worry that their military skills and experience won’t count for much when they start a new, post-service career. Certainly that was on the mind of Reserve Sergeant Drew Semper. But after releasing from the Royal Canadian Air Force as an avionics technician, he grew his […]
Some US Veterans’ Tax Exemption Expanded in Bill Clearing North Carolina House
More US veterans in North Carolina could exempt their entire military retiree pay from state income taxes in legislation that cleared the House overwhelmingly in June. The measure would apply to retirees with at least 20 years of service and cover any benefits to their survivors. It would help boost North Carolina’s image as a […]
Six stories from local Canadian veterans who have deployed internationally in the past year
In the year that has passed since the last Remembrance Day, six soldiers from local Canadian veterans army units have deployed on international missions to Ukraine, Lebanon, and Latvia. They were asked a series of questions recently to get a sense of what they do on these missions and what they’ve learned, both about themselves, […]
Financial support to three organizations serving Canadian Veterans and their families
Financial support to three organizations: A call for applications for the Canadian Veteran and Family Well‑Being Fund is also being launched to support organizations that improve the well-being of Veterans and their families Recently, the Honorable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of VA and Associate Minister of National Defense, announced financial support to three organizations. These are […]