Bob McDonald, the former CEO of the fortune 500 company Proctor & Gamble, has a long resume. A West Point graduate with five years of Army experience and 33 years of corporate business experience, McDonald led over 120,000 employees stationed around the world for four years as P&G's CEO and is an active member of the West Point Alumni Association, According to The Associated Press.
By many accounts, McDonald is a highly capable candidate to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. President Barack Obama nominated McDonald after the resignation of former VA Secretary Erik Shinseki. Now, many in the medical and veterans community are questioning Obama's choice in nominating a business leader instead of a doctor or high-ranking military official, but the choice is not worrying many political leaders.
Faith in new leadership
"Bob McDonald is a good man, a veteran, and a strong leader with decades of experience in the private sector, House Speaker John Boehner said, according to CNN. "With those traits, he's the kind of person who is capable of implementing the kind of dramatic systemic change that is badly needed and long overdue at the VA."
Nonetheless, if Congress chooses to accept McDonald as the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs, he will be inheriting a system fraught with corrupt personnel and numerous internal problems. After guiding 120,000 employees with P&G, McDonald will be asked to oversee 340,000 employees in the VA, which carry out services for home loans, health care, education benefits and a flurry of other responsibilities.
A hopeful outlook
Looking ahead, McDonald told VA employees and veterans advocates at the VA headquarters that he aims to build "a VA that is more effective, more efficient, and that truly puts our veterans first," according to AP.
The candidate for head of the VA went on to say, "At the VA, the veteran is our customer, and we must all focus — all day, every day — on getting them the benefits and the care that they've so earned. That's the only reason we're here."
Finding inspiration through his years as a West Point graduate, McDonald also encouraged focusing on operation fundamentals and concentrating on choosing the "harder right rather than the easier wrong" at a leadership event at a college university this past fall.
The road ahead
Just a few weeks before their August break, the Senate has little time to confirm McDonald as the new head of the VA. If his role is not finalized before the break, he may have to wait until December to assume the new role. Sen. Bernie Sanders, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, told CNN that he is already looking forward to meeting with McDonald to discuss VA issues. In the same vein, Senate officials are also saying the process should be quick, as they have already issued McDonald standard background questionnaire materials.
Just over a dozen soldiers from the South Carolina National Guard spent last month rolling up their sleeves with the Colombian army, helping foreign soldiers learn to maintain and repair military equipment, according to The Associated Press.
Fifteen soldiers from the Guard's 742nd Support Maintenance Company, based out of the McCrady Training Center at Fort Jackson in Columbia, helped Colombian soldiers by using their smartphones and older technical journals to fix and help upkeep everything from night vision goggles and small caliber weapons to armored vehicles. It was the second time the mechanic unit of soldiers from South Carolina trekked to South American nations to provide help and support. This time, the soldiers stopped in Melgar, a city just 60 miles outside of Bogota, the capitol city of Colombia.
It is all part of the State Partnership Program put together by the National Guard, which has been operating for over 20 years, according to a description on the military group's website. During that time, the program has brought soldiers to 74 different countries and facilitated 68 partnerships with friendly nations. The cooperation helps support defense of security goals and forges relationships with foreign allies through a mutually beneficial relationship, according to the National Guard. It also helps Colombian forces maintain work patterns and repair systems that help keep their equipment ready and reliable.
Working through cultural barriers
The experience took National Guard soldiers out of their element in many different ways. For one, military hardware is cycled to troops at the front lines in a way that's different from what U.S. soldiers were accustomed to. While maintenance soldiers are deployed with combat units in the U.S. to explain functional details about the equipment they have serviced to soldiers in combat scenarios, Colombian soldiers fix gear so it can be sent to the front lines, leaving less opportunity for debriefing and more leeway to future mechanical failures.
Additionally, members of the National Guard often had to work through language barriers with Colombian troops and with Colombian equipment manuals. The former language barrier between soldiers was overcome through the use of Spanish-English smartphone translation applications, one of the soldiers told the AP. The manuals, on the other hand, had to be translated at times, but often the National Guard soldiers could look at the graphics on the page in order to understand what to do. The US mechanics had less trouble working with Colombian technology as it was very similar to American hardware, according to a Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System article written by Maj. Cindi King.
Working with wounded warriors
According to accounts from the National Guard soldiers, it was also motivating to work with some of the troops who had been injured in combat. The Colombian wounded warriors were assigned maintenance duty as part of their rehabilitation process. Despite recovery challenges, US forces called the Colombian troops hardworking.
Within the past year, members of the Colombian military have also visited South Carolina to see helicopters flown by the National Guard as part of the partnership program.
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Brian Meyer is a double amputee working to assimilate himself back into life after service. After losing most of his fingers and a leg as a result of a roadside bomb, he became determined not to let the injuries deter him from living a normal life. He even refused having wheelchair ramps built into his home, according to a report by The Associated Press.
Fortunately for Meyer, some relatively new procedures are drastically improving his quality of life by increasing his range of motion and his ability to use his injured limbs. Meyer is undergoing ablative laser treatments, which is a procedure commonly associated with smoothing wrinkles or treat acne scars. Instead, the lasers are being used on his scar tissue, leading to some dramatic improvements in many of his physical abilities. Meyer can now use the remaining fingers on his left hand to exercise, ride his motorcycle and perform many of the daily tasks necessary to lead a normal life.
"When the job requires me to hook something and grab it, now I can do it," Meyer explains in an AP video. "Before, I couldn't."
A groundbreaking treatment
Fractional ablative resurfacing is a procedure that Naval Medical Center San Diego dermatologists helped pioneer for veterans, but the treatments help many more. According to the AP , many of the medical breakthroughs have been presented to the American Academy of Dermatology in order to help severely scarred people in the general population as well.
"These are not special, scar lasers or special, wounded warrior lasers," Chief of dermatology at NMCSD Cmdr. Peter Shumaker told the AP. "We've taken these techniques that are primarily used for cosmetic purposes and altered them a bit to apply to trauma rehabilitation."
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently produced an article about the laser treatments, saying they can dramatically improve both cosmetic appearance and function in very large scars. According to the article, the laser treatment vaporizes scar tissue with high precision, allowing scar tissue to be remodeled with very low risks of complications. The article goes on to state that these treatments often improve patients' lives by enhancing rehabilitation, allowing for earlier, greater use of prosthetics, increasing walking function, enhancing grip and reducing feelings of pain or itching.
More progress to be made
Shumaker does not call this is a wonder treatment, however.
"The technique is not a replacement for existing scar treatments, but is a valuable tool to accelerate rehabilitation and help fill the void between physical therapy and surgical revision," Shumaker told the VA.
Fractional ablative resurfacing is becoming a more common procedure among wounded soldiers, and with roughly 2,000 troops who have lost limbs after serving in Afghanistan, the treatments could vastly improve the quality of life for hundreds. Currently, the Naval Health Research Center is beginning a six-year study to better understand the road to recovery for many wounded warriors. The Wounded Warrior Recovery Project includes 1,500 participants so far, but the Navy is attempting to sign up 10,000 in total.
After 238 years of operation the U.S. Navy has promoted Vice Adm. Michelle Howard to admiral, making her the first four-star officer in the military branch's history, according to a White House report. A 1982 graduate from the United States Naval Academy and a member of the Army's Command and General Staff College class of 1998, Howard's long career has encompassed 32 years of military tours.
During her induction ceremony, held at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus affirmed that Howard was ultimately the best pick for the job.
"The Navy picked the best officer to be the [Vice Chief of Naval Operations]," Mabus told an audience of roughly 100, according to an article in the Military Times. "That's what happened here today. We should not make decisions based on anything other than how well you perform in the Navy."
This is not Howard's first time making Naval history. According to her Naval biography, she became the first African-American woman to command a ship in the U.S. Navy in 1999 when she took command of the USS Rushmore.
According to Howard, the promotion can be a source of inspiration for women aspiring to join the Navy.
"This Navy has come tremendously far." Howard told reporters. "Women can become fighter pilots. We have a woman who is a carrier air group commander now … It's a great Navy and a great opportunity for women."
According to Navy Personnel Command numbers, women currently make up 18 percent of the Navy's total service with over 67,000 active duty and reserve servicemembers.
Aside from the historic promotion, Howard is well known for her duty with Task Force 151, which conducted counter-piracy operations in 2009 after a U.S. cargo ship was overtaken by Somali pirates. The coordinated efforts of Howard and Task Force 151 eventually saved abducted officer Capt. Richard Phillips.
President Barack Obama will announce his nomination for the next secretary of Veterans Affairs on Monday. Robert A. McDonald is expected to be chosen for the position.
Who is Robert McDonald?
McDonald recently retired as chairman of Procter & Gamble, a Fortune 500 company with which he worked for 33 years. Although some question his ability to work with a government agency after being involved with the private sector for so long, McDonald has a strong military background.
McDonald's father served in World War II with the Army Air Corps. As the son of a veteran, the military was part of his early life. He went on to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and graduated in the top 2 percentile of his class, according to USA Today. After college, he served in the Army for five years and became a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division. When he left the military, he received the Meritorious Service Medal.
In his life after service, McDonald went back to school and got his MBA from the University of Utah in 1978. He then started working at P&G in 1980, serving as a brand manager for several big name companies, including Tide. After making his way up in the company, he later becoming chief operating officer and then chairman of the board.
Issues with the VA
McDonald will be replacing Army general Eric Shinseki, Obama's nomination from 2009, who resigned from the position on May 30.
A recent upheaval has shaken the agency amid allegations that it hasn't been providing veterans with proper medical care. An internal audit identified problems that may have caused delayed care and the falsification of records.
McDonald's experience in the private sector and with business management are being touted as key points for his consideration for the position. His experience with managing a large company is seen as potentially helpful when it comes to managing the thousands of hospitals administered by the VA. The New York Times reported that McDonald managed 120,000 employees between 2009 and 2013 and that his company served over five billion customers.
Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChystal, who served with McDonald in the 82nd Airborne, said the nominee's "business acumen, coupled with his dedication and love of our nation's military and veteran community, make him a truly great choice for the tough challenges we have at VA," the Associated Press reported.
"This is definitely a surprising pick," said Paul Rieckhoff, the chief executive and founder of charity organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told the New York Times. "McDonald is not a name that was on anyone's radar over the last few weeks. His branding background may prove helpful because there are few organizations in America with a worse reputation toward customers than the VA right now."
In order to become the official secretary of Veteran Affairs, McDonald's nomination will need support from both the Republican and Democratic parties. He must get congressional approval before being appointed.
One hundred years ago, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of the Austria-Hungary empire. This would be the shot that would begin the "war to end all wars," World War I.
Although the United States did not enter the war until 1917, the beginning of WWI is not an event to be overlooked. It is a time to remember and honor the veterans of the past that served their nation. The last living U.S. WWI soldier, Frank Buckles, passed away in 2011 at the age of 110, according to CNN. Although they may all have passed, their sacrifices must be remembered.
The U.S. was only involved in the war for a short period of time, 19 months in total. However, during that time 116,000 Americans were killed, and more than 204,000 wounded. It changed the course of history, destroying many of the Old Regime empires and reshaping Europe. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Monarchy broke into pieces, creating some of the smaller countries we know today. Some of the nations to emerge include Poland, Ukraine, and many of the Baltic countries.
The legacy of WWI can be felt reverberating throughout history and into the current political climate. The outcome and after-effects of this war were key factors in the rise of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, opening the door to usher in the age of World War II. For every cause, there is an effect and WWII effected almost every nation on the globe.
One example of the sweeping effects of WWI was the United States' booming economy during and after the war. With Europe dealing with the destruction and aftermath of the war and America's ability to produce goods in overdrive, the U.S. became a global economic leader, shaping the country's economy into the powerhouse we know today.
Many veterans from WWI returned to their civilian jobs in their life after service, but they never forgot what they went through. The Army Times reported on a group of veterans from company B, who vowed to get together annually to remember their fellow fallen servicemen. They saved a bottle of French wine from their time overseas and meant for the final living member of their company to drink it in honor of his comrades when the time came. Joseph Maggio would be the man to make that toast. He passed away in 1997.
This week marks the start of RIMPAC 2014, the multinational maritime training exercise. First started in 1971 by the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet, this program has joined naval units around the globe in a collaborative exercise for the past 23 years. The United States will be sending 24 ships to participate, including various cruiser, destroyer, frigate, aircraft carrier, amphibious assault, littoral combat, and attack submarine ships. Overall, the 2014 event will include 47 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft carriers and 25,000 sailors.
Wide array of training exercises
RIMPAC will continue from this week until the beginning of August. The Pacific Fleet has scheduled events in the areas of disaster relief, maritime security operations, sea control and complex war fighting. The Navy has also planned a number of training exercises for participants of the event, including "amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises as well as counterpiracy, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal and diving and salvage operations," according to the Navy.
New participants
For the first time, the People's Republic of China will be participating in the event, which aims to foster cooperative relationships between countries around the world to sustain better security on global ocean space. The event, held every two years, takes place in the Pacific Rim, in and around the Hawaiian islands. This ocean area in particular has a long history of naval action and warfare, as WWII veterans in life after service know. This year, 22 countries will participate in RIMPAC, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the People's Republic of China, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Tonga, the U.K., and the U.S. Both China and Brunei are first-time participants.
The U.S. Navy invited China to the event in the hopes of easing growing naval tensions between that country and neighboring states. As China's naval forces have grown, a few territorial disputes have occurred with Taiwanese and Vietnamese naval forces.
"As the United States builds a stronger foundation for a military-to-military relationship with China, it also will continue to monitor China's evolving military strategy, doctrine, and force development and encourage China to be more transparent about its military modernization program," read the Pentagon's annual 2014 report to Congress.
Global maritime cooperation
Hopefully, the invitation and acceptance to participate in this years RIMPAC exercise will improve the relationship between China's navy and U.S. defense, answering part of the question of, as Ronald O'Rourke explained in a Congressional Research Service report, "how the U.S. should respond to China's military modernization effort, including its naval modernization effort," which he cites has having "emerged as a key issue in U.S. defense planning."
In a meeting between President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, they agreed that "enhanced and substantive military dialogue and communication would foster greater understanding and expand mutual trust."
On July 4 this year, America turns 238. Independence day marks the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776 to proclaim U.S. independence from England. This document was vital in defining America as its own, separate entity, no longer subjects of the British king. The American Revolution had already been underway for the year leading up July 4, 1776. With the conflict heating up, a five-man committee decided to create a document that outlined the ideals of what would one day be the United States of America.
It was Richard Henry Lee of Virginia who first presented a proclamation of independence on June 7, 1776. He was quoted saying, "Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved."
Following in the days after this proposed resolution, with each colony tasked with voting either for or against Lee's influential words, there was no direct solution, as some disagreed with this proclamation. In order to appease opponents, a committee was instructed to draft an official resolution document. The committee consisted of John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and Thomas Jefferson. They presented a statement, the Declaration of Independence, describing the case for emancipation, to Congress.
On July 1, 1776, the colonies voted again on Lee's proposed resolution, drafted into the Declaration. With nine votes for the Declaration, two against, one undecided and one abstaining from voting, the resolution was approved. Subsequent drafting occurred until July 4, when the declaration was officially approved. This act was the first united action that America took against Britain, and the first step on the road to becoming its own independent nation. What started out as a country of 2.5 million in 1776 has since grown to a nation of 311.17 million in 2014, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Population Clock.
July 4 is now a day on which those fighting to maintain the independence of the U.S. in the military or life after service should be recognized for their service to the country. The forefathers fought for the independence of America from its colonial ruler, forming a union of states under one set of ideals, and July 4 is a day to remember the early military strength of the nation.
A Native American WWII veteran, Paul Coon, passed away at 95 on June 23, 2014. Coon was a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, a culture that claimed extensive territory in the Southeastern U.S. before 1500 AD, according to the official Muscogee website. Coon was the last surviving Native American involved in the Baataan Death March, during which the Japanese military forced tens of thousands of soldiers on a 65-mile voyage in the Philippines in 1942. He also survived a prisoner of war labor camp in Japan, for which he received his war honors. Principal Chief George Tiger of the Muscogee tribe commented in a statement about the recent death of the servicemember.
"He always told me that he felt like he was able to overcome the Death March because of his faith and because he knew people back home were praying for him. He had a lot of things to say about life, about the Creek Nation," Tiger said in a news release. "We were honored as the Muscogee (Creek) Nation to have him as a tribal citizen. I think Indian Country was honored to have him being who he was."
Before his death, Coon was able to visit the POW site that he was held at in Japan. Now, the vacant site is next to a former copper mine. He was able to meet with the mayor of the town, Kosaka, where he was forced to work in during the war. Japanese government officials then had the chance to apologize to Coon and others in life after service for their mistreatment during the war.
Fox News reported that upon returning to his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he was awarded with the Prisoner of War medal, Bronze Star, and a Combat Infantryman Badge in an informal ceremony.
"I've been blessed to come this far in life," Fox reported Coon said at the time. "I thank the Lord for watching over me."
On June 19, the Washington Nationals dedicated their game against the Houston Astros to the men and women that serve their country. The major league baseball team honored Army members and veterans at the game as part of the Army's 239th birthday celebration.
Army groups, including the United States Blues Band and the Army Drill team, performed as baseball fans took their seats. The opening ceremonies began with the National Anthem, sung by the Army Chorus. The first ball was pitched by Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Ray Odierno.
"I always love performing at big venues like Nationals Park. The support from the crowd is overwhelming and it just solidifies the fact that what we are doing is important and appreciated by so many great Americans," said Cpl. Derek Ivey, U.S. Army Drill team soloist.
The Army's 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, known as the Old Guard, received special recognition for their valiant service to their nation. They were invited onto the field before the game to experience the opening ceremony. Three soldiers from the Old Guard, including Staff Sgt. Jacob C. West, Headquarters Company, and Spc. Vincent A. Cottle, H-HC Regiment, were chosen to be the Washington Nationals' VIP guests, and sat in the Lexus Presidents Suite during the team's batting practice prior to the official game.
The game ball was delivered by Secretary of the Army John M. McHugh. He went onto express his appreciation to the Washington Nationals and had a message for troops overseas:
"This week particularly, the 239th birthday, we want to tell them, first of all, how much we continue to value their service, their sacrifice, and all the freedoms that lucky people like me get to enjoy. [These freedoms] were first won by and now preserved by the men and women who put on that Army uniform. God bless them for that, and Army strong."
Although the game was in honor of the Army's birthday, the Washington Nationals are known to host "branch" nights to honor both those serving and veterans living their life after service. The next branch night will be Aug. 6 and will be honoring the Coast Guard.
The Washington Nationals won their game against the Astros 6-5. They faced a setback in the fourth inning, when the Houston Astros scored four runs, but were able to make an underdog comeback in the seventh inning.