A wave of ongoing scandals, including data manipulation and whistleblower retaliation, have undoubtedly tainted the reputation of the Department of Veterans Affairs, but it's the wait times that veterans face when scheduling appointments that has really caused the organization to fall from critics' graces. According to Military Times, over 630,000 veterans have faced wait times over a month long as of July 3.
To help the VA decrease those long wait periods, the current head of the organizations, acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson, has asked for an additional $17.6 billion to hire 10,000 new medical staff members, build eight new medical facilities and lease another 77 new medical facilities around the country.
Adding to present funding
VA officials are confident that an increased budget can dramatically improve the lives of veterans looking for medical care in the future, but some argue that the already steep budget enjoyed by the VA should be enough to correct current problems. Gibson refuted these claims in his first testimony on Capitol Hill.
"I know it sounds like huge numbers," Gibson told lawmakers, according to Military Times. "But [VA] historically has not managed to veterans' requirements, we've managed to budget numbers."
There is already an emergency VA reform bill that would attribute $30 billion to the VA over a three-year period, but this measure gives the organization just $500 million for additional hiring measures, a figure too small to fund 10,000 new medical staff members. Most of the remaining budget aims to help veterans seek private care options, reducing pressure on a VA that has been stretched thin over the years.
Lawmakers and veteran officials have not decided which route would allow for a timelier and more effective solution for veterans. While many agree that allowing greater access to private care facilities would reduce wait times quicker than massive new hiring measures, Gibson told lawmakers that the new hiring and infrastructure initiatives would solve VA issues in the short term and provide longer-term problem solutions for resource issues.
The wait times will likely get longer with no additional funding for securing more beds and medical staff, Gibson told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, according to an article by The Washington Post. However, some politicians doubt whether increased funds will help the embattled VA.
"This sounds so similar to what we've heard over the years," Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska told Gibson on Capitol Hill, according to the Los Angeles Times. Johanns continued by mentioning the committee had previously granted VA budget requests, which did not solve many of the organizations issues.
"If you can't clean up your act, then guess what? You lose out," Johanns said. "I don't think you need more billions and billions of dollars."
A history of issues but a brighter future
The VA has faced many struggles in the past few months. The former VA secretary Erik Shinseki resigned in May following audits that discovered some veterans had to wait months for medical appointments. Additionally, administrators have been covering up those wait times to protect performance bonuses.
All of this activity has lead to the VA undertaking several changes to improve the current health system. Since the turmoil in May that ended with Shinseki's resignation, Gibson has reported the VA health care system has reached out to 160,000 veterans on the wait list, according to the Military Times.
Whether the VA receives Gibson's requested funds or gains the $30 billion from the emergency reform bill to help increase access to private health institutions, the organization may be lead by a new secretary within weeks or months. President Barack Obama's nominee, former Proctor & Gamble chief executive Bob McDonald, may become the new VA head by December, which could mean a whole new direction for the department.
The ReWalk exoskeleton device has become a stunning marvel for paralyzed individuals, and after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the use of the system in the community and at home in late June, it has changed the lives of some wounded soldiers.
Improving the lives of servicemembers
A feature by the Military Times Group tells the story of 30-year-old, Marine Capt. Derek Herrera, who was paralyzed by a sniper's bullet in Afghanistan June 2012. The 6-foot 2-inch Naval Academy graduate goes about his day by wheelchair for a majority of the time, but three times a week, Herrera, an active duty servicemember in a special operations unit, straps himself into the ReWalk exoskeleton device and strolls the floors of a physical therapy room at 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion.
The best part about the experience, Herrera said, is the ability to talk to people at eye level once again.
"Being able to look at a person at eye level is awesome. It's not something you'd probably think about unless you spent most of your time sitting," Herrera told Military Times.
But that's not the only benefit paralyzed servicemembers and other people get from using the technology.
Improving health one step at a time
Paralyzed individuals face many additional health complications due to prolonged time sitting. Muscle mass decreases, bone density is negatively affected, stamina plummets and overall health can be reduced because of difficulty exercising and being active. According to an NBC news health report, however, the ReWalk can help paralyzed individuals regain their strength and improve their health.
Additionally, many say that the psychological affects of walking can be hugely beneficial for paralyzed people. Standing and walking again can be a huge boost for people coping with a spinal injury. Herrera told Military Times that, although his wheelchair is quicker and more agile, he would choose ReWalk's braces and standing supports over sitting.
The future for the ReWalk
Now that the device is cleared for use in the U.S., many are taking advantage of the system, but the $69,500 exoskeleton is not cheap for individuals. Few health insurers offer to cover ReWalk, and Defense Health Agency officials have not considered whether Tricare will cover the expense either, according to Military Times. That may change according to an article in The Boston Globe.
An official from Argo Medical Technologies Inc. – the facility that developed the ReWalk – told The Boston Globe that the ReWalk may save users up to $30,000 by preventing other health issues linked to prolonged sitting in wheelchairs. Those savings could be alluring to insurers, but the process to cover ReWalk will be slow, according to Tony Dodek, the associate chief medical officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
Dodek told The Boston Globe a fair amount of scientific evidence must be explored by a central Blue Cross Blue Shield committee, which could take up to six months. After that, the 37 Blue Cross Blue Shield member companies will decide individually whether to reimburse ReWalk buyers.
Traumatic brain injuries rob veterans of their memories and affect their ability to create new memories every year. Moreover, TBIs present a widespread problem in the civilian community that diminishes the quality of life for hundreds of thousands, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. To help solve the problem in both communities, DARPA recently announced that several research grants would be awarded, helping fund efforts to develop brain implant technologies.
Repairing the brain with hardware
According to a Military Times report, the research sector of the Pentagon is looking into devices that may reconnect areas of a damaged brain that could lead to retrieval of lost memories. The imagined technology would be a wireless neuroprosthetic. Where pharmaceutical remedies and therapies have not made dramatic breakthroughs in TBI and memory dysfunctions, this innovative technology could help pave the way for newer treatments. According to a Military.com report, DARPA claims there are no current effective treatments for the long-term effects of TBI on memory, but they are eager to change that.
"We're trying to change the game on the options available to our military members when it comes to traumatic brain injuries, and come up with new therapies," said Justin Sanchez, DARPA's Restoring Active Memory program manager, according to the Military Times. "We need new hardware, new devices that can interface with the brain, and we need to develop new computational models that allow clinicians to interface with the brain."
This project is not new to DARPA either. About a month before announcing the research grants, Military.com published a report about the Pentagon's Restoring Active Memory project. Aiming to restore memories in injured patients as well as treat people with mental health disorders, such as depression and Parkinson's disease, the RAM project is just one of the developments benefiting from $50 million of funding for research this year, allocated by DARPA.
Where the money is going
According to the Military Times, the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Pennsylvania will each receive funding to develop electronic interfaces that can help recognize memory deficits and improve brain function. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California will also receive funds.
The amounts for each institution are:
- UPenn: up to $22.5 million over four years
- UCLA: up to $15 million
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California: up to $2.5 million
The effects of TBI and memory loss are widespread in the U.S. Since 2000, DARPA reports that over 270,000 servicemembers have sustained TBI injuries, which often results in difficulty retrieving memories and affects the ability to form new memories. Adding to those numbers, DARPA estimates that 1.7 million American civilians have been affected by TBI injuries. Scientists and researchers face significant biological and technological challenges in producing a piece of neuroprosthetic hardware, but plans to develop and test initiatives such as RAM and other projects are well underway. Veterans and many others stand to benefit from future innovations as well. Military.com reported that the benefits of a neuroprosthetic device could also help treat and restore the memories of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
In a report by the Military Times, Iraq and Afghanistan veteran Drew Sloan said greater energy efficiency can save lives. A high dependency on diesel fuel leaves soldiers dependent on this energy source to power everything from base generators that make cooking meals possible to combat vehicles used to travel in dangerous areas. That means soldiers are on the hook when it comes to obtaining oil, and a loss or reduction of supply can leave servicemembers stranded and poorly equipped defensively.
Traveling in dangerous convoys
Sloan also told reporters for the Military Times that convoys that transport these fuels are largely susceptible to attacks by insurgents, and greater access to renewable energy sources could lessen risks and increase independence.
"When you create a culture change and behavioral change in which people use their resources more productively, you take convoys off the road," Sloan said. "You lessen soldiers exposure to ambushes and [improvised explosive devices]. When you use renewable resources, you do the exact same thing."
According to Sloan, replacing just diesel generators with arrays of solar panels means less need for fuels transported by convoys and eliminates the necessity for fuel powering those convoys. According to the Department of Defense, roughly 3,000 army personnel and contractors were killed or injured during convoy attacks between 2003 and 2007.
Military green initiatives
The Associated Press reported in 2012 that the U.S. military plans to generate enough energy from renewable sources on military bases to equal the energy output of three nuclear plants by 2025. Of that, armed forces planned to announce a goal of generating 3 gigawatts of energy on Air Force, Navy and Army bases using renewable sources. According to the Department of Defense, petroleum-based liquid fuels accounted for over 70 percent of the group's total energy usage in 2010. Everything from ground vehicles and aircrafts to base generators uses a form of fossil fuel, but the military intends to change that.
Recently, the AP reported that Purdue University will be working in conjunction with the U.S. Navy to discover better ways of using alternative power sources. It is all part of a green energy initiative that hopes to convert half of the Navy and Marine Corps' energy to alternative sources by 2020. The military and Purdue University plan to meet that goal using increased levels of biofuel, energy conservation methods and technological innovations.
Recently, the Military Times reported that the Department of Defense has announced several plans to further increase renewable energy use and energy efficiency by 2025. Devices such as solar cells, electric combat vehicles, solar blankets and solar panels are being field tested by soldiers every day to discover ways to reduce dependency on oil and other fossil fuels.
The AP reported in 2012 that roughly 90 percent of the energy used by the federal government goes to military efforts. That equates to roughly 2 percent of the entire country's energy usage. Increasing renewable energy usage can save lives, and it can also reduce military spending.
To increase security and provide increased reconnaissance concerning groups of Islamic extremists in the region, U.S. forces have raised the number of drone surveillance flights over Iraq, according to an article published by Military.com.
President Barack Obama has authorized the buildup of 775 U.S. troops in Iraq, of which roughly 640 servicemembers have arrived in the region. Instead of relying on ground forces, however, Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing that armed and unarmed drones would be flown over Iraq.
Increased security measures
"We continue to fly both manned and unmanned aircraft over Iraq at the Iraqi government's request predominantly for reconnaissance purposes," Kirby said.
Although most of the drones are unarmed, some have been equipped with Hellfire missiles to protect the U.S. embassy and the airport in Baghdad, according to Military.com. Additionally, Kirby told reporters the armed drones were being used for increased security for other reasons.
"The reason that some of those aircrafts are armed is primarily for force protection reasons now that we have introduced into the country some military advisors whose objective will be to operate outside the confines of the embassy," Kirby said.
According to Military.com, the number of unmanned drone flights over Iraq has increased from roughly 35 per day to gain intelligence about the developing threats presented by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces to 50 flights per day. Additionally, the 775 troops sent to the area have been charged with providing increased security at the U.S. embassy, installing Joint Operation Centers in Baghdad and advising Iraq's security forces. They are not meant to serve in ground combat.
"We're taking a very measured, deliberate approach," Kirby said.
A build up of troops, but no plans to deploy
The 775 soldiers are a tiny portion of the 31,000 troops and sailors within the area, according to Military.com. U.S. forces have deployed aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and several other commissioned vessels into the area, yet there is no assault plan ready unless U.S. territory is threatened.
According to a report by The Associated Press, Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has said that no assault against Iraqi insurgents will be made unless those forces become a threat to the American homeland.
Instead, Dempsey said that he does not believe a strong U.S. military force is necessary to bolster Iraqi forces in battling the ISIL insurgency. The general conceded that U.S. military action could be a future possibility, but encouraged a higher focus on political reform within the country instead.
"I think the situation demands first and foremost that the Iraqi political system find a way to separate the Sunnis who have partnered now with ISIL, because they have zero confidence in the ability of Iraq's politicians to govern," Dempsey told reporters, according to the AP.
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.
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.