Many efforts across the country are now under way from both governmental and private institutions to improve the quality of health care that veterans receive, and the timeliness with which they receive it. These initiatives are often varied, but one that seems poised for significant success is set in New Jersey and run by Rutgers University.

The school's Veterans Total Care Initiative is a pilot program supported by a $5 million grant from the New Jersey Department of Health, according to a report from Trenton radio station New Jersey 101.5.  As part of a state-wide effort, the program's goal is to provide more and improve the quality of care for over 400,000 veterans living in New Jersey. Many of those veterans have encountered difficulties in promptly receiving traditional and mental health services.

"You have some individuals who have been waiting for appointments for quite some time with the VA," Terrell McCain, a program manager at the program's call center and an Iraq veteran who had to wait years to be treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, told the station. "The hope is that individuals who have served in the military and have done a service for their country, realize that there are resources out in the community available to them."

In addition, veterans will also be able to use the program to talk to people like peer counselors about what they're going through, and to help set up and expedite appointments, the report said. That could help veterans have more agency in the healing process.

Programs similar to Rutgers' initiative often help veterans in a wide variety of ways, not the least of which is that they simply get more care and attention when they need it than they otherwise might have.

While a number of states operate homes to help care for veterans in need, some experts have recently grown concerned about the quality of care those facilities actually provide. This issue recently came to a head in Michigan, where one such home is in bad shape that state lawmakers are calling for more help to deal with the problems.

Last week, the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans was the subject of an auditor's report that found that it has a spate of new and old problems. The matters have not been addressed by the facility's administration in any serious way, according to a letter from Michigan State Sens. Margaret O'Brien and Peter MacGregor published in the Grand Rapids Press. This is the second such review conducted on the home since 2013, when other issues – some of which have been dealt with – were also uncovered. It's a problem the lawmakers aim to handle as much as possible going forward, with hearings scheduled for later in the month, and the introduction of Senate Bill 809 to create an ombudsman position to oversee all such facilities.

The biggest of these problems is that when veterans occasionally accuse staff of abuse or neglect, there isn't much of a safety net, the report said. Indeed, about 90 percent of all those allegations end up going uninvestigated. Further, the home is rarely as staffed as it should be, with as many as 22 fewer people than necessary working there on any given day. And symptomatic of those issues overall is the fact that nearly 2 in 5 prescriptions there being re-filled at the wrong time.

Many lawmakers nationwide are trying to do more to improve veterans' lives, and giving veterans an active voice in those efforts will go a long way toward providing the help they need.

The Department of Defense wants to reform its recently amended retirement plan, reported the Military Times. The agency on Feb. 9 set out its intentions in its 2017 budget request.

Changing military benefits
President Barack Obama in November signed into law legislation that fundamentally altered the military's retirement plan, reported The Associated Press. The $607 billion bill replaced the DOD's inflexible 20-year plan with a blended retirement system that includes pension and investment schemes, reported the Military Times. It also expanded specialized programs for personnel making the transition into life after service. Under this new system, which is set to start in 2018, four of every five servicemembers will leave the military with some sort of retirement plan.

According to The Washington Post, the DOD surveyed over 150,000 servicemembers and veterans before compiling the new plan. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel thanked the nine-member panel for developing a modern retirement system that offers coverage to all military personnel.

"[The commissioners] have developed a wide-ranging set of recommendations on reforming and modernizing the package of benefits we provide to America's men and women in uniform and their families," the secretary said in a statement.

Changes coming
In its 2017 budget request, the DOD proposed a handful of changes to its blended retirement system. The agency plans to roll back its investment match policy and only offer full payment matches to personnel who have reached a five-year service threshold. Conversely, it will expand the match program for senior leadership. Currently, the DOD stops match payments for senior servicemembers who stay in 26 years or longer. The change will allow long-time officers to participate in the match program until they retire. The agency intends to up the federal cap on match contributions from 5 to 6 percent, as well.

The DOD's new retirement plan enacted in November included a mandatory minimum for continuation pay that applied to troops who stayed in for at least 12 years. It now plans to discard this system and institute a more personalized solution that resembles its traditional retention bonus system.

Adjustments drawing criticism
Some say the changes disproportionately favor older servicemembers intending to climb the ranks Others believe the DOD is degrading its new retirement system by putting budgetary concerns over personnel issues.

"Money is driving the attitude at the Department of Defense," Michael Higgins, a retired Air Force veteran and one of the nine committee members who developed the retirement plan passed in November, told the Military Times. "If you tinker with it, you are really going to change servicemembers perspective on this system. And if you do that, you put the system at risk."

Many Americans may be worried about whether their Social Security benefits will end up being enough to help reasonably fund their retirements, even as those payouts are tied to the cost of living. However, veterans shockingly have no such assurances in most benefits-related situations, and as such, lawmakers are now trying to permanently correct that problem.

The American Heroes COLA Act – referring to the "cost of living adjustment" to Social Security – was recently approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, and would extend those adjustments to other types of veterans benefits, including those for disability, dependents, and more, according to a report from the Military Times. This would bring to those benefits annual recalculations like those seen with Social Security.

"The current process leaves veterans and their families, who depend on these benefits to make ends meet, in limbo until Washington actually passes legislation," the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ralph Abraham, a Louisiana Republican, told the newspaper.

Federal and state lawmakers are now finally doing more to ensure veterans enjoy the same benefits as everyone else, and that help will go a long way toward improving the lives of former servicemembers.

Cultural researchers have united the families of two U.S. soldiers who served in World War II with the dog tags of their lost loved ones, reported The Associated Press and The Buffalo News. Researchers found the tags in Saipan, Japan and Nettuno, Italy, respectively.

Memories on the Japanese coast
Historian Genevieve Cabrera in 2014 found dog tags bearing the name Thomas E. Davis protruding from a field in Saipan, the site of a fierce 1944 battle between American and Japanese forces. Cabrera gave the tags to the nonprofit organization Kuentai-USA which searches for the remains of U.S. soldiers killed in the Pacific Ocean theater in World War II. With the help of the AP, Kuentai-USA found Davis' sister, 82-year-old Dorothy Hollingsworth in Dayton, Ohio.

Hollingsworth and her brother grew up on a farm in Roachdale, Indiana with five other siblings. Davis in September 1941 joined the 165th Infantry Regiment of the 27th Infantry Division of the New York Army National Guard and earned a Silver Star in June 1944 for pulling a wounded soldier to safety amid heavy Japanese artillery fire. He died April 30, 1945 during the invasion of Okinawa. Davis was 27.

"He was a great guy," Hollingsworth, who was only seven years old when her brother left home, told the AP. "He was always laughing and singing and whistling."

Kuentai-USA will soon meet with the Davis family to hand over the tags. Hollingsworth told the wire service she planned give the tag to her 57-year-old nephew.  

Laid to rest in the homeland
Pasquale Gentile of Buffalo, New York enlisted in the Army at the start of World War II and served in war zones in Africa and Italy. Over a year after landing in Nettuno on Italy's western coast, Gentile died April 24, 1945 in Parma, almost 400 miles inland. He was 30.

It was near Nettuno that hiker Andrea Tamburrini discovered one of Gentile's dog tags.

"When I realized it was an American dog tag, I thought it was a sign. I found it five days before the 72nd anniversary of the landings in that area, which occurred Jan. 22, 1944," Tamburrini said in an interview with The Buffalo News. "It was almost as if destiny had determined that this soldier's story would continue during this specific time frame to mark the significance of the events."

The hiker handed off the tag to the American Battle Monuments Commission in Nettuno which, with the help of The News, contacted Gentile's niece Patricia Blatner, 58.

"I feel it has been destined by fate that uncle Pasquale's story be told, and I am proud to take part in telling it," Blatner said in an interview with The News.

Gentile, the son of Italian immigrants, grew up in Buffalo with two brother and two sisters. Gentile's father laid tracks for the Steam Rail Road while his mother Mary raised him and his siblings. Mary died in the 1930s, leaving Gentile's father to work and raise the children alone. Unfortunately, his father was unable to adequately care for the children and they were placed in an orphanage and moved into separate foster homes. As a result, Gentile and his siblings lived separate lives and rarely met up.

Blatner said she was proud to receive her uncle's lost tag but was saddened by the memories of his life.

"I have a sad heart for my uncle. My dad was able to come back from the war and make a life for himself. But Pasquale was never able to do that. My dad named me Patricia in honor of his older brother," she told the newspaper.

Nevada likes to pride itself on being one of the most veteran-friendly states in the union, and often lives up to that goal in convincing fashion. However, one lawmaker says that a facility in the state may not be holding up its end of the bargain.

After an incident in which a veteran living at a Nevada state hospital for former servicemembers died with deadly bacteria in his system, Rep. Dina Titus is pushing for better oversight of these facilities, according to a column in the Boulder City Review. Titus serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and recently worked with VA Under Secretary of Health David Shulkin to craft a plan to provide that kind of review.

Data shows that from late 2012 to early last year, the company in charge was cited for 38 issues, and fined more than $20,000 as a consequence, the report said. In addition, it's generally seen as not even being the worst-kept such facility in the state.

The more lawmakers can do to provide safety nets for veterans for whom they are supposed to be providing support, the better off those former servicemembers will be going forward, regardless of their needs.

Many studies have shown that having a pet can go a long way for veterans and active military members alike when it comes to helping their mental state. With this in mind, one organization is helping to connect those servicemembers, both current and former, with pets in need of a home.

The Ann Arundel County Animal Control in Millersville, Maryland recently announced it has partnered with the nonprofit Pets for Patriots Inc., to give veterans dogs and cats more than two years old, dogs weighing more than 40 pounds, or animals with special needs at no charge, according to the Broadneck, Maryland, version of the local news site Patch. Through the program, the adoption fees are not only covered by Pets for Patriots, but also receive supplies and veterinary care for free as well. That includes micro-chipping the animals.

"Our goal is to help our adoption partners re-home harder-to-place pets that still have years of love and life to give while at the same time making it more affordable for military personnel to bring a pet into their lives," Beth Zimmerman, founder and executive director of Pets for Patriots, told the site. "We're delighted to work with Anne Arundel County Animal Control to give these last-chance pets a second chance at life and, in so doing, to enhance the lives of veterans in the community. Everybody wins."

However, veterans must apply for the program through Pets for Patriots before they can adopt an animal with all these benefits, the report said. Fortunately, that approval time usually takes two business days or fewer.

These kinds of programs connecting veterans with pets can have immense benefits for both animal and servicemember, as they can each get a faithful companion for years to come.

Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs on Feb. 1 released building plans for a proposed addition to its West Los Angeles housing community for disabled and homeless veterans, reported the Los Angeles Times. The blueprint calls for almost 2,000 supplementary apartments and support rooms. The new addition would also include a cafe, cinema, gym and library. VA officials say the first stage of the project could open as early as next year. The proposed veterans colony is part of the city's larger effort to fight homelessness. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 40,000 homeless live in Los Angeles County, 4,000 of which are military veterans.

Housing the homeless
The city in September announced plans to combat its homelessness problem, reported The New York Times. The plan set aside $2 billion to address the issue over the next decade.

"This is the highest priority that we have, to make sure that nobody is living on the streets and nobody is without a home," Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a press conference soon after the Los Angeles City Council approved the initiative.

However, the city will not have to dip into these funds to build out its VA campus. The Senate in January authorized the agency to grant Los Angeles $35 million in federal funds for the project, reported Southern California Public Radio. The House of Representatives must still approve the funding.

Putting an end to the war
The American Civil Liberties Union in 2011 sued the VA on behalf of the Vietnam Veterans of America who accused the government agency of mismanaging its vast campus, reported the Los Angeles Times. Last January, the federal government settled the suit out of court and promised to develop a blueprint for additional on-campus housing. These latest plans are a product of that settlement.

"This is the first tangible proof that veteran homelessness is on its way to becoming an oxymoron in Los Angeles," attorney Mark Rosenbaum, one of the lawyers who represented the Vietnam Veterans of America in its case against the VA, said in an interview with the newspaper.

Working out the details
Much of the project involves restoring a number of historic buildings that dot the VA's 388-acre West Los Angeles campus.

"The campus has a number of beautiful old buildings, that are outdated and underutilized," Milo Peinemann, senior director at New Directions for Veterans, a nonprofit that helps build housing for homeless ex-military personnel, told Southern California Public Radio.

The buildings, while beautiful and conveniently located, pose a unique challenge to builders. Most of them require serious structural improvements to meet Los Angeles' rigorous seismic ordinances. And, many still show damage from a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked the San Fernando Valley in 1971. The quake killed 64 people, injured another 2,543 and caused $553 million in damage, reported the Los Angeles Times.

"The next big California earthquake is a question of when, not if," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who helped authorize the funds for the project, said in a statement. "These projects are also critical to meeting health care and housing needs for veterans throughout California."

Veterans in Vermont are taking part in a unique rehabilitation program, reported The Associated Press. Ex-military personnel in the state meet weekly to participate in outdoor activities sponsored by the Killington-based nonprofit organization Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports which offers a variety of sports programs for individuals with physical and psychological disabilities. The organization hosts skiing sessions in the winter and hikes, mountain bike treks and kayaking trips in the spring and summer.

Many participants suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and say the outings provide a relaxing respite from disturbing memories.

"It woke up a part of me," Bryan Ashley-Selleck, a Gulf War veteran, told the wire service. "Doing all these things like skiing, and kayaking and fly-fishing, it takes me back to like being a kid again. It stops all the thoughts and you're mindful and it feels good."

The National Center for PTSD encourages those dealing with the disorder to develop an exercise regime and, through the Department of Veterans Affairs, offers nationwide sports therapy programs. Additionally, the VA in December granted $376,000 to Disabled Sports USA's Warfighter Sports program. DSUSA serves over 300,000 veterans in 20 states.

Benefits seen from nerve-wracking yet controlled situations
State agencies and third-party organizations sponsor similar programs in cities across the country. The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico in December launched Warrior Sports, a year-round program that hosts athletic outings for local veterans, reported the Albuquerque Journal.

Todd Vance, an Iraq War veteran, runs a mixed martial arts organization for former military personnel, reported an NBC affiliate in San Diego. The company, called Pugilistic Offensive Warrior Mixed Martial Arts, helps veterans deal with PTSD and other conditions through vigorous combat training. Vance says putting ex-military personnel in nerve-wracking yet controlled situations helps them re-establish control over their emotions. In short, if they can take a punch in the ring and calmly conceive an effective counter move, they can handle everyday situations.

"You have to cognitively make decisions while you're extremely stressed out," he told NPR. "I think that transfers directly over to, 'I'm at the stop light, why is that guy staring at me?' I'm going to stop, take a breath, calm down, assess the situation, as opposed to, 'I'm stressed, I react, and now I'm in jail.' It teaches everybody to slow down, take a breath and take things from there."   

The Department of Agriculture and Chamber of Commerce Foundation on Feb. 17 announced a joint initiative to help veterans gain employment in the agricultural industry. The USDA plans to leverage the foundation's Hiring Our Heroes program to connect with former military personnel transitioning into life after service.

"Today's agreement opens the door for thousands of service members who participate in Hiring Our Heroes events around the world to benefit from USDA's vast array of tools and resources," Lanon Baccam, the USDA's deputy under secretary for farm and foreign agricultural services and military veterans agricultural liaison, said in a press release. "This new partnership strengthens USDA's ongoing efforts to help veterans pursue rewarding careers in farming, ranching, or in the fast-growing agriculture and food sectors."

Filling farm employment gaps
Many in the agricultural industry a farmer shortage is nearing, reported Forbes contributor Geoff Williams. According to the USDA, the average American farmer is around 60 years old. Additionally, only 6 percent of farmers are under the age of 35 which means, in a few decades, one-fourth of the population will have retired for good. Industry experts believe almost a million new farmers will be required to maintain current levels of production. The number of crop workers is also falling. Most are around 40 years old, reported The Wall Street Journal.

According to NBC News, the reasoning behind the shortage is simple: Younger Americans don't want to work in the agricultural sector.

"The aging of American farmers coupled with fewer students in agriculture studies and the fact that so many younger people don't look at it as a profession to get into is very worrisome," Milt McGiffen, an agriculture professor at the University of California, Riverside, told the news organization.

Stakeholders take on the problem
Private companies have attempted to address the impending farmer shortage by lobbying Congress to act. The legislative body is currently evaluating legislation that would address the problem. The Young Farmer Success Act would allow young farmers who operate qualified farms or ranches to apply for government assistance and take part in a loan-forgiveness program. According to industry experts, starting a farm is immensely expensive.

"You've got to buy the land, the equipment, find buyers for your product. It's very hard work. Plus there's always the uncertainty of the weather. It's not an easy life," Jay Jackman, executive director for the National Association of Agricultural Educators, told NBC News.

Others believe young veterans could fill the void left by aging farmers, reported The New York Times. And, a number of nonprofits have developed to act on this notion. The Farmer Veteran Coalition, based in Davis, California, provides educational and financial resources to thousands of former military members looking to start farms or ranches. According to the organization, 72 percent of these veterans enlisted after 9/11 and 59 percent have disabilities sustained in combat.

For many veterans who take advantage of programs offered by organizations like the Farmer Veteran Coalition, agriculture is a natural fit. Often, these men and women come from rural backgrounds and arrive home after the service looking for a quiet yet productive career.

"My goal is to find a job where I can move my family somewhere more remote so we enjoy life," Erik Fries, a Marine veteran who works with an agricultural nonprofit in Illinois, told The Times. "I guess I'm looking for a simpler life. I really would love to start a family business and I feel a small-scale farm would be ideal."  

Government steps in
Congress in 2014, as part of the Agriculture Act, created an initiative to fund veterans interested in starting farms. And, last year, the USDA formed an interagency partnership with the Department of Defense in an effort to integrate agricultural training into the military's Transition Assistance Program.

The USDA hopes its collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce Foundation will help save American farms while providing fulfilling and stable careers to ex-military personnel.

"When our young men and women raise their hand to serve, they're doing so for a greater mission and a greater purpose and a greater good," Eric Eversole, president of Hiring Our Heroes, said in an interview with the Military Times. "The greater good also exists in agriculture: You're feeding the world's people."