Veterans News – January 13, 2016

Happy Wednesday folks. Hope you and your loved ones are in the best of health. Hard to believe that we shall soon be at the half-way mark for January 2016! Let us keep our hearts and minds on our selfless and brave Troops!

For Today:

The secret to happiness is freedom... And the secret to freedom is courage. - Thucydides

Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore. - Andre Gide

--------------------------------

--------------------------------

Veterans News

---------------------------------

---------------------------------

DOD Contracts Awarded for Wednesday, January 13, 2016.

http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/642983/source/GovDelivery

-------------------------------

DOD Contracts Awarded for Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

http://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/642757/source/GovDelivery

-------------------------------

Defense News Early Bird Brief for Wednesday, January 13, 2016.

http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe5211797d660c7f7311&m=ff011577756600&ls=fdcc1574746702797514777266&l=fe8b13707d6c007d7c&s=fe1f13787563037a761273&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe2c11727c640c79771071&r=0

-------------------------------

Defense News Early Bird Brief for Tuesday, January 12, 2016.

http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe5511797d64017c7c11&m=ff011577756600&ls=fdcc1574746702797514777266&l=fe8b13707d6c007d7c&s=fe1f13787563037a761273&jb=ffcf14&ju=fe1f11727d6c0179711d73&r=0

------------------------------

VA Media Summary and News Clips for Wednesday, January 13, 2016. Please see attached pdf.

-----------------------------

Hogan Lovells – Global Bribery and Corruption Review for 2015. “Looking back to anticipate what’s next. The geography of global enforcement has changed. Ongoing developments in major jurisdictions round the world continue to create new challenges. From China to Europe and the U.S., compliance is becoming increasingly complex and regulations are shifting all of the time. In order to stay competitive in the global marketplace, you need to know how last year’s major events will alter this year’s landscape.”

http://ehoganlovells.com/rv/ff0024c8f135cfcb5486bf7c6146ba4212f2b132

----------------------------

Reserve Officers Association (ROA) SmartBrief for Wednesday, January 13, 2016.

http://www2.smartbrief.com/servlet/encodeServlet?issueid=2E129873-5182-4065-9066-90BB7ECF0CC9&sid=22cbe9eb-3ef0-4eca-8105-ef9f466dc32d

-----------------------------

VetLikeMe Weekly News. http://us6.campaign-archive2.com/?u=e78fc12c514778799ebe7ebe3&id=01ecb74666&e=539b009a0e Sent in by fellow Veteran, Hardy Stone, President and Owner of VetLikeMe. Thanks Hardy

-------------------------------

POLITICO Morning Defense for Wednesday, January 13, 2016. A Daily Briefing from Inside Washington’s National Security Apparatus.

http://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-defense/2016/01/iran-detains-10-navy-sailors-two-boats-tehran-says-the-issue-is-being-resolved-obama-knocks-gop-fearmongering-in-state-of-the-union-212137

-------------------------------

Your 5:00 pm Daily ExecutiveBiz Headlines.

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=e47e8ae774&e=a823c4dfb6

--------------------------------

Your 12:00 pm Daily ExecutiveBiz Headlines.

http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=42c4cef0df&e=a823c4dfb6

---------------------------------

Your 6:00 am GovConWire - Top News from Executive Mosaic.

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=9447c61bfb9058cb4553aedbf&id=f1f8ea74fd&e=a823c4dfb6

---------------------------------

Code of Support Foundation Presents Toast to Our Troops! Wednesday, February 10, 2016, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Women in Military Service for America Memorial - 1 Memorial Ave., Arlington National Cemetery, VA. Come share in the camaraderie, and if you can, please consider sponsoring.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/toast-to-our-troops-tickets-19551817011?ref=ebtnebtckt

-----------------------------------

A Variety of Veterans Related News from a Variety of Sources.

Marine Corps Times Congressman: Navy secretary's 'social meddling' more dangerous to Marines than ISIS. A retired Marine officer in Congress described Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as "a bigger threat to the men and women of the Marine Corps than ISIS" for trying to integrate women into infantry and other combat arms positions.

Stars and Stripes Pentagon: 2 US Navy boats held by Iran but will be returned. Iran detained two small U.S. patrol vessels in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday after the boats apparently sailed within the territorial waters of Iran's Farsi Island, the Pentagon confirmed.

Associated Press US Court: Wearing Unearned Military Medals Is Free Speech . A federal appeals court on Monday tossed out a veteran's conviction for wearing military medals he didn't earn, saying it was a form of free speech protected by the Constitution.

Federal Times White House FOIA handling blasted in House Oversight report. The Obama administration manages a "hobbled and broken" FOIA system, according to a report that the House Oversight Committee released Jan. 11.

Military Times Defense hearings: Commissaries and Tricare reform. Lawmakers will fit in a few defense and veterans hearings this week around President Obama's already scheduled annual State of the Union address and subsequent congressional party retreats.

Defense News McCain Says Fanning's Appointment Broke Law; Pentagon Disagrees. The US Senate's confirmation process of Eric Fanning as Army secretary remained in limbo Monday amid a legal dispute between the Obama administration and Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain.

Defense News Fanning Steps Down as Acting Army Secretary While Awaiting Confirmation. Under pressure from Congress, Acting Army Secretary Eric Fanning will step down from his position while he waits for his confirmation hearing to begin for the secretary's chair, the Pentagon announced Monday.

Military Times Obama taps Army vet for DoD manpower job. An Army veteran has been nominated as the next assistant secretary of defense for manpower and reserve affairs, the White House announced Monday.

Army Times DoD passes on proposed Army Combat Action Badge changes. A wide-ranging Defense Department review of military decorations recommended leaving eligibility rules for the Combat Action Badge as they stand - a blow to one lawmaker's push to award the medal to soldiers who served before 2001.

DefenseOne Here's What America's Longest-Serving Marine General Most Fears. Gen. John Kelly, commander of U.S. Southern Command, goes "over the side for the last time" with 45 years of perspective on U.S. war-fighting and its future.

Military.com Navy Plans 'High-Velocity Learning' at Boot Camp, Shipyards: CNO. The Navy's top officer is working to replace heavy volumes and reams of printed documents with sleek tablets -- for top brass and boot camp recruits alike.

Air Force Times Lawmaker: Air Force wasted $500 million on weather satellite. A top U.S. lawmaker slammed the Air Force's handling of its weather satellite program Thursday, saying it would have been easier for the government to simply set the money on fire.

Stars and Stripes Lawyer: Bergdahl should be awarded POW Medal, Purple Heart. A military lawyer representing accused deserter Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl called for the Army to award his client several medals, including the Purple Heart and the Prisoner of War medal, during a pre-trial hearing Tuesday.

Stars and Stripes The new way police are surveilling you: Calculating your threat 'score'. As a national debate has played out over mass surveillance by the National Security Agency, a new

generation of technology such as the Beware software being used in Fresno has given local law enforcement officers unprecedented power to peer into the lives of citizens.

The Washington Free Beacon: Obama Touts Care for Veterans As Success Story for His Administration. President Obama cited “more care” for U.S. veterans as an example of progress made under his administration during the State of the Union address, a curious statement in the wake of the Veterans Affairs scandal of delayed care and secret waiting lists at numerous facilities that came to light in 2014. The deaths of American veterans waiting for healthcare disgusted the country and led to the resignation of VA secretary Eric Shinseki.

The Washington Post (Federal Eye): House panel moves to cut workplace rights for top civil servants. In the name of protecting veterans, Democrats on Capitol Hill and in the White House joined Republicans in attacking the due-process rights of top civil servants in the Department of Veterans Affairs almost 18 months ago. Democrats, who might normally oppose such a measure, told themselves undermining the workplace protections of VA Senior Executive Service (SES) members was necessary to help reform a department that had disgraced itself with a scandal over the cover-up of long wait times.

The Washington Post (AP): Senate panel backs lawyer Missal as VA Watchdog. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has approved the nomination of Washington lawyer Michael Missal to be the new chief watchdog at the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs. President Barack Obama nominated Missal to be the VA’s inspector general in October. Lawmakers from both parties have long sought a permanent inspector general for the VA as the agency struggles to meet veterans’ health care needs and provide timely decisions on benefits.

Military.com: VA Secretary to Visit Boston Hospital to Tout research into PTSD, TBI. Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald plans to travel to Boston on Friday as part of a White House post-State of the Union messaging effort to promote administration accomplishments over the past seven years and discuss challenges still ahead. In addition to McDonald, the White House will be sending other Cabinet secretaries and senior administration officials on the road for what it calls the "State of the Union Cabinet in Your Community Tour."

WSAV-TV (NBC-3, Video): Military Brain Injury Victims Urges to Seek Help. A new campaign is underway to get service members and veterans with brain injuries to seek help. The new initiative is being launched by the Department of Defense and is being led by the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Centers. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant health issue which affects service members and veterans during times of both peace and war.

Stars and Stripes: VA to request more money for $1.3 billion electronic benefits management system. The Department of Veterans Affairs was hit again Tuesday with concerns over the mismanagement and ballooning costs of its new paperless system for processing disability claims. Department officials told the House Committee on Veterans Affairs that it expects to request more money from Congress for its $1.3-billion electronic benefits management system, which has helped decrease a backlog of paper disability claims but also increased in cost by 122 percent since it was set up in 2009.

Federal Computer Week: Hill watchdogs warn on shortcomings in VA’s claims system. The Department of Veterans Affairs is scaling up an IT system to help benefits administrators reduce a backlog of veteran claims. But the VA's top watchdog in the House of Representatives is worried that the system is over budget, behind schedule and not working as advertised. The Veterans Benefits Management System was developed to overcome the massive backlog of disability claims by digitizing claims forms and expediting claims decisions.

The Tampa Tribune: House committee demands to see messy boxes of VA claims. The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee is demanding that the Department of Veterans Affairs turn over boxes containing benefits materials from St. Petersburg that were found in disarray in a Georgia scanning center. U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, a Pensacola Republican, made the demand during a committee hearing Tuesday examining problems with the VA’s claims processing computer system.

Washington Examiner: Veterans Affairs manipulated data to hide its growing backlog. Department of Veterans Affairs officials have poured more than $1 billion into a system meant to speed up the processing of veterans' benefits claims, only to see the backlog of such claims climb significantly higher. But VA officials have attempted to downplay the problem by manipulating data in the agency's benefits office, creating the perception that the backlog is lower than it actually is.

WUSF-FM (NPR-89.7, Audio): Congress Wants Accountability for VA Backlog. Brandishing a photograph of 1,600 boxes, stacked haphazardly in a storage room, Florida U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller of Pensacola opened a congressional hearing Tuesday into the backlog of veterans benefits claims. The photo Miller referenced came from an Inspector General report that found more than 41,000 packages of veterans’ records from the St. Petersburg Regional VA Benefits Office waiting to be scanned at a contractor's facility in Georgia.

Military Times: VA failed to spend $1.9 billion designated for health care, report finds. An audit of the Veterans Health Administration’s private health care program books finds the department failed to spend $1.9 billion – or 40 percent – of the $4.8 billion designated for non-VA care in fiscal 2013. Also, from Oct. 1, 2013, through March 31, 2015, medical center administrators overestimated the funds they needed to pay for outside care for veterans by $543 million, leaving that amount unavailable for patient care…

iHealthBeat: Gun Control Rule’s HIPAA Modification Draws Mixed Reactions. A veterans group has expressed concern that a new gun control rule modifying the HIPAA privacy law could discourage veterans from seeking help, while other groups say more is needed to improve the sharing of mental health data, Modern Healthcare reports (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 1/8). Last week, HHS finalized a rule allowing certain health care providers to disclose -- without consent -- the names of patients with mental health illnesses to the FBI's firearms background check database.

Houston Chronicle: VA to Texas Veterans: No open carry here. Open carry is now the law of the land in the Lone Star State, but the federal government is reminding Texan veterans that guns still are not allowed on VA property. In a reminder posted to the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System website, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs made clear that firearms will remain prohibited at all of the federal agency's sites.

Florida Today: Proposed Veteran Administration and pension rules. In November, we alerted readers to proposed changes to the eligibility rules regarding Aid & Attendance Pension benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Previous reports indicated that these changes would take effect in early 2016, probably February or March. To review, the proposed changes include the following: Net Worth: For the first time, a definitive limit on the countable net worth an applicant can have and still qualify for benefits.

The Huffington Post (The Blog): Ending Veteran Homelessness Strengthens the Union. I was moved to see Cynthia Dias, a formerly homeless veteran from Las Vegas, sitting in First Lady Michelle Obama visitors' box during tonight's State of the Union Address. To be given such a place of honor speaks to the bipartisan efforts on Capitol Hill to end veteran homelessness in our country, and the power of providing our veterans who need it with the housing and support services that help them regain their lives.

ThinkProgress: The Story Behind a Formerly Homeless Veteran’s Invitation to the State of The Union. Cynthia Dias is one of the lucky few Americans selected to get a seat at President

Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night. Dias is a veteran, having served as a nurse during the Vietnam War. She also experienced homelessness after her service, which she attributes to her struggles with PTSD. But for the last year, she’s been living in a supportive housing complex in Las Vegas, Nevada called Veterans Village…

Associated Press State of union in 2016: Strong job market, middling economy. President Barack Obama delivers his final State of the Union address on Tuesday night to a nation whose economy is far sturdier than it was when he took office in 2009.

Military Times: A defense/Veterans wish list for the State of the Union. No matter how much ground President Obama's annual State of the Union speech covers, the commander in chief won’t be able to address every military and veterans issue that outside advocates want highlighted. Here are a few topics that key community experts would like to hear mentioned but are unlikely to make the cut.

The Hill White House renews pledge to close Gitmo. White House chief of staff Denis McDonough on Sunday reiterated the long-held goal to close Guantanamo Bay before the end of President Obama's second term.

Military Times Scholarship opportunities available for military children, spouses. It's scholarship season for military families, and opportunities abound for children as well as spouses. Here are a just a few of the hundreds of scholarships available.

Military Times Tricare pharmacy co-pays to rise Feb. 1. Prescription co-payments will increase for some Tricare beneficiaries starting Feb. 1.

Army Times Army will cut 12,000 more soldiers to hit 2016 goal. The Army's active component shrank by nearly 1,600 soldiers in November, bringing personnel strength for the second month of this fiscal year to 487,134 troopers, some 12,100 shy of the drawdown goal for 2016 of 475,000.

Associated Press Debate Over Women in Combat Continues to Roil Marine Corps. A top Marine general predicts that the Defense Department's vows to maintain the same standards

for women and men in combat jobs won't last, saying the military will eventually be pressured to lower the qualifications so more women can serve in jobs like the Marine infantry.

Navy Times Navy: Video shows Iranian rockets launched near Truman, other warships. The U.S. military released a video Saturday showing what it says is an Iranian military vessel firing several unguided rockets near the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman and other Western warships and commercial craft.

Air Force Times Air Force offers up to $15K in enlistment bonuses in 2016. People enlisting in the Air Force for the first time could get up to $15,000 in initial enlistment bonuses in fiscal 2016, depending on their career field.

Stars and Stripes Officials pledge closer cooperation in tackling extremists. Police, politicians and intelligence officials from more than 50 countries pledged Monday to intensify the fight against violent extremism by cooperating more closely in tracking foreign fighters, their finances and communications.

Government Executive: VA Demotes and Reassigns Former Senior Executives - Again. The Veterans Affairs Department has demoted and reassigned for the second time two former senior executives accused of using their positions of authority for personal gain. Diana Rubens, former director of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s Philadelphia office, and Kimberly Graves, former director of VBA’s St. Paul, Minn., regional office, were demoted officially on Jan. 6 to General Schedule jobs, and reassigned to assistant director positions at the VBA’s Houston and Phoenix regional officials, respectively.

Stars and Stripes: VA reinstates two implicated senior execs at Phoenix after a review of paid suspension. The Department of Veterans Affairs has sent two senior executives implicated in the 2014 wait times scandal in Phoenix back to work and says more temporary reinstatements will likely follow after the agency issued new guidance on the appropriateness of paid administrative leave. Lance Robinson, who was assistant director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System, and Brad Curry, the Phoenix Health Administration services chief, have new jobs at the Phoenix VA…

Stars and Stripes: House lawmakers press VA on $624-million scheduling system. Two House lawmakers say the Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to overspend by unnecessarily creating its own $624-million scheduling system to ease persistent delays in veteran health

care. The VA project has been underway for more than a year but systems that could schedule vets for doctor’s appointments and other care through the department – on site and via the Internet – are already commercially available for what is likely a smaller price…

The Ripon Advance: McMorris Rodgers legislation would add self-scheduling appointment tech to VA. U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) was joined by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) on Friday in introducing H.R. 4352, the Faster Care for Veterans Act. The legislation would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin a pilot program at VA medical facilities incorporating commercially available self-scheduling technologies.

WEAU-TV (NBC-13): Jason Simcakoski Memorial Act heads to full Senate. Jason Simcakoski died on Aug. 30, 2014 from what is called a “mixed drug toxicity” while at the VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wisconsin. His death sparked an investigation into the care at these Veteran Affairs hospitals. Since then, senators like Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) have been working on a bill that would address this issue.

StreetInsider: ReWalk Robotics (RWLK) Announces VA Purchase of Six Exoskeleton Systems for National Mulit-Center Clinical Trail. The Department of Veterans Affairs is the largest single healthcare provider to persons with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in the United States. This VA national research study seeks to examine the impact of exoskeletal-assisted walking in the home and community setting on quality of life and health outcomes in eligible Veterans with spinal cord injury. The study is planned to be conducted at 10 VA Medical Centers with Spinal Cord Injury Services across the United States.

Ventura County Star: Editorial: VA fails again to provide appropriate care for county Veterans. Once again Veterans Affairs has failed. The VA hired a new contractor to provide outpatient care to Ventura County veterans, and moved to a much bigger facility in December. But veterans say that basically from the day the doors opened, they had trouble getting appointments, some of them being told it would be four months or longer before they could be seen.

WHAG-TV (NBC-25, Video): Nurse shortage at VA Medical Center in Martinsburg linked to retirees. The VA Medial Center in Martinsburg (VAMC) is in the midst of a nurse shortage. “We currently have 345 registered nurses on staff right now. Last fiscal year, we lost 31 nurses, 25 of those for retirees," said Sandra Sullivan, acting associate director, Patient Care Services, VAMC.

Nearly 35,000 veterans from 22 counties within the four-state area are currently receiving care at the VA. “What I see in our profession is just an aging population," Sullivan said.

Star Tribune: Privacy violations on the rise at Minnesota’s VA facilities, Vets find records released or sent to the wrong place. With chronic pain in his neck and back and a brain injury from his days in the service, it wasn’t a surprise that Air Force veteran Ben Kraus had a huge file at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs offices: more than a thousand pages of confidential and sensitive information dealing with medical issues, vocational rehab and disability compensation. What was a surprise is what happened when Kraus requested copies of his file last year. The VA sent them to someone else.

Government Executive: VA Watchdog Can’t Prove Calif. Facility Sat on Thousands of Claims. The watchdog for the Veterans Affairs Department could not prove that the Oakland, Calif., regional office sat on more than 13,000 informal claims for benefits, delaying payments -- an allegation that emerged during an April 2015 congressional hearing. While the inspector general didn’t find evidence to substantiate an allegation that such a list existed, the watchdog in a new review found errors in other informal claims processing that led to $26,325 in improper payments to vets – mostly overpayments…

FierceGovernmentIT: VA OIG report brings to light benefits claims backlog issues at Florida facility. Inefficient document preparation and handling of hard-copy veteran materials has led to claims processing problems at a Veterans Affairs Department regional office in St. Petersburg, Fla., according to a Jan. 6. VA Office of Inspector General report (pdf). Some of the problems the department watchdog documented took place at a scanning facility managed by federal IT contractor CACI.

Colorado Springs Gazette Fast-track VA claims for Lejeune vets faces slow road . The Department of Veterans Affairs expects up to 15,000 seriously ill veterans who served at Camp Lejeune, N.C., before 1988 to be helped by a faster-track compensation process.

Tampa Bay Times: USF rejects expelled U.S. Army Veteran’s bid for readmission. The University of South Florida will not readmit a U.S. Army veteran who was expelled from the school in 2014 after his arrest for threatening a gas station clerk and firing a handgun into the air. Clay Allred, a former Green Beret whose case made headlines when Hillsborough Circuit Judge Gregory Holder began a high-profile push for his readmission, received a letter Friday from the university rejecting his application on several grounds.

The Oracle: Expelled Veteran’s case gains National attention. Former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Clay Allred just wants to finish his education at USF, according to Hillsborough Circuit Judge Gregory Holder. However, Allred has found himself in a complicated situation in his effort to return to the university after his expulsion. The veteran was involved in an incident on Aug. 21, 2014 at a Fowler gas station about a mile or so from USF’s Tampa campus. According to Holder, Allred entered the gas station and asked to use the restroom.

Hill County Community Journal: New tenants move into VA apartments. Qualified veterans including George and Kathy Glode, and Willie Askey were finally allowed to move into their new Freedom’s Path apartments on Dec. 31 on the grounds of the VA. Almost all required the assistance of volunteer help, given gladly, but some of the volunteers weren’t much younger than the vets they were helping, though the volunteers were more able-bodied.

Insurance Journal: USAA Pledges $2.1M to Fight Veteran Homelessness in San Antonio. Insurer USAA has pledged $2.1 million to help end veteran homelessness in San Antonio. The company said USAA’s pledge was inspired by the White House Administration’s Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness, which was announced by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2014 as part of the First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces initiative. The pledge was announced at a press conference by San Antonio Mayor Ivy R. Taylor and USAA Chief Executive Officer Stuart Parker.

Colorado Springs Gazette CEO looks to better market work of Military Officers Association of America. The head of America's largest organization for military officers says keeping his 390,000-member group going means helping vets lead better civilian lives.

Stars and Stripes Couch shows us failed parenting personified. Without the crutch of a hovering guardian there to shield and protect, some young people enter adulthood lacking not only the skills to achieve but the ethics needed to resolve problems and the perspective obtained through failure alone.

-------------------------------------

-------------------------------------

VETERANS EVENTS

-------------------------------------

-------------------------------------

Federal Business Council (FBC) 2016 List of Conferences and Events: Lot of events going on and set-up and managed by FBC. Here is the list that takes us through to October 2016.

https://www.fbcconferences.com/search.aspx

-------------------------------------

Job ZONE Listing of Job Fairs for 2015 through 2016.

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=0990c1fbb840ccb617b5992e6&id=383110f983&e=4c98ba860d

--------------------------------

Virginia Department of Veterans Services, Virginia Values Veterans V3 Program, Training Schedule for January 12 – 31, 2016.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?ca=9cf88308-4cba-4f11-99bb-19263b9e9666&c=f0bce490-c33d-11e4-887e-d4ae5292b9a6&ch=f0f7a3a0-c33d-11e4-887e-d4ae5292b9a6

--------------------------------

Women Veterans ROCK! Woman Warrior Weekend - Transition Retreat. January 15 – 17, 2016, Freedoms Foundation in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. For more information and to register:

http://www.womenvetsrock.org/events/

--------------------------------

Disabled Veteran Business Alliance (DVBA) Combined Southern California Chapter Meeting. January 19, 2016, 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. For more details and to register:

https://www.trailblz.info/disabledvetba/eviewer.aspx?vid=47D076111FEEF105257A25CD3E9F8DCD630033E53EBC4F70ECC45E05E059B5EE

---------------------------------

Engineer Job Fair. Sponsor: Corporate Gray / Washington Post. January 27, 2016, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Location: Army Navy Country Club, Arlington, VA. If you have an engineering background, you are invited to meet face-to-face with Northrop Grumman, Amtrak, Federal Aviation Administration, ACT-I, Pepco, and other top companies seeking engineering talent at the Corporate Gray / Washington Post Engineer Job Fair on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. All engineering disciplines are welcome, including but not limited to software engineers, mechanical engineers, civil engineers, chemical engineers, computer engineers, electrical engineers, nuclear engineers, aerospace engineers, RF engineers, systems engineers, and more! Go here for detailed information and to register. http://www.corporategray.com/jobfairs/372

--------------------------------

January 2016 Objective Rally Point (ORP) Breakfast - Veterans Business Networking Event. Thursday, January 28, 2016, 7:15 AM to 9:15 AM, Army-Navy Country Club, 1700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. Don’t pass up this opportunity to network with other Veterans focused on success in business. If you are a company looking for a VOSB or SDVOSB to team with there is no better place to find qualified Veteran owned businesses than at ORP. Although the focus of the ORP is on the connections made between and with Veterans, we do have a speaker each month. The speaker for January is Harrison Smith, Department of Homeland Security, Industry Liaison. Mr. Smith has a long distinguished career in government acquisition. He joined DHS in 2005 as a contracting officer. He later supported the Office of the Chief Information Officer as an Associate Director in the Information Technology Acquisition Center before transitioning full-time to the award and administration of enterprise-wide contracts. In this role, he acted as the Contracting Officer for several multi-billion dollar procurements in the services and IT arenas, most notably the PACTS, FirstSource II, and Enterprise Software Solutions procurements. In 2011, Harrison joined the newly-formed Enterprise Acquisitions Division (EAD) as an Associate Director, ultimately becoming the Division Director in 2013. During his tenure there, EAD’s portfolio of enterprise-wide contracts included more than 25 procurement vehicles with a combined ceiling of $68 billion. Hope to see you at ORP! For more information and to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/objective-rally-point-january-2016-tickets-20592257998

--------------------------------

Don't Miss the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Government Contracting Forum. Thursday, January 28, 2016, 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Bethesda Pooks Hill Marriott. Cost is $60.00. Go here for more detailed information and to register:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Don-t-Miss-the-MCCC-Government-Contracting-Forum.html?soid=1101128334983&aid=z6UtFBDgJ8o

---------------------------------

Code of Support Foundation Presents Toast to Our Troops! Wednesday, February 10, 2016, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM, Women in Military Service for America Memorial - 1 Memorial Ave., Arlington National Cemetery, VA. Come share in the camaraderie, and if you can, consider sponsoring.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/toast-to-our-troops-tickets-19551817011?ref=ebtnebtckt

---------------------------------

SBA Workshop – Pricing for Government Contractors. Thursday, February 11, 2016 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA), 4224 Cox Road, Glen Allen, Virginia 23060. This event is at NO Cost. Go here to register:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pricing-for-government-contractors-tickets-20481441543?utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_event_email&utm_term=viewmyevent_button

--------------------------------- Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce – National Center for Veteran Institute for Procurement once again announces VIP. March 1 – 3, 2016, and June 21 – 23, 2016. VIP Grow is a 3-day, 27-hour comprehensive certification program designed for veteran businesses to increase their ability to win government contracts by establishing best business practices. Classes are instructed by industry experts, government officials, and agency representatives. To date, 546 Veteran-owned businesses nationwide have graduated from the program. VIP is offered at no cost to participants. Enrollment is open to Veteran-owned businesses nationwide and limited to one executive from each business. Class size is limited to 50 individuals per session. As I understand from a number of Veterans that have attended VIP, this is an OUTSTANDING program. Two sessions are now available but better sign up quick! Go here for more detailed information. http://myemail.constantcontact.com/VIP-Grow---Spread-the-Word-to-Arm-Vets-to-Win.html?soid=1101128334983&aid=D95rd9q3xcc

--------------------------------

VA OSDBU Announces the NASA/JPL and the City of Pasadena Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Industry Day. Tuesday, March 1, 2016 7:00 AM, Pasadena Convention

Center, 300 East Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101. Registration is Free. Go here for details and to register:

http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVAOSDBU/bulletins/12b94ae

--------------------------------

Save the Date: VA OSDBU Announces the 2016 National Veterans Small Business Engagement. November 1 – 3, 2016, Minneapolis, MN.

http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVAOSDBU/bulletins/12dadbb

--------------------------------

Folks! If you want to be REMOVED from the Vets News Distribution List, just send me an e-mail with the subject line "REMOVE!"

Prayers and blessings for you and your loved ones and for our amazing Troops and their loved ones everywhere.

Godspeed all....Wayne

Wayne M. Gatewood, Jr., USMC (Ret)

Founder, President, CEO

Quality Support, Inc.

Established 1989, VA CVE-Verified SDVOSB

AIMS Consolidated Schedule GS-00F-0068M

MOBIS - Schedule 874

8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 220

Landover, MD 20785

301-459-3777 - Fax 301-459-6961

http://www.qualitysupport.com/