VA Secretary Shinseki was on the ground for the Veterans of Foreign Wars 113th National Convention in Reno, Nevada. He addressed pressing Veterans issues, from the claims backlog to employment, homelessness, suicide, and more.
Check out his full remarks, and for the highlights, browse through our Storify collection.
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1,400 of the 3,600 Veterans with ALS received care from VHA during the past 4 fiscal years (FYs) died because there is no treatment or cure. Sitting back and waiting is what we have been doing. The VA needs leadership and to lead in the ALS fight in three areas.
1. The VA needs to partner or reach out to leaders in research on ALS treatment such as BRAINSTORM and Neuralstem, and others as they emerge.
2. The VA needs to publish guidance on large group expanded access/compassionate use funding for Veterans with ALS to expedite approvals and treatments.
3. SEC Shinseki needs to engage industry leaders in ALS treatment and research to encourage their efforts, and appeal for large group expanded access once safety and effectiveness is demonstrated.
Same old talk,getting old.been there myself people,my heart and pray,s go out to ALL..
I think we must all get together (VETS) something like on Facebook VOTE for who we want.Maybe a person or group, that has only four year,s( We the people) who answer the call… Do your JOB or kick them out !
HOOT
To All:
If you find the VA Regional Claims Office near you doesn’t respond in a timely fashion, reach out to your regional service officer. The VFW, Military Order of The Purple Heart, The American Legion and others have full time staff available around the country to help vets navigate the VA Regional Offices as ombudsmen and veteran advocates.
They can’t help unless you reach out to them directly.
Be well and be safe!
HOOOAH!
VFW life member, How do we find out who our regional service officer is? I never even knew there was such a person. Thanks for your help.
DEAR SECRETARY SHINSEKI,
I SUBMIT TO YOU A COPY OF A WRITING WHICH FELL ON THE DEAF EARS OF THE NATIONAL VETERANS OUTREACH PROGRAM (NAVOP). IT CONCERNS SPECIFICALLY MY SITUATION WHICH IS NOT TO GOOD AT PRESENT BUT MY GOD HAS PROVIDED. IT IS INTENDED TO TARGET WHAT I CONSIDER ILL’MANAGEMENT OF THEIR SAN ANTONIO G.I. FORUM. IT IS FEW THAT ARE HEARD AS MOST RESIDENTS PREFER TO STAY QUIET & DEAL WITH LACKS OF RESPECT BY STAFF TO NOT BE TERMINATED FROM THEIR STAY. I TRUST THIS INFORMATION GETS TO WHO IT MUST AS I DO STILL HAVE SOME HOPE IN OUR GOVERNMENT.
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME…..(my writing follows)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Veterans-Outreach-Program-American-GI-Forum/319688105767
ATTENTION MIDDLE AGED AND NEWLY DISCHARGED VETS WITH OR WITHOUT DISABILITIES LOOKING OR THAT MAY BE LOOKING WHERE TO STAY IN HARD TIMES!!!!
WHAT’S ON MY MIND, YOU ASK???
FOR A FEW MONTHS, NOW… THESE PEOPLE BELOW… OH YEA, THEY HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE ALRIGHT BUT NOT NECESSARILY A FACE! THEIR BUILDING ON MEDINA ST. DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A SIGN ON THE FRONT. WELL MAYBE THERE’S A GOOD REASON FOR THAT. LOCALY, USAA IS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM, AS THEY HOUSE VETERANS IN BUILDINGS ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER ON MEDINA STREET. BUT MAYBE USAA NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS AT ‘THE FORUM’ UNDER ADMINISTRATOR J. TIMMONS. HERE IT GOES, JT……YOU THOUGHT I WAS TO VOCAL TO BE IN YOUR PROGRAM AND SO YOU TERMINATED MY STAY. I’M THREE YEARS SOBER AND AN HONORABLY DISCHARGED VET, WELL JUST YOU WAIT MR. ‘EX-WARDEN’. YOU, YOUR FOR THE MOST PART INEPT STAFF, MRS. L. BUTLER (ALLEGED VA ADVOCATE) AND YOUR SECURITY GOONS SHOULD, TO QUOTE YOUR FAVORITE ANSWER TO TOUGH QUESTIONS AS YOU WALK OFF, ‘COUNT THEIR BLESSINGS’. A SPECIAL HELLO TO GI FORUM GUARD CASTILLO WHO DID THE HONORS THE DAY OF MY EXPULSION. HAVING I ARRIVED TEN MINUTES LATE AFTER MIDNIGHT CERFEW, GUARD CASTILLO WITH RUDE TONE ASKED, ‘ARE YOU GOING TO DO THIS ALL THE TIME??? THEN DIRECTED ME TO TAKE AN ETOH BREATH TEST AND URINALYSIS DRUG TEST; I PASSED BOTH WITH 0%. WHILE NOW SIGNING IN I ANSWERED CASTILLO THAT I DIDN’T KNOW BECAUSE I WASN’T JESUS CHRIST. HE ORDERED ME TO LEAVE AND I WALKED AWAY TOWARDS MY LIVING SPACE. HE OPTED WITH OR WITHOUT DIRECTION FROM YOU, JT, TO MISEMPLOY ILL TRAINED SAPD OFFICERS AND LATER THEIR TWO SARGEANTS. SARGEANTS WHO KNOWING MY SITUATION FINANCIALLY TICKETED ME NOT FAR OFF A SHORT TIME LATER. I WAS ORDERED BY THE TWO OFFICERS AT CASTILLO’S REQUEST OFF THE PROPERTY OR BE ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING. REVIEW YOUR PENAL CODE GUYS… YES, CASTILLO WAS A GUARD…
My name is MSG Jones. I served 26 years between the Active Army and Reserves. I went to the VA 2 yrs ago and my claim is still pending. I lost my family, my home, my job. The President and Mr. Shinseki has done a great job of developing and funding veterans programs but the problem is try and go to the VA for assistance all you get is the run around. I filed a congressional inquiry case still pending. It is very sad that you have to lose everything you own in life after serving 26 years. I now work for minimal wages and live with my aunt and I am 45 years old. Can someone please shed some light on how you can get services through the VA because I cant get any support and they charge me for my medical prescriptions. e-mail: redrickjones@yahoo.com
I had a job once where the only time someone addressed me was to complain. It was no fun. But I am trying to make sense of why I had to wait 500 days until I meet with someone on my disability case? But it has been around 600 days and no notification YET.
Good Luck in this ‘No Thanks’ job.