Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Veterans Report 5/2

Charity Scams Target Veterans
Servicemembers and veterans should be careful when making donations to solicitors claiming to be charities in support of our troops. Fraudulent activities associated with donations may come in the form of an email or a telephone call. Before making a donation, verify the legitimacy of the organization using Military.com's Support Our Troops Center or the DoD website America Supports You.


Heroes of the Year Sought
Staff Sgt. Robbi Smette of Makoti, N.D., was the first Citizen-Soldier to be nominated as the Hero of the Year in a unique national campaign that Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc. has initiated to honor this country's Army Guard members. Jackson Hewitt will honor one Army Guard Soldier each month for the rest of this year, and a panel of judges will select a Hero of the Year from those 10 candidates. Family members, friends or employers can nominate Guard Soldiers for the monthly honors by logging on to http://www.supporttheguard.com/ and explaining in 500 words or less how a Soldier exemplifies the time-honored tradition of the Army National Guard.
VA to Seek DNA of All Veterans
Researchers are mapping the human genome for the day when physicians will use a patient's genetic profile as preventive medicine. To that end, the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to create a genetic database from potentially millions of VA patients. The VA plans to collect the first 100,000 samples in October, 2007 and foresees a database as large as the number of veterans who are willing to contribute samples of their DNA. VA also plans to write rules regarding handling a person's genetic profile while using it in research.
Panel Votes to Block TRICARE Hikes
A House panel has voted to block for at least two years any increases in TRICARE beneficiary cost-shares. It's the first formal step by Congress to derail the Bush administration's plan to raise fees, co-payments and deductibles for military retirees under age 65 and their families. Additionally, a January 2007 pay raise of 2.7 percent for Reserve and National Guard personnel was approved, as was a plan for an additional "targeted" raise for warrant officers and some senior enlisted. The complete article can be seen at Military.com

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