Attached is a flier for the Guadalcanal-Puller-Udall Hike that I thought you might be interested in. Many of the participants are Wounded Warriors and active military.

Brief background:

The Lewis B. Puller Hike is in its fifth year and had 50+ active duty and retired Marine participants last year. Additionally Gen. Mike Myatt sponsored a Guadalcanal recognition dinner with Gen. H. Lloyd Wilkerson {one of the two surviving generals actually there} and his son Gen. Tom Wilkerson {the CEO of the Naval Institute}.The Lewis B. Puller Hike is in its fifth year and had 50+ active duty and retired Marine participants last year. Additionally Gen. Mike Myatt sponsored a Guadalcanal recognition dinner with Gen. H. Lloyd Wilkerson {one of the two surviving generals actually there} and his son Gen. Tom Wilkerson {the CEO of the Naval Institute}.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Dawes
Field Representative/Caseworker
Office of Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey
1101 College Ave, Suite 200
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 542-7182
fax (707) 542-2745

Click here to view flier.

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LET’S COUNT THE MARINES IN FOR FUTURE WARS

by Fred Edwards

May 21, 2010 — Military leaders are often criticized for fighting the last war when they are planning for the next one. It seems that Defense Secretary Robert Gates is planning for future wars by concentrating on the two current ones. When he spoke on May 3 at the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space Convention, he asked, “. . . in the 21st century, what kind of amphibious capability do we really need to deal with the most likely scenarios, and then how much?”

Gates added, “We have to take a hard look at where it would be necessary or sensible to launch another major amphibious landing again – especially as advances in anti-ship systems keep pushing the potential launch point further from shore.” It is mindful of General Omar N. Bradley’s 1949 testimony that “large-scale amphibious operations will never occur again.” On the heels of his pronouncement came the landing at Inchon, Korea, in 1951. continue reading

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CONCERN CONTINUES ABOUT MEDICARE PHYSICIAN REIMBURSEMENTS

Dear Mr. Dunn:

Thank you for contacting me to regarding Medicare physician reimbursements. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

I believe that doctors should be paid fairly for the services they provide, and that Medicare reimbursements are essential for patient access. As you know, current law requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to adjust the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payment rates annually based on an update formula which includes application of the Sustainable Growth Rate, or SGR, that was adopted in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. As of March 1, 2010, a 21 percent reduction in Medicare Part B physician payments took effect. The Senate has taken the following actions in an effort to extend the expiring provisions: continue reading

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May 11, 2010

Colonel William J. Reals, Jr. 28762 Bolanos Mission Viejo, California 92692

Dear Colonel Reals:

Thank you for contacting me in support of H.R. 333, the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act. I appreciate hearing from you. Like you, I firmly believe that we must deliver on our nation’s promises to those that have sacrificed to defend our freedoms by ensuring their family members receive the assistance they need.

As you know, some military retirees are forced to fund their own disability benefits. I have long been supportive of ending this unfair practice because I believe it is an issue of basic fairness for military retirees who incurred a disability while serving the nation in uniform. While in recent years Congress has taken great steps toward expanding eligibility criteria for relief of the retired pay and disability offset and reducing the financial burden of disabled military retirees, it is my hope that in the future Congress will be able to provide fair benefits and compensation to all our nation’s heroes.

H.R. 333, the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 8, 2009 to allow concurrent receipt of military retirement and disability pay for those veterans that have a service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent. In addition, this bill would extend concurrent receipt eligibility for combat-related special compensation for Chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service. As this bill moves through the legislative process and is considered by the House Committees on Veterans Affairs and Armed Services, I will be sure to keep your strong support in mind.

Please be assured that I will continue to work in Congress to honor our commitments to those who have served our nation with pride, valor, and dignity. Again, thank you for contacting me. I hope you will remain in touch in the future on other issues of importance to you.

Sincerely,
GARY G. MILLER
Member of Congress

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CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (CDVA) 30 APRIL

I again represented the Navy League for all of California at subject meeting today. Reps, maybe 60+, for the multitude of veteran groups and others in leadership positions serving veterans were in attendance. Becoming quite a popular occasion.

Four main topics today and a number of announcements. a.. Operation Welcome Home; Outstanding program ramping up - ambitious plans.

b.. Plan to end veteran homeless. Big, maybe # 1 or 2 in priorities. 75% no problems - the other 25% multiple challenges - some big like substance abuse, divorce, violence, illegal activity. A lot of energy devoted to continue to reduce it. All sorts of government and volunteer programs. Goal is to have veterans be productive citizens.

c.. Veterans Courts. Judge Wendy Lindley, Orange County Superior Court, told of the strides being made to have law breaking veterans straighten out. Much tied into homelessness problems. continue reading

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HOW TO DEFUSE THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ

by Fred Edwards

April 30, 2010 — I received a response from a colleague concerning my column of April 24, “Iran plays brinksmanship in the Straits of Hormuz.” The colleague, Victor Wood, is a retired Navy officer who has held top positions in the corporate world. His track record springs from his policy of establishing a strategic plan, following it at all costs, making modifications as needed, and continuing to the objective. He proposed the following plan to keep Iran from holding the United States hostage in the Straits of Hormuz.

For our national security, we should immediately develop alternative energy sources by the end of five years, so that we would no longer be dependent on foreign oil from that area. That should get the attention of the Iranian leadership, because each year their threat to close the straits would lose leverage if we were following our five-year plan. Here’s how it would work: continue reading

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IRAN PLAYS BRINKSMANSHIP IN THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ

by Fred Edwards

April 24, 2010 — On the final day of its three-day war games in the Straits of Hormuz, Iran reportedly stopped and boarded a French and an Italian vessel. On April 24, Iranian state media announced that naval forces from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) boarded the vessels and inspected them to see if they were complying with environmental regulations. Finding no violations, they let the two vessels continue.

In a report the same date, Stratfor, a company that collects and analyzes worldwide political, economic and military intelligence, wrote that if the incident happened, it was a signal from Iran that it was willing to disrupt traffic in the Straits in case it was attacked. The Straits carry some 40 percent of the international oil supply, and Iran routinely threatens to halt shipping there if it is attacked. They could do it only temporarily, Joint Chiefs vice chair Marine Gen. James Cartwright told the Senate Armed Services Committee April 14. continue reading

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FRATERNIZATION CAUSES ENOUGH PROBLEMS

by Fred Edwards

April 16, 2010 — According to Navy Times, since December, the Navy has fired at least 14 leaders for either having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate or knowing about such a relationship and taking insufficient action. The list includes five commanding officers, an executive officer, two command master chiefs, a lieutenant commander and five chief petty officers. All of this has occurred during the law’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy concerning homosexuals and lesbians.

On March 31, Secretary of the Army John McHugh made three statements he had to clarify. The following day he admitted that DADT is still the “law of the land,” even though the White House wants Congress to repeal it. He also admitted he had been “incorrect” the preceding day by stating that Defense Secretary Robert Gates had placed a moratorium on the DADT law; he had meant only that Gates had revised implementing procedures to make it more difficult to discharge gays and lesbians based upon allegations by third parties. Finally, McHugh said that three soldiers had shared their views about DADT without being counseled that statements about their sexual orientation could not be treated as confidential and could result in their separation under the law. He added, “I am unable to identify these soldiers and I am not in a position to formally pursue the matter.” continue reading

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