DVS's monthly newsletter shares information about DVS programs & initiatives, upcoming and recent events, and news affecting NYC veterans and their families. To recommend content or find more information, please connect with us at www.nyc.gov/vets, on social media @nycveterans, or via email at press@veterans.nyc.gov.

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BENEFITS
Korean troops who fought alongside Americans in Vietnam could get VA health benefits
Military Times
Korean troops who fought alongside American forces in the Vietnam War and later relocated to the United States would be eligible for the Department of Veterans Affairs health benefits under new legislation unveiled by a group of House lawmakers.

Here’s why some bases aren’t allowing spouses to accompany their newly eligible veteran to shop
Military Times
If you’re one of those veterans who have new shopping benefits on military bases and wonder if you’ll be able to bring along your spouse .... it depends. Defense officials maintain that these new shoppers are allowed to bring their spouses and others with them, if they follow screening and security procedures, with certain caveats based on security needs.

Congress overrules the Pentagon plan to limit service members’ G.I. Bill benefits transfer to dependents
Stars and Stripes
Service members with more than 16 years in the military may continue to transfer their G.I. Bill education benefits to their dependents, according to a Navy Personnel Command directive issued in January.

Court rules again to give veterans access to both Post-9/11 and Montgomery GI Bill education benefits
Military Times
Federal officials have just a few weeks to decide whether to go along with a court ruling giving thousands of veterans an extra year of college tuition benefits or appeal the order in hopes of reversing the potential billions of dollars in new payouts. Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims issued its final ruling on the case of “BO vs Wilkie,” letting stand an earlier decision that the Department of Veterans Affairs practice of making veterans relinquish their Montgomery GI Bill eligibility in order to receive Post-9/11 GI Bill payouts is improper.

VA
VA inspector general warns long wait times could continue with Mission Act reforms
Stars and Stripes
Department of Veterans Affairs patients seeking private-sector health care saw a nearly two-month delay for medical appointments in 2018 and the problem could worsen under the new Mission Act, the VA Office of Inspector General reported.

Top VA hospital lacked full-time gynecologist, facilities serving women veterans for years, report says
Military Times
One of the largest veterans medical centers in the country went almost two years without a full-time gynecologist and lacked private, secure spaces for women patients for even longer, according to a new report released by the Veterans Affairs Inspector General.

VA looks to improve care planning for HIV patients
Military Times
Veterans Affairs officials are emphasizing that physicians need to connect HIV-positive patients with long-term care programs as soon as possible after a new study indicated uncertainty over whether some veterans faced delays in those medical treatments due to slow reporting schedules.

VA proposes end to Obama-era policy for faith-based groups
Military.com
The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to eliminate a rule requiring faith-based organizations to find secular alternatives for veterans who refuse help because of the groups' religious nature. The proposed change has been published in the Federal Register.

WOMEN VETERANS
2020 VISION | Finding new ways to better serve a growing number of female veterans
Stars and Stripes
While more women than ever are relying on the VA, it’s still a male-centric system, with predominantly male waiting rooms, exam areas, and doctors. Female vets say the lack of gender-specific care, privacy, equitable facilities, and security can be barriers to seeking treatment. 

VETERAN EMPLOYMENT
Veterans end 2019 with another positive job report
Military Times
Last year’s employment figures closed on a positive note for veterans, who saw a significant drop in jobless claims in December. The overall veteran unemployment rate fell to 2.8 percent last month, the lowest since May 2019, even as the national jobless rate remained steady at 3.5 percent, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

VETERAN HOMELESSNESS
Veteran homelessness reaches 10-year low, but unused housing vouchers could help more vets
Stars and Stripes
Housing and veterans officials told House lawmakers Tuesday that the veteran homeless rate has dropped to a 10-year low as thousands of federal vouchers that could help get more veterans off the streets went unused.

CITIZENSHIP
Why a huge drop in service members becoming citizens has lawmakers worried
Military Times
Tens of thousands of troops have earned their citizenship through serving since 2010, but a precipitous drop in those numbers has some lawmakers concerned.

CYBERSECURITY 
Scammers have stolen $405 million from military families since 2012, report finds
Military Times
Active-duty service members and veterans have consistently been a target for scam artists, losing nearly $405 million to fraudulent schemes since 2012, according to a new report that analyzed data from the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau.

TRANSITION
New veterans find themselves employed and connected but battling health woes after discharge
Military Times
Health issues are the main concern facing veterans in the first year after leaving the military — more than jobs or personal relationships, a new survey of nearly 10,000 veterans has found.

HEALTH
Brain-injured warfighters face elevated long-term mental health risks, study finds
Stars and Stripes
Service members who suffered moderate to severe traumatic brain injury in combat have a significantly higher incidence of mental health disorders in the following years as compared to warfighters who sustained other traumatic injuries, a study found.

PTSD
FDA expands access to ecstasy drug for PTSD therapy
Stars and Stripes
“I already had five suicide attempts," Iraq War veteran Jonathan Lubecky said. "I put a gun to my head twice and pulled the trigger. I figured I was going to die anyway, that I might as well try ecstasy. And then it worked.”

VETERANS ON IRANIAN CONFLICT
‘Wars cost’: Veterans have a message as tensions reach a 12-year high in the Middle East
USA Today
Some say the face-off with Iran, which retaliated with a missile strike on Iraq bases Tuesday night has reminded the American public of the uncertainty service members and their families have faced for nearly two decades since the U.S. military first invaded Afghanistan. One message is clear: “Wars cost,” said Sherman Gillums Jr., a Marine veteran who was paralyzed as he prepared to ship out to Afghanistan in 2002. 

RECOGNITION
Navy’s newest aircraft carrier named in honor of African American hero
Navy Times
During an emotional Monday ceremony in Pearl Harbor, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly honored the legacy of World War II hero Doris Miller by bestowing his name on a future aircraft carrier.