veterans

  • The fifth annual Warrior Games kick off this weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado. More than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans will compete for their branch of the armed forces. The sports include wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball. James Rodriguez, Deputy Secretary of Defense for Warrior Care Policy, provided a preview of the games on the Federal Drive.

    September 26, 2014
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs is set to introduce new, standardized disability claims forms to help streamline the claims process. The goal is to make it easier for veterans and their survivors to clearly state their claims and also provide necessary documentation.

    September 24, 2014
  • President Obama has signed a big Veterans Affairs Department reform bill into law. No group will be watching what happens next more than the nation's military veterans. Dan Dellinger is national commander of the American Legion. He joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss what they're looking for when it comes to the new law.

    August 08, 2014
  • Newly hired federal employees don't have any sick leave during their first year on the job. Instead they accrue it over time and can start using it their second year. That creates a dilemma for wounded veterans who want to work for a federal agency, but can't miss a doctor's appointment. A newly-introduced piece of legislation aims to eliminate that dilemma. Katie Maddocks, government affairs representative of the Federal Managers Association, tells In Depth with guest host Jared Serbu why it's a staunch advocate of the Wounded Warriors Federal Leave Act.

    August 05, 2014
  • A report by the Veterans Affairs' Inspector General's office found that a regional supervisor stockpiled about 8,000 veteran-related documents, and that paperwork with sensitive personal information was poorly handled.

    July 15, 2014
  • The electronic wait system for keeping track of and monitoring initial primary-care appointments for new patients at Veterans Affairs medical facilities is not the only scheduling system at VA that's now under scrutiny. A separate system for monitoring VA patients' access to outpatient specialty care -- such as cardiologists, gastroenterologists and physical therapists — is also "unreliable," according to GAO's Debra Draper, who testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee Monday evening.

    June 09, 2014
  • A new guide from the Office of Personnel Management lays out the next chapter in the government's efforts to employ veterans. Back in 2009, President Barack Obama told agencies to be model employers of vets. Veterans made up about a quarter of new hires. Today, they are at about 31 percent. Hakeem Basheerud-Deen directs veterans services at OPM. He's also an Air Force vet. He tells Tom and Emily on the Federal Drive that some agencies are doing well at hiring vets.

    June 03, 2014
  • The leadership displayed by his fellow prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton prison camp inspired the leadership lessons Lee Ellis teaches as part of his job as a leadership consultant.

    May 28, 2014
  • Washington seems enveloped in a tong war over happenings at Veterans Affairs' hospitals. A lesser known but highly critical VA program expires this fall unless Congress acts. It's the Assisted Living Pilot Program for Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury. Several bills introduced to keep the popular program alive have become lost in the swirl of politics over more visible issues. At a time when the VA is under harsh scrutiny, one of its more successful programs is about to die. Alex Bolton is a staff writer at The Hill Newspaper. He discussed the program and some of the benefits it has accrued so far on the Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.

    May 22, 2014
  • New veterans from around the country come to Washington this weekend to launch a new mission. They have pledged to spend at least six months volunteering, starting with a community service project at a Southeast DC middle school. Meredith Knopp is vice president of programs for Mission Continues. She told Tom Temin and Emily Kopp about the veteran's volunteer work on the Federal Drive.

    May 16, 2014
  • Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki says he's angry and saddened. But, he told Congress yesterday he has no plans to resign over reports that delayed medical care may have led to the deaths of dozens of veterans. Federal News Radio's Jared Serbu reports. Read Jared's related article.

    May 16, 2014
  • Thirty percent of active duty and reserve military personnel deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have a mental health condition requiring treatment. That percent amounts to about 730,000 men and women, according to the National Council for Behavioral Health. The council has just launched a class called Mental Health First Aid for those who work with military personnel, families and veterans. Bryan Gibb, public education director for the National Council for Behavioral Health, told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp how the class works.

    May 02, 2014
  • The Defense Department's efforts to prevent suicide have borne some fruit. The overall rate dropped by 15 percent last year. But that good news masks some trouble in the Army National Guard and Reserve. There, the rate increased, leaving some to question whether the Defense Department is reaching those who don't live on base. It's even harder to say whether recent veterans are benefiting from the efforts. Jackie Maffucci, research director at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, explained the numbers to Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.

    April 28, 2014
  • Sometimes the hardest thing about the military is leaving it. Both the federal government and companies are trying hard to find jobs for new veterans. The Military Times has released its annual list of the best employers for vets. Insurer United Service Automobile Association has topped that list for the past three years. Eric Engquist, executive director for military transitions for USAA, gave Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp some statistics about veteran employees.

    April 18, 2014
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