Shinseki Vows to Support Military Members, Vets

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2012 – Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki offered assurances that VA will make good on its promises to veterans and those currently serving in uniform, despite growth in demand for its services and benefits and federal belt-tightening initiatives.

Shinseki sat with American Forces Press Service during the 26th annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic this week in Snowmass Village, Colo., to discuss VA’s $140.3 billion budget request for fiscal 2013 and what it means for those who serve or have served in uniform.

With a 4.5 percent increase in discretionary funding over fiscal 2012 funding levels, Shinseki said it sends a clear message to the nation’s 22 million living veterans. “The nation honors and appreciates their service,” he said. “It has not forgotten and will not forget.”

The funding increases will go primarily toward medical care, disability pay and pensions, jobs and educational and training programs. They also will help build momentum in three priority areas Shinseki has identified: increasing access to care, benefits and services; eliminating the disability claims backlog; and ending veterans’ homelessness.

Shinseki said the budget request -- up from $99.9 billion when he arrived at VA in 2009 -- was an easy sell to President Barack Obama, who he said has been a staunch advocate of veterans.

“He gets it, both that sense of obligation, and a responsibility to ensure that these men and women we have sent off to do the nation’s business have an opportunity to get back to some kind of normalcy in their lives, and that VA is responsible for carrying that load,” Shinseki said of the President’s support for veterans.

The VA’s workload is anticipated to grow, Shinseki said, with an estimated 1 million service members expected to leave the military during the next five years. And based on the experience of 1.4 million veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan who have left the military as of September, he said the newest veterans will be twice as likely as those from previous generations to take advantage of VA services and benefits.

Shinseki noted that 67 percent of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have come to VA for services or benefits ranging from health care to insurance, home mortgages and Post-9/11 G.I. Bill education. That’s a far-higher percentage than for previous generations, he said, noting that roughly 8.8 million, or about one-third of all 22 million living U.S. veterans, are enrolled with the VA.

“So looking down the road, that percentage is going to be pretty significant,” he said.

In some respects, VA has become a victim of its own successes and what Shinseki called a “very aggressive” outreach effort to encourage veterans to take advantage of VA programs. “In the last three years, we have pushed very hard to get the message out,” he said. It’s been a two-prong effort, he added, to educate new veterans, and to “reach out to those who may have tried us and been disappointed in the past to say, ‘This is a new VA. Give us another try.’”

The message has clearly resonated, with about 800,000 new veterans enrolling with VA over the past three years and beginning to take advantage of its services.

“As a result, we have been able to present what I think is a good argument for why VA’s budget needed to be reinforced, Shinseki said.

The VA budget request includes $52.7 billion for medical care, up 4.1 percent. VA officials estimate that 6.3 million veterans will use its health care services, including about 610,000 veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The request includes $6.2 billion for mental-health, up 5.3 percent from current levels. VA will use the additional funding to conduct more outreach and screenings, better address post-traumatic stress disorder and enhance programs that reduce the stigma of seeking mental-health care, officials said.

The budget also will fund expanded gender-specific care for women veterans and medical research focusing on traumatic brain injury, suicide prevention, PTSD and other needs, officials reported.

New funding in the 2013 budget request, officials said, will help veterans prepare for and secure jobs, building on a national program that includes tax credits for employers, corporate hiring pledges, job fairs and other initiatives.

The budget request will cover Post-9/11 GI Bill educational benefits for an estimated 606,000 service members, veterans and family members during fiscal 2013, officials said. A separate funding increase of $9 million would expand the “VetSuccess on Campus” program from 28 college campuses to 80 to provide outreach and supportive services for about 80,000 veterans transitioning from the military to college.

Meanwhile, VA’s vocational rehabilitation and employment program will expand services to wounded, ill and injured service members to ease their transition to civilian life, officials said. Program participants are expected to increase from 108,000 in fiscal 2011 to 130,000 next fiscal year.

The budget request proposes $1 billion over five years for a Veterans Job Corp. This effort, projected to put 20,000 veterans to work, would leverage military-acquired skills for jobs protecting and rebuilding U.S. public lands.

Shinseki said VA and the Defense Department are collaborating better than ever before to ensure a smoother transition from the military to VA-assisted ranks.

A task force that blends both departments’ expertise is exploring ways to improve transition assistance programs and weave health care, employment, education and entrepreneurship offerings into them. The idea, Shinseki explained, is to put transitioning service members “on a vector to that next phase of their lives, as opposed to the uniform coming off and then having them ask the question, ‘What am I going to do now?’”

The goal, he said, is to gear transition assistance programs toward providing veterans “a clear set of choices,” that both departments can help support.

Shinseki noted other areas where the close DOD-VA partnership already is helping service members and their families and veterans. VA is the insurer for everyone in the military carrying Servicemembers Group Life Insurance. VA administers Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for service members and their families as well as veterans. VA hospitals already provide specialized care to many active-duty patients.

“So the connection is there,” Shinseki said. “And I want all service members and their families to understand that we are there for them, and that is our only mission.”

Paralympians Provide Example, Inspiration to Disabled Vets

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., March 27, 2012 – As disabled veterans gathered at the base of Snowmass Mountain to tackle their first ski runs on adaptive skis during the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, they had an unexpected cheering squad: U.S. Paralympians, including two training for the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Positioned slopeside yesterday to encourage their fellow veterans sat Scott Winkler, an Army veteran who was paralyzed from the chest down after falling from an ammunition truck in Tikrit, Iraq, in 2003, and Kari Miller, a former Army reservist who lost both legs and had her left arm crushed when a drunk driver hit her car in 1999.

Both now Paralympians, they provide what Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki called “great examples of what determination, dedication and hard work can result in” as he addressed disabled veterans during opening ceremonies for the winter sports clinic.

About 400 veterans, including nine active-duty service members and 94 veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, are participating in the clinic that started yesterday and runs to March 30.

Rattling off a long list of disabled veterans who have risen to the highest levels of competition, Shinseki called them an inspiration to other veterans struggling to come to grips with their disabilities. “They are special examples for all of us,” he said, as they continue to represent their country in world competition.

Winkler, an Army specialist when he was wounded, admitted that he had to be “dragged” to his first sports clinic for wounded warriors in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2006. It was there that he threw his first shot put, and he combined talent and determination to break the Paralympic shot put record within a year. In 2008, he became one of the first Iraq War veterans to make it to the Paralympic Games in Beijing, where he placed fifth in his category.

In November, he won a gold medal at the 2011 Parapan Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, and he’ll head to London in late August to compete for a spot on the 2012 team.

Looking at his success, Winkler doesn’t see himself as any different from other disabled veterans. “I believe everybody has hidden talents somewhere in their body,” he said. “It’s a matter of when it comes out. And if you don’t get out there and try, you will never know. So you have to keep driving yourself to knock down those barriers.”

Winkler, who lives in Augusta, Ga., continues to work with wounded warriors at nearby Fort Gordon to encourage them to reach beyond their comfort zones. “I enjoy inspiring people, helping them realize that there is life after injury and what they can do if they don’t give up,” he said. “It’s not the disability. It’s the ability.”

Miller recalled the tough days first days as a double amputee, and the physical and emotional healing she found returning to her beloved basketball court. “I started playing wheelchair basketball before I even had my stitches out,” she said.

She went on to earn a spot on the University of Illinois wheelchair basketball team, before getting introduced to a new love: sitting volleyball.

She was a natural, getting named to the U.S. Paralympics women’s sitting volleyball national team in 2005 and finishing fifth in the world championships in Roermond, Netherlands. From there, her trajectory went skyward. She earned a gold medal during the 2009 Euro Cup in Roermond and silver medals during the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing and the 2010 World Championships in Edmond, Okla.

Also in 2010, she was named USA Volleyball sitting player of the year and best libero, or defensive specialist. Now training for the London games, Miller took time out from her schedule to attend her first winter sports clinic and encourage her fellow veterans.

Miller credits her sport competition and work with the U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympic Military Program with helping her realize her potential as an athlete with a disability. “Paralympic sports opened my mind to a different world,” she said. “I learned that I had options.”

Now, she said, she hopes to share those lessons with other disabled veterans so they can see that they, too, can find release and healing through sports therapy and competition. But just as importantly, she added, she wants to be a sounding board for her fellow veterans as they work through the healing process.

“Some of them are in the middle of the struggle, and I want to be here to listen to their stories and if I can, help them through their transition,” she said. “When I think about the legacy I want to leave, a medal is not good enough. If hearing my story, or my listening to yours, helps you move forward, then that’s what I want to leave behind.”

Other veteran Paralympians who compete in winter sports popped into the clinic to greet the participants before heading to the 2012 U.S. Adaptive Alpine National Championships at nearby Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colo.

Among them was Chris Devlin-Young, a Coast Guard veteran who got his first exposure to skiing at the 1987 National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, three years after a C-130 Hercules crash in Alaska left him a paraplegic.

Devlin-Young admits he was mad at the world at the time about losing of use of his legs and said he had little interest in trying out skiing. But the first time down the hill, he was hooked. “It gave me adrenaline and control,” he said. “It gave me my life back.”

A four-time Paralympic Winter Games medalist, he claimed the gold at the 2010 International Paralympic Committee Alpine Skiing World Championships and became the the World Super G sitting Paralympic champion in 2011.

But through his long winning streak, he’s never forgotten how the Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic changed his life. Devlin-Young continues to return to the clinic to serve as a guest instructor and mentor for other disabled veterans.

“My goal is to inspire and help others with disabilities to realize their potential,” he said. “The opportunities for athletes with disabilities are unlimited; they just need the courage and strength to reach out for help.”

Winkler said he recognizes that Paralympic-level competition isn’t for everyone. But he called recreational therapy a key to mental, physical and emotional well-being he said can make all disabled veterans healthier and feeling better about themselves.

“You don’t have to stop life,” he said. “You can take it as high as you want, and have fun doing it.”

That’s the message behind the Veterans Affairs Department’s new “Mission ReDefined” program, which encompasses VA’s adaptive sports programs and Paralympics grant program.

The idea, explained Christopher Nowak, who runs the program, is to engage veterans early in their rehabilitation and give them a renewed sense of purpose and hope for the future.

“Adaptive sports have a long history in VA, and our objective is to challenge veterans to redefine their capabilities, set goals, train and compete in their communities,” he said.

The winter sports clinic, jointly sponsored by VA and Disabled American Veterans, is just one of the programs that exposes disabled veterans to these new opportunities. The program is open to veterans with disabilities ranging from spinal cord injuries and orthopedic amputations to visual impairment and neurological conditions.

As they learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing and get introduced to rock climbing, scuba diving, trapshooting, wheelchair fencing, sled hockey, snowmobiling, and sled hockey during a six-day program, many discover a whole new world of opportunity.

“You may have been injured, but life isn’t over,” Shinseki told them. “There is still a lot of living to do for all of us.”

A new link on the VA website outlines opportunities available through the Mission ReDefined program.

VA Secretary Opens Veterans Winter Sports Clinic

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo., March 26, 2012 – Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki opened the 26th annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic here last night, challenging more than 400 participants to draw on the qualities they demonstrated in uniform to live life to its fullest.

“The physical effort, sheer determination, courage and self-confidence that characterized your service in uniform came from deep within you,” the former Army chief of staff told the group, which includes nine active-duty service members and 94 veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Well, those are the very attributes that will carry you through this week here in Colorado,” he said. “And more importantly, it is what will get you back into living life.”

The winter sports clinic, jointly sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Disabled American Veterans, uses recreation as a rehabilitative tool for veterans with disabilities ranging from spinal cord injuries and orthopedic amputations to visual impairment and neurological conditions.

As the veterans learn adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing and get introduced to rock climbing, scuba diving, trapshooting, wheelchair fencing, sled hockey, snowmobiling, and sled hockey during a six-day program, many discover a whole new world of opportunity.

“Here on the mountain, you are going to do things you never thought possible,” Shinseki told the participants. “This week is about much more than learning to use adaptive skis or snowboards or learning to play sled hockey. It is not about conquering this mountain. … It is about conquering ourselves,” he said, quoting Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to scale Mount Everest.

Shinseki, a disabled veteran who lost part of his right foot in Vietnam, praised the strides the veterans have made in their recuperation and urged them to continue striving to live life to its fullest.

“You may have been injured, but life isn’t over. There is still a lot of living to do for all of us,” he said. “It will be different, no doubt. And you are going to have to work hard to improve functionality. But that is the challenge and the triumph, every day: to keep on living while you are living.”

Donald Samuels, national commander for the Disabled American Veterans and a first-timer at the clinic, recognized the challenge participants will face as they face “a lot of unknowns” in a new setting.

“You have all faced down challenges in your service to our country, and I am urging you to rekindle your fighting spirit and do the same with the hurdles you may face here this week,” he said.

As they do so, Samuels reminded them, they’ll have their fellow veterans encouraging them and giving them the boost they may need to succeed.

“Let this week be about you and your own personal goals and ambitions,” he said. “Make it part of your healing process to revitalize your fighting spirit, your strength and your own independence. This time and this place is all about the incredible things you can accomplish.”

This year’s clinic includes 135 other first-time participants.

Among them is former Marine Corps Sgt. Arthur Lee, who suffered a severe spinal cord injury in Afghanistan in 2003 after the vehicle in front of his hit an improvised explosive device so powerful that it flipped Lee’s 5-ton truck over.

After two years of prodding by his caregivers at the VA hospital in Augusta, Ga., Lee relented, and already is fired up about the reception he and the other veterans here have received here.

“It’s enormous,” he said, sitting in Snowmass Village enjoying the opening-day “Taste of Snowmass” feast hosted by local restaurants to welcome the veterans. “I can tell this is going to be a good experience.”

Shinseki paid tribute during the opening ceremonies to the corporate sponsors, donors and some 1,000 volunteers who make the clinic a success.

Nobody had to twist Nick Infanti’s arm to get him to his first winter sports clinic.

A former Marine who suffered a traumatic brain injury two years ago during an IED attack in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, he was looking forward to putting his snowboarding skills to the test on Snowmass Mountain.

“I came here for the experience. They say this is pretty exciting,” he said, and he rattled off the list of other activities he plans to try: snowmobiling, scuba diving and marksmanship, among them.

Former Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph Woods, another first-timer, shared Infanti’s excitement about an action-packed week. Woods served as an operations specialist from 2001 to 2005, but left the Navy with multiple sclerosis and balance issues that force him to use a walker or wheelchair to maneuver.

But over the next week, Woods said, his physical challenges will be the last thing on his mind as he skis, snowmobiles, tries out kayaking and visits the hot springs.

“This breathes life into you to keep you going and keep you motivated,” he said. “Just because you have a disability doesn’t mean life is over…. And if there’s one thing you can say about me, it’s that I do not give up.”

Navy Skiers Ranked 10th Nationally

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Alexia Riveracorrea, U.S. Naval Academy Public Affairs

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (NNS) -- The Naval Academy men's alpine ski team ranked 10th out of 135 teams in the 2012 College Snow Sports Rankings and qualified for the U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association Mid-Atlantic Regionals, Feb. 23-26.

To watch the competition live and view the results, visit http://live-timing.com/races.php or www.uscsa.com.

The women's ski team and both snowboard teams also qualified for the regional competition.

The men's team earned eight 1st place and two 2nd place finishes out of 10 races during the regular season. The teams compete in the Allegheny Conference, one of 11 collegiate snow and ski conferences in the U.S.

The Alleghany Conference includes teams from Penn State, West Virginia, Bucknell, Carnegie Mellon, West Chester and Villanova.

"We were very surprised, since Penn State has been the strongest competitor," said Midshipman 1st Class Garrett Long, team captain. "For the last few weekends the team has been very active and united."

The women's snowboard team, led by Midshipman 1st Class Nicole Leonard and Midshipman 2nd Class Caitlin Fine, took 2nd in the Alleghany Conference. The men's team, led by Midshipman 1st Class Ryan Goldsmith and Midshipmen 2nd Class Brian Gureck and Bill Gureck, took several individual top-five finishes during the season.

"It is very exciting to be able to compete," said Midshipman 2nd Class Pat Paap. "It's all about teamwork. You really have to come together and understand not only your needs but also other teammate's needs. We definitely help and coach each other."

"We are helping each other prep the skis, which is definitely one of the main things you can do to get ready for the race," said Midshipman 4th Class Stefan Schmidt. "It's also important to stay confident and not freak out during the competition."

The ski and snowboard teams hope to qualify for the national competition which will be held March 5-10 in Maine.

Face of Defense: Adjutant General Wins Charity Sled Dog Race

By Army Sgt. Michelle Brown
Alaska National Guard

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Feb. 15, 2012 – The crisp winter air covered the glistening trail as Alaska’s adjutant general raced to the finish line and victory during the "Top Brass" charity sled dog race here Feb. 11.

Army Maj. Gen. Thomas Katkus along with five senior leaders representing all branches of the U.S. military participated in a three-mile dog sled race to determine who would be named the "top brass."

Each participant was assigned a three-dog team and musher from last year's "Top Dog" charity sled dog race to serve as a mentor.

"This was excellent and really fun," Katkus said. "About 100 yards into the trail, you don't hear anything except the dogs breathing and the sounds of the sled runners going down the trail."

Katkus and his team of world-champion athletes rose to the challenge and won the race with a course time of 9:28, nearly a minute faster than his fellow competitors. The general credited the win to his superior teammates: Cooper, Eeyore and Lizzy.

"This was my first time mushing, but I had a team of veteran dogs in front of me, keeping me on the sled," he said. "I also followed the advice I was given to just hang on to the sled and the dogs will do the work for you."

ExxonMobil made a $20,000 contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project, a program designed to honor and empower wounded warriors by raising awareness, helping injured service members and providing them a variety of additional services.

"I would like to thank ExxonMobil on behalf of all of the military," Katkus said. "I want to convey the importance of their donation and how it's going to change people's lives for the better."

The "Top Brass" Charity Dog Sled Race was held as part of the 39th annual ExxonMobil Open. The race has been an Alaska tradition since 1973. Aaron Stryk, ExxonMobil public and government affairs advisor, said the race is designed to pay tribute to the official sport of Alaska, while highlighting the invaluable institutions that give so much to the community.

In particular, he added, the race sponsors want to show appreciation to the nation’s wounded warriors who have given so much for their country.

"Thank you for all you do in service to Alaska and our country," Stryk said. "I hope this can be our way of saying thank you."