TREA 120

06/02/2023

June 1st Amsterdam High School JROTC, Awards Night. TREA: The Enlisted Association, Empire State Chapter participated in the event.

11/30/2020

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11/20/2020

TREA Members,

Unfortunately, tens of thousands of veterans are still suffering from health consequences associated with Agent Orange use in Vietnam. In response, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Senator Jon Tester (MT) introduced Amendment 1972 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2021, S. 4049. The full Senate overwhelmingly supported this amendment by a vote of 94-6. In July, TREA joined more than 30 VSOs by sending letters to both House and Senate leadership in support of the Tester amendment.

In the next few weeks, Congress will consider adding the 3 diseases for Veterans exposed to Agent Orange!

The amendment will provide compensation benefits for Vietnam veterans with the serious illnesses of bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism. Each of these diseases meets the scientific threshold of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and are linked to Agent Orange exposure. These three diseases have been pending for over three years and Congress must act now to add these conditions to the list of Agent Orange presumptive diseases.

As such, TREA is asking you to contact your Senators and Representatives to join us in this effort, so that tens of thousands of Vietnam War veterans can receive justice and the benefits they deserve.

We appreciate your support for TREA and your grassroots activism. Thank you for all you do for America’s service-disabled veterans and their families.

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TREA Members,   Unfortunately, tens of thousands of veterans are still suffering from health consequences associated with Agent Orange use in Vietnam. In response, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Senator Jon Tester (MT)...

09/23/2020

VA Pharmacy Mail-Order

Update: Ignore the Conspiracy Theories

A new wave of media stories is sadly using veterans to score political points against the Trump administration — this time by alleging delays in the delivery of prescription drugs by the U.S. Postal Service. These stories falsely imply that the Department of Veterans Affairs is no longer a reliable supplier of prescription drugs through the mail. But this utterly untrue premise doesn’t square with the fact that the vast majority of veterans are happy with VA’s prescription program, which has been rated the highest in overall customer service satisfaction from the consumer group J.D. Power in nine of the last 11 years. So, what’s really going on? Here are the facts:
 VA fills more than 150 million prescriptions each year, and about 86% of them are delivered through the U.S. Postal Service. Most veterans are satisfied with our service, which is most recently getting prescriptions to veterans in an average of 2.89 days — faster than our target of three to five days.

 We tell veterans to expect their prescriptions to be delivered in three to five days not because we pulled these numbers out of a hat, but because that’s how long it typically takes. And as the numbers show above, we’re doing even better than what we tell veterans to expect.

 It’s only natural that some isolated problems will occur, given the volume of prescriptions we send in the mail. But when we see delays, we don’t sit back and accept them — we find solutions. VA staff continuously monitor our delivery times, and we shift to commercial carriers if USPS is experiencing problems in certain regions of the country. For example, when Detroit and parts of New Jersey and New York were seeing slower delivery times, we switched to UPS second day air for those areas. And when we saw problems in Arizona with UPS, we shifted over to FedEx for about five weeks until service levels improved.page18image542439216
 We’re also working closely with USPS to ensure prescription drugs are given priority status in the mail. On Aug. 1, VA worked with USPS to implement a system to mark first-class and priority mail prescription packages with a pharma-code to identify them and move them through the system as a priority.

 And as always, we coach veterans to plan ahead and order routine prescriptions at least 10 days in advance so that a late-arriving prescription doesn’t become a health risk.

Now, some are speculating that policy changes at USPS are hurting veterans. There are no data backing up this assertion, but unfortunately, too many people have been willing to jump on the bandwagon and push this story without knowing if it’s supported by the facts. It’s disappointing to see how comfortable some are with presenting misinformation to advance a political agenda, even when that information has the potential to cause harm to those who served this country. Veterans should never be given reason to doubt a system that continues to work for them at a high level, year after year.

To every veteran reading this, Trump and his administration have done more to improve the lives of veterans and reform the department than any administration in recent history. VA has undergone significant reform in the last few years and is delivering greater healthcare choices, modernizing to fit the needs of today’s veterans, and finding creative new ways to care for you, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. And we will continue to safeguard your health by working to provide the prompt delivery of your prescriptions.

[Source: Washington Examiner | Sec. Robert Wilkie |September 01, 2020]

08/25/2020

TREA "The Enlisted Association"
Washington Update House Veterans Committee Clears 12 bills for House Floor Action

TREA Members Legislative Update

TREA will continue to track and report updates as the House and Senate reconcile provisions and reach agreements on omnibus legislative proposals regarding health care and benefits and services to veterans and retirees.

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs passed 12 bills including legislation to promote equity and inclusivity at VA, update VA's exclusionary motto, extend home loans to National Guard and Reservists, and support veterans who have become unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A full list of bills passed can be found below:
A.N.S. means Amendment in Nature of a Substitute

H.R. 5639 - Chuck Osier Burial Benefits Act;
A.N.S. to H.R. 4908 - Native American PACT Act;
A.N.S. to H.R. 2791 - Department of Veterans Affairs Tribal Advisory Committee Act of 2019;
H.R. 3010 - Honoring All Veterans Act;
A.N.S. to H.R. 6589 Offered by Rep. Bergman - CFO Authority and Collaboration Act of 2020;
H.R.4526- Brian Tally VA Employment Transparency Act;
A.N.S to H.R. 7111 - Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020;
A.N.S to H.R. 3228 - VA Mission Telehealth Clarification Act;
A.N.S. to H.R. 7445 - To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand eligibility for home loans from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to certain members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces;
H.R. 7795 - Veterans Benefits Fairness and Transparency Act of 2020;
Amendment to the A.N.S. to H.R. 5245 - Stopping Harm and Implementing Enhanced Lead-time for Debts (SHIELD) for Veterans Act; and
H.R. 5487 - Veterans Cemetery Grants Improvement Act.
Please direct comments and questions to legislativeinfo@trea.org

TREA Members are encouraged to contact their Congressman to support any and all of these bills.

Please VOTE this year. Take a Stand. Read a lot about the Candidates. Despite any personal cultural popularity in being cynical or prejudice of the process, VOTE. Don't let someone VOTE for you. Robert H., President of local TREA: Chapter 120

08/06/2020

Stay Healthy with TRICARE Preventive Health Care
Aug. 5, 2020

Now more than ever, staying healthy is a priority. Besides washing your hands, social distancing, and wearing a cloth face covering, what else can you do to stay healthy? You can engage in preventive health care. That means keeping up with routine immunizations, health exams, and preventive screenings. TRICARE covers many preventive health care services at no out-of-pocket costs to you.

08/03/2020

More Hunkering Down. Good Weather for Sun Bathing. Don't forget to check on friends and family. The CCP_COVID-19 virus seems to still be traveling around the planet. Stay safe.

United we stand.

07/24/2020

From HQ TREA: The Enlisted Association
TREA Members,

You SPOKE, they LISTENED!

Thanks to you, the U.S. Senate passed amendment #1972 that will require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide long-overdue benefits to veterans suffering from diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange, including Bladder Cancer, Hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism.

Within one hour of our Call to Action that was sent on Monday, hundreds of TREA members wrote their Senators to voice their support -- making thousands of Vietnam veterans eligible benefits.

We are grateful for the tireless efforts of Ranking Member Jon Tester and the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs to secure Amendment #1972 into the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, and we will fight hard to ensure it stays in the final bill.



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TREA Members,   You SPOKE, they LISTENED!   Thanks to you, the U.S. Senate passed amendment #1972 that will require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide long-overdue benefits to veterans suffering from diseases...

07/20/2020

TREA Members,

Unfortunately, tens of thousands of veterans are still suffering from health consequences associated with Agent Orange use in Vietnam. In response, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Senator Jon Tester (MT) introduced Amendment 1972 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2021, S. 4049. In addition, Representative Josh Harder (CA) introduced Amendment 264 to the House NDAA for FY 2021, H.R. 6395. \

On July 14, TREA joined over 30 VSOs by sending letters to both House and Senate leadership in support of these amendments.

These amendments will provide compensation benefits for Vietnam veterans with the serious illnesses of bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism. Each of these diseases meets the scientific threshold of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and are linked to Agent Orange exposure. These three diseases have been pending for over three years and Congress can act now to add these conditions to the list of Agent Orange presumptive diseases.

As such, we are asking you to contact your Senators and Representatives to join us in this effort, so that tens of thousands of Vietnam War veterans can receive justice and the benefits they deserve.

We appreciate your support for TREA and your grassroots activism. Thank you for all you do for America’s service-disabled veterans and their families.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:

TREA Members,   Unfortunately, tens of thousands of veterans are still suffering from health consequences associated with Agent Orange use in Vietnam. In response, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Ranking Member Senator Jon Tester (MT)...

07/07/2020

TREA "The Enlisted Association" Washington Update
• VA continues outreach to Prevent Su***de
TREA "The Enlisted Association" Washington Update
VA continues outreach to Prevent Su***de

TREA continues to work with PREVENTS
Task Force to address and prevent su***de

White House, VA launch REACH - a call to action to engage the nation in preventing su***de
WASHINGTON - The White House and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today launched the REACH national public health campaign aimed at empowering all Americans to play a critical role in preventing su***de.
The goal of REACH, which was established by the President's Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Su***de (PREVENTS), is to change the conversation around su***de by urging people to recognize their own risk and protective factors - as well as the risk and protective factors of their loved ones.
"REACH will empower our nation's Veterans to seek and receive help and it will encourage them to reach out to their brothers and sisters in need who may be vulnerable," said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. "The power of this campaign will change how we talk about mental health and su***de in our nation. It will ensure that those in need, especially the men and women who have served our great nation, will receive the care and support they deserve."
"The REACH campaign will inspire and educate all Americans - encouraging them to share their own struggles and to reach out to those who are hurting. It will engage our Veterans to help lead the way as we change how we think about, talk about and address su***de," said PREVENTS Executive Director Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen. "I urge everyone to go to wearewithinreach.net and take the PREVENTS Pledge to REACH and be part of the solution. Together, we will prevent su***de."
The website also includes information on factors that may protect against su***de, such as belonging to a faith-based community, healthy family relationships, having a purpose in life and strong problem-solving skills. REACH encourages everyone to intentionally strengthen their protective factors - to care for their emotional health and well-being just as they do their physical well-being.
Although su***de is preventable, the nation is facing an epidemic in deaths, with 132 Americans dying by su***de each day. In 2017 there were 47,173 su***de deaths and an estimated 1.4 million su***de attempts. For Veterans, the overall su***de rate is 1.5 times higher and the female Veteran su***de rate is 2.2 times higher than the general population after adjusting for age and/or gender.
To that end, the REACH campaign website, we are within reach, provides information to help people recognize risk factors for su***de, including financial stress, chronic illness or pain, isolation and mental illness, in themselves and in their loved ones. It also links to resources that can provide assistance in avoiding the hopelessness that can lead to su***de.
Campaign messages and imagery using the hashtag will be evident on a wide range of digital platforms immediately after the launch. The website will include a video public service announcement supported by a partnership with the PenFed Foundation and SoldierStrong and created by Tree Media. Media covering this issue can download VA's Safe Messaging Best Practices fact sheet for important guidance on how to communicate about su***de.?
TREA encourages all veterans, service members as well as family members and friends to communicate and work together to address concerns.

If you or someone you know are experiencing thoughts of su***de or are in crisis, please contact the National Su***de Prevention Lifeline for confidential support 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255.?
Veterans and service members, including National Guard and Reserve, who need immediate help should call the 1-800 number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line, chat online at www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help/chat or text 838255.

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