STATE OF MARYLAND
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, MARTIN O'MALLEY, GOVERNOR
JOHN P. MCDONOUGH, SECRETARY OF STATE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
To: Secretary Alvin C. Collins, Department of General Services
From: Brian R. Moe, Deputy Secretary of State
Date: February 5, 2010
Re: Lowering of the United States Flag and Maryland State Flag to Half Staff
Sgt. David J. Smith
This is to advise you that Governor Martin O'Malley has ordered the United States Flag and Maryland State Flag flown at half staff on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, from sunrise to sunset. This is in memory of Sgt. David J. Smith of Frederick, Maryland, who died on January 26, 2010 while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
This action is taken under the Protocol for the United States and Maryland State Flag. Any questions on the above should be directed to the Office of the Secretary of State.
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VA News for Monday, February 8, 2010
1. Agents: Vets May Not Realize They Qualify For Agent Orange-Related Benefits. In continuing coverage, the Milford (MA) Daily News (2/8, Studley, 8K) reports, "Area veterans agents say Vietnam vets suffering from Parkinson's disease, some types of leukemia and heart disease may not realize they now qualify for service-related benefits" related to Agent Orange exposure. Following "an independent study last year by the Institute of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced recently vets with Parkinson's disease, B cell leukemias and ischemic heart disease, among other illnesses, may now qualify for disability compensation and health care benefits for their service in Vietnam." The "newly recognized illnesses join a list of diseases that includes lung cancer, prostate cancer and Hodgkin's disease, among others."
In a related op-ed, Troy (NY) Record (2/8) Kathleen M. Jimino, a Rensselaer County executive, wrote, "Recently, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs...revised a number of their policies that could have significant impact on the lives of Vietnam veterans and their family members. These changes," including the expanding of the "list of diseases associated with exposure to Agent Orange," are "clear examples of why veterans should from time to time check in with their local veterans service agency to make sure that as their health changes or when changes" in VA "policies occur the benefits the veteran is entitled to are applied for and received."
2. Congress Moves To Prod VA On Improving Service To Female Vets. The Los Angeles Times (2/8, Perry, 776K) reports, "Moves are underway in both houses of Congress to prod" the Department of Veterans Affairs, a "massive organization that has historically been dedicated to the treatment of men, to improve service to female veterans. VA officials say they have gotten the message." For example, Patricia Hayes, "chief consultant for the Women's Veterans Health Strategic Healthcare Group at the VA, said four-day seminars are being held nationwide with the goal of training 1,200 employees to become specialists in women's health issues."
3. Lawmaker, Businessman Discuss Rural Vets' Needs. The Silver City (NM) Sun-News (2/8, 8K) reports US Rep. Harry Teague (D-NM) "and local health care administrator Charlie Alfero recently participated" in a US House Veterans Affairs Committee "roundtable discussion about the needs of New Mexico's rural veterans." Teague "invited Alfero, CEO of Hidalgo Medical Services, to participate in the 'Meeting the Unique Health Care Needs of Rural Veterans' roundtable. Hidalgo Medical Services provides primary medical, dental, mental health, family support and economic development services in Hidalgo and Grant counties."
4. West Virginia Vets Upset About Agency Status, Budget Cuts. The Charleston (WV) Daily Mail (2/8, Gavin) reports, "West Virginia veterans groups are fighting for better access to Gov. Joe Manchin and against proposed budget cuts they say would hit military families at the worst possible time." According to the Daily Mail, a bill "pending in the state Senate calls for elevating the state Division of Veterans Affairs to its own department headed by a cabinet-level secretary." Manchin, however, "considers the bureaucratic change an unnecessary expansion of government."
5. VA Hospital Co-Conducting Spinal Cord Injury Study. The Deseret (UT) Morning News (2/8, Moore) says researchers at Intermountain Medical Center (IMC) are "hoping to eventually help improve the quality of life for people who have suffered a spinal cord injury with a unique study of newly injured patients." The study at IMC is "being conducted in conjunction with researchers" at the Veterans Affairs hospital "in the Bronx, N.Y. Both hospitals hope to enroll spinal cord patients who would participate in regular examination of their blood, muscles, heart, lung function and other body processes to give researchers a better understanding of what happens outside...changes in the central nervous system."
6. Claims Deadline For Filipino Vets Approaching Soon. The Philippine Star (2/8, 260K) reports, "All claims from Filipino WWII veterans for benefits created by the 2009 Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 must be received by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) by February 16, 2010." These one-time payments were made available when the ARRA was passed" by the US Congress and "signed by President Obama in February 2009." The lead item in "The Consul General's Corner" for Guam's Pacific Daily News (2/8, Palala) also notes the deadline.
7. VFW Focused On Improving VA Claims System. The lead item in the "Veterans' Journal" column for the Providence (RI) Journal (2/8, Reilly) noted, "Following a federal investigation" of the US Department of Veterans Affairs "in March 2009, the VA's inspector general released a report stating that one-fourth of VA claim files, or roughly 200,000 files, contain errors," and that the wait time on claims decisions and appeals of those decisions can take quite some times. But, according to the Journal, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) "recently announced that improving the VA claims system would become a top congressional legislative priority for them in 2010. 'We envision a day when a veteran gets their claim done correctly the first time within a reasonable time frame,' said Eric Hilleman, director of the VFW's legislative service," who added, "We are working with the VA and Congress to find constructive ways to address the shortcomings of the system."
8. Serving Veterans. In continuing coverage, the Winston-Salem (NC) Journal (2/8) editorializes, "We applaud" the plans by the US Department of Veterans Affairs "to place a branch clinic in the Marketplace Mall...in Winston-Salem." The Journal also praises the "medical center in Salisbury and the VA clinic on Kimel Park Drive in Winston-Salem," saying both facilities "provide generally good service."
9. Planning Underway For 2011 National Veterans Wheelchair Games. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (2/7, Fuoco, 223K) reported, "Planning has already begun for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games that will be held in Pittsburgh in August 2011. Billed as the largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world, it is expected to draw more than 500 athletes and thousands of others to the Steel City." The event is "co-sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Paralyzed Veterans of America with financial assistance from corporate, civic and veterans' service organizations."
10. Yoga Instructor Reaching Out To Iraq, Afghanistan Vets. The Grand Junction (CO) Free Press (2/8, Sullivan, 15K) profiles Tim Withee, a Vietnam vet who "believes he has something to offer veterans returning from modern-day conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Withee teaches a form of yoga called Kundalini, every Monday from 5-6:30 p.m. at Fairmount Hall, 2511 N. 12th St. The class is open to anyone," but Withee is "reaching out especially to veterans."
11. VA Facilities Honoring Hospitalized Vets. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (2/8, Weigand, 170K) reports, "During the week leading up to Valentine's Day," the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System "will show love for its patients. The annual National Salute to Veteran Patients will begin Tuesday, featuring musical performances, speakers, visits from community and university groups and events at the VA Pittsburgh's three facilities."
The fourth story in the "Veterans' Journal" column for the Providence (RI) Journal (2/8, Reilly) reports, "The National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans is being celebrated this week." Members "of the public and veterans' organizations are encouraged to visit hospitalized veterans" at places like the Providence VA Medical Center.
The Wilkes-Barre (PA) Times-Leader (2/8, Nardone) reports, "Vince Riccardo, acting chief of voluntary services at the local VA, said the 32nd annual event is aimed at showing appreciation and 'getting the word out' to war veterans of the services available to them during" the National Salute to Veterans Week.
In a letter to the editor of AnnArbor.com (2/7), Robert P. McDivitt, director of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, invited community members "to visit the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, at 2215 Fuller Road, during the National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans, Feb. 8-14."
12. Volunteers Make Valentine's Day Cards VA Hospital Patients. The Westchester (NY) Journal News (2/8, Ali) reports, "Love was in the air Sunday as dozens of volunteers at the Westchester County headquarters for the Red Cross made Valentine's Day cards for local veterans." According to the Journal-News, approximately a "dozen Red Cross volunteers made Valentine's Day cards for the 200 or so patients at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Montrose." Also "making cards for the VA hospital were the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester and the Carver Center in Port Chester."
13. Roseburg VA Administrators Deciding How To Best Serve Vets. The Roseburg (OR) News-Review (2/7, Korengel, 18K) reported, "The world of medicine is constantly changing," as "are the medical needs of veterans who live in Southwest Oregon and Northern California. Those are some of the big-picture factors that the VA Roseburg Healthcare System administrators consider as they make decisions about how best to provide care for area veterans." The News-Review went on to discuss some decisions that have already been made, including the building of a "bigger clinic in the Eugene/Springfield area."
14. Jesse Brown VAMC Cardiologists Offering New Heart Procedure. The University of Illinois at Chicago's Chicago Flame (2/8, Thakkar) reports, "Dr. Mladen Vidovich and Dr. Adhir Shroff, cardiologists at the University of Illinois" and Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs medical centers, "along with the help of Bernadette Speiser, the cardiology nurse manager at the JBVA, are among the first in Chicago to offer a new approach to heart angiograms and clearing blocked arteries." The new procedure, in which a "catheter is inserted through the small radial artery in the wrist instead of the larger femoral artery in the groin," is "said to be beneficial because it is less painful and allows the patient a quicker recovery time." It is also "speculated that it costs significantly less to do the procedure through the wrist in comparison with the costs of performing it through the femoral artery."
15. At VA Hospital, WWII Vets Honor Fallen Chaplains. According to the WWLP-TV Springfield, MA (2/7, DiLorenzo) website, every year, World War II veterans "from Western Massachusetts pause to honor the heroism of four men of God." This year, they did so on Sunday, February 7th, gathering in the chapel of the Veterans Affairs hospital in Leeds, where they "paid their respects to the four chaplains aboard the doomed USS Dorchester in 1943." WWLP added, "As is done every year, friends and family placed a wreath at the shrine to commemorate the sacrifice made by the four chaplains almost seventy years ago."
16. Providence VA Women's Veteran Program Offers Heart-Healthy Cooking Demo. The third story in the "Veterans' Journal" column for the Providence (RI) Journal (2/8, Reilly) reports, "The Providence VA Women's Veteran Program is teaming up with Linda Kane, community chef education director for Johnson & Wales University, to offer female veterans a heart-healthy cooking demonstration" at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center "on Chalkstone Avenue on Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the main building's fourth-floor dining area."
17. Vietnam Generation Begins To Fade As Death Rate Rises For War's Veterans. The "Metro" blog for the Cleveland Plain Dealer (2/7, Albrecht, 304K).
18. Lincoln Square Couple Inspire Each Other's Art. In a profile of the Chicago Tribune (2/7, Kogan, 534K) Naomi Ashley and her husband Ben Benedict, both musicians. According to the Tribune, Ashley "has held 'a myriad of boring office jobs, (does) occasional voice-over work for commercials and currently (has a) very interesting job as a research assistant" at the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
19. 100 Boy Scouts Celebrating 100 Years. The Greenville (NC) Daily Reflector (2/8, Grizzard, 21K) reports, "In honor of a centennial of Scouting, Boy Scouts statewide are pledging to contribute 100,000 hours to community service projects." One such scout, 16–year-old Jonathan Sherman, "plans to do his part by erecting a flag pole at the Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in Greenville."
20. Synagogue Members Chip In For Veterans. The Detroit Free Press (2/8, Laitner, 287K).
21. On the Hill for February 8 - 12, 2010:
The Senate votes on a pair of nominations early in the week and may take up legislation focused on job creation later in the week
The House returns Tuesday to vote on a number of measures under suspension of the rules.
Later in the week, the House is scheduled to vote on an intelligence authorization bill and a bill to repeal the antitrust exemption for health insurance companies.
Hearings continue in both chambers on the Obama administration’s fiscal 2011 budget request.
House
Monday: Not in session.
Tuesday: Convenes 2 p.m. for legislative business.
Under suspension of the rules:
HR 4238 , HR 4425 — Post office naming
H Res 1059 — U.S. personnel in Haiti
H Res 1048 — USNS Comfort
HR 3695 — Missing persons database
H Res 1066 — Military recognition
Wednesday: Convenes 10 a.m.
Thursday: Convenes 10 a.m.
Subject to a rule:
HR 2701 — Intelligence authorization
Draft — Health insurance antitrust enforcement
Friday: No votes expected.
Senate
Monday: Convenes 2 p.m.
Roll call votes expected.
Nomination — Joseph A. Greenaway Jr. to be a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge
Nomination — Craig Becker to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board
Markups
Senate Foreign Relations votes on nominations and marks up bills on expanding the Peace Corps ( S 1382 ) and Haiti earthquake recovery ( S 2961 ), and resolutions on U.S. strategy in Yemen ( S Res 400 ) and the implementation of a peace agreement in Sudan ( S Res 404 ). 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, 419 Dirksen
House Rules considers rules for floor debate for an intelligence authorization bill ( HR 2701 ). 5 p.m. Tuesday, H-313 Capitol
Senate Energy and Natural Resources votes on nominations. Time TBA, Wednesday, 366 Dirksen
House Natural Resources marks up various lands, parks and water resources bills ( HR 1078 , HR 4003 , HR 4192 , HR 1738 , HR 4252 , HR 765 , HR 1769 , HR 2788 , HR 4395 ). 10 a.m. Wednesday, 1324 Longworth
House Oversight and Government Reform considers pending business. 10 a.m. Thursday, 2154 Rayburn
Senate Judiciary marks up bills on medical bankruptcy ( S 1624 ), hate crimes against the homeless ( S 1765 ), maltreated infants ( S 1554 ), cocaine sentencing disparities ( S 1789 ), witness protection grants ( HR 1741 ), law enforcement officers carrying concealed weapons ( S 1132 ) and criminal justice grants ( S 2772 ); also votes on nominations. 10 a.m. Thursday, 226 Dirksen
Senate Indian Affairs considers pending business. 2:15 p.m. Thursday, 628 Dirksen
Hearing Highlights
Joint Economic hearing on policies to create jobs, with Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas W. Elmendorf. 10 a.m. Tuesday, 210 Cannon
Senate Budget hearing on the federal budget and debt. 10 a.m. Tuesday, 608 Dirksen
Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget request for the Transportation Department, with Secretary Ray LaHood . 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, 253 Russell
Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget for the Interior Department, with Secretary Ken Salazar . 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, 366 Dirksen
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget for the Homeland Security Department, with Secretary Janet Napolitano . 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, 342 Dirksen
Senate Veterans’ Affairs hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget for the Veterans Affairs Department. 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, 418 Russell
House Education and Labor hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget for the Education Department, with Secretary Arne Duncan . 10 a.m. Wednesday, 2175 Rayburn
House Budget hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget for the Treasury Department, with Secretary Timothy F. Geithner . 10 a.m. Wednesday, 210 Cannon
House Agriculture hearing on U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba. 11 a.m. Wednesday, 1300 Longworth
House Oversight and Government Reform hearing on Toyota gas pedals. 2 p.m. Wednesday, 2154 Rayburn
Senate Foreign Relations hearing on the fiscal 2011 budget for the State Department, with Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton . 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, 216 Hart
Senate Armed Services hearing on the policy regarding gay men and lesbians serving in the military. 9:30 a.m. Thursday, G-50 Dirksen
Today in History:
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From: Kevin Secor at VA
Sent: Mon 2/8/2010 10:18 AM
Subj: HAVE YOU HEARD?
President Obama's 2011 budget proposal includes 20 cost-saving ideas submitted by federal employees; three from VA employees:
-- Allow Veterans to Keep Medication When They're Discharged: The award-winning SAVE Award idea would allow veterans leaving VA medical facilities to keep leftover medications, including eye drops and inhalers. The plan would save taxpayers $14.5 million in the next four years.
-- Personal Computer Power Savings at VA: The department will save $32.5 million over four years by using energy efficient software, including systems that will make laptops "hibernate" when not in use to save battery power. VA has more than 300,000 personal computers.
-- Oracle Enterprise License Agreement: VA will award one Oracle ELA (Enterprise License Agreement) to consolidate all of the existing Oracle software programs currently owned by the Department. The plan should save $117.75 million over four years.
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Following Announcement sent out by our Friend and Vietnam Veteran, Urban Miyares. "UrbanMiyares lost his sight at 20, when he was an Army sergeant in the Vietnam War. “After I went into a diabetic coma during a firefight, they thought I was dead and tossed me into a body bag,” he says. An alert medic, detecting a faint heartbeat, rescued him. Miyares spent the next six months in a military hospital slowly recovering, not unlike the thousands of disabled vets he’s since helped and counseled." Following the below training announcement is additional information regarding Urban...an extraordinary Soul! It is my pleasure to be in contact with Urban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN DIEGO BUSINESSPERSON SPEAKS ON HOMELESS VETERANS AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT
Miami, Florida (February, 9, 2010): San Diego businessman, Urban Miyares, will be conducting a two-day workshop on how "Disabled and Homeless Veterans" are able to transition from the streets into self-employment and business ownership, on February 17 & 18, at the Customized Employment and Self-Employment Training BOOT CAMP at the Hilton Garden Inn, Miami Airport West, Miami Florida.
President of the San Diego-based Disabled Businesspersons Association (DBA) and its National Disabled Veterans Business Center, based at San Diego State University - Interwork Institute, Urban Miyares has been an entrepreneur with severe disabilities for more than forty years. Recognized as a leading authority on the self-employment of people with disabilities, Miyares has assisted thousands of enterprising people with disabilities and disabled veterans with self-employment nationwide, and provides dozens of educational programs on self-employment by the disabled each year around the country.
"Many disabled veterans have difficulty finding gainful employment today. And for those who are homeless and those with a criminal background, the plight is even worse," says Miyares, who knows first-hand as someone who returned from the Vietnam War disabled, and launched a business instantly. "Self-employment is most realistic for some of these vets who already have the basics of discipline and commitment required in business ownership, and only need the specialized guidance and tools to utilize their talent and abilities, and once again be an active, contributing member of society."
The two-day BOOT CAMP training in Miami will be for counselors, educators, vocational rehabilitation and career development specialists of homeless veterans showing them how self-employment is not only possible, but realistic as a vocational employment option. Urban Miyares has the unique expertise in the field of assisting homeless disabled veterans, as well as those disabled veterans with criminal records, on how to successfully become business owners, having been working in this specialized field since 1985. He will demonstrate how others he's worked with over the years have transferred from a life on the streets into business ownership, and how homeless veteran counselors and advisors can best assist and guide these disabled veterans in their transition to reach mainstream success again.
To preview the two-day on Customized Employment and Self-Employment Training," visit http://www.hvrp.org/training/training.cfm?id=240.
Urban Miyares is a blinded Vietnam veteran who founded the charitable, volunteer-driven Disabled Businesspersons Association in 1985. For his accomplishments in helping disabled veterans and others with disabilities, he is the recipient of the "Presidential Point of Light" by former President George Bush, the SBA's "National Veterans Small Business Advocate of the Year," U.S. Congress Black Caucus's "Veterans Braintrust Award," "State of California's Veteran Entrepreneur Award" by former Governor Pete Wilson, Inc. Magazine's "Entrepreneur Of The Year Award," designated by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) as the "National Disabled Veteran of the Year," and many other honors and recognitions.
Urban Miyares conducts seminars and workshops on self-employment and vocational rehabilitation of the disabled nationwide. On the first Monday of each month, he conduct a monthly presentation on self-employment at the free Biz@ 9 Meeting ( 9 am to 11:30 am) at his office in Mission Valley. The business radio talk show "Self-Employment America," hosted by Urban Miyares, is scheduled to begin as a Podcast shortly from SDSU - Interwork Institute in Mission Valley. All services by the Disabled Businesspersons Association are free, and the charity sponsors five programs, to include Special Kids in Business (an entrepreneur and mentor program for San Diego high school students with disabilities) and Challenged America (a free therapeutic adaptive sailing program on Shelter Island).
For additional information on the Miami presentation about "Homeless and Disabled Veterans and Self-Employment" or the Disabled Businesspersons Association and its National Disabled Veterans Business Center or other DBA programs, contact Urban Miyares at the Disabled Businesspersons Association, SDSU-Interwork Institute, 3590 Camino del Rio North, San Diego, CA 92108, phone (619) 594-8805, or email Urban@DisabledBusiness.com
About Urban Miyares
THE WAY URBAN MIYARES SEES HIMSELF isn’t how others view him. “People forget I’m blind,” says Miyares, guiding light of San Diego–based Challenged America, a nonprofit devoted to improving the lives of disabled veterans through job training and sports. “I try not to act blind. It’s not easy, you know.”
Miyares lost his sight at 20, when he was an Army sergeant in the Vietnam War. “After I went into a diabetic coma during a firefight, they thought I was dead and tossed me into a body bag,” he says. An alert medic, detecting a faint heartbeat, rescued him. Miyares spent the next six months in a military hospital slowly recovering, not unlike the thousands of disabled vets he’s since helped and counseled.
Now 59, he’s overcome numerous obstacles. “I can’t see, and I’m hearing-impaired,” says the Rancho Peñasquitos resident. “I’ve had a stroke. My thyroid was removed. I had a kidney transplant. I have problems with balance. I’m classified as a walking paraplegic because of nerve damage in my legs. I have digestive issues.”
But is he bitter? Hardly.
“I’m alive,” says Miyares, unfazed by his handicaps. “That’s one advantage of working with the disabled: There’s always someone who’s worse off than you.”
Largely because of his efforts, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is conducting the inaugural National Summer Sports Clinic, set for September 28–October 3 at various San Diego venues. Nearly 100 disabled veterans will engage in “friendly competition” in sailing, surfing, kayaking and cycling — sports many of them have never tried before. Each participant must be a current patient in a V.A. hospital. “They all have some form of post-traumatic stress syndrome,” says Miyares, “plus anything from brain injuries to amputation, spinal cord injuries, visual impairment and neurological disorders.”
Miyares, a native of New York, says bringing the event to his adopted home is one of his life’s many blessings. Sailing, he says, is another. An avid sailor, he’s led a crew of disabled sailors in competitive races from Los Angeles to Honolulu several times. Also a snow skier, he still holds the world record for the fastest downhill by a totally blind skier (63 miles per hour), clocked in the early 1990s at Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe and again at Calgary, Canada.
“I look at the extreme,” he says. “What’s the max I can do before I can’t go any farther? Most people stop when they hit a barrier. But if I want to do something, I find a way.”
Miyares, who’s been married for 40 years to JoAnn, is unfailingly friendly, witty and quick to laugh. He travels frequently as a motivational speaker and has written several books about overcoming life’s setbacks.
“When you have a disability, life becomes a team sport,” he says. “Helping each other get through it is the best therapy I know. A lot of these wounded soldiers feel lost and abandoned. I know how that feels. But compared to them, I’m lucky.”
Miyares won’t actually see the disabled ex-soldiers learning sports that could impact their lives forever. “But I’ll feel it in my heart,” he says.
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Following information from Military.com regarding eyeglass care passed along by Max Wix, USMC, Retired, a dedicated volunteer at Marine Executive Association (MEA). Thanks Max!
Eye Glasses for Retirees
All retirees, even TRICARE for Life recipients, may receive one pair of standard issue glasses each year from the Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity. Visit the NOSTRA website and select the "How to Order: Retirees" link for more information. Family members and surviving spouses are not entitled to NOSTRA support. Learn more about TRICARE vision benefits at the TRICARE beneficiary
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Godspeed to you all and to your loved ones............Wayne