Marine Corps to Open Infantry Officer Course to Women

Can you imagine going to war led by a woman. Well, that day is soon near. According to the Stars and Stripes post. In WASHINGTON -- The Marine Corps will soon allow women to attend its school for infantry officers, as part of a larger effort to determine how to expand the role of women in the Corps. This is Crazy. I know there are some women that can out run a man and there may even be some that our stronger then some of our Military men. But to put a woman into battle or a combat situation???? Gen. Joseph Dunford, assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, told the Marine Corps Times on Wednesday that the service is in the process of soliciting volunteers to attend the Infantry Officer Course in Quantico, Va. All Marine infantry officers attend the 10-week course after completing The Basic School. Dunford and other Marine officials have not said what the next steps will be for women who volunteer to attend the school. My question is would the school be easier for women. Like that movie “GI Jane” I understand that some women think they might be men. But they are still women with women body parts. There hygiene is also different. Men can go 30days with out showers, but a woman to go 30 days without a shower. Scary!!!! The Marine Corps is expected to release a service-wide message soon about expanding career and training opportunities for women. The message will include information about women attending IOC. Let’s just wait and see what goes down. The Corps earlier this year requested that Congress approve an exception to policy that would allow female company-grade officers and female staff noncommissioned officers who already hold certain military occupational specialties, such as communications, to be assigned to about 400 corresponding jobs with ground combat element units at the battalion level. The units include artillery, tanks, amphibious assault, low-altitude air defense, combat assault and combat engineers, but not infantry units. Women will be considered for those positions starting in May. Dunford also said there is a plan to evaluate male and female Marines against new physical fitness standards that are being developed. The information from all the new initiatives will be incorporated into a report later this year from the Corps to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

VA Overpaid for Vets’ Prosthetic Arms, Legs | Military.com

The Department of Veterans Affairs says it’s trying to recover millions of dollars from prosthetic limb manufacturers that have been overcharging for the artificial arms and legs used by veterans.

A VA Inspector General’s audit released this month found the agency was overpaying some manufacturers in part because contracting officers didn’t negotiate costs or use pricing guidelines.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, the Florida Republican who requested the investigation, said the findings would be the subject of a hearing later in the spring.

“I intend to provide aggressive oversight to ensure that VA is effectively meeting the needs of all our wounded warriors and that payment controls are strengthened,” Miller told Military.com in a statement.

The Inspector General found that in 2010 alone, the VA was overcharged by more than $2 million. And unless the VA beefs up its acquisition controls, the agency can expect to pay more than $8 million in overcharges in the next four years, the report concludes.

The VA in 2010 spent about $54 million in 2010 on prosthetic limbs, with the Veterans Health Administration’s laboratories fabricating about 1,500 limbs for a total cost of $4.4 million. Another 4,000 limbs were manufactured by private vendors for a total cost of just over $49 million.

The IG report said the VHA-built prosthetic cost about $2,900 on average, as compared to an average of about $12,000 for those supplied by a private vendor.

The IG looked at four of the VHA’s 21 Veterans Integrated Service Networks, and found that contracting officers in three of the networks failed to negotiate for better prices as required by the Federal Acquisitions Regulation.

The VA does not have a single, national supplier for prosthetic arms and legs. When regional prosthetics labs cannot meet their needs, officials contract with local companies.  The VHA, working through the VINS, awards contracts to manufacture, service and repair prosthetic limbs. The VISN contracts spell out the cost of vendor-fabricated prosthetic limbs, and according to the prosthetic limb contract guidance, the costs shouldn’t exceed the established prices applicable to their specific geographic area. Those prices are established annually by Medicare and vary by state, according to the IG report.

But a major problem, the IG found, was that contracting officers assigned to the VISNs were not negotiating for the discount rates and VHA was buying items without benefit of the pricing guidance.

Furthermore, the report found that VHA management did not know the capabilities of its own labs, that network officials had not identified the all the contract vendors available, and that contracting officers were not properly documenting contract awards.

Until VHA improves its management and acquisition practices for buying and making prosthetic limbs the VA will not have assurances that the practices are as effective and economical as possible, the report said.

In the case of network covering Kansas and Missouri, even though contracting officers did not negotiate for what could have been discounts of 10 percent, discounts provided by the vendors still averaged out to 12 percent.

But in other cases not negotiating did not work out for the VA. The network covering New England failed to negotiate costs with all 36 of its vendors and received an average discount of 8 percent in 2010. Had it gotten a minimum discount of 10 percent, it would have saved $58,000.

“By negotiating discount rates with vendors, VHA likely would have ensured it received a better value for the $49.3 million spent in FY 2010, though it is our opinion that receiving a better value should not come at the expense of receiving lesser quality prosthetic limbs,” the IG report stated.

The VA said it is going over the data uncovered by the IG and have VHA’s finance office take action to recover the overpayments by the end of the current fiscal year.

The agency said it will also be reviewing VHA prosthetic limb contracts to make sure they comply with acquisition regulations and developing new guidance for processing the Medicare-based pricing codes.

VOverpaid for Vets’ Prosthetic Arms, Legs | Military.com:

Military Daily Trivia Challenge

	How do I play?
	Make sure you're a registered member of Military.com and we have your correct address. Prizes will be sent to the address on record, and cannot be changed after the contest has finished.
	Click on the Play today's trivia button on the top to get started. If it's your first time, we'll ask you to confirm your address.
	Study up! Our questions are not for the military faint of heart. How do I win? Think of it like a raffle. For each question you answer correctly you'll receive one point, and for each point you'll earn an electronic raffle ticket. At the end of the month we'll have a random drawing of all the tickets and pull out one to determine the winner. Play as little or as much as you'd like during the month, but the more questions you answer correctly, the greater your chances of winning! What are the rules? Sure, there are regulations and restrictions, but nothing you wouldn't expect. And of course, by entering the contest, you agree to the terms and conditions set forth in ourofficial game rules. Good luck!

Military Daily Trivia Challenge:

Marine brothers in Kuwait, Bravo 1/4 Marines

The Moore Brothers. Both bothers were in Weapons Platoon unit was leaving Iraq and sitting in Kuwait to go home from our second deployment. One brother was an 0351 Assaults Men  and the other was 0331 Machine Gunner. It was hard to believe that both brothers were in the same unit and the same Platoon.  I guess the Corps wanted to keep them together.  I was actually good friends with both brothers. I was an 0351 my self.  We were on the 11th and 13th MEU diploid to Kuwait. 
I am glad to say that we all made out alive.  Hugh Rough.....

VA Health Care Enrollment Process

Veterans are now eligible for a comprehensive health care package that is completely portable across the entire VA health care system. To receive health care, most veterans must be enrolled first.

New Priority Group 8 Relaxed Income Thresholds
Regulations now enable VA to enroll certain Priority Group 8 veterans who applied for enrollment and who may have been previously denied enrollment in the VA health care system because their income exceeded VA's income thresholds. These Veterans may now qualify if their household income does not exceed the current VA income thresholds by more than 10%. To see if you are eligible and to access a calculator to see how you stand against the income thresholds, visitwww4.va.gov/healtheligibility/eligibility/enrollment.asp. If you have any enrollment or eligibility questions, you may call 1-877-222-VETS (8387).

Application Process

To apply for VA health care benefits, including enrollment you must fill out an application for enrollment, VA Form 10-10EZ. You may obtain this form by one of the following means:

• The VA website, www.va.gov/1010EZ.htm, or
• Visit, call, or write any VA health care facility or Veterans Benefits Office, or
• Call the VA Health Resource Center, toll-free at 877-222-VETS(8387), Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. eastern.

The VA uses the 10-10EZ application to determine if you have qualifying service as a veteran and your status so you can be placed into one of theEnrollment Priority Groups.

Once enrolled you will remain enrolled without having to reapply for benefit annually. However, some veterans will need to update their financial information yearly to keep their enrollment priority current. VA will contact you when or if it is necessary to update their financial information.

The VA has a quick two-question form to help you determine your if you qualify for VA health care. Visit the VA Health Care Qualification Tool to get started.

Home Depot 10% discount to all military personnel and veterans

The discount is available everyday to active military service members and their spouses, as well as National Guard and reserve, retiree and disabled service members and their spouses.  We do ask for one of the following IDs:  Common Access Card (CAC); Veteran’s Identification Card (VIC – Must state “Service Connected” for the everyday discount); Uniformed Services ID Card (Tan, Red or Blue).

Lowes Offers 10% Military Discount Year-Round

Active duty, Active reserve, retired military and immediate family members can get a 10% discount year-round at Lowe's. Valid Military ID required. This discount cannot be combined with other coupons or offers.

*This deal requires valid military ID in order to redeem*

Marine Sniper Headshot at 625 Yards

The "Bait and Kill". This is the story of a Marine Sniper who takes out an insurgent from 625 yards in Iraq.

Marine Scout Sniper Team 4 - Pt. 1

3/1 Scout Sniper team 4's helmet camera footage from Helmand Valley, Garmzir District, Afghanistan.

USMC Firefight / 1st Bn 8th Marines B Co