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Group raises money to get American flags in Jefferson County classrooms
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

Group raises money to get American flags in Jefferson County classrooms

By Karen Morfitt | CBS Colorado A group in Jefferson County is working to get an American flag into every classroom in that Colorado district. They made their first delivery to North Arvada Middle School on Veterans Day. "It's sacred," Navyveteran Sam Bandimere said. "It's a symbol of my homeland a symbol of freedom," Army veteran Ron Noble said. "Respect, you know. The flag means everything to the U.S.," Dan Wolf said. These veterans say the flag's importance is hard to put into words, but it's something they want future generations to understand. READ THE FULL STORY AT CBS COLORADO
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Nonprofit helping veterans, first responders cope with PTSD with time in Colorado outdoors
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Approved, kdvr.com, Local

Nonprofit helping veterans, first responders cope with PTSD with time in Colorado outdoors

By Jeremy Hubbard | Fox 31 News A group of veterans and first responders from all over the country are in Colorado, hoping to heal their wounds with the help of nature, and a new non-profit dedicated to helping those suffering from PTSD. Mountain Valor Foundation launched its new initiative at a kick-off event last Thursday at the VFW in Sheridan. The founder got the idea when a good friend needed a helping hand. READ THE FULL STORY AT FOX 31 NEWS
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Support Amendment G: Modification to property tax exemption for disabled veterans
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Support Amendment G: Modification to property tax exemption for disabled veterans

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning the expansion of eligibility for the property tax exemption for veterans with a disability to include a veteran who does not have a service-connected disability rated as a one hundred percent permanent disability but does have individual unemployability status? How it reached the ballot: House Continuing Resolution 23-1002, supported by a 62-0 vote of the House and 34-0 vote of the Senate. An overwhelming bipartisan majority of the House and Senate additionally sponsored the measure, in a General Assembly that couldn't agree on eating a ham sandwich for lunch. Background: The Colorado Constitution grants a property tax exemption to veterans with...
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GOP VP nominee Vance backs expanding veterans’ access to private doctors
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Approved, Military.com, National

GOP VP nominee Vance backs expanding veterans’ access to private doctors

By Rebecca Kheel | Military.com Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance expressed support for expanding veterans' ability to use private doctors in a podcast interview this week. During an appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show released Wednesday, Vance was asked by the host, a former Navy SEAL who said he stopped using the Department of Veterans Affairs after one try, whether he would consider privatizing veterans' health care. "I think I'd consider it," replied Vance, a former enlisted Marine who deployed to Iraq in a public affairs role. READ THE FULL STORY AT MILITARY.COM
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Nonprofit founded in the wake of 9/11 to convert Denver hotel into housing for veterans
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Approved, DENVER7, Local

Nonprofit founded in the wake of 9/11 to convert Denver hotel into housing for veterans

By Sam Peña| Denver 7 Tunnel to Towers, a nonprofit founded in the wake of 9/11, is taking on the veteran homeless crisis in Denver. The foundation provides a number of services to veterans and their families, including its Homeless Veteran Program, which provides housing to veterans in Atlanta, Las Vegas and Memphis. The organization plans to expand the program to Detroit, Charleston and Denver. On Tuesday, the group purchased the former Fairfield Inn hotel on Colorado Boulevard with plans to convert it into housing for veterans experiencing homelessness. READ THE FULL STORY AT DENVER 7
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Troops may face inflated drug costs under Tricare, lawmakers say
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

Troops may face inflated drug costs under Tricare, lawmakers say

By Karen Jowers | Air Force Times A bipartisan group of 24 congressional lawmakers is questioning whether the Pentagon’s pharmacy contract may be driving up drug costs and limiting access to medication for Tricare beneficiaries, while overcharging independent pharmacies and taxpayers. The lawmakers are concerned that the Defense Health Agency has decided to retain Express Scripts as the sole pharmacy benefit manager for Tricare, the military insurance system serving 9.6 million troops, retirees and their families. In a letter sent Wednesday to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Lester Martinez-Lopez and DHA director Army Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, the lawmakers questioned whether Express Scripts may be using anticompetitive tactics to overcharge Tricare. Express S...
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VA chief of staff stepping down from leadership post after 8 months on the job
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

VA chief of staff stepping down from leadership post after 8 months on the job

By Leo Shane III | Air Force Times Veterans Affairs Chief of Staff Kimberly Jackson on Friday announced she will step down from the leadership role next month, creating another vacancy at the top of the department. Jackson has served in the role for only eight months, but had previously served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for force readiness at the Pentagon since the start of President Joe Biden’s presidency. The chief of staff role at VA serves as the top advisor to the secretary and deputy secretary. In a statement, Jackson said she is stepping down to spend more time with her family. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve alongside the dedicated women and men in the Department of Veterans Affairs in our mission of ensuring veterans and their families...
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Dwindling number of D-Day veterans mark anniversary with plea to recall WWII lessons
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Approved, denvergazette.com, National

Dwindling number of D-Day veterans mark anniversary with plea to recall WWII lessons

By JOHN LEICESTER, SYLVIE CORBET and DANICA KIRKA | The Denver Gazette As young soldiers, they waded ashore in Normandy through gunfire to battle the Nazis. On Thursday, a dwindling number of World War II veterans in a parade of wheelchairs joined a new generation of leaders to honor the dead, the living and the fight for democracy in moving commemorations on and around those same beaches where they landed exactly 80 years ago on D-Day. The war in Ukraine shadowed the ceremonies, a grim modern-day example of lives and cities that are again suffering through war in Europe. The break of dawn eight decades after Allied troops landed on five code-named beaches — Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword — started the day of remembrance by Allied nations now stand...
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No veterans living on Denver streets? That’s Mayor Mike Johnston’s goal.
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Approved, CBS Colorado, Local

No veterans living on Denver streets? That’s Mayor Mike Johnston’s goal.

By Austen Erblat | CBS Colorado Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said he wants to make Denver the largest city in the country to have no veterans living on the streets. Johnston says that by tracking people experiencing homelessness in the Mile High City and partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Denver Department of Housing Stability, the city identified and plans to provide housing for the 52 homeless veterans. "We think this puts us in a position to, before the end of this year, house all 52 of those veterans who we know are still experiencing unsheltered homelessness," he said at a news conference on Monday. "We will be the largest American city to make sure that no veteran who has served this country sleeps outside in the streets of Denver." RE...
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VA says its trust scores among veterans are at highest level ever, 25% surge in 8 years
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Air Force Times, Approved, National

VA says its trust scores among veterans are at highest level ever, 25% surge in 8 years

By Leo Shane III | Air Force Times Trust in Veterans Affairs programs rose dramatically over the last eight years amid department efforts to improve delivery of medical and disability benefits, according to new data released by agency officials on Tuesday. Overall confidence in the department increased from just over half of users in 2016 (55%) to more than 80% this past quarter, based on figures in VA’s recurring Veteran Signals Survey. That report polled more than 38,000 veterans using a wide range of department services, including medical care, disability benefits, and home loans programs. “This is meaningful because it is the voice of the veterans that we serve from across all different ages, service areas, locations, and demographics, telling us how we are delivering for...
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