In a suit filed in federal
court in Washington DC, two veterans organizations have filed suit against
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric Shinseki, for failing to provide
benefits to a group of Vietnam War veterans who served aboard ship off the
coast of Vietnam.  Over a hundred thousand of these Blue Water veterans
were exposed to Agent Orange through their drinking water while providing
gunfire support, air support and logistic support in the territorial seas
off the coast of the republic of Vietnam.   The Blue Water Navy Vietnam
Veterans Association, (BWNVVA) a not for profit corporation chartered to
advance the cause of the Blue Water Navy veterans, along with
Military-Veterans Advocacy (MVA) another non-profit who advocated for
veterans, filed the 32 page suit charging that the Secretary ignored
scientific evidence which showed the presence of Agent Orange in the
waters off shore as well as solid proof that the shipboard distillation
process, which converted saltwater to potable drinking water, enriched the
effect of the dioxin.  Attorney John Wells, who brought the suit, is a
retired Navy Commander and served as Chief Engineer on three Navy ships.
"I am very familiar with the naval operations at the time and the
distillation equipment that enriched the dioxin." Wells said.  "We have
taken this evidence to two separate committees of the Institute of
Medicine, and they agree that the distillation process, based on Henry's
law of thermodynamics, would have co-distilled and enriched the dioxin.
This confirmed an earlier study by the University of Queensland."  Wells
is the Executive Director of MVA and previously serves as Director of
Legal and Legislative Affairs for the BWNVVA.  After retiring as a surface
warfare officer he opened a law practice in Slidell Louisiana with
emphasis on military and veterans law.   John Paul Rossie, a retired
Information Technology expert, served in the Navy off the coast of
Vietnam.  Rossie has served the BWNVVA since its inception as its
Executive Director. He said as follows: "Sea service personnel operating
in the war zone were given a straight shot of Agent Orange into their
drinking water.  They drank it, showered in it and had their food prepared
with it," Rossie continued, "but the VA has just ignored them.  Now they
are dying and leaving their families without the VA compensation that they
earned."  Prior to 2002, the Blue Water Navy veterans were granted the
presumption of exposure. This was rescinded based on a 1997 VA General
Counsel's opinion that concluded the words "service in the Republic of
Vietnam" meant "service in-country."  Australia, an American ally in
Vietnam, has been granting benefits to their naval personnel since 2003.
The Blue Water Navy veterans actually won a restoration in benefits from
the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in 2006 but that decision was set
aside on administrative law grounds by the United States Court for the
Federal Circuit in 2008.  "This suit covers different grounds," Wells
noted.  "We are not attacking the lack of rulemaking as was the case in
the previous suit, but we are showing that the Secretary's decision was
arbitrary and capricious, unsupported by substantial evidence and in
violation of existing law. The VA currently grants the presumption of
exposure for ships that steamed into inland waterways that they have
arbitrarily defined as rivers.  What the VA either did not know or
intentionally ignored, is that the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Seas
and the Contiguous Zone, which the United States has signed and ratified,
includes bays and harbors as inland waterways.  Additionally the treaty
makes the territorial seas part of the sovereign territory of the nation.
"I sat down with John Gingrich, who at the time was the Chief of Staff for
the VA and showed him a picture of Da Nang Harbor (attached), which is
surrounded on three sides by land. He thought that the harbor was covered.
I had to show him his own manual which specifically excepted the harbors.
He agreed that the VA's position did not make sense and agreed to
re-visit it. Instead last December, the VA published a Notice saying that
they would not change their policy.  The VA did not return the telephone
calls I made to them after the notice was published."  The plight of the
Blue Water Navy veterans has support in Congress.  Presently 127 members
of the House (including Rep Mike Michaud (D-ME) ranking member of the
Veterans Affairs Committee) are co-sponsoring a bill by Rep. Chris Gibson
(R-NY) to restore the presumption of exposure to those who served in the
territorial seas of the Republic of Vietnam. "We are heartened by the
bi-partisan support of this bill," Rossie said, "but despite the support,
it is still stalled in Committee.  So while we are continuing to gather
support in Congress, we felt the need to also move forward in court.  Our
people are dropping like flies and we need to try any avenue we can to
obtain these benefits."  -End-

SPRINGFIELD, IL (08/05/2013)(readMedia)-- Col. Albert Cox of Newark, Ill., retired from the Illinois Army National Guard July 31. He was awarded the Legion of Merit during his retirement ceremony at Camp Lincoln in Springfield, Aug. 4.

"Forty years of service. Not many people can say they served their country and served their state that long," said Col. Michael Zerbonia of Chatham, Illinois National Guard Land Forces Component Commander. "He's done everything that was ever asked of him and done it better than anyone else."

Cox enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard Nov. 20, 1973 as a radio repairman with the 129th Infantry Regiment in Joliet, Ill. He achieved the rank of staff sergeant before he commissioned through the Illinois Army National Guard Officer Candidate School at Camp Lincoln in 1984.

Cox held many positions throughout his career to include platoon leader, executive officer and company commander with the 1st Battalion, 129th Infantry Regiment. He later moved to the 2nd Battalion, 202nd Air Defense Artillery where he served as battalion commander.

"Colonel Cox taught me a lot of things that I use today in my arsenal as a battalion commander," said Lt. Col. Daniel Reichen of Springfield, who is the 405th Brigade Support Battalion commander in North Riverside and served with Cox in the 2nd Battalion, 202nd Air Defense Artillery. "He is humble. He is quiet and he is a professional. He always pushes you to do the right thing."

Cox deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2005 as the senior liaison officer for Multi-National Force - Iraq at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense. In 2010 he commanded the International Security Assistance Force A6 team to Afghanistan in support of Task Force White Eagle of which he was the Task Force Deputy commander.

Cox culminated his career as the Director of the Illinois National Guard Training, Doctrine and Forces Development, where he prepared the National Guard to support the NATO Summit National Special Security Event (NSSE) by providing multiple pre-NSSE exercise opportunities for the consequence management forces and state leadership.

"The transformation of the Illinois Guard from 1973 to 2013 has been tremendous," said Cox. "I don't know how I could work with a better group of individuals and I appreciate the opportunity over the years."

In his civilian career, Cox is in management for Caterpillar Inc. in Aurora, Ill. After his military retirement, Cox will continue working for Caterpillar but said he will spend his extra time with family, fishing and working on an old car.

"What I respect most is his loyalty: to his family, to Caterpillar and to the Illinois Army National Guard," said Reichen. "His legacy will live on with not only Illinois Army Guard Soldiers, but the many Soldiers he influenced across the country."

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack will kick off the August District Work Period by hosting two Veterans Roundtables in Burlington and Keokuk TODAY, MONDAY, August 5^th. These forums will give veterans and their families an opportunity to speak with Loebsack.  Staff will also be on hand for veterans to seek assistance if they are having issues with the Veterans Administration, or any Federal agency. Continuing his focus on Veterans, earlier this summer, Loebsack held roundtables in Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Albia, Knoxville, Newton, Davenport and Clinton.  Veterans and media are invited to attend.

"As a military parent, I believe that we have no greater responsibility as a nation than to care for our veterans with the same dignity and honor with which they have served our country," said Loebsack.  "I look forward to this opportunity to speak directly with veterans and their families about issues that are important to them."

 

Veterans Roundtables- Monday, August 5

Burlington

1:15pm

Burlington Library

Meeting Room A

210 Court Street

 

Keokuk

4:30pm

Keokuk Library

210 North 5th Street

 

###

SPRINGFIELD, IL (08/01/2013)(readMedia)-- For the second consecutive year the Illinois Army National Guard's Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) earned a top 10 ranking nationwide for the number of Soldiers who complete their initial entry training as honor graduates.

The RSP, created in 2004 by the National Guard Bureau, ensures Soldiers are physically, mentally and administratively prepared for the rigors of initial entry training.

In fiscal years 2012 and 2013 more than 12 percent of the Illinois Army National Guard recruits completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training as distinguished honor graduates and honor graduates.

"I look at the number of Soldiers graduating as either honor graduate or distinguished honor graduate as a reflection of the high quality of Soldiers that are being enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard and the training we do at the RSP prior to Soldiers going to basic combat training," said Lt. Col. Mark Alessia of Sherman, commander the Illinois Army National Guard's Recruiting and Retention Command.

The RSP makes significant difference in the overall success of Soldiers, said Master Sgt. Allen Morris of Rochester, who has served with various RSP companies throughout the state since 2005 and now serves as the program's noncommissioned officer in charge.

"The training consists of a lot of basic Soldier tasks, such as rank structure, marching, learning the general orders and the Soldier's creed," said Morris. "But the big focus is on resiliency training."

Resiliency training is an Army program that gives Soldiers the skills needed to face challenges and bounce back from adversity.

Soldiers learn what to expect in basic combat training and advanced individual training and develop the skills to endure some of the hardships they may encounter during that, said Morris.

RSP training includes obstacle courses, tactical combat procedures and classroom instruction and learning tactical combat procedures.

"We like to leave a training weekend on a high note because when we do recruits want to come back and they want to do well," said Morris.

Morris said innovative training plays a large role in the continued success of the RSP.

"We're constantly working with the 13 companies in the RSP to find fresh ideas for training," he said. "A part of our state training meeting is an hour and a half block of new ideas that the first sergeants of these companies can see and say, 'Hey, I want to try that.'"