Government and You E-News for May 6, 2008

[admin]

If you are unable to view the message below, please go to http://www.nmfa. org/site/ MessageViewer.
May 6, 2008

To view the complete May 6, 2008 Government and You E-News click here.
Please feel free to forward this news to others who might be interested. Encourage them to sign up to receive the Government and You E-News at the NMFA website www.nmfa.org/ enewssignup.
Questions regarding the content in this newsletter should be sent to: families@nmfa. org.
Thank you for your interest in military families.
Topics in this WeekÃÔ News Include:

1. SASC Completes Mark-up of NDAA for FY 2009: The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), chaired by Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), released a statement outlining its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2009 (S. 1547) on Thursday, May 1, 2008. In the committee press release, the SASC outlined its seven priority guidelines the first of which was to űrovide fair compensation and first-rate health care, and improve the quality of life of the men and women in the armed forces (active duty, National Guard and Reserves) and their families. Included in the list of provisions in the bill are several that NMFA has specifically championed and benefit military families and survivors. <more>
2. Have You Thanked A Military Spouse? In 1984 President Ronald Reagan declared the Friday before Mother's Day Military Spouse Appreciation Day in recognition of the special contributions spouse make. Founded by military spouses nearly forty years ago, NMFA has long recognized the important role military spouses play in the lives and success of service members world wide. We join the President in thanking military spouses for their selfless dedication and patriotic service. <more>
3. Stigma Remains a Barrier to Seeking Mental Health Care: Last week the American Psychiatric Association (APA) released a study conducted by Harris InteractiveŽ® that shows stigma may still play a significant role in preventing many military members and military spouses from obtaining the mental health care they need. The survey shows that six in ten military members (61%) think that seeking help for mental health concerns would have at least some negative impact on their career. In addition, about half of military members (53%) believe that others will think less of them if they seek help for mental health concerns. <more>
4. DoD Modifies Question on Mental Health: The Department of Defense (DoD) will change a question on its long-standing security clearance form referencing an applicant's mental health history because officials believe it is needlessly preventing some people from seeking counseling. <more>
5. Mother's Day at The Wall May 11: Mothers of those killed in the Vietnam conflict will be remembered at a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Mothers Day, Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 9 a.m. The ceremony allows citizens to remember and honor those who have given their lives to our nation's defense as well as recognize the sacrifices of the loved ones - in particular the mothers - they left behind. <more>
6. VA Calling All Recent Combat Vets: May 1st, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began contacting nearly 570,000 recent combat veterans to ensure they know about VA's medical services and other benefits. <more>
7. Tell AAFES What You Think For Shot at Shopping Spree: The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is giving eligible customers an opportunity to tell them what they think about their exchange benefit. From May 5-June 9, military shoppers can log on to the AAFES website and take a brief, approximately 12-minute survey, letting AAFES know in what areas the exchange excels as a retailer and where there may be room for improvement. <more>
8. Nominations Now Accepted for National Volunteer Recognition Award: Each year NMFA recognizes five individuals with the Very Important Patriot (VIP) Award for exceptional volunteers whose outstanding service plays a critical role in providing support and stability to their military and/or civilian communities. Each of the five VIP recipients will receive $1,000 and a trip for two to Washington, DC to receive their award. This year, an additional 30 individuals will receive the Award of Merit and a $100 commissary gift certificate. <more>

Serving the Families of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and the Commissioned Corps of the
Public Health Service and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.