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WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs Center for Innovation (VACI) is expanding its Innovators Network Program. Fourteen new VA Medical Center innovation sites and one National Cemetery innovation site will join the eight selected last year, for a total of 22 recognized innovation sites across the country. The sites were selected from a highly competitive pool of 44 sites from across the country. The selection was based on a review of 12 parameters, including: proposed Veteran-centered approach; plans to empower and engage employees and collaboration with local infrastructure enablers. The VA Center for Innovation identifies, tests and evaluates new approaches to efficiently and effectively meet the current and future needs of Veterans through innovations rooted in data, design-thinking and agile development. Each of the Network sites is focused on building a culture of innovation to support employees working with input from Veterans to design and develop new innovations to better serve Veterans and their families. “VA continues to increase its ability to rapidly respond to Veterans’ needs and deliver the best possible experience for Veterans. We have invested in creating a culture of innovation which we can constantly find, test and create better ways to deliver services to our Veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert McDonald. The Network began as a pilot in early 2015 and seeks to build and empower a community of VA employees who are actively engaged in innovation. The Network has been a tremendous success in developing VA’s culture of innovation, empowering employees to improve the experience and care of our Veterans, and successfully funding transformational innovations that significantly reduce costs and improve the care and services available to Veterans. The Network program and Innovation Specialists – dedicated staff at each innovation site – have trained over 1,300 VA employees on innovation-related competencies to help them first recognize, and then solve problems that are negatively impacting or preventing Veterans from receiving the care and services. To support initiatives, the VA Innovators Network creates a pathway to accelerate the development of new, reimagined experiences for Veterans and their families. The accelerator has invested in 38 projects across the VA. Two of its biggest, Technology-Based Eye Care Screening from the Atlanta VA and the Care in the Community Tool from the Portland VA project to save over $20 million over the next five years and improve Veterans access to services and care. The following sites have been selected as Innovators Network Sites for 2017: Albany Stratton VA Medical Center, Albany, N.Y. Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio Grand Junction VA Healthcare System, Grand Junction, Colo. Hines VA Medical Center, Chicago, Ill. Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, Va. Lebanon VA Medical Center, Lebanon Pa. Lexington VA Medical Center, Lexington, Ky. VA Loma Linda Healthcare System, Loma Linda, Calif. New Mexico VA Healthcare System Puget Sound VA Healthcare System, Seattle Wash. VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, Calif. South Texas Healthcare System, San Antonio, Texas Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, Ala. White River Junction VA Medical Center, White River Junction, Vt. Fort Snelling National Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minn.  ###  

Heather McPherson developed an interest in history after learning of her great-uncle, Ralph Ferguson, who was killed six days after landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day. “I started researching his division and then once you get into one little group, it just expands and you realize how World War II and any kind of conflict in the world changes the scope of what people are thinking,” McPherson said. “So what happened in World War II, Vietnam, affects us still today.” McPherson’s love of military history was rewarded this year when she served as a volunteer at Moving Image Research Collections (MIRC) at the University of South Carolina. MIRC will receive 8,000 cans of 35 mm films and 10,000 to 12,000 cans of 16 mm film from the Marine Corps, dating back to the World War I era. Hundreds of films have already arrived, and McPherson has joined other volunteers and staff in working on digitizing, inventorying and archiving the entire collection of historic footage. Most of the cans are labeled, but the preserved footage still offers surprises. “You don’t know what you were getting into until you starting looking through them,” she said. “And being a history buff, I wondered, ‘What’s the next (turn of the camera) crank going to come up with?’ Having it almost like it’s coming alive, where you see it on TV, but for some reason seeing it in that little 16mm film, felt like I was looking at it through that time period. “It made it come alive for me.” The project started about two years ago when Quantico contacted Greg Wilsbacher, curator of the Fox Movietone News Collection and the U.S. Marine Corps Film Repository at MIRC. The Marine Corps recognized that the collection was aging and they did not have the expertise or resources to maintain it. “They knew that we had a strong reputation as film preservationists and conservationists, that we made films accessible throughout the world,” Wilsbacher said. “They asked if we wanted to partner with them to help preserve, digitize and make available the materials that they held and we said an enthusiastic, ‘Yes!’" The footage varies from World War II basic training — recruits getting off a bus at Parris Island and receiving their initiation haircuts — to the landing at Iwo Jima to missiles being fired during the Korean War to more modern training and warfare. “I’ve seen corsairs, spitfires and some of the aircraft carriers,” McPherson said. “That really stuck with me too. And there’s some prototype weapons as well as missile tests for the first time, or the prototype for the Hornet plane. It’s neat to think that I could be the first person looking at this since they filmed it.” Right now, staff and volunteers are working through the first batch of the collection, while a second vault is being constructed for cold, safe storage. “The nice thing is working with students like Heather who are passionate about history and want to understand history better and want to work with history,” Wilsbacher said. “The film is a historic object in itself. It’s aging, it’s decaying and needs special handling and care. And they bring an enthusiasm which we all appreciate.” Wilsbacher also appreciates volunteers like Tim Klie, who served in the Marines. “Tim Klie is a good representative of what role we like for veterans to play,” he said. “We can pull the film out of the can, we can prep it, we can preserve it, we can use our expertise to get it transferred, made available online, and get the high resolution up to Quantico for research purposes, but we’re not Marines, and we don’t have that experience and so we’re hopeful that Marines will step forward, and volunteer to help us kind of provide full descriptions of the contents that we have. It’s difficult to really try to describe what really is going on. But veterans can do that quite easily. That’s one of our great hopes for the collection.” Klie, who was a platoon leader in Vietnam, has reviewed some of the videos and helped identify officers depicted in a 1980s meeting in Wei, Vietnam. “One of the things that I found most interesting, and didn’t have any idea about, is the repository the university has and how it's growing and the stature its actually raising here,” he said. “The stature of the film archives. And I think the Marine Corps has been a great boom to that to let them say, here are our overflow and we want somebody, we entrust someone to do this. I think that’s a great honor for the university.” While it's been interesting, it has also been emotional for Klie. “I thought I was pretty detached, until there was an incident where the executive officer was talking about the killing of another officer who was the artillery officer for an observer and he kind of broke down emotionally,” Klie said. “I stopped the tape and went to Greg and said, ‘I have to go.’ I really haven’t been back at it since. And that was probably a month ago.” As the historic film spins through a modern archiving device, Wilsbacher has seen fascinating footage. As for an examples, he cites the test of a jet boat at Quantico in 1944. “During World War II, the Marine Corps was already aware that the standard amphibious assault vehicle was maybe too slow and the Marines are spending too much time exposed to the enemy fire before they could get to the beach,” he said. “They were obviously looking at an inventor to try to help them get a boat that can move faster from ship to shore. So we can get the Marines in a fighting position out of harm’s way, or at least to have them off the ocean and on land where they can do their work. And so, just off the shores of Quantico, there was some guy in a little boat, rigged up with a little jet kind of zooming up and down the Potomac as part of a very official set of tests. It’s a fully official test with a title that described the date and the results of the findings and the testament.” Once all the films and photographs are saved — which is still at least a couple of years away — the collection will become publicly accessible. “All of these films really belong to the American people,” Wilsbacher said. “They were shot by Marines. Our objective is to make sure that they are available to the general public for free to look at so that they can see this piece of American history. And that Marine Corps researchers, whether at Quantico, or just somebody in their own home who enjoys military history, can look at them.” McPherson, who spent more than 200 hours on the project, is thankful for the opportunity. “So many people today are forgetting what happened,” she says, referring to the wars of the 20th century. “To be able to preserve this shows it meant something. These men, who were 18 and 19 years old, people who were just trying to do what they were told, it wasn’t political for them, they were just doing their job. The preservation of it, is what really kept me going. Every day, those reels were getting longer and longer, but it’s working to preserve and honor those American heroes, men and women.” For more information about the project contact curator Greg Wilsbacher by email at gregw@sc.edu or call (803) 777-5556

Newswise — Telephone-based intervention shows promise in combating alcohol abuse among soldiers Alcohol abuse is pervasive in the military, where a culture of heavy drinking and the stress of deployment lead many soldiers down a troubled path. Almost half of active-duty military members in the United States — 47 percent — were binge-drinkers in 2008, up from 35 percent a decade earlier. Rates of heavy drinking also rose during that period, according to a 2012 report by the Institute of Medicine. But many in the military avoid seeking help for alcohol abuse, fearing disciplinary action or other repercussions, and few soldiers are referred for evaluation or treatment. "If you’re in the military and you seek substance abuse treatment, your commanding officer is notified and it goes on your medical record and your military record. That’s a huge barrier," said Denise Walker, director of the Innovative Programs Research Group at the University of Washington School of Social Work. Not surprisingly, there is little research on what type of treatment is most effective for active-duty military members. To shed new insight on that question and remove obstacles to seeking treatment, Walker and a team of researchers tested a telephone-based intervention geared specifically to military members struggling with alcohol abuse — with promising results. The study, published online Oct. 13 in October in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, found that participants in the telephone intervention significantly reduced their drinking over time, had lower rates of alcohol dependence and were more likely to seek treatment. The trial involved 242 military members at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in western Washington, who were recruited through advertisements and informational booths at military events. All met the criteria for alcohol use disorder, though none were enrolled in substance abuse treatment programs. Participants had an initial interview by phone to assess their daily and monthly alcohol consumption. They were also asked a series of questions about the consequences of their drinking — for example, whether it had impacted their physical training or interfered with their ability to fulfill their duties. Then participants were randomized to a treatment or control group. The control group received educational information about alcohol and other drug use, while the treatment group got a one-hour personalized intervention session over the phone that used "motivational interviewing," a goal-oriented approach intended to help people make positive behavioral changes. "The intervention really connects their behavior with their values and goals and wants for themselves," Walker said. "It’s a safe place to talk confidentially and freely with someone on the other end who is compassionate and non-judgmental." The counselors also asked participants about their alcohol consumption versus that of their peers, to gauge whether excessive drinking was in part spurred by normative perceptions about alcohol use in the military. "The army has a culture of drinking, so there’s a heightened sense among soldiers that their peers are drinking more than they actually are," said Thomas Walton, project director for the study and a UW doctoral student in social work. "When those perceptions are corrected, it can have a strong effect, as heavy-drinking soldiers often reduce their intake to more typical levels.” Follow-up interviews were conducted three and six months after the sessions and showed significant decreases in both drinking rates and alcohol dependence. Intervention group participants went from drinking 32 drinks weekly on average to 14 drinks weekly after six months, and their rates of alcohol dependence dropped from 83 to 22 percent. Alcohol dependence also decreased in the control group, from 83 to 35 percent. "Those are pretty dramatic reductions in drinking, particularly for one session with a counselor," Walker said. "That was really encouraging." Participants increasingly sought treatment over time; by the six-month follow-up, nearly one-third of soldiers in both groups had made some move toward seeking treatment, such as discussing substance abuse concerns with an army chaplain or making an appointment for treatment intake. While the intervention led to more dramatic decreases in drinking, providing educational information may be enough to prompt some to take a first step toward making a change, the researchers said. Walker and Walton attribute the intervention’s success to its convenience and confidentiality. Participants could enroll without fear of their superiors finding out — recruitment materials made it clear that military command was not involved — and could schedule the phone calls at their convenience. "Some did the session on their lunch breaks or in the garage while their family was in the house," Walker said. "They didn’t have to walk into a building that says ‘army substance abuse program.’ It was private and a low-burden intervention." And though the military offers substance abuse programs, Walker said, many soldiers avoid seeking help and are not referred to treatment until their problems reach a crisis point. "People who get into army substance abuse programs are often mandated to go or have gotten into trouble," she said. "That leaves out a huge proportion of the population who are struggling and not doing well." That reality and the protracted conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Walker said, have intensified the need for additional options to help soldiers grappling with substance abuse and other problems. Telephone-based counseling, she said, is a cost-effective way to encourage military members to seek help confidentially, without the barriers of more traditional approaches. "This intervention has the potential to be used for soldiers and military personnel worldwide. It would really help fill the gap in service provision that is currently available to soldiers." Co-authors are Clayton Neighbors, professor of psychology at the University of Houston ; Debra Kaysen, a UW professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; Lyungai Mbilinyi, research social scientist at RTI International; Jolee Darnell, program manager of the Army Substance Abuse Program; Lindsey Rodriguez, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg; and Roger A. Roffman, professor emeritus at the UW School of Social Work. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. ###

Indianapolis, home of The American Legion National Headquarters, will celebrate Veterans Day with a memorial service, parade and banquet. The event on Friday will begin with a service on the north steps of the Indiana War Memorial. The 38th Division Band of the Indiana National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard Glee Club will perform a musical prelude, including patriotic music from World War I, World War II and the Korean War, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The Veterans Day Service will begin at 11 a.m. The service will include special speakers, a wreath-laying, a flyover by the Indiana Air National Guard, tolling of the USS Indianapolisbell and Taps performed by the Indiana National Guard. After the service, the Flanner & Buchanan Veterans Day parade will take place with more than 80 units participating. The parade begins at Michigan and Pennsylvania streets, heads south on Pennsylvania to New York Street, west to Meridian Street and finishes at North Street. A banquet Friday evening at Primo Banquet Hall & Conference Center will include an awards ceremony to recognize those who sacrifice for Indianapolis and surrounding communities, veterans and the youth who participated in the Veterans Day events.

David Conway grew up hearing sea stories from his grandfathers, both of whom were Navy sailors during WWII. Those childhood stories solidified his desire to one day serve. In 2010, Conway joined the Coast Guard. He said the “highlight” of his time was his deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For 10 months, he patrolled the entrance to the bay and maintained a security perimeter. “We were the first line of defense on the water,” he said. “And as a crewman, I stood security watches manning the 50-caliber machine gun on our small boats.” Today, Conway is enrolled at California Maritime Academy, where he is working toward his bachelor’s degree in Marine Transportation. He also is going to earn a minor in law, as well as his third-mate license.  “The third-mate license is the most valuable part of Cal Maritime’s program,” he said. “I can use it to work on unlimited tonnage ships like tankers and container ships.” Conway said the cost of the school exceeds his GI Bill benefits. Additionally, the program is year round and requires going to sea each summer for training. He heard about VFW’s Help A Hero Scholarship from a friend and previous scholarship recipient. He applied and was awarded a $5,000 scholarship this year. “Receiving this scholarship has given me the opportunity to focus on my studies without added financial stress,” he said.   After Conway graduates, he hopes to pursue a trash-solution idea he developed in the past year. He has submitted a patent application and hopes to start a company to expand on the machine he has built. He said if things don’t go as planned, he will work on ships.    He added that because of the Help A Hero Scholarship, he has been able to focus on his studies, which earned him spots on his school’s Dean’s and President’s lists. “I cannot thank VFW enough for its generosity and giving me this opportunity,” he said.   Sponsored by SportClips, the Help A Hero Scholarship is now in its third year. Some $2.4 million in scholarships have been awarded since 2013. By Janie Dyhouse, associate editor, VFW magazine   Photo caption: David Conway with his wife, Jessie, is the recipient of a $5,000 Help A Hero Scholarship. He is in his first year at the California Maritime Academy, where he is planning to get his bachelor’s degree in Marine Transportation. 

Newswise — PHILADELPHIA – The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced a horrific type of medical trauma known as the “dismounted complex blast injury” (DCBI). Caused when an improvised explosive device detonates beneath a soldier patrolling on foot, DBCIs often lead to the loss of both legs and at least one arm, cause severe damage to the abdomen and pelvic area, and result in catastrophic bleeding. Experts estimate dozens of members of the armed forces suffered these types of injuries during the conflicts that have marked the past 15 years. Previously, these injuries were considered deadly, but today, training for soldiers includes advanced first aid techniques – such as the application of tourniquets and infusion of blood products – that can allow many soldiers with DCBIs to survive long enough to reach surgical care. Details of how to manage DCBIs, and in many cases stabilize these critically injured patients and restore many normal functions, are published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. The authors, comprised of military surgeons and led byJeremy W. Cannon, MD, SM, FACS, an associate professor of Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, say the lessons learned will not only save lives on the battlefield in the future but also in civilian trauma centers today.“These invaluable lessons must now be preserved for application in future conflicts and even in some cases of severe trauma seen in industrial accidents, crush injuries, and terrorist attacks like the Boston Marathon bombing,” said Cannon, who is also a former U.S. Air Force trauma surgeon and a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve. “Combining experts from multiple fields – such as trauma, orthopedics, urology, and plastic surgery – has enabled substantial recovery for many of these critically injured soldiers, but the lessons learned can help trauma physicians both in the military and civilian worlds, guiding them in how to properly manage these devastating wounds and, ultimately, saving lives.”The transference of advanced surgery skills from military to civilian hospitals has a history dating to the dawn of modern medicine—the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates famously said that “War is the only proper school for a surgeon.” In that spirit, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued a report last June calling for the integration of military and civilian medical trauma education, training and research, with the goal of completely eliminating all preventable trauma deaths across the country.The review from Cannon and colleagues addresses the initial management of DCBIs, including massive blood transfusions, advanced resuscitation techniques, and assessment of the extensive injuries. It follows with discussions of the major medical issues that then have to be addressed: the stabilization of the fractured pelvis, the cleaning of wounds and cutting back of excessively damaged soft tissue, the treatment of severe colorectal, genital, and urinary/bladder injuries, and the prevention of potentially lethal bacterial and fungal infections.The discussion also covers the management of common long-term complications such as heterotopic ossification, in which solid masses of bone begin growing inappropriately within soft tissues near blast injury sites, and the formation of blood clots in the extremities and lungs, which occurs at a high rate in DCBI survivors.In the long run, better methods for stopping internal bleeding, more advanced regenerative, transplant and prosthetics technologies, and new drugs to prevent complications such as heterotopic ossification, are hoped to further improve care for DCBI patients. In the meantime, disseminating the lessons already learned by military surgeons will bring medicine closer to the National Academies’ goal of eliminating preventable deaths from injury — “a lofty but eminently achievable objective,” Cannon said.Cannon’s co-authors on the review were Luke J. Hoffman, Benjamin K. Potter, Carlos J. Rodriguez, Todd E. Rasmussen, James R. Jezior and Eric A. Elster of Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences; Sean C. Glasgow of Washington University; Leopoldo C. Cancio, C. Anton Fries and Michael R. Davis of the US Army Institute of Surgical Research; and Richard J. Mullins of Oregon Health Sciences University. ###

Military.com has compiled a list of free or reduced goods and services offered to servicemembers, veterans and their families by businesses and organizations in honor of Veterans Day. The list will continue to be updated as it gets closer to Nov. 11. Keep in mind that most businesses require proof of military service, which can include a VA veterans health identification card, military ID, DD-214 or veterans service organization card (e.g., The American Legion, VFW, DAV, AmVets, MOAA and FRA. In some cases businesses will accept a picture of the veteran in uniform. Note: Not all franchise locations participate in their national chain's Veterans Day programs so contact your nearest establishment to make sure they are participating. Restaurant Discounts on Nov. 11: 54th Street Grill – Veterans and active-duty military get a free entrée. Applebee’s – Veterans and active-duty military receive a free meal from a limited menu. Arooga’s – Veterans and active-duty military get a free meal from a fixed menu. Ben’s Soft Pretzels – Veterans receive a free jumbo soft pretzel at participating locations. Bob Evans – Veterans and active-duty military receive a free meal from a select menu. Bob Evans is also offering a 10 percent discount to all veterans and active-duty military from Nov. 12 to Dec. 31 for dine-in and carryout purchases. Bubba's 33 – Veterans and active-duty military get a free lunch. Burntwood Tavern – Veterans and active-duty military get a free lunch or dinner. CentraArchy Restaurants – Veterans and active-duty military get a free entrée and 25 percent off to their accompanied family at participating restaurants. Chevys Fresh Mex – Veterans and active-duty military can select one complimentary item from a special menu from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. El Torito – Veterans and active-duty military can select one complimentary item from a special menu from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friendly’s – Veterans and active-duty military can receive a free breakfast, lunch or dinner from a limited menu. Golden Corral – Golden Corral Restaurants' Military Appreciation Night free dinner will be Nov. 14, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Military retirees, veterans, active duty, National Guard and reserves are all welcome. Hickory Tavern – Veterans and active-duty military get 50 percent off all food and non-alcoholic beverages all day. Hooters – Veterans and active-duty military get a free meal from a select menu at participating locations. Houlihan’s – Active-duty military and veterans receive one free entrée, valued up to $15, with purchase of an additional entrée. IHOP – Participating IHOP restaurants offer veterans and active-duty military free Red, White and Blue pancakes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. JJ’s Red Hots – Veterans and active-duty military get a free meal, including unlimited hot dogs, sausages, sides and non-alcoholic drinks all day. Mimi’s Cafe – Veterans and active-duty military get a complimentary entrée with the purchase of any non-alcoholic beverage on Nov. 11. On Nov. 12 and 13, veterans and active-duty military get their choice of breakfast, lunch or dinner entrées on the Veterans Day menu for $5.99. McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants – On Nov. 6, participating McCormick & Schmick's Seafood restaurants will offer a complimentary entrée to veterans and Gold Star families from a special menu. Mission BBQ – Veterans and active-duty military get a free sandwich and a slice of cake. Native Grill & Wings – Veterans and active-duty military get any menu item up to $11.99 for free all day. O’Charley’s – Veterans and active-duty military get a free meal. Red Hot & Blue – Veterans receive a free entrée with the purchase of a second entrée from Nov. 9-11. Coupon required. Red Lobster – Veterans, reserve and active-duty military receive a free appetizer or dessert from a limited menu Nov. 10 and 11. RibCrib – Veterans and active-duty military receive a free meal. Rock and Brews – Veterans and active-duty military receive a complimentary pulled pork sandwich. Shoney's – Veterans and active-duty military get a free All-American Burger. Tap House Grill – Veterans and active-duty military get a complimentary meal. Texas Roadhouse – Locations nationwide will offer veterans and active-duty military a free lunch from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Twin Peaks – Veterans and active-duty military get a free menu item from a special menu. White Castle – Veterans and active-duty military receive a free combo meal. Wienerschnitzel – Veterans and active-duty military receive a free chili dog, small fries and a 20-ounce drink. Yard House – Veterans and active-duty military receive a complimentary appetizer. Travel & Recreation Discounts 9/11 Memorial and Museum– Veterans will receive free museum admission as well as half-price museum tickets for up to two family members from Nov. 9-13. Aquarium of the Pacific – Veterans and military personnel get free admission on Nov. 11. Army Corps of Engineers Recreation Areas – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will waive day use fees for veterans, active and reserve component servicemembers, and their families at the USACE-operated recreation areas nationwide Nov. 11. B&Bs for Vets – Complimentary rooms will be offered to veterans on Nov. 10-11. Boston Bruins – In conjunction with Military Appreciation Night on Nov. 10, all military will receive 20 percent off at the ProShop and all Fan Zone locations on the night of the game. Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden – Veterans get free admission on Nov. 11. Harley-Davidson Museum – The Harley-Davidson Museum is offering free admission to active military, veterans and their families from Nov. 11-13. Killington Resort – Active-duty, retired and honorably discharged members of the military receive a complimentary lift ticket on Nov. 11. Knotts Berry Farm – Active-duty military and veterans receive free admission for themselves and one guest, as well as six additional tickets for a discounted price, Nov. 1-18 and Nov. 28-Dec. 16. Natural History Museum of Utah – Veterans and one additional guest each receive free admission on Nov. 11. National Parks – Veterans will have access to over 100 national parks that require entrance fees for free. National Veterans Day Run – The National Veterans Day Run on Nov. 11 offers veterans and active-duty military a reduced-rate entry into the race, as well as discounted rates to their spouses. National World War I Museum & Memorial – On Veterans Day weekend (Nov. 11-13), admission is free for veterans and active-duty military personnel, and half-price for the public.   Newseum – Active-duty and veterans, plus one guest, receive free admission Nov. 11-13. Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium – From Nov. 11-13, active-duty servicemembers and veterans receive free admission. Immediate family members will receive half-off general admission. Queen Mary – Free admission to active servicemembers, retired military personnel, veterans and special discounts for their family members on Nov. 11. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden – Active-duty and retired military receive free admission on Nov. 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Zoo Atlanta – Veterans, active-duty, retired and reserve members get free admission and $4 off general admission for up to six accompanying guests on Nov. 11. Veterans Day Retailer Discounts Brides Across America – Brides Across America holds a wedding gown giveaway in partnership with bridal salons across the country in November to honor Veterans Day. Qualifying brides register to attend the event at a participating bridal salon by completing the registration form and paying a $30 fee. Once verified, you will be assisted in finding a gown from the selection. Firestone Complete Auto Care – Between Nov. 11 and 13, veterans and active-duty personnel receive an additional 10 percent off the lowest advertised price of any automotive service. Grace for Vets – Car washes from around the world who join this program offer free car washes to veterans and servicemembers on Nov. 11. Great Clips – On Nov. 11, customers who come in for a service can get a free haircut card to give to their favorite veteran. Veterans can also receive a free haircut or get the free haircut card. Haircuts are redeemable until Dec. 31. Home Depot – Home Depot offers a 10 percent discount to all veterans on Nov. 11. Home Depot offers the 10 percent discount year-round for active duty and retirees. Lowe's – All veterans receive a 10 percent discount on Nov. 11. The offer is available in stores only. Meineke – On Nov. 11, all veterans will receive a free basic oil change at participating locations. Rack Room Shoes – Military personnel and their dependents get a 10 percent discount off an entire purchase on Nov. 11. Sleep Number – Through Nov. 14, active and veteran military members will receive exclusive discounts on Sleep Number products. Save up to $700 on select Sleep Number mattress sets. SMARTBOX – the portable moving and storage company provides a discount on moving and storage services for active military troops. Seewww.smartboxmovingandstorage.com/military-storage-and-moving-discounts for more. Sport Clips – Participating locations are offering veterans and active-duty servicemembers free haircuts on Nov. 11. Tires Plus – Between Nov. 11 and 13, veterans and active duty personnel receive an additional 10 percent off the lowest advertised price of any automotive service. TOPS – Veterans and active military personnel receive an 11 percent discount off a total order on Nov. 11. Western Union – Western Union is offering consumers the opportunity to make U.S. domestic money transfers - and transfers to and from U.S. military bases around the world where Western Union has a retail agent location - for zero fee on Veterans Day using promo code HERO. These fee-free transactions, with no dollar amount limit, can be made online at wu.com, with the Western Union app or at one of the 47,000 participating U.S. agent locations. Wheel Works – Between Nov. 11 and 13, veterans and active-duty personnel receive an additional 10 percent off the lowest advertised price of any automotive service.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- It's not easy to find military veterans in undergraduate programs at most Ivy League schools. Harvard has only three in its undergrad liberal arts and sciences school. Princeton, just one. Students from the eight Ivies hope to change those kinds of numbers. They see a chance for institutions to diversify and for veterans to get an education that will help them become leaders. "If we deny veterans the opportunity to go to these schools, not only do we deny them the same opportunity that others have, but we don't give our future leaders a chance to meet them," said Peter Kiernan, a Columbia University student who served six years in the Marine Corps. "They don't get a chance to learn what it was like on the ground in Afghanistan or what combat is really like. These are important lessons that make them better leaders." Student veterans have formed the Ivy League Veterans Council to talk about boosting the number of veterans at their schools. They want admissions, enrollment and recruiting policies to be more receptive, and they want veterans to know the Ivy League is an option. The council met for the third time last month, at Yale University. The council wants the Ivies to address barriers, whether by establishment of a veterans' office, having veterans as recruiters or even just accepting transfer credits. Officials say they're making changes. Princeton is reinstituting a transfer admission program, partly to help attract and enroll more veterans, a spokesman said. Most veterans have some college credit when they apply, but Princeton couldn't admit them without a transfer program. Brown University, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania said they're reaching out to veterans organizations. Dartmouth College partnered with the nonprofit Posse Foundation in 2014 to enroll groups of veterans and provide strong financial and academic support. Yale has conducted informational sessions for veterans and contacted academically strong veterans at community colleges. James Wright, president emeritus of Dartmouth, said the Ivies should actively recruit veterans like they do international students, athletes and a diverse student body. The Ivies have a responsibility to educate veterans, but each school should also want more veterans, Wright said. They've demonstrated a willingness to serve and make a difference, and other students won't learn as much if they're around only those who share the same experiences and world views, he said. "That's what education is about: encouraging us to learn and relearn and unlearn some things we were convinced were true," he said. About 80 percent of student veterans using GI bill benefits attend public schools, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. "We're not a bunch of knuckle draggers, so to speak," said Seamus Murphy, founding president of the Undergraduate Veterans Association of Cornell University. "We're very well-rounded adult learners, with a different experience than the average student. We can bring a lot to the classroom and we can bring a lot to the university." Twenty-two veterans are undergraduates at Cornell, up from 20 last year, Murphy said, and school administrators have welcomed his input on recruiting more. Eleven students in Yale College, the university's undergraduate program, are veterans. Brown University has a dozen. Dartmouth has 23 undergraduate student veterans and the University of Pennsylvania about 40, according to the schools. Graduate programs typically have more veterans. Columbia University is unlike its peers. Its School of General Studies draws hundreds of veterans because it's specifically for returning and nontraditional undergraduate students. It was established to educate veterans after World War II. Other schools should follow Columbia's lead in evaluating life experience in the application process, said Kiernan, who helped create the Ivy League Veterans Council. Many veterans don't apply because they don't see these elite schools as an option, Kiernan said. Some might have performed poorly in high school and think college would be the same; the military might have emphasized getting a degree quickly; or they might believe the Ivies won't tolerate veterans, he said. At Brown, the Office of Student Veterans and Commissioning Programs is reaching out to veterans and hosting monthly luncheons to make current student veterans feel welcome. Michael Zaskey, who served as an Army medic, graduates in December from Brown with a degree in neuroscience. He thought Brown would have "hippies and drum circles" on every corner, but it wasn't the exclusively liberal school he expected. Zaskey talks to veterans interested in applying to Brown and is the school's representative to the Ivy League Veterans Council. "We're trying to get vets to think more about the Ivies and we're trying to get the Ivies to think more about vets," he said.   BY JENNIFER MCDERMOTTASSOCIATED PRESS  

Newswise — ITHACA, N.Y. – Dr. Joseph Burke, executive director for Campus & Community Engagement, and David Outlaw ’17, president of the Cornell Undergraduate Veterans Association, announced today that Cornell University will light its iconic McGraw Tower green on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, and annually thereafter. Cornell is making the move to recognize and honor the service of current veteran students, alumni and faculty who have served honorably in the military. The “Greenlight A Vet” campaign asks Americans to change one light in a visible location in their homes or offices to green to show support for veterans. No light at Cornell is more visible on campus and throughout the community than the 173-foot-tall, 125-year-old McGraw Tower – which hosts three raised windows and an illuminated clock face atop each of the tower’s four sides. “Cornell will light McGraw Tower green, so even if we can’t always see our veterans, they can always see our support,” Outlaw said. “’Greenlight A Vet’ aims to build a bridge for veterans and civilians to connect and start a conversation.” “While we engage in this important conversation,” Burke added, “the Division of Student and Campus Life is committed to creating a diverse committee of students and administrators to draft a new McGraw Tower lighting policy that uses our important campus symbol as a beacon to raise awareness of important student populations, while also maintaining the respect and integrity of our most iconic building.” Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.-30-

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Ash Carter today ordered the Defense Finance and Accounting Services to “suspend all efforts to collect reimbursements from affected California National Guard members, effective as soon as practical.” “I welcome the secretary's decision, but it doesn't go deep enough,” said Brian Duffy, national commander of the near 1.7 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and its Auxiliary.“A comprehensive program needs to be immediately created to help make these Guard members whole again,” he said. “They signed and fulfilled a contract, and whether they were authorized to receive a bonus is the fault of a system, not of any recipient. Aside from stopping collection, the government should also restore those monies already collected — and perhaps with the same callous interest payments that were being forced on many Guard members — as well as help to restore damaged credit ratings. Anything less is unacceptable.”