Veterans Asking For Help

[thedrifter]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2002 -- Vice President Dick Cheney
saluted America's war veterans Monday as an example for the
nation and said, "Every veteran deserves a response that is
fair, respectful and prompt" when dealing with the federal
government.

"Under our administration, you won't receive excuses," he
pledged. "You will receive action." Cheney spoke at the
Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Nashville,
Tenn. He paid tribute to the veterans' past and present
service and commended the work of today's armed forces.

"In the military," he told the assembled vets, "you devoted
yourselves to a cause above self-interest, served with a
firm sense of duty and developed personal standards that
make you an example for your families and your fellow
citizens." He relayed the comments of a woman whose father
served with the Army Air Corps. Cheney said she recalled
growing up surrounded by "honesty, integrity, hard work,
personal responsibility and perseverance," and that she
absorbed these standards "almost imperceptibly."

"Our veterans have had a similar effect on the entire
nation," Cheney said. Today's service members, he noted,
are exhibiting the same sense of duty and the same high
standards in the war against terrorism. "May I say, as a
former secretary of defense, that I have never been more
proud of America's military.

"Over the past year," Cheney said, "millions here and
abroad have been inspired once again by the bravery and the
selflessness of the American armed forces. For my part, I
have been reminded on a daily basis, as I was during my
years at the Pentagon, of what a privilege it is to work
with the people of our military."

The Bush administration aims to improve the government's
service to veterans, according to the vice president. "On
taking office, we found a large claims backlog numbering in
the hundreds of thousands," he said. "The backlog is
falling steadily, as is the average time for processing
each claim."

There's more work to be done, Cheney said, and Tony
Principi, Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, is a
the "results-oriented veteran" in charge of getting it
done.

President Bush has set up a task force to further improve
health care services for veterans. The president has asked
Congress for an 8 percent increase for veterans health care
and a 7 percent increase for veterans' programs overall.
"The money is necessary to meet pressing needs, some of
which have gone neglected in recent years," Cheney said.

The administration plans to continue drawing upon the
nation's war veterans' military and civilian experience to
help with homeland security, he added.

Cheney also repeated the government's pledge to fully
account for all service members whose fate is still
undetermined. "For all the uncertainties that remain, the
basic issue is clear: thousands of brave Americans, last
seen doing their duty, remain unaccounted for. The nation
remembers these men, and this government will persist in
the effort to account for every last one of them."

Each of America's war veterans "has a place in the long,
unbroken line of Americans who came to the defense of
freedom," he said, and the American people will always
respect each one for standing ready to make the ultimate
sacrifice.

VFW members, he noted, continue to give their time, talent
and money to citizens in need. Last year alone, they gave
more than 16 million hours to worthy causes.

"The VFW stands firm for protecting our country's flag and
for defending the right of every American to pledge
allegiance to one nation under God," Cheney said, drawing
applause from the assembled wartime veterans.

"On the nation's behalf, and for myself and President
Bush," he concluded, "I thank you for the service you gave
to your fellow citizens, for the loyalty you have shown to
each other and for the great honor you have brought to your
uniform, to our flag and to our country."

Sempers,

Roger

[NamGrunt68]

_________________________________________________
QUOTE:
"Under our administration, you won't receive excuses," he
pledged. "You will receive action." Cheney spoke at the
Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Nashville,
Tenn.
__________________________________________________

AND I'M THE PHUCIN TOOTH FAIRY !!!

[wrbones]

I'm with ya there NAMGRUNT! If ya ain't had to deal with them, ya might be tempted to buy it! LMAO! That was great!

[NamGrunt68]

I swear Bone's, these damn politicians got more sides to their mouths than the Pentagon !!!! Take VP Chaney fer example....another one that evaded goin to Nam speakin on behalf of the VA and tellin em how they gonna take care of the Veterans.......check this out:

BY Judi Hasson , Federal Computer Week
A private auditing firm hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs'
inspector general easily broke into computers at the agency "dozens of
times" this year, gaining total control of data and creating a phantom
veteran to fraudulently collect benefits.

Testifying before the House Veterans Affairs Committee's Oversight and
Investigations Subcommittee last week, lawmakers and VA officials expressed
frustration regarding the failure to protect the records of 7 million
veterans who count on the system for health and other benefits.

The security problems plaguing the system have been known for at least five
years, a period during which the VA has spent more than $5 billion on
information technology.

"We need a system that's more like a rock than a mushroom," said Rep. Terry
Everett (R-Ala.), subcommittee chairman.

Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.), the ranking Democrat on the panel, said the
security problems at VA represent "an open door to the U.S. Treasury."

The security audit, performed by PricewaterhouseCoopers, found major
weaknesses in the firewalls at computers operated by the Veterans Benefits
Administration and the Veterans Health Administration.

Michael Slachta Jr., the VA's assistant inspector general for auditing, said
the agency's programs and financial data are "vulnerable to destruction,
manipulation and fraud."

Slachta said virtually any VA information is available for the picking, and
hackers could enter the system through a back door to access VA computer
systems.

"We were able to get to the individual veteran's record," Slachta said.
Hackers could obtain a veteran's Social Security number, which could be used
to open checking accounts and verify identity, and could access a veteran's
master identification record and cull information about a veteran's family.

Slachta said the VA did not even detect that its systems had been hacked.

PricewaterhouseCoopers did not try to break into VHA systems, but Slachta
said VHA records are no more secure than those at the VBA.

"VHA's program and financial data continue to be vulnerable to error or
fraud because of serious weaknesses in automated data processing general
controls throughout VHA," Slachta said.

K. Adair Martinez, the VBA's chief information officer, said the VA has been
able to detect and thwart some attacks. The VBA detected and blocked two
attacks on the system the week of Sept. 10.

In the past six months, she said, the VA has installed software to detect
hackers and fortify its firewalls. Whenever there is a problem, she said, IT
staffers are notified by beeper at home.

"No system is totally bulletproof," she said, "but we're putting patches on
all the time."

Veterans groups expressed indignation at the security breaches at the VA.

"We're appalled that the medical records of veterans were subject to being
compromised," said Dick Mannemacher, spokesman for Disabled American
Veterans. "We feel medical records and information systems have to be
tightened to protect those persons who became sick and disabled in the
nation's defense."

In its latest report on VA computer problems, the General Accounting Office
said the VA has failed to provide leadership to develop a seamless computer
system.

"Until the department develops and implements a coordinated system, there is
little assurance that the records are protected," said Joel Willemssen, GAO'
s director of Civil Agencies Information Systems, who also testified at the
hearing.

Everett said VA's decentral----ized environment with a classic stove-pipe
architecture is partly to blame for the lax security. VA CIOs responsible
for benefits, health and national veteran cemeteries operate independently.
"It is a prime example of people protecting their turf," Everett said.

Nevertheless, the White House last month named Edward Meagher, an industry
IT expert, as the first assistant secretary for information and technology
to serve as the VA's CIO. Meagher awaits confirmation by Congress and is
working as a special assistant to the VA secretary.

also see: VA toughens security after PC disposal blunders
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002...a-08-26-02.asp
VA toughens security after PC disposal blunders Indianapolis

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The VA better take care o itself first !!!! Have a good un all Bones and all you Marines and Doc's hang tight and tuff

[wrbones]

They expected their rules and regulations to keep hackers out. Right!!!! Works for Veterans trying to file for benefits! LMAO!

[MillRatUSMC]

But this one of those times...
!@@#$%^&*&^^%$%^%$##
All this from the (_I_) that said;
He had "OTHER PIORITIES"
Trying to hand us a line of BS
We have to make "CO-PAYMENTS" on meds and any treatment given us for things resulting from our service.
We forefilled our "PIORITIES"
Not like some BShxtters who had "OTHER PIORITIES"
Now they made millions on inside trading.
What a frigging (_I_)...
If he was any kind of man, he wouldn't show his face at any function involving Veterans.
Hotter than hades out here in northwest Indiana.
After reading that crock of BS...

Semper Fidelis
Ricardo