Armed volunteers guarding Dothan military recruiting offices
A group of armed volunteers have started standing guard outside military recruiters’ offices in Dothan. The Dothan Eagle reports that the volunteers are guarding the offices after five servicemen were killed last week in attacks on military facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Bob Mann, a spokesman for the Dothan group, says the group wants to provide protection for local recruiters, who Mann says could be in danger. Department of Defense regulations prohibit recruiters and other military personnel from being armed. Shawn Peterman, another member of the group, says he and fellow members intend to guard the offices until regulations change to allow the recruiters to carry firearms or otherwise increase security there. Mann says in the event of an emergency, his group’s first response will be to contact Dothan police. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Trump’s comments on POW’s disgusting but not surprising
If you’ve been watching the train wreck that is Donald Trump‘s supposed presidential campaign it should come as no surprise that he said something terribly offensive today. Looking at the reactions it looks as though people weren’t expecting him to do something so confounding to which I have to ask “have you not been paying attention?” Trump isn’t taking this race seriously and he’s not behaving and speaking like a man fit or desiring to run for president of the United States. In case you missed it, at an event Saturday afternoon, he mocked John McCain‘s status as a prisoner of war, saying “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” Now I get that his comments were particularly inflammatory because the military is involved and we are a nation that by-in-large respects our military regardless of political party or ideology but I’m watching the coverage of this latest disaster and the press and others are reacting as if this is the end of his campaign. Let’s be clear, Trumps campaign will end when Trump is ready for it to. As long as his poll numbers are high and as long as he’s getting media coverage he’s going to continue. He’s currently topping polls not because anyone is actually going to vote for him for president but because of the many candidates he’s the one with the highest name ID and because of people are just fed up with the state of American politics today. I believe even the most low information voters wouldn’t vote to put a man as unpredictable as Trump in charge of our national security and economy. Trump will inevitably try to fix his mess and will continue to make a mockery of what should be a serious race where serious issues are discussed. The crisis we find ourselves in as a nation both economically and with the current threats to national security both here at home and abroad will ultimately be what voters are looking to answer with the next president and Trump, well he’s not disciplined enough to address those issues with the seriousness they deserve. Full video of Trump remarks below. McCain comments start at 5:40
GOP candidate Donald Trump goes after John McCain’s war record
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump criticized Arizona Sen. John McCain‘s military record Saturday, saying he was a “war hero because he was captured.” Speaking at a conference of religious conservatives in Iowa, Trump was pressed on his recent description of the 2008 Republican presidential nominee as “a dummy.” McCain served as a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War. He was captured after his plane was shot down and was held more than five years as a prisoner of war. The moderator, Republican pollster Frank Luntz, described McCain as “a war hero.” Trump said McCain “is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.” The comment drew some boos from the audience. During a news conference after his appearance, Trump did not apologize but sought to clarify his remarks. “If a person is captured, they’re a hero as far as I’m concerned. … But you have to do other things also,” Trump said. “I don’t like the job John McCain is doing in the Senate because he is not taking care of our veterans.” A spokesman for McCain, Brian Rogers, said no comment when asked about Trumps remarks. Trump said he avoided service in the Vietnam War through student and medical deferments, adding that he did not serve because he “was not a big fan of the Vietnam war. I wasn’t a protester, but the Vietnam war was a disaster for our country.” The comments about McCain drew rapid criticism from other 2016 hopefuls. In a statement, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry said the remarks make Trump “unfit to be commander-in-chief.” Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush tweeted: “Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans – particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration.” Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker were also quick to condemn the remarks. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz called McCain an American war hero, but sidestepped when asked whether he would condemn the remarks. “I recognize that folks in the press love to see Republican on Republican violence,” Cruz said. “You want me to say something bad about Donald Trump or bad about John McCain or bad about anyone else and I’m not going to do it.” Trump was among 10 GOP presidential candidates on Saturday’s program for the Family Leader Summit. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Jeb Bush: Allow guns in military recruiting offices
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said Friday that a ban on carrying guns in military recruiting offices should be lifted. He made the comments Friday during a town hall-style event in Carson City, Nevada, a day after a gunman killed four Marines and wounded a sailor and another Marine at a pair of military facilities in Chattanooga, Tenn. His statement drew enthusiastic applause from the crowd. “It seems to me that if you have military bases or recruiting offices, these are symbols of American might, they’re targets,” Bush told reporters after the event. “This is how you garner attention. You go to places where there’s vulnerability, and it’s a very powerful symbolic attack on our country.” Bush, who called for a moment of silence for the victims at the beginning of the event, said the attacks should also prompt the U.S. to heighten national security and “deal with the rest of the world in a more aggressive way.” He noted that Congress would need to act for the gun ban at recruitment centers to be repealed. “If the Marines were armed, I think people would’ve known that, and if they had known it, maybe they wouldn’t have come in,” he said. “Who knows. I just think it ought to be reviewed for sure.” On Friday, the Army’s top officer said that security at military recruiting and reserve centers would be reviewed, but it’s too early to say whether the facilities should have security guards or other increased protection. Gen. Ray Odierno, chief of staff of the Army, told reporters that arming troops in those offices could cause more problems than it might solve. The former Florida governor pointed to his high ratings from the National Rifle Association as he appeared in largely conservative northern Nevada and said law-abiding citizens who have the right to self-defense make the world safer. He noted that Florida has both a high rate of concealed carry weapon permits and falling crime rates. Bush’s visit to Nevada included the town hall in Carson City and a planned speech in Las Vegas on Friday night. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Mike Rogers: Taking care of our military
Properly funding our military is one of Congress’ most important jobs and critical in keeping our homeland safe and ensuring our country’s readiness. People across the globe look to the United States for leadership when it comes to our military. But our prestige as the world’s most dominant military will be in danger if Congress doesn’t do more to ensure our military remains strong. On the Armed Services Committee, my focus continues to be strengthening our national defense. Recently, I was selected to serve as a key negotiator on discussions between the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act. From my perspective, you can’t win a war if you don’t have the best equipment to fight a war. Back home, the Anniston Army Depot is one of the most efficient maintenance and repair facilities in the entire military. I was pleased about two amendments included in the House-passed version of the Defense bill that would help protect jobs at facilities like the Anniston Army Depot. You may have seen on the news recently the Army announced cuts in the active duty military due to the relentless defense budget cuts imposed by President Obama. From his first day in office, Obama has sought to cut funding for our national defense. From the push for sequestration to his current veto threats of defense authorization and appropriations, these actions are threatening the creation of a shell of a military to face our very real threats in this dangerous world. Another area we must focus on is new, non-traditional threats. Not all our enemies are on the land, air or sea. Space is the next battlefield. Assured access to space and the pressing national security issue of reliance on foreign rocket capabilities is one of my top priorities. We cannot ignore this because of the very important role space plays in our national security. Mike Rogers represents Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. He is in his third term.
Central Alabama VA freezes hiring due to national $2.6 billion shortfall
The Central Alabama Veterans Affairs hospital system has stopped hiring medical support staff to cope with a $2.6 billion budget shortfall nationally. The Montgomery Advertiser reports the hiring freeze in the Central Alabama system affects human resources personnel and customer service workers. It does not affect doctors, nurses or other health care service providers. The medical support and compliance portion of the system’s budget will be $5 million short for the remaining three-and-a-half months of the fiscal year, according to a bulletin to CAVHCS employees from interim director Robin Jackson. However, the hiring freeze will not affect staffers tasked with helping veterans schedule their medical appointments, VA spokesman Amir Farooqi said. The budget shortfall and hiring freeze caught the attention of Congressional leaders who have pressed the VA to reduce waiting times for veterans seeking treatment. “There’s not a funding problem, there’s a gross mismanagement problem,” said Rep. Martha Roby, R-Montgomery. Sloan Gibson, the deputy secretary of the VA, said the $2.6 billion shortfall is due in part to increased demand from veterans seeking care. “As we are improving veterans’ access to care across VA, veterans are responding and seeking VA care at higher rates,” Gibson told the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee this week. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Martha Roby: One year later, more improvement needed at VA
An important part of my job in Congress is making sure national Veterans Affairs leaders pay attention to Alabama and remain focused on improving the health care system our veterans depend on. That’s why this week I spoke from the House Floor to mark one year since former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned amid scandal, and to draw attention to the many problems still persisting at the Central Alabama VA. Despite new legal tools and resources, we have not seen sufficient improvement in access to patient care. We haven’t seen it nationally, and we certainly haven’t seen it in Central Alabama. In fact, VA medical centers in Montgomery and Tuskegee were recently identified as worst and second worst in the nation for extended delays in patient appointment completions. A Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System workload report at the end of April showed that more than 6,500 consults over 90 days were still pending, including more than half awaiting approval for non-VA care services. I believe one reason for this lack of progress is that Washington has demonstrated a somewhat short attention span when it comes to fixing these problems. We got their attention last year. Working with whistleblowers and the press, we were able to expose major instances of misconduct, negligence and cover-up within the system. The wait-list manipulation scheme, the missing X-rays, the falsified patient records, the crack house incident – all these major exposures could not be ignored by top VA leaders in Washington. A lot of nice promises were made to improve Central Alabama, but since our problems left the front page, VA’s follow-up has been insufficient. Maybe that’s because we are depending on a broken bureaucracy to fix itself. Maybe it’s because we have been asking for VA leaders to intervene at this troubled system, rather than requiring them to. Maybe it’s time to change that, and I have an idea. When a public school continues to fail to meet basic standards, what happens? The state department of education steps in to takeover and takes charge of turning the place around. The process isn’t pleasant, but everyone from principals and teachers to students and parents understand the consequences of failure to improve. We need a similar mechanism at the VA when medical centers continually fail our veterans. That’s why I am preparing legislation that would compel national VA leaders to step in to take over perpetually failing systems and make the Secretary of Veterans Affairs squarely accountable for making sure troubled systems like Central Alabama get the attention they need. The bill is still in development, and I’ll update you on the latest as we proceed. One way or another, we are going to get their attention again. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She is in her third term.
Martha Roby: Next generation of military leaders
One of my favorite parts of serving in Congress is the honor and responsibility I have to nominate young men and women for an appointment to our nation’s military academies. Each year, my office conducts a rigorous process by which applicants are reviewed and interviewed by an independent panel of service academy alumni. Our service academies are some of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Appointments are highly sought after and require high academic, character and leadership standards. Those appointed must commit to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. Once the panel has made its selections, I have the privilege of calling the students to personally inform them of their nomination to a U.S. military academy. It is an honor to be the first to thank these courageous students for their willingness to serve their country and to wish them the best on this exciting endeavor. Below are students who were nominated through my office and have received appointments to U.S. military academies for 2015. I join their families, teachers and friends in congratulating them on such a momentous accomplishment. Matthew Dunlap, Enterprise: U.S. Air Force Academy. Son of William J. Dunlap, student at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School. Alvaro Nicholas Flores, Ozark: West Point. Son of Alvaro and Kimberly Flores, student at Carroll High School Hunter Rowan Godwin, Dothan: West Point. Son of Joseph and Patricia Godwin, student at Providence Christian School. Jesse Cornelius Anthony Haggerty, IV, Eufaula: U.S. Air Force Academy. Son of Jesse and Angela Haggerty, student at the Lakeside School. Baxter J. Hodge, Montgomery: West Point. Son of Ray and Deana Hodge, student at Eastwood Christian School. Shawn N. Paris, Jr., Fort Rucker: U.S. Naval Academy. Son of Shawn and Jennifer Paris, student at Carroll High School. Leo Alfred Petters, Montgomery: U.S. Naval Academy. Son of Brian and Vicki Petters, student at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. Pearce Anthony Phinney, Prattville: U.S. Naval Academy. Son of Col. Todd and Sharon Phinney, student at Prattville Christian Academy. Jesse Ariel Ramire, Daleville: West Point. Son of Berny and Peta Ramirez, student at the Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile. Again, I want to congratulate these students on this special achievement. If you or a someone you know is interested in knowing more about seeking a nomination to a military academy, please visit my website at http://roby.house.gov/serving-you/military-academy-nominations. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. She is in her third term.
Obama: Climate change will harm national security
President Barack Obama is framing the challenges of climate change as a matter of national security that threatens to aggravate poverty and political instability around the globe and jeopardize the readiness of U.S. forces. “Make no mistake, it will impact how our military defends our country,” the president says in excerpts of a commencement address prepared for delivery Wednesday at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. “And so we need to act and we need to act now.” The president in recent months has pressed for action on climate change as a matter of health, as a matter of environmental protection and as a matter of international obligation. He’s even couched it as a family matter, linking it to the worry he felt when one his daughters had an asthma attack as a preschooler. His speech to the cadets, by contrast, is focused on what the Obama administration says are immediate risks to national security, including contributing to more natural disasters that result in humanitarian crises and potential new flows of refugees. Further, the president sees climate change aggravating poverty and social tensions that can fuel instability and foster terrorist activity and other violence. Obama said the cadets would be part of the first generation of officers to begin their service in a world where it is increasingly clear that “climate change will shape how every one of our services plan, operate, train, equip and protect their infrastructure.” His prepared remarks said climate change “is not just a problem for countries on the coast or for certain regions of the world. Climate change impacts every country on the planet.” As for the impact in the U.S., Obama pointed to streets in Miami and Charleston, S.C., that flood at high tide and to military bases across the country already feeling negative effects. “Around Norfolk, high tides and storms increasingly flood parts of our Navy base and an air base,” Obama said of military facilities in Virginia. “In Alaska, thawing permafrost is damaging military facilities. Out West, deeper droughts and longer wildfires could threaten training areas our troops depend on.” With the Republican-led Congress indifferent to Obama’s entreaties, the president has been doing what he can to combat climate change through executive orders to cut greenhouse gas emissions and through the powers of persuasion. But his climate change agenda has drawn strong political opposition and a number of legal challenges. Many of the GOP presidential candidates for 2016 have said that taking unilateral steps to address climate change could hurt the U.S. economy. Obama’s appearance at the Coast Guard Academy was to be his second and last commencement address of the season after speaking earlier this month at a community college in South Dakota. The president traditionally delivers a commencement address every year to one of the service academies. Later Wednesday, he was visiting Stamford, Conn., for a Democratic fundraiser at a private home, with about 30 supporters contributing up to $33,400 each. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Mike Rogers: CMP could sell vintage firearms
As many of you across east Alabama may have seen or heard in the news: The National Defense Authorization Act recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives with my strong support. This critical piece of legislation outlines how Congress will support our nation’s military. I was relieved to see that Congress increased the overall authorized funding for our nation’s military. Several key provisions important to east Alabama made it into the bill. The first was a commitment to help protect jobs at important military facilities like the Anniston Army Depot, one of the Army’s most productive and efficient facilities. Folks across east Alabama may remember a few years ago when the depot had to furlough some workers because of the Pentagon’s poor budget management. The new provision would protect facilities like the depot that operate under the Working Capital Fund from being forced to furlough workers in order to meet arbitrary budget demands from the Pentagon. Another was my amendment to allow the Army to transfer its surplus vintage firearms to the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) which has its southern headquarters in Anniston and will soon have the CMP park open in June in Talladega County. If you’re a gun owner like I am, you may be familiar with the M1911A1. This iconic pistol used to serve as the standard U.S. armed forces sidearm, until it was replaced by the Berretta 9mm pistol. Although a few thousand of these pistols have been sold to foreign countries for a small fee, the remainder are in storage. That costs the taxpayer about $200,000 a year. As a strong supporter of Second Amendment rights, I believe this bill is a common-sense approach to not only save the taxpayer money, but to allow gun collectors to add this vintage pistol to their collection. It is my hope that both provisions will stay in the bill as the process moves forward in the Senate. I also hope the administration will ultimately support them. Providing for our national defense is a top priority to keep our country safe and our defenses strong. Mike Rogers represents Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. He’s in his eighth term. You can sign up for his e-Newsletter at www.mikerogers.house.gov.
Memorial Day weekend events happening across Alabama
On Memorial Day, May 25, Americans will honor and remember all of those who died while serving in the U.S. armed forces. In recognition of the holiday’s rich history, Alabama Today put together a list of Memorial Day weekend events occurring across the state: Auburn Bluegrass On The Plains Monday, May 25 6 p.m. Price: tickets start $15 online, $20 at the gate Featuring a long list of performers, arts and crafts, horse-and-carriage rides, along with food and music vendors. For information visit: www.bluegrassontheplains.com. Birmingham Honoring Those Who Have Served Our Country Sunday, May 24 3 p.m. Price: Free The Alabama Veterans Memorial Foundation in partnership with the Vulcan District Boy Scouts will honor veterans in the annual Remembrance Ceremony. The Foundation will dedicate StepStones to more than 30 veterans, living and deceased and from many states. Come early to view the Blue Star Salute Foundation’s Memorial Exhibit, “Faces of the Price of Freedom” which shows the faces of Alabama’s fallen heroes since the Sept. 11 terrorist attack. For information visit: www.alabamaveterans.org. Decatur Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Festival Saturday, May 23 through Sunday, May 24 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Price: Free One of the largest free balloon gatherings in the Southeast, featuring more than 60 balloons, balloon races, kite flying, musical entertainment, a car show, food and a children’s area. For information visit: www.alabamajubilee.net. Gulf Shores Memorial Day Tribute Saturday, May 23 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Price: Adults $7.00, Seniors (65 and older) $5.00, Child (ages 6-12) $4.00 Historical interpreters dressed in U.S. Army uniforms from different eras of the forts’ occupation will conduct special guided tours throughout the day. For more information visit: www.fort-morgan.org. Huntsville North Alabama “Down Home” Soul & Blues Festival Saturday, May 23 to Sunday, May 24 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Price: Tickets start at $75 For information visit: here. Montevallo Alabama National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 25 9 a.m. Price: Free Memorial Day observance will include a wreath-laying presentation and cannon salute. For more information visit: www.scalnc.org. A Salute to Our Veterans Monday, May 25 10 a.m. opening; special ceremony from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Price: Free A full day of activities planned, including historical vignettes, musical salutes, re-enactments, games, ceremonies, a Gold Star Salute to the Fallen, and a wreath laying at the Veterans Shrine. For more information visit: here. Montgomery Montgomery Symphony Orchestra’s Jubilee Pops Concert Friday, May 22 7 p.m. Price: Free Pack your picnic basket and cooler and get ready to kick-off Memorial Day weekend on the lawn of the Alabama Department of Archives and History. For information visit: www.montgomerysymphony.org. Tuscaloosa Memorial Day Ceremony Monday, May 25 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Price: Free Presented by the Veterans Memorial Park Association at the Veterans Memorial Park. For information visit www.tuscaloosaveteranspark.org. Have an event you’d like included? Email us here.
Know a vet getting the government run around?
Soon our nation will be celebrating Memorial Day. More than a three-day weekend marking the beginning of summer, Memorial Day is time to pay tribute to the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. It’s also a time to say thank you to our nation’s many vets and our current service members who are still manning the front lines to protect this great nation. Often times our nation’s veterans and military have issues with the federal government and need help. Did you know that you your Congressman and Senators are often your best resource when you can’t get an answer from a federal agency in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly. For those currently in the military, or their families, experiencing difficulties with the U.S. Department of Defense and/or any of its military branches (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and the U.S. Merchant Marines), TRICARE, or the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) a Congressional office can often intervene and help you receive a fair and timely response to your problem. For veterans, a Congressional office can assist efforts to obtain military records and medals, in answering questions they have concerning eligibility for benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), or those who might be having difficulties with the VA Health Care System or the VA claims and appeals process. Offices are also available to assist with a myriad of other constituent services areas that include, but are not limited to: Citizenship and Immigration Services: dealing with USCIS — relating to the process of becoming a U.S. Citizen, how to renew a Permanent Resident (Green) Card Consumer Complaints: complaints about a product or business General Financial and Emergency Assistance: facing financial difficulties and looking for temporary financial assistance Internal Revenue Service: federal tax-related problems, tax-fraud Medicare: problems with Medicare Part A, Medicare Part B, Medicare Part D Prescription Coverage, a Medicare Advantage Plan (also known as Medicare Part C) or CMS Passports: figuring out where you should submit your application, figuring out which application to use, and deciding when you need to submit application to ensure that you get your Passport prior to your travel date Preventing Identity Theft and Fraud: provide information about steps that individuals may take to as a way to proactively protect themselves from identity theft and what can be done to protect your credit information from use in fraudulent ways Small Business Administration: provide information on any available government financing, counseling, and training programs to individuals who are interested in starting or expanding Alabama-based business Social Security Administration: difficulties with the Social Security Administration with obtaining disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), retirement or other Social Security-related benefits, or if you simply need some help in obtaining documents If you’re facing an issue with the federal government, don’t hesitate to reach out to your respective Representative or one the Senators for assistance. Alabama’s 1st Congressional District: Rep. Bradley Byrne Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District: Rep. Martha Roby Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District: Rep. Mike Rogers Alabama’s 4th Congressional District: Rep. Robert Aderholt Alabama’s 5th Congressional District: Rep. Mo Brooks Alabama’s 6th Congressional District: Rep. Gary Palmer Alabama’s 7th Congressional District: Rep. Terri Sewell Statewide: Sen. Jeff Sessions State-wide: Sen. Richard Shelby Not sure of your congressional district or who your member is? You can use this easy service to find out.
