How America's Highest-Ranking Woman in Uniform Defied the Odds

U.S. Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson visits airmen assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron on July 9, 2015, at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. (US Air Force/Alexander Riedel)

Link to article below:
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2016/10/02/how-america-highest-ranking-woman-uniform-defied-odds-lead-us.html

Veterans Employment & Education Division Weekly Report

North Country Veterans Conference

NEW ENGLAND PARALYZED VETERANS AND DISABLED BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT AT CAMP

Greetings:                                                                                                                September 1,2016

It is difficult in this busy age, to find the time and energy to “give back” or to help make someone’s life a little Better. Career and family commitments leave us with little time or energy for anything else.

We formed American Eagle Bass Anglers for this purpose. We are a group of bass anglers within the

Bass Federations that have come together to help our community and bring some joy to people who

Face daily challenges beyond our imagination.

On October 21^st--23^rd 2016, we will be holding our   NEW ENGLAND PARALYZED VETERANS AND DISABLED BASS FISHING TOURNAMENT AT CAMP Pine Tree in Rome, Maine 

This event is FREE of charge to any disabled person desiring to have an unforgettable day on the water. We are the only Free Tournament Trail in North America for our Veterans.

We will be pairing each contestant with a professional bass angler. Some of New England’s top anglers have volunteered their time including: Touring B.A.S.S. & TBF Pro’s Dave Barnes and Sandra Oja from Northern Bass Supply

The weekend begins with participants and their family arriving Friday, they enjoy meals, lodging, catch and release weigh in, awards banquet, and raffles.  This is a family friendly event, with new & old friends and no barriers.  This weekend is FREE to all attending and provided through donations, sponsors and fundraising efforts of the New England Paralyzed Veterans of America BASS TRAIL Board of Directors.

Events of this magnitude would not be possible without the generous Tax-deductible contributions of our sponsors. of monetary or goods.   One hundred percent of all donations are utilized for these Events. Our corporate and business sponsors will be provided on tournament t shirts, in our newsletter, newspaper article, on our Facebook page(NEPVABASSTRAIL)  and are also encouraged to set up or provide banners, etc for displays of their products and services at Camp Pine Tree.

To send your donations:             N.E.P.V.A. Bass Tournament

                                                    C/O Eugene “Tiny” LaFontaine

                                                     29 Naples Ave

                                                     Woburn, MA 01801

In the memo part of the check please put BASS TRIAL

For information, pick up of donations, banners, etc Please Contact  Lori Chase

Please feel free to call me with any questions                   BASS TRAIL BOD

                                                                                            603-581-9617

Best Regards,                 

Tiny LaFontaine

N.E.P.V.A. Bass

Trail Director

(781)460-9293

				New England Chapter Paralyzed Veterans Of American

 

he Latest Update: POW/MIA Declassification Legislation – Action Request - from Rick Downes

The Latest Update: POW/MIA Declassification Legislation – Action Request - from Rick Downes

From: Rick Downes, Coalition Executive Director [mailto:rickdownes05@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2016 7:23 PM

Hi Wiskers,

The Coalition has been working with Senator Kelly Ayotte (NH) on legislation to access still classified POW/MIA documents. Too many records holding information on missing men are unnecessarily withheld by agencies across the government. This legislation will make them available.

Last Thursday, the Senator introduced the bill, The Bring Our Heroes Home Act. 

Here’s a link is to the initial press release: 

Ayotte Introduces Legislation to Support POW/MIA Families and Help Bring Fallen Heroes Home

This is quite an accomplishment in itself.  Passing the bill is the goal, of course. The next step is to garner sponsorships from other Senators. 

Sen. Ayotte would like to include a statement from you in support of the bill, and possibly even in a followup press release next week. She needs comments on the importance of having access to any information that may help learn what happened to the missing men.  It would be nice to acknowledge the Senator’s consistent support of POW/MIA issues, as well. She has been there for us on every matter we’ve requested. Feel free to spread the word to others, as well.

Send your thoughts to me. I’ll pass them along to the Senator’s staff on Monday. This is an opportunity to be part of groundbreaking legislation that will help us learn what happened to missing men from all conflicts.

Thank you!

Rick

Richard Downes, Executive Director
Coalition of Families of Korean & Cold War POW/MIAs
P.O. Box 4194 

Portsmouth, NH 03802

818.259.9950

Honor Flight New England - Oct 16th, 2016

Bring Our Heroes Home Alive Act of 2016

FYI

From: Coalition of Families of Korean and Cold War POW/MIAs [mailto:coalitionoffamilies@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 2:38 PM

Hello Everyone,

On Thursday, September 29^th, Senator Kelly Ayotte will introduce the Bring Our Heroes Home Alive Act of 2016. This is long awaited legislation to declassify documents relating to missing armed forces personnel from all conflicts. The Senator will be issuing a press release and would like to include brief statements of support from organizations involved in the accounting mission. 

Attached is a highlights page from the bill, as well as the proposed legislation itself. Please join us in support by sending comments to the Senator’s national security legislative aide, Ryan Clark: ryan_clark@ayotte.senate.gov   (Include the subject line: Bring Our Heroes Home Alive Act – 2016.)

There is too much information on missing men from all conflicts still waiting in classified documents, including intelligence reports and prisoner-of-war debriefs. Their classification status is maintained not because of critical information relating to the nation’s security but because there has never been a strong enough call to release them. This legislation will do that. 

We hope that your organization will be part of this national effort to bring new information to the fate of missing men from all conflicts and answers to their families.

Thank you.

Rick

Richard Downes, President

                 (Lt. Hal Downes, MIA)

Coalition of Families of Korean & Cold War POW/MIAs

Highlights from the bill:

Bring Our Heroes Home Alive Act 2016 (Highlights)

A BILL To provide for the creation of the Missing Armed Forces Personnel Records Collection at the National Archives, to require the expeditious public transmission to the Archivist and public disclosure of Missing Armed Forces Personnel records, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bring Our Heroes Home Act of 2016’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS, DECLARATIONS, AND PURPOSES. 

(a) FINDINGS AND DECLARATIONS.—Congress finds and declares the following: 

(1) A vast number of records relating to Missing Armed Forces Personnel have not been identified, located, or transferred to the National Archives for review and declassification. Only in the rarest cases is there any legitimate need for continued protection of records pertaining to Missing Armed Forces Personnel who have been missing for decades. 

 (2) There has been insufficient priority placed on identifying, locating, transferring, reviewing, or declassifying records relating to Missing Armed Forces Personnel. 

(3) Mandates for declassification set forth in multiple Executive Orders have been broadly written, loosely interpreted, and often ignored by Federal Government officials in possession and control of records related to Missing Armed Forces Personnel. 

(4) No individual or entity has been tasked with oversight of the identification, collection, review, and declassification of records related to Missing Armed Forces Personnel. 

(5) The interest, desire, workforce, and funding of Federal agencies to assemble, review, and declassify records relating to Missing Armed Forces Personnel have been lacking. 

(6) All records of the Federal Government relating to Missing Armed Forces Personnel should be preserved for historical and Governmental purposes. 

(7) All records of the Federal Government relating Missing Armed Forces Personnel should carry a presumption of immediate disclosure, and all such records should be disclosed under this Act to enable the fullest possible accounting for Missing Armed Forces Personnel. 

(8) Legislation is necessary to create an enforceable, independent, and accountable process for the public disclosure of records relating to Missing Armed Forces Personnel.