The Marine Corps Reserve Association

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟 We came across this inspiring article about Marine Captain Kelsey O’Brien, who recently made her professional boxing debut. Her journey showcases the incredible dedication and resilience that defines our armed forces. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eexcsrDq It's a reminder that discipline and passion can lead to extraordinary achievements, both in and out of uniform. Let's celebrate her success! 🥊 #MarineCorps #Boxing #Inspiration

HURRICANE MILTON UPDATE VHA BLUF: Over 1mil Vets, thousands of staff, & over 100 VA facilities in the projected cone of impact. VA is took aggressive precautionary measures to keep ALL safe. 155 patients evacuated from Bay Pines VA Center, the facility is completely closed, in process of shutting off steam & de-energizing the facility today. Patients transferred to other VA facilities in the region equipped to weather the storm. The Tampa VA Center is 55 feet above sea level & has several structural safeguards in place to prevent major damage. The facility will remain fully operational, additional staff sheltering in place. 3,000 staff that reside in mandatory evacuation zones expected to evacuate. HURRICANE HELENE VHA BLUF: Asheville VA Center contacted 92% of Vets most at risk for injury or poor outcomes due to storm. Facility has completed several rounds of outreach & contacted nearly 100% of staff. The facility continues to have stable supply of medical products, food, & water. Convoy of tanker trucks bringing in water continues, & drilling to create an emergency well underway. It is scheduled to be operational in 2-3 wks. Asheville City authorities estimating city water may not restart for several months, VA exploring ways to support Vets & staff in need of facilities for bathing & washing clothes.   The main med center campus running on city power & retains a single 1-megawatt gen as backup. Asheville VA Center ER & inpatient services remain operational. Sterile processing services restored. Outpatient clinical services at main Asheville campus restricted to seeing walk-in patients. Surgical services remain restricted. 3 other VA clinics in the area fully operational.    In Georgia, the Augusta VA Center transferred 4 patients back from Atlanta VA center. The Augusta facility receiving water & power from the city of Augusta & the facility has secured an emergency contract to test the water. Surgical, sterile processing, & dialysis services remain paused as the water supply is being tested. Outpatient clinics at main Augusta medical campus fully operational. VA continues to coordinate patient transfers between other VA regional facilities to ensure minimal disruptions to Veteran care.   Nationally, VA in close conversation with local authorities to ID Vets in shelters to ensure needs met. Disaster response pharmacy benefit remains active in storm impacted areas to allow Vets to fill VA medications at community pharmacies.    The Baxter medical fluid manufacturing facility in Marion, NC remains inoperable with no estimated date for repairs to be complete.   The VA canteen service meal trailer continues to increase their output, delivering an average of 2,100 meals to VA employees & members of the Asheville community every day.   Aggressive outreach to Vets impacted by the storm ongoing, & working to meet all ID Vet needs. Over a dozen Vets have requested shelter have been brought into VA facilities to weather the storm.

Update from VA Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Today, Veterans Affairs launched a new webpage with disaster relief resources, providing a single place for Vets and their caregivers to access VA resources on health care, housing, benefits payments, insurance, and more. The webpage also connects Vets to information on disaster preparedness and additional governmental disaster relief resources. https://lnkd.in/eWGSrz8M This webpage is part of VA’s comprehensive efforts to support Vets during the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and in preparation for Hurricane Milton. In recent weeks, VA has sent over 3 million emails with resources to Vets in recently affected states, including to over 850K Florida Veterans on Oct. 7th in advance of Hurricane Milton’s landfall. VA is also reaching out to over 720K Florida Vets via text message to connect them with VA’s new resource webpage. Additionally, VA is recording radio PSAs in English and Spanish to run in impacted markets, including North Carolina and Florida, and we expect those to go live as early as Thursday.  Secretary McDonough posted multiple videos on social media today, in English and Spanish, communicating to Florida Veterans: https://lnkd.in/eJupDmzE From VBA: Housing Assistance Information for Natural Disasters If you or a Vet you know needs immediate housing assistance after a natural disaster, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. We’re available 24/7.   How can I get health care and benefits if I’m at a shelter? If you’ve relocated to a shelter or a disaster recovery center because of a natural disaster, we may have already deployed a team to connect you with the health care and benefits you need. If you need help finding housing, we'll assign you to a case manager. Learn more about disaster recovery centers on the FEMA website   Does VA have programs to help with home repairs? If you have previously used the Specially Adapted Housing Grant program and your adapted primary residence is destroyed or substantially damaged during a disaster, call us at 877‐827‐3702. We're here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. Learn more about the Specially Adapted Housing program   Can I get help with my VA-backed home loan? Home loan servicers are allowed to put a 90-day pause on foreclosures and encouraged to waive late charges for VA-guaranteed home loans after a disaster. Contact your mortgage servicer if you are unable to make your mortgage payments. You can also call us at 877‐827‐3702. We're here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

Check out the new galleries at the Marine Corps Museum!

The Tun Tavern Legacy Foundation cordially invites you to the following event: #thetun #philadelphia #marinecorps #10nov Bring your $20 and you will have the opportunity to help dig the foundation of The Tun!

Hurricane Helene Updates: In North Carolina, the Asheville VA Medical Center has contacted over 91% of Veterans at risk and completed outreach to nearly 100% of staff. Water services are a major concern due to potential disruptions. The facility is exploring ways to support Veterans and staff in need of bathing and washing facilities. The main medical center campus is now running on city power and has a backup generator. Electrical technicians from Florida are returning to prepare for Hurricane Milton. The emergency department and inpatient hospital services remain operational, while outpatient clinical services are expected to be fully restored on Wednesday. The Rutherford, NC outpatient clinic has resumed full operations, and the Hickory and Franklin, NC clinics remain fully operational. VA is procuring an additional bunk house for employees and continues to have sufficient medical supplies and food. A Mobile Vet Center is also being sent to the Asheville area. In Georgia, the Augusta VA Medical Center has accounted for 100% of employees and completed outreach to over 500 Veterans. The boil water advisory was lifted, and water testing is being conducted. The main medical facility is working to resume surgical, sterile processing, and dialysis services, while outpatient clinics are fully operational. Nationally, VA has been in contact with local authorities to identify Veterans in shelters and ensure their needs are met. The disaster response pharmacy benefit remains active in storm-impacted areas. VA is assessing internal supplies, planning for potential mitigation strategies, and working with partners to prevent shortages due to the closure of the Baxter medical fluids manufacturing plant. VA is collaborating with federal, state, and local authorities to serve the broader communities. The VA canteen service meal trailer continues to increase its output and delivered hundreds of meals to VA employees and the Asheville community. Hurricane Milton Preparations: The Department of Veteran Affairs is closely monitoring Hurricane Milton and preparing for its potential impact. VA facilities in the affected areas are reviewing their emergency plans and ensuring that they have adequate supplies and resources. Staff are being trained on emergency procedures and protocols. VA is coordinating with federal, state, and local authorities to ensure a coordinated response. The department is communicating with Veterans and their families to keep them informed about the situation and to provide guidance on how to stay safe. The Department of Veteran Affairs is committed to providing the best possible care and support to Veterans and their families during this time of crisis.

🌊🇺🇸 In Solidarity with Our Heroes 🇺🇸🌊 As we witness the impact of Hurricane Helene, the potential mobilization of more troops for relief efforts underscores the dedication and resilience of our military community. The Marine Corps Reserve Association stands firmly behind our service members as they step up to assist those in need during this challenging time. Let's show our support for all who are ready to serve, ensuring that those affected by the hurricane receive the help they deserve. Together, we can make a difference! 💪❤️ Read more about this critical mission here: https://lnkd.in/e8fdNRfx #HurricaneHelene #USMC #MarineCorpsReserve #CommunitySupport #MilitaryFamily

Updated VA status IRT Hurricane Helene – 3 OCT 2024. VA continues to respond to humanitarian & operational challenges of Helene. Alongside maintaining operational capacity, priority is accounting for & providing support to employees & Vets impacted. Efforts to meet the needs of impacted Vets & employees include connecting Vets to housing, deploying an emergency home repair for employees whose homes were damaged.  In W. NC, the ER & inpatient hospital services at Asheville VA are operational. Outpatient clinical services remain curtailed, facility continues to service walk-in patients on as-needed basis. Hickory & Franklin, NC outpatient clinics open. Expect the Rutherford clinic operational in few days, nearly all staff accounted for. Main med center campus has restored power. The primary standby gen, a 1-megawatt backup gen, & an additional 1-megawatt gen available w/fuel. The facility has coordinated a continuous schedule of 8x 6,000-gal water tankers. Also pursuing emergency contract to procure well water for redundancy. Facility has sufficient med supplies & food for staff/Vets, & coord w/county authorities to ensure maintain expanded services. Asheville pharmacy, social workers, & mental health staff regularly visiting shelters, have access to meds, & needs met. VA monitoring status of the Baxter med fluids manufacturing facility in Marion, NC that was damaged. Continue to evaluate supplies for alternative sources of the med fluids & plan for cross leveling. Facility also supplies fluids for peritoneal dialysis, & tracking potential impacts closely w/ national experts. In GA, commercial water services at Augusta VA restored, outpatient clinics reopened. The facility is not yet providing dialysis or surgical services but transfered 20 dialysis & spinal cord injury patients to the ATL VA & area hospitals. Through direct & indirect reporting, the facility has accounted for 100% of staff. The ATL VA continues to evaluate inpatient census for potential transfers to make room for Vets in nearby facilities requiring higher levels of care. VA maintains comms w/ state & local homeless programs to deliver services to unhoused Vets. The pharmacy office is collaborating with local VA pharmacies to prevent meds from being sent & potentially lost through ground transpo. To maximize access to prescription drugs, disaster response pharmacy activated benefit program to allow Vets to fill VA meds at community pharmacies. VA leaders & staff proactively reaching out to state & private Vets homes to coordinate service. VA has assisted a civilian hospital, evacuating 36 patients fleeing the storm. To support disaster responders, 1 VA allowed a non-VA helicopter to land at helo pad & resupply. Asheville VA is sharing emergency water contractor w/ other healthcare facilities in community struggling for clean water. VAcanteen meal trailer delivered nearly 900 meals to employees & members of the community yesterday, poised to deliver more in future.

VA awards more than $44.5M in grants to state Veterans cemeteries   WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration awarded $44,553,338 in grants for the expansion and/or improvement of state Veterans’ cemeteries during Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. These grants help deliver timely and accessible burial and memorial services to Veterans.   The cemeteries receiving grants include California, Georgia, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington. Veterans interred in grant-funded Veterans’ cemeteries receive the same burial and memorial benefits provided to Veterans in VA national cemeteries, at no cost. This benefit includes a gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate.   "It is our duty to ensure America’s Veterans are honored for their service as they are laid to rest,” said Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Ronald Walters. “Partnering with states, tribes and territories allows us to better provide burial options closer to where Veterans and their families live.”   Since its inception in 1978, the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program has allocated more than 504 grants to 122 state, territorial, and Tribal Veterans’ cemeteries, and more than $1 billion in funding leading to more than 800,000 interments for Veterans. In FY 2024, these cemeteries and VA national cemeteries conducted nearly 185,000 interments combined.   Between these grant-funded cemeteries and VA's national cemeteries, the department is now providing 94% of Veterans who reside in the United States with the option of burial in a VA or VA-funded cemetery within 75 miles of their homes.   Veterans interred in most VA-grant funded cemeteries are also memorialized on the Veterans Legacy Memorial site. This online program provides family, friends and others the tool to preserve their Veteran's legacy by posting tributes, uploading images, and sharing their Veteran's achievements, biographical information and historical documents.

UPDATE ON THE RESPONSE TO HURRICANE HELENE Good evening,   Below is a continuing update on the ongoing efforts and operations.   As communities sustain rescue operations and begin recovery in the wake of Hurricane Helene, the Department of Veteran Affairs continues to actively monitor and respond to critical operational and Veteran and VA employee safety needs. We continue to pursue aggressive outreach to Veterans in impacted areas to ensure their safety through providing food, housing services, and meeting other needs. Many VA employees continue to go above and beyond as exemplified by an employee travelling to a Western North Carolina state Veteran home to ensure Veterans and staff are accounted for and connected with federal and state Veteran resources. To ensure we support our employees in their efforts to serve, VA is working to contact every staff member in these areas to address any unmet needs.   Western North Carolina and Georgia continue to face major challenges. In Western North Carolina, the Asheville VA Medical Center remains open and is serving as a coordinating hub for outreach and services for employees and Veterans in the area. Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) in Hickory and Franklin have now regained power and have reopened. The main medical center campus continues on generator power, and a 1-megawatt generator is enroute from West Palm Beach. In addition, the facility has secured a sufficient fuel supply to maintain operations at current levels. A Veterans Canteen Service Mobile Unit arrived and served 900 meals on October 2, 2024. The facility has coordinated for water trucks to supply the campus and are keeping the water tower full.   In Georgia, the Augusta VA Medical Center has completed the transfer of 19 dialysis and spinal cord injury patients from Augusta, GA to the Atlanta, GA VA Medical Center. The Augusta facility has reduced to essential staff only to conserve water and has been able to continue operating. The water pressure is improving and has now reached 80%. The Atlanta VA Medical Center continues to evaluate inpatient census for potential transfers out of the facility to make room for Veterans in nearby facilities requiring higher levels of care.    VA also continues to actively support Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel Systems (DEMPS) requests from facilities as they are received. Please see a wrap-up of today’s updates further below and anticipate end-of-day updates for this week.    Thank you.   Veterans Experience Office- • VEO Contact Center:as of 2:30p Wednesday, average length of time customer is waiting to speak with a VEO representative: 12 seconds; percent of customers who have hung up before speaking with a VEO Contact Center representative: < 3%   • Additional Hurricane Disaster Resource Emails sent on September 30: as of 2:30p Wednesday, open rates have increased to nearly 50%.