rapidfire
UPDATE ON MOAA’S VA CLAIM PROGRAM MOAA recently made the difficult decision to transition its pilot VA disability compensation claim service pro- gram to a new service model. The most significant rea- sons for ending the program were 1) the national capital region is well-served with veterans service organizations providing claim services and 2) the time and resources required to train and maintain volunteers were greater than original estimates. In April, the program began to transition from a claim/
appeal compilation and submission program model to one that provides only information and advice on the VA disability compensation and appeals processes. The tran- sition will conclude later this year upon completion of the VA disability claims currently in process. MOAA staff will continue to answer compensation
and appeals questions through
vso@moaa.org. MOAA also will maintain three qualified veterans service officers (VSOs) in the Member Service Center for the foreseeable future as well as two senior VSOs in the Transition Center to assist with claim development on a very limited basis.
MOAA MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD MOAA member Capt. Zachariah Fike, ARNG (right, with MOAA President and CEO retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins), recently was named the 2016 Army Times Soldier of the Year. While deployed to Afghanistan with the Vermont National Guard in September 2010, Fike was injured and received a Purple Heart, which inspired him to begin returning lost medals to their original recipients. Fike founded in July 2012 Purple Hearts Reunited, a
501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated to returning lost medals of valor and keepsakes to veterans and their surviving loved ones. In an interview in the May 2013 issue of Military Of-
ficer, Fike said: “The family members of these veterans are always deeply appreciative of my work. I’m honored to do it. I think it’s one of the most important things I have ever done.” To see highlights
from the award cer- emony, visit www
.moaa.org/2016sol dieroftheyear.
In Review
Grunt: The Curious Sci- ence of Humans at War. By Mary Roach. W.W. Norton & Co., 2016. $26.95. ISBN 978-0- 393-24544-8.
The science of warfare often fo- cuses on weapons and equip- ment, but
best-selling science writer Mary Roach, a self-declared “goober with a fl ashlight,” looks at how the battle- fi eld environment aff ects humans and specifi cally at all the unusual ways most people don’t think about. Roach uses humor and a lucid narrative to describe the human body’s physio- logical reactions to extreme heat and cold, noise, fa- tigue, smell, combat-weight burdens, sleep deprivation, and “ill-timed gastrointes- tinal urgency” of battlefi eld diarrhea. She also tells of scientists and engineers working to mitigate the adverse eff ects of these conditions, as well as new training, procedures, and inventions to reduce im- pacts on servicemembers. Learn why snipers hate zippers and Velcro, about the “blast diaper,” how shark repellent really was created, about the hazards of fl ies and the benefi ts of maggots, and about inge-
nious malodorants like the “Who, Me?” stink bomb.
Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor. By Clinton Romesha. Dutton, 2016. $28. ISBN 978-0-525- 95505-4.
In one of the best wartime memoirs to come out of Af- ghanistan,
Medal of Honor recipient and former Army Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha* tells the powerful and bloody story of the desperate defense of Combat Outpost Keating Oct. 3, 2009. Romesha, a senior infan-
try NCO with Red Platoon, B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, fought in “the largest, most so- phisticated, fi ercest assault ever seen in Afghanistan’s Sector East,” when Taliban fi ghters attacked the iso- lated outpost, penetrated its defenses, and nearly wiped out the entire command. He tells of the outpost’s
vulnerable geographic lo- cation and off ers poignant portrayals of his soldiers. However, Romesha’s de- scriptions of brutal close combat, casualties, destruc- tion, chaos, confusion, and fateful decision making make this a riveting tribute to American fi ghting spirit. — William D. Bushnell
*online: To see an interview with Clinton Romesha from CBS News Sunday Morning, visit
www.moaa.org/cbsmedalofhonor. 18 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2016
PHOTO: MIKE MORONES
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