Top 5 stories in VA - Nov. 5, 2021

Credit: Reynaldo Leal | Date Taken: 11/05/2021
IT’S NOVEMBER FIFTH, TWENTY TWENTY-ONE AND HERE’S THE TOP FIVE STORIES IN VEE-A THIS WEEK.   THE ASK VA ONLINE QUESTION PORTAL, LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER, WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE THE VETERAN COMMUNITY WITH AN EASIER, FASTER AND MORE CONVENIENT WAY TO GET THEIR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. IT REPLACES VA’S OUTDATED INQUIRY ROUTING & INFORMATION SYSTEM, OR IRIS, AND THE GI BILL HELP PORTAL. ANYONE CAN SUBMIT A QUESTION ON ASK VA AT ANY TIME. AFTER A QUESTION OR COMMENT IS SUBMITTED, ASK VA ROUTES IT TO THE BEST SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT TO RESPOND. LEARN MORE AT THE ASK VA WEBSITE.   FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY 100 YEARS, AND AS PART OF THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER CENTENNIAL COMMEMORATION, THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO WALK ON THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER PLAZA AND LAY FLOWERS IN FRONT OF THE TOMB ON NOVEMBER NINTH AND TENTH, 2021. THE FLOWER CEREMONY WILL START AT 8 A.M. NOVEMBER NINTH WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE CROW NATION PLACING FLOWERS AT THE TOMB. YOU CAN WATCH THE LIVE STREAM OF THE VETERANS DAY CEREMONY AT 11 A.M. NOVEMBER ELEVENTH ON VA’S FACEBOOK PAGE. HEART FAILURE AFFECTS AROUND 6.2 MILLION ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES AND IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF HOSPITALIZATIONS NATIONWIDE. VA CARES FOR VETERANS WITH HEART FAILURE THROUGH EFFORTS SUCH AS SPECIALIZED HEART FAILURE CLINICS, PHARMACISTS, AND THE REMOTE PATIENT MONITORING – HOME TELEHEALTH PROGRAM. VETERANS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM RECEIVE REMOTE MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES TO TRACK THEIR WEIGHT, BLOOD PRESSURE AND HEART RATE DAILY. CARE COORDINATORS CALL THE VETERANS WHEN THESE VITALS GO OUTSIDE OF SPECIFIED PARAMETERS.   WITH THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS ESTIMATING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OCCUPATIONS WILL INCREASE BY THIRTEEN PERCENT OVER THE NEXT DECADE, THE VETERAN EMPLOYMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM, OR VET TEC, PAVES THE WAY FOR VET TEC STUDENT VETERANS TO JOIN THIS GROWING INDUSTRY. VETERANS WITH AT LEAST ONE DAY OF REMAINING GI BILL ENTITLEMENT ARE ELIGIBLE TO ENROLL IN THE VET TEC PROGRAM AND GAIN HIGH-TECH SKILLS WITHIN A MATTER OF MONTHS. VET TEC GRADUATES TYPICALLY FIND EMPLOYMENT IN SIXTY-SEVEN DAYS AFTER GRADUATION WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY ABOVE FIFTY-NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS. IF THERE IS ANYONE WHO KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WARRIOR, IT IS AIR FORCE VETERAN D.J. EAGLE BEAR VANAS. HE TRAVELS AROUND THE COUNTRY SPEAKING AT CONVENTIONS PACKED WITH AUDIENCE MEMBERS, GIVING MOTIVATIONAL PRESENTATIONS THAT TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO FIND THEIR UNIQUE WARRIOR SPIRIT. THIS EPISODE OF BORNE THE BATTLE OFFERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR HIM DESCRIBE WHAT EXACTLY IT MEANS TO EMBODY THE WARRIOR SPIRIT. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE STORIES AND READ MORE AT BLOGS DOT VEE-A DOT GOV.