FederalDaily - November 5, 2007
‘Recovery Coordinators’ to Serve Wounded Vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and DoD last week signed an agreement to provide “federal
recovery coordinators” to make sure medical services and benefits are provided to seriously wounded,
injured and ill servicemembers and vets. The first coordinators, located at top military treatment
facilities throughout the country, will coordinate services between the two departments—and with
private-sector facilities when necessary. VA said the new coordinators will serve as “the ultimate
resource” for families with questions or concerns about VA, DoD or other federal benefits. Job
listings for the new positions have been posted at www.va.gov/JOBS/Fed_Recover_Coord.asp.
The first 10 recovery coordinators are slated to be hired by Dec. 1, and put in place at four major
military health care facilities in January 2008. For more information, go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1407
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AFGE Testifies on Plight of TSOs
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) President John Gage on Nov. 1 told members of a
House Homeland Security subcommittee that lack of proper training and understaffing hinders the ability
of Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to perform their duties at the nation’s airports.
Gage said the Transportation Security Administration “has made many critical decisions that have
created or exacerbated obstacles to the ability of TSOs to carry out their duties, including the availability
and quality of training.” Gage said TSOs complain of understaffing at airports, along with often
irrelevant, and low-quality, training. Gage also faulted TSA’s “failure to fully invest
in new technology.” For more, go to: http://homeland.house.gov/hearings/index.asp?ID=101.
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Report Renews Call for Improvements At State Department IG Office
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a new report calling on the State Department’s
Inspector General (IG) office to implement long-delayed improvements. Last March, GAO criticized the
effectiveness and reliability of the State IG office, recommending several changes. Specifically, the
report found that the IG office lacked adequate independence from the agency it was meant to police,
and said the IG must enhance its autonomy. The March report’s recommendations included that State
IG desist from using management personnel to serve in an acting IG capacity, ensure that State IG inspections
are not led by Foreign Service officials and separate the office’s role from that of the State
Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS). The State IG agreed in the wake of the report
to develop a clear agreement with DS on how to conduct investigations. But it rejected many of the
other suggestions in the GAO report. The new report notes the IG’s slow progress, and reiterates
GAO’s call for implementing all of the recommendations. “The State IG disagreed with our
recommendations,” the new GAO report said. “Consequently, we reaffirmed our recommendations.” For
more, go to: www.gao.gov/highlights/d08135thigh.pdf.
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