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Medical

The Wild Weasel Society is a member in good standing (through Quack Bear) of the River Rats Medical Issues (AMIC) board and we have supported their efforts in conducting a RRVA-wide Pilot Cancer Survey in Fall 2019. The society has recently stepped up it’s role in advocating Congress for additonal legislation to track down on the potential cause(s) of the increased cancer rate in military aviators.  We are committed to getting this capability for our members.  We are now part of the MACH coalition, a group of nine aviation organizations.  (Please check their Facebook page at this link: MACH)

What you can do right now:

MACH Coalition – we need your help today. We made progress with our engagement with the DAMA Senior Professional Staffer.  Now we are asking you to send 8 emails. 

This is our next move, the tool we need for ACES Act advocacy to lawmakers and staffers. The attachment (see more below) tells a straightforward story: Why the ACES Act? And, how the ACES Act and the PACT Act are *different* things. Below, we have provided the names and email addresses for the legislative aides of the Representatives who work on the House Disability Affairs & Mortuary Assistance (DAMA) subcommittee of the House Veterans Affairs Committee(HVAC).

You will see we are asking you to send an attachment and not a full email.  Why a 1 page attachment and not just an email with 1 or 2 sentences? The arguments developed against H.R. 530 ACES Act are so elaborate, the only way to beat those arguments is with our 1-page paper. Next, if lawmakers never see our 1-pager, “Case For ACES Act”.pdf, they will rely on the second-hand opinions of others. When we succeed in getting out of the DAMA, we will repeat this advocacy tactic at the HVAC level. 

Here is how you can help.

  1. Start by clicking on one of the email addresses (in blue) below. This should pull up an email pre-loaded with the subject line “The Case For H.R. 530-The ACES Act.” If both of these things don’t happen automatically upon click, simply open an email to compose, copy the email address and type the subject line “The Case for H.R. 530 – The ACES Act.”
  2. In the body of the email, simply type your name or:  “I am writing to respectfully ask you to support H.R. 530, the Aviation Cancer Examination Study Act. Please see the attached Case for ACES Act.” Sincerely, (Your Name). Any other identifiers, such as organizations you represent or relationship with cancer and aviation are at your discretion.
  3. Attach the document “Case for ACES Act” which can be downloaded HERE or by right clicking on it and saving to your desktop.
  4. Send email.
  5. Repeat steps 1 – 4 with each of the email addresses listed.

Thank you for your help!

 – DAMA Chairman Congressman Morgan Luttrell: Leg. Aide Charles Truxal  charlie.truxal@mail.house.gov

– Ranking Member Congressman Morgan McGarvey: Leg. Aide Trevor O’Connor
Supports the ACES Act, no email is necessary

– Congresswoman Amata Radewagen: Leg. Aide Jared Christel
jared.christel@mail.house.gov

– Congressman Jack Bergman: Leg. Aide Benjamin Monticello
ben.monticello@mail.house.gov

– Congresswoman Nancy Mace: Leg. Aide Jonathan Maslyn
jon.maslyn@mail.house.gov

– Congressman Keith Self: Leg. Aide Brad Decker
 brad.decker@mail.house.gov

– Congressman Chris Pappas: Leg. Aide Jacob Friedman
jake.friedman@mail.house.gov

– Congresswoman Maxine Dexter; No Leg Aide, send to Legislative Director Grace Banfield
grace.banfield@mail.house.gov

–  Congresswoman Kelly Morrison: Leg. Aide Griffin Wong
griffin.wong@mail.house.gov

MACH Links

Facebook

How to Invite Friends to the Facebook Page (Click Here)

Instagram

How to Share Instagram Posts (Click Here)

LinkedIn

YouTube

By Request: Google Drive  *  MACH Contacts (Please Add Yourself)  *  Coalitions, Endorsers, & Allies  *  Monthly Zoom


Constitutional Link to the cancer study in Congress – H.R.7524 – 117th Congress (2021 – 2022): ACES Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Article on the Cancer Bill – Aviator Cancer Bill Would Push VA to Study toxins Air Crews Faced, Assess Limks to Cancer – Defense One

Conducting the first-ever online survey of the matter of musculo-skeletal injuries to aircrews of high-G military fighter/attack aircraft. The RRVA AMIC coined the term, “High-G Repetitive Strain Injury (High-G RSI)” for the basket of associated spinal injuries that are linked to years of high-G flying. In 2022, the AMIC reported the results of its CY2021 High-G RSI Survey, identifying significant long-term spinal injuries in former military aviators who flew high-performance jets.
 
The AMIC continues its 5-year Cancer Campaign, leading the public discussion of aviator cancers, advocating for RRVA aviator cancer proposals to federal lawmakers, and rolling out an expanded online web presence at the RRVA homepage.

PACT Act

The Promise To Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act is a comprehensive look at supporting Veterans from Vietnam through Iraq and Afghanistan . BLUF: the PACT Act may well apply to you, now that it has been signed into law and we recommend reading up on it in the links below.

http://www.va.gov/PACT

A comprehensive page the VA has put together to address the PACT Act, and what it means to Veterans and their survivors as well as filing.

H. Rept. 117-249 – HONORING OUR PROMISE TO ADDRESS COMPREHENSIVE TOXICS ACT OF 2021 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

What is the PACT Act? 

  • Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
  • Adds more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits and other toxic exposures
  • Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
  • Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
  • Helps us improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures

If you’re a Veteran or survivor, you can file claims now to apply for PACT Act-related benefits.

What if you submitted a claim for service connection and a disability award and it was previously denied? Resubmit. ASAP. How do you do that? It’s called a Supplemental Claim and you can locate it at this link: https://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-20-0995-ARE.pdf 

Info on Supplemental Claims and submission instructions are found on the 20-0995 form and again, at www.va.gov/PACT

Reach out to Quack Bear our resident expert as a Doctor on VA Claims

To reach out to Quack Bear, use: wildweaselreports@gmail.com

Notes and Tips with the VA

Here is the link to notes and tips from our VA expert. If you have questions we will contact her through WildWeaselReports@gmail.com

How To Apply For VA Health Care | Veterans Affairs

About VA Health Benefits | Veterans Affairs

VA benefits article for Wild Weasels from Phyllis Farrell

 

River Rats Medical Page (available to non-members)

MEDICAL – Red River Valley Fighter Pilot Association (river-rats.org)

A Lesson In Using the PACT ACT by a Weasel Cancer Survivor

PACT Act Process

Questions go to:

wildweaselreports@gmail.com

Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH)

The Military Aviator Coalition for Health (MACH Coalition) presents Issues and Talking Points for our Congressional Cancer Engagement Plan.

Mach Coalition Strategy | Let’s Talk Aviation Cancers | Case For ACES Act 


AMIC Initiatives

The Wild Weasel Society is a member in good standing (through Quack Bear) of the River Rats Medical Issues (AMIC) board and we have supported their efforts in conducting a RRVA-wide Pilot Cancer Survey in Fall 2019.

Constitutional Link to the cancer study bill in Congress – H.R.7524 – 117th Congress (2021-2022): ACES Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Article on the Cancer Bill – Aviator Cancer Bill Would Push VA to Study Toxins Air Crews Faced, Assess Links to Cancers – Defense One

Reach out to a Cancer Survivor

We have a list of various cancer survivors that can be a real help to you. Please reach out through WildWeaselReports@gmail.com and we will try and match you with a friend.