Mount Rainier National Park - Looking east on any clear Washington day from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Mount Rainier dominates the horizon.

The mountain's snow cap and jagged peaks, often enveloped in clouds, make it an imposing part of the landscape that some see as symbolic of triumph arising out of struggle.

War veterans might have a special connection to the mountain and its poetic symbolism; wounded warriors, an even stronger bond.

Camp Patriot recognized that connection in 2007, between Rainier and combat veterans who honored the nation's values by fighting for them overseas under the most trying circumstances. They welcome the challenge to overcome the odds, to prove the skeptics wrong, and to prove to themselves they still have what it takes to make it to the top of the world.

Camp Patriot is a nonprofit organization with the mission to give something back to those servicemembers who have paid for Americans' freedoms with pain and sacrifice. The camp provides veterans therapy via outdoor recreation, including fishing trips, big-game hunting, 500-mile motorcycle rides and mountain climbing excursions. Its vision is to facilitate the transition from veterans' past to their futures and expand their views of life.

Four years ago Camp Patriot sponsored the first of what has become an annual climb to Mount Rainier's 14,411-foot summit. Only 50 percent of all who attempt the climb reach the summit, laying the groundwork of the challenge for wounded warriors.

On July 9, a team of wounded warriors, Sgt. Derrick Ford, medically retired Staff Sgt. Eric Cowin and retired Master Sgt. Gil "Mag" Magallanes Jr., joined Camp Patriot to meet the challenge at the foot of Mount Rainier.

"It's critical in their rehabilitation," said Micah Clark, founder and executive director of Camp Patriot. "The idea is to stretch the imagination, to get them out there, and create that hope and light at the end of the tunnel."

Reality shifts

Eric Cowin's uphill climb began on a 130-degree day in Baghdad, June 9, 2009, with 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. Fifty meters from the convoy's mission completion that day, Cowin's vehicle was attacked with an explosively formed penetrator.

"I couldn't feel my legs," he said. "I couldn't feel my whole body."

Cowin's left leg was severely injured in the blast. Remaining calm and in charge despite extraordinary pain, he took control of the situation and got his Soldiers back to base.

"I knew what was going on," he said. "It was my second deployment."

Cowin's left foot was amputated on June 17, 2009.

Derrick Ford's journey began two months later on Aug. 14, 2009, in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. His platoon in 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, was conducting route reconnaissance when his Stryker armored fighting vehicle rolled over a pressure-plate IED.

"I only recall dust being thrown everywhere and an incredible pain in my feet," Ford said.

Before he received medical attention, Ford crawled out of the top of his Stryker and attempted to secure the convoy.

Spending the next 14 months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in rehabilitation, Ford worked to save his leg. A newlywed who got married prior to the deployment, and his wife, Michelle, was expecting twins.

"After my kids were born, it was kind of a reality check," Ford said. "I just decided, cut the leg off, I'm walking before my kids do."

Ford's left leg was amputated on Oct. 9, 2009.

"I have made it my mission since I have started walking again that I would make the most of my life and everything I can to prove to myself that I am not disabled, but only wounded," he said. "I hope this climb up Mount Rainier will be another step I take of a long line of adventures in my life."

Gil "Mag" Magallanes Jr. served 21 years on active duty as a Green Beret in the Special Forces. He was guarding the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, when he was injured by friendly fire after a 2000-pound bomb was dropped on his team's position.

Magallanes suffered multiple injuries, including traumatic brain injury. After intensive therapy and hard work, he is once again competing in triathlons and exploring the great outdoors.

Battle-tested, the three teamed up with Micah Clark and Camp Patriot for the challenge of climbing Mount Rainier.

"At first it was just kind of a bucket list thing," Ford said. "I've been through airborne school, jumped out of perfectly good airplanes, dove at Guantanamo Bay. The next thing was to climb a mountain."

Step by step

The adventure began in Ashford, Wash., where team members prepared for the climb early the following morning. A support team, all members of the Special Forces community led by Staff Sgt. Edward Grondin, 1st Special Forces Group, hauled gear and supplies up the mountain.

Grondin, in his fourth year supporting the climb, not only donates his labor, but also the proceeds of his custom woodworking company to further support this mission of outdoor recreational therapy.

"I have very rarely met an organization run by people who genuinely put their entire self into it," Grondin said. "If I'm able to be here, I'll be here every year."

The group arose the next morning to sun and blue sky to begin the 4.5-mile hike up the Muir Snowfield to Camp Muir on the Cowlitz Glacier at 10,080 feet, carrying rucksacks that averaged 75-pounds up the slopes.

They navigated over snow, rocks, ice and through clouds. After nearly seven hours of climbing, the teams made it to Camp Muir, where they set up camp.

The next day was focused on summit training: four-person rope teams simulated falling down slopes and anchoring themselves to the edges of ridges. They strapped on rope harnesses, wielded ice axes, and traversing the near slopes, practicing scaling and descending.

Clouds had arrived to diminish visibility by the afternoon, and the teams went to sleep early without knowing if the weather would allow them to summit the most heavily glaciated peak in the United States.

By the evening, the weather cleared to allow the 11 p.m. push to the top. As they began, temperatures dropped to below freezing and the winds picked up. The only sounds the climbers heard over the wind was the ice axes hacking into the frozen ground.

They moved steadily upward, with the sun finally rising to reveal a whole new world above the clouds. After nearly eight hours of continuous effort, the Camp Patriot party reached the summit.

"Who needs two legs?" Ford shouted as he stepped onto the summit. "My injury doesn't stop me at all."

Ford and Cowin grabbed the Camp Patriot flag and raised it above the clouds.

New adventures

"Every day's a challenge," Cowin said. "I was happy I finally made it."

Magallanes successfully climbed to about 13,000 feet before traversing back down to Camp Muir.

Camp Patriot founder Micah Clark once again achieved his goal to create positive, life changing outdoor experiences for veterans.

"It's inspirational on so many levels," Grondin said. "It inspires me to go back to my day-to-day life and appreciate the things I do have and to continue to push myself in my own personal life."

Camp Patriot is open to military veterans from all wars and generations.

"We show them that we love them and that we're patriotic Americans," Clark said.

Cowin, Ford, and Magallanes said more adventures will follow.

Cowin plans to move to Puerto Rico to get his dive instructor certification. Ford looks forward to more scuba diving, and Magallanes finished his first 70.3-mile triathlon in 2010 and cycles as part of his therapy.

(The News Tribune)-- The oldest of Washington's three state veterans homes was built 120 years ago in the Puyallup Valley to serve former Union soldiers.

Today, many occupants of the Washington Soldiers Home and Colony near Orting are in their mid-70s or older, veterans of Korea and World War II.

As thousands of service members return from Iraq and Afghanistan, the state is making plans to expand the home to better meet their needs. No veterans of those two wars live there now.

State leaders envision new programs at the sprawling 181-acre campus, including therapy and housing for younger veterans dealing with traumatic brain injury, known as TBI.

The changes have some residents of the East Pierce County home concerned about what will happen to them.

"Right now, everything is up in the air," said Gary Smith, 55, an Army veteran and president of the resident council. "They've got a lot of guys worried."

State officials say they don't need to be.

Two programs at the home will be phased out, but participants either will move into a remaining program or be placed elsewhere, they said.

"We are compelled because of the war, which is now 10 years old, to make sure we position ourselves to take care of veterans now and into the future," said John Lee, director of the state Department of Veterans Affairs. "The Soldiers Home campus is going to play a significant role in the state's response to what happens when the war is over."

To read the complete story, click here.

(Army Times)-- Congress has passed emergency legislation to prevent thousands of Post-9/11 GI Bill students from a drop in tuition payments next week when new policies will simplify the popular education program.

President Obama is expected to sign the bill, and Veterans Affairs Department officials are trying to work out a way to apply the change to the GI Bill without delaying processing of claims for the fall term. Most Post-9/11 GI Bill claims are supposed to be calculated and paid using a new, fully automated system, but passage of the new tuition rate protection will require some claims to be processed by hand.

The House passed the bill on Tuesday by a 422-0 vote. The Senate had approved the measure by voice vote on July 21, so it now heads to the White House. It is not clear whether Obama will receive the bill in time for it to be signed by Aug. 1, when the GI Bill changes are to take effect, but the tuition fix will be effective Aug. 1 even if it is signed into law after that date.

The bill, HR 1383, protects about 30,000 students in seven states - Arizona, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas - from the effects of a new nationwide tuition and fee cap of $17,500 that could leave some students paying thousands of dollars out-of-pocket to remain in school.

To read the entire story, click here.

A sweeping new plan to overhaul the Pentagon's retirement system would give some benefits to all troops and phase out the 20-year cliff vesting system that has defined military careers for generations.

In a massive change that could affect today's troops, the plan calls for a corporate-style benefits program that would contribute money to troops' retirement savings account rather than the promise of a future monthly pension, according to a new proposal from an influential Pentagon advisory board.

All troops would receive the yearly retirement contributions, regardless of whether they stay for 20 years. Those contributions might amount to about 16.5 percent of a member's annual pay and would be deposited into a mandatory version of the Thrift Savings Plan, the military's existing 401(k)-style account that now does not include government matching contributions.

A critical new feature would adjust those contributions to give more money to troops who deploy frequently, accept hardship assignments or serve in high-demand jobs. It would also give the services a new lever to incentivize some troops to leave or stay on active duty longer.

To read the complete story, click here.

(USA Today)-- More than 10,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are homeless or in programs aimed at keeping them off the streets, a number that has doubled three times since 2006, according to figures released by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The rise comes at a time when the total number of homeless veterans has declined from a peak of about 400,000 in 2004 to 135,000 today.

"We're seeing more and more (Iraq and Afghanistan veterans)," says Richard Thomas, a Volunteers of America case manager at a shelter in Los Angeles. "It's just a bad time for them to return now and get out of the military."

The VA blames the rise on a poor economy and the nature of the current wars, where a limited number of troops serve multiple deployments.

The result is a group of homeless veterans where 70 percent have a history of combat exposure with its psychological effects, says Pete Dougherty, a senior policy adviser on homelessness at the VA.

Among all homeless veterans, perhaps 20 percent to 33 percent were in combat, he says.

LaShonna Perry, a former Army mechanic who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was homeless for more than year after leaving the military. She rented an apartment last year with a federal voucher.

"Some soldiers still have issues they're dealing with from what they've seen, what they've experienced," she says. "Some think, ‘There's nothing wrong with me.' They can deal with it on their own. Until it gets out of control."

To read the complete story, click here.

WASHINGTON - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the launch of free, drop-in childcare service centers at three VA medical centers to an audience of more than 700 participants attending the Fifth National Summit on Women Veterans' Issues July 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. 

"We know that many Veterans, particularly women Veterans, are the primary care takers of young children," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We want these Veterans to have the opportunity to access the high-quality health care that VA offers, and we believe that these childcare centers will make it easier for Veteran caregivers to visit VA."

The pilot centers are part of VA's continuing effort to improve access to health care for eligible Veterans, particularly the growing number of women Veterans. Congress established this childcare initiative as part of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 which was signed by the President in May 2010.  The three sites and childcare details include:

• Northport, NY: 30 child capacity, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 12 years
• Tacoma, WA (American Lake VA): Varying capacity, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 10 years
• Buffalo, NY: 6 to 10 child capacity, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 12 years

All the pilot childcare centers will be operated onsite by licensed childcare providers. Drop-in services are offered free to Veterans who are eligible for VA care and visiting a facility for an appointment. 

In a survey, VA found that nearly a third of Veterans were interested in childcare services and more than 10 percent had to cancel or reschedule VA appointments due to lack of childcare.          

This pilot program will benefit both men and women Veterans.  Development of the pilot program was facilitated by the Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group, which strives to make positive changes in the provision of care for all women Veterans. 

"While the number of women Veterans continues to grow, they use VA for health care proportionately less than male Veterans," said Patricia Hayes, Chief Consultant of the VA's Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. "We hope that by offering safe, secure childcare while the Veteran attends a doctor's appointment or therapy session, we will enable more women Veterans to take advantage of the VA benefits to which they are entitled."

Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran population. Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services. 

VA estimates women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the Veteran population by 2020 and 9.5 percent of VA patients.

RecruitMilitary, a military-to-civilian recruiting firm, will present a free civilian employment, business-opportunity, and education event for job seekers who have military backgrounds at Hotel Murano in Tacoma on Thursday, May 5.

U.S. Bank will sponsor the event. RecruitMilitary is inviting veterans who already have civilian work experience, men and women who are transitioning from active duty to civilian life, members of the National Guard and reserves, military spouses, and other military family members. The event, called the RecruitMilitary Veteran Opportunity Expo, will take place from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

RecruitMilitary and U.S. Bank expect more than 35 employers, franchisors, and educational institutions to reserve exhibitor booths at the Expo. Already signed up are Argosy University, the Army National Guard, Army ROTC-Pacific Lutheran University, AutoNation, CruiseOne/Cruises Inc., DeVry University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, First Command Financial Planning, G4S Secure Solutions (USA), General Dynamics Information Technology, Grand Canyon University, ICDC College, ITTTechnical Institute, Kaplan University, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Military Sealift Command, MultiCare Health System, the National Veterans Employment Program (NVEP) of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, New York Life, Northrop Grumman, Schnitzer Steel, The Art Institutes, The Home Depot, 20/20 Companies,USAA, VA Puget Sound Health Care Systems, Verizon Wireless, the Washington Army National Guard, Waste Management Inc., and Zones.

RecruitMilitary (http://www.recruitmilitary.com) will produce the Expo in cooperation with The American Legion (http://www.legion.org), an association of veterans who served during times of war. The Legion has about 2.4 million members in 14,000 posts throughout the world. Congress chartered and incorporated the association in 1919.

This from The News Tribune: Washington lawmakers want to make it easier for veterans to apply their military training to civilian careers. They're advancing bills in the state House and Senate that would require state agencies to evaluate whether military experience can be applied to a variety of professional licenses ranging from nursing to cosmetology.

Some licenses require hundreds of hours of training and work under supervision - experience that the bills' supports say veterans already have.

"This is fair and right to the person who served, and it's a smart deal for taxpayers not having to spend money or time training people for things they already know," said Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor.

Veterans say the changes are overdue, particularly for high-demand careers such as nursing.

"This is in a field where every time you turn around you hear they're crying for nurses, but here they've got this crop of people they're not going to help get certified," said Mike Dalzell, 59, of Bremerton.

Dalzell retired from the Navy in 2003 as a master chief hospital corpsman with a 31-year career behind him. He couldn't find civilian employment without returning to school that would have compelled him to take basic classes.

To read the entire story, click here.

This from Air Force Times: Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, an 86-year-old veteran of World War II, appears to have lost his seat as chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Senate Democrats are expected to vote this week to give the veterans committee post to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

Akaka will become chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, according Senate and outside sources.

"This is not much of a secret," said a consultant who works with many veterans groups. "Akaka's staff was told about this some time ago."

Age appears to be a factor in the decision to replace Akaka with Murray, a 60-year-old four-term senator who is part of the Democratic leadership and a member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.

Murray was the first woman appointed to the veterans' committee when she was seated on the panel in 1995, which means she also will be its first chairwoman.

The House Veterans' Affairs Committee was headed by a woman, Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers, R-Maine, twice, in 1947-48 and again in 1953-54.

Murray has actively pushed for many improvements in veterans' benefits, including employment help, better health care for women and more money for treating war-related injuries, particularly traumatic brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

An Akaka spokesman said there would be no comment from Akaka's office until the Senate approves the new organization.

But one aide called it "certainly a depressing situation."

Murray's office also declined to comment until the Senate finishes committee assignments and makes a formal announcement.

Akaka, a native Hawaiian who witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, went on to serve in the Army Corps of Engineers at the end of the war. He often talks of how the World War II GI Bill helped pay for his college education.

Murray never served in the military, but her father was a disabled World War II veteran. "I know firsthand about the service and sacrifices of our veterans and their families," she said last summer as she was seeking re-election to a fourth term in the Senate.

Murray will not be the first nonveteran to head the panel. The four chairmen who proceeded Akaka - Sens. Larry Craig, R-Idaho; Arlen Spector, R-Pa., John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va.; and Alan Simpson, R-Wyo. - never served in the military.

The current House Veterans' Affairs Committee chairman, Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., is a nonveteran, as is his immediate predecessor, Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif.