Is this any way to treat our heroes

The following post by Joan E Dowlin at Huffington Post does not mention that this hero should be receiving treatment for his PTSD under the Defense Base Act.
A close family friend’s son recently returned from Afghanistan where he had been working as a government contractor for the US war there. He is a Veteran [...]

Labor Dept., Congress Plan Improvements to System to Care for Injured War Contractors

by T. Christian Miller, ProPublica – October 13, 2009 10:15 am EDT
The Labor Department has launched a series of changes to improve the controversial federal system designed to provide medical care and disability benefits to civilian contractors injured in war zones, department officials say.
The agency has stepped up enforcement, set new [...]

Partner of Scot killed in Iraq gives birth on day tragic fiance was due to return home

Oct 14 2009 Cordelia O’Neill
THE fiancee of a Scots security guard shot dead in Baghdad gave birth to their first child on the day he was due home.
Nicci Prestage told yesterday of her joy and sadness after having their baby girl four weeks early.
The youngster’s dad Paul McGuigan, 37, was a former Royal Marine working as [...]

Civilian Contractors Toll in Iraq and Afghanistan Ignored by Defense Department

Civilian Contractor Toll in Iraq and Afghanistan Ignored by Defense Dept.
by T. Christian Miller, ProPublica – October 9, 2009
An Afghan policeman walks past a vehicle that had carried U.S. civilian contractors, after it was targeted by a suicide bomber in the Logar province. (Farzana Wahidy/AFP/Getty Images/January 2007 file photo)
As the war in Afghanistan entered its [...]

US Senator Byron Dorgan Receives Response from DoD IG

Thank you Senator Dorgan for your efforts to expose these issues.
Many Civilian Contractors working in the war zones are suffering from the same toxic exposures as the soldiers.
INSPECTOR GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE ARMY’S RESPONSE TO EXPOSURE
OF U.S. TROOPS TO DEADLY CHEMICAL IN IRAQ
By
U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan
Chairman, Senate Democratic Policy Committee
There’s an important development regarding the [...]

DOD INSPECTOR GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE ARMY’S RESPONSE TO EXPOSURE OF U.S. TROOPS TO DEADLY CHEMICAL IN IRAQ

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE            FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Wednesday                            DORGAN: Barry Piatt – 202-224-0577
September 30, 2009
DOD INSPECTOR GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE ARMY’S RESPONSE TO EXPOSURE OF U.S. TROOPS TO DEADLY CHEMICAL IN IRAQ
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — The Defense Department’s Inspector General (IG) will investigate the U.S. Army’s response to the 2003 [...]

Longshore/DBA Conference Speakers Overwhelmingly Work for the Defense

The overwhelming  majority of these speakers work for the insurance companies.
It is their business if they choose to hold conferences which are biased toward their interests.
But is it the place for an ALJ who works for the Department of Labor, a public servant,  to be?
Here is the line up.  Make up your own mind.
Craig A. [...]

Contractors in Iraq are Hidden Casualties of War

by T Christian Miller
In April 2004, Reggie Lane was driving a fuel truck in Iraq for a defense contractor when insurgents attacked his convoy with rocket-propelled grenades, causing him numerous injuries. For most of the five years since, Lane, now 60, has spent his days in silence, cared for at the Country [...]

Defense Longshore/DBA Conferences, not all bad

Before we get on with introducing the line up of speakers for the Defense Longshore/DBA Conference this week we wanted to point out one name which you will see listed at nearly every conference.
Joshua Gillelan who owns the Longshore Claimants’ National Law Center — Washington D.C.   The name speaks for itself.
Mr. Gillelan spent many [...]

Senate Bill would protect contractor whistleblowers

By Robert Brodsky rbrodsky@govexec.com
The head of the Senate contracting oversight subcommittee introduced legislation on Thursday that would provide whistleblower rights to employees of companies receiving government contracts.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., sponsored the legislation (S. 1745) that would also apply to employees of state and local governments, nonprofits, and other companies receiving grants or other federal [...]