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Never Forget

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Dan

A Narrative

Yesterday I had the honor of joining thousands of fellow veterans in our nations capital to honor our fallen brothers and sisters, not just from the wars from after 9/11, but those from Vietnam, WWII, and other conflicts.  The mood was humbling and somber, yet joyous.  We weren’t there to mourn but rather to celebrate the lives of these brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the freedoms of this country.

A journalist from NBC asked me, “What is it like to be surrounded by so many other vets from different conflicts?” This question seems simple for civilians to ask yet when I stood there in front of the camera I was at a loss for words.  I knew that he meant the veterans walking around giving each other hugs and welcoming each other home but for me it was about the sacred ground that millions of Americans walk on each year. The memorials, the statues and the monuments that stand tall and proud are what impacted me the most.  After a long pause, I looked up at the camera and said, “Sir, today, where we are, is the most humbling experience of my life.” I had traveled to the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial to read the name of my best friend who lost his life in Iraq.  I was there to honor my brothers and sisters in arms, with all the dignity and respect that my body, values, and morals commanded.  Memorial Day is not about barbeques or drinking with friends – yes that’s a part of it – but the underlying message behind it should be to honor those brave men and women.

As the morning progressed I found myself looking around and trying not to focus on reading my friends name because each time I thought about it I was getting choked up.  However, every time I fought that feeling I felt empty again. I couldn’t suppress the despair that had long built inside of me and, likely, every veteran.  I remembered the words from a friend of mine, “This experience [reading names] is not closure but it is a way to honor the life of your friend.”  My friend was right!

As the ceremony began many distinguished people spoke including Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. A Gold Star Mother gave a somber speech telling us the story of her son, an Army Ranger, who was one of the first two casualties from Afghanistan. Even though this event took place thirteen years ago she spoke with such emotion that it was an honor to hear her. Listening gave me a strength I didn’t know I had. For the rest of the day I focused on two things: reading as many names as I could and advocating on behalf of Dog Tag Development.

I read 75 names at different points between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and as I read each name I felt the warmth of their spirits giving me renewed strength.

My second mission was to push the mission of Dog Tag Development, Inc.  I was able to speak with GEN (Ret.) David Patraeus, who awarded me my Purple Heart as well as Australian Air Commodore Gary Martin about the importance of getting all veterans back to work! They echoed our vision in our conversations and commended us for the work we are doing.  Our passion for helping veterans is another way to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.  I know that if my friend was here today he would look up to us for devoting our lives to making the world a better place through education for veterans.

As the day started to wind down and veterans came and went, it was surreal and humbling.  Each of us faces struggles, challenges, opportunities, and difficulties, yet we adapt and overcome.  Just as we have lived through the perils of war, combat, and death, we can overcome the high rate of veteran’s unemployment.  Dog Tag Development is fully dedicated to providing all veterans the opportunity to receive a meaningful software development education. We may not be able to change the world, but we will impact the lives of those who chose to join our mission. 

So, this Memorial Day, take a moment of silence to honor those who have paid the ultimate price.  I will never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom.

 

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VA Undersecretary Resigns

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The scandal with wait times at VA hospitals around the country has prompted Dr. Robert Petzel, the undersecretary of health in the Department of Veterans Affairs, to resign today.  Yes, he sat next to Eric Shinseki yesterday as they were questioned by congress, but Sec. Shinseki accepted his resignation today.  Dr. Petzel was scheduled to retire sometime this year, the VA said in 2013.

VA Robert Petzel

Photo courtesy of: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Secretary Eric Shinseki released a brief statement today, “As we know from the veteran community, most veterans are satisfied with the quality of their VA health care, but we must do more to improve timely access to that care,” Shinseki said. “I am committed to strengthening veterans’ trust and confidence in their VA healthcare system.”

Please let us know what you think in the comment section below and if you like this post, click the share button.

 

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Placing Vets Among the Best with C#

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Dog Tag Development, Inc. is dedicated to our mission to increase the number of veterans employed in the information technology community by providing software development education. This is why one of the main components of the course we are designing will include C#, pronounced C-sharp.

C# is a hybrid of C and C++, and was developed as a Microsoft programming language in order to compete with Sun’s Java language.  It is an object-oriented programming language that is based on C++ with elements from Visual Basic and Java. Like Java, C# provides automatic garbage collection, whereas traditional C and C++ do not. C# was created by Microsoft and also standardized by the European Computer Manufacturers Association (ECMA). Microsoft designed C# as its flagship programming language for the .NET environment.

Our programmers at Dog Tag Development, Inc. feel that teaching today’s highly  skilled vets will give them the necessary technological, edge to be highly competitive in the Information Technology scene.

Many of you may be asking, just as I was, what would this code even look like? Here is an example from Microsoft’s open source library.

// A Hello World! program in C#. 
using System;
namespace HelloWorld
{
    class Hello 
    {
        static void Main() 
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Hello World!");

            // Keep the console window open in debug mode.
            Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit.");
            Console.ReadKey();
        }
    }
}

To me this is a total foreign language, but our programmers are phenomenal at what they do.  The team here at Dog Tag Development combined with the values and skills that veterans bring to the table, will prove to be an invaluable asset to the growing, demanding, and fast-paced Information Technology driven world we live in today.

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“Responsible and Timely Action…”

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…is what Secretary Shinseki pledged during his testimony to Congress yesterday when speaking of the action that will take place based in reference to allegations that dozens of veterans died because of inadequate treatment at a Phoenix, Ariz. VA medical facility.  Tom Tarantino, the Chief Policy Officer for the IAVA, said ‘Veterans expect action to correct the problems to be “taken in weeks, not months” and urged completely independent investigations of the scheduling and health care claims independent of the VA,’ the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday. 

“Responsible and Timely” needs to follow in line with the Mr. Tarantino’s statement; all veterans deserve this.  We have put our lives on the line and deserve quality healthcare, free of fraud, waste, and abuse.

Shinseki was given three weeks to have a report on the investigation into these allegations.  I think it’s important to note that Secretary Shinseki “resisted calls from a Democratic senator to bring in the Justice Department and FBI for a criminal investigation. Shinseki said he first wanted to see results of the audit and a report on the VA inspector general’s office on its investigation of the Phoenix hospital. ”

It is understandable that he wanted to launch his own audit but find it notable that he denied extra assistance from an unbiased and competent party. Forty veterans may be dead because of the “secret lists” and Congress should be the deciding body for who helps and who does not.

I’m “mad as hell” just as Secretary Shinseki is! He has every right to be.  I commend Dr. Sam Foote for coming forward about the two lists at the Phoenix VA, yet I wonder how long he knew it was going on? How deep does this rabbit hole go?  In thee weeks we should know more.

Dog Tag Development, Inc. would like to thank the IAVA and POGO for partnering together to create the online Whistleblower Project meant to expose widespread problems plaguing the Veterans Administration health care system, anonymously. Our organization would like to encourage people with knowledge of these malpractices to use the secure, online form to help end these atrocities.

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New Generation of Vets Demands a VA for the 21st Century

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Regrettably, this is not news to vets. Veterans from eras past have been complaining for years about the substandard care received by the VA and, it is unfortunate that it came to this before things have changed.  Only time will reveal the results of their investigation and the timeline of the current scandals.

www.nbcnews.com/storyline/va-hospital-scandal/new-generation-vets-demands-va-21st-century-n104606

*Photo Courtesy of http://www.military.com/topics/department-of-veteran-affairs

 

Teaching Veterans To Code