Iraq Veterans Facing Homelessness

Jun 24, 2006 12:27 pm US/Eastern

Iraq Veterans Facing Homelessness

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"I'm just an ordinary person who served. I'm not embarrassed about my homelessness, because the circumstances that created it were not my fault," said Beckford, 30, who was a military-supply specialist at a base in Iraq that was a sitting duck for around-the-clock attacks, "where hell was your home."

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Former Army Pfc. Herold Noel had nowhere to call home after returning from Iraq last year. He slept in his Jeep, parked anywhere in New York "where I wouldn't get a ticket."

"Then the nightmares would start," said the 26-year-old, who drove a military fuel truck in Iraq -- one of the war's most dangerous jobs.

At one point, he saw a friend's leg get blown off. "I saw a baby decapitated when it was run over by a truck. I relived that every night," said Noel, who walks with shrapnel in his knee and suffers from severe post-traumatic stress syndrome.

To help people like Noel, the VA gives grants to nonprofit, private housing organizations that offer about 8,000 free beds nationwide. The space isn't always enough to accommodate everyone in desperate need of shelter among the more than 500,000 vets of Iraq and Afghanistan who have been discharged from the military so far.

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S.AMDT.3143 to S.CON.RES.83 To prevent the imposition of excessive TRICARE fees and co-pays on military retirees.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 3/16/2006) Cosponsors (5)
Latest Major Action: 3/16/2006 Senate amendment not agreed to. Status: Amendment SA 3143 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 46 - 53. Record Vote Number: 67.

S.AMDT.2616 to S.2020 To accelerate marriage penalty relief for the earned income tax credit, to extend the election to include combat pay in earned income, and to make modifications of effective dates of leasing provisions of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 11/17/2005) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 11/17/2005 Amendment SA 2616 ruled out of order by the chair.

S.AMDT.1502 to S.1042 To make permanent the extension of the period of temporary continuation of basic allowance for housing for dependents of members of the Armed Forces who die on active duty.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 7/25/2005) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 11/8/2005 Senate amendment agreed to. Status: Amendment SA 1502 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

S.AMDT.1029 to H.R.2361 Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2005, for the Veterans Health Administration.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 6/27/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 6/28/2005 Proposed amendment SA 1029 withdrawn in Senate.

S.AMDT.334 to H.R.1268 To increase the military death gratuity to $100,000, effective with respect to any deaths of members of the Armed Forces on active duty after October 7, 2001.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 4/11/2005) Cosponsors (9)
Latest Major Action: 4/13/2005 Senate amendment agreed to. Status: Amendment SA 334 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.AMDT.333 to H.R.1268 To extend the period of temporary continuation of basic allowance for housing for dependents of members of the Armed Forces who die on active duty.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 4/11/2005) Cosponsors (5)
Latest Major Action: 4/13/2005 Senate amendment agreed to. Status: Amendment SA 333 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.

S.2970 : A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide free credit monitoring and credit reports for veterans and others affected by the theft of veterans' personal data, to ensure that such persons are appropriately notified of such thefts, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 5/23/2006) Cosponsors (7)
Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/23/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

S.2449 : A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to reduce the age for receipt of military retired pay for nonregular service from 60 years of age to 55 years of age.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 3/16/2006) Cosponsors (7)
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 3/16/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

S.2163 : A bill to amend titles 10 and 38 of the United States Code, to increase and index educational benefits for veterans under the Montgomery GI bill to ensure adequate and equitable benefits for active duty members and members of the selected Reserve, and to include certain servicemembers previously excluded from such benefits.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 12/21/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 12/21/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

S.460 : A bill to expand and enhance benefits for members of the Armed Forces and their families, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 2/18/2005) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Finance
Latest Major Action: 2/18/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

S.240 : A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow small business employers a credit against income tax with respect to employees who participate in the military reserve components and are called to active duty and with respect to replacement employees and to allow a comparable credit for activated military reservists who are self-employed, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Kerry, John F. (introduced 2/1/2005) Cosponsors (6)
Committees: Senate Finance
Latest Major Action: 2/1/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.Text