March 2022 — MHCE Newsletter

News from MHCE 

MARCH 2022 EDITION 

Bill Would Help National 

Guard, Reserve Members 

Get Benefits 

See page 25 

Monthly Newsletter 

Russian Attacks Hit at Least 

9 Ukrainian Medical Facilities, 

Visual Evidence Shows 

Windows blasted out, a car in 

flames, patients limping away to 

safety — this was the scene at a 

maternity hospital in Mariupol, 

a port city on the Sea of Azov, 

after a Russian strike tore through 

the facility, killing at least three 

people and injuring 17 on March 

9, according to Mariupol officials. 

The maternity hospital was one 

of many health care facilities 

hit amid Russia's siege on key 

Ukrainian cities since the nation's 

invasion in late February, a new 

Washington Post analysis reveals. 

To confirm which hospitals have 

been damaged, The Washington 

Post examined more than 500 

videos and photos, reviewed social 

media posts from the hospitals, 

spoke to witnesses and hospital 

employees, and compared key 

details from these incidents to 

reports from Ukrainian officials, 

the United Nations, the World 

Health Organization, Human 

Rights Watch, the Center for 

Information Resilience and 

ACLED, a group that monitors 

armed conflict around the world. 

The Post's visual analysis verified 

nine incidents, including the strike 

in Mariupol, where hospitals 

faced direct damage as a result of 

a reported Russian attack. There 

were fatalities in at least three of 

the incidents verified by The Post, 

according to officials. Three of 

the facilities specifically served 

women or children. 

"Hospitals and medical facilities 

are protected by international 

humanitarian law," a spokesman 

for the International Committee 

of the Red Cross, Jason Straziuso, 

said in an email. 

Medical facilities are considered 

"protected objects" under the 

law unless they are used for 

military purposes, said Priyanka 

Motaparthy, director of the 

Counterterrorism, Armed Conflict 

and Human Rights Project 

at Columbia University Law 

School's Human Rights Institute. 

"When you are hitting in the 

hospital, you're not only risking 

killing people who are receiving 

medical care, who are sick and 

wounded, but also because of the 

long-term effects on a civilian 

population," she said. Motaparthy 

added that the opposing party 

must give warning before it 

attacks. 

International law experts who 

reviewed The Post's findings said 

they appear to show evidence 

that Russian forces have violated 

these laws. In at least one case, 

a pro-Russian media outlet has 

claimed that a hospital damaged 

in Ukraine was used for military 

purposes. The Post found no 

evidence to support this claim. 

Motaparthy said an investigation 

into the incidents should consider 

any statement the Russian military 

gave for why it struck the hospital, 

but hospitals are presumed to be 

civilian. 

The deadliest attacks 

In one of the deadliest incidents 

The Post reviewed, Russian forces 

fired a ballistic missile carrying a 

cluster munition, which hit the 

Central City Hospital in Vuhledar, 

a town in the separatist Donetsk 

region on Feb. 24, according to 

visuals obtained and analyzed 

in a report by Human Rights 

Watch. The munition hit just 

outside the hospital, killing four 

and injuring 10 civilians, six of 

whom were health care workers. 

Human Rights Watch confirmed 

the events by speaking to a doctor 

and official from the hospital 

and verifying photos posted to 

social media and sent directly by 

hospital staff. The Post confirmed 

the geolocation of the photo 

of damage to the hospital by 

comparing it to available source 

imagery on Google Earth, and 

WWW.MHCE.US 

the incident was also reported 

by ACLED. The World Health 

Organization, which has not 

released the locations of the 24 

attacks it has confirmed, listed a 

single strike on Feb. 24 with the 

same number of casualties. 

Cluster munitions are "inherently 

indiscriminate weapons," 

Motaparthy noted. She explained 

they often malfunction, leaving 

behind bomblets that can explode 

months or years after an attack. 

They also disperse over a wide 

area, making them extremely 

dangerous in populated areas. 

The U.N. human rights office 

has found "credible reports" that 

Russian forces have used cluster 

munitions several times since the 

war began, and that these attacks 

"may amount to war crimes." 

In addition to the events in 

Vuhledar and Mariupol, three 

people died after a strike on 

an intensive care hospital in 

Vasylivka, according to officials. 

A medical campus in the 

southeastern city of Vasylivka 

was struck by Russian rockets on 

March 1, killing three people and 

injuring four, the Official channel 

of the Zaporizhzhia Regional 

Military Administration reported 

on Telegram. The Post geolocated 

video showing damaged buildings 

on the compound by comparing 

it to source imagery on Google 

Earth. 

At least a third of the incidents 

verified by The Post included 

centers that treated women or 

children. The attack in Mariupol 

hit a maternity ward and another 

damaged a pediatric dental clinic 

in Chernihiv. 

Continued on page 13

2 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us MARCH 2022 EDITION

WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 3


WWW.MHCE.US Monthly Newsletter | 5 

Focus on Oversight a Key for Success at 

CoreCivic 

In the corrections industry, maintaining high standards of 

operation is imperative to meeting the needs of the individuals 

in our care. That's why CoreCivic adheres to a stringent set of 

guidelines set forth by our own standards, as well as those of our 

government partners and the American Correctional Association 

(ACA). 

Founded in 1870, the ACA is considered the national benchmark 

for the effective operation of correctional systems throughout 

the United States. To become accredited, a facility must achieve 

compliance with ACA mandatory standards and a minimum of 

90 percent non-mandatory standards. CoreCivic facilities adhere 

to ACA standards, and in 2020, CoreCivic earned an average 

ACA audit score of 99.6 percent across all facilities. 

Key ACA audit areas include facility personnel, resident reentry 

programs, resident safety, health care, and more. 

holds our facilities and staff to a high standard. To be able to 

represent our facility and receive reaccreditation in person is an 

honor." 

Adhering to ACA standards is only one part of CoreCivic's 

commitment to robust oversight. When government partners 

utilize CoreCivic's services, we are held not only to our own 

high standards and those of the ACA, but we are often held to 

the same or higher accountability of our public counterparts 

through stringent government contracts, unfettered access to 

our facilities for our partners, and hundreds of on-site quality 

assurance monitors. 

We provide access to our government partners, with most of 

our facilities having government agency employees known as 

contract monitors who are physically on-site to ensure we are 

operating in line with partner guidelines. 

Recently, the ACA held in Nashville, Tennessee, its 151st 

Congress of Corrections, an annual convention that brings 

together corrections professionals from across the country. In 

addition to various workshops and events at the convention, the 

ACA Commission on Accreditation also held panel hearings to 

award accreditation to correctional facilities that meet the ACA's 

rigorous requirements. Listed below are the seven CoreCivic 

facilities that earned reaccreditation this year, with mandatory/ 

non-mandatory scores: 

• Bent County Correctional Facility - 100/99.0 

• Citrus County Detention Facility - 100/100 

• Eloy Detention Center - 100/100 

• Lake Erie Correctional Institution - 100/99.3 

• Saguaro Correctional Center - 100/99.8 

• Stewart Detention Center - 100/100 

• Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility - 100/100 

"The accreditation process is very important," said Warden 

Fred Figueroa from Eloy Detention Center, one of the seven 

CoreCivic facilities that was awarded reaccreditation. "ACA 

To maintain our own high standards, annual on-site audits covering 

all operational areas are administered to ensure compliance with 

contractual and regulatory obligations and corporate-mandated 

requirements. Each CoreCivic Safety facility is audited by our 

internal quality assurance division, which is independent from 

our operations division. Facilities are expected to be audit-ready 

year-round, maintaining continuous compliance with numerous 

applicable standards. 

CoreCivic employs 75 staff members dedicated to quality 

assurance, including several subject matter experts with extensive 

experience from all major disciplines within our institutional 

operations. 

"A lot of hard work goes into preparing for these audits," 

Figueroa said. "Once they're complete, the staff can see their 

accomplishments and feel proud." 

Having multiple levels of oversight helps CoreCivic maintain 

a safe environment for those in our care. By holding ourselves 

accountable to our own high standards, along with our 

government partners' and ACA's standards, CoreCivic continues 

to be a trusted partner working to better the public good.



8 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us MARCH 2022 EDITION 

6 Tips for Sharing Strengths and Weaknesses in 

a Job Interview 

You want to be forthcoming. You learned (in the military) to 

be direct. You were told to be upfront about your challenges, 

shortcomings and obstacles. But should you really share details 

about your strengths and weaknesses in a job interview? 

Interviewers sometimes ask the question, "Tell me about your 

strengths and weaknesses," to see what traits you call out about 

yourself, how self-aware you are and what others might say 

about your work style. 

Employers also find other creative ways of learning what you 

can offer to the company and the job, and where risks or barriers 

might be present by asking behavioral interview questions, 

performance-based questions or opinion questions, which can 

also reveal strengths and weaknesses. 

Sharing Your Strengths 

While you might be tempted to share every compliment you've 

received from your mother and your commanding officer, here 

you need to be focused. My tips for sharing your strengths in a 

job interview: 

1. Be specific. 

Avoid using vague jargon such as "I give 100%" or "I think 

outside the box." Instead, list specific strengths you possess that 

directly relate to the job. If the position requires team building, 

for example, highlight how your leadership and active listening 

skills empower you to work well across job functions, enlist 

buy-in and support, and create tangible results. 

2. Offer examples. 

If your experience is primarily military-related, convert those 

into a civilian example. Instead of saying, "I can train new 

enlisted recruits to perform at combat optimal levels," share an 

example as a civilian might explain it: "One of my strengths is 

clearly outlining the goals to the team, then ensuring everyone 

is on board. For example, in one situation, I had a team of 

direct reports who had dissimilar backgrounds. I worked to 

lay a common foundation for the project and communicated 

clear goals, and then met with each of them to ensure they were 

aligned with the objectives." 

3. Show humility. 

Avoid the mistake of sharing strengths that are grandiose, such 

as, "I'm the top go-to person on any team because I'm simply 

always the best." If you want to talk about accomplishments but 

fear that could come off as arrogant, phrase them as feedback, 

offering, "I've been told by others that I'm the most empathetic 

leader they ever reported to." 

Talking About Your Weaknesses 

There was a time when it was acceptable -- and even humorous 

-- to answer "chocolate" when asked what your weakness is. 

That is no longer the case. Today, employers expect you to be 

clear about where you fall short and show how you address 

those challenges. When discussing your weaknesses, consider: 

4. Avoid offering reasons not to hire you. 

One recruiter told me a candidate answered that question by 

saying, "I get angry quickly. I'm working on it, but my ex-wife 

would tell you it's scary!" Don't offer anything in a job interview 

that would immediately disqualify you from contention. 

Other examples include, "I get bored easily. That's why I've 

changed jobs a lot." Or "I've been told I'm not a good team 

player. I think that's bunk. They're all just jealous."


5. Show what you're doing to address the weakness. 

If your weakness is that you're better working on the 

implementation and tactics of a project rather than the strategy, 

explain how you've learned to overcome this challenge if it's a 

required part of your work. 

Similarly, if your weakness is that you don't have strong 

credentials in a particular field, you might offer that you're taking 

night classes, doing online learning and earning certificates to 

shore up that part of your skill set. 

6. Turn your weakness into a positive. 

What if you don't have a desire to lead? It may seem like 

employers today want to hire leaders. If you can turn this 

perceived weakness into a positive, you can help the employer 

see your candidacy differently. 

Offer, "I believe the world needs leaders and followers. In 

the military, I learned to do both. Today, I'm more focused on 

helping to ensure the work -- and mission -- are completed, and 

I take direction very well." 

Talking about your strengths and weaknesses can feel awkward 

and challenging. Be prepared in advance with ways to address 

your candidacy that put you in control of what you'll share and 

how, instead of being caught off guard in a job interview. 

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In the northern city of Chernihiv on Feb. 27, visual evidence shows 

impact to a central courtyard, near a pediatric dental clinic, which The 

Post confirmed via imagery on Google Earth. The attack left a crater 

in the ground, uprooted trees and blew the windows and debris from 

the surrounding buildings. The facility posted video of the aftermath 

to Facebook, showing blasted-out windows and debris scattered 

throughout the building. 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT MHCE.US 

Russian airstrikes hit homes and a hospital, including a maternity 

ward, in the northwest city of Zhytomyr on March 1, according to 

the Zhytomyr City Council, which shared video, first verified by 

third-party verification service Storyful and corroborated by The 

Post, showing first responders at the nighttime scene amid destroyed 

buildings and debris. Four people died in the attacks on the homes. 

Only windows were damaged at the maternity ward, according to 

regional council chairman Vladimir Fedorenko. 

Hospital infrastructure damaged 

In all of the examples reviewed by The Post, the hospitals' buildings 

were damaged. Verified images and videos illustrated the varied 

extent of the destruction. 

On Feb. 25, an oncology hospital in the southeastern city of Melitopol 

came under fire. Video, verified by Storyful and The Post, shows 

an explosion at the facility. Government officials and ACLED also 

confirmed the event. In the video, there is loud shelling, followed by 

a large boom and a bright flash emanating from inside one of the top 

floors of the hospital. Ukraine's Minister of Healthcare Viktor Liashko 

said an operating room was damaged, but no patients were hurt in the 

attack. 

On Feb. 27, Russian shelled the ear, nose and throat department 

building of a hospital in Volnovakha, a small city in the separatist 

Donetsk region, according to a Parliament of Ukraine Telegram 

channel. The Post verified photos posted online that showed damage 

to the outside of the building by comparing to source imagery on 

Google Earth. 

The deputy mayor of Izyum, a city south of Kharkiv, said the 

admissions office of a hospital was hit on March 8. Volodymyr 

Matsokin posted video to Facebook later that day showing part of the 

building destroyed, exposing part of the roof's internal structure with 

the facade caved inward and debris littering the area. "Patients climbed 

out from under the rubble as they could," he wrote on Facebook. 

Late in the evening of March 11, the head doctor of a cancer hospital 

in Mykolaiv posted photos and video, verified by The Post, of 

smashed windows and debris from an alleged Russian attack. He said 

many patients were being treated in the hospital at the time it came 

under attack, but no one was killed. The Mykolaiv regional governor, 

Vitaliy Kim, wrote on his Telegram channel that a Russian attack hit 

the hospital. 

"Assuming Russia does not take necessary steps - and it seems 

highly unlikely that it will — this evidence will be relevant to the 

International Criminal Court Prosecutor's investigation of war crimes 

and crimes against humanity in Ukraine," Oona Hathaway, a professor 

of international law at Yale Law School, said in an email to The Post. 

The evidence gathered by The Post is "powerful circumstantial 

evidence" that would require a more detailed investigation, Hathaway 

explained. 

Motaparthy too noted in some cases it is difficult to parse from the 

visual imagery alone exactly what happened. "What is the extent of 

the damage? Were they targeting a military object next door or nearby, 

or were they targeting the hospital itself?" However, she noted that 

"attacks where there's clearly extensive damages and civilians were 

killed appear to violate the laws of war, and that militaries should 

avoid damaging hospitals, even if targeting military targets nearby."



VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT MHCE.US


4 More Areas on Navy’s Oahu Water System 

Declared Safe 

Four additional zones using the Navy’s water system, including 

two Aliamanu Military Reservation zones and the Moanalua, 

Halsey and Radford terraces, have been declared safe to use by 

the state Department of Health today. 

Six of the 19 in the Navy’s water system are now awaiting 

clearance. The areas declared safe today are labeled Zones F1, 

F2, H2, and H3, which together comprise nearly 2, 800 homes. 

Zone F1 includes Moanalua Terrace, the Navy Exchange Mall, 

Moanalua Shopping Center, Pearl Harbor Elementary School 

and Kamaaina Kids Moanalua Preschool. 

Zone F2 includes Catlin Park, Maloelap, Doris Miller, Halsey 

Terrace and Radford Terrace. It also includes Catlin School Age 

Care and Peltier Child Development Center. 

More than 600 AMR residences in Zones H2 and H3 have been 

declared to have safe drinking water today. All three AMR zones 

now have access to safe drinking water. 

“We are incredibly excited to welcome home our Aliamanu 

Military Reservation residents, “ said Maj. Gen. Joe Ryan, 

commanding general, 25th Infantry Division and Task Force 

Ohana, in a statement. “For over three months, it’s been our 

mission, along with the members of the Interagency Drinking 

Water System Team, to return our families to their homes with 

safe and clean drinking water. We recognize this has been 

a challenging time for our families, and we appreciate their 

fortitude and understanding. Looking ahead, we will implement 

a long-term monitoring plan that includes routine testing of 

homes to ensure our residents continue to have clean and safe 

drinking water.” 

The DOH issued a “do not drink “ advisory in late November 

after fuel from the Navy’s Red Hill fuel facility contaminated its 

drinking water system, which serves Joint Base Pearl Harbor- 

Hickam and surrounding neighborhoods. Since then the Navy 

has been cleaning the water, which has been sampled by the 

Interagency Drinking Water System Team. The IDWST consists 

of state and federal representatives from the DOH, the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, Navy and Army. 

One sample from an outdoor sink at a Zone F1 school tested 

above the DOH’s Incident Specific Parameter for beryllium, 

the department reported. The fixture was flushed and sampled 

again, and afterward all sampled homes and buildings met the 

beryllium screening level of four parts per billion. 

Similarly, a home in Zone F2 tested above the DOH’s screening 

level for total petroleum hydrocarbons, which include hundreds 

of chemical compounds that come from crude oil. The home’s 

water was flushed and sampled again, and subsequently all 

sampled homes and buildings met the TPH screening level. 

An independent, third-party laboratory had initially reported the 

presence of bis (2-chloroethyl )ether, or BCEE, in samples in 

Zones F2, H2 and H3, although the laboratory and the IDWST 

later determined that the BCEE results were a false-positive. 

The IDWST’s joint plan is to draw samples from more than 900, 

or 10 %, of the homes in the Navy’s water system and 100 % of 

its schools and child development centers. 

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Soeder joked that that the generals 

would never approve the beer for 

breakfast. 

After the soldiers who first arrived 

waited about 30 minutes with their 

trays, they all were allowed to dig in. 

Fort Stewart-based 

soldiers get their 

Bavarian breakfast 

in Grafenwoehr 

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — 

Sausages and a big pretzel — exactly 

what you’d expect from a traditional 

Bavarian meal — awaited Fort Stewart, 

Ga.-based soldiers on Friday morning, 

courtesy of the state’s governor. 

Bavaria’s Markus Soeder joined Army 

Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville, 

and the commander of 7th Army 

Training Command, Brig. Gen. Joseph 

Hilbert, in welcoming the soldiers, who 

are deployed to Grafenwoehr Training 

Area as part of a mission to reassure 

NATO allies in the wake of Russia’s 

new invasion of Ukraine. 

“This is a friendship for eternity, we 

hope,” Soeder told hundreds of soldiers 

from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat 

Team, 3rd Armored Infantry Division. 

“Bavaria is the largest region for U.S. 

(soldiers) in Europe. Grafenwoehr is 

(an) important place for the troops.” 

Information sheets placed on the 

dining tables provided guidance about 

weisswurst, a white sausage considered 

one of the southern German state’s 

signature foods. 

It’s traditionally made from a mixture 

of finely minced veal and back bacon. 

It is usually served with stone-ground 

mustard, a large salted pretzel and a 

Bavarian wheat beer. 

The Bavarian Broadcasting Channel 

reported that Soeder had ordered 4,000 

of the sausages to be served at rural 

Grafenwoehr, which hosts the Army’s 

largest training area in Europe. 

The brigade is expected to provide 

3,800 of the 7,000 service members 

deployed to bolster NATO’s defensive 

posture. 

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some irregularities in the consideration of 

the previous slate of candidates.” 

The VA did not provide specifics about 

the situation. 

Health, benefits undersecretaries 

New Jersey Hospital Executive, 

Former Pennsylvania Congressman 

Among VA Health, Review 

Commission Appointments 

WASHINGTON – The White House 

announced its nominee to lead the 

Department of Veterans Affairs health 

care system — a top role at the agency 

that has been vacant for the past five years. 

In addition, the White House named the 

agency's new Asset and Infrastructure 

Review Commission and announced a 

candidate to be the next VA undersecretary 

for benefits. 

The appointees are Shereef Elnahal as 

undersecretary for health for the Veterans 

Health Administration, Ray Jefferson 

as undersecretary for benefits for the 

Veterans Benefits Administration, Patrick 

Murphy for chairman of the VA’s Asset 

and Infrastructure Review Commission, 

and Jonathan Woodson for vice chairman 

of the review commission. 

The VA has been without a confirmed leader 

of the Veterans Health Administration 

since the position was held by David 

Shulkin. Shulkin left the position in 

February 2017 after he was nominated by 

then-President Donald Trump as the VA 

secretary. 

Richard Stone acted as the VA 

undersecretary of health for nearly 

three years and led the agency amid the 

coronavirus pandemic. He resigned in 

July after he learned he was not nominated 

for the position. 

In October, the VA abandoned its initial 

search and restarted the process over again. 

The VA established another commission to 

aid in the search for candidates for the role 

of undersecretary for health – a position 

that oversees hundreds of hospitals and 

clinics that comprise the largest health 

care system in the country. Whoever takes 

the job will be responsible for hundreds 

of thousands of employees and an annual 

budget of about $61 billion. 

The agency restarted the search out of an 

“abundance of caution,” VA spokesman 

Randy Noller said in October. 

Noller also said the agency “received 

information that there may have been 

Dr. Shereef Elnahal, nominee for the VA’s 

undersecretary of health, has served as the 

CEO and president of University Hospital 

in Newark, N.J., since 2019. Before 

joining University Hospital, Elnahal 

served as the state’s health commissioner. 

If appointed, it will not be Elnahal’s first 

foray into VA health care. He served as 

the assistant deputy undersecretary for 

health for quality, safety, and value from 

2016 to 2018. During his time in that role, 

Elnahal managed the quality of care for the 

Veterans Health Administration and cofounded 

its innovation ecosystem, which 

is part of the VHA’s Office of Discovery, 

Education, and Affiliate Networks. The 

program help advance innovation and 

practices that helps improve veteran care. 

Ray Jefferson, the nominee for 

undersecretary of benefits, is a graduate of 

the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, 

N.Y., and served as an army officer from 

1988 to 1999, according to his LinkedIn


profile. During his military service, Jefferson lost 

all five fingers on his left hand after he cupped a 

defective grenade to protect other soldiers. 

After his service, Jefferson served various roles with 

state and federal government agencies, including as 

a special assistant to the secretary of Commerce, 

and deputy director for Hawaii’s Department of 

Business, Economic Development and Tourism. In 

2009, former President Barack Obama appointed 

Jefferson as the assistant secretary for Veterans’ 

Employment and Training at the Department of 

Labor. 

However, in 2011, two subordinates accused 

Jefferson of procurement improprieties, such 

as directing government business to associates, 

according to a Washington Post report in 2020. The 

allegations forced Jefferson to resign. 

But in September 2019, the Labor Department 

inspector general reversed the findings, exonerating 

Jefferson. 

Jefferson is now the president of Jefferson Group 

Pte. Ltd., a global consulting firm based in 

Singapore. If confirmed, Jefferson will take over for 

Thomas Murphy, who acted as the undersecretary of 

benefits since January 2021. The role was officially 

previously held by Paul Lawrence, who served in 

the role from May 2018 until January 2021. 

Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission 

In January, the VA began reviewing its facilities 

across the country to determine which buildings to 

close and where to invest more resources. 

The agency was to submit its recommendations 

at the beginning of the year, VA Secretary Denis 

McDonough said in December during a Senate 

hearing. 

In 2018, Congress approved the creation of an 

Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission to 

work on the “modernization or realignment” of VA 

properties. The White House and the VA provided 

five nominees for the commission. Four others are 

nominated as commission members by leaders in 

the House and Senate. 

McDonough said Thursday that the agency is 

awaiting one more nominee from Congress. He 

also said the names were supposed to have been 

submitted last May. 

“I don't want to handicap the situation, but that's 

our first big challenge, get the commissioners,” 

McDonough said Thursday. “Then the next big 

challenge is, the commissioners got to get to work 

and take a look at [the Asset and Infrastructure 

Review report].” 

The report will be released on Monday morning. 

McDonough said the committee has until next 

February to make determinations about the VA’s 

recommendations. Afterward, the recommendations move on to the 

president then Congress. McDonough said they can only vote down the 

recommendations if they disapprove. 

Patrick Murphy, nominee for chairman of the VA’s Asset and Infrastructure 

Review Commission, was the first Iraq War veteran to serve in Congress. 

He was a congressman from Pennsylvania after serving as an Army 

paratrooper. He received a Bronze Star for his service. 

Murphy previously served as acting undersecretary of the Army during 

the Obama administration. He serves now on the Cyberspace Solarium 

Commission. 

Jonathan Woodson, nominee for vice chairman of the AIR commission, 

is a professor at Boston University. He previously served as the assistant 

secretary of defense for health affairs as well as the director of Tricare 

management activity in the Defense Department from 2010 to 2016. 

The others nominated as commissioners are William Blake, executive 

director for Paralyzed Veterans of America, Michael Blecker, co-founder 

of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and the California 

Association of Veterans’ Service Agencies, Christine Hill, Republican 

staff director for the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs subpanel on 

health, Rear Adm. Joyce Johnson, Ret. Army Col. Lucretia McClenney; 

and José Ramos, vice president of government and community relations 

for the Wounded Warrior Project.


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Kyle.Stephens@mhce.us or 

Susan.Keller@mhce.us 

Advertise with us today. 

HAPPY 

SPRING! 

from the MHCE family to yours. 

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VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT MHCE.US


Bill Would Help National Guard, Reserve 

Members Get Benefits 

CONCORD, N.H. -- U.S. Rep. Chris 

Pappas of New Hampshire is part of 

a group of lawmakers that introduced 

a bipartisan bill to help National 

Guardand Reserve members receive 

their benefits upon retirement or 

completion of service. 

A particular form is frequently 

required by the Department of 

Veterans Affairs, other benefits 

organizations and private sector 

institutions to certify qualifications for 

benefits after completion of service. 

Pappas and other sponsors of the bill 

said it can be difficult and confusing 

for both the VA and service members 

to prove all service periods because 

of the way the form is drafted. 

all service periods. It would allow 

them to apply for all entitled benefits 

while reducing confusion. 

"Providing all those who have served 

our country the same record of their 

service, one of the most valuable 

documents for a veteran to possess, 

is essential to ensuring equitable 

access to benefits following their 

service," Pappas, a Democrat, said in 

a statement. 

A similar bill has been introduced in 

the Senate. 

The bill is supported by the 

Veterans of Foreign Wars, Reserve 

Organization of America, National 

Guard Association of the United 

States, and the Enlisted Association 

of the National Guard of the United 

States. 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT 

MHCE.US 

Creating a Culture 

Plus, there is no single form used by 

the Reserves or the National Guard 

that is similar. 

The bill would update the main form 

and provide all service members with 

proof of service that will consolidate 

of Caring 

Offering master’s 

and doctoral 

degrees for 

Registered Nurses 

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contact Paul.Randall@mhce.us 

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Nurse-Midwife 

Family Nurse Practitioner 

Women’s Health Care NP 

Psychiatric-Mental Health NP 

Learn more at frontier.edu/military


TO ADVERTISE 

contact 

Kyle.stephens@mhce.us 

HAPPY 

SPRING! 

from the MHCE family to yours. 

mhce.us


TO ADVERTISE 

contact Kyle.Stephens@mhce.us

March 2022 — MHCE Newsletter

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