Savings of 30 percent or more on groceries will be available to the military community in North Texas when the former BXMart closes and a commissary opens on March 25, 2008 at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Forth Worth, TX. On opening day, customers will have the chance to win several large-screen TVs and thousands of dollars in other prizes and commissary gift certificates. The Fort Worth Commissary will be open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Customers who want updates on the future Fort Worth Commissary can visit the Fort Worth Commissary page.


Commissary Announces Beef Bacon Recall

Mohawk Packing Co. announced a voluntary recall of John Morrell Beef Bacon. As a result, the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) removed all of the recalled 12-ounce packages of John Morrell Beef Bacon from its shelves and stock. Mohawk determined that the product was supplied to commissaries in the Midwest and Southwest regions of the United States. Commissary customers can return the product to the place of purchase for a full refund. Visit the DeCA website for ore information on the Mohawk/John Morrell.

Veterans Group Greets Troops

The Pease Greeters started almost three years ago as a band of veterans from the Marine Corps League of New Hampshire who met incoming flights from overseas. Since then, their numbers swelled to the hundreds, and the Pease Greeters haven't missed greeting a single inbound or outbound flight. The greeters shower deploying and redeploying Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines with applause, handshakes and snacks as their aircraft refuel at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease, in New Hampshire. For more information, visit the Pease Greeters website.

VA Opening 14 New Outpatient Clinics This Year

VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake announced this week that the VA will be opening an additional 14 Outpatient Healthcare Clinics this year. This will mean that the VA will be opening 64 new clinics this year. Already the VA has the largest integrated healthcare system in the world with 143 hospitals and over 700 clinics. The new clinics will be up and running this year. They will be located in the following states and counties:

• Arkansas – Phillips County
• Illinois – Coles County
• Indiana – Scott County
• Kentucky – Carroll County, Christian County and Graves County
• Oklahoma – Stillwater
• Tennessee – Bolivar, Campbell County, Dyer County, Roane County, Sevier County and Warren County
• Washington – Lewis County

VA Announces Deployment Of Mobile Pharmacies

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that they will be deploying 4 mobile pharmacies to send to disaster areas and communities around the country. The Pharmacies will be housed in 40 foot trailers that are designed to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. They will be able to dispense drugs or through the mail. It has been decided that 3 of the pharmacies will be based in Dallas, Texas, Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Charleston, South Carolina. The 4th location has not yet been decided.

VA Announces Enlargement Of Dental Care Eligibility For Recently Discharged Veterans

The VA has been providing dental care for veterans with a service connected dental disability; for 100% disabled or IU former POWs; or veterans participating in VA vocational rehabilitation program. As of January 28, 2008, another group of veterans: “recently discharged veterans with a service-connected non-compensable dental condition or disability who served on active duty 90 days or more and who apply for VA dental care within 180 days of separation from active duty, may receive one time treatment for dental conditions if the dental condition is shown to have existed at the time of discharge or release and the veteran’s certificate of discharge does not indicate that the veteran received necessary dental care within a 90-day period prior to discharge or release. This includes veterans who reentered active military, naval, or air service within 90 days after the date of a prior discharge and; veterans whose disqualifying discharge or release has been corrected by competent authority.” For more information go to the VA’s fact sheet at: http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/Library/pubs/Dental/Dental.pdf

VA Addresses Nurse Shortage

The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to conduct a three-year pilot program that allows staff nurses to travel to the system's medical centers.

The pilot, officials hope, will address the national shortage of nurses, provide better care to veterans, and be cost-effective as well. The Travel Nurse Corps, based in at the VA's Phoenix system, will start by placing as many as 75 nurses in centers nationwide. The nurses would be placed temporarily at sites that have nursing vacancies, high wait times, are in need of critical skills, or are heavily reliant on contractors. More information is available online at www.travelnurse.va.gov, via e-mail travelnurse@va.gov, toll-free at (866) 664-1030, or in Phoenix at (602) 200-2398.