Tag: Military

Daines Congratulates Missoula Student on West Point Academy Appointment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today congratulated Missoula student Samantha Clark on her appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Samantha, the daughter of James and Janean Clark of Missoula, will graduate from Sentinel High School this spring.  She serves as Key Club Secretary and was a delegate to Montana American Legion Auxiliary Girls State in 2014. She is active in competitive fencing, horseback riding, downhill skiing and shooting sports. “Samantha is an exceptional student, a talented athlete and a leader in her community and school. Her appointment to the United States Military Academy is an incredible

Daines, Gillibrand to Help Thousands of “Blue Water” Vietnam Vets Harmed by Agent Orange, but Ignored by Feds Due to Technicality in the Law

Current Law Requires VA To Provide Benefits For Service Members Exposed To Agent Orange On Dry Ground, But Ignores Vets Off Shore WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced legislation to ensure thousands of Navy veterans known as “Blue Water” vets from the Vietnam War exposed to the powerful toxin Agent Orange will be eligible to receive disability and health care benefits they have earned for diseases linked to Agent Orange exposure. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam to remove jungle foliage. This

Daines Fights to Defend Critical Montana Military Missions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today called on the U.S. Air Force to prioritize the modernization of Montana’s critical military missions and take additional steps to address Montanans’ ongoing concerns regarding the proposed expansion of the Powder River Training Complex. This morning, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense held a hearing on the proposed FY 2016 U.S. Air Force budget. During the hearing, Daines pressed Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh for details about the Air Force’s plan to modernize the avionics of the Montana Air National Guard’s (MANG) C-130 fleet. Daines

Daines Congratulates Two Montana Students on West Point Academy Appointment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today congratulated two distinguished Montana students, Zach Giesecke and Nicholas Loos, for their appointments to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Giesecke, from Greycliff, MT, received a nomination to West Point from Senator Daines and was also nominated by Senator Jon Tester and former Senator John Walsh. Giesecke is a student at Bozeman High School and has been active in football, lacrosse, wrestling and choir. He has previously attended the West Point Summer Leadership Seminar. Loos, whose family is from Lewistown, MT, received a nomination to the academy by Walsh and Tester. Loos is currently a West

Daines Helps Introduce Bill to Ensure Veterans’ Access to Local Healthcare

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines has joined Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and a bipartisan coalition of Senators to introduce legislation to ensure Montana veterans have local access to the healthcare services they need. The bill, the Veterans Access to Community Care Act of 2015 (S. 207), would allow veterans to access community healthcare providers if the veteran lives more than 40 miles driving distance—rather than as the crow flies—from the closest VA medical facility that could provide the services the veteran needs. “Thousands of Montana veterans live hundreds of miles away from their closest VA healthcare facility. This bill ensures that