Wisconsin Air National Guard cuts questioned

Members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation are asking the Air Force to explain plans for cutting three aircraft and about 5 percent of the personnel from the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

Read their letter to the Secretary of the Air Force.
Reported in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Special effort reunites vets with money

Wisconsin's treasury and veterans affairs departments say they have found  $76,418.20 for 293 veterans. That's an average of about $261 per person.

Officials merged a WDVA list of vets with the names in treasury's Unclaimed Property Fund, then mailed claims forms to the 3,000 veterans. About one in 10 have made claims for amounts ranging from $5 to just under $4,000, according to a press release from WDVA Secretary John Scocos and Treasurer Kurt Schuller.

There is about $400 million in the unclaimed property account. You can check for your name on the  State Treasurer’s website: www.wismissingmoney.com.

WDVA offices moving Feb. 11

Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that its offices will move to 201 W. Washington on Feb. 11.

Veterans Museum stays where it is on Mifflin on the Square, but big changes may be on tap. Here's more on the master plan for

... a $75 million joint Wisconsin Historical and Veterans museum that could be part of a larger private project with private offices, retail space and parking in Downtown Madison.
No site has been selected, but the state has studied the current Historical Museum property on Capitol Square coupled with private holdings behind it at the corner of North Fairchild and West Mifflin streets.
The development could provide 200,000 square feet of space for the museums, state documents say.
State Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch has convened a task force of community leaders, interested parties and experts — including Mayor Paul Soglin — to explore sites, financing and other issues. The task force had an initial meeting on Jan. 23 and will meet through the year.

IED claims Wisconsin Army officer just weeks after deployment to Afghanistan

An Army officer from Mayville was killed by an IED on Wednesday while on foot patrol in Kandahar Province. 1st Lt. David Johnson had told friends and relatives he felt lucky to command a platoon-sized firebase in a "very active" part of Afghanistan. Johnson shipped out just before Christmas, family members said.

From the soldier's base public affairs office:
1st Lt. Johnson was a platoon leader assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
According to unit records, Johnson was commissioned in 2010 through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), and he is a graduate of Evangel University, Springfield, Mo. In 2011 he attended the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course at Fort Benning, Ga. He arrived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in August 2011, and was assigned to 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The unit deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in December. This was 1st Lt. Johnson’s first deployment.
Johnson’s civilian and military education includes a Bachelor of Science degree from Evangel University (2010), Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course (2011), Combatives level 1 and 2 (2011), and the Stryker Brigade Combat Team Leaders Course (2011).
His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Global War on Terror Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge and the Overseas Service Bar.

Oahu trip planned for Wisconsin's survivors of Pearl Harbor

An Appleton-based volunteer group that has been flying area World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to see war memorials is launching a statewide effort to take Wisconsin survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack to Hawaii on June 14-18.
Old Glory Honor Flights is looking for veterans who were stationed on Oahu or within 3 nautical miles at the time of the attack. Call 1-888-635-9838 and leave a message by Feb. 6 for more information. Many Wisconsin survivors of the attack still have vivid memories, which propelled the U.S. into WWII. Dec. 7 was the 70th anniversary.

Flying Tigers ace from Wisconsin featured in new exhibit

Flying Tigers ace Fritz Wolf of Shawano, Wisconsin, is the focus of an exhibit opening  Jan. 31 at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum in Madison. 

Wolf was a naval aviator who flew in Burma and China in 1941-42, and from  the decks of the USS Hornet and USS Yorktown in 1944-45. According to a museum description of the exhibit:

During World War II, Wolf shot down five enemy aircraft, including two Japanese bombers on December 20, 1941. This new exhibit features numerous artifacts, including a scarf given to him and his fellow “Flying Tigers” by Madame Chiang Kai-Shek, photographs and mementos from his service, and a short film detailing Wolf’s homecoming parade in July 1942.

The museum is  located at 30 W. Mifflin St., across the street from the State Capitol. 

Wiscsonsin may waive professional license fees for vets

The State Assembly Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs unanimously passed Assembly Bills 429 and 438 on Thursday. AB 429 grants a one-time occupational or professional license fee waiver for qualified veterans. SB 338, passed the state Senate on Tuesday. AB 438 recognizes military training, education or experience as meeting some requirements for certain state professional credentials, according to Gov. Scott Walker's office:

“We owe it to our veterans to assist them in obtaining jobs,” Walker said in a press release. “I thank Representative Wynn for authoring this legislation and the Assembly committee for its strong bipartisan support of the bills.”