ADF Bret: Hi Brett, thanks for taking time to talk! My first question is, what’s with the extra “t”? I’m just kidding of course. Growing up, one of my best friends spelled his name with two “t”s so we just refer to one another as Brettt so as not to offend one another.
Brett: A rose by any other name…
ADF Bret: You’re a digital forensic examiner providing private consulting and training to government agencies and you’ve also found time to write quite a few books, including Placing the Suspect Behind the Keyboard, Hiding Behind the Keyboard, and X-Ways Forensics Practitioner’s Guide, all of which have received nominations for Best Forensic Book of the Year. How did you get started writing books for the forensic community and what (besides the money and fame) keeps you writing?
Brett: Much like any author writing forensic books, I wanted to write the books that I wish were already written by someone else. I would have bought them if they already were written! My first two books were published within the same year, so they competed against each other for Best Forensic Book of the Year and the X-Ways book won. That was neat, and certainly having Eric Zimmerman as my co-author helped. I will keep writing books whenever I need a book that hasn’t already been written, so hopefully we get more authors writing books.
ADF Bret: Who do you create for? In other words, do you have a specific type of person in mind when you are producing content?
Brett: I tend to create content for myself, or at least what I want to learn, what I think is important to learn, and what I think others would want to learn. There really isn’t a specific type of person, because in this field, you can be having a cup of coffee while watching a progress bar and the next minute the phone rings and you’re running out the door to handle someone’s emergency. That’s a broad audience for creating any content!
ADF Bret: Your readers have come to rely on you for forensic knowledge and best practices. How do you stay current with as busy as you are writing, training and running DFIR Training?
Brett: Constant reading. That’s the secret. Books and blogs and blogs and books. And of course, squeezing in a few good conferences and courses to meet great people. I give presentations a few times a year, and even a one-hour talk forces me to seriously learn what I am going to talk about. Then putting all of it into use, either on real cases or real practice cases ties it up all in a nice package.
The DFIR Training website does take up a lot of time, but the content that I put on the site is the content that I also need to know, and that what I think many of us should know. Whether to find a tool or training or artifact, my intention is to have the information one click away for when you need it. Just wait and see when I finish the forensic artifact database. When the forensic artifact database is done, or at least populated with enough data, you will be able to search for a tools linked to an artifact, or an artifact linked to multiple tool to recover that artifact, and have the white papers for that artifact, videos, and training courses all cross referenced.
ADF Bret: It’s my understanding that you served in the USMC before a career in law enforcement. Can you tell us about that experience and your transition from the service? Do you have any advice for others transitioning out?
Brett: Ah, yes. I was 17 years old in bootcamp, then went straight to 2/3. Any Marine reading this knows exactly what 2/3 means…Marine infantry. 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines. This was quite a bit before the Cyber commands were created and I much rather had gone into the Marine Corps Cyberspace Command had it existed at the time. But my time in the Corps was worth it for more reasons than any job training.
I had an easy time transitioning mentally as I knew that I wanted to get into law enforcement. It took a few years after the Marines, and I worked in a jail before eventually being hired as a police officer. Since I always knew what I wanted to do after the Marines, I prepared myself and just drove on until I got it. Not knowing what you want to do or not know what you will accept doing until then will make transition difficult. Being patient and persistent never hurts either. Make a plan. Follow the plan. Adjust as necessary.
ADF Bret: Do you have a favorite case that you participated in? Can you share any stories?
Brett: I only spent a few years on the street in patrol, with some years in SWAT and bike patrol. I didn’t have any cases per se, other than handling emergency calls. But since the majority of my time was undercover narcotics, I had quite a few memorable cases. I bounced around different state and federal task forces and was part of many really cool cases. I have some favorites, but the favorite thing was being able to work with so many experienced officers, detectives, and agents, with some of them having worked famous investigations. One of the agents that I worked a case with had his case turned into a movie a few years ago. That’s the kind of people that I had the honor to work with, those with great investigative skills. I hung around them as much as possible hoping that their experience would rub off on me. I hope that a little of it did.
I can say that I’ve had more than a few experiences that could have gone the wrong way and glad to have not had that happen. I’ve solved murders, infiltrated outlaw motorcycle gangs, operated undercover in international crime organizations, was hired as hitman to kill informants, worked a few terrorism cases, broke up some human trafficking operations, and bought a lot of drugs. I never did kill any informant by the way, but I did make the arrests for the conspiracies to commit murder.
ADF Bret: Brett, you also teach in the University of Washington, Computer Science and Engineering department. What led you to that and how has being a professor changed you?
Brett: UW asked me to teach years ago, and I accepted thinking it would be fun, and I was right. But I also learned that the time needed to teach in academia is way more than you could ever expect. I have been teaching and instructing for over 30 years now, but UW was my first-time teaching at a graduate level setting, which meant that I kept the tempo up, which also meant that I had to keep up with everything! My personal goal was to make sure everyone gained 100% from the program and be motivated to keep learning after graduation. I met some exceptional students in the program, in that some were already top in their current fields of software development and others I know will be.
ADF Bret: You’ve taken hundreds of hours of training from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). Do you have any advice for officers and agents considering training at FLETC, NW3C or other similar training programs?
Brett: The most important aspect of training is to take it when you can get it, because opportunities don’t come at you when it is convenient. Especially if you are already in government, grab the training now because it is not as plentiful in the private sector as you have it in the government sector.
Before I left law enforcement, I had over 2,000 hours of formal training, in a chair in classrooms across the country. On top of that, I had too many hours of on-the-job training to count. Then the practical experiences from case initiation-to-court. After I entered the private sector, all of that trained grinded to a near halt because corporate spending is tighter than public tax dollar spending. Now, I carefully evaluate every training expense, not just because of funding, but because of time. It’s a different world, so my advice for those in LE now, is to grab the training when you can get it because you don’t know when you can get it later.
ADF Bret: What do you think forensic investigators and examiners can do better?
Brett: That’s a tough one, because of perspectives. With where I am at now, I can choose who to work with, which clients I want to accept, and the types of cases I want to work. Because of this, I choose to work with really good folks and companies and tend to only see highly skilled and professional (as in also nice) people. With this, everyone is practically helping everyone else to be better and to work good cases and incidents.
But I am certainly aware of that some of us can do things better. Communication and mentoring are probably the two most important suggestions that I can give. If we communicate effectively and help each other, we can each grow in skills and competence. It’s a win-win when you help someone else perfect a skill or learn a process that they didn’t know before you showed it.
ADF Bret: You spend a vast amount of time helping others improve themselves. How do you want to improve yourself in the next year?
Brett: Next year, I want to be better. That is about all I can say for next year because I go day-by-day. My goal for today is to learn something that I didn’t know yesterday or do something a little better than I did yesterday. Or maybe encourage someone today for them to do better tomorrow. I want to focus daily on the little things for constant improvement, even if the forward movement is only an inch.
ADF Bret: Do you have any thoughts or predictions on how IoT, AI, machine learning, robotics, drones and the like will impact the role of forensic investigators and examiners in the coming years?
Brett: More work! Crimes will be the same as it is only the tools that facilitate crimes that change. I believe it will be easier to solve cases because data propagates likes bunnies, which means evidence is strewn everywhere, and this makes it harder, if not impossible to destroy, hide, or prevent evidence from being discovered. I can’t wait to do my first case on a robot!
ADF Bret: Where can people see you speak or teach in 2019?
Brett: I have one USA presentation confirmed at CTIN at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. I have a few tentative overseas potentials to work out. But I am always “on demand” at a Patreonpage with online courses ?.
ADF Bret: What do you like to do for fun?
Brett: Traveling to neat places with my wife is probably my number one go-to for fun. Taking pictures and flying a drone all over the world is pretty cool, especially since my favorite person likes coming along too.
I'm also a member of the Marine Corps League and hold a few positions in a local detachment - the Puget Sound Marines. For any Marine or Navy Corpsman, I can't recommend an organization more worthy to join to help veterans. And kids! Being part of an organization that puts toys into the hands of thousands of kids during the holidays makes the year's effort well worth it.
ADF Bret: Do you have a favorite Netflix or podcast binge?
Brett: When Breaking Bad ended, I thought my binges would end, so then of course it resulted in re-watching Black Mirror episodes, just to keep me up at night.
ADF Bret: You live in Seattle, Washington. Do you have any recommendations for investigators or examiners who might be planning to attend the CTIN Digital Forensic conference or the Northwest Internet Crimes Against Children conference later this year?
Brett: This year, CTIN is at Microsoft, so that is quite cool. You’ll be at the company that develops the operating system that we typically exam all the time. The list of speakers is really good too, and there’s not one speaker that wouldn’t like you to walk up and introduce yourself to them.
I presented at ICAC a few years ago, again at Microsoft, but won’t be there for the next conference. I can say that if you have never been to an ICAC conference, you should go for more reasons that you should have no issue in justifying. Nothing beats the objectives of ICAC training.
ADF Bret: Brett, thanks so much for all your time and everything that you do to educate and inform.
Brett: More than a pleasure and thanks!
In Accordance With Public Law 110-181 SEC.598; the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the Secretary of Defense to conduct a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and "in conducting the commemorative program, the Secretary shall coordinate, support, and facilitate other programs and activities of the Federal Government, State and local governments, and other persons and organizations in commemoration of the Vietnam War."
The February Detachment meeting has been cancelled due to weather conditions. Stay warm. Drive safely.
https://orange.hosting.lsoft.com/list/ov8ia944/190208BC/74n5iz.vib?a0=705
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Concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion. |
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H Civil R & Judi |
Concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion. |
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H Finance |
Concerning senior citizen property taxes. |
Jan 29 Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM. (2019) |
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H Approps |
Concerning national guard pay in state active service for wildland fire response duty. |
SB 5196(SWays & Means) |
Feb 11 Scheduled for public hearing in House Committee on Appropriations at 3:30 PM Feb 13 Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Appropriations at 3:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Rules R |
SB 5180(SRules 2) |
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H H Svcs & Erly |
Concerning child care supports for military families. |
Jan 29 Public hearing in the House Committee on Human Services & Early Learning at 1:30 PM. (2019) |
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H H Svcs & Erly |
Establishing the military families' access to child care and early learning supports program. |
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H Approps |
Concerning veteran and national guard tuition waivers. |
SB 5755(SHigher Ed & Wo) |
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H Finance |
Providing property tax relief for senior citizens and qualifying veterans. |
Jan 29 Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM. (2019) |
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H Rules R |
SB 5783(STransportation) |
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H Approps |
Concerning the Washington national guard postsecondary education grant program. |
SB 5197(SWays & Means) |
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H Education |
Allowing nonresident children from military families to enroll in Washington's public schools prior to arrival in the state. |
SB 5771(SEL/K-12) |
Feb 14 Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Education at 8:00 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Finance |
Providing a sales and use tax exemption on eligible purchases made on behalf of Washington chapters of the veterans of foreign wars. |
Jan 31 Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 1:30 PM. (2019) |
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H Finance |
Concerning property tax exemptions for service-connected disabled veterans and senior citizens. |
Jan 29 Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM. (2019) |
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H Approps |
SB 5772(SState Govt/Tri) |
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H Rules R |
Concerning the retirement age for state guard members. |
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H HOUSDPS |
SB 5571(SFinancial Inst) |
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H Trans |
Concerning notice to active duty military owners of impounded vehicles. |
SB 5463(STransportation) |
Feb 14 Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation at 3:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Approps |
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H Hous, Com Dev |
Creating an account to be used for purposes of supporting community efforts to reduce development conflicts with nearby military installations. |
Feb 12 Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Housing, Community Development & Veterans at 10:00 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Finance |
Providing property tax relief for disabled veterans. |
Jan 29 Public hearing in the House Committee on Finance at 8:00 AM. (2019) |
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H Civil R & Judi |
Providing for suicide awareness and prevention programs to create safer homes and reduce suicide among service members, veterans, and their families. |
Feb 13 Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary at 8:00 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Hous, Com Dev |
Promoting access to earned benefits and services for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender veterans. |
Feb 12 Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Housing, Community Development & Veterans at 10:00 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Coll & Wkf Dev |
Concerning resident student status as applied to veterans. |
SB 5713(SHigher Ed & Wo) |
Feb 08 Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on College & Workforce Development at 8:30 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Trans |
Modifying qualifications for disabled veterans to receive fee exempt license plates. |
Feb 14 Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation at 3:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Approps |
Concerning veterans' mental health services at institutions of higher education. |
SB 5428(SWays & Means) |
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H Hous, Com Dev |
Concerning tax relief for veterans and service members with disabilities to purchase adaptive agricultural equipment. |
Feb 12 Scheduled for executive session in the House Committee on Housing, Community Development & Veterans at 10:00 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Civil R & Judi |
Concerning veteran diversion from involuntary commitment. |
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H Hous, Com Dev |
Allowing an additional property tax exemption for seniors, veterans, and persons with disabilities leasing land in a mobile home park or manufactured housing community. |
Feb 08 Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Housing, Community Development & Veterans at 10:00 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Hous, Com Dev |
Concerning military spouses. |
Feb 12 Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on Housing, Community Development & Veterans at 10:00 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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H Finance |
Concerning veterans' assistance levies. |
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H Hous, Com Dev |
Concerning eligibility for lifetime veteran's disability passes. |
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H Hous, Com Dev |
Concerning housing and supportive services for homeless and at-risk veterans in rural areas. |
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H Finance |
Expanding a use tax exemption for new Washington residents and nonresident members of the armed forces. |
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H Finance |
Providing tax exemptions for the assistance of disabled veterans and members of the armed forces of the United States of America. |
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S Rules 2 |
Concerning veteran diversion from involuntary commitment through increased coordination between the veterans administration and the department of social and health services. |
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S State Govt/Tri |
Concerning the creation of a property tax exemption for spouses of military members or first responders killed in the line of duty. |
Feb 08 Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections at 1:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S Transportation |
Exempting the flag of the United States from regulations regarding signs, banners, or decorations along or near roadways. |
Jan 23 Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 3:30 PM. (2019) |
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S Ways & Means |
Concerning property tax exemptions for service-connected disabled veterans and senior citizens. |
Jan 31 Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM. (2019) |
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S Ways & Means |
Addressing the linked deposit program. |
Feb 12 Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S Rules 2 |
Concerning the armed forces exceptions for giving notice of termination of a tenancy. |
HB 1138(HRules R) |
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S Ways & Means |
Concerning national guard pay in state active service for wildland fire response duty. |
HB 1137(HApprops) |
Feb 11 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S Ways & Means |
Concerning the Washington national guard postsecondary education grant program. |
HB 1201(HApprops) |
Feb 07 Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM. (2019) |
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S Ways & Means |
Concerning veteran survivor tuition waiver eligibility. |
Feb 14 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S EL/K-12 |
Creating the purple star award for military friendly schools. |
Feb 08 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 8:30 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S Rules 2 |
Authorizing military surplus vehicles to operate on public highways. |
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S Ways & Means |
Concerning veterans' mental health services at institutions of higher education. |
HB 1716(HApprops) |
Feb 14 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S Transportation |
Concerning notice to active duty military owners of impounded vehicles. |
HB 1410(HTrans) |
Feb 07 Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 3:30 PM. (2019) |
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S Transportation |
Increasing the types of commercial driver waivers allowed for military veterans. |
Feb 06 Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Transportation at 3:30 PM. (2019) |
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S Financial Inst |
Creating a military benefit zone program. |
HB 1386(HHOUSDPS) |
Feb 07 Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions, Economic Development & Trade at 8:00 AM. (2019) |
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S EL/K-12 |
Concerning enrollment and course registration access for children of military families. |
Feb 08 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education at 8:30 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S State Govt/Tri |
Creating a work group to study and make recommendations on a monument to honor residents who died in the global war on terror. |
Feb 15 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections at 1:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S Higher Ed & Wo |
Concerning resident student status as applied to veterans. |
HB 1688(HColl & Wkf Dev) |
Feb 07 Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 1:30 PM. (2019) |
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S Ways & Means |
Creating an account to support necessary infrastructure nearby military installations. |
Feb 11 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 3:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S Higher Ed & Wo |
Concerning veteran and national guard tuition waivers. |
HB 1178(HApprops) |
Feb 07 Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development at 1:30 PM. (2019) |
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S State Govt/Tri |
Concerning state contracts with veteran-owned businesses. |
Feb 15 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections at 1:30 PM (Subject to change). (2019) |
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S EL/K-12 |
Allowing nonresident children from military families to enroll in Washington's public schools prior to arrival in the state. |
HB 1210(HEducation) |
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S State Govt/Tri |
Increasing employment opportunities for spouses of military members. |
HB 1328(HApprops) |
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S Transportation |
Concerning gold star license plates. |
HB 1197(HRules R) |
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S Financial Inst |
Concerning funding and uses of the military department active state service account. |
Feb 12 Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions, Economic Development & Trade at 8:00 AM (Subject to change). (2019) |
About 75 Marines across active and reserve Marine forces ended their own lives in 2018.
That figure is the highest it has been in 10 years, the Corps says.
The majority of those cases include younger Marines who have not deployed or seen combat. Roughly 63 percent of the suicides in the Corps in 2018 were Marines 25 years old or younger.
According to Marine Corps Manpower and Reserve Affairs, it was 57 active-duty and 18 reserve Marines who committed suicide in 2018.
GET THE WORD OUT: If you want to subscribe to the GOAL Post by e-mail, send a message to "goalwa@cox.net ". Please pass GOAL Post on to anyone you believe may have an interest in protecting our rights. Better yet, make a couple of copies of this message, post it on your gun club’s bulletin board, and leave copies with your local gun shop(s). PERMISSION IS HEREBY GRANTED TO DUPLICATE OR REDISTRIBUTE GOAL POST PROVIDED IT IS REPRODUCED WITHOUT TEXTUAL MODIFICATION AND CREDIT IS GIVEN TO GOAL. I can be reached at "joewaldron@cox.net" or by telephone at (425) 985-4867. Unfortunately, I am unable to mail hard copy GOAL Post to individuals. Limited numbers of hard copies MAY be available at the Second Amendment Foundation book table at WAC gun shows.
First business first: a gun rights rally will be held on the Capitol Campus next Friday, January 18th,. The rally will be held on the north steps of the Legislative Building and will begin at 9 a.m., ending at 12 noon. The rally is sponsored by the Gun Rights Coalition. (Yes, it’s a Friday, and unlike the people bussed in to attend many liberal rallies, gunnies have to work. Are your gun rights worth a day off?) After the formal presentation, attendees are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the campus layout (the Capitol, or “legislative” building where floor sessions are conducted, as well as the John L. O’Brien House Office Building, the John A. Cherberg Senate Office Building, and the Irv Newhouse Senate Office Building. This is a great opportunity to locate your two representatives’ and one senator’s office and introduce yourself to their legislative aides. Hopefully over the coming session they’ll become familiar with your name and maybe even your face!
The legislature convenes on Monday, January 14th, for its “long” (105 day) session. This is the start of the 66th biennium, which will run through next year (2020). The primary focus of the long session is supposed to be preparation and passage of a two-year budget, but worry not – they’ll find plenty of time for gun control. If their work is not completed, they can be called back by the governor for any number of 30-day special sessions, as happened two years ago with THREE back-to-back special sessions.
Text of newly filed bills can be found at https://app.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/ Also on the bill information page are links to “New Introductions” (daily), and at the bottom, “Bills by topic” and “Bill Tracking.”
Pre-filing of bills for the new legislature begins in December, and there are already a handful of gun-related bills in the hopper.
A complete list of bills under consideration is included below in the “BILL STATUS” section. It also contains the bill’s prime sponsor, the current status of the bill (committee location) and the GOAL position on the bill. Committee abbreviations are provided at the bottom of that section. As this is written there are currently 12 gun bills available for consideration/action.
The following links can be used to contact legislators. Lists won’t be updated until new members are sworn in Monday):
http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Senators/
http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Representatives/
Legislative e-mail addresses are available at http://app.leg.wa.gov/MemberEmail/Default.aspx
The link contains a quick tutorial on providing testimony at public hearings on bills under consideration. I would urge you to read it and consider visiting Olympia to let YOUR voice be heard. http://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/Testify.aspx
BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION:
HB 1010 Disposition of forfeited firearms by WSP Senn (D-41) H.CR&J OPPOSE
HB 1022
HB 1024
HB 1068
HB 1038
HB 1073 Undetectable and/or untraceable firearms Valdez (D-46) H.CR&J OPPOSE
SB 5016 Authorizing armed animal control officers Van De Wege UnAsg SUPPORT
SB 5027 Extreme risk protection orders, under age 18 Frockt (D-46) S.L&J OPPOSE
SB 5050 Sentence enhancement for body armor use in a crime O’Ban (R-28) S.L&J NEUTRAL
SB 5061 Undetectable and untraceable firearms Dhingra (D-45) S.L&J OPPOSE
SB 5062
SB 5072
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 21, 2018
VA’s Benefits Delivery at Discharge program improves service to Veterans
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)program has made significant improvements in disability claim processing over the past year, with most service members who submitted claims through the program receiving decisions within 30 days of discharge.
BDD allows service members to file a claim for disability between 90 and 180 days prior to discharge from active duty, which provides time for paperwork review and medical exams prior to leaving.
“This is an important program for our service members as they transition to Veteran status,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “The faster we can connect our Veterans with the benefits they deserve, the smoother their transition.”
In fiscal year (FY) 2018, the full year of the revamped program, more than 36,000 service members submitted claims through BDD and about 53 percent of completed claims received a decision on their claim within 30 days. In the first month of FY 2019, 3,437 claims were completed with 57.7 percent completed within 30 days.
Throughout FY 2018, the program made continuous improvements, which include:
By participating in BDD, service members ensure that their disability medical exams become part of their service treatment record and that service connection for their conditions may be established as early as possible. Medical conditions can get worse over time and establishing eligibility at discharge may make it is easier to increase disability ratings in the future.
For more information on the BDD program, visit www.benefits.va.gov/predischarge/claims-pre-discharge-benefits-delivery-at-discharge.asp.
###
Very Respectfully,
Paula A. Paige
Office of Media Relations, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Below is the annual listing of Veterans Day community outreach activities. Please feel free to share with fellow Veterans in your respective networks. The includes free meals and other items for Veterans Day 2018. Participating restaurants include Applebee’s, Olive Garden, Golden Corral and more! The whole list is at this link: https://www.thespruce.com/veterans-day-free-meals-1357348?utm_source=emailshare&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons
Best,
Bronwyn Emmet
Public Affairs Specialist
National Veterans Outreach Office
Department of Veterans Affairs
Explore VA today! http://explore.va.gov/
VA amends regulations on VA pension and other needs-based programs
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently amended its regulations governing entitlements toVA pension andParents’ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, which are need-based programs.
“The amended regulations bring consistency to the pension process and ensure benefits are available for Veterans and survivors with financial need,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “They will help maintain the integrity of and provide clarity to our needs-based pension program.”
VA’s pension program provides monthly benefit payments to eligible wartime Veterans and their survivors with financial need.
The pension regulations, which were updated Oct. 18, cover the following:
The changes are intended to ensure VA only pays benefits to those Veterans with a genuine need.
For more information on VA’s pension program, visitwww.benefits.va.gov/PENSION/.
Sincerely,
Heather J. Patterson
Special Assistant to the VSO Liaison
Office of the Secretary
Department of Veterans Affairs
Trump Administration announces decline in Veteran homelessness
Number of homeless Veterans drops 5.4% since last year and by nearly half since 2010
WASHINGTON — Veteran homelessness in the U.S. continues to decline, according to a new national estimate announced today by U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson.
HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report finds the total number of reported Veterans experiencing homelessness in 2018 decreased 5.4 percent since last year, falling to nearly half the number of homeless Veterans reported in 2010.
In announcing the latest annual estimate, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie and HUD Secretary Ben Carson noted that local communities are reporting reductions in the number of Veterans in their shelter systems and on their streets. View local estimates of Veteran homelessness at this link.
“The reduction in homelessness among Veterans announced today shows that the strategies we are using to help the most vulnerable Veterans become stably housed are working,” said VA Secretary Wilkie. “This is good news for all Veterans.”
“We owe it to our Veterans to make certain they have a place to call home,” said HUD Secretary Carson. “We’ve made great strides in our efforts to end Veteran homelessness, but we still have a lot of work to do to ensure those who wore our nation’s uniform have access to stable housing.”
“In ‘Home, Together,’ the new federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness, we redouble our commitment to ending homelessness among Veterans and among all Americans,” said Matthew Doherty, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. “Working together at the federal, state and local level, we can and will continue to make progress until all Americans have a stable home from which they can pursue opportunity.”
Each year, thousands of local communities around the country conduct one-night “Point-in-Time” estimates of the number of persons experiencing homelessness — in emergency shelters, transitional housing programs and in unsheltered locations. This year’s estimate finds 37,878 Veterans experienced homelessness in January 2018, compared with 40,020 reported in January 2017. HUD estimates among the total number of reported Veterans experiencing homelessness in 2018, 23,312 Veterans were found in sheltered settings, while volunteers counted 14,566 Veterans living in places not meant for human habitation.
HUD also reports a nearly 10 percent decline among female Veterans experiencing homelessness. In January 2018, local communities reported 3,219 homeless female Veterans compared with 3,571 one year earlier.
The decrease in Veteran homelessness can largely be attributed to the effectiveness of the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program, which combines permanent HUD rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the VA. HUD-VASH is complemented by a continuum of VA programs that use modern tools and technology to identify the most vulnerable Veterans and rapidly connect them to the appropriate interventions to become and remain stably housed.
Last year alone, more than 4,000 Veterans, many experiencing chronic forms of homelessness, found permanent housing and critically needed support services through the HUD-VASH program. An additional 50,000 Veterans found permanent housing and supportive services through VA’s continuum of homeless programs.
To date, 64 local communities and three states have declared an effective end to Veteran homelessness, creating systems to ensure that a Veteran’s homelessness is rare, brief, and one-time. For a map of the communities that have ended homelessness, go to this link.
HUD and VA have a wide range of programs that prevent and end homelessness among Veterans, including health care, housing solutions, job training and education. More information about VA’s homeless programs is available at VA.gov/homeless. More information about HUD’s program isavailable here. Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless should contact their local VA Medical Center and ask to speak to a homeless coordinator or call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838).
Sincerely,
Heather J. Patterson
Special Assistant to the VSO Liaison
Office of the Secretary
Department of Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON — Yesterday evening President Donald J. Trump declared November 2018 the second annual National Veterans and Military Families Month to “salute the brave and dedicated patriots who have worn the uniform of the United States, and…celebrate the extraordinary military families whose selfless service and sacrifice make our military the finest in the world.”
Beginning in 2017, President Trump proclaimed November Veterans and Military Families Month, marking the first time America celebrated Veterans and military families for the entire month and not just on Veterans Day, in keeping with the President’s strong focus on improving care and benefits to our nation’s heroes.
That tradition continues again this year, with more than 300 events at VA hospitals, benefits offices and cemeteries across the country, including:
• • Senior leader visits to VA facilities
• • Open houses
• • Town halls
• • Benefits claims clinics
• • Volunteer recognitions
• • Homeless Veteran initiative events
• • Suicide-prevention events
• • Faith-based community events
• • Flag planting tributes at national cemeteries
In addition to the local and regional events across the country, VA is conducting a number of national events, including:
• • The annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and leadership breakfast at the National Press Club
• • White House hosting Veterans state and local leadership event Nov. 15
• • Expansion of the ChooseVA branding campaign
• • Legal Services Week during the first week of November, providing free legal services to Veterans in need
• • VetTalkX events in nine locations, which are TEDx-type local activities featuring key Veterans sharing their stories of post-military life and connecting Veterans with their communities, all to help bridge the civilian-military divide.
This year’s celebration of Veterans and Military Families Month caps an unprecedented period of improvement for VA, as the department has made groundbreaking progress over the last two years in the areas of accountability, transparency and efficiency across the department while enjoying an important series of legislative successes.
“At VA, Veterans and their families are at the center of everything we do,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. Veterans and Military Families Month is an opportunity for us to honor the service of these patriots while educating communities about VA benefits and services and our commitment to customer service improvement.”
The full list of national events for Veterans and Military Families month is available at this link.
Sincerely,
Heather J. Patterson
Special Assistant to the VSO Liaison
Office of the Secretary
Department of Veterans Affairs