"VMW" Chapter #6 News and Updates
The White House and Congress have reached
an agreement on the new GI Bill.
The bill will now be included in the Emergency Supplemental Funding for the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan. The House of Representatives gave their overwhelming stamp
of approval to the plan on Thursday afternoon with a vote of 416-12. Once the Senate
passes the updated version of the bill, it will go to the President's desk for his signature.
in the House was planning to stall the bill on a technicality. But people like you have
shown extraordinary support for this bill over the past several weeks. By keeping
the pressure on the President, you truly made a difference.
mentioned your impact when he said, "I would like to again express my
appreciation to the veterans' service organizations, many of whom
communicated their support of this bill directly to a skeptical White
House."
The White House and members of Congress put aside their differences to come
together and show real support for our troops. This fight will be remembered
as a great example of Washington choosing patriotism over partisanship.
away from the 64th anniversary of the original GI Bill being signed into law.
I'd like you to know how inspiring your support has been throughout this fight.
If more convenient, you can download the application from the Pa. Department of Veterans Affairs @ www.persiangulfbonus.state.pa.us.
Any questions, please call 1 - 866-458-9182
Department of Veterans Affairs VA Benefits for Servicemembers Entering the Physical Evaluation Board This fact sheet provides important VA benefits information for servicemembers entering the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) process. You may call 1-800-827-1000 to learn more about applying for these and other VA benefits or to locate the nearest VA office where you can receive personal assistance. You may also visit VA’s web site at http://www.va.gov for more information.
What Is VA Disability Compensation?
Disability compensation is a monthly benefit paid to veterans for disabilities incurred or aggravated during military service. The amount of benefit varies based on the degree of your disabilities and the number of your dependents. Entitlement is established from the date of separation if your claim is filed within one year following separation from service. Receipt of military longevity or disability retirement, disability severance pay, or separation incentives can affect the amount of VA compensation paid.
What VA Health Care Benefits Are Available?
VA provides free health care to veterans with combat service for conditions possibly related to military service for a period of two years, beginning on the date of their separation from active military service. Additionally, one-time dental treatment is available up to 90 days following separation if you were not provided treatment within the 90-day period preceding your separation. VA health care is also available while on active duty in emergency situations and upon referral by military treatment facilities or TRICARE. Veterans with disabilities that VA determines are related to their military service are entitled to free lifetime health care for those disabilities and are assigned to priority groupings in the VA health care system.
What Is Important to Know About VA Insurance Benefits?
Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is low-cost life insurance for servicemembers and reservists. Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) is a program of post-separation insurance and allows servicemembers to convert their SGLI coverage to renewable term insurance. If you have an SGLI policy and are totally disabled when you separate from service, you may be able to keep your SGLI coverage for up to 2 years at no cost. Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) is a disability rider to the SGLI program that provides automatic traumatic injury coverage to all servicemembers covered under the SGLI program who experience certain severe losses due to traumatic injuries. If you have suffered such a loss, call 1-800-419-1473 to learn how to make a claim for the TSGLI benefit.
What Other Disability-Related Benefits Are Available?
Automobile Allowance - Servicemembers and veterans may be eligible for financial assistance to purchase a vehicle and/or adapt a vehicle to accommodate certain qualifying disabilities (e.g., loss or permanent loss of use of one or both hands or one or both feet and certain other mobility or vision impairments) incurred during active military service.Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) - Servicemembers awaiting discharge from the service because of a disability may be eligible for VR&E services to assist in becoming suitably employed or achieving independence in daily living. An individualized rehabilitation program is developed based on your needs and abilities. Additional information is available at http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre. Home Modifications - VA has programs available to help veterans with certain disabilities acquire a home with special features to accommodate their disability-related needs or to make special adaptations to their existing homes.
For More Information, Visit Our Web Site at http://www.va.gov or Call Toll-FreeDisability Benefits/General Information: 1-800-827-1000 Insurance: 1-800-669-8477
Education: 1-888-442-4551 Health Benefits: 1-877-222-8387
Policy and Program Management – August 2006
Everyone with a PTSD claim should read this Info about C&P Exam.
Best Practice Manual for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Compensation and Pension Examinations
More information put together by Paul Kasper can be found on the USS Benewah website:
http://www.ussbenewah.com/VAClaims.htm
and on Paul's web site:
http://vietnamresearch.com/index2.html
Current Vet News
VA HOT LINE
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----------------------------------------------------------------- Women are an important and vital part of each branch of our Nations military. VMW invites you to join our forum to discuss and advocate for comprehensive care for women veterans.
Senate OKs 2.8 percent hike in vets COLA Ariz. Sentinels of Freedom ease access to aid, services Amy Brooks The Arizona Republic May. 19, 2008 12:00 AM Ryan Job, a Navy SEAL, lost his sight in Iraq. Donovan Spieth, in Army Special Forces, came home confined to a wheelchair. They needed help. They got it. Job, 27, and Spieth, 28, are the first two disabled veterans accepted by Sentinels of Freedom's Arizona chapter, founded in 2007. The Sentinels help give new starts to disabled veterans. "They're just fast-tracking a lot and making a lot of things happen," Spieth said. "But the great part about the organization is just the pride of doing it yourself." The Sentinels appreciate the veterans' motivation. "The whole idea is not to give them a hand out, it's to give them a hand up," said Howard Lein of ReMax Excalibur, which helped raise about $200,000 to bring Job and Spieth to Arizona. Sentinels gave Spieth a $25,000 pickup truck with a crane that lifts his wheelchair into the truck bed. Job has an office with a special computer for the blind at ReMax, where he goes several times a week with his dog, Trey, to do online course work. Spieth and Job are working on bachelor's degrees in business through a distance-learning program. "The only reason I'm in school now is because the Sentinels forced the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) to push the paperwork through," Job said. Job, who wanted to be a pilot, said he's contemplating working in defense. Spieth said he's learning as much about entrepreneurship as he can. But he said he would like to help other veterans. "It would be nice to get into that type of work to change a lot of the dead weight that soldiers have to face when they come back," he said. Previously career military men, Job and Spieth said they were "jumping through hoops," struggling to cut through the VA's red tape. Job was shot in the face in Iraq, which severed both optic nerves and damaged his right eye socket. "I go through countless appointments related to surgeries that I need for my eye," Job said. "I have to pay money to fix combat injuries. I think that's unacceptable. " After serving in Iraq, Spieth was sent to Germany, where he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. The once-elite soldier can't walk and has limited use of his arms. Job moved from San Diego to Scottsdale in June with his wife, Kelly, who is a graduate student in nursing. "The Sentinels program has been great because we would've moved here knowing nobody," Job said. "I would've stayed at my house and worked on my classes for two years. And I would've been a hermit." Spieth moved to Scottsdale in January. Lein said the Arizona Sentinels hope to bring in a veteran every two to three months. While the group has enough mentors, although he said more donors are needed. Much of the money comes from private donors and corporations that Lein said will ultimately employ the soldiers. "I think that in the end the real solution is for corporate America to recognize that when these men and women are retrained, they have a probability of being some of the best, most loyal employees," Lein said. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Reference: http://www.law. cornell.edu/ uscode/17/ 107.shtml
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