Paul Rieckhoff, of IAVA, clears up their stance on the above report, with a press release from IAVA:
IAVA Statement Regarding GI Bill Benefits
NEW YORK - The recent article, “Veterans groups want cap on tuition aid under new G.I. bill,” printed in the Virginian-Pilot, grossly misstated the position of IAVA regarding the new GI Bill benefit by implying we are seeking a reduction in the value of that benefit. There is already a cap on the benefits available under the new GI Bill – it is a cap that varies wildly and unfairly by state. IAVA supports a fairer, national ceiling which would increase the benefit for many veterans who wish to attend private colleges or universities, and would have no effect on anyone attending a public school. Ideally, there would be no cap. But if there is a cap, it should be fair and generous.
The new GI Bill is intended to give every veteran access to an affordable college education, but the VA’s recently-issued regulations have made the benefits system both confusing and unfair. Right now, a veteran attending a private school in Arkansas might end up tens of thousands of dollars in debt, while a veteran across the border in Texas, with identical tuition costs, gets their school paid for. Besides being inequitable, the system is confusing. Under the VA’s patchwork system of tuition and fee benefits, veterans will not be able to make educated decisions about the costs of attending school. IAVA has recommended a simpler system that would increase benefits for thousands of students attending private school, leave the benefits to public school veteran-students unchanged, and would dramatically improve the benefit’s fairness. A complete breakdown of our recommendations is available at http://iava.org/iava-in-washington/legislative-agenda.
Since 2004, IAVA’s mission has been to improve the lives of troops, veterans and their families. IAVA was at the forefront of the fight for a new GI Bill, and we will continue to work closely with the VA and with Congress to resolve these and other oversights within the new GI Bill regulations, so every Iraq and Afghanistan veteran gets the benefits he or she has earned.
Any veteran seeking more information on the new GI Bill and their benefits, or to give us feedback, should visit us at www.GIBill2008.org.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 125,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.
My Thanks to Paul for sending out this Press Release!!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
IAVA Statement Regarding GI Bill Benefits
The new Physical Disability Board of Review
The new Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) will examine each
applicant's medical separation, compare DoD and VA ratings, and make a
recommendation to the respective Service Secretary (or designee.) The military
records will be corrected effective the original date of execution of the
Physical Evaluation Board's separation action. This is the same rule for
BCMR/BCNR corrections.
To be eligible for PDBR review, a service member must have been medically
separated between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2009 with a combined
disability rating of 20 percent or less, and not found eligible for retirement.
There are significant differences between this new PDBR review and a Board for
Correction of Military (or Naval) Record (BCMR/BCNR) review. These differences
are outlined and explained on the back of the application.
While the Air Force is the lead for the PDBR process, case tracking and
reporting, a joint
service board will conduct the evaluation and review of each
case. Applicants will not be able to appear in person, but may include any
statements, briefs, medical records or other supporting documents with their
application. After the document review is completed and a final decision is
made, each applicant will be notified of the decision and any further
information regarding a change of rating.
The application form, DD Form 294, Application for a Review by the Physical
Disability Board of Review (PDBR) of the Rating Awarded Accompanying a Medical
Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States is now available for
download.
The VA Form 3288, Request for and Consent to Release of Information from
Individual's Records, must be completed and submitted along with the DD Form
294. You can download this form at the bottom of this web page. If this form
is not signed and submitted, it may delay the
processing of your case.
You may contact the PDBR intake unit at the following address:
SAF/MRBR
ATTN: PDBR CENTRAL INTAKE & TRACKING UNIT
550 C STREET WEST STE 41
RANDOLPH AFB TX 78150-4743
Please keep in mind that this office cannot discuss the merits of your
application. You may wish to contact your local veterans' service
organization for advice or guidance.
For more information, go to http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil/ and search for
"PDBR"
VA looking to make payments to Filipino vets as soon as possible
VA looking to make payments to Filipino vets as soon as possible
WASHINGTON — Kaua‘i-born Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki recently announced a new benefit for Filipino Veterans who aided American troops in World War II — a cash payment authorized through the newly enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a VA news release states.
Claims are now being accepted from Filipino veterans eligible for one-time payments of $9,000 for non-U.S. citizens and $15,000 for Filipino veterans with U.S. citizenship. The Department of Veterans Affairs is working to begin making payments as soon as possible.
VA and the Embassy of the United States in Manila have announced locations in the Philippines where veterans can apply immediately. The list has been posted at manila.usembassy.gov.
To receive information by mail, United States residents may call 1-800-827-1000. Philippine residents may call 632-528-2500 (within Metro Manila) or from outside Manila at 1-800-888-5252. In addition, Filipino veterans may request information via e-mail at iris.va.gov.
The VA Regional Office in Manila will process all claims for this benefit. U.S. residents should mail the application to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Regional Office, PSC 501, FPO AP 96515-100.
Extensive outreach is planned to alert World War II Veterans throughout the Philippines. Claims must be submitted by Feb. 16, 2010, a year after the bill’s signing.
The payments do not affect other benefits Veterans may be receiving. The VA regional office in Manila currently provides approximately $15 million monthly in monetary benefits to Veterans residing in the Philippines. About $8 million of this goes to Filipino World War II Veterans or their survivors each month.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Post-deployment programs helping soldiers cope
Post-deployment programs helping soldiers cope
By Pat Bywater
ERIE — The message from the Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center is simple, but its impact on veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their families and their communities will be far reaching.
“When you come here we have a program set up for you with people who understand where you’ve been,” explains Jim Miller, manager of the Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Program.
In recognition of the fact that each conflict leaves behind a distinct set of physical and mental wounds, and that help is often most easily accepted from people who have served in those conflicts, VA Medical Centers like Erie have established OEF/OIF programs and are working to staff them with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Miller is a perfect example of this movement in action. The Erie native’s 20 years as an Army mental health officer included time in Afghanistan. In addition, the program’s physician assistant is a veteran of Iraq.
Their presence is a key plus in reaching out to and quickly and efficiently addressing the needs of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans across the region. It also can help those veterans feel comfortable as they seek help.
The shared history “carries of a lot of weight,” said Miller. “You develop a relationship faster and that’s important in ensuring the timeliness of care.” Already a little more than 1,100 veterans from the medical center’s coverage area — Crawford, Erie, Venango, Warren, McKean and Ashtabula, Ohio, counties — are receiving care through the program, and that number is expected to rise as National Guard troops from this region have been called up and are currently serving a tour in Iraq.
The program helps veterans through its Post-Deployment Case Team, a group of specialists trained to recognize and address physical and mental wounds unique to Iraq and Afghanistan. Each veteran is assigned a medical doctor, a behavioral health specialist and a case manager who conduct an evaluation. Then the team members meet to discuss the results. If additional care is needed, the veteran may be assigned to the Polytrauma Clinic, which handles physical injuries, or to counseling. Depending on the veteran’s needs, this help may be provided at the Erie medical center or at one of the county clinics in the center’s coverage area. The team then follows the veteran through his or her ongoing treatment.
In order to ensure veterans are aware of the program, the medical center has established an outreach program that has personnel meeting with military units from the area before and after going overseas. Families are also included in these meetings. In addition, staff members attempt to contact every veteran known to the program in person or by phone at least once a year. Representatives of the program also do outreach with clubs, organizations and at events. This Saturday, for example, representatives of the program will be at the Downtown Mall in Meadville from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Crawford County Community Trade Show.
Outreach at such events is key because many veterans returning to the area are discharged from their units elsewhere and come home alone. The medical center has no way of tracking these individuals, so unless they make themselves known, the center’s representatives have no way of knowing they are in the community.
The outreach efforts mark a major change in how Veterans Affairs does business, according to Rich Moore, a Vietnam-era veteran who is staff assistant to the director for special programs at the Erie medical center.
When Moore left the service decades ago, “I was given very little information about VA benefits. The rest was simply picked up by luck,” he said. “Today there is a world of difference. The VA is very active in getting out there and telling veterans about their benefits.”
Pat Bywater can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at pbywater@meadvilletribune.com.
You can go
Center helps with psychological health, traumatic brain injury
Center helps with psychological health, traumatic brain injury
2/19/2009 - FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFNS) -- A new 24-hour outreach center now provides information and referrals to military service members, veterans, their families and others with questions about psychological health and traumatic brain injury.
Operated by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, which falls under Tricare Management Activity, staff at the center are available around the clock, 365 days a year, by phone at 866-966-1020 and by e-mail at resources@dcoeoutreach.org.
"We're providing 24/7 support to assist callers with questions regarding psychological health and traumatic brain injury," said Brig. Gen. Loree K. Sutton, M.D., director of DCoE. "Getting the best possible information and tools, hassle-free, will empower and strengthen warriors and their families to successfully manage what can be confusing and disturbing circumstances."
The center can deal with everything from routine requests for information about psychological health and traumatic brain injury, to questions about symptoms a caller is having, to helping a caller find appropriate health care resources.
"If we need to research a question, we'll do the legwork and quickly reconnect with callers," General Sutton said. "We welcome feedback on how we can better meet the needs of those we are so privileged to serve."
The DCoE Outreach Center is staffed by health resource consultants and nurses, most with master's degrees. In addition to answering questions, staffers refer callers to contact centers in other parts of the Department of Defense, other federal agencies, and outside organizations when appropriate. Other contact centers also refer callers to the DCoE Outreach Center.
The center serves members, leaders, veterans and healthcare providers of all the uniformed services as well as their families.
DCoE promotes resilience, recovery and reintegration of service members facing psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues, and works to advance research, education, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. More information is available at http://www.dcoe.health.mil.
Officials remind Tricare beneficiaries who need help locating and making appointments with behavioral health care providers that there is help. The Behavioral Health Provider Locator and Appointment Assistance Service is available for active duty service members and their enrolled family members living in the United States.
Active duty service members must have a referral from their primary care manager for behavioral health care before calling the managed care support contractor appointment assistance line. The regional toll-free numbers are: West Region, 1-866-651- 4970; North Region, 1-877-747-9579; and in the South Region the number is 1-877-298-3514. Hours vary according to region.
Additional information is available under the mental health and behavior section of the Tricare Web site at http://tricare.mil/mybenefit.
Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)
Thompson awards local man's efforts in health care for veterans
Thompson awards local man's efforts in health care for veterans
Donna Tam/The Times-Standard
Posted: 02/21/2009 01:30:19 AM PST
Click photo to enlarge«1»
Even after he has long retired from the service, veteran Jack Alderson continues to fight for the men who fought with him.
A former member of the United States Navy, Alderson has been working for the last 10 years to ensure that his men and others affected by covert biological and chemical weapons testing done by the Department of Defense during the 1960s and 1970s get the health care they deserve.
Alderson was the commander of a group of light tugboats in the northwest Hawaiian Islands during the testing.
”For him, it's not really about him, it's about the men he still feels responsible for,” Alderson's daughter Sheree Shapiro said Friday after North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson presented her father with a surprise award at the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka's luncheon. Shapiro said when her father retired about 10 years ago, the cause became his full-time job.
”This guy's a real hero,” Thompson said as he was presenting the award acknowledging Alderson's hard work and dedication.
”We've got a lot more to do and I want you there by my side,” Thompson said before the room gave Alderson a standing ovation. The Rotary Club added to the award by donating $200 to Disabled American Veterans in Alderson's and Thompson's names, adding that they were taking additional donations from any members who wanted to contribute as well.
Thompson said it was only with Alderson's help that he and Congressman Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., were able to introduce the bill that provides health care to veterans subjected, many unknowingly, to biological and chemical weapons tests. Until several years ago the Department of Defense never admitted the tests took place.
The tests were conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs, who now have to assume that the toxins used in the weapons tests of Project 112 -- which included classified military operation Project Shipboard Hazard and Defense, or Project SHAD, in which chemical and biological agents such as VX nerve gas, sarin nerve gas and E. coli were tested with the help of Alderson and his crew -- caused injury to veterans, making them eligible for medical benefits and compensation for their conditions.
A Ferndale resident, Alderson himself has experienced malignant melanoma, prostate cancer and high blood pressure, which he believes were the direct result of Project SHAD.
Shapiro said she is immensely proud of her father who continues to respect his country and government to this day despite what happened to him.
Wearing a tie featuring tiny anchors and the words, “Don't give up the ship,” Alderson accepted the award and said he wants to continue fighting for the rights of all those affected by the covert tests, including the widows of men who have died from ailments linked to the tests.
Alderson said he continues on because of his men and their dedication to their duty and praised Thompson for his willingness to listen and work with him.
”I have so much respect for the Congressman Mike Thompson. We owe him a lot,” Alderson said.
Donna Tam can be reached at 441-0532 or dtam@times-standard.com.
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Congrats Jack and thanks for all you do for your fellow veterans
Soldiers still waiting for tour bonuses
Soldiers still waiting for tour bonuses
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has not started complying with a law requiring the payment of monthly bonuses of up to $500 to soldiers forced to remain on active duty beyond their enlistment period, military officials said.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman acknowledged the five-month delay in paying the bonuses and said the Defense Department is working on a plan to start paying the almost 13,000 soldiers currently under the Army's stop-loss orders. Although Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to end the policy, the number of soldiers affected has risen since the middle of 2007.
Congress added $72 million to pay for the bonuses in its plan for the budget year that started Oct. 1. The money was to be paid after the Pentagon submitted a plan outlining how the payments would be made.
But no plan has been provided, Rob Blumenthal, a spokesman for the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Friday.
"It is unacceptable that the Department (of Defense) has failed to construct a plan for issuing these payments," said Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense. "Stop loss is nothing more than a backdoor draft, and … if the Defense Department is going to insist on holding servicemembers under stop-loss orders, then they should be compensated for their service."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Iraq | Pentagon | Army | Department of Defense | Bryan Whitman | Senate Appropriations Committee | Congressional Research Service | Rep. John Murtha | D-Pa | Afghanistan Veterans of America | House Appropriations Subcommittee
Paul Rieckhoff, executive director and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the Pentagon is "dragging its feet" on implementing the pay bonus.
Since 2002, the military has relied on stop loss to keep its most skilled and experienced troops in the service. The Army is the only service that has used it in the past five years, according to a Congressional Research Service report released last month. The number of soldiers affected by stop loss peaked in 2005 at 15,758.
Gates first directed the Army to minimize the use of stop loss in January 2007. However, after falling to 8,540 in May 2007, the number of soldiers on stop loss has risen to almost 13,000 in December 2008, Army records show.
That's almost 10% of the total number of soldiers deployed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Congressional Research Service report shows.
Gates directed Army leaders in January to present a comprehensive plan for ending the stop-loss policy, Whitman said. Gates is due to be briefed on those plans this week, Whitman said.
"Senior officials are disappointed that the recent trend has been going in the wrong direction with respect to the numbers (of soldiers currently stop-lossed)," Whitman said.
