Transitionnews for Thursday, December 5 2013:

Good news story of the day

WINE COUNTRY: New home gives Army veteran, a double amputee, chance at freedom  (The Press Enterprise)  It’s more than wood, steel, plaster and granite.  The home that was built for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Wallace “Ha’a” Fanene, a double amputee wounded during his service in Iraq, is a chance for a more normal life. It’s freedom. Mobility.

Military Transition

Latest Transition Guide from Stars and Stripes Prepares Service Members for Post-military Civilian Life  (PR Web)  The Stars and Stripes Transition Guide provides military men and women the opportunity to jump-start their transition into civilian life.

Tailored Career Guidance Resource is Free for Sailors’ Lifetime  (Navy.mil)  Sailors planning ahead for an eventual transition from naval service, are encouraged to take advantage of the Kuder Journey career guidance system; a pilot program available through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) that ends enrollments Dec. 31.

Veterans

The Government’s Best-Kept Secret  (Fox Business)   If you ask an elderly Veteran if they qualify for an additional pension from the VA to help pay for their long-term care costs, they will probably tell you, “I’m not eligible because I wasn’t injured in the war.” This is a common misconception, which keeps many Veterans from tapping into a benefit they deserve.

Michael Roof: Veterans Evaluations Services not a scam  (The Daily Journal)  If there is one thing that all veterans can agree upon, it’s that when the Department of Veterans Affairs sends out paperwork, it takes a Ph.D. to decipher it. To add to the complexity, veterans waiting for compensation and pension exams are getting phone calls and letters from a company called Veterans Evaluations Services.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Phoenix VA program gives ASU nursing students career experience  (Downtown Devil)  Students at ASU’s College of Nursing and Health Innovation say the Phoenix Veterans Affairs program at the school has provided them with valuable practical skills.

VA benefits set to slightly increase in 2014  (Federal News Radio)  When veterans and their families, who receive disability compensation and retirement benefits from the Veterans Affairs Department, receive their annual cost-of-living increase next month, for the first time ever, it won’t be rounded down to the nearest dollar.

Slow and sloppy review procedures endanger patients at Veterans Affairs hospitals, GAO finds  (Washington Examiner)  Patients at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals are not being adequately protected from doctors who have histories of providing substandard treatment, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

House lawmakers to examine VA’s handling of disability appeals  (The Washington Post)  House lawmakers plan to examine how the Department of Veterans Affairs is dealing with a growing backlog of appeals for denied disability benefits.

Benefits

Big battle is brewing over move to rein in military pay, benefits  (Omaha.com)  The Pentagon is pulling out its big guns in a fight over the growing cost of compensating the men and women who fight our wars.

Louisiana to process military benefits for same-sex spouses despite state ban  (The Washington Post)  The Louisiana National Guard has reached a deal with the Pentagon to process military benefits for same-sex spouses despite the state’s constitutional ban on recognizing gay marriage.

More veterans eligible for benefits as agent orange perimeter expands  (Oelwein Daily Register)  More veterans of the Vietnam War were recently included to benefit coverage due to Agent Orange Exposure.

Schumer wants to ensure veterans get their benefits  (The Telegram)  Steve Sadlon, a 92-year-old World War II veteran, recently started receiving his property tax benefit for his years of service decades ago.

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Have a great day!