Category Archives: VA

Transitionnews 12/20/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Friday, December 13th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Support system lifts Mo. vet out of homelessness  (AP)  James Snorgrass stood at the corner of a Columbia intersection, waiting for the bus to arrive at 7:10 a.m. A knee-length parka was wrapped around his slender frame. An insulated hat covered his salt and pepper hair.

Transition

AT&T Continues Hiring Drive In Tennessee; More Than 130 Jobs Currently Available; Military Veterans Sought   (The Wall Street Journal)  AT&T* today announced that the company is seeking applicants to fill more than 130 jobs in the Tennessee, including nearly 50 new jobs. The positions will be primarily focused on customer service, retail and technician positions and are a result of AT&T’s continued investment in Tennessee.

Pa. State Police to military vets: come on board, your experience will count  (PoliceOne.com)  State police hope to entice active military personnel, veterans and full-time cops to join its ranks by allowing them to replace college credits with work experience.

Ecotech Institute Selected as a Top Military-Friendly School in Military Advanced Education’s 2014 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities  (MarketWired)   Military Advanced Education (MAE) has awarded Ecotech Institute the designation of a Top Military-Friendly College in its 2014 Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities. The guide is available in print and online at http://www.mae-kmi.com.

Air Force envisions smaller force to preserve readiness  (DCMilitary.com)  Discussing upcoming budgetary variables during a Pentagon news conference recently, the Air Force’s top civilian leader for the past six months addressed the inevitability of a smaller force.

Veterans

Veterans in legal trouble celebrate completion of special court program  (Ventura County Star)  Carolin Maples was overcome with emotion as she stood Thursday in front of a packed Ventura courtroom.

Veterans council formed in Ruidoso  (Ruidoso News)  At the urging of resident and veteran Vic Currier and following the lead of the city of Alamogordo, Ruidoso village councilors approved forming a Ruidoso Veterans Advisory Council to provide leadership in the community, to advise on issues involving the military, to sponsor events and programs, and to continue to foster a closer relationship with all branches of the armed forces.

Veterans Healthcare Expansion  (KATC.com)  The Department of Veterans Affairs approved new regulations making it easier for veterans to receive health care and compensation for certain illnesses that are linked to traumatic brain injury, like Parkinson Disease, Dementia, Depression, seizures and Hormone deficiency.

Disabled veterans get more time to apply for property tax exemption  (SooEveningNews.com)  Disabled veterans across the state got an early Christmas present this week, announced Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency Director Jeff Barnes.

Veterans receive keys to new homes in Islandia  (Newsday.com)  Six military veterans were handed keys Thursday to new homes built just for them in Islandia through a joint effort of area home builders and a local technology company.

Veterans group fights to keep cross at Mt. Soledad Memorial  (Examiner.com)  The Mt. Soledad Memorial Association (MSMA), represented by Liberty Institute and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, has filed notice of appeal of a district court’s order requiring the removal of the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross.

Marine Corps veteran’s bid for pardon  (WXOW.com)  Marine Corps combat veteran Eric Pizer of Madison has commendations and medals, but feels his professional future hinges on something that’s out of his grasp, so far: a pardon from Governor Walker.

Jimmy Harding, Business Strategist, Urges Entrepreneurs Support Wounded Warrior Project  (Baystreet.ca)  Wildly successful business growth strategist Jimmy Harding challenges entrepreneurs to understand the importance of giving generously to nonprofit organizations – especially during the holiday season.

Veterans Affairs

VA cyber saga continues as audit shows continued holes in network security  (Federal News Radio)  As the Veterans Affairs Department tries to reassure and explain to House lawmakers the steps it’s taking to protect veterans’ data and agency networks, a new audit shows long-standing holes in the network continue to put veterans’ data at risk.

Conway Jones to Head County Veteran Affairs Commission  (The Post News Group)  Retired Air Force Colonel Conway Jones has been elected chairman of the Alameda County Veterans Affairs Commission.

Iraq veterans find the war at home is with red tape  (Los Angeles Times)  Glenda Flowers stood at the edge of a crowd of angry veterans at San Francisco’s War Memorial building. They had been waiting months, even years, to hear whether they would receive disability benefits, and they were tired of excuses.

Benefits

Veterans Affairs offers dental insurance program  (Char-Koosta News)  The Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with Delta Dental and MetLife to allow eligible veterans, plus family members receiving care under the Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA), to purchase affordable dental insurance.

Paul Ryan Mum on Proposal to Fund Veterans’ Pensions by Cutting Illegal Alien Tax Benefits  (Breitbart)  Reps. Martha Roby (R-AL) and Mike Fitzpatrick (R-PA) have introduced a legislative plan to protect veterans’ pension benefits from the slashes they would receive if cuts from the recently-passed budget deal ever materialized.

Veterans groups say military cuts should prompt Obama budget veto  (The Washington Times)  Two veterans groups demanded Thursday that President Obama veto the budget bill Congress passed earlier this week, saying that the cuts to military retirement benefits — which even the bill’s authors now admit were a partial mistake — are an insult to former troops.

Military Retirement Restoration Act Protects Benefits, Closes Corporate Tax Loophole  (HispanicBusiness.com) U.S. Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (PA-13) today joined her colleagues in introducing the Military Retirement Restoration Act to protect military retirees from cuts to cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that were included in the recent bipartisan budget agreement.

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Transitionnews 12/19/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Thursday, December 19th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Man donates $10,000 to help cheated veterans  (KATU.com)  A man has stepped forward to donate $10,000 to veterans who said they were cheated out of their wages.

Volunteers renovate Springfield house for veterans  (WWLP.com)  Dozens of Western Massachusetts volunteers from Home Depot helped renovate a Springfield house for homeless veterans.

Transition

Marine Corps: Guaranteed careers for staff sergeants at risk  (Navy Times)  Staff sergeants may no longer be guaranteed a 20-year career and full retirement benefits, according to Manpower & Reserve Affairs officials.

Pennsylvania State Police Changing Cadet Eligibility Requirements  (PR Newswire)  In an effort to entice active-duty military members and veterans and those with full-time law enforcement experience, the Pennsylvania State Police announced today they are changing cadet admission eligibility requirements, effective immediately.

Labor Dept. grants funds to support JBLM transitions   (Business Examiner)  The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the award of a $5,586,385 National Emergency Grant to assist approximately 900 transitioning military personnel at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Chris Sorenson on Triple Canopy’s Intl Contracts and His Transition From the Military to Private Industry  (Executive Biz)  Chris Sorenson serves as COO of Reston, Va.-based mission support, security, training and advisory services company Triple Canopy.

Service members are assisted with transition  (Davis-Monthan Air Force  Base News)  So you’re getting out of the military and you’re trying to figure what’s next for your life. The initial thought that comes to most people’s mind is what am I going to do first.

AF announces additional force management programs to reduce force size  (Holloman Air Force Base News)  Air Force leaders announced force management programs Dec. 11 designed to reduce the force by thousands of Airmen over the next five years as a result of sequestration.

Veteran and Spouse Transition Workshop  (KIROTv.Com)  The Veteran Transition Workshop is available to our veterans and spouses whether they are currently going through their Transition Assistance Program (TAP) or have been out of the military for some time.

Veterans

Veterans Group Appeals In Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Fight After Court Orders Cross Removal  (The Sacramento Bee)  Liberty Institute, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP and the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association Fight to Preserve Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross and the Symbol of Selfless Sacrifice It Represents

Building free homes for wounded vets  (CNN)  Alexander Reyes’ boyhood dream of a military career ended when he was hit by an improvised explosive device during a patrol a few years ago in Baghdad.

Impart exhibition at Torpedo Factory: Ceramics offers hands-on healing for veterans  (The Washington Post)  From the sculpture at the Art League’s Impart ceramics exhibition, twisted, chunky plumes of dark clay emerge from the top of a man’s head. The face grimaces in torment; the shapes are swirling, grotesque.

College campuses help centralize veteran services  (Gazette.net)  Montgomery County is looking to its public colleges to link to military veteran services, on and off their campuses.

Whitman School Announces M.B.A. for Veterans Program  (Syracuse University News)  In the post-9/11 environment, many talented young people who entered military service find limited supports when re-entering the civilian community.

Veterans One-Stop Center shows success  (WIBV.com)  Many of the men and women or the U.S. Armed Forces come back to civilian life with unique struggles.

Veterans Affairs

VA decreases benefits backlog nationally; St. Paul office part of solution  (TwinCities.com)  Far fewer veterans are facing long waits for disability compensation after the Department of Veterans Affairs spent six months focusing on the backlog, including mandating case worker overtime and rolling out a new computer system.

Veterans Affairs director visits Veterans Home  (Quincy Journal)  Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Erica Borggren visited the Illinois Veterans Home in Quincy Wednesday morning.

Malone veterans’ clinic will close  (Press Republican)  Congressman Bill Owens says nothing can save the veterans outpatient clinic in Malone from closing in a few months.

VA says claims backlog down 36 percent since March  (Government Health IT)  Department of Veterans Affairs’ Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey says the Veterans Benefits Administration is putting a big dent in the backlog of Veterans’ disability compensation and pension claims.

Benefits

Budget pact survives military-retiree fight  (Market Watch)  It’s a quarrel that’ll be remembered as only a minor footnote to the passage of the new two-year budget compromise, which cleared the Senate today by a 64-36 vote.

Senators want to restore military benefits  (WAVY.com)  Sen. Mark Warner has proposed legislation to restore military retirement benefits that would be cut in the Bipartisan Budget Act.

Patty Murray: ‘Technical error’ that cuts disabled veterans benefits will be fixed  (Washington Examiner)  Sen. Patty Murray said a “technical error” in the bipartisan budget deal accidentally would cut pension benefits for retired disabled military veterans, but vowed the problem will be fixed immediately.

Average 2014 Housing Allowance Will Rise 5 Percent  (Military.com)  The Defense Department on Tuesday said housing benefits will increase by an average of 5 percent next year.

Social Security Disability, Veterans Benefits to Increase in January with COLA, Allsup Reports  (Insurance News Net)  Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program participants and other Social Security and veterans beneficiaries will see a slight increase of 1.5 percent in January when the annual cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, takes effect, according to Allsup.

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Transitionnews 12/18/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Wednesday, December 18th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Disabled Veterans National Foundation and G.I. Joe Coffee Team Up to Help Aspiring Veteran Entrepreneurs  (PR Newswire)  The Disabled Veterans National Foundation (www.dvnf.org), a nonprofit veterans service organization that focuses on helping men and women who serve and return home wounded or sick after defending our safety and our freedom, is pleased to announce G.I. Joe Coffee as a new sponsor. G.I. Joe Coffee, an Arizona-based company that is Veteran-owned and Veteran-operated, is a new startup that aims to use its profits to benefit those who have served in the military.

Transition

Labor Department Provides Grant for 900 Transitioning Troops  (American Forces Press Service)  The Labor Department today announced a $5,586,385 national emergency grant to assist about 900 transitioning military personnel from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., the largest military base on the West Coast.

Air Force announces rollbacks to speed separations  (Military  Times)  The Air Force on Tuesday is releasing a list of more than 90 enlisted airmen who will be separated by the end of May — as much as a year early — through date-of-separation rollbacks.

Army Cutting Nearly 4000 Captains and Majors  (Outside the Beltway)  As we transition to a peacetime force, the Army is going to force some 4000 mid-career officers to retire early.

Veterans

Cuyahoga Community College Will Offer $500 Scholarships to Veterans  (NPR)  Cuyahoga County this summer set aside unused veterans service dollars to go back to veterans.

EGSC to open Military Student Resource Center  (The Forest Blade)  East Georgia State College is opening a new Military Student Resource Center in January. The  center is dedicated to providing active duty, reserve service members, veterans and dependents of service members with convenient high quality services.

Veterans sleep outside to raise awareness for homeless  (WLS Chicago)  Despite our cold weather, more than 20 veterans are sleeping outside Monday night to raise awareness of homeless veterans and to raise funds.

‘Saddles For Soldiers’ Program Finds Success Treating PTSD In Veterans Through Horse Bonding  (CBS Los Angeles)  It is estimated that at least 22 war veterans, returned from duty, are killing themselves each day in the U.S. according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Cavalry at Home: A soldier’s wounds and a will to live  (The News Tribune)  Spc. David Matakaiongo can’t shed the feeling that he’s still in Afghanistan.

Veterans Affairs

Limtiaco Working With Veterans Affairs Office to Help Vets Process Claims  (Pacific News Center)  Senator Limtiaco is working with the Veterans Affairs Office to set up satellite kiosks in senatorial offices to assist with Veterans Benefits Claims processing.

2 Florida Men Sentenced in Fraud Scheme Targeting Veterans Affairs  (NBC Miami)  A former repair contractor with a Florida property management company has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in defrauding a Department of Veterans Affairs mortgage program.

Benefits

Goodwill® Aligns With The VA To Help Veterans Access Benefits  (The Sacramento Bee)  Web portal helps military veterans and their families manage benefits and claims online.

Budget Bill Clears Senate Test, Cuts Military  (Fox News)  A two-year budget deal cleared a key Senate test vote on Tuesday, despite last-ditch efforts by Republicans to strip a provision that cuts into military retiree benefits, setting up a final vote in the Senate no later than Wednesday.

Year-end agreement: Budget heads to final passage  (Associated Press)  Year-end legislation to ease Congress’ chronic budget brinkmanship and soften across-the-board spending cuts moved to the cusp of final passage Tuesday, a rare display of Senate bipartisanship that masked deep Republican misgivings about slicing military retirement benefits.

Medical retirees included in COLA reductions  (Military Times)  Military personnel who are medically retired — those with combat or service-related injuries so severe they were offered full military retirement pay and benefits — would see their retired pay cut as a result of the 2013 Bipartisan Budget Act, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said Tuesday.

Budget deal cuts benefits for disabled veterans, says top Senate Budget Republican  (Washington Examiner)  Disabled military veterans will see their retirement benefits cut under the budget deal passed in the House of Representatives and pending in the Senate, according to the top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee.

Senate GOP fails in final bid to restore military pension cuts to budget bill  (Fox News)  A final effort by Senate Republicans to halt cuts to pensions of military retirees failed late Tuesday, after Democrats blocked an amendment to the controversial budget bill.

Senate Votes Down Plan To Restore Veterans Benefits  (National Journal)  The Senate on Tuesday blocked a Republican-led effort to preserve approximately $6 billion in benefits to working-age military retirees, ensuring the cuts will remain a part of Congress’ broader budget deal.

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Tommy Atkins

Posted by Mike Grice on

In a rather disappointing turn of events the Congress has decided that retired veterans will lose the 1% Cost Of Living Adjustment (COLA) that was included in the pension benefit package for those who serve for over twenty years.  Despite the promise made by the nation to those who served the flag for so long, the expedience of the political process has made the cut a fait accompli.  It is not particularly surprising that veterans will surrender benefits to pay the nation’s bills, but what is surprising is that the cut is being made while Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen are fighting and dying in active combat in defense of the nation and its principles.

Unfortunately, it is likely a harbinger of things to come.  It is also far from unprecedented.  Rudyard Kipling, the British adventurer and poet, wrote about how his fickle nation views the military as personified by its ubiquitous soldier, Tommy Atkins:

I went into a public-‘ouse to get a pint o’ beer,

The publican ‘e up an’ sez, “We serve no red-coats here.”

The girls be’ind the bar they laughed an’ giggled fit to die,

I outs into the street again an’ to myself sez I:

    O it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, go away”;

    But it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play,

    The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,

    O it’s “Thank you, Mister Atkins”, when the band begins to play.

 

I went into a theatre as sober as could be,

They gave a drunk civilian room, but ‘adn’t none for me;

They sent me to the gallery or round the music-‘alls,

But when it comes to fightin’, Lord! they’ll shove me in the stalls!

    For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, wait outside”;

    But it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide,

    The troopship’s on the tide, my boys, the troopship’s on the tide,

    O it’s “Special train for Atkins” when the trooper’s on the tide.

 

Yes, makin’ mock o’ uniforms that guard you while you sleep

Is cheaper than them uniforms, an’ they’re starvation cheap;

An’ hustlin’ drunken soldiers when they’re goin’ large a bit

Is five times better business than paradin’ in full kit.

    Then it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, ‘ow’s yer soul?”

    But it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll,

    The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,

    O it’s “Thin red line of ‘eroes” when the drums begin to roll.

 

We aren’t no thin red ‘eroes, nor we aren’t no blackguards too,

But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;

An’ if sometimes our conduck isn’t all your fancy paints,

Why, single men in barricks don’t grow into plaster saints;

    While it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Tommy, fall be’ind”,

    But it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind,

    There’s trouble in the wind, my boys, there’s trouble in the wind,

    O it’s “Please to walk in front, sir”, when there’s trouble in the wind.

 

You talk o’ better food for us, an’ schools, an’ fires, an’ all:

We’ll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.

Don’t mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face

The Widow’s Uniform is not the soldier-man’s disgrace.

    For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ “Chuck him out, the brute!”

    But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country” when the guns begin to shoot;

    An’ it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an’ anything you please;

    An’ Tommy ain’t a bloomin’ fool — you bet that Tommy sees!

Sadly, although this poem was penned over a century ago it still bitingly resonates.

Transitionnews 12/17/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Tuesday, December 17th 2013:

Good news story of the day

Helping veterans — one smile at a time  (The Herald News)  The rotting and cracked teeth were more than just a cosmetic problem, though. They were painful.

Transition

Survey aimed at understanding veterans’ first civilian jobs  (Stars and Stripes)  Veterans unemployment has dropped steadily over the last two years, but no one knows whether the jobs they are finding are any good.

AT&T Continues Hiring Drive In Louisiana; Nearly 240 Jobs Currently Available; Military Veterans Sought  (Market Watch)  AT&T* today announced that the company is seeking applicants to fill nearly 240 jobs in Louisiana, including more than 80 new jobs. The positions will be primarily focused on retail, technician and customer service jobs and are a result of AT&T’s continued investment in Louisiana.

SolarCure Announces Military Veterans Hiring Initiative  (Yahoo Finance)  SolarCure Chief Executive Officer Mike Ferraro and Founder Ray Saluccio announced today a new veterans hiring initiative designed to offer veterans, military spouses and wounded warriors a “Boots to Boardroom Career Lifeline” into the growing Green Energy sector. As part of the SolarCure Veterans Hiring Initiative, the pledge expands a goal in 2014 to offer meaningful careers for an estimated 100 veterans across the nation.

Virginia sanctuary helps veterans heal  (Daily Herald)  The war followed Scott Botts home.

Veterans

Wells Fargo and Military Warriors Support Foundation say Happy Holidays to Military Veterans with Home Donations at College Bowl Games  (Business Wire)  Wells Fargo (WFC) and the Military Warriors Support Foundation (MWSF) will spread holiday cheer to military veterans by announcing home donations during eight college bowl games.

US, Manila ink pact to repair ash-covered veterans cemetery   (Stars and Stripes)  U.S. and Philippine officials signed an agreement Monday for Washington to restore a cemetery north of Manila where the graves of thousands of American service members and dependents have been covered in ash since Mount Pinatubo’s 1991 eruption.

Suits for Troops benefits WNY vets  (Buffalo Law Journal)  As the saying goes, the suit makes the man.

Veterans, beer brewer team up to support Vets4Vets  (Great Falls Tribune)  About a month before the Veterans Stand Down in September, organizers were told they might lose about $3,000 in funding for facility rentals.

Wreaths for Veterans Continues  (KULR8.com)  Wreaths for Veterans continues Monday with a stop at Riverside Cemetery.

Death rate unusually high for young veterans  (Los Angeles Times)  Mark Tyree was chasing death.

Veterans Affairs

VA eases rules for claims on some TBI-related health problems  (Stars and Stripes)  Veterans Affairs officials are easing disability filing rules for brain injured veterans with additional combat complications like depression, dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

VA adds five diseases to be covered with traumatic brain injury  (Examiner.com)  Some Veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) who are diagnosed with any of five other ailments will have an easier path to receive additional disability pay under new regulations developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans in 9 cities have to wait more than a year for claims to be addressed  (The Washington Post)  Disabled veterans in Reno, Nev., have to wait an average of more than 14 months to have their claims addressed, according to data compiled by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans in Baltimore wait more than 13 months for their disability claims to be resolved.

VA proposes pension regulations rewrite to provide more clarity  (Fierce Government)  The Veterans Affairs Department will rewrite its regulations for veteran benefits claims and pensions to make them more clear and coherent, a Nov. 27 Federal Register notice of proposed rulemaking says.

Benefits

3 GOP Senators: Ryan-Murray Budget ‘Unfairly Targets’ Military  (Newsmax.com)  A bipartisan budget deal that has passed the House is facing some Republican opposition because it penalizes members of the military while protecting civilian federal employees, according to three GOP senators.

Chuck Schumer compares senators paying more under Obamacare to military retirees having benefits cut  (Washington Examiner)  How’s this for sacrifice? Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., believes that members of Congress have made personal fiscal sacrifices comparable to the cut in retirement benefits that military retirees are facing, because lawmakers have to pay more for health care under Obamacare.

Cuts for military retirees costing GOP support for budget deal  (The Washington Post)  GOP lawmakers and military groups have lined up against the bipartisan budget deal making its way through Congress because of a provision that would trim pay for young military retirees.

Reform of military retiree benefits is a hard battle for federal government  (The Washington Post)  Not all military retirees fought in combat, but as a group they certainly know how to attack any legislative plan that cuts into their pensions.

Military Partners and Families Coalition Joins Efforts To Protect Commissary and Exchange Benefits  (Business Wire)  The Military Partners and Families Coalition (MPFC) has joined The Coalition to Save Our Military Shopping Benefits, which now represents nearly 2 million service members – active duty, National Guard and Reserve, retirees, and veterans – and their families.

Vt. man sentenced for false veterans benefits  (Boston.com)  A Vermont man has been sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay over $24,000 for submitting false mileage reimbursement claims for travel to a VA hospital.

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Transitionnews 12/16/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Monday, December 16th 2013:

Good news story of the day

A dedication for those who sacrifice  (The News Virginian)  Just over a month ago, one local student saw his hard work pay off at Wayne Hills Center. Isaac Edwards, a 13-year-old eighth grader at Kate Collins Middle School, spent his Veterans Day morning at Wayne Hills as a 40-foot flagpole was erected as part of his Eagle Scout project. Edwards raised almost $3,700 for his project through donations.

Transition

Making a smooth transition to a post-military career  (The Oconee Enterprise)  Leaving the military is like leaving home for the first time. Upon discharge, service members are faced with the question of: “What’s next?”

Goodwill programs help veterans transition into workforce  (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)  Jerry Jones spent 16 years maintaining multimillion-dollar equipment at U.S. Air Force bases around the world.

CivilianJobs.com’s Resume Matching Process Reinforces 2014 Military Job Fair Schedule  (Virtual-Strategy.com)  CivilianJobs.com matches transitioning military job seeker resumes to open positions for companies attending job fairs.

New order defines separation rules  (Military Times)  The Corps has overhauled its manual governing how Marines retire or are separated from the service, with broad changes that cover everything from transition assistance requirements and involuntary separation protections for career officers to drug use and sexual ­assault.

Businesses step up their efforts to hire veterans  (The Columbus Dispatch)  It took Francisco “Frank” Miranda, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, about three years to find a job in the civilian world that was a good fit.

Welsh: Budget deal doesn’t end need for force cuts  (Air Force Times)  The proposed budget deal for the next two years would not change the need to issue force management guidelines, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh told reporters Friday.

Job Front: Sacramento State center offers support to veterans  (The Sacramento Bee)  For returning veterans, coming home can be a tough transition. Readjusting to the civilian world, looking for work, going back to school – all pose unique challenges.

Veterans

Veterans vow to fight order to remove cross overlooking San Diego  (CBS News)  A veterans association that built a massive cross overlooking San Diego as part of a war memorial plans to fight a federal judge’s order to tear it down, a lawyer for the group said on Friday.

Veterans disappointed in lack of legislation for 2013  (Stars and Stripes)  The House wrapped up its legislative work for 2013 on Thursday without finalizing any major veterans initiatives, a disheartening footnote for some advocates pushing issues they thought had bipartisan support.

Veterans force IRS to retreat from invasive requirements  (U.S. Finance Post)  Once again America’s veterans have showed the rest of the public that standing up can make a difference, this time against one of the most feared agencies in the country, the Internal Revenue Service.

The war next door: Can a vet with PTSD come home?  (Stars and Stripes)  The man in the grainy surveillance footage strides through the sleepy cul-de-sac with purpose, like someone in command of his own destiny.

Instructor’s work benefits students, vets  (The Grand Island Independent)  For Grand Island Senior High students who are part of the Career Pathways Institute program at the Central Community College-Grand Island Campus class work involves learning how to perform specific kinds of welds with expertise.

Veterans Affairs

Over time, new computer system put dent in VA benefits backlog  (The Berkshire Eagle)  Far fewer veterans are facing long waits for disability compensation after the Department of Veterans Affairs spent the past six months focusing on the backlog, including mandating case worker overtime and rolling out a new computer system.

Worth VA director understands veterans’ needs  (GlobeGazette.com)  Brett Schmidt, a retired career veteran of the Iowa National Guard, is using his military experience to help veterans in Worth County receive benefits and services to which they are entitled.

VA program works to find homes for heroes  (Courier-Journal.com)  Valerie Bridges’ orderly life seemed to be coming apart.

Washington veteran struggles after leaving the service  (Observer-Reporter.com)  “Join the Navy and see the world” has long been a recruiter’s enticement, but it doesn’t always lead to exotic lands.

Two years later, Hot Springs is still fighting to keep its VA hospital  (Rapid City Journal)  Attending one of the recent weekly meetings of the Save the VA group, the same word comes up over and over.

New Rule Could Aid Veterans’ Access to Health Care for Some Traumatic Injuries  (The New York Times)  The Department of Veterans Affairs has approved new regulations to make it easier for veterans to receive health care and compensation for certain illnesses, including Parkinsonism, dementia, and depression, which have been linked to traumatic brain injury.

Benefits

‘Pension poachers’ profit off benefits meant for elderly veterans, widows  (Cronkite News)  Business is booming in a multibillion-dollar government program that offers modest pensions to America’s neediest elderly war-time veterans – and that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Cutting military benefits a poor decision  (The News Viginian)  You don’t balance a budget on the backs of military veterans.

Ryan Defends Reduction to Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Early Military Retirees  (The Weekly Standard)  The two-year budget deal crafted by Republican congressman Paul Ryan and Democratic senator Patty Murray sailed through the House of Representatives on a 332-94 vote last Thursday, just two days after it was introduced.

Republican Senators Battle Budget Cuts Targeting Military Retirees  (National Journal)  A handful of Senate Republicans are balking at a provision in the budget deal that would cut benefits to military retirees.

Trim military commissaries? Them’s fightin’ words  (Omaha.com)  No matter where in the world the Air Force took them, Kim Livingston and her daughter, Shannon, always knew they could count on one familiar thing: a modern commissary well stocked with low-cost American groceries.

Military retirees: Hands off our checks  (Union-Tribune)  Ann Wade, wife of a retired Camp Pendleton Marine officer, watched with alarm as the congressional budget deal was unveiled this week.

Armed Services panel to review retirement changes in budget deal  (The Hill)  Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) said Friday his committee would review the changes to military retirement benefits included in the budget deal before they fully take effect.

Republican Senators Battle Budget Cuts Targeting Military Retirees  (National Journal)  A handful of Senate Republicans are balking at a provision in the budget deal that would cut benefits to military retirees.

Military Retirees Up in Arms over Congressional Plan to Reduce Pensions  (MintPress News)  A bipartisan congressional vote on Thursday cut pay raises for active troops and military retiree pension plans for those who aren’t disabled and under 62.

Ayotte meeting with NH veterans over cuts to military retiree benefits  (The Republic)  New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte is meeting with leaders from veterans’ service groups over cuts to military retiree benefits in a pending congressional budget.

‘Modest’ tag on military pension cuts is disputed  (Omaha.com)  Military veterans associations charged into the fray this week after what they described as a surprise attack on retirement benefits for those in uniform.

Sen. Ayotte joins veterans in opposing cuts to military retirees’ benefits  (New Hampshire Union Leader)  Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, will appear in Merrimack today with leaders from several state veterans service organizations, calling for cuts to military retiree benefits to be removed from a budget deal currently before the U.S. Senate.

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The Second Edition of Orders to Nowhere is now available!

Posted by Mike Grice on

The thoroughly revised second edition of the book Orders to Nowhere is available now!  The 2014 edition contains up to day information on transition and veterans benefits as of December 2013.  It is available in print by following the link below or on the sidebar.

Orders to Nowhere

For those of you who purchased the first edition, please let me send you an autographed second edition as soon as I receive the first shipment of books.  Just contact me using the form below (I have some of your names and addresses already):

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Transitionnews 12/12/13

Posted by Mike Grice on

Transitionnews for Thursday, December 12th 2013:

Good news of the day

Bruce Willis Charity Bike Auction Raises Nearly $25,000 for Military Service Members and Their Families  (PR Newswire)  A year-long online motorcycle auction has raised nearly $25,000—monies that will go toward furthering the Boot Campaign’s dedication to cultivating awareness, promoting patriotism, and providing assistance to military, past and present, and their families.

Transition

Perception May Not Match Reality For Military Members Transitioning To Civilian Jobs, Reveals University Of Phoenix Survey  (The Street)  Military members leaving the service may end up underutilizing their skills when transitioning to civilian careers, according to a new national survey from University of Phoenix.

15-year retirements, enlisted retention boards coming next year  (Air Force Times)  The Air Force unveiled today a sweeping list of voluntary and involuntary force management programs it hopes will reduce the ranks throughout 2014.

Air Force announces personnel reduction initiatives  (Spangdahlem.af.mil)  To the Airmen of the United States Air Force:  We are the best Air Force in the world because we attract, recruit, develop and retain Airmen with the strongest character and commitment to our core values.

Army Vet’s Film to Show Hope, Determination and Transition of Wounded Soldiers  (ABC News)  Ryan Curtis was selected among five talented veterans to produce a film for ABC’s “Home for the Holidays.

Veterans

Ramsey County launches veterans court  (SFGate.com)  A new court in Ramsey County is focused on helping veterans charged with non-violent crimes get their lives back on track.

Group buries America’s unclaimed veterans, one soldier at a time  (Fox News) They served their country, but they died alone.

In Fairfax, a fight to add Veterans Day as holiday to school calendar fails to garner support  (The Washington Post)  Governor Robert Bentley signed an executive order creating the Alabama Executive Veterans Network (AlaVetNet) to address ways to better provide services for Alabama service members, veterans and their families.

Wreaths to be laid at veterans’ graves  (News4Jax.com)  The gravesites of heroes buried in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine national cemeteries will not be empty this Christmas.

Veterans’ tour military sites in Las Cruces  (KTSM.com)  The Vet Voice Foundation (VVF) and local Las Cruces area veterans will be touring sites of critical historic importance throughout the proposed Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument on Friday, December 13.

Veterans Affairs

U.S. Veterans Affairs Lobotomized WWII Vets Suffering From PTSD  (Business Insider)  The Wall Street Journal published an investigation Wednesday into lobotomies performed on World War II veterans, some of whom are now thought to have suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

VA Official Outlines Progress in Reducing Claims Backlog  (Defense.gov)  A senior Veterans Affairs Department official today outlined progress made by the Veterans Benefits Administration in reducing the backlog of veterans’ disability compensation and pension claims by 36 percent since March, attributing the success to the combined impact of transformation initiatives and increased employee productivity.

Senator Questions Stats on Accuracy of VA Claims  (Military.com)  Since pressure was applied by veteran service organizations last year, the Department of Veterans Affairs has claimed that it is not only shrinking the backlog numbers but has raised the accuracy rate of the compensation claims it has completed, to where it’s now at 97 percent.

Study links traumatic brain injury and PTSD  (Stars and Stripes)  Traumatic brain injuries during deployments appear to increase the risk of troops experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after returning home, according to Department of Veterans Affairs-sponsored research published Wednesday.

Governor Bentley creates commission to address delivery of services for veterans  (DothanFirst.com)  Governor Robert Bentley signed an executive order creating the Alabama Executive Veterans Network (AlaVetNet) to address ways to better provide services for Alabama service members, veterans and their families.

Blake’s Veterans pension bills win Senate approval  (GoLackawanna.com)  Legislation introduced by state Sen. John Blake to help veterans who are employed by the City of Scranton more quickly participate in its pension program have won the Senate’s approval.

House Votes to Dig up Veteran Involved in Homicide  (Associated Press)  The House has passed legislation that instructs the Veterans Affairs Department to unearth the remains of an Army veteran buried with military honors after police said he killed an Indianapolis woman and injured three others before taking his own life.

Why Congress Should Fully Fund the VA in Advance  (DefenseOne.com)  Congress is at risk of failing America’s veterans. With single-digit days left in the year’s congressional calendar, several important pieces of legislation to the veteran community remain on the floor of each chamber awaiting a final vote.

Benefits

Budget deal offers stability to Pentagon spending  (SunHerald.com)  Working-age military retirees would see fewer dollars in their federal pensions and the Pentagon would get some long-sought stability in spending under Congress’ budget deal.

Claims errors, long appeals still haunt disabled veterans  (Washington Examiner)  Mistakes and years-long appeals continue to haunt veterans seeking disability benefits even as the Department of Veterans Affairs achieves some success in reducing the backlog of initial claims, key senators warned a top agency official Wednesday.

Heller: Nevada veterans have longest wait for VA benefits  (Las Vegas Review-Journal)   Nevada veterans wait longer than any in the nation to have disability benefits claims completed, U.S. Sen. Dean Heller said at a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday.

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Have a great day!

Another “plan” to reduce retired veteran benefits

Posted by Mike Grice on

I wrote about not long ago about the government’s strong desire to reduce the health insurance benefit for military retirees.  The subject has reared its ugly head again with a renewed attack on retirees who are enrolled in TRICARE, the health care system for military members, their families, and retirees.

As reported in the Marine Corps Times yesterday (you can read the whole article here), Chuck Hagel, the Secretary of Defense, proposed that “working age” retirees should not be able to utilize TRICARE as their primary health care system but instead should be required to use their employer’s plan instead.  TRICARE would only be used as a secondary or backup plan.

Although the proposal is a long way from being written into legislation, it is a strong indicator that veterans are choice targets in the DOD’s battle of the budget.  Should it become law, though, it will be a significant blow to the 1.6 million veteran retirees who are currently enrolled in TRICARE but have not yet reached age 65.

Interestingly, the issue is one that impacts the Department of Defense and not the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is why the SecDef is pushing for the change.  Most benefits for veterans are covered by the VA, but in the case of retirees it is the DOD that pays the bills.  A retiree’s pension comes from the same place that it did when he or she was still in uniform: the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.  TRICARE, the military and retiree health plan, is also covered by the DOD’s budget.

And Chuck Hagel doesn’t like that very much.

The DOD continues to bang the drum of readiness, and as happens at the end of every war the organization focuses inwards to guard as much of the fiscal pie as possible from those who demand that the post-war military machine shrink in response to the wars no longer being fought.

I find that to be as normal as dawn follows darkness, but I also find the scapegoating of retirees to be a bit insulting.  It is OK for the military to squander $34 million on a useless headquarters in Afghanistan that the military commanders on the ground didn’t even want, but it is not OK for the Department of Defense to honor its commitment to those who dedicate decades of their lives to the defense of the nation.  Instead of conducting a thorough and critical review of the hundreds of billions of dollars spent (and often squandered) on defense equipment and service contracts Hagel finds it easier to go after those who actually went into harm’s way than the connected and powerful  who never left the comfort of their own living rooms.

It is an example of the oddly twisted thinking that pervades governmental agencies, and in my opinion it is just as hypocritical as the administration pushing to subsidize healthcare costs for members of congress and their staffs while ignoring small business’s pleas for relief from the costly requirements.

Anyhow, if having my promised access to health care is cut as an expedient to allow the DOD to keep squandering the taxpayer’s dollar, then so be it.

All I ask is for every military recruiter from every branch of service to explain to every prospective recruit and officer candidate that the benefits that they are being promised in exchange for the opportunity to risk their lives are not really promises.

They’re just part of the honorless practice of bait and switch.  I had always thought that we, as a nation, were better than that.

Sadly, I guess not.

So your VA disability claim is settled. Now what?

Posted by Mike Grice on

As I wrote a few weeks ago my VA disability claim was finally settled.  Suddenly, after nearly two years of pushing the rope up the hill, I found myself with one less windmill at which to tilt.

Although I can now put down my lance and put my trusty steed back in the barn, I still find the whole process to be pretty confusing.  In particular, figuring out just what being identified as a disabled veteran means in real terms — meaning just what impact does my rating have on a retiree’s bank account?

It turns out that if you have incurred an injury while serving in uniform, and that injury is determined to be disabling, then you are entitled to compensation from the Veterans Administration.  That compensation is paid directly to the veteran by the VA, which is nice.  It is also tax free, which is nicer.

But, as usual, things are not as simple as they seem.  Particularly for retirees who receive a pension for their 20+ years of service to the nation.  Like me.

In that case, any remuneration that you receive from the VA is offset by an equal deduction from your pension, with the only really difference in your retirement check being the portion from the VA that is tax free.  For example (and this example is in round numbers to keep things easy), if your pension is $1500 per month, you receive a check for $1500 minus any taxes (let’s say 20%, which is $300), or $1200.

Now, let’s say that you receive a disability rating that results in a payment from the VA of $100.  That $100 is not added to your check for a total of $1600.  Instead, $100 of the $1500 that was paid by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) is now paid by the VA, so the total pension amount stays the same.  What changes is how the taxes are computed.

Now you have $1400 that is taxable, which results in a slightly lower tax bill.  Here is the math:

$1400 x 20% = $280 in taxes.

$1400 (from DFAS) + $100 (from the VA) = $1500 (which is your pension amount).

$1500 (pension + VA Disability) – $280 (taxes) = $1220.

Sooooo…..as a retiree you get an extra twenty bucks in your monthly check.  If you are not a retiree, however, you get the full $100.

That seems really odd.  But wait, there’s more!

The reduction of your pension by the disability payment changes at the 50% disability threshold.  If you are rated as having a disability rating of 50% or more, then the bizarre math problem that we just performed goes away.  In that case, you receive your entire pension as well as the complete VA disability amount.

Sounds bizarre, eh?  I’m not making this stuff up!  Really!

It is known as Concurrent Receipt of VA Compensation and Retired Pay.  For a more in depth explanation of the math problems above, you can read all about how it all works by following this link.

For those of you who were wondering how pensions are affected by VA disability benefits, well, now you know.  For those of you to whom this does not apply, thanks for reading anyway!