Nevertheless, with a new contractor on board to design and implement an electronically based claims processing system, the VA has announced that it will begin accepting claims for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits beginning May 1, 2009. The new application process will be fully electronic over a secure Internet connection that can be accessed through VA’s education benefits website (http://www.gibill.va.gov/).

Early enrollments in the new GI Bill program will allow the VA to work out bugs in a process that is expected to have more than 450,000 applicants for higher education benefits in the first year of the program. Complex benefit payment calculations include such factors as the length of active military service since September 11, 2001, the number of credits to be earned , the location of the institution of higher learning and, in the case of private institutions, whether the college or university is taking part in a tuition-reduction program.

Highlights of the Post-9/11 GI Bill program include the payment of full tuition and fees for attending public colleges and universities at a rate equal to the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher learning in the state where the veteran is attending school, a monthly living and housing expense stipend and a book allowance. In addition, service members and veterans will be able to transfer their eligibility for education benefits to certain family members. Being pre-certified as eligible for the new education benefits program will make it easier to complete the enrollment process later this summer when the program is fully launched.

While applications will be accepted soon, there is still some reason for worry that the VA will still not be ready to go on August 1, 2009. The Department of Defense has yet to announce how service members will qualify for transferring unused benefits to a spouse or a child. The VA has indicated that even though there remain unknowns in the final application process, potential enrollees will be encouraged to apply early and that full details are still to come.

Stay tuned to the VetsFirst website for further developments in the Post-9/11 GI Bill program. Our complete guide to VA education benefits will be available shortly.

The VA has recently issued new regulations that establish a *presumption of service connection for veterans who are diagnosed with ALS anytime after their separation from active military service.

ALS is a neuromuscular disease that affects up to 30,000 people in the U.S. It often progresses very quickly and is almost always fatal. ALS causes degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that leads to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy and spontaneous muscle activity. Currently, the cause of ALS is unknown and there is no effective treatment.

The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine (IOM) studied ALS in veterans and found that they suffer from ALS in higher numbers than in the general population. Based on the IOM’s 2006 report, the VA determined that because ALS progresses so rapidly, there may not be time for veterans to obtain the medical evidence that would normally be needed to prove that their ALS is related to their military service. To save precious time, the VA will presume service-connection for veterans who have had at least 90 days of active service and who are diagnosed with ALS anytime after their separation from service.

BUT – THERE IS A CATCH. The presumption will automatically be applied to claims that are filed after September 23, 2008 (the date of the new regulations), or that are pending at the VA, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims or the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit as of that date. This means that if the VA denied a claim for service connection for ALS before September 23, 2008, the VA will not reconsider that claim automatically. The veteran will have to notify the VA about the previous denial of benefits and request that the VA consider the claim under the new regulation.

On September 17, 2008 the Senate passed a massive defense bill that includes a pay raise for military personnel. The bill was passed despite objections to billions of dollars in special projects lawmakers had added.

“Seven weeks from Election Day, blocking the measure in wartime was not a political risk many senators were willing to take. The measure passed 88 to 8 after negotiations on amendments failed at midday.”
Read the entire article at Washingtonpost.com

Certain injured service members with limited mobility would benefit from these extraordinary animals while they remain on active duty. He is proposing a two-year pilot program to test the concept.

What do you think?

Some background on dogs in the military:
There are already a few dogs who have been deployed to Iraq as therapy dogs:

Says Major Stacie Caswell, commander of the 85th Medical Detachment, “Dogs have been the unsung heroes of our war efforts. Bringing therapy dogs into Iraq will take dogs to the next level on the battlefield. The therapy dogs will be another method that our Combat Stress teams can use to break down mental health stigma and assist soldiers.”
You can read this entire story at http://www.vetdogs.org/.

“American Airlines is charging troops for their extra baggage, a practice that forces soldiers heading for a war zone in Iraq to try to get reimbursement from the military. One of the country’s largest veterans groups is asking the aviation industry to drop the practice immediately.”

Read the entire article at:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/aug/12/soldiers-pay-bag-fee-on-travel-to-war/

It was my honor and privilege to represent the United Spinal Association at a farewell salute to members of the New Jersey National Guard’s 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on Saturday, June 14.

As a former soldier who went through basic training at Fort Dix 19 years ago I looked forward to my first return to the base in all that time. I loved my time in the Army. Under its challenging instruction I received top-notch training that built my self-esteem and allowed me to develop friendships that only military camaraderie seems able to produce. But I served in the peacetime army. The men and women I went to honor were going to war.

Few things make me prouder as an American than the reverence we have for the men and women of our military. Their discipline, hardship and self-sacrifice are emblematic of the greatest aspects of human nature. In ceremonial display these ideals were personified June 14 by the men and women of the 50th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Their precision marching, patient attention to the speeches of their commanders and overall sense of fellowship evoked a warm sense of pride from all who were in attendance. From the F-16 flyover to the jump of the National Guard parachute team to the eventual dismissal of the troops, the combination of military exactitude and patriotism on display that day flowed over the field and radiated throughout the stands. For the men and women of the 50th — the unit is nicknamed "The Jersey Blues" — this was no mere act of symbolism. As the ceremony closed and the day’s events turned to family time, with an afternoon picnic and barbecue put on by the Army, one could not help but see a different side of the situation. Broken apart from the unit, tabled with wives and mothers and children, concern for what would take place overseas and the future of loved ones became the overriding theme of the afternoon.

As the Chair of a Veterans Service Organization, it is my responsibility to focus on making sure these men and women get the care they have earned when they return home from their tour of duty in the Middle East. The Veterans Administration can be tough to deal with, and at United Spinal we make sure to give these returning heroes the help they need navigating through the VA’s treacherous waters. While the men and women of The Jersey Blues enjoyed some quiet time with their families that afternoon it was my pleasure to circulate among them, letting them know that when they get back home, we’ll be here to help them. I was glad to be able to give them a place to turn should they ever have future difficulties. No veteran should have to worry about labyrinthine VA regulations when filing for properly-earned benefits. At United Spinal it’s our great pleasure to make sure these veterans get the benefits they deserve. They’re entitled to it.

VetsFirst now offers a helpful online guide to Separating From The Military.
You can read it at: http://www.unitedspinal.org/publications/vetsfirst/military-separation-guide/

Because of the complexity of the transition and VA benefits matters, having an experienced veterans service representative is always an advantage. Going it alone unnecessarily risks an unsuccessful outcome at virtually every stage of the proceedings. Professional representation enhances the chances of receiving a favorable results at the outset, thereby eliminating the need for time-consuming appeals.

VetsFirst, a program of United Spinal Association, offers the assistance of highly trained and experienced veterans service representatives absolutely free.

For assistance or advice please contact: vetsfirst@unitedspinal.org

“Severe brain trauma can trigger epilepsy in as many as 30 percent to 50 percent of the brain-injured soldiers”

The post further suggets that many of these vets are being honorably separated from the military with a pre-existing  personality disorder discharge, and that this type of discharge, Regulation 635-200, Chapter 5-13: Separation Because of Personality Disorder, would result in loss of any future VA health care.

Read the entire article at E. is for Epilepsy
Read more on the personality disorder discharge.

June 12, 2007

"Our men and women in uniform serve this country everyday and the very least we owe them is a fair tax policy," Senator Kerry said. "Our military leaves behind their families and their businesses without complaint, yet we have a tax system that often punishes them if they serve overseas and collect combat pay. This new legislation would fix that, and make it easier for veterans to buy a home and keep up their small businesses while they are serving oversees. …"