With two GI Bills named the same, it is hard to discern which one somebody is talking about without getting more information. The two GI Bills, both commonly referred to as THE Montgomery GI Bill, are actually two separate GI Bills: the Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (MGIB-AD) and the Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserves (MGIB-SR). While each has the same basic name, they share very few other similarities with each other.

Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty

This is the one most people are referring to when they talk about the Montgomery GI Bill. When a servicemember first enlists on active duty, s/he has the opportunity to either sign up for this GI Bill or decline it. If s/he opts for it, then a $1,200 “contribution fee” is collected via payroll deduction at the rate of $100.00 per month for the first 12 months.

In return, the servicemember gets 36 months of education benefits that can be used while still serving (either alone or in conjunction with Tuition Assistance/Tuition Top-Up) or after getting out. The only stipulation is the 36 months of benefits must be used within 10 years from the date of the servicemember’s discharge.

Right now, a servicemember with at least three years of service would get $1,564 per month to go to school; with less than three years of service, the amount drops to $1,260 per month.

Montgomery GI Bill – Selective Reserve

When enlisting in one of the reserves of the Armed Forces or the National Guard, enlistees can choose this Montgomery GI Bill in return for a six year enlistment, however, it does not require the $1,200 contribution fee.

While the Reserve Component member still gets 36 months of education benefit, s/he has to use it within ten years of receiving his/her Notification of Benefits Eligibility (NOBE) letter or it expires. If the servicemember chooses to stay in less than 10 years, the education benefit expires upon discharge. With this GI Bill, there is no benefit left after discharge.

Currently the MGIB-SR pays a paltry $356 per month to go to school. With either Montgomery GI Bill, the student must pay tuition, fees, book and other education-related expenses, however, with the “Reserve GI Bill”, other financial aid funding may also be available from the Federal or State to help offset education costs.

So while the name is the same, the benefit differs greatly from each other. When discussing the Montgomery GI Bill, be sure to clarify which one you are talking about.

Photo courtesy DVIDSHUB

Every day, I get emails from frustrated veterans trying to use the Post 9/11 GI Bill. If you have been using your veteran education benefits for any time at all, then you know that it can take the VA eight to ten weeks to deposit your first monthly housing allowance payment into your account or for it to show up in your mail box.

In defense of the VA, they are getting better. Since implementing their Long-Term Solution software package, the wait time has dropped. According to VA itself, the average original claim (what you submit when first applying for GI Bill) eligibility wait time is 24 days. However, that doesn’t mean you will see your money in 24 days, but it does get you past the first hurdle – if you are eligible for benefits or not. If you submit a supplemental claim, (a claim after you are already in their system), the wait time is down to six days.

While this is a significant drop from what it was just one year ago, there are things within your control that can prevent your claim from processing, and that just adds more time on the clock before you see any money.

We all “bad mouth” the VA for their inefficiency, but did you know that 50 percent of claims submitted are missing information that either the veteran or school failed to submit? And guess what happens to your claim while the VA is waiting on that information? Yep, it sits until they receive what they need and get your claim back into the processing queue.

Because the trigger to processing a claim starts with your school sending in your Certificate of Enrollment for you, one of the best friends on campus should be your school VA Certifying Official. They are your direct link to the VA; because they have ties to the VA and they can “grease the skids” and make things happen quicker. So to minimize unexpected complications that adds emotional and financial stress to your life, consult (frequently) with your Certifying Official.

For your part, when you submit a form or other correspondence to the VA, make sure you give them everything they ask for (and need) to process your claim the first time. If you don’t, then really whose fault was it that your money is delayed? When it comes to Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, work smarter, not harder.

Photo courtesy Fort Rucker

Yes, you have your Post 9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill that will pay up to four years of college, but let’s face it, not everyone wants to spend that much time in school before getting out into the working world. What if I showed you three great healthcare fields with median yearly salaries of $46,000 or more that only require just two years of schooling. Would you be interested?

While often overlooked, an associate degree can be a very practical approach to pursuing your career goals in half the time it takes to get a bachelor’s degree. Read on for three recommendations that besides paying well, have great earning potential and above average expected growth for at least the next seven years.

1. Radiology Technician

Duties: Duties include performing medical diagnostic tests like MRI scans, X-rays and mammograms.

Work Environment: The work ranges in medical settings ranging from hospitals, to clinics, to private radiology centers. You will be required to pass a radiology licensing exam in the state where you intend to work before you can start working.

Median Salary: $46,210

Employment Change: 89,950 jobs

Expected Growth: 28%.

2. Dental Hygienist

Duties: Dental hygienists clean teeth, examine patients for evidence of oral diseases, take X-rays and provide other preventative dental care. They also educate patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health.

Work Environment: Most dental hygienists work closely with other dental staff in a dentist office settings.  While every state requires dental hygienists licensing, the exact requirements vary by state.

Median salary: $68,250

Employment Change: 68,500 jobs

Expected Growth: 38%

3. Registered Nurse

Duties: In addition to providing patient care, Registered Nurses (RNs) educate patients, family members and the public alike on various health-related issues.

Work Environment: With an associate’s degree in nursing, you could work in a hospital, clinic or home healthcare setting to name a few. RNs must also become licensed by passing a national licensing examination.

Median salary: $64,690

Employment Change: 959,650 jobs

Expected Growth: 26%

With salaries over $46,000 per year, you could earn as much, if not more than, many bachelor degree graduates in other fields. As the baby-boomer population continues to grow, the demand for more healthcare professionals will continue to increase also.

If you are looking for a career in the medical field, but you don’t want to go to school for four years, then you might want to consider one of these great careers that only require two years of schooling.

Photo courtesy Army Medicine

Overall, Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates will increase an average of 3.8 percent in 2013. While active duty members saw their increases on January 1, veterans and family members using Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits won’t see their housing allowance increase until the start of the new 2013/2014 academic year – August 1.

Like the active duty BAH, the Post 9/11 GI Bill housing stipend is rate protected, meaning in areas where rates went down, the decrease will apply only to newly enrolled students or those who change their enrollment. However, students will receive an increase if the BAH rate for their school’s ZIP code went up. This protection ensures veterans and their eligible dependents are not penalized for a decrease in area housing costs.

BAH rates are calculated based on three components:

- area median current market rental rates;
- average utilities, including electricity, heat, and  water/sewer;
- average renter’s insurance rates.

To see if your Post 9/11 GI Bill housing allowance will change or not, go to the BAH calculator.  Just enter your school’s zip code and click on the E-5 pay grade from the drop-down box. Use the “with dependents” rate whether you have dependents or not.

The figure you see is based on full-time student status. If your rate of pursuit is less than what your school considers full-time, then you will have to take the “with dependents”amount, divide it by the number of credits your school considers full-time and multiply by the number of credits you are taking.

Of course, if you are a full-time student taking all your classes online, then your monthly housing allowance is currently fixed at $684. However, by taking just one on-campus class that applies to your degree plan per semester, you can get the full amount – generally about twice the online-only rate.

There is some saber-rattling again concerning GI Bill benefits. For some reason, when it comes to deficit reduction, the conversation gets around to cutting GI Bill benefits. One reason for the focus this time is on “return on investment.” In other words, how many GI Bill users are actually graduating from a four-year college? Part of the issue is there really isn’t any hard facts to base anything on, positive or negative.

Some facts we do know from the VA is that since the inception of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, 817,000 veterans have went to school to the tune of $20 million. We just don’t how many of those graduated. In the Fall 2012 semester, we know 480,000 student-veterans were enrolled as GI Bill users.

To help establish some hard data, the VA and the Student Veterans of America (SVA) have partnered up with the mission data collection with the end-goal being determining accurate graduation rates of student-veterans nationwide.

And of course because the lack of hard data, those for and against the GI Bill have each fabricated many misconceptions and baseless claims about student-veteran success in college, or lack thereof, depending on which side of the fence they are on. Huffington Post reported in October 2012 that 88% of new student-veterans drop out after only one year in school, but how did they arrive at that figure if data is not being collected at a central source? I doubt if they surveyed each and every school in the nation.

But because there isn’t a national database of retention facts, there are a couple of problems working against the GI Bill:

1. The trend seems to be student veterans moving around a lot and thus making nationwide tracking even more difficult. Part of this movement has to do with student veterans starting out at a community college and then after two years moving to a four-year school. With the SVA and VA establishing a nationwide tracking program, this should make tracking student-veterans from year-one to graduation more accurate and visible.
2. In the past, for-profit institutions have been collecting roughly 40%  of GI Bill education benefits from the VA for student-veterans yet are only graduating about 28% of those GI Bill users. This raises the question “Are these schools more interested in the money verses providing a quality education, which leads to a higher drop-out rate?”

One step in the right direction to curb GI Bill predatory marketing is that the VA trademarked the term “GI Bill”. With it now trademarked, no school can use the term GI Bill in their website domain names, thus eliminating schools from disguising themselves as connected with the VA.

However, much more work needs to be done to show the American people that the GI Bill is a good investment in their nation’s veterans and that by using the education assistance that it provides, veterans can become productive and contributing members of society. One thing you can do is to contact your legislators as ask their support for the GI Bill.

Photo courtesy US Army Africa

Is the college degree becoming the new high school diploma – the new minimum requirement for getting even the lowest-level job? In this buyer’s job market for employers, the trend seems to be heading that way, at least in some industries.

“When you get 800 resumes for every job ad, you need to weed them out somehow,” said Suzanne Manzagol, executive recruiter at Cardinal Recruiting Group in Atlanta, and one screening criteria method in this job market seems to be separating those with at least a four-year degree and those without.

For example, take the law firm of Busch, Slipakoff & Schuh in Atlanta. They, like some other employers across the country, hire only people with a bachelor’s degree, even for jobs that do not require a four-year degree.

In their 45-person firm, the four-year degree requirement applies to everyone:

• receptionist
• paralegals
• administrative assistants
• file clerks
• the in-house courier who shuttles documents for $10 per hour.

“College graduates are just more career-oriented,” said Adam Slipakoff, the firm’s managing partner. “Going to college means they are making a real commitment to their futures. They’re not just looking for a paycheck.”

Do you need more proof a college degree is worth getting? According to Burning Glass, a company that analyzes job ads from over 20,000 online sources, many jobs that did not require a diploma in the past — positions like dental hygienists, cargo agents, clerks and claims adjusters — increasingly are requiring one. For example, last year, 39 percent of the secretary and administrative assistant job postings in the Atlanta metro area requested a bachelor’s degree, up from 28 percent in 2007.

This up-credentialing, known by economists as “degree inflation”, could help explain why the unemployment rate for workers with just a high school diploma has widened to over twice that for workers with a bachelor’s degree: 8.1 percent versus 3.7 percent.

So as it looks like this trend will continue, it is even more important now than it was in the past to use your GI Bill benefits and get at least a four-year bachelor’s degree. It is also a proven fact that over the course of a career, a college graduate makes over twice as much money as a non-college graduate.

A recent issue that has been getting a lot of attention is veterans’ state residency status for GI Bill tuition purposes. Servicemembers just getting out of the military are having to pay out-state tuition rates because they have not lived in their chosen state long enough to claim residency, which is most cases requires one year. With bi-partisan legislation recently introduced in the House of Representatives, public colleges and universities would be forced to charge nonresident veterans the in-state resident rate if they want to continue to receive payments from the VA for GI Bill non-resident students attending their schools.

Rep. Jeff Miller, R-FL and Rep. Michael Michaud, D-ME, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman and top Committee Democrat respectively, cosponsored the legislation that if passed would help up to 40,000 student veterans whom are paying the difference between resident and non-resident tuition rates.

The GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act would prevent the VA from approving public colleges and universities who charge veteran students the non-resident rate; both bill cosponsors are from states that are doing just that.

“The men and women who served this nation did not just defend the citizens of their home states, but the citizens of all 50 states. The educational benefits they receive from the taxpayers should reflect that.” Miller said. He went on to say “By offering in-state tuition, service members can attend an institution of higher learning that meets their specific needs without worrying about higher costs which non-residents often must pay”.

If passed, the new rule would take effect on Aug. 1, 2014; the delayed effective date gives schools time to prepare for the change.

While the new legislation would not cost the Department of Veterans Affairs anything, it would have an immediate bottom-line effect at the effective date for schools having high veteran nonresident populations and not complying with the legislation. However with more and more veterans going to school, a trend that is anticipated to continue as the war in Afghanistan starts to wind down and the military draw-down begins., these educational institutions stand to make up this difference with more GI Bill money from the VA due to increased veteran student populations.

Since August, there have been three significant changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill. While none of them have been across-the-board changes, each one does affect a number of GI Bill students.

U.S. Territories Housing Allowance

On August 28, 2012, the VA announced a change in how the Post 9/11 GI Bill Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) would be calculated for the U.S. Territories. Up until the change, the housing allowance for  Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Island and Minor Outlying Islands was fixed at the foreign rate of $1,368 (at the time the change was made; this has since increased to $1,468.) Since the change, the MHA is now based on the E-5 with dependents Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) of $2,450 – a significant increase. This change was due to the diligent efforts of Guam’s Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo.

Private/Foreign School Tuition Changes

The Post 9/11 GI Bill private and foreign school tuition rates undergo a review each year and if warranted, change each October 1st. In the most recent change for the 2012/2013 academic year, the referenced tuition rate went up to $18,077.50 from the previous 2011/2012 maximum yearly rate of $17,500 for an increase of 3.30%. Now the VA has posted the change expected for the 2013/2014 school year. That amount reflects a 5.94% increase which raises the rate to $19,198.31.

So far, the foreign school MHA remains fixed at $1,429.00, except as noted above for students going to school in the U.S. Territories. However public and private school students will see on average an increase of 3.8%. While the New Year started on January 1st, the new MHA rates will not go into effect until the start of the 2013/2014 school year on August 1st.

Satellite School Housing Allowance Change

As reported in an earlier post, the Oregon Institute of Technology satellite campus at Wilsonvillle, OR was successful at getting a separately registered facility code with the VA. Most satellite campuses fall under the main campus zip code as far as calculating the MHA, however, in the case of the Wilsonville campus, housing costs were significantly higher then they were at the main campus in Kalmath Falls, OR, so Wilsonville OIT students were disadvantaged by receiving the lower housing allowance but paying higher housing costs.

While this affects a fairly small body of students, it does set a precedence and provides an in-road for other campuses in similar situations to pursue facility codes of their own.

While these three changes have all been positive, there are rumors in the wind that future changes may not all be this way – especially if the mandated sequestration changes from the Budget Control Act of 2011 take effect.

With all the articles in the news lately about for-profit schools, with their deceitful practices ripping off veterans and military member students using their GI Bills, it is refreshing to hear that the Servicemember Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium has drafted and accepted a Military Student Bill of Rights. The SOC Consortium is a network of over 1,900 education institutions that promise to adopt and bide by consortium rules and governing policies of which the Bill of Rights is one.

In a nutshell, the Military Student Bill of Rights¹ says that all military students – active, SEL RES or veterans – who are attending an SOC-approved college or university, have the basic right to:

•  - Accurate information about a school’s programs, requirements, accreditation, and its potential impact on course transferability.

• - Access basic college/university information and fees without disclosure of student personal information.

•  - Educational planning and career guidance without high-pressure registration and enrollment efforts from institutions.

•  - A clear and complete explanation of course/program enrollment procedures and all resulting financial obligations.

•  - Explore, without coercion, all financial aid options before signing up for student loans or other financial assistance.

•  - Accurate scholarship information, free of misleading ‘scholarship’ offers based on military tuition assistance.

•  - Appropriate academic screening and course placement based on student readiness.

•  - Appropriate, accessible academic and student support services.

•  - Clearly defined institutional “drop/add” and withdrawal policies and procedures including information about the impact of military duties (e.g., mobilization, activation, temporary duty  assignments) on their academic standing and financial responsibilities.

•  - Clearly defined grievance/appeals processes.

These specific rights clearly focus on providing honest and satisfactory practices in three areas:

1. marketing,
2. admissions,
3. student services.

As part of the consortium, SOC institutions also agree to provide adequate access to the range of student services, including:

• - admissions,
• - financial aid,
• - academic advising,
• - delivery of course materials,
• - competency testing,
• - course placement,
• - counseling.

Another long-standing part of the SOC consortium criteria has assured military students attending these schools will have these four things:

1. have a reasonable transfer of education credits, which prevents losing credits and repeating classes when changing schools.
2. have a reduced academic residencyrequirement, meaning no more than25% of a degree requirement would have to be taken in classroom classes on campus.
3. the school will accept credits issued for military training and experience in accordance with the ACE’s Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services.
4. the school will honor credits for nationally-recognized testing programs, such as College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), DSST Examinations, Excelsior College Examinations (ECE).

Check this state-by-state listing to see if your current or proposed school is part of the SOC Consortium. If it is, you can trust that you will be treated fairly. If it isn’t ask questions – lots of questions!

Note 1: Military Student Bill of Rights provided courtesy of the SOC Consortium.

Under current VA regulations, the Post 9/11 GI Bill housing allowance is generally tied to the zip code of the school’s location. However, in many cases, a school may have several satellite locations, but each of those locations do not have a separately registered facility code with the VA, so instead, the housing allowance is based on the registered location of the school headquarters.

What was happening at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) Wilsonville campus was housing costs were much higher than at their school headquarters in Klamath Falls, so Wilsonville students were getting the same housing amount as their Klamath Falls brethren, but paying significantly higher housing costs.

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Reps. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) sent a letter to the VA urging them to make changes to this policy last week.  And surprising so, and in record time I might add, OIT recently announced that the VA had in fact granted the Wilsonville campus their own facility code in an exception to policy that will now allow Wilsonville students a Post 9/11 GI Bill housing allowance more in line with their actual housing costs.

This VA decision could have far-reaching implications as it now “opens the door” for other universities to also petition the VA for facility codes for their current unregistered satellite campuses. The signing Oregon legislative members also urged the VA to make more systemic changes that would make the program fairer for veterans nationwide.

Wyden said in an interview “The VA’s metric for deciding how much veterans going to school on the (Post 9/11) GI Bill receive in their monthly housing allowance does not take into account the higher cost of housing at some satellite campuses. This means many veterans are being shortchanged for choosing to study in more expensive urban areas. While it seems the VA is fixing this on a case-by-case basis at the moment, I will continue to work with my colleagues and the VA to push for a more systemic fix to the problem.  It is good to see the VA willing to take a look at ways to make their housing allowance fairer for veterans taking advantage of the (Post 9/11) GI Bill.”

It is no secret that computing powers our world in everything from developing new products to finance to protection from terrorism, and that is not about to change anytime soon. Below are four great fields that are slated for good growth out to at least 2020.

Homeland Security

September 11, 2001 changed our world forever and as a result, more than 300 schools now offer 75 degrees in this career field. In Homeland Security, you would work with information intelligence to detect and thwart acts of terrorism. Homeland Security degrees include courses on infrastructure, criminal justice, emergency planning, weapons of mass destruction and constitutional issues just to name a few. This field has a growth outlook up to 19% by 2020.

Information Assurance and Cyber-security

In this career field, you also work to detect and thwart acts of terrorism, however, your scope is limited to working with computers and network systems. You would work to detect and protect computer infrastructure from viruses, worms, hackers, terrorism and corporate espionage. From the government to the financial world to telecommunication companies and beyond, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts companies will need 110,300 cyber experts between now and 2020 to protect national security information systems, commercial networks and critical digitized information.

Nanotechnology                                 

This is a relatively new career field, but it stands to be an exciting one – designing, manipulating and controlling micro-structures, products and tools that are invisible to the naked eye. The National Science Foundation predicts a need of 1 million skilled workers in this field by 2015. A bachelor’s degree in nanotechnology would get you into the computer/hardware industry, along with green energy and other related manufacturing and design fields.

Health Informatics  

Also known as either medical or biomedical information, it is a combination of data entry, information security and information technology (IT) all rolled into one field. As clinics, hospitals and other medical professional offices convert paper charts and records over to digitized versions, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts this field to grow at a faster than average rate – 20% to 28% – out to 2020 resulting in a need for 73,700 skilled workers.

If you have an interest in working with computers and networks, and in protecting information, then any of these four career fields would be a good choice. Plus you can use your GI Bill to earn your bachelor’s degree in any of these fields.

One of the valuable attributes of online courses and degree programs is the flexibility specifically designed into them, so they might fit into your lifestyle better than traditional on-campus courses. Most schools offering online degree-producing programs have degrees that range from associate’s to master’s degrees. Many programs require as little as one to two hours per day, three days a week of online time.

The Online Education Option

Most online students follow a traditional college course layout meaning they have a professor, use textbooks, have homework, take exams, etc. However, one of the real advantages of the online venue is its flexibility and higher degree of student networking. To facilitate networking, most online courses use a combination of message boards, videos, forums, e-mail, chat rooms, and textbooks – either in digital or hard copy format.

In a typical online course, the professor posts weekly reading assignments, study questions and schedules chat room time for students to interact and discuss that week’s material. Students are usually required to post study question answers and participate in the chat room. Typically with online courses, you still have weekly deadlines, just as with classroom classes, but instead, you control how you set up your daily/weekly study schedule. Once you are approaching the end of the course, you will have to take an end of course test or write an essay summarizing the course content depending on the level of course you are taking – something online course have in common with traditional classroom courses.

Ensuring Success                        

As with any course online or in a traditional classroom setting, your success will depend on your willingness to apply yourself to your coursework. On average, online students spend about the same amount of time studying as traditional students, so taking courses online is not “easier” from that aspect. It should go without saying (but I’ll say it anyway), it is also essential that you have a strong desire to learn and that you can remain focused on the goal – earning a degree, certification or license that will open career doors for you that would be otherwise be out of reach.

Choosing an Online School

With all the for-profit school notoriety in the news lately, many veterans have a concern about the validity of online schools. While many of the major fully-accredited traditional schools also offer online programs, in addition to their on-campus classes, many of the smaller name schools’ online courses may actually fit better into your budget or lifestyle. Remember as with all post-secondary education, you are buying into what you can learn and not the school’s image. So if the school you are considering meets the criteria below, it may be a good choice for you:

- Will your GI Bill cover the costs of the courses?
- Does your school grant and accept credit for military schools and experience?
- Does the online media methods used fill your needs and are within your computer abilities and network connection speed?
- Does the school have a degree, certification or licensing program that would fulfill your education goals?
- Does your school have a veteran support program where veteran students can interact with each other?

If you have determined that online is the best learning venue for you and you answered most of the criteria questions with a “Yes”, then consider the next step of requesting by mail or downloading a no-obligation, free information packet from your school. Make sure you know tuition, fees and book costs upfront, along with any other education-related costs before signing up with a school.

Let’s face it: Not everyone is cut out to go to a two or four-year college. However, there are several occupations that have great growth potential and only require two years or less of vocational training. The two occupations discussed in this blog post are on the Department of Labor’s high demand list, meaning they qualify for VRAP funding.

Truck Driving

In a few months, you can graduate from a tractor-trailer truck driver training course and be out on the road earning a living. While planes and trains move a lot of goods and material, at some point in the transportation process, it most likely has to go in a truck, either on the front end to get from the point of manufacturer to the transportation head or on the back end from the point of debarkation to the consumer.

As the economy improves, the demand for goods will increase, which will require more trucks and drivers to move goods and material. The Bureau of Statistics predicts a need for 649, 400 truck drivers between 2010 and 2020. The estimated growth for this occupation is estimated to be 20% to 28% – well above average. Right now, there are more than 200,000 truck driving jobs open.

If you like to drive big rigs, be your own boss (for the most part) and spend much of your working time alone on the road, this could be the job for you. If you have the Post 9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill, not only will it pay you to take the course, it will help reimburse you for the costs of the CDL test and endorsements. If you don’t have any GI Bill benefits left to use, you could complete the whole program using VRAP if you meet the eligibility requirements.

If you have military experience driving heavy rigs and you are still serving, you might be able to get your CDL now, so you are ready to get a job driving as soon as you are out.

Diesel Mechanics 

As the trucking industry ramps up due to an improved economy, so will the need for diesel mechanics.  Somebody has to keep all those trucks moving up and down the roads. The Bureau of Statistics predicts this industry will need 87,800 more diesel mechanics between 2010 and 2012. That is a 10% to 19% growth estimate, which is considered average growth.

While the training program is longer than for that truck driving, you can still complete a program in as little as two years at a vocational school and is covered by the GI Bill. If you are using VRAP, only your first year would be covered and you would be responsible for paying for the second year of schooling. But getting half paid for is better than nothing.

Both of these occupations have great growth potential and can get you into a career in as little as two years or less. While neither career is as glamorous as having a college degree, both fill a real need as they facilitate getting goods from the farm or manufacturer to the store shelves.

This seems to be a little-known program that can be a big boost to a veteran’s income while going to school, along with helping other veterans. The VA Work Study Program is open to veteran students who have a rate of pursuit between ¾ to full-time and are in a college degree, vocational or professional training program.

Eligibility Requirements

Besides rate of pursuit, a veteran student must also be using one of the following GI Bill programs to be eligible for the VA Work Study Program:

• - Post-9/11 GI Bill
• - Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty
• - REAP Participants
• - Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve
• - Post-Vietnam Era Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program
• - Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program
• - National Call to Service Participants
• - Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Program

Students in the VRAP program are not eligible for the VA Work Study Program. The VA selects veteran students into the program based on a number of factors including:

• - Applicants with service-connected disability or disabilities rated by VA at 30% or more get priority.
  - The student being able to complete the work-study contract before his or her GI Bill program entitlement runs out.
  - The availability of jobs within normal commuting distance.

The number of applicants selected into the program depends on the availability of VA-related work at the student’s school or in the surrounding area.

Payment

Students accepted into the program generally earn the minimum hourly wage at either the Federal or State level, whichever is more. If selected to work at your school, your school may choose to pay you the difference between what the VA pays and what the school normally pays other work study students not in the VA Work Study Program.

Generally, you can work as many hours as you want, but the total number of hours worked overall cannot exceed more than 25 times the number of weeks in your enrollment period.

Type of Work

VA Work Study Program student generally performs work that relates in some way to the VA. Some examples of work include, but are not limited to:

• - Processing paperwork at your school or VA Office.
• - Performing VA Supervised outreach services.
• - Working at VA medical facilities or at a National Cemetery

The work you are selected to do is based both on the work available and your interests. Money earned is tax-free.

Application Procedures

Apply by completing VA Form 22-8691. Send your completed form to the VA Regional Office responsible for servicing the state where your school is located.

There are many factors worth weighing when you first consider using your GI Bill to go to school. You could be tempted to enroll in the one offering you the most credits for your military training and experiences, but that might not be your best choice. Why? If many of those transferred credits don’t help you work toward your goal, what good are they? Instead, look for the school that offers you the most useable credits.

However, before you know which credits will benefit you, you have to first identify your long and short-term education goals. Once you know your goals, then you can choose which degree program will get you to your short-term goal. Once you have identified your desired degree, you will know which courses you need to graduate and which school will award you the most credits applicable toward your degree plan will be much clearer.

Identifying long-term goals is also important. For example, if you earned a four-year degree in physics, and then decide to go to law school, you most likely won’t have the educational base you need to get accepted into law school, and you will have to take additional courses to meet the prerequisites. You might have to pay for these courses out-of-pocket if you do not have enough GI Bill entitlement left to pay for them. On the other hand, if you had identified your long-term goal before starting on your four-year degree, you would already have all the pre-requisites accomplished and stand a greater chance of acceptance into the program without additional money coming out of your pocket.

While receiving the maximum usable credits for your military experience and training is important, there are other factors to consider. In addition to knowing your long and short term goals, and determining what kind of degree you need to attain your goals, you also have to consider the:

- VA-approved schools that offer your degree.
- School veteran support systems in place to help veteran students.
- Reputation and accreditation of the college or university.

Since many schools are for-profit-only, you have to do your homework first to ensure you are going to get the best education for your GI Bill entitlement. In most cases you only have 36 months of entitlement if you only have one GI Bill, or up to 48 months if you qualify for two or more GI Bills, so you want to get the most “bang for your buck.”

If you are considering starting school and using your GI Bill, examine at these factors before choosing a school. Most  have counselors that stand ready to help you sort through the myriad choices and decisions. Enlist their help; they have the training and experience to help you make the best choices for your life and situation.

Under current federal law, states can only issue a CDL to a legal resident of the state issuing the CDL.  This causes problems with military personnel trying to get their CDL before they get out of the military because they are often stationed in locations other than in their home state. Both the Departments of Transportation and Defense have recognized this portion of the current law as a barrier to veteran employment.

In an attempt to rectify the situation, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) introduced bills, titled the Military Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Act of 2012 (bills S. 3624 and H.R. 6456 respectively) that, if signed into law, would permit a state to issue a CDL to a military member who operates or will operate a commercial motor vehicle, but may not necessarily be a resident of that state due to his/her temporary or permanent duty station being located in that state. To qualify, the military member must be a member of the active duty of the Armed Forces, which includes the Reserves of the Armed Forces, National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, or Coast Guard Auxiliary.

During the last week of September, the Senate passed their version of this bill. In a statement posted on Congressman Bucshon’s website from the American Trucking Association (ATA), Senior Vice President Mary B. Phillips said “American Trucking Associations (ATA) supports passage of S.3624, the Military Commercial Driver’s License Act of 2012, which will be considered by the House on Friday. As Americans we must do everything possible to ease veterans’ transitions from active duty to civilian life, including helping veterans find meaningful employment. Many veterans already have the necessary skills to become professional drivers, and ATA supports legislation that will make it easier, without compromising safety, for these heroes to obtain their CDL.”

On Monday, October 1^st, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the Military CDL Act and it is expected President Barack Obama will sign it into law no later than Oct. 10.

Ms. Phillips went on to say “If enacted, the bill will create an exception allowing states to test and issue commercial driver’s licenses to service members who are domiciled in another state. Veterans need jobs, and the trucking industry needs drivers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected the trucking industry will need 233,000 net new truck and tractor-trailer drivers over the ten-year period from 2008-2018.”

If signed by the President into law, military members eligible for either the Montgomery GI Bill or the Post 9/11 GI Bill, may use their GI Bill to apply for reimbursement up to a maximum of $2,000 for CDL and endorsement  test expenses.

Many Selected Reservists (SEL RES) with deployed credentials are eligible for both the Reserve Education Assistance Program (REAP) and the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Most of them jump on the Post 9/11 GI Bill bandwagon without giving REAP a second thought, but if you are still serving, have one deployment under your belt and are attending only online classes, REAP might be the better choice.

When REAP first came out, a SEL RES would get benefits based on the length of the deployment plus four months. For a typical one year deployment, the servicemember would get 16 months of benefits. Then, the REAP rules changed; now that same servicemember gets 36 months of benefits regardless of the number of months served on a qualifying Title 10 deployment tour.

If you are no longer serving in the SEL RES, then REAP is no longer an option. With a one-year tour or less, you would be at the 50% Post 9/11 GI Bill tier and you would have to pay for the other half of your tuition.

However, if you are still serving, use Federal Tuition Assistance and are in a state where your tuition is waivered for National Guard members, then your tuition is paid 100% in full.  Then it comes down to which GI Bill would put the most money in your pocket – 50% of the Post 9/11 GI Bill Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) and book stipend, or REAP.

Under REAP with a one-year deployment or less, you would get $625.60 per month or $2,502.40 for a four-month semester. Out of this amount, you would have to pay for your own books. Let’s use the Post 9/11 GI Bill book stipend amount below of $250.08 as your book cost for ease of figuring. Under REAP, you would end up with $2,252.32 in your pocket for the semester.

As a full-time distance learning student using the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you would get 50% of the fixed $673.50 per month MHA for online-only students or $1,347 for a four-month semester. You would also get a book stipend amount of 50% of the $41.67 per credit book stipend or $20.84 per credit. So using 12 credits as your school’s full-time threshold, that would amount to  $250.08 in book stipend money or a total $1,597.08 in book stipend and MHA money for the semester.

So would you rather get $2,252.32 per semester under REAP or $1,597.08 under the Post 9/11 GI Bill to go to school online? I think the number speak for themselves. The lesson learned here is when considering using your GI Bill to go to school, be sure to consider all your options as the popular choice might not be your most lucrative choice.

For many veterans, making the transition from the military to the civilian workforce can be challenging. However, if you think of it as just transitioning from one type of job into another, you will find your military skills will many times prove to be the same skills you need to be successful in starting your new career.

The skills you developed in the military are a valuable asset in high demand in the civilian workplace, however, describing your skills on your resume in civilian language can be difficult. To help you bridge that military to civilian language gap, use these three steps:

Step 1: Civilianize Your Resume

As a servicemember, your language is filled with jargon and acronyms, most of which are not understood by civilians. Instead of focusing on the specifics of your job, identify the core skill(s) from it that you will bring to the table. For example, instead of saying you were an 11B, E-6, Staff Sergeant (which means nothing to a civilian), say something like, “Led and supervised a team of 9 decorated soldiers, often in high pressure situations.”

Some implied core values displayed by that comment are:

• - leadership
• - ability to work with minimal supervision
• - attention to detail
• - and the ability to work under stress

Step 2: Highlight Learned Skills

When identifying your skills, be sure to list and give examples of all three types:

• - Leadership Skills: All of us learn how to lead in the military at some level. Leadership is a highly valued skill in the civilian workplace. Translate your leadership experience similar to the way we did up in Step One.
• - Soft Skills: Working in the service of the military requires learning a variety of “soft” skills – all of which are valuable in the civilian world. Make sure you work in examples of how your soft skills apply to the job you are applying for. To name a few:
  • * Organizing
  • * Communicating
  • * Team building/leading
  • * Managing
• - Technical Skills: If you are staying the same basic field of work that you did in the military, be sure to translate those technical core skills. For example, what a Senior Signals Sergeant, MOS 25X does in military terms is rather obscure to a civilian. However, if you say you “Planned, developed, coordinated, directed, and supervised the installation, operation and management of integrated telecommunications and information management networks,” that means something in the civilian workplace, especially if you are seeking a job in the information management or computer network systems fields.

Step 3: Use a Skills Translator

If you are trying to match your military skills and experience to civilian occupations on your own, it can be difficult. Fortunately, O*NET OnLine is a free website with a military crosswalk that helps translate your MOS skills for you. You enter your branch and the military job or MOS, and the program returns a list of potential jobs based on your MOS skills. Select one of the jobs and drill deeper to find out the knowledge, skills and abilities in civilian terms. Use this terminology to write up the experience section of your resume.

There is no doubt the current job market is challenging and will remain that way for at least the next few years.  However, when you are ready to enter the civilian workplace, use these steps to help write a dynamic resume.

In the last blog, I talked about how much the GI Bill is worth, but in this post I want to talk about anticipating school costs. Lately I see more servicemembers getting out of the military one month, enrolling in school the following month, and a couple of months down the road, they encounter financial trouble and end up having to quit school. Why is this happening? There are three basic reasons:

1. Incorrect estimates of how much school would cost
2. Underestimations of how long it would take to start getting GI Bill benefits
3. A lack of financial preparedness to “weather the storm” before the GI Bill started paying

Estimating College Costs

Determining how much it will cost to go to college should start way before your ETS date. You have to know how much it will cost you upfront so that you can have at least one semester’s worth of expenses saved up before you start school. The costs of the school you plan on attending and how much you can save each month determine when you should start your cost estimation. Starting out a year or two before you plan on getting out is not too early.

The first step, of course, is selecting your school. After that, go to their website and track down the estimated cost of attendance for full-time enrollment, which includes:

• Tuition and fees
• Housing and meals
• Books and supplies
• Transportation
• Other educational costs

Now that you have a fair estimate of gross costs, you will want to figure out how much of these will be paid by your sources of financial aid, such as:

• - Your GI Bill(s):
  • * Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty
  • * Post 9/11 GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program
  • * REAP
  • * VEAP
  • * Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserves
• - Federal Pell Grant
• - Grants from your school
• - Grants from your state
• - Other scholarships you can realistically expect to get

What you have left to pay, if anything, is your net semester of yearly costs, depending on how your school lists their costs. You should have at least one semester’s worth saved up before you start school. Pay your costs from your fund until your other financial sources, namely your GI Bill, start paying. Then you can replenish your fund and be ready for the next semester.

Many veterans are not aware that it can take 8 to 10 weeks before they see any money from their GI Bill, so if they are not financially prepared for it, they can get into money trouble real quick. Don’t get caught with your financial pants down! Prepare now for your upcoming education costs later. In the next couple of posts, we’ll start comparing  GI Bills, so you can make a better informed decision as to which one may be the best one for you, if you are eligible for two or more GI Bills.

Service dogs are a double threat of physical assistance and emotional companionship. Their increasingly popular use in helping disabled veterans both acclimate to life outside the military and learn to live with a disability has led groups like the non-profits Patriot Paws and Soldier’s Best Friend to seek and train high-quality animals for veterans in need. The main focus seems to be mainly on those with physical disabilities, but according to an NBC story from August, some veterans are also finding the service animals are surprisingly helpful with the symptoms of mental health disabilities. It should be noted that a dog trained for therapy is different from a service dog focused on physical issues. For a veteran with PTSD, for example, the dog would be trained to do things like turn on lights, navigate large crowds, and be attentive to the mood of its owner in case he or she needs to be re-oriented with some canine comfort. However, in a 67-page decision last week, the VA decided that it will pay for costs associated with a service dog only in cases of physical disability:

“Under this final rule, VA will provide to veterans with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments benefits to support the use of a service dog as part of the management of such impairments.”

In the ruling, the VA says there is insufficient research on the efficacy of mental health service dogs, or therapy dogs, to justify providing the benefit.  Some say it stinks of the “not disabled enough” mentality. Adding to outcry over the ruling, the VA has also decided that it will only provide the benefit to vets who have completed a training course with their four-legged pal through Assistance Dogs International or the International Guide Dog Federation. So what is covered if you and your dog qualify? The VA will pay for the cost of actually going to get your new companion and an insurance policy for medically necessary expenses (including prescriptions). Pups with pre-existing conditions won’t be excluded from this, but the other daily costs of owning a pet — food, grooming and board, among other things — will be up to you.

It seems like a mixed bag to me. On the one hand, kudos to the VA for recognizing this need and working to provide it for our veterans. On the other, the training requirement is probably going to be a very big problem for some vets, for example those who live in areas without accredited training programs. Then, it makes sense that the VA shouldn’t dish out money for a treatment not backed by clinical research, but… we’re talking about dogs! They don’t come with short or long-term health risks, and side effects may include hair on the furniture and dirt on the floor.  It seems like we could do this solid for our vets with mental health disabilities, especially if they themselves believe it will help them.

Also check out our Veterans United Network feature, Veteran’s Best Friend: Service Dogs Help Vets Defeat Stress Disorders.

photo courtesy Marvin Kuo under Creative Commons License

The answer, in a nutshell: a lot. College is getting more expensive each year. As state and federal budgets continue to choke off funding for education at colleges and universities, frequent tuition increases will be the norm. The question that remains constant for many students is, “How can I afford to go to college?”

According to the non-profit College Board’s Trend in College Pricing 2011 report, tuition went up on average 37% in the Middle States and 109% in the Western States over the last decade at four-year public universities. In 2011, tuition and fees ranged from a low of $7,433 in the Southwest to a high of $10,494 in New England. On average, today’s graduate walks off the stage with almost $20,000 in student debt, but for many, the amount is dramatically higher.

Both parents and students are worried about how they will pay for college. A Princeton Review survey showed 86% of parents and students believe they will need financial aid; sixty-six percent said the recession played into where they would apply for school. However, most veterans can use either the Montgomery GI Bill or new Post 9/11 GI Bill to pay for most of their college expense.

Paying for College with the Post 9/11 GI Bill

The Post-9/11 GI Bill not only pays for tuition up to the resident rate for 36 months for eligible veterans attending a public school, or up to $17,500 per year at a private school, it also provides a housing allowance and book stipend. This financial support can make sure our veterans skip across the stage with their diplomas in one hand and very little student debt, if any, in the other.

For example, let’s use an average resident rate of $408 per credit at a public four-year school with a course load of 12 credits per semester. The VA would pay $4,896 per semester in tuition – $9,792 per two-semester academic year. Combined with a $1,200 monthly housing stipend for nine months and a $1,000 yearly book stipend, the Post-9/11 GI Bill is paying $19,792 per year in educational benefits. Do the math and you quickly see it pays out almost $80,000 over the course of four years.

The Yellow Ribbon Program

And it gets better for some. Veterans paying out-of-state tuition or attending graduate school or a private school whose tuition exceeds what the VA will pay might be eligible to use the Yellow Ribbon Program.

If a school has a Yellow Ribbon agreement with the VA, it can pay up to 50% of the difference between what it charges and what the GI Bill pays with the VA paying an equal amount. This can leave very little left for veterans to pay out-of-pocket.

Yes, the Post 9/11 GI Bill is worth a lot. And all it cost you were three years of service to your country – something most of us would have done for nothing anyway.

Many job-seekers don’t realize the importance of body language when interviewing for a job, but experienced interviewers are experts at reading what you are not saying with words. Eighty-five percent of what you “say” during an interview is not spoken.

Because interviewers form an opinion of you during the first ten minutes of the interview, make sure your body language communicates what they want to “hear”. Use the seven tips below to “speak” volumes about yourself.

 1. Be genuine

When you greet your interviewer, smile a real smile, make direct eye contact, and offer a firm but not bone-crushing handshake. Say something positive and engaging such as “I’m pleased to meet you”. Focus your eye contact on the area of the face from the left eyebrow across the bridge of the nose to the right eyebrow. Avoid staring at the forehead, lips or mouth of the interviewer.

2. Controlling Nervousness

Be aware of fidgeting. It is a sure sign of nervousness and instantly recognizable. Also, do not touch your face, throat, mouth, nose or ears during an interview as that conveys messages you don’t want your interviewer to “hear”.

 3. Hands and Arms

Project a confident, receptive and unguarded image by laying your hands face-down, open and relaxed on the table or arm of the chair. If you have neither, then lay them flat on top of your legs. Projecting an open image translates trustworthiness.

 4. Legs

Don’t cross your legs. Crossing them creates an invisible wall between you and the interviewer. It also becomes a distraction if you keep switching from one crossed leg to the other. Crossed ankles also send mixed signals. The best position for your feet is flat on the floor.

 5. Posture

A straight posture or even leaning slightly forward is imperative during an interview. Sit straight with your shoulders back. Not only does this allow you to breathe deep, it will help you reduce stress and nervousness.

6. Fingers

Avoid playing with your fingers and never ever point at the interviewer. It is a sign of aggression.

 7. Facial Expressions

Show your enthusiasm by keeping an interested expression. Nod occasionally and make positive gestures in moderation at the appropriate times.

If you are uncomfortable interviewing, either practice in front of a mirror or have a buddy mock interview you. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Controlling what your body says support the words you speak leaving your interviewer with a positive view of you as a whole.

This post is about a little known education scholarship that could help children of military members, dying in the line of duty, that have the desire to go to college, but not the funding. If you know of children meeting the eligibility requirements, please pass this information along to them.

The Man Behind the Scholarship

Gunny Sergeant John David Fry, 28 from Lorena Texas, only had a week left in Iraq’s Anbar Province to complete his tour in 2006 when he injured his hand.  He was given the option to go home early with a Bronze Star – he declined the offer. Instead, he volunteered to go on one last mission to defuse more IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).

On March 8, 2006 while on mission, an IED exploded killing him. Fry left behind his wife and three small children. This scholarship was created to honor his selfless service to the Marine Corps and people of the United States.

Eligibility Requirements

The basic premise of the scholarship is that it provides Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to children of servicemembers who died in the line of duty after September 11, 2001. Children may be over the age of 23 or married and still be eligible for 36 months of benefits, however, any unused benefits end on the child’s 33^rd birthday.

If an eligible child is serving or has served in the Armed Forces, s/he may still qualify for the scholarship if the child is:

-  eligible for his/her own GI Bill (Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (MGIB-AD), Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR), or the Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP), s/he must relinquish that GI Bill eligibility to receive the Fry Scholarship.
- no longer serving, but has a less than fully honorable discharge, the child’s character of discharge does not affect scholarship eligibility.
- currently serving, then s/he would receive Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits at the active duty rate.

If the child is eligible for the Fry scholarship, s/he is also eligible to receive Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits transferred from the other parent, in the case of dual military families.

The Fry Scholarship Benefit

The benefit received under the Fry Scholarship is basically the same as the Post 9/11 GI Bill:

-  Tuition paid directly to the school by the VA.
-  Monthly housing allowance based on the zip code of the school and number of credits taken.
-  Book stipend calculated at $41.67 per credit, up to the $1,000 per academic year limit.
-  Scholarship recipients are not eligible to use the Yellow Ribbon program.

Children eligible for the Fry scholarship, may also be eligible for the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance Program (DEA).  With dual educational assistance eligibility, a child could get up to another 12 months of education benefit bringing the total entitlement up to 48 months.

The goal of the Military Spouses Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program, sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD), is to prepare eligible military spouses to have a career of their own by offering up to $4,000 of funding assistance. The MyCAA program is meant to be the catalyst that encourages eligible spouses to pursue education and ultimately employment, in one of the portable career fields. Schools are paid directly for coursework and exams taken by approved participants.

MyCAA Program Eligibility Requirements

The MyCAA funding is only available to spouses of active duty or Title 10 Selected Reserve servicemembers as reported in DEERS, in the lower grades of enlisted, warrant and officer. Specifically, the authorized grades are:

- E1 through E5;
- W1 and W2;
- O1 and O2.

Spouses of Guard/Reserve members in an Alert, Transition Assistance, or Post Deployment status are not eligible.

Each participating spouse is authorized up to $2,000 per year with a maximum amount of $4,000 over the course of their two-year program. However, they may take up to three years to complete their approved two-year program.

Eligible spouses can use the MyCAA program to earn:

- associate’s degrees;
- certifications;
- licenses.

Health Care Certifications

One of the portable career fields with a promising future is healthcare. Many schools offer Health Information Systems Administration programs that prepare you to take the following certification exams:

- Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS)
- Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
- Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS)
- Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA)
- Microsoft Office Specialist 2010 (MOS 2010)

Once certified, you have both validated your competency in the health information systems field and be recognized as a Nationally Certified Allied Healthcare professional.

If you are not eligible for the MyCAA program, but you have Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits transferred to you from your sponsor, you can use that funding for healthcare information systems training and certification too. If you don’t have transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, then you may want to apply for the various scholarships offered to military spouses.

Nationally Certified Allied Healthcare professionals are in high demand regardless of stationing, so you should not have trouble finding employment as you move from one military installation to the next. Prepare yourself for success tomorrow by getting trained in the health care information systems career field today!

To get the most mileage out of your GI Bill, there are certain “tricks” or secrets you must know and implement. Each one goes a long way to getting you the most bang for your GI Bill buck.

Secret #1 – Claim credit for your military experiences and training

As a veteran student, don’t overlook having your military service evaluated for credit that you can use towards your college education. Claiming military service credit saves you GI Bill benefits by reducing the number of credits you still need to take to receive your degree.

The American Council on Education (ACE) recognizes the educational value of military training, so they are continually evaluating and updating military training courses and occupations to keep up-to-date in determining the number of credits each are worth and how they apply towards a degree.

To get your credits evaluated, as a veteran, you can complete and submit a DD-295 Application For The Evaluation of Learning Experiences During Military Service and a copy of your DD-214 Discharge Form to your GI Bill school. Once your school receives your request, it will calculate how many credits you have earned and how they will apply them to your degree plan. If you no longer have a copy of your military record, you can request a copy from the National Archives.

Many veterans overlook using The Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) credit-by-exam program as a fast track towards a college degree. DANTES extends your new GI Bill benefits by you not having to take classes, but you still get the credit if you pass the exam.

DANTES offers three types of exam categories – College Level Exam Program (CLEP), DANTES Subject Specialized Tests (DSST) and the Excelsior College Exams (ECE). These three categories are designed so you can use your military training, along with some studying, and pass introductory-level college tests on subjects of your choice instead of having to attend the class.

Secret #3 – Choose a GI Bill friendly school

It pays to shop around when you have military service and DANTES credits to transfer in. Not all schools treat transfer credits the same. While very little credit may transfer in at one school, many more may at another school. The less GI Bill benefits you have to spend taking classes to get your degree, the more benefits you will have left to use in the future.

If you are not familiar with it, the Yellow Ribbon Program is a unique Post 9/11 GI Bill feature that allows colleges and universities to enter into tuition-funding agreements with the Veterans Administration (VA). In these agreements, each school identifies:

- what percentage of the tuition difference they wish to contribute; they can go up to 50%;
- which programs are included; both undergraduate and graduate programs or only undergraduate;
- their annual funded maximum amount per student;
- the number of students annually accepted into the program.

The VA then agrees to pay an equal amount. Normally, for the students needing to use the Yellow Ribbon program, this leaves very little out-of-pocket costs left for them to pay.

While the Yellow Ribbon Program is a great way to maximize GI Bill benefits, it is not available to all individuals using the New GI Bill; only those at the 100% tier level may participate.

The Yellow Ribbon Program Advantage

The Yellow Ribbon Program is most beneficial if you attend:

- private school;
- graduate school;
- or pay out-of-state tuition.

Be sure to ask your school which programs are covered by their agreement and at what percentages. Under these high-tuition situations, this program can be a great financial boost with no additional reduction in entitlements.

The Yellow Ribbon Program in Dollars and Cents

Let’s briefly look at what the Yellow Ribbon Program is worth in dollars and cents. For our example, let’s say you are enrolled in a Yellow Ribbon private school and taking 12 credits per semester. Tuition and fees costs $20,000 per year.

Right now the VA will pay a maximum of $17,500 per year to attend a private school. So without the Yellow Ribbon program, you would have to pay the remaining $2,500. But if your school has a stated 50% figure in their agreement with the VA, they would waive $1,250 of the difference and the VA would pay the remaining $1,250. Sweet, right?!

If you are a financially struggling student (and who isn’t these days), the Yellow Ribbon Program can be your financial holy grail. It is a great way to keep your education costs down to a minimum.

Even if you use the GI Bill to fund your education, you may still end up having some student loans to pay off after graduating. Today, two-thirds of college students graduate with at least $25,000 of college loan debt. After graduating, not only do you have to worry about trying to find a job in this depressed job market, you also have to worry how you will repay the debt.

Income-Based Repayment Plan

To that end, many graduates with student loan debt may be eligible for, but don’t know about, the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) Plan, which has been around since July 2009. Student loans that qualify for the IBR program include Direct Loans, such as:

-  Stafford Loans
-  Grad Plus
 - Federal Direct Consolidation Loans.

To know if you qualify for the IBR or not, a good rule of thumb is, if you owe as much as you earn in a year, you most likely qualify for the repayment program. To be sure, you can use the calculator on the IBR Website. Once you qualify, your yearly payment is adjusted each year based on your earnings and family size.

Another great feature of the program is if you earn less than 150% of the poverty line for your family size, your owe nothing in a loan payment. And though your loan payments are zero, your payments count toward 25 years of forgiveness, meaning after you’ve made your required payments for 25 years, the rest of what you owe, if anything is forgiven.

Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012

Another program to watch is The Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 legislation. If it passes, it will help students accelerate their loan pay-off. The plan introduced by Congressman Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.) has four key parts of which one part is the 10/10 Loan Repayment Plan.

Under the 10/10 Plan (which has has many similarities to the IBR program), loan payments are capped at 10% of the borrower’s discretionary income and the plan  provides forgiveness after 10 payment years. Discretionary income is considered 150% of the poverty line for an individual or family.

After the borrower makes 120 payments, the forgiveness part of the plan kicks in. A payment is considered valid if it:

-  was made under the 10/10 plan,
-  equaled or was more than a 10/10 payment
-  was $0 payment for the months the borrower was authorized an economic hardship deferment.

On or after the date of enactment, and after making 120 payments, borrowers can be forgiven up to $45,520 in principal and fees plus accrued interest. For borrowers who predate the date of enactment, there isn’t a forgiveness cap. Because prior payments can count, those who have been repaying their loans for 10 years or more could be eligible for forgiveness right away.

Both repayment programs are intended to help students reduce their student loan debt so they can start new businesses, start investing or buy a home – all important items to our economic growth.

Today marks the 70^th anniversary of the decisive Battle of Midway. It is widely regarded as one of the most important naval battles of all time, marking the turning point of American military power in the Pacific during World War II.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese devised a plan to finish off the weakened American Navy by attacking the U.S. naval base at Midway and drawing the remaining ships into a trap. What they didn’t know was that American cryptologists had already managed to intercept and break the Japanese communication codes, which gave them the time and place of the planned attack. It was Fleet Commander Admiral Chester Nimitz that used the opportunity to set a trap of his own.

Even with the advance preparation, U.S. forces found themselves outnumbered 4-to-1, with fewer experienced pilots and less maneuverable planes.  Still, by the end of the battle three days later, the Japanese had lost four aircraft carriers, 291 planes and 4800 men, while the U.S. had only lost one carrier, 145 planes and 307 men. This defeat proved so devastating for the Japanese Navy that it was unable to fully recover and remained on the defensive for the remainder of the war.

Today we would like to take a moment to remember those who fought and died to preserve our way of life, and to give thanks for their bravery and sacrifice.

Photo courtesy of Official U.S. Navy Imagery.  

I picked up some more information this morning on VRAP. Here it is – “To apply or learn more information about VRAP or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits, including on how to apply please call 1-800-827-1000 or visit www.benefits.va.gov/VOW and fill out an online application (VONAPP), or Complete VA Form 28-1900, Disabled Veterans Application for Vocational Rehabilitation, and submit it to the nearest VA Regional Office.”

They will start accepting applications starting around May 15th.To apply, first create a VONAPP account. Creating an account is simple and fast. Your account request is approved in seconds and you are automatically logged-in.

If you already have an existing VONAPP account, then log-in. Once in VONAPP, fill out and submit VA Form 22-1990 – the same form used to apply for GI Bill benefits.

To keep up to date on the VRAP program, sign up for their personalized email service. You should start seeing emails around May 15th.

This is an update to an earlier post from December 2011.

A new GI Bill called the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program or VRAP, will start on July 1, 2012. As part of the VOW to Hire Heroes Act, it will offer up to 12 months of education and training for certain older unemployed veterans. Those in the program will be paid the current Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty (MGIB-AD) rate of $1,473 per month for a maximum of 12 months, meaning this program could be worth up to $17,500 to you for the one year of training.

Veteran and Businesses Advantages

The VRAP advantage is you get an opportunity to train for a job or retrain into a field where there is more demand and where you can be more employable. Thousands of new jobs are currently unfilled because employers can’t find enough people skilled in the jobs they have available. The advantage to a business hiring you, besides filling open high-skilled positions they need filled, is certain tax breaks for them.

VRAP can be a real boost if you:

- are a veteran who have already used up your Montgomery GI Bill benefits, or
- had GI Bill benefits but they have since have expired, or
- declined the Montgomery GI Bill and don’t qualify for the Post 9/11 GI Bill and
- have been unemployed for a long time.

Eligibility Requirements

If you are interested in VRAP, as a veteran you must meet the following eligibility requirements for acceptance into the program:

- be between the ages of 35 and 60.
- currently unemployed (as defined by the Department of Labor).
- have a discharge other than dishonorable.
- ineligible for any other VA education benefit program.
- not currently receiving VA compensation due to your unemployability.
- not currently enrolled in any federal or state job training program.

Under the VRAP program, you can use the program to finish or lead to an associate or non-college degree, earn a certification or license, or train for a high demand occupation. The new VRAP program will be limited to 45,000 veterans this fiscal year ending September 30th and to 54,000 veterans in FY 20213 through March 31, 2014.

While in the program and after completion, the Department of Labor will assist VRAP veterans with finding employment in their newly trained skill. Interested veterans can apply for the program starting May 15, 2012 directly from the new VRAP Website.

Recent statistics show the job market in this country has been steadily improving, except for one select group of people – veterans.  In fact, the veterans unemployment percentage actually increased during the time when other unemployment figures decreased.

On average, the unemployment rate in 2011 for veterans who served between September 11, 2001 to the end of 2011 was 12.1%. In 2010, the average unemployment rate for the year was 11.5%. By comparison, the unemployment rate for non-veterans was 8.7% in 2011 and 9.4% in 2010.

And the numbers are even worse for veterans in the 18 to 24-year-old range. Their unemployment rate was 30.2% percent in 2011, compared to 25 to 34-year-old veterans at 13%.

Experts theorize that young veterans have a higher unemployment rate due specifically to their military service, as their non-military counterparts were already going to college, or a trade school, and were networking in their career field of choice.

For some veterans, the skills they learned in the military transfer over to the civilian workplace, but in many other cases, they don’t. For those whose skills do not transfer, they may need to use their Post 9/11 GI Bill to further their education in their chosen career field, or if already trained, get the certification or license they needed to compete with other job hunters. Also, many veterans have trouble trying to translate their skills and experiences properly on their resumes. If you fall under this category, hire an experienced military-to-civilian resume writer. It will be one of the best investments that you can make for your career.

Private groups, government agencies and some elected officials have been working hard to create programs and processes that make it easier for veterans to get jobs. However, the problem may get worse before it gets better as more troops return from war and the military scales back.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis recently said in statement that, “Our veterans have made sacrifices on behalf of the nation, and I ask all employers to renew their commitment to veterans, because the best way to honor our veterans is to employ them. No veteran should have to fight for a job at home after fighting to protect our nation.” While it may garner support, the proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced the release of 68 new forms in an effort to help speed the processing of Veterans’ disability compensation and pension claims. These new forms bring the total of disability benefits questionnaires (DBQ) to 71, a number that sounds more daunting than helpful.

The new forms hope to streamline the process for the VA by allowing veterans to share the exact medical information needed to make a prompt decision. The VA will also provide free medical examinations for the purpose of gathering the necessary medical evidence, just one more effort made in order to provide proper care to individuals and their specific claims.

Veterans may also choose to have their private physicians complete the medical examination, while using the same form a VA provider would use, but the VA is unable to pay for a private physician to complete DBQs or for any costs associated with examination or testing.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki has high hopes for this change. He recently stated that, “VA employees will be able to more quickly process disability claims, since disability benefits questionnaires capture important medical information needed to accurately evaluate Veterans’ claims. Disability benefits questionnaires are just one of many changes VA is implementing to address the backlog of claims.”

DBQ’s can be found at http://benefits.va.gov/disabilityexams.

Photo thanks to Truthout.org.

Many veterans have the GI Bill and want to attend college to better their education and increase their career opportunities, but because haven’t studied in years, are afraid to enroll in college. Do you find that you fit into this group? Fortunately for you, there is a little-known program called Veterans Upward Bound that can help you prepare for college, as well as take that next step in your educational journey.

The Veterans Upward Bound program is a free service for eligible veterans that is funded by the Department of Education. It is designed to encourage and assist you in pursuing post-secondary education options by helping to develop your academic and study skills through assessment, instruction and support. Completing the program will improve your educational opportunities because you will have the knowledge and skills necessary to finish a college degree program.

Assessment and Instruction

Once in the program, one of the first steps will be to assess your current academic skills. Testing results will help to establish a baseline of your skills. From there, you can enroll in refresher courses to increase your scores in your lower-graded areas. These course areas typically include:

- Math (through pre-calculus)
- Laboratory Science
- Composition
- Reading
- Literature
- Foreign Language
- Computer Skills

If you do not have a high school diploma, the program can also help you earn your General Educational Development (GED) first and then work to prepare you for college.

Support

You can also receive other various types of support, including:

- Help with filling out college entrance and financial aid applications
- Help with filling out GI Bill education benefits applications
- Personal and academic advising and mentoring
- Career guidance and counseling
- tutoring
- Help finding scholarships, grants and loans
- Referral to other sources of help, such as state and local agencies, along with various veterans associations.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the program as a veteran, you must either:

- have been on active duty for at least 180 days
- have been released for medical reasons, if on active duty for less than 180 days
- be a member of a Selected Reserve called to active duty for 30 days or longer
- be a member of the Selected Reserve serving in a contingency operation on or after September 11, 2001.

Other eligibility requirements include:

- having a discharge other than dishonorable
- be a first-generation college student, meaning neither parent earned a four-year degree or come from a low-income family.

The Veterans Upward Bound program currently has 47 funded projects across the United States including one project in Puerto Rico, so assistance is generally close by. Most of the projects are also located on or near college campuses.

The program is there to help you; take advantage of it and start down the road to higher learning.

Photo thanks to Marion Doss under creative commons license on Flickr.

An agreement between Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and 49 U.S. states could provide more consistent data on the suicide rates among veterans. A deal that could be ready as early as the summer of 2012.

I often field questions from pre-August 1, 2009 retirees that are disgruntled that they never had an opportunity to transfer Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to dependent family members. If you are not aware of the issue, 20-year+ veterans retiring between December 10, 2001 and July 31, 2009, are fully eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill transfer option being they are “retirement eligible” and served for at least three years after September 10, 2001 (active duty) or 90-days on a Title 10 order after that same date (National Guard or Reserves).

However, when Congress wrote the transfer rules for the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the transfer requirement was serving “on or after August 1, 2009″. By that time this group of veterans had retired – some missing the August 1st date by one day.

There have been a couple pieces of legislation in the past that would have allowed these veterans their opportunity to transfer, however, not only did the legislation not pass, neither piece even came up for a vote; subsequently both pieces expired and died in place.

Right now, there is a petition circulating on behalf of all 20-year + eligible veterans who retired during the December 10, 2001 – July 31, 2009 window. The petition part reads:

“We, the undersigned, call on the President Obama to initiate a Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer-of-Benefits equality and fairness to 20+ year retired Military Veterans in both groups, as defined in the Preamble, retiring between, and including, December 10, 2001 to July 31, 2009, by allowing them a one-time opportunity to pass on unused Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to dependent family members.”

If you would like to read the preamble part of the petition, which gives the background information and defines the veterans in each affected group, please click on the link above. Right now there isn’t any federal legislation that would provide for this change. There is no way of knowing if this effort will be successful or not, but it needs your support. As most of us know, there is power in numbers.

Photo thanks to ArmyStrongPA under creative commons license on Flickr.

The Troops to Teachers (TTT) program was established in 1994 as a combined effort between the Departments of Defense and Education. Its main purpose is to assist serving, retired or separated military members transition to a career as a teacher in underprivileged districts. While Department of Education determines program parameters, they leave the administration of it to DANTES.

Service Requirement

To qualify for the program, you have to be:

- a former active duty or Selected Reserve retired or separated member with at least six years of service after September 30, 1989, or
- separated after January 7, 2002 with a service-connected disability and registered for the program within four years of separation, or
- a currently serving, active or Selected Reserve, who has at least six years of service for retirement purposes.

If you are retired or separated, you must have an Honorable discharge from your last period of service.

Education Requirement

To be a program participant, you must have at least a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited school and register in a teacher certification program, or be already licensed as a teacher. As an alternative, you can have one year of college and at least six years of vocational or technical work experience or meet the requirements to be licensed as a vocational/technical teacher.

If you have not completed your college degree or teacher certification yet, enroll in either an online or on-campus program and let your Post 9/11 GI Bill pay for your education. If you don’t have enough GI Bill benefits left, the program has a financial assistance program available. However, if you accept financial assistance, you incur a three-year teaching obligation.

Financial Assistance Requirement

Their financial assistance program has two types of aid available – stipend and bonus. If you need to get your teacher certification, you may be eligible for up to a $5,000 stipend to help pay certification costs. In return for accepting the stipend, you incur a three-year teaching obligation in a “high need” school district.

In lieu of the stipend, you could choose the $10,000 bonus. While the requirements and obligations are the same, you will be assigned to a school district having a large population of disadvantages students, instead of just a high need school.

With the No-Child-Left-Behind Act of 2001, the TTT program helps fill severe teacher shortages in critical subject areas, such as math, science and special education. Make your dream, and those of many students, come true through the Troops to Teachers program.

Photo thanks to Ianz under creative commons license on Flickr.

The transition from military service to life as a civilian can be very jarring and stressful. Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, can become the driving force in life. Here are some tips on how to ease the transition.

Attend transition classes

Each service branch sponsors many different classes to educate you on your benefits, train you on how to succeed in finding post-service employment, and moving from your duty station to your new home. Congress has mandated that every service member attend pre-separation counseling and each branch has different requirements for attending a Transition Assistance Program class so check with your leadership on what classes you’re required to attend. The best idea is to attend as many classes as possible regardless of what is required by your branch!

Begin your VA disability claim as soon as possible

You will quickly learn that VA disability offices are undermanned and always have a backlog of claims to process. Your wait for any disability payment will be greatly reduced if you’re proactive and respond to any requests for additional information quickly. Ensure you complete all physicals when scheduled to avoid further delays. Mostly importantly, be polite and patient.

Make copies of everything

Many say documentation beats conversation and that is especially true with military service. Everything you did is somehow documented. Make copies of your service record, medical records, dental records, and any other paperwork that is important. It isn’t uncommon for some things to be lost. Protect yourself and maintain physical and digital copies of everything. Make sure to keep your records safe, since some of the information in your records could be used to steal your identity.

Check and double check all paperwork

Ensure you look at and understand all paperwork, especially your DD-214. There are processes for getting corrections made to your service record, but it can be a long and difficult process. Take the time as you transition to make any changes needed so you aren’t rushing as your transition date approaches or having to communicate with your old duty station over the phone or email to correct mistakes.

Ask questions!

Asking questions is the most important part of the transition process. Do not leave the front gate wondering what the next step will be. A vast majority of people separating are doing so for the first time and don’t have past experience to draw upon. Your may think your question isn’t important, but this is your transition and you must have all information to make it as easy as possible.

Good luck on your transition and thank you for your service!

Photo thanks to WarriorForge under creative commons license on Flickr.

For decades, service members have been prescribed painkillers to deal with various ailments and injuries. Unfortunately, with these drugs being so readily available, dependency sneaks up on the road to recovery. For those using Tricare there may now be a solution to this problem.

A proposed change by the Department of Defense could enable Tricare to cover the cost of drug substitution therapy, thereby helping those suffering from painkiller dependency.

Medical substitution therapy is often covered by most private insurers, but hasn’t been available to Tricare beneficiaries. The change would allow Tricare to support medical treatment that combines prescribing therapeutic, but dependency-causing, substances for a known addiction-causing drug with counseling.

Medical drugs such as Methadone and Suboxone are proven medications for treating opiate addicts, serving as substitutes for heroin and prescription painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin. Both drugs help to eliminate the physical symptoms of dependency, like nausea and tremors, as well as the cravings of narcotics withdrawal.

Under the current policy, Tricare covers Suboxone only for intense detoxification. The new rule would allow the military health activity to support it for long-term maintenance treatment.

The current period of the proposed change ends Feb. 27, with changes going into effect about 90 days after the final rule is published.

A 2010 Army report estimated that one in seven soldiers has received a prescription for an opiate.

If you are a veteran just sending out resumes (and wondering why you are not getting any responses), then you are job wishing, not job searching.  In today’s job market, sending out a resume and waiting for the phone to ring is not enough. With upwards of a hundred applicants applying for the same job, you have to kick your job search into high gear by implementing these four game changers.

Learn how to play the game

Networking and social media are the winning strategies in this game.  Getting a job is as much as about who you know as it is what you know (or have done). If you are unemployed, call in some favors by letting your personal and professional connections know you are job hunting. People that know you and your work ethic can go to bat for you by looking at jobs open in their company.

Social media outlets like LinkedIn and Facebook can work for you or against you, depending on how you have used it. Hiring managers frequently visit social media sites to see what they can find out about you, so make sure everything is positive.

Rise above your competition

In this job market what you have done is not enough – you have to show how well you did those things. Qualify your accomplishments on your resume with measurable data such as percent values (increased sales by 25% in the first year) or dollar amounts (developed a streamlined process saving the company $250,000 the first year).

Interviewing

When answering questions, take your time and produce intelligent responses. Of course, practice answering the commonly asked interview questions so you have canned answers ready, but for questions not asked of you before, think first and then answer.

Have a game plan

Job searching is a job in itself, so organize your time. Know what you are going to do the next day regarding how many resumes you will send out and which contacts you will talk to. Above all, remain positive.  Your passion will shine through in your job search and people will take notice. This can only help your chances of landing the job.

Photo thanks to Calliope1 under creative commons license on Flickr.

According to new data from the Department of Defense data, Basic Allowance for Housing rates will rise 2 percent on average next year across the nation, but rates will drop slightly in about one-third of U.S. locations.

When rates go up, all service members in a given location get the increase. When rates dip, the military’s “individual rate protection” policy ensures that troops already settled in a location will not see their BAH decrease for as long as they remain in that location, assuming no change in dependency status or a reduction in pay grade.

Thus, any lowered rates will only affect those troops who move into a new area next year, assuring those that who signed long-term leases are not penalized if housing costs in their area fall.

The largest drops came in parts of California, including the area around Fort Irwin in Barstow, Calif., where rates will dip 8.5 percent in 2012. Ventura, Calif., and Los Angeles also will see significant drops of 7.4 and 5.8 percent, respectively.

Rates increased most in the area surrounding Minot Air Force Base, N.D., where the monthly stipend will spike 40 percent. Rates in the Washington, D.C., metro area, home to more than 43,000 service members, will also see a sharp rise, up nearly 10 percent from 2011.

The Defense Department will pay out a total of about $20 billion in BAH, an increase from last year’s total of about $19 billion. More than 1 million troops receive BAH to cover the cost of housing off-post or rent in privatized housing complexes on military installations.

Median rental costs, average utility costs and renter’s insurance rates are factors in the complex formula officials use to determine BAH rates. The Pentagon analyzes data annually for 365 U.S. housing markets, including Alaska and Hawaii.

You can find your 2012 BAH rates by clicking here.

Photo thanks to james.thompson under creative commons license on Flickr.

The VA Benefit Blog staff and I would like to formally thank all of the veterans, families and friends who have helped us exceed 100,000 followers. Through your continued efforts we reach nearly 1.5 million people across Facebook each week! You are getting the benefit message out there, and we salute you.

I would also like to formally thank and recognize our sponsor, Veterans United Home Loans, formerly known as VA Mortgage Center.com. They have helped us grow significantly in the last few months, always supporting us from behind the scenes. I feel that now is the time to start sharing all of the amazing services they offer veterans.

Note: Don’t go overboard with “He’s selling us on…” This is merely one more round of information that I make available to you. What you do with that information is, as always, your business. 

Veterans United Home Loans is one of the many services offered among the Veterans United Network. Their network is a unique collection of military blogs (which includes us), Facebook pages and Twitter feeds that cater to the needs and interests of military service members, veterans and their families.

Programs and Services (Click any link)

• Veterans United Home Loans
• Military Family Central
• Military Spouse Central
• Future Military Homeowners
• Smart Military Money
• Military Discounts and Deals
• VA Loans Insider
• VA Benefit Blog
• Veterans United Foundation

Folks, clearly they do way more than just provide home loans; they care about veterans. Not that they aren’t good at helping with home loans — they are the #1 dedicated veteran lender in America.

At this point you still might say, so what, who cares? Well, lucky for us, Veterans United Home Loans has given me the opportunity to give some great gifts away!

All followers will have a chance to win the following items:

• 25 followers will receive “Swag” Bags (Including a T-Shirt and one of the following items: Veterans United Cooler, “Captain” Foldout Chair or Dartboard)
• 5 followers will receive a Band of Brothers Boxed DVD Set and T-Shirt
• 1 follower will receive a Kindle Fire, Band of Brothers Boxed DVD Set and a T-Shirt.

All you have to do to be eligible to win is to sign up for the VA Benefit Blog newsletter! It will contain all of the information you already enjoy from the blog, only now we can deliver it to your digital mailbox.

The contest will run until February 1st so sign up now and give yourself the chance to win. CLICK HERE.

Photo thanks to Veterans United Home Loans

With Agent Orange issues finally being addressed, Congress has dedicated $10 million dollars to research Gulf War illnesses. This has subsided concerns about fitting new research into the budget.

This research is different than recent ventures because it is not directed by the Department of Defense or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA focused its research on the mental health issues of Gulf War veterans, rather than assuming a physical cause, while the DoD stopped funding research on Gulf War research several years ago.

A congressionally directed Medical Research Program suggests that the cause of many of the ailments were caused by bug sprays, antinerve agent pills and Sarin gas. The programs also says that treatments such as coenzyme Q10 appears to relieve some Gulf veterans’ symptoms, giving promise that the work being done isn’t in vain.

It is estimated that one in four Gulf War veterans have developed chronic headaches, widespread pain, memory and concentration problems, persistent fatigue, gastrointestinal problems, skin abnormalities or mood disturbances.

Jim Binns, chairman of the federal Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses, maintains that members of Congress of both parties remain strongly committed to finding treatments for Gulf War illness.

The bill has already been passed by the Senate and signed by U.S. President Barack Obama.

Photo thanks to VA Comm under creative commons license on Flickr.

There are several reasons why a business should hire you, however, I picked 7 that are transferable across industries and ones easily incorporated into your resume:

1. Experience – You bring to the workforce skills and experience that you have used in often changing and unpredictable real-world situations.
2. Leadership – You have been trained to lead by example by using the leadership styles of direction, delegation, motivation and inspiration. You understand how to motivate people to perform their best.
3. Teamwork – Mission accomplishment requires a blend of individual and group productivity. You also understand the synergy a team can generate verses each team member working individually.
4. Diversity – You have the experience of working side-by-side with individuals from different races, genders, geographic origins, ethnic backgrounds, religions and economic status’ as well as those people having various mental and physical capabilities, and attitudes. You have a built-in sensitivity based on your experience of working with all types of people.
5. Performs Under Pressure – You know how to accomplish your work using limited resources and changing schedules. When faced with multiple projects, you know how to prioritize so the most  important project gets done first on-time and within budget.
6. Accountability – You have gained a unique perspective on the value of accountability. You understand the concept of being responsible for both your and your subordinates’ actions.
7. Integrity – You know what it means to do “an honest day’s work.” This integrity translates into sincerity and trustworthiness.

Once you are finished going to school under the GI Bill and get ready to apply for a job, think how you can incorporate these 7 items into your resume, because they make a difference. Employers look for these things in an employee.

As a veteran, you have the education, training and experience in a wide variety of topics performed in real-world (and sometimes dangerous) situations. That is something your non-military, new college graduates don’t have. They may have the education, but lack the other two. That gives you a competitive edge when vying for a job. Use it to your advantage.

Photo thanks to Fellowship of the Rich under creative commons license on Flickr.

U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to reduce the number of federally paid National Guard troops along the U.S.-Mexico border amid controversy regarding the operation’s impact related to its cost.

The plan is to revamp the deployment of military personnel along the boundary, moving from boots-on-the-ground to a broader mission of aerial detection and additional border intelligence analysis.

The change in mission strategy is in response to a steep drop in apprehensions along the border. Changes are also expected to to affect National Guard troops on border-related active duty in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Nearly 1,200 National Guard troops in those areas will be moved to other areas of need.

Ground troops will be replaced by Army National Guard and Air National Guard personnel carrying out surveillance by aircraft, helicopters and unmanned drones. Department of Homeland Security officials say the troop reduction is not a sign of a reduced commitment to border security but rather a better plan of action for today’s border issues.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the Pentagon has long sought to end the roughly $10 million-a-month National Guard ground operation, and given the attempts to cut the deficit, now is an opportune time.

There are approximately 18,200 U.S. Border Patrol agents along the Southwestern border, but border apprehensions have plummeted from 1.6 million in 2000 to 340,252 in the last fiscal year. Part of that decline is due in part to the recent economic downturn.

National Guardsmen have assisted in only 6 percent of the apprehensions of undocumented immigrants during the opening 11 months of the Operation Phalanx, a $160 million project attempting to curb illegal immigration.

Administration officials declined to specify the number of guardsmen who will remain on the border.

Photo thanks to Chris Devers under creative commons license on Flickr.

The Veterans Affairs Committee has recently asked the Veterans Affairs Department inspector general to investigate alleged failings in providing timely mental health care appointments for former service members.

The request comes after a Nov. 30 hearing at which a VA employee said some VA providers “game the system” to ensure they meet timeliness standards. An IG audit will be used to determine if setting and recording appointments were properly managed.

According to a survey of VA mental health practitioners, a third of veterans wait longer than 14 days, and in some cases more than two months for their first mental health appointment. A veteran’s first appointment to begin mental health treatment is often just an administrative visit, and the follow-up, the first therapeutic appointment, can be scheduled out as far as another four to six weeks.

VA officials said they have increased mental health staff by 47.8 percent, from 14,207 to more than 21,000. They also claim that expanded telehealth services and other programs have helped veterans transition to civilian life, thereby decreasing the need for one-on-one visits.

VA spokesman Josh Taylor told the Military Times, “We know from independent reports that access to VA mental health care is equal to or better than private medical practices, and we continue to research ways to improve the measurement of that access.”

Also under scrutiny is a full accounting of the $5.7 billion provided in VA’s fiscal 2011 budget for mental health.

Photo thanks to programwitch under creative commons license on Flickr.

Yesterday we honored America’s greatest generation, the men and women who served during World War II. They struggled through such adversity that today’s society may never fully grasp how much they sacrificed. After the war it was these same people that built America’s foundation through sweat, tears and pride.

December 7, 1941 was like most days in Pearl Harbor. People were enjoying the sights of Hawaii. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and military leaders were cognizant of a Japanese threat, but they felt that because of our isolationist attitude, and public reluctance to enter WWII, there was no imminent danger.

They were wrong. Pearl Harbor was hit by a surprise military strike by the Japanese Imperial Navy which caused catastrophic loss for Americans. Two hours after the initial attack, more than 2,400 American servicemen were dead, 1,200 were wounded and the majority of U.S. Navy ships and airplanes were destroyed and damaged.

The next day, President Roosevelt stood before Congress seeking a declaration of war on Japan. Roosevelt called Dec. 7 a “date that will live in infamy.” Congress did declare war on Japan, and then on Dec. 11, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy responded and declared war on the United States.

The rest, as they say, is a story for another time.

America’s men and women banded together, proving to the world that America is a nation united. They have been forging a path ever since that fateful day, proving that freedom is worth fighting for bu never free, and that America is a symbol of justice.

Today, Japan is one of our greatest allies and there is no question that those who served during WWII are responsible for a rebirth in America that was much needed. Today we salute and thank you. You continue to represent the very best of America.

Photo thanks to Ms_Spinwax under creative commons license on Flickr.

An effort to create a cable television channel dedicated exclusively to veterans programming is gaining momentum in the Illinois Legislature.

Both the House and Senate have passed a resolution urging the Cable Television and Communications Association of Illinois to look into the possibility of dedicating an unused cable channel to veterans programming.

Illinois state Sen. Mike Jacobs of Moline said he is writing a bill that would specify what could be done to facilitate veterans programming, including funding. Among those pushing for the creation is Mark Sides, spokesman for the American Legion Department of Illinois.

Sides spoke before the Illinois Legislature recently, explaining that the country loses 18 veterans every day to suicide, more than are lost in combat. Sides focused on veterans who come home from deployments to a variety of problems, including a lack of a job opportunities and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sides said particularly those with PTSD are often introverted and stay at home. He noted that without work, these veterans usually watch lots of television.

The veterans channel could provide the forum needed to let veterans know where to find help. The possibility of having state-funded colleges use the channel to promote the use of the GI Bill adds further opportunity to veterans seeking employment help.

The channel aims to air veterans-related programming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, raising awareness about the problems veterans and their families face and informing veterans about resources available to help them.

Money will ultimately be the biggest factor when it comes to the channel’s creation. Government funding and donations from private sponsors would be required to launch and maintain the project.

Photo thanks to apdk under creative commons license on Flickr.

The Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011 that was passed on November 17, 2011 contains several working parts, but I want to focus primarily on the part pertaining to education.

A part of the Bill could have a significant impact on unemployed 35 to 60 year-old veterans as it will offer up to 12 months of retraining benefits paid at the same rate as the Montgomery GI Bill, which currently stands at $1,473 per month. The Secretary of Labor will provide the funding for the retraining program, however, payments will be made through the Department of Veterans Affairs. (I hear the groans already.)

Requirements for you to participate in the retraining program include:

- Having an honorable discharge from your last tour of duty in the Armed Forces.
- Having been unemployed for a specified period of time yet to be determined by the Secretary of Labor, but first consideration will go to veterans who have been unemployed for at least 26   weeks or more.
- Not eligible for other types of veterans’ educational assistance, including:

o  Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 33)
o  Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Chapter 31)
o  Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)
o  Survivor and Dependents Education Assistance Program (Chapter 35)
o  Certifying your enrollment in the program monthly.
o  Applying prior to October 1, 2013. The application procedures are still being worked out at the time of this writing. Once known, we will post them on this blog.

The Bill does limit the number of veterans that can participate in the retraining program to 55,000 between the period of October 1, 2012 and March 31, 2014, so it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The retraining must be offered at a community college or vocational-technical school and must lead to an associate’s degree, certificate, license or other type of program completion documentation and be in an occupation designated as in high demand by the Secretary of Labor.

If handled properly, this program can help many veterans that are struggling to find work. Congress did its part in passing this Bill – now it is up to you to use these benefits wisely.

Photo thanks to scui3asteveo under creative commons license on Flickr.

The House of Representatives’ Veterans’ Affairs Committee has been questioned recently regarding the Veterans Affairs Department’s priority on veteran-owned businesses. There are laws and regulations that are supposed to put veterans first, but currently they rank eighth in priority for government contracts.

Thomas Leney, executive director of the Veterans Affairs office of small and disadvantaged business utilization, told the Military Times that veteran-owned businesses “have priority in open market purchases.” Mr. Leney was unable to explain the details of that statement when he later appeared before the Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s panels for economic opportunity and oversight and investigation.

It seems as though business owners and VA contracting personnel find the priority list unclear. Getting contracts is only a portion of the problem facing veterans-owned businesses. Certifying veteran ownership and operational control of a company is also a major obstacle.

Complaints of fraud and deception among businesses claiming to be veteran-owned have caused the VA problems in the past. Verifying companies is now one more step in the long process. According to the Military Times, verification has led to nearly 1,800 businesses being removed from the approved vendor list, leaving 1,700 others pending approval. Eight thousand companies have been approved.

The average wait time for approval averages around 75 days. In October and November, 60 percent of companies that were denied certification as veteran-owned businesses have appealed the process, leading to longer wait times once again.

Increasing frequency in denials or changes to legitimate veteran-owned businesses have resulted in numerous problems for business owners, causing several to even close down as a result.

More than 40 years have passed since the U.S. military used Agent Orange in Vietnam, but only in recent years have health care costs escalated rapidly.

In a report by The Institute of Medicine, an association between exposure to Agent Orange and illnesses including soft-tissue sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma and chloracne has been found.

The report requests further research to determine whether there could be a link to other illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, tonsil cancer, melanoma and Alzheimer’s disease.

Federal officials estimate that 10,000 more veterans have sought medical compensation for diseases related to Agent Orange over the last two years than projected. Over the next decade, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to pay $50 billion for health care compensation for only one of the 14 diseases the VA says is associated with Agent Orange exposure.

Last year, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-cell leukemia were added to the list of diseases the VA associates with Agent Orange exposure. According to a VA report, ischemic heart disease alone added $236 million in 2010 and $165 million this year in compensation costs.

Alan Simpson, former chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, is among those questioning how the VA will afford the compensation claims without increasing the strain on the national budget. He maintains that today’s veterans could become subject to longer delays for disability-compensation claims, primarily because of the backlog created by veterans from previous generations.

Here is a list taken directly from the Department of Veterans Affairs of diseases that are currently recognized as being linked to Agent Orange:

Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy

A nervous system condition that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of exposure to herbicides and resolve within 2 years after the date it began.

AL Amyloidosis

A rare disease caused when an abnormal protein, amyloid, enters tissues or organs.

Chloracne (or Similar Acneform Disease)

A skin condition that occurs soon after exposure to chemicals and looks like common forms of acne seen in teenagers. Under VA’s rating regulations, chloracne (or other acneform disease similar to chloracne) must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of exposure to herbicides.

Chronic B-cell Leukemias

A type of cancer which affects white blood cells.

Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2)

A disease characterized by high blood sugar levels resulting from the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin.

Hodgkin’s Disease

A malignant lymphoma (cancer) characterized by progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia.

Ischemic Heart Disease

A disease characterized by a reduced supply of blood to the heart, that leads to chest pain.

Multiple Myeloma

A cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell in bone marrow.

Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

A group of cancers that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue.

Parkinson’s Disease

A progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects muscle movement.

Porphyria Cutanea Tarda

A disorder characterized by liver dysfunction and by thinning and blistering of the skin in sun-exposed areas. Under VA’s rating regulations, it must be at least 10% disabling within 1 year of exposure to herbicides.

Prostate Cancer

Cancer of the prostate; one of the most common cancers among men.

Respiratory Cancers

Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or Mesothelioma)

A group of different types of cancers in body tissues such as muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues.

Photo thanks to vsai under creative commons license on Flickr. 

Beginning in September, members of the bipartisan committee on deficit reduction, which has become known as the “Supercommittee,” has been working on how to cut $1.2 trillion in federal spending over the next 10 years. Unfortunately, they failed to meet the Nov. 23, 2011 deadline.

This means terms agreed to August regarding the $1.2 trillion will go into effect. Half of that amount will be pulled from defense programs, and the other half will be spread over non-security programs, although Social Security and Medicaid will be protected. The cuts would go into effect starting in 2013.

What does that mean for the military?

Troops could see fewer military jobs, less dwell time, more outdated equipment and plenty of frustration for military planners for years to come, making morale and enlistment key issues for the future. Lack of funding could also lead to poor readiness and an inability to keep up with adversaries.

The military’s end strength and equipment replacement would likely face drastic cutbacks. According to Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno, the National Guard response to U.S. natural disasters would likely be curtailed, and fewer personnel could mean longer deployments for the troops left serving. This would mean a significant decline in humanitarian efforts by the U.S.

With the already in-the-works changes to military retirement and new Tricare fees for veterans, moves that could save hundreds of millions of dollars, cutting military pay and cost-of-living for veterans could be on the chopping block.

A Dec. 16 deadline could be one of the last opportunities to make changes to the defense budget for the 2012 fiscal year.

Photo thanks to Luke Robinson under creative commons license on Flickr.

Thanksgiving Day. A time for food, family, friends, and most importantly, giving thanks for the things that make life worth living.

Across the United States, millions of Americans will be bowing their heads over tables laden with food and thanking you, the veterans and active duty service members of the U.S. military. As the editor here at VA Benefit Blog, and a civilian, I’d like to do the same.

Thank you for putting your life on the line for this great country, so civilians at home can pursue their American dreams.

Thank you for sacrificing time with your family and loved ones to go abroad and work to keep America safe.

Thank you for being an example our nation’s kids can look up to, when they need to know what honor, valor and bravery look like.

Thank you for persevering in the face of enormous peril and against determined enemies to accomplish America’s missions overseas.

Thank you for making this blog possible. Without your honest comments, spirited debates, and dedicated readership, we couldn’t do what we strive to do every day, which is keeping you up to date on the benefits you’ve earned with your selfless service to our country.

And a special thanks to Levi Newman, the chief writer for VA Benefit Blog, who served his country honorably, and now works tirelessly to educate his fellow veterans on how to best take advantage of their benefits.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all, at home and abroad.

If you’re ready to take the next step and enter the civilian job market, it may have just become a little easier.

On November 21, 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law new veterans employment measures designed to get unemployed vets back to work and help recently separated military members make a successful transition to civilian life.

The legislation is the combination of Republican- and Democrat-backed job proposals, which passed through Congress earlier this month.

The tax credits will go into effect immediately, giving employers a financial incentive to hire applicants with military experience. Here’s how the tax credits break down:

•Veterans out of work at least one month: up to $2,400

•Veterans out of work at least six months: up to $5,600

•Disabled vets looking for work: up to $4,800

•Disabled vets out of work at least six months: up to $9,600

Many of the additions, including an extra year’s worth of GI Bill benefits for 100,000 unemployed veterans, new unemployment benefits for disabled veterans and a revamp of the military’s transition assistance program could take months to implement.

In August, White House officials estimated that the tax credits alone could help create more than 25,000 jobs for veterans in the next few years.

Members of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate are continuing their efforts towards addressing the root of the unemployment issues, and working towards long-term solutions to keep veterans working.

Photo thanks to limaoscarjuliet under creative commons license on Flickr.

If you recently transitioned from the military into the civilian world and are looking for a career, you may be interested in the job programs and career tips offered in this article.

Troops To Teachers

Established in 1994, the primary purpose of the Troops to Teachers (TTT) program is to recruit quality teachers to teach in schools that have moderate to high populations of students from low-income families. This program helps students by filling a significant shortage of teachers in math, science and special education. The program gives you a chance to use your mentoring skills to help underprivileged children – many who do not have a role model at home to help them learn life skills.

Depending on the availability of funds, you may qualify for a $5,000 stipend, to help with training costs, or a $10,000 bonus, based on your chosen location. Veterans receiving either the stipend or bonus have to commit to teaching for three years in a targeted school. If you are interested and want to know if you qualify for the program, check out the TTT requirements or contact a DANTES office.

Helmets to Hardhats

Started in 2003, the Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) mission has beent to help veterans with job trade skills connect with employers looking for those skills. Though the program is Web-based like many other job search engines, H2H employs several Regional Directors that serve as your advocate for helping match job openings to your trade skills.

While H2H is not an actual training program, it does offer apprenticeships in addition to offering jobs to already skilled tradesmen. Their posted jobs not only cover construction-type work; they also offer construction-related jobs in administration, engineering and management. If interested, start the job application process by visiting their Home Page.

Top Career Fields for Veterans

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three of the top career industries having the most potential for employment opportunities, salary and wage growth between now and 2018 are in:

- health care

- technology

- consulting

In healthcare, the top jobs are registered nurses, radiation therapists and medical assistants. If you are more inclined towards the technology field, then look for jobs as a network systems analyst, computer software engineer or database administrator. For work in the consulting field, look at jobs as a personal financial adviser, substance abuse counselor or a social services counselor. You can also read about five other great employment career fields to consider by reading previous blogs.

MBAs for Veterans

If you interested in the business career field, consider using your Post 9/11 GI Bill to get a business degree and continue on to a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). Many colleges now offer MBA programs online, in addition to on-campus programs.

While there are thousands of MBA graduates looking for jobs, what sets you apart from the crowd is your previous leadership training and experience. Civilian MBA graduates have the business education and training, but lack the leadership experience. According to a recent survey, veterans with MBAs earn an average annual salary of $109,720, up 6.8% from an earlier survey.

If you have recently transitioned out of the military, or soon will, use these programs and career tips to help ease the stress of transitioning into the civilian workplace. Not only will you find a job quicker, it will help you earn what you are worth.

Photo thanks to solarnu under creative commons license on Flickr.

On Thursday, the Senate has now passed their version of the Hire Heroes Act, the Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act, by a margin of 94-1. The lone dissenter was Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.).

Next, the House of Representatives will either pass the amended measure or the bill will go to a conference between the House and Senate to decide its final form.

This bill would provide employers with a tax credit of up to $5,600 for hiring veterans who have been unemployed for at least six months, as well as a $2,400 credit for hiring veterans who have been unemployed for more than four weeks, but less than six months.

Additionally, a credit of up to $9,600 will increase the existing Wounded Warriors Tax Credit for employers that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been unemployed for at least six months.

The measure will also direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Labor to establish a veterans retraining assistance program. This extends the Wounded Warrior Act by two years, providing further rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of the armed forces with severe injuries or illnesses. Those that have exhausted rights to unemployment benefits under state law may also receive additional help.

Stay with VA Benefit Blog for more coverage of the Hire Heroes Act. Check out our earlier coverage of this vital veterans issue.

Photo thanks to Zol87 under creative commons license on Flickr.

Wingman, battle buddy, shipmate. These terms are used to describe the buddy system in the military. Looking out for the person beside you is one of the very first things taught to a young enlistee. Sadly, in suicide prevention, we are failing our buddies.

According to the Department of Veteran Affairs, data shows that there is an average of 950 suicide attempts each month by veterans who are receiving some type of treatment. At least 7 percent of the attempts are successful, and 11 percent of those who don’t succeed on the first attempt try again within nine months.

That averages out to 18 veteran suicides a day, five of those by veterans who are currently receiving treatment. Though screening programs are in place to identify those with problems, and special efforts are made to track those considered at high risk, we as friends and family have to make sure that our loved ones are actually receiving the treatments available.

Suicide attempts by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans remains a key area of concern. VA statistics show that there were 1,621 suicide attempts by men and 247 by women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, with 94 men and four women dying.

The VA’s suicide hotline has been receiving about 10,000 calls a month from current and former service members. If you or someone you know could use these services, the number is 1-800-273-8255. Service members and veterans should push 1 for veterans’ services.

Photo thanks to Scott* under creative commons license on Flickr.

Today we observe Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor our veterans and to show appreciation for the courage and patriotism of all the men and women who have served in the military.

From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our nation’s ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America’s veterans answered the call when asked to protect our nation from some of the most brutal oppression the world has ever known.

Military service demands a special kind of sacrifice. The places where you are sent to live and serve bring risk every day. From the time you put on that uniform for the first time, the interests of the nation move to the forefront and define your life. Those duties are ultimately shared by family members who make many sacrifices of their own, sometimes bearing the burden of losing a loved one.

Service brings rewards as well. There is the pride in developing one’s own character, serving a cause far greater than self-interest. Every man and woman who wears America’s uniform is part of a long, unbroken line of achievement and honor. No single military power in history has done greater good, shown greater courage, liberated more people or upheld higher standards of decency and valor than the Armed Forces of the United States of America.

That is a legacy to be proud of and those who contributed to it must never be taken for granted. To honor our veterans, we must keep the promises we have made to them. We must care for those who have been injured in the service of our country. We must honor and remember those who have died. And we must remember those whose fate is still undetermined. We fly the Prisoner of War flag on Veterans Day for a reason, to show that this nation will not relent until we have accounted for every last one of our missing Americans.

Thank you for your service. Thank you for all that you have sacrificed for this great nation. Thank you for being the backbone of America.

Happy Veterans Day.

On Nov. 7, 2011, President Barack Obama announced executive orders to give tax credits to employers who hire post-9/11 veterans and wounded warriors, as well as enhanced career counseling and related services for veterans.

The new Returning Heroes Tax Credit will provide companies up to $5,600 in credits for each unemployed veteran they hire. Similarly, a new Wounded Warriors Tax Credit offers employers up to $9,600 for each veteran with service-connected disabilities they hire.

Post-9/11 veterans can also download a Veteran Gold Card that entitles them to six months of personalized case management, assessments and counseling services at One-Stop Career Centers nationwide. This service could benefit more than 200,000 post-9/11 veterans, according to White House officials.

In addition, the Labor Department launched My Next Move for Veterans, an online tool where veterans can enter information about their military experience and skills to identify civilian careers that put those skills to use. The site also offers information about salaries, apprenticeships, and other related education and training programs.

A new job bank, developed in partnership with leading job search companies, will allow employers to tag job postings for veterans, helping connect unemployed veterans to job openings. According to the White House, more than 500,000 job openings have already been tagged.

Photo thanks to agrilifetoday under creative commons license on Flickr.

A group of married gay and lesbian military personnel have sued the federal government in an attempt to obtain the same benefits as married heterosexual military personnel. The lawsuit states that the government’s Defense of Marriage Act violates their constitutional rights and asks the military to recognize their marriages and provide spousal benefits.

Under DOMA, the Pentagon is required to ignore same-sex marriages, protecting one state from having to abide by other states’ marriage laws.

The lawsuit contests that the continued denial of benefits to gay and lesbian spouses is a threat to national security. Under DOMA, the military has already recognized that “service members who are distracted by thoughts that their loved ones are not being cared for may render the service members less effective combatants.”

The lawsuit focuses on benefits given to straight married couples, including medical and dental benefits, housing allowances, travel and transportation allowances, survivor benefits and the right to be buried together in military cemeteries.

The plaintiffs are confident the government won’t contest the lawsuit, quoting a statement from President Obama about DOMA in which he said, “I believe the law runs counter to the Constitution, and it’s time for it to end, once and for all.”

Photo thanks to s_falkow under creative commons license on Flickr.

The House of Representatives recently passed its veterans employment bill, the Veterans’ Opportunity to Work Act. All eyes are now focused on the Senate, who is working on its own version of the bill, the Hiring Heroes Act.

Senate Democrats are considering adding two White House-sponsored tax provisions that could delay a final vote, making it unlikely a final bill could be signed into law by Veterans Day.  Because the Senate is considering a vote on a bill that’s different from the House-approved measure, the bill would have to return for another vote in the House if it is passed through the Senate. The Republican-controlled Senate has so far been reluctant to approve any job-related provisions.

“With the veteran unemployment rate at 11.7 percent, veterans don’t want empty lip service next Friday,” Paul Rieckhoff, the founder and executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, told Military Times. “They want action and jobs.”

The proposed measures would provide businesses with a $2,400 tax credit for hiring any unemployed veteran, a $4,800 tax credit for hiring a veteran who has been out of work for at least six months and a $9,600 tax credit for hiring a veteran with a service-connected disability who has been out of work for six months.

Stay tuned to VA Benefit Blog for updates on this crucial legislation.

Photo thanks to s_falkow under creative commons license on Flickr.

In the ongoing examination of the cost of veterans benefits, focus has shifted to the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

The Veterans Affairs department has paid out $11 billion in benefits to Post 9/11 GI Bill recipients since the bill was established in 2009, a significant budge line item. The high cost of this new GI Bill, coupled with the increase in its use, has made it a clear target for lawmakers trying to save other core veterans programs, like health care for the disabled.

In an effort to cut spending, a plan has been suggested by leaders of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees that caps the annual increase in tuition rates at three percent. This Veterans Affairs plan, that could cut $7 billion from veterans education benefits over the next 10 years, is currently in the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. The committee is tasked with cutting $1.2 trillion in federal spending over the next ten years by November 18.

The $7 billion savings estimate is based on a concept that would allow a maximum three percent annual increase in tuition reimbursement for new students, while allowing existing students to receive a full, uncapped rate increase as long as they do not change schools. Also, the cap would apply to tuition and fees at public and private schools, but not to the living stipend.

In other words, if a student is paying tuition fees of $7,605, and that increases 7.9 percent, the GI Bill tuition pay will only cover three percent of that increase. The student would have to pay $373 out-of-pocket.

There could be ways to offset those unpaid expenses for students that qualify for other federal student aid, such as Pell Grants, or some could qualify for Yellow Ribbon Program benefits, a program funded jointly by the school and the VA that covers tuition costs not paid by the GI Bill. Students may also choose to use their living stipend, which would not be capped under the proposal, to pay the difference. Some students may not be affected at all if their school doesn’t increase rates by more than three percent a year.

Caps on benefits have been used before, and even when they start small, their effects can build over time. Staying on top of your school’s tuition rate is the only way to know if you are covered by your current GI Bill.

Photo thanks to Eric Fischer under creative commons license on Flickr.

A proposal from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., could potentially make it more difficult for retirees and active-duty family members to get healthcare. McCain has proposed barring military retirees from signing up for Tricare Prime, the least expensive Tricare option available to them. Tasked with making deficit-reduction decisions, the Senate Armed Services Committee will take a close look at veteran benefits.

Approximately 5.2 million people are currently enrolled in Tricare Prime, with 1.5 million of those potentially being affected by McCain’s plan. Nearly 71 percent of retirees and retiree family members in Tricare Prime rely entirely on the military for health care. That would drop to 35 percent and reduce Tricare costs by $111 billion over 10 years under the McCain proposal, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate.

Factored into the CBO’s savings estimate is that veterans and families forced out of Prime would voluntarily reduce doctors visits and other expenses because of the higher fees. The proposal could have the secondary effect of reducing the number of civilian doctors willing to accept patients in the Tricare network because of low reimbursements. Tricare Prime patients must be accepted by doctors in the network, but Tricare Extra and Standard carry no such mandate.

While an Oct. 14 letter to the deficit panel from Republicans on the House committee urges “caution” when considering cuts in benefits for current and future retirees, the plan has attracted bipartisan support, including Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

McCain’s proposal is one of many being considered in closed-door deliberations of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, beginning Oct. 19, with decisions expected by Nov. 18.

TRICARE UPDATE: As of October 1, 2011 military retirees who choose to enroll in TRICARE Prime will be required to pay an increased annual enrollment fee of $260 (individual) and $520 (family). Currently enrolled retirees will begin paying the new annual enrollment fees in January 2012.

Trivia Question #2: In the 1920′s, this Devil Dog enlisted for the “term of life.” This hard-charging Marine was promoted from Private to Sergeant Major within three years. He died shortly after, but was buried with full military honors. What was his name?

Photo thanks to http://mccain.senate.gov.

Just wanted to say a quick thank you for all the likes, shares and comments we’ve gotten across all of the blog topics recently. Without your contributions we would not have been able to reach the amount of people that we have.  With that said, here is a run-down of blogs you may have missed.

Veterans Health for Women

New Research into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Sheltering Our Homeless Veterans

Are You the 99%?

It could be said that America is in the middle of a very real revolution. On September 17, 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement began in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States with actions in over 1,500 cities globally.

Occupy Wall Street has inspired people across the country, including a veteran contingency aptly named Occupy Marines. These Marines are a group of non-active troop members that are calling on non-active Marines to support the movement. The group was formed online to support the Occupy Wall Street protests after videos circulated online of a Marine confronting New York City police, questioning their tactics used against peaceful demonstrators.

Occupy Marines wants people to participate in the movement, but asks supporters not to demonstrate in uniform, especially if they are still on active or reserve status. They also have a zero tolerance policy for any violence whatsoever, including verbal. They view security forces and police as potential recruits to their cause, because they are accountable to the people.

Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Marines, like most idealistic social movements, want real political solutions. Their ideals may seem foolishly utopian to outsiders, but to them it’s a sign of the deep political conviction that many of the protesters carry. Their slogan is “We are the 99%”, which refers to income inequality in the United States between the top 1%, who control about 40% of the wealth, and the rest of the population.

These intense political rallies have led to clashes between police and protesters, permitting people like Marine Corps veteran Sgt. Shamar Thomas to deliver powerful public speeches regarding the treatment of his fellow Americans. Physical confrontations have also occurred. Scott Olsen, a former marine and member of Veterans for Peace, was injured by a police projectile while participating in the Occupy Oakland march.

What is your stance on Occupy Wall Street and Occupy Marines? Do you support it, are you against it, and are you the 99%? Leave your comments below.

Photo thanks to eDsanca under creative commons license on Flickr.

It is estimated that 75,000 veterans are sleeping on the streets on a given night, and about 135,000 have spent at least one night in a shelter, according to recent surveys. This fall, there are 28 communities across the nation, including San Francisco, St. Louis and Miami, that are looking to combat this trend. Special programs will work to highlight the issue and give more aid to homeless veterans in need, as well as provide resources to veterans’ families and those at risk of becoming homeless.

The “Make the Call” campaign is part of the Veterans Administration’s push to eliminate veteran homelessness by 2015. These local programs will explore veteran homelessness and encourage community members and military families to assist those in need by contacting the VA.

The VA will offer a broad range of aid programs, including healthcare for homeless veterans, healthcare and other services for veterans exiting prison, information on programs like Veteran Stand Downs, Drop-In Centers, and the VA’s Homeless Veteran Dental Assistance Program.

This new plan to tackle veteran homelessness is a much needed improvement from past programs, which relied primarily on providing temporary housing solutions. Today, the focus is on prevention and finding permanent housing for those in need.

In the VA’s Compensated Work Therapy program, homeless veterans earn pay while learning new job skills, relearning successful work habits and regaining a sense of self-esteem and self-worth

The VA’s call center for homeless veterans, staffed around the clock by trained professionals, is 877-4AID-VET (or 877-424-3838). For a full list of the new campaign’s cities and start dates, visit the VA’s Public and Intergovernmental Affairs page.

Photo thanks to Tattooed JJ under creative commons license on Flickr.

Researchers work diligently to prevent and treat the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, one of the most prominent veteran illnesses today. PTSD is not exclusive to the military, but veterans are helping to draw attention to this debilitating illness. Increasingly expensive treatments created a need for scientists to find new, more effective ways to treat the psychological condition.

In one experiment, professors Joseph Zohar and Hagit Cohen may have found that a single dose of common medication, cortisone, could reduce the likelihood of developing PTSD. Using a double-blind study, Zohar and Cohen discovered that patients who had received a shot of cortisone were more than 60 percent less likely to develop PTSD. They will expand this small pilot study with a $1.3 million dollar grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.

A joint effort by Stanford and Palo Alto Veterans Affairs is allowing Dr. Amit Etkin to map the brain activity of patients using magnetic resonance imaging. Using these MRI photographs, he is working to understand how the brain repairs itself in order to regulate emotions. Etkin is hoping to use magnetic stimulation to activate the same neural pathways that are activated by standard psychotherapy, in an effort to provide a more effective treatment for PTSD.

For those of you with an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, an application has been made available in the App Store. Users can track their PTSD symptoms, find links to public and personalized sources of support, are provided with accurate information about PTSD, and are taught helpful strategies for managing symptoms on the go. The app is one of the first in a series of resources aimed at helping veterans meet the challenges of readjustment and get anonymous assistance, created by the VA National Center for PTSD and the Department of Defense’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology.

With new technology and research being developed every day, it is imperative that those suffering from PTSD look into these resources. If you or anyone you know is currently suffering from PTSD, seek help at your local VA hospital or Veterans Affairs online.

Photo thanks to mohammadali under creative commons license on Flickr.

Women like Margaret Corbin, the first woman known to volunteer for the United States armed services, have been serving our country since 1779. Fighting alongside her husband at Fort Washington, her ability to adapt and overcome epitomizes being a true veteran.

In the spirit of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we’re taking a look at health benefits available to our women veterans.

The Women Veterans Health Program was created in 1988 in order to provide specific medical and psychosocial care for women. According to VetPOP, only 4.4% of veterans were women when the program was created. Since then, the program has been improved to increase the scope of services provided specifically to women, and the overall percentage of female veterans has grown to 8%.

The program includes health evaluation and counseling, disease prevention, nutrition counseling, weight control, smoking cessation and substance abuse counseling and treatment. Gender-specific care is focused on services like cervical and cancer screens, birth control, preconception counseling, the Human papillomavirus vaccine and menopausal support. Mental health treatments range from depression and anxiety disorders to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Now, more than ever, women are a significant portion of our military. Veterans Affairs determined that the largest group of women veterans today served in either Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, making up 13% of overall veterans. The VA has found that women are more than twice as likely to develop PTSD than men, so taking care of the mental health of our women veterans is extremely important.

Women in the military continue to make tremendous contributions and profound sacrifices. Using VA-provided health services is key for both men and women in the fight to stay healthy after serving their country.

Photo thanks to kate.gardiner under creative commons license on Flickr.

The health and pension benefits of military retirees could be under heavy scrutiny in the near future. U.S. President Barack Obama’s proposal, known as the Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction, will cut Medicare and Medicaid, and could also cost veterans, active duty service members, and their families by reforming some veterans benefits.

The plan calls for an increase in pharmacy co-payments for service members’ families and military retirees, an annual enrollment fee for military retirees over 65-years-old in the TRICARE program, and changing the retirement system into a version of a 401(k) plan. The only part of the plan affecting current personnel is the increase in pharmacy co-payments. TRICARE and retirement changes will only affect those who join after the plan takes effect.

According to The New York Times, military pensions and health care for active and retired service members cost the government about $100 billion a year. The drive by Congress to reduce the debt this year could result in trimming core programs like research, training and construction, and weapons procurement.

The Defense Department will be required under legislation passed this year to find about $900 billion in savings over the coming decade, and this emphasis on cutting costs could make military retiree benefits vulnerable.

Currently, service members who retire after 20 years are eligible for pensions that pay half their salaries for the rest of their lives. Lifetime health insurance through TRICARE is also offered, at minimal cost. This prompts many working veterans to often choose military insurance over employer health plans, something advocates of revamping military benefit systems argue is fiscally unfair to civilian citizens.

Veterans’ groups and military leaders argue that the health and retirement systems help retain capable commissioned and non-commissioned officers. They feel that these people volunteered to put their lives at risk, and that they deserve higher-quality benefits. Pulling troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan could leave benefits open to attack because cutting benefits while the country was at war would have been political suicide.

Overall, the proposal would allow soldiers with less than 20 years of service to build up some savings through a 401(k) program, provided they served three to five years, thus spreading out funding and rewarding all volunteers. It would, however, prevent all retirees from receiving benefits until they are 60-years-old.

Given the political strength of veterans’ groups, it is unclear what success the proposed reforms will find. The Fleet Reserve Association has issued a statement opposing the recent White House proposal to reduce military health care and retirement benefits, but the pressure of an over-inflated federal budget could spell change for military retirement. Stay tuned to VA Benefit Blog for updates on this crucial issue.

Recently we posted a blog concerning the Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011, and it caught the attention of Jerry Ensingler. He is the subject of Semper Fi: Always Faithful, a documentary focusing on the controversy surrounding Camp Lejeune. Jerry has also made appearances before Congress with Senator Burr to discuss the bill and has been at the forefront of the movement for additional compensation for veterans affected by water contamination at the base.

We had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Ensingler regarding their plan to reintroduce the bill. He stated that the bill was denied because of a debate over funding sources, so a plan to acquire a new source of money has been developed.

Additionally, he claimed there would be further information brought forward to highlight the need for compensation. A mortality study, TCE Risk Assessment, and an ATSDR water model of Camp Lejeune should all be available in early 2012 to help support their next plan.

This won’t be a quick process. With the bill going through a second time for approval, it may take Congress until early next year to authorize funds for additional compensation.

The Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2011 was introduced to the House of Representatives on July 25, 2011. The bill targets ongoing problems and concerns regarding exposure to deadly herbicides, including Agent Orange, during the Vietnam War.

The bill seeks to increase compensation for any individual Vietnamese nationals, Vietnamese-Americans, and United States veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange, and children of those affected that have developed complications related to deadly herbicides used during the Vietnam War.

Those individuals would receive medical and chronic care, nursing services, and medical equipment under the bill. For caregivers, assistance ranges broadly from medicine and medical equipment to training and home care. Counseling services are also offered.

Currently the bill is in the early steps of the legislative process. On Aug. 1, 2011, it was referred to the subcommittee on Health. Introduced bills and resolutions first go to committees that deliberate, investigate, and revise them before voting them out of committee to general debate on the House floor.

U.S. President Barack Obama has even addressed the issue, speaking to the the 93rd Annual Conference of the American Legion recently. He said that three diseases are now presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure, and that Veterans Affairs are beginning to pay benefits regarding these issues.

Over the past year the backlog has grown due to new claims from Agent Orange, meaning it could be a longer wait to receive benefits than you would hope for. Progress in sharing medical records between the Department of Defense and the VA is also being made.

The job market, much like commercial markets, operates on the theory of supply and demand. While the demand for jobs is low right now in many areas, and the supply of people is high, there is hope on the horizon.

The Department of Labor is predicting a growth of at least 20% in some career fields over the next seven years, even in this cooled economy. But there’s a catch: These opportunities are only open to you if you have earned the necessary degrees.

Five Hot Careers – According to the Department of Labor, these five career fields have a higher than average growth rate out through the year 2018:

Many career fields match up well with some military occupation specialties. For example, computers are computers regardless of where they are. And if you are a personnelist, human resources is right up your alley.

Plus, the skills you learned while in the military, called soft skills, are always in high demand, such as:

* Communications
* Management
* Organization
* Team leading/team building

Soft skills transfer across the industry spectrum and are sought out by today’s businesses. New college graduates may have the education and training in these same skills, but they lack the practical experience. That is a huge advantage for you as a veteran – you are both trained and experienced.

The Online Option – Each of the five careers listed above require a degree of some type to get the best job. However, don’t despair if you don’t have the education you need right now. Many schools now offer an online option, in addition to the traditional classroom setting, where you can pursue your degree from the comfort of your home and time of day that fits your busy schedule. And with a recent change to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you can now get a partial housing allowance even if you take all online
classes. It is never too late to start your education.

Fast-track to a Degree – When you decide to go to school, you can shave off many classes from your degree plan, and get your degree quicker, by having your military credits evaluated and transferred to your school. Take some CLEP tests and you have even less credits left to a degree. Then, use your Montgomery GI Bill or Post 9/11 GI Bill to pay for the rest of the classes.

At some point, the economy will rebound and job opportunities will open up. Be sure you are prepared when that happens by using your GI Bill today to get the education and training you need for a career tomorrow.

One of the most toxic contaminations in the country began in 1957 and continued through 1987 at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Marines and their family members consumed or used contaminated water containing various volatile compounds for years. According to the St. Petersburg Times, a regulation on the books of Camp Lejeune shows the Corps knew the danger organic solvents posed as early as 1974. The paper reported that the news went public in1984.

The Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011 was proposed as a way to provide hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for any illness acquired by veterans and family members who suffered effects from contamination. In June of 2011, the bill passed out of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs with bipartisan support. However, since September, Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) has faced stiff opposition from military and veterans groups, Department of Defense and the Veterans Affairs regarding his method to fund the bill.

To pay for the bill, Burr included a provision that would remove the appropriations that help cover the cost of the Defense Commissary System and would fold the commissaries in with the military exchange system. This would effectively eliminate the discounted grocery benefits many service-members and their families rely upon.

Currently, the bill is on the Senate editorial calendar, awaiting debate on the Senate floor. A major push for the legislation has been provided by an upcoming documentary, Rachel Libert and Tony Hardmon’s Semper Fi: Always Faithful.

While legislation rests in the hands of Congress, we should rely on each other more than ever to keep the faith and help one another. Semper Fidelis.

Link to the timeline, courtesy of St. Petersberg Times.

For some veterans, the GI Bill has felt somewhat useless. They didn’t feel compelled to be a traditional student, focusing more time and energy on vocational skills. Fast-forward to October 1, 2011, and for those veterans, the GI Bill is suddenly relevant again. Veterans who never before had the desire to attend school, but still wanted to improve themselves, can now use their GI Bill benefit to hone their talents using many out-of-the-classroom options.

The changes.

Non-college degree (NCD) programs: Non-college degree (NCD) programs offered at non-degree granting schools. Pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees or $17,500,whichever is less. Also pays up to $83 per month for books and supplies.

On-the-job and apprenticeship training: Pays a monthly benefit amount prorated based on time in program and up to $83 per month for books and supplies.

Flight programs: Per academic year, pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the school or $10,000, whichever is less.

Correspondence training: Per academic year, pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the school or $8,500, whichever is less.

Housing allowance for distance learning: Payable to students (other than those on active duty) enrolled solely in distance learning. The housing allowance payable is equal to ½ the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents. The full-time rate for an individual eligible at the 100% eligibility tier would be $673.50 for 2011.

Active duty stipend: Students on active duty will now receive a books and supplies stipend.

Driving, flying, and make-up oh my!?

If you’re a veteran who wants to learn a new trade skill such as HVAC Certification, Truck Driving, EMT Certification, or Barber/Beautician School, your GI Bill will now cover the costs. An active duty stipend for books and supplies could help active duty service members greatly, and make further education more attainable for those unable to attend regular classes and enrolled in distance learning.

In 1917, when the government first established a guideline for veterans benefits, it took time and a lot of snail mail to find out what benefits you were eligible for, and then an even longer wait to actually receive them. Thankfully, in the digital world we live in today, there are online programs like VONAPP that speed that process up.

VONAPP, or Veterans Online Application, allows for service members and beneficiaries to claim their benefits faster than ever. Using this service, you can apply for benefits like compensation, pension, vocational rehabilitation and employment, or burial benefits. You can also report the statusof dependents, file a claim for an increase in your service-connected disability, report a new disability, claim an ancillary benefit, or see if you are eligible for a special monthly pension.

Signing up for this program is both free and relatively easy, so you shouldn’t have a problem getting your account started. VONAPP walks you through the process step-by-step as a first-time user, allowing you to go at your own pace. You can come back to your application at any time or upload any supporting documents to your personal file that you might need.

All you need is a computer and a web browser and you’re on your way to using VONAPP and its related resources. If you don’t happen to have a computer you can also go to a local library or a cyber cafe to use the service, just remember to log out of VONAPP when you’re done!

Using VONAPP isn’t for everyone, but it’s a good idea to explore every opportunity you can to receive your benefits. Give yourself a leg up on getting your benefits faster by taking advantage of online resources like VONAPP.

Note: Do not use VONAPP to submit a previous claim if you’ve already done so on paper and it is still processing. It could potentially hinder that claim.

The VA is exploring options to extend the current presumptive deadline for filing for undiagnosed illnesses related to service in the Middle East.

To piggyback on Audrey’s earlier post on this subject, veterans should be highly motived to receive a diagnosis, or un-diagnosis, as in this case. Currently, your condition must rise to a compensable level in order to be “presumed” to have been caused by exposure to mystery elements in the Middle East. If it does not rise to this level of severity (at least 10% Disability Rating), you will be SOL.

Why is this important?

To illustrate, let’s look at Mr. Pete Veteran. Let’s say Pete has some kind of condition noted in his current VA records. But, the condition is not noted in his Military records. If Pete’s condition is currently severe enough to only warrant a 0% rating but gets worse after December 31, 2011, this veteran will be out of luck. As time progresses, his condition will likely get worse, but he would not qualify for disability benefits unless the presumptive holds.

Another example.

Let’s look at Clint Billybob Veteran. Clint decided to not see a doctor about his fybromyalgia or chronic fatigue while in the military. He has also not seen a doctor about the condition after getting out. Suddenly, after December 31, 2011, his condition gets so bad that he cannot work.

Guess who’s screwed? Not the executives from GE or Goldman Sachs, all who seem to magically benefit from war. No, Clint is the one who is screwed along with all the small businesses that could have used Clint’s help as a worker had he not chosen to enlist in the military.

Two hypos distilled.

Notice what’s going on in these two hypothetical examples. Both veterans failed to get their conditions diagnosed while they were in the service. The beauty of the presumptive is that it allows the veteran to receive “service-connection” for the injury or illness despite the condition NOT being recorded in their Service Medical Records. This is huge.

Once you, the veteran, are outside of the presumptive window, the window literally closes unless you find a medical professional willing to document your condition after the fact. This is hard to do.

My point.

DO NOT WAIT. We were all exposed to a myriad of crazy pathogens, dusts and other chemicals while in the military. God only knows what will happen as we get older. Just look at the progression of Agent Orange (AO). And it took those poor Vietnam veterans years to get a full listing of all the ailments caused by AO exposure.

Don’t be a sucker. Get your conditions looked at immediately. No one knows if the VA will successfully extend the presumptive window to 2018, as is proposed. I learned long ago to never rely on my government to do the right thing. They will do their thing, whatever that is.

There are some blogs, including my own, that help with the disability process and documentation. Here is mine and a couple others I like with free information that has helped thousands of veterans:

DisabledVeterans.ORG

VAWatchdogtoday.ORG

DisabledVet.com

State Benefits Series: Each state has their own department of veterans affairs, but many veterans are not aware of what benefits these state departments offer that are different from the federal Dept. Va.  This series hopes to clear that up.  In alphabetical order, we will tell you what each state offers.  Some articles will have just one state, and some will have several states.

Each state is divided into several categories, so you can easily see an overview of the benefits available in that section.  The categories are: Education, Employment/Retirement, Taxes, Vehicles Licensing, Death/Burial, and Other Benefits.

Today: Colorado

Previous States: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA

Education:

There are no education benefits specifically for Veterans, but because many veterans’ children continue the “family tradition” of military service, we want to include the education benefits below, which are available to Colorado Army and Air National Guard members.

Tuition Waiver:  Colorado provides tuition for 34 colleges in the state.  This tuition waiver is available to all Colorado residents who are active members of the Colorado National Guard.  (Air or Army)  To see the list of schools, and more information, go here.

Employment:

Extra Points on Civil Service Exams: Disabled veterans receive an extra 10 points, while non-disabled veterans receive an extra 5 points to their exam when applying for a civil service position.

Taxes:

Property Tax Reduction:  For eligible veterans, 50% of the taxes assessed on the first $200,000 of property value are removed.  This only applies to the primary residence of the veteran, and only one primary residence can be claimed.  Details on property ownership, including if the veteran’s spouse is the only listed owner, and application instructions can be found here.

Qualifications:

Honorably discharged veterans who are awarded 100% total and permanent disability from the Dept. VA.

Income Tax Waiver for Retirement Pay:  Veterans who have retired (honorably served 20 or more years and are receiving retirement benefits from the DoD) from the military may exclude the first $20,000 per year of their retirement pay.

Death/Burial:

Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado:  Colorado maintains a cemetery for veterans who are residents of the state.

Qualifications for internment:

Any Colorado resident, who, while a member of any branch of the U.S. military, dies while on active duty.

Or

Any Colorado resident who was discharged from the military with any designation other than “dishonorable,”  with service lasting at least 24 months.  There are some exceptions to this 24 month requirement that vary with time of service, and specifications pertaining to activation of National Guard and Reserve branches.

Or

There are several other qualifying groups, such as WWII Merchant Marines, and certain public health service personnel.  Go here to see these details.

Vehicle Licensing:

Free Vehicle License Plates:  Veterans who received the Medal of Honor or Purple Heart Medal, who were designated as a Prisoner of War, or who are 50% or greater disabled are able to receive special vehicle license plates at no charge for a single vehicle.  License plates for other veterans’ circumstances are available for a small fee.

Other Benefits:

State Veterans Home and State Veterans Nursing Home:  Colorado maintains one Veterans Home, and four Veterans Nursing Homes throughout the state.

Free Fishing License:  No charge for fishing licenses for veterans who are a patient at a Dept. VA hospital in the state of Colorado, or veterans who are considered 100% totally and permanently disabled.

Free Small Game and Fishing Combination License: No charge for this combination license for Colorado resident veterans who are 60% or more disabled.

A Family Relief Fund:  Again, this is for the families of National Guard and Active Duty military families.  We are including it because we want to make sure that our readership who is, or knows, military families that may be in need are informed.  Colorado has created a family relief fund to help the families of certain activated military members.  This is not an emergency fund, but instead assistance provided to families that just need that little bit of extra help.  Please read more here.

Photo thanks to jimmywayne under creative commons license on Flickr.

A law was written some time ago that provided extra protection for veterans from the Persian Gulf War.  The basic purpose of the law was to ensure that veterans were able to apply for health care and other benefits for the decades following their time in combat.  Sometimes health conditions are caused by circumstances while in a war zone, but do not manifest until many years later.  This law was to ensure that if this was the case, these veterans were still able to receive benefits and compensation.

This law expires on September 30, 2011.  The VA apparently received a lot of concern from Gulf War veterans.  Like all laws, there is a bit of ambiguity in the wording of the expiration date.  What this date does mean is that some protections that were offered to Gulf War veterans may no longer be in effect.  Also, prior to September 30, 2011, if any scientific report was published that had studied specific effects of service in the Southwest Asian theater, the VA was required to assess and respond to the report.  There is no longer a requirement to publish a response.  Don’t be discouraged though, the scientific and medical community will continue to read and incorporate new knowledge.  That’s the whole reason they spend so much money studying this stuff!

What this date does not mean is a benefits termination.  No Gulf War veteran who is currently receiving benefits will have those benefits terminated.  (Sometimes veterans are determined to be in recovery, or have recovered to a great enough degree that the VA warrants a reduction in benefits.  This is not the same thing, and can still happen.)  Additionally, Gulf War veterans are still able to apply for benefits when service related conditions are discovered.

Ok, so, what does all this really mean for the average Gulf War veteran?  Not a thing.  You will continue to received your benefits, and veterans will continue to be able to apply.  So why did I bother writing a post about this?  Well, because the wording on the law is strange and I wanted to assure our community that they aren’t in any danger of having their benefits terminated.

There is one important date that Gulf War veterans do need to know about.  Initially, the VA determined that if a condition that was shown to be connected to Gulf War service (aka, presumed exposure) did not manifest by December 31, 2011, then it was more likely that the condition was due to other circumstances.  The VA is currently addressing this date, and has drafted a new version of this rule, to state an expiration date for presumed exposure of 2018.  What does this date mean for Gulf War veterans?  If you, or another veteran who fought in the Gulf War, has begun to develop any health conditions related to your time in service, you may eventually run out of time to submit your claim as a presumed exposure health problem.  When the rule becomes finalized, you will have a few more years to submit a claim, but sooner is definitely better.

Read the original VA Press release on this subject here.

Photo thanks to VA Comm  under creative commons license on Flickr.

This week had some positive news.  New lists for presumed Agent Orange exposure, another avenue to education, and California state veterans benefits.

VA Creates List of Ships for Vietnam Agent Orange Presumed Exposure

Vietnam veterans who served on ships have been asking for decades for medical benefits due to exposure to Agent Orange.  Until now, most of these veterans were not considered under the presumed exposure idea which covers the majority of Vietnam veterans who served on land.

The VA has listened.  There is still a list of criteria that has to be met, and of course proof of service must be shown.  There are several groups of ships and boats that are on this list.

State Benefits Series: California

State Benefits Series: Each state has their own department of veterans affairs, but many veterans are not aware of what benefits these state departments offer that are different from the federal Dept. Va.  This series hopes to clear that up.  In alphabetical order, we will tell you what each state offers.  Today: California.

Chapter 35 – The Survivors and Dependents Assistance Program

The Chapter 35 provides up to 45 months of entitlement for eligible spouses and dependent children to go to school and learn a career. The program provides a means to get a post-secondary education either as a traditional student in a brick-and-mortar classroom setting, or through one of many online options.

The Chapter 35 provides up to 45 months of entitlement for eligible spouses and dependent children to go to school and learn a career. The program provides a means to get a post-secondary education either as a traditional student in a brick-and-mortar classroom setting, or through one of many online options. Typical types of courses covered are:

• College programs resulting in a degree
• Trade, technical, licensure or certification training
• On-the-job training/apprenticeships
• Correspondence courses
• Cooperative training
• Overseas programs (leading toward a college degree).

Qualification Requirements

To qualify as a surviving spouse or dependent child, the sponsor – meaning the veteran – must be VA-rated as totally and permanently disabled as a result of a service-connected event, or by the passing of the disabled veteran. However, the requirements also extend to servicemembers listed as missing in action, a prisoner of war or held captive by a foreign power.

The definition of a surviving spouse is straightforward, however, what constitutes a dependent child may not be. To qualify for the program, you are considered a dependent, if you are under the age of 27 and:

• a biological child of the military member
• adopted through the courts system or
• a legally adopted step-child.

Program Highlights

Dependent Children – As a dependent child, you have to go to school to draw the benefit. With 45 months of entitlement, and attending nine-month academic school years, it is enough benefit for up to five years of school. Just be sure to start school early enough so you can finish before your 27^th birthday as unused entitlements are lost at that time.

And you must remain in school to continue to draw the benefit. If you decide to follow in your sponsor’s footsteps and joint the military, your benefits will stop while you are on active duty. Once out of the military and back in school, your benefit will start again, provided you were not discharged under dishonorable conditions. By voluntarily serving in the military between the ages of 18 and 26, your eligibility can be extended up to eight years, but not past your 31^st birthday.

If you already served in the military, but were recalled to active duty after September 10, 2001, your eligibility can be extended for the duration of the deployment plus four months. In case of an involuntary recall, eligibility can extend past your 31^st birthday.

Besides military service, other events can extend your eligibility period, such as:

• Not able to attend classes due to having to meet family or financial obligations.
• Unexpected change in employment – you get transferred to a new location with the same company.
• A death in the family.
• A debilitating family illness requiring your care.
• Personal long-term illness preventing you from attending classes.
• Called into missionary service.

Surviving Spouse – As a surviving spouse, and you remarry while drawing Chapter 35 benefits, the benefits or eligibility of your dependent children will not be affected.

Your program benefits normally end 10 years from your date of eligibility, unless your sponsor dies while on active duty. In that situation, your eligibility period doubles and will continue up to 20 years after your sponsor’s death, or until your 45 months of benefits are exhausted, or until you remarry, provided you are under the age of 57. If you are 57 or older, your eligibility will continue until the benefit is exhausted, you graduate or quit school.

If your sponsor is officially listed as missing in action, a prisoner of war or detained by a foreign power, your eligibility starts on the 91^st day after the official listed status and ends 10 years later. If your sponsor is found or released, your eligibility ends immediately, however, you may still draw benefits for up to 12 weeks or until the end of the school term, whichever occurs first.

Chapter 35 Application Procedures

Before applying for the program, first determine if your school is VA-approved. If it is, submit VA Form 22-5490 from the eBenefits website or download the form, fill it out and mail it to the VA Regional Office having jurisdiction over your school. The information is on the form.

As with most GI Bills, payment rates are annually adjusted on October 1^st. As of this writing, a full-time student attending either a college degree or non-degree program receives $936 per month; starting October 1^st, the payment increases to $957 per month.

If you attend school on a less than full-time basis, then your payment is prorated proportionally according to your rate of pursuit. For example, if you are considered a half-time student, then you would receive 50% of the $936 amount per month.

As far as entitlement use, one month of benefit is deducted for each one month of benefit ($936) paid out. So as a full-time student, you would use one month of entitlement for each month of school, while as a half-time student, you would use only one month of benefit every two months of school.

Apprenticeships and OJT programs pay differently; these programs pay $682 ($698 starting October 1^st) per month for the first six months and then your pay drops incrementally during each successive 6-month period. As your knowledge of the trade increases, so does your pay from your employer, offsetting your drop of Chapter 35 pay.

With the Chapter 35 program, you have some financial assistance to learn a career. While the program does not pay all school-related expenses, it does help financially to learn a trade or career – an opportunity otherwise you may not have had.

Photo thanks to DVIDSHUB  under creative commons license on Flickr.

Vietnam veterans who served on ships have been asking for decades for medical benefits due to exposure to Agent Orange.  Until now, most of these veterans were not considered under the presumed exposure idea which covers the majority of Vietnam veterans who served on land.

The VA has listened.  There is still a list of criteria that has to be met, and of course proof of service must be shown.  There are several groups of ships and boats that are on this list.

The first, is a set of two categories: Mobile Riverine Force and Inshore Fire Support (ISF) Division 93.  Both of these two groups are on the list.

The second, is a list of boat/ship designators:

• LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanized)
• LCU (Landing Craft, Utility)
• LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel)
• LST (Landing Ship, Tank)
• PBR (Patrol Boat, River)
• PCF (Patrol Craft, Fast or Swift Boat)
• PG (Patrol Gunboat)
• WAK (Cargo Vessel)
• WHEC (High Endurance Cutter)
• WLB (Buoy Tender)
• WPB (Patrol Boat)
• YFU (Harbor Utility Craft)

State Benefits Series: Each state has their own department of veterans affairs, but many veterans are not aware of what benefits these state departments offer that are different from the federal Dept. Va.  This series hopes to clear that up.  In alphabetical order, we will tell you what each state offers.  Some articles will have just one state, and some will have several states.

Each state is divided into several categories, so you can easily see an overview of the benefits available in that section.  The categories are: Education, Employment/Retirement, Taxes, Vehicles Licensing, Death/Burial, and Other Benefits.

Today: California

Previous States: AL, AK, AZ, AR

Education:

Free Tuition and Fees:  Exactly what it says, free tuition and fees at any California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus.

Qualifications:

Spouse, registered domestic partner, child under age 27, or unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran who is 100% service connected disabled.

Or

The child of a veteran who has a permanent service connected disability (if it is less than 100%) and whose income is below the legally declared poverty level.

Non-Resident Fee Waiver: (aka. The extra tuition that non-residents pay out of state public schools.) This would enable a non-resident of California to pay tuition at the same rate that a resident of California pays for public school tuition.

Qualifications:

Child of a veteran who was stationed in California for one year prior to separation from the military

Employment:

Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise Opportunities: Certified veteran owned businesses can participate in the state program to award a minimum of 3% of all state contracts to veteran owned businesses.

Qualifications:

The business must be at least 51% owned by a veteran who is at least 10% or more disabled.

Preference for employment based on civil service exam:  Upon taking an examination in applying for a civil service position, veterans will receive between 10 and 15 extra points added to their total end score.

Qualifications:

Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated at 10% or greater.

Or

“Wartime” veterans who served have served with honor.

Or

A veteran who served under honorable conditions for a period of at least 181 days

Or

Spouses of totally disabled service-connected veterans.

Or

Unmarried, surviving spouses of a veteran who has died of service-connected causes.

Employment and Unemployment Insurance Assistance:  California has services to help veterans receive training needed to aquire jobs, as well as provide assistance in applying for unemployment insurance.  Contact: www.edd.ca.gov

Taxes:

Waiver of Business Fees and Taxes:   Just what it says…does not apply to businesses that primarily sell liquor and/or alcoholic beverages.

Qualifications:

Honorably discharged veterans engaged in sales businesses.  (as opposed to service businesses)

Waiver of property taxes: waiver of property taxes on the first $115,060 of a home’s value if the combined household income is over $51,699 per year, or on the first $172,592 of a home’s value if the combined household income is under $51,699.

Qualifications:

Veterans who are 100% service connected disabled

Or

Unremarried surviving spouses, or registered domestic partners who are receiving service-connected death benefits due to the death of a veteran

Death/Burial:

Free Burial in the Northern California Veterans Cemetery: Free, professional burial for veterans in the state veterans cemetery.  There is a $500 fee for spouses or dependents.

Vehicle Licensing:

California has a very large system of free, specialized, and/or reduced price license plates.  Way too many variations to list here!  Most of the free plates involve a specific survival situation such as having been a prisoner of war, or pearl harbor survivor, or other combat situation.  Please see the full list of different plates offered and their qualifications here: http://dmv.ca.gov/military/veteran.htm

Other Benefits:

Veterans Homes: Professional, low cost assisted living, and medical care facilities are available specifically to veterans.

Contact:

•  Veterans Home of California, Yountville (Napa County): 1-800-404-8387
• Veterans Home of California, Barstow (San Bernardino County): 1-800-746-0606
• Veterans Home of California, Chula Vista (San Diego County): 1-888-857-2146
• William J. “Pete” Knight Veterans Home of California, Lancaster: 1-661-974-7035 ext. 6
• Veterans Home of California, Ventura: 1-805-659-7502
• Veterans Home of California, West Los Angeles: 1-877-605-1332

California Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Home Division
1227 ‘O’ street
Sacramento, CA 95814
www.calvet.ca.gov/homes

1-800-952-5626

Veterans Claims to the Dept. VA. Assistance:  wait..what?  Yep.  California has offices just to help veterans who are making claims to the VA.  Contact them at:

Any County Veterans Service Office (located in the county government listings in your telephone book) OR
California Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Services Division
1227 ‘O’ Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
1-800-952-5626

Discounted hunting and fishing licenses:  Available to veterans who are 50% or more disabled.

Home Loans: California provides extra mortgage services to veterans.  Contact:

California Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm and Home Loan Division
1227 ‘O’ Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
1-800-952-5626
Or visit www.calvet.ca.gov/HomeLoans

Photo thanks to jczart under creative commons license on Flickr.

An extra long weekend is never a bad thing!

State Benefits Series: Arizona

Another installment in our state benefits series, Arizona is utterly insignificant.

State Benefits Series: Arkansas

A bit more flavor than some other states, Arkansas has some really good benefits to offer its residents.

High Ethics: VA Research

The VA Research department’s ethics committee recently received accreditation for doing an exceptionally good job at protecting the rights of research participants.

Research is the basis for the advancement of many different scientific disciplines, and very often, this research requires carefully constructed experiments.  The ethics that govern research and experiments with human participants have changed dramatically over the past century.  For example, one of the most famous psychological experiments was done by John Watson in 1920.  The experiment involved a 8 month old child known only as Little Albert.  Watson tested his theories that humans are a blank slate at birth and all knowledge we aquire is learned through experience and anything can be taught.  In his research, Watson taught Little Albert to fear a variety of soft white animals or similar objects which the child had previously face with no aversion.  He did this by pairing exposure to one of the animals, such as a rat or bunny, with a loud, scary noise.  Well, his theory worked, he effectively taught Little Albert to fear many white fuzzy objects or animals.

At the time, there was no ethical contradictions to  a study such as this.  Would we allow it now?  No way!  The vast majority of current research is done in cooperation with universities.  When a research study is proposed, it has to be submitted to an Institutional Review Board (IRB).  The IRB scours the plans to determine that all activities are conducted with high ethical standards.  All human participants are required to be informed of, and give consent to all activities which may take place, and have the complete, consequence-free freedom to quit and walk away at any time.  (Any studies involving animal participants are submitted to a different review board which ensures that the treatment of the animals is absolutely necessary in the pursuit of beneficial scientific goals.)

Does research take place without being approved by an IRB?  Most likely.  This doesn’t necessarily mean it violates common ethics, but because this research isn’t tracked, there is just no way to know.  Until 2008, the VA didn’t have an IRB, but this young VA IRB has come a long way in the past few years.

Why are we writing about IRBs?  There is a non-profit organization that judges IRBs to make sure they are doing the job properly.  Oversight for the oversight.  An organization that does an exceptionally good job of maintaining participant protecting standards and practices can win an award from this non-profit. The Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP) recently gave this award to the VA.  Having met these standards, the VA is on a good track for trustworthy research.

What does this mean for veterans? They can feel more assured, because someone outside of the VA has determined that in its policies and practices, no unethical procedures, influential methods, or anything else, will take place.  It is the assurance that the research is for what it says it is for, and that the only things happening will be what you sign informed consent for.

Research is the only way to advance our knowledge, but without participants, there won’t be any research.

Original VA Press Release announcing this accreditation award here.

Photo thanks to Novartis AG  under creative commons license on Flickr.

State Benefits Series: Each state has their own department of veterans affairs, but many veterans are not aware of what benefits these state departments offer that are different from the federal Dept. Va.  This series hopes to clear that up.  In alphabetical order, we will tell you what each state offers.  Some articles will have just one state, and some will have several states.

Each state is divided into several categories, so you can easily see an overview of the benefits available in that section.  The categories are: Education, Employment/Retirement, Taxes, Vehicles Licensing, Death/Burial, and Other Benefits.

Today: Arkansas

Previous States: AL, AK, AZ

Education:

Free Tuition and Fees: Arkansas can provide free tuition and fees to any state supported university for the spouse/surviving spouse and/or dependents of a person who was declared either a prisoner of war, missing in action, or killed in action since January 1, 1960.

Employment:

Arkansas maintains a center for employment counseling and referrals specifically tailored to the concerns of veterans.  Contact the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.

Taxes:

Exemption from all personal property taxes:

Qualifications:

The veteran is being awarded monthly compensation from Dept. VA for any of the following: 1. Loss of (or loss of use of) one or more limbs 2. Loss of sight in one or both eyes. 3. Is rated as service connected disability of 100%, totally and permanently disabled.

Income Tax Exemption: The first $6,000 income of a retired (20 years or more of service) veteran is exempt from state income taxes.

Death/Burial:

None found.  (Careful! don’t die!)

Vehicle Licensing:

Arkansas offers a variety of commemorative license plates.  Veterans are required to provide proof of the award/wartime service/whatever else which the desire license plate commemorates.  (Side note: Including the Cold War, can’t say I’ve ever seen a Cold War license plate before.)

Other Benefits:

Hunting and Fishing licenses:

Arkansas has several discounted hunting and fishing license for veterans who are 100% disabled.

Camping Permits:

50% discounted camping permits are available to veterans who are 100% disabled.

Photo thanks to NCReedplayer  under creative commons license on Flickr.

State Benefits Series: Each state has their own department of veterans affairs, but many veterans are not aware of what benefits these state departments offer that are different from the federal Dept. Va.  This series hopes to clear that up.  In alphabetical order, we will tell you what each state offers.  Some articles will have just one state, and some will have several states.

Each state is divided into several categories, so you can easily see an overview of the benefits available in that section.  The categories are: Education, Employment/Retirement, Taxes, Vehicles Licensing, Death/Burial, and Other Benefits.

Today: Arizona

Previous States: AL, AK

Education:

Payment deferment:  If a veteran or veteran’s dependent has applied for GI Bill funds, then that person can delay payment of tuition and fees to a state supported college for up to 120 days with no interest or penalties.  If GI Bill funds are still not received by then, a further extension can be granted.

Employment:

Preferential Hiring: Veterans are deemed to have preference when applying for state jobs which use a merit system, if they are otherwise qualified for the job.  Upon examination, veterans will have 5 points added to their score, and disabled veterans will have 10 points added to their score.  Some spouses and surviving spouses are eligible for this bonus as well.

Retirement time consideration: A veteran who serves on with the police or fire department will have their honorable time in service added into their employment time when considering retirement.

Taxes:

Tax exempt federal payments: Some federal payments to veterans are tax free up to $2,500 per year.

Property tax exemption: Exempt from property taxes up to $3,000 if the total value is assessed under $10,000.

Qualifications:

The surviving spouse of a veteran, or a disabled veteran

Note: the order of this tax exemption goes 1. Real estate. 2. Mobile home. 3. Vehicles.

Death/Burial:

Upon death of a veteran or surviving spouse: If a veteran or surviving spouse passes away whose family is financially unable to provide burial, the County Board of Supervisors is will take the necessary steps to ensure that the veteran is not buried in a cemetery used specifically to bury paupers.  (My own personal side note: we still have such things in this country?!?!)

Special Headstone: When a veteran passes away, the county clerk will ask the Dept. VA for an appropriate headstone and arrange for its placement.

Vehicle Licensing:

Exemption from vehicle license tax and/or registration fees:

Qualifications

Veteran is deemed 100% disabled by the Dept. VA.

Or

The vehicle was bought using funds furnished by the Dept. VA specifically to purchase the vehicle.

Note: if a spouse is listed on the vehicle, the taxes and fees are 50% of normal cost.

Other Benefits:

Hunting and Fishing licenses:

Provided free to veterans age 70 or older who have resided in Arizona for 25 years or more

Or

Provided free to veterans rated 100% disabled who have resided in Arizona for 1 year or more.

Free state park day pass:

Arizona resident veterans who are 100% disabled are eligible for a free day pass.  This pass covers all 27 state parks.

Commemorative license plates: There are multiple different license plates available commemorating different wars, services, and awards.  On most, the fee is $25.  For a select few, there is no fee.

Arizona State Veteran Home:

Arizona maintains a veterans home.  For more information pertaining to this home, please contact the Veteran Home Administrator at 602-248-1550

Photo thanks to wallyg  under creative commons license on Flickr.

For the last weekend in August!  Yikes, fall is almost here.

How to Start Direct Deposit of Benefits

The technology age is taking over, and cards are not standard fare.  When was the last time you saw someone *ahem* younger using a checkbook at Wal-Mart?  I never take my checkbook out of the house, and aside from a strange affinity for paying my bills with checks and mailing them in with envelopes and stamps, I never use my checkbook.

To keep tide with the flow of popular choice and technological advancement, many federal agencies have been turning to direct deposit.  They’re telling you to change your benefits payments to direct deposit before X date.  They always leave out how!

State Benefits Series: Alaska

Each state has their own department of veterans affairs, but many veterans are not aware of what benefits these state departments offer that are different from the federal Dept. VA.  This series hopes to clear that up.  In alphabetical order, we will tell you what each state offers.  Some articles will have just one state, and some will have several states.

Each state is divided into several categories, so you can easily see an overview of the benefits available in that section.  The categories are:  Education, Employment/Retirement, Taxes, Vehicle Licensing, Death/Burial, and Other Benefits.

Today: Alaska

Job Searching in the Civilian World – It’s Not About You

You used your GI Bill benefits and earned your degree. Congratulations! The next step is getting a job, but having been in the military for three to six years (or more) and then school, you may be a little rusty on how to go about doing that in today’s competitive job market. The key to finding a job is thinking like a salesman and selling yourself.

State Benefits Series:  Each state has their own department of veterans affairs, but many veterans are not aware of what benefits these state departments offer that are different from the federal Dept. VA.  This series hopes to clear that up.  In alphabetical order, we will tell you what each state offers.  Some articles will have just one state, and some will have several states.

Each state is divided into several categories, so you can easily see an overview of the benefits available in that section.  The categories are:  Education, Employment/Retirement, Taxes, Vehicle Licensing, Death/Burial, and Other Benefits.

Today: Alaska

Alaska

Education:

Free undergraduate tuition at a state supported university: Tuition and fee waiver for undergraduate education at a state supported university, as long as the student maintains good academic standing.

Qualifications:

Current member of the National Guard

Or

The spouse or dependent of a military member who died in the line of duty, or from injuries sustained the in line of duty, or was listed as a POW or as MIA.

Employment/Retirement:

Hiring preference for state jobs: When a rating is used to determine job qualifications, veterans receive a 5 or 10% increase, based on additional qualifications.  When no rating is used, veterans are marked as “given extra consideration,” or automatically given an opportunity to interview.

Alaska Job Center Network: A program designed to assist veterans in finding quality employment.  Among other things offered are: Priority job referral, career counseling, workshops, testing, and resume assistance.

Retirement bonuses: Some retired members of the military who are also participating in a select few retirement programs may  be entitled to additional benefits from their retirement program due to their military service.  Please contact the agencies listed below to find out about your potential military credit.

PERS Military Service Credit

NGNMRS Pension Benefits

Division Communication, contact jennie.oxman@alaska.gov

Taxes:

Real estate property tax exemption: Veterans rated at 50% or more disabled are exempt from property taxes on the first $150,000 of assessed value.  The local municipal tax office must be contacted by March 15 of the current tax year.

Death/Burial:

none…strange

Other Benefits:

Land Purchase Preference/discount: When residentially zoned state owned land is to be auctioned, veterans have the opportunity to purchase the land prior to the auction at a fair market value.  Once during the veteran’s lifetime a 25% discount may be used when purchasing such land.

Disabled parking permits: Veterans with a 50% or greater disability rating are entitled to a disability parking permit from the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles.

Home Loans: The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation works with veterans to provide home loans with lower interest rates and often 0 down payments.

Discounted hunting and fishing licenses/state camping pass: Veterans who are 50% or more disabled are able to apply for a free hunting or fishing license.  The same veterans are also able to receive one free, two-year camping pass for all developed state camp grounds.

Ferry passes: A veteran who is 50% or more disabled is able to receive a pass at a 50% discounted price for all inter-Alaskan ports, year round, and on all vessels.

Photo thanks to Arthur Chapman  under creative commons license on Flickr.

You used your GI Bill benefits and earned your degree. Congratulations! The next step is getting a job, but having been in the military for three to six years (or more) and then school, you may be a little rusty on how to go about doing that in today’s competitive job market. The key to finding a job is thinking like a salesman and selling yourself.

Whether you know it or not (or even like it or not), you are a product and to sell you have to show how your product is better than the other competing ones out there. If you get into that mindset, applying for jobs will be easier. Getting to a job offer is a three-step process:

• the cover letter
• resume
• interviewing.

Each step in the process has a distinct purpose. The cover letter should create an interest in the interviewer so s/he wants to read your resume and know more about the product – you. Your resume should show your qualifications for the position (how you are better than the competition) and get you an offer to interview. Ultimately, how you present yourself at the interview will, or will not,  generate a job offer.

The Cover Letter

Because your cover letter is your resume’s sales page, you want to generate enough interest by leaving the reader wanting to read your resume. With only eight to ten seconds to grab the reader’s attention, you need to set yourself apart from the other applicants; a great headline will do just that. Let’s assume you’re applying for an Administrative Assistant job.

The Headline

What do all great sales letters or ads have in common? A great headline called a “hook”. Right after the salutation, you want to insert your hook, such as “Is the lack of an organized office wasting several hours of your boss’ day?” You will be able to determine what kind problem the company is trying to solve from the information in the job posting. So your headline is the company’s problem phrased as a question.

The Benefit

Next, write the benefit you bring to the table to solve the problem; something like “My computer and organization skills are a valued asset because I can streamline and automate office administrative procedures, thereby ensuring my boss can maximize his time doing what he’s good at.”

The Example

Now, give an example of how you used this benefit: “When hired into my last position, the office was in complete disarray. I used my organization and computer skills to organize all the files, create a customer database and streamline office procedures, thereby saving my boss several hours a day.” Focus your example on:

• the need of the employer;
• how you can solve their problem;
• creating the desire to read your resume.

Using an example leaves the interviewer wanting to read your resume to see what skills you have that may help them out.

The Call to Action

This is one thing that will set you apart from most applicants. Very few are bold enough to include a call to action. End your cover letter with something like: “At your convenience, I look forward to speaking with you next week about coming in for an interview. I am available Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 3:30 p.m.” Employers like decisiveness.

The Resume

How do you sell a product or a service? You advertise. We already established you are a product trying to find a buyer, so, why does your resume read like a biography and not like an ad? And what do all great ads start with? You guessed it – a great headline.

Scrap the Objective Statement

“Desire a challenging career utilizing my strengths.” Boring – how many times during a day do you think a hiring manager reads that headline? Frankly, a company could care less about what you want – they want to know how you will solve their problem.

Eliminate the Objective Statement in favor of a Summary of Qualifications or a Highlights section showing your major skills and accomplishments.

Summary of Qualifications

Located right under your contact information, at the top of your civilian job resume, this section is a short synopsis of what you do and your skills or core competencies you use to do it. The synopsis is in paragraph form and a Summary of Qualification for our Administrative Assistant could be:

“Eleven years providing office administrative and clerical support, including handling confidential information. Skilled in word processing and accounting software, including MS Office Suite. Accustomed to meeting tight deadlines. Excellent telephone, filing, interpersonal and organizational skills. Experienced in meeting planning and travel arrangements.”

References Available Upon Request

Of course they are and that is why this statement is no longer used at the bottom of resumes. Employers assume you have a list of references available and besides, what are you going to say if an interviewer asks for them, “No”? Of course not – you will give him/her a copy if asked. Instead, leave it off your resume and use the space in your two-page to further market your skills.

The Interview

Congratulations, the cover letter and resume did their job. Otherwise you wouldn’t be at this stage of the process.

Do your homework

Through research, learn as much as you can about the company before your interview. The more you know, the more intelligently you will be able to converse about the company in the interview. Search websites for company information such as:

• the products or services they sell;
• if they are publicly or privately held;
• their competition;
• how many they employ;
• if their market is local or global.

Think about how your skills can benefit their company, thereby making you the ideal candidate. Work this information into your answers and questions that you will ask. Keep the focus on your skills, including soft skills you learned in the military such as teamwork, organization, managing and communication.

Dress for Success

For interviewing, dress up one level up from what is required for wear on the job. This usually means wearing a modern business suit that is clean and wrinkle-free. Don’t forget about your shoes. They should be clean and polished.

Arrive Early

Make sure you know where you are going for your interview and how long it takes to get there. If you are not sure, drive the route a day or two before your interview at about the same time of day as your interview to see how long it takes. Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early.

Body Language – It Speaks Louder Than Words

This is more important than most people realize. How you:

• shake hands;
• sit;
• use your hands;
• and make eye contact, all speak volumes about you without ever saying a word.

Your handshake should be firm, but not crushing. Make eye contact and small talk during the brief time you are shaking hands. Sit straight with your hands flat on top of your legs. Make direct eye contact when answering or asking questions keeping your answers to between 30 seconds and two minutes.

Civilianize Your Responses

You did it on your resume and cover letter, and you need to be prepared to do it here. Employers want team players, so work in a few examples of how you contributed to a military team project, but describe it in civilian terms. Avoid military jargon and terms; it just confuses hiring managers about your ability to do the job.

The sole purpose of an interview is selling yourself. Verbally match your military skills to the civilian job requirements and demonstrate how you can benefit the company. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them!

Marketing Yourself

Marketing is a learned skill focusing on how to play people’s emotions into buying products or services. Civilian job-searching and advertising share many similarities, however, most job-searchers never make the connection. Think like a marketer or salesman and you will score job interviews!

Photo thanks to Francis Storr under creative commons license on Flickr.  Audrey’s note: this picture may not be entirely relevant, but I sure do think it’s funny, and amazing that some business owner out there has the decency to recognize a small way to help the bigger picture.

The technology age is taking over, and cards are not standard fare.  When was the last time you saw someone *ahem* younger using a checkbook at Wal-Mart?  I never take my checkbook out of the house, and aside from a strange affinity for paying my bills with checks and mailing them in with envelopes and stamps, I never use my checkbook.

To keep tide with the flow of popular choice and technological advancement, many federal agencies have been turning to direct deposit.  They’re telling you to change your benefits payments to direct deposit before X date.  They always leave out how!

So here you go, its actually fairly easy.

Download-able paper form.

Just print out VA Form 02-2496, fill in all the necessary information, and send in to the address on the paper.

Department of Veterans Affairs

125 S. Main Street Suite B

Muskogee OK 74401-7004

Online enrollment:

You can also enroll online.  You will need several pieces of information in order to complete online direct deposit enrollment. 1.  Your social security number or claim number. 2. the check number of the last paper federal benefits check you received.  This number is 12 digits long.  3. The dollar amount of that same, last paper federal benefits check.  4. The routing number for your bank, and the account number of the account you want to begin deposits in.

Visit godirect.com and simply click on the left hand blueish-green button that says “Get Direct Deposit.”

Reloading Debit Card:

In the same manner that you can have your benefits deposited straight into your account, you can also have an account created specifically for your benefits payments, and receive a MasterCard debit card for access to those funds.  The DirectExpress Debit MasterCard has this program set up specifically for federal benefits and comes highly recommended by both the U.S. Treasury and Social Security Administration.  Currently recipients of social security benefits can sign up online, but recipients of VA benefits need to call 1-888-544-6347.

If you already have direct deposit, sometimes the idea of changing your deposit information can convince you not to change financial institutions when you otherwise want to.  Don’t let this task prevent you from getting the best service from the financial institution you actually want to do business with.  Changing your direct deposit information is actually quite easy, you simply have to call the direct deposit information line at the VA. Call 1-877-838-2778.

Photo thanks to 24oranges.nl  under creative commons license on Flikr.

Another short week as we’ve spent some time troubleshooting our site.  Rest assured, we are fixing things.  This week included Alabama, the first installment in our state benefits series, and some information on non-loan, non-military funding for education.

Non-Military Education Grants for Military Dependent Children

Read about the different grants and scholarships that are available.  The best thing about grants and scholarships is that they are basically free money, you don’t pay them back.

State Benefits Series: Alabama

The first state to kick off our series explaining the benefits that the state VA departments have.  More to come…

To Put Your Mind at Ease

To assure you that we are addressing the problem of some readers receiving malware warnings.

Hey Folks.  Lately, we’ve had a handful of people say that they’ve gotten virus warnings from the links to our articles. Of course this isn’t ok with us at all. So in our investigation I went home and pulled up the admin site for the blog on my personal computer. This picture is the warning I got. (oh yeah, I’m using Google Chrome here)

This site that the warning names “newportalse” is definitely a bad site. Our IT people confirmed this for me. I wish to assure everyone though, that we have absolutely nothing linked to or from this site.

So the explanation that the IT guys gave me is this: 1. Google Chrome is super sensitive and warns people at the first possible indication. 2. It is most likely that the connection to “newportalse” is from advertisement cookies, over which we have no control.  And 3. If it is these cookies, nothing is actually getting transferred.  Just don’t go to the advertisement/cookie inducing website and download anything.

The options to fix the pop up message are:  1. use a different browser. 2. never push proceed anyway, just in case. Instead, close that tab/window, and reopen a new one. (This worked perfectly every time I tried it.)  And of course, if you are at all apprehensive, scan your computer with your favorite virus protection software.  (I use avast.)

To be on the safest side possible, we are no longer going to use any URL shorteners when linking to articles.  It is unlikely that the fault lies with the URL shortener site, but why risk it?  Likewise, as always, our articles will continue to contain links only to sites with solid, trustworthy information.

We hope that the entire community continues to enjoy the blog, and the community which has grown up around it.  In just the past 8 months, over 20,000 new veterans have joined us!

Top photo thanks to Martin Deutsch under creative commons license on Flickr.

State Benefits Series:  Each state has their own department of veterans affairs, but many veterans are not aware of what benefits these state departments offer that are different from the federal Dept. VA.  This series hopes to clear that up.  In alphabetical order, we will tell you what each state offers.  Some articles will have just one state, and some will have several states.

Each state is divided into several categories, so you can easily see an overview of the benefits available in that section.  The categories are:  Education, Employment/Retirement, Taxes, Vehicle Licensing, Death/Burial, and Other Benefits.

Today: Alabama

Education:

Tuition waiver for Purple Heart Medal recipients: many public institutions of higher learning in Alabama waive tuition and fees of undergraduate studies for recipients of the Purple Heart.  Specific institutions should be contacted for details.

Alabama GI Dependents Scholarship Program

Dependent children receive five academic years  at any state supported institution of higher learning or technical school without payment of tuition, textbook costs, or instructional fees.

The spouse or widow of veterans meeting the below qualifications may receive up to three standard academic years without payment of tuition, textbook costs, or fees.  Note: remarriage or divorce disqualifies the widow/spouse from receipt of these benefits.

Qualifications:

Minimum service time of 90 continuous days during wartime

Disability rating of 20% or greater from Dept. VA, or have had rating at time of death,

or a former prisoner of war

or declared missing in action

or died as a result of a service connected disability

or died in the line of duty while on active service

Veteran must have been a permanent civilian resident of the State of Alabama for at least one year prior to initial entry into active military service

or any subsequent period of military service after a 1 year or longer break in service occurred during which Alabama residency was established.

**veterans rated at 100% service connected disability who do not meet one of these two residency requirements may become qualified after establishing five years of “permanent residency” in Alabama prior to applying for benefit, or prior to death.

Employment/Retirement:

State, county, and municipal officials, who enter military service during wartime (“a state of national emergency”), have preservation of job status and the right to reemployment upon return.

Teachers who enter military service during wartime are to be granted a leave of absence from the time of beginning service to the beginning of the school year following the end of service.

Retirement benefits of state employees and teachers who enter the military and return to state/teaching employment after discharge are preserved.

Preference for state classified employment: any veteran who was honorably discharged receives a 5 point bonus on an entrance examination for state classified service.  Any veteran who was honorably discharged, and is entitled to pension, compensation, or disability benefits receives 10 bonus points.  Wives and widows of this second group may at times also receive the extra 10 points.

Exempt from business license taxes

Qualifications:

Veteran who is 25% or more disabled, regardless if disability is service connected or not.

Veteran personally conducts business and has no more than one employee

*unless* veteran’s property is valued at $5,000 or more or whose net income is $2,500 or more.

Taxes:

State income tax exemption: any payment made as compensation for active service (a.k.a. your paycheck) while the service member is in a designated combat zone is exempt from state income tax.

Exempt from home-property tax for that year

Qualifications:

Veteran who is totally disabled or age 65+

Net income of $7,500 or less for the preceding year

Or

Home was acquired by veteran with a specially adapted housing grant from the Dept. VA

Home is continuously owned and occupied by the veteran or the un-remarried surviving spouse

Exempt from lifetime vehicle-property taxes and license fees

Qualifications:

Veteran is disabled

Vehicle was acquired via entirely or partially with funds provided from Dept. VA specifically for that vehicle

Vehicle is used only for private use

Exempt from property tax (public use)

Qualifications:

Property is owned by the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, or any post/chapter of these groups

Property is used and occupied only by the veterans organization

Retirement income tax exemption: Compensation which a veteran receives as retirement benefits from military service, and survivor benefits from the same, are exempt from state, county, and municipal income taxes.

Vehicle Licensing

There are multiple different commemorative vehicle license plates available in Alabama.  Of course some of the different plates have requirements such as a certain % disability, a survivor of a specific war, or the receipt of a specific medal.

Death/Burial:

Alabama is in the process of developing the state’s first veterans’ cemetery and plans to be available beginning in 2013.

Other Benefits

Discounted freshwater fishing license

Qualifications

Veteran is 20% or more disabled and can provide documentation of such from Dept. VA.

Mortgage foreclosure prevention: the surviving spouse or estate of a mortgage holder who dies while deployed on active duty is protected from the initiation of foreclosure proceedings for 180 following the death of the mortgage holder.

Public records:  When the Dept. VA needs a copy of a birth, marriage, divorce or other such certificate to establish benefits eligibility, one copy shall be provided free.

Photo thanks to lndhslf72  under creative commons license on Flickr.

Using Post 9/11 GI Bill transferred benefits is a great way for a military dependent child to fund a college education, but what if the child is ready to go to college, but Mom or Dad do not qualify for the GI Bill benefit transfer option? Or what about the military parent retiring before the Post 9/11 GI Bill started in August 2009? Or a dependent child that lost a parent in either the Iraq or Afghanistan war? There are thousands of people in these categories.

But, all is not lost! There are many different grants and scholarships available. In this blog post, I focus on a few of the grants because they do not require repayment – loans do. Loans, even low interest ones, can create a future financial hardship once repayment begins – grants don’t create that financial hardship.

Start a Federal educational financial aid request by first filling out a Free Application to Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Many parents and students alike are surprised at how much financial help is available.

Federal Pell Grant

Pell Grants are usually awarded to students who have not yet earned an undergraduate degree.  With Pell Grants being the foundation of federal financial aid, other sources of both federal and non-federal aid are added to them.

The maximum amount per selected applicant for the 2011-12 award year is $5,550. The amount you receive though will depend on your financial need, school costs and rate of pursuit.

If you had a parent die as a result of military service in either Iraq or Afghanistan after September 10, 2001, then you will most likely get the maximum award. To qualify for the award, you must be less than 24 years old or enrolled in college a minimum of part-time at the time of your parent’s death. Only one Pell Grant per year is authorized to awardees.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program is also for undergraduates , but limited to those with exceptional financial need. Pell Grant recipients with the lowest expected family contributions (EFCs) will be considered first for a FSEOG between $100 and $4,000 per year.

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant

Students who had a parent die as a result of service in military service in either Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 could receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. Other eligibility criteria include:

• Must be ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant by not meeting the financial need requirement
• Be under 24 years old, or
• Enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of the parent’s or guardian’s death.

The award is equal to the maximum Pell Grant amount, or actual school costs, whichever is less.

Institutional Grants                                                       

Many colleges provide their own grants to help offset the difference between what a family can be expected to pay and the cost of college. Other institutional grants include merit scholarships which are awarded based on academic achievement or sports ability. Some merit awards are also based on financial need, however, others are not. Ask your school about the scholarships they offer.

TEACH Grant program

Due to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program. A student with a desire to teach after graduation can get up to $4,000 per year under this program to go to school. In return, they must agree to teach in a private or public school, elementary or secondary, that serves low-income families. The school must also have teacher shortages in one of the high need fields defined as:

• Bilingual Education.
• English Language.
• Foreign Language.
• Mathematics.
• Reading.
• Science.
• Special Education.

One year of teaching is required for each yearly grant, so you can earn a four-year bachelor’s degree, if you agree to teach for four years after graduating. If you fail to complete your teaching service obligation though, your TEACH Grant converts to an unsubsidized Stafford Loan with interest dating back to the loan origination date.

Where there is a will, there is a way. These are just a few of the many education financial aid programs available to help pave your way to a college education without putting you into debt.

Photo thanks to _skynet under creative commons license on Flickr.

Short, short week, but a lot of chatter on the blog’s facebook page.  So here’s your week end reading and some more fun stuff.

Which GI Bill is Right For Me – The Montgomery or Post 9/11?

A description of the circumstances that make one GI Bill better over the other.

Warrior Stories: Real Combat Life

Real Combat Life is a website that is more accurately described as a compiled blog.  Veterans have expressed their experiences and stresses, and have had the courage to offer this to others.

“Other Fun Things”

So because this week was void of any good news in the veterans’ benefits world, I asked our readers to submit what they wanted to read about.  Lots of you responded!  My initial offer of 2 t-shirts for 20 responses got blown out of the water.  Therefore, 7 sounds like a more appropriate number.  Facebook has some interesting rules about asking for contact info, so, those named below, send an email to audrey@vabenefitblog.com with where you want your shirt sent to, and of course, include what size.  Unfortunately I can’t send shirts overseas.  When you contact me, if you wish your name removed from this post, just say so and it’ll happen.

Winners from Facebook!

• Russell Kaufman
• Brendon Fredericks
• Jerry Packer
• Monica C. Bond
• Kelly Marie
• Amy R. Gretchner Jaworski
• Chad Browning

Winners from Twitter – Follower submitted ideas!

• @nelson_patrick
• @Brenner57

More winners from Twitter, weekly ReTweet contest!

• @KayleighEve
• @mrmuggins53

Accurately stated within the Real Combat Life website, writing things out is a time proven method of helping people heal.  Patrick Nelson has taken the process of writing to express and cope with stress a step further for the veterans of America’s wars.  Returning from deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan Nelson’s friends and family asked questions, so many that he got to a point where he just didn’t want to talk about it.  Writing was a way to get things out, if anyone read it or not.

These initial writings inspired Nelson to create an online blog, which developed even further when he decided to encourage other veterans to contribute, writing their stories down.  Many responded without hesitation, emailing in their stories and accounts of combat and other events.  The collection was enriched further because the stories weren’t coming just from young veterans of the current wars.  Instead, stories were coming from every generation, every war.  A recognition is created between the generational gaps in our veterans.  Everyone has a story.

Real Combat Life remains a non-profit organization, and the stories continue.  Nelson says the community is always looking for more.  To read more stories, to know that someone else can relate to you, can understand the stress and residual effects of your experience.

Veterans’ benefits are more than just the VA or monetary compensation.  Benefits are people that create help, people that understand, and people that just simply care.

Submitting a story is very easy.

• You fill out an easy form.
• RCL contacts you via email.
• You email back your story.  It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t even have to be politically correct.
• They edit your story for grammar.  You don’t even have to worry if your grammar isn’t the best.
• Your story, post editing, has to be approved by you.
• Done.  Your story gets posted.  Oh, and you get a free t-shirt.

Photo thanks to Robert Couse-Baker under creative commons license on Flickr.

I get asked this question a lot as a GI Bill blog writer  when a veteran qualifies for both the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) and the Post 9/11 GI Bill.  And on the surface, the short answer is really quite simple – it depends.

And, it really does; it depends:

• where you go to school
• whether your school is public or private
• if a transfer of benefits is in your future
• if you plan to stop after a four-ear degree or continue on for an advanced degree
• if you qualify for the Hazelwood Act

Where you go to school

There are schools that do not charge tuition for their veteran students. Some states offer a tuition waiver to their veterans as part of their State Military Benefits.

Because a large part of the Post 9/11 GI Bill pays tuition and eligible fees, if you do not have tuition charges, then all you get out of your GI Bill is the housing allowance and book stipend.

If your tuition-free school happens to be in a low cost-of-living area, you may actually make more or at least the same by using the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB). If you had least three years of service and go to school full-time taking 12 credits, you would earn $1,426 per month.

Taking that same credit load under the Post 9/11 GI Bill, you would get the book stipend that  breaks down to $125.01 per month and your housing allowance. With the housing allowance averaging $1,200 across the United States, there are many places where the MGIB would pay you more.

Public or private school

With the August 1^st GI Bill 2.0 changes now in effect, the Post 9/11 GI Bill pays actual resident student public school charges. If you are a resident student going to a school having a low per-credit rate, it can be a wash as whether the MGIB or Post 9/11 GI Bill is better. I ran a set of numbers for Wyoming and it came out at $1,425.01 per month for the Post 9/11 GI Bill and $1,426 for the MGIB.

However, if you pay out-of-state tuition, then go with the Post 9/11 GI Bill. The VA still pays the instate rate, but you may be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program which help pays the difference you would otherwise owe. However, the Yellow Ribbon program is not available to MGIB users.

If you attend a private school , then the Post 9/11 GI Bill pays better. Under the GI Bill 2.0 change, the VA pays up to $17,500 in tuition per year for you to attend a private school. Plus, you get your housing allowance, book stipend and may qualify for the Yellow Ribbon program.

Under the MGIB, you would get $1,426 per month and you have to pay your own tuition, fees, books and other education-related expenses earning just $12,834 for a two semester year; about $5,000 less that just your tuition expenses under the New GI Bill.

Transfer of benefits

If in your situation your income between the two GI Bills would be a wash, then the deciding factor can come down to if you have plans to transfer benefits. If so, then it is an easy decision – the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

To qualify if you are on active duty, you had to serve six years on Title 10 orders, of which at least three years had to be after September 10, 2001 and agree to serve an additional four years. With those two requirements in place, you could then make a transfer of benefits request.

However, if you are Selected Reserve member, then you had to serve at least 90-days on a Title 10 order in support of a contingency operation. The rest of your 6/4 service requirement could be either SELRES or active duty. In both cases, you have to still be serving at the time you make your transfer request.

Generally speaking, the MGIB does not offer a transfer of benefit option. The Army did offer it as a test program, but dropped it due to lack of participation. Under the program, a soldier could buy the transfer option for a spouse from his/her reenlistment bonus money.

Bachelor’s or advanced degree

If you plan on getting a four-year degree and not continuing on with your education, the Post 9/11 GI Bill in most cases will be your best choice. If you had all your MGIB entitlements at the time your converted, when you finish using them up, you get your MGIB $1,200 contribution back.

However, if your degree will take more than four years, such as in engineering, or you plan on getting an advanced degree, then you may want to stay with the MGIB for four years (exhausting all of your benefits) and then switch to the Post 9/11 GI Bill to get the additional 12 months of entitlement. You could use the extra year to fund your fifth year of school or first year of an advanced degree. But, you would not get your $1,200 contribution back.

Hazelwood Act

For students in Texas who qualify for the Hazelwood Act, the options are:

• Using your MGIB and Hazelwood act benefits congruently or,
• Using up your New GI Bill benefits and Hazelwood Act benefits consecutively – New GI Bill first, Hazelwood Act second.

The difference again comes down to whether you want to transfer benefits or get an advanced degree. If you are only seeking a four-year degree, and do not plan on transferring benefits, then it may be better to use both your MGIB and Hazelwood benefits at the same time and get the maximum amount of money.

If you plan on getting an advanced degree or transferring your Hazelwood benefits, then it might be more advantageous to use up your Post 9/11 GI Bill first and either use your Hazelwood benefits towards an advanced degree or transfer your Hazelwood benefits to a dependent or spouse.

If you only qualify for one GI Bill or the other, then the decision is easy. However, if you qualify for both, it can be challenging to figure out which one is the best for your situation. To help you decide, chart out the pros and cons of each program and see which one comes out on top. You want to be sure, because once you convert to the Post 9/11 GI Bill, there is no turning back as the change is irrevocable.

Photo thanks to WingedWolf under creative commons license on Flickr.

TSGLI Benefits Extended Retroactively To October 7th, 2001

Due to changes made by the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act, all qualifying non combat injuries that were not covered for the first 5 years of the Iraq war are being compensated for retroactively.

More Work Against Homelessness

One small county already knows what it is going to do with the money awarded from the VA as part of the effort to prevent veteran homelessness.

Class-Action Lawsuit Wins Benefits for Veterans with PTSD

In a precedent setting case, veterans from OIF and OEF sued the VA system because they were denied benefits to help them cope with PTSD.  The case settlement states that this denial was illegal.

It has been said before that veterans were denied proper diagnosis and/or appropriate disability awards for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) acquired while serving in the current Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  Now it’s been proven by a court.  Seven veterans, working with the veterans advocacy group, National Veterans Legal Services Program, filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of thousands of veterans.

Some common events united the veterans for whom this suit was filed.  Many of them experienced events in combat which prompted the development of PTSD.  They were subsequently discharged due to the PTSD, but not awarded a disability rating.  The second most common scenario was that upon discharge due to PTSD, the veterans were awarded a minuscule disability rating, but not enough to cover the costs and treatment they needed.  When a service member is discharged due to PTSD, it is legally required that they be awarded a disability rating of 50% or greater.

The terms of the settlement dictated that 1029 veterans who were denied benefits initially upon discharge will now receive:

• lifetime military disability compensation
• eligibility to apply for combat-related special compensation
• lifetime military health care for the veteran, his or her spouse, and dependent children until age 18
• lifetime commissary and exchange privileges
• reimbursement for medical expenses for the veteran, his or her spouse, and dependent minor children, retroactive to the date of the veteran’s date of separation from the military

Additionally, 66 veterans were named to receive these same benefits if, when they apply to the VA, they are awarded a disability rating of 30% or greater.

Another 1066 veterans were named to receive an increase in disability rating because they were initially rated at less than the 50% requirement.  If this makes them eligible, they will receive back pay for the accrued difference.

Photo thanks to SeattleClouds.com under creative commons license on Flickr.

The VA has begun a new prevention effort against veteran homelessness.  Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki announced the launch of Support Services for Veteran Families.  With the initiation of the program, $60 million is being distributed among 85 non-profit community groups across the country.

One group, the United Way of Forsyth County, in North Carolina, already has plans for the $560,085 it is slated to receive.  They have targeted approximately 100 families who are especially in need of help.  These families will receive money over the “medium term” to help pay rental costs.  Some money will also go to pay for case managers.  The United Way of Forsyth employs case managers to assist currently homeless veterans create a plan to acquire and maintain a home.

Additionally, some of the money will augment a grant already in use renovating an old VFW post.  The building, under management by the N.C. Housing Foundation, is being completely stripped clean and rebuilt into a transitional housing environment.  The goal for the building is to house 30 disabled, homeless veterans while case managers assist the veterans in finding work and a home of their own.

Photo thanks to Todd Ehlers under creative commons license on Flickr.

The Servicemeber’s Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection Program (TSGLI) First became effective in December 2005.  At this time, TSGLI provided compensation to servicemembers who suffered traumatic injuries any time after December 1, 2005.  These could be combat, non combat, even non military related.  Additionally, servicemembers who suffered combat related traumatic injuries from October 7, 2001 to November 30, 2005 were also given compensation.

Now, as a result of the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2010, the program is retroactively covering all qualifying injuries that occurred between October 7, 2001 and November 30, 2005.  The emphasis here is on all.  Previously, only injuries that occurred within theater operations in OEF/OIF were compensated for.  Now the coverage will include all injuries, regardless of where they occurred.

Go here to see who to contact.  Each branch of service handles their own members’ claims.  More information and frequently asked questions can be found on the TSGLI page of the VA.

Photo thanks to Thomas Hawk under creative commons license on Flickr.