Forward Observer

Forward Observer — Heads Up … VA Seeks to Expand TBI Benefits

VA SEEKING TO PROMULGATE A REGULATORY CHANGE IN HOW IT HANDLES SECONDARY ILLNESSES

On 7 December 2012 (Pearl Harbor Day), the Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing to change its disability compensation rating rules to add five diagnosable illnesses which are secondary to service-connected Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It would improve the timeliness of decisions. To accomplish this, the VA proposes to add a new subsection to its adjudication regulation by revising 38 CFR 3.310 to state that if a Veteran who has a service-connected TBI also has one of the five illnesses, then the illness will be considered service connected as secondary to the TBI. (more…)

By LVMAC, 11 years ago

Forward Observer

Forward Observer — ‘Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012’ Enacted!

NEW VETERANS OMINBUS BILL SIGNED INTO LAW ON 6 AUGUST

Surprisingly, nothing has been mentioned in the local media on the recent passage of H.R. 1627 (now known as Public Law 112-154), Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, despite its importance to the veterans community. It is an omnibus bill affecting many; and it finally brings some, though not total, resolution to the Camp Lejeune water contamination situation which has been previously written about.

Several veterans organizations withheld their support because the Lejeune provision set a dangerous precedent in their opinion. In their minds, the bill unfairly levies requirements on the VA to take care of an essentially Department of Defense (DoD) or TRICARE problem. While we might agree with them from one perspective, the larger issue is the government taking responsibility to care for those in need of it, no matter whence it comes. We are more concerned about the fact that no one currently knows when the VA will implement the Lejeune actions required, since no deadline has been set. (more…)

By LVMAC, 12 years ago

Forward Observer

Forward Observer — The Lejeune Matter, Some Good News Finally?

U.S. Senate Finally Steps In

For months there has been a hold-up in the passage of an omnibus veterans benefits bill in Congress, H.R. 1627, but this time to the good. The bill had started life providing only “…for certain requirements for the placement of monuments in Arlington National Cemetery …”, evolved into The Honoring Americans Act of 2011 from the House and finally emerged, mutated, from the Senate as the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. What idiot said bill ‘riders’ are bad? (more…)

By LVMAC, 12 years ago

Forward Observer

Forward Observer — Why We Need a State Dept. of Veterans Affairs, an Example

Veterans Are Getting Short Rations in the Governor’s Budget

District 8 of the VFW has once again resolved we need a Department of Veterans Affairs not stuck under the National Guard. Our Chapter 415 of the Vietnam Veterans of America has just passed their own resolution. We have heard District 30 of the American Legion also recently passed a similar resolution and other districts like Districts 14 and 19 are also interested in the subject. Perhaps these grassroots districts, will change the American Legion thinking at state level later in the year. The state VFW and Military Order of the Purple Heart organizations have been an advocates for a separate department for a while. The time has certainly come to change the Commonwealth’s manner of dealing with veterans affairs.

As an example, while the proposed executive budget for 2012-2013 just submitted by Governor Corbett increased general funding support to the Ft. Indiantown Gap itself, the veterans community has lost appropriated funding once again. This was after the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (the National Guard) decided to offer up about $6 million in savings through staffing reductions and other efficiencies in the State Veterans Home Bureau after a management review — and after about another projected $7 million in state veterans homes savings this fiscal year. (more…)

By LVMAC, 12 years ago

Forward Observer

Forward Observer — Doing Better in Veterans Employment Efforts

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Veterans Employment

The Good: As far as websites go, the new website My Next Move for Veterans, which tries to automatically relate military occupational specialties with civilian careers plus provide advice on the future prospects of those career fields, identify their characteristics, salaries, educational requirements and apprenticeship programs — and then even goes further in helping you locate actual job offerings in a state or zip code area — is a long sought idea come to fruition. (more…)

By LVMAC, 12 years ago