The Veterans Administration has some new Twitter accounts.
The main page:
http://twitter.com/DeptVetAffairs
Individual administration pages:
http://twitter.com/VeteransHealth
http://twitter.com/VAVetBenefits
http://twitter.com/VANatCemeteries
Each administration is staffing and writing its own tweets. On the main one, it’s Brandon Friedman, Director of New Media, and VA speechwriter Jim Moore who are sharing the duty at the moment.
I’m completely against giving special pays to people who signed a contract. Everyone that enlists into the military signs a contract that makes it crystal clear that regardless of how long you enlist for, you are undertaking an 8-year commitment. But, the entitlement society that we live in doesn’t want to just hold people to legal contracts they signed. Instead, we have to baby people because they were “extended” with stop-loss orders.
Now, I’m not completely against this pay. For example, I think that if a service member has already served their 8-year active duty and IRR commitment but were still stop-lossed, then they DO deserve that money. Absolutely! Because they were kept beyond their obligation. We’re not doing that. We’re giving extra money to ANYONE that was stop-lossed beyond their active duty commitment, regardless of how much time they still owed in IRR. Just insane.
Anyway, here’s the information you stop-loss troops are looking for.
The Defense Department announced today the services’ implementation plans to provide retroactive stop loss special pay. Active, reserve and former service members who had their enlistment extended or retirement suspended due to stop loss are eligible for this special pay, if they served on active duty between Sept. 11, 2001 and Sept. 30, 2009.
Service members may begin submitting their claim for retroactive stop loss special pay on Oct. 21, 2009. In accordance with the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, all applications must be submitted to the respective services no later than Oct. 21, 2010. Eligible personnel will receive a payment of $500 per month for each month (or any portion of a month) that a member was retained on active duty due to stop loss. Applicants for retroactive pay who are no longer in the military had to be honorably discharged, and for those who were stop lossed in fiscal 2009, may only receive payment from one stop loss authority – either the money appropriated for stop loss special pay in the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, or the money allocated for retroactive stop loss special pay in the 2009 Supplemental Appropriations Act, but not both.
Service members must provide documented proof they were stop lossed with their claim. Family members of deceased service members should contact the appropriate military service for assistance in filing their claim.
Information on how to contact each of the services is listed below:
Army: Go to https://www.stoplosspay.army.mil or email RetroStopLossPay@CONUS.Army.Mil
Navy: Email NXAG_N132C@navy.mil
Marine Corps: Go to https://www.manpower.usmc.mil/stoploss or email stoploss@usmc.mil
Air Force: Go to http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/stoploss/
Stop loss provides a valuable and critical tool to quickly retain and generate forces to surge in a major conflict. However, as deployment schedules stabilize, the department must then adapt and minimize its use of stop loss. The secretary of defense announced in March a comprehensive plan to eliminate the current use of stop loss, while retaining the authority for future use under extraordinary circumstances.
In recognition of your service to our country, all veterans and active duty military personnel are invited to eat free at Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar Restaurants this Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov.11, 2009.
As you may recall, Applebee’s launched a pilot program last year on Veterans Day offering free entrees to military service personnel and veterans. Because the response was so overwhelmingly positive, Applebee’s is extending the invitation throughout the country this year. We would appreciate your help in spreading the word.
Please help us share details across your various communication channels. All U.S. veterans and active duty military with proof of current or former military service will eat free at all Applebee’s nationwide on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. Proof of service includes: U.S. Uniform Services Identification Card, U.S. Uniform Services Retired Identification Card, Current Leave and Earnings Statement, Veterans Organization Card, photograph in uniform or wearing uniform. For additional details, visit: www.applebees.com/vetsday.
Golden Corral’s 9th annual Military Appreciation Monday dinner will be held on Monday, November 16, 2009, from 5 to 9 pm in all Golden Corral restaurants nationwide.
The free dinner meal is a special “thank you tribute” to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to join us for Golden Corral’s Military Appreciation Monday dinner.
To date, Golden Corral restaurants have provided over 2.2 million free meals and contributed over $3.3 million to the Disabled American Veterans organization.
To locate a Golden Corral near you, visit www.goldencorral.com/locator. For more information or to see if you qualify click HERE.
Representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will be telephoning Veterans across the country to explain their education benefits under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill and ensure beneficiaries are able to receive payments due them.
“The Post-9/11 GI Bill is one of our highest priorities,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Instead of making people wait to hear from us, we’re reaching out to Veterans, so they can get the money they need to stay in school.”
The Department is conducting this outreach as part of VA’s ongoing efforts to ensure delivery of this historic, earned benefit for our Nation’s Veterans. VA is ensuring the large number of Veterans who are attending classes during the fall 2009 semester have received the education benefits they have earned. The calls are scheduled to go to Veterans who have applied for benefits under the new educational assistance program. Those who registered for advanced payments will be called as well, to ensure they received their benefits.
To protect the personal identity of Veterans, VA representatives will not ask for any personal information. Information such as birthdates, bank account or social security numbers will not be requested.
“Our procedures and policies to provide advanced payments remain in effect,” Shinseki said. “Meanwhile, we’re completing the on-time development of our automated processing system that will ensure timely delivery of checks in the future.”
Sears invites all active military members to register for the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry program. The Heroes at Home Wish Registry allows America to thank our military heroes and their families by donating to the program. All donations will be evenly distributed in the form of Sears gift cards amongst all military families and members accepted into the program. Registration will be open between 8:00AM CT - 6:00PM CT each day, so register and review program details at www.sears.com/wish today.
The Veterans Administration has released a new video to explain how veterans can get assistance in receiving their GI Bill emergency checks.
Hopefully, this can help some of you.
Got this response from another inquiry into what is going on with the Post-9/11 GI Bill check disbursements from a high level official in the VA.
Just wanted to provide an update on the emergency check disbursement. On Friday, VA became aware that fraud prevention measures at many banks were causing those banks to withhold the funds for 3-4 days. Of course, this wasn’t VA’s intent. To deal with the issue, VA began contacting banks. At the same time, we created a phone number for banks to call for more information. Therefore, we want to spread the word that if a student-veteran’s bank won’t cash the check immediately, that student-veteran should ask the bank rep to call the number listed below. We’ve got this up on the VA website and it’s linked on the homepage at VA.gov.
http://www1.va.gov/opa/vafeature/cashing_emergency.asp
VA is Seeking the Assistance of our Nation’s Banks in Cashing Emergency Education Payments for Veteran-StudentsThe Department of Veterans Affairs is issuing advance educational benefit payments to Veteran-students in the form of US Bank business checks. These emergency checks are issued in amounts not to exceed $3,000 for Veteran-students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their VA payment. VA’s 57 regional offices began issuing these checks to eligible Veteran-students across the country on Friday, October 2, 2009.
VA is soliciting the support of local and national banks to honor and cash these emergency checks written to our Nation’s Veteran-students.
In many cases these checks are handwritten and could pose concerns of fraud from banks. Therefore, VA has established the following special customer service call-in numbers for banks to verify the validity of any US Bank check brought to them by a Veteran.
1-800-827-2166
Banks calling this number will be connected directly to a VA employee who can access all necessary information to verify who the check was issued to, the check number and dollar amount of the check, and whether the check was previously cashed or not.
Small veteran-owned contracting firms already struggle to compete against larger outfits for lucrative government projects.
But a House bill meant to help those veterans obtain surety bonding will actually do more harm than good, an industry figure recently told the U.S. House Veterans Affairs subcommittee.
The measure, H.R. 294, is called the “Veteran-Owned Small Business Promotion Act of 2009.” It would allow small veteran-owned contractors to obtain performance and payment bonds for federal construction projects that are half the normal size.
Lynn M. Schubert, president of the Surety & Fidelity Association, told the subcommittee in late September that the legislation would actually hurt the veterans who lawmakers sought to help.
Schubert testified that reducing the bond amount would not affect availability or make a small veteran-owned contractor more competitive. In fact, reducing the bond amount would actually expose taxpayers to harm because of “additional costs and subcontractors and suppliers to the risk of nonpayment if there is a default,” she told the subcommittee.
Surety bonds are three-way agreements between surety companies, project owners and contractors. Performance and payment bonds ensure that work is performed as specified by a contract and that the winning contractor pays all subcontractors, suppliers and laborers as detailed by the contract. These bonds are required for all federal projects in excess of $10,000.
Instead of altering the bond amount, Schubert suggested that lawmakers look for more impactful ways to help veteran-owned businesses. Chief among those avenues is boosting contractors’ access to capital and collateral.
She also urged the subcommittee to push for federal regulations that would subdivide construction contracts into bite-sized pieces, which would enable small veteran-owned contractors and other fledgling firms the opportunity to succeed.
“Small veteran-owned contractors should be permitted to joint venture with larger contractors, using the larger contractor’s surety bond relationship to obtain the bonds for the project and develop an independent relationship with the surety for future projects,” Schubert said.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has authorized checks for up to $3,000 to be given to students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment. The checks will be distributed to eligible students at VA regional benefits offices across the country starting Oct. 2, 2009.
“Students should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties,” Secretary Shinseki said. “Education creates life-expanding opportunities for our Veterans.”
Starting Friday, Oct. 2, 2009, students can go to one of VA’s 57 regional benefit offices with a photo ID and a course schedule to request advance payment of their education benefits. Because not all these offices are located near students, VA expects to send representatives to schools with large Veteran-student bodies and work with Veteran Service Organizations to help students with transportation needs.
A list of those VA regional offices is available at www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/offices.asp.
“I’m asking our people to get out their road maps and determine how we can reach the largest number of college students who can’t reach us,” VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits Patrick Dunne said. “Not everyone has a car. Not everyone can walk to a VA benefits office.”
Although VA does not know how many students will request emergency funds, it has approximately 25,000 claims pending that may result in payments to students.
The funds VA will give to students now are advance payments of the earned benefits for education benefits. This money will be deducted from future education payments.
VA officials said students should know that after this special payment, they can expect to receive education payments on the normal schedule — the beginning of the month following the period for which they are reimbursed.
“This is an extraordinary action we’re taking,” said Shinseki. “But it’s necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face.”
More than 27,500 students have already received benefits for housing or books under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, or their schools received their tuition payments.
According to the Army, there are five dimensions of strenth:
* Physical – Performing and excelling in physical activities that require aerobic fitness, endurance, strength, healthy body composition and flexibility derived through exercise, nutrition and training.
* Emotional – Approaching life’s challenges in a positive, optimistic way by demonstrating self control, stamina and good character with your choices and actions.
* Social – Developing and maintaining trusted, valued relationships and friendships that are personally fulfilling and foster good communication including a comfortable exchange of ideas, views, and experiences.
* Family – Being part of a family unit that is safe, supportive and loving, and provides the resources needed for all members to live in a healthy and secure environment.
* Spiritual – Strengthening a set of beliefs, principles or values that sustain a person beyond family, institutional, and societal sources of strength.
About a year ago, the Army established the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program. Subordinate to the Army G-3/5/7, the mission is to “develop and institute a holistic fitness program for Soldiers, families, and Army civilians in order to enhance performance and build resilience” in order to “build confidence to lead, courage to stand up for one’s beliefs and compassion to help others. Comprehensive Soldier Fitness is about maximizing one’s potential.”
The Army is aggressively attacking the stigma associated with mental health issues and recently introduced “resiliency training.” We spoke briefly about that on our show last week.
Recently, Brigadier General Wanda Cornum spoke about this project.
You Served's Claire talks about the life of a military spouse - the hardships, the joys, and everything in between.
Join the discussion in our new Spouse and Family section!
