VFW Washington Weekly - October 9, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008 at
11:25 AM
by VFW DE WebCOM Network
110th Congress Wrap-Up
In This Issue:
1. President Signs VA Funding Bill
2. Congress Clears Veterans' Health and Benefit Bills
3. Vet Accomplishments for 110th Congress
4. Election Day Coming - Get Out the Vote
1. President Signs VA Funding Bill
President Bush signed the FY 2009 VA funding bill which is $4.5 billion more than last year. Some of the highlights in the VA funding package, which was passed as a part of the $634 billion Continuing Resolution, include $3.8 billion for mental healthcare, $584 million for substance abuse programs, $510 million for medical and prosthetic research, and additional funding for homeless grants. It allows the Veterans Benefits Administration to hire 2,000 additional claims adjudicators to help reduce the disability claims backlog, raises the mileage reimbursement rate to 41.5 cents per mile, and provides an additional $750 million in funding for the construction of VA medical facilities. It was the first time in well over a decade that the VA was able to begin a new fiscal year with an on-time budget. VFW national commander Chief Glen Gardner thanked Congress and the president, and said, "We hope the delivery of an on-time budget is the start of a trend that will continue into the next administration and Congress."
Read the VFW Press Release at: http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=4772. For a summary of the bill, visit the House Appropriations Committee website at http://appropriations.house.gov/pdf/MCFY09CONFSummary09-22-08.pdf.
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DoD Revises Purple Heart Policy
Friday, October 10, 2008 at
01:25 AM
by VFW DE WebCOM Network
The Department of Defense announced today
(6 OCT08) it has expanded the Purple Heart eligibility criteria allowing prisoners-of-war who died in captivity to receive the award.
The revised department policy presumes, for service members who die in captivity as a qualifying prisoner-of-war, that their death was the "result of enemy action," or the result of wounds incurred “in action with the enemy” during capture, or as a result of wounds incurred as a “result of enemy action” during capture, unless compelling evidence is presented to the contrary.
The revised policy allows retroactive award of the Purple Heart to qualifying prisoners-of-war since Dec. 7, 1941. Posthumous award will be made to the deceased service member’s representative, as designated by the secretary of the military department concerned, upon application to that military department.
Each military department will publish application procedures and ensure they are accessible by the general public. Family members with questions may contact the services: Army: Military Awards Branch, (703) 325-8700; Navy: Navy Personnel Command, Retired Records Section, (314) 592-1150; Air Force: Air Force Personnel Center, (800) 616-3775; Marine Corps: Military Awards Branch, (703) 784-9340. For further information, media representatives should contact Eileen Lainez, (703) 695-3895
Source: Defense Link
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USA Today Highlights VFW Foundation
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at
10:20 PM
by VFW DE WebCOM Network
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 7, 2008--
VFW Foundation is highlighted in today's
USA Today "Sharing in the USA" special section.
Approximately 70 charities were chosen nationally and selected based on fundraising and administrative efficiency. The VFW Foundation is one of two charities listed in the Missouri section. The foundation's mission is to manage and distribute resources to support veterans, active-duty personnel, the National Guard and Reserves, their families and communities.
Here is what USA Today wrote:
"The Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation helps military personnel and their families by providing free phone cards, financial assistance and claims assistance for veterans, foundation director Dan Shea says. The foundation has provided 9 million phone cards to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and $2.2 million to nearly 1,600 families for unmet needs, including groceries, rent and home repair."
Charity watchdog groups like the Independent Charities of America gave the VFW Foundation a "Best of America" rating, an honor given to only 1,500 of some 50,000 groups. Charity Navigator provided the foundation with three stars and a four-star efficiency rating, the highest rating possible. The foundation also achieved full inclusion in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #10511), due to low operating costs.
To learn more about the VFW Foundation, visit the website at
www.vfwfoundation.org.
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Forum Hot Topic: Virtual Posts
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at
07:11 PM
by VFW DE WebCOM Network
Thanks to your support the VFW WebCOM Network Membership Forum now has
10382 Posts in
3099 Topics by
1604 Members!
The hot topic as of late has been the discussion around the pros/cons of establishing a
"Virtual Post" as a means of connecting with younger Veterans. Stop by and share your
thoughts:
http://www.vfwwebcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,3260.0.html
Also the VFW WebCOM Network has established a Facebook page. Drop in a "Fan" us up.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/VFW-WebCOM-Network/25570084434
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