VFW LA WebCOM Network

VA News Briefs

Posted at 09:50 AM on Thursday, January 1, 2009 by LA VFW

VA Ramps Up Job Search for Injured Vets

WASHINGTON – Thirty percent of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are veterans – the second highest ranking among cabinet departments after the Department of Defense -- and nearly 8 percent of VA employees are service-connected disabled veterans. But the VA intends to increase the number of disabled veterans who obtain employment in its workforce.

"I am proud of this effort," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "VA knows the true quality of our men and women, and we should be a leader in employing them."

Peake said all severely injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be contacted by VA's Veterans Employment Coordination Service to determine their interest in -- and qualifications for -- VA jobs. So far, that office has identified 2,300 severely injured veterans of those wars, of whom 600 expressed interest in VA employment.

Click here to read more

Some Veterans to See Another Travel Reimbursement Increase

WASHINGTON – Service-disabled and low-income veterans who are reimbursed for travel expenses while receiving care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities will see an increase in their payments beginning January 9.

A recently passed law allows VA to cut the amount it must withhold from their mileage reimbursement. The deductible amount will be $3 for each one-way trip and $6 for each round trip -- with a cap per calendar-month of $18, or six one-way trips or three round trips, whichever comes first. The previous deductible was $7.77 for a one-way trip, and $15.54 for a round trip, with a calendar-month cap of $46.62.

January Grassroots Survey

Posted at 09:40 AM on Thursday, January 1, 2009 by LA VFW

Last month, we asked, "With the election over, do you think our citizens will become more united?"

A majority of respondents—more than 65% percent—believe that the division of American citizens will continue in the years to come. Many noted, however, that people really need to put their differences aside for the health of the country.

• "America is strong as a people, and it's the people who will bring us back as the guiding light of the world, not the government."
• "These are tough times. We've used times like this to re-unite and get stronger. We're Americans first, as that we're all one."
• "We have to, and leaders in all organizations would best serve the goals of the organization and the country by encouraging everyone to do so."

Click here to see more results

Vets Visits on TV - December 2008

Posted at 08:34 AM on Monday, December 29, 2008 by LA VFW

VA Reaches 11,000 Survivors for Retroactive Benefit

Posted at 08:10 AM on Monday, December 29, 2008 by LA VFW

WASHINGTON (Dec. 24, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has identified nearly 11,000 surviving spouses of deceased veterans who will receive a lump-sum payment before the New Year to correct an error in their VA benefits. Also documented were more than 73,000 who had been previously paid. VA officials are still tracking down eligible survivors.

"I am pleased that our task force working to correct this problem has been able to identify this first group this week," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "We understand the difference these funds can make for these surviving spouses, especially during the holiday season."

Payments will be released to these survivors on Dec. 29. The total value of the payments is about $24 million.

At issue is a 1996 federal law that makes a surviving spouse eligible to receive the veteran's VA compensation or pension benefit for the month of the veteran's death. VA failed to properly implement that law in all cases.

Most likely to have been affected by this problem are surviving spouses who never applied for VA survivors' benefits following the death of a veteran. Eligible for the payment are surviving spouses of veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996. The Department doesn't have current addresses for many of them, which makes the process of contacting them difficult.

VA has established a special Survivor Call Center (1-800-749-8387) for spouses who believe they may be eligible for this retroactive benefit. The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Central Standard Time. Inquiries may also be submitted through the Internet at http://www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm.

A Christmas Message from VFW National Commander

Posted at 09:11 AM on Wednesday, December 24, 2008 by LA VFW

Anyone who has worn a uniform overseas knows this is the most difficult time of year to be separated from family and friends.

"It is easy to say 'let us remember our troops' during the Christmas season, but how many of us really understand the painful nobility of this sacrifice?" Bruce Kluger asked in USA Today last Christmas. "For those on active duty in the Middle East, the business of battle knows no holiday."

I could not have possibly said it better. But this writer did not stop there. "Equally heartbreaking—and incomprehensible—is the wrenching vacuum that war inflicts on families on the home front," he wrote.

Christmas celebrations in Afghanistan and Iraq are, by necessity, subdued. More quality food, special church services and private thoughts of loved ones usually constitute this most beloved of holidays in the war zone. Yet these gestures never seem to be enough.

On Dec. 25, 2007, McClatchy News Service was one of the few media outlets to report on the troops directly from the field. At Patrol Base Warrior Keep in southwest Baghdad, two of its reporters interviewed soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, to sample their sentiments.

"If I didn't feel like this is where I needed to be, I think it'd be horrible," Chaplain Eric Light told them. "Our holidays are so tied to our families, it's nearly impossible to re-create them here."

What we can do as veterans is to remind those around us of the emotional importance of this time of year to the troops thousands of miles from home. After all, they are "honoring our nation with their service while fighting wars whose consequences have nothing and everything to do with the humanity at the heart of the holiday," Kluger aptly pointed out.

While we are keeping them in our thoughts, let's not forget the other GIs on far-flung fronts that never make newspaper headlines. From Kosovo in the Balkans to South Korea in Northeast Asia, tens of thousands of Americans maintain lonely vigils. Still others prowl the seas, protecting our shores from afar. Their missions should never be taken for granted or forgotten.

The debt of gratitude we owe the tiny percentage—less than 1%—of Americans who bear the burden of our freedom can probably never be adequately paid. But the least we can do is to give them more than a passing thought. As we enjoy Christmas revelry, keep in mind that someone in uniform is making that possible. Chances are that it might even be a family member. If so, you need not be reminded of the sacrifices being made.

As the mother of one Afghanistan soldier said, "Each American should remember during this season that our soldiers are fighting the battle over there so we can be safe here at home."

In that spirit, let my wife, Jean, and me wish all veterans a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a great New Year.

Glen Gardner
VFW Commander-in-Chief

DISASTER RELIEF

Posted at 01:06 PM on Friday, December 19, 2008 by LA VFW

STATE COMMANDER CARROLL KNOTT WELCOMES DISASTER RELIEF TEAM FROM CANADA

WELCOMING CREW FOR THE DISASTER RELIEF TRUCK FROM CANADA

Posted at 01:01 PM on Friday, December 19, 2008 by LA VFW

ST. MARTIN PARISH SENDS ESCORT FOR DISASTER RELIEF TRUCK

VFW SALUTES ST. MARTIN PARISH SHERIFF AND OFFICERS

Previous Page | Home | Next Page