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BENEFITS/NEWSand NEWS
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The Vietnam Veterans of America, Liberty Bell Chapter 266 provides links to non-profit organizations that our Veterans may find of interest. The determination of whether to establish a link to a private organization's website is made on a case by case basis by the Website Committee. |
The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA)has founded a national suicide prevention hotline to ensure veterans in emotional crisis have free, 24/7 access to trained counselors. To operate the Veterans Hotline, the VA partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Veterans can call the Lifeline number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), and press "1" to be routed to the Veterans Hotline.
Click card below for printable version
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JUDGE APPROVES NVLSP’S HISTORIC CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT VICTORY FOR IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN VETERANS WITH PTSD
Lifetime Health Benefits or Increased PTSD Disability Rating Awarded for Thousands
1/5/12
Marine Corps encourages all those who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune before 1987 to register to receive notifications regarding Camp Lejeune Historic Drinking Water
VA Introduces Make the Connection:
Shared Experiences and Support for Veterans
11/2011
Steve Uchniat Interview November 2011 with the Northeast Times
click lines below for 3 articles
Man believed to be last Vietnam-era draftee set to retire after 39 years
7/5/2011
click photo below for article
President Obama Announces Key Administration Posts
2 articles below
6/21 and 6/24/2011
Meg Bartley, Nominee for Judge, United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
congratulations to Patrick Murphy on his appointment to
Board of Visitors to the United States Military Academy
Volunteer opportunity for Veterans
Mentors Needed
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HUD, VA TO PROVIDE PERMANENT HOUSING, CASE MANAGEMENT
June 15, 2011 (click above for article)
House Committee Okay's TRICARE Increase
Week of May 16, 2011
Last week the House Armed Services Committee gave the go ahead for the Obama administration's plan to begin to raise out-of-pocket costs modestly for working-age retirees TRICARE beneficiaries. This would be the first increase in TRICARE Primeenrollment fees in more than 15 years. If approved the committee's budget bill would allow DoD to increase premiums by $30 a year for individual coverage and $60 a year for family coverage. The HAS defense budget would also allow DoD to raise the TRICARE Prime premium on an annual basis, but not at the rate they requested.
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Defense Department Wrongfully Discharges Nearly
26,000 Veterans, Refuses to Release Records
12/15/2010
TAKE YOUR DD-214 TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE
WHEN YOU APPLY FOR YOUR RETIREMENT BENEFITS
Since 1957, if you had military service earnings for active duty (including active duty for training), you paid Social Security taxes on those earnings. Since 1988, inactive duty service in the Armed Forces reserves (such as weekend drills) has also been covered by Social Security.
Under certain circumstances, special extra earnings for your military service from 1957 through 2001 can be credited to your record for Social Security purposes. These extra earnings credits may help you qualify for Social Security or increase the amount of your Social Security benefit.
Special extra earnings credits are granted for periods of active duty or active duty for training. Special extra earnings credits are not granted for inactive duty training.
If your active military service occurred
- From 1957 through 1967, we will add the extra credits to your record when you apply for Social Security benefits.
- From 1968 through 2001, you do not need to do anything to receive these extra credits. The credits were automatically added to your record.
- After 2001, there are no special extra earnings credits for military service.
VA MEDICAL CENTER
Click below for website
VA Video Outreach Message Aimed at New Veterans
New TV Ad Encourages Veterans to Use Benefits
10/12/2010
Click above link for article - August 17, 2010
Click above for article 7/8/2010
Click above for article 7/7/10
Click below for article
6/15/10
5/5/2010
For information on the
WASHINGTON CROSSING NATIONAL CEMETERY
click below
Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors
Clock above logo for website
Click above logo to be taken to the website
On Veterans Day, 2009, the VA rolled out the first phase of a large-scale Web renovation to better serve America’s Veterans.
The new site will make it easier for Veterans to find out information about benefits and programs.
Long term, VA goals for its Web presence are to make it easier and more inviting for Veterans
by focusing on topics and tasks rather than office functions, improving the navigational structure to ensure consistency,
and making it more visually appealing. The new Web site design will cover more than 500 VA Web sites and about 80,000 pages.
Major changes include improvements in the navigational structure that provide consistency among all sites and consolidate major topics;
a slide show section that showcases current VA events or hot topics;
and bottom columns that feature news items, highlights and a “Quick List” with links directly to important applications
such as Veterans On Line Applications (VONAPP) and MyHealtheVet.
TRICARE Retiree Dental Premium Increase
The first annual TRDP premium rate change took effect on October 1, 2009 for the second contract year, October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010. Subsequent changes for the third and fourth contract years will be effective October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011 and October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012, respectively. This annual premium adjustment is automatic and will be reflected in the allotment from your retired pay or, if you are billed directly, in your payment coupons or EFT (electronic funds transfer) debit applicable to your October 1 payment. To find out the new premium rates for your region,
IT'S OFFICIAL
DD-214's are NOW Online
 National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website
for veterans to gain access to their DD-214's online:
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This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his
DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the online web site. Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records centers mailroom and processing time
CALL FOR PHOTOS
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) is very excited about our National Call for Photos. They are gathering photos of the 58,261 people whose names are on The Wall for the Education Center. The Education Center is an underground learning facility being built on the National Mall. It will tell the stories of the people we lost in Vietnam and pay tribute to all who served in all of America's wars.
There has been a lot of news coverage about the Call for Photos launch, which is vital to helping get the word out.
click logo for website
and how you may submit any photos that you may have.
Thanks for your help!
Locating Veterans Gravesites
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today that the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made the gravesites of more than 6.7 million Veterans
easier to locate using handheld devices with Internet capability, such as "smart phones."
Click logo for to be taken to their website
The VetAssist program is sponsored by The American Veterans Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of veterans and preserving their individual histories. The information on this site, and the services of the VetAssist staff are free. Please use this site as a tool for educating yourself on the Improved Pension program and your eligibility for it. You should also contact your County Veterans Services Officer (VSO), the VA, or a VSO through one of the national Veterans organizations, such as the VFW, American Legion, etc. for help filing the appropriate forms.
National Resource Directory
The National Resource Directory (NRD) is an online tool for wounded, ill and injured Service Members, Veterans, their families, and those who support them. The NRD provides access to more than 11,000 services and resources at the national, state and local levels that support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration.
EFFORT MADE TO ESTABLISH NATIONAL SYMBOL FOR FALLEN HEROES
The Honor and Remember Flag honors our fallen heroes from every was dating back to the Revolutionary War.
We need to remember the sacrifices of these men and women and fly the flag as a constant reminder of what they have done for us.
On Sunday, May 10, 2009, the PA Department of the American Gold Star Mothers presented flags to two members of the Greater Harrisburg Chapter.
These were applique flags, personalized with their son's names.
There have been several presentations of this flag throughout the State and the Nation.
The National Organization of American Gold Star Mothers has endorsed this flag and we would like to see it passed at the State and National level.
 The Office for Veterans Affairs mission is to provide advice and assistance to Pennsylvania's 1.1 million veterans and their families; to provide quality care to aging veterans; and to create responsible citizens and develop lifelong learning in veterans' children who reside at Scotland School for Veterans' Children.
There are also a wide range of federal and county benefits available to qualified veterans and their families. County Veterans Directors or Service Officers can be an excellent source of information and assistance when applying for these benefits. Click here for the website.
For more information call your local Veterans Center
Philadelphia Center phone number 215-627-0238
Click logo below for
U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs
is the first unique web site dedicated to helping U.S. veterans discover benefits they have earned.
Complete details about service-connected compensation issues, and important updates as they occur.
Also, services that help veterans and their families.
Click banner for
You must register for this site – but it is totally free and an extremely good military information site.
Miliary.com informs you of all the benefits of service — government benefits, scholarships, discounts, headline news, etc. It also includes stories of military life or missions, and much more. They believe that the benefits earned in the service should be easier to access and written in easy to explain terms. They are all about helping members make the most of military experience throughout life. One feature of this site is the amazing “Shock and Awe” videos.
Defense Centers of Excellence leads a collaborative effort toward optimizing psychological health and traumatic brain injury (TBI) treatment for the Department of Defense (DoD). The DCoE establishes quality standards for: clinical care; education and training; prevention; patient, family and community outreach; and program excellence. DCoE Mission To maximize opportunities for warriors and families to thrive through a collaborative global network promoting resilience, recovery, and reintegration for PH and TBI. |
Benefits/News
