Shinseki Notes Strides in Serving Nation’s Veterans

By Claudette Roulo

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2012 – The Department of Veterans Affairs has made great strides in meeting the challenges posed by a decade of war, and cooperation with the Defense Department is crucial to continued progress, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said today.

In a speech at the American Legion convention in Indianapolis, Shinseki said repeated deployments over the last decade have created “issues that don’t show up right away.”

“More [service members] are surviving catastrophic injuries, but higher survival rates also mean complex casualties,” he said. Post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, [and] amputations, blindness, deafness and other injuries can have compounding effects, he explained.

“It takes a superb, disciplined fighting force to handle this kind of strain for this long.”

By next summer, Shinseki said, VA will have increased funding for treatment of veterans with spinal cord injuries by 28 percent since 2009. He added that funding for traumatic brain injury treatment will have increased by 38 percent, mental health funding by 39 percent, long-term care funding by 39 percent and prosthetics funding by 58 percent. Funding for female veterans’ health issues will have increased by 123 percent, with a potential total increase of 158 percent by 2014.

In the face of these challenges, he said, VA has decided the compensation claims of 2.9 million veterans in the past three and a half years. In 2012, he expects that for the third straight year, VA will decide 1 million.

The secretary acknowledged that a backlog of claims exists, but added that “no one is standing at parade rest.”

“This is a dynamic process. When you push 2.9 million claims out the door and 3.5 million come in, … we have to find ways to dominate those numbers.”

VA also is working with Pentagon officials to establish a single, common integrated electronic health record by 2014, Shinseki said. “Seamless transition of service members departing the military and joining VA is crucial.”

Both departments, he noted, are reaching out to veterans and service members in crisis, who now can make a phone call any time for the help they need.

“One of our most successful outreach efforts is our Veterans Crisis Line,” Shinseki said. “DOD knows it as the Military Crisis Line. Same number, same trained VA mental health professionals answering the phone.” Service members and veterans can reach the crisis line at 800-273-8255 or send a text message to 838225.

CPPD Hosts Virginia Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

By Susan Henson, Center for Personal and Professional Development Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- Virginia's secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security visited the Center for Personal and Professional Development Aug. 9.

Terrie Suit met with CPPD leadership and toured the command to gain an understanding of CPPD's role in developing Sailors who think critically, act responsibly and lead proactively.

The tour included a stop at the Virtual Education Center (VEC) for a brief on the center's capabilities and education services it provides to Sailors worldwide.

Suit was appointed as assistant to the governor for commonwealth preparedness in January 2010 by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. The Commonwealth reorganized some positions the following year, which resulted in Suit appointment

"It is a great honor to host such a distinguished visitor at CPPD," said CPPD Commanding Officer Capt. John Newcomer. "Secretary Suit's visit is a great opportunity to explain our work to provide Sailors the tools they need to lead with courage, respect and trust, and mentor future leaders to do the same. Part of that development is through voluntary education, and the VEC's work is essential to assisting Sailors navigate through the waters of completing higher education requirements for a degree."

The daughter of a career U.S. Army officer and wife of a now-retired Navy senior chief, Suit is familiar with the demands of military life and related challenges of earning a college degree. She has earned an Associate degree from Tidewater Community College and Bachelor's degree in political science from Old Dominion University.

Suit's tour included stops at the Training directorate, which creates, maintains and has oversight for personal and professional course curricula; the Voluntary Education (VOLED) directorate, which is responsible for the Navy's VOLED program; and VOLED's Virtual Education Center (VEC), which provides virtual education assistance and counseling to Sailors and veterans.

Julie Gifford, regional military liaison, accompanied her the tour of CPPD.

At the end of her visit, Suit said she was excited to see the progress of the Navy College Program.

"Governor McDonnell wants to ensure Virginia is supporting our service members as they pursue education and professional development for their Navy career as well as their eventual transition to civilian life," she said. "Julie and I will be proactively identifying future opportunities for Virginia to work together in support of Navy College and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Thank you for all that you are doing here."

In addition to VOLED, CPPD is responsible for providing a wide range of personal and professional development courses and materials, including General Military Training, Navy instructor training, alcohol and drug awareness program training, suicide prevention, Bearings classes, and Personal Responsibility and Values Education and Training (PREVENT) classes. CPPD's leadership training is delivered multiple times throughout a Sailor's career via command-delivered enlisted leadership training material and officer leadership courses in a schoolhouse setting.

Post-9/11 GI Bill Celebrates Start of Fourth Year

From a Department of Veterans Affairs News Release

WASHINGTON  – August marks the third anniversary of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and since it was implemented, the Department of Veterans Affairs has provided educational benefits to 773,000 veterans and their family members, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs news release.

“This is one of the most important programs helping our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans reach their educational goals,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said. “We’re proud this important benefit is making such a big difference in the lives of so many veterans.”

The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays tuition and fees on behalf of veterans or eligible dependents to the school in which they are enrolled. Eligible participants also receive a monthly housing allowance and up to $1,000 annually for books and supplies. The program also allows eligible service members to transfer their benefits to their spouses and children.

The program provides a wide range of educational options, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, vocational/technical training, on-the-job training, flight training, correspondence training, licensing and national testing programs, entrepreneurship training, and tutorial assistance.

“For over 68 years, GI Bill programs have shaped and changed the lives of service members, veterans, their families and survivors by helping them reach their educational goals,” said Allison A. Hickey, Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Benefits. “Benefits provided under the Post-9/11 GI Bill will continue to shape and change the lives of veterans by helping them build a stronger foundation for their careers.”

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most extensive educational assistance program since the original GI Bill was signed into law in 1944. VA has since paid more than $20 billion in benefits to veterans and their family members.

For the 2012-2013 academic year, 1,770 colleges and universities are supplementing Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits by participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Under the Yellow Ribbon Program, degree-granting institutions make additional funds available for a veteran’s educational program without an additional charge to their GI Bill entitlement. To make up the difference for those students whose tuition and fees exceed what the Post-9/11 GI Bill covers, institutions can voluntarily enter into a Yellow Ribbon Agreement with VA to designate an additional amount of funding, and VA will match that amount.

VA is seeking legal authority to trademark the term GI Bill. President Barack Obama signed an executive order on April 26, 2012, directing VA and the Department of Defense to undertake a number of measures to “stop deceptive and misleading” promotional efforts that target the GI Bill educational benefits of service members, veterans, and eligible family members and survivors.

In June, the attorneys general of several states gave VA the rights to the GIBill.com website after the original owners agreed to give up the internet site to settle a lawsuit by the states.

Law Allows VA Health Benefits for Camp Lejeune Water Victims

By Lisa Daniel

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6, 2012 – President Barack Obama today signed into law a bill enabling the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide health benefits to veterans and families diagnosed with diseases related to water contamination at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

“I think all Americans feel we have a moral, sacred duty toward our men and women in uniform,” Obama said before signing the "Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012" in the Oval Office. The law covers those with conditions linked to water contamination that occurred on Camp Lejeune between 1957 and 1987.

“They protect our freedom, and it’s our obligation to do right by them,” he said. “This bill takes another important step in fulfilling that commitment.”

The president was joined at the signing by Jerry Ensminger, a retired Marine Corps master sergeant who served at Camp Lejeune and advocated on behalf of affected veterans and families. The first title of the law was named after his daughter, Janey, who died of leukemia at age 9. Mike Partain also attended. The son and grandson of Marine officers, Partain was born at Camp Lejeune and developed breast cancer at age 39. He serves as a community representative for the Agency of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

“This bill ends a decade-long struggle for those who serve at Camp Lejeune,” Obama said. “Some of the veterans and their families who were based in Camp Lejeune in the years when the water was contaminated will now have access to extended medical care. And, sadly, this act alone will not bring back those we’ve lost, including Jane Ensminger, but it will honor their memory by making a real difference for those who are still suffering.”

The bill has several other provisions to improve VA health care coverage, housing, education and burial benefits, White House officials said. An initiative on preventing homelessness among veterans renews VA’s authority to work with community organizations and make use of previously underutilized VA properties, they said.

“It is going to have an immediate impact,” Obama said. “It is going to improve access to health care, streamline services in the VA, and it expands support for veterans who are homeless.”

The law also restricts protests at military funerals by prohibiting demonstrations from within 300 feet for two hours before and after services. “I am very pleased to be signing this bill into law,” the president said. “The graves of our veterans are hallowed ground. And, obviously, we all defend our Constitution and the First Amendment and free speech, but we also believe that when men and women die in the service of their country and are laid to rest, it should be done with the utmost honor and respect.”

VA Improves Online Access to Benefits Information

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2012 – Nearly 1.7 million veterans and service members have registered for the Department of Veterans Affairs-Department of Defense web portal, eBenefits, which provides online information and access to a wide variety of military and veteran benefits resources.

A VA news release issued today says about 1.67 million users have signed up, and notes the strong pace of registrations for the site since its launch in October 2009 has allowed VA to exceed its fiscal year 2012 agency priority goal of 1.65 million user.  That puts it on track to meet the 2013 goal of 2.5 million.

“We know that three out of four veterans who use VA services want to connect online, so we must be there for them with the information they need,” Allison Hickey, the VA’s undersecretary for benefits, stated in the release.

Hickey added that eBenefits “is clearly becoming the platform of choice for veterans seeking access.”

Veterans and service members new to the eBenefits website are guided through the registration process to get a full-access account, called a premier account which allows maximum ability to update personal information and learn about benefits without having to visit a VA facility. With the premier account, veterans can access multiple applications on the secure portion of the website.

A premier account also allows veterans to check the status of compensation and pension claims filed with VA. This feature, the most popular within the eBenefits application, had over 700,000 visits in June alone, according to the news release. Overall, visits to the site have increased 60 percent over the previous year, approaching 2 million each month.

On July 1, VA introduced its 11th consecutive quarterly release of improvements to the eBenefits application, including benefits eligibility email messages to service members as they reach career milestones and a new Career Center page.

Another key function is a single sign-on capability for veterans to transition securely between benefits information on eBenefits and health information on VA’s myHealtheVet website without an additional log-on.

VA says it has completed a record-breaking 1 million claims per year during the last two fiscal years and is on target to complete another 1 million claims in fiscal year 2012.

Even so, the agency acknowledged too many veterans have to wait too long to get the benefits they have earned, and that is why VA is aggressively building a strong foundation for a paperless, digital disability claims system that it says will transform operations and eliminate the backlog. The VA says the plan will help achieve Secretary Eric K. Shinseki’s goal of completing veterans’ claims in less than 125 days with 98 percent accuracy in 2015.

VA Grants Will Aid Homeless Veterans

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 17, 2012 – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is awarding nearly $100 million in grants that will help approximately 42,000 homeless and at-risk veterans and their families, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced.

The grants are going to 151 community agencies in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to a VA news release.

“We are committed to ending veteran homelessness in America,” Shinseki stated in the release. “These grants will help VA and community organizations reach out and prevent at-risk veterans from losing their homes.”

Under the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program, VA is awarding grants to private nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives that provide services to very low -income veteran families living in -- or transitioning to -- permanent housing, according to the VA release. Those community organizations provide a range of services that promote housing stability among eligible very low-income veteran families.

Under the grants, providers will offer veterans and their families outreach, case management, assistance in obtaining VA benefits and in getting other public benefits, the release said. Community-based groups can offer temporary financial assistance on behalf of veterans for rent and utility payments as well as security deposits and moving costs.

This is the program’s second year. Last year, VA provided about $60 million to assist 22,000 veterans andfamilies.

In 2009, President Barack Obama and Shinseki announced the federal government’s goal to end veteran homelessness by 2015 and the grants are intended to help accomplish that. According to the 2011 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, homelessness among veterans has declined 12 percent since January 2010.

In fiscal year 2011, VA committed $800 million to strengthen programs that prevent and end homelessness among veterans, according to the release. VA provides a range of services to homeless veterans, including health care, housing, job training, and education.

Grants to Connect Veterans, Families to Local Transportation

From a Department of Transportation News Release

WASHINGTON – Veterans and their families will have better access to local bus, vanpool and other transportation options with $29 million in grants, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today.

During a conference call with reporters, LaHood said the grants will fund 64 projects in 33 states to help veterans, wounded warriors and their families find affordable rides to jobs, and job training, education, and health facilities.

“Ensuring that our veterans and military families have access to quality, convenient transportation is just one way we can thank them for their service,” LaHood said. “With these transportation grants, we will help connect veterans and military families with the jobs and training opportunities they deserve, as well as the medical care and other services they need, all located close to home.”

The Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative, funded and managed by the Federal Transit Administration, supports efforts by local governments and transit agencies to implement technologies -- ranging from smartphone applications to real-time transit bus locator information -- that make it easier for veterans and others to access and schedule rides on available buses, vans, taxis and other transportation systems.

The unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is more than 12 percent, more than four percentage points above the national average.

“America’s war heroes deserve a chance to support their families, participate in their communities, receive job training and get to work,” said FTA Administrator Peter M. Rogoff, who was in Lee County, Fla., for the announcement. “It’s vitally important that we remove barriers to success by making transportation available wherever our veterans choose to live, work and receive care.”

For example, Lee County, Fla., is receiving $1.4 million to fund information kiosks at locations that include a new Veterans Affairs Department outpatient clinic in Cape Coral, where veterans can readily obtain real-time information on rides and schedules, day or night.

Also, a $450,000 grant for the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority in Dayton, Ohio, will make it easier for returning and retired veterans and those who have disabilities to arrange for rides by phone, smartphone or on the Web, officials said. Dayton is home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and 80,000 veterans, officials noted.

Rogoff said the transit administration received 81 eligible proposals requesting $41 million for this second round of the Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative grants, reflecting strong demand for the program. In fiscal 2011, FTA awarded $34.6 million for 55 veterans’ transportation projects around the country.

LaHood said the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility, which he chairs, is a partnership of federal departments working to better coordinate federal programs on behalf of people with disabilities, older adults and individuals with lower incomes. The council developed the Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative, he added.