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Archive for July, 2011
Tuesday, July 12th, 2011
Drew Miller, 32, is running from Long Beach, California to Spencer, West Virginia to raise money for the Jacksonville-based Wounded Warrior Project. Seeing a friend of his return wounded from a deployment in Iraq and receive extensive help from the Wounded Warrior Project sparked Miller’s desire to start the run.
In the 77 days after he left Long Beach, Miller covered 1,540 miles. His goal was to cover 20 miles every day. That goal, however, become very difficult to meet while running through Arizona, the mountains of New Mexico, and the Kansas summer heat. In addition to benefiting the Wounded Warriors, Miller is helping himself. Weighing 262 pounds when he started his training, and 217 on the first day of his run, he is down to 185 pounds.
Miller runs 4 days a week for 4 ½ hours every day. His mother drives a van along side his run, at which he stops every 5 miles for snacks and water. Miller makes a point to stress he does not walk one step of the journey; he runs every mile.
According to estimates, the 2,400 mile journey should have him in Spencer, West Virginia on Aug. 25, 2011. To date, Miller has raised more than $5,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, and the donations are continuing to grow.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Veterans disability, Wounded Warrior Project
Posted in Disabled Veterans | No Comments »
Monday, July 11th, 2011
The last couple of months have seen both the House and the Senate pass legislation focused on fixing the Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition issues. The Streamlining Education Claims Processing Act of 2011 (HR 2301) is designed to reduce Post-9/11 GI Bill payments. According to some, however, passing this bill may cause “disastrous, unintended consequences.”
Passing the bill would mean the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would be required to make payments at the end of the term. If they don’t, colleges would have “cash-flow problems” and some student veterans would be unable to attend their college classes. Should that scenario develop, the proposed patch would definitely be worse than the problem it is intending to fix.
Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind) authored the bill, and claims the bill will eliminate problems student veterans are now facing because schools’ tuition and fees are being overpaid, and dropped classes force veterans to pay money out-of-pocket.
The bill proposes waiting until the end of the term to make tuition and fee payments to schools. Opponents of the bill believe the bill will only serve to create new problems, such as giving schools reasons not to enroll veterans. Additionally, veterans would likely encounter problems registering for classes at many colleges and universities without any way with which to pay for those classes.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Post-9/11 GI Bill, Streamlining Education Claims Processing Act of 2011(HR 2301), student-veterans, Veterans disability
Posted in US Military Legislation, VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Friday, July 8th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will allow their employees to use iPads on the VA network as of Oct. 1, 2011. Before they do, however, the VA must ensure the iPads are completely encrypted and secure, according to Roger Baker, the VA’s Chief Information Officer (CIO).
The VA launched a pilot program with iPads months ago to test how they would interact, and if they would mesh, with VA IT security. The VA’s IT controls that would allow iPads to access their network will soon be in place. This does not necessarily translate into an open policy for VA employees to bring any personal device to work and expect it to be able to be used across the VA network.
The progression by which technology advances could very well negate today’s popular devices within a few years. The VA must focus on implementing the right technology for the VA for the time. Otherwise, a lot of time and money will be wasted building VA network controls for outdated and useless technology.
The VA has had a history of problems with its network not being secure enough and therefore open to being compromised. Both internal and external threats have struck against the network in the past, so the VA is working very hard to make sure the iPads work with the existing VA network.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), iPad, Veterans disability
Posted in General, VA News | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 7th, 2011
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee realized over the last year they cannot fund every program and benefit requiring funding. They are being forced to cut subsidizing for new veterans’ initiatives. In order to make everything work, money must be taken from already existing and funded programs and given to new programs.
Veterans putting down 5 -10% will continue to pay higher fees on home loans. These fees, then, will be used to pay for the student benefits of those attending private schools, which are being threatened because of a problem with the recently passed Post-9/11 GI Bill Reform Act.
A recently passed bill will pay for health care for those exposed to Camp Lejeune’s contaminated water, which is expected to cost billions of dollars. To be able to do that, however, all worldwide base exchanges as well as every supply and food operation will be turned into one “for-profit retailing system.”
Although there will be some difference, that plan is close to a plan the Congressional Budget office proposed, which has first year projected savings of $200 million for the Department of Defense (DoD). The 10 years following, the DoD is expected to see $9.1 billion in savings. The majority of the savings will come from “reducing the value of” groceries at stores selling food for just over cost.
There will be distinct differences between the plans. To what extent, however, remains to be seen. As more benefits and programs are passed, it is likely more funding will have to be moved around to pay for the initiatives.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Camp Lejeune, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
Seven students from St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire between grades 10 and 12, cycled 600 miles across Montana to bring awareness and funds to wounded veterans.
The beginning and the end of the trip will have the students dipping their tires in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Between the two dips, however, are 3,541 miles of road to be traversed for the Ride 2 Recovery program.
Riders learn it is more than just an adventure. There is a partnership between the Fitness Challenge Foundation and Ride 2 Recovery, which focuses on using spinning and outdoor cycling as part of military rehabilitation programs. They ride to help those programs succeed.
Cycling is one of the very few sports that can accommodate patients with both mental and physical disabilities. Because of that, cycling can be used as a critical element of the rehabilitation process.
As of the end of last week, the students had raised $75,000 of their $100,000 goal. Most riders find new purpose in riding for a cause, and that is no different with this ride.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Fitness Challenge Foundation, Ride 2 Recovery, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 5th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic at Naval Support Activity Panama City is too small to function effectively. The clinic is located on base, but supports both active-duty sailors and veterans. U.S. Rep Steve Southerland (R-Panama City) visited the clinic last week and acknowledged plans for a new clinic were being made.
During Southerland’s visit, he spoke with veterans, nurses, and doctors. While he was there, the waiting rooms were filled to capacity. Acknowledging how confined the space was, he did celebrate the number of services the clinic provided to veterans.
Rep. Southerland was further impressed the quality of those provided services were not suffering despite the limited space in which to operate. Those services were not limited to just medical, but extended to dental and specialized services for female veterans.
According to Southerland, the new facility will be a welcome relief to not only the veterans currently using the cramped facilities, but to those who will be coming home. Construction is set to begin soon and will hopefully be completed by 2013. The new facility will improve upon already provided services.
With a price tag of $12 million, and 28,000 square feet, the new clinic will be open to veterans and current Navy personnel. There are more than 5,500 veterans in the Bay County area using the clinic’s services, which are provided by 45 employees. Rep. Southerland does not plan on cutting back on services provided to veterans, despite the tough fiscal times.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Naval Support Activity Panama City, US Rep. Steve Southerland, Veterans disability, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Friday, July 1st, 2011
Many soldiers have no idea what is waiting for them when they cycle back to the U.S. following deployments. Up until a few years ago, many veterans assumed once they left the service they would just move into a civilian job. That is no longer the reality. In fact, the opposite is true. Unemployment rates are higher for veterans than civilians on the national level.
This is just one of the issues returning veterans face, and one of the issues that can hopefully be more easily addressed than others. U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA) hopes he can ease this burden by introducing the Hiring Heroes Act (H.R. 1941).
Some veterans join reserve or Guard units for the paychecks. Others, however, become homeless. Many are discovering they are essentially unemployable, despite the skills they learned as part of their military occupation. Should the Hiring Heroes Act become law, it will apply to all veterans separating from the military.
Upon separation, every veteran will be given an individualized career assessment, which will serve to line up their military skills with civilian jobs needing such skills. This matching service will fall under the Department of Defense’s (DoD) transition assistance program (TAP).
The bill also seeks to provide further benefits. First, it will provide 2 years of additional vocational rehabilitation. This is designed to help those veterans with injuries or disabilities regain the skill levels they had prior to their injury or disability. Second, it will offer help with employment after all state and federal level help has run out. Finally, the legislation seeks to create a veteran-specific program, which will pay veterans as they work with civilian employers.
An accompanying Senate bill is being considered. There are transition programs already in existence, and this bill would extend their existence past 2012, which is their mandated end date.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Department of Defense (DoD), Hiring Heroes Act, Transition Assistance Programs, veteran employment, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, US Military Legislation, Veterans' Resources | 2 Comments »
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