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Archive for December, 2011
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
A couple of years ago, Stephen Goodman took it upon himself to write and hand-deliver more than 200 thank you cards to U.S. veterans recovering from injuries in his local Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. The response he got from the veterans was so positive, that he soon wanted to thank every deployed soldier for their service, according to an article in Top Secret Writers.
It took Stephen 2 years to do it, but he was able to write a thank you card to the 180,000 deployed soldiers. He started out writing individual hand-decorated cards with personal messages in them. One at a time he plugged away and, with the help of his family, soon 15,000 cards were completed.
Eventually word of Stephen’s efforts got out, and Kodak decided to help with the effort. Kodak worked with Stephen to create 2 card templates and eventually donated more than 100,000 copies to his cause. On December 16th, Stephen and his family delivered 180,000 cards to Luke Air Force Base to be sent out to the deployed soldiers.
Stephen’s grandfather is a Vietnam veteran, and like most other Vietnam veterans, he did not receive a warm welcome upon his return to this country from that war. Stephen was determined not to let any soldier feel what his grandfather felt upon their return from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Iraw war soldiers, Vietnam veteran
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War | No Comments »
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
According to an article in Stars and Stripes, there are fewer homeless veterans than there were last year. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently issued a report claiming that there are 12% fewer homeless veterans across the nation.
VA Sec. Eric Shinseki and HUD Sec. Shaun Donovan both referred to this as a trend and praised President Obama’s effort to end homelessness among U.S. veterans in the near future. The results came from the “point-in-time” count, which occurs every year. The count last year was 76,329, whereas only 67,495 were counted this year.
A deeper look into the numbers shows that there were more homeless veterans not living in shelters no longer on the streets. The study shows there were 17% fewer veterans regularly sleeping in public places, such as streets, as compared to veterans who considered homeless living in transitional housing and shelters.
Sec. Donovan attributed much of the change to a shift in focus on the government’s end. Taking a more pro-active approach to preventing homelessness before veterans become homeless seems to be producing better results than attempting to fix the problem once it has already happened.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: homeless veterans, Transitional Housing, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Posted in General, VA News | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
A recent report from the Huffington Post states that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans on spending $100 million to prevent homelessness among U.S. veterans. More specifically, the VA is granting the money to local and community organizations that can help veterans stop from becoming homeless in the first place.
Local and community organizations will be able to apply for a share of the $100 million so they can get involved and help U.S. veterans before they lose their home. The VA believes prevention is the key to eliminating homelessness among veterans. It’s much easier, and takes less effort, to prevent veterans from becoming homeless than it does to establish housing once the homelessness has occurred.
VA Sec. Eric Shinseki hopes to help 35,000 veterans and their families with this grant program. The grant money will be used to offer the necessary services to prevent homelessness, such as education, counseling, and training.
There are over 100,000 homeless veterans, and the VA has already stated that by 2015 they plan on lowering that number to zero. Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will need help on many levels from many different organizations. While some needs may be much more severe than others, no veteran should return to this country and not have a roof over his or her head.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs, homeless veterans, U.S. veterans, Veterans disability, veterans prevention programs
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, VA News, Vet Groups & Networking, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 20th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates its own suicide prevention program, which includes the National Veterans Crisis Line that gives veterans, veterans with disabilities, and their families someone to contact in their most dire times of need. According to an article in The Democrat and Chronicle, the National Veterans Crisis Line is now accepting text messages.
The new service of the help line is geared towards the younger generation of soldiers who simply prefer texting to rather using the phone. The text service has been available since November 1, 2011 but it was not advertised as the VA wanted to ensure their technology was fully operational.
Within a month, just under 120 texts had been received, which was significant enough to incorporate the new contact option. Previously the only way to contact the Crisis Line was via phone or online chat.
A feature text messaging offers is a level of anonymity, which is very valuable to those seeking help, especially for those veterans considering suicide. The ability to remain anonymous may actually encourage more to ask for the help they need. As with phone calls and online chats, the texting service is available not only to the veterans themselves, but their families as well.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: National Veterans Crisis Line, Suicide prevention program, Veterans' Resources
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Monday, December 19th, 2011
According to an article in The Navy Times, in an attempt to secure some solid answers about the general condition of the war area in the Middle East, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is going to study the “medical records and stored tissue samples” collected from 450 military dogs that were deployed to that region. This study is part of the continued effort of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force to identify sicknesses in U.S. veterans and troops.
Researchers will create a database of information and then use it to locate “trends in canine diseases.” They will then compare those results with human diseases and look for common elements that could be due to the local environment, such as toxic dust.
The canines will serve as the proverbial canaries in the coal mines, but in a more retroactive sense. Researchers hope to be able to use the information from the canines’ tissues to determine if there are any future health problems expected in veterans.
Modern day soldiers are being exposed to “a host of environmental health hazards,” which can and has included low levels of toxic chemicals, as was reported in an earlier VA report, just as Gulf War veterans were in the early 1990s.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: gulf war veterans, Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force, military dogs, U.S. veterans, Veterans disability, Veterans Health
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Events | No Comments »
Friday, December 16th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently conducted a survey that showed 1/3 of female veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder had reported having been raped, sexually harassed, or sexually assaulted and forced sexual contact occurred with every 1 in 100 male veterans. The results forced the VA to revamp how sexual trauma disability claims are handled, according to an article in The Navy Times.
The VA issued new guidelines to all regional offices to be used when evaluating claims from soldiers for PTSD brought on by military sexual trauma (MST). The VA has in place certain specific requirements veterans must meet when filing for disability compensation claims. Specifically, most claims must contain:
- a statement from the veteran;
- evidence of participation in a traumatic event; or
- medical documentation supporting a diagnosis.
Under the new guidelines, those reviewing MST disability claims are encouraged to look for proof that a physical attack or harassment happened, which will be considered in conjunction with the veteran’s statement. That evidence can come in multiple forms, which includes:
- pregnancy tests;
- claimants seeking mental health attention for depression; and/or
- requests for assignments to new units.
The VA acknowledges the difficulty veterans encounter in reporting MST at the time when it happens. Therefore, the new guidelines instruct examiners to “weigh evidence in a ‘light most favorable to the veteran.’”
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Disability Compensation Claims, Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans, Military sexual trauma claims, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, VA News, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
According to an article on My Fox Atlanta¸ the Wounded Warrior Project joined forces with the Georgia Aquarium to provide veterans with disabilities an opportunity to take part in a physical therapy swimming method in the biggest aquatic exhibit in the world.
Their guide for the day was Scott Rigsby, who is has been a double-leg amputee for the last 20 years. Unlike many others, Rigsby knows what the veterans participating in the therapy program are going through and what they are capable of accomplishing.
More importantly, he identifies with the 3 biggest, and most common mental problems facing veterans in the program: depression, anxiety, and fear. He told the veterans in his program that it is only the beginning of what they will face and they should get out of their comfort zone to surpass those feelings.
The therapy program refers to it as a confidence building swim. It’s more than just being around beautiful whale sharks and manta rays; it’s about what the water does for therapy.
For some, being in the water offers a relief to their aching bodies because of the weightless environment. Others see the water as being able to remove certain limitations they face because of their disabilities. The confidence derived from the experience builds motivation and shows veterans that they alone posses the ability to change their lives, along with their families, after war.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: physical therapy program, Veterans Disabilities, Wounded Warrior Project
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Events, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
According to an article on CBS News, the Air Force was responsible for incinerating the “partial remains” of at least 274 U.S. soldiers and then dumping the ashes in a landfill in Virginia, which was officially halted 3 years ago.
Military families had given previous consent to the military to dispose of the soldiers’ remains in a “dignified and respectful manner.” Consequently, the families were not told the remains were dumped into a landfill.
According to the Air Force, there are no future plans of notifying the families that are involved considering it would require an immense effort to entail individual searches of over 6,300 soldiers’ records. At the same time, Senior Air Force officials insist there was no active intention to deceive anyone about the secret practice.
Dover Air Force Base is the “main port of entry” for fallen soldiers as they return to the U.S. There is no way for the Air Force to determine just how many soldiers’ remains were shipped to the landfill, but it does acknowledge that there is no formal military authorization, policy, or regulation permitting such a practice. Unclaimed and unidentified soldiers’ remains are now cremated and buried at sea.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Dover Air Force Base, Military Families, U.S. veterans, Veterans' Dependents
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Dependents | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
Every soldier deployed looks forward to the day when they can come home; however, for many, that homecoming is short-lived and many U.S. veterans find themselves and their families facing homelessness. A recent article on Tampa Bay Online highlighted a new program in the Tampa area helping veterans find transitional housing to transition back into civilian life.
The Veterans Housing Complex (VHC) program is hoping to help the local area with the surge of veterans that will return stateside within the next 3-4 months. As of right now, veterans can find temporary housing at the Vista Inn and Suites, which is located on Bearss Avenue.
It is important to know that the VHC program is not only available to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans either. Every war veteran is welcome in the VHC program as there are still many Vietnam veterans and others attempting to get on their feet. This program is known to provide “adequate, safe inexpensive housing.”
The VHC program is for veterans who are neither seeking nor receiving government assistance. In conjunction with non-profit organizations, the VHC also offers limited medical assistance, which will expand once a permanent home base is established.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: homeless veterans, U.S. veterans, Veterans disability, Veterans Housing Complex program, war veteran
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | 1 Comment »
Friday, December 9th, 2011
As injured soldiers roll into a hospital following attacks, there are a million things going through their minds. The majority of them, however, have a single question they ask, and that is if their genitals are still attached and functioning, according to an article on Stars and Stripes. Although traumatic brain injuries outnumber all other injuries U.S. veterans and soldiers report suffering from the Iraq and Afghanistan War, they pale in comparison to the worry placed on the possibility of a genital injury.
Over the last couple years the increased use of improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs has left more soldiers with injuries to their “reproductive and urinary organs.” The number of these types of injuries has increased so much that the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) group life insurance plan will now cover them as traumatic injuries.
The traumatic injury benefit will make a single payment to soldiers and veterans with qualifying genital injuries ranging from $25,000 and $50,000, depending on the injury. Although there has been an increase in the number of soldiers with these types of injuries, genital injuries are not a new phenomenon. Therefore, the payment will apply to any such injuries sustained after Oct. 11, 2001.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Genital Injury, traumatic injury, U.S. veterans, VA insurance, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, VA News, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
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