JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
VA extends Coverage for Gulf War Veterans
Veterans of the first Gulf War as well as current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan now have a smoother path toward receiving health-care benefits and disability compensation for nine diseases associated with their military service.
A final regulation published in the Sept. 29 Federal Register relieves veterans of the burden of proving these diseases are service-related: Brucellosis, Campylobacter jejuni, Coxiella Burnetii (Q fever), Malaria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Nontyphoid Salmonella, Shigella, Visceral leishmaniasis and West Nile virus.
The new presumptions apply to veterans who served in Southwest Asia beginning on or after the start of Operation Desert Shield on Aug. 2, 1990, through Operation Desert Storm to the present, including the current conflict in Iraq. Veterans who served in Afghanistan on or after Sept. 19, 2001, also qualify.
VA provides compensation and pension benefits to more than 3.8 million veterans and beneficiaries, and received more than 1 million claims last year alone, VA officials reported. Veterans without dependents receive a basic monthly compensation ranging from $123 to $2,673.
For more information, contact the VA at 800-827-1000, or visit www.va.gov. Extracted from Retiree News. For more retiree news and information, please visit www.retirees.af.mil.
VA Disability Hoax
An e-mail making its rounds on the internet claims that new legislation will dramatically increase veterans' disability compensation - in some cases by more than 100 percent.
But that claim about H.R. 4667, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Act of 2010 is a hoax. The bill does exist, and it was recently passed by Congress, but it only authorizes the same COLA increase for VA beneficiaries that will be paid to Social Security annuitants this year (which almost certainly will be zero).
Unfortunately, a prankster created a fake version of the bill, put it out on the internet and it quickly turned viral. It just goes to reinforce the old adage: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Extracted from MOAA. One Powerful Voice. www.moaa.com
Special Event: Celebrating Women Veterans
Women Veterans! Please join with other women veterans to honor the women of Prince George's County, Maryland who have served in our nation's Armed Forces. When: Sat., Nov. 13, 2010, 10 am-4pm Where: VFW Post 9619, 6527 Suitland Road, Morningside, MD 20746.
What can you expect? You'll learn more about: Military Sexual Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Women veteran legislation & VA initiatives, and more!
See http://joinsheserves.org/maryland/ for more information.
Preregistration required online at: joinsheserves.org/Maryland, or call 443-722-2164, or e-mail sharon_snead@yahoo.com or dperrycpa@yahoo.com.
The Retiree Activities Office is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may visit our office in room A-200A, 1535 Command Dr., call us at 301-981-2726 or e-mail us at rao@andrews.af.mil.
We recommend you call the office prior to visiting us to ensure someone is on duty. We have a Web site at http://www.andrews.af.mil click on ''Retirees" on the right side of the page. There you will find a wealth of information that is of interest to you.
Back copies of all "Retiree Activities Corner" articles are available on-line. Go to our Retirees webpage and follow the instructions under the heading "Newspaper Column."