Veterans Report - Week of August 25, 2014

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Veterans Report - Week of August 25, 2014

VA Loan Grants and Waivers for Disabled Veterans
Zero-down-payment mortgages are a great option, but eligible borrowers can expect access to additional benefits if they are qualified, disabled veterans. And, they may qualify for (http://www.military.com/money/va-loans/ ... rvr0825.nl) fee waivers and valuable grants too.


Sponsored Discount: Veterans save an extra 10%* on select PC's & Tablets
Because Dell appreciates everything you do for us, they would like to invite you to take advantage of exclusive military discounts on Dell PCs featuring 4th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) processors, electronics and so much more. (http://adfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/12309 ... 551-0?mpt=[CACHEBUSTER]) Whether you're at home or abroad, Soldiers save big with Dell.


AAFES Seeks to Allow Vets to Shop Online
The CEO of the Army Air Force Exchange Service is seeking to allow 18.8 million honorably-discharged veterans to shop online through military exchange services, which also operate brick-and-mortar department stores and concessions on base, could boost store profits enough to pump more than $100 million back into base quality-of-life programs. The AAFES CEO recently made his "business case" to the Department of Defense's Executive Resale Board this month.
(http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2 ... op-online/) Read the full Military Update article.


Free Tickets for Wyoming Veterans
Free tickets for the University of Wyoming football game against the U.S. Air Force Academy, in War Memorial Stadium, Sept. 6, are available to Wyoming veterans. Veterans can request two tickets per veteran by contacting the Wyoming Veterans Commission at 307-777-8152. Veterans will need to provide their name, mailing address, phone number, and some basic proof of their veteran status, such as a veterans service organization membership card, VA health care identification card, or a retired military identification card. All requests for tickets must be received by the close of business on Aug. 28 and will be awarded on a first come, first served basis. Tickets will be mailed as the orders are filled.
For more discounts for veterans and military families, visit the (http://www.military.com/discounts) Military.com Discount Center.


Still Time to Use Your VA Loan in This Year
Now is the time to use your VA Loan. You don't have to pay PMI or have a large down payment. Plus you can get financing up to $417,000. (https://secure.military.com/leads/VALoa ... rvr0825.nl) Use your VA Loan Benefit today.
(http://www.military.com/money/va-loans?ESRC=mrvr0825.nl) Want more information about this great benefit?


Prudential is Looking for Talented Veterans
At Prudential, you'll discover an environment that can help you cultivate your valuable skills and talents, contribute to our success, and develop a flourishing corporate career. (http://www.military.com/jobs-in/employe ... =vr0825.nl) Start your career at Prudential today.


Tips to Improve Your Voc Rehab Relationship
The key to getting the most out of your VA benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs is to get educated about the VA benefits you seek because that will, in most instances, make most VA employees love you. Why, you might ask? (http://wp.me/p24rMN-1EV) Find out -- Read the full article in the Military Advantage.


Senator Holds Field Hearing on VA
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono recently hosted a field hearing of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee in Honolulu. The hearing was for officials and veterans to discuss the state of health care for veterans in Hawaii. Veterans told U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono they face a shortage of doctors on Maui, Molokai and the Big Island, which has contributed to the long wait times they endured seeking medical treatment across the island chain. Hawaii once had the longest wait time in the nation for new patients trying to get in to see a primary care physician. Testimony from the hearing is available on the (http://www.veterans.senate.gov/hearings ... awaii81914) U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs website.
For more veterans benefits news and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


Virginia Senator Hears Vets Complaints
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) recently (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/pos ... aign-stop/) listened to angry Virginia military veterans sharing their experiences with the Department of Veterans Affairs' health network. Warner said he hears veterans' complaints frequently while traveling throughout his state. Listen to the veterans' by watching the video on the (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fed ... rk-warner/) Washington Post website.
For more veterans benefits news and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


TRICARE Isn't Enough - Save on Copays, Rx and More
Save on the out-of-pocket costs that TRICARE doesn't cover. (http://offers.military.com/i/tricare/in ... rvr0825.nl) Save now.


Cincinnati VA Needs Foster Homes
The Cincinnati VA Medical Center is trying to find foster homes for veterans who need 24-hour supervision and help with medication and personal care. The veteran would use his or her own money to pay for a room and care in a privately owned or rented home as an alternative to spending the rest of his or her life in an institutional nursing facility. The medical foster homes would be in the area the Cincinnati VA's serves, which encompasses 16 counties in Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana. For information about qualifying your personal residence as a VA medical foster home, call the Cincinnati VA Medical Center at 513-861-3100, extension 6329, or 513-487-6067 and ask for (http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/s ... q=Michelle Hubbard) Michelle Hubbard, the program coordinator. Veterans in the area interested in living in a VA-approved medical foster home should call the same phone numbers. Or visit the program webpage on the (http://www.va.gov/geriatrics/guide/long ... _homes.asp) VA website.
For more veterans benefits info and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


New York State VA Sets New Ethics Rules
The New York State Division of Veterans Affairs has established new ethics rules following an investigation showing two counselors received large inheritances of cash and property from vets they helped both at work and outside of it. The new policy specifically prohibits employees from accepting gifts or bequests from current or former clients to whom counselors gave services or advice. It also prohibits staff from helping their own relatives as part of their official duties. For more information, contact the (http://veterans.ny.gov/content/contact- ... 99-affairs) New York State Division of Veterans Affairs.
For more veterans benefits news and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


Alabama State Park Veterans Program
The Alabama State Parks System is celebrating 75 years of recreation. As part of this year's celebration, Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Ala. is working to enable more veterans to enjoy the park by giving park visitors an opportunity to support veterans. One-dollar donations are being taken at Gulf State Park to pay for veterans' entrance to the pier for fishing and sightseeing. In the few weeks since the program began, 99 veterans have been able to visit the park. These crucial user fees also pay for the upkeep and improvement at the park. To donate to the veterans fund, visit the Gulf State Park Pier.
For more discounts for veterans and military families, visit the (http://www.military.com/discounts) Military.com Discount Center.


Legion to Open Vet Crisis Center in NC
The American Legion is sending a team of its experts to Charlotte, N.C., to conduct a town hall meeting and set up a Veterans Crisis Command Center (VCCC) to help veterans and family members affected by delays in medical care and benefits claims processing from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The town hall meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Aug. 25 at the Charlotte Convention Center, Rooms 209 and 210, Ballroom Level. The meeting is open to the general public, and veterans are encouraged to attend. The American Legion will also set up its VCCC at the convention center in Rooms 204 and 205, Ballroom Level. Operating hours for the crisis center are noon to 8 p.m. on Aug. 26, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 27 and Aug. 28.
For more veterans benefits info and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of LGBT Vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was sued in federal court recently by LGBT-rights advocates seeking benefits for the same-sex spouses of veterans living in states that do not recognize their marriages. Lambda Legal and the law firm of Morrison and Foerster filed suit against Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald on behalf of the American Military Partner Association in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit arguing that to deny such benefits is in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Windsor case. For more information, read the (http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014 ... ouses.html) Military.com article and visit the American (http://militarypartners.org/ampa-sues-t ... s-affairs/) Military Partner Association website.
For more veterans benefits info and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


Navy Cutting Benefits for Tuition Assistance
Beginning Oct. 1, U.S. Navy tuition assistance will reimburse sailors only for the tuition cost of the course. TA funds will no longer pay for the following: additional fees for equipment, supplies, books/materials, exams, admissions, registration, fines and costs associated with distance learning. It is among several changes the Navy announced Thursday to its popular program.The changes are meant to align the Navy's TA program with the Defense Department's policy on voluntary education programs that was released last month, the Navy said in a release. For more details, see (http://www.military.com/education/2014/ ... nefit.html) this Military.com article.


GI Bill Payment Updates for October 1
The Veterans Administration has announced its new GI Bill payment rates for active duty, Reserve and Guard members, effective October 1, 2014. For more details and the updated pay numbers, see the GI Bill (http://www.military.com/education/gi-bi ... rates.html) active duty and (http://www.military.com/education/gi-bi ... rates.html) Selected Reserve overviews on Military.com.


VA Adds Primary Care
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has added primary care to the services available to veterans through VA's Patient-Centered Community Care (PC3) contracts. Eligible veterans are already able to access inpatient specialty care, outpatient specialty care, mental health care, limited emergency care and limited newborn care for female veterans following childbirth under PC3. VA Medical Centers have the ability to purchase non-VA medical care for veterans through contracted medical providers when they cannot readily provide the needed care due to geographic inaccessibility or limited capacity. In addition, VA is reviewing how PC3 may be used to help implement the newly enacted Veterans Choice, Access, and Accountability Act of 2014. For more information on PC3, visit VA's Patient-Centered Community Care (PC3) webpage at (http://www.nonvacare.va.gov/PC3/index.asp) www.nonvacare.va.gov/PC3/index.asp.
For more veterans benefits news and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


VA's More Than a Number Campaign
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a new campaign, "More Than a Number," to educate veterans about identity theft prevention. VA's Office of Information and Technology has also launched a new website at (http://www.va.gov/identitytheft) www.va.gov/identitytheft containing identity theft resources for veterans and their beneficiaries. The campaign also includes a toll-free help line offering support for veterans, their beneficiaries and VA employees who have questions and concerns about identity theft. The toll-free number is 855-578-5492, and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. To 8 p.m. EST. For more information, visit VA's new More Than a Number: Identity Theft Prevention website at (http://www.va.gov/identitytheft) www.va.gov/identitytheft or contact the VA Identity Safety Service at (mailto:vaidtheft@va.gov) vaidtheft@va.gov.
For more personal finance and financial protection tips, visit the (http://www.military.com/money) Military.com Money section.


VA Trying to Reach Phoenix Veterans
The outsourcing of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) patients to metro Phoenix health providers is in full swing, but one major hospital system in Phoenix, Ariz. has encountered a challenge reaching veterans. Banner Health, the largest metro Phoenix health system, has made appointments for approximately 551 veterans but has been unable to reach an equal number of veterans who need care. Veterans who could not be reached veteran will be sent a certified letter describing options for medical care. For the veterans whom Banner Health has reached and scheduled appointments for, things are reportedly going smoothly.
For more veterans benefits news and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


$100k Coverage = Family Security from $7 a Month
Protection for less. Get $100k Coverage from only $7 a month. (http://www.military.com/insurance/?lpid ... rvr0825.nl) Could your family survive if something happened to you?


New Vet Laws in NY State
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently signed a package of bills that will help veterans and their families. One law will make it easier for military families to relocate. The new law will allow for adjustments in state testing to ensure a child graduates on time, authorizes students to graduate with diplomas from their previous states and prevents families from being charged local tuition if a parent lives outside of the district. Another new law will allow veterans who attend a public college under the federal GI bill to qualify for in-state tuition. The law also loosens restrictions on family members who have professional service licenses from other states. Finally, another law will provide families of servicemembers from New York wounded in combat but died from injuries away from the combat zone to qualify for a supplemental burial allowance. For more information, contact the (http://veterans.ny.gov/content/contact- ... 99-affairs) New York State Division of Veterans Affairs.
For more veterans benefits news and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.


Report Explains Federal Vet Hiring Laws
A new report issued by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), ' (http://www.mspb.gov/netsearch/viewdocs. ... on=ACROBAT) Veteran Hiring in the Civil Service: Practices and Perceptions', discusses Federal laws and regulations regarding the preferences in hiring that Federal agencies can or must give to veterans and certain family members. It also uses survey data to discuss Federal employees' perceptions surrounding the use of these hiring authorities. The report is available in .PDF format at the (http://www.mspb.gov/netsearch/viewdocs. ... on=ACROBAT) U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board website.
For veteran job fair listings, job postings and transition advice, visit the (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs) Military.com Veteran Jobs Center.


Elevator Speeches--Do You Really Need One?
This week's career building tip comes from one of MOAA's Deputy Directors for Career Transition Services, and answers the question with an emphatic: Absolutely. You've heard it before. "Elevator speeches are a waste of time." Critics of them say to avoid them like the plague, that you want to appear natural and come across as a real person, not someone spouting an awkward little spiel. (http://www.moaa.org/MRElevatorSpeeches/) Read the rest of the article at Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) website.


7 Reasons Your Team Won't Tell You the Truth
One of the key factors in military and civilian leadership is having a team that encourages truth in both directions. Your troops decide what you can handle. If you've got a short trigger, or a propensity to rush in and help, they'll go a bit slower to put all their cards on the table. Like parents protecting young children, they'll safeguard you and themselves. They'll anticipate your reactions and work around them. Your troops may even throw in a few things "they're worried about," to make you feel better. Don't blame them. Previous leaders have taught them well. Well-intended intensity sends troops to the nearest diaper genie to package their story. To get the real deal, and avoid these common traps, see (http://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/ca ... rship.html) this Military.com article.


VA Secretary Addresses Conference
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert A. McDonald recently addressed the AMVETS National Conference in Memphis, TN. Secretary McDonald's remarks are available on the VA (http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2608) website.
For more veterans benefits news and updates, visit the (http://militaryadvantage.military.com) Military Advantage blog.