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RAO Bulletin Update
1 March 2008
 
 
THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

== GI Bill [18] ------------------------------ (Amended Bill)
== Tricare User Fee [22] ------------------------ (Pharmacy Copays)
== Tricare User Fee [23] ------------------- (SASC Rejects Increase)
== Tennessee Vet Home [01] ----------------------- (DOJ Findings)
== Iowa Veterans Home [02] ------------ (Expansion Programmed)
== VA Rating Schedules [02] ----------------- (HVAS Conclusions)
== Mobilized Reserve 27 FEB 08 --------------- (Net Increase 786)
== California Taxes ------------------------------------- (Summary)
== Filipino Vet Inequities [08] ------------- (Dual US/RP Pensions)
== IRS Audit -------------------------------------------- (Don’t Panic)
== Economic Stimulus Package [03] -------------- (6 Steps to take)
== VA Vet Centers [04] ------------ (Additions ahead of Schedule)
== Seniors Benefit Checkup ---------------- (Additional Assistance)
== Social Security Taxation [04] -- (Other Income Considerations)
== Combat Veteran Health Care [02] ---------------- (5 Year Limit)
== Agent Orange Stateside Use ---------------------- (30 Locations)
== Falcon Loan Program ----------------------------- (Loan to $500)
== Burial at Sea [02] --------------------- (Obtainment)
== VAMC Martinsburg MD ----------------- (Meal Policy Change)
== VA Category 8 Care [04] ------------------------ (Policy Review)
== Congressional Hearings -------------------------- (About to Start)
== Missing in America Project -------- (Abandoned Vet Cremains)
== VA Burial Benefit [01] ----------------- (Inform your Relatives)
== Retired Army Pin ------------------- (Lapel Button Replacement)
== Retiree Wearing of the Uniform ---------------------- (Guidance)
== Retiree Appreciation Days [01] ------------------- (Updated List)
== COLA 2009 ----------------------------------------- (Up 1.5% YTD)
== Tricare Uniform Formulary [24] ----- (Change Announcements)
== VA Agent Orange Claims [03] --------- (USS Ingersoll DD 652)
== CHCBP [01] ------------------- (Transitional Medical Coverage)
== SBA Vet Issues [07] ---------------------------------- (PL 110-186)
== VA Veteran Support ------------------------ (Goals & Population)
== VA Rural Access [03] ----------------------- (Peake Vows Action)
== VA Rural Access [04] --------------------------- (Progress Report)
== Student Veterans of America (SVA) ---- (New Vet Organization)
== Gun Salutes --------------------------------------- (Overview)
== Philippines U.S. Troop Protest -------- (Joint Military Exercises)
== Cardiovascular Disease --------------------- (Recognize the Signs)
== Whooping Cough [01] ----------------------------- (Vaccine Usage)
== Shingles [06] ---------------------- (Vaccine Utilization)
== PTSD [17] ----------------------- (Proof Policy Change)
== Higher Education Act ------------------------ (Student Loan Rate)
== SBP Lawsuit [01] ------------------------ (Widows Win 1st Round)
== CRDP/CRSC Claim Backlog ----------------- (39,000+ Pending)
== Veteran Legislation Status 29 FEB 08 -------- (Where we Stand)


GI BILL UPDATE 18:   On 28 FEB, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) submitted his
 newly amended 21st Century GI Bill (S22 Veterans Educational Assistance
 Act of 2007) to the Senate. This bill would give a WWII like education
 benefit to veterans; meaning it would cover the education costs of any
 college a veteran was able to enter. Last year the unamended bill had
 32 co-sponsors but was very expensive. As amended in this year’s bill
 the federal government would pay the cost of a 4 year degree in a state
 university and 50% of the delta between that tuition and the tuition of
 institution the veteran enters. However, the institution must be
 willing to provide the remaining 50% of the delta. It also would allow
 cumulative entitlement for reservists serving multiple active duty tours. On
 the Senate floor it was supported by 4 veterans: Senator Webb member of
 both the Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees,
 Senator John Warner (R-VA) ranking member of the Senate Armed Services
 Committee, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) member of both the Senate
 Appropriations and Budget Committees and Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE). [Source:
 TREA Washington Update 29 Feb 08 ++]


TRICARE USER FEE UPDATE 22:   According to the HayGroup 2007 Benefits
 Prevalence Report raising military pharmacy copays by 100% to 400%, as
 recommended in the FY2009 Defense budget proposal would put military
 pharmacy benefits among the lower half of civilian plans, For generic
 drugs purchased in retail pharmacies, the defense budget proposes raising
 the beneficiary copay from $3 to $15. According to HayGroup, 83% of
 civilian employer plans charge less than that for generic drugs, with
 almost 20% charging $5 or less. For brand-name drugs in retail stores, the
 Pentagon proposes raising the Tricare copay from $9 to $25. The HayGroup
 survey indicates that almost half of civilian employers (45%) charge
 less than that. For brand-name, non-formulary medications, the Tricare
 copay would rise from $22 to $45 -- more than 68% of civilian plans
 charge. In fact, many civilian plans are reducing or eliminating copays for
 generic drugs and medications used to treat chronic diseases like
 diabetes, because studies have found that higher copays actually deter many
 patients from taking medications that reduce the need for much
 higher-cost procedures later in life. The Tricare copays also would exceed
 those offered under many plans available to legislators and federal
 civilians. Most telling of all, Wal-Mart offers over 360 medications at a
 copayment of only $4 to anyone who walks in the door. Perhaps the purpose
 of the Pentagon-proposed fee hikes is to push more beneficiaries to use
 Wal-Mart rather than their Tricare benefit. That would certainly save
 the Defense Department money. But it wouldn't make military people feel
 very good about their military health coverage.

     Additionally, the Administration's FY2009 budget would deal heavy
 blows to Medicare and many older beneficiaries. Physician reimbursement
 cuts of almost 10% originally planned for JAN 08 will go into effect
 in JUL 08 unless Congress acts to reverse them, and the budget envisions
 further cuts in JAN 09. The new budget would repeal annual inflation
 adjustments to the income levels used to means-test Part B premiums. If
 enacted, that would push more people each year into paying
 significantly higher Part B premiums impacting on TFL users while at the same time
 reducing their access to medical care providers willing to accept
 Medicare payments. This year, the higher premiums apply to single seniors
 with incomes over $82,000 ($164,000 for a married couple) as opposed to
 $80,000/$160,000 last year. The budget proposes freezing payment levels
 through FY2011 for inpatient care, skilled nursing facilities, hospice
 care, and ambulance services, and a freeze through FY2013 for home
 health agencies. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 15 Feb 08 ++]


TRICARE USER FEE UPDATE 23:   The Senate Armed Services Committee has
 rejected a Pentagon proposal to increase health insurance costs without
 even seeing the details, but is now worried if there will be enough
 money in the 2009 defense budget to fully cover health care costs.
 Rejection of the proposal to Tricare Standard and Tricare Prime costs and to
 raise copayments for prescription drugs — something the Defense
 Department assumes will generate about $1.2 billion in savings — was first
 disclosed in a 26 FEB letter from committee leaders to the Senate Budget
 Committee. About $500 million of the savings would have come from
 charging higher fees for military retirees under the age of 65 and their
 families enrolled in Tricare. The remaining $700 million in savings would
 have come from higher copayments for prescriptions filled at retail
 pharmacies, something that would affect active-duty family members,
 reservists and their families and retirees and their families There also would
 be a modest fee for older retirees covered by the Tricare for Life plan
 The letter, signed by committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and
 ranking Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, asks the budget
 committee to provide $611.1 billion in new budget authority for the Defense
 Department for fiscal year 2009, which begins 1 OCT 08. This is the
 amount requested by the Bush administration, and includes $70 billion in a
 so-called bridge fund that would partly cover the 2009 costs of
 continued military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

     The budget committee, chaired by Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) is in the
 process of preparing a resolution spelling out revenue and spending
 guidelines. Levin and McCain did not ask the budget committee to increase
 the defense budget to make up for rejection of the $1.2 billion in
 Tricare fees. But they said they are “concerned” about whether there is
 enough money because the Bush budget assumes not just the fee increases,
 but also the controversial transfer of $1.3 billion from the national
 defense stockpile fund to cover health costs. There are a variety of
 ways Congress could cover those costs, including increasing the defense
 budget, diverting money for other defense programs or by using off-budget
 money from the war supplemental to pay for some health care costs.
 Pentagon officials are not giving up on their proposed fee increases for
 Tricare. David S.C. Chu, the under secretary of defense for personnel
 and readiness, told the armed services’ personnel subcommittee on
 Wednesday that the Defense Department was willing to modify its proposal to
 get it passed.

     The Defense Department has not submitted details, but Chu and
 other military officials said their proposal would be based on the
 recommendations made late last year by the Task Force on the Future of Military
 Health Care. In its report, the task force proposed some large
 increases. A 30-day supply of prescription drugs that now costs $3 at a retail
 pharmacy would cost $15, while brand-name drugs that are now $9 would
 be $25. For retirees in Tricare Prime, the military’s managed care
 plan, family coverage than now costs $460 a year would increase to $900 to
 $1,750 by 2011 under the plan that calls for phased increases. For
 retirees in Tricare Standard, who now pay no enrollment fee, the proposal
 would charge $5 a month for enrollment and would change the current
 annual deductible of $300 to between $490-$960 by 2011, again applying
 income-based charges. There also would be a $10 increase in the annual
 enrollment fee for Tricare for Life, the military insurance plan for
 Medicare-eligible retirees.  [Source: Air force times Rick Maze article 28
 Feb 08 ++]


TENNESSEE VET HOME UPDATE 01:  A lack of care at the Tennessee State
 Veterans Home in Murfreesboro has led to the early death and needless
 suffering of veterans in the facility's care, according to a new report by
 U.S. Department of Justice. The report, issued 8 FEB to Gov. Phil
 Bredesen by the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, describes
 "unconscionably poor health care" at the state's veterans nursing homes
 in Murfreesboro and Humboldt in West Tennessee However, state officials
 have said the problems have been remedied at both facilities since the
 data for the report was collected last year.  The report describes a
 disturbing list of problems, citing specific instances with patients not
 receiving food and water, a lack of proper pain medication,
 psychotropic drugs given to patients for the convenience of staff, a lack of care
 for chronic conditions failure to address dangers of falls and failure
 to aid patients in rehabilitation.  "At both TSVHs (Tennessee State
 Veterans Homes), residents have been, and continue to be, the victims of
 egregious neglect from the nursing homes' failure to provide for the
 most basic of human needs - food and water," the report states. "As a
 result, residents have suffered and, sometimes, have died needless and
 untimely deaths."
 
    One case found to have maggots in a patient's open pressure sore.
 In another, a patient whose pain was so severe he threatened suicide was
 given Tylenol and there was no follow up to his mental state. In yet
 another, a man in need of hospice care did not received it for five days
 while dying. "We found that many residents spend their last days and
 hours often suffering needless pain," the report stated.  Lola Potter, a
 spokeswoman for the state of Tennessee, said the veterans
 administration is well aware of the problems.
"Everything in the DOJ report has been addressed - every issue," she
 said. "We've made substantial changes in those homes." The investigation
 of the nursing homes, which took place over the last year, included
 on-site inspections of the facilities on April, May and July. Potter said
 that since the most recent inspection, the management of the nursing
 home has been replaced, including the administrator, nursing director and
 medical director - all of whom have stronger backgrounds than the
 previous management.
She said the Murfreesboro home on Compton Road has made great strides
 improving care through reorganization and new training for staff. She
 said the staff members who deal with the residents are caring and giving
 individuals.
 
    The state took over the management of the homes in 2005. Potter
 said that since then, the homes have been working to improve their quality
 of care.  In JUL 07, the state contracted with Q Source, a nonprofit
 Medicare quality improvement organization for Tennessee, to perform a
 comprehensive quality assessment at each of the homes.  Since their
 initial report was delivered in August, Q Source has continued to provide
 extensive and detailed analysis of healthcare improvements and needs in
 the homes, according to a statement from the state.  "These things take
 time," Potter said.  Potter added that no employees were disciplined as
 a result of the problems outlined in the report.  Twice last year the
 Murfreesboro home had its ability to admit new patient suspended
 because of concerns over patient care . The Justice Department report cited
 letters from the state of Tennessee detailing the steps taken to correct
 the measures. "The letters also set forth the state's disagreements
 with our findings," the report says. "It is troubling that the state
 would take issue with such basic, and serious, deficiencies that have
 resulted in grievous harm to the veterans of the TSVHs." The Department of
 Justice gave the state seven weeks to correct a slew of problems at the
 homes before filing suit to correct the issues. The TSVH Board operates
 three homes, which are all 140-bed facilities, in Murfreesboro,
 Humboldt and Knoxville. All operate at an average daily census of more than
 100 residents. In 2005, the state decided to take over management of the
 homes after successive failures of private management companies, which
 were contracted to operate the facilities. [Source: The Daily News
 Journal Turner Hutchens article 28 Feb 08 ++]


IOWA VETERANS HOME UPDATE 02:  Iowa has received a $27 million federal
 grant to begin renovation and expansion of the Iowa Veterans Home in
 Marshalltown. Gov. Chet Culver said 28 FEB the funds from the U.S.
 Department of Veterans Affairs will cover expenses for the first phase of
 construction. There's also $15 million coming from the state to help start
 the project. Among the additions to the facility will be a 132-bed
 nursing home and a 60-bed pavilion. Culver's 2009 budget includes $20
 million in state money for the final phases of construction.  This facility
 is presently appealing a $10,000 fine imposed by the Iowa Department
 of Inspections and Appeals. According to the inspections department, the
 Iowa Veterans Home had documented hundreds of medication errors at the
 facility in 2007. But because the facility has 700 residents, some of
 whom may receive a dozen medications daily, the overall error rate has
 remained well below the 5% limit imposed by federal officials. In a
 follow up inspection July state inspectors visited Home, reviewed its
 medication policies and practices, and declared that veterans there were in
 "immediate jeopardy." Within hours, the home changed its medication
 policies. [Source: AP article 28Feb 08 ++]


VA RATING SCHEDULES UPDATE 02:   Medical experts, advocacy groups and
 VA Department officials say VA’s disability rating schedule needs to be
 updated — continually — but they denied the system is so bad that it
 needs to be dumped completely. A 26 FEB hearing of the House Veterans’
 Affairs subcommittee on disability assistance and memorial affairs also
 focused on studies conducted over the past year that point toward needed
 improvements not only in the ratings schedule, but in VA’s disability
 retirement system itself. Rep. John Hall (D-NY) chairman of the
 subcommittee, said VA needs to remove archaic criteria from the rating
 schedule; update psychiatric criteria to better reflect symptoms of troops
 diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder; find out why so many
 veterans with PTSD have been rated fully disabled; and update neurological
 criteria to include new research on traumatic brain injuries. “The VA
 needs the right tools to do the right thing,” Hall said. VA argued that it
 is already doing the right thing and has been updating the rating
 schedule, though officials acknowledged they could do better. From 1990
 through 2007, VA had updated 47% of the ratings schedule, but 35% of the
 codes had not been touched since 1945. However, VA said it updated the
 codes for TBI in JAN and is working on an update for PTSD.

     The Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC) began looking
 at how service members’ and veterans’ disability cases were being
 handled long before FEB 07, when Military Times and the Washington Post
 featured stories highlighting problems in the system. Retired Vice Adm.
 Dennis McGinn, a member of the commission, said VA has made very limited
 progress since the group’s report came out in OCT 07. “I believe the
 ratings schedule needs to be clarified so it has logic from the point of
 view of medicine and science. It has not progressed in the last five
 decades.” The VDBC found that VA compensates veterans according to the
 schedule in a way that is generally adequate to offset average impairment
 and that the schedule does reasonably well. But there are specific
 areas where VA’s system does not serve troops and veterans well, McGinn
 said, including those with PTSD, those severely disabled at a young age
 and those granted maximum benefits because a disability makes them
 unemployable. Veterans with PTSD, he noted, have much greater loss of
 employment and earnings than those with physical disabilities.

     McGinn recommended separate criteria on the rating schedule for
 PTSD, as well as a way to compensate unemployable veterans for lost
 quality of life, not just their inability to work. So-called “individual
 unemployability” veterans may have formal VA disability ratings of less
 than 100%, but are still rated fully disabled because of their inability
 to work. The commission found that almost half of the 223,000 IU
 veterans have primary diagnoses of PTSD or other mental disorders. The
 problem is that if a veteran has physical disabilities that lead to a 100%
 disability rating, he can still work and keep his full compensation. But
 a veteran who has a 100 % disability for a mental disorder tries to
 work, he loses his compensation. This could inspire a veteran to avoid
 seeking out vocational rehabilitation or employment, and also implies
 something “suspect” about claiming PTSD — which only adds to the
 considerable stigma behind the disease, said Dean Kilpatrick, a member of the
 Committee on Veterans’ Compensation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at
 the Institute of Medicine. McGinn also requested couples therapy as part
 of treatment for PTSD. That is important because responding to a
 veteran’s anger with more anger can exacerbate the problem, while learning
 how to work with a spouse suffering PTSD can be part of a cure, he said.
 Also, many family members deal with their own mental health issues
 while living with someone with PTSD.

     McGinn’s group and Kilpatrick had different recommendations as far
 as follow-up evaluations for people with PTSD. Again, other
 disabilities are not re-examined, so an exam puts those with mental disabilities
 in a separate class. But McGinn’s group sees follow-ups as a way to
 encourage vets to seek further treatment. Kilpatrick said the exam for
 PTSD is also key. Examiners need to be carefully trained in how to
 diagnose and rate PTSD, and the exam should take up to three hours, rather
 than the 20 minutes that the Institute of Medicine found is often the case
 with veterans. Sidney Weissman, a member of the American Psychiatric
 Association, said it is critical for VA to repeat and update the
 training so that the way veterans are rated is standardized — rather than
 veterans in Ohio, for example, receiving higher ratings for the same
 symptoms than veterans in Texas. Brad Mayes, director of VA’s Compensation
 and Pension Service, said VA has a five-part plan for updating the
 schedule: A study to look into the matter, hiring and training staff,
 finishing revisions that are under way, creating a review process, and looking
 at the possibility of quality-of-life compensation. “I think you’re
 right on point, and we agree,” Mayes told Hall. “There has to be an
 ongoing, systemic approach.” [Source: Air Force Times Kelly Kennedy article
 28 Feb 08 ++]


MOBILIZED RESERVE 27 FEB 08:  The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps
 announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 27 FEB 08
 in support of the partial mobilization. The net collective result is 786
 more reservists mobilized than last reported in the Bulletin for 1 FEB
 08. At any given time, services may mobilize some units and
 individuals while demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to
 either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty in
 support of the partial mobilization of the Army National Guard and
 Army Reserve is 74,588; Navy Reserve, 5,328; Air National Guard and Air
 Force Reserve, 6,982; Marine Corps Reserve, 8,773; and the Coast Guard
 Reserve, 343. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel
 who have been mobilized to 96,014, including both units and individual
 augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve
 personnel, who are currently mobilized, can be found at
 http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2008/d20080227ngr.pdf . [Source: DoD
 News Release 27 Feb 08 ++]


CALIFORNIA TAXES: Veterans considering retirement in California should
 take into considertion the tax burden they will be undertaking as
 compared to where they presently reside. For further information, refer to
 the California Franchise Tax Board or the California State Board of
 Equalization websites.

•  Sales Taxes (* Does not include the local 1% option):
State Sales Tax: 6.25% (food and prescription drugs exempt. Tax varies
 according to locality. Can be as high as 8.75%)
Gasoline Tax: * 44.4 cents/gallon
Diesel Fuel Tax: * 45.0 cents/gallon
Cigarette Tax: 37 cents/pack of 20 plus an additional surcharge of 50
 cents per pack, bringing the total to 87 cents.

•  Personal Income Taxes:
Tax Rate Range: Low - 1.0 percent; High - 9.3 percent. 
Income Brackets: ** Lowest - $6,622; Highest - $43,814 . (For joint
 returns, the taxes are twice the tax imposed on half the income.)
Number of Brackets: 6 brackets. 
Tax Credits: Single - $94; Married - $188; Dependents - $294; 65 years
 of age or older - $94
Standard Deduction: Single - $3,516; Married filing jointly - $7,032
Medical/Dental Deduction: Same as Federal taxes.
Federal Income Tax Deduction: None.
Retirement Income Taxes: Social Security and Railroad Retirement
 benefits are exempt. There is a 2.5 percent tax on early distributions and
 qualified pensions. All private, local, state, and federal pensions are
 fully taxed.
Retired Military Pay: Follows federal tax rules.
Military Disability Retired Pay: Retirees who entered the military
 before Sept. 24, 1975, and members receiving disability retirements based
 on combat injuries or who could receive disability payments from the VA
 are covered by laws giving disability broad exemption from federal
 income tax. Most military retired pay based on service-related disabilities
 also is free from federal income tax, but there is no guarantee of
 total protection.
VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: VA benefits are
 not taxable because they generally are for disabilities and are not
 subject to federal or state taxes.
Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for
 those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue
 office.

• Property Taxes:  Property is assessed at 100 percent of full cash
 value. The maximum amount of tax on real estate is limited to 1percent of
 the full cash value. After taxes have been paid, homeowners 62 years of
 age and older who earn $35,051 or less may file a claim for assistance
 on 96 percent of property taxes, up to $34,000 of the assessed value
 of their homes. Call (800) 852-5711 or visit the California State Board
 of Equalization Web site http://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/proptax.htm
 for details. Homestead exemptions are handled at the county level. Under
 the homestead program, the first $7,000 of the full value of a
 homeowner's dwelling is exempt. The state has a property tax postponement
 program that allows eligible homeowners (seniors, blind, and disabled
 residents) to postpone payments of property taxes on their principal place of
 residence. Interest is charged on the postponed taxes. For more
 information refer to www.sco.ca.gov/col/taxinfo/ptp/faq/index.shtml or call
 (800) 952-5661.

• Inheritance and Estate Taxes: There is no inheritance tax. There is a
 limited California estate tax related to federal estate tax
 collection.

State Tax Forms:
California State Board of Equalization www.boe.ca.gov
California Franchise Tax Board www.ftb.ca.gov
California Employment Development Department www.edd.ca.gov
[Source:  MOAA 2008 Tax Guide Feb 08 ++] 


FILIPINO VET INEQUITIES UPDATE 08:  The Philippine Senate passed on
 third reading 6 FEB a bill granting Filipino born veterans  who fought in
 WWII the right to receive benefits from both the Philippine and
 American  governments.  Senate Bill 142 filed by Sen. Richard Gordon will
 amend  the old veteran’s law that forfeits a pension from the Philippine
 government to those who receive a similar benefit from the U.S. Gordon
 said the bill will benefit more than half the estimated 16,000 surviving
 WWII veterans or their spouses living in the Philippines. He said the
 P5000 monthly allowance set by the bill would help the veterans live a
 more comfortably in the twilight of their years and the imminent
 enactment of his bill is timely with Washington inclined to pass similar
 legislation. Manila’s special envoy on veterans’ affairs, retired Army major
 general Delfin Lorenzana has expressed optimism the Filipino equity
 Bill which gives veterans in the Philippines $200 to $375 monthly, will
 finally become law as it will be endorsed on Capital Hill soon.  Gordon
 said about 142,000 Filipinos fought during the war, 60 thousand of whom
 suffered through the infamous Death March in Bataan together with
 10,000 Americans. [Source: LA’s Ang Peryodiko Newspaper 9-15 Feb 08 ++]  


IRS AUDIT:   The most common form of audit from Internal Revenue
 Service (IRS) is by letter. A letter audit usually comes in duplicate. It
 informs the taxpayer about the problem, a time limit to resolve the
 problem and a contact person for discussing the problem. The IRS can cause
 Americans, even those overseas, difficulties. It can penalize and charge
 interest against unpaid taxes, attach property for unpaid taxes, and
 impede re-entry into the US for unpaid taxes. So if you received a notice
 from IRS, deal immediately with it. Keep copies of whatever you send
 to the IRS. Gather records from copies that pertain to the notice.
 Respond promptly to the notice. Note the name of the auditor, badge number
 and subject matter of any conversation you have with an auditor (who may
 not be the one listed on the notice). If you ask a tax professional
 for help resolving an IRS notice, be sure to describe the problem, send a
 copy of the notice, provide Power of Attorney, and sign an Engagement
 Agreement. Most IRS notices are routine. A tax return has not been
 received or signed. A tax payment has been improperly credited. A math
 error has been made. So don't panic!  [Source: The Tax Baron Report 20 Feb
 08 ++]


ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE UPDATE 03:   The Bush Administration recently
 signed new legislation — the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 — into law
 that will give more than 130 million Americans as much as $152 billion
 to redistribute back into the economy. The payment amounts will equal
 the amount of one’s tax liability on their 2007 tax return  up to $600.
 That amount doubles for joint tax filers up to $1,200. For taxpayers
 with little or no tax liability, but $3,000 or more in qualifying income,
 they may be eligible to receive $300 (for single filers) or $600 (for
 joint filers). And, tax payers with children will receive an additional
 $300 for each child. Taxpayers who make more than $100,000 a year you
 will not receive a refund. However, not all Americans are eligible to
 receive the full $600 rebate. Six things you can do to qualify for the
 tax rebate are:

1.)    File Your 2007 Income Tax Return — Not only may you have a tax
 refund coming your way, you many also qualify for a stimulus payment
 check.
2.)    File Early — The IRS will send out checks through December, but
 why wait? Get it in early and you are likely to receive your stimulus
 payment earlier.
3.)    E-file — Give yourself the convenience, speed and assurance that
 your income tax return is received.
4.)    Zero Income, Zero Tax and Zero Payment…Make Sure You File —
 Certain qualifying individuals, including seniors, who meet this criteria
 and may not typically file an income tax return, will need to file, by
 filing a paper Form 1040A or Form 1040.
5.)    Watch Out for Your Two IRS Notices — Most taxpayers will receive
 two notices from the IRS; one explaining the stimulus payment program
 and another confirming the recipients’ eligibility, the amount and the
 approximate time table for the payment. Save the second notice to help
 in preparing your 2008 tax return next year.
6.)    Vets Must File the Right Form — Veterans’ benefits recipients
 must file Form 1040X to list non-taxable benefits, if they have already
 filed a 2007 return and received less than $3,000 in qualifying income;
 or for those who are normally not required to file an income tax
 return, they must report their benefits of $3,000 or more on Form 1040A or
 Form 1040, to establish their eligibility.
[Source: Military.com Feb 08 ++]


VA VET CENTERS UPDATE 04:  Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B.
 Peake today said 27 FEB an expansion by the Department of Veterans
 Affairs (VA) of its Vet Centers, which provide readjustment counseling and
 outreach services to returning combat veterans, is well ahead of
 schedule. In FEB 07, VA announced it would open 23 new centers during the next
 two years.  Fifteen of those centers are already operational, and five
 others are seeing patients in temporary facilities while finalizing
 their leases.  The other three facilities will begin operations later
 this year. When all are online VA will reach a record 232 Vet Centers by
 the end of the year.  Peake said, "To support this expansion and augment
 the staff at 61 existing Vet Centers, this year we are channeling a
 44% increase in funding to the Readjustment Counseling Service, which
 operates the Vet Centers -- nearly $50 million more than last year's
 budget."    Vet Centers provide counseling on employment, plus services on
 family issues, education and outreach, to combat veterans and their
 families. Vet Centers are staffed by small teams of professional
 counselors, outreach specialists and other specialists, many of whom are combat
 veterans themselves.
 
   VA's Vet Centers have hired 100 combat veterans back from Iraq and
 Afghanistan as outreach specialists, often placing them near military
 processing stations, to brief servicemen and women leaving the military
 about VA benefits. These outreach specialists meet with returning
 veterans, work through family assistance centers and visit military
 installations to carry the message that VA will be there for the troops and
 family members after discharge. The community-based Vet Centers are a key
 component of VA's mental health program, providing veterans with mental
 health screening and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling,
 along with help for family members dealing with bereavement and loved
 ones with PTSD. The 15 new Vet Centers that are open in permanent
 locations are in Binghamton NY; Middletown NY; Watertown NY; Hyannis CT;
 DuBois PA; Gainesville FL; Melbourne FL; Macon GA; Manhattan KS; Escanaba
 MI; Saginaw MI; Grand Junction CO; Baton Rouge LA; Killeen TX; and Las
 Cruces NM. Five additional Vet Centers are providing services in
 temporary space while they finalize their leases:  They are in Toledo OH; Ft.
 Myers FL; Montgomery AL; Everett WA; and Modesto CA. The final three
 locations where Vet Centers will open for clients later this year are in
 Berlin NH, Nassau County NY, and Fayetteville AR. [Source: VA News
 release 27 Feb 08 ++]


SENIORS BENEFIT CHECKUP:  As a whole, Americans are blessed compared to
 people in many other countries. We are wealthy and  have access to
 education and quality health care. Unfortunately, many older Americans
 have difficulty making ends meet. Some may be unable to pay for
 prescriptions or heating. For these seniors there is help. Programs at the
 federal, state and local level can provide assistance. So if you need help,
 visit BenefitsCheckUp at www.benefitscheckup.org. First, you can apply
 for prescription drug coverage through Medicare if you have not already
 done so. Then, find more benefits programs that will help with utility
 bills, food, healthcare and other needs. You can also apply for these
 programs from the site. You will need to fill out a short form
 indicating in broad terms your current situation.  You will not need to identify
 yourself or provide any location info other than your zip code and
 state of residence.  Upon completion you will be provided a list of
 benefits you are eligible for that you are not already receiving. [Source:
 Tips-n-Topics 27 Feb 08 ++]


SOCIAL SECURITY TAXATION UPDATE 04:  Financial advisors often recommend
 that Social Security recipients delay withdrawing money from their 401
 (k), IRA, or other retirement accounts as long as possible.  That way
 you can enjoy the tax free growth of your investments as long as
 possible.  Nevertheless, there is no escaping the bruising effect of taxes on
 your Social Security.  If Social Security is your major source of
 income, chances are your benefits aren’t taxable.  But if you receive other
 income from retirement accounts, rental property, or other investments
 you could owe taxes on 50% to 85% of your benefits. When the tax first
 became law in 1983 it was sold to the public on the basis that it only
 affected “high income” seniors.  Yet every year increasing numbers of
 beneficiaries pay the tax because the federal government does not
 adjust the income levels annually, as is routinely done with income tax
 brackets.  Today, even middle-income seniors could be subject to the tax.
  Up to 50% of Social Security benefits are taxable for individuals with
 incomes of $25,000 to $34,000, or couples with incomes of $32,000 to
 $44,000.  Up to 85% of Social Security benefits are taxable for
 individuals with incomes of more than $34,000 and couples with incomes of more
 than $44,000.  The tax does not apply to individuals with incomes less
 than $25,000, or couples filing jointly with incomes of less than
 $32,000.  In addition to not adjusting the income levels, the IRS requires
 that you use a special formula in figuring your “provisional income” that
 includes supposedly “tax free” money, such as tax-free municipal bonds
 or proceeds from ROTH retirement accounts, that’s not counted for
 other tax purposes. If you are working and receiving reduced benefits
 because you have not attained full retirement age, the added income not only
 could subject your benefits to taxation, but you could forfeit
 benefits should you earn more than the earnings limits. You could very
 possibly wind up losing money. If you have a financial advisor or tax
 consultant, it’s probably worthwhile to get their help calculating your tax
 liability and to develop the best plan for you to take distributions from
 investment accounts.  Or, to calculate your own tax liability refer to
 IRS Publication 915  http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p915.pdf or call
 the IRS at 1(800) 829-3676. [Source: TSCL The Social Security & Medicare
 Advisor Feb 08 ++]


COMBAT VETERAN HEALTH CARE UPDATE 02:   Military veterans who served in
 combat since 11 NOV 98, including veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan,
 are now eligible for five years of no cost medical care for most
 conditions from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  This measure
 increases a two-year limit that has been in effect nearly a decade. “By their
 service and their sacrifice, America’s newest combat veterans have
 earned this special eligibility period for VA’s world-class health care,”
 said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. The five-year
 deadline has no effect upon veterans with medical conditions related to
 their military service.  Veterans may apply at any time after their
 discharge from the military -- even decades later -- for medical care for
 service-connected health problems. The new provision, part of the National
 Defense Authorization Act of 2008 signed by President Bush on 28 JAN
 08, applies to care in a VA hospital, outpatient clinic or nursing home.
  It also extends VA dental benefits -- previously limited to 90 days
 after discharge for most veterans -- to 180 days. Combat veterans who
 were discharged between 11 NOV 98 and 16JAN 03, and who never took
 advantage of VA’s health care system, have until 27 JAN 11 to qualify for
 free VA health care. The five-year window is also open to activated
 Reservists and members of the National Guard, if they served in a theater of
 combat operations after 11 NOV 98 and were discharged under other than
 dishonorable conditions.  Veterans who take advantage of this five-year
 window to receive VA health care can continue to receive care after
 five years, although they may have to pay copayments for medical problems
 unrelated to their military service.  Copayments range from $8 for a
 30-day supply of prescription medicine to $1,024 for the first 90 days
 of inpatient care each year.  [Source: VA News Release 26 Feb 08 ++]


AGENT ORANGE STATESIDE USE:   News Channel 5 investigative reporter Ben
 Hall says he has found the military used Agent Orange here in the
 United States -- and one veteran James Cripps who spent time in the late
 60’s as a game warden at Fort Gordon in Georgia says he has the health
 problems to prove it. He says he was ordered to spray a herbicide he
 believes was Agent Orange in the lakes around Fort Gordon to kill weeds.
 Agent Orange was a toxic herbicide used by the military to thin out the
 jungles of Vietnam. Soldiers sprayed millions of gallons, unaware how
 poisonous it was. News Channel 5 Investigates claims it has uncovered
 defense department documents that prove the military sprayed Agent Orange
 at Fort Gordon during the time Cripps was there. Documents detail more
 than 30 locations in the United States where Agent Orange was tested
 The documents show helicopters sprayed at least 95 gallons of Agent
 Orange at Fort Gordon in 1967.  Despite all the evidence, the VA will not
 approve James Cripps disability claim denying him medical care for the
 conditions he now suffers from.  Donald Stephens, who is with the
 Disabled American Veterans and has helped hundreds of veterans prepare their
 VA medical claims said, "I would give it a ten" when asked how strong
 was Mr. Cripps claim. He says there's plenty of help for veterans exposed
 in Vietnam, but he believes Cripps claim would open the floodgates for
 veterans exposed in the United States. Meanwhile, Cripps is on
 multiple medications and struggling to pay his medical bills. And now the VA
 is garnishing his Social Security checks.  [Source: WTVF Nashville TN
 Report 25 Feb 08 ++]


FALCON LOAN PROGRAM:   Airmen in a financial pinch soon will be able to
 obtain an interest-free loan for up to $500. The Air Force Aid
 Society’s new Falcon Loan program begins 3 MAR at U.S. Air Force installations
 worldwide. The money is to be used for emergency needs such as basic
 living expenses, including rent, utilities, phone, gasoline and food;
 car repairs; emergency travel; or medical and dental expenses, according
 to Air Force officials. The Air Force is following the lead of the
 other services. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society began offering a $300
 quick loan last month. And about 18 months ago, Army Emergency Relief
 began testing an express loan process called the Commander Referral
 Loan. It’s since been implemented worldwide, allowing soldiers to apply for
 a loan of $1,000 or less. The streamlined application for the Falcon
 Loan requires no budget planning, supporting documentation or first
 sergeant or commander approval, according to an Air Force news release.
 Applicants can download an application from at
 http://www.afas.org/docs/AFAS-Application-March2008.pdf and take it
 along with an identification card and leave and earnings statement to a
 family readiness center for processing.

      Air Force officials say the loans, which must be repaid in 10
 months, are not free money.  They hope that by relaxing the loan process,
 they can encourage airmen to seek financial help through family
 readiness centers and steer airmen away from predatory lenders and
 high-interest credit card fees.  Active-duty officers and enlisted are eligible
 for Falcon Loans, and spouses with a servicemember’s power of attorney
 can obtain the loan when a servicemember is deployed. Some Air Force
 Reserve and National Guard members also are eligible. The Falcon Loan
 complements other assistance programs available through Air Force Aid
 Society and family readiness centers. The Air Force Aid Society is the
 official charity of the U.S. Air Force. The society relies on individual
 donations to fund its activities, as well as repayments of existing loans
 and investment fund income. For more information about the Falcon Loan,
 contact a family readiness center or visit the Air Force Aid Society
 Web site www.afas.org,  [Source: Stars and Stripes article 21 Feb 08 ++]


BURIAL AT SEA UPDATE 02:  The National Cemetery Administration cannot
 provide burial at sea. Burial at Sea is a means of final disposition of
 remains that is performed on United States Navy vessels. The committal
 ceremony is performed while the ship is deployed. Therefore, family
 members are not allowed to be present. The commanding officer of the ship
 assigned to perform the ceremony will notify the family of the date,
 time, and, longitude and latitude once the committal service has been
 completed.  Individuals eligible for this program are:
•  Active duty members of the uniformed services
•  Retirees and veterans who were honorably discharged
• U.S. civilian marine personnel of the Military Sealift Command; and
•  Dependent family members of active duty personnel, retirees, and
 veterans of the uniformed services

After the death of the individual for whom the request is being made,
 the Person Authorized to Direct Disposition (PADD) should print out and
 complete a Burial at Sea Request form available online at
  http://www.navy.mil/navydata/questions/bas-form.pdf. Supporting
 documents which must accompany this request are:
1. A photocopy of the death certificate;
2. The burial transit permit or the cremation certificate; and
3. A copy of the DD Form 214, discharge certificate, or retirement
 order.

The Burial at Sea Request Form and the three supporting documents make
 up the Burial at Sea Request package. A Burial Flag is required for all
 committal services performed aboard United States Naval vessels,
 except family members, who are not authorized a burial flag. Following the
 services at sea, the flag that accompanied the cremains/remains will be
 returned to the PADD. If the PADD does not wish to send a burial flag
 for the service, a flag will be provided by the Navy for the committal
 service, but will not be sent to the PADD. (Note: For deceased veterans,
 a burial flag can be provided at no charge from the Veterans
 Administration).

     Cremains must be in an urn or plastic/metal container to prevent
 spillage in shipping. The cremains, along with the completed Burial at
 Sea Request package, and the burial flag will be forwarded to the Burial
 at Sea Coordinator at the desired port of embarkation which can be
 viewed at http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/blburialatsea.htm.
  Prior to shipment, it is recommended that a phone call be made
 informing the coordinator of the pending request. It is also recommended that
 the cremains package be sent via certified mail, return receipt
 requested. For intact remains specific guidelines are required for the
 preparation of casketed remains. All expenses incurred in this process are the
 responsibility of the PADD, who will select a funeral home in the area
 of the port of embarkation. After this selection has been made and
 notification has been provided to the coordinator, the casketed remains,
 the request form, supporting documents, and the burial flag are to be
 forwarded to the receiving funeral home.  The coordinator will make the
 inspection and complete the checklist for the preparation of casketed
 remains. It is recommended those funeral homes responsible for preparing
 and shipping intact remains contact Navy Mortuary Affairs at the
 Military Medical Support Office in Great Lakes, Ill., to receive the
 preparation requirements.  If you have any questions about the Burial at Sea
 program, contact the United States Navy Mortuary Affairs office at 1(888)
 647-6676, and select option 4. [Source: ABOUT.com: U.S. Military Rod
 Powers article Feb 08 +]


VAMC MARTINSBURG MD:   The Martinsburg Maryland Veterans Administration
 Medical Center has decided to discontinue allowing veterans who ride
 the DAV (disabled veterans) vans a meal on the day of their
 appointments.  This policy has been in effect at the VAMC for approximately 18
 years.  Providing these veterans a meal was not technically an entitlement
 they rated. However, funding to support this program was not, nor did
 it come from VA authorized appropriations. Instead, funds were sourced
 for this through the Volunteer Funds Pool. Vic Ryan Jr., Lt. Col., USMC
 (Ret.) in a letter to U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski objecting to the
 change in policy noted that, “The majority of veterans who ride these vans
 do so as a last resort. Many of the veterans utilizing the van service
 are on extremely limited incomes, and they do not have the luxury of
 having their kids or grandkids/friends to drive them to these
 appointments. In fact, several of them do not have living relatives to assist them
 in their time of need.” No comment has been received so far from the VA
 or the Senator’s office. [Source: Cumberland Times-News article 23 Feb
 08 ++]


VA CATEGORY 8 CARE UPDATE 04:  Veterans' groups in New Hampshire and
 Maine want the federal government to ease tight restrictions preventing
 at least 5,000 New England veterans from getting health care benefits.
 Many of these people fall into a Department of Veterans Affairs category
 known as Priority 8, reserved for veterans never wounded in action and
 who earn more than $28,429 annually. Veterans wounded in the Iraq,
 Afghanistan or past wars, or who earn less than the present income
 threshold, are entitled to health-care benefits, according to VA officials.
 Veterans who enrolled for VA care before the current rules took effect in
 2003 are grandfathered.  Changes, which were made by the Bush
 administration, have been driven by Department of Defense budget cuts. A
 state-level estimate of the number of Priority 8 veterans in Maine and New
 Hampshire wasn't immediately available from local and regional VA
 officials or the VA's Office of Policy and Planning in Washington, D.C. There
 are an estimated 1.8 million veterans nationwide who are both
 uninsured, including being without VA health care, according to a study by
 Harvard Medical School researchers this fall. It did not specify how many of
 those veterans fall into the VA's Priority 8 category. It examined
 data from two federal surveys from 1987 to 2004 and found the number of
 uninsured veterans rose from 9.9% in 2000 to 12.7% in 2004. The study
 also found the number of uninsured, working-age veterans increased by
 nearly 300,000 between 2000 and 2004.

     David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard
 Medical School, one of the study's authors said, “Until 2003, veterans
 who earned incomes higher than the threshold and who did not suffer any
 war wounds could access affordable health care from the VA with $50
 co-pays.  After the Bush administration made rule changes in 2003, those
 veterans were shut off. I think it says to the people who are
 considering military service is that the country honors the military service in
 words, not deeds.  It also sends a message that veterans may not get the
 health-care benefits they thought they would.
Sandra Wunschel, a spokeswoman for the VA New England Healthcare System
 in Bedford, Mass., which oversees the VA medical centers in all six
 New England states said, “There may be as many as 5,000 Priority 8
 veterans in New England who are enrolled in the VA system… There also may be
 thousands of other veterans who would fall into the category if they
 enrolled… Many of the 5,000 veterans earn incomes well above the
 threshold and don't need health-care benefits as much as poorer veterans who
 earn less… Many Priority 8 vets want VA services so they can get
 affordable prescription drugs from VA doctors.”  Wunschel also believes some of
 the outcry is fueled by the misconceptions of older World War II or
 Korean and Vietnam war veterans, who may think they are entitled to free
 health care. "These are complicated issues, and in our effort to
 educate the public, they don't always hear the correct message," Wunschel
 said.

     State and federal lawmakers also believe the VA needs to change
 its eligibility requirements to cover more veterans. State Sen. Joseph
 Kenney, R-Wakefield, chaired the N.H. Cares Veterans Legislative Task
 Force, which examined the VA health care system to identify areas that
 need improvement. The panel is to release it recommendations next month.
 Kenney, a Marine Corps reservist who served a tour in Iraq, said he'd
 like to see Priority 8 veterans have access to affordable VA benefits.
 Kenney said Priority 8 veterans could be permitted to enroll in the
 military's Tri-Care Select health insurance like national guardsmen and
 reservists. U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) chairman of the Senate
 Committee on Veterans' Affairs, held a hearing on the issue on 13FEB. During
 the hearing, Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake said he'd be willing
 to review the current policy. "I do believe that all veterans should
 have access to VA health care. The best way to accomplish that is by
 providing VA with the funding needed to be able to keep pace with demand,"
 Akaka said in a statement. "Congress just provided VA with a $6.7
 billion increase in health care funding over fiscal year 2007, so the funds
 are available."  [Source: Citizen of Laconia Robert M. Cook article 24
 Feb 08 ++]


CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS:   It's a new season of budget hearings on
 Capitol Hill.  The President's Fiscal 2009 budget was delivered to Congress
 two weeks ago, and now the Defense Secretary and Joint Chiefs Chairman
 are defending the expenses contained therein. Once they appear before
 the four major committees (House and Senate Armed Services & House and
 Senate Defense Appropriations), each Service Secretary and Chief of
 Staff will appear to defend their portion of the budget. Finally the
 reserve service chiefs, to include the Chief National Guard Bureau, will
 appear in front of the same four committees. The hearing process should
 last from now until April.  If you want to listen in, go to the respective
 committee websites on either www.senate.gov or www.house.gov, select
 the committee (Armed Services or Appropriations) then select Schedule or
 Hearings, and then look for the LISTEN LIVE link.  On the date and
 time of the hearing, hopefully you'll be able to hear our military leaders
 talk about what is important and hear the line of questioning. As you
 listen, remember that the questions are sometimes big picture and
 sometimes very detailed to that member's district.  For example, Mrs.
 Bordallo may want to ask the Navy Secretary and Chief Naval Operations about
 their plans for the Island of Guam, and may not ask about other items,
 because Guam is heavily affected by Navy operations. Hearings define
 the bills that will be produced by the lawmakers that will become the
 Defense Authorization and Defense Appropriations bills later this year for
 Fiscal 2009. A good website to bookmark for Senate hearings is
 http://capitolhearings.org/ is. It is run by C-SPAN.  [Source: EANGUS
 Minuteman Update 25 Feb 08 ++]


MISSING IN AMERICA PROJECT:   Veterans expect to have honor and respect
 paid them as a result their service to our country.  Unfortunately,
 many have never received a proper military burial and lie on a shelf in a
 mortuary or a storage facility at a crematorium.  Recently volunteers
 discovered that an estimated 1000 cremated remains of veterans may be
 stored in a Oregon State hospital in rusted/dented cans.  On the shelf
 were cremains for the time span of the 1890s to 1971.  You can read
 about this at http://tinyurl.com/2xrx9u.  More on the subject is covered in
 videos accessible on the internet at
 http://www.ksdk.com/video/default.aspx?aid=67740&sid=138863&bw=hi&cat=70
 and
http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a388/ducpho/MIAP/?action=view¤t=AVSEQ01.flv.
 It is estimated that tens of thousands of veteran cremains exist
 nationwide as a result of the deceased having no family, families lack of
 awareness of the availability of burial honors, or the bereaved survivors
 were just unable to deal with their loss and have procrastinated doing
 anything.  Many of these cremains have been abandoned. 

     In NOV 06 the Missing in America Project (MIAP) was established to
 address this situation and volunteers successfully interred 21
 cremains of forgotten veterans, with full military honors and the dignity
 these fallen heroes so richly deserved to in the Idaho State Veterans
 cemetery.  MIAP has spent the last year visiting funeral homes nationwide,
 asking to be let in to identify these veterans so they can get them
 properly buried in a national or state cemetery. It's a challenging task,
 considering not all the nation's 45,000 funeral homes are willingly
 opening their doors to show what's in their back rooms. In a year, MIAP has
 located, identified and interred 101 veterans with honors. There's
 much more to do. Thousands of America's war veterans are warehoused in
 back rooms, dusty basements and closets waiting for a proper burial.
  MIAP’s goals are to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated
 remains of American veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and
 federal organization and  to provide honor and respect to those who
 have served this country by securing a final resting place for these
 forgotten heroes.

     The initial focus of the MIA Project will be a nation-wide effort
 to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed remains of forgotten
 veterans. This task will be executed through the combined, cooperative
 efforts of members of the American Legion, other volunteer service and
 veteran organizations, local Funeral Homes, State Funeral Commissions, State
 and National Veterans Administration Agencies, and the State and
 National Veterans Cemetery Administrations. Local, state and national laws
 must be followed in the identification, claiming process and proper
 interment of the unclaimed remains of forgotten veterans.  In some states
 legislation has been introduced to make it easier to deal with existing
 administrative barriers which cause excessive delay in releasing
 abandoned veteran remains to veteran organizations. The second phase of the
 MIA Project will be the creation of a network of individuals working with
 local Funeral Homes, State, and National Agencies to ensure that, from
 now on, the cremated remains of any unclaimed veteran will be
 identified, claimed and interred in a timely manner.  Volunteers are needed and
 individual or organization wanting to support this effort should
 contact Fred Salanti at ducpho@miap.us or Chuck Tyler at chucktyler@miap.us.
  For additional info refer to  refer to http://www.miap.us.  [Source:
 VCVT Michael Isam msg 23 Feb 08 ++]


VA BURIAL BENEFIT UPDATE 01:   Often survivors are disappointed when
 they seek reimbursement of burial expenses for departed veterans.  This
 is because retirees have not informed their loved ones what to do and
 how much to expect in the event of their demise.  The following is the
 maximum benefits currently payable by the VA:

1. VA will provide headstones or markers to memorialize veterans or
 mark the graves of veterans buried in national, state, or private
 cemeteries as well as those whose remains have not been recovered or
 identified. This includes those buried at sea, those remains donated to science,
 and those cremated and whose cremated remains were scattered without
 burying any portion of them. VA will also provide markers for eligible
 family members interred in a national or State Veteran's Cemetery. When
 interment is in a private cemetery, the cemetery may require, and
 charge for, a foundation for the marker and installation of the marker. Such
 costs must be paid from private funds.
2. VA may provide $300 toward the burial expenses of retired veterans
 who are eligible for VA pension or compensation and for those who die in
 VA medical facilities. An additional $150 gravesite or interment
 allowance may be paid if a retired veteran served during a war period and is
 not buried in a national cemetery or other Government cemetery.
3. If a retired veteran’s death is deemed to be service-connected, VA
 will pay an amount not to exceed $2,000 in lieu of the usual burial and
 gravesite allowance.
4. VA will provide an American flag, upon request, for covering the
 casket; and a memorial
certificate, bearing the President's signature, expressing our Nation's
 grateful recognition of the deceased veteran's service.
5. In addition to VA burial benefits, the surviving spouse or eligible
 child of a retired Soldier may be eligible for a $255 lump-sum death
 benefit from Social Security. Local Social Security Offices have details.

     As determined by the VA, the phrase “entitled to receive” includes
 only those veterans who have been awarded VA compensation or pension
 or who have submitted an application [VA Form 21-526] that is pending at
 the time of the veteran’s death that would have subsequently been
 approved.  It does not apply automatically to military disability retirees.
  To qualify for payment, a military retiree must have applied for VA
 compensation and have been determined to be entitled for the benefit.
  The fact that a retiree chose not to waive all or part of his retirement
 pay after being awarded VA compensation does not disqualify the proper
 claimant(s) from receiving the appropriate allowance.  This change has
 no affect on payment of the burial allowance where death is adjudged
 subsequently by the VA to be service connected.  For veterans [U.S. or
 USAFFE] who die in the Philippines to receive burial benefits the
 veteran had to be in receipt of VA benefits or entitled to receive VA
 benefits at the time of death. If the veteran died in the States and was a US
 citizen he did not have to be in receipt of VA benefits if his income
 and net worth were under the income limits set for NSC pension. The time
 limit for filing for burial benefits is two years after burial or
 other final disposition. Any person who was retired for disability should
 seriously consider filing a claim with the VA to establish eligibility
 for disability compensation so that ultimately payment for burial
 allowance may be made to survivors.  VA Form 21-526 is used for filing for
 disability compensation and VA Form 21-534 is used when filing claims for
 burial compensation. Both may be obtained from the nearest VA office.
  RAO Baguio also can provide these forms and forward them to Manila if
 desired. For more information on VA burial benefits, contact any VA
 office 1(800) 827-1000) [1-800 1-888 5252 if outside Manila in the
 Philippines] or national cemetery; or refer to: http://www.cem.va.gov/.
  [Source: RAO Baguio Feb 08 ++]


RETIRED ARMY PIN:   Retired Soldiers are authorized to wear the new
 Retired Army pin, which is the Army logo with the word “Retired”
 emblazoned above it. At the behest of the CSA Retiree Council, this pin replaced
 the small green Retired Army Lapel button. The Council asked for a
 larger pin that could be recognized from afar, worn on clothing other than
 a suit jacket, and that would show the continuing bond between the
 retired Soldier and the Army. A mass mail-out of the new pin to all
 retired Soldiers started 26 MAR 07 and continued for about 4 months.  The pin
 can be purchased online for around $4.00. [Source: RSO Handbook
 Section 1-7 Feb 08 ++]


RETIREE WEARING OF THE UNIFORM:    Wearing a uniform after retirement
 is a privilege granted in recognition of faithful service to country.
 Retired Soldiers should exercise this privilege whenever possible and in
 such a manner as to reflect credit upon themselves and the United
 States Army. Soldiers who are advanced to a higher grade upon retirement may
 wear the insignia of such higher grade while participating in
 retirement ceremonies and thereafter. Retired Soldiers serving on active duty
 will wear the uniform and insignia prescribed for Soldiers in the active
 Army of corresponding grade and branch. Retired Soldiers not on active
 duty may wear either the uniform reflecting their grade and branch on
 the date of their retirement or the uniform for Soldiers in the active
 Army of corresponding grade and branch, when appropriate. The uniforms
 may not be mixed. The grade worn is that indicated on the retired
 grade/rank line of your retirement order. Retired Soldiers not on active
 duty are not authorized to wear shoulder sleeve insignia except as
 follows:
(1) Junior ROTC instructors will wear the Cadet Command shoulder sleeve
 insignia on their left shoulder.
(2) The shoulder sleeve insignia of a former wartime unit may be worn
 on the right shoulder by retired Soldiers who served in the unit.
(3) The retired shoulder patch is worn on the left shoulder sleeve,
 centered one-half inch from the top.
     Retired Soldiers not on active duty are not authorized to wear the
 Army uniform when they are instructors or are responsible for military
 discipline at an educational institution unless the educational
 institution is conducting courses of instruction approved by the Armed
 Forces. If there is any doubt about wearing the uniform to a function, the
 commander of the nearest Army installation should be contacted. Retired
 Soldiers in a foreign country should contact the American Embassy, the
 American Consulate, or a U. S. military authority. Wear of the Army
 uniform is prohibited for all retired Soldiers:
(1) In connection with the promotion of any political or commercial
 interests or when engaged in off-duty civilian employment. Army Reserve
 technicians who are also Soldiers of the Ready Reserve may wear the Army
 uniform at their option while on duty in their civil service status.
(2) When participating in public speeches, interviews, picket lines,
 marches, rallies, or public demonstrations, except as authorized by
 competent authority.
(3) When wearing the uniform would bring discredit upon the Army.
(4) When specifically prohibited by Army Regulations (AR). (Refer to AR
 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia;
 http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r670_1.pdf.)
[Source: RSO Handbook Section 3-8 Feb 08 ++]


RETIREE APPRECIATION DAYS UPDATE 01:   Retiree Appreciation Days (RADs)
 and Military Retiree Seminars offer military retirees and their
 families a chance to learn current information about topics such as benefits,
 entitlements, health care, and special services available for them.
  RADs vary from installation to installation, but, in general, they
 provide an opportunity to renew acquaintances, listen to guest speakers,
 renew ID Cards, get medical checkups, and various other services. Some
 RADs include special events such as dinners or golf tournaments. For more
 information, contact the Retirement Services Officer (RSO) sponsoring
 the RAD or the event’s point of contact below for specific details. The
 Army maintains a current listing of activities for 2008 at
 http://www.armyg1.army.mil/rso/docs/rads.pdf.  The current listing
 includes:

Fresno, CA                 Mar 8               (559) 291-2774
Schweinfurt, Germany Apr 12               09721-96-7033
Dover AFB, DE                 Apr 12               (302) 677-4612
Stuttgart, Germany Apr 19                07031-15-2924
Ft Jackson, SC                 Apr 25-26 (803) 751-6715
Ft Wainwright, AK Apr 26                (907) 384-3500
West Point, NY     Apr 26                (845) 938-4217
McGuire AFB, NJ Apr 26                (609) 754-2459
Ft Lewis, WA                 May 16                (253) 966-5884
Ft Buchanan, PR   May 17                (787) 707-3842
Vicenza, Italy                 May 30                0444-71-7262
Ft Ord, CA                   Jun 7                (831) 242-6691
Ft McPherson, GA  Jun 21                (404) 464-3219
NAS Jacksonville, FL July 12 (904) 542-2766 Ext. 126
Orlando, FL                 Aug 16  (912) 767-5013 (i.e. Ft Stewart)
Camp Ripley, MN  Aug 23   (763) 441-2630
Ft McCoy, WI                 Sep 5                 (608) 388-3716
Carlisle Barracks, PA  Sep 6                  (717) 245-5401
Ft Leonard Wood, MO  Sep 12-13             (573) 596-0947
Ft Eustis, VA                 Sep 13                 (757) 878-3648
Nellis AFB, NV                 Sep 27                 (702) 652-9978
Selfridge, MI                 Sep 27                 (586) 307-5580
Ft Myer, VA                 Oct 10    (703) 696-5948
Ft Monmouth, NJ Oct 11                (732) 532-3734
Ft Monroe, VA                 Oct 16                (757) 788-2093
Ft Meade, MD                 Oct 17               (301) 677-9603
Heidelberg, Germany Oct 18               06221-57-3347
Aberdeen Prv. Grd., MD Oct 18               (410) 306-2320
Ft Hood, TX                 Oct 24-25 (254) 287-5210
Rock Island, IL                 Oct 25               (563) 322-4823
Ft Campbell, KY                 Oct 25               (270) 798-5280
Andrews AFB, MD Oct 25               (301) 981-2726
Grafenwoehr, Germany Oct 25                09641-83-8540
Ft Knox, KY                 Oct 31-Nov 1       (502) 624-4315/6419
Ft Sam Houston, TX Nov 1                (210) 221-9004
Ft Leavenworth, KS Nov 1                 (913)684-2425
Ft Benning, GA                 Nov 8        (706) 545-1805
Bolling AFB, DC  Nov 8      (202) 767-5244
[Source:  http://www.armyg1.army.mil/rso/docs/rads.pdf.   4 Feb 08 ++]


COLA 2009:   In mid February, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced
 the January 2008 monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the
 metric used to calculate the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for
 military retired pay, VA disability compensation, survivor annuities, and
 Social Security. The CPI jumped 0.5% over December's value.  That puts
 cumulative inflation at 1.5% for the first four months of the fiscal
 year. If inflation kept that cumulative pace for the rest of the year,
 the 2009 COLA would be 4.5%. But history says that probably won't happen.
 Anyone desiring to track the monthly CPI fluctuations can refer to
 http://www.moaa.org/colawatch and view a graphic chart on the
 comparison between the 2008 and 2009 CPIs.  [Source: MOAA Update 22 Feb 08 ++]


TRICARE UNIFORM FORMULARY UPDATE 24:  On 13 FEB the Defense Department
 approved shifting several medications for cardiovascular disorders,
 enlarged prostate, and immune diseases to the third tier, or $22 copay
 level.

• Chronic heart failure drugs Zebeta, Coreg, Toprol XL, and Lopressor
 will remain on the formulary at $3 or $9 copays.
•  Exforge, a combination drug for high blood pressure, will move to
 the third tier, effective April 16. The copay for Norvasc will move in
 the other direction, dropping from $22 to $9.
• In addition, a new "prior authorization" requirement on prostate
 drugs will require beneficiaries to try Uroxatral before Hytrin, Cardura,
 or Flomax, effective April 16, unless they have had a prescription
 issued for one of the latter three medications within the last 180 days.
 This means those three medications will carry a $22 copay unless TRICARE
 approves the doctor's request that there is a "medical necessity" to
 take one of them. MOAA and other beneficiary representatives have asked
 DoD to consider moving Flomax back to a $9 copay.
• The drugs Enbrel and Kineret, used to treat various forms of
 arthritis, psoriasis, Chron's disease, and ulcerative colitis, will move to the
 third tier effective June 18th. Humira, Raptiva and Amevive remain
 available for the regular copays.
• The contraceptive Lybrel, and ADHD medication Vyvnase will move to
 the third tier effective April 16.
[Source: MOAA Leg Up 22 Feb 08 ++]


VA AGENT ORANGE CLAIMS UPDATE 03:   The USS Ingersoll (DD 652) operated
 during the Vietnam Era as a Navy destroyer gunship conducting fire
 support missions along the coast of the Republic of Vietnam for military
 ground operations.  In addition to coastal duty, the USS Ingersoll
 traveled up the Saigon River on 24 & 25 OCT 65, to fire on enemy bases. The
 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) C&P Service has reviewed the ship's
 deck logs, located at the National Archives and Records Administration
 (NARA), and confirmed this service on the "inland waterways" of the
 Republic of Vietnam.  As a result, the presumption of herbicide exposure,
 as described in 38 CFR 3.307(a)(6), can be extended to any crewmember
 who served aboard the vessel on these dates. Anyone who served on the
 Ingersoll on the dates in question and had previous claims for Agent
 Orange related conditions denied should reapply.  VA regional offices are
 directed to extend the presumption of herbicide exposure to new claims
 involving a veteran who served aboard the USS Ingersoll during 24 & 25
 OCT 65.  Additionally, if regional offices are aware that any such
 claim was denied due to lack of evidence for herbicide exposure, they are
 directed to reevaluate the claim as soon as possible. Veterans names
 will be checked against the official crew manifest of those on board the
 ship during those dates.  [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 22 Feb 08 ++]


CHCBP UPDATE 01:   The Continued Health Care Benefits Program [CHCBP ]
 is offered for persons who are losing their eligibility for Tricare
 benefits. These could be:
• individuals separating (not retiring) from the military;
• dependent children reaching the age of 21 and who are not full-time
 students,
• dependent children who reach the age of 23 and were, or are,
 full-time students,
• dependent children who marry,
• divorced former spouse who does not meet the requirements to maintain
 benefits as an Un-Remarried Former Spouse.

     The above may apply for temporary, transitional medical coverage
 under the CHCBP which can act as a bridge between your military health
 benefits and your new job's medical benefits. If you purchase this
 conversion health care plan, CHCBP may entitle you to coverage for
 preexisting conditions often not covered by a new employer's benefit plan.  The
 CHCBP benefits are comparable to the Tricare Standard benefit, which
 covers a majority of medical conditions, uses existing Tricare providers
 and follows most of the rules and procedures of Tricare Standard.
 However, for some types of treatment, coverage can be limited. Prior to
 enrolling in CHCBP, interested beneficiaries are encouraged to contact a
 Tricare Service Center to ask specific questions regarding Tricare
 Standard coverage.
     Eligible beneficiaries must enroll in CHCBP within 60 days
 following the loss of entitlement to the Military Health System. To enroll,
 you will be required to submit:
    *  A completed CHCBP Enrollment Application form (DD Form 2837).
  PDF forms are available at
 http://www.humana-military.com/chcbp/pdf/dd2837.pdf
    *  Documentation as requested on the enrollment form, e.g.,
 DD-214-Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty; final divorce
 decree; DD1173-Uniformed Services ID Card. Additional information and
 documentation may be required to confirm an applicant's eligibility for
 CHCBP.
    *  A premium payment for the first 90-days of health coverage.
The premium rates are $933 per quarter for individuals and $1,996 per
 quarter for families. Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc. will
 bill you for subsequent quarterly premiums through your period of
 eligibility once you are enrolled. CHCBP coverage is limited to 18 months for
 separating Service Members and their families or 36 months for others
 who are eligible. In some cases unremarried former spouses may continue
 coverage beyond 36 months if they meet certain criteria. You may not
 elect the effective date of coverage under CHCBP. For all enrollees, CHCBP
 coverage must be effective on the day after you lose military
 benefits.  For more information  about CHCBP, refer to the CHCBP Web
 http://www.humana-military.com/chcbp/main.htm  or call 1(800) 444-5445.
  You may also contact your regional contractor or a Beneficiary
 Counseling and Assistance Coordinator (BCAC) to discuss your eligibility for
 this program. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 22 Feb 08 ++]


SBA VET ISSUES UPDATE 07:   President Bush signed into law the Veterans
 Small Business Benefits Bill to expand certain small business benefits
 for veterans. The law (PL 110-186), will:

*  Increase the authorization of appropriations for the Small Business
 Administration’s Office of Veteran Business Development;
*  Create an Interagency Taskforce on Veteran Small Business to focus
 on increasing veterans’ small business success, procurement and
 franchising opportunities, and access to capital;
*  Make permanent the Advisory Committee on Veterans Business Affairs;
*  Allow the SBA Administrator to offer loans up to $50,000 without
 requiring collateral from a loan applicant;
*  Improve the Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan program
 by providing a longer application deadline; creating a pre-deployment
 loan approval process; expanding outreach and technical assistance;
*  Require a Government Accountability Office report on the needs of
 service-disabled veterans and a separate report on how to improve
 relations between employers and reservist employees;
*  Create a loan participation program in which veterans can receive
 7(a) loans while paying 50 percent of the fees;
*  Require Veteran Business Outreach Centers to increase their
 participation in the Transition Assistance Program;
*  Create a grant program to improve Small Business Development
 Centers’ outreach to the veteran community; and
*  Require the Office of Veterans Business Development to create and
 disseminate information aimed at informing women veterans about the
 resources available to them.
[Source: NGAUS LRGIT 22 Feb 08 ++]


VA VETERAN SUPPORT:   The Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) provides
 veteran support through their efforts to achieve the following goals:
- Restore the capability of veterans with disabilities to the greatest
 extent possible, and improve the quality of their lives and that of
 their families.
- Ensure a smooth transition for veterans from active military service
 to civilian life.
- Honor and serve veterans in life, and memorialize them in death for
 their sacrifices on behalf of the Nation.
- Contribute to the public health, emergency management, socioeconomic
 well-being, and history of the Nation.
- Deliver world-class service to veterans and their families through
 effective communication and management of people, technology, business
 processes, and financial resources.

In accomplishing this the DVA provide services to the nations extensive
 veteran community. As of FEB 08 here are about 23.8 million living
 veterans, 7.5% of whom are women. There are about 37 million dependents
 (spouses and dependent children) of living veterans and survivors of
 deceased veterans. Together they represent 20% of the US population. Most
 veterans living today served during times of war. The Vietnam Era
 veteran, about 7.9 million, is the largest segment of the veteran population.
 In 2007, the median age of all living veterans was 60 years old, 61
 for men and 47 for women. Median ages by period of service: Gulf War, 37
 years old; Vietnam War, 60; Korean War, 76; and WWII 84. Sixty percent
 (60%) of the nation’s veterans live in urban areas. States with the
 largest veteran population are CA, FL, TX, PA, NY and OH, respectively.
 These six states account for about 36% of the total veteran population.
 Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom
 (OEF) statistics are:
• 48% are Active Duty, 52% are Reserve/National Guard.
• 88% are men, 12% are women.
• 65% Army; 12% Air Force; 12% Navy; 12% Marine.
• 34% were deployed multiple times.
• 52%, largest age group is 20-29 years old.
• 69% of those who filed disability claims received service-connected
 disability compensation award.
[Source:  VA Fact sheet Feb 08 ++]


VA RURAL ACCESS UPDATE 03:   Facing a barrage of complaints about
 veterans’ health care in rural America, the incoming secretary of Veteran
 Affairs pledged 20 FEB 08 to address “systemic” issues that hobble the
 quality and accessibility of VA care. Secretary James Peake heard from a
 group of about 100 Montana veterans who described the Department of
 Veterans Affairs as a sometimes dysfunctional bureaucracy — and one
 particularly slow to address mental health issues. Veterans told him they
 face months-long waits for appointments, arbitrary rejections of claims
 and 500-mile trips to receive care. Those who spoke spanned generations,
 including veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and
 peacetime service. “We need more doctors. And it would be nice if we
 could keep them for a while,” said Ernest LaFountain, who did three tours
 in Vietnam and now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Peake,
 also a Vietnam combat veteran, took the helm of the scandal-battered VA
 in DEC 07. He said Wednesday he wanted to “reach out to rural America”
 and help those veterans not getting adequate care. “The notion that the
 VA is uncaring, if we have pockets of that we’re going to find it and
 root it out,” he said. Peake was appointed by President Bush in the
 wake of widespread reports of dismal care received by troops returning
 from Iraq and Afghanistan — problems for which Bush later apologized. The
 secretary was in Montana at the invitation of Sen. Jon Tester, a
 Democratic member of the Veterans Affairs Committee.

     The number of veterans under VA’s care is expected to hit 5.8
 million by 2009. Peake acknowledged giving that many people all the care
 they need is particularly difficult in rural areas such as Montana, where
 mental health and other services can sometimes be hundreds of miles
 from a veteran’s home. In an illustration of how much of a burden
 distance can be, Jim Kerr of Billings, commander of Disabled American Veterans
 Chapter 10, said volunteers in eastern Montana logged a combined
 418,000 miles last year transporting more than 7,100 veterans to medical
 appointments. In response to such problems, Peake announced the creation
 of a new health advisory committee to ensure VA is responsive to rural
 health concerns. He said more facilities are being built to serve to
 veterans, including a clinic that opened in Cut Bank last month and others
 planned in Havre and Lewistown MT. “We need to make mental health care
 more local,” he said. He said he also wanted to increase the number of
 mental health counselors, in particular those who are themselves
 veterans and “have walked the walk.” Tester said the changes Peake talked of
 need to happen quickly if VA hopes to better handle the incoming tide
 of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. “The significant issue coming
 out of Iraq is the PTSD issue, and I don’t think we’re ready for that
 right now,” Tester said. “The VA system is an incredibly good health care
 system for those who get through the door,” he said. “The problem is
 with those who can’t get through the door.”  [Source: Associated Matthew
 Brown article 21 Feb 08 ++]


VA RURAL ACCESS UPDATE 04:   Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B.
 Peake announced 20 FEB the creation of a special “Rural Health
 National Advisory Committee” to advise him and the senior leaders of the
 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) about health care issues affecting
 veterans in rural areas. “In the last decade, VA has created outpatient
 clinics that bring health care closer to where veterans actually live,”
 Peake said. “This advisory committee, working within the highest levels of
 VA, will ensure the Department remains responsive to the health care
 needs of rural veterans.” While Peake said many of the details of the
 panel are still being formulated, the committee will consist of members
 familiar with rural health issues.  The members will come from the
 federal, state and local sectors, academia and veterans service
 organizations. The advisory committee will provide guidance to Peake and to Dr.
 Michael J. Kussman, VA’s Under Secretary for Health.  The panel’s first
 meeting is tentatively scheduled for this summer. VA has 25 similar
 advisory committees, each with between 10 and 15 members.  Members are
 typically appointed to one-, two- or three-year terms to ensure continuity
 of operations.  Following is the current status of the VA’s Rural Health
 Initiative:

1. Milestones already met include:
• Establishment of telehealth training center for VA professionals in
 Lake City FL (January 2004).
• Establishment of Rural Health in VA headquarters (February 2007).
• First report to Congress on improving access to mental health and
 long-term health in rural areas (September 2007).
• Increased mileage reimbursements for patients for first time in 30
 years (February 2008)
2. Milestones in progress include:
•  Expanding current programs that provide: Services to Native American
 veterans, Mental health, and Long-term care.
• Expanding existing telehealth programs and investigating new
 applications. VA patients in 30 states now use telehealth devices. Current
 technology permits patient care coordination among health care
 professionals, exchange of routine clinical data from home-bound patients, and
 continuity of care to mobile senior “snowbirds”
3. Projects under consideration include: Mobile health care vans,
 Transportation grants, Collaborating with non-VA facilities, and Patient
 education through “pod” casts.
[Source:  VA Press Release 20 Feb 08 ++]


STUDENT VETERANS OF AMERICA (SVA):   Student veterans from
 approximately 20 universities representing 13 states from every region of the
 country came together  on 11 & 12 JAN 08 in Chicago to found the  non-profit
 organization [501 (c)3.] Student Veterans of America (SVA).  Attending
 the conference were national representatives from the VFW, the
 American Legion, Vietnam Veterans of America, Veterans of Modern Wars, and the
 National Association of Veterans' Program Administrators.  Also in
 attendance were the Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois departments of
 veterans' affairs who offered their full support to the new organization.
 SDV's goal is to address issues facing student veterans. As part of its
 core mission,  SVA is committed to placing student veterans' resource
 offices or coordinators on college campuses. Beginning with this
 grassroots effort, student veterans plan to advocate on and off campus, for
 much needed changes to current policies dealing with the education of
 veterans.  and assist universities in providing adequate resources and
 programs for vets.  SVA President Derek Blumke who served in the Air Force
 for six years and is in the Air National Guard stated in a recent
 interview, "The majority of campuses throughout the nation currently lack
 the infrastructure to support returning veterans. Veterans are
 incredibly intelligent and well rounded individuals. They simply need programs
 set up so when they arrive to campus they are welcomed with open arms".
 These resource offices will assist veterans in educating them on their
 benefits, providing them with the resources required to succeed in
 school, and in their transition from the service member to the student.
 Student Veterans of America is gaining national momentum, and will meet in
 Washington D.C. in JUN 08 to incorporate 30+ universities and further
 develop coordination between college and university campus’s student
 veterans groups nationwide.  They have established a communications link
 via http://groups.google.com/group/StudentVeterans for members and
 others to pass info and ask questions and are developing their website
 http://www.studentveterans.org . For more info about the convention or
 Student Veterans of America, contact John Mikelson (University of Iowa)
 at (319) 384-2020 or john-mikelson@uiowa.edu .  [Source:
 http://www.gibill.va.gov/ Feb 08 ++]


GUN SALUTES:
1. Origin and significance of military gun salutes - The use of the
 gun salutes for military occasions is traced to early warriors who
 demonstrated their peaceful intentions by placing their weapons in a position
 that rendered them ineffective. The tradition of rendering a salute by
 cannon originated in the 14th Century in the British Navy.  Since
 discharging the cannon rendered it ineffective, by custom, warships fired
 seven-gun salutes while shore batteries, which had a greater supply of
 gunpowder and were able to fire three guns for every shot fired afloat,
 fired a 21 salute.  In 1842 the U. S. established the Presidential
 salute at 21 guns while in 1890 it was established as the National salute.
  Today, the 21-gun salute is fired in honor of the President while
 guns salutes of less numbers are rendered to other military and civilian
 leaders based on their protocol rank (Ref: USA Fact Sheet, dtd 05/69).
2. Origin and significance of the military custom of firing rifle
 volleys at funerals - During the funeral rites of the Roman Army the casting
 of the earth THREE times upon the coffin constituted “the burial.”  It
 was customary among the Romans to call the dead THREE times by name,
 which ended the funeral ceremony. As friends and relatives of the
 deceased departed they said “Vale”, or farewell, THREE times.  Over time when
 firearms were introduced on the battlefield the custom of practice of
 firing volleys was established to halt the fighting to remove the dead
 from the battlefield.  Once each army had cleared its dead it would
 fire THREE volleys to indicate that the dead had been cared for and that
 they were ready to go back to the fight.  Today, when a squad of
 soldiers fires THREE volleys over a grave, they are, in accordance with this
 old Roman custom, bidding their dead comrade farewell.  After the last
 rifle volley, the bugler then sounds TAPS. The fact that the firing
 party consists of seven riflemen, firing three volleys does not constitute
 a 21-gun salute. (Ref: Mil Customs dtd 1917).
3. 21 vs. 3 - Many confuse the 21-gun salute with the 3-volley salute.
 The 21-gun salute is used primarily as a greeting. It's fired during
 presidential arrivals and departures and when heads of state visit. Also,
 it's not limited to the United States -- many countries have similar
 ceremonies. The 3-volley salute, on the other hand, is performed during
 police and military funerals by the Honor Guard and is intended as a
 reminder.  While the two salutes look (and sound) similar, the 21-gun
 salute is considered the higher honor.
4. 21 History - It's been said that 21 guns are fired because the
 digits in 1776 add up to 21 (1+7+7+6=21). Logical, but Snopes.com writes
 this is just an urban legend. The real story behind the honor is a bit
 more complicated. The United States Army explains the salute's history.
 "Originally warships fired seven-gun salutes -- the number seven probably
 selected because of its astrological and Biblical significance."
 Land-based cannons had a higher capacity for gun powder and "were able to
 fire three guns for every shot fired afloat, hence the salute by shore
 batteries was 21 guns." Eventually, as gun powder improved, ships fired
 21 guns, too. The habit of firing salutes became wasteful, with ships
 and shore batteries firing shots for hours on end. This was particularly
 expensive for ships, which had a limited space to store powder (which
 went bad quickly in the salt air). The British admiralty first dictated
 the policies now in place as a practical matter to save gunpowder. The
 rule was simple, for every volley fired by a ship in salute, a shore
 battery could return up to three shots. The regulations limited ships to
 a total of seven shots in salute, so the 21 gun-salute became the
 salute used to honor the only the most important dignitaries.
5. Salute Protocol - Today, the U.S. Navy Regulations proscribe that
 only those ships and stations designated by the Secretary of the Navy may
 fire gun salutes. A national salute of 21 guns is fired on:
 Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, to honor the President of
 the United States, and to honor heads of foreign states. Additionally,
 ships may, with approval from the office of the Secretary of the Navy,
 provide gun salutes for naval officers on significant occasions, using
 the following protocol: Admiral-17 guns, Vice Admiral-15 guns, a Rear
 Admiral (upper half)-13 guns, and Rear Admiral (lower half)-11 guns. All
 gun salutes are fired at five-second intervals. Gun salutes will
 always total an odd number.
6. Volley Protocol - The 3-volley salute is a salute performed at
 military and police funerals as part of the drill and ceremony of the Honor
 Guard. A rifle party, usually consisting of an odd number of firers,
 usually from 3 to 7 firearms. Usually the firearms are rifles for
 military, but at some police funerals, shotguns are used. The firing party is
 positioned such that, when they shoulder their arms for firing, the
 muzzles are pointed over the casket of the deceased who is being honored.
 If the service is being performed inside a church or chapel, or funeral
 home, the firing party fires from outside the building, typically
 positioned near the front entrance. On the command of the NCO-in-charge,
 the firing party fires their weapons in unison, for a total of three
 volleys. Because unbulleted blanks (which will not cycle the action of a
 semi-automatic rifle) are used, in the United States, M1 or M14 rifles
 are preferred over the current issue M16 rifle, because the charging
 handles of the M1/M14 are more easily operated in a dignified, ceremonial
 manner than on the M16.
[Source:  http://www.hbtv.us/VA/ 20 Feb 08 ++]


PHILIPPINES U.S. TROOP PROTEST:   Demonstrators calling for U.S. troops
 to withdraw from the Philippines protested the start of annual joint
 military exercises 18 FEB, with hundreds of American troops heading to
 southern islands where al-Qaida-linked militants operate. The two-week
 drills — called Balikatan, or “shoulder-to-shoulder” — bring together
 6,000 U.S. and 2,000 Filipino troops at a time when Philippine forces are
 battling militants from the Abu Sayyaf and its allies from the
 Indonesia-based Jemaah Islamiyah terror network. About 30 protesters from the
 left-wing coalition Bayan burned a U.S. flag and chanted “U.S. troops
 out now!” outside the gate of the military headquarters in Manila, where
 U.S. Ambassador Kristie Kenney, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto
 Romulo and top military officials led the opening ceremony. Rallies also
 were held in at least four southern cities to demand U.S. troops leave
 because of alleged involvement in combat operations — prohibited by
 Philippine law — and human rights abuses, activists said. In Cagayan de
 Oro, police estimated the crowd at 1,000, including priests and nuns who
 joined lawmakers and Muslim activists. In the southern Philippines,
 where Muslim rebels have waged a decades-long separatist insurgency, U.S.
 troops will conduct medical missions and repair schools, officials
 said. The areas include Jolo island, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold, and central
 Mindanao, a base of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the country’s
 biggest separatist group, now holding peace talks with the government.
 Tensions flared recently on Jolo after villagers accused the military of
 killing seven civilians and an off-duty soldier during operations to
 hunt down suspected terrorists. Rawina Wahid, whose husband was killed
 in the raid early this month, said she was tied up and put on a naval
 boat with several U.S. soldiers on board. President Gloria Macapagal
 Arroyo has ordered an investigation into the deaths. Last week, U.S.
 Embassy spokeswoman Rebecca Thompson denied American soldiers took part in
 any combat operations. Military chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said the
 emphasis of the exercises, which have been held since 1981, has shifted
 to humanitarian assistance, part of efforts to win over local Muslim
 populations. America’s soft counterterrorism approach here has won praise
 in contrast to mounting criticism of U.S.-led incursions in Iraq and
 Afghanistan. A manhunt continues on Jolo for Abu Sayyaf commanders and
 two top Indonesian militants wanted for alleged involvement in the 2002
 nightclub bombings that killed 202 people on Indonesia’s Bali island.
 The Abu Sayyaf, blacklisted by Washington as a terrorist organization,
 has been blamed for deadly bomb attacks, beheadings and high-profile
 kidnappings, including of Americans. [Source: By - Associated Press Teresa
 Cerojano article 20 Feb 08 ++]


CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE:   Cardiovascular disease is the single greatest
 cause of death in the United States each year. The most common heart
 disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which is
 unfortunately often diagnosed after a heart attack has already occurred. In
 2008, an estimated 770,000 Americans will have a coronary attack for the
 first time, and about 430,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every
 26 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one
 every minute will die from one.  American Heart Month is a good time to
 learn how to recognize the signs of a heart attack. A person's chances of
 surviving a heart attack increase if emergency treatment is given to
 the victim as soon as possible. Some signs of a heart attack include:
•  Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the
 center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and
 comes back. The discomfort can feel like pressure, squeezing,
 fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. This can include pain or
 discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath. This often comes along with chest discomfort.
 But it also can occur before chest discomfort.
• Other symptoms. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat or
 feeling nauseated or lightheaded.
 If someone is having a heart attack, call 911. Better yet  learn how
 to save a life by signing up for a local CPR class near you  The
 American Heart Association offers a variety of CPR courses that will give you
 the confidence to help a friend or loved one experiencing cardiac
 arrest. From the 22-minute CPR Anytime kit for family and friends to a
 classroom-based CPR and AED course, there’s a convenient way for everyone to
 learn CPR. Your actions can be lifesaving. At
 http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3011764 you can
 find a class location and map to it by typing in your zip code.  Here
 you can also order an Adult/Child Light/Dark skin Anytime kit
 consisting of a personal, inflatable Manikin, a CPR Anytime Skills Practice DVD,
 a CPR for Family and Friends resource booklet, and other accessories
 for the program for $29.95. [Source: Dear Marci Health tip 18 Feb 08 ++]


WHOOPING COUGH UPDATE 01:   Doctors once hoped to control whooping
 cough, or pertussis, by vaccinating children only. But recently cases have
 soared among teens and adults who were vaccinated as children. "We now
 know that as we get older, we lose our protection," says Sandra
 Fryhofer, an internist in Atlanta and former president of the American College
 of Physicians. For adults, the illness is rarely dangerous, though the
 cough can cause vomiting and disrupt sleep. Some adults cough hard
 enough to crack ribs, break blood vessels or pass out, says Mark Dworkin,
 a researcher at the University of Illinois-Chicago. The most serious
 risk, though, is that sick adults will infect babies, who are not yet
 fully vaccinated. "This disease is a baby killer," Dworkin says. The CDC
 recommends teens and adults get one of two new vaccines combining
 whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria protection. Doctors for adults might
 not be recommending the vaccine because they don't know much about the
 disease, Dworkin says. Side effects (mostly sore arms) and cost (about
 $40 a shot, usually covered by insurers) don't explain low usage,
 Fryhofer says. Just 2.1% of adults have had booster shots, which are
 recommended for those under age 65. In studies, the shots produced adequate
 immune responses 83% to 94% of the time. [Source: USA Today Kim Painter
 article 18Feb 08 ++]


SHINGLES UPDATE 06:   Shingles is a painful condition caused by the
 same virus that causes chickenpox. It's recommended for adults over age
 60, but just 1.9% have had it. The vaccine, tested by the VA and Merck in
 trials, "was approved in May 2006 for people 60 and up," but Merck
 "has sold a modest 2 million doses." Infectious disease specialist Michael
 N. Oxman of the VA San Diego Healthcare System said this may be so
 because doctors are not focused on vaccines, but internist Chester Good at
 the VA Medical Center in Pittsburgh argued that until more data comes
 in, "there's no rush" to get the vaccine. "Many people describe
 shingles pain as the worst pain they've ever endured," says Oxman. The pain
 starts as the varicella zoster virus re-emerges in someone who has had
 chickenpox. The virus travels down nerve cells to the skin, where it
 typically causes a one-sided rash on the face or trunk. Then chronic, often
 debilitating pain can develop. Most patients are over age 60. The
 lifetime risk of shingles for anyone who has had chickenpox is about 30%;
 once afflicted, up to 30% have pain lasting at least four to six months,
 says Kenneth Schmader of the American Geriatrics Society and a
 physician at the Durham VA Medical Center in North Carolina. The vaccine
 doesn't offer total protection, but it cuts the risk of shingles in half,
 reduces pain intensity and lowers the risk of lingering pain by
 two-thirds, Schmader says. The vaccine, priced around $150 by the manufacturer,
 is covered by the part of Medicare that pays for prescriptions, not
 doctor visits. That means doctors are not automatically paid for shots
 given in their offices. Some send patients to pharmacies to get the shots
 or pick up prescription vials, adding steps that may reduce use, Oxman
 says. Others stock and give the vaccine, but require patients to pay
 upfront and seek their own reimbursement.  Veterans enrolled in the VA
 medical system can request their primary care physicians for the shot and
 if approved receive it. I did and received it 26 FEB. [Source: USA
 Today Kim Painter article 18 Feb 08 ++]


PTSD UPDATE 17:   The Veterans Affairs Department has dumped a policy
 requiring combat vets to verify in writing that they have witnessed or
 experienced a traumatic event before filing a claim for post-traumatic
 stress disorder, said the chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs
 Committee. In the past, a veteran has had to provide written verification —
 a statement from a commander or doctor, or testimony from co-workers —
 that he or she was involved in a traumatic situation in order to
 receive disability compensation for PTSD from VA. The Defense Department uses
 the same rules in evaluating PTSD for disability retirement pay. The
 rule also slows the process as veterans wait for yet more documentation
 before their claims may be processed. Sen. Daniel Akaka [D-HI] said he
 asked VA Secretary James Peake if the rule was necessary, and asked
 that it be removed. Peake agreed. In the future, veterans will be
 diagnosed with PTSD through a medical examination with no further proof
 necessary, Akaka said, adding that he’s been told that Peake has already
 informed VA regional offices of the decision. [Source: AirForceTimes Kelly
 Kennedy article 18 Feb 08 ++]


HIGHER EDUCATION ACT:   The House recently passed H.R.3099:  National
 Guard and Reserve Higher Education Fairness Act, which included an
 amendment to help servicemembers on active duty with student loans. The
 amendment would prevent interest on student loans from accruing while a
 servicemember or National Guard member is on active duty up to 60 months.
 An existing law already allows servicemembers on active duty to defer
 their student loan payments, but interest still accrues on the loan.
  According to Representative Susan Davis (D-CA) sponsor of the amendment,
 a servicemember could save between $1,183 and $1,479 over the course of
 a 12-15 month activation period.  [Source: NGAUS Legislative Update 15
 Feb 08 ++]


SBP LAWSUIT UPDATE 01:    The US Court of Federal Claims has ruled in
 favor of three Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuitants seeking  a
 combined $105,000 in accumulated back pay. The widows are suing the federal
 government (Sharp v. The United States) to restore their full SBP
 annuities and avoid any deduction of the VA's Dependency and Indemnity
 Compensation (DIC).  On 11 FEB, Judge George W. Miller denied the Pentagon's
 motion to dismiss the suit and decided to let the case proceed. As a
 practical matter, he went a big step further, systematically refuting
 every argument in the Pentagon's motion. At issue is a 2004 law (PL
 108-183) that restored DIC payments to veterans' surviving spouses who remarry
 after their 57th birthday. Before the law change, survivors lost DIC
 regardless of the age they remarried. The plaintiffs in the case contend
 that a provision of the law should be interpreted as prohibiting the
 deduction of DIC from their SBP annuities. A DoD legal review of that
 provision at the time determined that it did not repeal the SBP offset
 provision. The judge's ruling on the motion made it pretty clear that he
 leans toward agreeing with the widows. But the battle is far from over.
 DoD has until 26 FEB to appeal the judge's ruling or proceed with the
 case. And no matter the final outcome, it will likely be appealed.
  Note that this case addresses only the three survivors pursuing the suit.
 It's not a class action case, and it's not certain whether a favorable
 decision would affect any other survivors. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 15 Feb
 08 ++]


CRDP/CRSC CLAIM BACKLOG:   The Pentagon’s senior budget official has
 ordered the director of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to
 clear up a major backlog of claims for two disability compensation
 programs aimed at military retirees. More than 39,000 claims are pending under
 the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments and Combat-Related
 Special Compensation programs, and retirees have criticized the delays
 in processing those claims virtually since the programs were created
 several years ago. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) raised concerns about the backlog
 to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England at a hearing 12 FEB on the
 Pentagon’s 2009 budget request. Pentagon Comptroller Tina Jonas, who
 oversees DFAS, said she recently became aware of the problem and
 acknowledged that Wyden’s complaint was on target. “I asked the director of the
 Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Zack Gaddy, to triple the
 number of people on this effort, and he is doing so,” Jonas said. “You’re
 absolutely right — the backlog needs to be cleaned out. I told him that
 we’d like to have it done by April.” A manpower shortage had slowed the
 effort, Jonas said in a brief interview the following day after a
 separate House hearing on the 2009 defense budget plan.

     At the Senate hearing, Wyden pressed Jonas to confirm that the
 backlog would be cleared up by April. Jonas said she has directed DFAS to
 get “the oldest claims done by April ... they’re on track to try to get
 that done.” Jonas offered to provide weekly progress reports, which
 Wyden said he would welcome.
The Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments program is phasing
 out a law enacted in the late 19th century that required disabled
 military retirees to forfeit a dollar of military retired pay for every dollar
 received in veterans disability compensation. The phase-out is
 occurring over a 10-year period that began in 2005 and will end in 2014. At
 that point, these disabled retirees will receive full military retired
 and VA disability payments, with no offset — in other words, full
 “concurrent receipt” of both. CRDP, which is taxable, covers retirees with
 service-connected disabilities rated at 50 to 90% by the Department of
 Veterans Affairs. When CRDP began, retirees rated 100% disabled also were
 under the 10-year offset phase-out schedule, but in 2005, Congress
 amended the program to give these most seriously disabled retirees full,
 immediate concurrent receipt.

     Combat Related Special Compensation is a separate program under
 which a special, nontaxable payment replaces the entire retired pay
 offset for retirees with any VA-rated disability that is the direct result
 of combat or combatlike training. In effect, all retirees under CRSC
 have full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability
 compensation. Each program is expanding under the 2008 Defense
 Authorization Act. Eligibility for CRDP now extends to so-called “individual
 unemployability” retirees with service-connected disabilities. “IU” retirees
 have formal VA disability ratings of less than 100%  but are
 nevertheless considered fully disabled because their medical conditions prevent
 them from holding a job. They will get full concurrent receipt of