July 25, 2008 by admin.

By Doug Beizer
Published on July 24, 2008

The Veterans Affairs Department has struck a deal with a job-search Web site to help disabled veterans find employment.

The VA is working with Monster Government Solutions, a division of Monster Worldwide, which runs the Monster.com site for employers and job seekers.

Under the agreement, Monster and VA’s Center for Veterans Enterprise lets veteran-owned small businesses post job openings for veterans, including service-disabled veterans, at a discounted rate. The job openings will be posted for 60 days, twice as long as for other employers.

“The program should make it easier for employers to find qualified job candidates as well as veteran suppliers and service contractors,” said Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake.

To participate in program, veteran business owners must be listed in VA’s online Vendor Information Pages maintained by the Department’s Center for Veterans Enterprise at www.VetBiz.gov.

Those pages will give Monster a source for purchasing services itself and VA will refer appropriate, listed suppliers to Monster.

The agreement is for two years with extension options.

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July 17, 2008 by admin.

By Bob Brewin, bbrewin@govexec.com   07/16/08
The Veterans Affairs Department announced on Wednesday that its online benefits application process now is completely paperless. VA no longer will require veterans to submit a signed paper copy of a benefit application in addition to the electronic version.

The department will process applications received through its Veterans Online Applications Web site without a signature as the electronic application will be sufficient authentication. Veterans, their survivors and beneficiaries will be able to file electronic applications for disability compensation, pension, education, and vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits without submitting a signed paper copy, according to VA.

“We applaud the Department of Veterans Affairs for making the online application process simpler and more users friendly,” said Gerald Manar, deputy director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ National Veterans Service. He added the paper-copy signature requirement along with the electronic application often resulted in “substantial delays in processing claims.” A VA spokeswoman did not respond in time for publication to a question on how long the department has operated its online application system.

In addition to expediting the claims process, Manar said eliminating the paper signature would lower the risk of denying a claimant simply for failing to submit a piece of paper. “This is a positive step,” he said. “We hope that VA makes the most of this new procedure.”

VA said its online application system already reduces the number of incomplete applications it receives, which decreases the need for additional work by claims processors.

VA provides compensation and pension benefits to more than 3.7 million veterans and beneficiaries, and approximately 523,000 students receive education benefits. About 90,000 disabled veterans participate in the department’s vocational rehabilitation and employment program.

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July 16, 2008 by admin.

By Brittany Ballenstedt bballenstedt@govexec.com July 15, 2008

A recent decision from the Merit Systems Protection Board could open hundreds of law enforcement and other jobs to veterans who previously bumped up against age restrictions during the application process.

MSPB ruled on July 2 that the State Department must waive maximum entry age requirements for veterans applying to become special agents at the Diplomatic Security Service.

The case, Isabella v. Department of State, stems from a claim filed by Robert Isabella, a preference-eligible veteran who applied for a special agent position at the department. The job description called for someone 37 or younger; Isabella was 36 when he applied and when he turned 37, the agency stopped processing his application. The reasoning was that he was too close to the cutoff age.

But MSPB found that this violated Isabella’s rights under the 1944 Veterans Preference Act, the 1998 Veterans Employment Opportunities Act, and the 1994 Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. The ruling pointed to a section of the Veterans Preference Act that requires federal agencies to waive maximum age rules for preference-eligible applicants unless the age requirement is essential to the performance of the work.

The board determined that in this case the sole purpose of the age restriction was to allow agents to enjoy a full career before reaching the mandatory retirement age, which is normally 57, but can be extended three years to 60 if the agency has a particular need.

“Being 37 is not critical to the job,” said Mathew Tully, the attorney who represented Isabella, on Tuesday. “[State] has special agents up to age 60, and if you could be 60 and a special agent, it’s not a critical element of the job.”

MSPB ordered State to waive the age requirement for Isabella and finish processing his application.

Tully said the ruling opens up to veterans 280 federal law enforcement and firefighter jobs that used to have age restrictions. The only other field that is not covered by the ruling is air traffic control, which has a maximum entry age of 30. But Tully said the ruling for law enforcement positions would make winning a second case for air traffic control “relatively easy.”

“It’s crucial that veterans are knowledgeable about the laws that can help them get an edge in federal employment,” Tully said. “The more who know, the more who will become federal employees.”

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July 10, 2008 by admin.

By Bryant Jordan, Military.com

On Monday, June 30, 2008, President Bush signed legislation ushering in
a new era in GI Bill benefits. The legislation, which the Senate passed
overwhelmingly, is part of a $162 billion war spending bill.

The new GI Bill was framed by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who has long argued
that veterans deserve benefits that match those given to World War II
vets.  Then, returning GIs were covered for the full cost of tuition and
books for whatever college they entered; in addition they were paid a
monthly stipend.

Under the new GI Bill, payment rates will go up, but will be based on
the college or university costs in the service member’s state of
residence. Eligible students also will receive a monthly stipend for
books of up to $1,000 per year and a monthly housing allowance of about
$1,000. The housing stipend will be tied to the Pentagon’s basic
allowance for housing rates.

The new education benefits are forecasted to go into effect in mid-2009
and will be available to all service members and veterans - including
members of the Guard and Reserve - who have served on active duty for at
least 90 consecutive days since Sept. 11, 2001.

The benefits are paid in increments which are determined by the amount
of time served on active duty.

To view a list of FAQs for the new GI Bill, visit:
http://www.gibill2008.org/faq.html.

______________________________

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VA Seeking OEF/OIF Veterans

Combat veterans are eligible for free medical care from the Veterans
Administration (VA) for most conditions for five years after they
separate from active duty. The VA is reaching out to veterans of
Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) who
have been discharged but have not contacted the VA about their benefits.
In addition to health care, other possible benefits include home loan
guarantees, education, training and life insurance. If you are - or if
you know - an OEF-OIF combat veteran who has not contacted the VA to
learn about these benefits, please contact the nearest VA facility or
visit: http://www.oefoif.va.gov/ for more information.

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July 2, 2008 by admin.

 The New GI Bill Signed by the President - Highlights
·      President Bush signed the bill June 30, 2008
·       The new GI Bill assures young veterans a chance at a free four-year public college or university degree, starting August 2009.
·       Spouses and children will see benefits, too. Reservists will see more money for college. Even vets who have served after 9/11 and who got out years ago could get a free college education.
·       Bill was truly a bi-partisan effort. Sen. Jim Webb introduced the historic legislation. House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid did a great job of bringing both parties and Houses together. Republicans improved the Bill by adding the option of being able to transfer benefits to family members.
·        The American Legion is extremely pleased that the president signed a GI Bill worthy of its name.
·       Servicemembers work very hard and make great sacrifices everyday to earn this benefit. The rising costs of college have far outpaced the previous educational benefits available to our military. This GI Bill is much closer to the spirit of the 1944 Servicemen’s Readjustment Act. It will make a real difference to many military veterans and their families.
Provisions of the bill
For Active Duty Troops:
·       The bill gets rid of the current enrollment requirements, replacing them with language mandating at least three months’ active duty service in the military since Sept. 11, 2001, for partial GI Bill benefits.
·       Anyone who has served at least three years on active duty since then is eligible for four years of tuition costs at their home state’s universities, plus a monthly stipend for housing and living expenses which averages about $1100 nationwide, depending on where the veteran attends college.
·       Each year, the veterans will also be eligible for $1,200 in tutoring services and $1,000 more to cover books. Altogether, the benefit could top more than $25,000 a year in the most expensive states.
·       If troops or veterans attend state schools that are less expensive, they won’t get to pocket the difference – the benefit only covers what veterans are actually charged by their school. If they decide to go to a private school or out-of-state college, they’ll have to cover the difference between their higher tuition bill and the state-assigned reimbursement figure.
·       The benefit lasts for 15 years now, instead of 10, giving troops extra time after leaving the military to either use their benefit or pass it along.
For Spouses and dependents:
·       Under a provision backed by the Pentagon, troops who served at least 10 years on active duty will be able to transfer their benefit to a spouse or dependent child. Spouses can receive the money even sooner, if their servicemember has served at least six years and agrees to another four-year contract.
·       Families can divide the benefit up however it benefits them most, as long as they don’t exceed those 36 months of college classes. For example, a retired soldier can use two years of benefits to pay for a two-year degree program, then transfer the last two years to a spouse or child.
·       For long-serving servicemembers, the changes mean that their college-age children could get a free college education starting fall 2009, provided they attend a state-backed school.
For Reservists and Veterans:
·       Guardsmen and reservists who served at least three years on active duty in the past seven years automatically qualify for the full tuition benefit just like other troops. Those who served less active time, but at least three months, will receive between 40 and 90 percent of the tuition benefit, based on a sliding scale.
·       More importantly, the benefit can be used within 15 years of their separation from the service, instead of the current requirement that they remain in the Guard or Reserve to receive the money.
·       For those veterans who have already used all of their GI Bill benefits, the changes don’t offer any new money. Many of the most vocal supporters of the bill, veterans upset over how little they received for college, acknowledged the changes will help the next generation of young servicemembers more than themselves.
·       But veterans who have not yet used up their education benefits, or those who never signed up for the GI Bill when they were serving, can take advantage of the new rules.
·       As long as they served at least three years on active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, they’re eligible for the same free tuition.

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