This planned Memorial will be at the foot of Capitol Hill next to the House Rayburn Building. After several years of planning and fund raising they are making a push to net the remaining $12 or $13 million they need. (Ground cannot be broken for a Memorial in Washington until the sponsoring organization has all the money it needs to build it in the bank.) To support the project Representative Dennis Moore (D-KS) and Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) have introduced bills (HR634 and S2119) to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to strike a commemorative silver dollar and donate the collectors’ surcharge to support the Memorial. If you are interested please go to their web site at: www.avdlm.com.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Looking For Honorees-

Since 1999, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (the group that build and maintains The Wall) has held a ceremony every Patriots Day to honor service members who died due to their service in Vietnam, but do not meet the Government’s requirements to be listed on The Wall

For all you non-New England readers, Patriots Day is an old Massachusetts holiday that commemorates the Battles of Lexington and Concord. It now is celebrated on the 3rd Monday of every April. It is also when the Boston Marathon is run.

To be listed on The Wall a service member must have died of injuries suffered in a combat zone. Other deaths (i.e., Agent Orange exposure) caused by Vietnam service can not be a basis of a name appearing on The Wall; so this acknowledgement was developed. If you believe that a friend, colleague or family member should be included in the “In Memory Honor Roll” you should submit an application and supporting documentation, no later than February 1, 2008. For the application form please go to the Fund’s web site at: http://www.vvmf.org. The ceremony this year will be held April 21 at The Wall. Below please find a copy of a detailed press release on the subject.

VA Wait Times Scrutinized by House

A recent joint hearing of the House Health Subcommittee and the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee focused attention on waiting times for outpatient appointments in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The hearing focused on the performance measures, scheduling procedures and reporting systems used by VHA to assess the waiting times experienced by veterans attempting to schedule appointments. Currently, the VA reports that 95 percent of outpatient appointments are scheduled within 30 days of the date requested by the patient, a metric the department established in their annual Performance and Accountability Report (PAR). The VA’s Office of Inspector General (IG), however, questioned the accuracy of the data provided by the VA. The opening statements of all the witnesses are available on the Committee website at: http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?NewsID=165.
[Source: http://veterans.house.gov/news/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=174]

Bill to Aid Wounded Veterans Becomes Law

The Dr. James C. Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act (H.R. 797) will aid veterans who sustained a significant loss of vision in one eye while serving their country. The law allows veterans who have a complete loss of sight in one eye due to a service-connected injury to receive increased disability compensation if they begin to lose sight in the other eye, regardless of whether that loss of sight is service-connected. A 2002 federal law corrected a similar deficiency for those who suffered service-related hearing loss.
[Source: http://tammybaldwin.house.gov/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=1428]

Senate Focuses on Vets Employment Rights

On December 13, 2007, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Senator Daniel K. Akaka, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced legislation to strengthen the employment and reemployment rights of returning Servicemembers. The USERRA Enforcement Improvement Act is designed to strengthen federal enforcement of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which protects Servicemembers’ rights to return to their prior jobs with the same wages and benefits. The bill mandates that federal agencies do more to gather and report on incidents where Servicemembers lost jobs after deployment and requires that the Department of Labor respond with more speed to Servicemembers’ complaints.
[Source: http://www.senate.gov/~svac/public/index.cfm?pageid=12&release_id=11503]

TRICARE Behavioral Health Care Access Made Simpler for Prime Beneficiaries

TRICARE’s Behavioral Health Provider Locator and Appointment Assistance Service is now open for business. All active duty service members and their enrolled family members living in the U.S. who need help locating and making appointments with behavioral health care providers can now contact their Managed Care Support Contractor (MCSC) for assistance. All active duty service members must have a referral from their primary care manager for behavioral health care before calling the MCSC appointment assistance line. TRICARE Prime active duty family members can receive the first eight outpatient behavioral health care visits per fiscal year (Oct. 1-Sept. 30) without a referral, but they must receive the care from TRICARE network providers to avoid point-of-service cost sharing charges. For assistance making behavioral health appointments the toll-free numbers are: West Region, 1-866-651- 4970; North Region, 1-877-747-9579; and in the South Region the number is 1-877-298-3514. Hours vary according to region. TRICARE Oversees Program beneficiaries can also use the appointment assistance line when traveling in the U.S.
[Source: http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=355]


VA Benefits for Elderly and Disabled Veterans

Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits are available from the VA in addition to a pension to assist veterans who need care providers to help perform daily tasks. Veterans can apply for thesee benefits by writing to the VA regional office having jurisdiction of the claim. That would be the office where a claim for pension benefits was filed. If the regional office of jurisdiction is not known, the request may be filed with any VA regional office.
[Source: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/pension/vetpen.htm#7]

New Vendors Added to Exchange Online Store

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service’s Online Store is poised to save military families even more in 2008 with the addition of ten new “virtual vendors.” Vendors include Office Depot, FlagHouse, Sydney’s Closet, Wine Enthusiast, TC Super Store, Hickey Freeman, Bobby Jones, Chains of Command, Moissanite and Symbols of Faith. Authorized AAFES shoppers can visit the virtual stores at http://www.aafes.com.

TV Show Seeks Ex-Military Participants

The casting directors of ABC television’s Wife Swap are looking for military families for the fourth season of their show. Wife Swap is the series where two moms switch houses for six days and live in the shoes of the other woman. All applicants must be retired or honorably discharged. The show cannot feature active duty personnel. In order to apply for the show, families must have two parents and at least one child between the ages of 6-18 still living at home. To learn more about the show please visit http://abc.go.com/primetime/wifeswap/index.html. Anyone interested in joining the show should contact Michelle Silva by emailing michelle.silva@wifeswapcasting.com or by telephone at (646) 747-7946.


Scholarships for Military Children Application Deadline is February 20

Applications for the 2008 Scholarships for Military Children Program must be turned in to a commissary by close of business February 20, 2007. Application forms are available in commissaries worldwide or online at http://www.militaryscholar.org. At least one scholarship worth $1,500 will be awarded at every commissary location with qualified applicants.

The scholarship program is open to unmarried children under the age of 21 (23 if enrolled in school) of active-duty, Reserve, Guard and retired military personnel. Eligibility will be determined using the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System database. Applicants should ensure that they, as well as their sponsor, are currently enrolled in the DEERS database and that they have a current ID card. All applicants must be U.S. citizens. The applicant must be planning to attend, or already attending, an accredited college or university full-time in the fall term of 2008. Students at community or junior colleges must be enrolled in a program of studies designed to transfer directly into a four-year program.

TRICARE Goes Digital

TRICARE for Life (TFL) beneficiaries will soon be able to print a copy of their Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from the convenience of their own homes. Starting this month, the only paper EOB's that TFL beneficiaries living in the United States and U.S. territories will receive will be monthly summaries. In February, beneficiaries will have the option to receive an electronic notification every time a claim processes by logging on to the secure website at www.TRICARE4U.com to view and print their EOB. For more information about the registration process, beneficiaries can call toll-free at 1-866-773-0404 or at the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) telephone number 1-866-773-0405.

Protecting Your Social Security Number

Experts offer the following tips to protect your Social Security number (SSN) and protect yourself from identity theft: Do not carry your Social Security card, passport or birth certificate in your purse or wallet; cancel any credit cards you do not use; do not share your SSN when it is not necessary; remove your name from the marketing lists of the three primary credit bureaus by calling (888) 5OPT-OUT; request a copy of your Social Security Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement at least every three years to make sure the information in your file is correct; be aware of what is on your credit report -- obtain your report once or twice a year to be sure it is correct.

New TRICARE Advocacy Program

The TRICARE Southern Region's new Warrior Navigation & Assistance Program (WNAP) for Wounded Warriors and their families provides guidance to active-duty, National Guard and reserve servicemembers as they transition through the military health care system. Servicemembers can call 1-888-4GO-WNAP for direct access to a multi-disciplinary team that will assist them or their family members. In addition, resources are available on the Humana-Military website including the "Information and Resources for Combat Veterans" brochure and tools for health care providers. This brochure addresses the unique needs of servicemembers returning home from deployment.

TRICARE to Cover Lap-Band Procedure

TRICARE beneficiaries whose weight poses a serious health risk now have a new surgical alternative available. For those who medically qualify, TRICARE now covers laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, also commonly called Lap-Band surgery. Although the TRICARE policy change has only recently been made, coverage is retroactive to Feb. 1, 2007.