What Americans Are Getting Wrong About Veterans

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“TASK AND PURPOSE” By Haley Britzky

“As of 2018, less than 10% of adults in the U.S. were veterans, according to a 2021 report from the Pew Research Center. The number of living veterans is only going to decrease, the same report said; by 2046, “there will be around 12.5 million veterans. 

While the population dwindles, veterans continue to play an outsized role in innumerable facets of American society, from pop culture to politics. And perhaps it’s because of that dwindling population, and because fewer Americans actually know a military veteran, that many misconceptions persist about who veterans are.”

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“A 2020 report from the U.S. Census Bureau said there were nearly 18 million veterans alive in the U.S. — including over three million veterans each of the Global War on Terror and Gulf War, six million veterans of the Vietnam War, and roughly a million veterans of the Korean War. There are fewer than 200,000 U.S. veterans of World War II alive today.

Task & Purpose asked its readers what some of the most common misunderstandings about veterans are. Many people said they’re uncomfortable with being thanked for their service. Some said they wish people knew that just because they served in the military doesn’t make their opinion on anything more valid or qualified. A few readers pointed out how often people assume their male significant other is a veteran — instead of them, a woman. 

“How many of us do people think there are?” one Twitter user said. “I keep hearing all these magic solutions that sound like there are whole cities of vets standing by.” 

From not all veterans fitting into one political ideology to the fact that there are many veterans out there who never saw combat, there are plenty of misunderstandings veterans say they have to explain to their civilian friends and neighbors. 

Just like the general public, the veteran population is diverse 

The military and veteran population is a subset of American society, and like American society, they are diverse in more ways than just gender or background, but also in their beliefs, opinions, and lived experience. 

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are more than 2 million female veterans in the U.S., and women are the “fastest grouping group” of veterans, expected to make up 18% of the veteran community by 2040. Data from the VA also says that the number of veterans who are minorities is only going to increase over the next few decades. 

For example, nearly 13% of veterans are Black and 8% are Hispanic. By 2045, those percentages are expected to increase to 15% and 12%, respectively. 

And when it comes to veterans’ opinions and beliefs, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Like their civilian counterparts, veterans are Republicans and Democrats and everything in between. 

An October 2020 poll from Military Times said while older veterans supported then-President Donald Trump for re-election, younger veterans “significantly [preferred] former Vice President Joe Biden as the next commander in chief.” Another Military Times poll just two months prior saw a drop in support among active-duty troops for Trump.

Not every veteran is a hardened combat vet — and not every veteran has even seen combat

It’s obvious why Hollywood primarily makes movies and television shows about hard-charging combat troops, operators, and high-stakes missions — a movie about an administrative assistant probably wouldn’t break any box-office records. But there is no shortage of non-combat jobs that, while they may not be as exciting to the average civilian, are just as important. 

Take for example someone who works in finance. It may not be the most thrilling job in the military, but service members and their families would certainly notice if their pay is late or incorrect. 

A 2019 survey from the Pew Research Center found that roughly 40% of veterans were never deployed during their military service. That ratio changes for the Global War on Terror generation, of which 77% of veterans said they deployed at least once. Veterans in the post-9/11 generation are also more likely than their immediate predecessors to have seen combat: 49% of GWOT veterans had combat experience, compared to 24% of veterans who served before Sept. 11, according to the Pew Research Center report. 

And ultimately, whether someone saw combat or not doesn’t determine their status as a veteran. They still served. 

Not every veteran has post-traumatic stress

One of the biggest myths of military service is that everyone leaves their respective branch with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. According to the VA, between 11 and 20% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD “in a given year” — meaning the vast majority do not.

Nevertheless, a 2021 study found that of roughly 2,000 U.S. adults surveyed, 67% said they believe most veterans have PTSD; 26% of respondents also said they think the majority of people with PTSD are dangerous. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Experiencing PTSD doesn’t make someone broken, or mean they can’t function in a public place or civilian work environment. 

“[W]e know a lot of people that serve, and they serve well with PTSD. They go on to lead great lives and they get promoted. They do wonderful things,” Dr. Anthony Hassan, the president and CEO of Cohen Veterans Network, a mental health non-profit focusing on post-9/11 veterans, said last year. “So, it’s just a myth that keeps on going despite all of the efforts. There is still a lot more work to be done.” 

And PTSD doesn’t just come from combat. For example, a 2019 Defense Department Inspector General report found that service members who experience military sexual trauma are more likely to develop PTSD than service members who see combat. PTSD is also not specific to veterans — civilians experience traumatic events in their lives, too. 

The bottom line is that PTSD has always been a possible side effect of war, and experiencing it doesn’t make someone any less capable or worthy than someone without it. 

There’s no one reason why people join the military

Though there has long been a stereotype that those who join the military do so because they have no other option, that’s far from the truth. The reasons that service members join run the gamut from simply wanting a career — or even just a few years — in uniform, to wanting to take on a new challenge, or maybe because they saw a kick-ass movie that motivated them to head to the nearest recruiting office. 

A 2018 study of enlisted troops found that many joined because they wanted to travel, the benefits that came with military service, or they just wanted job stability.

Similar misconceptions also exist when it comes to Americans who believe service members signed up because of a burning need to sacrifice and serve their country. A study published in 2020 found that “many Americans continue to subscribe to an idealized image of service members as moved by self-sacrificing patriotism,” and that there are even different beliefs over why people join between troops and their families.

“This belief is most heavily concentrated among conservative Americans. Liberal Americans are more likely to believe that service members join primarily for economic reasons,” the study said. “Those furthest to the left are more inclined to aver that service members join chiefly to escape desperate circumstances. Perhaps most surprising, we discover a disconnect between respondents with military experience and their families: The former are more likely to acknowledge that pay and benefits are a primary motivation for service, whereas their families are more likely to embrace a patriotic service narrative.”

Like any other job, people may have joined the military because they wanted to, or felt passionate about it. Maybe they wanted health care benefits for their family, or they had a friend who told them how fun shooting stuff during training was. Maybe their grandparents served and they wanted to carry on their family legacy, or they didn’t know what the hell else to do with their life and needed to buy time to figure out a long-term plan.” 

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U.S Army World War II Veteran Andre Chappaz, who served from 1943-1946, salutes the flag during the national anthem in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia, Nov. 3, 2022. (Cpl. Yvonna Guyette/U.S. Marine Corps)

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/military-veterans-misconceptions

Haley Britzky joined Task & Purpose as the Army reporter in January 2019. She previously worked at Axios covering breaking news. She reports on important developments within the service, from new uniforms to new policies; the realities of military life facing soldiers and their families; and broader cultural issues that expand outside of the Army, touching each of the military services. Contact the author here.

 

‘Warrior Rising’- Empowering U. S. Military Veterans And Their Families In Small Business

“JUST GIVING”

“Warrior Rising https://www.warriorrising.org/ empowers U.S. military veterans and their immediate family members by providing them opportunities to create sustainable businesses, perpetuate the hiring of fellow U.S. military veterans, and earn their future.“

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“Warrior Rising is a tribe of veterans and veteran supporters. Our goal is to provide veterans with a purpose and community post-military service. We are dedicated to empowering veterans in the most sustainable and altruistic way possible – we help them help themselves. We believe that true charity is providing a hand up, not a hand out. We believe in educating someone to help themselves.

Vetrepreneurs come from all walks of life but they share a few things in common: dedicated service to our country, discipline, and a strong drive to accomplish mission against daunting odds. We take pride in giving our vetrepreneurs a respectful hand up to achieve success and are equally proud to count them as members of the Warrior Community for a lifetime.

At Warrior Rising, we focus on the individual vetrepreneurs and their needs at a given stage in their business development. We assess what is the particular obstacle you are facing and give recommendations on a sound course of action to pursue to overcome them through partnerships, mentoring and economic assistance. We take pride in providing our Veterans with opportunities to earn employment, create sustainable businesses and perpetuate the hiring of fellow U.S. Military veterans.

Whether it is instruction, mentoring, access to funding opportunities, or reconnecting to the sense of community that existed in the military, we ensure that you are not walking the path to success alone or in the dark.

While you were busy creating your empire back home, our veterans were serving our country overseas. They were defending our freedom and sacrificed so much so we can live the life that we dreamed of. Now, it’s our time to serve them.”

https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/WRMarchtoaMillion

Nearly 50K Veterans Used Emergency Suicide Prevention Program In Its First Year

“THE HILL” By Lauren Sforza

“The VA announced that 49,714 veterans and former service members took advantage of a new benefit that allowed them to go to any VA or non-VA health facility to get free emergency care if they were experiencing an acute suicidal crisis.”

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“The department said the benefit not only offered potentially life-saving health care, it saved more than $64 million in health care costs.

“There is nothing more important to VA than preventing Veteran suicide — and this expansion of no-cost care has likely saved thousands of lives this year,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement. “We want all Veterans to know they can get the care they need, when they need it, no matter where they are.”

The department said the new policy allowed those experiencing a suicidal crisis to get necessary care, including emergency room visits, up to 30 days of inpatient or crisis residential care, up to 90 days of outpatient care and transportation costs.

The VA also said that the policy expanded no-cost care to 9 million veterans with its inaugural launch last year.

Veterans are 57 percent more likely to commit suicide than those who have not served, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among veterans under the age of 45, according to the organization Stop Soldier Suicide.

The most recent report from the VA found that there were 6,392 veteran suicide deaths in 2021 — up 114 deaths from the year prior.

The report also said that suicide was the 13th leading cause of death among all veterans in 2021, with the most occurring among those aged 18 to 34.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lauren Sforza is a breaking news reporter for The Hill. Lauren graduated with a degree in political communication from The George Washington University, where she worked as an editor for the student-run newspaper, The GW Hatchet. She currently resides in northern New Jersey.

VA says nearly 50K veterans used emergency suicide prevention program in its first year

For Veterans Day – What Can We Learn From People Who Are Different From Us To Avoid Future ‘Walls Of Faces’?

Vietnam War Wall of Faces

On Veterans Day, our active duty military soldiers are the best in the world to defend us if war occurs.  They cannot defend against the financial influence and political weight of the largest military industrial complex in world history.  Managing  that threat is the voters job. 

What I have learned in two combat tours and 36 years in the weapons systems business is that someone different than I may not have the same value system as I possess, but by learning from them I will be able to make distinctions between my values and theirs. 

That permits me to consider accepting the differences between us without prejudice, communicate with them and move forward on common objectives.All wars eventually result in negotiated settlements. Avoiding them by learning and negotiation in the first place is the most effective war weapon and by far the least costly in materials, debt and lives. 

As a participant over the last half century I have learned a considerable amount about

TWO MAJOR DRIVING FACTORS IN OUR RECENT WAR HISTORY

DRIVING FACTOR 1 – GOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR  MOTIVES:

The motives of the U.S. Military Industrial Complex (MIC) and The US Agency for International Development (USAID) contractors fostered continuing wars. 

Continued wars net billions in sales of weapons and massive construction and redevelopment dollars for contracting companies.It is common knowledge that many of these corporations spend more each year in lobbying costs than they pay in taxes and pass exorbitant overhead and executive pay costs on to the tax payer, thus financing the riches of their operating personnel while remaining marginally profitable to stockholders.

I watched this from the inside of many of these companies for 36 years. You can read my dissertation on the subject at:

Odyssey of Armaments | Ken Larson – Academia.edu

Here is an example of how the lobbying and behind the scenes string-pulling worked during the run up and the conduct of the war incursion into Iraq: 

CorpWatch : US: Lockheed Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

DRIVING FACTOR 2 – LACK OF CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING 

There has been a  complete lack of cultural understanding between U.S. decision makers and the cultures they have been trying to “Assist” by nation building. 

The only real cultural understanding that existed during the period was in the person of General Schwarzkopf who spent much of his youth in the Middle East with his father, an ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He was fascinated by the Arab culture, commanded their respect and, like Eisenhower, led a successful coalition during the first Gulf War to free Kuwait.  

He astutely recommended no occupation of Iraq, went home and stayed out of government. Norman, like General Eisenhower, knew the power of the MIC. 

Eisenhower’s Departing Speech

U.S Tax payers funded billions in USAID and construction projects in Iraq. The money was wasted due to a lack of cultural understanding, waste,  fraud and abuse. The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) has documented that aspect of the Iraq war history, as well as similar motives and abuses in Afghanistan. 

POGO on Iraq

We now have history repeating itself – much like Vietnam, the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and now the Gaza conflict, the above two factors are deeply at play as we look back over our shoulder. We must come to the understanding, like a highly respected war veteran and West Point instructor has, that military victory is dead:

“Victory’s been defeated; it’s time we recognized that and moved on to what we actually can accomplish.”

Military Victory is Dead

Frank Spinney is an expert on the MIC. He spent the same time I did on the inside of the Pentagon while I worked Industry. You may find his interviews informative.

Inside the Pentagon: 30-Year Insider Chuck Spinney

THE INESCAPABLE CONCLUSIONS:  

The two major war making factors discussed here have been in play from Vietnam, the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and now to the continued Middle East bedlam. 

Political and military values on both sides of a world conflict collide when governments and weapons makers treasure the economic windfalls in collective military industrial technology and refuse to negotiate. Soldiers and civilians then die. 

Our near term future as a country involves weighty decisions regarding our fiscal and national security.  There will be trade-offs. We are approaching a National Debt of $34 Trillion with a downgraded fiscal credit rating while carrying the financial burden of ongoing support for NATO and the Ukraine war, the Middle East Gaza conflict, as well as domestic program needs. 

 A look over our shoulder at the two driving factors in our recent warfare is useful when viewing our future while making prudent decisions regarding our future financial and defense security. Every U.S. citizen from the individual voter to the politician must consider them. 

Effective negotiation must involve learning the other party’s values, not simply the perceived threat they represent to us because we do not know them.

From the neighborhood to the boardroom, from the statehouse to the Congress, we would do well to learn more about those different from us before we fight.

‘Connecting The Dots’ In the Military And Veterans Health Care Systems Maze

By Ken Larson

A Vietnam Veteran and former federal contracts manager, who has been in the VA Health Care System for 16 years, offers history and experience while connecting the dots with some tough solutions.

The expense and poor performance in the VA Healthcare records system upgrade, recently highlighted in the Congress and the Press, reveal a dire necessity for simplification, communication and efficiency in processes and systems.

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The news media, the auditors and the average American are pointing the finger at the President and the Head of the VA.  One cannot ignore the accountability aspects of these individuals.  

However, the real root causes lie in the massive volume of war veterans returning from our wars in the Middle East over the last two decades, coupled with the historically poor process and systems work conducted between the Department of Defense and the VA utilizing poorly managed contractors taking home millions on systems specifications that change like the wind blows.

 HISTORY: After returning from two combat tours in Vietnam, I worked in the government contracting environment for 36 years then went through the VA system as a Veteran getting treatment at retirement in 2006. I am in the system today.

In 2006 I found the VA had a magnificent system capable of handling medical records and treatment anywhere in the world once a veteran was in the system; a key point.  Why have we had such deterioration?

ANSWER:   We have not experienced deterioration in services within the VA itself, except  from pressures due to millions returning from war coupled with COVID factors and human beings who look for excuses when systems fail.

We have had 2 decades of Middle East incursions, a sudden discharge of veterans and poor management from the DOD to the VA, from the systems contractors to the state veterans homes.  Veterans fall through the cracks as a result. We have a cost plus contracting scenario in the form of veterans care systems mismanagement and it will cost billions to fix. 

THAT IS THE COST OF WAR. We must have effective and timely veterans health care or our volunteer army will disappear. Low recruiting numbers in the present day are demonstrating that fact.

THE TOTAL SPECTRUM MUST BE VIEWED TO MANAGE THE ISSUES. 

BACKGROUND

A 3 part special in Time Magazine in 2013 addressed the serious gaps developing between treatment,  benefits and services processes and systems between the military  services and the Veterans Administration:

https://nation.time.com/2013/04/22/what-the-hell-is-going-on-with-va/#ixzz2RnspoSM4

“While awaiting  processing, “the veteran’s claim sits stagnant for up to 175 days as VA  awaits transfer of complete (service treatment records) from DoD,”:

After years of work to move toward integrated electronic records that would eliminate this sort of delay, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel conceded in that the Defense Department was not holding up its end of the bargain to improve the disability process.

“I didn’t think, we knew what the hell we were doing.”:

DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health record system

HISTORICAL SIMILARITIES

The above scenario is not unlike the Walter Reed Army Hospital care fiasco a few years ago, before the facility was shut down and consolidated with the Bethesda Naval facility.

https://www.wbur.org/npr/139641856/in-2007-walter-reed-was-the-armys-wakeup-call

OTHER SYMPTOMS

The VA decided to have those who would  actually use the system (claims processors) work with software  developers. This process would take longer, they estimated, but would create a system more  likely to meet the needs of those who actually use it. VA also worked closely with major Congressional-chartered veterans’ service  organizations.

2013 was the year in which regional offices were to be transitioned to the resulting electronic system.  It obviously did not occur as planned.

In recent years a switch to the commercial software approach through a single company contract award without competition by the VA has been a $16 Billion debacle. The non-compete contract was justified because the awarded contractor already had the in-process contract for DOD records system modernization.

Veterans Administration $16 Billion Medical Records Overhaul Could Triple In Cost

ROOT CAUSE

Both DOD and the Veterans  Administration use service contractors to perform this type of systems development.  Government Computer News (GCN)  carried a story on the  difficulties experienced with, “Performance-Based Contracting”, which  has been made part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) in an  attempt to pre-establish at contract award those discrete outcomes that determine if and when a contractor will be paid.

https://www.route-fifty.com/digital-government/2006/12/performance-based-contracting-still-baffles-agencies/301132/

Interestingly enough, the article splits the blame for the difficulties right down the middle, stating the government typically has problems  defining what it wants as an end product or outcome and looks to  contractors to define it for them. More than willing to do so, the contractors detail specific end products or outcomes, set schedule  milestones and submit competitive proposals.

The winner is selected based on what the government thinks it needs at  the time to fulfill its requirement and a contract is negotiated. Once underway, the government decides it wants something else (usually a  management-by-government committee phenomena with a contractor growing  his product or service by offering lots of options).

The resulting  change of contract scope invalidates the original price and schedule, so  a whole new round of proposals and negotiations must occur with the  winner while the losers watch something totally different evolve than  that for which they competed. The clock keeps ticking and the winner  keeps getting his monthly bill paid based on incurred cost or progress  payments.

CONCLUSION

The present state of the economy and the needs of our servicemen will not allow the aforementioned to  continue. Government agencies are now hard pressed to insure the most  “Bang for the Buck”. It is in the long term interests of the politician, the DOD, the VA and astute contractors to assist in that endeavor. 

(1)The only way to achieve such an objective is through sound technical, cost and schedule contract definition via an iterative process of baseline management and control.

https://www.smalltofeds.com/2009/08/contract-baseline-management-in-small.html

(2)  Government civil servants must be trained to report systemic poor service up the line in lieu of hiding bad news from superiors or developing workarounds.  This must be an expectation built into their job description and they must be rewarded and promoted for meeting that requirement just as they are for the other requirements of their jobs. 

The first whistle to be blown must be to the boss when the service issue occurs, not to the press a year from the occurrence. 

Government service contracting improvement in DOD and the Veterans Administration as well as better management of federal government contractors are mandatory. There are solutions, but they involve accountability, discipline and change.

Our returning soldiers and those who have served before deserve better”

What Are VA Medical and Disability Benefits, and How Do You Get Them?

MILITARY.COM By Jim Absher

“You may know that veterans may be eligible for free medical care and payments for disabilities, but exactly who is eligible and how do they go about getting these hard-earned benefits?“

What Health and Disability Benefits Does the VA Offer?

Veterans, and in some cases their dependents, may be eligible for many health and disability benefits, including:

• Veterans Disability Compensation: Paid to veterans with a service-connected disability.
• Special Monthly Compensation: Paid in addition to disability compensation for seriously injured veterans with special conditions.
• Aid and Attendance or Housebound Benefits: Paid to veterans who require in-home care and assistance or have difficulty leaving their home due to their injuries.
• Veterans Health Care: Provided free or at reduced cost to eligible veterans.
• CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs): Health care for families of severely disabled veterans, or survivors of veterans who died as a result of their service.
• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) – Payable to surviving spouses of veterans who were severely disabled or died as a result of their service.

Many more VA benefits are available to veterans and their families; many states also offer expanded benefits to veterans who are receiving federal VA benefits.

The VA will normally only provide free medical care for any injuries or illnesses related to your military service. However, if your disability or injury is severe enough for the VA to rate you at least 50% disabled for compensation benefits, all your medical care is free from the VA.

If you have a lower level of disability rating, you may have to pay the VA a copayment, depending on what type of medical services you get and what condition you are being treated for.

For instance, if you are rated 10% disabled for high blood pressure, you can get your doctor’s appointments and blood pressure medication for free from the VA. However, you may have to pay a copay for any medicine that isn’t for your high blood pressure, or treatment for other conditions.

See: VA Medical Services and Medication Copayments

Who Is Eligible?

Basically, any veteran who suffered an injury or developed a chronic illness during their service that requires treatment after leaving the service may be eligible for these benefits. Veterans with a dishonorable discharge are not eligible, and there are other requirements, including how long you served and how long it has been since you got out.

Related: Some Combat Veterans Have Extra Eligibility to VA Health Care

For instance, if you broke your leg during your service and it still is painful or makes you limp, you may be eligible to get medical treatment from the VA for your leg. Depending on the extent of your injury, you may also be eligible to receive a monthly tax-free disability compensation payment from the VA as well.

However, depending on how you got your injury, you may not be eligible.

For instance, if you were driving drunk and broke your leg in a wreck, you may not be eligible for benefits. According to the law, “no compensation shall be paid if the disability is a result of the veteran’s own willful misconduct or abuse of alcohol or drugs.”

Also, if you got hurt while in the service but never got treated for it, you may be out of luck when seeking VA benefits. Normally, your injury or illness must have been documented in your medical or service records before the VA will give you any benefits for it. Otherwise, the VA has no way of knowing you didn’t hurt yourself after leaving the service.

A very important detail for the VA in granting any health-care or disability benefit is the information it receives from the military. In a case of possible misconduct, such as drunk driving, the VA will examine your military records to determine whether the service determined your injury was “in the line of duty” or “as a result of misconduct.” The VA will also examine medical records to determine your medical history.

There are also certain situations, like exposure to chemicals or mental-health issues, where the VA will examine your unit’s deployment history and locations of service to determine your eligibility to certain benefits, such as burn-pit related illnesses or illnesses related to chemical exposure.

There are some medical conditions that may not appear until many years after exposure to chemicals or certain conditions; the VA calls these presumptive conditions. If you have one of these illnesses, you may be eligible for special medical treatment or disability benefits. Examples include living on a base with contaminated drinking water, burn-pit related illnesses or Agent Orange exposure.

How to Apply

The VA cannot provide any medical care or disability benefits until you apply for them. The easiest way to apply is online at VA.gov.

In most cases, the process is pretty straightforward. However, there are exceptions to any rule, and sometimes the process can take quite awhile or require a lot of hassle, so it’s always best to keep all your service records and ensure everything is documented before you submit anything to the VA.

You can upload scans or pictures of your documents and can apply on a mobile device or computer. You can also begin an application, add documents and submit the application later, when you have more information or documents. If you don’t have any documents, the VA can still process your claim. However, it may slow down the process since the VA has to get your information from the military, and sometimes things get lost.

In most cases, you can do all the paperwork yourself. However, if it is confusing or you have a complicated situation, the best option is to contact a Veterans Service Organization, such as the American Legion or Disabled American Veterans, to help you.

Remember, you do not have to pay to file a claim for any veterans benefits.

Stay on Top of Your Veteran Benefits

Military benefits are always changing. Keep up with everything from pay to health care by subscribing to Military.com, and get access to up-to-date pay charts and more with all latest benefits delivered straight to your inbox.”

https://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits/what-are-va-medical-and-disability-benefits-and-how-do-you-get-them.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jim Absher, Military.com’s benefits editor and columnist, joined the Navy to see the world and later realized the world is 2/3 water. He also worked for the VA in field offices and Washington, DC before coming to Military.com in 2015.

High Turnover On House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Again This Session

“MILITARY TIMES” By Leo Shane III

“Once again, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will begin its work this year with more new members than returning ones.

Thirteen of the 25 representatives on the panel — charged with crafting veterans policy legislation and overseeing issues related to the Department of Veterans Affairs — did not serve on the committee last session. Of that group, 11 are freshmen members of Congress.”

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“Unlike high-profile House committees where only a few seats may open up each new session, high turnover on the veterans committee is common. In the last seven congressional sessions, the committee has replaced more than half of its members six times.

That has been a point of frustration for some advocates in the past, who say that much of their time at the start of each new session is spent educating staff on current challenges with VA and pending legislative proposals from the previous year.

This year, the switch of the House from Democratic to Republican control further exacerbated the issue. Under the agreement negotiated by party leaders on membership ratios, Republicans added one more seat on the committee while Democrats lost five.

In announcing this year’s members, both new committee chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., and ranking member Mark Takano, D-Calif., praised the diversity and varied experience of the members. Takano has been on the panel for the last 10 years, while Bost has been on for eight.

“Veterans across the country are lucky to have these men and women from all walks of life fighting for them on Capitol Hill,” Bost said in a statement.

Ten of the committee members are veterans, including Bost, who served in the Marine Corps.

The new committee members are:

• Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C.;
• Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Pa.;
• Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wisc.;
• Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas;
• Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz.;
• Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz.;
• Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas;
• Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va.;
• Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill.;
• Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa.;
• Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky.;
• Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio;
• Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill.;

The committee is expected to begin public hearings on policy priorities next month.”

About Leo Shane III

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

For 2023 – Understand The Differences Between GI Bill Education Benefits Programs

“MILITARY TIMES” By Harm Venhuizen

“When pursuing an education after the military, veterans are often faced with the choice between using the Montgomery GI Bill or the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Which of these benefits is right for you depends on your educational goals and service history.

Veterans eligible for both the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bills have to do the math on which will provide the most assistance in their situation.”

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“Both the Montgomery and the Post-9/11 GI Bills offer up to 36 months of tuition assistance, but eligibility and payment structures differ. Although veterans can only use one GI Bill at a time, those eligible for both programs can extend their benefits to a maximum of 48 months, receiving another benefit for 12 months.

Post-9/11 GI Bill

Under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the VA will pay up to the in-state tuition price tag of public universities. For veterans enrolled in a private institution, tuition assistance is capped at a current national maximum of $26,042.81.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill also offers benefits including a monthly housing allowance, annual book stipend of up to $1,000, and a one-time relocation payment for eligible recipients.

The monthly housing allowance is typically the same as the basic allowance for housing that an E-5 with dependents would receive in the same zip code.

For veterans who separated prior to Jan. 1, 2013, Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits expire 15 years after separation, but the “Forever GI Bill” passed in 2017 removed this limitation for servicemembers separating after Jan. 1, 2013.

Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits can also be transferred to the servicemember’s dependents.

Veterans receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits can also apply to school with a Yellow Ribbon program, which helps cover the gap between benefits and out-of-state tuition, graduate school tuition, or costs at private institutions. Only certain schools have Yellow Ribbon agreements with the VA, so be sure to check with your desired institution first.

The Montgomery GI Bill

The Montgomery GI Bill breaks down into two types, the MGIB Active Duty and the MGIB Selected Reserve. MGIB-SR benefits, which are open to members of reserve and National Guard forces, pay a flat-rate check of $397 to full-time students each month.

The MGIB-AD, however, offers up to a $2,122 monthly rate. These rates change each year.

Instead of paying tuition benefits to the school, as the Post-9/11 GI Bill does, the MGIB sends a monthly check directly to the student. Students are not eligible for housing allowances or book stipends and cannot receive additional funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. MGIB benefits cannot be transferred to dependents.

While on active duty, the MGIB offers a buy-up program for servicemembers to contribute to. Servicemembers who paid into this fund to increase their benefits can only use their contributions under the MGIB.

So, which GI Bill is better?

In most scenarios, the Post-9/11 GI Bill offers veteran students more financial assistance than the MGIB, especially when pursuing a standard, four-year degree at an accredited higher learning institution or passing your benefits to a dependent. There are a few exceptions, however. Namely:

Taking tests: When pursuing a license or paying for a standardized test, the Post-9/11 GI Bill may charge you a greater amount of benefits entitlement than the MGIB. This depends on the cost of the test and varies by scenario.

Part-time students: If you’re only taking classes part time, it may be more beneficial to use MGIB benefits. This is because the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t pay monthly housing allowances to students with a rate of pursuit under 50 percent. Tuition assistance is then paid relative to the rate of pursuit. Under the MGIB, lower percentages of benefits could wind up giving you more cash than receiving the Post-9/11 GI Bill without a housing allowance would.

Ineligible for 100% of the Post-9/11 GI Bill: Veterans who didn’t serve on active duty for more than 36 months aren’t eligible for 100% of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Post-9/11 GI Bill pro-rates your allowances based on the amount of time you did serve on active duty, whereas the MGIB allows veterans to make a lump-sum contribution to close the gap between their time served and 100-percent eligibility requirements.

Online classes: If taking online classes with a low cost per credit, veterans can pocket more cash by taking advantage of their MGIB benefits instead of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. This is because the Post-9/11 GI Bill limits the housing allowance paid to students who are entirely online.

For veterans thinking about using their GI Bill benefits to pursue an education, the smartest thing to do is research options well in advance.

Every veteran has unique educational goals and circumstances, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to using your GI Bill.”

About Harm Venhuizen

Harm Venhuizen is an editorial intern at Military Times. He is studying political science and philosophy at Calvin University, where he’s also in the Army ROTC program.

https://www.militarytimes.com/education-transition/2021/03/19/montgomery-or-post-911-which-gi-bill-is-right-for-you/

America’s Most Decorated Native American Veteran Was Wounded In Three Wars

“MILITARY.COM” By Blake Stilwall

“Poolaw would become the U.S. military’s most decorated veteran, serving in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. During his service, he earned 42 medals and citations, including four Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts, one for each war in which he fought.”

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“Despite the troubled history between native tribes and the U.S. government, American Indians have served in every major American conflict in the country’s history. They also enlist in the U.S. military at five times the national average of other demographics. It’s a good thing, too, because without native warriors like Pascal Poolaw, American military history might look entirely different.

Poolaw was born into the Kiowa Nation in 1922, at a time when American Indians weren’t even considered natural-born citizens of the United States. Indigenous people wouldn’t have the right to natural-born citizenship until Congress passed the Indian Citizenship Act in 1924. Poolaw’s military story isn’t just about his country, however; it’s also about his dedication to family.

He first joined the Army in 1942, following his father and two brothers who were already fighting in World War II. By 1944, he was fighting with the 4th Infantry Division in Europe. While assaulting the Siegfried Line in Belgium, then-Staff Sgt. Poolaw noticed a strong German counterattack threatening his machine gun squad.

Pushing his men forward, he began tossing grenades at the advancing enemy while under heavy returning fire. The effort dispersed the Germans and saved his unit. After repelling the German assault, his company continued its attack on the Siegfried Line. He was awarded his first Silver Star for making a stand against a concentrated enemy formation. Poolaw was also wounded in the effort, receiving his first Purple Heart.

When the Korean War broke out in 1950, Poolaw was still in the Army and was sent to Korea with Army’s 25th Infantry Division. The 25th Infantry Division was one of the units that cut off the approaches to the port city of Pusan early in the war, preventing the communists from pushing United Nations forces into the sea and capturing Korea.

After the Incheon Landing put 40,000 U.S. and allied troops behind the communist lines in September 1950, the 25th broke out of what was then known as the Pusan Perimeter. Poolaw was there. Although the bulk of the enemy forces fell apart in disarray from the UN’s one-two punch, there were elements of stiff resistance. Poolaw was with a company of men against that kind of resistance.

On Sept. 19, 1950, Sgt. 1st Class Poolaw of Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment volunteered to lead a squad against a numerically superior force dug in at the top of a hill. His squad surprised the enemy’s perimeter, fighting a brutal hand-to-hand engagement while the rest of C Company followed and captured the position. Poolaw was awarded another Silver Star, but he was far from finished in Korea.

By April 1951, fighting was centered on or near the 38th Parallel, where the war had ground into a bloody stalemate. At Chongong-ni, then-Master Sgt. Poolaw’s platoon was pinned down by automatic weapons fire, mortars and whatever else the communists could throw at them.

To relieve the pressure on his men, Poolaw advanced under this onslaught, firing his rifle in the open terrain. Poolaw distracted the enemy, drawing all their fire on himself. As he moved, his platoon maneuvered to a better vantage point and returned fire on the enemy position, and he was awarded a third Silver Star.

His courage under fire in Korea earned him a battlefield promotion to second lieutenant and later a promotion to first lieutenant. He returned to the United States shortly after, where his four sons, all of whom would serve in the military, were growing up fast. In 1962, Poolaw retired from the Army after 20 years of service and four years in combat.

But Poolaw wasn’t away from the Army for long. The United States was soon involved in another war, this time in Vietnam. His sons were old enough to serve and three of them would fight in Vietnam. In 1967, Pascal Poolaw Jr. lost his right leg to a land mine there. Shortly after, his son Lindy received a draft notice and would soon be on his way to Vietnam. The elder Poolaw decided to reenlist and serve one more time.

To ensure he would see action in Vietnam, Poolaw resigned his commission, became a non-commissioned officer once more and volunteered to serve in combat, all in an effort to keep Lindy out of the war zones. He missed deploying with his son by one day.

Deploying to Vietnam with the 26th Infantry Regiment in May 1967, he was named first sergeant of his company. A few months later, he was on a search and destroy mission as part of Operation Shenandoah II in Loc Ninh. It was an attempt to secure South Vietnam’s Highway 13 as it was being repaired for use by American and South Vietnamese forces.

The company was moving through a rubber plantation as it was ambushed by the Viet Cong. The ambush began with accurate sniper fire, but the unit was soon engulfed by claymore mines, rockets, small arms and automatic weapons. Outnumbered and outgunned, Poolaw tried to organize the lead squad to establish a base of fire and move wounded troops.

Already wounded in the initial ambush, Poolaw was hit by incoming Viet Cong fire as he attempted to pull one of his wounded soldiers to safety. He succumbed to the wound that day, Nov. 7, 1967, at the age of 45. He posthumously received his fourth Silver Star and third Purple Heart.

Irene Poolaw, his wife of 37 years, said in his eulogy: “He has followed the trail of the great chiefs. His people hold him in honor and highest esteem. He has given his life for the people and the country he loved so much.”

https://www.military.com/history/americas-most-decorated-native-american-veteran-was-wounded-three-wars.html?utm_campaign=dfn-ebb&utm_medium=email&utm_source=sailthru&SToverlay=2002c2d9-c344-4bbb-8610-e5794efcfa7d

— Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on Facebook.

Transition Stress – The Veteran’s Battle In Returning Home

Image: “Alignable“

“ALIGNABLE“

“The numbers are staggering — two-thirds of the 245,000 former soldiers returning home annually are affected by something called Transition Stress.

This immense stress can sideline many wonderful, talented veterans, leading to everything from general aimlessness and depression to suicide.”

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“Everyone wants the best for the members of our military coming home after years of service, fighting for our country.  But so many of these wonderful, courageous and giving people come back and have MAJOR struggles — that often don’t seem to be well-addressed. Just look at the suicide rate! Of the 245,000 veterans who return home every year, at least 20 commit suicide every day.  That’s an alarming and heartbreaking statistic that needs to change.

Two people who are working to make this transition between military and civilian life much less stressful and much more successful are Alignable Power Users Julie and CJ Niehoff.  They founded and now run an incredible organization called SkillsAfterService.com, and they’re the stars of Casto’s Closeup, Episode 7.

Julie and CJ coach former members of the military on everything from the language that’s used in Corporate America or Entrepreneurial America, to the best ways to present themselves in interviews to demonstrate how their many skills can translate well to different job opportunities. Ultimately, they want to help veterans to find a purpose they can be proud of in their next job — a purpose that helps them to fully embrace this chapter of their lives.

CJ and Julie also show former soldiers how to create their own business and then grow it, if they want to go the entrepreneurial route.

In our video, we dig deep to explore many of the struggles former soldiers experience — and the solutions CJ and Julie have found to help them.

We learn that of the 245,000 soldiers each year that leave the military, a good two-thirds of them are affected by Transition Stress. In fact, this is much more common among veterans than PTSD is, though very few media outlets have reported on Transition Stress.  This immense stress can sideline many wonderful, talented veterans, leading to everything from general aimlessness and depression to suicide. 

But the good news is that the compassionate, but goal-oriented SkillsAfterService.com programs are designed to help combat Transition Stress and channel the skills and approaches needed to find or create meaningful work in the civilian world.

If you have a friend or loved one who is about to leave the military, or has left already and doesn’t know what to do next, please go to SkillsAfterService.com’s Alignable Profile.  Any former member of the military would be in great hands with CJ and Julie.

We hope you enjoy this very topical episode. Please feel free to share it widely. 

Also, for any veterans reading this story, please be sure to add our new veteran-owned business tag to your profile.

After the majority of our veterans tag their profiles, all you’ll need to do is press that tag to see who else served in the military. Then you’ll have an instant community to connect with — as business contacts, as well as new friends who share a common bond.

Thanks again for reading!”

https://www.alignable.com/blog/helping-vets-win-at-home-overcoming-major-work-related-battles