VA

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VA Benefits and Services
Lets Go Home!
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• Agenda
• Why brief now?
• What happens at Ft McCoy?
• VA Compensation for Injury or Illness
• Health Care
• Readjustment Counseling
• Education
• Vocational Rehabilitation Employment
• Home Loan Guaranty
• Other Benefits Services
• Conclusion Contacts

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Why Brief Now Why at Ft McCoy

• Eliminates 7 hours of briefing at FMWI
• Eliminates 3 days of Home Station briefings and
  service
• Gets you home faster and better prepared
• Ensure you get paid faster, and resolve any
  problems before release from Active Duty

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Travel Claims

• You will prepare and submit your travel voucher
  and supporting documentation on Day 5 of
  Demobilization Processing at FMWI
• You can get a jump on the system and be better
  prepared by going to
• http//washingtonguard.org/FamiliesandVeterans/
• And starting your claim now
• Bottom line, gather your documentation, get
  started on your claim, and you will move quickly
  through FMWI

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KEY SUPPORTINGDOCUMENTS For Travel Claims

• DD 1351-2 (March 2008)
• Mobilization Order (with amendments attached if
  applicable)
• TCS Order (with attached unit roster)
• DD 1610s/TDY Orders/School Orders (itemized
  lodging receipts)
• DD 214 or REFRAD Orders
• Leave Forms DA 31(s), or Leave Report
• Any receipts or expense occurred on TDY (75.00
  and over)
• Submit any partial travel claims.
• Memo showing dates of lockdown (if applicable)

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Employment Assistance

• J1 HRO Staff on Hand to Assist Current AGRs
  Current
• Help available to locate new AGR Technician
  positions
• Staff from Employment Security to answer
  questions and assist with Unemployment Claims,
  finding new jobs
• J9 Employment Transition Coaches to explain new
  apprenticeship and certification programs

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• Understanding the VA
• Veterans Benefits Administration
• All VA benefits - Compensation, Education, Home
  Loan Guaranty, etc.
• Administered by VA Regional Offices
• Veterans Health Administration
• All VA health care services
• Administered by VA Medical Centers, Ambulatory
  Care Community Based Outpatient Clinics, etc.
• Responsible for Vet Centers in all 54 States and
  Territories
• Vet Centers provide Readjustment Counseling
  Services

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Veterans Service Organizations Examples
State Department of Veterans Affairs, The
American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW),DAV, AmVets,, PVA, VVA, MoPHTo contact J9
for a referralngwaj9careerinfo_at_ng.army.mil
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Use a Veteran Service Officer!

• Veterans who receive legal help or aid
• from advocacy groups receive on average
• 11,162, compared with 4,728 for those
• who go it alone
• Source Military.Com 19 July 2007
• At Ft McCoy, you will have an opportunity to
  select a VSO to represent you.
• Strongly recommended

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What is Compensation?

• A service-connected disability is a disease or
  injury incurred or aggravated while on active
  duty.
• The disability does not have to be combat or
  wartime related.
• Receiving VA compensation does not affect your
  drill pay or ability to serve in the Guard.

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Compensation

• Disability Examples
• Torn knee ligament
• Broken bones or damaged joints
• Heart disease/high blood pressure
• Post traumatic stress (including the result of
  sexual trauma)
• Skin condition such as psoriasis

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Compensation

• Compensation is tax free
• Additional Special Monthly Compensation added for
  loss of limb, organ, etc.
• Concurrent retired pay now being phased in
• Concurrent Medical Separation Pay and VA
  Compensation now authorized

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CompensationBenefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)

• Will be available at Ft McCoy during demobe!
• Reduces processing time by over 6 months
• Service members can apply for Compensation and
  vocational rehabilitation and education services
  if within 180 days of separation or retirement

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Use a Veteran Service Officer!

• Veterans who receive legal help or aid
• from advocacy groups receive on average
• 11,162, compared with 4,728 for those
• who go it alone
• Source Military.Com 19 July 2007

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Health Care
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Veterans of Operations Enduring Iraqi Freedom

• VA is authorized to provide hospital care and
  other medical services, including nursing home
  care for a five year period, to veterans who
  served on active duty in a theater of combat
  operations during a period of November 11, 1998
  to Present, for any illness possibly associated
  with service

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Dental

• For recently separated veterans
• who served for 90 days or more, and
• who apply within 180 days of separation.
• While participating in VA vocational
  rehabilitation program
• Note This is for one time treatment of dental
  conditions if the veterans separation document
  does not indicate that necessary dental care was
  received within 90 days prior to release or
  discharge.

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Enrollment

• To receive VA health care, a veteran must enroll
  in the VA health care system
• Must complete VA Form 10-10EZ
• Your Form will be filled out, ready for you to
  review and sign at Ft McCoy
• Thats all there is to it. Review and sign,
  Youre enrolled!

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Readjustment Counseling Service
Vet Centers provide quality readjustment
counseling in a caring manner. Vet Centers
understand and appreciate veterans military
experiences while assisting them and their family
members toward a successful post-military
adjustment in or near their community.
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• Vet Centers Provide
• Readjustment counseling services to combat
  veterans and their families
• Community-based care
• Bereavement counseling for families who lose an
  active duty service member
• Veteran-focused services
• Supportive and completely confidential services

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Vet Centers - Special Services

• Individual Counseling
• Group Counseling
• Marital Family Counseling
• Alcohol Drug Assessment
• Spouse/Significant Other Counseling
• Employment Counseling Guidance

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• Each State may have individual counseling
  services available.
• Information available at Ft McCoy on how to reach
  service providers at home station.

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Bottom Line Healthy people get help.
Professionals use coaches to improve their game.
Youre a professional. Use a coach!
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Chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill - Education
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What does the Post- 9/11 GI Bill cover? You
may receive benefits for any approved program
offered by a school in the United States that is
authorized to grant an associate (or higher)
degree Not for Certificate Programs only AA,
BA, MA, etc.
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• You may be eligible if you served at least 90
  aggregate days on active duty after September 10,
  2001, and you were released from active duty for
  further service in a reserve component of the
  Armed Forces.

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If I am eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill,
Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve, or the
Reserve Educational Assistance Program, am I
eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill? If, on August 1,
2009, you are eligible for one of these programs
and you qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you
may make an irrevocable election to receive
benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
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How much will I receive? Based on your length of
active duty service, you are entitled to a
percentage of the following -Cost of tuition
and fees, not to exceed the most expensive
in-state undergraduate tuition at a public
institution of higher education (paid to school)
-Monthly housing allowance equal to the basic
allowance for housing payable to a military E-5
with dependents, in the same zip code as your
school (paid to you) -Yearly books and supplies
stipend of up to 1000 per year (paid to you)
and -A one-time payment of 500 paid to certain
individuals relocating from highly rural areas.
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NOTE The housing allowance and books and
supplies stipend are not payable to individuals
on active duty. The housing allowance is not
payable to those pursuing training at half time
or less or to individuals enrolled in distance
learning.
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How many months of assistance can I receive?
Generally, you may receive up to 36 months of
entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. How
long am I eligible? You will be eligible for
benefits for 15 years from your last period of
active duty of at least 90 consecutive days. If
you were released for a service-connected
disability after at least 30 days of continuous
service, you will also be eligible for benefits
for 15 years.
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VA Reps will be at FT McCoy to answer
questions. At home Each State has qualified
Education Officer Transition Assistance
Advisor Registrar at School or University you
plan to attend Phone VA For information
assistance on Education benefits call toll-free 1
[phone]
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Home Loan Guaranty
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Features of a VA Loan

• No down payment
• Limitations on closing costs
• The right to prepay without penalty
• Funding Fee
• Negotiated interest rates
• Special assistance for veterans experiencing
  difficulty in making loan payments

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Loan Purposes

• Buy a home
• Build a home
• Simultaneously buy
• and improve a home
• Refinance existing loan
• Use only for property located in the US, its
  territories or possessions
• Must occupy the property as your home within a
  reasonable period of time

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Special Service to 81st Bde

• Your application for a VA Home Loan Certificate
  will be available at Ft McCoy during state demobe
• You complete short, simple form sign
• We will attach DD Form 214 and forward
• Certificate will be mailed to your Permanent HOR

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There is nothing more important than your health
and financial well being. Everything scheduled
for you at Ft McCoy has been streamlined to
ensure the easiest access possible to all
benefits. Subject matter experts will be there
at your service. You will never find an easier
or more efficient time to prepare for your
future. Pay attention. Seek knowledge. Use the
day wisely.