Weekly Military Info, week of Jan. 12, 2009

11,000 Survivors to Get Retro Payment
Nearly 11,000 surviving spouses of deceased veterans received a lump-sum payment before the New Year to correct an error in their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits in which they did not receive the veteran's VA compensation or pension benefit for the month of the veteran's death. VA officials are still tracking down eligible survivors. VA established a special Survivor Call Center (1-800-749-8387) for spouses who believe they may be eligible for this retroactive benefit. The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Central Standard Time. Inquiries may also be submitted online at the (http://www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm) VA Veterans Benefits Administration webpage.

Health Care for Formerly Ineligible Vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced plans to re-open enrollment in its health care system by July 2009 to about 265,000 veterans whose incomes exceed the current VA means test and geographic means test income thresholds by 10 percent or less - socalled Priority 8 applicants. Enrollment for the lowest priority of the eight groups - veterans who are not being compensated for a military-related disability and who have incomes above a set threshold - was suspended on January 18, 2003, although veterans in the priority eight group who were already enrolled for care were permitted to remain enrolled. VA originally suspended enrollment for Priority 8 veterans because it was unable to provide all enrolled veterans with timely access to its health care due to a tremendous growth in the number of veterans then seeking enrollment. VA now plans to reopen enrollment for a portion of these veterans without compromising the Department's ability to provide high quality health care services to all enrolled veterans who are eligible for care. (http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,182858,00.html) Read the full article.

State Veteran Benefits
Veterans pursuing their educational goals are usually eligible for "educational assistance for students" in most states. Educational benefits for veterans and their dependents, particularly the children of deceased and disabled veterans, are also available in some states. Military.com has developed an on-line general summary of educational benefits for veterans and their dependents. (http://education.military.com/money-for-school/state-veteran-benefits?ESRC=vr.nl) View the full summary by state here.

Army Commemorative Coin Act
President George W. Bush signed the "United States Army Commemorative Coin Act of 2008" into law, authorizing the creation of a series of commemorative coins to recognize and celebrate the establishment of the U.S. Army in 1775, and to honor the service and sacrifice of American Soldiers of both past and present, in wartime and in peace. These will be the first U.S. coins ever issued to celebrate and honor the Army and its 234 year heritage. The U.S. Mint will work on six coin designs, front and back with the Army Historical Foundation. Coins will be minted and sold during 2011 and come in a $5 gold piece, a silver dollar and a copper-clad half dollar. An estimated $10-$12 million of the sales revenues will help fund the National Museum of the U.S. Army slated for construction at Fort Belvoir, Va.

VA Steps Up Job Search
Thirty percent of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are veterans, and nearly 8 percent of VA employees are service-connected disabled veterans. But, the VA intends to increase the number of disabled veterans who obtain employment in its workforce. All severely injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be contacted by VA's Veterans Employment Coordination Service to determine their interest in - and qualifications for - VA jobs. VA coordinators participate in military career fairs and transition briefings, and partner with veterans organizations, the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service, as well as VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service, the Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Regiment and the Army's Warrior Transition Units.

2009 Thunderbirds Show Schedule
The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, " (http://www.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=185) Thunderbirds," announced its 2009 air show schedule. In their 56th season, the Thunderbirds are scheduled to perform more than 73 shows in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Far East. The 2009 show schedule is available on the (http://thunderbirds.airforce.com/home.html) U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron Thunderbirds website.

VA Travel Increase for Some
Service-disabled and low-income veterans who are reimbursed for travel expenses while receiving care at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities saw an increase in their payments as of Jan. 9, 2009. A recently passed law allows VA to cut the amount it must withhold from their mileage reimbursement. The deductible amount will be $3 for each one-way trip and $6 for each round trip -- with a calendar cap of $18, or six one-way trips or three round trips, whichever comes first. The previous deductible was $7.77 for a one-way trip and $15.54 for a round trip, with a calendar cap of $46.62.

Featured Job: Federal Opportunities
Military.com has hundreds of federal jobs posted for the New Year. Search exclusively in industry and land a job with advancement opportunities, great benefits, and competitive salary. (http://web50.military.com/cgi-bin/outlog.cgi?url=http%3A//www.military.com/government?ESRC=vr.nl&code=vr_011209_job) Search now.

Deal of the Week: 30% Off Sunglasses & Jewelry
Take 30% off all designer and celebrity inspired sunglasses and jewelry. Offer valid to all military personnel, active duty and retired. (http://web50.military.com/cgi-bin/outlog.cgi?url=http%3A//benefits.military.com/DC/DealCoupon.jsp%3Fdeal_id%3D23716?ESRC=vr.nl&code=vr_011209_deal) Grab the deal now.