Kansas City, Mo., Feb 1, 2010 – Each year for the past eleven years, three exceptional teachers have been recognized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) for their outstanding commitment to teach Americanism and patriotism to their students.

The VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Award recipients are selected from entries submitted by local VFW Posts in every state, District of Columbia and overseas.  There are three categories of competition: elementary school (K-5), middle school (6-8), and high school (9-12).  During the competition nearly $218,000 in awards were presented to more than 1,150 teachers at various levels in the VFW.

Patricia Mazure, a K-5 teacher at William C. Taylor Elementary in Trenton, Mich., has been named the winner at the elementary school level.  At the middle school level, Mark D. Leet, a teacher at Simons Middle School in Flemingsburg, Ky., was named the winner.  William V. Melega, a teacher at Chapel Hill High School in Chapel Hill, N.C., was selected at the high school level. 

Each teacher receives the VFW Past Commander-in-Chief John Smart award of $1,000 for their professional development and another $1,000 goes to their school.  In addition, all three teachers receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where the awards will be presented during the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Legislative Conference, March 6-10 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

Steve Van Buskirk, director of VFW Programs, acknowledged, "Honoring America's teachers has been a tradition for nearly 100 years. Next to parents, they hold the key to raising up young civic-minded patriots who will perpetuate the values that have made this nation great."

In This Issue:

1. House VA Committee Discusses Rural Healthcare

2. Senate Moves Vet Bills

3. North Korea MIA Search Update

1. House VA Committee Discusses Rural Healthcare: The House VA held a roundtable to discuss health care needs of veterans living in rural areas. Currently about 41% of the veteran population live in rural areas.  Representatives from VA, Congress, the VSO community and private sector all mentioned accessibility to health care in rural areas, and called for the need to provide more outpatient clinics in those communities.  Another common theme was quality of care.  Committee members want better trained employees, with an emphasis placed on meeting the mental health needs of rural veterans.  They plan to hold future hearings on the rural health care issue.

2. Senate Moves Vet Bills: The Senate VA Committee marked-up two VFW-supported bills yesterday. 

·         Draft legislation introduced by Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI) would authorize funding for an advisory board to make recommendations on care for servicemembers and their families affected by environmental hazards at Camp Lejeune, NC, and the Atsugi Naval Air Facility in Japan.  Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) offered an amendment that would authorize VA to provide hospital care, medical services and nursing home care to veterans who became ill from contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.  Committee members defeated the amendment, suggesting that DOD should provide the care as it falls under their jurisdiction.  Chairman Akaka promised to meet with Armed Services Committee members to bring about closure for the families of those who are affected.

·         The other bill – S. 1237, The Homeless Women Veterans and Homeless Veterans with Children Act – would authorize $10 million annually for FY 2011-2014 to provide jobs, training and childcare for homeless women veterans and homeless veterans with children.  Several amendments offered would expand the grant program to male veterans with children, and allow 5% of the funding to be set aside for facilities in rural areas.

For more information on the bills, visit the Senate VA website at http://veterans.senate.gov/.

3. North Korea MIA Search Update: U.S. Pacific Command announced Tuesday that North Korea is proposing to allow the U.S. to resume MIA recovery operations for American servicemen missing from the 1950-53 Korean War.  According to the Hawaii-based Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, there are 8,034 American MIAs from the Korean War, with about 5,100 of them in North Korea.  JPAC ceased recovery operations in the spring of 2005 due to safety and security concerns for their investigation and recovery teams.  Prior to that, JPAC field activities had returned 220 remains between 1996 to 2005, and North Korea unilaterally turned over 208 sets of remains between 1990 and 1994.  More information will be relayed as negotiations continue. 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

TITLE: VFW Department Service Officer

....DEPARTMENT OF CONNECTICUT                                DATE:  26 January 2010

NATURE OF WORK:

Manages the daily activities of the VFW Service Office of the Department of Connecticut at the Newington VA Regional Office.  Implements the VFW National Veterans Service Policy and Procedure and Department programs concerning veterans’ service.  Manages a staff of two in providing professional veterans representation for fulfillment of federal, state and local government entitlements.  Performs liaison with governmental agencies and provides assistance to the VFW National Veterans Service staff and accredited VFW service officers in policy matters pertaining to veterans’ entitlements and benefits.  Supervises and trains assigned service officers and staff to ensure professionalism and maintain proficiency.  Supports the VFW’s national and departmental training strategies for service officers as an instructor at training events.  Responsible for recommending and implementing the Department budget for the veterans’ services program.

TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Supervises the service office staff in the performance of their daily responsibilities, including assigning tasks, monitoring progress, and submitting required reports.  Supervises the daily office procedures employing electronic case management and automation software applications, as required.

Maintains liaison with appropriate agencies concerning veterans’ entitlements and benefits. 

Provides advice and technical assistance on policy matters pertaining to those programs as they affect the mission.  Attends regular meetings of Department, District, and Post.  Performs liaison to local government agencies on veterans’ legislative issues.

Develops, coordinates, implements, and maintains training programs for representatives within the Department.

Implements VFW’s veterans’ outreach programs to veterans’ facilities and military installations within the Department.

Reviews and incorporates statutes, regulations, judicial decisions, and governmental directives to ensure that veterans’ interests are articulated in accordance with VFW national mandates and the National Veterans Service Policy and Procedure.  Attends conferences with the requirement to articulate VFW policies concerning the veterans’ entitlements program.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

Advanced human relations and management skills are required.  This position requires knowledge of specific subjects to make the incumbent very authoritative in national veterans’ affairs programs.  This typically includes public speaking on a particular subject, and the incumbent may frequently be called upon for views on special veterans’ issues.  Thorough knowledge is required on conducting interviews, completing veterans’ affairs forms, and understanding Title 38 United States Code, Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations, federal court decisions, and government statutes, regulations, directives, and publications.

Position requires a minimum of an Associates Degree or three years experience in the same or related field.  It is necessary to have advanced knowledge of office equipment and particularly computers to include software applications, case management techniques, and other electronic applications used in a fully automated office.

Incumbent is required to be certified at the highest level as part of the Department of Veterans Affairs certification program, in accordance with the National Veterans Service Strategic Plan.

SCOPE OF POSITION:

Primary responsibility includes determining the proper application of laws, regulations, and policies pertaining to veterans’ entitlements and coordinating internal and external staff resources to solve issues in the best interest of the claimant.

Position is under the direct supervision of the Department Commander and has supervisory responsibility for a staff of one professional veteran’s representatives. 

Incumbent assigns work priorities and reviews results.  Recommends hiring, disciplinary actions, promotions, and prepares performance appraisals. 

Conducts and supervises training for all staff.  This includes participation in the development and implementation of the VFW’s Training Strategy for the National Veterans Service and acting as an instructor in various training conferences in implementation of that strategy.

Typical contacts are with members of the veterans’ community, the VFW National Veterans Service staff, VFW Department Service Officers, representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other legislative and federal/state agencies through written and oral communications 100% of the time.

Incumbent participates in the development of the Department Service Office annual budget.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Position functions in a typical office environment approximately 85% of the time.  Domestic and local travel is required approximately 15% of the time to participate in conferences and training programs, veterans affairs hearings, staff meetings, visits to military installations, and National Veterans Service and Department meetings, as directed.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Ensures the efficient and professional operation of the Department Service Office.  This could include functioning as a VFW “test site” whenever the Department of Veterans Affairs is developing advanced claims processing initiatives, especially those on electronic claims processing programs and software applications.

Implements an outreach program to veterans, VA agencies and active military facilities, as pertinent, in the Department of Connecticut in support of claims processing for claimant entitlements.

Implements the National Veterans Service Training Strategy goals and objectives for the staff of the Department of Connecticut.

May perform as an instructor at National Veterans Service training conferences and seminars; trains staff to do likewise.

Responds to, and resolves, VFW Tactical Assessment Center incident reports, including interaction with the inquirer.  Provides guidance in the completion of all actions associated with each incident report.

The above duties are both general and specific in nature and are not intended to reflect all of the duties that may be required of the incumbent.

APPLICATION:

All persons interested please forward a resume and cover letter to the Department Commander at the following:

William A. Hornok

Email: wildbillodsvet@sbcglobal.net

Or mail to 268 Colonel Ledyard Highway, Mystic, CT. 06355-1136

Closing date: 22 February 2010

NOTE; NOT A VFW MEMBER? ANY COMBAT VETERAN NOT A MEMBER SHOULD APPLY, AND YOUR ELIGABILITY WILL BE VERIFIED.

In This Issue:

1. VFW Presents Legislative Goals

2. House VA Committee Hearings

3. Relief for GI Bill Payments Coming

4. New Federal Job Site Launched

1. VFW Presents Legislative Goals: The VFW presented its Top 5 legislative goals this week at a House Veterans Affairs Committee roundtable.  The issues we want Congress to highlight this year are the claims backlog, employment and training, oversight of VA health care, and military-to-veteran transition issues, to include education.  Committee members acknowledged that the VA claims backlog is among their top priorities, and they intend to hold oversight hearings on viable fixes to the critical problem.  The VFW’s 2010 legislative priority goals can be viewed at http://www.vfw.org/PR/Legislative/2010PriorityGoals%20PROOF.pdf.

2. House VA Committee Hearings:

·         The House VA Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing Thursday to review the various programs set up to assist veterans and wounded warriors in their transition to civilian life.  Witnesses acknowledged progress has been made, but gaps still exit that impacts the new veterans.  Committee members reiterated their intent to look at the medical record exchange between VA and DOD, as well as the use of the polytrauma centers across the country.

·         The House VA Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity also met Thursday to discuss what progress had been to streamline the processing of Post 9/11 GI Bill claims.  VA and its contractor, SPARWAR, were asked to discuss their short and long-term information technology solutions.  VA maintained that any GI Bill claims submitted to them prior to Jan. 19 would be processed by Feb. 1.  VA expects the long-term IT solution to be operational for the fall 2010 semester.

For complete coverage of both hearings, visit the House VA website at http://veterans.house.gov/.

3. Relief for GI Bill Payments Coming: Feb. 1 is the first date spring semester payments are due, and the VA has aggressively increased the processing of Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits so that student veterans are spared the financial hardships some faced during the fall 2009 term.  They hired 530 more employees, bringing the total number of education claims processors to 1,200, and have so far processed more than 72,000 of approximately 103,000 spring enrollments received.  VA also sent letters to university presidents and school certifying officials to emphasize the importance of the timely submission of school enrollment information.  Since the inception of the Post 9/11 GI Bill last year, VA has paid more than $1.3 billion in benefits to more than 170,000 students.  More information, as well as a "Hip Pocket" guide and checklist, is available on the VA's GI Bill Web site at www.gibill.va.gov.

4. New Federal Job Site Launched: The Office of Personnel Management launched a new website this week to help military veterans and their families find employment with the federal government.  FedsHireVets.gov will become the main source for employment information for both veterans and hiring officials.  View the site at http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

By Rick Maze; Military Times

Posted : Wednesday Jan 20, 2010 14:43:00 EST

Veterans Affairs Department officials appear to have a good jump on processing spring semester claims for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, and they hope that hiring more people, getting help from an outside contractor and convincing schools to submit enrollment information faster will avoid delays that plagued the program in the fall.

Officials reported Jan. 20 they have processed 72,000 of the 103,000 GI Bill claims received for the spring semester and are geared up to process about 30,000 total claims a week.

The goal, officials said, is to have all 103,000 claims processed by Feb. 1.

For the fall term, VA received a total of 167,000 claims and had so many problems getting money into the hands of veterans that it made advance payments of up to $3,000 to more than 79,000 students.

As part of its effort to speed claims, VA officials have contacted university and college administrators and student veterans to urge everyone to file for benefits as soon as possible. In particular, VA officials want educational institutions to submit enrollment information for students without waiting for students to receive an official eligibility certificate from VA that shows what benefits they have earned. The wait for certificates of eligibility was part of the reason for delays in the fall term, VA officials said.

There are several reasons to be optimistic about benefits for the spring term, officials said. For one thing, the staff, now numbering 1,200 employees after more hiring, is more familiar with the benefit and experienced in processing claims, officials said. New pamphlets also are being distributed on campuses, and ads are being placed in college and university newspapers, with information about how to get benefits.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in a Jan. 14 statement to state veterans officials that processing GI Bill claims remains “an ongoing challenge,” but that with the help of schools and veterans, he believes up to 30,000 claims can be processed each week, with new payments made every four days.

“Prompt submission of information from schools each term helps avoid delays in tuition and fee payments to schools and, in turn, applicable payments to our veterans,” he said.