Veterans
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KELSEYVILL – The Kelseyville American Legion Post 194 will hold its monthly dinner meeting on Thursday, May 27.
Doors will open at 5 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m. at the American Legion Post, at 2nd and Gaddy lane in Kelseyville.
Donations are $7 per person.
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ALBUQUERQUE – Air Force Airman Thomas J. Sheffer has arrived for duty at Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N.M.
Sheffer has served in the military for less than one year.
He is the son of Julie C. Sheffer of Middletown, Calif., and Scott A. Sheffer of Hidden Valley, Calif.
The airman is a 2007 graduate of Middletown High School.
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SAN FRANCISCO –Vietnam War veterans who have endured the devastating health effects of Agent Orange for decades are encouraged to file a new claim or re-open an existing claim with at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
VA’s proposed regulation, which will make several diseases with proven scientific association to Agent Orange, has the potential to expand access to free lifetime health care for 200,000 or more Vietnam War veterans.
“We applaud Secretary Shinseki for taking this very important step to finally provide free health care and pay compensation to our Vietnam veterans who were denied the treatment they were rightfully owed,” said Michael Blecker, executive director at Swords to Plowshares.
Secretary Shinseki is proposing, if the new rule is accepted, that Vietnam War veterans suffering from B-cell leukemias, Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease will only have to show they have the condition and that they served in Vietnam in order to receive VA compensation payments as well as free VA healthcare.
“The Obama administration and VA Secretary Shinseki have demonstrated that they understand the urgency it takes to prevent further suffering and premature deaths among our aging Vietnam War veterans with serious, chronic illnesses caused by Agent Orange poisoning,” said Blecker.
To date, Vietnam War veterans have encountered many obstacles and have been required to prove exposure to harmful herbicides during their service. Many Vietnam War veterans rely on the support of veteran service organizations to access VA services.
Swords to Plowshares, a San Francisco-based agency that delivers comprehensive services to more than 2,000 veterans every year, is available to answer questions and provide assistance with VA claims for all veterans, including Vietnam War veterans impacted by VA’s new rules.
Swords to Plowshares strongly encourages all veterans who were exposed to herbicides like Agent Orange during their service to re-open their claim or file a new claim with the VA in order to qualify for free VA healthcare and benefits. While the proposed amendment cannot rectify the physical damages already done, it can provide adequate medical treatment and financial stability to these veterans for the remainder of their lives.
“Our country neglected Vietnam War veterans and denied the harmful effects of Agent Orange for too long,” said Blecker. “Our hope at Swords to Plowshares is that every Vietnam War veteran affected by the harmful chemicals will act now to file for what they are owed with the assistance of a veterans group.”
Founded in 1974, Swords to Plowshares is a community-based not-for-profit organization that provides counseling and case management, employment and training, housing and legal assistance to homeless and low-income veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Swords promotes and protects the rights of veterans through advocacy, public education, and partnerships with local, state and national entities.
In the dual role as a service provider and advocate, Swords to Plowshares is nationally recognized for its expertise and dedication to promoting and protecting the rights of veterans.
Learn more about the work of Swords to Plowshares, and ways in which you can help, by visiting the group's Web site at www.stp-sf.org.
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WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced an aggressive new initiative to solicit private-sector input on a proposed "fast track" veterans' claims process for service-connected presumptive illnesses due to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War.
"This will be a new way of doing business and a major step forward in how we process the presumptive claims we expect to receive over the next two years," Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said. "With the latest, fastest, and most reliable technology, VA hopes to migrate the manual processing of these claims to an automated process that meets the needs of today's veterans in a more timely manner."
Over the next two years, about 200,000 veterans are expected to file disability compensation claims under an historic expansion of three new presumptive illnesses announced last year by Secretary Shinseki. They affect veterans who have Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease and B-cell leukemias.
In practical terms, veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and who have one of the illnesses covered by the "presumption of service connection" don't have to prove an association between their medical problems and military service. This "presumption" makes it easier for Vietnam veterans to access disability compensation benefits.
Vietnam veterans are encouraged to submit their claims as soon as possible to begin the important process of compensation.
Along with the publication of proposed regulations for the three new presumptives this spring, VA intends to publish a formal request in Federal Business Opportunities for private-sector corporations to propose automated solutions for the parts of the claims process that take the longest amount of time. VA believes these can be collected in a more streamlined and accurate way.
Development involves determining what additional information is needed to adjudicate the claim, such as military and private medical records and the scheduling of medical examinations.
With this new approach, VA expects to shorten the time it takes to gather evidence, which now takes on average over 90 days. Once the claim is fully developed and all pertinent information is gathered, VA will be able to more quickly decide the claim and process the award, if granted.
The contract is expected to be awarded in April with proposed solutions offered to VA within 90 days. Implementation of the solution is expected within 150 days.
"Veterans whose health was harmed during their military service are entitled to the best this nation has to offer," added Secretary Shinseki. "We are undertaking an unprecedented modernization of our claims process to ensure timely and accurate delivery of that commitment."
Last year, VA received more than one million claims for disability compensation and pension. VA provides compensation and pension benefits to over 3.8 million veterans and beneficiaries. Presently, the basic monthly rate of compensation ranges from $123 to $2,673 to veterans without any dependents.
Disability compensation is a non-taxable, monthly monetary benefit paid to veterans who are disabled as a result of an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated during active military service.
For more information about disability compensation, go to www.va.gov.
Additional information about Agent Orange and VA's services and programs for veterans exposed are available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange.
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FORT KNOX, KY – Army Pvt. Scott M. Johnson has graduated from One Station Unit Training (OSUT) at Fort Knox, Ky., which included basic combat training and advanced individual training (AIT).
During the first nine weeks of initial entry training (IET), the trainee completed basic combat training which included instruction in drill and ceremony, weapons, marksmanship and bayonet training, chemical warfare, field training and tactical exercises, marches, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, and Army history, traditions, and core values.
During AIT, the soldier completed the armor crewman course to receive skill training in conducting tank unit defensive and offensive combat operations.
The soldier was trained to operate, service and maintain armor tracked and wheeled vehicles, load and fire tank weapon systems, perform ammunition handling and supply duties, and assist in target detection and identification.
He is the son of Denise Johnson of Clearlake Oaks, Calif.
Johnson is a 2007 graduate of Lower Lake High School, Calif.
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SAN ANTONIO – Air Force Airman 1st Class Sage B. Summers graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
She is the daughter of Cyndy Pourroy of Lakeport, Calif., and granddaughter of Barbara Morgan of Valley Rim Road, McCall, Idaho.
Summers is a 2009 graduate of Clear Lake High School, Lakeport.
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WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Veterans Affairs is allocating $39 million to fund about 2,200 new transitional housing beds through grants to local providers.
"VA is committed to ending the cycle of homelessness among veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will use every tool at our disposal – health care, education, jobs, safe housing – to ensure our veterans are restored to lives with dignity, purpose and safety."
The $39 million in funding is broken into two categories. About $24 million in grants are available to renovate or rehabilitate space to create about 1,000 transitional housing beds.
The grants put a priority upon housing for homeless women and housing on tribal lands.
A second group of grants, valued at about $15 million, is expected to fund about 1,200 new beds for homeless providers who already have suitable transitional housing.
The grants will provide per diems based upon the number of homeless veterans being served in transitional housing.
VA is the largest federal provider of direct assistance to the homeless, with 14,000 transitional beds in operation or development. About 107,000 veterans are homeless on a typical night.
Shinseki has committed the department to ending homelessness among veterans within five years.
For more information, visit VA's Web page for the grant and per diem program at www.va.gov/homeless or contact VA's program office at 1-877-332-0334, or e-mail VA at
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LAKEPORT – The The monthly Lake County Marine Corps breakfast will held on Thursday, March 18.
The breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. at the High Street Café in Lakeport.
The menu will be pay as you go.
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CLEARLAKE – The Clearlake Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2337 will serve a special St. Patrick's Day lunch.
They'll serve corned beef lunch platters for $7 or sandwich plates for $5 starting at noon.
Members and guests are welcome.
The post is located on Veterans Lane in Clearlake.
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