Veterans
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON, DC – The federal departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor and Defense have unveiled an improved Web site for wounded warriors.
"VA is committed to tapping into the full powers of the Internet to provide accurate, timely, easy to find and easy to understand information that improves the lives of veterans, service members, their families and all who care for them," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
The National Resource Directory is a comprehensive, free, online tool for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans and their families.
Visitors to the site can find an extensive range of information about veterans' benefits, including disability and pension benefits, VA health care and educational opportunities.
The site also provides information for those who care for veterans, such as access to emotional, financial and community assistance.
The Web site has been enhanced to provide a single point of access to a wealth of information from more than 10,000 sites by federal, state and local governments and organizations offering services for wounded warriors.
"This online directory is an invaluable resource for those involved in helping service members and veterans," Shinseki said. "Reliable information about government and private-sector programs can be a
priceless tool."
A recent addition to the Web site is a specialized section where users can find help for homeless veterans. These resources will help end veteran homelessness over the next five years.
The new design will help visitors find needed resources easily. Other enhancements include a fast, accurate search engine; a "bookmark and share" capability that allows users to share valuable resources on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites; and a news feature with updates on relevant information and events. Resources are added daily.
Visit the site at www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov .
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- Written by: Editor
WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Veterans Affairs this week announced that all information technology (IT) projects at the Department will now be managed under its program management and accountability system (PMAS).
"We will end projects that don't work, streamline those that do, and focus on the responsibility we have for achieving maximum value for our veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
First announced by Secretary Shinseki in June 2009, the system requires IT projects to deliver new functionality within six months and keeps projects tied to established milestones.
VA is using PMAS and other rigorous management techniques to reform its IT management practices and provide better value, efficiency, and effectiveness for taxpayers' dollars.
VA announced the temporary halt of 45 of its most problematic computer projects last summer so they could be fixed. During the next six months, VA restarted 32 of these projects, stopped 12 and continued the review of one. These actions resulted in cost avoidance of $54 million for VA during fiscal year 2010.
"While we have stopped the 12 projects, the real saving is in the increased probability of success for the projects we changed and restarted," said Roger W. Baker, VA's Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology. "Holding each project accountable for regularly delivering value is key to getting the most out of our IT budget. While much work remains to be done, PMAS has shown what can be achieved by forcing measured demonstrations of performance."
PMAS, in conjunction with the analytical tools available through the IT Dashboard, will ensure early identification and correction of problematic IT projects.
The Internet-based IT Dashboard, www.usaspending.gov , launched in June 2009, is a one-stop clearinghouse of information, allowing the American people to track federal information technology initiatives and hold the government accountable for progress and results.
"Better accountability and focus on results lead to better services for our veterans and better value for the American taxpayer," said Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra. "Investing in what works is about continuing projects that are effective and making tough choices when projects, however well intentioned, are broken and failing. We owe it to the American people to make sure their dollars are being spent wisely."
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Tuesday the Education Call Center, closed on Thursdays and Fridays over the past two months, is again operating five days a week
"I am pleased by the progress these call center employees made in significantly cutting our pending inventory of education claims," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "As a result of their
efforts, 30,000 additional student veterans received their checks, bought books, paid the rent and stayed in school."
By temporarily reassigning call center employees on Thursdays and Fridays to process Post-9/11 GI Bill claims, VA was able to complete a significant number of education claims from mid-December through mid-February.
VA's goal was always to return call center employees to their permanent duties.
The decision to supplement claims processing staff by the call center employees was a key factor in meeting VA's aggressive processing goal of Post-9/11 GI Bill claims.
As of mid-February 2010, VA's capacity to process Post-9/11 GI bill claims jumped from an average of 2,000 a day in August 2009 to 7,000 a day.
Since inception of this historic new program, VA has issued nearly $1.9 billion in Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit payments and opened the door to higher education to 209,490 people.
As of Feb. 12, VA received spring semester Post-9/11 GI Bill enrollments from approximately 180,000 student veterans and already paid nearly 90 percent of them.
All Post-9/11 GI Bill participants whose spring enrollments were received by Jan. 18 have been paid.
Because VA is now processing spring enrollments timely, advance payments are no longer available at VA regional offices or through the online advance payment Web site.
In December when the decision was made to redirect phone agents to claims processing, the number of pending claims was almost 80,000 and timeliness measures were extremely high.
The inventory of education claims was driving call volume at the call center to an all time high of 1.26 million call attempts during November.
That is why in mid-December 2009 VA temporarily reassigned employees at the VA Education Call Center on Thursdays and Fridays, the lowest call volume days, to help process education benefit claims.
Since that time, the call center demand dropped by 42 percent as student veterans received their payments.
The call center received 769,637 call attempts on Monday through Wednesday during the first two weeks in December 2009.
By comparison, the call center received 446,328 call attempts on Monday through Wednesday through the first two weeks in February.
Information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill, as well as VA's other educational benefit programs, is available at VA's Web site, www.gibill.va.gov , or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1 (or 1-888-442-4551).
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- Written by: Genevieve Snow
LAKE COUNTY – At an Operation Tango Mike fundraising breakfast on Jan. 24, Dan Christensen, President of Lake County's subchapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), presented a check for $150 to Ginny Craven, founder of Operation Tango Mike.
The gift is intended to help defray monthly costs of shipping packages to troops deployed overseas.
Last June, MOAA also contributed to the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 951 project when the group introduced "The Moving Wall" to Lakeport.
MOAA is an association open to all individuals who served as officers in any branch of the United States armed forces.
The group meets on the third Thursday every other month at Zino's Restaurant in Soda Bay.
For more information about the group contact Dan Christensen at 707-263-3297, Dave Hulme at 707-987-2612 or Linda Morrison at 707-263-4504.
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- Written by: Editor
KELSEYVILLE – The Kelseyville American Legion Post 194 will hold its monthly dinner meeting on Thursday, Feb. 25.
Doors open at 5 p.m.; dinner will be served at 6 p.m.
The requested donation is $7 per person.
The Kelseyville American Legion Post is located at Second and Gaddy Lane.
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- Written by: Department of Veterans Affairs
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- Written by: Editor
FORT SILL, Okla. – Army Pvt. Robert J. Gerace has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics.
He is the son of Kaye Lowater of Hidden Valley Lake, Calif.
Gerace is a 2005 graduate of Kelseyville High School in Kelseyville, Calif.
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- Written by: Editor
FORT SILL, Okla. – Army Pvt. Carl L. Meyer has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics.
Meyer is a 2004 graduate of Lower Lake High School in Lower Lake, Calif.
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- Written by: Editor
MARYSVILLE – Air Force Reserve Airman 1st Class Amanda C. Bouillerce has arrived for duty at Beale Air Force Base, Marysville, Calif.
Bouillerce is a network intelligence analyst assigned to the 50th Intelligence Squadron. The airman has served in the military for one year.
She is the daughter of Henry and Brenda Bouillerce of Upper Lake, Calif.
The airman graduated in 2002 from Upper Lake High School, and earned a bachelor's degree in 2006 from the University of California, Berkeley.
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