Veterans Corner February 2023

VA Housed More Than 40,000 Homeless Veterans in 2022 During 2022, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs permanently housed 40,401 homeless veterans, providing them with the safe and stable homes that they deserve. This exceeded the department’s goal to house 38,000 veterans in 2022 by 6.3%. Nationally, the total number of veterans experiencing homelessness has decreased […]

Veterans Corner September 2020

Military Family Members, Retirees Getting New ID Cards By Blake HYFIELD Millions of military family members, retirees and others will be getting new identification cards over the next five years. Military family members, retirees and their family members and certain others receive these new ID cards when they renew or replace their IDs over the […]

Veterans Corner August 2020

Rx Refills During the Pandemic   As COVID-19 spreads, people who regularly take prescription drugs for chronic conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, may be wondering what will happen with their refills. VA wants them to know it’s working hard to make sure prescriptions arrive on time and when they’re needed. We ask […]

Veterans Corner July 2020

By Blake HYFIELD Tools, resources and information women veterans need. In this time of physical distancing, the VA knows it’s easy for women veterans to feel isolated. Life plans and health can change in an instant. That is why VA is working to remove barriers and improve access to essential services. These services include reproductive […]

Veterans Corner January 2020

The VA Starts Benefits to Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans BLAKE HYFIELD The Dept. of Veterans Affairs began deciding Blue Water Navy (BWN) Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 claims on Jan. 1, 2020. This extends the presumption of herbicide exposure that includes toxins such as Agent Orange for veterans who served offshore of the Republic […]

Veterans Corner September 2019

Widows’ Tax Repeal Efforts By Blake HYFIELD It’s time for Congress to fix a longtime wrong: legislation that requires survivors of deceased military members to forfeit part or all of their Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity from the Dept. of Defense (DOD) when they are awarded the Dept. of Veterans Affairs’ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation […]

Veterans Corner July 2019

Concerns of Women Veterans By Blake HYFIELD During the week of July 8, the House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee on economic opportunity held a hearing to discuss the different ways women veterans are affected by different programs throughout VA. In some areas, such as education and employment, women veterans are represented more favorably than non-veteran women […]

Veterans Corner May 2019

Spending Christmas in Vietnam By  Why It’s So Important That All Remember Memorial Day Unfortunately it seems that many Americans have forgotten, or simply given up on, the true meaning of Memorial Day. For many people, Memorial Day is known as the “unofficial first day of summer.” The weather is finally warming up and kids […]

Veterans Corner March 2019

Spending Christmas in Vietnam BLAKE HYFIELD VA Announces Access Standards for Health Care The Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced in late January its proposed access standards for community care and urgent care provisions that will take effect in June and guide when veterans can seek care to meet their needs under the MISSION Act […]

Veterans Corner February 2019

It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over for the ‘Blue Water Navy By Blake HYFIELD’ A federal appeals court in Washington sided Jan. 29 with thousands of Vietnam War veterans who were stationed offshore during the war and developed health problems linked to exposure to the toxic herbicide Agent Orange. The U.S. Court of Appeals for […]