The InTransition Program: Maintaining Continuity of Care through Transitions

Mr. John R. Campbell Appointed Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care & Transition Policy

In 2010, Mr. John R. Campbell was appointed by the Secretary of Defense as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy, where he will be responsible for ensuring wounded, ill, injured and transitioning Service members receive high quality services and experience a seamless transition to civilian life.

The Mission of the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy is to ensure wounded, ill, injured & transitioning warriors receive high quality care & seamless transition support through proactive leadership, responsive policy, effective oversight & interagency collaboration.

Yellow Ribbon Program: Vital Link for National Guard and Reserve

DCoE in Action Vol 3, No 7      July 2010

Making the change from civilian to war fighter and back is exciting and at times stressful. More than 770,000 National Guard and Reserve soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have made that transition since September 11, 2001. Most National Guard and Reserve service members and their families don’t live near military installations and don’t have direct access to the information, resources and benefits available to fami­lies throughout the deployment cycle. The Department of Defense (DoD) Yellow Ribbon Program provides that vital link for our Guard and Reserve members.

Double Amputee Lt. Col. Gregory D. Gadson Takes Charge of Wounded Warrior Program

Wounded Warrior first to use next-generation powered legs

Jul 15, 2010
By Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown
Army Wounded Warrior program

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 14, 2010) -- The U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program gained a new director Tuesday -- one who has a lot in common with those he'll be leading.

Lt. Col. Gregory D. Gadson, a West Point graduate, lost both of his legs to a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007. Despite nearly losing his life, Gadson went on to complete two graduate degrees and recovered with assistance from the Wounded Warrior Program, which he is now responsible for.

The Wounded Warrior Program, nicknamed AW2, is the official Army program that assists and advocates for the most severely wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers, veterans, and their families.

"It's all about the Army making good on its promise to never leave a fallen comrade," said Brig. Gen. Gary H. Cheek, commanding general for the Warrior Transition Command, which AW2 falls under.

VeteranCaregiver.com New Web Site

VeteranCaregiver.com launched in May 2010 and has added many new interactive features and has plans for more in the coming weeks. 

Click here to go to the web site.

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc

Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. is dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.Healing Waters Fly Fishing, INC. (PHWFF) was founded in 2005 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), with the help of local Trout Unlimited (TU) and Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) volunteers. Our mission: Assist in the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active duty military personnel and veterans through fly fishing and fly tying education and outings.

Click here to go to their web site for more information.

New Virginia Veterans Services Measures Take Effect

24 Pieces of Legislation to Make Virginia the Most Veteran Friendly State in America Effective 1 July 2010

RICHMOND - Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell today highlighted legislation taking effect July 1st that recognizes his commitment to make Virginia the most Veteran friendly state in America.  Included in this is legislation establishing a Veterans Skills Database, fee waivers for Veterans seeking small business permits, protecting the right to display the American flag at their home, and designating the Honor and Remember Flag as the Commonwealth's emblem of service and sacrifice.

WARNING-Please Pay Attention

The VA reports that a reprehensible scam is targeting veterans.

Scammers are calling VA beneficiaries under the guise of a phony "Patient Care Group". The caller claims that VA prescriptions are being administered by this company.

The scammers ask for personal information, including credit card information, claiming that this is necessary for the beneficiary to keep receiving prescriptions through the VA.

This is completely bogus.

The VA does not call vets and ask them to disclose personal information over the phone, and the VA hasn't changed any prescription dispensing rules.

Be safe. Never give out personal information to any unsolicited phone caller.

Travel Reimbursement Increases for Veterans

Mileage reimbursement rates for travel to Veterans Affairs medical facilities went up last week, from 28.5 cents per mile to 41.5 cents. VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake said he used his authority to make such an increase.

“We owe it to our veterans to give them the best care possible,” Peake said in a department press release. “The increase will once again provide assistance to our veterans, especially in these difficult economic times, to help offset gasoline costs and to assist veterans with access to the VA’s world-class health system.”

Strict Deadlines, Disabled Veterans and Dismissed Cases

In Financial Peril, Troops Find Relief

N.J., Pa. grants help fill gaps when duty calls
By Edward Colimore, Inquirer Staff Writer
Philadelphia Inquirer March 22, 2010

Are You Eligible for Extra Money? Thousands of Reserve and National Guard Soldiers Are

Reserve and National Guard soldiers from every state and territory and the District of Columbia are among those eligible for additional money from the Post Deployment Mobilization Respite Absence (PDMRA) Compensation Program, the Department of Defense has determined.

OCAR and the states and territories now are identifying their soldiers who are entitled to extra cash for serving long deployments overseas.

DoD Wounded Warrior Web Site Upgraded

The federal departments of Labor and Defense have unveiled an improved website for wounded warriors.

The National Resource Directory http://www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov/ is a comprehensive, free, online tool for wounded, ill and injured servicemembers, veterans and their families and caregivers. 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 website also provides 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.

See more Wounded Warrior http://www.military.com/wounded-warriors news on Military.com.

Vets Help Vets Through Chance Discovery for Improving Sleep

Vietnam veterans who were prescribed a medication for the treatment of blood pressure and prostate problems reported to their providers that the combat nightmares they had been living with for decades had considerably lessened. Researchers today are studying this finding to see if the medication can be beneficial to veterans of the current conflicts.

Researchers from the Deployment Health Clinical Center (DHCC), VA Puget Sound Healthcare System/University of Washington School of Medicine, Madigan Army Medical Center, and Walter Reed Army Medical Center are studying the impact that this medication can have on improving the quality of sleep for Service members and veterans. For the next two years, the DHCC is looking for participants to be a part of a 15-week study to test the benefits of this medication.

Homeowners Assistance Program Expands

The Department of Defense (DOD) is proud to offer the Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) to eligible service members and federal civilian, including non-appropriated fund, employees. The program is authorized by law, and administered by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to assist eligible homeowners who face financial loss when selling their primary residence homes in areas where real estate values have declined because of a base closure or realignment announcement.

MAX EARNINGS AMOUNT for Permanent SSA-D (SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY)

Substantial Gainful Activity

To be eligible for disability benefits, a person must be unable to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA). A person who is earning more than a certain monthly amount (net of impairment-related work expenses) is ordinarily considered to be engaging in SGA. The amount of monthly earnings considered as SGA depends on the nature of a person's disability. The Social Security Act specifies a higher SGA amount for statutorily blind individuals; Federal regulations specify a lower SGA amount for non-blind individuals. Both SGA amounts generally increase with increases in the national average wage index.

American Veterans and Servicemembers Survival Guide

VETERANS RESOURCES NETWORK
http://www.valaw.org   http://38uscode.com

The Veterans For America have published a free ebook to help veterans. Title: the "American Veterans and Servicemembers Survival Guide". The foreword is written by Mr. Robert Muller a founder of the Vietnam Veterans of America. The Guide has information for filing and winning a VA claim. (Click on Read more...  below to see a list of chapters.) You can right click the link and download the entire book to your PC. Or view individual chapters online.

Go to:
http://www.veteransforamerica.org/
http://www.veteransforamerica.org/download-the-survival-guide-for-american-veterans-and-servicemembers/

Less Than Two Weeks Away...
Operation Jump Start VI
Tuesday, February 2, 5:30 - 8:30PM
The Army Navy Club in Arlington, VA

Don't miss your chance to join the organizing sponsors, Federal CIO Council, 1105 Government Information Group and TechAmerica on Tuesday, February 2, 2010, from 5:30 - 8:30PM at the Army-Navy Club in Arlington, Virginia, as we hold our sixth annual "Operation Jump Start VI" event to help the soldiers of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom transition to civilian careers. The event is also supported by AFCEA-Bethesda, AFFIRM and ACT-IAC and open to all who want to give.

Pentagon Plays Catch-Up As Toll Of Repeat Combat Duty Rises

By Patrik Jonsson, Staff writer

Emotional pain, depression, and angst among US soldiers seeing multiple deployments in war zones are much more common than the Pentagon has reported, a new Department of Veterans Affairs survey says.

Soldiers facing multiple deployments, moreover, are at least three times more likely to anonymously report problems of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than are those with a single deployment, according to the study published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health.

Coming as 30,000 more troops are being sent to Afghanistan, the findings in a study of nearly 3,000 New Jersey National Guardsmen are likely to spur additional debate over military and societal response to America’s heavy dependence on volunteer soldiers for repeated deployments in two wars.

The findings also raise questions about the military’s ability – and willingness – to properly screen soldiers for combat-related problems that could limit their effectiveness in war zones, writes Anna Kline, lead author of the VA study.

“The Pentagon has tried to downplay these problems, and now it’s a moral and strategic outrage that we’ve got on our hands,” says Lawrence Korb, assistant defense secretary in the Reagan administration and now a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress in Washington. “They’re in essence playing catch-up.”

Real Warriors Campaign Launches New PSAs to Combat Psychological Health Stigma

DCoE in Action Newsletter for Defense Centers of Excellence VOL 2/NO. 7 | Nov. - Dec. 2009

Army Major Jeff Hall, Real Warriors PSA

Army Reservist Staff Sgt. Megan Krause, Real Warriors PSA

On October 13, 2009, the Real Warriors Campaign launched four new public service announcements (PSAs) to help combat the stigma associated with seeking treatment for psychological health concerns and traumatic brain injury.

In addition to being posted on the Real Warriors Campaign Web site, thePSAs will also air on DoD and civilian media nationwide and overseas.  “Every deployment is unique and impacts our service members in different ways,” said DCoE Director Brig. Gen. Sutton, M.D. “No one returns home the same way they left. These PSAs are an important part of tearing down the stigma that can keep our warriors from seeking the psychological health care they need to maintain resilience.”

Army Secretary: New Treatments For PTSD And TBI Must Be Explored

Stripes Central (Stripes.com) December 9, 2009 By Jeff Schogol

Army Secretary John McHugh sat down with Stars and Stripes Tuesday to talk about a broad range of issues, including the Army’s efforts to combat post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Where do you feel the Army needs to improve when it comes to treating PTSD and TBI?

Well, I just this morning returned from my my most recent visit to Walter Reed, and it’s clear as you go through those wards that obviously this is an ongoing challenge, and one that while I think we’ve made a lot of progress on, particularly from the diagnostic and treatment side, we have to continue to do better.

Walter Reed Patients Test Next Generation Prosthesis

By Christen N. McCluney Special to American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2009

Wounded warriors at the Military Advanced Training Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here are testing a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knee. The X2 microprocessor knee by Otto Bock HealthCare is the result of a medical research project funded in support of the Military Amputee Research Program.

This project, administered by the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, had the goal of developing "an electronically controlled prosthetic knee joint that meets the specific demands of military staff in real world activity," said Troy Turner, Advanced Technology Research Program manager at TATRC.

He added that in 2005, officials recognized that even the cutting-edge prosthetic devices weren't good enough.

DOD and VA Announce Disability Evaluation System Pilot Expansion

The Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that beginning in January 2010, the Disability Evaluation System (DES) pilot will expand to an additional six installations across the country.

The new locations will include: Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va. This expansion brings the total number of military facilities using the pilot to 27.

“The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program’s ability to meet timeliness, effectiveness, transparency, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction,” said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense, Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.

Verizon Legal Volunteers Launch New Program to Provide Free Legal Services

Attorneys and Legal Staff at Verizon to Focus on Education, Supporting Victims of Domestic Violence, and Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan

THE CONTACT POINT AT VERIZON:  Alberto Canal of Verizon, 1-908-559-6367, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

NEW YORK, Nov. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon (VZ) attorneys and legal staff have started a program that will provide free legal services to needy individuals and nonprofit organizations.

The program helps address a major issue: Nearly 1 million poor people will be denied representation in courts across the country this year because of insufficient resources, according to a recent study by Legal Services Corporation

.

Verizon (VZ) attorneys, who specialize in a variety of legal fields, and legal staff, will donate their time, talents and professional expertise, with an emphasis on civil matters involving education, domestic violence, and supporting veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Answering The Call Again

SFACs: New Centers Helping Families of Wounded

November 20, 2008Army News Service| by Lindy Kyzer

WASHINGTON - A key component of caring for wounded warriors is taking care of their families. That's why Soldier Family Assistance Centers now thrive at 34 Army installations across the globe, officials said.

SFACs are a one-stop shop where wounded warriors and their families can find assistance and information to get them through a difficult time.

Maj. Gen. John Macdonald, commanding general of the U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command and Delores F. Johnson, director, family programs, headquarters, U.S. Army FMWRC, joined bloggers and on-line journalists for a special Warrior Care month blogger's roundtable to discuss SFACs and other programs available to wounded warriors.

Travel Reimbursement Increases for Veterans

Mileage reimbursement rates for travel to Veterans Affairs medical facilities went up last week, from 28.5 cents per mile to 41.5 cents. VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake said he used his authority to make such an increase.

“We owe it to our veterans to give them the best care possible,” Peake said in a department press release. “The increase will once again provide assistance to our veterans, especially in these difficult economic times, to help offset gasoline costs and to assist veterans with access to the VA’s world-class health system.&rdquo.

Congress, which mandates such increases, recently provided funding to VA to increase the reimbursement rate, which went into effect Nov. 17. Service connected veterans, veterans receiving VA pensions and veterans with low incomes are eligible for the reimbursement.

Department of Defense Launches National Resource Directory For Wounded Warriors, Families And Caregivers

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release November 17, 2008

The Department of Defense today launched the National Resource Directory, a collaborative effort between the departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs.

The directory is a Web-based network of care coordinators, providers and support partners with resources for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them.

“The directory is the visible demonstration of our national will and commitment to make the journey from ‘survive to thrive’ a reality for those who have given so much. As new links are added each day by providers and partners, coverage from coast to coast will grow even greater ensuring that no part of that journey will ever be made alone,” said Lynda C. Davis, Ph.D., deputy under secretary of defense for military community and family policy.

Located at http://www.nationalresourcedirectory.org , the directory offers more than 10,000 medical and non-medical services and resources to help service members and veterans achieve personal and professional goals along their journey from recovery through rehabilitation to community reintegration. 

Military Official: Situation Improving; Troops Report Health Complications

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Marine Corps Times
Posted : Thursday Nov 13, 2008 18:24:46 EST

Disabled American Veterans has issued a call to all service members and veterans who think they may have illnesses related to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq: Contact DAV so they can collect data and look for trends.

“Anyone out there who thinks they may have had a long-term health effect ... needs to file a complaint” with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Kerry Baker, DAV’s associate national legislative director.

Noting that it took Vietnam veterans 20 years to gain benefits for exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange, Baker said, “We don’t want to see these guys have to wait 20 years. We want to see Congress act right away.”

Staying Power: Army Program Reinvents Wounded Care

Nov 06, 2008 by Fred W. Baker III. 
 

A new building serves as headquarters
for the Warrior Transition Brigade at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
DOD photo by Fred W. Baker III.

WASHINGTON (AFPS, Nov. 6, 2008) -- When the first news stories broke in February 2007 detailing a breakdown in Soldier and family care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., senior Army leaders scrambled into action.

Headlines screamed of neglect as the nation's highest leaders, from the Pentagon, Congress and the White House demanded an answer as to how this could have happened.

Wounded Troops’ Pay Overhauled

ARLINGTON, Va. — Wounded servicemembers whose combat-related injuries are diagnosed after they return home can keep their special pays while hospitalized, Defense officials said Tuesday.

The move is one of the major changes that are part of the Pay and Allowance Continuation Program, or PAC, which allows wounded servicemembers to continue to collect special pays after they are hospitalized.

Previously, wounded servicemembers’ injuries had to be diagnosed in the combat zone for them to receive the compensation.

Defense, VA Lay Out Plans To Improve Health Care For Wounded Soldiers

GovExec.com
March 11, 2008
By Bob Brewin

Top officials from the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense said on Tuesday that they plan to improve the health care for troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan by providing them with "a life map for recovery" that integrates all their heath records into one package and lays out a listing of follow-up services.

In a joint statement submitted to a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Dr. Lynda Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Military Personnel Policy, and Kristin Day, chief consultant for care management and social work at VA, said Defense and VA partnered in October to establish the Joint VA/Defense Federal Recovery Coordinator Program.

Heather Bernard (College Counselor) Assists Wounded Warriors 

In June, the American Council on Education will host a conference hoping to spur colleges to start or expand initiatives for veterans. Dartmouth College President James Wright said he realized after visiting wounded soldiers that most of them were eager to go to school but had no idea where to begin. He worked with the education council, raising money to pay for a counselor at four military hospitals.

So this past year, Heather Bernard, a former college counselor with a son serving in Iraq, has been working with wounded soldiers and Marines at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center. She helps them plan ahead, choose schools, dig up old transcripts, prepare for standardized tests.