Click the following link to go to the webpage on VMF Health: here. To find out if you are eligible for VA health care as a veteran, click here.
Here are two links to VAntage Point, an official website of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Here and here. And you can click here for 5 ways to access VA care virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic @ VAntage Point. There is also a mobile app that offers Veterans convenient access to VA health and benefits; to access it, click here.
Changes to Earned Income Tax Credit
This year’s tax law changes in qualifications for the Earned Income Tax Credit could lessen your tax burden or increase your refund, especially if you are a service member with children thanks to two major child tax credits. To access information, click here.
Transitioning and Jobs
Click the following link for the webpage on Transitioning and Veterans Jobs: here.
Help Us Spread the Word
Encourage Veterans and their families residing abroad to join our Caucus and get news tailored for them! They can subscribe here.
Veterans residing abroad can also subscribe to the US Department of Veterans Affairs newsletter, “Veterans Abroad” to receive bulletins and information specific to Veterans residing abroad. You can subscribe here.
Veterans Crisis Line (VCL)
Toll-free confidential support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year through the Military Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255 and Press 1), and online chat and text (838255). Veterans, Service members or their loved ones can reach VCL from Europe (00800 1273 8255 or DSN 118 (toll-free service may not be available through all carriers or in all countries) and Korea (0808 555 118 or DSN 118).
Update: Overseas Military Service Coordinators
Due to COVID, Overseas Military Service Coordinators (OMSCs) will be extending virtual support operations to overseas Veterans, Service members, and their dependents through October 1, 2022. OMSCs will be responding to emails and arranging phone calls for those seeking assistance with all VA benefits. Simply send your contact information to the email address listed for your location to set up a virtual meeting with an OMSC:
For veterans residing in European countries, email: [email protected]
For veterans residing in Asian countries, email: [email protected]
Free Things For Veterans—all year round! For the 31 Best Free Products and Services for Veterans, click here. For info on free checked bags for flights, listen to this: Many of the major airlines are taking care of our veterans by offering free checked bags, even up to 100 pounds, or for personal travel. Delta Airlines, for example, allows vets to check up to five bags, up to 100 pounds each, on military travel. To get a breakdown of what each airline provides, you can read more here.
Military Spouse Scholarship: To access information on the National Military Family Association’s scholarship program, along with FAQS + eligibility details, click here.
The Journey of the Military Child: The MCEC (Military Child Education Coalition) will continue to serve military-connected students with their 24th annual signature event. They will welcome in-person attendees to Washington, DC for a refreshed, reinvigorated, and revitalized professional learning event, the 2022 MCEC Global Summit. It will focus on supporting and nurturing all areas of development and learning while incorporating a broader view of the skills and knowledge military-connected children need for long-term success. The Global Summit will be July 18-20 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington, DC. For information, click here.
The Posse Veterans Program: The Posse Veterans Program identifies, trains, and supports groups of ten veterans (in a cohort or “posse”) who will pursue their bachelor's degrees together. Learn how the Posse Program identifies post-9/11 Veterans for its program, how Posse’s partner colleges select Veterans for the program and guarantee that tuition is covered for all four years, and how Posse’s 200+ Corporate partners support Posse alumni. Nominations will remain open through September 15, 2022 for the 2023 Scholarship Cohort. For more information go here or here.
SERVICE CONNECTED DISABILITIES
On April 26, VA announced the addition of nine rare respiratory cancers <https://blogs.va.gov/VAntage/?s=cancer > to the list of presumed service-connected disabilities due to exposure to fine particulate matter for Veterans who served any amount of time in
* Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria or Uzbekistan during the Persian Gulf War, from September 19, 2001, to the present, or
* The Southwest Asia theater of operations from August 2, 1990, to the present.VA is taking a new approach to making decisions on presumptives, one that takes all available science into account, with one goal in mind - getting today's Veterans, and Vets in the decades ahead - the benefits they deserve, as fast as possible.
VA identified, through a focused review of scientific and medical evidence, a biological plausibility between airborne hazards, specifically particulate matter, and carcinogensis of the respiratory tract; the unique circumstances of these rare cancers warrant a presumption of service connection.
Veterans and survivors who had claims previously denied for any of the below respiratory cancers are encouraged to file a supplemental claim.<https://www.va.gov/decision-reviews/supplemental-claim/ > for benefits;
* Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx;
* Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea;
* Adenocarcinoma of the trachea;
* Salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea;
* Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung;
* Large cell carcinoma of the lung;
* Salivary gland-type tumors of the lung;
* Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung and;
* Typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung.
VA will contact impacted Veterans and survivors to inform them about their eligibility and it will provide information on how to apply.
To apply for benefits, Veterans and survivors may visit https://www.va.gov//