December Events
“My message to the American people is this: America is moving again and your life is going to change for the better.” —President Joe Biden
DECEMBER EVENTS
Getting Health Care Overseas
Also important is the fact that you can receive medical care for VA service-connected disabilities through the VA Foreign Medical Program.
Veterans Living Overseas
excerpts: https://www.benefits.va.gov/persona/veteran-abroad.asp
If you’re a Veteran who lives overseas, you remain entitled to the benefits and services you earned through your military service. Most VA benefits are payable regardless of your place of residence or nationality. VA benefits include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment and burial.
Getting Healthcare Overseas. As a Veteran living or traveling abroad, you can receive medical care for VA service-connected disabilities through our VA Foreign Medical Program. Under this program, we assume payment responsibility for the necessary treatment of service-connected disabilities.
Foreign Medical Program (FMP) - Community Care https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/programs/veterans/fmp/index.asp
From VA Information For Veterans Living Overseas: from MilitaryBenefits https://militarybenefits.info/va-veterans-living-overseas/
VA Resources For Veterans Living Overseas The first thing a veteran or soon-to-be retired or separated military member should do is to visit the VA official site to set up an e-Benefits account, which you will use to manage your VA benefits in the United States or from the overseas location.
You will need to register at the DS Logon Registration page but rather than supplying your last military address, use your last recorded USA address instead.
Veterans In The Philippines For veterans living in or considering relocating to the Philippines, the Department of Veterans Affairs has special resources. The VA Philippines overseas page includes some important details about getting VA benefits, especially health care.
In the Philippines, veterans may be eligible for care for ”non-service connected disabilities” at the VA Manila Outpatient Clinic. The VA says this option is only for veterans “who are already receiving care at the outpatient clinic and whether the clinic is able to provide the needed service.” In such cases, the veteran may be required to pay for treatment “for non-service connected disabilities by non-VA care providers or by an outside medical facility.”
How To Prepare To Use Your VA Benefits Overseas This is an area that requires more planning and forward thinking than some anticipate; in some cases your access to VA benefits may be a matter of your physical location and any challenges there.
If you choose to live in Germany, where there is a network of U.S. military bases, military hospitals, and related support operations, you may have an easier time accessing some benefits than you might if you decided to relocate to Reykjavik, Iceland where U.S. military members were once stationed at nearby Naval Air Station Keflavik… There is no U.S. military support system in place in Iceland that could compare to what those remaining in Japan, Korea, Spain, Italy, or Germany might enjoy.
Direct Deposit of VA Benefit Payments Arranging direct deposit into a non-US bank may require some additional preparation, and in some cases may require the use of a translator. If you have an overseas bank account rather than an account with a company headquartered in the United States, be sure to ask what is typical when arranging such direct deposit payments. You may be required to obtain international routing numbers, SWIFT codes, International Bank Account Numbers, etc.
VA Resources For Veterans Living Overseas Or Planning To Do So If you plan to or already have retired or separated from the military in an overseas location, there are VA resources waiting for you via phone, e-mail, and online:
Basic VA benefit questions and assistance–(412) 395-6272 or visit the VA Inquiry Routing and Information System
Education benefits–(918) 781-5678
International Direct Deposit and currency conversion–(918) 781-7550 or via e-mail [email protected]
VA benefits representatives at American embassies and consulates–online at the Social Security Foreign Country Service Information page
VA Overseas Military Services Coordinator–get contact information online at the VA Overseas Military Services Coordinators page
Finding an accredited representative to help you manage your benefits–online at the VA Manage Your Representative for VA Claims tool
Other VA Resources For Veterans Living Overseas. VA Overseas Military Coordinators (OMSCs) can help service members, U.S. Veterans living or working overseas, and their families and dependents with VA Benefits transition to a life overseas. The following contact information is broken down by geographic region as presented on the VA official site:
Germany
Kaiserslautern. [email protected]
Kaiserslautern. [email protected]
Vilseck-Bavaria. [email protected]
Italy. [email protected]
United Kingdom. [email protected]
Japan/Asia-Pacific
Iwakuni. [email protected]
Okinawa. [email protected]
Yokosuka. [email protected]
More information about VA benefits for Veterans living abroad
Medical Treatment Questions Only
VA Foreign Medical Program Office
PO Box 469061
Denver, CO 80246-9061
Email: [email protected]
Education Benefit Questions Only
VA Regional Office
PO Box 4616
Buffalo, New York 14240-4616
Website: Education Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Life Insurance Questions Only
VA Regional Office and Insurance Center
P O Box 7208
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101
Veterans Affairs YouTube Update
The official YouTube channel for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY7mRNUcQyMTpYxbVmoTzsdxsP_BaDgw8
https://www.newengland.va.gov/sitrep
"#theSITREP is a show, for Veterans, by Veterans, that provides trusted information about Veterans' benefits such as VA disability, VA home loans, VA health care, VA education and much more."
Weekly video series that answers questions about VA disability… be sure to SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss future episodes!
PLAYLISTS BY TOPIC
VA Home Loans & Refinancing | https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY...
VA Service-Connected Disability | https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY...
VA Health Care | https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY...
VA Benefits with 100% Service-Connected Disability | VA Disability | theSITREP - YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWTa2lW9Qc4
Getting records for a VA disability claim | Department of Veterans Affairs | theSITREP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnE6TzurVdQ
Phone Numbers for Help at Department of Veterans Affairs | theSITREP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DNMe0wZ-qU&list=PLY7mRNUcQyMTpYxbVmoTzsdxsP_BaDgw8&index=10
VETERANS RESOURCES
2022 Veterans Disability Compensation Rates | Veterans Affairs
https://www.va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/veteran-rates/
View Or Change Dependents | Veterans Affairs
https://www.va.gov/view-change-dependents/
Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line. We’re here anytime, day or night – 24/7
If you are a Veteran in crisis or concerned about one, connect with our caring, qualified responders for confidential help. Many of them are Veterans themselves.
- Call 800-273-8255 and select 1
- Text 838255
- Start a confidential chat
- Call TTY if you have hearing loss800-799-4889
Get more resources at VeteransCrisisLine.net.
NEW AIR TRAVEL POLICY FOR ENTRY TO THE UNITED STATES
Message for U.S. Citizens:
Effective 12:01am EST (5:01am GMT) on December 6, 2021, all air passengers 2 years or older with a flight departing to the US from a foreign country are required to show a negative COVID-19 viral test result taken no more than 1 day before travel.
If you recently recovered from COVID-19, you may instead travel with documentation of recovery from COVID-19 (i.e., your positive COVID-19 viral test result on a sample taken no more than 90 days before the flight’s departure from a foreign country and a letter from a licensed healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel).
Air passengers will also be required to confirm in the form of an attestation that the information they present is true.
Children younger than two years of age (any nationality) are not required to provide a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination.
Exceptions to either the testing requirement (for all travelers) or the vaccination requirement (for non-U.S. citizen travelers) will be considered on an extremely limited basis. Please contact the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt to inquire about the process to request an exception.
The CDC has a helpful online wizard here (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/travel-assessment/index.html) where travelers can confirm exactly what they need to board a flight to the United States. You can also visit the CDC webpage on International Travel (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html) for more detailed information, including exceptions and FAQs about the vaccination and testing requirements for air passengers.
Battle of the Bulge 77th Anniversary
December 10-12, 2021. Battle of the Bulge 77th Anniversary
Virtual Veterans Info Session Recap
November 8, 2021
by Terese Sarno, DA Germany VMF Caucus
The DA Germany Veterans and Military Families Caucus collaborated with the U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt to present a VIRTUAL VETERANS INFO SESSION on Monday, November 8, 2021, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Zoom.
We listened carefully to your concerns about U.S. government services available to you in Germany (and around the world) and the Consulate designed a program that covered the topics important to our Veterans, military families, DoD civilians and all Americans overseas. One of the highlights was the discussion on voting while you are overseas and the importance of voter outreach programs since Americans overseas must request their absentee ballots each calendar year.
Representatives from the Consulate’s American Services Unit and from the Federal Benefits Unit discussed many important topics including Passport Renewals, the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), and Social Security.
The DAG VMF Caucus presented an overview of the VMF caucus goals and programs that have been offered this year and discussed our non-partisan voter registration events. There was a Question and Answer segment that allowed participants to get information needed for their personal concerns that was greatly appreciated.
The 80 participants, including veterans and civilians from all parts of Germany, highlighted that there is great interest in hearing directly from U.S. Consular Officers and in connecting with staff in the American Services Unit and the Federal Benefits Unit, so we hope to schedule more Info Sessions in the future. Let us know what topics would be of interest to you for a future program. If you would like to receive a copy of the Consulate slides, send us an email at [email protected].
We encourage everyone to join the VMF Caucus- https://www.democratsabroad.org/vmf.
VETERANS DAY LUXEMBOURG AMERICAN CEMETERY
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Lt Col Haven, USAF, Retired, organized a study trip for forty-one Ramstein High School AFROTC cadets to the wreath laying ceremony at the Luxembourg American Cemetery on Veterans Day. He commented that the ceremony served as a great tribute to the sacrifice of American military personnel who have, and will continue to serve, across the globe. Several of the cadets wrote the following summary of the trip. |
DAY OF REFLECTION
by AFROTC Cadets, Ramstein High School
On Veterans Day the AFJROTC went to the Luxembourg American Cemetery, where 5,074 fallen soldiers of World War II are buried. Forty-one cadets and five adults representing Ramstein High School’s AFJROTC attended the ceremony to honor their sacrifice as well as those who’ve served throughout history. On November 11, everyone met at the front of the school at 8:25 am. Following the 2 hour bus ride, everyone was allowed to look around and see what caught their eye. The Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, Lt Col Haven, USAF, Retired, also tasked each cadet to find someone who passed that was from the state you most identify with and research them. Then we had to see what the difference was in tombstones for people of different religions. We recognized that the Christian soldiers had a tombstone with a cross and the Jewish soldiers had the Star of David on the top of their tombstone. We also had to find a Medal of Honor recipient and do research on who that was as well, two of which are buried there - Private William D. McGee and Sergeant Day G. Turner. At 11:11, the ceremony began, and several people went up to give a speech about what this day meant to them and how we were gathered there to honor the fallen soldiers. Following the ceremony, all of the cadets walked around the cemetery, quietly and respectfully, while completing the rest of their assignment and taking it in. Once it was about time to leave, everyone lined up and took a few pictures, then got back on the bus to go to the next cemetery. This next cemetery was for the German soldiers who passed away from the war as well. We noticed that the majority of the men who died were in their 20’s and that our cemeteries were very different. The German cemetery had 4 people to a tombstone and if the men were unknown, they would just put “German soldier.” The cemetery in Luxembourg had spaced out tombstones with names, dates of their death, where they were from, and what religion they were. Overall, it was a great trip with a lot of reflection, appreciation, and respect. All of the cadets had fun being together, but at the same time learned a lot and enjoyed the experience.
Read moreVeterans Info Session
The DAG Veterans and Military Families Caucus is pleased to invite you—all members, veterans, military families—to attend the U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt’s virtual Veterans Info Session on Monday, November 8, from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. CET.
This info session will provide information on resources available to U.S. citizens at the U.S. Consulate as well as with the Federal Benefits Unit. This is a chance for U.S. citizens to hear directly from the U.S. Consular Officers, ask questions, and connect with staff in the American Citizen Services unit.
RSVP here to receive the Zoom link, and please spread the word about the event!
Statement of President Joe Biden on the Passing of General Colin Powell
Source:https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/
Jill and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and a patriot of unmatched honor and dignity, General Colin Powell.
The son of immigrants, born in New York City, raised in Harlem and the South Bronx, a graduate of the City College of New York, he rose to the highest ranks of the United States military and to advise four presidents. He believed in the promise of America because he lived it. And he devoted much of his life to making that promise a reality for so many others.
As a Senator, I worked closely with him when he served as National Security Advisor, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as Secretary of State. Over our many years working together – even in disagreement – Colin was always someone who gave you his best and treated you with respect.
Colin embodied the highest ideals of both warrior and diplomat. He was committed to our nation’s strength and security above all. Having fought in wars, he understood better than anyone that military might alone was not enough to maintain our peace and prosperity. From his front-seat view of history, advising presidents and shaping our nation’s policies, Colin led with his personal commitment to the democratic values that make our country strong. Time and again, he put country before self, before party, before all else—in uniform and out—and it earned him the universal respect of the American people.
Having repeatedly broken racial barriers, blazing a trail for others to follow in Federal Government service, Colin was committed throughout his life to investing in the next generation of leadership. Whether through his care for the women and men serving under his command and the diplomats he led, or through the work he shared with his wife Alma at the America’s Promise Alliance to lift up young people, or through his years leading the Eisenhower Fellowships, Colin’s leadership always included a focus on future.
Above all, Colin was my friend. Easy to share a laugh with. A trusted confidant in good and hard times. He could drive his Corvette Stingray like nobody’s business—something I learned firsthand on the race track when I was Vice President. And I am forever grateful for his support of my candidacy for president and for our shared battle for the soul of the nation. I will miss being able to call on his wisdom in the future.
Jill and I are sending all our love and strength to Alma, their children, Linda, Annemarie, and Michael, their grandchildren, and the entire Powell family. Our nation mourns with you.
Colin Powell was a good man.
He will be remembered as one of our great Americans.