Department of North Carolina

Another Successful Year

Posted at 10:16 AM on Friday, January 2, 2009 by State Blogmaster

Here we are at the beginning of a new year and there are many challanges ahead of us.

The success of North Carolina and it's posts weblogs are gaining ground by leaps and bounds. In 2006, our websites had 51,958 hits. In 2007, the amount of hits increased to 72, 173.

Last year, the amount of hits on our websites almost doubled to 132,392. In addition to the readers from the United States, our sites have been looked at by over 300 world cities from Adelaide, Australia to Sanaa, Yemen. Many on a daily if not weekly visits.

Information about the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States as well as what we do in the Great State of North Carolina is getting out.

You can do your part also. Get your post to keep their website active and be sure to visit their sites as well as the state's website.  WWW.VFWNC.ORG

Have a good and prosperous new year.

Richard C. "Dick" Easingwood

State Blog Master

 

VA News Briefs

Posted at 09:50 AM on Thursday, January 1, 2009 by State Blogmaster

VA Ramps Up Job Search for Injured Vets

WASHINGTON – Thirty percent of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are veterans – the second highest ranking among cabinet departments after the Department of Defense -- and nearly 8 percent of VA employees are service-connected disabled veterans. But the VA intends to increase the number of disabled veterans who obtain employment in its workforce.

"I am proud of this effort," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "VA knows the true quality of our men and women, and we should be a leader in employing them."

Peake said all severely injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be contacted by VA's Veterans Employment Coordination Service to determine their interest in -- and qualifications for -- VA jobs. So far, that office has identified 2,300 severely injured veterans of those wars, of whom 600 expressed interest in VA employment.

Click here to read more

Some Veterans to See Another Travel Reimbursement Increase

WASHINGTON – Service-disabled and low-income veterans who are reimbursed for travel expenses while receiving care at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities will see an increase in their payments beginning January 9.

A recently passed law allows VA to cut the amount it must withhold from their mileage reimbursement. The deductible amount will be $3 for each one-way trip and $6 for each round trip -- with a cap per calendar-month of $18, or six one-way trips or three round trips, whichever comes first. The previous deductible was $7.77 for a one-way trip, and $15.54 for a round trip, with a calendar-month cap of $46.62.

January Grassroots Survey

Posted at 09:40 AM on Thursday, January 1, 2009 by State Blogmaster

Last month, we asked, "With the election over, do you think our citizens will become more united?"

A majority of respondents—more than 65% percent—believe that the division of American citizens will continue in the years to come. Many noted, however, that people really need to put their differences aside for the health of the country.

• "America is strong as a people, and it's the people who will bring us back as the guiding light of the world, not the government."
• "These are tough times. We've used times like this to re-unite and get stronger. We're Americans first, as that we're all one."
• "We have to, and leaders in all organizations would best serve the goals of the organization and the country by encouraging everyone to do so."

Click here to see more results

VA Reaches 11,000 Survivors for Retroactive Benefit

Posted at 08:10 AM on Monday, December 29, 2008 by State Blogmaster

WASHINGTON (Dec. 24, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has identified nearly 11,000 surviving spouses of deceased veterans who will receive a lump-sum payment before the New Year to correct an error in their VA benefits. Also documented were more than 73,000 who had been previously paid. VA officials are still tracking down eligible survivors.

"I am pleased that our task force working to correct this problem has been able to identify this first group this week," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "We understand the difference these funds can make for these surviving spouses, especially during the holiday season."

Payments will be released to these survivors on Dec. 29. The total value of the payments is about $24 million.

At issue is a 1996 federal law that makes a surviving spouse eligible to receive the veteran's VA compensation or pension benefit for the month of the veteran's death. VA failed to properly implement that law in all cases.

Most likely to have been affected by this problem are surviving spouses who never applied for VA survivors' benefits following the death of a veteran. Eligible for the payment are surviving spouses of veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996. The Department doesn't have current addresses for many of them, which makes the process of contacting them difficult.

VA has established a special Survivor Call Center (1-800-749-8387) for spouses who believe they may be eligible for this retroactive benefit. The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Central Standard Time. Inquiries may also be submitted through the Internet at http://www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm.

General Order, 2008-2009 Series

Posted at 10:30 AM on Friday, December 26, 2008 by State Blogmaster

 Department General Orders are available in PDF format. Click on the link for the GO you wish to see.

 To view General Order #1, click: HERE

 To view General Order #2, click: HERE

 To view General Order #3, click: HERE

 To view General Order #4, click: HERE

 To view General Order #5, click: HERE

 To view General Order #6, click: HERE

Winter Council of Administration Tentative Program Outline

Posted at 09:37 AM on Friday, December 26, 2008 by State Blogmaster

The draft C of A meeting program outline for 6-8 February 2009 at the Raleigh North Hilton hotel is as fommows:

FRIDAY, 6 FEBRUARY
3:00 PM	Business Session
7:00 PM	VOD/Partiots Pen Banquet
9:00 PM	Dance (Cash Bar)
SATURDAY, 7 FEBRUARY
7:00 AM	District Cdr's Breakfast
7:00 AM	Past Department Cdr's Breakfast
7:00 AM	State Cdr/Ladies Aux. Pres. Breakfast
8:15 AM	State Cdr/Conference Officer's Mtg
9:00 AM	Budget Committee Meeting
9:00 AM	Community Activities Class
9:00 AM	Long Range Planning Comm Mtg
9:00 AM	VAMC Directors' and VFW State Svc
	Offier's Q&A Session for Comrades
10:00 AM	Disciplinary Action vs Canteen
	Barring Class
10:00 AM	National Military Services (NMS) Class
1:00 PM	Eastern Conference Meeting
1:00 PM	Central Conference Meeting
1:00 PM	Western Conference Meeting
2:00 PM	Joint and Business Meeting
8:30 PM	Dance (Cash Bar)
SUNDAY, 8 FEBRUARY
9:00 AM	Devotion

Posts and Districts are Supporting Wounded Warrior Programs

Posted at 01:27 PM on Friday, December 19, 2008 by State Blogmaster

Through the state, VFW Posts and Districts are providing money, support, and programs in support of the Wounded Warrior. When the Posts/Districts  add their recent activities on their websites, I will provide lonks to those postings.

Keep watch for what programs are happening around the state.

1.  www.vfwwebcom.org/nc/dist5

2.  www.vfwwebcom.org/nc/post670

 

Operation Uplink Gets One Million Minutes for Holiday Talk Time

Posted at 07:25 AM on Thursday, December 18, 2008 by State Blogmaster

VA Urges Vets to Sign-up for Direct Deposits

Posted at 03:59 PM on Monday, December 15, 2008 by State Blogmaster

WASHINGTON (December 15, 2008) -- Every month, 730,000 veterans or survivors look for their compensation, pension checks or educational assistance payments in their mailboxes. Nearly all receive them, but theft and mail delays cause problems for some veterans, which can be prevented by direct deposits.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is urging those veterans and family members now receiving paper checks to join nearly 3.1 million others whose VA payments are safely deposited electronically.

"VA is teaming up with the Treasury Department in a new campaign to protect government beneficiaries against the theft of funds and of their identities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "Veterans earned -- and rely on -- the financial support we send them every month. I urge them to help VA ensure they get those funds reliably and safely by signing up for direct deposit."

Peake cited several easy ways to sign up for direct deposit -- calling VA toll-free at (800) 333-1795 or enrolling online at www.GoDirect.org. Veterans, and family members who receive VA payments, also can sign up by contacting a VA regional benefits office or their financial institution. Information about direct deposits will be included in VA's monthly compensation and pension envelopes throughout 2009.

The VA Secretary urged veterans to remember that direct deposits relieve worry about mail delivery being delayed by severe weather or natural disasters. The deposits also eliminate trips to banks or credit unions to deposit checks, while providing immediate access to money at the same time each month.

VA Announces Enhanced and Expanded Care for N.C. Veterans

Posted at 06:58 AM on Friday, December 12, 2008 by State Blogmaster

For this and other VA Stories, visit   www.vfwwebcom.org/nc/vahospitals

 

 

Gulf War Illness: Scientific Evidence Leaves No Question That It Is A Real Condition

Posted at 03:15 PM on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 by State Blogmaster

The following excerpts are from the Executive Summary of a 465 page report titled "Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans: Scientific Findings and Recommendations" released recently by the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses.

The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses was appointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 2002 and directed to evaluate the effectiveness of government research in addressing central questions on the nature, causes, and treatments of Gulf War-related illnesses. According to its charter, the guiding principle for the Committee’s work is the premise that the fundamental goal of all Gulf War-related government research is to improve the health of Gulf War veterans, and the choice and success of federal Gulf War research should be judged accordingly.

The central focus of this report is Gulf War illness, the multisymptom condition that affects veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War at significantly elevated rates. Despite considerable government, scientific, and media attention, little was clearly understood about Gulf War illness for many years. Now, 17 years after the war, the extensive body of scientific research and government investigations that is currently available provides the basis for an evidence-based assessment of the nature and causes of Gulf War illness. As described throughout the report, scientific evidence leaves no question that Gulf War illness is a real condition with real causes and serious consequences for affected veterans. Research has also shown that this pattern of illness does not occur after every war and cannot be attributed to psychological stressors during the Gulf War.

You can download the full report in .pdf here:
http://www1.va.gov/rac-gwvi/docs/GWIandHealthofGWVeterans_RAC-GWVIReport_2008.pdf

You can go to the VFW Membership Forum and discuss here:
http://www.vfwwebcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,442.0.html

Your NC State VFW Headquarters

Posted at 09:34 AM on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 by State Blogmaster in Special Photos

Many people drive by the State Headquarters on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh, NC but few stop in for a visit. The next time you drive by, stop and say hello and meet the personnel who are at the heart of our state activities. Click on the "Photo Album" under Quick Links

 

Department Programs Links

Posted at 08:33 AM on Saturday, November 1, 2008 by State Blogmaster

North Carolina special program links can be found at the left under "DEPARTMENT LINKS". These links will take you to active special programs and individual points of contacts for those programs and forms the programs use (if available)

North Carolina VFW Leader Newspaper

Posted at 09:30 AM on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 by State Blogmaster in VFW Leader

Click the link to read the leader: (Must have Adobe Reader)

 To view the June Leader, click: June 2008 Leader

 

 To view the September Leader, click: Sept 2008 Leader

(Note: The 3 pages of advertisements in the mailed Leader are not posted.)

Share with My VFW WebCOM

Posted at 06:46 PM on Sunday, October 19, 2008 by State Blogmaster

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