WASHINGTON, April 26, 2013 – The Defense Department, in concert with the military services and interagency partners are successfully implementing the department’s revamped Transition Assistance Program, a senior DOD official told a House Armed Services Committee subcommittee here April 24. Dr. Susan S. Kelly, principal director of DOD’s Transition to Veterans … [Read more...]
Troops and Vets Urged to Tap VA Services and Benefits
WASHINGTON, April 22, 2013 – Former Army Maj. Tommy Sowers understands firsthand that the last thing many service members preparing to transition out of the military want to do is attend more briefings or fill out more forms than they already do. But Sowers, now an assistant secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs, urges those headed for the door to take … [Read more...]
Army Changes Requirements for Transfer of GI Bill Benefits
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, April 17, 2013) -- Beginning Aug. 1, 2013, every Soldier who elects to transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a family member will incur an additional four years in the Army, without regard to their time in service. That news comes in a message to military personnel, dated April 15, 2013. The new rule largely affects senior officers and … [Read more...]
VA Improving Soldiers’ Disability Process and Benefits Timing
FORT BRAGG, N.C. (April 9, 2013) -- About 82 percent of the Army's major units are now meeting the Defense Department's Medical Evaluation Board goal of processing Soldiers' disability evaluations within 100 days, significantly reducing a backlog that sometimes took eight months or longer in recent years. The Army is making significant improvements in most Integrated … [Read more...]
TRICARE Expands Assistance to Reduce Tobacco Use
WASHINGTON, April 8, 2013 – The Defense Department is committed to helping troops, their families and all beneficiaries of the TRICARE health care plan reduce their reliance on tobacco products, a TRICARE official said here today. During an interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, Paul Fitzpatrick, TRICARE’s “Quit Tobacco” … [Read more...]