VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY

VFW WASHINGTON WEEKLY                                                         

In This Issue:

1. House Holds Second GI Bill Implementation Hearing
2. VFW Participates in VA Roundtable Discussion
3. IB Critical Issues for 2010
4. VFW Chief Calls on Vietnam Veterans for Help

1. House Holds Second GI Bill Implementation Hearing: The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held its second hearing on GI Bill implementation and status of the new benefit program. Representatives from VA were the only witnesses and their primary discussion addressed the short and long-term strategies in developing IT components for implementation of the bill. As was reported earlier, the Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) was chosen to work with VA to develop the type of software needed to deliver the education benefits.

Keith Wilson, director of Education Services for VA, said they intend to meet the program’s Aug. 1, 2009, effective date, and have assigned project oversight duties and plan to increase the number of individuals at their regional offices to ensure progress. VA received $120 million in supplemental funding to implement the new benefit. For testimony and more information on the hearing, go to: http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?newsid=316

2. VFW Participates in VA Roundtable Discussion: VFW took part in a roundtable discussion hosted by the House VA Committee regarding recent reports of disability claims and critical documents being shredded at VA facilities. Committee members also opened up the discussion topics to include disability claims backlog and misinformation about the timeline for those claims, as well as management issues and the oversight.

Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) remarked that he hoped to bring these and other critical veterans issues to the transition team as we move into a new Congress and new Administration in January. VFW discussed the need for enhanced accountability and for the seamless transition of servicemember record from DOD to VA.

3. IB Critical Issues for 2010: The Independent Budget, which the VFW co-authors, released the FY 2010 Critical Issues Report. It contains a wide ranging series of policy changes and recommendations to help VA better care for all veterans. The seven critical issues are:

• Sufficient, Timely and Predictable Funding for VA Health Care
• The Challenge of Caring for our Newest War Veterans
• Maintaining VA’s Critical Medical Facilities Infrastructure
• Improvements Needed in Claims Process
• Seamless Transition from DOD to VA
• Human Resources Challenges Facing VA
• National Cemetery Administration

To read the entire report, go to the IB website and click on 2010 issues at the bottom of the page at: http://es3.pva.org/independentbudget/index.htm

4. VFW Chief Calls on Vietnam Veterans for Help: VFW Commander-in-Chief Glen Gardner is calling upon veterans of the Vietnam War to search their memories and files for any information that might be of value in determining the fate of Vietnam’s estimated 300,000 MIAs, and might be of assistance in the recovery of their remains. Providing information of this nature to the Vietnamese government helps to generate goodwill among its people and further assists U.S. efforts in its investigative and recovery operations for American MIAs. Information is also needed for the Laotian and Cambodian governments to help account for their missing. The Chief requests Department, District, Post and VFW member assistance in gathering information that would help identify Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian gravesites.

Such information or material may include veterans’ statements; photos and locations of battles or burial sites; battlefield souvenirs, especially if they contain names or other identifying information; personal effects, such as photos, letters or identification documents taken from casualties; and sketch maps, etc. Any information that would help in this recovery effort should be forwarded to Michael Wysong, Director, National Security & Foreign Affairs, VFW Washington Office, 200 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002. All information collected will be turned over to the Vietnamese government at a time and place determined by the VFW Commander-in-Chief.