An eBenefits Accounts Is A Plus

Dealing with the VA or any federal government organization can have its moments. There are rules, regulations, updates, forms, certified documents, wet signatures, DD-214s, evidence and a myriad of other hoops you have to jump through. Oh, wet signatures you ask. They are original signatures. Not copies, reproductions or electronic signatures.

When becoming involved with the VA, an eBenefits account is a good way to keep track of a multitude of things. Any veteran can create an eBenefits account. If you file a claim for disabilities or pension, you can follow the progress of your claim. You can add evidence to your claim. You can add or subtract dependents to your claim.

When you claim is approved, you can track your monthly payments. Which are tax free by the way. Change your address, update your bank account information, print out an VA Award letter (a letter from the VA stating what percentage you have been awarded depending your disability). If you want to apply for a VA mortgage, you need a COE (certificate of eligibility) to go with your application. Print it from eBenefits.

Want to use your GI Bill to go to school? The steps and forms are available here. How about batteries for hearing aids or set up an appointment for eyeglasses.

How about health care? Besides my family doctor, I have been going to the VA for healthcare for about three years. I can check my appointments, ask for prescription refills, read notes from my VA doctor's visits and print out a complete list of my blood tests. I give my family doctor a copy of all this information.
Go to www.ebenefits.va.gov <http://www.ebenefits.va.gov>  to get started. The home page will give a nice rundown of all the information you can access. Click the Register button and you are asked a series of questions. 

Questions are:

Select registration method:
I have a Common Access Card (CAC) with accessible card reader. 
I have a Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) myPay account. 
None of the above conditions apply, however at least one of the following conditions is true:

I am a Veteran
I am a Dependent of a Veteran
I am a Survivor of a Veteran
I am registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)

Just follow the prompts and account you too can have your very own eBenefits account. It is well worth the time and effort.

For questions or information contact me at 765-529-4305 or jguglielmi@henryco.net. My office hours are 7 am till noon, Tuesdaythrough Friday room 114 in the old Henry County Courthouse.

Navy in Vietnam / Brown & Blue

A US Navy veteran came to my office over a year ago to file a VA claim. As we sorted through the paperwork, he told me he joined the Navy to beat the draft. From 1940 until 1973, men were required to register for the draft. Uncle Sam would send you a letter stating where and when to report for military service. Now the military is all volunteer.

"I decided to join the Navy and see the world." He didn't want to be drafted into the US Army and end up fighting his way through the jungles of Vietnam. "After basic training, I expected to be assigned to a ship and see the world. Instead I ended up piloting a Swift Boat up and down the waterways of Vietnam." 

A Navy Swift Boat on patrol.

Patrol Craft Fast (PCF), also known as Swift Boats, were all-aluminum, 50-foot long, shallow-draft vessels.  "Every day we could hear the bullets pinging off the side of the boat."  These ships became part of the Brown-Water Navy.

Destroyers and the many other Navy ships that supported our troops in Vietnam, are classified as the Blue-Water Navy. Now why is this important to Navy vets filing claims with the VA? 

Sailors who manned small gunboats and patrol boats used in rivers, along with some of the larger ships that supported them as "mother ships," are assumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Thus Brown-Water.

Larger vessels operating off the coast of Vietnam in the deep waters of open oceans are considered Blue-Water and their sailors not exposed to Agent Orange.  But what if the sailors went ashore on a three day pass or to deliver supplies?  

There are still many questions as to who was exposed and who wasn't exposed. A veteran needs documentation (evidence) when filing a claim for a disability relating to Agent Orange exposure. To explore a list of diseases related to Agent Orange check out the VA web pagewww.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/.

Another site that has a large amount of information about Blue-Water ships is www.bluewaternavy.org. 

My office is located on the first floor of the Henry County Courthouse. My  hours are 7 am till noon, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Email jguglielmi@henryco.net or 765-529-4305.

VA Healthcare: Everyone Should Apply

      As veterans from past conflicts age, they come into my office asking if the Veterans Administration can health with medications and medical care. I encourage all vets to at least apply. Even if your present insurance is good, things might change down the road. There are VA Clinics and Medical centers around the country and more are being built or upgraded. All you need is a copy of your DD-214 (discharge) and a completed 10-10EZ. You can go to www.va.gov and type the form number in the search box in the upper right. It will give you the option to print the form or file online. You can also check with your county Veteran Service Office or your state Department of Veteran Affairs for more information.
    
     Last year I had a Vietnam vet ask about help with expensive heart meds he was taking and if the VA could help. His discharge stated he had a Purple Heart. An Army medic, he was wounded when his chopper was hit when they were going in to pick up wounded. He was completely cover and we had him in the system in no time.

      The VA web site states: The VA has developed a Veterans Health Benefits Guide to provide Veterans general information about the VA Medical Benefits Package. The information in this Veterans Health Benefits Guide reflects the benefits and services available to enrolled Veterans at the time it was published. Since VA policies are governed by law, changes to programs or eligibility may occur. If you have questions, contact the Enrollment Coordinator at your local VA health care facility or call us at 1-877-222- VETS (8387).