PTSD looks to be the diagnosis of the decade. Seems everyone has it, or wants to claim it. In the 80s the diagnosis was ADHD… In the 90s, was it narcissism? And now, PTSD: apparently you can get it soon after watching a movie, or years after some bad act. It’s all the rage in the news, and a convenient excuse for bad behavior. Even if someone has never personally experienced the trauma, it seems like they only have to hear about someone else’s trauma, and POOF — they have PTSD! Worse still are those who point to combat stress as proof that service members are the victims of some nefarious plot. If you believe the media and some politicians, every bad act by someone who happens to be a veteran is the result of some neglect or refusal to identify and treat this condition.

The deficiency notices aren’t saying you are NOT qualified. They need to check the records YOU sent, against what they have in PERRMS. That’s going to take some time. There may be a difference in dates, there are a few that don’t jibe with the Social Security Numbers that are on the list, and those are being worked on. Wounded servicemembers’ cases are being handled first. Those who were KIA are not in this program, they are or were handled separately.

There are thousands and thousands of files to go through. The number we heard on the call, was 16,000! so far, they know that 10,000 were eligible.

If you didn’t have your Dash4, only had your DD214, or an LES, they will find the rest of your documentation, again, this is going to take time. That’s a hard thing to hear, I know. But they are working as fast and as accurately as they can, according to Maj. Whitley

Anyone who sent in hardcopy by mail, those have to be scanned in, and since there were hundreds of them, expect even more delay.

Maj. Whitley explained this as well: If you went past your ETS, you were stop lossed and are eligible. IF you were IRR and were recalled, you are NOT.

Major Whitley wanted to make this really really clear. They are NOT in the business of saving the DoD money. This is money that is earmarked for YOU, won’t go into DoD’s pockets if its not sent out by a certain date.

ParentsZone will keep checking on the progress of this program. When we hear something, we’ll make sure you do too.

LAW

http://www.welcomebackveterans.org/thanks

What is it?

Soldiers, veterans and survivors of those whose service was involuntarily extended under Stop Loss between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2008 can apply to receive $500 for every month, or portion of a month, they served under Stop Loss. The 2009 War Supplemental Appropriations Act established and largely funded the payment for all military services, but dictated that each service process and pay their own applicants. The Army estimates that 136,000 of the approximately 174,000 eligible servicemembers served in the Army.

What has the Army done?

The Army has created an application process for active-and-reserve component Soldiers, veterans, and survivors of Soldiers to process claims for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay. By law, the Army can only accept claims between October 21, 2009 and October 21, 2010. Eligible candidates must submit their request within this time frame, or the Army will not be able to process their request. The Army has set up an email address to field questions people have regarding the benefit.

How can people apply?

Candidates for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay must submit a claim at Retroactive Stop Loss Web site . This Web site is the preferred method for submitting applications; however, other means for doing so, such as by mail or fax, will be available to those without access to computers. Additional communications will provide instructions for alternative forms of submission. During the application process, candidates will be asked to show documentation that indicates the time they served under Stop Loss. The necessary documentation, depending on their type of service, includes the following:

What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?

The Army will review, process and pay qualified candidates as they submit their applications at Retroactive Stop Loss Web site. Candidates who meet the criteria and show the required documentation will receive their retroactive payment in a one lump sum. The Army will not accept applications submitted after October 21, 2010.

Resources: Retroactive Stop Loss Web site ]]> http://parentszone.org/2009/10/20/retroactive-stop-loss-special-pay/feed/ 11 http://parentszone.org/2009/08/24/website-jobs-for-disabled-vets/ http://parentszone.org/2009/08/24/website-jobs-for-disabled-vets/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:43:01 +0000 LAW http://parentszone.org/?p=747 For those of us who have children who are vets, wounded and in need of a job – there’s a new site.   I looked and there are a lot of job postings.   If your child has used this site, please let us know in the comments, let us know if it is a useful site.

Web Site Features Jobs for Disabled Veterans

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2009 – With more than 3,000 job openings, the creators of a new Web portal are hoping to attract disabled veterans seeking employment.

“Our current project is to spread the word that we are here,” said Diana Corso, executive director of disABLEDperson Inc., a nonprofit group aiming to reduce the unemployment rate of disabled veterans.

“We launched a couple of months ago,” she said. “We have jobs on the site, but not that many resumes. We are hoping to attract many more applicants. These positions are from employers across the U.S.”

DisABLEDperson.Inc. hosts the nationally based online job board called Job Opportunities for Disabled American Veterans. The site is free for disabled veterans to post their resumes and employers to post their jobs.

“We are trying to make it as easy as possible for [disabled veterans] and employers to come together,” Corso said. “All positions are paid openings, some carrying benefits.”
To post a resume, job seekers must first fill out an online registration. The resume will post on http://www.JOFDAV.com for three months. After three months, job seekers are given the option to repost their resume, to modify it or to leave it inactive.

Corso encourages job seekers not just to wait for employers to find them, but to browse through job openings that companies already have posted.

Current job openings on the Web site include accounting, administration and clerical, business development, information technology, research, restaurant and food service, science, collections, public relations and security. Other than job titles, postings specify geographic location, job category, career level, salary level and job description.

“This Web site has attracted employers that are proactively seeking to hire disabled American veterans,” Corso said. “My desire is to find a way to get the word out about these openings to generate more disabled job seekers to fill the slots.”

Some Soldier’s Mom, in her previous post, listed a group of websites to assist Vets.  I’d like to add to that, and I’m asking you for help.  If you know a site, an organization, a group, that helps Vets, list them here.  We’ll set up a page for them as well (right, Tech Mama??)

The American Veteran video site

IAVA Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

American Women Veterans ( this is a FaceBook based group)

LAW