Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 09/15/2003

Dear Sgt. Shaft
I am a female disabled veteran rated at 70% with 100% unemployability. I have been in therapy for five years with large improvements. I have recently applied for vocational rehabilitation with a request for schooling to obtain my commercial flight license. I have spoken to many schools that are approved for training however none could cite a veteran who was accepted by voc rehab through the VA. My disability does not include physical impairment and I am eligible according to my flight physical to pursue my career choice. Do you have any information that would assist me in the process?

I appreciate your time and consideration.

Thank you,
Jennifer T
New Hampshire

Dear Jennifer,
I forwarded your letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs and by now you should have received the following response:

Your inquiry to Sgt. Shaft regarding flight training under VA's Vocational Rehabilitation program was forwarded to this office for response. Title 38 USC, incorporated in VA Regulation 21.134 limits flight training under Chapter 31 to disabled veterans attending institutions of higher education for degree level programs in the field of aviation. It does not authorize flight training benefits attending commercial flight schools. What this means is that if you are interested in this field of training under VA's Vocational Rehabilitation program, you must be pursuing a degree program at a school authorized for this level of training, such as a college or university. This program pursuit must be part of an approved employment goal that has been authorized by the VR&E staff in your particular state.

This determination would be made only after a complete assessment of your overall capabilities. If you wish to explore this further, you should contact the VR&E Office at the Manchester, NH VA Regional Office who would set up an appointment to determine your employment goal and what is necessary to achieve that goal. You may call VA's toll free number at 1-800-827-1000 for further information and assistance in completing the application. If you have eligibility under the Montgomery GI Bill, you may use those benefits at a commercial flight school.

Jeffrey M. Alger, Acting Director
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service

SHAFT KUDOS
The Sarge salutes the efforts of the Senior Corps of Rhode Island for assisting the Rhode Island National Guard to launch its 100% Contact Campaign focused on contacting each Rhode Island family that has a loved one deployed oversees. Rhode Island is the first state to launch this type of program, in which Senior Corps volunteers will contact each family once a month.

The campaign is designed not only to let family members know how much their loved one's efforts are appreciated, but also to make sure that any needs the family has will be attended to by the National Guard's Family Readiness Office. Senior Corps volunteers will relay pertinent information to the center.

"We want family members to know that Rhode Islanders are thinking of them during the difficult time and that the National Guards' Family Readiness Office is available to help them in any way," explained Vincent Marzullo, Rhode Island state program director for the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees guard and by family members. We are able to enjoy freedom and liberties in our country because of our dedicated and professional military forces serving at home and abroad. While they are protecting us, those of us here at home can ease their concerns about their families."

Major General Reginald A. Centracchio, the Adjutant General of Rhode Island and the Commanding General of the Rhode Island National Guard, commented that the "greatest generation" is still giving to our country by helping the next generation and their families.

The 100% Contact Campaign is part of the "On the Homefront" resource launched in March by USA Freedom Corps as a means for people seeking to support our troops, their families, and their communities. Suggestions for aiding military families, from writing letters to military personnel deployed overseas to helping families with home repairs, are available online at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

Senior Corps taps the skills, talents, and experience of those Americans age 55 and older to meet community needs in education, the environment, public safety, homeland security, and other areas. Senior Corps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, which also oversees AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America. Additional information is available at www.nationalservice.org.

SHAFT SHOT
However, a high caliber shot is in order for Senator Barbara Mikulski (D) MD and her personal flak, Washington Post Reporter Christopher Lee, for their cheap slam at fellow Viet Nam veteran, former Chief Executive Officer for the Corporation for National Service (CNS) Les Lenkowsky and the many dedicated employees of the corporation who received miniscule bonuses. As Kelly Daly, President of the CNS Employees Union pointed out in a recent rebuke to Mr. Lee’s article, most Corporation employees do not receive automatic salary increases like other federal employees.

The article titled "$411,655 in Bonuses at AmeriCorps’s Parent Agency decried,” was malicious and irresponsible. It is true that the Educational trust fund of the Corporation has been mismanaged from its inception (eight years of which were under the Clinton Administration). It was Mr. Lenkowsky who was responsible for making significant changes on how the Corporation conducts its affairs, stressing greater financial and program accountability. The Maryland Senator sat on her hands during this time and continued to appropriate funny money without oversight of the taxpayer dollars.

A wonderful Democrat, the late Tip O ‘ Neil once said, “ all politics is local”, However the good Senator from Maryland shows that some politics is loco.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-462-4430 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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