Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 01/05/2004

Dear Sgt Shaft,
I recently heard while at the VA Hospital that there maybe a Korean Service Defense medal coming out soon.

That the Department of Defense (DoD) is planning on changing the service in Korea

(After the Korean to present) has a hostile action service and there will be a determination on who will be eligible for it.

I served two tours with the 1st bn 17th mech and 1st bn 23rd Inf 2nd Inf Div in Infantry line platoons with a least 6 tours on the DMZ and I can't count the number of patrols in the DMZ.

(79-80, 81-82). Is this all true or just a bunch of old guys talking trash?

Thank you
John R.
Tampa, Fl

The Korean Defense Service Medal (KDSM) was authorized by the fiscal year 2003 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for military members who served in the Korean area of operations from 28 July 1954 until a date yet to be determined. The DoD is currently creating the criteria and requirements for the award. Once this is complete, the KDSM will be manufactured, then DoD officials will provide direction on "who and how" the medal will be issued. Please note that the KDSM is NOT connected to the Korean War Service Medal, currently being issued to Korean War veterans. It has been requested that personnel refrain from asking questions relating to the KDSM, until the criteria and requirements are available. I will keep you apprised of the progress of the issuance of the KDSM in the column,

Shaft Kudos
Hats off to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) for the creation of a new military-related website with information about a variety of health issues.

"IOM's new website is one more tool available to veterans, health care practitioners and others interested in the well-being of our veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi.

The site, http://veterans.iom.edu, has separate sections for health care issues affecting the last four major military conflicts - World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. At each section, visitors can read electronic versions of IOM-produced reports or purchase publications.

Other sections list IOM's completed reports and reports in progress, while another area contains studies about chemical and biological agents suspected of causing health problems for military members. There is also a section with reports and information about deployment health.

The Institute of Medicine is Part of the National Academy of Sciences, a nonprofit organization that provides advice on matters of biomedical science.

The Sarge salutes President Bush for signing the "Servicemembers Civil Relief Act," (SCRA)

This new legislation will help ease the economic and legal burdens on military personnel called to active duty status in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The bill was authored by Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Smith, the SCRA updates and strengthens current civil protections enacted during World War II. In addition, the new law contains dozens of provisions to assist soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines to help manage their financial and legal obligations while they are away from home in Iraq, Afghanistan and other locations around the world.

"Servicemembers called to active duty or deployed to new duty stations often find it difficult to meet their personal financial and legal obligations in a timely manner," said Chairman Smith. "The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act will help these brave men and women, as well as their families back home, by strengthening and expanding the current civil relief statute,".

"For example, servicemembers deploying to new duty stations will have the ability to terminate automobile leases without having to pay any early termination penalties," Smith said. "Furthermore, it will prevent personal property (such as automobiles) from being repossessed without a specific court order in order to take into account their military duty status,"

To protect their rights, the SCRA will provide servicemembers with automatic 90-day stays in civil proceedings. Furthermore, if an additional stay is subsequently requested but denied, the court will be required to appoint a counsel to protect the servicemember's rights while he remains on active duty,

"For Guard and reserve members called to active duty - especially for extended periods such as Operation Iraqi Freedom - the reduction in income can place significant economic pressure on them and their families," Smith said. "The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act recognizes that these men and women need and deserve special relief to meet a number of financial obligations and liabilities, such as rent, mortgages, installment contracts and leases," he said.

The SCRA will also protect servicemembers and their families from eviction from housing while on active duty due to nonpayment of rents that are $1,200 per month or less;

Provide a servicemember who receives permanent change of station orders or who is deployed to a new location for 90 days or more the right to terminate a housing lease.

* Clarify and restate existing law that limits to 6 percent interest on credit obligations, including credit card debt, for active duty servicemembers

* Update life insurance protections provided to activated Guard and reserve members by increasing from $10,000 to $250,000 the maximum policy coverage that the federal government will protect from default for nonpayment while on active duty.

* Prevent servicemembers from a form of double taxation that can occur when they have a spouse who works and is taxed in a state other than the state in which they maintain their permanent legal residence.

Additional information regarding this important legislation can be obtained at http://www.house,gov or by calling the House Veterans Affairs Committee at 202-225-3527

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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