Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 01/02/2006

Dear Sgt. Shaft:
I am pleased to announce a new program for service members sustaining traumatic injuries, Traumatic Service members’ Group Life Insurance (TSGLI). This new insurance program will help families focus on recovery and adjustment back to military or civilian life and ease worries about financial difficulties.

The TSGLI benefit payments, ranging from $25,000 to $100,000, are made to service members who have suffered certain traumatic injuries while on active duty. The program became effective December 1, 2005, and provides financial help to military families through extended periods of medical care and healing. Benefits are also payable retroactively to October 7, 2001, for service members and veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I hope you will share this information with your readers and ask that they pass this information along to service members or veterans who may be eligible to take advantage of this program. Additional information can be found on VA’s website at www.insurance.va.gov or by calling the Office of Service members’ Group Life Insurance at 1-800-419-1473.

Daniel L. Cooper
Under Secretary for Benefits
Department of Veterans Affairs

Dear Admiral Cooper,
Thanks for reaching out to our wounded heroes and alerting them on how to obtain this well deserved benefit.

Shaft Notes
The Senate recently approved two bills which will improve the health care of the nation’s military veterans.

AS Senator Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Chairman of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee put it "Congress has sent a powerful message to the troops that we support you and will continue to support you when you get home. Much of the new health care bill (S. 1182) will ensure that our returning service members get the care and attention that they need so that they can enjoy long and healthy lives after defending our freedom. With the passage of the Vet Center Enhancement Act (S. 716), sponsored by Sen. Akaka (D-Hawaii), the ranking member of our committee, we will ensure that parents and immediate family members of soldiers killed in action receive the help they need."

"For rural states, like my state of Idaho, the tele-health provisions of the health care legislation will expand access to important care while reducing the need for long distance travel. For those suffering from PTSD, this new legislation will provide more mental health care services. For our returning National Guard and Reservists, the VA is now directed to reach out and ensure that they receive the care they need."

Under the provisions of S. 1182, the "Veterans Health Care Act of 2005":

• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will now be allowed to hire Marriage and Family Therapists within VA to provide complete readjustment services and counseling to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF - Afghanistan) veterans
• Requires VA to expand the number of clinical care providers dedicated to the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Requires VA to expand tele-health initiatives in rural areas
• Requires VA to expand mental health services in Community-based Outpatient Clinics
• Requires VA to expand the Global War on Terrorism Outreach Program, which places Iraq war and Afghanistan war veterans in Vet Centers and encourages them to reach out to returning National Guard and Reservists
• Requires the Secretary of the VA to establish a strategic plan for long-term care
• Increases total funding for VA’s programs to assist homeless veterans to $130 million
• The VA will now be allowed to provide up to 14 days of care for newborns of female veterans

Craig’s health care legislative effort is valued at approximately $193 million in 2006, and an estimated $1.2 billion over five years. The value of the Vet Center Enhancement bill is calculated at $180 million for 2006. Funding for the new measures was appropriated earlier in the year when Congress approved the budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The bills now await action by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Northwest Illinois Chapter of Operation Homefront has nationally launched Operation Softball program with a goal of collecting 10,000 softballs and baseballs to send to soldiers in Iraq.

The original goal was to collect 1,016 softballs autographed by the donors to build a pyramid of support for our soldiers. For months, softballs were distributed to area businesses, churches, and schools for people to sign and write words of support for our troops. Because of the tremendous outpouring of support, the program has been continued through 15 April 2006 and extended to the national level.

Operation Homefront is accepting donated and signed softballs and baseballs from business, churches, and citizens around the country.

More information on the Operation Softball program is available at www.operationhomefront.net/nwillinois.

About Operation Homefront:

Operation Homefront is one of our country’s largest non-profit organizations dedicated to assisting U.S. military families. The agency was founded by military spouses and retirees, and focuses on a range of issues from home and auto repairs to scholarships and urgent financial assistance. Operation Homefront also operates CinCHouse.com, the nation’s largest online community of women in uniform, military wives and significant others.

Operation Homefront utilizes a network of more than 30 chapters and over 1,500 volunteers nationwide to provide critical support to the loved ones of military personnel.

Since its inception, Operation Homefront has come to the rescue of over 20,000 clients. In addition to handling these cases, the organization has also delivered over 11,000 holiday food baskets, 3,000 care packages to those in need, along with more than 2,000 backpacks for wounded soldiers. For more information, please visit www.operationhomefront.net.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-257-5446 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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