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 Vallarta Living | Veterans Affairs | May 2006 
A Statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs
 David Lord - PVNN
| | Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson, right, and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, answers reporters questions at the Justice Department in Washington, Monday, May 22, 2006 to discuss stolen personal data of U.S. veterans stolen from a VA employee's home. (AP/Lawrence Jackson) |
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently learned that an employee, a data analyst, took home electronic data from VA, which he was not authorized to do. This behavior was in violation of our policies.
This data contained identifying information including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth for up to 26.5 million veterans and some spouses, as well as some disability ratings.
Importantly, the affected data did not include any of VA's electronic health records nor any financial information. The employee's home was burglarized and this data was stolen. The employee has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation.
Appropriate law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and the VA Inspector General's office, have launched full-scale investigations into this matter. Authorities believe it is unlikely the perpetrators targeted the items because of any knowledge of the data contents.
It is possible that they remain unaware of the information which they possess or of how to make use of it. However, out of an abundance of caution, VA is taking all possible steps to protect and inform our veterans.
VA is working with members of Congress, the news media, veterans service organizations, and other government agencies to help ensure that those veterans and their families are aware of the situation and of the steps they may take to protect themselves from misuse of their personal information.
VA will send out individual notification letters to veterans to every extent possible. Veterans can also go to www.firstgov.gov to get more information on this matter.
Combat Related Special Compensation
Tax-Free Compensation for Service-Connected Disabled Military Retirees
One of our guest speakers at the Military Order of the Purple Heart National Service Officer Training heads this ground-breaking program. All retired service members should contact your branch of service.
Military retirees have funded their own disability compensation from within their military retired pay for the 100 years preceding 1999. Congress approved the Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) program for implementation in June 2003 to replace some or all of the monies offset from military retirees' pay by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for disability compensation for qualifying disabilities.
In determining basic program eligibility, retired members should answer the following questions:
• Am I retired with 20 (or more) years of active duty uniformed service or retired at age 60 from the Guard or Reserve?
• Am I receiving military retired pay?
• Do I have a compensable VA disability rating of 10 percent or higher?
• Is my retired pay offset by VA disability payments (VA Waiver)?
If you answered "yes" to ALL FOUR of the above and have not submitted your CRSC application, you could be missing an opportunity for additional tax-free compensation.
The program focuses on VA rated "combat-related" disabilities incurred from armed conflict as well as hazardous service (aircrew, EOD, parachuting, diving, etc.), under conditions simulating war, or through instrumentalities of war (military-unique vehicles, munitions, Agent Orange, etc.)
The VA may also link Southwest Asia theater of operations service during the Gulf War (since August 2, 1990) to a variety of presumptive conditions that could qualify under CRSC. Specifically, an undiagnosed illness, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, or any other illness that the VA Secretary determines meets the criteria for a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness.
Many people are extremely surprised to learn their disabilities qualify under the program! Since 2003, the Services have processed over 100,500 applications as of 31 March 2006 with an average approval rate of 65 percent.
DoD Defenselink
http://www.defenselink.mil/prhome/mppcrsc.html
AIR FORCE
HQ Air Force Personnel Center
http://ask.afpc.randolph.af.mil
1-866-616-3775 toll free (select option 5 then option 1) or 210-565-1600
ARMY
Army Human Resources Command
http://www.crsc.army.mi
1-866-281-3254 toll free
COAST GUARD
Coast Guard Personnel Command (adm-1)
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cgpc/adm/adm1.htm
1-866-307-1336 toll free
NAVY AND MARINE CORPS
Naval Council of Personnel Boards
http://www.hq.navy.mil/ncpb/CRSCB/combatrelated.htm
1-877-366-2772 toll free
I take this opportunity to thank all the Veterans and their dependents here in Puerto Vallarta and Banderas Bay for their feedback on my column. It is rewarding to serve you and your family here in Mexico. I ask that you send all questions you may have by email. Military Order of the Purple Heart is supporting all the Puerto Vallarta Veterans.
 David Lord served in Vietnam as combat Marine for 1st Battalion 26th Marines, during which time he was severely wounded. He received the Purple Heart and the Presidential Unit Citation for his actions during the war in Vietnam. In Mexico, David now represents all veterans south of the U.S. border all the way to Panama, before the V.A. and the Board of Veterans Appeals. David Lord provides service to veterans at no fee. Veterans are welcome to drop in and discuss claims/benefits to which they are entitled by law at his office located at Bayside Properties, 160 Francisca Rodriguez, tel.: 223-4424, call him at home 299-5367, on his cell: 044 (322) 205-1323, or email him at mophmx@@yahoo.com or david.lord@yahoo.com.
Click HERE for more Veteran Affairs with David Lord »»» |
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