Military Officer - September 2008 - (Page 38)

washingtonscene injury, and that these servicemembers need services outside of the medical community to help them through depression, anger management, relationship and ﬁnancial problems, and grief. I The VA must use age- and populationappropriate media and services to reach out to veterans on their terms. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said, “It’s ironic that we pick these men and women for their youth to serve our country, and we ask them to take risks, but when they come back from war we drop them at their most vulnerable age.” MOAA intends to work with DoD, the VA, and Congress to ensure all of our veterans and their families — including those in the Guard and Reserve — receive the beneﬁts and care they have earned through their sacriﬁces. VA facility receive care for covered services from private health providers; I establishing an ombudsman ofﬁce in VA facilities for patient information and advocacy; and I requiring states to continue previously allowed in-state college tuition for military children if their parents are reassigned out of state. (Senate action still was pending at press time.) Second Chance at Retirement New board will reassess wounded warrior cases. Full House Approves Veterans Bills D Spouse protection is among key issues. I n late July, the House of Representatives approved a number of bills that would improve protections for veterans and current servicemembers, including: I requiring colleges to refund tuition to troops who are deployed during school and allow them to re-enroll later; I allowing deploying personnel to end contracts for cell phones, cable, utilities, and car insurance, with refund of advanced fees paid for such services; I guaranteeing residency for voting and taxation purposes for spouses who are absent from their state while accompanying their servicemember on military orders; I establishing a pilot project to let veterans living at least 60 miles away from a oD announced in July the establishment of a new Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) to reassess the cases of servicemembers medically separated from service since Sept. 11, 2001, with disability ratings of 20 percent or less. The idea came from the Veterans’ Disability Beneﬁts Commission’s 2007 report that found disturbing and inequitable inconsistencies in service ratings for wounded warriors. A servicemember may have his or her case reviewed by the PDBR if the individual meets the following criteria: I he or she was separated from the armed forces between Sept. 11, 2001, and Dec. 31, 2009, because of a disability that made him or her unﬁt for continued military service; I he or she received a combined disability rating of 20 percent or less from the parent service; and I he or she is not eligible for retirement. The PDBR won’t second-guess service determinations of ﬁtness for continued service; it only will review the combined disability ratings associated with the speciﬁc unﬁtting conditions cited by the service Physical Evaluation Board. 38 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - September 2008

Military Officer - September 2008 Contents MOAA Online From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Chapters in Action Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Middle Ground Finance Your Future One Step at a Time Cover Story: Reducing the Threat Slow Boat Through China Practice Makes Perfect Pages of History Faces of MOAA Information Exchange Member Books MOAA Scholarship Donors Advertising Index MOAA Member Services MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - September 2008

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