RAO Bulletin Update: Exchange Consolidation, RAO Bulletin Web Site Change,...

1 Exchange Consolidation
2 RAO Bulletin Web Site Change
3 Commissary Agent Rule
4 VA Erectile Dysfunction Rating
5 POW Benefits
6 VA Home Loan Funding Fee
7 TRDP Update 1
8 Agent Orange Guam
9 Filipino Veteran U.S. Origins
10 VA Sexual Trauma Program

Exchange Consolidation:

The DoD announced 16 MAY 03 that Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense, initiated a multi-year effort that may culminate in the consolidation of the three Armed Service Exchange Systems into a single defense organization. Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Charles Abell will oversee this effort.
After reviewing recommendations from numerous studies and considering the views of the military departments, Wolfowitz has charged Abell to determine the most efficient and cost effective way to organize and operate the exchanges as a single entity. These actions will be transparent to the individual soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or military family member. The look and feel of each store will maintain the service culture to which they are accustomed. The business processes that operate the system will be more efficient and effective, yielding a benefit that is not only preserved but enhanced.
[Source: DoD News Release No. 334-03 dtd 16 MAY 03]

RAO Bulletin Web Site Change:

To make it easier and more efficient we have shortened our website address from http://downloads.members.tripod.com/post_119_gulfport_ms/rao1.html to
http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html. Accessing this site will provide an index of all Bulletin articles by title available for recall plus Bulletins sent in the last six months.

Commissary Agent Rule:

Known as the agent privilege, it's for any authorized commissary shopper who needs assistance shopping or who cannot shop on his or her own behalf because of disability, illness or infirmity. That privilege also extends to grandparents, guardians or caregivers of children of service members who may not be available due to deployment or
remote assignment. The installation commander who controls who enters the installation authorizes agent privilege. The agent does not have to be an authorized commissary shopper. The military member may request an agent pass for approval to allow an individual designated to shop for them because of disability, illness or infirmity or who is the primary caregiver for the
children of deployed parents to enter the installation. Non-military primary caregivers should contact the identification card section on the installation to determine what legal documents, i.e., power of attorney, may also be needed to establish proof of caregiver status. At the same time, the individual can also ask what documents are required to enter the installation. Upon verification of caregiver status, the individual receives written authorization from the commander's representative designating
him/her as an "agent". Usually, the letter is for a 12-month period, but it can be extended in cases of continued hardship. Children are allowed to enter the confines of any commissary as long as an adult accompanies them. The military does not require children less than 10 years old to have an identification card.
[Source: Air Force Retiree News 29 Apr 2003]

VA Erectile Dysfunction Rating:

If you are suffering from service connected diabetes and cannot get an erection you can submit a claim for an erectile dysfunction rating. If approved it increase your current disability combined rating by 10 or 20%. Erectile dysfunction can also be a complication of depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD], or physician prescribed
treatment for other disabilities that includes medications that cause the dysfunction.
[Source: Silver rose Newsletter MAR/APR 03]

POW Benefits:

About 40 percent of the Americans held prisoner in the past five conflicts still are alive, according to the American Ex-Prisoner of War [AXPOW] Association's search of records. More than 140,000 Americans were captured and interned during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Somalia and Kosovo conflicts.
However, only about 35% of surviving POWs have contacted the Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) to accept benefits for which they are eligible. These include benefits related to health maladies that are presumed related to severe conditions suffered in the hands of the enemy during internment. Any former POW or his representative desiring to obtain benefits should contact
the DVA. If help in preparing the claim is needed a volunteer accredited national service officer of the AXPOW can assist at no charge in submitting a claim to the DVA. They can be contacted at axpow@flash.net or (817) 649-2979 or 3201 East Pioneer Parkway, #40, Arlington TX 76010.
[Source: 26 NOV 02 Stars & Stripes article & March ARB RAO Newsletter Spring 03]

VA Home Loan Funding Fee:

The VA home loan program is a veteran's benefit for which details can be found at website
http://www.homeloans.va.gov/elig.htm. To defray the cost of administering the VA home loan program, each veteran must pay a funding fee to VA at loan closing, unless the veteran is disabled. The limitations on borrower-paid fees and charges when making VA loans that must be strictly adhered to appear in VA Pamphlet 26-7. The pamphlet is available for viewing or
downloading at http://www.homeloans.va.gov/handbook.htm. Any veteran who is contemplating obtaining a VA home loan, either as a new purchase or to refinance an existing loan, is encouraged to review the handbook?s Chapter 8: Borrower Fees and Charges and the VA Funding Fee. This chapter provides info on the fees and charges that the veteran-borrow is to pay and is not to pay. These include seller concessions; what happens to fees and charges if the loan never closes; the fees and charges that can be included in the loan amount; information about the VA funding fee, including tables for determining the fee; and refunding over payments to the veteran. If planning to make a new loan or refinance a loan and quoted a funding fee by the lender, ensure it does not exceed what you are entitled to. You are not required to pay the fee you paid on the initial loan unless it is equal to or less than the current Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loans (IRRRL) percentage, which is currently .50%. If in doubt, check with your VA Eligibility Center. The VA Eligibility Centers are in two locations.

1 The Los Angeles Eligibility Center serves veterans living in the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin or Wyoming. Veterans in these states should send requests for determination of Eligibility (VA Form 26-1880, along with proof of military service) to:

Los Angeles Eligibility Center
P.O. Box 240097
Los Angeles, CA 90024
Tel 1-888-487-1970, E-mail: vavbalan/lgyeli@vba.va.gov or Website: www.vahomes.org/la/home.htm

2 Winston-Salem Eligibility Center serves veterans living in the following states: Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia or West Virginia. Veterans in these states should send request fordetermination of Eligibility (VA Form 26-1880, along with proof of military service) to:

VA Loan Eligibility Center
PO Box 20729
Winston-Salem, NC 27120.

For overnight delivery:

VA Loan Eligibility Center
251 N. Main St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27155
Tel 1-888-244-6711, E-mail: NCELIGIB@vba.va.gov

3 If you are located outside the U.S., you may use either Eligibility Center.
[Source: NAUS Update 9 MAY 03]

TRDP Update 1:

Under a new five-year dental contract between DoD and the Delta Dental Plan of California, dental benefits for uniformed services retirees and family members enrolled in the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) have been enhanced. Beginning May 1, 2003, the mandatory enrollment period is reduced from 24 to 12 months. The annual maximum benefit per enrollee and lifetime maximum benefit for orthodontic care was increased from $1000 to $1200. After the mandatory enrollment period ends, enrollees may continue their enrollment in the TRDP on a month-to-month basis. During the mandatory 12-month enrollment period, TRDP enrollees are covered for basic restorative services, periodontics, endodontics, oral surgery and dental emergencies. After 12 months of continuous enrollment, TRDP enrollees are covered for cast crowns, cast restorations, full and partial dentures and orthodontics for adults and children. Eligible enrollees include uniformed services retirees and their family members; Medal of Honor recipients and their family members; and survivors and family members of deceased retirees or active duty sponsors who served on active duty for more than 30 consecutive days. As an incentive, sponsors and family members who enroll within 120 days of the sponsor's retirement from active duty receive an extra benefit. They and their family members are covered by the enhanced dental services starting the day they enroll. Sponsors and family members who wait and enroll after the 120-day period are not eligible for the enhanced dental services until they complete the mandatory 12 months of continuous TRDP enrollment. The TRDP is a voluntary dental program with enrollee-paid premiums deducted automatically each month from the sponsor?s retired military pay. If retired military pay is not available, sponsors and family members can arrange with Delta Dental to pay the monthly premiums either by mail or an electronic funds transfer.
Under the TRDP, there is a $50 deductible per enrollee, with a $150 yearly deductible per family. Premiums vary depending on where enrollees live and the number of family members they choose to enroll. During the enrollment period May 1, 2003, to April 30, 2004, enrollees pay approximately $22 to $37 a month for single coverage, $42 to $71 for two or $71 to $120 for a family of three or more. Dental coverage is available throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U. S. Virgin Islands, America Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Enrollees may seek dental care from any
licensed dentist or specialist within the TRDP coverage area. To minimize out-of-pocket expenses, enrollees are encouraged to seek dental care from more than 67,000 participating dental providers. A directory of
participating Delta Dental providers is available online at www.ddpdelta.org

Retirees and family members may also request a provider directory by calling the Delta Dental Customer Service number at (888) 838-8737. Additional information on the TRDP is available on the TRICARE Web site at
http://www.tricare.osd.mil/dental
[SOURCE: TRICARE News Release No. 03-11]

Agent Orange Guam:

Congressman Lane Evans of Illinois, the Ranking Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, has asked Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld by letter for information by 13 June 2003 concerning the use and storage of Vietnam-era herbicides such as Agent Orange, Agent Blue, and Agent White. Veterans who report that these herbicides were used in Guam
during the Vietnam era have contacted Evans regarding their presence at the Anderson Air Force Base at Yigo, Guam. Evans provided the Secretary with a report, which indicates that dioxin, has been found in soil at the Air Force Base. Evans also asked the Secretary for an assessment of the use, testing or storage of Agent Orange, Agent Blue, Agent Purple, Agent White or other
herbicides which contain dioxin at locations in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Puerto Rico and various locations in the United States. U.S. locations include sites in Maryland, Florida, Texas, California, Georgia, Mississippi, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Washington. However, the congressman noted that the amount of herbicides used in some of these
locations may have been small amounts for short term testing and may present no danger to populations. Evans indicated in his letter that veterans who are claiming service-connection of disabilities that have been associated with herbicide exposure, have had serious difficulty in proving exposure. If the Department of Defense has evidence that herbicides were used in particular areas, during specific periods of time, that information should be made public so that affected veterans may receive appropriate assistance in establishing their claims. He complained that it is more than 30 years since many of the herbicides were used, yet veterans are still having claims denied. This is because the Department of Defense has not been forthcoming with information
concerning the locations where veterans may have been exposed and it is well past the time for full and open disclosure.
In addition, he requested an assessment of the use, testing or storage of Agent Orange, Agent Blue, Agent Purple, Agent White or other herbicides which contain dioxin, including the locations, amounts and relevant dates at the following locations and any other location for which documentation exists:

Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen MD * A palachicola National Forest
(Sophoppy FL) * Avon Air Force Base, Florida * Beaumont TX * Brawley CA *
Bushnell Army Air Field FL * Camp Detrick MD * Dar & Prek Clong Cambodia *
Eglin Air Force Base FL * Fort Gordon GA * Fort Richie MD * Fredericton New
Brunswick Canada * Guanica & Joyuda Puerto Rico * Gulfport MS * Huntington
County State College PA * Jacksonville FL * Kauai HI * Kingston RI * Kompong

Cham Province Cambodia * Laos * Las Marias Puerto Rico * Las Mesas Cerros &
La Jugua Mayaguez Puerto Rico * Loquillo Puerto Rico * Mauna Loa Hilo HI *
Operation PACER HO (Disposal at sea) * Pinal Mountains Globe AZ * Pranburi
and other locations in Thailand * Prosser WA * Rio Grande Puerto Rico *
Wayside & Wilcox, MS.
[Source: Congressman Evans News Release 9 May 03 - POC: Mary Ellen McCarthy Tel (202) 225-9756]

Filipino Veteran U.S. Origins:

The origins of the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines are in the early 1900s when the United States assumed formal sovereignty over the Philippines. At that time, the United States was preparing for the Philippines to become a sovereign nation. Public Law 73-127, enacted in 1934, reflects this. It required the Commonwealth Army to respond to the call of the President of the United States under certain conditions. In fact, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered the Commonwealth Army to service on July 26, 1941, and it served with the USAFFE command throughout World War II.
Public Law 79-190, enacted in October 1945, authorized recruiting 50,000 "new" Philippine Scouts in anticipation of needing local occupational forces. President Truman acknowledged the contributions of the Philippine people who fought under the umbrella of the USAFFE command to defend the Philippine Islands against occupation by the Japanese. He called for a study to determine the level of benefits appropriate to conditions in the Philippines. The reduced rate of benefits to veterans living there was based on the different economic conditions in the Philippines and the United States.

Current laws affecting these benefits date to congressional actions in 1946 that specified that the service of groups other than the Old Scouts would not be considered U.S. military service. Congress historically has resisted changing the formula under which responsibility for the welfare of these veterans is shared between the United States and the Philippines. In 1948, Congress passed a law that authorized VA to build and equip the hospital now called Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC), in Manila, which was turned over to the Philippine government in 1955. The VA outpatient clinic was established three years later. The U.S. government also gave the Philippine government grants of at least $500,000 per year for more than 30 years, starting in the 1960s, to help the VMMC upgrade its equipment and physical plant. A VA contract with the VMMC was expanded by
legislation in 1963 permitting the center to care for non-service-connected conditions of Filipino and U.S. veterans. But it was not until 1973 that legislation permitted VA itself to provide medical treatment of service-connected conditions (and non-service-connected illnesses in certain conditions) for Philippine Army and New Philippine Scout veterans. In fiscal years 2002 and 2003, VA furnished medical equipment to the VMMC worth a total of nearly $1 million. The half rates of compensation to most Filipino veterans living in the Philippines, now in federal law, were intended to reflect that the Philippines had a lower cost of living than the United States. Since World War II, however, many Filipino veterans and their dependents have immigrated to the United States. Filipino veterans service organizations continue to seek increased benefits for various groups. Some claim they served as guerrillas, but their service cannot be verified. VA has reviewed, and continues to review, legislative proposals that would expand benefits to Filipino veterans.
[Source: VANEWS-L msg 14 May 2003]

VA Sexual Trauma Program:

Veterans who suffered personal assault or sexual trauma while on active military duty, including service at one of the military academies, may be eligible to receive VA disability compensation, counseling and other benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Veterans who suffered personal assault, rape, domestic battering or stalking while on active duty may have lingering physical, emotional or psychological symptoms. VA has specially trained professionals to coordinate care and counseling for sexual trauma victims. These health care professionals are sensitive to the physical and psychological effects of sexual trauma or personal assault. Additional information regarding medical care and compensation for veterans is available at VA regional offices or medical centers. The telephone numbers can be found in local directories under the "U.S. Government" listing. In most areas, for information about disability compensation and VA pensions, callers can use the following toll-free number: 1-800-827-1000. For health care and copayment information, call 1-877-222-8387. Information is also available at www.va.gov.
[VANEWS-L msg. 14 MAY 03]

Lt. James "EMO" Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Director, Retiree Activities Office & U.S. Embassy Warden Baguio City RP PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517-1000
Tel: (63-74) 442-7135 or stateside FAX to email service 1-801-760-2430
Email: raoemo@mozcom.com (Primary) & raobaguio@hotmail.com (Alternate)
Web: http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html