Story courtesy: Jerry Vogler, The McLean County VA
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VA CAREGIVER PROGRAM
About 33,000 families are currently enrolled in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for family Caregivers. (PCAFC).
Initially, the program was open only to post-9/11 Veterans, but in 2018 Congress approved expansion to other generations of Veterans as well. Veterans who served before May 1975 were admitted starting in 2020 and all remaining Veterans will be eligible starting fall 2022.
The Program offers a series of legal and support services to families, but the most prominent benefit is the monthly caregiver stipend. Today, monthly stipends vary based on where the Veteran lives, but generally hover about $3000 for the full level 2 stipend and $1,800 for the partial Level 1 stipend. A full-time caregiver to a Veteran “who is unable to self-sustain in the community”, can receive the full monthly stipend, while a caretaker of a Vet with lesser but still life-altering limitations can receive a partial payment.
In the fall 2020, the VA announced a review of the original Caregiver cases to determine whether they met the new guidelines for eligibility.
At the time of the Review, officials estimated that about one-third of the nearly 20,000 legacy participants could be dropped from the program because of eligibility changes. The VA promised to keep paying benefits to the affected Veterans until at least the end of 2022. Browse VA, PCAFC program for more detailed information and how to apply for benefits.
The PACT Act (Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act) has passed and has been sent to the President’s Desk to be signed.
The most significant part of this Act will be to increase the number of Veterans eligible for
increased compensation for exposure to Agent Orange by about 600,000 of the 1.6 million living Vietnam Veterans.
Additionally, Veterans who served in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam. American Samoa and Johnston Atoll will be presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange and could receive compensation for illnesses presumed to have been caused by their exposure. More details will be available after the President signs the Act into Law.
Other toxic exposures include burn Pits.
KOREAN WAR MEMORIAL ADDITION DEDICATED
The “Forgotten War” Korean War Memorial has been expanded to include the names of the 36,634 American and 7,174 KATUSA soldiers who served with American Forces during the Korean War. The KATUSA Soldiers were part of the “Korean Augmentation to the United States Army” which was a program created at the outbreak of the Korean War through an agreement between the United Sates and the Republic of Korea.
The original Korean War Memorial was dedicated in 1995 with the addition financed through donations from Americans, Koreans and businesses in Korea.
President Biden issued a proclamation marking July 27, 2022, as Korean War Veterans Armistice Day.
DESERT STORM WAR MEMORIAL GROUNDBREAKING
The groundbreaking ceremony for the “long-time-coming”, Desert Storm War Memorial was held at the site on July 14, 2022, the culmination of several year’s effort to gain approval for the location and funding for the Memorial.
The site is on the Southwest Corner of 23 rd Street and Constitution Avenue near the Commission of Fine Arts, about a block from the U.S. Department of State.
The Memorial’s $40 million price tag was raised through donations and $10 million from Kuwait in 2020, which was the country that Desert Storm War liberated! A heartfelt salute is owed and given to those who served in Desert Shield, Desert Storm and the Gulf War conflicts.
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