TOWSON POST #22
125 York Road Towson, Maryland 21204


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  NEWS FOR VETERANS

Welcome to the "News For Veterans" page, ongoing and "new" issues that may be of help to you -- the Veteran. 

Thank you for your Service!

Please send requests for information on issues to website administrator, chaplain@towsonamericanlegion.org

Hot Topics & Links

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CLICK HERE FOR FLYER - EVENT FOR VETERANS - JULY 18, 2010, SUNDAY, 12 NOON - 4 P.M.

 

Cemetery Medallions for Veterans.............................................................

          Veterans' Medallion Available for Order - New Option for Marking Graves in Private Cemeteries

Email Access and Email Lists....................................................................

          VA Maryland Healthcare System Enews Newsletter & Mailing List

Enroll in the VA Healthcare System............................................................

        Click Here to Enroll in the VA Healthcare System

Everyone should enroll.  Flu Shots are available if you are enrolled!

G. I. Bill ................................................................................................

                 
Military.com: Army



Benefit Alert for Army Veterans,

Your GI Bill will pay you up to $47,556. This money is not a loan and can be used to pay for a college degree or professional certificate.

Don’t let this money go to waste. Your GI Bill expires 10 years after separation. Start taking classes to move your career forward.

Find Military Friendly Schools Now.



Find Military Friendly Schools Now

Mesothelioma ............................................................................................

                 Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center

Veterans face many challenges in today's society. But perhaps one that many may not be aware of is the likelihood of exposure to toxic substances during their military service.  Among the most common toxin that veterans found themselves to be exposed to is the carcinogen asbestos.  If you are a veteran, it is important to understand where and how possible exposures may have occurred so that you may speak with your physician about your asbestos history and how you may have been affected.

The great majority of asbestos exposures affect naval veterans, though asbestos exposure is not exclusively encountered among members of the U. S. Navy.  Naval ships and shipyards were notorious for their use of asbestos and today many veterans are paying the price.  Asbestos was used to insulate and prevent temperature transfer in many parts of vessel construction, but especially around boilers and piping.  Those who frequently worked with and in the vicinity of these fixtures could be at risk of a harmful exposure.

Veterans who worked among our military's industrial complex may also be at risk.  Many military structures and installations were built to withstand fire and heat, a property for which asbestos products were particularly adept.  Those who worked around these fixtures prior to 1980, or worked extensively with older or damaged fixtures more recently, could also be at risk of a potentially harmful exposure.  There is no safe level of asbestos exposure and veterans and service men and women who worked in these sectors should consult with their physician about their asbestos history.

The majority of asbestos products (those containing at least 1% asbestos) were banned in the late 1970s by the Consumer Product Safety Commission because the clear connection between asbestos exposure and health conditions became impossible to ignore any longer.  Asbestos exposure has been linked to deadly cancers, including lung cancer, and mesothelioma.  For more information about asbestos exposure, mesothelioma, or mesothelioma treatment, please visit the website mesothelioma.com. 

Another good site is Pleural Mesthelioma.com, a site dedicated to spreading awareness about pleural mesothelioma, the most common form of mesothelioma cancer.  Veterans can visit to learn about mesothelioma life expectancy if they’ve received a mesothelioma prognosis.  Additionally, they’ve dedicated a portion of their website with information that can assist veterans affected by asbestos-related diseases to file for VA benefits.

A site which has achieved HON (Health on the Net) code approval is Mesothelioma Web; HON is a non-profit organization whose mission is to guide people to accurate medical information and expertise online and thereby to contribute to improved health care through patient empowerment and better informed health professionals.  For those affected by asbestos disease, the most informative page to link to would be the page answering many of the standard questions on mesothelioma, here.  There is also a page specifically for veterans issues.  Thank you to Caroline Shapiro, the cancer information coordinator for Mesothelioma Web, for providing this information.

Records....................................................................................................

       VETERANS HAVE OTHER OPTIONS FOR STORING AND SENDING RECORDS

HOUSTON, TX (October 21, 2008)  In order to alleviate the strain on the National Personnel Records Commission (NPRC), and Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs introduced today that veterans can permanently store their service medical records (SMR), legal records, or military records in their new, user-friendly, Records Archive Division (RAD). Too often we hear stories from veterans around the world that their service medical records have been misplaced or lost - that is unacceptable, stated Michael Clark, RAD Director.  Using RAD, veterans can also gain access to their records with promptness and accuracy.  According to VA statistics, it can take a veteran up to six months to get their records after a request has been made.  Using our service, a veteran can receive their records in three business days or less, Clark added. For veterans working on a service-connected benefits claim, a Veteran Service Officer’s (VSO) access to a veteran’s service medical record is vital.  Getting civilian medical records is just as important.  Rather than contacting multiple agencies to request records, a veteran can make one stop and have their records faxed or mailed to the agency of their choice. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPPA) entitles veterans to have copies of their medical records on request.  Through RAD, veterans have access to any of their personnel records stored with speed, efficiency, and accuracy.  A veteran can also request to have their records sent to any agency or provider in a timely manner.  Veterans may also supply contact information to their providers and have them fax records to RAD for immediate security and storage.  About U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs:  Launched in March 2007, U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs researches and distributes compensable benefits information to U.S. veterans.  Also, they are a major conduit for free services available to veterans.  Contact:  Beth Ann McGruder, U.S. Veteran Compensation Programs info@veteranprograms.com         http://www.veteranprograms.com 

Suicide Prevention Hotline and Email......................................................

The phone number for VA’s Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-TALK (8255). The chat line address is www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

 

Swine Flu or H1N1.............................................................................

The only portals of entry for the H1N1 virus (or any virus for that matter) are the nostrils and mouth/throat.

In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is. (The spreading of the virus from its point of entry).
       
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu): 
       
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).
       
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method. 
 

4. Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population. Sinus rinse kits are available at the drug store and relatively inexpensive.        

5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption. 
                
6. Drink as much warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

Voting at VA Facilities.............................................................................

 VA CLARIFIES VOTER REGISTRATION REGULATIONS [September 8, 2008]

The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it has clarified its policy on assisting veterans' voter registration activities, with particular focus on inpatients and residents of VA Community living centers, domiciliaries and patients with limited access to community voter registration resources.
The Department will welcome state and local election officials and non-partisan groups to its hospitals and outpatient clinics to assist VA officials in registering voters at VA facilities.  Such assistance must be coordinated by those facilities in order to avoid disruption to patient care.
"VA has always been committed to helping veterans exercise their constitutional right to vote, which they defended for all Americans while serving their nation," said Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs.  "We've now established a uniform approach to helping those of our patients who need assistance to register and to vote."
The policy requires that information about the right of VA patients to register and vote, and other patients' rights be posted in every VA hospital, and that all VA patients be provided a copy of these rights when they are admitted to a VA facility.
Every hospital is now also required to publish a written policy on voter assistance, allowing patients to leave the hospital to register and vote, subject to the opinions of their health care providers.  Patients unable to leave the facility must be assisted to register and to vote by absentee ballot.
In their written policies, VA hospitals are required to establish the criteria they will use to evaluate requests from outside agencies to register voters, and to determine where, when, and how such registration activities will be conducted.  They will also develop procedures to coordinate offers of assistance from state and local governments and from non-partisan organizations, and how to work with VA's Regional Counsel offices to determine whether or not groups offering registration help are non-partisan, as required by law.
Voluntary Service Program Managers at each of VA's 153 hospitals will be responsible for implementing the new policy, and for providing timely and accurate voting information to veterans cared for at their facilities.  They will also obtain and maintain materials that are needed to assist veterans with voter registration requirements.

Wounded Warriors..................................................................................

 NEW SERVICE ANNOUNCED FOR WOUNDED WARRIORS, FAMILIES AND CAREGIVERS

DOD announced that the Military OneSource service has established a Wounded Warrior Resource Center telephone number and e-mail address for service members and their families, if they have concerns or other difficulties during their recovery process.
Service members and their family members can now call 1-800-342-9647 or e-mail wwrc@militaryonesource.com 24/7 to request support.  Assistance provided by the resource center will not replace the specialized wounded warrior programs established by each of the military services, but it will offer another avenue of assistance for military facilities, health care services, and/or benefits information.
The term "wounded warrior" encompasses the entire population of wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.