Legal Help for Veterans blog.
Nov
08

Detroit Veterans to Make Shoes

Employment, News and Press

Pingree Detroit has recently sprung up, a working cooperative that aims to help veterans by hiring them specifically to make all kinds of footwear from recycled material. The cooperative gets its name from Hazen S. Pingree, one of Michigan’s Governors that started out as a civil war veteran that went on to make boots after […]

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Nov
01

PTSD ranks high among veteran claims

PTSD

About 22 percent of the nation’s veterans drawing federal disability benefits are afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The number of disability cases arising from PTSD among veterans almost tripled from 345,000 in 2008 to more than 940,000 in 2017, with even more anticipated. While 22 percent of all veterans receive PTSD benefits, the rate […]

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Nov
01

Should Political Affiliation Matter in VA Judge Appointments? The White House Thinks So

News and Press, Veterans Law

The Board of Veterans’ Appeals is an integral part of the VA. It handles veteran appeals of decisions not to provide benefits for conditions associated with the military. When selecting new judges, the VA secretary appoints candidates who are then approved by the president. Historically, whether a judge is approved or not depends on their […]

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Oct
30

TBI injuries are driving suicides among U.S. vets

PTSD

The American Legion says traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a “signature wound” for military personnel and a leading cause of suicides among U.S. veterans. That is especially true for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Traumatic brain injury occurs when an external force, like an explosion, damages the brain. According to the U.S. […]

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Oct
18

It’s Easier Than Ever to Search for a Civilian Job Related to Your Military Job

Employment, News and Press

Many veterans can find it a bit difficult to decide where to go after being discharged from the military. What should I do now? What kind of job would be best? Job fairs can only help so much. Grow with Google has designed and released a program specialized in helping veterans find a job based […]

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Oct
09

The US has Always had the Strongest Air Force in the World, but is that Big Enough?

News and Press

Heather Wilson, the Secretary of the Air Force, has called for an increase in the number of operation air force squadrons by 74. This notable increase in firepower in the skies is part of an initiative to give the Air Force the strength it would need to fight an enemy country as strong as the […]

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Oct
01

Service dogs may help prevent veteran suicide

PTSD

As the veteran suicide rate remains largely unchanged, experts searching for innovative solutions to help decrease the epidemic have praised the benefits of man’s best friend, the dog. A study conducted by researchers at Purdue University revealed overall symptoms of PTSD are lower in veterans with service dogs. “[Veterans with service dogs] had lower levels […]

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Sep
28

Congress wants VA to study medical marijuana as PTSD treatment

PTSD

A bipartisan bill introduced in the House of Representatives calls on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to research the efficacy of marijuana for treating PTSD. In the spring, 25 members of Congress filed the Medical Cannabis Research Act of 2018. One of the lawmakers, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R –Fla., explained the need for […]

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Sep
27

Robert Wilkie is new VA secretary

News and Press

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has its fourth leader in five years after President Donald Trump swore in Robert Wilkie July 30. The Senate confirmed Wilkie, who most recently served as the VA’s acting secretary, with a vote of 86 to 9. Veterans groups like The American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars […]

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Aug
31

Over 130,000 injured vets are owed big tax refunds

News and Press

For 25 years, a computer glitch at the Department of Defense taxed non-taxable disability severance payments, resulting in hundreds of thousands of veterans overpaying their taxes. The disability payments to veterans injured in combat are tax-free. However, the Defense Department’s automated payment system did not distinguish those payments from taxable income between 1991 and 2016 […]

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