Legal Help for Veterans blog.
Feb
28

VA Extends Deadline for Gulf War Illnesses

News and Press

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently moved back a deadline for Gulf War veterans that would have run out at the end of 2011. The new deadline gives Gulf War veterans until the end of 2016 to develop war-related illnesses for which they would be eligible for compensation. The VA made the announcement about […]

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Feb
22

Is Stolen Valor a Felony?

Veterans Law

It is a federal offense to lie about your military service and to claim the status of a Medal of Honor recipient when it is not true. The Stolen Valor Act makes lying about having received military awards a federal crime. Some argue that it is not criminal to lie about such military service. Some courts […]

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Feb
15

Suicide Rate Levels Off in Army After Years of Climbing

News and Press

The suicide rate among active duty military dropped in 2011 for the first time since 2004. The numbers are falling because of efforts by the military to understand behavior that lead to suicide among soldiers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Among active-duty soldiers and those in the Reserves and the National Guard, 278 took […]

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Feb
13

Veterans & Farming

Employment, Veterans Law

Jim Fausone Veterans Disability Lawyer Many men and women from rural America serve their country proudly.  After service they return to uncertain employment opportunities.  The unemployment rate among veterans is a national embarrassment.  My home state of Michigan, known for manufacturing, also has a large agricultural base.  An article on a program for Ag Warriors […]

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Feb
01

Personal Information

Veterans Law

By Jim Fausone Veteran Disability Lawyer We have written on this topic before.  The VA has a challenge keeping personal information confidential.  We have seen VA post personal information on web sites. The VA has had hackers get into its computers.  The more typical breach of security is very routine – misdirected mail. This happens […]

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Jan
30

Paperless VA

News and Press

Jim Fausone Veterans Disability Lawyer With millions of veterans and thousands of backlogged claims, VA is challenged by the mountain of paper that it handles yearly. If you ever get behind the door of the VARO, the piles of paper in the cubicles and on the floor would surprise you. From helping hundreds of veterans, […]

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Jan
25

Wait Times Remain Too Long for Veterans Seeking Mental Health Care

Mental Health, News and Press

American war veterans still are not able to get the mental health care they need and a U.S. Senate committee has taken the Department of Veterans Affairs to task a second time to find out why. The VA has gone to great lengths to encourage veterans to seek mental health care to treat post traumatic […]

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Jan
16

Jobs for Veterans

News and Press

Our veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are coming home and looking for work. There is probably no better solution to the difficulty of reintegration into civilian life than having a good job. Everyone has a different definition of good job. Some look at the pay or the benefits or the type of work, […]

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Jan
13

Doctor Looking Outside Pentagon for PTSD Study Funds

PTSD

A Chicago doctor has made advances in a revolutionary treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but the Army has told him he has to do more thorough research before the U.S. government will help fund the treatment’s clinical trial. Dr. Eugene Lipov believes PTSD can be treated by injecting an anesthetic into a grouping of […]

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Jan
05

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund

News and Press, Veterans Law

By Chandra Briggs In 1982, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) completed the construction of The Wall and now the VVMF is working again to complete another mission by building The Education Center. We’ve been asked to help create awareness and to get the word out about the National Call for Photos campaign.  The VVMF […]

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