• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

FYI for student veterans

A

Anvil_X

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 24, 2012
172
1
38
AK
This is a Heads up for anybody going to school under the GI Bill in all if its forms.

Don't post political bullcrap please, student vets need to know this, and that would be negatively impacted by getting the thread deep-sixed for politics.

(EDIT: Here's the link for the VA's pamphlet on the situation. it's effectively a repeat of what I've said, but it has pretty colors and looks professional)
http://www.va.gov/opa/docs/Field_Guide_20130927.pdf


If you need any further info, contact your Veteran liason on campus, or PM me and I'll try to help. I don't get online often during the weekends, but I will get back to you ASAP. Be advised that I can only get general answers for any questions.

VA call centers and hotlines will cease
to function, including:
1. VBA Education Call Center 1-888-442-4551
2. Inspector General Hotline suspended 1-800-488-8244
3. Consumer Affairs ([email protected]; VA’s home page
“Contact Us” function and 202-461-7402 will be suspended)
4. Congressional Liaison Veterans queries suspended


• VBA Regional Offices public
contact services will not be
available
• No decisions on claims appeals
or motions will be issued by the
Board of Veterans Appeals
• Freedom of Information Act
queries will not be processed
• Privacy Act requests will not
be processed
• VA’s homepage (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs)
will be updated intermittently
• VA’s main and hospital Social
Media Web sites will be updated
intermittently (Facebook, Twitter,
Blog, etc.)
• Recruiting and hiring of Veteran
job applicants will cease with the
exception of the Veterans Health
Administration
• Presidential Memorial certificates
will not be processed
• Interments at National
Cemeteries will be conducted
on a reduced schedule
• Overseas Military coordinator
operations will be suspended
• VA Secretary correspondence
with Veterans and VSOs
suspended
• Outreach and Public Awareness
Activities
• VetSuccess on Campus
suspended
• Vocational Rehabilitation and
Education Counseling will be
limited
• VBA will not be able to continue
overtime for claims processors
• Claims processing and payments
in the compensation, pension,
education, and vocational
rehabilitation programs are
anticipated to continue through
late October. However, in the
event of a prolonged shutdown,
claims processing and payments
in these programs would be
suspended when available
funding is exhausted
 
Last edited:
UPDATE:

-VetSuccess on campus has enough funds to keep working until Monday afternoon.

-While the Call Center in Muskogee (The facility in Oklahoma that certifies all of the courses for people west of the Mississippi) is closed, their certifying officials will be working until Monday (fingers crossed). Disability Claims is going to run until their funds from the FY2012-2013 surpluses are exhausted(projected Tuesday).

As it stands, if there is no resolution by 01NOV13, Living stipend, Post 9/11 BAH, and disability payments will cease. The only reason we got our living stipends and disability this month was that they were part of the FY2013 budget.

If your classes were already certified, you're not going to be in as big of a pickle. If your courses have yet to be certified, and this runs past Monday, then you may not receive your living stipends until possibly December (if things get really jacked up).


I hate to be all "Doom and Gloom"-ish, but this is what is going on. This is what I have to tell people when they call my office.

Best advice I can give anybody under any of the chapters of the GI Bill is to use your training, keep your wits about you, hope for the best and prepare as best you can. Your Universities know what is going on, and if they're worth a damn, they're doing the same thing as mine- preparing to help their Vets.
 
SO what you are saying is we will continue to receive the stellar service we have been receiving all along then, right?


Really though, if this goes beyond October, I am FUCKED! I lose my disability payments, my school stipend payments, and since that is what pays my mortgage and utilities, my home.
If this happens, I see no reason why I should not pack my pack, lock and load my shotgun, 45, and M14, and begin my march to WDC, allowing for time to pick up tar and feathers on the way
 
Last edited:
Switch, and all involved (involuntarily) I'm sorry to hear about this, and am 'concerned' about your situation. Get all your ducks in a row, and align yourself with the same "level-headed and forthright" individuals to whom you can rely on. It's one thing to have a country-wide depression. It's a whole other thing, to have your own government initiate one. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL POST, simply a situational comment.

Watch your six, cover your ass, and keep your powder dry.
 
I'm 100% disabled vet, so I'm kind of worried about this. If it was just me, I'd make due, but with a wife and three young daughters.....
If anyone gets any new info on this, please update.
 
I do know for those veterans who are eligible, the AW2 program is still running for now.

Hopefully this isn't dragged out long.
 
Thank you for the head's-up.

Wish those assholes would have all of their assets frozen whenever they allow a shutdown to happen or they don't reach a balanced budget.
 
I retired on 30 sep, got a call from transition a few days later to let me know I would not be getting my retirement check till the shut down was over. I'm not even going to ask about my va disability, I'll just get more pissed.

Lanham
 
Call me before you go, we'll make it a party. I would offer to buy beer, but I won't have any money either.

Switchblade said:
SO what you are saying is we will continue to receive the stellar service we have been receiving all along then, right?


Really though, if this goes beyond October, I am FUCKED! I lose my disability payments, my school stipend payments, and since that is what pays my mortgage and utilities, my home.
If this happens, I see no reason why I should not pack my pack, lock and load my shotgun, 45, and M14, and begin my march to WDC, allowing for time to pick up tar and feathers on the way
Click to expand...
 
AW2 is the Army Wounded Warrior program, for Army veterans who have been wounded in combat and received the Purple Heart. They provide assistance with VA claims, transitioning to civilian employment, and connecting veterans to other resources and benefits. So even if the VA side of things is on hold or cut off AW2 can still help soldiers get things prepared and can still coordinate things for them in other areas.

Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) is the website
 
Delta4-3 said:
I wonder if our meds will be delivered?
Click to expand...

thankfully, The VA's health wing is still fully operational.

but everything else is still boned.

right now my job has boiled down to telling other vets "sorry brother, you're fucked."... I hate it.
 
Appropriations Lapse Plan - Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs

about halfway down there's three links. these two:

"•Veterans Field Guide to Government Shutdown Updated 10/7/2013"
"•Appropriations Lapse Contingency Plan Updated 10/7/2013"

will give you the full skinny on what is going on. I already posted the field guide earlier, but the contingency plan tells exactly who and what is being cut. Medical is still going to be running, so don't worry about meds and medical care.
 
I really appreciate you taking the time to fill us in Anvil. I didn't see anything about disability/compensation being cut, but maybe I overlooked it. I'm praying it doesn't, because that's my families only income. I really don't want to have to be a prostitute.
 
Delta4-3 said:
I really appreciate you taking the time to fill us in Anvil. I didn't see anything about disability/compensation being cut, but maybe I overlooked it. I'm praying it doesn't, because that's my families only income. I really don't want to have to be a prostitute.
Click to expand...

np. they've been updating those pamphlets a lot in the past day. I'm hoping that it has been changed, because I'm not seeing it anymore.

the actual GS VA guy in the office just got off a teleconference, looks like The VetSuccess on Campus program will be shut down as of tomorrow at noon.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back