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The Springfield Military Retiree Council
Retired military fighting for the earned benefits. Council meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at

American Legion, Goad Ballinger Post 69, 149 Memorial Plaza, Springfield, MO.

  Visit our website at www.militaryretiree.org

The Springfield Area Military Retiree Council is for retirees, their spouses and widows/widowers of retirees from all branches of the military.  It acts as an interface between the retirees in the Springfield area and is offered support by Fort Leonard Wood Military Retiree Council.  The Council began in 1995 as a way to bring attention to the “changed truth” on promises made by the Administration, Congress and Senate.  This Council offers retiree representatives of the Ft. Wood commissary, hospital and Post Exchange to present suggestions and grievances to the Commanders of each of these facilities.  The more members a sub-council has the more influence these members will have when presenting ideas.

TREA Washington Update for July 9, 2010

1) VA Rolling Out New Rules to Proving Service Connected PTSD- The VA is planning to establish new standards for qualifying for VA disability as it relates to suffering from PTSD. The new regulations are expected any day and will apply for all wars. They will require the veteran to establish that they have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, that they served in a war zone and that they had a job consistent with the events that they say caused their condition. The present rule requires the veteran prove that specific events (examples bomb blasts, seeing a friend die, firefights etc) that caused the PTSD. The new rules will also allow compensation for service members “who had good reason to fear traumatic events, known as stressors even if they did not actually experience them.”

While some public figures claim that this change could lead to numerous fraudulent claims, VA Secretary Erik K. Shinseki said: “This nation has a solemn obligation to the men and women who have honorably served this country and suffer from the emotional and often devastating hidden wounds of war. This final regulation goes a long way to ensure that veterans receive the benefits and services they need.”

Many VSOs had hoped that the PTSD diagnosis itself could be made by private physician, but that suggestion was not accepted. The diagnosis will need to be made by a VA psychiatrist or psychologist. Assoc. Dep. Under VA Secretary Tom Pamperin said: “VA and VA-contract clinicians go through a certification process. They are well familiar with military life and can make an assessment of whether the stressor is consistent with the veterans’ duties and place of service.”

While this proposal was being worked at the VA, 3 bills were proposed in Congress to require similar changes by redefining what “combat with the enemy” meant. In the Senate, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sponsored S1452; while Senator John Kerry (D-MA) introduced S1444. Both bills had Committee hearings. Senator Shumer (D-NY) welcomed the change saying it was “long overdue”. The House of Representatives version of the bill, HR952 was introduced by Rep. John Hall (D-NY). His bill had been voted out of Committee by a voice vote. Rep. Hall said: “It doesn’t matter whether you are an infantryman or a cook or a truck driver; anyone is potentially at risk for post-traumatic stress.”

2) Chairman of House VA Committee Severely Criticizes Obama Administration-The Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep Bob Filner (D-CA) severely criticized the Administration for the way it handled an incident at the St. Louis VA where dental equipment was insufficiently sterilized for over a year. Last month the VA sent letters to 1,812 veterans warning them that they might have been exposed to HIV, Hepatitis C and other deadly viruses. They said that the risk was “extremely low” but suggested that the veterans should have blood tests.

Chairman Filner sharply criticized the VA for taking 3 months to send the letters after they learned of the error. “It's outrageous, one, that this happens, but even worse is this secretive, almost cover-up mode that they go into when something like this happens.” He also said that it was “disgraceful” that VA Secretary Shinseki did not know of the incident until last week.

3) VA Starts Registration for Women Veterans Forum in DC Area-Yesterday the Department of Veterans Affairs opened registration for its July 28 Women Veterans Forum. The free forum will be held at the Women’s Memorial (WIMSA) in Arlington, Virginia and run from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

"The VA forum will bring advocates for women veterans together to learn about VA services and to share valuable information with each other," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "The forum will also give veterans' advocates the tools they need to help build women veterans networks and communities throughout VA."