Major Pay Raise For Troops Proposed In 2024 Budget
The first draft of the national defense budget for 2024 includes a proposed 5.25% military pay raise for military members. Learn more.
News
Military Spouse Career Support Act
A bipartisan Senate bill seeks to expand eligibility for military spouses to be compensated for expenses related to switching from active duty to service in the Reserve. The Military Spouse Career Support Act is the latest in a wave of bills seeking to improve veteran benefits, spouse employment options, and quality of life. Senator John… Read more »
VA Announces End to COVID-Era Claim Delays
The Department of Veteran Affairs has announced changes in how it handles claim appointments and processes VA claims post-pandemic. The VA response to the pandemic included policies that delayed certain in-person claim procedures, but those have since ended, as we’ll examine below. > Frustrated with your VA disability rating? Register for a free consultation… Read more »
Executive Order: Better Job Opportunities for Military Spouses
President Joe Biden has issued an Executive Order to improve job opportunities for military spouses, according to a Department of Defense issued on Friday, June 9, 2023. The executive order also addresses employment opportunities for caregivers and surviving family members. What the Executive Order Does The order includes “a variety of actions to improve hiring… Read more »
Study: Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Linked With Elevated Risk of Parkinson’s Disease
UPDATE: The PACT Act added a list of presumptive conditions the VA considers to be service-connected. Those conditions include medical complications from exposure to water at Camp Lejeune. If you were previously denied a VA claim for a Camp Lejeune-related medical issue, you may file a claim for that condition and have the VA reconsider… Read more »
Thrift Savings Plan Lawsuit Alleges Lost Access to Retirement Funds
Military members and federal employees have launched a lawsuit against TSP, The federal government’s tax-deferred retirement plan, also known as the Thrift Savings Plan. The suit alleges these employees lost access to their savings after a TSP system upgrade. What the TSP Lawsuit Alleges According to an article in Federal Times, a major system update… Read more »
President Signs Debt Ceiling Bill, Federal Default Averted
The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, also known as “the debt ceiling bill” has been signed into law by the President of the United States, eliminating the threat of a federal government loan default predicted as early as June 5, 2023. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 addresses the loan default issue and contains several… Read more »
Pentagon Brandon Act Policy Approved to Reduce Military Suicide Rate
Update: When Congress passed the Brandon Act in 2021, implementation was delayed. News outlets, including Military.com, report the Defense Department “did not craft the policy in response to the law until this May. In that interim, 440 active-duty service members across the six armed forces died by suicide, according to records kept by the Pentagon… Read more »
VA Launches New Gulf War Illness Study
In late April 2023, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced a partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to learn more about Gulf War Illness which plagues roughly a third of those deployed in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. The study is meant to learn more about how to diagnose and treat Gulf… Read more »
Are Veterans Missing Out On VA Education Benefits?
Are veterans missing out on VA education benefit money for high-tech career fields? A report indicates that may be true. Learn more.