Military & Veteran News

Military & Veterans News VA adopts new artificial intelligence strategy to ensure trustworthy use of technology for Veteran care WASHINGTON — As part of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ efforts to explore the use of artificial intelligence in the delivery of health care and benefits, VA implemented a new AI strategy late September, to serve as a guideline for ethical use of the technology throughout its enterprise.

Military & Veterans News VA prepares to get ahead of surge in backlogged claims WASHINGTON — Starting in October, the Department of Veterans Affairs will hire and train new staff to ensure Veterans’ claims are adjudicated quickly and help reduce an expected increase in the backlog of claims pending more than 125 days.

Military & Veterans News VA, National Support Network teach Veterans how to fight cybercrime WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with the Cybercrime Support Network to protect Veterans who are disproportionately targeted for identity theft and other online scams.

Military & Veterans News VA stands ready to offer COVID-19 booster vaccines WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs has started administering Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine boosters under Emergency Use Authorization.

Military & Veterans News VA makes strides to provide practical resources for transitioning service members WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to ensure service members exiting the military have appropriate resources needed to transition back into civilian life.  

Military & Veterans News VA makes strides to provide practical resources for transitioning service members WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to ensure service members exiting the military have appropriate resources needed to transition back into civilian life.  

Military & Veterans News Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers to provide an additional year for eligibility and reassessment of certain participants WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs Caregiver Support Program is extending eligibility through Sept. 30, 2022 for Veterans who are legacy participants, legacy applicants and their family caregivers, participating in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

Military & Veterans News VA assembles Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention Workgroup WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs names members to the Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention Workgroup who will begin serving their one-year appointment this September.

Military & Veterans News VA enhances geriatric emergency care for older Veterans WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs launched a Geriatric Emergency Department initiative within all of VA’s 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks through a standardized, comprehensive care model, becoming the nation’s largest integrated health network with specialized geriatric emergency care.

Military & Veterans News VA annual report shows decrease in Veteran suicides WASHINGTON — New data included in the Department of Veterans Affairs 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report notably shows a decrease from 2018 to 2019 in the total number of Veteran suicide deaths, and a decrease in the rate of Veteran suicides per 100,000.

Military & Veterans News VA expands rental support, increasing housing options for Veterans WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded the Shallow Subsidy initiative and will grant  $200 million to 238 nonprofit organizations across the country and territories to provide housing rental assistance to extremely and very low-income Veteran households eligible under VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.

Military & Veterans News VA spotlights special benefits for elderly wartime Veteran population WASHINGTON — As a follow up to National Financial Awareness Day, Aug. 14, the Department of Veterans Affairs is launching an awareness campaign to inform elderly wartime Veterans and their families of their lesser-known pension, funeral, burial and survivor benefits.

Military & Veterans News VA expands mandate for COVID-19 vaccines among VHA employees Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will expand his previous COVID-19 vaccine mandate Friday, Aug. 13, to apply to most Veterans Health Administration employees and volunteers and contractors who work in VHA facilities, visit VHA facilities or otherwise come into contact with VA patients and healthcare workers as part of their duties.

Military & Veterans News VA seeks nominations for appointment to the Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Working Group WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs published a notice, May 6, in the Federal Register requesting nominations for a one-year appointment to the VA Secretary’s Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Prevention and Response Working Group.

Military & Veterans News FDA grants VA first ever compassionate use for 3D-printed hearing device WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received compassionate use approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February for a groundbreaking in-house developed medical device to help improve the quality of life of a Veteran with a rare hearing condition. 

Military & Veterans News Veterans’ GI Bill benefits to continue during COVID-19 pandemic President Trump signed into law S. 3503, March 21, which will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to continue providing the same level of education benefits to students having to take courses online due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Military & Veterans News DOD Implements Policy Change for Child Care Priorities On June 1, 2020, the Department of Defense will implement a policy change to the current priorities for child care. As directed by Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper in a memo signed Feb. 21, 2020, the department will afford priority access to military families. Beginning June 1, the military services may begin to officially notify families who face being supplanted. Once a family is notified, they will then have 45 days to find alternative care.

Military & Veterans News VA extends benefits to offshore Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans January 1st The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) begins deciding Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 claims, Jan. 1, 2020, extending the presumption of herbicide exposure that include toxins such as Agent Orange, to Veterans who served in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Military & Veterans News Remarks by President Trump During Troop Engagement | Bagram, Afghanistan THE PRESIDENT:  We’re going to be getting together.  We’ll be saying a few words in a little while.  But it’s an honor to be with you.  We brought Senator Barrasso.  As you know, he’s a great supporter of our military services.  And nobody is like you.  We spent two and a half trillion since I’ve been here.  That’s a lot of money.  But we rebuilt our military.  It was depleted, as you know, and now it’s — I guess, the word “depletion” is about the last word we’d use, right?

Military & Veterans News VA reports significant increase in Veteran use of telehealth services WASHINGTON – The U.S.

Military & Veterans News VA renews partnership with Y-USA to expand whole-health services to Veteran communities The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently renewed a nationwide partnership with Y-USA that focuses on whole health to enhance services available that promote the health and well-being of Veterans, their families and caregivers.

Military & Veterans News VA equips 200,000 Veterans with lifesaving naloxone to block against Opioid overdose The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) program announced that from May 2014 to September 2019, the program issued naloxone — a medication used to block the effects of a potentially fatal opioid overdose — to more than 200,000 Veterans.

Military & Veterans News VA expands Military Spouse Employment Partnership program The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is expanding employment opportunities for military spouses departmentwide, as part of its formal induction into the Department of Defense (DOD) Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) program.

Military & Veterans News VA appoints a new chief data officer The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the appointment of Kshemendra Paul, executive director for Data Governance and Analytics and the department’s Chief Data Officer.