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Email
editor@wesupportthevets.com
Today from the Editor's desk
Tuesday, October 02, 2007 DOD to make Balloon payments to survivors Congress has approved the recent bill to permit the survivors of servicemen KIA to receive a balloon payment of the "gratuity" recently raised from 12k to 100K. The DOD released the following;
"The Department of Defense is making an effort to ease the hardship for
families in mourning with a nearly tenfold increase in the "death
gratuity." The hike is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2001, so survivors of
service members killed on or after that date are entitled to an
additional payment of $87,580. The Department of Defense recently
announced the increase in the death gratuity given to survivors of
service members killed in hostile action in a designated combat zone,
while training for combat, or performing hazardous duty. The amount went
from $12,420 to $100,000 -- an immediate, lump-sum cash payment to
survivors. Designated combat operations that qualify include Operation
Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Training and hazardous
duties that qualify for the gratuity range from aerial flight to
confidence and obstacle course deaths. A total of $47 million is
expected to be paid out as a result of the increase, says Chief Warrant
Officer Richard Mahoney, head of system liaisons and procedures at the
Defense Finance and Accounting Service in Kansas City, Mo. Procedures
for making the payments are still being worked out, and it may take
several months to identify eligible beneficiaries." We will be closely watching how rapidly these "procedures" are worked out and how long "several" months" to identify eligible beneficiaries(???)turns out to be. I'm a bit confused in that statement from the Chief Warrant. It would appear that along with the return of the remains of those that gave all for their country, there could be a certificate of eligibility. One of the reasons I am very suspect of how rapidly the DFAS will respond to the demand for payment is in the wording. Quote;"Training and hazardous duties that qualify for the gratuity range from aerial flight to confidence and obstacle course deaths." This is very close the the wording that was used in the title38 provisions for awarding Combat Related Service Connected (CRSC) payments to disabled veterans. Many applicants that were wounded or injured during training were rejected. The general public is not aware that during the Viet Nam era, many reservists were given special two week training orders for special (ACDUTRA) operations and "training exercises" that were conducted in or required travel into combat areas. If you were injured during that period, the Navy will not approve CRSC. Granted, the rules governing payment of CRSC were changed, revised during the processing period and the definition of "training" and wording was eliminated form the program. I would not want to hear that the survivors of these brave men were required now to "document" and complete applications that would prove their eligibility for this payment as disabled veterans have been required to do. Bill Gast USN (RET) DAV Editor, We support the Vets Read the feedback responses here
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