On June 4, 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that its Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation will hold a meeting, open to the public, on June 25-26, 2012, at the St. Regis Hotel, 923 16th and K streets, NW, Washington, D.C. The Committee advises the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the maintenance and periodic […]
Blog
On May 24, 2012, the Senate confirmed two new judges for the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The Court has three vacancies and the addition of two new judges to fill two of those vacancies will be a welcome development. The two new judges are Margaret Bartley and Coral Wong Pietsch. Judge Bartley was […]
VA recently announced that it will add around 1,600 mental health clinicians, which include nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers and approximately 300 support staff to its already existing workforce of 20,590 mental health employees. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki explained that as more Veterans return home from war, all must be […]
On April 14, 2012, four attorneys and a paralegal from Goodman Allen Donnelly’s Veterans Benefit Group participated in a free legal clinic for veterans and their dependents in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The clinic, which was sponsored by the American Bar Association and the Old Dominion University Student Veteran Association, was attended by 85 veterans, who […]
The United States Patent and Trademark Office on November 10, 2011, issued a notice that it is seeking to double the number of veteran hires over previous years for the position of patent examiner. It intends to hire more than 1500 patent examiners this year and hopes that ten percent of those new hires […]
OPEN HOUSE – November 9, 2011 Celebrating the launch of the Intel Veteran Employment Training (VET) Initiative Join Intel and the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and honored guests: • The Honorable, James Moran, U.S. House of Representatives • Rodney Lewis, White House Fellow, Office of the First Lady Intel VET is […]
VA Form 526 is used to initiate a new claim. Use this form if you wish to file a new claim for disability or pension benefits. VA Form 526b is also used to file claims for increased ratings or to reopen a previously denied claim. Be sure to follow the directions closely. Claims for VA […]
When a veteran is not satisfied with the decision reached by the Regional Office (RO), he/she must file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). The RO then offers two options for appeal, review by a Decision Review Officer (DRO) or the traditional appeal process. The RO will issue a letter outlining these two options. You have […]
Why is VA so slow to process claims? VA is a huge government bureaucracy. All bureaucracies, whether government or corporate, are slow, inefficient, subject to channeled thinking. They are inherently cautious and have many interconnected parts, and actions require multiple reviews and sign-offs. Political influences on, and scrutiny of, government bureaucracies increase the natural cautiousness. […]
Marine veterans who were stationed, lived or worked at Camp Lejeune before 1987 may have been exposed to contaminants in the drinking water supply. The Department of Veterans Affairs is recommending all those who believe they were at Camp Lejeune before 1987 to register to receive notifications regarding Camp Lejeune Historic Drinking Water. The Department […]
