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Veterans Services
Breadcrumb Start you are here >Home/Veterans News/Veterans News Letters 2003

July 25, 2003

8,000 Homeless Veterans in the Northport Regional Area

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs there are 8,000 homeless veterans in the Northport regional area. The approximately 4,000 in Nassau county can now look to the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency for help. The Agency received a grant from the US Department of Labor for $300,000 that will help homeless veterans re-enter the job market and find housing. 50% of homeless veterans have health and mental health issues that makes the task especially difficult. Their service to our country makes the effort to help them our responsibility. The over 125 veterans post and organizations in Nassau County can help by calling the Veterans Service Agency at 516-572-8452 when they know of a homeless veteran who wants help. Our outreach counselors will meet with the homeless veterans wherever they can be found. Donations of care package items for distribution to the homeless veterans will be accepted at the Veterans Service Agency, 1425 Old Country Road, Building H, Plainview, NY 11803.

September 20, 2003 is Nassau County POW/MIA Recognition Day. A Candle Light Vigil will be conducted at the Veterans Plaza in Eisenhower Park, East Meadow beginning at 7:30 PM. All veterans organizations are urged to attend and to spread the word. A beautiful and symbolic ceremony has developed over the years yet last year's poor attendance jeopardizes such future events. Thanks to the POW/MIA movement the public and the media seem to be focused on POWs and potential POWs for now. We can not let that interest pass by ignoring POW/MIA Recognition Day.

Combat Related Special Compensation is here. This program administered by the Department of Defense is the governments answer to the demand of veterans organizations to end the ban on Concurrent Receipt. Retired military unlike other federal employees are prohibited from receiving compensation for work related injuries in addition to regular retirement pay. Combat Related Special Compensation will help some retired military collect both compensation and retirement pay. To be eligible for CRSC a military retiree must:

  1. Have 20 years of service for retirement purposes or for Guard and Reserve 7,200 points;
  2. Be in receipt of VA disability compensation and;
  3. Have a qualifying combat related disability.
A qualifying combat related disability is:
  1. A Purple Heart with at least a 10% disability or;
  2. Alone or in combination 60% combat related disabilities with out the Purple Heart; and;
  3. Injury was the result of armed conflict, hazardous service, under conditions simulating war, or through an instrumentality of war.

Applications for CRSC are available on line at www.dmdc.osd.mil/ or for Navy and Marines, apply in writing to Department of the Navy, Naval Council of Personnel Boards, Combat Related Special Compensation Review Board, 720 Kennon Street SE STE 309, Washington, DC 20374-5023. Army veterans can write to U.S. Total Army Personnel Command U.S Army Physical Disability Agency (CRSC), c/o The Adjutant General Directorate, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22331-0470. Air Force retirees: United States Air Force, 550 C Street West, Suite 6, Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4708. Coast Guard retirees: Commanding Officer (RAS_CRSC), U.S. Coast Guard Human Resources Services and Information Center, 444S.E. Quincy Street, Topeka, Ks 66683. United States Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration retirees can call me at 516-572-8452 for the appropriate addresses.

Recently, the wife of a reservist activated for service in Iraq walked into a local American Legion asked the bar tender if anyone could help her get health insurance coverage while her husband was overseas. The bar tender was a volunteer and not a member of the post and apologized but told the wife that she had no idea who could help her. Some reservists thinking their family will be covered by their employer's policy may leave their family without coverage. The day a reservist or Guardsman is activated for 30 days or more the family is eligible for Tricare. The family must however enroll. For enrollment information call 1-888-999-5195.

The Mitchel Field and Mitchel Manor complex in East Meadow is the home of 393 military members with 795 dependents. These service men and women work for 31 different commands( 32% Marines, 31% Army, 26% Navy 6% Coast Guard, and 5% USAF). Naval Station, Newport RI owns and manages the complex and has made it known that it would like to eliminate the requirement to maintain this facility. If privatization of the complex does not occur in 2004 BRAC (Base Closure and Realignment may target the area in 2005. Should either occur the 1st Marine Corps District would be forced to leave Long Island. The war on terrorism it seems to me should warrant more not less military presence near New York City. Individuals who want to maintain even the small military presence we have in Nassau County are urged to contact our federal representatives.

Long Island Marines will be celebrating the memory of two time Medal of Honor recipient Dan Daly with a parade in his hometown of Glen Cove on August 10, 2003. The parade starts at 1:00PM at the Glen Cove Fire House. Contact Jim MacMillen 516-510-9523. All veterans groups welcome to march!

For information on any item in this article call me at the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency at 516-572-8452.

 
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