Category: Benefits

Five and Five Discussion Group

Comrade David Tyner, a veteran new to VFW Post 3063, felt a deep concern for the loneliness that plagues many veterans. He devised a solution: the “Five and Five” discussion group. It launched Sept. 21 and provided a safe haven for veterans to share their military experiences without fear of judgment. Thank you to everyone who participated! Stay tuned for future Five and Five discussion group opportunities.

Service Officer Update

By Joseph Mesa


The passing of the PACT Act of 2022 triggered an overwhelming amount of TV ads and misinformation. The act applies to any service member, and also family members stationed at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more from 1953 to 1987. It applies even if injuries were suffered years ago or if the service member is deceased. The new law goes beyond basic VA disability and will NOT effect current VA benefits or disability.

VA announced that it would screen all its patients for possible exposure to environmental hazards during military service, part of an effort to understand the scope of the issue and monitor veterans for related illnesses. VA officials said the 5-minute screening, a series of questions by a veteran’s primary care physician, will help the department enhance the benefits for veterans already in the system. Veterans can request an appointment for a screening or will be screened automatically during routine care with their primary VA doctor. 

The screenings are a requirement of the PACT Act and will be conducted at least every five years. Results of the screening will be kept in veterans’ health records, according to the VA. Veterans who want more information on the PACT Act or to apply for disability benefits should contact me, Joseph Mesa, at [email protected] or go to the VA website or call 1-800-698-2411.

Comrades Don Service Items for November Social

At the November monthly social many of us wore items from our service — like jackets and hats — which was quite a treat! Comrade Griffith, who sported an Army blouse from his service in the 1960s, was the lucky random winner of a Lockspot gift card. We also belatedly recognized the USMC birthday and Al Simpson being the only USMC veteran in attendance received a birthday cake from a local boy scout, Taj, who is enlisting in the USMC next summer. (We would have eaten the cake but we already had a tasty Thanksgiving meal and a sampling of homemade desserts made by Chef Kay and crew.) Wally Michl didn’t have any items left from his service but he brought a photo of himself from 1949.

It was a fun night that honored our many years of service and we’re looking forward to our holiday social Dec. 15!

From the Desk of the Post Service Officer: VA Benefits Update

By Joseph Mesa


Here’s a VA benefits update courtesy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.


Regarding Burn Pits: VA intends to propose 9 rare respiratory cancers as presumed service-connected conditions. When the proposal becomes final and rule making is complete, VA will conduct outreach to impacted Veterans and survivors to inform them about potential eligibility.  VA intends to focus its rule on the rare respiratory cancers in Veterans who served any amount of time in the Southwest Asia theater of operations and other locations. The Southwest Asia theater of operations refers to Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations.


Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing changes to the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities specifically pertaining to the respiratory, auditory and mental disorders body systems. The proposed updates to the rating schedule for these conditions will enable VA to incorporate modern medical data and terminology to provide Veterans with more accurate and consistent decisions.


Veterans who currently receive compensation for a service-connected condition in these body systems will not have their disability rating impacted when the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities is updated. Updating the rating schedule allows Veterans to receive decisions based on the most current medical knowledge relating to their condition. By incorporating modern medical data in the assessment of disabilities and how they impact earning capacity, Veterans will receive evaluations which more accurately compensate them for their service-connected disabilities. Proposed updates include:

  • Modernizing the evaluative rating criteria for sleep apnea, using developments in medical knowledge to evaluate it based on its responsiveness to treatment, bringing the rating criteria for sleep apnea more closely in line with the stated purpose of the rating schedule.
  • Evaluating tinnitus (ringing in the ears) as a symptom of the underlying disease which causes it, rather than as a stand-alone disability.
  • Evaluating mental health conditions based on a more robust and holistic approach that assesses how impactful the disability is to cognition, interpersonal relationships, task completion, life activities and self-care. Additionally, the proposed evaluation criteria include a 10% minimum evaluation for having one or more service-connected mental health conditions and will no longer require “total occupational and social impairment” to attain a 100% evaluation.


No change to a veteran’s current rating would occur due to these proposed changes. If the proposed changes are finalized, Veterans who currently receive compensation for a service-connected condition can apply for increased compensation, but no reductions shall be made unless an improvement in the Veteran’s disability is shown to have occurred.


If you need any help with your VA claim or benefits, contact me at [email protected].