Veteran's Benefits

Disabled veterans are no longer seniors who served in wars of a distant past – vets from World War II, Korea and Vietnam.  They are now young men and women among us, from recent and current conflicts, fighting modern wars. What we are seeing now is a steady increase of wounded soldiers mostly from Middle Eastern battlegrounds where the majority of our fighting military is deployed.

A growing number of military personnel serving Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan tours of duty are returning disabled. Since the War on Terror began in 2001, the total number of disabled veterans has grown to 2.5 million. And, according to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, more than half a million veterans of the 14-year-old “Gulf War Era” are now receiving disability compensation.

But what constitutes sufficient disability compensation for a disabled veteran?  Perhaps there is no high enough payment we can offer our vets in exchange for their personal sacrifices.  Nonetheless, the federal government and a host of agencies and organizations offer initial relief and ongoing assistance for vets and their families.

Whether a vet returns because of completed service or from an injury or illness, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs steps in almost immediately to navigate the soldier’s discharge and transition to civilian life. If you are a recent disabled veteran, learn your rights as a disabled vet as soon as you can.  You will want to familiarize yourself with not only the process of collecting benefits but also with the web of agencies that provide distinct as well as overlapping benefits. 

For example, while the G.I. Bill covers basic compensation benefits for employment, education and housing, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) provides monetary benefits specifically for vets with “service-connected disabilities.”  The VBA also offers programs for vocational rehabilitation and employment and housing assistance for disabled vets, as in adaptive homes.

Finally, get to know the network of organizations that can offer additional service and information specific to your needs, such as The Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), the only congressionally chartered organization that provides services for spinal cord injured veterans.