Each month, Jim Alton writes a column of interest to veterans and their families. It is published monthly in the Petoskey News-Review. Below is his August 2015 column.
To access past columns, click here
Congress passes law creating ID card for Veterans; Emmet County was first in state to do so years ago
Congress has approved the creation of a veteran’s identification card, making it easier for veterans to prove military service without having to produce a military service record or some other valuable document.
The House had already passed the bill in June and sent it on to the Senate. The Senate also passed the legislation, but a minor clerical amendment required a second House vote, which it took late Tuesday afternoon. The bill now heads to the White House where President Obama is expected to sign it.
Currently, individuals needing to prove military status routinely have to provide a DD-214, a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, to prove their status. The forms are difficult and often impractical to carry around at all times, as they are an 8.5 by 11 carbon copy, and are often delicate, old and quite brittle.
A number of states, and even counties like Emmet County, will issue veterans’ ID cards. Among the states that do so are Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and Michigan, which retailers and restaurants will accept when offering veterans’ discounts, according to The American Legion.
Retired service members have long been issued IDs. The Veterans Affairs Department issues IDs to veterans who are enrolled in VA health care. Of course, Emmet County has been way ahead of the ID program and was the first County in the State of Michigan to issue ID cards.
VA may shut downs some hospitals
The Department of Veterans Affairs may have to shut down some hospitals in August if Congress does not address a $2.5 billion shortfall for the current budget year. The agency is also considering furloughs, hiring freezes and other steps to close a funding gap for the budget year that ends Sept. 30. VA said it wants authority to use up to $3 billion from the new Veterans Choice program to close the budget gap, with as much as $500 million going to treat hepatitis C. The new Choice program makes it easier for veterans to receive federally paid medical care from local doctors. At the moment, Saginaw VA Hospital is not affected , nor is the Upper Peninsula VA hospital.
More troops can carry weapons at US bases (Smart move!)
Defense Secretary Ash Carter has given his top commanders the green light to allow more troops to carry weapons at U.S. bases, with a focus on recruiting stations, Reserve centers and other softer military targets.
Carter’s actions came two weeks after a Kuwaiti-born gunman fatally shot four Marines and a sailor before police killed him at the Navy reserve center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
“The tragic shooting on July 16 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, illustrates the continuing threat to DOD personnel in the U.S. homeland posed by homegrown violent extremists,” Carter wrote in a memo released recently by the Pentagon.
In the memo, Carter gave his service chiefs and regional command heads until Aug. 21 to submit “action plans” for beefed-up security of personnel, buildings and other physical facilities.
“I am directing all components to consider any additional protection measures including changes to policy and procedures that protect our force against the evolving threat,” Carter wrote in the memo.
We agree with the Secretary – who better to trust than our Military to carry weapons!
4 reasons it pays to use your VA loan benefit
Attention Veteran, This is your year to use your earned benefits. The VA Loan is a special benefit that civilians don’t receive; here’s why you need to get more information right now:
– Rates are nearing record lows again
– Qualified Borrowers: Don’t need 20 percent down, can refinance without requalifying, never pay PMI, and can get financing up to $417,000.
Make sure you get your VA mortgage certificate guaranteeing 25 percent of the mortgage; if you have not, contact our office and we will assist you in getting it (231) 348-1780. Semper Fi
Jim Alton is the Director of the Veterans Affairs Department within Emmet County. Alton served in the United States Marine Corps (1955-62) and is retired from the Michigan State Police. Reach him or his assistant, Rick Wiertalla, at (231) 348-1780 or jalton@emmetcounty.org
