<![CDATA[Military Veteran & Retirees Discussion Forum Latest Topics]]>https://forum.navyadvancement.com/forum/21-military-veteran-retirees-discussion-forum/enTech for Troops to give out 100 free laptops to Virginia Beach veteranshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12924-tech-for-troops-to-give-out-100-free-laptops-to-virginia-beach-veterans/ VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Tech for Troops is partnering with VFW Post 392 to provide 100 free refurbished laptops to eligible veterans, active-duty military members and military-connected families in Virginia Beach later this month.

]]>12924Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:32:46 +0000VA Inspector General Confirms Prospect Reporting on Radiologist Shortagehttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12923-va-inspector-general-confirms-prospect-reporting-on-radiologist-shortage/ On August 5th, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General (VA OIG) released a report entitled “Review of Radiology Staffing and Services at the VA Washington D.C. Healthcare System.” The blandly titled report was an indictment of the second Trump administration’s misguided return-to-office (RTO) policy. The OIG documented that the RTO caused a “mass exodus” of radiologists from the medical center and delays in patient care (although no documented patient harm). Additionally, the report found that facility leaders didn’t follow appropriate protocols in notifying quality management of known problems and failed to track incomplete radiologic studies.

]]>12923Mon, 17 Aug 2026 13:22:31 +0000Lawmakers leave the VA secretary out of veterans bill discussions: ‘They don’t trust him anymore’https://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12917-lawmakers-leave-the-va-secretary-out-of-veterans-bill-discussions-%E2%80%98they-don%E2%80%99t-trust-him-anymore%E2%80%99/ Well, that's not good because some lawmakers want to remove some benefits. But also, Vet Secretary Collins is more interested in pleasing trump who does not have the best interest of veterans in mind. What a conundrum... 👀

A month after House Republicans failed to pass a veterans health bill, lawmakers are meeting behind closed doors to try to get the legislation back on track. But there’s one key person they haven’t invited to the table: Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins.

Collins and his team at the VA have been excluded from recent meetings on Capitol Hill because some senior congressional Republicans and Trump officials blamed him when the planned House vote was abruptly abandoned in July, according to multiple sources who were involved in crafting the legislation.

]]>12917Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:51:40 +0000New report shows veterans may be waiting longer for mental health services in some caseshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12912-new-report-shows-veterans-may-be-waiting-longer-for-mental-health-services-in-some-cases/ PHOENIX — ABC15 is following up on new concerns that the VA Healthcare System may be missing some targets it set for itself when it comes to wait times, specifically for new mental health appointments.

]]>12912Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:33:33 +0000Department of veterans 'scrambling' to clear backlog after massive mistakeshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12911-department-of-veterans-scrambling-to-clear-backlog-after-massive-mistakes/ President Donald Trump's administration wanted to clear the backlog of over 400,000 claims. It brags that, as of July, that number is a little closer to 70,000. The problem, however, is that it keeps getting those cases wrong.

]]>12911Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:31:02 +0000The largest change to veteran benefits in years is splitting the military communityhttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12901-the-largest-change-to-veteran-benefits-in-years-is-splitting-the-military-community/ A new mega-bill in Congress combining 62 pieces of veteran-aiding legislation would finally deliver that long-wanted change, but it comes at a steep price: Adjustments to the disability ratings for sleep apnea and tinnitus.

]]>12901Mon, 10 Aug 2026 11:44:28 +0000House Democrats demand answers from Trump’s VA on vets struggling to access mental healthcarehttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12898-house-democrats-demand-answers-from-trump%E2%80%99s-va-on-vets-struggling-to-access-mental-healthcare/ More than 60 House Democrats are pressing Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins for answers about how the agency’s mental healthcare has been increasingly strained under President Donald Trump’s second administration. The lawmakers sent the secretary a letter last week asking questions about the state of VA care, citing a ProPublica investigation from this spring that revealed the agency’s mental health workforce has been plummeting and veterans have been left in the lurch.

]]>12898Sun, 09 Aug 2026 14:01:50 +0000Their Military Careers Were Cut Short in Combat. Now They’re Fighting Congress for Their Full Benefitshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12893-their-military-careers-were-cut-short-in-combat-now-they%E2%80%99re-fighting-congress-for-their-full-benefits/ Consequently, medically retired veterans lose part of their retirement pay because they also receive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Last fall, those reductions averaged roughly $1,650 a month, or nearly $20,000 a year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

]]>12893Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:55:37 +0000Gosar Calls For VA Reforms Following Inspector General Audit Finding Widespread Community Care Failureshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12877-gosar-calls-for-va-reforms-following-inspector-general-audit-finding-widespread-community-care-failures/ Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ-09) is calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement recommendations from a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit that found widespread failures in the administration of the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), including improper eligibility determinations, inadequate documentation, and hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary spending.

]]>12877Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:05:55 +0000Congressman Hamadeh Urges Secretary Doug Collins to Implement Veterans Community Care Program Audit Findingshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12864-congressman-hamadeh-urges-secretary-doug-collins-to-implement-veterans-community-care-program-audit-findings/ Congressman Abe Hamadeh (AZ-08) joined Congressman Paul Gosar (AZ-09) in urging Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins to implement recommendations from a recent Office of Inspector General (OIG) audit identifying significant deficiencies in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). 

]]>12864Thu, 30 Jul 2026 11:12:02 +0000Strangers unite to give Navy veteran with no home or family a proper military funeralhttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12846-strangers-unite-to-give-navy-veteran-with-no-home-or-family-a-proper-military-funeral/ A Missouri community united to give a Navy veteran with no family a proper military funeral.

“Today, we are honoring a homeless veteran, John Benjamin Philpot,” Ben Ortiz Sr., a Vietnam veteran, said Thursday at the Higginsville State Veterans Cemetery.

]]>12846Sat, 25 Jul 2026 12:41:10 +0000Changes to veterans' benefits stalled in Congress - Many still qualify for more than they realize 👈https://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12844-changes-to-veterans-benefits-stalled-in-congress-many-still-qualify-for-more-than-they-realize-%F0%9F%91%88/ Veterans are still missing out on benefits they're entitled to. Here are the most commonly overlooked:

]]>12844Sat, 25 Jul 2026 11:57:51 +0000Is there a path forward for the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act? (Video)https://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12808-is-there-a-path-forward-for-the-take-care-of-america%E2%80%99s-veterans-act-video/ The plan is to take some Veterans benefits away - NO WAY!

Is there a path forward for the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act? (Video)

]]>12808Sat, 18 Jul 2026 14:15:21 +0000House Officially Delays 60-Bill Veterans Package as Major VSOs Split Over Benefitshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12804-house-officially-delays-60-bill-veterans-package-as-major-vsos-split-over-benefits/ The delay is about disability compensation and that's a good thing - could reduce future disability compensation for veterans. As it stands, it should be opposed...

The House on Thursday abruptly delayed a vote on the Take Care of America's Veterans Act (TCAVA), shelving one of the largest veterans legislative packages in years after Republican leaders apparently failed to secure enough support amid a growing fight over disability compensation that has divided many of the nation's largest veterans organizations.

 

]]>12804Fri, 17 Jul 2026 12:16:20 +0000VFW cartoon showing veterans facing a firing squad sparks calls for an investigationhttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12780-vfw-cartoon-showing-veterans-facing-a-firing-squad-sparks-calls-for-an-investigation/ A maga witch hunt again, a republican affair...

A cartoon depicting a firing squad of bureaucrats and media with rifles aimed at US veterans has prompted a powerful congressman to call for an investigation into one of America’s oldest veterans advocacy groups, stoking a debate over free speech for political satire.

]]>12780Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:07:26 +0000Army veteran detained by ICE alleges sexual assault at Tacoma detention centerhttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12775-army-veteran-detained-by-ice-alleges-sexual-assault-at-tacoma-detention-center/ Advocates are calling for an investigation into claims that a U.S. Army veteran was sexually assaulted by an ICE detention officer during a search.

]]>12775Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:48:17 +0000A Veterans Organization Has Millions in the Bank. Why Did It Seize a Small Chapter’s Donation?https://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12773-a-veterans-organization-has-millions-in-the-bank-why-did-it-seize-a-small-chapter%E2%80%99s-donation/ The Disabled American Veterans post in Sacramento, California, needed work. The small white building with blue trim and an American flag out front was built decades ago. Its heating and cooling system was ancient. The parking lot was riddled with potholes.

]]>12773Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:38:31 +0000Veterans see hypocrisy in military tributes as benefit cuts take holdhttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12767-veterans-see-hypocrisy-in-military-tributes-as-benefit-cuts-take-hold/ But some veterans see hypocrisy, given the deep cuts over the past year to Medicaid, food stamps and Department of Veterans Affairs staffing that have impacted services for those who served in uniform. 

]]>12767Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:37:07 +0000DFAS Retiree Newsletter | June 2026https://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12735-dfas-retiree-newsletter-june-2026/
  • DFAS Retiree Newsletter | June 2026
    • ]]>    12735Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:40:38 +0000    VA Announces Launch of New Partial Claim Program to Help Protect Veterans from Foreclosure with VA Home Loanshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12687-va-announces-launch-of-new-partial-claim-program-to-help-protect-veterans-from-foreclosure-with-va-home-loans/ The VA has now announced that the VA Partial Claim program will open for submissions on June 15, 2026, and that servicers will have until November 28, 2026, to implement the partial claim program into their systems.

    ]]>    12687Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:00:07 +0000    Veterans benefits bill sparks backlash over proposed offsetshttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12670-veterans-benefits-bill-sparks-backlash-over-proposed-offsets/ Funding sparks dispute: Critics say proposed offsets could limit future benefits for up to 1.5 million veterans with conditions such as tinnitus and sleep apnea.

    Political and policy divide: Supporters call the offsets necessary to pass reforms; opponents urge alternative funding to avoid cutting future benefits.

    ]]>    12670Sat, 13 Jun 2026 15:09:47 +0000    VA promise of 800 new homes on West L.A. campus this year shrinks to 260https://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12658-va-promise-of-800-new-homes-on-west-la-campus-this-year-shrinks-to-260/ Five months after promising up to 800 units of new temporary housing on its West Los Angeles campus by this fall, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is calling for bids to build fewer than a third of that number with a delivery date seven months later.

    ]]>    12658Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:44:02 +0000    Veterans Benefits Newsletter | June 2026https://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12655-veterans-benefits-newsletter-june-2026/ Veterans Benefits Newsletter | June 2026

    VET TEC 2.0, Intent to File (ITF) for VA benefits & More...

    ]]>    12655Tue, 09 Jun 2026 15:10:13 +0000    Trump Kicks His Dismantling of Veterans’ Health Care Into High Gearhttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12628-trump-kicks-his-dismantling-of-veterans%E2%80%99-health-care-into-high-gear/ Midway through the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s May 20 hearing on the VA’s advance budget request, Sen. Angus King (I-ME) pressed VA Secretary Doug Collins on his view of the future of veterans’ health care. Every net increase in Collins’s FY2028 advance appropriations request was earmarked for care delivered by private-sector providers. To King, the intention seemed unmistakable: a plan “to gradually privatize VA health care coverage.”

    ]]>    12628Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:56:33 +0000    Vetrepreneur Franchise Academy Information Sessionhttps://forum.navyadvancement.com/topic/12598-vetrepreneur-franchise-academy-information-session/ Vetrepreneur Franchise Academy Information Session

    Reserve Your Seat Now: Space is Limited.

    ]]>    12598Fri, 29 May 2026 19:28:48 +0000