Veterans Information and Guidance
The Veterans Administration serves a variety of purposes. Along with being a bridge to normalcy for returning combat veterans, the Veterans Administration also offers affordable medical care, is in charge of pensions, and provides many other services as well.
Returning combat veterans are usually eager to come home. Nonetheless, they are often faced with a wide range of stresses that they had not anticipated. In finding that others live life as before, they are often haunted by confused emotions, psychological trauma, and sometimes even flashbacks of the war. Post-traumatic stress disorder is one of the most common disorder experienced by soldiers after they return home. It is in these painful times that they call the Veterans Administration. Through the counseling that it provides, the Veterans Administration can bridge the gap between war and peace.
The Veterans Administration also offers some of the best medical care in the country. For the rest of their lives, veterans need not worry about paying expensive medical bills out of pocket. These are now covered by the Veterans Administration. Many seniors especially will take advantage of this service, and save a lot of money on what would be expensive prescriptions. The Veterans Administration also assesses whether one is eligible for the military’s disability benefits. These, today, usually range from $500 to $1000 a month, depending on the severity of the disability.
Likewise, it is the Veterans Administration that protects military pensions as well. After 20 years of honorable service, one is eligible for a partial pension and a full pension at 25 years. After protecting America for all of these years, the Veterans Administration ensures that veterans can finally relax. Generally pensions range from $750 a month to $1000. Many veterans will choose to enter the private sector, and the Veterans Administration helps them to find jobs according to their abilities and interests.
It is always good for people to be around people who can relate to their life circumstances. The Veterans Administration also offers a wide range of events, providing a sense of community among veterans. Through their many bingo games, pancake suppers, and other activities, veterans can reminisce about the good times and bad of serving America, recalling their successes and near misses. These sorts of activities can be especially helpful for veteran seniors, particularly those that do not have many direct relatives left. For most of them, the military has always been like a second family anyway.
Since the War on Terror began, the Veterans Administration’s budget has been put to the test. In response to this, private veterans groups, such as the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars have offered to take some of the responsibilities once held by the Veterans Administration in the hopes that this will save the government money.
The Veterans Administration even offers quality dental benefits, to be found in clinics around the country. Although these are usually only available to combat veterans, there have been instances in which peace time veterans qualify.
So it is also for Veterans Administration nursing homes. If one does qualify however, these are some of the most up to date, well maintained nursing homes in the country, available for free to the veteran. Since the majority of medical expenses happen in later years, this plus the Veterans Administration’s hospitals save veterans thousands annually.
The “Mustering Out Payment Act,” has also been helpful. Passed in 1944 with returning WWII veterans in mind, it requires the Veterans Administration to pay veterans a large lump sum once they leave the military, to help them get on their feet and start a new life.
Probably the most helpful military stipend has been the GI Bill. This requires the Veterans Administration to pay all expenses for an education, for up to 10 years, as well as a year of unemployment benefits. The bill also allows returning veterans to take advantage of affordable home loan opportunities, and start businesses. Through this bill, the Veterans Administration has done much to stimulate America’s economy over the past 65 years.
The Veterans Administration has also successfully pushed legislation through Congress to ensure that the Federal Government gives priority to veterans when hiring. This, along with other policies enacted by the Veterans Administration, has successfully prevented many veterans from being too long out of a job.
The Veterans Administration even has its own police service, which both prevents crime from occurring on their property, and responds to fire alarm. Although every Veterans Administration police officer hopes that it will never happen there have been several officers who have died in the line of duty. For the veteran, who also has at least two years of law enforcement experience, this may be the ideal job.
It is hard to imagine all of the ways that life would be different for veterans if there were not a Veterans Administration. The Veterans Administration provides a whole host of benefits for veterans from medical, to retirement, to education, and many others. The United States Military takes good care of its own, as a way of saying thanks for all of their hard work. Veterans work hard, and sometimes face hellish circumstances in combat, to protect the American way of life. So, it only makes sense that the Veterans Administration would return the favor, by doing everything they could to take care of them afterwards, as well as to foster a sense of community among them. The Veterans Administration provides a safety net, and saves veterans thousands in medical, education, and other bills in the process.