Did You Know?             Loss of use of a hand or a foot, for the purpose of special monthly compensation, will be held to exist when no effective function remains other than that which would be equally well served by an amputation stump at the site of election below elbow or knee with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance. The determination will be made on the basis of the actual remaining function of the hand or foot, whether the acts of grasping, manipulation, etc., in the case of the hand, or of balance and propulsion, etc., in the case of the foot, could be accomplished equally well by an amputation stump with prosthesis.     a)    Extremely unfavorable complete ankylosis of the knee, or complete ankylosis of 2 major joints of an extremity, or shortening of the lower extremity of 3 ½ inches (8.9 cms.)  or more, will be taken as loss of use of the hand or foot involved.       b)    Complete paralysis of the external popliteal nerve (common peroneal) and consequent, footdrop, accompanied by characteristic organic changes including trophic and circulatory disturbances and other concomitants confirmatory of complete paralysis of this nerve, will be taken as loss of use of the foot.          Source: Title 38                         The National Veterans Legal Services Program               The National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) has launched a new program through its Lawyers Serving Warriors project to provide free representation to veterans applying for a new federal disability benefit  Combat‐Related Special Compensation (CRSC). CRSC is available to veterans who are medically retired for disability (either because they are on permanent disability retirement or the Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL). CRSC can provide a veteran with hundreds of dollars per month in additional tax‐free compensation in Addition to whatever compensation the veteran is receiving from the VA or the military department.               Shrapnel Sickness            At the Joint Pathology Center in Maryland, researchers are investigating an important medical issue: whether shrapnel embedded in the bodies of U.S soldiers can cause chronic health problems. Many veterans, after suffering injuries from roadside bombs during their tours of duty, carry these fragments in their bodies for life. Often surgery is risky, or the fragments are too small to remove. Either way, the metallic bits may slowly disintegrate, entering the blood and reaching vital organs.   Military  doctors first became concerned about embedded shrapnel following the Gulf War in the early 1990s, when they suspected that depleted uranium from tank munitions was causing kidney damage. In 2008 the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs set up a program to monitor adverse health effects from more than a dozen metals -including lead, copper, and cadmium- found in the urine of over 8,000 shrapnel victims. Those veterans will be reanalyzed every five years for high metal concentrations and corresponding health issues, says clinical toxicologist Melissa McDiarmid of the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. If a certain metal increases to potentially toxic levels or if X-rays reveal that fragments are dissolving, her group will suggest that the patient consult a surgeon too see if the benefits of removal outweigh the risks.   Source: Fangfei Shen, Discover Magazine     Financial Aid for Veterans   One of the responsibilities of the Colfax County Veteran's Services Office is providing financial aid to veterans who struggle to pay bills. The Colfax County Commissioners approved a measure January 27, 2015, that sets aside $5,000 for four programs that help veterans pay rent, utility bills and other expenses. For more information call  402-352-2424. Protected Disability Rating A rating percentage is considered “protected” once it is in place for 20 years. There would be no danger of a decreased disability rating after the 20 year mark. Veterans whose ratings have been in place for less than 20 years may be somewhat assured that there has been no improvement in the disability before requesting a new evaluation or they could risk having their disability rating reduced.

What Every Veteran Should Carry                         No longer will you have to carry around your DD Form 214 as proof of your military service.  The Veteran ID Card will quickly establish you as a veteran, along with other essential benefits.  More... Veteran ID Card

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