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Last Updated: November 08, 2005 by: Rockey A.
Davis
The ink of the Governor’s signature on SHB 1189 has
dried, allowing the County Veterans Coalition (CVC) to cross
off the highest priority item on our organizational “to do
list.” Her signature updates the state law regarding veteran
relief (RCW 73.08 et seq). Many pundits and insiders had
written our revision efforts off as dead more than once
during the 2005 legislative session – yet we prevailed. (Read
House Bill 1189 as posted by Legislature.) After the signing ceremony and reception in the
Governor’s mansion on the evening of 3 May 2005, the CVC’s
legislative team took a few moments to share an alfresco
meal. We reflected upon the three-year-long chain of events
and the cast of stakeholders who shaped the revisions which
will now become law. As the sun set, a chill moved in off of
the scenic South Sound waters and settled around us in a way
that brought us back on task. Without a word being said, we
all turned our thoughts back to the hundreds -- maybe even
thousands of disadvantaged, ill and/or homeless veterans who
would spend that night without any respite from the chill.
There is still work to be done. CVCs collective efforts have produced a positive change.
That change puts many “best practices” programs on solid
footing and enables the rest to move in a direction where
the resources and people’s will permit. In addition, each
county is now required to have a Veterans Advisory Board.
More importantly each county will be able to design and
implement programs or services tailored to meet the emerging
needs of veterans. The counties of Washington State are unique in their
ability to provide locally relevant assistance and services
to needy veterans. More than ever, one can see that the CVC
has a vital role in bringing together counties, veterans
service organizations, state and federal agencies in the
common cause of helping veterans. Join us at the
6th Annual CVC Conference in Yakima,
October 26 and 27. The conference focus in 2005 will be
discussing statewide and local implications of the revised
law.
WDVA Legislative Session Tracking Site for 2005.
Tracks legislation of interest to Veterans and Washington
State Department of Veteran Affairs operations.
RCW's
pertaining to Veterans. Find out about RCWs
being tracked on the Washington State Department of Veteran
Affairs web site. September
05, 2003 Called
the Army Benefits Tool, it is available through the “Self-Service”
section of the AKO homepage,
which must be accessed with a username and password. “The
Army has long known that it needs to pull together information on all
the well-being programs,” said Col. Phil Smith, deputy director for
personnel transformation in the Office of the G-1. “This allows us
to do that.” John
Radke, chief of Army retirement services, described the Internet tool
as a one-stop repository of information covering an entire career —
from recruiting options to survivor and death benefits. “It allows
the soldiers and family members to take the long view of their
benefits,” he said. While
most of the information in the benefits tool is available on other
Army, Defense Department and federal government sites, the new service
consolidates nearly 50 links on one Web page, according to Smith. The
sites are organized under categories: •
Recruiting. •
Pay and retention. •
Well-being programs such as Tricare and Army Continuing Education. •
Transition services and benefits, including the Montgomery GI Bill and
Army Career and Alumni Program. •
Retirement programs such as Tricare for Life and the Survivor Benefit
Plan. •
Casualty affairs and survivor assistance. Calculators
are organized under the heading “Army Benefits Tools.” They allow
users to compute final pay retirement, High 3 retirement pay, Career
Service Bonus pay, survivor benefits pay, various Social Security pays
and various reserve component survivor and retirement pays. Smith
said these calculations do not provide precise, official figures, but
a good preparation base for talking to career or transition
counselors. “Before
you go to a counselor,” Smith said, “go here and tool around.” Because
the Army Benefits Tool is provided through AKO, it requires family
members to have an account to gain access. Instructions for getting an
account, which requires a sponsor’s approval, are found on the AKO
homepage. *Side note From Mount Vernon Veteran
Representative Rockey A. Davis: The Navy has
recently come out with their version
of the “AKO” (Army Knowledge Online) website. It is the "NKO"
(Navy Knowledge Online) website and can be found at
the NKO
homepage. Questions or comments?
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