COASTAL LIVING
      

March 2002

The American Forces Press Service reports that, in coordination, the Department of Defense and the Education Department have resurrected the Troops to Teachers Program, with an $18 million infusion from the fiscal year 2002 Federal Budget.  These dollars will give retiring and separating service members another chance to serve by becoming teachers in the K-12 public school system of the U.S.

 All military personnel, veterans, and Reserve component personnel who were separated not earlier than October 1, 1990 are eligible to apply.

 To encourage participation there are financial incentives in the form of a $5,000 stipend to cover costs of a teacher certification and a $10,000 bonus if a teaching position is accepted in a "high-needs" school district.  The Troops to Teacher Program also assists participants in placements through a nationwide referral system.

Those interested in an academic teaching position must have at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college.  Those without a degree could be eligible for the teaching of vocational/technical subjects, like electronics, computers, construction, automotive repair, but they will have to document their skill level or level of expertise.

To apply, call the Troops to Teacher office at 1-800-452-6619 or visit their website at http://voled.doded.mil/dantes/ttt.

VA Community Based Outreach Clinic

The planning and coordination continues for a VA primary care clinic in Carteret County.  In the immediate future, we can anticipate announcements on the clinic's exact location and particulars on how it will be staffed.  According to federal officials, the clinic opening is planned for during June 2002.

To use the facility, a veteran will be required to be enrolled in the VA Health Care System and be referred to the clinic by the VA Medical Center in Durham.  For details on this important entitlement, a good local resource is the Carteret County Veterans Services at (252) 728-8440.

VA Claims and Average Processing Times

The regional offices of the Department of Veterans Affairs have been struggling and surely doing their best at processing and adjudicating a significant backlog of benefit claims.   Legislative changes regulating veteran benefits created most of the backlog.  That said, our regional office at Winston-Salem has recently provided data on average claim processing times.  The following will give the reader an idea of average days to complete a specific type of claim.

Type of Claim                                                                                # Days

Initial disability compensation (7 issues or less)                  220

Initial disability compensation (8 issues or more)                122

Initial disability pension                                                  140

Initial death & dependency indemnity compensation                190

Initial death pension                                                                 94

Reopened compensation                                                   250

Reopened pension                                                                    136

Income, estate & election issues                                         86

Disability & death dependency                                            49

VA Expenditures in Carteret County

The North Carolina Division of Veterans Affairs recently provided statistics concerning FY2001 expenditures in Carteret County.  These expenditures are real dollars provided directly to County veterans and, in some cases, their dependents.  The breakdown follows:

Compensation/Pension             11,733,618

Vocational Rehabilitation         443,117

Insurance/Indemnities                    586,754

TOTAL                         $12,763,489

This total dollar amount equates to a 7.5% increase in VA expenditures as compared to FY2000 data.   A note, these figures do not include VA expenditures in the western part of the County with an Onslow County zip code, nor do they include medical care and medicine provided to County veterans by the VA Health Care System.

Korean War Veterans Event

Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune will be opening the base to the public and will be hosting a Korean War commemoration event on Thursday, April 11, 2002.  The event's purpose is to honor, to recognize, and to remember all Korean War veterans and their families.

The all day event will include an honors ceremony, static displays of current USMC equipment, a seminar on the Korean War, an 82^nd Airborne Parachute demonstration, and much more.  Special guests will be General James L. Jones, Commandant of the US Marine Corps, and the Honorable Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy. 

For more information, please contact Maj. Skip Crawley or Gunnery Sgt. Jim Riley at (910) 451-1714, ext. 5276.

Cold War Medal