Members of the Veterans Council express their very best wishes to all veterans and their families. During this holiday season, they asked that you not forget the men and women in uniform, and especially those in Iran, Afghanistan or its
Members of the Veterans Council express their very best wishes to all veterans and their families. During this holiday season, they asked that you not forget the men and women in uniform, and especially those in Iran, Afghanistan or its surrounding waters. The council will continue this column in year 2008. Happy New Year.
Approved legislation
Several items of interest to veterans have been passed in Congress. They include a prohibition to increase TRICARE fees and pharmacy co-pays for Fiscal Year 2008. Concerning VA health care, it authorizes five years (versus two) of care from date of discharge for members who served in a combat theater.
The retirement age for National Guard and Reserve personnel has been reduced by three months for each cumulative 90 days spend on active duty since Oct. 7, 2001. For those requiring follow-up on medical care upon discharge or retirement, TRICARE coverage (expires on Dec. 31, 2012) will be authorized for serious injury or illness if care is not reasonably available in VA facilities.
Combat-related special compensation
Effective Jan. 1, veterans forced from service short of 20 years because of combat-related injuries will be eligible for CRSC payments using the same formula as military retirement. The payment would be paid on top of disability compensation and thus ending the longtime ban on “concurrent receipt.”
Burial allowances
Generally, the VA will pay the allowances to the person who paid for a veteran’s funeral and had not been reimbursed by another government agency or other source. The amount will depend on whether the death was service- or not service-related. An application for burial allowance must be completed. There is no time limit for claiming reimbursement of burial expenses for a service-related death. In non-service-related deaths, the claim must be filed within two years of the veteran’s burial.
Real property tax credit
A bill submitted by Councilman Mel Rapozo will provide a one-time tax credit of a maximum of $1,500 for tax year 2008 to Kaua’i veterans who were deployed prior to the 2008 tax year to a combat or hazardous zone. A surviving spouse will be entitled to the same credit amount.
Active duty personnel deployed to a combat or hazardous duty area subsequent to the 2007 tax year will be granted a full exemption of the real property tax assessment for the tax year for which a claim is submitted. The original bill was written to have a yearly credit.
Honoring the flag
Legislation also gave veterans the option of saluting the United States flag versus placing the hand over the heart during ceremonial events. According to the flag code, the current policy is to place the right hand over the heart during the playing of the National Anthem or the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. Men with hats or headdress should remove them and hold it on the left shoulder. Individuals in uniform would render the hand salute.
National veteran organizations have had their own internal policy. When in the headdress of their organization, it would be appropriate for members to render the hand salute.
Online availability of tax forms
Veterans and active duty personnel can obtain their 1099-R or W-2 forms from the military’s MyPay Web site. For retirees, the 1099-R forms are available now. For the rest of the services, the availability dates are Jan. 2 for Army, Navy and Air Force Reserves, Jan. 7 for Marines active and reserves, and Jan. 22 for the active Army, Navy and Air Force.
New secretary of veterans affairs
Dr. James B. Peake, a Vietnam veteran and the former Army surgeon general, was sworn in by President George Bush as the nation’s sixth secretary of veterans affairs. Peake retired from the United States Army as a lieutenant general and is a board certified thoracic surgeon
Veteran photographs
Photographs of members of all veteran organizations and the council will be displayed in the Veterans Center. Members are asked to contact their respective organization for details on a group photograph. Arrangements for a photo session can be made by calling Johnny at 245-1625. Commanders and presidents are asked to call Aida at 246-1135 to arrange for individual photographs.
Monthly veteran feature
This month we recognize Richard “Soupbone” Kashiwabara, the veterans council’s vice commander. Kashiwabara was born in Camp 3, Wahiawa, and later moved to ‘Ele‘ele. He graduated from ‘Ele‘ele School and Waimea High School. He joined the Army in 1954 and upon discharge, joined the Army National Guard. He was activated with the guard in 1969, sent to Vietnam and was wounded in action. At the time of his activation, he left behind his wife and nine children.
After spending 15 years with the active Army and National Guard, he joined the Air Guard and retired in 1996 with more than 40 years of service. Kashiwabara also retired from the county after more than 20 years. Prior to employment with the county, he was an employee of McBryde Sugar Plantation.
• Johnny Rabasa, a Hanama‘ulu resident and Kaua‘i High School graduate, served for 30 years in the U.S. Army, retiring as a command sergeant major. He served in Vietnam. He also retired from the U.S. Postal Service, was postmaster at the Kaumakani post office, and worked at the Lihu‘e post office. He writes this monthly column exclusively for The Garden Island.
