[Senate Hearing 109-176]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 109-176
BACK FROM THE BATTLEFIELD, PART II:
SEAMLESS TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE
=======================================================================
HEARING
BEFORE THE
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
APRIL 19, 2005
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
.........................................................
Larry E. Craig, Idaho, Chairman
Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania Daniel K. Akaka, Hawaii, Ranking
Kay Bailey Hutchison, Texas Member
Lindsey O. Graham, South Carolina John D. Rockefeller IV, West
Richard Burr, North Carolina Virginia
John Ensign, Nevada James M. Jeffords, (I), Vermont
John Thune, South Dakota Patty Murray, Washington
Johnny Isakson, Georgia Barack Obama, Illinois
Ken Salazar, Colorado
Lupe Wissel, Majority Staff Director
D. Noelani Kalipi, Minority Staff Director
C O N T E N T S
----------
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
SENATORS
Page
Akaka, Hon. Daniel K., U.S. Senator from Hawaii.................. 1
Murray, Patty, U.S. Senator from Washington...................... 2
Prepared statement........................................... 3
Salazar, Hon. Ken, U.S. Senator from Colorado.................... 14
Prepared statement........................................... 14
WITNESSES
Wyatt, Tristan, Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom............... 4
Prepared statement........................................... 5
Fernandez, 1st Lieutenant John A., (RET), Veteran of Operation
Iraqi
Freedom........................................................ 6
Prepared statement........................................... 8
Cooper, Admiral Daniel L., Under Secretary for Benefits,
Department of Veterans Affairs; accompanied by Robert J. Epley,
Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Policy and Program
Management, Department of Veterans Affairs..................... 18
Prepared statement........................................... 20
Juarbe, Frederico Jr., Assistant Secretary for Veterans
Employment and Training, Veterans Employment and Training
Service, Department of Labor................................... 22
Prepared statement........................................... 24
Molino, John, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military
Community and Family Policy, Department of Defense............. 29
Prepared statement........................................... 30
APPENDIX
Response to post-hearing questions submitted by Hon. Larry E.
Craig,
Chairman, to Department of Veterans Affairs.................... 43
Response to post-hearing questions submitted by Hon. Larry E.
Craig,
Chairman, to John M. Molino, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
for Military Community and Family Policy, Department of Defense 45
BACK FROM THE BATTLEFIELD, PART II:
SEAMLESS TRANSITION TO CIVILIAN LIFE
----------
TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 2005
United States Senate,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:04 a.m., in
room 418, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Daniel K. Akaka,
Ranking Member, presiding.
Present: Senators Akaka, Murray, and Salazar.
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DANIEL K. AKAKA,
RANKING MEMBER, U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII
Senator Akaka. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs will come
to order.
I am very pleased to welcome all of you to this very
important hearing today. Chairman Craig would be here to
welcome you, however, he has an amendment on the floor this
morning and will be unable to join us at this moment.
I have enjoyed working with the Chairman and know that he
would be here now if he could, and we are looking forward to
him joining this Committee later this morning.
I am grateful for this opportunity to talk about what the
Government is doing to care for transitioning servicemembers. I
echo the sentiment of George Washington from so long ago
``Young people will only serve in our Armed Services if they
perceive that veterans of earlier wars were appreciated by
their Nation.'' I think these words ring especially true today.
We must be doing all that we can for our soldiers, sailors,
airmen and marines, as they transition from military to
civilian life.
I thank all the panelists for being here today. I would
like to especially welcome two of our Nation's heroes, Mr.
Tristan Wyatt and 1st Lt. John Fernandez, both veterans of the
current conflict in Iraq.
Mr. Wyatt grew up in New Jersey and moved to Colorado in
1998. He enlisted in the Army in October 2002, attended basic
training in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and became a combat
engineer. After airborne school at Fort Benning, Georgia, Mr.
Wyatt was assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort
Carson, Colorado. In late February he was deployed to Iraq.
On August 25, 2003, Mr. Wyatt was wounded in action en
route from Fallujah to the city of Caldiah. During the
firefight, Mr. Wyatt took shrapnel and lost his right leg above
his knee. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart
on September 1st. He arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center
where he was treated until the middle of January. Mr. Wyatt was
medically discharged on June 24, 2004.
First Lieutenant John Fernandez is a 2001 graduate of West
Point Military Academy and was captain of the West Point
lacrosse team.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lt. Fernandez was a member
of the Charlie Battery 313 Field Artillery based out of Fort
Sill, Oklahoma. He was deployed to OIF on January 20, 2003. On
April 3rd, 2003, 20 miles south of Baghdad, Lt. Fernandez was
injured when a 500-pound laser-guided bomb hit in very close
proximity to him. As a result of this friendly fire incident,
both of his legs were amputated below the knee. Lt. Fernandez
arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on April 11. He was
sent home from Walter Reed upon his own request on June 20,
2003. He officially left the service on August 11, 2004, 16
months after his initial injury.
Gentlemen, I look forward to hearing the testimony that you
will give today. Both of you have special insight into how the
Departments of Veterans Affairs, Defense and Labor systems are
working. Please share your views with us so that we can better
serve our newly separated servicemembers. Will both of you
please move up to the desk?
I applaud the work that VA, DOD and DOL have done to ensure
a seamless transition to the men and women that serve. However,
the Committee needs to know if these departments are doing
everything possible to guarantee that each servicemember is
receiving high quality assistance. Our servicemembers,
including the men and women who are coming back from Iraq and
Afghanistan, should have nothing less than a seamless
reintegration into society and their lives. We need to be
particularly attentive to the challenges faced by the Guard and
Reserves in their transition from military to civilian life.
In my own State of Hawaii more than 700 Guard and Reserve
members have returned from active duty, and there are currently
more than 3,200 on active duty, who will be transitioning in
the future. I am very concerned that these servicemembers have
the appropriate services available to them upon their return
from active duty.
Again, thank you all for being here today and I look
forward to your testimony.
May I call on Senator Murray for any remarks she has?
OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. PATTY MURRAY,
U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON
Senator Murray. Thank you very much, Senator Akaka, and
thank you to you and Chairman Craig for holding this hearing
today, and I especially want to thank both of our witnesses for
being here today.
I think how we treat our soldiers when they return home to
make sure the transition back into civilian life is as seamless
as possible is really critical. I think it is something we have
learned from previous war experiences, certainly from Vietnam
when I was younger, and as well as the first Gulf War when we
discovered Gulf War syndrome, as Senator Rockefeller worked on
so hard a number of years ago, that we have to listen to the
soldiers who are returning and making sure that we do the best
job possible.
I am hoping to have a field hearing in my home State in the
future because we have thousands of Guard and Reserve returning
as well.
I will submit my statement for the record, Mr. Chairman,
and look forward to hearing the testimony. I have two other
hearings I have to be at this morning, so I will not be able to
stay a long time, but I do think this is absolutely critical.
Your testimony today will help us make sure we are doing the
right thing for all of the soldiers who are returning, so I
really appreciate your being here today.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Senator Murray, your statement
will be included in the record.
[The prepared statement of Senator Murray follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Patty Murray,
U.S. Senator from Washington
I thank Chairman Craig and Senator Akaka for calling the hearing. I
want to welcome the panel and thank them for their service to our
country.
I have been concerned about transition issues for quite some time.
They have always been a burden for the soldiers on the front lines and
their families back home. I saw some of the effects of war at home when
my father returned from WWII. Then, the whole country became more aware
of these issues thanks to the brave men and women who came home after
their experience in Vietnam. When I first joined this Committee, we
were seeing the effects of a relatively short Persian Gulf War.
Now, I see the effects of this war in my visits to Walter Reed,
Bethesda, my VA facilities back home, and with the families I meet all
over Washington State. During my trip to Baghdad and Kuwait last month,
I saw the concern in soldiers' eyes as they talked with both
anticipation and trepidation about their return home. And, I hear about
the concerns of returning soldiers and their families every day.
Washington State has a proud military heritage with Fort Lewis,
McChord, Fairchild, and all of the Puget Sound Naval bases--each of
them have sent service men and women into Iraq or Afghanistan. Fort
Lewis is home to three Stryker Brigades--two have already seen action
in Iraq. And, we have a large number of National Guard and Reserves who
have served--or are currently in Iraq or Afghanistan. In all, over
20,000 service men and women from my home State have gone overseas in
this War, and a large group has just returned. That's why I brought
together the leaders of Madigan Army Hospital, our regional VA, Fort
Lewis and Camp Murray last January. I wanted to know their plan to take
care of the returning soldiers and their families, and to ensure they
had all of the help I could provide.
Mr. Chairman, that's why this hearing is so important--we need to
find out what we can do better. And we need to keep talking so more of
our new veterans come forward and get the care and benefits they have
earned. That's why I have asked to hold a field hearing in Washington
State--because keeping the issue front and center is what my military
and VA leaders have asked me to do.
Mr. Chairman, I am eager to hear from our panelists today, and
review all of their testimony in the days ahead. I look forward to
working with you, Senator Akaka and the rest of our colleagues on a VA
benefits bill that can make our newest veterans' transitions back home
as easy as possible.
I am particularly interested in the level of counseling we provide
families prior to a soldier's return home. For example, do they get
counseling to spot warning signs of things like PTSD? And, how can they
help their loved-one adjust to life back at home, or back on the job.
I would like to hear how we maintain contact with both returning
service men and women--as well as their families--during this
transition period.
I am also interested in how we treat Guard and Reserve soldiers
when they come back. I know there are particular challenges when many
of these soldiers don't live close to military or VA facilities.
I could go on, but these are some of the issues I hope our second
panel can answer for the record. Thank you Mr. Chairman, I look forward
to both of our panels' instructive testimony.
Senator Akaka. Turning now to the first panel, Mr. Wyatt,
will you please give your testimony and please let the
Committee know about your transition from military to civilian
life.
STATEMENT OF TRISTAN WYATT,
VETERAN OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
Mr. Wyatt. Good morning. I would first like to say it is an
honor for me to be here today.
After wounds received in action during Operation Iraqi
Freedom, I began a stint at Walter Reed Army Hospital. It
lasted for 6 months of recovery and therapy.
Understanding the severity of my wounds and against my best
wishes, I knew it was highly unlikely I would ever see the
battlefield again. I was very disappointed, and even more, I
was scared. I did not know what my next step should be or where
I should go. As soon as I was coherent I found physical
therapists and members of the VA began to show up at my
bedside. Every day I was given information about benefits,
entitlements and health care. For the most part it was
overwhelming, a lot of information to take in in a short amount
of time.
The thing that impressed me the most was there was always
an answer to my question. I never felt blown off. They had a
simple and effective way of passing the information to me in
ways that I could understand and ways I could retain. This was
very important.
Leaving the hospital I felt confident. I had a good
understanding of what to do and where to begin once I returned
home to Colorado. The process for most of my benefits and
entitlements had begun at Walter Reed so when I returned it was
only a matter of weeks before my benefits were in order. It was
a fairly quick and effective process. The longest portion was
the medical boarding. Although this was not a huge issue for
me, this was a big financial and emotional setback for the
soldiers who had families. It is very tough for these soldiers
to wait around for months on the boarding process in order to
be home with their families and begin their new lives.
On top of everything the VA has done for me and my family,
they had also offered me a job recently which I accepted at the
beginning of this month. It was a product of the vocational
rehab process designed to give personal assistance with
education, the ultimate goal is employment. This is how I was
introduced to the Vet IT program at the Regional VA Office here
in Washington, DC. It offers returning disabled vets the
opportunity at hard-to-attain GS positions within the VA. I
cannot say enough about these programs and the volunteers that
run them. There were now more opportunities available to me
than I could have ever imagined.
It would be great to see these programs implemented in
other VA offices around the country. Many vets are not willing
to move to Washington, DC because of the troubles of moving a
family cross-country. This is not something that I think is
wrong, but I believe we are on the verge of something very
good, a great thing. I had an opportunity and was able to take
advantage of it because I have no family or children to
consider. I was able to move on a whim. These soldiers with
families deserve the same opportunities, and more than likely
they need it.
It seems to me the system is much more stressful and
financially draining on the soldiers with families because of
the waiting periods. From my experience and the experience of
my comrades there should be more emphasis on expanding Vet IT
and vocational rehab programs around the country.
My separation from the Army was made a lot smoother than
expected because of people who truly care and are willing to
take a chance on a busted soldier. Even though I despise the
thought of leaving combat arms, my life after injury was put
back on course quickly, and the result was better than I could
have ever hoped for. I will forever be in debt.
It was my pleasure and my honor to fight for this great
country, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work for this
organization dedicated to veterans.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Wyatt follows:]
Prepared Statement of Tristan Wyatt,
Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom
I would first like to say that it is an honor to be here. My name
is Tristan Wyatt. I enlisted in the Army as a combat engineer in
October of 2002. After completion of basic training and airborne school
I was assigned to the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment out of Ft. Carson,
Colorado, with whom I deployed with in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom in March of 2003. During a firefight in the city of Fallujah
two of my squad members and I all lost a leg on August 25th 2003. We
were transported to Germany and then to Walter Reed Army hospital where
I spent the better part of 6 months in recovery and therapy.
Understanding the severity of my wounds, and against my best
wishes, I knew it was highly unlikely I would ever see a battlefield
again. I was very disappointed and even more scared; I did not know
what my next step should be. As soon as I was coherent, physical
therapists begun the show up at my bedside and so did personnel from
the VA. Everyday I was given information about benefits, entitlements
and health care. It was often an overwhelming amount of information,
but what was most impressive; there was always an answer to my
question. They had a simple and effective way of passing the
information to me in ways I could understand and retain. This was very
important. Leaving the hospital I felt confident I had a good
understanding of what to do and where to begin when I returned home to
Colorado. The process for most of my benefits and entitlements had
begun at Walter Reed, so when I returned home it was only a matter of
weeks before my entitlements and benefits were in order. It was a
fairly quick and effective process. The longest portion was the medical
boarding process. Although not a huge issue for me, a single solider.
This was a big financial and emotional setback for the soldiers with
families. It was very tough for these guys to wait around for months on
the boarding process in order to be home with their families and begin
their new lives.
On top of everything that the VA has done for me and my family,
they offered me a job which I accepted earlier this month. It was a
product of the Vet IT program at the Regional VA office here in DC. I
cannot say enough about this program and the people that run it. This
program offers returning disabled Vets the opportunity at hard-to-
attain GS positions within the VA IT office. Between this program and
vocational rehab there were many more opportunities available to me
than I could have imagined. It would be great to see this program
implemented in other VA offices around the country. Many vets are not
willing to come to Washington DC because of the difficulty of moving a
family. This is my main concern. Not something that is wrong, but I
believe we are on the verge of something great. I had an opportunity
and was able to take it because I had no family or children. I was able
to move on a whim. These soldiers with families deserve the same
opportunities and more than likely need it. It seems to me the system
is much more stressful and financially draining on the soldiers with
families. From my experience and the experiences of my comrades, this
should be a main focal point.
My separation from the Army was made a lot smoother than expected
because of these people who truly care and are willing to take a chance
on a busted soldier. My life after combat injury was put back on course
quickly and the result was better than I could have ever hoped for. I
will forever be in debt. It was my pleasure and honor to fight for this
great country and I am grateful for the opportunity to work for this
outstanding organization dedicated to veterans.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much.
Lieutenant Fernandez, will you please give your testimony?
STATEMENT OF 1st LT JOHN A. FERNANDEZ, (RET)
VETERAN OF OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM
Lieutenant Fernandez. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
My name is 1st Lieutenant John Fernandez, Retired. Not bad to
be retired at 27. I am honored to be invited to testify about
my experiences after being injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I would like to first begin by thanking Chairman Craig,
even though absent this morning, Ranking Member Akaka and
Members of the Committee for giving me this incredible
opportunity to testify.
To give you a brief background, I am from Rocky Point, New
York. I am a 2001 graduate of the United States Military
Academy and former captain of the Army lacrosse team. Before
receiving my injuries on April 3rd, 2003, among other
responsibilities I was primarily a Multiple Launch Rocket
System Platoon Leader. I was married before deploying to Kuwait
and will be celebrating my daughter's 1-year birthday at the
end of April.
Though my military career was brief, I enjoyed every
opportunity that I was given to lead my soldiers. This was
especially true during my deployment to Kuwait and the ensuing
invasion of Iraq. It was the culmination of years of training
and hard work that gave my soldiers and I the confidence to
perform like a well-oiled machine. We were thrown many
obstacles, but overcame adversity in every instance.
We frequently found ourselves doing our primary job of
firing rockets, but often also found ourselves doing things
that we never thought that we would do as a Field Artillery
Unit, such as raiding buildings, traveling across the desert
providing security for downed vehicles, and pushing ourselves
to points once believed out of reach. However, we never
faltered and we grew as a team.
Unfortunately, after passing through the Karbala Gap and
reaching about 20 miles south of Baghdad, our team took a big
blow. After traveling for many hours we set up our battery and
conducted security patrols, preparing to provide supporting
fires for the units fighting to our north. We then prepared
security shifts and started to fire rockets.
After my shift I tried to catch up on long-awaited rest.
However, that was cut short when I woke up on the ground,
surrounded by flames, with numbing pain in my legs. I felt for
my legs, realized that they were still there. I then pulled off
my sleeping bag and realized that my life had changed forever.
I saw that my feet were very badly hit.
But not knowing what had occurred at the time, it was
instinct to spring into action. I crawled to my HMMWV and
grabbed my rifle, flak vest and Kevlar helmet. I looked for my
reconnaissance sergeant in the HMMWV, but he was not there. I
saw fuel spewing from the bottom of the vehicle and realized I
had little time before the ammunition in the vehicle exploded.
I called for my gunner, who called back to me. I crawled to his
location, and after realizing the severity of his injuries,
attempted to pull him away from the burning HMMWV.
That night at least five of my men were seriously injured,
of which my injuries were the most severe. But more
regrettably, the three men that I worked side-by-side with
every day died, including the soldier that I attempted to save.
Immediately following the incident, I was medevaced to
field hospitals within Iraq, then to Kuwait, and following
Kuwait, to Spain. Spain was my last stop before reaching Walter
Reed Army Medical Center on April 11, 2003. Throughout my
journey to Walter Reed, I received good medical care,
highlighted by the effort to save as much of my feet as
possible. No amputations were attempted until I reached
stateside. After arriving at Walter Reed I was told that I was
going to receive a right below-the-knee amputation, and left
symes amputation, or below-ankle amputation. The medical care
that I received at Walter Reed was, in my opinion, phenomenal.
The doctors cared a great deal for me, and gave my family the
courtesy and respect they deserved during a time of
uncertainty.
During this time my wife quit her job and left school to
stand by my side. My whole family took a great amount of time
off of work, and incurred the travel expenses to come visit me
on various occasions. My family's lives were flipped upside
down in the wake of my injuries. Luckily, there was a great
amount of support, not only from my local community, but also
from across America as a whole. Without the monetary help that
I received from my friends and family, I would have suffered
large financial losses. There was an immense amount of
financial stress placed on me, and that would continue
throughout my transition from military into civilian life.
Though the medical care that I received was great, there
were also many difficulties that I encountered when
transitioning into my new lifestyle. The Army heavily pushed
for a quick discharge. However, after educating myself on the
process, I knew that I could not be discharged until I reached
maximum medical benefit. Facing a large pay decrease after
being discharged, I had to fight to stay on active duty until I
felt that I had reached ``maximum medical benefit,'' which for
me was getting as close to my prior physical condition as
possible, whether that be running or whatever the case, within
a reasonable amount of time. I was even told that I would
receive dual compensation, or VA disability benefits and Army
retirement benefits, which actually only applies to disabled
retirees with 20 or more years of service.
I always conducted my own research, but my concern was how
many soldiers in similar situations were enticed with incorrect
information? Initially I did all of my own research. However, I
have since received continued help from veteran service
organizations. Without these outside veterans organizations,
such as the Wounded Warrior Project, soldiers such as myself
would be very lost.
And this should not be. There is an overwhelming need for
precise information as injured soldiers have to negotiate
through a bureaucratic process to transition into a new
situation. And it is the Government's job to provide this
information in an effective manner in order to facilitate the
future success for injured soldiers.
I finished the medical board process 16 months after being
injured, and entered military disability retirement, where I
took advantage of Veterans Affairs services offered. Again, I
was lucky enough to have veterans organizations help me parley
the overwhelming amount of information. My wife and I are
attending graduate school full time on dependent's education
and vocational rehabilitation benefits respectively. I will
also be using the VA grant for specially adapted housing.
However, because of the financial strain of preparing myself
for future employment, which is not a short process, it was
necessary for me to also obtain Social Security disability
benefits.
I am very grateful for all of the services that I have been
provided from my Government. I never realized how great America
was until I went to Iraq and saw how differently I could have
been raised. I am truly proud to be an American. If I had the
chance to go back in time, I would choose the same path to
defend this country every single time.
This country has stood by my side and provided me with a
great amount of financial help. However, I was injured in the
beginning of the war, and can only hope and advocate for the
same support to continue for the soldiers being injured today,
because I know without the help of American society, I would
have been in much more dire financial stress. However
remarkable the support from society is, the question remains,
should this be the job of the American people?
Again, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to
testify. I would now be willing to answer questions.
[The prepared statement of Lt. Fernandez follows:]
Prepared Statement of 1st Lieutenant John A. Fernandez, (RET)
Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen. My name is 1LT John Fernandez
(RET), and I am honored to be invited to testify about my experiences
after being injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom. I would like to
begin by first thanking Chairman Craig, Ranking Member Akaka and
Members of the Committee for giving me the incredible opportunity to
testify.
To give you a brief background--again my name is 1LT John Fernandez
(RET) and I am from Rocky Point, NY. I am a 2001 graduate of the United
States Military Academy and former captain of the Army Lacrosse Team.
Before receiving my injuries on April 3, 2003, among other
responsibilities, I was primarily a Multiple Launch Rocket System
Platoon Leader. I was married before deploying to Kuwait and will be
celebrating my daughter's 1-year birthday at the end of April.
Though my military career was brief, I enjoyed every opportunity
that I was given to lead my soldiers. This was especially true during
my deployment to Kuwait, and the ensuing invasion of Iraq. It was the
culmination of years of training and hard work that gave my soldiers
and I the confidence to perform like a well-oiled machine. We were
thrown many obstacles, but overcame adversity in every instance. We
frequently found ourselves doing our primary job of firing rockets, but
often, also found ourselves doing things we never thought that we would
do as a Field Artillery unit such as: raiding buildings, traveling
across the desert providing security for downed vehicles, and pushing
ourselves to points once believed to be out of reach--however, we never
faltered, and we grew as a team.
Unfortunately, after passing through the Karbala Gap, and reaching
about 20 miles south of Baghdad, our team took a big blow. After
traveling for many hours we set up our battery, and conducted security
patrols preparing to provide supporting fire for units fighting to our
north. We then prepared security shifts and started to fire rockets.
After my shift, I tried to catch up on long awaited rest. However, that
was cut short when I woke up on the ground, surrounded by flames, with
numbing pain in my legs. I felt for my legs, realized that they were
still there. I then pulled off my sleeping bag, and realized that my
life had changed forever. I saw that my feet were very badly hit. But
not knowing what had occurred at the time, it was instinct to spring
into action. I crawled to my HUMMWV and grabbed my rifle, flak vest and
Kevlar helmet. I looked for my reconnaissance sergeant in the HUMMWV,
but he was not there. I saw fuel spewing from the bottom of the vehicle
and realized that I had little time before the ammunition exploded. I
called for my gunner, who called back to me. I crawled to his location,
and after realizing the severity of his injuries, attempted to pull him
away from the burning HUMMWV.
That night at least five of my men were seriously injured, of which
my injuries were the most severe. But more regrettably, the three men
that I worked side-by-side with everyday, died, including the soldier
that I attempted to save.
Immediately following the incident I was medevaced to field
hospitals within Iraq, then to Kuwait, and following Kuwait to Spain.
Spain was my last stop before reaching Walter Reed Army Medical Center
on April 11, 2003. Throughout my journey to Walter Reed I received good
medical care, highlighted by the effort to save as much of my feet as
possible. No amputations were attempted until I reached stateside.
After arriving at Walter Reed, I was told that I was going to receive a
right below-the-knee amputation, and left symes (or below ankle
amputation). The medical care that I received at Walter Reed was, in my
opinion, phenomenal. The doctors cared a great deal for me and gave my
family the courtesy and respect they deserved during a time of
uncertainty.
During this time my wife quit her job and left school to stand by
my side. My whole family took a great amount of time off of work, and
incurred the travel expenses to come visit me on various occasions. My
family's lives were flipped upside down in the wake of my injuries.
Luckily, there was a great amount of support from not only my local
community, but also from across America as a whole. Without the
monetary help that I received from friends and family I would have
suffered large financial losses. There was an immense amount of
financial stress placed on me, and that would continue throughout my
transition from military into civilian life.
Though the medical care that I received was great, there were also
many difficulties that I encountered when transitioning into my new
lifestyle. The Army heavily pushed for a quick discharge. However,
after educating myself on the process, I knew that I could not be
discharged until I reached maximum medical benefit. Facing a large pay
decrease after being discharged, I had to fight to stay on active duty
until I felt that I reached ``maximum medical benefit'' which for me
was getting as close to my prior physical condition as possible within
a reasonable amount of time. I was even told that I would receive dual
compensation, or VA disability benefits and Army retirement benefits.
Which only applies to disabled retires with 20 or more years of
service. I always conducted my own research, but my concern was ``How
many soldiers in similar situations were enticed with incorrect
information?'' Initially, I did all of my own research, however, I have
since received continued help from veterans organizations. Without
these outside veterans' organizations, such as the wounded warrior
project, soldiers such as myself would be very lost. And this just
should not be. There is an overwhelming need for precise information as
injured soldiers have to negotiate though a bureaucratic process to
transition into a new situation. And it is the Government's job to
provide this information in an effective manner, in order to facilitate
the future success for injured soldiers.
I finished the medical board process 16 months after being injured,
and entered military disability retirement where I took advantage of
the VA services offered. Again, I was lucky enough to have veterans
organizations help me parley the overwhelming amount of information. My
wife and I are attending graduate school full-time, on dependant's
education and vocational rehabilitation benefits respectively. I will
also be using the VA grant for specially adapted housing. However,
because of the financial strain of preparing myself for future
employment, which is not a short process, it was necessary for me to
also obtain Social Security disability benefits.
I am very grateful for all of the services that have been provided
from my government. I never realized how great America was until I went
to Iraq and saw how differently I could have been raised. I am truly
proud to be an American. If I had the chance to go back in time, I
would choose the same path to defend this country every time. The
country has stood by my side and provided me with a great amount of
financial help. However, I was injured in the beginning of the war, and
can only hope and advocate for the same support to continue for the
soldiers being injured today. Because, I know without the help of
American society, I would have been in much more dire financial
distress. However remarkable the support from society is, the question
remains: should this be the job of the American public?
I would like to thank you again for this opportunity to testify. I
would now be willing to answer questions that anyone may have.
Senator Akaka. Thank you both for your testimony and for
being here this morning. I know you have alluded to some of the
experiences you have had, but let me ask both of you, and tell
you that I would like to know about each of your personal
experiences in transitioning from the military to civilian
life. Tell me how you found the process. Were you given
appropriate and helpful information by VA and DOD? Have either
of you utilized the Department of Labor's service? What did
these agencies do well? What can be done better?
Lieutenant Fernandez?
Lieutenant Fernandez. Sir, as I mentioned earlier, it is a
lot of information to grasp as you go through the process, and
a lot of times in going through that process, you get told a
variety of information from just as many different people, and
a lot of times that is hard to grasp, especially as you are
trying to cope with a new lifestyle, the injuries that you
sustained, and looking toward the future, wondering, now that
my military career is over, what does the future hold for me?
So I think that it would be helpful, I guess, to facilitate
the process for the flow of information. And I know that the
veterans service organizations helped me do that because they
were one place that I could go. They were one avenue that I
could go that would give me the answers that I needed and they
would send me in the right direction.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Wyatt?
Mr. Wyatt. I definitely agree with that. One of the biggest
problems was just a lot of information being given at one
point, and if there was a more organized manner that they could
give it to you, that would definitely help the problem.
Another thing is there is a lot of waiting around going on,
a lot of waiting for the med boards to happen. At that point
you are still receiving Army military compensation which does
not take care of a lot of the expenses, especially for soldiers
with families.
A great thing that could happen is if the med board process
was sped up somehow. It seems like a lot of paperwork gets
lost, misplaced, and it just seems like there is a lack of
organization sometimes. It really did not seem like we were
prepared for the amount of wounded that were really going to
come in from this war. That would definitely help the
situation.
Senator Akaka. To both of you, during the process of
transitioning from active duty to the veteran status, when were
you first contacted by VA? In your opinion, do you believe that
it was the right time, or should it have been sooner or later?
Lieutenant Fernandez. Sir, I know right away I was
contacted when I was in the hospital, which was very reassuring
knowing that there were people there to help me out. A lot of
times initially though, a lot of that information was thrown at
me, and as mentioned earlier, at certain points it became
overwhelming. Over time I was able to kind of sift through the
information and make sense out of it and understand where it
fit into my future goals. I believe that there was a sufficient
amount of help there, but the organization of that information
and the way that it is presented to the soldiers when they are
in the hospital might be presented a little bit easier.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Wyatt?
Mr. Wyatt. Definitely. Soon as I can remember waking up in
the hospital there was someone from the VA. To say it was too
early, I do not think that is accurate. I think that they
should show up as much as possible. You see so many faces in
the hospital, so many people are coming around feeding you
information, like John said, that it is tough to even figure
out who was who and who was from what organization.
What helped me the best, and a lot of my comrades over
there, was to see them over and over and over again. Even if
they are coming in to give you the same information, the
repetition is important. You need to see that face, because
there are so many people coming in to see you, whether it be
doctors or press or the VA. You have to have that personal
connection with them. I think that is important.
Senator Akaka. Let me follow up before I turn to Senator
Murray. Did VA contact you after their initial contact to
remind you of services and programs they could provide, and
when was that contact made?
Lieutenant Fernandez. Yes, sir. VA did a lot of follow-up
to make sure that I understood the programs that were available
to me and the different opportunities that I had through the
organization. I think that the repetition is important. As
Tristan had mentioned, the repetition is important because you
are given so much information. It was reassuring to know that
the Administration was there to help out through the process.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Wyatt?
Mr. Wyatt. They contacted me as soon as I got home to
Colorado from Walter Reed, and that seems to me to be where
most of the wires get crossed, is when you leave the medical
facility to go back home. It would be good if they had better
points-of-contact from Walter Reed, so when you--I mean moving
is a traumatic experience for anybody, and you are going to
forget to call when you get home, so it would be good if they
had plenty of points-of-contact, lots of people you can talk to
when you return, but the VA did make a very good attempt at
contacting me at every major transition point.
Senator Akaka. Senator Murray.
Senator Murray. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you to both of you for coming and testifying before
the Committee today, and helping us understand some of what you
have gone through so we can do a good job for those who are
returning.
One of the concerns I have, coming from Washington State--
you are from Colorado--we are a long ways away from Walter
Reed. So when our soldiers return home if they have not either
gone through Walter Reed and been sent out or just gone
directly home, whether or not there is sufficient support
services for them out there. You were at Walter Reed. You had
people at your bedside every day. What have you heard from
other soldiers who have just gone straight back to California
or Washington or Colorado, far away from here, about their
ability to get good service?
Lieutenant Fernandez. Well, ma'am, as Mr. Wyatt had
mentioned, the transition is a difficult one, and maintaining
points-of-contact and maintaining similar information as you
move, because when you move you are in most cases dealing with
different representatives of the Veterans Affairs. So I know
for me it was good to have a single point-of-contact through a
veterans service organization that I dealt with the whole time,
and they kind of helped me sift through that information, and I
know that other soldiers have had problems getting the same
information because in many cases they are dealing with
different people. So that is an obstacle that I believe needs
to be overcome.
Senator Murray. Mr. Wyatt?
Mr. Wyatt. I definitely agree with that, as well as--I wear
a prosthetic leg, and it seems to me Walter Reed is the mecca
of prosthetics. They have all the new equipment. Everything is
there. It gets cranked out in a timely fashion. Anytime I
needed something serviced, it was immediate at Walter Reed. The
biggest thing that I had to deal with was once I got to Denver
they did not have all the equipment that Walter Reed did and I
was not used to the process and things took a long time, and it
gets frustrating.
I opted to stay at Walter Reed for 6 months because someone
informed me of this. My team leader, who had arrived earlier in
the same incident in Iraq, opted to go back to Colorado. I
received my prosthetic leg the same time he did, and he had
been in the system for a few weeks more than I had, so we were
at the same progress level, but I think what stymied his
process was Walter Reed and the VAs in the other States need to
stay in contact with the technology and with the new products,
new legs, you know, everything that goes into this prosthetic
development.
Senator Murray. What about post traumatic stress syndrome?
We are hearing a lot about soldiers who are returning, the
stress situations that they are in and PTSD occurring after you
have been discharged. What has been your experience with that?
Lieutenant Fernandez. Ma'am, I know in my situation, from
the minute I hit the hospital I adopted the attitude that I was
not going to feel sorry for myself because of the soldiers that
had passed away in the incident. Their families cannot say
that. I think it really depends on the individual, therefore
each individual needs to be assessed in a manner and they need
to be reached out, and I know that was a big thing through
Veterans Affairs, and they made sure that I was not undergoing
any overdue emotional stress due to my injuries and situations
that I might have encountered in Iraq.
So I know that that problem was handled very well from the
Veterans Affairs standpoint.
Senator Murray. Mr. Wyatt?
Mr. Wyatt. From what I have seen returning from combat, and
especially if you are injured, PTSD is going to be the last
thing on your mind, and to have that assessed at Walter Reed
is--it is effective, but not as effective as it could be if it
were assessed when you end up home with your family. PTSD is
not going to be prevalent at an Army installation with a bunch
of soldiers that just got back from combat. They are not going
to want to go through the assessments. They are going to want
to go home and see their families. They are going to want to
get out of there. They are not going to want to hear it.
I think it would be much more effective to immediately
assess them once they got home, before something did happen,
but once they get home to their natural environment, that is
when things start to teeter. I think it would be great, you
know, in my instance, once I got home and I got to the Denver
VA that was high on the priority list to be assessed there.
Senator Murray. My time is short, but I want to ask one
other question. Lieutenant Fernandez, you talked about kind of
pressure to be discharged. How did you experience that? Were
people suggesting that you be discharged and----
Lieutenant Fernandez. Well, ma'am, I think it again depends
on the individual. In my case, it was not more beneficial for
me to get out of the military. I was earning more of an income
staying in, and as I went through the transition process I did
not want to be, I guess, thrown out of the system and making
less money when I had not reached what I myself determined as
maximum medical benefit. For me, that was what I was running.
Senator Murray. Did people suggest to you that you should
be discharged?
Lieutenant Fernandez. I think over the past few years they
have tried to speed up the process, speed up the medical board
process, but again, it has to be dependent on the individual.
In some cases it is not going to be beneficial for the
individual soldier to be rushed out of the military, and I
think it really has to be dependent on the soldiers themselves,
and they need to have a say in that process.
Senator Murray. I appreciate both of you coming today.
Mr. Chairman, just for the record, that is one of the
concerns I have. I have fought long and hard for additional
funding for the VA because of the influx of the soldiers coming
in and the needs that are out there.
One of the things I have heard from the other side is that
these soldiers are part of the DOD system and the costs have
not been put on the VA system. But I am hearing from many
soldiers that they are being pushed very hard to be discharged,
and as long as that pressure is there, we had better have the
funding for veterans. It is one of the reasons I have fought
hard for this.
I appreciate both of you being here, and I will continue to
do what I can to make sure we are there for you as you return
home. Thank you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you, Senator Murray.
Senator Salazar, any comments or questions?
STATEMENT OF HON. KEN SALAZAR,
U.S. SENATOR FROM COLORADO
Senator Salazar. Thank you very much, Senator Akaka.
And thank you, Lt. Fernandez and Mr. Wyatt. Thank you for
your service to our country. And Mr. Wyatt, since you have your
roots in Colorado it is my honor to see you here and if there
is ever anything that I can do for you as you move forward with
the very long and productive life that you have ahead of you, I
would be delighted to be at your services, as well as you, Lt.
Fernandez.
Senator Akaka, I just want to thank you and Senator Craig
for bringing the attention that you are bringing to this very
important issue. I know that both of you have introduced an
amendment to create an insurance program to help the injured
servicemembers, to help their families cope with the increased
burdens that they face when they face major injuries. And I am
proud to work with both you and with Senator Craig on this
important legislation.
We have all heard on this Committee from veterans in our
States that there are a number of challenges that the VA faces
in ensuring a smooth transition from active service duty to VA
care. The first is simple demographics. More than 250,000
servicemembers who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq have left the
military. Sometimes I think it is easy for us to forget that
number, but we are talking about a quarter million lives, a
quarter million members of our military services who have
served there, and more than 11,000 of these troops have been
injured in those operations, 11,000 people. I come from a small
town that only has 840 people in the southern part of Colorado,
and I can think about the sheer size of the numbers of military
personnel that have been injured or wounded in both Afghanistan
and Iraq. And with the kinds of injuries that these soldiers
have received, it is important for us as a Nation to make sure
that we are doing everything we can to provide the seamless
transition between DOD and the VA.
I know that there have been problems. The VBA has had some
trouble in dealing with benefits claims long before we went
into war in Iraq. Though there has been some progress recently.
I understand that the times for processing disability claims
has gone from a high of 230 days to 160 days. When you think
about having to wait in line for 160 days to have your claims
processed, in my mind that is far too long. There is progress.
I believe that the VBA and Veterans Administration are working
on a number of different programs, but I hope that this hearing
today will help us work with the VA and the VBA to make sure
that we provide the best services we can to our veterans, and
that we assure the seamless transition that we ought to have
between DOD and the VA.
I have a more extended statement, but I will just submit
that for the record, Senator Akaka.
[The prepared statement of Senator Salazar follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Ken Salazar,
U.S. Senator from Colorado
Thank you, Chairman Craig and Senator Akaka, for bringing needed
attention to this important issue and for already taking steps to help
soldiers returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Senators Craig and Akaka are introducing an amendment to create an
insurance program for injured servicemembers to help their families
cope with the increased burdens they face. I am proud that you both
worked together on this legislation and I am proud to co-sponsor it.
However, as we have all heard from veterans in our States, there
are a number of challenges that the VA faces in smoothing the
transition from active duty service to VA care.
The first is simple demographics. More than 250,000 servicemembers
who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq have left the military. More than
11,000 troops have been injured in these operations. Many of these
soldiers are returning home with missing limbs or major burns, but
thousands more have wounds that are more subtle and will take years to
diagnose.
The second is administrative. The VBA had trouble dealing with
benefits claims long before we went to war with Iraq.
There has been some important progress recently, including reducing
wait times for disability claims from a high of 230 days to 160 days.
The Home Loan Guarantee Program, in particular, has seen amazing
administrative successes dropping approval time from weeks to mere
minutes.
However, 321,000 veterans are still waiting for disability claims
decisions. Veterans have to wait an average of 8 to 10 weeks to get
their GI Bill benefits. Vets who do not immediately apply to Vocational
Rehabilitation are sometimes lost to the system for years.
A recent GAO report indicates that the VA has trouble anticipating
its disability workload from year to year and has not fully accounted
for more complicated claims stemming from war-related injuries.
The third administrative challenge deals directly with the
transition from DOD to VA. VA has done a great deal to reach out to
troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan. But there many
veterans are falling through the cracks.
The VA has recognized this problem and has done its best to make it
better. The VA has set up task forces and dispatched case workers to
military medical treatment facilities. They have tried to reach
incoming veterans earlier and better coordinate with the DOD.
These efforts have done a lot of good. As we will hear from those
who have been through the system, it does work for many people. But
independent analysis has consistently shown that there are still huge
gaps.
The VA is having trouble getting the information they need from the
DOD. The sharing of information and quality of casework management
varies greatly from region to region. In some cases the DOD only gives
the VA the names of new patients, with no information on severity of
injury. In other cases, injured soldiers who do not apply for VA
services immediately are lost to the system.
This is an administrative problem with huge implications for our
fighting men and women. It is also a problem that will not be fixed
with half-measures.
It is clear that the DOD needs to work more closely with the VA to
share medical information. The VA also needs to redouble its efforts to
fill the gaps in its outreach to make sure that seriously injured
veterans are never lost to the system.
I look forward to the testimony today and to tackling this problem
in a comprehensive way.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Senator Salazar.
There is currently a wealth of information available for
transitioning disabled servicemembers on the Internet and
through a 1-800 number. There are also the Army's Disabled
Soldier Support System, the Marine For Life program, the
Military One Source Program, and DOD's Military Severely
Injured and Joint Support Operation Center.
Were you aware of any of these programs? And if you were
aware of them, did you use them, and did you find them helpful
if you did use them as a referral source or in answering those
questions?
Lieutenant Fernandez.
Lieutenant Fernandez. Sir, I believe the Disabled Soldiers
Support System had contacted me at one time, and basically was
information that I had already received. I think part of the
problem lies in the fact that there are so many of these
organizations, and there needs to be, I guess, a seamless
amount of information, and they need to deal with the process
in similar ways, because you cannot have all of these
organizations operating in different directions with the same
goals.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Wyatt?
Mr. Wyatt. I definitely agree. There is a lot of
information coming from a lot of different sources, and they
may only call one time. I got calls from a few while I was in
the hospital, and it is tough to process all that information
at one time and especially if they only call one time. You have
no way of getting back to them. You are not quite sure even
what they said sometimes. So if it could be all centralized and
the information could be given in an organized manner that will
cut a lot of the problems out.
Senator Akaka. I want to thank you, Mr. Wyatt, and also to
congratulate you with securing employment with VA, working on
cyber security issues. I think that is wonderful when our
Federal Government can hire recently separated servicemembers
into the Federal workforce. Would you explain how you became
aware of employment opportunities with VA?
Mr. Wyatt. While I was in the hospital at Walter Reed, I
was confronted with a program called Vocational Rehab. Pretty
much what that does is it is really personalized testing that
helps with education and employment. From there I was
introduced to the Veterans IT program at the Regional VA over
here. They contacted me about this program, and it helps
disabled veterans acquire these hard-to-get GS position levels
in the VA.
Senator Akaka. Lieutenant Fernandez, thank you for your
testimony too and your remarks, and your service to our Nation.
I was very happy to see that you are utilizing the vocational
rehabilitation benefits that are provided by VA too. I was
additionally pleased to know that your wife is using VA
benefits to get her master's degree in early childhood
education. As a former teacher myself, I am very happy to see
that both of you are pursuing careers in education.
What additional services do you think the Government should
be providing to servicemembers and their families?
Lieutenant Fernandez. Sir, I think that the education
benefits and the vocational rehabilitation benefits are
outstanding, and they help you through that transition period.
However, as I go to full time to get my graduate degree and my
wife does the same thing in the goal to transition into a new
career, it becomes very difficult to obtain other employment,
and there is financial stress that is incurred with that, and I
think that can be addressed.
Even though there is money that is in place while you do
receive educational benefits and while you do go to school, I
am not sure if it is sufficient enough to be able to support a
family while this is going on, especially in differing areas of
the country. Costs of living differ throughout the country, and
I should not be forced to live in a area where perhaps the cost
of living is lower just to meet the needs of my family.
Senator Akaka. I thank both of you for your testimony, and
no question it will be helpful to us in our work in the Senate.
Senator, do you have any other questions?
Senator Salazar. Just one quick question, if I may, Mr.
Chairman, and that is to Mr. Wyatt.
Since you went through the VA program in Colorado as I
understand it, how was that experience for you, and do you have
any recommendations that you might want to make to me on how we
might be able to improve that system?
Mr. Wyatt. The personnel and the staff you have there are a
class act. I was treated like a king from the second I walked
in there. You have great people. My only concern is points-of-
contact. Coming from Walter Reed to Colorado there was a little
bit of a discrepancy about who to contact and about what. The
other thing would be the prosthetics department. They are great
people down there. I think maybe with a little more funding,
little bit more technology, they could really keep up with the
things that Walter Reed put out. It seems like maybe a lot of
the prosthetic work takes a little bit too long to get out
because they do not have the proper tools to do the job.
A lot of these soldiers coming back are going to be wounded
with missing extremities. There is a lot of it. I have been
seeing a lot of it. A lot of my friends are missing
extremities, and I think that would be a great main focus of
the Denver VA. Other than that, they are doing a spectacular
job.
Senator Salazar. We may have an opportunity if we can get
moving on this new hospital out at Fitzsimmons to focus in on
that particular need.
Mr. Wyatt. Definitely.
Senator Salazar. I know you are new in the system. I guess
this is a question to both Lt. Fernandez and Mr. Wyatt. One of
the problems that I think we have seen in this Committee is the
difficulty in the VA keeping in touch with our veterans over
the long term. We recently had a GAO report that said that
veterans many times do not apply for vocational aid
immediately. They wait for a while to get their application,
and sometimes what happens is in that gap of time the VA loses
contact with its veterans. You obviously are success stories of
what the Veterans Administration has done, but do you have any
suggestions about how the VA can make sure it stays in contact
with its veterans over the long period of time as opposed to
just in the period of your injury and then the transition from
DOD over to the VA system? Looking out, you are still very
young men, and you obviously are going to be interfacing with
the VA over a long period of time. Any suggestions on how we
can assure that we keep that connectedness there?
Lieutenant Fernandez. Yes, sir. I think again it is going
to come down to simplifying the ways that veterans are informed
about the programs that are available to them. It is a bit
daunting looking at it, especially when you are coming home
with these injuries and you do not know what the future holds.
There is a little bit of paper pushing involved when it comes
to obtaining these things, and sometimes you run into problems
with when you are able to get them and there is a lack in time
and you really have to stay on top of the process. That at
times is a daunting task.
So if the process is simplified and information is
simplified and given to the veterans to let them know exactly
what they are eligible for and how they go about doing it in
the most effective manner, then I think that would definitely
help out the process in helping veterans get things that are
going to help them in their future.
Senator Salazar. Mr. Wyatt?
Mr. Wyatt. I definitely agree. Another thing that needs to
be thought is a lot of enlisted soldiers, especially some of
the ones I served with, joined the military and expected to be
in there 20 years maybe as an alternative to going to college.
You know, college is great. It is not for everybody. When you
get discharged medically you realize that your career in the
military is over, and you cannot do that. College seems a
little--it seems, you know, maybe it was not what you had
planned for, maybe you did not want to go right away, and they
do take time to think about it. I think the VA needs just to
stay in contact to make sure they are making progress, whether
it be vocational rehab or a trade school or something. I think
that it would be great if the VA just continually kept in
contact just to make sure you are making progress, that you are
not slipping through the cracks. That seems to be a big deal.
People just seem to slip through and there is no contact made
after a while.
Senator Salazar. Thank you very much.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Senator Salazar.
I want to thank our witnesses, our first panel very much
for your testimony. Thank you again, because as I repeat, it
will be helpful to us. Thank you.
[Applause.]
Senator Akaka. May I at this time welcome the second panel:
Admiral Daniel Cooper, who is Under Secretary for Benefits,
representing the Department of Veterans Affairs; Frederico
Juarbe, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Veterans Employment and
Training, representing the Department of Labor and representing
the Department of Defense; and John Molino, Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Community and Family Policy, representing the
Department of Defense.
At this time, let me call a 3-minute recess.
[Recess.]
Senator Akaka. The hearing will be in order.
Again, I would like to welcome this panel and ask for your
testimony, Admiral Daniel Cooper.
STATEMENT OF ADMIRAL DANIEL L. COOPER, UNDER
SECRETARY FOR BENEFITS, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS;
ACCOMPANIED BY ROBERT J. EPLEY, ASSOCIATE DEPUTY UNDER
SECRETARY FOR POLICY AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
VETERANS AFFAIRS
Adm. Cooper. Senator Akaka, Senator Salazar, I am honored
to be here today to discuss this very important issue of
transition assistance provided to our returning servicemembers.
I respectfully request that my written testimony be entered
into the record.
Let me also say that I was extremely impressed as I sat
here and listened to the very powerful testimony by your first
panel.
Another thing I would like to do, I would like Linda Petty
to stand up. Linda Petty is our representative at Walter Reed,
and she is the one that has been responsible for this very good
attempt at communications with all our young men and women
returning. Did she stand up? I cannot see her.
Senator Akaka. Yes, she did.
Adm. Cooper. She has done a superb job for us and she has
been out there about a year now.
In the endeavor that we have here, VA works in concert with
both the Department of Defense and Department of Labor. Our
veterans range from returning men and women of the regular
armed forces, the National Guard and the Reserve components, to
those seriously disabled individuals who are case managed as
they acclimate to the civilian world and the disabilities which
they have received.
In response to the thousands of returning veterans from
Iraq and Afghanistan, VA has taken a number of steps to ensure
a smooth and seamless transition from military service to their
country to the status of veterans. My opinion is that we are
doing more and providing real assistance to a degree not seen
before in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In mid-2003 we recognized the need to develop case
management procedures for those seriously disabled
servicemembers and veterans who file a claim for disability
compensation. This ensures that these individuals receive the
highest level of service and all possible benefits to which
they are entitled in the most expeditious and compassionate
manner. For those who are not seriously injured, VBA policy
does not require case management, but does require a higher-
than-normal level of service, calling for direct contact and
assistance in filing claims.
VBA has assigned full-time claims representatives to the
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the National Naval Medical
Center in Bethesda, as well as representatives at other major
military treatment facilities or MTFs across the Nation. These
individuals also provide benefit counseling to seriously
disabled servicemembers and their families. They serve as
liaison and initiate paperwork for disability compensation
claims to ensure that we have rapid processing prior to
discharge and that benefits are available as soon as legally
possible for those veterans.
We have OIF/OEF coordinators designated in each one of our
regional offices to act as liaison with the VA medical centers,
the military facilities, and other regional offices. I have
tasked the regional office directors with ensuring that each
one of our returning men and women are under VA control and we
know where they are and what we can do for them.
Our benefits delivery at discharge, or BDD, program has
continued to expand. This program facilitates the adjudication
process for claims at the time of discharge. Servicemembers can
file disability compensation claims prior to discharge from the
military and take advantage of a significantly faster
processing time once they are discharged.
VBA has significantly increased outreach efforts to all
servicemembers, and particularly to those returning from active
duty in the National Guard and Reserve units. VA developed and
distributes pamphlets, brochures and educational videos
designed for returning servicemembers, for VA employees and
others involved in this important effort. These resources are
utilized at various outreach events such as transition
assistance briefings, benefits briefings aboard returning
aircraft carriers in the last 2 years, and Guard and Reserve
briefings. In fiscal year 2004, VBA conducted more than 7,200
pre-separation benefits briefings for more than 260,000 active
duty attendees, and 1,400 pre- and post-separation briefings
were given to 83,000 Reserve and Guard members.
Our Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program has
improved to support veterans disabled in service, to include
assigning a full-time vocational rehab contractor to Walter
Reed Army Medical Center. Procedures are in place at other
major MTFs for counselors who can provide the service necessary
to let those men and women take advantage of our Vocational
Rehabilitation Programs. Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment Guidebooks were developed specifically for helping
disabled servicemembers make an informed choice about the
program best suited for them. And we have established important
relationships with both Federal and private entities who are
willing to hire injured OIF and OEF servicemembers.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has made, and continues
to make, tremendous strides in service to our returning
servicemembers.
I appreciate the chance to be here and I will be glad to
answer any questions that you may have.
[The prepared statement of Adm. Cooper follows:]
Prepared Statement of Admiral Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary for
Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I appreciate this
opportunity to testify today on this important issue. Providing
outreach to military service men and women, including Reserve and
National Guard members, is a vital responsibility of the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) and particularly the Veterans Benefits
Administration (VBA). We have dramatically increased our outreach
activities over the last several years to reach servicemembers, not
only when they are preparing to separate or retire from the military,
but also upon their induction into service and during service.
VBA is working with the Department of Defense (DOD) to ensure that
all Military Entrance Process Stations (MEPS) give every inductee a
copy of VA Pamphlet (21-00-1), A Summary of VA Benefits. We began
providing this pamphlet to inductees in November 2004. It exposes new
servicemembers to basic information about the VA benefits and services
for which they will be eligible when they leave military service. We
are also working with the military service departments to ensure that
information packets distributed to Individual Ready Reserve and
Individual Mobilization Augmentees during the demobilization process
include information on VA benefits and services.
Prior to separation or retirement from the military, VBA provides
much more extensive information to servicemembers on specific VA
benefits and services in which they might be even more interested as
they depart the military. This information is conveyed in transition
briefings as part of a formal 3-day Transition Assistance Program
(TAP), and during the Disabled Transition Assistance Program (DTAP), as
well as during individual interviews. To further improve DTAP
briefings, VBA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service
developed a standardized PowerPoint presentation and a new orientation
video that greatly improve the quality and consistency of our outreach
briefings for servicemembers, including Guard and Reserve members.
During fiscal year 2004, VBA representatives conducted over 7,000
briefings, which were attended by over 261,000 active duty personnel
and their families residing in the United States. Included were 1,400
briefings for more than 88,000 Reserve and National Guard members for
whom VBA provides pre- and post-deployment briefings. In fiscal year
2005 to date, VBA has conducted just under 4000 transition briefings
attended by 157,000 plus participants. Nine-hundred-seventy-four of
those briefings were for over 68,000 Reserve/Guard members. Returning
Reserve/Guard members can elect to attend the formal TAP Workshop as
well as DTAP.
In addition to the briefings conducted in the United States, in
fiscal year 2004 we conducted 625 overseas transition briefings for
more than 15,180 servicemembers. Our people boarded three aircraft
carriers and, during the return transit, conducted TAP briefings
onboard the USS Constellation, USS Enterprise, and USS George
Washington (on their return to the United States from extended
deployments). To date this fiscal year, we have conducted 232 overseas
transition briefings for 5,600 servicemembers, and will continue to
support additional requests from the Department of the Navy for TAP
briefings onboard ships.
VBA has coordinated its efforts with military officials at the
major demobilization sites to ensure that VA representatives are part
of the briefings provided to returning servicemembers at the time of
discharge. VBA representatives work closely with personnel from VA's
Vet Centers at these sites.
Soon after separation or retirement from the military, veterans,
including Reserve and National Guard members called to active duty,
receive a ``Welcome Home Package'' from VBA's Veterans Assistance at
Discharge System (VADS). The package includes a letter from the
Secretary, a copy of VA Pamphlet (21-00-1), A Summary of VA Benefits,
and VA Form 21-0501, Veterans Benefits Timetable. A 6-month follow-up
letter with similar information is also mailed to these veterans.
Separate outreach mailings are sent concerning VA education and
insurance benefits. In addition, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
sends a personal letter to each Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation
Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veteran based on lists routinely provided by
the Department of Defense. Included with that letter are VA pamphlets A
Summary of VA Benefits, and A Summary of VA Benefits for National Guard
and Reserve Personnel.
A VA Web page, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring
Freedom, can be accessed from VA's home page, www.va.gov. Information
specific to Reserve and Guard members is also included on this page as
well as links to other Federal benefits in which returning
servicemembers may be interested. The Web page has been accessed over
377,000 times since its activation 16 months ago.
To ensure a seamless transition for seriously injured veterans,
particularly those from Iraq and Afghanistan, VBA has stationed
benefits counselors to work alongside Veterans Health Administration
social workers at key military installations where wounded
servicemembers are frequently sent. These seamless transition
counselors have been in place since 2003.
Full-time VBA representatives are assigned to work bedside with
patients at both the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC
and the Bethesda Naval Medical Center in Maryland. Part-time VBA
representatives are available at five other military medical treatment
facilities throughout the U.S., and VBA representatives provide
service, as needed, at all other military medical treatment facilities.
As of April 5, 2005, 5,383 hospitalized returning servicemembers
have been assisted through this program at the Brooke (TX), Eisenhower
(GA), Madigan (WA) and Walter Reed (DC) Army Medical Centers; Bethesda
Naval Hospital (MD); and the Evans (CO) and Darnell (TX) Army Community
Hospitals.
In addition to our disability compensation personnel, our
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) Service is actively
participating with other organizations to strengthen our coordination
and outreach efforts to disabled veterans. The goal is to ensure a
seamless transition for OIF and OEF veterans. In December 2004, VR&E
conducted a briefing for 150 severely disabled servicemembers and their
spouses at the Salute to America's Heroes Conference in Orlando,
Florida. We are working within such service improvement workgroups as
VA's Seamless Transition Coordination Office, the National Guard/VA
Joint Workgroup, Army Disabled Soldier Support System (DS3) Employment
Workgroup, DOD/Department of Labor (DOL) Transition Assistance Program
(TAP) Steering Committee, and the Marines for Life. VBA has assigned a
point-of-contact to assist the staff at the new Department of Defense
Military Severely Injured Joint Operations Center in northern Virginia
to assist with inquiries from servicemembers and survivors relating to
VA benefits and services.
In our efforts to provide quality services to disabled veterans,
VR&E has an ongoing partnership with the Department of Labor's (DOL)
Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS). VR&E staff in 57
regional offices and more than 100 outbased VA offices work closely
with DOL's Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialists (DVOPs) and
Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVERs) to assist job-seeking
veterans. There are currently 71 DOL DVOPs and LVERs co-located in 35
VA regional offices and 26 outbased locations. Additionally, there are
four VR&E personnel co-located in DOL offices in Louisville, Kentucky
and St. Petersburg, Florida. DVOPs and LVERs stationed or co-located
with us in VR&E field facilities have the opportunity to access the
same resources available to VR&E staff. This access can help to better
integrate DVOPs and LVERs into the initial vocational evaluation
process with the real goal of the best delivery of employment services.
VR&E has also collaborated with DOL on training for VA case
managers as well as DVOPs and LVERs. VR&E and DOL jointly produced live
satellite broadcasts about the Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and special hiring authorities for
Federal employment. Originally broadcast in February 2004, the USERRA
broadcast explained the law and the benefits available for veterans who
desire to resume the jobs that they left when they went on active duty
or in some cases, because of a disability, be reemployed with the same
employer in a comparable position. This satellite broadcast has been
shown over 50 times. The special hiring authorities broadcast aired in
July 2004 and included information on the expedited Federal hiring
process for veterans with disabilities. These broadcasts provided
important information for veterans seeking employment, and copies of
the broadcasts continue to be distributed to VR&E and DOL personnel
across the country for use by both staff and employers. Joint efforts
such as this help to ensure seamless delivery of services to veterans
by both VR&E and DOL.
Additionally, VR&E and DOL have developed a draft memorandum of
understanding (MOU) in which we agree to use our partnership to benefit
veterans and provide quality employment services. Veterans need
employment assistance as they return to civilian life and the VR&E/DOL
partnership supports that need. VR&E and DOL meet regularly to discuss
progress on present collaborative efforts and future possibilities.
One of our newest and most successful initiatives is our Benefits
Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program. Following our outreach efforts to
servicemembers still on active duty, we now have an expedited process
that will enable them to file an application for service-connected
compensation even before they separate from the military. The required
physical examinations are conducted, service medical records are
reviewed, and a rating decision is prepared prior to discharge and
delivered as soon thereafter as possible. For servicemembers applying
while on active duty, our goal is to adjudicate claims within 30 days
from discharge. Upon receipt of the claimant's DD Form 214 (Report of
Release from Active Military Service), benefits are immediately
authorized and the recently separated veteran can receive his/her first
disability check the month following the month of discharge or shortly
thereafter. Currently, 141 military installations worldwide participate
in this program. Included are two sites in Germany and three in Korea.
In fiscal year 2003, we processed just under 26,000 BDD claims. In
fiscal year 2004, we processed 39,000 claims. This expedited BDD
process is also utilized for veterans applying for benefits within 180
days of discharge.
VA participated in a number of Family Readiness Conferences such as
the Army Reserve's Annual Family Action Plan Conference. VBA,
represented by the St. Louis VA Regional Office, staffed a VA benefits
and services information booth along with representatives from the
local Veterans Centers. It is anticipated that similar conferences will
be held throughout the country. Also, local VA facilities participate
in homecoming events for servicemembers returning from Afghanistan and
Iraq.
Mr. Chairman, in summary, VA outreach to servicemembers and
veterans is extensive and far-reaching. This completes my statement,
and I will be happy to answer any questions you and other Members of
the Committee might have.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Admiral Cooper.
Frederico Juarbe.
STATEMENT OF FREDERICO JUARBE, JR., ASSISTANT
SECRETARY FOR VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING, VETERANS
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Mr. Juarbe. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Senator Salazar.
It is an honor to be here and to have been present to
listen to the first panel, Mr. Chairman. It is men like
Lieutenant Fernandez and Mr. Wyatt is what we are all about as
America's servicemen and America's veterans, and them and their
comrades in arms who stand in harm's way to defend us around
the world against terrorism and to protect our freedom, so I am
honored to be here.
I am pleased to update you on the efforts of this
Department with respect to ensuring that our servicemembers
returning home from active duty military or following
activations in the National Guard or Reserve are afforded the
opportunity to transition to civilian life in the most seamless
fashion.
Like you, we are equally committed to providing America's
veterans and transitioning servicemembers with the help they
need to succeed in the 21st century workforce. We share your
passion for ensuring a seamless continuum of services.
To that end we work closely with Federal, State and private
sector partners in order to leverage the effectiveness of our
services to both the veterans and the military community.
The Veterans Employment and Training Service is ideally
structured to ensure these services are provided through its
network of directors located in every State, working in close
cooperation with the network of State veterans employment
representatives that are provided through the Jobs for Veterans
Act grants. The Transition Assistance Program is a partnership
between the Departments of Labor, Defense, Homeland Security
and Veterans Affairs.
Our role is to provide as many comprehensive workshops as
possible, where participants learn about job searches, career
decisionmaking, current occupational and labor market
conditions, resume and cover letter preparation and
interviewing techniques. Participants are also provided an
evaluation of their employability relative to the job market.
We offer TAP workshops throughout the United States and in
Germany, the United Kingdom, Guam, Mainland Japan, Okinawa,
Korea and Italy. Our goal is to provide TAP at every location
requested by the armed services.
Mr. Chairman, I am sure you will agree that with regard to
our recently wounded and injured servicemembers such as those
on our first panel, we need to do everything we can to help
them rebuild their lives.
Secretary Chao set out to do just that when she tasked my
office with the creation of a program that specifically
addresses the needs of our returning wounded and their
families. It is called the Recovery and Employment Assistance
Lifeline. The REALifeline's program is the culmination of a
collaborative planning process that began in November 2003,
which included the Federal Departments of Defense and Veterans
Affairs, veterans service organizations, State Governments,
State workforce agencies, private employers and even military
service organizations like the USO. REALifelines seeks to
support the economic recovery and reemployment of transitioning
wounded and injured servicemembers and their families by
identifying barriers to employment or reemployment, and
addressing those needs as early as possible.
REALifelines has placed new specialists at Walter Reed,
Bethesda, Fort Sam Houston in Texas and Fort Lewis in
Washington, but its primary mission is to ensure easy access to
the entire range of employment, reemployment, job training,
workplace accommodation and supportive services available
through the Career One-Stop Service system, and not only to the
servicemember, but to the families that support them, and to
spouses who have temporarily left their local jobs to be with
their loved ones during recovery.
We are also a key participant in the recently established
DOD Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operation Center.
We have onsite at this center a full-time staff member to
ensure the coordination of services provided through the public
workforce system, and have just added an employer-relations
liaison to coordinate direct hiring by private sector
employers. Through REALifelines we have provided a practical,
personal resource for servicemembers to address the biggest
issue they will face outside of their recovery, their economic
and career success.
The Bush Administration is deeply committed to protecting
the reemployment rights of all members to the military. To this
end the Department administers and enforces the Uniform
Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, which provided
reemployment rights following qualifying military service and
prohibits employer discrimination against those who perform
military service. Only 240,000 people and groups have been
provided briefings and technical assistance on the rights and
responsibilities under USERRA since September 11, 2001.
Audiences include National Guard and Reserve units,
employer groups and the media. While we endeavor to brief each
returning servicemember on their reemployment rights, we know
that with extended mobilizations there is also a need to
provide more comprehensive transition assistance. This is why
we have been working with the National Guard and Reserve on
providing TAP services to these returning servicemembers in
many States on an informal and as-needed basis.
In summary, Mr. Chairman, the Department of Labor is
working hard to improve the quality of life for veterans as
well as current transitioning servicemembers and their spouses.
The transition of these individuals into the civilian workforce
serves to benefit the entire American labor force. Most
importantly, through our efforts we express our gratitude and
support for all that our military members and their families do
for us.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement, and I would be
pleased to address any questions that you may have.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Juarbe follows:]
Prepared Statement of Frederico Juarbe, Jr., Assistant Secretary for
Veterans Employment and Training, Veterans Employment and Training
Service, Department of Labor
Chairman Craig, Ranking Member Akaka, and distinguished Members of
the Committee.
It is my honor to appear before this Committee today on behalf of
Secretary Elaine Chao. I would like to take this opportunity to update
you on the efforts of this Department with respect to ensuring that our
servicemembers returning home from active duty military, or following
activations in the National Guard or Reserve, are afforded the
opportunity to transition to civilian life in the most seamless
fashion.
The Department of Labor is very proud of the men and women in
uniform, both active and reserve, who have served in the extraordinary
campaign to liberate the people of Iraq and Afghanistan and protect us
as a Nation from terrorism, as well as those who have served at any
other time in our Nation's history. We value their service. They were
there for us when we needed them, and as Secretary Chao has said on
numerous occasions, it is our turn to be there for them. We support
them by providing separating servicemembers, military spouses and
veterans with the help that they need to succeed in the 21st century
workforce.
We are committed to connecting these men and women with employers
who are very eager to tap their dedication, their talent and their
skills. The Department of Labor has many offices and programs available
to help servicemembers and spouses transition more easily between job
markets. Through its Employment and Training Administration (ETA),
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Veterans Employment and
Training Service (VETS), or any other office within the Department,
veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and their spouses remain an
important focus.
VETS is ideally structured to ensure these services are provided
through its network of directors located in every State, who work in
close cooperation with the network of State veterans employment
representatives provided through the Jobs for Veterans Act Grant.
transition assistance program
Since 1990, when the Department of Labor began providing TAP
workshops, over one million separating and retiring military members
have been given job preparation assistance. In general, servicemembers
who have been on active duty for at least 180 days are eligible for
TAP, and those separating due to disability are eligible regardless of
the length of their active duty service.
TAP is a partnership between the Departments of Labor, Defense,
Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs. Title 10, U.S.C. Chapter 58,
authorizes the Department of Labor to assist the Departments of Defense
(DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) in providing transition assistance
services to separating servicemembers and their spouses. The role of
the Department of Labor is to work through VETS to conduct as many
employment preparation workshops as possible, based on projections made
by each of the Armed Services and the Department of Homeland Security
(U.S. Coast Guard).
VETS provides comprehensive workshops where participants learn
about job searches, career decisionmaking, current occupational and
labor market conditions, resume and cover letter preparation and
interviewing techniques. Participants are also provided an evaluation
of their employability relative to the job market. Components of a TAP
workshop include:
Personal Appraisal
Career Exploration
Strategies for an effective job search
Interviews
Reviewing job offers
Other support and assistance
Public Law 108-183 added section 4113 to Title 38, U.S.C. Chapter
41 mandating VETS to provide TAP services at military installations
overseas. Before this law took effect, VETS began facilitating TAP
workshops at overseas military installations where, by previous
interagency agreement, the Department of Defense had provided TAP
workshops since the program's inception. VETS currently offers TAP
workshops at 49 sites in Germany, the United Kingdom, Guam, Mainland
Japan, Okinawa, Korea, and Italy. In fiscal year 2004, 5,939 separating
service personnel attended these workshops in 286 separate classes.
VETS continues to expand additional overseas sites in fiscal year 2005
and beyond. Our goal is to provide TAP at every location requested by
the Armed Services.
State Workforce Agency Disabled Veteran Outreach Program (DVOP)
specialists and Local Veterans Employment Representatives (LVER) are
the primary source for TAP workshop facilitation stateside. However,
because of the distances from many of the State Employment Offices to
the military installations, and to assist with the rapid growth of the
program, contract facilitators and VETS Federal staff also assist with
TAP.
TAP program participants receive valuable training and information
that gives them an edge over other applicants for employment. TAP helps
servicemembers and their spouses make the initial transition from
military service to the civilian workplace with less difficulty. An
independent national evaluation of the program estimated that
servicemembers who had participated in TAP, on average, found their
first post-military job 3 weeks sooner than those who did not
participate in TAP.
Servicemembers leaving the military with a service-connected
disability are offered the Disabled Transition Assistance Program
(DTAP) from the VA representatives. DTAP includes about four additional
hours of individual instruction beyond the normal two-and-one-half-day
TAP workshop to help determine job readiness and address the special
needs of veterans with disabilities.
employment services and programs for veterans
Mr. Chairman, under the Jobs for Veterans Act (Public Law 107-288)
passed in 2002, veterans receive priority in all DOL-funded employment
and training programs. Separating servicemembers attending TAP may
register with the workforce investment system, meaning once they are
discharged and attain veteran status, they are eligible for priority in
the services offered at One-Stop Career Centers nationwide.
The public workforce investment system plays an important role in
meeting employers' demands for a skilled workforce. The Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) was groundbreaking legislation that
sparked improvements in the delivery of employment and training
services nationwide through its One-Stop delivery system. Priority of
service is available to veterans in all Department of Labor funded
employment and training programs, which was a significant reform under
the Jobs for Veterans Act. Today, our challenge is to take those
reforms a dramatic step further to promote further innovation, to
strengthen the One-Stop Career Center system to better serve all
workers and businesses, and to make the system even more responsive to
the needs of local labor markets.
We must design a flexible workforce investment system that empowers
State and local officials to create workforce solutions customized to
that area's workers and employers. We must make certain that
outstanding plans for innovative strategies are not thwarted by the
maze of conflicting funding streams, program eligibility requirements,
reporting systems and performance measures.
This approach to workforce investment is at the heart of the
President's proposal for job training reform. The centerpiece of the
President's proposal is the consolidation of the WIA Adult, WIA
Dislocated Worker, WIA Youth, and the Employment Service funding
streams into a single grant to States. Governors would have the option
of including an additional five programs, including Veterans Employment
programs, into that single grant. Together, these programs represent
over $7.5 billion in Federal resources. The consolidated grant would
have a single State Integration Plan and a single performance and
reporting system, thereby simplifying planning and reporting
requirements. While program-specific requirements will be minimized,
drops in participant levels for targeted populations, such as veterans,
will not be allowed. In addition, the veterans' priority of service
provision that applies to all DOL-funded programs will continue to
apply, consistent with the Jobs for Veterans Act.
recovery and employment assistance lifelines (realifelines)
Mr. Chairman, I am sure you will agree that everyone who visits
wounded soldiers--whether at Walter Reed, at Bethesda, or other
military hospitals around the country and around the world--comes away
with an overwhelming sense of pride, humility, and gratitude for the
courage that these young men and women display as they confront the
reality of their injuries. In these hospitals, many efforts are
underway to do everything possible to help these wounded warriors
recover from their injuries. And the Department of Labor recognizes
that we too need to do everything we can to help them rebuild their
lives.
Secretary Chao set out to do just that when she launched a new
program last October at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. It is called
the Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines or ``REALifelines''
Program.
The REALifelines program is the culmination of a collaborative
planning process that began in November 2003 and has included
participation from the Federal Departments of Defense and Veterans'
Affairs, State governments, State workforce agencies, veteran service
organizations, private employers and even military service
organizations like the USO. This program was built from the ground-up
by service providers, by disabled veterans and even veterans of the
Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The purpose of REALifelines is to
provide wounded and injured servicemembers and their families with
personal assistance to ensure a successful transition to civilian life
and to prepare them for rewarding careers. In addition to assisting
wounded and injured servicemembers, REALifelines makes job training and
employment services available to spouses in families that have suffered
an active duty casualty, as well as to family members who have
temporarily left their jobs to be with their loved ones during
recovery.
REALifelines representatives are currently stationed at Walter Reed
Army Medical Center and Bethesda National Naval Medical Center, and new
specialists have begun work with the 654th Medical Holding Company at
Fort Lewis, Washington, and Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
REALifelines representatives are State workforce system employees with
experience in career coaching, case management, job searches,
transition assistance, reemployment rights and crisis intervention. And
because they are an integral part of the State workforce system in
which that base or holding company is located, they have full knowledge
of, and access to, One-Stop Career Center Services, and become powerful
advocates for priority of service. We are in the process of placing
these employment representatives at additional military medical centers
and medical holding companies.
The Department of Labor is also a key participant in the recently
established DOD Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operations
Center. We have onsite, a full-time REALifelines staff member to ensure
the coordination of the full array of employment and training services
provided through the public workforce system, and have just added an
employer-relations liaison to coordinate direct hiring by private
sector employers. As you know, the Joint Center is also partnered with
the Transportation Security Administration to ensure that those
severely injured traverse our Nation's airports in a safe, respectful
and non-invasive manner.
The most important aspect of this program is person-to-person
assistance. In an age where web and online utilities and technologies
are gaining dominance over human interaction, it is our belief that
there is still no substitute for direct person-to-person
relationships--face-to-face as much as possible--when assisting people
and families struggling with the challenges of wounds, injuries, crisis
and post-traumatic reintegration. Therefore, the first task of
REALifelines representatives is to establish for the servicemembers and
their family a personal contact in their hometown community with whom
they can begin to plan for their recovery and reemployment even before
they are discharged from the military service. The REALifelines program
looks first to the resources at hand, builds efficiency within those
systems, and then works actively to fill gaps where they exist.
The greatest challenge we face is that of information collection
and sharing. At present, we are tracking servicemembers through their
voluntary enrollment in State employment systems and through follow-up
calls made by the Job Accommodation Network, which has been operating a
demonstration program to facilitate referral, outcome measures and
problem resolution.
Our goal in partnership with DOD and Veterans' Affairs is to
establish a joint database and shared processes for tracking and
reporting outcomes. For this reason, we have placed staff at the Joint
Operations Center and circulated recommendations for joint data
elements both for servicemember employment profiles, and for job
information from hiring employers. Labor participants are working daily
with employment focused working groups from the Joint Operations Center
and the Army's Council of Colonels, which provides policy and
leadership for the Disabled Soldier Support System. Our goal is to be
able to share this valuable data at the Federal level.
REALifelines is about closing the gaps between Federal, State,
local and private systems. It is about creating greater efficiency,
being proactive, and assuring responsiveness to the needs of our
returning wounded and injured servicemembers and their families. Our
early successes are proving the value of this program. We are reducing
the number of servicemembers returning home without jobs and we are
reducing the number of servicemembers losing their jobs upon return. We
have provided a practical, personal resource for servicemembers to
address the biggest issue they will face outside of their recovery--
their economic and career success.
New initiatives are being developed in partnership with DOD and the
VA, such as mentorship and Federal internship opportunities. The
Department of Labor intends to be a model in Federal hiring, and in the
provision of mentorship opportunities for servicemembers during their
recovery. We believe that opportunity is a very powerful and effective
tool for recovery and reintegration.
national guard and reserve
Mr. Chairman, the world has changed dramatically since the attacks
of September 2001 and the commencement of the Global War on Terrorism.
Our worldwide military commitments have necessitated a mobilization of
National Guard and Reserve members that is unprecedented in modern
times.
The use of the National Guard and Reserves has increased
dramatically in recent years, with more called to active duty than at
any other time since the Korean War. Over 485,000 men and women of the
National Guard and Reserve components have been called to active duty
since September 2001. Over 310,000 of these ``citizen-soldiers'' have
returned and been demobilized or separated from the military. The Bush
Administration is deeply committed to protecting the reemployment
rights of the Guardsmen and Reservists who so bravely serve America in
Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world. To this end, the Department
administers and enforces the Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), which provides reemployment rights
following qualifying military service and prohibits employer
discrimination against those who perform military service. The
Department of Justice and the Office of the Special Counsel also
provide USERRA enforcement services.
Our servicemembers deserve the peace of mind that comes with
knowing that upon their return from military service, they will be
entitled to prompt reemployment in the position that they would have
held had they been continuously employed by the civilian employer
during their period of service, or in some cases to a comparable
position, including all attendant benefits. Our strong commitment to
supporting our citizen-soldiers is underscored by the development, for
the first time, of comprehensive regulations on USERRA. These
regulations will provide an authoritative interpretation of the law and
procedures for enforcement and will serve to improve USERRA compliance.
The proposed regulations were published for comment in the Federal
Register on Monday, September 20, 2004, and it is anticipated that
final regulations will be published this year.
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Department of Labor's
Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) staff has conducted
briefings and provided technical assistance to over 240,000 people and
groups on their rights and responsibilities under USERRA. Audiences
include National Guard and Reserve units, employer groups, and the
media. While we endeavor to brief each returning servicemember on their
reemployment rights, we know that, with extended mobilizations, there
is also a need to provide more comprehensive transition assistance.
As a result, we have been working with the National Guard and
Reserve on providing TAP services to these returning servicemembers in
many States on an informal and as-needed basis. However, recently we
launched three formal Reserve Component TAP demonstration programs in
Oregon, Michigan and Minnesota, where there was a compelling need for
these workshops. The idea behind the Reserve Component TAP
demonstrations is to work with returning units and provide a flexible
format that allows for a tailored transition assistance package that
meets local demands. The approach in each location is unique. Once we
evaluate the success of these programs and review any feedback from
participants, we will work with the National Guard Bureau and Office of
the Chief of Army Reserve to create flexible models that can be adapted
to fit any situation.
employer outreach and the president's national hire veterans committee
The Jobs for Veterans Act established the President's National Hire
Veterans Committee, which was announced by Secretary Chao in February,
2004. There are 21 members who are reaching out to employers to make
veterans more visible in our 21st century workforce.
This Committee is responsible for raising awareness among employers
on the advantages of hiring veterans and transitioning military
members. Last year, the Committee launched a national campaign designed
to drive employers to One-Stop Career Centers and to reinforce the
outreach efforts of our LVERs and DVOPs. The Committee has also reached
out to Governors, and to date, 30 gubernatorial proclamations have been
announced declaring HireVetsFirst months in their respective States. We
expect all States will announce these proclamations by the end of
fiscal year 2005. The Committee has also forged significant strategic
partnerships with major American businesses and corporations.
The message of this campaign is simple; it is good business to hire
a veteran, and it's a message the President's National Hire Veterans
Committee is carrying all across America to employers and veterans.
partnership with dod
On July 11, 2003, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of
Defense signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which directs the
Departments to study and undertake activities of mutual interest that
may expand recruitment, job search services, training, placement,
licensing and certification, and other services for military personnel,
veterans, and their families. Under the MOU, work has focused in three
key areas--recruitment, retention, and reentry. VETS, along with other
key agencies in the Department of Labor, has fully participated in this
collaboration, which has resulted in a wide array of new and/or
enhanced strategies for serving these audiences.
An area of particular focus in which VETS played a key role is
enhancing the connection of transitioning military personnel to One-
Stop Career Centers through the TAP program. For example, one of the
products has been a supplement to the TAP manual providing detailed
information about One-Stop Career Center services and how to access
them.
In addition, the Departments are working on a compilation of
successful partnering strategies now employed by TAP staff and One-Stop
Career Centers in the field. This guide to best practices will soon be
distributed to TAP offices and the workforce investment system
nationwide.
The goal of these efforts is to educate program staff about the
benefits and commitments involved in local partnerships and encourage
them to leverage their resources. Direct business connections to TAP
workshops are constrained by the mandated curriculum and limited time
of the TAP workshops. However, promoting ties between the TAP offices
and One-Stop Career Centers generally will help separating service
personnel connect with businesses.
The impact of these changes to the existing TAP program and
workshops as well as the education and encouragement of local
partnerships between TAP and the workforce investment system will
ensure that transitioning military personnel are aware of and utilize
all of the resources available to them as they search for employment
and training opportunities.
national emergency grants for military spouses
The Department of Labor has also established a policy that States
may apply for National Emergency Grant funds to enable the spouses of
returning Guard or Reserve members, widows of military personnel who
lost their lives on active duty, and certain other military spouses, to
be provided employment and retraining assistance.
summary
In summary Mr. Chairman, the Department of Labor is working hard to
improve the quality of life for former, current, and transitioning
servicemembers and their spouses. The transition of these individuals
into the civilian workforce serves to benefit the entire American labor
force. Most importantly, through our efforts, we express our gratitude
and support for all that our military members and their families do for
us.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Mr. John Molino.
STATEMENT OF JOHN MOLINO, DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR
MILITARY COMMUNITY AND FAMILY
POLICY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Mr. Molino. Mr. Chairman, Senator Akaka, Members of the
Committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the Defense
Department's commitment to and effort on behalf of our severely
injured servicemembers and their families. Thank you too for
presenting the forum that allows, on behalf of the Department
and everyone serving in the global war on terror, to thank our
Nation's citizens for their strong, consistent and sincere
support of the men and women who risk so much to protect
freedom.
Each military service has an active program appropriate to
the number of severely injured within that service. The
Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center was
established to make a long-term commitment and to fill the gaps
and seams that may exist in individual service programs. It
reaches beyond the Department of Defense to other Government
agencies, the nonprofit world and corporate America.
In addition to helping solve immediate problems, the Center
will identify challenges that require systemic, policy or
legislative solutions for this and future conflicts. We have
adopted a case management approach that we call ``care
management.'' Highly qualified individuals, nurses or licensed
social workers, answer the toll-free phones when they ring. In
addition, we are using information provided by the Army to
reach out to those who may have already passed through the
system to ensure that their needs are being met.
For many, we are about easing the rehabilitation and return
to active service. For those whose service in uniform was
truncated by the injuries they sustained, we want their
transition to civilian life to be as free of complications as
possible. If the bureaucracy must be fought, we will fight it.
If corporate America must be reminded of its obligation to help
find these talented citizens a new career, we will remind its
leaders. Often the spouse must become the primary wage earner.
We will help in that regard as well.
Additionally, we will help those communities across America
that are prepared to embrace one of these returning heroes to
guarantee that he or she will never spend a holiday alone, will
never want for meaningful employment, will never be left to
wonder if America has forgotten.
The Center is a living entity that will be in existence for
as long as it takes. Its structure may change. Its roles may be
modified to ensure it remains relevant, but our commitment to
the severely injured and their families is solid and long term.
Service in uniform is a noble undertaking. All who serve
have volunteered. Each is deserving of our respect and
admiration. All must be able to serve with the knowledge that
the Congress, the Department of Defense and the Nation will
neither forget nor abandon them should they suffer a traumatic
injury in the service of freedom and the Nation that best
represents freedom in the world.
I welcome the opportunity to respond to your questions.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Molino follows:]
Prepared Statement of John Molino, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
for Military Community and Family Policy, Department of Defense
Mr. Chairman and Members of this distinguished Committee, thank you
for the opportunity to be here today. It is my privilege to discuss the
transition assistance provided to separating members of the armed
forces, particularly those who have sustained severe or debilitating
injuries in the line of duty.
Congress deserves sincere thanks for its continued support of our
efforts to ease the transition from military to civilian life for all
our separating men and women in uniform. Your interest and assistance
on this matter, both individually and as an institution, are very much
appreciated.
severely injured
I will focus this testimony on the actions taken to assist our
severely injured as they reintegrate into their hometowns across
America. These troops and family members who sacrificed so much deserve
nothing but our best effort to assist them on their return to civilian
life. Each of the Services has initiated an effort to ensure that our
seriously wounded servicemembers are not forgotten--medically,
administratively, or in any other way. To facilitate a coordinated
response, the Department has established the Military Severely Injured
Joint Support Operations Center. We are collaborating, not only with
the military Services, but also with other departments of the Federal
Government, nonprofit organizations, and corporate America, to assist
these deserving men and women and their families.
A number of our severely injured servicemembers will be able to
return to duty, thanks to their dedication and commitment, and the
phenomenal quality of military medicine. Some, however, will transition
from the military and return to their hometowns or become new members
of another civilian community. These are capable, competent, goal-
oriented men and women--the best of our Nation. They represent all the
components bravely serving our Nation--the active ranks, the National
Guard and the Reserve. We will ensure that during their rehabilitation
we provide a ``case management'' approach to advocate for the
servicemember and his or her family. From the Joint Support Operations
Center here in Arlington, Virginia, near the seat of Government, to
their communities across America, we will be with them. This will
continue through their transition to the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and the many other agencies and organizations providing
support to them. Our goal is to provide long-term support to ensure
that no injured servicemember is allowed to ``fall through the
cracks.''
I have mentioned that the Joint Support Operations Center is a
collaborative effort, both inside and outside the government. I
recognize and appreciate the interest and expressed desire of the
Congress to help ensure the success of this effort. As we identify the
need for statutory changes, we will be certain to make you aware and
seek your assistance.
The Center continues to provide a central point-of-contact for
information and support through a toll-free hotline, available 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year. Families are a primary focus. Since the
Center's grand opening eleven weeks ago, our staff of care managers has
fielded in excess of 1000 calls from injured personnel, their families
or caretakers, and has placed in excess of 1000 calls in outreach
efforts to find those same families who may have gone unnoticed or may
require assistance. The contact numbers are growing. Callers reach the
center with questions and concerns on topics that include immediate
financial assistance, family support, lost promotion paperwork,
employment after discharge, and healthcare. VA benefits and services
remain the areas of greatest concern. Each new question or difficulty
our staff is asked to address helps us to improve the service and may
provide an opportunity for systemic improvements.
We remain committed to helping wounded servicemembers reintegrate
into their hometowns. Moving forward, the center will seek to provide
avenues to improve assistance with job placement and assistance, non-
medical counseling, and financial support. We are also eager to do more
for the spouses of injured personnel--who often become the primary
breadwinners, or face career difficulties as they cope with the
difficulties of the reintegration process.
Of course, only a coordinated, multi-agency effort will ensure that
those severely injured servicemembers and their families who return to
civilian life, receive the level of care and access to resources that
they deserve. Through the Joint Support Operations Center and other
programs and initiatives, the Department of Defense has partnered with
the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Labor, the
Department of Homeland Security, corporate America, and various levels
of government to help ensure the myriad needs of our severely injured
are met. Particularly successful has been the Center's relationship
with the VA in addressing and resolving specific VA benefits and health
entitlement issues and concerns. We communicate through a hot-line for
emergency VA issues requiring immediate VA attention, and using special
e-mail address to communicate non-emergency issues. In these instances,
the VA has committed to a 24-hour turnaround. The Center has been able
to facilitate the rapid resolution of many issues. The Department of
Labor is assisting us in obtaining civil service and private sector
jobs through its One-Stop Career Centers around the country and we are
working closely with the Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines
(REALifelines), which was announced by Secretary Elaine L. Chao on
October 4, 2004. Similarly, to ensure facilitated and dignified
security screenings of our severely injured as they travel through our
Nation's airports, the Transportation Security Administration has
stationed watch standers at the Center to do just this. When the Center
receives word that a severely injured servicemember will be flying
domestically, the TSA team will contact all airports on the itinerary
to alert the appropriate offices at these locations. Not only have TSA
folks around the country prepared for the expedited screening of these
travelers, they have treated them like the heroes they truly are.
The DOD State Liaison office is also actively engaging with State
and local legislatures to rally communities and help guide their
efforts in support of not only the severely injured, but all in-state
military members and their families, to include the National Guard and
Reserve. The office will be participating in the National Governors
Association conference later this month and will be discussing many of
these issues.
service support for the severely injured
The center, of course, would be nothing without the individual
service and community efforts it coordinates. The centralized call
center is designed to augment service programs, ensuring that, true to
tradition and established practice, the Army, Navy, Air Force and
Marine Corps are able to take care of their own.
marine for life
The Marine Corps, building on the organizational network and
strengths of the previously established Marine for Life Program, has
implemented an Injured Support Program to assist severely injured
Marines after they are discharged. The goal is to impress on them that
the Marine Corps will always be there for them and to help them bridge
the often difficult and lengthy gap between military care and the care
provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The key is to ensure
continuity of support through their transition. Features of the program
include advocacy within the Marine Corps and Navy for the severely
injured and their families and assistance in getting over the hurdles
of any external agencies with whom they interact. Other extremely
important features are pre- and post-service separation case
management, assistance in working with physical evaluation boards, and
an interactive website for disability/benefit information. To improve
Department of Veterans Affairs handling of Marine cases there is a
Marine liaison officer embedded within the VA headquarters. The program
began operations in early January.
army ds3
On April 30, 2004, the Army established the Disabled Soldier
Support System (DS3) initiative to provide its severely disabled
Soldiers and their families with a system of advocacy and follow-up
with personal support to assist them as they confront the stress of
their wounds and to think through the difficult decisions of continuing
to pursue a military career or transitioning to the civilian community.
Working closely with the Joint Support Operations Center, DS3
incorporates and integrates several existing programs to provide
holistic support services for severely injured Soldiers and their
families throughout their phased progression from initial casualty
notification to their return home and departure from the Service. The
system facilitates communication and coordination between severely
injured soldiers and their families and the pertinent local and
national agencies and organizations, such as the Department of Veterans
Affairs and the many commendable veterans service organizations. In
addition, DS3 utilizes a system to track and monitor severely disabled
soldiers for a period of up to 5 years beyond their medical retirement
in order to provide appropriate assistance through an array of existing
service providers.
air force palace hart
If an Air Force servicemember is wounded in action, the Air Force
is committed to do whatever it takes to help them recover. Their Palace
HART (Helping Airmen Recover Together) program follows Air Force
wounded in action until they return to active duty, or are medically
retired. It then provides follow up assistance for 5-7 years post
injury. The Air Force works to retain injured servicemembers on active
duty if at all possible; however, if unable to return an Airman to
active duty, work to get them civilian employment within the Air Force.
The Air Force also ensures counseling is provided on all of the
benefits to which an individual servicemember may be entitled within
the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and
Department of Labor.
navy support for the severely injured
The Navy has a coordinated and tailored response for its men and
women returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and other areas of conflict with
severe debilitating injuries. These servicemembers, and their families
are faced with very difficult long-term challenges, and the Navy team
provides a strong, coordinated and unified approach to assist them and
their families to recover and reintegrate.
national support
The response from corporate America to our severely wounded
veterans has been extremely positive. Many companies including those in
the Fortune 500 have opened their arms to welcome the severely wounded
into their companies through direct employment opportunities or
internships for gaining invaluable experience and training.
Corporations can post jobs on Military.com for the severely injured or
their spouses (Military.com/support). We are also developing an Adopt a
Service Member program to enable communities, corporations, businesses,
and even private citizens to sponsor severely injured servicemembers
and their families to help them with their respective needs.
Academia has been similarly supportive of our efforts. The
Department has been approached by colleges and universities interested
in honoring personnel wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some, like
Ferris State University, are lowering their tuition charges for the
severely wounded. Others, like Central Texas College (CTC), are
developing special scholarships for the brave men and women who have
been wounded. CTC has established twenty full scholarships, the CTC
Iraqi Freedom Scholarship, for wounded personnel or for the spouses and
dependents of those wounded or killed in action. Other institutions are
stepping forward to help as well. We are establishing a web presence
that will encourage and allow institutions from across the country to
be placed on a list of schools that want to help in this regard. That
site will be linked to website hosted by the Voluntary Education
program, the Transition Assistance Program, and other agencies.
transition assistance for all those leaving the military
As you know, the Department and Military Services provide
outstanding transition assistance to both Active and Reserve Component
servicemembers. Upon demobilization, Guard and Reserve members, like
their counterparts in the Active Component, receive the mandatory pre-
separation counseling. The pre-separation briefing explains the
transition benefits and services that they are entitled to receive as a
result of their service. Topics covered include employment, relocation,
education and training, health and life insurance, finances, and
disabled veterans benefits.
With the support of our partners from the Departments of Labor and
Veterans Affairs, we provide each Reserve Component servicemember a
Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act briefing as
well as a VA benefits briefing. These are in addition to the mandated
pre-separation counseling briefing.
In conclusion, on behalf of our servicemembers and their families,
thank you to the Committee for your support during these demanding
times and thank you for the opportunity to thank the Nation for the
support of its citizens for the noble service of America's sons and
daughters.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much. This is the second
hearing that this Committee has had on the issue of seamless
transition. We heard at the first hearing and again this
morning that information needs to be provided in a more
organized manner, particularly for soldiers recovering from
injuries. What kind of coordination and processes can your
agencies utilize to address this concern?
I want to ask Admiral Cooper: Several newspaper accounts
have chronicled the plight of returning servicemembers who had
to overcome obstacles to undertake their studies including the
lack of timeliness in getting funds from VA to the veteran; in
articles, Jack McCoy, Director of the VA Education Service said
that an influx of veterans going to school with the VA's help,
too few claims processors and a computer glitch are among the
reasons for the backlog. The fiscal year 2006 budget includes a
decrease of 14 education claims processes.
My question to you is how has this impacted the current
situation?
Adm. Cooper. I would say that we are overcoming the
problems identified by Mr. McCoy. We have assigned a few more
people to help in processing education claims. We are, however,
pretty much inundated by claims coming in, rightfully so.
Education claims are up about 10 percent each of the last 3
years and part of the reason for that is the things that
Congress has done to enhance the Montgomery GI Bill, making the
education program more desirable to returning veterans.
So we have had a larger influx. We have increased the
number of people and we are watching the workload very
carefully. I would say to you that, in fact, even today
although we are not to our targeted goal, we are about 10 days
to 2 weeks better in the processing of the education claims
than we were 3 years ago. So whereas we have made progress over
the years, we are not yet where we want to be. There are a few
glitches now and then, and we resolve them as soon as we find
out about them.
Senator Akaka. Secretary Molino, DOD recently established
the Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center.
The Army has its Disabled Service Members Support System, the
Marines have the Marine for Life Program, the Air Force has its
Helping Airmen Recover Together program, and the Navy is
working on its Injured Marine and Sailors Initiative. What is
being done to ensure that these programs are coordinated with
each other and with the VA?
Mr. Molino. Senator, the establishment of the Joint Support
Operations Center is in part to address the need to ensure that
there is collaboration, that there is coordination. The
services are each stressing different features of their
individual assistance programs. They do some parts better than
others. The Joint Support Operations Center enables us to share
best practices, enables the services to adopt those best
practices of perhaps another program that they may not have
thought of. It also allows us to identify opportunities where
it is best to centralize and it is best for the Joint Support
Operations Center to be the primary provider of a degree of
support.
As I said in my oral statement, we realized that there were
gaps and there were seams between the services that should be
provided, the needs of the servicemembers and the ability of
our programs to provide those services. So the Center is either
an umbrella or a safety net depending on how you prefer to look
at it, to ensure that we fill those gaps and seams. It extends
as well to the other governmental agencies, the VA and
Department of Labor are noteworthy here, but we have also
coordinated with Transportation Security Administration and
other agencies to ensure that there is collaboration and there
are ways to help.
Seamless transition between DOD and VA has been a problem
and a daunting issue for many, many years, as you know from
your long service in the Senate, sir. We are working as
diligently now as we have ever worked. Certainly the need is
more apparent now than perhaps it ever was. I know that the
Department of Defense is committed, and I am fully confident,
based on Admiral Cooper's comments and our experience working
with the VA, that we are committed to working out whatever
seams remain, working through the administrative hassles. If
there are any statutory hassles, we will work through those as
well with your collaboration and cooperation to do the best we
can for our deserving heroes.
Senator Akaka. And the process, is DOD establishing a DOD-
wide standard for these programs?
Mr. Molino. We have not done that, Senator, and I think
that may materialize at the end of the Joint Support Operations
Center. We are trying to present the center as something that
enables the service programs to succeed. The feedback we have
received from many of the injured veterans, and frankly, the
testimony this morning will be very helpful because it presents
a different perspective that I had not heard.
We have heard from injured Marines, for instance, that they
want to be helped by Marines. They want to know that the Marine
Corps was with them from beginning to end. The Joint Support
Operations Center is intended to allow the Marine program to
succeed. If we need to fill in something that they perhaps do
not have the resources, the funding or the equipment to do, we
are happy to do that. But when that Marine goes home and he
looks back on his service and he or she is trying to influence
a young high school graduate about whether or not he or she
should serve, we want them to be able to say, ``The Marines
were with me from beginning to end.''
So while it may seem redundant to have individual service
programs, we do think it is important. We will stay in the
background. The name of the center is particularly awkward, I
will have to admit, but it is almost by design that way. It
does not reduce itself to a fancy acronym. If a Marine wants to
know who helped him, it is Marine for Life. If an Army soldier
wants to know who helped him, it is DS3. I am fine with that.
We will stay in the background. We just want to make sure that
none of the service programs ever fail.
And, Senator, if I could indulge you just one more brief
period of time, I failed in my oral statement to mention the
toll-free number, and since I know that this is being recorded
and there is a likelihood that it will be broadcast, I would
like to say that the toll free number for the Joint Support
Operations Center is 1-888-774-1361, and for anyone who hears
this, who knows of an injured servicemember or a family member
who is worried about that servicemember, we can be the start
point. We will be the warm referral either to the VA, to Labor
or to the services to make sure that happens.
Senator Murray mentioned post traumatic stress disorder. We
are beginning to see, we think, some of that come forward. And
as you know, post traumatic stress disorder sometimes waits a
decade before it manifests itself. If a family member sees any
signs of PTSD, a phone call to the center will begin that
support to help a veteran who may be suffering from PTSD.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. With this wide array of programs
that we are talking about, what are they doing to educate
separating disabled servicemembers of where they should turn?
Strangely it seems that there is competition among the services
rather than coordination and synchronization. You mentioned
redundancy too. What is being done to prevent this?
Mr. Molino. There is always some healthy competition,
Senator, and where it is healthy I won't interfere. But what we
have seen in this instance is an enormously high degree of
collaboration. We have seen the services step forward. If a
Marine goes home to an area where there is no real Marine
presence, but there is an Army presence, the Army program with
a regional coordinator has stepped forward to be of assistance.
We are trying to, as I said, be the collaborative point so
that the support can be rendered in that fashion. But I have
seen more collaboration than competition. One thing that both
John and Tristan mentioned at the first panel is the flow of
information that happens even while they are still patients.
The truth of the matter, Senator, is they are drinking from a
fire hose. There is no way we can expect them to absorb all
that information immediately.
I have had the privilege of meeting with injured
servicemembers while they are in the hospital. Their heads are
still very foggy. Very often they are still on pretty serious
medication. They cannot be expected to comprehend all of this
the willingness of the Departments of Labor, Veterans Affairs
and Defense, the presence of the Center. When they get home or
when their heads clear, any hour of the day or night--this is a
24/7 operation--they can make a phone call and say, ``I didn't
quite understand what I heard,'' or ``This is what I think I
heard. Is that true?'' The Center can be that first step to
clearing away the fog that is understandable when they first
got a piece of information, and help them to get the help or
the assistance they need.
These are great Americans who are going to live great and
productive lives, and it is up to us to help them.
Senator Akaka. Thank you.
Secretary Juarbe and Admiral Cooper, describe how your
agencies interact and communicate in working toward a goal of
seamless transition.
Adm. Cooper. Let me discuss it from the VA side. The
seamless transition, as I see it, first starts with those who
are seriously disabled, and that is the reason we set up the
special offices at both Walter Reed and Bethesda. These are the
primary entry points for returning OEF/OIF servicemembers who
are seriously disabled. We monitor them very carefully, as I
said, so that if they are discharged, we can adjudicate their
claims immediately. We also want to make sure we have all the
medical records if they are discharged. So the primary point is
to get every piece of information, talk to them, make ourselves
available, and also be prepared once they are discharged. If
they stay in the service, of course, we still communicate with
them and advise them about the various services that are
available while they are in the service.
When an individual leaves Walter Reed, Bethesda, or any of
the other facilities where we have personnel stationed, we
notify the VHA hospital and the regional office of jurisdiction
in the area to which they are going.
The regional office will assign an individual to contact
the veteran. VHA will receive the medical records and VBA will
receive the necessary records for filing claims. We continue to
communicate with individuals, particularly as regards
vocational rehabilitation, to ensure that they know what
benefits are available. If they decide to do nothing
immediately, we have mandatory follow-ups at 6 months and 1
year to say, ``OK, would you like to talk about it now? Is
there something more we can do?''
So I think we have a pretty solid process in place.
Senator Akaka. Thank you.
Secretary Juarbe?
Mr. Juarbe. Senator Akaka, there is obviously great need
for coordination. Much is needed. And we do our part in working
together both with the Department of Defense and with the
Department of Veterans Affairs. We have a tremendous resource
in our national network of local veterans employment
representatives and Disabled Veterans Outreach Program
specialists. DVOPs, the latter group, is one that works
integrally with the Department of Veterans Affairs through
their vocational rehabilitation and employment program. It may
start with a referral, but then the referral back to them after
the rehabilitation process has been completed and setting up a
case management system for the individuals.
As I mentioned in my earlier statement, starting in
November of 2003 we collaborated with the Departments of
Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs and other partners
at the State and private sector level to establish a recovery
and employment assistance lifeline. With the establishing of
the Joint Support Operations Center, we then felt that our
program should work very closely with that center, and we are
now integrally connected with them in that effort.
The importance is working with our partners at DOD and at
VA, our focus on the earliest possible intervention and very
personal services. Now, as Mr. Molino said, they are drinking
from a fire hose at the very beginning with a considerable
amount of information. But, Senator Akaka, this is one case
where redundancy is desirable. We have heard this morning from
the first panel that repetition is needed and frequency is
needed. The important thing is timing and follow up.
The best way I can describe how some of that coordination
can work effectively is a prime example that we have had with
Sergeant Alfred Callas, who was featured in the GI Jobs issue
this month, and I have a copy which I will make available to
you. But in working with him as an amputee at Walter Reed, we
have a representative located there, a Disabled Veterans
Outreach Program specialist at Walter Reed who coordinated,
identified what his interests were in employment upon returning
home. And that is the key to following them up when they are
back home.
He connected with the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program
specialist in the State of Kansas, and eventually, because he
was interested in going into a new field, that of auto mechanic
and working on HMMWV, we were able to secure a job for him with
Lear Siegler at Fort Riley, Kansas; in addition to that,
working with the private sector. So what we did here is the
Federal sector working together and working with the State
sector, and then working with private industry, we were able to
get Mack Tools to donate a set of tools for Sergeant Callas to
enter into his new career.
That is how we see coordination, and that is a good example
of how we see effective coordination from the earliest possible
intervention all the way down to the home front.
Senator Akaka. Admiral Cooper and Secretary Juarbe, are
your employees in the trenches knowledgeable about the services
that are offered by both VA and DOL so that they can give
appropriate referrals to servicemembers, to agencies that they
do not necessarily work for? For example, how are Disabled
Veterans Outreach providers trained to appropriately refer
veterans to agencies from which a veteran may benefit from
utilizing services, specifically VA?
Admiral?
Adm. Cooper. I would say, yes, they are very well trained,
especially in the Vocation Rehabilitation and Employment
Program. This is an extremely well-run program. We did a study
about a year-and-a-half ago to reorganize it and do everything
we can to emphasize employment. When the young man or woman
comes into our offices or comes into our program, we offer them
options, or tracks, by which they can obtain employment, get an
education, and/or become more independent in their daily
living. I am firmly convinced that, although we need to
continue training them, our VR&E counselors are well aware of
the job opportunities, particularly in the areas where they are
located and where they are helping veterans onsite.
Senator Akaka. Secretary Juarbe.
Mr. Juarbe. Continued training is a key part of it, and we
are focused through our National Veterans Training Institute,
where our DVOPs and the LVERs are trained. We ensure that they
are aware of the benefits and programs that are available
through the Department of Veterans Affairs, and we work very
closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs in the
coordination of the DVOPs with the VR&E program, and providing
briefings to the VR&E staff on USERRA issues and other
employment issues.
Senator Akaka. I have a question here from Senator Craig.
As I mentioned earlier, he is unable to be with us at this
moment because he has an amendment on the floor.
Senator Craig is impressed with the VA's program which
wisely utilizes the talents of injured servicemembers like Mr.
Wyatt. Are your departments doing anything similar to hire
former servicemembers, Admiral?
Adm. Cooper. Yes. Our Department started the program that
the Senator is talking about as an experiment. The CIO for VA
began by hiring 9 or 10 returning veterans. In just the last 2
weeks this initiative has become a VA-wide program managed by
the Office of Human Resources Management.
And I am also pleased that, in my own organization, the
Veterans Benefit Administration, 47 percent of the personnel
are veterans. The National Cemetery Administration is about 75
percent veterans. I think this demonstrates that VA is really
trying to do everything they can.
Senator Akaka. Secretary Molino?
Mr. Molino. Senator, the first thing you hear from an
injured soldier is what you heard this morning. Their first
desire is to stay on active duty, go back with their unit and
serve with their colleagues. When we can, the services are
committed to doing just that. There have been stories in the
press about disabled servicemembers who are able to return to
active duty, full active duty with their units. When that does
not happen the services offer the opportunity to find
employment as a career civil servant either with the same
service with which the person is familiar or in the broader
Department of Defense or even beyond the Department of Defense
to other Government agencies.
We have two programs working within the Department of
Defense to identify folks to take advantage of that. We are
beginning with kind of an interim program where they can learn
the skills, kind of try on the job and see if that is what they
think they want to do with the rest of their lives. The Air
Force indeed has a mandate that they have imposed upon
themselves, if an Air Force airman is injured severely and
cannot stay on active duty, they will find a job for that
individual if they choose to take the job.
So, yes, we are very aggressively doing that. And as I said
earlier, Senator, these are very talented young Americans and
we do not want to lose them. If they cannot stay in uniform and
continue to serve, we would welcome them as civilian employees.
Senator Akaka. Secretary Juarbe.
Mr. Juarbe. The Veterans Employment and Training Service
has the lead role in a program that is known as the Disabled
Veterans Hiring Initiative, which is we have reached out to all
Federal agencies, in partnership with the VA also, to talk
about the special hiring authorities, the known competitive
hiring authorities that are available to facilitate employment
for disabled veterans, the severely disabled veterans. That is
a program that we are very pleased with. In the Department of
Labor, within my own Agency, we have a high level of veterans
of course, and we are constantly looking for opportunities.
Senator Akaka. Secretary Juarbe, I have two questions here
from Senator Craig. How do you track DOL's efforts to provide
employment assistance to recently separated combat veterans? Is
priority given to these individuals? How many recently
separated servicemembers who have sought DOL's employment
assistance later found jobs?
Mr. Juarbe. The follow-up and tracking is an integral part
of the services that are performed by the DVOPs and the LVERs,
and at the One-Stop Career Centers our approach has always been
focused on case management and follow-up. The reporting from
veterans is controlled through the Employment and Training
Administration reports that we get on the ETA 9002, which is
the macro report for the public labor exchange services to
veterans. From that we derive the information concerning the
services that are provided by the Disabled Veterans Outreach
Program specialists and the local veterans employment
representatives under the VETS Form 200.
Through REALifelines we are also tracking those service-
members who have elected to enroll in the program, and we are
working together with the Joint Support Center to continue that
tracking of those individuals. Under the REALifelines Program
we have been able to track--we have been working with
approximately 200 cases since we started the program last
October, and about 15 percent of those have resolved and
resulted in decisions regarding employment, training or other
opportunity outcomes.
Senator Akaka. Secretary Juarbe, this question is from
Senator Craig. 1,700 Idahoans were deployed to Iraq last
November as part of the 116th Brigade Combat Team. Your Agency
has the oversight responsibility of the law guaranteeing
reemployment rights upon their return home. The question is,
what activities have you undertaken to prepare for the return
of these guardsmen so that complaints are held to a minimum?
Mr. Juarbe. Since September 11, 2001 the Department of
Labor, and through my agency, has had an aggressive compliance
assistance outreach program, where we have provided briefings
and technical assistance to over 240,000 individual members of
the Guards and Reserves and employers. That outreach continues,
and it has been in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce, the Society for Human Resource Management, the
National Federation of Independent Businesses and other labor
organizations like that and business organizations. And we
provide pre-mobilization briefings and post-mobilization
briefings.
As I stated in my statement earlier, we recognize that
there is an increased need for providing transition assistance
to these individuals, even though most of them ostensibly will
be returning back to a job if they are members of the Guards
and Reserves, and those rights are protected. We know that many
of them may not have an interest in pursuing other career
opportunities, and also for those where their jobs are no
longer there because the company may have gone out of business.
What we have found is that as a result of this outreach we
have been able to reduce the level of incidents of
discrimination, and when those incidents of discrimination--and
this is in comparison with the last major call-up of 265,000 in
the Persian Gulf War. When we do address those incidents, with
our partners, the Department of Defense National Committee on
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve which is our first
line of defense out there with over 4,000 volunteers, is we are
able to resolve many of these issues on an informal basis. Many
employers simply did not understand the law, and they are
willing to comply with it.
We determined from that that there was a need for
regulations, and to that extent we published regulations last
fall for comments and we hope to issue the final regulations on
USERRA, which was enacted in 1994, but those regulations should
be out some time this year.
We also have the poster which is now published and
available for all employers who are supposed to make the
information available through a poster or other means of the
rights and responsibilities that individuals have under USERRA.
Senator Akaka. My final question is to Admiral Cooper and
Assistant Secretary Juarbe. We are anticipating a greater
demand of Veterans Affairs as well as Department of Defense by
our military people as well as our veterans, and we have been
looking at our budget. So my question is on the budget to both
of you. How have Veterans Affairs and Labor's budgets been
increased to reflect the increased workload as a result of the
present conflict? Admiral?
Adm. Cooper. Our budget has essentially increased probably
about 2 to 3 percent. Also, you may remember, last year and the
year before, Secretary Principi, through the Supplemental
Appropriation, was able to give us some extra money, and last
year, transferred funds from the VHA budget to VBA. This
allowed us to use 75 million this year, and we will have 50
million extra in our budget this following year. So I would say
those two are major moves that were made.
Mr. Juarbe. Each year during my tenure at the Veterans
Employment and Training Service, we have had an increase in our
budgets, and for fiscal year 2006 we do have another increase
in the total funding. We will increase the Jobs for Veterans
Act grants which fund the outreach personnel, the VET reps, or
the DVOPs and LVERs at the State level, with an increase of
$1.3 million. The services to homeless veterans also are being
increased. That is a program that is increasing by $1.2 million
for fiscal year 2006.
Senator Akaka. I want to thank my panelists very much for
your responses today.
It will, no question, be helpful to the Committee. There
may be questions of Members. We would submit that for the
record. We look forward to a better way of trying to service
our veterans as well as our military personnel. I personally
look forward to working with all of you in doing that, and by
sharing information as we have we will be able to do that.
So with that, thank you very much for being here this
morning.
The hearing stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:48 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
Response to Post-Hearing Questions Submitted by Hon. Larry E. Craig,
Chairman, to Department of Veterans Affairs
Question 1: If a recently separated National Guard member files a
disability compensation claim for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD), what priority is that claim given in the system? Do you believe
all claims by recently separated combat veterans should be adjudicated
on a priority basis?
Response: The Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) is giving top
priority to the benefit claims of all returning war veterans, including
National Guard members, who have serious physical injuries, and
providing the best possible service to these returning heroes must
remain our highest priority. Claims from terminally ill veterans,
homeless veterans, veterans with severe financial hardship, and former
prisoners of war also receive priority attention.
Our goal must be to provide quality, timely, and compassionate
service to all claimants. As a result, we do not believe that VA should
adopt a policy of adjudicating all claims by recently separated combat
veterans on a priority basis.
Question 2: Of all the servicemembers medically discharged from
service in the last 3 years, how many converted their life insurance
coverage from SGLI to VGLI? Isn't this the population that would have
the most difficulty purchasing life insurance in the commercial market?
What more can be done, either by VA or the Congress, to emphasize the
importance of this transitional benefit?
Response: Medically discharged servicemembers need Veterans' Group
Life Insurance (VGLI) most because the disabilities they incurred in
service often make them uninsurable by private commercial companies
unwilling to take a risk insuring an ``unhealthy life.''
We do not have specific information regarding the number of
servicemembers medically discharged from service who converted their
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) to VGLI. However, we have
information showing that, since June 2001, 51 percent of separating
servicemembers with military disability ratings of 50 percent or higher
have applied for VGLI.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Office of
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (OSGLI) conduct extensive outreach
to separating and recently separated members concerning VGLI. The
outreach includes:
Providing all separating servicemembers, as part of the
transitional assistance program (TAP) and disabled transitional
assistance program (DTAP) briefings, and informational brochures on VA
insurance programs. The brochures describe the importance of insurance
and also provide eligibility information and a VGLI application.
Mailing VGLI applications to all separating
servicemembers. OSGU sends all separating servicemembers VGLI
applications to their address of record. A first mailing is sent 30 to
60 days after discharge; a second is sent if there is no response
within 2 weeks to the first mailing, and a third is sent at the end of
the 1-year and 120-day period in which to convert to VGLI.
Conducting ``special outreach'' to the most disabled
separating servicemembers. Specifically, the VA Insurance Service
conducts computer matches to identify those servicemembers who have
medically retired with a military disability rating of 50 percent or
more who have not applied for VGLI or the SGU 1-year extension
available to totally disabled servicemembers. These servicemembers are
contacted by phone and provided assistance in applying for VA
insurance, including VGLI and the SGLI extension.
Through this outreach effort, approximately 38 percent of those
contacted convert their insurance coverage. Prior to our outreach, 20
percent or less converted their insurance coverage. To date, about $96
million in insurance has been granted as a result of these outreach
efforts.
Question 3: I am impressed with your program, which wisely utilizes
the talents of injured servicemembers like Tristan Wyatt. Are you aware
of a larger Federal effort on this front, or is this program peculiar
to VA?
Response: In 2001, VA established a national veterans' employment
program to assist all veterans in understanding veteran's preference
and in accessing information on job opportunities in VA and other
Federal agencies. Under this initiative, VA has participated in job
fairs and career conferences; developed a website for veterans; and
distributed brochures, posters, and CD-ROMs to military transition
centers around the country.
VA recently launched a nationwide initiative to assist injured and
disabled servicemembers returning from Operations Enduring Freedom
(OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in finding employment. The
initiative will expand VA's Vet-information technology program, which
provides volunteer work experience and employment to service-connected
disabled veterans. Currently, efforts are underway to work with other
Federal agencies, State and local officials, and private industry to
provide job training, work experience, and career opportunities to
medically discharged veterans.
Question 4: At our last hearing GAO testified about some of the
circumstances where the transition between DOD care and VA care aren't
working seamlessly. One of those mentioned was that VA has no policy
for maintaining contact with those veterans who may need time to adjust
to the idea that they are too disabled to continue their military
career and need to prepare for civilian jobs, thus they do not apply
immediately for VA's vocational rehabilitation services. Describe for
me some of the successful ways that VA's regional offices maintain
contact with these individuals. What are you doing to rectify the
problem GAO identified?
Response: VBA released its first policy letter (20-03-36) to all
field stations on September 23, 2003. That policy letter outlined
procedures for outreach, coordination of VA services, and claims
processing for OIF/OEF servicemembers and veterans.
VBA policy letter 20-05-14, dated March 8, 2005, updated and
expanded outreach and claims processing procedures for serving OIF/OEF
servicemembers and veterans. This letter was jointly developed by the
VBA Office of Field Operations and the VBA business lines, including
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E). It Outlines specific
outreach and coordination of VA services. Regional office (RO)
directors are responsible for ensuring that VA maintains contact with
seriously wounded servicemembers. Some of the procedures outlined in
the policy letter pertain to outreach conducted by the ROs and
providing VR&E benefits and services. Those activities include:
Each RO director must designate an OIF/OEF coordinator and
an alternate.
An OIF/OEF case manager is assigned for each compensation
claim received from a seriously disabled OIF/OEF servicemember.
Points-of-contact are established with military and VA
medical facilities.
Education about available VA benefits, including VR&E
benefits, and delivery of these benefits are coordinated and claims are
managed by a case manager.
The RO director or assistant director must call returning
seriously disabled servicemembers when they first arrive in the RO's
jurisdiction to welcome them home and advise them that they will be
contacted by the OIF/OEF coordinator.
Procedures in the national policy directive which specifically
relate to VR&E include:
After an entitlement disability has been established for
an OIF/OEF servicemember, a VR&E counselor with jurisdiction over the
hospital or medical holding company at a military facility will visit
the servicemember to begin counseling and evaluation prior to
discharge.
If, after initial contact, the servicemember or veteran
does not respond or indicates ``no interest,'' VR&E will diary for a
follow-up contact no later than 1 year after the initial contact.
VR&E officers will ensure that an indicator is affixed to
the Counseling/Evaluation/Rehabilitation folder identifying that the
veteran served in OIF/OEF. VR&E will maintain a log of each of the OIF/
OEF veterans they have contacted and with whom they are working.
Question 5: Also at last month's hearing, GAO mentioned the need
for VA and DOD to reach a formal information-sharing agreement so that
VA can have systematic access to DOD data about populations who need VA
services. What specifics does this agreement need to have to make sure
that VA can appropriately deliver services? What has been the holdup in
reaching this agreement? How do you suggest we can help facilitate this
agreement?
Response: VA's Office of General Counsel negotiated a memorandum of
understanding (MOU) with the Department of Defense (DOD) to obtain the
complete range of returning servicemember data VA needs for
identification, tracking, and statistical/reporting purposes. This MOU
addresses the transfer of information, including protected health
information, on all servicemembers who are about to transition from DOD
to VA or who are eligible for benefits administered by VA during their
active duty. The MOU has been signed by VA officials and is with DOD
for concurrence.
__________
Response to Post-Hearing Questions Submitted by Hon. Larry E. Craig,
Chairman, to John M. Molino, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for
Military Community and Family Policy, Department of Defense
Question 1: How many Federal agencies have a presence at military
treatment facilities like Walter Reed? Is there a worry about
overwhelming injured servicemembers with information? How have the
Military Services coordinated the well-intentioned efforts of other
agencies so that the information provided can be absorbed at the
appropriate time and pace of the injured servicemember?
Answer: The presence of Federal agencies varies at military
treatment facilities. For example, Walter Reed established a service
delivery system, ``TEAMS'' (Transition Employment Assistance Management
Services), to effectively coordinate both internal and external
agencies' efforts to provide transition and employment assistance to
servicemembers and their families at the appropriate time. This system
includes the following:
department of veterans affairs (va)
VA Benefits Administration--to provide servicemembers
comprehensive benefits counseling, assist in filing claims for VA
benefits, obtain all relevant Army medical records, provide complete
medical examinations, and process the VA applications for benefits, to
include rating, prior to separation from active duty.
VA Office of Information and Technology (OI&T)--
established VET IT program designed to provide mentoring, coaching,
and/or training to servicemembers in transition from military service
to the civilian sector with the ultimate goal being employment within
VA OI&T.
department of labor (dol)
DOL Employment & Training Service--facilitates Transition
Assistance Program (TAP) consisting of instruction, information and
assistance to members of the Armed Forces who are within 180 days of
separation and their spouses in line with the mandates of 10 U.S.C.
1144.
DOL Recovery and Employment Assistance Lifelines
(REALifelines) Initiative established to ensure that wounded and
injured servicemembers and their families get the support they need to
be successful and competitive as they return to their homes by adding
resources at the Federal, State, and local levels.
office of personnel management (opm)
OPM--A representative will be assigned to Walter Reed 2
days of the week to coordinate outreach activities with WRAMC TAP Staff
and provide Federal employment information to servicemembers and family
members; serve as point-of-contact for other Federal agencies
interested in providing employment opportunities and job search
assistance; encourage Federal agencies to identify and establish
collaborative endeavors to meet servicemembers' transition and
employment needs; provide Federal employment and education information;
and, upon request, participate in activities that further support WRAMC
TAP.
department of defense (dod)
Computer/Electronic Accommodation Program (CAP)--provides
assistive technology for wounded servicemembers and employees with
disabilities. The Defense Applicant Assistance Office (DAAO)--
``Temporary Assignment Program'' initiative supports servicemembers in
acquiring new work experiences and skills; networking opportunities and
resources through temporary Federal work assignments that may lead to
Federal employment opportunities with participating Federal agencies
upon servicemembers' separation.
army career alumni program (acap)
Coordinates delivery of DOD Transition Assistance Program
with TEAMS that empowers servicemembers to make informed career
decisions through benefits counseling and employment assistance
(including pre-separation briefings) and provides two employer
databases of employers expressing interest in hiring servicemembers.
WRAMC has developed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Office
of Personnel Management (OPM) that will allow, once implemented, OPM to
set up a liaison office to coordinate with all other Federal agencies
that want to interface with severely injured servicemembers. This
workable arrangement came about as a result of an Employment Transition
Summit hosted by WRAMC in January 2005, and participated in by DOD, the
Military Services and Federal agencies.
Thanks to the establishment of the Military Severely Injured Center
(a ``24/7'' call center staffed by nurses and master's level social
workers), the Department is able to ensure the full scope of these
services to each severely injured servicemember on a personal basis,
when the servicemember is ready to absorb the information and make
informed decisions.
Question 2: In order to ensure that no injured servicemember
``falls through the cracks'' when discharged, it is vital that DOD
share with other Federal agencies the identities of these individuals.
How is DOD working with VA and others on this front?
Answer: DOD established the Military Severely Injured Center on
February 1, 2005, to supplement Military Service efforts and ensure all
``seams and gaps'' are filled. The Center is staffed with trained
nurses, social workers, and VA, DOL and Transportation Security
Administration representatives in a ``24/7'' call center to ensure the
severely injured and their families receive the support and care they
need. Counselor/Advocates with master's degrees in social work and
nursing are also being located around the country near military
treatment facilities, VA hospitals, and community-based hospitals to
provide outreach support to severely injured and their families and to
ensure coordination with the Center care managers and other Federal
agencies, as necessary. The Center also serves as a backstop to support
Military Services and other Federal agencies intended to help severely
injured and their families if they hit a roadblock (whether medical
care, finances, education, job assistance, counseling or transition
issues) while on active duty or when they are discharged. DOD works
directly with the VA and other Federal agencies (to include sharing
identities of severely injured, as necessary and appropriate,
protecting privacy, as required). The Center provides a ``warm hand-
off' and appropriate follow-up between agencies to ensure that no one
``falls through the cracks.'' In addition to the Center, the program is
supported by ten working groups, comprised of members of the DOD,
Military Services and Federal agency staffs, that are responsible for
extending support beyond the medical centers and defining solutions to
difficult systemic issues that confront the severely injured and their
families.
The Department of Defense is working with VA to provide information
on OEF/OIF servicemembers.
Recently Separated OEF/OIF Veterans-Active Duty and
Reserve Components:
The Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), on behalf of
Health Affairs, began routinely providing VA rosters of OEF and OIF
veterans who have separated from active duty in September 2003. In June
2004, DMDC instituted a new process that more accurately identified
those who deployed to the OEF/OIF combat theaters. The accuracy of the
DMDC OEF/OIF veteran rosters being provided today to VA is excellent.
The DMDC rosters for the VA will continue to improve and will be
regularly discussed by the DOD-VA Deployment Health Working Group.
Active Duty Servicemembers in the Physical Evaluation
Board/Medical Evaluation Board (PEB/MEB) Process:
DOD has worked with VA to draft a Memorandum of
Understanding that will ensure compliance with HIP AA as the two
Departments share protected health information. The MOU is presently
being staffed at VA for signature.
The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health
Affairs), Clinical and Program Policy has drafted a policy to provide
authority and guidance on how DOD will collect critical data elements
on severely injured and ill soldiers and provide this information to
the VA. Under this policy--Expediting Veterans Benefits to Members with
Serious Injuries and Illnesses--DOD would transmit needed data to the
VA ``promptly, securely (virtual private network or secure system), and
electronically from the Services, through Health Affairs, to the
Department of Veterans Affairs.''
__________
Response to Post-Hearing Questions Submitted by Hon. Larry E. Craig,
Chairman, to Frederico Juarbe, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Veterans
and Training, Veterans Employment and Training Service, Department of
Labor
Question 1. How do you track DoL's efforts to provide employment
assistance to recently separated combat veterans? Is priority given to
these individual? How many recently separately servicemembers who have
sought DoL's employment assistance later found jobs?
Answer. No answer submitted by time of press.
Question 2. 1,700 Idahoans were deployed to Iraq last November as
part of the 116th Brigade Combat Team. Your agency has the oversight
responsibility of the law guaranteeing re-employment rights upon their
return home. What activities have you undertaken to prepare for the
return of these Guardsmen so that complaints are held to a minimum?
Answer. No answer submitted by time of press.
Question 3. As the agency tasked with ensuring that veterans
receive preference when competing for Federal employment, what efforts
has the Department of Labor made to be a model employer of veterans?
Does DoL have prgorams in place similar to VA's that seeks to employ
recently separated veterans or seriously wounded veterans?
Answer. No answer submitted by time of press.