David lost his right leg in a four wheeler accident about four weeks after he returned from a year long tour in Iraq. He has been going to his monthly guard drills but was told today that he no longer could and that they were gonna medical board him out. Will he be able to continue his tuition assistance and REAP benefits? Are there any other benefits he should be intitled to, such as some kind of pension?
2007-02-21 06:49:42 · 9 answers · asked by phickman65 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Tution assistance is for active duty personnel. As far as REAP goes, go to the link below for all information regarding REAP.
http://www.gibill.va.gov/pamphlets/CH1607/REAP_FAQ.htm#2
If he is medically discharged he is still entitled to GI Bill benefits as long as he finished paying his portion into prior to his discharge date.
As far as some kind of pension, no. His injury was caused by something that wasn't service related. Once he is discharged he becomes a full civilian again. If he lost his leg in the line of duty, that would be a different story. All of his rights and any benefits will be explained to him in detail prior to discharge at his TAP class.
2007-02-21 07:05:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If David is being medically discharged, his current term of service will be characterized as honorable and he will be eligible for all his VA benefits, as well as the GI Bill if he opted for it and paid the required amount into it. He will also receive a monthly disability check from the National Guard based on (a) his monthly pay at the time he was medically discharged, and (b) the percentage of disability he received -- and I'm guessing it'll be 100% given the nature of his injuries. As for tuition assistance, the rules on that vary from state to state, so David would need to talk to the folks at the Base Education Office to find out.
2007-02-21 15:15:01 · answer #2 · answered by sarge927 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to talk to a Veterans Service Specialist in one of the accepted Organizations that represent Veterans and family. I suggest from personal experience Disabled American Veterans or DAV. They usually have office in the same building or area as major Veteran Administration Offices. Call 1-800-827-1000 if you do not know where your VA Administration Office is located. If you do, the ask for the phone number in the area of the VA for the DVA. Other organizations like DVA include VVA, VFW and others.
It is important to know exactly how long after discharge for the regular army it has been since the day of the accident that hurt your son. If it is within a year of discharge it may make some difference in the way the VA will handle your son case.
You need to know that the VA is under staffed and not doing a good job of watching out for the Veterans at times. (The VA is staffed by good people, but the work load is just to heavy so you need others that know how to talk to the VA) Please go to the DAV and ask for help. ASAP
Time is of the essence. So act today. My local DVA's phone number is 1-510-834-2921. Oakland CA.
If you have more questions, contact me through Answers. Good Luck.
2007-02-21 15:11:55 · answer #3 · answered by zclifton2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He should be ok as far as his education benifits go. He is a veteran of a foreign war and he does have certain VA priveledges and what not. As far as the pension goes, it all depends. There are many variables as far as time in service, performance, weather or not he would have been likely to have made a career out of the military. It is a 50/50 split. He was not injured during active duty so now it isn't as cut and dry. However, depending on how he was discharged uncle sam may still be in debt to him. If he is in the guard than he has SGLI life insurance. It does cove loss of limb to certain degrees. Have hime get his policy, he can get it from his unit or at least get info. on where to get the ploicy information.
Most people over look SGLI because they think it's just for loss of life. It covers amputation, life altering injuries as well as mental injuries. I am not an expert on it but it could be something helpful to look at. The medical board will take some time and you will have to be patiant. The biggest thing for you to do is to get educated on the situation and see what types of benifits you have out there. Get in contact with the VA if you already haven't already and pick their heads.
If you know someone in the legal system talk with them as well. The military legal system can be very different from the civilian sector but it never hurts to ask.
Good luck with everything and I would be more than happy to answer any other questions you may have.
2007-02-21 15:11:42 · answer #4 · answered by Jimmy P. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
REAP is because he served more than 90 days in country, unless you get a bad conduct discharge these benefits are intact. When they board him besure to tell about the small stuff before the wheeler accident, service connected disibility like hearing problems due to loud noises, it may be worth a percentage collectable monthly.
2007-02-21 15:05:04 · answer #5 · answered by usamedic420 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My brother was also medically discharged from the service(Marines) and was still able to get the GI bill and the tuiton benefits. As long as your son has been in for atleast 1 year, then he should still be able to recieve some kind of benefits. Have your son check this out to see what he is eligible for.
2007-02-21 15:04:23 · answer #6 · answered by kerrberr95 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Doesn't matter at all...My son was medically discharged from the Marine for an accident on duty...just completed DeVry with his BS
2007-02-21 15:16:17 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If his GI Bill is payed up (takes the first year of service) then his education benefits will be intact.
2007-02-21 14:57:41 · answer #8 · answered by zhadowlord 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think the education stuff is ok I don't know about the other 2
check with the bureau of veterans affairs
and thank him for serving
and rest easy
my son is stepping up behind him
2007-02-21 15:05:56 · answer #9 · answered by FOA 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋