By Larry Dandridge
This is the first article in a series of three articles in The Island News on veterans’ benefits that will cover VA career and employment assistance.
Next week’s article will specifically cover VA transition assistance; finding a Job through the Department of Labor; finding VA careers and support; printing your VA civil service preference letter; getting free classes for a year (thru LinkedIn); requesting a decision review or managing a legacy appeal; and checking your claim, decision review, or appeal status.
The final article will cover other sources of help and benefits.
Get career and employment assistance
According to the VA’s “Careers and Employment” webpage, found at https://bit.ly/43YEa5K, the VA offers the help veterans need to build their careers and find the opportunities that are right for them.
Veteran Readiness and Employment (VRE Chapter 31) tracks
If you are a veteran or service member with a service-connected disability that impacts your ability to work, the Veteran Readiness and Employment (VRE) program (formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) may be able to help. The VA offers 5 support-and-services tracks to help you get an education or training, find and keep a job, start a business, return to your former job, and live as independently as possible. Explore the different tracks — and find out how to apply for benefits and services.
Learn more at the VA “VR&E Support and Service Tracks’ webpage https://bit.ly/43PoOAa and in The Island News article dated October 6, 2021 titled, “What are Veterans and Military Service Member’s VR&E Benefits?” found at https://bit.ly/43r9wAJ.
If a veteran has a service-connected disability that limits his or her ability to work or prevents them from working, they can find out if they are eligible for vocational rehab at the VA’s “Eligibility for VR&E webpage https://bit.ly/3JbFWqo. Your local County Service Officer (VSO) or local Veterans Service Organization VSO can help you understand your VA benefits and how to apply for those benefits.
Get step-by-step instructions on how to apply online, by mail, in-person, or with the help of a VA-accredited VSO, claims agent, or attorney for vocational rehab benefits at the VA’s “How to Apply for VR&E” webpage, https://bit.ly/4aH3wHX. VSO services are free and claims agents and attorneys are not normally needed, and they do charge for their services.
Apply online for VR&E with VA Form 28-1900
Start your application on-line for vocational rehab benefits now by following the instructions at the VA’s “Apply for VR&E with VA Form 28-1900” webpage https://bit.ly/4aNt060. The VA’s online Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) orientation can help veterans decide if this program can assist them in finding good employment or living independently. The VA encourages veterans to go through the orientation before they fill out the application.
Educational and Career Counseling (Chapter 36)
Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (PCPG), or VA Chapter 36, offers free educational and career guidance, planning, and resources to veterans and their dependents who are eligible for a VA education benefit. Find out how to apply for this program if you are leaving active service soon or have been discharged within the past year. Learn more about Chapter 36 at the VA’s website titled Education and Career Counseling (VA Chapter 36) at https://bit.ly/3TPJi7A.
Get support for your veteran-owned small business
According to the VA website “Get Support for Your Veteran Owned Small Business,” if you have a veteran-owned small business, you may qualify for advantages when bidding on government contracts — along with access to other resources and support — through the Veteran Small Business Certification program (VetCert). VetCert is run by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
Registering through SBA will allow you to work with us (all businesses who work with VA must be registered). Learn more about VetCert on the SBA website “Veteran Small Business Certification (VetCert)), website https://veterans.certify.sba.gov.
To be eligible for certification by the SBA the small business must have at least 51% veteran ownership, be registered as a small business with SAM.gov (see https://sam.gov/content/home), and be a small business according to SBA’s size standards (see https://bit.ly/4aie9AB).
Employment benefits for dependent family members
As the dependent family member of a service member or veteran with a service-connected disability, you can find out if you are eligible and how to apply to get educational and career counseling benefits through Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (Chapter 36).
Dependent family members may be eligible for VA Educational and Career Counseling if they meet both of these requirements: 1. They are the dependent of a veteran; and 2. They are eligible for certain VA education benefits.
These VA education benefits include The Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), The Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD, Chapter 30), The Montogomery GI Bill Selected reserve (MIGB-SR, Chapter 1606). Learn more about these education benefits at:
- The VA “Post-9/11 GI Bill” webpage https://bit.ly/3vKav3r.
- The VA “Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty” webpage https://bit.ly/3PTIltN.
- The VA “Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve” webpage https://bit.ly/3vISW3O.
Use a Veterans Service Officers (VSOs)
Veterans should use a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer to help them understand their state and federal (VA, SBA, etc.) benefits and help them apply for those benefits. A VSO is trained by the VA, the South Carolina (or another state’s) Department of Veteran Affairs, and a Veterans Service Organization like the American Legion, VFW, DAV, AMVETS, and other Veterans Service Organizations. Veterans can find S.C. County VSOs at https://bit.ly/3qbLVSL and can find Georgia VSOs at https://bit.ly/44KMVA7.
Veterans can also search for VA-accredited representatives (VSOs, Attorneys, and Claims Agents) nationwide at the VA Accreditation Search webpage https://bit.ly/3QnCk5M, and they can search for VA-accredited VSOs at VA Regional Offices at https://bit.ly/3TahNn1.
Beaufort County VSOs
The Beaufort County Veterans Affairs Office has three VSOs working to help veterans and it is located at 100 Clear Water Way, Beaufort, S.C. 29906, 843-255-6880, https://bit.ly/3ryd5qS, (Dr. Caroline P. Fermin is the new Director). The Beaufort Disabled America Veterans (DAV) Chapter, Chapter Service Officer is Michael Vergantino, 843-301-2543, and mlv1030@gmail.com.
Continued next week.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing free-lance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
