Veteran News

Special Extra Earnings for Military Service

Since 1957, if you had military service earnings for active duty including active duty for training, you paid Social Security taxes on those earnings. Since 1988, inactive duty service in the Armed Forces reserves such as weekend drills has also been covered by Social Security.

Under certain circumstances, special extra earnings for your military service from 1957 through 2001 can be credited to your record for Social Security purposes. These extra earnings credits may help you qualify for Social Security or increase the amount of your Social Security benefit.

Special extra earnings credits are granted for periods of active duty or active duty for training. Special extra earnings credits are not granted for inactive duty training.

If your active military service occurred

• From 1957 through 1967, we will add the extra credits to your record when you apply for Social Security benefits.
• From 1968 through 2001, you do not need to do anything to receive these extra credits. The credits were automatically added to your record.
• After 2001, there are no special extra earnings credits for military service.

How You Get Credit For Special Extra Earnings

The information that follows applies only to active duty military service earnings from 1957 through 2001. Here’s how the special extra earnings are credited on your record:

Service in 1957 Through 1977

You are credited with $300 in additional earnings for each calendar quarter in which you received active duty basic pay.

Service in 1978 through 2001

For every $300 in active duty basic pay, you are credited with an additional $100 in earnings up to a maximum of $1,200 a year. If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, and didn’t complete at least 24 months of active duty or your full tour, you may not be able to receive the additional earnings. Check with Social Security for details.

via Special Extra Earnings for Military Service.

Small businesses owned by veterans have jumped to the front of the line for Veterans Affairs Department contracts.

VA published a final rule in the Federal Register on Dec. 8 creating a set-aside contracting program for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

The rule, which has been in development for more than three years, requires VA contracting officers to set aside procurements between $100,000 and $5 million if they expect two or more eligible veteran-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses to submit a fair and reasonable offer. VA contracting officers also will be allowed to let sole-source contracts to these firms, for awards from $3,000 to $5 million.

“Only a small percentage of veterans own small businesses,” the rule states. “With this new procurement authority, additional businesses may be opened by veterans seeking to participate in the sole-source or set-aside procurement actions. More likely, [veteran-owned small businesses] not currently in the federal market may be expected to explore selling to VA.”

To participate, companies must register with the VetBiz.gov Vendor Information Pages database to verify that they meet all eligibility requirements. Any company that misrepresents itself in the database could face debarment for up to five years.

Previously vendors could self-certify the accuracy of the information provided. But now, officials with the VA Center for Veterans Enterprise must verify the data as part of the VetBiz application process. There are nearly 16,000 veteran-owned small businesses in the VetBiz database, including about 9,000 service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

The Federal Register notice also requires VA to give small businesses owned and controlled by veterans priority over all other socioeconomic groups, such as firms in historically underutilized business zones and small disadvantaged businesses. Prime contractors that propose using veteran-owned firms as subcontractors also must receive preference.

Congress has not yet authorized a similar procurement program governmentwide.

“This VA-specific rule is a logical extension of VA’s mission to care for and assist veterans in returning to private life,” the notice states. “It provides VA with the new contracting flexibilities to assist veterans in doing business with VA.”

The rule builds off a 2004 executive order by President George W. Bush that mandated increased contracting and subcontracting opportunities for veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. In 2006, Congress passed the Veterans Benefits, Health Care and Information Technology Act, which authorized VA to set aside and award sole-source contracts to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses.

VA received 97 comments on its proposed rule, although many were form letters that included identical responses, according to the notice. Officials did not make any significant changes from the August 2008 interim rule.

Among the other policy changes in the final rule, VA contracting officers will not need a waiver to purchase supplies and services from veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses rather than Federal Prison Industries Inc., the mandatory supplier for agencies purchasing specified products.

The rule also creates a mentor-protégé program at VA in which larger firms tutor, train and guide smaller businesses in exchange for preference in prime contract awards. The mentor firms are encouraged to help service-disabled veteran-owned and veteran-owned small businesses obtain bonds.

In addition, the rule proposes that the Small Business Administration hear protests regarding the size and eligibility of companies winning VA set-aside contracts. VA will accept comments on the proposal through Jan. 7, 2010.

VA awarded 35 percent of its fiscal 2008 contract dollars to small businesses, including 15 percent to veteran-owned small businesses and 12 percent to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. In contrast, the government as a whole awarded 3 percent of contract dollars to veteran-owned firms and just 1.5 percent to small companies owned by service-disabled veterans. The governmentwide goal in both categories is 3 percent.

Federal Register

Federal Register

These 12 soldiers, and one veteran – should be remembered.

FORT HOOD, Texas (UPI) — The U.S. Army Saturday identified the 13 people killed in the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas:

–Pfc. Francheska Velez, 21, of Chicago, was three months pregnant and had planned to take maternity leave by December, the Chicago Tribune reported. She had just returned from a 10-month tour disarming bombs in Iraq.

–Spc. Jason Hunt, 22, of Tillman, Okla., had married his wife, Jenna, two months ago, and she had planned to move to Fort Hood, where he had recently bought a home, the Daily Oklahoman of Oklahoma City reported. He joined the Army 3 1/2 years ago and was preparing for his second deployment to Iraq.

–Pfc. Aaron Nemelka, 19, of West Jordan, Utah, was looking forward to returning home for a short visit in December, when he planned to ask his girlfriend, Kristin Whittle, to marry him, the Deseret News of Salt Lake City reported. He was to be deployed to Afghanistan in January.

–Staff Sgt. Amy Krueger, 29, of Kiel, Wisconsin, was to be deployed to Afghanistan for a second tour assisting soldiers suffering from combat stress, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. She had left her home for Fort Hood two days before the massacre.

–Pfc. Kham Xiong, 23, of St. Paul, Minn., was one of 11 children of Hmong refugees, Minnesota Public Radio reported. When he joined the military this year, he followed in the footsteps of a younger brother and his father, who had fought Communist insurgents in Laos during the Vietnam War, then fled with his family to Thailand, where Kham Xiong was born.

–Capt. John Gaffaney, 56, of San Diego, Calif., had helped elderly victims of abuse and neglect for two decades, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Gaffaney, the father of a grown son, had arrived at Ford Hood the day before the rampage for a yearlong overseas deployment in Iraq with an Army reserve unit.

–Maj. Eduardo Caraveo, 52, of Woodridge, Va., was a Mexican immigrant who came to the United States as a teenager, The Wall Street Journal reported. A psychologist, he was to head to Afghanistan for his first tour to help soldiers deal with battle-related stress.

–Capt. Russell Seager, 51, of Mount Pleasant, Wis., was a registered nurse who joined the military about four years ago, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. He had led a mental health team at a VA medical center that served, among others, veterans just back from Iraq and Afghanistan. He was to be deployed to Afghanistan.

–Staff Sgt. Justin DeCrow, 32, of Evans, Ga., always wanted to be a soldier, his wife of 14 years, Marikay DeCrow, told the South Bend (Ind.) Tribune. He grew up in Plymouth, Ind., and was the father of a 13-year-old, Kylah.

–Michael G. Cahill, 62, of Cameron, Texas, was a retired chief warrant officer in the National Guard and had worked two decades as a physician’s assistant in rural clinics and veterans hospitals, The Washington Post reported. Cahill, a contract civilian employee at Fort Hood for the past six years, leaves a wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandson.

–Pfc. Michael Pearson, 21, of Bolingbrook, Ill., left a job at a furniture company and joined the military, longing for a chance to go to college, study music and see the world, the Chicago Tribune reported. He was in training to deactivate bombs and was to be deployed to Afghanistan in January.

–Spc. Frederick Greene, 29, of Mountain City, Tenn., was so quiet and low-key, he was nicknamed “Silent Soldier” while at Fort Hood preparing for a deployment to Afghanistan, The Washington Post reported. He is survived by his wife and two young children.

–Lt. Col. Juanita L. Warman, 55, of Havre de Grace, Md., was a nurse assigned to the 1908th Medical Company of Independence, Mo., The Washington Post reported. She was to be deployed to Iraq. She leaves two daughters and six grandchildren.

“These men and women were more than great Americans,” Fort Hood spokesman Col. John Rossi said. “They were sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. They were brave members of our Army family, soldiers and civilians….and I ask that we all take a moment to remember them all.”

Was on the GSA site looking for some sort of simplified small business GSA Schedule, and found this:

Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Initiative

An order signed by President George W. Bush on October 20, 2004, directs all federal agencies to implement Executive Order 13360. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) created the 21 Gun Salute initiative to help provide more opportunities in federal contracting for Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs). The following graphic illustrates how GSA plans to meet and exceed the 3 percent procurement goal for SDVOSBs as well as highlighting GSA’s role in helping other federal agencies reach their goal. [PDF - Word]

As a part of this initiative, an SDVOSB subcommittee has been formed to advise GSA’s Small Business Advisory Committee (SBAC) to improve and advance the opportunities of SDVOSBs. This committee met for the first time on January 13, 2009. The agenda and minutes of that meeting can be found here.

Expanding business opportunities is one important way to honor the men and women who, throughout history, have served proudly and courageously in our Armed Forces, placing their personal safety and ambitions second to protecting our country, preserving American ideals, and fighting the enemies of freedom.

Thank you for your interest in the 21 Gun Salute.

via GSA – Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Sml Bus.

It was good to see Col Blanco (ret) on the list of members.

The participants in the committee are:

Subcommittee Chair
John Moliere, Standard Communications, Inc.

Subcommittee Members
James A. Blanco, Vision Technologies
Thomas F. Brown, U.S. General Services Administration
R.C. (Chuck) Forrest III, KMEA
Robert J. Might, Innovative Management Concepts, Inc.
Arthur Salus, Duluth Travel Agency
Thomas M. Schultz, Veterans Imaging Products, Inc.
Rick Weidman, The Vietnam Veterans of America

When I find the GSA ez form- I’ll share that with you.

A few articles in Business Week talk about doing business with veterans and the advantage of  hiring veterans.

The military equips its members with skills and attributes that are particularly valuable in this economy. Hiring a veteran could be the smartest personnel decision you make.

From Bernie Madoff to free-spending executives, a “get-rich-quick” mentality has led to the loss of billions of dollars and valuable corporate reputations. The military engenders values of honor and integrity that are sorely needed in Corporate America and beyond, and can well position a company to win new business and protect its good name.

Battle-Tested Leadership

More than ever, businesses are in need of experienced leaders to navigate these troubled times. Military officers are trained as leaders and managers. They can analyze problems and produce solutions in a very short time. And they are expert planners.

via Military Veterans: Ready to Serve in the Workplace – BusinessWeek.

A second article talks about organizations dedicated to helping veterans own businesses and compete for government contracts. Of course, Ohio and VOB108 aren’t quite on the map, but  NaVOBA isn’t listed either.

Feel free to add comments to their article so that people will know about our efforts.

While most employment aid to veterans is focused on traditional job placement, more organizations are offering targeted help to former service people who plan to start a business. Here are a few- continue reading at  What I Learned in the Trenches – BusinessWeek.

We’re working to get Ohio to recognize Veteran owned businesses as preferred vendors in Ohio, which just started a department dedicated to Veteran business.

Why we can’t rely on www.vetbiz.gov to do this job, I don’t know, but some enterprising vet has created a new site which gives you at least 5 listings for free (for now). Their claim of being seen by hundreds of thousands is kind of dubious- because as we all know, Prime contractors have no interest in meeting SDVOB subcontracting requirements, never mind VOBs.

Get your company seen by hundreds of thousands of government agencies, corporate purchasing departments, contractors and consumers looking for your products and services. It’s free!

Veteran Owned Business Directory | Listings Of Businesses Owned By Veterans.

Since there is about to be a major change in Washington- it may be time to start re-looking at getting our proposed GSA schedule EZ to be created to help small businesses get their foot in the door with government buyers.

Members of VOB108 are at the Sixth Annual Veterans Business Symposium at Kent State. On presentation of the colors- a few of us followed the new laws- and saluted. Apparently, little has been done to publicize this change.
Here is the actual text from OpenCongress:

SEC. 1081. MILITARY SALUTE FOR THE FLAG DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM BY MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES NOT IN UNIFORM AND BY VETERANS.

Section 301(b)(1) of title 36, United States Code, is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) through (C) and inserting the following new subparagraphs:

`(A) individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note;

`(B) members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform; and

`(C) all other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and’.

OpenCongress – Text of S.3001 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009.

It’s official- but it is still an option, not required.