Veterans Employment Opportunity

Ben Seger, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialist, Georgia Department of Labor, will be at the chapter on March 14, 2007 (Wednesday) at 10:00 a.m. to provide employment services and labor market information to veterans desiring employment assistance.

 Request Military Records or DD 214

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) will attempt to reconstruct a veteran's records only if asked by the veteran or by the next of kin of a deceased veteran. Next of Kin guidelines are: Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, husbands, or wives.

Information the NPRC will need is:

-Full name used during the military service
-Date of Birth
-Branch of Service  
-Approximate dates of service  
-Service Number 
-Place of entry into the service
-Last unit of assignment    
-Place of discharge

Send the information to:

National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

Or

Contact online at http://www.vetrecs.archives.gov

Or

Email at mpr.center@nara.gov

Or

Call at 1-314-801-0800

The 1973 Fire at the NPRC in St. Louis destroyed about 80% of the records for Army personnel discharged between November 1, 1912, and January 1, 1960. Also destroyed about 75% of the records for Army/Air Force and Air Force personnel, with surnames from “Hubbard” through “Z,” discharged between September 25, 1947,
and January 1, 1964.

World War I (Army) - Sept.7, 1939 to Nov. 1, 1912
World War II (Army) – Dec. 31, 1946 to Sept. 8, 1939
Post-World War II (Army) - Dec. 31, 1959 to Jan. 1, 1947
Post-World War II (Air Force) – Dec 31, 1963 to Sept. 25, 1947

Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)

Purpose:  To provide benefits to the veteran in the event an injury
occurred during active service and the cause of the injury is clearly
stated in the veteran’s medical records. Veteran must be retired to
receive this benefit.

Explanation of Benefit:

CRSC is designed to restore military retirement pay that has been offset by Department of Veterans Affairs compensation when evidence exists to confirm the associated disabilities are combat related.  For example, if a veteran is currently rated for a disability of 10 percent with the VA, he or she receives a check from the VA for $115 each month, but his or her retired pay is reduced by that same amount.  If that disability is found to be combat-related by the CRSC review board, he or she would continue to receive the monthly check from the VA for $115 along with the remainder of the retired pay, but begin to receive an additional monthly check from CRSC for $115.

Statute defining this program is:  Title 10 U.S. Code Section 1413a.

CRSC 2003 CRITERIA (effective 1 June through 31 December 2003):
 
Preliminary criteria.  A retired member of the Uniformed Services who meets each of the following four conditions will be considered to meet the Preliminary CRSC Criteria:
 
1. Has 20 or more years of service in the Uniformed Services for purposes of computing the amount of retired pay.
 
2. Is in a retired status (i.e., is on the retired rolls, or has been transferred to
the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve).
 
3. Is entitled to retired pay, including retirees whose pay may be reduced due to
receipt of VA disability compensation.
 
4. Has qualifying disability ratings (percentages), from either the VA or the Secretary
of the Military Department concerned, which are:
    a. at least 10% disabling if awarded a Purple Heart; or
    b. at least 60% disabling if not awarded a Purple Heart.
 
Final criteria.  A retiree must have either Purple Heart injuries that combine to at
least a 10% disability rating, or combat-related injuries that combine to at least a 60%
disability rating.

CRSC 2004 CRITERIA (effective 1 January 2004):
 
Preliminary criteria.  A retired member of the Uniformed Services who meets each of the
following four conditions will be considered to meet the Preliminary CRSC Criteria:
 
1. Has 20 or more years of service in the Uniformed Services for purposes of computing
the amount of retired pay and, for a Reservist, is 60 years or older.
 
2. Is in a retired status (i.e., is on the retired rolls, or has been transferred to
the Fleet Reserve or Fleet Marine Corps Reserve).
 
3. Is entitled to retired pay, including retirees whose pay may be reduced due to receipt
of VA disability compensation.
 
4. Has qualifying disability ratings (percentages), from the VA which are at least 10%
disabling.
 
Final criteria.  A retiree must have combat-related injuries with at least a 10% disability
rating.

NOTE: In general, many injuries/conditions that Sailors, Airman and Marines incur on active duty are not combat-related, even though they are found to be service connected by the VA. Many applications that meet the preliminary CRSC criteria, however, do not meet the final
CRSC criteria. Applications that do not meet both criteria will be denied.

Special Extra Earnings for Military Service

Under certain circumstances, special extra earnings for your military service from 1940 through 2001 can be credited to your record for Social Security purposes. These extra earnings may help you qualify for Social Security or increase the amount of your Social Security benefit. Special extra earnings are granted for periods of active duty or active duty for training. Special extra earnings are not granted for inactive duty training.

Note: Social Security cannot add these extra earnings to your record until you file for Social Security benefits.

How You Get Credit for Special Extra Earnings

The information that follows applies only to active duty military service earnings from 1940 through 2001. Here's how the special extra earnings are credited:

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.

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 1940 Through 1956 If you were in the military during this period, including attendance at a service academy, you did not pay Social Security taxes. However, your Social Security record may be credited with $160 a month in earnings for military service from September 16, 1940, through December 31, 1956, under the following circumstances:

•You were honorably discharged after 90 or more days of service, or you were released because of a disability or injury received in the line of duty; or
•You are still on active duty; or
•You are applying for survivors benefits and the veteran died while on active duty.

You cannot receive credit for these special extra earnings if you are already receiving a federal benefit based on the same years of service. There is one exception: If you were on active duty after 1956, you can still get the special earnings for 1951 through 1956, even if you're receiving a military retirement based on service during that period.
Note: Change in special military service credits.

In January 2002, Public Law 107-117, the Defense Appropriations Act, stopped the special extra earnings that have been credited to military service personnel. Military service in calendar year 2002 and future years no longer qualifies for these special extra earnings.

For additional information: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/retire2/military.htm