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CRUSTY MINGE posted:Yeah, call a rep and talk to them about filing after discharge. I suggest the DAV, they're not dealing with dwindling memberships and bad press as badly as AL or VFW, often have an office in the VA hospitals. Your county might have a veterans rep on staff as well. I might also check with my county. Apparently there is a DAV in my city in North Texas, but on their website I searched for location near me and it came up with Waco, which I’m sure it isn’t coincidence that the closest VA Regional Office to me is down in Waco too. In y’all’s experience, would a series of surgeries while I was in the military be an eligible condition (scar tissue and still have pain like more than thirteen years later)? It’s connected to my time in the military and all surgeries were done by a regional medical center except for one on the local economy, but it isn’t necessarily something the military itself caused unless I can say it was from sitting in five tons a lot. I also went for my back while in, got x rays done and nothing ever really came as far as a diagnosis but my back hurts a ton and my last year in I couldn’t even run because it hurt so much. All I got for it was maybe possibly I had a compressed disc in my lower back. And tinnitus from being around helicopters every single goddamn day.
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Jun 11, 2021 02:16
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life is killing me posted:I might also check with my county. Apparently there is a DAV in my city in North Texas, but on their website I searched for location near me and it came up with Waco, which I’m sure it isn’t coincidence that the closest VA Regional Office to me is down in Waco too. I'd say that's a pretty good case for service connection. Worst thing it'll cost you is a little bit of your time to talk with the rep at the DAV.
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Jun 11, 2021 02:30
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You stand a better chance than those without surgeries in their record. DAV can get your records for you. I can tell you to not get too excited about lower back problems in terms of a rating, but issues caused by discs, like pinched nerves in your legs, should be filed separately from the back claim. 10-20% rating is probably what you're looking at for the back, if you have numbness in your leg or toes, or obvious nerve problems, that would be a separate claim. Same kind of logic applies to upper spine and arms. Those will usually be in the same range you're looking at for your back. Don't be surprised if they come back with 0% but say it's service connected, that happens and you can appeal or file for review for increase later, it's just good they acknowledge it.
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Jun 11, 2021 02:32
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Your county may have a VSO in their government too.
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Jun 11, 2021 03:33
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I finally made it to retirement. Sitting here on terminal leave trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my life while I farm CoD skins. I decided that the post 9/11 GI Bill is the way to go to supplement the ol' pension I'll be getting, but I'm confused about the best option. From what I can gather you get E5 with dependent rate BAH each month, based on the zip code of the school you enroll in. Normally you would want to move to an expensive area so you can get the most money, but that isn't exactly an option for me at this time. I believe that Illinois, where I enlisted, has a program where I get free state school, so I could move back home (live in my dad's furnished and finished basement, at the age of 38 with an 11 year old(I could be a discord mod!)) and perhaps double dip GI bill? I'd like to stay in Texas because I'm already here, and a move wouldn't be 22 hours away. Is it accurate that if I enroll in a 100% online degree program, do I only get 50% of the national BAH rate, which would be something like $900? Would it be best financially for me to move to IL and go to school in residence, if schools are even doing that yet? $900 a month isn't much of anything to live on. lite_sleepr fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Jun 25, 2021 |
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Jun 25, 2021 20:48
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It is almost always better to take classes in person (when available). Right now you don't get dinged for being fully online, but that won't last forever. The GI bill pays tuition so unless you're hit with major out of state tuition rates, you can generally go anywhere you want. I'd say figure out where you'd like to live, find a college near there, and move there or nearby while you work on your degree.
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Jun 25, 2021 21:03
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Also make sure that you put in for any disability services you qualify for and get that dd214 if you want a federal job.
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Jun 25, 2021 21:13
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If you have a disability rating, take Voc Rehab instead.
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Jun 25, 2021 22:18
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Mr. Nice! posted:It is almost always better to take classes in person (when available). Right now you don't get dinged for being fully online, but that won't last forever. The GI bill pays tuition so unless you're hit with major out of state tuition rates, you can generally go anywhere you want. I'd say figure out where you'd like to live, find a college near there, and move there or nearby while you work on your degree. UMGC (formerly university of maryland university campus) has a bachelors in human resources management, which is closely aligned with what I did in the AF, so I'd like to stay with them as I've already taken classes with that school. Other than that, I guess I can use a VA loan to buy a house in TX (just not near Laughlin) and sign up. White Chocolate posted:Also make sure that you put in for any disability services you qualify for and get that dd214 if you want a federal job. I submitted my VA claim in Feb, six months before my discharge date so I can get bennies on date of discharge, or a BDD claim. Should be ready by 1 Aug when I'm done.
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Jun 25, 2021 22:55
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lite_sleepr posted:I finally made it to retirement. Congrats on making it. I retired in January so I know the feeling of elation. One thing to note is that if you use the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, it gets paid directly to the school. So you can't double dip using it in states like Texas where some (all?) veterans get in state tuition covered. If you still have the Montgomery G.I. Bill, you CAN double dip since it's paid to you instead. However, then you lose out of the BAH and yearly book stipend. Whichever path you take, also don't forget to fill to the FASFA form and get some PELL Grants too. I went to school the last few years before I retired and got paid 8 or 10k after my tuition assistance and PELL Grants kicked it.
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Jun 25, 2021 22:59
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lite_sleepr posted:UMGC (formerly university of maryland university campus) has a bachelors in human resources management, which is closely aligned with what I did in the AF, so I'd like to stay with them as I've already taken classes with that school. Other than that, I guess I can use a VA loan to buy a house in TX (just not near Laughlin) and sign up. Also, on this, let me save you the heartache and headache I had. You won't know anything about your rating until a few days after you officially retire. It doesn't matter that they are sitting on the decision for months. No one will update anything until you cross the discharge threshold. Also, you won't get a disability check the first month you think you should since you won't get a decision until the 2nd or 3rd of the month before. It'll kick in the following month.
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Jun 25, 2021 23:01
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Hekk posted:Congrats on making it. I retired in January so I know the feeling of elation. I must be misunderstanding, are you saying that the post 9/11 GI Bill pays the tuition to the school, but it also gives me the E5 with dependent rate stipend, correct?
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Jun 26, 2021 00:08
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Mr. Nice! posted:Right now you don't get dinged for being fully online, but that won't last forever. I believe this is only for classes that are normally in person but are online for the pandemic. Anything that was purely online before follows the same rules as before. lite_sleepr posted:I must be misunderstanding, are you saying that the post 9/11 GI Bill pays the tuition to the school, but it also gives me the E5 with dependent rate stipend, correct? Yes. I think of it as the school bills the VA for the balance of the tuition and pays you directly for the BAH. If the school is paid by the state, the school charges the VA $0 and you still get the same BAH. Either way you have the same number of days deducted from your total benefits. DaNerd fucked around with this message at 00:11 on Jun 26, 2021 |
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Jun 26, 2021 00:08
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lite_sleepr posted:I must be misunderstanding, are you saying that the post 9/11 GI Bill pays the tuition to the school, but it also gives me the E5 with dependent rate stipend, correct? Yeah the Montgomery G.I. Bill paid the student. Like you'd send in documents showing you were enrolled in school and you'd get cut a check for whatever the G.I. Bill rate was. That meant that if you had state benefits to cover your cost of school, you could just collect the G.I. Bill as income. BUT it didn't give you BAH or a book stipend. The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill changed this and went to paying the school directly. That means if you have state benefits that pay for school, the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill will still pay you BAH while you are actively taking classes (Not summer or winter break) and pay your book stipend but this reduces the benefit the same way it would if classes were paid for by the G.I. Bill too. So if you have state benefits and plan on using the Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, it might be worth looking into whether you can afford to miss out on BAH while you use your state benefits and then dip into the G.I. Bill.
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Jun 26, 2021 00:21
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The elation has kind of wore off over the last 2 months as I gotta figure out what I'm going to do. My beard is real tight though. I keep it trimmed with a #3 guard.
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Jun 26, 2021 04:14
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lite_sleepr posted:The elation has kind of wore off over the last 2 months as I gotta figure out what I'm going to do. I grew my vet beard out in 2012, started the day I ETS’d and drove from GA to TX and it hasn’t been shaved off since.
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Jun 26, 2021 04:18
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What are ya doing for work? I'm kinda bummed because I had the, perhaps unrealistic expectation, that I'd be able to roll into an AFPC job since I did 14 years in the MPF. To date I've put in 31 applications, most to AFPC, and all of them are shot down. Some say it's because I don't have a bachelors degree, others because i'm not officially out yet and don't have that 214. I have had one call back and a job offer from a civilian company called Copart, but they were offering $18 an hour for what sounded like managing a team of call center people. Not to mention they weren't willing to wait until August, not that I could blame them. Wasn't meant to be.
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Jun 26, 2021 05:51
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lite_sleepr posted:What are ya doing for work? Me? I am looking for an actual steady job after running a business for a few years and deciding it isn’t for me. Getting the old airframe and power plant certificate, aviation experience qualified me for the exams so I’m trying to knock those out so some aviation company might actually hire me
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Jun 26, 2021 12:31
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I'm also trying to get a certificate, a PHR for HR. Lots of folks say that companies will prioritize certificates over degrees now, but sadly the IVMF doesn't pay the bills while I'm studying for it, so I'll likely just drop it and do the school thing.
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Jun 26, 2021 16:42
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Do you have enough years in to transfer your post 9/11 benefits to your kid? I'm not sure if it's possible, but it seems like the min/max approach to your benefits at this point would be to make that transfer and then either attend school using your state benefits or see if it's still possible to utilize Voc Rehab after transferring your benefits. It doesn't seem like the cost of attending a 4 year university is going to drop in the next 10 years or so, if anything those expenses might go up, so the value of the post 9/11 benefits may increase along with those expenses. The only reason I suggest this is that you've indicated that you're still trying to figure out what you want to do now that you're retired. the G.I. Bill can cover a lot of expensive programs and educational pipelines and if you want to preserve value, I'd recommend seeing what you can do with the benefits available to you presently and maybe seeing what can be done by taking on some minimal student loan debt / signing up for grants. Anyway, that might be something to check on the viability of / run some numbers on.\ In the alternative it is possible to get your degree with your post 9/11 benefits and then sign up for Voc Rehab to pursue a graduate program. I did that with law school and managed to stretch out 6+ years on BAH and received my undergrad and law school education all on the government's dime. The educational benefits you have are pretty excellent, and with the right academic plan you can really come out ahead. Grip it and rip it fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Jun 26, 2021 |
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Jun 26, 2021 20:33
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I don't know anything about vocational rehab. I know only slightly more about the post 9/11 gi bill.
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Jun 27, 2021 00:45
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If you have any VA disability percentage coming, you're probably eligible for VR&E, which used to be called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment and is now something like Vet Readiness but everyone thinks it's dumb so most people just say VR&E. It's a job counselling program that will also pay for university or whatever else they need to get you a job that you can do in spite of your disability rating. The important part is that you have some maximum amount of time (48 months) they'll pay for school (university, trade, flight, whatever) and it's independent of GI Bill time. However, the reverse is not true, if you use GI Bill, it subtracts from the maximum amount of VR&E time you get. So if you use VR&E to get a bachelors' you can use GI Bill after for law school or whatever. You could also transfer your GI Bill to a dependent or whatever and still use VR&E. USE VR&E FIRST
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Jul 6, 2021 06:37
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If someone used their GI Bill before being eligible for VR&E does it still subtract? My wife was prior enlisted, then separated, then used GI Bill to get a degree and commission a couple years afterwards. 12 years later she's separated and disabled; we never knew about this program and I'm wondering if it's because her GI Bill used before still removes her VR&E time, even if she wasn't eligible for voc rehab at the time. Edit: reading online apparently yes, using GI Bill looks like it prevents you from using Voc Rehab of you gain it in the future. PageMaster fucked around with this message at 07:15 on Jul 6, 2021 |
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Jul 6, 2021 06:58
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Dorstein posted:If you have any VA disability percentage coming, you're probably eligible for VR&E, which used to be called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment and is now something like Vet Readiness but everyone thinks it's dumb so most people just say VR&E. Wait, if I only have like another year or two before my GI Bill expires, does that mean I have only that long for VR&E or will it continue for longer or pause it or what? I'm 70%
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Jul 6, 2021 07:07
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I don't think VR&E expires but I'm not 100% sure about that. Post 9/11 GI Bill does expire, if you got out before January 1, 2013. You can apply for extensions of your GI Bill delimiting date if your disabilities kept you from using it. I don't know how hard that is. As far as I know, VR&E is almost always a better deal, since it's 100% of tuition & supplies (free laptop, books, tools, etc) plus housing stipend, and you get 48 months instead of 36, and you can apply for even more extra time if you have trouble along the way.
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Jul 6, 2021 07:43
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https://www.va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation/eligibility/ I guess basic VR&E eligibility expires 12 years after you get out, but a "serious employment handicap" can extend that.
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Jul 6, 2021 07:45
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I was told once you are in VR&E you are in it for life. Like they told me a story about some Vietnam vet that drove trucks for a living but now it's too hard on his body so VR&E was gonna send him to school to get a degree in social work. No idea how true it is but that is what I was told. Also I got a bachelors from a for profit using 2 years of the GI Bill (Don't go to a for profit, if you read anything read that again) then I got on VR&E and they sent me to a proper state university. They just kept extending my GI Bill. When I asked about the possibility of grad school they said it was a possibility but they might just look at my real degree and say that that makes me employable enough. Still have like a year left of the GI Bill. As with everything VA YMMV, everything is made up and the points don't matter.
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Jul 7, 2021 01:19
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What is the point in going to school and wasting time chasing a 4-year degree when I'm 38? I'll be 42 by the time I graduate, more than twice the age of the average 20-something entering the workforce already with a degree. If my experience is already worth less than nothing at the age of 38, it's going to be worth only slightly less once I get a degree.
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Jul 7, 2021 12:44
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lite_sleepr posted:What is the point in going to school and wasting time chasing a 4-year degree when I'm 38? I'll be 42 by the time I graduate, more than twice the age of the average 20-something entering the workforce already with a degree. If my experience is already worth less than nothing at the age of 38, it's going to be worth only slightly less once I get a degree. You can get a degree in literally anything and go into any field you want. You get paid a good wage just to go to school, and any scholarships you get go straight to your pocket. I'm 37 and back in school for another five years. Who cares about age? If you want to just get into the workforce, though, just go work. College is easy mode, though.
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Jul 7, 2021 13:10
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You're going to be 42 either way, might as well have a degree too.
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Jul 7, 2021 13:29
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lite_sleepr posted:What is the point in going to school and wasting time chasing a 4-year degree when I'm 38? I'll be 42 by the time I graduate, more than twice the age of the average 20-something entering the workforce already with a degree. If my experience is already worth less than nothing at the age of 38, it's going to be worth only slightly less once I get a degree. I just retired at 39 and entered into a completely different field than what I worked in the mil. Specifically because of the degree I just got in Computer Science. You’ve got at least another 20 years before you will be getting close the age most folks look at retiring at. Might as well work in a field you hate a bit less and a degree will help you do that.
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Jul 7, 2021 14:14
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Trying to figure out what to do with my life is scary  Computer science degree worth it? I imagine there is a ton of math which I am terrible at.
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Jul 7, 2021 14:31
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lite_sleepr posted:Trying to figure out what to do with my life is scary If you have any interest in programming, technical problem-solving using both math and brute-force thinking, and want to challenge yourself to get pretty good at the thing you're bad at (math) I say do it. When I started I took a math placement test and didn't remember what factoring was. I had to do developmental algebra, college algebra, trigonometry, calculus 1 and 2, and am now a year from graduating with a Computer and Information Science degree. It has been extremely challenging and humbling, but I've done it despite painting myself from the start as a "bad at math" person. Just know that if you're in the same spot as I was that basically every reputable CS, CSE, CIS, or EE program is designed for students to come straight from high school into calculus 1. If I could go back I would have self-studied and tried to CLEP as much as my math as possible, but my circumstances were weird and everything has worked out just fine. You can definitely do it.
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Jul 7, 2021 16:40
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I'm trying to work up the nerve to go ask for VR&E but I'm worried about how to justify it. I'm 70% disabled with PTSD, but I currently work IT where I make 100k/yr and I put my life savings into a multifamily where I live and rent the rest for another 100k/yr (to be fair this is Boston so it's not *that* much). But all of my job is tickets, and all of my property is tickets, I just lie on the couch overwhelmed by whatever tickets I have left at the end of the day, and I feel like when the VR&E rep sees I make 4x what they do, I'm gonna get the guillotine. I wanna leave the rentals to a management company and leave this job to go and build sustainable energy projects before this hellworld boils over. It's all I think about all day. What's the point of any of this if the planet is flooded in a few more generations? Sounds dorky as hell but I can't loving shake it and it is a paralyzing obsession. I spent a few weeks hanging out at a makerspace and I don't think I've ever been so happy just building gadgets. I don't know if there's any way to parlay VR&E into becoming an energy sustainability inventor/entrepreneur. The whole VR&E project sounds very "don't quit your day job" and wants to get you into something "safe" when I can afford to (and need to) do something way more adventurous and independent to keep my sanity.
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Jul 7, 2021 17:28
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VR&E will work with you on part time classes if that's what you prefer. They'd rather you go full time, if you can, but won't push it if you're not feeling it. The big difference is the counseling, and if you feel like you can sell your story to them, because you'll need their approval. And you'll see that counselor once a semester (usually) so they're going to update your file every time they see you. They aren't there to decide against you, but to help you make the right decision for yourself. You can use VR&E to pursue a masters' degree, if you already have a bachelors. And if you burn the gently caress out on life in general, your disability rating qualifies for Individual Unemployability, but you cannot take a W2/4 position with IU and only make below the poverty line on 1099. IU is the program that pays nearly 100% disability ($37k~/year) and you will lose it if you take a regular job. The 1099 stuff is basically for people who do little stuff to add to their income, but if you cross the poverty line on income, you'll lose IU. It will just reduce you to your actual rating payment, not axe your disability altogether. IU requires going through C&P again, so if you eventually find yourself going that route, ask a vet rep like DAV about filing. CRUSTY MINGE fucked around with this message at 17:50 on Jul 7, 2021 |
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Jul 7, 2021 17:42
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rifles posted:If you have any interest in programming, technical problem-solving using both math and brute-force thinking, and want to challenge yourself to get pretty good at the thing you're bad at (math) I say do it. That's not for me, then.
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Jul 7, 2021 19:14
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lite_sleepr posted:That's not for me, then. Comp sci and programming requires a good chunk of math knowledge. Programming is math. What is it you want to do? I understand you may only have a general idea. That's actually what's good about getting a four year degree. You get time to take a bunch of classes in a lot of different subjects and figure out what you want to do. Go to this website and punch in the zip code for a school you're interested in at the E5 rate. Post 9/11 GI Bill and VR&E pay E5 with dependent rates to you while you're in school. This is tax free and in your pocket. So you have that as a base salary. You also get any scholarships, grants, etc. refunded to you (also mostly tax free). You can do pretty well on the GI Bill. I'm not exactly in your situation as I'm working on a PhD, but I'm making significantly more as a student than I ever have as an attorney. e: You can also just start throwing resumes/applications at various government contractors/usajobs.gov positions and see what comes up for you.
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Jul 7, 2021 19:35
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lite_sleepr posted:What is the point in going to school and wasting time chasing a 4-year degree when I'm 38? I'll be 42 by the time I graduate, more than twice the age of the average 20-something entering the workforce already with a degree. If my experience is already worth less than nothing at the age of 38, it's going to be worth only slightly less once I get a degree. The kind of work that pays decently with a degree is significantly less physically taxing and can be done for significantly longer than well laying work that doesn't require a degree. I'm in my mid 30s working as an attorney, and regularly rub elbows with contemporaries who are in their 60s and going strong. But if you don't see the upside to going to school, don't go. Or do some vocational / tech training to learn how to maintain server farms. I hear that's well paying work
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Jul 7, 2021 20:25
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Mr. Nice! posted:Comp sci and programming requires a good chunk of math knowledge. Programming is math. Which website
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Jul 7, 2021 20:51
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My bad! https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm
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Jul 7, 2021 20:57
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