This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will continue to follow the VA's implementation of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Tomorrow, the first living stipend checks are scheduled to be deposited in veterans' accounts. AMVETS has expressed concerns that this will not happen and, on Friday, developed a contingency plan which AMVETS leaders plan to discuss with VA.

The latest data from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) indicates that 234,260 education work items remain pending within the administration. To view the data in VBA's weekly report from Aug. 24, Click Here. Pending education claims can be found in column P.

AMVETS is concerned that many veterans will face financial hardships as a result of payment delays--a situation that must be avoided at all costs. Congress imposed an ambitious timeline on VBA, so rather than blaming the VA, AMVETS would rather propose solutions to the issue.

This week, American Veteran will also continue to follow the "Your Life, Your Choices" debacle, since accusations continue to fly unabated, in spite of the responses from AMVETS and the American Legion acknowledging that the document is not an attempt to steer veterans toward ending their lives.

Tomorrow is Sept. 1, which means that we are coming close to the submission deadline for the fall issue of American Veteran magazine. Please send on your photos and submissions as soon as possible for consideration for Keeping Posted and potential feature content.

Thank you to everyone who read the write-up last week on "Your Life, Your Choices" and the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy. We hope you will continue to comment on our postings, and, as always, we're eager to hear what's happening in the field so that we may highlight it on this blog.