Agent Orange Presumptions Extended For Korean DMZ Vets

This morning VA announced new rules for presumptive conditions resulting from Agent Orange exposure for veterans deployed along the demilitarized zone in South Korea.

The new regulation extends the window of service for presumptive claims from April 1, 1968 to Aug. 31, 1971. Previously, veterans were only presumed to have been exposed up until April 1969.

AMVETS National Service Director Denny Boller, who served along the demilitarized zone in the early 1970s, applauded the decision, which he said was a long time coming. Boller went on to say that veterans who have been fighting VA for decades will now be allowed to receive the care they deserve as a result of exposure to the toxic defoliant.

The new regulations are available in the latest version of the Federal Register, Volume 76, Number 16, which can be viewed by Clicking Here.

VA offers presumptive coverage for Agent Orange exposure for more than a dozen health conditions, which are outlined on the VA's official Web site.

AMVETS encourages all veterans suffering from a presumptive condition who meet the service requirements to file their claims as soon as possible, and remind veterans that AMVETS National Service Officers stand ready to assist in the claims process free of charge. A list of all AMVETS National Service Officers can be found on the AMVETS National Web site.

AMVETS has consistently advocated for long-overdue Agent Orange benefits and Boller said this is a much-needed victory for many who served more than 40 years ago.

(Image: A South Korean soldier stands sentry on the Bridge of No Return alongside a rusty sign marking the military demarcation on the Korean Demilitarized Zone. U.S. Army photo by Edward N. Johnson, released.)

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran we will recap Friday's roll-out of the new AMVETS Warrior Transition Workshops, where Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.) joined AMVETS National Commander Duane J. Miskulin and AMVETS' new partners from Freedom & Honor to introduce the new transitional tool.

We will also follow AMVETS to Capitol Hill, where AMVETS National Deputy Legislative Director Christina Roof will testify before the House Veterans Affairs Committee on military sexual trauma. The committee will also host hearings on information security within VA and the VA home loan program, which American Veteran will follow.

This week, we will also finally post on Camp Hope's recent open house and we will highlight the upcoming issue of American Veteran magazine, which should be arriving in your mailboxes next week.

American Veteran will also continue to follow developments within the military and veterans' communities, keeping up to date on issues such as the purported medal for combat restraint and the possible new Georgia law, allowing veterans to annotate "PTSD" on drivers' licenses.

As always, we're eager to hear from posts and departments around the country, so please send photos and stories, and please feel free to leave your comments.