[2022] Gulf War Syndrome Cause Discovered? - Hill & Ponton, P.A. (hillandponton.com)

Veterans who received a general discharge from the military for anything other than some serious
crimes would be eligible for GI Bill benefits under a bill advanced by a House committee 19 JUL.
The House Veterans Affairs Committee advanced the bill along largely party lines after lawmakers
sparred over the military's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The bill, as introduced by Rep. Scott
Fitzgerald, R-Wis., was originally intended to extend GI Bill benefits only to veterans who have
been discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, but the committee voted to replace
Fitzgerald's proposal with a much broader one offered by committee Chairman Mark Takano, DCalif.
Right now, veterans are eligible for GI Bill benefits only if they received an honorable discharge
from military service. Under Takano's measure, veterans who received a general discharge under
honorable conditions would be eligible for GI Bill benefits unless they committed or attempted to
commit desertion, mutiny, espionage, sexual assault, murder, aggravated arson or burglary with
intent to harm. Takano said the change could help "tens of thousands of veterans who left the
service due to mental illness," as well as make "amends to the tens of thousands of veterans forced
out of the military during 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' or due to the their sexual orientation."
General discharges are given when a service member's performance is broadly satisfactory but
may have involved a minor infraction or did not meet all the conditions of a contract, such as drug
or alcohol use. Those who commit serious crimes such as the ones listed in Takano's measure aren't
supposed to be eligible for a general discharge. "I don't think we should prioritize those who have
refused a vaccine ahead of those who were forced to leave the military for their sexual orientation
or because of mental health or other personal reasons," Takano said during Tuesday's committee
meeting. "Those with a general discharge shouldn't be left out in the cold, and we shouldn't allow
those who refuse vaccines to jump ahead of the line."
The committee approved Takano's amendment 17-13 and then voted 15-13 to advance the bill
as amended. Breaking party ranks, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) voted against the amendment and
advancing the bill, and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) voted for the amendment and advancing the bill,
while Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA) voted for the amendment but against advancing the bill.
Republicans bristled at the overhauling of their attempt to shield from consequences service
members who have refused orders to take the COVID-19 vaccine, accusing Democrats of a
"political stunt" because the broader measure isn't likely to be voted on by the full House without
a provision offsetting what Republicans said is a potential cost of $11 billion over a decade. "This
is nothing more than a malign attempt to turn the screws on service members who have different
thoughts on vaccines," said Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT).
Republicans, who have baselessly questioned the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines,
have made several attempts to force the Pentagon to suspend its vaccination mandate or lessen the
consequences for refusers, largely through amendments to the annual defense policy bill. Most of
those attempts have been unsuccessful, with Democrats narrowly controlling Congress. But
Republicans did successfully insert a provision in last year's defense policy bill that said service

members who refuse to take the COVID-19 vaccine can receive no less than a general discharge
under honorable conditions. That protected most of those service members' veterans benefits,
except for GI Bill benefits.
During Tuesday's House Veterans Affairs Committee debate, ranking member Rep. Mike Bost,
(R-IL) lamented service members with a "very, very excellent record" losing those education
benefits. But Bost also argued that the broader expansion of GI Bill benefits advanced Tuesday
"starts us down a slippery slope that can negatively affect good order and discipline in our
military." "For us to insert our judgment like this is simply unprecedented," he said. Democrats
shot back that Republicans' own proposal could create issues with good order and discipline related
to vaccinations, 17 of which are required in addition to COVID-19.
"It would create a pretty difficult command climate for the commanders that right now want to
keep their troops safe and healthy and in the fight if their troops believe that they can basically
decide which vaccines they want to receive and which ones they don't and that the penalties for
that decision are minimal," Lamb said. [Source: Mlitary.com | Rebecca Kheel | July 19, 2022 ++]

Florida has 9,000 teacher vacancies it needs filled before the summer comes to a close and the
new academic year begins. The state’s Department of Education announced last week that
military veterans can now fill those roles. “Our public schools are really at a crisis level seeing
this massive number of vacancies,” Andrew Spar, Florida Education Association president, told
ABC Action News. “In 2010, there were 8,000 graduates from Florida’s colleges and universities
becoming teachers. That number was between 2,000 and 3,000 for the year that just ended. That’s
a significant drop-off.”
Veterans will now receive a five-year voucher that allows them to teach in the classroom
without typical accreditation or the necessary education requirements that other certified teachers
must possess. The move is part of an $8.6 million statewide initiative to provide careers and
workforce training to veterans and their dependents. “We owe the freedoms we enjoy as
Americans to our military veterans, and I am focused on ensuring Florida is the best state in the
nation for those who have served to find great jobs, start or grow businesses and support their
families,” said Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in a statement. “Business is booming in Florida,
and employers are looking for the leadership skills, training and teamwork military veterans bring
to the workforce.”
The state’s Department of Education currently expects veteran candidates without degrees
seeking teaching positions to have at least 60 college credits and a baseline 2.5 GPA. They need
to pass the subject area examination for bachelor’s level subjects, as well. In addition, their service
needs to amount to 48 months in the military, with an honorable or medical discharge. If hired by
a school, they are required to be supervised by a teaching mentor. Teachers and local unions, on
the other hand, feel this move will lower the standard of education for Florida schools.n“You
can’t just throw a warm body in a classroom, that’s not the answer,” Barry Dubin, president of
the Sarasota County Teachers Association, told the Herald Tribune.
While the shortage is dire, the decision to use veterans as a stop-gap measure has educators
questioning the state’s criteria for teachers. “There are many people who have gone through many
hoops and hurdles to obtain a proper teaching certificate,” Carmen Ward, president of the Alachua
County teachers union, said. “(Educators) are very dismayed that now someone with just a high
school education can pass the test and can easily get a five-year temporary certificate.” [Source:
MlitaryTimes | Sarah Sicard | July 19, 2022 ++]

Expansion to All Eras of Service Remains Set for October

With about two months left until a congressional deadline, Veterans Affairs officials said plans to expand
the caregiver support program to veterans of all eras remain on schedule, even if fixes to other aspects of
the program are still in limbo. Currently, the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers
— which provides a monthly stipend to qualified full-time caregivers of seriously ill or injured veterans
— is open only to veterans who served before 1975 or after 2001. But per a mandate from Congress, the
program must be opened to all families by Oct. 1 of this year. In comments to reporters on Wednesday,
VA Secretary Denis McDonough said department leaders are on track to do that. “We’re going to expand
in October,” he said. “We’re committed to that. It should have already been done by now, but we’ll get it
done by October.”
About 33,000 families are enrolled in the 11-year-old program. Doubts about VA’s ability to expand
it have surfaced in recent months amid other caregiver program turmoil. In 2021, in anticipation of the
upcoming expansion, VA officials rewrote eligibility criteria and reviewed about 19,000 legacy
participants to see if they still qualified for the benefit. Specific payout totals based on where veterans live,
but generally amount to about $3,000 a month for the full level two stipend and $1,800 for the partial level
one stipend. In the spring, following months of outcry from advocates that too many families were being
purged from the program, VA leaders suspended all program dismissals. Officials later acknowledged that
under the new eligibility criteria as many as 90% of the legacy participants could have been stripped of
caregiver benefits.
Since then, McDonough has publicly vowed to rewrite the eligibility criteria to better reflect the needs
of injured veterans and their families. However, no timetable has been set for when that work will be
completed. “We still don’t have those new criteria established, but the establishment of new criteria will
not impact the launch of the expansion,” he said. VA officials have said that once those criteria are
developed, they will be applied to existing program participants to see if the program participants still
qualify for stipends. However, all current participants are guaranteed to continue receiving benefits until
April 2023, under past promises by leaders.
Outside groups have complained that even after McDonough announced the pause in program
dismissals, local officials have continued to review families cases and warn that they could lose eligibility
in the future, even though the new program criteria still have not been developed. Past analysis of the
program have estimated that the upcoming expansion plans could nearly double participation in it. At the
VA web site https://www.caregiver.va.gov/support/sup...nefits.asp more information on the program
is available. [Source: MilitaryTimes | Leo Shane III | July 25, 2022 ++]

Pact Act Vet Benefits & Hopefully Last Delay
As many as one in five veterans living in America today could see new health care coverage and
disability benefits under the toxic exposure legislation advanced by the Senate 16 JUN, but some
veterans will see help sooner than others. The package — which was advanced by the Senate in a
bipartisan 84-14 vote and heads now to the House for final congressional approval — would cost
almost $280 billion over the next decade and radically transform how the Department of Veterans
Affairs analyzes and compensates victims of military chemical and radiation exposure incidents.
President Joe Biden has said he will sign the bill into law if it comes to his desk, and Veterans
Affairs officials have already begun preparing staffing and implementation plans in anticipation
of the new requirements. “America’s veterans and their loved ones will be better off as a result of
this work today,” said Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT) just
moments before the vote. “This will make the country a better place ... Today will show that we
can put party politics aside and honor America’s bravest.”
The burn pit provisions of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act have
received the most attention in recent months, in part because of the recency of those injuries. Tens
of thousands of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have developed rare respiratory
conditions and cancers in the years following their deployments, believed caused by poisonous
smoke from massive burn pits used to dispose of a host of military waste. But because scientific
monitoring was not done at many sites, conclusively linking the smoke to veterans’ ailments has
been a difficult task.
The PACT Act codifies recent changes in how the Department of Veterans Affairs approaches
those kinds of health claims, lowering standards for proof and offering presumptive status for some
rare illnesses believed caused by the burn pits. Advocates said those fundamental changes could
have wide-ranging and positive impact on veterans for years to come, developing a more patient 
friendly approach to how VA approaches any toxic exposure incidents. But they also say the direct
benefits for groups that have been excluded in the past are more urgent. Those individuals include
not only troops who recently separated but some who served more than five decades ago. Here are
highlights from those provisions:
The benefit: Provides presumptive status for disability benefits for 23 conditions related to burn
pit exposure. Who gets it: Most veterans who served in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars era are
expected to be covered under the provision, although specifics of how to implement that still must
be written by VA officials. Individuals would receive disability benefits if they contract any type
of the following cancers: head, neck, respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, reproductive
system, lymphatic system, kidney, brain, skin or pancreas.
Individuals would also receive disability benefits if they contract any type of the following
ailments: asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, constrictive
bronchiolitis, emphysema, granulomatous disease, interstitial lung disease, pleuritis, pulmonary
fibrosis, sarcoidosis, chronic sinusitis, chronic rhinitis or glioblastoma. Most of the illnesses other
than cancer would be eligible for benefits within the next year. The cancer benefits would be
phased in from 2024 to 2025, except for individuals facing severe medical issues.
The benefit: Provides 10 years of health care coverage from VA upon separation from the military.
Currently, all separating troops get five years of coverage. Who gets it: All veterans who left the
ranks in summer 2017 or later will have their eligibility automatically extended. Veterans who left
between summer 2014 and summer 2017 will be able to apply for additional years of health care
coverage, ending at 10 years after the date they separated.
The benefit: Provides presumptive status for disability benefits related to Agent Orange exposure
for veterans suffering from hypertension or monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined
significance (MGUS). Who gets it: All veterans currently eligible for disability benefits related to
Agent Orange exposure. For MGUS, the presumptive status goes into effect as soon as the bill is
signed into law. Veterans suffering from hypertension will be phased in. Those who age 85 and
older, or those suffering extreme health or financial problems will receive immediate benefits
status. For others, the presumptive status will start on Oct. 1, 2026.
The benefit: Provides presumptive status for disability benefits related to Agent Orange exposure
for veterans who served in areas previously not recognized for the chemical defoliant use. Who
gets it: For veterans 85 or older who qualify, the benefit goes into effect immediately. For younger
veterans, the provisions will trigger on Oct. 1, 2022. The eligible groups include:
 Individuals who served in Thailand (or any Royal Thai base) from Jan. 9, 1962, to June
30, 1976;
 Individuals who served in Laos between Dec. 1, 1965, and Sept. 30, 1969;
 Individuals who served in Cambodia’s Kompon Cham province between April 16, 1969,
and April 30, 1969;
 Individuals who served in Guam or American Samoa (or their territorial waters) between
Jan. 9, 1962, and July 31, 1980;
 Individuals who served on the Johnston Atoll between Jan. 1, 1972, and Sept. 30, 1977.
The benefit: Provides presumptive status for disability benefits for Persian Gulf War veterans.
Who gets it: All veterans who served in the first Gulf War. The provisions remove rules regarding
eligibility expiration.
The benefit: Provides presumptive status for disability benefits related to radiation exposure for
veterans who served at the Enewetak Atoll. Who gets it: Individuals who served at the site from
Jan. 1, 1977, to Dec. 31, 1980.
The benefit: Provides presumptive status for disability benefits related to radiation exposure for
veterans who served in Palomares, Spain. Who gets it: Individuals who served at the site from
Jan. 17, 1966, to March 31, 1967.
-o-o-O-o-oAnother Holdup
Procedural issues again scuttled the planned vote the week of 20 JUN to finalize legislation that
would dramatically expand benefits for veterans facing toxic exposure injuries from their time in
the service, but congressional leaders insist the issues can be resolved and legislation passed in
coming weeks. Leaders in the House and Senate had hoped to send the Promise to Address
Comprehensive Toxics Act (or PACT Act) to President Joe Biden’s desk for final signature by the
Fourth of July, after the Senate advanced the measure by a bipartisan 84-14 vote one week ago.
It represents the culmination of years of work from advocates who have argued that current
rules block many victims of on-duty toxic exposure injuries — in particular, smoke from burn pits
used to dispose of waste in Iraq and Afghanistan — from getting the care they deserve. The House
approved the measure in March. In response to Republican complaints about the cost of the new
benefits and potential workload increase the measure would put on the Department of Veterans
Affairs workforce, Senate leaders amended the bill to add phased-in implementation rules and
more staff to help process claims.
But those changes ran afoul of rules that require new revenue requirements start in the House,
not in the Senate. A planned House vote to finalize the measure on 22 JUN was postponed, and
chamber leaders scrambled to make corrections to the measure before lawmakers began their
two-week recess on 24 JUN. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-MT).,
attempted to push through a fix on the Senate floor late Thursday night, but the bid was blocked
by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), one of the 14 senators to oppose the measure last week.
Tester called that a disappointment. “There is a [technical] issue and we have to fix it,” he said.
“But in the process of our debates, we shouldn’t be denying health care to veterans, which is
exactly what [Toomey] is doing today.” Congressional leaders emphasized that the procedural
problems are not fatal for the future of the PACT Act, but instead represent a temporary delay.
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) said he still intends
to get a House vote on the measure “once the Senate resolves this procedural speedbump,” getting
the measure into law likely by mid-July. Comedian Jon Stewart, who has headlined numerous
rallies around Capitol Hill over the last year in favor of the PACT Act, took to Twitter on 23 JUN
to call the latest Senate delays “cynical nonsense that delays healthcare for veterans.” Both
chambers return from recess on July 11. Lawmakers will likely need several days after that to work
out the procedural fixes and hold relevant floor votes. Biden has already indicated he will sign the
measure into law when it is finalized by Congress. [Source: MilitaryTimes | Leo Shane III | June
21 & 24, 2022 ++]

(886) What is Gulf War Syndrome? - YouTube

(886) The PACT ACT Explained: Toxic Exposure Veterans' Benefits - YouTube

Bill numbers: H.R. 3402 | S. 976
Status as of June 7: 64 House co-sponsors, 12 Senate co-sponsors
Legislative Action Center link: Act Now to Improve Survivors' Benefits via
https://moaa.quorum.us/campaign/36953
This important legislation would raise Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) to the
same levels as other federal survivor programs. It would boost DIC to 55% of the compensation
of a 100% disabled veteran, up from the current 43%; correcting this injustice is long overdue.
The bill would also reform the so-called “10-year rule,” which prohibits survivors from receiving
DIC benefits if a 100% disabled servicemember dies of a non-service connected injury less than
10 years after receiving that disability rating. This bill would allow beneficiaries to receive a
portion of DIC beginning at five years, with that amount gradually rising until reaching full
compensation at the 10-year mark.
Unfortunately, the unofficial cost estimate for the Caring for Survivors Act gives lawmakers
sticker shock at roughly $20 billion over 10 years. This means MOAA needs your dedicated,
long-term advocacy to help build co-sponsors in both chambers for this legislation.
Sending multiple emails, writing letters, and making phone calls to your representative and both
of your senators has an iterative effect. They get tired of saying no. Share the links and the toll-free 
number listed above with your extended network of family and friends. They do not need to
be MOAA members to support these important advocacy initiatives. Be sure to use your own
words and experiences when speaking with staffers and asking for their support. [Source: MOAA
Newsletter | Mark Belinsky | June 09, 2022 ++]

Water Supplies near Bases Have Elevated PFAS
The Defense Department is reporting high levels of toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl
substances (PFAS) in drinking water near several of its bases, according to new data released by
the department. Drinking water testing near bases in Washington state, Pennsylvania, Florida and
Michigan found levels of the chemicals well above a health threshold set by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
PFAS is the name for a group of thousands of chemicals, some of which have been linked to
health issues such as kidney and testicular cancer and liver damage. The substances have been
used in products such as firefighting foam, which is used by the military. For this reason, PFAS
can be found near military bases and can contaminate nearby water. They are often referred to as
“forever chemicals” because they build up in the human body and environment instead of
breaking down over time.
While it has long been known that PFAS have leached into groundwater near military
installations, the new data provides an official glimpse into how it is impacting nearby drinking
water. While the EPA has said that levels of two types of PFAS called PFOA and PFOS should
not exceed 70 parts per trillion (ppt) — and states have called for even lower levels — findings
at some of the bases far exceed that:
 One assessment from October found a sample of drinking water near the Naval Air Station
at Washington State’s Whidbey Island contained 4,720 ppt of PFOS. In September, a
sample containing 208 ppt of PFOA was detected.
 A drinking water sample near Washington state’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord Yakima
Training Center was found to have 800 ppt of PFOS in January. A separate sample from
January at the base was found to have 130 ppt of PFOA.
 A sample from near Pennsylvania’s Willow Grove base was found to have 864 ppt of
PFOS in October.
 An August sample from around Florida’s Naval Air Station Whiting Field was found to
have 206 ppt of PFOA in August. A sample from December was found to have 130 ppt of
PFOS.
 A November sample from Michigan’s Camp Grayling Army Airfield was found to have
119 ppt of PFOA.
“These levels are extremely high,” Jared Hayes, policy analyst at the Environmental Working
Group, said in a statement. “For too long, service members and people living in communities
near military installations have been the victims of the Pentagon’s failure to act,” Hayes added.
A Department of Defense (DOD) spokesperson did not immediately respond to request for
comment. but the findings note that where PFOA or PFOS levels exceeded the EPA’s advisory
as a result of department activities, the DOD “immediately took actions to address the drinking
water exposure.”
The department was required to disclose the drinking water testing under fiscal 2022’s
National Defense Authorization Act. [Source: The Hill | Rachel Frazin | May 31, 2022 ++]

Veterans, including those who may be at increased risk for breast cancer because of their service
near burn pits, could have better access to breast cancer screenings under a pair of bills that cleared
Congress this week. The House on 18 MAY voted 418-0 to approve the Dr. Kate Hendricks
Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environments, or SERVICE, Act
(S.2102), which would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct mammograms for
all women who served near burn pits or other toxic exposures, regardless of symptoms, age or
family history.
The chamber also voted 419-0 to pass the Making Advances in Mammography and Medical
Options, or MAMMO, for Veterans Act (S.25330, which would require the VA to craft a strategic
plan to improve breast imaging services within a year, create a three-year pilot program of
telemammography for veterans in areas where the VA does not offer in-house mammograms, and
expand veterans' access to clinical trials through partnerships with the National Cancer Institute.
Both bills passed the Senate unanimously in March, meaning they now only await President Joe
Biden's signature before becoming law.
The Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act is named after a Marine Corps veteran who
died in April after being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at age 38. Thomas served near a
burn pit in Iraq and was unaware she faced an elevated risk of breast cancer, but was advised to
get a mammogram in 2018 during a routine medical exam. In written testimony last year, Thomas
told senators that she "needed that mammogram sooner." "Early detection and treatment are key
in the fight against breast cancer," Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., the lead sponsor of the bill, said
in a statement when the bill passed the Senate. "Given the additional risk factors associated with
toxic exposure, which we know has occurred in recent combat settings, the VA must update its
policies so vulnerable veterans can receive mammograms."
Passage of the bill came the same day senators announced a bipartisan deal to greatly expand
health care and benefits for veterans suffering from illnesses related to toxic exposure. While the
full text of the agreement has not yet been released, the House-passed bill upon which the deal is
based did not include breast cancer as one of the ailments for which benefits would automatically
be extended. The two mammogram bills were among a slate of 19 veterans-related bills, including
several others that also focus on issues primarily affecting female veterans, the House passed this
week, its last before it goes on a two-week Memorial Day recess. Bills approved 18 MAY
included four meant to improve support for survivors of military sexual trauma.
 One bill, approved 417-0, seeks to improve coordination between the Veterans Benefits
Administration and Veterans Health Administration when helping veterans file claims
related to sexual trauma.
 Another, passed 405-12, would add annual training on sexual trauma for members of the
Board of Veterans' Appeals, which hears veterans' benefits claims after they've been
denied. The opposition came entirely from Republicans.
 The House also advanced a bill in a 414-2 vote to require the VA to have the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine conduct a comprehensive review of
VA medical examinations for people who submit claims for mental and physical
conditions related to sexual trauma. The "no" votes came from Reps. Sean Casten, DIll.,
and Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn.
 And the chamber passed a bill in a 420-0 vote to create a peer support program at the
Veterans Benefits Administration for sexual trauma survivors.
The House also voted 420-0 on H.R.5738 to require the VA to provide lactation rooms for
veteran moms in all of its medical centers. An estimated 90 VA facilities across the country
already have nursing rooms, but only VA employees can access them. "The bills passed today
address the unique needs of women veterans, including ensuring safe and discreet lactation spaces
for veteran mothers who seek care at VA facilities and on H.R.6901 providing dignity to survivors
of MST as they go through the claims process," House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman
Mark (D-CA) said in a statement.
The MST bills and the lactation room bill still need to be voted on by the Senate before they
could be signed into law by Biden. [Source: Military.com | Rebecca Kheel | 19 May 2022 ++]