New Online Enrollment Application Available for Servicemembers - The Department of Veterans Affairs partnered with the First Army at Camp Shelby, Miss., to launch a streamlined version of its online application for VA health benefits (VA Form 1010EZ) for Servicemembers returning from deployment. VA will introduce it at demobilization sites nationwide by early spring 2012. (2/3/12)
Over 500 Vets Hired at VA’s Hiring Fair - With the success of its recent “Hiring Fair” in Washington, which resulted in more than 500 tentative job offers for Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs is looking at ways to expand VA’s traditional hire-a-vet program with major Veteran-focused career fairs throughout the country (2/2/12)
VA, NFFE Reach Agreement on New Union Contract - Officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) have reached final agreement on a new national collective bargaining agreement, their first since 1997. (2/2/12)
VA Caregivers Support Line Celebrates First Anniversary - On Feb. 1, the Department of Veterans Affairs will mark the one-year anniversary of the toll-free National VA Caregiver Support Line, 1-855-260-3274. The support line’s dedicated staff has helped more than 25,000 Veterans, family members and Caregivers connect to resources and receive access to services they have earned. (2/1/12)
VA’s Home Loan Program Continues to Lead Mortgage Industry - Home loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs continue to have the lowest serious delinquency and foreclosure rates in the mortgage industry. Veterans have also taken advantage of their home loan benefit in record numbers, as VA loan originations reached their highest total in eight years. (1/30/12)
VA Publishes Regulation on Newborn Care - The Department of Veterans Affairs has published a regulation officially amending VA’s medical benefits package to include up to seven days of medical care for newborns delivered by women Veterans who are receiving VA maternity care benefits. (1/27/12)
VA Launches Acquisition Internship for Returning Veterans - A special internship to prepare newly-returned Veterans to become federal contracting specialists was launched recently at the Acquisitions Academy of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Frederick, Md. (1/26/12)
Detroit to Host VA Small Business Conference, Hiring Fair - The National Veterans Small Business Conference, the government’s premier event for Veteran-owned small businesses, is coming to Detroit’s Cobo Center June 25-29, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced today. (1/25/12)
Veterans and Beneficiaries Receive 2012 Cost of Living Adjustment - Veterans, their families, and survivors receiving benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs saw a 3.6 percent increase in their compensation and pension benefits beginning January 1. (1/24/12)
VA Providing Credit Monitoring to Misidentified Veterans - The Department of Veterans Affairs is offering free credit monitoring to more than 2,200 Veterans whose personal information, including social security numbers, was posted on Ancestry.com following the mistaken release of data through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). (1/20/12)
VA To Host Major Veteran Career Fair in Washington D.C. - Answering the President’s call to expand employment opportunities for America’s Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs will host a major Veteran-focused career fair and exposition with thousands of public and private-sector on-the-spot hiring opportunities for Veterans on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in Washington. Senior VA officials are expected to attend the event, which will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (1/17/12)
