VA Tests New Automated Systems That Could Speed Up Claims Decisions
Department of Veterans Affairs officials are hoping a new automated system that helps render decisions on disability claims will accelerate the process and decrease the backlog of claims applications. The automated system being considered by the VA has proven to shorten the disability claims review process from 100 days to two under certain circumstances and conditions, according to the agency. A pilot run of the VA Automated Benefits Delivery System, launched in December, looked at claims filed by veterans seeking upgrades to their disability ratings for hypertension and cut 98 days from the process for those with complete files.
Rise In Troops Choosing To Keep Serving Countered Fall In Recruiting During The Pandemic, Study Finds
A new study by Rand Corp. released Tuesday shows that, while the pandemic made it harder for the military services to recruit new personnel, overall numbers actually increased. According to the paper, the Army, Navy and Air Force all managed to increase the number of troops in their ranks in 2020 compared to the year before, despite a downturn in new enlistments. After reviewing data provided to Rand by the Department of Defense, the researchers noted that the initial drop in the number of recruits moving through training and the number of enlistment contracts being written happened between March and April 2020, "a period when each of the services placed restrictions on in-person recruiting activities to curb the spread of COVID-19."
Commissary Shelves Are 'Consistently Empty', Customers Say
A commissary customer in Sigonella, Italy says their store "has consistently been empty of meat, dairy, cheese, butter, infant formula, and more for almost two months," in a post on the official Defense Commissary Agency Facebook page. "We keep getting told that supply chain is to blame, but other overseas military installations in Italy, Germany, etc. don't look like this. Neither do stores out in town. The commissary is an entitlement to support the military and their families, which we rely upon dearly. This is unacceptable," writes Payton Leigh Perez. In Guam, commissary customers "have to go to the fully-stocked out-in-town stores where milk is $13/gallon," writes Jenny Potter.
Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the Air Force Chief of Staff, added two new books, a podcast, and a documentary series to his leadership library on Jan. 18. The books are intended to educate Airmen about two men who are recognized with influencing decades of American tactics and strategy, while the podcast and series focus on two generations separated by half a century.
CSAF Brown addressed Airmen worldwide on the newest additions from AF.Mil.com. His address is as follows:
Airmen,
The story of Andrew Marshall in The Last Warrior: Andrew Marshall and the Shaping of Modern American Defense Strategy is aprofound account of a virtually unknown, yet brilliant strategic thinker who was enormously influential in shaping American military thought for nearly half a century. Today, Marshall's hallmark methodology, the "Net Assessment," remains an essential diagnostic framework for understanding strategic competition through the lenses of capabilities, challenges, and perceptions.
Last September, I wrote a Letter to Airmen emphasizing a culture of innovation in our Air Force.
The Mind of War: John Boyd and American Security is as much the story of Boyd's innovative spirit as his groundbreaking ideas on warfare. Alongside a tenacity for out-maneuvering bureaucracy, Boyd was a maverick, and had innovation baked into his DNA. Who is the "Maverick" in your squadron?
Today, a new generation of strategic thinkers and mavericks defend our nation. Dr. Meghan Grace's #GenZ podcast Gen Z and Leadership reveals insights into the values and behaviors of Generation Z so that leaders at all echelons, myself included, can better relate to what defines and motivates our youngest cohort of professional Airmen.
The idea of "why" is a timeless concept that motivates across generational gaps. The critically acclaimed Netflix docuseries Five Came Back is a mesmerizing examination of our nation's "why" before and during World War II through the lens of five prominent Hollywood directors. Their stories will leave you with a renewed sense of awe for the Greatest Generation.
I hope you will spend time to reflect upon these ideas and share your thoughts with your fellow Airmen.
Sincerely, CHARLES Q. BROWN, JR. General, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff
AFSA's Legislative Platform Survey is LIVE! If you haven't already, please take no more than 10 minutes to help our Military and Government Relations Team help you by taking the time to complete the survey. This year's survey is comprehensive and covers several important topics to our members - including BAH sufficiency, the current state of affairs for the TRICARE health care program, VA benefit satisfaction, and more!
Have any questions? Please reach out to our M&G Team at milgov3@hqafsa.org.
AFSA's Policy Advisor, Legislative Affairs, Matthew Schwartzman, Discusses the 2022 Legislative Platform Survey from AFSAHQ. To watch the video, please click on the image above.
We are pleased to share the AFSA Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay procedures and marketing materials to help share the process with our members, your membership and potential new recruits.
The Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay program creates an opportunity to JOIN AFSA or RENEW a membership by making a $36 once-a-year/every-year auto payment, or a $4-each-month/every- month auto payment. The $36 once-a-year option is set at $36, and the $4-a-month option includes a bank processing fee of $1 each month.
Review the two ways to enroll, the benefits to using the auto-pay option, and the marketing materials to help share the details of this program and ensure its success.
For questions, please contact AFSAHQ Member & Field team at 800-638-0594 x 288.
Please Update Your Contact Information Today!
Dear Air Force Sergeants Association Member,
In order for the AFSA to effectively communicate with our members, it is essential to ensure we have your current and / or valid e-mail address. We are in the process of updating our records and need your help! Please take a moment to ensure that we have your most current mail and email address (no .mil's); and accurate membership listing information.
We've made it easy, as you can update your information in either one of three ways:
Call Member & Field Relations team directly at 800-638-0594 x 288 (Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST)
Email to: msvcs@hqafsa.org
Visit www.hqafsa.org and select the UPDATE button on the right
We thank you in advance for your support and prompt updates.
AFSA Magazine Published: Read the Latest Edition Today!
Have you read the latest edition of the AFSA Magazine? The Fall issue features our Eye on Washington, Ultra-Endurance Military Athletes, How to Become a Servant Leader, Professional Spotlight on our Maintainers, member Final Fly-bys and much more.
In sum,the commissary agency has been fighting shortages for more than a year, but the recent increase of COVID cases has aggravated the problem. Officials said the supply chain interruption is affecting all military commissaries throughout the world. "We want our customers to know that we're doing everything we can, and more, to get the supplies they need onto their store shelves," said Kevin Robinson, a spokesman for the Defense Commissary Agency. "Please be patient if they notice bare shelves in the store; the store is frequently restocked the next day."
Additionally, the VA Automated Benefits Delivery System, which began to undergo testing in December, looked at claims made by veterans seeking increases to their disability ratings for hypertension and found that for those with complete files, the process was cut by 98 days.The program is part of a plan to address 260,000 current disability claims, including 59,000 that have been backlogged for more than 125 days, according to VA officials.
And lastly, earlier this month, the Army announced that highly qualified recruits who join for six years will receive a maximum enlistment incentive of $50,000, a new high. The Rand report offers several suggestions but no definitive findings regarding what caused the shifts in recruiting and retention. "We believe that constraints on in-person recruiting, rather than a shift in young people's willingness to serve in the military, were more likely to be responsible for the decline in contracts and accessions for [fiscal year] 2020," the research stated.
And that's the way it is for Thursday, January 20, 2022.
Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guards and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!
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