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| Expanded Benefits Available to Qualified Veterans |
June 10, 2003 |
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Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today wants to remind qualified disabled military retirees in her district about a new Defense Department (DOD) compensation program run in partnership with the Department of Veteran Affairs. The program, Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC), means additional financial benefits for many disabled retired New Mexico veterans.
“Our veterans and their families make many sacrifices for their nation,” says Wilson. “Disability pay is intended to help compensate for the fact that someone cannot work, as they might like to after they retire. Retirement pay is earned by service and should not be “docked” because of disability pay. I have long advocated correcting this error and am glad this program is now available.”
The DOD program began May 31, 2003 and provides additional tax-free benefits to veterans who have retired from military service and who also suffer from combat-related injuries. To be eligible, veterans must have disabilities because of combat injuries for which they have been awarded the Purple Heart, or who are rated at least 60 percent disabled because of armed conflict, hazardous duty, training exercises, or mishaps involving military equipment. This service-connected disability must be related in some way to combat duty, and veterans are responsible for providing documentation of their disability.
Qualified veterans can now apply to receive their retirement pay while concurrently receiving disability compensation through CRSC. Prior to the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2003, which Wilson supported, veterans could not receive both.
To apply for the benefits, veterans who qualify may go to the Department of Defense website at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/crsc to print and complete a copy of DD form 2860. Retirees may also phone the retirement services offices of their service for help and information:
·Army: 1-866-281-3254
·Navy and USMC: 1-877-366-2772
·USAF: 1-866-229-7074
The form should then be returned to the branch of service for which the individual veteran served, and will be reviewed to determine qualification.
Veterans needing assistance while applying for benefits can contact Michael Wich in Congresswoman Heather Wilson’s Albuquerque office at 505-346-6781.
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