The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to gain access their DD-214 online: vetrecs.archives.gov. This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can be downloaded from the online web site. Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing time.
VA and DoD Step Up Collaboration
VA and the Department of Defense (DoD) showed the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs recently long-sought progress in achieving a capability to fully share electronic patient records. Among top priorities for Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) is the seamless transition of servicemembers from the defense health care system into VA. That requires the capability for the two medical systems to share "bi-directional" and interoperable electronic health care records in real time. Chairman Buyer has placed heavy emphasis on stepping up the pace of what has been lethargic collaboration.
VA Outreach Technicians Aid Veterans
About 100 veterans of the global war on terror were hired recently by VA's Readjustment Counseling Service to reach out to men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. These outreach specialists help steer returning veterans to vet centers for a variety of services, including benefit referrals, job assistance and counseling. Their presence in the community is critical to the vet center mission, according to Alfonso Batres, Ph.D., who oversees 207 vet centers nationwide. "Nothing can replace the immediate rapport generated by veterans with similar military experiences." Services at vet centers are also expanding to include the families of servicemembers killed on active duty..
Group Plays Taps at Veterans' Funerals
Bugles Across America is a group of thousands of horn players who volunteer their time to play "Taps" at veterans' funerals. The organization's 5,000 members -- which include musicians, drill teams and color guards -- support about 1,000 funerals a month throughout the United States. They also play at other military events, including Veterans Day and Memorial Day observances. Participation in the organization is free, open to everyone able to play "Taps" with dignity and willing to volunteer their time. To find a bugler or volunteer your time to be one, visit the Bugles Across America Website.
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