[VeteranIssues] Digest Number 1563 by Col Dan

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Comparing CRSC and CRDP, Retirees cannot receive both CRSC and CRDP

Posted by: "Colonel Dan" colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net coloneldan1

Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:34 am (PST)


Comparing CRSC and CRDP

CRSC is an application-claim based program versus the Concurrent Retirement
and Disability Payments (CRDP) program, which is an automatic entitlement
from DFAS for any Retiree with a combined 50% or higher VA disability
rating. Some Retirees believe they are already receiving CRSC when they are
actually receiving CRDP and thus do not submit their claim for CRSC. If you
are not certain what you are receiving, please check your DFAS pay stub and
consider submitting your claim for CRSC. The following is a summary of the
contrast between CRSC and CRDP:

*
<http://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/retired-pay/combat-related-sp
ecial-compensation#1> Comparing CRSC and CRDP

*
<http://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/retired-pay/combat-related-sp
ecial-compensation#2> CRSC Eligibility

*
<http://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/retired-pay/combat-related-sp
ecial-compensation#3> Submitting a Claim

Comparing CRSC and CRDP

It is important to note that Retirees cannot receive both CRSC and CRDP and
must elect one each year through an annual "program election." Many retirees
are confused about which is better for them. When making this decision,
please note the following characteristics of CRSC and CRDP:

2005 Example
CRSC
CRDP
Full Concurrent Receipt
Yes
No - 10 Year Phase In
(Except for 100% rated Disabled Retirees)
Payment at 50% Combined Rating
$663
$153
Required Disability Rating:
10%
50%
Retroactive Payment
Yes*
No
Taxable
No
Yes
VA Individual Unemployment (IU) Eligible
Yes
No
Survivor Benefit
No
No
Application Requirement
Yes - <http://www.crsc.army.mil/documents/DD2860_WD.pdf> DD 2860
No - Automatic
Type of Disability
Combat Related
Service Connected

* Retroactive only to the date the original VA benefits claim was filed.

<http://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/retired-pay/combat-related-sp
ecial-compensation#Top> Back to Top

CRSC Eligibility

Eligible claimants are/ have:

<http://images.military.com/pics/Pay_adtitle2.gif>

<http://ad.doubleclick.net/click;h=v8/3539/0/0/%2a/b;42466220;0-0;0;13862671
;18023-300/88;17755278/17773173/1;;~sscs=%3fhttp://aid.military.com/scholars
hip/search-for-scholarships.do> Click here to find out more!
* Retired with 20 yrs Active or Reserve Duty;

* Receiving retired pay;

* Retired pay must be offset by VA payments;

* A 10%+ disability rating; and

* At least one combat-related disability.

Combat-Related Criteria

Combat-related criteria include those VA rated disabilities that occurred
under the following situations:

* In the performance of duty under conditions simulating war (e.g.,
named exercises, routine field training exercises/F0000000000000000000TX)

* While engaged in hazardous service (e.g. flight, diving, parachute
duty)

* Through an instrumentality of war (e.g. combat vehicles, weapons)

* As a direct result of armed conflict (e.g. Purple Heart)

OR

* Presumptive cases (e.g. Agent Orange, radiation exposure, Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder)

<http://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/retired-pay/combat-related-sp
ecial-compensation#Top> Back to Top

CRSC Eligible retirees should submit their claim today!

Retirees can download the
<http://www.crsc.army.mil/documents/DD2860_WD.pdf> CRSC claim form DD 2860.

For more information on how to apply contact your parent military service
branch:

* ARMY:

Department of the Army
U.S. Army Physical Disability Agency
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)
200 Stovall Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22332-0470
Toll-free: (866) 281-3254
Hours: 8am - 8pm EST
E-mail your questions to: <mailto:CRSC.info@us.army.mil>
CRSC.info@us.army.mil
Or visit: <http://www.crsc.army.mil/> http://www.crsc.army.mil

* NAVY AND MARINE CORPS:

Department of Navy Naval Council of Personnel Boards
Combat-Related Special Compensation Branch
720 Kennon Street S.E., Suite 309
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5023
(Toll free 1-877-366-2772)

* AIR FORCE:

United States Air Force Personnel Center
Disability Division (CRSC)
550 C Street West, Suite 6
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4708
(Toll Free 1-866-229-7074)

* COAST GUARD:

Commanding Officer (RAS)
U. S. Coast Guard Personnel Service Center
444 SE Quincy St.
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
(toll-free at 1-800-772-8724)

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the new
<http://www.military.com/Resources/ResourcesContent/0,13964,38378--1,00.html
> Concurrent Receipt and
<http://www.military.com/Resources/ResourcesContent/0,13964,38374--1,00.html
> Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC)

_____

From: H G
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 8:10 PM
To: Col Dan
Subject: Question, Please!

Just recently my CRSC backpay, from Jan 04, was deposited in my bank. The
sum was considerably LESS then I expected, especially from 2004!

I called the CRSC folks at Randolph, and was informed that they could send
me a short spreadsheet on the results of what was paid.
Here's the question-I thought CRSC and CRDP were two separate programs? Do I
have any basis in that thought? Or, could you make the difference between
the 2 a little clearer?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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Messages in this topic (1)
2. FW: Seeking Answers on PTSD-Deployed Troops

Posted by: "Colonel Dan" colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net coloneldan1

Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:41 am (PST)



_____

From: James [mailto:starjm50@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2007 7:43 PM
To: Jim
Subject: Seeking Answers on PTSD-Deployed Troops

<http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/4/18/181743/615> Important GAO
Request Made By Senators Seeking Answers on PTSD-Deployed Troops
by ilona <http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/user/ilona>
Wed Apr 18, 2007 at 06:17:43 PM EST

http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/4/18/181743/615

From the The
<http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/04/senators_seek_p.h
tml> Swamp, Chicago Tribune's Washington bureau blog:

A batch of senators led by Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is asking congressional
investigators to probe the Defense Department's treatment of soldiers who
suffer mental-health ailments after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan

The issue of returning troops dealing with PTSD and other psychological
burdens back into the combat zone has been a story that I've been following
(and been angered by) for a long time. This is a good step forward.
More below the fold...
Commentary <http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/section/Commentary> :: ::
This latest move by Senators Obama <http://obama.senate.gov/contact/> ,
Boxer
<http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm?CFID=50223523&CFTOKEN=5134
3746> , McCaskill <http://mccaskill.senate.gov/contact.cfm> , Harkin
<http://harkin.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm> , Lieberman
<http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact/> , and Bond
<http://bond.senate.gov/contact/contactme.cfm> is a long-needed next step
after a lot of energy and eyes have been directed at the problem (Sen. Boxer
especially has been a key person on this one). Follow the timeline of this
issue by clicking on any of the links under 'Related Posts' below, and
please click on senator names above to send them your thanks for moving this
oversight forward.
A bit more from The
<http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2007/04/senators_seek_p.h
tml> Swamp:

In a letter set to be sent today, the senators -- Obama and fellow Democrats
Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Tom Harkin (Iowa),
independent Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Republican Kit Bond (Mo.) -- tell the
General Accounting office they're concerned by reports alleging soldiers
with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems have
been denied care by superior officers and instead deployed for new tours
oversees.
The letter says some of the senators voiced those concerns to the Defense
Department earlier but have yet to hear a response. The senators ask the GAO
to brief them first on "upsetting" allegations of mental health treatment --
or lack therof -- for soldiers at Fort Carson, Colo., and then expand to
include "system-wide mental health deficiencies within the DOD."

The letter:

April 18, 2007
The Honorable David M. Walker
Comptroller General
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
441 G Street, NW, Room 7125
Washington, DC 20548
Dear Mr. Walker:
We are writing to request that the General Accounting Office (GAO) undertake
a review of Department of Defense (DOD) screenings, diagnoses, referrals and
treatment of service members who may have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
(PTSD) and other mental health conditions related to their service in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Several of us previously wrote the DOD requesting an
examination of command practices and reports of biases and misdiagnoses in
the treatment of mental health-related injuries such as PTSD and other
deployment-related health problems, including Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI),
but have not yet received a response.
The stigmas associated with PTSD and other mental health needs are no less
potent within the military than in the civilian world. Indeed, reports from
soldiers suffering from PTSD suggest that the stigma is worse, with some
military commanders appearing to minimize the significance of PTSD and other
mental health needs; or suggesting that a service member is malingering to
avoid redeployment. There are allegations of commanders at Fort Carson,
Colorado denying soldiers access to mental health care and instead ordering
them redeployed for additional tours in Iraq. We have also heard of cases in
which service members with PTSD are diagnosed as having "personality
disorders" that the Army considers "pre-existing," thus depriving otherwise
eligible combat veterans of disability benefits and much-needed mental
healthcare. Because the stakes for our service members' and their health are
so high, we must move quickly to investigate and correct any deficiencies.
We have come to learn about a number of upsetting allegations at Fort
Carson. Therefore, for the purposes of an expedited review, we request to be
briefed initially by GAO on these immediate cases. We ask that you
subsequently focus your inquiry not only on Fort Carson but on system-wide
mental health deficiencies within the DOD.
With the significant burdens already being placed on our service members and
their families with multiple extended deployments, we must ensure that they
are not further burdened with any humiliation, stigmatization or other
minimization of genuine mental health needs. Our service members are risking
their lives for our nation's security; it is our moral obligation to care
for them. We therefore ask the GAO to assess:

1. Known cases of improper discharges or misdiagnoses and patterns of
systematic stigmatization employed by military commanders regarding the
mental health needs of service members throughout the chain-of-command at
Fort Carson and across DOD departments;

2. The growing number of discharges for personality disorders, and
whether or not such discharges are being improperly used when service
members should in fact be given a mental health diagnosis that DOD does not
consider preexisting.

3. The overall number of misdiagnosed cases of PTSD, other mental
health conditions, and TBIs (at Fort Carson and force-wide);

4. DOD progress in implementing previous mandates to develop force-wide
criteria and procedures for screening, diagnosing and referring mental
health cases for follow-up treatment;

5. The efficacy of the DOD's current mental health safety net and
treatment capabilities: for example, what current mechanisms are available
to service members in the event of misdiagnosis?;

6. The steps and resources required to implement one-on-one,
face-to-face mental health screenings for all returning service members;

7. The number of service members, men and women, reporting mental
health concerns related to sexual assault during deployment; and whether
current DOD personnel training and diagnostic guidance is sufficiently
responsive to the needs of both men and women.

We seek to ensure that the DOD has the resources necessary to diagnose and
treat service-connected injuries that impact the mental health of U.S.
service personnel. It is vital that the U.S. military ensures it is treating
the mental health needs of our forces with the same priority and resource
investments it is devoting to physical injuries. If you would like to
discuss this request, please contact [redacted].
Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Sincerely,
_______
Barack Obama
________
Barbara Boxer
________
Tom Harkin
_______
Christopher Bond
_______
Joe Lieberman
________
Claire McCaskill
Cc: Gordon England
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Pete Geren
Acting Secretary of the Army

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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3. FW: DoD Receives Independent Review Group Report

Posted by: "Colonel Dan" colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net coloneldan1

Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:25 pm (PST)

initial draft report as of 10 April is at:
http://www.npr.org/documents/2007/apr/walter_reed/findings.pdf

_____

From: James Ret [mailto:alamostation@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 5:55 PM
To: ALLVETS INC; Dan Cedusky; Div Assoc 82dAbn
Subject: Fwd: DoD Receives Independent Review Group Report

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense

No. 461-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

DoD Receives Independent Review Group Report

The Independent Review Group (IRG) established by Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates provided DoD with its assessment of rehabilitative care and the
administrative processes at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) and
the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) on Monday.

The department intends to quickly evaluate the recommendations in order to
establish an action plan for change.In anticipation of the IRG findings and
recommendations, the department recently requested an adjustment to the
fiscal year 2007 emergency supplemental request to provide $50 million to
create a medical support fund.This will allow DoD to promptly implement
these and other recommendations that may be forthcoming.

The department is currently surveying wounded warriors and their families to
assess their needs. With the Department of Veterans Affairs, DoD has begun
the process of redesigning the disability evaluation and separation systems
and is implementing initiatives to transfer medical records between the two
agencies electronically.

The results of all the reviews being conducted by the Department of Veterans
Affairs Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes and the
recommendations of the
President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors will
likewise provide invaluable advice to chart the way forward for the care of
our service members.

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=10766