| Compton: Qualified veterans will get back pay after Oct. 1 By George Compton Q. In a previous column you reported that there was a change in law that said veterans being paid at 100 percent because of unemployability would receive full concurrent receipt of retired pay. Will I get any retroactive pay? A. The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act provides for full concurrent receipt for veterans receiving individual unemployability compensation, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2005. The retroactive pay will not be paid until after Oct. 1. Q. With the cost of airline travel continuing to rise, how can I find out about using military flights? A. There is a Web site, http://www.baseops.net/spaceatravel, that explains Space Available. The Navy Exchange also has Space Available travel guides. From experience, when using Space Available travel you need to have patience and be flexible. I guess that is not much different than using a commercial airline. Q. I attended college with an ROTC scholarship and could not use the Montgomery Education Bill; will I be eligible under the Post 9/11 GI Bill? A. You would qualify if you meet the time in service needed after Sept. 11. However, time spent satisfying the scholarship active-duty obligation does not count toward the active-duty service necessary to qualify for the benefits. Q. I am rated 40 percent disabled by the VA, and my wife is going to have a baby. I am receiving compensation as married with one dependent; how do I add my baby? A. Provide this office with a birth certificate and the baby’s Social Security number, and we will provide that data to the VA. Q. I was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; would that be related to exposure to Agent Orange? A. That medical condition is not one of the presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange. If someday it is added, I will report it in this column. — George Compton, a retired Army colonel, is the veterans service officer for the County of Ventura, Human Services Agency. Send your questions to Veterans Service Office, 1701 Pacific Ave., Suite 110, Oxnard, CA 93033; phone 385-6366; fax 385-6371; or e-mail George.Compton@ventura.org.
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