WWAST: Battlefield To Ball Field
First amputee softball team in the world makes its debut playing against the FBI and the Naval Academy Sailing Team. Sponsored by Louisville Slugger, this team is ready for action! More...
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VA Gulf War Task Force Report ReleasedReport Redefines How Care and Services Are Provided WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs has released the second in a series of annual reports from its Gulf War Veterans Illnesses Task Force, outlining how the department will address the concerns of Veterans deployed during the Gulf...Read More...
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Hire Vets - Tax Credits for BusinessesHow to Get Tax Credits for Hiring Veterans for BusinessesRead More...
The VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011, enacted Nov. 21, 2011, provides an expanded Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to businesses that hire eligible unemployed veterans and for the first time also makes the credit available... -
New Online Enrollment ApplicationFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 3, 2012 New Online Enrollment Application Available for Servicemembers To Be Introduced at Demobilization Sites Nationwide WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs partnered with the First Army at Camp Shelby, Miss., to launch a streamlined version...Read More...
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Hire Heroes Act of 2011VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 – GI Bill for Unemployed Veterans Age 35-60 If you are an unemployed military veteran, you may be eligible for a new GI Bill / career training program: the VOW to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 was created to help veterans gain marketable skills to more easily find a job....Read More...
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TRICARE Fee IncreasesPresident Obama calls for TRICARE Fee Increases President Obama recently released a $4.4 trillion deficit-reduction plan, and military benefits were a large part of the proposed cuts. Increases to TRICARE fees were included in the President’s plan, in addition to proposed...Read More...
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Vets' Personal Info ReleasedVA Accidentally Releases Vets' Personal Info January 21, 2012 Stars and Stripes|by Leo Shane III WASHINGTON -- More than 2,200 veterans had their personal information accidentally posted on the genealogy website Ancestry.com...Read More...
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Agent Orange Benefits PaidAugust 31, 2011 Courtesy of VA.govRead More...
Over $2.2 Billion in Retroactive Agent Orange Benefits Paid to 89,000 Vietnam Veterans and Survivors for Presumptive Conditions WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today that more than $2.2 billion in retroactive... -
Divorce & Disability PaymentsDisability Payments to Former Spouse? Sgt. Shaft | August 09, 2011Read More...
Courtesy of Military.com
Dear Sgt Shaft: I am in the middle of a divorce after 18 years of marriage. I receive service-connected disability...
| Vets' Personal Info Released |
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| Written by Dawn Olsen |
| Monday, 23 January 2012 23:57 |
VA Accidentally Releases Vets' Personal Info
WASHINGTON -- More than 2,200 veterans had their personal information accidentally posted on the genealogy website Ancestry.com last year, a move that could potentially expose them to identify theft crimes. Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs said all of the veterans affected by the mistake will receive free credit monitoring services to help mitigate any damage. The information posted online included veterans’ names and Social Security numbers, but not any health information. The department said there is no evidence so far that any of the personal information has been misused, but the agency is contacting all of the individuals involved to ensure they are aware of the problem. VA officials supplied the information to Ancestry.com in March 2011 as part of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by the genealogy site. The records were supposed to only contain information on deceased veterans, but also included more than 2,200 living veterans due to a department error. Department officials found out about the error just last month. “Ancestry.com has worked with us and immediately removed all the information that we had supplied them,” Jerry Davis, department chief information security officer, said in a statement. “VA places the highest priority upon safeguarding the personal information of our veterans. When lapses occur, we will immediately take prompt remedial action, such as notification.” Officials said they are still investigating why the information was mistakenly included in the records released to Ancestry.com. Military.com reported last year that servicemembers killed in action are easy, frequent targets for identity theft because the Social Security Administration is required by FOIA to release their personal information, including full names and social security numbers, to an online database used by sites such as Ancestry.com. That information can then be used to file fraudulent tax returns. Read more about that Military.com story here. Individuals who believe they may have been affected by this incident have been encouraged to contact the VA. Those whose information was exposed will be eligible for a free credit report for one year. Those veterans can access the free services by calling 1-877-322-8228 or by visiting http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Military.com contributed to this report. ©
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This article is provided courtesy of Stars and Stripes, which got its start as a newspaper for Union troops during the Civil War, and has been published continuously since 1942 in Europe and 1945 in the Pacific. Stripes reporters have been in the field with American soldiers, sailors and airmen in World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo, and are now on assignment in the Middle East.