Gulf vets not taking advantage of service bonuses

By Ed Blazina, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Wanted: Pennsylvania military veterans who served in the Persian Gulf War in 1990-91.

What for: to make use of a $20 million fund that pays state service bonuses of up to $525.

Since the program began over a year ago, the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has approved 5,238 claims worth $2.32 million. To state Rep. Jake Wheatley -- who served in the war -- that's not a high enough number of servicemen taking advantage of the bonus program.

"It is disheartening to a degree," said Mr. Wheatley, D-Hill District. "As we start to turn up the publicity, I'm hopeful [the applications] will pick up."

Kevin Cramsey, a spokesman for the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs, said the department is satisfied with the response. He said the program originally anticipated that as many as 30,000 veterans would be eligible for the bonus, but now the department thinks 15,000 to 20,000 is a more reasonable number.

"If we hit one-third of the people eligible in the first year, that's doing pretty well," Mr. Cramsey. "We'll still be doing outreach and more publicity to try to get as many as we can."
Under the program, Gulf War veterans who live in Pennsylvania can receive $75 for each month or fraction of a month they served in the Persian Gulf if they received the Southwest Asia Service Medal, up to a maximum of $525. Veterans who were prisoners of war or the families of those who died as a result of military service injuries can receive $5,000 payments.

The fund was approved by voters in 2006 in a statewide referendum.
Ronald Conley, manager of Allegheny County Veterans Affairs, said it can be difficult to identify and contact Gulf War vets because they don't seem to have the same types of organizations as veterans from Vietnam, Korea or World War II.

"I kind of look at the Gulf War vets like the Korean veterans in that they almost seem like they are forgotten," Mr. Conley said. "It's tough to get the information out to everybody. There seems to be a lack of communication."

Mr. Cramsey said the state is trying different approaches to identify Gulf War vets. For example, the department has sent letters to everyone who has applied for a special Gulf War license plate to let them know about the potential bonus payment.
One item that may stifle applicants is the need to provide precise information on when they served, he said.

"There have been some people who have said it's not worth looking in the attic for their [formal service record] or writing to St. Louis to get it for a relatively small amount of money," he said.

Mr. Wheatley is ineligible for the bonus because he wasn't a Pennsylvania resident when he served, but he's pushing the program for those who are eligible.
"Getting the veterans the information sometimes is a difficult thing," he said. "I think a lot of the vets don't know the program is around."

The program runs until August 2015 and any money left over at that time goes back into the state treasury. To apply for the bonus or get more information, go to www.milvet.state.pa.us or call 717-861-8719.

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