Expedited Payments

New regulations allow Veterans Affairs (VA) to automatically pay the maximum amount allowable to most eligible surviving spouses, without the need for a written application. Previously, VA paid burial benefits on a reimbursement basis. This automation enables VA to pay a non-service-connected or service-connected burial allowance to an estimated 62,000 eligible surviving spouses out of a projected 140,000 claimants for burial benefits in 2014. Surviving spouses will be paid upon notice of the veteran’s death using information in VA systems. The burial allowance for a non-service-connected death is $300 and $2,000 for a death connected to military service. For more information on monetary burial benefits, visit www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/claims-special-burial.asp

Never Say Never

Capt. Ryan McGuire, McChord AFB, Wash., is the first airman to complete Air Force pilot training after losing a leg. A recreational boating accident in 2009 resulted in the loss of his right leg. Entering the Air Force Academy with expectations of becoming a pilot, the thought of losing the opportunity to fly was devastating. McGuire was asked by a soldier when he had lost his leg. “Last week,” he responded. The soldier told him he had lost a leg the previous year. “Seeing him in uniform, walking perfectly normal made me realize that being an amputee doesn’t define me,” he said.

McGuire met a medical evaluation review board to prove he was able to continue pilot training. In 2011, he completed pilot training and C-17 Globemaster III qualification training. He has deployed and flown medical evacuation missions. “The Air Force has given me the opportunity to excel and overcome this injury,” McGuire said. “I hope to show others that they, too, can overcome an injury or a setback. I want them to know that the Air Force takes care of its people and will provide them with the tools and resources to overcome.”

Code Talkers History

Known as Code Talkers, Native Americans learned early on the advantages of their tribal tongues, using indecipherable messages to confuse the enemy. The code talker mission remained classified for decades after World War II. “Navajo Code Talkers created a code that was within the Navajo language. Even another Navajo speaker would not be able to understand it. Other tribes also coded their languages. The United States did not consider American Indians citizens until 1924. The military first enlisted American Indians to relay messages in their native languages during World War I. The program was expanded during World War II. Soldiers from the Comanche, Meskwaki, Sioux, Crow, Hopi and Cree nations took part in the effort. Out of more than 500 tribes, each with distinct languages, about 200 to 250 dialects remain in use today. The National Museum of the American Indian is one of 18 museums within the Smithsonian Institution.

The Retiree Activities Office is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. Visit the office in Building 1604 at California and Colorado Avenues or call 301 981-2726. Call before your visit to ensure a volunteer is on duty. The RAO has a website at www.andrews.af.mil.