Honoring Our Heroes: The Veteran Affairs Legacy Memorial

The Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM), the nation’s first digital memorial, stands as a testament to the bravery and sacrifice of nearly 10 million of our nation’s heroes. The VLM is a place of reflection and gratitude for the men and women who have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedom. The VLM aims to preserve the history and memory of those who served using an interactive feature that allows family, friends, and the public to submit tributes, images, biographical information, and historical documents. Families can create a timeline of their Veteran's military service and personal achievements and generate an illustration using words that describe their Veteran.

The VLM provides a powerful tribute to the men and women who have served our country with bravery and honor. It reminds us of the sacrifices made by our veterans and the importance of honoring their legacy. The VLM ensures that their legacy lives on for the future generations to learn from and honor. For more information, visit the VLM website.

Summer Camp Spotlight

As summer 2024 approaches, we would like to share a few summer camps that may be of interest to our surviving eligible families. This announcement is for information only; any participation is solely the responsibility of the individual. Neither the Marine Corps nor any other part of the federal government officially endorses or warrants, either expressly or implied, any of these entities.

• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) has a variety of summer events for the whole family. For more information, visit the TAPS website.   
• LifeCamp aims to guide children of fallen U.S. military, law enforcement, and first responders. For more information, visit their website.
• Echo Hill Ranch provides camperships, at no cost to families of fallen U.S. Military. For more information, visit their website.
• Gold Star Sailing aims to provide unique adventures to the surviving children of fallen military service members. For more information and to apply, visit their website.

If you would like additional information on camps, reach out to the Long Term Assistance Program (LTAP) at 866-210-3421, option 2, or LTAP@usmc.mil.

Survivor Benefit Plan Changes

The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) provides an ongoing monthly annuity payment to military spouses or dependent children of service members on active duty determined to have died in the line of duty on or after September 10, 2001. The SBP- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) offset was eliminated as of February 2023. This phaseout started in 2021. If you are an eligible surviving spouse, you should have started to receive your full SBP payment on February 1, 2023. The February 2023 SBP changes also included the reversion of the SBP Optional Annuity for Dependent Children. As of January 3, 2023, eligible children receiving SBP received their last payment if there is an eligible surviving spouse. Eligible surviving spouses who were not receiving SBP would have had to apply for their first annuity payment for it to begin February 3, 2023. We have now reached one year since the final phase was implemented. If you believe that you should be receiving SBP and are not at this time, please reach out to LTAP at 866-210-3421, option 2, and we can assist with answering your questions.

VA Vet Centers

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vet Centers offer bereavement counseling to family members of Armed Forces personnel who died in service to our country. VA Vet centers are a space for individuals to navigate the complex emotional journey after the death of a loved one. Individuals can access a range of services tailored to their needs, such as individual counseling, support groups, and referrals. Grief is a deeply personal experience and seeking support from a VA Vet Center can make a significant difference in one’s healing journey. Bereavement counseling can assist in providing valuable tools and techniques for managing grief in a healthy way.

VA Vet Centers play a crucial role in supporting veterans and their families through the grieving process. By providing a range of tailored services, and a compassionate environment, these centers offer valuable support and guidance to those in need. If you are struggling with grief, don’t hesitate to reach out and seek the help you deserve. To find a Vet Center near you, please visit the VA website, or call the Vet Center Call Center at 877-927-8387, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

ID Renewal Online information

https://www.cac.mil/Next-Generation-Uniformed-Services-ID-Card/Renewing-Online/

The ID Card Office Online (IDCO) is now accepting Uniformed Service ID (USID) Card renewal requests. Once approved, the card will be mailed directly to the card recipient. The requirements are:

• Sponsor may be a Common Access Card (CAC) holder or a Department of Defense (DoD) self-service logon credential holder and requesting a renewal of an active USID card.
• The sponsor and the card recipient must have email addresses listed in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) that they have authorized DoD to use.
• Authorization to use email for official contact can be made under “My Profile” on the IDCO website.
• The sponsor's personnel status must extend at least 30 days in the future from the renewal request date.
• The card recipient must have a photo saved in DEERS taken in the last 12 years.
• The card recipient's mailing address must be present in DEERS and must be in the continental United States, Hawaii, or Alaska. Post office box addresses cannot be used.

According to cac.mil, the process for renewing a USID Card is as follows:

• The sponsor will request a USID card renewal by clicking on the “Family ID Cards” box and then the “Renew Family Member ID Card” link.
• Once the request is successfully processed, the card will be created and mailed to the card recipient via U.S. mail.
• An email will be sent to the sponsor and card recipient once the card is shipped directing the sponsor to acknowledge the receipt of the card via IDCO.
• Once the sponsor acknowledges receipt of the card, the new USID card will be activated, and the prior card will be terminated.
• The prior card should then be returned to the government.
• If the renewal request is not approved or fails, the card recipient will receive an email.
• Depending on the reason for the failure, the sponsor will be instructed to submit a new request in IDCO or to visit a RAPIDS site for issuance of the card.

Education

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is currently taking applications for their TAPS Education Care Packages. These Education Care Packages are available to current high school seniors/2024 high school graduates.

Children of Fallen Patriots can assist with financial support surviving families need to fund their college education. For more information, please visit the organization’s website.

DOD Survivor Symposium

This June, as part of the Defense Department’s commitment to support survivors of active-duty deaths, the DoD will host its first Survivor Symposium to address critical questions survivors may have about their benefits.

The virtual event is scheduled for June 21, 2024, from noon to 3 p.m. ET. Topics that will be covered include:

• How survivor benefits change when you remarry, from noon to 1 p.m.
• How guardians can apply for the death gratuity on behalf of a surviving child, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• How a beneficiary survivor annuitant keeps their account up to date with the Defense Finance Accounting Service and the VA, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Those interested in attending the symposium can fill out this registration form available on Military OneSource.