News | ND Department of Veterans Affairs

Retired Marine sergeant major seeks answers for illness

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William R. Levesque, Tampa Bay Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 26, 2014 7:34pm

LITHIA — The illness hit Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. William A. Hines in 2010 like no enemy he had ever experienced.

Assigned to the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion headquarters in Tampa, Hines went on a 4-mile run, something he had done hundreds of times in more than two decades as a Marine. But afterward, he couldn't catch his breath. He felt pressure on his head and couldn't focus.

Local Organizations Hold Fundraiser for North Dakota Veterans

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(Updated November 10, 2014)

Female Veterans Feel Left Behind

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As Number of Military Women Surges, Services for Them Haven't Kept Pace

By Ben Kesling, Wall Street Journal

Updated Sept. 24, 2014 2:40 p.m. ET

When Devon Reyes returned from her first deployment to Afghanistan in 2009, she withdrew from family and friends.

Five VSOs from ND complete NACVSO Training

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North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs announces the successful completion of National Association of County Veterans Service Officer (NACVSO) training for three ND County Veterans Service Officers and two State Veterans Service Officers.

Acting VA Secretary: It Will Take Years Before Department Changes

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By Jordain Carney
National Journal
July 16, 2014

Sloan Gibson says the agency can turn the corner in two years, but it will need a lot more money.

For anyone still under the impression that the embattled Veterans Affairs Department will be able to turn itself around quickly, think again.

Instead, acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson told members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee on Wednesday that it would take years for the department to right its wrongs.

Veterans Affairs issued 'gag order' and engaged in criminal cover-ups, lawmakers say

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BY MARK FLATTEN | JUNE 11, 2014 | 6:20 PM
Washington Examiner

Statement by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Holly Petraeus on DOJ, FDIC

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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the U.S. Department of Justice announced an enforcement action against Sallie Mae (also known as Sallie Mae Bank and Navient Solutions), the largest servicer of federal and private student loans, which was found to be systematically violating the legal rights of U.S. servicemembers. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) also reached a settlement with the companies that addresses allegations of student loan servicing misconduct. Sallie Mae is ordered to pay $96.6 million in restitution and penalties.

Patients rate VA medical centers high for satisfaction

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By Patricia Kime
Staff writer

Patients at Veterans Affairs medical centers remain satisfied with the care they receive and complaints are down, a new survey released Wednesday by the American Customer Satisfaction Index found.

The VA’s satisfaction index for inpatient care, 84, and its index for outpatient care, 82, remained consistent for the second straight year and have held steady for the past decade — a sign that, generally, VA patients are content with their health care.

Senators Press VA to Explain Delay in Burn Pit Registry

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BY BILL BRIGGS

Two U.S. senators insisted Tuesday that Veterans Affairs Secretary Erik Shinseki reveal why his agency is nearly three months late in creating a legally-mandated registry of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans potentially poisoned — some lethally — by exposure to toxic trash-fire trenches.

Automation Speeds Benefits Processing for Post-9/11 GI Bill Students

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Categories: Education

Students see improvement in turn-around time for education claims

WASHINGTON (January 29, 2014) – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) decreased the time it takes to process requests for GI Bill and other education benefits for returning students by nearly 50 percent compared to fiscal year 2012. VA attributes the faster process in large part to improved claims automation that uses rules-based, industry-standard technologies to deliver Veterans’ benefits.