Special VA loans cover Hawaiians

Question: Does the VA Native American loan program for house purchases extend to native Hawaiians?

Answer: Yes. The limit of the 1992 Native American Veteran Direct Loan Pilot Program is $300,000. Hawaiian veterans must first comply with the legal requirements set by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. For more information or to request an application, go to: http://www.state.hi.us/ dhhl/ or call (808) 586-3830. To contact the VA regarding all VA home loans, please call (808) 433-0481 or visit the VA Web site at www.homeloans.va.gov.

Q: What is the VA doing about treating combat-related brain injuries?

A: Traumatic brain injuries accounts for 14 to 20 percent of combat casualties. The VA currently operates four centers: in Tampa, Fla.; Palo Alto, Calif.; Richmond, Va.; and Minneapolis. The VA centers provide inpatient clinical care and rehabilitation to more than 100 combat-related injuries. For information on brain injury, visit the Web sites www.dvbic.org; or http://www1.va.gov/netsix-braininjury.

If you have questions about your benefits as a veteran, call Fred Ballard at the Veterans Affairs at 433-0049 or visit the VA Web site at www.va.gov/hawaii or the Star-Bulletin at 529-4747.

Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for the Star-Bulletin, can be reached by phone at 294-4075 or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com. See also: In The Military