For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
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Many VA clinics closed Christmas Eve
Question: Does the VA plan to reduce its hours of operation during the holidays?
Answer: President Bush has proclaimed that Christmas Eve is a federal holiday. The VA Medical Clinic, neighbor island community based outpatient clinics and the VA Honolulu regional office will be closed on Dec. 24. Inpatient facilities such as the VA Center for Aging and other inpatient wards at Tripler Army Medical Center will remain open.
For additional information, contact the VA Medical Center at 433-0600, or the VA Honolulu Regional Office at (800) 827-1000.
Q: I am planning to retire from the service and heard I should attend a TAP class. What does TAP mean?
A: TAP stands for Transition Assistance Program and consists of comprehensive three-day workshops at military installations designed to help service members as they transition into civilian life.
The program provides job search, employment and training information, as well as VA benefits information to service members within 12 months of separation or 24 months of retirement.
A companion workshop, the Disabled Transition Assistance Program provides information on VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program, as well as other programs for the disabled.
Contact the VA for additional information on TAP content and where the workshops are held at (800) 827-1000.
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.