For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
See also: In The Military
Lou Gehrig’s disease
part of VA benefits planQuestion: I heard that Lou Gehrig's disease is being linked to Gulf War veterans. Is this true?
Answer: Veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War were at least twice as likely to be diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease as non-Gulf veterans or other people younger than 45, according to recently published studies. The findings, reached separately, came almost two years after the Department of Veterans Affairs decided, based on earlier finds, that VA would offer health care and other survivor benefits to Gulf War veterans with Lou Gehrig's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Always fatal, the disease causes the gradual death of nerve cells that control muscle movement and results eventually in paralysis and death. Its cause is unknown, and there remains no cure. The VA found 40 veterans with the disease. A University of Texas center's study found 10. Robert Haley, epidemiologist from Texas Southwestern, emphasized that not every Gulf War veteran will be stricken. Researchers believe that people who contact ALS are susceptible genetically to it. For more information on Gulf War illnesses, contact the VA at 433-0600.
Q: I am a veteran and want to take some classes offered by Microsoft. Can I use my VA education benefits to pay for these classes?
A: Active duty military personnel, veterans and their family members can now use VA educational benefits to cover the costs of Microsoft Office Specialist certification exams. The eligibility applies to all office specialist exams. Benefits may apply retroactively for exams taken or after November 2001, and individuals do not have to pass the exam to qualify for the reimbursements.
Office Specialist is just the latest certification to qualify for VA benefits. Microsoft's professional certifications, as well as those from Cisco, CompTIA, Novell, Sybase and others, have also received such approval. For more information on VA educational benefits, call 433-1000.
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.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.
