Fort Drum Survivor Outreach Services

12/30/2020

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - DFAS

The December 2020 DFAS Retiree Newsletter is now available here: https://go.usa.gov/xGnHC

You can also download a PDF version for sharing with friends.

Read the latest info about getting ready for tax season and what to expect in your end of year mailing, CRDP/CRSC Open Season, the first phase of the SBP-DIC Offset Elimination, and convenient options for managing your account. Plus, we also have news from our partners: the Air Force Assistance Fund, Army Emergency Relief, the Armed Forces Retirement Home, and TRICARE.

12/30/2020

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - DFAS

Annuitants: Your 2020 IRS 1099R tax statement is ready in your myPay account. Access it today! https://myPay.dfas.mil

12/18/2020

Sharing: 11:00am this Saturday, December 18th, 2020

600 wreaths are ready to go for Saturday. Simmons Farm cranked them out with a few volunteers.

Saturday is the day we will REMEMBER, HONOR, TEACH. Dress warm and come take part in a great tribute. Also a reminder we will be having a donation box for gently used coats, boots and cold weather gear.

Spread the word!

12/11/2020

Here is our first 10th Mountain Division - Survivor Outreach Services Christmas Tree. This tree includes all of the 10th Mountain Division Soldiers that were killed in combat and several other Soldiers from all over the United States. It is in front of the PX. Please stop in and see it. There are approximately 400 pictures.

12/04/2020

Office of the CAO

Members of Gold Star families now have a unique opportunity to work for the House through a one-year paid fellowship with a participating Member office. Apply for the Gold Star Family Fellowship Program today: https://cao.house.gov/gold-star

12/04/2020

SBP-DIC Offset Phased Elimination news: Are you a military surviving spouse with SBP and DIC? Watch for your individual letter from DFAS with estimates of how the first phase of the SBP-DIC Offset Phased Elimination (effective January 1, 2021) will affect your SBP pay. Letters will be mailed in early December 2020.
Spouse SBP annuitants who are subject to the offset may see the first change in the SBP annuity payment they receive on February 1, 2021. Check out the FAQs: https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/survivors/SBP-DIC-News/

SBP-DIC Offset Phased Elimination News: Are you a military surviving spouse with SBP and DIC? Watch for your individual letter from DFAS with estimates of how the first phase of the SBP-DIC Offset Phased Elimination (effective January 1, 2020) will affect your SBP pay. Letters will be mailed in early December.

Spouse SBP annuitants who are subject to the offset may see the first change in the SBP annuity payment they receive on February 1, 2021. Check out our FAQs: http://go.usa.gov/xGfqd

11/23/2020

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - DFAS

New information on the 2021 COLA for military retirees and annuitants: there will be a 1.3 percent increase for most retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan annuities, and the SSIA, effective Dec. 1, 2020. Military retirees will see the change in their Dec. 31, 2020 payment and annuitants in their Jan. 4, 2021 payment. https://go.usa.gov/x7Xg2

11/10/2020

10th Mountain Division

11/10/2020

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - DFAS

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - DFAS

The school certification process is now easier for student recipients of survivor benefit plan. Learn more via this article from Military OneSource.

11/09/2020

Wreaths for Veterans

This years' event tentative date is December 19th at the Military Cemetary in Sackets Harbor.

A special thanks to The Sackets Boathouse for hosting an event for Wreaths For Veterans last night and to all who came out to support it. Great things can still happen even during this time of Covid. Was able to raise money, catch up, get some new volunteers all while social distancing and maximizing this opportunity that they gave us.

Stay tuned for ways to donate, help or keep up to date on this years ceremony and progress. 🇺🇸

Remember our fallen
Honor those who serve
Teach our children the value of freedom

11/09/2020

10/28/2020

TRICARE

#ICYMI: Starting Jan. 1, TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) Prime and TYA Select premiums will increase.

By law, premiums must represent the full cost of the program, and health care costs have risen. You have options.

Enroll in a plan that best fits your needs: https://go.usa.gov/x7Ceg

10/28/2020

TRICARE

With #TRICAREOpenSeason around the corner, now is great time to check your TRICARE health plan eligibility!

This online tool makes it easy. Visit: https://tricare.mil/Plans

#OpenSeason

10/21/2020

Tricare Open Season Nov 9 - Dec 14, 2020

#DYK? #TRICAREOpenSeason allows you to enroll in a new TRICARE plan OR make changes to your current TRICARE plan. To learn more, visit: www.TRICARE.mil/OpenSeason20

10/02/2020

Webinar on Survivor Benefits Report - October 6, 2020 @1:00pm

09/27/2020

Today we remember our Surviving Family members in the local community on Gold Star Mother's and Family Day with the annual Candlelight Remembrance Ceremony.

09/25/2020

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Sept. 27, 2020, is Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day. Learn the history and how to commemorate gold star families in this month’s eNewsletter: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDODMILITARYONESOURCE/bulletins/29be354.

09/18/2020

Archive: U.S. Secretary of Defense

“Never leave a man behind,” the refrain of our military family in the field, echoes today as 82,000 Americans remain missing. We will never stop searching for our fallen and pressing for the release of those captured.

09/02/2020

Survivor Outreach Services - Tennessee

Information regarding the next Dine & Dial event with Mark Dunlop.

08/28/2020

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Impact of COVID-19 on Education Benefits

Legislative changes allow VA to pay education benefits regardless of the fact that a program has been converted from resident training to online training. For GI Bill students enrolled in converted courses (including situations where the school is offering hybrid training [combining online and resident training] or where the school is offering the student the option to choose online training in lieu of resident training), they will continue to receive housing allowance payments at the resident training but only until December 21, 2020.

If a student is enrolled solely online on December 22, 2020, VA will have to reduce housing payments to the online rate effective that date (this means the student will not owe back the resident rate housing received prior to December 22, but will receive a reduced housing payment starting in January 2021 and continuing until the student resumes resident training).

08/28/2020

Survivor Outreach Services - Tennessee

You are invited to the VA/DoD Survivors Forum to be held on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, from 9:00AM to 12:00PM EST.

Dial-in information will be sent at a later date by email once you RSVP. Please send online attendance requests by Monday, September 14, 2020, to Craig Zaroff at [email protected] with the following information:

1. Confirmation of attendance
2. Current title and/or organization

Event hosted by:
VA | Outreach & Stakeholders Engagement
1722 I St. NW | Washington, DC 20006

08/07/2020

Operation Homefront

Today is #PurpleHeartDay. Join us in honoring the estimated 1.8 million brave service members who have received the nation's oldest military award for their sacrifices in defense of our nation.

07/31/2020

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - DFAS

Great news about SBP School Certifications: new form, new process, less paperwork! Want to get on the new easier, annual plan with no school signature or transcript needed? Send us a new DD Form 2788 using the form dated May 2020. Then, if nothing changes in your status, you won’t need to send another form until next year! Find out how: www.dfas.mil/schoolcerts

07/31/2020

Surviving Family Members:
10th Mountain Division Gold Star Family members - If you have relocated can you please contact my office so we can update the information. Thank you.
Survivor Outreach Support Coordinator - Fort Drum

07/28/2020

Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Do you know the most popular benefit in your state ⁉️
If not, check them all out here: https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/76439/veterans-benefits-2020-popular-state-benefit/

07/27/2020

Operation Homefront

Still time to register for many of our 2020 Back-to-School Brigade® distributions! Log in to my.operationhomefront.org (MyOH), find the location closest to you, click register and fill out the form.

If you do not have a profile in MyOH, you will need to create one before you can register. Be sure to fill out the event profile part and please do not use .mil email addresses.

A complete list of locations can be found on our event page here https://goo.gl/DjmjMj

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have taken extra steps to ensure the safety of you—the families we serve—as well as that of our volunteers and staff. We will be following all local, federal, and CDC guidelines and practicing social distancing with drive-through or appointment-only distribution events this year.

If you need assistance, our team stands by to help.

Please note that this event is for DEERS enrolled military dependent children only who will be in Kindergarten through 12th grade for the 2020-2021 school year.

Thank you to our national sponsors Dollar Tree, SAIC, CSX and Nike for helping us serve America's military kids as they get ready to go back to school. #BTSB2020

07/27/2020

Snowball Express

Sharing News on the Status of Snowball Express 2020
"Dear Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express Supporters,
We hope this email finds you and your family safe and well. We are writing to inform you that we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Snowball Express Annual event at WaltDisney World Resort due to the on-going safety concerns of the COVID-19 Pandemic. This decision was not made lightly, and our number one concern is the safety and well-being of everyone involved.
While we will not be able to meet in person this year, we are working through some options for the families to gather virtually. The opportunities for volunteers will be limited this year, so we appreciate your patience, and we look forward to seeing you next year."
For more information visit
https://www.garysinisefoundation.org/snowball-express/

Gary Sinise Foundation Snowball Express serves the children of fallen military heroes. In 2017, Snowball Express became an official Gary Sinise Foundation…

07/23/2020

Military OneSource

Military OneSource is committed to providing more opportunities for the military community and greater public to learn how the nation honors and recognizes the families who have sacrificed so much to the cause of freedom. Find out more: https://www.defense.gov/Explore/Features/Story/Article/2246026/understanding-the-significance-of-the-gold-star/.

07/23/2020

TRICARE

Don't forget to join us for "CHAT with TRICARE," a LIVE Facebook Q&A on Thursday, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM ET. You can ask your questions and get answers in real-time about "catch-up" vaccines and vaccines schedules. 💉 ❔ 💬 #TRICAREChat

07/23/2020

John Jay College Office of Military & Veteran Services

All military, veterans, and other students affected by the Post-9/11 GI Bill should read the information found in the flyers below about the consolidation of Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits that go into effect on August 1st. #Military #Post911 #GIBill #Veterans #VA

07/23/2020

Defense Finance and Accounting Service > RetiredMilitary > manage > changeofaddress

Defense Finance and Accounting Service > RetiredMilitary > manage > changeofaddress

The official website of the Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS)

07/21/2020

1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division

The 1st Brigade Combat Team presents a video series to #RememberTheFallen. This month, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice throughout July's past. May they never be forgotten. #ClimbToGlory

07/21/2020

VetXL: Families Together Q&A with VA and community partners to provide information and responses from experts on Veteran family resources | RallyPoint

VetXL: Families Together Q&A with VA and community partners to provide information and responses from experts on Veteran family resources | RallyPoint

The Department of Veterans Affairs and our community partners at Health and Human Services, Cohen Veteran Network, American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network, ARCHANGELS, Rosalyn Carter Institute, Transition Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), Walmart Military Programs, Elizabeth Dol...

07/21/2020

How to Apply - Folded Flag Foundation

Gold Star Families - Take a look at the Folded Flag Foundation https://www.foldedflagfoundation.org/how-to-apply/
This organization is a 501(c)3 that provides educational scholarships and support grants to the spouses and children of the U.S. military and government personnel who died as a result of hostile action or in an accident related to U.S. combat operations.

Scholarships HOW TO APPLY EducationalScholarships The scholarship application period for the 2020-21 school year is now closed. We are currently reviewing all applications and will be providing responses by mid-July. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we made the difficult decision to forego offering sum...

07/21/2020

Defense Finance and Accounting Service - DFAS

Did you know there’s a new easier, annual plan with no school signature or transcript needed? New form, new process, less paperwork! You can get on the annual plan by sending us a new DD Form 2788 using the new form dated May 2020. Then, if nothing changes in your status, you won’t need to send another form until next year! Find out how: www.dfas.mil/schoolcerts