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NewswireTODAY - /newswire/ -
Olney, MD, United States, 2005/12/29 - Covering any active duty Servicemember severaly injured since Oct. 7, 2001, this is a great holiday gift to many of our deserving heroes!.
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Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI) payments to seriously injured service members have begun being paid out as of today, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Insurance Office, only seven short months since the legislation was signed into law by President Bush. Service members who have suffered a traumatic injury will be eligible to receive between $25,000 and $100,000, depending on the injury. The insurance covers any active duty service member who was severely wounded in support of the nation’s ongoing war on terror, which began in Afghanistan on October 7, 2001. TSGLI was created through legislation known as the Wounded Warrior Bill that was proposed and championed by three participants of the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization serving today's severely wounded service members. This legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law in May 2005.
“Our wounded service members have given so much already, the last thing they should have to worry about is financial security,” said John Melia, Wounded Warrior Project Executive Director. “With the Traumatic Injury Insurance, the newly injured soldiers and their families can focus on recovery and reentering civilian life.”
Service members can download the forms from the Veterans Affairs Insurance homepage at Iinsurance.va.gov/; or from Wounded Warrior Project's website at Woundedwarriorproject.org. After the DoD has certified that the service member was on active duty, the VA Insurance Office will begin processing payment. The VA is issuing the first round of payments this week.
“All servicemembers owe a debt of gratitude to Senator Larry Craig for making this program a reality. He literally would not take no for an answer,” said Jeremy Chwat, National Policy Director for Wounded Warrior Project. “We are also extremely grateful to the VA’s Insurance Office staff members who have dedicated countless hours and energy to ensuring that this program would be up and running in such a short period of time," Chwat added. "His leadership was essential in moving this initiative forward."
About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the new generation of severely injured servicemen and women. Delivering personal and responsive attention for these heroes, WWP provides free programs and services for the severely wounded, enables vets to help vets, and educates the public and enlists their aid in this important effort.
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