By Mark Boshnack

Tri-Towns Bureau

When members of the 204th Engineer Battalion Company of the National Guard left from Walton in February, they were given a big sendoff that included a parade.

When they return home, they will find the Veterans Administration will have something waiting for them. They will become eligible for certain federal health-care benefits offered to returning veterans.

This is just a portion of what the Veterans Administration offers returning service men and women. The support includes such items as life insurance, education and vocational benefits and disability payments.

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There is a system of state and county counselors through the Division of Veterans Affairs to help veterans obtain their entitlements.

The VA is not able to calculate the total health benefits. But even so, more than $7 million went to more than 5,695 veterans in Otsego County in 2002, which were the most recent figures available. More than $6.1 million went for compensation and pensions for disabilities.

In Delaware County, there were more than 5,000 veterans who received $6.1 million from VA programs, and of that amount $4.5 million was for compensation and pensions. Chenango County had 5,434 veterans, and in Schoharie County, 3,250 veterans received benefits in similar proportions.

"The key to returning veterans receiving proper benefits is taking two steps," said Robert Johnson, director of Veterans Service Agency for Delaware County.

Veterans should have their discharge papers recorded at state or local Veteran Service Agency, he said.

At that time, the counselor can review benefits with the veteran, who should also take advantage of the Transition Assistance Program, he said.

National Guard members returning from active duty in a war zone will find they are entitled to two years of VA health care, despite general income requirements for the service, Johnson said. This includes visits to the VA clinic in Bainbridge or, for specialist care, an appointment at the Albany VA Medical Center.

County or state counselors can advise how to obtain transportation, available through veterans agencies.

When the two years are over, National Guard members will have to complete a means test by Oct. 1 each year, as all veterans in the system do if they are to maintain benefits, Johnson said.

Since 1980, veterans generally had to have 24 months of federal active duty to qualify for benefits, Johnson said.

To qualify in one of the categories for free health care, a single veteran has to make less than $25,162, make $30,197 or less if he has one dependent, or he must have a service-related disability.

Everyone else generally falls into category 8, the lowest priority. Veterans registering after Jan. 16 are not being seen by the VA because of budget cutbacks. Those before that date have a small co-pay, officials said.

But it's important that all veterans register to be eligible for benefits when funding is restored, said state Division of Veterans Affairs counselor Simon Jackson.

"Upstate New York seems to have a good system," said Jack Early, commander of Franklin American Legion Post, who served in the Vietnam era. In Early's case, he said there is a small co-pay, because he falls into category 8.

"It's a great system," he said. "But it's a terrible system because it depends on Congress (appropriating funds)."

Until all veterans have access to health care, the promise made to those in the service will not be fulfilled, he said.

Harry Martin, 47, of Oneonta said he served in the Army between 1966 and 1970 and was stationed in Germany. When he was discharged, he got his job at Medical Coaches in Oneonta, with training paid for under veterans benefits. He is finishing his 30th year with the company.

He has enrolled in the Veterans Administration system, but, because he has no disabilities, he is not receiving benefits.

"I can remember when I went into basic training, we had someone from the VA who said, 'We'll always be there for you.' For me that hasn't been true."

With veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, Johnson said, " we expect to stay busy."

With the health effects of the first Gulf War still uncertain, he said, "It is hard to say what health problems will be seen in troops from all services."

But, as in all wars, "if personnel were in combat, you will see post traumatic stress disorder," he said.

With a recent increase in military action, Johnson said, "we have been getting more inquiries. With the economy not the best, more people are looking for ways to supplement their income," which includes looking at possible benefits.

"Rules and regulations are designed to discourage people," Jackson said. But during his more than 21 years with the division, "I've learned to live with that," he said.

So, if veterans have any doubts about whether they qualify, they should go to any of the offices to check on what their eligibility, Jackson said.

For veterans and widows applying for compensation and disability, there is a means test for non-service related disabilities, Johnson said.

For permanent and total disabilities, the payment is $824 a month, less whatever income is received. Medical expenses can be used to adjust income, he said, so veterans should discuss their cases with a counselor. In making a compensation decision, anyone older than 65 can be considered disabled based on age.

Payments for service related disabilities are not means tested, Jackson said.

To qualify, an exam at the Albany VA Hospital is usually required, though a veteran can submit enough private treatment records that an exam may not have to be scheduled, Johnson said.

"There is a lot of paperwork, a lot of people just give up," which is where a visit with state or county counselors can be helpful, he said.

Disabilities are ranked from 0 percent to 100 percent. Compensation can start at $106 a month for a 10 percent disability and go to $2,239 a month for 100 percent disability, he said.

"I have a 100 percent service-connected injury," said Mount Upton resident Walter Henriksen. He received a spinal cord injured while serving near Khe San in Vietnam in 1969. "The VA took care of me."

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Mark Boshnack can be reached at starsidney@stny.rr.com or at (607) 563-1493.