VA OCONUS Connection

November 2024

Expanding access to VA benefits for K2 Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking significant steps to expand access to benefits for Veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) base in Uzbekistan after September 11, 2001, as well as their survivors.

Key Changes:

1. Presumptive Conditions: The VA will now recognize undiagnosed illnesses and medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illnesses, commonly referred to as Gulf War Illness, as presumptive conditions for K2 Veterans. This change reduces the burden of proof needed for these Veterans to access benefits. Furthermore, K2 Veterans are also eligible for presumptive benefits for more than 300 conditions covered by the PACT Act. This means they do not need to prove that their service caused their condition; the VA automatically assumes service connection and provides benefits accordingly.
2. Recognition of Contaminant Exposure: Veterans who served at K2 are officially recognized as having been exposed to various harmful substances, including jet fuel, asbestos, and lead. The VA is collaborating with the Department of Defense to identify additional potential exposures.
3. Claims Process Improvements: All claims submitted by K2 Veterans will now account for their exposure to contaminants. Each claim will undergo a pre-decisional review to ensure that all relevant information and benefits are properly considered.

Encouragement to Apply

Veterans living overseas can take advantage of these benefits. The VA is committed to ensuring that all eligible Veterans, regardless of their location, have access to necessary resources and support. Those residing outside the U.S. are strongly encouraged to apply for benefits online through VA.gov or by calling 1-800-MYVA411. This expansion aims to provide comprehensive support to all K2 Veterans, no matter where they live.

Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) is Overseas

Veteran Readiness & Employment (VR&E) can help Veterans seeking assistance in obtaining suitable employment. VR&E, or Chapter 31, provides services to support Veterans in obtaining and maintaining suitable employment. The following VR&E offices are assigned specific jurisdiction for Veterans outside the U.S. who are eligible to coordinate provision of services:

A VR&E Counselor (VRC) can assist Veterans in navigating the program to meet Veterans’ employment needs and provide support services. VR&E has recently added Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists (VRS) to assist with providing additional case management support. When applying for VR&E benefits, it is important to maintain a correct and current residential address with VA to ensure your application is routed appropriately.

There are several ways to complete an application for VR&E Services. You may elect to complete a VA Form 28-1900, which can be downloaded here, and mail it to the following address:

US Department of Veterans Affairs VR&E Intake Center

PO Box 5210

Janesville, WI  54537

 You can also apply online at:

VR&E Benefits 

GI Bill Foreign Program

The GI Bill Foreign Program allows Veterans to use their GI Bill to study at a foreign school under certain conditions and eligibility requirements. Veterans that want to pursue an education program at a foreign school should get VA approval for their preferred program before enrolling.

Find more information, visit:

GI Bill Foreign program

FourBlock provides free employment resources for Veterans

Access instructors, coaches, employer partners and a vast network of alumni at no cost. FourBlock delivers a variety of online employment resources designed specifically for individuals at every stage of their transition from the military to civilian employment. Their Global-Virtual cohort is best suited for student Veterans and active-duty service members stationed overseas with a focus on the UK, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Find more information, visit: 

 FourBlock

Prepare for VA’s secure sign-in changes In 2025, VA will transition to two sign-in account options: Login.gov and ID.me accounts. Veterans and other beneficiaries will no longer be able to use usernames and passwords for My HealtheVet after January 31, 2025, or DS Logon after September 30, 2025. After these deadlines, Veterans who have not transitioned will still be able to access their data and resume management their benefits and services online once they have created their new account. This transition helps us meet Veterans’ requests for a simpler sign-in experience while continuing to improve our security standards, comply with federal policies, and ensure Veteran data and identity protection. For the latest information or to create your account visit Prepare for VA's Secure Sign-In Changes.

Report suspected fraud The Department of Veterans Affairs partnered in the launch of VSAFE.gov and 1-833-38V-SAFE (1-833-388-7233) - a government-wide website and call center designed to protect Veterans, service members, and their families from fraud and scams. These resources will help inform Veterans and their families of common fraud schemes, give them tools to protect themselves, and provide an outlet for reporting and further assistance. The call center and website combine resources from the Department of Defense, Department of Education, Department of State, Federal Trade Commission, Federal Communications Commission, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, and the Office of Management & Budget to ensure that there is no "wrong door" approach for Veterans and Service members to access reporting tools and resources to combat fraud. The Veteran community has been affected by the growing fraudulent schemes of claims predators. Claims predators are "bad actors" that try to charge Veterans a fee to "help" them process their claims with VA. Claims predators advertise their ability to expedite the claim processing times and guarantee higher disability benefits evaluations in exchange for their paid services. These schemes target Veteran's hard-earned benefits and may subject Veterans to unnecessary fees.

Foreign claim jurisdiction

Claimants that live overseas or in foreign countries have their claims managed by specific stations depending on their location and the issue claimed. Jurisdiction over claims involving foreign residency is divided among the following offices:

• Pittsburgh Regional Office for live compensation claims, automobile grants, auto adaptive equipment, and translations.
• Philadelphia Regional Office for all service-connected (SC) death and burial claims, including claims from the Philippines.
• Milwaukee and St. Paul Regional Offices for non service-connected pension claims.
• Indianapolis Regional Office for claims where the beneficiary has a fiduciary.
• Buffalo Regional Office for education claims.
• Muskogee Regional Office for international Direct Deposit.
• Seattle Regional Office for Appeals.
• VA Central Office for special adaptive housing.

Note:  Any claims from the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, Mariana Islands, or American Samoa are considered Domestic claims. Compensation claims from the Philippines are handled at the Manila Regional Office. The Milwaukee Regional Office is responsible for Philippine pension claims and the Philadelphia Regional Office is responsible for all original service-connected death claims from the Philippines. Compensation claims from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are handled at the San Juan Regional Office. Compensation claims from the other U.S. territories listed are handled at the Honolulu Regional Office.

How can Veterans reach VA? VA has many avenues in place to help Veterans and their family members residing OCONUS. For Veterans or other VA claimants residing outside of the US, you can contact VA by phone to get a status of your claim or answer general benefits inquiry at 1-800-827-1000 or 412-395-6272. Overseas Military Service Coordinators VA Overseas Military Coordinators (OMSCs) are available to assist transitioning Service Members, U.S. Veterans living or working overseas, and their families and dependents with all VA Benefits.  For contact information for the OMSCs, please visit:   Overseas Military Services Coordinators

Scheduling an appointment

Veterans overseas may also schedule an appointment with the Pittsburgh VA Regional Office using the Visitor Engagement Reporting Application (VERA):

VERA

Note that you should select Virtual appointment, Pennsylvania as the State and Pittsburgh as the Office. This will route your appointment to the Pittsburgh Regional Office, which has jurisdiction of all overseas claims. Veterans can also call the VA Benefits Customer Service line at 1-800-827-1000 to speak to a representative regarding their claim or ask a question through AskVA.

Veteran Service Officers (VSO)

VSOs in Pittsburgh are great assets for Veterans living outside the U.S. They are most familiar with the nuances of the claims process for Veterans abroad.

• American Legion, 412-395-6230/6231
• American Veterans (AMVETS), 412-395-6248
• Disabled American Veterans, 412-395-6241; davforeign.vbapit@va.gov
• Military Order of the Purple Heart, 412-395-6252
• Paralyzed Veterans of America, 412-395-6255
• Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, 412-395-6225
• Veterans of Foreign Wars, 412-395-6259

Need to contact your local U.S. Embassy?

For a complete list of embassies from the U.S. Department of State, visit: https://www.usembassy.gov/.

How to submit VA correspondence

Documents may be submitted by mail, in person at a VA regional office or electronically. However, submitting correspondence electronically is the fastest method of receipt.

VA provides several tools to assist in electronic submission:

• To learn more about how to submit documents and claims electronically, visit www.va.gov/disability/upload-supporting-evidence.
• You can also go directly to access.va.gov to digitally upload any correspondence using QuickSubmit.
• By visiting www.va.gov you can also check your claim status and learn about other VA benefits.   

Mailing address:

Department of Veterans Affairs Evidence Intake Center

PO Box 4444                          

Janesville, WI 54537-4444

Veterans Living Overseas

Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) ships to APO, FPO, and DPO Addresses   If you are shipping to a military base or diplomatic location, you'll be using an APO, FPO or DPO address. GovX makes this process easy! APO stands for Army Post Office and is associated with Army or Air Force installations. FPO stands for Fleet Post Office and is associated with Navy installations and ships. DPO stands for Diplomatic Post Office and is associated with U.S. Diplomatic locations. For instructions on proper formatting of APO, FPO and DPO addresses, visit: ShopVCS Help Center  Helpful Tips and Restrictions: It is not necessary to add the specific military formation or the recipient's rank. When mailing to a DPO address, do not add the street address of the embassy. Several restrictions apply when shipping to a military or diplomatic address: Packages must weigh 70 lbs or less and cannot exceed 130" in combined length and girth. You cannot send any items restricted by the USPS (see full list here) or any perishable food. All APO, FPO or DPO packages will be shipped via USPS. Orders shipping overseas can take approximately 4 - 5 weeks to reach the APO, FPO or DPO hub. It will take additional time to receive your package from there.

Benefits for Deported Veterans

Removal of an unnaturalized citizen in the U.S. military, or who served with the U.S. military, is authorized and evaluated only by The Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has no legal jurisdiction over ICE.

Deportation/immigration status does not affect entitlement to VA benefits. Resources for Veterans residing outside of the United States:

• VA's Veterans Living Overseas webpage
• Topics include information on direct deposit, currency conversion, foreign approved schools, healthcare, and more.
• Other federal agency information
• Includes a referral to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regarding naturalization options for non-US citizen Veterans.

Factors related to a Veteran's deportation that may result in a bar to VA benefits include:

• Dishonorable discharge from military service (38 U.S.C. § 5303)
• Acts of mutiny, treason, sabotage, or rendering assistance to an enemy of the United States or its allies, or conviction for subversive activities (38 U.S.C. §§ 6104, 6105)
• Incarceration of a U.S. citizen for conviction of a felony (38 U.S.C. § 5313)
• Residence in territory of the enemy (38 U.S.C. § 5308).
• Incarceration of a foreign-born Veteran (classified as an unnaturalized citizen) for minor offenses (misdemeanors) under immigration law.

Foreign Medical Program (FMP)

FMP Applications can be downloaded and submitted by e-mail to hac.fmp@va.gov, fax to 303-331-7803, or mailed to:

VHA Office of Integrated Veteran Care

ATTN:  FMP

PO Box 469061

Denver, CO 80246-9061

For more information, please visit the following websites:

• How to File a Claim with FMP
• FMP Program Overview
• FMP Program
• FMP Claims, Benefits, & Exclusions

• FMP Care Benefits Guide

Veteran Health Identification Cards  (VHIC) Veterans may now obtain a Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) online. You can sign in to AccessVA to request your VHIC. You’ll need a Login.gov, ID.me, DS Logon, My HealtheVet, or Department of Defense Common Access Card (CAC) account.  Please note, if you live outside the U.S. and you do not have one of the aforementioned accounts, you'll need to create an ID.me account to verify your identify.  For additional information and instructions, visit:  VHIC

Calling from Overseas? On Base-  DSN 988, then Press 1  Off Base: Europe:  1 844-702-5495   Southwest Asia: 1 855-422-7719   Pacific: 1 844-702-5493 You may also visit www.veteranscrisisline.net to chat online or text 838255 for immediate help.

Additional VA resources

• Whether you’re just getting out of the service or you’ve been a civilian for years now, the VA Welcome Kit can help guide you to the benefits and services you’ve earned.

VA Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, & Survivors contains a wealth of information about the broad range of benefits and services available, including pertinent phone numbers, websites, basic eligibility requirements, and more!

Upcoming Virtual Events

VA regularly participates in virtual outreach events . Visit the link below to view the full list of VA Outreaches:

Outreach & Events

Feedback Requested We’d love to hear your feedback regarding the VA OCONUS Connection!  We want to provide the information you need - please tell us what topics you would like addressed in the future.

Stay connected

Please encourage Veterans and separating Service Members that you know residing outside of the US to visit the Pittsburgh VA Regional Office website to sign up to receive this quarterly newsletter, The OCONUS Connection, in which we share information pertinent to Veterans living overseas.   Veterans and Service Members can subscribe to this publication by submitting their email address through the link provided on our website.

Help us serve you!

If you are interested in having a VA representative from the Pittsburgh RO attend an upcoming virtual event, participate in a virtual speaking engagement, or provide a benefits briefing to your group, please let us know! 

Request a VA Representative Attend a Virtual Event

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