$1M sitting unused in military relief fund
By Will Higgins will.higgins@indystar.comVA official wants to make it easier for soldiers' families to get grants
More than $1 million is sitting idle in a fund to help Indiana soldiers fighting the war on terrorism.
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The Military Family and Relief Fund was set up in 2006 by the Indiana General Assembly to assist soldiers' families who are financially strapped because of an overseas deployment. So far, with nearly 1,000 Indiana National Guard troops deployed and thousands of others recently returned from serving their country, just $22,000 in grants have been awarded.
Tom Applegate, director of the Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs, said Tuesday he plans to propose eliminating a prerequisite he says prevents many deserving families from tapping the fund: "We need to delete the requirement (that the soldier) needs to be earning less money while deployed than in his regular job."
Most troops get a pay raise while deployed, but that doesn't mean the family back home doesn't suffer, Applegate said. "There could be more child-care costs, and in some cases the spouse can no longer work full time."
Applegate testified before the Commission on Military and Veterans Affairs, a consortium of state lawmakers chaired by Sen. Thomas J. Wyss, R-Fort Wayne.
"We need to make sure (the funds) get to those who need it," said Wyss, noting the upcoming deployment of the Indiana Guard's 76th Infantry Brigade's 3,500 troops.
The General Assembly would have to approve a change in the fund's criteria. Lawmakers convene briefly Nov. 20, and the legislative session starts in early January.
The 76th is expected to deploy in December and ship out to Iraq in March. It would be the Indiana Guard's largest deployment since World War II.
The fund gets its money through sales of specialty license plates. About 32,500 "Hoosier Veteran" plates have been sold, with $15 from each sale going to the fund. Half as many "Support Our Troops" plates have been sold, with $20 from each sale going to the fund. The state matches that money, up to $450,000 a year.
The maximum grant amount for families is $2,000. So far, 11 grants have been awarded. More than that have been turned down, though "fewer than 20," Applegate said.
Those numbers suggest either little interest in the grants or, more likely, that many soldiers don't know about them, Applegate said. He said he would redouble his efforts to get the word out by publicizing the available money through veterans groups such as the American Legion.
There are 975 Indiana Guard troops deployed for the wars: 10 in Afghanistan, 75 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and the remainder in Iraq.
Labels: VFW News
posted by Greg @ 6:46 AM
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