As the largest organization of combat veterans, the VFW understands the frustrations that can come with leaving the military or filing a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs. In the VFW’s words, the claims process “can be confusing and one that service members and veterans shouldn’t try to navigate alone.” That is why the VFW established its National Veterans Service (NVS) to help all veterans, service members, their families, and survivors.
Who the Service Officers are
NVS is a nationwide network of VFW Accredited Service Officers who are experts in navigating VA processes. They help veterans develop their cases by reviewing and applying current law, pertinent legislation, regulations, and medical histories. VA reports that veterans represented by the VFW recouped $16.2 billion in compensation and pension on behalf of veterans and eligible family members in fiscal year 2025.
What they help with
- Disability compensation claims.
- Rehabilitation and education programs.
- Pension and death benefits.
- Employment and training programs.
- Appeals: they will request hearings before VA and the Board of Veterans Appeals to present oral arguments when needed.
Free of charge, every step of the way
VFW Accredited Service Officers stay with veterans every step of the way once they are ready to file a claim. The VFW offers this service free of charge to anyone seeking help with the claims process.
Avoid the claim sharks
The VFW warns veterans not to fall victim to “claim sharks,” companies that illegally represent veterans through the VA claims process and can charge thousands of dollars for doing so. Never pay for help that the VFW gives for free.
Leaving the service? Start before you separate
The VFW Pre-Discharge program was established in 2001 through a cooperative initiative with the Pentagon and VA. It helps separating and retiring active-duty service members obtain their VA entitlements and benefits upon discharge. VFW Accredited Service Officers can help prepare and submit forms and evidence to VA before separation and answer questions about VA benefits. Pre-Discharge offices, shown on vfw.org as Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) sites, are on or near major military installations across the country. If you are within 180 days of discharge, contact a VFW Accredited Service Officer to get the process underway. The VFW’s website also has a checklist of what to bring to your appointment.
How to get connected
Start your claim online at claims.vfw.org, or find Pre-Discharge locations and contacts at vfw.org/assistance/va-claims-separation-benefits. Post 8555 members who want help getting connected with a VFW Service Officer can call the Post at (830) 484-7317.
Getting Help
- Start a claim: Online at claims.vfw.org.
- Leaving the service?: Within 180 days of discharge, contact a VFW Accredited Service Officer. Pre-Discharge locations and contacts are listed on vfw.org.
- What it costs: Nothing. The VFW’s help is free of charge.
- Post 8555: Call (830) 484-7317 for help getting connected with a VFW Service Officer.
Source: vfw.org, “VA Claims & Separation Benefits” (read September 25, 2026).
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The PACT Act, the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. VA calls it perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in its history, and it is here to stay: veterans and survivors can file at any time.
Brielle Robinson, daughter of the late Sgt. 1st Class Heath Robinson, for whom the PACT Act is named, at its signing, Aug. 10, 2022. (Official White House photo by Erin Scott, public domain)
What the law changed
- Expanded VA health care eligibility for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras.
- Added 20+ presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures.
- Added presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation.
- Requires a toxic exposure screening for every veteran enrolled in VA health care.
Enroll in VA health care now
You can enroll without applying for disability benefits first if you meet the basic service and discharge requirements and you served in the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11; deployed in support of the Global War on Terror; or were exposed to toxins or other hazards during service at home or abroad.
Presumptive conditions
With a presumptive condition, you do not have to prove your service caused it. For Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans, presumptive cancers include brain cancer, glioblastoma, kidney cancer, melanoma, pancreatic cancer, lymphoma of any type, and gastrointestinal, head, neck, reproductive, and respiratory cancers of any type. Presumptive illnesses include asthma diagnosed after service, chronic bronchitis, COPD, chronic rhinitis and sinusitis, emphysema, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and sarcoidosis.
Vietnam-era veterans
The law added high blood pressure (hypertension) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) as Agent Orange presumptive conditions, along with new presumptive locations: U.S. or Royal Thai bases in Thailand (Jan. 9, 1962–June 30, 1976), Laos (Dec. 1, 1965–Sept. 30, 1969), Mimot or Krek in Cambodia (April 16–30, 1969), Guam or American Samoa and their waters (Jan. 9, 1962–July 31, 1980), and Johnston Atoll (Jan. 1, 1972–Sept. 30, 1977).
Denied before? File again
If VA denied your claim in the past and now presumes your condition, file a Supplemental Claim; you do not need to wait for VA to contact you. Survivors may be eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Every enrolled veteran gets a toxic exposure screening, with a follow-up at least once every five years, so ask about it at your next VA appointment.
Presumed Burn-Pit Exposure
- On or after Aug. 2, 1990: Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, or the UAE
- On or after Sept. 11, 2001: Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Uzbekistan, or Yemen
- Also: The airspace above any of these locations
Source: VA.gov, “The PACT Act and your VA benefits” (last updated June 2, 2026).
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The 2026 increase, and what comes next
By law, VA matches the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) the Social Security Administration gives. On October 24, 2025, SSA announced a 2.8 percent increase for 2026 (it was 2.5 percent for 2025). VA disability compensation rose 2.8 percent effective December 1, 2025, under Public Law 119-42. A veteran rated 100 percent with no dependents now receives $3,938.58 a month; a veteran rated 30 percent with a spouse receives $617.47.
The VA Home Loan Program Reform Act is signed into law, July 30, 2025. (Official White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian, public domain)
The 2027 COLA has not been announced yet. It will match the Social Security increase for 2027, and the bill to apply it to VA compensation and DIC on December 1, 2026 (H.R. 8552) is pending in Congress. Increases are automatic for current beneficiaries. Over the past decade, the annual COLA has averaged about 3.1 percent.
2026 Monthly Compensation
Veteran alone, no dependents • effective Dec. 1, 2025
| 10% | $180.42 | 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 20% | $356.66 | 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 30% | $552.47 | 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 40% | $795.84 | 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | 100% | $3,938.58 |
Rates with a spouse, children, or parents are higher at 30% and up. Full tables: va.gov/disability/compensation-rates.
VA home loans: no down payment for most
VA-backed and VA direct home loans help veterans, service members, and survivors buy, build, improve, or refinance a home. You still need the required credit and income, but terms are often better than a traditional loan: nearly 90 percent of VA-backed loans are made with no down payment, and there is no monthly mortgage insurance. Start by requesting a Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
If you have full entitlement, VA sets no loan limit, as long as you can afford the loan and the appraisal supports the price. VA guarantees up to 25 percent of a loan over $144,000.
The funding fee
Most borrowers pay a one-time VA funding fee, which can be financed. First-time purchase fees are 2.15 percent with less than 5 percent down, 1.5 percent with 5 percent down, and 1.25 percent with 10 percent down; after first use, the fee is 3.3 percent with less than 5 percent down. An interest rate reduction refinance (IRRRL) is 0.5 percent. You do not pay the fee if you receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability, receive DIC as a surviving spouse, or meet certain other conditions. If you are later awarded compensation retroactive to before your closing, you may get a refund.
Behind on payments? New help
The VA Home Loan Program Reform Act (Public Law 119-31), signed July 30, 2025, lets VA pay a loan holder what is needed to avoid foreclosure and sets up a five-year Partial Claim Program for VA loans on primary homes that are in default or at imminent risk of default. If you are struggling, contact VA before you fall further behind.
Your money checklist
- Know your rate (VA.gov): Check your 2026 rate in the full compensation tables.
- Watch the COLA (SSA and H.R. 8552): The 2027 increase follows SSA’s announcement.
- Buying a home? (Certificate of Eligibility): Request your COE before you shop.
- Behind on payments? (Partial Claim Program): Contact VA before you fall further behind.
Sources: VA.gov compensation rates, home loans, funding fee, and entitlement pages; SSA news release, Oct. 24, 2025; Federal Register, Feb. 17, 2026; Congress.gov, H.R. 1815 and H.R. 8552.
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Food distribution: October 7 and November 4
Food distribution is the first Wednesday of every month at the Post, starting at 8:00 AM. Volunteers who can help set up should be at the hall at 8:00 AM.
Food distribution at the Post, July 1, 2026. (Post archive)
Color guard: Saturday, October 17
The Post color guard has a flag detail on the calendar for the Wilson County Friends of the NRA Dinner at the La Vernia Chamber of Commerce Hall (Event Center), 5:30 to 8:30 PM.
VFW Post 8555 Color Guard presented the colors at the Wilson County Friends of NRA Dinner, October 17, 2026.
Video: the Color Guard presenting the colors, October 17, 2026. View all 16 photos in the Photo Gallery.
Wilson County VSO Breakfast: Saturday, October 24
The Wilson County VSO Breakfast is on the Post calendar from 9:00 AM to noon.
Volunteers at the July 1, 2026 food distribution. The next distributions are October 7 and November 4. (Post archive)
Birthdays and Veterans Day
The Marine Corps marks its 251st birthday on Tuesday, November 10, and Veterans Day is Wednesday, November 11. (The Navy’s 251st birthday on October 13 is covered in this issue’s military history page.)
Auxiliary Lotería: Sunday, November 15
VFW Auxiliary Post 8555 presents Lotería on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at the Post home, 715 Houston Street, Poth, TX 78147. Doors open at 1:00 PM; games begin at 2:00 PM.
Tickets are $25 per person and include 2 playing cards and 10 Lotería games. Reserved seating is an additional $5 per person. Bingo cards will be available for purchase between Lotería games. Concessions and drinks are available for purchase; no outside food or drinks. Cash, check, Venmo, and Cash App are accepted. All ages welcome.
Questions? Call (830) 484-7317 or message us on Facebook.
Wreaths Across America: Saturday, December 19
Wilson County, TX – Poth is registered as a participating Wreaths Across America location for 2026 (location ID TXPOTH). National Wreaths Across America Day is Saturday, December 19. Wreaths can be sponsored at wreathsacrossamerica.org/TXPOTH; the Region 3 cutoff for guaranteed delivery is Tuesday, December 2. More to follow.
From District 20
- District 20 Bowling Tournament: Sunday, November 15, 1:00–4:00 PM, Rush Fun Park, 6301 NW 410, Ste. 200.
- District 20 Christmas Party: Saturday, December 5, Post 9186, 5:00–11:00 PM. Our Post gun raffle drawing is a separate Post event the same day.
- Mid-Winter: January 14–17, 2027, in Corpus Christi. More information is expected in November.
- District fundraising reminders: lotería games require a license, and cash prizes are not allowed (gift cards are).
Event flyers
Flyers for upcoming Post events are on the back pages of this issue, followed by the District 20 events flyer and the Combat Tested Gaming flyer. Post them at work, at church, and on the refrigerator.
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Join us Saturday, September 19, 2026, at VFW Post 4815, 3111 Commercial Ave., San Antonio, TX 78221. Doors open at 9:30 AM and training begins at 10:00 AM.
Training topics:
- Articles of Incorporation
- VFW Post Grants
- Community Service Reporting
- Membership & Recruiting
- Trustee Audits
- All-American / All-State
- MAP Program Orientation (District Surgeon)
- Post Leadership & Meetings
Lunch provided — $10 donation (burger & fries).
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