BlackFive

B5 reader Cheryl sent a note about a cool program in Ohio than pays a bonus to certain veterans based on wartime service. The deasline for Iraq war vets to apply is Dec 31 of this year. You can do so at this site. There is an eligibility calculator, so you can check to see if you qualify. These are the basic fact, and well done Ohio for offering this.

• To be eligible for a bonus, a Veteran must have been an Ohio resident at the start of active duty service and when he or she applies for the bonus.
  
  
• To be eligible for a bonus,
  
  
  • The Veteran must have been separated from the armed forces under honorable conditions, or
    
    
  • Active duty service member remains in active service, or
    
    
  • After active duty service, the Veteran remains in any reserve component of the armed forces, including the Ohio National Guard.
    
    
• Eligible Veteran or Active duty service member may receive $100 for each month spent on active duty service in the following locations during these specified dates: 
  
  
  • Afghanistan since October 7, 2001. Eligible Veterans can apply for a bonus for up to three years after the President declares an end to U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.
    
    
  • Iraq between March 19, 2003 and December 31, 2011. Eligible Veterans can apply for a bonus until December 31, 2014.
    
    
  • The maximum benefit for in-country (Afghanistan or Iraq) service is $1,000.
    
    
• Eligible Veterans serving on active duty (except active duty for training only) anywhere else in the world during the above specified dates may receive $50 a month up to a maximum benefit of $500.
  
  
• Partial months of service during the compensable period will be paid at the rate of 1/30 of the monthly rate per day served.
  
  
• Veterans or Active duty service members may receive a bonus of up to a maximum of $1,500 for all eligible service during the compensable periods.
  
  
• Eligible Veterans who were discharged medically or retired medically as a result of injuries or illness sustained in Afghanistan or Iraq service, can apply for a $1,000 bonus, regardless of their length of service in country. In addition, these veterans may also apply for $50 for each month of active duty, anywhere else in the world service, up to a maximum of $500.
  
  
• Family member(s) of deceased veterans may be eligible for
  
  
  • A benefit of $5000, if the service member lost his or her life as a result of injuries or illness sustained in Afghanistan or Iraq service, plus whatever bonus the Veteran had earned per month, up to a maximum bonus of $6,500, or 
    
    
  • the same benefit the deceased Veteran would have received if the Veteran’s death was not the result of injuries or illness sustained in Afghanistan or Iraq service, up to a maximum bonus of $1,500. 
    
    
• Family member(s) of a Veteran Missing in Action (MIA) or a Prisoner of War (POW) may be eligible to receive $5,000 if the veteran was designated Missing In Action or a Prisoner Of War by the U.S. Department of Defense.
  
  
• Family member(s) in the following order of precedence may be eligible to apply: 1) spouse, if no spouse 2) child or children, if no child or children, 3) parent(s) or person(s) legally acting as a parent for a least one year preceding commencement of service in the United States armed forces. No other family members are eligible for the Veteran's bonus.