Monday, January 15, 2007 Senator Charles Schumer will announce details
of a bill he will be introducing that will benefit the National Guard
and reserve. All are welcome to come to Veterans Plaza at Hofstra
University at 10:30 AM. ( Monday is Martin Luther King Day) All are
welcome to attend. If you would like to attend to meet the Senator or
ask him any questions please respond by email so we have some idea of
how many will attend. Reservists and National Guard members are
particularly welcome. Military retirees and veterans will appreciate
seeing Hofstra's Veterans Plaza. Below is an outline of the proposed
bill and directions to Hofstra's Veterans Plaza.

Senator Schumer Reservists/National Guard Legislation
* Education benefits for the reserve component (the National Guard and
ready reserve) have not kept up with the rise in the cost of college.
Currently, a reserve solider who is attending school and participating
in full time training receives only a $297/month stipend. However,
active duty soldiers receive $1097/month. Senator Schumer's legislation
would double the benefit for members of the reserve component to
$600/month.

* Right now, the military does not reimburse members of the reserve
component for traveling to train or for weekend drill. To ease the
burden on upstate New York soldiers who may have to travel long
distances throughout the state or even outside of New York, Schumer's
legislation require the military to reimburse members of the reserve for
travel beyond 50 miles.

* When reservists return home with an injury, most are required to
recuperate at military medical facilities that can be long distances
from their homes, even on the other side of the country. When active
duty soldiers return home, they recuperate at the military base where
they live. Under the current system, if a reservist or National Guard
member wanted to receive treatment close to home, they would have to
resign their active duty status thereby voiding their military health
benefits. Schumer's legislation would create a new system where a member
of the reserve component could receive treatment at a facility near
their home without losing military health benefits.

* While 37% of active duty veterans have filed for service-related
disability claims, only 20% of those in the National Guard or reservists
have filed claims. However, 18% of the claims by National Guard and
reservists are denied, while only 8% of active duty claims are denied.
Schumer's legislation will direct the Department of Veteran's Affairs
Inspector General to immediately investigate why reserve component
claims are denied at such a greater rate than active military.

__Directions:

From All Points: From Exit M4 of the Meadowbrook
Parkway you will be on Route 24 West (Hempstead Turnpike) ... Stay on
24W for about one mile ... Pass Nassau Coliseum .... Hofstra University
is on both sides of Hempstead Turnpike ... You will see two overhead
walkways ... Go under the first walkway and make a left at the next
light onto California Avenue. Go approximately 200 yards and make a
right into a "restricted" parking lot before the stop sign. Park there.

Then WALKING: Take the sidewalk that runs in
front of Weller Hall, on the south side of the lot, to the right. You'll
see a bronze eagle in the middle of the sidewalk about 50 feet down (in
front of Calkins Hall) - this is Veterans' Plaza.