Veterans Affairs
The Susquehanna County Veterans affairs office proudly serves the Veterans of our County and their families.
Anyone with questions about the vast array of benefits available is encouraged to contact the County VA office, and we will be happy to answer your questions and provide assistance. The office is located in the County Courthouse at 31 Lake Ave. Montrose, Pa. and the office hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:30 A.M. until 4:30 P.M. except for scheduled holidays or required Certified Veterans Services Officer (VSO) training.
Individuals may also find complete information on veteran's federal benefits by visiting the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs web site at www.va.gov and state benefits at www.dmva.pa.gov/veterans/pages
Veterans in crisis or contemplating suicide may call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988 option 1 or text at 838255 for help
Finally to all our veterans, “thank you for your service” we look forward to serving you.
Veterans Corner
The Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs office writes an article once each month that is published in the Susquehanna Independent (also known as the Susquehanna County Independent). These articles called “Veterans Corner” provide information related to veteran’s issues and benefits. The articles are published once per month and can be found in one of the editions of the Susquehanna Independent. For your convenience we also make the articles available here on the County website.
Anyone with any questions about the benefits available to Veterans and their family members can call the Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs Office at (570) 278-5955
VETERANS CORNER
Submitted By: Jeffery Mead
Susquehanna County Director of Veterans Affairs/Veterans Service Officer
Memorial Day is Monday May 25th this year. Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service of their country, to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day following the Civil War. Memorial Day was formalized by a "Memorial Day Order" issued by Grand Army of the Republic Commander-in-Chief John A. Logan in 1868. The modern proclamation calls on Americans "to observe Memorial Day by praying, according to their individual religious faith, for permanent peace."(cem.va.gov)
The U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs recognizes that approximately 25 places claim to have originated the holiday. Decoration Day only recognized fallen soldiers of the Civil War until World War I. The name “Memorial Day” gradually became more common than "Decoration Day" after World War II, but was not declared the official name by federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971. (va.gov)
On Memorial Day, the flag of the United States is raised briskly to the top of the staff and then solemnly lowered to the half-staff position, where it remains only until noon. It is then raised to full staff for the remainder of the day. In December 2000, Congress passed a law requiring Americans to pause at 3:00 pm local time on Memorial Day to remember and honor the fallen. (Wikipedia)
This year Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs plans to distribute approximately 10,000 flags to local Veterans organizations and cemeteries to be placed in honor, at every Susquehanna County Veteran’s grave. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, and participating in parades. Many elected county officials will be participating in the numerous Memorial Day Observances honoring our fallen brave throughout the county.
On Sunday May 24th there is a parade in Thompson at 1:00 pm.
All other parades are on Monday, May 25th. Montrose parade line up at 9:30 am starts in vicinity of Tom Kerr’s garage/McDonalds. The Montrose parade starts at 10:00 am and ends at Memorial Green where there will be a memorial service, with dedications to the fallen from various organizations. This is immediately followed by brief memorial services at the small memorial to the left of the courthouse as viewed from Public Avenue, the Catholic Cemetery, and the Montrose Cemetery.
The other May 25th Memorial Day parades are at:
Hallstead 9:00 am-Hallstead American Legion.
New Milford 10:00 am mid-town park.
Susquehanna 11:00 am-line up at 10:30 am.
Great Bend 11:00 am- Great Bend VFW.
Forest City starts at North Main St. near D. G.’s line up at 10:00 am-parade at 10:30 am followed by a service at William Penn Apartment’s lawn (Dough Boy Memorial).
On this solemn holiday, we express our gratitude for the brave men and women who have died protecting this great nation.
"Home of the free, because of the brave." — Unknown
"May we never forget freedom isn't free." — Unknown
"Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it." — Unknown
"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God such men lived." — George S. Patton
Upcoming Veteran events:
Gulf War/Global War on Terror Veterans Support Group at Lenox/Elk Mountain VFW Post 8488 every first Monday of Month at 5:30 PM. Next meeting is June 1st at 5:30PM.
Vietnam Veterans Support Group at Lenox/Elk Mountain VFW Post 8488 every 1st and 3rd Monday at 10:30 AM. Next meetings are June 1st and 16th at 10:30AM.
For Veteran Individual Readjustment Vet Center Counseling at Lenox/Elk Mountain VFW Post 8488 call Rob at 570-239-5191
Java for Joes June 10th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 at 798 Erie Ave Susquehanna, Pa at the Erie & Main Coffee House the Second Thursday of the month, contact Melissa Dubas 607-765-1366
Veterans & Community Partners Wellness Summit – May 28, 2026 – The Veteran Community Partnerships will be hosting their 3rd Annual Veterans & Community Partners Wellness Summit on Thursday May 28th from 9:00AM to 2:30 PM at Marywood University. Breakfast and sign-in will begin at 8:00AM and Vendors can set up starting at 7:45AM. The day will include breakfast and lunch at no cost for attendees. The focus is on financial wellbeing as part of overall mental wellness and wellbeing. The address is 2300 Adams Ave., Scranton, PA. in the Nazareth Student Union Building. Registration and ticket details at here.
Fort Indiantown Gap Open House – This is a Pennsylvania National Guard Event being held on Saturday June 6, 2026 from 11am – 3pm at Fort Indiantown Gap Annville, PA 17003. There will be a flyover to start the day at 11am. There will also be Army and Air Vehicle Displays, PANG Museum Tour, Climbing wall and bounce house, food vendors, live Army and Air Training Exercises and Live Music. Free admission and open to the public. This is a rain or shine event.
Veterans Assembly on the Green -In the spirit of the 18th and 19th Century tradition of Veterans traveling to the Green adjacent to the Courthouse in Montrose to receive their federal service pension payments, the AMERICA250PA Committee of Susquehanna County invites all Veteran residents of Susquehanna County to the Green on June 14, 2026, at 1400 hours (2:00PM)., to be recognized for their service. This event is intended to help build up to the celebration of the Semiquincentennial of the United States on July 4, 2026.
If you are a resident of Susquehanna County and a U.S. Military Veteran, we invite you to RSVP the following information by Sunday, June 6, 2026 to tourism@visitsusqco.com or mail to: Susquehanna County Promotion and Tourism Agency, PO Box 218, Montrose, PA 18801. Please include Veteran’s Name, Rank at Discharge, Branch of Service, Period of Service, and Home of Record in your response.
Susquehanna Veterans Affairs office is always here to assist Veterans in accessing Veterans Administration and State benefits.
Our office can be reached at the following:
P.O. Box 218 /31 Lake Avenue Montrose, PA 18801 (Courthouse-side entrance facing the green)
Phone: 570-278-5955 or 570-278-4600 Ext. 3045
Fax: 570-278-5977
Warning letters from VA, Programs that Allow Veterans to receive VA Compensation and Military Retirement Pay & Major Richard Star Act Update
Submitted By: Jeffery Mead
Susquehanna County Director of Veterans Affairs/Veterans Service Officer
Companies receiving warning letters from Department of Veterans Affairs
Many veterans have come into the Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs Office asking for assistance AFTER being taken in by companies that charge them for assistance in applying for claims but only provide minimal and/or substandard claim development to the veteran, yet still take part of the veterans claim money when it is awarded. The one that we hear about the most in our office from local veterans is Trajector Inc., whom several veterans have told us feel that they have been taken advantage of, and wish they had known there were free VA claim services available by qualified people before they were taken in by Trajector Inc..
PA has a Veterans Affairs Office in every County with Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) trained by the PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs that provide claim development and support for FREE to all veterans. Veterans also have FREE VSOs available from Veterans Service Organizations including: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) and many more.
VA Warned These Companies They May Be Breaking the Law. Most Are Still in Business
VA has told nearly 40 companies to stop charging veterans for assisting with disability benefits claims. The firms insist that veterans want their help.
Helping veterans get through the red tape of applying for VA disability benefits has become a multibillion-dollar industry over the past decade. Which might be surprising, because charging vets for such help may be against federal law.
An investigation by The War Horse and NPR reveals that over the past 10 years, the Department of Veterans Affairs has sent more than 40 letters to dozens of claims consulting companies, sometimes called “claims sharks” by critics, warning them to review their practices and “immediately cease” any illegal activities. Yet this hasn’t stopped them; on the contrary, many of these companies have only gotten bigger and bolder.
These companies exist in a wild west, raking in huge sums as lawmakers and regulators struggle to keep up with legal loopholes. Some of them are multimillion-dollar firms with more than 100 employees on their payroll, while others are small, family-owned businesses. Many are founded and run by veterans, who claim that their primary goal is to help other veterans get the benefits they deserve. But under federal law, only representatives accredited by VA—such as lawyers and nonprofit veterans service organizations—can provide such help, and the department has been trying for years to crack down on unauthorized firms with little to no success.
“We just focus on our client,” said Chas Sampson, an Army veteran and CEO of Seven Principles, who insists he never received the warning letter that VA sent his company last year. “If the VA ever comes out and said, ‘Hey, you’re going to prison for this tomorrow,’ we’re going to stop doing it. Until then, we’re going to continue servicing the people.”
The War Horse obtained dozens of warning letters from VA in response to a Freedom of Information Act request for all cease-and-desist letters sent to claims consulting companies over the last 10 years. An analysis of the letters and an investigation into the recipients show:
At least 29 of the 38 companies that were warned in letters that they may be engaged in unlawful activities appeared to still be operating as of late November. Twenty-nine still have active business registrations, and a total of 34 have an active website or social media account. At least nine of the companies were registered as nonprofits. Some of the biggest companies, including VA Claims Insider, Trajector Inc., and Veterans Guardian VA Claims Consulting, received multiple letters over the 10-year period, all the while growing their companies to hundreds of employees and collectively spending millions of dollars on lobbying efforts and political endorsements. (From The War Horse “VA Warned These Companies They May Be Breaking the Law. Most Are Still in Business” by Leah Rosenbaum, December 2, 2025)
The following companies received warning letters from the Department of Veterans Affairs about their questionable practices-(therefore I recommend: DO NOT USE THESE COMPANIES): Trajector Medical, VA Claims Insider, VDC Bootcamp, Veterans Disability Help, Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting, 180 Comprehensive Veteran Services, 360 Veteran LLC, A-1 VA Ratings, American Veteran Consulting, The Fulfilled Veteran Project, Behavioral Health Consulting Inc, Blue Cord Veteran Services, C&P Garage, Delta Medical Care Eagle Rising Veteran Consulting, Forever Our Heroes, Freelance Veterans Advocates, Gem Ratings, Global Tekmed, Just4Veterans, KMD89 VA Claims Consulting, REE Medical, Seven Principles, The Freedom Law Group, United Veteran Benefits Agency, VetComm, Veteran Adviser Consulting, Veteran Benefits Guide, Veteran Ratings, Veteran Advocacy Associates, Veterans Claims Consulting, Veterans Claims United, Veterans for Veterans LLC, VetLink Solutions3, Vets for Action, Winning Strategy for Disabled Veterans, Working Warriors Today, and Zeke's Vets Helping Vets.
Can you receive VA Disability Compensation and Military Retirement at the SAME TIME? It depends.
There are two programs, CRDP (Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay) and CRSC (Combat-Related Special Compensation) that allow some veterans to receive both.
You must be retired to be eligible for CRDP or CRSC (served for 20 years or received a medical retirement, including the Temporary Early Retirement Act). This retirement can be from Active Duty, Reserves, or National Guard. Regular Reserve and Guard retirees usually aren’t eligible for either CRDP or CRSC until they receive retirement pay at age 60. However, if you’ve been medically retired or have met certain active-duty deployment criteria, you could be eligible for CRDP before age 60, depending on how many total years of service you have. To receive either CRDP or CRSC, your monthly VA disability pay must be causing your DoD retired pay to decrease.
CRDP, or Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay, is a program that allows retirees to receive both their military retirement pay and their VA disability benefits. The Veteran must have a 50% VA Combined disability rating and receive compensation to qualify for this program. DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service), the department that pays the military retirement, will automatically enroll eligible veterans in this program when they either start receiving retirement or start receiving VA compensation over 50% which ever one happens second.
CRSC, or Combat-Related Special Compensation, is a program signed into law in 2002 that provides monthly tax-free payments to eligible veterans. CRSC provides tax-free payments to retired veterans with combat-related disabilities. The Veteran must have a 10% VA Combined disability rating and receive compensation to qualify for this program. One additional requirement for CRSC that doesn’t exist for CRDP is that your disability must be related to combat. Examples include:
• Armed Conflict (Combat PTSD, gunshot wounds)
• Hazardous Duty (Flight, diving, parachute duty)
• An Instrumentality of War (exposure to Agent Orange, vehicles, or weapons)
• Simulated War (Exercise training)
You Must Apply for CRSC
To apply for CRSC, you will need to fill out an application with your branch of service and provide documentation of your service-related disability rating.
You’ll fill out DD Form 2860. (Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs can assist with filling out DD Form 2860) The form is the same for every branch, but where you send it will differ based on your branch of service.
Include the following in your application for CRSC:
• Medical records related to your combat-related disability
• Purple Heart citations, if relevant
• Other documentation proving your condition is combat-related, official records if possible
• Your DD-214 or retirement orders
Open Season and CRSC
Traditionally, CRSC Open Season is when DFAS sends you a letter explaining your eligibility for both programs. The letter should explain the differences and amounts you’ll receive with both entitlements. This is your chance to switch your entitlement without filling out Form DD 2860.
(vaclaimsinsider-Last Updated on December 22, 2022)
Major Richard Star Act Update
The Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102/S. 1032) is a proposed bipartisan amendment aimed at allowing over 50,000 combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of service to receive their full military retirement pay alongside VA disability compensation. Currently, these veterans face a dollar-for-dollar reduction in retirement, a "tax" on their benefits that this legislation seeks to eliminate.
As of March 2026, the Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102/S. 1032) is facing renewed, intense pressure for passage, with veterans' organizations lobbying to include it in the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Key Updates (March 2026):
- Active Lobbying: Veterans groups are actively pushing Congress to pass the legislation to allow 54,000 medically retired combat veterans to receive full retirement pay and VA disability compensation simultaneously, without the current "offset".
- NDAA Amendment: The bill has been filed as a bipartisan amendment (Amendment 4056) to the FY2026 NDAA to force action.
- Legislative Hurdles: Despite strong support, the bill has faced setbacks, including being blocked in the Senate as of early March 2026, frustrating advocates who argue the "double-dipping" argument is actually "double sacrifice".
- Status: While it holds strong bipartisan support, it has historically failed due to cost concerns in previous sessions.
Key Objectives
- End the "Wounded Veteran Tax": Currently, these veterans face a dollar-for-dollar offset where their retirement pay is reduced by the amount of disability compensation they receive.
- Expand Concurrent Receipt: Under current law, only veterans with at least 20 years of service and a disability rating of 50% or higher can receive both benefits without an offset. The Act would extend this right to approximately 54,000 combat-injured medical retirees.
- Financial Impact: Affected veterans could see an average increase in their monthly compensation of approximately $1,200. (google AI)
Current Legislative Status (as of March 2026)
The bill remains a high priority for major veteran service organizations, including the Wounded Warrior Project, MOAA, and the VFW.
- Recent Setbacks: In early March 2026, attempts to pass the bill via unanimous consent in the Senate were blocked, with some lawmakers citing concerns over the projected cost—estimated by the CBO at roughly $9.75 billion over 10 years.
- Bipartisan Support: Despite these hurdles, the bill has massive support in the 119th Congress, with over 313 cosponsors in the House and 77 in the Senate.
Contact Information
Veterans Affairs
Department of Veterans Affairs
31 Lake Avenue (PO Box 218)
Montrose, PA 18801
Telephone: (570) 278-5955
Fax: (570) 278-5977
Jeffery Mead, Director / VSO