Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do I get a veteran’s ID card?
2. Can you help me file a service-connected disability claim?
3. How do I sign up for VA Healthcare?
4. Can I get free glasses and hearing aids from the VA?
5. How can I get a copy of my DD-214?
6. I’d like to get a VA Home Loan. How do I get a Certificate of Eligibility?
7. Who can I talk to about business loan programs for veterans?
8. There’s an office I need to reach at the VA, but I don’t have the extension. How do I find it?
9. How do I get medals that were awarded but never issued, or replace medals that were lost?
10. Does your office play a role in registering for the draft?
11. Can your office provide guidance on civil service benefits?
12. How do I notify the VA of a change in my bank routing info?
13. I submitted my application to enroll in VA healthcare but haven’t received a response. How do I follow-up?
14. How do I transfer my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse/child?
15. How do I correct my Air Force military records?
16. Can I use my Military Training for College Credits?
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
1. How do I get a veteran’s ID card?
- In late 2017 the Department of Veterans Affairs began offering a Federal Veteran’s ID Card. To get the card, follow these instructions:
- Go to https://www.vets.gov/
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click “Apply for a printed Veteran ID Card” under the middle column titled “Popular on Vets.gov”
- Complete the application process. You may have to upload your DD-214, a scanned copy of your driver’s license and a passport photo to use as the photo on the new card. The entire process takes several months.
- There is also a state option - in Wisconsin a veteran can have a “Veteran Identifier” added to his/her driver’s license. To be eligible, your DD-214 must show your discharge as Honorable or General Under Honorable Conditions. You also must have served for 90 days with one day during a designated wartime period, or have served two years during peacetime.
- Lastly, if you’re enrolled in the Milwaukee VA Medical Center for healthcare you can get a VA Healthcare ID card from their ID card office.
2. Can you help me file a service-connected disability claim?
- Absolutely! There is no need for a Waukesha County veteran to travel to the Milwaukee VA Regional Office to file a claim. We also caution against filing it online yourself. We can provide valuable tips, insight, and follow-up on your claim. There is no charge for any of our services.
3. How do I sign up for VA Healthcare?
- There are several ways to apply. You’ll need your most recent tax return and account numbers for any current insurance programs in which you’re already enrolled. It’s also best to review the form they require, the 10-10EZ, which you can find HERE
To sign-up for VA healthcare:
- The best method is to go to the Milwaukee VA Medical Center and apply in-person at the Registration section (1st floor, to the right after you enter the main entrance). This way, you can ask and get answers to your questions right there on the spot. They’ll likely know whether you’ve been approved within 30 minutes.
- You can complete the VA FORM 10-10EZ and turn it in to us, and we’ll fax it in for you.
- You can apply over the phone by calling 1-877-222-VETS (8387) Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST.
- You can apply online HERE
- You can apply by mail. You can mail the completed VA FORM 10-10EZ to:
Health Eligibility Center
Enrollment Eligibility Division
2957 Clairmont Road, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30329-1647
4. Can I get free glasses and hearing aids from the VA?
- Possibly. Each VA Medical Center (VAMC) is permitted to make its own policy regarding providing veterans with free glasses and hearing aids. To find out if you can get them for free, you must first be a registered patient with the Milwaukee VAMC. Then make an appointment with your primary care doctor. At the appointment, ask your doctor how to obtain the glasses or hearing aids for free. For hearing aids, explain to your doctor that you’re unable to fully understand his/her medical guidance due to your hearing loss.
5. How can I get a copy of my DD-214?
There are a few ways:
- We may have it on file if you’ve worked with us before
- We may be able to find it in the WI Dept. of Veterans Affair’s database
- You may be able to find it via the eBenefits website (Login, then click on “My Documents” on the left side of the screen)
- You can request it from the National Personnel Records Center via the eVetRecs website
6. I’d like to get a VA Home Loan. How do I get a Certificate of Eligibility?
- First, visit this website to ensure you meet the VA’s eligibility criteria.
- The Certificate of Eligibility is usually obtained by your lender. Their process is often much faster than requesting it through the VA. If for some reason your lender can’t assist, you can apply for it via your eBenefits.gov account. Follow these steps
- After logging in, click “Apply” (on the left)
- Scroll down to “Housing” and click on “Certificate of Eligibility for Home Loan”
7. Who can I talk to about business loan programs for veterans?
- Start with the State’s Veteran Representative for the Small Business Association, who you can reach at 414-297-1099. You can find more info on their office HERE.
8. There’s an office I need to reach at the VA, but I don’t have the extension. How do I find it?
- The VA has an information line you can call 24/7 to find the number of the office you need to reach – their number is 1-844-MyVA311 (1-844-698-2311).
9. How do I get medals that were awarded but never issued, or replace medals that were lost?
10. Does the Waukesha County Veterans Services Office play a role in registering for the draft?
- No, we assist those who’ve already served. Registering for the draft is a Federal requirement administered by the U.S. Government’s Selective Service System office. The process can be completed online, in high schools, and via the Post Office. For more information, visit the Selective Service website.
11. Can the Waukesha County Veterans Services Office provide guidance on civil service benefits?
- No, “civil service” is civilian government service and consists of different benefits and programs than those given to military veterans. You would need to contact the HR department of the agency for which you were employed.
12. How do I notify the VA of a change in my bank routing info?
- You can make the notification by calling 1-877-838-2778.
13. I submitted my application to enroll in VA healthcare but haven’t received a response. How do I follow-up?
- You can check the status of your VA healthcare application by calling 414-384-2000 extension 42038.
14. How do I transfer my Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse/child?
- The key thing to remember about Post-9/11 GI Bill transfers is that they must be submitted and approved while on Active Duty. Transfers generally require serving an additional period on Active Duty. They are made using DoD’s Transfer of Education Benefits website. You may transfer up to 36 months to one or more family members enrolled in DEERS. To use the transferred benefits, family members complete and submit VA FORM 22-1990e. For more on the process, see the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
15. How do I correct my Air Force military records?
The Department of the Air Force debuted a new website in April 2021 for past and present Airmen and Guardians to correct their military records.
Members, and those submitting on their behalf, can submit applications and supporting documents to four boards: The Air Force Board for Correction of Military Records, Air Force Discharge Review Board, Department of Defense Discharge Appeal Review Board and Department of Defense Physical Disability Board of Review. "Across the Air Force, our workload kept increasing with more and more applications for records corrections, but without a corresponding increase in manpower," said Clifford Tompkins, Air Force Review Boards Agency mission support director. "We had to become more efficient and one area identified was the amount of physical time that it took to handle hard-copy mail, so the idea of having an electronic way that people can apply, made sense." The Air Force Review Boards Agency has worked on the new website since last year to improve efficiency for record corrections. To make the portal accessible to both current and former service members, the website does not require a Common Access Card. Instead, a unique e-application number will be provided to track each case. Despite the launch of the website, people can still submit applications via mail; however, processing times may be slower. People can use their unique e-application number to check the status of their application, whether it was submitted online or via mail.
"In the application portal, we designed a decision tree that guides members through the process of figuring out which board they should apply to and determine their eligibility to apply based on their service and the issue they’re trying to get corrected for the records," Tompkins explained.
Additionally, the website serves as a single source of information on other boards:
- Air Force Civilian Appellate Review Office
- Air Force Personnel Board
- Civilian and Military Service Review Board
- Secretary of the Air Force Personnel Council
- Secretary of the Air Force Remission Board
- Security Protection Directorate
"Our intent is to provide updated and unified information through this single site, describing all of our boards, their requirements, eligibility and the methods for applying to those boards,” Tompkins said.
Click here for the records correction website.
(FAQ answer courtesy of Air Force News Service)
16. Can I use my Military Training for Collage Credits?
Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities can work with active duty and military veterans receive the appropriate college credit for military education and training as applicable to their programs of study. This is available on WisconsinsPrivateColleges.org.
The WAICU-member colleges and universities participating in this commitment evaluate basic and advanced military training on the Joint Services Transcript using the American Council on Education (ACE) “A Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services” to help interpret and recommend credit for college courses.
