oPeRaTionePiCFuRy, hillsBoRoughCounTy, andVeTeRansseRViCes
Military & Veterans Affairs Committee Co-Chairs: SteveCollins – UnitedStatesAirForce & AmandaAllen – BayAreaLegalServices
withthepresenceofmacdillair ForceBaseandatlastcountabout 95,000nearbyveterans, hillsborough Countyattorneyswhoserveveterans maywellhavetheirhandsfull.
As of this writing, the results of Operation Epic Fury against the government of Iran have not been solidified. However, one of the known effects will be the dramatic increase in the number of activeduty service personnel, veterans, and retirees who will be seeking legal advice related to their participation in the operation. This may well be a dramatic increase. With the presence of MacDill Air Force Base, home of the U. S. Central Command, the U. S. Special Operations Command, an active U. S. Air Force flight command, and at last count about 95,000 nearby veterans, Hillsborough County attorneys who serve veterans may well have their hands full.
For sure many of the cases coming forward will relate to present or latent injuries or illnesses incurred during the services rendered by active, reserve, or released individuals. Most of these cases will be handled under the administrative rules of the U. S. Department of Veteran Affairs( DVA). If you ever handled a case like this in the past you are aware of the presence of the VA Regional Office in St. Petersburg, and the Board of Veterans Appeals( BVA) headquartered in Washington, DC. These cases typically include battlefield training, preparation and participation injuries; women and underserved veteran discrimination;
post-traumatic stress disorders( PTSD); suicide prevention; proper coordination between the VA, DOD, and Tricare participants; and other health care issues. These cases will require some knowledge of disability assistance, education, employment and transition assistance, and memorial services programs.
Cases appealed from the BVA rest in the U. S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. This Court, of course, has its own administrative procedures and requires attorneys to be a member of its Bar. Firsttime participants are generally welcome in the Bar. Cases appealed from the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims are heard by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. It, of course, has its own procedural rules and a Bar membership requirement.
A select few veterans’ cases can go before the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. These matters typically pertain to questionable and perhaps unlawful discretionary discharges or excessive Uniformed Code of Military Justice( UCMJ) fines given Active-Duty service personnel for " minor " deficiencies. These types of cases were more numerous in decades past but are somewhat more rare today. The U. S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit also deals with appeals from this Court.
Local attorneys who undertake these types of cases should have a general understanding of the federal budget process, national security and foreign affairs issues, and military readiness. A cursory review of major Acts passed by the U. S. Congress may aid in the support provided Operation Epic Fury veterans. These include: the VA Home Protection Reform Act( 30 July 2025); the Aviator Cancer Examination Study( ACES) Act( 14 August 2025); the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act( 25 November 2025); the Medal of Honor Act( 1 December 2025) and the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2026( 17 December 2025). If you want to assist veterans but are new to the practice, relax... help is at hand. Contact the Hillsborough County Bar’ Association’ s Veterans Legal Assistance Registry( VLAR), a group of lawyers willing to aid members new to this field. Information on the VLAR is available on the HCBA website at: www. hillsbar. com / page / MVACLegal Registry. n
Author: Col. Harold W. Youmans( USA – Retired)
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