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Another story, that is not mine, that I found and thought was interesting AND could be of interest to expats living here.
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I am 100% service disabled Veteran from the Desert Storm Era and I receive many benefits from my service. I was concerned about many things as I decided to live aboard a boat for a year and then permanently settle in a US Territory. There are so many little details that have to be taken care of before we leave. Many Veterans receive their medical care and medications from the Veteran’s Administration. We receive pensions, educational benefits, housing grants, mortgage loans and many other great benefits offered because of our service. Our dependents also receive many benefits that also have to be addressed when we move.
I read a thread on a forum recently where a service disabled veteran asked questions about how to set things up so that he could cruise the Caribbean and understand his benefits. I think that it is normal to be concerned. It sometimes takes a long time for Veterans to get benefits and they worry about losing them. Vets always want to follow the rules but the bureaucracy is hard to understand. I get a lot of information from other Vets. This is for them. I provided him my advice based on my own research. This is information that is directly relatable to service disabled US Veterans.
I found that you can record a “traveling” status with the VA that you currently are enrolled. This is important because if they schedule visits for you, C&P exams, etc. they always do it in the region that you are enrolled. Putting them on notice that you are traveling is good so that they don’t do that. It would be prudent that you do an exam once per year, somewhere there is a VA medical facility. The VA maintains a long list. Keep in mind that the VA maintains a strong presence on US territories. 100% SC gets you a lot of things. I would do the following if you haven’t yet:
Please continue reading at the link below to find out other things that you need to do before taking on such a wonderful venture.
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