| Something all retired veterans who have sacrificed for | | | | weapons); and armed conflict (e.g., Agent Orange, |
| their country should know about is Combat-Related | | | | gunshot wounds [Purple Heart], punji stick injuries) |
| Special Compensation (CRSC). | | | | qualify as combat-related injuries. |
| The CRSC program restores military retired pay to | | | | "This is money set aside by Congress to compensate |
| eligible retired veterans. Each month, CRSC replaces | | | | our retired veterans who have sacrificed in the service |
| the VA disability offset taken from a veteran's | | | | of our country," said Col. John F. Sackett, program |
| retirement pay by giving it back tax free in disability | | | | chief of CRSC. "This money is not a bonus or |
| pay. For those retirees who have their retirement pay | | | | additional compensation-this money is something our |
| reduced by their VA disability pay, CRSC will replace | | | | retired veterans have earned through their service. It's |
| the amount of disability that can be linked to the | | | | rightfully theirs." |
| combat-related portion of their VA rating. These retired | | | | Enacted by Congress on December 2, 2002, the |
| veterans will receive both their full military retirement | | | | CRSC program is a special part of a larger legislative |
| pay and their VA-disability compensation. | | | | initiative to restore military retirement compensation, |
| Retired veterans of 20 years or more who have | | | | making military pay structure closer to that of the |
| "combat-related" VA-rated injuries are eligible to | | | | federal pay system. |
| receive CRSC. Injuries sustained during training that | | | | As a result of this legislation, Congress authorized two |
| simulates war (e.g., exercises, field training); hazardous | | | | programs for disabled retired veterans: |
| duty (e.g., flight, diving, parachute duty); an | | | | Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and |
| instrumentality of war (e.g., combat vehicles and | | | | Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP). |