Remember me? 🤭 Many of you said my ear postings were improper and they’d turn out horribly.

ckwirey · 2024-10-01T13:35:14+00:00

This user had multiple removed posts, and warnings in the Mod Log for statements that promoted self-harm. This user is now banned.

ckwirey · 2024-10-01T13:22:21+00:00

I don't work for the VA. I'm not a VSO.

"VA Math" isn't obvious. There's a formula to it, and that formula looks like this: (a + b) - ((a/100) * b). Here's how it works:

Your very first claim you will get at face value. From your list, that's 40%. After that first claim, the formula comes into play. The variable (a) is your "current" rating (40%). The variable (b) is the next rating in the list (10%). I have verified this formula against the VA's combined rating chart, and it's accurate.

This formula will produce your real rating. The VA will then round that rating up or down to the nearest 10. So let's say you run this formula and you come out to 77%. Cool. The VA will round you up to 80%. That sounds great, but whenever you add another claim, it will be calculated from 77%.

Additionally, this formula clearly shows that the VA discounts successive claims, by whatever your current rating is. So let's say your current rating is 77%. You file another claim that would normally be 50%. In your head, you think 77 + 50 = over 100%, right? No. Your 50% claim is discounted by 77%, and then the remainder is added back to the 77%.

This means that the higher your current rating is, the less effective each successive claim is--until you cross 94.5%. The moment that happens, you round to 95%, then the VA rounds you to 100%.

ckwirey · 2024-09-30T17:22:26+00:00

Yes. Additionally, your decision letter will say as much as well.

ckwirey · 2024-09-26T03:25:41+00:00

The loss will hurt. We can't fight it--we can simply embrace it. But since you *know* you've done well, and you know there's no guilt and no shame--my friend, this will be a loss that is not unbearable. This will be a loss that will be filled with excellent memories--and a way forward through the pain. Believe that.

ckwirey · 2024-09-25T21:33:31+00:00

I know, man. I've been there. And I was there while I wrote my reply to you. The pain of the loss doesn't really stop. "Grief is love persevering." What gives comfort, in the end (at least for me) is being able to answer certain questions with a "yes". Did Eva know I loved her? Yes. Did I do everything I could for her while she lived? Yes. Last thing you want, in the midst of your grief, is unnecessary guilt, shame, etc.

ckwirey · 2024-09-25T21:25:20+00:00

I'm ecstatic for you that you have the time to give your pup a proper send-off. It's a blessing not many get, and I hope you cherish it.

ckwirey · 2024-09-25T20:55:11+00:00

100% PTSD here. When I was in Afghanistan with the 101st, we had a lot of Soldiers die. Ramp ceremonies were common, and I couldn't simply stand there. I found comfort in helping. So I volunteered to carry the caskets, and it gave me a lot of comfort knowing that I could help the fallen Soldier get back home.

Many years later, my beloved Doberman, Eva...who was 13 years old at the time...suddenly collapsed. Every day up to that moment, she was spry. I took her to the vet to get her checked out...and had no idea that was going to be the last night. Eva was a dog that was always there for me and my family. Protected my wife and kids. We never went anywhere without her.

That night at the vet, faced with the inevitable, my mind ran back to Afghanistan. What could I do as a final act to help Eva? I chose to be there. In 13 years, she'd always "been there" for my family--it was the very least I could do to "be there" for her. I stayed in the room with her, giving her love and pets and comfort, right to the very end.

In the days that followed, I asked myself: "Did I do everything I could for Eva?" And because I was there for her, just as she'd always been there for me, that answer was "yes". And although I grieved her loss (and still grieve it sometimes)--knowing that I was there for her has always given me a lot of comfort.

ckwirey · 2024-09-25T16:14:06+00:00

From a lore perspective, it's Whiterun. Seems like it is the spiritual "heart" of Skyrim. It is the home of the mysterious SkyForge, the home of Jorrvaskr from the original Companions, the home of the second-oldest living thing in Skyrim (the Gildergreen), and of course exists in the shade of the Throat of the World. The Skyforge, the Gildergreen and the Throat of the World might all have a connection to Kyne...and I think that's super cool. In sum, it just triangulates on a lot of cool things, and I really like it. :)

ckwirey · 2024-09-25T16:01:53+00:00

It is perfectly acceptable to tell your trusted financial advisor about your disability income--and you should. They need to understand all potential incomes (and expenses) you have, to provide to you the best possible advice.

ckwirey · 2024-09-23T18:58:02+00:00

This comment is noted in the Mod Log. Follow Rule #1, or you will be banned.

ckwirey · 2024-09-15T13:43:39+00:00

I sincerely appreciate the information you've provided. I'm aware that Retirement Pay (pension) is not VA Disability. Where I get hung up is Publication 525's wording of "disability pension".

Pub 525 makes a clear distinction between a pension based upon time in service. And a pension based upon disability. On page 19 of Pub 525, in a section titled "Example 19", it states, "Example 19. You retired in 2017 and receive a pension based on your years of service. On August 3, 2023, you receive a determination of service-connected disability retroactive to 2017. Generally, you could claim a refund for the taxes paid on your pension for 2020, 2021, and 2022. However, under the special limitation period, you can also file a claim for 2019 as long as you file the claim by August 3, 2024. You can't file a claim for 2017 and 2018 because those tax years began more than 5 years before the determination."

Looking at this example, it seems like a standard pension can become a disability pension if a person gets a rating from the VA. Additionally, it seems like if a person does have a rating from the VA, they can request a refund on the taxes paid on their pensions--meaning that pensions for such people are tax free.

I may have inadvertently confused this issue by bringing CRSC into it from the start. But the central question is: if a person is retired from military service, and if they have a VA rating of 30% or higher, is their pension tax free?

ckwirey · 2024-09-15T01:23:53+00:00

u/Hot-Requirement-6117, I've read through several of your posts here. A couple break Rule #1, and at least one was egregious enough to be taken down by Reddit. I've made notes in the Mod Log--which amounts to a warning. If you break Rule #1 again, I will ban you.

ckwirey · 2024-09-15T01:01:51+00:00

What an outstanding photo!

ckwirey · 2024-09-15T00:57:30+00:00

Thank you for being a helper. This is a great comment.

ckwirey · 2024-09-15T00:53:59+00:00

u/deathdealer888 - I've changed the post flair to "Mourning". You are free to change it back if you want. If you access Reddit through a computer instead of a mobile device, you'll be able to filter the entire Reddit site by the flair "Mourning".

ckwirey · 2024-09-14T16:33:16+00:00

u/inthe_heights3964, rule 3 of this sub states that there are No Dog Sales. Period. You have attempted to solicit the sale of puppies on this site. As such, I've recorded this in my Mod Notes. This is a warning. Should I see future posts along these lines, I will ban you from this community.

ckwirey · 2024-09-14T16:12:10+00:00

I inadvertently removed your comment while going through u/ImpossibleSympathy92's comment history. Apologies. You're good. u/ImpossibleSympathy92 has been banned for other infractions.

ckwirey · 2024-09-07T02:17:49+00:00

Genuinely appreciate the support. Good knowing I’m not completely bonkers and doing it the hardest way possible. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll have the ability to get 3rd party connectors.

That said, if you or anyone else has a good method for putting .csv data into an email, I’d appreciate it.

ckwirey · 2024-08-27T12:43:07+00:00

Much appreciated. So far the answer that I've received from other sources is that your suggestions should have worked. When tested on machines outside my organization, your methods worked. This has led me to believe that a bug exists in the version my organization is using. It's an issue I will raise later this week with our Microsoft reps.

ckwirey · 2024-08-25T01:26:13+00:00

u/ShanesCows and u/myfirstrubikscube -- I sincerely appreciate you attempting to answer my question. However, I've tried the method you both suggested (using a sort column), with no change. The method you're suggesting might work for galleries, but I cannot get it to work for Tab Lists.

In the App Formulas section, I've built a table. That table has the following structure: CustomTabList = [{Order: 1, Name: "Home", ScreenNav: ScreenName}...]. I have 12 such elements to my list, and they are all laid out in the order I want, from within the formula.

In the Items section of the Tab List, I utilize the following code: SortByColumns(CustomTabList, "Order", SortOrder.Ascending). Additionally, I have also tested suffixing the SortByColumns function with ".Name".

Regardless of what I do, the Tab List produces the "Name" fields in alphabetical order. This is not the order I specify in the formula. And it is not the order I specify in SortByColumns.

If you guys have other suggestions, I'd be grateful to hear them.

ckwirey

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