William Gwin Email and Phone Number

Consult on VA benefits and VA examinations for clients (250 veterans). Explain details behind appeals processes. Liaise with Board of Veterans Appeals, preparing briefs, and with Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, composing petitions. Create Decision Review Officer (DRO) arguments for DRO de novo reviews. Provide legal research and draft legal briefs.

•Evaluates psychiatric and/or court determinations of incompetence by means of field investigations to arrive at independent determinations of whether or not adult beneficiaries have the mental capacity to handle their own funds.•Develops information through observation, analysis of records, personal interviews, and dispositions of beneficiaries, their relatives, and/or disinterested witnesses in the community.•When a fiduciary is required, determines the most effective, practical, and/or economical pay arrangement based on the situation.•Explains the laws and regulations governing fiduciary responsibilities, binds federal fiduciaries in contractual obligations with the government, and in all supervised cases negotiates an agreement of funding usage based on the analysis of expenses, standard of living, and other relevant facts.•Advises proposed or acting fiduciaries on estate planning and estate settlement.•Conducts follow-up field examinations at intervals that the field examiner prescribes.•Performs special investigations as requested by office personnel in reaction to allegations of fraud or fund misuse, delinquent accountings, or questionable requests for funds.•Ensures that the beneficiary and his/her dependents are receiving all federal, state, and local benefits to which they are eligible.•Reviews VA claims for possible over-or underpayment.•Assures that necessary award adjustments are made. May represent the VA at competency and commitment hearings, or other legal proceedings pertaining to the fiduciary activity.•Maintains reports to document activities, to provide follow-up to veterans, and keep management informed of all issues.

•Organize and manage numerous spreadsheets with detailed work needing to be accomplished•Worked files while under strict time constraints to have the files completed and ready-to-rate within the time period given by my supervisor•Consult the manual for explanations on how to proceed with certain difficult claims•Communicates in writing with diverse audiences via rating decisions, statements of the case, supplemental statements of the case and rating deferrals•Manages veterans military and civilian treatment records•Ensures the privacy of all veterans records•Interprets and analyzes veterans medical records•Request any and all pertinent records/documents to help adjudicate veterans claims for benefits•Communicates in writing by composing and mailing out “Duty to Assist” letters to the veterans•Analyze medical evidence to help schedule VA medical examinations or medical opinions for veterans•Make phone calls to veterans to help adjudicate their claims•Research and compose basic and complex medical opinions for veteran’s medical examinations•Interpret and understand how to properly use medical and legal terminology in adjudicating veteran’s claims for disability benefits•Worked files while under strict time constraints to have the files completed and ready-to-rate within the time period given by my supervisor•Consult the manual for explanations on how to proceed with certain difficult claims•Communicates orally with veterans, veterans spouses, power of attorneys, widows, lawyers and judges at BVA and CAVC, congressman and other pertinent individuals via phone calls and in-person interviews•Promulgate rating decisions and process awards for veterans disability claims•Add and remove dependents from the veterans award•Ensure all pertinent data is correct on the rating decision and in the corporate record•Generate award letters to be sent to the veteran explaining our rating decision and any new benefits they are entitled to due to their rating

•Review and submit disability claims, dependency claims, and GI Bill claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs•Travel the state of Alaska providing benefits briefings•Plan and coordinate benefits briefings at various Wounded Warrior Project events throughout the state of Alaska•Provide consultation to wounded warriors, their family, and caretakers on all the programs and benefits that the veteran is entitled to•File appeals and write rebuttals on behalf of the warriors we represent•Establish and foster relationships with local government officials to help warriors attain benefits and help they earned and deserve•Meet with base commanders and generals to provide overviews on our mission, benefits, programs and how we can help their troops who may be needing guidance, assistance and/or support•Travel to various military and VA hospitals to visit warriors who are undergoing various treatments for ailments related to their military service to provide morale and support•Communicate orally and in writing with warriors, caretakers, family members, VA officials, federal and state government officials and various military personnel on behalf of the wounded warriors•Manage a five thousand dollar a month budget for my division in Alaska•Provide assistance to warriors monetarily; or, in need help from Wounded Warrior Projects programs; or, help them find help at the VA•Direct and provide assistance to other senior veterans benefits liaisons or veterans benefits liaisons in the Northwest Region•Track and update Wounded Warrior Projects claims and cases •Stay up-to-date with all VA laws, regulations, and manuals•Provide training and mentoring to new benefit employees on VA disability benefits•Provide oversight and guidance to the veteran benefits liaisons for the Northwest region•Travel to numerous states within the Northwest region as needed to help warriors with their VA disability claims and appeals

• Analyze, interpret and apply complex VA laws and regulations• Communicates orally with veterans, veterans spouses, power of attorneys, widows, lawyers and judges at BVA and CAVC, congressman and other pertinent individuals• Communicates in writing with diverse audiences via rating decisions, statements of the case, supplemental statements of the case and rating deferrals• Interprets factual and medical evidence such as: VA examinations, medical opinions, written statements• Uses various informational systems to access sensitive information• Works with various employees in order to ensure our stakeholders receive a prompt quality end product• Provides peers with VA laws, VA regulations and information to help in adjudicating claims• Mentor RVSR trainees and review their draft ratings• Review my Core teams Special Monthly Compensation and Clear and Unmistakable Error ratings• Manages veterans military and civilian treatment records• Ensures the privacy of all veterans records• Interprets and analyzes veterans medical records

• Instruct new employees on VA policies and procedures used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to adjudicate disability claims• Explain pertinent VA laws and regulations in terms that are easily understood and comprehended• Develop power point presentations for training sessions• Develop handouts for training sessions• Research all assigned topics that I will be training/teaching about• Turn in all required materials on or before its deadline for review by the Training Manager• Provide prerequisite training to newly hired Veterans Service Representatives and Rating Veterans Service Representatives• Instructs new employees on the records management policy of the VA• Instructs new employees on how to read and interpret medical records

• Analyze, interpret and apply complex VA laws and regulations• Communicates orally with veterans, veterans spouses, power of attorneys, widows, lawyers and judges at BVA and CAVC, congressman and other pertinent individuals• Communicates in writing with diverse audiences via rating decisions, statements of the case, supplemental statements of the case and rating deferrals• Adjudicates complex issues of eligibility and disability• Interprets factual and medical evidence• Uses various informational systems to access sensitive information• Uses various software programs to formulate complex written reports• Works with various employees in order to ensure our stakeholders receive a prompt quality end product• Works with the Board of Veterans Appeals on ensuring Remanded appeals are worked properly and within the guidelines set forth by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, Congress, the Code of Federal Regulations and the manual• Conducts BVA video hearings with veterans and their power of attorneys• Trained in using De Novo review authority as an RVSR since De Novo review authority is authorized by all RVSR’s at the AMC due to the nature of appeals work conducted at the AMC• Manages veterans military and civilian treatment records• Ensures the privacy of all veterans records• Interprets and analyzes veterans medical records

Help to facilitate the national training program for Rating Specialists and Veterans Service Representatives• Reconcile training issues with the Policy and Procedures staff to ensure all training is conducted in accordance with Central Office guidelines • Manage and reconcile any and all personnel issues that arise with trainees/trainers while at national training• Ensure that any problems with the electronic cases and examinations used by the trainees are properly reported • Provide subject matter expert knowledge/opinions to instructors as needed on issues dealing with rating related issues and claims development issues • Conduct quality reviews on trainee electronic cases and live cases• Provide feedback to instructors on ways to help them improve their training skill set• Provide training to new employees during VA centralized training as needed when instructors from the field are unavailable

• Read, interpret, analyze and adjudicate all remands from the Board of Veteran’s Appeals• Follow all VA and federal laws and regulations set forth by Congress and the general counsel for adjudicating veteran’s appeals of rating decisions• Ensure all cases are properly adjudicated before they are sent to the Court of Appeals for Veteran’s Claims• Organize and manage numerous spreadsheets with detailed work needing to be accomplished• Worked files while under strict time constraints to have the files completed and ready-to-rate within the time period given by my supervisor• Consult the manual for explanations on how to proceed with certain difficult claims• Read and check medical exams and opinions for completeness as per the remand order from the Board of Veteran’s Appeals • Communicates orally with veterans, veterans spouses, power of attorneys, widows, lawyers and judges at BVA and CAVC, congressman and other pertinent individuals via phone calls and in-person interviews• Communicates in writing with diverse audiences via rating decisions, statements of the case, supplemental statements of the case and rating deferrals• Manages veterans military and civilian treatment records• Ensures the privacy of all veterans records• Interprets and analyzes veterans medical records

• Request any and all pertinent records/documents to help adjudicate veterans claims for benefits• Communicates in writing by composing and mailing out “Duty to Assist” letters to the veterans• Analyze medical evidence to help schedule VA medical examinations or medical opinions for veterans• Make phone calls to veterans to help adjudicate their claims• Order and stock all supplies for my team of 30+ employees• Retrieve and review files for the supervisor and other employees to help adjudicate veterans claims for benefits• Research and review files for JSRRC to help verify veteran’s PTSD stressors and in-country Vietnam service• Research and compose basic and complex medical opinions for veteran’s medical examinations• Interpret and understand how to properly use medical and legal terminology in adjudicating veteran’s claims for disability benefits• Worked files while under strict time constraints to have the files completed and ready-to-rate within the time period given by my supervisor• Consult the manual for explanations on how to proceed with certain difficult claims• Communicates orally with veterans, veterans spouses, power of attorneys, widows, lawyers and judges at BVA and CAVC, congressman and other pertinent individuals via phone calls and in-person interviews• Manages veterans military and civilian treatment records• Ensures the privacy of all veterans records• Interprets and analyzes veterans medical records

•Instruct Marines in the proper way to do Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP)•Deploy overseas in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan•Patrol and clear areas of insurgent forces•Responsible for a four member fire team of Marines overseas and stateside•Make quick and timely decisions under pressure while in a combat zone that affected the accomplishment of our mission•Provide intelligence reports on enemy actions and personnel to my superiors•Observe and report to various friendly units enemy activities•Brief members of my fire team and squad on new intelligence being disseminated•Manage and operate entry control points in hostile enemy territory•Establish and defend helicopter landing zones used to medevac wounded Marines and civilians from combat zones•Ensure all members of my fire team are properly instructed in basic infantry tactics and Military operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) basic tactics•Ensure that members of my fire team know the job of the team member directly below them and directly above them •Provide humanitarian assistance to people in need in our area of operations•Provide status reports, missing gear statements, training reports and accountability rosters to my supervisor(s)•Provide training and intelligence briefings to Marines in my fire team and squad as needed•Handle administrative and disciplinary issues that may arise from junior Marines•Conduct uniform and gear inspections for Marines under my command•Work cohesively as a part of an international team to support and accomplish assigned missions and tasks in Iraq•Train and advise coalition militaries to help foster relationships with our allies in the following countries: Jordan, Kuwait, Israel and Iraq•Show professionalism and proficiency in all aspects of being a Marine infantryman and small unit leader•Ensure accountability of all assigned equipment and assets to my section•Provide constructive criticism and feedback to junior Marines