veterans affairs travel comp time

Travel Reimbursement

The VA provides eligible Veterans reimbursement for travel to and from VA, or VA authorized non-VA health examination, treatment, or care.

undefined Travel Reimbursement?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is authorized to provide eligible Veterans and other beneficiaries mileage reimbursement, common carrier (plane, train, bus, taxi, light rail etc.), or when medically indicated "special mode" (ambulance, wheelchair van) transport for travel to and from VA, or VA authorized non-VA health examination, treatment, or care.

Veterans qualify for travel benefits if:

• In a receipt of a single or combined service-connected (SC) disability rating of 30 percent or more
• Travel is in connection with care for a SC disability
• In receipt of a VA pension
• Previous calendar year does not exceed maximum VA pension rate
• Projected income for travel year does not exceed maximum VA pension rate
• Travel is for a compensation and pension exam
• Travel is to obtain a service dog
• Travel is related to rehabilitative care as defined in PL 114-223 for Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder, Vision impairment, or Double/Multiple Amputation.

Certain non-Veterans may receive travel at VA expense:

• Allied Beneficiaries if country reimburses VA
• Attendants: When clinically determined by a VA provider that, due to a travel eligible Veteran's mental or physical condition, an attendant is required when the Veteran is traveling to and from VA or VA authorized care.
• Beneficiaries of Other Federal Agencies if Agency reimburses VA
• Donors/Support person: If part of VA transplant care
• Caregivers who are part of the National Caregiver Support Program

The current mileage reimbursement rate is 41.5 cents with a $3.00 deductible for each one-way trip or $6.00 for each round-trip. Upon reaching $18.00 in deductibles or six one-way (three round) trips, whichever occurs first, in a calendar month mileage reimbursement payments for the balance of that month will be free of deductible charges. A waiver of deductibles may be afforded to certain Veterans. To qualify for special mode transportation, a Veteran must meet one of the administrative eligibility criteria; a VA health care provider must determine that a special mode of transport is medically required and be traveling in relation to VA or VA-authorized non-VA care.

Beneficiaries may apply for travel orally or in writing generally at the facility where care was provided however, in some cases there may be an alternate process. For more information, go to the Beneficiary Travel office at the treating facility or see the Program Contact Information below.

If you have questions:

• Visit the AskVA  website to search Frequently Asked Questions or ask a question online
• Call 1-877-222-8387

To apply for VA benefits and services, view your benefit status, and many more services go to www.va.gov and either logon with your eBenefits sign on or use www.Logon.gov to enroll. VA.gov is a one-stop source for information on Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and services. Veterans, service members and their family members can conduct self-service transactions such as checking compensation and pension claim status information, enrolling in GI Bill, and obtaining copies of civil service preference letters, military records (DD214), and other personal information. For further information visit the VA.gov website.

Military Exposure Registry Examination Program

Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI)

Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Benefits.gov.

• Benefit Finder
• Other Resources
• Help Center
• Privacy and Terms of Use

Benefit Resources

• SSA Benefit Eligibility Screening Tool
• GovLoans.gov
• DisasterAssistance.gov
• CareerOneStop

Federal Government

• White House

Stay Connected

VA travel pay reimbursement rule change

Beneficiary travel 30-day timely filing rule starts june 9, 2023.

Effective June 9, 2023, Veterans and their caregivers must submit claims for beneficiary travel reimbursement within 30 days of the appointment date. The extension previously granted under the national COVID-19 emergency, which allowed for filing travel pay claims more than 30 days after the appointment date, will end on this date.

All community care claims will require proof of attendance and claims may be denied for lack of proof. It is the Veteran or their representative’s responsibility to provide the proof of attendance. Issues may occur when non-VA clinics don’t return the Medical Record Chart Note or other medical records in a timely manner to VA. Please ask your provider to provide this proof of attendance without delay as the 30-day timely filing rule will be in effect starting June 9, 2023.

To file your claim online or learn more about the rules for travel reimbursement, scan the QR code below to access the Beneficiary Travel Self Service System (BTSSS) or visit https://www.va.gov/health-care/get-reimbursed-for-travel-pay/#file-a-claim-for-general-healt .

For reference,  you can review the policy that governs how this impacts beneficiary travel at 42 USC 1320b5(g)(1) and 38 CFR Part 70, subpart A.

For further questions, please contact:

San Francisco VA’s Veterans Transportation Program at 415-221-4810 x 23080 or

Patrick Jones, Mobility Manager, 415-221-4810 x 25169

About Department of Veterans Affairs

Department of Veterans Affairs established 1-800-MyVA411 ( 1-800-698-2411 ) to help Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors understand and access the broad spectrum of VA benefits and services.

Call 1-800-MyVA411 for information about:

• COVID-19 updates
• Health care eligibility and enrollment
• VA benefits, such as disability, compensation and pension, education programs, caregiver support, insurance, home loans, and burial headstones and markers among others
• The nearest VA medical centers, benefits offices or cemeteries to Veterans, VA Medical Center operational updates and connection to VA Medical Center operators
• Directory assistance and technical support for  VA.gov
• Debt and payment options

“ To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.’’

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Office of Human Resources Management

• Practitioners
• Leave Policies

Was this page helpful?

Special compensatory time off for travel.

This program allows employees to accrue compensatory time off for time spent by an employee in a travel status away from the employee’s official duty station when such time is not otherwise compensable. The travel must be officially authorized for work purposes and approved by an authorized official. 

An employee as defined in Title 5 U.S.C. 5541(2), who is employed in an “Executive Agency,” as defined in 5 U.S.C. 105, ) is entitled to earn and use compensatory time off for travel regardless of whether the employee is exempt or non-exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Coverage includes employees in Senior Level (SL) and Scientific of Professional (ST) positions, Federal Wage System (or Wage Grade, WG), and commissioned (tenured) Foreign Service Officers (in pay plan FO) and Commissioned Foreign Service Officers (in pay plan FO). 

Senior Executive Service members and intermittent employees (who do not have a scheduled tour of duty for leave purposes) are excluded from coverage.

Effective Dates of Coverage

Final regulations implementing compensatory time off for travel for most employees was effective May 17, 2007. Coverage for WG employees was effective April 27, 2008. Coverage for Foreign Service Officers (in pay plan FO) and Commissioned Foreign Service Officers (in pay plan FO) was effective June 8, 2006. 

Creditable Travel Time 

Time in a travel status includes the time the employee spends traveling between the official duty station and a temporary duty station (or the lodging in the temporary duty station) or between two temporary duty stations (or the lodging in the temporary duty station) and the “usual waiting time” that precedes or interrupts such travel. 

“Usual waiting time” is the time required to arrive at the airport (or other transportation hub) for security checks-ins, etc., prior to a designated departure time. 

Time spent at an intervening airport (or transportation hub) waiting for a connecting flight also is creditable time.

In the Department, “usual waiting time” is 2 hours for domestic travel and up to 4 hours for international travel. 

Non-Creditable Travel Time 

The following do not qualify as creditable time:

• Unusually long or extended waiting periods that occur prior to an employee’s initial departure time or between actual periods of travel if the employee is free to rest, sleep, or otherwise use the time for his/her own purposes;
• Long waiting periods that occur during an employee's regular scheduled working hours; these periods are compensable as part of the employee's regularly scheduled administrative workweek;
• Time spent traveling outside of an employee’s regular working hours to or from a transportation terminal that are within the limits of the employee’s official duty station;
• Time spent traveling in connection with the performance of union representational activities;
• Time spent traveling on a holiday or an “in-lieu-of” holiday; the employee is entitled to his or her rate of basic pay for the holiday hours; and
• Time spent at a temporary duty station between arrival and departure times; and
• Meal times. 

Once an employee arrives at the temporary duty station (i.e., TDY work site, training site, or hotel at the temporary duty station), the employee is no longer considered to be in a travel status. Any time spent at a temporary duty station between arrival and departure is not creditable for earning compensatory time off for travel. 

Offsetting Normal Commuting Time

When an employee travels directly between the home and a temporary duty station that is outside the limits of the employee's official duty station, the employee's normal “home-to-work/work-to-home” commuting time must be deducted from the creditable travel time. 

Normal commuting time must also be deducted from the creditable travel time if the employee is required to travel outside of regular working hours between the home and a transportation hub outside the limits of the employee's official duty station.

Travel between Multiple Time Zones 

When an employee’s travel involves two or more time zones, the time zone from the point of first departure must be used to determine travel status for accruing compensatory time off. For example, if an employee travels from his official duty station in Washington, DC, to a temporary duty station in Boulder, CO, the Washington, DC, time zone must be used to determine hours in a travel status. However, on the return trip to Washington, DC, the time zone from Boulder, CO, must be used to determine hours in a travel status 

Timeframes for Use

An employee must use accrued compensatory time off by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned and reported on the webTA. 

All compensatory time off for travel must be used in the chronological order in which it was earned; that is, time earned first is used first. 

Forfeiture of Unused Hours

Accumulated compensatory time that is unused by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period in which it was earned is forfeited. Unused balances are also forfeited when an employee voluntarily transfers to another agency or separates from Federal service. Forfeited hours may not be paid or restored. 

When an employee fails to use accumulated compensatory time balances within the required timeframe due to an exigency of the public service beyond the employee’s control, the time limit for using the hours may be extended for up to an additional 26 pay periods. Additional extensions are not authorized and forfeited hours may not be restored. 

Exceptions to Forfeiture of Unused Hours

Unused compensatory time off for travel must be held in abeyance for an employee who separates, or is placed in a leave without pay (LWOP) status, and later returns:

• To perform service in the uniformed services (see 38 U.S.C. § 4303 and 5 CFR § 353.102) with restoration rights; and 
• Due to an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation under 5 U.S.C. Chapter 81. 

In these cases, the employee must use all of the compensatory time off for travel held in abeyance by the end of the 26th pay period following the pay period in which he/she returns to duty, or the compensatory time off will be forfeited. 

Biweekly Salary Limitation and Aggregate Limitation on Pay

Compensatory time off for travel is not considered in applying the bi-weekly pay cap under 5 U.S.C. 5547 or the aggregate limitation on pay under 5 U.S.C.507. 

Alternate Mode of Transportation

When an employee is allowed to use an alternate mode of transportation, or travels at a time/route other than what is initially approved by the authorizing official, creditable time for travel status must be estimated. The estimate is based on the amount of time the employee would have had if the mode of transportation or the time/route initially approved by the authorizing official was used. In determining the estimated amount of creditable time for travel that an employee would have had, the employee will be credited with the lesser of the:

• Estimated time in a travel status the employee would have had if the employee had traveled at the initially approved time, or
• Employee's actual time in a travel status at a time other than that initially approved.

Applying for Compensatory Time off for Travel

Employee must officially request the earning of compensatory time prior to the actual travel or within 10 calendar days of termination of the travel. The request may be submitted via the webTA Leave and Premium Pay Request functionality, Commerce Department Form CD-81, “Authorization for Paid Overtime and/or Holiday Work, and for Compensatory Overtime”, electronic mail, or memorandum. The request should estimate the number of hours the employee expects to earn. Upon the employee’s return from travel, the employee must provide a chronological record of travel information including:

• Duration of the normal home-to-work commute;
• Time and place of departure (i.e., the employee’s home or official duty station);
• Actual time spent traveling to and from the transportation terminal if the terminal is outside of the employee’s official duty station;
• Usual waiting time; and
• Time of arrival at and departure from the temporary duty station. 

Earning Limitations 

There is no limit on the amount of compensatory time for travel that may be earned. 

Using Compensatory Time off for Travel 

Compensatory time off for travel is credited and used in 15 minute increments with the compensatory time off for travel earned first being charged first. Additional leave will be charged in corresponding units. Employees must request permission from their supervisor or leave approving official to schedule the use of accrued compensatory time off via the webTA Leave and Premium Pay Request functionality, a SF-71, Application for Leave, or Form OPM-71, Request for Leave or Approved Absence. 

Share this page

U.S. Government Accountability Office

VA Health Care: Additional Assessments of Mileage Reimbursement Data and Veterans' Travel Costs Needed

The Veterans Health Administration's mileage reimbursement benefit helps defray costs for eligible veterans who travel to receive medical care.

Veterans' use of the benefit declined during the COVID-19 pandemic when VHA shifted most care to telehealth. However, VHA doesn't know how different types of veterans use the benefit—which may be useful. For example, VHA may want to determine how often rural veterans use the benefit to access in-person care, as they tend to be less likely to have the broadband access necessary to access telehealth care.

We recommended , among other things, that VHA collect and assess this information.

VHA’s Mileage Reimbursement Claims, FYs 2010-2023

What GAO Found

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) uses the mileage reimbursement benefit to reimburse eligible veterans for use of personal vehicles to attend VHA-approved care. The benefit comprises (1) the mileage reimbursement rate—a per-mile amount VHA reimburses beneficiaries for travel to and from approved care and (2) a deductible—the amount VHA withholds from reimbursements with the purpose of limiting program costs.

According to officials, VHA tracks national trends of veterans' benefit use overall, but does not collect this information for subpopulations of veterans. GAO's analysis of VHA data show that veterans' use of the benefit increased from fiscal years 2010 through 2019 before declining in fiscal year 2020. In the last two fiscal years use increased, but remains below its peak. VHA officials attributed the decline to VHA's shift to telehealth in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, VHA does not collect information on how underserved subpopulations of veterans, such as rural veterans, use the benefit. This information could help VHA assess how changes in benefit use caused by the pandemic may have affected groups of veterans differently, which could help VHA determine how to address potential inequities. For example, VHA may want to determine how often rural veterans use the benefit to access in-person care, as they tend to be less likely to have the broadband access necessary to access telehealth care.

VHA has some information on travel costs for which veterans request reimbursement, such as tolls. However, VHA does not collect information on other travel costs, such as fuel costs, or assess how travel costs may vary across veteran subpopulations. Although VHA's reimbursement rate is set in statute, collecting additional travel cost information and assessing costs by subpopulations could inform future revisions to VHA's transportation programs aimed at optimizing their assistance for veterans. For example, VHA could use the information to revise the current eligibility model to consider travel to highly rural facilities for care.

GAO found, after the deductible, a veteran must travel at least 15 miles round trip to receive a reimbursement and 25 miles to have fuel costs covered.

A Veteran's Mileage Reimbursement per Mile Traveled Compared to Fuel Costs

Note: Reimbursement is based on the current mileage reimbursement rate of 41.5 cents per mile and a $6 round-trip deductible. The analysis assumes no other costs, such as maintenance, were incurred. GAO used the average fuel price in August 2023 of $3.95 per gallon and a fuel efficiency of 22.9 miles per gallon, the 2021 average fuel efficiency for light-duty vehicles.

Why GAO Did This Study

According to VHA, veterans' access to care is a multifaceted issue, and one in which disparities persist. VHA tries to improve access through the mileage reimbursement benefit, whose purpose is to defray beneficiaries' travel costs.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, includes a provision for GAO to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mileage reimbursement benefit. This report examines the information VHA has on veterans' use of the benefit and on veterans' travel costs, among other objectives.

GAO reviewed the VHA directive outlining VHA's requirements for administering the benefit and VHA data on veterans' use of the benefit from fiscal years 2010 through 2023. GAO also interviewed VHA officials who oversee the benefit; officials from three VHA health care systems, selected for variation in geography, among other things; and representatives from four veterans service organizations. Using fuel costs, GAO also analyzed the current rate and deductible to determine the distance a veteran would have to travel to receive a non-zero reimbursement.

Recommendations

GAO is making four recommendations to VA including that VHA should (1) collect and assess information on veterans' use of the mileage reimbursement benefit by subpopulation, such as rural veterans. VHA should also (2) collect additional information on veterans' travel costs and assess how costs vary by subpopulations. VA concurred or concurred in principle with GAO's recommendations and identified steps it plans to take to address them.

Recommendations for Executive Action

Full report, gao contacts.

Sharon M. Silas Director [email protected] (202) 512-7114

Office of Public Affairs

Sarah Kaczmarek Acting Managing Director [email protected] (202) 512-4800

An official website of the United States government

Senior Social Worker

Department of veterans affairs, veterans health administration.

The mission of ICMHR/MHICM services is to provide Veterans with a serious mental illness with intensive recovery-oriented mental health services that enable them both to live meaningful lives and in the community of their choosing. ICMHR Services are delivered by an interdisciplinary team in a shared caseload model. ICMHR Veterans have a diagnosis of serious mental illness, are inadequately served by clinic-based outpatient treatment and have high resource use.

• Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

12/27/2023 to 06/28/2024

$96,111 - $124,940 per year

Pay scale & grade

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Colorado Springs, CO 1 vacancy

Telework eligible

Yes—as determined by the agency policy.

Travel Required

Not required

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Appointment type, work schedule, promotion potential, job family (series).

0185 Social Work

Supervisory status

Security clearance, position sensitivity and risk.

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

Announcement number

CBSU-12253566-24-TK

Control number

This job is open to.

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to The Public. If you are a current Department of Veteran Affairs employees, Current or former Health Professional Trainees, and other Federal employees, please apply to job announcement number: CBSU-12253565-24-TK This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until May 28, 2024. Initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 1/11/2024, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks.

The incumbent is responsible for completing the following duties/responsibilities: - The incumbent will conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of veterans and family members. - The incumbent is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines. The incumbent will provide measurement-based care. - The incumbent will provide appropriate services-based Veterans' needs, acuity level, and preferences for care. Veterans will be reassessed on a regular basis, no less than quarterly and in accordance with local policy, for changes in their needs, acuity level, and preferences for care. - The incumbent will utilize psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery practices and other evidence-based practice models to promote Veteran engagement and self-efficacy. - The incumbent will participate in discharge planning with other disciplines as appropriate and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate. - The incumbent will provide individual, family and group education and counseling as appropriate. - The incumbent will provide consultation/education to veterans and families on community resources, advance directives and VA benefits. - The incumbent will act as a consultant to other team/staff members. - The incumbent will act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing and public relation duties as needed. - The incumbent will provide case management to veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care. - The incumbent will provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice and with clinical supervision, which includes case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management and other services as appropriate. - The incumbent will address Advance Directives and Organ Donation in accordance with the standards of their work area. - The incumbent will provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate Patient/family support groups as appropriate. - The incumbent will coordinate treatment and communicate with the care lines to facilitate continuity of care for veterans. - The incumbent will participate in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the service manager. - The incumbent will maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with JC, CARF, VA and medical center policy and procedures. - The incumbent will assist patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability, terminal illness and death. - The incumbent will document social work interventions and activities inpatient's clinical record utilizing CPRS and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care. - The incumbent will participate in a rotation of on-call social workers, including modification of tour of duty to accommodate patient care needs on weekends. - The incumbent will maintain familiarity and responsibility for all performance measures relating to the ICMHR/MHICM Program. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 0800-1630 Telework : Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # : 554-52280-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Fi nancial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Conditions of employment.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

• Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits .

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
• Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

Agency contact information

Tanner kudela.

[email protected]

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the U SAJobs Help Center . NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Criminal history inquiries
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Financial suitability
• Selective Service
• New employee probationary period
• Signature and false statements
• Privacy Act
• Social security number request

Required Documents

How to apply, fair & transparent.

This job originated on www.usajobs.gov . For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/767841200 . Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.

Learn more about

Interested in a career that offers a balance of work and family life? Look no further! The VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) offers a balance of professional and clinical complexity that stimulates growth yet also allows the professional an opportunity to enjoy life outside of work. If you are interested in a career that offers an integrated patient-centered approach while providing compassionate and state of the art care to Veterans, we welcome you to apply. By serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans, we fulfill President Lincoln's promise, "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan." The new, state of the art campus is in Aurora, CO, just east of Denver. The city's central location makes it ideal for accessing the surrounding mountain ranges for outdoor activities or enjoying the rich art and cultural diversity of the area. Denver Metro offers a perfect mix of social activity, modern businesses, and family life making it an ideal location to start a career, raise a family, or ease into retirement. ECHCS offers a teaching hospital with state-of-the-art technology, education, and research, making it an ideal career choice for many clinical and administrative professionals. The facility has numerous specialized programs in addition to the comprehensive health care provided to our Veterans.

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Veterans Health Administration, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.va.gov/jobs//

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in eight minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• A–Z Index
• Operating Status

Resources For

• New / Prospective Employees
• Federal Employees
• HR Professionals

Compensatory Time Off

Fact sheet: compensatory time off, description.

Compensatory time off is

• Time off with pay in lieu of overtime pay for irregular or occasional overtime work, or
• When permitted under agency flexible work schedule programs, time off with pay in lieu of overtime pay for regularly scheduled or irregular or occasional overtime work.

Employee Coverage

Compensatory time off may be approved in lieu of overtime pay for irregular or occasional overtime work for both FLSA exempt and nonexempt employees who are covered by the definition of "employee" at 5 U.S.C. 5541(2).

Compensatory time off can also be approved for a "prevailing rate employee," as defined at 5 U.S.C. 5342(2), but there is no authority to require that any prevailing rate (wage) employee be compensated for irregular or occasional overtime work by granting compensatory time off.

Compensatory time off may be approved (not required) in lieu of regularly scheduled overtime work only for employees, including wage employees, who are ordered to work overtime hours under flexible work schedules. See 5 U.S.C. 6123(a)(1).

Agencies may require that an FLSA exempt employee (as defined at 5 U.S.C. 5541(2)) receive compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay for irregular or occasional overtime work, but only for an FLSA exempt employee whose rate of basic pay is above the rate for GS-10, step 10. No mandatory compensatory time off is permitted for wage employees or in lieu of FLSA overtime pay.

Time Limits

Flsa-exempt employees.

An FLSA-exempt employee must use accrued compensatory time off by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned.

An agency may provide that an FLSA-exempt employee who (1) fails to take earned compensatory time off within 26 pay periods or (2) transfers to another agency or separates from Federal service before the expiration of the 26 pay period time limit-

• Receive payment for the unused compensatory time off at the overtime rate in effect when earned or
• Forfeit the unused compensatory time off, unless failure to use the compensatory time off is due to an exigency of the service beyond the employee's control. (An FLSA-exempt employee whose earned compensatory time off would otherwise be forfeited due to an exigency of service beyond the employee's control must receive payment for the unused compensatory time off at the overtime rate in effect when earned.)

FLSA-nonexempt employees

An FLSA-nonexempt employee must use accrued compensatory time off by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned.

If accrued compensatory time off is not used by an FLSA-nonexempt employee within 26 pay periods or if the FLSA-nonexempt employee transfers to another agency or separates from Federal service before the expiration of the 26 pay period time limit, the employee must be paid for the earned compensatory time off at the overtime rate in effect when earned.

Separation or leave without pay status due to service in the uniform service or on-the-job injury

An FLSA-exempt or nonexempt employee must be paid for compensatory time off not used by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned at the overtime rate in effect when earned if the employee is unable to use the compensatory time off because of separation or placement in a leave without pay status (1) to perform service in the uniformed services or (2) because of an on-the-job injury with entitlement to injury compensation under 5 U.S.C. chapter 81.

Compensatory time off to an employee's credit as of May 14, 2007

See 5 CFR 550.114(e) and 551.531(e) for special rules regarding the administration of compensatory time off to an employee's credit as of May 14, 2007.

1 hour of compensatory time off is granted for each hour of overtime work.

Questions and Answers on Compensatory Time Off in Lieu of Overtime Pay

FLSA-exempt employees earn compensatory time off in lieu of title 5 overtime pay under 5 U.S.C. 5542 and 5 CFR 550.113, and are subject to OPM's compensatory time off regulations at 5 CFR 550.114. FLSA-nonexempt employees earn compensatory time off in lieu of overtime pay under section 7 of the FLSA (29 U.S.C. 207) and 5 CFR 551.501, and are subject to OPM's compensatory time off regulations at 5 CFR 551.531. Both 5 CFR 550.114 and 5 CFR 551.531 are derived from the statutory authority governing compensatory time off in 5 U.S.C. 5543 and, for employees under flexible work schedules, 5 U.S.C. 6123(a)(1). An employee's unused compensatory time off is subject to the regulations under which it was earned, regardless of the employee's current FLSA exemption status.

Example: An employee earns 16 hours of compensatory time off under 5 CFR 551.531 in lieu of FLSA overtime pay while employed in an FLSA-nonexempt position.

The employee is promoted to an FLSA-exempt position 6 months later, but does not use the 16 hours of compensatory time off within 26 pay periods after the pay period during which it was earned. As provided by 5 CFR 551.531(d), the employee must be paid for the 16 hours of unused compensatory time off at the overtime rate in effect when earned. The employee is entitled to receive payment for the compensatory time off even if the employing agency's policy under 5 CFR 550.114(d) is to require forfeiture of compensatory time off earned in lieu of title 5 overtime pay if the compensatory time off is not taken within 26 pay periods.

Agencies must provide payment for, or require forfeiture of, compensatory time off under the conditions set forth in 5 CFR 550.114(d)-(f) and 5 CFR 551.531(d)-(f), as applicable. The general rule is that accrued compensatory time off must be liquidated (i.e., paid) or forfeited (as applicable under agency policies) if not used by the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which it was earned. Exceptions to the general rule relate to the following circumstances: (1) the 3-year grandfathering period for any compensatory time off to an employee's credit as of May 14, 2007, which must be used by the end of the pay period ending 3 years after May 14, 2007; (2) transfer to another agency; (3) separation from Federal service; and (4) separation or placement in a leave without pay status in connection with service in the uniformed services or entitlement to workers' compensation based on an on-the-job injury. (When exception #4 applies, the employee must be paid for the unused compensatory time off; forfeiture is not an option.)

• What entities are considered an "agency" for the purpose of triggering the payment/forfeiture of unused compensatory time off at the time of transfer to another agency? View more For the purposes of the compensatory time off regulations, the term "agency" is defined under 5 CFR 550.103 to mean a department (as defined in this section) and a legislative or judicial branch agency which has positions subject to subchapter V (Premium Pay) of chapter 55 of title 5, U.S. Code. The term "department" is defined under 5 CFR 550.103 to mean an executive agency and a military department. (See 5 U.S.C. 101-105 and 5541(1).) Since the military departments (Army, Navy, and Air Force) have standing as separate agencies, the rest of the Department of Defense as a group is treated as a separate agency.

Yes. Agencies are required to provide payment for accrued compensatory time off under the conditions set forth in 5 CFR 550.114 and 5 CFR 551.531. However, an agency has discretionary authority to provide payment for accrued compensatory time off in other circumstances. This discretionary authority should be exercised by issuing formal policies so that employees are treated consistently.

Additional situations in which an agency may choose to provide for payment of compensatory time off include, but are not limited to, the following:

Example 1: A Federal employee moves to a position with a different FLSA exemption status (i.e., from an FLSA-nonexempt position to an FLSA-exempt position or vice versa).

An employee moving to a position within the same agency that has a different FLSA exemption status may have his or her compensatory time off balance paid out according to that agency's policy at the time of his or her change in exemption status. Alternatively, an agency may choose to maintain that employee's compensatory time off after a change in FLSA exemption status, subject to the regulations under which the compensatory time off was earned. (Under this latter alternative, the agency must maintain separate balances for compensatory time off earned under 5 CFR 551.531 in lieu of FLSA overtime pay versus compensatory time off earned under 5 CFR 550.114 in lieu of title 5 overtime pay.)

Example 2: An employee transfers to another component within the same agency.

The agency may choose to provide payment for compensatory time off when a Federal employee transfers to another component within the same agency. Conversely, the agency may allow the employee to maintain his or her compensatory time off balance in the new position, subject to the regulations under which it was earned. (See A3 for information on the definition of "agency" for this purpose.)

Example 3: An employee is placed in a Senior Executive Service (SES) position.

Each agency should establish policies governing the handling of accrued compensatory time off for an employee who is placed in an SES position and thus no longer covered by 5 U.S.C. 5543. The agency may choose to (1) provide payment for any balance of compensatory time off accrued before placement in the SES position at the rate at which it was earned; or (2) allow the employee to use the accrued compensatory time off while in the SES position, subject to the normal time limits established in OPM regulations.

• May an agency require an employee to forfeit unused compensatory time off under circumstances in addition to those identified in OPM regulations? View more An agency may require an employee to forfeit legitimately earned compensatory time off only under the circumstances identified in OPM regulations. An agency may not establish a policy requiring an employee to forfeit unused compensatory time off earned under 5 CFR 550.114 in lieu of title 5 overtime pay in circumstances not identified in that section. An agency may not require an employee to forfeit compensatory time off earned under 5 CFR 551.531 in lieu of FLSA overtime pay under any circumstances.
• 5 U.S.C. 5543 and 5 U.S.C. 6123(a)(1)
• 5 CFR 550.114 and 551.531
• Comptroller General opinions: B-183751, October 3, 1975, and
• October 19, 1976; 58 Comp. Gen. 1 (1978)
• Section 1610 of Public Law 104-201, the National Defense Authorization Act, 1997

Back to Top

• Cover Letters
• Jobs I've Applied To
• Saved Searches
• Subscriptions

Marine Corps

Coast guard.

• Space Force
• Military Podcasts
• Benefits Home
• Military Pay and Money
• Veteran Health Care
• VA eBenefits
• Veteran Job Search
• Military Skills Translator
• Upload Your Resume
• Veteran Employment Project
• Vet Friendly Employers
• Career Advice
• Military Life Home
• Military Trivia Game
• Veterans Day
• Spouse & Family
• Military History
• Discounts Home
• Featured Discounts
• Veterans Day Restaurant Discounts
• Electronics
• Join the Military Home
• Contact a Recruiter
• Military Fitness

Veterans Get 3 Mental Health Visits a Year for Free with VA's New Copay Exemption

Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiaries won't have to pay copays for their first three mental health appointments of each year thanks to a new exemption. Meanwhile, patients who paid copays starting in the latter half of 2023 will receive automatic refunds.

The VA announced the exemption Wednesday. Backdated to June 27, 2023 -- when the first refunds will kick in -- the benefit also comes with an end date of Dec. 29, 2027.

The copay exemption applies to outpatient visits for mental health care and substance use disorder, according to the VA's announcement . Its intent is to expand access to mental health services and lower veterans' costs. It doesn't cover medication copays.

Read Next: F-35 Crashes Outside of Albuquerque Airport; Pilot in Serious Condition

Lawmakers included the exemption in the Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2022, also known as the Cleland-Dole Act, signed into law in December 2022 to address a range of needs in addition to mental health care.

To qualify for the exemption, a mental health or substance use visit must have been with the VA itself or with one of the department's community care providers.

VA beneficiaries who paid outpatient mental health or substance abuse copays starting in the latter half of 2023 don't need to do anything and will receive their refunds automatically, the VA said.

"We want every veteran, regardless of their financial status, to have access to the mental health care they deserve," VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in the announcement. "We are constantly working to expand access to mental health care, and we won't rest until every veteran has access to care whenever and wherever they need it."

Meanwhile, the VA announced earlier this month that its wait times for mental health appointments have fallen .

Veterans seeking mental health care from the VA for the first time now wait an average of 17 days to see someone. That's faster than the average wait of 22 days for a first-time primary care patient. For the month of April, mental health wait times were 7% shorter than in April 2023, the VA said .

In addition to mental health visits, the VA's resources include the Veterans Crisis Line to talk to someone immediately (dial 988, press 1); online self-help training and a smartphone app for veterans who can't easily reach a VA medical center; "telemental" health visits with VA providers offered remotely; and the option, introduced in 2023, for certain veterans experiencing a suicidal crisis to get free emergency care at any VA or non-VA facility regardless of their VA enrollment status.

According to the Wednesday announcement of the copay exemption, 60,000 veterans have received the new benefit of free emergency care since it began in January 2023.

Related: VA Says It Cut Wait Times for Primary, Mental Health Care as Veteran Enrollment Surged

Amanda Miller

You May Also Like

The Defense Centers of Excellence shares tips on what to expect in therapy and why you shouldn't be scared of it.

Veterans of World War II, many of them centenarians and likely returning to France for one last time, pilgrimaged Tuesday to...

Funding to support a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops is included in the House's initial version of the annual...

Between late August and early September, Marines and sailors with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, along with Coast...

Military News

• Investigations and Features
• Military Opinion

Select Service

• National Guard

Most Popular Military News

Robert Burke allegedly directed the lucrative Navy contracts to the company in 2021 while serving as a four-star admiral, and...

The caisson platoon, the Army's military horses that transport caskets of fallen service members to their Arlington burial...

An Oklahoma school district is accused of illegally refusing to rehire a teacher after he returned from military deployment...

The expectation that maintainers would simply accept being doused in known, deadly chemicals and continue to carry out their...

The Navy announced that it will now allow commanding officers to automatically advance sailors to the ranks of E-5 and E-6 if...

Latest Benefits Info

• Retirees, Civilians, Want to Live in Base Housing? Yes, You Can!
• VA Home Loan: Are You Eligible?
• Burial at Sea: A Time-Honored Tradition
• VA Fertility Benefits for Military Veterans
• Virginia Veterans Rally the Troops, State Leaders in Support of Education Benefits

More Military Headlines

In the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division tried to ease the concerns of...

Specially trained service dogs helped ease PTSD symptoms in U.S. military veterans in a small study that the researchers hope...

• GM Defense’s Common Tactical Truck: Military-Grade Heavy Metal
• What Ike Remembered When Returning to the Beaches of Normandy 20 Years After D-Day
• Ex-US Soldier Charged in 'International Crime Spree' Extradited From Ukraine, Officials Say
• 'A Lot Has to Be Done': Slain Airman's Mom Calls for More Action After Deputy Who Shot Her Son Is Fired
• US Military Completes Major Exercise in Africa and Works to Deepen Partnerships
• Air Force Unit Sidelined by Jack Teixeira's Classified Leaks Set to Resume Its Mission
• Coasties, Marines and Sailors Awarded for Seizing Millions of Pounds of Explosive Materials in Middle East
• Navy Shakes Up Commanders' Merit Promotions
• Pentagon Chief Extends Deployment of Aircraft Carrier, Ships in the Red Sea as Houthi Attacks Go On

Military Benefits Updates

• Fertility Benefits for Active-Duty Service Members
• Marine Veteran Who Injured Police Officer During Capitol Riot Is Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
• Marine Wargaming Center, Allowing High-Tech Prep for War, Unveiled at Quantico
• The Critical Role the Coast Guard Played in the D-Day Invasion
• Coast Guard Academy Graduates Are Told They 'Are Going to Save the World'

Entertainment

• Idris Elba Explores the Lost Stories of World War II Service Members of Color in Nat Geo's 'Erased'
• The Real-Life D-Day Commandos Who Inspired Hollywood's 'Dirty Dozen'
• ‘Mechwarrior 5: Clans’ Takes a More Cinematic Approach to Its Giant Robot Campaign

Flight Time Calculator

Flying time between cities.

Travelmath provides an online flight time calculator for all types of travel routes. You can enter airports, cities, states, countries, or zip codes to find the flying time between any two points. The database uses the great circle distance and the average airspeed of a commercial airliner to figure out how long a typical flight would take. Find your travel time to estimate the length of a flight between airports, or ask how long it takes to fly from one city to another.

You can also search for the closest airport to any city in the world or check the flying distance between airports. If you're thinking about a road trip, compare the driving time for the same route.

Home  ·  About  ·  Terms  ·  Privacy

Commentary | Daniel DePetris: When is the right time to talk…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Clarence Page

Commentary | Daniel DePetris: When is the right time to talk about peace in Ukraine?

The situation, however, has deteriorated for the Ukrainians ever since. The capture of Kherson in November 2022 was the high-water mark of Ukraine’s progress. Since then, the battlefield situation has slowly rebounded to Russia’s advantage. Moscow has regained more territory over the last two months than Ukraine did during its entire counteroffensive last year. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is frustrated by Russia’s current operations in Kharkiv, leading Washington to loosen its ban on using U.S.-supplied weapons to hit targets inside Russia.

All of this leads to the inevitable question: At what point should Ukraine shift its strategy from total military victory toward a good-enough peace? 

For many, even talking about the possibility of a diplomatic settlement with Russia is blasphemy. Russia, after all, is the aggressor, invading a sovereign neighbor and committing countless atrocities in the process. Its president, Vladimir Putin, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes. Ukraine is the victim, the logic goes, and forcing it to sit down at the same table with its victimizer leaves a sour taste in our mouths.

All of that may be true to a degree. International politics, though, isn’t a morality contest — it’s at times an ugly, highly competitive slugfest between states where the ideal is rarely attainable.

To date, Zelenskyy has been adamant: Ukraine will only negotiate with Russia after it withdraws its troops from every inch of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which has been under Russian occupation for more than a decade. Zelenskyy’s 10-point peace plan , which demands a total Russian military withdrawal, Russian compensation for war damage and war crime prosecutions for Russian soldiers, is in effect a surrender document for Moscow. Zelenskyy will reiterate those same terms this month, when dozens of countries assemble in Switzerland for a so-called peace summit.  

Yet that plan, although desirable, is simply not credible. In fact, given the current state of the war, as well as Putin’s willingness to sacrifice Russia’s future to maintain the roughly 20% of Ukrainian territory his forces now occupy, Zelenskyy’s position is downright delusional. This is one of the worst-kept secrets in international relations, one the Biden administration likely recognizes behind the scenes.

The White House, of course, is highly unlikely to state this obvious fact openly. First, doing so would cause extreme strain between Washington and Kyiv at a time when both are working to hold Ukraine’s defensive lines. Second, the U.S. would be embarrassing Zelenskyy by in essence calling his peace proposal a fool’s errand. And the impact on morale within the Ukrainian army could be significant — who would risk their life for a draw? 

But none of these considerations outweigh the facts on and off the battlefield — and whether we like it or not, those facts now favor Russia. While Russia’s casualties are steep — the U.K. Ministry of Defense estimates that 465,000 Russians have been killed or wounded thus far — the Russian government is preparing for a war that could last for years. Putin is consistently throwing bodies into the fight — approximately 30,000 Russians are joining the ranks every month — and is providing lucrative bonuses and benefits to entice more young men to join. Despite stringent U.S. and European Union sanctions, Russia has managed to redirect its crude to the east (mainly to China and India), garnering tens of billions of dollars for the treasury. The Russian economy is sustaining the war effort just as the war is sustaining the Russian economy. 

Ukraine, like Russia, doesn’t have unlimited resources. But unlike Russia, it has less of pretty much everything — less fighting-aged men, less artillery shells available and less wealth to spend on a war that continues to churn with no end in sight. The Ukrainian army is stretched along a 600-mile frontline that has only gotten longer after Russia’s latest push into Kharkiv, forcing Kyiv to redirect troops that would otherwise be reinforcing the line in the Donbas. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy remains hesitant to call a general mobilization to give soldiers fighting at the front continuously for the last two years the time to rest, lest it spur political turmoil in Kyiv or further shrink the Ukrainian workforce.

None of this is to suggest that Zelenskyy should wave the white flag. Nothing is inevitable in war; the side that makes territorial gains this week could very well be retreating the next. The $61 billion infusion of new U.S. aid to Ukraine is just starting to pour in, and the Ukrainians will want to see whether the latest tranche will enable them to recover lost ground. Any diplomatic settlement will also depend on Putin — if the Russian president refuses to actually compromise, then there won’t be much for Ukraine to talk about.

But it’s long past time for observers of this war and U.S. policymakers who are involved in it to drop their delusions about total military victory. Like most wars in history, this one will end through a diplomatic process with which none of the sides will be particularly enamored. The only question is how exhausted Ukraine and Russia need to become to finally negotiate seriously.  

Daniel   DePetris  is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Chicago Tribune.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected] .

More in Commentary

Opinion | Joe Ferguson: Just the facts on ShotSpotter, please

Opinion | Sen. John Curran: Gov. J.B. Pritzker should embrace instead of fight reforms to the Prisoner Review Board

Opinion | Rob Chadwick: As police response times grow, people are taking defense into their own hands

Opinion | Laura Washington: President Joe Biden’s campaign needs to lean in on cryptocurrency

Trending nationally.

• Massachusetts migrant-family shelter program kicks out more than 20 people for ‘inappropriate actions’
• Court stops taking complaints against judge overseeing Trump documents case
• Baltimore rapper jumps into Inner Harbor for 10 days in a row; says he won’t stop until song goes ‘viral’
• NYPD’s 2022 sergeants exam riddled with problems leading to cheating: DOI report
• Man shot in head on PA Turnpike in apparent road rage incident dies; suspect found dead the next day