Army is holding back on rating troops’ disabilities to hold down costs, critics say

Bet the Halliburton mercenaries are getting another raise soon.

Again, how low can they go? :(

does the military deem that condition?

Jeez, this whole "support the troops" thing just never seems to end, does it? Snappy flags to drape over caskets, prosthetic arms and legs, and now disability payments on top of it all. And some of those guys are pretty young; we're going to be paying on some of them for 40 or 50 years!

I can't seem to recall this subject coming up during the pre-war discussion about whether invading Iraq was a wise idea.

I am 100% against this war. However, I want those who were told to fight in it to get what they deserve as defenders of our country... even if that's not exactly why they were fighting.

What they deserve is the best equipment possible to save their lives in battle, the best medical treatment possible when carried off the field, and a reasonable "pension" if they can never work again.

It sounds like you believe that being against the war also means wanting to ensure that the soldiers get screwed over for going.

Is that what you're saying?

The U.S. Military Meat Grinder.

that link has gone "AWOL."

you can still access it from: http://www.armytimes.com/

to Kelly Kennedy. Does anyone else know people like this?


I saw you on Washington Journal this morning. I guess I'm writing this just to vent on this subject once again.

I had a friend who was released from the Navy 100% disabled in 1984. I lived with this person from 1995 to 1999. Our relationship started as romantic, but over time descended into an enabler/caretaker role, at which point I ended it. First I'd like to say that I'm not a "gold-digger", and knew nothing of his finances when we met. He lived in a small, run down, and sparsely furnished apartment at the time. He is quite the charmer, and appeared perfectly healthy. Over time I realized he was acting more and more helpless to get others to do things for him.

In 1984 he was released due to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, after his mother committed suicide. Many of his childhood friends told me stories of his OCD from childhood, and his illness is definitely not service related.

He didn't have a car, and depended on these friends to bring him food. They were relieved when I came along and became his taxi. I had a small mobile home at the time, and he told me he had enough money in the bank to buy an acreage to put it on.

I was astounded to find he had over $100,000 in the bank. He paid $15,000 cash for a piece of land, and later, $36,000 cash for a double wide to replace my home. He'd never paid utility bills, etc. and I began to help him with finances. It was then I found he received $2,400 monthly from the VA, as well as $600 from Social Security.

I was envious of his finances, and ashamed of my role as enabler, but I continued on for rent free living, although his OCD wouldn't allow for any more than that. I worked two jobs while attending college. I ate soup while he ate lobster, and steak. He became a heavy drinker, and later expanded his addictions to cocaine, crack, and smoked marijuana like a two pack a day cigarette habit. He spent thousands of dollars on the gambling boat.

I did receive gas money for taking him to his monthly doctor appointments. I began to notice that his illness became markedly worse as we approached the hospital. Several times he asked me to take him for inpatient treatment, only appearing "ill" after arriving. I realized he was keeping his 100% rating secure by doing this, and tried to have private conversations about this with his doctors, and hospital administration. I was told it was none of my business.

After I finally left, I remained in touch with several of his friends. They've related to me that he moved in a girlfriend (who also happens to be his drug dealer). She talked him into financing an auto body shop for her grown son to the tune of $50,000 cash, which rapidly went belly up. I've driven by his place several times, noting several new vehicles, as well as a new three car garage (he doesn't have a license due to several DWIs).

His friends tell me she helps him secure his 100% status by frequently calling the hospital in a panic, telling them she's at her wits end due to his health. She is a devious snake. He will put up with her only because he lives out in the country, and needs her for a ride.

Since this hideous war started, I've thought of him more and more. I've stopped myself from calling the VA several times, as I know it will do no good. I've stopped myself from calling him to ask if he feels any shame at all.

I wish the VA would reevaluate their disability cases. I wish they would take me seriously. Mike has two friends that he met while hospitalized, who are pulling the exact same thing. "Rick" was released for "multiple personality disorder" with a 100% rating. I now have a degree in psychology, and can say with 99.9% certainty he does not have this rare disorder. After spending time around our VA hospital, I cannot even believe one of their doctors would be capable of making such a diagnosis!

Why do they not monitor these people? Why do they have an online form to report waste and abuse if they aren't going to take you seriously? During those four years, I do not believe Mike ever received a disability review from either the VA OR Social Security. I remember the other person mentioned above DID receive the review "short form" which asks "has your doctor told you you can return to work?" I guess he was truthful when he replied "no" since he'd long ago stopped going to the doctor.

If you feel you can use this information to help someone, please do so. Thank you for your time.

First, I think this "letter" of yours has no place in this thread. None whatsoever.

But mostly, who the hell cares? I am OKAY with someone or several someones gaming the system -- IF that's what's going on -- if it will ensure that ALL our deserving vets get what they need. But that's not what's happening.

So by all means, please, please, please use your valuable time and energy trying to get this one Vet in trouble, instead of doing a damn thing to help the thousands who are getting shafted by our government. Yeah, that's a good use of your time all right. Go get 'em, sister.

:puke:

Who the hell cares? Every taxpayer should care.

This has no place in this thread? The thread is about an article where the author talks about someone being denied benefits, because they can't prove it was not a preexisting condition, the same thing I talked about.

Trying to get one vet in trouble? I believe in fairness. A person who served three years during peace time gets 100% for something any moran doctor should realize was preexisting, while soldiers in an unjust war with serious injuries get 30% if they're real lucky?

A single loser who happened to be in the right place at the right time to hit the jackpot, and spend the rest of his life partying, and pretending to be ill when it's convenient? Compared to someone with a wife, and kids to support who may have his whole lifestyle turned upside down?

I don't think I make you sick. I think you're also sick at the thought of this person getting a free ride. Admit it, you wish it were you. Maybe it IS you. Maybe he's LIKE you.

If I personally know three cheats in a town of 25,000 how do the stats work out to say there are only a few?

I say you doth protest too much.

shafted because there ARE far more of those.

And you haven't convinced me he's a cheat, either. For all I know he could've inherited all that money. What I DO know is that you're NO LONGER his sweetheart. What I DO know is that you appear to be the kind of woman many men fear -- vindictive.

Enjoy yourself (and your misery), if you can.

checks a month. Guess he's a good saver over decades. But then he's buying new cars and other people property. Doesn't sound like a good saver to me.

I'm going to call fake on this one.

If the person really sent it then she has some issues, still driving by her ex's home, counting cars, and involving herself in his finances. Until she gets a medical license, I don't think she should be over-ruling diagnosis' on anyone.

I also don't believe a disability payment should be derrived at by how much money you manage to have saved over your life. That's penalizing good habits.

BTW, I get no disability and work for a living. The letter leaves the writer more questionable than the person she's "ratting" on in my opinion.

Bush/Cheney have no qualms granting huge non-compete contracts to their wealthy corporate cronies, but they sure get budget-conscious when it comes to helping the young men and women who have been damaged in this immoral and illegal war. But let's not hang this entirely on the Administration. America went to the polls in 2004 and voted for this. America voted for an Administration it knew -- or should have known -- was an agent of the entrenched corporate (i.e.,wealthy) interests. America voted for an Administration which it knew -- or should have known -- didn't give a damn about us "little people." Any American who isn't ashamed of being an American these days just isn't looking at what we've let ourselves become: a nation whose government exists to maintain, consolidate, and increase the power of the corporate aristocracy; a nation whose government regards the bulk of its citizens as expendable, as fodder for its wars, and ciphers for its industry

Support out troops! Bring them home NOW, not later!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=261706&mesg_id=261706

This is exactly what the Navy Times (no left-wing rag) had an entire expose on.

That's the real bottom line here. Everyone has be outraged (and justifiably so) at the pictures of the rat infested, moldy, broken ceiling, exposed wire living accommodations our troops have been given, but the real culprit here are the drastic cuts in funding for Medical Boards and staff, and the attempt to keep the cost of this war down by down-grading disability ratings.

Look, the outpatients at Walter Reed would not be living in squalor if it were not taking up-wards of a year to get through the Medical Board and disability process. Here are some interesting numbers.

- Under President Clinton, the DOD had 6 Medical Boards in 5 districts with staff support of 240. Under Bush, the DOD has 3 Medical Boards in 1 district with staff support of 60.

- In 2001, the number of vets getting approved disability ratings was 13%. Now, IN A TIME OF WAR it's 6%.

- Troops are being represented at Medical Boards by other disabled troops. Some as junior as Private First Class.

- They low-ball the troops in the hope that they will take a lower disability rating just to end the nightmare process.

This is what the Repukes do! It's no secret. They have been, and always will be, on the side of the rich and powerful.

Why do you think they want to keep the cost to our veterans down? Why did they cut the number of Medical Boards during a time of war? Why do they house wounded troops in a place barely above the level of a homeless shelter? It's so they can provide a massive tax-cut to the likes of Dick Cheney and Rush Limbaugh. Hell, Cheney's tax-cut alone would be enough to hire 10 Medical Board Staff Personnel full time for a year!!!!!

You also know, deep in their cold black hearts, that Republics think of these troops as nothing more than moochers sucking at the teet of the federal government. They are treating these wounded troops the same way they treat the homeless, the unemployed, the laid-off factory worker, the union firefighters and police, the mentally and physically disabled, the poor, the middle-class, and anyone whose net worth is below 7 figures.

If it weren't for the uniform these wounded troops used to wear, the Republics would tell them to "pull yourselves up by your bootstraps".

That's how this issue needs to be framed.

:kick:

wounds/injuries sustained by certain actions that received the purple heart in previous wars are now being denied ...well, the purple heart comes with some added perks....so if you're denied the purple heart for an injury you sustained in the same manner Billy Bob got his purple heart, you're still wounded, you still got the injury the same way Billy Bob got his..but you don't get those added benefits that Billy Bob enjoys.

The fewer troops getting the purple heart, the fewer troops on the added perks list....the fewer resources used for those wounded troops. So you tell the troop his/her particular case doesn't rise to the level of "action against the enemy"..so no purple heart.

I know of a case of a soldier who was run over at a check point(the truck rammed through the check point at a high rate of speed)...horribly injured/so much so he was a goner at the scene except for a very good medic - the truck was driven by an Iraqi...but he was denied a purple heart...being hit by a truck driven by an Iraqi at a check point in a combat zone was deemed "does not rise to the level of action with the enemy"

This soldier was in rehab close to a year re-learning to walk on legs that now look like a patchwork quilt from all the surgeries to repair the damage to just his legs. He still can't turn his neck but only so far...because of injuries to his neck. I've seen his legs...there are chunks of flesh missing that had to be removed....where the grafted skin just sinks in...because there is nothing there.


And yes, the army still quibbled over his percentage of disability along with denying him a purple heart. He was 22 when this happened...at 40, what kind of condition is his body going to be in from wounds sustained in his 20's?





another way they are doing this is by getting someone who has lost a limb or other disabling injury to remain on active duty...see - IF your injury wasn't debilitating enough to get you out of the army and you found another position within the army, then you are not disabled enough to not work...so why are you filing for disability once out? So those who try and remain active duty but have to leave anyway are all too often denied disability because the wound they are now claiming disabled them didn't prevent them from remaining within the military. This is often played out by downgrading the disability percentages.

I've seen both in action

Oh, and please don't think those yellow magnet patriotic employers are lining up to hire amputees...because they are not.

Jobs you could once do you can't now...so you need re-training...but you can't afford school..gee, you got maimed your 3rd week in Iraq, during your 4th month in the army, so you don't meet the 1 year pay-in for the Montgomery GI education benefits to help get you started....on top of that, the military wants you to pay back your sign on bonus because you didn't fulfill your contract.

On the TV and in the paper they'll show the success stories - the overcomes adversity, didn't let a missing limb or two slow them down stories...but what about everyone else?

The cracks are deep and wide and getting worse

and the boot-lickers and lock-steppers eat it up.

Walter Reed des not allow vet advocates onto the base to advise vets going through the ratings process, which is complicated.

-Hoot

wounded troops are merely a drain on our awesome economy. Better they all should have died gloriously on the field of honor
"the words about noble deaths and sacred blood and honor and such are all put into dead lips by grave robbers and fakes who have no right to speak for the dead."

Ah War, glorious glorious war...

I had an uncle who served in WWII who had to go through Congressman Kennedy's office to get a 10% disability. A few years later he died of asthma that he never had until he came out of the service.

The number of U.S. soldiers who have received permanent disability retirement has fallen sharply since 2001, according to the Government Accountability Office.

A March 2006 GAO report shows that 642 soldiers received permanent disability retirement in 2001, compared with 209 in 2005.

The Army Times first reported Friday that critics claim the numbers show the Army is trying to save money by giving wounded soldiers less of a disability rating than they deserve.

“These people are being systematically underrated,” Ron Smith, of Disabled American Veterans, told Army Times. “It’s a bureaucratic game to preserve the budget, and it’s having an adverse affect on servicemembers.”

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=43891

:grr: