Navy Noise!, Hearing Loss, And Crsc

[DOCRLWHMCMSW]

Greetings to all:

I am working with two Navy veteran's in my area. They have been trying to get CRSC for hearing loss. Their ships were in the Viet Nam waters/area. Both received Viet Nam Service Medals.

Both veterans have been denied on two different occasions (initial and reconsideration claims ) for CRSC for hearing loss. Note. All other service connected disabilities were approved, with the exception of Hearing Loss.

It appears Army(tanks) and Air Force (airplanes) personnel have been successful with their claims.

Will CRSC for Navy Personnel with hearing loss, end up being another "boots on the ground" or "in country" fiasco??

Any recommendations or suggestions for them??

Thanks in Advance

Doc

[jbasser]

What were the Veterans Naval Rating and were they on a CArrier?

If a Carrier, then flight deck ops can lead to hearing loss.

If it is a regular ship, then firemen rating criteria should apply for shipboard noise.

Most sailors earn Hearing loss from 1: Aviation, Deck department ( Gringing metal and paine with air hammers. Gunners mates on board big gunned ships. ( Gunfire)

They may also need an IMO to have it nexused.

[Ricky]

What were the reasons for denial? Boots on ground should not matter for CRSC. As indicated below if on a carrier I do not know what the problem is.

[betrayed]

"Gunners mates on board big gunned ships. ( Gunfire)"

THATS ME AND MY GUN MOUNT AND CREW, I'M ON THE FAR RIGHT.

(see the bubble on top the gun, thats where I sat ;) )

And dont forget we also are small arms instructors.

[Stretch]

My ships logs had sound studies. I was on USS Ranger CVA-61 (Aircraft Carrier). The study had the DB range and length of time that this noise was endured. The study tries to show that one aircraft had so many DB's on take-off, but it did not say that this noise was repetitious for at least 1 hour.

I also slept right in center deck under No. 3 Wire. This was the target wire. Three feet above my head was a tail hook smashing the deck, one after the other for another hour.

Any study will say that aircraft noise is about 2 times greater than ground artillery. The big 5" guns aboard ship were louder than anything I have heard in my life. These 5" would deafen you immediately (Don't know the DB). I would take hours to recover dull hearing.

I don't know how the men in the turrets survived.

Back to the Aircraft Carrier.

I only went down to snipe land (engine room) one time. When the snipes (engine men) came up for chow they looked like wet rats. Even the Boatswains mates (super long wet hair) would'nt mess with them. The rumble of the deck from the engines would vibrate your feet so much that your feet would become numb after a few hours up there on the flight deck. It just came with the territory.

Constant Jet blast on our bodies (Point Blank), Various ship and jet noise (constant), vibration of the deck, JP-5 (18,000,000 Gallons), NSFO (17,000,000 Gallons ships fuel), hazardous additives to jet fuel (Smoke Abatement), and over the deck wind on our bodies made for a very hazardous environment, everyday. These are all under estimates, see attachment, and don't even include ordinance. These stats are from 1 of the cruises (West Pac) that I made.

Ships logs sometimes include noise limits that were entirely unacceptable by todays standards. I would suggest that you get your congressman to get there ships logs from the DoD. I got mine. Clues are in the Unreps statistics within. VA has denied my hearing loss and tinnitus. I spent three years in this environment, and I will win my claim.

Once you open the attachment (picture) click on the picture to enlarge it.

Edited September 2, 2007 by Stretch

[Berta]

Doc -did these vets specifically state to DFAS that the hearing loss fell into the CRSC criteria:

"Expanded CRSC Coverage

The 2004 National Defense Authorization Act, Combat Related Special Compensation was expanded to include disabilities incurred as a direct result of:

Armed Conflict

Hazardous Duty

Conditions Simulating War

An Instrumentality of War"

Even if they have VA SC for hearing loss- it could be due to other causes so DFAS needs to know it is directly due to one or more of above.