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Stressor Help

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Fire Courage

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I need a little help. I don't know if any of these are stressors or if the VA will consider them stressors!

Stressor 1. When I was in the Navy during Operation Desert Storm, I saw dead Iraqi soldiers floating by our ship. One of them was even decapitated. 18 years later I can still visualize those images and it makes me nervous. I don't know how I can prove that I saw this though.

Stressor 2. During the war, the USS Tripoli and the USS Princeton were both struck by mines. Our ship was operating in the same area when those ships were damaged. During that same time, our ship also located and destroyed 3 mines by attaching 10 lbs of C-4 to them. I have the mines being detonated by our ship on tape. We operated out of Mine field 5 for 12 consecutive days. It was terrifying!

Stressor 3. Don't know if my skin disorder can be considered. I'm service connected for it. Its a full body skin rash. I only wear long sleeves and long pants. I no longer go swimming with my family because of how much attention and questions the rash bring. I'm very conscious of it and it bothers me a lot when others notice it. Some people even think I'm contagious.

Could either of these be considered a stressor?

Thanks

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Did you get a Combat Action Ribbon? I have heard the crews of the ships in the northern part of the Gulf at the time were all awarded a Combat Action Ribbon based on the mines. If so, you will not have to prove a stressor.

Yep. Just looked at my DD-214 and I do have the combat action ribbon. This is whats listed:

National defense service medal

Southwest Asia service medal w/2 bronze stars

Sea service deployment ribbon w/2 bronze stars

Kuwait liberation medal (Kuwait)

Kuwait liberation medal (Saudi Arabia)

Joint meritorious unit award

Navy Unit Commendation

Combat action ribbon

Armed forces expeditionary medal

Good conduct medal

Navy "E" ribbon

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  • HadIt.com Elder
I need a little help. I don't know if any of these are stressors or if the VA will consider them stressors!

Stressor 1. When I was in the Navy during Operation Desert Storm, I saw dead Iraqi soldiers floating by our ship. One of them was even decapitated. 18 years later I can still visualize those images and it makes me nervous. I don't know how I can prove that I saw this though.

Stressor 2. During the war, the USS Tripoli and the USS Princeton were both struck by mines. Our ship was operating in the same area when those ships were damaged. During that same time, our ship also located and destroyed 3 mines by attaching 10 lbs of C-4 to them. I have the mines being detonated by our ship on tape. We operated out of Mine field 5 for 12 consecutive days. It was terrifying!

Stressor 3. Don't know if my skin disorder can be considered. I'm service connected for it. Its a full body skin rash. I only wear long sleeves and long pants. I no longer go swimming with my family because of how much attention and questions the rash bring. I'm very conscious of it and it bothers me a lot when others notice it. Some people even think I'm contagious.

Could either of these be considered a stressor?

Thanks

Welcome aboard, Thank you for your service. To answer your 3 questions, with the limited info you have posted; yes, yes, and maybe.

jmho.

Edited by Commander Bob
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I posted a topic here Called Definition of a stressor-

I think it is in both the Claims Research forum and the PTSD forum.

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Here is the link to it:

http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?show...nition+Stressor

I worked in A Vet center many years ago as a volunteer in the PTSD combat group.

It was not up to any of us to judge what a stressor really was-we left that up to the VA_ and my topic on this was prepared after years of studying BVA PTSD decisions as well as helping vets with PTSD claims. but if you have PTSD diagnosis and can obtain proof of any stressful event that directly affected you- you should file a claim for it.

Ships logs and operational historys can be obtained on the internet.

Buddys can be found as well.

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Link to the new proposed criteria for PTSD claims

http://www.hadit.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=32103

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  • HadIt.com Elder

If you have the CAR then your stressor is presumbed to be verified. Those tapes you discuss regarding the mines are icing on the cake. I think you have a good shot at a PTSD claim.

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