ptsd Greetings All - Va Too Young To Remember?

[brokebird]

Hey all. Just found you in a fit of frustration over being denied PTSD/MST claim. Haven't gotten up the fortitude to read the details, but it seems pretty obvious that the eveluators are under the age of 30. I don't think they realize what we were facing back in the 70s. (And still do.)

Rape was a woman's fault, because only nuns could be raped. Everyone else asked for it.

Women in the military were either whores or lesbians. Both deserved to be raped.

Women weren't emotionally capable of being in combat, but nurses were expected to deal with a flood of mutilations and dead bodies on a daily basis. There was no thought that the situation might have been traumatic for them. In fact, they were repeatedly told they were lucky to be 'safe' behind the lines.

If you got pregnant, you were discharged. Everyone expected you to get pregnant. Now.

If there was a Gyn posted to the local med center, their priority was seeing wives. Three month waits for a routine appt were not unusual.

Female officers were pressured to join the Officer Wive's Club. And go to the meetings.

If you filed a sexual harassment complaint, you were shunned by everyone. Because everyone knew all the details.

If you object to being humiliated, you were too sensitive and were told to suck it up. After all, you chose to join up.

I was twice denied assignment at CENTCOM because I was female. Females, particularly officers, were routinely barred from deployment with their units because they were too much trouble. Newt Gingrich said women couldn't deploy because we get infections in field conditions.

After the 1st Gulf, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Merrill McPeak (chosen by Cheney) testified to Congress that he would never allow women to fly fighters. Then he told his officer corps that if you were not a pilot, the Air Force did not owe you a career, because only pilots could command units.

I was in 4 years before women had the option to wear pants or a long sleeved shirt. Because they didn't exist. Lots of fun in Arctic conditions.

There was a lot of resentment because the services were cracking down on racial discrimination. Women took the backlash. But none of it was written down or official.

That just scratches the surface. But my young friends seem to have no clue of the realities back then. Maybe we need to go back and explain that reality to the VA.

[Tbird]

much to my dismay, not a lot changed in the 80's

they came out with a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment. one day at morning muster me and the rest men, they had one of the inspectors in for this zero tolerance thingy, and as we stood in line one next to the other they came up to each of us individually and asked if we had felt sexually harassed, now, who in their right mind is gonna say yes in that situation. please give me a break.

perhaps it's a better now.

[halos2]

A Supervisor at the VARO told me I could request a female DRO because of specific sensitive information I would be presenting. The VARO also asked if I wanted the VARO Women's Coordinator to sit in on this review. My VSO is male and the evidence would be very sensitive to discuss and they also said for my comfort/uncomfortable level they would be open for me to have the females only too. It was a choice decision that was requested and granted immediately for the same sex DRO and coordinator. Never advised me of any regs nor did I have to put it in writing. I just told the supervisor I knew as he told me this was available, and that was the route I chose. He advised me on quite a few actions on what I should do with my claims...Unfortunately he was transferred to another VARO in another state. This was 10 months later when he was transferred.

I would suggest if one has very sensitive information to present theyfeel very uncomfortable talking about it with one of the opposite sex then request a DRO of the same sex when they request the DeNovo DRO review, as they might be more able to discuss the evidence in a lesser intimidating manner.

halos2,

Do you have a link or anything to support this in regards to being able

to specify and receive a female DRO ?

I have never seen this anywhere.

carlie

Edited June 30, 2010 by halos2

[COCiq]

Regarding a request for gender specific panel for DRO....I have knowledge of

several women who have requested either an all male or all female review.

These were all simply face to face requests to the State veteran service

officer at the VAROs. One, it was through the long serving County veteran

service officer who was well known to the entire VARO staff.

I don't know that there is a mechanism for a formal request but, at least,

one might try using a Statement In Support form that accomanies a request

for a DRO. And I'd follow that up with several calls.

While I DO understand the desire for all-female boards for MST claims,

I hope for mostly male because I feel men *get* things on an extra level

plus the disgust for their genders' behavior.

If you are a male claiming MST, I might want an all female board but I

still think it doesn't matter.

While the information might be sensitive, if you have written a thorough

but succinct Stressor Letter, the questions are not going to be very

probing. So your answers can be, "On page 2 of my stressor letter, in

the 3rd paragraph, I have written about that."

That's my opinion.

COCiq

[Wings]

x

x

x

When I filed my PTSD claim (1999), I requested in writing --that my C&P Examiner be a female. They ordered the C&P Exam to be conducted by a female. I believe this simple request made all the difference in my award of SC. ~Wings