Question On Relaxed Rules For Stressor Validation

[carlie]

If a claimant's unit has received the

Navy Presidential Unit Citation, will it be accepted

as along the lines of a CAB/CIB/CAR, as proof of the claimant

being a combat veteran, thereby relaxing the rules for

combat vet already having proof of stressor due to the unit's

Navy Presidential Unit Citation ?

Thanks for all replies.

carlie

[Berta]

I doubt it Carlie= my husband had the PUC but it didn't corroborate his stressors as it was Unit citation -not individual like the CAR or CIB.

http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1751

This press release however shows what the new proposed rule on relaxation of verification of stressors involves. I don't know if the comment period is over yet- there were many comments on this proposed reg.

It seems to leave up to the treating shrink whether the veteran exhibited fear of terrorism or hostile fire.

[john999]

If a vet serves in a combat unit in a combat zone this should make PTSD presumptive for that vet if he has the symptoms. Having to prove every aspect of the blood and guts discourages many vets from filing for PTSD. They don't want to relive this stuff. I heard tonight on BBC that 1 in 5 German troops in Afghanistan have depression or alcohol abuse as a result. Most of the German troops are not engaged in the kind of combat operations the Americans are engaged in, and yet they are having mental health problems. I know a truck driver who got his leg broken when he hit a mine in Vietnam. I don't know if he even got a PH. He was medivacted back to the states. He did not care about any PH. He just wanted out of that place. I can't prove I was directly sprayed with AO but it is presumptive that I was exposed. I think the VA is choaking on the potential compensation for PTSD. It is not science. It is cold, hard cash.

[Chuck75]

The Navy tended to issue unit citations of one kind or another, and often did not recognize individual actions.

The whys and wherefores are beyond the scope of this reply.

Basically, the VA seems to try and take any "out" that it can to avoid or negate any advantage that might be given to a veteran in pursuit of claims.

A unit citation can document actions in the presence of hostile actions or hostile fire. The actions may be in support of combat actions, or document "hand to hand" fighting.

The VA, given a choice, would likely say that the "hand to hand" qualifies as combat, and the "support" actions, even under "hostile fire", do not.

I take strong exception to this type of hair splitting, simply because I've personally been in the position of working on the deck of a ship, doing my assigned tasks, (including loading rounds into crew served guns,) and being shot at with mortar rounds. Not to mention that there were hundreds of tons of ammunition and explosives under my feet in unarmored cargo spaces. (Sheesh!)

One of the ships I was assigned to in the Vietnam era held a total of fifteen "combat" or "battle" stars, fired over a hundred thousand five inch caliber rounds in Vietnam, operated close inshore in shallow water, and in the rivers of Vietnam. (Brown Water) Yet, I had to prove "feet on ground" for VA A.O. presumption. And, yes also, I do hold a unit combat action ribbon (CAR), or combat ribbon(CR) as it was called during Vietnam, as well as other citations for performance under "hostile fire". A DD 214 or DD215 (Navy) often does not state if such awards are unit or individual. A copy of the award letter (if in the individuals records) would likely show if the award was individual or unit.

When individual awards are given by the Navy, they are most often given to an officer, and have a basis in the actions of men under his command, perhaps as a result of his orders to them, as well as his behavior under (typically) fire or other very stressful circumstances.

If a claimant's unit has received the

Navy Presidential Unit Citation, will it be accepted

as along the lines of a CAB/CIB/CAR, as proof of the claimant

being a combat veteran, thereby relaxing the rules for

combat vet already having proof of stress due to the unit's

Navy Presidential Unit Citation ?

Thanks for all replies.

carlie

[halos2]

DD214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. DD215 Corrections to DD214 Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.

example you received a promotion and your tour of enlistment ended 6 months later, yet on your DD214, it listed your previous grade/ rate, or rank in box # 4a and has previous pay grade in box # 4b too.

Also another section ie #12 may show your 12 e) total prior inactive service, and 12 h) effective pay grade This DD215, is a separate sheet that you keep with the DD214. Any corrections validated By the Director of the Chief of (Branch) Personnel.

[Stretch]

Army...PUC...Presidential Unit Citation

Navy...MUC...Meritorious Unit Commendation....Green background with yellow, blue, and red stripe in the ribbon.

Not sure if there was a Navy...PUC...Presidential Citation

I got the Navy MUC a few years ago. It was 37 years late. It was given as requested in my DD-215. There were several other commendations that were individual, on paper, that didn't have any medals with them.

Tried to post the MUC, but it failed to up load...

Edited November 6, 2009 by Stretch

[Stretch]

Finally got the MUC into the right format and choped enough to load.