SolInvictus

You guys and gals on hadit are so real, and I love you all for it. This site is like a daily dose of life renewing medicine for a vet- even after %100+.

Mos1833, I don't know that I know enough to add much that will ease the disappointment you must be feeling at this outcome, but I just wanted to say that I imagined myself in your shoes, waiting day in and day out, praying, hoping, dreaming, of a dream that would've made the future look that much brighter, and life a little easier. I tried to picture all those countless days and the numbness one experiences when waiting on a system as emotionless as the va. Then I reached the day you got that deadend result, and my heart broke for you. My experience was mercifully less painful than yours with the system, but I'm human enough to feel for you and know how at sea you must feel when you face the fact that a dream might be dying a slow and agonizing death. I feel for you brother, and hope you catch a break somewhere along the line. No one deserves to watch hope fade, even if it is unavoidable in life.

That's right J, sounds like DoD is fishing for some convenient excuses to keep them from doing what they would rather not do in the first place. I mean I'm sure there are some retirees that require oxygen tanks etc. but just bcos they can't fly hasn't barred all retirees from flying right? They make lots of room for minors and infants of the first 3 categories who probably require just as much supervision as your average 100% er, perhaps even more, but it is understood that DoD isn't responsible therefore the children's parents aren't barred from taking them. All they would have to do is say your welcome but we're not responsible, and either the vet brings his able spouse for support or eliminates himself, thus making room for vets who can. All these excuses mean in effect is that we found a few vets who can't hack it so we'll use them to discriminate against an entire class of vets, then pretend we did it to prevent discrimination. But meghp0405 is right, they are good at coming up with excuses, just not very good ones.

This is one of those things where protecting the rights of others helps protect your own. I can understand the fear of retirees since they struggle to get seats as it is, I should know this because I have tried flying with my wife and experienced the misery of watching the large families of the other categories hop on till the fights filled up leaving us behind. Still, I would lobby for all vets to experience this benefit at least once, even though I understand what a jam that would cause. The pride of taking a spouse on to experience the privilege granted the nations defenders is something we must all share regardless of rank. And even though I know it'll probably never happen, the idea of creating a well where the general and the private can drink as equals from our grateful nations cup is a privilege we must strive to protect for all vets. I think if we do away with this class business and limit it to just spouses there would be plenty of space freed up for all hands. The way it is now, certain classes get to bring entire clans, which naturally excludes the rest. I say if you served you're welcome with your spouse, and first come first served, excepting of course the urgent national defense requirements. But then again I'm no general, what have I to lose in a deal like that right )))

Thank God almighty another soul is saved, hope life gets a lot less complicated for you from here on out buddy, congrats.

My hero. I'm truly sorry this life isn't as fair as it should be to wise and considerate souls like you, perhaps the moral arc of the universe will bend justly in your favor wherever it is we're all journeying to. I hope your wife heals soon because she must be an agel to have understood a man of your caliber for so long. And because all things truly righteous endure and triumph in the fullness of time. Thanks for being a friend.

And you're right, the wrongs I feel exist never justify suicide bombing etc, I just wanted to express the pain and the price folks like you and me have to pay to satiate the greed of the powerful. They are grinding you and I under their heels just as much as they do the weak in all those foreign countries. Just wanted to say that we didn't sacrifice so much for rights and freedom overseas, just to endure abuse and injustice at home.

Rich, thank you so much for sharing your deepest pain and the cost you and yours have Bourne for the love of our great nation. I am in total agreement with you and I think you deserve more sympathy for the wrongs you've suffered than I because I at least have the advantage of youth and time to find healing and the answers I seek, time for things to change for the better. I think perhaps my anger came accross as justifying our common enemies and making them morally equivalent to our great country. I want to clarify that for a minute because I haven't lost faith at all in the land and people I bled for and I keep that faith with you the way your family has for all these generations. My anger is directed squarely at the leaders and greedy politicians who permit, for all the riches and wealth of our great land, patriots like you and your family to suffer and lose all you've built as if there wasn't enough wealth to prevent such pain. My point is that your suffering is unnecessary, neither is my frustration. The patriotic tax paying American citizens that make up the backbone of our economy have paid enough and set aside more than is necessary to compensate the veterans that secure our nation, the fault isn't with them, nor is it with the veteran. So who but the elite and their cronies that are enriching themselves at the expense of the rest of us, are to blame. And just because they've gotten away with it doesn't mean we must bear the injustice in silence. Our nation is strong enough for us to open our eyes to the truth around us and honestly shine daylight on the wrongs, for it is only through this and the rattling of our chains that we can hope to remedy this injustice. Maybe not for you and I, but at least make sure our children and theirs won't have to suffer a similar fate. Brother, I want you to bear your pain, as I'm certain we all must, but I refuse to condemn you to bear it in silence. The corrupt elite that take advantage of proud American patriots must know that we are wise to their schemes, and won't bear it in silence, even if there isn't much else we can do. Sorry for the long rant brother but I love you and your dedication to our great land, and because I love you I must agitate and express your pain, until the wrongs done you are put aright.

Thanks Kelly, and awesome news trailblazer, the va must've had a great Christmas or something cos they're really trying to prove something to us here on hadit. I hope they don't stop cos we still got quite a few of our members waiting in line. Hope there's more happy tidings coming soon.

Thanks buddy, thanks for your service too, semper Fi

Thanks J and Carlie, I intend to do just that, check up on the bennies, get out of town to some cheap country for a while and spend wisely. That's the only good thing I can say about the long va fight, you finish it older or at least wiser in the knowledge that what we gain cheaply, we esteem lightly. The converse is of course true with the va and I aim to treat it for what it is, a rare break of a lifetime.

Just wanna say thanks to all the elders and brothers and sisters here on hadit for educating a proud marine on how to navigate the minefield of va law and how to beat the system with my pride and sanity intact. I won my fight today, above and beyond all expectations. Didn't get envelope yet but congressman called to be first to take credit for the success. He said I won on all fronts 100% P&T. From AB8 etc I can see automatic smc s and k as well. I knew what to look for because you guys armed me with the sharpest weapon, knowledge of my opponent. I'm exhausted, but I knew enough to know that my family here deserved a word of gratitude, especially those of us still mired in the fight, I'll stay and help out, pay forward so to speak, the way others before me have done. Until everyone comes home. Thanks fam.

Hang in there buddy, mine moved a bit too and I know the key is to look on the positive side, hard as that maybe sometimes. Wish you all the best.

My total claim time for this RO has been 560 days and counting..the appeal 385 days..I just got to pending decision review jan 10, 2013 a full two weeks ago even though they keep claiming their average from that stage to notification is 5 days. I have used senator Graham's office and all else I could think of, and that hasn't moved the meter since September, 2012. These people are absolutely atrocious and calloused beyond belief in the way they treat vet claims. They really have taught me how to hate the system/ government and all that it stands for. Something three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan plus getting my eyes blown out couldn't do. The politicians and the entire government have no honor and their greed knows no bounds. I understand well now the hate that drove those suicide bombers to indiscriminately kill just to show the limits they would go to throw off our brand of democracy. If they can treat the warriors and young men and women who shed their blood to preserve the republic with such dishonor, it is easy to imagine what they must've done to the proud men of those war torn countries to drive them to such depths of madness. This nation could be such a blessing to the human race, were we not controlled by such a soulless system.

You really are housebound, precisely what the smc s is intended to compensate so you are right to push for them to correct that denial. Sounds like they're letting the technical requirements get in the way of assisting a vet in real need. Hope I didn't come accross as discouraging you from fighting buddy. You need help and they do make mistakes so keep reminding them. You definitely deserve better and I hope you win.

J is right as well and I%

Broncovet has a point buddy, maybe you don't need to prove your condition is permanent to get the smc s. I think you have enough proof that your housebound, perhaps that's enough grounds for an appeal but I'm no expert. Either way you can keep what you got by simply showing up, and listening to Broncovet might help you build on it even more.

True. Just let your motivator be the fact that these heartless and unsympathetic bureaucrats are hoping you don't show up for an easy excuse to take away the food off your table. That's why they make the C&P sound so threatening and menacing, because it really isn't once you show up. Don't worry about the crowds, just be about your business, and know that as long as you tell the doc you're not better, they can't take anything from you. From now on train yourself to think of it that way, it's your day in court, not your execution date. You're there to tell them how you feel because it is the only time they are forced by law to hear what you have to say, the rest of the time it's thanks for your service marine and you're forgotten. There are many of us in your place so don't feel alone. And most of all, don't let them steal from you what you earned with your youth, it might be all that will be guaranteed you from society from here on out. Not showing up is like letting them rob you without a fight. And I know we taught you better than than in the corps. Oorah.

I know how you feel buddy, I think we maybe got out at about the same time, 2006 right? I didn't ask for help on my PTSD stuff either till 2010. Thing is the va isn't really as interested in helping us as it is advertised, they know you've been dealing with this for over 10 years, but to them the clock started when they acknowledged your service connection. It makes more sense when you see them as interested in paying as little as possible for the damage you suffered in service instead of expecting help and fair treatment from them. From that point of view, it's not so hard to see that they will hold you to that permanent + 60% bar until you prove them wrong. It means they gave you 100% for all your psych issues, therefore they don't see what else you expect them to give you that extra 60 for, and without that extra 60, you get no smc. Unless you can show them proof that your current condition will not improve in the next 10years( their 10 as in starting when they gave you sc). Even if your doc says your condition is permanent, they will say they need more proof that it will stay this severe for the rest of your life. They say this because they know you can't guarantee this when it comes to mental issues. And there is the box they got you in. To make sure you know they mean business, they added that veiled threat that even that 100 they gave you isn't set in stone, and that means the future C&P's. you have to go to these like Carlie said devil dog because skipping them is all the excuse they will need to take it all away from you. But it's really not as scary as the threat seems. Just show up when they ask to see you and remember the symptoms that got you this 100%. I'm not telling you to pretend. But knowing what they are looking for helps prepare you to meet them without so much fear. They have to prove you are better than when they awarded you, so all you need to do is defend with lots of psych appointment records showing you haven't improved. Long story short, you beat the hard part already brother, just don't let them tell you you've improved and there's nothing to fear from those C&P exams. Semper Fi.

It's alright brother that's what this site is for. Even if you don't get a response from somebody on here, it helps just to know you can vent and someone might read it. Most of us on here are like you in many ways except some are more shy than others, you never know who your words might touch. We're all brothers and sisters here and we try not to judge each other. Hope you find the help and answers you seek soon buddy and hang in there.

Great job on the long fight, glad you caught a break to catch your breath, you earned it. Protect your gains, reload with Carlie, 71M10 and Johns information and pick your ground for the next fight. You're almost there and We're all rooting for you.

Devil dog, I'm no expert here but I think you'll do we'll to go back and read the advice Carlie gave you a few weeks ago concerning the smc issue. I know it was hard to hear but you can see the wisdom in her information manifested in the denial letter the va sent you. To paraphrase her and essentially the va soc for the denial: they didn't think you met the two bottom line criteria for smc s. you didn't meet the total +60 bar and the va didn't grant a permanent status to your condition. I think you might have been confused as to whose opinion counts most here, ie the DRO or your C&P doc. I can tell you from experience that regardless of what the docs opinion states, unless the va seconds that with their own clear adjudication, it holds little value. This is because the DRO looks at the overall case whereas the doc is limited to the medical aspects of your condition. It's not all bad though brother, you still got your 100% for now. All you have to do is try to maintain it by keeping a regular follow up record with your mental health doc and you should be able to keep your % when the time comes for them to check you for improvement in the future. I would check with SSDI and see if you can't get some extra monetary help in addition to what you have and just try to protect and preserve your gains so far in the future. I know you don't feel we'll, but your physically in one piece and you didn't have to wait forever to get your 100% like most of the vets on here have. Quitting while you're ahead isn't the same as quitting brother. From one grunt to another, wish you all the best. Semper Fi.

That would definitely give me more than I bargained for wouldn't it ))). I have a question for you though, how soon after ebenefits told you your decision was pending approval did you receive notification and payment. And which came first? Thanks in advance.

Still waiting brother but I'm keeping my fingers crossed and trying to draw inspiration from whatever power keeps warriors like you going against the odds. I just tell myself, self...it could be worse... What else can I say right, it's the only game in town )))... Praying for you too brother

Hey buddy, there's a trick I use to get a live person to speak to me when I call the ebenefits line. I call after 9 pm on weekdays, hit zero after the voice starts to read you the standard script. You'll hear it start to read a second standard script at this point so you hit zero again. Then a third script reading comes on, should be a male voice as the preceding two were female, hit one. You should hear it prompting you to set up a call back from a live representative usually for the next day. Never fails me, I always get a call back and even though the live rep usually reads me the same script I see on the ebenefits website, it's at least interactive and I can sometimes get clarifications to some of my questions. Hope this helps brother. P.S it's the same number you've been calling and getting the " we're too busy" runaround, except it gives you the callback option after 9 pm.