john999

If his RVN unit has a website they often have message boards so you can contact old buddies.

Larry is a mench!

Are you employed? If you are unemployable due to the PTSD then you need a doctor to say that in a good medical report. If you are not able to work you have a good chance of getting a higher rating for PTSD. 50% is sort of the dividing line between those who can work and those who cannot in my opinion. You qualify now for IU if you can't work solely due to your SC conditions. I was close to 155's in RVN. Anyone who fired those guns or 105's has my sympathy. I can't see how anyone could fire those guns without advanced protection and not go deaf.

ChampVA coordinates well with medicare and most health insurance. I complained about it because I had a hard time getting to speak to someone. However, when my wife was in the hospital we did not pay a dime because ChampVA coordinated with BC. It took time since they are the secondary and the primary insurance has to pay first, but it worked out. My wife knows how to talk to them. You can't use military post facility unless you are retired military.

Skunk Since you are trying for a much earlier effective date I think a lawyer might be your best bet. He will be motivated by the 20% he could get. If you are going to the BVA and have to really argue the law I would get a lawyer if I qualify and can find one to represent me. I would not cut off the present VSO until I decide about a lawyer. VSO's are ok as minor players in your claim. You and your wife are the main players. You are the ones who stand to win or lose money.

Does your unit have a website? Often websites will have message boards to find old buddies.

I would appeal the denial of Chapter 35. That is what I did when I was denied Chapter 35. I got another opinion that my condition was permanent and sent it in with my appeal. One year later I got P&T. It means ChampVA for your dependents and educational benefits. It is worth getting. Since you are IU the only way for them to reduce you is if you go back to work.

The presumption of PTSD for those in combat zone would shorten up the process of getting SC'ed for PTSD by months if not years. Not every soldier or Marine who was in combat has PTSD. Some truck drivers in convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan have it from fear of being blown sky high every time they hit the road. I remember hearing a WWII vet who was in a tank describe the fear he felt every time they went around a corner because some German with a tank buster might be hiding just waiting for him. It was the constant fear of being incinerated in his tank that drove him crazy. One person may crack up in combat, and another guy develops PTSD years later.

If you ask for a personal hearing with the DRO you are entitled to get one before you go to the BVA.

VCS are the only ones who have bucked the VA. The other VSo's are lap dogs.

I commented. I said every vet who serves in a combat zone and is diagnosed with PTSD should be presumbed to be SC. Every vet in Vietnam is presumbed to have been exposed to AO. Every vet was probably exposed to at least rockets, mortars or sniper fire at least once.

Glad to hear of your success. They don't make it easy do they?

I submitted a letter from my vet center saying "PTSD, chronic and severe". The VA ignored that, and diangosed me with a different string of disorders. I got IU, but the Vet Center was a waste.

Mrs Brown Do as Berta suggests. However, if you can't get a lawyer pro bono you can probably get one who will reprsent your husband for retro money. He needs it. You can work with the lawyer and do some of the spade work. He can't help himself so you have to be his advocate. Any time the VA makes a decision that negatively affects your husband's compensation you should appeal it. Put the appeal paperwork in their hand and get a copy. There are deadlines for appeals usually one year.

Who ever fills out that paperwork that is close to you tell them to make you sound as disabled as possible without lying.

Larry Sometimes if you send in a new piece of evidence for the VA to review after an intial denial they will use the new evidence to give you that effective date. I think that is cheating, but maybe others know better. If your claim was made on a certain date and approved two years later your effective date should be the date the claim was filed.

Cav If you are never going to work again I don't think it matters too much about IU or 100% except if you get 100% you can probably get housebound SMC. If you ask for an increase ask for IU besides just to be on the safe side. If they give you 100% IU becomes moot. They may set you up for a new C&P.

The VA has you DX'ed with Axis one alcoholism and provisional PTSD. Has your PTSD not been service connected yet? Was your PTSD stressor verified? Do you have combat awards?

Chris You should get a letter telling you if you have been hired or not. If it is competative position they give you an edge being a vet, but there are many other factors to consider. You may or may not get the job depending on the competition. Federal jobs are hard to get due to incredible sleezy employment practice. Usually, the feds have someone in the position doing the job already. They automatically become best qualified. I am saying don't hold your breath on this unless you have the inside track. I worked for the VA many years ago. I had a college degree and put in for many promotions. I got beat out by insiders every time. It is not what yo know but who you know inside the institution.

Did you file all these claims within one year of discharge? If you did then I think you will win eventually.

The CAB is what soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan get for being shot at who are not in the infantry. It is combat action badge. This badge did not exist during Vietnam. Just about every soldier in Vietnam would have qualified for this since all bases came under some kind of attack at some point.

I think most older guys who use the VA are often poor and very sick. I always thought the VA was a place the poor go to die. At least they die on clean sheets.

There was a VA psychologist in Tampa running a facility for homeless vets. He was getting money to do this and he was also charging the vets rent. He was a well known thief tied into other thieves in local government. The county commission of Hillsborough County was once considered a racketeering enterprise by law enforcement.

Just watch out for questions the VA can turn into a personality disorder. If you smoked a joint in high school you are a sociopath in their books.

If your PTSD comes from a vehicle wreck then your combat status does not count unless it had something to do with your tour in Iraq such as wrecking you vehicle under fire. What Carlie is saying is that you probably need to see if you have CIB or CAB which is proof of combat with the enemy if you ever wanted to go that route.