prollins

I am struggling with my claim, I always give up filing due to the stress. I was involved in a service member attack, shot at etc. on jan 1, 1996 while off duty at a friends apartment. I intervened when a service member attacked my buddy when he was showering. At one point after getting the guy out of the house he shot at me and missed. He turned and went back in the apartment again after my buddy. I went back in again and got him out again, and got the gun away from him. Our command was decommissioning and wanted this public incident to disappear. After he was court martialed I was told I was being court martialed for going back in the second time. I was told that if I fought it I would go away for ten years under assault for causing troubles. In the brig I was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a guard. The buddy that was attacked has a service connection for his PTSD from this incident as well as a heart attack history starting at the age of 38. He lives in a block house in Mexico and sends me death threats for not rescuing him from there.. It's crazy. My question is this... I can't get a buddy letter for service connection from my buddy, he won't do it because he hates me. The other witness is the guy that attacked us. Lots of service members would write letters for me but none are direct witnesses. How can I establish a service connection for my conditions. I have DBQ for PTSD etc from my va social worker for both MST and PTSD, but it seems like not enough at all. I have my supervisor that had just left the navy and I stayed with him the night of the incident, my department supervisor, and a current O-5 that I served under that we're not direct witnesses, but knew me before, during, and after the events up until now. I think my question is if anybody can weigh in on this from experience and let me know what angle they think is best for establishing the service connection. If I have no direct witnesses how does this work? I know mst is different due to the circumstance, but the PTSD thing is hard to connect in my case. FYI After I finally got before the admin board to determine my discharge, I told them sending me to the brig for going back in to save a shipmates life was the opposite of what is supposed to happen. If we leave others behind or get punished for going back then I want no honorable discharge from that kind of government and they could go f?ck themselves and I'd wear my dishonorable with pride. They gave me an honorable and put me on the corner. Thanks, I need help, much appreciated.

I received my first denial for SSDI and have filled out the appeal paperwork from the SS adjudication company here in GA. I faxed in the paperwork and have been scheduled for an exam. My wife called the adjudicator and asked if there was any other paperwork that we could submit that would help us be approved. The adjudicator told us that they "had everything they needed" and did not need any other paperwork. I think this might not be the case and would like input about what other paperwork I can submit to the adjudicator and what they have to take from me if I offer it as evidence. I also want to know if I can take any paperwork with me to my appointment. I am planning on filling out a Patricks Self Report and would like to know if there is anything else that has helped others in this process. This is only my first denial and appeal so I am in for the long haul and just want to give them as much as possible each time without trusting what they say is allowed to be included. Best wishes to all of you on your claims too.

I have a question about completing a PTSD Claim and what documents are needed. I would like to list out my case and see if anyone wants to comment on what they would suggest for documentary evidence. I don't want to tell my story, the only reason that I am listing the details is for help with the documentation. I will list what I can get from buddy's and family at the end. I was USN and went from training straight to Bahrain. Kuwait, etc. Final duty station was San Diego California. I had no problems and had a OCS package ready to submit. While at home on Sunday my roommate and I were attacked by a fellow service member. That other service member called us, threatened me, and we called the police to report it. They said to call back if he showed up. We left for two hours to avoid the situation and went back home. He showed up later when I was doing laundry and my buddy was showering. We fought physically, using nightsticks, a sword, and at one point a gun, the gun being used by him to shoot at me from about ten feet away while I was running away from him. He was arrested at the scene, the incident turned over to the JAG so the city of san diego had a lighter case load. For my part, I was not even handcuffed by the local sheriffs, nor did I have to give a statement. There were about 20+ witnesses to the outside fighting and we had made the call to them when he threatened. He received 90 days at miramar and reduction in rate for his actions and was allowed to stay in the navy. He claimed that when he shot, the hammer on the gun was back and he shot in the air to make it safe. (yes, that is in the court record too unbelievably) A year after the incident, after being told I was the reason my buddy was alive (don't want to tell the whole story) and that I did everything right, the command arrested my without warning and charged my with hitting him with a stick and trying to shoot him. At that time he had called and threatened, showed up and broken in, attacked both of us, chased me and shot at me, and had re entered the apartment. I ran back in because he was going back after my buddy again. I had already gotten him away from S and out of the apartment once. I got him out again by fighting him and trying to shoot him, he would be dead but the gun was empty by then. I was shocked and super angry. I was told that the command wanted this shut up due to the decommissioning ceremonies and that if I did not plead guilty and take the deal I was going to go away for 5 to ten on attempted murder and that this had already been decided. I tried to call out but they kept me from getting any help from outside attorneys. I spent 72 days in the brig where I was sexually and physically assaulted by a guard. I was forced to have dental procedures while there that were against my consent. When I was released I went before an admin board for my discharge and they asked me at the end if I had any thing to say. I asked if I could speak candidly and they said yes. I told them I did recognize their ranks and respected them as officers and also as men that had reached that level in their respective fields. I told them about everything I did that day and why and told them that I had been effectively punished for NOT leaving a buddy behind. I told them that if I had not done what I had done to save us both then we would be dead or I would be court martialed for being an xxxxxxx coward that left a fellow service member behind. stupid. I told them my grandpa served in Korea and my dad was a grunt in Vietnam so I came from a military family as a right of passage. If this was the new standard for the military then it didn't matter what they gave me, the entire country could kiss my ass. And that was a quote. I got an Honorable Discharge anyway. So these things caused me problems that my shrinks say will take a while to work through. I was homeless for a while, and have many problems. I have symptoms of GWS, PTSD, depression….lots of stuff it really doesn't matter. I have for documentation or can get easily... Buddy letter from S that was there. He was my roommate and participated in the incident. He has been rated 50% ptsd for his symptoms. He has symptoms for 100% and will appeal if he can. Buddy letter from an O5 that I served with during that time and he directly supervised my some higher that classified stuff, I had a top secret clearance in some areas at that time. Buddy letter from my direct supervisor at the time. Statements from other command personnel that I worked with testifying to my actions and personality before and after. Statements from my parents that have been supporting me for years, I have not worked. Statements from wife and kids about my issues. Statements from past employers. I have been going every week for one on one PTSD counseling but have not been wanting to travel to the MST clinic. They are kind and say I can wait til I am ready. My VA doc did a DBQ and is writing a letter for me. He listed me in my record as 100% level PTSD. I don't know if I would be benefiting from requesting any other evaluations like a C and P exam or exactly what I should do next. I don't want to crowd the claim with useless paperwork but I also don't want to leave out anything that would help push it past. I also am trying to learn from searching the forum about TDIU and how to do that as well because I have read the regs and know that I qualify for that. I hid from the government for years in paranoia and didn't work. I don't have a long treatment history but I have lots of people around me that have known me forever that can bear witness. It took me three years just to go register with the VA, I thought that when I did they would arrest me. I was pretty far gone. I will also say that in this time of VA turmoil, that the Athens GA VA clinic has been a life saver for me. I know that some of us suffer at the VA but I also wanted to say something positive about the clinic that I go to now in case there are any others like me that need to hear that they are not going to die if they have to go there. Anyway, long post but I wanted to get it all out there and I will try to post on this to add what I learn in case it helps anyone else.

Thanks for moving this topic for me. I was denied SSDI because I had not worked for five out of the last ten years. The SSDI is the thing that I don't know if I should appeal the denial, I am not up on the laws and would have to hire an attorney. My VA psychiatrist indicated that I am 100% PTSD and he documented it in my record and said he is writing a "strong letter" to go with my claim. I have not filed a claim yet and don't know how to and I am here to try to learn so I don't get denied because of some little wording mistake, etc. I know right now the thing I am doing is searching this site to see if there is any specific wording to avoid or include in a buddy letter, and how many to have in a claim. I am very fortunate to have quite a few people from my command that knew me then and now that are willing to write for me. I also have a friend that will write a letter with his claim reference and that he is rated at 50% for the same incident. He has not appealed his yet and is going to try. He is the one that is still stuck in mexico. He was attacked by a fellow service member while showering, struggled over a gun, etc……he has issues.

LOL, sorry….my brain is not really working quite right. I am also new to this entire VA system and don't know all the proper terms and phrases yet. I have been meeting with different doctors for my physical and mental problems. I believe my psychiatrist is the one that I meet with most and he filled out a PTSD evaluation type sheet for a claim for me. He listed me in my medical record as being 100% PTSD and he told me he was writing a letter that was supposed to go with my claim that my wife is helping me to file with some guy from the Veterans Service Office behind the VA clinic. Probably just confused this a bit more. I'm trying folks, don't give up on me. I will find the claim forum and start posting there.

I am BeStrong's husband. I and another service member were attacked in our own home off duty on January 1st 1995. I was doing laundry and my buddy was in the shower. The attacker was a service member from our own command. My buddy S was diagnosed by the VA in 1999 with PTSD at 50% due to being attacked while showering. In what appears to be true government and VA operating procedure, they didn't tell him he could receive compensation, so the next ten years of his life were a mess. After his stress related heart attack at 38, he was whispered to by a VA person and told that he should fill out a claim paper and he got 50% the first time he applied. BTW, he is so messed up from this, he is currently living in the yucatan peninsula in a little block house. He spaced out and blew himself up nearly dead with his little gas stove last year. Our friend had to get him a ticket from Mexico up to Houston so he could get treatment from the VA hospital there. He is back in the yucatan and I am trying to get him help with a lawyer that can get his disability compensation raised. That is another story. I have been to the VA center multiple times now. I have been rated 100% PTSD, with MST and other mental problems. One of my psych's is telling me that the fastest way to help me is to get the rating, the claim filed and that will help calm my mind some so I can sleep, which has been a problem for two years. I have not worked in seven years, my parents support us fully. I was denied SSDI because I had not worked 5 of the last ten years. I might appeal but I don't know. The process is killing me, which seems to be par for the course for us with PTSD. I have more than just PTSD, it will just take years to work out and I have other medical problems from non military work like broken bones and reconstructive surgeries that have me listed as 25% permanent partial disability, fungus in my colon, brain activity reduction (penial gland operating at only 30%), muscle spasms, chronic fatigue, some kind of weird chicken virus in my blood that supposedly can't be cured. I still have my great looks and charm, they just get hidden behind this other dude that takes over some times. I am very structured in my methods to control everything. I sleep alone in the garage, my wife and kids are helped by my parents because they stay in their basement apartment. I don't use the computer without them knowing, I have no cell phone, I don't leave these three acres except to go to med appts. I removed all firearms and weapons (which is really odd since I lived with them for so long). I don't interact with society and I don't drive or have a car. That is my introduction FWIW. I have lots of questions and will try to put them in the correct place. I would like to tell my story somewhere on this forum, it's very hard to know what to do with a wife and five kids depending on you and financial ruin swallowing us whole. My parents are a retired school teacher and a disabled vietnam vet. Kind of a bad mess that I am trying to get corrected. Not easy for a guy with anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar, MST. I was in the Navy 1992 to 1996, went to the gulf, also spent time in spain, italy, and some other places. Ended up in San Diego and that is where the incident occurred. I am off now to try to figure out how to file my PTSD claim. The doctor said that the VSO could help me, but from reading this forum, it seems like if you have a comma wrong, you might not get any award without going to "war" with the VA. So far I have the rating from the doctor, and also two other service connected situations which were being unlawfully detained and sexually and physically assaulted by a guard during that time. The doc says that working all this out will take years, so he rated my truthfully at PTSD 100% and he said that would help me the most. It took me three years of family intervention just to make it into the VA center to get my blood drawn so I think he is right. He said if he tries to work it all out first, then it would take years to file the claim and the confusing claims are the ones that take the longest, especially if it is convenient for the VA board to try to second guess all the diagnosis and proper order. I guess I am rambling. I have the doc's diagnosis, and now I need my buddy letters I think. I can get one from the other service member, one from a current USN commander that I served with and have been friends with for 20 years, and one from my immediate "supervisor" that I have known for 20. Three 20 years testimonies from before and after that I served with, including the other member in the incident. Any other things that I need, feel free to respond. I am going on a hadit search for buddy letters and lists for what to have for a proper and streamlined PTSD claim. Thanks again all.