SemperFiSgt

Sounds like English isn't their first language; I'm not sure what that meant.

I was both an enlisted Marine and a commissioned Marine officer. (For those that are unfamiliar with the process, they sneak up behind you, turn you upside down, shake all your brains out, then slap a little gold bar on your collar. At that point you are, by statute, senior to 90% of your fellow Marines; and nobody trusts you.) I am in Priority group I. At no time during the 42 years I have been dealing with the VA has either status given me any benefit. I wait forever for my appointments, my meds get screwed up, I have to go to the BVA to get correct ratings, and on an on. The fact that I had been a commissioned officer is mentioned in my medical records just once and it was just background info during a C&P exam.

I have never been treated as a veteran at a military hospital post discharge, so I don't know if it makes a difference there, but I doubt that it does. Active duty commissioned officers will certainly get priority.

FYI, I happen to agree that veterans that had been commissioned officers SHOULD NOT GET PRIORITY VA medical treatment based solely on their former rank.

A vet is a vet is a vet!

Semper Fi!

Good advice from the fellow HADITTERS given above. Learn as much as you can before you get out. When I was Medically retired in 2013, I knew nothing of this and was screwed along the way. Thank God for this Site. Good luck

its called concurrent reciept. They used to give it to you in one hand and take it with the other. Now you get both, but they are trying to change it back to taking it away.
YOU NEED TO REPORT ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS no matter how minor they seem. Later in life they may cause you more problems than you think now.
Heres an example/ when standing in formation with my rifle, my arms would tingle and eventually go numb. I never thought that a problem with my neck could cause this.
I never reported it. Now I find out theres an issue with my neck, and my arms hurt, tingle and sometime go numb if my neck turns a certain way when im sleeping
If I tell the VA that It started while I was active duty, they will say PROVE IT. So because I didnt report it on active duty, I am not service connected for it.
DONT try to act like mr tough guy, spitting fire and crappiing nails at your exit physical. BE HONEST, and Comprehensive.
If you have sinus infections, allergies, ringing in the ears, ingrown toenails, acne, memory loss, sleep issues including sleep apnea, high blood pressure, headaches, ect, TELL them. ALSO make sure you get a full copy of your inservice med recs.
REMEMBER THIS. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, YOU WERE IN PERFECT HEALTH WHEN YOU JOINED.

Great advice from 63SIERRA. Also, not a bad idea to get buddy statements from you military friends who witnessed any injuries you sustained during your military service and get good contact info from these military buddies in the event you need to reach out to them and update the statements in the future. Get copies of any reports of accidents where you sustained injuries including accidents on or off base. These would include but not be limited to vehicle accidents, training accidents, etc. Copies of statements given by others regarding such accidents could also be useful in future claims.

Get copies of all of your service records and military medical records before you leave the military. Do not count on your military records being available for easy access whenever you have a need for them. Have your own copies available.

As 63SIERRA said, the VA will say PROVE IT when you file a claim. If your records are lost or your witnesses can not be located for statements, you will have an uphill battle to win the benefits you deserve. JMO

Good luck to you and thank you for your service.

Can you list the diagnosis you have received from VA and who they were from.

The way I read your post was that Mille C. Astin had signed off on a diagnosis... Was it a diagnosis of PTSD? Or was it for something else.


If it was a diagnosis of ptsd, you are good to go. Because she is a PhD level Psychologist.

Since your stressor was combat related, it will be conceded ( automatically accepted).

When you apply you will need to write a short description of the incident. Make absolutely certain that you say it was "combat related". This will make it easier for your claim to move through the process.



At some point after you apply, you would be asked to go to a exam, where you would discuss the stressor incident again. Also, you would talk about what symptoms you have now.

Also, keep in mind, the way this is rated is based on HOW it affects you in your day to day life RIGHT NOW.
Here's the link to the percentages. http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5;node=38:1.0.1.1.5#sg38.1.4_1124a.sg13


Usually the two highest percentages of 70% or 100% are for those who aren't able to work due to their disability.

Take some time and read up on how ptsd claims are decided. They are pretty complicated. There's a ton of info here on hadit.

Getting the diagnosis signed off by a VA PhD level Psychologist is a great first step and really gives you a head start! VA requires the diagnosis be made or signed off on by a PhD level Psychologist OR a Psychiatrist.

Next step is knowing what "stressor" requirements you fall under.

Welcome! I was a Sergeant in the Air Wing. I was an Aviation Maintenance Administrator so I know the paper side, though I somehow seemed to get involved in the maintenance side of things more often than the paper pushing. The deployment cycle was busy and wasn't entirely aircraft maintenance for us but we were fortunate for the most part. Glad you made it home in one piece.

Semper Fi

OIF
July 2007 - Feb 2008 "Surge"
Sep 2008 - Apr 2009

Great idea, T.

Is there audio because I don't hear anything.

Also if it's possible to make that box bigger it'd be good.

I was concerned about a few things you mentioned and googled the STAR program

"That was when my wife made me go to the trauma center Tuesday. I went there and they stated in fact that they don't work with claims but, diagnosed me with PTSD. I was signed up for PTSD 101 classes and given information for people to call when I needed to talk."

Servicemember Transitional Advanced Rehabilitation Program (STAR)

http://www.richmond.va.gov/Servicemember_Transitional_Amputation_Rehabilitation.asp

I went over the program info above and am sure it is good for many many veterans but I didnt see much focus on what they actually do for PTSD vets.

Did they suggest going to any vet center for PTSD counselling or contacting the VA itself to file a claim?

"I was then a patient that the VA wanted to class as depressed."

Without ruling in or out PTSD?

"signed up for PTSD 101 classes and given information for people to call when I needed to talk."



You are a combat vet....you dont need PTSD classes, you need PTSD help from a real VA shrink.

I guess you might mean the National suicide hot line number?

Cripes, the more I think about this program ,knowing you are a combat veteran, I think the best thing you can do is file for PTSD, they will give you a PTSD C & P to confirm the diagnosis and then give you some resources that make sense....like getting to a vet center and also having some 'one to one' with a VA shrink.

I was a vet center volunteer years ago with the Combat PTSD Rap group. From time to time the spouses came too as PTSD can be difficult for every family member to deal with.
At the center I was at, any vet could also file a PTSD claim or any type of claim, with a vet rep.

My husband (USMC Vietnam) was diagnosed with PTSD the same day he tried to get a VA business loan.1983
Unfortunately the loan officer (who had turned him down as he didnt even have a job) was of Asian descent and my husband tried to choke him.(he had a major Vietnam flashback)
Long story next, he sat in a room with some guy (who also was a shrink as well as the VAMC Director but didnt tell him that,) as he waited for the police to arrest him) He never got arrested, but he thought he was sitting with another Vietnam vet and mentioned a horrific incident he had flashed back to when he saw the loan officer.The other vet finally told him who he was and that no one knew the details of that horrific incident unless they had been there. The director had been there too. As an incountry psychiatrist he had been called to treat some of the Marines who were having obvious difficulties with the job they had just done. He was immediately diagnosed with PTSD and helped to file a claim,the director conceded the stressor, and told to go to the closest Vet Center because my husband didnt know what PTSD was.

He thought he was the only crazy veteran in the USA..Of course He wasnt crazy at all.


I wondered when I read this, is this another way (STAR) that the VA is trying to get out of paying SC compensation for PTSD?????

But I am sure many vets benefit from the program.

You deserve better however,from the VA, in my opinion.

Welcome!

Semper Fi: From a class of 68 L/Cpl Nam Vet, you qualify as a semi-LIFER. I won't hold that against you, my older cousin did the full ride and retired as a MGunnySgt. Now that's a real lifer. I enlisted in 67 while in 2nd yr at a local comm college, on a 2 yr straight to Nam program, did 20 months. I was already short while standing in the Yellow Foot Prints @ MCRD San Diego.

Joking aside, for my own information, how educated regarding the VA were you at discharge? My Nam Vet friends all agree, we knew absolutely nothing regarding the VA and any type of SC Benefits available until much later in life. Have to thank Al Gore for inventing the Internet with the access to all the available information it has provided.

Glad you made it home with no or a few dents and dings.

Semper Fi

Gastone

Welcome aboard and God Bless!!!

I think you should start the process by filing a formal claim for PTSD.

But it will take a VA psychiatrist/ psychologist to make the diagnosis.

The new 2010 PTSD criteria is here:


And we have had much discussion on the PTSD forum on the regs.

As an OIF OEF veteran the VA might certainly concede your stressors, as well as diagnose you with PTSD by a VA MH provider.

I am not sure if the trauma clinic has Psychologists or Psychiatrists?

Or if you were diagnosed by a social worker or RN.

PTSD , due to war trauma, has a way of catching up with the veteran. You experience symptoms that are part and parcel of PTSD.

What is the 30% for? Has that disability gotten worse since they awarded the 30%?

Thank you for your service!

Dod uyou have a vet rep on the 30% decision as your POA?