tdiu Tired Of How Non-combatant's Are Being Discriminated Against

[Rockhound]

Before I say what I have to say, I want to let everyone know, that I am not in any way shape or form coming out against combat related TBI research. treatment, and/or claims being awared for them.

My beef is with the non combatants who are in a supporting role, outside of the combat area or arena, whether it be stateside or in another foreign country or while at sea, not being treated the same for their TBI injury's, the same as those who suffered their's while under hostile fire in a war zone like Afganistan and Irac. I'm also sure that VN Vets feel almost as much left out of the equation as non combatants like myself do.

Even though I was able to get some coroboration for my TBI being the cause of some of my problems and more likely than not the cause of my PD diagnosis that denied me SC plus the associated benefits over the past 35 plus yrs. I am still being denied the same medical evaluation and testiing that those that are combat related are just now being redily given to assess not only any current and/or possibly lasting effects, but to any rehabilitation resources that may make my quality of life, if even a little bit better than it is now, which by far could use more than a little bit of help in that department, even as I type my displeasure of the whole unequal process.

I wonder what would have happened to my brother, who spent two tours in VN and then while stationed stateside was hit head on by a drunk driver, while on service santioned R&R, if only he had incurred just a TBI, instead of the extensive injuries he did. If he was treated the way other non-combatants are being treated today, who had similiar TBI's, then he probably would still be fighting for his rightful benefits. Not that I am glad that he was as seriously injured as he was, I'm glad it was more than enough so that they could not mess around with him, being that any number of his injuries would have classified him as 100% and TDIU.

TBI's it appears is one of those areas, that the VA is using to pit one era and/or class of Veterans against another, which appears to be but only one of the many ways they use to keep all Veteran from organizing into one voice that would then have the means if not the muscles to get things done to better the system in helping Veterans injured or not, get what is rightfully due them according to all that was given and/or promised to them.

Sorry to be in such a sour mood, I have been stressed all day, because it was my new kitten's day to get her first set of blood tests and vaccination shots and the stress has found it's relief in this post for better or for worse. LoL

Tammy is the kittens' name and she is doing fine, which I can't say the same about me. You'd think a big guy my age would be tough enough to weather the possibilities of my kitten reacting badly to her vaccinations. If you had thought I should have, you would have been wrong. I guess it is true about our pets being just as valued a member of the family as if they were our own children. I'm haven't been married for some time now and I have no children, so I guess I pamper and spoil my Cat and Kitten just as if they were children or more likely like grandchildren, given my age and theirs'.

So I guess I have said enough, so if anyone wishes to comment or relate their experiences with how the VA has treated their TBI, combat related or not, I for one would like to hear what you have to say.

Rockhound Rider :D

[broncovet]

Rock

I agree. While I certainly do appreciate combat Veterans, the dividing line between combat/non combat Veterans is very fuzzy because:

1. Intent. When most people join the military in war time, (or even not wartime..war can flare up again at any time), they know or should know that they may well be deployed to a combat zone. Whether they are actually deployed or not usually depends on the decisions of military management, not the Veteran. In a similar way, many combat Veterans were drafted and were there in the combat zone not necessarily because that was their choice, but because they were following orders and serving their country.

2. Both "combat" Veterans and Veterans considered non combat can be killed or injured and a victim of war. One example of this are nurses killed during the bombing of world war 2 at Pearl Harbor. Should the nurses/or their famalies be denied benefits because they were designated "non combat" even tho they were actually killed or injured by enemy warfare?

Considering the above, it is unclear that there should be any difference in benefits between combat or non combat Veterans because BOTH laid their life on the line for our country. It is the least we can do for our Veterans, whether or not they were designated "combat" or "non combat" by the powers that be to offer them benefits, because both of these groups have risked their own life for our freedoms.

JMHO

[Berta]

"So I guess I have said enough, so if anyone wishes to comment or relate their experiences with how the VA has treated their TBI, combat related or not, I for one would like to hear what you have to say."

Jerrel Cook and I have interviewed Dr. Robert Van Boven- whistleblower on the VA BIRLS program- which he was director of -until he got canned because he went to OIG etc-and which was to provide state of the art imaging,treatment and assessment among other things to TBI veterans.

Wednesday night on the air he repeated one of his most profound charges- that the VA wasted almost 3 million already on this program and not a single TBI vet was helped by it.

Full story -VA WAtchdog June 9, 2009 and also the story has been in other publications.

This is an OUTRAGE and Dr, Boven is looking for support from vets and asking them to write to the H VAC and to their congressional representatives to correct this fiasco-which is but one of many other situations that has pout veterans at odds with the very system their service paid for .

The shows might be archived by now at Stardust radio- and you can hear them through your media player at the Stardust site.

Dr. Van Bowen is awaiting the outcome of serious charges he made against the VA.

And questioning the so called Whistleblower Protection laws.

As a very capable nuerologist Dr. Boven makes no distinction between combat or non combat TBI.

The residuals can be disabling -whatever the cause of the TBI.

The US Office of Special COunsel is looking into this matter -a matter which the VISN director (VISN # 17) under oath said he was unaware of the BIRL program (Brain Imaging Recovery Labroatory) until Dr. Boven made charges of waste, abuse, and mismangement ,fraud and plagarism against the VA woith OSC and the VA OIG.

It is difficult to determine just what VA is actually doing to provide assessment and care of any TBI veteran- even though they claim TBI as the Iraq signature wound.

As if it never existed -before the Iraq War.

[Jayg]

I am a "Viet Nam Era" vet, never went over, thank God. I suffered an accident in 1980 and am disabled today as a result of that.

However, I consider it only right and proper to step aside and give over for combat injured vets.

That does not mean I think I don't desrve my benefits or don't get frustrated by repeated delays.

I can't explain it, that's just how I feel. I won't, however, be writing any letters supporting my particular view in this case believing it not in the best interest of all. I can't explain about that either. Again, just how I feel.

[vistagirl81]

i agree with you, My husband was in the navy he got hit by a moving plane and started getting headaches whick he still has. When he went to see TBI they said no way it can't be us because you aren't a navy seal?? what does that have to do with anything.. anyone can fall off something and hit their head no matter where they are.

[carlie]

rock,

I agree 100 % with you on combat v non-combat vets, treatment from VA.

Combat TBI vets carry more clout so to say at my VAMC, than non-combat.

I do feel tho it is also because they are fairly fresh from Iraq and Afgan.

I need to go for additional TBI testing but it is my fault I have yet to

follow up with this.

Hang in there,

carlie

[Testvet]

if you were injured or suffer a medical problem linked to your military service like CAD then your claim should be handled in the system of first in first out only veterans that should be moved to the head of the line are "terminal" and need to have their cases heard before they die all of us serve in the military it is just a twist of fate on how you are disabled a humveee rolling over at NTC leaves you just as disabled a humvee rolling over in Iraq why should the vet at NTC have to wait longer than a vet in Iraq?

They shouldn't and no one should be advocating otherwise why should a Vietnam vet who just now comes to grips with the fact he has PTSD be shoced to the back of the line because an OIF/OEF claims PTSD the same day? They shouldn't the claims should be handled in the order of the date stamp where the difference comes in it is usually easier for an OIF/OEF to get their hands on the stressor verification than it takes for the Nam or Korean war vet to find documentation proving their stressor

this two tier system to handle veterans claims is bogus and all it does is breed resentment between the different veterans of the different war periods should all peacetime claims go to the back of the bus while they adjudicate combat veteran claims first? Why? We served when we did and we went where we were told to, the military does not let you syai I want to go to the unit serving in Helmland Province or Fallujah etc, someone has to work in the Green zone, some have to serve in Germany and others in Korea and Japan if they still get hurt at the same time they are still disabled veterans, if they don't receive their benefits, they will lose their homes, their cars and their families like anyone else going bankrupt

It is a sorry shame that there is almost one million claims on appeal and veterans are dying without ever receiving the benefits they earned and deserved serving this nation, the one good thing that has happened in the past few years, we are now allowed the same rules other Americans have we can get a lawyer to handle our appeals where before we had to wait until the CAVC, and spouses can continue the claims without having to refile if the veteran dies before the claim gets adjudicated

veterans should no longer have to beg for their place in line and Congress should start replacing the VARO Officials who are hindering the proper adjudication of the claims, if the VARO has a remand or direct award rate from the BVA due to piss poor processing by a rating team then the team should be disciplined (no bonuses) the second time the remand and approval rate by the BVA hits over 50% they should reduce the DRO in charge and make him a lower level GS level if they hit 3 bad numbers in less than a year they should be given remedial training and then if the work does not improve they should be terminated because they are not properly handling their jobs which is to provide non adversarial compensation claims processing

we all have seen cases where they refuse to address evidence by board certified physicians and accept PA C&P exams which have no sound medical basis to deny the claim yet the VARO accepts the piss poor decisions and allows the process to hurt veterans and their families.

It is time for this to end and until they start demoting and terminating poor VA employees the garbage out SOC and SSOC will continue, and quite frankly veterans should not spend longer fighting the VA for earned benefits than they did in a military service uniform.

We are all veterans and their should be no disparity in the way compensation claims are processed other than for terminal veterans.