Florida County Vso

[cannoncocker]

I spoke with her today and she was a real down to earth person in the mid 30's and a Navy Vet herself. She told me a major problem with the system as it stands is that most VA Raters are about 25, no military service to relate our claims to. She also mentioned something that piqued my curiosity and she seemed to believe it was a major deal, which she just found out about last week in a week long training seminar. Admittedly they must be given training and kept up to date but I know for a fact that virtually every time I call my own home VARO the people I want to speak with a gone for days if not a week on training. For crying out loud!

Back to the point, and something I don't keep up with since it doesn't involve me 77-84 is some sort of re-evaluation of Agent Orange Claims. She dropped the number 82,000 so it sounded like they are looking at those claims. I did not ask and do not intend to start a rumour mill, but just passing on the info that was told to me.

She also added that the fact that the majority of VA raters being very young with little life experience they are completely overwhelmed and seldom even read the claim, and certainly not enough to get the full picture. Sad part about all that is the time, money, and effort it takes to correct the deficiencies. Now reportedly reviewing Agent Orange Claims.

I don't make the news just report what she told to me. For all I know this is well known, but just not in my field of vision.

If this is all BS please someone can straighten it up! She did sound very informed and competent.

Edited May 20, 2010 by cannoncocker

[Pete53]

New people are worthless at the VA.

[cannoncocker]

I don't have a clue if what she was saying was gospel or gorilla sh888. I'm am sure young or old if you start dumb you'll probably end up dumb , with a little more experience. I'm not gonna be judging anybody but they need vets to deal with vets imho. I had a counselor that would have been great teaching undergrad classess at the univ. of alabama but he had no idea what it meant to be resposnsible for others .... so that's my 2 cents, that probably ain't worth 2 cents. It was like he read it in a dime novel.

Edited May 20, 2010 by cannoncocker

[halos2]

I would venture to believe this totally! I know for a fact!

I personally can attest when dealing with Vo Reb/Il the counselors change every year or 2 related to "promotions!" Some of them are younger than a couple of my kids and just are gone at least 2-3 days per week on "training."

They are unable to handle the case load and are gone all of the time. Very disappointing!

And yes it is true, the majority are NOT veterans!

In fact the women's veteran coordinator's at the VARO has changed 6 times in 8 years...and yes, they have NOT all been veterans either.

So many of them ar Relatives, Friends of other workers tere too! These people have told me. In fact one told me "My husband retired military 20 years and works here, and he got me my job here too, and we got our daughter a job here, and our other daughter is working at another VARO in a joining state. WTF? These positions were never posted. There are so many VETS who would be able to work in these positions, but are nerev/and will never haver the chance to/ because of the practices of the VARO with family members first!!

It makes me so sick. A Vet gets the brush off so bad anymore. I hate to call my counselor at the VARO, as she is either not there/never returns my calls/tells me she is so busy she has no time to deal with me...PITIFUL way to treat and ignore us vets.

It is all political/family oriented!! ;)

They are n to earth person in the mid 30's and a Navy Vet herself. She told me a major problem with the system as it stands is that most VA Raters are about 25, no military service to relate our claims to. She also mentioned something that piqued my curiosity and she seemed to believe it was a major deal, which she just found out about last week in a week long training seminar. Admittedly they must be given training and kept up to date but I know for a fact that virtually every time I call my own home VARO the people I want to speak with a gone for days if not a week on training. For crying out loud!

Back to the point, and something I don't keep up with since it doesn't involve me 77-84 is some sort of re-evaluation of Agent Orange Claims. She dropped the number 82,000 so it sounded like they are looking at those claims. I did not ask and do not intend to start a rumour mill, but just passing on the info that was told to me.

She also added that the fact that the majority of VA raters being very young with little life experience they are completely overwhelmed and seldom even read the claim, and certainly not enough to get the full picture. Sad part about all that is the time, money, and effort it takes to correct the deficiencies. Now reportedly reviewing Agent Orange Claims.

I don't make the news just report what she told to me. For all I know this is well known, but just not in my field of vision.

If this is all BS please someone can straighten it up! She did sound very informed and competent.

Edited May 20, 2010 by halos2

[john999]

Now you know why you get rating decisions that are full of errors in spelling and grammer. In the past even the claims I have won don't make sense. What you do is pile a huge load of evidence. The rater looks at it and decides it is easier to grant it than read it. What has won for me in the past is dropping a load of evidence on their heads rather than fancy arguments about regs and rules. You have to follow regulations in general, but evidence by the ton works the best. Ask Berta about some of the evidence she used in her DIC claim.

[cannoncocker]

halos2, "So many of them ar Relatives, Friends of other workers tere too" now that is just damn sick. The system is diseased! The vet lady I talked to, who I'm going with though for official purposes i'll stay in persona non grata land, being NC, that Florid is not the place to file any VA action. That could be:

1. She didn't want the extra work, which I don't blieve iss the case

2. That Florida is chuck full of bases say eglin/tyndall/naval bases..... which means it is lala land for retirees which puts just that much more pressure on them.

Just reporting, but that nepotism, for one is illegal, since I was a fed employee for many years there are rules governing that, and the hiring system itself is so convoluted that string theory is 3rd grade math in comparisson. But I have seen it happen, and when they want to promote you, they basically close the pool of applicants and hire you, which is baasically illegal too.

Close this, since nothing to gain other than that which is obvious.

PS sorry John we were typing at the same time and of course yes Who would not agree and have seen that for themselves. What has won for me to the extent is has is by knowing what makes a beauracrate tick. I could not agree more about citing some case that applies to one vet in one situation. Drown them in paper. It will drive them over the edge but hey, if it works!

Edited May 20, 2010 by cannoncocker