South Carolina (Sc): Columbia

[fanaticbooks]

This topic was created to try to help veterans who use this regional office. It is designed to offer a way for them to possibly help each other or band together to possibly get services improved.

When commenting in this topic, please try to do so constructively.

1. Mention reason for interacting with this regional office;

2. Give your pro/con on this interaction;

3. Without betraying private information, try to offer information or warnings that might be helpful to others when dealing with this office.

4. Please do not give names, phone numbers or addresses of specific persons at this office. If you do so, the post will be deleted.

[usmcgirl]

I have been told the "average wait" time for a claim in this RO is 88 to 100 days.... so far my claim has sat at this office for more than 300 days. I have no confidence in this RO at all. Each time I call I am told something different and my claim gets shuffled back and forth between developemental, where it sits for months it seems, then to decision (yay!) then it sits some more, then it is back to developmental (grrrrrrrrr)....I am frustrated beyond belief. Everyday I feel like I am on pins and needles. I feel like I am getting shafted and shoved aside. And that my claim will get halfarsed attention done and then kicked out or denied. and i will have to go through the process all over again because that is what i have been shown so far after all this time.

[etcm]

From the ASPIRE data(http://www.app.hospi...a.gov/index.cfm) the "average" claim processing time for completed claims in Columbia for FY2011 is 211.1 days. That includes all of the prioritized claims and those that have been waiting a while. That average age value is so deceiving! I am at 560 days at my VARO (INDY) and they told me they still have not started working 2009 regular claims. Numbers do not lie but these VA numbers tell almost no truth.

Between APR2011 and May 2011 the average completed claim age jumped from 135 days to 202 days, a phenomenal time jump because that is a cumulative rate-6 months and the average was 135 days one month later, the average is 202. That meant that of the 1511 claims they processed during that one month, the average age of the claim was over 600 days -> meaning they processed a lot of old claims that month but not many more ever since.

Edited October 26, 2011 by etcm

[SolInvictus]

My total claim time for this RO has been 560 days and counting..the appeal 385 days..I just got to pending decision review jan 10, 2013 a full two weeks ago even though they keep claiming their average from that stage to notification is 5 days. I have used senator Graham's office and all else I could think of, and that hasn't moved the meter since September, 2012. These people are absolutely atrocious and calloused beyond belief in the way they treat vet claims. They really have taught me how to hate the system/ government and all that it stands for. Something three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan plus getting my eyes blown out couldn't do. The politicians and the entire government have no honor and their greed knows no bounds. I understand well now the hate that drove those suicide bombers to indiscriminately kill just to show the limits they would go to throw off our brand of democracy. If they can treat the warriors and young men and women who shed their blood to preserve the republic with such dishonor, it is easy to imagine what they must've done to the proud men of those war torn countries to drive them to such depths of madness. This nation could be such a blessing to the human race, were we not controlled by such a soulless system.

[Ridehard2208]

My total claim time for this RO has been 560 days and counting..the appeal 385 days..I just got to pending decision review jan 10, 2013 a full two weeks ago even though they keep claiming their average from that stage to notification is 5 days. I have used senator Graham's office and all else I could think of, and that hasn't moved the meter since September, 2012. These people are absolutely atrocious and calloused beyond belief in the way they treat vet claims. They really have taught me how to hate the system/ government and all that it stands for. Something three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan plus getting my eyes blown out couldn't do. The politicians and the entire government have no honor and their greed knows no bounds. I understand well now the hate that drove those suicide bombers to indiscriminately kill just to show the limits they would go to throw off our brand of democracy. If they can treat the warriors and young men and women who shed their blood to preserve the republic with such dishonor, it is easy to imagine what they must've done to the proud men of those war torn countries to drive them to such depths of madness. This nation could be such a blessing to the human race, were we not controlled by such a soulless system.

Dude. I can understand your anger and upset with the system and how they have truly let you down. I came here looking for a place to blow up about the same outrageous behavior about another VARO when I came across your post. My first reaction was wow that dude is way out of line about the bombers (These are people who killed out Sons and Daughters with no remorse or care who fell victim to there rage), rage such as that can never be understood nor accepted. The Country that you and your brothers and sisters fought and continue to fight for, put down that way of thought many years ago through feirce fighting and blood shed.

If a person of a different color/race killed your sister in cold blood, is it right for you to go out and shoot all persons of that group for revenge I believe you do not.

I have been waiting in still collecting evidence for 820 days, Have become disable and my wife of 37 yrs. a stage 3 hodgkins survivor now DXed breast cancer. We are now faceing not only loosing everything we built toghther but now wondering how we are going to pay the Dr. bliis to get my wife well whom I deeply love.

after reading your post I feel ashamed for my self pitty and through your post I feel your pain and flustration and want you to know we are with you and here to help. Although I'm a Veteran of 5 1/2yrs.in peace time my grandpa fought WWl And WWII, father korea 2X, both sons iraq and afghanistan one w/101st when Iraq first started was blown to the ground by Iraq hand grenade still dealing with medical problems and my oldest w/sp ops out Ft. Bragg went over 5 times we know of and still going to be more trips.

God has blessed us with good fortune on our eldest, but as I said our youngest when blown down first the grenade hit his leg he called warning to rest of team then went to dive no appearent injuries except his ears ringing so loud he couldn't hear and his gut and knee hurt. Two others with appearent injury were medivaced out, for five days after he ran a fever of 105f and his knee kept getting worse and the hearing was not inproving, when he complained they sent him to sick call where they gave him aspirin and told him to lay down for a few hours. When he got back to stateside and out of the Army they sent him to the local VAMC here for a exit exam, where they found the knee split right up the middle, 90% hearing loss Lt ear and 30% Rt, and three peices of shrap metal in his waist area. To this day I can't get him to go back after the VA for more that 20% they gave him, not to mention the PTSD.So as a father that knows how a young man can feel pushed to his limits Dude I'm Right there in the boat beside you.

God Bless You and Thank You for Your Service and Sacrifice! Rich!!

[SolInvictus]

Rich, thank you so much for sharing your deepest pain and the cost you and yours have Bourne for the love of our great nation. I am in total agreement with you and I think you deserve more sympathy for the wrongs you've suffered than I because I at least have the advantage of youth and time to find healing and the answers I seek, time for things to change for the better. I think perhaps my anger came accross as justifying our common enemies and making them morally equivalent to our great country. I want to clarify that for a minute because I haven't lost faith at all in the land and people I bled for and I keep that faith with you the way your family has for all these generations. My anger is directed squarely at the leaders and greedy politicians who permit, for all the riches and wealth of our great land, patriots like you and your family to suffer and lose all you've built as if there wasn't enough wealth to prevent such pain. My point is that your suffering is unnecessary, neither is my frustration. The patriotic tax paying American citizens that make up the backbone of our economy have paid enough and set aside more than is necessary to compensate the veterans that secure our nation, the fault isn't with them, nor is it with the veteran. So who but the elite and their cronies that are enriching themselves at the expense of the rest of us, are to blame. And just because they've gotten away with it doesn't mean we must bear the injustice in silence. Our nation is strong enough for us to open our eyes to the truth around us and honestly shine daylight on the wrongs, for it is only through this and the rattling of our chains that we can hope to remedy this injustice. Maybe not for you and I, but at least make sure our children and theirs won't have to suffer a similar fate. Brother, I want you to bear your pain, as I'm certain we all must, but I refuse to condemn you to bear it in silence. The corrupt elite that take advantage of proud American patriots must know that we are wise to their schemes, and won't bear it in silence, even if there isn't much else we can do. Sorry for the long rant brother but I love you and your dedication to our great land, and because I love you I must agitate and express your pain, until the wrongs done you are put aright.