ptsd Stessor Verification Without Jsrrc?

[SigBnSoldier]

This is my first post in hadit, but I've been reading for nearly a year, thank you for your wisdom!

I've faced a lot of criticism for having a non combat ptsd claim on a different site, so I'll briefly qualify my circumstances in order to get help.

I was stationed in Germany, 1990-1992. During a field exercise, at night, while in uniform, there was a large explosion near my AO at the training area, it was a German civilian transport truck and a small passenger car that had wrecked and caught fire on the nearby autobahn. I along with several other soldiers rushed to the scene and rescued the driver of the truck, and tried unsuccessfully to pull out his passenger before it went up in flames. The passenger didn't make it, and I can't forget the scene and the hopelessness of standing by...

Within a few weeks I started experiencing nightmares, anxiety, panic attacks. I was under the naive assumption that PTSD was only for combat veterans until about a year ago, when I was at the VA clinic in my town to see the mental health. The Psch diagnosed me with PTSD non combat, and encouraged me to file a claim.

To digress, I was diagnosed bipolar at the VA in 2002 also with a previous history of suicide attempts a year and a half after discharge. I was discharged (ETS) honorably in 1996. First suicide attempt was 18 months after. I have many similar diagnosis of bipolar, one of "reaction psychosis", and a depression diagnosis all through VA and inpatient for bipolar/suicidal ideation. I was awarded SSDI in 2003.

Having filled you in, here are my questions-

Do these many diagnosis other than PTSD, after discharge, completely negate this new diagnosis of PTSD?

Second question, I have had a heck of a time gathering proof of my stressor. So far I've submitted a German newspaper article and two eyewitness buddy statements, as well as two family statements and all my post discharge medical history. I've written to the JSRRC, they claim no record of my Signal Battalion in Germany was ever turned in. My brigade and battalion were inactivated in 2007. I have ran into dead ends in finding unit reports of the incident. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where to search for S-3 reports or Staff Duty journals, so that I can send the VA further proof of my stressor?

Thank you for reading my thread and for your help!

[SigBnSoldier]

Does anybody know if the VA verifies non combat stressors BEFORE sending you to a C&P exam or after?

[SigBnSoldier]

Found out more info today from IRIS phone call. I'm trying hard to connect the dots of what's happening.

IRIS says the VA requested "something from NPRC" not from the JSRRC on July 27th. I'm wondering if they're trying to verify the validity of my buddy statements, which are solid letters. These four guys were with me during the incident, and two of them at the scene with me.

I got ahold of my old 1SG, he wrote an email to me and said he'd also write me a buddy letter placing me at the accident too. But after having sent in 4 buddy letters already I think maybe I should hold on to his for a possible denial/appeal... anybody agree with that? Claim is just over 16 months old, in the Review of Evidence stage, the only thing keeping it from going to the rater at this point is the request to NPRC.

Would anybody risk sending in the new buddy statement at this point, or is it just redundant info and too late to send right now?

Edited August 16, 2013 by SigBnSoldier

[Berta]

They might have contacted NPRC to verify that the 'buddys" were in your same unit, etc etc....but .hard to know why they contacted them.

Here is the NPRC web site.

http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/

The National Archives hold a lot of historic info too,so they might be verifying the event you described,in unit records.

Telephone: 314-801-0800
E-mail: MPR.center@nara.gov *
Status Check: mpr.status@nara.gov *
Fax: 314-801-9195

Telephone: 314-801-0800
Telephone (Toll Free): 1-866-272-6272

Note: Our peak calling times are weekdays between 10:00 am CST and 3:00 pm CST. Staff is available to take your call as early as 7:00 am and as late as 5:00 pm cst.

(I personally I would be calling them in a heartbeat...particularly to find out of the VA really did request more info and to ask what they are looking for.)

I would hold off on any additional buddy statements at this point,if I were you.

[SigBnSoldier]

Just called them, told me they would need to talk to the person making the request or if I had a request number... Anyway, back to waiting and hoping they have what the VA is looking for. This sucks, I feel so helpless and at the mercy of a giant bureaucracy that could care less about us.

Edited August 16, 2013 by SigBnSoldier

[Berta]

Gee-I regret I suggested that... if you have a vet rep I wonder if he or she could get the request number from the VA.

I also wonder if the buddys get comp for this same incident too.

My daughter helped some vets who had all survived a horrific attack in Vietnam.

Not only did they all get more decorations on their DD 214s (needed to get 215s) but 2 of them gave VA their C file number on buddy statements for 2 that had just filed claims, and told VA they get VA SC comp for PTSD due to the same stressor.

I always forget to make that point about buddy statements. Most buddys with VA PTSD comp for the same stressor probably would be willing to give VA their C file number too, and that would indicate the stressor had been confirmed.

[SigBnSoldier]

No regrets! Thank you for the suggestion! I'm just frustrated with the inability to get info. I'm glad I tried.