ptsd Veterans Affairs Failing Faster In Nearly All Areas, Monumental Problems

[Capt.]

Hello All,

I have been watching the post from so many of our members , old ones and alot of new ones. Watching the hearings from both house and senate, numerous news agencies and I am also seeing the problems with so many areas within the Veterans Affairs.

After reading so many post from not just myself but members like Berta, Carlie, Jbasser, Boomer, Teac, Bronco, Asknod, 71m10, Sp4, Meghp0405 and many others who post specific articles and news links, I am seeing a terrible pattern.

One that I believe we all can look at and say , this whole VA system is corrupt. It is so far gone that their is no answer to get any of the problems fixed.

I am going to bring up just a few of the problems we are facing at an alarming rate with a downward spiral.

Arrogance, Elitist, criminal mindset, refusing to answer Congressional hearings questions, failing to comply with Office of Inspector General reports, GOA reports and recommendations and outright lies, coverups are expressed with non compliance and blatant ignoring the laws and regulations of our country and the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the Secretary , Assistant Secretary , Directors and VARO Service Managers that continue to operate with immunity. No one can touch them and we see everything getting worse. Responsibility and accountability are totally ignored and rewarded with more bonuses.

I am going to list just a few of the more recent problems within the last 6 months to a year from some of the news articles or past post with topics that are here at Hadit.

1. The incredible increase of the backlog

2. Inacurracy of the claims decisions process and its error rates especially from initial decisions to BVA remands process

3. Problems viewing Cfiles

4. Lack of Due Processs to Veterans and the Timelines faulty, error ridden decisions making Appeals nearly impossible

5. Failing to answer phone calls at most VAROS

6. VARO C and P exams not available to veterans or delayed more than one year

7. FOIA delays of information or non compliance at all

8. Dependents pay non-compliance and or long delays

9. VA arrogance on questions from House and Senate subcommittees, GOA, OIG reports

10.Fidicuiary Scandals

11. Legionaires Disease Coverup

12. Suicide Veteran Rate Increase

13. Lack of treatment for PTSD veterans

14 Homelessness of our Veterans

15. Paperless transitions for records inconsistancy between VAROs and VAMC, Clinics , dealing with MyhealthyVet, Ebenefits

16. Travel pay issues

17. Treating any correspondance with VAROS as a NEW CLAIM

I have used Hadit, and many news organizations, House and Senate reports, OIG, GOA and other agencies to bring up these points above.

Now I know I have missed alot of areas and these are just some of the more recent events and directions VA is taking and it is so evident by the huge number of Veterans that are posting on Hadit and viewing our topics.

You can see it in the tone of our topics and the Veterans and their wives and widows desparation. I have been a member here for over 6 years and the overall direction the Veterans Affairs has taken is absolutely out of control.

It has gotten so bad. I am so fearful for our Veterans that are just now coming into the VA claims and benefits process. That so many are going to fall thru the cracks and that the number of Veterans who will just say I quit and face prison, divorce or death or homelessness. That the number of Veteran problems now dominate our news agencies. Our courts and prisons are fast seeing an alarming problem with our Veteran community. We see it daily in our News reports.

That is why I have to just bring this topic up thats been on my mind for a long while, so that many of our Veterans can see that we all face some very dark waters ahead. And that is why I hope that every Veteran that comes to Hadit will say to each other....... NEVER GIVE UP. God Bless, C.C.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Capt.Contaminate

[Chuck75]

The real problem is how to get congress to act to change the laws without getting into party politics or allowing "poison pill" clauses to creep in!

Past studies, commissions, and so forth, have made it quite clear that change is needed, and suggested useful changes.

Sadly, virtually all of the suggestions/changes have been ignored by both congress and the DVA.

[john999]

The changes with the military that are coming fast are RIF for army and marines. If the congress is going to ask for reductions in active duty it does not look that good for old vets. If I get my check then my wife and I can survive. I do care about younger vets, but I see a shrinking pool of vets. I don't know what this means for us geezers or even OIF/OEF vets. Nobody in government of the military wants for Iraqs or Afghanistans. They want drones and SF to do it all.

John

[Capt.]

Hello Chuck, Ditto..... I believe all of our Veterans with just a short while of dealing with the VA find out that your statements are right on.

John.... your statement is interesting but sadly ,,,,,,your also right on. Oh yes......since we Veterans represent the largest force of Terrorist ....... have you looked overhead lately...... I thought I saw a drone circling my house..... I just did a bunch of work on the house..... Hope our jdams don't find there mark here. After all it is the Veterans that represent our final line of defense of our country...... All veterans gave an oath.......

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”

I hope we all remember and don't think that because we are Americans that things could never change. I believe this oath is also going to involve the VA as the 38 CFRs are part of the that oath.

I don't want to get into politics because that is not the issue.....we all have seen the problems go beyond pointing fingers at politicians on both sides of the fence. The problems just did not start a few years ago. They have been going on for a long , long , time as history of the VA and its problems will show. We as Veterans just need to be vigilant and remember that the VA is not really doing what it is suppose to be doing. President Lincoln had a good idea but it sure has gone in another direction as we have all seen in our fights and battles for Veterans rights. It is up to each one of us to carry on the battle and make sure we take care of all of our Veterans regardless of the problems I listed above in the first part of the post.

I am sure my list will be longer next year and others can add to it as Berta was pointing out. We must NEVER GIVE UP. God Bless, C.C.

Edited February 11, 2013 by Capt.Contaminate

[Chuck75]

Sadly, the enlistment papers of the Vietnam era and earlier (remember the draft existed at the time) had clauses that allowed the government to unilaterally make major changes (at any time) without the enlistee's consent. This may be the legal basis behind many of the changes that occurred between then and now. I haven't looked at the current enlistment contract, so I have no idea what has changed in modern times.

[Chuck75]

The changes with the military that are coming fast are RIF for army and marines. If the congress is going to ask for reductions in active duty it does not look that good for old vets. If I get my check then my wife and I can survive. I do care about younger vets, but I see a shrinking pool of vets. I don't know what this means for us geezers or even OIF/OEF vets. Nobody in government of the military wants for Iraqs or Afghanistans. They want drones and SF to do it all.

John

I just read a news article concerning the SEAL that supposedly did in OBL. Seems that he has a family with kids, and decided to get out at 16 years, and for valid reasons. No benefits, no witness program protection that he had been offered, etc.

[Chuck75]

Remember that to the government, veterans are an "inconvenient" result of war. Disabled veterans are "traditionally" considered as even lower.

There's even a poem by a famous English poet that sums up the situation fairly well today as it did when written.

Lincoln was sort of the first president to recognize that disabled veterans should be compensated.

Last I heard, a few years back, the VA was still paying a small number of Civil War "Widows Benefits". Fancy that!

My great grandmother was a small child at the time of the Civil War, and I can also remember (I think) the last civil war veterans deaths.

Last Union veteran, Albert Woolson, died 8/2/1956, age 109
Last Confederate veteran, John Salling, died 3/16/1958, age 112 (Arguable as to real status)