Check Out This Article On Possible Cuts

[Philip Rogers]

http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2013/11/congress-weighs-painful-new-budget-cut-options/

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Oops, I forgot: the sky is falling, the sky is falling!

Edited November 18, 2013 by Philip Rogers

[Navy04]

Philip,

Thanks for the info. I have Crohn's which is on the list. I was healthly as a Horse before I joined and I have been told by Docs that they think exposure to all the Bacteria in OIF and OEF is directly linked to my disease. I wish Congress would get Crohn's for a week and see if they want to be compensated for it. Sorry I rambled on. God Bless

[Notorious Kelly]

Let's just skip a carrier or 2 and pay for it all.

[71M10]

Lets take a look at their list, shall we

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Why don't we study the particulate matter in duty areas for about 10 years first. Im sure all that deisel smoke is just great for the lungs. When I was in, I think I smoked about 2 packs a day off of the guys lit up in formation around me, but I never took a drag off one cigarette!

• Arteriosclerotic heart disease

Well this shouldn't be a problem, Medical professionals keep stating if you are physically fit and exercise regularly you shouldn't have a problem, US military are probably one of the most physically fit group of people. Diet is the other major contributor here, do they still run the fryers 24/7 in the mess hall these days like the 80's? I wonder how much transfat was used by us military for the shelf life? In 86 a doctor said my blood pressure was high and I needed to reduce my sodium intake, gave me my dietary counseling on proper food choices. I told him and the dietician I was headed out for Team Spirit for the next 6 weeks, how was I supposed to restrict my sodium intake (some MRE's were as high as 4,265 mgs)? their advice drink lots of water.

• Hemorrhoids

They say being overweight and low fiber foods contribute. I guess throwing 45-55 pounds of gear on a person and making them run, crawl and jump in it just isn't the same as being fat. As for the food, see mess hall comment above.

• Uterine fibroids
• Multiple sclerosis
• Crohn’s disease
• Osteoarthritis

Again put 45-55 pounds of extra weight on a person make them run around, crawl and jump with it on. Make them run 15-20 miles a week on hard surfaces. Make them live in cold enviroments for protracted periods of time. Yes I agree many people get osteoarthritis when they age, but in my case by the age of 22 I had it all throughout my spine, from a SC injury and multiple re-injuries during service.

The idiots running the defense department would rather pay for a feasability study for a flying humvee or hypersonic aircraft than keep the existing force outfitted and trained!

What type of force do you have when NO-ONE will volunteer, because they see how you treat those that served?

[hedgey]

The change to the unemployeable “IU” rating would include restricting IU to veterans under the current retirement age of 65.

And so after age 65 all IU P&T vets would lose all their 100% benefits? And turning 65 would make this fair because of what? We'd be eligible for Social Security and Medicare?

Well, if a vet has the ratings required to be eligible for IU, they're likely eligible for pretty much all VA healthcare (excluding dental). So no savings to the government there. Either they're providing Medicare or VA care. I guess they'd save on CHAMPVA...

Social Security payments... well that would vary enormously by individual case. If an individual is IU, they aren't working, and their credits for SS are not accumulating. Some veterans who are IU'd don't have enough work credits to get any SS at all. So I suppose the government would save a bundle that way, both by cutting off IU payments to the vet and a much-reduced SS payment after 65. Of course, then the Homeless Vet program would suddenly be even more overwhelmed than it already is...

The irony is rich here - they would essentially be saying that they don't have to pay IU because everyone retires at 65 and "unemployability" becomes a moot point. I guess we shouldn't notice the many members of Congress who continue working past 65. Or the burgeoning number of senior citizens who have to work past 65 because they can't afford to retire. Or maybe the SSA will stop sending letters that advise people not to take SS until after 70 years of age so they can get more in payments.

Either way, being IU doesn't replace what an individual accrues from a normally productive working life. Unless an IU veteran has extreme financial discipline, they will not have saved enough money to replace a 401-K or a company pension. And again, the lack of working means lack of accrued SS credits, etc.

As for cutting the compensation for the listed items - what the heck? All of the VA doctors and adjudicators who have acknowledged a nexus were wrong? What, were they lying? Making things up? Just being nice?

This is beyond upsetting.

[john999]

The DOD and the VA have known for years the absolute cost of OIF/OEF was going to be three trillion dollars and now they want to weasel out of paying for it. I have been IU for 12 years. I am glad I did file a CUE for 100%, but if they cut IU they won't hesitate to cut 100% vets. I don't think it will happen myself but the government likes to scare us.

[71M10]

I expect they will beat the drum loud and long on concurrent receipt, the loosing IU at 65 is the opening position, I expect you will see this position to evolve/mutate to: if the person gets VA disability at the 100% level they don't get Social Security or SSDI (this will be pushed by those trying to fix SS).

I agree with John, they knew the butchers bill was going to be steep, they will slowly but surely try to weasel out of paying it.