ptsd RETIRED? NOW I AM DISABLED?

[RAPIDFIRE]

This is a general question. One that has been fumbled around in my mind for some time, as I opinion this myself here. Do you think it is fair that retired military (with the exception of those who went through Physical Boards and Medically Retired, under 20 or 30 yrs.) should be able to also keep full retirement pay, plus VA Compensation? For me, this is what invokes this question, and quit literally nerves me and I think it has become an epidemic. Military service person (as example), goes on to complete full retirement and then all of the sudden near retirement has all sorts of medical problems (buddy system helps out, let's be honest here, wink, wink) and therefore receives both retirement pay/VA compensation (often near 100%) without reduction (not saying there aren't some legitimate cases). SO, IF YOUR SO DISABLED, how were you able to stay on Active Duty? I think the only exception should be for people who were in direct combat with combat injuries and or people in a uniform role were injured right before their retirement. If you were so disabled, like myself, you had to get out. This didn't used to be allowed, CRDP until 2004; the dual payment. And in fact, was used as a tool to torture people who were too injured or disabled to stay in as a jealousy factor would kick in, my own USMC experience (being that their retirement at 20 would only reach max close to 60-90% VA rating) and my opinion was tort (saw a lot of it with tons of young Marines, and dealt with it myself, even while being severely injured in OEF, blown spine, shrapnel in back, priapism for over two-weeks in war and on ship and nobody/command cared, how could this be, how could this exist, it did, and only because of the jealousy factor). Now, it seems like near retirees have been riding this boat, collecting CRDP/retirement. As illustration, I used to work for the Fed. Gov't, people would come in right before their civilian retirement and claim disability, they were working full-time (40 plus overtime) I remind you, and now, all of the sudden they are too disabled to work. Now, why, because SSDI over SS Retirement Pay is often twice as much as it kicks in a higher amount and you receive it decade or more earlier (plus your pension), if awarded, and likely with an atty. So, to me, this is one thing, for you, I am not asking you to defend or argument for yourself and become exploitative, compulsive, or vulgar-AFTER ALL, it is current law. I just want you to give me a clear conscious how and why this dual payout should be in receipt, and remember, if you are SO DISABLED to work, you shouldn't be on active duty, period. It is one thing for a disability to be caused or aggravated by military service, it is another things for this to effect your ability to work with such conditions through retirement, and if you have had such conditions they would be no severe enough to impact your service length, think re-rated for us who have been through hell with the VA's irate C&P's, rating downgrades, re-reviews, etc. It is kind of like the girls who have fun their entire enlistment/commission with loads and loads of guys and then cry wolf and say they were raped and receive compensation. By the way, I am not liberal, I am a patriot and if you get offended, you are not a true countryman.  

 

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UPDATED 5/28/216

The basis for this discussion is prior to the 2004 effective law; military individuals would purposefully find ways to make sure (under their command) injured or otherwise to receive no VA compensation when they got out because in their eyes, at that time, you would get out and would receive more than them (and I am talking the Senior NCO's and Officers here at retirement), and did everything in their power to make sure treatment wasn't provided, etc. because of the jealousy factor $$$$ get people wrongfully off Medical Boards etc. it was an epidemic. Now, since that has changed (the law) the military care and recordings has improved dramatically since this jealousy factory had been about solvent. Now, anyone who was in prior to 2004 would share to comment about how these veterans were treated prior to such effective law because of the jealousy factor. I think the commentators so far have took this the wrong way. When I got out, I had shrapnel from a round in my back, a busted spine, partial paralysis, PTSD, hearing loss and headaches from explosions/IEDs.......and a bunch of other stuff prior to the 04' law/ OEF. I am trying to relate to others who got banged up, even while in training, and got screwed by your command because they in their eyes only saw you getting compensated, not your injuries (and did not treat you because of this properly).  

So, shouldn't veterans be able to prove that they deserve full retirement from the military plus VA compensation too. Not just the other way around. In my case, shouldn't it be streamlined where I can show, hey I have all the documents conditions right after I got out and had bunch of surgeries, etc. and my command where a bunch of jerks who got off on screwing peoples lives over and look here is the proof.     

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Edited May 28, 2016 by RAPIDFIRE

[pwrslm]

What is justice?  Is it something that any of us dispense without error?  Or some utopia that is unreachable?  I can't tell you.

What I do know, is that I didn't game the system.  I put it all on the line, did not exaggerate, or hold back, just presented the truth.  

 

Guys get concurrent retirement and disability because they earned it.  I mean, how would it be if someone was 60% disabled, and lost 25 years retirement because of it?  Its not dishonest.  You put in 25 years, you should get retirement.  You get injured, you should also get compensated.  How is it that you get hurt on the job, and come retirement, you have to pay for your own disability.  You can get out and expect 20 years of employability, but the potential earnings are denied you because you can not work because of a bum leg, shot back, or something that maimed and crippled you for life.  

What is justice?

[Carl the Engineer]

Oh, oh, I dont see this ending well.........

Anyway, retirement and disability are two seperate things.  However, In the military and VA, they coexist.  Not the same entity.

To get a normal military retirement, you need 20 years active duty, or an non-regular retirement from the reserves, 20 good years and wait til age 60.  Both are based on points or days. 

To get a disabllity (from the VA) your need to show that you are less than what you were when you joined, i.e., they (the military) bought you whole and they (the VA) will compensate you for not being whole after your service has ended.

A lot of Soldiers end thier careers early, and some stick it out.  Both, with or without pain.  I got rifted(?) out after 27 years on my way to 41 years, which was my goal.

Now, late (or anytime) during your military carreer, if you should have a problem the military doesnt compensate you for it, they try to fix it (motrin, 800mg x3) and you drive on.  Only when you become too problematic do they seperate you, medically.  You can be in the reserves, and be 70% VA disabled and still be an active Soldier, etc.  Again, two seperate issues.

Anyway, always lean forward in the foxhole and watch out for your buddies,

Hamslice

 

Edited May 21, 2016 by Hamslice
spelling error

[TALON II FE]

Just to add, now I have cooled off a little, for perspective;  I am 100% with 17  SC disabilities.  I went to Bosnia twice(UAV MX), as an aviator, I was in Iraq three times, Afghanistan twice as well as OEF-P on a regular basis later on as I spent 15 of my 20 years overseas clawing to as close to the tip of Spear as I could.  In 2006, after a chemical exposure (or a few of them), they offered me 40% medical retirement.  I was a SSGT with 13 years at the time, and had only been flying C-130s for a few years (cross-train only, preferably from a MX background).  I still had career goals to meet and no idea what else I would want to do, so I fought it and jumped thru the hoops set up for me by the Command SG.  I fought my way back up to flight status and deployed 6 days later for my 3rd Iraq deployment. 

Before I left, I requested Special Operations duty and, after an interview, it was approved.  Two weeks after returning from Iraq, I went to 7 month long "advanced flying course".  I proceeded from there to fly Special Operations for the next 5 years.  My 'office' (MC-130H T2) cost $172 million and was MY responsibility.  I travelled to 48 countries during my career, at least 1/2 were third world.  I spent enough time in Korea playing with ROKSOF and SOCKOR to get my KDM, probably at least 5 times over. 

While flying, my wrist started 'inflating' with pressurization on the aircraft.  I went to the Navy hospital (Camp Lester, Okinawa), and they did an MRI and I was informed I had an 3.5 cm Sarcoma (cancerous tumor) in my wrist.  I went and flew for 3 more months, bouncing from one JCET to another, Joint INTL exercises and missions which would have been canx if I went down from flight status.  I never 'made it by' to let my Flight Medicine know.  You see, there are only 20ish Talons in the world, and about 38 FEs qualified to fly them, on average.  You don't screw your buddies by going down off status in my community!  I let my CC and our Ops Super and DO know what was going on and had their support.  I went all over Asia during that 3 months, often TDY in my own bed for a night between missions because there wasn't time to 'reset' between commitments.  I was in Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, the PI, Viet Nam, Thailand and Cambodia during this 3 months. End of the road, I am flying missions out of Pnom Penh, Cambodia, doing the first low level flying they allowed us to do since Viet Nam.  We were shot at (small arms) by Poppy farmers in the mountains, then we had a prop malfunction and had to shut an engine down and THEN experienced a brake fire on landing that required us to Evac the aircraft and sit there waiting for parts for 2 days.When we finally started heading home, I was in the back (we took 2 crews, one tail) and the med tech that was with us saw it 'puffing up' during the ascent.  I never flew again, and I was at 17 years in service.  They medevac'd me to Balboa Navy Hospital in San Diego where I spent almost 3 months in therapy and procedures on what turned out to be an AVM (vascular tumor).  Unfortunately, my arm was not fully functional anymore and flying again was out of the question. 

I permanently lost my flight status, fought things out with the DAWG citing a lack of OMB (optimum medical benefit), they wanted to terminate with severance at 17-18 years!  Meanwhile, I was medevac'd again for about three-four weeks of medical tests. Good ol' boy network, you said, lol?  I fought, got the AFSOC SG to certify me medically to go fly UAVs.  That fell apart and I was cross trained  to an Education job.  I stood up and created an entire IMSO office, dealing with INTL Military Students.  I did that for my last 2.5 years, working 60-70 hours a week, sometimes 7 days a week, up to 20+ days without a day off sometimes.  Hard to worry about pain and PTSD when you stay that busy.  I had hidden/put off many, many medical issues for years and years, since they would interrupt my flight status.  Now, it no longer mattered.  Within 6 months BEFORE I 'dropped my retirement papers' I had two major surgeries.  I had a 3 level c-spine fusion and a Full Frontal FESS (5.5 hour sinus surgery that almost cost me my life). 

BTW, below are my ratings, first time with lowballs and about 5 things that they did not connect since they did not obtain complete records SINCE service, those will be NODs as well as several of the 0%'s and the spinal ratings were VERY low.  They also 'recommend I claim other things, including my scars, deviated septum and PVD.  The last one IS a death sentence, eventually for most.  By your statements above, you don't think that guys CONTINUE to get battered for years and years?  Maybe in an admin job, but those guys have issues from sitting around all the time, too.  I will personally be fortunate to make it to 60.  And you are hating on retired vets for, in my case, about $1200 after taxes?  Seriously?  You are a young buck.  I have four children, the youngest just turned 7 and the oldest is 20. They rely on me to provide for them, we aren't talking living in luxury here, we are talking enough to get by.  Take a look below, I am curious which of my claims was a "BS money grab"?  Please let me know!  Or is it just that I persevered and 'mostly' obtained my goals in my military career that upsets you?

70% post-traumatic stress disorder (also claimed as adjustment disorder)

50% obstructive sleep apnea   

50% sinusitis (claimed as chronic pansinusitis)

30% headache syndrome to include occipital neuralgia (claimed as migraine headaches and occipital nerve impingement)

20% carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity to include lower radicular group and cubital tunnel syndrome post excision of arteriovenous malformation (also claimed as peripheral nerve injury shoulder, neuritis median nerve right arm)

20% status post cervical vertebral fusion C4-C6 to include myofascial pain syndrome (claimed as herniated disc (c5-c6) left, cervical spondylosis)  

10% degenerative arthritis of the spine to include lumbago, lumbar spondylosis and myofascial pain syndrome (claimed as lumbar bulging disc l4-l5)

10% left peroneal neuropathy (claimed as deep peroneal nerve atrophy)

10% varicose veins, right lower extremity (also claimed as venous reflux disease)

10% varicose veins, left lower extremity (also claimed as venous reflux disease)

10% seborrheic dermatitis 

0% radiculopathy, left upper extremity

0% carpal metacarpal arthritis, right hand (claimed as osteoarthritis right hand)  

0% vasomotor rhinitis (also claimed as nasal polyps) 

0% lliotibial band friction syndrome, right thigh

0% ganglion cyst, left wrist (claimed as ganglion left/right wrist)

0% meralgia paresthetica, right lower extremity 

Edited May 21, 2016 by TALON II FE
content and grammer

[THOMAS89031]

TALON II FE:  Wow!! as JLO would say, your story(s) gave me goosies!!    You my friend are truly one of the many unsung heroes!!

While reading your post, my mind was along for the mission(s) with you.  Thanks for sharing your life's accomplishments with us fellow vets.   You should get someone to help you write your autobiography!!   Turn your experiences into a "best seller"!!     Again, thank for sharing!!!!

[THOMAS89031]

7 minutes ago, THOMAS89031 said:

TALON II FE:  Wow!! as JLO would say, your story(s) gave me goosies!!    You my friend are truly one of the many unsung heroes!!

While reading your post, my mind was along for the mission(s) with you.  Thanks for sharing your life's accomplishments with us fellow vets.   You should get someone to help you write your autobiography!!   Turn your experiences into a "best seller"!!     Again, thank for sharing!!!!

 

10 hours ago, TALON II FE said:

and THEN experienced a brake fire on landing

TALON II FE:  Do you think the "brake fire" could have been caused because "regular air" was in the tires instead of nitrogen?

[TALON II FE]

1 hour ago, THOMAS89031 said:

 

TALON II FE:  Do you think the "brake fire" could have been caused because "regular air" was in the tires instead of nitrogen?

No, I think the pilot hammered on the brakes too much, because he didn't compensate enough for the reduced reverse thrust with the #2 engine shut down and rolled it out too long.  It was our last flight before heading home. I can hit him in the head with a flashlight, but I can't reach his feet, lol!