NARA Backlog

[Berta]

I saw a very elderly disabled woman on Fox News this AM and they cannot find proof of her husband's military service-and the interviewer said VARA is about half a million behind in the records backlog-I could not believe it was that bad but it sure is.

https://www.rollcall.com/2021/04/20/veterans-hit-by-huge-pandemic-related-records-backlog/

The interviewer said even if they find his records , a survivors VA benefits claim could take 3 years.

What is wrong with NARA these days????????

Proof of service is a critical initial aspect of the claims process- hopefully the young men and women these days in the Mil, get their records before they leave the Military.

 

 

 

 

 

[brokensoldier244th]

I can verify this somewhat independently, its not just a soundbyte. I have an infrequent contact with someone that works at NARA through FB and they said as much over a month ago as we were chatting one night (RE: the records backlog- I don't know anything about survivor claims other than what they are. Ive never worked one). Most of the stuff that is affected by NARA is records older than the early 2000s. Anyone newer than that can usually get their service OMPF through DPRIS because it was uploaded by the Services at or around the time of discharge. STRS from mid 2000s forward are the same. Not that id trust it completely- I hand carried my stuff out in 2002 on 2 thumbdrives. I learned that from my dad, who was a Recon Marine in 68-72. Decades later he got pancratic cancer and passed having never sought his records, though he told me that he regretted not copying what he could before he got out. What little he had had physically was stolen from him in the mid 70s when someone stole his Indian. 

Edited July 9, 2021 by brokensoldier244th

[Berta]

Brokensoldier- if a vet ever applied for a SSDI or regular SSA retirement or even was hired for a  federal job, wouldn't their DD214 be available if SSA or a federal employer had a file on them?

But I guess many vets never think about their Military record, unless the find they need them for a VA claim or home loan or something.

I am concerned about the men and women coming home from Afghanistan.

We can certainly imagine many of them might be filing claims eventually.

 

 

 

 

[brokensoldier244th]

I don't know about SSA- I submitted mine at the time when I had filed for some years ago when I couldn't work, but I don't know if they actively go after it. A dd214 doesn't do much for SSA. It shows you were "employed" but so do a lot of other forms that they might have access to. When I look at SSA files that ive requested back from SSA to support Vet claims for unemployability I only ever see medical records, at least, thats all they send us and thats all the release authorizes. 

 

Other federal agencies, if the veteran used preference or something they would have a 214 with those employers but VA only polls military DBs for medical and OMPF, or civilian employers if the veteran noted them when they apply for IU/AA. In those cases we send an 21-4192 to the employer but we aren't requesting records so much as a 'why' their employment ended in order to support the claim for IU. We don't request, and the employers can't release a civilian personnel file even if we asked. The veteran can submit whatever they want, though,if they have it. 

[Berta]

Deserving veterans and survivors are waiting for this backlog but it makes me wonder how this can happen:

"Veteran Pleads Guilty in Connection with Compensation Benefits Fraud Scheme A veteran pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Florida to theft of government funds. A VA OIG investigation revealed that the defendant lied about his military service history, to include submitting a fraudulent record that listed the receipt of a Combat Infantryman Badge and a combat deployment to Panama, when he actually had no active duty periods other than for training. The fraudulent record enabled the defendant to receive VA compensation and healthcare benefits. The loss to VA is $318,423. "

https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/highlights/VAOIG-Highlights-202010.pdf

I had one situation whereby a woman , trying to pretend she was the veteran's widow, ( with a known history of making trouble)

contacted me, maybe when I had my hadit email open- and it was obvious to me she was trying to perpetuate a scam with the CAVC.

I contacted CAVC right away , heard from them immediately, and they asked 'what proof do you have of this situation' and I emailed them proof, and they thanked me.

 

 

 

[broncovet]

The cheats make it more difficult for the rest of us.  I guess what I dont "get" about this whole thing is that most people have a dd214 proving service.  Yea, that could be faked, but its not the only document which can be faked and those fakes often catch up to the VEt.  

I just dont get how it can take 2 years backlog to read dd 214's.  

Now, if its medical records, in service, that is different.  Most of the time, in my experience, the service records dont make that much difference except that you got an honorable discharge, and the dates, and an in service event.  Yes, there are Nehmer boots on the ground vietnam, etc., but this is not always relevant.  

[brokensoldier244th]

If we get a negative response from whatever records holder we query, we then send a letter to the veteran saying “ they couldn’t be found, what substitute records do you have?” I’ve used news clippings to help corroborate events that don’t have official entries in their personnel files, but not just by themselves. That might be what happened here. 
 

Sometimes I have to piece together a few things. Still, dd214 blanks are available all over. Type one up, wash it gently a few times, then scan…. Looks old, has the right form number and information. Sometimes I just don’t have much to cross reference. usually though things won’t match up somewhere. A little I can accept- it’s the military…. But I’m like radar oreilley with this stuff and usually I can find something weird and run it up the chain to records research, which is a sub group that all they do is corroborate records, stressors, casualties (that I can’t research myself).