Dear Honorable Members Of The Veterans Affairs Committee

[betrayed]

Dear Honorable Members of the Veterans Affairs Committee,

I voluntarily served 28 years of active duty in the United States Navy. My career was not without danger or armed conflicts. In doing so I committed myself to respond the many actions that U.S. Armed Forces responded to such as:

1982 Multinational Force in Lebanon , 1983 -- Grenada Operation Urgent Fury, 1986 Libya. Libyan Patrol Boats On March 26, 1986, US forces, while engaged in freedom of navigation exercises around the Gulf of Sidra, had been attacked by Libyan missiles, On April 16, 1986, U.S. air and naval forces had conducted bombing strikes on terrorist facilities and military installations in the Libyan capitol of Tripoli, 1987-88 After the Iran-Iraq War resulted in several military incidents in the Persian Gulf, the United States increased US joint military forces operations in the Persian Gulf and adopted a policy of re-flagging and escorting Kuwaiti oil tankers through the Gulf, 1987 the U.S. military protection of Kuwaiti oil tankers from Iraqi and Iranian attacks in 1987 and 1988 during the Tanker War phase of the Iran-Iraq War, it was the largest naval convoy operation since World War II. January 4, 1989, two US Navy F-14 aircraft based on the USS John F. Kennedy shot down two Libyan jet fighters over the Mediterranean Sea about 70 miles north of Libya. On December 21, 1989, the U.S. invades the sovereign nation of Panama to "further safeguard the canal, US lives, property and interests in the area." 1991 Iraq. Persian Gulf War. 1992-2003 -- Iraq The U.S. together with the United Kingdom declares and enforces "no fly zones" over the majority of sovereign Iraqi airspace, prohibiting Iraqi flights in zones in southern Iraq and northern Iraq, and conducting aerial reconnaissance and bombings. 1992-95 -- Somalia. "Operation Restore Hope" President Bush reported that he had deployed US armed forces to Somalia. 1993-Present -- Bosnia/Yugoslavia/Kosovo. 1993-95 -- Haiti. Operation Uphold Democracy US ships had begun embargo against Haiti. 1998 -- Iraq. US-led bombing campaign against Iraq Operation Desert Fox. October 2000, in the wake of an attack on the USS Cole in the port of Aden, Yemen, he had authorized deployment of military personnel to Aden. 2001 -- Afghanistan. US invasion of Afghanistan. The War on Terrorism begins with Operation Enduring Freedom. On October 7, 2001, US Armed Forces "began combat action in Afghanistan against Al Qaida terrorists and their Taliban supporters in support of the War against Terrorism. 2003 invasion of Iraq Second Persian Gulf War.

I retired in May of 2004 and certainly served during the time of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. In those 28 years I was taught and I taught that we were all one team, all of the armed forces made up a team.

Now I find myself a disabled veteran and I find the segregation of veterans to be very disheartening. This started with the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) issuing Letter 20-03-11 on March 26, 2003 which directed how a Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Veterans were to have their claims handled differently than other veterans (expeditiously and hand to hand) i.e. 30 day limits while other veterans wait years, I myself am at the three year mark. Then DVA letter 20-03-36 dated September 23rd, 2003 was issued streamlining the process even more, and finally DVA letter 20-05-14, dated March 8, 2005 was issued.

On April 24th, 2007 Senator Larry Craig released a news story which starts

NEW REPORT CONTAINS BLUEPRINT TO HELP CUT THE RED TAPE FOR VETERANS, CRAIG SAYS. 25 recommendations made to improve the transition for new veterans”.

On the same day Secretary Nicholson released the following:

Task Force Aims at Improved Services for GWOT Veterans Nicholson - Vets "Shouldn't Fight For Benefits Earned" WASHINGTON (April 24, 2007) - Military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can look forward to more timely receipt of benefits, better information and more streamlined processes, thanks to streamlined federal procedures announced today by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson, who chaired a presidential task force. To view and download VA news release, please visit the following

Internet address: http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel

Everything is for the “New Veteran”, what happened to the team? I am a severely disabled veteran 100% Permanent and Total. I applied for compensation and pension benefits, even though I am rated at 100% disabled, I am being paid at the 60% level which is roughly a difference of $2000.00 per month, I can only imagine one of the “new vets” Award Letter is being processed before mine. I have applied for vocational rehabilitation but was denied because:

"It does not appear feasible for you to obtain suitable employment through your Vocational Rehabilitation benefits at this point in time because of the severity of your disability."

"After carefully reviewing the evidence, I have determined that it is not reasonable to expect you to be able to train for or get a suitable job at this time."

"In reaching my decision, I considered the following evidence: Medical records from VAMC and private physicians, independent living evaluation; vocational and independent living interviews, rating decisions, personal documentation."

So because of the severity of my disability I have been placed in the Independent Living Program, which has not done one single thing for me. But you can bet all those “new veterans” are not having any problems obtaining their benefits, like Secretary Jim Nicholson said “Vets Shouldn't Fight For Benefits Earned"

Senator Larry Craig said "This one action to unify the disability rating process will help cut the red tape for injured service members and that should lead to an improved benefits delivery system. I believe this will be a major step forward for future generations of military personnel"

I say lets unify the veterans and treat them all the same, the most Ironic thing of all of this is the fact I served during OEF and OIF, but because I didn’t put my boots in the sand over there I don’t deserve the same benefits as the “New Vets”.

XXXXXX X XXXXXXXXX

MCPO, USN, Retired

Copy to Congressman: Mike Rogers

Edited April 26, 2007 by BETRAYED

[Berta]

PS all- that download went to the Task Force-

I understand they only received 2400 letters from vets and widows and wrote their report already--it is online---

If you are sending something to the Disability Committee or the HVAC -you need to shape the letter to what they are involved with- there are so many issues before them---

My letter to the VA backlog committee went to Senator Craig-

I cannot post it here-too personal- I named names at the RO

Other letters I have sent directly to Senators Clinton and Schumer and to my Congressman-

I bring this up because the Task force I believe is still accepting mail- but they are different then the Disability Commission- and the Backlog committee-

Task force mail they received that defined individual claims problems are being handled by another committee---

I dont know who is on that committee yet-

I clearly advised my POA and the Governor's liason person I received letter from recently-that I would be mentioning them (NYSDVA) specifically by way of my letter to the Task Force.The RO employee names are only for the Task force and Senator Craig to know of.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Berta

[SLEDGE]

And the government official says,

Hot damn, everything is going according to plan.

Let's send this person the standard

"I'm really concerned about your plight" letter. --------- Lunch anyone?

And the beat goes on.

sledge

[Jerry_O]

Well said!

I would like to echo your sentiments. I was active from Feb 66 to Jun 88. Recalled for Desert Storm (9 months in 91) and Nobel Eagle (Pentagon Aug 04 through Aug 06). I filed for some disabilties (most MI while on active duty but my claim is still being processed).

You put it most succinctly. I don't think any vet is denying our youger troops anything. But we have been on the back burner for far too long.

Jerry O