Falsely claiming PTSD for VA benefits?

Just one of many many stories that are very similar. I know Guardsman who never saw any type of combat deployment and recieve 80% disability. Oh did I mention they work for the VA as a rater. I just retired after34 years serving 3 combat tours and am struggling to get more than 20% with proven mental health service connected conditions. The ones who earned it struggle the ones who didn't learned how to manipulate the system. It sickens me. I just had an Uncle who passed away who was a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam where the mortality rate for that job was 80% and who witnessed horrors that others couldn't even comprehend and he never got a nickle from the VA and he certainly suffered from PTSD. Its an unjust and unfair process.

I have heard people planning on “faking it” to get the disability so they can ride the system. Problem is is that it’s a psychological issue and there is no real way to prove whether someone is lying or not. Say it goes before a court, that soldier could claim he was trying to de-escalate his “condition” for the sake of his family or so he could get a job etc. I think it’s hoursehit guys like that exist but we all know that one guy that was in our unit that did everything they could to work the system. Getting out of deployments, general duties, etc. Show of hands on how many people k ow someone that magically became Muslim prior to a combat deployment and couldn’t go fight their “brothers”? Or came out as homosexual (back when DADT got you out of the military in 3 days)? But back on topic... there are always going to be soldiers that will do whatever they can to use the system to their benefit which unfortunately takes resources from those that need them but they don’t care, because they are getting what they wanted.

I would say, as a retired PI, that this guy has all the signs of one who is trying the game the VA for benefits that he has not earned. For those of us who have done five or more tours to the sandbox, who actually have PTSD, this makes it difficult for others to claim the benefit because the VA then looks at all of us in a critical light. The VA under Trump has been more proactive in investigating those who try to defraud the VA with stolen honor and fraudulent claims. Perhaps those who are so inclined will think twice before thinking that the VA is an easy get rich scheme.

It has always been my position that those who claim PTSD for a rating boost are pond scum, and those who claim it to get out of things are rancid poo stains. This condition painfully affects many in our Veteran community. False claims allocate resources to those who don't need it, overburdens the compensation funds causing "cost savings measures" to hurt others (such as refusing concurrent receipt for retirees under 50%), and causes social stigma for all Veterans in the workplace and society in general.
If you can prove this person is committing fraud then report them to the VA.
If you can't prove it but they are exploiting the system, take comfort that one day St Michael will put the POS on extra duty for eternity.

Anyone witnessing a traumatic act can develop PTSD,, just look at 1st responders. It does sound very fishy, but PTSD is never cut and dried. It is possible that fraud occurred, trick is going to be finding someone to prove it.

There definitely needs to be a criminal investigation into this, sounds like the person played people as suckers. J S.

In my case I think just dealing with the VA is a cause of PTSD !

PTSD is a psychological problem, so I'm not qualified to say if a person has it. You may not be either. Possibly it can be cured or come and go. I don't know, so it makes resolving the entire situation you lay out impossible for me and possibly difficult for a mental health professional.
As far as fraudulent enlistment goes, I think that ship sailed when the Soldier was discharged from the Guard. If you truly believe the soldier if defrauding the VA, contact the VA Inspector General. Be sure to have all of your facts together and documented as well as you can. Only way I can think of for the situation to go anywhere.

Released from duty or released from the Army National Guard? What type discharge from Active Duty and the Army National Guard ?

When I first got married the State of Ohio awarded a payment of around $170.00 to every serviceman and woman who served during the Viet Nam War. I never made it to Viet Nam but served in Korea and the Dominican Revolution... I made the mistake of mentioning it to my Dad during a trip to visit my family in Michigan.. Never thought twice that he would have the reaction he had? I don't think I ever saw him so mad.. He believed that I had accepted money from the government under false pretenses... and had no right to that money...
He had served in the Construction Battalions of the U.S. Navy during WW II. The SeaBees were absorbed into the U.S. Navy later in the war but he was a Civilian serving the Navy building runways in the Marianna Islands... I never even knew he was a SeaBee and he NEVER talked about it... Never.
My Dad would never have ever taken any money from the VA unless he lost his leg in service and I believe it would have had to be BOTH legs... Most honorable man I have ever knew...
He worked for Otis Elevator for most of his life and was know to pick a job clean of scrap wire at clean up time. I never knew why until after he died.... Every weekend we would build a fire and toss all the insulated copper wire into the fire to burn the rubber off and then hit the pile with ball bats to separate the copper out.... then is would disappear. Never knew what he did with it until his funeral.. Ten percent of the church was filled with Nuns from a Detroit convent. He took the copper and sold it to a scrapyard and gave the money to the nuns... He did that for decades...
They told the story his generosity and effort at the church.. He was the best self-made engineer and mechanic I ever met.... I never he knew the stories of him because he never bragged about his service time... he was self made and self reliant....
Any one who falsely claims damages for fabricated injuries should be hit in the head with a hammer.
Rat bastards is what they are....
Leave the money for the soldiers that need and deserve it... isn't a day goes by that I don't think of him.