Posted on Jul 31, 2020
MSgt B Grimes
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What are your thoughts given some basic info? Fraud, Criminal Intent, PTSD & psychology.
An Army infantry soldier completes a first term 4 year enlistment, excited following 9/11. Possibly serves only one overseas tour, and never fires his weapon in combat. Gets out of Army following enlistment and joins Army Guard. Within first year of guard duty (upon orders for overseas tour) claims PTSD threatens to kill his comrades. Is released from duty.
Member has tried for 12 years to get benefits, and finally receives 100% disability. Claims to his family that his PTSD disease is cured. Does not follow psychologists prescriptions, as they are not really needed.
Was member fit for duty when enlisting in the Army Guard? Or did this member fraudulently join having pre-existing condition?
Can this member have concealed carry and go hunting, when he claims PTSD for gunfire?
would you consider this member to be defrauding the government and taxpayer?
Soldier has lied to family members claiming to be heroic sniper, only to reveal as lies later, having never fired his weapon in actual combat. Possibly used similar lies to VA psychologist.
How would you approach situation? VA does not seem to care, and does not offer path for investigation.
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Responses: 465
CW2 Matt Baum
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I would approach this situation by staying in my own lane. Unless you are a mental health professional (VA psychologist), who is to say if this person has PTSD or any other mental health condition(s)? In the Air Force as an Air Transporter, I never felt very stressed pushing pallets in "combat zones".
In the Army, I felt some stress as a Combat Medic going out on patrols and QRF in Iraq.
Oh wait, but I never fired my weapons (M9/M4) in combat.
After 9 years of active duty Air Force and several "deployments", I didn't even know how to lock my bolt to the rear. I NEVER had a weapon issued (minus going to the range about 3 times).
My two cents: be concerned with you and yours.
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MSgt Aerospace Medical Technician
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1: none of your business and sounds like you're just jealous he is getting monetary benefits for stories he embellished to compensate or hide his Moral Injury.

2. PTSD doesn't just happen from combat zones so I'd educate yourself on what PTSD actually is and how people get it. You can check VA website, you can be qualified through ANY situation that is fear of life like a car accident CONUS / hurricane / MST.

3. There is a system for defrauding the government for lying. The VBA has investigators and has caught many especially obvious Orthopedic injuries that a fraudulent vet has a wheelchair during a reevaluation then posts selfies in weight lifting competition.

4. You have no medical expertise and the path to claim any rating has many checks and balances which some do get away with it, but that's on the LICENSED professional's Medical Opinion
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SSG Jason Noyce
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Unfortunately there's not much you can do unless you have physical proof. Contact https://www.va.gov/oig/hotline/ and direct your concern to them and they should be able to point you in the right direction.
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Sgt David Scott
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And I believe that we all know at least one case such as this. Defrauding the Government is bad, but what they are doing to their bothers and sisters is fare worse.
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SGT Roman Davis
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First, let me say my comment does not reflect on the OP. In fact, it is an answer with a question. We have been brainwashed to believe that only combat veterans suffer from PTSD. It is a flat lie that has been proven more than once. The definition of trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. It also states it might be an emotional shock following a stressful event or a physical injury, which may be associated with physical shock and sometimes leads to long-term neurosis.
The VA demands that veterans focus only on combat experience...I will list other trauma that by definition alone might cause PTSD...
1) Accused of a crime, punished, jailed, raped then found innocent of all charges.
2) Given unlawful orders and punished for not completing an unlawful order.
3) Loss of family, friends, co-workers during a declared war event.
4) Feeling hopeless that you will fail your family and that they might have to live without you.
5) Fear for the life of a family member or loved one serving in a combat zone.
....
I see you posted to nearly every agency that exists to help people with trauma related illness. Reading this post about a veteran calling out another veteran is traumatic. An accusation alone is more damaging than guilt or innocence. You openly accused someone whom you have never met and have never walked in the shoes of something that is not even in your control...you do not control who will or will not receive government assistance.
Nothing is free and every veteran, war or not, has delivered a increment of patriotism, peace, and safety of those living in America. Let them investigate, they get compensated a shit-ton of money to address fraud.
Try helping a veteran. You do not know what that means, or how that feels...I can tell. The government agencies that you have paid into are not in the business of giving away anything. And, lastly, you should treat any and all agencies with the same level of understanding as our Miranda Rights...show me one of those CC agencies you posted on that are not in the business of guarding funds set aside for servicemembers and their families.
I hope you never need any one of those agencies...because this post can never be taken back from my mind.
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SSG Anthony Hetherington
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There are a whole lot of assumptions, ignorance and guess work going on here. My thought is walk away.
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CSM Welthie Sanders
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None
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SSG Michael Davis
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Small arms gunfire is not equitable to large armillary rounds Especially volleys of multiple rounds. Do you have a coherent point?

The last time I checked, .45 or 9 mm rounds do not shake the house off of the foundations. 155mm Howitzers and/or PATRIOT rounds do. Air effects rounds are a little more scary than a 9mm concealed carry firearm that I have under my control.

No one can stoo people from lying unless you are God on Earth. No one can stop me from making a bona fide claim. Were you ever in a fire zone?
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SFC John Raymer
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As a retired SFC Veteran I can tell you there is a difference between who deserves to get PTSD disability. Those that push the envelope continuously are generally the ones that know what the symptoms are and compound them during the interview process. I know this to be fact because they are taking away from those that truly need help.
Then there are those veterans that truly have PTSD but say everything is ok! Those are the veterans that are, generally, selling short their issues of what they did or saw during their deployment(s). I can state this from fact as I never fired a weapon but have witnessed mass casualty situations. Most notably Khobar Towers Bombing.
If you are caught not needing any further therapy you are healed and you do not deserve the disability. That's what is wrong with the system!
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TSgt Baran Anthony Andrew K.
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Too many questions. I am a service-connected disabled veteran wit a rating of 60% total. 40% TBI, 30% Major Depression, and 10% for Tinnitus. No PTSD. It took 20 years from the time of my original claim to the time I was awarded the 30% compensation I was first given, and the remainder through additional claims. And they weight average the total sum of the percentages to get 60%. It seems a little incredible that the individual got 100%. In my case, I had to fight for every dime I receive, and I am so grateful for all of the medical help and other assistance I have received, and I have given back as much as I could through volunteering at functions, like Stand Downs. We should not attack eachother, though. There is more than enough of that going on.
BK
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