Should Veterans feel bad about being awarded and receiving VA disability compensation for non-combat related injuries?

CPO Michael Burns - same here, Arty Officer in the Nam. Tinnitus OK for 10%, gave me hearing aids but no %age…go figure.

LtCol Bruce Janis Pretty much the same with me as a flier. I didn't even accept the 10%.

CPO Michael Burns - Please don't give up. I too received a VA diability rating of 10% for Tinnitis. I reapplied last Summer through a legal firm that specializes in VA claims and just received a letter stating that my hearing loss that was rated 0% (hearing aids) has been increased to 30%!!

I knew a young Marine who was riding (passenger) in a truck, coming back from training maneuvers. Hit broadside by a drunk driver. Broke his back, he'll never walk again.
IMO (as a tax-paying civilian) -- he EARNED at least anything he got. He was THERE, doing his duty.

SPC (Join to see) please do a littl e research!

SrA Gina Hotard - I did a lot of research as a grunt in Vietnam. Napalm is a petroleum product which was used in bombs. Agent orange is a combination of chemicals which when sprayed killed foilage rapidly and left lingering effects on those of us exposed to it.

Agreed. There is no such thing as a "safe" environment onboard ship - especially on a flight deck, whether in war-time or peace-time. Training with firearms, field training, working on air fields, etc. all add elements of danger that civilians do not encounter in their day to day lives.

SGT Charles Sullivan - there was no award of a cold war medal. there was a certificate to honor your service during the cold war.

SGT Kerry Sommers - I recently visited the VA clinic in Marina, CA (near Pebble Beach) it was excellent. I saw audiology and got my flu shot. Will go to Mpls VA when I return to MN for my Covid booster. I guess I have been lucky that these facilities are so good.

I agree---though I struggle with the standards for determining the percentage of Service-Related Disability being awarded---and the significant divide of advantages once qualifying for 30%+ [and further exacerbated by the fact that ALL vets do not qualify for dental services --astounding!] Any thoughts on this?....

A1C Joel Jakubowski - I heard that the VA is funding health care with dental for illegal aliens.

SPC Matt Ovaska - If you dig even slightly, you will see that doesn't appear to be true at all. From what I've read, the VA is simply processing claims paperwork for IHS. This doesn't involve any provision of care by the VA.

SCPO Morris Ramsey - I had surgery done on active duty. I had residuals as a result. I received 10% for those residuals.

SCPO Morris Ramsey - Chief, has the VA given you any rating for your exposure? Even a 0%. That's how I started with one of my service-connected disabilities. Now, through work and time, that rating is up to 30%. If the VA gives you a 0%, they are admitting liability.

Vets need to understand that the VA has many thousands of claims, it takes years for
the VA to sort out the good ones and the false ones! There is not enough money to pay every claim, only the true ones. In my case, I did not have the evidence to support my claim because a fire destroyed VA records. I made my own records by contacting past commanders and medical people from 1965. I got those statements verified and sent them to the VA. The VA is doing a great job, slow at times but great! Took me 10 years.

Sorry Joe, I do not agree with you. I know the frustrations that you are going through, I have been there! I bet your claims have been turned down a number of times but you must ever give up! The VA did not send any person off to war, your branch of service did that. Evidence to the VA is the key to a successful award. You can make evidence just by getting other people who served with you to write certified letters for you. Yes, I did hire attorneys in Rhode Island , Took several years but I considered my efforts like a second job to win. Give the VA what they want, get evidence and medical records and never give up! You can do it like I did. Good luck! Ron

Some injuries do not manifest for years, thank God for the "presumptive" change...in the past as soon as they achieved their goal of casting any doubt on the link to military service they denied, denied, denied...now if they can not prove a direct causal relationship and the injury was a documented existing condition at the time of separation they must grant it presumptively, agent orange, burn pit exposure you no longer have to have iron clad evidence to the source, the injury is considered "presumptive" if there is minimum documentation in the medical record. Do not ever forget it took us dying on wait lists for those cretins at the VA to start making positive changes, and that was just to save their own asses.

you deserved ever penny they gave you man!!

SrA Walter Ayers - are you fighting this? if not you should!!!

SrA Walter Ayers - I think you should appeal this decision. Especially since the PACT act came out. Now they have presumptive conditions due to exposures and you just might fit into those categories. I do not know, but it might be worth a try at an appeal or a new go at it through the PACT act. I hope you try again. Good luck to you. I wish you the best and I hope you feel better.

keep up with your VSO in your county and see if they can request a different clain staus and fight for what is yours , If they gave you 10% for that then they should look harder in too your claim foir more , I know it is a long process been thru it to many times and have learn more on how to have the VA doctors write in your file a different statement, That is what the VA does, If your Doctor just states yes you have COPD and that is all they state in there then they need to rewrite the statement, The VSO has a book on what to say for the VA to reconize your staus, They have certain key words that they use only for claims, I saw the book and it is how they write things down, It has to be what the BIG BLUE BOOK STATES fopr what you get in diability, We had the same book for getting a goverment job also, I stayed federal when I got out and retired Federal just by seeing what had to be stated in their blue book.

I was PBR's River from the Delta to the Cambodian border to the DMZ. Saw to much for being young at the time, most of the troops we packed in the zone were Marines and they would come back totally exhuasted and hurting from the exposure to the chemicals in the jungle and in the water most got 100% diability because of the poisoning they recieved there. You just got to fight for it, never let down, find that person who believes in you, ask the VFW for help also, there is always away to talk a good talk to them. Sorry for the rant but it sickings me to no end when the Military get messed with this way.

On Petty Officer Titchnenell COPD you automatly get 10% for hearing loss so add that to you list also since you were mostly below deck for days and hours with the noice there and the heat. Ask for that so at least get to 20%

The VA doesn't have a specific diagnostic code for chronic pain, but it does pay benefits for veterans who experience it. Therefore, VA disability benefits for chronic pain are based on the symptoms or impairments that result from your pain. Chronic pain can also be connected as a secondary condition.

Wow an aircraft carrier try 2 Afghan tours and 3 Iraq tours as a grunt but an aircraft carrier sorry

I am right with you. Me and my family loathe the no load free loaders that game the system because it makes those of us with valid claims have to weather the fire storm of doubt that those grifters caused. Sickens me when I see someone get caught after gaming the system for hundreds of thousands of dollars and think they stole that from a vet who needed it and may have been denied because of people like them stealing benefits.

PO3 Michael MacKay - I am right there with you on this.

Same seen it ,

SGM Frazer, look into this website on CDRP (Concurrent Retirement Disability Pay) eligibility: https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/disability/crdp/ There's an 800 number at the bottom of the page to contact DFAS. There's also info on how to submit a claim by mail or uploading completed form. You can also find more info by clicking on "Disability Entitlements" on the left. There's a drop down list with info, application, etc... for both CRSC (Combat-Related Special Compensation) and CDRP (Concurrent Retirement Disability Pay). Minimum Combined Disability Rating is 50% for CDRP. I had 10 items at 10%and thought I was going to be 100%, but VA has some kind of formula and my Combined Disability Rating actually ended up being 50%. I do have some injuries rated at zero, but I was told that as I age and any of the injuries get worse to get reevaluated and rating could possibly increase. But remember on the other hand if something gets reeavaluated then rating could go down, which I believe is rare. I hope this helps.

You should be receiving both since you are over 50%. CRDP/ Consecutive Retirement and Disability Pay.

If you are rated 50% or higher you are entitled to concurrent retirement and disability. You need to check into it and stop having money deducted.

SGM Bill Frazer By law, if a retired is rated a total of 50% or greater, they are paid 100% of their retired pay by the service AND they receive their disability from the VA. This is called concurrent receipt. https://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/crdp/

When did you get out? I feel I should have gotten 100% but I was screwed over and I fought for 30 years. I now get paid at 100% because I'm considered IU.

Sgt Melinda Pamphrey - what is iu?

CPL Tanya Otey - individual unemployable. In other words you were injured while not in the military and are now unemployable. I am on that category. I am 60% PTSD, 10% tinnitus, was injured in a shooting, messed me up that I could no longer work, so received the last 30%, making me 100%.