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

No. I do not think so.

Not at all. We serve where are needed and commanded to serve.

Not even a little bit! I'm a combat-wounded Vietnam vet, but some of my biggest physical problems stem from injuries/illness sustained during peacetime training. When I retired in 1991, I underwent my physical at West Point, where I had been serving on the faculty. They had a 75-year-old doctor doing retirement physicals and, after he finished interviewing me and looking over my health records, he handed the thick folder to a young woman and told me: "I'm having this young lady make you a complete copy of this. Come back tomorrow and pick it up. Then, when you get to where you're going after you leave here, go to the nearest VA medical center and apply for a disability rating."

I told him I didn't think that would be necessary because I didn't feel particularly disabled. He laughed and said: "Wait 10 years, major! Trust me, you've got some problems that are going to get much worse as you get older."

So, I took his advice and within six months of my retirement had a 30% rating. As the years went by, certain conditions worsened and by 2005 I was rated 90% with individual unemployability. Five years later that was changed to 100% permanent and total. If you take all of the conditions that plague me and add them up, it comes to 260%! Only my PTSD, right shoulder injury, and Agent Orange-related conditions stem from combat. All the rest of them came about from injuries sustained in peacetime training activities. The fact they aren't combat related does not make them any less debilitating!

Hell no! Many times I’ve been told “I wish had what you have then I could get disability”. Fools have no idea what I have!!! I may look okay on the outside but you can’t see what’s on the inside. PTSD & depression is a real bitch to live with. Wouldn’t wish this on anyone. Took me years before I went for help. Guilt took me so long to get help. I was tough & strong & could handle anything with beer, vodka, Vicodin & whatever else I could find to numb my brain. It took my son & daughter noticing & telling me to get help that finally made me get there. Grown children look to parents for help & shouldn’t be the ones offering help! That really hurt & made me wake up!

One should only feel bad about disability is if they actually got awarded for something they didn't have.

I will start by saying I am a service connected disabled Veteran, 85% physical rated (5 injuries), 100% IU.

And what I think is this. IF your injuries occurred ON DUTY WHILE PERFORMING actual duties, in or out of combat, then yes you are entitled to service connected compensation and medical care FOR THOSE INJURIES.

If your are talking about injuries NOT INCURRED on duty.. say from screwing around jumping into a pond or a motorcycle accident or falling off the roof of your home or anything else while NOT on duty and not as part of your service, then HELL NO you should NOT be getting "benefits". PERIOD.

I am sick and tired of waiting in line at the V/A because someone stubbed their toe or fell down some stairs or broke their leg in a car accident and now needs major surgery and other needs.

The V/A was not created to give Veterans free benefits because they served for 2 years then went home. It was created to take care of those who were injured doing the job, on the job. Not as a free for all because you carry the title 'Veteran'.

I am right now 1.5 years waiting on my next surgery for one of my ON DUTY service connected injuries. Why? Because the line ahead of me is that long. And sadly, 80% of those in line are not service connected for the treatment they are there to get. How do I know? Because I ask. I am not afraid to open my mouth.

And to those of you that want to justify someone getting care just because they served a few years, maybe you should consider the ramifications for the rest of us that have to wait for our care because of the huge numbers of veterans taking advantage of the system.

Keep in mind that most veterans have not seen combat. As an Air Force pilot of a non-combat support aircraft, we had no defensive systems, however, without us, tactical and strategic force projection systems (think B-1, B-2, B-52, F-15, F-16, F-22 & F-35) aircraft could not do their jobs. We air refueled all these aircraft + more. The avionics mtx, airframe mtx, powerplant mtx all performed their jobs so that I could perform mine. Every A/D office support airman was also trained and qualified in the opperation of the M-16 to perform a wartime defense job. The same is true about the Navy, only on a ship think fireman. For the Army, every soldier is weapons qualified and from a logistics standpoint, the infantryman could not do his job if he had no ammunition or MREs. In many instances, if you were a civilian, OSHA would dictrate what you could do with heavy loads. In the field, there may not be a second man to lift, or a forklift to carry. Try telling your squad leader that an urgent piece of materiel will not get loaded because it is too heavy. This goes for sounds exceeding 80Db, bright flashes and the list goes on. Damn straight those who were not in combat are entitled to VA disability. We avoided WWIII because a boatload of us were able to takeoff and fly towards the USSR in less than 12 minutes 24/7 and some of us managed to slip on the icy flight ramp at 0300 when the temperature was -40F and we climbed into the aircraft as opposed to going NMR at the hospital.

If they are not able to work or must take a lower paying job due to the disability then YES you proudly deserve the compensation.
NO do not feel bad because you served. Gave of your time and talent for the service.

No, why would they?

power to them , a lot of veterans who should receive disability are being denied