The Right and Wrong First Steps Handling MST

I have encountered MST (military sexual trauma) victims who have had claims denied, or received a lesser rating then they believe they are entitled to. I absolutely know why. I have had my claim denied, assigned a temporary rating, and finally, 100% permanent.

The wrong first step to take is to file a claim, stating what happened. In my previous article, http://rly.pt/3iT2qP4 , I made it clear that MST is the result of a crime. When someone commits a crime, they don’t go straight to court. The police are involved, evidence is collected, statements are given, and eventually they go to court. One of the most important aspects evaluated during pretrial is damages. In our case, how much damage has MST caused to you and your life? This is officially determined during the Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam, which this article is too brief to go into. However, it needs to be “unofficially” answered before you get to the exam, or you will make detrimental mistakes.

The correct first step to take is to report and accept help. Every VA health facility has an MST Coordinator. This is a safe space where you can talk about what happened. In my case, I was a highly functional professional for decades until I couldn’t carry on anymore. As a young Marine at my first duty station in Okinawa far from home, I was ordered to take documents to an officer at their residence. He overpowered and sexually assaulted me. I remained silent because I was told “Marines keep our dirty laundry inhouse.” I didn’t report it – or other events that followed - because I was young, scared, and being preyed on by those in power. There were no MST offices in the late 80s.

When I had my break down over 25 years later, it was baffling to everyone, including me. I was completely disoriented and terrified. I would constantly vomit and could not eat. Fortunately, this was 2012 and women’s health had MST. I still didn’t report it when I was asked during screening because it really didn’t seem like anyone truly cared. They just wanted to move on to the next question. So, I focused on the diagnosis that I could be bi-polar until one day, a doctor compassionately looked me in my eyes and asked me “were you sexually assaulted in the military?” I could tell she genuinely cared about me and could not look back into her eyes and lie in the face of her integrity. I admitted it and started crying. I couldn’t stop for the next decade it seemed.

The most important thing I want to convey is that I recommend victims address the injury, and begin a rehabilitation plan with a doctor within the VA who specializes in MST prior to filing for benefits. Your doctor can’t assign your percentage, only C&P can, but they can be a powerful ally and prepare you for the questions you will be asked that will trigger every nightmare you have even in broad daylight. They can also, by their medical opinion, give C&P documentation to support changing your rating from temporary to permanent.

You should file for benefits after you schedule your first appointment at a VA or Veteran Center in your city, so you don’t need to wait long to file. The C&P exam will not come quickly unless you are homeless. Note: if you go to a veteran temporary housing facility, like one run by Swords to Plowshare, you are technically considered homeless.

My hope is that every soldier and veteran who has been affected by MST reach out to the VA. The resources are there to help you put your life back together. Money alone will not do it, and without the support of medical professionals, your chance of compensation is greatly decreased.
VA help for MST: http://rly.pt/3pnYoRj