What are some veteran issues you feel are being ignored that someone could write about?

Although these may be addressed by others, I'll provide my list:
1. Vets over immigrants. This is more than a political position but when reviewed an actual problem. Immigrants (legal or otherwise) receive the full support and benefits from our government while veterans have to fight a deliberately slow and often uncaring government. Yes, we should provide housing, medical, food, jobs and education to veterans before immigrants. But, most vets must rely on VA to provide these while others are supported by the Departments of Agriculture, Housing and Urban Development, Department of Labor, Department of Education, and many at the state level.
2. Fix VA. This is related to 1 above. Unfortunately, government unions or VA culture reinforces incompetence and outright denial of earned benefits for veterans. At the same time, VA is one of the organizations reluctant to hire veterans, especially with skills earned in the military. Former military medical personnel should be recruited and hired by the VA Health system while senior VHA executives should be bought out and replaced by senior military medical administrators, planners, logisticians, etc. Too often, VHA is staffed by people who just want to draw a check.
3. Continuity of care and expedited disability. VA medical should perform all military physicals (entrance, periodic, retention, retirement and exit). Based on these baseline exams, any change in medical status triggers a disability review. Instead of having a veteran fight with VA to obtain a disability rating, this rating would be determined throughout the servicemember's career. When the veteran leaves service (retirement, separation or ETS), VA has 6 months to deny the findings from the last exam or the veteran's claim for disability is approved. Veterans should not experience the routine of VA delays and denials, forcing multiple appeals or death before approval is received. This will require a single electronic medical record system (VAs) used by all services instead of every service trying to build and use their own electronic medical system.
4. Unified retirement and benefits system. The Department of Defense is a federal agency but each component has its own personnel and benefits policies, particularly retirement. So, there should be a single DoD retirement policy for all components as well as a simple process to move from/to other components. Everyone would have the following:
a. Age 55 retirement is the default, regardless of component
b. Vesting after 5 years in a reduced pension, received at age 55
c. After 20 years of service, for all components (AC or RC), the age requirement is reduced for every day on active duty (training, exercises, conflict, etc.) to no earlier than age 45.
d. The result is: Everyone can 'retire' after 20 'good' years and nobody can draw a service pension before age 45. Disability pensions remain unaffected.

Veterans HealthCare cost of some veterans, some veterans are being charged for Doctors visits of $15.00 dollars per visit or more, when Original Medicare at Doctors Office is only $14.00. Medications is $10.00 per prescription versus Medicare of $2.00 dollars per prescription. I would like to see the Veterans HealthCare System, to stop basing HealthCare cost on your disability Income when its just above poverty level. To charge a lower flat rate.

The current and pending number of vets transitioning to civilian jobs and how they fare. Also, I would personally love to see (tied in with what I just mentioned) a list/write-up about well known and successful veterans that are now household names/success stories.

i think the language that we are taught in school has alot to do with alot of problems the veterans encounter with the va and across the nation. im saying humanity has been squeezed out of the language and buried under jargon. george carlin give good example of this on you tube. its worth checking out just look under "shellshock". i believe it has alot to do with everything. yes he was a comedian but he put the truth out there.

The VA is not your friend and if they can deny you any benefits, they will. Make sure you have a copy of your entire medical record and send them copies of everything and do not believe they will be looking at your record! They will say "Did not happen in service when you are have a copy of your medical record stating that it did happen on active service!

I was led to believe when I enlisted I. 1968 that all veterans were entitled to access the VA healthcare system . I never needed it because I had private insurance so I didn't apply. When I did need it I applied and was turned down because law had changed and I was low priority because my income was over the limit and I did not serve in a war zone.

I think they should scrap the VA Medical system and just give vets blue cross or excellus

Good to hear that a young service member is interested in writing important stories. But this question is fraught with professional danger, and I know having been a Stars & Stripes reporter. The better query is what subjects can you write about that wont put you at odds with your superiors? If you could write on anything without fear of repercussions, I would take a look at the military's continued widespread use of mental health drugs that have been shown not only not to work but that also exacerbate existing conditions. I'd also take a look at UCMJ prosecutions and OTH discharges that greatly complicate getting VA benefits. Best of luck.

It took me forty month go get a type 2 diabetes clime approved by the VA, after they were the ones who diagnosed me with diabetes in the first place. The only reason I know my claim was approved, was of paperwork I received on a later claim. Soon I'll be into the forty first month of the claim and still there's no paperwork as to a change in my disability percentage. I don't think anyone is going to get anything as long as Obama is president.

The main issue I have that should be written about is the Veteran Choice Program. That thing is a joke. I have tried using it since Dec. 2015. I still have not recieved an appointment in my area. I have called numerous times. When I do get through to a person, I am then placed on hold for 30 minutes or longer, then when someone finally answers they tell you that they are not in the appointing area so they transfer you, where you stay on hold for another 20-30 minutes, only for them to tell you in 5 seconds that they will get you an appointment and call you back within the week. Then they never call back. I received a call the other day from the VA and she told me that there was no way I had been contacted by the veterans choice program because she hasn't released my information. Well no wonder I haven't received an appointment. No one is doing their job. They only came up with this program to have an escape for us veterans not being seen in a decent time. This program is a joke.