33
33
0
It’s astonishing to believe we marked the 20th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq this year. As a young Marine-turned-benefits advocate who was only a couple of years into my career with DAV (Disabled American Veterans), I remember the first wave of injured Iraq War veterans who came to the office in San Diego seeking assistance.
Since that time, it’s been my privilege to provide service and guidance to these men and women while working shoulder to shoulder with them on DAV’s team.
While we rightly reflect and honor the courage and sacrifice of those who served in Iraq, far too many Americans returned home unaware of the invisible damage inflicted on their bodies and minds. Diseases and illnesses—cancers, respiratory conditions, skin ailments, or conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries—now affect their everyday lives.
Today, we know more about the effects of service-related traumas, adverse health effects from toxic exposures and ramifications from blast injuries than we did two decades ago. DAV continues to lead the way in advocating for the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide the high-quality health care and benefits veterans need and have earned to ensure they are taken care of.
Last August, thanks to the groundbreaking advocacy efforts of DAV, the Honoring our PACT Act was signed into law. Among its many impactful provisions, the PACT Act will reduce bureaucratic obstacles for an estimated 3.5 million veterans who seek VA benefits due to burn pit exposures during the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hostile locations.
The law adds nearly two dozen presumptive conditions related to burn pit exposure, meaning veterans who served in overseas locations with active burn pits no longer have to prove their exposure or establish direct service connection if diagnosed with ailments listed in the law that are known to cause such conditions.
In just the first four months, the VA received nearly 186,000 new disability claims related to the PACT Act, an indication of the potential impact of the measure and the work ahead for the department.
Since our earliest days, DAV’s main goal has been to help establish and provide services for all ill and injured veterans, their families and their survivors. Our national service officers are experts in providing the latest information on veterans benefits, including the most recent updates from the PACT Act. DAV departments and chapters have volunteer service officers ready to provide assistance as well.
DAV benefits advocates at all levels provide best-in-class service, free of charge, and are ready to help file a VA disability claim. They will also be there through the entire process, because no one should have to navigate the VA bureaucracy alone.
DAV remains committed to fighting for veterans of all eras. This includes those who are now being honored for their heroism two decades ago and those who will fight in wars yet to come.
For more information on how to contact your local DAV service office, please visit https://bit.ly/3CjZHIT.
Since that time, it’s been my privilege to provide service and guidance to these men and women while working shoulder to shoulder with them on DAV’s team.
While we rightly reflect and honor the courage and sacrifice of those who served in Iraq, far too many Americans returned home unaware of the invisible damage inflicted on their bodies and minds. Diseases and illnesses—cancers, respiratory conditions, skin ailments, or conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries—now affect their everyday lives.
Today, we know more about the effects of service-related traumas, adverse health effects from toxic exposures and ramifications from blast injuries than we did two decades ago. DAV continues to lead the way in advocating for the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide the high-quality health care and benefits veterans need and have earned to ensure they are taken care of.
Last August, thanks to the groundbreaking advocacy efforts of DAV, the Honoring our PACT Act was signed into law. Among its many impactful provisions, the PACT Act will reduce bureaucratic obstacles for an estimated 3.5 million veterans who seek VA benefits due to burn pit exposures during the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hostile locations.
The law adds nearly two dozen presumptive conditions related to burn pit exposure, meaning veterans who served in overseas locations with active burn pits no longer have to prove their exposure or establish direct service connection if diagnosed with ailments listed in the law that are known to cause such conditions.
In just the first four months, the VA received nearly 186,000 new disability claims related to the PACT Act, an indication of the potential impact of the measure and the work ahead for the department.
Since our earliest days, DAV’s main goal has been to help establish and provide services for all ill and injured veterans, their families and their survivors. Our national service officers are experts in providing the latest information on veterans benefits, including the most recent updates from the PACT Act. DAV departments and chapters have volunteer service officers ready to provide assistance as well.
DAV benefits advocates at all levels provide best-in-class service, free of charge, and are ready to help file a VA disability claim. They will also be there through the entire process, because no one should have to navigate the VA bureaucracy alone.
DAV remains committed to fighting for veterans of all eras. This includes those who are now being honored for their heroism two decades ago and those who will fight in wars yet to come.
For more information on how to contact your local DAV service office, please visit https://bit.ly/3CjZHIT.
DAV
Benefits
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 9
5
5
0
Good afternoon Cpl Jim Marszalek. Excellent post. Thanks for sharing this Brother Jim. I still recall that day as I active duty Navy stationed in CA.
(5)
(0)
5
5
0
All my vehicles have their support our troops license plate here in alberta, Canada. I'm sure some states have something similar but this is available from one province in Canada just north of Montana.
(5)
(0)
2
2
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
When is the va going to help all those that had records burnets and no longer have military records?
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
Unfortunately I feel the DAV dropped the ball in helping me. So did the American Legion. DAV told me to get a letter from my doctor supporting my claims. They apparently did not look at my record or they would have known my only doctor was at the V.A. and therefore unable to assist me. Yet, when the V.A. finally awarded me 100% and IU they took the credit for it. The Legion should have helped secure a 100% rating when I was psuhed out of the service due to disabilities "so severe they interfered" with me ability to perform the duties of my rank and position. Since they didn't do this and I was called a "pain in the ass" by the VSO, I switched to DAV who also did nothing to help me get the 100% I felt I deserved based on the reason for separating me. I still want my 100% rating retro-active to date of discharge but due to my gender I don't qualify I guess.
(1)
(0)
SSgt Robert Simonds
I know how you feel. Va has not been real helpful in the past. They don't have folks that have any real feeling in my opinion. So it make it hard to talk to them. I feel like they keep me running around in Circles. BY the way I still have all my records except medical The national archives say all med records are turned over to Va before the record is filed. Va disclaims that info.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
I chose American Legion as my advocate and gave them Power of Attorney and got ZERO help. None. Never the least bit of interest or help. I will die before this paperwork drill with the VA, now going on over 3 years, achieves anything, as it should. I have no more faith in this country, nor particularly in the VA "system" and VSO's. Screw "thank you for your service." It don't mean squat to me anymore, after this kind of treatment.
(1)
(0)
SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D
The more situations I read about in these threads the more convinced I am that everyone wants to pass the buck. How sad as I was going to "attempt " to file a claim under the PACT ACT for a physical disability incurred to one of my children as a result of my exposure and serious disability due to Agent Orange. I get disability for my serious infirmities, but does a disability extend to my children and is this something I should file under the PACT ACT or some other way if any of you can respond from experience. Maybe one of you can respond rather than my possibly waisting time, as many of you have, trying to file a claim and have my child receive compensation. Help, if you can. Thanks.
(0)
(0)
SSgt Robert Simonds
SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D - this may be a little late sorry for that. Get a VSO I hear VFW is good and they can help you and tell you how. There are some real good one out there. My son in law in Mi Has a very good one. it just kind of depends on your location. Right now a large part of the VA budget is going to house and support the Illegals coming into this country and services that have no claims on anything. Va has really changed in the last three years.
(1)
(0)
SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D
SSgt Robert Simonds Seems like we are becoming a "forgotten class". What we did no longer seems to mean anything and even less when you compare it to the enormous amount of total benefits given to illegal immigrants.
(0)
(0)
SSgt Robert Simonds
SPC Michael Duricko, Ph.D - Think of this WE the American people Humans guided by the original constitution and declaration of independence Declaration of independence, from the Democrat islam communist party and declare the democrats as of today abolished and put President Trump back in until 2028 to clear up this mess the Democrats have gotten us into.
WE have all signed and vowed to defend the American constitution against all enemy's And we need to stop talking ang fight any way we can what is is going on against Americana the people and the constitution. That is the only way we will ever not be the forgotten class. The veterans are doing it to themselves. All we need is a good leader as I'm to old to take on the world again. God Bless.
WE have all signed and vowed to defend the American constitution against all enemy's And we need to stop talking ang fight any way we can what is is going on against Americana the people and the constitution. That is the only way we will ever not be the forgotten class. The veterans are doing it to themselves. All we need is a good leader as I'm to old to take on the world again. God Bless.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
The VA needs to STOP rejecting 70% of new claims. That should be illegal, by Congress. The current VA FIGHTS veterans!
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I consider war to be a profound expression of insanity. Combatants will remain haunted by the ghosts of comrades killed and by those of the enemies they killed. I conduct extensive clinical research on this topic.
Rich
Rich
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google