The Facts About Veterans With Disabilities

Better body armor and vehicles coupled with state of the art medical treatment leads to people surviving at a much higher rate resulting in more survivors with disabilities

A lot of it is the diagnosis for combat related injuries and illnesses is much better and the VA is more receptive now. After 2 tours in VN I was having problems with dreams, sleeping, and attitude. I went to the Hospital at McConnell AFB (I was a Reserve Advisor) and the Psychiatrist told me I had "Battle Fatigue" but I would get over it soon. He gave me some sleeping pills and I never saw him again. I tried the VA System in the 70's (Bad Behavior and Agent Orange) and was turned down. They said it wasn't service connected so "go home and stop crying".

Fast forward to 2004 when I was diagnosed with PTSD by a CIVILIAN PSYCHOLOGIST! I then went to the VA and they were not the same VA I tried in 1970's. I initially got into the VA system through the Military Order of the Purple Heart. In the 70's a PH didn't mean anything to them. I was fast tracked to the Mental Health and Compensation Dept's and was receiving 20% disability benefits within 3 months. Then, after all the tests and prodding/poking it was raised to 40% (Service Connected) and I now get VA Physicals every 6 months and all my meds are taken care of.

My own personal experience is very positive after being turned down in the 70's. I do see more Iraq and Afghanistan Vets getting more aggressive care than us old guys......LOL! Thats a good thing in my book.

I know the number of service connected disabilities has risen. I know the injuries run the gambit as well. I am a member of the DAV and WWP Alumini and I know our numbers are growing everyday. This is the longest we have ever been at war as a country, this is the outcome.

I would venture to say that the reason we have more service connected disabilities than Vets in the past historically would have to be the increased ability to survive in war (use of drones, aircraft, artillery, weapons, equipment, technology, etc), our ability to quickly command and control land, air and sea, over our adversaries, as well as the significant advances in medicine (techniques, drugs and Public Health) further increasing the survivability of Vets pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict. That survivability does incur a great physical and mental cost to our Vets, as well as a large financial cost to the country to "maintain" us. This is important to note because under historical accounts, many of today's Vets would not have survived many of today's injuries, diseases and, in some cases, mental illnesses. Add to this a greatly improved method of reporting, the ease of personal accountability and rating, along with the push of ensuring the importance of educating of our Vets to identify illnesses and injuries prior to separation, pushes this "number" even higher.

I am going to be the bad guy here and call a Spade a Spade. Now I understand by looking at someone from the outside you may or may not be able to tell who has a disability. However, I have known quiet a few who did one or two tours in Iraq that got out due to a bad shoulder, or bad back, or the most famous PTSD and are getting paid for the rest of there life at 22 years old!! And most of them were crappy Soldiers to begin with! Always out trying to do things to take care of themselves and not the Army. Its like they do things to get hurt, or to get paid.

It kills me to see guys who think they because they serve they should be able to get out and make all these VA Claims. I could more than likely play the "PTSD Card", or complain about bad knees from jumping or deploying but I don't have it in my heart to do it. I am not saying that we shouldn't have these programs for our veterans, but there is ALOT of Bull shitter's out there.

I have often wondered when I ride down the road and see the homeless veteran signs.... what kind of Soldier was that guy? Was he a legit stand up Soldier and if he was how did he get into being homeless or was he a dirt bag that got kicked out because he did drugs, or went AWOL. I am sorry I am very unsympathetic when it comes to people like this. I think this system in abused and is going to get worse, and worse with the continued deployments. I mean I predict within 10-15 years someone will have breathing problems from the polluted air in Baghdad and they recall all veterans who served in Iraq due to bad air. I mean this crap is crazy. What happened to the days when people really put out and it wasn't about what I can get for free, or if I get out now how can I raise my disability from 20% to 80%. GTFOH with that crap.

Sorry for the vent, just had to speak my mind. ATW!

Well, in the first place, I have mental disabilities. (I was extremely sick, mentally, for some 27 years.) I am not going to go around advertising that. Usually, when I mention my mental disabilities, they are (I think) relevant to the conversation; and/or I mention them to help people.
All of my mental disabilities have been addressed; by great psychiatrists....and by medications....
....such that, basically, I am just fine.

A fair amount, since I am one. It took my three years after my Administrative Separation Due to Physical Disqualification from the USMCR (8/1/2002) for me to get over my Marine ego and submit an application to the VA for disability compensation. I was initially awarded 10%, then an additional 10% the following year, and then an additional 50% last May. I'm still mixed up in the appeals process.

Why? A reduction in the stigma of seeking disability compensation, the wonderfully high survivability rate of many types of combat injuries that killed members of previous veteran generations, and the recent recession all come to mind. Most of us know that TBI & PTSD are viewed as the signature injuries of the post-9/11 campaigns in Afghanistan & Iraq; these conditions were not successfully applied for by many veterans of previous conflicts (I'm thinking of you, Vietnam vets). The rule changes that changed how the VA evaluates PTSD and the PR campaigns to encourage vets to apply helped too.

Finally, as someone who has depended on the VA since 2005, I can tell you all about its strengths and weaknesses serving me at several different locations in two states (VA & NY). They actually do have many caring medical personnel, but the bureaucratic barriers to getting treatment are nearly as bad as the walls erected to reduce or even deny legitimate disability claims (much like the insurance business, but I digress).

My rant is concluded for now. What else would you like to know about disabled veterans in general, or my experiences in particular?

Because most recent veterans were in combat. Also there is a push to identify sexual abuse and provide a disability rating for that as well. Historically most of the time we are not at war and veterans do not suffer combat injuries. Also historically we were not good at recognizing PTSD as a service connected disability.

Today's veteran is better informed. It is more difficult to keep them in the dark about what is available to them.

I am a 100% ddisabled vet. I just recently recieved it. I do not use a war from my injury. I fell off a B-52 and broke my ankle. I broke it 6 more times while in the military. They were all at work. I have had 5 operations from the VA. After every operation, they increased my rating by 10%. My ankle is fused. I cannot bend it. The pain I suffer is unbearable. I dont sleep without pain meds. The pain makes it hard for me to hold a job. I fought the VA for years. I have a walker to help me walk. On the other side of it, I know individuals who never made it through Basic Training and are rated 100%. No matter what subject we talk about there will always be the few who abuse the system. The same is true about food stamps and welfare. My advice is never give up on the VA.