San Diego VA Failed Camp Pendleton Marine

Report: VA botched Marine vet’s care
San Diego Union Tribune
By Jeanette Steele
Jan. 10, 2016

Also, Sears told VA screeners about being near two roadside bombs when they detonated — and once losing consciousness — but physicians never gave him a follow-up plan for treatment of traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

Sgt. Jeremy P. Sears in a live-fire training exercise at Camp Pendleton. Courtesy U.S. Marine Corps, by Lance Cpl. Derrick K. Irions

An internal investigation by the U.S. Veterans Affairs department has found that the San Diego VA system botched its care of former Camp Pendleton Marine Jeremy Sears, who killed himself at an Oceanside gun range in October 2014.

After Sears’ suicide at age 35, his family, friends and some veterans advocates have questioned how the VA handled his case. The combat veteran waited 16 months to hear that he would receive no disability pay after serving multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and being diagnosed with a brain injury.

Critics said the VA's medical and benefits divisions let Sears fall through the cracks and more could have been done to save his life.
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