Iraq Vets Storm the Hill, Congress Rapidly Responds

Paul Rieckhoff
Exec. Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)
Posted February 12, 2009 01:56 AM (EST)

Iraq Vets Storm the Hill, Congress Rapidly Responds
Earlier this week, I told you about an amazing group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans that were coming to Capitol Hill for a historic trip to Congress, to advocate on behalf of their fellow vets. Today, I want to tell you just one of their extraordinary stories.

Rey Leal served as a Marine in Fallujah during some of the heaviest fighting, earning a Bronze Star with valor as a Private First Class, an almost unheard of accomplishment for a soldier of his rank. But when he returned to southern Texas, he needed help coming home from war. Instead of having resources at his fingertips, his closest VA hospital was over five hours away. Rey’s a tough Marine, and a boxer, but he shouldn’t have to fight to get care at a veterans’ hospital. And at his nearest outpatient clinic, there was just one psychologist, taking appointments only two days a week.

The psychologist only works two days because that Texas clinic, like many VA clinics and hospitals, has to stretch its’ funding to make sure the money lasts the whole year. They don’t know how much funding they’ll have next year because the VA budget is routinely passed late. In fact, 19 of the past 22 years, the budget has not been passed on time. As a result, the VA is forced to ration care for the almost 6 million veterans that depend on its services.

For the millions of veterans like Rey, we must fix this broken VA funding system.

Imagine trying to balance your family’s budget without knowing what your next paycheck will be. That’s what we’re asking of the largest health care provider in the nation to do. And it doesn’t work.

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Senator Akaka wants answers on burn pit toxins

Akaka wants DoD, VA to review war-zone toxins

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 1, 2008 19:08:25 EST

Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, has asked that the co-chairs of the Defense Department and Veterans Affairs Oversight Committee begin a review of environmental toxins — including those coming from burn pits — at bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Reports of possible exposure to smoke from burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan have come to the committee’s attention,” Akaka wrote in a letter dated Dec. 1. “Concerns about such exposure would appear to be an ideal opportunity for focused efforts to track the location of service members in relation to the possible exposure sites.”

The letter was addressed to Gordon England, deputy defense secretary, and Gordon Mansfield, deputy VA secretary.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/military_akaka_burnpits_120108w/

Burn Pit Video at the bottom of this blog

Also on Army Times on this

PREVIOUS STORIES
• Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns
• Possible contaminants and their potential effects
• Senator wants answers on dangers of burn pits
• Burn pit fallout
LETTERS
What the troops are saying
EDITORIAL
Pentagon must recognize burn-pit health hazards
VIDEO
An interview with a patient at Walter Reed who believes burn-pit fumes caused her leukemia
DISCUSS
CONTRIBUTE YOUR STORIES AND PHOTOS

Admiral Dunne nominated to VA Committee

Chairman Daniel K. Akaka
September,17,2008
Good morning. The Committee convenes today to consider the nomination of the Honorable Patrick Dunne to be Under Secretary for Benefits.

I am pleased to welcome Admiral Dunne and his family to today's hearing. Admiral Dunne is accompanied by his wife, Diane; his daughter, Erin; and his son, Patrick. Welcome to each of you. As we say in Hawaii, e komo mai.

The nominee before the Committee today had a long and distinguished career in the United States Navy before retiring as a Rear Admiral in December 2005. He was nominated to serve as VA's Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning in May 2006, and this Committee held a hearing and sent his nomination forward to the full Senate which confirmed him on August 3, 2006. He continues to hold this position while also being designated as the Acting Under Secretary for Benefits since Admiral Cooper's retirement in April of this year.

Admiral Dunne, having performed the duties of this office for the past five and a half months, I know you are aware of the many challenges facing the Veterans Benefits Administration. The backlog of disability compensation claims remains a major concern, even as VBA continues to explore fundamental reforms to the structure of disability compensation payments. Based on your testimony and thoughtful responses to questions at this Committee's recent hearing on claims processing, I know that you understand the Committee's concern that claims be processed as timely and accurately as possible.

There are also important decisions to be made regarding administration of the GI Bill for the 21st Century, which was recently signed by the President. It is also critically important that the Under Secretary for Benefits be personally committed to the joint efforts of VA and the Department of Defense to meet the needs of servicemembers transitioning from active duty to veteran status.

The Committee realizes that there are only a few months left in the current Administration and it's uncertain how much time you will have to tackle these challenges. Typically, this late in the second term of an Administration, I would not seek to act on a nomination and would leave the acting official in place for the duration of the term. However, given that the nominee before the Committee is the acting official and has been performing the duties of the office for five and a half months, I believe it prudent to give him the clear authority and responsibility that accompanies Senate confirmation. This will enable Admiral Dunne to effectively lead VBA through the end of the term and ensure a successful transition to the next Administration.

I note that the nominee answered my pre-hearing questions and also has completed the Committee Questionnaire for Presidential Nominees which will appear in the hearing record. Also included will be a letter from the Office of Government Ethics acknowledging that the nominee is in compliance with laws and regulations governing conflicts of interest. In addition, Admiral Dunne's complete statement will be printed as part of the record of these proceedings.
http://www.veterans.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?pageid=16&release_id=11779&sub_release_id=11786&view=all

Linked from VAWatchdog, "Larry Scott, keeping an eye on the VA because someone has to."

Why doesn't the VA reach out to all veterans?

While this is a good step, what they don't want publicized is the fact they are not reaching out to all veterans. Vietnam veterans are still seeing their claims denied when all the evidence and their experiences have proven they suffered even worse treatment since they returned but have been the last ones on the list to receive the care they earned and desperately need.

VA reaches out to veterans

By JARED MILLER
Star-Tribune capital bureau Sunday, July 06, 2008

CHEYENNE -- When Mike Alverson finished his service with the Marine Corps in 1988, military doctors told him he was in great shape and wished him luck in the civilian world, he said.

It wasn’t long before he was feeling the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and other health issues. The problem was, he didn’t know where to turn for help.

"When I got out of the Corps, I was one of the ones who dropped through the cracks," said Alverson, now 44 and living in Cheyenne.

Alverson, who subsequently served 20 years with the Wyoming National Guard, said he had a completely different experience when he returned home from 11 months of service in the Iraq war.

"The (Department of Veterans Affairs), they stepped it up," said Alverson, who plugged into his health benefits through a VA program for service members who spent time in Iraq or Afghanistan called the OEF/OIF program. "They made me aware of what their services are and what they could do for me."

The 2-year-old OEF/OIF program is so called because it was created specifically for veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan or Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.

The main objective is outreach. So instead of waiting for veterans to seek help, the VA now sends OEF/OIF program representatives out to meet National Guard soldiers before they set foot in Wyoming.
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Why aren't Senator Akaka and Congressman Finler holding hearings on the fact most of the backlog claims are from older veterans still suffering without getting the help they've been waiting for even longer? How about the Gulf War veterans just about forgotten? The older veterans from Korea and the few survivors of WWII still waiting for help? What is this all about? Is one war more worthy than others? One veteran more worthy than others?

We need to take care of the new veterans as soon as possible but have they ever once looked into the eyes of a Vietnam vet carrying around their wound for over 30 years when no one bothered to take care of them with any kind of effort? Their claims are not only trapped in the backlog piles, they are being denied as well as being pushed back on VA appointments because there is not enough staff to take care of all the veterans. It's about time the advocates started fighting for all our veterans equally. We cannot just fight for the ones coming home now trying to make it look like we're accomplishing something when so many of the older veterans are suffering in silence.

Senator Akaka and Congressman Filner need to acknowledge that as the VA and the DOD have failed to provide the care the new veterans need, they have yet to address the problems the older veterans have had to endure all these years. They are not invited to hearings. Their families are never asked any questions when they have been living with all of this for over 30 years. Do they really want to know what the problems are and find solutions or do they want publicity for doing anything at all?

Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

3.2 Billion heading into veterans care but will it be enough?

U.S. Senate Passes Budget Resolution with Billions More for Veterans
By Kawika Riley, 3/17/2008 8:19:48 AM
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2009 passed the U.S. Senate early this morning. It included an authorization for another historic increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, actively advocated for the increase and voted to support final passage. The Budget Resolution includes $3.2 billion above the Administration’s request for veterans’ programs, and will serve as a blueprint as Congress works to draft the Fiscal Year 2009 VA appropriations bill.
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Larry Scott, VAWatchdog, clears up PTSD new rule

Leave it to Larry Scott of VAWatchdog to get to the bottom of this.

UPDATE: VA'S NEW PTSD POLICY APPLIES ONLY TO THOSE

DIAGNOSED WHILE ON ACTIVE DUTY -- VA agrees that

veterans who are diagnosed with PTSD while on active duty

should be recognized as having PTSD for VA purposes.

by Larry Scott

Yesterday it was reported that the VA had a new policy regarding proof of trauma in PTSD claims. That story here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfFEB08/nf021908-8.htm


Unfortunately, a confusing story published by the Military Times Group did not mention that the new policy applies only to those diagnosed with PTSD while on active duty.

We now have a clarification from Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Akaka's press release on this matter is here...
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/scva08/scva021508-1.htm

As posted earlier, it sounded too good to be true. It's a step in the right direction but leaves too many holes to be plugged up.

Personality Disorder discharges, all over 20,000 of them, along with the misdiagnosed are left with what under these new rules?

PTSD being diagnosed while active, in other words by the DOD, have not protected any of them so far. Remember the redeployed under medication for PTSD? Where does this leave them?

What about the discharged who were diagnosed with PTSD but at such low levels they are receiving zero compensation or ridiculously low compensation?

This will do nothing to reduce the backlog of claims in the VA especially if they were diagnosed after they were discharged. Then we also have to figure in those who have not been diagnosed yet but are trapped in the waiting line. How do they turn around and prove the traumatic event happened? Are they supposed to end up like the Vietnam veterans still trying to find people who will offer support for a claim?

Like I said, it's a step in the right direction but why does it have to be such a tiny baby step?