Op Ed article irresponsible on OEF and OIF VA Claims

Most of us can agree things are pretty terrible for veterans trying to have claims approved. More of us can agree there are irresponsible articles popping up and this is one of them.

Nearly 600,000 Wounded Vets Claims for Disability Suffered in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars "backlogged" for Months
By Dave Lefcourt
OpEdNews Op Eds
5/20/2013

Let's say you're an Iraq or Afghanistan war veteran and you were seriously wounded during your tour of duty and subsequently upon your return to the states filed a claim for disability compensation to the Department of Veterans Affairs but as yet haven't had your claim processed.

Most likely you're one of almost 600,000 wounded veterans whose claim is "backlogged", meaning it's been pending for over 125 days.

This apparently is not something new for the Veterans Affairs Department where delays in processing claims for disabilities have existed for years.

But now the criticism has grown louder, particularly from the "Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America", the largest group representing the veterans of these two wars.

Paul Rieckhoff, the Chief Executive and founder of the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans says, "For people in their 20's, the idea that we can't get the technology updated seems ridiculous." These young veterans are impatient for change, no longer willing to tolerate the Department's excuses for the delays.

And they are right on the money with their criticism. They don't want to hear it's the paper system that's blamed for the backlog, apparently an antiquated processing system now overwhelmed by the claims filed by these new veterans.
read more here

My jaw dropped! Why? Today is Monday and the VA puts out a report every week on the status of claims they are processing. This is as of today.

There is a weekly update the VA puts out with a breakdown of claims. Right now there are 606,007 considered "backlog" but 38% of those claims are Vietnam Veterans. OEF and OIF veterans are 22%, Gulf War veterans are 22%, Peacetime are 11% and Other, usually older veterans, are 7%. Here is the link to where you can get the right information. VA Claims This article is irresponsible.

If you check the site you'll see that 60% are claims for increases on top of everything else.

Here is another great place for correct information National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics

Home Invasion Targets Disabled Veteran

Linked from Lew Poorman on Facebook

At Least 5 Sought After Home Invasion Targets Disabled Veteran
My FOX
Posted: May 20, 2013

PHILADELPHIA
A disabled veteran is targeted by thugs in a home invasion. It happened overnight on the 9400 block of Ashton Street in Northeast Philadelphia.

The thieves took $200-dollars and a television.

Police say the 58-year-old former Marine was roughed up, but is expected to be OK.
read more here

Indiana National Guardsman hero killed stopping robbery

Former guardsman killed in Bahamas robbery
May. 18, 2013
By Eric Weddle
The Indianapolis Star

INDIANAPOLIS — Kyle Bruner led a marching band, taught special-needs children, excelled as an athlete and handled heavy artillery in the Indiana National Guard — all in 34 years, before dying what police described as a hero’s death earlier this week in the Bahamas.

Bruner, who spent his youth in Indianapolis and later settled in Chicago, was in the Caribbean country in pursuit of a new career as a professional mariner after years working as a deckhand.

His sister said Friday it was one of Bruner’s most defining traits — a desire to stick up for others — that led to his death. He was shot in the neck as he tried to help a woman who was being mugged, according to Nassau police.

Sarah Brown recalled how he once came to her defense. Some kids had begun to pick on her at one of his baseball games.
read more here

Financial emergency donations desperately needed

While I am good at some things, but there are things I am lousy at. One of them is raising funds to cover expenses. I've been doing a lot of traveling lately and this week there are many requests for me to come and cover some of the events.

Financial emergency. Donations desperately needed. Memorial Day weekend is fast approaching and too many requests for me to cover events have come in. No amount is too small. $5, $10, $20, anything will greatly help.

Pointman of Winter Park is a 501c3

Fear Circuitry' In Brains Always On High Alert

This is why you have to take care of the whole you! Your mind, your spirit and your body. You have to reteach it to calm down again.

PTSD Combat Veterans' 'Fear Circuitry' In Brains Always On High Alert
In order to better diagnose PTSD, researchers looked for the part of the brain associated with the disorder and found them.
BY ANTHONY RIVAS
MAY 19, 2013

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has long been known to have lasting behavioral and emotional effects on soldiers long after they leave the combat zone. But what happens to physically to the brain of a combat veterans with PTSD is gaining more attention, including that of researchers at New York University's School of Medicine.

Their research, which was presented today at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatry Association in San Francisco, showed that PTSD physically manifests within certain regions of the brain, even when combat veterans aren't engaged in cognitive or emotional tasks and face no external threats.

"It is critical to have an objective test to confirm PTSD diagnosis as self-reports can be unreliable," said co-author Dr. Charles Marmar, chair of NYU Langone's Department of Psychiatry.
read more here