Category Archives: Department of Defense

New Online VA Tools

Since the inception of this blog, I have used the Catholic War Veterans as a resource. They are top notch, honest and reliable in the information they gather and work diligently to disseminate to the veteran community.  We are all here to do our small part to keep all veterans in the loop and hopefully not  misguided by our sensationalism addicted media, who frequently do not do all their homework. Veterans Affairs cannot be relegated to sound bites and talking points.  Can you imagine running the Armed Forces in that fashion? T

We are excited to share a few new online tools VA has recently launched to help Veterans learn more about the benefits they’ve earned.

Please help us share this online content by sharing it with your email contact lists and posting it online – via your websites, online newsletters and social media accounts.

If you have any questions about this or other VA content, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Videos

VA Disability Claims process: http://youtu.be/_QgfzRoHLjk

Vocational Rehabilitation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASPqtJWJ-KU&feature=share&list=UUBvOzPLmbzjtpX-Htstp2vw

Infographics

Fully Developed Claims: http://benefits.va.gov/transformation/infographics/fdc_claims_cork_board.html

SAH: http://benefits.va.gov/transformation/infographics/special_adaptive_housing.html

eBenefits: http://benefits.va.gov/transformation/infographics/ebenefits.html
VA Hiring: http://benefits.va.gov/transformation/infographics/va_hiring.html

God Bless +

Jose M. Garcia PNC

National Service Officer

Catholic War Veterans

josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net

Small Business Saturday Goes Viral With Veterans

Well, at least it has gone viral with about 20 of my veteran pals!

I am not sure that anyone has quantified or set a benchmark for the definitive calculation for viral. Maybe after this little bit of flippancy, we will see what viral really means.

For sure, the small business community would endear themselves to the veteran community, as would American Express. With the massive number of us in the Boomer category, meaning the highest disposable income of all demographic groups, you know they are after us.

It was three years ago that Mayor Bloomberg and Kenneth Chenault the honcho at American Express launched this nifty idea of, ” Small Business Saturday.” I think it is working. I hear more and more folks adopting bragging rights about how they shop local. It is the latest tattoo. Even kind of chic, depending on your brand of local. Geezz, I always used to patronize local taverns!

There is clearly a celebratory aspect to this emerging movement. It has an uncanny similarity to the fondness for returning veterans. So lets just have a corporate merger here. All devised by little ole TucsonCitizen.com, with Daddy Gannett looking on.

On Small Business Saturday each business could donate $1 to the cause of Disabled Veterans. We could be all grown up like the MDA and Susan B Konen Fund. Just without the coercion and involuntary requests from all the convenience store employees. Ours would be a bit more magnanimous and sans corporate staff.

The  market researchers have indicated that this campaign to shop locally created approximately 103 million shoppers.  Can you dig it? 103 million Americans helping Disabled Veterans across America. Seems to me that American Express would get as much mileage out this marriage of causes as would one day of shopping.

Howabout just taking a combat veteran shopping on Saturday.? That makes two in the store. What do I know? I am just a street level marketer. Although, I did turn around 5 shopping centers in Tucson.

As a retired commercial property manager and landlord, I spent my adult life with local business men and women.  I think I have a feel for their community spirit.

The National Federation of Business has predicted that the consumers who are planning to shop from local merchants will be at 67%. In 2011 that percentage of all consumers was 44%.

I say, add the Veterans in  your community to the equation and we can push that to 75%.

So, lets go viral and set a new benchmark. In the process Americans will get to meet a few Veterans of War. It would look like an old Norman Rockwell painting.

Veteran Veritas  may have to copyright this scheme. I can see a new Hallmark card now!

IRS And Insurance Companies Not So Friendly To Disabled Veterans

Here is the scenario.  A soldier serves in war time.  They were once game-fully employed. They return injured and often become un-employable.  Many are relegated to the 100% Disabled Permanent and Total status.  While they await that rating, which could be several years in the coming, they may work to the best of their ability.  By the time the rating is granted they may well owe taxes. However the compensation they now receive from the Veterans Administration is exempt from any levy by way of the CFR Title 38.

That soldier may well have attempted to make an Offer-In- Compromise to the IRS.  That agency has never been staffed well enough to answer the requests in a timely fashion, and will often change the rules midstream.  Life is dynamic. Income is not a static state.  The one time earning ability of that soldier is now compromised for life, making the offer in compromise invalid once the disability claim is processed. That soldier will frequently have no assets to speak of that will accrue to his or her benefit.

So the question is this…why in the world does the IRS place liens on our nations disabled veterans who have permanent 100% ratings for the balance of their mortal life?  They are no longer permitted to earn any monies outside the compensation that is granted them.

So they have just been punished and sent to debtors prison for having served their country and placed themselves in harms way to defend the very system from which the IRS derives its existence. They are awarded a scarlett  “L” for Lien for the balance of their life. It will follow their children to the grave.

Cruel? Inhumane? You choose the adjective you like, but I say it should be known from shore to shore and be the source of some pretty hefty moral outrage.

When you have hundreds of convoluted,conniving and outright dishonest tax schemes and strategies implemented by the uber wealthy, then this relegation of our combat veterans looks pretty damn bad. With all the paid in advance for bitching about taxes, this year will be one of the best since the 1930’s for this set of elite tax dodging Americans.  The effective tax rate for these titans of commerce will be about 17%. For the next 1.4 million people who make up the top 1% of taxpayers, the rate will be about 23%. The lowest in nearly  60 years!

The kicker! Many have made their fortunes off two wars that are now longer than the Vietnam war. The profiteering is staggering.  Yet a 100% Disabled veterans cannot by granted tax amnesty.  That is reserved for the likes of  Donald Trump, Philip Anschutz and thousands of Fortune 50o executives who have the loot to play the game of Trust Freezes and Option Options and Friendly Partner tax schemes.  Parker Brothers should patent these strategies as games, so we can teach our children how to cheat with clandestine tactics to never pay a dime in taxes.  And the vet has to worry about renting an apartment or  his or her employer seeing a lien on their credit report.

Anyone peeved yet? Well please ask your Congress person to address this before the 2o12 election.  There are 22 million of us, I think we can make a difference.

 

Now that we got that off our chest, here is the next one.

Did you know that a veteran of war who acquires the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,(PTSD), cannot get a Life Insurance policy? And I do not mean a rapacious term policy that is only a capital call for the insurance industry. I mean a straight up whole life policy like the VA grants to its disabled veterans, but only for a maximum of $20,000.00.

The industry has this notion that the life span of PTSD veterans is shortened. Do they not watch those 93 year old  World War ll veterans on the History Channel?  I have asked 5 major insurers to provide me with the epidemiological studies  that corroborate this finding of their actuaries. None have responded.  Knights of Columbus declined to answer why, and a John Hancock agent just commiserated with me  and agreed that is was sad.  USAA, who do a stellar job with veterans  does have a product, but not very attractive pricing.

One thing that is missing in their decision tree, is consideration of the cohort groups that have sought and completed treatment programs that are now considered to be quite successful in ameliorating symptoms of war if caught early enough.

I had one financial maven tell me to just advise the veteran to lie. “Do not release your VA medical records,” he said.  If asked if you have an insurance policy, say no…the VA is not a policy!  I do not advise this, but it shows the gravity and injustice of a system that gives lip service to veterans but does not walk the walk.

The number of veterans with head injuries that are permanent has increased by 240% over the past 9 years.  These combatants will not be in the conventional work force ever again.  One Marine suggested, “head injuries are the weapon of mass destruction sent home.” Wow, tears.

But, do you think they may owe some taxes? I say clean the slate for them, implement some realistic patriotism, and go get the loot from Exon and General Electric.

So how is this for the “Support The Troops” movement?

This blog is titled Veteran Veritas, meaning, Truth. Sometimes it is not so comfortable.

Happy Birthday Marines

“Gotta love dem Marines.” Or at least our wives do!

I have spent my entire adult life in the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of anyone who threatens it!

This year I would like to share some of  the aspects of the Marine Corps that have added to my quality of life and to some of the successes I have experienced over time.

There is little question about the value of discipline in ones life. Professionally, socially and  spiritually, the accrued benefits of the rigorous training of the Marine Corps become an annuity that can be drawn from in times of stress and chaos.  Little in civilian life can ever compare to the experience of war and the equanimity needed to negotiate your own internal fears and  perform at a high level.   I am convinced that the balance of mind and spirit contributed to rewarding career in commercial property management and to the attributes of being a good husband and father.

The most penetrating and lasting benefit of being a Marine has been the sustenance that comes from the unending fellowship and camaraderie of  fellow Marines. It is a  love that surpasses all understanding and has the secondary benefit of  an increased sense of spirituality in daily living.  As paradoxical as it may seem,  the Marine Corps actually makes one a better lover in the broadest sense of the word.  The espirit de corps that is so often referenced is in turn a form of Agagpe, the sort of which promotes peace and understanding.

Marine training has no false sympathy or feigned understanding. When given a job.. you do not leave the post until it is done.  I was told by my bosses that this is the reason I was hired over other applicants.

The emphasis placed on values is also something that has a very long half life. Current day Marines carry value cards that they are issued and they sign. The front has the standard Honor, Courage and Committment and the back the states that Marines lead by example, respect themselves foremost, place faith and honor above all else and give allegiance to God,Country, Corps and Family.  How can you go wrong with that value system in your pocket?

Many of us old and new breed lead our lives today with the same traditions that we were taught in boot camp.  I am a man in full as a result.

 

“Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they make a difference in the world. But the Marines don’t have that problem.”  Ronald Reagan 1985

“There are only two kinds of people who understand Marines, Marines and the enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion.”

General Thornson, U.S Army

” The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the Marine Coprs.”  Eleanor Roosevelt 1945

 

“America doesn’t need a Marine Corps, America wants a Marine Corps.” General Krulak

 

Happy Birthday Jarheads!!

 

 

Ugly Wisconsin Could Be Coming To A Theatre Near You

Is this stuff a matter of Veterans Affairs? Well sort of, mostly because when juxtaposed with War on three fronts and the intense need for moral support for our troops who are “liberating” the oppressed peoples in autocracies around the world, we cannot seem to put our own house in order with the civility that we are trying to export in the form of sane democratic principles.  Are the people of Wisconsin just a mirror for the nation? Is this what the soldier is coming home to see and live with during transition to civilian life? No wonder they are serving multiple tours. It reminds me of the riots in Chicago and the Moratorium in 1969, where the lowest common denominator of equanimity was center stage.  How little we have evolved as a Republic.

 

I get endless emails about the stuff the Main Stream Media does not cover. This one seems to be compelling, not just because it came from my cousin who lives in Wisconsin, but for the need to have intervention, maybe even psychiatric, into the political process. The rise of identity politics and the drawing of lines in the sand is a bit out of hand. And we all know why…..its because the divisiveness is paid for in advance.

Whether it be the Koch brothers on one side and George Soros on the other, this “Hatfield and McCoy” mentality is premeditated and financed by corporate interests who could give a damn about the commoner or e pluribus unum.  This is not what are soldiers are fighting for in lands afar.

The contextual truth begs to be told. The travails in Wisconsin, which could be in Arizona next week, are not about unions and collective bargaining. It is about the movement to privatize all, yes all ladies and gentlemen, all of our State operations. When the day comes that we need our troops to protect private corporations within our own state borders, the Republic is fini. The very reason that George Washington warned about the dangers of the two party system; “it will enfeeble the nation,” have now become prophecy.

A military coups inside the United States is not science fiction.  Read a short story in the Army War College magazine, Parameters,” The Origins of the Military Coups of 21012.” It was written in 1992!

Wisconsin is prologue. Pay attention.

 

When they find out how you voted, will they come for you and your children and grandchildren next ?  Is this the freedom our ancestors died for?  What should we do about this ?

This is not the Wisconsin I know!—About Representative Keith Ripp
Have you seen this kind of behavior ?   Keith had written a lengthy, thoughtful article in a recent Waunakee Tribune, giving a lot of information you don’t get from the media or protesters who neither live, work or pay taxes here. He understands the problems our state is facing. Hopefully spring weather will help make people more tolerant and accepting of one another.
This is not the Wisconsin I know!—About Representative Keith Ripp 

Had a ‘trying day ‘ yesterday as I stopped at a friend and clients of mine: Representative Keith Ripp owns and operates with his family a  feedlot in Dane, Wisconsin. Keith is also a State Representative in  Wisconsin. He voted in favor (with Governor Walker) of eliminating
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING in trying to balance Wisconsin‘s budget deficit.  His wife (Lori) came out and ‘broke down and cried ‘ during our talk.  Keith and his family have been terrorized since the VOTE. His church has told him ‘he is no longer welcome there ‘.  Many of his neighbors
have told him ‘to never talk to them again ‘.  His son Radley (9 th grader) has been persecuted by his teachers. Keith has received over 800 threats. Lori has been sworn at, spit on, etc. Daily Union  people pull into their driveway and harass them! Even the local firemen have told him, “don‘t bother calling if you have a fire “because we probably cannot FIND your farm in time‘.

Finally, Keith‘s sister-in-law is a teacher at a local high school. The Ripp family was all to get together for Easter dinner at Keith’s moms house (his father died of cancer 3 years ago). Keith‘s sister-in-law refuses to go to dinner at Easter dinner IF KEITH AND HIS FAMILY ATTEND! By
the way- the sister-in-law (teacher) has HER KIDS ATTEND A PRIVATE  SCHOOL! Complete harassment. What kind of people are these Democrats‘  Scum of the earth!
This man and family, whom are wonderful people, are being subjected  to a RECALL- due to him voting to balance the budget. Shame on Wisconsin!
Next, I went down to another friend and client Fritz Wyttenbach. He lives in Sauk City, Wisconsin. He owns a feedlot and a meat market. Fritz is on the school board. He voted to FREEZE teachers wages and reform their insurance policy to more align it with private industry
standards.
Since then ‘the local teachers have picketed his business. Threatened  him and his family. Restaurants whom have purchased beef and meat from his meat market for years cancelled orders and discontinued buying from him because  they are on the side of the  teachers ‘. He has received death threats and e-mails that his business will be burned and destroyed. Fritz is one of the finest Christians I know of. A wonderful person. If you drive through Sauk City you will daily see teachers PICKETING on the bridge crossing the Wisconsin river. Many are toting signs to boycott Wyttenbach Meat Market. What a tragedy! May I suggest if you are driving through that part of Wisconsin that you stop and purchase some meat products from Fritz. His spirits are pretty low today.
I am convinced that Unions are little more than organized mafia  movements. I am convinced that this era of American history (2008-2011) will be termed the GREAT DENIAL PERIOD in the future history books. Either we need to balance the budget and rid ourselves of entitlements or we will continue to move toward socialism.  I spent some time in France last year. I saw and heard how bad socialism is. The French hate it  but they can ‘t change it.
The reason I write this to you is to uncover the truth and outrageous injustice that is occurring currently in America. It is hard for me to believe that such outlandish activities are occurring
in our good old USA without the press covering this. Wow! If these activities were going on to non-Caucasians ‘.it would be deemed harassment and discrimination. It was a tough thing for me to experience. I did not know how to console these friends of mine ‘ Pray for them. I believe they are doing the right thing ‘..and they are brave people. As Fritz always says Attitude is Everything. They will press on.
So, in summary ‘.I realize we are currently in a sort of ‘CIVIL WAR ‘ in America. I can‘t believe that there is so much HATE in the U.S. amongst people whom are arguing about benefits. I hope and pray it doesn‘t come to physical conflict and it should not!  However, people during the Civil war put their life on the line for what was the ‘right thing to do for America ‘. I wonder if today‘s citizen is as convicted to do the correct thing for our future ‘
We need some new  leadership in this country. This will only occur if people are brave enough like the Ripps and the Wyttenbachs to stand up and do the right thing without worry about their personal loss and repercussions. I take my hat off and applaud these people. Everything I divulged above is current and true. It still baffles me how these injustices are occurring right under our noses.
No press to cover this side of the story. These families are concerned about going broke but they are standing up for what is right and risking their livelihood for the right thing! God Bless- Tom Peters
P.S. Remember- politics is NOT a spectator sport. We all need to get off the couch and GET ENGAED in correcting the system. The forefathers of our constitution would be turning over in their graves if they say the current state of the political system in America. We should and CAN fix this system with intellect and some sacrifices. Brutality and threats are not the answer. Ignorance currently rules. Knowledge and persistence will prevail. However, this system will NOT change unless smart people become enraged enough to participate in changing the system.
Perhaps I finally realized I am a TEA PARTY member ‘ Neither Republicans nor Democrats are correcting the injustices that have accumulated during the last 30-40 years.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Linked to Death,Atherosclerosis in Veterans/ Semper Fi Magazine

Post-traumatic stress disorder, (PTSD) more than doubles a veterans risk of death from any cause and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2010.

The study states that doctors should offer as much preventive treatment for heart disease for clients with PTSD. The researchers, are Naser Ahmadi, MD, and Ramin Ebrahimi, MD.

The research studied the electronic medicals records of 286, 194 veterans, with an average age of 63, who are being treated at hospitals in Southern California and Nevada. The cohort group includes veterans of the Korean War.

The conclusion of the study indicated that veterans diagnosed with PTSD had 2.41 times the rate of death from all causes compared to veterans who have not experienced PTSD. Or at least not diagnosed with the symptoms. They then surmise that PTSD alone is an independent predictor of death from all causes.

Now, let Veteran Veritas  enter the picture. I cannot use the the adjective that first comes to mind for this study. So let your veteran imaginations take you there.

What I will say is that I first distrust this study because it smells of the subterranean influence of the Insurance industry that does not want to provide life insurance for the young soldiers returning from war, as a result of their pre-existing conditions —which is War!   A soldier who is diagnosed with PTSD cannot currently get life insurance. Truth.

Man is this a hard pill to swallow.

So, the citizen soldier who just defended the United States of America and our system of capitalism, the insurance industry being the very DNA of that system, can in turn not be defended by the very system they just defended.  There will  be an outcry beyond belief when this becomes known nationwide. Johnny can come marching home with ribbons of valor galore, but he cannot get life insurance if he seeks a little help for his nightmares of horific events, because he  is normal. All of the literature on PTSD indicates that, “it is a normal reaction to aberrant events.”  So, where am I going here? I believe studies like this should be scrutinized way beyond their practical value, for the core intent. I suspect that some of that intent is to have on record, medical data, to support the decline for life insurance.  Not unlike the bogus studies of a Psychiatrist named Sally Satel, who was on the payroll of the American Enterprise institute to conduct their dirty work in attempting to alter the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Psychiatry, DSM, so as to not have to award do many disability claims for PTSD, this study is akin to that effort that was suspended as a result of the incredible feedback from veterans, like this writer, who are up at night combing the net.  I will have more to say about this in future postings.

I would like to see what our readers have to say about this study and why from its initial reading it is laced with errors of science.  I will be revisiting this subject frequently over the next several months.

Next week I will be visiting with some high command at Camp Pendleton, and this topic is on the agenda.

As a footnote, many seasoned journalists have a bit of disdain for medical journalism as so much of it has hidden agendas of promotion of self and product, or is bent toward the pharmaceutical industry, meaning stockholders.

Vitally Important Veterans Legislation

There is one simple reason, this legislation is vitally necessary. Veterans of War with a diagnosis of PTSD, cannot get Life Insurance.  What a rap eh? You defend your nation, including one of the largest bastions of capitalism; the Insurance industry, and you cannot get insured by the folks whose freedom to conduct business was warrantied by your bodily and spiritual sacrifice.

Doc Holiday said it best, “my hypocrisy has no bounds.”

By Rick Maze – Staff writer,  Posted : Wednesday Sep 29, 2010 17:46:43 EDT

With just days before Congress takes a six-week break for the November elections, the House and Senate veterans’ affairs committees have reached agreement on an omnibus bill making improvements in employment, job protection, housing, insurance and other benefits.

The Senate passed the bill, HR 3219, by voice vote late Tuesday. The House is expected to approve it in the next few days.

The compromise bill surfaces just as national polls are showing wide spread discontent among voters about the glacial pace of legislative act. Getting the bill done is proof that when their backs are to the wall, lawmakers can reach agreement on veterans issues, which are largely bipartisan.

Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., are largely responsible for the agreement but there are dozens of bills wrapped into a package. Final passage by the House is expected by weeks’ end, just before lawmakers leave town. Akaka is chairman of the Senate veterans’ committee while Filner heads the House veterans’ panel.

Akaka said there are some important provisions, such as an increase in Veterans’ Mortage Life Insurance that fills a need “obvious in today’s housing market.” Currently, maximum insurance in case of the death of a service-connected disabled veteran was $90,000, far short of paying the mortgage balance on most homes. The bill hikes the maximum to $200,000.

Additionally, it increases supplemental life insurance for totally disabled veterans to $30,000, a $10,000 jump.

“Many totally disabled veterans find it difficult to obtain commercial life insurance,” Akaka said. “This legislation would provide these veterans with a reasonable amount of life insurance coverage.”

Called the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010, the package also expands federal work-study programs to try to help veterans find jobs and it also tried to crack down small businesses trying to take advantage of veteran-owned business set asides by making the Veterans Affairs Department responsible for keeping a database of companies where the VA can show it is owned and controlled by a veteran. This addresses a hot-button issue for many veterans’ service organizations, who have complained to Congress that business are getting contracts without having veterans involved.

Here are some of the key provisions of the compromise:

• The Office of Special Counsel would be used on a test basis to enforce employment and re-employment rights for veterans when a federal agency is the employer.

• Homeless veterans grants from the Labor Department would be expanded specifically to help women veterans and homeless veterans with children by including child care services along with training, counseling and placement services.

• A pilot program would provide grants in three states to try to help veterans find jobs in energy-related fields. The states are not named.

• In an expansion of the ability of service members to cancel leases and contracts when deployed or reassigned to new duty stations, the bill would prohibit early termination fees for residential leases and also allows service members to terminate cellular telephone contracts, including family plans, at any time when they have military orders to relocate for 90 days or longer or move to an area not served by the cell phone company.

• Veterans’ burial benefits would increase to $700, effective Oct. 1, 2010, when a veteran dies in a VA facility or is eligible for burial in a national cemetery.

• Parents of deceased service members could be buried alongside their child in a national cemetery if the service member was not married and did not have a child and when the service member was killed by hostile fire or in a training accident.

__._,_.___
God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
Past National Commander
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

Beware of Senator Who Speaks With Forked Tongue/ VVA Press Release

ress Release September 23, 2010 No. RI-002

Contact:
Mokie Porter
301-585-4000, Ext. 146

Beware the Senator Who Speaks With Forked Tongue


By John Weiss, Vietnam Veterans of America Rhode Island State Council

North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, the leading Republican on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said yesterday, as reported by the Associated Press, that he has “concerns about a proposal to spend billions of dollars on disability compensation for Vietnam veterans who get heart disease and wants to make sure that science supports the expansion of benefits.”

The “proposal” Burr is referring to is a decision by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, based on the recent National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine committee report, “Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2008.

A little history is in order: From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. military used Agent Orange and other herbicides in Vietnam and elsewhere to defoliate the jungle canopy, to destroy crops, and to clear the perimeters of U.S. bases. These herbicides were sprayed from fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, trucks, and backpack sprayers. The drums that stored these chemicals were often recycled and put to various other uses, sometimes to collect rain water, to serve as barbecue grill, etc. Nearly three million veterans served in Southeast Asia.

Contained in these herbicides was dioxin, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-paradioxin—one of the most dangerous chemicals known to man.

On August 31, 2010, in the Federal Register, the Department of Veterans Affairs published the final rules amending the adjudication regulations concerning presumptive service connection, concluding that there was a positive association between exposure in Vietnam to certain herbicides and the subsequent development of three diseases: hairy cell leukemia & B-cell leukemias; Parkinson’s disease; and ischemic heart disease.

And for the first time in history, on September 23, Burr and his colleagues will call into question the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as outlined in the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

Recognizing that Burr was voted into the House of Representatives in 1994, it is obvious that he was not involved with the passage of the Agent Orange Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-4), which passed the House and the Senate without a single nay vote. In fact, today, 19 years later, there are only 36 members of Congress still serving who voted for passage of this act in 1991.

The Agent Orange Act of 1991 acknowledges the culpability of toxic exposures in health conditions that manifested years after a veteran’s service. Included in the law is the authority for the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to, on a biannual basis, provide a review of all scientific studies and research on the association between dioxin and specific diseases; and include recommendations for future research.

The act further grants the Secretary of the VA the authority to determine if a presumption of service connection is warranted for any of the health conditions addressed in the report.

If Sen. Burr is uncomfortable with the Secretary’s determinations based on the National Academy of Sciences recommendations, perhaps he would be more comfortable with the finding of the U.S. Air Force Ranch Hand Study, conducted by the U.S. Air Force on those who participated in the aerial spraying program, as sited in the 1992 testimony of Dr. Barry L. Johnson, Assistant Surgeon General, before the House Subcommittee on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations:

A recent study on the health status of Vietnam veterans who participated in Operation Ranch Hand did not find any signs of liver disease, but did report increased levels of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood (a second report does not support these increases). In addition, an increase in body fat, diabetes, and blood pressure were also noted. These effects were strongly associated with TCDD levels in the serum. Ranch Hand veterans also had changes in blood (increased white blood cells, platelet, IgA, and sedimentation rates) which suggest a chronic inflammatory response, although no immunologic system diseases were identified. These immune system changes were also strongly associated with serum TCDD levels. These results differ from those reported in previous analyses of the Ranch Hand group in 1982 and 1985. The earlier analyses did not include an assessment of serum TCDD levels. A physical examination of Ranch Hand veterans is currently under way.

There is no doubt, that Burr, though too young to have faced conscription during the Vietnam Conflict, views himself as a supporter of those who served.

In fact, seven months ago, it was Sen. Burr who introduced a resolution recognizing March 30 as “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.” Proclaimed Burr, “There’s no question that our troops served our country bravely and faithfully during the Vietnam War, and these veterans deserve our recognition and gratitude.  Unfortunately, when these service members returned home, they were caught in the crossfire of public debate about our nation’s involvement in the war.”

Today, Vietnam veterans are again caught in the “crossfire of public debate,” as Burr and others balk at the price of providing for the continuing cost of care for those whom he and others recognize “served our country bravely and faithfully during the Vietnam War.”

Words of praise and gratitude do not cost anything. Veterans’ compensation for service-related health conditions do. Sen. Burr, which is it?

Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation’s only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans and their families.  VVA’s founding principle is “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”

Thank You American Legion For Dogging Those Enviromental Exposures

The following is a portion of the testimony presented by American Legion National Commander Jimmie L Foster and addresses Veteran disabilities due to environmental exposures.
The full testimony can be found at the following weblink:
http://veterans.house.gov/Media/file/111/9-22-10/AmericanLegionCommandersTestimony.pdf
Please distribute to your members.

American Legion National Commander Fiscal Year 2012 Testimony For the Department of Veteran’s Affairs

By Jimmie L Foster, National Commander

Excerpt: Veterans Disabilities due to Environmental Exposures:

AGENT ORANGE AND TACTICAL HERBICIDES

The American Legion believes that major epidemiological studies of Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the herbicide Agent Orange are long overdue. In the early 1980s, Congress held hearings on the need for such epidemiological studies.  When VA was unable to accomplish the task, the responsibility was passed to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  In 1986, CDC also abandoned the project, asserting that a study could not be conducted based on available records.

The American Legion did not give up.  Three separate panels of the National Academy of Sciences have agreed with The American Legion and concluded that CDC was wrong and that epidemiological studies based on DoD records are possible.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Characterizing Exposure of Veterans to Agent Orange and Other Herbicides Used in Vietnam, is based on the research conducted by a Columbia University team.  The team has developed a powerful method for characterizing exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.  The American Legion is proud to have collaborated in this research effort.  In its final report on the study, the IOM urgently recommends that epidemiological studies be undertaken now that an accepted exposure methodology is available.  The American Legion strongly endorses this IOM report.

PRESUMPTIVE SERVICE CONNECTION FOR EXPOSURE

The American Legion strongly supports the extension of presumption of exposure to Agent Orange for veterans who served on naval vessels located in the territorial waters of Vietnam (known as Blue Water Navy veterans) but did not set foot on land in Vietnam.

The IOM, in Update 2008, specifically stated that the evidence it reviewed makes the current definition of Vietnam service, for the purpose of presumption of exposure to Agent Orange, limited to those who actually set foot on land in Vietnam “seem inappropriate.”  Citing an Australian study on the fate of the contaminant TCDD when sea water is distilled to produce drinking water, the IOM committee stated that it was convinced that such a process would produce a feasible route of exposure for Blue Water veterans, “which might have been supplemented by drift from herbicide spraying.”  (See IOM, Veterans and Agent Orange, Update 2008, p. 564; July 24, 2009)  The IOM also noted that a 1990 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a classic Agent Orange cancer, was more prevalent and significant among Blue Water Navy veterans. The IOM subsequently recommended that, given all of the available evidence, Blue Water Navy veterans should not be excluded from the group of Vietnam-era veterans presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange/herbicides.

The American Legion submits that not only does this latest IOM report fully support the extension of presumption of Agent Orange exposure to Blue Water Navy veterans, it provides scientific justification to the legislation currently pending in Congress that seeks to correct this grave injustice faced by Blue Water Navy veterans. The American

Legion at its 2010 National Convention approved Resolution 88 identifying service in the Republic of Vietnam includes “those who served in the territorial waters offshore.”

EXPOSURE IN AREAS OTHER THAN THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

The American Legion is also extremely concerned about the timely disclosure and release of all information by DoD on the use and testing of herbicides in locations other than Vietnam during the war.  Over the years, The American Legion has represented veterans who claim to have been exposed to herbicides in places other than Vietnam.  Without official acknowledgement by the Federal government of the use of herbicides, proving such exposure is virtually impossible.  Information has come to light in the last few years leaving no doubt that Agent Orange, and other herbicides contaminated with dioxin, were released in locations other than Vietnam.  This information is slowly being disclosed by DoD and provided to VA. In April 2001, officials from DoD briefed VA on the use of Agent Orange along the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) from April 1968 through July 1969.  It was applied through hand spraying and by hand distribution of pelletized herbicides to defoliate the fields of fire between the front line defensive positions and the south barrier fence.  The size of the treated area was a strip 151 miles long and up to 350 yards from the fence to north of the civilian control line.  According to available records, the effects of the spraying were sometimes observed as far as 200 meters downwind. DoD identified the units that were stationed along the DMZ during the period in which the spraying took place.  This information was given to VA’s Compensation and Pension Service, which provided it to all of the regional offices.  VA Central Office has instructed its Regional Offices to concede exposure for veterans who served in the identified units during the period the spraying took place.

In January 2003, DoD provided VA with an inventory of documents containing brief descriptions of records of herbicides used at specific times and locations outside of Vietnam.  The information, unlike the information on the Korean DMZ, does not contain units’ involved or individual identifying information.  Also, according to VA, this information is incomplete, reflecting only 70 to 85 percent of herbicide use, testing and disposal locations outside of Vietnam.  VA requested that DoD provide it with information regarding the units involved with herbicide operations or other information that may be useful to place veterans at sites where herbicide operations or testing was conducted. Unfortunately, as of this date, additional information has not been provided by DoD.

Obtaining the most accurate information available concerning possible exposure is extremely important for the adjudication of herbicide-related disability claims of veterans claiming exposure outside of Vietnam.  For herbicide-related disability claims, veterans who served in Vietnam during the period of January 9, 1962 to May 7, 1975 are presumed by law to have been exposed to Agent Orange.  Veterans claiming exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam are required to submit proof of exposure.  This is why it is crucial that all information pertaining to herbicide use, testing, and disposal in locations other than Vietnam be released to VA in a timely manner.

The IOM subsequently recommended that, given all of the available evidence, Blue Water Navy veterans should not be excluded from the group of Vietnam-era veterans presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange/herbicides.

Congressional oversight is needed to ensure that additional information identifying involved personnel or units for the locations already known by VA is released by DoD, as well as all relevant information pertaining to other locations that have yet to be identified.  Locating this information and providing it to VA must be a national priority.  The American Legion endorses both the 2006 and 2008 IOM reports and strongly urges VA to make a timely decision on its recommendations and provide timely notification of the decision to add or not add to the presumptive list. The ongoing and lengthy process witnessed during the addition of the three new presumptive conditions associated with Agent Orange, ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s

disease, and b-cell leukemias such as “hairy cell leukemia” has illustrated the need for better coordination between VA, the veterans’ community and Congress.  There is an excellent system already in place by law to provide for the addition of new presumptive conditions.  The science evaluation performed by the IOM has been proven to be

sound and thorough.  Where VA evaluates this information and chooses to add new presumptive conditions, the process should not reflect endless months of delays and debate, but should move forward swiftly.

In order to facilitate a better understanding of this process, more clarity and transparency may be required.  Why, for example, does VA determine one portion of an IOM report to be valid for finding of a presumption of service connection, yet disregard other portions of the IOM findings, such as the analysis of the Australian Naval Study which

recognized the link between Blue Water Naval Service and the exposure to Agent Orange?  When questions are raised as to why VA has determined that the IOM findings suggest a connection, there should be clear guidance as to what standard is being objectively used, so that no questions as to the integrity of the process can arise. The process, when supported by sound science, should not consist of a yearlong cycle of bickering.  The law clearly states a period of deadlines for the publication of new regulations.  These regulations must be adhered to, and the criteria by which the Department of Veterans’ Affairs determines the necessity to add a new presumptive condition must be clear, so that future delays to veterans can be avoided.

The American Legion has long fought for the veterans of Vietnam to be justly treated for the after effects of their exposure to Agent Orange. Congress and VA must discover a way to more efficiently execute the process of the addition of new presumptive conditions, so that years of long delays no longer plague veterans in their quest for benefits.

GULF WAR ILLNESS

In the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illness (RACGWI) initial report released in November 2004, it was found that, for a large majority of affected Gulf War veterans, their illnesses could not be explained by stress or psychiatric illness and concluded that current scientific evidence supports a probable link between neurotoxin exposure and subsequent development of Gulf War veterans’ illnesses.  Earlier government panels concluded that deployment-related stress, not the numerous environmental and other exposures troops were exposed to during the war, was likely responsible for the numerous unexplained symptoms reported by thousands of Gulf War veterans. The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses released their most recent report November 2008.  In the report, the committee concluded that Gulf War Illness is a physical condition.  The report indicates that Gulf War Illness is a serious condition that affects at least one fourth of the 697,000 U.S. veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Gulf War.  The panel also determined that Gulf War Illness fundamentally differs from trauma and stress-related syndromes described after other wars.

Studies have indicated that Gulf War veterans have a lower rate of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) than veterans of other wars.  Upon review of extensive scientific evidence, the committee determined that two neurotoxin exposures are causally associated with Gulf War Illness: a drug given to service members to protect them from nerve gas known as pyridostigmine bromide (PB) pills and pesticides used during deployment.

The science evaluation performed by the IOM has been proven to be sound and thorough.  Where VA evaluates this information and chooses to add new presumptive conditions, the process should not reflect endless months of delays and debate, but should move forward swiftly.

The American Legion strongly supports this report and urges the VA Secretary to act quickly on the committee’s recommendations. In addition, VA must continue to fund research projects consistent with the recommendations of the RACGWI.  VA must continue to fund research projects consistent with the recommendations of the RACGWI.  It is important that VA continues to focus its research on finding medical treatments that will alleviate veterans’ suffering as well as on figuring out the causes of that suffering.  Although veterans can file claims for these ailments and possibly gain access to the health care system once a disability percentage rate is granted, those whose claims are denied cannot enroll.  Unfortunately, the denial rate for Gulf War undiagnosed illness claims is approximately 75 percent. Due to their nature, these illnesses are difficult to understand and information about individual exposures may not be available, many ill veterans are not able to present strong claims.  They are then forced to seek care from private physicians who may not have enough information about Gulf War Veterans’ illnesses to provide appropriate care. VA published its comments on the IOM’s Gulf War and Health, Volume 2: Insecticides and Solvents report, released in February 2003 in the Federal Register.

The Department decided not to establish a presumption of service connection for any diseases, illnesses or health effects considered in the report, based on exposure to insecticides or solvents during service in the Persian Gulf during the Persian Gulf War.  Many of VA’s justifications for not establishing presumption mirror the reasons why ill Gulf War veterans have problems justifying their claims.  The IOM report notes that little information is known about the use of solvents in the theater. VA notes that veterans may still be granted service connection, if evidence indicates an association between their diseases and their exposures. This places the burden of proof on Gulf War veterans to prove their exposures and that the level of exposure is sufficient enough to warrant service connection. IOM and VA have acknowledged that there is insufficient information on the use of the identified solvents and pesticides during the Gulf War.

VA’s interpretation is that Congress did not intend VA to establish presumptions for known health effects of all substances common to military and civilian life, but that it should focus on the unique exposure environment in the Persian Gulf during the war. The IOM was commissioned to ascertain long-term health effects of service in the Persian Gulf during the war, based on exposures associated with service in theater during the war as identified by Congress, not exposures unique to the Southwest Asia Theater. The determination to not grant presumption for the ailments identified should be based solely on the research findings, not on the legitimacy of the exposures identified by Congress. The IOM has a similar charge to address veterans who served in Vietnam during the war. Herbicides were not unique to the operations in the Southeast Asia theater of conflict and there had not been, until recently, a definitive idea of the amounts of herbicides to which service members had been exposed.  Peer-reviewed, occupational studies are evaluated to make recommendations on which illnesses are associated with exposure the herbicides—and their components known to be used in theater.  For ailments that demonstrate sufficient evidence of a causal relationship, sufficient evidence of an association, and limited evidence of an association, the Secretary may consider presumption. Gulf War and Health Volume 2 identifies several illnesses in these categories.  However, the VA Secretary determined that presumption is not warranted. VA needs to clearly define what type of information is required to determine possible health effects, for example, any clarification of guidance or mandate for the research.

VA also needs to ensure that its charge to the IOM is specific enough to help it make determinations about presumptive illnesses.  VA noted that neither the report, nor the studies considered for the report identified increased risk of disease based on episodic exposures o insecticides or solvents and that the report states no conclusion whether any of the diseases are associated with “less than chronic exposure,” possibly indicating a lack of data to make a determination.  If this was necessary, it should have been clearly identified.

Finally, Section 1118, title 38, United States Code  mandates how the VA Secretary should respond to the recommendations made in the IOM reports.  The VA Secretary is required to make a determination of whether or not a presumption for service connection is warranted for each illness covered in the report no later than 60 days after the date the report is received. Persian Gulf War and Health, Volume 2 was released in 2003, four years ago.  VA has yet to publish its determination on those reports as well. The American Legion urges VA to provide clarity in the charge for the IOM reports. The VA must identify what type of information is needed to make determinations of presumption of service connection for illnesses that may be associated with service in the Gulf during the war.

The American Legion urges VA to request clarification from Congress on the intent of the phrase “known or presumed to be associated with service in the Armed Forces in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.” Additionally to obtain clarification from the IOM committee concerning missing information as possible, and re-evaluate the findings of the IOM report with the clarification provided. The American Legion also urges Congress to provide oversight to ensure VA provides timely responses to the recommendations made in the IOM reports.
God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
Past National Commander
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

Invisible Wounds Hurt Veterans Job Chances/ LA Times/ Alexandra Zavis

Invisible Wounds Hurt Veterans’ Job Chances

This saga has been underway since the first troops rotated after the Shock and Awe bombing of Iraq in 2003.  For the past 7 years only one mission has been accomplished, the war side one.  Post war battles are harder to fight, because the soldier is not armed with the emotional weapons to overcome a bio-chemical make- over of  their entire being. At least not in the employers minds.

I predicted this patriotic hypocrisy following the first retreat I attended in 2005, for returning combat veterans. There were 19 at the workshop, and 11 of them had trouble getting their jobs back after deployment.  Four of them were engaged in lawsuits with former employers. They were all reservists who by Federal Law must be allowed to return to their jobs after being called up for duty.

What was the Employers response to these young warriors? “Sue me, then.”  So much for the yellow ribbons.

And this is just the first wave of troops rotating home. We think we have an unemployment problem now?  Wait for the next wave to hit the barren beaches of bleakness in the economy.  I remember well 1973 when no one wanted to hire a Vietnam Veteran.

There is, however, an aspect to this job placement dilemma that is really quite positive. Now the VA cares. Now our current Administration cares. Now there are mentoring programs and vocational rehabilitation that never existed in my era of suppression and repression of all war related matters.  We are a bit more enlightened about a soldiers needs. That is a good thing.  The funding and support for these programs needs to be ongoing and stable until every Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Airman, and Coast Guard combatant are safe at home.  Without that assured commitment, we will only see a deja vu of the self destruction and homelessness that visited us in the veteran community for the 25 years following the end of the Vietnam War.  There were no yellow ribbons then, just suicides.  We can do better, and will.   Mike Brewer/USMC

The article follows.

Michael Butcher has applied for at least 25 jobs since injuries he suffered in Iraq forced him to leave the Army three years ago.

“I was even turned down by McDonald’s,” said the 29-year-old San Diego native.

The military is known for developing leadership, adaptability, loyalty and teamwork. But Butcher said when he tells employers he needs time off to see therapists for post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury, they don’t call back.

“They think you are mental,” he said.

After nearly a decade of war, many U.S. military veterans have lived through extended periods of combat stress and the trauma of losing colleagues. Nearly a third of the troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan report symptoms of PTSD, severe depression or traumatic brain injury, according to a 2008 study by the Rand Corp.

Many of these new veterans struggle to find and retain civilian jobs. Not only are they returning to the worst economy in decades, advocates say, but many employers do not know how to accommodate these invisible wounds and worry that they might “go postal.”

“If you are a person with a lost limb, it’s a little more straightforward what you might need,” said John Wilson, assistant legislative director for Disabled American Veterans. “You might need a different kind of keyboard or voice-recognition software to do the typing.”

But employers may not know what to expect from a person with PTSD or a brain injury. The symptoms can include severe headaches, memory lapses, poor concentration, slurred speech, loss of balance, a short temper and anxiety in a crowd.

“These elements can make it a challenge to do everyday activities in the workplace,” said Raymond Jefferson, assistant secretary for the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service in the U.S. Department of Labor. “But there are very reasonable accommodations employers can make to allow wounded warriors with PTSD and [brain injuries] to be high-contributing, high-performing members on the team.”

When the Society for Human Resource Management surveyed its members in June, 46% said they believed post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues posed a hiring challenge. Just 22% said the same about combat-related physical disabilities.

Although media attention has helped make the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD and traumatic brain injury a government priority, veterans say it has also contributed to the stigma associated with these wounds.

“They hear so many stories on the news — this soldier got back from Iraq and killed his wife — which makes people a little reluctant to hire you,” Butcher said.

Butcher deployed to Iraq in 2003 as part of a tank crew that repeatedly came under fire. One hot day he left a hatch open and the force of a grenade blast slammed his head against an iron shield.

Many veterans are using education benefits to improve their qualifications. But when Butcher enrolled in community college, the sight of Muslim students kneeling to pray triggered terrifying flashbacks. He left after one semester.

A friend helped arrange an internship at a computer manufacturing company, but Butcher said he got into frequent arguments with co-workers. After four days, he was asked to leave.

Butcher said he has since learned to walk away when he gets angry and uses weekly counseling sessions to relieve stress. But he said the flexibility he would need from an employer puts him at a disadvantage compared to job seekers who don’t have special needs.

Officials with the U.S. departments of Veterans Affairs, Labor and Defense have worked to assure potential employers that the mental and cognitive disabilities of many veterans can be accommodated with little expense and minimum disruption.

Short rest periods — no longer than a smoking break — can make a big difference, said Ruth Fanning, who heads the VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service. The department also pays for adaptive technology, such as electronic organizers to help keep track of appointments and white-noise machines to reduce distractions.

Denita Hartfield, a veteran now working from home, takes a digital recorder into every meeting, writes lists in color-coded notebooks and covers her workspace with Post-it note reminders. A striking woman, fashionably attired, with a master’s degree in criminal justice and weapons of mass destruction, Hartfield struggled as dean of students at a business school because her disabilities were not immediately apparent.

“I need my appointments to live,” she said.
Hartfield now wants to set up her own business advising veterans and employers how to work together. She says more open communication would have helped in her case, but at first she did not want to acknowledge her disabilities.

“One of the problems is so many folks aren’t even talking about their invisible wounds,” said Tim Embree, legislative associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “The issues are different with every individual, so what I think matters is that the individual understands what’s going on as well as the employer.”

To help employers better accommodate the mental health issues veterans face, the Department of Labor has set up a web site, America’s Heroes at Work.

Many veterans find civilian work with the U.S. government, which is one of the largest employers of former military personnel; they make up a quarter of the federal workforce. About 40% of the staff at VA medical call centers in Northern California are disabled veterans, many of them with PTSD or brain injuries, according to Project Hired, the nonprofit contracted to run them. Los Angeles Habilitation House is training 18 veterans with invisible wounds to provide contract management services to the government.

They include Ronta Foster, a 49-year-old father of two who has cycled between the Army and low-paying civilian jobs for years.

He was diagnosed with PTSD and traumatic brain injury after deploying to Iraq in 2003 but traces the symptoms back to a beating he received outside a German nightclub in 1982.

“The opportunities have been far and few for me,” Foster said. “This here is going to give me an opportunity to start another career and take care of me and my family. That’s all I have been wanting to do for 30 years.”

Some companies also seek out veterans. Joshua Stout is one of 80 people recruited through Northrop Grumman’s hiring program for severely wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. A former Marine who served in both wars, he now works as a project manager at a plant in San Diego that is developing an unmanned surveillance plane for the Navy.

The company consulted occupational nurses on how to help the 27-year-old manage PTSD and a brain injury. They showed him how to set reminders on his computer and arranged his cubicle so co-workers could not come up from behind and startle him.

Stout said he struggled to learn how to manage databases, but his supervisor worked with him until he could remember the steps.

“I get a lot of self pride out of working for this company,” he said. “I’m still supporting the troops and I’m still defending freedom.”

Although accommodations have to be made, Karen Stang, who manages the hiring program, said managers appreciate what veterans like Stout bring to the company.

“They bring loyalty, a great work ethic, commitment,” she said. “It’s been a real win-win.”

alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

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