National Veterans Foundation

Wounded Vets also Suffer Financial Woes
By JEFF DONN and KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press writers
Sep. 29, 2007 - 2:18 PM

TEMECULA, Calif. - He was one of America's first defenders on Sept. 11, 2001, a Marine who pulled burned bodies from the ruins of the Pentagon. He saw more horrors in Kuwait and Iraq.

Today, he can't keep a job, pay his bills, or chase thoughts of suicide from his tortured brain. In a few weeks, he may lose his house, too.

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Well, after reading this story I thought “Wow, this guy is making $4,330 a month for disability (the average annual payment for a totally disabled veteran is around $44k a year), that’s way more than I make”. As I thought that I thanked God that – I do not suffer from PTSD, I was not one of the first responders that sifted through the rubble searching for bodies at Ground Zero, I do not have flashbacks, I did not see the horrors of war, I was not deployed to Kuwait or Iraq.

If you read the rest of the article you will see that the government has severely underestimated the cost of caring for veterans.

Not only is the VA short-changing our veterans by holding back on their disability ratings but they seem to be getting support from the active duty military who is discharging a lot of soldiers under false claims of “Personality Disorders”.

How Specialist Town Lost His Benefits
Joshua Kors

In the Army's separations manual it's called Regulation 635-200, Chapter 5-13: "Separation Because of Personality Disorder." It's an alluring choice for a cash-strapped military because enacting it is quick and cheap. The Department of Veterans Affairs doesn't have to provide medical care to soldiers dismissed with personality disorder. That's because under Chapter 5-13, personality disorder is a pre-existing condition. The VA is only required to treat wounds sustained during service.

Soldiers discharged under 5-13 can't collect disability pay either. To receive those benefits, a soldier must be evaluated by a medical board, which must confirm that he is wounded and that his wounds stem from combat. The process takes several months, in contrast with a 5-13 discharge, which can be wrapped up in a few days.

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Now, if you still think the VA is taking care of our veterans think again! This story is more common than you think. If this continues we are looking at a homeless veteran population that will far exceed that of the Vietnam Veteran.