Almost half of new vets seek disability

[Culpeper]

...Upon separating, VA representatives encourage veterans to document every medical problem, no matter how slight. This is because minor problems may become significantly larger problems as the veteran ages, and the sooner disabilities are claimed, the easier it is for the veteran and the VA to resolve the claim. The VA determines whether or not the medical problem is sufficient for compensation. Not the veteran. The VA does not want a repeat of its past where veterans were basically ignored or discarded after their service. It is better for more claims to be submitted and dismissed than to have fewer claims and have large groups of veterans left without assistance.

That is interesting. When I separated all I got was a physical. Years later, out of curiosity, I requested my medical records. I requested all of them. All I got was a letter stating I missed a dental appointment and I jumped out of airplanes in the service with all the minor injuries that go with it and all those injuries were in my medical file upon discharge. What good does it do for the veteran to document everything himself after separation? It should already be in his medical file because if it is not then it never happened. Your post does nothing to support the overwhelming need for soldiers to apply for frivolous disability claims. But I will add to your post that today's military does not have so-called replacements for soldiers that are physically or mentally injured. The same service men are called upon to do the same job with less men when they lose men. Basically, there are no replacements per se, which only compounds the problem of coping. But again, we are discussing men on the front lines of battle. Not support personnel requesting ridiculous PTSD claims. Personally, I think the VA and the military should differentiate between stress and distress. The former being less severe and requiring treatment and not compensation. Thus, reducing the number of frivolous claims for disability. Your solution for more bureaucracy is ludicrous. It makes no sense for more claims to be submitted and dismissed. It makes as much sense as enlisted soldiers getting their citations for bravery downgraded simply because they are enlisted. It is the same dogma.

[Sasquatch]

And how many of their problems are because there are no Jobs out there?

It used to be, you got out and got a job down at the Plant.

Well, the plant closed.

These days, $8 an hour at Fast food or stocking shelves at the big box stores is about all there is. So their lives have no structure, fast food especially wants all their workers to have "Flexibility" (ie, come to work when we call you, but don't expect forty hours). No wonder they get into trouble.

Disability claims are as much a failure of our society as any failure of character on the part of this generation.

[Culpeper]

Put my mother in a nursing home last couple of weeks. I was going through her stuff and came across an affidavit that my grandfather had given in the 1920s along with eye witness affidavits claiming he was gassed in WWI. He was applying for what amounted to the beginning of disability claims as we know it. The language went something like this...

Question: How have you been getting along these last several years.

Grandfather: I just rock on.

The problem was he contracted the 1918 influenza as well as was gassed. As you can imagine it took several years before he saw a penny in disability. Nevertheless, he was right there for the grand opening of the American Legion Hall in Cleveland, Texas. Was posted every general election, 100 feet from the poll, carrying a shotgun. Escorted the ballots, armed with the same shotgun to the courthouse to be counted. He did this every year as long as he could breath. He was the real thing. A true Citizen Soldier Yellow Dog Democrat. Wonder what he would say if he was alive today.