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Ear to the Ground

For Veterans With PTSD, Location Is Everything

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Posted on Dec 20, 2007

Of the 750,000 or so veterans who have been discharged from the “war on terror,” roughly one-quarter have been recognized by the VA as mentally or physically injured. One of the leading debilitating injuries suffered by those men and women is PTSD, but how much they’re compensated by the government depends a great deal on where they live, according to an investigation by McClatchy’s Washington bureau.


McClatchy:

WASHINGTON—Veterans coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with debilitating mental ailments are discovering that their disability payments from the government vary widely depending on where they live, an exclusive McClatchy analysis has found.

As a result, many of the recent veterans who’re getting monthly payments for post-traumatic stress disorder from the Department of Veterans Affairs could lose tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits over their lifetimes.

The Bush administration has sought to reassure soldiers that they’ll be treated fairly, but veterans in some parts of the country are far more likely to be well compensated than their compatriots elsewhere, the analysis found.

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By abe, December 25, 2007 at 7:33 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Im from southern nm and texas runs the show here. I signed up for sevice here and had to sit through political indoctrination. The meetings would start with what was on that day, get this, on the rush limpback show. When I showed then my notes on the meetings, how he blamed the survivors of katrina for there own situation, how the media lost the war in vietnam. On and on he went, I left more depressed then I arrived. My protest only got me on the VA bus to el paso wear I became the subject.

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By Hammo, December 22, 2007 at 1:06 pm #

Because of extended combat tours, urban warfare, the horrors of roadside bombs (IEDs) and car bombs (VBIEDs) as well as the questionble purposes and poor leadership coming from Washington, many of our troops have been exposed to extreme stressors.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been called an epidemic among our troops.

Funds should be found to help those we can help.

Related information in the articles ...

“U.S. troops in Iraq taking drugs to cope with stress, trauma” (June 30, 2006)

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=11079

-  -  -

“American troops are cracking under horrors, deception and lies of Iraq war” (June 2, 2006)

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=10640

-  -  -

“Are the U.S. media and public ready to deal with the troops severely wounded in the Iraq war?” (October 30, 2005)

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=3349

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By lawlessone, December 21, 2007 at 4:13 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Regarding the disregard this Administration holds our damaged soldiers, maybe we should be like the Republicans and start relabeling things.  If “Estate Taxes” applicable to only the uber rich can be morphed into so-called “Death Taxes” to prevent their continuation, then hereafter instead of calling war related mental illness the innocuous sounding “PTSD,” it should be called “Republican Inflicted Wounds.”

Would someone please, please, please explain to me how the Republican policies of wasting troops to fight under strength with little respite in ill advised wars continued eternally primarily to save politicians from embarrassment and then not providing those troops with adequate pay, equipment, family housing or even useful post trauma medical care is somehow “supporting the troops”?  Would someone please explain why such policies shouldn’t get Republicans “waterboarded” and exiled in perpetuity to “Gitmo” for being Al-Qaeda sympathizers?

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By Outraged, December 21, 2007 at 12:06 pm #

Do you believe this comment from the article: “Frankly, it’s difficult,” the VA’s Walcoff said. “There is some subjectivity. It’s not as simple as a below-the-knee amputation.”

**Walcoff apparently can be very “black and white” on the “simple” matter of “a below-the-knee amputation”.  Obviously that’s worth $???.00.  What a sick degenerate, he must have voted for Bush.

“Subjectivity”...doesn’t that sound like code for “how to shaft the populace.”  In this case veterans. 

Quote:  “This summer, a new report commissioned by the VA again detailed wide variations in disability payments from state to state. But the VA told Congress that doesn’t mean that America’s newest veterans are being shortchanged.”

IT DOESN’T…??  Could someone decode that for me?  I think this goes back to the divide and conquer strategy these low-lifes use as cover.  They let MOST areas get screwed over so that it keeps costs down but they always keep a few well-funded ones around just to cover their ass should there be a “problem”.  Then when the “problem” creeps up they acknowledge the “inconsistencies” and vow to do better.  It’s almost spiritual their concern, wouldn’t you say.

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By weather, December 21, 2007 at 8:11 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

You’d think the arrogant and haughty Goldman Sachs crowd would pool a fund and in a private sector gesture, bankroll some quality of life for these victims and families.

Merry Christmas

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