Veterans, This Will Make You Angry.(And It Should)

reply to post by Gridrebel


No worries. I think they make it difficult to get what we need on purpose. Many give up and then it is cheaper on the system. They have driven many veterans away using frustration. I have almost been there myself but I need the medical care.

reply to post by randomname


Sounds like someone's parents didn't show them enough affection as a child.

Quickly threw this harangue together, without taking anytime to refine it.

Back in the day, I got an honorable discharge "for the good of the service." Never made it beyond seaman E-3 in the USCG. As a deckhand on a 210' medium-endurance cutter, I was always eager to go out on the SAR missions. But having a death wish since childhood and being a suicide jockey, there was never any fear of not coming back. In port I had absolutely no patience for the military's tradition of "negative reinforcement." Got more than my share of that treatment as kid, being raised by an extremely abusive sociopathic father. Needless to say I loved to go AWOL, but never once missed movement.

Finally got out and qualified for the GI Bill, later being accepted to the USCD, where I pursued a bio-medical engineering education. As a homeless student, I lived in a VW panel van with a couple of surfboards and a 12-gauge pump shotgun. Receiving a monthly check that more than covered all my expense at that time, life was good. The university had everything a homeless student could dream of. There were state subsidized $2 all you could eat breakfasts, hotel showers, weight rooms, Olympic pools, saunas, jacuzzis, and hot chicks everywhere. There were comfortable fluorescent lit libraries, lecture halls with blackboards along with computer terminal facilities that were open 24/7. It was like being a member of some country club. Oh yeah, and right across the street was Blacks, one of the meanest beach breaks in California.

I worked part time at the VAMC, as a phlebotomist (i.e. blood drawer). There were lots of WW-ll, Korean, and Vietnam vets at that time. I'd show up for work at 0400, always trying to beat the other phlebotomist so that I could chose which floor I'd being drawing from. Patients in the psychiatric ward typically had good veins, which were easy to hit. This definitely wasn't the case on many of the other wards, where things could be tricky at times.

After graduating and getting my degree I got hired again at the VAMC, but this time as a biomedical engineer, working for the chief of orthopedic surgery. I was put in charge of managing his research laboratory. The fiscal waste that I witnessed over the next 2 years was shocking.

A day in the life could actually play out like this. I'd show up for work super early, well before 0600, avoiding elevator rides which could be packed with patients, including HIV cases. Instead opting for a hike up the stairwell to the top floor where the research labs were located. I'd cross the "central core" and make a brief stop to rummage through a pile of surplus equipment and medical supplies left out by the research labs -- there'd be anything from oscilloscopes to cases of sterile syringes -- you could scavenge every single morning, and take what you wanted back to your lab, no questions asked.

Later in the day you might decide to ask the admin office for a key to the "supply room" and without any supervision or accountability load up on stationary supplies, pens, bottle of whiteout, notebooks, reams of paper, printer cartridges, tape dispenser, staplers, etc., etc., etc.

Toward the end of each fiscal quarter a principal investigator would make sure that you exhausted all the money in his budget, by having me call in suppliers and ordering ten of everything, even though we already had ten of everything. This had something to do with not being able to get matching funds the next quarter, if we didn't spend all our money.

A "working lunch" according the to principal investigators, might involve accompanying MDs and PhDs to the best restaurant in town where you could witness them ordering steak and lobster along with cappuccinos and apple pie ala mode. Of course they'd pay for it all with government issued credit cards, you know the ones that the IRS force American taxpayers to subsidize.

Back that afternoon we might finish up the day fighting "space wars." The principal investigators (MDs and PhDs) were constantly competing with one another for lab space. It wasn't uncommon to scrap for vacant space, spending lots of time, lots of money, and effort getting a lab outfitted just to find out another principal investigator has out maneuvered you politically. Your evicted and asked to vacate, with the only available place to store your supplies and equipment being the central core (i.e. scavenger heaven).

Just like military service, I ended up rebelling against this government system too -- corruption, greed, misguided spirits, and wanton waste. Didn't want to be an accomplice by actively participating in the commission of these crimes. There was no way for me to right it, so I walked away and went back to the blue collar ranks, working as a carpenter and building houses, surfing my friggin' brains out.

F.T.G.

To all the veterans in America, please never consider suicide as a way out.

There is always some magic to be had in this life, and you never know what good fortune tomorrow may bring you.

Just like an angel said to me one night, the moment before I pulled the trigger on a rifle pointed at my temple. It said, "don't kill yourself, your're going to die someday anyway ... go through life from this point forward and LIVE OUT YOUR DREAMS!"

Peace on Earth!

Wow this is horrible and sadly not surprising.

What's worse are the response of how others are getting screwed. I had my bumps with the VA but nothing that is as bad as what some of y'all had, though my dad has had worse, kinda.

He is considered 100% disabled (has 100% disability), took him years to get it. I know 100% is max but if it could go over that my dad would be near the 200%+. Anyhow, every other year, the VA tries to take away the 100% due to funding and also saying my dad has healed due to time, yeah they are that ignorant. I once found my dad's medals and counted at least 4 purple hearts, so I know he's been through some stuff, but having to fight them every other year is beyond annoying.

Then reading this article on how they just blew almost a million dollars on a 2 week conference, WTF!?!?!? That is more then enough money to pay for a dozen or so benefits to troops that could really use it.

How do these individuals get these jobs? It seems like the more important the job/position is the more incompetent the individuals, with politicians leading the pack! And they are barely going to get a slap on the hand? Wow!

Originally posted by Pervius
Look at all the money the VA's been giving out for "PTSD".....what a shame. Many of the people getting that have absolutely nothing wrong with them and laugh about it.


Let me tell you about 1. He's ex army and served in the Iraq War sitting in Kuwait doing nothing. He came back and applied for "PTSD" disability and the VA gives him $1500 a month for his mental disability. He's got a job working for DOD loading and unloading airplanes moving explosives around the world....he drives around tens of thousands of pounds of DODs boom stuff......and on top of his civil service pay he's getting $1500 a month for his "PTSD" mental disability.....

....Nation of crooks.

Perfect example..... my cousin who was in Vietnam the same time I was has come down with Agent Orange problems, they are legit though. Diabetes and prostrate cancer, as far as the VA, they have been determined to be "Presumptive". OK For that part, it's legit, and he was poisoned as were hundreds of thousands who were in country. But since the sometimes 'Presumptive' determinations sometimes also accept that PTSD is a side effect, He went ahead and filed for that as well. Why not, with a disability of near 100% He would get upwards of 3K a month in benefits paid to him. I think the number is like $2700 bucks for 100% disability. So of course He played the game to get the bucks. He's 62 and has a 'Teamsters' pension/retirement going on now that He's retired. Thing is, He never had outright 'real PTSD', instead He played the game the same as a lot of ex-GI's do to get the benifits. In order to get them though, they often times prescribe Medications for these mental ailments...... and if you were only acting, they DO make you crazy......... a heavy price to pay for the $'s. So now my cousin is clinically crazy and I have noticed that he has declined from what He was. But it was his choice to scam the system, and now he has to live with it.... 'the craziness' that is. As long as He takes the meds, he will get benefits..... but once he wants his life back... (if the meds don't permanently screw up His brain), He will risk loosing the 100% disability which provides the twenty-something hundred dollar bennies. He was a dental assistant in the Air Force........ real stressful ya think... Every time I'v ever went to an appointment at the VA for healthcare, I see the 'Crazy' actors ... who play the game while there, and after they leave, back to normal lives. It's BS, but it's also GREED and wrong. Just my thoughts. Hmmmm, maybe if I was crazy I'd have a couple K a month for partying and stuff.

reply to post by seasoul


From one Veteran and Carpenter to another, thank you. Thanks for not being part of the problem and for fighting the good fight. Just keep enjoying life and finding the right set while your out in the water.

reply to post by seasoul


I've lost a few good friends to suicide over the last few years. It just plain sucks. I always worry around anniversery dates and yesterday was a six year anniversery from when we lost two great men. I just don't want to lose anymore. This country has lost enough already.

reply to post by Lostmymarbles


It blows my mind but at the same time does not surprise me. When people spend money they don't have to earn they just don't care who it will negatively affect in the long run. In this case it is the veterans needing care who will suffer.

reply to post by Plotus


Thank you for your service and I am sorry to hear about your cousin. There are alot of veterans milking the system which adds to the problems in general. I am 100% but most of that rating is due to my heart problems. PTSD is only a smaller fraction. I also have other real medical ailments as well. SSRI drugs tend to make people crazy anyway. I take anti anxiety meds occasionally and I take another drug to help with anxiety and sleep. I also believe the reason the VA is processing so many of the false claims is because big pharma is getting rich off suffering veterans. It's the PTSD gold rush going on right now.

reply to post by usmc0311

usmc0311 --

I believe the "good fight" and really the only time to fight is in defense of truth.

America has been ripped off on so many levels, anywhere from our political system being hijacked to our corporations selling us out.

It's time to take the "good fight" to those who infringe on our free will, to those who attempt to steal our natural rights, to those who seek to enslave us, to those who poison our earth.

I honestly feel that the most powerful weapon is the humble pen, in the hands of an honest man.

Never give up trying to expose deception and lies. Each day, try to sow at least a few seeds of truth.

Keep up your important work on ATS, brother.

No fear, remember "a coward dies a thousand deaths, but the valiant taste death but once."

F.T.G.

reply to post by Pervius


People get that much for PTSD?

Sheesh. I should say I have that. Instead I get a whole $216 dollars month, what did it cost? Two inches off my height and one hell of a concussion. I can't even get the VA to pay for back surgery. Lucky I have my own insurance.

reply to post by usmc0311

My opinion is that VA staff should be 100% Veteran. I know that would be near impossible but it would be nice.

Never did the whole military thing so not sure what you all are really getting on about.

But whenever an institution or really any form of organization is made up of people who have never been there and done that, things tend to go into murky dept's, as you no doubt know because really they can not relate and in such case it just becomes a business which is not a bad thing in itself. But when everything becomes a job, then there is nothing but the bottom dollar that matters.

And so in this day and age, you may as well consider and at first assume that even such things as charities are just a for profit organization. Which really is not that far off, in fact it seems to be right on the money that most things are about the money. At least till they have proven themselves otherwise its best to take such things with a grain of salt, and for some you may need a bag of salt.

Corruption is a aplenty in the world and like weeds in a garden, it will not just go away till you uproot it all away, and even then its an ever on going process. That is all, carry on.

I live in DC and I hate to say it but that is how these folks roll. Be they federal employees of stature, lobbyists, contractors, you name it. Plush is how to do it. It's crazy and no one here, down to the troglodytes GS-Zeros, think there is anything abnormal with it.

It makes you wonder what they spend their time doing (ala GSA)????

I guess it sure ain't budgeting with the taxpayer in mind.

I am sure that most of the people here has received envelopes from all sorts of veteran organizations asking for donations. Since, by the way people talk here) the vets are not getting these monies is the reason that I do not contribute to them. Same goes for sick children and all other charities because they only give to the wanted ones a few cents on the dollar. The rest they keep to themselves and running these scams. Please all look into these organizations before you even give a dime.

reply to post by usmc0311


so i guess i should be happy that instead of meeting my recruiter on the morning i was supposed to enlist I stayed in bed at my gfs request.

As a disabled vet, I will allow you people my story and hope you all come to a better end than what is provided by the original poster. My disability is VERY minor when held to the light of what some of these young men that I assume are the focus of this article.
That having been said, I came out of the USN lesser than when I went in. i am what is referred to as "Viet Nam Era", I don't like this designation, I never left the contiguous U.S. except to sail on carriers, but I was in when people thought it was O.K. to spit and gang up on us servicemen, etc.
Anyway, when I first got out I was appalled by the conditions at the V.A. hospitals here in the Tampa Bay area- those being James Haley- my primary and Bay Pines in St. Petersberg, the place where they did the real testing.
It was like going into a scene from "One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest".
Vermin feces, roaches, spiders, ants,, etc. both places had it all. Never actually saw the rats on premises, gottta say that.
I lasted about 2 years of going to Bay Pines and after I got tired and, really, heartsick, about what he people in even the, V.A. were saying about us, I stopped going in for my check-ups. ( as if Nerve damage will self cure)! My checks stopped coming.
Fine
Fast forward to 2011, I'm making half what i was 5 years ago, I need MONEY and decide to re-apply for my bennies.
Wrote a snail mail letter, got a reply within a month, started getting a check within 6 months, back pay!, was told I'm entitled to FULL medical, got a physical that you civilians would call intrusive, the facilities were SPOTLESS, the hired help wa almost embarrassing because they all end the very brief an professional interaction with "thank you for your service", First time I'd ever heard that!
Just wanted to let you guys know, things were bad for vets then, we really did walk to school in the snow barefoot, but the V.A. is better now than it's ever been. If you're a vet, go see them. If you feel dissed, come down to Tampa, we're/ they're doing me right.

VA upset about 'this' as well for Good reason.

The more often I see, or hear about, employees of the US government piddling away tax dollars I become a more staunch fiscal conservative. After working in government, I will never again whine about the board of directors and their demand for a larger profit margin. At least their employees work.

I blew out my acl in iraq while in the army. Right before I got out I was screwed out of a medical checkup by my unit. I was told to apply in the civilian va. I applied, took 1 year to get my physical only to be told I have nothing wrong with me. I guess the fact that I cant run for long distances anymore doesnt matter to the va...