Veterans and Military Families for Progress Endorses Barack Obama for President
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Veterans-Military-Families-Progress-Endorses/story.aspx?guid={0734C6CD-D35E-4FE2-86A5-B5AA8D5B43DC}
Last update: 12:48 p.m. EDT Oct. 29, 2008
WASHINGTON, Oct 29, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- By vote of the Board of Directors, Veterans and Military Families for Progress ( www.vmfp.org) proudly endorses Senator Barack Obama in the upcoming United States presidential election. Founded in 2005, VMFP is dedicated to ensuring that the rights and needs of veterans, those currently serving (including national guard and reservists), and their families are understood by the American public, endorsed by our elected officials, and protected by legislation, regulation, and public policy initiatives.
As the grandson of a veteran of World War II, his appreciation of veterans' issues is underscored not by words but by actions. He serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has shown leadership by introducing several non-partisan bills, some of which have been enacted into law, for the benefit of veterans. He shares the values of our military forces, and fights to ensure our forces are well-rested and properly equipped. Of particular interest to VMFP, Senator Obama shows superior support for veterans' "coming home" issues such as accessible physical and mental health care, expanded educational benefits and job opportunities, and reduction of homelessness and suicide within the ranks of America's veterans.
From his days as head of Harvard's Law Review to the moment he entered the Senate, Obama's leadership to our country has been recognized. His superior commitment to the issues that are critical to veterans, those serving, and their families is unsurpassed by other candidates in this election. His public support for full funding of the Veterans Administration and his declared determination to provide for the establishment of a national veterans and military family policy give veterans and their families hope -- hope that at long last a president will support veterans in such a way as to honor the sacred trust of those who have served and sacrificed.
Senator Obama's decision to support the passage of a 21st century GI bill, and his deep understanding of the need for providing and guaranteeing full healthcare coverage for National Guard and Reserve personnel who have deployed in combat zones, demonstrate he is a candidate who has the character and courage to do what is right for those in service to our country. We feel that veterans, those now serving, military families, and in fact, all people of the United States will be well-served with Barack Obama as their president by ensuring that America's military remains strong, ready, equipped, and properly managed to protect the country against the threats we face in the 21st Century.
Veterans and Military Families for Progress is a 501(c)(4) non-partisan, not-for-profit veterans organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. It is a 21st Century organization made up of members located throughout the country, and from across the breadth of rank and military services, who served, are serving, or are family members of those who have heeded the call to serve their country in the U.S. armed forces. VMFP's endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for president is based upon a number of non-partisan criteria assessed for major party candidates for this office, including support of VMFP's mission, proposed policy agendas -- especially those focused on coming home issues -- grades, rankings and ratings of other veteran-related interest groups, and each candidate's actions in the Senate.
NATIONAL CONTACT:
Name: Matt Cary, President
Tel: Tel: (202) 841-1687
E-mail: president@vmfp.org
SOURCE Veterans and Military Families for Progress
http://www.vmfp.org
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Veterans and Military Families for Progress Endorses Barack Obama
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
more than 300,000 Iraq and Afghan war vets file claims
Oct 03, 2008
October 3, 2008 - Today, Veterans for Common Sense releases our new "VA Fact Sheet," our monthly
statistical report describing the impact of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars on the Department of Veterans
Affairs.
This month's "VA Fact Sheet" reveals the fact that more than 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans
have filed a disability compensation claim against VA. Our VCS report also shows that nearly 350,000 Iraq
and Afghanistan war veterans have already been treated at VA hospitals and clinics.
There are two new and important points from our latest VA Fact Sheet:
1. More than 50,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans' claims remain pending and incomplete due to VA's
enormous claims backlog. More than 24,000 of the pending claims are re-opened or appealed cases. VCS
Believes VA should do a better job obtaining records from the military so veterans’ claims are completed
accurately, completely, fairly, and quickly - and without endless appeals.
2. Only half of the veterans diagnosed with PTSD by VA receive disability compensation for PTSD from VA.
VCS believes this is unacceptable. While some claims may be pending or on appeal, this discrepancy
between diagnosed patients and granted claims for PTSD warrants further review by Congress. In order to
cut red tape, VCS is fighting for a "presumption of service connection" for Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans
diagnosed with PTSD by the military, VA or a private doctor based on studies showing near-universal
exposure to combat trauma to nearly all of the 1.7 million U.S. service members deployed to the two wars.
In a closely related matter, the Army Times wrote an excellent article about the research conducted by
Veterans for Common Sense. VCS identified enormous and disturbing discrepancies in disability activity
among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans when comparing veterans from the National Guard and Reserve
with veterans from Active Duty: http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/11288.
As a result of our research and analysis, Congress asked VA to investigate the discrepancy and how it can be
resolved.
Veterans for Common Sense developed a Freedom of Information Act program to determine the facts about
the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. VCS requests official government reports and documents that are otherwise
not released by the government. Then VCS posts them at our web site, shares them with Congress and
distributes them to the press. Our FOIA research has been used in Congressional testimony, in the book,
“The Three Trillion Dollar War,” and for several news articles.
VA Fact Sheet: Impact of Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
Updated October 2, 2008
Oct 3, VCS Releases New VA Fact Sheet: Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Cau... http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/print.cfm?page=print&ID=11328
1 of 2 10/7/2008 9:09 AM
VeteranPatients Nearly 350,000; Claims Top 300,000
Chart #1, Department of Defense Deployments to War Zones
Deployed to War
Zone
Number In
Military
Percent in
Military
Veterans Now
Eligible for VA
Percent
Veterans
1,717,925 798,409 46% 919,516 54%
Chart #2, Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
Category Number of Veterans Percent
Veteran Patients 347,750 38% of Veterans
Mental Health Patients 147,744 42% of Patients
PTSD Patients 75,850 22% of Patients
Vet Center Patients 302,503 33% of Veterans
Chart #3, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA)
Category Number of Veterans Percent
Disability Claims Filed 301,154 33% of Veterans
Claims Pending 50,528 17% of Claims Filed
Approved PTSD Claim 38,448 51% of PTSD Patients
Sources: Department of Veterans Affairs, “Analysis of VA Health Care Utilization Among US
Global War on Terrorism Veterans,” Aug. 18, 2008; “VA Benefits Activity: Veterans Deployed to the
Global War on Terror, Jun. 30, 2008; “Readjustment Counseling Service, Global War on Terror
Veterans Served Each FY,” Aug. 22, 2008; and Department of Defense, “Contingency Tracking
System,” through Mar. 31, 2008.
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleID/11328
Oct 3, VCS Releases New VA Fact Sheet: Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Cau... http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/print.cfm?page=print&ID=11328
2
Rob Miller a democrat for SC02
As a disabled Army veteran I fully support Rob Miller to replace Joe Wilson R SC02, I know Rob will support President Obama or even a President John McCain in forcing changes to the Veterans Affairs and mandate the full care of veterans
"The Promise" that is made to all veterans, and I imagine a Congressman Miller would be all over Assembly Street for the documents found in the shredding room recently, they are hardly caring for South Carolinian veterans by shredding their files and documents.
"A vote for John McCain is a vote for ONE veteran, a vote for Barack Obama is a vote for ALL veterans."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-powers/a-vote-for-john-mccain-is_b_138533.html
Jonathan Powers
Posted October 28, 2008 | 11:53 AM (EST)
"A vote for John McCain is a vote for ONE veteran, a vote for Barack Obama is a vote for ALL veterans."
Since the early days of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers have been returning home and finding themselves engaged in politics for the first time in their lives. Many of us have taken the lead of those who have come before, from Gulf War I, Vietnam, or Korea. As we have discovered the incredible bond that fellow veterans share we also discovered the voice that veterans can bring to the discussions in Washington. It is a continuation of our call to duty. We have seen the development of organizations on both sides of the political spectrum such as Votevets, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America (IAVA), VETPAC, Veterans for Freedom, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and others. It is becoming increasingly important that both the progressive movement and the Democratic Party as a whole harnesses the voices that this community. These voices are critical as November 4th quickly approaches.
Now, we must work to get the word out to the incredibly engaged Veteran voting community that both a President Obama and a Democratic Congress will actually uphold the sacred trust our nation has with Veterans that we have seen ignored by the Bush Administration.
Recently I have been working with the Eleison Group helping Congressional campaigns across this country create Veterans Advisory Councils to help candidates build bridges with veterans in their communities. Republicans have been doing this for decades and too many of our progressive candidates make tactical errors by ceding this community to their opponent.
Veterans are not a homogeneous voting bloc who vote for a veteran candidate like John McCain or support only Republican values. National Veteran Service Organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or the American Legion have become overly conservative driving many to believe their members feel the same way. This is far from the reality.
Groundbreaking work was undertaken during Vietnam Veteran John Kerry's Presidential campaign in 2004, and many young Iraq Veterans like me joined Vets for Kerry. There were many lessons learned from this campaign and Veteran leaders are finding ways to better communicate with this community both on Veteran Administration issues, but more importantly on National Security issues. It is time that both the party members and candidates learn how to engage veterans and military families.
The Obama campaign has made great strides by creating Vets for Obama and Blue Star Families for Obama (military families), appointing state chairs, and utilizing former soldiers of all ranks, Private to General, as surrogates. It helps greatly that Senator McCain has a dismal record on Veterans issues. As a vet myself, I greatly respect his service, but am appalled at learn that he received a D from IAVA while Obama received a B Plus for his record.
Brian McGough, an Iraq Veteran of Votevets said it the best,
A vote for John McCain is a vote for ONE veteran.
A vote for Barack Obama is a vote for ALL veterans.
The Truman National Security Project recently launched the Strong Military Project to inform the public and push civilian leaders on both sides of the aisle to adopt military policies that serve the best interests of our nation. The site provides great reference material, but most importantly two viral videos titled "Real Leadership" and "Military Values." These efforts capture the voices of those who served and provide a strong argument for progressive policies.
It will be incredibly important to have a Congress who understands and is willing to have a dialogue with both the veterans and military families so legislation on VA issues as well as reforms for our National Security can move forward. With only days left in this election, we must be sure that our local Congressional candidates down the ticket will also reach out to the veteran and military family community. There are certain candidates who have done well in this by developing strong veteran policies and even pledges to restore the sacred trust. Unfortunately, there are just as many who have not even begun to build the bridges necessary.
What can you do?
Reach out to your local campaign. Check out their website. If they have not already, let them know they should take the opportunity before this week ends and do the following:
1. Form Veterans for "Candidate" Committee and utilize volunteers, family members, and supporters. Only a handful of supporters are necessary.
2. Find their opponents record on Veterans issue, some quick and easy research is available through groups like IAVA or Disabled American Veterans.
3. Create a simple Veterans Policy. There are great many templates available online.
4. Hold a Press Conference announcing the Committee and the Policy. Depending on the opponent's record, they can use this opportunity to draw a contrast.
Also, share with them one simple rule, if you are talking National Security, rally as many veteran supporters there to either support you or act as surrogates.
The next week gives us a great opportunity to do some critical outreach. Following the election we must execute an After Action Review (military term for lessons learned) and ensure we continue to build the bridge that has been created with our veterans and military families.
Let us no longer cede this community to folks who have failed to support and provide for our troops, veterans, and military families while asking so much of them.
This election provides us an opportunity to once again establish the Democrats as the party who will restore that sacred trust with our veterans.
Voting
John McCain
Barack Obama
Burns Strider
Founding Partner
The Eleison Group
www.eleisongroup.com
Stop-loss likely to continue in 2009
Stop-loss likely to continue in 2009
By Tom Vanden Brook - USA Today
Posted : Tuesday Oct 28, 2008 8:22:28 EDT
WASHINGTON — The Army’s use of involuntary extensions of combat duty will likely continue through 2009 despite pledges earlier this year by top military officials to reduce reliance on the policy known as stop-loss.
In September, 12,204 soldiers were affected by stop-loss, a policy that forces them to remain in the Army after their service commitment has expired. The same number likely will be affected each month through 2009, Army Lt. Col. Mike Moose said Thursday.
Stop-loss strains troops and their families, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged in May. But Gates and the Army say the policy is needed to maintain the cohesion of units heading to battle.
“The secretary understands the stress on the Army, but ... he wants to see the Army rely less on stop-loss. They need to make better progress on this,” Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Sunday.
Poor planning is to blame, said Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., a retired vice admiral and member of the House Armed Services Committee.
“I understand the need to ensure our troops are fully manned in combat,” he said. “However, because of the failures to properly plan and execute this conflict, there have unfortunately been many false promises and additional burdens placed on our brave troops.”
The number of soldiers affected by stop-loss peaked in 2005 at 15,758. Gates ordered stop-loss to be minimized in January 2007. It fell to 8,540 in May 2007 but rose to about 12,000 in March and has stayed near that level. The troop buildup in Iraq and extension of Army tours from 12 to 15 months last year resulted in more stop-loss orders.
The five combat brigades associated with the escalation of U.S. forces in Iraq returned this summer, and combat tours were reduced to 12 months on Aug. 1. But 151,000 troops remain in Iraq — 25,000 more than before the escalation began in early 2007.
In Afghanistan, there are 32,000 U.S. troops, and commanders there are seeking four more brigades. A brigade has about 3,500 to 5,000 troops.
If demand for U.S. combat troops stays constant through 2009, Moose said, the number of soldiers affected by stop-loss will remain at about 12,000.
“Stop-loss is a function of how many units are preparing to deploy,” he said. “We only use stop-loss when we have to.”
Stop loss can keep a soldier in the Army if his or her unit deploys within 90 days of the end of their commitment. In August, 55 percent of those affected were privates through specialists, and 45 percent were noncommissioned officers, Moose said. About 1 percent of active-duty, National Guard and reservists are affected. More than 140,000 soldiers have had tours extended by stop loss since January 2002.
Joe Davis, a spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, criticized the Pentagon for not deploying more of its personnel: 43 percent of active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have not served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
“Being stop-lossed means you and your family have to place your future plans on hold, he said, when “half the military has never set one foot in Iraq or Afghanistan.”
VETERAN'S APPEAL FALLS ON VA'S DEAF EARS
VETERAN'S APPEAL FALLS ON VA'S DEAF EARS --
Vet says VA has lost his medical records, a story
we are hearing all too often.
Wilma and Luther Krider planned to build a cabin on their land at Creston Up High, but because of medical expenses related to Luther’s service and injuries in Vietnam have ended up living in a small space meant to be an art studio.(Post Photo / Linda Burchette)
Story here... http://www.jeffersonpost
.com/articles/2008/10/28/news/local04.txt
Story below:
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Comment on this story and interact
with other readers... below...
-------------------------
Veteran’s appeal
By Linda Burchette, Assistant Editor
They make a lot of promises, but actions speak louder than words.
When you hear the politicians speak about how much they respect veterans and the sacrifices they make for their country, you might wonder how much that concern translates to reality. Soldiers often lack the supplies they need in the combat zone, and when they come home with life-changing injuries, they have to continue the fight...this time for their health.
Recent revelatiobns about the Walter Reed Hospital were shocking to the public, and improvements long overdue, but the real change needs to be made in the Veterans Administration itself. Just ask Luther Krider of Creston Up High who is fighting for his rights 40 years after coming home from the Vietnam War.
Luther suffered nearly fatal injuries in a war so many have forgotten. He was shot several times, and the effects of those wounds, combined with exposure to the toxic Agent Orange, has led to lingering effects that some doctors have said caused a stroke and recent disability.
On Dec. 14, 1967, Luther suffered gunshot wounds to his right wrist and right side causing single exit wounds to his wrist and his back, a few inches from the spinal column. Surgery included a major resection of the liver with an approximate loss of 80 percent of his liver. The wounds caused damage to the right kidney and temporary failure of that kidney, the loss of several feet of lower bowel with intestinal damage, puncture and collapse of the right lung, and shattering of the lower two ribs. He spent nearly a year in various hospitals in Vietnam, Japan and the U.S.
From all this damage, you would think such a courageous veteran would receive 100 percent disability. But he did not. He was awarded 50 percent disability in October 1968 from the wounds received the previous December. What the VA does is assign point value to various injuries, and while Luther’s added up to 60 percent, he was awarded only 50 percent for pay purposes, from the time he submitted his opening claim until submitting a later claim in October 2005 following a stroke.
What Luther contends is that the practice by the VA of assigning points value of injuries is not only convoluted but unfair to veterans.
“I am trying to get them to look at the whole picture,” said Luther, who has been battling the VA for years to receive acknowledgement of what VA doctors have determined, that he is 100 percent disabled because of the wounds and exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The VA acknowledges that exposure to Agent Orange can lead to diabetes, and medical research indicates that diabetics are four times more likely to suffer a stroke. Luther was diagnosed with diabetes at the time he had the stroke, and doctors have told him that the diabetes could have led to the stroke. The combination of these two issues combined with increasing weakness in his legs and back, as well as having no feeling in his upper right leg affected by the gunshot wounds, have left him disabled enough since 2005 not to be able to work.
The problem is, that the VA keeps going round and round on his medical records and treatments and diagnoses, assigning points to his various medical problems, but not adding it up to 100 percent disability and not taking the recommendations of its own doctors, even though he was recommended for 100 percent disability by the Social Security Administration in 2005 after the stroke left him unable to work. The VA contends, Luther said, that the stroke couldn’t be caused by the diabetes because the diabetes wasn’t diagnosed until he had the stroke.
“It’s subjective and based on what they think has affected you,” Luther said. “If you add up all the percentages of disability, it’s 110 percent, but I am only paid at 70 percent. And the difference between 70 percent and 100 percent is twice as much money, plus they would be taking care of your spouse as well.” Luther’s wife, Wilma, had to eventually give up her job to take care of him after the stroke.
Luther recovered from the gunshot wounds after the war and went to work. He was traveling around the country with a company that provided rapid response security for other companies when he suffered the stroke in Michigan. That is when diabetes was diagnosed. When the stroke hit, Luther was transported to the nearest hospital. But his military disability coverage wasn’t accepted at that hospital. They told him he should have gone to a VA hospital, but the nearest was 75 miles away and he would most likely have died or been permanently disabled had he been transported that far at the time. His coverage only paid about $1,000 of a $22,000 bill.
Luther had been having problems with his legs and back for years before the stroke, but doctors could not figure out what was causing the problems. A test he had about a three months before the stroke showed results that doctors have said reveal the presence of diabetes. The diabetes, say some doctors, most likely contributed to the stroke. And the diabetes itself most likely was caused by exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.
That is simply the crux of his problem. If the VA would agree that the exposure to Agent Orange could have caused the diabetes and the diabetes caused his stroke, he could receive 100 percent disability and could pay his bills and make sure Wilma was taken care of with medical insurance. Perhaps they could even afford a larger home than the 16 by 16 foot space they currently live in. It is really a room they built that was supposed to be a studio for Luther’s artwork attached to the cabin they had planned to build. But the stroke and subsequent medical bills and living expenses that could barely be met by their limited income ended the dream of building a home.
The Krider’s have sought help with their situation from Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, whose office has been working on the issue and her representative Aaron Green has met with them. They have met with State Sen. Steve Goss and Rep. Cullie Tarleton. All have promised to investigate, but they seem to be getting nowhere.
“They (the VA) said the thing is that we never asked for everything from the VA and now that we’re asking, they shut the door in our faces,” Wilma said. And the charge is certainly unfair if not untrue as the Krider’s have boxes and boxes of paperwork they have accumulated since 2005 where they have asked for and completed and returned every form the VA has requested or required. Several times in fact.
Luther said that the VA in Florida where he sought treatment during his years living there has lost most of his records. There are records in other areas, and he said the VA in Winston-Salem has his case. He requested his military medical records from the National Personnel Records in St. Louis, Missouri, but received only records of military promotions and duty changes, no medical records. “They said I’d have to contact the VA,” he said with a smile.
All the years of frustrating communication with the VA and its procedures has left Luther discouraged but determined to continue the fight. He is, after all, a decorated military veteran, and entitled to all the rights that this country should grant, and the politicians say the veterans deserve.
“These issues shouldn’t be determined by a controlling party; funding should be made mandatory,” he said. “They need to sit down and hammer it out. It’s not all the VA’s fault; they can only do what they have funding for. The problem really lies with Congress.”
“I want to say to the VA, you inherited a perfectly healthy human being and this is what you turned loose after three years of service and the gunshot wounds,” he said. “And I need those medical records to prove it. I want to ask the VA, why can’t you decide this thing? Why can’t you make a decision? Why can’t something be done for this man? I want to ask them the tough questions. I know the American people do not know that their veterans go through all this. And it’s only going to get worse
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
This is just blatantly wrong he was exposed to Agent Orange he has diabetes a SC condition due to AO then he has a stroke secondary to the diabetes this should be a no brainer for TDIU at a minimum and people wonder why vets get mad at the VA.
Monday, October 27, 2008
ROA wants answers on denied reserve claims
ROA wants answers on denied reserve claims
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 24, 2008 8:04:48 EDT
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/military_reservegroup_benefitsdisparity_102308w/
The head of the Reserve Officers Association said he hopes a study ordered by Congress will explain the big discrepancies in veterans’ disability benefits awarded to active and reserve forces.
Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Dennis McCarthy, ROA’s executive director, said Wednesday that there may be good reasons why National Guard and reserve members are more likely to have their veterans’ claims denied and to receive lower disability ratings — but those reasons are not immediately clear, and the Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a good explanation.
“We really need to keep on them until this study is done,” McCarthy said, noting that veterans must have confidence that the disability system is fair.
Retired Rear Adm. Patrick Dunne, VA’s undersecretary for benefits, met with McCarthy to discuss the discrepancies in disability compensation, which were first reported earlier this month by Military Times.
The report, based on information obtained by Veterans for Common Sense, showed that 45 percent of active-duty veterans of operations in Afghanistan and Iraq had filed disability claims, compared with 23 percent of Guard and reserve members who deployed to the war zones.
Just 4 percent of claims by active-duty veterans were denied by VA, while 11 percent of claims from Guard and reserve members were denied.
Dunne did not dispute the report, McCarthy said, and said VA is trying to determine why there is such a big difference. Dunne suggested that one possible explanation might be that active-duty veterans accumulate more service-connected disabilities over a career than Guard and reserve members.
McCarthy said Dunne tried to assure ROA that there is no outright discrimination against Guard or reserve members.
“That they are going to do a study is a good sign,” McCarthy said. “This is a difficult time for VA and they have a lot of big issues facing them.”
The demographic study of disability claims promised by Dunne was ordered by Congress, and VA is looking for a private company to study the differences between active and reserve veterans by age, locations where claims are filed and where veterans live to determine why there are differences and whether some people are being treated unfairly.
The study will take more than a year to complete
