This is a great article are the forever changing practices of the VA. It outlines the changes in the VA appeals process. To read the article, 
Click here.
Changes to VA Appeals Process
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Tag Archives: VA
Where Has the Time Gone
My grandfather, Russell Fisher. A career Marine who served in WWII.
Yes, I watched the Royal wedding. Not only did I watch that one, but by staying up the whole night before Prince Harry wed, I was able to watch three other royal weddings as a prelude. Don’t judge me. I’m a history fan. Though the prince will never be king, assuming an asteroid doesn’t come down and take out the five people in line before him, I still like to get a glimpse of those people who personify the distant past. Specifically, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. I greatly admire both the Queen and her husband, but seeing them this time was a little different for me.
Intellectually, I understand that the Queen is 92 years old and the prince is 96, but in my heart, he is still the swashbuckling naval officer and she is still the young woman who so valiantly served her country in war. Though only a princess at the time, she enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) when she was 18 even though she was heir to the throne. As a result, she is also the only head of state in the world who served in World War II. We see that same grit in her grandsons, both veterans themselves.
And yet, upon seeing the obvious fragility of both queen and prince, I was struck by the heartbreaking realization that we will soon be reaching the end of an era. It was only 7 years ago that we said goodbye to the last surviving WWI veteran. Now, it appears that all too soon, we will losing our WWII veterans as well.
P.S. for a couple of really awesome pics of the Queen in service, click here.
Why Taxpayers Should Cover PTSD Treatment for Veterans by Lori Barnes
Every veteran suicide just breaks my heart and makes me angry. I’ve been hearing recently that some in the medical and military communities are claiming that those coming home with PTSD must have been damaged in some way beforehand. I don’t agree. I think a lot of our soldiers coming home with PTSD had gentle, kind hearts to begin with that are now heavy with fear and guilt. They can’t help it. In America, for the most part, we all have kind, gentle lives. We aren’t war torn. We really don’t know what it’s like to fear for our lives and those of our children every day.
The military takes these basically kind people and puts them through basic training. They are all treated like dogs regardless of whom they are or where they come from. Once they are all at their lowest, the drill sergeants begin to bring them back up together to make them one cohesive unit, equal on all terms. This is necessary. Continue reading and add your comment
Million Veteran Program by Lori Barnes
Last week I signed up with the Million Veteran Program at the VA. All it took was twenty minutes of my time and a tube of blood to participate in a program whose results could be invaluable; results that could change healthcare and improve it for generations to come.
Why do some people who smoke never get lung cancer? Why were some affected by Agent Orange in Vietnam while some with the same exposure were not? Why are some Veterans at a greater risk for developing an illness? How can we prevent certain illnesses in the first place? What factors in a person’s DNA protects them when exposed to hazardous, even deadly toxins? Answering these types of questions is the goal of the Million Veteran Program (MVP). Continue reading and add your comment
Getting VA Health Care
Did you know that you may be able to receive care from the VA without already having a completed, approved VA Disability claim? According to the VA’s website, all veterans could possibly be eligible. Their guidelines are
• You completed active military service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard (or Merchant Marines during WW II).
• You were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.
• You are a National Guard member or Reservist who has completed a federal deployment to a combat zone.
Continue reading and add your comment