In response to Jim Jones’s “Washington is targeting veteran programs”
Agent Orange: I was raised in production agriculture environs from an early age. So, my exposures during my own military service were “overlap.” It is my view that harmful effects from herbicide usage are primarily predicated by the genetic predisposition of those exposed. I have been soaked thoroughly with just about every known compound used over the last 60-years.
Agent Orange is a “cocktail” of herbicides that can be purchased over-the-counter, separately, still to this day without an applicator’s license. Today, the closest compound to Agent Orange is 2-4-5-T.
Basically, if you mix glyphosate, triclopyr, and imazethapyr…you have Agent Orange. Glyphosate is non-selective, photosensitive contact herbicide. Triclopyr and 2-4-D are selective (broadleaf), contact herbicides. Imazethapyr and some others are soil sterilizers. Incidentally, my military healthcare providers informed me of elevated levels of multiple toxins in my blood. Try sorting that out!
PFAS, DDT, TTE, Cellulube, & PCBs: My Marine Corps and Navy service included exposure(s) to all of these and more. PFAS chemicals include AFFF(Aqueous Film Forming Foam), which is used in fighting Class Bravo (fuel/oil) fires. I was a shipboard firefighter during two major fires at-sea, as well as being exposed in training exercises.
DDT was used at overseas military bases for mosquito control long after it was banned in the U.S. I was exposed for four years in Japan and the Philippines. I used TTEs, extensively, to clean jet fuel from avionics equipment for approximately eight years. I waded in Cellulube knee-deep for hours when an aircraft elevator collapsed aboard ship. Cellulube is a neurotoxin. I fought several Class Charlie (electrical) fires involving transformers full of PCBs. This doesn’t even include my CBR (chemical, biological, & radiological) exposures for which some details are classified.
My USMC service was in avionics and my Navy service was in avionics, hull maintenance and damage control.
Every service member’s story is different. Try unpacking all of this in a disability hearing! Try sitting there silent when parts of your medical record are classified. Try proving your harm was service-connected, when your claim resembles mine. This is why the service organizations fought tooth-and-nail, for years, for “Presumed Service-Connection” provisions in the law.
However, this doesn’t remove the fact that some veterans have tried to “milk that cow” dry. “Honesty” isn’t adequately covered by U.S. Code.
Veterans Disability Compensation is now under a full frontal assault. Heading the list is “Concurrent Receipt” of Military Retired Pay & Veterans Disability Compensation.
Concurrent Receipt still to this day, is not fully implemented, as originally intended. Chapter 61 retirees (me) do not receive this benefit because we were retired short of 20 years active duty. Those who were well enough to get in their “20” do receive it. So, this equates to punishing the “most-disabled” of all!
Regardless, now all Concurrent Recipients are on the chopping block.
Disabled Veterans who were or are rated at 50% or more disabled, with at least 50% under one diagnosis, are currently compensated at the V.A. 100%-rate due to “Individual Unemployability” clause. Now, this is on the chopping block. The 100%-rating was justified because of “lifetime earnings” lost. This is me. This will spiral homelessness with a barrage of veteran foreclosures.
The “choppers” want to remove Individual Unemployability past age-65 Be aware that the V.A. Disability Compensation increase is logarithmic at the top end.
Those, like me, who receive V.A. “Care in the Community” are already experiencing slow-downs in primary and secondary authorizations being issued. It can take weeks or months to get an authorization approved, even when the need is urgent or critical. Now, try and navigate this when it might take three or more authorizations in “current” status to treat a given health issue, involving three or more providing entities.
Try navigating this when the veteran is: 1) single head-of-household; 2) aged and/or ill; 3) memory-impaired; 4) can’t or not allowed to drive; 5) unable to function; and/or 6) has no immediate family. Talk about “designed-to-fail!” Result…”instant rationing” of resources. What is happening to my “grateful nation”?
Gerald B. Higgs
(SSgt-USMC)
DCC (SW/AW) USN (Ret.)
V.A. Rating: 70% Disability w/Individual Unemployability
Navy Rating: 90% Disability (Permanent)
Bonners Ferry
One reason the VA is having problems are veterans who lie about their service and get “pensionitis”. There is nothing more despicable than stolen valor.