Printer Friendly Page
WAR VETERANS FIGHTING FOR VA DISABILITY
BENEFITS --
Pittsburgh VARO blames retirements as
cause for slow claims processing.
The VARO in Pittsburgh should be ashamed
for "shooting the bull" to the press.
They blame retirements for the backlog in
claims processing. But, retirements don't happen overnight.
They knew they were coming and could have hired more people in a timely
fashion to replace those who were retiring.
This is simply an underfunding issue.
Underfunding leads to understaffing...and veterans wait...and, some die.
Story here...
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.
com/news/11084686/detail.html
Story below:
---------------
Team 4: War Vets Fighting Govt. For Disability
Benefits
More than 23,000 American soldiers have been injured in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Nearly 1,000 have lost a limb, and amazingly, a Team 4
Investigation found many of those injured veterans are now fighting the
U.S. government for disability benefits.
Click here to find out more!
Team 4's Paul Van Osdol has more on the story.
It all comes down to this: The Veterans Administration is clogged with
hundreds of thousands of claims, and that logjam is forcing some of our
wounded soldiers to wait more than a full year to get the benefits due
them.
Roadside bombs, snipers, mortars, death and injury stalk American
soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Sgt. Doug Gindlesperger of the U.S. Army National Guard led security
patrols in Iraq knowing at any moment that he could be in immediate
danger.
In 2005 he was flown out of Iraq, suffering from post-traumatic stress.
Years later, driving down country roads near his Somerset County home,
Gindlesperger said he still has flashbacks.
"They used a lot of animals for explosive devices over there and being
in Somerset County, being a deer hunter, seeing a road kill, it gives
you that flash, know what I mean?" said Gindlesperger.
But 18 months after coming home, Gindlesperger is still fighting the
Veterans Administration over his disability claim.
"It kind of puts a bad taste in your mouth," said Gindlesperger. "You're
wondering to yourself, are they really trying to help me and get me
through this and get me the benefits I need and deserve and take care of
medications, or are they just blowing me off?"
Gindlesperger has plenty of company. Government documents obtained by
Team 4 shows more than 30,000 veterans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan
have pending disability claims. Hundreds are local, and the numbers
continue to grow.
Stephen Dennison of the American Legion helps injured veterans in
western Pennsylvania file claims.
He said wounded warriors deserve better.
"Then you come back to the United States, and you get out of the
service, and you have to go through a hassle to get your benefits?" said
Dennison. "That's not the way the government should take care of
veterans."
Former Sgt. Dean Nist of the U.S. Marine reserves ran street patrols in
Fallujah for seven months.
"And I personally lost two of my own guys in Iraq, and that still weighs
heavy with me today," said Nist.
Like Gindlesperger, Nist was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.
"My little boy, 6 years old, likes to play and comes up and scares me,"
said Nist. "It sets you off, puts you in a whole different mindset."
Nist said waiting for his disability benefits only adds to his stress.
"I sent in my application July of 06," said Nist. "Until present, I'm
still waiting to hear back."
Team 4 wanted to ask the VA why so many veterans are being forced to
wait so long, but the agency refused Team 4's repeated requests for an
interview. Instead the head of the VA at the Federal Building in
Downtown Pittsburgh sent a prepared statement.
VA administrator Mari Beth Cully said one-third of the agency's
Pittsburgh employees retired in the past two years. The vacancies are
being filled, but she said, "Extensive training is required before these
employees are fully productive. Therefore, our workload has increased
during this transition."
"It's going to affect the veterans financially for the money they should
be getting, not only for themselves, but their family," said U.S. Army
Ranger Jeremy Feldbusch, of Blairsville.
In April 2003, at the beginning of the Iraq war, shrapnel hit him,
causing permanent blindness and brain damage.
Feldbusch's parents spent two months with him while he recovered in a
hospital.
Last November, Showtime aired a documentary about his recovery.
Feldbusch has become a national spokesman for wounded Iraq veterans,
leading an effort to lobby Congress for a new disability insurance
program.
He personally was able to get his VA benefits, but he said he is
disturbed that too many other veterans are suffering.
'With over 20,000 injuries and serious injuries, and the number still
rising today, these people are going to be part of our lives and part of
our social structure," said Feldbusch. "So we need to pick up the slack,
and take care of business."
Sen. Arlen Specter, a member of the Veterans Affairs committee said he
promised to take action.
"The budget shortfalls have left the administrators shorthanded, but
there's no excuse for not having checks for the disabled veterans, and
we're going to get it corrected," said Specter.
But the problem affects veterans of all wars, totaling more than 400,000
total. About 7,000 are in western Pennsylvania, many who fought in World
War II, Korea and Vietnam. In some cases, while their claims work their
way through the bureaucracy, the veterans are dying.
---------------
Larry Scott --
