Honoring our Veterans
Why The VA Frustrates Veterans: Delay, Deny and Hope That I Die
As 60 Minutes on Sunday January 3, 2010 showed us: "Two Wars Are Slowing The Large Bureaucracy, Delaying Benefits." What follows below is the text of their video.
Delay, Deny and Hope That I Die
Two wars and a recession have significantly increased the claims handled by the U.S. Dept. of Veteran's Affairs, slowing the large bureaucracy and frustrating many veterans.
There is a sacred tradition in the military: leave no one behind on the battlefield. But many veterans are beginning to believe their country has left them behind at home, once they're out of uniform and in need of help. That help is supposed to come from the Department of Veterans Affairs and the financial compensation it gives to veterans disabled by their military service.
It was Abraham Lincoln who said the purpose of the VA was to "care for him who shall have borne the battle." But the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have pushed the VA further behind in that mission, and today there are a million veterans waiting for the VA to handle their disability claims. That has led some to latch onto another motto making the rounds for how the VA operates: "Delay, Deny and Hope That I Die."
"When I hear that, I will tell you that it really troubles me. As somebody who has devoted 35 years of my life to this organization, and to serving veterans, it's extremely troubling that there are veterans who feel that way," the VA's Deputy Undersecretary for Benefits Michael Walcoff, told 60 Minutes correspondent Byron Pitts.
Last year, $30 billion dollars - one third of the VA's total budget - was paid in disability compensation to nearly three million veterans.
To receive a disability benefit, a veteran has to be honorably discharged. "They have to have a current disability, and provide evidence that it was service related?" Pitts asked Walcoff. "That it's connected to their service, right," he replied. "Why, then, is the claim form 23 pages long?" Pitts asked.
"A 23-page application form I think is probably, goes beyond just what is required. And one of the things that we're looking at is to try to simplify the process," Walcoff said. That process has been strained by a flood of disability claims - everything from combat wounds to injuries off the battlefield, illnesses and psychological disorders.
Since 2003, 400,000 claims have come from veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands more from aging veterans of earlier conflicts. Add to that the recession, which is forcing more veterans to turn to the VA for help.
Paul Sullivan was an Army scout during the Gulf War in 1991 and later spent six years working at the VA, analyzing trends in disability claims. "All of those things have resulted in the Veterans Benefits Administration facing a backlog of one million claims," Sullivan told Pitts. Sullivan said the system is "absolutely overwhelmed." He is now executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, a group that champions veterans issues.
"Veterans wait on average about six months to receive an initial answer on a disability claim. If a veteran disagrees with VA's decision, the veteran waits another four years. That is a crisis," Sullivan said. And that's how Army veteran Joe Devins sees it.
In late 2003, he was on patrol in Baghdad when he says an IED exploded near his truck. Remembering the blast, he told Pitts, "I'd say for the first few seconds afterwards, I wasn't really sure if I was dead or alive."
Devins left the Army in 2004 and now receives $704 a month for a back injury and for migraine headaches that he says were caused by the IED. Devins also claims to suffer from sleeplessness, anxiety and anger. "I haven't had a single night's sleep without either over-the-counter or prescription medication since probably December of '03." Yet it wasn't until two years after his discharge that a VA counselor told Devins he had PTSD (Posttraumatic stress disorder) and should apply for benefits. So he did.
Ten months later, the VA rejected his claim. Asked why they denied the PTSD claim, Devins told Pitts, "Because they said I had to prove, show them proof that the incident with the IED actually happened." But Devins was already getting benefits for the migraines he says were caused by the IED. Asked if that doesn't prove he was there, Devins told Pitts, "I would think so, but apparently that wasn't enough proof for them."
"What do you think they were saying about you, though?" Pitts asked. "That I was making stuff up," Devins said. "That I was just out to get money." The VA doesn't say that Devins is making up his claim, only that he can't prove it. He gets benefits for migraines, simply because they started while he was in the Army. But there is no mention of an IED explosion in his military records.
Devins' situation is not uncommon. It can be difficult to pin down a particular cause of PTSD. So the VA says it is changing the rules for these claims, and veterans will no longer have to prove a connection between specific incidents and their Post-traumatic stress disorder.
Changing the rules will take some of the work load off of people like Ron Robinson, a VA employee for 13 years, and a veteran who spent 20 years in the Army. Robinson told Pitts he was proud to serve and work for the VA, but that he's not proud of the work the VA is doing. "We can do better," he said.
Problems in the VA's benefits branch have been the subject of GAO reports and congressional hearings for years. Starting in 2007, the VA received sizable increases in its budget and began hiring thousands of new employees. Yet the backlog of claims keeps growing.
"We keep tryin' to fix it, but it keeps gettin' out of hand. We throw more money at the problem, more people, we still have the problem," Robinson said.
"So, what is it then? If more people can't fix the problem, more money can't fix the problem, how do you fix it?" Pitts asked.
"It's a culture. It's a leadership problem," Robinson replied. Robinson points to the VA's requirement that employees meet production quotas. It's a convoluted system of earning points for processing the paperwork in a claims file. The idea is to bring down the backlog, but Robinson says it also leads employees to make mistakes.
"Because they're focused on, as opposed to dealing with this veteran's case properly, they're focused on getting their points for that case?" Pitts asked.
"Of course. Anyone will tell you that," Robinson said. Asked what happens if employees don't meet their quotas, Robinson said, "Well, if you don't get your points, you know, you don't get bonuses, promotions, you know, you don't get the bennies." "I don't believe that they're being pressured to produce claims at the expense of quality," the VA's Michael Walcoff said. "We stress over and over again to our employees that quality is our number one indicator, that that's absolutely a requirement for successful performance."
But last March, the VA's inspector general discovered that the VA was making more mistakes than it reported: the internal investigation found that nearly one out of four files had errors. That's 200,000 claims that "may be incorrect." Attorney Douglas Rosinski has been handling veterans' cases for ten years. He characterizes the VA's disability benefit system as "broken." "This is one vet's file," Rosinski told Pitts, showing him a cardboard box full of documents. "I've seen claims files that were two or three of these boxes.
Claims are being denied unfairly, Rosinski says, because VA employees don't have the time to read the files thoroughly. "When you get a denial, and it says, 'We didn't see,' that's right. I mean, they're not lying, but if you don't look, you don't see. And even if you're looking, it's hard to find out what's in there," he told Pitts. Michael Walcoff told Pitts there is no incentive to deny claims. "And there's no pressure from anybody to deny a claim. And I can't say it any simpler than that." David Pitts is an Air Force veteran and one of Rosinski's clients; he served for 18 years. "Is your country serving you now?" Byron Pitts asked. "It's not my country that's doing this, it's the VA. You know, there is no prouder American than I am," David Pitts replied.
In 1968, David Pitts was on temporary duty in Korea when the Tet Offensive in Vietnam caught American forces off guard. Pitts says he was quickly dispatched to deliver communication codes across Vietnam when his helicopter made a hard landing.
"When we hit, we hit hard, got out of that and I didn't have any problem for that for about a year. But this was what I started receiving the VA disability for it," he said. David Pitts receives $644 a month for back and leg injuries that he says are related to the crash. He also believes he is eligible for additional benefits because Vietnam War vets with illnesses that could have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange are given automatic compensation.
The problem for David Pitts is he can't prove he was even in Vietnam. He says his two brief assignments were under verbal orders, and he was told there are no records of his having been in the country. "You had people and equipment just flooding into Korea and suddenly Tet happens," he explained. "And it was just - it was a period of mass confusion." He said recordkeeping wasn't a priority at the time. "Recordkeeping was not any type of priority at the time."
In recent years, David Pitts says he tried to find his former commanding officer from Korea, plus a hometown friend he says he ran into while in Vietnam, but both had died. Without corroboration or records, Pitts never applied for the benefit. Then in November of 2008, out of the blue, the VA sent him this letter. "It says, 'According to records with the Department of Veterans Affairs, you were stationed in the Republic of Vietnam during your military service,'" Byron Pitts read. "And you got this letter, you thought what?" "Well, somebody has found something," David Pitts replied.
Based on the letter, David Pitts filed a claim. It took the VA ten months to review it before denying it. It's an example of the complexity that both the VBA and veterans face in establishing what happened years - sometimes decades - after events have taken place. The VA says it needs evidence to grant a claim and it could not find any records putting David Pitts in Vietnam. The VA told 60 Minutes that the letter was sent by mistake, something it has not explained to David Pitts. The Obama administration and the VA say they have given top priority to ending confusion over military records and that new computer technology will someday track veterans from their first day in uniform through the rest of their lives.
"Why should veterans believe what you say? That, 'Ah ha, now we're gonna get it right'?" Pitts asked Michael Walcoff. "That's a tough question," he replied. "Because, certainly, some of the problems that we see in VBA have existed for quite a while. There have been efforts, believe me, to try to improve the system."
"The one difference that I think really is in place right now is that, I believe that we are seeing the advent of technology that is going to allow us to really change the basic way that we process benefits," he added. "Why should the average American care about the fact that veterans, their benefits are delayed, whether it's three years, five years, seven years?" Pitts asked Ron Robinson.
"Put on a uniform," he replied. "We served our country honorably and faithfully. And we deserve, we deposited into America's bank account. And when we come home, it's time for us to make a withdrawal. That's why we should care."
--- --- Walt Schmidt Veteran Services Officer
- - --- TOBay's Veteran Services Division
- - - - "Let No Veteran Ever Stand Alone!"
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--- ----Ken Sun - Weekly Column: http://experts.longisland.com/veterans
"To know yet to think that one does not know is best;
Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty."
- Lao-Tzu 71:1
NY State Senator John J. Flanagan Honors John Andrew Thorburn, Ra The Rugged Man's Father
Saturday September 27, 2008
Hicksville Long Island's Senator recently honored Ra The Rugged Man's father for his service to the country during the Vietnam War. If you remember, Ra touched on his father's wartime experiences in his song, Uncommon Valor.
SENATOR FLANAGAN HONORS STONY BROOK VETERAN
Senator John J. Flanagan (2nd Senate District) recently had the opportunity to host and congratulate Stony Brook veteran John Andrew Thorburn for receiving the Conspicuous Service Cross for his service to the United States during Vietnam War. The Vietnam veteran served in both the Army and the Air Force during his seven years of service to the country.
The Conspicuous Service Cross is awarded by New York State to honor those veterans whose service to the country was of high standard and honorable demeanor. A recipient must have either received one of a select group of high military honors or have satisfied some other criteria to receive the honor.
As a member of the Army, Staff Sergeant Thorburn was a member of both the 101st Airborne Division as part of the Screaming Eagles and the Green Berets before transferring to the Air Force in June of 1968.
He continued serving in the military while a member of the Air Force until his retirement in 1970 due to injuries suffered while defending his country.
For his service, Staff Sergeant Thorburn was issued a number of medals including the Purple Heart, the Distinguished Flying Cross (Oak Leaf Cluster), the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, Air Force Crew Member Wings, the United States Army Good Conduct Medal and the United States Army Silver Wings.
"It is my honor and privilege to pay tribute to Mr. Thorburn and to say, on behalf of our state, thank you," said Senator Flanagan.
"Men and women like Mr. Thorburn are the true heroes of our nation and we must always remember their sacrifice. This medal is one small way that we as state can show that our appreciation and tell them that their efforts will never be forgotten."
I came across some more information regarding Thorburn Sr.'s honorable service to his country:
Parrot enlisted in the Army in 1964. He went into 101st Airborne and then into Green Berets. He was stationed in Germany. He returned home after 3 years and then re-upped into the Air force. He volunteered for Vietnam. He was into fields and skies of Agent Orange. Parrot was a helicopter machine gunner. Their job was to save wounded soldiers in the field or rescue them from perilous conditions; many times it was while the fighting was still going on. It was "in your face combat".
On December 8, 1969 a fellow comrade came up to Parrot. He was about to go on his last mission before heading home, a patrol needed to be rescued. He was very nervous; he felt he would not make it back. Parrot said, "Don't worry; I'll go for you, you go home". His comrade was right. Parrot's helicopter was shot down, but not before he distinguished himself by silencing the enemy and saving the patrol. He lay out there for 3 days in pain, in and out of consciousness before they found them. Their pilot was killed. When the rescue chopper landed, they looked at Parrot and he could hear someone say "this one's dead". Parrot had sustained major injuries. They picked him up and it was excruciating pain. His hip was forced further up in the socket from the impact of the crash and he had multiple injuries. John was in Saint Alban's Naval Hospital for a year. He was in a full body cast for much of it and gradual steps until he could walk with a cane. He received his medals at the hospital; he received The Conspicuous Service Cross, Two Distinguished Flying Crosses With Oak Leaf Cluster and two Citations for Outstanding heroism and selfless devotion to duty, 4 Air Medals And of course a Purple Heart. He receives 100% disability.
John has had 6 children. Two, Dee Dee and Maxx were born severely handicapped. They were Microcephalic, (Small brain) they did not advance mentally past 8 months old. Dee Dee was born in 1982, she was only supposed to live a few days, but she did survive, the doctors then said she would never be a teenager, Dee Dee died last month, she was 25 years old. Max was born in 1991, he was worse than Dee Dee, he was also blind. 6 years ago Maxx died at the age of 10 unexpectedly. John and his wife never put their children into an institution, they cared for them. Their children could not speak or walk they could only laugh or cry, they laughed a lot. John"s daughter Lisa gave John his first grandchild, Vincent, in 1991. Vincent was born with a rare muscle disease. He died when he was not quite 6 months old.
Parrot, my brother was just diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in one lung and stage 3 in the other. Did I mention Agent Orange?
During the presidential debates, McCain and Obama both said they will take care of the country's veterans. Lets hope so!!!
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Uncommon Valor: The Story of Staff Sergeant John A.Thorburn and RA The Rugged Man (John's Son)
ARTIST INTERVIEWS By TSSCrew on December 20, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Words By DJ Sorce-1 Graphics By P.
On March 14th, 1970, during a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol mission in the Duc Lap area of the Quang Duc Province of South Viet Nam, a UH-1P helicopter carrying Capt. Dana A. Dilley, Capt. Marvin R. Loper, SSgt John A. Thorburn, and A1c David A. Carpenter was shot down by enemy ground fire. Staff Sergeant Thorburn, along with fellow gunner A1C Carpenter, suffered serious injuries. Captain Dilley lost his life in the crash, and Captain Loper sustained broken bones in one of his feet. An Army helicopter on the same operation was able to rescue the surviving crew and bring them to Cam Ranh Bay, where they received treatment for their injuries. Upon receiving treatment, they were brought back to the U.S. Despite being badly injured, Thorburn ultimately survived the incident.
Thirty-six years later, in a verse that would win him a "Hip-Hop Quotable" in the October 2006 issue of The Source, Thorburn's son, RA The Rugged Man, would retell what took place on that fateful March night in the Jedi Mind Tricks " song", Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story. The song was featured on Jedi Mind's most recent album, Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell. Spanning fourty-four bars and nearly two minutes, RA's rapid fire, monotone masterpiece of a verse left people breathless as he dropped lines like "Tail rotor broke, crash land, American man, Cambodia, right in the enemy hand" over superproducer Stoupe's haunting production. His vivid storytelling ability and insight into his father's emotional state during the helicopter crash made the song an instant classic.
Over a year after its release, the verse stands as one of RA's finest moments as an MC. His verse is so good that The Crew's DJ Sorce-1 decided to talk to RA about what went into making the song. TSS is proud to present an in depth look at the genesis of "Uncommon Valor: A Vietnam Story".
