Psyco Vets get PTSD claim through

[PHO127]

We got our first PTSD claim resolved a week ago. One of my mountain friends came to a psyco vets campout a couple of years ago and we helped him file for a PTSD claim. Well it came back approved for 50% PTSD. Doc Fred, you may remember meeting him, his name is Bobby and had his girl friend with him, He was at one of the lake campouts. Moustach Mike brought him to Atlanta and we went right to the regional office and filed the claim. Speaking of Psyco Vets stuff, Gimpy and Doc Fred I sent your stuff out by UPS this morning. Doc, I also sent the requested items to Oregon. Thanks for the present Doc. There is something extra for you also in the box.

[SEATJERKER]

...How does one find it, a way to go on...

...How does one find it, with the help of others...

...no one wants to journey to paths crossed before...

...but one must...

...if not, the furthering steps slow...

...and stop...

....How does one find it, the courage to face themselves...

...How does one find it, with the help of others...

...but who are others, same path, different second...

...these paths well worn under the eye of the highest keeper...

...

[DMZ-LT]

Bobby quit HS and got drafted and sent to Bitnam - infantry - and got out. Because of our state lottery any HS grad with a 3.0 GPA gets a scholarship to a state school or vo - tech. Bobby went back and got his HS degree and went to cullanary school - lord that man could cook. Now he got his 50% , he has moved to FL to be on the beach and cook and be with his girlfriend. I love stories with happy endings

[Gimpy]

Thanks my friend! I'll keep my eyes open for the UPS man. Tell Bobby I'm happy for him. And, thanks to you guys for helpin him out!

As long as ya'll are patin' yourselves on the back (and rightly so!) let me see if I can give you cause to add a few. As you may recall I first came on the site about a year ago and at that time I was trying to prepare for my first serious contacts with the VA after haveing managed to avoid them (except for a couple of ER visits) for about 30yrs.I had been hearing horror stories from friends about the VA for a long time and my limited experiences on the ER visits tended to confirm them.Would have continued to avoid them but with little money,no insurance, and an apparent skin cancer eating on my face it didn't appear that I had much choice.Trying for disability conpensation had crossed my mind but I had more or less decided that it would be an awful lot of hassel for little or no probable gain.I talked with ya'll on this site and recieved a tremendous amout of highly useful (vital!)info. from all sorts of folks and that has changed everything.

It is now about a year later.The skin cancer has been removed (by a plastic surgon no less).I am on the AO register.I've had a physical with lab work and X-rays(had not been checked out in 6-8yrs.)and a couple on EKG's.Have recieved treatment for a couple of minor problems.Saw a VA shrink who offered to refer me for meds. and treatment for PTSD (like an idiot I got cold feet and told him I'd get back to him on that).Have been awarded SC disability in three areas-10%,10%,0%.(anybody know what 0% means?).I also have a PTSD claim pending and have recieved the "stresser" letter;a nice VA lady I talked to on the phone has already marked it with: "I have a Combat Medical Badge-please see DD 214. Army medic."not sure why she attached that.Any last minute tips before I fill it out?I've figured out how to refer back to the good advice you've already given me.Thus far my dealings with the VA have pretty much hassel-free and-much to my surprise-they have some truly fine folks (along with a few duds)working there.

Without the vital info.,advice,and support I've gotten from ya'll little-if any-of the above would have occured.You guys have my profound and eternal gratitude.I would have expressed this earlier but this has mostly all come together while I was off-line.

[Gimpy]

Congratulations on getting your 10/10/0 percent disability ratings! The "0%" rating you received indicates they (the rating board) didn't feel the injury/illness that received this rating was "worth" any disability incurred rating for compensation. However, it IS included in your "overall" combined rating and IS considered "service connected" which makes it "eligible" for "free" treatment and/or medication at VA health care facillities!
If I were you I would NOT fill out that "stressor" form without some "legal" advice, from a service representative from the DAV, VFW, AMVETS, V VA, etc.---You never know what you may miss without some "legal eagle" trying to help you!

Anyway---good luck!

[billr]

Doc - In regards to the 0% rating, like Gimpy says it means that the VA has determined that the condition is indeed Service Connected but AT THIS POINT IN TIME does not warrant payment of compensation. Any time you feel that this condition has increased in severity you can ask VA to reevaluate it and they could possibly assign a higher rating.

On the stressor statement, you do not need to complete one at all. The stressor statement is to verify that you were in a stressful situation. The award of the Combat Medic Badge is sufficient to prove you were in a stressful situation. This is straight from the VA regulations:

b. Evidence of Stressors in Service

(1) Conclusive Evidence. Any evidence available from the service department indicating that the veteran served in the area in which the stressful event is alleged to have occurred and any evidence supporting the description of the event are to be made part of the record. Corroborating evidence of a stressor is not restricted to service records, but may be obtained from other sources (see Doran v. Brown, 6 Vet. App. 283 (1994)). If the claimed stressor is related to combat, in the absence of information to the contrary, receipt of any of the following individual decorations will be considered evidence that the veteran engaged in combat:
Air Force Cross
Air Medal with "V" Device
Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device
Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device
Combat Action Ribbon
Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Medical Badge
Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Service Cross
Joint Service Commendation Medal with "V" Device
Medal of Honor
Navy Commendation Medal with "V" Device
Navy Cross
Purple Heart
Silver Star

Instead of completing a stressor statement, you can simply send back the statement exactly as the lady has marked it.

Good luck and let us know if you need anymore info.

Bill

[SEATJERKER]

...the 0 % in a case such as hearing where by the "regs" means you can have hearing loss, and be rated at zero percent qualifys you for hearing aids, but no compensation, it is my understanding that even if you were almost totally deaf, the standards would only allow a ???30%??? overall rating...eg. ...

...the ratings vary, and don't add up as you would think, but it is good that you, and PHO's friend are making progress in the system...

...Bill, answer me this if you could...

...How is it the Va. pays me compensation for PTSD when the USAF won't acknowledge the incident I was involved in?...

...they changed my 214 to JFF, "directed by the Sec. of the Airforce" through the AFBCMR, and Randoph from 39-12...

[PHO127]

Glad we (members of the PF) were able to help steer you on the way. The DAV rep in N Georgia is an asshole from what I hear and does not provide much service. I have not met him myself but have spoken to several who have and have not gotten any help or solutions. DMZ-LT and I just thought we were real lucky to be here so we want to help whenever and however we can. It helps also with the question "why me?". maybe this is why. Talk to DOC Fred about your stressor letter, being a combat medic he would know more about your type of stress than ours. I know in conversations with DOC Fred that LT and I both agreed that we could not have done what you guys did. May god bless you.

[billr]

Seatjerker

The VA doesn't really care if the AF acknowledges it or not. You obviously presented enough evidence and documentation to VA to substantiate your claim that you were involved in a "stressful" situation.

Another example of this would be a woman who is sexually assaulted while in service. Even though she never makes an official report and the military has no record of it, there are other methods to prove that the "stressful event" did actually occur.