Roy Lee Ross; phony Vietnam veteran
Andy11M sends us a link about Roy Lee Ross Jr., a.k.a. Daniel Alfred Sullivan Jr., 64, of Morganton, North Carolina, who was a deserter from the Army in Hawaii in 1978. He was given an OTH discharge (under conditions other than honorable) in lieu of a court martial after he was apprehended. I guess he lived to regret that discharge – he represented himself to the VA as Daniel Alfred Sullivan, a special forces Vietnam veteran who had been wounded and suffered from PTSD.
Ross was diagnosed in 2007 with service-related Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and began receiving health benefits from the VA.
In 2012, based on the PTSD diagnosis and his numerous false claims about war wounds and military honors, Ross filed for and received disability-based compensation at a rate of 60 percent and a retroactive lump sum of $18,349, according to the indictment. He also began receiving a monthly tax-free compensation of $1,026.
In 2014, he filed for more compensation, claiming he suffered pain from being shot in the neck during combat.
His disability rating was increased, reflecting an increase in his monthly tax-free compensation to $1,743.
In 2015, still falsely claiming to be Daniel Sullivan, he filed a third claim for “increased evaluation,” claiming he was suffering from neck pain due to wounds he received on active duty, according to the indictment. He was awarded $3,490 in back payment, and his monthly disability payment was increased to $2,906.
He also scammed about $60,000 of medical care and another $10,000 in travel vouchers, and another 10 grand for vocational rehab.
It looks like the only reason that he got caught was because he got greedy not because anyone thought he was lying. I’ll bet there’s a doctor out there who will still defend him because he described symptoms of PTSD.
Category: Phony soldiers, Valor Vultures
Asshole.
Morganton? That’s in the same AO of Round Ranger. They ought to hook up.
Maybe they already did.
Dude is looking at spending 35 years in the “loving arms” of Bubba, Thor, Julio and Mr. “Tiny”. That’s a lot of cockmeat sammiches and tubesteak (with generous helpings of manmayo and nutbutter) that Roy Lee Ross may get to enjoy.
Deal! Let’s make a deal! Trials are so hard! Let’s make a deal!
OK, here’s the deal I propose and could live with:
Option 1: plead guilty to all counts, pay back every freaking penny – including full cost of medical care – within 30 days and, then do “a year and a day” hard time.
Option 2: plead guilty to all counts, do 15 years hard time, then pay the rest back afterwards as a debt to the government (which allows Social Security and, I believe, SSDI to be garnished to repay the debt).
Otherwise, take your chances at trial and we’ll ask for the max on every count. ‘Cause we got your lying azz dead to rights, a-hole.
Sadly, he’s going to play his BS story for all he can get and the judge will give him a single love tap on the wrist (wrapped in padding, of course.)
So fucking sick of these motherfuckers.
????????
Put him in a room with real vets for a day, if he makes it out alive debt paid ??
It’s people like this…
That make it so damn hard for real vets that need help
May he burn in HELL
This!
Yeah! Other vets are sitting around for months and years thinking “why’s my claim taking so long”? Here’s one reason.
Yup. Recently heard a county veteran’s affairs person speak. He said you can pretty much guarantee a VA claim will be denied the first time, so he said you just have to keep trying. He said it so matter of fact-like, that it was a foregone conclusion that the first attempt at benefits is denied. That’s for legit claims! Which is why so many vets either don’t bother or try, get rejected, and move on with their lives.
So the running joke around work lately has been “You always get denied. But we thank you for your service.”
VA motto. ” Deny, delay, defend. Nothing is too good for the veteran and nothing the veteran shall receive
Ya know, HMCS certainly writes eloquently.
That was only with one cup of coffee on-board…
But it was black and bitter, as it should be.
Never trust anyone who puts shit in their coffee. Ever.
When I visit folks in their home, I judge them entirely on the way the TP comes off the roll. If it is the ‘wrong’ way, I find an excuse to leave. I don’t need that negativity in my life.
Also, 23 years in Navy I drank coffee black. By the gallons. Retired and discovered milk. Ymmm. I like my coffee with milk. Not cream, but milk. Never trust anyone who drinks their coffee black. Smile/per Hondo
Chief, did I ever tell you how I got out of making coffee?
PH2: No, but I would love to hear it. I’m thinking it has something to do with the quality of the finished product. I would like to hear.
BTW, I buy whole bean and grind. Then, when doing that drip thing, I have put some regular table salt in with the grounds. Not in the water. In the grounds. Not much. Probably about 20 grains of salt which is, what, 1/100 of a teaspoon? Probably less than that. Don’t understand why, but it improves the taste. But, I’m from the South, so maybe it’s a Southern thing. I also put a little salt on my watermelon. Mrs. HMC, from the swing state of Pennsylvania, never heard of such things. But, then again, she’s a Yankee, as youse probably figured out, her being from Pennsylvania and what not.
OK, PH, let’s hear how, being a Sailor, you managed to avoid making coffee. I’m thinking that may be a courts martial offense with no statute of limitation. I’ll be checking on the legality of that while waiting for your reply. Blessings to all.
The salt “softens” the water. Takes the hard elements and chemicals out (it’s a molecular thing). Will also work when you put some directly in the coffee; if you’re not brewing your own. If you have well water, you may have a water softener in your system. That’s a big tank filled with salt. And I’m from Jersey and have been putting salt in my coffee for 50 years or more.
I also meant to tell you that Navy ships can’t carry enough salt to fix coffee made with ship’s water. Nothing removes the taste of DFM.
Okay, well, this is a one-off, no shit, I did it myself. When I was stationed at the NAVPHOTOCEN (now Navy Logistics or something) next door to Bolling AFB, I was first assigned to the Black & White Print division, which was just printing black & white photo prints all day long, any size, just get them done. I was one of several PHANs doing this. The Division had a coffee mess, but since I don’t drink coffee, I never made use of it. I drink tea. Never learned to ‘get’ the taste of coffee, and the cafeteria had iced tea, even in the winter. The coffee mess was usually managed by this chubbette WAVE Liz Spaulding, who would have dropped her skivvies and danced for just about anyone. She was PH3 when I got there in 1967 and still PH3 when I left in 1970. Hmmm… but I digress. She also ran the mimeograph machine and got supplies. The rule on the coffee mess was simple: if you take the last cup, you make the next pot. And this sailor named Ray Mouncey (recently made PH1) would always take the last cup but not make a new pot. I guess it was beneath him or something. He had also taken on the affectation of a pipe clenched in one jaw. So one day, when Spraddling – er, Spaulding, decides to take the day off, I was told to go fix a pot of coffee. I protested that I never used the coffee mess, because I don’t drink coffee, but the response I got was ‘doesn’t matter, just go do it’. Okay. I did. I had never made coffee for my parents, so I had no idea what the proportions were, and the coffee pot was one of those big urns you see on buffet tables at Sunday brunches. So I asked where to clean out the pot (NEVER srub it out!) and where to fill it (in the darkroom, in the print wash sink), so I followed those instructions and got it all set up. And then comes the… Read more »
CLASSIC!!
I’m sorry, PH2, I can’t give you a pass on this. I’m certain a Sailor making substandard coffee is a courts martial offense. While I continue this investigation with NCIS, make me a sammaich.
Who made coffee seemed to always be an issue. I worked with several 0-5 – 0-6. One actually had no problem making coffee. The others, not so much. Getting folks to cough up the bucks to support the mess was also a problem. I remember a time when I could go to the chow hall and comshaw coffee and instant creamer, but those days ended.
(BTW,as below, a classic.)
NCIS, huh? Is Mark Harmon involved in this? I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ to nobody!
Ex…..this reminded me of something that had been long forgotten until now..with regards to food preparation. When I first hit RVN we were at Phu Bai for about three weeks. Cots to sleep on, large tents overhead, few if any mosquitoes in that sandy environment. Had a small mess tent where two or three cooks did their thing. This new guy shows up who is supposed to be a cook. So one night he decides the way to avoid getting up so early in the morning was to make pancakes the night before. That included baking powder or something that was a part of the ingredients. Next morning any of us who tried the pancakes damn near vomited. Crap, talk about a nasty tasting pancake!!!! That only happened once, and the so-called cook that liked to sleep late was gone within a week.
Ah! Gunpowder pancakes, huh? Yeah, that’ll do it every time.
Taggart: God darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore.
Cocksucker.
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
There, that’s a better representation of how long this guy worked his scam. Now, about that PTSD. If a lying sac-o-shit can get PTSD money, what are the chances that someone who actually served in a combat theater, if their claim is bullshit? 99%? 100%? His isn’t the only scam out there. Free cheese does that to people.
Yep. When something can be had free for the asking, sooner or later someone who doesn’t qualify will lie their butt off to get it. And the smart money is on “sooner”.
“Free Cheese Does That To People”
Quote of the year
Dennis “Heavy” Chevalier will be here shortly to confiscate all the cheese.
The USG gives away so much “free cheese” these days that even Cheddar-boi cannot possibly eat it all.
Just give him a chance and I’m sure he’ll at least try to!!!
While this guy is a total POS, I can’t stop thinking about the culpability of the dysfunctional VA system in not verifying his identity. Some career GS-15, just watching the clock and collecting a check. Just symptomatic of how broken the system is.
Either that or he had inside help to push the lies through the system.
Hell, I can’t even get a picture ID out of the VA, let alone 2900 a month for neck pain.
I get eye pain just reading about this. Where’s my doughnut and a free cup of joe?
Agreed. This day and age, there is absolutely no reason that the VA (1) does not require vets to sign a SF180 authorizing the VA to review their military records, (2) doesn’t have real-time access to the records of all personnel who retired/separated since the early 2000s (those are available in electronic form for all services beginning in the early 2000s, and slightly earlier for some), and (3) doesn’t have a small cell of VA personnel at NPRC in St Louis to process records checks on people who separated/retired before their records went electronic.
The VA’s presumption regarding documents should be “if it’s not from an official source, it’s not to be trusted”. There are entirely too many fakes and fakers out there to accept whatever anyone provides as true these days.
Unfortunately, the VA seems more interested these days with giving away $$$ and medical care (to justify an increasing budget in the future) than in watching out for Uncle Sam’s wallet. But God help them if they try to actually, you know, enforce sanity and do anything resembling due diligence checking (which takes some time) – because then the press, VSOs, and veterans give them holy hell and complain to Congress that they’re “screwing over deserving vets”.
“We have met the enemy, and it is us.” And only sometimes is that “enemy” some administrator at the VA.
In your opinion, what percentage of those utilizing VA benefits are fakes and fakers.
Thanks in advance for an answer.
Here you go. Read over this. If you want to kick the shit out of something after or while reading, you passed.
http://www.burnpit.us/2014/08/fraudulent-ptsd-claims-clogging-system-stealing-those-who-need-help
Yes I wanted to kick something.
PTS, the new version of the back injury, easy to diagnose hard to disprove. But on a much larger scale.
Yep, the article pisses me off. I have a friend, a retired SCPO who, after Navy retirement went to work for the VA as a service officer. He said the majority of PTSD claims were bogus and could easily be discounted from the getgo. But, he put them into the system. Some were just out of the world. Like a guy who was the equivalent of a Navy CT. Won’t mention his service. But he claimed he caught the PTSD b/c his job gave him access to and required the reading of TS messages. The content of those messages gave him PTSD. Yeah, you figure it out. Sounds similar to those today who need a safe space on a college campus. Anyway, he put in the claim, which resulted in squat. Guy was pissed and asked my friend how to word future appeals to make his claim appear to be more valid. My friend asked him to leave the office.
I would be shocked if the percentage of outright fakes in the VA system wasn’t at least 10%. Add in those embellishing their symptoms or granted benefits for questionable or exaggerated claims, and I’d be shocked if the number wasn’t at least 20-25%.
That’s overall. For PTSD only, I’d guess you’d need to double the percentages above – e.g., 20% outright fakes, and maybe up to 50% embellished to some degree. PTSD is incredibly easy to fake, and the VA appears to have bent over backwards to hand out PTSD compensation lately – including setting aside earlier denials based on “bad” discharges due to “PTSD that wasn’t recognized at the time”. (The various military BCMRs have been complicit as hell in that as well, granting a sh!tload of IMO undeserved discharge upgrades on that basis.) It’s become IMO a present-day financial “gravy train”.
That my opinion. I could well be wrong.
If it were up to me, an honorable discharge from every period of military service would be required to get squat from the VA. And I’d make a boatload of other changes that would dramatically curtail the VA’s wholesale giveaways of Uncle Sam’s money/other resources to those whose claim to same is questionable at best.
Thanks.
I went to the VA website and spent a while looking for a total number of Vet’s receiving benefits per year.
Could not really find anything like a total, it is a statistical morass.
I could have used a total number with your percentage and a yearly estimate of benefits per person to come up with an estimated dollar amount of damage to the VA system per year. Even estimated numbers in dollar amount puts a name/face on the problem and for me makes it easier to understand.
There is no paucity of websites offering advice and information on how to qualify for PTSD disability or to raise one’s rating for an increased benefit. I was aghast when I googled and saw the hits. I visited a few and could stomach no more. They are not aimed at helping Veterans in need. They are aimed at helping some Veterans get over.
I think one of those was my first click (miss-click) when trying to find the VA’s website.
Hemoraging money and clogging of the system seem to be just 2 of the VA’s problems.
I’ve seen them. They are usually operated by those who claim to be veterans but who advise other veterans how to clog up a health care system already bloated with con artists while legit vets wait for health care. Disgusting. Those ‘veterans’ running such sites, IMO, are corrupting an already corrupt system Just disgusting. You’re right … there are literally hundreds of such sites, advising ‘key’ words to use in the claims application. Even advising how to dress and look/appear for a specific claim. Jeez, where is the honor?
“If it were up to me, an honorable discharge from every period of military service would be required to get squat from the VA. And I’d make a boatload of other changes that would dramatically curtail the VA’s wholesale giveaways of Uncle Sam’s money/other resources to those whose claim to same is questionable at best.”
This is why I was asking about the percentages. To effect change the 99% of the US population that never served would have to be involved and they will never give a crap unless they are shown how it is affecting their pocket books, and that may not even work.
By the way your ideas for change sound solid to me.
‘I would be shocked if the percentage of outright fakes in the VA system wasn’t at least 10%. Add in those embellishing their symptoms or granted benefits for questionable or exaggerated claims, and I’d be shocked if the number wasn’t at least 20-25%.’
Ditto. I think the second category, those who embellish, is possibly double your numbers.
The percentage of fake claims in the VA is probably close to one third Veterans coach people as to what to say so they can get on the govt. doal.
Okay, when I went over to the VA HCC to enroll in VA health care and get my ID card, the NP asked me if I’d been sexually harassed while I was in the Navy.
What do you say about a bunch of obnoxious, misogynistic gay guys who left no stone unturned to try to get on your nerves?
Especially when it’s 40-some year sin the past and they’re probably mostly failures in life, anyway?
I thought about it a minute, decided it wasn’t worth the bother and said ‘no’, because they did that to ALL the women including civil service workers, and I let it go at that.
What the hell is the point to dredging it up? Thanks to them, I’m a bitch. Any questions?
You should have said, “Yes, and I remain grateful to this very day” or
“Not that I recall, but your question has triggered something and I want now to be evaluated for PTSD.”
Ex…..That’s the guy’s job, to try to uncover new claims for PTSD. He figured by trying to get you to talk dirty to him, he’d be able to open another case for compensation. CYA=Keep my job.
Seems like I mentioned this before, but there are former truck drivers (among other MOS’s)in some PTSD groups. As per the therapist’s answer, “Not all PTSD claims are combat-related.” As in, the dude might have wrecked his truck and have bad memories at night when he snuggles up to his inflatable Teddi Bear.
Now you’ve gone and done it. Some new readers will sense an opportunity and claim sexual harassment by a female. In spite of the fact that SOME of us enjoyed it. A nurse with whips and chains, in see-through nylons, a leather mini skirt, a handcuff belt,and a large can of whipping cream in her hand!!! Why did I EVER leave the service????
Eat your heart out, jarhead.
So this is the thanks I get for not ripping off the VA? Fine, next time I’ll start crying whale’s tears when it’s mentioned. I just hope it doesn’t keep me from getting a gun when I want one.
OK, here’s a sad but I swear true story. Worked at the VA for a time with a lady veteran. She would break down in tears on occasion. Come back from the head in obvious distress. Could not be alone with a man in certain circumstances. Avoided being around men. Never married. No children. You know the drill. This was about ten years ago. I didn’t need a degree to know she probably had some type of trauma in her past. Finally, after quite a time, she said she needed to get something off her chest. She related to me how she had been sexually assaulted by a man much senior to her. It was a clear cut case of rape. I suggested she file a claim for what I felt was PTSD as the result of sexual trauma. The problem? She didn’t report it. She never sought mental health support either on active duty or from the VA. No STD checks. Absolutely no nexus from an event 20+ years previously. I asked if her military performance changed after the event. Lightbulb. She had gone from 3.8/4.0 for three years to 3.0/3.2 her last year, almost overnight. (She got an honorable.) (Yes, she was a Sailor.) She had also confided to several Sailor girlfriends. I suggested she get her evals and buddy letters. She had her evals which I read. Marked changes almost immediately in all rating categories. She tracked down her friends and got buddy letters. I gave her an unsolicited buddy letter stating how her emotions fluctuated, frequently resulting in her sobbing, and often she could not function. Filed and got 0%. (That is actually a thing.) I suggested she track down her department head and get a letter. She did. He submitted a letter directly to the VA with a copy to her, in which he detailed how her behavior/work ethic/performance changed on a dime. He also stated that he felt at the time that the performance change was almost certainly the result of a sexual trauma but, when questioned at the time by him, about all… Read more »
Awhile back on the Air Staff in the Pentagon, the ladies (mostly GS secretaries) had a huge sign that said sexual harassment was graded. And they meant it. They were ruthless. More than one fighter jock left with his tail between his legs.
Looking back, that was probably a good way to handle it. Never happen now.
“What do you say about a bunch of obnoxious, misogynistic gay guys who left no stone unturned to try to get on your nerves?
Especially when it’s 40-some year sin the past and they’re probably mostly failures in life, anyway?”
I wonder how many of them even survived the onslaught of HIV/AIDS within the gay community?
One can dream, right?
It probably tore their asses up.
I swear I don’t know how theses assholes do it. I contacted the VA about 8 months ago regarding my hearing loss and have not heard from them. Now I must admit I did not wear the hearing protection that the Marines supplied to me (I was a machine gunner) but when I got discharged in 1985 they told me I had frequency hearing lost and that it would return. I stupidly signed the waiver they pushed in front of me. Years later as the my hearing got progressively worse I found out through additional testing that not only does it not return, but it gets worse. But here I am today not able to get help for a legitimate issue and theses faker fucks get thousands per month in disability. All I want is help with my hearing and the VA does not provide any help whatsoever. How do the fakers do it?
Well, you have to be persistent, find a VA health care facility near you that has a walk-in or drop-in clinic. Some of them do. And go enroll in VA health care NOW. And shut up about the waiver you signed.
EX, thanks. I won’t mention the waiver but it’s probably on my records. When I got out they gave me a small envelop with dental records and my hearing test results on the old microfiche cards. My guess is that they would research it. The last time I called to check on why they have not contacted me I was told that I need to enlist the help of the VFW, but I don’t rate to join them. I servered two tours in Beirut but I don’t have any combat action ribbons.
Get the DAV on your side. They have VSOs who may be able to help you navigate the VA’s idiotic attitude. They have field offices. The important thing to do is get yourself enrolled in the VA;s health care system, period.
VFW is pretty much useless, in my view.
Besides, the VA people may pay more attention if you tell them you were sexually harassed while you were in the service. 🙂
Thanks EX! Will follow up on this.
If you have trouble finding a VSO, emailJonnfor mine. I’m no VSO but I can help.
0331; you should be able to join the VFW with Beirut service. You should have earned a Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal which meets their eligibility requirements. From the website: “campaign medal for overseas service”. The Expeditionary Medal is awarded for campaigns for which no individual campaign medal has been struck. Link below.
http://www.vfw.org/Join/Eligibility/
https://www.mca-marines.org/gazette/expeditionary-medal#
Forest, Yes, I did earn the MCEM. I say I am not eligible, but I never really looked into it. I did talk to a few members at a VFW hall where I used to live back when I got out of the Marines in 1985 and they were the ones who told me I could not join because Beirut was not recognized as a war. Probably should have followed up, but I didn’t. I did join a Marine Corps League detachment, but when I moved away to where I live now I did not look into joining either of those venues that are near me. Now that I am a bit older and have more time I should probably look into joining.
My guy is DAV and, although he is now retired, he was a Godsend. After what I considered inadequate ‘representation’ by another service officer, I changed to the DAV and got an increase. Also, I would be surprised IF the waiver you signed ever came up. Hell, the VA can’t even figure out who is actually a vet, so they compensate the buttwipes we read about on TAH who were bounced in boot or were deserters or whatnot. Don’t bring it up.
I have tinnitus. Constantly. I mean I really have tinnitus. Bad. Sounds as if I have dozens of bees a foot from each ear. Mostly I find it enjoyable. I’ve been told it’s an almost automatic 10%. I’m not claiming b/c I’m maxed out. But for those out there with tinnitus, whose job required frequent exposure to noise, you might consider it. It IS a valid claim. If you have it and you worked in a noisy environment, look into it maybe. I was told about the almost automatic 10% by a VA audiologist who performs C&P exams. I saw him for tinnitus treatment. (There is none he knows of.) He suggested I make a claim. I said no way, I’m not rocking any boat.
You’re right, I have 10% for tinnitus and didn’t even ask for it! How’d that happen? When I came off my last AD tour, I applied to the VA for a few things that came up during it. When I finally got my VA physical (done at a civilian clinic) it was a very thorough physical. Among other things, they asked if I had any hearing loss or tinnitus. Well, yes, I did. Could military weapons training have contributed to it? Well, yes, probably just a half-century of living more than anything else, but I suppose that firing weapons probably played a part. Next thing I know, I’ve got a referral for an audiology workup, and when I finally got my VA rating decision, it included service connection for hearing loss (with a 0% rating) and 10% for tinnitus. That extra 10%, for a condition that I didn’t initially ask for, boosted my overall rating to 50% which qualifies me for concurrent receipt once my military pension kicks in in a few years. So no, you won’t see me rocking any boats either.
How do the fakers do it? They do it b/c they are persistent and are willing to spin any yarn to further their agenda. This guy here, this Ross guy, maybe he caught the PTSD while a deserter in Hawaii. I’m thinking avoiding NCIS and LEOs was probably stressful. That would explain the PTSD. Well, either that or he’s a lying POS with no pride.
Marine 0331, I have to tell you, filing with the VA and being awarded compensation can be a very lengthy process. As in many years. If yours is a valid claim, just be persistent. If it means repeated claims for the same issue, submitted with new information advantageous to your cause, keep at it. But, it begins with a good service officer. The DAV will represent you even if not a member. At least that was true when I last knew. I’m a life member of DAV but it never mattered when I filed. They didn’t even ask. Keep us posted on your efforts. Please. It’s nice to hear of good stories on TAH.
HMC…another late bird, seldom to sleep until way early in the next day’s morning. As usual, you are giving some good advice. Hopefully I can add from experience to those you are helping. First of all, if anyone served and received an Honorable, AND they were absolutely in a MOS that incurred much noise, they are likely an easy match for tinnitus. That would include tankers, artillery, heavy equipment, working on jet engines (likely most all aircraft presumably)…just anything that is heavy with noise. The tinnitus claim and compensation is pretty easy and quick, assuming your MOS reflected that noisy environment. Yes, it is only 10% but better than a kick in the pants. Inevitably it creates a much smoother path to getting hearing aids and batteries furnished by the V A. As for the claim per se, it is important to note that a new claim can sometimes get delayed for quite a while if one has other claims pending at the same time the tinnitus claim was proffered. Now for the hearing aid, this may be going out on a limb, but I am going to give some good advice here. When one seeks hearing aids and is tested by the V A, NEVER ever raise your finger the very first moment you hear even the faintest sound. Reason given to me by others is by holding back until you hear either the second or third noise, that way you will get hearing aids strong enough to help, to last, and to make your life better once you receive them . Some V A person, or possibly a VSO may not like that explanation, but reality is what it is; AKA survival. My suggestion is that if you are maxed out already at 100%, would be to ask a local clinic to set you up an appointment for hearing aids at whatever the nearest larger facility is. Explain that you are NOT making a claim for tinnitus, but only seeking hearing help, even if it be hearing aids, but to drive the point home that you are NOT… Read more »
Ditto, Jarhead. Thanks … Now, here are some tidbits about which I have personal knowledge, having worked 11 years for the VA before finally leaving after no longer being able to tolerate the BS. The VA, IMO, is a dysfunctional, broken system. It’s true. IMO Say a VA facility has several Service Officers (SO). Say they are County Representatives, VFW, DAV and perhaps even more. A facility may have four or more SO. Some may have one or none. Now, how does one determine which one(s) is/are rocks and which one(s) is/are really good at what they do and care about those who ask for their assistance? Several ways of figuring out the coal from the diamonds. First, call the operator at the facility and tell them you are a new patient and want to file a claim for service connected disability (SCD). REMEMBER, be very polite even if the operator has a ‘tude’ which is quite possible. Ask them if they were looking for a SO, who would they want to see. After you get that name(s), ask which they would not want to see. Now, they may or may not give you the name of the slug. They may not even give you the name(s) of the good SO. But, you’ve lost nothing in trying and you are anonymous. Thank the operator (sincerely) and say something like, “OK, I understand, I may call you back at a later time for your help.) Secondly, go to the actual VA and strike up a casual conversation with the Eligibility Clerk. Sit and talk for a time with the intake clerks (their time permitting), those who put veterans into the system. If there is a desk manned by volunteers, strike up a conversation with them. Perhaps speak with the Patient Representative. These groups, plus the operator, have the pulse of the facility and know what is going on. Politely ask the operator the name of the Patient Representative and Eligibility Clerk. That way, when you approach them, you can address them by their name. That gets their attention and they appreciate… Read more »
I’m NOT advising anyone to game the system. Those people? Well … This is for those who have a genuine claim for disability and who are deserving of a disability rating due to service connected issues. If you’re a scammer, look elsewhere. Marine 0331: I personally knew half a dozen Service Officers during my employment with the VA and three Rating Officers, the ones who consider all findings and make a final recommendation as to the % of disability granted. They pretty much all indicated that the first application for disability was often/usually/sometimes denied, unless it was a no-questions-asked slam dunk case. What they suggested was, when submitting the initial application, also be thinking of preparing the second application. Kind of like a Plan B. Now, I’m not well versed in the beginning to end disability rating process, although I know both SO (intake) and the Rating Officers (RO), the person who recommends the % of disability to be granted. It wasn’t my job, so all I know I heard from these two groups of men/women. Now, the second application usually (?) requires submission of addition information in support of the claim. That information may be from medical reports during the time in service which was not included in the initial application b/c it was from a civilian provider (possible but unlikely as not many AD service members sought and paid for health care outside the free care available). Or perhaps it is recent information from a civilian provider. Maybe the names of ships and dates and frequent exposure to firing of the guns. Maybe dates/places of artillery. You know, who/what/where/when/how/etc. Maybe some other type of information in support of the application. I will say all suggested that more weight was given to medical data from within the system, be it VA or military providers while on AD. Also, they advised to not assume the provider you see for your C&P exam will have all pertinent information that is in your electronic VA ‘file’ and any information in your old paper VA file. I’m not sure all information from the… Read more »
Good info HMC, should be helpful to more than a few. A lot of times people don’t know who to ask what. Sure, some VA employees have a ‘tude, but I’ve seen some old cranky vets who really have a chip on their shoulder for whatever reason. They make it difficult for those of us who are respectful to them, as we anticipate in return.
As for tinnitus, I really don’t know of anyone who tries to game the system with that. If you do have it, and are justified in filing a comp. claim for it, I say go for it. It’s not like you are being given a free phone just because you sit on your a__ and are entitled to it. Likewise, it’s not like you are given more money every month just because you sit on your a__ and have more children. If you have hearing or tinnitus problems, particularly from military service, I encourage everyone in that condition to go get it today. Honestly, I’ve often wondered if tinnitus is not a direct result of getting older, since so many are bothered by it. Coming from an 1811 (tanks) M O S, I don’t have to worry whether mine is simply from old age.
The only other thing I might add is that in search of a GOOD VSO, a practical place to start would be to find a V A group, such as PTSD, and ask one of them for advice on a VSO. Best place to find a group of any sort would be to go to a local V A clinic and ask them where PTSD group meets, sit outside that facility on the day you were referred, and you’ll see and recognize members going in for the monthly meeting.
For all in receipt of your advice, thanks much for sharing tips as a former V A employee. The long and short of it with treatment from V A employees is this….treat them with respect and in 90% of the cases it will be reciprocated. S/F
Jarhead: Your advice to talk with veterans re who they would recommend as a good SO probably trumps my advice. Nothing is better than going to the source for advice. Maybe strike up a conversation with several at the same time, say when they are having a smoke break. (Is it my imagination or do a disproportionate number of PTSD sufferers smoke? I’m thinking it serves as a means of relaxation.) Get them talking as a group and see what they have to say. I bet they would be more than willing to make recommendations re who to see and who to avoid.
About my tinnitus … I have it constantly and it is very noticeable. But … I rather enjoy it. It’s not that it really bothers me as in making it difficult for me to function. And it’s not painful. Doc told me it will never go away and will probably worsen. If it does, I may consider a hearing aid. I was rarely exposed to a noisy environment on AD. We don’t scream much in hospitals and jet engines and artillery were banned from hospitals prior to my enlistment. About the loudest noise was rowdy Marines when we went on liberty and got liquored up. That and the Chief hollering at me prior to my making Chief. Then I got to yell at junior Sailors. (Not really … not my style. I only yelled when it concerned an immediate safety matter.) I’m thinking I may need a HA down the road but doubt it will be due to tinnitus. Like I said, it’s actually enjoyable. I have to have white noise to get to sleep. At home I have a very old CPAP machine which makes just excellent noise. I take it on trips for hotel use. But, when I forget to take it, I find that if my tinnitus is really bad at that time, the tinnitus substitutes as white noise. Anyway, it comes in handy when I have selective hearing when Mrs. HMC is speaking to me. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, honey, I don’t remember hearing you say that yesterday. Could you tell me again?’. Bwhaaa
Let’s have a safe week, folks.
I have tinnitus, too, but it’s more like a background hiss or sometimes an electronic pinging noise. I don’t pay much attention to it and I think it has more to do with age than anything else, because unlike my father, who made himself nearly deaf by listening to opera wearing headphones, I only listened to rock music at a normal level and even now, I keep the radio turned down. When I had a working TV I kept the volume down, never listened to anything at full blast, but I still have that background ‘hiss’. That’s why I think it has more to do with age than anything else. On the other hand, it does not interfere with my hearing at all.
I believe I would prefer to be deaf than to listen to opera, with or without headphones. My father played it nonstop. He had a fit when the ‘subversive’ music of the late 50s and 60s came about. He thought it was an attempt by the communists to destroy the country, beginning with the youth. Mr. Taylor may have a different opinion.
Thinking back, I believe America’s ‘leaders’ have done a good job of trying to destroy the country w/o the assistance of the commies. Case in point is the current gang of buttwipes in office, as well as most of those standing by as replacements.
HMC, My claim is valid, but my hearing is only now becoming an issue, or at least over the last few years. Honestly, I felt as though my trying to get compensation was cheating the system because the Marines did supply me with hearing protection and my stupid ass made the decision not to wear it. I am a Principal Designer working from an office and have been for the past 20 years, but prior to that I worked as an electrician and a electrical lineman and did not wear hearing protection in either of those two jobs, so I just made matters worse and felt that my hearing loss was in no way the Marines or the government’s fault. I do wear it today working with tools in my wood working hobby but the damage is done. I feel bad even applying for compensation, but hearing and reading about all these phonies getting compensation for fake injuries and issues makes me feel as though I should at least give it a shot.
Oh, no, Marine 0331, I wasn’t suggesting yours was an invalid claim. I was just suggesting to you and all others with tinnitus file a claim. From what I’ve been told, provided you worked in a noisy environment, it’s pretty much an automatic 10%. Go for it. You deserve it. Unlike some of the posin’ pieces of shit exposed here.
The Army gave me free cigarettes. There must be money in there somewhere for me. Cheese! Cheese! Free cheese!
Oh, yeah, C-Rats had 2 smokes, matches and buttwipe material. The buttwipe material, after proper use, kinda reminds me of politicians.
When I was with the Grunts, smokes were a dime a pack or 90 cents a carton.
Everybody line up for their freebies! Don’t have a 214? We’ll give you one!
HMC, Not a problem. I understand you were not questioning my claim, I was just stating that although my claim is valid, I personally, at least until about a year ago when I starting reading about all the phonies scamming the VA, did not feel that compensation was warranted since the damage was largly if not completely all my fault. I did wear ear plugs when I was the ammo humper and then the gunner, but when I was promoted to team leader I almost always took them off because it was nearly impossible to hear any commands coming from a section leader or another gun positon. As I recall, when we went to range we wore the large plastic ear muffs, but at any other time it was just those small foam ear plugs. They were better than nothing, but I rarely wore them. I was so stupid. I can’t believe I did not realize the damage I was doing to my hearing.
Funny story. When I started with the utility company that I work for I was a lineman and they gave us hearing test every two years. They had an audiologist come to the service center in a Winnebago set up with 4 sound-proof booths for testing. When I went in and put on the headphones I started hitting the plungers and the lady administering the test came back and asked what I was doing because she had not started the test. I tried to tell her that I hear a ringing tone. Long story short she came back 3 times and finally asked if I was messing with her. Then she said, “were you in the military?” I replied, “Yes ma’am I was a machine gunner in the Marines.” and she said, “well why didn’t you tell me? You have frequency hearing loss or tinnitus and that is the ringing sound that you hear.” Over the years it has gotten worse. I am 54 now and I am to the point where I really have to focus on what someone is saying to me at times or I will not catch everything they say to me.
Stole from legitimate veterans for all those years and not once did the VA computers do an outreach to DOD computers. And the punch line is VA honchos don’t much give a shit. The VA is dysfunctional beyond reasonable repair. The military takes recruits and reduces them to base state. Do the same to the VA. Reduce it to ‘rubble’ and rebuild. Get rid of everyone whose primary function is to write memos and attend conferences. That would save billions annually in personnel costs. Damn, what GS-05 will be thrown under the bus for this mess?
And while at the rebuilding process, reduce travel by 90%. I guarantee the only effect will be to piss off those on the business class travel gravy train. I thought video conference was supposed to be a thing. Maybe the VA (and every other grubberment agency) should be reminded of that.
I expect GS-15 pay for the period of time it takes me to compose this post. Why? Because I’m going to answer for the upper echelon of the VA regarding this screwup. Here is the VA’s response:
‘We are embarrassed by this issue and have taken steps to ensure it is not repeated. We have identified a software issue which we feel certain led to this problem and have taken steps to prevent a recurrence.”
A follow up press release will go something like this:
“In addition to our previous statement regarding this matter, we have taken steps to identify the GS-05 we believe to be responsible for this intolerable oversight. He has been terminated and is banned from future federal employment.”
A third and final press release, if deemed necessary because of public outcry, will be as follows:
“In addition to identifying and correcting the software problem as well as terminating the employee identified as being responsible for installing the software, we will assemble a committee of top-level computer experts and VA employees to identify how such a problem was allowed to continue for so many years without being detected. We anticipate the first of several committee meetings will take place this winter, probably in Hawaii. We want to ensure our valued patients as well as taxpayers that we will meet as often as necessary to make certain this problem is not repeated. We hope to regain your confidence.”
See what I did there? I ‘splained away the problem for the VA. Now, pay me.
Bastards …
Shitbag!
Motherfucker deserter scumbag piece-of-shit scam-artist poser…
And FUCK the VA too !!!
OK, CH, get off the fence. Thank you.
While this guy is undoubtedly a major POS, I can’t help but think of the culpability of the VA in not positively verifying his ID. Unfortunately, another example of the dysfunctional and unaccountable management at the VA!
This is all the therapy I need…and its free!
Here is a therapeutic example of how this treatment plan can keep you centered and in touch with your id.
(WARNING: THIS THERAPY IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, SIDE EFFECTS COULD INCLUDE: SUDDEN MENSTRUAL CRAMPS, YEAST INFECTIONS, SWOLLEN GONADS, AND A LOSS OF NOOKY.)
DO NOT USE THIS THERAPY IN THE PRESENCE OF CIVILIANS OR YOUNG CHILDREN.
TAH, ITS STAFF AN MEMBERS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS IF YOU CLICK ON THE DAMN VIDEO. REPORT THE VIDEO IF YOU LIKE BUT JONN DOESNT SOBER UP UNTIL AROUND 1930 HOURS ON SUNDAY.
??????????
“It was a really really fucked up time, or as I like to call it the best God damn years of my life”
Sums it up for me. Thanks Dave
Purely by accident…and now my wife has a yeast infection, in pain from menstrual cramps; and me with swollen gonads and a loss of nooky
(hey, I’m only 71 but was still bangin’ twice daily until NOW!). Now where’s that phone number for Bernathy. There’s bound to be somewhere he can practice. Lack of nooky makes me feel like a wooky. Will settle out of court for 50 K. Don’t make me get Bernathy out of bed this early and have him fly to meet me some place.
You’re the man, Dave.
Action-figure Gunny is one of my own personal heroes. He’s like the crazy-ass uncle you had as a kid who taught you all the stuff you really needed to know, or a scoutmaster who awarded merit badges for giving wedgies to guys carrying yoga mats…
Uh, he doesn’t like video games?
Can I have his phone number?
I absolutely knew he would end with ‘stay off the grass’.
Simply said…..Royally Ross has royally fucked up!
This type of b.s. make me think everyone who say “I’m a vet” is full of it ( even the guys I served with ? ) …. Learn how to read a DD214 VA …
??????
One VA where I got care was basically a clinic on steroids. I would ride the VA van to the parent hospital occasionally for specialized care. Van usually carried, I think, 14-16. Number one topic of conversation? Weather? No. Sports? No. Girls? No The number one topic was how to game the system. Did I mention that many on the van were traveling for their C&P Exam? They swapped stories about how they had previously gotten over on their C&P doctor and now they were going back for an increase. Some of the stuff they suggested I had never heard and never would have thought. Some of these guys had been attempting/getting increases for decades and were swinging for the 100% fence. They were stuck at 70%-90% but kept swinging for the fence. I could tell the story about one guy who eventually got 100% for a seafood allergy. It was in part based around the concept of DNEPTE … Did Not Exist Prior To Enlistment. This is a very common comment on annual/terminal medical exams. Saddening …
Looks like Fox picked up the story, too.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/08/21/army-deserter-gets-tens-thousands-in-benefits-after-faking-war-wounds.html
Maggot.
I wonder if Roy Lee Ross here liked to “Toss” some salad while on deserter status to make some coin?