First let me say that I appreciate each and every honorable service member who served in the military but something IMO needs to change before we have a brewing problem, especially among the wives of disabled veterans, or significant others, or any other caretaker.
I feel President Obama has done more for veterans than any other president. There is a division of benefits for the new and old vets. Every pre 9-11 veteran I know or ever spoke to admires the OIF/OEF vet. The Post 9-11 Vet. The veterans from Vietnam and Desert Storm, including Korea and WWII all have the highest respect for these fine young men and women. The administration did do something though that could bring hurt to the older vet.
This is it.
Title I - Caregiver Support Section 101 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers of any veteran who: (1) is undergoing medical discharge from the Armed Forces; (2) has a serious injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001; and (3) is in need of personal care services. Includes among such assistance personal care services instruction and training, ongoing technical support, counseling, and lodging and subsistence while accompanying the veteran for VA medical care. Allows additional assistance for the primary personal care provider, including mental health services, respite care, and a monthly stipend comparable to that provided to commercial caregivers in that geographic area. Requires the Secretary, with respect to such assistance, to: (1) designate one family member as the primary personal care provider, subject to approval by the veteran concerned; (2) monitor the well-being of each veteran receiving personal care services, and take corrective actions as necessary; (3) carry out outreach to inform eligible veterans and family members of the program; (4) establish a program of general caregiver support services for caregivers of veterans enrolled in the VA health care system, and provide outreach about that program; (5) develop and submit to the congressional veterans committees a plan for the implementation of the comprehensive assistance program; (6) report annually to such committees on plan implementation; and (7) submit a one-time report on the feasibility and advisability of expanding the program to cover veterans who have a serious injury incurred or aggravated before September 11, 2001. Authorizes appropriations
My question is this? Why is this benefit not available to all Veterans and their caregivers regardless of what war they served? The Vietnam veterans are getting older and so are their caregivers. This benefit should extend to ALL veterans and their caregivers no matter when they gave their health and substance to the nation.
Do the legislators realize that the caregivers of the past wars have been caregiving of their time on as little as 284.00 a month if that and are now creeping up on age and health issues of their own. Do the pre 9-11 vets feel less pain? Do they not suffer in silence only for a longer period of time and in aging years need less caregiving?
I don't think this was thought out well and I know this because even though the older vets do not complain, the caregivers do. They are complaining in larger and larger numbers. They are hurt and angry enough to not go to the ballot box. I have heard them and I feel their pain.
Just this past Memorial Day there was a commemeration to honor the VN Veteran for his or her service and to say Thank You. Vietnam veterans came home to anger and confusion which made thier service even more maddening. The caregivers give their all to their older vet husbands, wives, significant others, sisters, brothers, as their exposure to toxins and other elements have escalated over the years.
What message do the veterans of any era and especially since the new honor of Vietnam feel to be left out of a program that is so vital?
Is it , we the thank you now after all this time and for the next 13 years we proclaim we recognize your service, BUT unless you served after the twin towers fell you are on your own. To me this will just create a division among old warrior and new warrior or at least among their caregivers.
If this country is so broke (which they are not) that they cannot provide a honorable disabled vet equally anong the theatres...regardless of which war....then don't be biased towards the wars or ther veterans.
The supplemental life insurance is not equal. The caregiver support and entitlement is not equal and the whole thing in a nutshell goes back to Equal Justice for all. Classwarfare of sorts in an area where veterans are all brothers and sisters. Abe Lincoln said..FOR
THOSE WHO BORNE THE BATTLE
...Except for....it didn't matter until New York was attacked.
I feel the same about the category 8 thing disqualifying veterans., aimed at the newer veterans. Some of it was eliminated but not enough.
This legislation needs to be revisited .Equal opportunity for all disabled vets. Not just those most recent.