Veterans Face Vast Inequities Over Disability

[cal04]

Staff Sgt. Gregory L. Wilson, from the Texas National Guard, waited nearly two years for his veterans’ disability check after he was injured in Iraq. If he had been an active-duty soldier, he would have gotten more help in cutting through the red tape.

Allen Curry, an Army reservist from Chicago, has fallen behind on his mortgage while waiting nearly two years for his disability check. If he had filed his claim in a state deploying fewer troops than Illinois, Mr. Curry, who was injured by a bomb blast in Iraq, would most likely have been paid sooner and gotten more generous benefits.

Veterans face serious inequities in compensation for disabilities depending on where they live and whether they were on active duty or were members of the National Guard or the Reserve, an analysis by The New York Times has found.

Those factors determine whether some soldiers wait nearly twice as long to get benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs as others, and collect less money, according to agency figures.

“The V.A. is supposed to provide uniform and fair treatment to all,” said Steve Robinson, the director of veteran affairs for Veterans for America. “Instead, the places and services giving the most are getting the least.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/09/washington/09veterans.html?hp

[Monkeyman]

1. In Allen case the Lt Gov had a fund raiser

Its all over the Country in todays hearing it was said Veterans have died waiting. And Many are now homeless. The DAV made that statement

[hobbit709]

2. What a crock of shit

If they were injured in Iraq, they were ON ACTIVE DUTY at the time as far as I'm concerned.

[liberal renegade]

3. we are one fucked up country!