Brain stuff is hard to figure, honestly. I'd never be the guy who call's BS no matter what I think.

I know a guy who went around the bend from seeing a severed hand floating down a river in Viet Nam. That was all it took and consumed him. You really just don't know. I also know a lot of guys who were in the full blown ugly of war and death and you'd never know it. I've also met folks who faked it so long it's become a reality to them. It's like they convinced themselves or someone convinced them they are really messed up and implanted memories that couldn't have happened. But the bottom line is they really truly believe it now.

I kinda look at it like tinnitus...it's basically unprovable. My ear's ring like the dickens most nights, and sometimes it almost drives me insane. I use a fan by my bed just to sleep. But you still can't prove it medically.-WW

So that's what they're calling it these days?

I hear many are coming down with tinnitus, some find the payout is worth the lie. pisses me off beyond belief.

The solution is simple, report fraud. What happened when you reported your wife's cousin's father in law? How did the government respond to your report?

You make a point about bureaucrats creating and then protecting budgets. No argument. You can't possibly think that the private sector would be any better or perhaps you aren't familiar with the very foundation of Capitalism: Profit.

you really don't want to tell the VA that the guy is faking? Why?

Is "I don't want to get involved" good enough?

No.

Start with your old friend. Tell him you will not vouch for him, because you know he is a liar, and you cannot lie with him.
He's not your friend and it's a terrible ask.

You've got firm moral footing, so let it work for you.

If you get a bad taste in your mouth from the above interaction, maybe it'll be easier for you to agree with Shaun.

I told him on the phone I would not vouch for him.

I generally agree with Shaun but "dobbing someone in" is frowned upon in Australia. It's hard to explain. It's a cultural thing.

We get the government we deserve. And then whine and cry about it like the spoiled children we are.

Won't do any good, the VA is in on it.

I know a Retired VA exec who says they coached guys on what to tell the doctors to make sure they got the ptsd diagnosis. Makes me sick. They get rewarded for speeding claims through.

I know another guy who is 70% disabled for aches and pains that the rest of us old farts take for granted. The whole system will crash down some day.

The testing they put you thru is exacting...not the little button push deal....I doubt this is faked.

PTSD has become the new lower back pain of VA benefits...it is wildly out of control and how does one 'prove' it does not exist.

The amount of non combat...not even near combat veterans claiming it make it a charade.

I know some Vietnam vets that are questioning other vets for taking compensation for agent orange exposure.
In question should a sailor that served 10 miles offshore on a ship be eligible for the $2k a month agent orange dispensation?

Plenty of non combat PTSD to go around.
You don't need to be in Iraq to or in the military to experience PTSD.
Got mine at work as an ATC, was out for a month, recovered with no meds and back to work for 10 more years. :)

Can PTSD only come from actual "shots fired in anger" combat? Where's the line? I would imagine body recovery and clean up could be twisting to someone who's never smelt human death before. Pulling a 11 year old girl out of the bay who been there so long her skin strained through the stokes litter messed up a kid I was working with. Did you know crabs can swim well enough to climb aboard to help with body decomp? Some folks can't compartment those images to move on. I would even wager with the amount of suicides in our Forces there's a huge problem handling stress. Maybe it's a society issue with younger generations? You know the numbers, it's a large problem. Think about the submariners? Sure they get screened for the rigors but folks still snap down there. Like I first mentioned, the mind is a weird thing. My worry is the PTSD folks will at some point loose their right to the 2nd Amendment but that's a whole other ****sandwich. But yes there are ****bags out there that abuse the system. -WW

Ok...but one gets over it...that is life....stress trauma normally subsides...unless money is involved it appears.

I still strongly believe that the amount of PTSD being claimed indicates a level of fraud.

I feel the whole system from top to bottom is corrupt.
If you guys have never had ptsd, and are quick to condemn it don't fully understand the psychological side. Or let alone the current state of the armed forces. And the fact that those who serve are bottom of the barrel of society...
Ptsd sucks ****ing hardcore, and you don't need combat to get it. One of my good buddies witnessed a fellow sm blow his own head off. Ptsd diagnosed. Va benefit 0%. Was medically discharged for it instead of meb. Lives a semi normal life. Works the family business. Prolly couldn't do a normal job to be completely honest.


But as said it's someone's trigger. You guys are crass to judge someone's wounds on not being able to see them. And on that note. What pisses me off is the large number of motorcycle accidents that are in the mil that are being covered and getting rated on, and getting those precious pensions. Grinds my gears

What also grinds my gears is the rating system. You get 10% DoD and then can get 100% through the va. The va should match the DoD rating and not pay out on stupid non disqualifying conditions.

Probably not but does that Sailor have any skin disorders that are normally associated with Agent Orange exposure?