War machine smoke: Nearly half new US vets seek disability benefits

[lem34]

War machine smoke: Nearly half new US vets seek disability benefits

Published: 28 May, 2012, 22:16

More US soldiers than ever are surviving oversees deployments, but the injuries sustained in Afghanistan and Iraq mean 45 per cent of the new vets are seeking disability benefits. In the long run the compensation may cost Americans up to $1 trillion.

*The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have produced some 1.6 million veterans – 720,000 of them (45 per cent) are now seeking service-related compensation. Each one of them claims an average of eight to nine ailments.

By comparison, only 21 per cent of Gulf War veterans who were deployed to battlefields in the early 1990s claimed disability, while the average Vietnam veteran receives compensation for fewer than four ailments.

*Out of 720,000 Iraq and Afghanistan vets currently seeking VA care:
- over 400,000 have mental health problems, most commonly Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- over 350,000 report tinnitus
- over 177,000 have hearing loss
- over 1,600 have lost a limb
- over 200 need face transplants
- at least 127 have bee blinded
Statistics by the Associated Press

The staggering increase in figures is driven by many factors. A major one is a higher survival rate, as modern body armor and improved battlefield care protect from wounds that in past wars proved fatal. Over 95 per cent of troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan have lived.

On the other hand, this means new veterans return with unprecedented injuries, some missing as many as three limbs. Tens of thousands suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBI) – mostly mild concussions from bomb blasts – and doctors cannot say what’s in store for them in the long term.

Many have back, shoulder and knee problems from carrying heavy packs and wearing the body armor that helped keep them alive.
‘Is your back worse?’ – ‘No, I’ve lost my job’

The weak economy also pushes veterans to the Department of the Veteran Affairs (VA). The officers meet more people with disabilities that do not prevent them from doing certain jobs – but for the fact the veterans cannot find any work, or have been fired.

Barry Jesinoski, executive director of advocacy group Disabled American Veterans, says that he often hears the same story in his office when veterans come: "We'll say, 'Is your back worse?' and they'll say, 'No, I just lost my job.'"

VA payments range from $127 a month for a 10 per cent disability to $2,769 for a full one. But as the piles of claims build up, the speed at which they are processed drops. For each case, it must be proved that the disability is indeed service-related.

As a result, nowadays a frustrated, injured veteran might spend up to eight months without any income. Over 560,000 claims from veterans of all wars are currently backlogged, having been filed earlier than 125 days ago.
Projected veteran expenses dangerously exceed budget

Recent veterans are seeking a level of help the government did not anticipate, and for which there is no special fund set aside to pay. Nevertheless, the VA, scrambling through thousands of outstanding claims, still wants the veterans “to have what their entitlement is."

*Cost of War

America’s War on Terror, which ensued after 9/11, includes Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), primarily in Afghanistan and Pakistan; Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in Iraq; and Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), covering domestic security. Various contesting reports have been filed on the costs of these operations, citing many hidden expenses. According to a study by Brown University, the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have cost the US up to $4 trillion, while a total of 236,000 have been killed, over 6,000 American soldiers are among them.

But for taxpayers the ordeal is just beginning, warns Harvard economist Linda Bilmes. With any war, the cost of caring for veterans rises for several decades and peaks 30 to 40 years later, when diseases of aging are more common, the economist told the Associated Press. She estimates the health care and disability costs of the recent wars at $600-900 billion.

"This is a huge number and there's no money set aside," says Bilmes. "Unless we take steps now into some kind of fund that will grow over time, it's very plausible many people will feel we can't afford these benefits we overpromised."

This year’s budget puts aside some $130 billion for veterans' benefits and services, with the VA Department's share set at up to $70 billion. At the same time, the DoD’s budget runs close to $700 billion – this includes wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The tendency is to reduce costs, but who could promise cuts discussed for 2013 would only affect the defense? And how would this play to US veterans, who all volunteered and now expect the government to keep its end of the bargain?

"The deal was, if you get wounded, we're going to supply this level of support," says Bilmes. Right now, "there's a lot of sympathy and a lot of people want to help. But memories are short and times change."

Wow did not realise the Taliban had given such a good account of themselves

Guys just saw this comment on another forum I think it is by an American. Just read it see some people are being able to see through whats what


The sad thing is, most of these guys come back and keep waving the flag,
because the last thing they want to admit, is that they crippled themselves
for life to get oil for the rich, or for Israel, so they keep on believing that
they did this for freedom. Most of these guys are from the poorer parts of
Pennsylvania, and Appalachia(one of the poorest parts of the U.S.A.).
They joned the army cause where they come from their is nothing for them
to do, so they did this thinking it would make a difference and they really
believed all that propaganda (Weapons Of Mass Destruction etc.).
Traditionally the USA has treated its veterans of war horribly when they
have come home, esp after World War 1, remember Vietnam? Still these
young people are idealistic, like out of that movie "All Quiet On The
Western Front", it's pretty sad, seeing the poor fighting for the rich that
tricked them, and many never admit to themself they were that dumb.

 

[lem34]

Clearly Western propaganda does not reflect the above costs to the Americans. But then Americans no longer control their foreign policy Israelis do through AIPAC

 

[Green Hornet]

The sad thing is, most of these guys come back and keep waving the flag,
because the last thing they want to admit, is that they crippled themselves
for life to get oil for the rich, or for Israel, so they keep on believing that
they did this for freedom. Most of these guys are from the poorer parts of
Pennsylvania, and Appalachia(one of the poorest parts of the U.S.A.).
They joned the army cause where they come from their is nothing for them
to do, so they did this thinking it would make a difference and they really
believed all that propaganda (Weapons Of Mass Destruction etc.).
Traditionally the USA has treated its veterans of war horribly when they
have come home, esp after World War 1, remember Vietnam? Still these
young people are idealistic, like out of that movie "All Quiet On The
Western Front", it's pretty sad, seeing the poor fighting for the rich that
tricked them, and many never admit to themself they were that dumb.

WOW!! Did you ever bothered about the millions of brainwashed jehadis getting killed around the world?? At least the american soldiers are fighting to gain control over oil which will eventually help their nation, but what will a jehadi gain by sacrificing his life, 72 virgins??

What a wastage of precious human life!!

 

[lem34]

WOW!! Did you ever bothered about the millions of brainwashed jehadis getting killed around the world?? At least the american soldiers are fighting to gain control over oil which will eventually help their nation, but what will a jehadi gain by sacrificing his life, 72 virgins??

What a wastage of precious human life!!

What has that got to do with the topic which is the losses inflicted on Americans?

 

[Green Hornet]

What has that got to do with the topic which is the losses inflicted on Americans?

Before worrying about the american soldiers, as a fellow muslim, you should worry about the loss of life of muslim youth in the name of jehad.

After reading this article, i thought about the same fact i wrote above, but sadly you didn't.

Perhaps you should search for a similar article on loss of muslim lives in the name of jehad.

 

[lem34]

Before worrying about the american soldiers, as a fellow muslim, you should worry about the loss of life of muslim youth in the name of jehad.

After reading this article, i thought about the same fact i wrote above, but sadly you didn't.

Perhaps you should search for a similar article on loss of muslim lives in the name of jehad.

You would think that because you are Indian and have ulterior motives. Anything that shows America to be not all powerful white man you want to ignore.