That is the million dollar question I have asked and still to this day ask the question up above of the title of this Warrior Blog Entry 20!
Now with this Warrior Blog Entry 20 is a very personable blog to do because of my experiences that I've had in the past dealings with the Department of Veteran Affairs Administration in the States and abroad here in the Philippines.
Now with this Warrior Blog Entry 20 is a very personable blog to do because of my experiences that I've had in the past dealings with the Department of Veteran Affairs Administration in the States and abroad here in the Philippines.
Please, keep this in mind that I have been dealing with the Department of Veteran Affairs for just about over a decade while I was out of the military on a break of service or when I was completely done with my service to my country as a Combat Soldier that served in the United States Army, and the experiences I had or having currently with the VA has not always been completely poor, but for the most part the experiences has been more poor than good, and I will explain more in detail here in the next two paragraphs.
For some have heard or read about my experiences in the past dealings of the VA where I was having difficulties getting my needs met through the VA or you have heard or read about where I praised the VA for doing a job they were attended and paid to do and by law are suppose to do, but time after time when it seems the VA has gotten it right with helping and supporting the Veteran community or with the dealings with myself, let's just say that what they do good which seems rare at times are being overshadowed by what they can't get right or refuse to get right, and that has been a problem for Veteran's dealing with the VA way before I got involved with the VA, and the issues coming out of the VA for decades, stemming from neglect, fraud, malpractice, mismanagement of Veteran's records, lying and manipulating the Veterans: all because the system was created to fail all due to politics of the bureaucracy & red-tape.
But, let's not forget that the VA was formed into scandals when it was just still new to the government, and I have mentioned that in one of my latest blog entries. You can google it and there will be a brief story about the first scandal of the VA and back when that first scandal took place was big news and then it passed away, and the be big breaking news was short lived until decades and decades later where the past President Obama hot caught up with scandals relating to the VA keeping Veteran's from bring scheduled to been seen by a VA medical provider, and many that were on that now famous waiting list died.
The Phoenix Arizona VA Medical Center was front and center with being the facility to be part of the blunt of the scandals, and just like that other VA Medical Centers were no longer immune to the scandals just like dominoes that started with one domino that one caused a ripple affect of scandal after scandal with the VA bring accused of neglecting the Veteran Community across country from State to State.
Don't think that President Obama was the first to know about the poor conditions of the VA, and how it being too large allowed the vastness of it's operation to be difficult to manage, because the problems with the VA was in a poor state of conditions way before President Obama, and no he should not get a pass because he could of radically changed the VA, but instead it became a burden for him that he and so many other Presidents just turned a blind eye while making the taxpayers and the public think that the Veteran Community was truly doing it's best of caring for the Veteran Community, and in some aspects that was true but only to a certain extent.
I truly believe the Presidents before Obama, and after Obama had their hands full with not really knowing what was really going on with the VA because the VA Secretaries they put in charge couldn't or wouldn't or had no power to make radical changes based off of the laws and bills set-forth by Congress.
When a system as big as the VA there are so much room for issues to arise, and after a while the big system becomes a money pit, and becomes a political pawn for Politicians to use as a tool to gain support during election cycles. While Veteran's are being neglected or not getting the care as we all who have served and have been deemed approved to use the VA are dying, getting sicker, becoming homeless, and lives are being turned apart by a system that has those who have hired and charged with the duty to care for our Veteran Community while the whole time are the problem and to get rid of the problem is no easy task because of the Unions that are being used as a part to manage those who are working for the government, and not all who work for the VA are the problem, but many are and causing the VA to mismanage funds that have been appropriated by Congress by mismanaging funding at the Executive level of the VA by allowing some VA Executives bonuses, giving paid administrative leave, and of having very poor spending habits of going overboard with reckless spending on VA Staff while going to conferences for training, etc.
What I have mentioned may not be new news but for some yes it is, and should be very concerning to you and anger you, and if it doesn't there's something not right with you. Because of social media, and the networks it is a lot harder to just sweep the issues of the VA's to not become a scandal but the age of technology is now working against a system that once upon time has been able to keep the whistle blower under a tight lip of using scare tactics, and the law to keep those from thinking to rat on the VA, but now in this present time is not possible because the scandals have gotten publicized more than ever that the government had to act on those scandals fear of major backlashes, and fear of those who are or were in charge to be facing criminal charges, but with how the VA is or was managed makes it nearly impossible to even scratch the surface of reforming the VA or making radical changes.
With my experience of dealing with the VA I am not going to elaborate because you have to wait until my book is published or the documentary is out, but I will say this that I have learned that to deal with the VA the best approach is getting involved with VSO (Veteran Service Organizations) such as the VFW (Veteran's of Foreign Wars), DAV ( Disabled American Veteran's), American Legion, WWP (Wounded Warrior Project), VVA (Vietnam Veteran's of America), and so on, but even with those organizations there is so much they can do, and that's when as a Veteran or Family, and friends to help put the Politicians accountable for keeping them honest when they fail or not doing what it takes to help the Veteran Community; by others in the community being active in the Veteran Community as an Advocate, a Lobbyist, or just a concerned citizen by being part of VA Watch Dog groups. Most importantly be informed and don't just rely on mainstream media outlets or from the lawmakers, go do your research, and do your homework by stop saying thank you to the military and veteran community and ask how can I help be part of the solution to get your needs met as a Veteran.
I know for some it seems impossible to spend time let alone with your own life but if you team up with other like minded people who have the passion and compassion for the Veteran Community as many do or want to but don't know how to get involved, then I suggest get with me and I will point you in the right direction of getting proactive in the Veteran Community because as a Veteran myself I have been involved with several VSO groups, and I have been advocating for the Veteran Community for a long while, and was once a Lobbyist t Hf at helped with informing the lawmakers to do what was right for the Veteran Community. Please, keep this in mind that you will get burnt out at one point because it is a daunting task to take on representing the Veteran Community so don't forget to have some breaks and free time of taking care of yourself so you are not worthless and no longer an asset.
As a Combat Veteran who has been very much in the Veteran Community for a long while, and I say, "Just don't give up, get informed, and educated with knowing all aspects of the laws, bills, and how the VA operates, and don't get yourself backed on a corner by not knowing the know and don't allow those who work or subcontracted to get you to do what you don't want to or don't allow them to pull a fast one one you, so be bold, be courageous, be wise be smart on being able to out maneuver the VA by not being a victim but your own advocate, and so on. I know the VA can be very scary and overwhelming for those who are new to the VA but if you have to get a lawyer or get and Advocate who knows how to help you navigate through the VA."
If the law makers continue to betray our Veteran Community through the political approach instead of the patriotic approach of being their duty and responsibility on both sides of the political isle to meet in the middle to give the Veteran's what they deserve that is the same or better than what the law makers have for benefits; if that approach never changes with the law makers than the future of the Veteran Community will continue to look bleak and have no change of hope for better care for the Veteran Community because the system never got reformed or downsized to be manageable to where more money went to actual care for the Veteran Community not just for salaries, and upgrades or foolish projects that causes the Veteran to not get the best care as the Warrior should be getting in the first place.
Let me end this blog with this last final note that I hope if anything you get out of this blog is that it is obvious that there needs to be radical change done to improve the care for the Veteran Community, but for that to happen there needs to be a compromise of comprehensive extensive measures put in place with law makers being forced to either take care of our Veterans better than you take care of yourselves or we will boycott the government but that is definitely wishful thinking because many Americans are misinformed about what is really going on with the Veteran Community and are so busy with their own lives that to put pressure on the government is a huge sacrifice many are not willing to take on because how society has become and how the system has made it to where it would discourage anyone to even think of taking that stance but if it ever was possible it happened because if civil unrest and a change if government or the end of days now became the days of the end of the area of what we now know to be a country once free but now destroyed from a society that got out of control to the point of Anarchy or something like Armageddon.
I know sounds crazy, but is it really crazy or is crazy to think what is now can at one point of our lives be no more just like the Roman Empire that ruled over a 1000 years and in an instant was no more, and many countries have tried to model the empire and failed, and what makes the United States any different?
If you know the past you then will know the past can repeat itself, and knowing mankind can fail, but with Veteran issues or any issues in the world how can you have faith in a system that has proven to be unreliable, corrupt, and lost with it's ways of its dealings with helping others while those who are in power holding the cards to make a positive change in one's life but time after time choose to not use those cards to make radical change but instead hold onto the cards to what benefit dies make you wonder why? Last ending point: with the law makers who hold the cards to make medical marijuana legal for those who served in the military and are service connected by being diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and other enabling mental illnesses of many Veteran's could
benefit from.
At one point this Bill will make it easier and legal for Veteran's to gain access to prescribed medical marijuana now seems that bill is at a haunted and is being stalled while Veteran's are desperately needing the medical marijuana to cope with their mental health issues and disorders that the know approach of treating Veteran's with the medical marijuana has been suggested and recommend for years to be available for the Veteran's needing it, but now many are still having to wait or illegally use the substance to treat and care for their symptoms that is related to their service connected disability so they can try and live a normal life or function while those on Capital Hill play games by not playing the cards they got when they know is a good hand.
So, in closing with all that is going on with the Veteran Community when it seems that the improvements are being made to help the Veteran Community through new Legislative measures or new approaches through the VA, and with this new Billions upon Billions going into the VA, but only time will tell if the Law Makers, and those in charge of the VA will just waste the Veteran Community with failing approaches that at the end leave the Veterans empty handed as usual.
Yes, only time will tell if what is being put in place with this current President, and those that work under him or the Law Makers are able to really fix of the problems that have been neglected and ignored for far to long or is this another stunt to make the Veteran Community and the American people to be duped by creating false hope, and then when it doesn't work start pointing fingers when what was put in place backfires? I guess we have to wait and see unfortunately, and those who are more impacted of waiting and who have been waiting for the VA to change for a radical change are the ones that be most affected by it is those who served, fought, and sacrificed for a country who seems to not get about why you have to take care of those who make it possible to be a free country at least for now; The American Warrior-Veteran.
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Here are some interesting facts to look at that may catch your attention and put things into perspective:
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-disabled-veterans-cuts/
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/06/us/veterans-health-care.html
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1396/increase-veterans-health-care/
https://www.npr.org/2017/08/23/545617174/fact-checking-trump-on-veteran-affairs
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/06/06/trump-signs-55-billion-bill-replace-va-choice-program.html
Thanks for taking the time of reading this Warrior Blog Entry 20!
Author:
-Warrior Timothy W. Sanders
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