Help with Senate Testimony

Vanity ^ | 2010 | Steve Newton

[Steve Newton]

Ok my friends, I need some help here. I am preparing to send testimony to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and I have run out of ideas.

Feel up to a few questions?

[Steve Newton]

Ok. Feel free to explain why you feel the way you do.

1. Do you feel that gays in the military will increase casualties? 2. Do you think that the POTUS should change a long standing, unofficial, practice of not sending condolence letters to the families of someone who commits suicide even if it is proven they have PTS from a war zone? 3. Do you feel that the Veterans Administration should allow smoking in certain area’s at their Medical Centers? 4. Do you think it would be wise to give all military recruits a base line MRI? 5. Do you feel that after 6 months, a V.A. or military medical board should give a claim an automatic temporary approval? 6. Do you think the V.A. should lease land to non veteran groups and not allow access to a patient? (Such as a theater) 7. Would you support training for ALL veterans caregivers? 8. Do you have any other questions or statements?

Folks I know it’s long.

But I appreciate it and who knows? Someone may even read it.

God bless

[Lancey Howard]

BUMP

[ladyvet]

As to question two about suicide and the military. This link is about a young man I knew well. The article does not mention the cause of death but he killed himself a year ago. I won't go into too many details because I don't want to hear about how others in other wars were able to handle things. I know his mother and her heart is broken, a letter can't bring her son back but it would show that the military acknowledges that there are problems. http://themountainmail.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=19303

[Cyber Liberty]

4. Do you think it would be wise to give all military recruits a base line MRI?

What would you expect to find? Microchips?

[ebersole]

I can only answer a few of them from the survivor’s view point
2. If the soldier served honorably, then the POTUS should send a condolence letter even if the soldier committed suicide. I think a larger picture for active duty soldier suicides and the impact on the families is will the military consider these suicides...line of duty death or not which has significant implications on the survivors of soldiers who commit suicide. You may have to pardon if I don’t get the terminology correct, it’s been a few years since I dealt with military terminology.
Another signficant issue is the lack of documentation in theatre for medication given to a soldier. The medics dispense medication while in theatre, but there is (was) no record keeping of what was dispensed, time frames etc. At least this was our case for soldier in theatre on an A team.

[Doogle]

I’m wondering if next years tax laws, that include your medical coverage, is going to eliminate vets who are near top income levels for admittance.

[Steve Newton]

I’m sorry for your loss

And thank you

[Steve Newton]

Negative

But a base MRI would be usefull in proving a claim if a Soldier suffered TBI or PTS.

One MRI compared to another after an incident could show changes in the brain.

Some are even saying now that PTS can alter brain functions.

[Steve Newton]

Hummm

Thank you

And thank you for your service

[Steve Newton]

Now

That is something worth asking

Thank you

[encm(ss)]

Why does the government deduct the amount of VA disabilities pay from retired military pay? ie. concurrent receipt. It seems unfair for retired military to bear this offset that a civilian does not have to bear.

[Steve Newton]

I was under the impression that concurrent receipt had been approved.

Hummm

Something else to check

I appreciate it my friends

[EBH]

1. Do you feel that gays in the military will increase casualties?

As a matter of common course, no I don't. But they should be subject to the same requirements as military married couples are currently. The same standards that apply to straight couples in the military must apply to gay couples. Same rules and regs. They ain't nothin' exceptional or special about them.

2. Do you think that the POTUS should change a long standing, unofficial, practice of not sending condolence letters to the families of someone who commits suicide even if it is proven they have PTS from a war zone?

If they were seeking treatment for said PTS, yes.

3. Do you feel that the Veterans Administration should allow smoking in certain area’s at their Medical Centers?

As a matter of fact I do think they should. I don't smoke, but if members of the military desire a cigarette they should have access to a reasonable location.

4. Do you think it would be wise to give all military recruits a base line MRI?

I don't know the latest on the use of an MRI in this fashion and am unable to comment.

5. Do you feel that after 6 months, a V.A. or military medical board should give a claim an automatic temporary approval?

Again, I am not familiar with the procedures in these matters and unable to comment.

6. Do you think the V.A. should lease land to non veteran groups and not allow access to a patient? (Such as a theater)

No comment

7. Would you support training for ALL veterans caregivers?

I am not sure how to interpret this question. I know training for the immediate family of returning Marines is provided, but is voluntary. If you mean of those who have been injured and the on-going care...yes.

8. Do you have any other questions or statements? No.

[Mike Darancette]

1. Do you feel that gays in the military will increase casualties?

Yes, in the same way that heterosexual partners might endanger the lives of their comrades in a battlefield situation.

[Steve Newton]

Outstanding

Thank you

I am reminded of a time I was in the V.A. Hospital. Very cold.

They was an elderly gentleman in a wheel chair and thin PJs hiding behind a post trying to grab a smoke.

He was scared to death someone would give him a ticket

He was a WWII hero

Not acceptable to me

[Steve Newton]

Understood Sir

And thank you

[rlmorel]

1. Do you feel that gays in the military will increase casualties?
Yes. Money that SHOULD be spent on armaments, training, facilities etc. will instead be spent on litigation, facilities, "partner" benefits, sensitivity training and focused curriculums for homosexuals. Additionally, there will be increased friction by introducing these additional factors into the judicial, advancement and promotion processes. All of this will combine to produce troops less prepared than they should be with lower morale, which will result in higher casualty rates.

2. Do you think that the POTUS should change a long standing, unofficial, practice of not sending condolence letters to the families of someone who commits suicide even if it is proven they have PTS from a war zone?
I have no opinion on this.

3. Do you feel that the Veterans Administration should allow smoking in certain area’s at their Medical Centers?
Yes. And I work in a hospital and I do not nor have I ever smoked.

4. Do you think it would be wise to give all military recruits a base line MRI?
I would need to know what the purpose of the MRI would be? Are these functional MRI exams? Is it to document claims of PTS by comparing one later to a baseline? This is too open ended for me to answer.

5. Do you feel that after 6 months, a V.A. or military medical board should give a claim an automatic temporary approval?
No. But I do feel that claims should be handled as quickly and judiciously as possible, and it is evidently not happening now in all cases.

6. Do you think the V.A. should lease land to non veteran groups and not allow access to a patient? (Such as a theater)
I can see circumstances where I would say yes, and some where I would not. It all depends on the situation.

7. Would you support training for ALL veterans caregivers?
Do you mean including family members? And what kind of training, to what degree? This is an open ended question.

[Cyber Liberty]

I think a Neurosurgeon would give you the best answer. There are different types of brain diagnostic scans they’d be interested in seeing.

[Steve Newton]

Thank you rlmorel

Is it to document claims of PTS by comparing one later to a baseline?

Indeed. Or to document a TBI

On caregivers

Congress just passed legislation to train, insure and grant a stipend to family caregivers. But only to those of the current conflict.

[rlmorel]

TBI=Traumatic Ballistic Injury?

I would have a lot of questions about using MRI exams for this kind of thing. An MRI is expensive, and open to interpretation. The VA system is already heavily burdened, and to add another 200,000 MRI exams a year is going to cost a lot of money, and the resources and manpower have to come from somewhere (It isn’t a zero sum game where we might say, “Hey, we already have these radiologists and MRI techs on the government hook, we might as well throw another 200,000 brain MRI exams onto their workload...” In a system as hard pressed to keep up, every recruit that gets an MRI is going to delay a Korean War vet who needs one) Also, if you do this for ONE person, you have to do it for EVERYONE. We might say, “Okay, we only do this for combat infantrymen.” Well, how about truck drivers? They might get hit by an IED too. How about sailors on a big ship? They might never see combat, but what if their ship is hit by a mine? How about an REMF who works in anonymity at some base that gets hit by a surprise Scud missile?

So, I would have a LOT of questions about this before I could answer it.

As for money for providers of care...

I am not in favor of more government cheese being handed out...EXCEPT in cases of supporting the military. I have always believed, coming from a military familty, that the stresses and strains of military life are unusual and unique, and that we should do all we can do to help. To help a wife, mother or father to care for her injured husband or their injured son? Yes. I would be willing to support some kind of help.