Chart showing causes of disability benefits

I don't think a lot of people understand that the money we retirees receive from the VA for our disabilities is OUR money (our retirement money). This is the entitlement that we receive after serving our country for 20 yrs. During these 20 yrs service we miss quite a few events that normal citizens take for granted. I know we signed up for this...but we also knew the possible sacarfices we would have to make. This money isn't free money to us...it's deducted from our retirement pay and paid to us from the VA! The person who wrote the comment about about stepping foot on enemy soil...I can tell you that there are a lot of military jobs with a home station mission...meaning some jobs require you to stay at home station and perform your duties. Those people are still fighting the war and making sacarfices! My hats off to each and every military person...I know what it takes to be in the military whether on enemey soil or at home station.

Your an ass. Any injury sustained in the service is service related period. If you were injured in a private sector job you have legal rights to compensation, if you choose not to follow up on those rights that's your business.

Military doctors are the worst. Case in point, my wife has a C-section delivery and the anesthesia never goes past her thigh. Doctor does not check to see if she can feel anything. Cuts her open while I'm there, she screams and he says whats wrong. Long story short, they fuk'd up and after 20+ apologies from the anesthesiologist and two years of terrible pain she requests copies of her medical records, zippo in there about the botched procedure.

My daughter at age 2 while stationed overseas has a dental abscess and they dentist says we need to pull this tooth to correct the problem, they do and it's the wrong tooth. Never mind the fact that at age 2 they tell us they will not administer anesthesia so they strap her to a board for the extraction, I could hear her screams in the waiting room. Try that with your child. I return to the states 6 months later and go to the Lenox Baker Children hospital in NC. Within 10 minutes they have positively identified the problem tooth with a procedure that had been taught in dental school for 20 years. After full anesthesia her tooth is removed and she is fitted with a partial. The doctor stated that what they did was barbaric.

I have a knee collapse while playing squadron sports. I am told that it is sprained and will heal. Two years later after living on Motrin I am told that I have arthritis in the knee at age 31. I live on Motrin for 8 more years, retire and two years later see a specialist who determines I have a torn ligament.

Think what you want about veterans, it's obvious you have no clue to what they endure and perceive any compensation as ill gotten and a shame on the system.

I have only one thing to say to people like you, go fuk yourself. You are clueless about what veterans deal with and take isolated cases of gaming the system and lump everyone in that. People like you should have to spend time on the front lines, better yet have a son or daughter there that gets injured and I'll bet you change your tune.

All I have to say is, Unless you have signed your life away on the dotted line and have served your country. Shut the hell up!!! you are clueless.

First of all read the first comment, whoever wrote that writes at a 4th grade level. How can you compare military duty to a civilian job? When are civilian required to leave their families for years at a time to go overseas and fight? If you have never been in the military you cant understand how much stress the daily activities have on your body. I am getting ready to retire and personally believe I deserve everything they give me. I have been in combat 3 times, jumped out of airplanes and helicopters for 20 years, and missed a great deal of my daughters growing up. I have also seen things that the average American can’t even imagine. We soldiers dedicate our lives to the military and the protection of our county; it’s not just another job it’s a way of life.

Yes, you are entitled to your opinion and so am I. Your remarks are offensive and you sound like an A$$!! What do you consider actual combat--- Guns, grenades, bullets, blood and bodies. I assure you that you are wrong. There were many military operations / exercises that I personally was involved in that never made it to the public eyes/knowledge.
I am a Disabled Veteran with more than 20 years of Service to our Nation. "Your tax dollars might have paid the salary" but, no money could bring back my hearing, vision or use of my legs/feet".
I have stepped on foreign soil and fought for your freedom ...
You leaving comments like this have you stepping on your own D--k.

Either join and serve this nation or go about your business elsewhere.

I spent 2 years in a Central American country advising the government forces during their civil war. This was not considered "Combat", however, it was considered "hazardous duty" which gave me an extra $50.00 a month. I came under fire several times and was lucky to have not incurred injury. Now, in your world, since this wasn't considered combat, had I been shot, or worse, lost a leg or arm, I would/should not be covered under VA. As an engineer I have witnessed good men destroy themselves lifting bridge panels necessary to build a "traning" bridge. Even here, you would not allow coverage for this individual who was permently injured performing his duty.

Bottom line, soldiers do not join the military with the intent to be injured, however, injuries incured performing ones duty is above and beyond what they signed up for.

I guess I am a pitiful person. I injured my back severly doing a PT test and reagrivated it while taking care of a wounded warrior. I have saved lifes of certain individuals that returned from war. One day I had an amputee fall and I caught him instead of letting him fall and reinjure himself. As soon as it happened the pain was overwhelming. I lost feeling in one leg and have had severe pain ever since. I did not go overseas. I tried but they told me to stay home here in the US and do more by healing long term injured soldiers. My back is $hit now and I guess I am entitled to nothing by your view. I have never seen civilian workers go on ruck marches over ten miles with a combat load, or do PT five days a week with excercises that most personal trainers would recomend you not do, or I have never seen civilians that are required to go to work sick or injured. I do not get sick days. I can go to sick call but then I get an ibuprofin and sent back to work. You are pitiful and just plain ignorant. I will get compensated. I will also get compensated less than I would have if injured in the civilian workforce because of workmans compensation. You are just another idiot out there living through the freedom that my brothers have fought and died for. I was willing to do this and volunteered multiple times. I guess by your way of thinking my three children should starve and my wife have to work 80 hrs a week to make enough to survive and pay my medical expenses. You should check yourself and maybe consider moving to Cuba!

So you think that because I was hurt badly during training that I don't deserve anything? How dare you?! I shattered both feet, both femurs, damaged all the tendons in my hip and screwed up my back trying to serve my country and am not able to work now and you think I don't deserve anything because I was not in combat? You are really ignorant and probably never served. I agree with others on this blog. I'll give you the name of a good recruiter so you can serve, get broken, and then ignored with crappy doctors because you didn't serve in Iraq or Afghanistan! Ass!

Thank you so much for disregarding all those serving in the military who did not end up in a combat situation and ended up hurting themselves while on active duty. We don't earn our disability pay? I was in the CG for years when I got into a boating accident on a search and rescue call. We were trying to save a group of civilians who decided to venture out into 12-14 foot waves, a nor-easter, and in a Boston Whaler. Because of morons like you, who think that the Military, Fire, EMT and police are going to be around in case anything happens, I now get 60% disability from the VA. I was misdiagnosed when they brought me into the ER after the accident. Don't even get me started on the quality of health care we get. I was in and out in 20 minutes because they didn't have enough Dr.'s to treat me and my ignored internal bleeding. This led to tons of problems not to mention PTSD from the accident (getting hit by a boat will do that to a person), massive depression and anxiety due to a life altering situation that has changed my career and life forever. I earned every freaking penny of my disability. My goal was to do 20 in the CG. I tried in vain to stay in after the accident but wasn't given a choice. Instead I have found a new career that with my medical problems, I can succeed at, thanks not only to my disability pay but the GI Bill that I also earned.

I am not an 'anti-social dysfunctional worthless worker' as you say. I am a college educated, career minded individual in my 30's that is making the most of a situation handed to me. Every day I wake up and reminded of my accident. Every day I feel pain and don't want to step outside. But every day I get over it and move on because I have to. I do not sit around and pity myself, living off my disability. Nor do many of the others in the same situation. I do agree, there are people who take advantage of the system. That happens in any place a system is set up to give people money. Regardless of class, race, military background, age, etc.

Don't forget that there are thousands of military that don't fight in combat situations. There are military who work at home in support of overseas efforts and to protect the billions of civilians who live here. I volunteered my service to protect you on the home front. Yes, protect people like you who have no class or integrity. People who do not make a sacrifice and join our military but have the freedom to bitch and moan because injured veterans are collecting their due. I don't walk with arrogance or pride because I was in the military. I'm proud of myself for doing it but I don't expect you to care. I don't like when someone thanks me for my service or tries to shake my hand. It's a job. As with any job, there are benefits. If you were to get hurt while working at any civilian job, you too could get disability benefits. Lose an arm, collect money. Get depressed because of an accident, get cash. None of these people served in a combat situation. You are arrogant. I pity you and all those who agree with you. But hey, thanks for your taxes that pay my disability. Who gets the last laugh now? I'll think of you at my next physical therapy appointment while they are jarring my leg back into place for the millionth time. Fun Fun!

I guess all those Airmen, Marines, Navy and Army that weren't physically in-country shouldn't be called veterans either in your little mind huh? Air Force pilots don't put thier feet in country, as opposed to flying over them. They shouldn't get anything either? or the sailors on ship's at sea for month at a time supporting operations ongoing in those countries shouldn't either? Don't forget about whose TAX dollars paid for what... ALL military personnel pay federal taxes... not just you. And really... civilian workers are subject to more abuse? REALLY... you must be 19 years old and live at home still... because you have no clue.. why don't you try sleeping outside for a month or two... in a tent, and forget showers... just enough water to brush your teeth. or live on a ship in a 20x50 room with steel bunks 3 high... oh yeah, did I mention there are 80 people living in that same room. With only 6 toilets and 3 urinals. You have no clue what it means to serve or sacrifice... try not seeing your friends or family for a year, being shot at, and eating the worst food...FOR A YEAR. Why don't you join a service and then you can cry about how hard your job is and how arogant and prideful veterans are.... all of them have done 10 times what you'll do in your entire life... you should just thank each one as they come in the door... and it's you that is pitiful...

All veterans served.

Thank you! I think everyone can agree that a condition either created or even aggravated by service deserves compensation. It's the crap that everyone has to deal with in life that pisses people off. Acne? Eczema? Voluntary hysterectomies? You have got to be kidding me.

hey anonymous before you judge...maybe you should again read over some of these VA claims yourself. If you gave up having children due to having all your female parts remove because of an injury that happened at work, or some of the other issues that seem minor to you. Wouldn't you asked for payment from your employer or workers compensation, which I might add soldier don't get because they can't just say...hold up i can't work today I'm hurt...no they have to wait till a medical board says ok your hurt enough to be released from your contract. Sometimes VA claims take yrs...to see a dime...if then! Im sure alot of soldiers/veterans would rather get a one time lump sum, BUT since THAT is not an option...GET your facts before you critize.