WSJ | No Medal for Veterans Affairs
Originally published by the Wall Street Journal
By PETE HEGSETH
AND PAUL RIECKHOFF
In a famous sequence in Joseph Heller’s satirical war novel “Catch-22,” the protagonist—bombardier Yossarian—makes an unauthorized call during an aerial bombing raid to take out a bridge by going in for a second run at the target. He scores a hit, destroying the bridge, but his decision inadvertently results in the death of a flight crew in another plane.
His superiors, embarrassed by the loss, try to figure out how to save face. Yossarian suggests they give him a medal.”You know, that might be the answer—to act boastfully about something we ought to be ashamed of,” Col. Korn responds. “That’s a trick that never seems to fail.” In the novel, the scene skewers the bureaucratic misdirection of a military at war. But misdirection is a tactic that’s alive and well today at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where officials boast about things they should be ashamed of.
Case in point: In July, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Reno, Nev., where he trumpeted the VA’s accomplishments over the past four years in handling claims and providing services and support to veterans in need. Gen. Shinseki noted that when he took the helm in 2009, the VA inventory of pending claims was about 400,000. Today it is about 880,000.
He went on to say that the backlog of claims older than 125 days has grown by nearly 150%, to 580,000 today from 135,000 in 2009. To quote Gen. Shinseki, the “increased . . . number of compensation claims [is] good news.” Growth in these numbers “is what happens when we increase access. But it was the right thing to do.”
As the old military saying goes, however, failing to plan is planning to fail—and nothing can hide the painful truth that the leadership and bureaucracy were not ready for the surge of claimants. Gen. Shinseki has pledged to solve the backlog by 2015, and the VA has added 4,000 new employees since 2008. But the numbers already suggest we’re headed in the wrong direction. And as more Iraq and Afghanistan veterans return home in the months and years to come, the gap between claims and services will likely grow. That the problem has not even been mentioned in the presidential debates this fall is shameful, and a failure of leadership on the part of both candidates.
One organization doing yeoman work on this is the California-based Center for Investigative Reporting, which has found that, particularly in more densely populated areas, wait times for VA services are increasing. According to the CIR, veterans in the Los Angeles area wait an average of 377 days for a response to their claims. In New York City, the average wait is 373 days. In Waco, Texas, the average wait is 413 days.
The backlog in claims processing represents real men and women with serious needs who aren’t being served, after they have fought and sacrificed on behalf of our nation. Their stories are heartbreaking. For example, the CIR reports on a Marine veteran who suffered three concussions in combat and now experiences short-term memory loss so severe that he gets in the car and forgets where he’s going. He has been waiting for the VA to process his disability claim since November 2010.
Numbers spun by the department to feign change aren’t going to fix the VA’s endemic failures. Only urgent and dynamic transformation will.
Transformation like moving all disability claims to an electronic, customer-service-based model that processes claims quickly, efficiently and accurately. Today’s tech-savvy vets are returning home from combat to a bureaucracy still struggling to get out of the pencil-and-paper age.
Transformation like ensuring that the VA and the Department of Defense work together to seamlessly transition members from the DOD into the VA benefits system, rather than having a completely separate registration process. Transformation like conducting a targeted outreach campaign that maximizes the use of modern technology, to make sure that veterans fully understand the benefits available to them at the VA.
Pilot programs have been launched in some of these areas, namely digital processing and VA-DOD integration. A new processing system is being used at 16 regional offices, with launches scheduled for 40 regional offices in 2013. The formal case transfer from the DOD to the VA system now happens automatically for those with disability ratings and medical discharges.
This is a good start. But for those waiting in line, and for Iraq and Afghanistan vets who have yet to file a claim, transformation cannot happen soon enough. The VA culture needs to adapt to the 21st-century needs of those it serves—by using 21st-century technology and solutions. Until that happens for everyone, and a veteran in New York or Texas doesn’t have to wait more than a year for services, the Veterans Administration has nothing to boast about.
Mr. Hegseth is CEO of Concerned Veterans for America and an infantry officer who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. Mr. Rieckhoff is founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and served as an infantry officer in Iraq
Isabel
May 09, 2013 @ 08:09:32
I do believe all of the ideas you have presented in your
post. They are very convincing and will
certainly work. Nonetheless, the posts are too brief for
novices. Could you please lengthen them a bit from next time?
Thank you for the post.
ogłoszenia towarzyskie
Apr 25, 2013 @ 20:50:47
Paragraph writing is also a fun, if you know after that you can write
if not it is complicated to write.
THOMAS PATRICK FOLAN
Apr 06, 2013 @ 01:41:26
KUDOS PETE HEGSETH !!!!!! 5 X5 K
Bravo Zooloo.
I HEAE YOU. AMERICA HEARS YU. THE WORLD HEARS YOU.
Sincerely, Thos. Folan, Former Seaman, U.S,N.R.
alan cantrell
Oct 26, 2012 @ 15:05:21
i finally broke down and went to va for health care and compassion claims this was early 2009 in 6 months va had granted me 50%rating for ptsd, late in 2009 i put in a request to increase my percentage, and several claims for agent orange conditions,in early dec 2011 they finally approved my claim for ptsd,all other clains were put aside for future decesios.it is now oct 2012 and the va claims it will be feb 2013 before a decesion is made on these claims . i have mailed faxed several copies of my dd214 to prove i was in vietnam (1967-1969 with 3rd bn 5 th marines)bt va says i still have to prove i was there.everytime i call its the same old sad song about being swamped with claims and i am sure that is correct,but almost three years is crazy
S. Harrell
Oct 21, 2012 @ 18:15:55
I am a disabled vet. My claim was first filed in 1981. It took 9 months to finally get approved. In that time I was in a wheelchair and rehab whit a family and bills. My parents saved my house and one of my vehicles but that was all they could do. Welfare and food stamps kept the utilities on and some food on the table. My wife worked part time and cared for our daughter and myself as best she could. At the end of the 9 months we got a final decision based on my permanent projected disabilities. $99 and full back pay for the 9 months. Just up and walking around a little then I was literally floored. That lump sum payment of almost $900 disqualified us for further assistance and we had to requalify all over again the next month when we got the next $99 check. Since then, through appeals over 16 years, I have been rated at 70% and still hold down a full time job. I am afraid to try to go back to the VA as it would take forever to even get an appointment to be treated for service connected injuries. I have insurance at work so I can see a Dr. when I need to and have to pay the deductible. Don’t you just love the way the country you swear to die to protect cares about its military vets?
williamganton
Oct 21, 2012 @ 01:15:11
its been over ten years an i still dont have any benefits ,i am getting ready to have my right ankle fuse again, an it will mean no more use of my ankle. it will make it go from a partial fusion to a full fusion. an i dont have any dental coverage an there is no help for veterans.
Rick Seekman
Oct 20, 2012 @ 19:06:48
I know that the general is full of crap, but how in the world did he justify managers/supervisors a 10,000.00 bonus? in the comments he stated that they haven’t had a raise in two years, which made this action justifyable. WTH?? I’m a retired military veteran, we went two years without a raise. Does that me we are getting a bonus?? The VA needs some adult leadership, and quick!!!
Zach Wooten
Oct 20, 2012 @ 16:22:06
I am an US Army OIF veteran that was wounded in action during my time in service in April 2004. I filed a claim in April 2011. I filed for service-connected Thoracic spine degenerative arthritis, Cervical spine degenerative arthritis with post operative surgical scar, Traumatic Brain Injury with headaches and dizziness, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which has increased in severity. I am also entitled to compensation at the 100 percent rate as I am unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation because of my service-connected disabilities. I was designated ‘unable to maintain gainful employment’ in Jan 2011 by the Social Security Administration and receive Social Security Disability Insurance. They say the average disability compensation claim is 240+ days, yet mine is now at 560 days, and still counting! I haven’t received any kind of update for over six months, and when I attempt to contact the folks online through the VA’s Ebenefits website, I never receive a response. The few times I have, its the usual ‘song and dance’ standard bureaucratic response. It is very frustrating, as living on a very limited fixed income with a spouse and three children has proved quite challenging.
Is the VA going to compensate me with back pay for the last year and a half that we’ve struggled, due to the lower rating we’ve been living off of (80% by the way). I seriously doubt it. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I’ll probably be waiting for up to two years for some kind of response or approval. It’s already been 18 months, what’s six more? Just love that, ‘hurry-up-and-wait’ mentality!
Kay Merkel Boruff
Oct 20, 2012 @ 11:27:18
Dear PETE HEGSETH and PAUL RIECKHOFF:
Thank you for your article. I have posted on my Facebook. Recently, a vet responded to a Viet-Nam Memorial post on my FB that he’d waited 130 days for a reply. I told him perseverance pays. That said, it’s not good enough. We’re not being fair to these soldiers. I lived in Viet-Nam 68-70 and was married to an Air America pilot who was killed flying in Laos 18 Feb 70. I returned to Dallas to teach for 38 years at a girls’ school. I now volunteer at the VA Hospital teaching creative writing in their Vet Recovery Center. There are thousands of volunteers helping at the hospital. My brother was 101st airborne who died with PTSD, agent orange, & hep C. We went to private doctors because he was indigent and doctoros waved many charges. The US can and needs to do better. We must $pend $marter. Going “green” or electronic & paperless will expedite procedures. I have several IT vets who are eager to work and help with the situation. Again thanks for your article, especially during the elections.
Nicola
Dec 04, 2012 @ 11:53:34
I think on days like Veteran’s Day, political afitailifons get tossed aside. They simply don’t matter. What DOES matter is that we pay our respects to the people who have fought (like your dad) or may fight (like my husband) for our country. They are so very appreciated.
anthony Bowman
Oct 20, 2012 @ 06:21:08
Well when you have a war and we been fighting now over 10 years claims are going to grow I dont think the VA is doing a bad job at all people that complain about this is the major problem always looking for statistics that look bad how about some positive thinking and realistic thinking.I feel that the Veterans Administration is doing their very best to serve all veterans in a timely manor.
Douglas Deason
Oct 23, 2012 @ 03:20:21
Well Anthony, it’s obvious that you have not put up with the system and red tape for over 27 years like I have. Trust me, when your fighting for benefits, there are many obstacles. Some veterans are already so stressed out, that they can not handle another obstacle! Are you hearing the suicide statistics? An average of 18 to 21 a day are committing suicide. Don’t you think we should be trying to make the claims and benefits process a little easier on the veterans and their families?
Douglas Deason
Oct 19, 2012 @ 19:40:04
Even this attached recent letter to the Secretary of The Department of Veterans Affairs with 51 acts of Congress attached to it (signatures of our Representatives in Washington DC) has not lit a fire hot enough under the butts of VARO’s managers, Processing Offices, VAMC’s, AMC in Washington DC, and BVA in Washington DC, in regard to timely processing of current claims and getting older backlogged claims decided, so they can move on. Congressional appeals actions of appeal to these VA leaders, has not stopped all the mistakes, delays and manipulations of claims (new or old) even with all the added funding from Congress for additional claims processing workers that the VARO’s, and/or, AMC and BVA has been allowed over the years to assist in processing claims and getting rid of the backlog. VA had the chance to scan older veterans files to make it easier to review their files and save time and money by not needing to transport the files from place to place.This process could and should have have all been digitized by now, so AMC and judges and BVA can access files and documents by dates and online.. They are all still way behind. If I were managing claims processing, I would make the VARO’s scan everything to file and use the physical forms and letter files as backup only! And, give the veterans confirmation of receipt of their correspondence electronically or, by mail if they chose. These VARO’s, processors, VAMC’s C&P, and AMC need to stop rejecting or denying valid claims and asking for new and material additional supportive documentations, without valid reason, and/or, to purposely stall some claims, thus causing the veterans to resubmit the documents and their issues/claim(s) and sometimes even lose their “date of claim”. Meanwhile VARO’s and AMC will often find ways to piece meal claims issues with non compensible (low ratings, like 10%) in order to hijack a veterans valid claim or particular Service Connected issue for proper processing (screwing up adjudication process) in between the delays they have caused. And, they can not say that they do not know what they are doing when they manipulate claims this way. This can and has caused veterans (myself for one) to lose justifiable compensation if, and when the delays or denials occur during some adjudication processes for reconciliation, restitution or final decisions process. The VARO’s and AMC and BVA, toss the claims around to one another like a balloon in the wind, over and over again. My own present issues are still being worked after 12 years of being tossed around. Now imagine the probable stress and depression of a foreign war veteran, returning, who is in immediate need of guidance, counsel and direction and possible benefits decisions to assist them. My first claim was in 1985 for service connected injuries. The issues were not completely adjudicated and given a proper rating and final decisions until about 1999. That time it took about 13 years.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4719845837987&set=a.4719845037967.187981.1349779476&type=1&theater
Douglas Deason
Oct 19, 2012 @ 19:31:47
Even this attached recent letter to the Secretary of The Department of Veterans Affairs with 51 acts of Congress attached to it (signatures of our Representatives in Washington DC) has not lit a fire hot enough under the butts of VARO’s managers, Processing Offices, VAMC’s, AMC in Washington DC, and BVA in Washington DC, in regard to timely processing of current claims and getting older backlogged claims decided, so they can move on. Congressional appeals actions of appeal to these VA leaders, has not stopped all the mistakes, delays and manipulations of claims (new or old) even with all the added funding from Congress for additions claims processing workers that the VARO’s, and/or, AMC and BVA has been allowed over the years to assist in processing claims and getting rid of the backlog. VA had the chance to scan older veterans files to make it easier to review their files and save time and money by not needing to transport the files from place to place.This process could and should have have all been digitized by now, so AMC and judges and BVA can access files and documents by dates and online.. They are all still way behind. If I were managing claims processing, I would make the VARO’s scan everything to file and use the physical forms and letter files as backup only! And, give the veterans confirmation of receipt of their correspondence electronically or, by mail if they chose. These VARO’s, processors, VAMC’s C&P, and AMC need to stop rejecting or denying valid claims and asking for new and material additional supportive documentations, without valid reason, and/or, to purposely stall some claims, thus causing the veterans to resubmit the documents and their issues/claim(s) and sometimes even lose their “date of claim”. Meanwhile VARO’s and AMC will often find ways to piece meal claims issues with non compensible (low ratings, like 10%) in order to hijack a veterans valid claim or particular Service Connected issue for proper processing (screwing up adjudication process) in between the delays they have caused. And, they can not say that they do not know what they are doing when they manipulate claims this way. This can and has caused veterans (myself for one) to lose justifiable compensation if, and when the delays or denials occur during some adjudication processes for reconciliation, restitution or final decisions process. The VARO’s and AMC and BVA, toss the claims around to one another like a balloon in the wind, over and over again. My own present issues are still being worked after 12 years of being tossed around. Now imagine the probable stress and depression of a foreign war veteran, returning, who is in immediate need of guidance, counsel and direction and possible benefits decisions to assist them. My first claim was in 1985 for service connected injuries. The issues were not completely adjudicated and given a proper rating and final decisions until about 1999. That time it took about 13 years.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4719845837987&set=a.4719845037967.187981.1349779476&type=1&theater
Matt Burton
Oct 19, 2012 @ 13:08:35
The huge backlog not only puts OIF vets at a disadvantage. The system has been broken long before this. I personally have been lied to , and denied by VA. Stating that the claims I filed were not noted in my service records. I finally recieved my records everything was there. The leadership of this administration needs replaced and the system needs reorganized. They spend millions on conferences and “vacations for not only employees but families”. Truly a slap to the face of the veterans who served!
John
Oct 18, 2012 @ 11:40:20
Jesus! Did I just see Peter and Paul agree on something?