Definitely the transition to civilian life is one worst parts about this veteran debacle. No amount of money from the government can replace the self-esteem a man gets from a good job. Not having a job for years? That would give me depression, and I've never been to a warzone. Imagine having actual trauma from combat, and just sitting around doing nothing for YEARS. Of course it will drive them crazy. Why aren't they getting hired? I almost want to replace racial affirmative action with affirmative action/positive discrimination in favor of veterans when it comes to hiring. Vets get the first jobs, and then you can hire others. This will ensure that vets can get good jobs once they are discharged.
It can be difficult to hire those with actual physical and psychological disabilities from their time in service. My husband suffered a nearly fatal TBI from getting shot in the jaw and got his lungs destroyed from chemicals and burn pits. That means sometimes he’s feeling good, he’s a hard worker and he can do the work of two guys. But then he might have two days of migraines and be unable to do anything. He might accomplish a tremendous amount of work in a week and then get a cold that knocks him out for two weeks. It’s really hard for an employer to work around that kind of unavailability. Self employment in a field that involves some amount of flexibility is almost a must in those situations and not everyone is cut out for self employment.
That said most major companies do have veteran hiring preferences and there are excellent educational opportunities afforded to veterans.
The federal government has this. If we have a job announcement that is sent to the public, and if a Veteran qualifies, we have to select the Veteran unless we get a waiver from OPM. VA also has Vocational Rehabilitation Program to help them find job. I’m pretty sure I could help any new Veteran that was Honorably discharged and not 100% disabled find a job. Well, at least when we’re not under hiring freeze. That said, a decent portion of them get fired really quickly and then they often never get hired again.
Yes, they are depressed because of this. But there are not really jobs to give them.
The landscaping / construction jobs done by illegals could hire them if we started penalizing employers, but a lot of those enterprises would just collapse if they had to pay real over the table wages to Americans.
Personal experience has taught me you are pretty correct. I grew up in a military base town and served myself. Esperit d'Corps dies the minute you leave basic/AIT. You quickly learn you either get stabbed in the back constantly and thrown under the bus the minute something goes wrong or you learn how to protect yourself by quoting regs, finding unignorable excuses (like appointments, training programs, and medical flare-ups) and getting a paper trail for everything. That low trust sense exists IN service and not just with vets and the VA. On the way out, everyone even the VA staff giving classes about how to transition out, told me to get constant doctors appointments and get everything documented. If it gets worse I can always claim it later if it's documented while I'm in service. My experience with other vets is that anyone with half a brain is at 100% or more. Otherwise upstanding and hardworking men know and use every trick and have even told me they know how to get me up to 100% if I wanted it. I also saw total leeches, who you could never believe even served if you looked at them have 100% and were talking about their applications for such-and-such program to get even more benefits.
I only saw people who weren't like this if they were <1 year in the service.
The only real case I can make for this is outside of the VA, fleecing of govt. benefits is rampant and at least more of "our guys" and guys sympathetic to us are getting VA benefits vs other welfare programs. I'd happily see all of it go, but I'd never attack VA benefits and it's waste without a larger blow going to other programs first. That's just the political reality we live in, I'm not a National Review type. I'm not going to shoot my side on principle while ignoring my enemies.
Just thought I'd share my experience and thoughts.
I’m deployed right now for the fourth time. Regarding the culture: the camaraderie is there, but the broader changes in society are what they are, and you can’t make kids raised with sympathetic, sensitive expectations of white glove treatment turn into stoic warriors just by sending them through a few weeks of basic. Some are the real deal, some are making a paycheck. I’ll still take vets, as a group, over most others.
The VA problems are known and have been discussed online and in a few conversations I’ve been part of. We all know what it is. The analysis here is good, abuses are constant and free money is the goal. I wasn’t offended by anything you or the media said about it, I just think that there really are no easy solutions and with the government being in the business of largesse for so many other groups, this is the cost of having a military in the modern world. There are bigger fish to fry. Anyone trying to fix it in good faith won’t get any ire from me.
Also, just FYI, I qualify for VA disability because of side effects from burn pits. My health issues are light, and I only get 10%, and it hasn’t been worth the hassle of dealing with the bureaucracy. I haven’t been paid in almost five years because of a reporting failure from my command during my last deployment. If I could, I would seriously give up the benefits now, as they owe me thousands and I doubt I’ll ever hire an attorney. There’s risk to paying a lawyer and it’s not worth the hassle. Whatever, the money isn’t needed. Is very different for others.
I have 90% from ptsd tinnitus and shoulder injury. Took more than a year and I only got 50% for ptsd the first time. Nothing was fabricated or even exxagerated and yes I did two tours in Afghanistan, with the infantry. Still, $2600 per month is pretty generous.
No, I don't hate veterans for adapting to a broken system. There are always a few bad apples, but as you mention, social trust has been severely eroded. If the game is fair, then you should play fair; but in a rigged game, fair play is for suckers, and you'd be better off cheating. People respond to incentives, and even the most honest person will bend or break the rules if they're pressed hard enough.
There's a larger tangent here to the massive rent-seeking extraction of the US economy -- if DC & Wall Street are fleecing everyone anyway, then why not get in on the grift? Of course, this is unsustainable, but it seems we're past the point of repair.
Another tangent is the collapse in military recruitment amongst white males, who are understandably fed up with being used as pawns and patsies, on top of being treated as a dalit untouchable caste by the Great Awokening.
I sort of think the problem is elsewhere, which is: there are not enough good jobs out there. We have an all-volunteer army. The volunteers are no doubt patriotic but they also pick the military because there are not other good options on offer at the age of 18. When they get out, they maybe have acquired some skills, but basically: the job market is the same one they didn't find a family-forming wage in when they enlisted, and there is not a family-forming wage waiting for them when they get out. Men are going on disability in huge numbers whether they served in the military or not, because the kinds of manufacturing jobs that used to need lots of male workers have left the country for good.
My brothers company got sued by an injured employee. Nothing major. I mentioned a private eye, and he was curious enough about it to ask his insurance handler. They didn’t use one for his case, but he said it’s common. His best story was a guy claiming a major head injury entered an MMA fight a week later. Settled for like 5k
The most shocking thing is how many people defend it (including apparently the VFW etc). Had a guy tell me “you know not all wounds are visible” when I mentioned a friend and his wife who never left the US and was a computer desk job, both on 100%.
I’m sure it’s gonna be a much bigger issue as more people see it first hand. My friend is 42 and never needs to work again despite barely graduating HS.
Nonsense. Almost any industry had disability. And some of the shit stated is patently false. PTSD ratings are absolutely allowed for FAA pilot medicals depending on the condition. The problem is the VA never talked to the FAA and the flight docs told prior service
pilots not to report them. So this bullshit is from someone that either is ignorant or willingly lying about stuff. It reads like it was written by AI. Of course there’s fraud, that’s the Govt.
Ask yourself why would anyone care about such a small thing unless they were trying to sow division in the American public. Of all the bullshit programs on our tax dole this is the one you choose to bitch about? I wonder if the author served in combat or has some ego issues with why he didn’t and other men did. Military dodgers generally do.
When I was in groubd flight school I was told mental disorders were often disqualiying. Flight docs told vets not to report PTSD and crippling anxiety?
Also, I never use AI, and your attempt at mind reading just makes you look butthurt.
Well as a retired military pilot and current corporate pilot I can positively tell you how it is instead of your version of how you think it is. Keep eating your own retard. Vets aren’t your enemy.
Here’s what you wouldn’t know unless you were in my situation. You get out of the military and go get your civilian license. Usually everyone has some type of rating if you got out in the last 20 years. You tell the civilian doc that you have VA ratings and ask if you should report them. They tell you that you shouldn’t cause the VA doesn’t talk to the FAA. Well, under Biden the FAA got access to the VA ratings. Even if you had a rating for your knee the FAA went after thousands of vets for “falsifying federal documents”. I’m all for psychos not flying. But it was a clear attempt to go after vets. Look bro, you make a lot of good points and seem like a sharp guy. In my humble opinion you’re putting a lot of energy into something that’s not a big deal. That’s all.
Definitely the transition to civilian life is one worst parts about this veteran debacle. No amount of money from the government can replace the self-esteem a man gets from a good job. Not having a job for years? That would give me depression, and I've never been to a warzone. Imagine having actual trauma from combat, and just sitting around doing nothing for YEARS. Of course it will drive them crazy. Why aren't they getting hired? I almost want to replace racial affirmative action with affirmative action/positive discrimination in favor of veterans when it comes to hiring. Vets get the first jobs, and then you can hire others. This will ensure that vets can get good jobs once they are discharged.
It can be difficult to hire those with actual physical and psychological disabilities from their time in service. My husband suffered a nearly fatal TBI from getting shot in the jaw and got his lungs destroyed from chemicals and burn pits. That means sometimes he’s feeling good, he’s a hard worker and he can do the work of two guys. But then he might have two days of migraines and be unable to do anything. He might accomplish a tremendous amount of work in a week and then get a cold that knocks him out for two weeks. It’s really hard for an employer to work around that kind of unavailability. Self employment in a field that involves some amount of flexibility is almost a must in those situations and not everyone is cut out for self employment.
That said most major companies do have veteran hiring preferences and there are excellent educational opportunities afforded to veterans.
The federal government has this. If we have a job announcement that is sent to the public, and if a Veteran qualifies, we have to select the Veteran unless we get a waiver from OPM. VA also has Vocational Rehabilitation Program to help them find job. I’m pretty sure I could help any new Veteran that was Honorably discharged and not 100% disabled find a job. Well, at least when we’re not under hiring freeze. That said, a decent portion of them get fired really quickly and then they often never get hired again.
Yes, they are depressed because of this. But there are not really jobs to give them.
The landscaping / construction jobs done by illegals could hire them if we started penalizing employers, but a lot of those enterprises would just collapse if they had to pay real over the table wages to Americans.
> the landscaping / construction jobs done by illegals
Wow, everything really is worse because of immigrant, isn't it?
Lawns look really nice and roofing is cheaper than it would otherwise be. Importing a class of wage slaves does have many downsides, however.
Personal experience has taught me you are pretty correct. I grew up in a military base town and served myself. Esperit d'Corps dies the minute you leave basic/AIT. You quickly learn you either get stabbed in the back constantly and thrown under the bus the minute something goes wrong or you learn how to protect yourself by quoting regs, finding unignorable excuses (like appointments, training programs, and medical flare-ups) and getting a paper trail for everything. That low trust sense exists IN service and not just with vets and the VA. On the way out, everyone even the VA staff giving classes about how to transition out, told me to get constant doctors appointments and get everything documented. If it gets worse I can always claim it later if it's documented while I'm in service. My experience with other vets is that anyone with half a brain is at 100% or more. Otherwise upstanding and hardworking men know and use every trick and have even told me they know how to get me up to 100% if I wanted it. I also saw total leeches, who you could never believe even served if you looked at them have 100% and were talking about their applications for such-and-such program to get even more benefits.
I only saw people who weren't like this if they were <1 year in the service.
The only real case I can make for this is outside of the VA, fleecing of govt. benefits is rampant and at least more of "our guys" and guys sympathetic to us are getting VA benefits vs other welfare programs. I'd happily see all of it go, but I'd never attack VA benefits and it's waste without a larger blow going to other programs first. That's just the political reality we live in, I'm not a National Review type. I'm not going to shoot my side on principle while ignoring my enemies.
Just thought I'd share my experience and thoughts.
You had me at the subtitle
I’m deployed right now for the fourth time. Regarding the culture: the camaraderie is there, but the broader changes in society are what they are, and you can’t make kids raised with sympathetic, sensitive expectations of white glove treatment turn into stoic warriors just by sending them through a few weeks of basic. Some are the real deal, some are making a paycheck. I’ll still take vets, as a group, over most others.
The VA problems are known and have been discussed online and in a few conversations I’ve been part of. We all know what it is. The analysis here is good, abuses are constant and free money is the goal. I wasn’t offended by anything you or the media said about it, I just think that there really are no easy solutions and with the government being in the business of largesse for so many other groups, this is the cost of having a military in the modern world. There are bigger fish to fry. Anyone trying to fix it in good faith won’t get any ire from me.
Also, just FYI, I qualify for VA disability because of side effects from burn pits. My health issues are light, and I only get 10%, and it hasn’t been worth the hassle of dealing with the bureaucracy. I haven’t been paid in almost five years because of a reporting failure from my command during my last deployment. If I could, I would seriously give up the benefits now, as they owe me thousands and I doubt I’ll ever hire an attorney. There’s risk to paying a lawyer and it’s not worth the hassle. Whatever, the money isn’t needed. Is very different for others.
I have 90% from ptsd tinnitus and shoulder injury. Took more than a year and I only got 50% for ptsd the first time. Nothing was fabricated or even exxagerated and yes I did two tours in Afghanistan, with the infantry. Still, $2600 per month is pretty generous.
No, I don't hate veterans for adapting to a broken system. There are always a few bad apples, but as you mention, social trust has been severely eroded. If the game is fair, then you should play fair; but in a rigged game, fair play is for suckers, and you'd be better off cheating. People respond to incentives, and even the most honest person will bend or break the rules if they're pressed hard enough.
There's a larger tangent here to the massive rent-seeking extraction of the US economy -- if DC & Wall Street are fleecing everyone anyway, then why not get in on the grift? Of course, this is unsustainable, but it seems we're past the point of repair.
Another tangent is the collapse in military recruitment amongst white males, who are understandably fed up with being used as pawns and patsies, on top of being treated as a dalit untouchable caste by the Great Awokening.
I sort of think the problem is elsewhere, which is: there are not enough good jobs out there. We have an all-volunteer army. The volunteers are no doubt patriotic but they also pick the military because there are not other good options on offer at the age of 18. When they get out, they maybe have acquired some skills, but basically: the job market is the same one they didn't find a family-forming wage in when they enlisted, and there is not a family-forming wage waiting for them when they get out. Men are going on disability in huge numbers whether they served in the military or not, because the kinds of manufacturing jobs that used to need lots of male workers have left the country for good.
My fav disability story is the Xmas tree lady
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/ireland-christmas-tree-throwing-competition-mother-loses-claim-rcna140448
Hahaha!
My brothers company got sued by an injured employee. Nothing major. I mentioned a private eye, and he was curious enough about it to ask his insurance handler. They didn’t use one for his case, but he said it’s common. His best story was a guy claiming a major head injury entered an MMA fight a week later. Settled for like 5k
The VA is basically socialism for veterans.
The most shocking thing is how many people defend it (including apparently the VFW etc). Had a guy tell me “you know not all wounds are visible” when I mentioned a friend and his wife who never left the US and was a computer desk job, both on 100%.
I’m sure it’s gonna be a much bigger issue as more people see it first hand. My friend is 42 and never needs to work again despite barely graduating HS.
Or as Owen Benjamin put it:
Celebrate Veteran's Day? Haven't they had enough?
If they really left it on the field we'd celebrate them on Memorial Day.
Nonsense. Almost any industry had disability. And some of the shit stated is patently false. PTSD ratings are absolutely allowed for FAA pilot medicals depending on the condition. The problem is the VA never talked to the FAA and the flight docs told prior service
pilots not to report them. So this bullshit is from someone that either is ignorant or willingly lying about stuff. It reads like it was written by AI. Of course there’s fraud, that’s the Govt.
Ask yourself why would anyone care about such a small thing unless they were trying to sow division in the American public. Of all the bullshit programs on our tax dole this is the one you choose to bitch about? I wonder if the author served in combat or has some ego issues with why he didn’t and other men did. Military dodgers generally do.
When I was in groubd flight school I was told mental disorders were often disqualiying. Flight docs told vets not to report PTSD and crippling anxiety?
Also, I never use AI, and your attempt at mind reading just makes you look butthurt.
Well as a retired military pilot and current corporate pilot I can positively tell you how it is instead of your version of how you think it is. Keep eating your own retard. Vets aren’t your enemy.
Nice to talk to you. Could you point me to the docs that tell you not to report your anxiety and ptsd?
Here’s what you wouldn’t know unless you were in my situation. You get out of the military and go get your civilian license. Usually everyone has some type of rating if you got out in the last 20 years. You tell the civilian doc that you have VA ratings and ask if you should report them. They tell you that you shouldn’t cause the VA doesn’t talk to the FAA. Well, under Biden the FAA got access to the VA ratings. Even if you had a rating for your knee the FAA went after thousands of vets for “falsifying federal documents”. I’m all for psychos not flying. But it was a clear attempt to go after vets. Look bro, you make a lot of good points and seem like a sharp guy. In my humble opinion you’re putting a lot of energy into something that’s not a big deal. That’s all.
What is a military badger?