posted on Oct, 5 2004 @ 10:51 AM
Thousands of U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with physical injuries and mental health problems are encountering an overburdened
benefits system, and officials and veterans groups worry that the challenge could grow as the nation remains at war.
The disability benefits and health care systems that provide services for about 5 million American veterans have been overloaded for decades, with a
current backlog of more than 300,000 claims. And as of Aug. 1, nearly 150,000 National Guard and reservist veterans became eligible for health care
and benefits because they were mobilized to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. That number is rising.
webmail.abovetopsecret.com...
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President Bush's budget for 2005 calls for cutting the Department of Veterans Affairs staff that handles benefits claims, and some veterans report
long waits for benefits and confusing claims decisions.
Through the end of April, the most recent accounting the VA could provide, a total of 166,334 veterans of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan had
separated from military service, and 26,633 - 16 percent - had filed benefits claims with the VA for service-connected disabilities. Less than
two-thirds of those claims had been processed, leaving more than 9,750 recent veterans waiting.
just another fine reason to spend all those millions over there in Iraq, instead of right here at home..
I love this place !