Always Check All Paperwork For Accuracy!

This is a subject we have talked about many times on United We Roll - It is so very important for military members to keep accurate records and to be sure that any errors are corrected immediately - Do not wait for someone in the VA to fix your DD214!
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THOUSANDS OF VETS LOSE VA BENEFITS BECAUSE OF DISCHARGE PAPERWORK ERRORS

Many errors are caused by civilian contractors handling discharges, but DoD says

it's the vet's responsibility to see that DD-214 is correct.



Christopher M. Simmance’s passport shows the countries he was in when serving with the Army in the Middle East. (photo: Derek Gee / Buffalo News)



Story here... http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/283512.html

Story below:

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Thousands of veterans lose health benefits because of paperwork errors

Correcting mistakes in discharge documents can be a bureaucratic nightmare

By Lou Michel NEWS STAFF REPORTER



Christopher M. Simmance helped keep the peace as an American soldier in the Middle East, but when he returned home and later suffered a breakdown, he was turned away from the VA hospital because the government didn’t acknowledge his overseas duty.

Dana Cushing as a Marine served two tours of duty in Iraq and a third in east Africa, but when she returned home, she found herself labeled a “conscientious objector” and also was denied medical care by the government.

Simmance is one local veteran among roughly 2,000 across the country trying to get corrected incomplete or inadequate discharge papers. Cushing only recently got hers corrected after trying for a year. The result is that many now face a bureaucratic nightmare that prevents them from getting the health benefits they are entitled to receive.

The Army alone has a backlog of 1,890 veterans seeking corrections on their discharge papers, and some have been waiting for three years, accord- ing to the U.S. Department of Defense. Many other veterans probably have faulty discharge papers but don’t know it because they have not sought benefits.

Efforts are being made to speed up the corrections on faulty discharge papers, Army officials said.

But it can’t come quick enough for Simmance, the City of Tonawanda Army veteran who ended up broke and homeless late last year after he suffered service-related psychological problems and was unable to get help because of his faulty discharge paper.

“I lived on my parents’ couch for a couple months, but it was a cramped living space and I couldn’t stay there. I went to the Little Portion Friary and then to the City Mission,” said Simmance, who finally found permanent lodging in a subsidized apartment a few weeks ago.

The 31-year-old entered a free fall in 2006, when he started experiencing service-related mental illness. He lost a $65,000-a-year job, his apartment and his truck while living in Seattle.

When he returned home to Buffalo Niagara and sought help from the local Veterans Affairs office, he said he was told his discharge papers were not in order and he was ineligible for help. Simmance said he was turned down twice for treatment at the VA’s Batavia residential facility for post-traumatic stress disorder.

“The kicker is, I have my official U.S. military passport with all the stamps of the countries I was in overseas, and the Batavia hospital didn’t even want to look at it,” he said. “I served in the Middle East in 2001 with an international peacekeeping force and saw combat.”

He says he continues to wait for a corrected version of his discharge papers — a wait that started seven months ago and shows no sign of ending soon.

Issue called disgraceful

Simmance’s story highlights the struggles of other local veterans who have had difficulty receiving medical and disability benefits from the VA.

Upset over the clerical errors veterans face after serving overseas, often in combat situations, several veterans advocates and public officials met recently at Rep. Louise Slaughter’s office in Niagara Falls to discuss clearing up the backlog.

“It is absolutely unacceptable and, frankly, disgraceful that any veteran would be delayed or denied the benefits they earned after putting their life on the line in service to our country,” said Slaughter, DFairport. “Veterans must be shown nothing less than the same commitment that they showed to us.”

Errors are occurring more frequently on discharge papers, known as DD214 forms, because the work is often farmed out to civilians, according to Patrick W. Welch, director of Erie County’s Department of Veterans Services.

“In the olden days, it was usually military records personnel who were processing you out. They were active duty military people. They had a better feel for what you were entitled to and they would ask questions,” said Welch, a Vietnam veteran.

Civilians who never served in the armed forces, he said, are more likely to make mistakes.

“So as they’re looking through records, they do not properly interpret service,” said Welch, who has worked as an advocate for years and has assisted many vets in correcting their discharge papers.

“The other part of it is that, when they are processing you out, the person leaving just wants to get his paperwork and get out and may not notice errors,” he said. “Quite frankly, I don’t know of any veteran whose DD214 form is 100 percent accurate.”

Military officials, contacted by The Buffalo News, said those leaving the armed forces should carefully check their records because they are in the best position to know if the papers are complete and accurate.

“That’s not true. This is your very first DD214, so how do you know what to look for? On top of that, you don’t know what the code numbers stand for. Unless you work with those codes daily, you don’t know what they mean,” said Ronal R. Bassham, a veterans advocate for United Auto Workers Region 9.

But the Defense Department says it is the service member’s responsibility to make sure everything is in order.

“It’s important to note that the soldier is responsible for reviewing the DD214 and ensuring it is accurate before he/she signs. The soldier is his/her own best defense against DD214 errors,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington of the Defense Department.

The errors often aren’t noticed until weeks or months and sometimes even years later, according to advocates.

And the consequences can be devastating.

Veterans suffer

When a veteran later seeks benefits at the Department of Veterans Affairs, a worker looks over the discharge paper listing campaign ribbons, Purple Hearts, notations of overseas service and other evidence the veteran experienced combat or served in a war zone, Welch said.

Without that paper or with an incomplete or faulty discharge paper, he said, “you’re denied services.”

Joseph P. Shydlinski, commander of the Disabled Veterans organization in Kenmore, is also very familiar with the problems caused by inaccurate discharge papers.

“Vets have to go back to the Department of Defense, and half the time the department doesn’t want to listen and there is a hell of a backlog,” said Shydlinski, another Vietnam veteran. “Sometimes the vets get lucky and get it fixed in a day or two, other times it can take months. In the meantime, the veterans are suffering because they are not being properly treated at the VAs.”

That’s what happened to Cushing, the former Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq and a third with an antiterrorism unit in east Africa.

Cushing is a Canadian by birth who enlisted in the Marines to gain U.S. citizenship more quickly.

Home and savings lost

But when she left the service and began suffering health problems related to her military duty, she was denied benefits because of clerical errors on her discharge papers. She ended up living in her car last summer before getting enough money to pay for an inexpensive apartment on Buffalo’s West Side.

Despite her combat service and military citations, she left the Marines with discharge papers that listed her as a “conscientious objector.” She didn’t see the mistake because it was in a code she said she did not recognize.

“We basically hand the American government a blank check with a value of up to our life,” she said.

“In my case,” Cushing added, “the value of that check is I’ll never walk unassisted again, I have wicked PTSD, asthma that will kill me quicker than smoking, radiation exposure from depleted uranium. I’m being watched for skin cancer and soft tissue cancer and I have chronic intestinal problems.”

She was finally able to get her discharge papers amended after 50 weeks, a shorter wait, Cushing noted, than most.

But in the meantime, she burned through her life savings, $20,000, ran up $7,000 in copayment medical bills that the VA refuses to reimburse, and lost her home early last year.

She says she still can’t get over the bureaucracy and how it ends up harming veterans.

Another woman who shares Cushing’s opinion is Tracy Kinn, a New York State veteran counselor highly regarded among several local veterans.

Kinn said she does not believe military employees maliciously make errors in the discharge papers. Instead, she blames it on a lack of knowledge.

“It’s pure ignorance in training, staffing and rushing them along. There are so many veterans and there aren’t enough people to take care of their needs,” Kinn said.

Like other veteran advocates, Kinn says it is not uncommon for her to catch errors in discharge papers.

“It’s crazy. How do you leave something off like a citation [medal]? I sent in a correction last June for notation of a Purple Heart on discharge papers, and we’re waiting for the correction to come through,” Kinn said.

Without a combat medal, she added, the onus is on the veteran to prove he or she suffers from post-traumatic stress from military-related service in order to get medical help or disability benefits.

Veterans, she added, may not have directly participated in a battle, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan, but that does not preclude them from witnessing and experiencing wartime horrors.

Legislation mulled

To help veterans work through the bureaucracy, State Sen. George D. Maziarz, who attended the Niagara Falls meeting, said legislation that would require county veterans services workers to review amended discharge forms might help speed up the process.

“Maybe we should look at legislation that would require county veteran services officers to at least offer the ability to come in and review a veteran’s documents,” the Newfane Republican said. “A review by an expert may avoid delays in getting benefits that are rightfully due.”

The organizer of the Niagara Falls meeting, Robert Saunderson, said its purpose was to draw attention to the problems veterans are facing with faulty discharge papers.

“We’re trying to raise awareness in a unified advocacy,” said Saunderson, a Town of Niagara resident and volunteer with the Iraq War Veterans Organization headquartered in California.

A follow-up meeting is set for early April to determine if improvements have occurred. The meeting will include advocates and local VA officials.



lmichel@buffnews.com

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posted by Larry Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org


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Printed from: http://vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfFEB08/nf022508-3.htm

Americans React To Berkeley Council Ouster of US Marines

Thank you, Mr Brian Dennard, for speaking up to the Berkeley City Council in this fantastic letter on behalf of our Marines and military members who defend our freedom around the globe 24/7!

Dear Mayor Bates,

In that you and your city have chosen to gravely insult the brave men and women, who have indeed bought you that right with their blood, I am informing you that my company will no longer do business with any of our current suppliers located in the Berkeley , California metro area.

In that my company is in international resort real estate development, and do business with and am associated with, developers and investors worldwide, I am informing all of my contacts, associates and patrons that we will no longer do any business of any sort with anyone living in the Berkeley area.

In that we/MDG Resorts are currently building a state of the art mega-yacht marina, all of the suppliers of Marina equipment, all owners of Yachts , all suppliers of Yacht materials & supplies, all yacht brokers and all tangential yacht business purveyors will likewise be informed that we will not do any business whatsoever with anyone from the Berkeley area.

Likewise all suppliers of building materials, both interior and exterior, currently associated with any of our several resort developments (Brisamar 300+ villas and 200+ condos: Porto Hussong, www.portohussong.com 500+ condos, 180 slip mega-yacht marina) both of which I might add have international recognition by virtue of glowing reports in Robb Report, Wall Street Journal, Yacht World, Forbes.

I will likewise inform all of our investors, most of whom are very wealthy yacht owners, casino owners, high net worth international businessmen, of our decision to essentially boycott all products and providers located in, or associated with in any way whatsoever, Berkeley , Ca.


Trust me when I say that having been in the real estate development business for over 35 years, our list of contacts and associates is long and very, very impressive. We, and I personally, are going to recomend that they ALL along with us boycott your city, its purveyors, suppliers, and businesses and CHARITIES of every kind.

You have every right to choose to take the obnoxious anti-military stance you have taken, and as stated, that right was bought for you with the blood of better men than you.

I too have every right to do all that I can to insure that your city suffers consequences arising from that obnoxious, sickening stance.


Cordially,


Brian G Dennard

NOMAD F-15 Fighters Collide Over Gulf of Mexico

Following is the text of an announcement running on the air here at Stardust Radio. There is no way to measure the sadness in our hearts as we recognize the loss of an American Hero and wish to send our condolences to all who knew and loved this veteran member of the NOMADS:

Hi Everyone,

This is Judi from the United We Roll World Tour Show and I am coming to
you to share with you some sad news. Yesterday afternoon – Wed February
21st – two F-15s collided while flying a combat training mission over the
Gulf Of Mexico. These were the F-15C single seat Fighter jets from the 58th
Squadron of the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin Air Base here in NW FL.

HOME OF THE NOMADS – one incredible fighter unit!

While both pilots were rescued from the Gulf waters, sadly, one of them did
not make it through the night and has entered the sacred grounds of the
Fallen Heroes, as have many other Nomad Freedom Fighters.

It is with heavy hearts that the Stardust family is reaching out to Nomads
and Nomad families around the Globe. We suffer your loss with you as we
understand the commitment that each of you have made to your mission and
to your country – and we understand that you put yourselves in harm’s way
to protect us and our country whether you serve overseas or here at home.

May God Bless each and every one of you and may He watch over your
loved ones.

Judi & Jeff
And All the Stardust Family
Stardust Radio

Toledo Mayor Boots Marines

This info came in through email - definitely worth reading and reacting!!!

Friends,

We have another maverick Mayor that has asked Marines to leave. This time Toledo, Ohio.................let's start the email rolling......... Here's the Mayors email: mayor.toledo@toledo.oh.gov

What is it about elected officials that don't get it? They hold their positions as a result of the lives, blood, body parts, family sacrifices of our military members. Doesn't Mayor Finkbeiner understand that Toledo may one day have an Islamic terrorists target his city and may need Marine urban warfare trained Marines.....

Another disgusting display of dishonoring America, and our Marines.............

Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret


Mayor kicks Marines out of Toledo


1-24th Marines were scheduled for weekend urban warfare training in downtown
Toledo, when Carty gave them the boot


href="http://www.nbc24.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=94192">http://www.nbc24.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=94192

href="http://www.nbc24.com/uploadedImages/wnwo/News/Stories/carty-finkbeiner-180.jpg"> class=pic alt="Carty 180"
src="http://www.nbc24.com/uploadedImages/wnwo/News/Stories/carty-finkbeiner-180.jpg?w=250"
width=250>

By href="http://www.nbc24.com/about/bio.aspx?id=253">Darsha Philips
class=story_date>Posted: Saturday, February 09, 2008 at 2:05 p.m.

TOLEDO, OH -- Mayor Carty Finkbeiner on Friday ordered some
200 members of Company A, 1st Battalion, 24th
Marines from Grand Rapids, Michigan, out of Toledo just before the
unit was suppose to start a weekend of urban warfare
training downtown.

The mayor’s spokesperson Brian Schwartz said, “the mayor
asked them to leave because they frighten people. He did not want them
practicing and drilling in a highly visible area."

Toledo police said they knew about the training and had approved the unit’s
use of the Madison Building and the Promenade Park area. The
training was scheduled to start Friday afternoon and last until
Sunday. Police said the unit’s presence would have a minimal impact
on the city. Police issued a press release earlier in the week
saying the marines would be wearing green camouflage uniforms, operate military
vehicles, carry rifles, perform foot patrols, and fire blank ammunitiion during
the exercise.

Schwartz said there was a breakdown in communication between police and the
Finkbeiner administration that led to the mayor’s action.

“The marines drilled here three times during the Ford administration and once
under the Finkbeiner administration. After the last visit, the mayor told
then police chief Jack Smith, that he did not want the marines back.
Smith failed to inform the current police administration of the mayor’s
feelings,” Schwartz said.

NBC24 spoke to Jack Smith who recalled that after the marines last
visit, he and the mayor had a heated exchange about the training.

“He told me he did not want them, as he put it, 'playing war in Toledo,'"
Smith recalled. "I told him, as a former marine, that if one young
marine’s life is saved because of training he or she received in Toledo, Ohio,
then it was worth the inconvenience.”

Smith said if the mayor objected, then he should have been the
one to convey those feelings to police. Smith took his run-in with the
mayor as an objection to that last visit, and not future training in
Toledo.

As a result, the Toledo police went ahead, granting approval to the
1-24th Marines to conduct the routine exercise. The police
notified members of the Finkbeiner administration, who were not aware that the
mayor objected to unit’s training in Toledo.

When the mayor found out, he sent a member of his staff to tell marines they
could not conduct urban operations in Toledo.

The unit was notified about 3:30 p.m. after an advance team arrived in
Toledo. Five buses carrying some 200 marines traveled four hours
from Grand Rapids, only to find out the training had been shot down.

The unit briefly stopped at a another 1-24th marine base in
Perrysburg Township, then returned back to Grand Rapids where training was
expected to be held this weekend.

A spokesperson for the marines said they were disappointed by the mayor’s
decision especially after the city had been so helpful in the
past.

Wear Red On Fridays To Show Support To Our Troops

You may have seen this email before - but it is worth reading again. DO NOT MISS THE MESSAGE AT THE END!!!

Will you give this to my Daddy????

As a Company, Southwest Airlines is going to support "Red Fridays".

Last week I was in Atlanta , Georgia attending a conference. While I
Was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me
Beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.

Moving thru the terminal was a group of soldiers in their camos. As they began heading to their gate, everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering.

When I saw the soldiers, probably 30-40 of them, being applauded and cheered for, it hit me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only red-blooded American who still loves this country and supports our troops and their families.

Of course I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young
Unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to school, work and home without fear or reprisal.

Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said "hi."

The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her daddy
For her.

The young soldier, who didn't look any older than maybe 22 himself,
Said he would try and what did she want to give to her daddy. Then
Suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the
Biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.

The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter's name was
Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Marine and had been in Iraq for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.

When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation, all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie-talkie. They
Started playing with the device and talking back and forth on it.

After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, "I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you." He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying "your daddy told me to tell you that he loves you more than anything and he is coming home very soon."

The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event.

As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people
Resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around,there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.

We need to remember everyday all of our soldiers and their families and thank God for them and their sacrifices. At the end of the day, it's good to be an American.

RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers.

We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing.. We get no liberal
Media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. Many
Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize
That the vast majority of America supports our troops.

Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity
And respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday
Until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers.

If every one of us who loves this country will share this with
Acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long
Before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the
Once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever; certainly more
than the media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make
things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers.

Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear something red every Friday.

There is no author's name with this email. Is it a true story - I would like to think so as we hear of things like this happening so often. But the point is that if it gets one more person to say a prayer for our troops or gets one more person to wear red and show support for our troops, then it is worth telling - over and over again.

God Bless Our Troops! God Bless America! Thank You, God, for Our Freedom and for Those Who Continue To Put Their Lives In Harm's Way To Protect Us & Our Country!
God Bless Americans Like Marnie, Who Do So Much To Give Back To Our Veterans!