But there are also many, many veterans of all ages who have learned how to game the system. For some of those cited in this story, more than forty years has passed since their two or three year stints in the military. A bad economy, the erosion of the American middle-class, the difficulty of finding work later in one's life, years of poor life-style choices -- all of these may contribute to the rush for enrollment in the new welfare.
In addition to these types of claims, today the VA is overwhelmed with claims from veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The tremendous backlog in processing these claims has greatly decreased the agency's ability to thoroughly investigate frivolous claims and separate, if you will, the good from the bad and the ugly.
I know my ears will be ringing with the loud voices of those veterans who feel they have earned the right to collect the new welfare simply by donning a uniform for a given period and doing their job. But if the ululation is loud enough, perhaps I'll file that claim for tinnitus that I've been meaning to get around to since 1969. After all, I was in the artillery.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
