Veterans advocates condemn Washington Post’s call for cuts to disability benefits, criticizing the disrespectful, misguided proposals....
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Veterans' advocates are pushing to have several blood cancers linked to burn pit exposure added to the list of burn pit presumptive conditions created by the PACT Act. The move would make some Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans eligible for expedited disability benefits and healthcare, and would mark the first expansion of the PACT Act for burn pit-related diseases since the law went into effect in 2022. For veterans afflicted with these blood cancers, presumptive status and the benefits that flow from it can’t come fast enough. Military.com reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has committed to a thorough...
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This article on Burn Pits is one in a series exploring the benefits created by the Honoring Our PACT Act, the biggest VA veterans benefits bill in U.S. history. The bill promises to: Add 23 presumptive medical conditions connected to exposure to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan Extend the presumption of Agent Orange exposure to locations beyond Vietnam and her waters Allow Camp Lejeune survivors and family members to file lawsuits for damages Add 3 new qualifying radiation-risk activities for veterans exposed to radiation Expand healthcare eligibility and screening for toxic exposures for all veterans Relief is on the way for millions of veterans who were exposed...
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Sleep apnea is one of the most common disabilities affecting veterans. It's also one of the most misunderstood. Some see it as a nuisance, others as a life-threatening condition. A soon-to-retire service member described his sleep apnea this way: "I was diagnosed with sleep apnea about 2 years ago and I have to say that I love my CPAP, it is awesome to embrace the feeling of your skull being crushed while you attempt to sleep for four hours… if I’m lucky!" Even with the CPAP machine delivering some relief, this individual is not going to be anywhere near 100% at work the...
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Veterans watched with anger and sadness this past August as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan may be a poignant and painful reminder of objectives unmet. But here at The Rep for Vets, we think sacrificing for one's country is never done in vain. We feel an obligation to help vets who served honorably in America's longest war in getting back on their feet again, and moving forward with their lives. For disabled veterans, part of the healing process involves securing disability benefits, a small form of redress for their injuries. Afghanistan was a dangerous...
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Burn pits have been described as the post-9/11 generation’s Agent Orange. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as much as 250 tons of trash a day were burned with jet fuel in huge pits the size of football fields, spewing toxic fumes and carcinogens into the air. Many veterans who worked and lived near toxic burn pits have gone on to develop cancer and respiratory diseases. Unfortunately, getting VA disability benefits for illnesses caused by burn pits has been an uphill battle for these vets. That looks to be changing. This month the VA created a fast-track to disability compensation...
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Image credit: Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Public Affairs, CC license Jon Stewart is once again throwing his celebrity behind a campaign to pressure lawmakers to expand disability benefits, this time on behalf of veterans who operated near burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan and later developed serious illnesses. You don’t have to agree with everything he says to recognize the comedian’s gift for getting to the heart of an issue in blunt terms. Last September, speaking at a press conference where lawmakers announced a bill that would fast-track benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits,...
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What Is Gulf War Syndrome? Gulf War Syndrome is a widely used term for a chronic multi-symptom illness that affects many veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. Soldiers deployed to the Persian Gulf were exposed to a staggering variety of toxic chemicals, infectious diseases and combat stressors. Thirty years on, nearly 1 in 3 of these veterans suffer from a host of debilitating symptoms, from chronic fatigue to cognitive impairments. You can’t get a diagnosis of Gulf War syndrome, because doctors can’t say with certainty what causes it from a medical standpoint, and symptoms vary widely from one veteran to the next....
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