Do todays soldiers get the same benefits from the DAV as the ww2 and vietnam vets?

As the wife of a disabled vet, I can say that the VA has helped us greatly primarily by ensuring that we have money to live on. However, we do not get primary medical care from the VA because the attitudes of the staff are quite unpleasant and the closest VA hospital smells like urine.

From what I understand the biggest problem is that the VA is mandated to make budget cuts just as the number of disabled vets is soaring. As a result, there are too few caregivers and those that are there are over-whelmed. I also noticed that the VA is now out-sourcing its medical evaluation process. It seems to be done by a clinic called QLC or some such.

Thus, current vets aren’t necessarily getting benefits that aren’t as good in that they are the same on paper. However, it is much harder to get new disabilities approved – the VA has become a master at wording a veteran’s health problems so that they are not eligible for many things.

I also understand that in cases of PTSD diagnosed before 2004 the VA is going back and re-examining the cases with an eye toward revoking benefits.

Something else to consider is that with the improvement of field medical care much more severe injuries are now survivable, including a lot of head injuries because of how the Iraq war is being conducted. Thus, many new veterans will need much more help than veterans of earlier wars. However, the number of staff available to provide that help is being decreased.

@Darwin A quite comprehensive response.

From what I know of the VA, it has become such a bureacracy that it is nearly impossible for our vets to get what they need. Personally, I feel that ALL military veterans should get whatever they need, and they shouldn’t have to wait for it. They should get their benefits as easily as the politians do. In fact, our honored military vets should get the politians version of health care, and the politicians should all go on social security and food stamps.

Our veterans have sacrificed plenty, and the politicians that cut the funding for the VA should be given a rifle, a 50 lb. pack, and sent to the Front of whatever war we are presently fighting. Research the Bush administraion, see how many of those crooked bastards got deferrments to stay out of Viet Nam. (pretty much all of them, except Colin Powell, who was in the Army).

In a perfect world, there would be no need for the Paralyzed Veterans of America asking me to send money to help those that fought (and came back crippled) to keep America free. The PVA is my main charity, and I send them as much as I can possibly afford annually. In my opinion, anyone who has never been in the military, and lives in a free country that doesn’t support our troops (besides putting some stupid ribbon magnet on their car) doesn’t deserve to live here.

Of course, this is only my opinion, and since life is about choices, your results may vary