Comments for VA Recognizes "Presumptive" Illnesses in Iraq, Afghanistan

VA Recognizes "Presumptive" Illnesses in Iraq, Afghanistan

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:18:56 -0600

Perhaps more accurately, VA recognizes "presumptive" illnesses for Desert Shield/Storm which extend to OIF/OEF veterans.From the VA Press Release:WASHINGTON (March 18, 2010) – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking steps to make it easier for Veterans to obtain disability compensation for certain diseases associated with service in the Persian Gulf War or Afghanistan. This will be the beginning of historic change for how VA considers Gulf War Veterans’ illnesses.Following recommendations made by VA’s Gulf War Veterans Illnesses Task Force, VA is publishing a proposed regulation in the Federal Register...

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2010-03-19

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 09:21:45 -0600

Grimmy - you are correct, but you are also too kind.

I've been dueling with the VA for over a decade.

Comment from Grimmy on 2010-03-19

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:45:58 -0600

This is something that was begun under the last Bush admin.
The SOP in place in the VA all during the Clinton years was to deny, confuse, deny. The Bush put a hard yank on the players that had infested VA management that were playing that crap and replaced a lot of em with folk with some integrity and at least a basic concept of honor.

There is always lag in such things.

It was the same sort of lag that gave Clinton the glory from the payout of the much lampooned Reagan "Trickle Down" policy.

In this case, Shinseki is just following through on work begun a few years ago.

Comment from AFSister on 2010-03-19

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:40:10 -0600

Agreed, John.

So far, he's done a good job with the VA. This is a good decision.