Rachel Lucas | Main | weekends
October 17, 2003
Cases like this
This is the widow of a young American who was killed in Gaza yesterday. He was a former Marine, and after he was discharged, he took a job with a private security firm in hopes that he could pay for her cancer treatments. She is still an 'airman' in the USAF, in San Antonio.
One of the things in life that really pisses me off is that the military does not take care of their own in too many cases.
It's probably because the Congress and the Executive Branch want all defense funding to go to new and exciting weapons programs, not to soldiers' care and feeding.
I agree we need to develop new weapons programs, but all too often, they forget about those men and women who actually put their lives on the line to protect and defend us.
Not only did this young woman lose her husband to terrorists, but she is an airman, herself, with the US Air Force, and the military doesn't seem to want to pay for her bone cancer treatments. They say it must have been pre-existing before she joined the military - but they graduated her from basic training.
I'm confused.
Honolulu Star-Bulletin Hawaii News
Perhaps Sir John the Merciless can explain how this works (sorry, sweetheart, but something doesn't seem quite Kosher)
Thanks to Jennifer for the story and the links.
Jennifer stands by our soldiers and sailors and airmen like no one else.
Posted by Beth at October 17, 2003 7:17 PM
Comments
Sir John the Merciless sez: Take it to the VA, and get an advocate, like the VFW or American Legion to fight for you (it's free). The language is fishy enough in the enlistment business that the AF may be able to argue this - but the purpose of entry physicals is to determine the baseline. I don't know the how the VA will react - but, the day she get's discharged, she needs to drop her VA paperwork and make the VA give her a determination.
I think she has a better than 50/50 chance of winning in that venue.
Posted by: John of Argghhh! at October 19, 2003 2:58 PM