Post No. 23 - Things Are What They Are

Reporting for Roll Call- 17:35Hrs - 7-10-13

Hi LT:

Re: Post No. 22. Addy typo delayed this one. Re-posting it to complete sequence of discussion so far.

Re: Info and Records. Your comments on my post No. 21 shows we're both singing the same tune, but, I seem to be in a different Key. Yes, things are what they are, and we have to deal with them that way, but everything you mentioned simply highlights the points I was trying to make. While we have to work with what we have, there's no reason we shouldn't consider how what we have could be improved upon. Well, it's nice to know there's a Freedom of Information Office, at VA facilities. At least our Cherry Troop now has some kind of pry-bar to use for what he needs as regards getting records, including whatever his doctor(s)are reporting about him. Even so, everything you've mentioned so far puts the spotlight on and illuminates the -why- there is such a dismal amount of delay and obstruction in the process. Everyone goes ape hearing about the millions in backlogged cases, and wondering why it's so. What we've shown here so far, LT, is part of the answer...they keep using BandAid patches to "fix" things. C'est la vie!

Re: Well, now that our Cherry Troop has his act together, etc..what happens next?If there is a basis for filing a claim, what must he do?

Centurion

Post No. 22 - A Brief Fall Back and Regrouping

Reporting for Roll Call :16:50 Hrs 7-8-13

Hi LT:

Re: My Post No 21. I was expounding on the problem of how as a veteran, the system made getting copies of one's service record and related medical records difficult, to say the least. To repeat my position on that...a) A service member should be given these automatically as part of his/her discharge process. Perhaps on a disk, if a paper form is too much trouble for the Services to do. If that were routinely done, much of the delays and problems we've been talking about...would disappear. I see no valid reason why that can't be done. None. b) If it's a mattter of CYA for the Services, a simple "receipt" form signed by the service member being discharged, would take care of that. Once the service member personally took over those copies of his records, it would his responsibility for keeping these secure. It would be a relatively easy thing for the Services to do...K.I.S.S. c)To further secure those records, they could only be "copied" or otherwise downloaded, to another computer if the veteran involved allowed it, using a pin number or password. For example, if he wanted to give these to his PC doctor, he'd have to be physically present in that doctor's office, to type in the pin or password needed, to download those files, and these would be "read only" on the doctor's machine...they could not be transfered, printed out, or otherwise made accessible to anyone else....again...without the veteran's ok. Something along these lines  and they already exist with other applications.Well neither of us are "experts" in that stuff, but there are enough hi-tech hotshots around able to create such a system for this purpose. To summarize, one way or the other, any veteran should be able to get his service records and related medical records without a lot of procedural BS and admin. roadblocks. They're his, after all.

Re: Initiating a claim process. Okay, our Cherry Troop has done everything we've both laid out so far. He has his act together, his documentary "ammo" etc., and he' ready to lock and load. What happens now. Couple of key questions here:

1) Who initiates the action? Through his PC doctor? Or elswhere?

2) Is it the same process for either physical or mental problems, or do these require separate approaches?

3) Once whatever "paperwork" has been prepared for filing that claim...where does it go..that is...what part of the VA gets it?

Centurion