Reporting for Roll Call 1605 Hrs - 5-21-13
Hi LT:
Well, our cherry troop is standin' in the rain, standin' in the rain...so to speak, waiting for the next step in the process.
Okay, so he's ready to proceed...how does he initiate the process of filing his claim? Now what does he need to do it?
Need to have some specifics here. I'm asking because I don't know. Since you have first hand experience with the process, enlighten us on how he needs to do that. You mentioned that you had recently helped a young veteran get his claim officially filed, and that it took almost a year to do it. Can you explain why it took so long to do it? The details of what you went through with him should be instructive for our cherry troop, as he prepares his claim.
CENTURION
Hey Captain! Reporting to ROLL CALL 7:51AM Wed 5/22/13
ReplyDeleteOK, let's at this point define: Cherry Troop! He or she is a first time VA applicant. This means he served in the military in some fashion, got out, went home, and now it's time he thinks to get signed up at the VA. My advice is to get an advocate first. Don't even go to the VA's web site, and do not go through the VA's front door of any of their hospitals. There is risk in doing so. First off, the multi-billion dollar VA web site does not work. Second, going through the front door of any VA hospital puts the Cherry Troop at risk of running into some jerk at his first human experience there. Remember the Cherry Troop is more likely to use any VA annoyance as a justification to quit. And, that first human occurrence at the VA is likely to involve someone who does not have any idea how serious this Cherry Troop's condition is, and as such, will tell him something that is not 'true'. And that makes the Cherry Troop assume that it would be better to turn around, go back through the VA's doors, go home, get blasted and do himself in. Get an advocate! That is my first 'specific' in this process.