UPDATE: SHREDDER SCANDAL SPURS VETS' OUTRAGE AND CHANGES IN VA PROCEDURES (Not Only Blue Water Navy)

VA WatchDog dot Org ^ | Oct. 17, 2008 | Larry Scott — Jim Strickland

[Right Winged American]

UPDATE: SHREDDER SCANDAL SPURS VETS' OUTRAGE AND CHANGES IN VA PROCEDURES

VFW chief: "The question that begs to be asked and answered is how many veterans had their disability and compensation claims disappear down a paper shredder."

by Larry Scott

Many veterans who have written me in the few days since we broke the story about Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) claims found in shredder bins at the Detroit Regional Office (VARO) have said this incident should be called "shreddergate."  That's really kind of humorous.

But, there is absolutely nothing funny about this situation.

Original story and follow-ups...

http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfoct08/nf101308-1.htm
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfoct08/nf101408-3.htm
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfoct08/nf101508-1.htm

The VA has finally issued a statement about the incident.  VA press release here... Be sure to read it...

http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/vap08/vap101608-1.htm 

In typical VA fashion, the title of the press release tells a lot.  The title is:  VA Tightens Protections for Veterans Paperwork

This should have read:  We're Finally Going to do What We Should have Been Doing all Along

The VA spin machine continues their work in the body of the press release as we realize that this is a classic government agency "defuse" and "minimize" statement.

VA Secretary Peake says, “I insist on the highest possible standards for processing and safeguarding information in VA’s custody. It is unacceptable that documents important to a veteran’s claim for benefits should be misplaced or destroyed.”

Peake tries to "defuse" the situation by saying the VA knows about the problem and is trying to fix it.

The press release also states: IG auditors found a handful of documents waiting to be shredded, which might have affected the fate of veterans’ applications. The documents were returned to the proper offices for processing.

By using the word "handful," the VA is trying to "minimize" this issue and make it seem smaller than it is.

But let me tell you, there is nothing here to minimize and Secretary Peake still has a live fuse in his hand.  This is just the tip of the iceberg.

The VFW, not known to bash the VA, issued a blistering press release.  Here...

http://www.vfw.org/index
.cfm?fa=news.newsDtl&did=4782

The national commander said, "...the question that begs to be asked and answered is how many veterans had their disability and compensation claims disappear down a paper shredder?”

When you have a statement like that, you know there's trouble ahead.

That DAV was not quite as outraged, but reading between the lines we sense a lot of frustration in their press release.  Here...

http://www.dav.org/news/news_20081015.html

What is VA doing.? The VA has stopped shredding at Regional Offices, for now.  And, in a story in The Army Times, we read, "...the shredding ban is so sweeping that it includes the removal of portable shredders from beside the desks of VA workers."  Full story here...

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/
military_va_stopshredding_101608w/

More stories about this matter...

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AI
D=/20081016/METRO/810160466/1361

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/200810
16/BREAKING01/81016068/-1/localnewsfront

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?
command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=kn
owledge_center&articleId=9117362&taxon
omyId=1&intsrc=kc_top

But, now, the problem we have is this:  Veterans' have found that they cannot trust the Veterans' Benefits Administration (VBA) with their paperwork.

Trust in the VBA system has been irrevocably shattered.  And, there's no going back.

Every veteran who has had a claim denied or "timed-out" will wonder if their paperwork was shredded or "disappeared" somewhere along the line.

And I will guarantee that this is just the beginning of this story.

The VA had hoped to keep this quiet with a VAOIG (Inspector General) report that few would read.

I was asked why VA Watchdog dot Org broke this story prior to the VAOIG report.  Simple:  This matter would have been downplayed and swept under the rug. 

But, not now.

Should veterans be angry.  Much, much more than that.  We must take action.

Below is commentary from Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland who helped bring this story to fruition.

Jim has a call to action...and I agree completely.

---------------------------------------------

YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO

by Jim Strickland

As the reality of what I was hearing sunk in, I was numb. The terrible rumors were true. Inside the fortresses of our VA Regional Offices there are people whose job it was to serve America's veterans and they were intentionally destroying documents. Documents that held the key to much needed and deserved disability benefits.

I didn't want to accept that there were healthy employees with good jobs attempting to deprive a disabled veteran of benefits earned by blood, sweat and tears.

Secretary Peake has denounced these actions with a strong dose of spin control. That's OK. I'm buoyed by the fact that he recognized them publicly at all. I can't imagine the depth of the man's embarrassment that his organization is so completely out of control. This occurred on his watch.

This is no accidental loss of a laptop; these despicable acts seem to be intentional and with malice aforethought. This was meant to hurt America's veterans.

This is the legacy of Dr. Peake's tenure as Secretary of the DVA.

That is, it's his legacy unless he reacts swiftly and surely to right the wrongs perpetrated upon us. I hope Dr. Peake and other leaders see this as a golden opportunity to fix a VA that has failed. The years it takes to get claims processed and other flaws have been shrugged off as symptoms of a bureaucracy doing its best. This week we became aware of criminal activity at the Regional Offices.

That managers are being required to sign statements that they will not condone their charges breaking the law is beyond belief. How did it get to this point? When executives must be reminded that illegal activities are...well, illegal...it is time to act.

Dr. Peake will only tackle this most dysfunctional organization if he knows that every veteran in America is mad as hell. Mad as hell!

It's up to you now. My mail to my Congressman and my Senators is already sent. If you aren't rising up on your hind legs to howl, you're a part of the problem.

You know what to do.

[Right Winged American]

For more Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans/Agent Orange Info, go here:

http://bluewaternavy.org

Discussions/Forum about Blue Water Navy Vets, Here:

http://bluewaternavy.org/phpBB2/index.php

FreepMail me to join the Blue Water Navy ping list.

 

 

Blue Water Navy
Vietnam Veterans
of America

And now we're down to to bottom line at the so called 'Department of Veterans Affairs'.

Three times now, the leaders of the Republican Party during wartime have had the opportunity to fix this egregiously dishonorable situation and clean up the VA. We needed someone to come in at the top as Secretary of the DVA and clean house.

We needed an Omar Bradley or a Hyman Rickover. We got political hack, a contribution bundler, and an REMF.

I post this stuff so than those of us who served, and who vote, will find a way to demand that the VA system be 'reformed'. So far, the screams for help from us have been, to be polite, ignored.

Some have told me my top graphic was a bit overstated. This series of articles pretty well supports the position, don't you think?

So, anyone have a line to 'The Reformer's campaign staff?

Pardon me if I don't hold my breath.

(like I said before, chemo makes me bitter ... )

[Right Winged American]

Sorry to post 2 articles in a row. Hope you agree this needs a Navair ping.

[magslinger]

SONOBUOY PING!

Click on pic for past Navair pings.

Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
The only requirement for inclusion in the Navair Pinglist is an interest in Naval Aviation.
This is a medium to low volume pinglist.

[Right Winged American]

Slinger, Unrepentant;

You guys just gotta read the replies to this article at the bottom of the page. A couple of 'John's purported to work for the VA at one of the Regional Offices posted some of the most amazing comments I've ever seen.

Now, these guys are so egregiously arrogant and stupid I suspected that they were 'plants' or smartasses.

On the other hand, some of the people working for the VA probably ARE that stupid and arrogant.

At least.

[magslinger]

Post as many as you need to. I’m not one of the affected sailors, but some on my list are. Also a lot of my shipmates are (or were) as well. I am so hot that I am radiating in the microwave range.

[Right Winged American]

Post as many as you need to. I’m not one of the affected sailors, but some on my list are. Also a lot of my shipmates are (or were) as well. I am so hot that I am radiating in the microwave range.

Slinger; this stuff doesn't just apply to Blue Water Navy; they're talkin' Doggies, Jarheads, Wing-Wipers, Swabbies, and even Coasties! (God, I miss Tonk!) Just about every swinging richard who ever served, right up to the present time.

I'm talkin' War II through RIGHT EFFIN' NOW!

Say one thing for the VA; they're completely indiscriminate in who they try to screw...

Guys, if you have a Veterans Administration claim in and don't regularly check out www.vawatchdog.org on a regular basis, you'll have no freakin' clue how often and well you're gonna be screwed.

Just no freakin' clue...