The following release was obtained
on the internet from a VFW commander
who apparently was asleep at the
wheel for the entire 2 year period
that the Veterans Disability Benefits
Commission was holding public hearings.
Now that the Commission is terminated
and dismantled, the VFW has apparently
emerged from their COMA !!

____________________________________

VFW APPLAUDS DISABILITY BENEFITS
COMMISSION REPORT

Washington Oct. 4, 07

The national commander of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
is applauding the 13 members of the
Veterans Disability Benefits
Commission for keeping a promise
to make the system better for
disabled veterans, servicemembers
and their families. The Commission
unveiled their 562-page report
yesterday afer more than two years
of research and interviews.

VFW Commander-in-Chief George Lisicki,
a Vietnam veteran from Carteret, N.J.
said that some in the veterans
community were initially skeptical
because they thought the Commission
was formed to cut programs and benefits.
"But there is no doubt from the report
that the skeptics were wrong", he said.
"The Commission kept its promise to
care for those who have borne the
battle."

The Commission report includes 113
recommendations, 14 of which were
considered to be priorities. These
recommendatons would require the
Dept. of Veterans Affairs to create
a permanent Committee to regularly
update the rating schedule that
guides the VA's evaluation of
service connected disabilities, especially
where it concerns traumatic brain
injuries, post traumatic stress disorders,
and other mental or neurological
injuries or diseases. The Commission
said the rating schedule revision is
needed to include compensation for
the impact a service connected disability
has on an individual's quality of life,
something current law provides only
to the most seriously disabled.

Also recommended was the elimination
of the ban on concurrent receipt
for all military retirees and those
who are medically separated before
reaching the 20 year retirement point,
as well as ending the offset that
currently prevents survivors of
veterans who die on active duty
or as the result of service connected
disabilities from collecting both
their Defense Department Survivor
Benefit Plan payment and VA Dependancy
and Indemnity Compensation. Other
priorities address a reduction
in the VA claims backlog and adjudication
cycle, the creation of a standard
disability rating examination, the
seamless transition of electronic
medical records between DOD and VA,
and the creation of a co-chaired
VA-DOD oversight group to implement
the Commission's recommendations.

Lisicki said this is the third
Commission to file a report this
year that addresses how the nation
treats and compensates its disabled
veterans and servicemembers. "But
this one is different because it
wasn't established in response to
the substandard outpatient housing
debacle at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center" he explained.

"The Veterans Disability Benefits
Commission was created by the 2004
defense authorization bill to examine
the disability benefits system. This
report is much more thorough, and
for that reason, it must carry more
weight within the administration
and Congress".

The VFW national commander now wants
his organization to participate
in the VA-DOD oversight group that
was recommended to examine and
implement the Commission's 113
proposals.

"Veterans organizations must have
a seat at the table if we're to make
the system better for everyone
involved" said Lisicki, who leads
the nations oldest major veterans
organizations and it's largest
organization of combat veterans.

"The VFW has a vested interest in
ensuring these recommendations
become reality."

___________________________________

Footnote:

At the time the VDBC Commission
adjourned it's final meeting and
closed it's doors, most of the
VSO's had completely left the
room. I was one of the few
activists remaining. Prior to
adjournment, Commissioner
Jennifer Carroll submitted an
editing entry to call for the
appointment of an Executive
Oversight Board, co-chaired by
VA and DOD and to consist of
high level agency "senior" officials
[ NOT VSO's ] to oversee the timely
and accurate implementation of
the the Commission's findings.
Nowhere did she call for VSO's
to sit in that capacity. The last
minute entry was adopted and
it was the last and final thing
accomplished before General
Terry Scott called the final
adjournment and the existance of
the Commission came to an end.

You will find the last minute
entry on Page 16 of The Executive
Summary portion of the Commission
report, plain as day. I was in
the room when she made that
submission.

This commentary from the VFW
appears to be lost in space
on that point. Since I was in
the room when Commissioner Carroll
made this all important discussion
for the record, I think the VFW
is facing a huge disappointment.