Veteran News & Issues

Vet Groups Seek Update in Combat Definition

by Kimberly Hefling, The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Veterans advocates told Congress on Tuesday that a World War II-era law requiring proof of participation in combat in order to receive certain benefits creates an unnecessary hurdle for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but not on the front lines.

There is particular concern, they said, that the rule interferes with disability benefits for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder whose trauma may not be documented by the military. PTSD can affect people who experience a traumatic event. Symptoms can include flashbacks and anxiety.

The mental disorder has affected service members in noninfantry roles such as truck drivers or cooks, who on today's battlefields are vulnerable to roadside bombs or mortar attacks. They often lack a combat infantry badge or other documentation to prove their battlefield experience.    more

VA Hires Vets to go Find Comrades Who Need Help

by Lisa Orkin Emmanuel, The Associated Press

MIAMI — Derek Graner can scan a crowd of veterans and pick out those needing help.

The former Army sergeant developed post traumatic stress disorder in Iraq and knows the signs — the withdrawal, the restlessness, the distrust.

"Sometimes there is a certain look in their eye," he said.

Graner is one of 100 former service members hired nationally by the Department of Veterans Affairs as outreach specialists to help get Iraq and Afghanistan veterans into programs aimed at easing their transition back to civilian life.

They frequent job fairs, welcome-home events and other places where troops back from the wars might congregate and look for those struggling to adjust. The goal is to persuade them to visit one of 230-plus vet centers nationwide, which are operated by the VA to offer free services from job hunting assistance to marriage and mental health counseling.    more