Thanks for the Rave and for your service to our Country! Thank you for fighting for my freedom and the right to express myself! I so appreciate you, far beyond anything you could imagine.

Linda

I have read your information on IAV being categorized as "Personality Disorder" discharge so that they can be denied any and all VA Medical services.

You may wish to look into and join:
Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans of America IAVA.Org
BooksforSoldiers.com (adopt by PERSON)

I have been a participant in Books for Soldiers since 2003. It is the best program I have found as you can adopt soldiers by name and follow them throughout their deployment and beyond. The organization has also adopted an entire Battalion out of Ohio. We act like their secret shopper here on the home front for wives and children. It is approved by DOD and so a bit of paperwork needs to be filled out and kept on file, security for our troops.

As a service connected Viet Nam disabled Veteran, I must stress the importance of supporting our troops irregardless
of your stand on the Iraqi War. There are too many troops comming home from the front and becomming homeless most likely due to PTSD. CNN did a report about how the military is classifying many troops with personality disorders rather then PTSD or depression this avoids disability compensation and medical benefits. This diagnosis has not been used as much in no other war in US history. I ask you could this be a Bush administration cost cutting feature? Along with the high rate of murders among retruning Vets this points to PTSD rather than a personality disorder if you ask me and points to the need for care for our returning troops. Please support our troops and veterans. We should have learned something from the the Veterans who returned from VietNam and not let todays veterans fall through the cracks. I have seen costs cuts first hand at VA Hospitals where there needs to be budget increases with the number of troops comming home who will need care. These cuts range from what medications are authorized to new regulations governing travel and copays for non-service connected vets. There are long waits in specility clinics which is especially bad for our older Vets who need Podiatry Services or Rheumotology where visits may be every six months. Previously Podiatry would cut toe nails for Vets who could not bend to cut their own toe nails due to medical reasons. Do you know how long one's toe nails get in six months and how sensitive an 80 year olds feet can get with long nails? You all know about the maintenance of the hospital buildings. Do we care enough to take care of our Veterans or are we going to continue to turn our backs on them like Bush has done
and continue to put money in the pockets of the private companies making money off of the war?