The VA Was Actually Trying to Help That Idaho Vet

By Dan Zimmerman

By Bud Harton

I have previously retired as a police officer and as a solder, but the third time I retired it was from the VA where I was a Veterans Rating Specialist. A rating specialist is the person who actually makes decisions on veterans claims and issues and award or denial decisions. I was an adjudicator, I made these kind of decisions . . .

President Obama had nothing to do with this. I retired from the VA in 2007 and this had been on-going since before 1999 when I hired on there after being medically retired from the Army.

As is often the case, this all comes down to money. The vet was living on a non-serviced connected disability pension. That is, Congress years ago created a veteran’s pension for those veterans of war time service (service on active duty during a war time period and defined by any period when the National Defense service Medal is awarded). This pension is granted by “need,” that is, by a veteran’s low income. It is an income granted based on the family’s low income.

The vet wanted more monthly income every month. He is not receiving service connected disability compensation but instead is receiving …read more