Overwhelmed, convoluted, and broken. ACAP, retiree services and VA all have overlapping missions and not the funding, man power or ability to do what the soldiers need them to do. It is very difficult to get the information you need and they are very territorial so no one seems willing to tell you where to go to get what you need.

Why is this out now? I warned about this last year.

The transition system for our congress to actually be concerned for the people of this country be it veterans or civilians, has been compromised by a severe lack of integrity and an enormous amount of greed.

you have incompetent people , there very few people that actually read and write, organize and manage in the government haven't seen it . Once these bumbling idiots fall behind they have no clue and give up ,I remember waiting for a check for 6 months of work then they tell me the guy who signs the checks is on vacation ,for six months lol

How can mercenary soldiers expect the world to bend over backwards for them following a stint in the service, the same as if they had been drafted?

America can spend obscene amounts of money on the military, provide a free army to half the planet but when it comes to helping out the vets who laid their lives on the line, why, America is "overwhelmed!" Unbelievable...

Congress NEVER takes the time to think of the consequences of war before they alone get us into one or many at the same time. Overwhelmed because you losers never expected anyone to come home. Creeps! Out in November 2012, all of you!

America to Penetta,......go get a real job and quit living off the taxpayers money.

Believe it or not but its cheaper for the military to keep those coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan on active duty for up to one year, while the troops re-adjust to life in America, their families and the job market. Its better that we the military watch over our own for a while then letting them out for citizens to watch over them. This does not take an act of congress it just an administrative action that can be order by the president of the United States, but Obama is too busy rounding up any votes he can with promises he cannot keep. As Obama spends trillion on wasted program that has done nothing for foreclosures, unemployment and the economy, middle class Americans like the military are left to fetch for themselves.

Let see - POTUS and his wife promised that the funding would be there for the wounded VETs - but it's not. Can't blame Romney for that! Photo ops for pre-election propaganda by the Democrat's! Promised jobs for VETs returning to civilian jobs - well that is already set in law by the previous administration (Republicans) and only applies to those that had jobs before they entered into active duty. If their businesses closed because of OBOMA CARE, all bets are off! But, as OBOMA CARE goes on, the big businesses out there are going to cancel their health care options (Retiree's Included) to reduce their budgets - all legal, to boot! Forcing retiree's to foot their own health care costs, of their fixed incomes, to get less coverage than they now get! Wake up America, OBOMA is for Socialism, which has proven not to benefit those countries that have adopted this model! Socialism, breeds the Czarist Marxist Regimes that have failed in the PAST, and lead to overt civil actions to correct the injustices to the masses of the population - creating the 1%'ers, and elimination of the middle class! Next the Government will take our guns away - thereby ensuring that only the Government possess the guns to ensure that the one percent maintain power, and oppress the populations! That requires revolution to over-through the Dictatorships that we Americans have sought to do! YES, HISTORY DOES REPEAT ITSELF - BUT YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO VOTE THIS ELECTION! LOOK AT HISTORY, AND VOTE ACCORDINGLY! [:-(]

This has to be one of the biggest travesties of American Justice to our military forces that have made sacrifices beyond any standard that can be measured for a human being. They have lost friends and comrades; some have lost legs, arms, hands, feet, partial face; some burned beyond recognition yet survived; some with extensive brain injuries; and some have lost their sight or hearing or both. Some have had their sanity challenged or lost it completely. Yet through all of this hell they emerge from, they have no regret for the sacrifices they made to our country. And all we can do is tell them, "Make an appointment - will call you later!" How pathetic we have become as a nation that their welfare is measured in the amount of services available to them due to budget cuts. Take a number, will call you in a year! Yeah, call me when the next war comes, I'll be right there!

TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE DONE WHAT I AND OTHERS COULD NOT OR DID NOT DO, THANK YOU, AND MAY YOU FIND THE PEACE ON THIS EARTH THAT YOU SO RICHLY DESERVE BUT HAVE YET TO FIND.

With only a few exceptions, the Congress consistently underfunds programs for veterans, and it is time for the Congress to start focusing on what it is supposed to be doing rather than focusing on devising new ways to continue doing less than nothing, but best wishes on this happening, because at present the Congress is focused on its primary enemy, who specifically are the common folk of our great nation, really . . .

Really! :-o

There are civilian services they could use. The troubling part is they pay 32 cents on each dollar of cost and the VA pays zero. They are tossing another generation of fighter under the bridges to live.

i dont blame POTUS or DoD or va the guy named coburn from oaklahoma is never on the side of the veterans he is still trying to overturn 1991 law on agent orange,the politicians have been screwing the vets for years but they keep joining up vote these people out stop giving our money to foreign countries dont wait people,our grandkids will be living in a third world situation.

I have been waiting for the VA to process my claim for a year. I started it 3 months before I even got out of the Air Force. But, they do not count that time. They go by separation date. I know I am pretty sick of waiting. I can not imagine how other folks feel from all the other services that have been waiting longer then I have. Something needs to be done for all of us. I am able to work and still need the money. I know folks who have it worse then me need to be given their benefits that they have earned.

Its a simple process, one would think. Take care of the folks that can not work, have an amputation, or inability to work. Then work your way down to the rest of us. If a person can't work but has $3000 a month due to him/her for over a year....How is he to take care of his family or eat? The way I look at it is to start at the more severe cases and work your way down. I, and others like me, can wait so that these folks get the care and help they need. Just my two cents.

dis guy has been part of the problem since da NAM! dis system isn't overwhelmed, it isn't there at all! da stinking congress,senate and the abomination r da reason there is no support. wen i got out of military/Nam there were jobs??; more or less. and i never got into the v.a. until 30 years later. and I'm glad i did! the American legion,v.f.w.,d.a.v., and others r the real way of support 4 returning vets. yet no 1 at the processing out seminar tels da vets this. ?? so here we are again, unprepared,election time, pols playing up and doing nothing about u and me?! do Nam vets hava attitude, u betcha ya!! and these peoples will 2! so in the end we take care of our own.god bless America,support my troops!

As a women veteran I can say what they did above "Overwhelmed, convoluted, and broken" but like to ADD SOME NOTES. It is broken on purpose andn they know why troops are killing themselves because you ever been through the VA hussle- red tape night mare it would drive anyone to to take a drive off a bridge. What is going on now and they are doing on purpose, NPRC the national archeive is losing records then admit it, the VA reports no records so you will be waiting like my self over 6 years for a VA board hearing that meets locally twice a yeaR. i WROTE MY STATE NM SENATORS TO REPRESEANTIVES, they just blow you off. They know either the VA or NPRC is losing records and they do nothing about it what shuld be done if the government admits lost by them all claims should be approved immiedialty. I even wrote the white house and they sent to the VA and the VA replied with a basic letter you "just have to wait". I had to go find old commanders and supervisors to prove what happen and still I wait. the VA has the etters from NPRC admitting they misplacd them but still I wai, see veterans have no rights we have the right to die waiting for the red taper BS. Whats even worse our polticians both parties know it is going on and fail to do anything about it. SO america you need to stop sending your kids i wont be fixed until the elites and the polticians have chiips in the game which they have none know. Do you see romneys boys serving -nope clintons daughter bushes kids, none. until the children of the leites see ehats happenign with there kids nothing will be fixed. We need a draft , then my kids are doing a clinton, romney Bush, "DRAFT DODGE OR HIDE" so they can be President too. Our NWO media keeps reporting how everything is great-no it is not it is the worst its ever been and worser. Veterans have no rights, Obama likes passing excutive orders how about passing a order a sayng if the government admits losing records veterans records the VA claims should be approved, until they find what they lost. See the want us to go away, see we served now were just old pair shoues they like to throw away. AMERICA stop sending your kids for the NWO elites wars, they dont care.

oh yeah this is why we veterans have to make orgnizations like the DAV, to NAUS because these organizatiosn help us steer through the VA bs the government BS. These organization run off dues we pay. They get no money from the government. We make these organizations because the VA well, the VA is broke and our polticians well they dont care. there kids are not serving and either is teh elites lok at the romney boys, bsuhes daughters to even santorims kids, see they just want to live under the freedom umbrella, we provide, but when ther problems they just wish we all go away and thats what our governemtn does now they wish we all go away by letting a system get more broke then it is. They just want more wars and they have the media selling them with the rest of the lies. where is the veterans rights????? ther answer go stand in line and while your standing ther maybe you your die or get tired of waitng and go away

ALL MILITARY oh before you get out make sure you get copies of everything or you will get screwed. They will tell your records will be at NPRC -no they won't! dont trust them. you get copies or you wil regret it a 6 year and longer regret. IF they lose your records it is your fault for being a sucker and trusting them, make sure you get a physical before getting out.

Believe it or not, not everyone that gets out of the military has a disability regardless of what you are told. There are indeed those that attempt to scam the system by making up stuff to make money. Physicals are something that is the soldiers responsibility to make happen. Even those that are Chaptered out are given a physical so why would someone that is completing an enlistment honorably not take a physical? Many problems are created by the person filing the claim as well as by the people working the claim. Get your paperwork in order before you file and you will not have these problems.

BRYAN-1818544 - I know what you're going through in filing a claim. I am also a disabled vet but with non-combat injuries. I remember the medical examinations I had to go through in the U.S. Army for my injuries. I was offered several times the amount of 10%-15% medical disability if I would accept a medical discharge in lieu of staying till I had 20 yrs in for retirement, which would give me 50% of my base pay. I knew how this system worked so I fought it and eventually retired at 20 yrs. I then filed a claim with the VA and had to undergo a full medical examine. The first thing the VA Hospital asked was for a copy of my medical records. They were shocked when I handed them a complete duplicate copy of my medical records. You see, I had two full copies made of my medical record while I was overseas. I was well prepared for any funny business, including, oops, we can't find your medical record. After the examine the doctor informed me that he concurs there is a problem and the X-rays proved it. My claimed was sent forward and I was awarded a percentage of my retired pay to be excluded from taxes. So 30% of my military pay is not taxed. Trust me, I have been there and done that when it comes to claims. I was lucky because I covered any curve balls that would have been thrown my way in the process. Whatever you do, do not give up, hang in there. And thank you for your service!

I think it depends on where you are and which administrators you meet up with. I spend a fair amount of time at the local VA hospital and the people there are great. The patients are well taken care of and the facility is well-maintained and clean. Does this mean it is like this everywhere in the country? Probably not. Funding is a function of Congress. If you're mad, talk to your local representative. If they are unresponsive or disinterested, vote them out of office.

This is my big complaint about our politicians. The Republican Congress is so arrogant and uncaring that they put all of us on the line, economically and emotionally, to push the big agenda, which is enriching the rich and getting rid of the President. They don't care what effect that has on our military. They don't care what effect that has on our economy. They don't care what effect that has on our citizens. Shame on you! Shame on anyone elected to serve the voters and chooses only to serve the partisan politics of the right. Shame on anyone willing to let our economy fall off the cliff just to ensure tax breaks for the rich.

all the money spent by homeland security should be going to the vets before they get a damn dime..9/11 the biggest lie ever..

Senerios of this backlog has been question and question again before the war had started, during the war before the first service person came home, the government had in place a plan that would take our returning Vets months of jumping through hoops, filing paperwork, which they would in return lose by accident, thus the veteran would have to re-file the same paperwork again, since a timeline was pending the late filing by the veteran of course will delay the paperwork even more, the budget would allow some of the less severe cases be approved so the government had a number to give the media telling them there is no problem with the system, we accept these numbers and since it wasn't us not our problem, the government can keep playing this shell game with our Veteran's until the voice of America is heard, please research ways you can help our returning vets, become a volunteer, do something that would make you good if someone did it for you, God Bless America,

@!$%#ing Horsehit Congress should take a paycut cut Foreign Aid by 60%!