ugleeual

apparently idea is DOA… not gonna happen next year but maybe in future?

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...hier-vets.html

Excargodog

I think the services are going to have to start actually hitting their recruiting quotas before Congress gets on board with disincentives to enlistment and commissioning.

ugleeual

true… can’t remember where the report was from but heard on news a few days ago that only 3% of college aged males would consider military service. Death spiral for military readiness.

tnkrdrvr

Like the CBO said in its report, this is merely a way spending could be reduced. The annual savings would be about equal to NASA’s annual budget.

This is the sort of proposal that is unlikely to get anywhere unless we face a true financial crisis (bond market decides Treasury bonds are a bad bet). I agree with those who say disability benefits are abused. However, I’m not willing to screw over those who are deserving to punish the guilty. This will always be a very emotional issue for those who served, their families, and those who understand the importance of a strong defense.

CX500T

I'm at 70%. I have been through over 30 surgeries thanks to uncle sam.

I am unlikely to hold a valid medical to 65. Hell 45 is looking dicey right now (out of sick, on FAA leave, about to go to disability when that runs out)

Why? Because the FAA is freaking out over injuries I sustained in the service of the United States. That they previously cleared. But hey, that $1740 a month, I don't need that.
Oh, I'm unable to have children. That's a whopping $107 a month extra "loss of use of reproductive organ" on top of my VA disability. But hey making over $XX a year makes up for that. I'd rather literally have my balls back.

A lot of guys burn their sick to adjust schedules, go golf, whatever. Other non flying jobs I've had I had a PTO bank. Yep. Mine gets used up, often because either the issues I'm on VA Disability for flare up, or because of the special issuance medical I am on, again because of the injuries sustained while flying for the Navy, requires me to self ground for a few different items, for 24-96 hours depending on what it is.

But yeah, lets means test my stuff, while some Fobbit who had a buddy put everything in when he went to medical gets 100%, pays no property tax, reduced personal property tax and gets other niceties. Meanwhile, what I've spent on IVF/Surrogacy could buy a nice house in NYC.

FlyinCat

Your example is a good argument for payments due to reduced QOL/increased expenses due to service connected disability. Plenty of guys out there with ratings that are mostly just disabilities on paper though.

rickair7777

Some of that should be 0%, ie placeholder in case of future decline. That's a systemic issue, they can tune that up a bit, but they'd have to overcome the inevitable bad publicity.

CX500T

That said, the one thing that affects my life on a daily basis, Sleep Apnea, the VA says isn't service connected because I'm "Morbidly Obese"

Never mind I flew with an OSA waiver from NAMI (think SI but Navy) and am 230 at 6'4".

But means testing is going to go with a lot of other things and be horribly abused. And not in a way that favors most veterans.

But the VA, every time I go in their office for ANYTHING, reminds me that if I would just file for TBI or PTSD, I'd be 100% tomorrow ($2k a month more and no property tax).

Why? Because the VA gets more for those things to fund research, more vets with TBI/PTSD, more research money. Those are also things that are HOLY BALLS hard to get FAA SIs for. I've been told by VA personnel to just say the "right things" and I would be granted 100%.

Of course, like most mental health things the FAA is binary. You are 100% crazy or 100% sane. With PTSD you are Ted Stryker from Airplane and never can get over Macho Grande, or you are stone cold Sully. Nobody in the middle. And they wonder why guys don't seek out treatment.

In my case, my neck, back and legs were injured in 2003. Cleared by Navy, reported to FAA, no further info requested for 20 years. Then they have started asking for ambulance trip sheets, and all sorts of things I just plain don't have. But hey, means test away.

And if we are going to go "no money unless you are REALLY disabled, then you need to actually up the 100% disabled rate to well north of the median income for the country.

I grew up with a 100% disabled veteran father. When he lost his medical, we lost our house. While the VA disability slowed the bleeding, there aren't many places where you can raise a family on what is now $36k a year.

But hey, being homeless as a kid was fun. It was like camping.

Nobody is getting rich living on VA disability.

JohnBurke

That was four months ago, but it's not a plan, nor is it a recommendation or a proposal.

https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58164