Long awaited news

Well, today Greg got the military medical board's decision. Not good. They are offering him a severance with a 10% rating for his knee. Nothing like the retirement he was expecting. He was seeing red once they offered it to him. He also said he felt like they had left him in the middle of a battle with no help or backup (true military man!). He has until Friday to accept or reject the offer, of course he will reject it. Then he will head to Air Force headquarters in Texas, next week, to appeal, then wait again for another offer. We hope it will drag out till he has been in the military 16 years (November 22nd).

The advice he has received so far is to fight it, take it as far as he can. They are not offering any compensation for his sleep apnea which we feel they should but they say is something the VA will deal with. We believe it is brought on from his knee injury and should be grouped with the decision.

I am still in shock myself. Even his commander feels they are not doing good by him. "Thanks for your service/commitment to your country, sorry you got hurt, here's some 'insult to injury' money, good luck in life, bye-bye."

I do have to say that he is way better off than some of the people who get really injured in the line of defense, I wonder what they have to go through to get what they get. The husband of a friend of mine died a week after the military finally admitted that the cancer he had was in fact from Agent Orange. There was no time to fill out the paperwork for any compensation before he passed away. She only get's 1/2 his retirement as his survivor and no compensation for the Agent Orange connection to his death. The military only payed 80% of his medical bills, and his treatment was very expensive.

Yeah, we'll appeal and see where that goes. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers. God is good and will provide once we do all we can.

Rant: Something is seriously wrong with the current set-up where the guys who really keep this country safe for democracy get paid/compensated crap, while the politicians make sure their own future is well taken care of and most of them have never served in the military. It would be one thing if they (the politicians) fought to keep the country "free" from enemies foreign and domestic, but it just seem that they are lining their pocket books (and those of their friends) with tax payers hard earned money, or selling the country to the highest international banker.

Semi side note: Greg is a three time war veteran and has been deployed more than he cares to remember (once would be enough for most of us to have nightmares and a new found appreciation for what we have here in the safety of our homes). I know there are others who have similar or even worse stories, but the long term effect it has on their lives should be better compensated!