Victims of sexual assault have more difficulty getting benefits than veterans suffering other service-connected trauma disabilities, a former military officer told a House panel Wednesday.
Only one in three claims for post-traumatic stress related to military sexual trauma are approved by the Veterans Affairs Department, compared to half of all other PTSD claims, said former Marine Capt. Anu Bhagwati, executive director of the Service Women’s Action Network, or SWAN.
In testimony before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s disability assistance panel, Bhagwati said there also are signs of gender bias in the disability rating provided to PTSD victims.
“Women were more likely to receive a 10 to 30 percent rating and men were more likely to receive a 70 to 100 percent disability rating,” she said.
The problem for sexual assault victims is proving their trauma is a result of an incident that occurred during military service. Part of that involves providing the right kind of evidence, and having it accepted, she said. But there are other issues, such as VA rules that can require victims to have new exams to verify they have PTSD.
“We know from talking to countless veterans that these exams serve no purpose, and in fact often unfairly reverse the diagnosis” made by a VA sexual trauma counselor, she said.
“These experiences often take years or even decades for veterans to come to grips with or to talk comfortably about,” she said. “Veterans should not be forced to repeat them to complete strangers who often lack the sensitivity or professional qualifications to speak to survivors of sexual trauma. It is an absolutely murderous process. It is not an issue of requiring more evidence; it needs requiring less evidence.”
A Navy veteran, Ruth Moore, provided a prime example of what sexual assault victims face. Moore said she was raped in 1987 on her first overseas assignment by a supervisor, “not once, but twice.”
Moore said she was discharged from the Navy after suffering from depression, being treated for a sexually transmitted disease she got during her alleged rape, and after attempting suicide. “No prosecution was ever made against the perpetrator,” she said. “In hindsight, it was easier for the military to get rid of me than admit to a rape.”
Moore said she was diagnosed just before her discharge with a borderline personality disorder, which she said “was the standard diagnosis” for sexual assault victims. “I did not have a personality disorder,” she said.
Moore filed for veterans disability benefits in 1987 for PTSD but was denied. She was denied again in 2003, because “I did not submit enough evidence to prove that I was raped.”
She did receive a 30 percent disability rating for depression after she sought the help of Disabled American Veterans in preparing her claim.
Her disability was increased to 70 percent in 2009 after her records were reviewed by a military sexual trauma coordinator at a VA hospital in Vermont, and ultimately she was determined to also qualify for additional benefits based on unemployability — a determination that came after she enlisted the help of Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vermont.
“This process took me 23 years to resolve, and I am one of the fortunate ones,” she said. “If I had been treated promptly and received benefits in a timely manner back at the time of my discharge, my life would have been much different.”
WASHINGTON — A Maine native who spent more than two decades battling with the Navy after being raped by a fellow service member will share her emotional stories with members of Congress this afternoon during a hearing on military benefits for sexual assault survivors.
The hearing, scheduled to start at 2 p.m., will be broadcast live online.
Ruth Moore, of Milbridge, was an 18-year-old new enlistee when she was sexually assaulted by her immediate supervisor while stationed in the Azores. The supervisor was never punished and assaulted Moore again in retribution for reporting the incident to a chaplain.
Traumatized by the event, Moore was honorably discharged from the Navy based on a false diagnosis of mental illness. She has since struggled personally to overcome the scarring psychological trauma of the rape and to get the military to grant her disability benefits.
Moore, who has only recently begun telling her story publicly, will testify in front a subcommittee of the House Veterans Affairs Committee that is looking into the military’s handling of benefits requests from service members who were sexually assaulted. The hearing is entitled “Invisible Wounds: Examining the Disability Compensation Benefits Process for Victims of Military Sexual Trauma.”
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-District 1, has sponsored a bill to make it easier for service members who have been sexually assaulted to receive benefits.
"I want to be there for other women and men so they know there can be a good outcome from this," Moore, 43, recently told the Press Herald’s Bill Nemitz. "I know my testimony is important.”
A person wearing an Afghan national security force uniform turned his weapon Sunday against civilian contractors with the U.S.-led military coalition, killing three.
In other incidents, five NATO service members were killed in roadside bombings over the past two days.
NATO said the attack on the civilian coalition workers occurred in western Afghanistan but disclosed few other details.
The gunman was killed during the incident, which is still being investigated. No further information about the civilians who died was released.
Afghan security forces or militants dressed in their uniforms have been killing a rising number of coalition forces, but they have not been specifically targeting contractors working for the coalition. So far this year, 26 foreign troops have been killed in this type of attacks.
In other violence, a spokesman for the governor of eastern Wardak province said insurgents had kidnapped five Afghan men working a base jointly operated by Afghan and NATO forces and killed them. Spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said their bodies were discovered early Sunday.
FORT CARSON, Colo. — Dremiel Byers’ twin careers as an Olympic wrestler and a soldier in the U.S. Army overlap at a crucial place, where athletic ambition and the military mission run head-on into the forces that combat and competition can muster.
“Never quit. Keep driving, keep pressing. Focus on the mission. Find another gear,” Byers said Monday as he and 10 other Army athletes and coaches prepared to leave for the London Olympics.
“It’s definitely something that you don’t turn off,” said Byers, a Greco-Roman wrestler who will represent the U.S. in the 120-kilogram (264.5-pound) class in London. “At this point, I’m just being who I am. It makes you who you are.”
Byers and the other Army Olympians are members of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program, with headquarters at Fort Carson outside Colorado Springs, Colo.
They got a formal send-off Monday from their three-star boss, Lt. Gen. Michael Ferriter.
“We’re very proud of all of you,” Ferriter told them.
Byers is a quartermaster and sergeant first class. He is also a 10-time national champion who competed in the 2008 Olympics. He knows how dangerous the distractions can be at a flamboyant event like the Summer Games, and he has learned how to shut them out.
“Ready. I’m just ready,” he said. “Keep chasing the medal. Keep chasing the medal.”
Sgt. 1st Class Keith Sanderson, who will represent the U.S. in the rapid fire pistol event in London, said having the entire Army on your side doesn’t necessarily produce a competitive edge, but it’s good to know the military has his back if he’s hurt.
Civilian athletes who suffer a career-ending injury are on their own, but soldier-Olympians have a backup, he said.
“If we get hurt, we’re still soldiers,” he said.
For Sanderson, who also competed in the 2008 Summer Games, his military and athletic skills overlap directly. His Army job is marksmanship instructor.
Byers and other Army wrestlers also use their Olympic skills in the Army, training the trainers in the Army’s Combatives School.
“Sometimes you may have to grab somebody,” he explained. “You may have to wrestle somebody to the ground.”
The Army’s World Class Athlete Program has seven training sites scattered across the nation, including Fort Carson. The headquarters are at Fort Carson partly because of its proximity to the U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs.
Moore said she was discharged from the Navy after suffering from depression, being treated for a sexually transmitted disease she got during her alleged rape, and after attempting suicide. “No prosecution was ever made against the perpetrator,†she said. “In hindsight, it was easier for the military to get rid of me than admit to a rape.â€
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..
So did you hear the one about Syria saying they had chemical weapons, then calling backsies?
Quote by Mondobubba:
Did you know that Sally Ride outed herself when she died?
Quote by Raine:
Not Satire....
Oh Mittens, they love you...
Quote by Raine:Well, I didn't know she had a partner for 27 years. Did she out herself or did the media decide to report it?Quote by Mondobubba:
Did you know that Sally Ride outed herself when she died?
Quote by Raine:Well, I didn't know she had a partner for 27 years. Did she out herself or did the media decide to report it?Quote by Mondobubba:
Did you know that Sally Ride outed herself when she died?
Quote by Scoopster:
The Oatmeal's take on Religion
WARNING: may cause fits of pants pissing..
Quote by wickedpam:
everyone has a civil responsibility to carry a gun?! idiot.
Quote by Raine:they are coming out of the woodwork...Quote by wickedpam:
everyone has a civil responsibility to carry a gun?! idiot.
Quote by wickedpam:
everyone has a civil responsibility to carry a gun?! idiot.
Quote by TriSec:
Say now, I almost always carry a knife, and the Mythbusters recently proved that you're better off bringing a knife to a shootout if you're within 25 feet of the shooter.
I've been pondering that recently....knives are both a tool and a weapon, so is that covered by the Second Amendment, too?
Quote by Scoopster:
The Oatmeal's take on Religion
WARNING: may cause fits of pants pissing..
Every time someone has homosexual intercourse, God punishes us by letting Nickleback release another album
Quote by Raine:
The Olympic Uniforms could have been made in America -- for a lot less.
Quote by BobR:Quote by Scoopster:
The Oatmeal's take on Religion
WARNING: may cause fits of pants pissing..
I love the Oatmeal. This is why:Every time someone has homosexual intercourse, God punishes us by letting Nickleback release another album
Quote by BobR:Quote by Scoopster:
The Oatmeal's take on Religion
WARNING: may cause fits of pants pissing..
I love the Oatmeal. This is why:Every time someone has homosexual intercourse, God punishes us by letting Nickleback release another album
Romney is set to accuse Obama of leaking for political gain classified details of the raid that killed al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
In excerpts of the speech released by his campaign, Romney called the leak "contemptible." He says such action betrays the national interest, compromises troops in the field and demands a full and prompt investigation.
Quote by Raine:
This should go over well:Romney is set to accuse Obama of leaking for political gain classified details of the raid that killed al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
In excerpts of the speech released by his campaign, Romney called the leak "contemptible." He says such action betrays the national interest, compromises troops in the field and demands a full and prompt investigation.
Read more:
Quote by Raine:
This should go over well:Romney is set to accuse Obama of leaking for political gain classified details of the raid that killed al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
In excerpts of the speech released by his campaign, Romney called the leak "contemptible." He says such action betrays the national interest, compromises troops in the field and demands a full and prompt investigation.
Read more:
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
This should go over well:Romney is set to accuse Obama of leaking for political gain classified details of the raid that killed al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
In excerpts of the speech released by his campaign, Romney called the leak "contemptible." He says such action betrays the national interest, compromises troops in the field and demands a full and prompt investigation.
Read more:
This crap on top of the nra crap is really depressing me - then I see a poll on USA Today/Gallop - people think Rmoney would be better with the economy by 63% - WTF? Really? I swear I just want to cry, these people hurt my heart
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:Quote by Scoopster:
The Oatmeal's take on Religion
WARNING: may cause fits of pants pissing..
I love the Oatmeal. This is why:Every time someone has homosexual intercourse, God punishes us by letting Nickleback release another album
Yep! See my comment below : )
Quote by Mondobubba:
Why I hate email take 24. My boss sent me some totally useless productivity email and didn't supply any damn context for it. This is going to mean I need to send her an email to explain what all this means. She will in turn send me one saying why don't you know. I will then send her a another email explaining that no one ever bothered explaining the range for said productivity and without context her first email was shit (but politely) this will make her respond with another email explaining what she should have provided in the 1st email.
Quote by TriSec:
Alright gang....we're headed out to Mt. Auburn hospital in a few minutes.
This is where the fun begins.....it's only the initial visit today, so I"m not expecting anything hardcore, but things will be happening soon, I'm sure.
<-- worry.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
This should go over well:Romney is set to accuse Obama of leaking for political gain classified details of the raid that killed al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
In excerpts of the speech released by his campaign, Romney called the leak "contemptible." He says such action betrays the national interest, compromises troops in the field and demands a full and prompt investigation.
Read more:
This crap on top of the nra crap is really depressing me - then I see a poll on USA Today/Gallop - people think Rmoney would be better with the economy by 63% - WTF? Really? I swear I just want to cry, these people hurt my heart
Quote by TriSec:
Alright gang....we're headed out to Mt. Auburn hospital in a few minutes.
This is where the fun begins.....it's only the initial visit today, so I"m not expecting anything hardcore, but things will be happening soon, I'm sure.
<-- worry.
Quote by TriSec:
Alright gang....we're headed out to Mt. Auburn hospital in a few minutes.
This is where the fun begins.....it's only the initial visit today, so I"m not expecting anything hardcore, but things will be happening soon, I'm sure.
<-- worry.
Quote by Raine:Quote by TriSec:
Alright gang....we're headed out to Mt. Auburn hospital in a few minutes.
This is where the fun begins.....it's only the initial visit today, so I"m not expecting anything hardcore, but things will be happening soon, I'm sure.
<-- worry.
Quote by Scoopster:
Sam's Club dumps its advertising on Rush Limbaugh!
Quote by Raine:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
This should go over well:Romney is set to accuse Obama of leaking for political gain classified details of the raid that killed al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.
In excerpts of the speech released by his campaign, Romney called the leak "contemptible." He says such action betrays the national interest, compromises troops in the field and demands a full and prompt investigation.
Read more:
This crap on top of the nra crap is really depressing me - then I see a poll on USA Today/Gallop - people think Rmoney would be better with the economy by 63% - WTF? Really? I swear I just want to cry, these people hurt my heart
Take the polls with a grain of salt. I've read that the Gallop poll was a push poll.
Quote by Raine:Well I'll be damned. That one is a head scratcher...Quote by Scoopster:
Sam's Club dumps its advertising on Rush Limbaugh!
Quote by livingonli:
It is obvious that people don't realize that since the previous business majors like Romney who were president were W and Hoover, otherwise they might realize that's not a good track record. Figured I would point it out again.
Masked men carve ‘dyke’ into lesbian woman, then set house on fire
By Eric W. Dolan
Monday, July 23, 2012 16:49 EDT
The recent home invasion and vicious attack on a lesbian woman in Lincoln, Nebraska is being described by the Human Rights Campaign as “truly horrific.†The LBGT rights organization is calling on federal authorities to investigate the alleged hate crime.
CNN reported that three masked men allegedly broke into the 33-year-old woman’s home early Sunday morning, tied her up, and carved words into her arms and stomach with a knife. One of the words included the derogatory slur “dyke.â€
The men also spray-painted anti-gay graffiti inside the home and set the house on fire. Police said the fire did little damage.
The woman fled bound, naked and bleeding to her neighbor’s house.
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by livingonli:
It is obvious that people don't realize that since the previous business majors like Romney who were president were W and Hoover, otherwise they might realize that's not a good track record. Figured I would point it out again.
well, its not on fox news therefore they don't hear it
Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
Why I hate email take 24. My boss sent me some totally useless productivity email and didn't supply any damn context for it. This is going to mean I need to send her an email to explain what all this means. She will in turn send me one saying why don't you know. I will then send her a another email explaining that no one ever bothered explaining the range for said productivity and without context her first email was shit (but politely) this will make her respond with another email explaining what she should have provided in the 1st email.
Might it be possible to avoid this and ask in person or on the phone?
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:Quote by TriSec:
Alright gang....we're headed out to Mt. Auburn hospital in a few minutes.
This is where the fun begins.....it's only the initial visit today, so I"m not expecting anything hardcore, but things will be happening soon, I'm sure.
<-- worry.
What ever happens you've got an army of support, prayers and positive vibes following you
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
Why I hate email take 24. My boss sent me some totally useless productivity email and didn't supply any damn context for it. This is going to mean I need to send her an email to explain what all this means. She will in turn send me one saying why don't you know. I will then send her a another email explaining that no one ever bothered explaining the range for said productivity and without context her first email was shit (but politely) this will make her respond with another email explaining what she should have provided in the 1st email.
Might it be possible to avoid this and ask in person or on the phone?
Yeah like I can get up from my desk anytime I want.
Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:Quote by Mondobubba:
Why I hate email take 24. My boss sent me some totally useless productivity email and didn't supply any damn context for it. This is going to mean I need to send her an email to explain what all this means. She will in turn send me one saying why don't you know. I will then send her a another email explaining that no one ever bothered explaining the range for said productivity and without context her first email was shit (but politely) this will make her respond with another email explaining what she should have provided in the 1st email.
Might it be possible to avoid this and ask in person or on the phone?
Yeah like I can get up from my desk anytime I want.
You have to take a leak sometime... and you can call without leaving your desk.
Quote by Scoopster:
Wow... what a load of bullshit.
Quote by livingonli:Quote by Scoopster:
Wow... what a load of bullshit.
Sounds like maybe a little discomfort with the owner's homophobia now out in the forefront. I never been to one but I might have gone to one in the future at least from the reviews some people have given it. The Domino's boycott was much easier because it was cardboard crap.
Quote by Scoopster:
Wow... what a load of bullshit.
Quote by TriSec:
Hi guys. Rather longish afternoon.
In a nutshell....I lucked out. Turns out the surgeon that did the initial work has a secondary specialty of surgical oncology, and he's the person that does all the surgery for the oncology dept.
Basically....I have been surgically cured of the cancer. But, looking over the long-term prognosis, it breaks down like this:
Surgery only: about a 70% 5-year rate with no recurrence.
With follow up chemo: That rate increases to closer to 85%.
So at this time, there is a strong possibility of a full cure. I will be starting chemo within the next two weeks, for a six-month regimen of 48 hours with an infusion pump, then 2 weeks off.
I will, of course, require annual screenings for the rest of my life after that...but all things considered, I think I can deal with that. I'll update the other blog with more details eventually...still reading through the materials.
Quote by TriSec:
Hi guys. Rather longish afternoon.
In a nutshell....I lucked out. Turns out the surgeon that did the initial work has a secondary specialty of surgical oncology, and he's the person that does all the surgery for the oncology dept.
Basically....I have been surgically cured of the cancer. But, looking over the long-term prognosis, it breaks down like this:
Surgery only: about a 70% 5-year rate with no recurrence.
With follow up chemo: That rate increases to closer to 85%.
So at this time, there is a strong possibility of a full cure. I will be starting chemo within the next two weeks, for a six-month regimen of 48 hours with an infusion pump, then 2 weeks off.
I will, of course, require annual screenings for the rest of my life after that...but all things considered, I think I can deal with that. I'll update the other blog with more details eventually...still reading through the materials.
Quote by TriSec:
Hi guys. Rather longish afternoon.
In a nutshell....I lucked out. Turns out the surgeon that did the initial work has a secondary specialty of surgical oncology, and he's the person that does all the surgery for the oncology dept.
Basically....I have been surgically cured of the cancer. But, looking over the long-term prognosis, it breaks down like this:
Surgery only: about a 70% 5-year rate with no recurrence.
With follow up chemo: That rate increases to closer to 85%.
So at this time, there is a strong possibility of a full cure. I will be starting chemo within the next two weeks, for a six-month regimen of 48 hours with an infusion pump, then 2 weeks off.
I will, of course, require annual screenings for the rest of my life after that...but all things considered, I think I can deal with that. I'll update the other blog with more details eventually...still reading through the materials.
Quote by BobR:Quote by TriSec:
Hi guys. Rather longish afternoon.
In a nutshell....I lucked out. Turns out the surgeon that did the initial work has a secondary specialty of surgical oncology, and he's the person that does all the surgery for the oncology dept.
Basically....I have been surgically cured of the cancer. But, looking over the long-term prognosis, it breaks down like this:
Surgery only: about a 70% 5-year rate with no recurrence.
With follow up chemo: That rate increases to closer to 85%.
So at this time, there is a strong possibility of a full cure. I will be starting chemo within the next two weeks, for a six-month regimen of 48 hours with an infusion pump, then 2 weeks off.
I will, of course, require annual screenings for the rest of my life after that...but all things considered, I think I can deal with that. I'll update the other blog with more details eventually...still reading through the materials.
time for one of these:
Quote by livingonli:Quote by BobR:Quote by TriSec:
Hi guys. Rather longish afternoon.
In a nutshell....I lucked out. Turns out the surgeon that did the initial work has a secondary specialty of surgical oncology, and he's the person that does all the surgery for the oncology dept.
Basically....I have been surgically cured of the cancer. But, looking over the long-term prognosis, it breaks down like this:
Surgery only: about a 70% 5-year rate with no recurrence.
With follow up chemo: That rate increases to closer to 85%.
So at this time, there is a strong possibility of a full cure. I will be starting chemo within the next two weeks, for a six-month regimen of 48 hours with an infusion pump, then 2 weeks off.
I will, of course, require annual screenings for the rest of my life after that...but all things considered, I think I can deal with that. I'll update the other blog with more details eventually...still reading through the materials.
time for one of these:
If I wasn't at work, I would join you.