The Department of Veterans Affairs has come under some fire recently with respect to its classifications of those who qualify for various forms of support. Harvard Law School's Veterans Legal Clinic recently put out a report in conjunction with the National Veterans Legal Services Program that found many servicemembers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have "bad papers," and that this is preventing them from getting support.
The authors of the study stated that roughly 75 percent of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who have these forms of discharge do not get granted eligibility from the Board of Veterans' Appeals. Oddly enough, bad papers are defined as being anything other than a general discharge, and a tremendous number of servicemembers have fallen into this grey area in the past few years, with more demanding the VA adjust their practices to quell the issue.
A massive sum
The New York Times reported that the total number of veterans believed to have been denied services from the VA is 125,000 just from those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the news provider, about 6.5 percent of veterans from these wars have bad papers, and they are not necessarily used to dictate misconduct or a dishonorable discharge, which is why so much confusion has surrounded this study.
To be abundantly clear, though, the source pointed out that plenty of those 125,000 veterans served full campaigns overseas and were given less-than-favorable exit papers, while the G.I. Bill has complicated measures to dictate what follows dishonorable classifications.
VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson spoke to the organization's thoughts on the study.
"Where we can better advocate for and serve veterans within the law and regulation, we will look to do so as much as possible," she affirmed, according to The New York Times.
The real issue does appear to find its roots in what was supposed to be a contingency within the G.I. Bill, the news provider noted, as there are very strict specifications that dictate dishonorable discharges, but plenty of interpretations of every other type of exit. As such, many are calling for the overhaul of these components within the G.I. Bill, which was signed into law more than 70 years ago.
Advocates speak out
RT reported that the study in question was funded by an advocacy group called "Swords to Plowshares," which has spoken out regarding the report in the past few days. It appeared as though there was a consensus regarding the need for the VA to straighten out its policies regarding bad papers.
"The VA's board and vague regulations are contrary to law and create a system that does not work for the VA or for veterans… and stops the agency from effectively addressing the national priorities of ending veteran suicide and homelessness," the authors of the study stated, according to RT.
Because this report was released so recently, the VA's official response is pending.