A question for the U.S. military people...

[ttjereth]

The one major right bestowed on all military people and their families is the right to bitch about anything military and they exercise it freely

In fairness, there is a lot to bitch about ]
However, your dad's complaints about VA hospitals are quite valid and are one of the major points of the recent congressional investigations.

As for the military hospitals, my wife has had several major surgical procedures and most recently lens replacement for both eyes, all of which have been successful and all at no cost, which is my favorite price!

The major problem with military medical services is travel! If you need to see a specialist, most base hospitals are small and don't have them. As a result, you have to go to the regional hospital for specialized treatment. Japan's largest hospital is at Yokosuka and as an example, although my wife was seen in the eye clinic at Yokota they didn't have the specialized capability, so she had to go to Yokosuka for the surgery. If you're on active duty with the military, the military will transport you and/or your family free of cost. They will also do that for retirees if it is a needed procedure.
[/quote]

Free is a good price, but waiting all day, getting sent three different places for different tests, misdiagnosis, asshole doctors etc.etc. tend to make you wonder if it wouldn't be better to pay.

My dad had to have half of one of his lungs taken out because of the work he used to do on ships (cleaning out the boilers from the inside, and lots and lots of contact with asbestos, etc.) so since the military essentially caused the problems he has to go to the VA for, I figure he has a right to complain about the level of service

[Greji]

In fairness, there is a lot to bitch about ]

You get that even when you pay, unfortunately!

My dad had to have half of one of his lungs taken out because of the work he used to do on ships (cleaning out the boilers from the inside, and lots and lots of contact with asbestos, etc.) so since the military essentially caused the problems he has to go to the VA for, I figure he has a right to complain about the level of service

That's a bummer; however, you might want to have him look into that if he hasn't. If his doctors will give him documentation that this was cause of his illness, or even just that his illness imminated from that time in his life, he should be entitled to redress from the government, or at least, medical retirement which is a monthly percentage of his last pay scale, updated for annual COLA increases. If he is already already receiving any form of military retired pay, it could increase his monthly retirement entitlement. It could even be retroactive to his date of separation/retirement from the military. Now is a good time to apply because the military is taking a lot of heat for the Wash DC area military hospital problems and as a result a lot of the administration slowness has been cut significantly. When you request an answer or a form, you actually get it. If your dad doesn't do the internet, you might be able to research it for him. There's a lot of 900 toll free numbers for information, or the benefits section at the US embassy is another good place to start. Another is the Tricare section at the nearest Miltary hospital. I was a zoomie so I contact Yokota when I have a qustion/or a problem. Your dad was a squid so you could call Yokosuka (they are extremely good), or the grunts normally go through Camp Zama. Remember you'll be dealing with bureaucrats, which takes a helluva a lot of time and patience because they are trained to say "No" as a formal everyday greeting. You can get around this by having done your homework and challenge their answers. This is a pain in the ass; however, the end result is cash, so it's worth putting up with their BS.

Your dad served his country and the country is responsible for what happened during that time, whether it came as a direct result of being placed in harm's way, or from his every day military duties.

[halfnip]

[quote="ttjereth"]In fairness, there is a lot to bitch about ]

Hey, I was born at Balboa in San Diego and I turned out fine---I THINK.

[ttjereth]

[quote="gboothe"]You get that even when you pay, unfortunately!



That's a bummer]

Thanks for taking the time to type all of that out, but he's already on early retirement/disability from the government for it. Took him the better part of 3 years to get them to finally give it to him, but he did get it eventually. He's not exactly rolling in cash or anything, but he makes enough to support them and he gets it for the rest of his life, so not too bad I guess. Not sure if I'd trade part of my lung for it or not, but hey

[ttjereth]

[quote="halfnip"]Hey, I was born at Balboa in San Diego and I turned out fine---I THINK. ]

I mentioned it somewhere I think, but I was born at the (now defunct) Philadelphia Naval Shipyard base hospital, so don't take anything as a slight against the people who were born on bases/use military healthcare

[Iraira]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul has received a $500 campaign donation from a white supremacist, and the Texas congressman doesn't plan to return it, an aide said Wednesday.

Don Black, of West Palm Beach, recently made the donation, according to campaign filings. He runs a Web site called Stormfront with the motto, "White Pride World Wide." The site welcomes postings to the "Stormfront White Nationalist Community."

"Dr. Paul stands for freedom, peace, prosperity and inalienable rights. If someone with small ideologies happens to contribute money to Ron, thinking he can influence Ron in any way, he's wasted his money," Paul spokesman Jesse Benton said. "Ron is going to take the money and try to spread the message of freedom."

And that's $500 less that this guy has to do whatever it is that he does," Benton added.

Black said he supports Paul's stance on ending the war in Iraq, securing U.S. borders and his opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants.

"We know that he's not a white nationalist. He says he isn't and we believe him, but on the issues, there's only one choice," Black said Wednesday.

"We like his stand on tight borders and opposition to a police state," Black told The Palm Beach Post earlier.

On his Web site, Black says he has been involved in "the White patriot movement for 30 years."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071219/ap_po/ron_paul_white_supremacist

The money doesn't know where it's from, right?

And why does a white supremacist have the last name "Black"?