(Editor’s note: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was released from Walter Reed National Medical Center on Monday after spending the first 15 days of 2024 being treated for infectious complications from a prostatectomy he underwent on December 22.
The letter was needed and I'm sure he hears despite "clamor for his head" partially drowning out intent. Annual cost in lives to prostate cancer matches two divisions. Thank you, Howard, for finding time and equally to those whose names accompany yours. To Richard, your voice is needed as that of anyone of us; reconsider. So much either side of the point you make hinges on entitlement under federal law, entitlement created by this nation often lost through ignorance, personal and bureaucratic otherwise earned whether one judges the cause righteous or not.
I guess it's a USA thing, the praise of "warriors" etc but it does not align with me. For me surviving prostate cancer has been about improving my health, growing my immunity which includes growing a positive outlook on life. The US war machine is the opposite of healthy.
I have sent the letter on to channels at Walter Reed National Medical Center and the Pentagon.
Comment from a vet:
"Good letter. Be interesting to see if you get a response.
Austin is too young to have served in Vietnam. I wonder if he was my age, he would have been turned away by his government medical authorities as too old to worry about. Vietnam vets are entitled to disability compensation for prostate cancer. Active cancer is considered 100% disabling. When and if it is “cured” and after a year, the rating is reduced to residuals, which is usually still considered quite disabling.
Usually, disability compensation requires an offset of retirement pay. This still provides a modest benefit as disability compensation is not taxed.
This is not the case for “Agent Orange” conditions as DOD considers them a result of “An instrumentality of War” and pays Combat related special compensation, an equivalent to VA disability compensation, in addition to retirement pay.
Austin would receive service connection entitlement under the PACT Act as he would be considered presumed exposed to Burn Pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. DOD however has not found that Burn Pits is an instrumentality of war, so to get disability compensation, he would have his military retirement reduced. It will be interesting to see if DOD changes its policy on this.
In fact, there are significant similarities between Agent Orange and Burn Pits. Neither were used to intentionally directly harm people.
AO and the other agents were defoliants, used to deny the other side cover, not to kill anyone including US troops. Burn Pits, which were also commonly used in Vietnam, were used to dispose of trash and human waste. The connection between AO and later diseases was based on a broad interpretation of science, using a process set in law and regulation, Burn Pits and disease, not so much. There is no indication that the VA is interested in expanding burn pit exposure presumptions to Vietnam veterans.
That Austin no doubt gets VIP treatment at Walter Reed is no surprise, and is probably warranted by the high level of security necessary. The question is, would the DOD and VA be so receptive to treating other 70+ years old veterans, even ones deemed to be at higher risk and potentially eligible for VA or DOD compensation? I think not."
Thanks, Steve. I think Richard just left the group. So it goes. Howard
The letter was needed and I'm sure he hears despite "clamor for his head" partially drowning out intent. Annual cost in lives to prostate cancer matches two divisions. Thank you, Howard, for finding time and equally to those whose names accompany yours. To Richard, your voice is needed as that of anyone of us; reconsider. So much either side of the point you make hinges on entitlement under federal law, entitlement created by this nation often lost through ignorance, personal and bureaucratic otherwise earned whether one judges the cause righteous or not.
Richard,
I was speaking symbolically don't quit.
I argue with thje war language and will post about that.
But I have to tell you I ran into the warrior language from a Canadian who gave me pushback for wanting to set up separate support groups for AS.
Hang in there. Where are you from?
Howard
I guess it's a USA thing, the praise of "warriors" etc but it does not align with me. For me surviving prostate cancer has been about improving my health, growing my immunity which includes growing a positive outlook on life. The US war machine is the opposite of healthy.
I am unsubcribing.
I have sent the letter on to channels at Walter Reed National Medical Center and the Pentagon.
Comment from a vet:
"Good letter. Be interesting to see if you get a response.
Austin is too young to have served in Vietnam. I wonder if he was my age, he would have been turned away by his government medical authorities as too old to worry about. Vietnam vets are entitled to disability compensation for prostate cancer. Active cancer is considered 100% disabling. When and if it is “cured” and after a year, the rating is reduced to residuals, which is usually still considered quite disabling.
Usually, disability compensation requires an offset of retirement pay. This still provides a modest benefit as disability compensation is not taxed.
This is not the case for “Agent Orange” conditions as DOD considers them a result of “An instrumentality of War” and pays Combat related special compensation, an equivalent to VA disability compensation, in addition to retirement pay.
Austin would receive service connection entitlement under the PACT Act as he would be considered presumed exposed to Burn Pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. DOD however has not found that Burn Pits is an instrumentality of war, so to get disability compensation, he would have his military retirement reduced. It will be interesting to see if DOD changes its policy on this.
In fact, there are significant similarities between Agent Orange and Burn Pits. Neither were used to intentionally directly harm people.
AO and the other agents were defoliants, used to deny the other side cover, not to kill anyone including US troops. Burn Pits, which were also commonly used in Vietnam, were used to dispose of trash and human waste. The connection between AO and later diseases was based on a broad interpretation of science, using a process set in law and regulation, Burn Pits and disease, not so much. There is no indication that the VA is interested in expanding burn pit exposure presumptions to Vietnam veterans.
That Austin no doubt gets VIP treatment at Walter Reed is no surprise, and is probably warranted by the high level of security necessary. The question is, would the DOD and VA be so receptive to treating other 70+ years old veterans, even ones deemed to be at higher risk and potentially eligible for VA or DOD compensation? I think not."