Those funny guys at the DVA want us to use professional help now to file our claims. That would be a  riot coming from the deaf, dysfunctional, VAROs but is being parroted by… why, who else?… The American Legion. That’s just the iceberg’s topmast. The rest of the Big Six aren’t far behind. 

What undoubtedly will go down as the slipperiest bait and switch of all time at the VA, duty to assist, as a regulation is conveniently discarded. We are now advised to get good legal help to do this but are prevented from hiring a true law doggie we can call our own. Rather, we are relegated to the VA induction ports provided by the munificent Congress from whom all blessings flow.

What’s more, the bitchslap wouldn’t be complete without pointing out that the good folks down at those major VSOs are finally going to actually help you prepare your claims for submission. I have three words.

Ruh-oh Rorge

These service reps have never done anything like this. What makes them suddenly trained in this art? Is this one of those TimeLife do it yourself books on VA claims preparation? Any time someone starts volunteering to do something they’ve supposed to have been doing since the friggin’ War of Northern Aggression, I get worried. Since I’m 0/3 down that road, I get even more concerned when I hear the VSOs (and VA raters) berate lawyers and discuss how greedy they are.

Excuse me. Who does everyone turn to when the claim has finally foundered on the rocks and sits at the CAVC? That would be the claim that no more new evidence can be added to? The one that was developed by your VSO using the VA examiner as the IMO nexus letter supplier?

I have the perfect analogy. We dislike sharks but admit they are good for sweeping up the ocean’s refuse. Culling the herd is their job. We would sorely miss them if they were extinct. Slugs in my garden are part of the Big Guy’s master plan. I don’t know why but I plant some for them too. To say I would have won my claim at the CAVC after VA employed their “two monkey” hear no evidence, see no evidence technique is plausible. Getting it done by the pro bono boys ? Free but you’d lose $ on JMR. Getting an EED of 1994? Priceless. You choose. What would you rather do. Hire an Earl Scheib $99.95 shavetail from some unknown burg college and hang your legal hopes on him because he’s free?  Worse, have to go through an inept VSO process involuntarily or suffer the ignominy of going it alone and having to sit for several extra months on the Group W bench?

The shift to speeded up justice means the VA does less-and- by extension- is asking for permission to do less. Conversely, you are now the bird dog in this project with few assets other than your new “minder” who will guide you  through this.

Vets must be careful what they ask for.