Monthly Archives: February 2008

Feb 29 VCS Editorial: With Cooper Leaving, Now is the Right Time to Overhaul VA’s Broken Claims System

On February 14, 2008, Veterans for Common Sense testified before Congress and demanded accountability for VA’s catastrophic inability to provide timely and accurate claims decisions to disabled veterans.   VCS specifically called for the removal of Daniel Cooper, VA’s Under Secretary … Continue reading

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A Helping Hand for Vets With PTSD

February 26, 2008 – Imagine you are a young soldier wounded in Iraq. Your physical injuries heal, but your mind remains tormented. You are flooded with memories of the bloody firefight you survived, you can’t concentrate, and sudden noise makes … Continue reading

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Congress Reviews VA’s Disability Claim

February 26, 2008 – VA Disability Rating System in Need of Comprehensive and Immediate Repair House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee Holds Third Hearing in a Series to Address Necessary Improvements to the VA’s Claims Processing System Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, … Continue reading

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Help for Veterans with PTSD

Scott Whittier, from Washington, Maine, served as an active duty Army Reserve soldier and National Guard Member during the Gulf War in 1991.  U.S. forces had relentlessly bombed and strafed Iraqi military convoys fleeing Kuwait on Route 8, Iraq’s “Highway … Continue reading

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Feb 29: VA Benefits Boss Quits – VCS Called for Cooper’s Removal Two Weeks Earlier

The advocate group Veterans for Common Sense (which called for Cooper’s removal two weeks ago) has collected information they say outlines the growing problem.  According to VCS executive director Paul Sullivan, the VA has a backlog of 404,999 disability claims … Continue reading

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Senate Democrats Focus on Economic Cost of Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

February 27, 2008, Washington, DC — Undeterred by President Bush and Senator John McCain proudly pointing to progress in Iraq, Congressional Democrats are trying to mount new lines of attack against the administration’s war policies. In a shift from last … Continue reading

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Veterans Speak Out Against Iraq War

February 28, 2008 — Like many of his fellow Americans who enlisted in the military after Sept. 11, 2001, Mike Totten was compelled to serve by a heightened sense of patriotism. The promise of money for college helped to seal … Continue reading

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VCS in the News: Head of VA’s Beseiged Claims Department, Daniel Cooper, Quits

Earlier this month, Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense, told a House subcommittee reviewing the backlog that Cooper should be held accountable for the problems and replaced. On Thursday, Sullivan said he wishes Cooper well, but he … Continue reading

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British Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq ‘In Good Health’

February 27, 2008 – A British CBS journalist kidnapped in the southern Iraqi city of Basra more than two weeks ago is in good health but remains in captivity, according to an Iraqi source. News agency Associated Press has reported … Continue reading

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Bob Woodruff’s Continuing Struggle with Traumatic Brain Injury

February 25, 2008 – One year after Bob Woodruff spoke about his brain concussion on an ABC documentary, he is busy flying around the world on assignments and continuing to draw attention to the signature injury of the war in … Continue reading

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