Difference - Veteran or Military Retiree - or Both?

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Message text follows:

Nicholas Rock
Seattle, WA
March 8, 2007

[recipient address was inserted here]

[recipient name was inserted here],

I thought this information would be helpful to you in distinquishing
between a MILITARY VETERAN and MILITARY RETIREE. At the end of this
letter I write regarding Walter Reed and the VA Hospital system, and
looking for your response.

THE DIFFERENCE:
by Floyd Sears
. NOT ALL VETERANS ARE THE SAME:
. In order to understand the military retiree medical care broken promise
issue it must be understood that not all veterans are the same, in
reference to the medical care that was promised at the end of their
service to their country.

. MILITARY VETERANS v. MILITARY RETIREES:
. Since all veterans are not the same, for this discussion, one group of
veterans will be referred to as military veterans and another group of
veterans as military retirees.

. MILITARY VETERAN:
. A "veteran" is a person who served in the active military, naval, or air
service, and who was discharged or released under conditions other than
dishonorable.

. MILITARY RETIREE:
. A military retiree is any former member of the uniformed services who is
entitled, under statute, to retired, retirement, or retainer pay. Examples
include, but are not necessarily limited to, spending 20 or more years in
the military or permanent retirement by reasons of physical disability.
. All military retirees are veterans, but not all veterans are military
retirees.

MILITARY VETERAN and MILITARY RETIREE
THE MISUNDERSTANDING:
. Many members of the Congress, their staff members, the news media, and
the American people don't realize that there is a difference between a
military veteran that spends less than 20 years in the military and is
discharged and a military retiree veteran that spends 20 to 30 years in
the military and retires. They don't seem to understand that medical care
promises were made to both groups, but the promises are different.

MILITARY RETIREES were promised free medical care for themselves and their
eligible dependents for life at Military Treatment Facilities. He/She
served for 20 years in the military and retired. He/She was promised free
medical care for him/herself and eligible dependents at military treatment
facilities. Since he/she is also a military veteran she can get medical
care at a VA Hospital, or Clinic. However, he/she cannot get medical care
for eligible dependents at a VA Hospital, or Clinic.

MILITARY VETERANS were promised medical care at a VA Hospital or Clinic
basically for service connected disabilities or medical conditions. He/She
served in the military and was discharged. He/She was promised medical
care at a VA Hospital or Clinic. Under certain conditions this military
veteran may be sent by the VA to a military treatment facility for medical
treatment.

MILITARY VETERAN and MILITARY RETIREE
THE CONFUSION FACTOR:
. Some people get confused, concerning this discussion, since a
distinction is made between the military veteran and the military retiree.
. This distinction is necessary to avoid the confusion that always results
when military retiree issues are being discussed and the Congress respond
by talking about veteran's issues instead of military retiree issues.
. The military retiree medical care broken promise issue is not a military
veteran's issue, it is a military retiree issue. . In the United States
the veterans' community numbers about 26.5 million. The military retirees
(a subset of the veterans' community) number about 1.8 million. . In
fairness to all concerned; the Congress, Congressional Staff Members, the
News Media, the American People, all Veterans, and all Veterans Service
Organizations, it must be understood that there is a difference between
the "military retiree" and the "military veteran" in reference to the
medical care that was promised after service to their country.

In the wake of revelations that soldiers in the medical hold company at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center were living in poor conditions (Building
18) and faced long bureaucratic delays in getting rated for disability
benefits, and problems at Madigan Hospital and the VA system here, I have
to say that I find it curious that your congressional staff people who
deal with veteran issues were not aware of these problems. Now that the
media spotlight is on Walter Reed, other veterans in other parts of the
country, including Washington State have come forward with their
experiences with poor living conditions and long bureaucratic delays in
getting rated for disability benefits. Some of these concerns are about
Ft. Lewis' Madigan Hospital, and the VA Hospital system here in this
state.

I have written congressional letters for some 20 years on veteran and
Vietnam War issues myself until lately giving up on the inaction by my
elected representatives to my letters on veterans issues and SE Asia. I
don't understand how each Representative's and each Senators veteran's
staff person could not have been aware of the on-going (many years)
problems veterans have had around this country getting medical help and
disability ratings on their claims based on their current and past service
either in the DOD or VA medical systems. So how could you all not know
for many years???? Don't you people ever talk to other congressional
offices about these problems?

So now veterans problems with the DOD and VA medical systems, and CLAIMs
will get their day in the sun, Hooray, until we're forgotten again in a
few years if not sooner.