An embedded author’s response to the Washington Post article suggesting our nation’s veterans are taking advantage of the VA disability system

 

An embedded author’s response to the Washington Post article suggesting our nation’s veterans are taking advantage of the VA disability system

By Elizabeth Kilbride

Recently, a veteran sent me an article published by the Washington Post titled “How some veterans exploit $193 billion VA Program, due to lax controls.” Written by Craig Whitlock, Lisa Rein, and Caitlin Gilbert. After reading this article, I was enraged at the damaging accusations they claimed in that article. It is very clear that none of these so-called journalists have any connection with the military or veteran community, nor have they ever been to a combat zone in their lives. How can anyone who has no connection to the veteran’s community or ever been to a combat zone have the audacity to allege that disabled veterans are “swamping” the VA with “false”, “fraudulent,” and “dubious” disability claims for injuries and illnesses that are not legitimate? As a journalist who has deployed with the United States Marine Corps to Iraq, I know the hardships they’ve endured and the illnesses and injuries they’ve sustained while in uniform. So when I read an article such as the Washington Post's piece tells this author/journalist that their article proves that they spoke to disgruntled former employees of the Veterans Administration who were hell bent on damaging the VA system and the veterans it serves. That to me is not only appalling, but also disrespectful to those who serve in uniform under our national flag.

In recent years, there has been a significant rise in veterans receiving disability compensation, with only a few isolated fraud cases making headlines. This trend isn’t about rampant abuse; it’s a testament to our nation’s commitment to honoring the sacrifices of those who have served through generations of conflict.

The surge in claims stems mainly from the PACT Act, a landmark law passed in 2022 to finally recognize and support veterans harmed by burn pits, Agent Orange, and other duty-related hazards. Instead of questioning the integrity of 6.9 million disabled veterans, let’s remember: our nation has been at war for nearly 25 years, exposing countless heroes to toxic threats and profound trauma.

The Post story zeroes in on whether a disabled veteran can secure a full-time job but completely overlooks how service-connected injuries and illnesses affect every facet of their lives—often shortening them.  It also fails to acknowledge the profound impact these lasting wounds, both visible and invisible, have on families, caregivers, and survivors of those who fought for our freedom.

Like many of my fellow Veteran Advocates, I do not condone all fraud and applaud vigorous prosecution of all criminal activities used to take away from valid veterans suffering. However, those cases are merely a error in the 6.9 million legitimate claims from disabled veterans.  Each claim is validated by federal laws and backed by solid evidence illustrating how service-related injuries or illnesses affect their lives. As someone who has worked with various veteran organizations over the last 45 years to help veterans file claims for benefits, I have seen firsthand what our disabled veterans have paid to protect our freedom. I have seen firsthand how they are treated at the VA by adjusters who have no understanding of the laws that protect our veterans, and I’ve seen how they laugh when they deny benefits to someone who is clearly eligible for benefits. Case in point, most veterans who returned from Iraq in the last few years didn’t know they should file for benefits under Gulf War Syndrome instead of the current disability rules and regulations. The reason for that is that the protocols for this go around in Iraq haven’t been written yet, while the same issues have protocols under the Gulf War Syndrome disability cases. Once the veteran knows how to get around the protocols, their claim for disability is validated and authorized. The same goes for Vietnam Veterans who suffered from Agent Orange, White, or Blue toxin exposure can now file under the PACT Act, thanks to Rosie and Leroy Torres for their hard work with the Burn Pit cases over the years. Thanks to the Burn Pit efforts, many veterans are now receiving benefits they never would have received if it weren’t for the Torres’ efforts.

The authors of that article also do not realize the difficulty a veteran has admitting they are hurting and need help. They are conditioned to not complain, do their job, and carry on with their mission. Therefore, they don’t document in their military jacket any possible service-connected injury that might become a problem after leaving service.

Accordingly, I’m outraged that The Post's misleading claims could discourage disabled veterans from claiming their hard-earned benefits because they might be labeled as a fraud. The writers of that article made up their minds before they ever put words to paper or screen and began connecting their so-called analysis dots to come up with their false conclusions. Apparently, they never spoke to any disabled veteran at Walter Reed or any VA Hospital before creating their false narrative about veterans and the VA System.  The Washington Post owes every disabled veteran and every veteran in general an apology for their lack of understanding about our veterans and the cost of going to war representing America and their sorry asses.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing, with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, a bachelor’s in mass communication and cyber-analysis, a master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft, and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.