Veteran/Returned Servicemen

[Blacksheep2]

Has this or any government learnt anything after the Vietamn War on how to treat its returned servicemen.
The paper work they must file to obtain any veteran pension is totally unbelievable more so for those that suffer PTSD they have a hard time even coming to grips with what is written on the application let allow fill the buggers out.
Then they have them reject by some arsehole because something doesnt look right or something isnt correctly filled out.
This can take months and months to sort out because those suffering from PTSD cannot cope with any form of stress,and slowly slip into boubts of depression and disppear. Shutting themselves away form societity and becoming totally withdrawn.
One such articual in the The Australian some months back was of one such soldier returning from Afganistan after suffer a head trauma.
He was medically discharged with no army help, came out of hospital with head bandaged , had to get a taxi home. The taxi driver had to help him into the taxi , then the taxi driver had to help him up to his flat.
Has had repeated medical reviews and a senior bureacrat had him in tears saying his condition wasnt as bad as he made out .
God forbid if his condition was not as bad as he mad out why in hell was he medical discharged from the army?
Another such case I was made aware of was a ex-servicemen from NZ who volinteered for duty in the former USSR some thirty years back doing refurbishment to the NZ embassy.
They worked in the excess of something like 80 plus hours per week seven days a week with one five day brake in Finland after three or four months work then upon their return worked in the excess of a 100plus hours per week for another two and a half months before returning to NZ.
He stated to me that it was like being sentenced to hard labour for a crime I did not commit
During this time such was the enviroment that they worked under and treats of death to staff, that some embassy staff by way of NZ government concerns withdraw them for their own safety. But left the service personnel there to continue to work.
Months later after his return to NZ he was sent back again to the USSR this time he became extremely ill after six months and was admitted to a USSR hospital, it has come to pass year later that the poor bugger was chemically interogated.
In other words the NZ government handed this poor bugger over to the USSR authorities without any consular offical to supervise his treatment , allowed him to go under a General Anesithesia after he had been working in what I can only be called extremely senitive communications areas in a secure part of that embassy.
The up shot of all this is the NZ government has stated, sorry old sport your service was normal and routine and therefore you are not retitled to a veteran pension nor are you entitled to Accident compensation and Rehabilitation either because you now live outside NZ in Australia. However if you happen to come back we imediately support you with medical treatments and ACC pension.
This story check out as there was a book written about this time period concerning the NZ embassy and yes this guy is mention in there several times.
I could handly say that his service was normal or routine from my experience.
The other up shot of this story is we are now paying for his medical treatment on medicare under the Australian medical system Great isnt it?
What the hell is it with governments, they want young men to go away leaving their family or their husbands and wives and friends, then when they are injured and discharge from service they turn their back on them.
Another story is the poor buggers whom did the refurbishment of the F111 fuel tanks and has severe medical conditions which have now been recongized as being caused by chemicals in that refurbishment and some are suffering such extreme medical condition where their only support is medical benifits pay out by Centrelink to point when conpensation was awarded to these guys non have received anything todate . One such person from this refurbishment wrote to the Minister of Defence begging him for help as he was due to be evicted from his rented property brought about by its sale could not afford to move as he did not have the money to do so. The up shot of this the Minister of Defence published his letter (personal letter) on the webb and this guy has now had the general public offer donation to help him pay for his removalist.
For christ sake what is wrong ???

[flossie fewcloes]

It has always been the same in Australia, Great Britain and it seems New Zealand.
I would never recommend anyone joining the services unless there is a war that threatens our country.
There's a lot written about soldiers coming home to "a land fit for heroes" after WW1 in Brittain and ending up on the scrap heap.

[RB2]

I think that the wars or conflicts that we have been involved in, in more recent times is just a way to suck up to America and keep them on side.

America is no longer the sheriff of the world as it has been for many decades. The 9/11 attacks shook them to the full and with George Bush the commander in charge it became a farce but Australia still follows like a dog on a lead.

North Korea are pushing to see what limit they can achieve and so far they have achieved what they were after.

Our returned servicemen have been hard done by.......

[fanagalo]

I agree with what you all say, our Governments seem to follow the Americans and do as they are told. I think all servive men should be treated with the respect they so surely deserve.