Is there an
injured reserve member or does someone know an injured reserve
member who has applied for the below compensation benefit? If you
have, or know someone could he/she please post the how, who, and
what has to be done to recieve this compensation? Also is the
financial compensation fair, good, or bad in your opinion? If it
is good could this benefit be classified better then the NVC? If
the injured reserve member does not want to post the info could
he/she please contact the CSAT Forum Master via private message?
This info could be of great value to injured reservists.
The Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA) provides benefits
for all employees of the Federal Government except members of the
Regular Force of the CF and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The
objective of GECA is to provide compensation for loss of earnings,
medical care, or other related benefits to federal employees,
including CF reservists, who are injured in the course of their
employment or become disabled by reason of an industrial disease
due to the nature of the employment. GECA is administered through
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, in conjunction with
provincial workers’ compensation programs. The benefits are
provided at the same rate and under the same conditions as the
provincial workers’ compensation laws. For federal employees
working within the province of Quebec, GECA is administered
through CSST.
GECA/CSST requests that the Reserve Force member’s Commanding
Officer (the employer) initiate the claim under GECA/CSST. When
the Commanding Officer is made aware of a reservist injured in the
performance of duty, he or she is then required to complete the
appropriate provincial Employer’s Report of Accidental
Injury/Disease form and forward it to one of the regional offices
of GECA/CSST.
Commanding Officers are advised in the instructions of Department
of National Defence DND 2398 (the form to apply for injury
compensation under
Compensation and Benefit Instruction CBI 210.72) that it is their
responsibility to ensure that the injured or ill member has been
provided with all the information required to make an informed
decision with regard to the application under GECA/CSST.
As the benefits under GECA and the Reserve Force Compensation,
paid under CBI 210.72, are interrelated and paid from federal
sources, care must be exercised to ensure that members do not
receive duplicate benefits for an injury or disability. In recent
months, it has become apparent that the relationship between the
administration of CSST and Reserve Force Compensation will require
clarification, and the CF is actively engaged in pursuing this
discussion.
I trust that the information I have provided is helpful, and thank
you again for writing. I would also like to take this opportunity
to thank you for your service in defense of Canada.
Sincerely,
Peter MacKay
Minister of National Defence
In my own
opinion, this is clearly a case of the VRAB not only ignoring a professional
medical report, but as well ignoring the word of a CF general officer. It
goes beyond despicable to question the integrity of any of those that have
served in uniform, let alone those of the medical profession and the
integrity of a general officer.
With the
information provided by the Mr Newton, there is little doubt that this
injury was incurred during duty. If there was any doubt, albeit very minor,
then why was not the Charter of Veteran's Rights not considered, to give the
benefit of the doubt to the veteran.
I have
suggested that Mr Newton forward his case and the documentation to as many
other veteran websites as possible, and send the same to the BC Medical
Association and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), highlighting
the VRAB dismissal of the medical professional's assessment.
New evidence was submitted to VRAB for them to review. Their
response was to contradict themselves and totally disregard their
own statements of the November 2000 decision that stated "Such
a cause for vertigo is indicated as being caused by trauma involving
a perforation of the tympanic membrane as noted in pages 2329 and
2330 of the Merck Manual".
I supplied them with newly obtained evidence that I have
already sent you - the attached medical report for the Penticton
Hospital clearly showing - even with a diagram - the traumatic
perforation of my tympanic membrane. While they accepted finally the
activity was duty related, they quickly ignored their own statements
and chose to point toward childhood events that had already been
discounted - again by themselves - as they stated "It would
appear that the tests completed as the Applicant was undergoing his
subsequent pilot training also did not disclose the existence of ANY
disability despite the rigorous nature of said tests. There is no
indication of any problems for over 5 years after the 1998 fall
until 1993."
So in there own words they state the fall in 1998 and
therefore anything prior to that did not cause my vertigo because
that rigorous testing would have revealed it. Yet they just
stated in their recent denial that childhood
concussions and other vague dizziness when I had a head cold may
have caused my vertigo.
Enough is enough. I provided clear evidence to the point
they made about the tympanic membrane - so clear that the evidence
had a diagram showing clearly the perforation of my tympanic
membrane. I also obtained a current day medical report which
they say failed to link evidence - from the Bureau of Pension
Advocates that current day report was a good idea as the link was
already established by their own statements about the tympanic
membrane and that was not the role of Dr Polyhronopoulos.
Why they chose to grab onto unsubstantiated ideas of previous
injury shows clearly the flawed nature of the unaccountable Veterans
Review and Appeal Board.
(9) Subject to subsection
(10), where a disability or disabling condition of a member of the
forces in respect of which the member has applied for an award was
not obvious at the time he or she became a member and was not
recorded on medical examination prior to enlistment, that member
shall be presumed to have been in the medical condition found on his
or her enlistment medical examination unless there is
(a) recorded evidence that
the disability or disabling condition was diagnosed within three
months after the enlistment of the member; or
(b) medical evidence that
establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that the disability or
disabling condition existed prior to the enlistment of the member.
(10) Information given by a
member of the forces at the time of the enlistment of the member
with respect to a disability or disabling condition is not
evidence that the disability or disabling condition existed prior
to the enlistment of the member unless there is corroborating
evidence that establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that the
disability or disabling condition existed prior to the time the
member became a member of the forces.
I
was told that I was not entitled to be on the priority hiring list
because I was medically released in 2004 prior to the Update to
the New NVC policies.
Smitty
Response:
From: Sean K Sent: 19-Dec-11 14:37 To: >>>--Freedom Is Not Free--<<<;
VVis-groupof7; Don Leonardo Subject: Re: Veterans struggle to enter public workforce
Hi Rob
Sorry to say but your friend is out of
luck. The priority hiring qualifying period is five years from date of
medical release.
This is one of the many reasons why the
programs associated with the NVC are bogus for most CF veterans. When
the NVC was sold to Canada and Parliament in 2005, groups such as the
Legion joined VAC in saying the NVC was wonderful because of the
associated program of Priority Hiring. We must also remember that the
NVC was created to address all the complaints and problems of decades
of CF veterans being abandoned when they needed help the most,
especially all the operations including and after the first Gulf War
of 1990-91.
The NVC however, is designed for and
often limited to CF veterans prospectively, i.e., it mostly addresses
those CF veterans releasing after 2006. The spirit and rules
of the NVC once again abandon those whose suffering made the raison
d'etre for the NVC possible...the neglected CF veterans of at
least the previous two decades.
To emphasize, the Priority Hiring is just
for medically released. Unlike the Veterans Charter of World War II,
all veterans whether disabled or not were entitled to Priority Hiring.
Today, the time limit on the Priority Hiring is just another reason
which shows VAC and Government of Canada do not understand the long
term rehabilitation nature of chronic disabilities let alone the
transition problem all veterans face when leaving the highly
structured and indoctrinated culture of the CF. Even a 5 year window
for many disabled CF veterans is too soon to heal sufficiently to go
from not working for five years to being 100% employed. This is
unrealistic given the nature of chronic disabilities and the need to
"ease" back into a job offering comparable dignity to that
which we had in the Military. Sorry, but working for the
Commissionaires part time as a security guard is NOT comparable
dignity.
My sympathies to your friend who asked the
question and my sympathies to all of us who were left out in the cold
with the NVC and its associated program of Priority Hiring.
From: william maguire
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 8:20 PM
To: Billy Willbond
Subject: FW: Looking after Veterans: Ottawa must do better
VVi 16 Nov 2011
Dear People,
After reading this most informative letter that I have read in weeks if
not months, Mr. Peter Stoffer MP has narrowed down the
"Playing Field" to the point that even the "Die
Hearts" in Ottawa can see beyond their long noses what is going on
and what is needed to rectify the problem! Being a sufferer of
"PTSD" / Agent Orange plus many other health related issues, I
fully understand what Mr. Stoffer MP is working so hard to
accomplish and that is fair treatment for all Veterans, no matter were
they served! Presently I am fighting for better "Aids to Daily
Living," one of which is a "Stair Lift" which recently has
been denied me, as I basically am too young to receive this
item....reserved for WWII & Korean Veterans! Who ever is in charge has
to take it into consideration that a Veteran who has Served his Country
for multiple years in every element within the Armed Forces is bound to
get "Beaten Up Physically / Mentally" from these years of
Service. When I, along with thousands of others signed on the dotted line,
we put our faith and well being into the hands of the D.N.D. plus
Services (VAC) after release. Now we have to go through a maze of Policies
& Procedures that even a "High Paid Lawyer" could not
comprehend! This strain alone on Veterans can be enough to push them over
the edge or they just say, "Forget it....as it is not worth the
hassle and strain on myself nor my family to endure!" LOSS of TRUST!
Hopefully I got some of my point put forward!
We have a problem we are trying to solve regarding a War Memorial that is
in grave danger of being torn down within a matter of days if not hours.
This is a Memorial building - a Library - that was erected at Mount
Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick in the 1920s, as a memorial
to the 73 Mount Allison students who never returned from WW1.
Some have no grave site where you can visit, and those who were found are
buried in various graveyards in Europe so this building is in fact a
Cenotaph as well to the 17 young soldiers who have no known grave.
The building is to be torn down and a new building erected in its place.
The Regents have decided on this action in spite of over 1650 signatures
on a Petition and many, many letters pleading that the building should
stay because of three factors: the Architectural; the Heritage for Mount
Allison and New Brunswick and, or course, the reality that the building
itself is dedicated as a War Memorial as stated in the Mount Allison Board
of Regents Minutes from 1918. It is a registered War Memorial in Ottawa
and now listed on the Heritage site as one of the 10 most endangered
heritage buildings in Canada.
There are options for this space which have been given by many people,
notably Jack Diamond, the great architect who feels that it definitely can
and should be included in the configuration of the new building.
This is a matter of great urgency to save this building and I am asking
your assistance to speak to the Board of Regents of Mount Allison and be a
champion for this cause.
We do have a plea before to courts to provide a temporary injunction to
stop the University from tearing the building down.
The decision is expected today, Friday, October 7th.
If the Judge rules in our favour, we have some time, and if not, the
University is free to go ahead and tear down this wonderful building.
I am going to send you the address for the Chair of the Board and the
President of Mount Allison and, separately, the link to the website where
you can read about the building, its history, and the efforts a small
group has undertaken to save this wonderful building. It was built as a
Memorial, and built to last. It will be a tragedy to lose this great
heritage building and one which has so much meaning to so many families of
soldiers who never returned home.
Thank you for your concern and help, if you can assist us.
We are near the end of our attempts and desparately need your help.
The e-mail for Mount Allison President Robert Campbell is: rcampbell@mta.ca
The Chair of the Board is: Bruce McCubbin at: bmccubbin@moosehead.ca
Here are the names and e-mail for two of leaders of the action to stop the
destruction of this War Memorial:
Bruce Coates: eoateeug@nbnet.nb.ca
Jean Cameron: cjc@nb.aibn.com
If you are able to take some action and would like to copy us on any
correspondence, we would be grateful.
If you need further information, please contact Jean Cameron or Bruce
Coates, copied above, or me, although they know far more about the
situation than I do. They will be in court today, however, and I am
working from home. Thanks.
How does one
not get discouraged when dealing with Veteran's Affairs???
It feels like all the chips are against us. For Christ
sakes, was shocked to learn that the Veteran's Affairs
Ombudsmen is under the Veterans' Affairs Canada
department. How, by any stretch of imagination is that not
a conflict of interest???? (My apologies for not doing my
research I guess)
Don't get me
wrong, the Ombudsman's office has been fast and am getting
allot of phone calls, am now dealing with VAC Inquiries
Resolution Officer. She seems nice, but kinda feel like
everyone is giving me platitudes, "there there dear
we will look into it, you must take care of yourself. Do
you really want to expose yourself and your husband to the
media??" I am getting the message that just shut up
and lick your wounds and we will take care of everything
you poor woman. Will they though?
Watched my
husband pour his heart out to our Client Service
Representative for half an hour about the pain and
suffering ANOTHER assessment would put him through and how
it could set him back months only to get a letter from her
saying that he had "no reasonable excuse". That
was all she heard????????
What
Veteran's Affairs Canada is doing to these poor Veterans
with PTSD is akin to giving a blind man the New York Times
crossword puzzle and saying, in order for you to get any
help you must complete it and we will tell you its wrong
multiple times and then give him a bigger and more
complicated book of crosswords to do. Why doesn't Veterans
Affairs realize that as part of their PTSD they can't do
forms and paperwork. When my husband looks at a form, he
sees all the blanks at once, he can't look at them one at
a time. They don't have the patience or emotional
stability to take a refusal and work past it, they don't
have the social skills to phone a million places to find
out their answers, hell most the time they don't know the
questions.
When did
government get to be so self serving? Is this what my
father fought in World War II for? Is this what my husband
signed up for? Do you think that anyone would join the
military knowing that if they get sick or hurt they will
be spit out like garbage then refused treatment or help
and treated like dirt by the very organization that was
set up to help them???
And no Mr.
Stoffer I don't just blame our present government, its
seems to be a systemic problem, in many countries and in
all political parties. I have hope that maybe, just maybe,
the NDP might be better, but have been disappointed
before.
Note: P Ryan has given his consent to
release his foreword, as well as the VRAB decision to VVi for public
viewing.
First Posted: VVi 21 Aug 2011 Re-posted: 12
Sep 2011 case
Good Day All:
Sorry for
bothering you all, however, since a number of you have sent in
both Witness Statements and Letters Support to try and help
me with the fight I have now been having with the Veterans
Review and Appeals Board for years now, with respect to my
getting hurt as a result of the bad jump I had on Sept 10 of
1976 and my ended up being pinned by the mortar
toboggan during exercise Prevailing Chill in January
of 1978. And others of you know how the Airborne operated.
I thought I would send you the Decision by the Board Members
for the Hearing I had for my Lower Back on July 05 of this
year (See
VRAB Decision...).
As most of you are aware I was also turned down for the injuries
I had to my neck as well using the same evidence.
It seems to me that all of the people who sat on both the Board
for my Lower back and for my neck, simply fell that I made
the whole story up and exaggerated it by a few 100% given
what I just read in this decision as well as the
decision I received for my neck injury. I also believe
that they feel that those of you that did up
statement for me did like wise.
The truth is the stress that this whole problem has cause
me for years now has cost me my wife and daughter. As they have
gone.
You know I feel that these people simply look on you as not
worth anything, after you get out of the army, if your
injuries happened during peace time service. What are the
members of the Canadian Forces going to do now that we
have pulled out of Afghanistan if they get hurt. NOT THAT OUR
SOLDIERS IN AFGHANISTAN SHOULD NOT BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR
INJURIES BOTH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL . But all member of
our forces should be treated the same way when they are injure
in training so that they are ready to support our country.
Once again sorry for bothering you but I just wanted to let you know
what the ruling was and that I am still going to be fighting it.
so that you are aware that this is not over and I am not
sure if someone may contact those of you who did up
statements for me.
Philip Ryan ( the Taz)
Airborne
VVi Publisher's Comment:
I
have been watching My P Ryan's case for quite some time now. He has been
very helpful in providing the details as his case proceeded. From this
latest though I have one question...Whatever happened to the benefit of
doubt going to the veteran?
I
read the VRAB decision and it is frustrating. By and large, it
appears that they went after Ryan because he "slogged" for
another 18-19 hours in the snow after being run over by the mortar
toboggan.
How
many times have I personally seen, and other soldiers have seen wounded
and injured members either on exercise or on ops just carry on! Time and
time again, we (soldiers past and present) are so mission and tasked
oriented, that complaining about an incurred injury or wound was not
tolerated by our superiors or even our peers. One just fought through the
pain focused on accomplishing the task. Further to this, My Ryan
clarified that there was no way a dust-off by helo could be carried out
due to the weather and terrain.
To
ask a board, such as the VRAB, primarily comprised of civilians to
understand the above is impossible. They have never been in such
situations and have absolutely no understanding. And yet, they will
decide that vet's future and well being through their sheer ignorance. Unacceptable!
Yesterday, there was a close call with a veteran;
a veteran, who, for literally years, has been subject to mismanagement at
the hands of VAC and the VRAB.
I'll not go into details...yet. However, I
will say that this veteran hit bottom, and hard. With no one left to turn
to, resulting from years of denial from VAC, no matter how well he has substantiated
his claim, he has been left with living a nightmare, every minute of every
day. This has been at the very least in part to the very poor treatment he received
from this federal department and it's subordinate appeals board. The Veteran
Bill of Rights was no where to be seen.
In the end with the assistance of CAV
(Canadian Army Veteran Motorcycle Unit www.thecav.ca)
vet supporter and vet, the individual was visited and stabilized, no longer
being a possible danger to himself. As well, through the bureaucratic (I
would argue...broken) BC health system we did finally manage to get
professional help for this vet.
My question, why does any vet have to go
through this nonsense at the hands of VAC? Yet, it happens all too often
with far too many vets. And, it has been going on for literally decades.
If Canadians truly support their troops,
perhaps they should commit to truly helping their disabled vets. A soldier's
term of service does not necessarily end when they take off the uniform.
Rather, theirs is often a life-time sentence. Canadians, get involved and
ensure our disabled vets are treated properly and with the dignity that they
deserve!
Chief Editor VVi
Foreword: I Need Your Help!You
Can Help!
The first article, below, is a letter written by a
spouse, who has experienced a lot of frustration with "the
system". She provides some good examples of the bureaucratic
indifference that many experience as clients of VAC. The letter is
addressed to Peter Stouffer, MP for Sackville-Eastern Shore (Nova Scotia),
who has been the NDP critic for veterans Affairs for many years. He
may be willing to help this family, even if he is not their MP. Mr
Stouffer has done so for many Veterans in the past. Our hope is that
others will also volunteer to help this family. If you can be of
assistance, then please contact the editor of Veteran Voice. You
will then be advised on how to communicate with the family.
Veteran Voice was created to be an information source for the Veterans
Community and others. It was not intended to become another support
group for Veterans; however, the staff do advocate for reforms to improve
the quality of services and benefits provided to the Veterans Community by
the federal government and other organisations. Veterans and others
do write to us seeking support, and usually they are advised to contact
specific people or groups, who are capable of assisting. It is not a
case of not wanting to help, but rather ensuring that Veterans and others
are advised about those who can help them. The website staff are not
able to provide assistance for the many who need it, often those who
desperately need help.
Regardless of the general mandate of providing information, there are many
times when the plight of individuals motivates all of us to provide
support. Such cases have inspired a new feature which will highlight the
problems of individuals, who have been traumatically affected by the
bureaucratic indifference of VAC, other branches of the federal government
and even the very groups dedicated to support the Veterans Community (such
as the Royal Canadian Legion and related Veterans groups).
You can also check the status of
the 'I Need Your Help!' page through 'News Highlights' at
the right side menu.
Registering to Help - Jt Vet Sp Prgms
(JVSP). You can also assist by registering
yourself or referring a professional organization though the database
registration page athttp://veteranvoice.info/webpages/9volunteer_vetspprgms.html
(or look for the 'You
Can Help!' menu on the right side of the
site).
JSVP Database Results. The vet
aide and referral databases may be viewed through
through the ' Jt
Vet Sp Prgms'
on the menu at the left side of the site, including:
Veteran Case - P Ryan
Jt
Vet Sp Prgms