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‘Real News:’ We Can Do Better for Our Veterans

Oct. 19, 2012 6:12pm Christopher Santarelli

As two long wars are now coming to an end, the question remains; does the U.S. have the capacity to support the large number of troops making the transition to civilian life. The Obama Administration has seemingly made no plans to accommodate their needs, as Pete Hegseth writes in an op-ed on FoxNews.com:

In addition to the lack of job security, veterans are facing a culture of waste and inefficiency at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that has resulted in long waits, delayed benefits, mishandled documents and poor service to veterans. Currently, the VA has 890,000 pension and compensation claims that remain unfulfilled—a number that has more than doubled since 2008. Today, it takes 240 days to process the average claim—60 days longer than a decade ago.

We can do better.

Runaway government spending means it will only be more difficult to address these problems in the future.

Pete Hegseth and Lt. Col. Steven Russell joined ‘Real News‘ Friday to discuss the struggles we face now in supporting returning veterans, and what reforms could be made to better support American heros when they return home:

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Comments (14)

justangry
Posted on October 20, 2012 at 11:39am
I’d say all I want is freedom and to stop sending people to get hurt for BS.

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overthecliff
Posted on October 20, 2012 at 10:30am
Our young people go fight to promote the special interests. That is why you see so few powerful people having no military service on their resume. That is the way it is and I don1t know how to fix it.

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jungle J
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 11:09pm
desert paine is correct….too many getting something for nothing but many not getting what they deserve/

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LuvsYeshua
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 10:54pm
I’m a vet of 4 hard tours over the past 10 years, and I can honestly say that it sickens me what we vets have become. We have now become one of the whiniest, most complaining groups in the public arena. We have become nothing more than another public-sector union whose ‘needs’ will never be fulfilled.

Just look on the home page of most of the large veterans organizations’ websites. They are filled with links and announcements about how we ‘selfless’ vets can get handouts, preferential treatment and a spot at the front of the line for just about everything. We just won’t be happy until people are allowed to serve just two years and then retire.

The United States treats its veterans VERY well; far better than most of us deserve. Enough already. How about we just focus on saving the country, and let my work speak for itself.

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Individualism
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 9:58pm
yeah how about only have them go through hell on the battlefield if its for the defense of this country, not political appeasement. but neo cons and neo libs don’t have nor follow any principles anymore.

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noslave
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 8:08pm
they have the balls to keep your ass free,so you can pick lint out of your belly-button,while haveing a beer and watching football games safely?obamas crew is at this moment dragging their feet to keep vets from voteing(absentee ballots oops we didnt mail them out yet??) we need to favor them and their families, over the obama freeloaders that sit around waiting for phones,food stamps,etc.with no ambision to look for a job or even contribute in any way??

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soybomb315_II
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:40pm
we send the military to die in other countries for special interests and political gain – are you at all surprised that we spend so much in bribes and new bombs but so little in long term care?

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Chromo200
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:35pm
Help make the VA an efficient organization .. Not sure if I want it Privatized, but I sure want then Vets to be able to go to doctors in their neighborhoods. That they can go to hospitals of their choice. They need to get help beyond the G.I. bill to go to school. There is a lot more but it will make this posting too long.

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DesertPaine
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:34pm
Govt fails at this, one of their few Constitutionally enumerated duties. Surprise surprise. On the other hand, every service person swore an oath to protect and defend that Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic.

Its a wash.

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SCREW-WINDOWS
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:34pm
JUST BEING HONEST!!! It must be said.

Takers come in all shades even Veterans BE HONEST!!! do you really need or are you just looking for the free handout ? I know what you are thinking but stop I am a “Decorated Veteran”. Will you do the Honorable thing and like a true leader pass to the ones that really need it ? Any leader knows to take care of your troops first as without your troops you have nothing. Be a leader and pass if you really don’t need it.

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- DesertPaine
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:54pm
  Screw, there are many like you. They serve for the highest privilege of ‘service’, and not to make the mad grab for bennies. Most service people have pride in what they do, but most are not on the front lines, and most are not moved by a primary interest to sacrifice their lives on the line for their country. Common flag-waving to the contrary.
  Service is just that: service. If injured in the line of duty, a grateful nation will do all it can. Like no other nation in history has done. That does not or, as service to the country, should not, translate to free medical care for life. Or transition benefits. Or a hundred other things that too many people know long before they understand that one primary duty: to protect and defend the Constitution.
  
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- GlennaBeckski
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 8:07pm
  DESERTPAINE~~Elected officials should forego their life time bennies then and that money put into a fund for vets.
  
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- SCREW-WINDOWS
  Posted on October 19, 2012 at 8:33pm
  @ GlennaBeckski
  Totally agree many members of Congress make more on the side and the President can make more off giving speechs then his Government pension and none of them give it to charity.
  
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progressiveslayer
Posted on October 19, 2012 at 7:17pm
VA hospitals kill and they do it very well and ‘Obama care” is VA healthcare for all,we can thank Nancy pustule on society Pelosi,the Marxist POS fraud president and the dem congress for destroying our health care system,oh and Roberts with his tortured logic in his ruling.

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