Improvised Explosive Device Claims Soldiers Limbs

Explosives are nothing new to war. The name for bombs used in Iraq is improvised explosive device or ied. They have killed and critically wounded many members of our armed forces. Flying shrapnel made of nails, broken glass, and gravel blow human limbs off with ease leaving muscles, ligaments, and hamstrings dangling.

An ied is so powerful that it rips through armor like hot knife through butter. The armor on american humvees might stop bullets but it doesn't stand a chance against an ied. If a soldier survives an ied blast, it will be a life altering experience. Recovering from an ied blast is beyond hard, infact, words can't even describe it.


Traumatic brain injuries are not uncommon among soldiers that survived an ied blast.	A soldier that lost his arm from an ied blast screams in pain. Many soldiers that lost limbs are between the age of 19 and 24.

The pain and suffering that an ied causes is unbearable. These veterans wounded in Iraq never go a day without pain and mental stress. The Government not giving wounded veterans proper disability is a crime. This needs to be stopped!

Hundreds of military veterans are seriously injured in the Iraq war each month. Many of the military veterans are permanently disabled and won't be able to continue military service. The veterans that are found unfit for military duty will start the medical board process.

The government doesn't play fair when it comes down to disability for men and women who were wounded in combat. Based on the wounds that the veteran sustained, a disability percentage will be determined. A 0%-20% rating will be severance pay, which is a small lump sum of money. A 30% or more rating will be medically retired and receive a pension for life. The veteran can agree or appeal the rating with a legal representative.

Military veterans only go through the medical board one time and don't know much about it. On the other hand, the government knows exactly how everything works. Therefore, lets say the government offers one thousand veterans a lump sum even though the veterans should receive pension for life. The government knows that some veterans will sign the lump sum agreement even though they should receive a pension. This is exactly how the government 'gets over." Take the following advice and run with it, always appeal your first offer from the government. Many call the fight for benefits a 'second war.' The government will never give the money that veterans deserve without a fight. This is why the appeal option is on the agreements that need signed.

The medical board is a very frustrating and long process. In most cases, the medical board takes over a year to complete. Appealing the decision makes the medical board process even longer. Some Veterans have to extend there contract while going through the medical board. Many veterans don't have the patients to keep waiting months and months after there original discharge date has passed. Therefore, when an offer is proposed to the veteran by the government, they take what they can get to be discharged. Once a disability rating has been appealed and the rating is changed, the new rating can be appealed.

There are guidelines that state which injures and conditions translate to 'x' disability percent. The catch is it will take multiple appeals to get the percentage the veteran deserves The decision for appeals doesn't happen over night. Some of the veterans think that the government is playing 'head games.' In order to get the disability the veteran deserves, the government will take as much time from the veteran as possible. The reason being is the veteran can't go out and start a new life while in a contract with the military.

The government knows that veterans will have an extreme amount of free time, but when 'stuck' waiting for what the veteran deserves, many find it extremely stressful. Therefore, some veterans eventually 'crack' and take a lower disability percentage because they don't want to wait months longer. The government is in no rush at all to give any veteran a higher disability rating.

Now, lets step in the shoes of the government for a minute. Anybody with common sense knows that paying bills is something humans don't like. To take it a step more, lets say that the government owed one thousand veterans a monthly pension. We all know that offering one thousand veterans a lump sum, in the long run, would save the government millions of dollars. This is exactly what happens.

The end result is our military combat veterans are not getting what they deserve even though some had life threatening injuries. Many of the wounded veterans don't realize that the government is taking advantage of them until its too late. This is NOT right and needs to be stopped. Our goal is to get the media involved to help the military members that almost died for our country get what they deserve. We feel that media attention will put the government in the spot light and force the corrent changes to be made.

As an end result, we hope this information benefits many veterans that sacrificed their well being to protect us. Veterans Day is a very important holdiay. Many people take Veterans Day the wrong way. Veterans need to be applauded for their courageous service in a time of war.