Guest Post: Trust violated, where do veterans turn?

I am getting increasingly sickened by what my Government is doing to our Soldiers and our Veterans. As Canadians we should all be sickened, as humans we should be appalled.  Below is a guest post from Miachel Blais CD.  He has asked that this be passed around as many times as possible.  The rest is up to you Canada! – Nancy

Trust violated, where do veterans turn?

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity on the veterans’ front. Nationally, veterans continue to rally in defense of Colonel Pat Stogran, Veterans Ombudsman and the serious concerns he has idenfied. Revelations pertaining to repeated VAC violations of retired Captain Sean Bruyea’s privacy rights might be a good indication that veterans concerns are well justified. Minister of Defense MacKay and Minister for Veterans Affairs Blackburn teamed up for announcements on financial increases and long overdue care improvements. A baseline income for Canadians Forces members who’s disability awards are based on lower pay grades and a catastrophic injury award of 1000 dollars a month for life was proposed. At this point of time, however, no clarification as to the whether the award is taxed or whether the increase will be deducted from the wounded veteran’s Manulife SISIP LTD payment. Nor do we know just who will qualify for this catastrophic award or what qualification requisites are. As such, one can only wonder where and if there is any substance to these announcements.

Prime Minister Harper also entered the fray and proclaimed that veterans suffering from ALS, some who launched legal action against the Canadian government for treatment support when VAC denied their claims would now be considered for VAC benefits. It is frustrating to note however that there seems to be no real plan or date for support implementation for those suffering from ALS. This disease waits for no man, not even the prime minister of Canada. To offer hope to those afflicted and their families yet have no plan or method of implementation logically raises questions about the true motives behind making promises at this time. Again, where is the substance?

News then broke of systematic charter violations reference retired intelligence officer Captain Sean Bruyea’s Veterans Affair Canada files. Sean is a staunch advocate for veterans’ issues and long-standing critic of the New Veterans Charter. For good reason! The sanctity of his medical and financial files was repeatedly violated at the high levels of government and VAC bureaucracy with the intent, allegedly, to use this information to impugn his credibility prior to the NVC enactment. To compound the issue, Colonel Stogran admitted that the security surrounding his personal medical files had also been compromised and that he also had grave concerns that his confidential information would be used against him. In addition to and because of the investigation into the hundreds of violations initially reported by Sean Bruyea, Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart launched the first ever department-wide investigation into Veterans Affairs Canada activities weeks before Minister Blackburn claimed responsibility for the same systemic investigation of his department.

These issues have tested, perhaps broken the bond of trust between our troops / veterans and the bureaucracy and ministerial officials at Veterans Affairs Canada. Let us not forget, this nation is at war. Canada’s sons and daughters are being repatriated with terrible injuries and under such extraordinary circumstances one might realistically claim that it is Prime Minister Harper’s responsibility to implement measures to restore a state of integrity to Veterans Affairs Canada.

The question is, just how can the bond of trust between our troops, veterans and VAC be restored?

First, Prime Minister Harper must call for a full public inquiry into Veterans Affairs Canada’s activities. The breach of privacy violations against Captain Bruyea and Colonel Stogran are not internal VAC issues, they are a breach of federal privacy laws, the specter of wide spread abuse corrupts the very level of trust veterans are entitled. How can a government address the serious problems at VAC and improve our veterans’ quality of life if the government does not take comprehensive measures to study, evaluate and propose changes to a variety of NVC inadequacies? There must be a forum guarantying veterans a state of meaningful dialogue, the prospect of change, a mandate to recommend and implement measures of improvement.

Second. The prime ministerial appointment of the Veterans Ombudsman, while an admirable act, cannot be effective should the prime minister and his government simply decide to ignore/dismiss the recommendations. To be effective, the Veterans Ombudsman must be a legislated position responsible to parliament, not the government of the day. When necessary, the Veterans Ombudsman must have the legal mandate to intervene, investigate and implement corrective measures on behalf of the veteran. Furthermore, the ombudsman must have a staunch military background, strong credentials, an abundance of integrity and an ability to relate to the veterans he/she has sworn to assist.

Someone perhaps… like Colonel Pat Stogran?

Our troops and veterans deserve nothing less.

Michael L Blais CD
Niagara Falls, Ontario

Veterans standing up for Colonel Stogran as he has stood up for us.

When I first heard aabout Pat’s contract not being renewed I was angry, very very angry. So much so that I started a letter to Prime Minister Harper which would have appeared here at serendopeity as “An Open Letter to…”

The letter has not been posted because I had to calm down and think rationally and logically instead of emotionally as I was thinking.  For those of you who know me, you know that when I get passionate about something I really do get upset and tend to say things that are more of a “personal” attack than what it really should be.  For example, my letter to Harper began…

“Dear Mr. Harper;

I know protocol would dictate that I address a letter to you as “The Rt. Honourable, Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, however I find nothing honourable about you or your recent actions…” 

So, you can see why I had to slow down on the letter – additionally I was “warned” that perhaps I shouldn’t make it an open letter but rather send it along to Ottawa – sorry, again if you know me at all, you know that is not my style.

When the article below appeared on Facebook, with Mike’s request that it be passed along to media outlets by the members of the Facebook page, I decided to post it here as a guest post.

Please read the post and remember that our veterans are not only from WW1, WW2 and the Korean War.  Insomuch as we have not, as a country,  declared war on any other country since WW1, we are at war in Afghanistan, with veterans returning home constantly, facing the same issues that our older veterans face.

Thank you

Nancy

Guest Post by Mike Blais Rcr Cfds via Facebook.

 You can join the Facebook Group at Stand UP for Colonel Pat Stogran and for ALL CANADIAN veterans 

Veterans standing up for Colonel Stogran as he has stood up for us.

Last week, retired Colonel Pat Stogran, CO of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry battalion that led Canada’s deployment to Afghanistan, was informed by the Canadian government that his services as the Veterans Affairs Canada ombudsman would be no longer required. Veterans across the nation were appalled, fearing the important issues championed so vigilantly by Colonel Stogran would be ignored or delayed beneath the guise of Minister Blackburn’s claim of need for a new vision. I can assure all Canadians, there is nothing wrong with Colonel Stogran’s vision; the issues he has identified and condemned during his tenure are very, very real. Furthermore, during the past three years he has truly earned the trust of our veterans through action and word, a refreshing source of support for many who are living with the debilitating consequences of war and peace.

Many Canadians are unfamiliar with the hardships young and old veterans are confronting. I would like to clarify this situation with the sincere hope that once you understand how veterans are being mistreated, you might be inclined to support them at 1100 hours, November 6th, 2010 when we assemble in front of our MP’s offices to respectfully ask for support redressing five principle areas of concern.

The widow’s aka death benefit tax. Sadly, the families of the fallen, already deeply grieving the loss of loved ones are subject to a great deal of financial hardship through this unjust taxation policy. Veterans Affair Canada is not an insurance company and the pension/awards they provide are specifically for pain and suffering, not income replacement. We believe that the families of the fallen deserve the same standard and should be provided a tax exception on all VAC death benefits.

Lump Sum Award. Sadly, hundreds of Canada’s sons and daughters have sustained grievous wounds in action and/or suffer from a variety of service related physical and physiological issues. We have borne witness to the struggle of the armless, the legless, blind, deaf… hundreds of veterans are returning to Canada from Afghanistan with serious health problems. Financially, the New Veterans Charter is particularly deficient. I will demonstrate by comparing the two systems. Hypothetically, two veterans are severely wounded, age twenty-five, wife, child. One receives a lump sum payment of 276000 dollars. The other receives the standard before the New Veterans Charter implementation, roughly 3000 dollars a month. Both live to the age of 85. The new veteran receives 276000 dollars during this period, about 380 dollars a month. His colleague, on the pre New Veterans Charter, receives over TWO MILLION dollars and includes an additional supplement for his wife and each child till they reach the age of 18. This vast disparity, particularly when one considers the consequences of modern combat, is obscene.

Clawback of Veterans Affairs pension/Maritime Life SISIP program. Canadians might well imagine how difficult, if not impossible, it is for a soldier to find life insurance! We participate through a government-approved program administered by Maritime Life called the SISIP program. This is a standard LTD insurance policy that, if necessary, subsidizes soldiers other pensions to a percentage based on severity of injury. Prior to the New Veterans Charter, Maritime Life deducted the veterans VAC award from this payment even though it quite clearly states that the Veterans Affairs Canada pension is for pain and suffering and not to be considered income replacement. The New Veterans Charter rectified this injustice through legislation but inexplicably, not for all veterans. Today, 6500 airmen, sailors and soldiers continue to be adversely affected, a fact that is prejudicial and grotesquely unfair. We have all served this nation, there should be only one standard, inclusive of the financial considerations promised when we have Tread in Harms way on Canada’s behalf.

Reduction of service pension at age 65. Imagine, you served you entire career, dutifully paying into your pension fund only to discover that the government is arbitrarily going to reduce your service pension the moment you hit 65. This is fundamentally unfair, particularly in the sense that all governmental offices, only the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces are adversely affected by this financial hardship. We believe that this is a burden for veterans and Mounties; this discriminating policy must be repealed.

Agent Orange/PTSD. We respectfully request that a comprehensive program be implemented to assist those who were affected by Agent Orange chemicals at CFB Gagetown for many years. The current settlement covers only those affected over the course of one, even though it has been proven that hundreds, if not thousands of veterans through time may have been exposed. The consequences are fatal, cancers inherent with great discomfort and pain. Many veterans have already died. To deny responsibility and care for those suffering a terminal disease yet provide for others similarly affected, but only during the one-year period, is morally wrong. Post traumatic stress issues have also become an urgent issue as more and more of our veterans find it difficult coping with their wartime experiences after repatriation.

These are the facts and with these facts in mind, I would invite all Canadians to join veterans throughout Canada on the 6th of November 2010, at 1100 hours in front of your local MP’s office. We shall unite as brothers and sisters, sing O Canada, respectfully present our petition to our local parliamentarians and provide him/her an opportunity to address these issues in a public forum. Conservative, Liberal or NDP, it matters not, our veterans need the support of all parliamentarians if we are to change the Veterans Charter through legislation. Just as we, the veterans of Canada, need the support of all Canadians.

Stand up for veterans! Stand up for veterans as we have stood up for you.

Michael L Blais CD,
Niagara Falls Ontario

other media articles about this issue:

http://bit.ly/c3Q4qE Disabled soldiers angry over lump-sum payments (via Toronto Star)

http://bit.ly/bScUR7 It’s time to stand up for them (via Ottawa Citizen)

Guest Post: Dave Murphy of ThankASoldier

Today’s post is from www.ThankASoldier.net

Please visit www.ThankASoldier.net I think you will enjoy it. Dave had put a lot of heart, soul and energy into his blog.

Turning Facebook & Twitter Red On Fridays

On Friday August 28th and every Friday thereafter we will be turning Facebook & Twitter Red in support of all troops & their families, from all countries that are a part of the UN Coalition. This is not about getting on the Twitter trending topics list, selling shirts or getting donations for other charities.  It is about our service men and women and their families and helping to spread the word about Red Friday.

How you can help spread the word:

Put something like this in your facebook status :

 
It`s  Red Friday, Wear RED to show support to our troops  at home & their families #RedFriday



This is not a contest as to who can do the most #Redfriday tweets you simply post it at least once every Friday to encourage people to wear Red on Fridays, its’ as simple as that.


The Red Friday Video:


I recently had my twitter followers and group members send in “Thank You” videos and it went very well so we could possibly being doing a “Red Friday” video that is simular that just shows regular people from all over the world with photos of themselves wearing RED to support our troops.  So We’ll see how this goes and stay tuned for information about that.


What is Red Friday?


Snopes.com has it linked as “Collected on the internet in 2005″ they also report that in the spring of 2006 Red Fridays in Canada was started by two wives of Canadian forces Lisa Miller and Karen Boire.  You can check out “The Red Friday Ladies” page on Facebook.


I wanted to post the above information as when I post this and attempt to do what this blog is for I don’t want anyone to think i’m trying to claim starting this idea or anything like that.  It’s simply an idea to Facebook & Twitter RED on Fridays.


Wikipedia : Red Friday in Canada : People in Canada have worn red on Fridays to show support for troops serving in the Canadian Forces. Red is chosen because it is an official Canadian colour, and historically is a colour of remembrance because it symbolizes the red poppies in Flanders Fields and the loss of life that the country has endured.


SHARING THIS POST:


If you would like to share this on facebook  copy and paste this in to your facebook status:


http://thankasoldier.wordpress.com/redfriday


It will not set your status but put a link to this posting on your wall.


If you would like to share this on twitter simply put this in your Twitter Status:


Turning Facebook & Twitter Red on Fridays http://bit.ly/xJISt #RedFriday


			

Twittering and Somethingfromhome

I have joined the world of Twitter. Since I live in Canada and cell phone plans are outrageous I haven’t used my phone to “Tweet” but I spend alot of time at www.twitter.com. I have “met” some really great people and would like to think, forged some friendships. Like any other internet venture it is sometimes hard to tell. I know myself, and in doing so, I know that I can sometimes be a little more sarcastic that I normally would be, but that is half the fun. I can also flirt shamelessly, and again, knowing myself, I know the flirting is harmless but oh so much fun.

In addition to the friends I have made, I have also been able to garner some names for the Something From Home project. Thanks to twitter I have more names and have been sending packages to the Troops in Afghanistan on a constant basis. I am really grateful to all of those who have forwarded names to me – it makes my project feel all that more worthwhile. It is also a nice feeling to get a note from someone who has received a package. I sometimes wish I could send more in the boxes but I try to pack in as much as possible.

What I didn’t know was, the first round of packages that went over, went to Camp Mirage. Mirage is a Canadian outpost away from Kandahar Airfield. Dopey me didn’t catch on right away to the address so here I was sending Tim Horton’s cards away from the base where the Tim’s is located – ok so a blonde moment – what can I say. Hopefully anyone at Mirage had to return to KAF on their way home and were able to use their cards then. Their rotation is over and hopefully all are safe and sound back home and getting on with being back with family and friends. I still cannot imagine being that far away in that kind of situation without the people I love the most around me.

The project has grown – originally I sent packages to individuals and there are still some individual soldiers on the list. However, I also send “group packages”. The packages (usually 8 – 10 at a time) go to a soldier who in turn distributes to many others. I really like this concept and am in awe of how they all “share and share alike”. I suppose I shouldn’t be, the situation would dictate that kind of camaraderie and it actually makes my heart happy to see it. As of this weekend there are new names – even American troops via the Canadian troops.

If you have ever wondered what life in Afghanistan as a deployed soldier is, wonder no more. With his gracious permission, I am adding a link to a blog that is written by a deployed American soldier. Known as “Afghantim”, Tim blogs about daily life and happenings where he is. I really hope you will take a little time and check out his blog. It certainly opened my eyes and I really believe that anyone and everyone should see what it is that all troops are enduring on a daily basis. Tim has posted many many pictures given a visual to what he writes.  Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, I think it is not to be missed. You can access his blog here and  it will be added to my blogroll in the new Something fromhome section on the home page of Serendopeity. Thank you Tim, for allowing me to add you to my blog. It is my hope that you will get some more readers and in doing so more people will understand more fully what it is that the soldiers from around the globe are trying to accomplish.

I don’t ask for donations. I have some friends here who have generously donated items and their time and I truly appreciate it. Lifting the boxes can sometimes be painful for me and if not for the help I am not sure what I would do.

Canadian troops along with ALL their allies need our help. If you would like to help please contact me and I will let you know what you can do. It really is simple, takes little time and would make some awesome dedicated people smile, if only for a minute. I am committed to Something From Home. As most of you know I consider myself to be very, very lucky and have been given a second chance at life. Anything I can do for someone else is not only a pleasure it is also a privilege that I have been afforded.

If you are deployed and reading this, please know that you have many many people at home not only applauding what you do, but supporting your efforts and praying for your safe return. 

Thanks for reading and check out Tim’s blog.

Happy Fourth of July to all my American family, friends, readers and yes, even foes.

Be safe.

Nancy

New Page Added – Something From Home

I have added a new page to Serendopeity – the Something from Home page which is dedicated to Canadian Forces Troops deployed overseas.

Please take a look and if you know anyone who is deployed or is going to be deployed please have them contact me through the contact info provided on the page.

Support your troops people, it’s the least we can do!!!!!!!

Thanks

Nancy