Returning veterans say benefits aren't keeping up with needs

By Hal Bernton

Seattle Times staff reporter

Staff Sgt. Kevin Romanelli took a sudden financial hit when he
retired from the Army at Fort Lewis in February.

A laundry list of medical problems from herniated discs to post-
traumatic stress disorder kept him from working. When he left active
service, his monthly paycheck plummeted from about $4,000 to about
$1,300, not enough to support his family of five. His car, washer
and dryer were repossessed. And the Afghanistan veteran says he was
hounded by bill collectors demanding payment for overdue debts.

"I have three little girls, and couldn't do anything for their
birthdays," Romanelli told Sen. Patty Murray at a Senate Veterans
Affairs hearing yesterday at the Seattle Armory to examine the
assistance now offered Afghanistan and Iraq veterans.

This summer, state officials have started working with Romanelli to
help him qualify for veteran disability benefits that could nearly
double his income.

The hearing spotlighted some of the strengths of a Washington state
effort to reach out to returning veterans, and some of the gaps that
still exist for those grappling with the personal aftermath of
extended combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 4,000 Washington National Guard veterans have served in
the two combat zones, and thousands more active-duty soldiers from
Fort Lewis have seen combat duty.

In a cooperative effort that has received national recognition,
state and federal officials are working together to identify
veterans showing signs of post-traumatic stress disorder and other
problems.

But these veterans are returning to a state that already has 670,000
veterans. The VA health-care network in the Pacific Northwest —
including Washington, Idaho, Alaska and Oregon — has the fastest-
growing client base in the nation.

While the VA still offers top-notch services, said John King,
director of the Washington state Department of Veterans Affairs,
strains are starting to show.

There are increasingly long waits for specialty health-care services
and restrictions on treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.

"We have world-class care. It's about access. It's about resources,"
said King, who noted that the system used to appropriate veterans'
health-care funds is not working.

Murray, who has campaigned to increase federal spending for
veterans, said, "In Washington, D.C., they'll tell you that
everything is fine."

Romanelli, part of a panel of four veterans who spoke at the
hearing, told about the difficult transition back to civilian life
for wounded soldiers.

He spent 26 years of active duty in the Army and the Washington Army
National Guard, including two tours of duty in Kosovo and one in
Afghanistan. He volunteered for duty in Iraq but was unable to serve
because of injuries that eventually sent him to the Fort Lewis
medical-hold unit.

Thousands of soldiers have moved through the unit in recent years as
they undergo treatment. Some recover enough to return to active duty.

Others leave the military, often after completing an Army Medical
Board of Review that makes an initial determination of disability.

Injured veterans must then undergo a second review to gain a VA
disability rating that determines the size of their monthly benefits.

But that process typically takes five months to complete, according
to agency officials. Sometimes, it takes much longer, they said.

In the interim, Romanelli says, some of the new veterans have faced
severe financial problems as they rejoin their families.

Under questioning by Murray, Romanelli said he was aware of three
men who had committed suicide.

"They're not getting the financial help they need when they need
it," Romanelli said.

Joe Piek, a Fort Lewis spokesman, said that medical-hold officers
were not aware of anyone who has committed suicide after leaving the
unit. But, he said, the unit does not track veterans after they
leave.

The medical-hold unit does have social workers to assist the
soldiers in transition to civilian life and a VA caseworker also is
on hand to help soldiers apply for benefits and health care, he said.

The unit is also adding a Department of Labor official who will help
these disabled soldiers find jobs after they leave the Army.

"This will go a step further, and be a real lifeline program," Piek
said.

Hal Bernton: 206-464-2581 or hbernton@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company