Do you have a source for this? Sounds like BS to me.
Yeah, the source is me. I sat through the class. The instructor came in, rattled off like a hundred things you can claim and then said, Now raise your hand if you're going to claim disability! I looked around and every single person had their hands up with a smile on their face. These aren't people retiring either, most were young first time enlistees. You can't tell me some 22 yr old SGT has disability problems as a result of 4 yrs in an Army Aviation unit. Maybe I'm old fashioned but when I see a Disabled Vet license plate, Acid Reflux, ED, Athletes Foot or even Sleep Apnea aren't things that come to mind. Like I said, it's about getting as much money as you can before you get out. Soon these young enlisted folks won't have a guaranteed paycheck anymore and that couple hundred extra a month will help out when they're searching for a civilian job.
What's funny is how they try and push it on you these days. I was getting my annual flight physical years ago in the Army. The female Doc asks, if I have any back pain? I said, no ma'am. She says, Oh you will, and you need to get that entered in your health records so you can get disability for it. We have a system in place where guys get paid for back pain because flying helicopters caused it, then they retire, go on to a Department of the Army Civilian job with a medical waiver and continue to do the job that gave them the disability in the first place. Hilarious! Kinda like the above example of 100 % disability and flying for Delta.
I was sitting in my retirement benefits brief one day and the instructor is pushing the claims process. She says Can you all believe that there are people out there who serve 20 ys and don't claim anything? You can't be in the same condition you were when you joined. I remember thinking, yeah lady, I'm heavier, don't run as fast and have far less hair. That doesn't mean I need disability for it. Maybe I'm just lucky I have the same eye sight, hearing, and basic physical condition of when I joined because I sure am in the minority when it comes to not collecting VA disability.
The fact is personnel costs with all their entitlements are spiraling out of control. As Fearless said above, the last few years DOD has been trying to find a way to cut retirement costs. I've read articles that want service members to stay in for 30 yrs or have some sort of 401 K program. One guy said that we have a system that allows people to retire at 38, then go onto a high paying civilian job. He's right, but it's the way it's always been. Thankfully I'm already out and don't have to worry about staying in til 30 yrs to collect. Although TRICARE costs are rising I still pay a only fraction in health care compared to what civilians pay.
