Hello,

I was recently retired from the Army as a 1st Lt due to my injuries.  That whole stuation in and of itself has been horrible going through the process.  Now that I am retired I went to the VA as instructed and the nightmare continues.  I thought since I had all the paperwork and everything I have saved for the last two years things would go much smoother than they have.  However, it has been like starting this process all over again.  I did my claim and my rating came back....completely wrong.  On top of it, the VA is telling me I received a severance pay and not a retirement from the military and I owe then over ten thousand dollars.  Now they are taking this money out of my check every month.  I have contacted all kinds of organizations to help me and no one can seem to do anything.  I have sent the paperwork showing my retirement to the VA countless times.  The mental health facility in the VA here is horrible and I tell everyone I am in contact with to not go unless they want to come out worse than they went in.  I would rather pay out of my pocket to go to someone who will actually help me than go to someone for free that is making my condition worse and doesn't care at all.  No soldier should have to go through all the nonsense to get benefits that are supposed to be automatic.  I would sincerely ask that you please do not let up on these stories and that you follow every one of them.  Soldiers need help and we have no where to go and no one is listening.  No one should be asking why soldiers are killing themselves or are homeless or are having any of the other problems they are having.  It is because no one is doing anything to give them the help they need and do the right thing by them.