Friday, December 17, 2010

VVA Sues Over Wrongful Discharges for Personality Disorder

Full Article at: Group sues over personality disorder discharges
By Kelly Kennedy – Staff writer

Vietnam Veterans of America filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday demanding records for 26,000 veterans who it says were “wrongfully discharged” for personality disorders.

The Defense Department’s “personality disorder designation prevents thousands of wounded veterans from accessing service-connected disability compensation or health care,” said John Rowan, VVA’s president.

Personality disorders are considered a pre-existing condition, which means that service members receiving administrative discharges for those disorders have no opportunity to get disability compensation or medical benefits.

An investigation by Congress into the use of this type of discharge in recent years discharges found that many service members separated for pre-existing personality disorder had served in combat and displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Personality disorders typically develop before age 18.

“They said they corrected it, but they did nothing to remedy these people they pushed out,” said Chuck Luther, a combat veteran who was separated for personality disorder. The Veterans Affairs Department has since diagnosed him with PTSD and traumatic brain injury and awarded him a disability rating of 95 percent."