» RELATED: Trump awards Medal of Honor to Airman for first time in decades
The Veterans Benefits Administration processes around 12,000 claims per year for vets who claim to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder due to “military sexual trauma.” The VBA denied around 5,500 claims but an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General found that in 2017 alone, the VBA incorrectly processed as many as 1,300 sexual trauma claims.
In their letter, Turner and Tsongas said they are “deeply concerned” and found the report “incredibly disturbing.” Turner and Tsongas are the co-chairs of the military sexual assault prevention caucus in congress.
Turner is up for re-election this November. His opponent in the Ohio’s 10th District is Democrat Theresa Gasper.
“It is an outrage that the VA denied a shocking forty-six percent of benefit claims from the victims of military sexual assault. Service Members shouldn’t have to fear their own workplace or question whether our country and community will help treat their trauma or bring their attackers to justice while defending us from foreign adversaries,” Gasper said in a prepared statement.
» NEWS: Gas prices to remain highest in past 4 years for Labor Day Weekend: Here’s why
The two representatives asked that the VA provide them a copy of their action plan to correct the issues identified in the Inspector General’s report. They also requested written responses from the VBA secretary to the following four questions:
• Describe the military sexual trauma veterans’ benefit claims process and policies in effect, including the criteria for denial and process for appeal.
• Provide the timeline for when and how the VBA became aware that claims were not being processed according to policy. Was the VBA aware of any issues prior to the VA OIG review?
• Describe the internal oversight mechanism that will be put in place to ensure the military sexual assault claims are not process in violation of your own policies.
• What is your plan for reviewing military sexual assault trauma claims that were denied after the 2011 policy change to ensure these earlier cases were reviewed appropriately.
FIVE FAST READS
• Wright State faculty union threatens to strike in October
• Trump’s Space Force proposal could impact NASIC at Wright-Patt
• WATCH: Police body camera footage shows chaos at UD on St. Patrick’s Day
• Wright-Patt hospital leader: Teamwork ‘saved lives’ during shooter scare
• New furniture store to open location at two Dayton-area malls
THANKS FOR READING
The Dayton Daily News is committed to bringing you independent, in-depth local stories. Help support our journalism by signing up for a print or digital subscription.
About the Author