Recently Rep.
Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill) rained hell-fire down on CEO of Strong Castle
Inc., Braulio Castillo, for misrepresenting his injury and veterans
status to gain a competitive advantage while bidding on IRS
contracts. The video of this exchange went viral on social media.
Duckworth slammed Castillo for comparing his injuries to those
suffered by our heroic veterans. Castillo evidently injured his foot
while attending a U.S. Military prep school, but later went on to
play college football. He subsequently used his prep school injury
to receive government contracts based on his status as a “disabled
veteran”. Currently, Castillo has a disability rating of 30% from
the Department of Veterans Affairs . The VA describes
service-connected disability compensation as “a monetary benefit
paid to veterans who are disabled by an injury or illness that was
incurred or aggravated during active military service.”
Right now, veterans are waiting an
average of 237 days for their initial disability rating to be
assessed. Some of this backlog could be attributed to people like
Castillo who are submitting bloated or inflated claims.
In March of 2002, I was involved in a
tragic artillery accident at Fort Drum, NY, that left two of my
friends dead, and 13 people injured. My left calf was blown off by
shrapnel from a 105 mm Howitzer round that landed a mile and a half
off its target, right near the tent where my unit had been eating
breakfast.
I spent 8 months undergoing multiple
procedures in an attempt to salvage my lower left leg. The physical
therapy was excruciating and I suffered unrelenting pain as the
nerves tried to regenerate and I tried to gain mobility. These
attempts were ultimately futile with 80 percent of my leg between my
knee and foot simply not there. In November of 2002, I opted to have
my injured leg amputated to improve my quality of life. Similar to
Congresswoman Duckworth, however, the pain didn’t go away when my
leg was removed. I also feel sensations in a part of my body that
was amputated over a decade ago, ranging from itching to feeling as
if my foot is being torn to shreds. From the outset, doctors and
other military personnel told me that I was going to get 100 percent
disability rating upon my medical retirement from the Army.
I was also told how to go about getting
this elevated disability rating. Any veteran will tell you about the
numerous briefings you have to attend when you are separating from
the military. These briefings are designed to help you navigate the
transition from service member to civilian. One such briefing guides
you through the process of submitting your claim for benefits and
compensation to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
As a soon-to-be-retired soldier, I was
told to document all of my ailments. I remember listening to Officers
and Non-Commissioned Officers tell soldiers to exaggerate any
injuries or pain they had for the VA claim with the express intent to
be awarded a higher disability rating. Issues from shaving bumps to
sleep apnea, from hearing loss to leg and back injuries are all
claimed as being service connected. While so many veterans have
serious claims to disabilities, many are just hitting up the cash cow
to see how much they can get.
As I prepared my VA claim, I was asked
about past injuries specific to my knees and back. A few years in a
light infantry unit (which is anything but light) can wreck your
knees and back. I claimed one minor injury to my knee, solely because
it was in my medical records provided to the VA. I was asked
repeatedly if I had any symptoms from the artillery accident that
could be viewed as PTSD, to which I honestly responded no.
As Ms Duckworth indicated in her public
service message to Mr “30 Percent” Castillo, a below-leg
amputation is “worth” a 40 percent disability rating, which is
what I was ultimately awarded. By the numbers, it appears that
missing my leg below the knee makes me a mere 25 percent more
disabled than a man who hurt his foot, and then went on to play
collegiate sports.
I spend every Monday afternoon at
Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, volunteering as a
CrossFit coach. I encounter men and women who have recently survived
devastating injuries, many of them with missing limbs and traumatic
brain injuries. These soldiers show up at the gym at a low point in
their lives. I’ve been where they are now, and I try to show them
by example that, while their injuries will never go away, they can
adapt to their injuries and regain much of their former fitness
levels. These veterans inspire me with their determination to
overcome horrific circumstances. I am honored to be able to
demonstrate to them that they can thrive, just as I have, despite
their injuries. They face the new challenges in their lives with
grace and fortitude.
The added challenge that malingerers
are delaying their VA claims makes me angry.
My VA disability claim was processed
over ten years ago, but that does not mean that my status as a
disabled veteran was a one-time event: obtaining my disability
rating. I will probably apply for veterans’ benefits from time to
time throughout my life. For example, I am beginning to research the
programs available to help me to finance my own small business. My
eventual goal is to open my own CrossFit gym. I was recently
accepted to a health education and kinesiology bachelors program at
George Mason University. I was concurrently selected as a Tillman
Military Scholar, a competitive scholarship sponsored by the Pat
Tillman Foundation. This scholarship will allow me to combine the
lessons learned though my military service and my education to
continue my service to others.
I hope to use this educational
opportunity to increase my knowledge in the field and to open my own
fitness facility. My goal is to be able to help others, veterans and
civilians alike, to improve their lives through fitness. As is the
case with most American families, though, we have to plan our
finances very carefully. Taking the risk of leaving a stable IT job
to open a gym is a terrifying prospect. As a disabled veteran, I hope
there are loans and grants available to help me realize this dream.
A part of me doesn’t want to appear like I’m “gaming the
system.” Do I really “deserve” the help I hope to receive?
And then I look down at the space below the hem of my cargo shorts to
the titanium rod extending down into my shoe. And I think of the
good I can do in the lives of others. And so, I hope that I would
never be on the receiving end of criticism like Congresswoman
Duckworth dished out to Mr Castillo. I will appreciate any help I
qualify for, and look forward to entering a new phase of my life,
even if it means relying on my disabled veteran’s status.
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