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Question #37 Was told
by my VA doctor, He said I should inquire about benefits claim, I have Tourrets Syndrome, which has disabled me. I
had as a child and informed that it would go away as you grow. The DR. says since it was brought out in
service and remains active in me now, that I possibly could get some type of benefits. I have no idea.
A1: It comes down to, did you inform the military you suffered from Tourrets.
Second, I'm surprised you were allowed in the military with Tourrets. If you informed the military at the time
of enlistment and you were allowed into the military, then you would need medical evidence showing your Tourrets was aggravated
by military service. If you did not inform the military, then your chances of service connection becomes extremely
difficult, if not at all. (CP) 4/17/2016 A2:
Tourette syndrome is not caused by military service. The early symptoms of TS are typically noticed first in childhood,
with the average onset between the ages of 3 and 9 years. TS occurs in people from all ethnic groups; males are affected about
three to four times more often than females. It is estimated that 200,000 Americans have the most severe form of TS, and as
many as one in 100 exhibit milder and less complex symptoms such as chronic motor or vocal tics. Although TS can be a chronic
condition with symptoms lasting a lifetime, most people with the condition experience their worst tic symptoms in their early
teens, with improvement occurring in the late teens and continuing into adulthood. (AP) 4/18/2016 A3: CP and AP are both right to a certain extent. You would file for Tourette's
Syndrome as being aggravated if it existed prior to entry. The VA would try to deny based upon it being a constitutional/developmental
disability prohibited by law. But, you state that your Doctor says that it as aggravated by the military and it remains
active. The other part is that Tourrette's Syndrom is a neurological disability. Although the cause of Tourette's
Syndrome is unknown, current research points to abnormalities in certain brain regions (including the basal ganglia, frontal
lobes, and cortex), the circuits that interconnect these regions, and the neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine)
responsible for communication among nerve cells. Given the often complex presentation of Tourette's Syndrome, the cause of
the disorder is likely to be equally complex. I would make sure that the current diagnosis and opinion from your Doctor
is in writing and I would apply for the disability as being aggravated by the military (especially if the doctor has said
that it was aggravated). We also would need to know what your MOS/AFSC/NEC was and with what materials, (including possible
hazardous materials, JP4, anti-corrosives, or other materials that may cause neurological disorders) you worked. This
claim could be hard to prove, but, it really is possible that it was aggravated by the military service. So find yourself
a good advocate and file for it. Be prepared to be denied. You need to get your ducks in a row in order to get
it service connected. (CP) 4/19/2016 |
If you can help please respond to this question.
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Question #38 If Agent Orange
residue has been found in airplanes used during the Vietnam War, is it possible, that I was further exposed to agent orange
when I hitched a ride on board a medical evac plane from Taiwan to Clark air base? Other than the fact
that I was a Vietnam service on board the USS Dupont?
A1:
You would need evidence this aircraft was contaminated, the time and places this aircraft served, and logs of this aircraft.
As for ships, they must be listed on the Agent Orange Regustry of Ships: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp (CP) 4/17/2016A2:
Agent Orange was found in C123 planes used in Operation Ranch Hand. The VA has conceded that herbicide residue has been found
in these planes as many as 10 years later. According to the report, from 1972 to 1982, approximately 1,500 to
2,100 Air Force Reserve personnel trained and worked on C-123 aircraft that previously had been used to spray herbicides,
including Agent Orange, in Vietnam. Those aircraft were used for military airlift, medical transport, and cargo transport
operations in the United States and internationally. IOM found that Reservists who served as flight crew (pilot, navigator,
flight engineer, and loadmaster), ground maintenance crew, and aero-medical personnel had regular contact with the aircraft,
and would have experienced some exposure to chemicals from herbicide residue. The report determined that it is possible that
this exposure contributed to some adverse health effects.
- See more at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/residue-c123-aircraft/index.asp#sthash.b6fpzyJV.dpuf (AP) 4/18/2016
A3:
Du Pont (DD-941) Operated on Mekong River Delta during October 1968 - See more at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp#D. If you were on the DuPont in October 1968 your ship is on the VA list
of ships working in the inland waterways (Mekong Delta) and you do not need to worry about the C123s and the exposure on them.
I would also suggest that you get your ships logs because it appears that you may have also been in the Da Nang Harbor.
As far as the residuals on the C123s you would need the tail numbers. The best thing that you can do is to get in touch
with your Representative and Senator and get them to support the current Viet Nam Veterans' Blue Water Equity Act. (CP)
4/19/2016
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If you can help please respond to this question.
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