Filed by KOSU News in Public Insight Network.
November 14, 2012

President Barack Obama’s Veterans Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery included these words about the disability claims backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs:

“If you find yourself struggling with the wounds of war – such as post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries – we’ll be there as well, with the care and treatment you need.

No veteran should have to wait months or years for the benefits that you’ve earned, so we will continue to attack the claims backlog.

We won’t let up. We will not let up. And as we mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, we have secured new disability benefits for Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange. You needed it, you fought for it, and we got it done.”

We’ve covered the backlog extensively, and continue to do so. For the context behind President Obama’s remarks, see our story, “After combat, a wait.”

Obama singled out veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Eric Batory, who we featured in a story that ran over the weekend on Marketplace Money, has been diagnosed with both – and waited more than a year for his VA disability claim to go through.

What if you are homeless and waiting on a claim? We document the unique challenges that face homeless veterans in another Marketplace story from our series.

Stay tuned for more. You can can follow all of our veterans coverage here.

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