Our Views: Battlefield scars
Agonizing delays
In some cases, the fight is just now ending 35 years after the shooting stopped.
In August, the VA finally announced that three new medical conditions — hairy cell leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease — would be added to the list of disabilities presumed to have a connection to exposure to Agent Orange.
That means about 90,000 previously denied claims will be reviewed.
Iraq-Afghanistan veterans could face the same delays if the connection between brain injuries and PTSD is not understood.
Equally troubling is that shoddy record keeping on battlefield concussions in the early parts of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars could make it difficult — or impossible — for them to get the treatment and benefits they deserve.
The last thing they need is more agony. That is why the issue demands strong attention.
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