I appreciate this point. There’s also a non-zero number of people who find out after the fact that they are/should be qualified even if they made no direct effort.
My FiL spent 8 years in the navy, came home and worked as a government contractor (as did my MiL) for the rest of his adult life. About 8 years ago, he was diagnosed with slow growing prostate cancer, which has been fully under control with modern targeted treatments.
His doctor checked his medical history, confirmed his stationing, but my FiL largely blew it off, saying that as a Navy man, he almost never was on land off leave or for rare training/events. The Doctor said it didn’t matter, and put in an application through the VA, and now he has additional income he never anticipated.
He was a little embarrassed by the whole thing, but shrugged and took the money. Which was helpful, what with my wife going back to get her Masters and PhD in an entirely new field with much mucking about and delays culminating with COVID, he was extremely generous with aid to her.
So there are those that aren’t gaming the system, but won’t duck when the system throws money at them.
You don’t even have to prove exposure, just presence in a qualifying location during the relevant time period. Type 2 Diabetes + service in Vietnam (out to 12 miles from the baseline for blue water Navy veterans) during the war = presumptive service connection.
Anyway, I’m at 70%. Can’t do anything like my Navy job anymore, but doesn’t stop me from doing relatively low-intensity work like being an attorney. I suppose to a casual observer, that might suggest I’m not really disabled, but frankly, being an attorney isn’t nearly so demanding as being a naval officer on sea duty.
Honest question, why do you care so much? What reason do you legitimately have to questions his honesty about it despite whatever animosity you seem to have towards him? Being in a vehicle that gets hit with an IED is guaranteed 100%, but that doesn’t mean you have you have to look like the Wounded Warrior Project poster child for the rest of their life. I’ve know multiple K9 handlers that have blown up by IEDs that have continued to serve long career after, including one that’s an amputee( Look up Benjamin Seekell if you’re interested in the story of someone that continues to serve 13 years after losing a leg). You seems to have an predetermined idea of what a disable veteran is supposed to look like based upon a very horrible media driven narrative that we’re all broken down, unemployable and helpless. Since SIL doesn’t fit that narrative combined whatever personal issue you two have you seem like you’re kinda making it your goal to discredit him for whatever reason.
I wonder if the USA is the only country that gives people a medal just for getting wounded. British service people either have to do something suitably heroic to earn a medal, or just be present at a particular conflict.
That said, some militaries are much less medal-happy than others. In the US, if you served in Vietnam and didn’t screw up too badly, that by itself would get you four honors. From what I’ve heard, though, in Israel, for instance, someone with four honors would be considered very highly decorated.
A former co-worker was in the Army in West Germany for two years. His service started in early 1975 and overlapped with the last 30 days of the war so is considered a Vietnam Era Vet and got a medal for that. He loved to proclaim his status every time he was about to be fired.
Probably received the National Defense Service Medal. Anyone who serves honorably during specific times of armed conflict or national emergency are awarded the medal. I have been awarded it twice. I’m kind of a big deal.
A good friend of mine was a JAG for twenty years, mostly in the Reserves. Never deployed. He didn’t even realize he was eligible for the second one for over a year and was technically out of uniform that whole time.
