Seven Months, Three Dependents, and One Congressman: A Brief Look Inside the VA’s Frustrating Bureaucracy

by Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charles Faint

A Reluctant Start to a Lengthy Process

I retired from the Army in November 2022 after 27 years of service, which included seven deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and operational tours in Egypt, The Philippines, and The Republic of Korea. Like many veterans, as my career began to draw to a close I was slow to file for disability. The main reason for that was that in my mind, and compared to many of my peers, I didn’t consider myself “disabled” — I was just “inconvenienced.” The aches, pains, strains, and wear-and-tear felt like part of the deal, not something deserving of compensation.

But once I transitioned out of active duty and found myself dealing with a civilian healthcare system — and co-pays for medical issues clearly related to military service — I realized it was time to file. This became especially apparent when the VA’s doctors evaluated me and confirmed what I didn’t want to admit: I was in worse condition physically than I thought.

A Simple Oversight, or So I Thought

After my benefits started coming in, I noticed I was being paid at the “without dependents” rate. That raised a flag — I’ve had three dependents for most of my Army career. My family is fortunate to be in a situation financially where we don’t need my disability payments to live comfortably in my military retirement. But I like things to be right–if a retiree is entitled to something in the system, the system should accurately reflect it. And it seemed like a simple oversight; annoying, yes, but easily fixable. Right?

Wrong.

The process started with a wave of paperwork. This felt especially unnecessary since the information was already in military systems like DEERS (Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System), and I had almost certainly (I thought?) included my dependents in my original application. Nevertheless, I completed and submitted everything the VA required, thinking it would be sorted out quickly.

The Waiting Game

Instead, the claim sat. And sat. For nearly seven months, it lingered in a perpetual “received” status.

I checked the system. I called, more than once. I waited some more.

Eventually, fed up, I posted about the situation on Facebook — and what happened next was eye-opening.

A Pattern Emerges

Veterans — lots of them — responded to my post with stories echoing my own. In just a small, anecdotal sample of fellow vets in my very limited social network, the number of people who had experienced the same issue was staggering.

Clearly, this wasn’t just a “me” problem. It was a systemic issue.

Encouraged by their stories and frustrated by the lack of progress, I contacted my congressman’s office. My local representative is Congressman Pat Ryan, whom I don’t know and don’t think I’ve ever even met. But I did know he is a veteran himself, and that several of my colleagues who work with me in my post-retirement job at West Point know him and vouch for him as both a good person and someone who cares about his public service and his constituents. So I filled out an online form, and a few days later, as in, maybe two days later, received and completed a privacy release form. I think I submitted the release to Rep. Ryan’s office on a Friday.

The Power of a Congressional Nudge

That next Monday, I got a call from the VA. By Wednesday, I logged into the system again, half-expecting to see no change — but instead, my claim was not only out of “received” status, it was closed.

Approved.

Just like that.

After seven months of silence, all it took was 24 hours and a congressional inquiry.

What Does This Say About the System?

This experience raises some serious questions:

• If it only takes 24 hours to resolve a routine administrative action, why did it take seven months and outside intervention to make it happen?
• Why are so many veterans having this exact same issue?
• What happens to the veterans who don’t know they can contact their representative?
• What happens to those whose representatives aren’t as engaged or proactive as Congressman Ryan?

And more broadly: How many veterans are struggling in silence, missing out on entitled benefits because of inefficient systems and avoidable delays?

Final Thoughts

I’m grateful my issue is resolved, and I’m especially thankful for Congressman Ryan and his team for their swift action. But this experience left me with more concern than satisfaction.

If the VA can respond within 24 hours to a congressional inquiry, then the capability is there. The problem lies in the process — and in the thousands of cases likely going unresolved because they aren’t being elevated.

If this is how routine corrections are handled, it’s time to take a hard look at what that says about the broader system. Veterans–especially ones who, unlike me, are not just “inconvenienced” by their military service–deserve more than reactive fixes. They deserve proactive, responsive care.

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Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Charles Faint served 27 years in the US Army, including seven combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan with various Special Operations Forces units. He also completed operational assignments in Egypt, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea as well as two tours as an instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He is the owner of The Havok Journal and the executive director of the Second Mission Foundation. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect those of the US Government or any other person or entity.

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.