My Nonprofit Reviews

The Wounded Warrior Program was a big help. After being wounded and medically separated from the U.S. Army I felt like a rabid dog kicked to the curb. I was given no counseling by the army to go to a VA office, clinic, or VAMC to receive service connected disability / compensation. I felt lost in a sea of what happens now. After I was finally called by the VA ( a special group was formed by congress to find combat wounded veteran’s listed as serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and who were not getting VA medical help), did I go to the nearest VA clinic and fill out the many pages of forms. (Nothing was electronic).
I started getting treatment and the county veteran’s service office helped me fill out a claim and instructed me to wait for an answer. Nothing was mentioned about dependents pay. I received my first claim 20 months later. 70%. The service organization the county Veteran’s office chose for me sent a letter and asked me why I didn’t apply for spouse / dependent’s pay. So I had to request dependent’s benefits. That took another 9 months. I wanted to appeal the initial compensation and the service organization I had as my liaison wouldn’t contact me, call me, or return calls and e-mails. Another vet I roomed with at the PTSD 6 week program told me to contact Wounded Warrior Project. Best advice in a long time.
I went to WWP’s web site and signed up as an alumnus. Senior Liaison Officer Christopher Hausrath contacted me the next day. He sent the formal document that needed signed to let the VA know that WWP was now my service organization liaison. Chris kept me up to date, answered my many questions I had as well as he returned e-mails and called by phone if necessary. When he was at training seminars he would check his e-mail and phone messages. This was great. Finally, getting answers and knowing what I needed to do.
Later I was assigned another Senior Liaison Officer, Shawn Poston. Shawn took over my case from Chris without as much as a hiccup. The VA later granted me 100% TEMPORARY Disability rating as they stated that my PTSD may improve over time and I would have to be screened yearly to determine if my mental health improved.
Last year (2014), my VA nurse case manager (She rocks! Always calls me or returns calls pronto! One of the best things the VA has done) asked me if I had a Gulf War Syndrome test performed and if I had registered for the Burn Pit Registry. I hadn’t, and she contacted the clinic and they scheduled me an appointment. After my exam, I was asked several medical condition(s) questions. Have you been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia? Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Sleep Apnea? Rashes? Continuing headaches? I was told to file a claim for each of the conditions I had been diagnosed with. Preemptive conditions. If I was diagnosed with it, I could be compensated due to medical conditions being service connected.
I contacted Shawn and he sent me the VA forms that needed to be completed. I submitted them with the “fast track” compensation form and submitted all the medical documents to support my claim with the compensation request form. Doing this was to help you get your claim completed in 90 days or less. I filed in October 0f 2014. In February, I contacted Shawn about my claim, as I was receiving letters from the VA stating they were working on my claim. I knew of the humongous back log of claims the VA had received and that’s why I thought it would be more like 5 months instead of 3. The VA did not notify me that because I was claiming several medical conditions, my claim was removed from the “Fast Track” claim procedure and placed with the other claims that needed more time to complete. I was mad. Really mad. How could the VA not notify me of this? I sent Shawn a long letter of why was I not getting better results as I did everything the VA wanted, filled out more claim forms. Previous employer forms, etc.
Thank goodness for Shawn. He stayed in touch with me and updated me on the process. He even informed me that the VA regional office my claim was being handled had a reputation of scrutinizing VA claims very carefully and slowly. I don’t know what Shawn did but I received a call from the regional VA office. You never get a call from them. They asked me a few questions and told me they were looking for a part of my file that was missing. The next week he called back and located it in the VA medical forms electronic filing office. My claim was being moved along. Then the regional doctor exams. I felt doomed by the questions they asked or by the exams they did (and didn’t) perform.
My claim was completed at the end of September, 2015. 100%. Total and permanent. Big relief. VA benefits for my kids college. Life insurance. Vocab was available. The difference between 100% temporary and total and permanent is amazing. Shawn and the Wounded Warrior Project are the play makers. When Shawn was at training, out the office, or unable to take calls or e-mails, he let you know. Just as Chris had done, Shawn was very professional and kept me of my claim status. He would return calls or e-mails as soon as he could. And if he would be unavailable, someone else was assigned to take his calls or e-mails and contact me.
Wounded Warrior Project went beyond what I expected from a Service Organization. The staffs from their headquarters to the regional offices were very professional at all times. As an Alumnus, I have been fortunate to participate in WWP activities with my family. The staff members who ran these events were just as professional, caring, and showed a true concern for the warrior. Chris and Shawn are top notched. Their expertise and knowledge of how the VA regional offices operate and their know how of how the VA system works in general is incredible. I can assure anyone reading this that I can genuinely say that the staff members who work for Wounded Warrior Project are all professionals no matter what their job title may be. They work together as a team with one goal; to help the warrior, the warrior’s family, and ensure that the warrior receives what they have earned. I am indebted to this organization for their support, encouragement, and assistance with my Veteran’s Administrations compensation for service connected disabilities. May God bless the Wounded Warrior Project, its staff, all Americans and our country. Bravo Zulu to all at Wounded Warrior Project. (You may have to look that one up).
Respectfully,
R. Williamson U.S. Navy / U.S. Army