Just read an unbelievable article on veteran suicides. 22 commit suicide each day. But suicide rates among Vietnam veterans are the highest of any particular group, according to John Draper, project director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

A very sad situation. There is treatment now for PTSD, Not back then, they didn't even recognize it as a problem. I think all Viet Nam (Korea too) vets suffered from it to some degree. I know how it has effected most of my fellow vets and my life. 

To make matters worse, I read this today-

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/07/27/va-spent-20m-on-art-as-ailing-veterans-languished-report-finds.html

Here in Denver the VA started a new VA hospital est cost $500K,  There were all kinds of cost overruns. They would build part of it and then redesign it, tare it down, start over. Years went by and the cost soared. Congress investigated and found no one responsible. Then appropriated more money. Total cost 1,5 billion.  It is still not open. 

 I've been to the present VA facility. I've never been to such a screwed up place in my life. I was misinformed, sent to other branches that told me I was at the wrong place and even sent to an Air Force retirement facility that had NOTHING to do with me. The people are civil service and can't lose their jobs. Some were rude and most were misinformed. I gave up and quit. 

Then I was told to go to the state VA...............it was great. They helped me like an organization should. 

I go to the VA Hospital in Martinsburg, WV. So far, things have been good. They are always super busy so, as you would expect, sometimes there are unavoidable delays.

I ran out of a prescription while in Tucson. Thought VA hospitals were all interconnected. Not so! Took me four hours of running between offices to get registered at that VA. Then another two hours to get three pills.

But now I'm good at PHX as well as Tucson. 

We shouldn't be surprised at the inefficiency. It's a government run operation, after all. The only thing done with a semblance of practiced effectiveness is pass the buck.

I remember my time in the Army (67--70, "the good years"), and how motivated me and the rest of the guys were.

I guess a lot of us went to work at the VA?

I've done hospital and medical designs, and when you work with the staff, it suddenly comes to you:  if they were really any good, they'd be in private practice.  Like everything else, you get what you pay for.  Govt tends to attract the less motivated, for 90% of the workers (including the professsionals).  The other 10% are the most motivated and competent people you'll ever meet, and they keep the other 90% from collapsing.  Why are there so many de-motivated?  Because of us.  We hire these dummies to sit in a chair at the Capitol in DC, and the dummies try to look like they know something, so they just plain cr** all over the civil service.  The civil service isn't completely dumb, so the really good ones leave, and those who stay just push dust from left to right to left because they've found that keeps them out of trouble.

We have met the enemy and he is us.  We created the system, warts and all.  Some days it's all warts.  But it's all ours.

1 hour ago, PeteM said:

The other 10% are the most motivated and competent people you'll ever meet,

Well said, Pete.