Letter from the VA

[Methos]

Just curious if anyone else here had received a letter from the VA [Veterans Administration] yet. I received mine yesterday. I talked to some of my co-workers who I know are vets and three out of the four of them had also received a letter. One of them has been out of the military for around thirty years.

I'm wondering if they are sending letters to every vet or just those whose information was stolen?

 

[Bronx Warlord]

I got one also

 

[GoldEagle]

Yeah, my dad received it yesterday. I bet it was an inside job.

I believe they sent the letters to all Veterans registered with the VA...but don't quote me.

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

Since I have your attention, I was wondering if there have been any vets that have lobbied against the Veterans hospital administration for its poor care. The VA medical system is one of the most godawful systems of care in the U.S., which is an injustice. Veterans risked their lives for the country and in their aged and feeble state are given the worst care possible. I used to work in a VA hospital and I can tell you horror stories. Every VA hospital appears to share in these discrepancies.

 

[YNCS]

They sent the letter to every living veteran.

 

[Methos]

They sent the letter to every living veteran.

Are you positive about this? One individual stated everyone who was discharged after 1976 was affected.

Edit: Further research indicates you [YNCS] are incorrect. Have stated the source below.

 

[Methos]

I found this under the FAQ located here.

How do I know if information about me was stolen?

At this point, we do not have information available to confirm the specific individuals whose personal information may have been included in this data loss. VA just recently identified through a data match with the Department of Defense (DoD) that information on approximately 2.2 million servicemembers and reservists was also included on the lost data file. The investigation is ongoing.

Letters are being released to the affected individuals beginning on June 3. Because of the number of affected individuals, the letters will be released over a period of about two weeks. Those who have been affected should expect to receive a letter by June 15. This timeframe may vary by a few days based on postal service schedules for mail delivery.

The underlining is mine. If you receive a letter from the VA than your information was stolen.

 

[Cuivienen]

Are you positive about this? One individual stated everyone who was discharged after 1976 was affected.

My father got one and was discharged in 1975. So close, but not quite.

Ridiculous bureaucratic failure. Does everyone else know the Department of Veterans' Affairs is the second-largest department of the US government (after the big cheese itself, the Department of Defense)?

 

[The Yankee]

I found this under the FAQ located here.



The underlining is mine. If you receive a letter from the VA than your information was stolen.

Weren't there suspicions that some active personnel also had their information stolen as well?

Well...good luck to all of you and hope your info doesn't end up being used.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Ridiculous bureaucratic failure. Does everyone else know the Department of Veterans' Affairs is the second-largest department of the US government (after the big cheese itself, the Department of Defense)?

I thought Medi-care then Military then Education ?

 

[Cuivienen]

I thought Medi-care then Military then Education ?

Education is one of the smaller Departments. I believe Labor is smallest. It goes something like:

Defense-Veterans' Affairs-Commerce-Energy-Agriculture-Homeland Security-Interior-Treasury-State-Justice-Education-Health and Human Services-Transportation-Housing and Human Development-Labor

I'm fuzzy on the middle, but I know the ends. Medicare is part of Health and Human Services.

 

[malclave]

Weren't there suspicions that some active personnel also had their information stolen as well?

Yeah... from http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1134 (June 6)

Initial findings from VA and the Department of Defense indicated the personal information on approximately 50,000 active duty, National Guard and Reserve personnel may have been involved.

As the two agencies compared electronic files, VA and DoD learned that personal information on as many as 1.1 million military members on active duty, 430,000 members of the National Guard, and 645,000 members of the Reserves may have been included in the data theft.

Well...good luck to all of you and hope your info doesn't end up being used.

Heh, thanks... got my letter today, but nothing in it I didn't already know (other than the information about how they were able to send the letters, since they have no way to know if my address is the same as when I last had contact with the military in 1994). Gotta keep an eye on credit/ financial transactions, but people should be doing that anyway.

 

[IglooDame]

I got one as well.

My understanding is that the theft was of the name/SSN (and possibly age and mailing address) of every veteran who has left the service since 1976, as well as pre-'76 veterans and active duty personnel that have filed any sort of claims with the VA in the last 30 years.

 

[7ronin]

I retired in 1994. I have not yet received a letter though.

This is an act of criminal incompetence which is staggering; there is no excuse for it. I have written my representatives in Congress regarding this incident and I strongly urge every other active duty service man and woman and veteran to do the same.

 

[GoldEagle]

This is exactly why I'm not going in the military. Great way to thank those who served for you, government a-holes. Just another reeason why I'm moving to New Zealand.

 

[Methos]

I have written my representatives in Congress regarding this incident and I strongly urge every other active duty service man and woman and veteran to do the same.

I have considered writing my representatives as well.

I ETS'ed in 1998 and have moved several times since then. I find it interesting they went through the IRS to get our current, or most current, address. That would be the best way though.