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| Britain |
| UK to pay more to wounded troops |
| 2007-10-11 |
| LONDON (Rooters) - Britain announced an increase in payments for severely wounded soldiers on Thursday, the latest move to provide more support for troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan following public criticism. The Ministry of Defense said it would now make lump-sum payments of 285,000 pounds ($570,000) to soldiers who received multiple injuries from a single attack in war zones. Previously, only a fixed amount for the three worst injuries was paid out, leading to a high-profile case in which a soldier hit by a landmine in Afghanistan and left without legs and severe damage to his brain and spine received just $300,000. "Our armed forces are unique in making a vital contribution to the security of our nation and we have a responsibility to continue to look after them properly when they get injured," Defense Minister Des Browne said in a statement. "This review will benefit those with the most serious multiple injuries." The government had come in for sustained criticism from parents of injured soldiers and some veterans' groups for its perceived callousness towards badly wounded troops. Discrepancies were highlighted by a case in July in which an air force typist at the Ministry of Defense received a payout of $1 million after damaging her wrists from excessive typing, sparking outrage on Ministry of Defense message boards. Since October 2001, when Britain joined the United States in invading Afghanistan, 252 British troops have died fighting there and in Iraq, while thousands have been injured. Because of advances in medicine, many of the most severely wounded end up surviving, when in previous conflicts they might well have died. |
| Posted by:anonymous5089 |
| #2 USN, the VA has been making such payments since at least 1972, IIRC. Check http://www.va.gov/ and click on VA Compensation. It's only for disabilities directly related to combat injuries. A friend of mine gets an extra $1300 a month because he was injured and had to bail out of his crashing aircraft, causing even more damage to his back and legs. That's above the $2100/month for a 100% disabled veteran. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-10-11 20:28 |
| #1 In related news; in my Fall 2007 "Shift Colors" newsletter ( for retired Sailors) there is an article about "Combat relates Special Compensation." I haven't read all the details yet, but if you have combat-related disabilities over 10% there is a special fund for you. the Navy website for this is: www.hq.navy.mil.corb.CRSCB/combatrelated.htm or www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/retired-concurrent-receipt-overview |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2007-10-11 13:57 |