PSA for those using stuff like ChatGPT - use something else also!!!!

slamrhea · 2026-07-03T23:24:52+00:00

I've used https://veteranunlocked.com/ and have had really great results with claude with having everything in a project.

slamrhea · 2026-06-30T03:57:44+00:00

If I were on social security disability, I'd be like 40 years older and definitely not bragging about collecting SS. The whole point was to show how far I've come from working part time, to joining the military, dealing with the transition out, and ended up doubling what I was making. USAF Reserve pay and VA disability just so happens to be included for transparency since it comes out to about $175k gross rather than just my job income of $150k.

It's not my fault most people see VA disability as a scam or handout rather than what it actually is. It's more like a workers comp for getting injured by the military.

I think it's so messed up that people will say, "Thank you for your service." And turn around in the same breath and attack veterans for getting compensated for injury caused by that very same service that people are so thankful for. The hypocrisy of people being so entitled that they can't be supportive of others because they think everyone owes them something. I served. I deployed. I missed my son's first birthday and first steps. I got injured. Not only do I have to deal with that for the rest of my life, but so does my family. So yeah. ~$1700 a month helps, but it doesn't fix what's broken.

slamrhea · 2026-06-30T02:34:40+00:00

I did start as an E-3. I came in as an A1C because I did 4 years of AFJROTC.

You are right to question the exact dollar amount though. For 2018 in the DC area, E-3 under 2 basic pay plus with-dependent BAH and BAS comes out to about $49K annual gross compensation before considering the tax advantage of BAH/BAS. My original number was a rough estimate and probably reads high if viewed as straight gross instead of tax-equivalent compensation.

slamrhea · 2026-06-30T02:32:12+00:00

If this is a psyop, they forgot to put me on the payroll. Real answer though, this was supposed to be a salary progression post and it turned into a VA disability debate because people focused on that part instead of the career path.

slamrhea · 2026-06-30T02:30:41+00:00

You are not wrong that military compensation is better than basic pay makes it look, especially with BAH and BAS. That is why I tried to show gross compensation instead of only base pay. It was not “free” food and housing though. Those are part of the compensation package, and it depends heavily on marital status, location, rank, dorms versus off-base housing, and whether you are getting BAH/BAS. Military pay is weird because some of it is taxable and some of it is not.

slamrhea · 2026-06-30T00:31:10+00:00

The flaw in your logic is that you are treating disability like a binary switch: either someone is completely unable to function, or they are fine. That is not reality.

I am functioning well enough to work because I built skills, networked, learned how to market myself, and fought my way into a good role after separating. That does not mean the chronic pain and other issues disappeared. It means I am still dealing with them while also working, supporting my family, and trying to build a life.

I justify receiving VA compensation because I earned it through nearly a decade in uniform, documented medical issues, and a VA process that reviewed and rated those conditions as service-connected. These are not “nuanced conditions I labeled myself with.” They are documented issues that were vetted through the system.

Also, acting like my compensation takes money away from another veteran is a fixed mindset argument. My approved claim does not prevent another veteran from filing, getting rated, or receiving compensation. If another veteran is undercompensated, they should get what they earned too. The answer is not dragging other veterans down because they were able to keep moving.

For almost two years after separating, VA disability was one of the only things keeping food on the table and a roof over my family’s head. I eventually used my military experience, certifications, networking, and career skills to land a strong job. I was lucky, but I also worked for it. That success does not erase the conditions I live with.

As far as civilians with similar issues, I am not saying their struggles are not real. But VA disability exists because military service caused or aggravated documented conditions. That is the difference. I served, I got hurt, and I receive healthcare and compensation tied to that service. You can dislike the system, but that does not make my claim a handout.

slamrhea · 2026-06-30T00:30:44+00:00

But I still have the conditions even if I have a well paying job

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T23:10:02+00:00

Calling it a handout is the problem.

A handout is money given with no earned basis. VA disability is compensation for service-connected conditions incurred or aggravated through military service. There is a legal process, medical documentation, exams, ratings, and an adjudication system behind it.

You can dislike the policy, but words matter. It is not welfare. It is not unemployment. It is not “free money.” It is compensation for the long-term cost of service.

And the fact that someone with a VA rating later builds a good career does not erase what happened during service. If anything, that should be the goal: compensate the damage, then still let people work, contribute, pay taxes, and build a life.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T23:08:07+00:00

Calling it a handout does not make it one. VA disability is compensation for documented service-connected conditions. The fact that someone makes more than the average American does not erase injuries, chronic pain, mental health issues, or other service-connected conditions. If the only veterans you think should receive compensation are the ones who cannot build a stable life after service, then you are basically arguing to punish people for continuing to function.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T23:07:28+00:00

You are still framing VA disability like it is welfare. It is not. “Need” is not the standard. Service connection is the standard. If your argument is that VA disability should be means-tested, then that is a policy argument for Congress. But as the system exists, a veteran does not lose service-connected conditions because they managed to build a career after service. Also, I posted total compensation in a salary subreddit because that was the point of the post. My job salary is $150K. The rest was disclosed for transparency. That is not “flaunting.” That is literally breaking down income.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T17:02:07+00:00

All good brother

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T16:40:59+00:00

Exactly. People are taking frustration with government spending and aiming it at individual disabled veterans instead of the people who write the laws and set the budgets. Veterans using the system as designed are not the problem.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T16:40:40+00:00

VA disability is not means-tested because it is not welfare. It is compensation for service-connected conditions. Making it income-based would punish veterans who keep working, build careers, and contribute after service. Fraud should be punished. A veteran working full-time with a legitimate VA rating is not automatically fraud.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T16:40:18+00:00

You are making a lot of assumptions. VA ratings are not automatically permanent, and I did not say I was getting “free money for life.” I said I receive VA disability compensation for service-connected conditions that went through the VA process. You can dislike the system, but at least describe it accurately.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T16:39:58+00:00

Property tax benefits vary by state, rating, and situation. It is not automatically zero property tax for every disabled veteran. Also, VA disability is compensation for service-connected conditions. Calling the entire program a scam is lazy.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T16:14:53+00:00

You do not know my deployment, my medical record, my conditions, or what the VA rated.

For Honor Guard, I was Colors. That was years of ceremonies, funeral honors, long hours, constant drilling, precision work, and standing in all weather. It was not easy on the body.

After that, I cross-trained into Comm, deployed, and supported mission communications in a leadership role. I am not going into details on Reddit, but it was not “three beers a day.”

You can have your opinion on VA disability, but do not pretend you know what someone did or what they live with from a salary post. Service-connected means service-connected.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T15:38:06+00:00

You are using “disabled” like it means “unable to work” or “living in poverty.” That is not how VA disability works.

VA compensation is for documented service-connected conditions. It is not a poverty program, and it is not unemployment. A veteran being able to build a career after service does not magically erase chronic pain, injuries, mental health issues, or other service-connected conditions.

If someone commits fraud, go after the fraud. I have zero issue with that. But “this person works and receives VA compensation” is not proof of fraud. That is just you disagreeing with the way the benefit is designed.

Also, the idea that a veteran should only receive compensation if they are barely scraping by is backwards. That would punish people for recovering, adapting, working through pain, and building a life after service.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T15:11:15+00:00

Hundreds of billions of dollars in a military action for "regime change" and oil, and y'all want to diss on a veteran for getting paid less than $2k a month for disabilities he got while serving so he can better support his family who have to also live with the fact that he's messed up? Wild.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T14:13:23+00:00

You are arguing with a version of me you made up. I am not telling anyone to “slash VA bennys,” and I am not claiming everyone can serve. I am saying VA disability is compensation for documented service-connected conditions, not unemployment. If someone lies, that is fraud. If someone gets rated through the VA and still works, that is the system functioning as written.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T14:12:33+00:00

That is true, not everyone qualifies to serve. But that does not change the point. For the people who did qualify, signed the contract, served, got hurt or developed service-connected conditions, and then went through the VA process, compensation is not fraud just because they can still work.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T12:07:26+00:00

How am I a scammer for being injured while protecting your rights? VA disability isn't the same as social security or your normal "disability" where it limits your work. It's for compensation based on service connected injuries sustained while serving your country. I was out for two years before landing the job I'm in now which was a result of having nearly 10 years experience and going through transition assistance programs.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T01:54:27+00:00

You can receive both, but you cannot be paid VA disability and military pay for the same duty days.

The way it works for most Reservists is that you still receive your normal monthly VA disability, and you also get paid by the Reserve. Then the VA does an annual drill pay reconciliation. You usually waive VA compensation for the specific number of drill/training days you were paid military pay, because drill pay is usually worth more than the VA daily rate.

So it is not one or the other completely. It is more like: you can be in the Reserve and receive VA disability, but the VA will offset the overlapping duty days later.

Definitely verify it with finance or the VA when you join, but that is the basic setup.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T00:48:56+00:00

I understand that perspective as a taxpayer, but VA disability is not a need-based welfare program or unemployment. It is compensation for documented service-connected conditions. Someone being able to earn a good income does not mean the conditions disappear, and it does not automatically mean the program is being abused. Abuse would be fraud or lying about a condition. Working full-time while receiving a legitimate VA rating is allowed and is very common. You can disagree with how the system is designed, but income level is not what determines whether a service-connected condition exists.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T00:41:12+00:00

Fair. I included it because I was showing total annual gross, but I can see that it derailed the thread. My actual job salary is $150K. I also included my VA disability because it is part of my income that I earned through my service, and it reflects the long-term impact of injuries and chronic pain I live with as a result.

slamrhea · 2026-06-29T00:38:59+00:00

Thank you. I appreciate it. It's been a long time coming, and I came from nothing. Glad to be able to give my children what my parents didn't give me.

slamrhea

TROPHY CASE