In this series, we highlight those working in the Veteran and Military communities to help make reintegration and life a little better for everyone. We wanted to ask some of the common questions about how they got to where they are and how they inspire others to do more.
Interviewer: Stacey Ebert, Veteran Support Network
Organization: Mesothelioma Guide
Title: Veteran's Department Director
Why Veterans? When I was close to retiring from the Navy, I attended a mandatory TAP (Transition Assistance Program) training - including one day entirely devoted to VA benefits. A Veteran Service Officer (VSO) came in and explained how the VA works and how to file a Disability Compensation claim for those disabilities incurred on active duty. He also helped us file our claims. I was amazed to find the entire process complicated and learned several things I thought I knew about VA benefits were wrong. I was inspired to read the VA Benefits Manual to gain a better understanding of it all and learned that many VA programs were difficult to understand on your own. I called VSOs around the country to ask questions and found that the answers differed depending on to whom I was speaking. I decided that after retiring, I wanted to work towards attaining my accreditation to become a VA Claims Agent and help veterans file their VA claims.
What got you interested in this organization? It wasn't long before I realized that some VA claims are straight forward and others far more difficult to get approved. I wanted to become a subject matter expert on those difficult ones leading me to research asbestos related disability claims. These diseases often manifest decades after exposure which might be from time in the military and there are also many civilian jobs geared towards veterans that may expose them to asbestos and, it turns out, that the nature that the VA makes decisions on these service-related asbestos claims is very subjective. Rating officers have to ask themselves if they believe there to be at least a 50% chance that the veteran's asbestos disease was caused by their military service in comparison to exposure that may have occurred in civilian jobs. Without sufficient information to approve the claims, the rating officer has to deny it. I felt that over my 24-year career (12 enlisted/12 officer) I had a lot of knowledge of asbestos and it put me in a position to really be able to help veterans identify products and materials that they dealt with in the military that they didn't even realize at the time were made with or without asbestos.
What's your favorite thing about working in this field? I really find it quite rewarding and enjoyable to help fellow veterans. I really like knowing that I can help a veteran who comes to me after having battled the VA for years to get their claim approved, only to receive denial after denial, and I am able to identify that single piece of information that their claim lacks and later leads to its approval. Filling in that one piece of the puzzle is truly rewarding.
How has community service involvement impacted your life? I believe that helping people provides a tremendous amount of job satisfaction and provides a sense of purpose. I remember, as a young ET1 (E-6) telling my wife that if I won the lotto, I would go golfing and fishing and indulge myself with various hobbies. She told me there was no way I would be happy without contributing in some way, doing something that gives me purpose and that whether it be a paid job or volunteer work, that I would always need something to do in order to give my life purpose - she was right.
Why should veterans and families use these services? If a veteran has been diagnosed with an asbestos disease (or a surviving spouse has lost a veteran to an asbestos disease) and they need assistance filing for their VA benefits, I offer specialized assistance in these particular types of claims. Most VSOs have little/no experience in filing asbestos claims and I am often called upon to assist such claims.
What, in your opinion, is the most important thing soon-to-be-Veterans and their families should consider before leaving military service? When you go to TAP class and a VSO comes in to help you file your VA Disability Compensation (VADC) claim, list every injury and illness you had on active duty (even if you didn't go to medical for it). The VA will have to approve every disability occurred on active duty - while many will be rated 0%, if it ever gets worse in the future, it's far easier to get an increased rating for an existing service-related disability than it would be to get it service-related years later.
Anything else you would like us to know about you, your past experiences, or advice for veterans? I enlisted in the Navy straight out of high school. I was selected for the Nuclear Power program and volunteered for submarine duty. My first 12 years of active duty was as a Reactor Operator. After commission, I spent another 12 years as a Nuclear Officer in the submarine force. The Nuclear Power program taught me that to be truly proficient at a job, you need to be a subject matter expert. While there is only so much someone can memorize, it's equally important to know where to find the information when unsure, thereby making it vital to reference source documents. In my current role, I must know where to look to find the official rules in the VA Benefits Manual and refer back to it whenever slightly unsure. Therefore, I'm continually reading and re-reading the M21-1MR VA Benefits Manual to ensure I know about which I speak - it's the least I can do for my fellow veterans.
Why this person? Carl Jewett has helping veterans at the forefront of everything he does. He aims to make the claims filing process better, easier, and smoother with each and every individual he assists. His experience serves him well in knowing where to go for answers and how to direct others to do the very same.