Many former fighter pilots, showing delayed effects of a fatal lung disease
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and fatal lung disease. Within the F-100 community 15 to 20 pilots have IPF or have died from its effects. About 5-6,000 pilots flew the F-100. Using medical community estimate, this equates to about 300 to 400 per 100,000 cases of IPF among F-100 pilots.
One of the possible causes of IPF is, “PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO OCCUPATIONAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATESOR DUSTS". Some civilian aircraft engines use MIL 7808 engine oil. One of the civilian warnings concerning MIL 7808 , is “Oil gives off fumes that can cause injury to personnel. Use oil in a well-ventilated area”.
IPF could be caused by the exposure we had to the unfiltered toxic fumes of Synthetic oil in cockpits caused by the leaking bearings in the J-57 engine. The same engine is used in the Boeing-707 with some modifications. The military versions installed on the F100 and F101 did not have a Number 2 1/2 Bearing which was added to the versions (e.g., JT3D) used on commercial airplanes (e.g., B707 and DC8) to reduce lubrication leaks through the adjoining bearings in the compressor sections.
A military Technical manual, TM 1-1500-204-23-3, warns of the danger of toxic fumes but, the F-100 pilot Flight Manual T.O. 1F-100D-1 contains no warnings for flight crews about cockpit fumes.. Our informal networking check found that a significant number of pilots are afflicted with IPF and some of them have already died as a result of this disease.
The Pratt and Whitney J-57 was used in the USAF, F-100, F/RF-101, F-102, B-52, B-57, KC-135 the USN, F4D, F5D, F-8, and the A3-B. Commercially the Douglas DC-8, and Boeing 707 used a variant of the J-57. The Services purchased more than 21,000 J-57’s for about 6000 military Aircraft.
Should Aircrew members apply now for VA Disability?
Until the DOD and VA get together, usually at the prompting of the Armed Services Committees, applying for VA disability now will not make the case for chances to VA Title 38 rules for a Presumptive Service Connected disability. Although, the Veterans Administration seems like a bewildering collection of 300,000 Federal workers, over 90% work in the Health side, leaving the VBA half managed by a smaller service with a focused effort in Washington, DC. At this time, a collective focus is needed to lobby the Armed Services Defense Authorization Committee to direct a medical assessment of J-57 related IPF disease.
Who is best positioned to assist these those with a chronic IPF diagnosis?
IPF could be a product liability suit for Pratt and Whitney if the addition of the engine variant used in commercial airlines and another engine bearing added to reduce synthetic engine fumes.
The Armed Services Committees could direct DOD and VA to fund a National Academy of Sciences study of cockpit contaminants in military aircraft powered by J-57 engines. This approach follows the successful adoption of the VA of the Presumptive disabilities for those with Vietnam service.
Military Retirees a target as Congress adds pork to the Defense budget
Today's budget environment is the worst in 50 years, and the competition for limited dollars will activate massive lobbying and campaign donations aimed at protecting weapons and other programs that mean jobs in home districts. Both the right and the left are looking to reduce defense spending and the quickest way there is cutting manpower and compensation.
In this environment, it will be essential for the military and veterans community to stay alert and actively involved to protect against abrogation of long-standing commitments. If you think Congress and defense leaders wouldn't do that, you need only look at the hard experience of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, when the military regularly RIFed large numbers, capped pay raises most years, cut retirement, kicked older retirees out of military health care.
All this while the (FY) 2012 Defense Appropriations bill includes $530 billion for non-emergency defense spending – an increase of $17 billion over FY 2011 – as well as $119 billion in emergency spending for the Global War on Terror, an increase of $841.5 million above the President’s request.
Unfortunately for taxpayers, the bill contains $3.9 billion for 72 programs that either were not requested by the Pentagon. Many of these initiatives are identical to earmarks from prior years; members of Congress have relabeled them “Programmatic Requests” in a transparent attempt to skirt the requirements of its ongoing earmark moratorium.
Vetspac urges retirees to carefully select a Veterans association that is inside the beltway, and in touch with DOD, the Armed Services Committees, and actually out and roaming the Halls of Congress. Unfortunately, many Veterans organizations become focused on fundraising to pay salaries, so they rarely leave the office.
Check out Military and Veterans Associations. If they chose not to disclose their overhead beware:
Medical Travel was approved for Combat Related
Special Compensation in 2008
TRAVEL
REMBURSEMENT
Over 100,000 Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) Veterans have been eligible for a TRAVEL BENEFIT that reimburses travel
expenses to and from specialty prosthetic
centers, cancer treatment centers, or The Mayo Clinics for world class medical
care since 2008.
REIMBURSEMENT
POLICY
Sec. 1632.of the 2008 NDAA authorizes reimbursement of Travel Expenses and requires the Secretaries of the military services to establish outreach programs to ensure that retired service members with a combat-related disability receive travel reimbursements for which they are eligible, for specialty care, services, or supplies related to a combat-related disability. Travel expenses (eg, lodging, fuel , meals, parking, tolls) are reimbursed for travel over 100 miles (from the referring provider’s location) if traveling to obtain medically necessary, non-emergency specialty care for a combat-related disability .
However, the reimbursement policy allows only fuel to be reimbursed if a personal vehicle is used, contrary to ALL OTHER government travel policy. The policy comes from the OSD TMA office under RADM Christine Hunter and is NOT the intent of Congress.
TRICARE MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP ABSENT
Implementation of this Congressional mandate has been slow. Despite Congress establishing the program two years ago, Travel Rules were not established until April of this year and the program has suffered from insufficient publicity. The Uniformed Services are responsible to educate Veterans on this program; however, they have been hampered by the Tricare Management Activity's failure to provide guidance and visibility to the program in order for the Services to be able to provide support and outreach.
The Tricare's contractor established a complex nine step process that must be mailed or faxed as opposed to a simpler web based system. This challenges aging combat-disabled tricare retirees and their care givers, but increases processing time, and contractor billings at a significant cost to the Department of Defense.
Vetspac believes the Tricare Military Activity and it's contractor can, and should, resolve these issues quickly now that they have been brought to their attention by Vetspac; but that intervention at the Senior Executive level of the Defense Department and / or the Congress is warranted if they don’t act quickly.