Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Apparently this Iraq war veteran, Sgt. Wayne Irelan, re-enlisted after Sept. 11. He was apparently severely injured while over there and applied for a VA benefit called "Aid and Assistance/Housebound". Well, looks like the VA bureaucrats declared him "mentally incompetent" due to "severe PTSA". And without even so much as notifying him....

So how did Sgt. Irelan find out? He and his wife Lana recently went to a pawn shop to recover a gun that they had hocked for a little extra cash in the past.

It was at this time that they found out that not only had be been "judged" mentally incompetent, but also that his CCW permit had been revoked by the State of Arkansas. Sgt. and Mrs. Irelan have been told that, now, if they even possess a firearm in their home, they can go to jail as felons. Mrs. Irelan can get a CCW permit, but she can't have it in her own home because Sgt. Irelan (GASP!!) also lives in their marital home.

As a veteran, I find this disgusting, sickening, and wrong on so many levels. And the Irelan's apparently are far from the only ones to have this happen to them.

http://www.kfsm.com/news/kfsm-news-rv-i ... 8919.story
http://thetruthaboutguns.com/2010/09/ro ... bear-arms/

- T

Mods--this might better belong in the "Virginia and National Politics (Firearm Related Only)" section. If so, please feel free to move it there if the software supports that.

- T

A prime example of a Government Agency using regulations to go too far! Too many vets are having the same thing happen to them without even being allowed to defend themselves,, Whatever happened to due process???

Now thinks of this for a moment:

If the administration wants to limit a large number of individules that are trained in deadly use of force from gaining access to the tools of the trade what better way then to classify them with PTSA and mentally incompetent. I am not saying this is the truth but we all have seen the reports that Homeland Security put out on threats that identified returning Vet's.

As a retired Vet myself I find this wrong on many points.

Vern

Taggure wrote: ... and mentally incompetent.

As a retired Vet myself I find this wrong on many points.

Vern

Funny thing is, I think that the majority of those in Congress are mentally incompetent. Hmmm...

The situation is pretty screwed up, though. Hopefully with the publicity the decision will be reversed.

This is the biggest travesty of justice I have heard of perpetrated by the federal government since...


-I picked up today's paper (free, natch)

-logged on to this site

-logged on to AR15.com

-listened to my favorite evil conservative radio programming


ISOLATED INCIDENT! Move along, sheeple. Nothing to see mhea.

As somebody who went through the "Yellow Ribbon process" earlier this year, I understand how it is happening. Soldiers are encouraged to talk to the Veteran's Administration, do a Post Deployment Health Assessment and are encouraged to mention any possible problems they definitely have, might have or think they might get, so that it is documented for future claims. It is the pendulum swinging from denying assistance/ coverage to veterans from Vietnam through Desert Shield/ Storm, to looking for future problems right after you get back from Theatre.
Some Soldiers won't admit anything, and others think it is a way to get on the Disability "Gravy Train". The latter are the ones who don't necessarily think everything through before they act. Most Soldiers who come home deal with various issues when they return. For some, the biggest problem come from the petty things like dealing with the DMV, bills being sent to the wrong address or their employer/ supervisor wanting to violate federal law and treat them improperly.
I have seen several Soldiers do self admittances for mental health issues. It is possible that the Soldier mentioned in the article was just like the ones I know of. Some of these Soldiers really do need the help and it would be wise for them to not have firearms at this time. Had some health care professionals done the right thing in the Blacksburg area, the Virginia Tech tragedy might (I emphasize might) have been prevented.
I know it sounds like I am taking the bureaucrat's side in this case, but the info in the article is limited and it is only one side of the story, The specific symptoms of PTSD he is suffering from have been left out of the story. So we really don't have enough information to be angry about it, just enough to dig further into it.

Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) just got a provision into the omnibus bill passed by the Veterans Affairs Committee that would require a judge's approval before the VA/FBI can take away 2A rights. Of course, word is that Congress will be too busy to get around to doing the work of the people on this one. I've got a post up about it:

http://buserror.hxr.us/2010/09/progress ... s-for.html

We should call our congress critters to get this pushed forward. Of course the "Moran" I get to talk to, Rep. Jim Moran (D-ouchebag), is busy trying to fix non-existent problems like the gun-show loophole.