u/Winter_Examination_7

I don't know if this has ever been mentioned...but homes constructed in the decades proceeding the event sometimes had bomb shelters..They were common during homes built in the 1950's-1960's... and even promoted by the government heavily after the Cuban missile crisis..Some homes had hidden shelters in the back yards or basements with secret entrances..

Is it possible that they discovered an unknown shelter or secretly knew of one on the property? If that were the case I am thinking they could have entered the shelter and became locked in accidentally.....Bomb shelters would be underground and sound proof...and their bodies would remain there today...

Okay after reading the multiple posts on here which are overwhelmingly negative..I am a 27 year member also thinking of pulling the plug..I live overseas and currently only have banking and renter's insurance on my stateside storage unit..By the way USAA would not give me an auto loan because I live overseas but Navy Federal had no issues doing so..NFCU also lets me open CD's and other investments here which USAA does not...NFCU also gives me much better rates so no loss....At this point I have been paying renter's insurance around $35-40 a month for almost six years..Now when I consider the annual SSA rebate this cost is very minimal...but mathematically speaking there's really nothing in that unit worth insuring...

I have about $4,800 in my SSA....I know the policy says 6 months but how long does it actually take to get that back?

Okay here is my situation..I have been a member for over 30 years...But I discontinued most services in 2021 when I moved overseas...I kept my USAA savings and checking..and just had a small renter's insurance policy on my storage unit in Minnesota....I have not filed any insurance claims in probably 10 years or longer...I go on the website just now to pay my monthly bill...and I notice my policy was deactivated without any warning or communication....Maybe they sent me snail mail I have not received yet? ..I don't know..There is no bill to pay...The chat box and insurance phone numbers are not in operation this time of day here....Any idea what happended? TIA

Edit: looks like my last payment was in April...Where I live in Eastern Europe the mail service is sketchy and slow...

Hello everyone..As the title indicates...I am a gray area retiree right now at age 57..I deployed to Kuwait and Afghanistan post 2008...(2011 and 2012)..for about 6 months each time..Now simple math would indicate that this means I should be able to start collecting the retirement check at age 59 according the rules...

I am looking for feedback from other members who have retired early and any information on anything that could possibly effect this...At one time I had heard that the deployments needed to fall within certain periods of the fiscal year to qualify...I think my orders started around February for both deployments..Thanks in advance..

Seriously...you can research it...Financial pressure literally kills people...It's unrelenting..About 12 years ago a friend of mine was 45 years old and went to bed one night and never woke up...She was in the process of losing her condo and kept coming in #2 for job positions...Then she would tell me "My student loans...I don't even want to think about them..because when I do get in a position to pay them..I will only be able to pay the interest on them...and they can even go after your social security if you don't pay them"....Stress in general kills people.....but financial stress is usually a big part of that equation...She told me one day about a month before she died "If the next 30 years of my life is going to be like this...I would rather be with God now rather than be with God 30 years from now"...It was prophetic...I'm convinced she would still be alive today if not for the intense financial pressure she was under...I think she had a heart attack in her sleep..

57 Year old American male...A lot of plot twists in my life...Born middle class sometimes lower middle class growing up.. Reached out for the American dream when I was younger and did my best..... joined the Marines at age 20 served five years...got out and graduated college in 2000 and went to work as a parole officer...struggled with performance and energy levels and relationships my whole life and couldn't figure out why.......became a gym addict since my teens and this seemed to help..Father had gambling habit which made things shitty for my family...I stayed in military reserves and worked on a master's degree..but was fired from my PO job after 9 years..largely because I couldn't keep up.....finished masters and went back into fulltime military work for four years in my 40's...military could tell something was off and I was diagnosed with high functioing autism...was separated after 4 years and given 90% military disability...went to work for Feds at the VA but couldn't perform or make probation so let go after 1 year...Father sold lake property I was supposed to inherit ( probably gambled the money away)...been in family 80+ years.. gave me a nervous breakdown...and I severed communication with him...the only family I had...was massively in debt over 100k in credit card and student loans alone...started drawing my small PO pension at age 50 and filed bankruptcy in 2020...Romanian GF told me to leave America...So I did..Moved to Eastern Europe and had a remote hearing for Social Security disability..was granted mostly for autism..and this eliminated my student loan debt...so now I live in Romania the last several years and not 100% in love with the country but I became financially comfortable for the first time in my adult life...So I can't get myself to do anything else like move back because I don't want to struggle again and am considered very rich here at over $5,300 a month net...I am two years away from reserve military pension also at about $2,000 more a month...and very possibly an increase in VA disability...so I will be getting upwards of $7,500 a month in two years and possibly $9,000+.. More than the military I suffer PTSD from being poor and my father's violence towards my family growing up...It's like I found my safe comfort zone and don't want to leave...The American system didn't work for me...I reached out for the American Dream with both arms wide in the air....and 40 years later I came back with a beer in one hand and my dick in the other...

Hello, I am 14 years old with my own international marketing and investment company..It's done really well...I have been offered $50,000,000 and a lifetime annuity for the business...If I sell my house I can net another $5,000,000....Do you think I could be comfortable on this amount if I live in a tin roofed hut in Thailand for the rest of my life?? My hobbies are doing pantomine on street corners and growing organic mushrooms...but I like to splurge on eating organically...

From reading posts here and on FB Expat groups..I feel my information may be useful to some.. Many people express stong feelings about certain locations based solely on short visits or even worse from researching only online... People that have not lived in a location long enough to experience all the stages of cultural adaption tend to post jaded and often misleading information.. As a North American living in Eastern Europe over five years now..Allow me to explain a few things..When you research "The stages of cultural adaption" you will find many variations..but these basics are usually included:

1. Culture Shock- Usually the first or second stage according to most sources...Probably a new language and maybe alphabet..new race of people...different small business models and mannerisms..Everything is a shock. For me this stage lasted about 2-3 weeks in the Ukraine..

2. Honeymoon Stage-Often listed as the first or second stage.. You love everything about your new location. Feels like happiness is a place on the map and you hit a bullseye. What is not to like about it? You feel you could stay indefinitely and feel joy everyday just waking up..For me this stage lasted about 4-5 weeks..

3. Frustration Stage- Sometimes referred to as the Negotiating stage..You get very homesick..You deeply miss the products and services back home.. You start hating everything about your new location..Many people go back during this stage or negotiate doing so...For me this stage lasted 2-3 months..

4. Acceptance Stage- You finally accept things how they are..Some things are better and some things are worse..but they are mostly just different..You find your happy medium and take things how they are..

5. Reverse Culture Shock- When I go back to visit America the first few days are awkward and foreign again because I'm adapted to being overseas..

Especially for Americans asking about living in locations on a budget of $1,000 or $1,500 without any prolonged time with boots on the ground...What you have pictured in your mind and the long term reality can be two very different things...While intially living in a 300 square foot flat and buying your food at a farmer's market and cooking it at home every day may feel like an escape from the American work culture; after the Honeymoon Stage you will experience a different reality.. Even looking at income levels statistically gave me inaccurate view of Ukraine...When I was there in 2020-2022 I think the Average income was below $400 a month..At that time my income was about $3,000 a month USD...So I figured I would be king on the top of the totem pole..but the reality was the masses at the $400 or lower income level were living a very frugal existance in high density communist era housing and just getting by...Then I ate breakfast at some trendy restaurants and saw 20 year old university girls there with $150,000+ new Mercedes cars...

Today my income here near Bucharest is much higher but if I was living on a lower budget I don't think I would be content..It would be psychologically demoralizing to walk past a restaurant I could not afford to eat at or watching people drive past me in new cars as I am waiting for public transportation..Americans just aren't wired to be happy long term in those circumstances..

EDIT - I meant Nexus letter

I am currently at a hard 90% any feedback or predictions would be appreciated Thank you

Current Service-Connected Conditions:

• Tinnitus

• Right Foot 4th Metatarsal Fracture Residuals

• Left Knee Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome with Arthritis

• Right Knee Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Status Post Fractured Patella

• Insomnia

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Dear C&P Examiner and Rater,

The nexus statement and medical opinion provided in this document are based upon a complete review of Mr.

XXXX available and submitted medical records, clinical experience and expertise, and a medical literature

review. I am a medical doctor, and I earned my Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from XXXXX

in XXXXXX. I have completed a four-year psychiatry residency training program and a distinguished one-

year Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship. My complete curriculum vitae is available upon request.

Medical Opinion

I opine that Mr. XXXXX currently diagnosed condition, acute intermittent tension headaches (G44.219) are

more likely than not (greater than 50% chance) proximately due to and aggravated by his service-connected

diagnosis, tinnitus (H93.19).

Current Diagnosis of Tinnitus

Mr. XXXX is presently service-connected for tinnitus. He describes his tinnitus as persistent bilateral ringing,

buzzing, and static-like auditory sensations that fluctuate in both intensity and volume in the absence of any

external auditory stimulus. These intrusive and uncontrollable auditory perceptions are chronic and distressing in

nature, resulting in significant sleep disruption, irritability, impaired concentration, and heightened emotional

stress. Mr. XXXXXX further reports that increases in tinnitus intensity frequently precipitate or exacerbate severe

headache episodes.

Current Diagnosis of Acute Intermittent Tension Headaches

Mr. XXXXX suffers from chronic recurrent tension-type headaches which, by history and chronology, developed

following the onset of his service-connected tinnitus during active military service. He reports frequent headache

episodes occurring multiple times per week, several of which become prostrating in severity and significantly

impair his ability to concentrate, perform occupational tasks, and engage in routine daily activities. Individual

headache episodes commonly persist for several hours in duration.

XXXXXXX ● 1

Although Mr. XXXXX did not seek formal medical evaluation for headaches while on active duty, this is medically

and culturally consistent with the well-documented tendency among service members to underreport symptoms

and avoid sick call visits due to operational demands and military cultural pressures. During service, he instead

self-managed his symptoms with over-the-counter analgesic medications. He was subsequently formally

diagnosed with Acute Intermittent Tension Headaches (G44.219) in 2026.

His headache condition is characterized by diffuse pressure-like head pain, scalp tightness, pericranial tenderness,

cervical muscle tension, impaired concentration, irritability, and episodic exacerbations associated with

heightened sensory sensitivity during severe headache flares. The chronicity and frequency of these headaches

result in substantial functional impairment and are medically consistent with a chronic tension-type headache

disorder. Mr. XXXXX is presently prescribed Codeine for symptomatic management of his headaches.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Relationship Between Tinnitus and Acute Intermittent Tension Headaches (G44.219)

The scientific and medical literature supports a significant pathophysiological relationship between chronic

tinnitus and tension-type headache disorders, including Acute Intermittent Tension Headaches (G44.219). In XXXXX case, the chronology of symptom development, clinical presentation, and known physiologic

mechanisms strongly support that his service-connected tinnitus has caused and continues to aggravate his chronic

headache condition.

Mr. XXXXX experiences persistent tinnitus characterized by chronic ringing, buzzing, and static-like auditory

sensations that fluctuate in intensity throughout the day and night. These intrusive auditory stimuli function as

continuous noxious sensory input capable of producing sustained physiologic stress responses, muscular tension,

sleep disruption, irritability, and autonomic dysregulation. Medical literature has consistently demonstrated that

chronic tinnitus is associated with increased rates of headache disorders due to overlapping neurobiological,

neuromuscular, and stress-mediated mechanisms.

In Mr. XXXXX case, his tinnitus precipitates headache episodes through several medically recognized pathways,

including:

1. Chronic autonomic and neuroendocrine stress activation;

2. Sleep disruption and sleep fragmentation;

3. Central sensitization and altered pain processing; and

4. Persistent cervical and craniofacial muscular tension associated with chronic auditory distress.

Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation and Stress Response

Chronic tinnitus is a well-recognized physiologic stressor capable of producing sustained activation of the

autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Persistent exposure to intrusive

auditory stimuli results in chronic elevations in physiologic arousal, irritability, hypervigilance, frustration, and

emotional stress. In individuals such as Mr. XXXXX , these chronic stress responses contribute to increased muscle

tension within the scalp, cervical paraspinal musculature, temporalis muscles, and trapezius muscle groups, which

are centrally involved in the pathogenesis of tension-type headaches.

Additionally, chronic activation of stress pathways results in dysregulation of cortisol, catecholamines, serotonin,

and proinflammatory cytokines, all of which contribute to heightened pain sensitivity and central nervous system

hyperexcitability. These neurochemical changes lower the threshold for headache generation and perpetuate

recurrent headache episodes.

Central Sensitization and Altered Pain Processing

Tinnitus and chronic headache disorders share overlapping neurophysiologic pathways involving abnormal

thalamocortical activity, altered sensory processing, and dysfunction within central pain modulation networks.

Chronic tinnitus acts as a persistent sensory stressor that continuously stimulates neural pathways associated with

arousal, auditory perception, and pain processing. Over time, this persistent stimulation contributes to central sensitization, a condition in which the nervous system becomes increasingly sensitive to pain stimuli and muscular

tension signals.

This process contributes to the development of recurrent tension headaches characterized by diffuse head pain,

pressure sensations, scalp tenderness, and heightened pain sensitivity. The chronic auditory distress caused by

tinnitus therefore functions not merely as an annoyance, but as an ongoing neurologic trigger capable of

precipitating and perpetuating headache pathology.

Sleep Disturbance and Headache Aggravation

Sleep disturbance is among the most common and clinically significant sequelae of chronic tinnitus. Mr. XXXXX

reports difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep due to persistent intrusive tinnitus sounds, resulting in

fragmented and non-restorative sleep. Medical literature demonstrates that chronic sleep disruption contributes to

dysregulation of cortisol levels, sympathetic nervous system activation, increased inflammatory mediators, and

impaired pain modulation.

Poor sleep quality further increases muscular tension and lowers pain thresholds within the central nervous system,

thereby increasing both the frequency and severity of tension-type headaches. Sleep deprivation additionally

impairs the body’s ability to regulate nociceptive signaling and muscular recovery, perpetuating a cycle of chronic

headache recurrence.

Muscular Tension and Cervicogenic Contribution

Chronic tinnitus commonly produces involuntary muscular tension involving the cervical musculature, jaw

muscles, scalp musculature, and temporomandibular regions due to persistent stress, irritability, and heightened

physiologic arousal. Sustained contraction of these muscle groups contributes directly to the development of

tension-type headaches through myofascial pain generation, referred pain pathways, and increased pericranial

tenderness.

In Mr. XXXXX case, the chronic emotional and physiologic strain associated with his tinnitus substantially

contributes to persistent muscular tension and recurrent headache episodes consistent with Acute Intermittent

Tension Headaches (G44.219).

Medical-Legal Conclusion

In conclusion, after comprehensive review of Mr. XXXXX medical history, service records, lay statements,

diagnostic history, current symptomatology, and the relevant medical literature, it is my professional medical

opinion that his diagnosed Acute Intermittent Tension Headaches (G44.219) are at least as likely as not (50 percent

probability or greater) caused and/or aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus.

The prior VA denial concluded that Mr. XXXXX headaches were attributable to “tension in his neck and

medication overuse” and stated that no nexus existed between his tinnitus and headache condition. However, this

rationale is medically incomplete because it fails to adequately consider the well-established neurobiological,

autonomic, musculoskeletal, and sleep-mediated relationship between chronic tinnitus and tension-type headache

disorders. Chronic tinnitus is not merely an isolated auditory complaint; rather, it is a persistent noxious sensory

stimulus capable of producing sustained autonomic nervous system activation, heightened physiologic stress

responses, chronic muscular tension, sleep disruption, irritability, and central sensitization, all of which are

medically recognized contributors to recurrent tension headaches.

Importantly, the examiner’s attribution of Mr. XXXX headaches to cervical tension does not exclude tinnitus as

a causative or aggravating factor. To the contrary, chronic tinnitus commonly produces increased cervical,

temporalis, scalp, and trapezius muscle tension through persistent stress activation and hyperarousal mechanisms.

Thus, the muscular tension identified by the prior examiner is itself medically consistent with downstream

physiologic effects of chronic tinnitus. Similarly, medication overuse does not preclude secondary service

connection, particularly where the underlying headache disorder requiring treatment is itself caused or aggravated

by a service-connected condition.

Under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310, secondary service connection does not require that a service-connected condition be the

sole cause of the claimed disability. Rather, it is sufficient that the service-connected condition materially

contributes to, precipitates, or aggravates another condition beyond its natural progression. In Mr. XXXX case,

multiple medically supported mechanisms establish this relationship, including:

• Chronic autonomic nervous system and HPA-axis activation caused by persistent tinnitus distress;

• Sleep fragmentation and chronic insomnia secondary to intrusive tinnitus sounds;

• Central sensitization and altered pain-processing pathways associated with chronic tinnitus;

• Persistent cervical and pericranial muscular tension triggered by physiologic stress and hyperarousal; and

• Heightened neuroinflammatory and neurochemical dysregulation lowering the threshold for recurrent

headache generation.

These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive and collectively support a medically plausible and well-supported

nexus between Mr. XXXX service-connected tinnitus and his diagnosed Acute Intermittent Tension Headaches.

Furthermore, the absence of extensive in-service headache treatment records does not negate the validity of this

nexus. It is medically and culturally common for service members to underreport headache symptoms and self-

manage with over-the-counter medications due to military culture, operational demands, and reluctance to seek

repeated medical attention while on active duty. Mr. XXXX has consistently and credibly reported that his

headaches began following the onset of tinnitus during military service and progressively worsened thereafter.

His lay statements regarding symptom onset and continuity are medically consistent with the natural progression

of chronic tinnitus-associated headache disorders.

With respect to aggravation, a reasonable baseline level of severity for Mr. XXXX’s headache condition, absent

the aggravating effects of his service-connected tinnitus, would more likely than not have consisted of only

intermittent mild tension headaches without the current frequency, duration, sensory sensitivity, and functional

impairment he presently experiences. His current clinical presentation reflects progression beyond the expected

natural course due to chronic tinnitus-related sleep impairment, physiologic stress activation, muscular tension,

and central pain sensitization.

Accordingly, it is my professional medical opinion that Mr. XXXXX Acute Intermittent Tension Headaches

(G44.219) are at least as likely as not caused and/or aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus, consistent with

the standards set forth under 38 C.F.R. § 3.310.

Respectfully submitted

Just saying hello...I moved from USA to Ukraine in late 2020 and jumped to Romania right before the war..been here ever since..Started drawing a law enforcement/state retirement pension at age 50 I am 57 now and two years out from a national guard pension also...No kids, no wife...I pay a lawyer and accountant a few thousand dollars a year to stay legally with a dummy business here...

I have no regrets or I would have went back before now..I miss the conveniences of America but go back once in a while...I also travel a lot regionally and have a Romanian driver's license and own a car.. Have driven into Moldova, Transnistria, and Bulgaria..and caught a few flights as well to Turkey, Poland and Dubai...

I used it yesterday and watched Mortal Kombat II without any issues and good quality...Also used it once last month and yesterday for He-Man...both those times I had multiple pop-ups almost non-stop come up on the screen..... very distracting.. Any solutions??

I had no idea that he died... Wikipedia reports only "In October 2024, it was noted that Lovell is deceased" No date of death or cause is given. Most websites simply list him as retired...Any more info would be appreciated...

Edit: "Find A Grave" lists 2020 as his death year..

If I am not going to submit any further claim evidence...I think there is a process on VA. gov where I can request a decision... I am older (Desert Storm age) and can't figure out how to do this? TIA

Just letting you know...I worked in the midwest...and our caseloads were so damn large it was ridiculous....It was more work than could ever get done..and honestly...if your name didn't come accross my desk I couldn't give a damn what you were doing... most people caught new charges that got revoked...most of my caseload was positve for drug tests any given day..So if your worried...just stay off your PO's radar and you will be fine...AMA

I am thinking a filing a claim for rigamortus...not for myself of course...but a military friend of mine died recently of natural causes...but it was evident to me and the funeral home that rigamortus set in prematurely...I am thinking his rigamortus issue might be service connected, somehow...

Does anyone here have and experience filing a post-mortem claim for rigamortus???

Okay...I am gray area retired; meaning under age 60...I have a couple of active duty deployments (six months each) under my belt post 2008...meaning I should be able to collect my pay at age 59 (I am 57 now)...Now, about 6 years back I inquired about this and the Guard bureau sent this God-awful packet that was several dozen pages...and I was expected to fill it out in order to "request" early retirement...It looked ridiculously tedious and time consuming to say the least...and I was highly upset that in this day and age they don't have an online records system to calculate that benefit automatically...I have yet to complete it...My question is: has anything changed since that time or do I still need to complete all that paperwork? TIA

Maybe not 100% claim related but...I left active duty Air Force in 2017..at that time a guy in my unit was retiring after 25+ years of service...He has heart disease and other issues with his heart..He was 50 years old...his father was still alive and healthy with no issues and no one in his family had heart disease....The same thing happended to guy a few years younger on my base..he had leaky valves and serious issues with his heart but no family history...Both of them suspect the anthrax vacine was the cause and there was information provided to them verbally by military doctors that anthrax might have been the cause...but very little information has been written about this link is avaiable or on line...just a heads up if you are experiencing heart issues....