Legislation 'Answers the Call' to Raise Benefit Rate for Veterans with Catastrophic Injuries

By Linda F. Hershey

WASHINGTON — A Republican-led bill would provide the first significant increase in decades to the disability compensation rate for veterans with catastrophic injuries and their survivors, according to lawmakers on the House Veterans Affairs’ Committee who are the sponsors.

The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act would offer an additional $10,000 annually to veterans who suffered critical injuries during military service, such as head trauma, loss of limbs and paralysis.

The bill also would increase monthly support by 1% a year for the next five years for the survivors of veterans and military members who died from their injuries. A non-inflation increase previously was granted was in 1993.

Veterans advocacy groups are offering early support for the bill, introduced Monday.

“Living with significant disabilities is not just difficult, it’s costly,” Paralyzed Veterans of America said in a written statement. “No one appreciates the full scope of benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs more than our nation’s paralyzed veterans.”

The legislation is led by Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., a Marine Corps veteran and chairman of the House Veterans Affairs’ Committee, and Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., a former Army helicopter pilot and committee member.

“For years, veterans service organizations have emphasized the need for improved benefits for catastrophically injured veterans, their families and their survivors,” Bost said. “This bill would answer the call.”

“This bill is about following through on our promises,” Barrett said. “Our disabled veterans and Gold Star families have already given more for our country than anyone should ever have to.”

Co-sponsors include French Hill., R-Ark., chairman of the House Committee on Financial Services; Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C.; and Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, a retired Navy SEAL and member of the House Veterans Affairs’ Committee.

The bill is named for Sharri Briley, widow of an Army Black Hawk pilot killed in 1993 in Somalia, and for Eric Edmundson, a former Army sergeant who suffered shrapnel wounds, a heart attack and brain injury after his Humvee struck a roadside bomb in 2005 in Iraq.

“This is a huge step for families who have lost loved ones. Other than cost-of-living annual increases, there has been no rate change in the past 32 years,” said Sharri Briley, whose husband, Donovan Lee “Bull” Briley, was an Army special operations helicopter pilot who died supporting ground forces in Somalia.

Donovan Briley, 33, of Arkansas, had served in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the “Night Stalkers.” He was the co-pilot of a Black Hawk helicopter shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade in the Battle of Mogadishu, which killed 18 U.S. troops and wounded 73 others.

The actions of Briley and other special operators were the basis for the 2001 movie, “Black Hawk Down.”

Eric Edmundson is a former Army sergeant whose vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device that caused him to suffer cardiac arrest and loss of oxygen to his brain, called an anoxic brain injury.

“We are compelled to ensure Eric and other severely injured veterans like him have the security and care they need now, not tomorrow,” said Edgar Edmundson, his father.

Eric Edmundson, 45, of North Carolina, continues to require round-the-clock medical care and support at home. He is nonverbal and primarily uses a wheelchair.

“Every aspect of his life requires assistance and monitoring,” Edgar Edmundson said. “For an individual with complex-care needs, a simple medical problem or other small issue can quickly snowball into an avalanche.”

About a dozen veterans advocacy groups voiced support for the legislation.

“For more than 30 years, surviving spouses and severely disabled veterans have been left behind by outdated benefit structures. The Vietnam Veterans of America stands firmly behind this legislation,” said Thomas Burke, national president of the VVA.

James McCormick, past national commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart USA, said the legislation represents “long-overdue justice” for injured veterans and their families.

“The Brileys, the Edmundsons and thousands of others have carried the weight of sacrifice for decades,” McCormick said. This legislation “ensures they receive the support and dignity they have earned.”

Originally published in Stars and Stripes