The End is Near

Yes the end is near. After almost 17 years of service I am soon to be John Q Civilian. My life is now spent trying to sort out my life post military. I go to meetings and fill out forms. I have no idea what any of it means or what they are saying. I try and listen and comprehend it but I just can't. They might as well be speaking a little known Chinese dialect from the fukdifiknow provence. So as I sail these waters for the final month of my military career I head into the unknown. DVA have accepted that my PTSD is war caused but I haven't heard about anything else. I don't know how much of a pension I will be getting, I don't know if I will be able to live and support my wife and six children or pay my mortgage. Got to love the "Thank you" for your military service.

DVA only pay you part of your "pension" (but it's not a pension) . They get together with the military superannuation people and decide who is going to pay what. So basically it's now up to the superannuation people to decide how "disabled" I am and what are the chances I can work again. All the specialists I've seen have said that I would probably never work again. Great.

One other point I have is that why so many forms? I mean I've filled out forms and submitted a pile to one agency that was 2 inches (5 cm) thick. Most of it had information that was repeated up to 12 times! Then I have to fill in more forms for another agency etc and then there is the forms for Defence. I don't understand any of it so I just sign my moniker and let wheels keep on turning. Might be easier if I was dead. Paperwork wise anyway.

Hooray for death by a thousand papercuts and a thousand staples.