I was in the Air Force for 20 years. Got out in 1993. I have not bothered to go to the local VA since the one time I used them in 1995. I had almost 10,000 hours flying time, mostly in noisy C-130s. I filed for a hearing loss in 1995, and I was sent to the VA in Topeka for a hearing test. It was a JOKE. They put a headset on me, and I was expecting the old humming / buzzing noises at different volumes, and all I had to do was raise my hand when I heard them. Instead, I was told that a word would be spoken and I was to repeat that word. The words came through SO DAMN LOUD that a totally deaf person might have been able to make them out. It was so loud it actually hurt. What the hell kind of a hearing test is that? I guess they didn't want anybody to qualify for any reduced hearing benefits. All I wanted was to get my hearing loss documented so that if it got any worse, I would be able to get whatever help I needed. I have done just fine with Tri-Care supplemented with the health care the Federal Home Loan Bank in Topeka provided and then, when I reached 65, Tri-Care and Medicare. After the ridiculous treatment I got on that hearing test, I swore never to darken their doors again.
