Got this IRIS response tonight - 7PM my time is 11PM east coast....sent the request on 2-20-2009 so it took them 30 days. The only good thing is they say is my month of death payment request has been sent to the proper place....which is where I might ask?

My case rests at AMC; I asked for the umpteenth time on IRIS ( other than the IRIS one, all In writing, all certified return receipt) for in country medical records, and they tell me now that I can't have the records until the file comes back to my local RO....which will be after my case is decided????? Why is that? Why can't AMC send me the records?


This is a reply to your email of February 20, 2009.

Your request for month of death payment has been forwarded to the appropriate office.

If there are service treatment records in your husband’s VA claim folder, we do not have control of the claims folder, to make copies for you. They are presently at the Appeals Management Center in Washington, D.C. When the appeal is completed, the records will be returned to the VA in Anchorage, AK. To make a request for service treatment records we need a signed request, please send the request to the office listed below. Once the claims file is back at the VBA in Anchorage, then, we can make the copies you requested.

There are many guidelines in place to protect a veterans privacy, and these protections must be followed. We regret the delay in processing the request for the service treatment records.

Thank you for contacting us. If you have questions or need additional help with the information in our reply, please respond to this message or see our other contact information below.
Sincerely yours,
Pat Anderson
Acting Veterans Service
Center Manager
463/21/jjs

How to Contact VA
On Line: http://www.va.gov/
By phone: 1-800-827-1000
1-800-829-4833 (TDD hearing impaired)
By letter:
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Regional Office (21)
2925 Debarr Rd
Anchorage, AK 99508

Do they still think I am stupid?

It appears to me that they know the file is at AMC, and they sent the records request to the local RO on purpose so I couldn't have the in country proof!! This makes about the 5th or 6th time I have had the brush-off. Sure wish I was in DC so I could walk up to the counter at AMC...as they would see a no-quit fuming fighter in the office.

BTW, The last time I made a request (pre IRIS) for records it WAS to AMC 12-23-2008. case has been there since April 2008.

hmmph

I get to join the long list of put off claimants yet again...it's a good thing I have a cat to purr on me in the bad times and a brain to think of more stuff to ask them for.

grrrrrrr and thanks for listening.

In todays mail I received my VCAA letter, dated March 31, 2009. It contained all the standard VCAA stuff....sign and return letter, 21-4142 release. They received the file April 4, 2008 from COVA, so it took a year less 4 days to get to this point. I have sent them all the data I will be able to, so I guess I should check the box that says decide now, don't wait for 30 days....right? Do they really decide faster if you tell them to proceed without waiting the 30 days?

Should I include ANOTHER copy of the data I sent in December 2007 and duplicated in December 2008? COVA had mentioned and recognized this data before they sent it to AMC.

Just a little paranoid from all the lost data stories I hear here.

Thanks,

Akwidow

For me they did but it was a DRO Hearing.

Good Luck

I sent off the VCAA reply letter today return receipt. I checked the 'do it now' box, as I have no other data to enhance my claim.

I have no idea how it will go; the moment of adrenelin that I had yesterday when the envelope came is over; I hope my wait is short and yours is shorter.

Se le vie

They should do it in weeks and not months.

Good Luck

Akwidow, Hope it goes quickly and things prove out in your favor. Those are long waits for an iris and a letter. You're in Alaska, think the volcano slowed the computer and the mail? smiles and best wishes.

Cg'up2009!

Sorry you are having such a hard time with the claim. However, the AMC is not staffed to copy records and provide them to you. Their primary mission is to work claims remanded from the BVA. Any admin requests will simply be forwarded to your original RO as you can see from the reply you recieved.