Disabled veterans are pushing for passage of Major Richard Star’s bill to restore full retirement benefits

Two Army veterans, Lyle Allen and Chad Rogers, say they are among thousands of disabled service members across the country who feel they have been failed by the federal government after their careers were cut short by combat-related injuries. Allen and Rogers are now urging Congress to pass the Major Richard Star Act, a bipartisan bill that they say would correct a long-standing injustice in the way disabled veterans are compensated with retirement benefits.

Both men are disabled, members of the Wounded Warrior Project and former high-ranking sergeants who expected to spend decades in uniform before injuries forced them out of the military.

The proposed legislation would eliminate a policy that prevents certain combat-disabled veterans from receiving both a military pension and disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under current rules, veterans who are medically retired and have less than 20 years of service often have to choose between the two benefits.

“We are eligible for all benefits except our pension,” Rogers said in an interview. according to Unpleasant Military. “So we are retired, without a pension.”

Allen echoed that frustration, describing the policy as disheartening and unfair. “In the military, it’s just a disability; you can’t collect wages or your pension after you’re injured,” he said.

The bill is named after Major Richard Star, an Army officer who died in 2021 after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. Star was deployed to Iraq, where he was exposed to toxic burns that may have contributed to his illness. While undergoing chemotherapy, Star was told by the Defense Department that he was ineligible for both retirement benefits and disability benefits — a decision that spurred advocates for reform.

Rogers and Allen say they encountered similar resistance when they sought compensation after leaving the service. Both men planned long-term military careers, but were forced to medically retire due to injuries sustained abroad.

Allen spent 14 years in the Army as a combat engineer. His life changed forever after his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device during a deployment to Iraq. “I was driving a five-ton vehicle and we were hit by an improvised explosive device,” he said. “I don’t remember much… I’m 100 percent disabled and service-connected.”

Allen has also received a “total and permanent” disability rating from the VA, meaning his traumatic brain injury is not expected to improve.

Rogers’ injuries resulted from exposure to chemicals during his deployment. “Ultimately it came down to chemical exposure while I was in the movie theater,” he said. “There were places I would go in and the air would taste funny, or the air would burn your skin.”

Both veterans come from military families, with grandfathers who served in World War II. Rogers said his goal upon enlisting was to serve at least 20 years. “The goal was 30 years,” he said.

Supporters of the Major Richard Star Act argue it would provide long-overdue relief to wounded veterans and protect future generations. “This just doesn’t impact me personally; this impacts our future generation as well,” Allen said.

While the bill has received broad bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, its cost remains a major hurdle. Previous versions failed due to funding issues. Still, advocates say the measure is a fair and necessary correction for those who have sacrificed their health in service to the country.

RELATED CONTENT: Inaugural Artist In Residence Dr. Yaba Blay and Most Incredible Studio create ‘The BAMBOO’, which elevates icon to cultural artifact