What will it take for VA to improve it's staffing problem?

CPL Timothy Lane - Phenomenal! You seemed to have hit on all the right buttons, congressionals, etc. Have you tried filing an OIG Complaint? http://www.vaoig.gov?

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The other recourse I didn't see in the replies is a Veterans Service Officer, like American Legion, VFW, MCL, or DAV.

Sgt Spencer Sikder - after being booted out of Shelby county Ohio vso office by ladder climber being told I am not a real Vet. I called ars HIDING my Military Medical Records and told him I would file civil law suit against him personally ars sent me one document. A hand written sworn statement from the Company Commander swearing, stating affirming my injury. Seconded by Staff Sargeant same. It had a taken from file at VA St Louis stamp from their copier. I held the document up to VSO and I never saw it again. I am told the Cleveland Claims has it . But the Cpts Statement was in red ink and the SSgt statement was in dark. Cleveland Claims said they were not allowed/ could not make full color copy. The VSO came back to the office After making copy(not color)
Gave me black and white in vanilla folder and absconded with original St Louis VA Records Management Center Customer No Service Division employee sent me.The Cleveland Claims tiger teams have uncovered several permanent orders from several unit Commander's ordering completion of signed and dated 2173 , U.S. Rep J. Jordan, got me to be finished. Need less to say it never was. How ever the accident Investigation da2173 I think was signed and dated two days after I was treated in W.P.A.F.B. Emergency room in 1997.This discovery was followed by a file clerk statement stating the Injury report was not done because it was not done. The file clerk put a fake statement in my file calling me a crazy liar stating I was not injured. I did not know the statement was there until the VA Ars told me it was one of the six he they are hiding. I did not recognize the clerks last name so I went back to the unit and was told that she married a higher rank.

Cpl George Randitsas - hate to say it. The Marines would not take me because of flexal deformities in my fingers and toes.I settled for Army and did my best. What makes me roll my eyes is that when I was less than TEN years old a Social Security Doctor gave me a choice to go on Disability the day I turned Eighteen or what. I looked at that Doctor and told him I was going into the Service if I could.

I filed Congressional Investigation with U.S.Rep. Representative came back with six documents to prove I was treated while still in Military. VA ST Louis Records Management Center Customer No Service Division continues HIDING my Military Medical Treatment Records and Records of Four UNKNOWN Veterans they told me about . Just received a letter from Chief of Customer No Service Division Chief Kathy Austin. She said that I should Write for a paper copy of Ten or less Documents in hard copy form. Fax Request to her facility. What does she and her Bosses and their Two IDiots think I have been doing for Sixteen YEARS. They lies to My U.S. Representative and Congressman and Congressional investigators. I was denied my Military Medical Treatment Records because of a perceived skin color. Chief Austin Sent Idiot from ST Louis Records Management Center Customer No Service Division to my Post Office in Ohio in 2013. So idiot could see I was not the other Blackman He served with and did not like. He callede a liar t faker and sped off through a red light. He again lied to his bosses. They still are Hiding My Military Medical Treatment Records and Records of Four UNKNOWN Veterans that the group does not like. So I got Fed Up. I wrote a letter to the President of the United States of America and my Military Medical Treatment Records were ordered released. Mostly to the vast amount of Evidence I sent along with the letter. Stop lossed in 1990/91 and paper work was stopped or not Finished and still not finished from Ten Years of Service.It has been Month since last fax to ST Louis Records Management Center Customer No Service Division as they Continue HIDING my Military Medical Treatment Records

Most recruitment is handled through OPM's USAJOBS.gov site. The process to interview and select is up to the facility. Many times however, selecting officials don't take the necessary time to review the candidates applications/resumes and select a familiar name on the list or some other issue that will aid in a short selection list. The rule is if you interview one person on a selection list, you have to interview each on that list. For my vacancies we would get 200-300 applications and friggin' HR would not put together evaluation panels to screen out the best qualified to shorten the list. I sat through and read each and every application and resume. I had a responsibility to my staff, the medical center and taxpayers to pick the best qualified candidate. But I'm not the norm. I had removed people from their probationary period and had to start the recruitment clock again since I let subordinate supervisors try their luck at selecting candidates. After a time or two of this, I had to ride herd on the selection process more closely. But what the heck, that's what they made evenings and weekends for, right?

Sgt Spencer Sikder - Thank you very much for the for the insight.

You said you had to interview everyone on the list if you interviewed one. That is not correct. You as the hiring official can review each referred applicant resume' from HR to figure out who are the best potential candidates for the position. Of those you can offer them an interview and preform the selection from there.