BREAKING: Homeland Security Police Caught Harassing Sick Veterans

Homeland Security

Benjamin KrauseSAN DIEGO – Veterans were horrified while seeking VA health care on Wednesday when approached by Homeland Security police in an Operation Shield exercise. The exercise was for the purpose of “presence deterrence” at a VA health care facility in San Diego. Many veterans’ legal advocates are concerned about what this “presence deterrence” actually means and what it seeks to accomplish for veterans needing care.

According to reports, 20 officers from the DHS Federal Protective Service (FPS) dressed in full black combat gear crowded at the entrance of VA Mission Valley Health Care Clinic on Wednesday. These officers were not wearing any name tags and refused to identify themselves. Four bomb-sniffing dogs accompanied the secretive police group that arrived at the facility in 8 white SUVs marked “FPS”, which then blocked all access to parking for disabled veterans. Veterans arriving for care were alarmed and some frightened away.

VA Mission Valley Health Care Clinic houses numerous service centers including a general practice clinic, psychiatric clinic, PTSD treatment clinic, and the disability compensation evaluation clinic. The impact of this event on veterans is disturbing.

The advocacy group, Honoring Our Troops (HRT), promptly wrote a formal complaint to VA OIG in Washington, DC after fielding numerous communications from veterans who were shocked by these recent federal secret police actions. OIG has yet to formally acknowledge receipt of their complaint since it was filed several days ago.

According to HRT’s OIG complaint, veterans on site were harassed and threatened when they took pictures and asked questions about this bizarre behavior. One veteran was threatened with a fine of $10,000 and arrest if he did not delete a photo he had taken. Another elderly veteran refused to enter the clinic with his wife. When the veteran’s wife asked a VA doctor about the action, she was told it was a “familiarization exercise.” Is this the new normal at VA facilities that veterans must become familiarized with and used to? And why? What justifies this kind of action by the Feds?

Navy Captain Joseph John (Ret), chairman of Combat Veterans For Congress PAC, was not surprised when the report crossed his desk. After a cursory investigation, Capt. John concluded, “Due to [confidentiality] concerns, we can only get personnel in the office of Honoring Our Troops to tell us that the parties who witnessed the exercise [saw. The witnesses included] a retired Navy Chief, employees of the VA Medical Center, patients inside the building, etc., who witnessed armed FPS officers in SWAT gear walking up and down the corridors inside the VA Medical Clinic in Mission Valley.”

Capt. John opposes unannounced police actions at VA medical facilities that resemble “para-military exercises.” His deepest concerns are for elderly veterans with “heart conditions, suffering from PTSD, or elderly Veterans from the WWII or Korean era could be frightened and negatively affected by these [secret police] exercises in the middle of [their medical treatments].” For these reasons, Capt. John believes DHS and its FPS division “should be prevented from holding these para-military exercises at any VA medical Center,” especially during patient treatment and service times during the day.

Since the OIG complaint, HRT received numerous threatening calls to their organization’s volunteers by individuals whom they believed were VA or DHS employees. Callers blasted the organization saying, “VA does not need this type of exposure right now; bringing this up will not help veterans.” Other harassing calls threatened the staff with stalking and investigations into their own personal conduct. According to HRT, the calls were all blocked to hide the caller’s phone number.

A spokesman for the San Diego VA Regional Office, Alejandro Mendio la Flores, verified this FPS police action and stated it was part of Operation Shield for “presence deterrence.” VA claims the official count of FPS officers was only 8, and that the FPS does not owe VA any explanation for its actions or training exercises — even if it affects a VA medical facility or its patients. Nor does DHS-FPS have to give VA any advance notice that these exercises will occur or get VA’s permission to conduct them. Just what is going on here?

VA already has in place a “patient security flag” procedure under VHA Directive 2010-053. Even though this procedure is completely illegal and occurs in secret VAMC staff councils behind closed doors, it is nevertheless the main device VA has created to deal with security issues with any veterans who give them reason to be concerned for potential violent incidents. The VA-OIG made a rather shocking report about this illegal procedure just last year — and any lawyer or judge who reads it would be horrified at the blatant “due process” violations, since veterans cannot know who made the complaints about them or in any way have a chance to refute or defend against false allegations by VA staff. See OIG Report No. 11-02585-129, March 7, 2013.

The questions that beg to be answered are: Why does DHS-FPS and VA think these preemptive “presence deterrence” exercises are needed to enhance or maintain security at VA medical and other facilities? What evidence does DHS-FPS and VA have to think this para-military behavior is even necessary, which puts the health of veterans at risk when they arrive for a wide range of treatments? None of this makes any sense or seems to be well thought out. So what is the meaning of all of this?

Does DHS and VA have such callous disregard that they never considered the harmful impact such presence would have on veterans with serious physical and mental health disabilities for which they are coming to VA to get treatment?

VA constantly asserts they are striving to give veterans the best in health care. If that is true, why did they leave these questions out of their thinking? Is this the new veteran-centric care Secretary Sloan Gibson recently promised to the American public and veterans?

Mr. Mendio la Flores refused to answer additional questions on the concerns relating to whether or not any veterans were in fact harmed by these recent incidents. The House Committee on Veterans Affairs was asked for comment but was not able to reply to this writer prior to publication.

UPDATE 6/16/14: Read and listen to Updates on the DHS Veteran Harassment story here.

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Benjamin Krause is an award winning veterans advocate, investigative reporter, and attorney. He is a disabled veteran of the US Air Force, where he served in its Special Operations Command. Check out recent coverage of his work by Pioneer Press reporter Ruben Rosario, “Veteran has fought the VA, but he’d rather help fix it.” Benjamin was also recently interviewed as a topic expert by Tavis Smiley on the VA Wait List Scandal for National Public Radio.

Connect with Benjamin on  Google+,  Twitter,  Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

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70 Comments

  1. I just want to thank you again Ben for keeping this matter with the Disruptive Committee in the forefront. I have been trying for ten years to get my good name back after a VA employee accused me of disruptive behavior stating ” James would come into the clinic at “least” twice a month and become disruptive. Now if anyone would come into any Government facility and become disruptive, one would think that those Disruptive incidences would be reported via written report.

    I know when I was an Administrative Assistant in Medical Administration Service for the VA, If something was not in writing, it never happened ! Employee’s are required to complete a Report of contact on anything they see that may effect the VA.

    Yet, even after advising the Leadership in Denver that I had never been disruptive (ever) and when I requested the Evidence used, The Chief of Staff Denver, replied we have no evidence of you ever being disruptive, but its been collaborated, when asked by who, they refused to say. I told them by whom and why she reported me and the Former VAMC Director at the Denver VAMC, Admitted to a Congressman that an investigation into the matter was never completed. The former director went on to tell the senators office, due to the Disruptive reporting of James, The VA “Never” coded his medical records ICD-9 for Disruptive Behavior, nor were his medical records “Ever” RED FLAGGED”.

    Yet if one would review my Official medical records, they would see that the above did happen and I was punished and then Threatened by the Chief of Staff at the Denver VAMC, stating “If we (EVER) hear of you becoming Disruptive again, You will have Federal Charges placed upon you, You will be Arrested and you will be Banished from all VA care”.

    I have only worked towards helping my fellow veterans while working 24 years with the VA, Until I could not work anymore due to my PTSD and later finding out I had been living with a Traumatic Brain injury, from when I was shot in the Head while in the Military.

    Disgruntled employees can and do use this Disruptive committee, to go after veterans they just don’t like ! As you can see by the OIG report that the VA’s regulation, is so vague that anyone can be accused at anytime for no reason other than attacking the veteran, to show that they can mess up one’s live, by just saying it is so.

    Higher Management instead of getting to the Truth, would rather punish the Veteran, than to admit an Error has been committed and the rectify the Error. No they keep the Lye alive and the Veterans has to worry everyday am I going to be ARRESTED today, for something I never did.

    This type of injustice must be kept in the forefront and dealt with or they will continue to Falsely accuse veterans and that puts so much stress on anyone and those that suffer from PTSD and a TBI, its double the stress. I stay secluded not wanting to give anyone a chance to do what this Disgruntled employee was able to do to me and higher Management look the other way and not demand that the Employee furnish them with the report of contacts of the Disruptive Behavior.

    Yes their are good employees, but employees like the one who Falsely accused me, should have been fired, But that means that everyone involved would have to admit an error had occurred and God forbid that they are capable of making an Error.

    Just do the Right thing higher management and don’t let Disgruntled employees railroad veterans just to prove a point, I’m in charge not you !, what a way to run an organization, that was built on the premise that they are to help veterans, not destroy them.

    1. After our local paper printed two consequtive issues documenting gross violations of VHA directive and state and federal law perpetrated by Roseburg DBC against myself, the DBC entered a catagory 2 disruptive flag now requiring ALL non face to face contact with me to be routed directly to the Chairman of the DBC irregardless of content. The flag mentions nothing else, and now all outgoing messages to me must be routed through DBC. Help.

      1. Additionally they entered into my record that I am not to be seen without witnesses present. At my first doc visit after publication, two members of the AFGE were present in addition to my shrink. I said plainly and calmly, you do not have my consent to be here. The doc said she didnt need it and if I chose not to participate then she would not prescribe my psychiatric drugs. A reporter was present i the room with us. No bullshit. She witnessed and documented.

      2. On my honor, as I have already demonstrated, if I am approached in an unconstitutional fashion, I will not comply period. I have had handcuffs on before. I have had broken ribs, punchered lung, shattered bones, a broken nose, been shot at, and faced death many times with grace, and a little acreaming. I vow I will face these little worms down and accept the pain. They can kill me, but they cannot defeat me. I will never surrender.

      3. Dennis the VA disruptive committee is an Illegal committee, where they are the Accuser, Judge, jury and punisher and act like a court system. They are not required to provide proof, they do not have to give the veteran an option to seek council or any other way of defending themselves.

        I remember your story and besides you and me, their are thousands of veterans that are being accused and it must stop. The OIG report shows, that its a catch all for employees to punish veterans and there are no standards as to what disruptive behavior consists of.

        Ben is keeping this illegal committee in the forefront and one day the truth will come out on how the VA is using this committee as a way of trying to control the veterans and threaten them with Federal charges, Arrest and Banishment from all VA care.

        I bet you if they would file charges against the veteran’s 99% of the cases would be dropped by the VA or by the Judge and the VA would have to pay the veterans for false imprisonment and Slander ?

        I hear you and hope many other people hear us and demand change ! One day my friend we will be free and this will come back to haunt the VA !

      4. I did file charges brother. Police wont botther but in order to implement their flag agaisnt me multiple people have now admitted either on tape or in writing that they perpetratafed fraud. Since that was entered into my med record, I filed criminal Privacy Act complaints on each person. The first one came back promising “tech support” to VA. The other 5 showing neyind doubt false entries were made are still processing. Wihout ANY doubt, if any person enters anything false in your med record, it is a felony violation of the Privacy Act. I beg my brothers who have had false charges entereed to file a criminal Privacy Act charge. There is a whole crew here in Oregon within VHA that is going down because of it.

        Remember brothers and sisters, if you get a letter with personally identifiable information about your healthcare, even a letter from the Chief of Staff, and you did not authorize a release of information, go immediately to hhs dot com, office of civil rights and fill oit the online Privacy Act complaint. File a complaint for each problem, like a ,false entry into my mdi al record claiming a threat in an attempt to interfere with the delivery of a federal healthcare product.” (word it just like that and people in VHA crap their britchess)

        Al Capine was a fortress. UNtouchable. He got brought down by an unlikely agency; IRS. He evaded taxes! Of all the murders and crime he did, it was the damn paperwork trail that put him away. My brothers, an entry into your medical record that is purposefully false is a felony crime. Moreover, criminal violations of the Privacy Act of 1973 never ever become invalid owing to statute of limitation. Every false entry into my record over the last three years meant to kick me from the system is prosecutable, and will be for life.

        It takes courage to file these things but if you do take the 10 minutes to file online, then within 6 momths time then hhs must investigate. I am telling you, it is HHS complaints that will take the bastards down. Do s fear a Privacy Act violation on their record more than they fear the VHA leadership. Use that fear. Know thyself and know thy enemy, and you will prevail. The enemy canmot be attacked from the front. The Privacy Act is indeed our weapon, and I am finding with each allegation Piling up that I have filed they are putting more and more pressure onto the notorious Roseburg Disruptive Committee. OIG reports one known suicide documentd fully by OIG after the DBC in Roseburg terminated his care like they did mine. He is mot the only one.

        For him, I will file a Privacy Act complaint on each and every sentence in my record that was entered with malicious intent. I am up to nine now, and it looks like numbers 7, 8, and nine are some real whoppers. Here is why; when I told ttose two extra people that they did not have my consent to be in the room, and my friend the reporter was with me and inttroduced as a reporter, those people stayed in the room and proceeded to talk about my healthcare for an hour. Randi documents I told them twice they did not have my consent to participate in my visit. They stayed on instructions from the DBC. My last complaimts are undeniable by VHA and criminal; by staying in the room with a reporter against my explicit consent, those two committed multiple criminal violations of the Privacy Act by continuing to disclose my information to the reporter. HHS dot com took all of about 20 minutes and I filed a criminal cimplaint against the doc, and those two AFGE union members that would not leave and continued to vomit up my information to my friend the reporter. Score one for the good guys.

        My friend, Randi Bjornstadt is a veteran reporter of 30 years and has now down three full page layouts. She wants more infor about all this so we are going to go hang out at the bus stop across from the clinic and ask a lot of questions. I am a Marine and it is not in my nature to conduct a battle this way, but a warrior must adjus tactics or perish. I will not stop because of just one personal victory; I will redouble my efforts!!! Too many brothers have stepped in front of the train here in town, many on them also were on the DBC list excluding them from local care and support. I fight for them, and I am a Marine. Even dead soldiers and Marines deserve to have their names cleared of this disgrace.

        Semper Fi

  2. As Ben stated this is a policy and an illegal policy that takes away all civil and constitutional rights and is so vague and there is no definition as to what constitutes disruptive behavior and employees are abusing this policy
    and reporting veterans at will, and are not required to provide any proof.

    In addition to the PRF in September 2012 this policy broadly addresses incidents and behaviors committed by ” not only patients, But also patient family members (Employees), contractors and visitors. In 2009 6,472 cases, 1,599 cat 1, 640 police presence required during visits.

    2012 report includes not only patient violence, but also violence by ” Employees and Visitors”. None pf the 30 facilities had a Universally used standard reporting mechanism.

    VHA facilities use various definitions of Disruptive behavior Examples: Physical violence against patient or staff. (Documented acts of repeated violence against others”). (“Credible” reports of verbal threats of harm against (“specific individuals, patients staff or VA property”). Reports of weapons or objects used as weapons in a health care facility.

    (“Documented”), history of repeated sexual harassment towards patients or staff”.

    The Federal regulation addressing disruptive behavior “also Does Not define what “Constitutes disruptive behavior. With out clear guidance from VHA or Federal regulation, VHA facilities have ” Generally defined or described for their own use, what constitutes disruptive behavior”.

    Threat: any verbal or non verbal expression of an intention to inflict pain or injury or to cause “Annoyance or Alarm”.

    “(CREDIBLE)” reports of verbal threats of harm against (specific individuals), patients staff or property.

    This policy includes Employees, how many employees have been reported as being disruptive behavior and sent to the disruptive committee for action ? My guess None. As most Americans can see this policy is so vague and shows that an employee can accuse any veteran of disruptive behavior and when the veteran complains about an employee, nothing is done.

    This policy is doing more harm, than good and is Illegal. What happens when a veteran insists the VA provide the veteran with the Evidence used to prove the veteran was in fact disruptive. The truth of the matter they state they do not need evidence of disruptive Behavior the employees word is good enough and the veterans word is worth nothing. The veteran is Accused by an employee, the VA holds a trial with out the veterans input, finds the veteran quilty and punishes the veteran, with out the veteran having council . and not given anyway to defend themselves.

    This is Government at its worse and are giving police authority to any employee who may not like you or they are having a bad day and you rub them the wrong way. In other words at any time of an employees choosing they can report you as being disruptive and your cooked. Accuser, Judge, prosecutor, and executioner !

    Write to you congressman, senator’s and tell them this policy is Illegal and veterans deserve a right to a fair trial. That employee’s must provide proof, by more than one person. Dates, time and what happened and the veteran be given access to council to defend themselves.

  3. When you’re sick, old, and tired, the VA has to exert its authority by unleashing the FPS on us. They’re letting us know just how low we are on the Totem Pole with them. What will they think of to do to us next? I wonder if they might convert the hospitals into Nazi style crematoriums or something like that. Of course I wouldn’t want to give them any ideas about anything!

  4. I like best the part where veterans with PTSD are treated there. I only go there for blood draws and stuff. Gawd how I wish they’d try to pull that kind of shit on me.
    Oh, yes I do. I would feed them their own tongues, or you’d read about my murder.

  5. Hi folks, yes this is TOTALLY going to all come crashing down. The H.S.P. should have ZERO access to any medical records under hippa. Is this why when we go to R.O.I paperwork which were there a week, month, tear or years ? I hate to say to some watchers, Government plants at our V.A.’s and very likely on any sites ( like ours ) have probably been ” SNITCHES “. I call this a catastrophy , It is due to the americans who CHOSE not to vote, write letters to congress and senators for the ending of ” The patriot act. I am afraid, very afraid, as new misdeeds come to light. The U.S. government has done nothing, except make higher money and retirement plans. The patriot act ( which yes I have read ) was to be for an act of terrorist activity, smuggling, etc…But it amazingly is still with us ??? Any thoughts folks ?

    1. The thing that we Veterans should really be looking at is the fact that the VA system is not fixed nor will it be fixed until we get rid of the civillians that run the system including the government. 10 billion dollars thrown at the system only led to more missuse of money and lack of medical care.The lack of hiring Veterans into these jobs is on purpose because they know that if Veterans ran the system polaticians would not receive all their kickbacks. Americans do not care unless they have a close family member serving in the armed forces so why go and vote to help someone that give them their freedoms.

    2. HANDS UP DON’T SHOOT!!!! WE VETERANS NEED TO RALLY TOGETHER AND MARCH ON THESE VA HOSPITALS. IF WE WAIT TILL THE VA SYSTEMS IS PLACED UNDER HOMELAND SECURITY ITS A DONE DEAL AND ALL OF US LOSE OUT.NOW YOU KNOW WHY THE GOVERNMENT HAS BUILT 80 NEW PRISONS WITH SWINGSETS IN THIS COUNTRY SINCE 911,NOT FOR CRIMINALS BUT FOR VETERANS WHO GET UPSET ABOUT NOT RECEIVING THEIR OWED MEDICAL CARE.

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  7. It seems obvious to me what should happen when one encounters an armed military patrol that is preventing one from your objective.

  8. I feel that the tactics are too aggressive for the VA facility. Since when are veterans, who are under medical care (VA Hospital) any kind of threat. “Here, hold my wheelchair while I whip out this RPG to blow away the doctors who are taking care of me.” “He you squirt punk, you might look all SWATty and all but who do you think provided the opportunity to behave like this? WWII was a long time ago, and I bet you can’t even speak German or Japanese!” This is all wrong and too much. Are we calling the VA a “police action’?

  9. The DHS bought 2 billion rounds of ammunition calls US Veterans who fought and bled for this country the enemy, and all the while the DHS trains by shooting targets with WHITE Women and Children depicted on them.

    This is some of what the Pinkos did to their own countrymen when they took over Russia.

    The number murdered by Communist regimes or organizations in the past hundred years stands at roughly 120 million.

    The policy of “de-Cossackization” begun in 1920 corresponds largely to our definition of genocide: a population group firmly established in a particular territory, the WHITE Cossacks as such were
    exterminated.

    In every city they entered, the Bolsheviks killed those not open to their ideology and committed acts of excessive savagery intended to instill fear. The Black Book of Communism describes the Bolshevik atrocities in Crimea:
    Similar acts of violence occurred in most of the cities of the Crimea occupied by the Bolsheviks, including Sevastopol, Yalta, Alushta, and Simferopol. Similar atrocities are recorded from April and May 1918 in the big Cossack cities then in revolt. The extremely precise file of the Denikin commission record “corpses with hands cut off, broken bones, heads ripped off, broken jaws, and genital removed.”
    The Russian historian and socialist S.P. Melgunov, in his book The Red Terror in Russia, says that Sevastopol was turned into a “city of the hanged” because of the extermination campaign against surviving witnesses:
    From Nakhimovksky, all one could see was the hanging bodies of officers, soldiers, and civilians arrested in the streets. The town was dead, and the only people left alive were hiding in lofts or basements. All the walls, shop fronts, and telegraph poles were covered with posters calling for “Death to the traitors.” They were hanging people for fun.
    The famous author Maxim Gorky witnessed some of these methods and later wrote:
    In Tambov province People were nailed with railway spikes by their left hand and left foot to trees a metre above the soil, and they watched the torments of these deliberately oddly-crucified people. They would open a prisoner’s belly, take out the small intestine and nailing it to a tree or telegraph pole they drove the man around the tree with blows, watching the intestine unwind through the wound. Stripping a captured officer naked, they tore strips of skin from his shoulders in the form of shoulder straps…
    The Bolsheviks undertook to exterminate those who did not want to adopt Communism. Tens of thousands were executed without a trial. Many opponents of the regime were sent to concentration camps, collectively called the “Gulag,” where prisoners were worked almost to death under very harsh conditions. Many never left these camps alive.
    The policy of “de-Cossackization” begun in 1920 corresponds largely to our definition of genocide: a population group firmly established in a particular territory, the “White Cossacks” as such were exterminated, the men shot, the women, children and the elderly deported, and the villages razed or handed over to new, non-Cossack occupants.
    And you wonder why these communist frauds train by shooting targets with White women and children on them. What race primarily brought the Bible to the world?

    Karl Marx, once wrote that, the goal of the Communists was to quote,. “enter into men’s minds and cast God down from his throne.”

    Matthew 12:31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

    Jeremiah 50:16Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the SICKLE in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.
    Jeremiah 50:23How is the HAMMER OF THE WHOLE EARTH CUT ASUNDER AND BROKEN! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations!
    BABYLON = the HAMMER and SICKLE!

    Jeremiah 50:14-15. 14 Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD. 15 Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen , her walls are thrown down : for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done , do unto her.

    Rev. 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
    5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

    Rev. 18:6: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
    7: How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her:
    for she saith in her heart, I SIT A QUEEN, AND AM NO WIDOW, and shall see no sorrow.

    Rev. 18:8: Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

    All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them. Psalm 118:10

    Jeremiah 48: 10Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

    Acts 5: 29Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

    Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

    Revelation 18:21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying , Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down , and shall be found no more at all.

    1. I think we are entering a new era USofA version of the Secret Police and the like. I pray the Lord will help because I don’t have much faith left in our government. However; I will continue to pray for our national leaders.

  10. I still remember that day at the VAMC just like it was yesterday. I got out of my vehicle in the VA parking lot to go to an appointment. I had a few minutes to kill so I lit up a cigarette in the VA parking lot while walking to the VA hospital building, and this young man in a black uniform hollered out and told me to put it out that I was in a non smoking area. Since when does a VA parking lot become a non smoking area? In side the hospital there were more of those guys in there, and were ordering veterans to stay out of the center aisles and stand up against the walls to wait in line. In the lobby, one of them was asking veterans who they were fixing to see or where they were supposed to be at. Well, the lobby is where veterans sit and wait to order their prescriptions and also to sit and wait for their name to come up on the screen to indicate that the prescription is ready to be picked up. I still find it hard to comprehend the heavy handedness those black uniformed guys used that day!

    1. If ever confronted I’d answer questions with questions,and 9-11 calls from your vehicle work just as well if they refuse to identify themselves then THEY are performing a criminal act openly carried assault weapons is a big deal

  11. I think these DHS cub scouts need to go back to the airport and perform strip searches,keep in mind lads these vets have seen and done things that the reset button on your Xbox won’t bring you back from,leave us alone you don’t want this war,we served this country because we love it we are not your threat go guard the borders or better yet go to Baghdad secure the damn Embassy, free up the 100 Marines to fight the wars.

  12. I remember several years ago there were these black uniform guys that were brought in at the local VAMC, and they were ordering veterans around like we were just a bunch of raw recruits or something. “Don’t stand here!” “Go over there!” “Who are you fixing to see?!” “Where are you supposed to be at right now?!” That sort of stuff. Heck, they wouldn’t even let you smoke while walking through the damn parking lot! Here were these young uniformed thugs in black uniforms, ordering much older veterans around like we were nothing to them. I never could find out who they were or where they came from.

    1. Can anyone be surprised at these Gestapo tactics. They are designed to scare and discourage veterans and others from speaking up and holding accountable VA employees. Remember the attitude toward Veterans by the left, is that most could become demestic terrorists given their previous training. We’ve see this thuggary in Banana Republics, South East asia WWII Germany and other places where government believed itself the decider of what is in an individua’s best interest or for the so called “protection”‘ of its facilities. Jack Booted thugs are the same no matter the time in which they live or the cause they supported.

  13. I always figured that the VA was waiting on us vets to just die off before they had to do anything meaningful to help us. Now with this Ministry of Homeland Security thing coming up maybe letting us just slowly die off isn’t fast enough for them any more. Perhaps they want to speed things up a bit by using their home grown version of jack booted thugs to keep us in line at the VA while we are waiting in long lines to drop dead. Most of the lower echelon federal government cop wannabes that I’ve seen wouldn’t make a pimple on a real street cops tail. Three tours in Vietnam and what does it get you, not much…

  14. I am standing my ground when it comes to the San Diego VA hospital and the crimes that we’re committed against me !! if there’s any lawyers out there that can help me please let me know by the way I’ve been going there for 30 years and they denied me a lot of my benefits right from the start shame on the San Diego VA !!but from my experience they even have the lawyers under their thumb!so I’m led to believe that doctors and lawyers make good boat anchors and it sure is coming true!

  15. My dearest Brooke, believe me darlin, a VA Hospital is the last place a terrorist would want to enter in this country. His fate would be much worse than the 7 virgins he was promised. It would be UGLY!!!!!

  16. This does not surprise me in the least. Since the inception of DHS there are many horror stories just not with this particular incident but many. We sat back and patriotically allowed the creation of this “organization” and now we are appalled at what is happening. Of course they are intimidated by veterans, they know how we have been trained and many are with combat experience and tactics. Brace yourselves, this is only the beginning.

  17. Intimidating to veterans. The government clearly wants to hurt us – or worse.

  18. The VA should be informed prior to ANY exercise like this taking place, and DHS’s failure to do so just goes to prove how much of a rogue agency they are! People tend to forget, the feds work for us and it is just a matter of time till WE get tired of the crap. They can line up every federal cop, shoulder to shoulder, and they will still be outnumbered by caring Americans. Anyone who has not read the book “1984” needs to get it and read it. It is exactly on point about what the government is turning into and the author wrote it back in 1948. Talk about seeing into the future. It is time for use to stand together and take the country back starting at the top and working down. Obutthead is counting on the military staying at their positions when the SHTF but I think he is in for a rude awakening. I do not know of any military that is going to listen to some brainwashed officer issuing commands that would result in the death of American Civilians. They would cross over and stand up for the Constitution, not the rogue government.

    GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

    1. Jake I am awake and I smell the coffee.! Waite that might not be coffee I’m smelling let me go check my under ware. These are scare times we’re living in, I thought we won that war. Gestapo Police what is next, long lines of train cars taking us to a better place.

  19. Everyone is missing the point. This happened because this VA clinic has something huge to hide. They are using guns and force and threats to protect their agenda.

  20. it just amazes me that these people fill their above the law !gaslighting gang stalking is what the San Diego va does best !! I’ve had so many crimes committed against me at the San Diego VA hospital that it just makes me sick one thing for sure there’s a hell of a lot of people get rich off us veterans while most of us remain homeless all I can say is learn as much as you can about gas lighting and gang stalking if you gone to the VA more likely it has happened to you !!some of these people need to be arrested. and charged on crimes against veterans I’ve seen a veteran hang himself off a towel bar in that hospital I’ve seen a veteran jump off the roof I’ve seen a veteran make homemade bomb and blow his head off !! how much more can they cover up and if you must go there record everything there is a lot of nice recording devices out there now ,that they don’t know you’re doing it and when they start lying yes you can use it in a court of law to prove that they lied!!!yours trully bill king. PS shame shame on the San Diego va

  21. Of course, if these sites were attack by terrorists, you folks would complain no precautions were taken. Either you want proactive protection or you do not.

    1. Ignorance is shown in your comment and shows you agree with Obama’s perversion of our Laws and Stomping on our Constitution. If your young enough, you should join his Brown Shirts, which is any Alphabet Agency that he has Armed to the Teeth, since he knows our military Hates his Treasonous butt.

  22. They did the same thing in Leesburg, Fl. at their Socail Security Office a couple of years ago. Took people phomes when they took pictures or tried to call 9-11 for help.

    1. Go outside, call all local newspapers, TV and radio stations to report in news with video, photos and reports by veterans as they leave the building. Also call 911 that handicapped parking spaces are blocked or occupied by non-handicapped vehicles. Ask that these vehicles are ticketed and then towed away to an impound. Give them hell. By now they have my name, F**k them as much as possible.

  23. Let em arm themselves. It just shows how scared they are of a well trained force of disabled Veterans. Most of us wont even let the VA do surgery as we may not wake back up. But it is good to know ahead of my next visit.

    1. Amen, Brother! They are all like their Master, Obama, scared of his own shadow, but put them in full armor and arm them to the teeth, then they become big tough guys harassing sick Veterans! None of them had the testicles to Serve their Nation, but they will willingly turn on their own people!

  24. I read these articles and just have to laugh. I work closely with DHS and have been present for Operation Shield exercises. The agencies are normally if not always advised ahead of time and the operation has always been a deterence to crime. Thses officers will willingly identify themselves and know that the law allows photos of them and the federal facilties. In fact a very large portion of these officers are veterans who themselves get care at the VA. Its humorous to see that when people don a uniform to safeguard the people and the Constitution, they suddenly become some secret police force but when civilians gather and do the same its some kind of soveriegenty right. Shame on the author for writing this garbage before checking his facts. This article is a clear attempt to create some kind of public pandimonium just to sell his name.

      1. Have you ever been to a VA or had any dealings with these officers? My guess is you have not. Who is really the one drinking the cool aid here?

  25. Nope, cannot find this with ANY search engine. Silly me…the NSA and HSA and Google and all other search engines are bedfellows these days. Face Book is absolutely no different.

  26. They sure have done a great job keeping this out of the main stream media or media of ANY sort because I cannot find it anywhere with the (AP) Associated Press searches. This action of HLS was indeed a DOMESTIC THREAT and an overt attack on Veterans, make no doubt about it.
    If I were present and those personnel would not show any ID and had no name tags, I actually would have assumed they were indeed domestic terrorists and would probably made the news because they would have shot my ass for reacting because I am type of person that is never allowing someone to take over a plane I am on or otherwise. VA no different.
    THAT head of that VA and al above that KNEW should ALSO be fired and SLOAN GIBSON should be fired. While we are at it, this President has irritated me every since he chose to send troops t Afghanistan. History has shown OVER and OVER it’s not a winnable situation with those animals.
    Why treat Veterans like we are “non-essential personnel”??? People need to read or re-read George Orwell’s 1984 book because Science Fiction usually has a way of predicting the future or some version of it in reality to come and this action by our government at that VA is spot-on.
    WTF?

  27. I think this has something to do with the current VA scandal that’s going on. The Executives and Bureaucrats realize they’ve ticked off a lot of veterans and they’re scared some ticked off vet is going to come in there and do something to one of them. They go and hire themselves a “goon squad” for protection!

    1. Kind of like pulling the trigger with a bullet in barrel and expecting it not to go off or…playing “wait and see”. We Veteran’s should not be part of even more “social experimentation” than we have already endeared.

  28. Seems to me this presence deterrence is needed in our public schools more than at health care facilities where we should expect to be secure from agency threats. I hope there is some critical piece of information missing, which will provide a reasonable explanation. otherwise we. can expect swat teams at any VA facility, medical or Regional Office.

    1. There is. Almost every person who works for this agency is a vet. Terroris deem VAs as soft targets to hit vets.

      1. They will see how soft a target it is if they try something. The administration is scared of the vets because they know we are willing to do whatever is needed to keep this country safe from domestic terrorists and terrorists from abroad. He is the one the forefathers were thinking of when they said that! If we took the Constitution and threw away all the crap that has been added over time, it would work better than it can with all the crap. GOD BLESS AMERICA, obutthead go home, Kenya is calling!

  29. This is SO completely **fuqk’d** that it’s beyond any describable words!! BEN–THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA NEEDS TO LATCH ONTO THIS BECAUSE THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S “CEANER NAMED GIBSON” HAD TO HAVE BEEN FULLY AWARE”…what if several veteran’s had reacted defensively/instinctively against this action? What will be the ramifications of this causing/triggering a Veteran’s PTSD? What if THIS event was the straw that broke the camels proverbial back on someone that was near PTSD but not symptomatic?
    THIS REQUIRES ATTENTION! Homeland Security should NOT be using Veteran Healthcare Centers or Veteran’s in any capacity to play their war games!!!! This is obviously passive-aggressive process for Veteran’s speaking our about their outrage and Gibson’s way of handling it in a dumb ass way!!!
    Turn the dogs of legal action on these bastURDS!! yeah, I am pissed~!

  30. I live in a small town. On a regular basis, the community meets at the local school to participate in disaster drills. What I think, is there doesn’t need to be any discussion. Arrest the DHS idiots, throw them in jail, and convict them of endangering the lives of veterans. Their sentence can be a simple commitment to participate in pre-planned, community participation exercise in accordance with disaster drills, not presence deterrence drills. I know hundreds of residents that enjoy such exercises, and lots of crazies that don’t need to fake their condition.

  31. What is even more disgusting is the fact the hundreds of illegals are now being housed on US military bases while this is going on and thousands of veterans are homeless.

  32. I think that these dressed in black guys just might find themselves face down and praying to whatever God they believe in if they come upon some vets. I am one of them. I will not bow down or surrender to anyone who does not have authority and ID. It would be war right there on the steps and I guarantee that I would not go down alone. Remember that oath “all foreign and DOMESTIC threats”.

    1. this invasion is wrong illegal WHO authorized this ? somebody in power did for sure I like to find out who ! if somebody got killed whos going to answer ? these secret police seem to pop up out of nowhere ? familization exercise ? against who the vets ?

  33. They’re going after us Ben. They’re seeing how we react. Instead of working with Veterans this administration and government wants to fight and keep them down.

    The incompetence and cowardliness of this administration is truly without parallel.

    If you complain about treatment or a Dr. instead of responding to your complaint like a company would do they can lash out at you, flag you as a risk, and deliver you super crappy care.

    The system is COMPLETELY rigged against veterans and this is part of what’s to come. They’ll pass a gun ban for anyone they think is a threat, then they’re going to come for the veterans and their healthcare will prepare the rest for death.

    I had this doctor, David Deng, at the San Francisco VA Hospital tell me that VHA was advised by VA benefits to stop writing letters in support of claims or for surgical convalescence and the attitude at the VA towards returning veterans is sickening.

  34. TSA agents? Allowed to carry weapons? WTF were the higher ups in DHS THINKING?!?! Or apparently NOT thinking AT ALL

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