It's been two years since the 155mm rounds blew apart the Humvee he was riding in in Balad, Iraq, but retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Scott Lathan still suffers from migraines that make him vomit.
Two tours in Iraq took a horrible toll on Lathan, 35, who is married with two children. He has traumatic brain injury with cognitive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and knee, back and hip problems.
On Dec. 16, after 13 1/2 years in the Marines and the Army, Lathan was medically retired with a 30 percent disability rating from the Army. The trouble is, he's still waiting to receive his first retirement check.
"Sixty days without a paycheck, it's hard," said Lathan, who has a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. "It's hard when you have to worry about how you're going to put gas in the truck and food on the table."
Across the country, soldiers have reported they've spent months, even years, getting through the medical-disability processes in the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Last year, a Government Accountability Office investigation and congressional testimony led to planned changes in the process.
Ideally, the Department of Defense strives for a "seamless transition" so veterans don't miss a paycheck, but that doesn't always happen.
Without pay, Lathan turned to the Home Front Cares, a nonprofit that helps soldiers, to pay his utility bill.
Worrying about money, he said, exacerbates his stress. Last month, he checked himself into Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson because of severe anxiety.
Military