Poisoned Patriots: Running the Gauntlet. 

When someone applies to the VHA for health coverage benefits, they are evaluated by either an Administration doctor or, if one is not readily available, a non-government private practice physician on a contract basis. The customary practice, according to Jim Vance, the director of the VHA office in Boise, Idaho, is for a petitioner to specify the condition for which they need medical attention when they first apply.

Part I – Poisoned Patriots: Through the Looking Glass

For the United States Marine Corps, boot camp means thirteen weeks of forced marches ― often in hot, humid, chigger-infested pine forests ― alongside bad food, tough discipline and screaming drill instructors. It is designed to weed out individuals not suitable for the military. According to recruiting materials, it accustoms recruits to dangerous, highly stressful scenarios and teaches them how to behave as soldiers rather than civilians in the face of adversity. It teaches them to conquer their fear, push the limits of their endurance and ultimately to become a better version of themselves.