My name is Nicholas Smith, and like many of you reading this, I am a survivor of Military Sexual Trauma (MST). I was physically sexually assaulted by someone I trusted — a mentor and supervisor — while I was serving on active duty. That assault forever changed my life. It ended my military career at 11.5 years, cut short the future I had planned, and left me medically retired with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and related conditions.

I know I am not alone. MST includes sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, and other forms of abuse that too many service members endure in silence. The Department of Veterans Affairs reports that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men experience MST during their service. For many of us, the aftermath not only destroyed our health and careers, but also our financial security.

The Current Law: CRDP and CRSC

Under federal law, there are two programs that allow some veterans to receive both military retired pay and VA disability compensation without a dollar-for-dollar offset:

1. Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP) – 10 U.S.C. § 1414
   • Eligibility requires:
     • 20 or more years of active-duty service (or equivalent creditable years in the Guard/Reserve), and
     • A VA disability rating of 50% or higher.
   • CRDP is automatic for eligible retirees and restores retired pay that is usually offset by VA disability compensation.
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2. Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) – 10 U.S.C. § 1413a

• Eligibility requires:
  • 20 or more years of service or a medical retirement, and
  • A VA-rated disability that is determined to be combat-related (direct result of armed conflict, hazardous duty, training exercises, or conditions simulating war).
  • CRSC is not automatic — it requires an application to one’s branch of service and approval of each claimed condition as combat-related.

The Problem for MST Survivors

Survivors of MST who are medically retired with at least 50% disability but less than 20 years of service are excluded from both programs:

• They do not qualify for CRDP because they lack 20 years of service, even though their disability rating is 50% or higher.

• They do not qualify for CRSC because MST-related conditions are not classified as “combat-related,” despite being service-connected and life-altering.

In other words, our careers were ended against our will by trauma inflicted during service, yet the law penalizes us by denying concurrent receipt of benefits we earned.

The Call for Justice
This is unacceptable. Survivors of MST deserve the same recognition, dignity, and benefits as any other retired service member. We did not choose to leave the service early — MST forced us out.

We are calling on Congress to amend 10 U.S.C. § 1414 (CRDP) and 10 U.S.C. § 1413a (CRSC) to allow MST survivors who are medically retired with at least 50% disability, regardless of years served, to receive full concurrent retired pay and VA disability compensation.

This is not charity — it is justice. It is about honoring our service, acknowledging the trauma inflicted, and ensuring that no survivor is punished twice: first by the assault, and then by the law.

If you are a survivor, a veteran, or an ally, please sign this petition. Together, we can demand fairness, financial security, and dignity for MST survivors who gave everything in service to our nation.